1 00:00:01,560 --> 00:00:03,120 Good morning. Good morning. 2 00:00:04,960 --> 00:00:06,840 Well, what a lousy day out there today. 3 00:00:06,840 --> 00:00:09,640 I mean, this is a sunshine. And I mean, what? 4 00:00:09,640 --> 00:00:11,520 You haven't seen that for a while. 5 00:00:11,520 --> 00:00:14,800 And what, 70 potential degrees today? 6 00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:18,640 I mean, we got it made right. If you're negative or upset or 7 00:00:18,640 --> 00:00:21,160 depressed a day, that should turn it around. 8 00:00:21,160 --> 00:00:22,920 Really. That's a good start. 9 00:00:23,040 --> 00:00:25,400 So the Underwood family stand up, please. 10 00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:27,960 Wanted to introduce little Brielle here today. 11 00:00:27,960 --> 00:00:30,240 Brand new little baby at Calvary Chapel. 12 00:00:30,520 --> 00:00:36,400 So congratulate them. Thank you. 13 00:00:36,400 --> 00:00:37,960 Thank you. Yeah. 14 00:00:37,960 --> 00:00:42,320 That's one of those stories, like they were working on 15 00:00:42,320 --> 00:00:46,160 babies, right, for a long time, and it's not going to happen. 16 00:00:46,160 --> 00:00:47,720 And all of a sudden it happens. Right. 17 00:00:48,080 --> 00:00:49,720 How many years you guys been married now? 18 00:00:51,080 --> 00:00:53,000 12:00 So that should give people hope. 19 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:56,000 Never stop believing. You never know what God will do. 20 00:00:56,000 --> 00:00:58,880 Just if you're trying to have babies, keep trying to have 21 00:00:58,880 --> 00:00:59,880 them. That's a good thing, right? 22 00:01:00,440 --> 00:01:03,560 But anyway, we are in the book of Second Corinthians this 23 00:01:03,560 --> 00:01:05,560 morning. And before I start, I wanted to 24 00:01:05,880 --> 00:01:09,320 let everybody know it's my lovely wife Cindy's birthday 25 00:01:09,320 --> 00:01:15,000 today. She's she's 29, 29 years old, 26 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:19,400 right? So it's wonderful and I'm so 27 00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:21,880 grateful to have her for 54 years. 28 00:01:21,880 --> 00:01:25,680 And I think we're heading towards 55 years anniversary 29 00:01:25,680 --> 00:01:27,840 this summer. So praise God for that, huh? 30 00:01:28,480 --> 00:01:31,280 So let's pray Father, we thank you this morning for this 31 00:01:31,280 --> 00:01:35,280 beautiful day you've given us, for the word of God, for each 32 00:01:35,280 --> 00:01:40,200 other, for the opportunity, Lord, to this be in your 33 00:01:40,200 --> 00:01:45,760 presence today worshipping you. And you're the holy and anointed 34 00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:51,920 1 Lord. And your word is like water to 35 00:01:51,920 --> 00:01:56,560 our soul, your words a lamp and to our feet. 36 00:01:57,600 --> 00:02:00,080 And we love you Jesus, and that's that's why we're here 37 00:02:00,080 --> 00:02:02,640 today. And we want your word to work on 38 00:02:02,640 --> 00:02:05,880 us, to change us, to make us more like you, Lord. 39 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:09,320 And so Lord, again, we just commit all this to you and ask 40 00:02:09,320 --> 00:02:12,120 your blessing on everything that happens today. 41 00:02:12,120 --> 00:02:17,320 We pray in Jesus name, Amen. So we are working through the 42 00:02:17,320 --> 00:02:21,120 book of Second Corinthians and we're in the 1st chapter, we're 43 00:02:21,120 --> 00:02:26,280 picking up in verse 12 today and the title of this message is 44 00:02:26,640 --> 00:02:30,560 misunderstanding ministry, misunderstandings. 45 00:02:30,560 --> 00:02:35,720 And I wish we as people wouldn't misunderstand each other at 46 00:02:35,720 --> 00:02:38,480 times the way we do. But that's where we're normal 47 00:02:38,480 --> 00:02:41,000 human beings. We're, we're still falling 48 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:43,160 creatures. We still have a sinful nature. 49 00:02:43,160 --> 00:02:47,800 And sometimes we get upset and uptight about things that in the 50 00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:50,360 big picture of life aren't really that important. 51 00:02:50,360 --> 00:02:56,120 But our, our pride at times and our egos and, and our sense of 52 00:02:56,120 --> 00:03:00,120 being offended sometimes overcomes the, the love of God 53 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:01,880 and our heart and, and we struggle. 54 00:03:01,880 --> 00:03:03,680 And the Paul went through this too. 55 00:03:04,480 --> 00:03:07,120 He had struggles with even people he served with in the 56 00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:10,160 church. He had different difficulties 57 00:03:10,160 --> 00:03:13,000 with John, Mark and Barnabas in a missionary journey. 58 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:17,120 He had arguments one time with Peter and it was public in a, in 59 00:03:17,120 --> 00:03:21,080 a meeting where Peter was trying to give preference to the the 60 00:03:21,080 --> 00:03:25,080 Jewish believers to follow tradition that wasn't necessary 61 00:03:25,080 --> 00:03:27,240 to follow anymore, especially for Gentiles. 62 00:03:27,240 --> 00:03:30,240 And so he he called Peter out on that. 63 00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:35,000 And these conflicts occur at times and and you wish they 64 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:38,400 wouldn't they they occur in marriages, they incur occurring 65 00:03:38,400 --> 00:03:42,640 relationships with children. They occur in relationships at 66 00:03:42,640 --> 00:03:45,040 times with people at work and that kind of stuff. 67 00:03:45,520 --> 00:03:49,120 And how do we work through these kind of challenges whenever they 68 00:03:49,120 --> 00:03:51,600 occur? And I'm so thankful that God 69 00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:54,480 knows as he put his word together, that he touches on 70 00:03:54,480 --> 00:03:58,760 every issue that the human experience encounters so that we 71 00:03:58,760 --> 00:04:00,960 know how to to maneuver these things. 72 00:04:00,960 --> 00:04:06,400 So some questions I wanted to ask before I read this text is 73 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:10,880 when plans don't work out the way you want them to work out. 74 00:04:11,320 --> 00:04:15,440 How do you learn to trust God and depend on him when life 75 00:04:15,440 --> 00:04:17,440 isn't going the way you would like it to go? 76 00:04:17,440 --> 00:04:21,200 That's a big question. What's your attitude like? 77 00:04:21,200 --> 00:04:25,160 Are you positive or negative when things go wrong? 78 00:04:26,160 --> 00:04:28,880 What's your heart like? Are you upset? 79 00:04:29,520 --> 00:04:33,080 Are you unsettled? Emotionally distressed? 80 00:04:33,840 --> 00:04:36,800 How do you deal with other people who misunderstand you at 81 00:04:36,800 --> 00:04:40,000 times? Are you humble and loving? 82 00:04:40,080 --> 00:04:43,440 Are you proud and arrogant and not Christ like? 83 00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:49,000 And I wanted to read Matthew chapter 5 before I get into this 84 00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:53,280 text because as a pastor, I've been through things as well as 85 00:04:53,280 --> 00:04:59,120 you guys at times with people. And it's never a pleasant time. 86 00:04:59,720 --> 00:05:05,640 But the older I get, the more I'm able to sort of not focus on 87 00:05:07,240 --> 00:05:12,280 the issues that the people may have with me or not with me. 88 00:05:13,400 --> 00:05:16,480 It doesn't disturb me like it did when I was younger. 89 00:05:18,520 --> 00:05:23,000 I don't think certain things are worth arguing about or fighting 90 00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:25,960 about. And whenever I have problems, I 91 00:05:26,360 --> 00:05:31,760 ask Lewis to take care of, take care of him for me and George 92 00:05:31,760 --> 00:05:34,680 and John, right? I sort of step aside. 