00:00 Introduction and Dodgers Celebration

01:27 Discussing Bandwagon Fans

02:46 Spiritual Reflections and Concerns

05:22 Parable of Fair Wages

08:29 Foretelling Jesus' Death

09:54 Request of the Sons of Zebedee

11:18 The Cup of Suffering

11:34 Ambition in Christianity

12:02 Blind Bartimaeus and Messianic Titles

13:04 The Triumphal Entry

13:54 Temple Cleansing and Teaching

16:24 The Fig Tree and Israel's Fruitlessness

17:36 Confrontation and Parables

19:11 Love, Obedience, and Affection for Christ

24:22 Closing Prayer and Reflections

Hey everybody.

2

Welcome back to another addition

to the daily Bible podcast.

3

Congratulations Dodgers.

4

My team has won the victory.

5

Thank you guys so much

for a wonderful ride.

6

Uh, man, this season was great to us.

7

Yeah, we were pumped about that victory.

8

Hey, who was on the mound?

9

When the last pitch was thrown

to win the world series.

10

I do my, my, my earphones.

11

Aren't working.

12

Hold on, let me, um, let me do that.

13

Yes, your team, you would

seem one, the world.

14

I think issues right here.

15

Yeah, it's the strange static and

going through a tunnel right now.

16

Yeah, my team bro.

17

I was born in California.

18

I'm not a magically, a Dodger

slash angel slash Padres.

19

Is there any other teams in California?

20

Just accurately summed up the

California sports fan right there.

21

Yep.

22

Look at me.

23

I know I'm crushing it.

24

You miss the giants and

the Oakland athletics.

25

I thought I did it.

26

Yeah.

27

Oh, well, you know what?

28

I'm working on it.

29

We had a five that's what?

30

A seven 60%?

31

Yeah.

32

Yeah.

33

6 2, 4, 6, 8, 6%.

34

Yeah.

35

Good job.

36

That's awesome.

37

Yeah, the Dodgers won.

38

So we won guys.

39

We did it.

40

Go team.

41

Take that and do what you will with it.

42

I'm going to celebrate it.

43

In fact, one of my, my, two of my

friends from California were texting me.

44

Late last night.

45

When they won.

46

Talking about the fireworks that were

going off and the gunshots and you know,

47

all the people in California celebrating

all the diehard, California fans.

48

Well, in fairness, they

live in the LA area.

49

So those are likely to be Dodger fans.

50

Yeah.

51

I mean, I guess so it's just, it's hard.

52

It's what's distasteful about it.

53

Is because, and we talked about this.

54

We don't need to revisit bind players.

55

No, but go ahead.

56

No, no, no, no, no, no, no.

57

Here's here's what a lot of king go off.

58

I don't mind.

59

I don't mind that the Dodgers fan

has been a fan for their whole life.

60

That's been a legit Dodgers

fan for their whole life.

61

What I don't like is the like, oh man,

the Dodgers are going to be the best

62

team because they just got autonomy.

63

So all of a sudden they're a Dodgers fan.

64

Like that to me is super off-putting and.

65

The two teams that were in the world

series, the Yankees and the Dodgers are

66

probably the two most bandwagon fans.

67

Teams that exist in the MLB.

68

I'm not saying everybody

out there proclaiming to be

69

a Dodgers fan is bandwagon.

70

I'm saying there.

71

A ton that are just latch

on to LA and New York.

72

And so it's like, that's what makes it

a nauseated world series right there.

73

So I'm glad it's done.

74

I'm glad it's over.

75

Let's move on.

76

It's time for 2025

baseball dude, we got to.

77

You know, for bandwagons, I hate those

people, whoever they are, we got to

78

shave their heads and throw them outside.

79

I mean, I'm not opposed to it let's do it.

80

I'm not opposed to it because

I don't like those people, man.

81

Right.

82

Dodgers for life there.

83

There you go Dodgers for life threatening.

84

So if the angels miraculously pull off a

decent season next year and end up in the

85

world series, are you angels fan for life?

