JUNE 2
RED GOSPELLED
NEO and the Red Pill.
Today we’re talking about getting ‘red pilled’. Getting red pilled is a reference from the Matrix.
Basically, NEO is unwittingly living in a fake simulation world. He doesn’t know the truth. He is offered two pills. One is blue - the option to be an ignoramus, to ignore the fact that he’s living a lie, and the other option is the red pill. Taking the red pill allows the person to discover the truth by experiencing it. By leaving the simulation and entering the “real world”
This process is very confrontational for people in the story. They even create a rule that once people reach a certain age they can’t be red pilled because sometimes their minds get scrambled by the truth process.
This notion of taking the red pill has extended beyond the movie. It has become a term to describe the moment when a confrontational reality you were once in denial about shifts, and becomes something you hold to as true.
Taking the red pill and accepting the gospel have a LOT in common. The Gospel is THE ultimate red pill.
So let’s dive in!
NO confrontation NO transformation.
JESUS IS CONFRONTATIONAL
I attempted an exercise where I went through all of Jesus' interactions in the Bible. Every single sentence written in red. I knew of many confrontational moments of Christ. “Get behind me Satan”, “I did not come to bring peace, but a sword” and “unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood you have no part in the kingdom”. But I wanted to see just how much of what He said was confrontational.
So I started at Matthew chapter 1. by the time I got to Matthew 11 do you know what I encountered? Almost Every single thing Jesus was saying was seriously confronting!! Almost everything. There’s a couple of moments where He’s healing people and what He says would be more on the “kind & compassionate” side, but the vast majority is confronting.
Hebrews 12:3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. 4 You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin. 5 And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons:
“My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord,
Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
6 For whom the Lord loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives.”
7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? 8 But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. 11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. 12 Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.
TRANSFORMATION KEYS
1.Transformation comes by beholding the glory of Jesus & The glory of Jesus is confrontational!
2 Corinthians 3:18 “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
2. Our minds need to be renewed.
Romans 12:1-2 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
3. Our entire being needs to be transformed
John 3:1-8 “There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
4. The Bible is our go-to for confrontation
Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
5. Hate Sin, Save others. Confront.
Jude 20-22 “20 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. 22 Be merciful to those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.”
Matthew 18:15 "Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.”
BID.
Embrace Confrontation. Engage in Transformation.
NOTES:
Jesus Confrontation Exercise.
Matthew 3:15 - Countering John the Baptist
“Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness”
Matthew 4:4 - Countering Satan
“It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God”
Matthew 4:7 - Countering Satan
“Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’”
Matthew 4:10 - Countering Satan
10 Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”
Matthew 4:17 - Call to repentance
“From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Matthew 4:19 - Quit Your Jobs
“Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.””
Matthew 5:3-12 - The Beatitudes
-A bunch of statements that countered//confronted common understanding.
Matthew 5:13-16 - Be Salt And Light!
Matthew 5:17-20 - “I did not come to destroy the Law and Prophets, but to Fulfill, whoever breaks one of the least of these shall be called the least in the Kingdom” & “Unless your righteousness exceeds the Pharisees, you will not enter”
Matthew 5:21-30 - Not come to abolish, but to fulfil
Matthew 5:21-30 - Thinking it is the same sin as doing the deed (Murder and adultery) & Don’t give at the altar until you’ve attempted reconciliation when you’ve wronged someone.
Matthew 5:31-32 - Marriage is between ONE man and ONE woman.
Matthew 5:33-37 - Do not swear by something. Let your yes be yes and your no be no.
Matthew 5:38-42 - Turn The Other Cheek
Matthew 5:43-48 - Love Your Enemies
Matthew 6:1-4 - Do you giving to the poor in secret, not for the praise of Men.
Matthew 6:5-14 How to Pray. Forgiveness being given was extremely confrontational.
Matthew 6:16-18 - Fast In Secret
Matthew 6:19-21 - Store up treasure in Heaven
Matthew 6:24 - You can’t serve God and Money!
Matthew 6:25-34 - Seek first the Kingdom, not your own needs.
Matthew 7:1-6 - Judge Not, Lest You be Judged & Remove Plank In your own eye before removing speck from brother’s eye.
Matthew 7:7-12 - Treating others as you would have them treat you is “The Law and the Prophets”
Matthew 7:13-14 - The road to life is difficult and there are few who find it.
Matthew 7:15-20 - If someone says they are good, it does not make them good. Look at their fruits/actions
Matthew 7:21-23 - Not all who say “Lord, Lord” will enter the kingdom, but only those who do the will of the father. Even casting our demons in Jesus name doesn’t guarantee you.
Matthew 8:10-13 - A GENTILE had greater faith than any Israelite
Matthew 8:20-22 - The cost of following Jesus and “Let the dead bury the dead”
Matthew 8:26 - In the big storm - Why are you fearful, you of little faith?
Matthew 9:2 - Forgiving sins, Taken as blasphemy (verse 3)
Matthew 9:12 - Jesus hangs out with the “Deplorables”
Matthew 9:17 - The wineskins. I.E. You must be reborn to receive the NEW WINE.
Matthew 9:23 -26 “She is not dead, but sleeping”
Matthew 10:15 - It will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorroah than for those who reject the gospel.
Matthew 10:34 - Do not think I came to bring peace on earth! I came to bring a sword!
Matthew 11: