Follow Jesus, Not Rules

Hey, this is Tim Pratt Jr. and I want to welcome you to the Student of Life podcast. Listen, we're going to get into so many transferable truths throughout the content of these episodes that I believe God is going to use to help you apply, because he's going to reveal what's already been there the entire time. Enjoy.

Yo, what up, what up, what up? So this is your boy Tim Pratt and, um, This is episode 3, I believe, uh, of season 8. And so we're gonna get into this one, and we're gonna call it Follow Jesus, Not Rules. Um, now this one right here, I'm just gonna be straight up with you. Let's start at the top. Um, just go read the Gospels. I don't even want to get into a specific verse here, uh, per se. And I can— I mean, we can get into the parable of the soul and all that type of thing, you know. But we can go to the book of James. But I'ma just encourage you, listen to and just read through the gospels and go zone in on the teachings of Jesus. And if you, if you already kind of know your Bible and you study it, great, and just go back and revisit those. I encourage you to go back and revisit those things. But this one, I'm really, really going to talk from the heart, per se. And I do this from all my episodes, but with this one I want to talk about, like I say, following Jesus, not rules, because it goes beyond rules. Jesus called us to a heart transformation, and that's why we're going to dive into this topic. And it's going to be very challenging— that I believe is going to be challenging. It might not be to you, and it could just be me, but I believe this is going to be challenging and it's going to be essential for real transformation because we're going to see that it's not about trying harder. Like, it's not even about that. Yes, we are all called to maturity and maturity in the things of Christ, uh, but a lot of us try to try our way. I know I just kind of talked about that in the previous episode, uh, but trying harder is not enough, and it leads us to take more of a legalistic approach, and it's not a heart transformation approach. And that's why we keep getting our butt kicks, because we haven't really surrendered our heart. Because this is the thing, a little bit of us, if not a lot, wants to be responsible for our transformation, and we can never share that. We can never share that. It is through Christ and Christ alone, and empowered by his Spirit, which is the Holy Spirit. And so we need Jesus to change our hearts. It is about moving beyond these rules and all this type of stuff and understanding that true change begins from the inside out. So again, I'm not going to get zoned in the passage of scripture. I just say pick up a book, the book, go start in the Gospels, you know, pick up Matthew and go in there, probably maybe start at chapter 4 or 5 or something like that, or go into Mark, you know, uh, Luke or John, and just zone in. If you have an online Bible or something, go just read the— go start with the Beatitudes, uh, it's just— and, and just look at how Jesus is teaching and, and talking and just going about things, uh, of that nature. Um, so that's just what I believe, and it's in my heart to tell you that. And, uh, like I said, I would just start there. Uh, but that being said, like, let's, let's move into point number 1 here. Uh, so point number 1 is the root of sin and the heart's condition. The root of sin and the heart's condition. Jesus taught us that sin begins in the heart. Like, back in the Old Testament, we had, you know, the law. Of course, we know Jesus came to fill it. I'm not going to get into, like, the whole like a theological and systematic theological, uh, theological approach. But we know, just to give some context, like some people say living under grace is easier, but we got to understand that Jesus raised the standard. Just think about, oh, the law, you know, do not commit adultery. Okay, check, don't commit adultery. Um, but Jesus took it as far as to say don't commit it in your heart. Uh, because if you commit it in your heart, it's just as if you've done it. But again, now let me clarify something. If you commit it in your heart, that does not mean, well, I did it in my heart, let me go do it, I might as well sleep with him because Jesus said I slept with him. No, that's not what he was saying. Would you— not in that context. Um, because you don't have to carry out the physical act just because you, you had something in your heart. What Jesus was saying is that it begins in the heart. And so in that context, what he is basically essentially causing us to address— if I'm looking upon a woman and I'm married, because this can apply for a lot of things, anger or whatever, like murder— did I— should not commit murder. But what if you're carrying so much anger and hate in your heart, uh, towards your brother that you want to marry them? Well, Jesus is saying when these things take root and they take precedence in your heart and you don't deal with them, eventually it's going to lead to the manifestation of