Everybody welcome back to another edition of the Daily Bible Podcast. What's up? What's up? What's up? It is what day is today? It is Saturday. Saturday. Hopefully you're enjoying your Saturday. I think the weather's supposed to be a little bit nicer. It rained earlier this week. Was supposed to rain on Friday, and I think we're turning in a corner a little bit. Beautiful weather. Should be in the seventies and eighties here in Texas. This is the good season. This is the time to come visit Texas. If you want to come visit Texas and you're not from here. Come now. Right now, get on a plane. You can be here tomorrow for church too. And and worship with us. That'd be great. So right now, jump online, find a ticket. Come visit us. Hey, I was talking to somebody this week, had breakfast with someone who was just, we were talking about different sex of theology from what we embrace. Not aberrant, not heretical, but it got me thinking about. Just how we consider and think about some of these other churches as we drive around our area, we see a ton of churches in our area. Not all of them are great. Not all of them practice, the strictest adherence to biblical theology, the way that, that we would, and there's a lot of differences there. So pr how can our people think about. Some of the other churches that pepper our landscape here. Driving by, we'll see other denominations that we might look at and go, oh man, I've heard something about that denomination, or I've heard something about this denomination. Or, oh, that's pastor, Wes and Pastor Susie that are our pastoring that church there. How do we think about all the people that are represented by the cars in those parking lots when we drive by? Or how do we think about those churches when it comes to the realm of Christendom? Broadly speaking here, how can we, how should we rightly and humbly think about these other congregations that litter our landscape?

I have several thoughts about that, and I would have to start with what, where you ended. I think the practice is one of humility. I. Even the good things that we have that we can feel good about, confident about, feel conviction about, or things that God has given us by His grace. And so I would start with that awareness, that man I love where I'm at. I love the church that I'm part of. I love the things that I know and I feel reasonably assured of. I'm thankful for those things and I. I can thank God, even as I pass other churches. Thank you for putting me where I am. I could have been there, I could have been at the mosque. I could have been born in this other place and time and I could have gone to this other thing. There's just so many different possibilities of what could have been, and that's not the case. I'm here. So I think the humility is gonna be the starting place. But secondly, I think one posture that we could have there, and there's multiple. And one of the first ones I think I'm gonna say, I wanna pray for that church. If I'm tempted, as I often am candidly, to look at other churches and to look down on them and say, man. Okay. If that's what you think is the right thing to do, you're gonna stand before the Lord for that. And maybe there's a mixture hopefully it's a good mix, largely in favor of a righteous indignation of saying, man, that's wrong. What you're doing is not the best thing. I could still pray for them with an open heart and say, Lord, please bless them. Give them a pastor that knows what he's talking about. And even if it is a Pastor Susie, I can still say, Lord, do good to them. Help them to know the word and to trust it. I came from a charismatic background, which had female pastors and all sorts of things, and. My, my theology fundamentally changed, so I know those kinds of changes are possible, although they're not likely, I can pray for them and ask God to bless them, and that's what I want him to do. And when I say bless, I don't necessarily mean that I want that particular denomination or that particular church. People to necessarily do better and to reach more people. In some ways we're on the same team and in other ways we can more thinly divide that. So I'm gonna pray for their good, however God defines that. But I'm also to rally back to where I started I want to pray ultimately that God's Capital C Church succeeds. So I don't know what's happening in those doors. I don't know what the leadership team is talking about or what they're praying about. At the end of the day, I want Jesus to succeed in fulfilling his work in the church. And I know that we're not the only one. So I want God to take the capital C Church, all the believers and all the creation. And I want him to use them mightily. And that means if he's gonna bless the church down the block, man, sure do that. I wanna be behind that. I wanna support that. I have many more thoughts about those different churches and denominations, but those are some of a few that I have. What would you say Pastor pj?

