Tuesday, September 5th | Devoted

Welcome back, everyone. Today is Tuesday, September the 5th. I'm Ryan Hill.

I'm John Galantis. You're listening to Clearview Today with Dr. Abbadon Shah, the daily show that engages mind and heart for the gospel of Jesus Christ. You can visit us online at ClearviewTodayShow.com. We'll give you questions for Dr. Shah or suggestions for new topics. Send us a text to 252-582-5028, or you can email us at contact at ClearviewTodayShow.com.

That's right. You guys can help us keep the conversation going by supporting the show. You can share it online, leave us a good review on iTunes or Spotify, anywhere you get your podcasting content from.

We're going to leave a link in the description so you can do just that. The verse of the day today comes from Mark chapter 9, verses 30 and 31. Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it. For He taught His disciples and said to them, The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And after He is killed, He will rise on the third day. The disciples are still like, I don't understand, Lord.

What are you talking about? Speak plainly, Lord. Speak clear to me. He's like, yeah, I'm going to be betrayed, and then they're going to kill me, and then I'm going to rise up from the dead.

I don't get it. The foresight of Jesus or really the foresight of God is something that constantly impresses me, and it's constantly something that just baffles my mind. And I sometimes try to put myself in the place of the disciples, because looking back on it with two thousand years of hindsight, of course I could be like, well, duh, why don't you get it? But then I also think back to how I've had things spelled out right in front of my face before and I still didn't get it.

You know what I mean? Well, and I think the difference, too, is that we have a precedent. We're looking backward at something that's already happened. This had not yet happened for them. They don't have a point of reference for the Son of Man dying and coming back to life. There are stories of people in the Old Testament who died and rose again and all that kind of stuff. But there's no evidence of this. There's nothing for them to point to. So they have to believe it in faith. They have to look ahead in faith. Yeah, I think that's exactly what it is. It's that faith aspect and just the completeness of the gospel, that the Son of Man will be killed but rise again on the third day.

It's just the entire picture of God's plan in two short verses right then and there. This is a departure, but your beard's looking really good, my friend. Well, number one, Jesus had a beard, so it's not that big of a departure. At least we're pretty sure he did. That's a far hook, but we'll take it. We're pretty sure he had a beard, right?

They said he ripped his beard out and stuff. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Thank you. Your beard is looking very good. It's looking very full. It doesn't look full on camera, though. Look at that. It doesn't look that full on camera. Just lighting.

Yes, the lighting is getting it. Here's the thing. I like the definition along the jawline. I'm trying.

I'm trying. The thing is, I hate having a beard, but everybody tells me that it looks good. It does look good. And it got to be a point where if anybody would comment on my beard, I would get self-conscious and shave it. And so now I'm like, well, I can't shave it because they're going to think I'm self-conscious, so I just keep it.

But I don't like having it. It agitates my face. Have you been using beard oil? Some.

Some. And that does help a little bit. I wish my beard looked more like yours. Yours is more coarse, and it's fuller, and it doesn't curl up.

Well, it does if it gets a lot of length to it. If I let it grow for a while, it will get kind of wiry. The thing about buying a beard, man, is I'm 34. Dang. I'll be 35 this year.

That's crazy. I'm not like... That's decrepit. No, no.

Yeah, that's old. That's not the direction I was going. Crusty and musty. I have a predominantly gray beard.

It's not even like 50-50 at this point. It's mostly gray. Yeah, I would say white. I would say it's getting white. That's like silverish.

Yeah, it's like Dumbledore in his early years. It's not that early, just 34. That's kind of stately. But 34, that's kind of young to have a beard that color. So I've contemplated like, should I color my beard? Should I dye it?

But here's the thing. My beard grows much faster than my hair. So dyeing the beard, you're going to instantly see this little salt and pepper business start popping through. And at this point, if I were to dye my beard, it would immediately be obvious. It's not like a gradual thing where you kind of start coloring your hair. It would be like, oh, Ryan's hair is black now. He's self-conscious about his beard. No, who cares if it's obvious?

Women color their hair obviously all the time. Right. I feel like it's a little more acceptable though. Why? I don't know.

Pre-programming by society. I don't know. I wouldn't even give that a second thought. Anytime you see a woman, you can pretty much guarantee she doesn't look like that in real life. What I've really contemplated doing is just like to test run, like just sneaking some of Elizabeth's mascara and just sort of like... On the beard? Combing it in there. Okay.

Just putting makeup on the beard. I feel like that's silly. That's silly behavior. It is. It is. It definitely is. I can't think of a single person who would say, oh, Ryan colored his beard. That's stupid.

