Compass Bible Church North Texas

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Chapters

00:00 Welcome

00:15 When Leaders Disappoint

08:10 1 Samuel 22

10:42 1 Samuel 23

15:17 1 Samuel 24

16:40 Luke 16:1-18

24:24 Prayer and Sendoff

24:51 Outro and Podcast Information

Happy Friday everybody.

2

Welcome back to another edition

of the Daily Bible Podcast.

3

Maybe you've had the experience.

4

Hi, pastor Mark.

5

Hi.

6

I just wanna jump in 'cause we kept on

going long and I wanna make sure that

7

we give enough time to the Bible while

still answering an important question.

8

'cause I know that people

have this one because.

9

Have you had the experience where

someone that you esteem and respect,

10

and it's worse if it's your pastor,

but if it's someone you esteem and

11

respect and they say something or

do something and you're like, Ugh.

12

Oh wow, that's not what I thought.

13

You okay?

14

Okay, Lord, help me.

15

Because it's like when your

hero dies in front of you.

16

What you thought was who they were was

something different, and maybe they

17

be, you become a little disillusioned

about what you hoped for and thought was

18

someone that you esteemed and respected.

19

Okay.

20

That is pretty typical.

21

I think for a lot of

us, we have our heroes.

22

We have people that we look up

to and sometimes they'll say or

23

do things that just cause 'em to

be a little tainted in our eyes.

24

How do we deal with that when it's our

pastors, when it's someone that you're

25

called to submit to and surrender your

life to in some respect, not completely.

26

But what do you do with that?

27

Especially because we talk all the time.

28

We're living in front of the flock.

29

You said on Sunday that we're

just smell like the sheep and so.

30

We're around them all the time,

which means that there's gonna

31

be moments of unguarded us.

32

We're gonna say something or do

something or even just say, oh,

33

I was listening to this song.

34

And they're like, oh, you

listen to that you do that.

35

You do what on your free time?

36

Like, oh man, I thought

you're walking on the air.

37

'cause you're just walking

with Jesus, walking on water.

38

That's what I was trying to get to.

39

How do you deal with that

kind of disappointment?

40

Is there a prescription to

avoid it in the first place?

41

But if not, and you do experience

that, what do you do with it?

42

I'd love for you guys to chime in.

43

People are dying to know.

44

Yeah.

45

I would say initially, kinda

what I went back to yesterday

46

your pastors aren't perfect men.

47

I think we have to define, to identify

what the source of the disappointment is.

48

If the source of the disappointment is a.

49

We've got a disagreement on a gray

area, then okay then that's something to

50

understand that way and to understand.

51

We can agree to disagree and move on this.

52

If the wound or if the hurt is this is

out of character for him, then it may

53

be that this was a situation where.

54

It was a coming off exhaustion.

55

I'm not justifying the man's sin, but

coming off of a hard week or a long

56

week or something like that, and you

might let love cover the multitude

57

of sins in a situation like that.

58

If this is a situation where you begin

to realize, oh man, I really do have

59

doubts about this man's character.

60

I, he's not who I thought he was.

61

It may be that it, that's , an occasion

to prayerfully consider whether or not

62

this is the right place or the right

church for you to be involved in.

63

If this is open and ongoing sin, then

the pastor needs to be addressed and you

64

should probably set up a meeting with one

of the other pastors on staff to at least

65

express your concerns or talk about that

and figure out the best way forward there.

66

So I think there's, I don't know

that there's one fast res in

67

hard rule for a general response.

68

Those are some, initial thoughts

and parameters that I might have.

69

I think beginning by not

elevating them above their place

70

is a helpful place to start.

71

If you have your pastors walking

on ice as you put it, pastor Rod

72

meant I, you know what I meant?

73

I know.

74

Walking on water.

75

Just kidding.

76

If you have your pastors in your

mind as people who are somehow not.

77

Fallen humans that are redeemed

by grace, who are going through

78

the process of sanctification.

79

If you think of them as something

that, that isn't, that, that

80

they're somehow beyond that, you're

gonna set yourself up for trouble.

81

Because we, as pastors are

called to, live above reproach.

82

It's not as though we're,

the bottom of the barrel.

83

We shouldn't be people who are.

84

Sleazy or gross or

unfaithful or these things.

85

But we're also not gonna be perfect.

