Andy Stanley - Investigating Jesus (Part 2)

November 8, 2025 | 30:10

Your Move with Andy Stanley — to help people make better decisions and live with fewer regrets.

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Your Move with Andy Stanley | Andy Stanley - Investigating Jesus (Part 2) | November 8, 2025
  • Andy stanley: hi everybody.
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  • Welcome to "your move," where we help you make better decisions
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  • And live with fewer regrets.
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  • I'm andy stanley, and i'll be your guide, and i have a
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  • Question for you.
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  • If you think about your life as a commercial, what are you
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  • Advertising, or better yet, what do you hope you're advertising?
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  • That's what we're talking about today on "your move," so
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  • Stick around.
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  • ♪♪♪
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  • Andy: today we are in part two of our series "investigating
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  • Jesus," how we know and why we follow.
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  • How we know there's anything to the life of jesus and the claims
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  • Of jesus, and if there is, why in the world do we choose to
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  • Follow, and these are extremely important questions because the
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  • Christian faith, as we talked extensively about last time--and
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  • I don't want to redo all of last, but last week we talked
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  • About the fact that the christian faith--not all faith
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  • Systems, and not even theism, but christianity specifically
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  • Rises and falls on the identity of a single individual, jesus
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  • Of nazareth.
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  • So when it comes to the veracity of christianity specifically,
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  • The question to wrestle to the ground is this question.
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  • Is matthew, mark, luke, or john, even one of these--is matthew,
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  • Mark, luke, or john a reliable account of actual events?
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  • And here's why this is the question we have to wrestle to
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  • The ground when it comes to christianity because in the
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  • Bible, these four books of the bible, they're really just
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  • Ancient documents that we call books, or we call these the
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  • Gospels because these are the four accounts of the life
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  • Of jesus.
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  • If any one of these, much less all four of these, are
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  • Actual--are reliable accounts of actual events, then it means
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  • That what jesus said about himself is true and what jesus
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  • Did are things that really happened, and if what if
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  • The--and if what these gospels or these ancient documents say
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  • About jesus is true, regardless of your background and
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  • Regardless of what you've thought before, you should sit
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  • Up straight and pay attention.
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  • We should all sit up straight and pay attention, regardless of
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  • What you think about religion, the existence of god, or even
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  • The bible.
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  • If any one of these is a reliable account of actual
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  • Events, game on.
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  • So what we're doing in this series, we are exploring one of
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  • These accounts, the gospel or the book of luke, matthew, mark,
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  • Luke, the third gospel in the new testament.
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  • It's named for its author, and right up front, as we saw last
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  • Time, luke, the author of luke, tells us exactly what his
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  • Agenda is.
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  • He tells us that he--he tells us exactly what he's doing, and he
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  • Tells us why he's doing it.
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  • He tell--explains to us why he took the time, this is amazing,
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  • To document the life of a first century day laborer from galilee
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  • That started a movement that was considered a cult, and who was
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  • Crucified by rome and rejected by his own people.
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  • Why would you do that?
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  • That's a good question.
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  • That's a question we don't think about because of the way the
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  • Bible is presented to us, but he tells us, and here's how he
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  • Begins this gospel.
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  • I'll read this quick because we spent a lot of time with this
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  • Last time, and i wanna move on.
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  • Here's how he begins his account of the life of jesus.
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  • Many--i'm not the only one.
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  • "many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that
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  • Have," happened, "been fulfilled right here among us," this
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  • Happened in his lifetime, "just as they were handed down to us
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  • By those who were from the first eyewitnesses."
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  • In other words, this isn't something i read about that
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  • I'm regurgitating.
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  • I've talked to the eyewitnesses.
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  • "and servants of the word," and this is code word in the new
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  • Testament for jesus.
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  • "with this in mind," he says, "with this in mind, i myself
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  • Have carefully investigated."
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  • I'm not passing along information i just got randomly
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  • From other people.
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  • "i have carefully investigated everything from the beginning,"
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  • From the beginning of jesus's life as we discover, and, "i too
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  • Decided to write," along with a lot of other people, "i too
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  • Decided to write an orderly account," that is a sequential,
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  • Chronological account, "for you, most excellent theophilus," and
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  • Theophilus was probably, best we can tell, an--a first century
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  • Christian who had become a jesus follower and had heard the
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  • Stories and claims of jesus, but apparently he, like many other
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  • People in the first century--and jesus followers were like, would
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  • Somebody please put the whole story together for us?
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  • We believe, but, i mean, an orderly account would be so
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  • Helpful, especially when we think about passing this along
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  • To the next generation.
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  • So luke wants to provide theophilus with
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  • Reliable answers.
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  • Now, here's what you discover when you begin reading the
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  • Gospel of luke.
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  • Luke is not writing religious literature.
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  • Luke has no idea there's ever gonna be a the bible.
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  • So he's not writing religious literature.
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  • He's certainly not writing the bible.
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  • You know what he's doing?
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  • He's documenting someone's life.
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  • He's telling someone's story, a story that took place in his
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  • Lifetime, and here's what you discover when you read the
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  • Gospel of luke and you read his second ancient document he
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  • Wrote, it's called the book of acts that follows the gospels.
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  • You discover that luke knew personally peter, jesus's most
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  • Famous disciple, he knew james, the brother of jesus, and he
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  • Knew and traveled all around the mediterranean basin with the
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  • Apostle paul, who wrote about half the new testament, and he
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  • Knew other of the disciples as well.
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  • So he thoroughly investigated eyewitness accounts, he's
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  • Friends with the main players, the key players in the story of
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  • The life of jesus, and then he adds this in his introduction,
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  • Then we're gonna jump into the story.
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  • So that--he says, the reason i put all this together, he says,
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  • Theophilus, is, "so that you may know the certainty of the things
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  • That you have been taught," and suddenly we are invited into
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  • The story.
