1, 2, 3.
Speaker AWelcome to the Rap Report with your host, Andrew Rapoport, where we provide biblical interpretation and application.
Speaker AThis is a ministry of striving for eternity and the Christian podcast community.
Speaker AFor more content or to request a speaker for your church, go to strivingforeeternity.org welcome to another edition of the Rap Report.
Speaker AI'm your host, Andrew Rappaport, the executive director of Striving Fraternity and the Christian podcast community of which this podcast is a proud member.
Speaker AI have something a little bit different for you folks today.
Speaker AWhat we're going to be doing is I'm playing an episode that just dropped on the Dead Man Walking podcast Greg had me on.
Speaker AHe wanted to discuss pastors ethics, social media.
Speaker AThis is in light of the issue with Josh Bice.
Speaker ANow you're going to hear some things as my audience you have never heard me speak about.
Speaker AYou're going to hear things that, well, you didn't know about, things that had been going on behind the scenes for years.
Speaker ABecause it's not my way of dealing with things to blast other people.
Speaker AMy goal is to help to educate people in my audience, educate those to live more like Christ.
Speaker AAnd part of that's also having to be an example even when it's hard.
Speaker AYep, that's right folks.
Speaker ASometimes it's really hard to walk the Christian life and we have to be able to take things that come against us.
Speaker AAnd so there's going to be a little bit here that's more personal that Greg made it that way.
Speaker AI told Greg that, hey, I, I'm okay with talking about these things in general.
Speaker AI don't want to talk about the specifics.
Speaker AHe kind of ended up making it where was no way to avoid some of the specifics.
Speaker ABut so it's something where I am putting this out there so that people can see basically how do we deal with the whole issue when someone like a Josh Bice falls and we think he failed us.
Speaker AAnd so there's things like that we could deal with.
Speaker ABut I mean there's a lot more to my story that's not obviously in this podcast, but I did think it was, it was would be helpful for you and my audience to hear some of what happened.
Speaker ABut more so just that you could see how do we deal with these things because a lot of people are addressing this fact.
Speaker AIt's in there out there.
Speaker AI have strong opinions with, with some of these things that I'm still keeping private.
Speaker AAnd the fact is, is I think that this might be helpful for you, if any of this catches you, my audience, off guard that you didn't know some of this was happening.
Speaker AI'll just say you can feel free to reach out to me.
Speaker AI've never hidden away from the things.
Speaker AThe reason some people like Reg and others know is because people would hear things, they would come to me.
Speaker AAnd I I don't may not go public with things I don't do.
Speaker ABut if asked, I don't shy away from explaining things that happened to me or things that go on.
Speaker ABut I do want to try to protect people.
Speaker AEven if even if I think they're wronging me, I want to protect their reputation where I can.
Speaker ASo I hope this is helpful for you.
Speaker AAnd what you're going to hear now is from the Dead Man Walking Podcast, a podcast I follow, and I encourage you to do the same.
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Speaker AAll of Christ for All of Life and all of Finance for Christendom.
Speaker BDiscussing the Josh Bice situation and how Christians and especially pastors should handle social media.
Speaker BStick around exploring theology, doctrine and all of the fascinating subjects in between.
Speaker BBroadcasting from an undisclosed location, Dead Men Walking starts now.
Speaker BWell hello.
Speaker BHello everyone.
Speaker BWelcome back to another episode of Dead Men Walking Podcast.
Speaker BAs always, find out more about us@dmwpodcast.com follow us on social media.
Speaker BMake sure you share with a friend and thank you for doing that.
Speaker BHelp keep the pirate ship afloat.
Speaker BWe appreciate your support and check out our merch on our merch store there at DMW Podcast.
Speaker BGot some snarky stuff for you.
Speaker BT shirts, mugs, hats, all that good stuff.
Speaker BEvery little bit helps us to go to conferences, travel, do all those things.
Speaker BAbsolutely love it.
Speaker BSo welcome back to another episode.
Speaker BYeah, we had some breaking news on Monday.
Speaker BIf you're listening to this, we release every Wednesday.
Speaker BIf you're listening to the date comes out it's been about two days now since the Josh Bice controversy with G3, where it was found out that he had many anonymous A9 accounts, as they call it, and was really slandering other brothers in the Lord and other ministries anonymously online for the past three years.
Speaker BAnd the G Conference, which I did attend the national conference in 2021, has been canceled and wanted to talk about that.
Speaker BAnd I brought on Andrew Rapaport to talk about that because when Andrew and I first met years ago, I think that in about a year into our relationship, so this has been about two years ago, we were talking and he privately told me some things that were going on and he was being slandered by Josh and some other people and he had some anon accounts that were attacking him.
Speaker BNow at that time, I don't think he knew that they were Josh's, but basically just told his story and said, you know, I pray for him.
Speaker BAnd I'm struggling because, you know, I'm being blackballed from.
Speaker BBlacklisted, excuse me, from certain speaking events and, you know, functions and kind of was outside of the circle.
Speaker BAnd it was really kind of eye opening to me.
Speaker BI'd only been podcasting for a few years and didn't really realize that, you know, a lot of these ministries kind of compete against each other.
Speaker BI know it's wrong to say, but I find a lot of similarities between politics and like Christian ministries, which is a horrible thing to say, but it's just the truth.
Speaker BIn politics, you kind of have people backbiting and being hypocritical and kind of fighting infighting against each other within party and then outside a party, fighting with each other and kind of building these little camps and tribes and going, well, this voting block is, you know, going to vote this way for this thing in return.
Speaker BAnd you go, well, if I'm in, you know, the Christian community and if I'm in the Bride of Christ here, there shouldn't be any of that.
Speaker BRight?
Speaker BAnd for the most part there isn't.
Speaker BBut you definitely, I say in the broader, you know, Church of Christ, there, there isn't.
Speaker BBut you can definitely get into things where it's like, him, vers him.
Speaker BAnd I'm in this group and you're in that group.
Speaker BAnd yeah, we all might be believers, but we don't like that guy because he's going to take away from the stardom of this guy and we can't have him speak here or him do this thing here.
Speaker BAnd it's really crazy how I kind of see some similarities there.
Speaker BAnd then when I heard this a few years ago, I went, well, that's just wrong.
Speaker BLike we, you should come out against that Andrew and say publicly.
Speaker BAnd he goes, who, who's, who's going to listen?
Speaker BFirst of all, it's a private matter.
Speaker BI don't feel like I should go on social media and talk about it.
Speaker BAnd he just had a lot of respect for Josh and those guys, some of the guys surrounding this situation, and was very humble about it.
Speaker BAnd financially it hurt him.
Speaker BAnd you know, spiritually and emotionally, you know, just as a person, it does not feel good when someone's accusing you or lying about you or blacklisting you or saying things, you know, gossiping about you.
Speaker BAnd lo and behold, two and a half years, three years later, Andrew is kind of vindicated.
Speaker BWe now see that Josh was very controlling and, and, you know, posting, slandering Christians, posting things anonymously, which I can talk about this openly.
Speaker BI, I have much sin in my life and I, I confess it.
Speaker BAnd I asked the Lord to help me be sanctified every single day.
Speaker BOne of my sins is not having anonymous accounts and talking about people behind their back and, or, you know, anonymously online.
Speaker BI will tell you exactly how I feel right to your face.
Speaker BAnd I touched on that in this episode too, with Andrew too, and I said, even that can sometimes, you know, be a point of pride, though, because I once told my wife, going to post this because I'd say it to their face.
Speaker BAnd she goes, well, then you're just being a jerk to their face and online.
Speaker BSo, like, that's not an excuse either.
Speaker BBut with that being said, I can look at this and go, okay, I've never struggled with that.
Speaker BI've never thought I needed to sneak around, make anonymous accounts, you know, mess with people, slander them, all those things.
Speaker BAnytime I've said anything about anyone, it's public.
Speaker BYou know, it's coming from me or my podcast brand, which is the only, I'm the only one who posts from it.
Speaker BAnd I, I have no problem with that.
