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Luke chapter 15, remember we 
were doing the three parables, 

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we're in the parable series of 
Jesus and we looked at the lost 

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sheep, lost coin and we got part
way through the prodigal son and

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we learnt that it's prodigal 
son's plural. 

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So open your Bibles to Luke 15 
and we'll catch up from where we

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were because remember the 
youngest son has returned home. 

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And in verse 25 it says now his 
oldest son was in the field and 

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as he came and drew near to the 
house, he heard music and the 

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brother dancing. 
So he called one of the servants

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and asked him what's going on? 
And he said to him, your brother

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has come because he's received 
him safe. 

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Your father has killed the 
fatted calf. 

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He was 28, but he was angry and 
wouldn't go stop there. 

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So the parables, a parable is an
earthly story with a heavenly 

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meaning. 
And in these three parables that

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Jesus is speaking, and he's 
speaking to the Pharisees at the

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time. 
They're the listeners and and 

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it's about God is the seeker who
finds us and then rejoices 

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greatly in heaven. 
Mentioned that twice and 

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rejoices. 
The seeker is God, the seeker is

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God. 
So we've dealt with the youngest

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son and the narrative then takes
up the oldest son. 

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Verse 25, we read that. 
So the oldest son had received 

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his inheritance too. 
Remember we read last Wednesday 

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that the dad had divided up the 
inheritance. 

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He didn't just give the youngest
son he's inheritance, he gave it

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to them. 
So they both got their their 

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money before dad died, but he 
stayed around the house. 

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The older brother, his oldest 
son was in the field and when he

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came and approached the house, 
he hears the music, there's joy,

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there's dancing. 
And I really got the party going

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really quick on the return of 
the son before even get get in 

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from the from the field before 
the day it even ended, he was 

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still working. 
So he summoned one of the other 

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workers. 
He said, what's what's, what's 

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going on? 
What's all the, all the noise 

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and all the, the joy going on. 
Your brother has come. 

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Your father has killed the 
fatted calf because he has 

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received him back safe and 
sound. 

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Verse 27, They're having a 
celebration because your sinful,

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wretched, vile, polluted brother
who lived in dissipation has 

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come home. 
This is so emblematic, isn't it,

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of the tax collectors? 
That's the audience that's 

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hearing these three parables and
sinners because they said, 

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Jesus, you're always hanging out
and eating with sinners. 

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That's where this Jesus said 
then began to tell them the 

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stories, the parables to the 
Pharisees and all the sinners 

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came and hung out with Jesus. 
So the first son is so 

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illustrative of the outcast, the
sinners, you and I and son 

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number 2 is definitely an 
illustration of the Pharisees, 

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the religious leaders in verse 
28 it says, but he became what, 

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overjoyed. 
Oh my brother's son, awesome. 

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What angry he goes angry and he 
he said, I'm not going to the 

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party. 
He's really ticked off. 

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He's not about to eat dinner 
with a Sinner. 

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Notice the connection. 
I'm not eating with a Sinner. 

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He says dad came out and began 
entreating him. 

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Lo, these many years that I have
been serving you verse 29. 

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I've never transgressed your 
commandment at any time. 

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Sounds like the rich young 
ruler, doesn't it? 

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Came to Jesus, said I want to 
follow you, and yet you never 

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gave me, not even a goat, that I
might make merry of my friends. 

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But as soon as this son of yours
said the language, as soon as 

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this son of yours came, who was 
devoured your livelihood with 

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harlots, you killed the fatted 
calf for him. 

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And he said to him, son, you're 
always with me, and all that I 

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have is yours. 
It was right that we should make

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merry and be glad. 
For your brother was dead. 

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He's alive again. 
It was lost. 

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And he's found many people have 
sympathy for the older brother. 

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Go. 
Yeah, well, he did the fair 

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thing now. 
Read the text. 

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Come and join me. 
Your brother's home. 

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You should be happy. 
That's it. 

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The Son did not have the heart 
of his father like that. 

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John picks that up. 
He loves his brother, has the 

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love of God within him. 
The Son rejoiced not in the 

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salvation of a lost and outcast 
brother, because he had not the 

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heart of his father. 
He did not love his father. 

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For if he'd loved his father, 
wouldn't he love what his father

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loved? 
He would have entered into his 

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father's joy. 
Love does that. 

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Oh, Dad, you're so happy. 
Were you happy? 

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You're so. 
Oh, isn't that awesome? 

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I see, Dad. 
So good to see you happy. 

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You've been sitting out on the 
road waiting for him to come 

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home. 
And And now you can redo. 

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You don't have to sit out there 
all day and wait and watch. 

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Dad. 
So good. 

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So many years I've been serving 
you. 

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I've never neglected a command 
of yours. 

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Always been right on. 
As I said, sounds like the rich 

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young ruler. 
I've done all of these things. 

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Jesus, you've never given me 
even a goat, a kid. 

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But when this son of yours, he 
didn't say when This brother of 

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mine, it's his brother, blood 
brother whom I missed and loved.