86

We can't be perfect, at

least this side of eternity.

87

So I think making sure you have your

pastors in the right perspective on the

88

outset is helpful so that when there

are issues, you're not devastated.

89

How do you hold that idea, that

attitude without succumbing to, I

90

don't know, I call it cynicism, but

may, maybe it's a sanctified realism.

91

Is that what you guys are pointing to?

92

Because scripture says that word

to esteem them highly in love.

93

Yes.

94

Because of their work.

95

And so scripture calls the

congregation and the layman to.

96

To think highly of their leaders, to

support her leaders, to honor her leaders.

97

In fact, we have one passage here

that says, the elders who rule

98

well should be considered of double

honor, which I do think speaks

99

to their financial compensation.

100

But the idea of honoring the leaders.

101

So on the one hand, there's

this great esteem and an honor.

102

Well, on the other hand, you're saying,

but don't think of them too highly.

103

Think of them rightly.

104

Is that a good summarization

of what we're saying here?

105

Yeah, and I do think in our culture today.

106

The temptation often is to think.

107

Too less or too little of the role.

108

And I think that's partly because

people in the role have failed.

109

Right.

110

There's been many people who have failed.

111

Yep.

112

And for a season we overvalued

them or overestimated them,

113

or whatever you wanna call it.

114

Right.

115

And so, I think in some sense there's been

an, a correction that has gone too far.

116

So I think at this po present moment,

we've as a church community, for lack of a

117

better term, I think we've overcorrected.

118

Hmm.

119

Yeah, I would.

120

I would echo that.

121

I would agree with that.

122

I think you should expect your

pastors to live above reproach.

123

You should expect them to Have

You said that the last time.

124

What do you mean by that?

125

When you say a live above

reproach, because I think that's

126

where some of the confusion lies.

127

Yeah.

128

Like , I expect my pastor not to

listen to certain kinds of music.

129

He doesn't maybe eat at certain

places or, oh, whatever.

130

People have different ideas

of what is intended by that.

131

Yeah.

132

I would say that there aren't charges of

wrongdoing or sin that would stick to.

133

That, that is the type

of life that he's living.

134

It's the Psalm 1 39 life that, that David

represents, where at the end of it, he

135

says, Lord, try me, search me, know me.

136

If there's any grievous way in

me, I wanna know about it so I can

137

repent of it and get rid of it.

138

That's how your pastor should be

approaching his life on a regular basis.

139

He should be living a life with a

short, with short accounts with God.

140

It doesn't mean that he doesn't

have any sin in his life.

141

But that there's not an open ongoing

sin or some large sin that, that if

142

somebody brought a charge against

him of being an angry person or

143

being a lustful person or a lawful

person, that charge is going to stick.

144

That to me is what it

means to live above reproach.

145

And so you should expect that of your

pastors and I don't think that's wrong

146

to expect that of them, but, I also

think we need to be reasonable about

147

understanding that they are, as Pastor

Mark was saying we're falling the

148

best of men as you've said and quoted

from some, I don't know who said it

149

first, but the best of men people.

150

Are meant at best they are falling.

151

So we're you're wanting to make

sure that you follow the right guys

152

that you can trust that are living

lives of integrity and living above

153

reproach, as I was just saying.

154

And follow them.

155

Do your best, follow them.

156

And don't, I would say don't.

157

Watch them cynically

waiting for them to mess up.

158

I think that's the other thing too.

159

Yeah, you want to be sure that somebody

has some accountability in the life

160

of your pastors, and that's one of the

reasons why the plurality of elders that

161

I preached about this past weekend is

also helpful because we have each other's

162

backs, but we also have relationships

with other people that get to know us too.

163

We're all in community

groups with other believers.

164

But don't sit there and side eye them

and just wait for them to screw up either

165

because that's not gonna be , an easy way

for you to submit to their leadership and

166

really benefit from their shepherding.

167

Amen to that.

168

Yeah, there's a lot more

we could say about that.

169

If you have any questions to follow up,

please feel welcome to reach out to us.

170

But let me just encourage you similar

to how Pastor Mark did, in fact, even on

171

the heels of your sermon you ended Sunday

sermon with something to the effect of.

172

Pastors do it for the glory of

Christ or something like that.

173

Yeah.

