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The Goal
11 Plays2 years ago
Vernon provides the "bottom line", the goal of all this instruction that is a beacon for the rest of us. The same goal that the Apostle Paul tells his son in the faith Timothy that should be foremost on our minds. A goal that some had departed from and ended up in fruitless discussions.
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Transcript
Introduction to the Session
00:00:02
Speaker
This is your host Vernon Terrell with Grace Ministries International and it's time for Walking Free. Welcome back this is Vernon and I am
00:00:25
Speaker
excited to talk about this next topic.
Exploration of 'The Chosen'
00:00:30
Speaker
And it's really based on this new series that's been out for a couple of seasons. And I bet you've been watching it called The Chosen. But I can't assume that. I've asked a number of folks that I know just around where I live and
00:00:55
Speaker
even in a small group that Michelle and I have just, that we're leading in our home through our church.
00:01:05
Speaker
And before we met, I did a little, you know, me, I like techy stuff, or if you do, or if you don't know me, I love techy stuff. And I'm a big Apple fan, uh, in terms of their computer and their hardware and all this stuff I've worked in both worlds. So, uh, uh, now it's, you can't say both worlds is three worlds of Apple, Microsoft and Android, uh, slash also Chromebooks. But, um, I love that world.
00:01:36
Speaker
But anyways, I digress.
Surveying Viewership of 'The Chosen'
00:01:38
Speaker
I did a survey of our new small group, couples we've never met, don't know us, and I did this survey and I asked the question, have you heard of the chosen? Or have you watched the chosen? And I said, you know, in terms of the answers they could choose from, never heard of it,
00:02:04
Speaker
watched one or two episodes, been through season one, through season two, I'm current, and I was shocked. Now, granted, there's only 14 people in this group, seven couples, including Michelle and I, and of those, and I think I had about 80% who answered the survey, but, and Michelle and I didn't,
00:02:33
Speaker
Only, I think it was just a 10% had watched even all of season one. The rest was one or two episodes or never heard of it. And I wanted to shout, are you living under a rock? I mean, this is one of the biggest from a media standpoint, one of the biggest things in a long time.
00:03:04
Speaker
this series of The Chosen, and I love it. Michelle and I love it. Yes, we're current. Yes, we watched the finale of season three in the theaters. It was amazing. We're gonna rewatch episodes seven and eight. Well, we already watched seven. We're gonna rewatch eight. Amazing. I won't give any spoilers. But I started thinking.
Emulating Apostles in 'The Chosen'?
00:03:31
Speaker
As I'm watching this dramatization, granted, it's a TV show based on such a great foundation. They've got so many smart people pulling this together. And I was thinking, you know, we focus so much on the apostles, the disciples, and all that they did, and sometimes we put ourselves
00:03:58
Speaker
in their shoes, and we think, well, that's what every Christian should be, one of the 12. And I started questioning that. I said, you know, there's a whole lot more people in this series than just those 12 that are impacted
00:04:19
Speaker
by the message of the gospel and just hearing the words of Christ. And really, at this point, most of them are just like, wow, what confused? Would you please heal me? I mean, that's really what the mindset is right now. Oh, you're a healer? Please, I need to be healed or feed me or whatever. For some, yes, it's like a revelation. This is the Messiah. But all those people
00:04:50
Speaker
Often we think that our lives should really be like the disciples. I think it's really more, in general, like just the regular people. What's the message?
Paul's Letters and Their Focus
00:05:10
Speaker
What is the good news of the gospel? Well, we know it's the gospel is the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. That is the gospel that we are to believe and to receive for our deliverance, for our salvation, for our forgiveness from sin and to receive life.
00:05:38
Speaker
his life in us, working through us. That's the good news. And I was looking at when you read these letters that the Apostle Paul wrote, part of our New Testament, inspired absolutely. But most of these letters were written to address particular issues. They have a lot of truth for us as believers and for the pastors and elders say in that
00:06:09
Speaker
in the church and to the home churches and to the gatherings, to the ecclesias, those gatherings of believers, Paul often was really writing, though, to address some pretty specific issues to help him out. And in 1 Timothy,
00:06:33
Speaker
One example, and we won't go into all of this, but just Paul's writing, and he says, Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, according to the commandment of God our savior and of Christ Jesus, who is our hope. Just hang on to that one right there. Our hope is Christ Jesus. He alone is our hope.
00:07:03
Speaker
If your hope is in that new job, your hope is misplaced. If your hope is in getting this trial that you're in, that you're in the middle of to end, if that's your hope, misplaced hope, your hope is in Christ Jesus. He is our hope. Paul continues to Timothy, he's writing to this.
00:07:31
Speaker
young pastor that he led to the Lord, my true son in the faith, grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus, our Lord. He said in verse three, just as I urged you upon my departure from Macedonia to remain on at Ephesus. Oh, he's in Ephesus. A lot of stuff is going on in Ephesus.
