Thank you, Gary.
If you'd like to keep your Bibles open, that'd be great.
If you've just joined us, we are in our annual vision series.
We've been dealing with big topics of things like racism,
ethnocentricity, unity, diversity,
what does it all look like in terms of working out in a local church.
Our vision, hopefully you have heard it many times in the past,
hear it again, is to treasure Jesus together
that is make Jesus supreme together
for God's glory and the joy of all people.
Now, I'm convinced that we pursue that vision as a church
in a neighbourhood that we're in, a multi-ethnic neighbourhood,
by building a multi-ethnic church of people
whose hearts are transformed towards one another by Jesus Christ.
Now, in this series, I've been making the point really clear
again and again and again.
This is not about fixing the politics of our world.
It's not about a political statements of where we sit with racism.
This is a series that's about hearts.
It's about your heart.
It's about my heart.
That's what it's about.
And together, I want to talk about those transformed hearts coming together
as a local church in relational generosity.
That's fundamentally the transformation of God's grace to us
is that his radical generosity to us makes us radically generous people,
not just with finances, but relationally generous.
Being a multi-ethnic church is fundamentally about our relational commitment to each other
and not, first and foremost, about structures and how we do things.
It's not first and foremost about language and structures and leadership.
It's about relational commitment.
And I want to pick that issue up today from Luke 17 and a few other verses.
So three points today.
If you've got the St. Paul's app, it'd be great to open it up
or just get a pen and pencil, you know, piece of paper, whatever.
Three points.
Being a multi-ethnic church requires us to be a community of forgiveness,
a community of reconciliation, and a community of love.
That's the three points.
And I want to focus on the first point the most.
So when I get to the end of the first point, you go,
my goodness, he just got through one.
That will be the most point.
Then I'm going to quickly move through the other two.
Okay, a community, a forgiving community.
First of all, we notice from Luke 17 that forgiveness is hard.
Every single one of us had people out there who owe us.
People who, in our mind, owe us.
Might not have never met them personally, but we think that they owe us
because of how they've treated us,
even if that treatment of us has not been a direct treatment of us.
We just assume that they've treated us badly.
And we tend to hold it over them in some way,
even if it's a secrecy of our own hearts.
We might be more demanding of them if we know them personally,
or we might just keep bottled it up inside and don't speak of it.
Generosity means that you release those things.
We let it go.
We forgive.
Does that sound hard?
Well, in Luke 17, it appears the disciples thought forgiveness was hard too.
When Jesus starts talking about forgiveness,
the first response of the disciples is an emphatic,
in the Greek language, increase our faith.
Increase our faith.
It's another way of saying,
Jesus, how on earth is that even possible?
How is it even possible for us to forgive like this?
Verse 4 is the enormity of the challenge that Jesus puts before the disciples.
He says that if your brother sins against you seven times in a day,
and seven times he comes to you repentant, you must forgive.
Now, the number 7 was symbolic for Jewish people.
It's a number that means completeness, fullness, perfection,
beyond which nothing more is possible.
What Jesus is saying here is worse than you think.
Someone put it like this.
If a person would wrong you as completely and as fully
as any person could ever possibly wrong another human being,
you must forgive them.
Just let that sit with you for a moment.
That's his command on his disciples.
Imagine the worst thing that anybody could possibly do to you,
something so bad that nothing beyond it is even possible.
Jesus says to his disciples, you must forgive them.
That's why the disciples say, increase our faith.
He's saying, that's impossible, Jesus.
That's impossible.
It's an enormous challenge.
But we cannot shrink back from it.
There's a little phrase here that is easy to ignore.
And it's actually connected to what follows,
not to what the two previous verses is.
In verse 3, it's connected to what follows.
We connected to normally what is previously,
but actually connected to what follows.
Jesus starts this section with, watch yourself.
Watch yourself.
Then he talks about forgiveness.
We are called to watch ourselves when others sin against us.
When someone wrongs us, we normally pay a great deal attention to them.
Think about how much they have wronged us and how much they have hurt us.
Jesus says you are to pay attention to yourself, your own heart.
This is so crucial for us.
