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Matthew Chapter 11. 
I have greatly enjoyed reaching 

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through Matthew to you. 
As we said when we first started

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this series, the book of Matthew
has been used by the church for 

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2000 years as a starting point, 
as a staple, oftentimes as a 

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discipleship tool to walk new 
believers through the book of 

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Matthew so they can understand 
Jesus, so they could understand 

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the Kingdom. 
We've we've reminded ourselves 

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multiple times, Matthew was the 
tax collector. 

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Jesus called him out. 
So Matthew is a traitor to the 

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Jews. 
He's saying, hey, Romans, Yeah, 

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I'll help you to extort the 
people. 

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I know them. 
I know their culture. 

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I know who owns which businesses
and how it all works. 

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You, you line my pockets really 
well. 

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I'll line my pockets. 
In the process, all my people 

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will hate me, but it'll be OK. 
Jesus says, hey, I want you to 

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join me. 
Fishermen and a tax collector on

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the same team. 
So these men, of course, become 

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devoted to Christ together. 
They all lay lay aside their old

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lives and then they walk after 
Christ. 

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Matthew wrote Matthew for the 
Jews over and over. 

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He wants to show the Jews who 
Christ is. 

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So throughout the book of 
Matthew, Matthew says, hey, 

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remember this prophecy about the
Messiah And Jewish readers were 

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going, yeah, yeah, we know. 
And he goes, yeah, Jesus 

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fulfilled that. 
They go, that was interesting. 

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He goes, hey, remember this 
prophecy about the Messiah? 

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They go, yeah, he goes, yeah, 
Jesus fulfilled that one too. 

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Over and over and over, Matthew 
is writing the Jews saying. 

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Saying, hey everybody, it's 
Jesus. 

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It's Jesus. 
It's undeniably Jesus if you 

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honor the Old Testament, if you 
honor Moses as Jews claim to do,

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the honor Abraham as Jews claim 
to do. 

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That you will run smack dab into
Jesus. 

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Moses and Abraham were looking 
forward to Jesus and Jesus came.

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So Matthew makes that point 
clear over and over and over 

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again. 
Jesus did the same thing about 

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himself and now here we are. 
Remember we finished Matthew 

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chapter 10. 
Jesus has warned his disciples 

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about the persecution to come, 
and then he says, hey, he 

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always. 
Prayed for the. 

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Harvest and they prayed. 
And then he says, good luck or 

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good news, boys, the Father has 
answered your prayer. 

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You're going to go work the 
harvest. 

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There is now workers in the 
harvest. 

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Their names are you. 
And he sends his disciples out. 

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Now John is in prison. 
We found out last week John's 

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death is nearing. 
John might not know that yet. 

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And John starts to doubt and he 
sends his disciples to ask 

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Jesus, hey, are you really the 
one or should we look for 

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another? 
And we looked at the 

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ridiculousness of that question 
from John's prophesied birth 

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over and over. 
And you stack up the mountain of

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things that John experienced in 
his life, the stories that 

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Zechariah and Elizabeth and 
Joseph and Mary would have told 

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those two little boys growing up
at every family reunion, over 

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and over and over. 
Here's how the Angel prophesied 

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your birth son. 
You are the forerunner for him. 

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He is the Messiah. 
The angels spoke on the night of

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his birth all throughout their 
lives. 

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And now John, a year and a 
dungeon, you're in a dungeon can

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bring some doubt. 
Anybody ever spent a year in a 

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dungeon can bring some doubt, 
can bring some discouragement. 

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It's not the same thing as 
unbelief. 

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Unbelief is the full rot of 
doubt, but doubt is just the 

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just the questioning. 
It's a hesitation. 

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And Jesus doesn't rebuke John. 
He encourages John with the 

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word. 
And then Jesus, he's not going 

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to let anybody misunderstand 
John. 

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This is not going to be the last
thing you hear about John the 

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Baptist. 
And Jesus makes sure of that to 

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everybody listening. 
To everybody listening, that's 

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the context now. 
So we talked about that, how we 

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should bring our doubts to 
Jesus, and now Jesus has been 

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bringing that encouragement now 
in verse. 

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Seven, as they went away, so 
John's disciples, they have to 

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make the journey back now to 
John and his dungeon in Herod's 

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dungeon, and they're going to go
tell John what Jesus said, which

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is going to encourage John and 
sustain John to say, John, you 

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did well. 
I know you have questions. 

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I know you're wondering why I 
haven't maybe conquered the 

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Romans and gotten you out of 
prison yet. 

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You fulfilled your part. 
You were the last Old Testament 

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prophet and you brought in the 
Messiah. 

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Well done is the message that 
John would have received. 

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As they went away, Jesus began 
to speak. 

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We're in verse seven, begin to 
speak to the crowds concerning 

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John. 
So this is where Jesus doesn't 

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let people go. 
Yeah, that was awkward, John's 

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doubting. 
Jesus is the Messiah. 

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This isn't how Jesus lets it in,
He says. 

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What did you go out into the 
wilderness to see? 

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He's referencing about John 
because everybody's thinking 

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about John. 
Everybody's speaking public. 

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Rabbi John wants to know, are 
you the one or should we seek 

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another? 
And Jesus answers everybody. 

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But now he's talking to the 
whole crowd. 

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His disciples very likely have 
returned to him at this point. 

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What did you go out into the 
wilderness? 

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To see a Reed shaken by the 
wind, it's a rhetorical 

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question. 
The answer is an obvious no. 

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He's referencing back when John 
was ministering, 1218 months 

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ago, when John was ministering 
and preparing for me out in the 

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wilderness, out on the Jordan 
River in the middle of nowhere. 

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What did you go out to see? 
A Reed. 

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Blown to and fro by the wind. 
Is that what John is? 

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No. 
What then? 

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Did you go out to see a man 
dressed in soft clothing? 

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A rhetorical question. 
The answer, again is no. 

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He says, Behold, those who wear 
soft clothing are in King's 

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houses. 
What then? 

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Did you go out to see a prophet?
Yes. 

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I tell you, and more than a 
prophet, this is he of whom it 

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is written. 
Behold, I send a messenger 

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before your face who will 
prepare your way before you. 

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Truly, I say to you, among those
born of women, there has arisen 

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no one greater than John the 
Baptist. 

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Yet the one who is least in the 
Kingdom of heaven is greater 

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than he. 
From the days of John the 

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Baptist until now, the Kingdom 
of heaven has suffered violence,

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and the violent have taken it by
force. 

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For all the prophets in the law 
have prophesied until John. 

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And if you're willing to accept 
it, he is Elijah who is to come.

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He who has ears to hear, let him
hear. 

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But to what shall I compare this
generation? 

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It is like children sitting in 
the temple, sitting in the 

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marketplaces and calling to 
their playmates. 

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We played the flute for you, but
you didn't dance. 

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We sang a dirge and you did not 
mourn. 

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For John came neither eating nor
drinking. 

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And they say he has a demon. 
And the Son of Man came eating 

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and drinking. 
And they say, look at him, a 

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glutton and a drunkard, a friend
of tax collectors and sinners. 

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Yet wisdom is justified by her 
deeds. 

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God bring revelation and light, 
bring strength, bring conviction

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and clarity, bring hunger and 
thirst. 

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In Jesus name we thank you. 
Amen. 

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Jesus wants to make sure that 
people don't get the wrong idea 

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about John. 
Jesus defends John, Jesus 

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affirms John, he says born among
women, which is everybody. 

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There's nobody greater than 
John. 

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He's not soft. 
He's just human. 

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Jesus is explaining and 
clarifying. 

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John's having a human moment in 
a dungeon right now, but John's 

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not soft. 
John's not swayed. 

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John's not pliable. 
John's not a punk. 

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He wants to clarify. 
This will be the legacy of John,

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that he's the greatest among all
men and he's the greatest among 

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all prophets. 
This is Matthew clarifying this 

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point for the Jews, and this is 
Jesus clarifying this point for 

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the Jews. 
Because the great prophets. 

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Elijah, Moses, these are the 
great prophets that we would 

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look back and go, and because we
all love dead prophets, right? 

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It's the dead prophets that are 
the heroes, the living prophets.

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We all say calm down, pipe down.
That's a bit extreme. 

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Dead prophets though, Oh, they 
were, oh, if I had been there, 

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I'd have been on their team for 
sure. 

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So John's dealing with some 
doubt, which the Lord helps him 

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with, but Jesus affirms him and 
says, look at who he is. 

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And Matthew's pointing this out 
to the Jews. 

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Look at the greatest prophet. 
You thought these prophets were 

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great. 
There's a greater one and 

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they're going, why is he 
greater? 

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We're going to answer that. 
So John's dealing with doubt. 

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We want to clarify this again, 
doubt is different. 

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We make a distinction between 
doubt and unbelief. 

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We see the Lord harshly. 
Jesus rebukes harshly, unbelief 

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in the Scriptures. 
He's harsh with it, He's 

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frustrated by it, he's annoyed 
at it. 

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He rebukes it with a stiff 
rebuke for people's unbelief. 

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It's not the same thing as 
doubt. 

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So what's the difference? 
Well, like we'd said earlier, a 

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doubt is a question, a doubt is 
a hesitation. 

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But whenever it's something that
we meditate on, when I meditate 

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on my doubt, when I hold on to 
my doubt, when I nurture my 

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doubt, when I serve my doubt 
well, that apple gets one spot 

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and then another and then 
another, until finally I have 

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something completely rotten and 
completely shriveled and there's

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no nutrient in it whatsoever, 
and the whole thing is worthless

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and the whole thing is gone. 
That's what happens when doubt 

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isn't taken to the Lord. 
I've got a doubt. 

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Then do what John the Baptist 
did with your doubt and take it 

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to Jesus. 
Don't do the stupid thing, the 

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foolish thing, the hard hearted 
thing. 

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I've got my doubts so I won't go
to church anymore. 

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No bro, the opposite thing 
there. 

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Oh, I'm not feeling passionately
in love with my wife this week, 

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so I guess I won't speak to her 
anymore. 

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Hey buddy, I want to let you 
know something that's going to 

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guarantee that you'll feel the 
same way or worse next week. 

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You understand that this leads 
darker. 

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This leads to a worse and a 
worse and a worse place. 

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If you follow every feeling, 
every doubt and every 

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hesitation, those things end up 
in a fully rotten place. 

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It takes the crucifixion of 
flesh, it takes the cutting out 

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of that little spot that 
shouldn't have been there, so 

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that things can then be healed, 
so that things can then be 

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strengthened. 
So we don't want to. 

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Normalize doubt, although we 
have room for it, we then take 

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it to the Lord so it doesn't 
become unbelief, because 

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unbelief is a hard heart where 
seed cannot grow in whichever 

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area you may be dealing with 
unbelief. 

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So Jesus is affirming John, and 
he's saying he's not a swaying 

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Reed. 
So down on the Jordan River, 

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just like a lot of rivers, 
there's reeds. 

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And what are reeds? 
Stiff, or are they pliable? 

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They bend and flow with the 
wind. 

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And this is a point that Jesus 
keeps making in this passage 

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with John. 
He says John is hard, this world

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is soft, John is consistent, 
this world is unfaithful. 