00:08:01
Speaker
A lot of stuff is going on in Corinth. And he's addressing something, some stuff he heard about, he knew was going on in Ephesus. He says, look, I want you to remain on there so that you would instruct certain people, here it is, there's some certain people, he's gonna kinda tell who these people are, not to teach strange doctrines
00:08:26
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There's some strange doctrines going on probably from the temple of Diana slash Artemis there. You know, the disciples were turning the world upside down with Jesus, the Messiah, the one God, the fulfillment of the prophecy of the Israelites,
00:08:56
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crucified but yet raised from the dead. Got 500 witnesses or more that have seen him. He goes, look, I want you to instruct certain people not to teach strange doctrines. That's part of the point of this letter.
00:09:12
Speaker
nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies which give rise to useless speculation rather than advance the plan of God. I love that. Rather than to advance the plan of God, probably God's plan of salvation for the Jews and the Gentiles, which he says here, which is by faith,
00:09:42
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in verse four, so I urge you now. And then he just really sums it up right here. This is for the rest of us. For Timothy two, but the rest of us.
Essence of Instruction: Love
00:09:59
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He says in verse five, but the goal of our instruction, here it is. This is the goal, here's the point, people.
00:10:08
Speaker
This is the point. The goal of our instruction is love. That's it. That's the goal of the instruction. That's what you and I, you say, what should I be doing? Go love. What job should I get? Find a job. Find the one that you like.
00:10:36
Speaker
Absolutely pray about it. Absolutely seek the Lord in his wisdom. Then pick one that you like. Pick a job. Go find that. Go find, where do you wanna live? Find what you can afford and go live there. Who do you wanna be around? What church? Find a church that you enjoy.
00:11:04
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that you enjoy the people, you enjoy the message. Go live your life. I think often we get so wrapped up in being, I don't know what, we think we need to be the Apostle Paul or Timothy. Paul says, you know what, the goal of the instruction is, folks,
00:11:32
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Go be you and go love. Go be the new you that God created in Christ. Now, love. Love. How? He goes, love from a pure heart. Did you know you have a pure heart? You have a brand new heart.
00:11:58
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That's why you can fulfill this as a believer in Jesus Christ. You can love. And that's the instruction. That's the goal of all this instruction, of all these letters, of all of this stuff. The goal is love from a pure heart. And the pure heart comes through Jesus Christ. When you receive him,
00:12:27
Speaker
You get a brand new one. Now go love out of that new heart, out of that pure heart. From a good conscience and from a sincere faith, you've been radically transformed. Now go love. From a pure heart, from a good conscience and from a sincere faith,
00:12:56
Speaker
That's the message for the rest of us. That's what living this life on this planet is all about. If you can share your faith, share your faith. If you could give those around you the reason for the hope that is in you and your hope is Christ, give them that reason. You don't have to win them, but you can give them the reason.
00:13:24
Speaker
Let the Holy Spirit woo them and win them. That's the goal. And that's what I want. That just hit me as I'm watching the chosen. And sometimes, you know,
Jesus' Teachings in 'The Chosen'
00:13:39
Speaker
when Jesus would heal somebody, he goes down, look, don't go tell anybody. And like that never worked. Did you notice that? That really never
00:13:50
Speaker
that just never worked. Of course they went and told somebody. This one person that Jesus healed, he said, now, look, don't tell anybody, but do go and show yourself to the priest and go through the, I mean, Jesus was working under the law in that system. And he said, go show yourself to the priest that you are clean, follow the ritual cleansing, but don't tell anybody about me.
00:14:19
Speaker
Well, of course they did most of the time. But he would say, go live your life. To the woman, call it an adultery. Woman, where are your accusers? Not here, I don't accuse you either. Now go send no more. You're forgiven, now go send no more. Go live your life. Go live your life. I think sometimes we're not living life.
00:14:50
Speaker
we're figuring out, well, what do I need to do to please God? And God says, I'm pleased. What would your life look like if you knew that God was already pleased with you? What would your life look like if you knew that God already sees you as holy? And not because he's wearing rose-colored glasses, but, well, he made you holy.
00:15:19
Speaker
What would your life look like if you knew that you're already righteous because, well, Christ made you righteous? Isn't that amazing? What would your life look like if you knew that you're victorious over sin, that you're dead to sin and alive to God? Well, you're dead to sin and alive to God. The goal of the instruction is love. Now go love.
00:15:49
Speaker
Go love your neighbor. Go love the folks around you at work. From a pure heart, from a good conscience, from a sincere faith.
Prioritizing Love Over Discussions
00:16:02
Speaker
And he says in verse six as he's writing to Timothy, now some people have strayed from these things and have turned aside to fruitless discussion. Sometimes you get all wrapped up in discussing this and that
00:16:20
Speaker
I don't think Paul is saying that, hey, don't talk about all these incredibly deep things that we're all trying to figure out. That's fine. Don't get caught up in it such that you stop loving. Don't get so caught up in it that you're not loving in the midst of the discussion itself. Is it possible that we can have an actual conversation and disagree
00:16:49
Speaker
yet still love each other. You know, I start to doubt that in this society, but I think it is possible. It is possible to disagree. You may be a pre-trib, mid-trib, post-trib with respect to the rapture, or maybe you don't even believe in the rapture. Can we discuss it?