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Oh, great to see you home, man. 
I love he's devoured your wealth

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with hearts. 
You've killed the fatted calf 

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for him. 
He's the Pharisee. 

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He doesn't know the heart of his
father. 

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He has no compassion for the 
lost because the God the Father 

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3 parables The story is father 
has compassion for the lost. 

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He too is a lost son and the 
father seeks him as well. 

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Dad says, hey, why aren't you 
coming? 

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Come and join us, my child. 
You've always been with me. 

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Verse 31. 
All that I have is yours. 

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Everything that I have, I 
possess. 

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You can, you can have, but we 
had to be Mary and rejoice for 

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this brother of yours. 
That's what he says. 

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Not the son of mine, but this 
brother of yours is dead now. 

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He's alive. 
He's been found. 

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He was lost and he's been found.
That's the key in all the three 

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parables. 
But self righteous people, self 

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righteous people cannot tolerate
the forgiveness of sinners, 

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especially flagrant sinners. 
And so in this young man's heart

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there is not the heart of his 
father. 

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He had no love for his father. 
He served only for out of duty. 

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For many years I've been serving
him and I've been doing the 

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right thing. 
I've never neglected it. 

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It was all duty. 
That's what the religious 

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Pharisees do. 
They just do it because it's the

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job. 
It was perfunctory duty. 

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And so there's no repentance in 
the older brother. 

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There's no confession of sin, no
confession of sin. 

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And the older brother, all of 
sin, have fallen short of the 

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glory of God. 
There's none righteous, No, not 

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one. 
The Bible says there's no 

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submission to his Father's will.
I'm not going. 

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I'm not hanging out with him. 
I'm not eating with him. 

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I'll do what I want to do. 
There's no entering into his 

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father's joy. 
Dad, just so wonderful. 

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You're happy. 
I'm happy. 

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God the father. 
If God's happy, I'm happy. 

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He doesn't know the heart of his
father. 

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The first son in the story sees 
his sin. 

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Remember, he's sitting in the 
pig pen. 

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He feels the sorrow he repents. 
He humbles himself. 

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He says, oh man, I'm not even 
worthy to go home to be son. 

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I'm not even worth. 
If he could give me a job as a 

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worker, then that's all I hope 
can hope for. 

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And he receives the grace of his
father. 

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He enters into the joy of his 
father and is restored to 

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sonship, the second son. 
No repentance, no confession of 

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the cold deadness of his own 
heart. 

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You know, Dad, you know I've 
been too much. 

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I should. 
I should be happy. 

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You're happy. 
My brother's home, man. 

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I I should be happy, shouldn't 
I? 

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What Luke is telling us is he 
gives us those 3 parables we've 

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done of our dear Lord is that 
the Lord seeks and to save those

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who recognise their lostness. 
We're going to do chapter 4 

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Daniel on Sunday, one of the 
great chapters in the Old 

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Testament where a Sinner tells 
us about coming, coming to the 

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Lord. 
King Nebuchadnezzar comes to 

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comes to the Lord the apostle 
Paul who was so remember 

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snorting and breathing on his 
way to Damascus to get more 

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Christians arrested and put to 
death and he finds God. 

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You see what it is. 
This is that you and I if we had

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the heart of the Father. 
We see the lostness in everyone 

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and we see God's heart for them.
But self righteous Pharisees 

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notes, he's that person, my next
door neighbour, that person 

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unsavable. 
Well, Nebuchadnezzar was 

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unsavable, greatest tyrant in 
the world. 

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Saul was unsavable. 
He could become Paul. 

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Guess what? 
You and I were unsavable. 

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But even for them, the Father 
says, you've always been around 

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and what is mine has always been
available to you. 

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For God so loved the world. 
The invitation to come to 

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Christ, to the cross is open to 
everyone, to all our family, to 

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all our friends. 
The invitation, whosoever will 

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come, the heart of God is to 
seek and save the lost. 

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The Bible says God desires that,
that all should come to 

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repentance. 
That is to be our heart today 

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who know Christ. 
The lost who come to Christ come

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in recognition of sin. 
Sermon on the Mount. 

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Blessed are they who mourn. 
That's mourning over that. 

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Look, look at, look at who I am.
You see, if you're a genuine 

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Christian, then you recognise 
that you're a genuine Sinner in 

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the 1st place. 
You can't come to Christ until 

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you recognise I'm a Sinner lost 
and I need a saviour. 

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The problem with many church 
services today is they allow 

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people to make a prayer to to 
God in Christ's name and they 

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haven't mentioned anything about
repentance or confession of sin 

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and they have a religious 
experience. 

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They leave and go away and 
nothing changes in their life 

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because they haven't become born
again. 

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The lost to come to Christ come 
in recognition of sin, in 

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humiliation. 
Are you humiliated by your old 

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life, by your old ways? 
I'm humiliated even now when I 

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sin and I go, God, I'm sorry, I 
shouldn't have done that. 

