WWUTT 1390 Q&A Dividing a Portion, Fleeing from Satan, and Plurality Eldership

The Meaning of Isaiah 53:12 and Christ Receiving His Portion

Why does Isaiah 53 12 say that Jesus will receive a portion doesn't he get everything? How can I know that I am after the things of Christ and not the things of Satan. And let's talk again about Plurality eldership when we understand the text.

This is when we understand the text a daily Bible study in the Word of Christ Which comes to us not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. Visit our website at.

Wwt .com here once again is Pastor Gabe. Thank you Becky. You're welcome. Welcome to the program. Yay.

It's good weather. So we made it. That's right. Kind of good weather. It's still storming.

Yeah, we went from. There was a foot of snow on the ground this time a week ago. Uh-huh in East, Texas. Yeah, there was a foot of snow on the ground and now there's thunder and lightning. Oh, yeah.

It feels like we're back in Kansas again. I know it's so weird. But but the 60 degree 75 75 degree weather yesterday was really that was really nice.

I was that was really I enjoyed that a lot. That can come and stay but no, we're gonna have a week of rain now. It seems like. So we've had a lot of emails this week from folks saying hey praying for you guys in your move or congratulations On the move and all the.

You know, that's not happening this week either. Yeah again. Yeah, I think we're on our third Delay, I think so. Yeah. So it should have been last week, but because of the mountain of snow that dumped over East, Texas Everybody was closed.

Yeah, I don't blame him. There was nothing that we can do. There's there's no.

Snow plows out here. No, there's no salters. They had scrapers out. They were scraping literally scraping with scrapers.

To get the snow plowed off. Yeah, I know you're talking about tractors with the shovel underneath. Is that what you're talking about? Yeah, I. I see that as people got out there with their ice scrapers for their car and they're like.

I'm talking. Yeah, that's like mopping the floor of the toothbrush. Yeah, it's me coming from work and went them on.

Becky worked at a mine. Yeah, so she knows all the tractor names.

So we got delayed again. We should be moving in March.

There's a question mark moving in March moving in March moving in March. Yeah, tentatively. Now the move day is March 6 with just which is a Saturday.

Which is the day after my dad gets done with surgery. Oh, is that right? So that's on a Friday covering. Yeah. Yeah, it'll be a big weekend.

We thank you for all the well wishes. Oh, yeah. We're just sorry. It doesn't apply right now. Yeah, we haven't come we haven't moved yet. Yeah all in the Lord's good timing. That is right. We're still very appreciative of Timberline a Baptist camp.

Yes that has allowed us to stay there while we're in. We're still in transition.

Yeah, they're being so patient. Yes, they're awesome.

So if you're ever looking for a good place to gather in East, Texas, that is a great place. They have a lot check out Timberline camps. Yes. Definitely. And we have another announcement to share. We don't just about the move.

Everybody knew about the move. You don't know about this one. Yeah. Or this number five, I guess I should say yeah, it's not this one. It's number five. Yeah. Becky's expecting. I'm pregnant.

And it'll be in the beginning of September. So it may or may not affect me going to g3.

Yes, that's true. So g3 is coming up in October this year. It depends on everything. How it goes. We'll have an infant. Yes.

But I've done that before. That's true. G3 conferences with an infant that was.

TGC actually we went to with Aria. Is that the one you were thinking of? We didn't go to g3 with an infant. Did we. Who was it? It was Aria. No, not Aria Mariah. Oh, right. Yeah, since we've been attending g3 only Mariah has been an infant.

Aria was an infant in 2015 when we went to TGC, right? That was before TGC got too wonky and we were. I barely remember that though. Oh, man. I loved that trip. That was Orlando. That was before they moved to Indianapolis and it was like we're not even leaving the heartland for that.

Aria didn't sleep.

So no, she didn't. I don't remember anything for like two years of her life. I.

Remember the like the teenage Usher guy telling me to get the stroller out of the aisle. I was so off. I was so frustrated with that guy. Like you little squirt you come here. So I went to the back. Sleep we're so grumpy.

