Do You Know Jesus?

Does Jesus know you personally and that's what we're gonna figure out today so that you don't have a question on judgment day Oh Welcome to the forgotten Jews podcast we were learning about the real Jesus from the Bible I'm your host pastor Adam French. I'm here with pastor Robbie Gallady and Miss Vivian in the house today Impenio yes the mom the guest step in when we need her. She's always ready to get to see the day She's the desk. She's ready to come in. I try. Yes. What do you call for the end of the game? Yeah, she's the closer. She's the closer Yeah, and he's with writer and Doc's appointment lasted longer than normal and so we're in a stressless environment so when things don't go away We just put we just say it's easy to see just move on big germ big germ still in the building Jeremy got a lot of feedback from Jeremy last week Some lady came in live Sunday, and she was visiting Virginia Beach they were coming from Virginia. It's a crazy story. You missed it Sunday. She made me before okay Yeah, so they came to the Celebrate Recovery Summit that we hosted here and her and our husband were leaders at their church in Virginia He was on staff and they left and she said the Holy Spirit spoke to her and her husband on the way home and said You need to pick up move to Long Hollow to be in the church and I said wow and they said I said what did you have a job? She said no we had nothing So we were like this is the big ask from the Lord So we prayed about it and two or three weeks later the landlord comes to him and says I need you out in a month Because I'm selling the house. She's like all right Well, and so then she I think they reached out to you She said and then he applies for a job and apparently we had a Jeff. Yes, and now he's coming on staff Yeah, yeah on staff. So anyway, she said we've listed to the podcast We listed the sermons for the last couple months and she said and Jeremy I said she said is that Jeremy Bremer and I was like Yes, she said we heard him last week. So yeah big She didn't say there was a little bit of a setback, you know, she loved it She's got all kinds of experience in Celebrate Recovery. They they were leaders of the Celebrate Recovery up there over 200 Just she was telling me all kinds of stuff So we're really excited the teams excited to get somebody with such experience from the East Coast and you know We don't know there's not a lot of places that you can say

Have the volume the amount of people that the Celebrate Recovery along Hollow has I mean, it's we're one of largest in the country Wow and to have someone come in who's kind of experienced a Man Street somewhat similar is great. Yeah, and so praise God. We're excited for praise God All right Vivian, we are on to the golden rule finally We're almost done with the sermon on the Mount and then we're gonna get back into The accounts and encounters with Jesus, but let's read Matthew 7 12 And third well, let's just read 12 because there's a few things I want to say here and then we'll move into 13 So let's just read 12 for context Therefore whatever you want others to do for you do also the same for them for this is the law and the prophets Okay, so we might have said this before but when Jesus uses that phrase the law and the prophets Okay, what does he mean there when he's saying the law and the prophets? Torah yeah, the Torah for the law and then the prophets which would be what? Which would be the neveem so he's basically saying the Torah and the neveem Basically, it's another way for Jesus to say the whole Old Testament basically is what he's saying now Jesus did not say this replaces the Torah and the prophets. That's what some may say He said this is the Torah and the prophets and so what he's trying to do is he's trying to condense it all Into this this section here, which is basically what he just talked about seeking the Lord Asking knocking depending on the Lord now the golden rule actually echoes and again Let me just preface this because when I first heard this it kind of messed me up a little bit because I was new to the faith And somebody would say something like this and it would bother me So but this doesn't have to bother you because I was always taught whatever Jesus says was you know Fresh and relevant and new and nobody's ever said it before well That's not the case Jesus is a rabbi in the stream of rabbinic tradition in a stream of historical context and the stream of Old Testament So now granted all truth comes from God. She could say even though he didn't say and it's truth, but He's the product of his environment. So he would have heard from the two rabbis who would have been put Pop Quiz? This is kind of a hard pop quiz. But if you're listening, you can play along. Who were the two rabbis that were popular in Jesus's day? And

sometimes he sided with one and most of the time he sided with the other. You know, they were isn't one of them in Acts? Geshwim. No, Galileo. No, that's later. You know, he was there. He was there. But this is before Jesus, because before Jesus. So he would pull from one starts with an S one starts with an H. heard you say them before. But you said it before. You said it's kind of a high level. Rabbi Shami. Okay. And Rabbi Hillel. Yeah. Okay. Where did you say that? So Hillel, Hillel, the elder lived about a generation before Jesus. And in a famous Talmudic saying Hillel that was recorded, claimed that the now this is Hillel, the golden rule summarized the whole tour. Here's what it says on one occasion, a certain Gentile came to Shami and said to him, make me into a Jewish convert, but teach me the whole Torah while I stand on one foot. Immediately, Shami drove him away with the measuring stick that was in his hand. When the

same Gentile went to Hillel with the same proposition, Hillel said to him, What is hateful to you? Do not do to your neighbor. That is the whole Torah, which the rest is the commentary on it. Go and study it. That's in Shabbat 31a. So basically, Jesus takes this golden, which is kind of the golden rule, same thing. Jesus says it what in reverse? Jesus says, due to others, what? Oh, whatever. Yeah. Do others what you want done to you? Basically, if I want to treat if I want you to treat me with kindness, what? Treat me with kindness. If I want you to come back to me with hatred, then I need to be hateful to you. By the way, we can learn a lot of this today in social media where we live it, right? I was talking to somebody earlier, a pastor, talking about a popular preacher today, who's basically risen really fast in the online world and everybody's telling me everybody in my church listens to him and talks about him. And I

