00:58 Today’s Speaker: Joshua, Jericho, and Becoming Strong & Courageous

01:39 Men’s Retreat Announcement: “Rooted” Theme + Parable of the Soils

02:42 Retreat Logistics: Dates, Rooms, Registration, and Bringing the Guys

04:07 Transition to Today’s Readings: Numbers 5–6 + Mark 4:1–20

04:14 Numbers 5 Overview: Sin in the Camp, Confession, Restitution, Restoration

05:01 The Jealousy Test Explained: Vindication, Protection, and Cultural Context

06:12 Hidden Sin & Spiritual Dryness: “Search Me, O God” Self-Examination

08:54 Modern Application: Suspected Infidelity, Wise Confrontation, and Bringing Sin to Light

11:39 Confession Over Shame: Keeping Sin from Wrecking Your Witness

11:55 Numbers 6 Explained: The Nazarite Vow and Its Serious Boundaries

13:11 New Covenant Parallels: Fasting, Ministry Limits, and Seasons of Consecration

15:51 Feeling Called to Ministry? Talk to Your Pastors, Get Trained, Serve in Community

18:14 Mark 4 Deep Dive: Why Jesus Uses Parables + The Soils and Self-Deception

20:11 Assurance for the Tender Conscience: Testing Fruit, Seeking Counsel, Praying Psalm 139

23:17 Final Prayer: Freedom from Self-Deception and a Fruitful Church

23:53 Wrap-Up & Podcast Outro: Next Episode and How to Connect

Find out more about Compass Bible Church.

Learn more about our Bible Reading Plan.

Questions or Comments? Email us podcast@compassntx.org

Hey everybody.

2

Welcome back to another edition

of the Daily Bible Podcast.

3

Hello and what's up in eight

Days Men's Bible Study Saturday.

4

So we hope you are planning to join us

men that we're gonna be over at Lighthouse

5

Church at eight 30 this morning, right?

6

I believe that's our time.

7

Eight 30.

8

It's 10 o'clock, I believe is the men's

Bible study time, and we're still in

9

the, the Resolved series, if I'm mistaken.

10

Who looking for the rest of the year?

11

Who today?

12

Well, the rest of this year.

13

Not the calendar year, but the whatever

you'd call this school year, I guess.

14

So, yeah.

15

That, yeah.

16

Who's on the docket today?

17

I am on the docket today, so God

willing, and the creek don't rise.

18

I will be there in full force and

this will be my first time at the

19

Lighthouse Christian Bookstore,

or the the church Church.

20

And I'm excited to see what

we're working with here.

21

Kristen told me last week when she

was preaching to the gals at the

22

Thunder and the lightning made it

really hard for people to hear.

23

Can't imagine why.

24

Yeah.

25

But she said, yeah, we should

probably bring some amplification.

26

Was her suggestion.

27

'cause you never know.

28

True.

29

True.

30

And who are you preaching on Joshua

Who fit the Battle of Jericho?

31

He did.

32

Yes, he did.

33

That's what I heard.

34

And the Walls.

35

It's a great song.

36

Tumbling down, great song.

37

Yeah.

38

So I, I've always loved Joshua.

39

He's one of those guys that sits

in the background for a long season.

40

'cause you hear about him and you

have the sense that he's a godly dude.

41

He takes enter stage.

42

And one of the things I wanted to

figure out about his life is what

43

makes him him, what made him special?

44

Right.

45

And so we don't have time to

comprehensively deal with his life.

46

So we're gonna just look at chapter one

and draw some connections between his

47

life under Moses and then his life post

Moses, how God commissions him to lead

48

and hopefully draw some applications

that help us to grow into the kind of

49

men that are strong and courageous.

50

That's awesome.

51

Those are the same kinda men

who are resolved and that's

52

what we're looking for.

53

Great.

54

Also, we're announcing, I believe this

morning Amen's Bible study men's retreat.

55

It's true.

56

Yeah.

57

So you wanna announce, tell us what

the theme's gonna be this year.

58

Yeah.

59

, I'm really excited for this one.

60

We've got a great graphic

that you're gonna see soon.

