Latest / Simply Christ Podcast / The Study of the Book of Colossians Part 16 - Simply Christ Podcast

Transcript

The Study of the Book of Colossians Part 16 - Simply Christ Podcast · Simply Christ Podcast

0:08
back to the Simply Christ podcast hosted by Leon Martin,
0:11
along with Aaron Keaton, Melvin Martin, Andrew Schrock and Dan
0:15
Blatz. Let's get right to it.
0:19
All righty, we are here for another Monday night Bible
0:22
study. Looking forward to see what the
0:26
book of Colossians has for us will be in chapter 3.
0:30
Verse 20 is where we're going to kick off from when we get there.
0:34
So welcome. Thanks for being here, all of
0:37
you on all the different platforms.
0:39
For the next hour, the four of us are going to share our
0:43
opinion or what we see in the word here and hopefully it would
0:49
help somebody see the truth. We're clearly maybe or whatever
0:53
help somebody, including ourselves as we look at it here.
0:58
Just want to say to submit questions.
1:00
If you have a question or a comment, feel free to submit
1:03
that in whatever platform you are on.
1:04
We love to get those and discuss that if you're so inclined.
1:11
We are on Facebook and YouTube as well as this webinar here.
1:15
And so we're live on there. And there's also recordings from
1:18
previous episodes of those places or links to all those
1:22
places that simply Christ Ministries.
1:24
You could Google that www.simplychristmid.com.
1:30
And they're also out in podcasts and whatever podcast platform
1:35
that you guys use to listen. So yeah, we'll kick this off
1:41
here. I'll have Melvin start us with
1:43
the word of prayer. Here, let's pray.
1:46
Father, we praise you tonight and we thank you for your
1:49
goodness. You're such a good, good Father,
1:52
and we just lift you up and we exalt you.
1:54
You're worthy of all praise and honor.
1:56
Father, I just pray tonight that as we get into your word, that
2:01
Your word could be effective and that the Spirit could be used in
2:07
through us and through Your Word, and that people's hearts
2:13
and ears could be open to the Word.
2:15
And Father, we thank You that that you have given us a way to
2:21
be right with you and have a relationship with You, and that
2:25
You have given us Your Son, Your only begotten Son, to die on the
2:28
cross for our sins. We thank you and we praise You
2:32
for that, and we honor you in Jesus name, Amen.
2:38
That's right. I wanted to mention to some of
2:41
you guys know that Aaron Keaton used to be out here, he's from
2:45
Kentucky, was on here regularly and not so much lately.
2:49
And the reason is he picked up AAI don't know what you call
2:56
another job, but he ministers to a youth, a youth prison or youth
3:02
something like that once a week. So he just, he was too busy and
3:07
he was on here what several weeks ago we had him on that.
3:10
It worked out for us. I just wanted people to know
3:11
it's no, no problems or heart because he just he had other
3:15
stuff that was local or whatever going on and I encouraged him to
3:19
definitely do that. We need people to do that as
3:21
well. So I want to bless him in that
3:24
and appreciate him hopping out when he can.
3:27
So as everyone else do obviously have a schedule not a big deal
3:30
but I was talking about with one of the nurses here in Mexico
3:37
this interesting how the culture is different.
3:40
Some of you know, I'm down in Cancun, Mexico, have been for
3:45
about a week and I'll be here for another week seeking
3:49
treatment for my allergy and asthma issues and which we found
3:54
out what it's actually causing it and hopefully we can treat it
3:57
now. So anyway, so I'm down here.
3:59
I was talking with one of the gals in the clinic and they were
4:01
talking, I was saying that it seems like in Mexico there's
4:04
probably a lot of drug use. We were talking about marijuana
4:07
and stuff like that. And she said, no, there's
4:09
actually a lot of commercial trade, like they would a lot of
4:12
commercial trade where they would buy it from China or other
4:14
countries and sell it to the United States or something like
4:17
that, but not a not a lot of actual drug use here in this
4:21
part of Mexico. And I was surprised if that she
4:25
said she thinks the reason that there isn't a lot is that there
4:29
is excellent family structure and and a lot of community based
4:36
stuff like people actually like it's a really tight knit
4:40
community and people aren't aren't apartment to go off and
4:45
and be alone. If somebody if a community sees
4:48
somebody kind of doing stuff that's wrong, they're they're
4:52
quick to come around the guy and and help him see and kind of get
4:57
him pointed in a different direction.
4:58
That was that was fascinating. And she said she thinks that's a
5:02
correlation because people actually care.
5:05
They don't need drugs to cope with life.
5:07
What do you guys think of that? Is that yeah, something?
5:10
But it seems like when Latino people come up here to live in
5:15
America, they live a lot together in the in the same
5:18
house, like a couple families. And I think that is, you know,
5:23
we can look at that and we say, well, that's weird or whatever,
5:26
right? We kind of think that that seems
5:29
stupid and and but you know what, in all reality, it's kind
5:34
of, it is biblical, not necessarily maybe all living
5:39
together in the same house, but being having community and being
5:44
involved in community and being together.
5:46
And not that would mean just not in my mind, not just on Sundays,
5:51
you know, getting together at church necessarily, but doing
5:55
life together to some degree, whatever that may be, whether
5:59
work or or even, you know, doing things like playing sports
6:05
together or, or whatever it is. But but yeah, that is
6:08
interesting that because it makes sense, though in my mind
6:12
it does because you're together and you're looking out for each
6:17
other, right? I mean, here in America, we are
6:20
very individualistic. I didn't get that out right.
6:24
Then we're we're, we're want to do our own thing.
6:29
That's right. I guess we all come from
6:33
Mennonite are Amish type backgrounds.
6:35
And I, I know my kind of Mennonite ashamed as we are of
6:39
saying it. Many of them us come from
6:41
Mexico. Our ancestors moved down to
6:43
Mexico 100 years ago and they they got mixed up with the drug
6:49
trade. So there you don't, I mean you
6:52
we're finding it more and more now.
6:54
There's quite a few a young Mennonite men or even older ones
6:57
Next up with taking drugs. But from the beginning it was
7:01
more just that they were doing it because they were so, so
7:03
poor. And so they had an opportunity
7:06
to just drive something over the border and make a bunch of
7:08
money. And then obviously the more they
7:10
toy with it, the more young people get involved with it as
7:13
well. But the Mennonite culture has a
7:15
much, much lower rate or use of that kind of substance as well.
7:22
I think partially because of that built in community and the
7:27
the social pressures of not getting mixed up with those
7:30
kinds of things. But I don't know if you guys
7:31
would say the same with your community, your background.
7:36
Yeah, no, I think, I think that's exactly right.
7:40
Exactly right. There's another thing that she
7:42
said. But Ed, did you, Ed, did you
7:43
have any comments on that at all?
7:46
No, I just think that's so cool. I mean, why do you think the
7:49
government of these communists want to destroy the nuclear
7:53
family? It's because they know that when
7:55
the families are strong and the communities are strong, they
7:58
can't brainwash us. They can't override us.
