WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.080 Good morning, Watermark. That's really echoey. 00:00:04.639 --> 00:00:11.019 Good morning. My name is Alfie. If you don't know me, I help out with the university stuff around Watermark Church. 00:00:11.279 --> 00:00:16.660 And today we're continuing our series on preparing him room, making room. 00:00:16.660 --> 00:00:20.260 Last week we talked about making room in our hearts for Jesus. 00:00:20.820 --> 00:00:23.519 And today I want to talk about forgiveness. 00:00:25.940 --> 00:00:28.120 I think there's so many things to say about forgiveness. 00:00:28.120 --> 00:00:31.960 If I was to start now, I'd probably be done around Wednesday. 00:00:32.799 --> 00:00:34.780 So I'm not going to try to say everything. 00:00:36.079 --> 00:00:43.320 I'm going to try and just look at what forgiveness looks like when God forgives us, when God forgives his people. 00:00:44.460 --> 00:00:49.540 And so I'm going to start by giving you guys a very practical, tangible thing to do with forgiveness. 00:00:50.600 --> 00:00:54.100 I'm sorry if I don't talk about the things that you want me to talk about. 00:00:54.480 --> 00:00:57.120 And I hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive me. 00:00:58.119 --> 00:01:01.419 There are many things. 00:01:01.659 --> 00:01:06.579 And, you know, early on this year in October, Evelyn came and she did some workshops on forgiveness. 00:01:07.200 --> 00:01:08.399 I know many of you guys were there. 00:01:08.759 --> 00:01:10.799 And she left behind some books and some resources. 00:01:10.799 --> 00:01:21.439 And so if you guys, after this, are intrigued and you want to know more about forgiveness and what that looks like when we're forgiving other people and other people are forgiving us, there will be some books. 00:01:21.719 --> 00:01:24.739 And Sylvie will be helping you guys with that. 00:01:26.179 --> 00:01:27.679 But for now, I'm just going to keep it simple. 00:01:27.719 --> 00:01:29.359 I'm going to talk about why Jesus came. 00:01:29.439 --> 00:01:30.640 Jesus came to forgive. 00:01:31.500 --> 00:01:34.299 He came to forgive us of our sins. 00:01:34.299 --> 00:01:39.280 And I think that Christmas time, you know, we gather around with our families. 00:01:39.399 --> 00:01:39.920 We get together. 00:01:40.420 --> 00:01:42.179 And there are many opportunities for forgiveness. 00:01:42.679 --> 00:01:44.879 Because we see that sibling that we haven't seen in a while. 00:01:45.099 --> 00:01:47.459 And, you know, back in March, we had this argument. 00:01:47.599 --> 00:01:48.859 And we haven't talked to each other since. 00:01:49.000 --> 00:01:52.099 And now, all of a sudden, we need to have that confrontation. 00:01:52.099 --> 00:01:57.399 Or, with the kids being home, they're just always fighting and you're trying to teach them forgiveness. 00:01:58.459 --> 00:02:01.079 And people think that Christmas is a great time for forgiveness. 00:02:01.699 --> 00:02:02.899 And I think it is. 00:02:03.599 --> 00:02:10.099 But I think Christmas is also a great time for remembering the forgiveness that Christ offers us. 00:02:13.400 --> 00:02:16.840 There are some times when I think about forgiveness, and I think that it's incredibly simple. 00:02:18.180 --> 00:02:21.219 And other times I think about it some more and I realize it's very complicated. 00:02:22.099 --> 00:02:25.699 And there are times that I overcomplicate forgiveness, and there are times that I oversimplify it. 00:02:26.620 --> 00:02:33.379 And I think our confusion, I think my confusion about forgiveness comes from the way that, you know, I was taught forgiveness as a child. 00:02:33.759 --> 00:02:34.819 I have a younger brother. 00:02:35.639 --> 00:02:38.240 And as children, we were always fighting. 00:02:39.199 --> 00:02:40.400 So we'd get into arguments. 00:02:41.079 --> 00:02:43.319 And depending on the day, it might escalate. 00:02:44.099 --> 00:02:45.620 And, you know, punches would be thrown. 00:02:45.879 --> 00:02:46.680 Kicks would be thrown. 00:02:47.079 --> 00:02:49.799 And my mother would come in, and she would break up the fight. 00:02:50.319 --> 00:02:51.719 And she would find out who started it. 00:02:52.099 --> 00:02:55.939 And then she would say, it was usually me who started it. 00:02:57.139 --> 00:03:02.000 She would say to me, Alfie, now you need to forgive your, you need to apologize to your brother. 00:03:02.079 --> 00:03:03.599 And I'd say, no, I'm sorry. 00:03:04.159 --> 00:03:05.620 And then she'd say, no, say it clearly. 00:03:05.740 --> 00:03:06.819 And I'd say, I'm sorry. 00:03:07.539 --> 00:03:08.620 She'd say, what are you sorry for? 00:03:08.719 --> 00:03:09.819 And, you know, I'd have to explain. 00:03:09.900 --> 00:03:14.019 And then she'd turn to my brother and say, hey, now, Jojo, you need to forgive your brother. 00:03:15.280 --> 00:03:17.099 My brother would say, I forgive you. 00:03:17.099 --> 00:03:21.439 And then my mother would make sure that this forgiveness and this reconciliation happened. 00:03:21.579 --> 00:03:24.060 And she said, now you guys need to give each other a hug. 00:03:25.459 --> 00:03:29.060 Now, in those situations, the last thing I wanted to do was to hug my brother. 00:03:29.740 --> 00:03:31.740 The last thing he wanted to do was to hug me. 00:03:32.439 --> 00:03:33.939 Because I wasn't really sorry. 00:03:33.939 --> 00:03:36.900 And he hadn't really forgiven me. 00:03:37.400 --> 00:03:38.340 But we did it anyways. 00:03:38.500 --> 00:03:40.500 Because if we didn't, there'd be more trouble. 00:03:42.259 --> 00:03:43.800 And, you know, I think sometimes we do this. 00:03:44.020 --> 00:03:46.819 And, you know, I talked to my parents about this yesterday over lunch. 00:03:47.159 --> 00:03:52.180 And, you know, they said that, you know, when you're a parent, you know, you make do with what you've got. 00:03:52.360 --> 00:03:54.300 And that's what they did. 00:03:54.300 --> 00:03:57.960 And so I'm not going to try and, you know, berate you parents for teaching forgiveness badly. 00:03:57.960 --> 00:04:06.900 But I think there's so many things in our lives that skew the way that we view forgiveness. 00:04:07.080 --> 00:04:09.580 The way in which we forgive each other. 00:04:10.900 --> 00:04:15.900 I think, you know, the way I was taught forgiveness in those stressful moments as a seven-year-old. 00:04:16.139 --> 00:04:21.500 Was to grit my teeth and to forgive and to put it out of my mind and to get on with life. 00:04:22.879 --> 00:04:26.240 But as we grow, I think conflicts become a bit more complex. 00:04:26.240 --> 00:04:28.560 It's not he hit me and she said I smell funny. 00:04:29.600 --> 00:04:34.340 We go and we have interactions with different people and they hurt us in different ways. 00:04:34.579 --> 00:04:39.699 And, you know, we learn different things about forgiveness from our different cultures, you know. 00:04:39.920 --> 00:04:43.060 I think forgiveness in Texas is very different from forgiveness in Taiwan. 00:04:43.579 --> 00:04:43.740 All right? 00:04:43.780 --> 00:04:49.160 And you come to Hong Kong and in my life where I'm not really Chinese and I'm not really Western and I'm not really African. 00:04:49.660 --> 00:04:53.240 Forgiveness just became this really huge confusing mess. 00:04:53.240 --> 00:04:53.280 Forgiveness. 00:04:54.980 --> 00:05:00.720 I think that some of us grow up and we're told that forgiveness is actually a bad thing. 00:05:01.040 --> 00:05:03.620 It's a weakness if we forgive. 00:05:04.420 --> 00:05:08.340 You know, that when we are wronged that we should hold it against other people. 00:05:09.480 --> 00:05:09.560 Right? 00:05:09.639 --> 00:05:16.519 That actually holding a grudge is fantastic because it means that, you know, we can get something from them later. 00:05:16.519 --> 00:05:19.000 There's these ads on the MTR and on TV. 00:05:19.180 --> 00:05:23.819 It's got Alan Tam, an old canto pop star there with his friends. 00:05:24.079 --> 00:05:31.039 And the advertisement says it's a PSA for prostate cancer and it says, real men protect their assets. 00:05:31.680 --> 00:05:33.259 And I think that's the most Hong Kong ad ever. 00:05:33.399 --> 00:05:33.799 I love it. 00:05:33.800 --> 00:05:42.220 But I think that line, real men protect their assets, is a lot of the way some of us, we think about forgiveness. 00:05:43.480 --> 00:05:45.259 You know, forgiveness is giving up our assets. 00:05:45.660 --> 00:05:47.780 And if we're going to protect our assets, we're going to hold our grudges. 