As a multi-ethnic church of diverse people,
it is so easy to inadvertently say the wrong thing,
to be culturally offensive and not even to be aware of it,
to forget someone's name and for deep hurt to be settled in
because of someone, I've used the wrong name.
It's so easy to hurt.
It's so easy just to pack it all in the heart.
And Jesus says, watch yourself.
Watch yourself.
Why?
I'll illustrate it, then I'll unpack it.
The Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy was married to his wife Sonia for 48 years.
On the eve of their wedding,
he gave his 18-year-old fiancé his diaries to read.
They included the details of his many sexual experiences,
including with a servant who worked for him in that moment
and who bore him a child.
The child who his fiancé was not aware of was, in fact, Leo's child.
When she was in her early 70s,
she was writing, this is right at the end of her life,
she was writing in her own journal very, very bitterly
about what she had read over 50 years earlier.
One historian wrote this about that journal entry.
For half a century, jealousy and unforgiveness blinded her
and in the process destroyed all love for her husband and other people.
In other words,
she reads of his sin
and she's destroyed by it.
She's the one who's ruined.
Hebrews 12, 15,
See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God
and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.
Watch yourself.
Because anger, when someone wrongs us,
will always tell us it's not actually anger.
Anger will tell you that I'm not anger,
I am justified,
I am truth,
I am righteous.
But if we keep a hold of that anger,
it will defile us.
Now there are four words in the English language
that all come from the same core root word.
They are
wrath,
which means rage,
anger,
fury.
Reef,
which means to twist together flowers,
branches,
vines.
Writhe,
is to be bent out of shape and contorted.
And wraith,
which is a ghost-like figure,
image of someone
just before or after their death.
They're all connected,
the same root word.
And when we stay angry with people
and we hold a grudge,
we stay resentful,
we become distorted,
twisted by anger.
They may well move on.
We don't.
We become a person who's afraid
of trusting another human being.
Can you see how that destroys relationships?
We become joyless.
We become suspicious of people.
We demonize others.
We become a hard person.
If someone wronged you,
and if this is the case for you right now,
put your heart on high alert.
The wrong that's being done to you
is probably the least of your problems.
So,
forgiveness is hard.
So what does the practice of forgiveness look like?
There are at least three things
that we must do
if we're to avoid becoming twisted
and destroyed by bitterness.
The first thing
is that we must refuse
to caricature
the other person,
the person who's wronged us.
Jesus is making an important point here
when he says,
if your brother sins.
He's talking about,
in this moment,
Christians wronging Christians.
And he's reminding us
that we all have a common family.
When our temptation
is to highlight the differences,
don't forget to emphasize
the unity
in whose you are.
But in Mark 11, 25,
Jesus says
that we are to forgive
anyone
who wrongs us.
Not just brothers,
anyone.
And the principle is the same.
We must stress
that we have
a common unity
with whoever they are.
We share a common humanity
in the image of God.
Every human being
is a complex person
made in God's image
with great dignity
and worth.
We also share
a common sinfulness
with all people.
It is impossible
to stay angry
with someone else
unless you feel
superior to them.
Get that?
Let me just let that
sink into you
a little bit more.
It is impossible
to stay angry
with someone
unless you feel
superior to them.
We must identify
with the enemy.
We must bring
ourselves down
in humility
and them
up
in image
of God.
the second thing
we need to do
is to inwardly
surrender the right
to repayment
and to pay
the debt ourselves.
The word for forgive
that Jesus uses
in this passage
is a very specific word
that means
to release a person
from a financial debt
and it means
to absorb
the debt yourself.
How do we forgive?
We can only forgive
if we
inwardly
we forgo
seeking repayment.
Normally
if someone
makes us happy
we in turn
seek to make
them unhappy.
If someone
rejects us
we in turn
seek to reject
them.
If someone
destroys
our reputation
we destroy
their reputation.
We might
do it
directly
and tell them
off
and make
them feel
bad
or we might
do it
behind their
backs
and gossip
about them
and ruin
their reputation.
The less
obvious way
though
is to
inwardly
nurture
the hurt.
Inwardly
nurture it.
We keep
playing it
over and
over again
in our
minds
so that we
can stay
angry with
them.