Also, the white doesn't look bad. No. Like it makes you look regal. It makes you look wise. Regal? Regal and wise.

Rise. Oh, forget coloring the beard now. Tell me more. No, I mean, I think it does. See, my beard is just coarse. It looks like a 12-year-old who couldn't figure it out. No, it does not. No, it doesn't.

Yours looks like it's an established beard, but you got so tired of having a beard that you just let it go white because that's how wise you are. But I also don't see why anybody... I don't think anybody would... I don't know. I may try it out. Color it. Just to see if I like it. I don't know.

I may not like it. I tell you what. I tell you what. Color it for a play. Color it for one of our plays.

So here's the thing. This idea popped in my head when we did a play a while ago, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. And I played a character who had a big, bushy beard, so I let my beard grow for months. I mean, I had a big beard for that play. You were Mr. Tumnus.

I was Mr. Tumnus. And I did the temporary hairspray paint, and it was black. And I was like, oh, wow. I haven't had a fully black beard in a while. And it kind of looked good. I was like, oh, okay.

Do it for play. And then when you just... And then just don't... People will be so used to it, they won't be like, wait a minute. Didn't your beard used to be white? They'll just be like, oh, yeah, that's his black beard.

Yeah. It just changed colors again. It turned white and then turned back to black. It is sort of silly. Imagine if a woman came in, she was like, I colored my hair. And I was like, oh, really? You fake. What the heck is wrong with you? You'd be like, yeah, that's fine. You can color your hair.

Yeah, color your beard. I think it's awesome. I don't know. We'll see. We'll see what happens.

Yeah. Let's see what happens. We're going to get Dr. Sean in just a second, continue with our episode. But if you guys have any questions or maybe you have some beard coloring tips, let me know. Send them in to 252582. Take some tar.

2525825028. Or you can visit us online at ClearViewTodayShow.com. Stay tuned. We'll be right back. Hey, everyone.

My name's Ellie and I'm David. We want to take a minute and let you know how we can actually serve you as you're listening to Clear View today. The Bible paints an extraordinary picture of who we are as a church body. The mission of Clear View Church is to lead all people into a life changing, ever growing relationship with Jesus Christ. A huge part of leading people is praying for them. A big reason that Christians have unanswered prayers in their life is because they're not praying.

You know, first John 5 15 says, and if we know that he hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of him. If you're listening to the Clear View Today Show, we want to know how we can pray for you as well. There's a number of ways that you can get in touch with us at Clear View and share your prayer requests. But the best way is by texting us at 2525825028. You can also send us an email at prayer at ClearViewBC.org or you can download the Clear View app on iTunes or Google Play. You know, on that app, there's a dedicated prayer wall that helps us to get to know what's going on in your life, how we can pray for you and how we can take any necessary steps to get you moving in the right direction. Thanks for listening.

Now let's get back to the show. Welcome back to Clear View Today with Dr. Abaddon Shah, the daily show that engages mind and heart for the gospel of Jesus Christ. You can visit us online at ClearViewTodayShow.com. If you have any questions or suggestions for new topics, send us a text to 2525825028.

That's right. If today's your first time ever joining us here on the Clear View Today Show, we want to welcome you, let you know exactly who's talking to you today. Dr. Abaddon Shah is a PhD in New Testament textual criticism, professor at Carolina University, author, full-time pastor and the host of today's show.

You can find all of his work on his website. That's AbaddonShah.com. And today is the first time you have tuned into the video podcast Shield Your Eyes. It is right in here. Yesterday was Labor Day. And so you know what that means. You always wear white after Labor Day. That's the rule. What? That's the rule. It's like an unspoken rule is that you, you can only, I think it's that you have, you, after Labor Day, you wear white. In fact, I'm pretty sure that's the opposite of what goes on. You know what's funny is this is, I think the first joke, this is like the first joke we've ever made that's just out of pure tea spite. What's really funny to me is just knowing that there are people watching who are just absolutely cringing right now.

Like you cannot do that. Like there's, I would say 99, maybe 95% of people are like, ah, who cares? You wear whatever you want, whatever you want.

But then there's that 5% that's like, they're making a joke, but it is after Labor Day. I just want, you're looking pretty good. At least your Pastors House has some branding on it. Yeah. I do like the Clear View Church.

That's very nice. If you're not watching the video show, then this joke was completely lost. Just trust, close your eyes and imagine us in a very posh studio wearing white shirts and you'll get the joke. Stark white.