61

We're calling it Rooted and we're

gonna look at the parable of the

62

soils and look at the one that

bears fruit and the one that is.

63

Bearing bearing fruit is

one that's rooted in Christ.

64

That's where the title comes from.

65

So we're gonna look at each of 'em.

66

We're gonna have four sermons on

each of those different soils,

67

and talk about the dangers that

are inherent with each of 'em.

68

And then the last sermon will deal with

the one that is fruitful, the one that

69

God commends, the one who bears fruit.

70

And I think this is to point that every

Christian is fruitful to some degree.

71

Some of us are 30, some of us

are 60, some of us are a hundred,

72

some of us are all over the place.

73

The point is not the.

74

Quantity.

75

The point is that the quality of the

Christian produces fruit regardless.

76

The number of the fruit

is always a variable.

77

So we're gonna look at that.

78

Those who are most fruitful,

surprise, surprise are those who

79

are rooted or grounded in Christ,

and I'm gonna hopefully try to

80

connect that to John Chapter 15.

81

Those who are abiding in

Christ are the ones who produce

82

fruit, as Jesus would say.

83

So this is gonna be a great one.

84

I'm excited about it.

85

I'm.

86

Pumped because I think these little

self-contained units are really potent

87

and useful and also working on some,

some cool stuff for the retreat itself.

88

So we'd love to invite you to be there.

89

And as always, the sooner you sign

yourself up, the better for our planning.

90

We have until April, the middle of April

sometime to finalize our room count.

91

So the sooner you tell us the easier

it is for us to coordinate, organize,

92

to ask for more rooms if we need them.

93

And we'd love to have that problem.

94

Please give us that problem.

95

And then on top of that, there's

also a new registration option.

96

This year you can choose to do

a double room, which is slightly

97

cheaper, or you can choose to do your

own single room and know for some

98

people that is a breath of fresh air.

99

Yep.

100

So sign up sooner than later.

101

Those single rooms, by the way, are

limited, so if you want one, you

102

wanna sign up sooner than later.

103

And the date on that is

April 24th through the 25th.

104

That sounds right.

105

Yeah, that's what our

registration form says.

106

That's probably it.

107

So I would agree.

108

Yeah, I would agree with

the registration form.

109

Yeah.

110

April 24th, 25th.

111

So we wanna see you there, man.

112

It's only one night.

113

Sign up early.

114

Yeah, it's 3:00 PM on the Friday.

115

Through Saturday after dinner.

116

And then you get to go back

home and be with your wife.

117

Yeah.

118

And kids and ladies, listen to this.

119

You hear me say this every year.

120

Encourage your men to go.

121

Yeah, send 'em.

122

They need to be there.

123

Sign them up for themselves.

124

Yes.

125

Don't even be an option.

126

Hey, normally I'm supposed to

submit, I took some leadership here.

127

You're going Well, because if your

pastors are encouraging you to

128

do, can you just ride that wave?

129

Pastors told me to.

130

It's not my fault.

131

It's not my fault.

132

Yeah, yeah.

133

No, for sure.

134

So men's Bible study, men's retreat,

a lot of good things going on.

135

But let's jump into our

Old Testament reading.

136

Numbers five and six.

137

And then Mark chapter four for

our New Testament, one through 20.

138

So numbers five, we get into some more

of the rules for the camp and how they

139

were to deal with sin in the camp.

140

They didn't want sin in the camp,

so they were to put that which

141

is unclean outside the camp.

142

And that is gonna be something

that's gonna be a common theme there.

143

The person that has

committed sin is gonna be.

144

Eligible for restoration so long as

they confess the sin that they've

145

committed and make full restitution.

146

So this is confession, repentance.

147

This is verse seven here.

148

This is very similar to what we read

about in Second Corinthians seven,

149

where Paul's gonna talk about there's

a worldly grief and a godly grief.

150

And the godly grief is not just

gonna say, I'm sorry, but is going

151

to show by their life and by their

response to their sin that they don't.

152

They're done with that.

153

They don't wanna go back to that.

154

And what can I do to clear myself?

155

What can I do to make things right?

156

And that is this person who has

realized their sin and then they're

157

restored back to the community here.

158

And then there's a prolonged

section here, which initially

159

for our ladies reading, this

160

might seem off-putting because it seems

like this is arbitrary where a husband

161

suspects his wife of infidelity

and is just able to bring charges,

162

whereas we don't see that the wife

had the same ability with her husband.

163

And so while it initially feels untoward,

it feels like it's not a fair situation.

164

What I hope to see here is

that God provides an opportunity

165

for her to be vindicated.

166

And her to be proven pure and

for her husband to be shown

167

to be wrong in his accusation.

168

That God is actually going to, through

the prescription of chapter five,

169

provide protection for the woman that he

does this through the concoction that

170

she's made to drink, and that if she's

guilty, that it causes her to swell.

171

And , that's an interesting

thing in and of itself there

172

as far as why did that happen?

173

What was going on there?

174

What was in that, that

would cause that to happen?

175

Or was this just God was going to

cause this to happen if it was true?

176

But this is really meant to protect

the woman so that she couldn't just

177

be accused and immediately stoned.

178

There was a process that was gonna

happen whereby she could be cleared.

179

Yeah.

180

And it fits with the context here.

181

Confession, restitution.

182

The goal would be to have the

sinner confess and repent.

183

And I just wanna point out one thing

here between the verses five and 10.

184

What I think you should notice

is that even sin that is not

185

something that you're aware of can still

cause a rift between you and the Lord.

186

Mm.

187

There can be an impact between you and

your relationship with with the Lord if

188

there's sin, even if you're unaware of

it, which is why the Psalm is praise.

189

Search me and know me.

190

O God.

191

Mm-hmm.

192

See if there's any wicked way in me.

193

Test me.

194

And this is an appropriate

place for you to sit as well.

195

You may not know your Bible well enough

to know if you're sinning against

196

the Lord, which is why he says here,

if they commit the sin by breaking

197

faith and that person realizes his

guilt, then you offer these things.

198

But that doesn't mean the relationship

still hasn't been damaged.

199

Just means that you're not aware of it.

200

So one of the first things I would

encourage you to do if you're

201

having a dry season with the Lord,

is perhaps examine your heart.

202

Mm.

203

The Lord search me and know me.

204

Is there a sin in my life

that I'm just not seeing?

205

And if so, please help me to see that so

I can confess and repent of that sin and,

206

and, and work myself closer to you so that

I don't have to have anything hindering

207

us in terms of adultery here I think

a couple things that are worth noting.

208

I think the reason why this

is here and not the opposite.

209

People have asked, well, why is

your only one for the husband?

210

Right?

211

Does a wife not get a say in this?

212

And I think the Lord answers

that in verse 19 and verse 29.

213

Both of them speak about being under

your husband's authority, she's under

214

his authority and not vice versa.

215

Now, that may not be especially helpful

to hear, but you should notice this is how

216

God has arranged the relationship to work.

217

She's under his authority, not vice versa.

218

Doesn't mean she has no recourse.

219

I do think it limits her recourse.

220

I don't think she can do the same

thing and say, well, let's go to the

221

priest and we're gonna have you drink

this and see if your thigh falls away.

222

Right?

223

This is more about her.

224

I think she would have to go to the

priest and say, can you help me with this?

225

There.

226

It doesn't say that, but it

doesn't not say that either.

227

So again, there are some

things that are that, that go

228

without being said in the text.

229

Like the women at the tent of, of

the tabernacle who are helping,

230

we don't know what they're doing.

231

Right.

232

But they're there.

233

So I'm wondering if

there's something perhaps.

234

I can't say that there is for sure.

235

'cause it doesn't say that.

236

But that's the first thing.

237

She's under his authority.

238

Secondly, I don't think that

she's drinking a poison.

239

It's not something that's

intended to, to harm her, per se.

240

It's actually based on what he says,

it's he's putting in it is, is harmless.

241

What's happening is that the

Lord is intervening in this, I

242

think, and he's making her barren.

243

Yeah.

244

And that's why he says in verse 28.

245

If the woman has not defiled herself

and she's clean, then she shall

246

be free and she shall conceive.

247

In other words, you're, you're not gonna

have any hindrance to your ability to

248

bear kids because you're not guilty.

249

Then the, the ability to have kids.

250

As you might remember, Hannah

wrestles with this, this is a, a

251

deep wound to a woman even today,

but especially in eastern cultures

252

where family was everything, right?

253

If you can't have a kid, , that

really puts you in a bad spot.

254

So this whole thing, you have

to read with the eyes of the

255

culture and an understanding.

256

The Lord has established

the authority structure.

257

This is how it works, and I, I don't

think you need to be put off by this.

258

So today, if somebody in the church

suspects, man, I, I feel like maybe

259

my spouse is being unfaithful to me.

260

We don't have a situation where

we're gonna bring anybody in and

261

let's just apply numbers five, bro.

262

Cause them to drink or anything,

some of this stuff here.

263

What would, what would you say would be

the, the right approach to that though?

264

What, what would you say would

be a helpful approach, whether

265

it's the husband or the the wife?

266

Sam?

267

Man, I've, I've got questions.

268

I've, I'm suspicious.

269

I don't necessarily have any hard

evidence, but I'm, I've got concerns.

270

So, yeah, this is challenging for,

for several reasons, and I think the

271

first one is that every individual

situation is individual, and the

272

specifics can be a bit, they can

be helpful and determinative, but.

273

If I could be general, here's what

I would say, generalized advice that

274

I think you could say to everybody.

275

And the first one is is I would say,

you need to take this to the Lord

276

and say, Lord, if I'm wrong about

this, I need you to help me see that.

277

Mm-hmm.

278

But I would also say it's appropriate

if you see things that you're

279

concerned about, I would bring it up.

280

I would bring it up, and if you're

concerned about doing that by

281

yourself, one-on-one, say, Hey,

can we, can we go see the pastor?

282

I'd like for us to go

and have a conversation.

283

It's so important and it's

important that I respond well.

284

It's important that you respond

well, that I would be really happy

285

to do this with a third party.

286

Maybe it's not the pastor.

287

Maybe it's a trusted friend

who can be a godly referee.

288

I think going to the Lord first,

searching your own heart and

289

then going to the person second

would be a really good order.

290

What would you add?

291

Yeah, I would agree with that.

292

I think my council would be the same.

293

Man, this is such an important

subject and an important topic, and

294

I think we can get in our Christian

community where we feel like everything's

295

sanitized on a Sunday morning and, and

be blind to the fact that unfortunately

296

things like this are happening.

297

Things like this are, are

happening in the church too.

298

And I would even say to the person

if, if you're in a situation where

299

this has happened and you're the the

guilty party that the best thing to do.

300

My wife was reading a book recently that,

that talked about when you are in a car,

301

if somebody hijacks your car and you're

driving it and they get in the car with

302

you, the best thing that you can do is

wreck the car as quickly as you can.

303

That, that, that's the safest

thing, rather than driving further

304

away and putting yourself in in

greater danger because of the

305

person and what they're doing.

306

You wanna reckon, you wanna

reckon in a public way.

307

What is Amanda reading?

308

It's a book called No Time

to be Done, but no kidding.

309

That's good advice.

310

Say, I would say similarly, when

you're in sin, the best thing you

311

can do is wreck that sin publicly

as, as quickly as you possibly can.

312

Bring it to the light, expose it.

313

Oh, that's good.

314

And and, and come meet with the pastor.

315

Come meet with, 'cause there's hope in

any of these circumstances and situations.

316

Mm-hmm.

317

But mm-hmm.

318

We're dealing with the

subject of adultery.

319

I don't want us, I don't want

you listening here to, to think

320

that we think we're sanitized as

a church and we're above this.

321

We pray for the marriages in our

church and we pray that God will

322

protect the marriages in our church.

323

But man, we, we also wanna deal biblically

with sin when sin needs to be dealt with.

324

So.

325

And the last thing you wanna do is

wait for the Lord to reveal you.

326

Yeah.

327

If the Lord loves either you

or your spouse, he will ensure

328

that your sin is exposed.