93 00:05:34,680 --> 00:05:37,440 I don't have to be the front and center person anymore in this 94 00:05:37,440 --> 00:05:39,960 place. And many of you women and men 95 00:05:39,960 --> 00:05:44,120 who serve a Lord in the ministry here are a big help to to me and 96 00:05:44,120 --> 00:05:47,640 maneuvering, you know, whenever things are getting sort of 97 00:05:47,640 --> 00:05:49,480 challenging. But we, we've been in a good 98 00:05:49,480 --> 00:05:53,280 season for a long time here and we've had unity and, and love 99 00:05:53,280 --> 00:05:56,320 and and humility and being able to work together with one 100 00:05:56,320 --> 00:05:59,320 another so that the church can flourish and grow and, and be 101 00:05:59,320 --> 00:06:02,200 blessed. But Jesus has said in Matthew 102 00:06:02,200 --> 00:06:05,680 chapter 5, when you have challenges with people, this is 103 00:06:05,680 --> 00:06:08,040 what you got to do. He says love your enemies. 104 00:06:08,640 --> 00:06:11,560 You've heard that it was said you shall love your neighbor and 105 00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:14,360 hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your 106 00:06:14,360 --> 00:06:18,400 enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate 107 00:06:18,400 --> 00:06:22,800 you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute 108 00:06:22,800 --> 00:06:26,040 you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. 109 00:06:26,040 --> 00:06:30,240 For he makes his Son to rise on the evil and on the good, and 110 00:06:30,240 --> 00:06:32,480 sends rain on the just and the unjust. 111 00:06:32,840 --> 00:06:35,880 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? 112 00:06:36,240 --> 00:06:38,760 Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 113 00:06:39,080 --> 00:06:42,960 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than 114 00:06:42,960 --> 00:06:45,560 others? Do not even the tax collectors 115 00:06:45,560 --> 00:06:48,160 do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, 116 00:06:48,160 --> 00:06:50,360 just as your Father in heaven is perfect. 117 00:06:50,360 --> 00:06:53,920 So I've learned, I've had to learn a long time ago that I 118 00:06:53,920 --> 00:06:58,240 can't make everybody like me And, and that's not my, my 119 00:06:58,240 --> 00:07:01,480 responsibility, but I certainly don't want to do anything to 120 00:07:01,480 --> 00:07:04,480 cause people to intentionally not like me either, right? 121 00:07:04,840 --> 00:07:08,480 So, but at times people just have personality conflicts or 122 00:07:08,480 --> 00:07:13,400 whatever. So what I have to do is learn to 123 00:07:13,400 --> 00:07:18,040 pray for people that I have problems with at times and ask 124 00:07:18,040 --> 00:07:21,440 the Lord to give me love for them and not judgement and not 125 00:07:21,440 --> 00:07:26,360 hatred and not attitude. And I find that the more I sense 126 00:07:26,360 --> 00:07:30,160 God working on my heart to love people, all of a sudden the the 127 00:07:30,160 --> 00:07:33,240 chaos or the distress or the unsubtleness of my heart at 128 00:07:33,240 --> 00:07:35,360 times. If maybe someone isn't there 129 00:07:35,360 --> 00:07:37,920 like it was whenever I wasn't praying for them. 130 00:07:37,960 --> 00:07:42,960 That's a big, big plus, right? And you hear this word 131 00:07:42,960 --> 00:07:46,680 irreconcilable differences. And sometimes when people get 132 00:07:46,680 --> 00:07:50,200 divorced, the court document will say the reason for the 133 00:07:50,200 --> 00:07:52,760 divorce is irreconcilable differences. 134 00:07:53,240 --> 00:07:57,040 And maybe sometimes that's a reality for a lot of people that 135 00:07:57,040 --> 00:08:00,080 in their lives, there are irreconcilable differences, 136 00:08:00,080 --> 00:08:03,680 maybe serious disturbances or situations that occurred in life 137 00:08:04,200 --> 00:08:07,520 that cause families to break up or people, you know, and, and 138 00:08:07,520 --> 00:08:11,480 careers to, you know, meltdown or people in church to leave or 139 00:08:11,480 --> 00:08:13,760 whatever. And, and those things you don't 140 00:08:13,760 --> 00:08:16,080 want to see happen. But unfortunately, because we're 141 00:08:16,080 --> 00:08:18,120 still living in a fallen world, they do. 142 00:08:18,760 --> 00:08:24,520 So our our responsibility as Christians is to to do good to 143 00:08:24,920 --> 00:08:30,040 everyone we possibly can and esteem other people more highly 144 00:08:30,040 --> 00:08:33,080 than we do ourselves. In other words, I, I can't think 145 00:08:33,080 --> 00:08:37,480 about my own feelings primarily or my own emotions. 146 00:08:37,480 --> 00:08:41,000 I got to think like, well, how's this person doing doing with 147 00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:44,480 this problem right now, this conflict and then be willing to 148 00:08:44,480 --> 00:08:49,720 listen and to hear them out and to not think anything evil about 149 00:08:49,720 --> 00:08:53,680 the person, even though I might disagree whatever to to try to 150 00:08:53,680 --> 00:08:57,360 find a way of of peace and reconciliation and that that 151 00:08:57,360 --> 00:09:00,360 honors the Lord right and in relationships whenever we can 152 00:09:00,360 --> 00:09:04,760 come together as peacemakers, then he says we're blessed. 153 00:09:04,760 --> 00:09:07,760 Blessed are the peacemakers he tells us and to be attitudes. 154 00:09:08,280 --> 00:09:13,000 So as we go back to this text in Second Corinthians, Paul's 155 00:09:13,000 --> 00:09:16,720 dealing at this time with a church in Corinth that has a lot 156 00:09:16,720 --> 00:09:19,280 of problems. Some of the leadership are 157 00:09:19,280 --> 00:09:23,280 dysfunctional and some of them aren't accepting his apostleship 158 00:09:23,280 --> 00:09:26,080 and some of them don't want him to come around the church 159 00:09:26,080 --> 00:09:28,760 anymore because he's the guy that planted it and he's the one 160 00:09:28,760 --> 00:09:32,240 that got him going and started led many of them to the Lord. 161 00:09:32,240 --> 00:09:35,960 But they're they're just some of them don't want to hear what he 162 00:09:35,960 --> 00:09:38,600 has to say. And Paul was never intentionally 163 00:09:38,600 --> 00:09:40,360 wanting to say anything to the church. 164 00:09:40,360 --> 00:09:44,320 It would be diminishing anybody or any person or anything like 165 00:09:44,320 --> 00:09:46,320 that. But whenever he saw things that 166 00:09:46,320 --> 00:09:49,840 weren't going the way they needed to go biblically and 167 00:09:49,840 --> 00:09:54,680 spiritually, he would have to speak into that situation with 168 00:09:54,680 --> 00:09:58,720 grace and with love and, and sometimes the the truth being 169 00:09:58,720 --> 00:10:01,360 straight up the way it is sometimes painful. 170 00:10:01,360 --> 00:10:05,160 Whenever someone tells you something that you know needs to 171 00:10:05,160 --> 00:10:08,480 be addressed and you're not ready to deal with it, you're 172 00:10:08,480 --> 00:10:12,320 going to have a tendency to to push back and, and respond 173 00:10:12,320 --> 00:10:16,040 emotionally and react in a uncharacteristic way because the 174 00:10:16,040 --> 00:10:18,800 Holy Spirit isn't controlling you anymore. 175 00:10:18,800 --> 00:10:25,360 Your your fallen fleshly nature is, you know, controlling you 176 00:10:25,400 --> 00:10:28,280 and you have to prove you're right and the other person's 177 00:10:28,280 --> 00:10:30,960 wrong. And, and that's not the way to 178 00:10:30,960 --> 00:10:32,840 go about it. So he starts in verse 12. 179 00:10:32,840 --> 00:10:38,560 He says our boasting is this the testimony of our conscience that 180 00:10:38,560 --> 00:10:42,920 we conducted ourselves in the world and simplicity and godly 181 00:10:42,920 --> 00:10:47,280 sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God 182 00:10:47,520 --> 00:10:51,560 and more abundantly towards you. So that's the first statement 183 00:10:51,560 --> 00:10:55,560 he's making toward these people that are really upset with him 184 00:10:55,560 --> 00:10:57,920 because he wasn't able to make it to Corinth. 185 00:10:58,280 --> 00:11:01,400 Like he said, he was going to get there because of weather 186 00:11:01,400 --> 00:11:03,600 conditions. The Lord had a different plan. 187 00:11:03,920 --> 00:11:06,800 He had to change his plans and some of the people in the church 188 00:11:06,800 --> 00:11:10,440 were upset with him because he did change his plans. 