00:05:47.900 --> 00:05:49.860 We're going to withhold forgiveness. 00:05:50.639 --> 00:05:53.019 Because that's going to give us profit sometime down the line. 00:05:53.019 --> 00:06:00.919 You know, one day, you know, this person's misdemeanor against me is going to come in useful when I'm in a sticky situation. 00:06:02.699 --> 00:06:09.079 At other times, I think we make forgiveness to be something really, really light and really cheap, really flippant. 00:06:09.159 --> 00:06:13.479 Where, you know, we forgive everybody for no real misdemeanor. 00:06:13.599 --> 00:06:17.199 And we forgive them for huge things without even giving a thought. 00:06:17.199 --> 00:06:25.240 You know, we say that love and peace and harmony are these ideals and they need to be, you know, maintained at any cost. 00:06:26.459 --> 00:06:31.800 And so we say, I'm going to forgive even though I haven't really dealt with this conflict in my heart. 00:06:31.839 --> 00:06:33.879 I haven't really dealt with it with this person. 00:06:34.759 --> 00:06:44.339 We say, I forgive not because we've forgiven, but because we have this idol of peace and harmony that we're going to chase after and we're going to serve no matter the cost. 00:06:47.199 --> 00:07:00.439 And while it seems very nice that we've forgiven, we realize that under these layers of plasters of forgiveness, there's hurt and there's wounds which have gone untreated. 00:07:03.639 --> 00:07:17.180 You know, Watermark, the way that we interact with God, who God is should be changing and it should be reaching and transforming our lives. 00:07:17.199 --> 00:07:25.459 But many times I think I do this, where I take my experiences from my life and I put them on God. 00:07:25.879 --> 00:07:31.159 I paint Jesus with the brush that I've received from other people. 00:07:32.560 --> 00:07:41.500 You know, we look at God and we think that he's like our parents who for 15 years have been dangling this misdemeanor over our heads to ensure our compliance, 00:07:41.620 --> 00:07:44.120 to ensure that we do things the way that they want. 00:07:44.120 --> 00:07:48.939 Or we walk through life assuming that God's going to forgive us all the time. 00:07:49.420 --> 00:07:50.560 After all, it's his job, right? 00:07:51.300 --> 00:07:55.319 I'll do whatever I want and I know that if I come and say, sorry, God will forgive me. 00:07:56.519 --> 00:08:02.199 And on one hand, we have God who is this tyrant who's just waiting for us to mess up so he can crush us with a hammer. 00:08:02.199 --> 00:08:14.800 And on the other side, we've got a God who's nothing more than an impotent genie who's just there to make us feel good, to soothe our emotional state. 00:08:17.079 --> 00:08:22.339 And, you know, I think as I look out here, I don't think that many of you are on either one of those extremes. 00:08:22.339 --> 00:08:26.319 But we find ourselves somewhere in the middle, somewhere in between those things. 00:08:26.479 --> 00:08:30.279 And even the middle can be a dangerous place. 00:08:30.959 --> 00:08:36.539 I know that the way that I interact with God puts me in a very unhelpful middle place. 00:08:38.279 --> 00:08:42.699 Because, you know, I know that God will forgive me. 00:08:42.759 --> 00:08:45.199 I know he loves me and that he forgives me. 00:08:45.200 --> 00:08:47.780 I also know that God takes sin seriously. 00:08:49.180 --> 00:08:55.379 And so there are times when I think that, you know, I can be forgiven for my small sins. 00:08:55.540 --> 00:09:00.060 You know, the little white lies, you know, the candy I stole from the shop as a child. 00:09:00.360 --> 00:09:01.920 God can forgive me for those things. 00:09:02.500 --> 00:09:09.420 But, you know, the big things like, you know, knowingly letting your colleague get fired for a mistake that you made or maybe an affair. 00:09:09.620 --> 00:09:11.160 God can never forgive those things. 00:09:11.159 --> 00:09:19.159 Or sometimes I feel like God can forgive me and he has forgiven me for all the things I did before I became a Christian. 00:09:20.159 --> 00:09:23.100 But all the things I've done since then, and I am responsible for those. 00:09:23.659 --> 00:09:25.819 But I need to find a way to earn his grace. 00:09:25.919 --> 00:09:29.100 I need to find a way to earn his forgiveness. 00:09:36.439 --> 00:09:37.399 I need forgiveness. 00:09:37.399 --> 00:09:41.079 We need forgiveness. 00:09:41.199 --> 00:09:43.779 We all need forgiveness from God. 00:09:43.860 --> 00:09:52.220 It's this longing that I think that God has put in our hearts for us to be right with him. 00:09:52.899 --> 00:09:57.759 For us to have a right relationship with him. 00:09:59.539 --> 00:10:01.059 And that's why Jesus comes. 00:10:01.899 --> 00:10:05.840 Jesus comes to fulfill that longing in our hearts for forgiveness. 00:10:05.840 --> 00:10:10.320 We're given a child at Christmas. 00:10:10.480 --> 00:10:12.160 We're given the Son of God. 00:10:13.160 --> 00:10:21.460 This man who would grow and who would do amazing things to ensure that his children, that those who put faith in him, do receive forgiveness. 00:10:22.220 --> 00:10:23.740 Who are made right with God. 00:10:24.240 --> 00:10:26.220 Who are brought into that relationship. 00:10:27.879 --> 00:10:28.700 That's not here. 00:10:28.920 --> 00:10:31.180 He didn't come to, you know, make us feel good. 00:10:31.480 --> 00:10:33.420 To feel warm and fuzzy because of Christmas time. 00:10:33.419 --> 00:10:38.659 He didn't come to leave us with resentment in our hearts. 00:10:38.759 --> 00:10:40.000 But he came to forgive. 00:10:40.139 --> 00:10:42.559 He came to bring hope and joy. 00:10:43.539 --> 00:10:46.000 He came to give life with his forgiveness. 00:10:47.919 --> 00:10:52.259 And so today, we're going to look at the story of the paralytic in Mark chapter 2. 00:10:52.259 --> 00:10:57.319 And I really want you guys to see that God is able to forgive. 00:10:57.720 --> 00:10:58.759 That he's willing to forgive. 00:10:58.819 --> 00:10:59.899 That he loves to forgive. 00:11:00.960 --> 00:11:05.659 And that when he forgives, he doesn't offer it by itself. 00:11:05.759 --> 00:11:07.500 But he offers with it joy. 00:11:08.659 --> 00:11:10.700 He offers with it hope. 00:11:12.279 --> 00:11:15.379 And if you've been around church, you've probably heard the story. 00:11:15.480 --> 00:11:17.019 Especially if you grew up in the church. 00:11:17.019 --> 00:11:18.720 And it's a great one because it has everything. 00:11:18.860 --> 00:11:19.720 It's got suspense. 00:11:20.220 --> 00:11:21.039 It's got adventure. 00:11:21.340 --> 00:11:21.960 It's got friendship. 00:11:22.659 --> 00:11:24.360 It's got a happy ending. 00:11:25.139 --> 00:11:28.600 It's really one of these great stories that is really nice to tell little children. 00:11:29.539 --> 00:11:35.079 But I think as we hear this story so many times, a lot of the significance is lost on us. 00:11:35.919 --> 00:11:45.079 And I think even as we think about forgiveness, we forget actually how deep and meaningful forgiveness is. 00:11:45.080 --> 00:11:54.200 As I read around this topic and reading different commentaries, I found that there are so many different focuses that different people took. 00:11:54.840 --> 00:11:58.120 There's one author who spent a lot of time talking about these friends. 00:11:58.780 --> 00:12:00.620 These man's friends and their bravery. 00:12:01.420 --> 00:12:03.120 And doing property destruction. 00:12:03.980 --> 00:12:07.560 And destroying a roof so that his friend could get in. 00:12:07.700 --> 00:12:10.640 And their bravery was really the star of the story. 00:12:10.639 --> 00:12:15.100 And I read another writer who said that actually, you know, the roofs are made of sticks and mud. 00:12:15.220 --> 00:12:19.000 So actually, it's not a big deal to break it because you can fix it. 00:12:19.419 --> 00:12:21.419 And if there's heavy rain, you'd have to repair your roof anyway. 00:12:22.360 --> 00:12:24.279 So them tearing up the roof was not a big deal. 00:12:24.759 --> 00:12:28.179 There are a lot of people who read these stories and they find different bits to focus on. 00:12:28.179 --> 00:12:37.799 And I think the guys that I read where it captured me, which spoke to me, were the guys that focused in on God's forgiveness. 00:12:38.099 --> 00:12:41.819 That focused in on Jesus forgiving this paralyzed man. 00:12:45.419 --> 00:12:48.259 So let's start by looking at this. 00:12:48.339 --> 00:12:52.059 It starts with Jesus and he's returned from Capernaum. 