86

All of a sudden, because I

really like Otani so yeah.

87

I'm kind of the guy that

you were talking about.

88

It sounds like you're talking about me.

89

Yeah.

90

It's not me though.

91

Okay.

92

No.

93

Cause I'm like, Mmm.

94

Like Jesus.

95

If Jesus.

96

I want to be on that team.

97

I was not implying you because I, I trust

that your fandom is, is here for a moment.

98

And then it's going to be

gone from the rest of that.

99

No, no.

100

I affirmed in my command

dude, I'm team Jesus.

101

So wherever Jesus goes,

that's why I want to go.

102

And I do like Otani, but

didn't that book come out.

103

They said we're not supposed

to be fans of Jesus, not a fan.

104

Um, I think, I think we met

who did, who wrote that?

105

Adelman.

106

Yeah, I forgot it.

107

I never read it because everybody

was like, this is the best book ever.

108

And I was like, Hey.

109

That you know, they said the same thing

about, um, what's his NBC's church.

110

Um, the guy who wrote the book radical.

111

Yeah.

112

That's the guy, man.

113

That's a crazy documentary

explosive right now.

114

In fact, I don't know if I should.

115

Yeah, I guess you watch it if

you want to watch it, but yeah.

116

You're getting one side of the

story and I'm always a bit nervous

117

about situations like that.

118

Uh, it seems like.

119

It seems like an obvious,

like, oh, clearly.

120

You know, pastor.

121

Uh, plat is in the wrong.

122

Uh, but you're only seeing one side and

as you quoted recently, you know, uh, Uh,

123

the one who states his case first seems

right to the other comes and examines him.

124

And so it's, uh, it's hard.

125

It's hard because you want to

say, okay, what's happening here?

126

Shit.

127

How much should I care?

128

Should I care at all?

129

Should I even watch this?

130

Is this a, is this gossip material

that I just am getting myself into?

131

I don't want to do that.

132

Um, but it is helpful to know

who the sheep from the goats are,

133

especially when it comes to is.

134

Who, who who's teaching, you're

allowing to influence you.

135

Yeah.

136

There's a whole brain of gotcha.

137

Journalism out there that has

pervaded the church recently.

138

And I think a lot of it amounts to a

little less than spiritual voyeurism.

139

Um, we want to.

140

Yeah.

141

W we're gossip.

142

Gossip hungry.

143

We want the dirt.

144

We want the details of behind the scenes.

145

We.

146

Are somehow.

147

Uh, entertained by the

downfall of other people.

148

And we need to guard against that because

we, none of this should bring joy to us.

149

Anytime we see that trial had

a church or a pastor fall or.

150

Um, you know, just things going on.

151

That should grieve us.

152

It's it's it does damage

to the name of Christ.

153

It does damage to the gospel.

154

So, um, if that's our motivation

that's, if that's your drive, then.

155

Stay away from things like that.

156

A hundred percent.

157

Um, if you've got a concern, if you

want to know how to pray, if you've got

158

somebody that you may know who's being

influenced by these people, then yeah.

159

It's probably wise to, to brush up

on what's going on so that you can

160

be adequately informed to be able to.

161

To, uh, to help them make a decision

one way or the other, but yeah.

162

Yeah, for sure.

163

I think leaders have a

special role to know.

164

Yeah.

165

No.

166

I think we had an obligation of sorts.

167

It was a portability.

168

That means we out to

know what's happening.

169

And yeah.

170

Especially when it's big names, people

that are like, oh, I read his books

171

or listened to his podcast or, yep.

172

Yeah.

173

Things like that.

174

It's important for us to hear stuff.

175

Yep.

176

I would agree.

177

Yeah.

178

Well, let's jump into Matthew 20 and 21.

179

Matthew 20 opens up with a

parable about fair wages.

180

Uh, this is an interesting one where in

Jesus tells a story of a man agreeing.

181

To a, with a number of people for

them to come into work in his field

182

and a denarius was a days wage.

183

So at the end of the day,

you'd have a denarius that.

