1 00:00:03,400 --> 00:00:05,600 How's everybody doing this morning? 2 00:00:07,160 --> 00:00:11,160 Good good. For those of you that do not 3 00:00:11,160 --> 00:00:16,680 know me, I am a decade long friends to the Clarks, love the 4 00:00:16,680 --> 00:00:18,960 Clarks. And so I'm pinch hitting today. 5 00:00:19,400 --> 00:00:20,920 They sent out a message yesterday. 6 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:24,920 It was like, hey, I was like, sure, I love my Salt church 7 00:00:24,920 --> 00:00:27,640 family. So I'll come in and help you 8 00:00:27,640 --> 00:00:32,680 out, Mr. John Michael. And so I feel like I was already 9 00:00:32,680 --> 00:00:37,280 preparing a word and I had two directions that then I was going 10 00:00:37,280 --> 00:00:39,320 to go in and I picked one this morning. 11 00:00:39,320 --> 00:00:42,960 So hopefully it's the right one. After I've followed the Lord 12 00:00:42,960 --> 00:00:48,480 long enough to know that normally He, I will choose 13 00:00:48,480 --> 00:00:51,120 correctly. Do you know how much He loves 14 00:00:51,120 --> 00:00:53,640 you? And so I've, I've discerned in 15 00:00:53,640 --> 00:00:58,480 ministry a long time ago that He loves you a whole lot, just 16 00:00:58,760 --> 00:01:03,360 loves you so much that he will, he will speak to a hard headed 17 00:01:03,360 --> 00:01:06,440 man like me and be like, this is exactly what they need to hear 18 00:01:06,440 --> 00:01:09,160 today. You ever noticed that in church, 19 00:01:09,360 --> 00:01:11,840 the Holy Spirit will just give you the word that you need in 20 00:01:11,840 --> 00:01:14,480 your season. He's good like that. 21 00:01:14,520 --> 00:01:20,800 And so I want to talk to you this morning about unlimited 22 00:01:20,920 --> 00:01:24,280 forgiveness. There's a there it says limited 23 00:01:24,280 --> 00:01:25,560 forgiveness. I want to talk to you about 24 00:01:25,960 --> 00:01:29,800 unlimited forgiveness. So if you could turn to Matthew 25 00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:33,000 chapter 18. Matthew chapter 18. 26 00:01:41,680 --> 00:01:47,880 I was putting together some things for some future 27 00:01:47,880 --> 00:01:52,120 teachings, but I was going over the questions that was that were 28 00:01:52,120 --> 00:01:55,080 asked of Jesus or Jesus asked his disciples. 29 00:01:55,080 --> 00:01:58,320 Have you ever located those in the Scriptures? 30 00:01:58,360 --> 00:02:01,680 I think it's mean you can gain some great insight through 31 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:05,000 questions, right? Here's a leadership tip. 32 00:02:05,720 --> 00:02:08,720 A leader that can't be questioned does questionable 33 00:02:08,720 --> 00:02:13,200 things. And so you, you see these, this 34 00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:18,440 dynamic develop in the life of Jesus as he's on earth, where he 35 00:02:18,440 --> 00:02:21,760 will ask his disciples some questions and the disciples will 36 00:02:21,760 --> 00:02:25,240 ask him some questions and then people will ask him questions. 37 00:02:25,240 --> 00:02:31,040 And those answers are gold. And so questions are the 38 00:02:31,040 --> 00:02:35,400 location are locators. And so we can pause and think 39 00:02:35,400 --> 00:02:37,040 through. Let me let me give you a few 40 00:02:37,440 --> 00:02:39,520 questions Jesus asked his disciples. 41 00:02:39,920 --> 00:02:42,440 Who do people say that the Son of Man is? 42 00:02:42,880 --> 00:02:46,400 Who do you say that I am? Why are you afraid? 43 00:02:47,480 --> 00:02:51,320 Do you still not understand how many say Amen to that? 44 00:02:53,760 --> 00:02:55,960 What were you arguing about on the road? 45 00:02:56,200 --> 00:02:59,600 Do you love me? Do you believe that I can do 46 00:02:59,600 --> 00:03:02,120 this? How about some questions people 47 00:03:02,120 --> 00:03:04,880 ask Jesus? What must I do to inherit 48 00:03:04,880 --> 00:03:07,760 eternal life? Who is my neighbor? 49 00:03:08,240 --> 00:03:10,880 Are you the one who is to come or should we expect someone 50 00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:13,680 else? How can someone be born when 51 00:03:13,680 --> 00:03:16,440 they are old, born again when they are old? 52 00:03:16,800 --> 00:03:21,240 Lord, if you are willing, can you make me clean? 53 00:03:21,600 --> 00:03:26,240 In Matthew chapter 18 we come across a question that Peter 54 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:33,880 asks Jesus. Matthew chapter 18 is is a great 55 00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:40,040 chapter if you would read it. He starts off by talking about 56 00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:44,360 having faith as a child in the parable of the wandering sheep 57 00:03:44,360 --> 00:03:48,240 and then how to deal with sin and unforgiveness. 58 00:03:48,240 --> 00:03:52,480 And then at the very towards the very end, Peter comes and asks 59 00:03:52,480 --> 00:03:57,280 Jesus a question and this is where we will find ourselves 60 00:03:57,280 --> 00:04:01,600 today. He says, Lord, how many times 61 00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:06,160 shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? 62 00:04:06,840 --> 00:04:11,880 Up to seven times. OK, so Peter's been walking with 63 00:04:11,960 --> 00:04:16,279 Jesus for quite some time. He's seen him do amazing things 64 00:04:17,120 --> 00:04:20,959 and he gets to this point where Jesus's teachings are pretty, 65 00:04:21,680 --> 00:04:22,920 they're straightforward, aren't they? 66 00:04:22,920 --> 00:04:26,880 They're, they're, they're hard to understand and on purpose 67 00:04:26,880 --> 00:04:28,840 because the Kingdom operates differently. 68 00:04:28,840 --> 00:04:34,040 If you figure that out, the Kingdom just has different 69 00:04:35,080 --> 00:04:37,760 boundaries and rules and regulations to it. 70 00:04:37,760 --> 00:04:40,720 And so the the disciples are walking with Jesus, They're 71 00:04:40,720 --> 00:04:44,760 trying to figure this out. And Peter has discerned, hey, 72 00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:48,640 look, Jesus probably wants us to forgive people. 73 00:04:48,960 --> 00:04:52,840 I wonder how many times I should forgive somebody. 74 00:04:53,560 --> 00:04:56,840 And so I don't know if Peter was hanging out with his boys and 75 00:04:56,840 --> 00:04:58,760 was like, Hey, what's a good number? 76 00:04:59,400 --> 00:05:02,040 I'm going to ask the Messiah this question. 77 00:05:02,040 --> 00:05:05,400 And so he approaches Jesus and he says, how many times should I 78 00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:08,160 forgive my brother or sister? 7 times. 79 00:05:08,520 --> 00:05:10,920 Now, I don't know if he chose 7 because it's the number of 80 00:05:10,920 --> 00:05:14,720 completion or he chose 7 because he wanted to be the head of the 81 00:05:14,720 --> 00:05:17,320 class. And he's like, hey, 7 times 82 00:05:17,320 --> 00:05:19,960 would be great. You know, like, hey, if if I sin 83 00:05:19,960 --> 00:05:24,080 against Don one time, he's like, OK, I got you PD, I'll let you 84 00:05:24,080 --> 00:05:27,600 go. I forgive you, but seven times, 85 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:34,360 Don 7 times. Would you forgive me 7 times 86 00:05:34,680 --> 00:05:37,960 Doing the same thing? Seven times? 87 00:05:38,520 --> 00:05:44,000 So Peter's like, shoo, man. If Thomas sins against me, I 88 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:46,600 should 7 * 7 times. That's good. 89 00:05:46,640 --> 00:05:51,120 OK, Jesus, how many times should I forgive a brother and sister? 90 00:05:51,240 --> 00:05:55,280 7 times. He's waiting for the Lord to be 91 00:05:55,280 --> 00:05:57,360 like Peter. Go to the head of a class. 92 00:05:57,800 --> 00:06:03,680 Peter, you got it right. And here's the first way to 93 00:06:03,680 --> 00:06:08,400 understand how to move in unlimited forgiveness. 94 00:06:08,560 --> 00:06:12,520 The Lord shows us a key right here is cooperation. 95 00:06:13,280 --> 00:06:16,480 I want to talk to you this morning about how to move from 96 00:06:16,480 --> 00:06:23,080 keeping score to losing count. I want to move you from this 97 00:06:23,080 --> 00:06:26,800 understanding of keeping score like Peter was seven times. 98 00:06:26,800 --> 00:06:32,120 That seems like a lot to what if the Lord could move us from 99 00:06:32,120 --> 00:06:39,440 keeping score to losing count? And Jesus answers Peter with the 100 00:06:39,440 --> 00:06:42,400 story. But the first thing Peter does, 101 00:06:42,400 --> 00:06:45,600 and I want to, I want to welcome you into this, to this 102 00:06:45,600 --> 00:06:50,960 understanding here, in order to move from keeping score to 103 00:06:50,960 --> 00:06:54,880 losing count, you have to cooperate with the Lord. 104 00:06:55,720 --> 00:06:57,680 And I believe Peter was doing this. 105 00:06:57,960 --> 00:06:59,920 Peter was cooperating with the Lord. 106 00:06:59,920 --> 00:07:01,680 Why? He was asking a question. 