00:12:52.159 --> 00:12:53.579 And he's at home. 00:12:54.819 --> 00:12:56.539 And many people have gathered there. 00:12:56.539 --> 00:13:01.519 Many people have got together and they're crowded in and they're listening to Jesus. 00:13:01.639 --> 00:13:04.120 It says that Jesus is preaching them the word. 00:13:04.559 --> 00:13:09.339 We don't know exactly what he was saying, but it must have been good because there was a huge crowd. 00:13:09.719 --> 00:13:10.599 The house was filled. 00:13:10.980 --> 00:13:11.740 The door was filled. 00:13:11.819 --> 00:13:15.740 And the only way that these guys could bring their friend was through the roof. 00:13:16.919 --> 00:13:23.339 These four men, they come and they carry them, his friend, up the stairs, which would have been outside the side of the house. 00:13:23.340 --> 00:13:26.460 And they go to the roof and they begin dismantling it. 00:13:27.080 --> 00:13:30.580 And they lower him down into the room where Jesus is teaching. 00:13:32.320 --> 00:13:36.860 And the Bible says that Jesus looks at them and he sees their faith. 00:13:38.220 --> 00:13:42.460 And he says, son, your sins are forgiven. 00:13:43.740 --> 00:13:44.160 It's interesting. 00:13:44.159 --> 00:13:50.059 You know, in the Bible, you can see other places where faith plays an important part in God's miracles. 00:13:50.699 --> 00:13:53.000 In Mark chapter 5, you see there's a woman who's been bleeding. 00:13:53.219 --> 00:13:58.059 And when Jesus heals her, he turns and says, woman, your faith has made you well. 00:13:58.279 --> 00:13:59.079 Go in peace. 00:13:59.080 --> 00:14:08.540 But responding to their faith in this circumstance, Jesus says, your sins are forgiven. 00:14:10.360 --> 00:14:18.259 The faith of this man, the faith of his friends is what causes God to respond to them. 00:14:18.259 --> 00:14:24.679 And I think this is where the average church person says, great, forgiveness. 00:14:25.460 --> 00:14:26.340 We've received it. 00:14:26.819 --> 00:14:29.019 You know, let's go for the healing and move on. 00:14:30.299 --> 00:14:33.279 But instead, this is where the scribes come into the narrative. 00:14:33.559 --> 00:14:36.360 If you read this account in Luke, it says that they were Pharisees. 00:14:36.439 --> 00:14:40.159 And that will probably give you a little bit of the idea of what they were there for. 00:14:40.879 --> 00:14:44.379 You know, they weren't really listening to Jesus because they wanted hope, 00:14:44.840 --> 00:14:46.340 because they wanted to hear the good news. 00:14:46.340 --> 00:14:49.080 They were listening to Jesus because they were trying to catch him out. 00:14:49.519 --> 00:14:52.480 They were trying to figure out what it is they could do to accuse this man, 00:14:52.560 --> 00:14:53.379 to get him out of their way. 00:14:56.300 --> 00:15:00.560 The scribes come in, and they say, well, they don't say anything. 00:15:01.700 --> 00:15:04.300 Perhaps they're shocked at what Jesus has said, 00:15:04.440 --> 00:15:08.379 because by saying, son, your sins are forgiven, he claimed to be God. 00:15:09.120 --> 00:15:13.000 By saying, son, your sins are forgiven, he said, 00:15:13.000 --> 00:15:16.160 I have the authority to make these kinds of announcements. 00:15:17.040 --> 00:15:21.460 And in shock, they don't say anything, but in their hearts, they question. 00:15:22.259 --> 00:15:24.280 In their hearts, they ask. 00:15:24.519 --> 00:15:26.840 And you look in verse 6 and 7, it says, 00:15:27.399 --> 00:15:29.300 they say, why does this man speak like that? 00:15:30.139 --> 00:15:31.040 He's blaspheming. 00:15:32.100 --> 00:15:35.560 Who can forgive sins but God alone? 00:15:35.660 --> 00:15:38.920 And I think with that last question, who can forgive sins but God alone, 00:15:38.919 --> 00:15:40.819 they're beginning to get somewhere. 00:15:41.959 --> 00:15:47.039 They're beginning to get to the heart of what Jesus is doing here on this day. 00:15:49.120 --> 00:15:51.959 Jesus goes on, and he speaks to them. 00:15:51.960 --> 00:15:58.200 And he says, why do you doubt? 00:16:00.200 --> 00:16:01.820 Why don't you believe? 00:16:03.180 --> 00:16:06.000 Mark tells us that in his spirit, he knew the words that he was saying. 00:16:06.180 --> 00:16:08.240 And, you know, I think I would have really liked to be there, 00:16:08.300 --> 00:16:11.060 because, you know, we're in this crowded room, 00:16:11.700 --> 00:16:12.900 and there are people all over the place. 00:16:12.980 --> 00:16:15.180 The roof begins, you know, being picked apart. 00:16:15.179 --> 00:16:17.919 But somebody's lowered down on his bed, 00:16:18.699 --> 00:16:20.739 and Jesus says, son, your sins are forgiven. 00:16:21.739 --> 00:16:23.439 And then he turns to the Pharisees, 00:16:23.979 --> 00:16:26.399 and he says, why don't you believe? 00:16:27.399 --> 00:16:28.319 Now, for anyone else there, 00:16:28.339 --> 00:16:30.019 that would have been a very, very strange transition, 00:16:30.620 --> 00:16:33.919 from forgiving this man to talking to those people over there. 00:16:35.299 --> 00:16:38.439 I think that people would have probably been very confused 00:16:38.439 --> 00:16:39.479 about what was going on. 00:16:40.459 --> 00:16:41.659 But the Pharisees knew. 00:16:41.659 --> 00:16:45.299 They knew that when Jesus spoke to them, 00:16:45.379 --> 00:16:46.759 he wasn't just looking at their faces, 00:16:46.980 --> 00:16:49.219 that he was looking into their hearts. 00:16:50.279 --> 00:16:53.659 That he was looking, and he saw the doubt 00:16:53.659 --> 00:16:56.959 that was in their hearts. 00:16:58.659 --> 00:17:00.279 Jesus asks a puzzling question. 00:17:00.419 --> 00:17:03.339 He says, is it easier to forgive these man's sins, 00:17:03.480 --> 00:17:05.180 or is it easier to heal him? 00:17:06.039 --> 00:17:07.799 Is it easier to say your sins are forgiven, 00:17:07.799 --> 00:17:10.339 or to say get up and walk? 00:17:12.380 --> 00:17:13.980 He follows that by saying, 00:17:14.519 --> 00:17:16.700 that you may know that the Son of Man 00:17:16.700 --> 00:17:18.380 has authority to forgive sins. 00:17:19.480 --> 00:17:21.540 I say to you, pick up your bed, 00:17:22.980 --> 00:17:24.320 and go home. 00:17:27.279 --> 00:17:28.460 And the man does. 00:17:29.060 --> 00:17:30.440 And the crowds are amazed, 00:17:31.060 --> 00:17:33.620 and they probably leave in this amazing little party. 00:17:34.840 --> 00:17:36.700 The scribes probably slink off, 00:17:37.000 --> 00:17:39.180 having been beaten with their tail between their legs, 00:17:39.180 --> 00:17:41.620 and the disciples probably give each other high fives, 00:17:41.759 --> 00:17:43.019 very excited, another miracle. 00:17:44.299 --> 00:17:45.620 And the paralytic and his friends, 00:17:45.700 --> 00:17:47.120 for the first time in a long time, 00:17:47.420 --> 00:17:48.900 walk off together. 00:17:50.019 --> 00:17:51.259 And that's a great story. 00:17:51.500 --> 00:17:52.039 It's forgiveness, 00:17:52.720 --> 00:17:53.860 and there's healing. 00:17:54.820 --> 00:17:56.320 And everyone except for the Pharisees 00:17:56.320 --> 00:17:57.039 is really a winner. 00:17:57.039 --> 00:18:01.379 But I really want to look at a couple of things 00:18:01.379 --> 00:18:04.500 in this story that I think will unpack 00:18:04.500 --> 00:18:06.000 and help us figure out what it is 00:18:06.000 --> 00:18:07.799 that forgiveness is like 00:18:07.799 --> 00:18:10.440 when God forgives us, 00:18:10.500 --> 00:18:13.019 when God forgives his people, 00:18:13.159 --> 00:18:14.379 when God forgives his children. 00:18:16.159 --> 00:18:17.700 And the first thing is to do with the man. 00:18:18.700 --> 00:18:20.839 The Bible says that in the beginning, 00:18:21.240 --> 00:18:21.819 in the fall, 00:18:21.819 --> 00:18:25.119 that Adam rebelled against God. 00:18:25.220 --> 00:18:26.220 He ate the fruit from the tree, 00:18:26.419 --> 00:18:28.099 and through his rebellion, 00:18:28.259 --> 00:18:29.000 through his sin, 00:18:29.539 --> 00:18:31.159 sickness and death and decay 00:18:31.159 --> 00:18:32.839 enter the world. 00:18:33.480 --> 00:18:35.000 The Bible says that because of sin, 00:18:35.599 --> 00:18:36.639 we have sickness and death. 