Wolves, Doves, and Serpents

Welcome to the Pursuing Jesus podcast. On today's

podcast, we're going to be talking about the

commission of the 12 disciples. But we also want

to remind you to make sure you pick up the blue

Pursuing Jesus books as it starts out this week.

So we hope that you pick those up. If not, make

sure you stop by the office or pick them up off

of the tables. But welcome to this episode and

we hope that you enjoy it. It was so crazy. So

on Saturday, I was doing my quiet time. I always

sit at my kitchen table. But I was doing my quiet

time. And I had my coffee mug in my hand. And

I've never done this before. But I almost had

this weird just muscle thing where my hand just

went. It just jerked. And I mean, you can see

on Saturday, it just went. It was like, bleh.

Oh, man. That sucks. Yeah, it was terrible. It

was terrible. Oh, I don't need that one. I don't

need you, blue boy. Until next week. It's so

rude. I do like the color on that one, though.

I thought the color and the whole, dude, this

is chat GPT. What? So what I did is I gave the

color palette to chat GPT. And I was like, and

then same thing with the inside picture with

that one. I was like, hey, make me a, you know,

I want wood. I was like, I want wood in there.

I want a Bible in there. Create for me a graphic

to put in my devotion and I want this to be a

color that's in the graphic and That's where

we got the coffee mug from everything I thought

I was like do that with what it came and it's

like even like the Bible the Bible has that color

on it and the bookmark and I was like that's

Crazy cool. Have y 'all ever heard the tale of

the monster in the woods? No, no, but I have

a feeling I'm about to So the monster in the

woods there's this monster that lives in the

woods near the town and People used to be very

very afraid of it, right and But one day a very

very desperate man came to that monster with

a question that monster Happily helped him solve

his problem. And so he's like guys you got you

have to ask the monster It knows exactly what

to do and so one by one the townspeople begin

to make their way to this monster and They present

with their problems, you know, should we plant

today or do tomorrow? What should I put in my

garden? Do I need to marry this person? Like

in this monster every time so like small and

big small and big problem. Yeah, and every time

this monster answers wisely wisely wisely and

Then finally one day after a lot of resistance

you You go see the monster you present it with

your problems and it solves it kindly calmly

it sends you on your way But the next person

to go see the monster looking at it realizes

it's wearing your face and That is what AI has

become in our society Okay. So I need you to

break this down. I was going to say the monster

is Google. So I was like, I was following along

with, you know, we just had a conversation about

AI and then I was, so I was already tracking

there, but you lost me with the, it has my face.

You are feeding it yourself, which is how it

gets good things to give other people. Oh, that's

chat. GPT a hundred percent. A hundred percent.

Yeah. Terminator. It's coming for us. I've done

specific things to my chat GPT to tell it to

always respond to me in certain ways. One of

the things that really annoyed me with chat GPT

is no matter what you do, it'll always agree

with you. Like, oh, that's such an awesome answer.

And I'm like, stop being a yes man. But I found

out a way to code, but really, it's not coding.

It's just telling it what to do. I was like,

for now on, don't just agree with everything

I say. Be a critical thinker, and it's become

a lot better. I believe that, because it doesn't

just go with your bias. I'll tell you what's

crazy, though. That always affirmative. Uh, that

chat GPT does, uh, there's a therapy term for

that and it's called unconditional positive regard.

Chat is so good at it. It is very good at it.

People are so like Maddie, my wife, therapist

business, uh, world. She is like, like they're

like therapists across America are saying, like

people aren't coming to therapy anymore. They're

just like talking to chat GPT about their feelings.

I'm like, this is how we're going to get Skynet

to take over. It's not going to start with government.

It's going to start with people being sad. Hmm.

