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So stay hydrated, stay healthy, and without further ado, let's start the show. You're listening to Clear View Today with Dr. Abadan Shah, the daily show that engages mind and heart for the gospel of Jesus Christ. I'm Ryan Hill. I'm John Galantis, and thank you for joining us again right here in the Clearview Today Studio.
New, we got a great conversation for you guys today. But before we do anything else, we want to welcome our host with the most, Dr. Abadan Shah, who's a PhD in New Testament textual criticism, professor at Carolina University author, full-time pastor, and the host of today's show. Dr. Shah, welcome on this very, very frigid, chilly, wet afternoon.
It's very good to see you. It's good to be here. It's good to be having a conversation amongst friends in a warm studio. Yeah, I will say, for all the people who like winter out there, buckle up because it sure is coming. Ryan Ryan is is one of those guys who's like I I love it when it's cold outside but for some reason here we are inside in the heat.
Yeah. Nice comfy couch. I do like it when it's cold outside. But but you want it cold over there though. Not in here with us.
Right, I'm on the inside. I don't want the cold to be with me on the inside. I just like it cold outside. That's how Ellie is. Ellie doesn't like it cold outside, but she's like, I want the bedroom super, super cold, and then I want to bundle up with a bunch of blankets.
Right. Yeah, I don't want to be warm. I want to be cold and then be made warm by a blanket. Right, right, right. They want to make it cold so that they can then do extra work to not be cold.
And that's, to me, is very weird. You know what else is cozy? It's turned on the radio at 7 a.m.pray.com. Pray radio. Turn on the radio at 7 a.m.
every day, Monday through Friday, so you can listen to Dr. Shah on your pray radio. That's a new thing we've done the month of October. Many of you have tuned in, and we're hearing from people who are hearing for the first time because you guys are pray radio listeners, and we appreciate you joining in the conversation.
So make sure you join in 7 a.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday. You can listen to Dr. Shaw. And there's also a piece of content dropping from Dr.
Shaw and from the Clearview Today show every single day on Pray.com. Make sure that you're following along with Dr. Shaw as a featured leader.
Now, how come y'all are only on pray radio through the month of October? Why y'all ain't in pray radio all the time?
Well, guess what? That's coming. That's coming a little further down the road. Prey is a great partner. Prey.com is a great partner, and they have kind of set us up with a trial run throughout the month of October.
So we're collecting analytics. We're collecting data from you guys who are listening to us on Prey Radio. And not just this show, but also Dr. Shush's sermons, also his devotionals. All of that stuff is being, that data is being gathered so that we can see if Prey Radio is something that you guys are interested in.
And guess what? The numbers are in. Looks like you are.
So we appreciate you guys listening. That's right. I want to remind you that we have a brand new EP coming out as well. It's called Cafe Sessions Volume 1. It's very much in the acoustic vibe of worship, and it's some great music.
I promised y'all a release date. It's November 2nd. It's coming out on November 2nd. That's only a couple days away. Dr.
Shah, you're going to ring in this Sunday with some Clearview worship, my friends? Absolutely. I'm looking forward to that. It's for those who are listening and watching, this is a phenomenal EP. It's going to be.
One that you will be very happy that you purchase. Amen. Yes. I'm very happy. I'm very happy.
I've been listening to the final mixes. We're now getting it distributed, getting all the legal stuff out of the way. And I got to tell you, I'm very excited for this one to get released. Yes. So make sure you stay tuned wherever digital music is available to be streamed or sold.
Cafe Sessions Volume 1 by Clearview Worship will be available. November 2nd? Yes, November the 2nd. And I got one last update before we jump into the verse of the day, and that is your new book, Dr. Shah: 30 Days of Seeing Christ in Judges.
That's right. Don't have a release date on that quite yet, but it is coming. We're in the final stages.
Well, all the editing is done.
Now we're in the final stages of formatting, sending it to the publisher. They got to send it back to us, but it is coming very, very soon. Very soon. Yes. Keep your eyes peeled for that.