I went to the back with the stroller and I just stood back there. Becky comes back in the room. She wasn't even with me at the time. She sees me standing back. They're all huffy and everything. You were very angry.

I remember that. She's like, what are you doing back here? Oh that little teenage squirt over there. He told me I had to get my stroller out of the aisle and Becky said we'll just leave the stroller here and come sit down.

It's like oh, yeah, I could do that. I Wanted to stand there and be grumpy. So everything's bigger in Texas including the Hughes family, that's right baby number five on the way and Becky.

Baby number five and Becky. Becky will be bigger in Texas. I got it.

The kids are super excited. Oh, yeah new house new baby. Yes. It's just awesome. Nothing but joy in the Hughes household. Amen. All right, let's get to our questions here. Friday is the Q &A taking questions from the listeners and responding to them on the podcast.

You can submit a question to when we understand the text at gmail .com. Before getting to this first question though, Becky was sharing a story with me off mic before we hit record. Uh-huh and and. Yeah, what do we do when we hit record?

We started doing the program, right? He's over here just sure. I'm just reeling like trying to find out what do we do? Blank. That's right. So she was sharing with me that she was talking with a friend about Bible study, right?

And this friend was well kind of grumpy during Bible study or something like that. So, how did that go?

Well, no, she wasn't grumpy. She was just teaching and She said that she didn't feel like she was really Focused focused in the moment, you know as passionate as she should be. She felt like she was very monotone.

Like it wasn't it wasn't her best right like she wants it to be right and so we we kept talking. She had brought up that she had listened to a thing on like a kind of a podcast or an interview. Maybe it was an interview.

Okay on the way before she got to Bible study. The interview was with someone who who is Causing division right now and is is not solid in so this is a false teacher. It was a false teacher.

She was on the way to teach and she's listening to a false teacher. Yeah saying some did she know it was a false teacher.

Yes, so she's listening to the false teacher the whole situation knowing full well what she was getting into.

And that's what she's listening to on the way to teach Bible study right. Well, I mean that even distracts me.

I would have a short amount of time to listen to stuff. And so, you know you get to. You get in your car and you're like, okay. I've been wanting to listen to this. I'm just gonna plug it in, you know, not even think about it.

I get that but I I know myself well enough. That I get super agitated and I get like I'm normally a happy person. I think like to think so. I don't know you can vouch I just described you to somebody today as being a very spunky person.

Okay. Yeah, so whenever I hear False teachers it I think I don't even have to know their voices. Just stuff that they'll say is off and it's just off enough that it's irritating and it's like nails on a chalkboard for me.

Yeah, like I can't handle it and I can't go rebuke them for it because I'm not there in person. So it's even more frustrating.

Becky does not allow it in the house. No, I Have to listen to my false teaching at work. I can't bring it or with headset on or with headphones on If I'm ever critiquing It's so bad. It doesn't even have to be she doesn't even have to gather what it is.

They're saying exactly. It's like there's just something there. She knows this is not God honoring Christ centered teaching. Yep, and it bugs her that much. You know. We warn people so much about being careful with the teachers that you're listening to right and we hear a lot of people saying well.

Most of what they say is good, you know, you just don't listen to the stuff or you ignore this.

Yeah bad you eat the meat and you spit out the bones, right? That's typically the phrase that goes along with that, right? You just don't have any idea how much bad teaching is affecting you. Very true that it's even affecting perceptions and moods.

And clouding your thinking and stuff like that. And and like even whenever you're. You're in the word and you're trying to teach the word to others that affects you. Yeah, and oh man, it's just it's poison.

It is now I listen to bad sermons and I will intentionally listen to them. Yes to know what's out there and he's like Becky. Becky. Come here. Come here. I'm like I Did that just the other night didn't I.

Oh it was with one of the what videos I did recently. Oh, yeah. Yeah, I did a video. It was the one where I was responding to that gal from tik-tok that had the awful take on the appearance of the word homosexuality in scripture.

And I heard just enough of it. I was like, no, I'm not listening I. It's just a 20-second clip, come on. No too much. I was heading to bed. There was no way I was gonna sleep. Yeah.