329

Yeah.

330

At some point.

331

Yeah.

332

And I, I bank on that.

333

That's one of the things that

keeps me from acting a fool.

334

'cause I, I don't want the

Lord to have to do that.

335

I'd I, I'd rather confess my sin

and let the Lord deal with me

336

versus having shame brought on

our church and , Christ Of course.

337

More importantly.

338

So yeah, confess your sins 'cause

he's faithful and just forgive us.

339

He is.

340

Well, chapter six, we get

the, this Nazarite vow and na

341

nazarite vow is, is interesting.

342

It's, it's an optional vow.

343

It's not something that is imposed

upon anyone, although it, it does

344

appear that parents could perhaps

sign their kids up for this.

345

But this is gonna involve

abstaining from different things.

346

There was gonna be a, a high priest

like holiness that they were going to

347

be called to, including, not defiling

themselves with dead bodies or anything

348

else for the extent of their vow.

349

They're gonna grow their hair out,

they're going to abstain from alcohol.

350

And if at any point they transgress

in any of these issues, they, they

351

had to come and they had to offer

sacrifices and offerings, and then,

352

then they had to start back over again.

353

They had to renew their,

their vow and, and start the

354

timer over again, so to speak.

355

And so the, the NAZARITE

vows an an interesting one.

356

We don't today see people

walking around as nazarites,

357

at least not to our knowledge.

358

B, but it was serious.

359

So serious that even contact with

a dead body is described as sin.

360

In verse 11, it says, make

atonement affirm because he

361

sinned by reason of the dead body.

362

So this is somebody that accidentally

comes into contact with the dead body.

363

They're describing this as as sin,

and they've gotta go back and they've

364

gotta offer their sacrifice because

apparently they weren't being careful

365

enough with regards to their vow that

they had made before the Lord to avoid

366

these things and these circumstances,

and they've gotta start back over again.

367

Would you say that there's a

parallel between the Nazarite vow

368

and anything under the new covenants?

369

Now, this is a, obviously

this is for laypeople.

370

This is not for priests or Levites.

371

This is for someone who's not those

things and maybe desires to have a

372

greater closer relationship with the Lord.

373

I wonder if these kinds of people

are, , the kind of people that became.

374

Monastics went to the desert

and did things with the Lord

375

to be private and, and solo.

376

I don't know.

377

I, I I think it's really commendable.

378

I'm just trying to, I'm

struggling to say, okay.

379

What, what would be the

New Testament parallel?

380

Or is there a parallel, I

guess ministers and people who

381

join the ministry are similar.

382

We, we naturally limit ourselves.

383

Maybe we, some of us don't drink alcohol.

384

I think all of us get haircuts,

so we're not gonna, we're not

385

gonna get any gold stars there.

386

Right.

387

I'm not hanging out with the dead,

not under normal circumstances.

388

Is there any parallel?

389

That's my question, man.

390

And that's a great.

391

Observation, maybe the,

the monastic society.

392

I think we see bits and pieces of this.

393

I, to your point there, you said at

the end, I think there are people in

394

Christians who will say, you know what?

395

I'm not gonna drink any

alcohol for my lifetime.

396

I'm not going to do this.

397

I'm not, the only difference I would

say is this seems to be connected

398

with a particular season for a reason.

399

There's something going on that they're

saying, I'm gonna vow this vow and

400

dedicate myself towards this holiness

for the Lord for this particular.

401

Timeframe, and it's not

necessarily lifelong although

402

for some it was, but not for all.

403

Yeah.

404

So there's a period of time where

they're like, I'm gonna do this.

405

I'm gonna set myself, myself aside

for this, for this particular reason.

406

So maybe there's some parallels on a

lesser sense to some New Testament fasting

407

and what we do when we fast and why we

fast and, and what's going on there.

408

But, yeah, because when we fast, we fast.

409

Not just that, God will look at us

fast and go, oh look, you're fasting.

410

I'm gonna do something for you.

411

We fast so that when we feel the,

the desire to have what we're fasting

412

from, it causes us to pray or it causes

us to worship God or it causes us to

413

reflect on something just like we talked

about with Lent yet a few days ago.

