Transcription

Chris
So, Jeff, I know that one of the movies that we share in common that we love is The Princess Bride. That’s right. Do you remember when, uh, young Diego Montoya says, everybody, everybody, please move. And then finally, Andre the Giant goes, move! Right. And the whole crowd parts like this. That’s right. Well, this is a picture of John the Baptist preparing the way for Jesus.

Jeff
Oh, wow John the Baptist is a giant. That’s a good metaphor. Hey, he is a giant. So, hey, he’s Chris, and I’m Jeff, and we’re the Bible guys. Was your watch just talking to us?

Chris
Yes. I don’t know why. What did it say? Sometimes when I don’t say Siri, it it acts like Siri.

Jeff
Did you say serious?

Chris
Maybe. Maybe it was saying. Here are some images of Andre the Giant I think is what it was going to do. So yeah, well hey.

Jeff
Siri is always listening. Yeah.

Chris
Always. And and others. Right? Yeah. So, um, big brother. So uh, today we’re talking about our segment is who said it. So here’s, here’s what we’re going to do. Apparently I’m supposed to read to you five lines from the Bible.

Jeff
Oh, these are so hard. And last time I only got like three and a half, I think. Yeah.

Chris
Well, that’s, you know, that’s pretty good for a Bible guy. Uh, and you’re gonna have to guess who said it, okay?

Jeff
Okay.

Chris
So the first ones.

Jeff
These are all Bible people?

Chris
All people. And I think you’re going to get the first one, okay. Which is a lot of pressure, but you’re going to get it. Okay? Okay. Ready? You are the man.

Jeff
Ow ow ow ow ow. Um. Oh, I know this one. Uh.

Chris
Thou art the man.

Jeff
I’m drawing a blank.

Chris
Oh, I know. I know it. Yeah. Um, Paul, uh, tell me, tell me who this is. Uh, surely this man must die. Tell me who this is. You’re the man.

Jeff
I don’t remember.

Chris
It’s Nathan confronting David.

Jeff
Oh, there you go. Yeah, yeah, yeah, that’s what it is. You’re the man.

Chris
Yeah, yeah.

Jeff
Nathan confronting David over sin. Yeah. If you hadn’t, if you hadn’t put it on me like that. Yeah. No, I should have known it. You’re right. It’s, uh. It’s Nathan.

Chris
Okay, here we go. This one here, confronting.

Jeff
David over his sin with Bathsheba.

Chris
I think this one’s really hard. Yeah. Okay. Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel. And I am your servant, that I have done all these things at your word.

Jeff
Oh, wow.

Chris
Yeah, I know.

Jeff
Jeez, that could be like a dozen people in the Bible.

Chris
Exactly. Like when you people when you. When you hear it, you’ll go, oh, I remember this. Yeah, yeah, but but when you’re thinking, yeah.

Jeff
Yep, yep. I don’t know, it could have been any of the Kings, um, that that turned Israel back to God.

Chris
Well, it was a prophet after a great big, huge demonstration. Miracle. Elijah. Yes, that’s exactly what it is. Well, that was good, because there’s a lot of Old Testament prophets, so you got it.

Jeff
Okay. So which was that after? Was that was that the bail one? Hey, man, I’m just with him wiping out.

Chris
I’m just glad you got it. Let’s just move on, okay?

Jeff
I’m just curious.

Chris
So I don’t know. Yeah, I think so. So I think on Mount Carmel. Yeah, I think so. So number three, uh, now this one here I would not have gotten. But I think it’s a good guess. Um, how the mighty have fallen and the weapons of war perished.

Jeff
Wow, that sounds like Solomon, but I don’t know.

Chris
That is a very good guess. His father. David.

Jeff
Oh, I almost said David.

Chris
Okay, okay. Um, now, this one right here, I think you’ll get.

Jeff
Probably not. Okay.

Chris
May the Lord watch between you and me when we are absent from another Jonathan.

Chris
That is a very good guess. No, it is Laban.

Jeff
Laban with Jacob. Yea. Yea. Oh, man. All right. Laban was rarely on Jacob’s side. So why would I ever think that Laban had a blessing for Jacob? Right.