107 00:07:01,800 --> 00:07:05,440 He had discerned something. He had, it opened up his heart, 108 00:07:05,600 --> 00:07:09,040 his understanding. He wanted to grow in this area. 109 00:07:09,240 --> 00:07:14,280 So he asked the Lord a question. He puts a, a, a measurement on 110 00:07:14,280 --> 00:07:17,520 it, which I don't think is bad. He puts a human measurement on 111 00:07:17,520 --> 00:07:20,560 it and he's saying, Lord, what do you think about this? 112 00:07:21,200 --> 00:07:26,560 What am I supposed to do? So the first area and the first 113 00:07:26,560 --> 00:07:30,640 understanding is order to move from one thing to another. 114 00:07:30,840 --> 00:07:32,480 You have to cooperate with the Lord. 115 00:07:32,480 --> 00:07:39,640 It sounds simple, but simple things not done lead to not 116 00:07:39,640 --> 00:07:42,520 growing. It's the simple things that trip 117 00:07:42,520 --> 00:07:46,040 us up. And so cooperating with the 118 00:07:46,040 --> 00:07:48,200 Lord, the Lord is. Have you ever noticed this with 119 00:07:48,360 --> 00:07:51,440 in your life with walk following the Lord? 120 00:07:51,640 --> 00:07:53,600 He's always moving you to something. 121 00:07:54,440 --> 00:07:57,920 He's moving you from faith. What does the scripture say from 122 00:07:57,960 --> 00:08:02,640 faith to faith to glory to glory. 123 00:08:02,800 --> 00:08:06,200 Do you know that the faith you have today is not going to get 124 00:08:06,200 --> 00:08:08,320 you through the season that you're going to face tomorrow? 125 00:08:09,400 --> 00:08:12,120 Why? Because you have faith for 126 00:08:12,120 --> 00:08:17,000 today, Jesus wants to give you faith that you are victorious 127 00:08:17,000 --> 00:08:18,840 for tomorrow. That's why he moves us from 128 00:08:19,040 --> 00:08:22,440 faith to faith, glory to glory. That's why he moves us from 129 00:08:22,760 --> 00:08:28,600 keeping score to losing count. Jesus is relentless on helping 130 00:08:28,600 --> 00:08:31,840 us transform into the image of Christ. 131 00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:36,360 He is pushing us towards this understanding, to this 132 00:08:36,360 --> 00:08:38,880 understanding. So Peter comes in and he 133 00:08:38,880 --> 00:08:43,720 cooperates with the Lord. You can grow so fast in the 134 00:08:43,720 --> 00:08:47,760 Kingdom of God if you will cooperate with the Holy Spirit. 135 00:08:48,840 --> 00:08:55,040 He guides us into all truth. If you will yield your heart not 136 00:08:55,040 --> 00:09:00,280 to your pastor, but to the Holy Spirit, if you will yield your 137 00:09:00,280 --> 00:09:05,640 understanding, if you will yield yield your, your, your hearing 138 00:09:05,640 --> 00:09:10,640 to the Lord, He will grow you. When you start to say, you know 139 00:09:10,640 --> 00:09:14,880 what, don't really know everything. 140 00:09:14,880 --> 00:09:18,760 Have you got to that point? Look, do you know that the sign 141 00:09:18,760 --> 00:09:25,360 of spiritual maturity is not, is not repenting less, but 142 00:09:25,360 --> 00:09:30,080 repenting more. We have this warped sense of 143 00:09:30,080 --> 00:09:34,960 spiritual maturity where we think that when you're mature, 144 00:09:35,240 --> 00:09:40,600 you don't have to confess your sins or you don't realize how, 145 00:09:40,640 --> 00:09:43,120 but you miss Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. 146 00:09:44,040 --> 00:09:48,600 Spiritual maturity is realizing that while without the blood of 147 00:09:48,760 --> 00:09:53,960 Jesus I will would be sunk, without the word of Jesus I 148 00:09:53,960 --> 00:09:57,880 would be toast. The sign of spiritual maturity 149 00:09:57,880 --> 00:10:04,600 is understanding how far we are from walking the true way of of 150 00:10:04,600 --> 00:10:07,760 the character of Jesus. That's true spiritual maturity. 151 00:10:07,760 --> 00:10:10,400 You know, what do you call it? It's humility my friends. 152 00:10:11,600 --> 00:10:16,120 God opposes the proud but gives grace to the what to the humble. 153 00:10:16,240 --> 00:10:18,440 Do you know how you get more grace in your life? 154 00:10:18,640 --> 00:10:23,440 Grace comes from cooperating with the Holy Spirit and saying 155 00:10:23,440 --> 00:10:28,880 to the Holy Spirit, I don't understand and that you live in 156 00:10:28,880 --> 00:10:33,360 me and you will guide me into all these truths. 157 00:10:34,440 --> 00:10:38,520 So Peter asked a question. Jesus gives him an answer. 158 00:10:38,760 --> 00:10:40,680 I want to talk to you about the question. 159 00:10:40,920 --> 00:10:45,040 These are on your nose, the question, the answer, the heart, 160 00:10:45,440 --> 00:10:51,040 the consequence, and the point. And so Peter asked the question. 161 00:10:51,040 --> 00:10:56,200 So the first point is that you need to cooperate with the Lord. 162 00:10:57,720 --> 00:11:02,200 And the answer is the parable of the unmerciful servant. 163 00:11:04,760 --> 00:11:07,040 I'll be in verse 22. Let me start. 164 00:11:07,040 --> 00:11:11,200 Jesus asked Lord. Peter asked, Lord, how many 165 00:11:11,200 --> 00:11:13,800 times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? 166 00:11:13,800 --> 00:11:18,440 Up to seven times. Jesus answered, I tell you not 7 167 00:11:18,440 --> 00:11:24,000 times, but 77 times. What? 168 00:11:26,200 --> 00:11:28,720 That got Peter's attention, didn't That just got your 169 00:11:28,720 --> 00:11:33,680 attention. So not 7 * 7 times what? 170 00:11:34,280 --> 00:11:37,480 And so those of you that are keeping score, you're trying to 171 00:11:38,120 --> 00:11:42,840 how many is that then 400? No, what Jesus was saying is I 172 00:11:42,840 --> 00:11:48,720 want to move you from limited forgiveness to unlimited 173 00:11:48,720 --> 00:11:50,080 forgiveness. That's what He's trying to tell 174 00:11:50,080 --> 00:11:51,200 you. I'm trying to teach you 175 00:11:51,200 --> 00:11:55,320 something that to be honest with you this morning will set you 176 00:11:55,320 --> 00:11:58,360 free. I mean, you want to talk about 177 00:11:58,360 --> 00:12:02,800 walking in the freedom of Christ, live a life of unlimited 178 00:12:02,800 --> 00:12:07,200 forgiveness. Who you talk about walking into 179 00:12:07,200 --> 00:12:12,120 the into the fullness of Jesus. Learn how to operate from 180 00:12:12,240 --> 00:12:15,200 unlimited forgiveness. And he gives us some keys in 181 00:12:15,200 --> 00:12:18,400 this particular parable, he says, he says this. 182 00:12:18,560 --> 00:12:22,280 Therefore the Kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to 183 00:12:22,280 --> 00:12:24,200 settle accounts with his servants. 184 00:12:24,920 --> 00:12:29,280 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him 10,000 bags of 185 00:12:29,280 --> 00:12:33,560 gold was brought to him. And since he was not able to 186 00:12:33,560 --> 00:12:37,520 pay, the master order that he and his wife and his children 187 00:12:37,520 --> 00:12:40,920 and all he had had to be sold to repay the debt. 188 00:12:41,720 --> 00:12:46,160 So there you got a king. You got it, unsurmountable debt. 189 00:12:46,760 --> 00:12:51,000 And the king wants his. He wants the payment. 190 00:12:53,400 --> 00:12:57,000 And so the master ordered. You go out there, your wife and 191 00:12:57,000 --> 00:12:58,840 children. You have to sell everything to 192 00:12:58,840 --> 00:13:02,600 repay the debt. At this, the servant fell on his 193 00:13:02,600 --> 00:13:07,240 knees before him. Be patient with me, he begged, 194 00:13:07,920 --> 00:13:15,200 and I will pay back everything. I will pay back everything. 195 00:13:15,960 --> 00:13:21,040 The servant's master took pity on him, cancelled the debt, and 196 00:13:21,040 --> 00:13:28,520 let him go #2 Limited, unlimited forgiveness requires our 197 00:13:28,560 --> 00:13:32,440 reflection. It requires a moment of 198 00:13:32,440 --> 00:13:37,840 reflection. Do you remember when you came to 199 00:13:37,840 --> 00:13:43,600 the Lord and you truly understood that you sinned 200 00:13:43,600 --> 00:13:45,080 against God? Do you remember that? 201 00:13:45,520 --> 00:13:52,920 The weight of sin. I remember sitting in my bedroom 202 00:13:53,200 --> 00:13:56,440 listening to a televangelist that I probably wouldn't listen 203 00:13:56,440 --> 00:14:00,920 to today. He shares the gospel. 204 00:14:01,600 --> 00:14:08,520 And all of a sudden my heart, my mind understood the way to sin. 205 00:14:08,520 --> 00:14:11,960 And I was like, wow, I sinned against you. 206 00:14:14,200 --> 00:14:19,640 Insurmountable debt. I can feel it. 207 00:14:19,640 --> 00:14:25,680 Do you feel it? And I also remember the weight 208 00:14:25,680 --> 00:14:30,880 of sin being lifted off of me. In this particular parable Jesus 209 00:14:30,880 --> 00:14:35,440 is sharing, he's saying you have a servant has this debt he can't 210 00:14:35,440 --> 00:14:38,000 pay. He says, look, you got to sell 211 00:14:38,000 --> 00:14:40,080 it all. You owe me this money, son, you 212 00:14:40,080 --> 00:14:41,400 owe me this money. Go get it. 213 00:14:41,400 --> 00:14:44,760 I care what you have to do. Get me this money. 