8:01
There's power and family. There's power and structure.
8:03
There's power and community. When we help each other and do
8:07
things, we become smarter. Our kids are smarter.
8:10
Our kids have purpose. They have vision.
8:13
They they see what daddy's doing.
8:15
They see what how mom and dad are functioning.
8:18
They see love and community and relationships and the excitement
8:23
when mom and dad love each other and then they fellowship with
8:27
mom and daddies that love each other.
8:29
That paints a very positive future for a child.
8:32
And they can see hope in that and they can see a future in
8:35
that. But when mom and dad are
8:36
fighting and they're being abused and they're shoving
8:39
Christianity or not or alcohol or I just listened to the
8:43
testimony today about this guy that was in alcohol and he got
8:47
beat by his dad to the pulp for no for ridiculous reasons, just
8:51
because he loses his cool. Those are the kids that run off.
8:55
He ended up being the one of the worst guys on the planet because
8:59
even the cops and the counties didn't want him in their county
9:03
off a guy. He ends up dying, ends up
9:07
miraculously coming back in the whole 9 yards.
9:11
But when you have community and family, kids and the young
9:15
people see a good positive vision and a future that when we
9:19
make it horrible and miserable and we individualize, we don't
9:24
have time for our kids and community and family, then
9:26
obviously the children are going to run off and get into bad
9:29
trouble. And so it's absolutely correct.
9:32
And that's why we're pushing so hard here to get communities,
9:37
families. You don't have to be related to
9:39
have this kind of community and family to get good positive
9:44
examples out there for our gender next generation.
9:48
Yeah, yeah, that's, that's right.
9:50
I, I thought that was, that was very interesting.
9:52
The other thing, and this was just of course her opinion too.
9:54
But the other thing too, she said they have a, they have a
9:58
real sense of pride in accomplishments like, so in
10:02
other words, if somebody does something good or right, like
10:06
starting a business or doing a good job at work or getting
10:09
promoted or something like that opportunity, it's hard to make a
10:13
living here in Mexico by and large, because there's a lot of
10:15
kind of corruption and, and government abuse that kind of
10:18
stuff. But she said that when someone
10:21
actually tries to, to do the right thing, they get, they get
10:25
praised like people honor them and respect them for, for that.
10:29
And I thought that might be another big contributor to
10:34
something like that. Yeah, the other day I was doing
10:39
something with the grandchildren and my one daughter's son, my
10:44
one of my grandchildren was with me.
10:45
And I forget what he did. He was helping me with
10:48
something. And he likes to be really
10:52
helpful. He wants to try and be helpful
10:53
and he's helping me. And I, you know, kept praising
10:56
him and telling him, you know, hey, good job.
10:58
You know it and you're, you're doing good, you know, and boy,
11:01
you can see his chest comes out and he's, he just perks up, you
11:06
know, every when you do that. And you know, so when you why is
11:12
it for myself? I'm just talking about myself.
11:14
Sometimes it's hard to do that to adults or our older children.
11:22
It's it comes a little harder to do that.
11:24
I don't know why that is, but but yeah, if we would do that,
11:28
if we would be behind each other and and encouraging each other
11:33
in those kind of way because it makes me feel good when someone
11:36
does that to me. And that that is a huge factor.
11:41
And I think for myself should be doing more of that two of those
11:47
around me. Yeah, See, that builds
11:50
confidence and purpose, which just comes back to what I was
11:53
trying to say when when a young child, maybe even helping them
11:59
accomplish something. And you say, you know what, you
12:04
can do this. You dip that.
12:07
Like I still remember my dad, which was very rare, but I was
12:11
building this little forklift that you're not supposed was
12:14
always kind of on the fence, like Amish kitchen.
12:17
Why is he building this little forklift?
12:20
And I was there trying to figure out the forks for it tilts and
12:24
then the tips and everything. It was a stupid toy.
12:27
And for dad to see what I'm doing with the lays there on on
12:31
in the little shop, beat up shop.
12:33
I mean, his curiosity got the best of him.
12:35
He came in there and he he gave me some pointers.
12:39
And then after I was done, he got a big smile, You know, OK,
12:42
that was pretty. That's pretty creative.
12:45
You know, that's just, it boosts your confidence even though we
12:49
didn't even have that relationship, but just goes to
12:52
show that the smallest little approval from a father or
12:57
another adult just boost the young man that you know what,
13:01
you're going to do it. Yeah.
13:03
Yeah, you want, you want kids that that look at you when you
13:06
talk or employees that listen when you talk.
13:10
Be liberal with the praise, that's for sure, no doubt about
13:12
that. And that's something I can learn
13:14
to do better all. The time, not the fake stuff.
13:16
Not the fake stuff. For real?
13:18
Yeah. Because that's where we've
13:20
overacted, which is disgusting because that destroys children.
13:25
Because when you praise them or over praise them, when you know
13:30
it's lousy, then your work it's it's worse than no praise.
13:35
Really. Participation trophies?
13:47
Yeah. Anything else in that regard?
13:53
I thought, I thought that was pretty interesting that I just,
13:56
I just figured, you know, with kind of lower, maybe more
13:58
poverty, Although she said there's very, very few homeless
14:01
people. Big city Cancun is huge.
14:04
Very very few homeless people. Very, very because.
14:08
They're thankful, yeah. Yeah, work hard.
14:13
Not victim mentality. We also know that homelessness
14:16
in North America, Canada, US is largely driven by the drugs,
14:20
right? Meth and those.
14:21
Kinds of things which which I it's not the drugs fault.
14:26
I I still think that it's actually community or I don't
14:30
know, I don't know for sure just what it is, but it's the fact
14:33
that we have drugs available or, or hard to get or easy to get.
14:37
That's not the issue. Some.
14:40
Way inside of that somewhere. Some of it is is a lack of
14:43
broken homes or the lack of fathers in children's lives.
14:48
I think it plays a big part in it, you know, because a mom, a
14:52
mom on the other hand, I mean, they, it's OK for a mom to
14:56
praise their children out, but there's something about your dad
15:00
telling you that you did a great job.
15:03
I don't know. It's just there's something
15:05
about that. I think a mom doesn't quite have
15:09
the same effect, probably, you know, on a child or but.
15:13
And yeah, and a lot of these guys don't even have a dad.
15:16
So it's not it's that's like just a big disadvantage.
15:21
But the the thing that upsets me more than anything is a lot of
15:25
these people, they actually end up in the hospital for something
15:28
and then they get an addictive drug for the pain.
15:31
And then when they get home, they can't get it.
15:33
Like that's how I hear so many adults or even older people that
15:40
you would never thought would ever get involved.
15:43
That's how they got involved, started from the doctor's visit.
15:48
All right, let's see what the Bible has to say.
15:53
Maybe there's something in here about the the subject about
15:57
children being angry or not. So last week we talked about
16:05
verse 17 and whatsoever you do in Word or deed do all in the
16:08
name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God the Father by him.