So get your mind into solid teaching. Don't even flirt with those teachers that are just like well. Sometimes they say some good things and mm-hmm. It doesn't matter. Songs. Yeah, they're. They're all the same.

Be careful about what you let in your mind. Be careful little ears what you hear.

Yeah, what you meditate on? Yeah, you remember. Especially if it's songs because they stick in your brain, you know.

Yeah, see I'm right. I've got to be very careful about music. Yeah, because I have that musically inclined brain. Yep that once I hear a song is just stuck in there and. So even when it comes to critiquing and editing music and stuff like that I have to be careful what I listen to.

Sometimes when I Used to do a talk on a fairly regular basis with youth groups. I would do this about two or three times a year. I would talk to them about the songs that they listen to mm-hmm and going through Jude and 2nd Peter chapter 2 on How these guys are false teachers?

They are false prophets telling you worldly awful things. And I would go through the top ten songs on the chart whatever week I'm Speaking to that youth group in mm-hmm. I would see what's on the billboard top ten for that week.

Yeah, and I would go through lyrics not necessarily Christian music, but oh no in none of its Christian music, right?

Yeah, it's all secular music. So I would grab the lyrics from those top ten songs and show them. This is what is popular right now. This is what you're listening to whenever I would watch the music videos for it because I was also say something about the videos I'd have them on mute.

Yeah, I never hear the song. I don't I don't even know what the song sounds like to this day. I'm very proud of this fact to this day. I have never heard a Justin Bieber song. Wow. Never have heard Justin Bieber.

That's impressive. I've managed to keep myself from pop music enough that much but I know that when it gets into my head, it's stuck in there. Yeah, and it's really difficult to get it out. Even when it comes to addressing youth with the kind of music choices that they make I'm careful about what I watch and what?

I listen to mm-hmm.

Anyway, okay. So let's that was all that to say. Yeah, don't put poison in front of you.

Don't eat poison don't eat it. Yeah, it's not even a matter of eat the meat and spit out the bones. It's just straight-up poison. There's you you say that with the impression that there's always something good there for you to get and sometimes there's not.

Sometimes there's nothing beneficial for your soul whatsoever, right? And there can be heresy. In something that is so deep and so bad that it doesn't even matter if there was like 30 minutes of solid teaching.

But two or three minutes of heresy the heresy poisons all of it. Exactly. Remember Philippians 4 8 and 9. Finally brothers. Whatever is true. Whatever is honorable. Whatever is just. Whatever is pure.

Whatever is lovely. Whatever is commendable if there is any excellence if there is anything worthy of praise. Think about these things what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me practice these things and the God of peace will be with you as Paul said back in verse 7 the peace of God which surpasses all understanding.

Will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Yes, so focus on that, which is good and honoring and exalting of Christ the Lord. All right. Let's get to our first question here. This one comes from cat.

She says hi again. Pastor. Gabe. I hope and pray the move to your new living place went smooth and sound hope it still does. Yep. Hasn't happened yet, but I sure appreciate the good wishes. Yes. I have another question for the friday q and a.

While reading isaiah 53 it caught my eye that verse 12 says therefore I will divide him a portion with the great. Why a portion? Jesus said I have been given all power and authority in heaven and on earth.

Matthew 28 18. I am the resurrection in the life. John 11 25. No one comes to the father, but through me. John 14 6, etc. Thank you and god bless. Good scripture references there cat. That was just great to read.

Anyway, let's look at isaiah 53. It's just 12 verses. So let's go ahead and read the whole thing here. All right, always good for us. Verse one who has believed what he has heard from us. And to whom has the arm of the lord been revealed?

For he grew up before him like a young plant and like a root out of dry ground. He had no form or majesty that we should look at him and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

And as one from whom men hide their faces. He was despised. And we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. Yet we esteemed him stricken smitten by god and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions.

He was crushed for our iniquities. Upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace and with his wounds. We are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way. And the lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed and he was afflicted yet He opened not his mouth like a lamb that is led to the slaughter and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent. So he opened not his mouth By oppression and judgment.

He was taken away. And as for his generation who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living Stricken for the transgression of my people. And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death.

