1 00:00:09,440 --> 00:00:12,480 Praise God, thank you faith and Candace John and praise team. 2 00:00:12,480 --> 00:00:15,200 What a blessing. Just reminding us of our 3 00:00:15,200 --> 00:00:19,320 desperation for the truth for God that only he can provide. 4 00:00:19,320 --> 00:00:22,320 I mean, that's I don't know if you feel desperate every time 5 00:00:22,320 --> 00:00:26,800 you come on Sunday, but the reality is we are, whether we 6 00:00:26,800 --> 00:00:29,720 feel it or not without without him. 7 00:00:29,720 --> 00:00:32,840 You know what he provides. We got we got nothing. 8 00:00:33,560 --> 00:00:37,200 We got nothing without Jesus. And so truly we are totally 9 00:00:37,280 --> 00:00:40,680 dependent and desperate whether we realize whether our eyes are 10 00:00:40,680 --> 00:00:44,760 open to that or not. So y'all for the month of 11 00:00:44,760 --> 00:00:49,400 January, we've been taking one word at a time, really taking as 12 00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:52,920 our our springboard Isaiah 45 eight and this just this cry 13 00:00:52,920 --> 00:00:57,160 that Isaiah writes, the prophet writes that resonated with my 14 00:00:57,160 --> 00:00:59,200 heart. I hope it does yours shower, O 15 00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:02,040 heavens from above, let it rain down righteousness or that 16 00:01:02,040 --> 00:01:06,520 righteousness and salvation may bear fruit, may spring up. 17 00:01:06,520 --> 00:01:09,520 I the Lord have created. We're wanting righteousness to 18 00:01:09,520 --> 00:01:13,800 reign and grow and sprout up salvation and the righteousness 19 00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:15,840 of God in our city and church and community. 20 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:19,000 So many things, practical things out of that righteousness. 21 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:21,440 What that would look like. But we could name at least four, 22 00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:23,280 and we are. And walking through them one at 23 00:01:23,280 --> 00:01:25,440 a time each Sunday. And today we've landed on one 24 00:01:25,440 --> 00:01:28,000 that we're going to process. But we've been walking through 25 00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:32,320 kindness, gratitude, forgiveness, and hope. 26 00:01:32,320 --> 00:01:37,040 I don't know if y'all have noticed, but being offended, 27 00:01:37,040 --> 00:01:40,200 becoming offended has almost become like this national sport 28 00:01:41,520 --> 00:01:43,840 that everybody's chosen to play. You know what I'm talking about. 29 00:01:45,520 --> 00:01:49,640 I mean, human beings are trying to thrive more on the experience 30 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:52,360 of being offended, I think than we ever have before. 31 00:01:53,480 --> 00:01:56,000 It's honestly actually a coping mechanism. 32 00:01:56,440 --> 00:01:57,680 It was what it really, really is. 33 00:01:57,680 --> 00:02:02,360 Because when we are offended, it it makes us feel good, at least 34 00:02:02,360 --> 00:02:04,640 temporarily. You know why? 35 00:02:04,640 --> 00:02:06,840 Because it makes us think we're we're better. 36 00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:11,320 We we elevate ourselves as as morally superior if we're the 37 00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:12,520 offended. And guess what? 38 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:16,120 Who we lower, the one who's offended US. 39 00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:18,280 It's really just a coping mechanism to try to make 40 00:02:18,280 --> 00:02:21,400 ourselves feel better. One of the ways that human 41 00:02:21,400 --> 00:02:25,440 beings typically show offense is through the expression of anger. 42 00:02:25,640 --> 00:02:27,400 And my goodness, is our world not angry? 43 00:02:28,640 --> 00:02:30,600 I mean, just look around. I look at the news. 44 00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:34,760 My goodness, anger is everywhere. 45 00:02:35,680 --> 00:02:38,560 Anger's such an issue that it's become both a business and a 46 00:02:38,560 --> 00:02:41,400 recreation. Have y'all heard of rage rooms? 47 00:02:41,840 --> 00:02:44,520 Anybody. All right, so I guess I was in 48 00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:46,520 the dark. I had heard of escape rooms. 49 00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:51,960 I'd never heard of rage rooms. But if you just googled rage 50 00:02:51,960 --> 00:02:55,720 rooms Atlanta, you can find a rage room that'll fit your rage 51 00:02:55,720 --> 00:02:59,480 and your budget. In fact, you might choose the 52 00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:04,680 Anarchy package. 30 glass items, 5 pieces of electronic 53 00:03:04,680 --> 00:03:06,120 equipment. The baseball bat is 54 00:03:06,120 --> 00:03:09,040 complimentary. Maybe you got a tight budget. 55 00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:12,960 You can go for the fury package. That's 18 glass items and only 56 00:03:12,960 --> 00:03:15,640 two electronic devices. You can schedule your birthday 57 00:03:15,640 --> 00:03:19,320 party, your business retreat with your office workers, or 58 00:03:19,320 --> 00:03:20,920 your date night or whatever you want to do. 59 00:03:20,920 --> 00:03:24,120 You can go have a rage party and get your anger out for a price. 60 00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:29,200 My goodness, I mean, anger has become business and recreation. 61 00:03:29,200 --> 00:03:31,800 We live in an angry world. We live in a world that more 62 00:03:31,800 --> 00:03:35,640 easily offended than ever. But the deal is as natural and 63 00:03:35,640 --> 00:03:38,560 as easy as offense and anger come to us. 64 00:03:38,560 --> 00:03:43,280 The deal is, is that Jesus offers a distinctly different, 65 00:03:43,600 --> 00:03:47,120 supernatural, radically different way to live, a 66 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:51,000 radically better way to live. In fact, let me put it in these 67 00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:54,320 words. If there was one thing you could 68 00:03:54,320 --> 00:03:58,040 do that would make you more like your Heavenly Father than 69 00:03:58,040 --> 00:04:03,520 anything else, what would it be? If there was one thing you 70 00:04:03,520 --> 00:04:11,920 failed to do that would cause you to be doomed, honestly, more 71 00:04:11,920 --> 00:04:14,440 than anything else you could fail to do that would lead to 72 00:04:14,440 --> 00:04:17,079 your doom, what would it? What would it be? 73 00:04:18,360 --> 00:04:21,640 It's this thing called forgiveness. 74 00:04:22,600 --> 00:04:24,680 If you have your notes, you want to follow along in your worship 75 00:04:24,680 --> 00:04:26,440 guide or you can see on the screen there. 