Yeah, it's taken over everything. I mean you

you look at what is it Walmart and The CEO of

Walmart and the CEO of McDonald's resigned because

they didn't feel that they were up to the AI

generation Level the dude that's been picked

on for how he eats burgers So a couple weeks

ago the like it showed him eating the big art

and everybody's making fun of him because it

like it He took the tiniest little bite and then

he never swallowed. Like it just, it immediately

cut. So everybody was saying like, oh, and he

called it the next big product. And so because

he used the word product instead of like a burger

or whatever, like, and then all these other CEOs,

like Burger King CEO got on there and was like

just chomping on his, but even the Costco, the

Costco CEO with the Costco CEO. And he was like,

and then he got on there talking about how he'll,

he'll just eat some glizzies. It was his terminology

gobbling mad glizzy. Yeah. It was something like

that. So like all of these other CEOs have now

been getting on there and just ripping into the

McDonald's dude because of how, and then like

he's tried to do other videos, be like, guys,

stop picking on me kind of stuff and eating and

eating something else. And they, like every time

he does something where people are like, nah,

you don't eat McDonald's. Wow. So anyways, that

guy resigned is what you're saying. That's what

I was told him and the founder of Walmart just

all in the same week. And it was over the AI

stuff. So it was just, it's I suspecting I mean

I see a I mean there's a lot of positive to AI,

but I also see the huge dangers and Really what

I'm seeing like the worst part is within the

school system And like really dude cuz kids I

mean they'll just use AI for everything now.

They're not learning anything Yep, they're just

learning other is that ask better check questions

to chat. They're just they're just getting their

answers And it's just, it's just done for them

and they're not learning. So that's, that's where

the danger is really. Yes. Do you see a world

in which like AI begins to replace or, um, or,

or make like, like take parts of our jobs, like

as pastors? Are you, yeah, there's already guys

that are using AI to write their sermons. Yeah.

That's a huge ethical debate right now. Huge.

And you kind of figure out where the line is

drawn, right? Because that's a problem. And then

where I see it too, we actually put up a post

on our Facebook the other day. about like joking

how your Bible's crying because you're going

to chat GPT asking where to find peace. But it's

like, but people are, instead of opening scripture,

because there's something also too, like it is

a great tool to be able to find answers quick.

But if it's replacing, like, studying God's Word,

because there's something to digging deep and

then it causes, it affects you, and then it's

that whole memorizing scripture thing, you know,

that we need and it's helpful for us as believers

to be digging into God's Word. And so, if we

replace it for quick answers, all that does is

it's a quick fix. It doesn't go into our soul.

It just fixes, it just helps us in the moment.

Which will set you in the same place you were

again. Relatively soon. Yeah. And so yeah, if

it starts turning into the pastorial counselor

Part of our job, you know, then that's that's

that's a dangerous thing. But yeah, I can definitely

see I mean the the road that could be traveled

if you keep on going and going to it for everything.

Yeah. Well, it's like you said with, with Maddie's

job. I mean, I see that. I mean, there are people,

they're always asking AI their questions. You

know, what can I do about sadness? What can I

do about what? And they'll tell them their problems

and it just talks back to them like a counselor

and they're like, Hey, it's free therapy. And

have you actually used the voice chat GPT? Yes.

Although I can't get the timing right. Well,

cause usually if it's like, if I have to figure

out something in the car. So it's like their

version of Siri. But it talks to you like a human.

Like it's crazy. It articulates and has tone.

Let's talk about that. It's not just giving you

answers. It's giving you artificial feelings

and emotions with the answers. Wow. It's, it's

now like I haven't, I've used that for just fun

stuff, just talking back and forth with it. But

I can see how someone could use that absolutely

as a therapist. Like that's crazy. I think I,

I'm hoping that this will be a temporary foray

into something that is a good tool, but a bad

societal deity. Yeah. Well, and there are, and

they're already starting to develop laws and

safeguards. And so you just wonder like how How

many of these are we going to have? Are the safeguards

going to become so much where then it becomes

not a useful tool? Like I said, I think right

now it is a tool. It can be a very good tool.

Just like any tool, any tool can be misused.

It's one of those things that we'll just continue

to see how it develops. What's going to be scary

as we continue to develop technology? If we get

like hollow, like really good hologram technology,

like Cortana from, uh, from, uh, halo. Yes. And

then it's just right there. Like you're interacting

with AI, but it kind of looks human and it's,

it's going to be some weird stuff. You'll use

a game reference. I can go back to Arnold Schwarzenegger's

the sixth day and there was, it was using holograms

and AI's and this like, this is, you know, probably

a 15 year old movie. It uses, it was using AI

and holograms and I was just like, Oh my, is

this where the world is coming to? And it might

be. Well, gents, I do think this has been an

interesting conversation. Good luck editing.

