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Matthew chapter 18. 
So the passage we're in, we're 

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going to be in verses 21 through
35 today. 

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You will remember we've 
interrupted Jesus in the middle 

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of his teaching. 
But the context here is we 

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started with at the top of 
chapter 18. 

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At that time, the disciples came
to Jesus saying who is the 

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greatest in the Kingdom of 
heaven? 

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And then he brings a small 
child, probably a toddler in and

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says, if you want to be great in
the Kingdom, you have to become 

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humble. 
So we emphasized humility. 

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And then he began to teach how 
all people in his church need to

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be childlike in their 
perspective, childlike in their 

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faith. 
There is no, there's no adults 

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in the body of Christ. 
We're all to be childlike and 

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humble, taking the low sea and 
the low spot, deferring to one 

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another. 
And then he talks about the 

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warnings of causing a Christian 
to sin. 

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And then he talks about how 
there's temptation is 

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inevitable, but don't let it 
come through you. 

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And then he goes on to talk 
about if there is a lost sheep, 

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how them being restored is such 
an important thing because God 

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loves the lost sheep and he 
wants them to be restored in 

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context. 
Then he talks to us about church

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discipline. 
He says, look, here's what 

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you're supposed to do if your 
brother sins against you, 

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brother or sister in the body of
Christ, if they sin against you,

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you are to go to them one-on-one
and let them know so that you 2 

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can be restored. 
It's not crazy drama. 

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It's not. 
Have you heard what they did? 

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The very first step one is, hey,
I got to bring this thing to 

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you. 
We talked about all the all the 

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variances there. 
It was a really, really 

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important message. 
If you didn't, if you weren't 

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here for it, go back and listen 
to it on the podcast. 

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It is something that Christians 
often don't practice enough and 

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it leads to all kinds of 
problems that is completely 

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avoidable and totally 
unnecessary. 

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And then what do I do if that 
person doesn't respond to that 

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well, and Jesus addressed that 
as well. 

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If they don't respond to that, 
well, then you can go with one 

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or two others and you say, hey, 
we're coming to you together. 

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We want you restored. 
We want to clear this whole 

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thing up. 
But here's here's the 

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expectations that you would come
to repentance and then that 

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person is restored. 
What if they don't respond to 

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them? 
Then Jesus says, well, then you 

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would escalate and you would 
tell it to the church to 

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clarify. 
That doesn't necessarily mean 

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that Pastor James has to stand 
in front of the church on a 

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Sunday morning, but there is a 
way to to let all appropriate 

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parties know, hey, it's 
official. 

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Unfortunately, brothers so and 
so or sisters so and so is 

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acting not like a brother, not 
like a sister. 

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Consistently they've rejected 
the counsel of the body. 

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And we do this with fear and 
with trembling. 

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But we are officially severing 
them from the fellowship of this

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local body. 
So we were saying do not eat 

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with them, do not fellowship 
with them. 

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Why do we hate them? 
No, no, it's because we love 

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them. 
We need them to feel the pain of

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the separation so that they will
actually come to repentance. 

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Because the worst thing we could
do for them is to keep going. 

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Oh, everything's fine. 
Everything's fine. 

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When they have sin in their 
life, it's not everything fine. 

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So we're we're comforting them 
and say, oh, well, I know Pastor

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said he hasn't, but I still want
to get with you. 

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I still want to share a meal 
with you. 

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Well, then you would be the next
one under church discipline 

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because we love this person and 
we need them to feel the 

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importance of that separation. 
Why? 

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So they can be restored. 
And then also when they are 

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restored, you pull them right 
back in as soon as there's 

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repentance. 
We are more than eager, more 

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than willing. 
If if someone had been removed 

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from fellowship in that way and 
they say, hey, I'm really so 

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like, come on back in. 
We're throwing the party. 

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We kill the fatted calf, get the
gold ring. 

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Now you get the robe. 
And everybody else sitting who 

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had been in the church the whole
time faithfully goes, what about

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us, about you? 
Everything was always yours. 

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Don't be like the older brother 
in the in the parable. 

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Don't be like the older brother 
who goes, well, how do I get a 

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party? 
Well, because there's more 

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rejoicing in heaven over one who
was lost, who returns, than over

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the 99 who are always there. 
So everybody's loved, 

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everybody's cherished, but we 
rejoice, we make a big deal, and

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we really stick it to the devil 
whenever somebody has repented. 

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And when they come back, we go 
praise God, ha ha, another one 

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back into the Kingdom, back into
the fold. 

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So that's our heart. 
We are gracious, but we are, we 

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are people who are also going to
be direct. 

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We're not going to play around 
with sin. 

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And at the same time, we are 
quick to forgive and quick to 

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see people restored. 
So that's Jesus's plan, and then

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we continue that. 
That's the context where he just

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finishes. 
So he says, again, if you agree 

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about anything, it will be done 
by my Father in heaven. 

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For where two or three are 
gathered in my name, there I am 

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among them. 
So Jesus is teaching, again in 

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context is all about forgiveness
and all about church discipline.

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It wasn't what we've often heard
it made to be many different 

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times. 
So the context there, Jesus is 

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saying that he has placed his 
authority on his church. 

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So when his church makes a right
judgment, he supports that with 

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heaven. 
Pretty crazy. 

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Jesus gives us the keys to the 
Kingdom and he says I authorize 

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and I deputize my church in the 
earth, just like Jesus is 

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authorized and deputize. 
The state. 

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The state, the civil magistrate,
has the power to literally kill 

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a human being that has been 
given to them by the Lord Jesus 

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Christ. 
They bear not the sword in vain 

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so they can kill people. 
Why? 

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Because it's their assignment 
and mission from God to punish 

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the evil doer and to reward the 
righteous. 

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The household has the authority 
to discipline children 

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appropriately as an authority 
given by Jesus. 

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And in the church there is also 
an authority, right? 

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Because we know you can't really
have authority if there's not 

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actually power to accomplish 
something. 

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We can't just care a whole lot 
and take responsibility for 

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everything and then have no 
ability to actually see 

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something through to the finish 
line. 

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So there's an authority in the 
body of Christ. 

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So the disciples have just heard
all this about restoration, 

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about discipline, about 
correction. 

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And that's what brings us to our
passage right here in verse 21. 

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Then Peter came up to him and 
said to him, Lord, how often 

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will my brother sin against me 
and must I forgive him? 

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So this is the context. 
We've continued and all in the 

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same breath Jesus has explained 
it. 

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The whole context is in church 
discipline. 

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That's where we just were. 
That's the connection Jesus is 

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making. 
He's talked to us about 

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confronting and correcting sin, 
and now we make this natural 

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trans transition into forgiving.
So let's pick up from verse 21. 

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Peter came to him and said, 
Lord, how often will my brother 

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sin against me? 
And I forgive him as many as 

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seven times. 
Jesus said to him, I do not say 

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to you 7 times, but 77 times. 
Therefore the Kingdom of heaven 

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may be compared to a king who 
wished to settle accounts with 

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his servants. 
When he began to settle, one was

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brought to him who owed him 
10,000 talents. 

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And since he could not pay, his 
master ordered him to be sold, 

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and with his wife and children 
all that he had, and payment to 

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be made. 
So the servant fell on his knees

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imploring him, Have patience 
with me, and I will pay you 

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everything. 
And out of pity for him, the 

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master of that servant released 
him and forgave him the debt. 

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But when that same servant went 
out, he found one of his fellow 

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servants who owed him 100 
denarii. 

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And seizing him, he began to 
choke him, saying, You pay what 

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you owe. 
So his fellow servant fell down 

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and pleaded with him, Have 
patience with me, and I will pay

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you. 
He refused, and went and put him

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in prison until he should pay 
the debt. 

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When his fellow servants saw 
what had taken place, they were 

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greatly distressed, and they 
went and reported to their 

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master all that had taken place.
Then his master summoned him and

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said to him, You wicked servant,
I forgave you all that debt 

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because you pleaded with me. 
And should not you have had 

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mercy on your fellow servant, as
I have mercy on you? 

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And in anger his master 
delivered him to the jailers 

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until he could pay all his debt.
So also my Heavenly Father will 

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do to everyone of you if you do 
not forgive your brother from 

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your heart. 
God, we take your word with 

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weight and gravity this morning.
I pray that we wouldn't overlook

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it and that we wouldn't minimize
it. 

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I pray, Holy Spirit, that you 
would bring the the full 

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revelation and all the blessing 
that comes with it, all the 

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warning that comes with it, all 
the encouragement that comes 

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with it, all the comfort that 
comes with it. 

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Lord, You are fit to minister to
us everything that we need, all 

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that we need to receive, for 
we've received so much 

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forgiveness already. 
I pray that you would, that you 

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would massage that truth in 
Revelation even deeper into US 

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today so that we would be so 
quick and so eager and so 

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excited to pass that forgiveness
along to others. 

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We thank you for your grace, we 
thank you for your help, and we 

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thank you for the anointing. 
Now on your word in Jesus name, 

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Amen. 
Back to verse 21. 

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Peter came and said, how often 
will my brother sin against me 

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and I forgive him. 
It was taught at that time by 

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rabbis and different religious 
leaders that you should forgive 

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somebody three times and after 
that no more forgiveness. 

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So that was the cap. 
It was like, hey, they sending 

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that she wants you should 
forgive them. 

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Wow, I'm pretty pretty gracious 
guy sending against me again. 

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You know what I'm such a good 
guy. 

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I'm going to forgive you again 
sending us me a third time. 

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I'll forgive you again sending 
us a fourth time, no more. 

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That's it, time's up. 
And that's too much. 

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So Peter thinking, man, I know 3
is normal, but he's like, but I 

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know Jesus. 
I've seen his grace, I've seen 

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his forgiveness. 
So I bet he's going to beat the 

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three numbers. 
So Peter's going to watch this 

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guy's Lord. 
Shall I forgive 7 times? 

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He's maybe thinking, Oh well 
done Peter. 

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Maybe, maybe thinking for 
another one of those moments 

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like he's had, but instead he is
no Peter. 

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Not 7 * 77 times or you've heard
70 times sevens. 

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Different translations would 
would say different times. 

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Jesus. 
Point is that you're not keeping

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counts. 
The point is not that you can't 

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go that was 71 or 70 * 7 or that
was 491, so now time's up for 

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you. 
That's not the perspective. 

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So other transcripts say that 
you have 70 * 7. 

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The point is that you're not 
keeping count. 

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The point is that you offer 
unlimited forgiveness because 70

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* 7 is 490. 
Has God forgiven you for more 

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than 490 sins? 
Everybody say yes, God has 

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forgiven you for more than 490 
sins. 

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Anybody sin this week? 
OK, I'm just just making sure 

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that I wasn't the only one. 
So God has forgiven us. 

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And again, some of y'all are 
like 490. 

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That might even be a slow week 
for me, I don't know. 

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But regardless, we see His 
mercy, we see His kindness 

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towards you, we see His love 
towards you. 

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God loves you. 
Sometimes we've been so used to 

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the message. 
Sometimes people have heard the 

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gospel for so long in their 
lives. 

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They've heard so much about 
forgiveness. 

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They've heard so much about 
grace. 

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You can be tempted to take it 
for granted. 

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You could, you can be tempted to
become self-righteous at that 

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point. 
That's the older brother in the 

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parable of the prodigal son, the
one who's wasteful. 

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And the older brother goes, 
well, he wasted everything and 

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he shouldn't be celebrated. 
He shouldn't be rejoiced. 

229
00:10:55,560 --> 00:10:59,560
And the father goes, son, your 
brother was dead and now he's 

230
00:10:59,560 --> 00:11:01,800
alive. 
He was lost and now he's found. 

231
00:11:02,080 --> 00:11:04,200
We should celebrate. 
This is a great joy. 

232
00:11:04,800 --> 00:11:07,640
That parable was told really not
even for the lost guy like 

233
00:11:07,640 --> 00:11:10,320
everybody thinks it was. 
It was a parable told against 

234
00:11:10,320 --> 00:11:13,120
the Pharisees. 
That's who Jesus was telling it 

235
00:11:13,120 --> 00:11:14,960
for. 
It wasn't about the probable, 

236
00:11:15,120 --> 00:11:17,560
although that is a direct 
application we should make. 