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  • We're invited into the story because many of you have been
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  • Taught to follow jesus as a child or even a young adult
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  • Or--and maybe you're a new christian, and so, like
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  • Theophilus, it's like, okay, i believe, and it's impacted my
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  • Life, but i would love for somebody to put the whole thing
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  • Together for me, so i know with certainty--i can have certainty
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  • In terms of what i actually believe, so that we could be
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  • Assured that what we believe is anchored to something, anchored
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  • To history, actually anchored to what happened.
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  • Andy: hey, thanks so much for watching this episode, but
  • 00:06:10.221 --> 00:06:12.490
  • Before we continue, i wanna take just a moment to share something
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  • Special with you.
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  • At "your move," we're committed to reaching people with the
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  • Teaching of jesus right where they are and when they least
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  • Expect it, and this is possible because of generous viewers like
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  • And now, back to today's episode.
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  • Andy: so, we're jumping in.
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  • Three chapters in to the gospel of luke, luke--and i'm gonna ask
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  • You a question.
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  • You can answer this one out loud.
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  • Luke actually introduces us to jesus's pregame show, the warm
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  • Up act, and who was the warm-up act for jesus?
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  • Anybody know?
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  • John the baptist, that's right.
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  • Literally, it's john the baptizer, but i want you to
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  • Listen--once again, i'm gonna go slow through this text.
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  • I want you to listen to how luke introduces john the baptist.
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  • It's not once upon a time or once upon a time during the time
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  • Of the romans.
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  • He speaks as if he's giving us history because he is.
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  • In fact, in these next few verses, this is what luke's
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  • Actually doing to his readers.
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  • He's saying, "fact check me.
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  • Fact check me.
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  • I dare you."
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  • Here's how it begins.
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  • "in the fifteenth year of the reign of tiberius caesar."
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  • Not, during the time of the romans, not even, during the
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  • Time of tiberius caesar--tiberius caesar is
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  • Caesar augustus's adopted son.
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  • He says, "no, i want you to know exact--i'm gonna--i wanna put a
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  • Pin right on the timeline."
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  • In the fifteenth year of tiberius caesar, and let me just
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  • Say this.
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  • When you are writing a fiction that you're going to try to pass
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  • Off as true, you never, ever, ever pinpoint the events to a
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  • Specific period of time.
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  • It's too easy to check and debunk, but look at the detail
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  • He gives us.
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  • "in the fifteenth year of the reign of tiberius caesar," you
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  • Know, "when pontius pilate was governor of judea," i just want
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  • You all to know i know what's going on, he says, "herod
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  • Tetratrarch of galilee and his brother philip," his brother
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  • Philip was the tetrarch of iturea and traconitis, "and
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  • Lysanias was the tetrarch of abilene."
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  • Are you following me?
  • 00:08:33.064 --> 00:08:34.398
  • He's like, "okay, i just want you to know exactly what we're
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  • Talking about."
  • 00:08:36.867 --> 00:08:38.202
  • Look, you don't do that when you're making stuff up.
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  • This reads like history, because it's history.
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  • He's telling us what happened.
  • 00:08:46.243 --> 00:08:48.012
  • Then he says this, in that time period, right then, "the word of
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  • God came to john son of zechariah in the wilderness."
  • 00:08:51.916 --> 00:08:56.988
  • This is the famous john the baptist.
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  • Now, i wish we could spend more time on this.
  • 00:08:58.522 --> 00:09:00.591
  • The reason he has to tell us which john he's talking about is
  • 00:09:00.591 --> 00:09:03.995
  • Because when you read the new testament, there are johns all
  • 00:09:03.995 --> 00:09:07.231
  • Over the place.
  • 00:09:07.231 --> 00:09:08.566
  • So he has to tell us, "this is john, but i gotta tell you which
  • 00:09:08.566 --> 00:09:10.701
  • John it is.
  • 00:09:10.701 --> 00:09:12.069
  • It's john, the son of zechariah, who was actually a priest at
  • 00:09:12.069 --> 00:09:15.072
  • The temple."
  • 00:09:15.072 --> 00:09:16.407
  • Now, john the baptist is not a bible character.
  • 00:09:16.407 --> 00:09:20.344
  • John the baptist is a historical character that shows up in
  • 00:09:20.344 --> 00:09:23.748
  • The--in this gospel, and in fact, in the other gospels as
  • 00:09:23.748 --> 00:09:26.784
  • Well, because he had a specific role to play when it came to
  • 00:09:26.784 --> 00:09:29.620
  • Jesus, but john the baptist is known of outside of
  • 00:09:29.620 --> 00:09:32.923
  • Biblical literature.
  • 00:09:32.923 --> 00:09:34.291
  • Josephus wrote three big pieces of literature and tells the
  • 00:09:34.291 --> 00:09:38.562
  • Whole history of the jews, and he writes--and he's writing in
  • 00:09:38.562 --> 00:09:41.532
  • About 90 ad, about 60 years after john the baptist has died,
  • 00:09:41.532 --> 00:09:46.237
  • And when he gets to the piece of history that overlaps with the
  • 00:09:46.237 --> 00:09:49.640
  • Life of john the baptist, guess who josephus talks about?
  • 00:09:49.640 --> 00:09:53.411
  • John the baptist.
  • 00:09:53.411 --> 00:09:54.779
  • Why, because john the baptist was such a leading character in
  • 00:09:54.779 --> 00:09:58.282
  • That piece of jewish history, he couldn't tell the story without
  • 00:09:58.282 --> 00:10:02.186
  • Referring to john the baptist.
  • 00:10:02.186 --> 00:10:04.555
  • So when luke introduces us to john the baptist, you just gotta
  • 00:10:04.555 --> 00:10:07.525
  • Know he's not making this stuff up.
  • 00:10:07.525 --> 00:10:09.727
  • This was a historical figure that played such a role and
  • 00:10:09.727 --> 00:10:13.030
  • Caused such a ripple in culture during his time that he could
  • 00:10:13.030 --> 00:10:16.567
  • Not be ignored.
  • 00:10:16.567 --> 00:10:17.902
  • Okay, so back to luke.
  • 00:10:17.902 --> 00:10:19.270
  • Here's what luke says.