Good luck editing all of that down to. I know

what I'm going to need to do. A few seconds.

Gents, this has been an interesting conversation

about AI. And I think it behooves us to have

these talks, because eventually there will be

moral implications to stuff like this. And John,

you mentioned cloning earlier. These things are

here and these things are coming. Yeah, and I

think it's good as, I mean, even just as the

leaders in the church to be able to talk about

this and, you know, so that our people know,

like, just our thoughts and we can look at things

from biblical perspectives and also a cautious

perspective at times, you know. You know, we've

got, and I think between... All of us we have

good perspectives, you know without labeling

I think we definitely have at least one a very

big conspiracy theorist, you know that that at

the table and then we've got you know wisdom

at the table and Then we've just got something

that you just never know what someone's gonna

say, you know So are you guys gonna talk about

when are you gonna list attributes of you two?

But it's fun to talk about these things, but

obviously we want to get into Scripture. Yes,

we do. So, I think we said I was going to go

first here. That is correct. So, the Scripture

I zeroed in on was March 29th. I liked this couple

of days of like Jesus's discourse to his disciples

before he sends them out. But so, the passage

I'm going to zero in on is Matthew 10, starting

in verse five, although I'll pick a little bit

from Mark and Luke's account as well. But here's

how it goes. These 12, Jesus' 12 disciples, these

12 Jesus sent out, instructing them, go nowhere

among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans,

but go rather to the lost sheep of the house

of Israel. And proclaim as you go, saying, the

kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick,

raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, and cast

out demons. You receive without paying, now give

without pay. Acquire no gold or silver or copper

for your belts, no bag for your journey, or two

tunics or sandals or a staff for the laborer

deserves his food. And whatever town and village

you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay

there until you depart. As you enter the house,

greet it. and if the house is worthy let your

peace come upon it and if it is not worthy let

your peace return to you and if anyone will not

receive you or listen to your words shake off

the dust from your feet when you leave that house

or town truly I say to you it will be more bearable

on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom

and Gomorrah than for that town feel like there's

a lot to kind of zero in here but I'm gonna start

with a question I want to pose to you guys so

I'm ready um The idea shake the dust off your

feet if they don't if they if they don't receive

what you have to say What do you guys make of

that? Because like like so hearing Jesus the

infallible son of God say things like that is

like oh Dude, that's harsh. Like like where do

where do y 'all's minds go when you hear that?

Well, it goes to don't take don't bring back

with you that of foreign lands. In other words,

it's, you know, shaking the dust off is that

even the very place where they dwell, the judgment

has fallen upon them because they've chosen that

judgment for themselves. So don't bring the dust

or the very fibers. It kind of goes back to Kings,

where Naaman wanted to take dirt with him back

to the Syrian land after he was healed of his

leprosy. And he said, let me take a I think it

was a cart full of dirt and take it back with

me so I can worship your God because they had

this idea that gods were attached to particular

lands. And so, shaking the dust off was, don't

bring the dust from that foreign land or from

that idolatrous land back home with you. Well,

so it's crazy that we say idolatrous land though,

because Jesus specifically sends them to the

people of Israel. Of course, I'm also thinking

from what you're saying, I've got a jar of dirt.

I've got a jar of dirt. The Pirates of the Caribbean

reference. I need to work on the accent. Both

sides of that is pretty good. I wasn't trying

to do an accent. You've got to work on it too.

You've got to work on it. What comes to my mind,

too, is kind of that same thing of Pilate washing

his hands. It's just that whole idea of you're

leaving it behind. You're getting out of this.

but specifically for people who don't accept

the message that they were saying. To me, this

feels like Jesus kind of saying, like, rejecting

God's message is rejecting Him in some ways.

Because the judgment that God compares to Sodom

and Gomorrah, things did not go well for those

cities, is assigned to the people who reject

the message of the gospel. And that the kingdom

of heaven is at hand. That is heavy with like

messianic language from the book of Daniel and

other places. Like that would have been clearer

to a Jewish audience of what they were saying,

the magnitude of what they were saying. Yeah.