191
00:12:48,480 --> 00:12:51,880
I grieve the Holy Spirit. 
I'm humiliated when I grieve the

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Holy Spirit. 
I have a repentant attitude. 

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It's with me all the time 
because I know I don't deserve 

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his mercy or his grace, and I 
desire to submit to the leading 

195
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and guiding and sobering work of
the Lord. 

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00:13:07,560 --> 00:13:10,240
It's not like, well, if I become
a Christian, do I have to give 

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up? 
Well, stop. 

198
00:13:11,240 --> 00:13:16,280
Then you're not ready because 
all you got to give up, as Paul 

199
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says, is manure. 
Remember, you got a bucket of 

200
00:13:20,600 --> 00:13:22,520
manure. 
And you mean I can't keep this 

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bucket of manure if I become a 
Christian. 

202
00:13:28,640 --> 00:13:32,960
And I will be happy to come to 
Christ and be nothing but a 

203
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slave. 
I think that would be wonderful 

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00:13:35,320 --> 00:13:38,720
to be a slave for God. 
That's what Paul says. 

205
00:13:40,080 --> 00:13:42,920
Now that is the meaning in the 
parable form of this statement 

206
00:13:43,160 --> 00:13:45,760
for the Son of man has come to 
seek and save that which is 

207
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lost. 
Now jump with me back, turn left

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00:13:48,520 --> 00:13:52,880
and go to Matthew 18 where we 
continue in this, the series, 

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Matthew 18 verse 21 to 22 
tonight, where there's been talk

210
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and, and it's been discussions 
about forgiveness. 

211
00:14:06,880 --> 00:14:12,600
Matthew 18, verse 21 and it 
talks about we're dealing with a

212
00:14:12,600 --> 00:14:14,560
sinning brother discipline in 
the church. 

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00:14:14,760 --> 00:14:17,360
We're two or more gathered. 
In other words, we'll let's, 

214
00:14:17,360 --> 00:14:19,320
let's go and see our brother. 
He won't listen to me. 

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00:14:19,480 --> 00:14:21,400
Well, it's two of us. 
Go, let's go and see our 

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00:14:21,400 --> 00:14:24,120
brother. 
Mate, you're living in sin. 

217
00:14:24,120 --> 00:14:26,120
You can't do that. 
Oh, sorry, I repent. 

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00:14:26,360 --> 00:14:28,680
We're two or more gathered. 
This is what it's about. 

219
00:14:28,680 --> 00:14:31,680
It's about discipline, but it's 
being righteous and it's been, 

220
00:14:31,960 --> 00:14:35,320
it's been forgiven to a brother.
So it's talking about brothers 

221
00:14:35,320 --> 00:14:37,400
in the Lord. 
Brothers and sisters in Christ 

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00:14:37,600 --> 00:14:41,000
is the background. 
So let's read verse 21. 

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00:14:41,520 --> 00:14:44,200
And Peter came to him and said, 
Lord, how often shall my brother

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00:14:44,200 --> 00:14:46,160
sin against me? 
And I forgive him? 

225
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Seven times. 
Jesus said to him, I did not say

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to you up 7 times, but up 70 * 
7. 

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Yeah. 
The the Jewishness behind this 

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is interesting because the 
rabbi's taught that anyone who 

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had been wronged was to forgive 
the perpetrator to and at the 

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most three times Peter being 
generous, he said, Lord, seven 

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times I could do 7 times, Jesus 
says to Peter, not seven, 490 

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times Peter, Peter's gone. 
How in the world are I'm going 

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to keep track of that? 
Laptops haven't been invented. 

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00:15:30,760 --> 00:15:33,360
I can't, you know, I don't know 
how to use an Abacus yet. 

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That, in fact, was the point 
that Peter was being taught by 

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Jesus in this parable. 
Peter was thinking in the 

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measurable. 
How many times must I think of 

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the parable of the prodigals? 
How much you know, how much 

239
00:15:48,240 --> 00:15:50,240
forgiveness. 
It's the, it's the old brother 

240
00:15:50,240 --> 00:15:51,760
coming in. 
It's the Pharisee coming in 

241
00:15:51,760 --> 00:15:55,120
again. 
It's limited terms of law, not 

242
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the immeasurable and unlimited 
terms of grace. 

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Because grace is, we see it, an 
ocean and I'm drowning. 

244
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Grace is unmeasurable. 
Law keeps account. 

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That's six times you offended 
me. 

246
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Grace doesn't keep count. 
Jesus was not extending the 

247
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legal limit of forgiveness, not 
giving him a bigger ruler. 

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Jesus was teaching that a 
Christian with a forgiving heart

249
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thinks nothing about forgiving, 
that he forgives the 100th 

250
00:16:27,320 --> 00:16:32,280
offence or the thousandth 
offence just as readily and 

251
00:16:32,280 --> 00:16:35,800
graciously as the first. 
Why? 

252
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Because that is the way he or 
she is forgiven by God. 