174

Serving Christ serve to,

they do it to serve Christ.

175

And I would encourage you as a

congregant, I trust that all of you

176

who are hearing my voice here are

in a church and you're submitting

177

yourself to the leadership of a pastor.

178

Your ultimate hope and trust

should not be in your pastor,

179

but in their chief shepherd.

180

It is him that you're ultimately

gonna have to lay your hope and your

181

weight upon your pastor will fail you.

182

And that's the sad reality.

183

In a fallen world with fallen

flesh and fallen people, you're

184

gonna have your pastor disappoint

you in some way, shape, or form.

185

Some of it's gonna be invalid.

186

You have wrong expectations.

187

Some of it though, will be valid

and you'll have a legitimate

188

charge against him that might need

some legitimate reconciliation.

189

But at the end of the day, if your

hope is in the man, you're gonna

190

fall prey to what Jeremiah 17 says.

191

You're leaning on something

that's not gonna hold you up.

192

But if you're leaning on Christ

and saying, Lord, I'm trusting

193

you to put people in my life that

can lead me, you're gonna do okay.

194

No matter how grievous the pastor's

fall may be, strike the shepherd.

195

The sheep will scatter.

196

Yes.

197

But for Christians who are truly

in Christ, that's temporary.

198

You'll get shaken.

199

But you won't be destroyed.

200

You'll be able to find yourself in

a church home we trust that will be

201

able to love you and care for you

by the regular preaching of the word

202

and the care of the whole flock.

203

Amen.

204

Well, let's get into our reading today.

205

We are in one Samuel, chapters 22

through 24, and Luke 16, one through 18.

206

So one Samuel 22.

207

, David is.

208

And so David, again, is

being pursued by Paul.

209

He's hiding and he's got quite the

motley crew that he attracts to himself.

210

These are not people that you

would ne necessarily choose to be.

211

You're right hand men, any, anyone who's

in distress, everyone who is in debt.

212

Everyone who's bitter in soul.

213

Gathered to him and he

became commander of the mall.

214

I also find it interesting that

his brothers are there too.

215

So this is similar to the greater David.

216

Eventually his brothers, Jesus',

his own brothers doubt him, but

217

later on they become his followers.

218

Here it seems that David's

brothers become his followers.

219

They come to him at the, this cave

at least, and they join his ranks.

220

From here the scene shifts in Saul

catches word that David had been at

221

Knob and with the priest of Alek.

222

And this goes back to what we were

talking about yesterday, that there

223

are consequences here because Saul

goes there and asks why he didn't

224

ma prevent David from going on.

225

Why didn't arrest David and turn him over?

226

Well, David had told him I'm on a

mission from the kink, so David.

227

Deceived a alek there, but Saul is not

going to buy that answer, and so he orders

228

somebody to execute all of the priests.

229

No one is found among the men

to do it except for Dogue.

230

The Edomites and Dogue.

231

The Edomite is significant because being

an mite, he was a descendant of Esau.

232

The Edomites and the Israelites

are going to have tension

233

and conflict with each other.

234

Throughout history.

235

And so here do is going

to say, well, I'll do it.

236

And so he, him being a wicked man

raises up and he dispatches with

237

all of the priests of a alek there

at no minus one a thar who escapes

238

to David who is hiding, but then is

about to go and rescue another people.

239

But anything on chapter 22 there, yeah.

240

God uses a wicked act by this guy

whose name I just forgot, do Dowe.

241

Doeg.

242

Yes.

243

That guy he dispatches 85 of them.

244

Yeah.

245

That's horrendous.

246

Yeah.

247

And these are priests and so it's not

just one guy who helped out David.

248

It's the whole flock.

249

Yeah.

250

Which is tragic, awful.

251

But on the heels of that, God gives

David a valuable gift in sending

252

this guy to be his personal priest.

253

He's following and traveling with him

and he has a Lin and eod, which is

254

where you would carry the Uma Thurs.

255

In your chest, and then you can roll the

Uma Thurman's and discern the Lord's will.

256

So that's not it.

257

God, God gives David this priest to

go with him on his wilderness travels.

258

What a great gift that is.

259

It's terrible the way that it happens,

but God is orchestrating these events to

260

providentially care for David and lead him

in one of the worst seasons of his life.

261

Yeah.