00:17:16
Speaker
and disagree and still love each other? There's some non-negotiables, I guess you could say, in terms of the faith. Jesus is who he said he is. He did die. He was crucified. He died, quite literally, was buried, and he rose again. He said that he and the Father are one.
00:17:47
Speaker
I mean, there are some non-negotiables, I get it, but we can be loving about it. And I think Jesus, people doubted Him all the time. I think He was loving toward them. I think He expressed love toward them. Now, I don't think I'd want to be on the other side of a debate with Jesus. That never turned out well for anybody on the wrong side of that argument.
00:18:15
Speaker
or the wrong side of a question or a parable. Jesus was the master teacher, yet he loved because he is love. The goal of all this instruction is love, yet some people have strayed from these things and have turned aside.
00:18:44
Speaker
to fruitless discussion, and in Paul's day, he said it this way, wanting to be teachers of the law. So they're talking, it sounds like, they are talking about law things, and in all that discussion and trying to figure it out, became like those who were teachers of the law, who were not very loving, generally, if you read the New Testament.
00:19:14
Speaker
and portray pretty well, it seems, accurately in The Chosen.
Recommendation to Watch 'The Chosen'
00:19:20
Speaker
So quick aside, watch it if you haven't watched it. Download the app. Hardly recommend it. Download The Chosen app, which is called The Chosen, and start with season one. It's amazing.
00:19:39
Speaker
And Paul said, these who wanna be teachers of the law, these folks who have turned aside from love and loving from a pure heart and of a good conscience, from a sincere faith, they don't even understand what they're saying. They don't know what they're talking about. And then he starts to go through talking about the law, how the law is good, if you use it lawfully.
00:20:06
Speaker
and that little nugget for us realizing the fact, in verse eight, that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and worldly. That's who the law is for. So let me ask you,
Living with Love, Beyond the Law
00:20:31
Speaker
Are you unholy and worldly? I'm not saying how you act, I'm saying is that who you are? Are you a sinner? Now Paul in this very chapter talks about, he says he called himself the chief of sinners. He was referring to his past life, not his current state. How God redeemed that, changed him from the worst sinner to a saint.
00:20:59
Speaker
God's done that for you if you've received Jesus Christ as your savior, if you've received his forgiveness, his death barrel and resurrection for your forgiveness and life. You're not a sinner, you're a saint. That's why he says to the saints in Ephesus, to the saints in Corinth, to the saints, to the called out ones, the set apart ones, the holy ones, that's you.
00:21:28
Speaker
So the law's not for you, the law's good. It's not for you. It's for this other group to put some external boundaries on them. You've got, you're brand new. The law has put those boundaries of what is right and holy and to realize, you know what, you can't live up to that. You just, you can't do it. You're gonna break one, you already have.
00:21:57
Speaker
It's for them, it's not for you, saint. What's for you? Oh, well there's a lot of instruction, but the bottom line, and a lot of us are like bottom, what's the bottom line? Here's the bottom line. Love from pure heart, verse five, from a good conscience, from a sincere faith. That's the goal. How you doing on that?
00:22:27
Speaker
Let's pause on some of the discussions. And that might mean you may need to just pause from the old Facebook or the other social media you may be on and just pause the discussion, hit the timeout button, the stop button.
Applying Love in Daily Life
00:22:45
Speaker
How can I love? What would it look like for me to be loving in this conversation? What would it look like for me to be loving in this relationship? What does that look like?
00:22:57
Speaker
That's something you might wanna just ask the Lord. I don't know what it's gonna look like for you. But you see, so often we talk about these things in theory and maybe in theology, but the goal is to actually do it and to love. So that's what I encourage you to do. I want you
00:23:28
Speaker
to hit the pause button and just ask the Lord, you know, what is, what does love and loving look like for me in this situation where I am right now? How can I love? And just ask the Lord, write it down. And as you do that,
00:23:52
Speaker
then we can stop the fruitless discussion and get to meaningful discussion. But meaningful discussion is when we're discussing in love and trying to understand truth, not just to make the point, but to understand.
00:24:13
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and knowing when to step back and just maybe even be silent. Maybe even looks like you, oh my goodness, lost the discussion or the debate or the argument. I think, don't you, that it's better to look like that and to love and to choose love? That's what I've been pondering today. And again, from watching some of the shows and looking at all the people
00:24:43
Speaker
And what are they doing? We get so hyper-focused sometimes on all the cool events and what do the disciples do when we kind of picture ourselves as maybe one of them. And being that hero, we always like to see ourselves as hero of our own story.
Avoiding Fruitless Discussions
00:25:02
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Maybe you can just be the humble extra out there picking up the water and giving it to the one who's thirsty.
00:25:15
Speaker
So let me challenge you, and I'm gonna do this a lot, because this is the theme of the New Testament, is love. But I'm gonna encourage you, especially as Paul was encouraging Timothy, to avoid the fruitless discussion, or maybe in my vernacular, maybe it's time to stop talking and start walking and start walking in love.
Conclusion and Contact Information
00:25:46
Speaker
You've been listening to Walking Free, a production of Grace Ministries International in Marietta, Georgia. For more information, go to our website at gment.org. That's gminc.org.