237
00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:20,960
The parable was actually to 
rebuke the Pharisees and say, 

238
00:11:21,160 --> 00:11:23,360
I'm pulling in all these lost 
sheet that you religious leaders

239
00:11:23,360 --> 00:11:25,600
don't like. 
He says, and you're the you're 

240
00:11:25,600 --> 00:11:28,360
the older brother. 
You're the older brother who's 

241
00:11:28,360 --> 00:11:31,840
jealous and who's petty and 
who's selfish and who is 

242
00:11:31,840 --> 00:11:35,040
unforgiving. 
But God is so gracious. 

243
00:11:35,280 --> 00:11:39,000
God who is so gracious and so 
kind and so merciful, He expects

244
00:11:39,000 --> 00:11:41,880
the same for us. 
And verse 24, when the king 

245
00:11:41,880 --> 00:11:45,440
began to settle and this parable
that Jesus told this guy owed 

246
00:11:45,440 --> 00:11:49,160
him 10,000 talents. 
So remember, a talent is a 

247
00:11:49,160 --> 00:11:52,160
measurement of money. 
It's a large sum of money. 

248
00:11:52,160 --> 00:11:56,320
One talent is 20 years wages for
an average laborer. 

249
00:11:57,320 --> 00:11:59,480
So whenever you hear the parable
of the talents, you'd say, hey, 

250
00:11:59,480 --> 00:12:02,000
he was given one talent. 
So, so this is a high level 

251
00:12:02,000 --> 00:12:04,960
business guy and he's got other 
high level people on his team. 

252
00:12:04,960 --> 00:12:06,640
He's going, hey, I'm going to go
away on a journey. 

253
00:12:06,640 --> 00:12:09,040
I'm giving you one talent want 
you to manage this resource. 

254
00:12:09,280 --> 00:12:11,840
I'm giving you 2 talents want 
you to manage this resource. 

255
00:12:11,840 --> 00:12:14,640
That's 40 years worth of of a 
laborer's income. 

256
00:12:14,760 --> 00:12:16,280
And the other guys gives 5 
talents. 

257
00:12:16,280 --> 00:12:18,840
So he knew what their abilities 
were and he judged the risk 

258
00:12:18,840 --> 00:12:20,960
appropriately, but that's how 
much this is. 

259
00:12:20,960 --> 00:12:22,960
So one talent was 20 years 
wages. 

260
00:12:22,960 --> 00:12:27,680
So 10,000 talents of the common 
laborer, that's what a common 

261
00:12:27,680 --> 00:12:30,360
laborer would make in about 
200,000 years. 

262
00:12:30,960 --> 00:12:33,160
So that's a ton of money. 
This is Elon kind of money. 

263
00:12:34,080 --> 00:12:36,360
It's this is billions and 
billions of dollars in our 

264
00:12:36,360 --> 00:12:39,080
economy today. 
And that's the point that Jesus 

265
00:12:39,080 --> 00:12:40,920
is making. 
And the point Jesus is really 

266
00:12:40,920 --> 00:12:42,680
making is not Even so much about
the dollar amount. 

267
00:12:42,680 --> 00:12:45,040
The point is like, look, 
somebody owes a guy good 

268
00:12:45,040 --> 00:12:47,720
jillions of dollars, OK? 
It's a debt he can't pay. 

269
00:12:47,960 --> 00:12:49,560
That's really the spirit of the 
thing here. 

270
00:12:51,520 --> 00:12:56,360
And then as we keep going, verse
25, and since he could not pay, 

271
00:12:56,560 --> 00:13:00,280
his master ordered him to be 
sold with his wife and children 

272
00:13:00,280 --> 00:13:02,400
and all that he had and payment 
to be made. 

273
00:13:02,640 --> 00:13:04,880
So you're about to lose your 
whole life because you owe me 

274
00:13:04,880 --> 00:13:06,480
everything. 
So I'm going to sell your wife 

275
00:13:06,480 --> 00:13:08,640
into slavery. 
I'm going to sell your kids into

276
00:13:08,640 --> 00:13:09,880
slavery. 
That way I can recoup some 

277
00:13:09,880 --> 00:13:11,400
money. 
I'm going to sell you into 

278
00:13:11,400 --> 00:13:13,760
slavery and everything that you 
already do on. 

279
00:13:13,760 --> 00:13:16,480
And I'm going to sell all of it.
And then I'm going to get, at 

280
00:13:16,480 --> 00:13:18,240
least I'm going to. 
Yeah, I'm still going to take a 

281
00:13:18,240 --> 00:13:20,560
massive loss, but I'm going to 
get something back. 

282
00:13:21,720 --> 00:13:24,000
But now, of course, this man's 
about to lose his entire life. 

283
00:13:24,240 --> 00:13:26,360
He's now in desperation. 
So what does he do? 

284
00:13:26,360 --> 00:13:28,080
He does what I would do. 
He does what you would do. 

285
00:13:28,320 --> 00:13:31,600
He begs for more time. 
Like he's ever going to have 

286
00:13:31,600 --> 00:13:33,120
enough time, by the way, to pay 
this off. 

287
00:13:33,480 --> 00:13:36,360
It's not like, oh, wait, I've 
got some new Internet business 

288
00:13:36,360 --> 00:13:39,800
I'm getting ready to start. 
Like he doesn't have a means and

289
00:13:39,800 --> 00:13:43,000
a way to solve this. 
He can't pay it off, just like 

290
00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:45,920
we can't pay it off. 
We are this man. 

291
00:13:46,120 --> 00:13:49,480
We can't ever pay it off. 
That's why the debt had to be 

292
00:13:49,480 --> 00:13:52,960
forgiven entirely. 
Have patience with me. 

293
00:13:52,960 --> 00:13:55,200
This is what he's pleading. 
This is what he's begging. 

294
00:13:55,360 --> 00:13:58,840
And out of pity for him, the 
master of that servant released 

295
00:13:58,840 --> 00:14:03,040
him and forgave the dead. 
He says, here's my plan, you're 

296
00:14:03,040 --> 00:14:05,080
doomed, but at least I'll get 
some of my money back. 

297
00:14:05,080 --> 00:14:06,960
And he just begs and pleads for 
mercy. 

298
00:14:07,520 --> 00:14:09,320
And he said, he says, give me 
more time. 

299
00:14:09,320 --> 00:14:11,000
And instead he goes, you know 
what? 

300
00:14:11,200 --> 00:14:12,360
I'm not going to give you more 
time. 

301
00:14:13,240 --> 00:14:15,480
I'm going to erase the dead. 
Here's what you owe me. 

302
00:14:15,480 --> 00:14:19,360
Now what a massive wait. 
Welcome to the gospel, 

303
00:14:19,360 --> 00:14:21,000
everybody. 
Welcome to the cross. 

304
00:14:21,320 --> 00:14:24,200
Welcome to the grace of God. 
God doesn't come to us like 

305
00:14:24,240 --> 00:14:29,240
every other world religion, like
every false teaching, like every

306
00:14:29,240 --> 00:14:33,200
cult on planet earth. 
You have to earn it. 

307
00:14:33,640 --> 00:14:37,240
You've got to do it. 
Buddha had to Pierce the bubble 

308
00:14:37,240 --> 00:14:40,840
of the universe with his mind. 
In Islam, you have to follow the

309
00:14:40,840 --> 00:14:43,560
five pillars. 
You've got to travel to Mecca, 

310
00:14:43,760 --> 00:14:45,840
unless you're not able, in which
case it's OK. 

311
00:14:45,840 --> 00:14:48,080
But if you can make it happen, 
you have to make it happen. 

312
00:14:48,760 --> 00:14:51,080
I don't know what's the what's 
good enough. 

313
00:14:51,080 --> 00:14:52,400
I guess I'll find out when I 
die. 

314
00:14:52,560 --> 00:14:54,520
Every world religion, you have 
to earn it. 

315
00:14:54,720 --> 00:14:56,640
You have to deserve it. 
You have to accomplish it. 

316
00:14:56,800 --> 00:14:59,160
And once you've earned it in 
those religions and in those 

317
00:14:59,160 --> 00:15:03,640
cults, you deserve it. 
If you make it to heaven, if you

318
00:15:03,640 --> 00:15:06,480
make it to whatever, if you 
achieve Nirvana, when you get 

319
00:15:06,480 --> 00:15:09,600
there, you get to go. 
I did it. 

320
00:15:10,800 --> 00:15:13,680
I'm kind of the man. 
I mean, I earned this. 

321
00:15:13,680 --> 00:15:16,520
I deserve all the goodness that 
I'm experiencing here. 

322
00:15:16,680 --> 00:15:19,000
There's only one religion that 
doesn't do that. 

323
00:15:19,120 --> 00:15:21,680
There's only one religion that 
man would not have created 

324
00:15:21,840 --> 00:15:24,000
because man doesn't get to be 
the hero in this religion. 

325
00:15:24,360 --> 00:15:27,120
There's one religion that 
glorifies God instead of you and

326
00:15:27,120 --> 00:15:30,440
I, and it's the where the Lord 
Jesus Christ comes and he's the 

327
00:15:30,440 --> 00:15:32,360
only hero. 
And when we all get to heaven, 

328
00:15:32,360 --> 00:15:33,880
we can look at each other and 
go, how did you get here? 

329
00:15:33,880 --> 00:15:37,600
We go, Jesus, just Jesus, just 
the blood, just the man on the 

330
00:15:37,600 --> 00:15:38,800
cross. 
That's it. 

331
00:15:39,160 --> 00:15:40,960
But what did you do to get here?
Nothing. 

332
00:15:41,400 --> 00:15:43,880
I mean, I believed on the name 
and came under the blood like I 

333
00:15:43,880 --> 00:15:45,880
didn't do anything. 
It was grace. 

334
00:15:46,000 --> 00:15:48,920
It was the goodness of God. 
How much debt did you owe? 

335
00:15:49,240 --> 00:15:51,440
More than you, I'm sure. 
Well, how much debt do you owe? 

336
00:15:51,440 --> 00:15:53,520
A lot more like billions 
gazillions. 

337
00:15:53,520 --> 00:15:55,360
I lost count. 
But what did he do? 

338
00:15:55,560 --> 00:15:58,320
He just eradicated it. 
Jesus paid it all. 

339
00:15:58,880 --> 00:16:01,320
Jesus paid it to the Father. 
I owed everything. 

340
00:16:01,600 --> 00:16:05,520
And Jesus said, Father, they owe
you eternity in hell and 

341
00:16:05,520 --> 00:16:08,120
eternity in hell will never 
fully pay off our debt. 

342
00:16:08,800 --> 00:16:11,080
I owe more to God than that. 
That's why hell doesn't have a 

343
00:16:11,080 --> 00:16:13,080
deadline. 
That's why I won't be there for 

344
00:16:13,080 --> 00:16:16,000
100,000 years of suffering. 
And then God says, OK, this 

345
00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:18,400
person, you've actually paid for
your crimes. 

346
00:16:18,640 --> 00:16:19,920
Why? 
Because the God I've sinned 

347
00:16:19,920 --> 00:16:22,360
against is so holy. 
He's infinitely holy. 

348
00:16:22,360 --> 00:16:24,920
My punishment, the only way 
justice could ever kind of be 

349
00:16:24,920 --> 00:16:27,440
satisfied would be if my 
punishment was infinite. 

350
00:16:28,080 --> 00:16:31,760
But Jesus, the ends, the 
innocent one comes and takes 

351
00:16:31,760 --> 00:16:34,600
that full sacrifice and says, 
Father, pull point all your 

352
00:16:34,600 --> 00:16:38,080
wrath at me. 
I'll drink the full cup and I'll

353
00:16:38,080 --> 00:16:41,600
be fully abandoned and that can 
save them. 

354
00:16:42,040 --> 00:16:45,160
That is what they can now. 
That's why the Father, that's 

355
00:16:45,160 --> 00:16:48,440
why the Father will not allow 
anyone to be saved by any other 

356
00:16:48,440 --> 00:16:50,160
means other than the name of 
Jesus. 

357
00:16:51,160 --> 00:16:53,520
Man, couldn't anybody be saved 
by any other means other than 

358
00:16:53,600 --> 00:16:56,080
Jesus? 
If anyone could be saved by any 

359
00:16:56,080 --> 00:16:59,120
other means that by the name and
the blood of Jesus, then Jesus 

360
00:16:59,120 --> 00:17:02,440
died for nothing. 
And Jesus's death is pointless 

361
00:17:02,440 --> 00:17:05,040
and worthless if you could be 
saved by any other. 

