- You've probably noticed
that you and I are living
00:00:01.43\00:00:02.66
in an
increasingly impatient world.
00:00:02.66\00:00:04.93
Even though we are easily
the most affluent generation
00:00:04.93\00:00:07.80
in the history of the world,
00:00:07.80\00:00:09.24
somehow we still seem
to think we deserve more,
00:00:09.24\00:00:12.44
and sometimes that attitude
can even show up in church.
00:00:12.44\00:00:17.15
[gentle country music]
00:00:17.15\00:00:20.42
I don't know if you're
the same vintage that I am,
00:00:37.80\00:00:39.80
but when I was a kid,
00:00:39.80\00:00:41.10
anything you
ordered would take anywhere
00:00:41.10\00:00:42.40
from four to 12
weeks to deliver.
00:00:42.40\00:00:44.97
When it was time
for school clothes,
00:00:46.21\00:00:47.98
my mother would order
from the Sears catalog
00:00:47.98\00:00:50.41
early in the summer, and
then we would drive into town
00:00:50.41\00:00:53.15
when the packages
arrived many weeks later,
00:00:53.15\00:00:56.12
picking them up
at a service counter
00:00:56.12\00:00:58.09
in a tiny
storefront on Main Street.
00:00:58.09\00:01:00.69
We didn't actually
have a real Sears store,
00:01:00.69\00:01:03.32
just a mail counter.
00:01:03.32\00:01:05.16
Occasionally when my
grandparents came to town,
00:01:06.53\00:01:08.16
they would buy my
brothers and I a comic book.
00:01:08.16\00:01:10.97
Some of you will remember that
in the back of a comic book,
00:01:10.97\00:01:13.40
there were ads for
wild and wonderful things.
00:01:13.40\00:01:16.34
You could order sea monkeys,
00:01:16.34\00:01:18.04
which were
nothing but brine shrimp,
00:01:18.04\00:01:20.01
but kind of
looked like mermaids,
00:01:20.01\00:01:21.24
if you used your imagination.
00:01:21.24\00:01:23.18
You could stop
being a 90-pound weakling
00:01:23.18\00:01:25.45
by ordering exercises from
Charles Atlas for just 10 cents.
00:01:25.45\00:01:30.12
But again, it took
weeks to get what you ordered.
00:01:30.12\00:01:33.69
Living in Canada, we also
knew that when new technology
00:01:35.09\00:01:38.09
suddenly became
available in the United States,
00:01:38.09\00:01:40.66
it would probably take
another two to three years
00:01:40.66\00:01:43.33
before we had it.
00:01:43.33\00:01:44.90
If there was a new fast
food restaurant in the Lower 48,
00:01:44.90\00:01:48.14
it could be 10
years before we saw it.
00:01:48.14\00:01:50.41
I mean, I was a
teenager the first time
00:01:50.41\00:01:53.11
I ever tasted
McDonald's and I'm not that old.
00:01:53.11\00:01:56.64
Nobody, nobody had answering
machines or voice mail.
00:01:58.08\00:02:01.32
If you called
somebody and they weren't home,
00:02:01.32\00:02:03.69
the phone just rang
and rang and rang and rang
00:02:03.69\00:02:06.42
until you hung up and then
you'd have to just try again
00:02:06.42\00:02:08.79
some other day.
00:02:08.79\00:02:10.23
If there was
something you wanted to watch,
00:02:11.39\00:02:12.89
like a movie or a documentary,
00:02:12.89\00:02:15.53
you had to wait for one
of your local TV stations
00:02:15.53\00:02:18.27
to show it and where I
lived, we only had two stations.
00:02:18.27\00:02:22.17
Then later on, when VHS
made its debut in the '80s,
00:02:22.17\00:02:26.07
you could go downtown,
rent one of those big, bulky,
00:02:26.07\00:02:29.04
top-loading machines
and a couple of movies,
00:02:29.04\00:02:31.98
and there would only be a
few movies to choose from.
00:02:31.98\00:02:34.98
There was no streaming,
there was no on-demand viewing.
00:02:34.98\00:02:38.95
You had to wait.
00:02:38.95\00:02:40.22
When you wanted to
communicate with someone,
00:02:41.56\00:02:43.53
you actually pulled
out a sheet of paper,
00:02:43.53\00:02:45.29
you wrote them a letter,
00:02:45.29\00:02:46.90
you drove to the
post office to mail it,
00:02:46.90\00:02:49.70
and you were willing
to wait a couple of months
00:02:49.70\00:02:52.20
to get an answer.
00:02:52.20\00:02:53.67
I mean, forget about
email, forget about texting,
00:02:53.67\00:02:56.40
forget about social media.
00:02:56.40\00:02:58.21
Everything, everything
happened the slow way.
00:02:58.21\00:03:02.71
And I have to say, in a lot
of ways, it was a better life.
00:03:02.71\00:03:07.18
I mean, I love technology,
00:03:07.18\00:03:08.98
but I'm not convinced that
having to wait for stuff is bad
00:03:08.98\00:03:12.19
because in some ways,
00:03:12.19\00:03:13.96
I think our current technology
has made slaves out of us.
00:03:13.96\00:03:17.69
I mean, think about it.
00:03:17.69\00:03:19.19
It's nearly impossible now
to just turn the world off.
00:03:19.19\00:03:22.03
Your smartphone is
always in your pocket
00:03:22.03\00:03:23.93
or always in your car and
it keeps you on a leash 24/7,
00:03:23.93\00:03:27.67
365 days a year and
that has changed the way
00:03:27.67\00:03:32.51
that most of us behave.
