Pastors' Perspective - 06/09/2025

it at 888-564-6173. Yes, you can search for your answers on Google or AI, but who knows what you might get, so I think you should call us at 888-564-6173. Mike Chaddick, the senior pastor of Image Church in Charlotte, uh, no, San Juan Capos,

If you're watching online, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, you see a QR code there somewhere down there, you can, uh, Scan that, and that will take you right to the pastor's perspective page on Kwave.com, where you can fill out the question or fill out the form and get your question to us. We will get to the phones in just a little bit with Luz in San Diego, but first, here's a question that was sent in online. This is

from Paul. What do we make of the fact that in John 7, Jesus told his brothers he wasn't going to the festival, but later, he went anyway. And then in, in Luke 24, he acted as if he was going to leave the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, but he went with them at their urging. Mike, what do you say?

his mind and goes at a later time. I don't, I don't see a contradiction other than if you're, if somebody assumes by Jesus saying, I'm not going now, that I'm not going ever, I, I guess that might be, but again, that's reading into it a little bit. Um, but one thing I think we know about the gospels as we look at the life and ministry of Jesus, is he's always following a divine timeline for everything. He is the, he's the quintessential man of the spirit, and

so he is always in divine rhythm. So that means not simply, oh, like a lot of us Christians would say, oh, Lord, should I go to this festival or should I not? Uh, for Jesus, it's not simply should I go or should I not, but when should I go? Who should I go with? And so, and again, I think Jesus is balancing this whole thing of he's not wanting to draw a crowd and all that, so he kind of

lets the crowds initially get there. People are looking around. Hey, is Jesus here, that guy, that miracle worker guy who's kind of causing a little bit of stir because, you know, John 7, this is early on in his ministry, and then Jesus kind of secretly goes up later. So John 7, I see no problem, and then, uh, in And, uh, And Luke 24, once again, the road to amaze, I, I don't see a problem, and, and technically, if I recall Char, um, it doesn't say Jesus said, I'm not

going any further. It's actually the narrator, it's actually Luke saying, and he would have continued going, but he was so, again, the narrator's just saying, and it may simply mean, yeah, Jesus is like, I'm gonna keep going unless you invite me, and you invited me, so I'm going. So again, I, I don't see a problem there. I think it's interesting, obviously. Uh, once again, if we wanted to get into like doctrine and theology, um, the hypostatic union, Jesus is fully God, yes,

but he's also fully human. And, you know, uh, at one moment he's like, yeah, I'll go up here, and then a few moments later I'm gonna go over there and I, I don't see a contradiction or a problem. I don't know if you have any comment you would make Char

this looks like to be led of the spirit. And so here's a great example of that, you know, uh, whether it's the, um, the woman at the well, or it's going up to the feast, that's just that divine timeline that he is so sensitive to. So I love that. And then Again, I think with Luke, you know, we're looking more at the discipleship, the disciple community and this idea of

inviting Jesus along with us. I so I just think I'm always looking for those like underlying discipleship principles within the text and so I love that, you know, that.

You know, we, we shouldn't be so, um, I think strict sometimes, like when we're reading the Gospels, we're like, oh, like the timeline is different than Matthew's timeline, or it's different than John, and, you know, and we think of them as chronological, always, uh, rather than actually these are stories that are all brought together so that we understand these biblical. principles of who God is and of what we are to be doing as disciples, you know, they're not exhaustive.

They're not, uh, necessarily, you know, back to back in the stories in the way that they're told them. So, uh, I just love that you brought that out. So

that he does. And so I think, yeah, that's the question underneath those questions usually that's being asked there. Can I trust God? Is he trustworthy?