362
00:17:05,040 --> 00:17:08,560
Well, here's an exception then. 
He didn't have to die, but he 

363
00:17:08,560 --> 00:17:09,599
did have to die. 
Why? 

364
00:17:09,599 --> 00:17:11,560
Because God is so perfectly 
just. 

365
00:17:12,040 --> 00:17:15,079
He's good, He's gracious, He's 
kind, He's gentle, but he is 

366
00:17:15,079 --> 00:17:18,280
just, and he will not skirt the 
system. 

367
00:17:18,440 --> 00:17:20,359
Somebody is going to pay. 
Why? 

368
00:17:20,359 --> 00:17:23,000
Because it's right. 
That's what's good and 

369
00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:25,319
appropriate. 
But Jesus says, well, I'll do 

370
00:17:25,319 --> 00:17:28,520
it, Father, I'll do it. 
And whoever comes under the name

371
00:17:28,720 --> 00:17:30,560
and under the blood can be 
saved. 

372
00:17:30,560 --> 00:17:31,800
This is what God has done for 
us. 

373
00:17:31,800 --> 00:17:35,440
He's forgiven our entire debt. 
The parable actually falls short

374
00:17:35,440 --> 00:17:38,360
for you and I here because not 
only were we forgiven of our 

375
00:17:38,360 --> 00:17:41,040
debt, we weren't just brought 
back to 0 because what would I 

376
00:17:41,040 --> 00:17:42,000
do again? 
What would you do? 

377
00:17:42,000 --> 00:17:45,000
And I'd go back into debt. 
That's exactly what we would do.

378
00:17:45,240 --> 00:17:47,040
I'd start racking up, He brought
me to zero. 

379
00:17:47,200 --> 00:17:49,200
I got a problem, I got an 
addiction. 

380
00:17:49,200 --> 00:17:51,600
I have a sin addiction. 
And that's going to continue to 

381
00:17:51,600 --> 00:17:53,120
take me deeper and deeper and 
deeper. 

382
00:17:53,480 --> 00:17:57,480
But now my dad, he says, now 
your dad has made zero, but also

383
00:17:57,480 --> 00:18:00,120
I'm going to give you the 
account of Jesus and you can't 

384
00:18:00,120 --> 00:18:01,880
mess it up and you can't blow 
it. 

385
00:18:01,880 --> 00:18:05,280
This is the grace of God. 
So we weren't just forgiven, we 

386
00:18:05,280 --> 00:18:07,960
were actually made new. 
We were given a new identity and

387
00:18:07,960 --> 00:18:10,600
we were restored. 
So he says, hey, I'm not just 

388
00:18:10,600 --> 00:18:12,640
going to forgive you, but you're
going to move into my house. 

389
00:18:13,080 --> 00:18:16,440
You're becoming mine. 
We got a whole new life. 

390
00:18:17,280 --> 00:18:18,440
Keep going. 
Verse 28. 

391
00:18:18,560 --> 00:18:22,840
But when that same servant went 
out, he found one of his fellow 

392
00:18:22,840 --> 00:18:25,880
servants who owed him 100 
denarii. 

393
00:18:26,040 --> 00:18:29,080
So 100 denarii. 
This is about a few months 

394
00:18:29,080 --> 00:18:32,840
wages. 
So I owe this guy billions and 

395
00:18:32,840 --> 00:18:35,600
billions and billions. 
But now I come to you, fellow 

396
00:18:35,600 --> 00:18:37,240
servant. 
We're we're a teammate and we 

397
00:18:37,240 --> 00:18:40,160
work for this guy together. 
And I come to you and you owe me

398
00:18:40,320 --> 00:18:43,760
a few grand and I come to you 
and I attack you physically. 

399
00:18:44,040 --> 00:18:46,200
I've got you pummeled on the 
ground and I'm choking you and 

400
00:18:46,200 --> 00:18:49,280
saying you pay me what you owe. 
That's the picture. 

401
00:18:49,280 --> 00:18:53,280
That's what's taking place here.
Pay what you owe. 

402
00:18:53,480 --> 00:18:55,960
So his fellow servant fell down 
and pleaded with him. 

403
00:18:56,560 --> 00:18:58,240
Pray the same prayer that he 
prayed before. 

404
00:18:58,360 --> 00:19:01,600
Have patience with me and I will
pay you. 

405
00:19:02,200 --> 00:19:05,640
He refused and put him in prison
until we should pay the debt. 

406
00:19:06,040 --> 00:19:07,800
By the way, when you put 
somebody in prison, they're not 

407
00:19:07,800 --> 00:19:09,360
going to be able to pay the 
debt. 

408
00:19:09,920 --> 00:19:13,200
So it's just, it's just an act 
of vengeance at that point. 

409
00:19:13,440 --> 00:19:15,760
When his fellow servants saw 
what had taken place. 

410
00:19:15,760 --> 00:19:18,000
So now the other, the rest of 
the staff saw what happened. 

411
00:19:18,320 --> 00:19:22,200
I can't believe this boss 
forgave him of everything and he

412
00:19:22,200 --> 00:19:26,400
went after our the other guy and
made him pay it all. 

413
00:19:26,880 --> 00:19:29,480
They went and reported to the 
master all that had taken place.

414
00:19:29,760 --> 00:19:31,080
Why? 
Because they're horrified. 

415
00:19:31,080 --> 00:19:33,960
We were under the king together.
We were peers. 

416
00:19:33,960 --> 00:19:38,160
The king has forgiven me of 
200,000 years worth of pay, and 

417
00:19:38,160 --> 00:19:40,440
now I won't forgive you of a few
months of pay. 

418
00:19:40,440 --> 00:19:42,640
The fellow servants were 
appropriately horrified. 

419
00:19:42,640 --> 00:19:44,920
Why? 
Because it was an A terrible 

420
00:19:44,920 --> 00:19:47,200
injustice. 
It was. 

421
00:19:47,280 --> 00:19:50,560
It was a wicked injustice. 
You were forgiven of all of 

422
00:19:50,560 --> 00:19:51,240
that. 
Yeah. 

423
00:19:51,720 --> 00:19:54,640
And you won't forgive him. 
That's unjust. 

424
00:19:55,440 --> 00:19:57,760
That's broken. 
That's crazy. 

425
00:19:58,640 --> 00:20:01,920
So let's clarify some things. 
Now I want to talk about what 

426
00:20:02,080 --> 00:20:04,400
forgiveness is. 
We've got our parable. 

427
00:20:04,400 --> 00:20:07,240
We've got our teaching. 
We're supposed to forgive. 

428
00:20:07,760 --> 00:20:12,440
Pastor, what is that? 
What happens when I say to you, 

429
00:20:12,440 --> 00:20:16,480
hey, I forgive you. 
What did that actually do? 

430
00:20:16,640 --> 00:20:18,960
What does that mean? 
And what does that not mean? 

431
00:20:18,960 --> 00:20:23,080
Here's what forgiveness is. 
Forgiveness is a reflection of 

432
00:20:23,080 --> 00:20:26,240
the mercy that you have already 
received from God. 

433
00:20:27,040 --> 00:20:29,680
Maybe never from the person and 
the individual you're forgiving,

434
00:20:29,800 --> 00:20:32,200
but it's just a reflection of 
the forgiveness you have 

435
00:20:32,200 --> 00:20:35,840
received from the Lord. 
It is also an act of obedience 

436
00:20:35,840 --> 00:20:38,320
to the Lord. 
So this rules out the thought 

437
00:20:38,320 --> 00:20:40,360
where I feel like I have the 
option to not forgive you 

438
00:20:40,920 --> 00:20:42,400
because I feel like, will you 
sin against me? 

439
00:20:42,920 --> 00:20:44,440
Yeah, that's the point, Jim, 
Michael. 

440
00:20:44,440 --> 00:20:46,440
That's why we're talking about 
forgiveness, because there was 

441
00:20:46,440 --> 00:20:48,880
obviously official sin that took
place. 

442
00:20:49,120 --> 00:20:50,640
So nobody's saying there wasn't 
sin. 

443
00:20:51,000 --> 00:20:54,000
That's the need of forgiveness. 
But this is your act of 

444
00:20:54,000 --> 00:20:57,760
obedience to Jesus as well. 
What else is forgiveness? 

445
00:20:57,960 --> 00:21:01,760
Forgiveness is blessing the 
offender and wanting God's best 

446
00:21:01,760 --> 00:21:03,960
for them. 
This is how you can know if 

447
00:21:03,960 --> 00:21:07,400
you've forgiven somebody. 
Do I want God's best and God's 

448
00:21:07,400 --> 00:21:10,160
blessing in their life? 
No, I don't. 

449
00:21:10,200 --> 00:21:12,000
I don't. 
I don't want that for them. 

450
00:21:12,040 --> 00:21:13,320
Then you know you haven't 
forgiven them. 

451
00:21:13,800 --> 00:21:15,560
You know you have unforgiveness 
in your heart towards them. 

452
00:21:15,760 --> 00:21:16,920
Well, I don't think about them 
every day. 

453
00:21:16,920 --> 00:21:18,760
I don't hope they get run over 
by a train. 

454
00:21:19,120 --> 00:21:21,720
That's fine. 
But but as a Christian, you do 

455
00:21:21,720 --> 00:21:24,960
owe everyone love and you do owe
forgiveness. 

456
00:21:25,120 --> 00:21:28,440
So it's an actual I would want 
to see them blessed doesn't mean

457
00:21:28,440 --> 00:21:30,360
we have to enjoy family 
vacations together. 

458
00:21:30,640 --> 00:21:32,640
We'll get to what forgiveness is
not here in a moment. 

459
00:21:32,800 --> 00:21:35,600
But I'm going to tell you what 
it is because it is something. 

460
00:21:35,920 --> 00:21:40,560
It can't just be a vague idea. 
Forgiveness is releasing your 

461
00:21:40,560 --> 00:21:45,040
personal claim for moral 
repayment, because that's really

462
00:21:45,040 --> 00:21:46,840
what's happened. 
When you've sinned against me, 

463
00:21:46,840 --> 00:21:49,040
or when I've sinned against you,
or when anyone is sinned against

464
00:21:49,040 --> 00:21:52,600
anybody, there's a moral wrong 
that is taking place between us.

465
00:21:52,800 --> 00:21:55,440
There's this moral barrier 
between us now that you've 

466
00:21:55,440 --> 00:21:57,000
created with your sin against 
me. 

467
00:21:57,240 --> 00:21:59,280
That thing is real. 
That thing is important. 

468
00:21:59,280 --> 00:22:01,840
That thing is so bad that Jesus 
had to die for it. 

469
00:22:02,080 --> 00:22:06,080
So what do we do with that? 
I have to release your moral 

470
00:22:06,080 --> 00:22:09,320
obligation to me. 
That's what's happening when I'm

471
00:22:09,320 --> 00:22:12,720
forgiving you. 
I'm handing the case over to 

472
00:22:12,720 --> 00:22:16,720
God's justice. 
I'm not seeking any kind of 

473
00:22:17,280 --> 00:22:23,840
retaliation for forgiveness is a
readiness for reconciliation. 

474
00:22:23,840 --> 00:22:28,240
If repentance ever comes, they 
may repent, they may not repent.

475
00:22:28,240 --> 00:22:31,640
They could be dead and gone for 
decades now and you still have 

476
00:22:31,640 --> 00:22:34,240
unforgiveness towards somebody. 
We could have unforgiveness 

477
00:22:34,240 --> 00:22:39,160
towards people we've never met, 
but it is a readiness for 

478
00:22:39,160 --> 00:22:41,080
reconciliation. 
Just like I talked about. 

479
00:22:41,080 --> 00:22:44,040
If someone is, is, is 
excommunicated from the body of 

480
00:22:44,040 --> 00:22:46,760
Christ, well, what do we do if 
they want to come back through 

481
00:22:46,760 --> 00:22:48,760
repentance? 
Well, the repentance is the only

482
00:22:48,760 --> 00:22:50,040
joy they can come back through, 
by the way. 

483
00:22:50,280 --> 00:22:53,120
But if they come back, then 
it's, it's, we're ready. 

484
00:22:53,120 --> 00:22:57,000
We have done all of our part. 
We have done 100% of our part so

485
00:22:57,000 --> 00:22:59,960
that the moment they're ready to
move forward, we're reconciled. 