  • 00:10:19.270 --> 00:10:20.604
  • Luke writes, "the word of god came to john son of zechariah in
  • 00:10:20.604 --> 00:10:24.875
  • The wilderness," and then he talks about what john the
  • 00:10:24.875 --> 00:10:27.144
  • Baptist did, and john, "went into all the country around the
  • 00:10:27.144 --> 00:10:31.482
  • Jordan river," specifically, "preaching," and this was his
  • 00:10:31.482 --> 00:10:35.019
  • Message, "a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness
  • 00:10:35.019 --> 00:10:38.689
  • Of sins."
  • 00:10:38.689 --> 00:10:40.024
  • Now, one of the reasons john the baptist caused such a stir, this
  • 00:10:40.024 --> 00:10:42.860
  • Is a problem, because the jewish people had an entire system
  • 00:10:42.860 --> 00:10:46.764
  • Built around how to get forgiven of your sin, and it happened
  • 00:10:46.764 --> 00:10:50.134
  • Jerusalem at the temple, and lo and behold, this crazy man comes
  • 00:10:50.134 --> 00:10:54.171
  • Out of the desert saying, "you don't need to go there.
  • 00:10:54.171 --> 00:10:56.574
  • The whole thing is corrupt.
  • 00:10:56.574 --> 00:10:57.942
  • You need to come to me, and i'm gonna baptize you, and i'm gonna
  • 00:10:57.942 --> 00:11:01.178
  • Call you to repentance of your sin so you can begin to live out
  • 00:11:01.178 --> 00:11:05.116
  • What you're supposed to live out," and his message was
  • 00:11:05.116 --> 00:11:09.620
  • Designed to get people ready for the coming of the messiah,
  • 00:11:09.620 --> 00:11:13.290
  • Of jesus.
  • 00:11:13.290 --> 00:11:14.658
  • That's why we call him the warm up act, and here's what he would
  • 00:11:14.658 --> 00:11:16.527
  • Say, "something new is coming.
  • 00:11:16.527 --> 00:11:18.329
  • Something new is on the horizon.
  • 00:11:18.329 --> 00:11:20.131
  • Someone new is coming.
  • 00:11:20.131 --> 00:11:21.665
  • Someone new is on the horizon, and you don't wanna miss it.
  • 00:11:21.665 --> 00:11:25.035
  • So update your firmware or you're gonna miss it, and the
  • 00:11:25.035 --> 00:11:28.706
  • Way you update your firmware is you gotta start living out your
  • 00:11:28.706 --> 00:11:33.744
  • Faith," and he was very direct.
  • 00:11:33.744 --> 00:11:35.479
  • One day--you may have heard this story before, he caused such a
  • 00:11:35.479 --> 00:11:38.482
  • Disturbance--in fact, the gospels tell us that all of
  • 00:11:38.482 --> 00:11:41.118
  • Judea went to hear john preach.
  • 00:11:41.118 --> 00:11:42.853
  • That has to be hyperbole, but if only 10% of judea went to hear
  • 00:11:42.853 --> 00:11:47.858
  • Him preach, it was hundreds of thousands of people in
  • 00:11:47.858 --> 00:11:50.795
  • That region.
  • 00:11:50.795 --> 00:11:52.129
  • So word gets back to the temple and to jerusalem, "hey, there's
  • 00:11:52.129 --> 00:11:54.932
  • This crazy preacher down there.
  • 00:11:54.932 --> 00:11:56.300
  • He's kind of undermining everything we've believed and
  • 00:11:56.300 --> 00:11:58.736
  • Done as jews for hundreds of years."
  • 00:11:58.736 --> 00:12:00.437
  • So the temple leaders, the pharisees, sadducees, they take
  • 00:12:00.437 --> 00:12:04.508
  • This trip.
  • 00:12:04.508 --> 00:12:05.843
  • It takes them over a day just to get to where john is baptizing.
  • 00:12:05.843 --> 00:12:08.512
  • John sees them coming, and he's so excited that they're there.
  • 00:12:08.512 --> 00:12:12.817
  • He looks up and he welcomes them, he says, "welcome, you
  • 00:12:12.817 --> 00:12:15.452
  • Brood of vipers."
  • 00:12:15.452 --> 00:12:17.588
  • This is so offensive.
  • 00:12:17.588 --> 00:12:19.256
  • These are the most respected people in, you know, in judea at
  • 00:12:19.256 --> 00:12:22.660
  • The time.
  • 00:12:22.660 --> 00:12:24.028
  • "'you brood of vipers!
  • 00:12:24.028 --> 00:12:25.362
  • Who warned you to flee from the,'" it's coming, get ready,
  • 00:12:25.362 --> 00:12:27.298
  • Get ready, get ready, get ready, '"the coming wrath,"' the coming
  • 00:12:27.298 --> 00:12:31.035
  • Change of god, and then he looks at them, and these are my words,
  • 00:12:31.035 --> 00:12:34.638
  • Not his.
  • 00:12:34.638 --> 00:12:35.973
  • He says, basically--look at me.
  • 00:12:35.973 --> 00:12:37.474
  • If you wanna be right with god, if you wanna be prepared for
  • 00:12:37.474 --> 00:12:41.178
  • What god is about to do, you have to produce fruit in keeping
  • 00:12:41.178 --> 00:12:45.382
  • With repentance.
  • 00:12:45.382 --> 00:12:46.750
  • That is, you gotta change your evil ways and you gotta walk
  • 00:12:46.750 --> 00:12:49.587
  • Your talk.
  • 00:12:49.587 --> 00:12:50.955
  • You gotta put some wheels on it.
  • 00:12:50.955 --> 00:12:52.289
  • You gotta be doers of the torah, not just believers in and
  • 00:12:52.289 --> 00:12:55.593
  • Teachers of the torah, because the day of reducing religion to
  • 00:12:55.593 --> 00:12:59.997
  • Tradition are over.