He's gonna destroy and all this and that, but then the people repent and then says, and God relented, you know, and, and so, so once again, I think maybe what you're saying is. If people see a problem, I'm just like thankful he he relented, you know, but I guess some people are, well, no, you know, he should have gone through with it. But again,

what we're seeing is not a change in character. It actually, it's a change in the people, it's a change in maybe their circumstances, but it's not God's character, and I think sometimes we almost, we want God to be a frozen go where immutability means frozenness. He he's not free to act. Differently, like even the way Jesus will heal, like we might prefer he has an exact method of how everyone's, but what do we see? We see like kind of

the opposite. Like he's, he heals sometimes he touches somebody, sometimes he speaks a word, sometimes he spits on the ground, you know, and all that, and it's kind of like, wait a minute, I'm trying to, God, can you be? Can you be consistent so like we can bottle. That up and figure it out, but God, I think God is also free. You know, he's free to act as long as it's consistent with his character, which I think in scripture it always is, he is free to do things differently. Yeah,

3rd and 4th generation. There's all these things in there. And yet Ruth becomes the great grandmother of King David, the one who, you know, makes preparations for the house of God, the one who is after God's heart, and she's brought in. You know, the lineage of Messiah, right? So it's one of these stories where God is actually breaking the rules that he laid down for Israel. Those don't apply to God, right?

He can bring in whoever he wants. He can actually make clean who he has told Israel is actually unclean. We were actually just looking at this yesterday in Mark chapter 7. There's questions around eating, you know, without Washed hands, the ceremonial bath of the hands. And it's really interesting because it's actually the deeper question here is about who is pure before God. And the story is sandwiched between Jesus coming from the agora, the marketplace, and him.

Granting the request of a Syro Phoenician Gentile woman. And so Mark intentionally sandwiches this question about purity with these two stories. Jesus is actually accepting receiving any who will come to him in sincerity and simple faith. Nothing disqualifies them. They can actually be touched and renewed, healed, given clean hearts by Jesus. And so that's just like this.

Amazing thing that God, you know, and obviously we believe, uh, because we are, uh, you know, Jesus is Messiah people, gospel people, we believe that Ruth is a foreshadowing of what God would do in and through Christ, right?

broke their legs. Oh and Sabbath, I can't work so. I wouldn't, and, and of course the interpretation was Jesus is breaking the Sabbath. So, um, how, what do you think is like if somebody were to pick up on that and kind of run with it, what would you say?

and must rest on the Sabbath. Like, it's part of like, almost like this uh this law that even God keeps Torah, right? And actually, no, God doesn't keep Torah. God is above Torah. Yeah, and so I guess that's kind of what I mean with that, right? Like God actually can, but he's

Kind of that mind and like, and like you said to the point, I think it, it, it certainly preaches and it's punchy and sometimes I think we need that provocative word to stop us in our tracks and, and, and to rethink things because otherwise we bottle, we box everything up. Oh, I know everything and you know, something like that's like, oh, wait a minute. OK, hold on, what's he, what's he saying? And if I'm a, if I'm a wise gracious person, I continue to listen, but

if not, then, uh, we've lost each other. But yeah, I love what you said as

my daughter's age. But um there's something that kind of left me like a little unsettled, where um they refer to God as, you know, there's God the Father, and there is God the mother because it, it goes based off his traits. Um, which I kind of understand, but then at the same time, like, like they referred to him more as God the mother when they were doing the sermon, and that kind of just left me like a little like weary.

these things. And so, you know, in the beginning when God makes image bearers, he makes them male and female. So we do believe that You know, both the male sex and the female sex actually represent God. And actually, one without the other is not a full representation of who God is in His fullness. We need both. And so, that there are characteristics, traits of women, of mothers that actually represent God in his being, in his, in his loving, kind, gentle, compassionate.

Character. So, that the Bible is very clear about that, and there's even language and it's debated, but, you know, that there is this term used for God, El Shaddai, and it refers to the breast. He is a nurturing God and I I think that's what you're referring to earlier. I think we go too far when we begin to refer to God as God our mother.

And then, you know, way too far if we're saying that there is actually another, you know, deity, uh, or part of, I don't know, there would no unity trinity, right, yeah, um, God the mother, that is not something that we find in scripture at all. And I think, you know, going back to God's being. God is the source of all being. He does not need a mother to make life. And so, right, this is a a question or an issue of God's own self-sufficiency.