189 00:11:10,840 --> 00:11:14,240 And so he, he's, he's wanting to help them understand, you know, 190 00:11:14,240 --> 00:11:16,760 the behind the scenes things here. 191 00:11:17,280 --> 00:11:21,560 And he knew that because he was walking with the Lord that he 192 00:11:21,560 --> 00:11:23,880 was ministering to them with a good conscience. 193 00:11:23,880 --> 00:11:26,440 There was nothing in his conscience that was telling him 194 00:11:26,920 --> 00:11:30,040 that what he had done was wrong or inappropriate. 195 00:11:30,320 --> 00:11:33,680 Wasn't that He was perfect. But he allowed the Holy Spirit 196 00:11:33,680 --> 00:11:37,400 to speak into his conscience. Lord, am I OK here? 197 00:11:37,400 --> 00:11:39,440 Am I doing what it is you want me to do? 198 00:11:39,720 --> 00:11:43,680 How can I bring reconciliation to some of these people that are 199 00:11:43,680 --> 00:11:46,240 upset with me? He's asking for wisdom. 200 00:11:46,280 --> 00:11:52,280 And he said that he came to them in sincerity, godly sincerity, 201 00:11:52,280 --> 00:11:55,560 and not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God. 202 00:11:55,560 --> 00:12:00,720 So he he had godly sincerity and he had the grace of God. 203 00:12:00,720 --> 00:12:03,480 He wasn't depending on his own logic or his own thought 204 00:12:03,480 --> 00:12:07,080 processes and how to conduct this relationship with a couple 205 00:12:07,080 --> 00:12:08,880 of these people that were upset with them. 206 00:12:09,320 --> 00:12:13,160 He really was seeking the Lord and he wanted what was best for 207 00:12:13,160 --> 00:12:15,480 them. The grace of God and more 208 00:12:15,480 --> 00:12:19,280 abundantly toward you. Verse 13 for we're not writing 209 00:12:19,280 --> 00:12:23,920 any other things to you than what you read or understood now 210 00:12:23,920 --> 00:12:27,440 I trust you will understand even to the end is also you have 211 00:12:27,440 --> 00:12:32,000 understood us in part that we are your boast as you are also 212 00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:33,560 ours in the day of the Lord Jesus. 213 00:12:33,560 --> 00:12:36,840 So there was another letter, we have First and 2nd Corinthians, 214 00:12:36,840 --> 00:12:40,240 but historically there was a couple other letters that were 215 00:12:40,240 --> 00:12:42,360 lost. And one of the letters was very 216 00:12:42,720 --> 00:12:46,160 strong and severe in the sense of what Paul had to say to the 217 00:12:46,160 --> 00:12:49,600 someone regarding how they were behaving in in leadership and 218 00:12:49,600 --> 00:12:51,040 how they were acting in the church. 219 00:12:51,040 --> 00:12:53,960 He was calling them out publicly through this letter. 220 00:12:54,480 --> 00:13:00,080 And so obviously the person that received the letter or the 221 00:13:00,080 --> 00:13:02,960 people that were reading it that didn't like to hear what he had 222 00:13:02,960 --> 00:13:06,320 to say were having an attitude toward him. 223 00:13:06,720 --> 00:13:09,440 And so there's this broken friendship, this broken 224 00:13:09,520 --> 00:13:13,560 relationship going on with him, the church, some of the people 225 00:13:13,560 --> 00:13:15,280 in the church and the Apostle Paul. 226 00:13:15,560 --> 00:13:18,440 But he, he was bragging though at the end of that verse there 227 00:13:18,440 --> 00:13:21,880 that he is so excited about what the Lord's doing in all their 228 00:13:21,880 --> 00:13:25,480 lives and also what he's doing in their lives that that the 229 00:13:25,480 --> 00:13:27,400 Lord's at work. Let's keep the main thing. 230 00:13:27,640 --> 00:13:30,680 The main thing is that whenever you see God really moving in 231 00:13:30,680 --> 00:13:34,320 people's lives and in the church and in the community, you can't 232 00:13:34,320 --> 00:13:36,800 focus on a couple of negative things that might occur 233 00:13:36,800 --> 00:13:39,520 sometimes because there's too much good stuff going on, right? 234 00:13:40,040 --> 00:13:43,480 And I, I was here yesterday at the men's breakfast with the 235 00:13:43,480 --> 00:13:45,080 guys. There was 21 of us there. 236 00:13:45,080 --> 00:13:49,720 And Matt that opens the back door there taught us in First 237 00:13:49,720 --> 00:13:54,720 Corinthians 25 about God examining our hearts and how 238 00:13:54,720 --> 00:13:58,040 he's always working to change us and to make us more like Jesus. 239 00:13:58,040 --> 00:14:01,240 And I, I was just so blessed looking at those guys and so 240 00:14:01,240 --> 00:14:04,840 many of the men in that group teach here on Wednesday night or 241 00:14:04,840 --> 00:14:08,560 they're teaching the men's breakfast and so much good stuff 242 00:14:08,560 --> 00:14:11,320 going on here at Calvary because of what the Lord's doing, 243 00:14:11,320 --> 00:14:13,200 because of the Holy Spirit and his word. 244 00:14:13,200 --> 00:14:17,200 And this happens in the women's fellowships too, that I, I, I 245 00:14:17,200 --> 00:14:21,360 really hate to see when people can't take advantage of that or 246 00:14:21,360 --> 00:14:24,760 be exposed to it if they want to, or come because they might 247 00:14:24,760 --> 00:14:27,720 have a ought against another brother or sister and they 248 00:14:27,720 --> 00:14:30,560 can't, they can't freely fellowship because they feel 249 00:14:30,560 --> 00:14:34,080 constrained because of a, a broken relationship. 250 00:14:34,480 --> 00:14:38,200 And So what we'll talk about how those broken relationships can 251 00:14:38,200 --> 00:14:41,600 be healed as we move toward the Lord's Supper at the end of this 252 00:14:41,600 --> 00:14:44,160 message. So he continues on. 253 00:14:44,160 --> 00:14:48,880 He says, verse 15. And this confidence I intended 254 00:14:48,880 --> 00:14:52,360 to come to you before that you might have a second benefit. 255 00:14:52,360 --> 00:14:54,840 In other words, I'm going to come to the church and encourage 256 00:14:54,840 --> 00:14:59,080 it and be a blessing to it. That's Paul's desire to pass by 257 00:14:59,080 --> 00:15:02,960 the way of you to Macedonia, down by Greece, to come again 258 00:15:02,960 --> 00:15:06,640 from Macedonia to you and be helped by you on my way to 259 00:15:06,640 --> 00:15:09,880 Judea. Therefore, when I was planning 260 00:15:09,880 --> 00:15:13,560 this, did I do it lightly or haphazardly? 261 00:15:13,560 --> 00:15:15,800 He was. This was his direction from the 262 00:15:15,800 --> 00:15:18,600 Lord. Or the things I plan to do. 263 00:15:18,600 --> 00:15:23,280 I plan according to the flesh that with me there should be 264 00:15:23,400 --> 00:15:28,120 yes, yes and no, no. So he's, he's trying to help 265 00:15:28,120 --> 00:15:32,320 them understand that the changes that happened wasn't a result of 266 00:15:32,320 --> 00:15:35,880 his own decision making. The Holy Spirit was leading him 267 00:15:35,880 --> 00:15:39,120 to do something different. And he said, whenever I tell you 268 00:15:39,120 --> 00:15:41,640 yes, I, I'm meaning yes from the Lord. 269 00:15:41,880 --> 00:15:45,280 And when I'm telling you no, I'm being sincere and honest that my 270 00:15:45,280 --> 00:15:47,280 no is a no. I'm not saying yes when it 271 00:15:47,280 --> 00:15:49,920 should be a no or no when it should be a yes, but he's 272 00:15:49,920 --> 00:15:52,520 straight up in his his communication with them. 273 00:15:53,040 --> 00:15:56,760 And he said in verse 18, but as God is faithful, our word to you 274 00:15:57,040 --> 00:16:01,360 was not yes or no for the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was 275 00:16:01,360 --> 00:16:05,600 preached among you by us by me, Sylvanius and Timothy was not 276 00:16:05,600 --> 00:16:10,360 yes and no, but in him was yes for all the promises of God in 277 00:16:10,360 --> 00:16:15,200 him are yes and in him Amen to the glory of God through us. 278 00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:20,680 And so the the big picture is in regard to struggles and 279 00:16:20,680 --> 00:16:26,880 communication and relationship is not my opinion or my emotions 280 00:16:26,880 --> 00:16:32,160 or my feelings or my offenses or my hurt or my pain or my 281 00:16:32,160 --> 00:16:34,520 anguish. It really has to be focused on 282 00:16:34,520 --> 00:16:38,240 like what's the big picture in the Kingdom of God? 283 00:16:38,520 --> 00:16:43,520 And it's like his word is always what helps us to be able to be 284 00:16:43,520 --> 00:16:46,280 reconciled. If we're listening, His word is 285 00:16:46,280 --> 00:16:49,200 what calms us down. His word, as they sang in the 286 00:16:49,200 --> 00:16:53,240 worship, is a lamp into our feet, a light unto our path. 287 00:16:53,560 --> 00:16:56,720 He calms us. When you, the worship team sang 288 00:16:56,720 --> 00:16:59,920 that this morning, I don't know about you, but I just sense this 289 00:16:59,920 --> 00:17:05,319 calmness coming over me. Jesus, he's the Prince of peace. 