00:03:32.51\00:03:34.48
We've become so used to
getting what we want right now,
00:03:34.48\00:03:38.08
that it actually irritates
us when it doesn't happen.
00:03:38.08\00:03:41.08
I mean, think about this.
00:03:41.08\00:03:42.98
You order a package from Amazon,
promised two days shipping,
00:03:42.98\00:03:47.39
but it gets hung up
somewhere and takes five days.
00:03:47.39\00:03:50.53
How do you feel?
00:03:50.53\00:03:51.79
Most of us feel irritated
00:03:51.79\00:03:53.46
and some people even demand
some kind of satisfaction.
00:03:53.46\00:03:57.73
We send someone a text
message and they don't respond
00:03:57.73\00:04:00.07
for three days and we
think that's really rude.
00:04:00.07\00:04:03.37
Someone thinks the
service in a restaurant
00:04:03.37\00:04:05.31
is a little bit too slow,
00:04:05.31\00:04:07.48
even when it's a real
restaurant with a real cook.
00:04:07.48\00:04:11.01
The food comes out just a
little bit slowly because they
00:04:11.01\00:04:13.88
actually had to make it,
00:04:13.88\00:04:15.45
so people run to Yelp
and they leave a bad review.
00:04:15.45\00:04:18.82
You're plane
delayed by 20 minutes
00:04:18.82\00:04:21.22
and you find yourself
feeling a little put out,
00:04:21.22\00:04:23.39
even if you don't
have to make a connection.
00:04:23.39\00:04:25.99
And you very quickly
forget that once upon a time,
00:04:25.99\00:04:28.63
it took a week or more
to drive across the country,
00:04:28.63\00:04:31.47
or half a year
before we had cars.
00:04:31.47\00:04:35.07
And in fairly recent history,
00:04:35.07\00:04:37.17
there were only
a handful of people
00:04:37.17\00:04:38.84
who had actually afford to fly.
00:04:38.84\00:04:41.01
The world of the 21st century
is certainly more convenient,
00:04:42.48\00:04:46.18
but I'm not convinced it's
made our lives more enjoyable.
00:04:46.18\00:04:50.29
If anything, it's been
feeding the natural inclination
00:04:50.29\00:04:53.69
we have for entitlement.
00:04:53.69\00:04:56.66
I mean, it takes so
little now to make us feel
00:04:56.66\00:04:59.89
put out that people have
started mocking these things
00:04:59.89\00:05:02.33
as first-world
problems, and in some ways,
00:05:02.33\00:05:05.90
I find that just a
little bit concerning,
00:05:05.90\00:05:08.50
not alarming, but concerning.
00:05:08.50\00:05:11.27
Let me see if I can
unpack what I'm thinking about.
00:05:11.27\00:05:13.81
When Covid finally
made it to the West
00:05:14.98\00:05:16.88
at the beginning of 2020,
00:05:16.88\00:05:18.71
we suddenly
experienced some shortages
00:05:18.71\00:05:21.28
in our grocery stores.
00:05:21.28\00:05:22.85
One of the weirdest developments
00:05:22.85\00:05:24.49
was the sudden
run on toilet paper,
00:05:24.49\00:05:26.69
which doesn't seem to
have a lot to do with Covid,
00:05:26.69\00:05:28.89
but hey, it is what it is.
00:05:28.89\00:05:31.23
And of course, as
soon as you realize
00:05:31.23\00:05:32.93
there's no toilet
paper in the store,
00:05:32.93\00:05:34.66
you kind of panic and
you begin to hoard the stuff.
00:05:34.66\00:05:37.90
I mean, it's toilet
paper, you gotta have it.
00:05:37.90\00:05:40.40
Then I
remembered there were days
00:05:41.57\00:05:43.51
when I actually
went to the Safeway
00:05:43.51\00:05:45.17
right next to the studio here
00:05:45.17\00:05:46.74
and there was no
produce, and I mean no produce.
00:05:46.74\00:05:50.68
I asked the produce
manager what they had,
00:05:50.68\00:05:52.81
and the only thing they
had left was a single bag
00:05:52.81\00:05:54.92
of red onions, that's it.
00:05:54.92\00:05:56.89
So of course, just
like you, I found that,
00:05:56.89\00:05:59.02
well, a little concerning.
00:05:59.02\00:06:00.99
When would I be able
to buy vegetables again?
00:06:00.99\00:06:03.29
But then I reminded myself
that just-in-time supply chains
00:06:04.66\00:06:07.60
and immediate fulfillment
are a relatively new phenomenon
00:06:07.60\00:06:11.67
and the slightest disruptions
can make it seem to some of us
00:06:11.67\00:06:14.80
like the apocalypse has begun.
00:06:14.80\00:06:17.21
We forget that much of
the world lives with shortages
00:06:17.21\00:06:20.11
and delays most of the time
00:06:20.11\00:06:23.01
and we've just
become so prosperous
00:06:23.01\00:06:25.38
that we're not
used to waiting anymore.
00:06:25.38\00:06:27.72
I mean, here's a good example.
00:06:27.72\00:06:29.25
I've worked in a lot of
countries where the power
00:06:29.25\00:06:31.42
goes out pretty much every day
00:06:31.42\00:06:33.86
and sometimes for
hours and hours at a time.
00:06:33.86\00:06:37.83
I've stayed in places
where they ration the hot water
00:06:37.83\00:06:40.26
to one hour a day because,
00:06:40.26\00:06:42.43
well, they can't afford
to heat it anymore than that,
00:06:42.43\00:06:44.87
so if you miss your
early morning shower,
00:06:44.87\00:06:47.00
you are out of luck.