that. Because you have already committed the act in your heart. And so therefore it has to be dealt with. Uh, it just— it doesn't just show up out of nowhere like, oh, I did this or I did that. I just— no, it doesn't. It, it started in the heart, it resonated in the heart, and we nourish it. And James tell us that we learn this in the book of James, man, like we are driven away by our own desires. And so when we give those— when we nourish and we spend time with those things, eventually we're going to carry it out because it's going to turn into full-blown sin, which is death. And so Jesus is saying, no, no, no, we are the ones allowing it to grow over time if we don't confront it, bring it to him, and like say, hey, no, no, no, I want to deal with this thing at the root because I know that it's going to eventually lead to some actions that I should not be having, and that's going to bring harm to myself as well as others. Because again, nothing truly just happens. Like, those moments of failure, whether it's anger, lying, lust, or any other struggle, are a result of unresolved issues within us. Like, that is the truth, and we avoid dealing with them. Like, if we avoid dealing with them, these deeper issues become as painful, and they become very uncomfortable because we are afraid to confront the reality that it is sin still lurking in our hearts. Like, that is— that, that is it. Like, the root of sin and the heart condition, most of the time— this is not most time, this is what Jesus is saying— and most of the time is when that is exposed, it's like, oh, I don't really wanna— no, no, deal with it before it deals with you. Because I, I believe in my spirit, like, truthfully, that I believe God gives all of us chance after chance of dealing with things before we just found out. Like, for real, I really do. Like, I really believe. And, and I'm saying, like, even if it's in the heart now, you might say, well, man, I went and created— I committed the act and I got caught the first time, okay? But I believe that before you caught that act, before— I mean, before you got caught in that act and lost everything, I believe Jesus was dealing with you over and over and over in your heart, trying to basically get you to turn that over to him before you carried the act. Because you might be saying, well, Well, man, this person over here, they didn't done something 30 or 40 times and never got caught. I mean, before they got caught, um, and you're saying like, I did it once or twice and then boom, I'm exposed and I lost everything. Well, again, I guarantee you we can trace it back to you committing that act in your heart. And because you didn't obey the scriptures and sit your butt down somewhere and say, Lord, help me purge this out of my heart, get it out of me, you have committed it over your heart over and over and over again. And Jesus was just saying, no, you're going to carry out the act because you won't deal with that. You give that to me and let me purify you. Like, and I can speak from experience, like, and this is why I said in the last episode, I am notorious for— I will pick up the phone and call my pastor and say, I need to sit down. I don't know if God showed him, I don't know if God showed anyone in the church, but hey, like, I have not done anything morally, I have not done anything crazy or anything like that, but I refuse. I know I'm gonna keep saying this, I refuse to turn into a performer and just allowing God to use me in spite of me. No, I gotta deal with some things So therefore, I don't, um, it's not— I'm not standing before God's people in my own strength anyway. But there are some things that just need to be dealt with, and I refuse to turn a blind eye to them without dealing with them. And so, like I said, hey, listen, I'm— this episode is, is different. Like, in a lot of my episodes, I think, are very open and transparent, but I, I just, I just really believe that we need to stop over-spiritualizing things um, in the body of Christ. And I believe that we just need to learn to confront some stuff, confront some stuff, and quit trying to always pray it out. Now again, I'm not going around prayer, but we need to learn how to deal with some stuff and face some painful stuff and just quit saying God is gracing me through it. And yes, I believe in all of them, my graces too, but no, sit down and deal with it. And if I, if I had time, I would take us through the life of Moses and how he— man, I'm just— I, I'm not gonna go there right now, but I would deal with the life of Moses and how truthfully it was the best thing that happened to him when he fled quickly before he— if he didn't, if he didn't flee into the wilderness and man, it just would have went on and like been promoted and went through these things, man, it could have really went south quick. But I thank God that he fled. You know, I know it's, it's a lot of context to that story where God could deal with him, deal with him. And a lot of leaders— that's why I believe it's just so easy to talk about and preach