262

Well, chapter 23, he comes to, yeah,

that's what it, I was, it was a joke.

263

Thurman, it's or if you wanna be

technical, chapter 23, David and his

264

men are gonna come to the aid of a

city called Keah and they're gonna

265

deliver Keah, they're gonna save Keah.

266

And then Keah after they've been

spared from the armies of the

267

Philistines are going to reward

David by saying, Hey, Saul.

268

David's here and David is going to ask

of the Lord and say should we stay?

269

Should we go?

270

The Lord is gonna say, no, you need to go.

271

So David and his men are

gonna move on from there.

272

They're gonna flee from there.

273

Saul's gonna continue

his pursuit of David.

274

And there's even a scene where David's

on one side of the mountain and and

275

Saul's on the other side of the mountain,

and then Saul catches wind of something

276

and turns and has to leave off at

least temporarily the pursuit of David.

277

But the inhabitants of Kela.

278

Not great people here.

279

They, Hey, thanks for saving our lives,

and now we're gonna turn you over to Saul.

280

And probably because of their fear

of Saul maybe they found out what

281

happened to the priests of knob there.

282

And so that's why they make this decision.

283

But they are caring more about

their own skin there than they

284

are about being loyal to David.

285

So David here asks some very

specific kind of questions of God.

286

Is that something that we

should emulate in our own life?

287

Right?

288

He asks very just kind of

practical questions here.

289

Is that something we should do?

290

Should we ask God?

291

Should we go here, go there, or,

and is that an appropriate prayer?

292

Is that appropriate request of God?

293

I would modify it.

294

I would say we should ask that God

would lead us, that God would guide

295

us, that God would help us make

the right decisions, but we don't

296

expect an audible voice from God.

297

The way that David did the response, the

clarity there that David received through

298

a Bihar, through the line and through the.

299

And that's not the way

that God operates with us.

300

We're in a different dispensation today.

301

So if you're making a decision,

say that you're trying to make

302

a decision, should we move even?

303

Should we sell a house and

buy a different size house?

304

You can pray for wisdom on that, and

then you can practice what Proverbs says.

305

Seek wisdom from an

abundance of counselors.

306

You can have other believers that

you turn to, and God can speak

307

through those things as well.

308

But to sit back and just sit, say, I'm not

gonna do anything until I hear an audible

309

voice from God telling me what I should

do, or to take some dice and say, God, if

310

I roll a six, then I'm selling my house.

311

That, that's not the way that, that our

prayer life operates today because of the

312

different way that God operates with us

through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

313

Talk more about that.

314

What does that mean that he.

315

Uses the Holy Spirit.

316

'cause he could theoretically just

use the Holy Spirit to tell us clearly

317

when we ask these questions, yes.

318

No, go here, go there.

319

He could, right?

320

Why not?

321

Like, why is that not the

way that he works today?

322

Well, again, David didn't have

the spirit in dwelling him, and

323

so he had to have an outside Yeah.

324

Source.

325

Right?

326

And so there was no sense of

spiritual, even kinship between

327

David and any of these other men.

328

God could use, for example, Joe AB

later on, or Jonathan in David's life

329

to give him certain counsel and advice,

but it's different from you and I

330

when you and I go to our brothers and

sisters in Christ and say, Hey, I'm

331

considering selling my house and buying

a tiny house for my family of seven.

332

What do you think about that in

my brother or sister in Christ?

333

Hey, I think that's really foolish

and I don't think you should do that.

334

I don't think that's you being

a wise steward of your family.

335

I don't think that's gonna set you

guys up well, I don't think that's

336

gonna be good for the wellbeing

and the safety of your family.

337

You probably shouldn't do that.

338

Probably not good for

your marriage either.

339

Then that is them.

340

Not just giving human wisdom, but

also spiritual wisdom through the fact

341

that they're in dwt by the Spirit.

342

I'm in dwt by the spirit and that's

what's different between us and David.

343

Yeah.

344

I would also add that I have asked the

Lord questions that are very similar.

345

I don't expect God to give me a clear

audible or even just an impression.

346

I do ask the question, the

Lord, is this a good move?

347

Is this the right time to say this?

348

Is this the right move for my family?

349

Is this the right time to, Lord,

do, should I move to Texas?

350

I have I don't know, I dunno

where it is now, but I have a.