290 00:17:06,119 --> 00:17:10,359 He's the one that can heal the most damaged of relationships 291 00:17:10,359 --> 00:17:14,720 and broken people. He he takes all of us as, as, as 292 00:17:14,720 --> 00:17:18,560 messed up, broken people and that our lives have been ruined 293 00:17:18,560 --> 00:17:22,640 because of sin. And he isn't offended by us. 294 00:17:22,640 --> 00:17:25,520 He, he doesn't write us off. He doesn't say, I don't want to 295 00:17:25,520 --> 00:17:28,600 have anything to do with you. He, he puts his arms out all the 296 00:17:28,600 --> 00:17:33,240 time and says, come, come to me and I'll, I'll make this right, 297 00:17:33,240 --> 00:17:36,640 I'll change it, I'll fix it, I'll fix you. 298 00:17:37,320 --> 00:17:41,760 And for many of us, that's our testimony of his grace and, and, 299 00:17:41,760 --> 00:17:45,440 and he makes us to be that way with one another. 300 00:17:45,440 --> 00:17:48,040 I want to be that kind of person with other people. 301 00:17:49,040 --> 00:17:52,760 I want to help them be made whole. 302 00:17:53,400 --> 00:17:57,520 I want to see the Lord transform their lives and, and take 303 00:17:57,520 --> 00:18:01,720 situations that seem impossible and turn them into wonderful, 304 00:18:01,720 --> 00:18:06,600 wonderful stories. He, he's the one that restores 305 00:18:06,600 --> 00:18:09,920 what the locust has eaten. He's the one that makes all 306 00:18:09,920 --> 00:18:12,840 things new and he can still make all things new. 307 00:18:12,840 --> 00:18:16,920 And the most broken and damage of of relationships. 308 00:18:18,080 --> 00:18:22,720 And so he continues on and and he has Sylvanus and Timothy 309 00:18:22,720 --> 00:18:26,400 working with him, which is a blessing to give him prayer and 310 00:18:26,400 --> 00:18:30,320 counsel and talk things through and also be people who will 311 00:18:30,320 --> 00:18:34,320 minister to that church in Corinth when he can't be there. 312 00:18:34,760 --> 00:18:39,320 You, you have partners in ministry, you have guys that 313 00:18:39,320 --> 00:18:42,880 help help you or women that help you or the body of Christ. 314 00:18:42,880 --> 00:18:47,240 The team I'm so thankful for, for Lewis and John and George 315 00:18:47,240 --> 00:18:50,760 and and, and Brad and Nick and Tom, the, the deacons and the 316 00:18:50,760 --> 00:18:53,720 elders. I, I don't have to, to try to do 317 00:18:53,720 --> 00:18:56,720 this myself anymore. I when I started with Cindy and 318 00:18:56,720 --> 00:19:00,960 me and I certainly had no, I, I just knew I loved God and I 319 00:19:00,960 --> 00:19:03,520 loved people and I wanted to see his word work in people's lives. 320 00:19:03,800 --> 00:19:06,760 I thought when people got together kumbaya everybody flow 321 00:19:06,760 --> 00:19:09,280 that way, something loving and joyful and peaceful. 322 00:19:09,560 --> 00:19:12,040 It didn't take too long to realize, man, it doesn't, 323 00:19:12,040 --> 00:19:13,880 doesn't flow that way sometimes, right? 324 00:19:14,360 --> 00:19:19,520 And it was, it was chaotic at times and painful and I and I 325 00:19:19,520 --> 00:19:22,400 hated it. You know, I had to go to church 326 00:19:22,400 --> 00:19:24,880 on Sunday and I didn't want to go to church on Sunday, but I 327 00:19:24,880 --> 00:19:26,600 had to because I was a pastor, right? 328 00:19:27,000 --> 00:19:31,040 And so there there I am dealing with the, the conflicts of the 329 00:19:31,040 --> 00:19:35,520 struggles that are backbiting or whatever, you know, and it 330 00:19:35,520 --> 00:19:37,160 wasn't easy, but the Lord got me through it. 331 00:19:37,160 --> 00:19:42,240 But now I have guys and gals beside me that pray for me and 332 00:19:42,240 --> 00:19:45,320 give me counsel. We have a decision to make or 333 00:19:45,320 --> 00:19:47,760 conflict that we have to try to resolve or whatever. 334 00:19:48,320 --> 00:19:50,000 I don't have to be the guy that doesn't. 335 00:19:50,000 --> 00:19:53,640 Now, I'll help if I need to, obviously, but there's other 336 00:19:53,640 --> 00:19:57,440 people and we're going to find like the biblical manner of how 337 00:19:57,440 --> 00:20:00,400 God chooses to deal with conflict and lives. 338 00:20:00,920 --> 00:20:04,680 From Matthew 18 before we take the Lord's Supper today, that's 339 00:20:04,680 --> 00:20:08,000 so straight up and clear. If we just do what Jesus says, 340 00:20:08,200 --> 00:20:12,200 there'd be no problems in, in, in relationships and definitely 341 00:20:12,200 --> 00:20:14,640 in the church. But lots of times we don't want 342 00:20:14,640 --> 00:20:17,600 to do what Jesus says, right? We want to do what we what we 343 00:20:17,600 --> 00:20:18,920 want to do and then we mess it up. 344 00:20:18,920 --> 00:20:23,000 That's the problem, right? So anyway, he continues on that. 345 00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:29,600 He says now he who establishes us with you is in Christ and as 346 00:20:29,600 --> 00:20:34,800 an anointed us is God who also sealed us and has given us the 347 00:20:34,800 --> 00:20:37,040 Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. 348 00:20:37,480 --> 00:20:40,600 So the beautiful thing is everyone of you here today that 349 00:20:40,600 --> 00:20:45,160 are born again or anointed by God, you have the Holy Spirit in 350 00:20:45,160 --> 00:20:49,120 you and he's the guarantee that God is with you. 351 00:20:49,720 --> 00:20:51,600 He's a guarantee of your inheritance. 352 00:20:51,600 --> 00:20:54,600 Not any for eternity. But right now I'm in a 353 00:20:54,600 --> 00:20:58,880 situation, Lord, I don't know what to do about it, but your 354 00:20:58,880 --> 00:21:03,360 Holy Spirit's there and I'm trusting He will show me how to 355 00:21:03,360 --> 00:21:06,040 resolve whatever the issue might be. 356 00:21:06,240 --> 00:21:08,960 Now, most of my conflicts now in my life isn't in church. 357 00:21:08,960 --> 00:21:12,680 It's with Cindy. You know, Cindy, she's tough, 358 00:21:12,680 --> 00:21:17,000 man, she's wonderful, but she's tough and she will not put up 359 00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:20,760 with nonsense in my life. She she will speak to me and 360 00:21:20,760 --> 00:21:24,720 tell me like, you're out of line and you call yourself a pastor. 361 00:21:24,720 --> 00:21:26,520 I said, no, they call me a pastor, right? 362 00:21:27,360 --> 00:21:31,640 But but anyway, you know, she gets real with me and, and I've 363 00:21:31,640 --> 00:21:35,960 learned to listen more than I did when I was younger as, as 364 00:21:35,960 --> 00:21:39,880 opposed to justifying my position or that I'm right. 365 00:21:39,880 --> 00:21:45,760 Or would she say gaslighter? You know that term gaslight that 366 00:21:45,760 --> 00:21:49,400 our counselors back here know this gaslighting is something we 367 00:21:49,400 --> 00:21:52,600 all can do to make it feel like it's the other person's fault 368 00:21:52,600 --> 00:21:56,440 and not mine, right? So she knows all the terminology 369 00:21:56,440 --> 00:21:58,120 too. I can't trick her like I used to 370 00:21:58,120 --> 00:22:02,560 when she was younger that but anyway, I've learned how to, to 371 00:22:02,560 --> 00:22:07,400 deal with conflict in my home in a way that honors the Lord and, 372 00:22:07,440 --> 00:22:10,480 and ends up blessing her and blessing, blessing me too. 373 00:22:11,120 --> 00:22:14,280 I've learned how to do that more now with my daughters and my son 374 00:22:14,280 --> 00:22:17,520 in law's and my, my grandchildren and, and people. 