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And he holds John up as the 
pillar to be emulated and to be 

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copied. 
And he makes a point here about 

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masculinity. 
And I'm going to prove it to 

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you. 
We're going to look in a little 

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bit of the Greek so you can 
understand a little bit more of 

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the context of what's going on. 
But John is not flimsy. 

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He's not flimsy. 
He doesn't bend when Herod's 

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wife threatens him. 
And or here's or here's the 

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rumors. 
Hey, John, pipe down on these 

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sermons about Herod and Herodias
and their affair and their 

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adultery. 
Like, you know, just stay out of

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their bedroom. 
That's really not your business.

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You know, be be a nice guy. 
He doesn't bend when the 

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Pharisees question him. 
He doesn't bend when people are 

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put off by his message or by his
his methods. 

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Jesus is proud of John and he 
holds him up as an example for 

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all of us to learn from. 
I want to read a quote to you 

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from a a dead a dead preacher. 
Again, everybody's favorite kind

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of preachers are the dead ones. 
AW Tozer, He, he lived from the 

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late 1800s, died in like 1963. 
Tozer said this If Christianity 

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is to receive a rejuvenation, it
must be by other means than by 

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some means now being used. 
If the church. 

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In the second-half of this 
century, this is a man who died 

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in 1963. 
If the Church in the second-half

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00:11:37,560 --> 00:11:40,320
of this century is to recover 
from the injuries that she 

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suffered in the first half, 
there must appear a new type of 

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leader. 
The proper ruler of the 

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synagogue type will never do. 
Neither will the priestly type 

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00:11:50,400 --> 00:11:53,840
of man who carries out his 
duties, takes his pay, asks no 

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00:11:53,840 --> 00:11:57,280
questions. 
Nor the smooth talking pastoral 

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type who knows how to make the 
Christian religion acceptable to

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everyone. 
All these have been tried and 

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found wanting. 
Another kind of religious leader

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must arise among us. 
He must be the old. 

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Prophet type, a man who has seen
visions of God and who has heard

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a voice from the throne. 
When he comes. 

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And I pray. 
There will not be one, but many.

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He will stand in flat 
contradiction to everything our 

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00:12:26,160 --> 00:12:29,800
smooth, smirking civilization 
holds dear. 

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00:12:30,520 --> 00:12:34,880
That is John the Baptist and we 
don't just need one, we need a 

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00:12:34,880 --> 00:12:41,920
million and one. 
In verse 8, Jesus says what 

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00:12:41,920 --> 00:12:44,880
then? 
Did you go out to see a man 

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dressed in soft clothing? 
So the word soft here, we have 

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00:12:49,600 --> 00:12:53,080
to look into Greek a little bit 
here to get some more context. 

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00:12:53,240 --> 00:12:56,120
The word soft here is not merely
a reference to fabric. 

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00:12:56,680 --> 00:12:59,800
We know John wore camel skins 
and camel hair, which is 

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scratchy and uncomfortable. 
We know John ate locusts and the

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honey. 
John is a lean, scrappy prophet 

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00:13:08,680 --> 00:13:11,400
who is not too interested in 
what you think about him. 

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00:13:11,840 --> 00:13:15,800
He's not trying to present 
himself so well to you as much 

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00:13:15,800 --> 00:13:19,680
as he is eager to present the 
Lord Jesus to the whole world. 

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00:13:20,960 --> 00:13:24,680
But this word soft here is the 
Greek word malachus. 

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00:13:25,320 --> 00:13:27,480
This word is only used in one 
other place. 

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00:13:27,480 --> 00:13:30,360
It's actually used in Luke, but 
it's the same story where Jesus 

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00:13:30,360 --> 00:13:32,920
is explaining John. 
He's saying he's not soft. 

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00:13:33,120 --> 00:13:36,280
The other context it's used is 
in First Corinthians 6, where 

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it's describing effeminate men 
and homosexuals. 

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00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:44,240
Where the Lord is rebuking this 
softness, it's the same word. 

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00:13:44,560 --> 00:13:47,120
So it's very likely that all 
these ideas were being conveyed 

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00:13:47,120 --> 00:13:48,800
together. 
Jesus is not merely making a 

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00:13:48,840 --> 00:13:51,640
fabric reference. 
John doesn't wear cotton, he 

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00:13:51,640 --> 00:13:54,360
wears camel skin. 
But John's also, Jesus is also 

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00:13:54,360 --> 00:13:56,400
referencing men who are not 
effeminate, men who are not 

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soft, men who are not pliable, 
men who are not passive. 

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00:13:59,680 --> 00:14:01,640
I won't go too much into. 
Detail in the definition of the 

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00:14:01,640 --> 00:14:02,840
word. 
You can go look it up later and 

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00:14:02,840 --> 00:14:05,320
you can see that I am 
underselling the point rather 

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00:14:05,320 --> 00:14:12,480
than overselling it. 
So Jesus is commending John as a

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00:14:12,480 --> 00:14:17,680
great man, as a firm man. 
Let's say what's obvious and 

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00:14:17,680 --> 00:14:19,440
let's say what's true. 
It's one of the values in our 

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00:14:19,440 --> 00:14:21,240
church. 
We have different values. 

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00:14:21,240 --> 00:14:23,880
One of those values is we fight 
where the fight is. 

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00:14:24,320 --> 00:14:27,000
So that doesn't mean every 
single week in the pulpit, I'm 

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00:14:27,040 --> 00:14:29,640
I'm pounding the pulpit on, on 
what was in the news cycle. 

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00:14:29,720 --> 00:14:32,320
Obviously not. 
I'm not preaching the news to 

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00:14:32,320 --> 00:14:33,680
you. 
I'm preaching the word of God to

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00:14:33,680 --> 00:14:35,640
you. 
And when the Word of God though 

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00:14:35,920 --> 00:14:38,240
brings us the obvious 
opportunity for moments that are

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00:14:38,240 --> 00:14:41,440
cultural in our day, don't be 
naive and don't be deceived. 

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00:14:41,480 --> 00:14:44,080
Don't be a pliable Christian who
thinks our pastor is too 

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00:14:44,080 --> 00:14:46,600
political. 
Every pastor should be political

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00:14:46,760 --> 00:14:50,160
because everything is political.
Because Jesus is king over 

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00:14:50,160 --> 00:14:53,480
everything and everybody and 
everywhere and everything is his

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00:14:53,480 --> 00:14:55,480
jurisdiction. 
And what is the churches 

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00:14:55,480 --> 00:14:58,360
responsibility in the earth? 
To be the pillar of the truth, 

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00:14:58,720 --> 00:15:01,920
the government's responsibility.
Punish the evil doer, reward the

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00:15:01,920 --> 00:15:03,160
righteous. 
That's it. 

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00:15:03,400 --> 00:15:05,680
That's your jurisdiction. 
Well, they've overstepped that. 

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00:15:05,880 --> 00:15:09,120
Yes, indeed, they have in a 
massive, massive way, in a 

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00:15:09,120 --> 00:15:10,640
million different ways, but 
that's their role. 

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00:15:10,640 --> 00:15:13,600
It's a God-given Jesus Christ 
assigned role. 

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00:15:13,840 --> 00:15:17,280
The household has a God-given 
Jesus Christ assigned role, and 

303
00:15:17,280 --> 00:15:19,680
the church has a God-given Jesus
Christ assigned role. 

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00:15:19,880 --> 00:15:23,360
The church is to clarify to the 
other two spheres what is truth,

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00:15:24,000 --> 00:15:27,160
what is male, what is female? 
It's not our government's job to

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00:15:27,160 --> 00:15:28,600
define that. 
That's out of their 

307
00:15:28,600 --> 00:15:30,800
jurisdiction. 
Hey, hey, that's not your role. 

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00:15:30,800 --> 00:15:32,920
We've got that where the church 
will tell you what that's about.

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00:15:33,320 --> 00:15:34,760
Well, says who? 
Well, says Jesus. 

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00:15:35,000 --> 00:15:36,160
God in the beginning created 
them. 

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00:15:36,160 --> 00:15:39,040
Male and female, young men, 
young women. 

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00:15:39,040 --> 00:15:41,920
It means something to be male. 
It means something to be 

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00:15:41,920 --> 00:15:44,480
masculine. 
If you're a boy, it's good to be

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00:15:44,480 --> 00:15:46,880
a boy. 
If you're a girl, it's good to 

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00:15:46,880 --> 00:15:48,760
be a girl. 
If you're a man, you should seek

316
00:15:48,760 --> 00:15:51,920
to be more manly. 
There's a way to be more 

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00:15:51,920 --> 00:15:53,600
masculine. 
There's a way to be less 

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00:15:53,600 --> 00:15:55,320
masculine. 
There's a way to be more 

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00:15:55,320 --> 00:15:56,840
feminine. 
There's a way to be less 

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00:15:56,840 --> 00:15:58,560
feminine. 
And this is a part of our 

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00:15:58,560 --> 00:16:00,920
sanctification. 
This is part of our 

322
00:16:00,920 --> 00:16:02,880
sanctification. 
God did not make us generic 

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00:16:02,880 --> 00:16:05,160
humans. 
You're not a generic Christian. 

324
00:16:05,520 --> 00:16:08,680
You're a man as a Christian. 
You're a woman as a Christian, 

325
00:16:08,680 --> 00:16:11,720
and your Christianity even has a
different look depending on it. 

326
00:16:11,720 --> 00:16:14,560
There's many, many, many things 
that are unified, obviously, and

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00:16:14,560 --> 00:16:17,520
yet there are particulars, which
is why the Scripture even 

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00:16:17,520 --> 00:16:22,240
commands men to act like men. 
The implication being a man 

329
00:16:22,240 --> 00:16:25,280
could be a man and yet not act 
in a manful way. 

330
00:16:25,760 --> 00:16:29,800
So Jesus is affirming and 
commending this masculine 

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00:16:29,800 --> 00:16:33,000
strength in John because that's 
what a man should be. 

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00:16:33,000 --> 00:16:34,640
That's appropriate for Father's 
Day, isn't it? 

333
00:16:36,080 --> 00:16:39,160
He's saying John's not soft and 
even in saying. 

334
00:16:39,160 --> 00:16:43,320
This John is mocking or Jesus is
mocking and taking a jab at 

335
00:16:43,320 --> 00:16:46,480
Herod, Mr. Nice Jesus. 
I know he didn't have the 

336
00:16:46,480 --> 00:16:48,360
bracelet yet they said what 
would Jesus do? 

337
00:16:48,640 --> 00:16:51,600
So he he didn't know any of the 
Western nonsense that was trying

338
00:16:51,600 --> 00:16:54,880
to soften him. 
He's mocking Herod and those in 

339
00:16:54,880 --> 00:16:57,160
the palace and he because he 
goes. 

340
00:16:57,160 --> 00:16:59,480
Did you go to see a soft man? 
No. 

341
00:17:00,520 --> 00:17:02,040
You know who wears soft 
clothing? 

342
00:17:02,400 --> 00:17:06,280
Those in King's houses, they're 
not thinking about fairy tale 

343
00:17:06,280 --> 00:17:08,560
kings like you and I may be. 
They're thinking about literally

344
00:17:08,560 --> 00:17:11,560
King Herod. 
They know where his palace is. 