Yeah. So that was, that was just like, I, every

time I read his passage, just like, Ooh, like

that's kind of savage. Yes. Well, yeah. I mean,

and like you said, just the whole ending there

that Jesus is sharing with these guys. But then

also like you like you were kind of leaning there

towards for a second just the seriousness of

rejecting God's Word right like may and it you

really get an understanding of The consequences

that people don't really understand about right,

you know so many times when you know And I think

that's the man one of the hard things about being

a pastor is we realize Like, we can't save anybody.

We are messengers of the gospel. We are here

to share, and the Holy Spirit is the one that

draws. And sometimes that sucks. Like, just to

be brutally honest, because there are people

that we can care about very much, and all we

want to do is see them give their life to the

Lord. And there's many times that I've had students

that have come into my life that God has just

given me a passion for them. And if I could force

them to be saved, in the most loving pastorial

way possible, I would do that. But then it's

not genuine and it's not real. But there's just

those people that you're like, man, come on.

Just like me, you know, I rejected the gospel

so many times So many times in my life as a teenager.

I had so many people poured into me Trying to

get me. In fact, one of the funniest things I

remember my first youth pastor He knew I was

lost, obviously. This is back, you know, because

I didn't go to church growing up, and so I was

going to youth group as a teenager for the very

first time, and so I didn't know what it meant

to be lost. And the dude preached the gospel

all the time. I just wasn't ready to hear it,

so I didn't hear it, you know? And then I remember

the first time I was impacted by the gospel,

he brought in someone from the church to share

their testimony. And I remember at the end of

him sharing his testimony, I was like, I need

Jesus. Oh my gosh. And I remember he came to

me joking, like in a loving, joking way that

a youth pastor can, and was like, I've been preaching

to you for two years, Sean. What in the world?

What happened? Like, why now? I was like, I don't

know, buddy. But that's one of the things. But

that's why we have to be faithful and we continue.

no matter how many times. I mean, I've heard

stories of wives praying for their husbands for

decades, you know? And so, it's one of those

things that it's, we're faithful, but at the

same time, if they reject, they've rejected the

Holy Spirit. Yeah, I stood there Sunday during

the invitation and I'm looking back and I see

this one guy and I'm just like, I've been praying

for this guy since I've been here, you know?

And what's funny is, at the 830, And the 11 different

guys that I've been praying for and I'm just

like I see them sitting there. They're there

One is there practically every Sunday the other

one on occasion, but I'm just sitting there and

I'm thinking God just Stir the heart I start

praying at the altar stir their heart speak to

dude and sometimes when we're up there like we

can see the emotions on their face Like there's

been times like just like you're saying that

I'm looking out because we're standing up there

up front right and you can see dudes that you

know were lost and you could see the tears whelping

in their eyes and you're like Lord, please. Yes

move. Yeah move They don't he is It's just, they're

not. Yeah, exactly. Because it has to be a choice,

like you said. And I feel like the concept we're

talking about here of resisting or rejecting

the message, it's got a lot to say, I think,

about people who have not responded to the gospel.

I think we have to be careful of this in our

own hearts too. Like not rejecting the gospel

wholesale like I'm not a Christian anymore But

there's plenty of things that we read in scripture

that that by our actions We reject on a regular

basis and of course like we're not under the

law We're under grace and so like like Jesus

paid for those sins and he took those willingly

knowing that we would do that and so not out

of a you know, like a big big guilt trip thing

but as like a like are there areas of my life,

and this is kind of like where I landed, where

I'm resisting the good news, because I think

my news is better, or because I think that it'd

be better if I did this this way, or even just

from sinful desire, you know? And so, for our

listeners and for you and for me, that's an important

question to ask. Am I resisting? Well, in the

trap that I pray against so often, is God, help

your word be a mirror in my life. Meaning, when

I read your word, please show me first the things

that I need to fix. The whole idea of the plank

and the speck, right? Because unfortunately,

I think it can be so easy for us to read God's

word and be like, yeah, that person needs this,

this person needs this. Like, Lord, why don't

you convict them of this? when when I look at

God and I so often I do pray that because I was

like Lord when I'm reading your word please let

it hit my heart first if there is an area that

I am wrong in show me yeah for sure yeah and

uh it's worth saying it's one thing to look in

a mirror and realize that you need to comb your

hair and shave and it's another to pick up the

razor And to comb your hair. Listen, I know I

need to shave. I know that my beard is getting

a little crazy. Are you looking at me? I mean,

come on. John's stroking John. Are you going

to go? Are you going to go? Are you going to

get your hair shaved and go fully bald for Easter?