about and teach about sabbaticals and getting away without just really doing it like it is. Because maybe it's the, the accolades and things of that nature and stuff, or maybe it's the anxiety of, if I step away, will they need me? You know, like, it's— it might be insecurity there, it could be a number of things, but Um, nevertheless, like, I think it is a lot more easier to teach and preach about this rather than do it. And maybe one of the biggest reasons, man, because we don't really want to sit at the base of our soul, uh, the tree, the just the tree of our soul, the base, whatever, and just sit there and say, God, I'm opening up to you, like, and, and here I am, Lord, you know everything, and I need to be cleansed. I got— I'm dealing with some things, like, my church is not— it's just the church that you allow me to steward over, I'm going to these conferences and that, but it's a jealousy appetite, uh, up in me. It like, I'm, I'm frustrated because it's not growing at the rate that theirs are, and these people I'm connected to. Or, God, I don't want to do this anymore because it just seemed like the same people that you've called me to shepherd, I'm tired of them. I want to lash out at them. And, and it didn't ask them coming out slowly in an indirect way or a funny way. I try to hijack the Bible to really just hit the sheep. Like, man, like, oh Lord, let me, let me just pull off of that. But, but like, this is true. Like, we have to sit there and, and deal with our soul. And I'm not saying things don't supposed to be addressed, but you can tell a lot of times, man, people can see you bleeding before you see yourself if you're not sitting at the basin of the Lord. So I'm gonna just stay right there, uh, or sitting at the— just really, really in the presence of God, I should say. Um, so, so point number 2, point number 2, um, I'ma just say this one, man, just getting caught up in the essence of trying harder, getting caught up in the essence of trying harder. Um, this is where a lot of us find ourselves like stuck in this demoralizing cycle of just trying and trying and trying and consistently failing. Because again, it's like when I reflect over my own life, or I think about conversations I've had with others, I see it over and over. We think we can overcome by simply trying harder and setting stricter rules for our lives. I'm just being honest, setting stricter rules for ourselves. But again, rules alone can't change us, man. We're just gonna be just like them in the Old Testament. Oh, one day I'm fall— I, I think I said this many times, man. I remember in my younger years— I'm 34, um, and some people say still relatively young, but, uh, maybe my kids say I'm old, uh, but I remember when I was counting around my college years, or maybe, you know, like around the 22, 23, 24 era, and maybe even like a little bit earlier. And I just remember like getting up and saying, feeling so good because I was trying so hard not to use profanity, trying so hard not to have sex and these type of things. And I felt good, and then I felt defeated, and I felt tired, and I gave right back into it. Because I was trying to set stricter rules for myself. I just, you know, and it just— and it was like more so just trying to like, just— I was trying to regenerate my own heart into obedience, like legalistic. I was trying to be legalistic, you know, and just set rules to say, okay, I'mma set these rules cuz this is what's going to help me be obedient. Obedient. I was really trying to deliver myself. And I believe my dad or somebody might have asked me that, like, are you allowing God to deliver you, or you doing it. And so yeah, like, true enough, rules might modify the behavior, but it's only for a little while. Like, it's just only for a little while, because if we don't address it, address the deeper issues and the condition in our heart, it's going to be played out. And this is why it's so important in the essence of this episode: we gotta follow Jesus, not rules. Because if we follow Jesus, man, we'll get the rules right. But if we try to follow the rules before Jesus, we're gonna be so far off left. Like, it's just— it's going to be crazy. And then the last point, that brings me to the last point, because a lot of us, we want a decapitated relationship with Christ. And what I mean by that, we want Christ, the head of Christ, but we don't want anything to do with his body. I'mma say that again: we want a decapitated relationship with Jesus, but we don't want anything to do with his body. And that's where a lot of us are today, uh, and I just don't believe it's right because we need that, uh, horizontal relationship, uh, with the vertical relationship. Because I believe God also works through his people. And so, like I said, a lot of times, you know, we like to just pray, oh Lord, you know, I'm dealing with this, I'm dealing with fornication, I just messed up, I'm dealing with adultery, I'm dealing with pornography, and all these type of things. And, and he does, he forgives us over and over