Speaker BSo wanted to have Andrew on and we basically talked about what is the responsibility of a pastor and brought in broader aspect all Christians when it comes to social media.
Speaker BWhat, what's the ethics standard?
Speaker BWhat's the morality standard?
Speaker BWhat's the biblical standard?
Speaker BAnd you know, we talked about his situation up top.
Speaker BWe didn't get into a whole lot of personal details.
Speaker BBut you, you'll get the gist of what happened between him and him and Josh and the G3 organization years ago and now three years later.
Speaker BAll this coming out as of, I think, Monday morning a couple days ago.
Speaker BIf you're hearing this on Wednesday, I always forget that, you know, obviously podcast episodes live forever.
Speaker BSo I don't know, maybe you're listening to this four years from now and you're going, what Monday?
Speaker BBut it was a good conversation.
Speaker BWe kept it to about 45 minutes.
Speaker BHe had some things to do, I had some things to do afterwards.
Speaker BSo we didn't get into really super long format.
Speaker BBut we did touch on those things, and I found it very interesting.
Speaker BAnd I would just commend my brother, Andrew Rapaport for being humble in that time in his life and even humble in this episode.
Speaker BHe had every right to go see I told you so.
Speaker BI knew it all along.
Speaker BHe could do all that.
Speaker BMonday morning quarterbacking Hindsight.
Speaker B2020.
Speaker BIs that a word?
Speaker B2020.
Speaker BAnd no.
Speaker BWhat did he do on this episode?
Speaker BAnd even in a private group chat that I'm in with him, the very first thing out of his mouth when everyone else was talking about it was pray for Josh.
Speaker BAnd even on this episode, he said, introspect, don't Monday morning quarterback.
Speaker BYou have sin, I have sin.
Speaker BWe introspect.
Speaker BWe pray for Josh.
Speaker BAnd I went, what a humble way and a Christlike way to deal with something to where even I said on the episode, personally, I would have been very offended, and I don't know how I would have handled it.
Speaker BI don't know if I could have handled it that humbly.
Speaker BBut there you go.
Speaker BWe're going to talk about it, and it was a good episode.
Speaker BNext, voices.
Speaker BYou hear me, Andrew Rappaport.
Speaker BHere we go.
Speaker BWell, Andrew, welcome back to the Deadman Walking podcast.
Speaker BFrequent guest, One of my buddies, one of my friends, one of my pals.
Speaker BWhat's up, brother?
Speaker AHow you doing?
Speaker AThanks for having me.
Speaker BYeah, absolutely.
Speaker BSo I wanted to have you on because we just had some.
Speaker BBy the time people are listening to this, it'll be a day or two since it broke that Josh Boyce has stepped down from G3.
Speaker BFound that there was some.
Speaker BHe had three or four different anon accounts where he was slandering and talking negatively about.
Speaker BAbout other brothers in the Lord.
Speaker BAnd I wanted to have you on, and I don't want to expose too much.
Speaker BAnd if I say something here, we can always edit and post if he.
Speaker BIf it's too uncomfortable.
Speaker BBut I knew about a situation between you and some of those leaders, including Josh, years ago, and you were very humble about it.
Speaker BAnd just said, this is what happened and this is kind of what's going on.
Speaker BAnd there was slander involved and there, and there was accusations and all those things.
Speaker BAnd you said there's not much we can do about it.
Speaker BJosh has a platform and a ministry and not a lot of people want to talk to me about it.
Speaker BI do know within my circle, there are quite a few that understood what you were going through and, and we believed what you said and there's not much we could do about it either.
Speaker BAnd even to the fact now that some of these accounts that are coming out that he used, you can go back and see that you were.
Speaker BHe used those accounts to attack you and say some things.
Speaker BAnd you know what?
Speaker BYour sin will find you out.
Speaker BRight, Andrew?
Speaker BAnd, and I'm just saying this publicly for anyone listening in my dealings with you, you have always been truthful with me up front, humble.
Speaker BYou never slandered the brother that slandered you.
Speaker BYou didn't say a bad word about him where you had the opportunity to do that and say, this guy did this.
Speaker BI mean, he did some stuff that I would say, him and some others that could ruin your ministry financially.
Speaker BSpeaking engagements, people saying, no, we're going to cancel because this guy said that or this guy said that.
Speaker BAnd you just held on to the truth and you were very biblical and righteous about it.
Speaker BAnd I just want to commend, commend you on that publicly because those are the type of Christians that I like to surround myself with because they make me better as a brother in the Lord to go.
Speaker BWe do not gossip.
Speaker BWe obviously defend ourselves.
Speaker BWe stick up for ourselves.
Speaker BWe speak the truth.
Speaker BRight.
Speaker BWe say exactly what happened, but in no way over the last couple of years with you going through what you went through and you can get into as little or as much detail as you want on that.
Speaker BYou know, did I hear you speak an ill word about someone who came against you very personally with lies and accusations?
Speaker BAnd I just wanted to publicly commend you at the top of the show.
Speaker BAnd that's one of the reasons I'm having you on.
Speaker BThe other reason I want you to speak on this subject, on the responsibilities of pastors and Christians and social media and what is that standard and what does the Bible call us to?
Speaker BAnd I think you're the perfect person to talk about that.
Speaker BBut that was a long intro for me, but I had to get that off my chest.
Speaker AWell, first off, thanks for having me on.
Speaker AI.
Speaker AI'll say this.
Speaker AI think it is an Important topic.
Speaker AYou.
Speaker AYou brought up the issue with Josh and them.
Speaker AFirst thing I did when I heard about it was to.
Speaker AI emailed Virgil Walker, who works at G3, someone who I love dearly.
Speaker AAnd I just said, hey, I'm praying for you, for Josh, for the ministry.
Speaker AIf there's anything I can do to help with it.
Speaker AI know there's a lot on your shoulders right now.
Speaker AJust know that I'm praying for you.
Speaker AAnd that's.
Speaker AI have no ill will toward folks.
Speaker AI mean, look, my attitude is really simple.
Speaker AWhat I've done to Christ, I deserve far more than people badmouthing me, slandering me or talking to me.
Speaker BAmen.
Speaker AIf.
Speaker AIf that is the worst I have to suffer on earth.
Speaker AOkay.
Speaker BYeah, that's doable.
Speaker ABecause what I deserve in my sin against Christ and, and God, I deserve so much worse.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker AAnd so that's really been my attitude for, for years of it.
Speaker ANot.
Speaker AI didn't get there lightly.
Speaker AIt didn't come easily.
Speaker ASure.
Speaker ABut it's really where I've.
Speaker AI've come to land is the fact that I deserve more than any human could.
Speaker ACould do to me.
Speaker ASo.
Speaker ASo I'm.
Speaker AI'm praying for them.
Speaker AThis isn't easy.
Speaker AI mean, it's the.
Speaker AThe thing I think that would.
Speaker AThat bothers me the most, whether it's this Steve Lawson, any of these.
Speaker AIt's a stain on the bride of Christ.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker AAnd the world will use it.
Speaker ALook, when you get.
Speaker AWhen you get people that wouldn't be in our camp, people who, you know, we would see like a Benny Hinn or those guys that we wouldn't see even close to the camp.
Speaker ABut the world, I mean, they don't even know there is a camp.
Speaker ASo the world looks at that and says it's all Christianity.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker AI mean, world doesn't distinguish between Roman Catholic, Christian, Protestant, you know, Presbyterian or biblical Baptists.
Speaker BSorry, just had to get that in there, didn't you?
Speaker AThere's got to be at least one Presbyterian dig because you're going to get about five Baptist digs in throughout the show.
Speaker BOkay.
Speaker BYeah, as long as you didn't say Reformed Baptist, since there's no such thing.
Speaker BBut go on.
Speaker ASo.
Speaker ASo I mean, the reality is, to the world, it.
Speaker AIt all looks the same.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker AMy upbringing, from a Jewish upbringing, I actually thought all of Christianity just.
Speaker AI called it all Catholic.
Speaker ALike it was just denominations of Catholic, so.