184

That's what you took home.

185

That's what would support

you and your family?

186

And so he goes out and he hires

people in the morning and agrees

187

with them for a day's wage.

188

That's fair.

189

Uh, that's, it's not too much.

190

It's not too little.

191

This is what's expected.

192

Uh, it goes out later in,

in hire some people around.

193

Lunchtime and agrees with

them for a day's wage.

194

And you'd say, wow, that's,

that's generous, but okay.

195

And then he goes out with the third

hour or the later in the day, even in,

196

in hire some more people and agrees

with them for a full day's wage.

197

And then you say, wow, this

is going above and beyond.

198

And far as generosity goes.

199

So when he settles at the end, obviously

the people that work the whole day look at

200

the people that were part of the day and

they say, wait a minute, this isn't fair.

201

And so he makes the comment,

um, It's actually a comment.

202

That's all the way down in verse

15 of chapter 20, he says, am I

203

not allowed to do what I choose?

204

With what belongs to me or do

you begrudge my generosity?

205

And that's very similar to, uh, Romans

nine 15 when Paul quotes and says for,

206

he says to Moses, I will have mercy

on whom I have mercy, and I will have

207

compassion on whom I have compassion.

208

So the loads.

209

Uh, decision to dispense his

grace and mercy to whoever he dis.

210

Decides to dispense his grace

and mercy is his prerogative.

211

I mean, when we look at, for

example, the thief on the cross.

212

And you consider the, the life that he

lived up until the point of his death.

213

Uh, he got to do whatever he wanted to do.

214

And live the life that he chose to live.

215

Now that wound up with him.

216

Condemned to death and dying on a cross,

but still somebody might look at him

217

and say, well, that, that doesn't seem

fair because he didn't have to live.

218

Under the constraints of, of the holy

spirit and constraints of the law and

219

everything else that deathbed conversion,

it seems like they're just getting off.

220

Scot-free.

221

Okay.

222

It's God's prerogative to save who he's

going to save when he wants to save them.

223

And I think that's what Jesus is talking

about in this opening parable here.

224

And furthermore, I think most of us

would want to be saved earlier on.

225

Right.

226

I, I.

227

I wish I was saved earlier.

228

I'd like my life to count for more

so, not really losing in this.

229

Uh, don't forget that in the last

chapter of Matthew, Jesus said, but

230

many who are here many rather who are

first will be last in the last first.

231

And that's what concludes.

232

This section and Matthew chapter 20

in verse 16, he says, so the last will

233

be first and the first will be last.

234

What he's trying to convey here

is that the kingdom dynamic.

235

Is one where the.

236

It's unexpected.

237

There's a, there's a, there's a

way that he operates in the world

238

where, um, he turns things around.

239

He reverses the tables as it were.

240

And one of the ways that he's going to

do that is that those who are presently

241

in first place and in one way or another

might be last place, and those who are

242

last place are going to be first place.

243

And this goes back to the,

the, the way that he conceives

244

of greatness in the kingdom.

245

Greatness is not being

first placed in trumpeting.

246

Your importance.

247

Greatness is serving people

and that's how you demonstrate

248

the importance of your role.

249

You serve people and the more people

you serve, the more important.

250

Important to you have the lower your

role in some ways the higher, the

251

accolades that you'll receive from Christ.

252

Yeah.

253

Interesting in our next section here with

the third foretelling of Jesus' death.

254

I want to get your thoughts on this.

255

Um, you look at Mark's account of

this, uh, and he says, they're going

256

to deliver him over to the chief

priests and the scribes, and they're

257

going to condemn him to death.

258

Um, And deliver him over

to the Gentiles there.

259

I wonder.

260

I guess.

261

It's in multiple instances here,

but you know, is there, do you

262

think there's significance?

263

We Matthew right into a Gentile.

264

Or a Jewish audience that he

emphasizes the fact that Jesus is

265

going to be delivered to the Gentiles.

266

Uh, or Jesus himself emphasizes that

fact here in the prediction of his

267

death, or is this just, this is just

what he was saying the whole time.