Yeah, I think we, we are like-minded in that, where my mind went with him. 'cause he was asking specifically in, in a certain situation is Philippians chapter one when Paul's in prison and he's sharing the gospel even with those that he's in prison next to. And then he hears that from some, that, Hey, these people over here are sharing the gospel because they're trying to make you jealous of. Maybe the converts that they're getting or maybe the fact that they weren't in prison. They're able to share the gospel freely, and they're like, look at us. We can take Paul's celebrity, whatever their motives were. They say, look they're doing it for the wrong reasons. Over here. We disagree with this about them. And Paul's response is, look, whether in pretense or truth I just am. Thankful that the gospel is being proclaimed. And I think that can help us when we drive by these churches, if we can say and pray, because we won't know. 'cause we're not there on a Sunday. But if we can pray, God, may that church have a biblical gospel. That's what we want more than anything else. If we could drive by a church and say, God, can we I would hope that we would agree on tier one issues. On every tier one issue, the inerrancy of scripture, the authority of scripture, the deity of Christ, the exclusivity of Christ, the need for faith and repentance in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins. If we could pray that those things would ring out from the pulpits around our metroplex here, then the secondary issues are issues that. We can agree, hey, some of these are more important than others, but at the end of the day we're brothers and sisters in Christ, and we were even talking a little bit this morning too, that we have a unique luxury in our culture to parse out some of those finer differences and distinctions on those tier two issues. Versus if it was illegal to be a Christian in our nation, than we would have a much different perspective of Pastor Susie down the street telling people to repent and believe in Jesus than we do right now. I'm not saying that, that it would be right or that we would lose our convictions over what is right. But we would have more of a sense of unity as the bride of Christ pushing back the darkness together. I agree with your sentiment there. I think humility is important to that. And and we should pray that God will raise up more solid churches. That's why we're here. We wanna see that happen. We wanna see him multiply churches through church planting. And we wanna see more solid biblically grounded churches emerge here. But we also want to be sensitive to the fact that God's working in all different types of churches as long as those tier one issues are there,

yeah, just to balance that and help our people understand we don't think all churches are equally good. True. Just to be a hundred percent clear, yes. We do not think that. We think, in fact, many churches have capitulated compromised and abdicated their responsibility to issue a clarion call, to repent and believe in Jesus Christ. Hundred percent. And they're teaching mostly their own ideas and their words, as opposed to saying, what does God's word say? Help us communicate that Lord so that your people are well fed. They're understanding what their call is, they're understanding what their role is in their life, and in their work. So we can pray for them and be well wishers on their behalf. While at the same time, recognizing, and the longer I'm a Christian, the longer I do my thing as a pastor and study God's word. And the more I read about what it means to be a pastor and to be a Christian, the more I'm affirmed. Okay, we're doing it right. Are we perfect? By no stretch, but we are doing it right. I'm convicted of that. I feel that, I feel burdened for that and for other Christians who go to. Churches that are less robust, I feel a burden for them because I think they don't know things that we know. They're not learning the things that we're teaching. They're not understanding the things that they need to know as Christians, and therefore they're gonna be less mature, less healthy, less strong, less effective in all the areas that really matter. So while we can say, look, we pray for. Pastor Susie and those other churches down the block, we don't think that they're equally good and that, and they would say the same about us. Let's just be clear about that. They would look at us and say, you guys are legalists. You guys are too stringent. You guys care too much about minor details or what have you. So we're not just saying, it's us looking at them saying they're deficient. They're looking at us and saying the same thing. We're dishonest about it and saying, look, we pray for them. Yeah, but we're praying probably differently than how they might pray for us. And when it comes to aberrant congregations, like the Mormons, like the Jehovah's Witnesses, we're gonna say they're, we're not praying for them to be blessed. We're praying for them to repent and believe the true gospel and believe in the true Christ.

Yeah, that's a good word. Yeah. I would agree with everything that you just said just now. Not everything. Everything I've ever said, always say. Yeah, always. You agree with, it's not a blank check.

I'm taking it blank check. I'm gonna cut that out. I'm gonna use that before every podcast. I'm gonna put Rod. I agree with everything you just said.