  • 00:12:59.997 --> 00:13:02.733
  • The days of a personalized, internalized only religion,
  • 00:13:02.733 --> 00:13:06.604
  • They're over, and if you don't repent of that kind of approach,
  • 00:13:06.604 --> 00:13:10.140
  • And if you don't repent of your lack of compassion, your lack of
  • 00:13:10.140 --> 00:13:13.444
  • Generosity, your lack of others first--if you don't repent, when
  • 00:13:13.444 --> 00:13:16.814
  • The new that god does shows up, you're gonna miss it because you
  • 00:13:16.814 --> 00:13:20.551
  • Won't see it because you won't be living in sync with it.
  • 00:13:20.551 --> 00:13:26.323
  • And then he says--this is so offensive.
  • 00:13:26.323 --> 00:13:28.893
  • "'and do not begin to say'"--he knows exactly the excuses
  • 00:13:28.893 --> 00:13:32.663
  • They're gonna raise.
  • 00:13:32.663 --> 00:13:33.998
  • "'and do not begin to say to yourself,'" in other words,
  • 00:13:33.998 --> 00:13:35.499
  • Don't comfort yourself with or don't try to hide behind, and do
  • 00:13:35.499 --> 00:13:38.802
  • Not say, "oh, we're good, we have abraham."
  • 00:13:38.802 --> 00:13:41.205
  • "'"we have abraham as our father."'"
  • 00:13:41.205 --> 00:13:42.940
  • "we're safe, we're sons and daughters of abraham.
  • 00:13:42.940 --> 00:13:45.476
  • We're in, that's enough, right?"
  • 00:13:45.476 --> 00:13:47.444
  • And he says, "no, that's not right."
  • 00:13:47.444 --> 00:13:49.513
  • '"for i tell you'"--so offensive, "'for i tell you out
  • 00:13:49.513 --> 00:13:53.784
  • Of these stones god can raise up children of abraham.'"
  • 00:13:53.784 --> 00:13:59.456
  • Now, when i'm reading this, and, you know, preparing, and
  • 00:13:59.456 --> 00:14:02.526
  • So--it's so powerful.
  • 00:14:02.526 --> 00:14:03.861
  • I'm just trying to put myself in that context.
  • 00:14:03.861 --> 00:14:06.864
  • He--it got me to thinking, if john the baptist were to show up
  • 00:14:06.864 --> 00:14:10.334
  • Here, what would he say to us?
  • 00:14:10.334 --> 00:14:11.669
  • What the context?
  • 00:14:11.669 --> 00:14:13.037
  • What's the crossover?
  • 00:14:13.037 --> 00:14:14.371
  • You know, where's the cultural bridge to us?
  • 00:14:14.371 --> 00:14:17.408
  • What might he say, and i'm not picking on anybody.
  • 00:14:17.408 --> 00:14:20.277
  • We all, you know, different stuff going on, but what would
  • 00:14:20.277 --> 00:14:23.547
  • He say to those of us who are, if we're honest, we're just kind
  • 00:14:23.547 --> 00:14:25.816
  • Of comfortable, consumer oriented christians?
  • 00:14:25.816 --> 00:14:29.954
  • You know, what's in it for me?
  • 00:14:29.954 --> 00:14:31.455
  • I don't like this church.
  • 00:14:31.455 --> 00:14:32.823
  • I don't like that song.
  • 00:14:32.823 --> 00:14:34.158
  • I don't like that music.
  • 00:14:34.158 --> 00:14:35.526
  • I don't have time.
  • 00:14:35.526 --> 00:14:36.860
  • You know, what's in it for me, marginally committed believers.
  • 00:14:36.860 --> 00:14:38.195
  • What would he say to me?
  • 00:14:38.195 --> 00:14:39.563
  • What would he say to you?
  • 00:14:39.563 --> 00:14:40.898
  • He'd say something like, "and do not say to yourselves, 'but i'm
  • 00:14:40.898 --> 00:14:44.034
  • A christian.
  • 00:14:44.034 --> 00:14:46.270
  • I prayed the sinner's prayer.
  • 00:14:46.270 --> 00:14:47.638
  • I've asked jesus to be my savior!
  • 00:14:47.638 --> 00:14:49.139
  • I've asked jesus into my heart.
  • 00:14:49.139 --> 00:14:50.541
  • I mean, i'm good to go, right?'"
  • 00:14:50.541 --> 00:14:53.210
  • And john the baptist would rear back and say, "i tell you, out
  • 00:14:53.210 --> 00:14:56.146
  • Of these stones god can raise up christians."
  • 00:14:56.146 --> 00:15:01.952
  • It's disturbing.
  • 00:15:01.952 --> 00:15:03.587
  • If it's disturbing, you understand john the baptist.
  • 00:15:03.587 --> 00:15:06.924
  • John disturbed people.
  • 00:15:06.924 --> 00:15:08.759
  • He was trying to disturb them out of their apathy and their
  • 00:15:08.759 --> 00:15:11.428
  • Self-made religion that was so off-sync with what god was about
  • 00:15:11.428 --> 00:15:15.432
  • To do, that they were--if they weren't careful--rushing to the
  • 00:15:15.432 --> 00:15:18.402
  • End of the story, if they weren't careful, even though
  • 00:15:18.402 --> 00:15:21.071
  • They were god-fearers and god-believers, they would miss
  • 00:15:21.071 --> 00:15:23.540
  • What god is doing and become enemies of god.
  • 00:15:23.540 --> 00:15:27.978
  • Do you know what he was really doing for them, and what he's
  • 00:15:27.978 --> 00:15:29.980
  • Doing for us if we listen?
  • 00:15:29.980 --> 00:15:32.383
  • He's reminding us of what our lives are supposed to
  • 00:15:32.383 --> 00:15:36.086
  • Be advertising.
  • 00:15:36.086 --> 00:15:38.288
  • He's reminding them, torah followers, of what their lives
  • 00:15:38.288 --> 00:15:41.191
  • Were supposed to be advertising.
  • 00:15:41.191 --> 00:15:46.630
  • "'produce fruit,'" he said.