It's going to be a great resource for you. Our verse of the day today comes to us from Romans chapter 10, verse 14. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?
and how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things. See, I just feel like a church is more than a preacher. You know what I'm saying? We need to come together in our homes.
Bare feet sitting around a circle. Just we're gonna go read the Bible. You know, Dr. Shah, do we need a preacher in our Christian lives? Uh based on what we just read, yes we do, we do.
Um The context in which Paul said those words was to remind the church in Rome. Which was divided between Jewish background, Gentile background, believers who were not getting along. He was reminding them that God still has a purpose for the Jewish people. And in the process, he not only Is helping this church, but he's also. helping the church of all ages also understand that God is not finished with ethnic Israel.
In the process, he's also teaching us so many wonderful things. Like How does the gospel come to people? It comes when someone is sent. It comes when Preachers go. And these are preachers with Capital uppercase P, as in those who are called to be.
Pastors and even missionaries, they're called to go. But this can also be preacher with um small letter or lowercase p, which is Friends going to friends. Family members going to family members. Co-workers, neighbors. People you are acquainted with, people you're not acquainted with.
When you go to each other. you are now that preacher who brings Good news. Good things. And The Gospel Is that good news that people need to hear? That's right.
It's so refreshing to hear the importance placed on preaching because a lot of times people can relegate that to just like a moment in service or that's what you do on Sunday, preacher, and I'm going to live my life the rest of however I want to the rest of the week. It also, just on a personal note, it kind of makes my skin crawl a little bit when people refer to you or really anybody as preacher. Oh, you know that's preacher. Yeah, I hate that. I don't like that.
I know that it's a cultural thing, and I get all that. I just It just, it makes me skin crawler. It's an annoying thing. I don't mind if someone, like, if someone was to look at Dr. Shaw or any pastor and be like, that's my preacher.
I'm like, okay. That's fine. But when you walk around, they're like, hey, what up, preacher? Hey, preacher, come here, let me talk to you, preacher. I don't like that at all.
Oh, preach. I've never heard preach. Have people told you preach? But I think it is also funny because even on the other side of that, where it's like, Okay, I believe that God is going to send people. That's how God evangelizes, He sends people.
But very rarely in my mind does that mean me. You know what I mean? He's going to send other people. And I think it's funny where Paul is saying, like, no, even I think you're saying, Dr. Shah, that you are a preacher.
You are called to be an evangelist. You're called to win people. Right. All of us are called to do that. Those who know Christ, of course.
We are called to go. And in the context of Romans chapter 9, 10, 11. The big question was: What is happening with Israel right now? What is happening with the Jewish people? In the time right after Jesus ascended, church is born.
The religious establishment has rejected Jesus. The leadership has not receive the Messiah. It's not because they did not understand the purpose of the Messiah. It's not because Jesus You know, came and died on the cross when they were expecting Jesus to come. And ascend the throne.
That's not the case. We picture him coming in on the donkey, and everyone's just got question marks, like, huh? What? No. That's not true.
They knew why he was coming. I mean, why do you think the crowd came out and they laid the body? They said, Hosanna. Yeah. They understood what was happening.
Is that just, why is this guy on a donkey? Yeah, I mean, that could have been very easily done. Like, ah, this is weird. What is this guy? What was the donkey?
What's the purpose? Yeah. They understood. Mm-hmm. And also The religious leaders also understood what was happening.
And that's when they said Tell them to stop. And he said, if they stop, the stones will cry out. Nothing is going to stop this moment from glorifying God. You know, this is the moment. This is not just like, oh, I'm going to make the stones talk.
No, it was, it was like, this is the moment for which the entire creation has been waiting.
So if. The future Sons of Glory will stop. The creation cries out. That's what he was saying. That's right.
Paul talks about that as well, right? In Romans, I believe, chapter 7 and 8. Mm-hmm. So all the the The point of that is that what's happening with Israel?