said, praise God, you know, he's got an influence. I said, I'm always a little anxious about promoting and building a platform myself, because when you build a platform for everybody to watch you and listen to you and learn from you and everything you say is online, then the very thing you build could be the very thing that takes you down. Because if everybody's watching what you say, then everybody's watching what you say. And I said, whenever you're producing content, like we're doing, you have to be very good. You got to fact check it and learn, you know, so the reality is, but the challenge is when you're on the social media world, if you're criticizing other people all the time, you shouldn't be surprised if you start getting criticism. It's like a boomerang effect, right? Yeah. Now, here's an interesting Jesus is not suggesting works based righteousness here. Because some people can say, well, look what Jesus is saying. If I don't

treat you with kindness, then I don't, you know, then it's a workspace righteousness. So what's the difference between works based righteousness or salvation? And what Jesus is saying here? What do you think? The first thing I thought I was when he says, love your neighbor as yourself. That's another place where he says you can sum up the nonprofits in this. So I thought about that. And that is more of an issue of the heart. And it has to go back to your motives, which you were alluding to. Yeah, it's if God gives builds a platform for us to help people, then it's great. That's great because God built it. But it goes back to tell about what if I try to build a platform, then look out, because that's going to fall really, really hard. So that's what I think of when you think, am I am I doing these acts to earn something from God or to get something from God or to get notoriety? You know, what's my

motives? Or am I doing this because of what's been done for me? Yeah, like the hard part of being in positions that we're in in the ministry is loving people with secret. That's one of the things that I did not like about coming on to church staff. Yeah, it's something that you have to kind of grieve, you know, when you're being a lay person, I was a deacon here and all that. And then you come on set. Everybody sees all the anything good I do. They see, you know, it's like, you know, when you first became a Christian, you got to do stuff. Yeah. And you say, God, you see that. You know, you got that intimacy with God. So that's where my mind goes. There's a difference between, um, am I doing this to thinking that I need to get something for God, I'm trying to gain something from God. But the truth is, I'm actually just giving back to God. I would say that's the difference of, of how I would

see, um, doing right things, doing what's right. You know, that's like, well, Jesus says that he's like, he's like, Hey, I want to treat you right. Because, you know, I hope you God's already treated us more fairly and more graciously than anybody, so it's a reflection of, so that's what I think Jesus is saying here, the underlying thing there is like, hey, treat others as you want to be treated. Look at how God has treated you. - Yeah. - Yeah, so that's where the line goes. - Well, and sometimes though, people treat your certain way manipulatively in a way so that you treat them a certain way, so even that could be, yeah, because even the most-- - Say to them, 'cause you know that they might say to them, kind of, they-- - Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. - Exactly. - I'm trying to get something from you. - Yes. - Yeah, and notice Jesus ties it to you. He says, "Whatever you want others to do for you, "do also the same for them." You know, one of the quotes years ago when I was in the network marketing world, I used to listen to all these guys like Tony Robbins and Zig Ziglar and Les Brown and Omar Perriou and all these guys.

And one of the lines Zig Ziglar used to say was, and he was a believer, he said, "If you help enough other people get in life what they want, "you'll have everything in life you want." And basically the idea was if you're very generous in wanting to help and go the extra mile to help people, then the world's others around you will see that and then in a turn, you don't do it for that, but there's this law of reciprocity built into that. And Vivian does that well, Vivian's very generous with her time and helps and talent and everybody, you want to help somebody like that. You're like Vivian, he said, "Of course, I'll help Vivian." Because they know you'll do that for them, but if you're very stingy, which is what we read earlier, while back with you, if you have an evil eye or a stingy eye, then it's gonna come back to you in a stingy way. Okay, so let's move on to verse 13. Jesus just taught about how we should judge and if you missed that episode, you need to go back and listen because Jesus is saying don't judge unless you're ready to be judge yourself. He does not say don't judge at all, that's a misunderstanding of the text. Because right here, you're gonna see that you're gonna have to judge multiple things in order to understand what's going on. So Vivian, read verse 13. - Enter through the narrow gate for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction

and there are many who go through it. You want me to keep going? How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life and few find it? Be on your guard against false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravaging wolves. You'll recognize them by their fruit. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit but a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can't produce bad fruit neither can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that doesn't produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So you'll recognize them by their fruit. - Okay, that's a lot there. - That's a lot. Jesus is not using ideas they don't understand. This is very simplistic here, right? He's using a metaphor of fruit, of prophets, with wolves and trees and thistles. It's very simple. They lived in an agricultural world so they knew this and basically Jesus says, okay, you'll recognize them by the fruit and here's the thing. He starts with, there's two gates though. So in order to understand it, he starts with gates. Now, the gate's interesting. He says, narrow is the gate that leads to what?