76 00:04:26,720 --> 00:04:28,960 The first thing that I want to tell you about forgiveness is 77 00:04:28,960 --> 00:04:32,880 simply this. Forgiveness is what we all need 78 00:04:33,080 --> 00:04:35,680 most. Forgiveness is what we all need 79 00:04:36,080 --> 00:04:37,800 most. You and I. 80 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:43,960 You and I and every single human being have sinned and offended 81 00:04:44,200 --> 00:04:46,760 God. This is what we see Adam and Eve 82 00:04:46,760 --> 00:04:49,480 doing in the very beginning. This is what you've done also. 83 00:04:49,640 --> 00:04:52,320 This is what I've done. This is what every human being 84 00:04:52,480 --> 00:04:55,320 that's ever lived on the planet has done. 85 00:04:55,320 --> 00:04:59,400 We've sinned against and offended a holy God, which means 86 00:04:59,400 --> 00:05:02,600 we've not just offended God. It means our sin has caused us, 87 00:05:02,600 --> 00:05:05,160 the Bible says, to fall short of the glory of God. 88 00:05:05,440 --> 00:05:07,080 That itself separates us from God. 89 00:05:07,080 --> 00:05:10,240 It causes us to deserve the righteous judgement of God and 90 00:05:10,240 --> 00:05:13,720 that our sin actually will lead to our physical and spiritual 91 00:05:13,720 --> 00:05:16,360 death if nothing is done about it. 92 00:05:16,360 --> 00:05:18,600 It is bad. It is worse than you could 93 00:05:18,600 --> 00:05:20,040 imagine. It is not just bad. 94 00:05:20,160 --> 00:05:23,600 There's no words to really tell, to really communicate how bad 95 00:05:23,600 --> 00:05:27,680 our sin and the number one problem it is in our lives. 96 00:05:28,440 --> 00:05:29,920 It's that bad. But here's the deal. 97 00:05:29,920 --> 00:05:30,920 You're probably here this morning. 98 00:05:30,920 --> 00:05:33,320 You may be watching online. And if you're being honest, you 99 00:05:33,320 --> 00:05:36,000 might just say, Kyle, I'm just not convinced my sin is that 100 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:39,680 bad. Like, I really, I'm really not. 101 00:05:40,480 --> 00:05:42,400 In fact, Kyle, I'm a pretty good person. 102 00:05:43,560 --> 00:05:46,000 I've not done a lot of things a lot of people have done. 103 00:05:46,920 --> 00:05:50,440 In fact, maybe maybe you're convinced it's going to roll 104 00:05:50,440 --> 00:05:52,480 something like this. Maybe you think when you breathe 105 00:05:52,480 --> 00:05:56,200 your last and you get to heaven or at the gates of heaven, or 106 00:05:56,200 --> 00:05:58,360 you're going to encounter God because you believe in God. 107 00:05:58,560 --> 00:06:00,720 You believe it's going to roll something like this. 108 00:06:00,720 --> 00:06:05,360 You believe God's going to wheel out this giant set of scales and 109 00:06:05,360 --> 00:06:08,440 on one side he's going to weigh your righteousness, all the good 110 00:06:08,440 --> 00:06:10,440 that you've done. And on the other side he's going 111 00:06:10,440 --> 00:06:14,880 to weigh your your sin. And you're pretty convinced, 112 00:06:14,880 --> 00:06:18,000 like you've evaluated your life and you're you're pretty 113 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:21,520 confident you've got a whole lot more good on the righteous side 114 00:06:21,520 --> 00:06:23,920 of the scale than you have bad on the unrighteous side of the 115 00:06:23,920 --> 00:06:25,520 scale. And so if you're being really 116 00:06:25,520 --> 00:06:28,200 honest, you just really don't believe forgiveness is your 117 00:06:28,200 --> 00:06:31,360 number one need. You really don't. 118 00:06:31,360 --> 00:06:33,680 You don't really believe it's that bad. 119 00:06:33,680 --> 00:06:38,840 Let me let me prove you wrong. Listen to the word of God, James 120 00:06:38,840 --> 00:06:43,440 210 for whoever keeps the whole law, that's the whole law of 121 00:06:43,440 --> 00:06:45,080 God. That's that's all the commands 122 00:06:45,080 --> 00:06:50,600 of God, but fails in one point has become accountable for how 123 00:06:50,600 --> 00:06:56,120 much of it break one part of it, the Bible says, and it's as if 124 00:06:56,120 --> 00:06:58,960 you're guilty of it. This is not Kyle. 125 00:06:58,960 --> 00:07:03,600 This is Bible Romans 323 For how many have sinned and broken at 126 00:07:03,600 --> 00:07:06,040 least one part of the law and are guilty of all of it, whether 127 00:07:06,040 --> 00:07:08,040 they've actually broken all of it or just one part of it. 128 00:07:08,040 --> 00:07:09,920 How many have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God? 129 00:07:10,560 --> 00:07:14,120 All have. And then Romans 623 for the 130 00:07:14,120 --> 00:07:18,080 wages of sin is for how many? Because how many have sinned? 131 00:07:18,960 --> 00:07:24,360 All Isaiah 64, Six. Our righteousness is as filthy 132 00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:25,960 rags. Here's what the Bible says. 133 00:07:26,080 --> 00:07:29,000 You may think you got a lot of righteousness waiting for heaven 134 00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:32,000 to be weighed on the scales of God when the Bible will tell you 135 00:07:32,000 --> 00:07:35,680 long before you see Jesus. Then listen, your best deed on 136 00:07:35,680 --> 00:07:39,120 your best day without Jesus and without the Holy Spirit is 137 00:07:39,120 --> 00:07:45,200 filthy rags in the eyes of God. You and I actually have no 138 00:07:45,320 --> 00:07:49,280 righteousness to even weigh on the scales of heaven. 139 00:07:51,640 --> 00:07:57,480 Consider that Hebrews 922. Then consider this, Without the 140 00:07:57,480 --> 00:08:03,840 shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins when it 141 00:08:03,840 --> 00:08:07,400 comes to your eternal destiny. The Bible never ever, ever 142 00:08:07,400 --> 00:08:10,840 speaks of scales of any type. Do you know what the Bible 143 00:08:10,840 --> 00:08:16,280 speaks of? Blood without the shedding of 144 00:08:16,280 --> 00:08:21,000 blood, there is no forgiveness of sin. 145 00:08:21,720 --> 00:08:23,800 The Bible speaks of blood this way. 146 00:08:24,040 --> 00:08:27,680 The blood of the one and only son of the living God could do 147 00:08:27,680 --> 00:08:29,760 anything about your sin and mine. 148 00:08:30,080 --> 00:08:32,960 And the only way when we get to heaven, because when we get to 149 00:08:32,960 --> 00:08:37,520 heaven, even if, even if you only have one teeny tiny itsy 150 00:08:37,520 --> 00:08:41,240 bitsy sin, it's enough to break the whole law of God and stand 151 00:08:41,240 --> 00:08:42,919 accountable and guilty for it all. 152 00:08:43,120 --> 00:08:45,840 And if you can actually never put even a teeny tiny ounce of 153 00:08:45,840 --> 00:08:48,720 righteousness on the good side, the only hope you have is that 154 00:08:48,720 --> 00:08:52,840 your sin has been cleansed by the blood of Jesus who took on 155 00:08:52,840 --> 00:08:57,520 human flesh, lived a sinless life for you in your place, died 156 00:08:57,640 --> 00:09:02,000 on the cross for your sin, shed his blood so you can be forgiven 157 00:09:02,000 --> 00:09:04,840 of your sin. When the Bible speaks of your 158 00:09:04,840 --> 00:09:07,920 eternal destiny, it asks the question whether or not you've 159 00:09:07,920 --> 00:09:11,120 been covered by the blood of Jesus. 160 00:09:11,280 --> 00:09:15,480 Period. And the only way you've been 161 00:09:15,480 --> 00:09:19,400 covered by the blood of Jesus is if you've called out and asked 162 00:09:19,520 --> 00:09:21,600 to be covered. It's not because your parents 163 00:09:21,600 --> 00:09:23,280 were covered. It's not because your uncle was 164 00:09:23,280 --> 00:09:25,840 covered. It's because you've asked to be 165 00:09:25,840 --> 00:09:29,680 covered and forgiven, and you've surrendered to Jesus as the one 166 00:09:29,680 --> 00:09:34,360 and only way of salvation, and you stand forgiven because of 167 00:09:34,360 --> 00:09:37,040 his blood. Is that you? 168 00:09:38,840 --> 00:09:40,200 Is that you? There's no scales. 169 00:09:41,560 --> 00:09:46,560 We've all broken God's law. Is there the application of the 170 00:09:46,560 --> 00:09:49,280 blood of Jesus in your life because you've called and asked 171 00:09:49,280 --> 00:09:53,280 for it? If you've not, it's time to ask. 172 00:09:54,000 --> 00:09:57,720 The Bible says if you call on the name of the Lord, you'll be 173 00:09:57,720 --> 00:10:00,040 saved. Saved means forgiven. 