Although he had done no violence and there was no deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the will of the lord to crush him. He has put him to grief. When his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring.

He shall prolong his days. The will of the lord shall prosper in his hand Out of the anguish of his soul. He shall see and be satisfied. By his knowledge shall the righteous one my servant make many to be accounted righteous and he shall bear their iniquities.

Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many and he shall divide the spoil with the strong. Because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors. Yet he bore the sin of many and makes intercession for the transgressors.

And of course in that passage in isaiah 53, that's all in reference to christ. That is prophetically pointing to the christ who would come 700 years. Wow after this was prophesied about him. So the question that kat had was regarding that last verse verse 12 it says.

Therefore I will divide him a portion With the many and he shall divide the spoil with the strong. Why just a portion? If jesus has said all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Well, this is actually a metaphor here.

I will divide him a portion with the many. What's the metaphor? Do you know? Do you recognize that?

Um, is it where like the king goes and conquers a land and then.

Divides it amongst. Yeah, then he divides the spoil. Yeah, right exactly. So this is jesus is victorious. And the father gives him everything. Yeah, the word portion is used but it means that the father has given all to the son.

That's what it's it's metaphorical to that language. That's used whenever a king conquers a people and a portion is received. It's not a portion like we think of a portion. Well, i've got a drink. Yeah, that's right.

I'm gonna drink it. I'm gonna give you a portion of it or I have a pie in here. Here's a portion of the pie. Yeah, but all of it does go to the son. That's really the reference. So when christ says in matthew 28 18 All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

That's him saying i've received a portion, right? Yes that all that the father would give to the son has been given to him. Jesus receives all of the rights of the firstborn. That's the uh, the reference that's made in colossians chapter one, right?

He is the the firstborn of all creation doesn't mean he's the first creation, right? It means that the father has given All of creation to the firstborn the son so so just like the firstborn son receives all that the father has right?

That's the reference there to christ. So this is that same language here just as a king conquers and then gives a portion of the spoil. So it has been given to christ and where it says he shall divide the spoil with the strong.

We who are in christ are fellow heirs with him of his kingdom. So we receive what the king gets. Yes, we who were formerly rebellious against the kingdom of god. Now we are inheritors of the kingdom of god praise the lord through faith in christ.

Amen. Good question cat. Thank you for emailing that one in this next one comes from mark. He says hello pastor gabe and becky. I hope you are both doing well, and I thank you for your wonderful ministry.

I am a young man who suffers from severe ocd. Or obsessive compulsive disorder. I have this fear of selling my soul to satan. In a moment of weakness and I am very afraid to mentally assent to some kind of pact.

It feels as if there is another mind inside of me. That pressures me to blurt out blasphemies obscenities and declarations of allegiance to satan in return. For success in life. I hate it. I know that a christian cannot be demon possessed.

But some days it certainly feels like it. I just want christ more than anything and I want nothing and no help from satan to accomplish anything in this world. Only god's help and blessings, but it seems as if when I put effort into doing accomplishing tasks.

There are thoughts in my head saying that I am selling my soul to satan. If this task succeeds and then when I am successful at something I wonder if it was true that my soul has been sold to satan and that this is irreversible.

Even though within me. I know I don't want any help from satan or demons. If I tell other christians all of this i'm afraid they will tell me to seek out psychiatric help. Even though i've done much of that been on many drugs and it's all useless.

I want spiritual help not secular psychology. I don't know how to get rid of all this constant superstitious thinking. Thank you for any help that you can give. Well, first of all mark, let me share this with you.

I I had a friend Several years back in the church that I was pastoring in kansas at first southern baptist church, which by the way Congratulations to ryan sickinger and his family on their move to junction city.

Yes I've already seen a picture of him in my pulpit. Uh-huh the pulpit that I built it's hard. I rejoice to see him there. Yes. It's awesome that he is he has taken that up and he is continuing faithful biblical teaching there in that church.

That's great to see but it's still tough. It's like oh man. Yeah, I built that pulpit, you know. God bless you guys enjoy that a lot. But anyway, so going back to first southern baptist church there in junction city.