That's not what I said. Alright, let's jump into the word Joshua. 22, 23, 24. Some good things in here. Joshua 22, 1 through nine Now that the Lord had provided rest for their brothers. The trans Jordan tribes are released by Joshua to return to their homes. So remember, they had been over there fighting on behalf of Israel as a whole because when they first asked Moses, can we stay here, Moses said, yes, but you gotta help your brothers, your kinsmen settle the promised lands. So they've done that, and now they're freed up to go back, but he commands them as they're going to remember the law and to keep it in a quasi covenant renewal with these two and a half tribes. So Joshua's concerned that they not drift from the Lord. Because they're not gonna be nearby. They're not gonna be where the rest of the tribes were gonna be. And they're opting for that. They're choosing that. And again, we talked about that originally. I don't think this was a wise decision for them to be so far away. And that leads to what happens next. In the second half of chapter 22, those tribes go back and they build an altar there, and they build an altar on the other side of the Jordan. And the main tribes. Catch wind of this, and it they raise a flag that they're concerned about this. And Phineas, same Phineas the famous Phineas, he leads this delegation back to, to confront these tribes and says, what are you doing? This is not what the Lord commanded you. This is, you're not to bring offerings or sacrifices anywhere but the designated place. Remember, we've talked about that he had chosen a place now, Shiloh, where he was gonna have the tabernacle. That's where the worship was supposed to take place. Not here on the other side of the Jordan and the tribe say, look, we're not doing this to use it. We're doing this as a witness so that future generations will remember that we're still part of Israel. And so their concern was, we're going back across here. They felt the disconnect so much so that they were worried that future generations are gonna be like, wait a minute, you guys don't belong to us. You're even on the other side of the Jordan. This is the promised land. Not that. And so they build this altar as a testimony to say, Hey, no, we belong. We're part of you. This could have all been avoided. This

the acrobatics they had to go through to, to make a statement and saying, look, we're one with you. We belong to you, you belong to us. If they had just gone over and stayed there that would've been fine. And God, it's interesting, God acquiesced God allows them to do this, and so he knows full well what's about to take place. But it's interesting that God allows this. I'm surprised by that. I guess it's a, it's in a similar vein to him, allowing Dan to forsake their current land land allotment and moving north. This is interesting though. Interesting development. Y

Yeah. I would agree with everything that you said it's one of those when, as parents, you let your kids make decisions that you know are not the best decisions for them to make, and yet you know that they're not, this is not gonna end in their demise. They're gonna suffer for this. They're gonna realize that this is not the right decision, but you're gonna let them make that, and you're gonna let them reach that conclusion on their own. And that's part of. Of parenting, and I think maybe that's what God is doing here too. That's a good call. Chapter 23. Then we come into Joshua's final charge to Israel before he is gonna end up dying. And in this final charge to Israel, he is going to give them just some great. Reminders of the importance of their relationship with the Lord. Verse eight. He's gonna encourage them and charge them to clinging to the Lord their God. Just as a the picture there holding fast to God is something that is, that translates for us to today. We've been talking about, man, how do we pull some things out with the boundaries and everything else? These are things that, that apply. Easily for us clinging to the Lord your God. And verse 11, be careful. Be very careful. He says, not just be careful. Be very careful to love the Lord your God. That again, intentionality. You're not just gonna wake up and stumble into obedience. You've gotta be careful and thoughtful and intentional about your obedience to the Lord. Verse 14, he reminds them about the faithfulness of God. Again, as the foundation for this, remember how faithful God has been to you. And so just as God has been faithful to bless you and bring you into the land know that if you disobey. The opposite's coming. He's gonna be just as faithful to end up turning against you here. Chapter 23, Joshua's laying things out saying, Hey, love the Lord and be faithful. But remember if you're not, God will bring the discipline against you. He will bring the judgment against you. Chapter 24. Then the Lord here reminds Israel of all of his faithfulness again to, to them throughout the generations verses one through 13. There he's walking through just the way that he has blessed them and brought them to where he is. And then we get a rather famous statement here from Joshua in verses 14 through 15. He says, now, therefore, fear the Lord and serve him with sincerity and faithfulness. Again, the intentionality there. Put away your faults, gods. And then in verse 15 he says, look, if it's evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose then this day whom you will serve, whether the gods of your fathers or the God of the Amorites and who land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. And so he draws the line in the sand and says, Hey, make your choice. Choose today who you're gonna serve. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