Brilliant white. Yeah, these lights are not doing you favors. Wear sunglasses for this episode. We are talking today about a message you preached a little while ago, Dr. Shaw, about what it looks like to go through the difficult moments in life. And I would imagine that as people are listening, as people are watching, you are either recollecting a difficult time in your life or you are in the middle of a difficult time in your life. We know that there are people who are dealing with all sorts of things, but a lot of times when life gets difficult, people sort of throw their hands up and just kind of abandon what they know. They're like, I need to figure this out. I got to back away.

I got to circle the wagons and figure out what's going on. Yeah. All of us have difficult times. Yeah. Jesus said that in this world, you will have tribulations. He didn't say you may or there's a possibility.

He said you will means there's a definite, I don't know how to say that, but it is going to happen. Yeah. Right. So the question is, how do you then deal with the trials of life? Now this name, the trials of life, how many kinds, there are financial problems that come, there are physical problems that happen, sicknesses, cancers, surgeries, heart attacks, strokes, dementia. I mean, so many sicknesses out there. Then there are relationship problems that have happened that where relationships break down in the family among friends, in church, in the community, in our nation right now, division.

Oh my goodness. I'm so sick and tired of division that is being put a pit. We were being pit against each other off on purpose on purpose between just our ethnicities or class or our financial backgrounds. I mean, we are being pit against each other. It's the enemy.

I don't care who it is, what party it is. It is the enemy who's doing that. So all these things are part of the sorrows of life. The question then comes, what is the benefit of all this?

Or is there a benefit to these trials? So the way I looked at it based on the passage in Acts chapter 20 verse 17, where Paul talks about his struggles, his problems, his trials, is that there are two kinds of workers in this world. Okay. Can I describe those two workers?

Okay. Worker number one is that worker who works for you because of how you pay him. Worker number one is very good when you take care of him. He's very good when you come around and pat him on the back, brag on him, make sure that his conditions of work are really good. His productivity goes up. And he really likes it when you take care of his problems. Like when he comes to you and complains or tells you what he's going through or what he needs, and you immediately jump to it and you meet his needs.

Oh my goodness. His work ethic goes up. His loyalty towards you is unfailing. But if all these things don't happen, there's a difference. He starts doing the bare minimum.

Bare minimum. He starts having a bad attitude. He doesn't like you very much. He complains about you. He questions your integrity and your honesty and your love for him. The quiet quitting.

Yes, yes, yes. And he even stops working. Now, person number two or worker number two is very different. He works for you rain or shine. Whether you give him a raise or not, he's still going to work. Whether you pat him on the back or not, it doesn't matter.

Whether you brag on him in front of other people, it does not matter. He will keep working for you night and day. Now, how is his attitude towards you?

Unlike the first worker, he does not slow down. He does not hate your guts. He still works for you. When you see him, he smiles. He's just grateful.

No bitterness, no resentment, no anger towards you. Just the same guy. Some of you are wondering, the listening and the viewing audience, where do you find a guy like that? I want to hire him. Is his resume out there somewhere? I want to hire him.

It's on Monster. The thing is, between those two workers, which one is dearer to your heart? The second one.

Which one do you trust the more? Same thing when it comes to our relationship with God. God desires for us to serve him. In fact, he especially delights in those who work for him with no regard to material or spiritual benefits. They just serve him because he is their Lord. He is their God. He is their savior.

They just want to serve him because of that. Many people out there are serving God because of what they get or what may happen to them. I'm doing that because I don't want God to get angry with me. Those who don't have a regard for stuff that may happen in this life, because those crowns of riches in heaven are guaranteed. We're talking about this life specifically.

Yeah. There is a reward, but that reward more than likely will not be here. It'll be in the life to come.

It's an inheritance. That's what we were called to do because you know what? A lot of people in history have died that way. They died trusting God, even though their circumstances did not match what we would call the worker number one life.

That's right. It's an encouragement for me because I know that God knows when we serve him from our hearts. He knows that.

For us, if I do that with other people or with humans, I want them to know how noble and pure I am in spite of their faults. With God, it's almost the complete opposite because he knows. Even if he doesn't show his face or show his blessings here in this life, it's not like he's unaware. He doesn't forget. He's constantly for us, even if we don't see it immediately in this life. I love that you pointed that out because the rewards that are waiting for us in the life to come are stuff that he's guaranteed for us, but he's never guaranteed that this life on earth will be easy. That's right. In fact, what he is doing, and this I didn't share in the sermon, so this is something new that I'm sharing with our audience, is that what he is doing is that he is helping us deal with the old self.