16:13
There is talked already about being thankful and you know,
16:18
doing whatever we do in the name of the Lord doing a good job
16:22
because it's the right thing to do, doing a you know what it
16:25
whether it's thanking somebody or just just doing your your
16:29
natural job. Well, do it because it's the
16:33
right thing to do. But wives submit yourselves into
16:37
your own husbands. That is as it is fit in the
16:39
Lord. Even though that was addressed
16:41
to the wives. We ended up talking about it for
16:42
a while and then the husbands love your wives and be not
16:47
bitter against them. I don't know that we watch on
16:50
that. I couldn't remember for sure,
16:51
but I thought we did. If there is something there that
16:54
you want to pick on or harp on, go right ahead.
16:58
But verse 20 says, children, obey your parents in all things,
17:01
for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.
17:06
So, yeah, your thoughts on that, Bill?
17:08
Yeah, I think it's, it's interesting as I was reading
17:11
through this about how it's going down through the the list
17:16
here, the dynamics of family basically, and what that
17:21
actually looks like when we put our trust and our faith in, in
17:28
Christ alone. It it's just, it's amazing to me
17:33
how when we husbands love their wives and wives submit to their
17:40
own husbands. When that is happening in a
17:45
home, then it's going to be easier obviously for all these
17:49
other things to fall in place. Because I always feel like the,
17:53
the mom and dad are kind of, you know, the set the tone for the,
17:57
for the home, but the it's crazy.
18:00
He says, children obey your parents in all things.
18:03
And that was the part that stood out to me in, in all things.
18:07
And I, I think there seems like in the Amish culture, in the
18:12
Mennonite culture, I know we go back to that quite a bit.
18:14
It's kind of where we came from. But like this verse was abused
18:20
quite a bit in in those cultures.
18:23
And when someone is wanting to leave the church or whatever,
18:28
they use these verses. But it says children, in my mind
18:35
that's meeting, you know, young children, not adults over 18, so
18:40
to speak. There is another verse that
18:43
says, children, obey your parents and all.
18:47
That's not the one I was looking at.
18:49
I'll honor thy father, father and mother and and thou shalt
18:53
love the neighbor as thyself. It says in Matthew 1919 and that
18:57
to me as adult children, so to speak, I have adult children
19:01
myself. We're to honor our father and
19:04
mother. But once you're over 18 as far
19:08
as obeying them when you're out of the house, so to speak.
19:11
And on your own, you don't necessarily obey your father and
19:16
mother so much anymore, but you always honor your father and
19:20
mother because your father and mother is special to you.
19:23
But here specifically talking about children, I see anyway
19:29
children in the home. And the other thing as amazing
19:32
it says for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.
19:36
And so it's not just because it's a good thing to do, but
19:39
that it's well pleasing to the Lord And the Lord loves that
19:43
and, and, and sees that when when children do that.
19:48
Yeah, that's right, Andrew. Yeah.
19:54
That's quite the topic that we hear a lot about obeying your
19:59
parents when you start reading the Bible and you start
20:02
searching and all of a sudden you don't know for sure where
20:04
you're going to stay at. And that's a big fear tactic.
20:08
And there's a lot of verses that talk about dishonouring your
20:11
your father and mother back in the law.
20:13
If you read the book of Genesis, back in Genesis, I mean, if you
20:18
curse your father and mother, you shall die the death.
20:21
I mean it's. A big problem the dishonor your
20:25
father and mother, which is very good point that Melvin pointed
20:28
out. That's not to do that, but you
20:31
that doesn't mean you obey them. I had a an older Amish guy I was
20:34
talking to shortly before I left and I he was saying how that to
20:42
go against your your mom and dad's wishes.
20:45
It's just already tells him that I'm not following God and I
20:50
said, so let's say I'm born in a Muslim family.
20:54
Should I stay Muslim because my mom and dad would cry and weep
20:59
if I left the faith? Oh, of course not.
21:01
We know that's wrong. Well, there, the argument just
21:05
fell apart right, right there. See, that's just it's just
21:09
deceived, you know, so, so let's look at it that way.
21:13
Obviously, if you know your parents are wrong, then and then
21:17
also you got this verse where it says if you're not willing to
21:22
leave father, mother, sister, child, whatever, for his sake,
21:27
you're not worthy of him. That was a very liberating verse
21:30
for me to know that my loyalty to Jesus Christ exceeds any
21:36
human being on this planet, even my wife, even my sister child.
21:41
Whatever my loyalty to Jesus Christ is is supreme.
21:47
And that's what I would say to any young man that is struggling
21:49
with the idea of whether I'm obeying my parents or disobeying
21:55
them by following Jesus. I don't really care if you're
21:59
disobeying them. If you're following and seeking
22:01
Jesus Christ, that's more important.
22:04
God's going to say look you forsook more than the one that
22:08
still in good graces with his parents from his name's sake.
22:12
You know, if you're persecuted in that way, I think it's an
22:16
honor. I think it's an honor to follow
22:17
Christ against your parents wishes.
22:22
Go for it. Don't let that lie keep you from
22:26
doing that now honor and respect them wherever you can in the
22:30
Lord. You will win them with your the
22:35
love of God. So see most of the time they
22:37
don't know the love of God. But then when you can do what
22:41
you know is right, it actually ministers to them because they
22:45
see that you're following something in spite of comfort,
22:48
in spite of what would make your life a lot more easy.
22:52
You're doing the hard things and you're being persecuted.
22:56
But you have a joy and a peace and a confidence and you know
22:59
where you're going. You have a vision and a purpose
23:02
and a lot of times, well, every time, lost people don't have
23:06
that. So that's why they're threatened
23:08
when you jump outside because that threatens their
23:11
insecurities even more. And then they get so upset
23:15
because not it just makes them question themselves even more.
23:20
So yes, do the right thing, follow God.
23:23
It's it's the same way with marriage.
23:25
We just got done talking about marriage.
23:28
If a spouse is stuck with an unbelieving do the right thing
23:31
at right now, like just follow Christ and let the pieces fall
23:37
where they land. If you do the right thing now,
23:39
you will be respected for it. Maybe not right away, but
23:42
eventually your spouse or children or whatever, or
23:45
parents, they will see that this guy person is following
23:50
something. He has a vision and purpose and
23:52
there's freedom there. And I think that's where we get
23:55
a good caller. One more thing about the
23:58
marriage that we talked about last time that I want to say on
24:01
the other side of the sex as well.
24:04
I said if you have to tell your wife to submit, then you're
24:07
probably the problem. I would say also if the woman
24:12
has to remind the husband to love her, if she has to do that,
24:16
then that might be also the problem.
24:19
It that goes both ways. You can't be the most unlovable
24:23
witch and just demand to be loved.
24:25
I mean, that's just the same way that a husband can't just say,
24:29
hey, you need to submit when you're on submittable, you know?
24:32
Yeah, yeah, that's, that's a good clarification.