268

I think, I think, is it

possible that he said both.

269

Yeah.

270

And there's always there's

editing, taking place here.

271

There's there.

272

There's what we call redaction.

273

Uh, these guys are doing something

that is authorized by the spirit.

274

So they're not being dishonest.

275

They're not being deceptive.

276

They're there taking the ministry of

Jesus and widdling down parts to say, this

277

is the part that I want to get across.

278

And so I think in Matthew's

account, it's going to be important

279

that Jesus is saying, look, I'm

going to be on the home turf.

280

I'm going to be on the home field.

281

And yet these are going to be

the same people that betray me.

282

I think in Mark's account because he

does have a wider audience in mind.

283

Um, it's not untrue that he was

delivered over to the Gentile.

284

So probably Jesus said both.

285

Both of these things in Jesus,

his intention is to make sure.

286

The mark and Matthew's intention is to

highlight the part that they thought was

287

most important for their audience to see.

288

Yeah.

289

Yeah.

290

Well, then we find out a little bit more

about the request of the sons of Zetta B.

291

Which is that it came from their mom.

292

Uh, and you mentioned that in

yesterday's episode or the day before.

293

Um, that this was not James and

John asking, but it's their mom.

294

So we, it is weekend week.

295

That's so mad and.

296

I don't know what that means, but

that's about, I assume that's not good.

297

Yeah.

298

Um, yeah, but it's not

acting like a Sigma.

299

Let me tell you what yeah.

300

Well, that's that's fair.

301

Uh, it, man, speaking of crazy things

in, in things that are, uh, of our.

302

Uh, kid's generation.

303

Apparently a prosper high school.

304

On Thursday for the pep rally

before their game, their

305

principal came in on a zip line.

306

He came in on is applying

with a megaphone.

307

I've been telling you to

come in on a zip line.

308

Well, I told Josh, I said that.

309

But on Sunday, no, for Christmas, make

it a special one with wings at Christmas

310

Eve service, you come in with the wings.

311

Yeah.

312

And yeah.

313

If you zip in from the back dude,

that that would be unforgettable.

314

Yeah.

315

It would be anyways.

316

Um, you may be wondering why does

the other techs age, James and John?

317

Why does Matthew say it's his mom?

318

Their mom?

319

Well, it's the request ultimately

is coming from James and John.

320

Maybe through their mom.

321

Uh, maybe the mom is the one that, that.

322

First put the thought in their,

their minds, but either way

323

they're in agreement with this.

324

They're not saying mom, don't do this.

325

This is wrong.

326

We need to be so embarrassed.

327

Yeah.

328

We needed to be humbled.

329

Um, they were, in fact, they're

in Hardy agreement with this.

330

If you look at verse 23, Uh,

he says in response to the

331

question of their mom, Hey.

332

Uh, can you drink my cup?

333

They say weak, we can do it.

334

We can do what you're telling us

that, that you are asking there.

335

And then he says to them,

you will drink my cup.

336

Meaning death.

337

Um, but these positions that you're

asking for, they're not mine to give you.

338

So the mom asks, but they're behind it.

339

For sure.

340

And again, we talked about that yesterday.

341

Just that idea of, of

ambition isn't wrong.

342

Um, like you've been saying,

but the right kind of ambition

343

is what we need to be after.

344

I think we need more ambition, bro.

345

Yeah.

346

If anything, I think Christians are

too, too satisfied with the status quo.

347

I think you should be ambitious

for, for godly things.

348

Go out and save as many

people as we possibly can.

349

Reach the lost man.

350

Yeah, become godly, reached a loss.

351

Good.

352

Build a legacy for godliness man for that.

353

Just do it in the right way.

354

That's the thing.

355

He's not, she's not saying don't do

it saying do it in the right way.

356

Yeah.

357

From here in verses 29 through

34, then, uh, we get blind

358

Bartimaeus again in Matthew.

359

Emphasize that there's two people.

360

Whereas the other two

accounts emphasize just one.