Well, what's happening with Israel is they have currently rejected the Messiah. But God's promises to them have have not been Abrogated. They're still active. He said that in Romans chapter 9, and he talks about who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises, of whom are the fathers, and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.
All that to say, nothing has changed in their status. They are still Elected by God to bring them aside into the world. As a people, as a nation. And because of that, there are certain promises God will fulfill to them. But for the moment, as a nation, they have stumbled at the stumbling stone.
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Now, let's get started. We've talked about this pretty extensively, but just in case someone's listening for the first time, do you think that this This resentment towards the Jewish people is based on an assumption that God has elected them for salvation rather than for election to bring his people into, I'm sorry, for service, to bring his son into the world. He's chosen for that. He's not chosen them for salvation just based on being Jewish. But because of this misunderstanding, that's why there's so much resentment?
Or do you think it runs deeper than that? I think the resentment or the anti-Semitism that has been around, I mean, you go back all the way to the time of Esther, right? They were trying to kill every Jewish person in the Persian Empire.
Well As I mentioned. A quote by H. L. Ellison A couple of weeks ago. That it's not because, and I'm paraphrasing here, it's not because Jewish people walk around saying, We're the chosen one, you're not.
You know, look at us, we're the special. No, it's because Under the hammer blows of history they have continued to preserve that Election. That is what Sharks And angers people. Because many other nationalities have tried to claim this special status. I mean, just think about.
Nazi Germany. They claim that, right? They were the special race. But what happened? It's gone.
It's not there. In fact, every time you think about Nazi, you think about just. This is The most heinous thing that could have ever happened to a very sophisticated culture of people. That's the legacy they left. That's the legacy they left.
So Nobody can claim that and sustain it, but the Jewish people have.
So that's the Maybe not the source, but one of the informing and underlying factors of The anti-Semitism, the hatred toward God's people, the Jewish people. Yeah, how can they keep going? Why do they keep going? And that even infiltrates the church. Oh, yes, has definitely done that, which is very sad.
Shameful. I g I guess It just, it's puzzling to me because God was, God was going to work through. Let's say he didn't choose the Jewish people. He didn't call them as his nation. But what if God worked through the African people?
Or what if God worked through the Chinese? Or what if God worked through the South American people? Would we feel the same way? I mean, if they clicked on the same thing. Claimed the promise of God and held on to it throughout history?
I would say, probably. Yeah. I mean, keep in mind, you know, I jokingly said it as kind of a Uh Yeah. funny at the same time makes you stop and think. The first person God called was not Jewish.
Right. Right, right. He was a Mesopotamian. Yeah, some people sort of misunderstood our. Are reel that we put out about that on YouTube.
People are like, well, anyway, it's no big deal. Yeah, but what I meant to say was, what I was saying is that. God did not just say, I'm going to find the Jewish people and pick them. That came later. He created them.
Of course, the Jewish people are God's chosen people. But. He did not go to Israel to pick up somebody. He went to Babylon. He went to Ur, which was like the New York City of ancient times.
Of nobody would say that's where the Messiah, that's where God's gonna find his special people. Right. No. Right. He picked a Mesopotamian to carry the promise.
Yeah. And then you fast forward to the New Testament, like in Romans 10:9, where Paul lays out. The plan of salvation. It's kind of like you said, like he's laying it out to the Jewish people, and it's the same plan of salvation that we have.
So it isn't as though. That there's a different way that they're going to be saved because they're chosen, they get a free pass. You have to put faith in Christ. Paul gives them the exact same rubric that we have. That's right.
I think that's an important clarification: the Jewish people don't get a fast pass, they don't get a special ticket, they are saved in the exact same way. God is just working through them specifically as His chosen people. To bring about the Messiah and he has promises to fulfill to the nation of Israel. And you've said this too, but being God's chosen people does not mean you have like the eternally blessed, easy. was such a tough Tough life.