00:06:47.00\00:06:49.64
I worked in one place
where a group of students
00:06:49.64\00:06:51.97
was preparing to
do missionary work
00:06:51.97\00:06:53.94
and I offered to buy them ice
cream if they would just drive
00:06:53.94\00:06:57.88
me into town to
the ice cream parlor.
00:06:57.88\00:06:59.95
And I know they
wanted ice cream,
00:06:59.95\00:07:01.45
but they seemed really hesitant
to take me up on the offer
00:07:01.45\00:07:05.22
and the reason
they were hesitant
00:07:05.22\00:07:06.82
was because they
couldn't afford the gas
00:07:06.82\00:07:10.09
for a 10 minute drive.
00:07:10.09\00:07:12.86
Now, if that was
happening here in the West,
00:07:12.86\00:07:15.63
we'd probably lose our
minds and demand our rights,
00:07:15.63\00:07:18.63
but I do have to tell you,
00:07:18.63\00:07:20.87
those people had so
much less than we do,
00:07:20.87\00:07:24.41
and they weren't any less happy.
00:07:24.41\00:07:26.68
In some ways, they
seemed happier than us.
00:07:26.68\00:07:30.58
It's almost as if the instant
gratification of every desire
00:07:30.58\00:07:33.85
makes us feel less and
less and less fulfilled.
00:07:33.85\00:07:38.79
It's the paradox of
living in the wealthiest nation
00:07:38.79\00:07:41.39
in the history of the world.
00:07:41.39\00:07:43.53
We have access to
more things, more services,
00:07:43.53\00:07:46.59
than any other group of
people who have ever lived
00:07:46.59\00:07:49.16
in history, and yet
somehow, we think life is worse.
00:07:49.16\00:07:53.54
All right, I've gotta
take a really quick break now,
00:07:53.54\00:07:56.20
so don't lose your patience.
00:07:56.20\00:07:58.07
I will be right
back after a short wait
00:07:58.07\00:08:01.48
with a potential solution.
00:08:01.48\00:08:02.88
- [Narrator] Dragons,
Beasts, cryptic statues,
00:08:06.68\00:08:10.89
Bible prophecy can be
incredibly vivid and confusing.
00:08:10.89\00:08:15.49
If you've ever read
Daniel or Revelation
00:08:15.49\00:08:17.66
and come away scratching
your head, you're not alone.
00:08:17.66\00:08:20.70
Our free Focus-On-Prophecy
Guides are designed to help you
00:08:20.70\00:08:24.13
unlock the
mysteries of the Bible
00:08:24.13\00:08:25.83
and deepen your
understanding of God's plan
00:08:25.83\00:08:28.30
for you and our world.
00:08:28.30\00:08:29.94
Study online or
request them by mail
00:08:29.94\00:08:32.37
and start bringing
prophecy into focus today.
00:08:32.37\00:08:36.08
- You know, before the pandemic
00:08:36.08\00:08:37.45
pretty much
shut everything down,
00:08:37.45\00:08:38.91
I used to spend anywhere
from 100 to 200 days a year
00:08:38.91\00:08:41.98
on the road, and after a while,
00:08:41.98\00:08:44.69
some of the airlines
started to treat me pretty well.
00:08:44.69\00:08:47.69
And because this is a
donor-funded ministry,
00:08:47.69\00:08:50.73
I'm very, very
careful with money
00:08:50.73\00:08:52.96
and I always buy the
cheapest coach seat I can find,
00:08:52.96\00:08:56.26
even if it's a 15-hour flight
00:08:56.26\00:08:58.30
to the other side of the world.
00:08:58.30\00:09:00.57
But after a while, the
airlines started giving me
00:09:00.57\00:09:02.60
the occasional upgrade
as a reward for my loyalty.
00:09:02.60\00:09:06.27
Well, I'll be
the first to admit,
00:09:06.27\00:09:08.31
when they gave me a
first class seat for free,
00:09:08.31\00:09:11.41
that was a pretty happy day.
00:09:11.41\00:09:12.85
I mean, there's no question.
00:09:12.85\00:09:14.15
It really is nicer at
the front of the plane.
00:09:14.15\00:09:17.49
You get to board first, there's
lots of room for your bag.
00:09:17.49\00:09:20.56
They bring you something to eat.
00:09:20.56\00:09:22.52
The seats are
far more comfortable
00:09:22.52\00:09:24.53
and, well, there's just
no comparing coach with first
00:09:24.53\00:09:28.66
class. But then I
noticed something interesting.
00:09:29.80\00:09:31.87
After I got the
free upgrade a few times,
00:09:31.87\00:09:33.84
I kind of started to expect it.
00:09:33.84\00:09:36.47
I mean, intellectually,
I knew I had no right
00:09:36.47\00:09:38.97
to be at the front of the plane,
00:09:38.97\00:09:40.21
but the first time I
didn't get the upgrade
00:09:40.21\00:09:42.68
and I had to
wait in line to board,
00:09:42.68\00:09:45.15
and I had to go to
the back of the plane,
00:09:45.15\00:09:47.58
I'll admit it, I felt
just a little bit put out.
00:09:47.58\00:09:49.92
As I was walking
through first class on my way
00:09:49.92\00:09:52.69
to my rightful seat,
I found myself looking
00:09:52.69\00:09:55.39
at all these privileged
people at the front of the plane
00:09:55.39\00:09:57.66
thinking, "I used to
be one of you, you know?"