And we
take any
little bit
of feed
that we
can get
to feed
it into
that anger
so the
anger
just stays
really healthy.
Whichever
way we
do it
we feel
like we
are getting
repayment.
forgiveness
but
it is
instead
robbing
our life
of joy
and peace
and contentment.
We become
harder
and bitter
and twisted
and closed
off
from others.
Forgiveness
disciples were
right here
increase our
faith.
Forgiveness
might hurt
in the short
term because
we refuse
to repay
and instead
absorb
the debt
but it
leads to
joy and
peace and
freedom
for eternity.
The third
thing we
must do
is in
verse 3
if your
brother or
sister sins
against you
rebuke
them.
That is
what it's
saying here
is it's
not loving
to let
someone go
on doing
anything
that they
want
but
be really
careful with
this verse.
really
careful.
The purpose
of the
rebuke
here is
not to
put the
other person
down.
The purpose
of the
rebuke
is in
fact to
lift them
up.
It's
not to
win an
argument
it is to
win them
over
in relationship.
The goal
of the
rebuke
here is
restored
relationship
not a
further
breaking
of the
relationship.
the truth
must be
spoken in
love for
the other
person.
We need
to inwardly
forgive
then rebuke
in order
to reconcile.
In other
words we
must seek
the good
and we
must will
the good
of the
person we
perceive to
have wronged
us and I
emphasize the
word perceived
to have
wronged us.
we need
to will
the good
of the
other
and if
you're a
Christian
if you
are not
spending
extensive
time
praying
about the
individual
and their
goodwill
before you
seek to
rebuke
them
don't
assume
even for
a moment
that you're
doing it
with good
intentions.
what that
ultimately
means is
we chuck
out the
old
statement
I forgive
them
but I
just don't
want to
see them
or having
to do
with them.
That
statement
is not
biblical
in any
way.
To say
that means
that you
might not
in fact
be seeking
vengeance
on them
but you
are not
seeking
their good
either.
So watch
yourself.
So lastly
on this
point
unlocking
forgiveness.
So by
now
you might
be
echoing
in the
bottom
of your
heart
increase
my
faith.
I hope
you are.
It's a
core
element
of our
community
here.
Fortunately
Jesus
has given
us a
good
answer
to
what
follows
in
verse
five.
In
these
verses
we
have
a
parable
and
a
metaphor.
The
parable
starts
at
verse
seven.
Suppose
you were
the
Lord,
the
master,
the
owner
of a
property
and
you
had
some
people
plowing
the
paddocks
and looking
after your
livestock
for you.
At
the end
of the
day
would
you
say
it's
time to
finish
up,
come
on in
for
dinner.
would
you
say
thank
you
so
much
for the
way
that
you've
taken
care
of
my
sheep
today
and my
goats
and my
chickens.
Now to
the
apostles
hearing
this
from
Jesus
in
the
first
century
the
apostles
answer
to
that
would
be
no
you
wouldn't
say
that
at
all
to
your
servants
that's
ridiculous
us
modern
people
hear it
very
differently
we
would
say
of
course
we
want
to
do
that
we
love
to
be
affirmed
we
need
to
be
affirmed
in
fact
if
no
one
affirms
me
I'm
not
going
to
turn
up
to
work
tomorrow
we
know
it's
part
of
running
business
well
we
need
to
affirm
people
and
love
them
and
care
for
them
and
we
need
to
say
well
done
well
done
well
done
we
need
to
understand
this
parable
in
the
first
century
these
servants
are
not
slaves
traded
in
the
marketplace
who
have
no
rights
on
the
other
hand
they're
not
employees
of
your
business
these
were
people
who
fell
into
debt
because
of
bankruptcy
and
instead
of
being
put
into
prison
to
rot
they
are
working
for
the
person
who
they
owe
the
money
to
in
order
to
work
off
the
debt
and
that
in
first
century
Judaism
meant
for
up
to
seven
years
you
could
hold
these
people
for
seven
years
and
so
the
servant
in
this
scenario
is
never
off
duty