He is the great I am. God does not create because of a lack of, you know, uh, purpose, or, you know, because he needs something out of creation, but he creates so that he might pour out his love. He is giving and um Forgiving, giving and self-giving, right? So this is God who is, he is in his being. And so, I think when when we get into, you know, the oh actually there's a God the God the mother, then God is dependent upon God the mother to create life,

and we actually find the opposite within scripture. My,

getting that from? Um, because I'm, I mean, I feel like I'm getting older when I tell stories that are like 13 years old and stuff, but I went to a mainline Protestant seminary 13 years ago, spent a semester there. And, uh, one of the first classes I took, they, uh, started using God the mother language. Not only that, they said they would penalize us academically if we did not use female pronouns for God in our writings. And I,

and I was gonna lose my scholarship over this. So I had to make an appointment with the academic dean and explain, look, if you can show me anywhere in the Bible, like I'm a I'm like, I'm willing to be reformed by scripture. If I'm wrong, if I have overly patriarchal language, but by all means correct me. Um, but I said, but bottom line as a Christian, I'm bound to the word of God. Uh, scripture is normative for me, uh, for theological discourse, which means

The Bible is revelation. It's not philosophy, it's revelation, which means it's God's own self-disclosure. Therefore, if I'm gonna talk about the mystery of God and the things of God, I've got to do it according to God's own word, God's own revelation, not me philosophizing about what I would like it to be, or I think it should be,

or what's popular or any or anything else. And if you go to scripture, I think as Char was saying, while there, it is true that, I mean, number one, if this is a push back on

Uh, certainly there's been patriarchy. Certainly there's been people, I think certainly more in the past, but, and probably still some today, though I, I think less, um, that have just overly pressed the masculine language like far beyond what the Bible warrants, and, and they actually make God a man, you know, God is a spirit, he doesn't have a body, right? I mean, Christ the son becomes incarnate, uh, as a man, but God is spirit, right? So, Um, and then God creates, uh, male and female in

the beginning, and the two are human, right? Humanity. And so obviously if both male and female come from God and God's the one creating both of them, then obviously they reflect together characteristics of God. Um, therefore, I think that that validates femininity and and femaleness and all of that. However, when we're speaking about God, particularly about the, the inner nature or inner life of God, as I, I like to refer to it, the pattern is always God

the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. They're never, never, never, never, ever, not even one time is there God the mother doesn't exist. So, so even if, for example, and else should I, I heard that, uh, too, and it is possible, though it's very highly debated. It, it could be that is possible.

It could mean the breast or something, the, the nourishing one, which would be a. The feminine trait, um, it may not be either way what you still don't have is God the mother language, and I think as Christians we are bound to the Bible, to the word of God, and to the pattern of speaking about the, the mystery of God. I mean, the Trinity is a mystery, and I'm not authorized to go in there and start adding and taking out things that I, I think ought to be there because maybe somebody will

misuse it. I think we can do what Char did. Which is caution against misusing it, but we must protect the revealed mystery of the nature of God in scripture. Does this help you lose? OK. Um, yeah, so, um, it does, um, like, and when I went to the Bible study. Uh, we did like a little Bible study before the sermon and like some of the stuff that they were saying kind of makes sense, cause I, I haven't read

the whole Bible, but I've, I'm, I'm like almost halfway done. Um, and then one of the things that they touched on was, um, you know, when, when God says Um, or like when Jesus says, um, like, depart from me, I never knew you, like, only those who do the Father's will are allowed to enter in heaven, and, um. And so they were like saying only those who do, so it's not just believing in Jesus, it's um doing

the will of God, so like celebrating the Passover. So that's, that kind of left me like a little because I know it's not by work, you know, that we get into heaven,

the author of the epistle, right? He writes about this, that we must have faith that works, and Paul the Apostle, he talks about You know, that there's a life of the spirit that works out of us, God's works, right? So we, we,

we need, like, both have to happen. And so there's been, I was saying recently, a lot written on, you know, that The word faith probably, you know, it doesn't really translate, you know, to our uh current culture, you know, I think about like, you know, people use faith even in the church like George Michael, you know, just got to have faith, faith, faith, you know, like, well, what is that? I just believe that I believe, you know, I hope against hope and that's the way that we can.