You're going to clean it up. Oh, Sean, I love

you. Oh, man. Yes, it will be completely shaped.

There you go, man. Wow. Kind of continuing along

in this discourse, Sean, I think you wanted to

touch on a passage kind of adjacent to this.

Yeah. So I think I'm going to touch on it. I

think John's going to talk about it too. We're

just kind of going to be writing here in this

passage because right after that, I'm going to

pick up in verse 16. So it's the next day's devotion,

but we're continuing on with the same passage.

And here's what I loved about this one, right?

I was reading this passage and this was one of

those times, once again, that I was reading the

devotion. I read it through Matthew 10, 16 through

26, and I read it and I was like, cool, yeah,

I know this passage. All right. Then I was like,

man, I need to read that again, right? And it

was on that second reading, which is why I tell

people all the time, read it over and over. You

never know. And on the second reading, really,

it was first one word that just really struck

me, and then it was the phrase or really two

words that struck me. And it was in verse 16

at the very beginning. So, Jesus is continuing

on with this whole idea of sending out His disciples.

And in verse 16, it picks up with Him saying

this. Right after what we just looked at, look,

I'm sending you out like sheep among wolves.

Therefore, be as shrewd as serpents and as innocent

as doves. So I'm just going to stop there. Because

it's that analogy that Jesus is using. And the

first one that struck me, where he says for us

to be as shrewd as serpents, and my brain just

got stuck on Jesus just told me to be a snake.

that doesn't sound good, you know? And I'm like,

and that's where my brain automatically went.

It was like, I've seen snakes before in the Bible.

Usually snakes are not a good thing in the Bible.

What is like, and like, you really like, I started

going down this little rabbit trail in my brain

of like, okay, why is, why is Jesus telling us

to be serpents? Like, that is weird. And so,

but because I had that thought, it caused me

to dig deep. And I started to bring out my commentaries

and look up. like the original language and he

definitely says serpent and he definitely says

doves. Like it's, there's no other weird Greek

language going on there. Like he says these things,

but it's really cultural and the reason why he

says this. So here's what I looked up. Here's

what I found out. So a serpent in their culture,

serpents were considered to be extremely wise

creatures. And so it's in fact it's the same

idea of Matthew 724 talking about a wise man

builds his house on the rock. Really? So that

is the idea of what he's... using when he talks

about a serpent, which is why he says to be as

shrewd as a serpent, because serpents were seen

to be cautious, and they were seen to be perceptives.

And so, really, what Jesus is saying, he's saying,

don't be naive, don't walk in blindly into danger,

is what he's saying. He says, you need to be

wise, you need to be cautious. And so, I was

like, okay, well, that makes a little bit more

sense now. And really, then I started, well,

let me, I might as well. look up and see what

an innocent as a dove means since I'm already

here. And this one was where it really, really

started to get some understanding because, you

know, as a dove, I always say it's like, it's

a symbol of peace. It's the symbol of Israel.

And I was like, okay, cool. Well, so maybe it's

just like, hey, we need to be peaceful, but it's

a little bit more deeper than that because it

does symbolize peace and it symbolizes peace

and purity. but also with the idea of integrity.

And this is where I really started to get really

interested of how Jesus is telling these disciples

to go out. And basically, it also gives the idea

of don't justify shady methods for the gospel.

Right? This isn't a ministry commission context.