Oh, I love that. The self is primary to the first worker. It's about him. For the second worker, it's not about him. It's about God or himself, I should say. For the first worker, it's still the self is sitting at the throne of his life.

That's right. The second worker, God is little by little occupying the place that belongs to him. Sometimes God will do that by helping us crucify the old self. Now, the old self is dead.

Don't misunderstand me, but the spirit is still alive. When we go through the trials in life, I know this may be deep for some of you, but when we go through the trials of life, when health is gone, or finances are gone, or relationships are gone, or people who put on a pedestal fall apart, that is God's way of dealing with self so that ultimately the only person that we rely on, trust, hold up is God. It's not that we resent and hate everybody else. It's just that we know that God is God and no one else. That's right.

I love that. It changes our motivation. It changes the why. Because even the first worker, yes, you're working for your boss, but really you're working for the benefit that you get from your boss. Your boss is just a convenient conduit for blessings. You're working for that paycheck that's coming to you, or you're working for the praises that are coming to you.

So you can be happy, so you can be healthy, so you can have all the pleasures of life. It's still a very self-focused mindset. Even though you are working, it's a very selfish, self-focused mindset. Yeah, because I don't really care that my boss looks good or is making his quota or is meeting the requirements that he has to meet.

I don't really care about that. It's just that when that happens, I benefit from it. So I'm going to make sure it happens not because I love this person or I have any loyalty to this person or I'm bought into this person's vision. I just benefit from it when he does well.

So I'll make sure that happens. It's like, yeah, you're getting to the same level, but you as a person are suffering for it. So God will take us through this process of trials. And he did that in the life of the apostle Paul. We see Paul as an apostle to the Gentiles. We see Paul as writing the word of God.

I mean, can you imagine that? Writing the word of God. The inerrant, inspired, authoritative, sufficient, clear, necessary word of God. But at the same time, God was also working in Paul's life. And he tells us that in Acts chapter 20 verse 18, quick context, he is at Miletus at the harbor waiting for the Ephesian pastors to make their way down through probably Magnesia coming down towards Praene, getting on a ferry, going across the Latmus Bay to Miletus.

And so he's there waiting for them. So three days for the messenger to get to Ephesus and three days for the Ephesian pastors to make their way down to Miletus for this meeting. We don't know for example, for, for, for exact why Paul waited in Miletus. Maybe it's because the harbor at Ephesus was really muddy. Maybe it's because Paul was banned because of the riot the last time he was there. So for whatever reason, he's at Miletus.

Okay. Nonetheless, listen to what he says to the Ephesian pastors. He says to them, he says, you know, from the first day that I came to Asia, in what manner I always lived among you, you know, it's a phrase that he repeats in Corinthians and in Thessalonians. It's when you say that, you know, it's like, he's looking for, I don't want to say validation, but in a sense he is saying that you can testify, tell, agree that I am telling the truth. You know, you know, but I say that it's almost like I'm saying, you know the truth. That's what Paul is doing here.

You know the truth because there was a smear campaign against the apostle Paul at Ephesus. It's kind of like that. It's kind of like his version of like, correct me if I'm wrong. Like I know, I know I'm not wrong, but that's a good way to say that. But it's, it's, it's us seeking, not like validation is not the right word. Well, he's talking to the person that you and I both know what you've heard is not true because we were both there when the first time that I came and you, you can, you can and should have vouched for me.

Yeah. And, and what is it that Paul is getting them to vouch for? Verse 19 says it, serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials, which happened to me by the plotting of the Jews. Humility, the Hebrew, the Greek word is tapenophros, tapenophrosune.

It's a long word. It has the idea of being a servant and being humble, but also being humiliated. So Paul was humble and humiliated while he was serving in Ephesus. Keep in mind in Ephesus, Paul had one of his greatest ministries.

The temple of Diana, Artemis was shut down. The church grew by leaps and bounds. Not only did people get saved, but also there were miracles of healing. I mean, the miracles were such that people would bring a piece of cloth, put it on the apostle Paul, take it to a hospital or family member or somebody out in the fields who's hurt and that person would be healed.

Wow. People were being set free from demonic possession. I mean, would you say that this is a happening place? Oh yes.

This place is popping off. How would you visualize the apostle Paul in Ephesus? Flying high at the center of it.

Like walking around dark shades. I'll tell you. I'll tell you exactly how he looked. He looked kind of like this right here.

No, no, no, no, no. He was, if I didn't, if I didn't read that first, I would say, yeah, he's on cloud nine. Yeah. Everybody's shaking his hand. Like that mountain top wind blowing through my hair.