00:18:36.759 --> 00:18:37.559 And in this time, 00:18:37.619 --> 00:18:39.439 it was very common for people to believe 00:18:39.439 --> 00:18:43.000 that if somebody had any kind of serious sickness 00:18:43.000 --> 00:18:44.119 or serious injury, 00:18:44.559 --> 00:18:47.460 that it was because of a sin in their life. 00:18:48.279 --> 00:18:49.120 And so this man, 00:18:50.039 --> 00:18:50.860 having been paralyzed, 00:18:51.039 --> 00:18:52.720 is coming to God. 00:18:54.340 --> 00:18:57.840 And I think that he felt that 00:18:57.840 --> 00:19:01.559 his paralysis was a result of his sin. 00:19:02.440 --> 00:19:03.559 If he didn't think it, 00:19:03.799 --> 00:19:04.680 maybe his friends did, 00:19:05.160 --> 00:19:06.380 but definitely the Pharisees. 00:19:06.920 --> 00:19:07.700 They'd have looked at this man 00:19:07.700 --> 00:19:08.940 and they'd have seen this guy is a sinner 00:19:08.940 --> 00:19:11.720 because bad things only ever happen 00:19:11.720 --> 00:19:13.240 to sinful people. 00:19:13.940 --> 00:19:17.019 Now, we don't know why it is 00:19:17.019 --> 00:19:19.079 that this man was actually sick. 00:19:20.319 --> 00:19:21.980 The Bible doesn't tell us that. 00:19:23.579 --> 00:19:24.759 But it does tell us 00:19:24.759 --> 00:19:27.240 that when Jesus looks at him, 00:19:28.420 --> 00:19:28.980 he says, 00:19:29.180 --> 00:19:29.839 your sins are forgiven. 00:19:29.940 --> 00:19:30.660 When Jesus looks at him, 00:19:30.720 --> 00:19:31.180 he thinks, 00:19:32.579 --> 00:19:33.319 and he says, 00:19:33.619 --> 00:19:34.859 that the most important thing 00:19:34.859 --> 00:19:36.180 in your life right now 00:19:36.180 --> 00:19:39.359 is for you to have a right relationship 00:19:39.359 --> 00:19:41.519 and right standing with God. 00:19:41.519 --> 00:19:44.599 in the midst of his poverty 00:19:44.599 --> 00:19:47.299 and his paralysis, 00:19:47.500 --> 00:19:48.379 in the midst of all the things 00:19:48.379 --> 00:19:49.019 in his life, 00:19:50.519 --> 00:19:53.099 Jesus says, 00:19:53.379 --> 00:19:54.200 you need to be forgiven. 00:19:55.160 --> 00:19:56.059 And I think this man 00:19:56.059 --> 00:19:58.900 would have been overjoyed by that 00:19:58.900 --> 00:20:00.279 because he's paralyzed. 00:20:00.480 --> 00:20:01.619 He couldn't go to the temple 00:20:01.619 --> 00:20:03.400 and offer sacrifices 00:20:03.400 --> 00:20:06.480 to make right his relationship with God. 00:20:07.559 --> 00:20:08.759 As a guy who was paralyzed, 00:20:08.960 --> 00:20:09.599 he could do nothing. 00:20:09.599 --> 00:20:10.279 He was helpless. 00:20:10.519 --> 00:20:12.679 He was completely at God's mercy. 00:20:14.379 --> 00:20:15.899 And so when Jesus says, 00:20:16.099 --> 00:20:17.059 son, your sins are forgiven, 00:20:17.839 --> 00:20:20.379 he's giving this guy hope. 00:20:21.000 --> 00:20:22.119 He's giving him life. 00:20:22.199 --> 00:20:23.740 He's giving him joy. 00:20:23.839 --> 00:20:24.599 He's giving him something 00:20:24.599 --> 00:20:27.619 that he could not have obtained 00:20:27.619 --> 00:20:29.459 for himself in any other way 00:20:29.459 --> 00:20:32.719 other than God coming 00:20:32.719 --> 00:20:35.459 and saying to this man, 00:20:36.139 --> 00:20:38.539 your sins are forgiven. 00:20:38.539 --> 00:20:44.920 I think that we are a lot like this man. 00:20:45.599 --> 00:20:47.359 The Bible says that we are a lot like this man, 00:20:47.420 --> 00:20:50.559 that we spiritually are paralyzed, 00:20:52.039 --> 00:20:55.920 that spiritually there isn't a lot we can do. 00:20:58.559 --> 00:20:59.440 But in this story, 00:20:59.519 --> 00:21:01.859 we see what God offers to this man. 00:21:01.920 --> 00:21:03.180 He offers it to us as well. 00:21:03.180 --> 00:21:05.200 He offers forgiveness, 00:21:05.920 --> 00:21:06.220 hope, 00:21:07.060 --> 00:21:08.259 and life. 00:21:09.019 --> 00:21:10.299 He's saying that you may be poor 00:21:10.299 --> 00:21:11.600 and starving and helpless, 00:21:11.860 --> 00:21:14.580 but here is forgiveness. 00:21:16.000 --> 00:21:16.840 He's saying, 00:21:17.220 --> 00:21:18.460 I can give you hope. 00:21:19.720 --> 00:21:21.200 Jesus is saying to us 00:21:21.200 --> 00:21:25.000 that he can be the solution 00:21:25.000 --> 00:21:28.180 to our heart's deepest problem. 00:21:28.180 --> 00:21:32.799 And people respond in different ways. 00:21:34.080 --> 00:21:34.580 In this story, 00:21:34.660 --> 00:21:35.640 we see that the scribes 00:21:35.640 --> 00:21:37.120 that they don't believe. 00:21:38.380 --> 00:21:40.340 And their response is one of two responses 00:21:40.340 --> 00:21:41.700 that I want to look at. 00:21:42.860 --> 00:21:43.759 But I also think it's interesting 00:21:43.759 --> 00:21:45.140 that Jesus asks this question, 00:21:46.120 --> 00:21:47.080 what is it easier to say? 00:21:47.140 --> 00:21:48.680 Is it easier to forgive 00:21:48.680 --> 00:21:49.720 or is it easier to heal? 00:21:50.660 --> 00:21:51.060 Now again, 00:21:51.100 --> 00:21:52.380 as I was reading about this, 00:21:52.700 --> 00:21:55.560 many people have many different answers. 00:21:55.559 --> 00:21:56.480 Some people will say 00:21:56.480 --> 00:21:58.480 that actually the healing is harder 00:21:58.480 --> 00:22:00.099 and they give their explanations why. 00:22:00.519 --> 00:22:01.839 Other people say forgiving is harder 00:22:01.839 --> 00:22:03.639 and they give explanations why. 00:22:04.000 --> 00:22:04.879 But I think that 00:22:04.879 --> 00:22:06.740 when Jesus asks this question, 00:22:06.919 --> 00:22:07.559 he's saying 00:22:07.559 --> 00:22:09.879 they're both hard. 00:22:11.379 --> 00:22:11.740 Today, 00:22:11.899 --> 00:22:13.819 standing before you guys, 00:22:14.559 --> 00:22:16.039 with all the medical technology 00:22:16.039 --> 00:22:16.619 in the world, 00:22:17.480 --> 00:22:21.000 I cannot heal a paralyzed person. 00:22:23.099 --> 00:22:24.659 And I'm no closer to doing that 00:22:24.659 --> 00:22:25.240 than I am 00:22:25.240 --> 00:22:27.859 to forgiving your sins. 00:22:28.460 --> 00:22:29.960 I can't forgive the sins 00:22:29.960 --> 00:22:33.000 that you have done against God. 00:22:34.339 --> 00:22:35.740 By asking this question, 00:22:36.359 --> 00:22:36.859 Jesus is saying 00:22:36.859 --> 00:22:37.940 that both these things 00:22:37.940 --> 00:22:38.880 are hard things. 00:22:39.220 --> 00:22:39.859 Both these things 00:22:39.859 --> 00:22:40.839 are difficult things. 00:22:41.259 --> 00:22:42.319 Both of these things 00:22:42.319 --> 00:22:43.579 are things 00:22:43.579 --> 00:22:44.680 that God 00:22:44.680 --> 00:22:46.400 must do. 00:22:48.720 --> 00:22:49.859 God must be the one 00:22:49.859 --> 00:22:50.960 who forgives sins. 00:22:51.920 --> 00:22:52.740 And God is the one 00:22:52.740 --> 00:22:53.900 who heals this man 00:22:53.900 --> 00:22:56.039 from his paralysis. 00:22:58.660 --> 00:22:59.640 But these guys, 00:23:00.380 --> 00:23:01.680 they doubt. 00:23:02.920 --> 00:23:03.880 The Pharisees doubt 00:23:03.880 --> 00:23:04.519 his ability 00:23:04.519 --> 00:23:06.220 to forgive. 00:23:06.420 --> 00:23:06.660 They doubt 00:23:06.660 --> 00:23:07.299 his authority 00:23:07.299 --> 00:23:07.900 to forgive. 00:23:09.019 --> 00:23:09.720 They doubt 00:23:09.720 --> 00:23:10.720 God's love 00:23:10.720 --> 00:23:11.759 and mercy. 00:23:12.140 --> 00:23:12.420 They doubt 00:23:12.420 --> 00:23:13.220 God's grace. 00:23:15.420 --> 00:23:16.180 Their response 00:23:16.180 --> 00:23:16.559 is doubt 00:23:16.559 --> 00:23:17.019 and I think 00:23:17.019 --> 00:23:17.620 sometimes 00:23:17.619 --> 00:23:18.899 my response 00:23:18.899 --> 00:23:20.000 is doubt 00:23:20.000 --> 00:23:20.759 as well. 00:23:23.759 --> 00:23:24.419 I doubt 00:23:24.419 --> 00:23:24.819 that God 00:23:24.819 --> 00:23:25.399 can forgive 00:23:25.399 --> 00:23:26.619 all of my sins. 00:23:28.579 --> 00:23:29.259 I doubt 00:23:29.259 --> 00:23:29.619 that 00:23:29.619 --> 00:23:30.719 God 00:23:30.719 --> 00:23:31.199 does it 00:23:31.199 --> 00:23:31.719 willingly. 00:23:33.799 --> 00:23:34.299 The Bible 00:23:34.299 --> 00:23:34.719 says that 00:23:34.719 --> 00:23:35.619 if you have faith, 00:23:36.339 --> 00:23:37.039 if you're like this guy 00:23:37.039 --> 00:23:37.559 and his friends, 00:23:37.639 --> 00:23:38.419 if you have faith 00:23:38.419 --> 00:23:41.619 that God 00:23:41.619 --> 00:23:41.919 will do 00:23:41.919 --> 00:23:42.619 what he says, 00:23:42.619 --> 00:23:45.479 then your sins 00:23:45.479 --> 00:23:45.919 are forgiven. 00:23:47.579 --> 00:23:48.619 The same words 00:23:48.619 --> 00:23:49.899 that God 00:23:49.899 --> 00:23:50.799 says to this man, 00:23:50.939 --> 00:23:51.099 son, 00:23:51.159 --> 00:23:51.500 your sins 00:23:51.500 --> 00:23:51.899 are forgiven, 00:23:52.000 --> 00:23:52.899 he says to us, 00:23:53.939 --> 00:23:54.239 son, 00:23:54.519 --> 00:23:54.819 daughter, 00:23:56.359 --> 00:23:56.979 your sins 00:23:56.979 --> 00:23:58.000 are forgiven. 