414

But so that might be a

parallel that I could think of.

415

That's a great parallel and I think.

416

I, I think the impulse is good if

you desire to consecrate yourself to

417

the Lord for a season or for life.

418

Some of, some of us

are, , nazarites for life.

419

You had Samson and Samuel and the

closest thing I can think of would

420

be people who go into the ministry.

421

Yeah.

422

You're gonna limit yourself in a

lot of areas often by your contract

423

for employment, but sometimes it's

just, I, I don't wanna do that.

424

I don't wanna cause anyone to

stumble, so I'm not gonna smoke.

425

I could smoke now.

426

Spurgeon smoke cigars.

427

I'm gonna smoke cigars, but I choose

not to because I don't want to

428

cause anyone to think poorly about.

429

Christ or about me, even

though it's totally not sinful.

430

I choose to abstain from these things.

431

So I wanna commend you.

432

If your impulse is, I wanna be close

to the Lord, I wanna know him, I wanna

433

draw close, I wanna do something.

434

I don't think that's a bad thing.

435

I think it's a fantastic thing and

it's a impulse that should be nurtured.

436

Although I would agree with you.

437

Perhaps it's a seasonal thing, , for

six months you do a thing or for,

438

, three weeks or doing something.

439

For some people it will, it

will mean ministry life perhaps.

440

But what do you think about that

someone is interested in ministry?

441

What would be the next step you'd say?

442

I would seek your, the

guidance of your pastors.

443

So I'd stop.

444

Number one would be sitting down

with your pastors and saying, Hey,

445

I'm, I'm feeling a, a pull, I'm

feeling a tug towards ministry.

446

What, what did that look like for you?

447

What would you recommend for me?

448

What could, should I be doing right now?

449

What books should I be reading right now?

450

Things like that.

451

We would be happy to have

those conversations with you.

452

We would love to do that.

453

And then you're gonna hear us

push you towards education.

454

I, I'm, I.

455

Big on education, seminary.

456

I know there's different views on that,

and a lot of churches, people will say,

457

you don't need seminary to be a pastor.

458

Right.

459

I don't even like seminary.

460

, fair.

461

Theoretically.

462

Do.

463

Is there anything in scripture that

says thou must go to seminary and

464

get a, a degree to, to be a Pastor?

465

Spurgeon didn't go to seminary.

466

Spurgeon didn't go.

467

Yeah.

468

Well, the general tenor should be,

man, I want to be as, as prepared

469

and honed, well honed as I possibly

can be for the, the task at hand.

470

And seminary does a great job with that.

471

It's not all.

472

And so we're gonna also take you and say,

and we want you serving in the church.

473

'cause there's a lot of street knowledge

that comes from just doing the work

474

of the ministry that you're not

gonna get in the seminary classroom.

475

Right?

476

But we wanna get you trained.

477

We wanna make sure that you're,

you're adequate for this, and then

478

we want you to do this in community.

479

Because one of the things, it's not

just the internal call, it's the

480

external call, which means you need

to be around people that also are

481

looking at your life and recognizing

the call as well on you, recognizing

482

your giftedness, your qualifications.

483

If you say, man, I feel called to be

in the ministry, but , listening to

484

you preach is like watching paint dry.

485

We're gonna say, okay, well

maybe there's a different, maybe

486

you're better in the counseling

room than you are in the pulpit.

487

I, who knows?

488

You need that external call too,

and, and not just the, the internal

489

call of, Hey, I want to go do that.

490

So in community is a huge part of it too.

491

I Amen to that.

492

I echo all those things.

493

The church needs the best people.

494

I'm just gonna say that.

495

Amen.

496

We, we, the world doesn't need another

lawyer, another doctor, although God

497

bless you if you are those things.

498

Yep.

499

The church needs the

best and the brightest.

500

In fact, it used to be that

the church had these people.

501

Yep.

502

If you were gifted, skilled,

it was almost a guarantee.

503

Like the, the church was gonna get the

best and the brightest and now the church

504

gets something, something different.

505

Yeah.