  • 00:15:46.630 --> 00:15:49.066
  • Fruit, not belief, fruit.
  • 00:15:49.066 --> 00:15:51.201
  • Not, you know, you got it all worked out theologically,
  • 00:15:51.201 --> 00:15:53.771
  • "'fruit in keeping with repentance.'"
  • 00:15:53.771 --> 00:15:55.939
  • Here's our version.
  • 00:15:55.939 --> 00:15:57.708
  • Produce fruit in keeping with what you say you believe and who
  • 00:15:57.708 --> 00:16:02.079
  • You claim to believe in.
  • 00:16:02.079 --> 00:16:05.249
  • Again, if this is disturbing, it's like, but what about, then
  • 00:16:05.249 --> 00:16:07.418
  • You get it.
  • 00:16:07.418 --> 00:16:08.752
  • You get the emotion he's trying to stir in all of us, and if
  • 00:16:08.752 --> 00:16:10.721
  • This makes you wanna find a kinder, gentler preacher than
  • 00:16:10.721 --> 00:16:13.357
  • John the baptist, or you wish i would not talk about this and
  • 00:16:13.357 --> 00:16:16.527
  • Talk about prayer, or how to get your prayers answered, how to be
  • 00:16:16.527 --> 00:16:18.929
  • Comforted in times of sorrow and grief, then you get john
  • 00:16:18.929 --> 00:16:22.433
  • The baptist.
  • 00:16:22.433 --> 00:16:23.801
  • If you want more comfort than requirement, you get john
  • 00:16:23.801 --> 00:16:27.771
  • The baptist.
  • 00:16:27.771 --> 00:16:29.473
  • You get jesus.
  • 00:16:29.473 --> 00:16:31.442
  • You get what luke is about to unleash on us because it
  • 00:16:31.442 --> 00:16:35.245
  • Reflects what god unleashed through christ in the world.
  • 00:16:35.245 --> 00:16:39.116
  • And here's the thing, john wasn't discounting being related
  • 00:16:39.116 --> 00:16:43.287
  • To abraham.
  • 00:16:43.287 --> 00:16:44.888
  • His point was that's not the point.
  • 00:16:44.888 --> 00:16:47.558
  • That being related to abraham, that's not the finish line,
  • 00:16:47.558 --> 00:16:52.663
  • That's actually just the starting line, and what he would
  • 00:16:52.663 --> 00:16:55.399
  • Say to us is, "hey, i'm so glad you put your faith in christ,
  • 00:16:55.399 --> 00:16:58.335
  • And i'm so glad jesus is your savior, way to go, but that's
  • 00:16:58.335 --> 00:17:01.505
  • Not the finish line.
  • 00:17:01.505 --> 00:17:03.140
  • That's just the starting line," and his point to his audience
  • 00:17:03.140 --> 00:17:08.979
  • Was what's coming is gonna change everything, and if you
  • 00:17:08.979 --> 00:17:12.382
  • Aren't ready, you're gonna miss it, and you may find yourself at
  • 00:17:12.382 --> 00:17:15.953
  • Odds with god, because the new that was coming, the new that
  • 00:17:15.953 --> 00:17:20.824
  • Was about to be unleashed on the world, would be fueled by and
  • 00:17:20.824 --> 00:17:24.461
  • Animated by and characterized by doing for others.
  • 00:17:24.461 --> 00:17:31.201
  • The internalized, vertical only religion was out, and here's
  • 00:17:31.201 --> 00:17:35.339
  • The thing.
  • 00:17:35.339 --> 00:17:36.673
  • John's audience, they got the message.
  • 00:17:36.673 --> 00:17:38.575
  • In fact, we know they got the message because of the question
  • 00:17:38.575 --> 00:17:40.944
  • They ask.
  • 00:17:40.944 --> 00:17:42.312
  • It's a question that we should all ask.
  • 00:17:42.312 --> 00:17:43.647
  • In fact, at the end of today's time together, i'm gonna
  • 00:17:43.647 --> 00:17:45.682
  • Challenge you to begin asking this question personally.
  • 00:17:45.682 --> 00:17:48.519
  • It's a question, honestly, that if we were to ask this question
  • 00:17:48.519 --> 00:17:51.288
  • Corporately, if we were to ask this question as families, if we
  • 00:17:51.288 --> 00:17:54.691
  • Were to ask this question as teachers and community leaders,
  • 00:17:54.691 --> 00:17:57.728
  • If we were to, you know, all together begin to ask and answer
  • 00:17:57.728 --> 00:18:00.531
  • And act on this question, it would change things, and the
  • 00:18:00.531 --> 00:18:04.101
  • Reason i believe it would change things is because once upon a
  • 00:18:04.101 --> 00:18:06.670
  • Time it changed things.
  • 00:18:06.670 --> 00:18:09.806
  • It's why we're here.
  • 00:18:09.806 --> 00:18:11.775
  • Before i show you the question, i just wanna say something to
  • 00:18:11.775 --> 00:18:14.278
  • Those of you who are maybe unwinding your faith,
  • 00:18:14.278 --> 00:18:17.514
  • Deconstructing your faith, you're reaching for the door
  • 00:18:17.514 --> 00:18:19.516
  • About to walk out, or maybe you already have.
  • 00:18:19.516 --> 00:18:22.319
  • My hunch is this, and i don't know your story, and i'm not
  • 00:18:22.319 --> 00:18:24.154
  • Being critical because if i had experienced what you
  • 00:18:24.154 --> 00:18:26.156
  • Experienced, i'd probably leave faith too, so i'm not being
  • 00:18:26.156 --> 00:18:28.225
  • Critical, but i just want to challenge you with something if
  • 00:18:28.225 --> 00:18:30.394
  • You'll listen to the end of this message.
  • 00:18:30.394 --> 00:18:32.696
  • It could be that one of the reasons it was so easy for you
  • 00:18:32.696 --> 00:18:34.965
  • To discount faith and walk away from faith is you were never
  • 00:18:34.965 --> 00:18:38.001
  • Challenged to ask the question that john's audience asked him.