00:23:58.719 --> 00:23:59.299 And for me, 00:23:59.359 --> 00:23:59.879 I think this has been 00:23:59.879 --> 00:24:00.299 a very, 00:24:01.339 --> 00:24:02.119 it's been a difficult 00:24:02.119 --> 00:24:03.239 story for me 00:24:03.239 --> 00:24:03.539 to learn. 00:24:03.619 --> 00:24:04.039 It's been a difficult 00:24:04.039 --> 00:24:04.419 journey 00:24:04.419 --> 00:24:05.959 in learning this. 00:24:08.639 --> 00:24:09.339 When I was 00:24:09.339 --> 00:24:10.339 about 10 years old, 00:24:10.479 --> 00:24:11.379 my mother 00:24:11.380 --> 00:24:11.940 was diagnosed 00:24:11.940 --> 00:24:12.980 with MS, 00:24:13.080 --> 00:24:13.780 multiple sclerosis. 00:24:14.220 --> 00:24:15.520 And from the time 00:24:15.520 --> 00:24:16.280 I was about 11, 00:24:16.460 --> 00:24:17.360 she's been in a wheelchair. 00:24:19.040 --> 00:24:19.400 And, 00:24:19.720 --> 00:24:19.960 you know, 00:24:20.000 --> 00:24:20.560 in those times, 00:24:20.620 --> 00:24:21.460 I think it was very stressful 00:24:21.460 --> 00:24:22.220 for our family, 00:24:22.340 --> 00:24:22.900 trying to figure out 00:24:22.900 --> 00:24:23.660 what was going on, 00:24:23.740 --> 00:24:24.440 trying to adjust 00:24:24.440 --> 00:24:26.160 to life. 00:24:26.300 --> 00:24:27.960 And we sought, 00:24:28.120 --> 00:24:28.360 you know, 00:24:28.420 --> 00:24:29.000 medical help 00:24:29.000 --> 00:24:29.980 from all over the place. 00:24:30.060 --> 00:24:30.860 And one day, 00:24:30.900 --> 00:24:31.820 one of my aunt's friends 00:24:31.820 --> 00:24:32.540 came and visited. 00:24:32.720 --> 00:24:33.600 And she came, 00:24:33.680 --> 00:24:34.580 she sat us down at the table 00:24:34.580 --> 00:24:35.460 and she talked to us 00:24:35.460 --> 00:24:36.500 about God 00:24:36.500 --> 00:24:37.460 and his power to heal. 00:24:38.540 --> 00:24:39.340 And one thing 00:24:39.340 --> 00:24:40.060 she said is that, 00:24:40.720 --> 00:24:41.080 you know, 00:24:41.380 --> 00:24:42.760 your mother might be sick 00:24:42.760 --> 00:24:44.560 because of some sins 00:24:44.560 --> 00:24:46.120 that you haven't confessed. 00:24:47.100 --> 00:24:47.800 Some sins that God 00:24:47.800 --> 00:24:48.920 hasn't forgiven you for. 00:24:49.900 --> 00:24:50.020 Right? 00:24:50.120 --> 00:24:51.380 And that stuck out in my mind. 00:24:51.440 --> 00:24:51.660 And she said, 00:24:51.720 --> 00:24:51.860 you know, 00:24:51.900 --> 00:24:52.440 is there any sin 00:24:52.440 --> 00:24:53.300 that you guys have confessed? 00:24:53.880 --> 00:24:54.820 That you guys have not confessed? 00:24:55.420 --> 00:24:56.100 And I sat there 00:24:56.100 --> 00:24:56.660 and I was quiet 00:24:56.660 --> 00:24:57.520 because I was definitely, 00:24:57.700 --> 00:24:58.940 definitely not going 00:24:58.940 --> 00:24:59.920 to admit to any of this, 00:25:00.080 --> 00:25:00.240 you know, 00:25:00.280 --> 00:25:00.780 some of the things 00:25:00.780 --> 00:25:01.680 that I hadn't confessed yet. 00:25:01.960 --> 00:25:03.180 But I went to my room 00:25:03.180 --> 00:25:04.020 and I prayed. 00:25:04.540 --> 00:25:05.200 And I prayed 00:25:05.200 --> 00:25:06.120 and I asked for forgiveness 00:25:06.120 --> 00:25:08.740 and I confessed sins 00:25:08.740 --> 00:25:09.340 that I'd done. 00:25:09.339 --> 00:25:10.599 I confessed sins 00:25:10.599 --> 00:25:11.179 that I'm not sure 00:25:11.179 --> 00:25:11.720 if I'd done. 00:25:12.119 --> 00:25:12.779 I confessed sins 00:25:12.779 --> 00:25:13.119 that I'd, 00:25:13.220 --> 00:25:13.339 you know, 00:25:13.379 --> 00:25:14.159 I made up sins 00:25:14.159 --> 00:25:14.819 to confess 00:25:14.819 --> 00:25:16.599 because I wanted my mother 00:25:16.599 --> 00:25:17.139 to get better. 00:25:18.399 --> 00:25:19.879 I confessed all these things 00:25:19.879 --> 00:25:22.099 and my mother 00:25:22.099 --> 00:25:22.740 was still sick. 00:25:23.939 --> 00:25:25.639 My mother was still unwell. 00:25:26.579 --> 00:25:27.559 And I think for many years 00:25:27.559 --> 00:25:28.980 I struggled with 00:25:28.980 --> 00:25:31.579 whether God loved me 00:25:31.579 --> 00:25:33.459 or whether God truly 00:25:33.459 --> 00:25:34.559 forgave my sins. 00:25:34.559 --> 00:25:37.919 I think it's only 00:25:37.919 --> 00:25:39.359 been in the past couple years 00:25:39.359 --> 00:25:40.599 that I'm beginning to see 00:25:40.599 --> 00:25:43.819 that God does forgive. 00:25:44.799 --> 00:25:45.679 And even though my mother 00:25:45.679 --> 00:25:46.720 isn't well yet, 00:25:48.139 --> 00:25:49.220 that when I pray 00:25:49.220 --> 00:25:49.839 for my mom's healing 00:25:49.839 --> 00:25:51.619 I can pray with this certainty 00:25:51.619 --> 00:25:52.279 and this joy 00:25:52.279 --> 00:25:53.700 that while my mother 00:25:53.700 --> 00:25:54.599 is still in a wheelchair 00:25:54.599 --> 00:25:57.480 that the most important thing 00:25:57.480 --> 00:25:57.940 in our lives 00:25:57.940 --> 00:25:58.960 has been taken care of. 00:26:00.720 --> 00:26:02.359 That while there is 00:26:02.359 --> 00:26:03.519 still sickness 00:26:03.519 --> 00:26:07.879 that the disease of sin 00:26:07.879 --> 00:26:08.500 has been cured 00:26:08.500 --> 00:26:10.539 that God has forgiven her 00:26:10.539 --> 00:26:11.459 that God has forgiven 00:26:11.459 --> 00:26:13.279 that God has forgiven me. 00:26:16.639 --> 00:26:17.459 I think 00:26:17.459 --> 00:26:20.359 that we don't believe 00:26:20.359 --> 00:26:21.679 that God can forgive sometimes. 00:26:23.500 --> 00:26:24.419 In my life 00:26:24.419 --> 00:26:24.979 I'm learning 00:26:24.979 --> 00:26:26.219 every day 00:26:26.219 --> 00:26:27.759 that God 00:26:27.759 --> 00:26:28.879 does forgive 00:26:28.879 --> 00:26:30.099 that God 00:26:30.099 --> 00:26:31.839 will forgive. 00:26:32.359 --> 00:26:33.479 that he forgives 00:26:33.479 --> 00:26:34.459 our small sins 00:26:34.459 --> 00:26:35.399 and our big ones. 00:26:37.059 --> 00:26:37.259 You know 00:26:37.259 --> 00:26:37.919 and he's forgiven us 00:26:37.919 --> 00:26:38.459 for the sins 00:26:38.459 --> 00:26:39.179 that we're going to do 00:26:39.179 --> 00:26:39.659 tomorrow 00:26:39.659 --> 00:26:41.339 and next week. 00:26:44.719 --> 00:26:46.000 I love the response 00:26:46.000 --> 00:26:46.619 of this crowd 00:26:46.619 --> 00:26:47.539 because 00:26:47.539 --> 00:26:49.579 of what they rejoice in 00:26:49.579 --> 00:26:50.459 and what they're amazed at. 00:26:50.519 --> 00:26:51.219 In verse 12 00:26:51.219 --> 00:26:52.599 it says 00:26:52.599 --> 00:26:53.199 after the man 00:26:53.199 --> 00:26:54.319 got up 00:26:54.319 --> 00:26:54.839 it says 00:26:54.839 --> 00:26:55.439 that the crowds 00:26:55.439 --> 00:26:56.579 were all amazed 00:26:56.579 --> 00:26:58.219 and they glorified God 00:26:58.219 --> 00:26:58.799 saying that 00:26:58.799 --> 00:26:59.859 we never saw 00:26:59.859 --> 00:27:01.039 anything like this. 00:27:01.039 --> 00:27:02.019 that we have never 00:27:02.019 --> 00:27:02.440 seen anything 00:27:02.440 --> 00:27:03.180 like this before 00:27:03.180 --> 00:27:04.099 and this is why 00:27:04.099 --> 00:27:04.980 we're going to rejoice 00:27:04.980 --> 00:27:05.759 and praise 00:27:05.759 --> 00:27:07.180 and glorify God. 00:27:09.099 --> 00:27:09.579 Now 00:27:09.579 --> 00:27:10.779 I don't think 00:27:10.779 --> 00:27:12.119 that they 00:27:12.119 --> 00:27:13.279 rejoiced 00:27:13.279 --> 00:27:13.960 because 00:27:13.960 --> 00:27:14.539 the man 00:27:14.539 --> 00:27:15.019 was healed. 00:27:17.720 --> 00:27:18.759 They had no shortage 00:27:18.759 --> 00:27:19.259 of opportunities 00:27:19.259 --> 00:27:19.920 to see people 00:27:19.920 --> 00:27:20.460 getting healed. 00:27:21.259 --> 00:27:21.720 God had used 00:27:21.720 --> 00:27:22.099 prophets 00:27:22.099 --> 00:27:22.779 in the Old Testament 00:27:22.779 --> 00:27:23.559 to heal people. 00:27:25.720 --> 00:27:26.579 Jesus had done it. 00:27:26.920 --> 00:27:27.379 In Mark 00:27:27.380 --> 00:27:28.820 even before 00:27:28.820 --> 00:27:29.360 we get to this 00:27:29.360 --> 00:27:29.940 chapter 2 00:27:29.940 --> 00:27:30.800 there are two 00:27:30.800 --> 00:27:31.220 instances 00:27:31.220 --> 00:27:32.120 of different people 00:27:32.120 --> 00:27:32.740 being healed. 00:27:33.380 --> 00:27:33.860 There's a guy 00:27:33.860 --> 00:27:34.660 who's exorcised 00:27:34.660 --> 00:27:35.680 who has an evil 00:27:35.680 --> 00:27:36.660 spirit cast out of him 00:27:36.660 --> 00:27:37.120 and there's a whole 00:27:37.120 --> 00:27:37.820 crowd of people 00:27:37.820 --> 00:27:38.560 who come to Jesus 00:27:38.560 --> 00:27:39.140 and Jesus 00:27:39.140 --> 00:27:40.680 heals all their 00:27:40.680 --> 00:27:41.640 sicknesses and ailments. 