253
00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:44,200
How many times have you been 
forgiven by God since the day 

254
00:16:44,200 --> 00:16:46,200
you got saved? 
How many times have you been 

255
00:16:46,200 --> 00:16:51,240
forgiven today by God? 
Every time someone says 

256
00:16:51,240 --> 00:16:52,480
forgiven, the little bell goes 
up. 

257
00:16:52,480 --> 00:16:59,600
I just heard it, Tinkerbell. 
Another forgiveness tonight. 

258
00:16:59,600 --> 00:17:02,560
God wants to impart you 
something that has the power to 

259
00:17:02,560 --> 00:17:05,680
change lives. 
And I mean this to men, hearts 

260
00:17:05,880 --> 00:17:09,000
to bring healing to hurts and to
release joy and strength because

261
00:17:09,000 --> 00:17:10,720
there's a lot of unforgiveness 
around. 

262
00:17:12,400 --> 00:17:14,920
Remember the song 1965? 
Those are old enough. 

263
00:17:15,040 --> 00:17:18,640
Hal David wrote Burke Bacharach 
did the music. 

264
00:17:19,160 --> 00:17:21,560
What the world needs now is 
love. 

265
00:17:22,400 --> 00:17:26,880
No, what the world needs now, 
what marriages need now is 

266
00:17:27,440 --> 00:17:30,240
forgiveness. 
What your sons and daughters 

267
00:17:30,240 --> 00:17:33,440
need forgiveness. 
What you and I need from one 

268
00:17:33,440 --> 00:17:37,080
another is forgiveness. 
It's it's the most gracious gift

269
00:17:37,080 --> 00:17:38,880
that you can give. 
It's godly. 

270
00:17:40,200 --> 00:17:42,240
It's wrapped in in the love of 
God. 

271
00:17:43,640 --> 00:17:47,480
Proverbs 15 one says a soft 
answer turns away wrath, but 

272
00:17:47,480 --> 00:17:53,000
grievous words stir up anger or 
what is forgiveness or to 

273
00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:58,240
forgive to It means to admit 
neglect, let go, give up a debt,

274
00:17:58,720 --> 00:18:03,120
forgive to remit, to give up, to
keep no longer, to allow, not to

275
00:18:03,120 --> 00:18:05,800
hinder, to give up a thing to a 
person. 

276
00:18:06,640 --> 00:18:09,080
Forgiveness is surrendering. 
Listen to this. 

277
00:18:09,080 --> 00:18:12,720
I like this. 
Forgiveness is surrendering my 

278
00:18:12,720 --> 00:18:17,520
right because you've hurt me to 
hurt you for hurting me. 

279
00:18:19,680 --> 00:18:23,000
Say that again. 
Forgiveness is surrendering my 

280
00:18:23,000 --> 00:18:27,360
right to hurt you because you've
hurt me. 

281
00:18:29,200 --> 00:18:31,280
So the background again to this 
parable. 

282
00:18:31,320 --> 00:18:34,560
Jesus has just finished teaching
about discipline within the 

283
00:18:34,560 --> 00:18:39,000
church, verses 15 to 20. 
Peter himself obviously was a 

284
00:18:39,000 --> 00:18:42,520
believer, and his reference to a
brother, if a brother sins, so 

285
00:18:42,520 --> 00:18:46,760
it's about fellow believers, is 
the context here, especially in 

286
00:18:46,760 --> 00:18:50,080
the light of the fact that 
chapter 18 focuses in on 

287
00:18:50,080 --> 00:18:53,600
believers, the Lord's little 
ones who believe in him, verse 6

288
00:18:53,600 --> 00:18:56,560
and 10. 
So Jesus is illustrating in this

289
00:18:56,560 --> 00:19:01,000
whole context of this chapter 
the need for believers to 

290
00:19:01,000 --> 00:19:03,720
forgive each other. 
I can't get over how many people

291
00:19:03,720 --> 00:19:07,400
lead churches and I won't 
mention any details, but people 

292
00:19:07,400 --> 00:19:10,240
leave churches because someone 
in church offended them. 

293
00:19:11,200 --> 00:19:15,680
I'm going what is going on with 
that? 

294
00:19:16,360 --> 00:19:20,000
Because the first thing that you
should do is the 2 of you should

295
00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:23,800
get together, go to God and get 
it sorted out. 

296
00:19:24,280 --> 00:19:26,200
Well, I'm going to another 
church because I'm offended. 

297
00:19:26,680 --> 00:19:30,720
That's wrong. 
That's not biblical. 