486
00:23:00,240 --> 00:23:03,400
The moment they're ready for 
reconciliation, we're ready for 

487
00:23:03,400 --> 00:23:05,400
reconciliation. 
What? 

488
00:23:05,400 --> 00:23:09,800
What is forgiveness? 
Not forgiveness is not excusing 

489
00:23:09,960 --> 00:23:12,320
or minimizing the sin. 
Forgiveness is not saying it's 

490
00:23:12,320 --> 00:23:14,240
no big deal. 
That's not forgiveness. 

491
00:23:14,520 --> 00:23:16,400
If it was sin, it was a big 
deal. 

492
00:23:17,160 --> 00:23:19,840
We have a rule in my house when 
we sin against one another, we 

493
00:23:19,840 --> 00:23:22,760
say, hey, you know, we'll 
apologize to one another. 

494
00:23:22,880 --> 00:23:25,040
But we also add on to that 
whenever the person is 

495
00:23:25,040 --> 00:23:28,360
forgiving, we never say it's OK.
We say I forgive you as Christ 

496
00:23:28,360 --> 00:23:29,640
forgives me. 
Why? 

497
00:23:29,640 --> 00:23:31,080
Because that keeps everybody 
humble. 

498
00:23:31,600 --> 00:23:33,240
It reminds the person who's 
apologizing. 

499
00:23:33,240 --> 00:23:34,840
You literally do need 
forgiveness. 

500
00:23:34,840 --> 00:23:37,120
In case you were just playing a 
mouth game there just kind of 

501
00:23:37,120 --> 00:23:42,920
going mouthing the words to me. 
Sorry you're sorry for what? 

502
00:23:43,040 --> 00:23:46,360
Just to be clear here. 
Well, I'm sorry for this and the

503
00:23:46,360 --> 00:23:47,960
other all. 
I forgive you as Christ forgives

504
00:23:47,960 --> 00:23:49,200
me. 
And it's helpful for the 

505
00:23:49,200 --> 00:23:51,160
forgiver. 
Why I forgive you. 

506
00:23:51,560 --> 00:23:54,880
We don't just leave it there. 
I'm reminded of the massive debt

507
00:23:54,880 --> 00:23:58,400
again that I was forgiven. 
I forgive you as Christ forgives

508
00:23:58,400 --> 00:24:02,960
me, released and free and 
totally forgiven. 

509
00:24:04,040 --> 00:24:06,840
What forgiveness is not. 
It's not forgetting that the 

510
00:24:06,840 --> 00:24:09,760
offense ever happened. 
So doesn't the Lord forget? 

511
00:24:09,760 --> 00:24:12,200
Well, the Scripture does tell us
that the Lord has forgotten our 

512
00:24:12,200 --> 00:24:14,800
transgressions. 
But the Lord is omniscient. 

513
00:24:14,800 --> 00:24:17,840
That means he knows everything. 
So I don't think I'm being 

514
00:24:17,840 --> 00:24:21,040
unbiblical or unfaithful at all 
when I tell you I think the Lord

515
00:24:21,040 --> 00:24:24,200
actually does remember things. 
I don't think he is actually 

516
00:24:24,200 --> 00:24:27,280
literally forgotten, but I think
the spirit of The thing is that 

517
00:24:27,440 --> 00:24:30,720
it's not considered and it bears
no weight and no burden against 

518
00:24:30,720 --> 00:24:32,560
you any longer. 
That's the point. 

519
00:24:32,880 --> 00:24:36,080
People say forgive and forget. 
You might not be able to forget.

520
00:24:36,560 --> 00:24:38,240
You might actually have 
memories. 

521
00:24:38,240 --> 00:24:41,120
You know, the Lord built your 
brain in a certain way so that 

522
00:24:41,120 --> 00:24:43,520
you remember stuff. 
We can still remember stupid 

523
00:24:43,520 --> 00:24:45,600
commercial jingles from 30 years
ago, can't we? 

524
00:24:45,600 --> 00:24:48,120
Isn't that crazy? 
Like, there's so much I can't 

525
00:24:48,120 --> 00:24:49,320
remember. 
And then a song plays you on. 

526
00:24:50,160 --> 00:24:51,680
How is that living in there? 
This whole time? 

527
00:24:51,840 --> 00:24:53,600
I didn't know it. 
If you told me to sing the song,

528
00:24:53,600 --> 00:24:55,160
I couldn't have sung it. 
But as soon as the prompt 

529
00:24:55,160 --> 00:24:57,360
started. 
So our brain holds on to stuff. 

530
00:24:57,360 --> 00:25:00,000
We can remember things. 
You might remember how I've 

531
00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:02,280
sinned against you. 
You might remember how others 

532
00:25:02,280 --> 00:25:05,280
have sinned against you, which 
is interesting because it might 

533
00:25:05,280 --> 00:25:07,320
mean that forgiveness is 
something you do repeatedly. 

534
00:25:08,200 --> 00:25:10,760
I forgave John Michael for that,
for, you know, from last year. 

535
00:25:11,240 --> 00:25:12,600
But then that memory comes up 
again. 

536
00:25:12,600 --> 00:25:14,600
Or you had a bad dream. 
You ever woke up with a terrible

537
00:25:14,600 --> 00:25:17,200
dream and you have that 
emotional awful feeling that you

538
00:25:17,200 --> 00:25:21,080
woke up with you, you're looking
at your spouse. 

539
00:25:21,080 --> 00:25:24,480
You make me sick. 
Like then I didn't do anything. 

540
00:25:24,480 --> 00:25:27,760
I was right here with you all 
night, like I've been here the 

541
00:25:27,760 --> 00:25:30,720
whole time. 
But you know that that feeling 

542
00:25:30,720 --> 00:25:32,640
comes up. 
We can't submit to every feeling

543
00:25:32,640 --> 00:25:34,800
that we have. 
We don't obey every thought that

544
00:25:34,800 --> 00:25:36,400
we have. 
When I just go, I need to 

545
00:25:36,400 --> 00:25:39,560
release again. 
So we're not forgiveness is not 

546
00:25:39,560 --> 00:25:41,120
just forgetting something that 
happened. 

547
00:25:41,880 --> 00:25:45,080
Forgiveness is not removing all 
consequences or removing all 

548
00:25:45,080 --> 00:25:48,360
boundaries. 
There are consequences depending

549
00:25:48,360 --> 00:25:50,640
on what the sin was. 
Somebody hurts one of my 

550
00:25:50,640 --> 00:25:55,440
children, I have to forgive 
them, but I don't have to allow 

551
00:25:55,440 --> 00:25:57,920
them access, and they will never
have access to my children ever 

552
00:25:57,920 --> 00:25:59,320
again. 
Like there. 

553
00:25:59,320 --> 00:26:01,560
There's all kinds of boundaries 
and it depends on the context of

554
00:26:01,560 --> 00:26:03,040
what happened. 
Oh man, I'm sorry. 

555
00:26:03,040 --> 00:26:04,160
I was sending it to you the 
other day. 

556
00:26:04,160 --> 00:26:05,720
I lost my temper with you, bro. 
I forgive you this. 

557
00:26:05,720 --> 00:26:06,920
Christ forgives me. 
Let's move on. 

558
00:26:07,280 --> 00:26:09,720
They're probably not going to 
have to put up some massive 

559
00:26:09,720 --> 00:26:11,840
fence and boundary in our 
relationship, right? 

560
00:26:12,120 --> 00:26:13,680
You got in the flesh, I got in 
the flesh. 

561
00:26:13,920 --> 00:26:15,480
Let's pour grace on it. 
Let's move on. 

562
00:26:16,200 --> 00:26:19,240
But there's consequences to sin.
I've told you this many times. 

563
00:26:19,240 --> 00:26:22,400
All sin is not created equally. 
Jesus said so to Pilate. 

564
00:26:22,920 --> 00:26:26,240
Those who delivered me over to 
you are guilty of the greater 

565
00:26:26,480 --> 00:26:28,640
sin. 
I would prefer you slap me in 

566
00:26:28,640 --> 00:26:30,680
the face instead you shoot me in
the head, right? 

567
00:26:30,680 --> 00:26:32,920
Those aren't equal. 1 is worse 
than the other. 

568
00:26:33,520 --> 00:26:36,280
So depending on the consequence 
of sin against you or to you or 

569
00:26:36,280 --> 00:26:38,840
from you, there can be 
consequences and boundaries. 

570
00:26:39,000 --> 00:26:42,640
And yet you still forgive from 
your heart, meaning you release 

571
00:26:42,640 --> 00:26:46,080
the offender from personal claim
or more for you. 

572
00:26:46,360 --> 00:26:49,120
You release your personal claim 
for moral repayment. 

573
00:26:49,560 --> 00:26:51,160
That's all that you've done with
forgiveness. 

574
00:26:51,160 --> 00:26:55,360
I release my personal claim from
moral repayment. 

575
00:26:55,680 --> 00:26:57,200
That's what I've done with 
forgiveness. 

576
00:26:58,120 --> 00:27:00,920
Forgiveness is not a feeling 
that you must wait for. 

577
00:27:01,440 --> 00:27:03,960
You'll be waiting a long time if
you're waiting on the warm and 

578
00:27:03,960 --> 00:27:05,360
fuzzies of forgiveness to hit 
you. 

579
00:27:07,360 --> 00:27:09,400
What else? 
Forgiveness is not forgiveness 

580
00:27:09,400 --> 00:27:15,160
is not trust. 
It's not trust. 

581
00:27:15,480 --> 00:27:17,280
I do forgive you. 
I thought you said you'd forgive

582
00:27:17,280 --> 00:27:17,920
me. 
I do. 

583
00:27:17,920 --> 00:27:20,440
Well, then, you know you stole 
$100 from me last week. 

584
00:27:20,440 --> 00:27:21,400
I thought you said you forgive 
me. 

585
00:27:21,400 --> 00:27:22,360
I do. 
Well, then give me your bank 

586
00:27:22,360 --> 00:27:24,840
account information like I don't
trust you. 

587
00:27:25,280 --> 00:27:27,480
Well, then, then I guess you're 
not a very good Christian. 

588
00:27:27,480 --> 00:27:29,680
OK, gaslighter, Go try that 
somewhere else. 

589
00:27:29,680 --> 00:27:32,600
Like I was born last night. 
I was born at night, but it 

590
00:27:32,600 --> 00:27:36,480
wasn't last night. 
So like, I'm just not going to 

591
00:27:36,480 --> 00:27:37,720
fall for those tricks. 
I forgive you. 

592
00:27:37,720 --> 00:27:40,560
I want God's best for you, but 
no, I won't, I won't give you 

593
00:27:40,560 --> 00:27:42,960
access to my finances anymore. 
I won't leave my wallet laying 

594
00:27:42,960 --> 00:27:45,600
around when I see you anymore 
because, you know, because of 

595
00:27:45,600 --> 00:27:47,160
what happened. 
I do forgive you though, and I 

596
00:27:47,160 --> 00:27:50,840
don't have any ill will and I 
release my, my personal claim 

597
00:27:50,840 --> 00:27:53,840
for moral repayment from you. 
But yes, I do have boundaries 

598
00:27:53,840 --> 00:27:57,840
now. 
So it's not trust and it's also 

599
00:27:57,840 --> 00:28:00,640
not forgiveness is not 
reconciliation. 

600
00:28:00,640 --> 00:28:02,400
What do you mean it's not 
reconciliation? 

601
00:28:02,760 --> 00:28:05,960
Well, the relationship, 
depending on what happened, may 

602
00:28:05,960 --> 00:28:07,920
have some permanent damage done 
to it. 

603
00:28:08,880 --> 00:28:11,400
Back to the boundary stuff I 
said earlier, like depending on 

604
00:28:11,400 --> 00:28:13,680
what happened, somebody hurts my
wife in any way. 

605
00:28:13,680 --> 00:28:18,480
Like we will never be friends 
ever again, ever, ever. 

606
00:28:18,680 --> 00:28:20,880
It just can't happen. 
That's a, that's a personal 

607
00:28:20,880 --> 00:28:23,080
standard for Joe Michael. 
It can't happen. 

608
00:28:23,080 --> 00:28:26,240
I'll have to forgive you and by 
the grace of God, I'll do that. 

609
00:28:27,000 --> 00:28:29,920
But reconciliation, like we 
can't be friends, buddy. 