351

Notebook, maybe several pages of a

notebook where I'm answering that

352

question in a peripheral contemplation.

353

So it's not like I'm saying,

God gimme an answer, but I am

354

asking God to gimme clarity.

355

Lord, should we move to Texas?

356

And so I did a T chart and I did that,

and then I started asking other questions

357

like, does this, is this the best use?

358

Is my skillset?

359

Of my life and time in ministry.

360

So I continued to ask the Lord

questions like these yes or no

361

questions, Lord, is it this or that?

362

And granted again, the Lord never gave me

a clear, yes Rod, you should go do this.

363

But I felt at the end of that that I

made a decent enough decision based

364

on the wisdom God has given me and

the multitude of counselors, which

365

I did talk to different people.

366

I made a decision and I did not

expect, and I still do not expect

367

God to gimme clear yeses and nos,

and I don't think you should.

368

I don't think it's a good posture, but

you should ask the question, but just

369

know that it's gonna be a lot of work

on your part to open up scripture,

370

talk to people and get a clear answer.

371

That's a good answer.

372

Yeah, that's helpful.

373

You're right, you can't ask the questions.

374

I don't mean to say you can't ask

direct questions, but what we expect

375

in return to how we expect 'em to

answer that is different today.

376

That's very helpful.

377

Yeah.

378

Cool.

379

Well, chapter 24 is one of

the more humorous scenes here.

380

Saul goes into a cave as he's chasing

David again now, and he goes into relieve

381

himself and use the restroom, as it were.

382

And Saul, David happens to be in

the cave with all of his men and

383

his men say, Hey, here he is,

Lord's giving him into your hands.

384

David go and strike.

385

And David says, no, I'm not gonna

lift my hand against the Lord's

386

anointed, but he does cut off.

387

Corner of Saul's rope, Saul leaves the ca.

388

David's heart is convicted.

389

Even over doing that, he feels that he

has dis dishonor the Lord's anointed in

390

cutting off just a corner of his rope.

391

So he goes out and he holds up the

corner and says, Hey, king Saul.

392

Do you recognize this?

393

I.

394

Want you to know that today I could

have taken your life, but I didn't.

395

Saul seems repentant.

396

He even says some pretty flowery

things about David and how David

397

is a man, more righteous than he.

398

David says, why are you pursuing me?

399

I'm just a, I'm a F Flee.

400

And Saul says, oh, David, my son.

401

He even calls him his son here,

and he asks him to be kind to him.

402

Don't cut off my offspring.

403

Even Saul alluding to the fact that

he's beginning to have the sneaking

404

suspicion that David's gonna win in the

end, and that Saul's going to be removed.

405

I think Saul.

406

Might have that as a foregone

conclusion at this point, even though

407

he is trying to fight against it.

408

And he asked David, Hey David, please

think well of my family, take care of

409

my family after after all this happened.

410

So we'd love to say, and everybody

lived happily ever after, after this.

411

And the transfer of power went

smoothly and it was an honorable move,

412

but it's not gonna work that way.

413

But at least this is a little bit of

a humorous scene as David cuts off

414

Saul's robe as he's in the bathroom.

415

All right, let's flip over

to our New Testament reading.

416

Luke chapter 16.

417

Luke chapter 16, one through 18.

418

We've got another parable here, and this

is the parable of the dishonest manager.

419

And this is one where a man

realizes he's going to lose his job.

420

And so he calls in the servants of his

master, who he has been working with

421

and says, how much do you owe my master?

422

In the masters, , they answer.

423

And he says, well, we'll cross that

out amount and write a smaller amount.

424

And the reason he does

this is because after he's.

425

Out of this job.

426

He's gonna need friends, he's

gonna need people to help him.

427

He's gonna need people to come

alongside him and support him.

428

And so he makes some friends by

basically without permission from the

429

master, for giving the debt of these

people as they are coming , to settle

430

their accounts with his master there.

431

So it's.

432

It's shrewd, but it is dishonest

and that's why it's the parable

433

of the dishonest manager.

434

And then Jesus makes a pivot there

and he says that we need to make

435

friends of our, for ourselves by means

of unrighteous wealth so that when

436

they, that wealth fails, they may

receive you into eternal dwellings.

437

He's not con commending dishonesty,

but he is saying, Hey, when you're

438

in this world and operating here

and now in this life that you're in.