375 00:22:17,520 --> 00:22:19,920 I work with them. And, and what's wonderful is as 376 00:22:19,920 --> 00:22:22,000 we're in the word of God and we're learning the word of God, 377 00:22:22,280 --> 00:22:25,320 he teaches us how to get through these tough times in life, 378 00:22:25,320 --> 00:22:28,720 doesn't he? He really does before you have 379 00:22:28,720 --> 00:22:31,880 the word, man, you don't know how to deal with these kind of 380 00:22:31,920 --> 00:22:34,000 issues and conflicts that happen in life. 381 00:22:35,080 --> 00:22:37,880 And you, you're trying to find books or how do you deal with 382 00:22:37,880 --> 00:22:39,520 this idiot? And how do you deal with this 383 00:22:39,520 --> 00:22:42,400 person? And, and you just can't seem to 384 00:22:42,680 --> 00:22:46,880 define a foundation. And then you get in the word and 385 00:22:46,880 --> 00:22:49,080 you find, Oh my gosh, I should have looked here the whole time. 386 00:22:49,080 --> 00:22:52,440 The Bible teaches how to dress these things and how to deal 387 00:22:52,440 --> 00:22:55,160 with them. And then you begin to get change 388 00:22:55,160 --> 00:22:58,800 you, the Holy Spirit transforms you inside and then you're able 389 00:22:58,800 --> 00:23:04,120 to begin to be a peacemaker and not a troublemaker or a divisive 390 00:23:04,400 --> 00:23:09,240 person. And so he promises us the Lord, 391 00:23:09,240 --> 00:23:11,960 this guarantee the Holy Spirit. We're not in this stuff by 392 00:23:11,960 --> 00:23:15,160 ourselves. Moreover, I call God his witness 393 00:23:15,160 --> 00:23:20,680 against my soul that to spare you, I came no more to Corinth. 394 00:23:21,480 --> 00:23:24,320 Not that we have dominion over your faith, but we are fellow 395 00:23:24,320 --> 00:23:29,880 workers for your joy by for you, by faith, you stand. 396 00:23:30,040 --> 00:23:35,400 So Paul was not a big shot. He didn't run the church in 397 00:23:35,400 --> 00:23:37,840 Corinth, nor did he run the New Testament church. 398 00:23:38,080 --> 00:23:41,120 He was a servant. He had an authority, but he 399 00:23:41,120 --> 00:23:45,040 didn't push that authority down on people and make them submit 400 00:23:45,040 --> 00:23:48,360 to him. He just LED them by love and 401 00:23:48,360 --> 00:23:51,040 grace and was there to help people. 402 00:23:51,040 --> 00:23:55,160 But it was up to them personally to hear from the Lord and deal 403 00:23:55,160 --> 00:23:58,560 with their own hearts in regard to the difficulties and 404 00:23:58,560 --> 00:24:02,040 challenges. And I don't have dominion over 405 00:24:02,040 --> 00:24:04,600 your faith any more than you. You have it over mine. 406 00:24:05,040 --> 00:24:08,040 I can tell you what the Bible teaches about certain things. 407 00:24:08,040 --> 00:24:10,960 And it's up to you whether you're going to submit and yield 408 00:24:10,960 --> 00:24:13,920 and surrender to the Lord and His will in regard to what His 409 00:24:13,920 --> 00:24:16,240 Word says, or you're going to choose not to. 410 00:24:16,600 --> 00:24:19,000 And if you choose not to, you know, I pray for you. 411 00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:21,840 I know that God will deal with you if you're not listening. 412 00:24:22,360 --> 00:24:25,560 He's patient. But it won't work out the way 413 00:24:25,560 --> 00:24:27,320 you want it to work out if you don't do it. 414 00:24:27,520 --> 00:24:32,400 Do it God's way. And so Paul in chapter 2 said, I 415 00:24:32,400 --> 00:24:35,920 determined this within myself, that I would not come again to 416 00:24:35,920 --> 00:24:37,520 you. And sorrow, in other words, he 417 00:24:37,720 --> 00:24:40,400 knew that there was some of these people there that thus 418 00:24:40,400 --> 00:24:43,480 didn't want to see his face. And he knew he had to deal with 419 00:24:43,480 --> 00:24:47,040 some situations, but he wasn't going to go and create needless 420 00:24:47,040 --> 00:24:52,000 sorrow and pain and anguish if they weren't able to receive him 421 00:24:52,000 --> 00:24:54,600 and be open to the Holy Spirit and what he had to say. 422 00:24:55,680 --> 00:24:59,760 For if I make you sorrowful, then who is he who makes me glad 423 00:24:59,760 --> 00:25:02,840 but the one who is made sorrowful by me? 424 00:25:03,080 --> 00:25:07,480 So there's a sad person, there's a happy person, there's a joyful 425 00:25:07,480 --> 00:25:11,400 person, there's an angry person, there's a a mad person, there's 426 00:25:11,400 --> 00:25:14,720 a gracious person. You always get two sides to the 427 00:25:14,720 --> 00:25:17,720 conflict. So he says in verse 3, And I 428 00:25:17,720 --> 00:25:20,400 wrote this very thing to you, lest I came. 429 00:25:20,400 --> 00:25:23,880 I should have sorrow over the things from whom I ought to have 430 00:25:23,880 --> 00:25:28,360 joy, having confidence in you all that my joy is a joy of you 431 00:25:28,400 --> 00:25:30,720 all. For out of much affliction and 432 00:25:30,720 --> 00:25:34,720 anguish of heart, I write to you with many tears, not that you 433 00:25:34,720 --> 00:25:38,600 should be grieved, but you might know the love which I have so 434 00:25:38,600 --> 00:25:41,440 abundantly for you. So Paul had so much love for the 435 00:25:41,440 --> 00:25:44,000 church and for the people in the church. 436 00:25:44,360 --> 00:25:48,120 And, and what broke his heart was whenever people weren't 437 00:25:48,200 --> 00:25:51,040 flowing in the fruit of the Spirit, they weren't 438 00:25:51,200 --> 00:25:54,440 experiencing the love and the joy and the peace and the 439 00:25:54,440 --> 00:25:57,080 long-suffering and the gentleness and the goodness and 440 00:25:57,080 --> 00:25:59,840 the meekness. There was angry and outburst of 441 00:26:00,280 --> 00:26:04,800 anger and, and all the works of the flesh of, of saying things 442 00:26:04,800 --> 00:26:07,440 that I regret I should have said or things I know I shouldn't 443 00:26:07,440 --> 00:26:10,160 have said or whatever. And and you create more of a 444 00:26:10,160 --> 00:26:13,080 mess whenever you don't do it again. 445 00:26:13,160 --> 00:26:16,680 The through the power of the holy of us, Paul is pouring out 446 00:26:16,680 --> 00:26:20,760 his heart saying that we need to forgive the person who offended 447 00:26:20,760 --> 00:26:22,840 us. That's what we always have to do 448 00:26:22,840 --> 00:26:24,920 in the Lord's Prayer. It says forgive us. 449 00:26:25,800 --> 00:26:31,960 You know, when the Lord tells us to pray his prayer, I got to 450 00:26:31,960 --> 00:26:37,360 forgive those who trespass against me so that my Father 451 00:26:37,360 --> 00:26:40,400 will forgive me for my trespasses against him. 452 00:26:41,240 --> 00:26:44,720 And later on, it tells us that if you don't forgive people 453 00:26:44,720 --> 00:26:48,640 their trespasses, their sins, neither will your heavenly 454 00:26:48,640 --> 00:26:51,120 Father forgive you of yours. That's shocking. 455 00:26:52,200 --> 00:26:54,640 And so I'm saved, I'm going to heaven. 456 00:26:54,640 --> 00:26:57,320 I, I love Jesus. Well, the Lord's like, well, if 457 00:26:57,320 --> 00:26:59,280 you love me, you're going to forgive people. 458 00:27:00,560 --> 00:27:02,480 That's who I am. I forgive people. 459 00:27:02,480 --> 00:27:04,800 And if you're mine, you're going to be like me and you're going 460 00:27:04,800 --> 00:27:07,320 to forgive people for their sins. 461 00:27:08,040 --> 00:27:11,560 If you don't forgive people, then I'm not going to forgive 462 00:27:11,560 --> 00:27:13,040 you. And then you think, what does 463 00:27:13,040 --> 00:27:15,040 that mean? Does that mean I'm not going to 464 00:27:15,040 --> 00:27:17,200 go to heaven? I think that's pretty clear. 465 00:27:17,760 --> 00:27:22,920 If your sins are not forgiven by him, you won't go to heaven. 466 00:27:23,760 --> 00:27:26,960 So this this relationship correlates with our 467 00:27:26,960 --> 00:27:31,280 relationships with one another. And he and he loved them so much 468 00:27:31,280 --> 00:27:36,200 and he was grieved by what he saw was occurring in the church 469 00:27:36,200 --> 00:27:41,360 at this time. And so whenever you have 470 00:27:41,360 --> 00:27:45,040 conflicts and maybe you're taking some notes, I hope you do 471 00:27:45,520 --> 00:27:47,920 because you can think about these and maybe pray maybe you 472 00:27:47,920 --> 00:27:50,960 have a conflict with a husband, a wife, a child, a neighbor, a 473 00:27:50,960 --> 00:27:56,440 Co worker, whatever. You want to be able to have a 474 00:27:56,440 --> 00:28:00,840 clear conscience and how you you do what you need to do. 475 00:28:02,320 --> 00:28:07,440 You want to be able to have a loving heart and esteem others 476 00:28:07,440 --> 00:28:09,520 more highly than you do yourself. 