  • 00:18:38.001 --> 00:18:43.840
  • Here's what they said.
  • 00:18:43.840 --> 00:18:45.776
  • "'what should we do then?'"
  • 00:18:45.776 --> 00:18:49.913
  • Not, what should we believe?
  • 00:18:49.913 --> 00:18:52.015
  • "'what should we do then?'
  • 00:18:52.015 --> 00:18:53.917
  • The crowd asked."
  • 00:18:53.917 --> 00:18:55.652
  • What should we do to prepare for what god is about to do
  • 00:18:55.652 --> 00:18:59.957
  • Among us?
  • 00:18:59.957 --> 00:19:01.325
  • What should we do so that when it happens, we recognize it?
  • 00:19:01.325 --> 00:19:03.894
  • What should we do, that when we see it, we understand this is
  • 00:19:03.894 --> 00:19:06.830
  • God's work in the world.
  • 00:19:06.830 --> 00:19:08.398
  • We don't wanna miss it.
  • 00:19:08.398 --> 00:19:09.733
  • If god's about to do something new, how can we best prepare
  • 00:19:09.733 --> 00:19:12.736
  • Ourselves, and they were, of course, waiting for some
  • 00:19:12.736 --> 00:19:14.805
  • Religious answer.
  • 00:19:14.805 --> 00:19:16.273
  • If you're--you know, if you're gonna prepare, if you're gonna
  • 00:19:16.273 --> 00:19:18.041
  • Get ready for what god's about to do, you know, you gotta do
  • 00:19:18.041 --> 00:19:20.377
  • Something difficult, you gotta do something unusual, you gotta
  • 00:19:20.377 --> 00:19:22.646
  • Do something religious, and john's answer surprised them,
  • 00:19:22.646 --> 00:19:27.284
  • And it will surprise us as well.
  • 00:19:27.284 --> 00:19:29.353
  • They're ready, like, "what should we do?"
  • 00:19:29.353 --> 00:19:32.522
  • John's like, "all right, you're ready?"
  • 00:19:32.522 --> 00:19:33.857
  • They're, "we're ready."
  • 00:19:33.857 --> 00:19:35.559
  • All right, "john answered, 'anyone who has two shirts
  • 00:19:35.559 --> 00:19:39.263
  • Should share with the one who has none.'"
  • 00:19:39.263 --> 00:19:42.766
  • Like, what?
  • 00:19:42.766 --> 00:19:44.101
  • Yeah, anybody's got two something, and somebody needs
  • 00:19:44.101 --> 00:19:46.670
  • One, you should share.
  • 00:19:46.670 --> 00:19:49.706
  • Okay, you had us all worked up.
  • 00:19:49.706 --> 00:19:51.074
  • I mean, you've just--you know, you just dissed the entire
  • 00:19:51.074 --> 00:19:53.310
  • Temple establishment, you've criticized everybody, you've
  • 00:19:53.310 --> 00:19:55.779
  • Baptized everybody, and you're saying to get ready, all we
  • 00:19:55.779 --> 00:19:59.549
  • Gotta do is share.
  • 00:19:59.549 --> 00:20:01.818
  • I mean, that's not very religious.
  • 00:20:01.818 --> 00:20:04.121
  • You can do that anywhere.
  • 00:20:04.121 --> 00:20:06.723
  • John's like, "exactly."
  • 00:20:06.723 --> 00:20:08.792
  • See, you've gotten yourself all wound up in something that isn't
  • 00:20:08.792 --> 00:20:12.462
  • Even all that important to god, and you've missed the
  • 00:20:12.462 --> 00:20:14.898
  • Fundamental because when god does what he's about to do in
  • 00:20:14.898 --> 00:20:19.603
  • The world, you're gonna discover that he is sharing with the
  • 00:20:19.603 --> 00:20:22.005
  • World what is most important.
  • 00:20:22.005 --> 00:20:23.373
  • He said--and, while we're talking about sharing, "'and
  • 00:20:23.373 --> 00:20:25.442
  • Anyone,'" he goes a little deeper, "'anyone who has food
  • 00:20:25.442 --> 00:20:28.512
  • Should do the same.'"
  • 00:20:28.512 --> 00:20:29.880
  • Food sometimes was scarce.
  • 00:20:29.880 --> 00:20:31.214
  • Food sometimes was expensive.
  • 00:20:31.214 --> 00:20:32.582
  • Food didn't keep.
  • 00:20:32.582 --> 00:20:33.917
  • It was hard to transport.
  • 00:20:33.917 --> 00:20:35.285
  • And again, they're looking at each other like, "so we just
  • 00:20:35.285 --> 00:20:39.056
  • Need to share?"
  • 00:20:39.056 --> 00:20:41.191
  • John's like, "yes, if you see a need you can meet, meet it.
  • 00:20:41.191 --> 00:20:45.595
  • When you see a need you can meet and it costs you, meet it.
  • 00:20:45.595 --> 00:20:48.598
  • When you have more of what you have--when you have more of what
  • 00:20:48.598 --> 00:20:51.435
  • Somebody else has and they need it, then you step in, whether
  • 00:20:51.435 --> 00:20:54.871
  • They're judean, galilean, samaritan, it doesn't matter.
  • 00:20:54.871 --> 00:20:58.709
  • When you see a need, you step in and you mean it, because the
  • 00:20:58.709 --> 00:21:01.778
  • Thing that god is about to do is exactly that.
  • 00:21:01.778 --> 00:21:05.015
  • He is about to meet the need of the entire world, a need they
  • 00:21:05.015 --> 00:21:09.853
  • Can't meet on their own, and if you're not living that out,
  • 00:21:09.853 --> 00:21:13.623
  • You're gonna miss it when it comes," wow, to the tax
  • 00:21:13.623 --> 00:21:18.895
  • Collectors, which is amazing that they're there, 'cause
  • 00:21:18.895 --> 00:21:20.931
  • Everybody hates these guys, and one of them raises their hand,
  • 00:21:20.931 --> 00:21:24.267
  • Says, "what about us?