506

Not always.

507

Obviously that's not always the case.

508

But we, we want to give our

very best the church, and that

509

would include our resources, our

time, our attention, our energy.

510

And so if you have the gift for

ministry, people have noticed it

511

laid hands on you and said, man,

we just, we see something in you.

512

That's a good, that's

a good place to start.

513

Yeah.

514

It's certainly not the final place.

515

There's, there's things to learn.

516

There's, there's.

517

There's strategies to employ.

518

But if that's your heart and that's

your desire, usually not always,

519

but usually that's a good sign that

the Lord is doing something in you.

520

Amen.

521

Well, hey, our New Testament of

reading, we probably won't dive in

522

too much in because we, we talked

about it a little bit at the outset.

523

This is again, the theme for our men's.

524

Okay, man, I'm, we're not

giving anything away here.

525

This is, this thing is.

526

It is deep for sure.

527

It's deep.

528

But you hear that rumble

in my voice of the soer.

529

Do what?

530

Sorry, go ahead.

531

Yeah, the parable of the sower.

532

So Mark chapter four,

verse one through 20.

533

We find the parable given the purpose for

why Jesus teaches in parables, which again

534

was, we talked about this in Matthew.

535

I think it's, part of it is passive

judgment and part of it is protection.

536

He's protecting those that.

537

Are unbelievers, that they won't

be held more accountable for

538

what they've, they've heard.

539

And then he's also passively

judging some by keeping them

540

from understanding these things.

541

That's why Mark quotes in Isaiah

chapter six here in verse 12, that

542

they may see, but not perceive,

may hear, but not understand less.

543

They should turn and be forgiven.

544

There's, there's a judgment

factor to parables here.

545

And then Jesus gives to his

disciples the specific interpretation

546

of the parable of the sower.

547

What I find interesting about this as

I was reading it through this time is

548

in verse 17, they have no root in, in

themselves, but they endure for a while.

549

And what stood out to me that time was

self-deception can last for a a time.

550

Sometimes we read this and we think,

oh, well, they fall away pretty quickly.

551

That's not necessarily the case.

552

Sometimes self-deception is something that

can last for months and and even years.

553

And unfortunately, if we understand

that another parable that Jesus

554

tells the parable of the weeds

where there's tears and weeds sewn

555

together, sometimes self-deception

can last until the very end.

556

And that person is there saying,

Lord, Lord, , I'm one of yours, and

557

Jesus is gonna say, depart from me.

558

I never knew you.

559

So.

560

This is is in the parable indicating

that they will eventually fall away,

561

but it's not, it's not immediate.

562

Sometimes they're with us, they're

in the church with us, and so there

563

are some that are in the rocky

soil that are here in the church.

564

There are some that are in the thorns

that are here in the church, and

565

we just need to be aware of that as

we gather together and not take one

566

another's professions for granted.

567

What would you say then,

because that raises so many.

568

Questions, especially for those

who are tender in the conscience.

569

, people that are always saying, did I

commit the blasphemy of the spirit?

570

Right?

571

Am I one of the soils

that wasn't fruitful?

572

Talk to that person who Right.

573

Is concerned that they're self-deceived.

574

Yeah.

575

The concern is a good start.

576

I, I remember hearing John MacArthur

preach a sermon a, a long time

577

ago on eternal security, and he

said, , if you're a Christian who's.

578

Wrestling over eternal security.

579

He said that's a good start because

typically the unbeliever's not

580

really worried about whether or

not they're secure in Christ.

581

I don't think that's the silver bullet.

582

But I do think it is, it's noteworthy

to say, Hey, okay, if you're, if you're

583

thinking about these things wrestling with

these things, then that's a good thing.

584

And then I would just go back

to reminding yourself daily

585

of what the gospel really is.

586

What, what are you choosing to believe?

587

You're, you're choosing to believe that

Christ died in your place so that your

588

sins could be forgiven and rose against

so that you could live with him forever.

589

That you needed his righteousness,

that he gave you his righteousness.

590

So if you can go back to those things

and affirm them on a regular basis, and

591

then if you look at your life and go,

man, second Peter one says that we need

592

to supplement our faith with virtue and

godliness and, and these things like that.