298
00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:38,640
So we have verse 23. 
We go, Jesus gives us the 

299
00:19:38,640 --> 00:19:41,360
parable. 
Therefore the Kingdom of heaven 

300
00:19:41,360 --> 00:19:43,800
is like a certain king who wants
to settle accounts with his 

301
00:19:43,800 --> 00:19:45,840
servants. 
When he had begun to settle 

302
00:19:45,840 --> 00:19:49,880
accounts, one was brought to him
and owed him 10,000 talents, but

303
00:19:49,880 --> 00:19:53,040
he was not able to pay his 
master commander that he be sold

304
00:19:53,040 --> 00:19:56,640
with his wife and children all 
that he had and that payment be 

305
00:19:56,640 --> 00:19:59,320
made. 
The servant therefore fell down 

306
00:19:59,320 --> 00:20:02,880
man he put on a show before him 
saying master, have patience 

307
00:20:02,880 --> 00:20:06,640
with me, I'll pay you all. 
Now he can't because the 10,000 

308
00:20:06,640 --> 00:20:10,000
talents here in today's the 
people investigated. 

309
00:20:10,000 --> 00:20:14,680
It's between 10 million and and 
and and on up to 250 million. 

310
00:20:14,800 --> 00:20:18,720
It's a lot of money so he can't 
pay it. 

311
00:20:18,920 --> 00:20:21,320
Then the master of the servant 
was moved with compassion, 

312
00:20:21,320 --> 00:20:22,880
released him and forgave him the
dead. 

313
00:20:22,920 --> 00:20:26,040
But that servant went out and 
found one of his fellow servants

314
00:20:26,040 --> 00:20:31,280
who owed him. 100 denari, it's 
100 days, it's a denari, it's a 

315
00:20:31,280 --> 00:20:35,120
day's work, 100 days, third of a
year's salary. 

316
00:20:35,400 --> 00:20:39,560
He laid hands on him, took him 
by the throat, saying Pay me 

317
00:20:39,560 --> 00:20:43,120
what you owe. 
So his fellow servant fell down,

318
00:20:43,120 --> 00:20:46,000
and his feet begged him, saying,
Patience with me, I'll pay you 

319
00:20:46,000 --> 00:20:49,080
war. 
But he would not went through 

320
00:20:49,080 --> 00:20:50,920
him in the prison until he 
should pay the debt. 

321
00:20:50,920 --> 00:20:53,880
Debtors Prison. 
So when his fellow servants saw 

322
00:20:53,880 --> 00:20:56,760
what had been done, they were 
grieved and came and told their 

323
00:20:56,760 --> 00:21:01,160
master all that had been done. 
Then his master, after he called

324
00:21:01,160 --> 00:21:03,880
him, said to him to the guide, 
being forgiven a lot. 

325
00:21:04,160 --> 00:21:08,520
You wicked servant, I forgave 
you all that debt because you 

326
00:21:08,520 --> 00:21:10,600
begged me. 
Should you not also have had 

327
00:21:10,600 --> 00:21:15,600
compassion on your fellow 
servant, just as I had pity on 

328
00:21:15,600 --> 00:21:17,920
you? 
And his master was angry and 

329
00:21:17,920 --> 00:21:21,200
delivered him to the torturers 
until he should pay all that was

330
00:21:21,200 --> 00:21:24,000
due to him. 
Notice what God says, what 

331
00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:27,800
Christ says there. 
So my heavenly Father also will 

332
00:21:27,800 --> 00:21:31,960
do to you, if each of you from 
his heart does not forgive his 

333
00:21:31,960 --> 00:21:37,400
brother, his trespasses. 
This is not the unforgivable but

334
00:21:37,400 --> 00:21:41,000
sin by the way. 
But it's a classic story of a 

335
00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:43,440
man who was forgiven the dead of
10 + 1,000,000. 

336
00:21:43,440 --> 00:21:45,640
Just think 10 million but it's 
way more. 

337
00:21:46,200 --> 00:21:49,160
And then cast into prison 
because of his failure to 

338
00:21:49,160 --> 00:21:52,840
forgive someone who owed him 
roughly today 17 bucks. 

339
00:21:54,640 --> 00:21:57,560
So really, what is the story 
about? 

340
00:21:58,400 --> 00:22:02,240
It's we're in the story, the 
parables about us again. 

341
00:22:02,440 --> 00:22:06,760
We owe a debt we have no 
possible way of repaying. 

342
00:22:06,760 --> 00:22:12,280
What is that? 
Our sins we can't repay, but we 

343
00:22:12,280 --> 00:22:17,120
have been graciously forgiven, 
as was the servant by his 

344
00:22:17,120 --> 00:22:19,480
master. 
And his debt was enormous. 

345
00:22:19,680 --> 00:22:22,880
And it's been, it's all gone. 
So is yours and mine. 

346
00:22:23,720 --> 00:22:27,320
Verse 28 to 30. 
He sees a much smaller debt than

347
00:22:27,320 --> 00:22:30,360
somebody else. 
This guy has been figuring of 

348
00:22:30,360 --> 00:22:32,960
everything. 
He savagely condemns this 

349
00:22:32,960 --> 00:22:35,920
fellow. 
It says notice, it says a fellow

350
00:22:35,920 --> 00:22:38,840
servant. 
No. 

351
00:22:38,960 --> 00:22:44,160
Verses 2829, but condemns him 
brutally for something much less

352
00:22:44,160 --> 00:22:46,040
than when he when he was in 
debt. 