214 00:14:45,520 --> 00:14:50,520 Servant falls on his face and says, oh, just I'm so sorry. 215 00:14:50,520 --> 00:14:54,800 I can't, I can't take this. Then the king is merciful and 216 00:14:54,800 --> 00:14:58,360 lets him go. That's the gospel right there. 217 00:15:00,080 --> 00:15:07,480 Sometimes we can get to the place where we forget that and 218 00:15:07,480 --> 00:15:14,440 we get back into the counting of, of cults to counting, not 219 00:15:15,200 --> 00:15:18,400 taking count and not losing count. 220 00:15:19,640 --> 00:15:22,880 And it comes through this moment of reflection. 221 00:15:22,880 --> 00:15:27,840 I was doing some house blessings for the church I had. 222 00:15:28,160 --> 00:15:32,400 I don't know if you know, but in October my wife had a stroke. 223 00:15:32,400 --> 00:15:36,720 She had a couple of blood vessels deep within her brain. 224 00:15:36,720 --> 00:15:42,640 It's called an ABM and the blood vessels burst and she had a 225 00:15:42,640 --> 00:15:46,600 brain hemorrhage and the brain hemorrhage of the brain bleed 226 00:15:46,600 --> 00:15:52,560 caused a stroke in there. And she's, she's in month 5 of 227 00:15:52,960 --> 00:15:56,080 an epic recovery, learning how to walk and talk. 228 00:15:56,080 --> 00:15:58,520 It was crazy. It flipped my life upside down 229 00:16:00,320 --> 00:16:03,560 and thank the Lord that she's with me. 230 00:16:03,560 --> 00:16:04,880 We thought we lost her for a while. 231 00:16:05,680 --> 00:16:10,840 But anyways, in the midst of the recovery, I was in my living 232 00:16:10,840 --> 00:16:14,600 room and I was reading in James where it says call the elders of 233 00:16:14,600 --> 00:16:16,520 the church to come pray for the sick. 234 00:16:17,120 --> 00:16:19,920 And I sat in my house and I was like, you know what? 235 00:16:20,640 --> 00:16:23,960 I'm going to text elders of Lighthouse and I'm going to have 236 00:16:23,960 --> 00:16:26,600 them come over here and pray for my beautiful wife. 237 00:16:27,280 --> 00:16:30,840 And I sent a couple texts out from before you know it, I got 238 00:16:30,840 --> 00:16:35,080 10 people in my living room praying and contending for 239 00:16:35,080 --> 00:16:39,640 healing for my my bride. And we saw measurable healing in 240 00:16:39,640 --> 00:16:42,400 that moment, in that in, in, in the houses. 241 00:16:42,400 --> 00:16:43,960 We took communion and broke bread. 242 00:16:43,960 --> 00:16:47,880 I say all that because as I sat in there, I had this thought. 243 00:16:48,440 --> 00:16:51,120 Sometimes we don't get the breakthrough because we don't 244 00:16:51,120 --> 00:16:56,360 invite people into our house. And James, it says, ask the 245 00:16:56,400 --> 00:16:59,720 elders to come and pray. So I sat there and I was like, 246 00:16:59,720 --> 00:17:03,000 you know what? I know that there are people in 247 00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:06,400 the body of Christ that all they're looking for is an 248 00:17:06,400 --> 00:17:08,240 invitation. So I put this thing out there. 249 00:17:08,240 --> 00:17:11,160 I was like, hey, I'll come into your house and I'll bless your 250 00:17:11,160 --> 00:17:13,400 house. But I wasn't just going to knock 251 00:17:13,640 --> 00:17:16,560 on people's door. I was going to go in the houses 252 00:17:16,760 --> 00:17:21,200 that that would welcome me. And so I go and take communion 253 00:17:21,200 --> 00:17:22,800 with them. We go over there and anoint the 254 00:17:22,800 --> 00:17:24,359 house with oil and all this kind of stuff. 255 00:17:24,359 --> 00:17:28,400 It's great. Well, anyways, I was visiting a 256 00:17:28,400 --> 00:17:33,520 friend in, where is it Glenn's. Do you know where Glenn's is? 257 00:17:33,520 --> 00:17:38,040 OK, well, I've been in, lived in Gloucester for quite some time, 258 00:17:38,040 --> 00:17:41,560 30 years or so. And I hadn't been there in like 259 00:17:41,560 --> 00:17:43,760 15 years. And it was bad enough. 260 00:17:44,280 --> 00:17:47,240 It could have been 10-15 years, but man, this is back where I 261 00:17:47,240 --> 00:17:51,560 was, my stomping grounds. And you ever go back to a place 262 00:17:51,560 --> 00:17:54,120 where you know, you haven't been in a while and then you're like, 263 00:17:54,240 --> 00:17:56,920 oh, wow, this looks so familiar. Wow, wow. 264 00:17:56,920 --> 00:17:59,480 So I'm going to this house and like, wow, this looks so 265 00:17:59,480 --> 00:18:02,400 familiar. I remember hanging out, man, 266 00:18:02,400 --> 00:18:04,600 whatever happened to that dude? You know what I'm saying? 267 00:18:04,600 --> 00:18:07,160 Like kids in high school or whatever, you're like, man, 268 00:18:07,160 --> 00:18:11,520 whatever. And I drove by this house, it 269 00:18:11,520 --> 00:18:20,240 was a trailer with a garage. And literally I had a moment 270 00:18:20,240 --> 00:18:26,560 with the Lord where I saw myself when I was 17 years old, running 271 00:18:27,560 --> 00:18:31,600 where I wasn't supposed to run, doing things I wasn't supposed 272 00:18:31,600 --> 00:18:35,280 to do. I literally stopped the car. 273 00:18:35,280 --> 00:18:38,320 It's amazing to me how you're going to do something for 274 00:18:38,320 --> 00:18:41,080 someone else and the Lord does something in you. 275 00:18:41,080 --> 00:18:44,400 That's how he who refreshes others will him himself be 276 00:18:44,400 --> 00:18:48,240 refreshed, right? So I literally stopped the car 277 00:18:48,360 --> 00:18:51,120 and it and it's on the back Rd. and looked into the rearview 278 00:18:51,120 --> 00:18:53,560 mirror and nobody was there and I just paused. 279 00:18:53,560 --> 00:18:58,840 And I remembered something Back when I was 16 years old, I ran 280 00:19:00,040 --> 00:19:01,360 with people I shouldn't have run with. 281 00:19:01,760 --> 00:19:04,880 I mean, I was lost. Do you remember being lost? 282 00:19:04,920 --> 00:19:07,120 I was lost. I was lost, lost. 283 00:19:08,240 --> 00:19:13,200 And I had two friends that we were like this brotherhood. 284 00:19:13,200 --> 00:19:16,240 Do you have like solid friends that you would like in this 285 00:19:16,240 --> 00:19:18,000 context? When I was growing up, it was 286 00:19:18,000 --> 00:19:21,920 like we we were going to we were going to ride hard and die hard 287 00:19:21,920 --> 00:19:24,400 kind of friends. But I have those friends now. 288 00:19:24,400 --> 00:19:26,720 But we're we're Kingdom brothers now. 289 00:19:26,720 --> 00:19:29,080 And thank you Jesus for the flip of the script there. 290 00:19:29,360 --> 00:19:32,920 But I had these, these boys, we would do, we would do everything 291 00:19:32,920 --> 00:19:36,160 together. And so one of my friends, he is 292 00:19:36,160 --> 00:19:38,800 like, hey, I know this dude. He's a couple. 293 00:19:38,920 --> 00:19:42,680 He's probably 22 years old. We were 16 or 17. 294 00:19:42,960 --> 00:19:47,280 He's got, you know, he, he, he has got some things that we want 295 00:19:47,280 --> 00:19:51,880 to partake in that we can't partake in at this age. 296 00:19:52,080 --> 00:19:55,280 Come on over. And so this 22 year old, he's 297 00:19:55,280 --> 00:19:58,640 trying to act like he's cool to a bunch of 16 year old. 298 00:19:58,840 --> 00:20:01,920 We're hanging out in his garage doing things we're not supposed 299 00:20:01,920 --> 00:20:04,480 to do, drinking things we're not supposed to drink. 300 00:20:04,840 --> 00:20:07,440 The guy leaves and says, hey, I'll be back. 301 00:20:07,640 --> 00:20:11,320 But before he leaves, he tells us the story of the shot glass 302 00:20:11,320 --> 00:20:12,960 he has. And he says, you see the shot 303 00:20:12,960 --> 00:20:15,240 glass. This shot glass has been passed 304 00:20:15,240 --> 00:20:18,760 down. From generation to generation to 305 00:20:18,760 --> 00:20:21,360 generation. The shot glass is like 100 years 306 00:20:21,360 --> 00:20:23,480 old. It's to my prized possession, 307 00:20:23,480 --> 00:20:26,480 blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. He puts the shot glass gone. 308 00:20:26,640 --> 00:20:29,720 He leaves. I pick up the shot glass and I 309 00:20:29,720 --> 00:20:33,160 start mocking the shot glass because I've had some wrong 310 00:20:33,160 --> 00:20:34,440 spirits. You know what I'm saying? 311 00:20:34,760 --> 00:20:36,720 I was partaking in the wrong spirits. 312 00:20:36,960 --> 00:20:40,400 And so I take that shot glass and I'm just messing around and 313 00:20:40,400 --> 00:20:43,120 I toss it to one of my friends. You ever play toss with somebody 314 00:20:43,120 --> 00:20:44,480 and they're not playing toss back? 315 00:20:44,640 --> 00:20:48,680 That's what I was doing. I toss them that shot glass, it 316 00:20:48,680 --> 00:20:51,480 bounces off them, hits the ground and shatters. 