00:27:42.080 --> 00:27:43.220 These people had seen 00:27:43.220 --> 00:27:45.200 Jesus healing people 00:27:45.200 --> 00:27:45.560 before. 00:27:46.380 --> 00:27:46.880 I don't think 00:27:46.880 --> 00:27:47.420 that is why 00:27:47.420 --> 00:27:48.580 that they rejoice. 00:27:51.360 --> 00:27:51.980 I don't think 00:27:51.980 --> 00:27:52.760 that people are amazed 00:27:52.760 --> 00:27:53.320 that the roof 00:27:53.320 --> 00:27:53.880 got destroyed. 00:27:54.380 --> 00:27:55.080 I don't know 00:27:55.080 --> 00:27:55.420 why they would 00:27:55.420 --> 00:27:55.920 glorify God 00:27:55.920 --> 00:27:56.320 for that. 00:27:57.380 --> 00:27:57.980 But I think 00:27:57.980 --> 00:27:58.740 they're amazed 00:27:58.740 --> 00:28:00.740 because up to 00:28:00.740 --> 00:28:01.400 this point 00:28:01.400 --> 00:28:03.380 forgiveness 00:28:03.380 --> 00:28:04.960 meant 00:28:04.960 --> 00:28:06.420 taking a sacrifice 00:28:06.420 --> 00:28:06.940 to the temple. 00:28:08.200 --> 00:28:08.940 It meant 00:28:08.940 --> 00:28:09.960 the blood 00:28:09.960 --> 00:28:10.440 of an animal 00:28:10.440 --> 00:28:12.080 and it meant 00:28:12.080 --> 00:28:13.280 going again 00:28:13.280 --> 00:28:13.960 and again 00:28:13.960 --> 00:28:14.540 and again 00:28:14.540 --> 00:28:15.640 for your sins 00:28:15.640 --> 00:28:16.180 to be forgiven. 00:28:16.320 --> 00:28:16.860 I think that this 00:28:16.860 --> 00:28:17.300 crowd 00:28:17.300 --> 00:28:18.900 saw 00:28:18.900 --> 00:28:20.180 in this story 00:28:20.180 --> 00:28:20.900 that they saw 00:28:20.900 --> 00:28:21.660 in this interaction 00:28:21.660 --> 00:28:22.840 between Jesus 00:28:22.840 --> 00:28:24.060 and the paralyzed 00:28:24.060 --> 00:28:24.580 man 00:28:24.580 --> 00:28:26.700 forgiveness. 00:28:27.380 --> 00:28:28.200 they saw 00:28:28.200 --> 00:28:28.760 the hope 00:28:28.760 --> 00:28:29.700 that brought 00:28:29.700 --> 00:28:30.540 to their lives. 00:28:31.540 --> 00:28:32.020 They saw 00:28:32.020 --> 00:28:32.980 God forgiving 00:28:32.980 --> 00:28:34.620 and God 00:28:34.620 --> 00:28:35.340 proving 00:28:35.340 --> 00:28:36.860 that he had 00:28:36.860 --> 00:28:37.900 the authority 00:28:37.900 --> 00:28:39.740 and the love 00:28:39.740 --> 00:28:40.860 and the grace 00:28:40.860 --> 00:28:42.360 and the mercy 00:28:42.360 --> 00:28:43.900 to forgive 00:28:43.900 --> 00:28:44.500 our sins. 00:28:44.500 --> 00:28:48.920 so what about 00:28:48.920 --> 00:28:49.339 us? 00:28:51.099 --> 00:28:51.900 What is our 00:28:51.900 --> 00:28:52.440 response 00:28:52.440 --> 00:28:54.079 when God 00:28:54.079 --> 00:28:54.660 says 00:28:54.660 --> 00:28:55.779 our sins 00:28:55.779 --> 00:28:56.200 are forgiven? 00:28:58.119 --> 00:28:58.700 Do we 00:28:58.700 --> 00:28:59.839 doubt 00:28:59.839 --> 00:29:00.319 or 00:29:00.319 --> 00:29:02.259 do we 00:29:02.259 --> 00:29:02.720 believe? 00:29:05.240 --> 00:29:05.839 Do we 00:29:05.839 --> 00:29:06.680 respond with 00:29:06.680 --> 00:29:07.240 hope 00:29:07.240 --> 00:29:07.960 and joy? 00:29:08.099 --> 00:29:08.279 Do we 00:29:08.279 --> 00:29:09.099 respond with 00:29:09.099 --> 00:29:10.740 sadness 00:29:10.740 --> 00:29:12.039 and despair? 00:29:15.440 --> 00:29:15.960 I 00:29:15.960 --> 00:29:17.559 really 00:29:17.559 --> 00:29:18.579 enjoy it. 00:29:18.620 --> 00:29:19.120 I like 00:29:19.120 --> 00:29:19.859 what Matthew 00:29:19.859 --> 00:29:20.920 has to say 00:29:20.920 --> 00:29:21.279 when he 00:29:21.279 --> 00:29:21.779 talks about 00:29:21.779 --> 00:29:22.339 this interaction. 00:29:23.400 --> 00:29:23.819 It will be up 00:29:23.819 --> 00:29:24.319 there in a second. 00:29:25.279 --> 00:29:26.259 In Matthew 2 00:29:26.259 --> 00:29:26.599 when Jesus 00:29:26.599 --> 00:29:27.140 says 00:29:27.140 --> 00:29:28.160 to the paralytic 00:29:28.160 --> 00:29:28.640 he says 00:29:28.640 --> 00:29:29.700 take heart 00:29:29.700 --> 00:29:30.740 my son 00:29:30.740 --> 00:29:31.640 your sins 00:29:31.640 --> 00:29:32.039 are forgiven. 00:29:32.200 --> 00:29:32.759 Take heart. 00:29:33.319 --> 00:29:34.019 Different translations 00:29:34.019 --> 00:29:34.440 say 00:29:34.440 --> 00:29:35.960 have courage 00:29:35.960 --> 00:29:37.120 cheer up 00:29:37.120 --> 00:29:38.180 be of good 00:29:38.180 --> 00:29:38.500 cheer 00:29:38.500 --> 00:29:38.920 that's the 00:29:38.920 --> 00:29:39.640 King James. 00:29:39.640 --> 00:29:41.400 but 00:29:41.400 --> 00:29:45.220 Jesus 00:29:45.220 --> 00:29:46.000 is calling 00:29:46.000 --> 00:29:46.560 for a 00:29:46.560 --> 00:29:46.900 response 00:29:46.900 --> 00:29:47.660 of joy 00:29:47.660 --> 00:29:48.300 with 00:29:48.300 --> 00:29:48.680 forgiveness. 00:29:50.080 --> 00:29:50.480 He's saying 00:29:50.480 --> 00:29:50.980 that forgiveness 00:29:50.980 --> 00:29:51.540 isn't just 00:29:51.540 --> 00:29:52.000 something that 00:29:52.000 --> 00:29:52.920 okay we're 00:29:52.920 --> 00:29:53.360 forgiven 00:29:53.360 --> 00:29:53.960 and we're 00:29:53.960 --> 00:29:54.100 going to 00:29:54.100 --> 00:29:54.360 go and 00:29:54.360 --> 00:29:54.860 be sad 00:29:54.860 --> 00:29:55.100 for the 00:29:55.100 --> 00:29:55.340 rest of 00:29:55.340 --> 00:29:55.820 our lives 00:29:55.820 --> 00:29:56.200 because 00:29:56.200 --> 00:29:57.020 you know 00:29:57.020 --> 00:29:57.220 we're not 00:29:57.220 --> 00:29:57.460 allowed to 00:29:57.460 --> 00:29:57.800 do fun 00:29:57.800 --> 00:29:58.220 things. 00:30:00.180 --> 00:30:00.740 Jesus 00:30:00.740 --> 00:30:01.259 is saying 00:30:01.259 --> 00:30:01.880 to this 00:30:01.880 --> 00:30:02.220 man 00:30:02.220 --> 00:30:03.460 that this 00:30:03.460 --> 00:30:03.880 forgiveness 00:30:03.880 --> 00:30:04.500 is not 00:30:04.500 --> 00:30:04.880 just 00:30:04.880 --> 00:30:05.920 life for 00:30:05.920 --> 00:30:06.220 you. 00:30:06.940 --> 00:30:07.300 It's not 00:30:07.300 --> 00:30:07.540 just 00:30:07.540 --> 00:30:08.140 rightness 00:30:08.140 --> 00:30:08.860 with God. 00:30:09.640 --> 00:30:10.200 but it 00:30:10.200 --> 00:30:10.720 should be 00:30:10.720 --> 00:30:11.060 a source 00:30:11.060 --> 00:30:11.620 of hope 00:30:11.620 --> 00:30:13.100 of joy 00:30:13.100 --> 00:30:13.740 of happiness 00:30:13.740 --> 00:30:15.880 and you know 00:30:15.880 --> 00:30:16.420 I think 00:30:16.420 --> 00:30:17.040 for the first 00:30:17.040 --> 00:30:17.480 time this 00:30:17.480 --> 00:30:18.480 guy is 00:30:18.480 --> 00:30:19.259 in right 00:30:19.259 --> 00:30:19.700 standing 00:30:19.700 --> 00:30:21.740 with his 00:30:21.740 --> 00:30:22.940 heavenly father 00:30:22.940 --> 00:30:23.620 but he doesn't 00:30:23.620 --> 00:30:24.000 just say 00:30:24.000 --> 00:30:24.620 take heart 00:30:24.620 --> 00:30:25.360 he says 00:30:25.360 --> 00:30:25.940 he calls him 00:30:25.940 --> 00:30:26.440 son 00:30:26.440 --> 00:30:28.900 he says 00:30:28.900 --> 00:30:29.900 child 00:30:29.900 --> 00:30:32.060 he brings 00:30:32.060 --> 00:30:32.380 him 00:30:32.380 --> 00:30:33.100 into this 00:30:33.100 --> 00:30:33.540 family 00:30:33.539 --> 00:30:35.180 forgiveness 00:30:35.180 --> 00:30:35.200 forgiveness 00:30:35.200 --> 00:30:35.980 isn't just 00:30:35.980 --> 00:30:36.579 the wrong 00:30:36.579 --> 00:30:36.960 things that 00:30:36.960 --> 00:30:37.319 were done 00:30:37.319 --> 00:30:37.879 cancelled 00:30:37.879 --> 00:30:39.659 forgiveness 00:30:39.659 --> 00:30:41.259 isn't just 00:30:41.259 --> 00:30:42.799 bad things 00:30:42.799 --> 00:30:43.579 put under 00:30:43.579 --> 00:30:44.019 the carpet 00:30:44.019 --> 00:30:45.460 it's a new 00:30:45.460 --> 00:30:45.940 identity 00:30:45.940 --> 00:30:47.359 as God's 00:30:47.359 --> 00:30:47.700 children 00:30:47.700 --> 00:30:49.460 it's a new 00:30:49.460 --> 00:30:50.019 hope 00:30:50.019 --> 00:30:51.579 new life 00:30:51.579 --> 00:30:52.539 in being 00:30:52.539 --> 00:30:53.099 with Christ 00:30:53.099 --> 00:30:53.480 imagine 00:30:53.480 --> 00:30:54.440 imagine for a 00:30:54.440 --> 00:30:54.839 moment that 00:30:54.839 --> 00:30:56.019 you're a thief 00:30:56.019 --> 00:30:56.799 you're a thief 00:30:56.799 --> 00:30:57.220 of the worst 00:30:57.220 --> 00:30:57.480 kind 00:30:57.480 --> 00:30:57.899 you've stolen 00:30:57.899 --> 00:30:58.440 candy from 00:30:58.440 --> 00:30:58.819 children 00:30:58.819 --> 00:31:00.240 you've stolen 00:31:00.240 --> 00:31:01.099 from