353
00:22:46,840 --> 00:22:52,800
Verse 31 to 35, the servant who 
was first forgiven much finds 

354
00:22:52,800 --> 00:22:54,920
himself due to his own forgiving
heart. 

355
00:22:54,920 --> 00:22:59,600
Now he's in prison. 
Note that because of his 

356
00:22:59,600 --> 00:23:04,400
unforgiving heart, he's in gaol.
That's where unforgiveness. 

357
00:23:04,560 --> 00:23:08,160
It locks you up. 
So what's the application? 

358
00:23:08,920 --> 00:23:11,920
We live in a world that is void 
of forgiveness. 

359
00:23:11,920 --> 00:23:13,840
I'll get you. 
I owe you. 

360
00:23:14,200 --> 00:23:17,680
Revenge is mine. 
The question and context of this

361
00:23:17,680 --> 00:23:22,640
passage is that sadly and often,
the world has invaded the church

362
00:23:22,840 --> 00:23:26,280
and the church has become a 
place void of forgiveness. 

363
00:23:26,400 --> 00:23:28,960
If ever there was a place to 
find forgiveness, it should be 

364
00:23:28,960 --> 00:23:34,680
here now. 
But let me qualify. 

365
00:23:34,960 --> 00:23:38,360
This is not excusing a sinful of
offence. 

366
00:23:38,760 --> 00:23:44,200
Sin is always sin, and true love
and mercy never try to make sin 

367
00:23:44,200 --> 00:23:48,480
anything but what it is. 
But forgiveness does not 

368
00:23:48,480 --> 00:23:51,760
involve. 
The forgiveness does does 

369
00:23:51,760 --> 00:23:55,560
involve, I should say, ending 
the bitterness, the anger, the 

370
00:23:55,560 --> 00:24:01,120
resentment that not only does 
not remove a sin, but rather 

371
00:24:01,120 --> 00:24:06,000
adds to it. 
You see, heart forgiveness is 

372
00:24:06,000 --> 00:24:09,360
not possible for you and I. 
In our own powers. 

373
00:24:09,520 --> 00:24:12,400
We can't do that. 
We get hurt, well, I'm done. 

374
00:24:14,000 --> 00:24:18,960
Genuine forgiveness is not 
natural, it's supernatural, and 

375
00:24:18,960 --> 00:24:23,000
it's possible only as the 
indwelling Holy Spirit empowers.

376
00:24:23,520 --> 00:24:31,080
The wife of Charlie Kirk forgave
the person openly who shot and 

377
00:24:31,080 --> 00:24:35,360
killed her husband, William 
Arthur Ward said. 

378
00:24:36,120 --> 00:24:38,200
We are most like beasts when we 
kill. 

379
00:24:38,880 --> 00:24:41,080
We are most like men when we 
judge. 

380
00:24:41,680 --> 00:24:43,760
We are most like God when we 
forgive. 

381
00:24:45,320 --> 00:24:51,360
Only as we walk by the Spirit 
are we able not to carry out the

382
00:24:51,360 --> 00:24:55,080
desires of the flesh, which 
among other things, is to hold a

383
00:24:55,080 --> 00:25:00,880
grudge rather than to forgive. 
What unforgiveness does to those

384
00:25:01,040 --> 00:25:04,880
who withhold forgiveness, It's 
self torment. 

385
00:25:05,760 --> 00:25:08,960
If you notice with me, the king 
originally delivered him from 

386
00:25:08,960 --> 00:25:11,200
prison. 
The first one owed a lot of 

387
00:25:11,200 --> 00:25:14,080
money, but the servant put 
himself back in. 

388
00:25:15,640 --> 00:25:19,880
The servant exercised justice 
and cast his fellow servant who 

389
00:25:19,880 --> 00:25:25,280
owed him 100 dinari into prison.
So the king said to him, so you 

390
00:25:25,280 --> 00:25:28,240
want justice, you want to live 
by justice, Then justice you'll 

391
00:25:28,240 --> 00:25:33,320
get and threw him into gaol. 
You want to live by justice, 

392
00:25:33,480 --> 00:25:35,240
Here's justice. 
You're going to gaol. 

393
00:25:36,360 --> 00:25:40,400
I will do to you as you've done 
to others, the world's worst 

394
00:25:40,400 --> 00:25:43,880
prison. 
Prison is that prison of an 

395
00:25:43,880 --> 00:25:46,920
unforgiving heart. 
I remember doing a funeral, and 

396
00:25:46,920 --> 00:25:50,760
as I'm about to enter in, the 
son of the guy that we're 

397
00:25:50,760 --> 00:25:53,080
burying said to me, you know, I 
hate my dad. 

398
00:25:54,320 --> 00:25:56,960
I hated him. 
I still hate him today. 

399
00:25:57,080 --> 00:26:00,760
He's dead. 
I'm thinking, man, the problem 

400
00:26:00,760 --> 00:26:02,640
is not with a dead person 
because there's no problem 

401
00:26:02,640 --> 00:26:06,920
there. 
This person is is angry and and 

402
00:26:06,920 --> 00:26:09,280
the person that he's angry 
against is is dead. 