Speaker ABut it hurts a little bit more when it's someone within our camp, someone that theologically we would agree with, someone who who's, you know, was part of a ministry that we would support.
Speaker ASo there is a range of emotions with people today and, and by the time they hear this, maybe they've dealt with some of these emotions.
Speaker ABut there's a range of emotions that people are going through from hurt because they have a love for Josh Bice, they have a love for G3.
Speaker AAnd you know, just like with, with, you know, Steve Lawson, a lot of people went from the, I'm throwing out all of his books and anything he's done to the, the just.
Speaker AI'm, I'm genuinely hurt.
Speaker AThis is someone that taught me so much and had such an impact on me and they feel let down.
Speaker ASo there's a range of emotions that people are going to be going through because of the ministry God had through Josh bice.
Speaker AOkay.
Speaker AAnd G3 ministries.
Speaker AAnd I think it's.
Speaker AThere's two things to.
Speaker AThat we could look at.
Speaker AOne is, as you and I talked about, why would you do the show?
Speaker AIs basically ethics.
Speaker ARight.
Speaker AHow should pastors handle social media?
Speaker ABut I think also as people who are receiving from public ministries, when we see someone who, who has a failure like this, there's a range of emotions that people go through.
Speaker AAnd my attitude would be for folks to think through is look for the good in the ministry that God had through these people.
Speaker AThey're human, just like you and I.
Speaker AThey could fall just like you and I can fall.
Speaker AWe, we're in danger if we think, oh, I could never do what so and so did.
Speaker AFill in the blank.
Speaker AI mean, right now you mentioned it's Josh Bice, but there's so many before and there'll be so many after.
Speaker AYeah, if we think we can't fall like that, then we're in trouble because that's your fall.
Speaker BAnd I just want to say too, we're not doing this from a place of loftiness, right.
Speaker BOf sitting up here and saying, oh, well, looking down on Josh and those who are.
Speaker BThere's many, I believe there's many influencers within the Christian community and even those who have ministries that have a nine accounts and do this.
Speaker BI will say I've never personally done that.
Speaker BYou know the famous verse, judge not lest you be judged, which the progressive progressives like to interpret as, hey, you can't judge anything.
Speaker BI do know Christ is saying, you don't get to sit in the seat of judgment on something that's a sin in your own life, a regular sin.
Speaker BI can say, I've never had any.
Speaker BAin't on accounts Nor do I have any desire to have any ainon accounts.
Speaker BIt's troublesome enough for me to just post from my podcast account because I seem to be busy with life and I'm sure you're the same way with all the things you have going on.
Speaker BSo I think we can both sit here from a place of not having committed that particular sin and also call Josh out in brotherly love and also expose this subject to other believers and say, this is something that we have to be wary of.
Speaker BNot just pastors, but also all Christians, when we're entrusted with social media, posting things online, right?
Speaker BSlander all the things that come along with it.
Speaker BSnarkiness, rude jokes, crude talking, all those things talked about that Christ talks about too, about being a reflection of him.
Speaker BSo I think it's an important subject.
Speaker BAnd, and for me, for me, to you personally, I would just say, I don't know how you dealt with it so humbly.
Speaker BI would have been livid.
Speaker BAnd maybe that's by the grace of God.
Speaker BGod has not allowed that to happen to me.
Speaker BBecause if you come after me personally and my ministry and all, I mean, think, think about that.
Speaker BYou have one pastor, pastor trying to take down someone who is preaching the gospel because of what?
Speaker BPersonal animosity, jealousy, you know, clicks, whatever it is, we're not going to put any intentions on that.
Speaker BI'm just saying, boy, if it would have happened to me, I think I'd have lost my salvation for about 15 minutes.
Speaker BIt's like, you know what I mean?
Speaker BSo it's like, I, I appreciate you and this isn't just platitudes.
Speaker BOnce again, I want to establish this up front on the episode that I'm talking to you because I've seen the response modeled in a Christlike way with you.
Speaker BIf this was someone who was going back at someone and then slandering also and creating a nine accounts and arguing back and publicly, you know, I wouldn't have them on my podcast, I go, I'm staying away from that.
Speaker BBut when I know someone who handles it in a way, and I'll tell you, when you handle it that way, it feels like you lose, doesn't it?
Speaker BDidn't it feel for the last couple years like you just keep losing?
Speaker BLike people don't believe me or they look at me a certain way or they don't invite me here, or I feel like, like all the things.
Speaker BAnd then you go, oh, but look at that.
Speaker BIt is found out.
Speaker BHe's justly dealt with and there's probably Going to be more to come.
Speaker BAnd at the end of the day you get to go.
Speaker BThank you Lord for taking me through that.
Speaker BI acted in a Christ like matter and I'm vindicated.
Speaker BGod will be my vengeance.
Speaker AYeah, so I think I, I tried to have.
Speaker AI don't know if it would really be an on account, but I had an account on Facebook that I actually created called Striving for Eternity only because, well, Facebook booted me from my own group and so I created an account and so get out of here.
Speaker AI could get.
Speaker AYeah, like, so that I could, you know, get add myself back in.
Speaker AAnd so.
Speaker AYeah, that was initially.
Speaker ABut they deleted that one.
Speaker ASo.
Speaker AAnd I do have a, A second Twitter that clearly says this is not the official Andrew Rapaport, like go find on Twitter.
Speaker BAnd to be clear, for this conversation we're not talking about secondary accounts, general accounts for podcasts or ministry.
Speaker BI mean, clearly those are linked to.
Speaker BBecause I have one.
Speaker BRight.
Speaker APurposely to.
Speaker AYeah, I think in this case, like, purposely to go like there was a, A group many years ago that they had.
Speaker AThey actually.
Speaker AOne of the founders of the group actually created a fake account to attack his ministry so that he could respond to it.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker AAnd like.
Speaker AAnd look, the reality that sells.
Speaker AAnd I get that.
Speaker ABut you know, I think to one thing I do want to say since you said some things publicly, I should, I should say I think that again in Josh's case with me and, and others, I think they're actually doing it out of a sense of, of righteousness.
Speaker AThey feel they, they don't have all the information, but in the limited information that they have, they've drawn conclusions about me that they've never actually tested out.
Speaker AI mean, and this will be one thing I think that we'll get into when it comes to pastors and online ministry, whether pastor or not, one of the key things I believe we need to see is an attitude of reconciliation with folks.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker AThe, the one thing that, you know, in the case that in my case, if these guys would have practiced reconciliation and been willing to meet with me, we could resolve it probably.
Speaker AAnd, and they'd realize, oh, you were actually in the right.
Speaker AI mean, you know, the, the very people who think that what is happening to Josh because you know, are the, the very same thing that I called out sin and some people didn't like it.
Speaker ABut if you only have one side of a story and everybody.
Speaker ALook, everyone listening to this who may have read the statement from G3, you have one side of a story.
Speaker BVery true.
Speaker AYou have really the G3 side of the story.
Speaker AYou don't have Josh's unless you've spoken to Josh, then you have his.
Speaker AAnd this is the question I had, whether it's Steve Lawson.
Speaker AI gotten a lot of flack for not jumping on the bandwagon with Steve Lawson, but I only had one side of a story.
Speaker AI was waiting for the other side.
Speaker AIt took five months, right?
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker ABut this is the one thing we always have to be cautious of for the person who's watching these things play out on social media is to realize that we.
Speaker AWe always have to be cautious.
Speaker AI.
Speaker AI'm tempted.
Speaker AI'll get myself in trouble here, but this is dead man walking, so, hey, we like trouble.
Speaker BGo ahead.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker AThrow caution to the wind.
Speaker AYou know, the.
Speaker AThe whole situation with the.
Speaker AThe letter that came out with, oh, and I just drew a blank on his name.
Speaker AI hate getting older.
Speaker AJoel Webbing.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker ASo I've.
Speaker AI've been tempted to do a.
Speaker ADo an episode on Apologetics Live to evaluate the letters that the church put out on Joel Webbing and the letter Joel Webbin put out just on those.