museums 00:31:01.099 --> 00:31:04.500 you've stolen 00:31:04.500 --> 00:31:05.139 gold and 00:31:05.139 --> 00:31:05.779 diamonds and 00:31:05.779 --> 00:31:06.639 billions of 00:31:06.639 --> 00:31:07.000 dollars 00:31:07.000 --> 00:31:08.079 and eventually 00:31:08.079 --> 00:31:09.819 you're caught 00:31:09.819 --> 00:31:11.279 and you're put 00:31:11.279 --> 00:31:11.779 on trial 00:31:11.779 --> 00:31:13.299 you're put on 00:31:13.299 --> 00:31:13.899 trial and 00:31:13.899 --> 00:31:15.439 the judge looks 00:31:15.439 --> 00:31:16.519 at all these 00:31:16.519 --> 00:31:17.139 things that you've 00:31:17.139 --> 00:31:17.819 stolen and he 00:31:17.819 --> 00:31:18.179 thinks 00:31:18.179 --> 00:31:19.379 this is 00:31:19.379 --> 00:31:20.119 ridiculous 00:31:20.119 --> 00:31:23.439 we're not 00:31:23.439 --> 00:31:23.740 going to put 00:31:23.740 --> 00:31:24.179 you in prison 00:31:24.179 --> 00:31:26.220 we're going to 00:31:26.220 --> 00:31:26.599 sentence you 00:31:26.599 --> 00:31:26.980 to death 00:31:26.980 --> 00:31:28.860 and so you 00:31:28.860 --> 00:31:29.360 go and you 00:31:29.360 --> 00:31:29.940 sit in your 00:31:29.940 --> 00:31:30.319 cell and 00:31:30.319 --> 00:31:31.500 you're waiting 00:31:31.500 --> 00:31:31.940 for the 00:31:31.940 --> 00:31:32.700 assigned date 00:31:32.700 --> 00:31:33.980 and they 00:31:33.980 --> 00:31:34.500 bring you 00:31:34.500 --> 00:31:34.960 your last 00:31:34.960 --> 00:31:35.279 meal 00:31:35.279 --> 00:31:36.039 and the 00:31:36.039 --> 00:31:36.360 guy sets 00:31:36.360 --> 00:31:36.720 it before 00:31:36.720 --> 00:31:37.019 you 00:31:37.019 --> 00:31:38.079 you've 00:31:38.079 --> 00:31:38.339 asked for 00:31:38.339 --> 00:31:38.740 jelly beans 00:31:38.740 --> 00:31:39.039 and ice 00:31:39.039 --> 00:31:39.279 cream 00:31:39.279 --> 00:31:40.200 but as 00:31:40.200 --> 00:31:40.759 you look 00:31:40.759 --> 00:31:41.079 at it 00:31:41.079 --> 00:31:42.259 you realize 00:31:42.259 --> 00:31:42.779 that 00:31:42.779 --> 00:31:45.019 your death 00:31:45.019 --> 00:31:45.660 that's coming 00:31:45.660 --> 00:31:46.920 is too 00:31:46.920 --> 00:31:47.319 much to 00:31:47.319 --> 00:31:47.440 bear 00:31:47.440 --> 00:31:48.420 you can't 00:31:48.420 --> 00:31:48.839 even stomach 00:31:48.839 --> 00:31:49.160 at it 00:31:49.160 --> 00:31:50.120 you push 00:31:50.120 --> 00:31:50.579 it away 00:31:50.579 --> 00:31:52.000 and you're 00:31:52.000 --> 00:31:52.420 carried 00:31:52.420 --> 00:31:52.920 and you're 00:31:52.920 --> 00:31:53.339 led up to 00:31:53.339 --> 00:31:53.940 the gallows 00:31:53.940 --> 00:31:55.279 and you 00:31:55.279 --> 00:31:55.579 know the 00:31:55.579 --> 00:31:56.539 executioner is 00:31:56.539 --> 00:31:56.900 there and 00:31:56.900 --> 00:31:57.620 he puts 00:31:57.620 --> 00:31:58.440 the noose 00:31:58.440 --> 00:31:59.400 around your 00:31:59.400 --> 00:31:59.700 neck 00:31:59.700 --> 00:32:00.320 and you 00:32:00.320 --> 00:32:00.620 know just 00:32:00.620 --> 00:32:01.120 you catch a 00:32:01.120 --> 00:32:01.460 glimpse of 00:32:01.460 --> 00:32:01.880 your family 00:32:01.880 --> 00:32:02.340 over there 00:32:02.340 --> 00:32:02.660 and you 00:32:02.660 --> 00:32:03.240 try and 00:32:03.240 --> 00:32:03.560 hide your 00:32:03.560 --> 00:32:03.900 face from 00:32:03.900 --> 00:32:04.360 your children 00:32:04.360 --> 00:32:07.940 and the 00:32:07.940 --> 00:32:09.220 guy with the 00:32:09.220 --> 00:32:09.660 big trumpet 00:32:09.660 --> 00:32:09.980 and the 00:32:09.980 --> 00:32:10.620 scroll starts 00:32:10.620 --> 00:32:11.019 reading off 00:32:11.019 --> 00:32:11.519 your charges 00:32:11.519 --> 00:32:12.120 and says 00:32:12.120 --> 00:32:12.820 for these 00:32:12.820 --> 00:32:13.540 crimes of 00:32:13.540 --> 00:32:14.259 stealing candy 00:32:14.259 --> 00:32:14.800 and billions 00:32:14.800 --> 00:32:15.460 of dollars 00:32:15.460 --> 00:32:16.780 you're sentenced 00:32:16.780 --> 00:32:17.400 to death 00:32:17.400 --> 00:32:18.580 and he turns 00:32:18.580 --> 00:32:18.820 to the 00:32:18.820 --> 00:32:19.420 executioner 00:32:19.420 --> 00:32:19.800 who's about 00:32:19.800 --> 00:32:20.100 to pull 00:32:20.100 --> 00:32:20.500 the lever 00:32:20.500 --> 00:32:21.880 but then 00:32:21.880 --> 00:32:22.180 there's this 00:32:22.180 --> 00:32:22.620 commotion 00:32:22.620 --> 00:32:23.840 there's this 00:32:23.840 --> 00:32:24.240 commotion 00:32:24.240 --> 00:32:24.940 there's a man 00:32:24.940 --> 00:32:25.519 who's running 00:32:25.519 --> 00:32:25.900 from the 00:32:25.900 --> 00:32:26.259 castle 00:32:26.259 --> 00:32:27.140 he's running 00:32:27.140 --> 00:32:27.420 from the 00:32:27.420 --> 00:32:27.660 castle 00:32:27.660 --> 00:32:27.940 to the 00:32:27.940 --> 00:32:28.140 king 00:32:28.140 --> 00:32:28.359 and he's 00:32:28.359 --> 00:32:28.660 running 00:32:28.660 --> 00:32:28.900 and he's 00:32:28.900 --> 00:32:29.119 running 00:32:29.119 --> 00:32:30.059 and he's 00:32:30.059 --> 00:32:30.700 running 00:32:30.700 --> 00:32:30.799 and he goes to the crowds 00:32:30.799 --> 00:32:31.759 and he comes 00:32:31.759 --> 00:32:32.460 and he comes closer 00:32:32.460 --> 00:32:33.339 and you realize that 00:32:33.339 --> 00:32:34.359 this isn't a messenger 00:32:34.359 --> 00:32:35.460 this is the king's son 00:32:35.460 --> 00:32:37.599 the king's son is coming 00:32:37.599 --> 00:32:38.140 with a message 00:32:38.140 --> 00:32:38.799 and he says 00:32:38.799 --> 00:32:40.240 your sins 00:32:40.240 --> 00:32:41.180 are forgiven 00:32:41.180 --> 00:32:43.140 imagine your relief 00:32:43.140 --> 00:32:44.079 imagine your joy 00:32:44.079 --> 00:32:46.420 imagine what it's like 00:32:46.420 --> 00:32:47.339 to be on the brink 00:32:47.339 --> 00:32:48.379 of death 00:32:48.379 --> 00:32:49.839 but the king's son 00:32:49.839 --> 00:32:50.839 not a messenger 00:32:50.839 --> 00:32:52.759 the king sends 00:32:52.759 --> 00:32:53.759 his own son 00:32:53.759 --> 00:32:55.179 to say that 00:32:55.179 --> 00:32:55.859 you're forgiven 00:32:55.859 --> 00:32:58.459 that the noose 00:32:58.459 --> 00:32:58.899 is going to be 00:32:58.899 --> 00:32:59.619 removed from your neck 00:32:59.619 --> 00:33:00.399 that you are free 00:33:00.399 --> 00:33:02.220 that you can be 00:33:02.220 --> 00:33:02.819 with your family 00:33:02.819 --> 00:33:03.480 that you can go 00:33:03.480 --> 00:33:04.159 and enjoy 00:33:04.159 --> 00:33:04.959 jelly beans 00:33:04.959 --> 00:33:05.559 and ice cream 00:33:05.559 --> 00:33:07.159 that your life 00:33:07.159 --> 00:33:09.259 is going to be 00:33:09.259 --> 00:33:09.919 transformed 00:33:09.919 --> 00:33:12.439 because 00:33:12.439 --> 00:33:14.279 of the king 00:33:14.279 --> 00:33:18.440 forgiveness is good news 00:33:18.440 --> 00:33:21.160 forgiveness is amazing news 00:33:21.160 --> 00:33:22.500 forgiveness is why 00:33:22.500 --> 00:33:23.359 Jesus 00:33:23.359 --> 00:33:24.480 came 00:33:24.480 --> 00:33:25.960 this is why we celebrate 00:33:25.960 --> 00:33:26.559 Christmas 00:33:26.559 --> 00:33:29.539 because God sent his son 00:33:29.539 --> 00:33:33.299 to pay the price 00:33:33.299 --> 00:33:33.920 for our sin 00:33:33.920 --> 00:33:37.599 because God sent his son 00:33:37.599 --> 00:33:38.960 to say to us 00:33:38.960 --> 00:33:40.579 while on the brink of death 00:33:40.579 --> 00:33:41.299 your sins 00:33:41.299 --> 00:33:43.279 are forgiven 00:33:43.279 --> 00:33:45.339 the story 00:33:45.339 --> 00:33:47.279 it offers forgiveness 00:33:47.279 --> 00:33:49.180 and it calls us 00:33:49.180 --> 00:33:49.920 to be a part 00:33:49.920 --> 00:33:51.319 of God's family 00:33:51.319 --> 00:33:52.279 but it also calls us 00:33:52.279 --> 00:33:54.200 to have faith 00:33:54.200 --> 00:33:56.720 the former paralytic 00:33:56.720 --> 00:33:57.720 and his friends 00:33:57.720 --> 00:33:59.200 they set an example 00:33:59.200 --> 00:33:59.859 for us 00:33:59.859 --> 00:34:01.019 in faith 00:34:01.019 --> 00:34:01.539 and it's not that 00:34:01.539 --> 00:34:02.660 they had to do 00:34:02.660 --> 00:34:03.859 some amazing feat 00:34:03.859 --> 00:34:05.539 like climb a mountain 00:34:05.539 --> 00:34:08.900 or whatever amazing things 00:34:08.900 --> 00:34:10.079 you do to demonstrate faith 00:34:10.079 --> 00:34:12.519 but all they had to do 00:34:12.519 --> 00:34:13.139 was come 00:34:13.139 --> 00:34:15.019 they came 00:34:15.019 --> 00:34:15.579 not knowing 00:34:15.579 --> 00:34:16.179 what God 00:34:16.179 --> 00:34:16.980 was going to do 00:34:16.980 --> 00:34:19.179 they came 