 Good afternoon pastor David. Hi John. Welcome everybody to a random moment with pastor David unfiltered Pastor today, I wanted to ask you and it's kind of a two-folded question First I want to ask you. Is there a weakness in the church today with empty-headed Christianity? The reason why I'm asking this is that yesterday you and I had a conversation regarding John Lennon and I had asked you Because you had shared with me that John Lennon was open to potentially here in the gospel before he was assassinated and I was thinking and asking you How would John respond to today's Christian who's maybe based their learning on testimonies? haven't really heard the gospel and So has the church been weakened by empty by becoming empty-headed Well, you know, obviously I In our conversation. I was sharing with you how that I had read That for a short portion of his life just a short portion that John Lennon had Gone around saying things like praise Jesus and all and Whether or not that was an absolute truth. I still really don't know it. I just had heard that I had just read that And so because I had read that it kind of left an impression on me I also had a friend of mine who at one time had shared with me that He had been asked to come and speak to John that John apparently had some questions about Christianity and apparently would have been open to having a conversation with my friend but as as things worked out John was assassinated and My friend never got an opportunity To go and share with him and so we were talking about that yesterday John as you recall and and you would ask me What do I think that John would think about? Christianity as it is presented today and I said that I don't know how could I know but I Would lean in the direction of him more than likely Not finding it to be the way it's being presented today something intellectually satisfying John Lennon Was a was a genius you can't write the kinds of songs and put together the kind of music on such an enormous basis if you don't have some incredible talent to do so and So very often these artists and these poets songwriters have a depth of life experience and Things that relate to those things that are creative and Are not necessarily prone towards simply feeling something but Oftentimes it seems to me though they have deep deep capacity to express feeling through emotions of songs and paintings and all There's a creative edge within them that also looks for a reason behind those things and it's Kind of a genius and so in our conversation. I was speaking to you about that just kind of like Conversing as to whether or not today's kind of Christianity would reach people with that intellectual bent and that creativity and and who knows for sure I I do know this I do know that The way sometimes we see Christianity presented there's really no There's no depth to it. It really seems to be In many cases based on how I feel and this is my testimony of how I feel in the early days of Calvary Chapel back 50 plus years ago now when I first got saved and became involved in in the Christian life We had songs. They were creative the songs were also based on scripture And so we learned what we're called scripture songs and you know Rejoice in the Lord all way and again. I say rejoice, you know things like that. And so we actually Memorized scripture Let us love one another for lovers of God and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God who loves God knows I God for God is love. These are the early songs that I was raised In the Christian faith and and they were not Based towards how I felt about God or what I thought about God They were scripture songs that we memorized and so my first experience in Calvary Chapel ministry and my first experience as Christian was based on the foundation of scripture and Testimonies, you know, we we have them and we thank God for them, but I wasn't saved by somebody's testimony I wasn't saved by some of these emotional stories or or things that pertain to his or her prior life I was saved by the God's promises in scripture And so getting back to to people like John and all and perhaps even to artists of today I believe that what is going to save a person will always be The capacity to present scripture in a way that actually applies to their present condition Not simply identifying with what they feel or how they feel or going so far as to try and say oh, I've been there And I've done that I mean in some ways that is effective when you're when you're sharing with somebody and all of that, you know Presenting to them that you you can understand where they're coming from, but I believe that It's it's deeper than that It's a matter of listening to the Spirit and speaking and then and then sharing something that that perhaps the Lord lays on your heart That is applicable to them like the woman at the well when Jesus is there and He says give me a drink and and she begins to speak to him concerning drink and thirst and you know Jesus said I can give you living water, which is what she needed. There was a dryness in her soul and So he applied the the personal experience of her She's thirsty with the personal need of hers, which would be one of that never stops Flowing in her life, right? And so you can use scripture to help people to see those things so again in our conversation about John and others like him, but yesterday we spoke of John and you had asked me do do I think that that people that John today would would go for what he sees on TV and what Proports to be Christianity and again, I wouldn't know but I would wonder whether or not a man with his intellectual capacity and his is his breath of imagination whether simple stories and testimony and Some of what we see the outlandish behavior of some people on TV today who who play organ music as they yell at the people and No, I don't know that something like that would have appealed to something like him and I and I'm pretty sure that something like that Doesn't really appeal with any substantial transformation power to the unbeliever today. I mean, it's interesting that Like sheep like shepherd like sheep Maybe I did say that right The shepherd the sheep will always be in tune with the shepherd So a lot of it's coming from what's coming from the pulp. It's today Well, the sheep will follow the shepherd's voice, you know, and sometimes the shepherd may lead them in the wrong direction I was sharing with you just a little while ago about how sheep need a shepherd because if there is no shepherd They have a tendency of wandering on their own and how that some sheep 1500 of them by the way We're in a pasture and and the shepherds were busy making themselves their lunch and didn't didn't really pay attention to the sheep as they wandered away and they wandered to the edge of a cliff and Before the shepherds became aware of it over 400 had fallen to their death Then the others had went over I had gone over the cliff also But they survived because they they were landing on the dead bodies of those 400 sheep And and I was sharing with you how that the the sheep will follow the shepherd's voice But the good shepherd is going to lead them into Pastures that are abundant in waters that will Quench their thirst and that's because the good shepherd loves the sheep cares for the sheep and the sheep will follow his voice So a shepherd who's a good shepherd always takes him to the living water always takes him to the place of abundance and and you can only do that through pointing him to the true shepherd Jesus and By laying his life down for the sheep Meaning that he's sacrificial loving and caring for them and all of that and so yeah Sheep have a tendency of wandering and so they need a shepherd and the shepherd had better be a true one Or else those sheep are going to end up injured And so the only way to really feed them is to give them the water of life and and the bread of life Yeah, you're just as you mentioned you're sharing and you showed me something yesterday about a Particular person that was the organ was playing and they're shouting and and I was thinking how does that transform lives? You know, how does that even somebody who just has an average intelligence? Oh, how does that transform lives? It doesn't and then you you know Then you come across the John Lennon's or the any of the stars today How does that transform doesn't transform lives and there are a lot of people who want the Emotionality of it who feel that you're supposed to with all these very jump up and shout and and all of that And and and it's sad John. I thank God that I had a true shepherd I thank God I had Pastor Chuck Smith as my shepherd who always pointed me and everybody else To the word of God and to walk in the in the spirit of God and and and and taunt us not to Exalt the flesh and to exhibit fleshliness As we walked with the spirit in the spirit with the Lord So yeah, I just think that we need to know the word of God and to present the word of God. That's the key Amen pastor, thank you so much for Shedding some light on this and and want to invite you guys to come on out tomorrow evening at 7 p.m Which is our Wednesday evening service and you're taking us through Titus chapter 2 verses 10 following to the conclusion I like the name of it What I call it ministry 101 is that what you that may be I'm thinking that actually no John that that's gonna be Sunday. That's right That means you guys have to come out Sunday as well, and so thank you again pastor David God bless you guys. Thank you for tuning in and we'll see you on Thursday Wednesday Wednesday, and then I've been Thursday and then Sunday God bless you guys. Thank you