00:09:57.66\00:10:00.23
So, imagine that.
00:10:01.20\00:10:03.23
A few nice
gifts from an airline,
00:10:03.23\00:10:05.37
and suddenly I feel
like I'm entitled to it.
00:10:05.37\00:10:08.30
And I don't wanna
exaggerate my disappointment
00:10:08.30\00:10:10.14
because it really
wasn't that big of a deal.
00:10:10.14\00:10:12.37
I don't really
feel like I deserve
00:10:12.37\00:10:14.31
to be at the front of the plane,
00:10:14.31\00:10:16.18
but still, I
couldn't help but notice
00:10:16.18\00:10:18.28
just how little it takes
to make us feel like the world
00:10:18.28\00:10:21.32
owes us something and most of us
00:10:21.32\00:10:23.99
are so used to the convenience
of living here in the West
00:10:23.99\00:10:27.36
that when the
slightest inconvenience happens,
00:10:27.36\00:10:29.59
we feel that somehow our
rights are being trampled,
00:10:29.59\00:10:33.90
and honestly, our
threshold for hardship
00:10:33.90\00:10:37.20
is probably the
lowest of any generation
00:10:37.20\00:10:39.53
in the history of the world.
00:10:39.53\00:10:42.00
I sometimes imagine that
maybe only a recently deposed
00:10:42.00\00:10:46.41
Roman emperor who lost all
his money and all his servants
00:10:46.41\00:10:49.88
would ever come close to
feeling as violated as we do
00:10:49.88\00:10:52.71
when things don't go our way.
00:10:52.71\00:10:54.92
Now, this is
gonna come as a surprise
00:10:54.92\00:10:57.42
to a lot of modern Christians
because here in the West
00:10:57.42\00:11:00.62
we've become accustomed
to demanding our rights.
00:11:00.62\00:11:03.59
I can't even begin to
tell you how many people
00:11:03.59\00:11:06.19
have reached out to me
over the last few years
00:11:06.19\00:11:08.36
to express their outrage
that they've been inconvenienced
00:11:08.36\00:11:12.17
by something or other
and they feel their rights
00:11:12.17\00:11:14.74
have been violated, and it
surprises a lot of Christians
00:11:14.74\00:11:18.61
to discover that traditionally
over the last 2,000 years,
00:11:18.61\00:11:23.24
Christians have not
invested much energy
00:11:23.24\00:11:26.21
into asserting our rights.
00:11:26.21\00:11:28.48
That's really a recent
thing and I'm not convinced
00:11:28.48\00:11:31.99
it's in harmony with
the teachings of Christ.
00:11:31.99\00:11:34.79
I mean, travel back
to the late first century
00:11:35.99\00:11:38.36
and watch the
way the Roman Empire
00:11:38.36\00:11:40.30
actively persecuted Christians.
00:11:40.30\00:11:42.96
You'd be hard pressed to
find notable Christian figures
00:11:42.96\00:11:46.07
protesting with
placards out in the streets.
00:11:46.07\00:11:49.80
These were people who
were literally being thrown
00:11:49.80\00:11:52.57
to the lions, and
the way they responded
00:11:52.57\00:11:54.91
was to quietly persist
in sharing their faith.
00:11:54.91\00:11:58.35
That was their protest,
00:11:58.35\00:12:00.78
a stubborn insistence on
doing the work that Jesus
00:12:00.78\00:12:03.89
gave them to do.
00:12:03.89\00:12:05.65
Protesting, frankly,
would've made matters worse,
00:12:05.65\00:12:08.32
especially when Christianity
was essentially illegal.
00:12:08.32\00:12:12.33
By contrast, you and I are
living under the protection
00:12:12.33\00:12:14.76
of a very
important Bill of Rights
00:12:14.76\00:12:17.77
and I'm not always convinced
that we need to just roll over
00:12:17.77\00:12:20.37
and take it when
bad things happen.
00:12:20.37\00:12:22.10
I mean, sometimes
there are good reasons
00:12:22.10\00:12:24.81
to claim your rights, but still,
00:12:24.81\00:12:27.78
it's the attitude
I wanna think about.
00:12:27.78\00:12:30.65
These humble early
Christians way back when
00:12:30.65\00:12:33.98
just kept about their work
00:12:33.98\00:12:36.89
and maybe that has
something to do with the fact
00:12:36.89\00:12:38.95
that their founder
operated the same way.
00:12:38.95\00:12:41.96
Jesus was falsely
accused and he refused to answer
00:12:41.96\00:12:45.09
the charges in court.
00:12:45.09\00:12:46.80
He was willing to have
every last right violated
00:12:46.80\00:12:51.00
in order to save us.
00:12:51.00\00:12:52.97
And when religious leaders
approached him with the question
00:12:52.97\00:12:55.54
of Roman oppression, he gave
them a very surprising answer.
00:12:55.54\00:12:59.27
Let me show you this from
Matthew 22, where it says,
00:12:59.27\00:13:03.55
"Then the Pharisees went and
plotted how they might entangle
00:13:03.55\00:13:07.18
him in his talk and they
sent to him their disciples
00:13:07.18\00:13:10.69
with the Herodians saying,
00:13:10.69\00:13:12.79
'Teacher, we know that you are
true and teach the way of God
00:13:12.79\00:13:15.89
and truth, nor do you
care about anyone for you
00:13:15.89\00:13:18.86
do not regard
the person of men.'"
00:13:18.86\00:13:22.30
Now, here's the
strange thing about this story.