174 00:10:00,040 --> 00:10:02,200 Saved means rescued from what you deserve. 175 00:10:02,680 --> 00:10:07,040 Saved means made alive and given the hope and confidence of being 176 00:10:07,040 --> 00:10:09,240 with the one who made you forever. 177 00:10:09,240 --> 00:10:11,880 Forgiveness, y'all is our number one need. 178 00:10:11,880 --> 00:10:15,840 It's what we need most #2 forgiveness is what God wants to 179 00:10:15,840 --> 00:10:18,080 give us. See, this is another, this is 180 00:10:18,080 --> 00:10:20,080 another thing that you may struggle to believe. 181 00:10:20,080 --> 00:10:22,400 You actually may believe. Well, you may think, well Kyle, 182 00:10:22,400 --> 00:10:24,160 I actually believe I need forgiveness. 183 00:10:24,320 --> 00:10:27,520 I just really don't believe God wants to give it to me, or at 184 00:10:27,520 --> 00:10:31,760 least I don't deserve it. And you're right about that, but 185 00:10:31,840 --> 00:10:34,160 you may be, you're wrong if you don't believe God wants to give 186 00:10:34,160 --> 00:10:35,720 it to you. I want to prove you prove you 187 00:10:35,720 --> 00:10:36,960 wrong. If you think God doesn't want to 188 00:10:36,960 --> 00:10:39,040 give it to you, you're ready. This is if you have a Bible, 189 00:10:39,040 --> 00:10:42,120 Luke 15 is where I am. We're going to do 2 primary 190 00:10:42,120 --> 00:10:44,680 passages. You know this probably if 191 00:10:44,680 --> 00:10:47,680 you've, if you've, if you're familiar with Luke's gospel, you 192 00:10:47,680 --> 00:10:49,000 know this story, you may have heard it. 193 00:10:49,200 --> 00:10:51,120 If, if you're not familiar with it, that's OK. 194 00:10:51,120 --> 00:10:55,160 This is 1 you need to know. All right, so Jesus is catching 195 00:10:55,160 --> 00:10:59,920 flak from the religious elite because he's hanging out with 196 00:10:59,920 --> 00:11:04,000 sinful people that society says should not be hung out with. 197 00:11:04,720 --> 00:11:08,440 Like these are people known for their sinful reputation and 198 00:11:08,440 --> 00:11:11,080 Jesus is befriending these people and spending time with 199 00:11:11,080 --> 00:11:12,720 them. All right, he's catching Flack 200 00:11:12,720 --> 00:11:15,200 for that. And what he knows is the people 201 00:11:15,200 --> 00:11:17,920 that are accusing him of hanging out with sinful people, which he 202 00:11:17,920 --> 00:11:19,520 is doing, but thinking it's wrong. 203 00:11:19,760 --> 00:11:21,960 They think it's wrong because they're fundamentally 204 00:11:21,960 --> 00:11:24,960 misunderstanding God. They don't understand the 205 00:11:24,960 --> 00:11:28,000 character and the nature of God. So Jesus says, hey, y'all, let 206 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:32,360 me tell you 3 stories to tell you the truth about God. 207 00:11:32,440 --> 00:11:34,680 All right, you know these stories and maybe the third one 208 00:11:34,680 --> 00:11:37,640 is the most popular. It, it's been, it's been called 209 00:11:37,640 --> 00:11:42,200 the parable of the prodigal son. It could be more accurately 210 00:11:42,200 --> 00:11:46,520 called the prodigal of the unforgiving older brother, but 211 00:11:46,520 --> 00:11:49,680 we're not actually going to read that part because it also could 212 00:11:49,680 --> 00:11:52,680 be called the parable of the forgiving father. 213 00:11:53,280 --> 00:11:54,400 And that's the part we're going to read. 214 00:11:55,080 --> 00:11:57,080 All right, pick up, let's just pick up in verse 11. 215 00:11:57,520 --> 00:12:02,000 And he said, that's Jesus said there was a man who had two sons 216 00:12:02,600 --> 00:12:05,880 and the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the 217 00:12:05,880 --> 00:12:07,920 share of property that is coming to me. 218 00:12:07,920 --> 00:12:09,880 What you need to know is that's like the son looking at the 219 00:12:09,880 --> 00:12:12,560 father saying, Dad, I wish you were already dead so I can have 220 00:12:12,560 --> 00:12:13,560 your stuff. All right. 221 00:12:13,720 --> 00:12:15,600 So if you're not going to die, then just go and give me the 222 00:12:15,600 --> 00:12:17,720 stuff so I can do with it what I want. 223 00:12:17,960 --> 00:12:21,240 And the father divided his property between them. 224 00:12:21,480 --> 00:12:24,560 Not many days later, the youngest son, younger son 225 00:12:24,680 --> 00:12:27,680 gathered all that he had took a journey into a far country. 226 00:12:27,680 --> 00:12:30,160 And there he squandered his property and reckless US living. 227 00:12:30,480 --> 00:12:32,480 And when he had spent everything, a severe famine 228 00:12:32,480 --> 00:12:35,000 arose in that country, and he began to be in need. 229 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:38,120 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that 230 00:12:38,120 --> 00:12:41,440 country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 231 00:12:42,040 --> 00:12:47,120 And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate. 232 00:12:47,120 --> 00:12:53,240 And no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself, he 233 00:12:53,240 --> 00:12:56,560 said, How many of my father's hired servants have more than 234 00:12:56,560 --> 00:12:59,520 enough to eat? But I perish here with hunger. 235 00:12:59,920 --> 00:13:01,440 I will arise and go to my father. 236 00:13:01,440 --> 00:13:04,600 And I will say to him, Father, I've sinned against heaven and 237 00:13:04,600 --> 00:13:06,280 before you. I'm no longer worthy to be 238 00:13:06,280 --> 00:13:09,040 called your son. Treat me as one of your hired 239 00:13:09,040 --> 00:13:10,720 servants. And he rose and came to his 240 00:13:10,720 --> 00:13:15,520 father. But while he was still a long 241 00:13:15,560 --> 00:13:22,520 way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and 242 00:13:22,520 --> 00:13:26,080 embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, Father, 243 00:13:26,440 --> 00:13:29,560 I've sinned against heaven, and before you I'm no longer worthy 244 00:13:29,560 --> 00:13:32,080 to be called your son. But the father said to his 245 00:13:32,080 --> 00:13:35,280 servants, bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put 246 00:13:35,280 --> 00:13:38,520 a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet, and bring the fatted 247 00:13:38,520 --> 00:13:41,040 calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 248 00:13:41,200 --> 00:13:44,200 For this my son was dead and is alive again. 249 00:13:44,200 --> 00:13:48,520 He was lost and is found. And they began to celebrate. 250 00:13:50,120 --> 00:13:57,320 What is the Father like? Does God want to give sinners 251 00:13:57,560 --> 00:13:59,040 forgiveness? Here's the deal. 252 00:13:59,240 --> 00:14:03,040 You and I have all been just like in some ways, to some 253 00:14:03,040 --> 00:14:05,520 degree, this younger, rebellious son. 254 00:14:05,520 --> 00:14:08,360 You know why? Because we've all received from 255 00:14:08,360 --> 00:14:15,800 God incredible things, life, breath in our lungs, the clothes 256 00:14:15,800 --> 00:14:19,240 on our back, the roofs over our head, the ability to be here 257 00:14:19,240 --> 00:14:20,720 this morning and worship freedom. 258 00:14:20,720 --> 00:14:22,720 We, I mean, we could just keep working the list. 259 00:14:23,000 --> 00:14:25,720 Every single one of us have received incredible gifts and 260 00:14:25,720 --> 00:14:28,520 blessings and good things that we could have never earned or 261 00:14:28,520 --> 00:14:30,680 worked for or produced for ourselves unless they were 262 00:14:30,680 --> 00:14:32,680 provided by God. But here's what happened. 