345
00:17:11,960 --> 00:17:14,119
The one who put John in his 
dungeon. 

346
00:17:14,760 --> 00:17:17,800
Jesus is mocking that. 
And that whole political sphere.

347
00:17:18,319 --> 00:17:22,079
Bunch of wimps, a bunch of 
Nancy's, a bunch of pansies. 

348
00:17:22,440 --> 00:17:24,920
We have other language that we 
use for it in men, in men's 

349
00:17:24,920 --> 00:17:26,319
circles. 
We don't use as much in front of

350
00:17:26,319 --> 00:17:28,079
you ladies, but you know what 
we're talking about. 

351
00:17:28,079 --> 00:17:30,000
You say that, yes. 
Why? 

352
00:17:30,000 --> 00:17:32,480
Because we want to mock 
effeminacy in one another. 

353
00:17:32,480 --> 00:17:33,600
Why? 
Because it's bad. 

354
00:17:34,280 --> 00:17:38,880
Effeminacy in men is bad. 
So we correct one another, we 

355
00:17:38,880 --> 00:17:41,120
tease one another, we do it in 
fun ways, we can do it in 

356
00:17:41,120 --> 00:17:42,760
stronger ways. 
And we say, hey man, nice shirt,

357
00:17:42,760 --> 00:17:44,120
thanks. 
Do they make it for men? 

358
00:17:44,400 --> 00:17:47,000
Like we can tease one another 
and play, but why? 

359
00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:49,000
Because we always want to call 
one another into a stronger 

360
00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:51,040
masculinity. 
I want you to be strong. 

361
00:17:51,040 --> 00:17:53,280
I want you to be stiff. 
I want you to be firm as a man 

362
00:17:53,280 --> 00:17:54,440
because that's what the Lord 
intends. 

363
00:17:54,440 --> 00:17:58,080
You to be in which ways will the
most important way faithfulness 

364
00:17:58,080 --> 00:18:02,560
to God faithfulness to God. 
The way John the Baptist was to 

365
00:18:02,560 --> 00:18:04,800
say I'm going to be faithful to 
God, well, we're going to cut 

366
00:18:04,800 --> 00:18:06,520
your head off. 
We're going to fire you from 

367
00:18:06,520 --> 00:18:08,040
your job. 
We're going to demote you. 

368
00:18:08,040 --> 00:18:09,960
We're going to take away your 
social media account. 

369
00:18:10,240 --> 00:18:11,720
I didn't say you wouldn't do any
of those things. 

370
00:18:11,720 --> 00:18:14,360
I said what I was going to do. 
I'm going to be faithful to God.

371
00:18:14,800 --> 00:18:16,040
Oh, you thought I could be 
bought. 

372
00:18:16,400 --> 00:18:17,560
Oh, you thought I would be 
afraid? 

373
00:18:18,480 --> 00:18:21,280
I understand. 
Good try, but no, I won't. 

374
00:18:21,280 --> 00:18:24,120
Well, we'll kill you. 
Jesus warned that all that's 

375
00:18:24,120 --> 00:18:25,640
coming. 
They'll flog you in their 

376
00:18:25,640 --> 00:18:28,600
synagogues. 
They'll drag you before courts. 

377
00:18:29,320 --> 00:18:31,160
These are the kinds of things 
that I want to prepare my sons 

378
00:18:31,160 --> 00:18:33,680
for. 
I think they'll have to face 

379
00:18:33,680 --> 00:18:36,080
worse things than I faced. 
I think my grandchildren have to

380
00:18:36,080 --> 00:18:38,640
face even worse things and. 
The one of the. 

381
00:18:38,640 --> 00:18:40,720
Priorities, like I said at the 
beginning of service, is that 

382
00:18:40,720 --> 00:18:44,080
they actually meet and walk with
the Lord face to face. 

383
00:18:44,240 --> 00:18:47,280
Not just Daddy's conviction, not
just talking points. 

384
00:18:47,440 --> 00:18:49,320
Not just the thing I'm supposed 
to remember. 

385
00:18:49,560 --> 00:18:51,680
But it's only a man who's met 
and been with the Lord. 

386
00:18:51,680 --> 00:18:54,360
It's only a woman who has seen 
him face to face that will have 

387
00:18:54,360 --> 00:18:56,600
conviction on that day. 
Because otherwise you're trying 

388
00:18:56,600 --> 00:18:58,440
to remember a script. 
What's the line? 

389
00:18:58,520 --> 00:19:00,200
What's the party line? 
What are we supposed to say? 

390
00:19:00,200 --> 00:19:02,680
What are we supposed to do? 
Jesus is king. 

391
00:19:03,160 --> 00:19:05,080
Whatever that means for me, let 
it. 

392
00:19:05,080 --> 00:19:07,760
Mean it, We'll throw you in the 
fire. 

393
00:19:08,360 --> 00:19:09,840
You, you throw me wherever you 
need to. 

394
00:19:09,840 --> 00:19:11,800
Just know I will never bow down 
to your idol. 

395
00:19:12,480 --> 00:19:14,160
I will never bow down to your 
idol. 

396
00:19:15,320 --> 00:19:18,280
That's John the Baptist. 
He comes in the Spirit. 

397
00:19:18,680 --> 00:19:21,560
And power of who? 
Elijah. 

398
00:19:22,560 --> 00:19:24,800
That was the prophecy. 
That was what the Angel told 

399
00:19:24,800 --> 00:19:26,720
Zechariah. 
He says your wife's going to 

400
00:19:26,720 --> 00:19:29,800
give birth to a son and he's 
coming in the spirit and the 

401
00:19:29,800 --> 00:19:32,720
power of Elijah. 
Elijah was just a sweetheart of 

402
00:19:32,720 --> 00:19:34,720
a prophet, right? 
Remember your Old Testament? 

403
00:19:35,160 --> 00:19:37,360
Just a nice guy. 
He wanted to make sure that all 

404
00:19:37,360 --> 00:19:39,440
the prophets of Baal had a seat 
at the table, right? 

405
00:19:39,760 --> 00:19:41,160
A seat at the table. 
And that the phrase we're 

406
00:19:41,160 --> 00:19:42,760
supposed to use nowadays is that
right? 

407
00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:44,920
Let's make sure everybody has a 
seat at the table. 

408
00:19:45,120 --> 00:19:47,920
Isn't that gross? 
It's very gross. 

409
00:19:53,000 --> 00:19:56,760
Often men in King's houses are 
specifically in King's Houses or

410
00:19:56,760 --> 00:20:01,120
White Houses or Congress houses 
or other places in politics or 

411
00:20:01,120 --> 00:20:02,640
in the workplace. 
Why? 

412
00:20:02,640 --> 00:20:04,560
How have they been able to 
ascend many? 

413
00:20:04,560 --> 00:20:07,360
It's because they are soft, 
because they are pliable, and 

414
00:20:07,360 --> 00:20:09,360
because. 
They have been swayed because 

415
00:20:09,360 --> 00:20:13,040
you can be bent to the party 
line and that makes you useful 

416
00:20:13,040 --> 00:20:15,120
to us. 
And therefore you get promoted 

417
00:20:15,440 --> 00:20:18,280
and you will say, and there will
come a day where you have to say

418
00:20:18,280 --> 00:20:19,960
the thing that we need you to 
say. 

419
00:20:20,080 --> 00:20:22,920
So you can fake it and you can 
pretend whatever you want. 

420
00:20:22,920 --> 00:20:25,440
But when it comes time to vote 
on that particular issue on that

421
00:20:25,440 --> 00:20:28,320
day, here's how you'll vote. 
And then you can go mealy 

422
00:20:28,320 --> 00:20:30,240
mouthed in front of the press, 
and you can go mealy mouthed 

423
00:20:30,240 --> 00:20:32,000
again. 
And you can persuade and and 

424
00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:33,920
deceive naive Christians. 
Who thought I thought he was our

425
00:20:33,920 --> 00:20:35,760
guy? 
Like I'm still your guy? 

426
00:20:35,960 --> 00:20:38,480
Here's why I voted in a way that
proves that I'm not your guy. 

427
00:20:38,480 --> 00:20:41,160
But you can believe me. 
Don't be confused, don't be 

428
00:20:41,160 --> 00:20:42,960
deceived. 
There are many liars in the 

429
00:20:42,960 --> 00:20:45,160
world. 
The word of God is safe. 

430
00:20:45,480 --> 00:20:48,200
God is faithful, God is true. 
Who are you talking about? 

431
00:20:48,200 --> 00:20:49,880
I have someone in mind, but it's
irrelevant. 

432
00:20:51,000 --> 00:20:53,520
It's irrelevant. 
He's a he's we, we were. 

433
00:20:53,520 --> 00:20:56,160
Told about about this particular
politician when he was put into 

434
00:20:56,160 --> 00:20:58,040
his position like. 
This is the Christian 

435
00:20:58,040 --> 00:20:59,280
nationalist your Mama warned you
about. 

436
00:20:59,280 --> 00:21:01,560
And I was like, let's go 
Christian nationalism. 

437
00:21:01,960 --> 00:21:04,960
And it turns out he's a traitor.
But you know what? 

438
00:21:05,040 --> 00:21:07,480
That's between him and the Lord.
Let's walk faithful. 

439
00:21:08,160 --> 00:21:11,040
I don't put my hopes in men. 
I don't put my hopes in the next

440
00:21:11,040 --> 00:21:12,480
election. 
I don't put my hopes in 

441
00:21:12,480 --> 00:21:13,800
Congress. 
I don't put my hopes in the 

442
00:21:13,800 --> 00:21:16,920
speaker of the House or any 
other role the government. 

443
00:21:16,920 --> 00:21:20,680
Has a limited role underneath 
King Jesus, but we don't want to

444
00:21:20,680 --> 00:21:24,800
be like these soft and pliable 
men like reeds, easily swayed, 

445
00:21:25,040 --> 00:21:29,800
soft, delicate and dainty. 
Keep going in verse 9. 

446
00:21:31,880 --> 00:21:35,680
What then? 
Did you go out to see a prophet?

447
00:21:35,880 --> 00:21:40,720
Yes, And I tell you, more than a
prophet. 

448
00:21:40,840 --> 00:21:43,080
Whoa, prophets are awesome 
already. 

449
00:21:43,080 --> 00:21:45,320
To put John in the category, 
Prophet Jesus goes. 

450
00:21:46,520 --> 00:21:48,800
John's amazing because the Jews 
held up their prophets as they 

451
00:21:48,800 --> 00:21:51,840
should, and he says more than a 
prophet. 

452
00:21:52,600 --> 00:21:54,720
Wow. 
More than a prophet, How is John

453
00:21:54,720 --> 00:21:58,040
More than a prophet? 
Keep going, I tell you. 

454
00:21:58,040 --> 00:22:00,960
More than a prophet, this is he 
of whom it is written. 