Of course, God's people sinned. Israel sinned, and for that God dealt with them. And then later on in Romans chapter 11, he's going to talk about that. But Even if they walked with God. They face so much Puni oh uh persecution and pain and suffering and loss.
So As Tivia says in Fiddler on the Roof, Once in a while, I'll choose someone else. Right. That's one of my favorite shows. It is. I've never actually seen it.
It's so good. I've always wanted to go see it. No, what are your favorite people? I'm hoping to go see it live one day.
So Where are we now in Romans chapter 10? After having said all this, Paul is now saying. Brethren, my heart's desire. This is Romans chapter 10, verse 1. My heart's desire and prayer.
To God for Israel is that they may be saved. It means I'm waiting for them to come to God. They're missing it, they're off. And then he begins to explain what will it take for them to come to God.
Well, listen to Romans chapter 10 and verse 14. how then shall they call on him? in whom they have not believed. And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard. And how shall they hear without a preacher?
And how shall they preach unless they are sent?
Now, John Stott, who was um A British theologian pastor Uh of yesteryear's. Great, great. Man of God. He he said at this point And I think it's it's helped me understand this. He said, Paul is asking these four rhetorical questions, right?
and he suggests in his commentary, the essence of Paul's argument is seen If we put his six verbs in the opposite order. Four rhetorical questions. That includes six verbs. He said, Let's put it in backwards. And when you put it backwards, it's Christ sends heralds.
Heralds preach. People here Hearers believe. Believers call and those who call are saved. This is the progression. of how People come to know God.
God sends preachers. They preach. People here. People believe. They call on God to be saved.
And then They say everyone who calls on God are saved. That is The plan of salvation. I mean, it's extremely simplistic, if I can say that. Or is it straightforward, I guess, is a better thing. It's simple, I would say.
Yeah, yeah, simple. But We complicate this. Yeah. Yeah, it doesn't need to. And so, in that context, he quotes from the Old Testament because, as you know, in Romans 9 through 11, Paul quotes so much.
Thirty plus times he quotes from the Old Testament. Wow. He wants us to see What God is doing in this world, especially with Israel from the Christ's time. And so he takes us back in time. To see how God spoke to his people.
And how he promised his people, and everything he promised will be fulfilled. God doesn't have to Give the fulfillment. It is happening. It will happen. And so, based on that, in Romans chapter 10, verse 15, as it is written, again, Old Testament.
Quotation. How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring the glad tidings of the Of good things. Amen. Amen. You know, think about.
this this emphasis that we're having on sending people and and missions. And I I love the way that ClearU does it is where we partner with very specific people overseas who are already on the ground, who are making things happen. And you know, I know that there's also a place for sending our people and going and and doing our thing. But I also love that we take a sort of unique approach where we do find those people who are on the ground. We build relationships.
I'm thinking specifically of the pastor that we're helping in Uganda right now. That's right. We have rebuilt that church. That's right. It began as a partnership and it really kind of flourished through our vacation Bible school where our kids would bring in money and they would see videos from the pastor and of your conversation with Pastor Samuel and the others on his team there.
And it was exciting to see the kids excited about. Missions and about how God was moving. Through them on the other side of the world. That's right. And that's just a beautiful thing to me.
It's not waiting until we can coordinate a group mission trip to hop on a plane and go somewhere, which there's a place for that. I'm not saying that. And we are going to. Right. Yeah.
There's certainly a place for that, and that's definitely needed of short-term mission trips like that. But Partnering with those people who are already serving, who are already there, and making missions happen in partnership. Man, that's such a beautiful thing. Technology has certainly helped us on that front, too, because now you don't have to wait for a month-long mission trip to end to come back and see pictures up on a slideshow to know where your money and your time and your prayers are being invested. Little kids can see in real time because we were able to do some FaceTime calls, some Zoom meetings.
We put some videos together that were pretty much within 24 hours of each other. They could see, hey, look, this is a group of people in Africa. These are Christians whose church was completely destroyed. And they're seeing the devastation, little kids, but they're also seeing the rebuilding. You know, on Sundays, when Dr.