317 00:20:53,080 --> 00:20:59,800 So now 16 years old, lost, we decide won't get out of there, 318 00:21:00,480 --> 00:21:02,760 get out. So I take the shot glass. 319 00:21:02,760 --> 00:21:05,680 We we put it in there and we hide it. 320 00:21:05,680 --> 00:21:08,760 And then we jet. And now we're staying in the 321 00:21:08,760 --> 00:21:11,320 tents outside of my friend's house. 322 00:21:11,640 --> 00:21:15,480 And come three hours later, we hear these gunshots. 323 00:21:18,640 --> 00:21:21,120 Now, that was 30 something years ago. 324 00:21:21,120 --> 00:21:24,080 So to me, it felt like those bullets were just, like, flying 325 00:21:24,080 --> 00:21:25,560 right over my head. You know, I'm not in the 326 00:21:25,560 --> 00:21:26,920 military. I felt like they were coming 327 00:21:26,920 --> 00:21:30,160 right over the tent. You know, we all freak out, get 328 00:21:30,160 --> 00:21:31,920 out of the tents, run into the woods. 329 00:21:32,160 --> 00:21:37,480 And then we devise a plan. The next day, we're going to go 330 00:21:37,800 --> 00:21:41,440 to this man's house, and there's three of us. 331 00:21:41,480 --> 00:21:46,760 One of us is going to go to the trailer and get him to come out 332 00:21:46,760 --> 00:21:50,440 on the porch. One of us is going to be in the 333 00:21:50,440 --> 00:21:55,280 woods with a gun, and one of us is going to tell us when it's 334 00:21:55,280 --> 00:21:59,040 clear. I was the person that was going 335 00:21:59,040 --> 00:22:01,080 to tell them to pull the trigger. 336 00:22:02,400 --> 00:22:05,760 Morning wakes up, wake up, wake up, look at our brothers. 337 00:22:06,200 --> 00:22:12,520 Hey, we're going to do this. It's there. 338 00:22:12,880 --> 00:22:14,960 You ever have a plan that works accordingly? 339 00:22:15,640 --> 00:22:19,120 Most planes don't work out. This one does. 340 00:22:20,320 --> 00:22:27,560 Man comes out, friend is there, my friend has a gun, his hand is 341 00:22:27,560 --> 00:22:32,840 on the trigger and he is waiting for me to say pull the trigger. 342 00:22:34,480 --> 00:22:41,320 16 years old looking at him and something inside me and I will 343 00:22:41,320 --> 00:22:47,080 tell you today it was God. If you tell him to pull the 344 00:22:47,080 --> 00:22:53,320 trigger you will spend the rest of your life in prison clear as 345 00:22:53,320 --> 00:22:59,320 death. I turned to him and I said don't 346 00:22:59,640 --> 00:23:06,800 pull the trigger and it was as if a weight lifted off my 347 00:23:06,800 --> 00:23:13,560 friend. He was like, I was just about to 348 00:23:13,560 --> 00:23:19,160 pull the trigger. I think to myself 30 years 349 00:23:19,160 --> 00:23:28,960 later, that one decision could have wrecked my whole life. 350 00:23:30,480 --> 00:23:36,440 Do you realize what you have been forgiven of? 351 00:23:37,720 --> 00:23:39,520 Do you know that two out of the three? 352 00:23:39,600 --> 00:23:43,000 Me and one of my friends are both pastors of the churches. 353 00:23:48,440 --> 00:23:55,000 I'm driving to go bless this house and I have a flashback of 354 00:23:55,000 --> 00:24:01,080 the goodness of God in my life. I am married, been married for 355 00:24:01,080 --> 00:24:03,640 20 years. I got two kids. 356 00:24:03,840 --> 00:24:09,080 Joy, she's 16D2 he's 9. I am living the dream. 357 00:24:09,080 --> 00:24:13,320 I have more than enough. God has been good to me and he 358 00:24:13,320 --> 00:24:20,520 was good to me back then and I could have made that decision 359 00:24:20,960 --> 00:24:25,520 that would have wrecked my life. Spend some time today, now, now 360 00:24:25,520 --> 00:24:30,160 listen to me. Don't spend the rest of your 361 00:24:30,160 --> 00:24:34,160 life thinking about what he has saved you from. 362 00:24:34,160 --> 00:24:37,160 You know what I'm saying? Like don't, don't make it into 363 00:24:37,160 --> 00:24:40,840 something that it's not. I'm not saying stay there for 364 00:24:40,840 --> 00:24:44,520 the whole day. I'm saying remember what you 365 00:24:44,520 --> 00:24:48,960 have been forgiven of. Remember how his hand has been 366 00:24:48,960 --> 00:24:53,120 upon your life. Remember that you are an 367 00:24:53,120 --> 00:24:57,600 unmerciful servant. Remember that you have a debt 368 00:24:57,600 --> 00:25:01,760 that you cannot pay back. Remember that the blood of Jesus 369 00:25:01,760 --> 00:25:05,280 speaks a better word. Remember that you are brand new 370 00:25:05,280 --> 00:25:09,120 creation in Christ Jesus. Remember that the enemy was 371 00:25:09,120 --> 00:25:12,680 looking to take you out, but God brought you in. 372 00:25:13,120 --> 00:25:16,320 Look. Remember what He has done for 373 00:25:16,320 --> 00:25:23,200 you because it's in the remember and the reflection of Wow I. 374 00:25:23,280 --> 00:25:29,480 I deserve the wrath of God, but Jesus's blood has set me free. 375 00:25:30,520 --> 00:25:33,680 My life could have been total mess. 376 00:25:33,960 --> 00:25:38,840 And now I stand here at Salt Church on a Sunday preaching 377 00:25:38,840 --> 00:25:41,840 about the gospel and the good news of Jesus Christ. 378 00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:46,880 Because the Holy Spirit that that I didn't even recognize 379 00:25:46,880 --> 00:25:50,920 until I was in my 20s, decided that He was going to tell me 380 00:25:51,080 --> 00:25:56,240 when I was 16 years old that if you pull that trigger, your 381 00:25:56,240 --> 00:25:59,600 whole life will be different. I tell this to young people all 382 00:25:59,600 --> 00:26:02,560 the time. You think those decisions you 383 00:26:02,560 --> 00:26:07,760 make right now don't have an impact 10 to 15 years from now? 384 00:26:11,320 --> 00:26:14,520 You better slow down before you speed up. 385 00:26:15,440 --> 00:26:20,400 What happens in this parable is that the merciful, the the 386 00:26:20,440 --> 00:26:21,680 servant. What? 387 00:26:21,680 --> 00:26:23,200 What happens? Let me let me go there. 388 00:26:24,160 --> 00:26:26,000 I almost started preaching there. 389 00:26:26,280 --> 00:26:31,840 Pastor Alex, sense his love. He would be proud of me. 390 00:26:32,040 --> 00:26:33,840 He's like the PD you're preaching. 391 00:26:35,360 --> 00:26:38,600 Verse 16 as the servant fell on his knees before him. 392 00:26:39,000 --> 00:26:43,600 Be patient with me, he begged, and I will pay back everything. 393 00:26:44,520 --> 00:26:47,360 The servant's master took pity on him and cancelled the debt 394 00:26:47,360 --> 00:26:53,000 and let him go. Verse 28 The heart of the matter 395 00:26:55,600 --> 00:26:58,600 But when the servant went out, he found one of his fellow 396 00:26:58,600 --> 00:27:01,640 servants who owed him 100 silver coins. 397 00:27:01,960 --> 00:27:04,720 He grabbed him began to choke him. 398 00:27:04,960 --> 00:27:08,720 Pay back what you owe me he demanded his servant. 399 00:27:08,880 --> 00:27:12,440 His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, be patient 400 00:27:12,440 --> 00:27:15,520 with me and I'll pay it back. But he refused. 401 00:27:15,680 --> 00:27:19,560 Instead he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he 402 00:27:19,560 --> 00:27:26,600 could pay back the debts. They would be like me. 403 00:27:27,080 --> 00:27:29,280 I, I was a youth pastor for seven years. 404 00:27:29,480 --> 00:27:33,920 And I'll tell you what, I love the youth. 405 00:27:34,000 --> 00:27:38,640 I mean, I had, I had one youth, his name was Jerry Huffman. 406 00:27:38,640 --> 00:27:44,560 And Jerry Huffman was a mess. He was just a mess. 407 00:27:45,480 --> 00:27:48,520 And I remember just being like, you know what? 408 00:27:48,520 --> 00:27:53,680 Jerry was me. I don't want to take a Jerry to 409 00:27:54,000 --> 00:27:59,800 Pennsylvania, to some camp and the dude talk non-stop for seven 410 00:27:59,800 --> 00:28:01,520 hours. I thought it was impossible, 411 00:28:01,720 --> 00:28:08,400 like, be quiet. I brought him into the camp and 412 00:28:08,400 --> 00:28:13,440 within 30 minutes, he had his first scuffle hit a guy in a 413 00:28:13,440 --> 00:28:17,040 fight. That was on a Sunday. 414 00:28:17,040 --> 00:28:20,880 On Thursday, he was called to be a missionary. 415 00:28:23,760 --> 00:28:27,200 I have been forgiven a lot. So when I looked at Jerry, I was 416 00:28:27,200 --> 00:28:31,160 like, you know, I love you, Jerry, you are a knucklehead, 417 00:28:31,600 --> 00:28:34,120 but I love you. I love you. 418 00:28:34,280 --> 00:28:36,120 Do you know what happened to Jerry? 419 00:28:39,760 --> 00:28:45,560 Jerry's mom got cancer. She beat it the first time. 420 00:28:47,400 --> 00:28:51,160 Then Jerry brings all her all the all the family to church and 421 00:28:51,160 --> 00:28:54,040 they stay a season in the church. 422 00:28:54,840 --> 00:28:58,080 Then Jerry's mom goes to be with the Lord. 423 00:28:58,360 --> 00:29:01,680 She loses her battle with cancer, but she is pain free. 424 00:29:02,160 --> 00:29:06,120 Now in the presence of Jesus, Jerry disappears. 