00:13:22.30\00:13:26.10
On most days, the
Pharisees and the Herodians
00:13:26.10\00:13:28.74
were completely at
odds with each other.
00:13:28.74\00:13:31.21
The Pharisees were
staunch nationalists
00:13:31.21\00:13:33.61
who longed for the day
when every foreign influence
00:13:33.61\00:13:36.61
would just be
banished from the country,
00:13:36.61\00:13:39.75
and the Herodians were
supporters of King Herod,
00:13:39.75\00:13:42.95
who was a little
bit of a Hellenist,
00:13:42.95\00:13:44.49
a man who loved Greek culture.
00:13:44.49\00:13:47.42
The Herodians favored
collaborating with outside
00:13:47.42\00:13:50.86
cultures and so the Pharisees
pretty much hated the Herodians,
00:13:50.86\00:13:54.63
but there was one thing
they could all agree on,
00:13:54.63\00:13:57.87
all of them hated Jesus.
00:13:57.87\00:14:00.80
So, in this story,
00:14:00.80\00:14:02.30
which takes place
shortly before the crucifixion,
00:14:02.30\00:14:04.97
they lay a trap for Jesus,
00:14:04.97\00:14:06.71
hoping to find something
they can hang him with.
00:14:06.71\00:14:09.94
Here it comes now
starting in verse 17, it says,
00:14:09.94\00:14:12.95
"Tell us,
therefore, what do you think?
00:14:12.95\00:14:15.32
Is it lawful to pay
taxes to Caesar or not?"
00:14:15.32\00:14:19.49
So, here's the big question.
00:14:19.49\00:14:20.99
Was it possible for
a good Jew to pay taxes
00:14:22.19\00:14:25.19
to an oppressive
Roman government?
00:14:25.19\00:14:28.00
The Pharisees, of
course, were opposed to it
00:14:28.00\00:14:30.03
because they were nationalists.
00:14:30.03\00:14:31.97
Giving your money to the Romans
00:14:31.97\00:14:33.47
meant being
disloyal to your faith,
00:14:33.47\00:14:36.44
but the Herodians disagreed,
they didn't mind paying taxes.
00:14:36.44\00:14:40.21
And of course, both
groups knew that Jesus
00:14:40.21\00:14:42.71
couldn't possibly
come up with a good answer
00:14:42.71\00:14:45.41
that would make everybody happy,
so they used it as a trap.
00:14:45.41\00:14:49.58
It continues now in verse 18,
00:14:49.58\00:14:51.89
"But Jesus
perceived their wickedness."
00:14:53.05\00:14:55.49
In other words, he knew
full well what they were doing.
00:14:55.49\00:14:57.73
"And said, 'Why do you
test me, you hypocrites?
00:14:57.73\00:15:02.26
Show me the tax money.'
00:15:02.26\00:15:03.77
So they brought him a denarius."
00:15:03.77\00:15:05.80
That was about a
working man's days wages.
00:15:05.80\00:15:09.57
"And he said to them, 'Whose
image and inscription is this?'
00:15:09.57\00:15:13.04
They said to him, 'Caesar's.'
00:15:13.04\00:15:14.44
And he said to them,
'Render therefore to Caesar
00:15:14.44\00:15:17.38
the things that
are Caesars and to God,
00:15:17.38\00:15:19.48
the things that are God's.'
00:15:19.48\00:15:21.95
When they had heard these words,
00:15:21.95\00:15:23.75
they marveled and left
him and went their way."
00:15:23.75\00:15:27.89
Now, here's the
important lesson for us.
00:15:27.89\00:15:31.09
There's no question that living
under the Romans was no fun.
00:15:31.09\00:15:34.20
People really
were being persecuted
00:15:34.20\00:15:36.30
and it was humiliating
for the chosen people of God
00:15:36.30\00:15:39.27
to live under the
thumb of a pagan oppressor.
00:15:39.27\00:15:42.64
I get the sense that
many Christians today,
00:15:44.07\00:15:46.51
particularly here in America,
00:15:46.51\00:15:48.71
would be tempted to
defy the Roman government
00:15:48.71\00:15:51.31
and not pay the
tax, and to be honest,
00:15:51.31\00:15:54.48
I could probably think
of 100 really good reasons
00:15:54.48\00:15:57.29
to join them and not pay it,
00:15:57.29\00:15:59.29
but that's not
what Jesus taught.
00:15:59.29\00:16:01.49
He simply took the coin and
noticed it was Roman currency
00:16:01.49\00:16:04.59
and said, "Look,
this is Roman money.
00:16:04.59\00:16:07.46
Go ahead and give it to them
00:16:07.46\00:16:09.06
and still keep
your obligation to God."
00:16:09.06\00:16:11.97
In other words, in
the world of Christianity,
00:16:11.97\00:16:14.34
it will always be more
important to be faithful
00:16:14.34\00:16:17.64
than to defend yourself
and your personal rights.
00:16:17.64\00:16:20.94
These people were living
under a Roman government,
00:16:20.94\00:16:23.48
frankly enjoying the
benefits of Roman civilization,
00:16:23.48\00:16:26.41
which were not inconsiderable.
00:16:26.41\00:16:28.75
And so Jesus told
them, "You pay what is due."
00:16:28.75\00:16:32.15
Unless a civic obligation
directly contradicts your duty
00:16:32.15\00:16:35.56
to God, Jesus
said you oughta do it.
00:16:35.56\00:16:38.83
So, here we are living
under a secular government
00:16:38.83\00:16:41.60
and most of the
time we're quite happy
00:16:41.60\00:16:44.07
to enjoy the benefits.