Shah, when you talk about it, and when we've shown videos from Pastor Samuel and his team in Uganda, they're seeing the church being rebuilt. And so I think it's really cool and inspiring that eight, nine, 10-year-olds are seeing, I remember giving my money at VBS, and now they have a church because we did that. Absolutely. Yeah. Absolutely.
So that is. not only for Israel that when God sends preachers as As Peter Went, and as the apostles went out, and as Paul was called to go at initially he went to his people um This is how God still works. He sends someone. to preach the gospel. And when they preach the gospel people here, Some who hear respond, every one who responds in calling on God, Are saved.
This is the pattern.
So Play it backwards because Jon Stott even suggests if you play it backwards, this is what tells you. Why are some people not getting saved? What's happening?
Well, I mean, if you play that tape backwards, it'll tell you that. They are Nobody's going? There's no capital P preacher going. There is no Lowercase p Preacher is going.
So Nobody's hearing the gospel. If nobody is hearing, nobody can respond. If nobody can respond, how in the world can they call? Right. And if no one's calling, They're not going to be saved.
They're not going to be saved. Yeah. Very simple.
So let's not say, oh, what's wrong with this world? And why do people not. Come to God. And I remember a time back when, man, everybody would go to church or whatever. You can say that it the The blame lies At your feet because.
You're the one who's not going. And if you if we cannot go You're not, you're the one who's not sending. Yeah, we've made attending church the bare minimum. I think, especially in the south, that was that was a big cultural thing where I've attended church and I made my children and my grandchildren attend church.
So, because we attended church, I don't understand why the world around us isn't getting saved.
Well, because of the world that we're growing up in in a largely post-Christian era, God has brought the mission field to our doorstep. I mean, it's we do need to hop on a plane, we do need to go to other countries and share the gospel, but there are also people in our zip code that have never heard that Jesus loves them and died on the cross for them.
So, have that mission mindset as you're going, and also as you're going to the grocery store, and as you're going to school, and as you're going to work, because the person sitting in the cubicle next to you might not have a relationship with them. That's right, you have to actively go. And you have to indirectly go, where you're going for something in the process, you are. It's not one or the other. It's not just, you have to go, and if you're not going, then don't worry about sharing the gospel.
Or you just share the gospel as you go.
Sometimes people would say that. You know, the Great Commission is just casually walking around, and since you happen to be there, you're going to share the gospel. No. It's both. Have you ever heard people say that?
What is it? They used to say, preach the gospel and if necessary, word words. Yeah, I remember that. That sounded when I was a teenager. That sounded really cool.
I'm like, yeah, live an authentic life. But man, I don't think anybody's ever been saved by me living an authentic life if I don't share the name of Jesus Christ. Yeah, it's faith. That's what it says right here. Listen to Romans chapter 10, verse 17.
So then, Faith comes by hearing. and hearing by the word of God. That is The principal Which was back then, which is today, and which will be till the end of time. Faith comes by hearing, hearing by the word of God. And Unless people hear, they're not going to place their faith.
What what about people who are deaf?
Well there's a way to communicate with them too. It's not just about Auditorium. It's not faith comes by seeing. We we do a lot of seeing We think If we show people, if we show people how much we love them, if we show people how much we are there for them. If the church is very active in the community, and all those things are very important, by the way, we do that as a church.
Mm-hmm. That's not what it says. Faith comes by hearing. You can be active, you can be out there, but if you do not communicate the words, Which is You are a sinner. Christ is God's Son.
Saviour. He is God's Son who died on the cross for your sins. He became your substitute. He took your punishment upon himself. That's right.
and placing your faith in him. Trusting him to be your Savior means he died for you. That you have to answer to a holy, righteous God, Jesus stepped in the way for you. And you're trusting him. That's what it means to be saved.