Chris
Okay, so Laban, Laban, by the way, is one of like the most cruel people ever where Jacob had to work seven years. It’s one of my favorite stories in the Old Testament, where he goes in and he expects Rachel and then and I love how the Bible says, you know, she was tender eyed, which is a way of saying she wasn’t as good looking. Right? Leah or excuse me. Leah. Leah. Leah. Yeah. And then it says, it says in the morning, behold, it was Leah. It was so funny. Yeah. So good. Okay, okay. And here’s here’s the last one. Um.

Jeff
These are hard.

Chris
Yeah, they really are hard today. Yeah. So, master, the multitudes throng and press you. And you say, who touched me?

Jeff
Yeah. That’s the disciples, right? Yeah. Well, it doesn’t say which one.

Chris
Apparently she has written down a certain disciple.

Jeff
A certain disciple? Yeah. Okay, so.

Chris
Just pick one of 12. You have a 1 in 12 shot here.

Jeff
Philip.

Chris
Who’s Peter?

Jeff
Oh, okay.

Chris
Yeah. That’s it.

Jeff
Come on. I got it within 12 people. That’s right. Within 12 people of history.

Chris
Hey, these are.

Jeff
Those were hard ones, Desiree.

Chris
Well, you know what? You know what? I think I put pressure on you in the first one. Jeff
Yeah, I would have gotten Nathan if I hadn’t had.

Chris
And I think that the other ones honestly are not that, uh, vague. Yeah, they’re pretty vague.

Jeff
Other than the the The Disciple one. But then I just would have had to say, guess a disciple. Yeah.

Chris
Right. Yeah. And there’s really no reason to, to, to log away in your memory bank that it was Peter who said that. Right.

Jeff
Right. Well, so I was just assuming sometimes, you know, um. Usually it’s Peter or John who says everything. Yeah. And then on occasion, there’s it’s like, I can’t remember Philip or somebody is the one who came to Jesus and said, hey, you need to send everybody home because there’s no, no food, right? And then there’s Thomas, uh, you you know, we don’t know the way. Tell us the way. In John chapter 14, there’s these 1 or 2 spots where it’s just one of the more obscure disciples who says something. And so that’s why I was guessing it was Philip. It can’t possibly be Peter or John, right?

Chris
Right. Right.

Jeff
Right, right. Yeah. Okay. Well, uh, so I was, I got one. Did I get one?

Chris
Right? Hey, you know what? If we’re grading by curve. Yeah, right. You might be ahead of a lot of our listeners.

Jeff
Oh, no, that was terrible. All right, so, um, we need to change the name. We’re the wish we were the Bible guys.

Chris
Yeah, we’re we’re, uh. Yeah, we’re the wannabe Bible guys.

Jeff
Wannabe Bible guys. Well, hey, a lot of our listeners think that anyways, so that’s okay. That’s true. Just living up to it. That’s true. Oh, good one, good one. Desiree.

Chris
So we’re starting in Luke chapter three. Yeah.

Jeff
So remember we’re doing kind of the harmonies of the gospels. So, uh, most of the stories of the Gospels are in 1 or 2 books, but sometimes they show up in all four, and this one does this one. Um, we’re kicking off talking about John the Baptist and, uh, Matthew chapter three one through 12 has this mark, chapter one, uh, one through eight. But we’re going to read Luke and John because there’s some differences. Matthew, Mark and Luke are very similar. Yeah. And then, um, Luke seems to have the most details that the other two include. And then John is different. So Luke chapter three, verse one says, it was now the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius. The Roman Emperor. Pontius Pilate was governor over Judea. Herod Antipas was ruler over Galilee, his brother Philip was ruler over Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was ruler over Abilene.

Chris
That’s why I have you read.

Jeff
Yes. Annas and Caiaphas were the high priests. So he’s really pinpointing the time.

Chris
Well, again, he’s very detailed.

Jeff
Yeah, yeah, yeah, he’s nailing it. They’re all all 6 or 8 of these guys were ruling at this same time. At this time, a message from God came to John, son of Zechariah, who was living in the wilderness. And then John went from place to place on both sides of the Jordan River, preaching that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven. Isaiah spoke of when of John, when he said, he is a voice shouting in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord’s coming. Clear the road for him. The valleys will be filled, and the mountains and hills will be made level. The curves will be straightened and the rough places made smooth. And then all people will see the salvation sent from God. When the crowds came to John for baptism, he said, you brood of snakes! Who warned you to flee God’s wrath? Coming wrath. He wasn’t very secret or sensitive there, was he? Yeah. Proof, by the way, that you live, that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. Don’t just say to each other, we’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham. That means nothing. For I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from those very stones. Even now, the axe of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire. The crowds asked, what should we do? John replied, if you have two shirts, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry. Even corrupt tax collectors came to be baptized and asked, teacher, what should we do?