477 00:28:10,360 --> 00:28:14,880 So we're going to go to Matthew 18 right now as we lead up into 478 00:28:14,880 --> 00:28:17,920 the Lord's Supper and the Lord's Supper here every week when we 479 00:28:17,920 --> 00:28:21,480 take it is an opportunity to break bread with the Lord, 480 00:28:21,480 --> 00:28:25,040 obviously, and defeat on his life with each other. 481 00:28:25,360 --> 00:28:29,440 But it's also an opportunity to make amends with with our hearts 482 00:28:29,440 --> 00:28:33,640 with the Lord for sure, if we're out of sorts with him, but also 483 00:28:33,680 --> 00:28:37,680 how we are going to see him fix situations in our lives with 484 00:28:38,040 --> 00:28:41,680 with maybe some other people we need to to get right with right. 485 00:28:41,960 --> 00:28:48,080 So Matthew 18 is the teaching on how we we handle these things. 486 00:28:48,960 --> 00:28:52,640 He says if you're dealing with the sinning brother or sister, 487 00:28:52,640 --> 00:28:57,160 OK, maybe someone sinned against you and did something wrong or 488 00:28:57,160 --> 00:28:59,720 said something that wasn't that wasn't appropriate or whatever. 489 00:28:59,720 --> 00:29:01,840 And all the sudden there's this conflict. 490 00:29:02,120 --> 00:29:05,960 He says in verse 15, Moreover, if your brother and sister, 491 00:29:05,960 --> 00:29:11,080 whatever sins against you, go and tell him his fault between 492 00:29:11,080 --> 00:29:14,240 you and him alone. That's where it starts. 493 00:29:14,960 --> 00:29:18,520 If we would do this in relate, like Cindy and I talk about 494 00:29:18,520 --> 00:29:22,000 short accounts all the time. If I've upset her about 495 00:29:22,000 --> 00:29:26,760 something, I don't want her to come to me 60 days later and say 496 00:29:26,760 --> 00:29:30,760 you said this and you did this or you acted this way. 497 00:29:30,760 --> 00:29:33,840 Or I mean, there used to be a time in my life we'd be talking, 498 00:29:33,840 --> 00:29:37,240 she'd be upset and she would bring things up like like 20 499 00:29:37,240 --> 00:29:39,760 years ago. I don't even know what she's 500 00:29:39,760 --> 00:29:41,840 talking about, right? I really don't. 501 00:29:41,880 --> 00:29:44,120 But she does. She knows you remember, it's 502 00:29:44,120 --> 00:29:47,560 still there, right? And, and sometimes you have a 503 00:29:47,560 --> 00:29:50,320 conflict with someone and they they burst out and you're like, 504 00:29:50,560 --> 00:29:53,280 have you been holding this thing for me against me for a while? 505 00:29:53,280 --> 00:29:54,960 And you didn't even know you had it in your heart. 506 00:29:54,960 --> 00:29:59,320 But the Holy Spirit reveals it in a in a painful way sometimes, 507 00:29:59,320 --> 00:30:00,800 but it's necessary to get it out. 508 00:30:00,800 --> 00:30:03,880 So you can say, yeah, I didn't realize that was there. 509 00:30:03,880 --> 00:30:06,960 And I need to to see the Lord deal with this thing and pull it 510 00:30:06,960 --> 00:30:08,960 out of my heart says not an issue. 511 00:30:08,960 --> 00:30:13,320 So all I could say when Cindy would say that I'd say I don't 512 00:30:13,320 --> 00:30:15,680 really remember that, but I can see I was wrong. 513 00:30:15,680 --> 00:30:19,200 Will you forgive me? And then you know, she she will, 514 00:30:19,200 --> 00:30:21,240 she'll forgive me. It's important that she maybe 515 00:30:21,240 --> 00:30:23,600 talks about some of these things with me at times. 516 00:30:24,600 --> 00:30:29,680 Now it's usually within an hour that I know I did something 517 00:30:29,680 --> 00:30:31,480 wrong. I can just tell by the 518 00:30:31,480 --> 00:30:34,160 expression on her face the way she is. 519 00:30:34,160 --> 00:30:35,600 Right. OK. 520 00:30:35,600 --> 00:30:37,080 You're upset. What do you mean? 521 00:30:37,080 --> 00:30:38,600 I said you're upset about something. 522 00:30:38,600 --> 00:30:40,720 No, I'm fine. No, you're not fine. 523 00:30:41,280 --> 00:30:43,960 I don't want to talk about it. Well, we need to talk about it. 524 00:30:43,960 --> 00:30:47,280 What's wrong? Well, you said this and you did. 525 00:30:47,600 --> 00:30:50,880 I said, well, that isn't really what I said, but you know, this 526 00:30:50,880 --> 00:30:52,400 is what I meant. No, you meant. 527 00:30:52,520 --> 00:30:54,280 And then we go through all that stuff, right? 528 00:30:54,680 --> 00:30:57,960 So then finally I have to like, OK, Lord, where's the truth in 529 00:30:57,960 --> 00:30:59,320 this? Is she deceived? 530 00:30:59,320 --> 00:31:01,200 Usually she is the one that's deceived. 531 00:31:01,200 --> 00:31:05,800 But no, I'm just kidding. I'm just kidding. 532 00:31:05,800 --> 00:31:07,360 I'm going to start a battle here. 533 00:31:08,200 --> 00:31:10,280 It's her birthday. So I like the message. 534 00:31:10,280 --> 00:31:16,240 Up until that part, Claire. But anyway, I have to listen and 535 00:31:16,240 --> 00:31:18,600 all of a sudden, like I got to take what do you say? 536 00:31:18,600 --> 00:31:24,000 The low, the low level thing. Maybe it wasn't my fault to the 537 00:31:24,000 --> 00:31:26,520 degree that maybe she thinks it was. 538 00:31:26,560 --> 00:31:29,880 Maybe, but I I just got to say you're right. 539 00:31:29,880 --> 00:31:31,600 I was wrong. I mean, what do I have to lose 540 00:31:31,600 --> 00:31:33,960 by admitting I'm wrong? I mean, I have everything to 541 00:31:33,960 --> 00:31:35,080 win. She'll be happy. 542 00:31:35,760 --> 00:31:39,880 Even if I know I was right. Doesn't doesn't matter anymore, 543 00:31:39,880 --> 00:31:41,800 right? It's all it's it's already taken 544 00:31:41,800 --> 00:31:43,800 care of. We move on, right? 545 00:31:43,800 --> 00:31:45,560 We move on. I was wrong. 546 00:31:46,080 --> 00:31:50,760 So I'm learning to say I'm wrong much faster and much quicker. 547 00:31:51,920 --> 00:31:55,960 So anyway, you go to the person yourself alone and you might 548 00:31:55,960 --> 00:31:58,480 think, well, if I do that, they're not going to be, they're 549 00:31:58,480 --> 00:32:00,080 not going to listen to me. They're not going to want to 550 00:32:00,080 --> 00:32:01,880 hear. And you know, and a lot of times 551 00:32:01,880 --> 00:32:04,040 they're not, they're going to say, well, you, you were the one 552 00:32:04,040 --> 00:32:06,560 that you were the fault, you were the and and then you got to 553 00:32:06,560 --> 00:32:08,560 go through that. But then if you're humbling, you 554 00:32:08,560 --> 00:32:10,960 say, OK, I got to hear what you're saying. 555 00:32:10,960 --> 00:32:14,520 I didn't understand it what I did or how that happened came 556 00:32:14,520 --> 00:32:17,280 across the way it did and and made you feel this way. 557 00:32:17,280 --> 00:32:21,600 I, I had no idea. And I'm sorry that the way I 558 00:32:21,600 --> 00:32:25,760 handled this with you cause problem and a conflict. 559 00:32:26,200 --> 00:32:28,960 Will you forgive me? And most of the time the person 560 00:32:28,960 --> 00:32:31,840 will be shocked that you are that quick to, to respond and 561 00:32:31,840 --> 00:32:34,040 not need to try to cover yourself. 562 00:32:34,040 --> 00:32:36,360 But you're just like, you're wanting to get it right. 563 00:32:36,360 --> 00:32:39,240 You're wanting to get it out and you're wanting to get it passed 564 00:32:39,240 --> 00:32:41,920 by. And if people can do that, and 565 00:32:41,920 --> 00:32:47,520 it says here, if they hear you, you've gained your brother, OK, 566 00:32:47,560 --> 00:32:50,800 So that's the upside. If they listen, they say, wow, I 567 00:32:50,800 --> 00:32:53,640 hear what you're saying and I am sorry. 568 00:32:53,640 --> 00:32:57,280 And all of a sudden the conflict is resolved and you can move on. 569 00:32:57,280 --> 00:32:59,040 That's great. You've gained your brother. 570 00:32:59,240 --> 00:33:03,920 But if they won't hear you, then you take one or more with you, 571 00:33:03,920 --> 00:33:07,200 one or two or more that by the mouth of two or three witness 572 00:33:07,200 --> 00:33:08,840 that every word may be established. 573 00:33:08,840 --> 00:33:13,080 So it isn't like backbiting. I'm going to go get some people 574 00:33:13,080 --> 00:33:16,960 on my side that really don't like this other person. 