I love how he antagonizes them a little bit. Because you're like, yeah, we're gonna do that. He says, no, you're not gonna do that. You are gonna say that, but you're not gonna, it is too hard for you. You're not able to serve him. He's a holy God. And they're like no. We're gonna do it. Really, Joshua, we mean this. Okay. I just one those, I don't know how this transpired, but it just, I read it funny. It sounds like he's antagonizing them the whole time. You're not gonna do this. Fine. Okay. You say, so let's let's consolidate this. If you think that's really what's gonna happen, but your words are right on, man. I appreciate that. I love the idea and the mindset of saying, look, we're just, we're gonna cut off everything behind us. We're gonna make a decision. To do what's right to serve the Lord. And no matter what we're gonna, we're gonna go that direction. And notice Joshua says for me and my house, he can't he can't communicate for everybody. Even though he is their leader, he knows he's about to go the way of the buffalo. And so he's saying for me, for my house, what I can control, my family, what we do, we are gonna, we're gonna serve the Lord. And I think that kind of mentality, if that were present here today, we'd have a lot more strong families because men. Who are willing to do this are gonna say, look, I can't control what my neighborhood does. I can't control what my government does. I can't control the laws that my government enacts, but I can control what happens under my roof and by God's grace I'm going to, I'm gonna do that. I heard someone talk about the kind of leadership a man possesses in his home, that he has an iron hand covered with a velvet glove that he leads strongly, but he doesn't do it in a harsh, overbearing way. And I think that's what Joshua calls us to, to love the Lord with that kind of ferocity. And of course, the gentleness that's required of a father and a husband. I.

Yeah. I would agree with everything that you said and the people's pledge think we're all in. We're gonna do this. Joshua, he says, take this seriously in verses 20 through 22, reminds them of the gravity of this choice. When he says, here you are witnesses against yourselves, that you have chosen the Lord to serve him. And they said, we are witnesses. That's a, when you know the future of what's coming. That's a bone chilling. Statement from that, even though he says it against

yourselves now, you're not witnesses for yourselves, but against, yeah. In other words, he's anticipating their inevitable

departure and I guess they just don't get it, or they don't think that's possible because they're like, yep, we're witnesses. We're willing to be that we're on the same team.

Joshua.

Yeah. I would agree with everything that you said verse 19, to your point when he says, you're not able to do this for the Lord is a jealous God. I, again, I we talked about this recently. I don't think it's that the Lord gives commands that we're unable to. To do. I think everything that the Lord sets out and calls us to, we're able to do. He doesn't say jump over a 20 foot building in one bound. That's not a commandment. But to do it wholeheartedly and to love the Lord, you, God, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, that is something that we can't do to perfection. Because of our sinfulness. Because of our brokenness. And so I think that's why Joshua tells them, you can't do this to, to the degree that you're saying that you're gonna do it. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't. Give effort. In verse 23, he says, put away the foreign gods that are among you. And I like this statement. Incline your heart to the Lord that again, intentionality, incline your heart. Cause your affections to be for the Lord. And that's not something that happens accidentally. You don't wake up with your heart inclined to the Lord. You wake up with your heart, inclined to your flesh. And it's only by prayer and time in the word and time around the believers and that intentional discipline of your mind and your body, and your life, that you will find that you're living a life with your heart inclined to the Lord. And so just that was true for them. It's true for us today too. The benefit we have is the spirit dwelling within us to help us in that endeavor. But it still requires, our participation in that that same effort too. That's right. So the chapter wraps up here. Joshua sets up a covenant with the people again and sets up a stone of remembrance to serve as a witness for future generations saying, Hey, this is gonna be there to remind you of this covenant, of your agreeing to do these things and to obey the Lord and to pursue the Lord. And then the book, of course, ends with somebody else picking up the narrative there with Joshua's death at 110 years old.