  • 00:21:24.267 --> 00:21:26.403
  • What should we do?"
  • 00:21:26.403 --> 00:21:29.406
  • John looks over the crowd, and he says, "it's simple."
  • 00:21:29.406 --> 00:21:33.009
  • "'don't collect any more than you're required to.'"
  • 00:21:33.009 --> 00:21:36.446
  • That's it. that's it.
  • 00:21:36.446 --> 00:21:39.449
  • Stop stealing.
  • 00:21:39.449 --> 00:21:40.784
  • This is basic stuff.
  • 00:21:40.784 --> 00:21:42.285
  • Stop stealing.
  • 00:21:42.285 --> 00:21:43.620
  • If you see a need, meet it.
  • 00:21:43.620 --> 00:21:44.988
  • Stop stealing.
  • 00:21:44.988 --> 00:21:46.323
  • Quit--and look, tax gatherers, don't settle for what's legal
  • 00:21:46.323 --> 00:21:49.559
  • And permissible.
  • 00:21:49.559 --> 00:21:50.894
  • We know that's the way it's done, the way it's always done.
  • 00:21:50.894 --> 00:21:52.562
  • That's how you guys enrich yourself.
  • 00:21:52.562 --> 00:21:53.997
  • Nobody's gonna arrest you, and you're never gonna get
  • 00:21:53.997 --> 00:21:55.665
  • In trouble.
  • 00:21:55.665 --> 00:21:57.033
  • Everybody's come to expect it.
  • 00:21:57.033 --> 00:21:58.368
  • Stop being so normal.
  • 00:21:58.368 --> 00:22:00.070
  • Stop being so predictable.
  • 00:22:00.070 --> 00:22:01.605
  • Do something extraordinary.
  • 00:22:01.605 --> 00:22:03.240
  • Don't settle for standard operating procedure.
  • 00:22:03.240 --> 00:22:06.476
  • Do something noteworthy and notable.
  • 00:22:06.476 --> 00:22:08.945
  • Stop and stare.
  • 00:22:08.945 --> 00:22:10.313
  • Oh my goodness, that's brand new.
  • 00:22:10.313 --> 00:22:11.915
  • Do what is just, not what you can justify because there is one
  • 00:22:11.915 --> 00:22:17.287
  • Coming into this world who is going to choose not to exact
  • 00:22:17.287 --> 00:22:22.325
  • Justice, but to grant mercy, and to allow his father in heaven to
  • 00:22:22.325 --> 00:22:28.632
  • Take out on him what he could justify taking out on you.
  • 00:22:28.632 --> 00:22:34.137
  • So prepare the way.
  • 00:22:34.137 --> 00:22:36.573
  • Now, this teaching of john the baptist--i know, it's
  • 00:22:36.573 --> 00:22:38.975
  • Like, phew.
  • 00:22:38.975 --> 00:22:40.343
  • It was so good they thought he was the messiah.
  • 00:22:40.343 --> 00:22:43.580
  • They're like, "i think we think the messiah's come."
  • 00:22:43.580 --> 00:22:45.615
  • John's like, "no, no, don't get excited, not even close.
  • 00:22:45.615 --> 00:22:48.985
  • We are just getting started, okay?
  • 00:22:48.985 --> 00:22:51.388
  • I baptize with water, and you think my words are powerful.
  • 00:22:51.388 --> 00:22:55.258
  • There's one who's gonna be more powerful than me who will come.
  • 00:22:55.258 --> 00:22:58.628
  • The straps of whose sandals i'm not worthy to untie," which
  • 00:22:58.628 --> 00:23:01.765
  • Meant to them, i'm not even worthy to be his slave, much
  • 00:23:01.765 --> 00:23:05.502
  • Less his follower or his disciple.
  • 00:23:05.502 --> 00:23:09.473
  • So get ready.
  • 00:23:09.473 --> 00:23:10.807
  • Get ready.
  • 00:23:10.807 --> 00:23:13.510
  • How do we get ready?
  • 00:23:12.142 --> 00:23:14.845
  • Go do something noticeable, notable, noteworthy.
  • 00:23:14.845 --> 00:23:19.816
  • Stop and stare.
  • 00:23:19.816 --> 00:23:21.284
  • So if you're a christian, you believe jesus is son of god,
  • 00:23:21.284 --> 00:23:25.388
  • Messiah, and you've accepted him as your savior, if your life is
  • 00:23:25.388 --> 00:23:30.227
  • A commercial--and by the way, read the new testament.
  • 00:23:30.227 --> 00:23:33.563
  • Your life is a commercial.
  • 00:23:33.563 --> 00:23:36.433
  • Jesus said, "let me just brand you."
  • 00:23:36.433 --> 00:23:38.301
  • He said, "you're the salt of the earth, you are the light of
  • 00:23:38.301 --> 00:23:41.371
  • The world.
  • 00:23:41.371 --> 00:23:42.706
  • You are to let your light shine in such a way that people see
  • 00:23:42.706 --> 00:23:44.808
  • Your," wait for it, "good deeds, and glorify your father
  • 00:23:44.808 --> 00:23:49.846
  • In heaven."
  • 00:23:49.846 --> 00:23:52.015
  • We don't even get to decide if we're gonna be a commercial.
  • 00:23:52.015 --> 00:23:54.618
  • The only thing we get to decide is what are we advertising.
  • 00:23:54.618 --> 00:23:57.954
  • If your life is a commercial, what are you advertising?
  • 00:23:57.954 --> 00:24:00.790
  • What version of faith are you advertising?
  • 00:24:00.790 --> 00:24:05.362
  • The internal, vertical, what's in it for me, comforting, and
  • 00:24:05.362 --> 00:24:09.866
  • Comfortable version that requires very little of you,
  • 00:24:09.866 --> 00:24:12.269
  • 'cause you're gonna go to heaven when you die, you know, or is my
  • 00:24:12.269 --> 00:24:15.939
  • Life, is your life, are collectively our lives
  • 00:24:15.939 --> 00:24:21.745
  • Advertising the john the baptist version, or what we're about to
  • 00:24:21.745 --> 00:24:25.649
  • Discover, beginning next week, the jesus version, the one
  • 00:24:25.649 --> 00:24:28.885
  • Another version, the do for others version, the do for one
  • 00:24:28.885 --> 00:24:33.123
  • Version, the version of christianity that does stuff?