Life. Wide or broad is the gate that leads to destruction. I was on a plane when I was finishing my degree years ago. I was flying on a plane back and forth to finish at New Orleans Seminary and I was on the plane one time and I was talking to somebody about Jesus being the only way. They were like, man, I believe in Jesus but I believe in all these other options as well. And I said, well, listen, Jesus is the only way to God. There's no other way, he even said it, you know. He said, come to me, I am the way, the truth in life. No one, you know what the word no one means? I said, no, no one. And they said, Robbie, you sound narrow-minded, personally. You said really narrow-minded to believe that. And I said, actually, I'm not the one who said it. You're right, Jesus said it. And then I quoted them narrow into the narrow gate because the gate is wide and broad. That leads to destruction. But the gate is narrow that leads to life. Jesus is doing something here, okay? What is Jesus? Now, you could take this two ways. You could take that leads to life like many of us think eternal life, okay? But again, you have to understand, the audience is not interested in going to heaven. This is a big part of our podcast

if you're new to it listening. We have to retrain our minds from thinking. Everything Jesus talks about is going to heaven tomorrow and ejecting from earth and leave in this place. Jesus is not interested in removing us from earth to go somewhere in eternity. Jesus is interested in bringing heaven to earth through us today to make an impact while we're here. we always think what? Eternal life, I don't think that's what he's talking about. I don't think there's, maybe, possibly. I think he's talking about life today. - The abundant life? - Abundant life today, it changes everything for us because what is Jesus constantly doing? Jesus is constantly inviting people to live differently today. Think of it this way, if it was all about going to heaven, I use this example sometimes. Think about this, Jesus would've said to the disciples, it was only going to heaven if that was the goal. He would've called the guys one by one. Matthew put the text, you know, put the text table, get away from there, come here. Judas put the coins aside, you know, Peter put the fishing nets down, get in line, guys. And he would've lined them up one after another, they would've walked up, he would've taken his hands, placed them on John's head and said, boom, no all truth. And John would've stood there and said, you know,

his eyes get real bright and he thinks, wow, I know Calvinism and Arminianism, right there. Wouldn't he have been a video? But, you know, I know the sovereignty of God and the free will of man, I know the entire, you know, no, they didn't say that. When Jesus said, if you wanna learn what life is, get behind me in line and follow after me. So what I think Jesus is saying here is, he's not talking about just going to heaven. Yeah, I mean, obviously that's the end goal. If you're not living a life of abundance and victory today, you're probably not gonna live one tomorrow, you know, an eternity. So obviously the road leads there. But the question we have to ask is, what does the road look like to get there? That's the question, okay? So when Jesus talks about the gate, he also talks about this in one other place. Go with me to John chapter 10 verse nine. This is a cross-reference. When we hear about Jesus talking about the gate. Hey, I'm Jimmy Brown. I've actually been a friend of Robbie for 30 years now. It's crazy to say that and to see, you know, through that time, our friendship, how it's grown and also just watching you as to where, you know, I was able to mentor to you at some point. But then for the past about 29 years,

you've been mentoring to me, you know. But there's something that I'm super excited about. And this, this book, wait here. I've read Robbie's books, of course, in the past, had the honor of even being in a few of them where we discuss our times at college together. But this book is completely written differently than anything, Robbie, you've ever even done before. And it's exciting to say that it's about the revival. I'd always heard about the revival here at Long Hollow. But this is something that basically gives you an inside look kind of behind the scenes of what was going on. And we went through and I was able to read it. And then Robbie, doing the audio, was able to listen to it. And there were times where Vivian, even we were sitting in and we would finish a chapter and everyone in the room would be crying. And at first, it was a great question because it was brought up to the ones of us that were here. We understand why we're getting emotional. Some of you that weren't, why is it that you're so emotional? And the whole point was we were getting to relive it all together again to see what was going on behind the scenes, to see how the Lord was working in the lives of the people and how it was all connected. Truly amazing and it covers it in such a great way. So I'm excited to even be able to endorse it and to talk about it and to say it's coming out when September 22nd, September 22nd.

- Get a copy, read it. It's gonna really be impactful in your life. I'll show you. - John chapter nine, he's gonna talk about sheep in the sheep gate in the fold. - Chapter 10. - I mean, chapter 10 verse, sorry, yeah. Okay, read that Vivian for us. - I am the gate. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture. A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance. - Okay, now, now we're reading it differently now. See, you gotta retrain your mind to read these things 'cause we always start us going to heaven. No, Jesus is talking about what's happening today. A thief comes to steal, kill today. And if you live in my gate and follow me, you're gonna have life today. You see how it changes everything. So here's the main other question. Why is the gate so narrow? - Do you enter? - Okay, few enter and why is the road so narrow? Let me tell you in another way. Why is the path so narrow? - I would just say 'cause of the human heart, the condition of the human heart.

I mean, we're literally, he's literally saying, I love that you started with verse 12 when it says, see, it's something difficult that is, it's very opposite. What does the world say? Take care of yourself. - Yeah. - Just take care of you. I gotta get mine, baby. You gotta get mine. - I gotta get mine. - I gotta get mine. - I gotta get mine. - I gotta get mine. That's what the world says. - Yeah. - What's the new phrase? I'm him. - I'm him. - I'm him. - Yeah. - You didn't heard that. - I'm him, I'm him. - Yeah, meaning I'm-- - Look at me. - And you're like, no, there's only one him. - There's only one? - Yeah, exactly. - And it ain't you, bro. (laughing)