Jeff
And he replied, collect no more taxes than the government requires. What should we do? Asked some soldiers, and John replied, don’t extort money or make false accusations and be content with your pay. Everyone was expecting the Messiah to come soon, and they were eager to know whether John might be the Messiah. And John answered the questions by saying, I baptize you with water, but someone is coming soon who is greater than I am, so much greater than I am not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork, and then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn, but burning the chaff with never ending fire. John used many such warnings as he announced the good news to the people. So there you go. It’s pretty rough preaching. Yeah. And then, uh, in John chapter one, verse 19, it says that very similar story says this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders sent priests and temple assistants from Jerusalem to ask John, who are you? He came right out and said, I am not the Messiah. Well, then, who are you? Are you Elijah? No, he replied, are you the prophet we’re expecting? No. Then who are you? We need an answer for those who sent us. What do you have to say about yourself? John replied in the words of the prophet Isaiah, I am a voice shouting in the wilderness, clear the way of the Lord’s coming. Then the Pharisees who had been sent asked him, if you aren’t the Messiah, or Elijah or the prophet, what right do you have to baptize?

Jeff
And John told them, I baptize with water, but right here in the crowd is someone you do not recognize. Though his ministry follows mine, I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandals. This encounter took place in Bethany, an area east of the Jordan River where John was baptizing. So I think it’s interesting. You know, the difference in that second piece is John quotes Isaiah. So Luke says, I mean, uh, yeah. Luke says. That John was fulfilling what Isaiah said about him, that he was going to be a voice crying in the wilderness. But John knew that to write. And so John says it. The other difference is John says, Jesus was in that crowd right then. So Jesus apparently hung out around John’s ministry, at least some even before all the rest of this happened. Yeah.

Chris
Isn’t it neat? That is very interesting. I don’t think.

Jeff
I’d ever seen that before. Before I read that today.

Chris
Yeah. That’s interesting. Yeah. The fact that John is talking about, you know, the preparation of, uh, of Jesus and Jesus is in the crowd like, oh, he doesn’t know it’s me. Yeah, yeah. Nobody knows it’s me. Yeah. You think that’s the way it was?

Jeff
Well, he said he was right there in the crowd, but he did not announce him. John the Baptist announces Jesus later. Yeah, yeah. So this is it. Looks like, you know, it’s the same thing. We do know this, that that Peter and Andrew hung out around John the Baptist’s preaching, and so did, um, wasn’t it John? Uh, John and James hung out around. Uh, no, no, no. Wasn’t it Philip and Nathaniel? Maybe a couple of the disciples. Anyways, hung out around John’s preaching some, and they came and asked Jesus then, you know, and Jesus says, why don’t you follow me? So it’s kind of an interesting thing that John the Baptist is getting this attention, this idea of come back to God, that’s really it, right? Repent. And then. Repentance is a big part of the salvation process, and I think for a lot of people, we want the benefits without the cost. And repentance is kind of the cost of it a little bit that we we turn from our sin and we turn, turn to God.

Chris
Where does it say that Jesus was with them in the crowd?

Jeff
He says, um, John, uh, chapter or verse 26, in John chapter one, John told him, I baptized with water, but right here in the crowd is someone you do not recognize.

Chris
Oh that’s cool.

Jeff
Yeah, yeah.

Chris
Yeah, I was looking for it. Yeah. That’s interesting. Um, you know, in, uh, in Luke chapter three, since we read that first, uh, uh, it’s interesting that what you said, it’s it’s it’s a it’s like a, it’s a joke for preachers especially. Right. You said that’s not very seeker sensitive. Yeah. Now, now for those.

Jeff
Pretty hardcore dude, you bunch of vipers. Why are you even here? Right.