Verse 31 is interesting 'cause it says Israel serve the Lord all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders who outlive Joshua. That's a good thing. That's a great thing, in fact, that they serve the Lord and that they were faithful to him. But in just a chapter, two chapters, maybe as we go into the judges. We're gonna find out that there's the, there are only one generation removed from all out apostasy. Yeah. That's scary. Yeah. Because even though Joshua and his elders, I suspect were strong leaders, that doesn't guarantee that the next generation's gonna do the right thing. Are there any lessons that you can think of that would be helpful for us to take from this? 'cause that's discouraging. Yeah. We can plant and water and do all the right things and still have the next generation go bonkers. Yeah.

I would agree with everything that you said I'm reminded of, mueller, he was talking about the presidency when Trump first took office and was doing a bunch of good things, and Mueller said, this is great. He said let's not say anything else. This what he's doing, a lot of what he's doing is really good. But Mueller said, for there to be lasting change, this is gonna require another four years. Another president and another president after him, and another president after him that are gonna continue these policies. Otherwise they're just gonna be undone by the next guy that takes office. And I think there's a parallel there. I think if we're not. Intentional to be praying for that next generation on a regular basis and doing everything that we can in our power to try to raise them in the discipline and instruction of the Lord and teach them things like this. You need men to be teaching your sons as they're growing older. Hey, when you get married and you have kids, you need to teach your kids the things of the word you need to have your kids in church. Here's why we've had you in church. Here's why we've put you through Adventure Club, or why we've had you in student ministry, or why we have you at this church, because this is us. Doing what God has called us to do with you, and someday you're gonna get married and that's gonna be your responsibility with your kids as well. So don't just focus on that next generation up, but even instill that vision with that next generation up for their role that they're gonna play in the future generations. Your grandkids, your great grandkids, and how they're there to continue to perpetuate this, hopefully this faith that's gonna result in future generations being strong in the church and the church not apostate. Is that. That was good. Good. Okay. I didn't know if you had a particular angle or something on that, but Nope. No, I had no angle. I was just giving you opportunity to tell us how it is. Awesome. Awesome. Hey, seven books down. Seven books down already this year. So good job. Keep going. We've got judges, next Judges is gonna be a rollercoaster. It's gonna go good. It's gonna go bad. It's gonna go good. It's gonna go bad. You've got a left-handed king, you've got a fat or a left-handed judge who stabs a fat king. You've got all kinds of stuff going on here, so can't say that word anymore, fat. You can't. That's offensive.

Gotta use a, that's what it is. Different words. I dunno what the words are though. I don't know what the right one is, but I don't know. I don't think

you can say that. It says the fat closed over his sword. Yeah, the fat. Yeah. And other things happen too, so That's true. You'll have to tune in though to find out what, so let me pray and then we'll be done. Got thanks for another book under our belt this year. We don't want to just have books done as a way to check a box or be somehow legalistic to think that we're more acceptable to you. Because look at us. We've done all these things. We wanna boast not in ourselves, but in the Lord. Use the word that we read, that we intake, that we ingest to cause us to be more like Christ. And so we thank you for that opportunity. Even as we read books that. Like Joshua aren't on the surface at least super clear about how it relates to our relationship with you all the time, or how it relates to Christ. We thank you for the knowledge that it does, that we know it does as Jesus, even on the road to Emmaus with the disciples, opened up the word and showed how everything points to him. And so give us a wisdom to know how that works and how to do that with humility and care. And so we pray this in Jesus name. Amen. Amen. Keep reading Bibles and tune in again tomorrow for another edition of the Daily Bible Podcast. See you. Bye.

Thanks for listening to another edition of the Daily Bible Podcast. This is a ministry of Compass Bible Church in north Texas. You can find out more information about ourChurch@compassntx.org. We would love for you to leave a review to rate to share this podcast on whatever platform you happen to be listening on, and we will catch you against tomorrow for another edition of the Daily Bible Podcast.

Yeah. I would agree with everything that you said