- That's scary, right? - Okay, there we go. - Whoa! - Yeah, it up. - I think that's what he's saying. He's saying it's difficult. - What is Jesus doing right now? He is shutting down easy-believism, okay? Easy-believism is this idea. Just say a prayer, repeat after me, and then go live like you want. Just go do like you want. And again, I'm not pointing the finger at those who have been taught this wrong, because the reality is the finger's pointed at the leaders and preachers and teachers and pastors who sold them this bill of goods, which is not a Christian salvation in the first place. - Right. - I mean, how many church, you're raising there, I'm not trying to throw shade at churches we were raising, but we know churches like this. - Yeah. - Give your life to Jesus. - Say a prayer. - Say a prayer. - Write your name on a card. - What you do to it on the week? Now, when you come in on Sunday, we're gonna make you feel bad,

because you didn't show up at quote events. You know, pastors have a bad habit of doing this. Pastors put a lot of events on your calendar that you can't make, and then every Sunday you come to church, they make you for a bad for not showing up. But again, I'm not saying you shouldn't go to events, but again, the problem is the events are always at the church. And so you think about it, think about how much time, quote, Christianity is played out in the building, and how much time it's lived out in your life. And that's what happened, I think, to the culture before. And here's what I'm getting at. When Jesus says the gate is narrow and the road is small, he's talking about discipleship. Remember, Jesus never called people to be Christians, okay? Never. - Yeah. - If you get this, this will help you. In fact, I did a study years ago when I was writing Growing Up. Guess how many times, Vivian, you may know this, guess how many times the word Christian is used in the New Testament? How many times? And all of the 26 books of the New Testament from Matthew to Revelation. I'm gonna let you answer the first one,

and then I'm gonna let you answer the second one. The first one is this, how many times? - Is it once? - Once, okay, good guess. Adam? - I was gonna say zero. - Ooh, zero. Now it is used more than zero. Caden, don't look up Chad GPT. How many times Vivian says one time, Adam says zero. How many times the word Christian used in the Bible? - Zero. - Zero, okay, Jeremy. Zero, golly. We've got three zeros. Actually, it's three. - Is it three? - No, I think it's three times. - I think it's an ax. - It's an ax twice. - They were called Christians first. - Yeah, I mean, I think it's a lot of the way. - And then they were called followers of the way, but then I was trying to figure out what the other two are. - What's the third one? Okay, I'm gonna quote this offhand. I don't agree there. Acts 11, 26, I think, Acts 26, 28. Those are the two times called Christians. And then I think it's in first Peter's the last one.

Okay, now watch this. The first time it's used in Acts 11, it's actually according to Harper's Dictionary, it's a term of quote, derision, negativity. Basically, they were like, "You're following this dead guy who died on a cross?" 'Cause remember, Christian means little-- - Little Christ. - Yeah, it means like a form of dance, okay? So they were like making fun of them. Like, you follow this guy who died on the cross. Now, I'm not saying it's a bad term, I'm not saying we shouldn't refer to ourselves as a Christian. But back then, the word was not a popular term. Now, in contrast, how many times is the word disciple used in the gospels and in the New Testament? Well, Adam, go first, gospels. - I'm trying to remember from your book. - I know, I know. - I have to say people through you're looking at it. - Wow. Gosh, I would probably say 20, I'm gonna say 25. - Ooh, that's a good guess, okay? 25, Adam. So, three times Christian compared to 25, Vivian. - Oh gosh, I was just gonna say a bunch. - A bunch, okay? - A bunch? - A bunch.

- That doesn't help us. - That means he'll be right. - That's gonna be a bunch. (laughing) - A bunch is a good guess. - That's the seventh day. - Yeah, the seventh day. - Okay, Vivian's a bunch. Jeremy, what you saying? - 71. - 71, he went with the seven number. - Here we go. - Okay. - I was gonna say 50, but then I was like now. - How many times, disciple, the word disciple, Mathetius? - I'm gonna say... - He's pondering. - Probably somewhere in the fifties. - Fifties, okay. Y'all are close. I'm joking. - No. - This can blow you away. Again, when you hear this for the first time, if you're listening, it blows you away. The word disciple is used 238 times. - What's this? - She will. - I'm sorry, I'm right.

(laughing) - Hit that one. Vivian's not used to her buttons yet. - That's right, I won. - Yeah. - You're on the clock, Jeremy. (laughing) - I didn't. - Come on down. - Closest to the number. - You gettin' very bad. - Yeah, yeah, yeah. Come on down. (laughing) Spin the wheel. - There you go. - The narrow wheel. (laughing) - Two hundred, what? - No, okay. Two hundred, watch this. 238 times. 269 times in the New Testament. Now, it begs the question if you're listening. What is Jesus interested in producing in the followers who call themselves, his followers, Christ followers, born again? Christians or disciples? It's obviously disciples. Well, then you break the word down even more.

The word Christian is a static term in Greek. So think of it as a descriptive term. You just are describing something that's stationed or just what it is, okay? The word disciple on the other hand, in the Greek language is dynamic. It exudes, that's why making disciples, he says, go therefore and make disciples. He doesn't say make Christians, he says make disciples. He doesn't say make converts. He doesn't say make decisions. He says, make disciples, okay? So even the word itself has within it this seed of replication. So even the word means, and that's why I tell people, people say, oh yeah, we have a church making disciples. We have Sunday school, we have this or that. And I say, great, this how you figured out. Until the disciple you have discipled, has made a disciple, you haven't made disciples. Which you've made as a participant. I mean, a spectator, not a participant. You've made a consumer, not a gospel co-worker. Now, real quick Vivian, just go to loot957 for context, Adam, turn there, I want you to see this. We have a wonderful picture, and we're gonna get to this soon, eventually if we can ever get through the servant of the Mount, which we will. But loot chapter nine, one of my favorite passages