Chris
And, and, uh, and so, uh, the, the terms seeker sensitive, uh, was mostly made popular in the United States by Bill Hybels from Willow Creek, sir. And when he was trying to promote his style of the non-denominational church back in the 80s, he was talking about, like, gearing, uh, a message toward, uh, people who do not yet know God. And so what he did was he labeled them as seekers, uh, seekers, people who are seeking God. Yeah. So, you know, if you’re a pastor, then what you do is you have discussions about how your service, uh, appeals to people walking in through the door. Right, right. And so anyway, so, uh, you know, for, to, to, to change your language to accommodate those who are seeking to, you know, sometimes that means making it more gentle, you know, and and so then anyway, so all of that leads up to this joke of saying, well, this isn’t very seeker sensitive.

Jeff
Well, these are the people who show up for the service, right? These are the these are the people that are interested in what he has to say. And he calls them snakes, right, right, right. So these aren’t the people that are outside the service.

Chris
But I have a comment to make about this. So I think that, uh, sometimes, if not careful, you can use something because I’ve heard people say other things, not necessarily this scripture, but they’ll say like, uh, well, Jesus wasn’t seeker sensitive, uh, because, you know, when you live in Pastor World, you have those conversations, right? Uh, you know, like in this case, like, look at this. John wasn’t seeker sensitive, but you know what? I think it really is? I think that this is a classic example of John leveraging his position and his influence effectively, because, I mean, we don’t live in the first century. And they did. And they knew that John held a title or a or a spot. I mean, after all, the Pharisees even were considering that he was the Messiah. So John had the position and the leverage to deliver this terme and actually it land effectively. And by the way, sometimes you and I do that. So, you know, as fathers, we have the position to say, because I told you so. Or as pastors, sometimes we do that we confront, uh, and we and we, you know, we just say, this is what this person needs. They need their butt kicked, you know, and you just say something really harsh and they respond correctly because we’re leveraging our position and influence effectively. I believe this is John leveraging his influence effectively, knowing that he’s going to say this and they’re going to respond correctly because he had the absolute authority in that moment to call them out. And not only that, but if you think about it, it was also a way of sort of exposing what was in their hearts and them going, oh my goodness, he’s right.

Chris
Yeah. Right. And so, so again, that even that alone was effective, uh, in proving, you know, he was chosen by God to be the forerunner of Christ.

Jeff
So the people who get all hung up on this seeker sensitive thing are they set up a straw man argument and then knock it down. It’s so goofy. Um, so the the there’s a logical fallacy behind that argument that John the Baptist wasn’t seeker sensitive. Jesus wasn’t seeker sensitive. Right. Um, in that when we say it’s important to be seeker sensitive, it is not saying we need to make the message of God’s words adaptable to a lost person. Right? Jesus said, they’re going to hate me. They’re going to hate your words because they hate me. Right? Um, so there are a whole bunch of lost people who will never, ever. No matter how you change, the words will ever embrace Jesus, right? And so we can never change the message. But what I can choose to do is make sure that everything that comes out of my mouth, that’s my opinion, right? It is not what they get hung up on that they’re not getting hung up on Jeff’s opinion about things. They the thing that hangs them up is Jesus words. Um, the they’re not going to get hung up on Jeff’s attitude. They’re going to get hung up on the conviction of the Holy Spirit. They’re not going to get hung up on the fact that my my building smells like mold, because nobody cleaned it again this week and the restrooms haven’t been cleaned, and that the carpet is 35 years old and that nobody’s put a a coat of paint on the wall and nobody greeted them. Nobody smiled. We’re still using overhead transparencies and sing and shine, Jesus, shine, that kind of thing. Where we are 75 years behind the times has nothing to do with.

Chris
My early years of.

Jeff
Just those kinds of things have nothing to do with Jesus, and have everything to do with the fact that you didn’t repaint the auditorium right in 20 years, right? That you didn’t even think about the fact that God was going to trust you with the gift of a guest? And how do you make that guest feel? Amazing? You work harder at making sure the guests who walk through the front door of your house feel better right than you do in your own church. That has nothing to do. So being seeker sensitive. Is all about being aware that there are lost people walking in the door and their guests and gifts from God. So how do I use language in my own attitude and heart that reflects the love and the kindness of Jesus? Like when Jesus speaks to the the woman who caught in adultery and he goes, woman, where are your accusers? He was pretty harsh on the on the religious elite. Right. Oh yeah. Go ahead guys. You know, he probably wrote somebody’s name in the sand and then said, you’ve never sinned. You go ahead and cast the first stone. They didn’t. And he says, woman, where are your accusers? She goes, I have none, Lord. Right. His kindness to her, she declared that he was Lord. And then he says, well, neither can I accuse you. Now go and sin no more. He didn’t back off on the fact that she was sinning. He told her to stop. He told her to repent, just like John did. Mhm. But he wasn’t a total jerk about it in that moment. Right. He told her it was a sin. Yeah. And that is being seeker aware and at the same time having a gentleness and a kindness toward a lost person.