425 00:29:07,600 --> 00:29:10,400 Where's Jerry? Go look for him. 426 00:29:10,400 --> 00:29:13,040 Can't find him. This is back during COVID where 427 00:29:13,040 --> 00:29:15,240 it was everything was weird, right? 428 00:29:15,240 --> 00:29:22,080 Thank the Lord we're past COVID. I'm leading youth and somebody 429 00:29:22,080 --> 00:29:26,040 says, Pastor Daniel, there is some guy out there smoking a 430 00:29:26,040 --> 00:29:29,480 cigarette and wants in the church. 431 00:29:30,520 --> 00:29:34,080 And I was like, well, praise the Lord, they're at church. 432 00:29:35,320 --> 00:29:36,760 All right, let me check this out. 433 00:29:36,880 --> 00:29:39,120 Do you know who it was? It was Jerry. 434 00:29:39,800 --> 00:29:42,040 Jerry had disappeared. Now he's back. 435 00:29:42,400 --> 00:29:43,720 I said Jerry put out the cigarette. 436 00:29:43,720 --> 00:29:47,640 Come on in. Jerry comes on in and I hugged 437 00:29:47,640 --> 00:29:49,680 Jerry and I'm like, how are you doing? 438 00:29:49,680 --> 00:29:52,840 And he's just not doing well. I mean, he's been through a lot 439 00:29:52,840 --> 00:29:55,000 of stuff, doesn't have community, doesn't have a 440 00:29:55,000 --> 00:29:56,600 family. I hugged Jerry. 441 00:29:56,600 --> 00:29:59,800 Where have you been? Oh man, I missed you so much. 442 00:30:00,120 --> 00:30:02,800 Well, everybody around us, Jerry's here, Jerry's here. 443 00:30:03,080 --> 00:30:05,800 We start worship. Jerry's eighteen time at this 444 00:30:05,800 --> 00:30:08,720 time, can't even come into the bird, but I'll let him in 445 00:30:08,720 --> 00:30:11,080 because he's all my dime. I got him. 446 00:30:11,800 --> 00:30:12,960 Yeah. Worship starts. 447 00:30:12,960 --> 00:30:17,040 Jerry goes straight to the to the front and just begins to 448 00:30:17,040 --> 00:30:21,000 worship Jesus. We taught Jerry how to get into 449 00:30:21,000 --> 00:30:24,080 the presence of the Lord. Jerry would come to the church 450 00:30:24,080 --> 00:30:26,360 because the church is the place where he's supposed to be safe 451 00:30:27,120 --> 00:30:30,800 and Jerry just let it all loose on that altar that day and his 452 00:30:30,800 --> 00:30:32,840 hands are raising. I remember being in the front 453 00:30:32,840 --> 00:30:38,440 row singing get him Jesus, get him, not get him in a bad way. 454 00:30:38,880 --> 00:30:41,920 Engulf them and overwhelm them with your love. 455 00:30:42,120 --> 00:30:44,640 It's love that leads you to repentance. 456 00:30:44,760 --> 00:30:47,800 It's understanding how much God loves you that you'll correct 457 00:30:47,800 --> 00:30:50,440 your life if you try to correct your life by yourself. 458 00:30:50,440 --> 00:30:53,200 Good luck with that. I've tried seasons with that. 459 00:30:53,400 --> 00:30:54,960 Correct your own behavior. Uh huh. 460 00:30:55,400 --> 00:30:58,680 Get into the presence and, and understand how to receive the 461 00:30:58,680 --> 00:31:01,800 love of God. Your life will be transformed. 462 00:31:01,960 --> 00:31:04,680 It's so much easier. Jerry understood that. 463 00:31:04,680 --> 00:31:06,240 He understood the presence of God. 464 00:31:06,480 --> 00:31:09,280 He understood it and he was just, he was just worshipping. 465 00:31:09,480 --> 00:31:11,960 After the service, we got to pray for Jerry. 466 00:31:11,960 --> 00:31:14,600 I hug Jerry and I was like, I love you. 467 00:31:15,480 --> 00:31:17,680 You know what I didn't know is that would be the last time I 468 00:31:17,680 --> 00:31:22,040 saw Jerry. I was scrolling through Facebook 469 00:31:22,400 --> 00:31:30,440 and I saw his obituary and I'm man, I broke. 470 00:31:31,280 --> 00:31:33,720 I start weeping. Jennifer is like, what's wrong? 471 00:31:34,440 --> 00:31:38,760 I was like, Jerry's dead. He's gone. 472 00:31:40,720 --> 00:31:42,920 And I go try to look up his stuff. 473 00:31:44,200 --> 00:31:47,040 You ever try to track a family that's fragmented? 474 00:31:47,200 --> 00:31:49,200 It's hard. I mean, I was like a 475 00:31:49,200 --> 00:31:53,080 professional investigators try to figure out what leads did 476 00:31:53,080 --> 00:31:57,640 this and who leads to that end up going to and we didn't even 477 00:31:57,640 --> 00:32:04,200 host, man, we didn't even get to do the funeral. 478 00:32:07,600 --> 00:32:12,080 So landed driving to this place during COVID. 479 00:32:12,600 --> 00:32:15,840 Go to this church, bless their heart. 480 00:32:16,400 --> 00:32:19,360 They're doing the best they can. They probably got it in an 481 00:32:19,360 --> 00:32:21,960 e-mail on Wednesday. They have a pastor there on 482 00:32:21,960 --> 00:32:23,280 Friday. Just trying to support. 483 00:32:23,520 --> 00:32:24,760 Look, I'm not player hating them. 484 00:32:24,760 --> 00:32:26,320 They were trying to do the best they could. 485 00:32:26,760 --> 00:32:30,600 It's during COVID where you had to be like 6 feet apart and then 486 00:32:30,600 --> 00:32:34,600 you had to have masks on and their heat was out. 487 00:32:34,880 --> 00:32:37,200 Do you know how long Jerry's funeral was? 488 00:32:37,960 --> 00:32:42,520 12 minutes. There's pictures up there. 489 00:32:43,080 --> 00:32:48,800 I'm sitting in there. I was so mad to the point where 490 00:32:48,800 --> 00:32:51,440 they were like, does anybody have any, anything to say? 491 00:32:52,400 --> 00:32:55,360 Oh, I had a lot to say, but I don't think Jesus wanted me to 492 00:32:55,360 --> 00:33:00,400 say one bit of it. And I left, got into my car and 493 00:33:00,400 --> 00:33:03,440 just bawled. I bought, I had to pull over 494 00:33:03,440 --> 00:33:06,800 three times. Matter of fact, the third time I 495 00:33:06,800 --> 00:33:09,080 pulled over. This is why a little Lord walks 496 00:33:09,080 --> 00:33:10,520 you through hard stuff, doesn't he? 497 00:33:10,680 --> 00:33:13,640 He's always there. The third time I pull over to 498 00:33:13,640 --> 00:33:15,800 cry and I don't cry. How many men in here like, don't 499 00:33:15,800 --> 00:33:17,240 cry? Like you see me cry, something's 500 00:33:17,240 --> 00:33:19,360 wrong. I don't cry. 501 00:33:19,440 --> 00:33:24,280 I could not stop crying. So I pull over and soon as I 502 00:33:24,280 --> 00:33:26,680 pull over into this parking lot, start crying. 503 00:33:26,680 --> 00:33:30,800 I look to my right and sure enough, it was a lady that goes 504 00:33:30,800 --> 00:33:34,320 to our church. Her son that was that was on 505 00:33:34,320 --> 00:33:39,520 drugs was high as a kite and I had to call the cops so that 506 00:33:39,520 --> 00:33:42,920 they could get to her. And I'm like, wait, this what? 507 00:33:43,000 --> 00:33:51,480 Jesus, what's going on here? Hard, hard. 508 00:33:52,360 --> 00:34:02,120 So I get home and I just reflect on the brokenness of humanity, 509 00:34:03,040 --> 00:34:06,600 the realness of it, and how much got, you know, But you know 510 00:34:06,600 --> 00:34:12,480 where Jerry is. Jerry checked out early, and he 511 00:34:12,480 --> 00:34:16,000 checked out early because he got on some drugs and he Od'd and he 512 00:34:16,000 --> 00:34:17,440 did things he wasn't supposed to do. 513 00:34:17,440 --> 00:34:21,120 But you know where Jerry is. Jerry's in heaven. 514 00:34:21,560 --> 00:34:26,719 Thank you, Lord, that, Jesus, that Jerry was forgiven. 515 00:34:27,800 --> 00:34:36,440 Thank you, Lord, that that the Lord would use my life because I 516 00:34:36,440 --> 00:34:40,440 had done things I wasn't supposed to do, run with people 517 00:34:40,440 --> 00:34:44,120 I wasn't supposed to run with, but had grace for. 518 00:34:44,120 --> 00:34:53,000 You can pick this one had grace for those folks and Jerry Still 519 00:34:53,000 --> 00:34:56,679 I, I mean, I and I'll share this with you this morning. 520 00:34:56,679 --> 00:34:59,760 I do believe that's why I stopped being a youth pastor. 521 00:35:01,400 --> 00:35:04,280 Like if you could trace now we have it. 522 00:35:04,480 --> 00:35:06,200 The verse has awesome. He's Pastor Alex. 523 00:35:06,200 --> 00:35:07,320 You've heard him preach. He's awesome. 524 00:35:07,720 --> 00:35:13,480 But after Jerry, something in me was like, I can't, I can't do 525 00:35:13,480 --> 00:35:17,920 that anymore. But this isn't a counselling 526 00:35:17,920 --> 00:35:20,000 session. You can pray for me there now 527 00:35:20,000 --> 00:35:25,400 verse 29 his fellow so so limited forgiveness requires our 528 00:35:25,400 --> 00:35:29,360 reflection and forgiveness is more about the heart than 529 00:35:29,360 --> 00:35:32,520 grievance. Forgiveness is about the heart. 530 00:35:32,720 --> 00:35:37,680 The deal with the individual that was forgiven is what they 531 00:35:37,680 --> 00:35:42,680 forgot that they were forgiven. They tried to keep score instead 532 00:35:42,680 --> 00:35:46,680 of losing count. It's like you have been forgiven 533 00:35:46,680 --> 00:35:50,560 this huge debt and when you don't have to repay it, you go 534 00:35:50,560 --> 00:35:53,360 look for people that owe you something so that you can get a 535 00:35:53,360 --> 00:35:56,800 return on your investment. That's not how this thing works. 