Yes. Yes. And so it's like, think clearly, live

cleanly. It's this idea of, in fact, I found

this quote that I wrote this down because I thought

this was really cool. Here's what it with both

of the ideas together. Here's what the commentator

said. I don't remember who it was. Be smart enough

to navigate the world, but be pure enough that

the world doesn't change you. I was like, Oh,

that's good. That's good. That's good. But one

of the things that I really liked about there

was that idea of integrity. of, okay, as we go

out and we're sharing the gospel, like, it matters

how we do that, you know? And we've talked about

it on the podcast before where, like, I'm, like,

I... I'm always so cautious not to be the guy

that's trying to manipulate kids into Jesus.

You know, I'm not a big fan of youth ministry

being hellfire and brimstone because, well, even

just church in general, because it's so easy

to scare a teenager, scare, especially a preteen

to scare them into heaven. And like, I'm not

a fan of that whatsoever. And so, like, I want

to make sure that what I'm doing, that I'm being

wise, as I'm going out as a pastor, that I'm,

and even when I'm going out, that I'm using my

intelligence of like, hey, if this feels dangerous,

like, be aware of that, right? But then also,

how am I going to share the gospel? Like, I don't

need to do something shady and do something that's

going to affect my character and affect my witness.

I need to be careful. I need to make sure I'm

still a person of integrity in everything I do.

And so that really, that was big for me. But

that quote, I'm going to say it one more time

in case someone already forgot it. Be smart enough

to navigate the world, but pure enough that the

world doesn't change you. I thought that was

really good. You know what's interesting in that

context is the words that are right before it,

the what Jesus says, behold, I'm sending you

out of sheep in the midst of wolves. You know,

most shepherds, Their job is to protect or corral

the sheep to keep them from the wolves. And Jesus

is saying, I'm sending you out in the midst of

the wolves. And, you know, it's not like a sheep

would just walk up and the wolf open its mouth

and it insert its head in there and be like,

ah, yeah, God's going to protect me. God's going

to take care of me. And, you know, so many people

treat God like that. But what he is saying is

he's telling them. you're going into dangerous

fields. You're going out into places where they're

going to hate you because they hated me. And

he's talking about Israel, not the Gentiles,

not the Samaritans, but Israel. And he's just

telling me, he's like, listen, you're not going

to be safe, follow me. And I find it so funny

sometimes when people are afraid to go out and

share the gospel because they're afraid that

people are going to reject them. They probably

will. Jesus never promised that every person

we go out to share the gospel with is going to

be saved. Right. You know, he does say... you

sow sparingly, you'll reap sparingly, you sow

bountifully, you'll reap bountifully, you know?

And it's the idea that guess what, there are

going to be some seed that you throw out, it's

going to fall on the hardened ground, reject

it outright, some is going to fall on the thorny

ground, it's going to spring up real quick, some

will fall on the rocky ground, and some will

fall on the good soil. We've talked about that.

Yep. So we have. So, you know, I just think it's

interesting, you know, he's talking about this

wisdom and this innocence, this integrity and

this basically knowing how to navigate the things

of the world. It's Jesus did not save us and

then take us out. And when he prayed in John

17, he didn't say, Father, take them out of this

world. He understood they were going to be living

in the world and he says, sanctify them. So,

it's using them to make a difference in the world.

I love this transition that he's making there.

Absolutely. And I think like, let's remember

who he's talking to. Like if you're looking at

the Matthew account, I was trying to flip back

and see how many chapters it's been since Jesus

has called them. The answer is not that many.