263 00:14:32,680 --> 00:14:35,680 Just like this rebel son, we've taken these things from God, 264 00:14:36,040 --> 00:14:40,040 even the simplest things, and run off and done life our way 265 00:14:40,040 --> 00:14:43,760 instead of God's way to 1° or another. 266 00:14:44,800 --> 00:14:47,600 We've taken what God has given us and used it for our wants and 267 00:14:47,600 --> 00:14:50,920 our pleasures and our purposes instead of God's purposes and 268 00:14:50,920 --> 00:14:53,280 his pleasure. And perhaps if we've had this, 269 00:14:54,160 --> 00:14:57,160 you know, Eureka moment where we've come to our senses like he 270 00:14:57,160 --> 00:14:59,440 did while feeding pigs, we've realized, wow, this is a pretty 271 00:14:59,440 --> 00:15:03,200 miserable way to live. Well, all this stuff in the 272 00:15:03,200 --> 00:15:05,880 world can't satisfy me. Guess what? 273 00:15:05,880 --> 00:15:08,480 No matter. Pleasure can actually give me 274 00:15:08,480 --> 00:15:10,360 hope. Nothing can take away this 275 00:15:10,360 --> 00:15:13,400 gnawing emptiness in my soul. There's got to be a better way 276 00:15:13,400 --> 00:15:15,400 to live. There's got to be a home 277 00:15:15,400 --> 00:15:18,600 somewhere providing life that I'm missing. 278 00:15:18,800 --> 00:15:20,840 So we look for it. We maybe don't know the way, or 279 00:15:20,840 --> 00:15:23,360 maybe we know the way and we're too hard hearted to go back. 280 00:15:23,600 --> 00:15:26,360 But this younger son wakes up. He knows he doesn't deserve the 281 00:15:26,360 --> 00:15:28,880 mercy of God. See, if you've realized no 282 00:15:28,880 --> 00:15:30,840 longer that you no longer want to live the way you've been 283 00:15:30,840 --> 00:15:33,560 living away from God, but you may also hopefully have the 284 00:15:33,560 --> 00:15:35,840 realization you don't deserve the mercy of God. 285 00:15:36,800 --> 00:15:38,760 We don't receive. We don't deserve the forgiveness 286 00:15:38,760 --> 00:15:40,560 of God. This son realized I don't 287 00:15:40,560 --> 00:15:45,800 deserve to be received back into the family where I was, but he 288 00:15:45,800 --> 00:15:50,320 knew he'd be better off. And so like this son, the last 289 00:15:50,320 --> 00:15:54,480 thing we know, the last thing we do know is that we don't deserve 290 00:15:54,480 --> 00:15:57,120 to be forgiven and restored. But what is God like? 291 00:15:58,040 --> 00:15:59,720 What is God like? Does God want to forgive? 292 00:16:01,880 --> 00:16:09,120 Jesus says My heavenly Father loves to welcome sinners home. 293 00:16:10,760 --> 00:16:14,280 My the father, spiritually elite, those of you who think 294 00:16:14,280 --> 00:16:15,320 you're better than everybody else. 295 00:16:15,320 --> 00:16:18,440 Jesus says my father is like the man standing on the porch 296 00:16:19,120 --> 00:16:22,880 waiting and looking to show compassion, longing for them to 297 00:16:22,880 --> 00:16:25,320 come home. And he doesn't just wait there, 298 00:16:25,440 --> 00:16:27,160 letting them walk to him in shame. 299 00:16:27,160 --> 00:16:31,400 Guess what he does? Pulls up his robe and sprints 300 00:16:31,400 --> 00:16:33,680 towards lost people. My father. 301 00:16:33,840 --> 00:16:35,760 Jesus says y'all got him all wrong. 302 00:16:35,920 --> 00:16:39,520 He runs after these kind of people because he longs to give 303 00:16:39,520 --> 00:16:41,600 forgiveness to these kind of people who need it. 304 00:16:41,720 --> 00:16:44,320 Y'all have totally misunderstood God. 305 00:16:44,480 --> 00:16:47,560 He wants to be with us and He wants us to be with Him. 306 00:16:47,760 --> 00:16:50,960 He wants to sacrifice the fattened calf for our provision 307 00:16:50,960 --> 00:16:53,680 to give us everything. He wants to satisfy us. 308 00:16:53,800 --> 00:16:56,600 He wants to robe us with the righteousness of Christ. 309 00:16:56,720 --> 00:17:00,120 He wants to identify us with a ring of His signature on our 310 00:17:00,120 --> 00:17:02,560 hand. He wants to celebrate over us 311 00:17:02,560 --> 00:17:05,599 and rejoice in heaven over a lost person that's been saved. 312 00:17:05,599 --> 00:17:07,880 No, you don't deserve the forgiveness of God, but God 313 00:17:07,880 --> 00:17:13,920 wants to give it to you. Have you realized that that 314 00:17:13,920 --> 00:17:15,520 forgiveness is what you need most? 315 00:17:16,599 --> 00:17:18,400 Forgiveness is what God wants to give. 316 00:17:19,200 --> 00:17:27,040 Have you called and asked for it #3 Forgiveness is also what God 317 00:17:27,040 --> 00:17:30,960 asked of us. Forgiveness is what God also 318 00:17:30,960 --> 00:17:33,000 asked of us. Let me, let me read the word of 319 00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:36,160 God to you. Matthew 57 Blessed are the 320 00:17:36,160 --> 00:17:38,000 merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 321 00:17:39,240 --> 00:17:42,560 Matthew 614 gets more specific. For if you forgive others their 322 00:17:42,560 --> 00:17:45,960 trespasses, that's their sin. Your heavenly Father will also 323 00:17:45,960 --> 00:17:48,880 forgive you. But if you do not forgive others 324 00:17:49,160 --> 00:17:53,080 their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your 325 00:17:53,080 --> 00:17:57,280 trespasses. Ephesians 432 And be kind to one 326 00:17:57,280 --> 00:18:03,080 another, tender hearted, forgiving each other, just as 327 00:18:03,080 --> 00:18:08,960 God in Christ has forgiven you. One more Colossians 313 bearing 328 00:18:08,960 --> 00:18:13,360 with one another and forgiving each other, whoever has a 329 00:18:13,360 --> 00:18:16,160 complaint against anyone. Just as the Lord, just as the 330 00:18:16,160 --> 00:18:20,920 Lord, just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. 331 00:18:21,200 --> 00:18:24,560 You see, when God asks us or commands us to forgive, what is 332 00:18:24,560 --> 00:18:26,840 He asking us to do? Let's be very clear. 333 00:18:27,040 --> 00:18:28,960 Let's try to be specific and practical. 334 00:18:28,960 --> 00:18:32,280 When God is asking us to forgive, what is He asking us to 335 00:18:32,280 --> 00:18:34,520 do? All right, well, when we 336 00:18:34,520 --> 00:18:36,040 forgive, here's what we're saying. 337 00:18:36,040 --> 00:18:37,120 Let's just kind of walk this out. 338 00:18:37,360 --> 00:18:43,640 We're saying we're not going to remain angry or desire vengeance 339 00:18:43,640 --> 00:18:46,120 for being wronged. We're no longer going to remain 340 00:18:46,120 --> 00:18:48,640 angry or desire vengeance. What we're saying is we're not 341 00:18:48,640 --> 00:18:52,440 going to blame the other person or wallow in self pity for what 342 00:18:52,440 --> 00:18:55,200 they've done to us. It means we're going to let go 343 00:18:55,520 --> 00:18:58,280 of the offense. We're going to move forward and 344 00:18:58,280 --> 00:19:00,200 past it. We're not going to hang on to 345 00:19:00,200 --> 00:19:02,000 it. Let me give you as a specific 346 00:19:02,000 --> 00:19:04,200 and clear and practical definition of forgiveness, I 347 00:19:04,200 --> 00:19:07,120 think I can. Forgiveness is releasing someone 348 00:19:07,120 --> 00:19:11,480 from your anger and gifting them with the gift of your peace. 349 00:19:12,320 --> 00:19:15,400 It's releasing someone from your anger and all that comes with 350 00:19:15,400 --> 00:19:18,560 that, and it is gifting them with the gift of your peace. 351 00:19:18,560 --> 00:19:20,840 Now listen, I did not say, and the Bible does not say 352 00:19:20,840 --> 00:19:23,840 forgiveness is forgetting because guess what? 353 00:19:23,840 --> 00:19:24,840 You're probably not going to forget. 