361

Uh, with, uh, mark giving attention

to the guy's name being Again,

362

We don't need to fret over this.

363

I think there were probably two, but

the spokesman, the person that spoke

364

was Bartimaeus and that's why mark

emphasizes him, but same interaction

365

here where they're calling out.

366

Lord have mercy on us son of David.

367

I can do a Jewish audience that would

have had weightiness and significance

368

is that was a messianic title, a

messianic attribution there too.

369

Did you use this?

370

If they're calling out to be healed there?

371

Chapter 21, which is ironic

because they're blind and yet

372

they see more clearly than

even the wisest of the scribes.

373

True.

374

Yep.

375

There you go.

376

That is a, uh, one might

say helpful observation.

377

Oh, wait.

378

Some might say that

someone, what would you say?

379

I would say beneficial.

380

Um, Yeah, of course, because yeah,

you're going to be a little more,

381

you know, you're flourishing.

382

It's a super duper common.

383

Helpful.

384

Yes.

385

We have far more.

386

Tabulary yeah.

387

Refined.

388

Uh, Anyways, Matthew 21.

389

Uh, triumphal entry verses

one through 11 here.

390

Um, it's interesting.

391

Three times to this point, Jesus

had predicted his impending death,

392

including, right, right before this.

393

And so you wonder what the disciples

were thinking as they witness all

394

of this unfolding before them.

395

Um, I think it's John's account that,

that talks about the fact that they

396

didn't understand this until much later.

397

Uh, yeah.

398

I mean, he's been talking about dying.

399

He's been talking about being

delivered over and though they didn't

400

understand that now he's walking in.

401

It seems like he's walking

in to be crown king.

402

This is Jesus.

403

Really stepping into the Royal.

404

Um, fervor the messianic fervor.

405

And th the, the most.

406

Uh, the most tangible way that he

had, he's not shying away from this.

407

He's not telling people not to do this

because it's not as our right now.

408

He's in fact allowing them to do it

because this is the beginning of his hour.

409

This is marking the beginning

of the passion week.

410

And then we go from here

to the temple cleansing.

411

And again, I think.

412

Carson the table.

413

I think this is a second temple cleansing.

414

I think John records the first

one back in John chapter two.

415

Um, I think Matthew's recording here.

416

Mark's recording in mark 11

and Luke and Luke 19 records.

417

The second event.

418

Uh, and one of the reasons is, is

after this in the three Synoptics,

419

Jesus stays there on the temple

Mount and begins to teach.

420

He begins to heal.

421

He begins to do other things.

422

In John's gospel.

423

He doesn't in John's gospel.

424

There's there's the confrontation

of the Pharisees right away.

425

And then Jesus.

426

Leaves, he goes away from there.

427

So I think there's two temple cleansings

I think this is the second one that

428

we find during the passion week.

429

Whereas the first one was at the

beginning of his public ministry.

430

This is at the back end

of his public ministry.

431

Kind of bookending that at the time there.

432

Uh, verses 15 through 17 then,

um, as Jesus is, uh, here in, in

433

interacting, the chief priest describes.

434

Uh, see what he's doing and the

children crying out Hosanna to the

435

son of David they're indignant.

436

It says there in the text,

they're offended there.

437

They're saying, Hey, you need

to stop them from, from seeing

438

these things because they're.

439

Eh, by implication that they're

not seeing the exact words.

440

They would say, Hey, this is blasphemous.

441

What they're doing?

442

You need to stop them from D

from saying this and Jesus.

443

He makes the statement that has become

a proverb, even in our culture today,

444

out of the mouths of incent infants in

nursing babes, you've prepared praise.

445

Um, so sometimes you'll hear somebody

say out of the mouths of babes, right as

446

the, there was somebody who's young says

something profound or something true.

447

And it's here, it comes from this,

uh, this notion here in scripture,

448

that is, um, Cited here by Jesus.

449

And that cited from Psalm eight,

verse two, Psalm eight, verse two.

450

So.