on discipleship, Jesus comes in contact with three different guys who are seeking to follow him. Now, before we read this, 'cause you know this passage, before we read this, let me show you the difference. If Jesus, I want you to think of this. If Jesus was an American pastor, how would he respond differently than the way he did here? Okay? Okay, this will convict you, I did this for myself. So loot chapter nine, okay, we're gonna hear what Jesus says, but I want you to think after, how differently would we have said when we have people who are like, man, I'm in, I'm ready. Let's go, how differently would we respond? So let's just read it quickly. Loot chapter nine, 57 to 62, listen to this. - As they were traveling on the road, someone said to him, I will follow you wherever you go. Jesus told him, foxes have dins and birds of the sky have nests, but the son of man has no place to lay his head. - Don't stop the difference. Okay, that's not the response, I thought. I thought Jesus would say repeat after. Okay, keep going, sorry, sorry, sorry, here we go. - Then he said to another, follow me. Lord, he said, first let me go bury my father, but he told him, let the dead bury their own dead. But you go and spread the news of the kingdom of God. Another said, I will follow you, Lord,

but first let me go and say goodbye to those at my house. But Jesus said to him, no one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God. - Okay, three different men, three different situations. Every time, here's what I want you to notice. When the guys say I'll follow you, Jesus never lowers the bar, he raises it, he raises it. He doesn't, in a sense, he doesn't make it easier, he makes it harder, okay? And the one that really gets me, I'm not gonna explain this too much 'cause there are so many connections to the Old Testament. I'll give you a hand at the end, 62 is a callback to the relationship, I can give it all away, between Elijah and Elijah, remember this? This is such a good one, maybe he knows this and such a good one. And that's a picture of discipleship and I'll show you that there's one difference in here. But the middle one gets me because Jesus actually said to another, so the first two said, I'll follow you. But Jesus actually goes, say, listen, I think, that king guy, man, that's something in him, I see something in him, he don't even see it in himself. I'm gonna go up to him, hey, king, come follow me. And he starts with the right words. What does he say? Lord, what does Lord mean? When I say, when you say Lord to someone, what does that mean, Lord?

- Like ruler? - Yes, ruler, but what does it mean in my relationship to you? If you say to me, or I say to you, Lord, Vivian. - It's full submission. - Total submission. It's like a, it's a servant to a master. That's the, out of respect, yeah, it's out of respect. And you respect them, that's good, by doing what they say. - Right. - So that's how people say, oh, I respect the Lord. Okay, why don't you live like he said? I said that Sunday, by the way. I said, if you love the Lord so much, why don't you do what he says? Because you can't say I love Jesus and not live like he lived and said like, okay, so this guy says, Lord, but let me go. And Jesus says, listen, we ain't got time for that. Now, it seems harsh, but what Jesus is getting at is this. You gotta understand, just give you a little hint here. A burial process in the first century could last up to one year. but watch this. What could happen is he's got it. He knows next of kin, so he's the first in line. And as the man to the father, he now has to distribute the wealth. He has to go through the court proceeding. He has to figure out where does the house go? Where does the land go? Who could? So he's got things to do. Yes, he's going to go. Let me go get some things in order. Jesus is like, man, you're not serious. So my point is this. Let's go back to the text. Jesus is saying to them in the Sermon on the Mount, it's going to cost you something, okay? This is going to cost you something. Now, I don't know for sure, but I want you to

see what's happening in verse 15. Let's read verse 15 again, but I want you to notice why he shifts from discipleship to discernment. Watch this verse 15. Be on guard, he, 715, sorry. Be on guard against false prophets. Be on your guard against false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly, are ravaging wolves. You'll recognize them by their fruit. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes or figs or thistles? Okay. Maybe, maybe the broad path are those following false prophets and the narrow path are following true men. I don't know. That's a speculation, but think about that. Maybe Jesus is, because you remember, who is Jesus's audience? Religious folks. He's not talking to a lost crowd here. He's talking to mainly the disciples, and we're going to get to it, because we're going to zone it. Jesus basically goes real broad, then he goes religious, then he goes Judas, just wait. You're going to love this. Real broad, religious, crowd, religious Judas. Okay. But the predominant audience are the disciples or their first audience are the disciples, second audience, the religious folks. And maybe what Jesus is saying is this, and this is why listening to the wrong church leader is not only dangerous, it's detrimental to your Christian life, because one is, you could think you're following the right way and be on the wrong road. And again, I'm not saying, you know, longhouse is not the only church, I would say, and everybody priests at Long Hollow, we try to vet, make sure there are men and women of the word of God, by the way, Adam, by the way, Adam, French, our very own is up on the big stage. You up on, you up on day over the fourth, you want to come out, meet and see Adam, French, the meet and greet. Jerry, Jerry is going to be me, but Adam will be up on the main stage, preacher. Yeah. But the point is, anybody that preaches, and Adam knows this, they are men and women who preach the word of God, the text, the word, but not their opinions, not ideas, whatever. If you're going to a church, here's what I tell people, say, well, I've been here forever, I love brothers, so and so. Oh, you may. But if you're going to a church right now, and the pastor at your church is not preaching the word of God. Why? The only thing that changes a person's life is the word of God. It's the only thing God promised in all his word that will not return void and will accomplish everything it intends to accomplish. Not funny stories, cool illustrations, opinions, humor, all those things are good. They seize and discernment, but you need to be growing in the word of God. That's what we always say. Get into the word. And don't say get into my messages or hope you like my illustration. Get into the word, to the word gets into you. And by the way, the best preaching I've learned from studying and