354 00:19:27,080 --> 00:19:30,960 The Bible also does not say that forgiveness means completely 355 00:19:30,960 --> 00:19:33,160 trusting again, because you may not need to. 356 00:19:34,760 --> 00:19:37,440 Forgiveness does not mean that the relationship will go back 357 00:19:37,440 --> 00:19:39,920 just to the way it was, because it may not. 358 00:19:41,240 --> 00:19:43,360 Forgiveness does that mean if you give it, somebody will 359 00:19:43,360 --> 00:19:45,680 receive it. They may not. 360 00:19:46,920 --> 00:19:51,880 Forgiveness simply means that you're letting go of the right 361 00:19:51,880 --> 00:19:55,320 to vengeance and being offended and angry and you're offering 362 00:19:55,320 --> 00:19:58,880 them peace and a way of moving forward because that's what God 363 00:19:58,880 --> 00:20:01,640 has done for you. He has let go of his anger and 364 00:20:01,640 --> 00:20:05,080 his wrath and what we deserved and offered us a relationship, a 365 00:20:05,080 --> 00:20:07,200 right relationship through Jesus of. 366 00:20:07,760 --> 00:20:09,120 Peace. This is forgiveness. 367 00:20:09,120 --> 00:20:11,120 This is a character trait of God. 368 00:20:12,000 --> 00:20:15,440 We, you and I, are never more like God than when we are 369 00:20:15,440 --> 00:20:18,040 offering the gift of forgiveness. 370 00:20:20,280 --> 00:20:24,000 This is the gift we've received. This is the gift God calls us to 371 00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:27,520 give to one another. But you know what? 372 00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:34,000 Something often happens that Matthew chapter 18 describes. 373 00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:37,200 I want you to turn back to the first gospel and to go to 374 00:20:37,200 --> 00:20:39,880 Matthew 18, and we're going to start at verse 21. 375 00:20:40,040 --> 00:20:42,800 God asked us to forgive because He's forgiven us. 376 00:20:43,000 --> 00:20:45,120 But here's what so often happens. 377 00:20:45,400 --> 00:20:48,560 Jesus tells this parable beginning in verse 21. 378 00:20:49,960 --> 00:20:53,800 Then Peter came up and said to him, Lord, how often will my 379 00:20:53,800 --> 00:20:57,800 brother sin against me? And I forgive him? 380 00:20:58,760 --> 00:21:03,760 As many as seven times. Jesus said to him, I do not say 381 00:21:03,760 --> 00:21:09,640 to you 7 times, but 77 times. Therefore the Kingdom of heaven 382 00:21:09,640 --> 00:21:13,080 may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with 383 00:21:13,080 --> 00:21:16,680 his servants. And when he began to settle, one 384 00:21:16,680 --> 00:21:19,720 was brought to him who owed him 10,000 talents. 385 00:21:20,680 --> 00:21:24,240 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, 386 00:21:24,240 --> 00:21:27,360 and his wife and children and all that he had, and payment be 387 00:21:27,360 --> 00:21:29,720 made. So the servant fell on his 388 00:21:29,720 --> 00:21:32,600 knees, imploring him, Have patience with me, and I'll pay 389 00:21:32,600 --> 00:21:35,440 you everything. And out of pity for him, the 390 00:21:35,440 --> 00:21:38,960 master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 391 00:21:39,160 --> 00:21:42,200 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow 392 00:21:42,200 --> 00:21:46,680 servants who owed him 100 Dinarai, and seizing him, began 393 00:21:46,680 --> 00:21:49,080 to choke him, saying, Pay what you owe. 394 00:21:49,960 --> 00:21:52,880 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, Have 395 00:21:52,880 --> 00:21:54,440 patience with me, and I'll pay you. 396 00:21:55,200 --> 00:21:58,400 He refused, and went and put him in prison until he should pay 397 00:21:58,400 --> 00:22:01,200 the debt. And when his fellow servant saw 398 00:22:01,200 --> 00:22:03,760 what had taken place, they were greatly distressed. 399 00:22:04,080 --> 00:22:06,920 They went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 400 00:22:07,160 --> 00:22:10,120 And then his master summoned him, and said to him, You wicked 401 00:22:10,120 --> 00:22:13,600 servant, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with 402 00:22:13,600 --> 00:22:15,880 me. And should not you have had 403 00:22:15,880 --> 00:22:19,040 mercy on your fellow servant as I had mercy on you? 404 00:22:20,080 --> 00:22:23,320 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers 405 00:22:23,520 --> 00:22:25,880 until he should pay all his debt. 406 00:22:26,120 --> 00:22:30,120 So also, my Heavenly Father will do to everyone of you if you do 407 00:22:30,120 --> 00:22:33,680 not forgive your brother from your heart. 408 00:22:35,560 --> 00:22:41,360 The servant who owed the master 10,000 talents owed the 409 00:22:41,360 --> 00:22:45,000 equivalent of billions and billions of dollars that could 410 00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:49,720 never have been repaid in multiple lifetimes. 411 00:22:51,080 --> 00:22:54,480 He realized his debt was such that he was totally and 412 00:22:54,480 --> 00:22:58,120 completely dependent on the mercy of the master. 413 00:22:58,640 --> 00:23:01,120 He pleads he's going to lose everything. 414 00:23:01,480 --> 00:23:07,040 He deserves nothing, and yet in mercy the Master grants him his 415 00:23:07,040 --> 00:23:10,160 request, a full and complete pardon. 416 00:23:10,160 --> 00:23:13,400 Do you realize if you're a follower of Jesus, the Master 417 00:23:13,400 --> 00:23:15,720 has heard your cry for mercy because you've called on the 418 00:23:15,720 --> 00:23:18,280 name of Jesus, and you've received not because you 419 00:23:18,280 --> 00:23:20,440 deserved it, but because of his mercy and love. 420 00:23:20,440 --> 00:23:26,880 Complete and full pardon. But that servant, who is 421 00:23:26,880 --> 00:23:31,880 forgiven an impossible debt to repay, leaves and goes out and 422 00:23:31,880 --> 00:23:37,120 finds someone who owes him the tiniest fraction of what he had 423 00:23:37,120 --> 00:23:42,360 owed the master, and immediately demanding payment on the spot, 424 00:23:42,960 --> 00:23:46,800 choking and getting physically violent with him, and refusing 425 00:23:46,800 --> 00:23:50,680 to pass on the mercy he had just received, demands immediate 426 00:23:50,680 --> 00:23:54,080 payment for the debt that he is owed. 427 00:23:54,280 --> 00:24:00,600 The question is, who does that? What kind of moral monster would 428 00:24:00,600 --> 00:24:04,680 refuse to pass on such incomprehensible mercy? 429 00:24:04,680 --> 00:24:07,920 They can't even explain that they've received though that now 430 00:24:07,920 --> 00:24:10,640 they're living in, and yet refuse to pass it on. 431 00:24:10,800 --> 00:24:14,600 Who does that? This is just hypothetical, of 432 00:24:14,600 --> 00:24:16,160 course. I'm just guessing. 433 00:24:16,360 --> 00:24:19,960 But if I were driving home after committing a capital crime, 434 00:24:19,960 --> 00:24:21,680 which to my knowledge I never have, all right. 435 00:24:22,080 --> 00:24:26,400 But if I had, and if I was driving home a free man, having 436 00:24:26,400 --> 00:24:29,360 been pardoned and forgiven, I don't think I'd have a problem 437 00:24:29,360 --> 00:24:32,240 with anybody, including you, cutting me off in traffic on my 438 00:24:32,240 --> 00:24:37,440 way home that day. I'm like anybody else. 439 00:24:37,840 --> 00:24:40,040 I'm good. I you know, I'll go 10 below the 440 00:24:40,040 --> 00:24:41,680 speed limit. Y'all just cut in on me. 441 00:24:41,720 --> 00:24:44,560 Y'all have your way. I've been forgiven and set free. 442 00:24:44,560 --> 00:24:47,560 I have life I don't deserve. Why don't y'all just cut me off 443 00:24:47,560 --> 00:24:49,160 in traffic? Because this doesn't matter. 