610
00:28:30,320 --> 00:28:32,120
It can't happen. 
It can't continue. 

611
00:28:32,320 --> 00:28:35,640
Things have forever shifted and 
I can stand before Jesus with a 

612
00:28:35,640 --> 00:28:36,880
clean conscience for all of 
that. 

613
00:28:37,280 --> 00:28:39,440
What else is forgiveness? 
Not after. 

614
00:28:39,760 --> 00:28:41,840
Well, the point is that after 
forgiveness, we still need to 

615
00:28:41,840 --> 00:28:43,480
apply wisdom depending on what 
happened. 

616
00:28:43,840 --> 00:28:48,280
Many things, most things are 
very low level and we just need 

617
00:28:48,280 --> 00:28:50,880
to get over our flesh. 
Like we said, a wise man can 

618
00:28:50,880 --> 00:28:53,640
overlook an offense. 
So every time I've forgiven you,

619
00:28:53,640 --> 00:28:56,160
every time you've forgiven me. 
We don't always even have to 

620
00:28:56,160 --> 00:28:57,640
communicate that with one 
another, do we? 

621
00:28:57,920 --> 00:28:59,680
There have been times where 
you've forgiven me and I've 

622
00:28:59,680 --> 00:29:01,040
forgiven you and you've forgiven
one another. 

623
00:29:01,040 --> 00:29:02,600
Like we don't have to have a big
sit down. 

624
00:29:02,600 --> 00:29:05,680
Hey, I'd like to meet you. 
Be ready. 

625
00:29:05,680 --> 00:29:07,320
We're going to sit and work 
through this for a few hours. 

626
00:29:07,360 --> 00:29:09,360
Like I just, I just forgave him 
and moved on. 

627
00:29:09,360 --> 00:29:10,840
He didn't even know he's sinned 
against me. 

628
00:29:11,200 --> 00:29:14,960
I'm pouring grace on it. 
I one pastor say one time, you 

629
00:29:14,960 --> 00:29:18,760
better sow as implant. 
You better sow a lot of mercy 

630
00:29:19,400 --> 00:29:23,240
because you're going to need it.
So let's just be eager to plant 

631
00:29:23,240 --> 00:29:26,240
seeds of grace, man. 
I just, I just a wise man 

632
00:29:26,240 --> 00:29:29,400
overlooks an offense. 
Poor grace on the thing. 

633
00:29:29,680 --> 00:29:32,760
Poor forgiveness on the thing. 
But really, make sure it is 

634
00:29:32,760 --> 00:29:36,360
actually grace, not just 
pretending to not care, but you 

635
00:29:36,360 --> 00:29:39,120
still deeply care. 
Don't get passive aggressive 

636
00:29:39,120 --> 00:29:40,440
with people. 
I overlooked that. 

637
00:29:40,440 --> 00:29:42,280
What did you? 
Because you seem weird. 

638
00:29:42,760 --> 00:29:44,680
You seem like you're being tense
about stuff. 

639
00:29:45,040 --> 00:29:46,600
You seem like you're making 
everything awkward. 

640
00:29:46,600 --> 00:29:48,920
Well, I forgave them. 
I don't think you did. 

641
00:29:49,200 --> 00:29:51,320
Let's pull the whole thing out. 
It's going to stink. 

642
00:29:51,320 --> 00:29:52,920
It's going to be like a fart in 
the room. 

643
00:29:53,240 --> 00:29:55,880
But at least once it comes out, 
it can get cleared out. 

644
00:29:56,240 --> 00:29:58,440
You're holding it up and you're 
getting cramps in your belly. 

645
00:29:59,120 --> 00:30:00,760
Never used a fart analogy in a 
sermon. 

646
00:30:01,840 --> 00:30:04,000
Forgive me. 
Forgive me, everybody. 

647
00:30:06,160 --> 00:30:07,960
It stinks. 
It's not pleasant. 

648
00:30:07,960 --> 00:30:10,640
Nobody wants to go through it. 
But but then it's gone and it 

649
00:30:10,640 --> 00:30:14,680
and it can move on. 
That was not in the notes. 

650
00:30:16,920 --> 00:30:21,880
I didn't intend for that. 
So yes, I, I will always have to

651
00:30:21,920 --> 00:30:24,160
forgive. 
But that doesn't mean that we go

652
00:30:24,160 --> 00:30:27,080
on family vacations together. 
It certainly doesn't mean that 

653
00:30:27,080 --> 00:30:30,360
people get access at the same 
level depending on what's taking

654
00:30:30,360 --> 00:30:32,960
place. 
Forgiveness is me releasing you 

655
00:30:32,960 --> 00:30:36,280
or you releasing me or you 
releasing them from the personal

656
00:30:36,280 --> 00:30:40,840
debt that they owe you. 
They do owe you a personal debt,

657
00:30:41,320 --> 00:30:43,480
no doubt about it. 
Just like the servant owed the 

658
00:30:43,480 --> 00:30:45,600
man billions. 
He owed that money. 

659
00:30:46,080 --> 00:30:49,800
He owed it, but it was him 
saying I know you owe it. 

660
00:30:49,840 --> 00:30:52,160
Everybody knows that you owe it.
You know you owe it. 

661
00:30:52,160 --> 00:30:54,640
I know you owe it, and I release
you from him. 

662
00:30:55,200 --> 00:30:58,080
The moral obligation is what I 
release you from. 

663
00:30:59,680 --> 00:31:01,880
It is releasing from the 
personal debt that's owed. 

664
00:31:02,120 --> 00:31:04,560
You still owe the person who 
sinned. 

665
00:31:05,200 --> 00:31:09,760
You still owe repentance to God.
That's between you and the Lord.

666
00:31:09,920 --> 00:31:13,600
But I'm releasing you from the 
personal debt that you owe me, 

667
00:31:13,600 --> 00:31:15,040
the personal moral debt that you
owe me. 

668
00:31:15,240 --> 00:31:18,240
And if there is still to be full
reconciliation, you do owe 

669
00:31:18,240 --> 00:31:20,960
repentance to me as well. 
So that person might not have 

670
00:31:20,960 --> 00:31:23,720
repented, they might not have 
apologized to you, but you can 

671
00:31:23,720 --> 00:31:26,080
still forgive them. 
Well, we can't have full 

672
00:31:26,080 --> 00:31:29,280
reconciliation, full fellowship 
again, unless they repent. 

673
00:31:29,280 --> 00:31:31,520
That's completely true too. 
Again, depending on what 

674
00:31:31,520 --> 00:31:34,480
happened, depending on what The 
thing is like, I have forgiven 

675
00:31:34,480 --> 00:31:37,360
them, but they're not repentant 
at all. 

676
00:31:37,360 --> 00:31:39,080
Well, then that's going to 
hinder the fellowship, no doubt 

677
00:31:39,080 --> 00:31:40,880
about it. 
And you don't have to feel weird

678
00:31:40,880 --> 00:31:43,800
about that or feel bad about it,
but I've forgiven them. 

679
00:31:44,040 --> 00:31:46,520
But they have, they're not 
actually moving forward. 

680
00:31:46,520 --> 00:31:48,080
They're not moving towards me in
any way. 

681
00:31:48,400 --> 00:31:52,360
So I can't control that part. 
But I'm no longer standing here 

682
00:31:52,360 --> 00:31:55,760
demanding that you repay me for 
my own sake. 

683
00:31:55,880 --> 00:31:57,600
That's the difference. 
I used to be standing here say 

684
00:31:57,600 --> 00:32:00,680
you owe me, you owe me, you owe 
me, you owe me, fill up my hand,

685
00:32:00,680 --> 00:32:05,320
but now I'm going, you don't, 
you don't have to pay me. 

686
00:32:05,920 --> 00:32:11,000
You don't owe me anymore. 
Forgiveness cancels my demand, 

687
00:32:11,360 --> 00:32:13,680
but it does not cancel God's 
call to repentance. 

688
00:32:13,840 --> 00:32:15,840
Just bringing full clarity. 
So that person still owes 

689
00:32:15,840 --> 00:32:18,240
repentance to the Lord and 
technically they still should 

690
00:32:18,240 --> 00:32:19,240
repent. 
They should. 

691
00:32:19,560 --> 00:32:20,840
But you're releasing that 
burden. 

692
00:32:21,080 --> 00:32:22,240
You're not carrying that in your
head. 

693
00:32:22,240 --> 00:32:24,040
You're not carrying that in your
heart. 

694
00:32:24,520 --> 00:32:28,640
Forgiving someone for their sin 
against you doesn't mean that 

695
00:32:28,640 --> 00:32:31,560
they are right with God. 
It doesn't mean that they're 

696
00:32:31,560 --> 00:32:34,000
totally restored to you in every
way possible. 

697
00:32:34,320 --> 00:32:37,320
It means that you have done your
part to restore the fellowship, 

698
00:32:37,560 --> 00:32:39,760
and they must do their part for 
that to be completed. 

699
00:32:40,920 --> 00:32:44,760
In the church context that Jesus
was teaching us here, then yeah,

700
00:32:44,760 --> 00:32:46,720
The normative is going to be 
quick repentance. 

701
00:32:46,720 --> 00:32:48,880
Hey, man, I need to talk to you.
It's going to be an awkward 

702
00:32:48,880 --> 00:32:50,360
conversation. 
Oh, bro, what's up? 

703
00:32:50,920 --> 00:32:52,880
You really sinned against me, 
and I can name it plainly. 

704
00:32:52,880 --> 00:32:54,240
Here's what happened. 
And here's what it was. 

705
00:32:54,520 --> 00:32:56,760
Brother, I'm so sorry. 
Would you please forgive me? 

706
00:32:57,240 --> 00:33:00,120
Yes. 
Thank you for for being gracious

707
00:33:00,120 --> 00:33:00,960
with this. 
I forgive you. 

708
00:33:00,960 --> 00:33:03,040
I forgive you too. 
That's what we want. 

709
00:33:03,240 --> 00:33:05,480
That's what mature Christian 
living looks like. 

710
00:33:05,480 --> 00:33:08,160
I got in the flesh or you got in
the flesh, or I was an idiot and

711
00:33:08,160 --> 00:33:10,320
just total blind spot and didn't
even know what I did. 

712
00:33:11,400 --> 00:33:13,160
But we're gracious and we're 
restored. 

713
00:33:14,560 --> 00:33:17,480
We want that kind of fellowship.
That's the that's the normative 

714
00:33:17,480 --> 00:33:21,200
Christian living. 
But none of this rules out the 

715
00:33:21,360 --> 00:33:24,000
the more wicked, the more awful,
the more vile things that you 

716
00:33:24,000 --> 00:33:26,080
have suffered, things that have 
happened to you, things that 

717
00:33:26,080 --> 00:33:28,600
people have done to you that 
have been living with you 

718
00:33:29,120 --> 00:33:35,400
decades, decades, and you go, I 
still haven't forgiven them or 

719
00:33:35,400 --> 00:33:38,640
years or weeks or maybe just 
still this morning. 

720
00:33:39,400 --> 00:33:42,360
But to be able to release that 
is the right thing to do. 

721
00:33:42,360 --> 00:33:46,080
I've got a person in my life who
I was very close to for many 

722
00:33:46,080 --> 00:33:49,320
years, and unfortunately, over 
the past year or two, they just 

723
00:33:49,320 --> 00:33:51,400
turned more and more hostile 
towards me. 

724
00:33:51,840 --> 00:33:54,520
We're not experiencing 
fellowship right now, but I have

725
00:33:54,520 --> 00:33:57,680
forgiven them to God. 
I've forgiven them and I've 

726
00:33:57,680 --> 00:34:00,440
given them to the Lord, and I 
desire good for them and I've 

727
00:34:00,440 --> 00:34:02,480
done what I can for our full 
reconciliation. 

728
00:34:02,800 --> 00:34:05,840
I'm still grieved by it. 
It was somebody I was close 

729
00:34:05,840 --> 00:34:09,040
with, so it still hurts. 
I still think about them, but I 

730
00:34:09,040 --> 00:34:11,760
know I've forgiven them because 
I want God's best for them. 

731
00:34:12,239 --> 00:34:15,520
They've wronged me. 
They've sinned against me, but I

732
00:34:15,520 --> 00:34:18,080
don't say that they owe me. 
And I there's no bitterness 

733
00:34:18,080 --> 00:34:19,480
stirring at all. 
I'm just going. 