getting degrees and preaching, the best preaching teaches you how to read the Bible for yourself. You know this. The best compliment is when you finish the sermon and they say, wow, that's right in the text. You got it right out there. The worst compliment you can have, Kaden, this is, note this one, is when they come up and I did this for believe me, I'm guilty of this. They'll come and say, wow, I don't know how you did that or where you got that from, but it was, you're like, that's not a compliment. I want you to say, it's right here in the text. I didn't see the, well, maybe thing. I want to say something just, I know all of our Instagram feeds are full of pastors who have platforms. People who even profess be Christian, now they're like, no, I don't believe it's real anymore. And leading people astray because they talk intelligently and yada yada, whatever, charisma. It breaks my heart every time I see one and knowing that they're reaching people and people are following them and they're listening and they may be interviewed on a podcast or doing their own reels. I watched, I watched one yesterday and it was a guy who's familiar. I don't remember his name, but he was talking about, he was on staff at a church and he said he knew of a situation where, and he went to the elder board to report it, and they basically disciplined him, said he was being too critical. And it was, it was basically some question. God's about it. Yeah. Oh, what, what ideology was like, was creeping in? It was like, we've got to be just sad. Here's the thing to think about this line. You got me thinking I heard this years ago, a quest a leader that can't be questioned is a questionable leader. Say that one again, a leader in your chair, you can listen. One thing about me and believe me, people question me more than probably I want, but they question me in a week in law, but some people did a question, but I'm fine with that. I have a whole team, Adam knows this, you're on the team, Vivian, Adam's on the team. I have a sermon prep team every week that gives feedback why did you say this, and then feedback on the back end. If you can't be questioned, you're a questionable leader, and if you're at a church where they always throwing out the

one line in script, don't question God's anointed, that's baloney. That's baloney. Well, I was thinking that the scripture's not baloney, but questioning the leader's knowledge should be able to. Well, the it's just it's funny how like we have these deep theological truths and then God makes them so practical. Just in general, words create relationship. I can't have a relationship without the words that we have. And it's like the word in every sermon should lead you to a deeper relationship with God, because anybody can follow rules. We can train, we train three year olds to walk in straight lines like you can follow rules. And that's what he's pointing to. He's looking at the religious leaders and he's saying, it's he's saying, listen, it's a lot narrow than you think. It's not about following all these little rules, because if you actually look in the hearts of these leaders, they're evil. You see what I'm saying? And then it's like, and so that's why I love what we do here and what you brought to our church is it's if everybody's in the word, then we all should be deepening our relationship with God. And we don't do things because we want to follow rules or we want to say, look at me and look down. We do things because out of conviction and it moves us to do that. And so I think that if we're if we're hearing from the word and that's why, you know, you'll preach something and and they'll we'll be standing in line and there'll be 50 people walk up and they all say something different. We're just like, what did you hear a siren?

Did you say it? You know, because because it's the word. Yeah, the Holy Spirit rightly devised. Think about this. Okay. Well, you got me thinking, I just this would just hit me. You're saying this. So you're right. I would always say words create worlds. The world you live in is created by the words you hear. And one says, isn't it interesting that the very way John chooses to describe the incarnation of Jesus Christ, God's son, he says, this was our memory verse, by the way, last week, in the beginning was an illustration. Is that what he says? In the beginning was a picture. That's not what he says. In the beginning was a no. He says in the beginning was the word word and he says it over and over and the word was with God and the word was God and he was with God in the beginning and the word became flesh and dwelt among us. So if you want to grow closer to Jesus, you got to get into the word because every time you spend time in the word, you get closer to Jesus. And that's what protects you from verse 15, be on your guard against false prophets. How? You go, how you're going to how you're going to judge it? How you're going to judge it by the word by the word, which

means you've got to be a student of the word. I want to give a testimony just because I had my degree right before we came into this recording. And I became a believer when I was nine and a half years old and I knew the great commission. I'd been taught it my whole life, but I'd never really understood what it looked like to be a disciple or to try to help make other disciples until discipleship groups here. And in Robin Candy's reading plan in the here journal, it has been one of the most life-giving things I have ever experienced in my life. I can't now not do it. Be in one, help facilitate one, whatever, I have to do it. And just being that accountability of being in the word together, reading through it, holding us accountable. What's the spirit teaching you, asking each other questions, wrestling with the text, all of that. It is incredible. It is like changing is incredible. Well, here's, well, praise God. And we had this conversation with my de-group this week. We were talking about guys who rose up and fell. We're studying Saul and David. We finished the life of David, you know, at the end, and we're talking about this. And I said, guys, you're going to understand selfishly. And I lead three de-groups a week this week now. I love all of them are different. And I tell them selfishly, I need this group as much or more than you because they're speaking in my life.

They're holding me accountable. And I said, I don't know the lives of these men who have fallen and you know these guys, they come to mind when you think of it. But the reality is I would assume they weren't in a deciphering relationship or an accountability group. Because not only, by the way, not only have three disciples or groups, I have accountability group with Adam. And that's guys who are not impressed with each other. We love each other, we speak to each other. And I would, and I don't know for sure, but I would say Paul David Tripp said this line after somebody fell and big guy in the Christian world. And he was asked, why did he fall? How did this happen? He was like at the height of his ministry. And he said, the problem is these guys who fall get on a level and they look around and nobody's standing on that level of the platform with him, everybody's below. If you're ever on a level, on a platform, and there's nobody on the platform as you're equal, then you're in trouble. - Yeah. - You're in trouble. - It's Jeremiah, the proverb. He's trying to tell the, I just won't tell the whole story, but he's trying to tell the king. He's like, hey, God's telling you to do this, and the king says no. And Jeremiah realizes something, he's like, wow.