  • 00:24:33.123 --> 00:24:38.395
  • So i want to challenge you to begin asking the question that
  • 00:24:38.395 --> 00:24:41.898
  • They asked john.
  • 00:24:41.898 --> 00:24:43.667
  • It's the right question.
  • 00:24:43.667 --> 00:24:45.001
  • It prepared them for what and who was coming.
  • 00:24:45.001 --> 00:24:46.770
  • It ensured that their eyes were wide open and they wouldn't miss
  • 00:24:46.770 --> 00:24:49.272
  • The king.
  • 00:24:49.272 --> 00:24:50.607
  • And here was their question.
  • 00:24:50.607 --> 00:24:51.975
  • "'what should we do?'"
  • 00:24:51.975 --> 00:24:54.644
  • Wherever god calls you out to do something, it's gonna cost you,
  • 00:24:54.644 --> 00:24:58.915
  • And it's gonna infuse--you're--there's gonna be
  • 00:24:58.915 --> 00:25:00.951
  • So much joy, and you're gonna feel like, and most of us can
  • 00:25:00.951 --> 00:25:03.153
  • Point to a season in our life where this was true, you're
  • 00:25:03.153 --> 00:25:05.355
  • Gonna feel as if you're walking in tandem with god and the work
  • 00:25:05.355 --> 00:25:09.826
  • Of god in the world, but if you continue to be a hearer only and
  • 00:25:09.826 --> 00:25:15.031
  • A consumer only, as i said earlier, you're in the danger
  • 00:25:15.031 --> 00:25:18.535
  • Zone, because whether you recognize it or not, your faith
  • 00:25:18.535 --> 00:25:21.204
  • Is wilting and it is dying, and you'll eventually become so
  • 00:25:21.204 --> 00:25:25.642
  • Consumed by yourself, for yourself, that you may lose
  • 00:25:25.642 --> 00:25:30.013
  • Your faith.
  • 00:25:30.013 --> 00:25:32.582
  • It's why you lost your faith.
  • 00:25:32.582 --> 00:25:34.584
  • You were introduced to, surrounded with, what's in it
  • 00:25:34.584 --> 00:25:37.954
  • For me christianity.
  • 00:25:37.954 --> 00:25:39.723
  • It's not even the real version.
  • 00:25:39.723 --> 00:25:41.057
  • Listen to what jesus said, and i'm gonna close.
  • 00:25:41.057 --> 00:25:42.392
  • This is what he said--i'm jumping way ahead.
  • 00:25:42.392 --> 00:25:44.027
  • This is an amazing statement.
  • 00:25:44.027 --> 00:25:46.096
  • Whoever does the will of my father in heaven.
  • 00:25:46.096 --> 00:25:52.068
  • "whoever does the will of my father in heaven is my brother
  • 00:25:52.068 --> 00:25:57.741
  • And my sister."
  • 00:25:57.741 --> 00:25:59.676
  • Whoever does the will of my father--this is why that was the
  • 00:25:59.676 --> 00:26:03.580
  • Perfect question, '"what should we do,"' and john says, "i want
  • 00:26:03.580 --> 00:26:06.449
  • You to do in your world what god is about to do for the world,
  • 00:26:06.449 --> 00:26:13.089
  • And if you do, you'll recognize god when he does it."
  • 00:26:13.089 --> 00:26:16.493
  • John knew that if the people listening to him would do
  • 00:26:19.696 --> 00:26:22.265
  • Compassion and do generosity and do others first and do two for
  • 00:26:22.265 --> 00:26:26.569
  • One, they would recognize god's work in the world.
  • 00:26:26.569 --> 00:26:30.206
  • They would recognize the selfless other first lamb of god
  • 00:26:30.206 --> 00:26:33.109
  • That was about to step onto the pages of history.
  • 00:26:33.109 --> 00:26:37.113
  • Believers didn't change the world.
  • 00:26:37.113 --> 00:26:40.016
  • Doers changed the world.
  • 00:26:40.016 --> 00:26:42.185
  • Followers changed the world.
  • 00:26:42.185 --> 00:26:44.754
  • The men and women whose lives advertise the kingdom of god,
  • 00:26:44.754 --> 00:26:51.828
  • The men and women whose lives advertise thy kingdom come, thy
  • 00:26:51.828 --> 00:26:55.265
  • Will be done, right here, right now in my world.
  • 00:26:55.265 --> 00:26:59.602
  • So will you ask it, "heavenly father, what should i do?"
  • 00:26:59.602 --> 00:27:03.339
  • If you do, your eyes and your heart will be open to what god
  • 00:27:03.339 --> 00:27:08.578
  • Has next for you and what god has now for your world, and we
  • 00:27:08.578 --> 00:27:15.852
  • Will pick the storyline up right there next time, in part three,
  • 00:27:15.852 --> 00:27:19.956
  • "investigating jesus," how we know and why we follow.
  • 00:27:19.956 --> 00:27:25.695
  • Andy: hey, thanks so much for watching today.
  • 00:27:26.930 --> 00:27:28.898
  • Before you go, i want to tell you about a special offer.
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  • When you support "your move" with a gift of $20 or more,
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  • This resource is designed to help you pause, recenter, and
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  • Reflect on what you already have to be grateful for, and it's our
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  • Way of saying thank you for being a part of what we're doing
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  • Here at "your move," and here's why your gift matters.
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  • Of people who are asking life's hardest questions, but don't yet
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  • Realize that jesus is actually the answer.
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  • To make a donation and to claim your copy of the gratitude
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  • Guide, just visit the website or call the number at the bottom of
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  • Your screen, and now, it's "your move."
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  • ♪♪♪
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  • ...
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