444 00:24:49,160 --> 00:24:51,280 It's not a hill of beans compared to what I've been 445 00:24:51,280 --> 00:24:56,160 given. I'm guessing I wouldn't yell. 446 00:24:58,240 --> 00:25:04,440 I'm guessing that if I was on death row and I had been 447 00:25:04,440 --> 00:25:09,760 extended mercy by a judge, then when I came home that day, no 448 00:25:09,760 --> 00:25:15,280 matter what what my spouse, by the way, I'm not actually 449 00:25:15,280 --> 00:25:16,880 thinking of any scenario here, Lauren. 450 00:25:16,880 --> 00:25:22,120 So just just go with me. If my spouse maybe did that, 451 00:25:22,120 --> 00:25:24,120 which which he didn't really have anything that aggravates me 452 00:25:24,120 --> 00:25:25,360 that bad. Anyway, I'm just going, I'm just 453 00:25:25,360 --> 00:25:28,800 going to do this if you if if you let me go to you instead of 454 00:25:28,800 --> 00:25:29,200 me. All right. 455 00:25:29,520 --> 00:25:33,000 If if you had committed murder and you've been extended mercy 456 00:25:33,000 --> 00:25:36,680 by the judge and you're going home and your spouse does that 457 00:25:36,680 --> 00:25:39,600 thing which aggravates you like to the nines that you've asked 458 00:25:39,600 --> 00:25:41,840 them never to do again. I'm guessing you wouldn't yell 459 00:25:41,840 --> 00:25:44,600 at them that day when you just got pardoned for murder. 460 00:25:46,760 --> 00:25:49,440 Even if they put the toilet roll on backwards or didn't fold the 461 00:25:49,440 --> 00:25:52,360 clothes while the dryer was still hot or didn't it didn't, 462 00:25:52,480 --> 00:25:55,680 you know, empty the dishwash? I mean, it probably wouldn't 463 00:25:55,680 --> 00:25:58,840 matter. You're alive. 464 00:26:00,000 --> 00:26:06,320 You deserve to die. You're alive, right? 465 00:26:08,360 --> 00:26:13,320 How could you not pass it on? You see, if we truly live in the 466 00:26:13,320 --> 00:26:17,080 reality of the forgiveness we've been given, we can't help but 467 00:26:17,080 --> 00:26:18,920 give it to others. And the truth is, if we're not 468 00:26:18,920 --> 00:26:22,720 passing it on, here's the truth. We really haven't realized how 469 00:26:22,720 --> 00:26:27,240 much we've been forgiven. Follower of Christ, listen to 470 00:26:27,240 --> 00:26:33,320 me, anybody who offends you, you've got to remember you've 471 00:26:33,320 --> 00:26:36,360 offended a holy God 1000 times more. 472 00:26:38,720 --> 00:26:42,240 You've offended a holy God infinitely more than anybody 473 00:26:42,240 --> 00:26:46,400 will ever be capable of offending you. 474 00:26:47,280 --> 00:26:50,680 You see, as believers, we need to be reminded that we've 475 00:26:50,680 --> 00:26:54,440 actually all been exposed publicly for who we actually 476 00:26:54,440 --> 00:26:56,840 are. Now, I know you may be like 477 00:26:56,840 --> 00:26:57,680 Kyle. What in the world are you 478 00:26:57,680 --> 00:26:58,720 talking about? I don't know that I've been 479 00:26:58,720 --> 00:27:00,280 exposed. Oh, you have been and I have 480 00:27:00,280 --> 00:27:02,560 been too. Do you know when you were 481 00:27:02,560 --> 00:27:04,560 exposed for who you are? And do you know when I was 482 00:27:04,560 --> 00:27:10,240 exposed for who I am? It happened 2000 years ago on a 483 00:27:10,240 --> 00:27:14,000 hill called Calvary where there was a man that was stripped of 484 00:27:14,000 --> 00:27:20,120 his clothing and on his back was laid across and his back was 485 00:27:20,360 --> 00:27:24,040 ripped to shreds and his brow was forced and penetrated with 486 00:27:24,040 --> 00:27:27,000 the crown of thorns. He was spat upon and he was 487 00:27:27,000 --> 00:27:31,160 beaten and he was spiked to a tree and hung there in your 488 00:27:31,160 --> 00:27:35,960 place and mine because of your sin and mine publicly exposing 489 00:27:36,000 --> 00:27:39,600 us for who we are and what we've done against the Holy God. 490 00:27:39,760 --> 00:27:45,080 But Jesus took the exposure in our place, shed his blood where 491 00:27:45,080 --> 00:27:47,360 ours should have been shed. But even our blood couldn't have 492 00:27:47,360 --> 00:27:49,280 forgiven our sin because it wasn't perfect blood. 493 00:27:49,400 --> 00:27:52,600 It wasn't a sinless life that Jesus had lived as the perfect 494 00:27:52,680 --> 00:27:56,000 sinless Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world. 495 00:27:56,160 --> 00:27:59,920 When Jesus exposed our sin, it was World News and it changed 496 00:27:59,920 --> 00:28:02,680 all of history. It can change your eternity if 497 00:28:02,680 --> 00:28:05,680 you realize you've been exposed for who you are and you need the 498 00:28:05,680 --> 00:28:08,640 blood of Jesus to forgive you. And you can only be forgiven by 499 00:28:08,640 --> 00:28:10,440 the blood. You've called on Jesus to save 500 00:28:10,440 --> 00:28:13,760 you, and now you're free to pass it on to others because Jesus 501 00:28:13,880 --> 00:28:21,840 has paid it all for you. When you take all that in, you 502 00:28:21,840 --> 00:28:25,480 can't help but be joyful and overwhelmingly grateful. 503 00:28:25,480 --> 00:28:26,880 You see, really, Here's the deal. 504 00:28:27,160 --> 00:28:31,200 Gratitude and anger cannot simultaneously coexist. 505 00:28:31,200 --> 00:28:35,040 It's one or the other. Gratitude and anger can't 506 00:28:35,040 --> 00:28:40,120 simultaneously coexist. It's going to be 1 or it's going 507 00:28:40,120 --> 00:28:44,800 to be the other. A man had a surfboard and his 508 00:28:44,800 --> 00:28:47,080 wife loaned it to some friends of his. 509 00:28:48,720 --> 00:28:54,800 They used it and they broke it. He had a choice. 510 00:28:54,800 --> 00:28:58,960 He could forgive the friends who broke his surfboard and take the 511 00:28:58,960 --> 00:29:01,520 hit, or refuse to forgive and try to make them pay. 512 00:29:01,880 --> 00:29:07,680 Either way, someone pays, right? You see, whenever there's an 513 00:29:07,680 --> 00:29:10,560 injury to a relationship or a hurt or a broken heart or a 514 00:29:10,560 --> 00:29:14,160 broken object, and you're willing or I'm willing to say I 515 00:29:14,160 --> 00:29:18,680 forgive, what we're saying is I've got this, I'll pay this 516 00:29:18,920 --> 00:29:22,640 debt, I'll pick up the bill for this. 517 00:29:22,920 --> 00:29:27,760 And we can because we are reminded that the cross stands 518 00:29:27,760 --> 00:29:31,800 forever as a reminder that who picked up the bill for us? 519 00:29:32,720 --> 00:29:37,400 Who paid the debt? What Jesus did. 520 00:29:39,280 --> 00:29:44,800 So how could anyone owe me anything when somebody else has 521 00:29:44,800 --> 00:29:51,200 paid everything for me? You see, we actually don't 522 00:29:51,200 --> 00:29:54,200 forgive because anyone deserves it from us. 523 00:29:56,160 --> 00:29:58,000 We forgive because we didn't deserve it. 524 00:29:59,480 --> 00:30:04,000 We actually forgive because God deserves it, because he's paid 525 00:30:04,000 --> 00:30:08,080 it all. Forgiveness is what God asked of 526 00:30:08,080 --> 00:30:10,920 us. Let me give you one more 4th and 527 00:30:10,920 --> 00:30:14,240 final thing. Forgiveness is hard y'all, but 528 00:30:14,360 --> 00:30:18,680 unforgiveness is harder. Forgiveness is hard, but 529 00:30:18,680 --> 00:30:22,040 unforgiveness is harder. If you look back at Matthew 18, 530 00:30:22,040 --> 00:30:24,760 look at verse 21. I think Peter like thought he 531 00:30:24,760 --> 00:30:28,480 had a really good idea here as he often thought he did. 532 00:30:29,960 --> 00:30:35,720 Hey Jesus question, how often do you want me to forgive? 533 00:30:35,720 --> 00:30:37,960 I feel like I got a great standard to offer. 534 00:30:38,360 --> 00:30:41,240 Are you good if I forgive 7 times? 