734
00:34:21,280 --> 00:34:24,480
Unfortunately, our fellowship is
severed, but at the same time, 

735
00:34:24,679 --> 00:34:26,920
my heart is safe. 
My heart is in the right place. 

736
00:34:27,400 --> 00:34:29,840
Forgiveness has to be in, but 
they haven't apologized for 

737
00:34:29,840 --> 00:34:31,880
anything. 
But forgiveness has to be done 

738
00:34:32,400 --> 00:34:34,600
even when someone hasn't sought 
forgiveness. 

739
00:34:35,040 --> 00:34:37,400
Like I said earlier, we've got 
to forgive people who have 

740
00:34:37,400 --> 00:34:39,840
already died. 
They're not going to apologize 

741
00:34:39,840 --> 00:34:42,480
to you. 
They did that awful evil thing 

742
00:34:42,719 --> 00:34:44,560
and they're not coming back to 
tell you, I'm sorry. 

743
00:34:45,520 --> 00:34:47,239
What are you going to do with 
that unforgiveness that you 

744
00:34:47,239 --> 00:34:48,679
have? 
You've got to forgive them. 

745
00:34:49,000 --> 00:34:51,600
We've got to forgive people who 
we've never met and people who 

746
00:34:51,600 --> 00:34:56,480
don't even know that we exist. 
We've got to forgive evil people

747
00:34:56,480 --> 00:34:58,840
who will never repent. 
We've got to forgive politicians

748
00:34:59,160 --> 00:35:01,960
who have pushed forward some 
immoral legislation that has 

749
00:35:01,960 --> 00:35:04,720
impacted our lives or the lives 
of our loved ones. 

750
00:35:05,000 --> 00:35:06,680
They don't know that you and I 
exist. 

751
00:35:07,040 --> 00:35:10,480
They don't even care about them.
So we're like President so and 

752
00:35:10,480 --> 00:35:13,400
so or, you know, Congressperson 
so and so. 

753
00:35:13,400 --> 00:35:15,040
Like they don't care about me at
all. 

754
00:35:15,560 --> 00:35:17,560
But I'm here. 
I am bitter and unforgiving. 

755
00:35:17,760 --> 00:35:20,800
I can be angry. 
I am angry against injustice and

756
00:35:20,800 --> 00:35:22,280
wickedness and filth and 
perversion. 

757
00:35:22,280 --> 00:35:25,040
I'm angry about all of it. 
But am I unforgiving towards 

758
00:35:25,040 --> 00:35:26,680
them? 
What I want God's blessing for 

759
00:35:26,680 --> 00:35:28,080
their life. 
Who? 

760
00:35:28,320 --> 00:35:30,720
That's the test. 
That's the test. 

761
00:35:31,160 --> 00:35:32,960
What do I really want to see 
happen to them? 

762
00:35:33,840 --> 00:35:34,960
I hope they get what they 
deserve. 

763
00:35:34,960 --> 00:35:36,720
Do you hope you get what you 
deserve to them? 

764
00:35:37,800 --> 00:35:40,040
Because that's what the that's 
what the unforgiving servant 

765
00:35:40,040 --> 00:35:42,360
thought. 
Pay me what you owe. 

766
00:35:42,880 --> 00:35:45,840
You owe a debt. 
We all owe a debt, but don't 

767
00:35:45,840 --> 00:35:48,520
forget the great debt that you 
were forgiven of. 

768
00:35:50,120 --> 00:35:52,160
Keep going. 
We're in verse 32. 

769
00:35:52,680 --> 00:35:56,640
Then his master summoned him and
said to him, You wicked servant,

770
00:35:56,880 --> 00:35:59,600
I forgave you all that debt 
because you pleaded with me. 

771
00:35:59,920 --> 00:36:03,040
And should you have not also had
mercy on your fellow servant as 

772
00:36:03,040 --> 00:36:06,480
I had mercy on you? 
And in anger, his master 

773
00:36:06,480 --> 00:36:10,680
delivered him to the jailers 
until he could pay all his debt.

774
00:36:11,360 --> 00:36:15,320
So also my Heavenly Father will 
do to everyone of you if you do 

775
00:36:15,320 --> 00:36:18,600
not forgive your brother from 
your heart. 

776
00:36:19,360 --> 00:36:22,160
So what are these jailers? 
Some translations have said the 

777
00:36:22,160 --> 00:36:26,400
tormentors and many commentators
believe these jailers represent 

778
00:36:26,400 --> 00:36:31,240
demonic oppression, a spiritual 
and emotional torment that comes

779
00:36:31,240 --> 00:36:34,480
when we refuse to forgive. 
You get turned over in your 

780
00:36:34,480 --> 00:36:37,280
thoughts and in your emotions 
and in your soul to a lack of 

781
00:36:37,280 --> 00:36:43,680
peace, to A, to an overwhelm of 
bitterness and to a hard heart. 

782
00:36:44,000 --> 00:36:48,440
Unfortunately, eventually that's
the risk that we run and we 

783
00:36:48,440 --> 00:36:50,800
we've all seen that. 
If you've ever had unforgiveness

784
00:36:50,800 --> 00:36:53,360
growing in your life and in your
heart, you recognize that 

785
00:36:53,800 --> 00:36:57,240
you're, you're not at peace, 
you're not comforted, you're not

786
00:36:57,240 --> 00:37:00,040
at rest. 
Unforgiveness is a poison. 

787
00:37:00,440 --> 00:37:03,080
Unforgiveness is deadly. 
You should be afraid of 

788
00:37:03,080 --> 00:37:05,600
unforgiveness in your life for 
yourself. 

789
00:37:06,120 --> 00:37:07,800
It's not the message of the 
gospel. 

790
00:37:07,800 --> 00:37:10,360
When it comes to unforgiveness, 
there's not a heavy emphasis on 

791
00:37:10,560 --> 00:37:12,200
do it for you, do it for you, do
it for you. 

792
00:37:12,200 --> 00:37:15,480
As is often preached, you should
forgive people because it'll set

793
00:37:15,480 --> 00:37:18,480
your own heart free. 
You're putting the cart before 

794
00:37:18,480 --> 00:37:22,000
the horse. 
The gospel is we give mercy for 

795
00:37:22,000 --> 00:37:24,720
the sake of mercy. 
That's why we give mercy. 

796
00:37:25,240 --> 00:37:29,520
Also great benefit. 
I recommended 2 thumbs up. 

797
00:37:29,680 --> 00:37:31,840
You also will walk in freedom 
and in peace. 

798
00:37:32,040 --> 00:37:34,280
It's real and it's biblical and 
it's good. 

799
00:37:34,480 --> 00:37:36,880
But that is often been preached 
as the only emphasis of the 

800
00:37:36,880 --> 00:37:38,160
reason you should forgive 
others. 

801
00:37:39,080 --> 00:37:41,640
Drinking unforgiveness is like 
drinking poison and expecting it

802
00:37:41,640 --> 00:37:45,080
to kill somebody else. 
That's true, but also we give 

803
00:37:45,080 --> 00:37:49,880
mercy for the purpose of mercy. 
We give grace for the purpose of

804
00:37:50,000 --> 00:37:51,760
grace. 
When am I going to be free to? 

805
00:37:51,800 --> 00:37:54,360
Oh, you'll be delivered from the
tormentors. 

806
00:37:54,920 --> 00:37:57,400
You'll be freed from all the 
oppression and all the angst and

807
00:37:57,400 --> 00:38:00,200
all the worry and all the nights
and all the I can't believe and 

808
00:38:00,200 --> 00:38:02,800
all the being mad about their 
Facebook posts and all. 

809
00:38:04,720 --> 00:38:07,400
What a relief. 
What a relief to walk in 

810
00:38:07,400 --> 00:38:10,120
forgiveness as someone who has 
been forgiven. 

811
00:38:12,040 --> 00:38:13,800
But pastor, you don't know what 
they did to me. 

812
00:38:14,440 --> 00:38:17,760
You're right, that's true, and 
that's fair. 

813
00:38:17,760 --> 00:38:19,360
But let me ask you some 
questions. 

814
00:38:19,760 --> 00:38:24,720
Did they sell you into slavery? 
Did they lie to you? 

815
00:38:24,880 --> 00:38:26,880
And did did they lie to your 
parents and say that you were 

816
00:38:26,880 --> 00:38:31,160
killed by wild animals? 
Did they sell you and and then 

817
00:38:31,160 --> 00:38:33,920
you ended up in a dungeon as a 
slave for 13 years? 

818
00:38:34,680 --> 00:38:39,280
Joseph knows about forgiveness. 
Joseph knows what it's like. 

819
00:38:39,840 --> 00:38:42,040
I mean, come on, Like some of 
those things I just said, like 

820
00:38:42,240 --> 00:38:46,920
it's just too quick to Passover.
13 years as a slave sold by your

821
00:38:46,920 --> 00:38:50,520
brothers lied to the fathers. 
Oh, an animal got them because 

822
00:38:50,520 --> 00:38:55,160
they hated them? 
That's some betrayal. 

823
00:38:55,360 --> 00:38:59,200
That's some wickedness. 
If Joseph can forgive by the 

824
00:38:59,200 --> 00:39:02,320
strength of God, so can you. 
You are not alone. 

825
00:39:02,320 --> 00:39:04,200
You don't know what they did to 
me, Pastor. 

826
00:39:04,200 --> 00:39:05,880
Well, did they hunt you down 
like an animal? 

827
00:39:06,600 --> 00:39:09,240
Did they throw a spear at you 
and try to kill you while you're

828
00:39:09,240 --> 00:39:11,920
serving them faithfully? 
Did they force you to live in 

829
00:39:11,920 --> 00:39:14,800
caves hiding for your life? 
Did they publicly slander you 

830
00:39:15,200 --> 00:39:18,840
and turn others against you? 
David knows about forgiveness. 

831
00:39:19,400 --> 00:39:22,640
He had two opportunities to kill
the man who was lying about him.

832
00:39:22,960 --> 00:39:25,880
David, anointed king, chosen by 
God. 

833
00:39:25,880 --> 00:39:29,280
Saul rejected by God. 
David has multiple opportunities

834
00:39:29,280 --> 00:39:32,000
to kill the man who is unjustly 
trying to kill him. 

835
00:39:32,280 --> 00:39:35,560
David could have restored 
instantly, had all of Israel in 

836
00:39:35,560 --> 00:39:38,720
the palm of his hand, but 
instead he forgave Saul. 

837
00:39:39,000 --> 00:39:42,040
He was gracious to Saul. 
He was kind to soul. 

838
00:39:42,040 --> 00:39:44,360
David knows about forgiveness. 
He can relate to you. 

839
00:39:45,080 --> 00:39:47,320
And the same God who sustained 
David is the one who will 

840
00:39:47,320 --> 00:39:49,040
strengthen you and help you to 
do the same thing. 

841
00:39:49,880 --> 00:39:52,320
Man, I've been hurt by pastors 
before, but I've never had them 

842
00:39:52,320 --> 00:39:55,560
throw a spirit in my head. 
I've been hurt by pastors 

843
00:39:55,560 --> 00:39:57,120
before. 
Anybody been hurt by pastors 

844
00:39:57,120 --> 00:39:59,320
before? 
I've been hurt by pastors 

845
00:39:59,320 --> 00:40:01,280
before, but I've never had them 
chase me through the wilderness 

846
00:40:01,280 --> 00:40:02,600
and try and kill me and slander 
me. 

847
00:40:02,600 --> 00:40:04,840
For years I hadn't had that 
happen. 

848
00:40:06,040 --> 00:40:09,160
But man, sometimes in the church
we get hurt by somebody and go. 

849
00:40:09,160 --> 00:40:11,600
It was spiritual abuse. 
I think David knows about 

850
00:40:11,600 --> 00:40:14,640
spiritual abuse too. 
It's a real thing and we don't 

851
00:40:14,640 --> 00:40:16,520
minimize it. 
And also, what do we do? 

852
00:40:16,520 --> 00:40:19,440
We forgive and we keep our eyes 
on the head of the church, the 

853
00:40:19,440 --> 00:40:22,760
Lord Jesus Christ. 
Because pastors will fail you. 

854
00:40:23,040 --> 00:40:24,960
The brother and sister besides 
you will fail you. 