536 00:35:57,120 --> 00:36:02,640 Jesus shares this parable and saying I want to, I want to give 537 00:36:02,640 --> 00:36:07,960 you an understanding on how to live in this place of unlimited 538 00:36:07,960 --> 00:36:09,800 forgiveness. What do you mean 7 times? 539 00:36:09,800 --> 00:36:12,240 No, no, no, no. See, you're asking the wrong 540 00:36:12,240 --> 00:36:15,040 question, Peter. You're asking the wrong 541 00:36:15,040 --> 00:36:17,000 question. Do you know that when you follow 542 00:36:17,000 --> 00:36:20,280 Jesus, if you ask him the wrong question, you might get the 543 00:36:20,280 --> 00:36:22,840 wrong answer? You're asking the wrong 544 00:36:22,840 --> 00:36:27,400 question, Peter. It's not 7 times, it's 7 * 70. 545 00:36:27,760 --> 00:36:30,680 What do you mean though? What if this person has done 546 00:36:30,680 --> 00:36:34,360 something against me that is just wrong and and they should 547 00:36:34,560 --> 00:36:37,600 and it should be justice? No, he's saying choose mercy. 548 00:36:37,800 --> 00:36:42,120 You don't understand, Lord, they did something that was illegal. 549 00:36:42,120 --> 00:36:47,200 He's saying no, no, no, no, no. I don't categorize sin. 550 00:36:47,200 --> 00:36:50,160 Sin is sin. You have been forgiven a debt 551 00:36:50,160 --> 00:36:54,840 that you cannot repay. And what you need to do is you 552 00:36:54,840 --> 00:36:57,360 need to forgive and let everybody else go. 553 00:36:57,360 --> 00:37:00,120 But that doesn't make sense. What can I tell you? 554 00:37:00,320 --> 00:37:02,640 Coming to Jesus doesn't make sense either, does it? 555 00:37:03,760 --> 00:37:07,680 It bypasses the logic and reason that we have in our minds. 556 00:37:07,840 --> 00:37:11,160 But somehow we know. Somehow, somehow we know. 557 00:37:11,160 --> 00:37:16,120 And we have faith that God, that Jesus died and God raised him 558 00:37:16,120 --> 00:37:18,840 from the dead. And that faith inside of us 559 00:37:18,840 --> 00:37:22,960 causes us to come alive. And we're like, yeah, but why do 560 00:37:22,960 --> 00:37:26,120 we leave that? And then when we get to 561 00:37:26,120 --> 00:37:29,080 forgiveness, we're trying to use our logic and reason. 562 00:37:30,960 --> 00:37:33,560 Jesus is saying, I want to show you something different. 563 00:37:33,720 --> 00:37:36,760 I want to say, but Pastor Daniel, you don't know what they 564 00:37:36,760 --> 00:37:39,200 did to me. I'm sure it was terrible, but 565 00:37:39,200 --> 00:37:43,880 God is the one that's in charge of having your vengeance, not 566 00:37:43,880 --> 00:37:47,440 yours. That's not your responsibility. 567 00:37:47,800 --> 00:37:49,360 But how do I do it? How do I do it? 568 00:37:49,600 --> 00:37:52,240 Well, Jesus says he will help you. 569 00:37:53,480 --> 00:37:55,080 That's what he's trying to help Peter with. 570 00:37:55,240 --> 00:37:59,600 He's saying I will help you, but it's a matter of the heart. 571 00:37:59,600 --> 00:38:07,600 Don't don't lose touch with the with your emotional connection 572 00:38:07,600 --> 00:38:09,880 with the heart does. Am I trying? 573 00:38:09,880 --> 00:38:13,440 I'm trying to make sense there like sometimes we can the the 574 00:38:13,440 --> 00:38:18,120 fancy word would be bifurcated. It's like we're separating 575 00:38:18,120 --> 00:38:21,160 ourselves. We're we're running two lanes 576 00:38:21,160 --> 00:38:24,440 here. That's to be separated from 577 00:38:24,440 --> 00:38:26,440 something. No, no, what I want you to do is 578 00:38:26,800 --> 00:38:30,800 come get in touch with God's story in your life. 579 00:38:31,520 --> 00:38:35,320 Pause and reflect what he has set you free from. 580 00:38:36,160 --> 00:38:39,320 Now, you might be going to church and this will be the this 581 00:38:39,320 --> 00:38:41,080 will be the testimony of my kids. 582 00:38:41,240 --> 00:38:43,880 They'll be trying to figure out what they need to be forgiven 583 00:38:43,880 --> 00:38:46,680 from Oh, they stole some Cheerios or something. 584 00:38:47,000 --> 00:38:50,200 You know what I'm saying? Now don't get don't get wrapped 585 00:38:50,200 --> 00:38:51,160 away. Well, I don't. 586 00:38:51,160 --> 00:38:54,840 I didn't try to kill Someone Like You did, PD Don't do that. 587 00:38:55,640 --> 00:38:58,880 That's not. No, no, that's my story. 588 00:38:59,560 --> 00:39:03,200 Your story might be different, but get in touch with God's 589 00:39:03,200 --> 00:39:06,480 story for your life. Realize that you have been set 590 00:39:06,480 --> 00:39:12,240 free and forgiven, and extend that grace to others, and you 591 00:39:12,240 --> 00:39:15,960 will begin to walk in unlimited forgiveness. 592 00:39:17,760 --> 00:39:19,960 Here's the deal. There's a consequence to this. 593 00:39:19,960 --> 00:39:23,160 And this is where I feel the weight of this parable. 594 00:39:23,960 --> 00:39:26,880 Because it takes a turn, doesn't it? 595 00:39:26,960 --> 00:39:28,640 Then the master called. Verse 32. 596 00:39:28,800 --> 00:39:31,080 Then the master called the servant in. 597 00:39:31,080 --> 00:39:36,360 You, wicked servant, he said. I cancelled all the debt of 598 00:39:36,360 --> 00:39:40,680 yours because you begged me to. Shouldn't you have had mercy on 599 00:39:40,680 --> 00:39:44,480 your fellow servant? Just I had, just as I had on 600 00:39:44,480 --> 00:39:48,160 you. In anger, his master handed him 601 00:39:48,160 --> 00:39:51,640 over to the jailers to be tortured until he should repay 602 00:39:51,640 --> 00:39:58,600 back all he owed. There is a consequence for 603 00:39:58,600 --> 00:40:01,360 unforgiveness. I mean, you don't hear that 604 00:40:01,360 --> 00:40:02,960 much. I mean, you might with John 605 00:40:02,960 --> 00:40:03,760 Michael. I don't know. 606 00:40:04,080 --> 00:40:05,920 He's pretty straightforward. I like him. 607 00:40:07,440 --> 00:40:10,880 There is a consequence for unforgiveness in your life, and 608 00:40:10,880 --> 00:40:14,280 it's death. All sin leads to death. 609 00:40:15,120 --> 00:40:21,040 Unforgiveness will limit your ability to walk in God's 610 00:40:21,040 --> 00:40:26,840 promises in your life. It is a barrier, it is a hang 611 00:40:26,840 --> 00:40:29,360 up. It is something that will keep 612 00:40:29,360 --> 00:40:34,000 you from walking in. The fullness that Jesus has for 613 00:40:34,000 --> 00:40:37,720 your life is unforgiveness and what you. 614 00:40:37,720 --> 00:40:41,680 What most believers have is they are trying to use their logic 615 00:40:41,680 --> 00:40:48,760 and reason instead of relying on the faith in the truth that 616 00:40:48,760 --> 00:40:52,960 Jesus has proclaimed. There is a consequence for this. 617 00:40:53,800 --> 00:40:58,320 There is a there is a preferred future that you will not walk in 618 00:40:59,040 --> 00:41:02,920 if you don't forgive people freely. 619 00:41:03,680 --> 00:41:09,440 Now I want to spin it on you to say that there is so much 620 00:41:09,440 --> 00:41:15,960 freedom in walking a life that is full of unlimited 621 00:41:15,960 --> 00:41:18,400 forgiveness. Now listen, I'm going to be 622 00:41:18,400 --> 00:41:22,960 tested on this word, and so I'll be careful when I say this, but 623 00:41:22,960 --> 00:41:28,120 I have been walking in unlimited forgiveness for years, and it is 624 00:41:28,200 --> 00:41:35,520 the truth that has set me free. Now listen, I know that I know 625 00:41:35,640 --> 00:41:40,160 that I know that I know that I am not worthy of what Jesus has 626 00:41:40,240 --> 00:41:46,240 given me, but I know that I know that I know that His blood has 627 00:41:46,560 --> 00:41:50,320 set me free. And the blood of Jesus is on the 628 00:41:50,320 --> 00:41:56,320 doorpost of my heart. And if you sin against me, I 629 00:41:56,320 --> 00:42:01,240 will freely forgive you. And you know what I do? 630 00:42:01,640 --> 00:42:04,600 I'm intentional. And do it before I even leave 631 00:42:04,600 --> 00:42:09,160 the house. Because if you will let people 632 00:42:09,160 --> 00:42:16,000 go before you even step foot out of the out of the doorpost of 633 00:42:16,000 --> 00:42:22,160 your own house, you will be in a much better spot because Jesus 634 00:42:22,200 --> 00:42:26,760 has has set us free. So it has it. 635 00:42:27,040 --> 00:42:29,560 Look, and I'll finish with this in verse 35. 636 00:42:29,800 --> 00:42:33,720 This is how my Heavenly Father will treat each of you unless 637 00:42:33,720 --> 00:42:38,040 you forgive your brother and sister from your heart. 638 00:42:39,280 --> 00:42:41,560 I have a couple of applications there for you. 639 00:42:42,200 --> 00:42:46,440 The first one is evaluate your understanding of God's grace in 640 00:42:46,440 --> 00:42:48,760 your life. Pray and reflect on the debt you 641 00:42:48,760 --> 00:42:52,800 have been forgiven #2 in the context of your heart. 642 00:42:53,160 --> 00:42:56,520 Identify any bitterness or resentment that you may harbor 643 00:42:56,520 --> 00:43:00,320 and contemplate and how it affects your heart relationship. 