451

Uh, yeah, this is the fairest.

452

He's upset about everything

going on at Jesus.

453

As if, if in another context

he says, if I was to stop them.

454

Uh, even the stones would

cry out these things.

455

And so it's protesting is not

going to do any good here.

456

We're in holy week now.

457

Don't forget.

458

Every time you see the temple,

uh, you see the triumphal entry.

459

Uh, that Sunday of holy week.

460

Uh, Jesus cleansing the temple,

even though Matthew compresses the

461

timeframe here, this is probably Monday.

462

Um, most accounts would

make that pretty clear.

463

Matthew makes it less clear,

but we're fairly confident.

464

This is Monday and then Jesus

cursing the victories the next day.

465

So that's going to be Tuesday.

466

So we're making progress

through the holy week here.

467

Again, just keep that in mind.

468

As you read through these

final chapters of the gospels.

469

Yeah, which is crazy because when,

when we're in John, I mean, It

470

really is kind of like immediately

to the backend of the holy week.

471

We don't get this stuff in John's gospel.

472

Why not?

473

Different emphasis, different

point different purpose.

474

Um, Yeah.

475

I mean, he.

476

In fact case in point, this next

section, here with the fig tree.

477

Uh, it's really not about

Jesus being hungry and they're

478

not being figs on the tree.

479

This is an illustration

that Jesus is using to show.

480

The fact that, that Israel was not

doing what it should have done.

481

Israel was not producing fruit and there

was a fruitlessness there in the nation.

482

And so he's using this

victory for that purpose.

483

Well, that's not.

484

You know, John's gospel is writing so

that people might believe that Jesus is

485

the son of God and believing have life.

486

That is not Matthew's purpose.

487

And so there's different purposes.

488

That apply to the different audiences

there, but we benefit from it because we

489

get a much fuller picture by considering

all of the four gospel accounts together.

490

Uh, yeah, so yeah, he curses this victory.

491

Um, what's interesting.

492

We're going to find out well, We'll say

that to, when we get to it to mark 11.

493

Anyways.

494

Yeah.

495

He curses the picture here in this

instance, and it's, it's really a

496

metaphor that he's setting up to say, Hey.

497

Uh, Israel does not bear the

fruit that, that she should.

498

And that's a similar.

499

Theme to what we read back

in Isaiah chapter five.

500

Uh, with the vineyard and everything else.

501

This has been long, been a theme in the

scriptures to indict Israel and Jesus

502

is just joining the chorus of voices.

503

Uh, charging them with the same things.

504

Then in chapter 21 verses 23

all the way through when we're

505

not going to get there today.

506

But 2214, you have the confrontation

that the, the, the heat is

507

being turned up more and more.

508

And in verses 23, through 27, Jesus

authority is challenged and he

509

responds with a very perceptive and

challenging question of his own.

510

He says, Hey, who's baptism was John's.

511

Was it from heaven or man.

512

And they're left, unable to

answer because their fear of the

513

crowds they're, they're afraid.

514

If they say it's from heaven, then

the crowds are gonna look at them

515

and he's going to look at them

and say, why weren't you baptized?

516

Then if they say it's for men, Men

then the crowds that believe it's from

517

heaven are going to be mad at them.

518

And so their silence.

519

Jesus said, Hey look.

520

I'm not going to answer you either.

521

Um, and so they're kind of humiliated.

522

For lack of a better term by Jesus here.

523

Uh, and then he tells a story,

uh, another parable of two sons,

524

one who tells his dad initially.

525

Yeah.

526

I'm not going to go do what you want me

to do another one who says, I'll go do it.

527

And then the one who says that he

would do it ends up not going to do it.

528

And the one who says he wouldn't ends up

in the end saying, yeah, I will do it.

529

And so the point is, Hey,

who was the faithful one?

530

And the faithful one is the one that

eventually does what the father asks.

531

And again, an indictment

on the Jewish people there.

532

And that it all ends in chapter 21.

533

At least with this parable, the tenants.