455
00:22:01,240 --> 00:22:04,000
Behold, I send my messenger 
before your face, who will 

456
00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:08,400
prepare your way before you. 
Truly, I say to you, among those

457
00:22:08,400 --> 00:22:12,200
born among women, there is risen
arisen no one greater than John 

458
00:22:12,200 --> 00:22:15,680
the Baptist. 
So how is John greater than a 

459
00:22:15,680 --> 00:22:17,640
prophet? 
John is greater than the rest of

460
00:22:17,640 --> 00:22:20,960
the prophets all combined 
because John is the last prophet

461
00:22:20,960 --> 00:22:23,240
of the New Testament. 
They all prophesied about the 

462
00:22:23,240 --> 00:22:27,040
sunrise and John is the one who 
prophecies as the sun comes up, 

463
00:22:27,400 --> 00:22:29,240
John gets to be present with 
Jesus. 

464
00:22:29,240 --> 00:22:32,360
Not only that, John's greater 
than the other prophets because 

465
00:22:32,360 --> 00:22:36,200
the other prophets prophecy 
about John. 

466
00:22:36,760 --> 00:22:39,360
He's not just prophesying. 
All the prophets prophesied 

467
00:22:39,360 --> 00:22:42,120
about someone, about the 
Messiah, as they should. 

468
00:22:42,160 --> 00:22:44,800
All the prophets prophesied 
about Jesus to come, God's 

469
00:22:44,800 --> 00:22:46,800
Kingdom. 
But John is a prophet who has 

470
00:22:46,840 --> 00:22:49,080
prophecies about himself. 
You with me. 

471
00:22:50,520 --> 00:22:53,960
So Jesus brags on John. 
He says there is no one greater 

472
00:22:54,160 --> 00:22:57,400
than him. 
No, no prophet, not Moses, not 

473
00:22:57,400 --> 00:23:01,280
Elijah, no one. 
And then Jesus goes, and yet the

474
00:23:01,280 --> 00:23:06,640
least in the Kingdom, the least 
in the Kingdom of heaven is 

475
00:23:06,640 --> 00:23:10,080
still greater than John. 
Are you wondering what that 

476
00:23:10,080 --> 00:23:13,320
means? 
You could Don is everybody else 

477
00:23:13,320 --> 00:23:14,400
is like, no, I know what that 
means. 

478
00:23:14,760 --> 00:23:17,080
Why don't you have everyone else
explain it to Don, since 

479
00:23:17,520 --> 00:23:18,920
everybody else knows what's 
going on? 

480
00:23:20,360 --> 00:23:22,560
Yeah. 
So if, if John is the greatest, 

481
00:23:22,560 --> 00:23:23,840
there's no one greater than 
John. 

482
00:23:23,840 --> 00:23:26,560
This is a paradox, right? 
Jesus does this stuff off and he

483
00:23:26,560 --> 00:23:28,560
says it's like this and it's 
like that. 

484
00:23:28,560 --> 00:23:29,480
Yeah. 
How can they be? 

485
00:23:29,480 --> 00:23:31,200
Well, it must. 
So there. 

486
00:23:31,200 --> 00:23:34,080
There's a way in which. 
All of these things are true. 

487
00:23:34,920 --> 00:23:36,960
So the least in the Kingdom of 
heaven is that me? 

488
00:23:37,320 --> 00:23:38,440
Am I least in the Kingdom of 
heaven? 

489
00:23:38,440 --> 00:23:39,280
Maybe. 
Is it you? 

490
00:23:39,600 --> 00:23:40,920
Am I least in the Kingdom of 
heaven? 

491
00:23:41,120 --> 00:23:45,000
Or even still on this side of 
the cross and on this side of 

492
00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:46,800
the resurrection? 
It doesn't mean that you and I 

493
00:23:46,800 --> 00:23:48,480
have greater character than 
John. 

494
00:23:48,880 --> 00:23:51,040
It doesn't mean we have a 
greater ministry calling the 

495
00:23:51,040 --> 00:23:52,280
John. 
It doesn't mean we can be a 

496
00:23:52,280 --> 00:23:55,920
greater prophet than John. 
It does mean that we have a 

497
00:23:55,920 --> 00:23:59,360
greater light than John because 
like I said, John prophesied the

498
00:23:59,360 --> 00:24:02,400
sunrise. 
But as John's ministry was being

499
00:24:02,400 --> 00:24:06,040
fulfilled, Jesus's ministry 
begins and John's ends 

500
00:24:06,080 --> 00:24:09,400
instantly. 
He says he must decrease and he 

501
00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:11,600
must increase, and I must 
decrease and decrease. 

502
00:24:11,600 --> 00:24:14,000
He does. 
He vanishes. 

503
00:24:14,240 --> 00:24:18,440
He's taken into prison where he 
stays until his head gets cut 

504
00:24:18,440 --> 00:24:20,520
off. 
And Jesus's ministry continues 

505
00:24:20,520 --> 00:24:22,800
to elevate John. 
Congratulations, you're the 

506
00:24:22,800 --> 00:24:24,720
greatest of all prophet. 
And of course you would have to 

507
00:24:24,720 --> 00:24:27,960
die for it because that's what 
happens to great prophets. 

508
00:24:29,480 --> 00:24:31,760
They're not nice guys. 
They're not loved by all. 

509
00:24:34,000 --> 00:24:36,560
And then of course, John 
ultimately does get superseded 

510
00:24:36,560 --> 00:24:40,000
by truly the greatest of the 
greatest of the greatest, which 

511
00:24:40,000 --> 00:24:43,440
is of course Christ himself in 
his own category. 

512
00:24:43,920 --> 00:24:45,640
Wouldn't even compare anyone to 
him. 

513
00:24:45,920 --> 00:24:52,680
He's incomparable. 
So we have this privilege. 

514
00:24:52,680 --> 00:24:54,760
How are we greater than John the
Baptist 'cause we have this 

515
00:24:54,760 --> 00:24:58,480
privilege now of living in the 
sunrise and living in the 

516
00:24:58,480 --> 00:25:01,200
sunlight. 
We live in the new covenant with

517
00:25:01,240 --> 00:25:04,120
God. 
We are born again and made a new

518
00:25:04,120 --> 00:25:06,760
creation. 
John dies before the cross. 

519
00:25:07,640 --> 00:25:09,960
He's still looking ahead to 
what's to come. 

520
00:25:09,960 --> 00:25:13,080
And you and I get to look back 
and say, now all that daylight 

521
00:25:13,080 --> 00:25:16,320
washes over us. 
In this sense, we're greater 

522
00:25:16,320 --> 00:25:19,000
than John the Baptist and that 
we have the fullness of the 

523
00:25:19,000 --> 00:25:22,840
light of the Kingdom now being 
born again and made a new 

524
00:25:22,840 --> 00:25:25,240
creation. 
We look back to the cross and 

525
00:25:25,240 --> 00:25:27,560
the resurrection as new creation
Saints. 

526
00:25:27,760 --> 00:25:30,280
But John was still a prophet 
looking forward. 

527
00:25:30,280 --> 00:25:33,560
It's in that sense that we're 
greater because now we have a 

528
00:25:33,560 --> 00:25:37,520
greater perspective, not. 
Better than, but better off. 

529
00:25:37,520 --> 00:25:42,000
Because we have the new and the 
better covenant keep going in 

530
00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:46,520
verse 12 from the days until 
John the Baptist until now, the 

531
00:25:46,520 --> 00:25:50,760
Kingdom of heaven has suffered 
violence and the violent take it

532
00:25:50,760 --> 00:25:54,120
by force. 
There's, there's three main 

533
00:25:54,120 --> 00:25:57,240
interpretations of this passage 
I'm going to share with you. 

534
00:25:57,240 --> 00:26:00,360
The one obviously that that I 
think is most accurate, but 

535
00:26:00,360 --> 00:26:03,040
everybody's not unified on this.
You know, faithful believers 

536
00:26:03,040 --> 00:26:04,680
say, well, I think it's going 
here. 

537
00:26:04,680 --> 00:26:05,720
I think he was going here with 
this. 

538
00:26:05,720 --> 00:26:06,760
I think he was going there with 
that. 

539
00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:10,440
Some would say, so for the days 
of John the Baptist that that 

540
00:26:10,440 --> 00:26:12,880
wasn't that long ago when Jesus 
is preaching right from the days

541
00:26:12,880 --> 00:26:16,440
until John the Baptist until 
now, 18 months ago, from the 

542
00:26:16,440 --> 00:26:18,800
days until John the Baptist 
until now, maybe something like 

543
00:26:18,800 --> 00:26:22,960
that. 
Jesus is saying the Kingdom of 

544
00:26:22,960 --> 00:26:25,960
heaven has suffered violence. 
So some would say that the 

545
00:26:25,960 --> 00:26:28,280
Kingdom of heaven is 
experiencing the violence of 

546
00:26:28,280 --> 00:26:31,000
people who are pressing into it 
in a good way, people who are 

547
00:26:31,000 --> 00:26:34,600
repenting and coming in and 
saying, yes, this is a, this is 

548
00:26:34,920 --> 00:26:36,880
a violent thing and the Kingdom 
of heaven's enduring it and 

549
00:26:36,880 --> 00:26:40,400
violent men advance through it. 
The thing I think is most 

550
00:26:40,400 --> 00:26:43,280
likely, considering the context 
of the persecution Jesus was 

551
00:26:43,280 --> 00:26:46,000
just sharing with his disciples 
here and now, the persecution 

552
00:26:46,000 --> 00:26:49,440
that John is now experiencing is
this approach and that is simply

553
00:26:49,440 --> 00:26:52,000
that persecution is coming 
against the Kingdom of heaven 

554
00:26:52,000 --> 00:26:54,160
from the outside. 
The Kingdom of heaven is 

555
00:26:54,160 --> 00:26:56,880
experiencing and enduring these 
violent things. 

556
00:26:57,120 --> 00:26:58,920
Violent men are taking these 
things by force. 

557
00:26:58,920 --> 00:27:01,120
They took John by force. 
They're going to take his life 

558
00:27:01,320 --> 00:27:03,400
by force. 
Jesus is saying they're going to

559
00:27:03,400 --> 00:27:05,960
take me by force. 
But what's the point of what 

560
00:27:06,000 --> 00:27:08,320
Jesus is saying? 
The violin are taking it by 

561
00:27:08,320 --> 00:27:12,600
force and he goes from all the 
prophets, all the prophets and 

562
00:27:12,600 --> 00:27:14,320
the law of prophesied until 
John. 

563
00:27:14,800 --> 00:27:16,720
So he's he's connecting all 
these dots. 

564
00:27:16,720 --> 00:27:18,680
And I think when you read it all
together, I think the point that

565
00:27:18,680 --> 00:27:22,000
Jesus is making is violence 
comes against his people and it 

566
00:27:22,000 --> 00:27:24,400
takes strength to endure. 
Be strong. 

567
00:27:25,360 --> 00:27:27,880
Pressure is coming. 
You want to be strong. 

568
00:27:27,880 --> 00:27:29,680
Like the prophets. 
And like we said at the 

569
00:27:29,680 --> 00:27:31,400
beginning of service, what made 
them unique? 

570
00:27:31,960 --> 00:27:34,640
Did they just get superpowers to
endure? 

571
00:27:34,640 --> 00:27:37,280
No, they didn't. 
The superpower to endure is 

572
00:27:37,280 --> 00:27:39,280
meeting with the Lord. 
That's the secret. 