24:34
I appreciate that. Yeah, damn.
24:38
I was actually going to touch on a very similar thing with all
24:40
three of these verses. It it will these verses, none of
24:44
them are given so that the husband, the wife or the child
24:51
can manipulate, force or control or sorry, the parent can
24:55
control, manipulate or enforce anything.
24:58
It doesn't say wives submit yourselves unto your own
25:02
husbands so that husbands can have a verse to command or
25:06
demand their wives to be a certain way.
25:08
The Bible doesn't say husbands love your wives just like Andrew
25:11
said, so that wives have a verse to put their finger on when they
25:15
don't feel their husband is being loving enough.
25:17
And it also is not a verse that is given to us as parents to
25:21
enforce our children hate children.
25:23
You have to obey me. These are all better observed
25:28
from the person that's being commanded to.
25:31
Why? This is to you.
25:33
This is only to you. You willingly submit.
25:37
Subject yourself to a man that you know is going to let you
25:41
down. It's it's to yield or to
25:43
surrender or to give up power or the will of your authority to
25:48
another person willingly do that to your husband.
25:51
And then husbands, you know, you lay down your life like Christ
25:54
laid down his life for the church.
25:57
You do it not not someone else trying to control you to be
26:00
loving, not someone trying to control you to be submissive.
26:03
That would be like two people in a fight and one person wins.
26:06
No, no, this is like a dance. I've shared this before.
26:10
Husbands lead their wives and the wives willingly surrender to
26:14
his leadership in the same way here.
26:16
This is not really talking necessarily about children that
26:19
are stuck in homes where the parents are unsaved.
26:23
These are commands to obedient children, to Christian
26:26
households. You know, like your parents love
26:29
you and they're trying to serve you well.
26:30
They're trying to raise you up in the nurture and admission or
26:33
they're trying not to provoke you to anger.
26:35
And it's like he's going to say in the next verse, So children,
26:38
the best thing you can do as a child is show that reverence,
26:41
show that honor, show that respect.
26:44
Well, how much like what till what age or how much should I
26:47
obeyed him? As much as you can, as much as
26:50
you possibly can, obey your parents and the Lord.
26:52
It's well pleasing to the Lord. And so it's always better if it
26:56
comes from the child to the parents, if it comes from the
26:59
husband to the wife, if it comes from the wife to the husband.
27:02
It's never meant to be used as a control tactic.
27:05
You know, quoting versus that your wife is a very good way to
27:09
get into some trouble. And quoting scripture at your
27:12
children to get them to obey is a good way to get them to turn
27:16
away from the Lord. Also, when they're miserably
27:19
trying to obey you, and they're only obeying you because you
27:22
have forced them and guilted them into it through Scripture
27:24
quoting, that's a good way to create a hypocrite and someone
27:27
who's going to leave the church in a heartbeat.
27:29
That's good. Amen.
27:31
Like that, that is really good. So on that note, I mean, I, I
27:39
expect obedience from my kids, you know, but it's like, like,
27:48
how do you, how do you, how do you parse that in your head?
27:52
Like what, what? So, so we expect obedience.
27:55
How, how do you have them obey you by teaching them right from
28:01
wrong and teaching them what you expect, making your, your
28:05
expectations clear. Any input on that?
28:08
Because I, I know that would be somebody's question, then.
28:10
Well, if you can't use this to say, well, kids, the Bible says
28:13
you're supposed to obey your parents.
28:15
If you can't use that, then what is the, what is the method to
28:19
have your kids be obedient? Right?
28:21
You get what the question is. Yeah.
28:23
Do you mind if I answer? Anybody.
28:26
Yeah, sure. All of you.
28:28
I would say that before a child can read and understand and know
28:31
this verse and feel the weight of it, it's up to you to 'cause
28:36
their will to be surrendered through discipline, through
28:38
fellowship, through, you know, training and teaching.
28:43
And so if you're a little child is not obeying you, it's your
28:46
fault. If your old child has to be
28:49
forced to obey you, it's not actually obedience.
28:51
Your your child after the age of 10 or 12 or whatever, there
28:55
should be a willingness to comply, a a desire to want to
28:58
obey you. And hopefully they too have
29:00
become saved and have a desire to honor you and please you.
29:03
But most of the ancestors that I have observed, like our parents
29:07
and our forefathers and stuff, they kind of did some of the
29:10
opposite. They, and I see a lot of people
29:11
doing it today, they let little children get away with almost
29:14
everything. And then as their child comes to
29:17
12 and 14 and 16, they try to clamp down and become really
29:21
stern and strict. And you're not going out with
29:23
him and you're not going there. And you can't watch this and you
29:25
can't do that when it should be the exact opposite.
29:28
You. You command them like little
29:30
soldiers when they're very small, and then have sweet
29:32
fellowship with them the whole time.
29:34
And then as they get older, you can release those, bond the
29:38
bonds, and allow them the privilege of obeying you from
29:42
their own heart and not through forced submission, right?
29:45
That's really, Yeah, that that's a good clarification.
29:48
I think just one little thought I had as you were saying that, I
29:52
think it comes back to again, like Andrew was saying about
29:57
then I guess I was saying the same thing too last week about
29:59
the husbands, You know, are you being respectable?
30:02
Like like does your does your wife want to respect you?
30:06
And so I to me, that'd be kind of the same way with the
30:09
children. Like do your children want to
30:12
obey you, like, or are you just demanding that they obey you?
30:17
They should be wanting to obey you.
30:21
So I don't know. I think that's just my thought.
30:24
I know I might go lean a little far that direction, but it I
30:29
feel like it comes down to the parents, you know, or and the
30:32
father, like the next verse is going to say, you know, so.
30:36
You know, I mean, if, if you're a bully, you can't expect your
30:39
kids to. Yeah, you know, you could.
30:42
A bully can only control someone that's stronger than them or not
30:45
as strong as them. Yeah.
30:47
That. That's really how what it boils
30:48
down to, Andrew. Yeah, yeah, My, my view is all
30:56
very similar, except I would probably even go a little bit
31:01
further. My view is that when they're
31:04
young, like Dan was saying, you train up in the way that they
31:09
should go. When they're all, they will not
31:10
depart from it. A good, a good parent that is
31:15
doing it perfectly, right. As the child gets older and you
31:19
have a, you will be talking to them, you'll be explaining to
31:22
them why we're not doing this and why we're not doing that.
31:26
And as they get old enough to start making decisions, they'll
31:29
realize wisdom. They'll start realizing that mom
31:33
and dad actually are wise. They're not just saying these
31:36
ridiculous rules because they want to control us.
31:39
They're actually wise. They're, they're making good
31:42
decisions that makes my life better.
31:44
And This is why we are, we have this family function that we do.
31:48
This is why my life is not like the neighbor kid down the road
31:51
is because mom and dad, they're, they know what's good.
31:55
They know good and evil and they're wise.