That's the condition of the, that's the whole human heart. - Human heart. - The human heart is deceitful. We deceive ourselves. - Above all things. - So, whatever they say, if you're a sponsor or you're a mentor or you're a discipler, if you don't have a mentor or you don't have somebody in a disciple in you, in AA, it's CR, so. - For sure. - Then you got a fool for a sponsor. You got a fool for a mentor. - Yeah. - Because if I'm leading myself, I'm like, it's me, it's me, it's you. You know what I mean? - That's a good one, yeah. - So, I need to go. I don't wanna go to a sponsor, you got a fool. - Yeah, 'cause it's the blily and the blind, yeah. - Okay, so let's finish this up. Matthew 721, we're gonna finish up here and then I wanna just show you what Jesus is saying. Jesus is saying, you will determine them by the way they live. So, think of it this way. How to determine that there's being a true prophet and a false prophet is you become a fruit inspector. You're a fruit inspector. To determine that the fruit is good

or spoiled or rotten or it's not growing. And Jesus goes on from here to judgment. Now, you can read this in light of, again, there's two ways to read this, in light of the end of days, which is the end of all things, or you can read this in light of the end of the age, which I would say, if you've listened to my Revelation series, which I just finished, by the way, we just put the last one in. - Gotta book coming soon, right? - I'm working on a book right now. - Yeah, I'll satisfy it. - I think there are 23 episodes I recorded on the Book of Revelation. - On the YouTube channel. - On the YouTube channel. So you can go to the YouTube channel. But here's the thing, I am convinced now, there is the big difference between the end of the days, when Jesus comes back, the new heaven and new earth, and the end of the age, which was the destruction of the temple, which for them, in that world, it was the end of every day. So you can look at it either way, they both work, but let's just read Matthew 7, 21. - My daddy used to quote the scripture for me. - Oh yeah. - Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my father in heaven.

On that day, many will say to me, Lord, Lord, didn't we prophesy in your name, drive out demons in your name, and do many miracles in your name? Then I will announce to them, I never knew you, depart from me, you lawbreakers. Do I keep going? - No, I think that's enough. (laughing) - That's enough. - Wow, okay, this is probably one of the most sobering verses in all of the Bible. Definitely in the life of Jesus. And because it's scary, 'cause naturally you start saying it's not me. - Yeah. - Man, am I that guy? Because what Jesus is saying is, so he just said you could determine them by their works. So let's just go on, let's look at the flow of thought. You look at their life, you look at their fruit, you look at their life. Their life will be, think of it this way, your life will be the evidence that will convince, here's the way I think of it. Is there enough evidence in your life that when you stand before Jesus, you're convicted of the crime of being a Christian? Think about that. Forget what you said, forget your church attendance,

the way you live, the way you spoke. Okay, so that's what Jesus is building to here. He's like, all right, listen, if you wanna know, look at a person's life, but then he flips it on its head. And he said, but it's actually deeper than the way you live. Because there's a way that you, it's kinda confusing, but he's like, what are you talking about? Jesus is saying there is a way that people can live and do all the right things, like the guys in the audience here, by the way, these jokers here, the Pharisees who did it all and still miss out how, because he's going deeper. It's the posture of your heart to while you do the things in the first place, okay? So notice what he says. "Lord, Lord, not everyone will enter the kingdom of heaven." Again, we gotta change our perspective. What do we normally think he means? He's dying and going to heaven. - Yeah, he thinks salvation, you think? Saying the prayer, are you gonna be spending eternity after you die? - Yeah, I'm gonna tell you why he doesn't think that. I mean, that can't be the case, okay? What was John the Baptist? Either Jesus is just talking about tomorrow or he's not. It can't be one of the other, okay? Let's show it to you. What does Jesus say, John the Baptist's first message? Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is coming in 2020.

(laughing) No. Jesus' first message. Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is what? - Now. - Now. Here in your midst, okay? So either Jesus and John were wrong or they were right and we're wrong, okay? We're wrong, okay? So we're gonna finish this up. We're getting close to the end, but I wanna finish this up because this is so good to think about. I think Jesus is talking about living the abundant life now, okay? And he's saying not everyone who will enter the Kingdom of Heaven will get in because of these things. This is this and this, but only those who, what, obey. Obedience to the Lord is better than action for oneself. And that's what these guys are doing. So I told you earlier, he's talking to the crowd, obviously, he's talking to religious crowd. He's talking to, or he's starting to crowd, he's starting to religious leaders, talking to the disciples would be the third area, but I think this one thing is addressed to Judas. In fact, I'm gonna take you back quickly and show you how Jesus is dropping nuggets for Judas along the way in the Sermon on the Mount. Watch this one.

Go back to Matthew 624, and I want you to see this one. And I want you to picture Jesus on the hillside talking and Judas is an earshot five feet away, sitting down and listen to how Judas would have heard this. - Verse 24. - Verse 24. No one can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. - Judas. - And Judas. - All right, let's back up, I got another one for you. Let's go back to verse 19. Listen to this one now, 19 through 21. What would Judas say, or how would he hear this? - Don't store up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rest destroying where thieves break in and steal, but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rest destroys and where thieves don't break in and steal for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. - Okay, if Judas would have stood up at that moment, guess what would have been tied to his waist? - The money belt. - The money bag, the money belt. Let me give you one more. When the rich young ruler says, hey, I'll do whatever it takes to follow. Tell me what I need to do in a Harry eternal life.