and over. But it's, it's something different when it's a face in front of us, when we have to deal with his body, um, the, the church, the other saints. And it's like, oh yeah, I can lie, but it's a little bit harder because it's a accountability there. And, and we a lot of times don't like that, and that's why we can't— and point number 3, like I say, you know, the need, uh, is supporting heart change through community support. Or maybe I should say supporting heart change through the, uh, through the church. So we really, really need Jesus and his body to help us. Like, yeah, church hurt is real, but the church can also help heal us, heal us in deep places, man, that we have been hurt, and help come alongside us. Like, God, he works through other peoples to help us confront seeing at the root. But this is the thing though, this isn't something we can do alone. And that's why I say like we need each other. We need a community of people around us, people who will hold us accountable, who will, uh, disciple us in the truth and will walk this thing out with us as we grow. Like, this is just— this is the truth. We cannot maintain and just keep this decapitated relationship with Jesus Christ. Like, truth— like, true change happens not when we just follow more rules or just follow, like I say, the law and kind kind of how that was set up. But it's when we follow Jesus and, and connected with his body by letting him lead and being integrated with his body. And this is what I help— believe help us, like, basically to help sustain that heart transformation. It doesn't mean that we're not going to have issues, but it helps, man, because we are stronger and better together. Um, and so I just want to basically, like, just truly in this episode, just a call to action to ensure that that you are following, that we collectively, we are following Jesus and just not being caught up in rules. So here's the challenge, here's the challenge I want to give you in this particular episode: stop relying on your own strength and rules to overcome your struggles. Like, let's just start there. Stop relying on your own strength and rules to overcome your struggles, but bring your heart, bring your heart to Jesus, bring your heart to Jesus, the one that can truly change it, and be sincere. And it's gonna be difficult. Like, it's not, man, when you give your heart to Jesus, you just— it's not a transformation overnight. Now, some people— everybody goes through different things. A lot of people point to Paul, but there was also some transformations that were slow. But the thing is that just bring it to him, bring it to him, and allow him to truly change it. And then seek out a community. Pray, ask God to lead you to a local church, some people that can come alongside you and support you and help keep you accountable. And don't be afraid to confront what's inside. Like, just don't, don't be, don't be afraid, because that's where true transformation begins. Like, that, that's it. So let's move beyond just trying harder and let's allow Jesus to do the deep work in our hearts and allow him to— I mean, let's allow Jesus to do the deep work, deep work in our hearts, and then let's also be connected to his body to help sustain that. Of course he does it, but he's working through his other people. He's working, and that he's working through the church, the church that he purchased with his blood. This was his idea. We need each other. So yes, it's the power of the Holy Spirit sustaining us, to be biblically correct, but he also does this in tandem with other believers because we are better together. We are better together. And I believe that's how we become at our most effective, um, and most effective at living a Christian life. So This wasn't as long as I thought it was going to be. I think right now I'm tracking at almost 18 minutes. I don't know what it's going to be when I do the outro intro thing, uh, but nevertheless, man, just, this was from my heart. I love you all. As always, be blessed, man. I'm praying that God touches your heart, that you truly give it to him. If you are a believer, I'm just asking that God leads you into repentance, uh, 180, you know, changing the mind and allowing him to just just allow him to just take back control of your life, that he be not just your Savior but Lord over your life, and you do the work to get there. So if you need me in any type of way after this one, if you're struggling with discipleship, if you're struggling with really understanding, just reach out to me and connect me, man. I'm, I'm easy to find on social media and all of that stuff. Here is within the podcast link. So be blessed. Again, I love you all, praying for y'all.

Bye. Hey, what's up? I want to thank you for taking the time to listen to the Student Life Podcast today. If this content has impacted you in any kind of way, please take some time to share it on your social media feeds. And also, if you want to connect with me or just learn more about me, go over to www.timothyprattjr.org. Once again, thanks.