535 00:30:43,640 --> 00:30:45,560 You know God, that's the number of completion. 536 00:30:48,360 --> 00:30:50,040 Surely that surely that's going to cut it. 537 00:30:50,040 --> 00:30:57,640 To which Jesus says try again. Let me let me do something to 538 00:30:57,640 --> 00:31:03,360 your math. Let's multiply 70 times, said, 539 00:31:03,360 --> 00:31:07,680 Hey Peter, when it comes to forgiveness, I don't want you 540 00:31:07,680 --> 00:31:13,320 doing math. Math and forgiveness Don't, 541 00:31:13,320 --> 00:31:15,800 don't, don't add up that no, it doesn't work like that. 542 00:31:19,760 --> 00:31:23,000 Peter is saying to Jesus, but Jesus, forgiveness is hard, 543 00:31:24,920 --> 00:31:27,360 right? Forgiveness is hard. 544 00:31:27,920 --> 00:31:32,800 Surely I don't have to do it infinitely, but according to 545 00:31:32,880 --> 00:31:36,880 Jesus I wanted, I want us to read verse 31 through 35 again 546 00:31:36,880 --> 00:31:39,800 and I want to read it with you asking and answering this 547 00:31:39,800 --> 00:31:42,440 question. Which one is harder according to 548 00:31:42,480 --> 00:31:46,280 Jesus, to forgive or to not forgive? 549 00:31:47,280 --> 00:31:50,320 Listen to what Jesus has to say again and and try to read it or 550 00:31:50,320 --> 00:31:51,480 hear it. Answering this question. 551 00:31:51,520 --> 00:31:56,160 Jesus says when his fellow servants in the parable Saul 552 00:31:56,240 --> 00:32:00,840 would have taken place, they were greatly distressed and they 553 00:32:00,840 --> 00:32:03,360 went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 554 00:32:03,360 --> 00:32:06,440 And then the master summoned him and said to him, You wicked 555 00:32:06,440 --> 00:32:10,520 servant, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with 556 00:32:10,520 --> 00:32:12,800 me. And should not you have had 557 00:32:12,800 --> 00:32:15,240 mercy on your fellow servant as I had mercy on you? 558 00:32:15,560 --> 00:32:18,160 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers 559 00:32:18,160 --> 00:32:19,600 until he should pay all his debt. 560 00:32:19,840 --> 00:32:22,680 So also my heavenly Father will do to everyone of you, if you do 561 00:32:22,680 --> 00:32:25,560 not forgive your brother from your heart, which one does Jesus 562 00:32:25,560 --> 00:32:30,080 say is actually harder? Forgiving or not forgiving? 563 00:32:32,360 --> 00:32:37,760 Not forgiving? That sounds way worse without 564 00:32:37,760 --> 00:32:40,040 even getting into the details in today's sermon because we don't 565 00:32:40,040 --> 00:32:41,840 have time of what all he just said. 566 00:32:42,520 --> 00:32:46,760 But it's obvious unforgiveness is way worse than the difficulty 567 00:32:47,560 --> 00:32:52,880 or pain of choosing to forgive. Let's just break down what 568 00:32:53,040 --> 00:32:56,880 unforgiveness sometimes leads us to do the difficult things. 569 00:32:56,880 --> 00:32:59,400 Not just difficult, but deadly things we often do. 570 00:32:59,640 --> 00:33:02,320 Because taking offense and remaining offended and refusing 571 00:33:02,320 --> 00:33:05,600 to forgive and let go of our anger often leads us to do 572 00:33:05,600 --> 00:33:10,720 things like this. Quitting a job or ending a 573 00:33:10,720 --> 00:33:16,720 friendship or dissolving a marriage, or not speaking to a 574 00:33:16,720 --> 00:33:22,280 family member for years, or avoiding specific people we 575 00:33:22,280 --> 00:33:26,440 don't want to see or run into or interact with or move and change 576 00:33:26,440 --> 00:33:33,200 addresses or change churches. That doesn't even mention the 577 00:33:33,200 --> 00:33:36,360 discipline of God that Jesus brings up in the text, which we 578 00:33:36,360 --> 00:33:40,400 don't need time to get into. But I'm it would be way worse 579 00:33:40,400 --> 00:33:44,240 than what I just named. One pastor said this. 580 00:33:44,240 --> 00:33:47,400 In my many years of pastoral experience, he says, I found 581 00:33:47,400 --> 00:33:52,120 that Christians who lack joy, power and usefulness in their 582 00:33:52,120 --> 00:33:55,840 walk often is because of unforgiveness. 583 00:33:56,160 --> 00:34:00,880 God withholds blessings because of their bitter, grudge filled, 584 00:34:00,880 --> 00:34:03,680 stubborn heart. So you know what is so much 585 00:34:03,680 --> 00:34:05,800 better? What's so much better is 586 00:34:05,800 --> 00:34:09,920 surrendering control to God. What is so much better is when 587 00:34:09,920 --> 00:34:13,639 you actually believe God when he says don't take avenge revenge 588 00:34:13,639 --> 00:34:16,239 for yourself, but leave vengeance to me, for vengeance 589 00:34:16,239 --> 00:34:17,280 is mine. God says. 590 00:34:17,560 --> 00:34:20,480 What's so much better is when you realize Jesus is paid at 591 00:34:20,480 --> 00:34:21,800 all. You've already won. 592 00:34:21,800 --> 00:34:25,679 You've got nothing to prove no matter what happens when you 593 00:34:25,679 --> 00:34:28,120 understand it's not ultimately about you and you don't have to 594 00:34:28,120 --> 00:34:30,920 take everything personally when you can let stuff go. 595 00:34:31,040 --> 00:34:34,719 When you realize God hasn't called you to 24/7 jury duty and 596 00:34:34,719 --> 00:34:37,199 you realize you're not called to rehearse every line of that 597 00:34:37,199 --> 00:34:39,360 someone has said to you that hurt you all night long so you 598 00:34:39,360 --> 00:34:45,600 don't go to sleep. Unforgiveness is so much harder, 599 00:34:47,520 --> 00:34:50,800 so much harder. And again, like we brought up, 600 00:34:50,800 --> 00:34:54,239 Jesus says I got a radically better, distinctly different way 601 00:34:54,239 --> 00:34:59,720 to live. All you who are weary and heavy 602 00:34:59,720 --> 00:35:06,440 laden, come to me and I'll give you just I got a way for you to 603 00:35:06,440 --> 00:35:09,680 live. It's radically, radically 604 00:35:10,000 --> 00:35:14,920 different and better. We ought to practice forgiveness 605 00:35:14,920 --> 00:35:17,280 every time we get a chance. Let me tell you where you ought 606 00:35:17,280 --> 00:35:20,680 to practice. You should forgive in big and 607 00:35:20,680 --> 00:35:22,960 small ways, but you can practice in the small ways so you can 608 00:35:22,960 --> 00:35:26,080 work up to the big ways. All right, Every time you get 609 00:35:26,080 --> 00:35:31,400 behind the steering wheel, you need to prepare to practice 610 00:35:31,400 --> 00:35:33,760 forgiveness. Like, I'm serious, this is 611 00:35:33,760 --> 00:35:35,800 highly practical. In fact, if you just want to 612 00:35:35,800 --> 00:35:38,800 write something like on a 3 by 5 card and put it on your dash and 613 00:35:38,800 --> 00:35:41,280 give you some clear tape, practice forgiveness. 614 00:35:42,600 --> 00:35:45,120 Because you drive a half a mile, you're probably going to need to 615 00:35:45,120 --> 00:35:51,600 practice forgiveness. Practice in the small ways. 616 00:35:51,600 --> 00:35:57,960 You'll be ready in the big ways. There was once a pastor before 617 00:35:57,960 --> 00:36:02,760 the days of the Internet who used to avail himself of 618 00:36:02,760 --> 00:36:08,120 magazines. He should not look at his wife 619 00:36:08,120 --> 00:36:12,880 was out of town. He pulled them out of hiding and 620 00:36:14,400 --> 00:36:19,280 after looking at these he was sick, humiliated, ashamed again 621 00:36:19,280 --> 00:36:21,520 of what he had done, knew he was doing what he was doing was 622 00:36:21,520 --> 00:36:26,840 wrong, just did it anyway. He made the decision, I'm done 623 00:36:26,920 --> 00:36:28,240 putting my, I'm putting my foot down. 624 00:36:28,240 --> 00:36:31,280 I'm sick and tired of this. Boxed them all up. 625 00:36:31,560 --> 00:36:34,240 Marched down the steps of his apartment to the dumpster at the 626 00:36:34,240 --> 00:36:36,520 base of the apartment. Dumped all the magazines in the 627 00:36:36,520 --> 00:36:40,320 dumpster. His wife still had a day or two 628 00:36:40,320 --> 00:36:43,040 before she came home. About two hours after he dumped 629 00:36:43,040 --> 00:36:49,960 all his magazines, he decided he wanted to go back and get them. 630 00:36:49,960 --> 00:36:53,040 So he did. Went back down the steps, 631 00:36:54,080 --> 00:36:56,680 reached in, reached a little too far, leaned over, fell in the 632 00:36:56,680 --> 00:37:00,040 dumpster, broke his arm, stuck in the dumpster, couldn't get 633 00:37:00,040 --> 00:37:03,840 out. You know where his wife found 634 00:37:03,840 --> 00:37:06,680 him? In the dumpster. 