We can almost use faith as positive thinking

I obey you. I, I do what you say in your word, because I believe um that you, you know, like Peter said, you have the words of eternal life, that actually, if I obey your teachings, they will produce a kind of fullness and flourishing. Of life for me. Now, I, I think what we need to think about is not just what, you know, the Jews and ancient Israel, according to the law of Moses, were taught to obey and believe, but specifically, we are

Christians and part of the new covenant. And so, according to Jesus and according to the authors of the New Testament, what are we being told to obey, you know, and specifically, you know, if we could narrow it down just to these two commands that Jesus gives, we are commanded to love God. And we are commanded to love our neighbor as ourself. And basically, Paul and other writers tell us that all that God requires is actually wrapped up in those two commands,

that that's the obedience that God is looking for. That's what a life of faith actually. Produces and looks like.

New Testament that and Abraham believed God and God reckoned it, accounted it to him as righteousness. And what's interesting if you go to James and it says, wasn't Abraham justified um when he offered up? Well, that was actually years later. So actually what's funny is you kind of go, wait a minute, James, no, Abraham was actually justified when he believed, that's it. That's all it says. He just trusted God and believed him.

But I think James's whole point, and I, I, I honestly think people miss this, um, I think James is dealing with a little bit of a different issue, like Paul's giving us theology, what makes a person right before God. James is a wisdom book. We acknowledge James is actually a New Testament version of the Old Testament genre of wisdom. James is not dealing with high theology per se, but he's dealing with like pastoral ministry. Like how do we, what do we.

Do. And right before he talks about, you know, faith without works is dead and all that, he says, if someone says they have faith, but don't, what so what he's doing is he's saying, here is a wise tool on how to evaluate faith claims. And as human beings who are not God, I don't know whether somebody truly believes or not. And even if you say works, well, you're gonna have some sins too. So by human standards, I'm still never fully gonna tell if works you're gonna save you. Well, you got bad

ones too. You can have bad days. I've seen Christians have bad seasons like years where they're in a ditch and good grief, if they die then, now we're all like, well, if it's works, they're in hell, you know, even though they believed and did good stuff earlier. So I think it's important to say that what makes a person right before God very clearly is what the Protestant reformers did.

In the 6th century, which is emphasized, we are saved by grace through faith, justified by Christ and His finished work on the cross and that alone. However, that kind of faith is dynamic. It's powerful. It converts the person. You're born again, you're empowered by the spirit. You're adopted into the, into the church into the family and house of of God. You've been predestined for what? For good works, not by them, but for them. So I think works are important, they're vital, but.

It's sort of what we look at as evidence both for ourselves and others that are are quote faith or believing loyalty or whatever we wanna or trust in God is actually real, that it's more than just a verbal claim. But when it comes down to it, when somebody stands before God, God's not like, all right, well how good were you or whatever. That's, that's just religion, that's false religion really. What it comes down to is, what have you done with my son? Are you in my son

Jesus Christ? That's ultimately what justifies a person before God.