Speaker ABecause I don't agree with Joel Webbing's theology, his more stronger stance against Jewish people.
Speaker AMe being Jewish, maybe I have a bias there, but I don't agree with his theology.
Speaker ABut when I saw those letters come out, I read those letters and went, you know, I actually think, just based on those, that Joe Webbing's in the right.
Speaker ALike, why would he think he's under church discipline if in their own letter, they're admitting that they sent him to Texas and.
Speaker AAnd paid for him to plant a church?
Speaker ALike, they supported him, and then they had them come back and speak while they're putting this letter out to people.
Speaker AIt's like, it's a mixed message.
Speaker AAnd I'm looking at it like, I.
Speaker AI just looked at those letters and said, you know, there's more here.
Speaker AAnd then Joel's letter comes out.
Speaker AI go, okay.
Speaker AIt sure looks like when Joel's saying, I didn't know this, that you can make a really strong case for.
Speaker AFor his point of view.
Speaker ASo I could disagree with him.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker AAnd still say, based in this situation, I think he was probably in the right now.
Speaker AMore information, I guess, has come out.
Speaker AI don't have that information.
Speaker AI didn't look into that.
Speaker ABut in the limited amount that I had, I looked at it and said, you know, people are, oh, but he's a wolf.
Speaker AHe's disqualified.
Speaker AHe may be, but not be like, I can't base it off of this.
Speaker BRight.
Speaker BSo let me ask you this.
Speaker BYou bring up a very good point, because I think much of what's going on here, when we see ministry leaders, pastors, elders, online, saying some things, creating a nine accounts, whatever it is, getting themselves into hot water, it's a.
Speaker BAnd maybe I'm making this too general, but for me, I go, well, they don't have one of the qualifications that they need as a pastor elder, which is discernment.
Speaker BThey're lacking a general sense of discernment.
Speaker BAnd we all know, as Spurgeon famously said, discernment isn't knowing right from wrong.
Speaker BThat's easy.
Speaker BThe unbeliever can determine right and wrong just by God's transcendent law.
Speaker BThe discernment is knowing right from almost right.
Speaker BCorrect.
Speaker BSo you bring up a good point in saying, look at.
Speaker BThere's something I could have done here that might very well help the body.
Speaker BYou have this discerning kind of view with Joel webbing and going, I could post something, and I wouldn't be slandering or anything like that, but I'd be talking about this, going, okay, can we accuse this brother based on this?
Speaker BYes or no?
Speaker BThis is what the Bible says.
Speaker BHow do you walk that line with someone like you who is striving for eternity?
Speaker BYou've got apologetics live, you speak internationally.
Speaker BI mean, a lot of people hear your words and see your videos.
Speaker BLike, what's the line for discernment between I get into this situation and comment on it or I stay totally out of it?
Speaker BIs it just having all the information?
Speaker BIs that one of the precursors for you, or is there more things that Christians and pastors should be looking at before speaking to an issue online?
Speaker AYeah, and that's a good, really good question.
Speaker ASo I could tell you the easier part of what you shouldn't have.
Speaker AThe easier one, when you should never talk about it, is when you're doing it in your heart, you'll know this if it's you.
Speaker AI'm doing this to get attention, right?
Speaker AWhether it's.
Speaker AYeah.
Speaker AAnd there are people.
Speaker ALook, I've worked with people in ministry.
Speaker AI remember a guy who was going up against Theonomy, and he had some really good episodes that tackled it well.
Speaker AAnd he literally got a.
Speaker AHe got a big audience because of it.
Speaker AAnd he literally said to me, who should I go after next?
Speaker ALike, what topic?
Speaker AAnd I went, no one.
Speaker ARight.
Speaker AIf you're doing it to get attention for yourself or to make money off it, you know, like, I I think of Julie Royce, you know, she.
Speaker AOh, no, I'm just doing discernment.
Speaker AYeah.
Speaker AAnd you're, you're making a living, a pretty good living off of it.
Speaker ARight.
Speaker ASo the, the reality is, is that there are people who will do what they call discernment.
Speaker AReally what it is.
Speaker AIt's, it's.
Speaker AThere is a, a level of that, an evolution.
Speaker AAnd I'm using that word not in a scientific sense, but there is an evolution that we see.
Speaker ARight.
Speaker AYou get someone who exposes somebody for something heinous.
Speaker AThey.
Speaker ANo one knew about it, it was being hidden.
Speaker ASomeone just for whatever reason, finds something out, they dig into it and they expose truth.
Speaker AThey get a platform or people know who they are because of it, and they have the attitude like this other person I mentioned, they look for someone else.
Speaker AThe evolution when you're doing that is that you start looking for who to expose and you're less concerned about the truthfulness and you start looking for, hey, this is what they really mean.
Speaker AOr, you know, I, like if I just skipped it.
Speaker ALike, I, I remember someone who wrote an article against John Piper saying that he believed in a workspace salvation.
Speaker AAnd they wanted me to review this article.
Speaker AThey said it's, it's rock solid.
Speaker AAnd I looked at it and I went through and I searched everything that Piper.
Speaker AI had actually got all his books digitally so I could do this search because this guy had that Piper said quote, works are necessary to earn salvation, unquote.
Speaker AAnd I.
Speaker AThere was no citation and I could not find where that's from.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker AAnd I went to the author and said, where did this come from?
Speaker AAnd he's like, well, that's what he meant because there was an added word there.
Speaker AThe actual quote that I could find is that works are necessary for salvation.
Speaker AIt didn't say to earn.
Speaker AYeah, makes a big difference.
Speaker AHe was talking sanctification, the works of sanctification.
Speaker AAnd we would agree with that.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker AAnd so you get someone that they, they start going, oh, but this is what he means now it becomes problematic.
Speaker AWe have to be honest.
Speaker ALook, the reality in the case that you're bringing up today.
Speaker BRight, Josh, really quickly too, just on the discernment kind of arena, I've found more than not some of these up and coming discerning discerner blogs and, and YouTube channels.
Speaker BAnd I would exclude guys like Justin Peters from this.
Speaker BI, I've talked to him and I know you know him, and I think he does it with the correct intention.
Speaker BI think that's the problem is what's the intention behind it.
Speaker BI found most of these guys up and coming.
Speaker BIt is because it feels good to call out someone else's sin because then we can rationalize our own hidden, unrepentant sin that we are not talking about.
Speaker BAnd it really puts us in the sweet spot of righteousness when we get to sit on our perch and go, oh yeah, look, what this.
Speaker BAnd now everyone shame them.
Speaker BMeanwhile, you're getting off your podcast or YouTube and you're going out and sinning and you're making sure it's just a secret between you and yourself and you think God's not watching, that sin will catch up to you as well, too.
Speaker BAnd I'm just saying intention has a lot to do with it.
Speaker BI think guys like Justin Peters and maybe a few others, when they have these discernment ministries, is it because they.
Speaker BBecause they want to see justice served, righteousness upheld, and it hurts them to see the bride of Christ be sinned against?
Speaker BIf that's the intention, then by all means, plea.
Speaker BI would say please post that and be biblical in your post, but we have actually have a duty to that.
Speaker BRight.
Speaker BThe Bible says to other brothers and sisters in Christ to point them towards their sin, call that out, and call them to repentance.
Speaker BSo I think intention has a lot.
Speaker BLike you said, self serving is one.
Speaker BIs there anything else you can think of to where you're looking at something and you go, should I post this or should I get in this subject?
Speaker BAre we looking at any specific biblical principles before we press send on that tweet or that Facebook post or that video we're gonna make calling someone out or getting into, you know, a quarrel with someone online.
Speaker BWhat do you think?
Speaker AWell, I think, I think.
Speaker ALet me give you one example of, of someone who does it outstandingly is Todd Friel.
Speaker AIf you're familiar with Todd Frail from Wretched radio.
Speaker BSure.
Speaker AHe.
Speaker AAnd, and I've, I've talked to him, actually.
Speaker AI interviewed him once because I said I wanted to talk about this with him because he is, he is outstanding when it comes to.