until
that
debt
is
paid
the
master
of
the
house
wouldn't
thank you
for
helping
so
much
you're
doing
your
job
you're
doing
your
duty
you're
paying
off
a
debt
and
so
Jesus
got
the
apostles
here
to
imagine
themselves
as
the
masters
and
helped
them
to
see
that
it
would
be
inappropriate
for a
servant
to demand
thanks
from the
master
and
especially
a
master
who
is
so
gracious
enough
to
not
in fact
throw
you
into
prison
in the
first
place
but
to
allow
you
the
opportunity
to
work
off
your
debt
that
is
this
master
is
already
a
gracious
master
and a
good
master
you're
doing
your
duty
you've
got
a
debt
and
you're
paying
your
debt
and
then
in
verse
10
Jesus
flips
the
metaphor
so
you
also
when
you
have
done
everything
you
were
told
to
do
should
say
we
are
unworthy
servants
we
have
only
done
our
duty
when
you
have
done
everything
you
are
told
to
do
including
forgiveness
you
should
simply
say
I
am
just
doing
my
duty
Jesus
is
saying
here
when
you
refuse
to
forgive
you're
forgetting
who
you
are
you
are
forgetting
that
you
owe
God
everything
he
sustains
us
every
minute
of the
day
and
if
you're
a
Christian
you're
also
forgetting
that
this
is
a
God
who
has
redeemed
you
when
we
say
I'm
not
going
to
forgive
that
person
we
are
in
fact
in
that
moment
putting
ourselves
in
the
judge's
seat
we
are
playing
God
Jesus
also
uses
a
metaphor
to
help
us
to
see
how
we
can
live
the
forgiving
life
verse
6
if
you
have
faith
as
small
as
a
mustard
seed
you
can
say
that
this
mulberry
tree
be
uprooted
and
planted
in
the
sea
and
it
will
obey
you
in
other
words
what
Jesus
is
saying
if
you
got
the
smallest
faith
in
Jesus
Christ
the
smallest
understanding
of
who
he
is
even
the
slightest
understanding
that
you're
a
sinner
saved
by
grace
if
we
understand
the
good
news
of
the
gospel
at
all
you
have
everything
you
need
to
forgive
the
only
way
of
getting
out
of
the
behavior
and
the
attitude
of
being
a
servant
acting
like
a
king
over
other
servants
is to
marvel
at
the
king
who
became
a
servant
we
will
never
be
long
suffering
and
forgiving
until
we
marvel
at
his
suffering
on the
cross
for our
forgiveness
we
will
we
will
never
be
able
to
forgive
other
people's
tiny
debts
against
us
until
we
marvel
at
Jesus
dying
on the
cross
to pay
our
incalculable
debt
Jesus
is the
judge
of the
universe
who
left
the
judge's
seat
and
got
judged
for
our
sin
to
understand
the
Christian
gospel
at all
the
good
news
at all
even
a
tiny
bit
is
enough
to bring
transformation
in your
life
even
a
mustard
seed
portion
of
the
gospel
of
grace
can
turn
us
into
a
person
who
forgives
radically
and
lives
generously
across
all
lines
of
division
in
our
society
and
the
church
well
that's
my
first
point
we're
a
forgiving
community
secondly
being a
multi
building a
multi
church
like this
will mean
we're
a
community
repenting
as
well
we're
a
repenting
community
of
racism
and
ethnocentricity
repentance
is a
personal
and a
relational
term
it
signifies
going
back
on what
we have
done
before
and
renouncing
the
misbehavior
and the
attitudes
that have
caused
harm
to
ourselves
and to
others
in the
bible
repentance
is a
theological
term
pointing
to an
abandonment
of a
course
of action
or course
of actions
of which
God
has
been
wronged
himself
our action
against
God
which has
been
wronged
by embracing
what he
dislikes
and forbids
the
Old Testament
Hebrew word
for repentance
means to
turn
or to
return
it means
to return
to God
the New
Testament
Greek word
means to
change one
mind
it's 180
degrees
same sort
of concept
heading in this
direction
in life
and all
of a
sudden
I
go that
direction
in life
towards
God
it means
going
back
to
God
repentance
means to
alter
our
habits
our
behavior
attitudes
our
outlook
our
policy