And didn't wind up visiting anymore. Thanks for calling us today. We're gonna take a break now and we'll be back with more of your questions. Char Broderson and Mike Chaddick are here for another 30 minutes. 888-564-6173 is the number to call, and we would love to hear from you at 888-564-6173. We're back on Pastor's Perspective. 888-564-6173 is the number to call. I'm Brian Perez here with Char Broderson and Mike Chaddick

for the next 25 minutes. Give us a call at 888-564-6173. Loz, if you're still listening there in San Diego, duh, I forgot. Phil Metzger's Church, Calvary, San Diego. That's where you should go. You can find out more at CalvarySD.com, unless, of course, that's the church that's teaching about God the Mother. I'm sure it's not. Phil Metzger would not do that. We can, we can trust Phil. He, he's on our program quite often. So check that out. Los CalvarySD.com. Here's another question that

was sent in online. This is from Maria. And she writes, How do I respectfully stop talking to someone who does not have Christian values? I have stopped talking to some people because I don't feel comfortable around the type of behaviors they indulge in. But sometimes I feel like when I see them in the store, they may try to be nice, but then if I'm friendly and return the gesture and say hello, they proceed with trying to be friends again. Can I just ignore them

and keep walking? Because in my heart I have no hate towards them. But I just want to maintain my body and soul around either kind individuals with good morals or Christian-like individuals. Char, what do you say to Maria? Well, yeah, I, I think for this, I think maybe this is a a fundamental misunderstanding of the good news concerning Jesus Christ. So, Right? The, the gospel, the good news concerning Jesus Christ is all about how God has come.

In the person of Jesus, and he has actually welcomed the most unlikely of people. I will say people without Christian values, right? That Jesus actually spent time with these people,

and he was glad to spend time with them. He befriended them and he welcomed them to be his friends, and he showed them what God is really like, that God loves them, that God cares for them, that God Actually doesn't see them as, you know, um, those to be ignored and cast off and worthless and just wicked sinners, but he sees them as his creation that is lost, that he dearly loves and wants to forgive and make

whole and make clean by his saving power. So I think when we really look at the gospel about Jesus, it's, you know, our life should not be about just keeping ourselves clean from You know, those people out there that don't have Christian values. We were actually talking about this yesterday in our teaching. You know, there's this kind of historical thing with, you know, I guess all religions, but also in Christianity where we tend to think that evil is out there.

And it's not an issue within my own life. And so we fortify and protect ourselves and remove, you know, this, these kind of people from our social groups so that we think we'll be safe from influence and evil. But Jesus actually says in Mark 7 that actually evil is within every human heart and actually God has come in the person of Jesus to deal with that evil, to cleanse us and us, but I guess I would ask this question, Maria, how do you think people are gonna come to know Jesus?

If a human being doesn't reveal him, you know, just through kindness, through love, through friendship, because this is what Jesus is doing all throughout the gospels, and he is our example. We follow him. He is the way, he is the truth, He is the life. And so I think that maybe you need to begin to rethink what it actually means to be a follower of Jesus.

And to actually befriend these people, not in order to be like them and take on their, you know, non-Christian values, as you say, but that they would actually see the value of Christian values lived out in your life, that they could see how kind and beautiful and gracious, and welcoming and forgiving God really is through your life. Mike, any thoughts?

the question. And I think obviously if it's someone who's like pulls you into sin and, and I can imagine maybe various scenarios where that could be romantic relationship exactly like you, you think about, you know, um. People that were dating someone, they were in, you know, a relationship that was not God honoring and all of that, but it, it just had a pull on them and they had a very hard time getting out of it

and they did. And then they see this person and they're like, oh my gosh, like I have next to zero self-control, you know, and if I talk to them, it's all gonna go downhill. OK, I, that would be an extreme case, I would think an exception. And if you need to do that for the sake of your own walk with God, because you are going to go directly into some kind of sin, yes, I would agree. You know, just don't talk to them if you saw

them in the store. If, I mean, again, to me, I feel like hopefully you can say hi in the store and not get into sin in aisle 9 or whatever, but you know, if you can't, then, then I understand. I'd say yes, just it's better to deal radically. You know, but again, that's not in a sense, as you said, Char, it's not actually not even fully a judgment on that person. It's actually recognizing the own sin and evil and wickedness in myself. Like I know me well enough to know I shouldn't go there or I

shouldn't be around that person. And, and I think it's actually important that if you do that, you understand that's actually what's happening. Otherwise we can get that pharisaical judgmental, you know, us versus them. Well, I'm a good person, you're a bad filthy. I don't want the hem of my garment touching you because I'll get dirty and that kind of thing. No, actually it's my fault, you know, and, and by the way, I kind of did this when I first became a believer.