Speaker AAnd, because when he'll sit there and say, okay, there's a line right here, we can't go over this.
Speaker ALike, we got to stop right here because he doesn't want to go over a line.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker AAnd he's really, really good with that.
Speaker ASo if you want an example of, you know, some.
Speaker ASomeone to follow that, that would be a great example.
Speaker BI think he balances the line too, with his snarkiness and kind of sarcasm.
Speaker BAs well too.
Speaker BI don't think he goes over the line, but he goes right up to it and he makes it entertaining as well.
Speaker AYeah, he does, he does.
Speaker AAnd, and so I, I would, I would say, you know, look, look at, there's different people we can look to.
Speaker AAnd, and that's helpful.
Speaker AI would say that with the discernment, with the, you're right.
Speaker AAs the, the fact of people feel like, oh look I'm, I, I, that a self righteousness exposing that the sin.
Speaker AWe can, we can eat too far too easily be like, well I'm, you know, I'm, I'm doing something spiritual.
Speaker AThey, we could justify it.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker AI don't know too many ministries that say they're doing discernment that put Philippians 3:18 as their verse.
Speaker ABut let me read this because I think my view of discernment, this is a key.
Speaker AThis is Paul.
Speaker AHe's writing about people who are slandering him.
Speaker AHe says that in the beginning of the book, I mean he's in prison and these people are basically like, you know, God's done with Paul.
Speaker AHe's imprisoned them, he's done with them.
Speaker AAnd, and he says in the very beginning of this, this letter to the Philippians that they're doing it out of selfish envy.
Speaker ARight.
Speaker AThey're speaking falsehoods.
Speaker ABut then he can say, I'll start in verse 17.
Speaker AThis is Philippians 3.
Speaker A17.
Speaker ABrethren, join in following my example and observe those who were walk according to the pattern and sorry, and let me read again.
Speaker ABrethren, join in following my example and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us for many walk of whom I've often told you and now tell you even weeping that they are enemies of the cross of Christ.
Speaker AI do not hear discernment ministries that weep over those that they would call enemies.
Speaker ANow I can tell you personally, Justin Peters you mentioned does that Justin Peters prays for the people that he calls out.
Speaker ANot just he doesn't just say, he does say it that he does, but he prays for these individuals to come to repentance.
Speaker AAnd we need to have a heart more like Paul's that if you're going to do discernment ministry, are you weeping for these people you call out or, or are you as some have been gleeful because they're looking forward to being able to expose something.
Speaker AAnd so when, when should we post it, when shouldn't we?
Speaker AThings like that.
Speaker AYou know, one of the things that's driving fraternity, we have a rule with our board of Directors and, and our speakers, if one of the board or one of the other speakers comes to any one of us and we, I post something, if anyone comes to me and says take that down, my, my response is not why.
Speaker AMy response is to remove it.
Speaker AAnd afterwards we discuss it.
Speaker AAnd that's the principle that we have.
Speaker AAnd if, if someone doesn't do that, then they're not going to be in, they're not going to be one of our speakers for long and they're not going to be one of, on the board for long.
Speaker ABecause we want to build a trust within our, you know, an accountability that we're going to trust one another first and then ask the why not justify.
Speaker AAnd, and there's been plenty of times where I've had one of the guys say, hey, take that down.
Speaker AYou know, and then afterwards I'll be like, here's, here's why I don't think it, it was good to put that up.
Speaker AAnd, and then we discuss it and sometimes it's like we talk through it.
Speaker AOh, we'll put that back up.
Speaker AVery rarely do I put one back up after.
Speaker AUsually it's like, yeah, that should stay down.
Speaker ARight?
Speaker ALook, all of us have put things up on, on social media that we think we shouldn't have done that.
Speaker AI know people that have a 24 hour rule, they wait 24 hours before if they're not sure, give it, give it, get out of the heat of the moment.
Speaker ABut I really think that the big thing that I see, you know, ethically, right, and this is what we were talking about in a, in a, in a signal group that we are in is the ethics of it.
Speaker AWhen you have more and more people that are online, there is an allure to building a platform versus doing ministry.
Speaker AAnd I do think there's a difference between platform building and ministry.
Speaker AIf you're platform building, your goal is attention, your goal is the likes, the, the clicks, the follows, what, whatever social media engagement it has.
Speaker AIf you're looking to build a platform, that's what you're doing.
Speaker ASo you're going to be more calculating and how you, what you do and how you do things and you're also going to have less rules because hey, if this is garnering me the attention I want for the ministry and I'm doing air quotes there, yeah, hey, great.
Speaker AAnd I'm being blessed by God.
Speaker AYou know, Adonai Judson wasn't on social, social media standards wouldn't be considered successful, right?
Speaker AI mean, doesn't have many followers.
Speaker AHe goes, you Know, gets thrown in prison so they could translate the Bible into the local language.
Speaker AAnd he didn't see fruit for years.
Speaker ASame with many other missionaries.
Speaker AAnd yet, you know, that's not how God judges ministry.
Speaker AAnd this is the thing we have to.
Speaker ATo recognize.
Speaker AYou look at Isaiah, chapter six, and I have a message.
Speaker AI.
Speaker AI do this.
Speaker AWhat the.
Speaker AWhat is success in ministry?
Speaker AAnd, and that's a message I've been preaching for.
Speaker AFor 25 years, so it's not something new.
Speaker ABut I go through Isaiah chapter six, and I don't stop at verse eight.
Speaker AYou know, who, who will go for us?
Speaker AHere I am.
Speaker ASend me.
Speaker AEvery missions conference preaches that.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker ABut what does he Continue.
Speaker AKeep reading.
Speaker A9, 10, 11, where he's like, lord, how.
Speaker AWhat do you want me to do?
Speaker AOh, you want me to preach this?
Speaker AGod says to him, you preach until people stick their fingers in their ears, cover their eyes, and go, no, no, no, no.
Speaker ABecause they'd want to drown you out.
Speaker AAnd Isaiah's question is, like, how long?
Speaker AOh, until the cities are desolate.
Speaker BWow.
Speaker AYou know, Isaiah was successful in ministry not because many of the Jewish nation followed him.
Speaker ANo, he was successful because he did what God called him to do, and the nation turned against God in the process.
Speaker AYeah, like, that was success because he was obedient and faithful to his calling of God.
Speaker AHad nothing to do with the numbers.
Speaker AAnd, and the big draw of the platform builders are the.
Speaker AThe numbers.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker BYou know.
Speaker BYou know what's crazy when I think about it is when you look at all of the ministries that have popped up over the last 20 years, especially with the growth in platforming of the Internet, you just, you sit back and wonder.
Speaker B1.
Speaker BYou even said it.
Speaker BGrowing my ministry.
Speaker BI hear people say a lot of time, well, my platform, my ministry, my YouTube.
Speaker BYou go, really?
Speaker BIs it yours?
Speaker BBecause it's supposed to be God's.
Speaker BAnd then all these people kind of getting their little 15 minutes of fame, and you go, well, shouldn't the fame be to Christ and Christ alone?
Speaker BRight?
Speaker BSo you got two things working against you.
Speaker BPeople looking at you and you thinking that's your platform, when in fact you're just a steward of everything the Lord gives you while you're here on Earth.
Speaker BAnd I look at a lot of these YouTube channels and podcasts and ministries, and I go, I wonder what the percentages of them that they're just kind of doing what they.
Speaker BThey really want to do, what's making them feel good about.
Speaker BI don't know, their life, their ministry, their.
Speaker BTheir pastoral Ship their.
Speaker BGrowing their platform.
Speaker BIf they.
Speaker BIf I'd probably say if 80% of these actually sat down and prayed and said, lord, what is it that you want me to do with this?
Speaker BHow can I be used?
Speaker BI think you'd see many of these going in a much different direction.
Speaker BI don't think they'd be quite as popular.
Speaker BAir quotes, you know, clickbaity and all that stuff.
Speaker BAnd I think it's a shame because I think there's a lot of pride that creeps into that.