31:58
So I think I'm hoping and this is my plan is that by the time
32:02
my kids are old enough to where they're kind of making their own
32:06
decisions, which I'm going to push them out very young.
32:08
I'm already letting them see practice wisdom, letting giving
32:13
them other opportunities to make decisions.
32:15
Just kind of see what kind of wisdom and character that they
32:18
have at a very young age. And all I want to be is that I
32:24
don't want these. What parents so many times do is
32:26
they have these ridiculous rules that they can't even explain.
32:30
If the kids ask, that's bad. If you can't explain why you're
32:35
not doing allowing them for something, then that's just bad
32:39
because now that's no longer wisdom or common sense.
32:42
It's just mom and dad are just ruling.
32:45
But there's your if you can't have a reason for why they
32:49
shouldn't be doing what they're doing, then it's pretty bad.
32:52
Like that's another way, like Dan was saying that how power
32:57
line where he says that's a great way to get your child to
33:01
leave the faith at some point. Is it you just have to blindly
33:04
do what mom and dad says without reason, without wisdom?
33:08
What's the wisdom behind it? Because that's where I would run
33:11
to is like, communicate with your kids and explain the wisdom
33:15
behind your strategy here and what the reasons are.
33:19
And then all of a sudden, they'll become wiser than you,
33:21
believe it or not. Yeah, that's what.
33:24
And if, if you're dealing with a child, maybe let's say you came
33:27
to faith in the last five or ten years and your child was already
33:31
8 or 10 or 12 years old when you got saved.
33:34
And you've got a long history of bad parenting or negligence or
33:39
just absentee fatherism. And then you at 16, they're 16
33:44
years old now and they've got an interest in a boy.
33:46
For you to clamp down and quote these kinds of verses, it's,
33:49
it's going to do the exact opposite of what you want.
33:52
You have to win that child to bring them up in a way that they
33:57
won't be provoked to anger. So that, you know, I know it's
34:00
tempting because you want so desperately to control their
34:03
fate, their destiny. And sometimes, probably more
34:07
often than we would wish to, to admit, we're so afraid that we
34:11
will be seen as parents that didn't do it right.
34:14
Our child didn't turn out the way that everyone thinks they
34:16
should, or they went off and did something that we're embarrassed
34:19
of. And so you're desperately trying
34:21
to cling to your, your, your appearances.
34:24
And so you come down hard on the 15 or 16 year old and demand
34:28
obedience and stuff. And I don't know, I can just see
34:31
it going wrong on so many levels that I would really, really
34:35
caution against that. If you have a child that's kind
34:37
of wayward at 151618, you got to spend some time getting to know
34:41
them. Again, you got to earn that
34:43
favor. You have to have some credit in
34:45
the account if you want to make big withdrawals.
34:48
And so if you got a 16 year old is interested in a boy that you
34:52
don't think is good news, they're not going to listen to
34:54
you if you haven't been paying close attention and they're not
34:57
careful with their heart. And so at that point, you got
35:00
to, you know, really dig in and and care for them with a lot of
35:04
time and energy. That that's good.
35:08
And then you parents are not exempt from that yourself.
35:11
Because us myself, I will not pay attention and make a
35:20
decision based on somebody's information that I don't
35:23
respect, right? I'm going to have to believe
35:27
that that guy actually has my good intention in mind when he's
35:29
telling me information. I have to believe that that guy
35:32
actually studied his book. I have to believe that that guy
35:34
knows what he's talking about before.
35:37
And, and I think that's what's what Dan saying, if your child
35:40
doesn't believe you know what you're talking about and you
35:44
know, they, they won't, it, it won't have any credibility.
35:47
You won't have any credibility with that person.
35:50
And so, yeah, be trustworthy, talk with the person, be with
35:54
him, get him to to believe you, to believe that you do have his
35:59
best interest in mind, you know? I guess we're we're kind of
36:04
jumping ahead and harping on the dads because that's who we think
36:07
are listening. But if there is a young man or a
36:10
young woman out there and you're a born again Christian, maybe
36:12
your parents are not, you know, do everything within your power
36:16
to honor them and subject yourself to them, even to the to
36:20
the not just to the good and gentle, as Peter puts it, but
36:23
also to the froward, also to the ones who are demanding hard
36:26
things of you don't cross the line and disobey God.
36:29
But even while you disobey them to obey God, do it with care and
36:33
with respect and with reverence. And I know many of us made that
36:37
mistake where we were just belligerent and hard nosed.
36:40
And just like I'm going God's way and I don't care what
36:42
anybody thinks, right? And so there's a way to do it
36:45
probably where you could honor and respect and love your
36:48
parents. More to that later on when they
36:50
hopefully come to faith, they can see that you know what you
36:52
did love me through it all, and I, I they can even respect you
36:56
for disobeying. But in this particular verse,
36:58
that's pretty simple. Obey your parents and the Lord.
37:01
It's well pleasing to the Lord. If you if you want to err on one
37:04
side or the other, err on the side of obedience to your
37:07
parents, unless they're asking you to disobey God.
37:11
Yeah, that's. Really kind of interesting
37:13
you're saying that because that's one of the things that
37:16
mom and dad, they were in their 50s when they converted and one
37:22
of the things that kept like mom, she was defiant, like she
37:26
was absolutely no way she's going to leave the Amish.
37:29
And then but what saw from that hard heart was when she saw the
37:36
sincerity of me and most she knew in her heart 100% convinced
37:41
that we're not out to serve the flesh.
37:44
That wasn't even a question in her mind.
37:47
But then the church comes along and wants to persecute us, and
37:50
they want to excommunicate us, and they want us to hold us as
37:54
these rotten heathens. While she knows that the the
37:57
other youth are fornicating, they're dirty, they're filthy,
38:03
they don't know God. They're not even seeking God.
38:06
But she knows her boys are actually serious.
38:10
And that that actually, I think, played a bigger part than we
38:14
think in converting them. Like salt breaking down that
38:17
pride, breaking down that heart. And my mom and dad are not with
38:21
us. Like they left like two months
38:23
after I left. So I, I think Dan is pretty much
38:27
on to something there. Yeah, yeah, that's 100%.
38:30
I think that's, you know, what I was saying about like you had
38:33
credibility with your parents. They could see that, that you
38:35
found the truth that you weren't out to, you know, run wild like
38:39
most of them would be. So you had credibility with it.
38:42
They believe what you said when you spoke the truth.
38:45
And it helped them seek, and it helped them open up their hearts
38:48
to actually read. Mom gets safe.
38:50
Then all of a sudden, this woman, there was never going to
38:52
be much there. She goes like, now she's like,
38:56
come on, what? Are you guys waiting?
38:58
For. Oh man, that's good.
39:03
I feel like we kind of covered 21, right?
39:06
Emotion. I'm going to read verse 21.
39:11
I feel kind of we kind of already probably touched that
39:14
topic pretty good. Father's provoked out your
39:16
children to anger lest they be discouraged.
39:19
I think we pretty well covered. Is there anything else that
39:22
someone wants to say about that verse particularly?