403
00:26:12,200 --> 00:26:15,840
You see, if we refuse to forgive
others, then we are only 

404
00:26:15,840 --> 00:26:20,920
imprisoning ourselves and 
causing our own torment. 

405
00:26:26,620 --> 00:26:31,220
You see, remember Jesus gave the
story of who forgives much. 

406
00:26:31,220 --> 00:26:35,540
He's in the house having dinner.
The woman came in, wept over 

407
00:26:35,540 --> 00:26:38,840
him. 
Jesus said you know you, you 

408
00:26:38,840 --> 00:26:40,760
haven't given me a kiss. 
She never washed my feet. 

409
00:26:41,120 --> 00:26:44,560
This woman, she's not stopped. 
She loves me much because she's 

410
00:26:44,560 --> 00:26:47,120
been forgiven much. 
That's the problem for you and 

411
00:26:47,120 --> 00:26:54,240
IA Loving church is a church 
that recognise we're sinners and

412
00:26:54,240 --> 00:26:56,680
God loves us and only by God's 
grace are we here. 

413
00:26:57,680 --> 00:27:00,240
A church that is unloving to 
people as they come in and to 

414
00:27:00,240 --> 00:27:03,120
one another is a church that 
hasn't recognised that they've 

415
00:27:03,120 --> 00:27:08,000
been forgiven of their sins. 
So the context of this parable, 

416
00:27:08,120 --> 00:27:11,240
remember, is not salvation, but 
it's forgiveness between 

417
00:27:11,240 --> 00:27:14,280
brothers and sisters. 
I want to clarify something as 

418
00:27:14,280 --> 00:27:20,920
we draw a close to this part 
because people say, well I won't

419
00:27:20,920 --> 00:27:25,160
forgive and they think 
incorrectly, God doesn't forgive

420
00:27:25,160 --> 00:27:27,520
me without my repentance. 
Therefore, I must withhold 

421
00:27:27,520 --> 00:27:30,760
forgiveness from others who sin 
against me until they properly 

422
00:27:30,760 --> 00:27:35,160
repent. 
Correct to like change. 

423
00:27:35,440 --> 00:27:39,880
That thinking is wrong because I
do not stand in the same place 

424
00:27:39,880 --> 00:27:42,720
as God in the equation, and I 
never can. 

425
00:27:43,320 --> 00:27:46,640
God stands as one who has never 
been forgiven and never needs 

426
00:27:46,640 --> 00:27:49,240
forgiveness. 
I stand as one who has been 

427
00:27:49,240 --> 00:27:52,120
forgiven and needs continue 
forgiveness. 

428
00:27:53,040 --> 00:27:58,080
So it's important to understand 
too, there's a distinction that 

429
00:27:58,080 --> 00:28:02,280
we need to make between 
forgiveness and reconciliation. 

430
00:28:02,440 --> 00:28:05,080
Reconciliation forgiveness is 
like, oh, let's be mates and 

431
00:28:05,080 --> 00:28:07,600
great, you know, we're all 
doesn't work that way. 

432
00:28:08,440 --> 00:28:10,240
We're talking about you 
forgiving. 

433
00:28:11,200 --> 00:28:13,800
We're not talking about what the
other person does at all. 

434
00:28:15,080 --> 00:28:17,720
We're not talking about what the
other person does at all. 

435
00:28:18,840 --> 00:28:22,600
True reconciliation of 
relationship can only happen 

436
00:28:22,600 --> 00:28:26,840
when both parties are agreeable 
to it, and sometimes people 

437
00:28:26,840 --> 00:28:31,760
aren't, and this may require 
repentance on one or both of the

438
00:28:31,760 --> 00:28:35,960
parties in the conflict. 
Forgiveness here. 

439
00:28:35,960 --> 00:28:44,320
This can be 1 sided for God so 
loved the world, but not 

440
00:28:44,320 --> 00:28:48,720
everyone has received it. 
Furthermore, forgiveness does 

441
00:28:48,720 --> 00:28:52,640
not necessarily shield someone 
from the civil or practical 

442
00:28:52,640 --> 00:28:55,200
consequences. 
The person that shot and killed 

443
00:28:55,200 --> 00:29:01,720
Charlie should go to gaol, 
should be in gaol for life. 

444
00:29:02,160 --> 00:29:05,520
As a matter of fact, you should 
get capital punishment as far as

445
00:29:05,520 --> 00:29:09,680
I'm concerned. 
In that regard, level and 

446
00:29:09,680 --> 00:29:15,040
societal level should be 
punished by the magistrates. 

447
00:29:15,040 --> 00:29:18,800
Romans chapter 13 tells us that.
Nevertheless, the principle 

448
00:29:18,800 --> 00:29:22,600
stands clearly. 
The parable This parable was 

449
00:29:22,600 --> 00:29:28,080
given to make us more forgiving,
not less forgiving. 