575 00:33:16,960 --> 00:33:18,520 Like I don't like them right now. 576 00:33:18,800 --> 00:33:20,680 No, that's not you. You want to get like some 577 00:33:20,680 --> 00:33:25,080 impartial people to go case you to be a witness to the 578 00:33:25,080 --> 00:33:29,080 conversation so they can be resolved and be taken care of 579 00:33:29,080 --> 00:33:32,400 and then and then be moved on. And if you take the right people 580 00:33:32,400 --> 00:33:35,200 and they're humble and they've helped you calm down a little 581 00:33:35,200 --> 00:33:38,200 bit in your heart and not make a bigger deal out of something, 582 00:33:38,200 --> 00:33:40,040 then it doesn't really need to be made. 583 00:33:40,480 --> 00:33:44,560 Then again, the goal is the reconciliation and everything 584 00:33:44,560 --> 00:33:50,560 will be resolved. But if the person refuses to 585 00:33:50,560 --> 00:33:55,400 hear hear them, you with the two witnesses, then eventually you 586 00:33:55,400 --> 00:33:56,800 got to bring it to the church, right? 587 00:33:56,800 --> 00:34:00,000 And that's the last thing that you want to have to do in a 588 00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:02,920 church. It is called church discipline. 589 00:34:03,120 --> 00:34:05,360 And these aren't like minor skirmishes. 590 00:34:05,360 --> 00:34:10,320 These are, these are big deals, usually someone spreading heresy 591 00:34:10,320 --> 00:34:13,960 in the church or something living in blatant immorality or 592 00:34:13,960 --> 00:34:19,000 someone being accused of a crime that they're not admitting to. 593 00:34:19,000 --> 00:34:22,520 Or, you know, these, these, this is really the, the bigger stuff 594 00:34:22,840 --> 00:34:25,679 that would eventually be brought to the church. 595 00:34:26,080 --> 00:34:29,920 And and whenever the person isn't willing to repent of like 596 00:34:29,920 --> 00:34:32,360 sadium or out maybe they have an adultery with someone in the 597 00:34:32,360 --> 00:34:35,360 church and you got two families involved and you got to like, 598 00:34:35,360 --> 00:34:38,520 OK, it's got to be dealt with. And if it isn't dealt with, I'm 599 00:34:38,520 --> 00:34:41,280 sorry, you cannot come to Calvary Chapel next Sunday 600 00:34:41,280 --> 00:34:44,800 because we don't condone this. We don't accept that this is not 601 00:34:44,800 --> 00:34:48,320 pleasing to the Lord and this will offend and defile other 602 00:34:48,320 --> 00:34:49,920 people. Or if they know what's going on 603 00:34:49,960 --> 00:34:53,600 and we didn't deal with it appropriately or you know, but 604 00:34:53,600 --> 00:34:55,679 the last thing you want to do is get to this point. 605 00:34:55,800 --> 00:34:59,240 But if you have to, then you have to treat them, it says like 606 00:34:59,240 --> 00:35:01,800 a heathen than a tax collector. And it doesn't mean you don't 607 00:35:01,800 --> 00:35:03,800 love them. But in other words, if they're 608 00:35:03,800 --> 00:35:07,960 refusing to get right with God, the church isn't really the 609 00:35:07,960 --> 00:35:12,480 place to be hanging out. Just just don't come to church 610 00:35:12,480 --> 00:35:14,040 for now. Surely. 611 00:35:14,040 --> 00:35:16,880 I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound on 612 00:35:16,880 --> 00:35:20,320 heaven, and whatever you loose on earth is loose in heaven. 613 00:35:21,040 --> 00:35:24,520 Again, I say to you that if 2 of you agree on earth concerning 614 00:35:24,520 --> 00:35:28,360 anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in 615 00:35:28,360 --> 00:35:31,400 heaven for two or three are gathered together in my name. 616 00:35:31,400 --> 00:35:34,960 I'm there in the midst of them. So whenever the two or three go 617 00:35:34,960 --> 00:35:38,800 to the person with the two people that are in conflict, I 618 00:35:38,800 --> 00:35:42,120 love that promise there that the Lord is there in the midst of 619 00:35:42,120 --> 00:35:44,960 this conversation with all of us together. 620 00:35:44,960 --> 00:35:47,280 Jesus is like he's the arbitrator. 621 00:35:47,280 --> 00:35:50,720 He's he's the the judge. Obviously we're not, but he he's 622 00:35:50,720 --> 00:35:54,280 the one that sees everything. He knows the heart, He sees the 623 00:35:54,280 --> 00:35:57,360 conversation. He, he knows what he wants to 624 00:35:57,360 --> 00:36:01,280 see happen as a result of the meeting and that's what he's 625 00:36:01,280 --> 00:36:05,040 interceding and praying for that these families, these people, 626 00:36:05,040 --> 00:36:08,280 these individuals could be reconciled and love each other 627 00:36:08,280 --> 00:36:11,200 and have communion and, and fellowship together again. 628 00:36:11,680 --> 00:36:15,480 And, and that's, that's the purpose of, of, of these kind of 629 00:36:15,560 --> 00:36:20,120 verses to, to know how to, to get through these things as the 630 00:36:20,120 --> 00:36:24,320 worship team can come forward and we can pray and, and take 631 00:36:24,320 --> 00:36:27,560 the Lord's Supper together. So don't you like the Bible? 632 00:36:27,560 --> 00:36:31,280 It's, it's just not like happy go lucky kind of simple stuff 633 00:36:31,280 --> 00:36:33,600 all the time. It gets into the nitty gritty 634 00:36:33,600 --> 00:36:37,240 stuff of what we all deal with as as Christians and as human 635 00:36:37,240 --> 00:36:41,480 beings in life so that we might know how to handle life. 636 00:36:42,080 --> 00:36:45,760 I love what the scriptures say that God has given us all things 637 00:36:45,760 --> 00:36:50,520 to pertain to life and godliness in Christ Jesus is not one 638 00:36:50,520 --> 00:36:53,880 subject that you are dealing with in your life that isn't 639 00:36:54,560 --> 00:36:58,960 addressed in the scriptures. And that's why it says for all 640 00:36:58,960 --> 00:37:02,120 scripture is given by inspiration of God as profitable 641 00:37:02,120 --> 00:37:06,120 for doctrine, for reproof, for correction and instruction of 642 00:37:06,120 --> 00:37:09,080 righteousness. The word of God reproves me. 643 00:37:10,240 --> 00:37:16,680 It wakes me up, it corrects me. It it, it keeps me where I need 644 00:37:16,680 --> 00:37:19,600 to be. If I don't have the word of God, 645 00:37:20,160 --> 00:37:25,720 I'm rebellious, I'm proud, I'm arrogant, I'm always wanting to 646 00:37:25,720 --> 00:37:29,560 justify my actions or my behaviors. 647 00:37:29,560 --> 00:37:33,040 But whenever the the word is open up to me. 648 00:37:33,960 --> 00:37:37,680 The Bible says that the word is sharper than any 2 edged sword. 649 00:37:38,080 --> 00:37:42,320 It's able to cut divide the soul and spirit. 650 00:37:42,320 --> 00:37:44,400 It's it pulls everything apart in the heart. 651 00:37:44,640 --> 00:37:48,480 It says it's a very discerner of the thoughts and intents of the 652 00:37:48,480 --> 00:37:50,320 heart. That's how powerful this word 653 00:37:50,320 --> 00:37:54,000 is. It cuts, but it cuts in love. 654 00:37:54,000 --> 00:37:57,960 It cuts with grace. It cuts to change you. 655 00:37:58,440 --> 00:38:02,920 And the more you submit to the Word of God, the more you change 656 00:38:03,680 --> 00:38:05,840 and the more you become like Jesus, right? 657 00:38:05,840 --> 00:38:10,120 And that's the purpose of the church to worship the Lord, is 658 00:38:10,120 --> 00:38:14,080 that we would become more Christ like because the more Christ 659 00:38:14,080 --> 00:38:18,800 like we are, the more of a blessing will be to everyone 660 00:38:18,800 --> 00:38:22,440 that comes into our past. So as we prepare for the supper 661 00:38:22,440 --> 00:38:25,720 today, you know, I don't know what your deals are, your 662 00:38:25,720 --> 00:38:27,440 issues, you know, with people, whatever. 663 00:38:27,800 --> 00:38:31,920 I know, you know, my, my challenges with, with people. 664 00:38:31,920 --> 00:38:35,120 I work with some people I I prefer not to sit at the dinner 665 00:38:35,120 --> 00:38:36,560 table with when I'm in a meeting. 666 00:38:37,080 --> 00:38:40,120 But I got to say, OK, Lord, that's my wrong attitude. 667 00:38:40,120 --> 00:38:42,520 OK, how can I befriend this person? 668 00:38:42,520 --> 00:38:46,960 How can I find a way to find something in common with them? 669 00:38:46,960 --> 00:38:50,640 How can I be interested in them even though everything they say 670 00:38:50,640 --> 00:38:52,560 and do an act turns me off, right? 671 00:38:54,000 --> 00:38:57,400 God has not called me to be an isolationist from anybody. 