I had to kind of cut off my friend circle, um, because they were engaged in behavior I was engaged in and I couldn't, and as a follower of Jesus, I could no longer do it and I didn't trust myself and I actually felt bad that I knew it could come off like a judgment.

On them, like, oh, I think I'm so, and, and some of them I think expressed that is how they, they took it that oh you're, you're too good for us now, Christian boy or whatever, um, but I tried to communicate as much as possible, to be perfectly honest with you. Um, I encounter Jesus. I'm following him and to be honest, I'm just not very good at it yet, you know, and so I just, I gotta do what I gotta do,

but honestly, I love you guys. I, I still think the world of you, you know, there's, I see the good qualities despite the sins. I see the good qualities and. And honestly, it's like an unfortunate circumstance due to in a sense to my own weakness. Like if I were stronger,

like right now with those, I'd be totally fine. I would actually love to meet up with them and see how they're doing, have coffee with them, and if they want to start getting drunk at lunch, I don't, I mean, knock yourself up, just please don't drive, you know, um, but I'm, I'm good, but you know, back then I couldn't do it. So I think if that's the extreme circumstance you're in, you literally absolutely have to avoid them in order.

To follow Jesus due to your own weakness or sinfulness, then OK, but as Char said, in general, I would hope that's not the case. I would hope that we can be around people who don't have Christian values. I hope that we, our faith is strong enough that we can live it out and see this as an opportunity, you know, uh, rather than than a problem. It's actually a golden opportunity for someone, uh, to come to Christ and you know, I, I think. The reality is you can't escape the world as much

as you try. I mean, the whole monastic movement, though I think providentially there there was definitely good things about it, but it's kind of that idea like, hey, well, we can get away from the world, and then I remember Saint Anthony even said ironically, Uh, he had a problem with lust and so he figures, hey,

I'll go to a cave and I want lust. He's like, I lusted more in the cave than I did when I was seeing women and it's like, you know, if you're trying to run away from, from all sin and temptation, the truth is you never will because it's in you. You, you have that. So, um, be wise, particularly in extreme circumstances, but as much as possible by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, we need to go out into the world and not be of it at the same time.

And for some that is attractive, it draws them in, for others it convicts them, and it, it, Paul says it's like this aroma of death. It's uh a judgment on them, but there is the idea in both of these, both with the light and the sight, and the smells, um.

Ideas of presence, of being present in the world. And so, you know, how are people again, gonna meet Jesus and know him if we don't talk to those people that don't have Christian values, I would actually argue that this is the whole reason why the church is still in the world, is to bear witness to God's salvation and to God's kingdom. Maria, thank you for sending in your question through Kwave.com.

And here's another one that we have. Was the curtain replaced that was torn top to bottom when Jesus died? Is there any history on that? What happened after? Did they just go on like they did before? Is there anything in history or about the earthquake that happened at that time? Great question. Yeah, I, I don't, I feel like I have read somewhere something. Whether Josephus or something like that, that there is a recording of something like that, but I mean, yeah, I,

I don't really know. The Bible doesn't record it. It also, and you know, anything else would be extra biblical, you know, some other historical document, um, but yeah, we don't, we don't necessarily have those records on hand, so, um. Unfortunately, the pastor's perspective is, is failing a little bit on this one.

70 AD. But yeah, interesting question. I mean, I mean, either, yeah, they looked at this saying, hey, there was an earthquake, this tour, uh, do we fix it or do we leave it? I would assume, uh, there was damage from an earthquake. They would probably repair it. It's a holy place, but again, that's just my assumption, not based on any evidence that I have.