39:26
I don't I mean it addresses the fathers, but we pretty much have
39:29
been talking to the fathers. I think about that.
39:32
You know, one thing that that that I think is important is
39:39
like, it's lest they be discouraged, like frustration
39:43
and anger run hand in hand. And so the, the best way to deal
39:49
with frustration and anger is clarity and conversation.
39:54
Tell them why, tell them why not, you know, like some, some
39:57
of you mentioned already, like when you're dealing with your
39:59
kids, like don't just tell them no, tell them why you said no.
40:03
And sometimes my, you know, and I, I had, I, I butted right up
40:07
against the truth with that. When my kids started becoming
40:09
older, I tell them that no, we're not going to do that.
40:12
And they'd be well, why not? And boy, that gave me a reality
40:15
check. Like why actually is it that I
40:18
don't want them to do this particular thing?
40:19
Is it because of my image with my neighbors and my brothers,
40:24
you know, or, or is it actually a truth that I, is there a
40:27
reason that I want? And sometimes the reason I told
40:30
him, I said, I I don't like it. I don't, I don't want that in my
40:33
house. Once you're older, I'm not
40:35
saying it's against the Bible, but maybe once you're older, you
40:38
live in your own home. You can do that, but I would
40:41
just as soon prefer that you don't in my house, you know?
40:44
And and they respected that and they still do in those things,
40:48
you know, it's whatever. So yeah, communication,
40:51
whatever. Don't don't, you know, frustrate
40:54
or anger? Yeah, I still.
40:58
Oh, go ahead. Damn.
40:59
All right, you're if you're first, you go ahead.
41:02
So this is an angle that it's more like a what do you guys
41:07
think? Maybe I just have a really bad,
41:13
I don't know what how to say it. Like I'll just say what I don't
41:17
like and then maybe you guys can correct me.
41:19
What I don't like is I see parents making their kids do
41:24
spiritual things for punishment and I think that's awful.
41:29
Like I've known parents that makes that them memorize certain
41:34
chapters of the Bible because they lied or because they did
41:38
something bad. Their punishment was memorizing
41:41
scripture. I think that's like the worst.
41:45
I think to associate the word of God with punishment is awful.
41:49
I know there was good intentions behind it, but if you want to
41:55
make someone have a bad feeling towards Christianity in the
42:01
Bible, that's the way to do it I think.
42:05
I think if you can't explain with wisdom, here's the few
42:09
options that we have that God gives us good and evil, You
42:14
choose the one. You can either walk after the
42:17
flesh or after the Spirit. If you walk after the flesh,
42:20
these are the consequences. And that's what I tell my kids.
42:24
At a certain point, my kids are going to be old enough.
42:26
There's like, you know what, if you want to go and live that
42:28
lifestyle, this is going to be your reward and this, if you do
42:32
this, this is your reward. It's up to you.
42:34
I'm not going to be telling you what to do here soon.
42:36
And they already know that to a certain extent.
42:38
And boy, it makes them responsible.
42:40
And all of a sudden they're reading books and they're trying
42:42
to figure out what's real. So I I just have this strong
42:46
feeling against punishing them with doing spiritual things like
42:50
reading the Bible for punishment or remember, like, what do you
42:53
think about that? Yeah, I, I would extend that
42:57
even into like family worship. I'm not against it.
43:00
I've known some families that do it very well.
43:02
Their family thoroughly enjoys it.
43:04
All the kids are involved and it's a pleasure.
43:06
But when it becomes a chore and the family is dragging their
43:09
heels and rolling their eyes, but you're going to sit here and
43:12
you're going to listen. We're going to do worship, we're
43:14
going to pray, we're going to read.
43:15
And it's just this, this duty driven thing from the father
43:19
down or from the mother down. It's it's like making church and
43:24
Christianity in the Bible punishment also.
43:26
But I don't know if if anybody else want to answer that.
43:29
I had a couple other things I wanted to say in this on this
43:32
verse. No, I mean, I just I agree that
43:36
doesn't. Like that?
43:38
Yeah. No, I it's not.
43:40
Just me that doesn't like that, sorry.
43:42
No, I'm 100% on your page, Andrew.
43:45
You can't, we cannot be putting using the word of God or using
43:50
even church, you know, like, I mean, I don't know, like, OK, so
43:55
I've had cases or had times in our, my own family where, you
44:00
know, one of my older boys is going to go do something else.
44:03
He's not going to go to church. Had the volleyball, maybe I
44:06
think he was playing volleyball or something.
44:08
And you know, what do you do in that situation?
44:10
You know, in my mind, I wanted to say, no, you, you're going to
44:13
go to church, you know, but I don't know, I think it's just
44:17
you. We have to be very careful about
44:20
those kinds of things now. Of course you can't.
44:23
If it becomes a habit, then it's another another issue to
44:27
address. But trying to make them do
44:31
something like breed a scripture or memorize scripture or go to
44:36
church even for punishment is simply wrong.
44:40
They're they're going to run. They're they're going to leave
44:43
the faith then faster and jump ship too, by the way, like get
44:48
out of your house as soon. As they're 18.
44:52
Yeah, I agree with what you said.
44:54
Andrew, too. I have 100% of that page.
44:56
Don't. Yeah, there's enough reasons for
44:58
people to decline Christianity, respectfully or unrespectfully.
45:04
No, no use you helping them do that.
45:07
But to me, that's a big provoking, provoking to anger.
45:13
One of the things I was going to say is that we am I coming
45:16
through still. I know my internet's a little
45:18
bit spotty, OK? One of the things that we have
45:22
in our society today is an age of frustrated boys.
45:26
And it's becoming so bad that boys don't know where they
45:29
belong in society. And I think it stems from this
45:32
whole fatherlessness thing that we kind of discussed earlier,
45:35
either absent fathers all together or just absentee
45:38
fathers, fathers who just aren't involved.
45:40
And it, it leads to intense frustration and bewilderment and
45:44
purposelessness. And kids just don't know where
45:47
to go. They're, they're looking at
45:49
pornography and watching, playing video games from 10 and
45:52
1213 years old. And they, they have no purpose
45:55
outside of the home. They don't know how to work with
45:57
their hands. And so I know a lot of us that
46:00
are listening Mennonite, Amish, how to write, whoever, whatever
46:02
background you might have, there might be a, a good balance to
46:06
that where your boys and girls are outside, they are working.
46:09
But I saw it from my background, the earlier generation that the,
46:13
some of the Mennonites would come from Mexico up to Canada.
46:16
And the fathers would sit at the end of the cucumber field while
46:18
the mum and the kids sat on the cucumber machine and picked till
46:22
dark. And they worked and worked and
46:24
worked. And, you know, at the end of the
46:25
season, the dad goes home with 30,000 bucks and the kids get a,
46:29
a popsicle or a freezie or something like there was no,
46:33
there's no pleasure in it. So I feel like provide
46:35
opportunity for work, make them be responsible, teach them how
46:39
to work, provide ways to keep their hands busy so that are
46:44
actually productive, not just futile work that doesn't
46:47
actually mean anything, but like purposeful, meaningful work.