We always think going to heaven tomorrow. No, he's wanting to know, how do I experience the abundant Christian life today? That's what he's asking. He's not asking. How do I go to heaven? You understand, the Jewish community back then assumed they were going to heaven. That's what Jesus always said. Doesn't matter, I don't know who you were from, but our father's Abraham, you know what they're saying? We're all going to heaven. We all have a share. They didn't call it that. They said we have a share of the world to come. They weren't interested in going to heaven. They assumed they were going there. They wanted to know how to have an abundant life here. So the rich young ruler comes up and Jesus says, look bro, you like one thing. You got one barrier. Sell everything, give it to the poor. Why? Because your heart is bent toward money. Judas heard every word of it, okay? How could this even happen? How could a man who heard this over and over and over and over again still miss it? He was there. He ate with Jesus.

He slept by Jesus. He heard Jesus. You know, there's a saying, I love this saying, it says the same son that melts the wax hardens the clay. The same son, S-U-Ed, but we could say the S-O-Ed, melts the wax hardens the clay. Judas is a picture of what happens when a person doesn't obey. And I'll show you one more thing and we're done here. Go to Matthew 26, 20. And I'm going to give you this one account of what happens at the end of Judas, Judas's life. Okay. - He said verse 20. - 26, 20. They're at the Last Supper and Jesus says, one of you guys is going to betray me, okay? They look around and they, what's going on? And Jesus says, I don't think he says this out loud. I think he whispers this to John who's reclining next to him and he says, hey, he doesn't say this out loud. If he would have said it out loud, every I would have been on the bread bowl. - Right. - Nobody wants to, I'm done. You want any bread? No, I'm good. I think he whispers it to John and he says, hey, the next guy to do it is the one who's going to betray me.

Okay, read this. Matthew 26, 20. When evening came, he was reclining at the table with the 12. While they were eating, he said, truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me. Deeply distressed, each one began to say to him, surely not I, Lord. He replied, the one who did, will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man by whom the son of man is betrayed. It would have been better for him if he had not been born. Judas his betrayer replied, surely not I rabbi. You have said it, he told him. As they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, gave it to the disciples and said, take and eat, this is my body. Then he took a cup and after giving thanks, he gave it to them and said, drink from it all of you for this is my blood of my covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. But I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you and my father's kingdom. After seeing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus, where were you verse 25? Yeah, I pass that no, no, no. Yeah. So the son of man just is written, woe to the man. She's went, she's read a couple verses. Yeah, pass. Judas his betrayer said, surely not I rabbi. I missed it. Sorry. That's great. You said it. Jesus said. Okay. Now, if you go to the other passages in, or you go to 22, when Jesus is deeply distressed, each one began to say to him, surely not I Lord. Did you guys have part? Surely not I Lord. So Matthew, surely not I Lord, John, not I Lord, right? Not I Lord James. And then we get to Judas. And Judas says, surely not I Rabbi, Rabbi teacher,

teacher. Okay. At the end of Jesus's life, Judas is still calling him teacher and not Lord. Now, how does he miss it? We miss it because we think that Judas is a hook nosed, read outfit wearing sinister faced, you know, devil like person. That's not him. Judas looks like anybody in your church that sits next to you on Sunday. And here's the point I wanted to show you. If Judas could confuse and manipulate the closest men, these are the heroes of the faith. And at the end of life, they don't say, I'm so glad you figured it out, because we've been waiting for you to get it. This old two phase dirty rotten thief, Judas surely it's him. Jeez, they don't say that. What do they do? They indict themselves. They don't point the finger at him. They point the finger at themselves. And what they say is, surely not I Rabbi or surely not I Lord. And then Judas says surely not I Rabbi. Here's the point I want to close with. If we're not careful, you can confuse yourself because at the end of life, instead of calling Jesus Lord, you're far from you calling him Rabbi. Judas was a man who heard every sermon. He listened to every message. He heard every truth. He witnessed every miracle firsthand. He saw it. He carried the financial bank account for the 501c3 of Jesus incorporated. He listened to Jesus's sermon. He might have even cried when he preached shed a tear down his eyes. But at the end of his life, Judas watch this is still calling his own shots. Judas is still in control of his life. Judas is still the captain of his own ship. He admired Jesus. He supported the cause. But he still wanted it his way. You know what that tells me about people today? You may be a second or third generation Christian. You may sing in the choir every Sunday. You may attend Sunday school. You may even have followed him since you were five years old. You may even preach

a thousand sermons. You admire Jesus. You may even cry about him when you sing. But at the end of your life, if Jesus is still Rabbi teacher and not Lord, you're doing it your own way. This is the line I want to leave you with. It's not does Jesus do you know Jesus? The line is not do you know Jesus? The question is, does Jesus know you? Because he says at the end of life, he'll say depart for me. I never knew you. And how do you know him? I spend in time with him by listening to his word by farling in love with him. It's powerful. And obey and obey and obey him. Yeah, powerful, powerful. Well, thank you so much for joining us. We love for you to become a part of the forgotten Jesus podcast team. The way that you can do that is to select subscribe. You can also share comment which I look at all those comments and respond. Thank you again for joining us today. [Music]