Cape billowing behind me. And people come into saying, Paul, you're just a gift to us. You are right there with Jesus. I mean, you are the savior. Wow.

Yeah. I mean, we would not be where we are without you. So you, we don't know what to say. I mean, there's Jesus and then down here is you, but it's you. And would you think people are inviting him over to the home every day? Trying to get their picture took with him, get a celebrity lunch dinner. What kind of clothes do you think Paul is wearing? Probably the best of the best. I mean, they're giving him robes.

They give him a nice, you know, sandals and all that. That's not true. No. Poor Paul. So if you want to know what Paul was going through in Ephesus, you don't find that in the letter to the Ephesians and you don't find that in the book of Acts. You actually find that in first Corinthians because first Corinthians was written in Ephesus. And so how is a person feeling is going to impact what he is writing.

That's right. So what does Paul say in first Corinthians? If you have your Bibles, let's read it. First Corinthians chapter four, verse nine. Who wants to read that? I can read that one.

You got it. For I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last as men condemned to death. We're last and we're condemned to death. What do people condemned to death look like? Oh bro, they ragged, man.

Looks like skin just stretched over too much skull, just hollows under the eyes. I mean, they're dead men walking. Yes, exactly. So they're getting a meal, but it's their last meal. It's gruel. It's like, it's like pig slop.

Patchy clothes. Yeah. For we've been made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men.

So even angels are going. Glad that ain't me. I bet you wish he was up here, huh?

Yeah. We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong.

You are distinguished, but we are dishonored. So I think for that, for a second about that, everything that Paul is going through, whether it's weakness or being dishonored or looking like a fool, it's happening to Paul, but the people that he's ministering to are actually growing by leaps and bounds and they're doing great and their jobs are getting better and their family is coming to coming closer together and they're getting healed from sicknesses. But in the process, if you look at Paul, he looks like a fool. He is weak. So you're getting healed and he is struggling.

Yeah. You're looking distinguished, but he is being dishonored. Now you really have to think through that because when you, when you walk through trials of life and you feel like you're dying, but in you're dying, other people are finding life. It's very hard because you, you want to say to God, it's like, why not me? You're doing this for everybody but me, but could it be that this is how God works? And that is the principle of ministry. And it's not like every day is a miserable death. I'm not saying that because there are a lot of joys in ministry.

There are a lot of wonderful things happen, but if you think that ministry is just, hey, everybody's getting something, but I'm getting the mother Lord. Everybody is being blessed, but I am really being blessed. That's not how it always feels. Many days it feels like, why is it that everybody else is walking around looking great and I am being pooped on? What is happening? Why is this happening to me? There's not even any birds around here.

Why is it that I ended up like this? I hope people, somebody listening would find comfort. You may be a Sunday school teacher, you may be some ministry leader, you may be a pastor, you may be something you're doing and you feel like, God, come on, just know that God has some greater things in store for you, but this is how he uses his people. He will go through it so that others can live. So keep reading verse 11. This is first Corinthians 4.11. To the present hour, we both hunger and thirst and we are poorly clothed and beaten and homeless and we labor working with our own hands being reviled. We bless being persecuted. We endure.

Okay. What does it say? Verse 11? What are the first four words? Uh, David, verse 11. It says, um, to the present hour, to the present hour, which means what? Even as I write this.

Do you understand why I said, if you want to know what Paul was going through in Ephesus, read first Corinthians. As he's writing this, he's going through that. He's hungry and thirsty. He is poorly clothed. He's beaten and homeless.

So he didn't have a place to live while people are getting little aprons and handkerchiefs and rags on throwing it on him and touching his skin and going and healing people. And he is over there, poorly clothed. Yeah. Yeah. Wow.

And beaten and homeless. That's a very different picture than people celebrating him. It's almost like they're using him. Yeah. Yeah. Yep. Wow. And then it says, and we labor working with our own hands means in the midst of all that he's still working for a living.

Yeah. Being reviled. We bless being persecuted. We endure being defamed. We entreat.

We have been made as the filth of the world. This dude really, you can tell he means this. Like, you know, when you like hear a song and it's just like a top 40 hit doesn't mean anything, but then you hear those other songs and you're like, that person meant that. Paul meant that. He really means this. Yeah. I mean, we need more time to unpack this. Yeah.

Yeah. Man, Paul's aware. It's so good. If you guys enjoyed today's episode tune in tomorrow as we continue to unpack this. If you have any questions about today's episode, send us a text to 252-582-5028. Or you can visit us online at ClearviewTodayshow.com and you can partner with us financially on that same website. We love you guys. We'll see you tomorrow on Clearview Today.