439

Be shrewd, be wise and hopefully you'll

make friends that are going to even have

440

eternal benefits for you in the future.

441

There.

442

Yeah.

443

Interesting parable

though, to say the least.

444

Yeah I've understood this.

445

Granted I love this because it is

so, it's enticing, it's compelling.

446

Again, Jesus is just

a master communicator.

447

Anyone who's looking to grow in their

communication should look at Jesus.

448

He does it so well, even to use

something like this, which could

449

be misread and misinterpreted.

450

He takes the risk and he says,

I'm gonna use this story about

451

this dishonest, this sinful.

452

House manager, and I'm gonna

use him to make the point.

453

And the point is not be dishonest.

454

The point is be shrewd and

use unrighteous wealth.

455

Use the money that God gives you

to win friends and influence others

456

to still align from Dale Carnegie.

457

But the point is not to

just simply influence them.

458

He wants them to say, use your

money for eternal purposes.

459

Use it to gain friends, because

people love a generous person.

460

People are willing to hear a

generous person use that money

461

to open up doors for the gospel.

462

And I think that's such a great point.

463

What a great way to make that point.

464

Makes me think of the book of Boas

and none other than Boas, right?

465

He's not dishonest in that book, the

book of Boas, but he clearly has land.

466

He clearly has wealth.

467

He's the manager of the fields

and he is well thought of mm-hmm.

468

By the people in a broken society.

469

Broken.

470

Broken world and he uses his resources and

he uses his shrewdness for the, not the

471

gospel because we're an Old Testament at

that point but for the purpose of bringing

472

glory to God and being obedient to him.

473

And God uses him marvelously.

474

Yes.

475

Because of his obedience.

476

Yes.

477

He use the resources God gave him.

478

God bless.

479

And the rest of this, Jesus does address

the Pharisees and the issue of the

480

law, and he says there in verse 16, the

law and the prophets were until John.

481

Since then, the good news of the

kingdom of God has preached so that

482

John, there is John the Baptist,

and now the gospel is on the scene.

483

The good news of the Kingdom of God.

484

Kingdom of God being realized in the

presence of Jesus at this point in time,

485

and everyone forces his way into it,

but it's easier for heaven and earth to

486

pass away than for one dot of the law.

487

To become void.

488

So Jesus is not saying that he's replacing

the law, but that he has come to fulfill

489

the law, and he's also pointing to

the fact that there's something else.

490

There's something new here.

491

The law was proclaimed until John,

but now the gospel is on the scene and

492

the gospel is that which people are to

respond to rather than trying to get

493

into the kingdom force their way into it.

494

By the adherence to the law

and the obedience to the law.

495

Talk about that real quick here.

496

Let me read that and I want you

to tell us how to understand that.

497

'cause I think you, you hit it, but

I think a lot of people could read

498

that and be like, what is he saying?

499

He says here in verse 16.

500

The law and the prophets were until John.

501

Since then, the good news of the kingdom

of God is preached and everyone forces

502

his way into it, but it is easier for

heaven and earth to pass away than

503

for one dot of the law to become void.

504

Help us understand that phrase.

505

Everyone forces his way into it.

506

Yeah.

507

My understanding has been that he's

talking about the idea of saying if

508

I look to the law like the Pharisees

were doing and try to obey every jot

509

and tittle of it, and I try to make

the law the force, the way into, to the

510

kingdom, then I'm using my own efforts

to try to force my way into the kingdom.

511

But that's not what the

gospel message is there to do.

512

It's a different message now

that is paving the way for people

513

to have access to the kingdom.

514

What if you pastor Mark,

would you be willing to throw

515

in your hat in this thing?

516

Yes.

517

Okay.

518

Is it a big hat because

you're gearing up again?

519

No, no, no, no, no.

520

Yeah, I think there's an important

thing that can be easy to misunderstand

521

here that is the basis for a lot

of these things, which is that,

522

that the, and he says it here,

the law does not become void.

523

Right.

524

The law does not disappear.

525

Yeah.

526

And I think we can think of it

as, even, I remember when I was.

527

I don't know, less trained or more

poorly trained was that, I thought,

528

oh, the Jewish people could still be

pursuing the law and it could still work.

529

And this goes back a number of years.