573
00:27:39,560 --> 00:27:41,720
What's the secret sauce? 
Meeting with the Lord and 

574
00:27:41,720 --> 00:27:43,400
walking with him, that's your 
ticket. 

575
00:27:43,640 --> 00:27:47,320
That's your secret. 
Not this book, that book, that 

576
00:27:47,320 --> 00:27:50,280
conference, that preacher. 
Your secret, your ticket is to 

577
00:27:50,280 --> 00:27:52,680
be the one who meets with him 
with an unveiled face. 

578
00:27:53,400 --> 00:27:54,960
That's your guarantee to 
faithfulness. 

579
00:27:55,320 --> 00:27:58,520
That's how you'll endure 
whatever may come, because when 

580
00:27:58,520 --> 00:28:00,840
you're faithful to the Lord. 
It's going to cost you. 

581
00:28:01,160 --> 00:28:05,320
Being a faithful, righteous man 
in a wicked age will cause you 

582
00:28:05,320 --> 00:28:08,040
to die alone. 
John found that out. 

583
00:28:08,520 --> 00:28:10,640
Jesus found that out. 
Jesus knew that that was his 

584
00:28:10,640 --> 00:28:13,720
whole purpose in coming. 
Paul found that out. 

585
00:28:14,760 --> 00:28:16,160
Many of the disciples found that
out. 

586
00:28:16,160 --> 00:28:18,520
Many faithful Saints have found 
that out over time. 

587
00:28:18,720 --> 00:28:20,840
Why? 
Remember persecution? 

588
00:28:20,840 --> 00:28:22,560
Remember the way it works. 
Don't be confused. 

589
00:28:22,720 --> 00:28:25,520
You will not be thrown in prison
just because you're minding your

590
00:28:25,520 --> 00:28:27,600
own business and you just love 
Jesus so much. 

591
00:28:27,880 --> 00:28:30,360
You will be thrown in prison 
because you refuse to bow down 

592
00:28:30,360 --> 00:28:33,200
to the false gods of the age. 
That is what it will always be. 

593
00:28:33,440 --> 00:28:35,720
You'll always be called 
something false. 

594
00:28:35,720 --> 00:28:39,320
You'll be called a hateful 
bigot, a homophobic, whatever. 

595
00:28:39,560 --> 00:28:40,840
It will always. 
Be you. 

596
00:28:40,840 --> 00:28:43,480
Don't bow down to this God. 
Well, I bow down to Jesus. 

597
00:28:43,480 --> 00:28:45,840
No, that's fine. 
You can have Jesus, but also 

598
00:28:46,280 --> 00:28:48,280
give your pinch of incense to 
this God. 

599
00:28:48,280 --> 00:28:50,960
We said no. 
No, I'm not bound down to your 

600
00:28:50,960 --> 00:28:52,760
demon God. 
Don't call him that. 

601
00:28:53,280 --> 00:28:56,800
Well, I did, and he is, and 
Jesus is king now. 

602
00:28:56,880 --> 00:28:58,920
Now you're in big trouble. 
I didn't say I wasn't in big 

603
00:28:58,920 --> 00:29:01,000
trouble. 
I'm just saying I will not offer

604
00:29:01,000 --> 00:29:09,320
your God anything except mockery
and lots of it in the spirit and

605
00:29:09,320 --> 00:29:13,080
power of Elijah. 
And this pleases the Lord. 

606
00:29:13,080 --> 00:29:14,400
That's what faithfulness looks 
like. 

607
00:29:14,400 --> 00:29:17,400
There's a stiffness to the 
Christian life. 

608
00:29:18,520 --> 00:29:24,040
That's what manfulness is, so 
that's why I'm challenging you. 

609
00:29:24,120 --> 00:29:26,240
Particularly, the men act like 
men. 

610
00:29:26,840 --> 00:29:28,160
Be. 
Strong. 

611
00:29:29,280 --> 00:29:32,040
That's what righteous men do. 
We hold the standard. 

612
00:29:32,040 --> 00:29:33,600
We hold the line, we hold the 
perimeter. 

613
00:29:33,600 --> 00:29:35,360
That's one of the reasons we 
test one another. 

614
00:29:35,800 --> 00:29:37,480
Hey, I'm poking at you. 
You're poking at me. 

615
00:29:37,480 --> 00:29:39,280
We're teasing and we're testing.
You're strong. 

616
00:29:39,280 --> 00:29:40,000
You're strong. 
Why? 

617
00:29:40,200 --> 00:29:41,960
Because one day we're going to 
have to hold a perimeter 

618
00:29:41,960 --> 00:29:44,400
together and I want to know. 
Who's beside me? 

619
00:29:44,880 --> 00:29:47,040
Are you faithful? 
Can I count on you? 

620
00:29:47,320 --> 00:29:49,440
Can I trust you? 
What if you can't? 

621
00:29:49,440 --> 00:29:53,400
Well then, God help me to stay 
faithful to the end, Paul said. 

622
00:29:53,800 --> 00:29:56,040
Everyone left me. 
He said. 

623
00:29:56,040 --> 00:29:58,080
Everyone left me, he said. 
But I don't count it against 

624
00:29:58,080 --> 00:30:01,000
them because the Lord stood. 
Beside me and strengthened me. 

625
00:30:02,160 --> 00:30:05,760
He's like, if they hadn't left 
me, maybe I wouldn't have gotten

626
00:30:05,760 --> 00:30:08,440
that supernatural extra blessing
of the Lord coming and standing 

627
00:30:08,440 --> 00:30:11,040
beside me, he says. 
So you know what, Lord, forgive 

628
00:30:11,040 --> 00:30:14,280
them for their weakness. 
Lord, keep me faithful to the 

629
00:30:14,280 --> 00:30:15,920
young. 
As Paul moves up through the 

630
00:30:15,920 --> 00:30:19,320
Roman courts and in his last 
days as he's writing his letters

631
00:30:19,320 --> 00:30:21,880
and he writes second Timothy, go
read Second Timothy. 

632
00:30:21,880 --> 00:30:24,360
That's Paul's last letter. 
He says, I'm like a drink 

633
00:30:24,360 --> 00:30:26,720
offering. 
Get ready to be poured out. 

634
00:30:27,280 --> 00:30:29,720
He knew it was coming. 
He knew he was going to be 

635
00:30:29,720 --> 00:30:33,240
poured out out of his neck when 
his head was cut off. 

636
00:30:33,240 --> 00:30:34,880
He knew what Nero was going to 
do to him. 

637
00:30:35,160 --> 00:30:38,480
He says, but I'm going all the 
way to the top to tell this 

638
00:30:38,480 --> 00:30:44,440
false God who really is king 
because he loved Nero, because 

639
00:30:44,440 --> 00:30:47,800
he loved this whole broken world
and everybody in it, because God

640
00:30:47,800 --> 00:30:50,960
had been so merciful to Paul and
Paul wanted to share the love of

641
00:30:50,960 --> 00:30:53,360
God with the world, but he was a
stiff man. 

642
00:30:54,760 --> 00:30:56,640
He wasn't a Reed who's being 
swayed. 

643
00:30:56,640 --> 00:31:01,880
Hey, preserve your life, use 
wisdom, be wise. 

644
00:31:01,880 --> 00:31:04,840
Also known as bow down to the 
false God. 

645
00:31:04,840 --> 00:31:07,840
Just temporarily bowing down 
isn't that big of a deal. 

646
00:31:07,840 --> 00:31:10,240
Just like bending your back. 
It doesn't mean anything. 

647
00:31:10,800 --> 00:31:12,760
Just getting on your knees. 
It doesn't mean anything. 

648
00:31:12,920 --> 00:31:14,400
No, it means something. 
I can't do that. 

649
00:31:14,880 --> 00:31:16,640
That's the whole point. 
It means something. 

650
00:31:17,000 --> 00:31:19,480
It means something to those who 
are enforcing it. 

651
00:31:19,760 --> 00:31:21,240
And that's the problem with the 
mob. 

652
00:31:21,520 --> 00:31:23,160
They'll never be satisfied with 
whatever you. 

653
00:31:23,160 --> 00:31:28,080
Do the boundaries will always 
move, always move. 

654
00:31:28,680 --> 00:31:30,960
That's the bondage that Satan 
brings people into. 

655
00:31:31,360 --> 00:31:33,920
That's the bondage of fear in 
the in the in the world. 

656
00:31:34,280 --> 00:31:37,000
The line used to be here. 
Now it was enough to say this. 

657
00:31:37,200 --> 00:31:39,800
Now you also have to say that. 
What else do I have to say? 

658
00:31:39,800 --> 00:31:43,080
Well, now you have to say this 
and now you have to say that the

659
00:31:43,080 --> 00:31:44,640
line will keep moving and Satan 
goes. 

660
00:31:44,640 --> 00:31:47,040
I love these naive Christians. 
They believe that there's such a

661
00:31:47,040 --> 00:31:50,000
thing as neutrality that like, 
we could all just be kind of 

662
00:31:50,000 --> 00:31:51,000
neutrality, Hey, you do your 
thing. 

663
00:31:51,000 --> 00:31:53,880
I do my thing. 
Satan loves it as he continues 

664
00:31:53,880 --> 00:31:55,640
to shove the church off the 
Cliff and. 

665
00:31:55,760 --> 00:31:57,920
We're like, whoa, we want to be 
nice. 

666
00:31:58,000 --> 00:32:02,480
Jesus was nice. 
Sorry, world, the church is 

667
00:32:02,480 --> 00:32:04,720
supposed to be stiff and 
immovable, a lighthouse that 

668
00:32:04,720 --> 00:32:06,360
stands firm in the middle of the
hurricane. 

669
00:32:07,120 --> 00:32:09,520
The hurricane keeps raging. 
Move. 

670
00:32:09,520 --> 00:32:10,880
Nah, I'm not moving. 
I'm gonna stay right here, and 

671
00:32:11,000 --> 00:32:14,880
I'm gonna keep my light on, too.
That means there's a joy in it. 

672
00:32:15,240 --> 00:32:17,920
There's a joyful delight. 
There's a joyful swagger in the 

673
00:32:17,920 --> 00:32:20,600
church. 
We're not afraid of these 

674
00:32:20,600 --> 00:32:23,000
things. 
And we're not angry at people. 

675
00:32:23,000 --> 00:32:24,560
We don't wrestle with flesh and 
blood. 

676
00:32:26,080 --> 00:32:29,360
This is a spiritual war. 
So we do hate our enemy, but our

677
00:32:29,360 --> 00:32:32,080
enemy is a people. 
Our enemy is the devil. 

678
00:32:35,720 --> 00:32:42,720
Verse 14, verse 13 and 14 for 
all the prophets in the law 

679
00:32:42,720 --> 00:32:46,560
prophesied until John. 
Jesus is showing again. 

680
00:32:46,560 --> 00:32:48,760
John is the culmination. 
Matthew's showing that again to 

681
00:32:48,760 --> 00:32:50,000
the Jewish readers. 
What? 

682
00:32:50,240 --> 00:32:53,080
It all leads up to John. 
What's the significance of John?

683
00:32:53,080 --> 00:32:56,080
I'm so glad you asked. 
The significance of John is 

684
00:32:56,080 --> 00:32:57,280
Jesus. 
For all the. 