534

Uh, that that really does point to the

ultimate betrayal and death of Jesus

535

as the son going to, uh, to the, the,

the, his property to seek fruit, to seek

536

the produce that that should be there.

537

And instead of showing it, they're going

to end up killing the son, which is.

538

What is about to happen with Jesus.

539

He says in verse 43 past repeated,

therefore I tell you, the kingdom of

540

God will be taken away from you and

given to a people producing its fruits.

541

It seems like Jesus has really

intent on his people producing fruit.

542

What are we supposed

to understand by this?

543

Yeah.

544

In fact, we're going to

talk about this on Sunday.

545

Um, because it's, it's part of it.

546

Part of our, our relationship

with Christ is obedience.

547

Um, love produces obedience.

548

That's what John is going to talk

record for us from Jesus in John 14.

549

Uh, the Sunday low.

550

If you, if you love me, you

will keep my commandments.

551

If you love me, it will show up.

552

And I think that the problem that we

have, and the reason we recoil against

553

that is, is we've reversed that so often

we think our obedience produces love or,

554

or obedience is the fuel for our love.

555

When, when really it's the opposite.

556

It's it's, we have to have the

love part for Christ first.

557

And that's what yields

the life of obedience.

558

That's what drives us to obey is

when our affections for Christ are.

559

In place causing us to want to go

and do what he's calling us to do.

560

So yeah, we should have fruit.

561

Absolutely.

562

We should have fruit

affections for Christ.

563

Um, give us a few terms.

564

That mean the same thing.

565

Help us to say so, because

here's what I'm thinking.

566

Yeah.

567

Um, there are days

mornings when I don't feel.

568

I feel like, yep.

569

Seoul is dry.

570

Yeah.

571

My body's weary, tired.

572

Um, I don't feel those affections now.

573

What if I don't.

574

If I still read my Bible and pray.

575

And my now engaging in the kind

of legalistic approach to God that

576

you're warning against no, um, Uh,

affection, devotion, commitment.

577

Um, these are, are,

are contained there in.

578

I mean, if, if those of you who are

married, if you think about that, there

579

are times that, you know, you're not

necessarily feeling the warm fuzzies about

580

your spouse, but you're married to them.

581

And in.

582

There's a devotion and a loyalty

and allegiance that, that

583

you're still going to love them.

584

You're still gonna treat them.

585

Uh, with the respect and the, and the

love and the Karen concerned that that

586

they're worthy of, um, when it comes to

Christ, it's, it's harder for us because

587

that's, that's a little bit easier

because we have the person there with us.

588

And so, um, we're gonna talk about this,

like I said on Sunday, but, but some

589

points there on, on cultivating, a love

for Christ, I think, you know, rehearsing,

590

the gospel is a great place to start.

591

Remembering everything that he's

done for us is a great place to

592

jumpstart our affections for him

to, to think about what he's done.

593

I mean, if you think about it

this way, Um, and if you're

594

listening to this, you're going

to hear this illustration twice.

595

Uh, if someone were to come to you and

pay off your mortgage completely, if they

596

paid off the balance of your mortgage,

they paid off the balance of your car.

597

They took any outstanding loans,

any credit card debt that you have,

598

and they paid it off completely.

599

And not only that, but then they

give you a debit card that's attached

600

to their bank account and their.

601

Trillionaires 10 times over and they

say, Hey, any needs that you have from

602

now on, out here on now, I want you

to use this, use this for whatever

603

you need to, to provide food for

your family, to, to send your kids

604

to college, to do whatever you need.

605

Use this.

606

How would you feel towards that person?

607

Right.

608

I'm going to send them a thank you note.

609

Yeah.

610

Exactly.

611

And I, you know, I it's Christ

isn't so much more for us than that.

612

And that's why I think rehearsing

the gospel is such a good place

613

for us to begin to, to think

about stirring our affection for

614

Christ and loving him because of

remembering how much he's done for us.

615

So when you say that those steering

your affections, it sounds like

616

you're suggesting that part of the.

617

Experience that a Christian

should have is the warmth.