Um, so, That part where it says the woman, is it referring to Eve, or is it referring to Mary, the mother of Jesus, or is it referring to Like humanity as a whole, because I was looking this up and it was talking about uh prodol and Joli or something like that and like the first mention of the gospel of salvation and stuff. So I have a buddy of mine that we're kind of like going back and forth on this. So I, I kind of wanted

to see you guys' perspective on this. So what does your buddy think it is? Well, my, well, my, my friend thinks that he, it, it is, uh, talking about Mary, um, and, um. And obviously Jesus being deceived, etc. etc. and I was looking at some commentary and stuff and uh it didn't really say Mary, it was, it was talking more as a humanity as a whole, right? It's in nature. All right, char, etc. Yeah, I think it's the answer would be yes, yes, and yes. I think there's a way in which we read this

that it is all three. So of course directly it is Mary. And I think what God is saying there is, there is an unholy alliance where Satan has co-opted the woman and trying to use her for his means, and God says, absolutely not. This is my image bearer. I'm breaking up the unholy alliance. And so there's enmity between the seed of the woman, the seed of the serpent.

I think eventually, yes, this is fulfilled in and through Mary, and I think also that this is what Paul is referring to way later in Timothy, when he talks about that this is the redemption story of women, which is just so cool to think about, right? Man, that like God actually gives, um, you know, our female counterparts this amazing role that they get to play in the story of redemption, you know, and of course Mary is, you know, um.

You know, unjustly, unfortunately, you know, overly emphasized by our Catholic brothers and sisters, uh, in a way that deifies her. And to me it's, it's a heartbreaking thing because I think, man, she is like Scripture says, honored among women and should be, we should see in her man, what a hero of the faith, what a, what an example of faithfulness, uh, what a beautiful example of how God includes humans in the story

of redemption, right? It's, uh, you know, God allows us to play a part, not that Mary is a co-redeemer, but her faithfulness plays a part in the work that God does. God is looking for human partnership. And so I just, I just love that. So, you know, I guess for me, I would say yes, yes, and yes, but I think strictly speaking, even and Mary, for sure, in this text. Mike. OK.

and women don't have seed or sperm. So if you think about it from sort of a biblical theology standpoint, when that revelation was first given to the Israelites, you know, at the time of Moses, um, and there's no explanation, right? You don't have the rest of the Bible at that point. You don't certainly don't have the New Testament. It's uh what what Christians have called the proto yangalleon. The first hint of the gospel is presented there, and,

and what it is is the gospel, it's not explained. um, it's rather mysterious, however, there's something there where, wait a minute, these two things don't seem to match. You have a woman who does not have Zara or spermatos, and yet this woman. Whom God is referring to, who's not simply gonna do great things or be a mighty man, it's gonna crush

the head of the serpent. Wow, what is it? So there's a tension already in the very beginning of the biblical revelation of this mystery that is later revealed, but I think, uh, which is sort of popular to do an interpretation, and I, I don't think it's wrong just as long as you. Get around to the systematic theology answer if you, if you kind of go back to the beginning and say how would have Israelites at the time understood this, and

I think that's what Shar was saying yes to. And the other questions if they didn't have all this other stuff, they would say even even humanity like even even through falling humanity. God is going to somehow destroy Satan. And so you have those two kind of truths there, but of course the ultimate truth, the ultimate revelation and fulfillment of all of it is, is Christ.

OK, great. um, so my question is about like, uh, just going when we go to church and we're hearing a message being taught, um, in my church, they do a lot of topical teaching, um, and a majority of it is, is really just a 100% scripture based.

But, uh, at times, some of the points are based on the pastor's experience and not really found in scripture, not that they're trying to intentionally mislead us or it's anything like that, but, uh, especially when it pertains to the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit moving within a person's life. Um, and I just wanted to know, uh, get, uh, a perspective from these gentlemen. Um, of how I'm, I guess how much.

Uh, emphasis I, I should put on that and application to my life and, um, I guess believing how truthful it is, or I don't know, I'm just, I don't know if that sounds right. Yeah. Yeah, I think, you know, that's a great differentiation that you made there, right? So there's the biblical teaching, and then we would say there are personal examples, right, from the pastor's lives of how this has worked out in their own life.