685
00:32:57,280 --> 00:32:59,840
Prophets in the law prophesied 
and tell John, and if you are 

686
00:32:59,840 --> 00:33:02,600
willing to accept it, he is the 
Elijah to come. 

687
00:33:02,600 --> 00:33:06,440
He who has ears to hear, let him
hear John's Elijah. 

688
00:33:06,560 --> 00:33:07,880
Elijah's John. 
What? 

689
00:33:08,320 --> 00:33:10,440
What's happening here? 
Well, the Angel clarified it for

690
00:33:10,440 --> 00:33:11,840
Zechariah. 
He's going to come in the spirit

691
00:33:11,840 --> 00:33:14,160
and the power of Elijah. 
He is not Elijah the person. 

692
00:33:14,600 --> 00:33:17,000
John the Baptist and Elijah the 
person are two separate people. 

693
00:33:17,320 --> 00:33:19,680
And yet John is the Elijah to 
come. 

694
00:33:20,240 --> 00:33:23,640
He came in the spirit and the 
power of Elijah. 

695
00:33:24,760 --> 00:33:27,200
So the spirit and the power of. 
Elijah, what does that mean? 

696
00:33:27,440 --> 00:33:30,520
So when John was asked, they 
come to him, the Pharisees, they

697
00:33:30,520 --> 00:33:33,520
asked him that specifically. 
Are you Elijah? 

698
00:33:34,040 --> 00:33:35,240
Because they knew the. 
Prophecies. 

699
00:33:35,240 --> 00:33:37,240
They knew that Elijah would come
and they said, are you Elijah? 

700
00:33:37,240 --> 00:33:41,360
And John said I'm not Elijah. 
What? 

701
00:33:41,800 --> 00:33:45,360
The Angel said he's Elijah. 
John says I'm not Elijah. 

702
00:33:45,440 --> 00:33:49,760
Jesus says that was Elijah. 
Later he'll say later Jesus will

703
00:33:49,760 --> 00:33:51,240
say it again, that was Elijah. 
Which is it? 

704
00:33:51,600 --> 00:33:53,720
Well, what was going? 
On there I think is John is 

705
00:33:53,720 --> 00:33:58,120
basically trolling the Pharisees
and and the Sadducees when 

706
00:33:58,120 --> 00:34:00,240
they're coming and asking him. 
Are you Elijah? 

707
00:34:00,400 --> 00:34:02,560
And he knows how they're 
thinking, very literally. 

708
00:34:03,040 --> 00:34:07,560
Are you Elijah and John goes no,
I'm just a voice of the one 

709
00:34:07,560 --> 00:34:10,639
crying out in the wilderness. 
Prepare prefer you the way of 

710
00:34:10,639 --> 00:34:13,679
the Lord because they wanted to 
emphasize the Elijah Ness of it 

711
00:34:13,679 --> 00:34:15,480
all, and he wasn't going to let.
Them do that. 

712
00:34:15,480 --> 00:34:16,600
He's Elijah. 
He's Elijah. 

713
00:34:17,360 --> 00:34:18,679
Stop. 
You're missing the point you 

714
00:34:18,679 --> 00:34:22,080
morons. 
It's about Jesus and he. 

715
00:34:22,080 --> 00:34:24,360
John understood his mission. 
John understood he was never 

716
00:34:24,360 --> 00:34:25,719
supposed to be anybody and 
Jesus. 

717
00:34:25,719 --> 00:34:26,760
Said that's why. 
I love him. 

718
00:34:26,760 --> 00:34:28,639
So much. 
He's the greatest because he 

719
00:34:28,639 --> 00:34:32,360
pointed all the way to me. 
John, are you Elijah? 

720
00:34:35,480 --> 00:34:37,360
No. 
What? 

721
00:34:37,840 --> 00:34:40,480
I'm just the one who's saying. 
Prepare you the way of the Lord 

722
00:34:41,520 --> 00:34:44,040
like we wanted you to be Elijah.
That'd have been so cool. 

723
00:34:44,400 --> 00:34:47,800
He's not interested in them 
lifting him up as the Elijah. 

724
00:34:48,480 --> 00:34:52,199
He knows who he is, which is why
he trolled them and told them 

725
00:34:52,199 --> 00:34:54,560
now. 
And now Jesus says if you can 

726
00:34:54,560 --> 00:34:58,840
receive it, John's Elijah like, 
but he said he was and he's 

727
00:34:58,840 --> 00:35:03,360
like, I know he is though. 
John is Elijah and he came in 

728
00:35:03,360 --> 00:35:05,760
the spirit and the power of 
Elijah. 

729
00:35:06,920 --> 00:35:11,480
So Jesus is explaining that John
really is Elijah, not exactly 

730
00:35:11,480 --> 00:35:14,840
the same person, but a bold 
spirit filled ministry. 

731
00:35:15,120 --> 00:35:17,080
So remember Elijah now we 
mentioned him earlier. 

732
00:35:17,240 --> 00:35:20,280
What did Elijah look like? 
Elijah? 

733
00:35:20,280 --> 00:35:22,000
Do you remember what he did with
the prophets of bail? 

734
00:35:23,520 --> 00:35:25,840
He had the competition, the 
contest. 

735
00:35:26,080 --> 00:35:27,480
He said, all right, here's what 
we're going to do. 

736
00:35:28,040 --> 00:35:30,920
You're going to set up an altar 
and you're going to call for and

737
00:35:30,920 --> 00:35:34,160
we're going to say whichever God
sends down fire, that's the true

738
00:35:34,160 --> 00:35:36,840
God. 
So you can set up your 

739
00:35:36,840 --> 00:35:39,160
sacrifice. 
You guys can go first. 

740
00:35:39,600 --> 00:35:42,080
So they set up their sacrifice 
and then they begin to worship 

741
00:35:42,080 --> 00:35:45,640
and cry out to Baal and say Baal
send fire, Baal send fire, Baal 

742
00:35:45,640 --> 00:35:47,840
send fire. 
And Elijah doesn't just sit back

743
00:35:47,840 --> 00:35:51,160
and go take your time. 
He he starts mocking them around

744
00:35:51,160 --> 00:35:53,480
midday. 
He mocks them hysterically. 

745
00:35:53,640 --> 00:35:55,320
He says, guys, maybe you should 
be louder. 

746
00:35:56,120 --> 00:35:57,160
Maybe you just need to be 
louder. 

747
00:35:57,160 --> 00:35:59,880
Maybe he's asleep. 
Maybe he's going to the 

748
00:35:59,880 --> 00:36:02,840
bathroom. 
Maybe he's going away on a trip.

749
00:36:02,840 --> 00:36:04,840
Beat louder. 
So these people, these demonic 

750
00:36:04,840 --> 00:36:06,400
people work themselves up to him
to a frenzy. 

751
00:36:06,400 --> 00:36:08,440
They're screaming. 
They're cutting themselves with 

752
00:36:08,440 --> 00:36:10,840
rocks. 
I just like these morons. 

753
00:36:11,400 --> 00:36:13,680
And he mocks them, and he mocks 
their God. 

754
00:36:15,240 --> 00:36:18,480
And John comes in the spirit and
the power of Elijah, and he 

755
00:36:18,600 --> 00:36:21,640
says, call on and call on and 
call him in all day, and no fire

756
00:36:21,640 --> 00:36:24,600
comes down. 
And John says God's turn. 

757
00:36:26,000 --> 00:36:28,760
Elijah says God's turn and he 
goes and he sets it up. 

758
00:36:28,760 --> 00:36:30,720
He says pour water on the 
sacrifice. 

759
00:36:31,520 --> 00:36:34,480
Pour water on the sacrifice. 
This isn't how you light things 

760
00:36:34,480 --> 00:36:37,200
on fire. 
Pour water on the sacrifice. 

761
00:36:37,400 --> 00:36:39,840
Dig a trench, pour water on the 
sacrifice. 

762
00:36:39,840 --> 00:36:42,800
The rocks are soaked, the 
sacrifice is soaked, and there's

763
00:36:42,800 --> 00:36:45,760
a trench full of water around 
the entire altar. 

764
00:36:45,960 --> 00:36:48,520
Pour in more water, Pour in more
water until water is flowing 

765
00:36:48,520 --> 00:36:52,400
away from the whole thing. 
And then God of course brings 

766
00:36:52,400 --> 00:36:54,080
fire from heaven. 
And then? 

767
00:36:54,920 --> 00:36:57,480
Do you remember your Bible? 
Elijah turns to all them and 

768
00:36:57,480 --> 00:37:00,240
says, now aren't you sorry? 
God bless you all. 

769
00:37:00,560 --> 00:37:02,160
I hope you learned a great 
lesson here today. 

770
00:37:03,680 --> 00:37:06,080
He says, grab every single one 
of the prophets, don't let him 

771
00:37:06,080 --> 00:37:08,000
get away. 
And then he cuts all their heads

772
00:37:08,000 --> 00:37:12,520
off down by the river. 
That's right, Elijah, that 

773
00:37:12,520 --> 00:37:15,360
wasn't very nice. 
That's why I named my son 

774
00:37:15,360 --> 00:37:20,880
Elijah. 
He's going to have a powerful 

775
00:37:20,880 --> 00:37:30,720
ministry That's a joke, but that
will but that'll probably show 

776
00:37:30,720 --> 00:37:33,920
up in my trial someday. 
That line it'll be it'll be 

777
00:37:33,920 --> 00:37:34,720
funny. 
We'll laugh. 

778
00:37:35,120 --> 00:37:37,480
We we make a joke in my family 
about are the trials that we're 

779
00:37:37,480 --> 00:37:39,560
going to stand on someday and 
all the audio clips and video 

780
00:37:39,560 --> 00:37:42,000
clips from niece, from myself 
and my boys that all. 

781
00:37:42,720 --> 00:37:44,040
Did you say that? 
Yes, I did. 

782
00:37:44,440 --> 00:37:49,040
Would you like to recant? 
Nah, get the truck, get let's 

783
00:37:49,040 --> 00:37:50,640
go. 
We all know where this is going.

784
00:37:51,120 --> 00:37:53,120
I'm not backing off anything, 
Just do it. 

785
00:37:56,520 --> 00:38:00,280
That's what Elijah was like, not
yielding to the gods of his day.

786
00:38:01,680 --> 00:38:03,920
So he didn't work to make sure 
the prophets of Baal had a seat 

787
00:38:03,920 --> 00:38:07,320
at the table. 
But like I said earlier, we love

788
00:38:07,320 --> 00:38:09,640
our dead prophets, don't we? 
They're the heroes. 

789
00:38:10,000 --> 00:38:12,040
But the ones alive today, we 
think they're too hard, we think

790
00:38:12,040 --> 00:38:15,040
they're too stiff, We think they
should be more yielding and more

791
00:38:15,160 --> 00:38:18,480
compromising. 
But this is the very point that 

792
00:38:18,480 --> 00:38:20,440
Jesus is making. 
He doesn't want compromise. 

793
00:38:21,560 --> 00:38:26,120
Verse 16 But to what shall I 
compare this generation? 