450
00:29:29,640 --> 00:29:32,760
No one could reasonably read 
this parable and think that 

451
00:29:32,800 --> 00:29:37,840
Jesus was trying to restrict the
forgiveness of his disciples. 

452
00:29:38,080 --> 00:29:43,200
How? 
How far do I go, people who read

453
00:29:43,200 --> 00:29:45,360
this? 
Therefore, sometimes maybe 

454
00:29:45,360 --> 00:29:46,960
somewhat stingy with 
forgiveness. 

455
00:29:46,960 --> 00:29:49,760
As your father in heaven is 
somewhat stingy with 

456
00:29:49,760 --> 00:29:52,240
forgiveness. 
Miss the whole point of the 

457
00:29:52,240 --> 00:29:55,080
parable. 
Instead, therefore, be merciful,

458
00:29:55,080 --> 00:29:58,760
just as your Father is also 
merciful. 

459
00:30:00,480 --> 00:30:04,120
It's from the heart too. 
You see, if we forgive in words 

460
00:30:04,160 --> 00:30:09,280
only, but not from our hearts, 
we remain under the same 

461
00:30:09,280 --> 00:30:15,400
condemnation. 
And so the last line. 

462
00:30:15,400 --> 00:30:18,720
But let's wrap that up. 
So my Heavenly Father also will 

463
00:30:18,720 --> 00:30:21,920
do to you. 
It would be wrong to make this 

464
00:30:21,920 --> 00:30:26,240
into the idea that unforgiveness
itself is the unforgivable sin. 

465
00:30:26,280 --> 00:30:29,120
It's not. 
It is better to say that 

466
00:30:29,120 --> 00:30:34,960
forgiveness is evidence of truly
being forgiven, and that 

467
00:30:34,960 --> 00:30:39,960
habitual forgiveness may show 
that a person's heart has never 

468
00:30:39,960 --> 00:30:44,240
really sorry. 
Habitual unforgiveness may show 

469
00:30:44,240 --> 00:30:47,640
that a person's heart has never 
really been touched by the Lord.

470
00:30:47,840 --> 00:30:51,440
If someone is just, you know, 
they just, well, obviously God's

471
00:30:51,800 --> 00:30:55,800
their heart's not touched. 
Those who will not forgive 

472
00:30:55,800 --> 00:31:00,640
cannot expect to be forgiven. 
As James later wrote, judgement 

473
00:31:00,640 --> 00:31:04,240
is is without mercy to the one 
who has shown no mercy. 

474
00:31:04,640 --> 00:31:10,920
James 213. 
And here's the deal. 

475
00:31:13,920 --> 00:31:16,480
What's the greatest gift you can
receive off someone? 

476
00:31:20,240 --> 00:31:23,960
I love it when Helen forgives 
me, makes me love her even more 

477
00:31:23,960 --> 00:31:27,840
and more. 
I love it when God Forgives me. 

478
00:31:28,840 --> 00:31:32,760
It makes me love him more and 
more and more. 

479
00:31:32,760 --> 00:31:38,320
Maybe sometimes his love is not 
flowing from us because we're 

480
00:31:38,320 --> 00:31:39,760
holding on. 
Guess what? 

481
00:31:40,920 --> 00:31:43,400
You're not forgiving someone. 
They're not getting hurt by it. 

482
00:31:43,400 --> 00:31:47,680
Like that dead person. 
The son person was dead. 

483
00:31:49,160 --> 00:31:52,040
But the son who still hated his 
dad even though he was dead? 

484
00:31:52,840 --> 00:31:57,400
He's in gaol, he's dead and he's
living. 

485
00:31:58,720 --> 00:32:01,200
Let's pray. 
Father, we thank you for your 

486
00:32:01,200 --> 00:32:04,440
word. 
It's a lamp unto our feet and a 

487
00:32:04,440 --> 00:32:09,640
light unto our path. 
Lord, help us to be forgiving. 

488
00:32:10,000 --> 00:32:14,880
We can't do it when we're hurt. 
It hurts and we we want 

489
00:32:14,880 --> 00:32:20,600
vengeance sometimes. 
God help us not to be that way 

490
00:32:20,600 --> 00:32:22,520
and help us not to be like 
animals. 

491
00:32:23,800 --> 00:32:26,840
Help us to live like you and 
Lord, help us to be gracious. 

492
00:32:28,960 --> 00:32:34,080
Father, anyone here tonight and 
watching who's in a gaol that 

493
00:32:34,080 --> 00:32:36,440
they put themselves in because 
they're unforgiving. 

494
00:32:36,440 --> 00:32:39,800
Lord, I pray that they'll 
release, be released, that they 

495
00:32:39,800 --> 00:32:42,840
have the key to open the door to
walk out of that prison cell 

496
00:32:42,840 --> 00:32:46,720
they've made for themselves. 
I pray that you would do this 

497
00:32:46,720 --> 00:32:48,120
Father now in Jesus name.