Speaker BNow look at.
Speaker BI'm not.
Speaker BI'm not doing this episode just to, you know, you know, call out and kind of, you know, throw shade on anyone who has a podcast or ministry or whatever.
Speaker BYou have a very successful ministry.
Speaker BI'm not saying that.
Speaker BI'm not saying you can't have something that, you know, promotes the word of God, and we want to do that righteously.
Speaker BWhat I'm saying is, you see, see so many of these pop up and rise to fame and then fall and then rise to fame and then fall over.
Speaker BJust maybe sometimes a few years.
Speaker BSometimes it makes me sit back and go, okay, were they truly doing what the Lord had called them to do or did something else creep in?
Speaker BBecause there's a lot of temptations as, you know, along the way when people start recognizing you and want to pay you to go places and want you to promote this and look at this book and write this forward, and, hey, you're in this little club now, and it's kind of crazy.
Speaker BYou can fall into that trap pretty easily.
Speaker AIt's very seductive.
Speaker AI.
Speaker AI remember the first time I recognized it.
Speaker AAnd look, folks, we are all susceptible to pride.
Speaker AWe all want to be liked.
Speaker AWe all want people to.
Speaker AIt is seductive.
Speaker AI.
Speaker AI remember I was at the deeper conference.
Speaker AThis is going back many years.
Speaker AA friend of mine, his.
Speaker AHis name is Mark Cahill.
Speaker AWe're not friends anymore.
Speaker AHe doesn't think I'm saved because he doesn't think any Calvinists are.
Speaker ABut that's okay.
Speaker AHe's actually a Calvinist.
Speaker AHe just has a wrong definition of the.
Speaker AOf the term.
Speaker ABut a great guy, you know, just a very generous guy.
Speaker AAnd he wanted.
Speaker AI had something for him.
Speaker AHe was like, hey, bring it to the conference.
Speaker AOkay?
Speaker ASo he's got this line going around the corner and all these people waiting to.
Speaker ATo talk to him.
Speaker AAnd I just, you know, walked up and tapped him on the shoulder when he was done talking to someone because I didn't want to talk to him.
Speaker AI was just going to give him something and leave, right?
Speaker AAnd this, you know, so he.
Speaker ASo I tap him on the shoulder.
Speaker AHe looks down, and when I say looks down, he's, you know, like, 6, 8, 6, 10.
Speaker ASo he's looking down and.
Speaker AAnd he sees me and said, hey, you know, I just.
Speaker AI gave him what I needed to give him.
Speaker AAnd he.
Speaker AHe was like, hey, how was that conference?
Speaker AAnd he wanted to talk.
Speaker AAnd I'm like.
Speaker AAnd I just said to him, hey, call me next week.
Speaker ALike, you got this.
Speaker ALike, I didn't want to be.
Speaker ABecause I just cut the line, right?
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker AI said, call me next week.
Speaker AWe'll talk.
Speaker ARight?
Speaker AThis guy sees that, and he was just kind of in that hover position.
Speaker AIf you've ever been.
Speaker AYou've been to enough conferences, you know, that hover position when someone's just.
Speaker AThey're waiting, they want to kind of be close to whoever the.
Speaker AThe speaker is.
Speaker AAnd so this guy's in hover position when.
Speaker AWhen I'm walking away and Mark's going, hey, I'll call you next week.
Speaker AI said, okay.
Speaker AAnd I walk away.
Speaker AThis guy came right up to me, and he.
Speaker AHe's pretending like he wants to know me.
Speaker AHe does not care.
Speaker AHe doesn't know who I am.
Speaker AHe doesn't care about me at all.
Speaker AHe knows that I know Mark, so he wants to know me now.
Speaker AThat was the first that I.
Speaker AI recognized.
Speaker AI was like.
Speaker AI recognized right there.
Speaker ALike, there was part of me.
Speaker AI was like, hey, he wants to know who I am.
Speaker AAnd then I realized, no, he doesn't.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker AAnd I did exactly what you would not do.
Speaker AGreg, what's up?
Speaker AI lied.
Speaker AI.
Speaker AI sat there before.
Speaker AI.
Speaker AI just.
Speaker AI had this feeling like I.
Speaker AThere was this pride within me, and my immediate reaction was to try to get out of it.
Speaker AAnd so I said, hey, I'm sorry.
Speaker AI got somewhere I got to be.
Speaker AAnd I.
Speaker AAnd I walked out the doors.
Speaker AI had nowhere to be.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker AI actually walked around the building so I could not, like, walk right back in because I wanted.
Speaker BRight.
Speaker AAnd I walk around going, lord, why did I do that?
Speaker ALike, but it is so seductive.
Speaker AAnd we have to be aware of our pride.
Speaker ASo I'm not someone that's like, oh, you know, like, you.
Speaker AYou're.
Speaker AI think I kind of heard you in the beginning of show.
Speaker AAnd I'm going, yeah, that's not me.
Speaker AThere's lots of struggle I had.
Speaker BI was looking.
Speaker BI wasn't saying you're perfect.
Speaker BI'm just saying one of the first times we ever Met.
Speaker BYou were the keynote speaker at a conference, and you're helping me set up my equipment for podcasting.
Speaker BAnd I'm going, what speaker does that?
Speaker BI've only had two other guys do that in the five years I've been doing this at any conference.
Speaker BThat felt like, here, brother, let me help you set this up.
Speaker BBut also, I'm the keynote speaker that people are here to listen to.
Speaker BI like that dynamic.
Speaker BIt shows a humbleness.
Speaker BIt shows a level of, you know, like you said at the top of the show, one of my favorite parables, the parable of the borrower that gets relieved of a debt.
Speaker BOh, we brought blacked out there.
Speaker BThat gets relieved of a lifelong debt that he cannot pay to the king.
Speaker BWalks out, turns around, sees that his brother owes him a few bucks, throws him in prison.
Speaker BI mean, like you said, I've been forgiven of such a huge debt by Christ.
Speaker BHow can I dare then go hold something so minor in comparison against a brother in the Lord or even a non believer?
Speaker AWell, I think you're touching on another element of ethics when we're in do social media, whether pastor or not.
Speaker ABut I know you wanted to focus on.
Speaker BOn pastor or all Christians.
Speaker BI think, I think it's good for everyone.
Speaker AThere is a.
Speaker AA point where, you know, I mentioned the.
Speaker AWe have to be.
Speaker AWe have to have hearts of reconciliation.
Speaker AThat's.
Speaker AThat's one thing.
Speaker AAnother thing is we have to have hearts of not thinking we're above another believer.
Speaker AYou know, James talks about not judging if we're going to judge believers in an unbiblical way, like we're setting ourselves up as, as their judge over God's word.
Speaker AGod's word should be the only thing we judge one another by.
Speaker ANot whether I agree or disagree with.
Speaker AYou don't like how you're doing things.
Speaker AI mean, I mentioned Joel Webbing.
Speaker AI.
Speaker AI don't.
Speaker AI don't know a lot about him.
Speaker AI don't think I would agree with much of what I've heard that knows how I'm saying that, folks, I make the distinction between what I've heard about him and what I actually know about him.
Speaker AI know very little about him.
Speaker AYes.
Speaker AI was on a podcast once with them.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker ADidn't know who he was at the time.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker ABut the, the thing is that what you're bringing out is that we can't think we.
Speaker AThat we're above someone else.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker AOnce we start thinking, well, I'm the keynote speaker in the, in the case you're giving, that's the pride and, and pride is the main issue that we see here that people start to justify a lot of things in the name of pride.
Speaker AWhether they.
Speaker AOh well, they.
Speaker AThis is discernment, this is ministry, this is fill in the blank.
Speaker AThere's a lot of people that will do things in the name of something else.
Speaker ABut really what it is is pride.
Speaker AAnd I got news for all of us.
Speaker AA, we're all susceptible to it.
Speaker AB, we could all be seduced by it.
Speaker AAnd three, pride is the one thing that will always tell you you're right, never tells you you're wrong.