46:50
And then do some of that together and then reward it with
46:54
pleasure and joy and fun together.
46:56
Also like bring those two things together and your children will
46:59
have purpose, meaning and they won't be discouraged by the
47:02
intensity of the work. So you know our from a,
47:06
depending on what culture or background you come from, you
47:08
might have tried to balance these things one way or the
47:11
other. Where some parents in our day,
47:13
especially when they were reacting to overbearing parents
47:17
in the Mennonite culture, they let their kids get away with
47:19
everything and they do nothing. They have no purpose.
47:22
And so they're frustrated for lack of purpose and meaning.
47:25
And then on the other hand, we have parents who are so
47:27
demanding, so controlling that they are frustrated for lack of
47:31
any pleasure and joy. And so keep those things in mind
47:34
as a father that you lead the atmosphere and the environment
47:37
of the home. The, the home will rise and fall
47:41
based on your attitude, your demeanor, your leadership.
47:45
And so you need to provide both of those things, meaning
47:48
purpose, work and responsibility, pleasure, joy,
47:52
fun, and a camaraderie, right? So that's a good way to keep
47:56
away from some of the frustrated boys that that our culture is
47:59
producing right now. Yeah, Amen.
48:02
There's a lot of fathers that they have their children are
48:07
their boys are playing media games and they have no idea what
48:11
to do about it. Like they say that, you know,
48:14
I've just from our Instagram page and stuff have had people,
48:19
you know, comment and they say, you know, how do I get my boys
48:23
interested in what I'm doing? Well, I think the problem is, is
48:27
a lot of times this is fathers is, you know, we don't know what
48:30
to do about the situation. And and so the boys are our boys
48:36
are not interested in what we're doing, but we don't know what to
48:39
do. And so we do nothing.
48:40
But I think what you were saying, Dan, is key.
48:43
And I'm going to add one more thing to that because I work
48:45
with my boys. Don't be afraid to pay them.
48:48
Like I'm a big believer in paying my boys actually pretty
48:52
good money. Like I'm saying, pretty young,
48:55
give them money and help them to learn how to manage their money
49:00
and how what to do with their money, especially boys, because
49:05
they need to learn that skill. But don't pay that.
49:08
Just, you know, don't pay them, pay them, pay them well.
49:12
I'm a believer in that because it gives them responsibility,
49:16
gives them a sense of purpose. And like, don't just buy them a
49:20
Freezy and you know, come on. That's good.
49:25
I I'm going to give a little shout out to Melvin there.
49:28
I I know the rest of you do this too, but he has a channel.
49:34
What is it? Family Martin family Craftsman
49:38
on on Instagram. Pretty cool.
49:41
But his kids work with it that they have a construction
49:44
company. That's what they do down there
49:46
in Kentucky and Hopkinsville and all his kids, soon as they're
49:50
old enough to swing a hammer, they're, they're helping him.
49:52
And I could guarantee you that it would be more effective and
49:56
efficient for Melvin to go to work with just the older ones
49:58
that have already been there done that.
50:01
But he's, that's not what he's looking for.
50:02
He's looking to raise his family and he, he's got 3 married,
50:05
awesome kids that love and respect him.
50:09
You know, this is real stuff and there's easier ways to do it,
50:13
but there's not better ways than to do it right, like what dad
50:16
and Melvin are talking about here.
50:18
And I tell you what, it takes some skin off your elbows too.
50:21
It's not the easy way. You're going to have to stay
50:23
plugged in. That's the real deal.
50:27
Real deal. If you want to raise good kids,
50:29
it's investment in time. And I would also like to, yeah,
50:34
I would also like to encourage the young guys out there don't
50:37
believe the society and the and the American culture that work
50:41
is a curse. That it's, it's a pain that we
50:44
have to endure for, for Friday and Saturday pleasure or
50:47
whatever, for the weekend. Enjoy the fulfillment of
50:53
accomplishing something and being tired and going to bed at
50:56
night tired. Like that reward of artwork that
51:00
almost feels good. But it's not supposed to in your
51:02
mind what, what the government's saying or whatever.
51:04
No, it's supposed to feel good. It's supposed to feel good that
51:08
you've accomplished something. You work hard, you received a
51:11
little bit of a reward, but you just enjoy providing and being
51:16
productive. We're created to be productive
51:19
and then when we're not working, we're just trying to get by.
51:22
And we have this attitude against work that it's just come
51:24
kind of a curse. We're outside of our character
51:28
and then all of a sudden we're find ourselves so unfulfilled
51:32
and miserable that we end up in drugs and all this nonsense.
51:37
The government designed it that way.
51:38
They're trying to destroy us. So they don't want the the
51:42
family to teach their kids how to work.
51:44
Oh, it's too dangerous. You know that you can't do that
51:47
with your kids, you know, and obviously it's been abused.
51:50
But the government does not want us to raise responsible men.
51:54
They want us to raise subjects for them that they can control.
51:59
And they'll work for them and they'll do what they're told by
52:02
the government. That's what the government
52:04
wants. They don't want strong families.
52:05
They don't want us to teach our kids.
52:08
They want us to drop them off at school and then drop them off at
52:11
college after that and then drop them off at their government run
52:14
store later. Like that's what they want, or
52:16
factories or whatever. Like they just want numbers.
52:20
They don't want people that think for themselves.
52:24
Yeah, Yeah, that's right. Good stuff, good stuff.
52:30
Let's let's hit on 22 yet quick. I think it kind of comes, you
52:33
know, along the same lines for a lot of us a little bit 22 says
52:37
servants obey in all things your master's according to the flesh,
52:41
not with thy service has been pleasers, but in sickleness of
52:45
heart fearing God. And you know, that's really
52:52
that's really, you know, I guess quite literally this is
52:54
servants, but I would I would put employees in that workers,
52:58
you know, kind of in this this same category.
53:01
I know it's not not literally the same, but but it is
53:07
important that that our top priority still though, is
53:10
serving God, isn't it? When you look at because people
53:14
that are serving God are actually, yeah, they're working.
53:17
They're putting their time in, they're working for you and
53:19
they're doing a good job, but they're doing it for a different
53:22
reason other than just to see you smile or their Co worker
53:25
brag on them or whatever. There's a deeper, deeper subject
53:28
here. No one.
53:31
Yeah, yeah, the the word servants here is like an actual
53:34
slave, but we obviously don't have slaves anymore.
53:37
And back in this time when this book was written and in the
53:41
Bible, that was a pretty common thing.
53:44
But yeah, as today, like you were saying, Lee, and we kind of
53:47
see it as employees or or bosses.
53:51
But I I think this reaches further than even just your
53:57
employees or if you're working for someone because the next
54:01
verse he says, whatsoever you do, do it Harley as unto the
54:04
Lord and seems to be talking to everybody.