794
00:38:26,120 --> 00:38:28,840
So he's been talking about John.
Here's what I think about John, 

795
00:38:28,840 --> 00:38:31,040
everybody. 
And they're like, oh wow, he 

796
00:38:31,040 --> 00:38:32,440
sees a lot, He thinks a lot 
about John. 

797
00:38:32,440 --> 00:38:38,280
He goes, but what should I say 
about this generation, this 

798
00:38:38,280 --> 00:38:40,800
leadership, this rulership, this
system in place? 

799
00:38:40,800 --> 00:38:42,000
You want to know how to think 
about that? 

800
00:38:42,000 --> 00:38:43,840
I'm like, oh, I bet it's about 
to get heated. 

801
00:38:45,240 --> 00:38:47,680
It's like children sitting in 
the marketplaces calling to 

802
00:38:47,680 --> 00:38:49,280
their playmates. 
So there were two games that 

803
00:38:49,280 --> 00:38:50,840
children would have likely 
played because there were two 

804
00:38:50,840 --> 00:38:53,000
big feasts and things that were 
taking place, wedding and 

805
00:38:53,000 --> 00:38:54,720
funeral. 
So the wedding would be a 

806
00:38:54,720 --> 00:38:56,200
celebration. 
The funeral would be the sad 

807
00:38:56,200 --> 00:38:57,760
thing. 
But remember, whenever someone 

808
00:38:57,760 --> 00:39:00,560
would die, you would pay people 
to come mourn professional 

809
00:39:00,560 --> 00:39:03,480
mourners. 
So children being children would

810
00:39:04,080 --> 00:39:06,240
would mock. 
So you'd be walking down the 

811
00:39:06,240 --> 00:39:10,480
Parade St. doing this service 
during this ceremony and these 

812
00:39:10,480 --> 00:39:13,760
professional mourners are and 
the kids in the distance. 

813
00:39:14,840 --> 00:39:17,160
Like like, like making fun of 
these people, like they're 

814
00:39:17,160 --> 00:39:18,640
crying because they're paid to 
cry. 

815
00:39:18,640 --> 00:39:20,840
And the wealthier you are, the 
more mourners you could afford 

816
00:39:20,840 --> 00:39:22,800
to come to your funeral. 
Your loving the funeral. 

817
00:39:22,800 --> 00:39:26,600
All these people and all the 
kids are like, children have a 

818
00:39:26,600 --> 00:39:28,160
way of like pointing out the 
obvious thing. 

819
00:39:28,200 --> 00:39:29,320
Right. 
And making it like. 

820
00:39:29,480 --> 00:39:31,560
Don't do that. 
Why are we doing this like just?

821
00:39:32,160 --> 00:39:34,520
Roll with it, OK? 
I know it doesn't make any 

822
00:39:34,520 --> 00:39:36,560
sense. 
Adults are prideful, and we need

823
00:39:36,560 --> 00:39:38,080
you to learn how to be prideful 
like us. 

824
00:39:39,760 --> 00:39:43,320
But Jesus is is saying this 
present generation is like 

825
00:39:43,320 --> 00:39:44,560
these. 
Children playing these games in 

826
00:39:44,560 --> 00:39:46,520
the street. 
Because children will also say, 

827
00:39:46,520 --> 00:39:49,160
hey, play the flute. 
We'll play wedding. 

828
00:39:49,480 --> 00:39:51,560
A wedding would be a multi day 
feast that kids would have loved

829
00:39:51,560 --> 00:39:52,880
and looked forward to in their 
culture. 

830
00:39:53,120 --> 00:39:54,720
And a funeral would have been 
something that they would have 

831
00:39:54,720 --> 00:39:56,560
seen often that they would have 
also played. 

832
00:39:56,720 --> 00:39:59,080
So we played the flute for you, 
but you didn't dance. 

833
00:39:59,240 --> 00:40:01,400
We couldn't manipulate you and 
get you to do what we wanted you

834
00:40:01,400 --> 00:40:03,160
to do. 
Hey, I'm playing the flute. 

835
00:40:03,600 --> 00:40:06,480
Play wedding with me now. 
I played the flute. 

836
00:40:07,080 --> 00:40:08,560
John the Baptist. 
We're playing the flute. 

837
00:40:08,560 --> 00:40:11,160
Now it's time to play wedding 
game. 

838
00:40:11,160 --> 00:40:13,480
John's like, no, I'm good. 
I'm going to do what I'm going 

839
00:40:13,480 --> 00:40:16,240
to do. 
OK, We'll we'll play the funeral

840
00:40:16,240 --> 00:40:18,400
game. 
We're sing, we're singing the 

841
00:40:18,400 --> 00:40:21,160
dirge. 
Do that with us. 

842
00:40:21,400 --> 00:40:24,960
And Jesus goes, Nah, Nah, I'm 
going to do what I'm going to 

843
00:40:24,960 --> 00:40:26,600
do. 
He says this is this present 

844
00:40:26,600 --> 00:40:30,760
generation, do this, John goes 
no, do this. 

845
00:40:30,760 --> 00:40:35,720
Then Jesus goes no, for John 
came neither eating nor 

846
00:40:35,720 --> 00:40:38,480
drinking, and they say he has a 
demon. 

847
00:40:38,720 --> 00:40:40,720
And the Son of man came eating 
and drinking. 

848
00:40:40,720 --> 00:40:43,160
And they say, look at him a 
glutton and a drunkard, a friend

849
00:40:43,160 --> 00:40:46,000
of tax collectors and sinners. 
Yet wisdom is justified by her. 

850
00:40:46,000 --> 00:40:47,760
Deeds. 
They won't be satisfied with 

851
00:40:47,760 --> 00:40:49,800
anything. 
John and Jesus ministries look 

852
00:40:49,800 --> 00:40:51,680
different, but they were both 
faithful to God. 

853
00:40:51,800 --> 00:40:54,200
One of them is eating locusts 
and honey in the wilderness. 

854
00:40:54,440 --> 00:40:57,640
Like a wild man. 
And the other one is he's he's 

855
00:40:57,640 --> 00:41:00,720
going to parties, he's going to 
events, he drinks wine and 

856
00:41:00,720 --> 00:41:03,240
they're like a glutton, a 
drunkard, a friend of tax 

857
00:41:03,240 --> 00:41:05,560
collectors and sinners. 
Jesus pointing out to you, 

858
00:41:05,560 --> 00:41:08,920
faithful Christian, you can't be
moved by the mob because the mob

859
00:41:08,920 --> 00:41:12,040
won't be satisfied with either 
end of godliness because the mob

860
00:41:12,040 --> 00:41:14,800
hates godliness because the mob 
isn't influenced by God. 

861
00:41:15,640 --> 00:41:19,200
So there's no place you can go 
that would appease them, except 

862
00:41:19,200 --> 00:41:22,000
the mushy middle, and that's the
one place you have to stay away 

863
00:41:22,000 --> 00:41:24,840
from. 
Well, just stay pliable. 

864
00:41:24,960 --> 00:41:28,080
Remain a Reed who will sway and 
who will bend. 

865
00:41:28,240 --> 00:41:32,200
I won't sway. 
I won't be bent, I won't yield. 

866
00:41:35,640 --> 00:41:37,200
Jesus is correcting and mocking 
the. 

867
00:41:37,200 --> 00:41:40,760
Foolish perspectives that people
had about John and then also 

868
00:41:40,920 --> 00:41:43,040
about him. 
John's too judgmental. 

869
00:41:43,320 --> 00:41:47,000
Jesus is too loose. 
Bend to our pressure. 

870
00:41:47,400 --> 00:41:51,240
Yield to our demands. 
But the firm man stares those 

871
00:41:51,240 --> 00:41:57,680
demons in the eyes and says no, 
because he loves God and because

872
00:41:57,680 --> 00:42:00,760
the mob will never stop moving 
and it will never stop trying to

873
00:42:00,760 --> 00:42:03,400
move you. 
You've got to realize this. 

874
00:42:03,560 --> 00:42:07,000
But again, these are helpful 
pieces of knowledge. 

875
00:42:07,400 --> 00:42:10,360
But these are not the same thing
as the deep revelation of seeing

876
00:42:10,360 --> 00:42:13,640
him face to face. 
That's the protection, not just 

877
00:42:13,640 --> 00:42:16,920
knowing the rules of engagement 
and how to navigate manipulators

878
00:42:16,920 --> 00:42:18,960
and culture. 
I think there's a lot of wisdom 

879
00:42:18,960 --> 00:42:22,040
in understanding how to navigate
and how to stand up against 

880
00:42:22,040 --> 00:42:25,400
manipulative conversation and, 
and, and gaslighting 

881
00:42:25,400 --> 00:42:27,480
conversation. 
I think there's wisdom in that. 

882
00:42:28,080 --> 00:42:30,080
But even if you don't have any 
of that, like I said earlier, 

883
00:42:30,080 --> 00:42:31,960
you can be as dumb as a box of 
rocks. 

884
00:42:32,200 --> 00:42:34,680
And if you have met with the 
Lord, then you can just go, That

885
00:42:34,680 --> 00:42:36,560
ain't right. 
That's all I know. 

886
00:42:36,560 --> 00:42:39,200
I just know it ain't right. 
Something ain't right here and 

887
00:42:39,200 --> 00:42:40,880
you can't get me to do the wrong
thing. 

888
00:42:41,480 --> 00:42:43,040
Explain that to me. 
I don't know that. 

889
00:42:43,040 --> 00:42:45,640
I have the words to be able to 
do it, but I'm not going to do 

890
00:42:45,640 --> 00:42:47,280
it. 
Well, if you can't make your 

891
00:42:47,280 --> 00:42:49,120
point, I can't make a point 
about it. 

892
00:42:49,120 --> 00:42:50,840
I can't articulate. 
I can't say it. 

893
00:42:51,040 --> 00:42:52,880
I heard somebody say it one 
time, but I can't say it the 

894
00:42:52,880 --> 00:42:55,400
same way they said it. 
But I can't do it. 

895
00:42:55,400 --> 00:42:58,760
I can't violate my conscience. 
And the Holy Spirit is trying to

896
00:42:58,760 --> 00:43:01,360
protect me right now. 
Well, make a point then. 

897
00:43:01,360 --> 00:43:02,720
If you can't explain it, then 
you must. 

898
00:43:02,920 --> 00:43:04,720
You're a bigot. 
You're A and now all the 

899
00:43:04,720 --> 00:43:06,560
accusation comes, Well, you 
cave. 

900
00:43:06,720 --> 00:43:09,080
Well, you cave. 
I can't answer any of your 

901
00:43:09,080 --> 00:43:13,120
objections, but I still say to 
you I will never bow down to 

902
00:43:13,120 --> 00:43:17,200
your idol. 
I will never bow down to your 

903
00:43:17,200 --> 00:43:21,520
idol, and if I get delivered 
from the fire, great, and if I 

904
00:43:21,520 --> 00:43:24,320
don't, great, I'm still 
delivered from the fire. 

905
00:43:24,440 --> 00:43:27,920
One way or another, I am 
delivered from the fire. 