Now you ask him to be your savior, your king. You follow him. That's what it means to be. Saved. Faith comes by hearing, hearing by that word of God, not just any word of God.
That word of God. That's right. Show, don't tell, is really great advice if you're like writing fiction. It's not great advice if you're sharing the gospel. And I know I kind of say that as a joke, but I think it's a really great point you just made: is that if you're not telling people, if you're not actually saying the words that, and it's not like the words like you're following the script, but if you're not giving them audibly the gospel, you can't really, you can't really demonstrate to people how to do this thing that Paul is telling you to do.
It matters. It matters that we go and we tell people the gospel. People are not going to, you know, have the plan of salvation laid out for them because we have good manners. They're not going to have the plan of salvation laid out for them because we have a Jesus t-shirt on. We have to use words.
We have to open our mouths and we have to tell people the hope of the gospel. I remember in youth group, people, my, my, You've pastor, you said, you know, people are going to see how you live. They're going to say, he's different. And I want to know why. And it's like, yeah, maybe.
Maybe they will. But that's not enough. You know what I mean? There has to be a point where you communicate the gospel to someone. Dr.
Xiao, what advice would you give to people who are listening in the time that we have left who are feeling this burden? Like, I need to go and I need to tell this person. I need to, this person who is in my mind's eye, who's on my heart. I need to share the gospel with them. I just don't know how to start the conversation.
Great, great question.
So here's what I would say to them. Clarify in your mind your own testimony. What is your testimony? If you had Let's say mm. Two minutes.
You're riding an elevator, two minutes to go from bottom to top, top to bottom, either way. What would you tell that person if you were told? Please tell me, what does that mean to be a Christian? What would you say? In two minutes.
Get that clarified because many of us don't have that. Yeah, like I'm thinking now, my mind is racing, like, okay, what would I say? Yeah. Would you say, hey, I work at a church? Would you say I grew up in a Christian home?
Would you say we do a lot in the community? Would you say we really love people? Would you say, I love Jesus? You see, these are the things we say. But those are not the things that save people.
The gospel is the power of God unto salvation. Mm-hmm. Right?
So what is the gospel?
Well, the gospel is that I'm a sinner. Jesus died for my sins. He was buried but he rose again. And now My life belongs to him. He is my Savior, but he is also my king.
I follow him the rest of my life. That's the gospel. Put it in your own testimony. How did that happen for you in two minutes?
So it happened for me. I grew up in a pastor's home, but there was a day in my life when I realized I had to also receive Jesus and I did that when I was four years old. And at four years of age, I understood this much. I needed Jesus in my life. And Now that I am much older, I know what a valuable decision I made.
It's so important. And regard this as your sending. You've been sent.
So go have that conversation. That person that God has laid in your path is there for a reason for you to influence and for you to impact. and for you to share the story of how God has impacted you and saved you. Share the gospel with them. That's right.
No one's ever going to be upset with you that you led them to Christ. You know, even if it's uncomfortable, even if it's somebody who may be opposed to the gospel. On the other side, they will never never be upset with you for that. That's right. Guys, make sure you join us tomorrow, same time, same station.
We're gonna be diving into another great topic here on the Clearview Today Show. Thanks again to our sponsors for making today's episode possible. And if you'd like to be a sponsor of the Clearview Today Show, you can write in and let us know to contact at clearviewtodayshow.com. Or if you'd like to text us or call us to discuss sponsorship, you can do that at 252-582-5028. Don't forget that you can support us by subscribing to the show wherever you get your podcasting content from.
And you can always support us financially at Abadanshah.com forward slash give. John, what do you want to close with today? Just want to say we love you. We're so glad that you're supporting the Clearview Today show. We got some major news we're going to announce maybe on either tomorrow's show or the show after that.
We've been teasing it a little bit, but now we're finally ready to announce that. Unfortunately, not enough time today, but we're going to celebrate that tomorrow. That's right. We love you guys. We'll see you tomorrow on Clearview Today.