644 00:43:03,120 --> 00:43:07,960 Identify any bitterness. Do you spend some time saying, 645 00:43:07,960 --> 00:43:12,960 hey, I like this Psalm? I think it's one Psalm 132. 646 00:43:12,960 --> 00:43:19,800 David says search my heart. Oh Lord, reveal to me anything 647 00:43:20,600 --> 00:43:26,480 like it's the Holy Spirit's job to search. 648 00:43:27,920 --> 00:43:34,880 It's your job to confess, right? Holy Spirit, search my heart. 649 00:43:36,480 --> 00:43:38,760 Your response? Confess. 650 00:43:40,160 --> 00:43:44,200 We get that when it comes to giving our heart to the Lord. 651 00:43:45,040 --> 00:43:47,400 Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord. 652 00:43:47,640 --> 00:43:50,360 Believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead and you 653 00:43:50,360 --> 00:43:52,840 will be saved. Yeah. 654 00:43:54,080 --> 00:43:56,840 What are you doing? Holy Spirit draws you in. 655 00:43:57,360 --> 00:44:02,120 Jesus is the answer. You confess and ratify what he 656 00:44:02,120 --> 00:44:05,920 has revealed in your heart in your walk with Jesus. 657 00:44:05,920 --> 00:44:08,800 It's the same way we live in a fallen world. 658 00:44:08,800 --> 00:44:10,360 The people are going to prod you. 659 00:44:10,360 --> 00:44:12,920 People are going to do things that aren't right on that. 660 00:44:13,080 --> 00:44:15,280 The evil in this world is unprecedent. 661 00:44:15,480 --> 00:44:17,280 It's crazy. It is crazy. 662 00:44:17,760 --> 00:44:20,560 There are people out there that are going to do you wrong. 663 00:44:20,760 --> 00:44:27,000 And I'm telling you, if you wait until the moment to try to 664 00:44:27,000 --> 00:44:30,800 operate in to in limit and unlimited forgiveness, you're 665 00:44:30,800 --> 00:44:35,600 going to lose it every time. But if you will predetermine and 666 00:44:35,600 --> 00:44:41,760 be intentional about your stance, you will not trip up 667 00:44:42,480 --> 00:44:46,120 because you will say, oh, that's a trap from the enemy. 668 00:44:46,440 --> 00:44:52,200 I will not relent to that mess right there. 669 00:44:52,880 --> 00:44:55,560 So if you could, could you stand this morning? 670 00:44:56,320 --> 00:44:57,640 Did you get anything out of that? 671 00:44:58,440 --> 00:45:06,080 OK, good. Worship you Jesus. 672 00:45:14,090 --> 00:45:19,930 I'll finish with one last story. Have you ever witnessed the 673 00:45:19,930 --> 00:45:24,650 power forgiveness in your life? It's amazing. 674 00:45:26,250 --> 00:45:34,450 My dad was in the military and was gone a lot and we didn't 675 00:45:34,450 --> 00:45:37,730 have the best relationship, but we didn't. 676 00:45:39,240 --> 00:45:40,960 It wasn't terrible. He was a great guy. 677 00:45:40,960 --> 00:45:43,680 Now he went to be with the Lord when he was 52 years old, which 678 00:45:43,680 --> 00:45:47,320 is crazy to me because I'm 48. Back when it seemed like he was 679 00:45:47,320 --> 00:45:49,480 old, but now I'm like, whoa, it's just around the corner. 680 00:45:52,520 --> 00:45:57,120 Jennifer and I had just gotten married and when I was like the 681 00:45:57,120 --> 00:45:59,680 first McKee that gave their heart to the Lord, the first 682 00:45:59,680 --> 00:46:03,320 call I got from my parents about coming to the Lord was you 683 00:46:03,320 --> 00:46:05,800 better watch that church. They'll take your money. 684 00:46:09,880 --> 00:46:12,640 That was the first call. I remember hanging up the phone 685 00:46:12,920 --> 00:46:15,120 and be like bag, bag that just got real. 686 00:46:15,720 --> 00:46:20,760 Like I was looking for where to go, boy, I got they're going to 687 00:46:20,760 --> 00:46:25,080 take your money And I remember being I feel like it was a test 688 00:46:25,080 --> 00:46:28,320 of the Lord. Do you follow me or do you 689 00:46:28,320 --> 00:46:33,320 follow them? I said, I choose you, Jesus, I 690 00:46:33,320 --> 00:46:36,080 follow you. They can have all the money. 691 00:46:36,560 --> 00:46:38,280 All my money. Geez, I give it to you all. 692 00:46:38,280 --> 00:46:40,960 I don't know. You saved my soul. 693 00:46:41,000 --> 00:46:43,920 What is that worth? So I kept walking it out. 694 00:46:44,800 --> 00:46:50,680 And then I saw my parents begin to change their perspective 695 00:46:51,280 --> 00:46:53,400 because you know what they saw? They saw fruit. 696 00:46:54,840 --> 00:46:58,600 They were like, Dang, my son might be giving them their 697 00:46:58,600 --> 00:47:01,600 money, but transformation is happening. 698 00:47:02,160 --> 00:47:05,280 When he talks to me, he's kind, he's loving. 699 00:47:05,440 --> 00:47:08,120 They saw it. They saw it from afar, and they 700 00:47:08,120 --> 00:47:12,960 just observed. So then I find my bride, my 701 00:47:12,960 --> 00:47:17,200 treasure, my heavenly treasure, Juniper, and we decide we're 702 00:47:17,200 --> 00:47:20,800 going to get married. And then my parents come up from 703 00:47:20,800 --> 00:47:24,320 Florida and I don't know. I love weddings. 704 00:47:24,480 --> 00:47:25,960 Do you like weddings? I love weddings. 705 00:47:25,960 --> 00:47:27,760 I don't like funerals. I like weddings. 706 00:47:27,760 --> 00:47:29,640 Weddings are nice. And so it gathers all these 707 00:47:29,640 --> 00:47:34,000 people together. My dad, you know, I was going to 708 00:47:34,000 --> 00:47:37,200 hang out with my dad and get married the next day and I was 709 00:47:37,200 --> 00:47:41,840 like, something in me was like, you got to just let him go. 710 00:47:41,840 --> 00:47:46,720 You got to forgive him. He did the best he could. 711 00:47:46,760 --> 00:47:50,520 It was the Holy Spirit you got, you got stuff, right? 712 00:47:51,080 --> 00:47:52,720 You don't have any stuff. You have stuff. 713 00:47:52,720 --> 00:47:56,040 But in relationship, especially in family, there's just stuff. 714 00:47:56,840 --> 00:47:59,600 And the Lord was saying you got to get rid of that stuff. 715 00:48:00,880 --> 00:48:02,360 I was like, I don't really want to do it, dad. 716 00:48:02,440 --> 00:48:03,880 I don't want to. I don't want to do it, Jesus, I 717 00:48:03,880 --> 00:48:05,720 don't want to. You got to do it, Holy Spirit. 718 00:48:05,720 --> 00:48:10,000 You got to do it. So outside of my dad's camper 719 00:48:10,320 --> 00:48:12,960 around a fire, he had a couple beers. 720 00:48:12,960 --> 00:48:14,800 He used to like to drink Milwaukee's Best. 721 00:48:14,800 --> 00:48:17,520 I don't know if you eat it, whatever, terrible beer, 722 00:48:17,520 --> 00:48:19,640 whatever. He had a couple beers. 723 00:48:19,640 --> 00:48:22,920 And at the time I didn't, you know, I don't drink. 724 00:48:22,920 --> 00:48:25,920 I don't drink now, but I was like, you know what? 725 00:48:26,200 --> 00:48:28,520 I have a beer with my dad. I felt like the Holy Ghost was 726 00:48:28,520 --> 00:48:30,680 like, it's OK, you can have a beer. 727 00:48:31,040 --> 00:48:33,960 I was like, OK, this is weird. Sat around the fire. 728 00:48:33,960 --> 00:48:35,720 You ever have this awkward conversation? 729 00:48:35,720 --> 00:48:37,640 Guys have this awkward conversation all the time. 730 00:48:37,880 --> 00:48:40,040 Maybe ladies, they maybe do it a little easier. 731 00:48:40,040 --> 00:48:43,280 Guys were just like Stonefall, Just look at the fire. 732 00:48:43,280 --> 00:48:45,000 Just look at the fire. We got something to talk about, 733 00:48:45,000 --> 00:48:46,440 Don. We're just looking at the fire. 734 00:48:46,440 --> 00:48:49,160 I got that, you know, So I'm just looking at the fire and I'm 735 00:48:49,160 --> 00:48:52,360 sweating and I'm like, is this the beer or is this, I don't 736 00:48:52,360 --> 00:48:53,720 know, maybe I shouldn't have checked it. 737 00:48:53,720 --> 00:48:55,760 And I was everywhere, all one time. 738 00:48:57,160 --> 00:48:59,720 And I remember taking a deep breath and I said this to my 739 00:48:59,720 --> 00:49:01,720 dad. I looked at my dad in the eyes. 740 00:49:02,120 --> 00:49:05,320 He always taught me that. And I looked at him and I said, 741 00:49:05,320 --> 00:49:09,160 dad, I love you and I forgive you. 742 00:49:09,840 --> 00:49:14,680 You did the best you could and I am so thankful that you're my 743 00:49:14,680 --> 00:49:17,680 dad. Threw it out there. 744 00:49:18,680 --> 00:49:21,200 I will never forget my dad's face. 745 00:49:22,520 --> 00:49:27,200 He didn't cry just like I don't cry, but his face was just like 746 00:49:29,280 --> 00:49:33,240 he couldn't. He pauses and he begins to cry 747 00:49:34,400 --> 00:49:38,120 and he looks at me and he says, son, I'm so proud of you. 748 00:49:38,920 --> 00:49:43,160 I'm so thankful for what God is doing in your life and I'm so 749 00:49:43,160 --> 00:49:44,720 thankful that you're about to get married. 750 00:49:44,720 --> 00:49:46,560 What a great we have this moment. 