I had a friend there and he and I were both reading martin luther at the same time. And so we had a lot of conversations about luther. Luther was a tortured soul. And it's not like he would necessarily say some of the same things that you're saying here mark.

But he certainly felt that way right like he hated any tendency in his flesh. To go after the desires of his flesh rather than be passionate about the things of christ. So paul's saying at the end of romans 7 wretched man that I am who will deliver me from this body of death that that was like Uh martin luther's slogan for his life.

Yeah, who will deliver me from this body of death? And so there were constantly Ascetic things sometimes that martin luther would do to himself asceticism is that idea that you know. Maybe I can punish myself.

And that will get all the bad out. Okay, but that doesn't work either because that just becomes legalism. That becomes I can purify myself, right?

That's you doing something right to make it right or I must.

Purify myself before I can come to god because i'm not worthy to come to god. Well, there's nothing that you can do to purify yourself. Right when you when you use dirty hands to wash dirty hands, you're still going to end up with dirty hands.

So the cleansing that we need only comes from christ. And really I would tell you to just continue to focus on the lord. Jesus christ. And this is the instruction that we have from james chapter 4. Where we are told submit yourselves therefore to god.

Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to god and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands you sinners and purify your hearts you double-minded which again that that purifying and that cleansing Comes from when we draw near to god and we cling to christ right be wretched and mourn and weep.

Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the lord and he will exalt you. So there is a certain sense here mark where your Humility is very very good. It is good for us to be humble before the lord because that's exactly what it says in james 4 6.

God opposes the proud but he gives grace to the humble. At the same time you must be careful not to fall into despair. Right, and if you're not truly focused on christ that will happen, right? You will despair in yourself and you will think satan has conquered me.

Rather than Understanding that I am more than a conqueror. Because i'm in christ jesus, right? That's romans chapter 8. So you do have an ability. By the power of the spirit that has been poured into your heart.

To seize these things and surrender them unto christ and hold on to christ and he's your assurance. You know, you're saved, you know, the devil has no grip on you at all. Because you are in god's hand and as jesus has said in john chapter 10.

The father who has given them to me is greater than all and no one can snatch them out of my father's hand. Right, no one can snatch them from christ. No one can snatch them from the father. It's like you have the father and the son with two hands right there on you and nobody.

Who can who can overcome god right to snatch you out of the father's hand and the son's hand so true. So here would be an exercise or a little bit of encouragement that I might give you. So you can have a little more assurance than you have presently.

This is advice i've given before nate pickowitz. I believe writes about this in his book. How to eat your bible his new book. He instills some disciplines on how to read your bible in this particular book.

So here's my advice. I would tell you to read through all of first. John all five chapters. In one sitting. And do that every day for 30 days. Read all of first. John. Every day for 30 days when you get done.

Do it again. Yeah, do it a second time. Reading all of first. John every day for 30 days after you do that two sets of 30 days in a row. Do it again read all of first. John again. All five chapters every day for 30 days when you've done that.

Go read the gospel of john. So you have had now for three sets of 30 days. You've had first. John. Instilled in your brain it is filled up your heart and there are things where after every reading. You see stuff that you did not see in the reading that you saw before.

I'm, not i'm not giving you something legalistic to do i'm not telling you do all of this and you will be saved. That's not what i'm saying, right? I'm saying that you are Disciplining yourself to read god's word and conform your thinking to what is there in the bible.

It's filling up your heart desiring and possessing the mind of christ. And then you go from first. John to reading the gospel of john and the gospel of john now makes that much more sense. Because you've had john's.

Uh teaching in first. John. Guiding what he teaches in the gospel of john. And then these things it's just going to light up for you and you're going to see christ in the scriptures. In such an amazing powerful way that maybe you've never felt like you've seen before.

Yeah, and all of these things I truly believe by the power of the holy spirit mark. I believe will give you assurance I believe will help you to understand what that means to cling to christ because of course, of course we're talking about something.

We're talking about something spiritual not something you physically do right. So just like you're asking here. I don't want secular psychology. I need spiritual help. Right. You do we all do yes. It just may be that this is a blessing that god has given you that Brings you to this realization more so than a lot of us have this realization.