And so we wouldn't, you know, as, you know, good Bible students, we wouldn't say, oh, the example in this person's life is what I should expect the spirit to do that in my life, he is saying, this is how the Holy Spirit has done this work in my life. This is what it's looked like for me, and I actually really appreciate that because that's actually what we're told the spirit will do.

The spirit will make Jesus real to each of us, and it will make the new life in Christ uh clear to us, but it's very individualized in the sense of like, it's my life, it's my relationships, it's my quandaries that I'm gonna have to deal with. But scripture will lay out for us, this is what the spirit will look like in the sense of what it will produce, love. You know, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, self control.

Paul is constantly talking about these things, right? The spirit will produce love, love for God, the spirit will produce love for neighbor, the spirit will produce Service, self-sacrifice like Jesus, right? So, how that happens in my life, I have a wife and 3 children, I'm a pastor of a local church. It's probably gonna look a lot different than your life, Anthony, but it's the same spirit that is working, and I think personalizing the life of Jesus to each of our lives, if that makes sense.

What do you think, Mike?

Um, I, I'm not of that persuasion. I do believe the Holy Spirit can guide individuals, give us leading, give us guidance and specific things, but I also know, um, the group that thinks the Holy Spirit never does that. They have a point or a concern, which is that people give equal or greater weight to what they perceive these private revelations to be. And where they'll actually go, well, the Holy Spirit gave me a dream and that's gonna trump what scripture says

or whatever. And so to me, I have a closed hand around the Bible. If it says that, I believe that with all my heart. I don't wake up in one morning and say, is this the word of God? I know it is, it's the Bible. Um, in the other hand, that's, that's an open end. I'm open for the idea that God can speak to me. Now you, you ask specifically through the pastor, but this applies just to you personally, like if, if you, I talked to a person after church yesterday.

And they were emphatic. God told me to do or not do this thing, and that thing was not in the Bible at all. It wasn't against the Bible, it just wasn't in it. The person could not point anywhere in the Bible, nor even a principle in the Bible that would support what they're saying. It wasn't outright wrong, but it was an outright right. But they were so emphatic about this and then I'm gonna stand I'm like, and I said, just, just be careful.

I'm not saying it's not God, but I do know that sometime when it's not the Bible, we can be wrong. That is possible. That's possible for a pastor to make a mistake in an example, an illustration, and even an application.

Um, and apart from the pastor, just in on our, our own life experience, we can make mistakes, and I, I don't want to get freaked out and say, well, I'm not gonna listen to the Holy Spirit anymore or listen to a pastor anymore and all that, you know, but at the same time, I think again, the, the closed hand is on the word of God. I mean compare everything to the word of God and as long as it's not against that, I have an open hand with it. I'll pray over it, I'll take that to otherwise.

Uh, Christians and follow up on that, etc. So I just think, um, I give a different weight to it, right? You know, um, so I give the highest authority to Sola Scriptua, um, but I, I recognize God does speak through other authorities, including the pastor and tradition and reason, um, but I never take those and trump the Bible with it.

And I'm trying to be open because I wanna, I don't mean to get emotional. I wanna learn from the Lord, but I'm just wrestling with that. Yeah. Maybe that pass. So, yeah, that, thank you guys so much.

I don't care how healthy a church is, you should never stop comparing things to the word of God and any pastor anywhere or or whoever says, hey, start listening to my private revelations over and again about that, that's. That is a red flag and always will be. So

I think you've, you've learned a lesson every Christian should. And, and ironically, I know Christians have gone to great churches, but even great churches can make, you know, maybe not primary mistakes, but secondary ones, but they won't even question them because they just assume, oh, you're right most of the time. Look, anybody, any human is fallible, can make a mistake, only the Bible is the infallible inspired word of God.

I'm Brian Perez. Thanks for listening and thanks for watching Pastor's Perspective.