54:07
But for myself, I'm I'm kind of the kind of guy that when I do
54:13
something, I'm going to do it right.
54:15
And when I'm done doing it, I'm doing it as Harley unto the
54:20
Lord. But I also step back and I look
54:22
at what I have done and I actually enjoy what I have done.
54:27
Like I look at what I have accomplished and like just over
54:30
the weekend, I put up a pool for my boys.
54:33
My boys have been begging for a pool.
54:36
It's been so hot here in Kentucky.
54:38
And so we went got a pool. And of course, you know, I'm the
54:41
kind of guy I'm just, if I'm going to do something, it's
54:45
going to be right. I'm I'm a perfectionist and I
54:47
overdo it sometimes. But I got my laser and I lasered
54:51
a perfectly laser pad to set this pool on and the boys were
54:56
helping me. We got it all set up.
54:57
We filled it with water and then I just stood in my porch from my
55:02
house and I looked at my pool that I put up on Saturday.
55:05
And it's like, now that is a good job that that pool is put
55:10
up right, You know, and I don't think there's anything wrong
55:12
with that. I think that's good.
55:15
But the main thing is, let the point is here.
55:19
I do it unto the Lord. If you're, you must be doing it
55:23
unto the Lord, whatever it is, working your job, doing a job
55:27
for someone, working for someone, it doesn't really
55:30
matter in my opinion either way. So yeah.
55:35
Andrew. Yeah, a really good example that
55:39
we can all understand how this works and why it's so important,
55:44
which what reputation that we have as believers is so
55:48
significant. Imagine this, If you're Amish or
55:52
Mennonite and you go to the bank for a loan, you're going to get
55:56
a loan way quicker than anybody else.
55:59
Do you know that? Yeah.
56:02
Yeah, so it's true. We can borrow money way easier
56:07
than the regular average Joe out there that has no but doesn't
56:11
have our background. And for what reason?
56:14
Because we look better? No, because we have a reputation
56:18
for always make that payment. We're responsible, like our
56:23
background is known to, to always follow through.
56:26
So they're looking at history. These people somehow make it,
56:30
they always do. It's safe to lend them money.
56:35
I think if we would live this and do everything unto the Lord,
56:39
the banks, the the guys that are hiring people, all the employers
56:43
out there, if you would say you're a Christian, they go,
56:46
yeah, I'm interested. We were doing it according to
56:50
the as under the Lord. We would have that kind of
56:53
reputation if Christians were doing it according to this
56:57
verse. We would just have to say that
56:59
we're Christian and they go, that's good enough for me.
57:03
When can you start? You know, they know they're
57:06
going to be respected. They know they're going to be
57:08
honored. They're not going to be not
57:09
never cheated on. They're not going to be
57:11
dishonest. They can right away put them in
57:13
front in charge of their finances.
57:15
They can have them do all their accounts and know that they're
57:19
not going to lose money because it's a Christian.
57:22
But guess what? Our reputation, the Christian
57:26
reputation, has been so bad that almost now if a landowner says
57:30
he's Christian, I'm almost ready to not try to do business with
57:32
the guy. Yeah, not a big difference
57:36
anymore. Now I always thought when I went
57:38
to the bank that they did give me money because of my looks,
57:41
but maybe not. Yeah, I, I used to read a lot of
57:49
Western books and one of the the themes that you see in them
57:53
among a, the faithful cowboy like the wranglers and the
57:56
Cowboys that would ride the, the trail with the cattle herds and
57:59
stuff. One of the terms that they would
58:01
use was riding for the brand. And I think employees in our day
58:07
and age have a major reputation of not riding for the brand.
58:11
They're in their job to see what they can get out of it.
58:15
If someone offers them a little bit something better, they'll
58:18
jump at it. If they're on a construction
58:20
site, maybe installing some windows or putting on a roof,
58:23
and the neighbor says, hey, I'll give you a weekend job, you
58:26
know, I'll give it to you for this and this price.
58:28
If you just don't tell your boss about it, they'll jump on that
58:30
kind of thing because they're at work for their own benefit.
58:33
They get there to see how much money they can make and how, you
58:37
know, how are you going to treat me?
58:38
How few hours can I work? And they're always looking for
58:41
ways for them to be benefited. But the the cowboy way was, Hey,
58:45
I signed on with you and I'm riding for the brand come what
58:48
may. I mean, I will fight for you
58:50
literally in gunfights because I signed up to be faithful to you.
58:55
I when I wrote my name on the contract or when I shook your
58:59
shook your hand, I was committing to you as a man, as a
59:02
company. And so that's one thing that
59:05
drastically changed in my mind when I became a Christian.
59:07
Now I recognize I am representing the company that
59:11
I'm working for and I want to, I want to put a good face to that
59:14
company, regardless of whether or not they're great employee
59:18
employers or a great master. You're representing that person.
59:22
So you're serving with singleness of heart, fearing
59:25
God. And then like Melvin said, he
59:26
goes above and beyond that and says, actually, you know, I'm
59:30
not only representing the company I'm working for and
59:33
working just to promote that person's business, I'm actually
59:38
serving an even higher purpose. And that is I'm doing everything
59:41
to serve the Lord. And so every work, every little
59:45
job you do, every small little detail becomes a ministry and a
59:50
mission because you're serving the Lord while doing it.
59:52
So I think this kind of verse, these kinds of verses like
59:56
Aaron, Andrew said that if we were to obey, say, these basic,
1:00:00
simple commands, we will become the best employees.
1:00:04
The best business owner is the best workers that to hire
1:00:07
because we have purpose that is so far beyond just my own
1:00:12
benefit, my own riches, my own wealth, my own prosperity.
1:00:16
You're not looking for your own comfort and your own safety and
1:00:18
whatever else. You're trying to promote the
1:00:20
other person's business that you've signed up for, and above
1:00:23
and beyond that, you're representing the God of heaven,
1:00:25
right? If I can find a bunch of
1:00:29
employees like that, no wonder where I can go.
1:00:32
Wow. But that is, that's good stuff.
1:00:36
All right, that's it for today, folks.
1:00:39
Good study. I think it was.
1:00:42
So anyway, yeah, thanks for being out here.
1:00:44
Appreciate you. Yeah, well, there, Liam.
1:00:47
Got stuff put together, huh? Get well there right?
1:00:51
Yeah, hey, I'm working on it. I'll be down here next Monday.
1:00:55
Yet when we do the so I did 33 Bible studies while down here,
1:00:59
but it's, it's only two weeks. So we head out after Monday
1:01:02
night. So but yeah, so thank you for
1:01:05
that. Appreciate that.
1:01:06
We'll see you guys back next Monday, same time, same place.
1:01:09
And if you want to listen to past episodes, like I said at
1:01:13
the beginning, simply Christ Ministries, you could Google it
1:01:16
or type in www.simplychristmin.com.
1:01:22
God bless you and we'll see you later.
1:01:24
Thanks.