855
00:40:25,520 --> 00:40:28,480
But guys, remember kind of the 
whole point of our whole thing 

856
00:40:28,480 --> 00:40:32,040
of the gospel, it's this Gray 
space thing where we're so eager

857
00:40:32,040 --> 00:40:33,840
to forgive. 
We ought to be excited to 

858
00:40:33,840 --> 00:40:35,920
forgive somebody. 
That's the approach that the 

859
00:40:35,920 --> 00:40:39,120
believer takes. 
Man, I'm so excited to pass on 

860
00:40:39,120 --> 00:40:42,160
this gift of grace and 
forgiveness that God has given 

861
00:40:42,160 --> 00:40:44,720
to me. 
So yes, be free from torment. 

862
00:40:44,960 --> 00:40:47,480
It is a real blessing of 
forgiving others. 

863
00:40:48,280 --> 00:40:51,760
But like I said, we've often 
emphasized this benefit and miss

864
00:40:51,760 --> 00:40:53,720
the heart of Jesus. 
Will you feel better when you 

865
00:40:53,720 --> 00:40:57,040
forgive? 
Yes, but that is a byproduct of 

866
00:40:57,040 --> 00:41:00,520
forgiving others. 
Forgiveness is primarily an act 

867
00:41:00,520 --> 00:41:04,880
of obedience to God, not a self 
focused strategy to feel better.

868
00:41:05,680 --> 00:41:07,040
And yes, you will also feel 
better. 

869
00:41:07,640 --> 00:41:09,920
Both are true, but one is the 
priority. 

870
00:41:09,920 --> 00:41:11,920
One comes first. 
One is the root, the other is 

871
00:41:11,920 --> 00:41:14,600
the fruit. 
Your personal freedom is a fruit

872
00:41:14,600 --> 00:41:17,560
of forgiveness, but the root of 
forgiveness is obedience to God 

873
00:41:17,720 --> 00:41:20,880
and giving what was already 
freely given to you. 

874
00:41:21,720 --> 00:41:26,280
The parable Jesus tells in the 
parable, he's not saying that 

875
00:41:26,280 --> 00:41:28,800
the man should forgive in order 
to experience personal freedom. 

876
00:41:29,480 --> 00:41:32,400
He's saying that the man should 
forgive the smaller debt because

877
00:41:32,400 --> 00:41:33,880
he was forgiven a much greater 
debt. 

878
00:41:33,880 --> 00:41:37,400
He forgave because of mercy. 
That's what we have to keep 

879
00:41:37,400 --> 00:41:40,280
doing is keep remembering, keep 
looking at all that we've been 

880
00:41:40,280 --> 00:41:42,120
forgiven of. 
I don't want you to have a sin 

881
00:41:42,120 --> 00:41:44,640
consciousness because if you 
look at we've been forgiven of 

882
00:41:44,640 --> 00:41:46,160
the Holy Spirit's not going to 
leave you there. 

883
00:41:46,280 --> 00:41:48,440
He's going to bring you right 
into the enthronement and the 

884
00:41:48,440 --> 00:41:52,960
restoration and see this is who 
you are in Christ, in Christ, in

885
00:41:52,960 --> 00:41:56,680
him through him through whom 
your 140 some verses in your New

886
00:41:56,680 --> 00:41:59,480
Testament then emphasize your 
new identity. 

887
00:42:00,080 --> 00:42:05,320
Meditate on them, believe them, 
and remember you were forgiven a

888
00:42:05,360 --> 00:42:07,280
massive debt. 
You've been walking with the 

889
00:42:07,280 --> 00:42:10,160
Lord in Christ for decades and 
decades and decades. 

890
00:42:10,560 --> 00:42:13,880
Don't forget how you got here. 
There was a beginning to this 

891
00:42:13,880 --> 00:42:15,200
journey. 
You've been enjoying the throne 

892
00:42:15,200 --> 00:42:18,600
room for a long time. 
Don't forget where you used to 

893
00:42:18,600 --> 00:42:20,480
live. 
Don't forget the poverty. 

894
00:42:20,480 --> 00:42:22,840
Don't forget the shame. 
Don't forget the oppression. 

895
00:42:22,840 --> 00:42:26,000
Don't live in it, don't meditate
on it, But remember how'd you 

896
00:42:26,000 --> 00:42:29,000
get here? 
The King forgave all of my debt.

897
00:42:29,040 --> 00:42:32,720
I owed billions and billions 
that I could never repay. 

898
00:42:32,720 --> 00:42:35,280
But he forgave it all because he
paid it all. 

899
00:42:35,680 --> 00:42:40,280
God loves you, he loves you, he 
loves you, he loves you, he 

900
00:42:40,280 --> 00:42:42,760
loves you. 
He loves you so much. 

901
00:42:45,680 --> 00:42:47,960
So when you remember what he's a
race for you, you will pray with

902
00:42:47,960 --> 00:42:51,680
a pure heart like Stephen did as
they stoned him to death. 

903
00:42:52,320 --> 00:42:54,480
Lord, do not hold this sin 
against them. 

904
00:42:56,000 --> 00:42:58,400
Was Stephen doing that so he 
could have like personal freedom

905
00:42:58,920 --> 00:43:01,120
and breakthrough like I just got
on with this bitterness in my 

906
00:43:01,120 --> 00:43:02,720
heart. 
He's about to die. 

907
00:43:02,720 --> 00:43:06,640
He knows they're about to murder
him and he goes, Lord, don't, 

908
00:43:06,760 --> 00:43:11,160
don't count this against them. 
Like that's, that's, that's not 

909
00:43:11,160 --> 00:43:12,880
a two. 
Now the Lord will sort them out 

910
00:43:12,880 --> 00:43:15,600
between them and him. 
But Stephen's heart to the 

911
00:43:15,600 --> 00:43:18,920
Father's father, don't, don't 
just father, overlook this. 

912
00:43:18,920 --> 00:43:20,760
Don't, don't do this for my 
sake, Lord. 

913
00:43:21,280 --> 00:43:24,400
You might for Jesus, but for me,
Lord, that was Stephen's heart. 

914
00:43:24,760 --> 00:43:26,080
That's the pure place of the 
believer. 

915
00:43:26,080 --> 00:43:28,800
Lord, this is nothing. 
What are they going to do, kill 

916
00:43:28,800 --> 00:43:30,280
me? 
And then what are they going to 

917
00:43:30,280 --> 00:43:32,600
do after that? 
He can't do anything to me. 

918
00:43:32,920 --> 00:43:37,120
I'm a free man. 
The Lord taught us to pray, and 

919
00:43:37,120 --> 00:43:41,480
we pray together each week. 
Forgive us our trespasses as we 

920
00:43:41,480 --> 00:43:43,920
forgive those who trespass 
against us. 

921
00:43:43,920 --> 00:43:48,880
Another translation of that is 
forgive us our debts in the same

922
00:43:48,880 --> 00:43:52,200
way that I forgive those who are
indebted to me. 

923
00:43:52,200 --> 00:43:53,760
Is that really the prayer you 
want to be praying? 

924
00:43:54,800 --> 00:43:57,480
Lord? 
I only want you to forgive me in

925
00:43:57,480 --> 00:44:00,200
the way that I forgive others. 
Let that always be the standard 

926
00:44:00,200 --> 00:44:02,000
by which Your forgiveness comes 
to me. 

927
00:44:03,480 --> 00:44:05,240
Would you be comfortable praying
that prayer with that kind of 

928
00:44:05,240 --> 00:44:07,400
precision? 
Lord, look how I forgive other 

929
00:44:07,400 --> 00:44:08,880
people. 
That's how I want you to forgive

930
00:44:08,880 --> 00:44:10,480
me. 
That's the standard I want your 

931
00:44:10,480 --> 00:44:20,360
forgiveness by. 
Lord, increase our faith in the 

932
00:44:20,360 --> 00:44:23,160
same way we forgive others. 
That is a scary prayer. 

933
00:44:23,160 --> 00:44:26,920
It's the right prayer because it
would be unjust for a Christian 

934
00:44:26,920 --> 00:44:29,960
to not be forgiving. 
An unforgiving Christian is a 

935
00:44:29,960 --> 00:44:34,160
walking contradiction. 
An unforgiving Christian is a 

936
00:44:34,520 --> 00:44:37,400
hypocrite. 
An unforgiving Christian is 

937
00:44:37,400 --> 00:44:40,200
missing the point. 
An unforgiving Christian has 

938
00:44:40,200 --> 00:44:44,040
forgotten the gospel. 
Forgiven people forgive. 

939
00:44:45,360 --> 00:44:48,360
So if you understand, and we're 
closing, if you understand your 

940
00:44:48,360 --> 00:44:53,000
own unworthiness and your 
extreme debt and your need for 

941
00:44:53,000 --> 00:44:56,560
mercy, you'll have an easy time 
for giving lesser debts. 

942
00:44:57,560 --> 00:45:00,760
Forgiveness does not feel heroic
for a Christian to offer to 

943
00:45:00,760 --> 00:45:03,040
someone. 
We don't feel incredible when we

944
00:45:03,040 --> 00:45:05,400
do it. 
Like, wow, I'm a super 

945
00:45:05,400 --> 00:45:07,320
Christian. 
No, you're just a Christian. 

946
00:45:07,640 --> 00:45:09,320
That's normal Christian 
behavior. 

947
00:45:09,480 --> 00:45:12,040
That's not elite level. 
That's not Navy SEAL 

948
00:45:12,040 --> 00:45:14,320
Christianity, that's 
kindergarten Christianity. 

949
00:45:14,920 --> 00:45:16,600
Wow. 
I'm like, I forgive people. 

950
00:45:16,600 --> 00:45:20,400
Like, duh, of course you do. 
If you didn't, I'd say, and I 

951
00:45:20,400 --> 00:45:23,000
guess you're not a Christian. 
Well, no, I was just struggling 

952
00:45:23,000 --> 00:45:24,960
for a moment. 
OK, well, I've been there and 

953
00:45:24,960 --> 00:45:27,600
let's move on. 
Let's really make sure that we 

954
00:45:27,680 --> 00:45:31,200
release them from the moral 
obligation that they owe us. 

955
00:45:31,560 --> 00:45:35,600
Relationship has shifted 
forever, in some cases forever, 

956
00:45:37,520 --> 00:45:41,360
and that's perfectly fine. 
But the moral desire and my love

957
00:45:41,360 --> 00:45:45,760
for them is right where it 
should be because I'm reminded 

958
00:45:45,760 --> 00:45:51,080
of God's goodness. 
To me, forgiveness doesn't feel 

959
00:45:51,080 --> 00:45:52,720
heroic. 
It feels natural. 

960
00:45:52,720 --> 00:45:55,640
It feels obvious, like a mother 
giving herself to her baby. 

961
00:45:55,720 --> 00:45:59,520
It is sacrifice, but it's good. 
It's beautiful, and it's 

962
00:45:59,520 --> 00:46:01,320
obviously the way it still 
should be. 

963
00:46:02,000 --> 00:46:05,440
So no mother ever feels like I 
am incredible for getting up in 

964
00:46:05,440 --> 00:46:06,920
the middle of the night and 
nursing my baby. 

965
00:46:07,400 --> 00:46:09,240
She doesn't feel like I'm. 
I'm like, I'm the greatest small

966
00:46:09,240 --> 00:46:10,800
member. 
She's just like, of course. 

967
00:46:11,040 --> 00:46:13,960
It just feels so obvious. 
Is there sacrifice? 

968
00:46:14,040 --> 00:46:15,760
Yeah, there's some sacrifice. 
Who paid the price? 

969
00:46:15,920 --> 00:46:18,200
Mom did. 
Who takes the hit? 

970
00:46:18,200 --> 00:46:19,840
When you offer forgiveness? 
You do. 

971
00:46:20,720 --> 00:46:24,440
You Do you absorb that net, You 
go, you're released. 

972
00:46:25,000 --> 00:46:26,840
Somebody had to feel that pain. 
You did. 

973
00:46:27,320 --> 00:46:29,840
You were sinned against. 
We're not minimizing it. 

974
00:46:29,840 --> 00:46:31,200
You were sinned against, but you
go. 

975
00:46:31,280 --> 00:46:35,160
But I remember a time when I 
owe, you owe me 100 bucks. 