530

Don't worry, this wasn't last week

that I thought this, but, they could

531

still, be obedient to the law and

they could still be saved by the law.

532

That's not true because what Pastor PJ

said is that Jesus fulfills the law, but

533

that doesn't mean that the law just was

shredded or thrown into the waist bin.

534

Right.

535

It's.

536

Jesus fulfilling the law.

537

So when it comes to that particular

phrase, everyone forces his way into it.

538

I do think that's, I do think

that's difficult to understand

539

what is being what does it mean

to force into, , I don't quite

540

understand the use of the word force.

541

Mm-hmm.

542

I think that's where I began to struggle

because we don't save ourselves right.

543

Under the old, the new covenant.

544

Right.

545

We don't save ourselves

under the new covenant.

546

And I think we can misunderstand that.

547

That's not a fully developed thought,

but that begins my thought on it.

548

Yeah.

549

This is a challenging

passage to understand.

550

That particular phrase has drawn

a lot of ink on the page from

551

different commentators about

how to understand that best.

552

And that is one of the ways to see it.

553

It could be understood as a negative

statement as in you're trying to force

554

something that isn't supposed to happen.

555

Or it could be seen as a positive

statement as though a godly person

556

is going to put in the sweat equity.

557

Now, which would be a good way

to talk about that in a modern

558

sense, to pursue the kingdom.

559

And that would be consistent with

what Jesus says, narrow road.

560

The way is hard that leads to life,

even though Jesus is not preaching

561

a legalistic save yourself effort.

562

He is saying though, that being.

563

In Christ, even though the gift is free,

walking the path is hard, and I tend

564

to lean that way, that to be in Christ

does require a certain holy violence, a

565

holy effort that is zeal, zealous, and

even necessary for salvation in Christ.

566

I'm not sure that that's the best take.

567

That's my take.

568

Yeah.

569

So I guess right now I think it's

the best, but I think there's

570

room for disagreement there.

571

Yeah.

572

And I probably lean a little bit the other

way, again, I'm, this is a difficult thing

573

to interpret, but even just the context

of him talking to the Pharisees Yeah.

574

Talking in the following versus

about divorce and remarriage, which

575

is a hot topic under the law and

with the Pharisees in this time I'm

576

gonna lean the other way, but again,

it's, it is difficult to interpret.

577

Yeah.

578

Yeah, there's some translations that

say that kingdom has been proclaimed and

579

everyone is urged to enter it urgently.

580

Invited to enter.

581

It is CSB translation on

there, KJV pressing into it.

582

So even in the English translations,

we see that this is not an easy

583

verse to understand there.

584

But the CSB would take it more

like Pastor Rod is then with the

585

use of the terminology they did.

586

Right.

587

That there'd be more of Yes.

588

Good company.

589

Yeah.

590

Since then, the good news of the Kingdom

of God has been proclaimed and everyone

591

is urgently invited to enter into it.

592

Yeah.

593

That's a very different interpretation

than everyone forces his way into it.

594

Right.

595

In terms of understanding the Greek

and in understanding what Jesus meant.

596

Yep.

597

Yep.

598

So either way, as Pastor Rod

always says, clear as mud.

599

Clear as mud.

600

Clear as mud.

601

And by the way, don't get divorced.

602

Verse 18.

603

Yeah, just a FYI.

604

Alright y let's pray and then

we'll be done with this episode.

605

Come on.

606

Yeah, we are grateful

for the ability to do.

607

Theology and even interpretation

in community with each other.

608

We thank you for the ability to learn from

one another and to sharpen each other in

609

that, and I pray that we would do that

well as a church, even just in community

610

groups and Bible studies, wherever we

find ourselves that we would be quick

611

to grow together in our understanding

of who you are with the word of God

612

as our authority, and as our guide.

613

So help us to grow more in

our understanding of You

614

for the glory of Jesus.

615

In Jesus name, amen.

616

Keep your Bibles and tune in

again tomorrow for another edition

617

of the Daily Bible Podcast.

618

Come on.

619

Edward: Thank you for listening to another

episode of the Daily Bible Podcast.

620

We’re grateful you chose to

spend time with us today.

621

This podcast is a ministry of

Compass Bible Church in North Texas.

622

You can learn more about our

church at compassntx.org.

623

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624

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625

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626

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