672 00:38:58,440 --> 00:39:01,480 You know, my flesh would be able to make a decision. 673 00:39:01,480 --> 00:39:05,920 I come to church and I'm not sitting next to Jerry. 674 00:39:07,320 --> 00:39:10,680 Why? I have no reason not to sit next 675 00:39:10,680 --> 00:39:13,880 to Jerry, right? But if I think I have a reason 676 00:39:13,880 --> 00:39:16,320 to sit, not sit next to Jerry, I got a problem, right? 677 00:39:18,000 --> 00:39:20,960 I should be able to come in here and sit wherever I want. 678 00:39:20,960 --> 00:39:23,360 And it doesn't matter because you're my brothers and sisters, 679 00:39:23,360 --> 00:39:26,000 right? I love you and I trust you love 680 00:39:26,000 --> 00:39:27,680 me. And we're here to love Jesus and 681 00:39:27,680 --> 00:39:31,600 we're here to love the world like he loves the world he gave 682 00:39:31,600 --> 00:39:35,960 himself for. So I pray that, you know, 683 00:39:35,960 --> 00:39:41,920 Calvary Chapel is a place of not posturing and and and and what 684 00:39:41,920 --> 00:39:45,400 do you call cliques? And, you know, these kind of 685 00:39:45,400 --> 00:39:49,480 things that can occur, you know, like in the beginning of First 686 00:39:49,480 --> 00:39:52,960 Corinthians, I'm of Paul, I'm of Paula, some of Cephas, you know, 687 00:39:53,520 --> 00:39:57,240 like Wednesday night. Well, Steve's teaching, I'll go, 688 00:39:57,240 --> 00:39:59,680 but you know, next week someone else is teaching. 689 00:39:59,680 --> 00:40:02,040 I don't want to go because I don't like that person, right? 690 00:40:02,080 --> 00:40:03,480 You know it's a goofy stuff, right? 691 00:40:03,480 --> 00:40:05,400 How we. Personalities, we're not 692 00:40:05,400 --> 00:40:08,560 supposed to be drawn by personalities. 693 00:40:08,680 --> 00:40:12,160 We're supposed to be drawn by the Holy Spirit to be mature and 694 00:40:12,160 --> 00:40:15,240 be able to, to accept the ministry and the life of 695 00:40:15,240 --> 00:40:18,040 everyone that God's, God's brought into this place, to be 696 00:40:18,040 --> 00:40:20,760 part of it. So that that's the prayer. 697 00:40:21,000 --> 00:40:23,840 And so may Matthew 18 work in our hearts today. 698 00:40:23,840 --> 00:40:27,080 If we have something that we got to deal with personally with 699 00:40:27,080 --> 00:40:31,400 anybody, whether it's at work or home or marriage or kids or 700 00:40:31,400 --> 00:40:34,920 church or whatever, that you, you do what he tells you to do 701 00:40:34,920 --> 00:40:38,240 and you go to the person and you, and you ask him if you got 702 00:40:38,240 --> 00:40:39,960 to do you have a problem with me? 703 00:40:39,960 --> 00:40:42,960 You know, are you upset with me about something? 704 00:40:43,800 --> 00:40:46,040 And that you, you, you get it resolved, right? 705 00:40:46,120 --> 00:40:50,520 It's, it's a beautiful thing that pleases the Lord and that 706 00:40:50,520 --> 00:40:52,880 blesses the church. So let's, let's just take a 707 00:40:52,880 --> 00:40:55,520 moment as we're silent and think a little bit. 708 00:40:55,520 --> 00:40:58,160 Let the Holy Spirit speak to our heart if there's anything that 709 00:40:58,160 --> 00:41:01,240 we need to think about and and deal with. 710 00:41:01,840 --> 00:41:04,560 And if there isn't, praise God, that's that's the ultimate 711 00:41:04,560 --> 00:41:06,800 right. I love to take the supper when I 712 00:41:06,800 --> 00:41:12,560 don't have any shame or guilt about something that is 713 00:41:12,560 --> 00:41:16,240 happening in my life. I try to deal with it Monday 714 00:41:16,240 --> 00:41:21,080 through Saturday 24/7. You're right, Lord, wrong 715 00:41:21,080 --> 00:41:23,720 thought, wrong attitude, wrong action, wrong. 716 00:41:23,840 --> 00:41:26,440 Forgive me, change me work in my life. 717 00:41:27,080 --> 00:41:29,520 And if you do that when you come to the supper, it's more of a 718 00:41:29,520 --> 00:41:33,840 celebration on Sunday. It's not a, a big deal of 719 00:41:33,840 --> 00:41:37,440 confronting some big, big sin that I've been refusing to deal 720 00:41:37,440 --> 00:41:39,920 with. But I'm, I'm ready to take this 721 00:41:39,920 --> 00:41:45,960 to thank the Lord for who he is. Worship him, focuses on him, not 722 00:41:45,960 --> 00:41:50,760 me or anybody else. And and just being grateful for 723 00:41:50,760 --> 00:41:56,320 all that he's done on the cross and dying for my sins and being 724 00:41:56,320 --> 00:42:00,360 patient with me and forgiving me and being merciful to me over 725 00:42:00,360 --> 00:42:23,040 and over and over again. And say the Lord's Prayer 726 00:42:23,040 --> 00:42:28,360 together, Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, 727 00:42:28,880 --> 00:42:33,480 Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in 728 00:42:33,480 --> 00:42:36,120 heaven. Give us this day Our Daily 729 00:42:36,120 --> 00:42:40,560 Bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those 730 00:42:40,560 --> 00:42:44,920 who trespass against us. And lead us not to temptation, 731 00:42:45,240 --> 00:42:49,320 but deliver us from evil. For thine is a Kingdom and the 732 00:42:49,320 --> 00:42:52,040 power and the glory forever. Amen. 733 00:42:53,000 --> 00:42:55,440 Lord, we're thankful that you've given us your word. 734 00:42:55,440 --> 00:42:59,160 It is truly the lamp into our feet of light unto our path. 735 00:43:00,040 --> 00:43:03,480 Lord, I pray for all of us today, Lord, that you would 736 00:43:03,480 --> 00:43:08,520 cause our hearts to be calm and to be desiring of fellowship 737 00:43:08,520 --> 00:43:10,600 first with you and with one another. 738 00:43:11,240 --> 00:43:14,280 Reconciliation of any kind of relationships that might have 739 00:43:14,280 --> 00:43:17,440 gone awry somewhere, Lord, that can be healed and brought 740 00:43:17,440 --> 00:43:21,440 together again. And love and respect, Father, I 741 00:43:21,440 --> 00:43:23,800 pray for marriages. That's really where a lot of the 742 00:43:23,800 --> 00:43:27,720 tensions are in many homes and families, that the marriages 743 00:43:27,720 --> 00:43:32,840 would be open to you. And to be able to be reconciled 744 00:43:32,840 --> 00:43:36,440 heart to heart, Lord, and the marriage and then with the 745 00:43:36,440 --> 00:43:41,440 children, Lord, and then with our brothers and sisters in our 746 00:43:41,440 --> 00:43:44,480 church and the people we work with every day. 747 00:43:44,480 --> 00:43:48,080 We spend more time in our workspace many times than we do 748 00:43:48,080 --> 00:43:51,240 even in our home or church. And sometimes that's where the 749 00:43:51,240 --> 00:43:56,080 biggest conflicts occur at work. So, Lord, help us, Father, to 750 00:43:56,080 --> 00:44:00,320 learn to be peacemakers, not troublemakers, not divisive, not 751 00:44:00,320 --> 00:44:04,040 skiz causing schism or any of that kind of stuff. 752 00:44:04,040 --> 00:44:07,520 Lord, put a watch in our mouth. Lord it we would never say 753 00:44:07,520 --> 00:44:11,560 anything evil about anybody else if we can't say anything good. 754 00:44:11,560 --> 00:44:13,880 And we shouldn't say anything about anybody, Lord. 755 00:44:14,840 --> 00:44:18,080 So Lord, help us to be like you. That's what we're learning to do 756 00:44:18,080 --> 00:44:22,040 every every Sunday, Lord, every Wednesday, every study, Lord, to 757 00:44:22,040 --> 00:44:26,560 be like you. Help us to apply Matthew 18 to 758 00:44:26,560 --> 00:44:32,600 our lives, Lord, a daily basis. And the night that Jesus is 759 00:44:32,600 --> 00:44:36,200 betrayed, he took the bread in his hands, and he broke it, and 760 00:44:36,200 --> 00:44:39,200 he gave thanks. And he said, Take, eat, this is 761 00:44:39,200 --> 00:44:44,640 my body which is broken for you. Eat this in remembrance of me. 762 00:44:46,760 --> 00:44:57,510 In the same manner, that evening he took the cup. 763 00:44:58,910 --> 00:45:02,870 And he said, This cup is a new covenant in my blood, which was 764 00:45:03,230 --> 00:45:05,550 shed for the forgiveness of sins of many. 765 00:45:06,430 --> 00:45:13,950 Drink this in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this 766 00:45:13,950 --> 00:45:17,960 bread and you drink this cup, he show forth the Lord's death. 767 00:45:17,960 --> 00:45:21,120 He comes again. God bless all you wonderful 768 00:45:21,120 --> 00:45:23,640 people. Keep on keeping on.