00:16:44.07\00:16:45.67
Honestly, we have it easier
and better than any generation
00:16:45.67\00:16:49.14
of believers
who have ever lived,
00:16:49.14\00:16:51.47
and yet when a
city council decides
00:16:51.47\00:16:53.27
they don't want a nativity
scene on government land,
00:16:53.27\00:16:56.31
we feel like we've
been somehow violated.
00:16:56.31\00:16:58.78
I mean, I get it.
00:16:58.78\00:17:00.22
The decline of
Christianity in the West
00:17:00.22\00:17:02.35
really is frustrating, it is,
00:17:02.35\00:17:05.09
but in what way does
someone else deciding
00:17:05.09\00:17:07.62
they don't want a Christian
display affect your faith?
00:17:07.62\00:17:11.76
I mean, if somebody told me,
00:17:11.76\00:17:13.23
"Look, Shawn, you're no longer
allowed to read your Bible
00:17:13.23\00:17:15.73
or pray," I'm gonna do it
anyway just like Daniel did.
00:17:15.73\00:17:19.93
If somebody told me I
wasn't allowed to talk to you
00:17:19.93\00:17:22.27
about my faith and you
were willing to listen,
00:17:22.27\00:17:25.64
I would do it anyway,
just like the apostles did.
00:17:25.64\00:17:29.11
But if civic laws
start to feel inconvenient,
00:17:29.11\00:17:32.78
am I gonna waste a
lot of energy protesting
00:17:32.78\00:17:35.08
and demanding my rights?
00:17:35.08\00:17:37.12
No, probably not.
00:17:37.12\00:17:39.29
I mean, don't get me wrong,
00:17:39.29\00:17:40.49
I have a strong
sense of civic duty,
00:17:40.49\00:17:42.89
and if they open a town
hall meeting where I could go
00:17:42.89\00:17:45.56
and argue for my right to
put a nativity scene in my yard,
00:17:45.56\00:17:49.33
yeah, sure, I'd probably
be there, I'd make the case.
00:17:49.33\00:17:52.87
But I think it's a
good idea for Christians
00:17:54.00\00:17:55.64
to occasionally
review the long centuries
00:17:55.64\00:17:57.94
that brought us to this
point and remind ourselves
00:17:57.94\00:18:00.68
that we have always been
asked by God to be patient.
00:18:00.68\00:18:04.95
Seldom has the
world favored Christians
00:18:04.95\00:18:07.75
or relished our
presence and now that it has
00:18:07.75\00:18:10.89
for just a
handful of generations,
00:18:10.89\00:18:12.79
we seem to think
it's always been this way.
00:18:12.79\00:18:15.52
Oh, how quickly we forget.
00:18:15.52\00:18:18.83
"Others were tortured," it
says in the Book of Hebrews,
00:18:18.83\00:18:21.63
"Not accepting deliverance
that they might obtain
00:18:21.63\00:18:24.07
a better resurrection.
00:18:24.07\00:18:25.77
Still others had trial
of mockings and scourgings,
00:18:25.77\00:18:28.94
yes, and of
chains and imprisonment.
00:18:28.94\00:18:31.44
They were stoned, they were
sawn in two, they were tempted,
00:18:31.44\00:18:34.81
were slain with the sword.
00:18:34.81\00:18:36.28
They wandered about in
sheep skins and goat skins
00:18:36.28\00:18:38.85
being destitute,
afflicted, tormented,
00:18:38.85\00:18:42.18
of whom the
world was not worthy.
00:18:42.18\00:18:44.52
They wandered in
deserts and mountains
00:18:44.52\00:18:46.19
in the dens and
caves of the earth.
00:18:46.19\00:18:48.09
And all these, having
obtained a good testimony
00:18:48.09\00:18:51.16
through faith, did
not receive the promise,
00:18:51.16\00:18:55.00
God having provided
something better for us,
00:18:55.00\00:18:57.20
that they should not be
made perfect apart from us."
00:18:57.20\00:19:02.07
What the Bible is telling
us is that every generation
00:19:02.07\00:19:05.61
of believers
right up 'till right now
00:19:05.61\00:19:08.44
has been forced to practice
patience and none of them,
00:19:08.44\00:19:11.68
none of them got their
reward in this lifetime.
00:19:11.68\00:19:14.95
The Bible, it
seems, teaches patience
00:19:14.95\00:19:17.69
in the face of hardship.
00:19:17.69\00:19:19.59
I'll be right back after this.
00:19:19.59\00:19:21.29
- [Narrator] Here at
the Voice of Prophecy,
00:19:24.59\00:19:26.06
we're committed to
creating top quality programming
00:19:26.06\00:19:28.50
for the whole family,
00:19:28.50\00:19:29.93
like our audio adventure
series, "Discovery Mountain."
00:19:29.93\00:19:33.07
"Discovery Mountain"
is a Bible-based program
00:19:33.07\00:19:35.67
for kids of all
ages and backgrounds.
00:19:35.67\00:19:37.97
Your family will enjoy
the faith-building stories
00:19:37.97\00:19:40.78
from this small
mountain summer camp and town.
00:19:40.78\00:19:43.58
With 24 seasonal
episodes every year,
00:19:43.58\00:19:46.11
and fresh content every week,
00:19:46.11\00:19:48.28
there's always a new
adventure just on the horizon.
00:19:48.28\00:19:51.42
- You know, I'd be lying
if I said I never ever fight
00:19:54.89\00:19:57.89
for anything when it
comes to keeping the faith.