A lot of us tend to think hey, i'm just fine. Yeah, i'm doing good. That's right. Yeah, but maybe the lord is using this to draw your attention to him all the more. And so see this as a blessing thank god for it rejoice in the lord always.

Seek after christ and I would truly encourage you to do that, especially as somebody who is ocd. Yeah, it's going to become Obsessive every day that I have to get in my word. Yeah, praise god for that.

Amen.

That's awesome. And when you work work for the lord and then you know that you have done well because You weren't doing it for yourself. You weren't doing it for others. You were doing it for god. That's right.

So that will give you assurance and in your work as you're going through this process.

That's right. You you are doing this not For your benefit. You are doing it because you want to see christ. Yeah, but you will benefit. Yes. It's not for you. It's for god, right, but he will bless you in this.

How to Flee from Satan and Cling to Christ

Uh, I got one more question. I want to get to here, but why don't we take a moment and pray for mark, okay. Heavenly father. I thank you for this. This man's heart a real desire that he has to want to see god and as is said in The beatitudes blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see god.

And so I pray that you would give that to mark and give him some assurance and some understanding of what it means to Have the righteousness of christ to be purified and cleansed by the washing of water through the word.

Fill up his heart with the holy spirit and help him to come to your word with humility. Desiring to see god and give him assurance that has promised us whenever we cling to christ. We will know that in christ jesus.

Nothing can separate us from the love of god that is in christ Jesus our lord. I pray you would give this assurance to mark and may he never tire Of seeking god and wanting to know you with all of his heart soul mind and strength.

Give him some good men around him who are able to encourage him and build him up. And we pray and ask these things in jesus name. Amen. Amen. May we all be as diligent as that? Yes to want to see god and grow in the lord and grow each other in the lord.

Yes in that as well. All right. One last question. This one's from john as we've been talking about john. We have a question from john. Greetings again pastor gabe and becky. It's been a while since you have discussed plurality eldership and exactly what that means.

In fact, it was while you were still pastor of first southern baptist church in junction city, kansas that you last discussed it. I think so. Yeah, and its benefits. Well, yeah. There's a lot of things I haven't discussed since then because we've only been here for about three months.

That's very true. I have spoken to a couple of pastors at church. Uh as I have visited and they have great trepidation on the concept of plurality eldership. And they explained that they did not want a body telling them what they could and could not preach.

I told them it was nothing like that and I would like to get some information from you. As to the proper context of what plurality eldership offers. I know this is a big weekend for you guys. I pray that all goes well with the move.

I also want to reiterate how much I love listening to podcasts like yours. While i'm driving to and fro between georgia and maryland every week. Oh, wow, god bless you and your family and the ministry that you are doing.

Well, I sure appreciate that john. And thanks for following us. Yes. Thanks, even though we've gone from kansas to texas you followed right along with us. That's right. Well, this is a tall order and and we're actually at the end of our time that we wanted to invest in a friday podcast.

So it's difficult for me to want to do like a whole.

I don't know. You kind of have to. You want to do a big thing about. I do. Yeah. Yeah. Like a 15 minute talk. Let's do a a whole spill on plurality eldership. Let's do a 90 second.

I know I have to live up to my reputation here. Can you think of a way to to pull this into just a short couple of minutes here?

Okay, so the benefits of having plurality of elders. Is that you keep each other accountable? It's not that you tell each other what to do, but you can encourage one another. You can um. Bring everybody through what they're going through because there's things that pastors can't share with.

The congregation. Yeah of what weighs on their heart, but they can share that with the elders. That's right, and there's protection in that and there is um. There's there's so many benefits you can you can probably give more information about that than I can but I just know you were.

You were so much more comfortable. Having that plurality of elders around you. And you just your mood just lightened up so much when you were able to have those weekly meetings. Yeah with the elders and and talk and pray and study together, right?

And it was it was just a different it's on a different level because you guys are Shepherding you're teaching and and you come at the bible study at a different angle and you come at Learning from the bible and gleaning from the bible from a different angle because you guys have a different position.