976
00:46:35,640 --> 00:46:40,200
But I remember the time when I 
owed a man a lot more, and I 

977
00:46:40,200 --> 00:46:42,000
remember the relief. 
So as Ioffer you this 

978
00:46:42,000 --> 00:46:45,360
forgiveness, I hope it blesses 
you, I hope it strengthens you, 

979
00:46:45,760 --> 00:46:48,720
and I hope you'll see Jesus in 
it because that's what that's 

980
00:46:48,720 --> 00:46:50,920
the only reason I'm able to 
forgive you is because God's 

981
00:46:50,920 --> 00:46:53,120
grace to me. 
He's been so gracious to me. 

982
00:46:53,120 --> 00:46:56,640
He's been so kind to me. 
Ioffer you what's been given to 

983
00:46:56,640 --> 00:46:57,480
me. 
I'm just a funnel. 

984
00:46:57,480 --> 00:47:00,320
In this moment, I'm passing on 
the goodness of God. 

985
00:47:01,480 --> 00:47:02,880
I didn't earn it. 
I don't deserve it. 

986
00:47:03,040 --> 00:47:06,040
You haven't earned it and you 
don't deserve it and I give it. 

987
00:47:06,760 --> 00:47:11,920
You're forgiven when you 
understand what you've received.

988
00:47:11,920 --> 00:47:14,600
Forgiving others won't feel like
some incredible act. 

989
00:47:14,600 --> 00:47:16,800
It will feel like the only 
reasonable thing to do. 

990
00:47:17,560 --> 00:47:20,320
And yes, you will enjoy peace 
because of it. 

991
00:47:20,320 --> 00:47:22,280
You will not be handed over the 
tormentors. 

992
00:47:22,560 --> 00:47:28,600
You will experience freedom. 
The ultimate forgiver hung on a 

993
00:47:28,600 --> 00:47:32,920
cross and asked his father to 
forgive the people crucifying 

994
00:47:32,920 --> 00:47:36,320
him. 
He wasn't bound up with 

995
00:47:36,320 --> 00:47:37,480
bitterness. 
He wasn't trying to get a 

996
00:47:37,480 --> 00:47:40,560
breakthrough for himself. 
He was extending mercy to his 

997
00:47:40,560 --> 00:47:43,080
murderers and he calls us to do 
the same thing. 

998
00:47:43,560 --> 00:47:44,920
That was what he's always told 
us. 

999
00:47:44,960 --> 00:47:47,560
Jesus was completely open and 
honest from his very first 

1000
00:47:47,560 --> 00:47:50,320
moment in ministry. 
He never did a bait and switch. 

1001
00:47:50,320 --> 00:47:52,360
He always brought the standard 
right along with it. 

1002
00:47:52,360 --> 00:47:59,520
He's like, you got to be like 
me, We're told be perfect as God

1003
00:47:59,520 --> 00:48:03,080
is perfect. 
Wow, God increased my faith. 

1004
00:48:04,240 --> 00:48:09,800
Help me to be more like you. 
Jesus extends mercy. 

1005
00:48:09,920 --> 00:48:13,720
Jesus requires his people to 
extend the same mercy. 

1006
00:48:15,080 --> 00:48:18,240
So who do you think owes you 
more than you owed God? 

1007
00:48:20,480 --> 00:48:24,560
Who is it who owes you more than
what you owe God? 

1008
00:48:26,600 --> 00:48:28,160
No, they don't owe me more than 
I am God. 

1009
00:48:28,160 --> 00:48:30,720
No, they don't. 
So when I say they owe you 

1010
00:48:30,720 --> 00:48:33,960
nothing, we're just saying who 
owes you more than you owed God?

1011
00:48:36,400 --> 00:48:38,720
They do owe me, Pastor. 
I know, I know. 

1012
00:48:39,280 --> 00:48:40,680
And this is the, that's the 
point. 

1013
00:48:40,960 --> 00:48:42,120
We're not saying they didn't do 
it. 

1014
00:48:42,440 --> 00:48:44,640
We're not saying it wasn't bad. 
We're not saying it wasn't 

1015
00:48:44,640 --> 00:48:46,000
wicked. 
We're not saying they don't need

1016
00:48:46,000 --> 00:48:48,080
to go to prison for it. 
We're not saying that they 

1017
00:48:48,080 --> 00:48:50,560
shouldn't be executed for it. 
That's the state's jurisdiction,

1018
00:48:50,560 --> 00:48:51,720
though. 
It's not yours. 

1019
00:48:52,040 --> 00:48:56,680
We're not saying anything apart 
from I forgive the personal 

1020
00:48:56,840 --> 00:49:00,200
moral obligation that you owe me
and I release it. 

1021
00:49:00,920 --> 00:49:03,520
And I want the will of God for 
your life. 

1022
00:49:03,800 --> 00:49:08,160
I want God's best for your life.
And I want heaven and I want, I 

1023
00:49:08,160 --> 00:49:09,480
want you to come to a full 
repentance. 

1024
00:49:09,880 --> 00:49:11,520
We might not be restored because
of what happened. 

1025
00:49:11,520 --> 00:49:13,560
There might be, there might be 
some barriers or boundaries that

1026
00:49:13,560 --> 00:49:15,920
are wise and appropriate, But I 
actually want God's best for 

1027
00:49:15,920 --> 00:49:18,400
your life, even if our lives 
aren't connected together at 

1028
00:49:18,400 --> 00:49:20,920
all. 
That's what the forgiver did. 

1029
00:49:21,520 --> 00:49:24,000
He hung on the cross. 
He extended that grace. 

1030
00:49:24,000 --> 00:49:28,560
He extended that mercy. 
Who do I think owes me more than

1031
00:49:28,560 --> 00:49:33,080
I once? 
O God, Lord, I pray you would 

1032
00:49:33,080 --> 00:49:37,040
open the eyes of our hearts and 
just reveal to us right now if 

1033
00:49:37,040 --> 00:49:42,080
there's any unforgiveness 
Church, we're just going to take

1034
00:49:42,080 --> 00:49:47,840
a moment to release to forgive. 
You may have questions. 

1035
00:49:47,840 --> 00:49:52,120
You may want to to talk about it
with me or other believers about

1036
00:49:52,360 --> 00:49:55,240
what might the, the, the next 
steps be after this. 

1037
00:49:55,240 --> 00:49:56,680
Let's cross that bridge when we 
get there. 

1038
00:49:56,680 --> 00:50:00,280
The first step is to release 
that person or those people. 

1039
00:50:01,640 --> 00:50:03,360
It's sad. 
They do owe me a debt, there's 

1040
00:50:03,360 --> 00:50:06,120
no doubt about it, But I'm going
to release them from the 

1041
00:50:06,120 --> 00:50:10,640
personal moral obligation that 
they've owed me, and I'll trust 

1042
00:50:10,640 --> 00:50:12,240
the Holy Spirit for the next 
steps. 

1043
00:50:13,960 --> 00:50:17,960
So whoever you've got that 
unforgiveness towards that harsh

1044
00:50:17,960 --> 00:50:21,560
word that that kid said to you 
in school in the second grade, 

1045
00:50:25,000 --> 00:50:27,800
the thing that the teacher said,
the thing that the parent did, 

1046
00:50:32,160 --> 00:50:37,040
that time with your sibling, 
that Co worker, that boss, that 

1047
00:50:37,040 --> 00:50:42,440
spouse. 
Lord, I release them. 

1048
00:50:43,080 --> 00:50:47,320
I forgive them right now. 
I'm not waiting for the emotions

1049
00:50:47,320 --> 00:50:50,960
of it, but I want your best in 
their life. 

1050
00:51:01,240 --> 00:51:03,960
So I'm going to lead you, I'm 
going to guide you in a prayer 

1051
00:51:03,960 --> 00:51:05,840
church, and I just want you to 
repeat after me. 

1052
00:51:06,200 --> 00:51:09,720
Heavenly Father, you see this 
person in my mind. 

1053
00:51:11,360 --> 00:51:16,720
You see these people in my mind,
Lord, I look to the dead that 

1054
00:51:16,720 --> 00:51:23,920
you forgave me, and then I look 
to them and I release them. 

1055
00:51:25,000 --> 00:51:29,600
From this moment forward, 
they're free from the personal 

1056
00:51:29,600 --> 00:51:34,480
moral obligation that they 
legitimately owed me. 

1057
00:51:36,160 --> 00:51:39,360
I released that dead and I 
cancel that dead. 

1058
00:51:40,480 --> 00:51:44,560
God, I pray that you would bless
them, that you would bring them 

1059
00:51:44,560 --> 00:51:49,960
to repentance, that you would 
restore them and bring your good

1060
00:51:49,960 --> 00:52:04,880
to their life. 
And those of you who may have 

1061
00:52:04,880 --> 00:52:09,160
been praying for somebody who's 
deceased, they're gone. 

1062
00:52:10,160 --> 00:52:11,600
Well, wherever they are, they 
are. 

1063
00:52:12,320 --> 00:52:16,520
For better or worse, their 
future is locked in and 

1064
00:52:16,520 --> 00:52:19,600
unchangeable at this point. 
But yours isn't. 

1065
00:52:25,040 --> 00:52:29,160
So be free. 
Be like your Master Jesus who 

1066
00:52:29,160 --> 00:52:32,360
loved you and forgave you. 
I put him on the cross. 

1067
00:52:32,360 --> 00:52:37,080
You put him on the cross. 
Church, my sin and yours did it.

1068
00:52:37,160 --> 00:52:39,120
It was a massive debt. 
I couldn't pay it. 

1069
00:52:39,120 --> 00:52:41,920
I wouldn't want to. 
I wouldn't want to have to go 

1070
00:52:41,920 --> 00:52:43,760
over my sins with the Lord. 
Would you? 

1071
00:52:44,560 --> 00:52:45,880
Would you want him to recount 
him with you? 

1072
00:52:48,360 --> 00:52:52,520
All the public things and all 
the secret things if the Lord 

1073
00:52:52,520 --> 00:52:54,120
just made us go down the list 
with Him? 

1074
00:52:55,760 --> 00:52:58,080
He's, He's poured grace on it. 
He's put it under the blood. 

1075
00:52:58,960 --> 00:53:01,080
We do the same for those who 
have sinned against us. 

1076
00:53:01,600 --> 00:53:04,680
God, we thank you for freedom. 
I pray that you would bless and 

1077
00:53:04,680 --> 00:53:06,600
refresh your people, that you 
would deliver them from the 

1078
00:53:06,600 --> 00:53:09,600
tormentors, that they would not 
have anxieties and angst. 

1079
00:53:09,600 --> 00:53:13,640
God, I pray that even as we 
become a more forgiving church, 

1080
00:53:13,880 --> 00:53:16,000
that it would even heal things 
in our bodies. 

1081
00:53:16,520 --> 00:53:18,160
That there would be 
deliverances, that there would 

1082
00:53:18,160 --> 00:53:22,840
be breakthroughs, that there 
would be things that were things

1083
00:53:22,840 --> 00:53:25,240
that were stifled that we didn't
even know were coming from this.

1084
00:53:25,400 --> 00:53:28,240
But Lord, I know the spiritual 
and the physical or they're all 

1085
00:53:28,240 --> 00:53:32,000
connected, so I pray that there 
would be healings and 

1086
00:53:32,000 --> 00:53:35,600
deliverances because we're 
people who walk in love and walk

1087
00:53:35,600 --> 00:53:37,920
in grace. 
We are quick to repent, we are 

1088
00:53:37,920 --> 00:53:40,280
quick to forgive, we are quick 
to believe. 

1089
00:53:42,360 --> 00:53:44,520
Thank you for that freedom and 
that peace and that relief. 

1090
00:53:46,440 --> 00:53:49,040
Keep helping us to walk it out. 
When thoughts come again, when 

1091
00:53:49,040 --> 00:53:52,080
temptations come again. 
Lord, let that be our repetition

1092
00:53:52,080 --> 00:53:55,160
and our prayer. 
I forgive, I forgive, I forgive,

1093
00:53:55,360 --> 00:53:59,640
I forgive, I release be free in 
Jesus name. 

1094
00:53:59,640 --> 00:54:03,880
And now the Lord bless you and 
keep you. 

1095
00:54:05,000 --> 00:54:09,040
The Lord make his face Shinedown
upon you and be gracious to you.

1096
00:54:09,920 --> 00:54:13,200
The Lord lift up his countenance
upon you and give you great 

1097
00:54:13,200 --> 00:54:16,640
peace in Jesus name, Amen.