Jeff
It’s those people who think that they don’t need anything. A lot of these people that were coming out to get baptized by John were coming out because they wanted to go to heaven, not because they wanted a relationship with God. They were looking for fire insurance. And he’s totally calling them out on the hypocrisy of, you want all the benefits and none of the responsibility of being a follower of God. That’s what this passage is here. And that’s when you find Jesus being harsh to Pharisees. You never find Jesus being harsh to a, um, to a sinner. It’s only to the religious who think that they don’t need a savior. Yeah, right. And so John’s calling to repentance. Jesus called to repentance. Those things are you don’t change that, but you don’t have to be a jerk about it while you’re doing it. Yeah, yeah.

Chris
That’s great. Yeah. And not to mention, Jesus did say that everything that we do should have an element of love. Yeah, right. So this is how everybody’s going to know you’re my disciples. So, like, I think of, you know, what I think of as, um, we just talked about this, uh, I went to New York for my 29th wedding anniversary, went and saw some Broadway plays. And this year, for my anniversary, we’re going down to help Sarah move. Oh, yeah. My daughter bought a house. Tons of fun. Yeah, tons of fun. Thanks, Liz, for choosing that. But, um, but, uh. But anyway, when we were there, uh, there was a guy on the corner, you know, preaching the end is near kind of a thing. And, you know, and he’s he’s, uh, doesn’t look like he showered in a month, right? Right. And and he’s got this sign on him that out of cardboard. Yeah. And, uh, and he’s and he’s saying things and what they’re doing. What he’s doing is, is he actually badgering people as they walk by, right? He’s using God’s Word to literally badger make fun of people and call them out and call them all the rotten names that he can come up with in his mind. And, uh, and he’s leveraging God’s Word. And I think to myself, gee, I wonder how effective that’s going to be. I wonder how many people stop and go. You’re right. I repent and turn to God. I’m thinking to myself, golly, dude. Yeah, like like let’s let’s read Jesus’s words in context, right?

Jeff
I can appreciate the fact that they’re trying, sure, but I don’t know about the effectiveness. So the Bible does say John is a pretty unique guy. What we didn’t read is in Matthew chapter three, it says that John’s clothes were woven from coarse camel hair. He wore a leather belt around his waist for food. He ate locusts and wild honey. This is a pretty wild guy. Yeah for sure. This guy is rugged and and hard core, but he’s preaching this idea of repentance, which is a new idea for them. Uh, you know, they had had just this religious ceremony. Check the religious boxes and you’re fine. And suddenly now this idea of repentance is a heart thing. It’s on the inside. And they had only been this for at least 400 years since the prophets were done. Uh, they for 400 years. It was just a religious ritual. It’s a religious ceremony. It’s okay. I attended church, I got baptized, I took communion, I, I gave a little bit of money. I got married in the church. I did all these things. I went through catechism. I did all these things. Check the box, check the box, check the box. And there’s a lot of people, I think, in our culture today who also check religious boxes, right, but don’t have a meaningful, heartfelt relationship. So what? John was calling them out. He was a radical in this way in that he wasn’t rejecting the religious ceremony he was announcing. None of it matters if it hasn’t penetrated your heart. So repent, because what’s inside is what God’s after, not just the cleaned up outside. And that becomes a big core of Jesus message as well. So we’ll see that through the rest of the.

Chris
Yeah. So I think those are two great thoughts for today. I think that, uh, you know, we’re going to get definitely get into more of John the Baptist and Jesus’s ministry and things like that. But today, just to just to consider our effectiveness, you know, when we deliver God’s Word and God’s truth to people and then also, you know, the matter of, uh, gaining favor with God doesn’t matter at all, regardless of our checklist. Right? If it hasn’t changed the heart. Right?

Jeff
That’s right. Yeah. So repentance is it.

Chris
That’s it. So, hey, that’s a good place to end. And we will see you next time on The Bible Guys.