00:19:57.89\00:20:00.46
Maybe the most
important element in the birth
00:20:01.56\00:20:03.60
of this nation,
America, was the drafting
00:20:03.60\00:20:05.97
of the First Amendment, which
recognizes our God-given right
00:20:05.97\00:20:09.24
to believe and to
say whatever we want.
00:20:09.24\00:20:13.44
What happened here
in the United States
00:20:13.44\00:20:15.41
is an exceptionally rare event.
00:20:15.41\00:20:17.68
Few people in the
history of this world
00:20:17.68\00:20:19.45
have enjoyed
this kind of freedom,
00:20:19.45\00:20:21.82
so yes, I fight and petition
for people to have the ability
00:20:21.82\00:20:26.65
to follow God
according to the dictates
00:20:26.65\00:20:28.69
of their own conscience
and I openly resist laws
00:20:28.69\00:20:32.06
designed to force
religious observance on anybody.
00:20:32.06\00:20:35.90
If somebody told me I
wasn't allowed to pray,
00:20:35.90\00:20:38.73
I'm gonna pray.
00:20:38.73\00:20:40.04
If somebody told me the
law said I'm not allowed
00:20:40.04\00:20:41.84
to read the Bible,
it's not gonna stop me,
00:20:41.84\00:20:44.21
I'm gonna read it.
00:20:44.21\00:20:45.71
And if somebody said you weren't
allowed to do those things,
00:20:45.71\00:20:48.34
I'd support you in
your quiet defiance.
00:20:48.34\00:20:51.25
In fact, I'd
support you in your right
00:20:51.25\00:20:53.48
to have no faith whatsoever.
00:20:53.48\00:20:55.95
Sometimes I think believers
00:20:56.92\00:20:58.72
forget about that
word, though, quiet.
00:20:58.72\00:21:01.36
It's one thing to
remain faithful to God
00:21:01.36\00:21:03.22
in the face of legal
requirements designed to stop
00:21:03.22\00:21:06.96
you, it's another thing to make
a public display of yourself.
00:21:06.96\00:21:10.27
I'm always
reminded that when Jesus
00:21:10.27\00:21:12.27
stood in front of
unjust accusers, he was silent.
00:21:12.27\00:21:17.07
Of course, he
knew that the cross
00:21:17.07\00:21:18.67
was going to have
to happen if you and I
00:21:18.67\00:21:20.58
were going to be
saved and so it is a bit
00:21:20.58\00:21:23.35
of a unique
situation, but all the same,
00:21:23.35\00:21:27.48
I'm pretty sure we can
afford to learn something
00:21:27.48\00:21:29.95
from the way
Jesus handled himself.
00:21:29.95\00:21:32.62
Predicting what would happen,
00:21:32.62\00:21:34.26
the Prophet Isaiah
wrote this, he said,
00:21:34.26\00:21:37.93
"He was oppressed
and he was afflicted,
00:21:37.93\00:21:40.46
yet he opened not his mouth.
00:21:40.46\00:21:42.30
He was led as a
lamb to the slaughter
00:21:42.30\00:21:44.50
and as a sheep before
its shearers is silent,
00:21:44.50\00:21:47.77
so he opened not his mouth."
00:21:47.77\00:21:51.34
And that's
exactly how it happened
00:21:51.34\00:21:53.27
as we find over in Matthew 26.
00:21:53.27\00:21:56.11
"And the high priest
arose and said to him,
00:21:58.25\00:22:00.55
'Do you answer nothing?
00:22:00.55\00:22:02.42
What is it these men
testify against you?'
00:22:02.42\00:22:05.15
But Jesus kept silent."
00:22:05.15\00:22:07.72
Now remember, these
were false accusations
00:22:08.89\00:22:11.43
and Jesus had already
been treated brutally,
00:22:11.43\00:22:14.60
even before any
kind of legal conviction,
00:22:14.60\00:22:17.50
so I'm not really
talking about quiet defiance
00:22:18.87\00:22:21.90
because Christians
have always done that
00:22:21.90\00:22:23.94
when they're asked to
compromise their faith.
00:22:23.94\00:22:26.37
What I'm really driving
at today is something else,
00:22:26.37\00:22:28.98
this new-found sense of
entitlement that we seem to have
00:22:28.98\00:22:32.95
here in the West where we think
any inconvenience whatsoever
00:22:32.95\00:22:37.09
is a violation of our rights.
00:22:37.09\00:22:39.82
Look, I've worked in countries
where preaching the Bible
00:22:39.82\00:22:42.96
is illegal and I know
people in churches right now
00:22:42.96\00:22:47.10
who are not allowed to
advertise their meetings
00:22:47.10\00:22:49.80
or publicly invite
anybody to come to church,
00:22:49.80\00:22:52.83
and instead of openly
challenging the law in the
00:22:52.83\00:22:55.84
streets and
demanding their rights,
00:22:55.84\00:22:57.67
they quietly persist in
their faith and find workarounds
00:22:57.67\00:23:01.91
that enable them to be faithful.
00:23:01.91\00:23:03.65
They're choosing not to
make themselves a lightning rod
00:23:05.08\00:23:07.75
for the authorities
because then they'll lose
00:23:07.75\00:23:10.05
what little
liberty they do have.
00:23:10.05\00:23:12.65
These people are doing
what Peter advised us to do
00:23:12.65\00:23:15.29
nearly 2,000 years
ago when he said this,
00:23:15.29\00:23:19.79
"But even if you should
suffer for righteousness sake,
00:23:19.79\00:23:23.40
you are blessed.