I think it's like four. But like these are the

disciples, like in modern day English, the students,

the learners of the way of Jesus. And so like

Jesus is sending out his students. And I think

like, and I tried to carefully hear in saying

this, essential to learning to walk deeper in

your relationship with God is the tests and the

failures because like I highly doubt these guys

did this perfectly like the mark account gives

us like a little bit of context and yes they

went out and they cast out demons a lot of them

as it sounds like but Jesus sent them when he

knew that they were ready not when they knew

that they were ready If I am any of the 12 in

this story I'm shaking in my custom -made baby

seal leather boots like like like I'm thinking

Jesus like hide baby seal I joined to follow

you, and now you're sending us out, and you're

saying they're going to be demons, and they're

going to be the wolves, and the wolves are going

to try to... And later on in the passage, they're

going to try to flog you, and they're going to

turn you over to the synagogue. And by the way,

you guys are not above me, because I'm your teacher

and you're my servants, and so they're going

to accuse me of being like Satan. They're going

to accuse you of being like Satan. And if I'm

a disciple, I'm like, This is not the class I

thought I signed up for. Mm -hmm. But Jesus sent

them when he knew they were ready. Well, what's

interesting, too, is you keep reading through

the Gospels, they come back. Right. And, like,

they're still following him. And it's kind of

like, it's, you gave them their freedom. and

then you bring them back under your reigns. And

then he's going to send them out again, he's

going to bring them back. And it just, it's kind

of, the way I look at that sometimes is like

a teenager who's got their car keys and they've

got their freedom and they've finally been allowed

to go off on their own. And all of a sudden,

mom and dad take the car keys and go, nope, you're

going to ride with us for a while now. And, you

know, the disappointment. And so I wonder how

the disciples handled that coming back in, you

know, still having to learn and grow. and then

being sent back out and then coming back in and

then having to be sent out because he's gone

now. So, preparing them for something bigger?

Yes. I'm just kind of reading through this passage

as y 'all are talking and what I find really

interesting is for the very last verse of that,

of the reading of this one for March 30th is

verse 26. But then you kind of go into that whole

little section right there that that begins and

As I'm reading he's just after all he's like

he's saying all of this stuff of like hey, this

is good This could happen this could happen this

could happen, but it's like hey, don't be afraid

though Have no or if you are worth so much to

God. Yeah, like God's got you Don't be afraid

and I was actually listening to a podcast this

morning and in the podcast this morning it talked

about how The commandment that is said more than

any other is do not fear in fact 365 times this

is for every weight way more than any other Commandment

in scripture. God says do not be afraid. Hmm

So I literally love those. I hate he's like he's

being real with them He's being honest, but at

the same time he's like, but you don't got to

worry about it Yep, like God's you're going out

there and God cares about you So don't fear like

even what is it verse 28? Don't fear those who

can kill the body but are not able to kill the

soul Yeah, I mean cuz I mean you hear that like

let's just be real like cuz we still we're in

this body I don't want this body to die right

now. So there can still be that fear there that

we can feel as humans, but it's the reminder

of like, but there is something greater out there.

It's so easy for us to get focused on this life

that James calls a vapor. It is so quick compared

to the eternal life that we're going to have

with Jesus. Absolutely. Absolutely. Well, gents,

this has been fun. We've been at this for a little

while now. We have. We have. So hey, let me tell

a quick story. Dude, tell us a story. So a couple

podcasts ago, I advertised our pins. Yes. Right?

You even held it up to the mic and did the little

thing. And it sounded great, by the way. Thank

you. You could hear it in the mic. Some creative

compression. It was wonderful. Everybody talked

about. And I say that because I gave away. So

last week we weren't here. So like the funny

thing is I talked about the pin and then I wasn't

here that Sunday to give away the pins. So, uh,

but I was here this Sunday. dude, I had like

nine people come up to me and were like, hey,

where's my pin? And it was great. So if you were

afraid to come up to me for whatever reason,

fear not, fear not, I will give you a pin. We

still have, these are really fun. And then also

it's been a couple of podcasts when we mentioned

it, but we did talk about earlier on probably

about a month ago that we've got church merch.

Church merch. It's on our app. And so it's not

something we're really advertising, you know,

in the church right now, but just for our podcast

listeners, we've had some people place some orders.

and order some stuff, but go on there. If you

want to have our church logo and our church name,

just be able to just show off your local church

in the community. Go get some stuff, man. There's

some good looking stuff on there. You know, I

got to rep the squad even when I'm out of town.

Word. Well, thank you very much for that announcement,

Sean. Guys, we are out of time. And we've been

at this for almost an hour. Can you believe it

good to have fun editing that one? I? Will I

have been Ben Smith. This is pursuing Jesus.

I've been Sean Griffin And I am John Ferguson

we got to figure out who we are Sean We'll see

you guys next bye bye Pursuing Jesus is a ministry

of Memorial Baptist Church in Norwood, North

Carolina. To learn more about our church, please

visit memorial4norwood .com.