618

Uh, the, that sense of, so you

talked about not feeling the warm

619

fuzzies for your spouse, right?

620

Um, but you're saying I should

pursue those warm fuzzies.

621

I should, I should want those.

622

Warm fuzzies.

623

But when I don't feel those warm

fuzzies, that doesn't negate my

624

commitment, doesn't negate my devotion.

625

It just means that I'm going to have to

push harder to, to engage in those things.

626

Is it mean that.

627

Yeah.

628

There's a million reasons

why that could be happening.

629

So I don't want to nail you down

on that, but I'm just saying.

630

To add some clarity to that.

631

You see.

632

Stir your affections for Christ.

633

That means I should feel

warm and fuzzy about Jesus.

634

Yeah.

635

And I don't.

636

Yeah.

637

Well, and that's where again, Not

to get back to so much on this

638

Sunday, but I think this passage is

so helpful for us in that I think.

639

The more you commit to just

doing the things that you

640

know you're supposed to do.

641

Sometimes when we do the things

the affections will follow.

642

Sometimes when we do the acts, when we

do what we know we're supposed to do the

643

warm fuzzies, the affections will follow.

644

I mean, that's one of the things in

counseling that I'll talk about all

645

the time with couples that come in,

that are at each other's throats.

646

It's like, Hey, you guys need

to go out on dates still.

647

You need to go out on

walks together as a couple.

648

You need to do things

that married couples do.

649

Because it's, it's gonna help with, with

everything else that's going on now.

650

And so here in this passage,

as Jesus is talking to this.

651

To the disciples.

652

He says, you know, he's going to

reveal himself to them more and more

653

in Judas, not a scary, it says to him,

Lord, how are you going to do this?

654

And Jesus answers him.

655

And he says, look, if anyone

loves me, he will keep my word.

656

And my father will love him.

657

And we will come to him

and make our home with him.

658

So there's a promise from Jesus there

that says, man, if, if you love me

659

and obey me and sometimes yeah, that's

going to be more on the obedient side

660

than the warm, fuzzy affection side.

661

But if you do that, the fruit

of that, according to Christ is

662

this intimacy between us in the

father, in the son and the spirit.

663

And so.

664

Uh, there are going to be seasons

that that's more difficult for

665

us to feel than others, but,

uh, but, but it should be there.

666

I would go so far as to say,

if it's, if it's never there,

667

then there's a disconnect.

668

There's a problem.

669

Somewhere in the relationship there.

670

Yeah, more on that on Sunday.

671

So a little teaser for

the sermon, I guess.

672

Um, At least one point of the sermon, but.

673

All right, let's pray.

674

And then we will wrap up this episode

of the daily Bible podcast that we

675

thank you so much for your word.

676

We, uh, we do pray that we would be

those that do love you and not just

677

love you, but feel that affection for

you that, that love you with, uh, uh,

678

Uh, passion God, that, that, um, is,

is so hard to nail down sometimes.

679

And I pray for those that are

feeling that dryness right now, that

680

distance right now, that, that they

would lean into the things that they

681

know that they're supposed to do.

682

That are part of what it looks like

to express devotion to you, tangibly,

683

which is to spend time in your word

and to pray, and to be honest and

684

transparent before you and bear

their hearts before you in that.

685

Uh, in doing these things and in

pursuing these things and pursuing

686

them, because they say to love is, does

look like a submission that they would

687

experience that closeness with you.

688

You saying you're worried if we draw

near to you, you will draw near to us.

689

And so got to.

690

I pray for those that are listening

that are there, that you would

691

give them that, uh, that sense of

closeness to you for those that.

692

That feel that right now, God, I pray

that you would Excel still more, that

693

caused that to access to more in their

lives and in, uh, in Kindle that flame to.

694

To, to burn even brighter for them.

695

And so we pray this in Christ's name.

696

Amen.

697

Amen.

698

All right, I'll keep it in your Bibles

and tune in again tomorrow for another

699

episode of the daily Bible podcasts.

700

Yeah.