00:23:23.40\00:23:24.87
And do not be afraid of
their threats, nor be troubled.
00:23:24.87\00:23:27.87
But sanctify the Lord God in
your hearts and always be ready
00:23:27.87\00:23:30.87
to give a defense to
everyone who asks you a reason
00:23:30.87\00:23:34.44
for the hope that is in
you, with meekness and fear,
00:23:34.44\00:23:38.15
having a good conscience
that when they defame you
00:23:38.15\00:23:40.88
as evildoers, those who revile
your good conduct in Christ
00:23:40.88\00:23:44.85
may be ashamed.
00:23:44.85\00:23:46.45
For it is better, if
it is the will of God,
00:23:46.45\00:23:49.06
to suffer for doing
good than for doing evil."
00:23:49.06\00:23:53.46
Unfortunately, it's getting
harder and harder to describe
00:23:53.46\00:23:55.90
a lot of modern Christians
by using the word meek.
00:23:55.90\00:23:59.93
Is it possible that
we have been importing
00:23:59.93\00:24:01.84
that sense of modern
impatience into the church?
00:24:01.84\00:24:04.77
And is it always wise to
assert yourself as a Christian
00:24:04.77\00:24:07.98
and make demands as if the world
00:24:07.98\00:24:09.58
is a customer complaint box?
00:24:09.58\00:24:12.31
Read the Bible
sometime and ask yourself,
00:24:12.31\00:24:14.52
"What generation of Christians
has ever had it this good?"
00:24:14.52\00:24:19.52
All right, time for a
final break, so hang tight,
00:24:20.89\00:24:22.12
be patient again,
and I'll be right back.
00:24:22.12\00:24:24.59
- [Narrator] Are you
searching for answers
00:24:29.90\00:24:31.17
to life's
toughest questions like,
00:24:31.17\00:24:33.23
where is God when we suffer?
00:24:33.23\00:24:35.04
Can I find real happiness?
00:24:35.04\00:24:36.87
Or, is there any hope
for our chaotic world?
00:24:36.87\00:24:39.97
The Discover Bible Guides
will help you find the answers
00:24:39.97\00:24:42.44
you're looking for.
00:24:42.44\00:24:43.81
Visit us at BibleStudies.com
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00:24:43.81\00:24:47.52
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00:24:47.52\00:24:52.52
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00:24:57.29\00:24:59.86
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00:24:59.86\00:25:02.46
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00:25:02.46\00:25:05.63
Find answers in guides like,
00:25:05.63\00:25:07.00
"Does My Life
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00:25:07.00\00:25:09.27
And, "A Second Chance at Life."
00:25:09.27\00:25:11.41
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00:25:11.41\00:25:13.81
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00:25:13.81\00:25:16.48
Visit BibleStudies.com
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00:25:16.48\00:25:20.58
to discover answers to
life's deepest questions.
00:25:20.58\00:25:24.42
- You know, I'm reminded
at the moment when Jesus
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appeared in front of Pilot.
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We find the
story over in John 18.
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It says, "Then Pilot
entered the Praetorium again,
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called Jesus and said to him,
00:25:39.93\00:25:41.10
'Are you the king of the Jews?'
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Jesus answered him, 'Are
you speaking for yourself
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about this or did others
tell you this concerning me?'
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Pilot answered, 'Am I a Jew?
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Your own nation
and the chief priests
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have delivered you to me?
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What have you done?'"
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Now, pay attention to this.
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"Jesus answered, 'My
Kingdom is not of this world.
00:25:58.19\00:26:01.09
If my Kingdom
were of this world,
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my servants would fight so
that I should not be delivered
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to the Jews, but now my
Kingdom is not from here.'"
00:26:05.73\00:26:10.17
This is a concept that Martin
Luther really struggled with
00:26:10.17\00:26:12.90
as many Christians in his
day broke free from the system
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that was existing at the time.
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How much recognition
should a Christian give
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to the demands of the state?
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In the end, Luther
came to the conclusion
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that you and I live
in two separate kingdoms.
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On the one hand,
we're in this world
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subject to human government.
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On the other hand, the only
real King we have is Christ,
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so how do you navigate that
seemingly impossible dichotomy?
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Well, you handle it
the same way Jesus did.
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He told us, "You have
heard that it was said,
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'An eye for an eye
and a tooth for a tooth.'
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But I tell you not to
resist an evil person.
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But whoever slaps
you on your right cheek,
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turn the other to him also.
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If anyone wants to sue
you and take away your tunic,
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let him have your cloak also.
00:26:58.18\00:27:00.38
And whoever compels you to
go one mile, go with him two.
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Give to him who asks you,
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and from him who wants to borrow
from you, do not turn away.
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You have heard that it was said,
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'You shall love your
neighbor and hate your enemy.'
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But I say to you,
love your enemies.
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Bless those who curse you,
do good to those who hate you,
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and pray for those who
spitefully use you and persecute
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you, that you may be the
sons of your Father in heaven,
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for he makes his sun rise
on the evil and on the good
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and sends rain on the
just and on the unjust."
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You know what?
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I don't think I could summarize
it any better than that,
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so maybe I'll just
add that Christians
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also ought to look at the
first few verses of Romans 13,
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see what it says
about government,
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and then leave it at that.
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Thanks for joining
me this week again.
00:27:48.03\00:27:49.80
I'm Shawn Boonstra.
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You've been
watching "Authentic."
00:27:51.10\00:27:53.40