593

And he says, by, by doing these things,

you'll prove to be fruitful and secure

594

for yourself, your entrance into eternity.

595

And this is what he means by

confirming our calling and election.

596

So if you can look at your life, if you

can get trusted brothers or sisters to,

597

to speak into your life and say, Hey, do

you see the spirit at work in my life?

598

Do you see growth in my life?

599

I'd love to be encouraged.

600

I'm not asking you to flatter

me or anything else like that.

601

I just want to know, like,

do you see me stagnating?

602

Do you see.

603

Growing.

604

Where, where can I, is there sin that I,

I'm not aware of that I could put off?

605

Those are all signs of active faith

that I think we can be encouraged by.

606

If you do have that, that

tender conscience, it's

607

like, man, what if I'm not?

608

Yeah.

609

And again, I dunno if I, there was

this podcast for the last one, Psalm

610

1 39, search me in no Nom O God.

611

This is such a good and wise prayer to,

to utter at least with some regularity.

612

Yeah.

613

We need God to show us what we

can't see and, and self-deception

614

is one of the most pernicious.

615

Worse things that we deal with.

616

Yeah.

617

All of us have the capacity for this and

I think I, I would go so far as to say

618

that all of us do this to some degree.

619

Mm-hmm.

620

We just don't realize it.

621

Otherwise we wouldn't do it.

622

Right.

623

So you should pray to the Lord often,

God a, help me see myself accurately.

624

B, give me good friends that can help

me with this and c let me be brave

625

enough to do something about it.

626

Yeah.

627

'cause it's one thing to know, oh, I've

got this secret sin, or I've got this

628

tendency that people know everyone,

everyone around me can smell my breath.

629

I can't smell it.

630

And it takes a, a brave person

to say, Hey, I want you to

631

know your breath is awful.

632

Yeah.

633

And you need that friend.

634

But then once you know that it takes some,

some humiliation and some o openness,

635

say, I should go brush my teeth now.

636

I'm going to go do that or gimme

some gum until I can go do that.

637

So we need a whole host of roadblocks to

keep us from doing damage to ourselves.

638

So pray for that.

639

Ask the Lord to show you.

640

Ask God to give you the people to do

that, and then ask God to give you

641

the, the bravery and the cor, the

courageousness, the courage rather.

642

To do something once you're exposed

to those blind areas of sin.

643

Is that why you keep backing further

away from me during the podcast?

644

Well, I was hoping you would get

the hint, the hint without me saying

645

it ex explicitly, but now that

you brought it up anyways, yeah.

646

Alright, well hey, let's let's pray

and then we'll be done with another

647

episode of the Daily Bible Podcast.

648

Lord, we wanna be a church

free from self-deception

649

individually or corporately.

650

And so help us to have these types

of relationships where we love one

651

another well enough to speak truth

into each other's lives and where we

652

are introspective enough to be able to

pray with honesty and integrity like

653

David did, and say, search me and know

me and see if there's any grievous

654

way in me that I might repent from it.

655

And then Lord help us as Pastor

Rob was just saying to do the

656

heavy lifting of, of repenting.

657

Of getting rid of the sin, of putting it

off from us so that it doesn't continue

658

to hinder our relationship with you.

659

God, we want to be a fruitful church.

660

I pray that you'd make us, that

we pray this in Jesus' name.

661

Amen.

662

Keep bringing those Bibles and

tune in again tomorrow, which

663

is gonna be Sunday for another

edition of the Daily Bible Podcast.

664

Amen.

665

See you then.

666

Bye You.

667

Edward: Thank you for listening to another

episode of the Daily Bible Podcast.

668

We’re grateful you chose to

spend time with us today.

669

This podcast is a ministry of

Compass Bible Church in North Texas.

670

You can learn more about our

church at compassntx.org.

671

If this podcast has been helpful,

we’d appreciate it if you’d consider

672

leaving a review, rating the show,

or sharing it with someone else.

673

We hope you’ll join us again

tomorrow for another episode

674

of the Daily Bible Podcast.