906
00:43:29,080 --> 00:43:31,320
Jesus says those who are 
faithful to the end, those who 

907
00:43:31,320 --> 00:43:37,080
endure to the end will be saved.
So Jesus compares John with soft

908
00:43:37,080 --> 00:43:40,760
men back and forth in this 
passage, Jesus defends and 

909
00:43:40,760 --> 00:43:43,200
affirms John. 
He will do the same thing for 

910
00:43:43,200 --> 00:43:47,600
you when you're faithful to him 
because you still are greater 

911
00:43:47,920 --> 00:43:50,960
than John. 
As you get to walk with Jesus, 

912
00:43:51,200 --> 00:43:54,200
as you get to be faithful to 
Jesus, Jesus loves you the same 

913
00:43:54,200 --> 00:43:58,600
way Jesus loves John. 
Jesus cares about you and knows 

914
00:43:58,600 --> 00:44:02,200
about you the same way he does 
John the Baptist, his second 

915
00:44:02,200 --> 00:44:04,680
cousin, who he grew up playing 
with, who was six months older 

916
00:44:04,680 --> 00:44:07,000
than him, who they had both been
prophesied about. 

917
00:44:09,840 --> 00:44:11,960
He will do the same for you when
you're faithful to him, and 

918
00:44:11,960 --> 00:44:15,440
God's wisdom will prove out 
completely in the end. 

919
00:44:15,960 --> 00:44:19,880
That's what Jesus means when he 
says, yet wisdom is justified by

920
00:44:19,880 --> 00:44:23,640
her deeds. 
Why doesn't he just say it more 

921
00:44:23,640 --> 00:44:26,000
plainly? 
That is the condemnation and the

922
00:44:26,000 --> 00:44:28,760
judgement and the wrath of God 
against the prideful. 

923
00:44:28,920 --> 00:44:31,680
The very fact that he won't make
it more plain is for the 

924
00:44:31,680 --> 00:44:34,360
prideful. 
It's a blockage for them. 

925
00:44:34,360 --> 00:44:37,120
They can't get past it. 
They're not curious enough to 

926
00:44:37,120 --> 00:44:39,200
stick around. 
They're not humble enough to sit

927
00:44:39,200 --> 00:44:41,480
at the master's feet. 
The disciples later can always 

928
00:44:41,480 --> 00:44:44,400
go, hey, Jesus, I'm kind of 
dumb. 

929
00:44:45,080 --> 00:44:47,360
So what did that mean? 
He goes, you are kind of dumb. 

930
00:44:47,640 --> 00:44:49,640
Let me explain. 
Let me help you. 

931
00:44:49,640 --> 00:44:51,440
Let me teach you. 
Let me disciple you. 

932
00:44:51,440 --> 00:44:54,600
But you're you're humble and 
you're here versus the one who 

933
00:44:54,600 --> 00:44:56,280
goes that don't make no sense. 
I'm out of here. 

934
00:44:56,280 --> 00:44:59,280
And he goes, Yep, it's working, 
it's working. 

935
00:44:59,440 --> 00:45:02,400
I'm always sifting. 
He doesn't want to push anyone 

936
00:45:02,400 --> 00:45:05,360
away, but the way he ministers 
always divides. 

937
00:45:05,800 --> 00:45:08,040
We saw that before. 
He comes not to bring peace, but

938
00:45:08,040 --> 00:45:10,920
a sword. 
And the sword always comes and 

939
00:45:10,920 --> 00:45:12,720
divides. 
And if there's not division 

940
00:45:12,720 --> 00:45:14,880
between light and dark, then 
that should concern you. 

941
00:45:16,560 --> 00:45:17,760
Should we walk wisely? 
Yeah. 

942
00:45:17,760 --> 00:45:19,160
He already commanded us to do 
so. 

943
00:45:19,360 --> 00:45:21,280
Walk in wisdom. 
Wise as a serpent. 

944
00:45:22,080 --> 00:45:25,240
It means I'm hard to hit. 
I'm wise as a serpent, but I am 

945
00:45:25,240 --> 00:45:28,240
as innocent as a dove. 
I will not break my convictions 

946
00:45:28,240 --> 00:45:32,080
and sin in that process. 
So wise doesn't mean cowardly. 

947
00:45:32,080 --> 00:45:35,240
Wise can never mean bendable. 
Even though a serpent is 

948
00:45:35,240 --> 00:45:37,560
Serpentine, I'm not being bent 
by others. 

949
00:45:37,840 --> 00:45:40,840
I'm wisely paying attention to 
my environment and my situation.

950
00:45:41,880 --> 00:45:44,680
Lauren, help me to stay faithful
and when it comes down to it, 

951
00:45:45,480 --> 00:45:47,960
when I'm asked point blank and 
when there's no way dodging it, 

952
00:45:49,320 --> 00:45:52,280
no king, I will. 
I did not bow down to your 

953
00:45:52,280 --> 00:45:54,560
statue. 
I will not bow down to your 

954
00:45:54,560 --> 00:45:56,760
statue. 
No matter what. 

955
00:45:57,000 --> 00:45:59,320
Well, you only have to do it for
this or that or the other. 

956
00:45:59,480 --> 00:46:02,600
I never will, under no 
circumstance. 

957
00:46:02,920 --> 00:46:04,520
Why? 
Because I want to be who God has

958
00:46:04,520 --> 00:46:06,920
called me to be. 
I want to walk faithful to Jesus

959
00:46:06,920 --> 00:46:08,800
because he's worth it. 
Because he's worthy. 

960
00:46:09,000 --> 00:46:13,320
And someday even sermons like 
this are going to seem stupid. 

961
00:46:14,880 --> 00:46:16,800
20,000 years from now we're 
going to go. 

962
00:46:16,920 --> 00:46:20,320
Remember when we needed courage?
That was crazy. 

963
00:46:21,160 --> 00:46:24,520
Remember when we're standing in 
his glory, when he's made a new 

964
00:46:24,520 --> 00:46:26,480
heaven and a new earth and we're
ruling and reigning with him 

965
00:46:26,480 --> 00:46:31,600
100,000 years from now, 200,000 
years from now and we're just 

966
00:46:31,600 --> 00:46:34,920
ruling and reigning together in 
love, walking with Jesus, 

967
00:46:34,920 --> 00:46:36,360
walking with the Father and 
we're going to go. 

968
00:46:36,400 --> 00:46:37,840
Remember when we were scared of 
people? 

969
00:46:38,560 --> 00:46:41,320
That was crazy. 
I really that was a long time 

970
00:46:41,320 --> 00:46:43,240
ago. 
Jesus delivered us from it all 

971
00:46:43,640 --> 00:46:46,960
and he has reset the garden and 
the snake is suffering forever 

972
00:46:46,960 --> 00:46:51,560
and and and the and Babylon 
smoke will rise up forever and 

973
00:46:51,560 --> 00:46:56,400
in the judgment and wrath of 
God, be watchful, stand firm in 

974
00:46:56,400 --> 00:47:00,360
the faith, act like men, be 
strong and let all that you do 

975
00:47:00,360 --> 00:47:03,640
be done in love. 
Heavenly Father God, we ask that

976
00:47:03,640 --> 00:47:06,560
you'll bring us to a deeper 
place of revelation of you. 

977
00:47:07,040 --> 00:47:09,960
We need to see more of you. 
We need to know more of you. 

978
00:47:11,440 --> 00:47:13,640
John knew exactly where to take 
his doubts. 

979
00:47:15,240 --> 00:47:17,240
He knew exactly where to take 
his fears. 

980
00:47:17,800 --> 00:47:20,120
Let that be our response. 
Let that be our concern. 

981
00:47:20,120 --> 00:47:23,240
Let that be the same response 
that we have to bring everything

982
00:47:23,240 --> 00:47:25,960
to you and then to be 
strengthened again and again and

983
00:47:25,960 --> 00:47:28,760
again. 
God keep us faithful, help us to

984
00:47:28,760 --> 00:47:32,680
endure like a good soldier all 
the way to the end. 

985
00:47:34,080 --> 00:47:36,680
Whatever our end looks like, we 
don't choose it. 

986
00:47:36,680 --> 00:47:39,440
We don't design it. 
We just want to walk faithful 

987
00:47:39,440 --> 00:47:43,320
today because we are carrying 
the good news of the gospel of 

988
00:47:43,320 --> 00:47:45,480
the Kingdom. 
There is a King, His name is 

989
00:47:45,480 --> 00:47:50,320
Jesus, and that's good news for 
every person, because Jesus took

990
00:47:50,440 --> 00:47:54,240
your sins on his cross. 
He carried them in his body. 

991
00:47:54,240 --> 00:47:57,640
The perfect man was treated like
a guilty man so that all the 

992
00:47:57,640 --> 00:47:59,600
guilty men could become perfect 
in Christ. 

993
00:48:05,900 --> 00:48:09,380
And now the Father looks upon 
his church and he sees his Son's

994
00:48:09,380 --> 00:48:13,260
blood, and he is pleased. 
So he has given him the name 

995
00:48:13,260 --> 00:48:17,180
that is above every name, and he
will make his enemies his 

996
00:48:17,180 --> 00:48:25,040
footstool. 
God, I pray you would grow us in

997
00:48:25,040 --> 00:48:30,080
strength as men. 
I pray that you would grow us in

998
00:48:30,080 --> 00:48:33,880
strength as Christians, that we 
would be godly men, that we 

999
00:48:33,880 --> 00:48:37,720
would be godly women, that we 
would be godly boys and godly 

1000
00:48:37,720 --> 00:48:41,000
girls. 
Faithful to you, faithful to 

1001
00:48:41,000 --> 00:48:45,160
you, faithful to you. 
Thank you for strength. 

1002
00:48:47,120 --> 00:48:50,480
Thank you for your example. 
Thank you for your 

1003
00:48:50,480 --> 00:48:53,440
encouragement. 
Make us a blessing to our 

1004
00:48:53,440 --> 00:48:56,800
brothers and our sisters when we
see them struggling, when we see

1005
00:48:56,800 --> 00:48:59,360
them attacked, when we see them 
surrounded by hungry lions. 

1006
00:49:00,080 --> 00:49:02,680
Help us to be the Saint who 
runs, to join them in the center

1007
00:49:02,680 --> 00:49:07,040
of the arena so that they 
wouldn't suffer alone and that 

1008
00:49:07,040 --> 00:49:09,440
we could rejoice together. 
To to be counted worthy to 

1009
00:49:09,440 --> 00:49:13,360
suffer for the name, whether 
that suffering comes from the HR

1010
00:49:13,360 --> 00:49:21,840
department or a dungeon, or a 
kangaroo trial or pressure at a 

1011
00:49:22,080 --> 00:49:28,080
family cookout. 
Make us wise as serpents, 

1012
00:49:28,320 --> 00:49:32,040
innocent as doves, and doing all
that we do in love. 

1013
00:49:33,560 --> 00:49:35,080
We thank you Lord, in Jesus 
name. 

1014
00:49:35,080 --> 00:49:38,040
And now the Lord bless you and 
keep you. 

1015
00:49:38,840 --> 00:49:42,360
The Lord make his face shine 
down upon you and be gracious to

1016
00:49:42,360 --> 00:49:44,680
you. 
The Lord lift up his countenance

1017
00:49:44,680 --> 00:49:48,280
upon you and give you great 
peace in Jesus name. 

1018
00:49:48,920 --> 00:49:50,480
Amen. 
Yes.