751 00:49:48,120 --> 00:49:51,440 Fast forward six months after my marriage, my dad goes to be with 752 00:49:51,440 --> 00:49:57,560 the Lord. Do you know that I found his 753 00:49:57,560 --> 00:50:04,080 journals that journaled and I flipped to the page where I got 754 00:50:04,080 --> 00:50:07,400 married and he journaled about our experience and our 755 00:50:07,400 --> 00:50:13,600 conversation around that fire. And he said my son is doing so 756 00:50:13,600 --> 00:50:18,200 well. Matter of fact, my son has 757 00:50:18,200 --> 00:50:29,440 reignited my faith in God, the power of forgiveness, the debt 758 00:50:30,280 --> 00:50:37,560 was paid by Jesus and living in the understanding on unlimited 759 00:50:37,560 --> 00:50:39,920 forgiveness. When somebody doesn't deserve 760 00:50:39,920 --> 00:50:42,160 it, it's when you're supposed to do it the most. 761 00:50:43,680 --> 00:50:45,400 Can I tell you it's not going to make sense? 762 00:50:45,840 --> 00:50:46,960 So here's what we're going to do. 763 00:50:47,480 --> 00:50:49,440 Just raise your hands in the air if you're comfortable. 764 00:50:49,440 --> 00:50:51,120 Lift your hands as an act of surrender. 765 00:50:51,120 --> 00:50:54,480 Put your hands out like this. We're just going to get free 766 00:50:54,480 --> 00:50:59,960 this morning because I know that the Holy Spirit is reminding you 767 00:50:59,960 --> 00:51:06,640 of somebody that may have done something to you that He is 768 00:51:06,640 --> 00:51:11,240 encouraging you to let go. And what he's doing is he's 769 00:51:11,240 --> 00:51:15,600 saying, son or daughter, it's time for you to relinquish 770 00:51:15,680 --> 00:51:23,560 control and just let them go. I have forgiven you. 771 00:51:24,440 --> 00:51:27,520 Now it's your time to extend that mercy. 772 00:51:28,600 --> 00:51:33,480 We deserved judgment. He gave us mercy. 773 00:51:34,040 --> 00:51:36,960 The individual that has trans, that is, has done something 774 00:51:36,960 --> 00:51:41,800 against you, deserves judgment. And what you're going to do is 775 00:51:41,800 --> 00:51:46,240 you're going to extend mercy. Now, there might be a time after 776 00:51:46,240 --> 00:51:48,960 this service where you're going to have to maybe have a 777 00:51:48,960 --> 00:51:52,920 conversation with somebody, but right now you can just let them 778 00:51:52,920 --> 00:51:55,000 go. So Holy Spirit, we come to you 779 00:51:55,000 --> 00:52:00,000 this morning. And if search is so, Lord, would 780 00:52:00,000 --> 00:52:02,400 you say that with me? Search my heart, Lord. 781 00:52:03,160 --> 00:52:08,280 There you go. Search my heart, Lord, if 782 00:52:08,280 --> 00:52:15,640 there's anyone that I need to forgive, remind me of who they 783 00:52:15,640 --> 00:52:20,040 are. And then you just pause and you 784 00:52:20,040 --> 00:52:27,730 listen. And if the Holy Spirit says son 785 00:52:27,730 --> 00:52:32,050 and daughter, you're free, you're good, then you say, 786 00:52:32,690 --> 00:52:35,410 praise the Lord, that's what you do. 787 00:52:35,930 --> 00:52:39,650 You thank Him because the unlimited forgiveness you're 788 00:52:39,650 --> 00:52:44,530 walking in is not because you have it all worked out. 789 00:52:44,530 --> 00:52:47,840 It's because He has graced that to you. 790 00:52:47,840 --> 00:52:50,560 So you just thank Him. Lord, I thank you that I don't 791 00:52:50,560 --> 00:52:52,520 have any sin. Again, I don't have any thought 792 00:52:52,520 --> 00:52:55,160 against anybody. Here's the second part. 793 00:52:55,600 --> 00:52:59,680 If you have a name or there's a picture of somebody that has 794 00:52:59,680 --> 00:53:07,400 popped in your mind, then you just quietly say I forgive them. 795 00:53:07,400 --> 00:53:11,080 Say that with me, I forgive them. 796 00:53:11,560 --> 00:53:15,760 Now, if you want to, you can put their name on it and that 797 00:53:15,760 --> 00:53:20,960 personalizes it. I forgive so and so. 798 00:53:24,480 --> 00:53:31,000 This is what I'm confident in. If you mean that and you declare 799 00:53:31,000 --> 00:53:38,120 that and you believe that, then he has forgiven you. 800 00:53:39,680 --> 00:53:45,800 So Lord, I pray today that you would help us move from keeping 801 00:53:45,800 --> 00:53:52,920 score to losing count, that we would stop today, that we would 802 00:53:52,920 --> 00:53:58,680 stop operating in worldly wisdom that says we need to keep score 803 00:53:59,160 --> 00:54:03,080 and we would operate in the Kingdom reality that we are 804 00:54:03,080 --> 00:54:07,880 called to lose count. And that when people would 805 00:54:07,880 --> 00:54:14,040 encounter us, be it family, friends, coworkers, strangers, 806 00:54:14,200 --> 00:54:19,640 that they would encounter the love of God that would then lead 807 00:54:19,640 --> 00:54:22,960 them to repentance. It's the kindness of God that 808 00:54:22,960 --> 00:54:25,720 leads them to repentance. Can I tell you this? 809 00:54:26,000 --> 00:54:30,520 I have led more people to Jesus by being kind than any fancy 810 00:54:30,520 --> 00:54:34,480 sermon I've ever put together. It's the kindness of God that 811 00:54:34,480 --> 00:54:41,920 unlocks His love in their life. The kindness of God leads people 812 00:54:41,920 --> 00:54:45,520 to repentance. Lord, may they look upon us and 813 00:54:45,520 --> 00:54:47,800 see the kindness and goodness of God. 814 00:54:49,480 --> 00:54:54,960 Let me ask this last question. Maybe you're in here today and 815 00:54:54,960 --> 00:54:59,400 you've never asked for forgiveness. 816 00:55:00,200 --> 00:55:05,240 You never taken that step. Can I tell you the Holy Spirit 817 00:55:05,240 --> 00:55:10,160 has used this parable as the from the unmerciful servant to 818 00:55:10,560 --> 00:55:14,040 communicate to you that there's a debt that you could never pay, 819 00:55:15,000 --> 00:55:19,320 never, ever. And that you have a king that 820 00:55:19,320 --> 00:55:24,320 came and paid your debt for you. He stood in the gap for you, and 821 00:55:25,280 --> 00:55:30,720 he didn't just stand there. He willingly sacrificed his his 822 00:55:30,720 --> 00:55:34,000 life so that you could be set free. 823 00:55:34,000 --> 00:55:37,960 The good news is he didn't stay dead. 824 00:55:37,960 --> 00:55:44,600 He conquered death, hell and the grave so that you could have 825 00:55:44,600 --> 00:55:48,760 life in him. And that if you would confess 826 00:55:48,840 --> 00:55:54,400 and trust in that finished work. He says you are a brand new 827 00:55:54,560 --> 00:55:58,000 creation. So maybe you're living your life 828 00:55:58,760 --> 00:56:03,280 counting the cost are taking score. 829 00:56:03,760 --> 00:56:09,120 Jesus is saying come to me son or daughter, and I will show you 830 00:56:09,520 --> 00:56:11,600 the new way, the more excellent way. 831 00:56:12,160 --> 00:56:15,160 And how do you do that? You simply confess and believe 832 00:56:15,160 --> 00:56:19,520 that Jesus is the Lord. So all eyes close, how heads 833 00:56:19,520 --> 00:56:21,960 bowed. Is there anybody in here this 834 00:56:21,960 --> 00:56:25,960 morning that wants to take that step of faith that you would 835 00:56:25,960 --> 00:56:28,720 know beyond a shadow of a doubt if you left this room this 836 00:56:28,720 --> 00:56:33,320 morning that you and you didn't make it through the day that you 837 00:56:33,320 --> 00:56:37,640 would be with King Jesus? So you can settle that account 838 00:56:37,640 --> 00:56:40,960 right now right here. And the word says today is the 839 00:56:40,960 --> 00:56:43,480 day of salvation. So in the count of three and 840 00:56:43,480 --> 00:56:47,760 that's special about the number three, except it's the third day 841 00:56:47,760 --> 00:56:52,120 that Jesus was rose again. One, the Holy Spirit is drawing 842 00:56:52,120 --> 00:56:55,720 you to make that Step 2. He's encouraging you. 843 00:56:55,720 --> 00:56:59,640 It's your time. 3 All across this room, how many? 844 00:57:00,240 --> 00:57:02,360 I see that hand. I see that hand. 845 00:57:02,840 --> 00:57:06,480 Thank you. Thank you. 846 00:57:07,160 --> 00:57:13,320 Let's all repeat this prayer. Lord Jesus, thank you for saving 847 00:57:13,320 --> 00:57:18,320 me. Thank you for doing for me what 848 00:57:18,320 --> 00:57:24,600 I could never do for myself. Thank you for preparing a way 849 00:57:24,600 --> 00:57:30,360 for me to come to you today. I believe in your death, your 850 00:57:30,360 --> 00:57:38,040 burial and your resurrection. I confess my sins and ask for 851 00:57:38,040 --> 00:57:42,880 your forgiveness in Jesus name. Amen. 852 00:57:43,320 --> 00:57:43,880 Amen. Amen. 853 00:57:43,880 --> 00:57:45,920 Amen. All right, Praise the Lord. 854 00:57:46,720 --> 00:57:48,120 Maybe we can get out of here before we get. 855 00:57:48,120 --> 00:57:51,440 Is there anything out there? Donna, you want to close this 856 00:57:51,440 --> 00:57:52,760 up? That's fine. 857 00:57:52,760 --> 00:57:55,880 All right. OK well Lori thank you for 858 00:57:55,880 --> 00:57:58,120 today. We thank you for the weather 859 00:57:58,120 --> 00:58:01,200 that is going to relent so that we can go home and not drowned 860 00:58:01,320 --> 00:58:02,960 in Jesus name, Amen.