635 00:37:10,120 --> 00:37:12,680 That dumpster pastor, is all of us. 636 00:37:14,920 --> 00:37:18,320 We've all sinned. We've all tried to get out of 637 00:37:18,320 --> 00:37:22,040 our sin. We've all may have even tried to 638 00:37:22,040 --> 00:37:24,280 get rid of it, take it out, out with the trash. 639 00:37:24,360 --> 00:37:25,240 But guess what? We've all done. 640 00:37:25,240 --> 00:37:26,960 We've all gone right back to our sin. 641 00:37:28,640 --> 00:37:31,760 We're all so deep in it on our own and broken. 642 00:37:31,760 --> 00:37:36,840 We can't get out of it. Not unless somebody else, by the 643 00:37:36,840 --> 00:37:40,800 power that only God can offer to change us from the inside out 644 00:37:41,280 --> 00:37:43,440 and set us free, can do anything about our sin. 645 00:37:46,080 --> 00:37:48,360 That goes for the unbeliever who's never called out for 646 00:37:48,360 --> 00:37:50,440 forgiveness of God. That goes for the believer who 647 00:37:50,440 --> 00:37:52,040 still struggles against sin in their life. 648 00:37:52,160 --> 00:37:56,360 Only Jesus is the answer. Only letting His Word by the 649 00:37:56,360 --> 00:38:00,360 Spirit do the work in you. Does He pull us out By the way? 650 00:38:00,440 --> 00:38:06,080 He wants to pull us out, but you got to realize you're in the 651 00:38:06,080 --> 00:38:10,440 dumpster so you can say yes to Him pulling you out. 652 00:38:11,520 --> 00:38:13,960 And then you know what? When you realize you've been in 653 00:38:13,960 --> 00:38:18,600 the dumpster, you don't lose your mind when you find other 654 00:38:18,600 --> 00:38:23,840 people in the dumpster, right? When you realize that's where 655 00:38:23,840 --> 00:38:29,840 God found you. When pastor said this, what 656 00:38:29,840 --> 00:38:33,440 would it be like to be a part of a Church of people who realized 657 00:38:33,440 --> 00:38:35,560 they were nothing but dumpster pastors? 658 00:38:36,320 --> 00:38:38,960 People who knew they were not just sinners, but sinners caught 659 00:38:38,960 --> 00:38:43,080 red handed against God. There lies exposed, then there's 660 00:38:43,080 --> 00:38:48,400 sin forgiven and then set free. That would be a fun, free and 661 00:38:48,400 --> 00:38:55,360 joyous church to realize every day just how much we've been 662 00:38:55,360 --> 00:38:59,920 forgiven by a holy God. When you realize that it cannot 663 00:38:59,920 --> 00:39:01,440 help, you will not be able to help. 664 00:39:01,760 --> 00:39:04,760 But live different and pass it on. 665 00:39:06,080 --> 00:39:07,680 John and praise team are going to come out. 666 00:39:08,600 --> 00:39:10,000 Here's what I want to ask you this morning. 667 00:39:10,000 --> 00:39:15,560 Number one, have you received forgiveness from Jesus? 668 00:39:17,360 --> 00:39:18,800 Have you realized you're in the dumpster? 669 00:39:19,560 --> 00:39:22,200 Have you realized you cannot crawl out on your own? 670 00:39:23,680 --> 00:39:25,880 Have you called out to Jesus to save you? 671 00:39:26,680 --> 00:39:28,320 As we sing? I'm going to stand here 672 00:39:28,520 --> 00:39:30,000 forgiveness. If that's you and you never 673 00:39:30,000 --> 00:39:33,200 have, that's what you need most. Would you be willing to come 674 00:39:33,200 --> 00:39:35,680 talk to me? I'd love to walk you through 675 00:39:35,680 --> 00:39:38,760 what calling out to Christ would look like. 676 00:39:38,760 --> 00:39:40,800 I'm not going to embarrass you. I'm not going to make you do 677 00:39:40,800 --> 00:39:42,840 anything you don't want to do. You can call out to Christ right 678 00:39:42,840 --> 00:39:45,240 where you are, but if you'd like to talk with me, I'm going to 679 00:39:45,240 --> 00:39:49,120 stand right here. Maybe you're here and you say, 680 00:39:49,120 --> 00:39:53,280 Kyle, I know that Jesus has forgiven me, but I am not giving 681 00:39:53,280 --> 00:39:59,960 forgiveness to someone else. And I've realized that's really 682 00:39:59,960 --> 00:40:03,440 a terrible way to live. You know you've heard it said 683 00:40:03,440 --> 00:40:05,440 that, right? Refusing to forgive is like 684 00:40:05,440 --> 00:40:08,400 taking poison and expecting the other person to die. 685 00:40:11,760 --> 00:40:14,680 It doesn't work. It doesn't work. 686 00:40:20,520 --> 00:40:24,160 Jesus says, come to me, say Kyle, I can't. 687 00:40:24,160 --> 00:40:30,040 I don't want to let go. Well, sometimes what you can't 688 00:40:30,040 --> 00:40:32,640 do, what you think you can't do if you'll just think of it this 689 00:40:32,640 --> 00:40:35,440 way, if I I'm just going to give it to Jesus, he'll do what only 690 00:40:35,440 --> 00:40:39,800 he can do, which may mean help you forgive or you think you 691 00:40:39,800 --> 00:40:43,320 can't. That life you may have never 692 00:40:43,320 --> 00:40:46,800 imagined life different than the way it's been because you've 693 00:40:46,800 --> 00:40:49,720 just always thought it's going to be this way and it doesn't 694 00:40:49,720 --> 00:40:53,200 have to be. Jesus says I came that you may 695 00:40:53,200 --> 00:40:57,880 have life and have it to the to the full to the full. 696 00:40:59,000 --> 00:41:00,120 So you might need to get on your knees. 697 00:41:00,120 --> 00:41:03,000 You might need to come stand. You might need to pray, you 698 00:41:03,000 --> 00:41:04,320 might need to get on your knees where you are. 699 00:41:04,320 --> 00:41:06,480 You might need to text somebody in the invitation. 700 00:41:06,480 --> 00:41:08,160 You might need to go to somebody in the room. 701 00:41:08,800 --> 00:41:11,720 But however God leads you just would you ask God, God, if 702 00:41:11,720 --> 00:41:14,360 there's anything in me, anything I've not passed on that you've 703 00:41:14,360 --> 00:41:17,680 paid for me that I'm refusing to pass on God, I don't live that 704 00:41:17,680 --> 00:41:20,640 way any longer. Show me what I need to do so 705 00:41:20,640 --> 00:41:23,960 that forgiveness flows through me that I'm living the way you 706 00:41:23,960 --> 00:41:25,880 called me to live, that sets me free. 707 00:41:26,800 --> 00:41:31,160 Amen Father, I pray Lord that you would allow us to be 708 00:41:31,160 --> 00:41:35,720 reminded again in a fresh all consuming way of your mercy 709 00:41:35,720 --> 00:41:38,960 you've given to us the God you would allow us to be conduits of 710 00:41:38,960 --> 00:41:41,920 that mercy to others and forgiveness to set be set free 711 00:41:41,920 --> 00:41:44,880 by the truth than the way you've called us to live in Jesus name 712 00:41:44,880 --> 00:41:47,080 I pray Amen. Would you stand with me church 713 00:41:47,080 --> 00:41:48,880 family, we're going to sing and worship. 714 00:41:48,880 --> 00:41:51,480 I'm going to stand here. You come and you respond as the 715 00:41:51,480 --> 00:41:52,440 Lord leads you this morning.