Speaker ARight will always justify whatever you're doing and say you're in the right.
Speaker AAnd so if you have a bunch of people telling you you're in the wrong, listen to that.
Speaker BYeah, could be a good indicator.
Speaker ARight, exactly.
Speaker ABecause pride is self deception by its very nature.
Speaker AAnd so we have to be careful if we always think we're right in almost any situation.
Speaker ALook, you mentioned some of the situations.
Speaker BVery, very quickly too.
Speaker BPride is very good at using whatever your base personality is to justify you being right.
Speaker BIf you're someone who always seeks after justice and, and likes kind of being confrontational and kind of like seeking after the truth, you might say something and everyone else is saying oh, you're wrong.
Speaker BRepent and pride will go.
Speaker BSee, you're the only one who says it like it is.
Speaker BYou're the only one who will stand up for that.
Speaker BIf you're the type of person who likes to play the victim and likes to be the one who goes, oh poor me, pride will go.
Speaker BSee, everyone just always picks on you.
Speaker BYou're.
Speaker BThis is how it is.
Speaker BYour whole life you stay true to what you said because everyone just doesn't like, right?
Speaker BSo it knows how to navigate your own flesh and rationalize you doing the wrong thing.
Speaker BThe sinful thing.
Speaker ASounds like you've struggled with it once or twice too.
Speaker B100 on all spectrums.
Speaker BThat's why I'm an expert in sin.
Speaker BWe all are.
Speaker AI know I'm not alone, but there's many people that want to give Paul a run for his money on who the chief of centers really is.
Speaker AI actually had a seminary professor was very interesting side note tangent but looking he decided to read Paul chronologically how Paul had written.
Speaker AAnd the thing that's interesting is that he noticed that Paul is harder on himself the longer he walked with Christ.
Speaker AHe, he.
Speaker AHis view of his own sin begot became much, much worse as he was walking with Christ to the end of his life.
Speaker AHis one of his last books, he says, I'm the chief of sinners.
Speaker AYeah, very interesting.
Speaker AAnd when he said that, I start to realize, and this has been true.
Speaker ALike, I think the, the reason that I, I could deal with things differently now than when I was younger is because I start to see how wicked I really am.
Speaker AAnd I'm going, oh, like, like, why am I calling this out on other people when I'm kind of worse than them?
Speaker AAnd, but if I, if I lived with them, they, they'd probably think, no, no, I'm worse than you.
Speaker ARight.
Speaker AThe, the reality is, is that we have to recognize our own pride.
Speaker AWe have to, we have to be able to question ourselves to whether what we're doing is prideful.
Speaker AAnd if there's a doubt, then don't do it.
Speaker AI mean, you mentioned clickbait.
Speaker AI, I personally believe clickbait is sinful.
Speaker ANow, folks don't know what clickbait is when you, you put something in the title just to get someone to click on it, but you really don't deal.
Speaker BWith the issue or you walk it back.
Speaker BI've seen that too.
Speaker BRight.
Speaker BLike, you soften it throughout the episode, or you're going, okay, that's not even really what you meant.
Speaker AYeah.
Speaker AI remember an episode someone did about theonomy, and they never even mentioned it throughout the entire episode.
Speaker AIt was, you know, it was like.
Speaker BA button issue at the time.
Speaker BSo they put that in the title.
Speaker AThey titled it the Danger, you know, addressing the Dangers of theonomy.
Speaker AAnd they never even covered it.
Speaker AI've seen other things where they'll say something and they'll title it, and at the end of the show, they'll just go, oh, yeah.
Speaker AAnd, and they just.
Speaker AWhy do, why do that?
Speaker ABecause you're trying to get people to pay attention to you, to what you're doing, to the episode, to the, the post, whatever it is.
Speaker AI mean, I, I was bashing dispensationalism and.
Speaker BSorry about that.
Speaker AYeah.
Speaker AJust kidding.
Speaker AHe's someone I knew personally, and I contacted him personally and I said, you know that dispensationalists don't believe that I know that you know this.
Speaker ARight.
Speaker BLike, intentionally misrepresenting them.
Speaker ACorrect.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker AAnd his response literally was, I know, but it gets the clicks.
Speaker AAnd the more people that like it, the more that they'll see other things that I post.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker AAnd I, I, my response was, brother, that that's wrong.
Speaker AThat's sinful behavior.
Speaker ALike, you're, you're purposely causing division in the body of Christ.
Speaker ASo that you can get more attention for yourself.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker AAnd he immediately was trying to like, no, no, that's not what I'm doing.
Speaker ANo, that's what you're doing.
Speaker ALike, like, let's recognize it.
Speaker AAnd I, I think our friendship kind of ended at that moment because we real, we just kind of drifted apart.
Speaker ABut there is something when.
Speaker AAbout the ethics we don't think about when we post.
Speaker AWhy are we posting it?
Speaker AIt's not just what are we posting, but motivations.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker BSo to me, it sounds like it's a lot like in real life, the Lord says, what are your intentions for how you speak, how you act, how you react?
Speaker BWe should be having those same standards for even social media.
Speaker BWhy am I posting this?
Speaker BWhat am I trying to gain out of it?
Speaker BWhat are my intentions?
Speaker BRight.
Speaker AGreg, how many people do you know that have said something online to you or about you, that you know them personally and you know that if you're, if they're right in your face, they would never say the things that they just typed?
Speaker BDude.
Speaker BIt happens in real time, especially as an elected official.
Speaker BThey will say something and then I see them at a meeting or out in public, and boy, do they.
Speaker BThe, you know, deer in headlights and you go look at.
Speaker BI didn't take offense to it.
Speaker BI don't know why you're cowering about it, but it is funny how everyone's a keyboard cowboy.
Speaker AYeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker AThe keyboard warriors that, you know, they're, they're willing to say things that they would never say to your face, but when you're posting, post it as if you're saying it directly to the person.
Speaker AThey're right in front of you.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker AAre you still willing to say it?
Speaker AI mean, these, those are some good things to think about.
Speaker AIt's so easy, Greg, for people to, to look at a.
Speaker AToday's hot button issue is Josh Bice.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker ASo many people that are going to be.
Speaker AAnd I'm not.
Speaker AWhen these things happen, I usually try and stay off of social media for a few days.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker AThere's probably so many people on X and Facebook that are bashing Josh and finding.
Speaker AOh, well, I've seen it.
Speaker ALike I could have seen this coming and this and that.
Speaker BEveryone's a Monday motor, Monday morning quarterback.
Speaker BRight, Right, Correct.
Speaker AAnd the reality is, is that they're, they're jumping on it and they're, they're gonna bash, you know, Josh.
Speaker AHow many of these people are praying for him?
Speaker AI, I'll tell you right now, I've already prayed for him.
Speaker ASeveral times today, I've prayed for the other people.
Speaker AI've prayed for, you know, the, the people who I know that are involved with G3.
Speaker AI've prayed for Virgil Walker.
Speaker AI've prayed for Tom Buck.
Speaker AI've prayed for Scott.
Speaker AAnnual people who.
Speaker AI don't know Scott that well, but I know the other two personally.
Speaker AI, I've prayed because these are hard decisions, what they had to do.
Speaker BSure.
Speaker AAnd it's hard to stand up and do what's right.
Speaker ASo it, it is a difficult thing for.
Speaker ATo, to say to someone that you would count as a personal friend and say, you got, you got to step out of ministry.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker AThat's not easy.
Speaker BNo.
Speaker BAll right, so let's finish this up.
Speaker BI know you've got a heart out.
Speaker BYou've got things that you have to do today.
Speaker BAnd I would just tackle on to really quick for the listeners.
Speaker BYou said, you know, post something as if you're saying it right to them.
Speaker BI.
Speaker BBut also, be warned, I fell into the trap of going, well, I would tell someone this to their face, so I'm okay to post it.
Speaker BAnd then my wife just said, yeah, but you're just being rude and obnoxious to people's faces, so it doesn't make it right.
Speaker BNo, I know you're laughing, but I almost used that as an excuse, Andrew.
Speaker BI was like, well, I'll tell someone right to their face.
Speaker BI don't like this and that, and they're that and they're this.
Speaker BAnd she goes, yeah, but that's not reflecting Christ.
Speaker BYou're just being.
Speaker BYou're just.
Speaker BYou're not reflecting Christ in your personal life and on social media.
Speaker BSo let's act like we're talking to someone else.
Speaker BBut also let's line it up with the Beatitudes, how Christ acted, what Paul commands us to do in.
Speaker BIn Romans and so on and so forth as well.
Speaker BBut we only have a couple minutes left.
Speaker AYou and I do have this.
Speaker AThis problem because both of us have black belts and sarcasm and so we could drop people with a word, and that does make it all right.
Speaker BBut it's fun to hang out together, isn't it, when we're in a group.
Speaker ALove Language is a sarcasm.
Speaker ARight.
Speaker BBut we got a couple minutes left here, so finish, Finish us up.
Speaker BGive us the final word, Andrew.
Speaker BTake us out.
Speaker BTake us home.
Speaker ASo my, I mean, my thing is, look, I know that there's a range of emotions people are going through right now with this, but use this as a, As a learning for all of Us, Right.
Speaker AThere's a range of motions from disappointment in what happened with this particular teacher, whoever it might be, that that has let you down.
Speaker ABeing hurt by what they did, feeling you got throughout the whole ministry, feeling you have to toss everything they've done, there's that wide range.
Speaker AHow do we deal with that?
Speaker AWell, for those people that are on the sidelines watching and are hurt, let me just say, look, Josh is a brother in Christ in this case, same with Steve Lawson or any of the others.
Speaker AAnd, and there's someone that we should be lifting up in prayer.
Speaker AWe shouldn't throw out everything they've done.
Speaker AWe should see the value in how God has used them.
Speaker ABecause guess what?
Speaker AIt was never Josh's ministry.
Speaker AThe dead man walking is not your ministry.
Speaker AStriving for attorney is not my ministry.
Speaker AIt is God's ministry through us.
Speaker ASo be thankful for what God did through these teachers to impact your life and help you.
Speaker ATo those who are the Monday morning quarterbacks, to the person who's just going to jump on the bandwagon because they get someone else that they can go and criticize.
Speaker AI've already seen some of it where people are like, oh, well, there was this, I guess a few weeks ago, there was some other, you know, thing with the, the conference and a charger of VIP thing and people like, I'll see.
Speaker ABut we should have seen that.
Speaker ALike, no, like, stop with all of that.
Speaker AHere's an idea.
Speaker AHow about you rally together?
Speaker ABecause guess what?
Speaker AThe biggest problem, Greg, that I see in Christianity is that we're really, we're really good with unbelievers.
Speaker AWe'll work better with them than we will other believers.
Speaker AWhen we work with, when we work with someone who you look at in politic politics, you'll have Christians that'll, they'll look for the good in a Glenn Beck who's a Mormon, and they'll say, see, we could, we could work together.
Speaker ALook what we could do.
Speaker ALook at all this.
Speaker AThat he, he's doing good here.
Speaker AHe's doing good.
Speaker ABut then you get a Christian, a fellow brother in Christ and all notice differences.
Speaker AYeah, it's like, well, he doesn't agree with this.
Speaker AHe doesn't agree with this.
Speaker AHe's not this, he's not that.
Speaker AWe need to recognize the real battle is not within.
Speaker ALike, we got to end this tribalism because that's really, Social media has really made the tribalism within Christianity highlighted.
Speaker AWe need to be working together because it, the, the solution to the world system.
Speaker AThe problems we see is the gospel and we, we need it doesn't mean we have to pretend like we don't disagree.
Speaker AYou and I, you know, you're Presbyterian, I'm biblical.
Speaker AYou know.
Speaker BThat in there before the end of the show.
Speaker BHuh.
Speaker AWe have people.
Speaker AI had Gabe from Wrench, and so he and I were at a conference together.
Speaker AWe would be at pretty in opposite ends of spectrum.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker AWe shared our hotel room.
Speaker AHe and I told him, I wish that we recorded our discussion because we sat there for three hours discussing theology and finding a lot of agreement.
Speaker AWe just sat there, we're like, oh.
Speaker AYou know, and even where we disagreed, we're both like, well, at least I could see you're being consistent in how you're coming to that.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker AAnd we both became much better friends for that.
Speaker AAnd I think that we value each other a lot better in our positions.
Speaker AAnd so, so the thing is that there needs to be more of that.
Speaker AI think that, you know, I think about how in scripture, both, I think it's John and Paul both talk about the, the child.
Speaker AYou know, when you're first a believer and you're just like, I can't believe that I'm saved.
Speaker ALike, I just love the Father and, and then, you know, that middle aged man just wants to fight the devil and you know, and that's the keyboard warrior, wants to go after everybody.
Speaker AI think that final stage is where you're just like, you just, you just love the Lord.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker BAnd you love his and you love his bride and you're like, you want to see the best.
Speaker BYeah, Correct.
Speaker AAnd I think that that's where we need to get to.
Speaker AAnd for the Monday morning quarterbacks that are just piling on right now, I just want to caution those folks to say, let's take a step back and let me evaluate my own heart.
Speaker ABecause yes, these things, some of these things happen and they're now exposed to the public.
Speaker ARight.
Speaker AWould any of you listening want the last 24 hours of what your thought life was like?
Speaker AWould you want that on national tv?
Speaker ABecause I mean, that's what's happening with, with right now with some people.
Speaker AAnd you should be praying for them because they're.
Speaker AThere's someone you're going to spend eternity with.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker AAnd so for the Monday morning quarterbacks, maybe back off from trying to say how right you are and just stay off the media and pray for them.
Speaker BYes.
Speaker AYou know, instead.
Speaker AAnd then for those who are in ministry, I would say be cautious, be cautious because any of us can fall into this.
Speaker AAnd I also want to say that, like some of the things we call people out and say, oh, they're disqualified.
Speaker AI don't know.
Speaker AYou know, some of it, I think we just make too big of a deal of too small of a thing.
Speaker BYeah, well, it's part of the cancel culture.
Speaker BIt's part of people, like I said, wanting to rationalize kind of their own position.
Speaker BIt feels good in our flesh to call someone else a sinner.
Speaker BIt's hard to introspect and say, wait a minute, we are also the center, but that's a good place to end.
Speaker BAndrew, thanks so much for being here.
Speaker BObviously we're going to link up all the places where people can listen to you and see you.
Speaker BWe're also going to include the link for your awesome book, what do We Believe?
Speaker BI've got one of the hard copy editions.
Speaker BLook at that.
Speaker BI think it might even be a little, little personal note there.
Speaker BI don't want to give away too much what he said, but we'll link that up too.
Speaker BBut shout out where people can find you and what you got going on as we wrap up here.
Speaker AWell, if they go to striving for eternity.org they can find everything there.
Speaker AMy books, my podcasts are there.
Speaker AChristian podcast community.org is where all of our podcasts are.
Speaker ABut I do my pod 2 main podcast I do is the Rap Report, which is playing my last name, and then the Apologex Live, which is a live stream that we do Thursday nights.
Speaker BFun.
Speaker BYou come in and you debate people and you don't even know what the subject's going to be.
Speaker BAnyone can pop in in they have a theological subject and you will debate.
Speaker BAnd like you famously said, a good debate tactic can sometimes be, I don't know.
Speaker BSo, you know, it becomes maybe the Stump Andrew Rappaport Hour, which is a fun live stream and I've jumped into that many times.
Speaker BAll right, Andrew, thanks so much for jumping on a short notice talking to us about very important issue.
Speaker BAppreciate you, brother, and we love you.
Speaker AThank you, brother.
Speaker AThanks for having me on.
Speaker BAll right, guys, thanks for listening to another episode of Dead Men Walking podcast.
Speaker BAs always, you can find out more about us at@dmwpodcast.com go support the show.
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Speaker AThen your biscuits.