00:34:19.179 --> 00:34:20.359 because they had a hunch 00:34:20.359 --> 00:34:20.739 because they 00:34:20.739 --> 00:34:21.960 they had hope 00:34:21.960 --> 00:34:22.819 they had faith 00:34:22.819 --> 00:34:25.219 that this Jesus 00:34:25.219 --> 00:34:26.599 could do something 00:34:26.599 --> 00:34:28.519 for their paralyzed friend 00:34:28.519 --> 00:34:29.659 this Jesus 00:34:29.659 --> 00:34:31.259 do something 00:34:31.259 --> 00:34:31.739 and I think 00:34:31.739 --> 00:34:33.920 the Bible says 00:34:33.920 --> 00:34:34.980 the Bible says that 00:34:34.980 --> 00:34:36.920 it says come 00:34:36.920 --> 00:34:39.480 come with faith 00:34:39.480 --> 00:34:42.480 come trusting 00:34:42.480 --> 00:34:42.960 that God 00:34:42.960 --> 00:34:43.679 will do the things 00:34:43.679 --> 00:34:44.280 that he promises 00:34:44.280 --> 00:34:45.920 come trusting 00:34:45.920 --> 00:34:46.840 that on the cross 00:34:46.840 --> 00:34:47.800 Jesus has paid 00:34:47.800 --> 00:34:48.579 for your sins 00:34:48.579 --> 00:34:51.280 come 00:34:51.280 --> 00:34:53.000 faith 00:34:53.000 --> 00:34:56.400 because Jesus 00:34:56.400 --> 00:34:56.800 has done 00:34:56.800 --> 00:34:57.480 what it takes 00:34:57.480 --> 00:34:59.179 to forgive 00:34:59.179 --> 00:35:00.740 your sins 00:35:00.739 --> 00:35:06.459 this story 00:35:06.459 --> 00:35:08.359 this paralyzed man 00:35:08.359 --> 00:35:10.799 Jesus healing them 00:35:10.799 --> 00:35:11.639 and his interaction 00:35:11.639 --> 00:35:12.859 with the Pharisees 00:35:12.859 --> 00:35:15.219 it calls us 00:35:15.219 --> 00:35:15.619 to 00:35:15.619 --> 00:35:16.819 live a life 00:35:16.819 --> 00:35:17.399 transformed 00:35:17.399 --> 00:35:18.339 by God's forgiveness 00:35:18.339 --> 00:35:20.059 to live a life 00:35:20.059 --> 00:35:20.619 of faith 00:35:20.619 --> 00:35:26.599 I think we're all 00:35:26.599 --> 00:35:28.099 in different places 00:35:28.099 --> 00:35:30.440 spiritually 00:35:30.440 --> 00:35:31.099 emotionally 00:35:31.099 --> 00:35:33.420 you know 00:35:33.420 --> 00:35:33.779 I don't know 00:35:33.779 --> 00:35:34.380 what your week 00:35:34.380 --> 00:35:35.380 has been like 00:35:35.380 --> 00:35:37.259 what it's been like 00:35:37.259 --> 00:35:37.859 at the office 00:35:37.859 --> 00:35:38.239 or 00:35:38.239 --> 00:35:40.219 what tensions 00:35:40.219 --> 00:35:41.139 you have at home 00:35:41.139 --> 00:35:43.480 the people 00:35:43.480 --> 00:35:44.359 who have been hurting you 00:35:44.359 --> 00:35:44.679 the people 00:35:44.679 --> 00:35:45.299 who have been 00:35:45.299 --> 00:35:46.900 offending you 00:35:46.900 --> 00:35:53.539 but I know that 00:35:53.539 --> 00:35:55.880 2,000 years ago 00:35:55.880 --> 00:35:57.119 a king sent his son 00:35:57.119 --> 00:35:59.340 to give forgiveness 00:35:59.340 --> 00:36:01.180 and freedom 00:36:01.180 --> 00:36:03.000 to give us joy 00:36:03.000 --> 00:36:03.960 that will change 00:36:03.960 --> 00:36:04.660 the way that 00:36:04.660 --> 00:36:06.360 we look at God 00:36:06.360 --> 00:36:07.619 that changes the way 00:36:07.619 --> 00:36:08.700 that we relate to God 00:36:08.700 --> 00:36:10.720 and that flows out 00:36:10.720 --> 00:36:11.660 and changes 00:36:11.660 --> 00:36:12.360 the ways in which 00:36:12.360 --> 00:36:13.460 we interact with people 00:36:13.460 --> 00:36:21.679 are we looking to God 00:36:21.679 --> 00:36:22.260 for our forgiveness 00:36:22.260 --> 00:36:25.420 are we looking to Jesus 00:36:25.420 --> 00:36:25.880 and 00:36:25.880 --> 00:36:26.940 putting 00:36:26.940 --> 00:36:27.880 our hope in him 00:36:27.880 --> 00:36:28.460 or do we 00:36:28.460 --> 00:36:31.139 do we doubt 00:36:31.139 --> 00:36:33.360 do we doubt 00:36:33.360 --> 00:36:34.220 that when God says 00:36:34.220 --> 00:36:34.840 I forgive you 00:36:34.840 --> 00:36:35.059 that 00:36:35.059 --> 00:36:36.559 we can follow through 00:36:36.559 --> 00:36:41.840 sometimes I do 00:36:41.840 --> 00:36:43.260 sometimes I doubt 00:36:43.260 --> 00:36:53.480 but this Christmas 00:36:53.480 --> 00:36:56.480 I want to invite you 00:36:56.480 --> 00:36:57.100 to come and 00:36:57.100 --> 00:36:58.660 to believe 00:36:58.660 --> 00:37:01.540 have faith 00:37:01.540 --> 00:37:04.620 to look at 00:37:04.620 --> 00:37:06.100 Jesus in the manger 00:37:06.100 --> 00:37:07.220 to look at him 00:37:07.220 --> 00:37:08.540 healing this man 00:37:08.540 --> 00:37:09.320 to look 00:37:09.320 --> 00:37:10.640 at Jesus 00:37:10.640 --> 00:37:11.440 on the cross 00:37:11.440 --> 00:37:13.240 to look at Jesus 00:37:13.260 --> 00:37:14.120 and to believe 00:37:14.120 --> 00:37:14.460 that 00:37:14.460 --> 00:37:16.960 that he's paid 00:37:16.960 --> 00:37:17.500 the price 00:37:17.500 --> 00:37:19.460 that he offers 00:37:19.460 --> 00:37:19.920 forgiveness 00:37:19.920 --> 00:37:22.380 that he offers 00:37:22.380 --> 00:37:23.480 opportunity 00:37:23.480 --> 00:37:24.520 to be his child 00:37:24.520 --> 00:37:27.100 that he offers 00:37:27.100 --> 00:37:27.880 that to us 00:37:27.880 --> 00:37:29.080 with joy 00:37:29.080 --> 00:37:32.220 let's pray 00:37:32.220 --> 00:37:39.000 heavenly father 00:37:39.000 --> 00:37:40.860 I confess 00:37:40.860 --> 00:37:41.539 that I doubt 00:37:41.539 --> 00:37:41.559 that I doubt 00:37:41.559 --> 00:37:42.079 your forgiveness 00:37:42.079 --> 00:37:42.820 I confess 00:37:42.820 --> 00:37:43.239 that 00:37:43.239 --> 00:37:46.820 that when I look 00:37:46.820 --> 00:37:47.280 at the cross 00:37:47.280 --> 00:37:47.760 I wonder 00:37:47.760 --> 00:37:48.500 if you really 00:37:48.500 --> 00:37:49.300 can forgive me 00:37:49.300 --> 00:37:50.179 that if you really 00:37:50.179 --> 00:37:54.300 have forgiven me 00:37:54.300 --> 00:37:55.619 that if you really 00:37:55.619 --> 00:37:56.659 will pay the price 00:37:56.659 --> 00:37:57.260 for my sin 00:37:57.260 --> 00:37:58.380 God I thank you 00:37:58.380 --> 00:38:00.420 for Jesus 00:38:00.420 --> 00:38:00.960 I thank you 00:38:00.960 --> 00:38:01.579 for this story 00:38:01.579 --> 00:38:01.980 I thank you 00:38:01.980 --> 00:38:02.840 for the faith 00:38:02.840 --> 00:38:04.079 the life 00:38:04.079 --> 00:38:04.660 of this paralyzed 00:38:04.660 --> 00:38:05.220 man 00:38:05.220 --> 00:38:06.579 that him 00:38:06.579 --> 00:38:07.059 and his friends 00:38:07.059 --> 00:38:07.880 went and said 00:38:07.880 --> 00:38:10.220 we believe 00:38:10.220 --> 00:38:10.720 we believe 00:38:10.720 --> 00:38:11.160 that God 00:38:11.160 --> 00:38:11.840 can do something 00:38:11.840 --> 00:38:12.860 we believe 00:38:12.860 --> 00:38:13.820 that this Jesus 00:38:13.820 --> 00:38:14.660 guy is for real 00:38:14.659 --> 00:38:18.259 I pray father 00:38:18.259 --> 00:38:18.779 for us 00:38:18.779 --> 00:38:19.299 as we 00:38:19.299 --> 00:38:22.599 as we walk 00:38:22.599 --> 00:38:23.559 through life 00:38:23.559 --> 00:38:24.059 as we 00:38:24.059 --> 00:38:24.879 as we 00:38:24.879 --> 00:38:26.099 interact with 00:38:26.099 --> 00:38:26.579 different people 00:38:26.579 --> 00:38:27.359 as we are hurt 00:38:27.359 --> 00:38:29.339 as we 00:38:29.339 --> 00:38:31.179 hurt other people 00:38:31.179 --> 00:38:32.299 as we forgive 00:38:32.299 --> 00:38:34.599 our friends 00:38:34.599 --> 00:38:35.440 our family members 00:38:35.440 --> 00:38:36.139 our co-workers 00:38:36.139 --> 00:38:36.779 our children 00:38:36.779 --> 00:38:39.420 as we receive 00:38:39.420 --> 00:38:40.460 forgiveness from them 00:38:40.460 --> 00:38:42.480 that we will be 00:38:42.480 --> 00:38:43.319 reminded of you 00:38:43.320 --> 00:38:46.660 that you've 00:38:46.660 --> 00:38:47.160 called us 00:38:47.160 --> 00:38:47.860 to open our 00:38:47.860 --> 00:38:48.860 hearts and faith 00:38:48.860 --> 00:38:52.000 and to receive 00:38:52.000 --> 00:38:52.480 forgiveness 00:38:52.480 --> 00:38:56.220 to receive a 00:38:56.220 --> 00:38:57.260 promise of joy 00:38:57.260 --> 00:38:59.780 to receive a 00:38:59.780 --> 00:39:00.440 promise of being 00:39:00.440 --> 00:39:01.220 your child 00:39:01.220 --> 00:39:04.100 to be made 00:39:04.100 --> 00:39:04.720 right with you 00:39:04.720 --> 00:39:07.240 Jesus 00:39:07.240 --> 00:39:08.600 thank you for 00:39:08.600 --> 00:39:09.039 Christmas 00:39:09.039 --> 00:39:11.860 and we thank you 00:39:11.860 --> 00:39:12.480 for your 00:39:12.480 --> 00:39:12.820 forgiveness 00:39:12.820 --> 00:39:14.660 I pray this 00:39:14.660 --> 00:39:15.200 in your precious 00:39:15.200 --> 00:39:15.559 name 00:39:15.559 --> 00:39:16.780 Amen 00:39:16.780 --> 00:39:34.180 that we