our
direction
and
our
behavior
repentance
is
about
spiritual
revolution
so what
does it
mean to
repent of
racism
and
ethnocentricity
repenting
first and
foremost
is to
God
to
God
all
sin
is
ultimately
sin
against
him
against
his
will
and
his
good
creation
it's
crucial
that we
repent
for the
more
deliberate
ways
that we
have
violated
the
image
of
God
neighborhood
love
love of
our
neighbors
and the
new
creation
and the
gospel
of God's
grace
to us
in
Jesus
Christ
now keep
in mind
that we
are all
called
not only
to repent
of deliberate
and known
sin
but also
for the
sins that
we are
unaware
of
such as
Job
repenting
on behalf
of his
children
just in
case
they
sinned
Psalm
19
verse
12
but who
can discern
their own
errors
forgive
my
hidden
faults
that's a
prayer of
repentance
from
Psalm
19
please
forgive
me
for the
things
that I
don't
even
know
that I've
done
so the
Christian
should be
willing to
repent
for the
ways in
which we
may be
committing
the
sin of
racism
and
ethnocentricity
of which
we are
barely
even
conscience
of
I'm
of the
view
that
corporate
repentance
at least
comes to
grips
with the
way that
our
society
has
treated
various
groups
of
people
in
the
past
I'm
of that
view
the
Bible
always
says
that
we
have
not
repented
if we
have
not
changed
and we
have
not
produced
fruit
in
keeping
with
repentance
that's
Matthew
3
8
and
this
fruit
of
repentance
will
take
various
forms
depending
on
who's
doing
the
repenting
now
I think
there are
two ways
that a
church
like this
can
produce
such
fruit
of
repentance
the
first
way
we
bear
the
fruit
of
repentance
is
for
members
of
this
church
to
make
sacrifices
of
power
and
comfort
so
that
we
continue
to
grow
into
a
church
that
shows
how
in
Jesus
Christ
the
racial
and
cultural
barriers
that
divide
this
world
outside
the
church
do
not
divide
it
inside
the
church
because
of
the
power
of
the
gospel
that's
one
way
we
bear
the
fruit
of
repentance
that
in
itself
should
tell
us
that
fruit
of
repentance
is
hard
it
is
filled
with
difficulties
and
it
causes
a
whole
lot
of
people
to
walk
away
from
a
multi
ethnic
church
because
they
do
not
want
to
surrender
power
and
comfort
that's
not
a
reflection
just
on
this
church
anywhere
in the
world
where
a
multi
ethnic
church
is
seen
to
be
built
power
and
comfort
must
be
surrendered
and
those
who
have
it
do
not
want
to
surrender
it
it's
a
difficult
journey
fraught
with
danger
the
second
way
for
Christians
to
bear
the
fruit
of
repentance
is
to
work
against
racial
injustice
and
inequality
in
society
and
the
possibilities
there
for
us
are
frankly
just
way
too
numerous
to
mention
in
a
sermon
like
this
in
the
society
in
which
we
live
but
I'll
pick
on
one
very
briefly
I
would
be
very
keen
for
us
to
be
supporting
justice
and
mercy
ministry
amongst
the
aboriginal
people
of
our
country
finally
a
loving
community
that's
what it
takes
to
build
a
multinational
church
is
a
commitment
to
love
now
recently
I
preached
on
the
parable
of
the
good
samaritan
and
the
call
to
love
your
neighbor
so
I'm
not
going
to
re-preach
that
but
there
was
one
point
I
left
which
I'll
pick
up
now
it's
just
a
very
brief
point
the
teacher
of
the
law
posed
the
question
to
Jesus
who
is
my
neighbor
you'll
be
familiar
with
that
hopefully
and
we
are
told
in
that
passage
he
wanted
to
justify
himself
he
wanted
in
other
words
to
put
limits
on
what
it
means
to
love
and
who
I
need
to
love
now
we
need
to
be
careful
that
we
don't
do
the
same
thing
we
can
put
limits
on
love
and
justify
ourselves
by
turning
the
command
to
actively
love
people
into
a
passive
thing
I
don't
do
bad
things
to
people
the
command
to
love
gets
turned
into
a
passive
I
don't
do
bad
things
to
people
in
other
words
in
your
mind
you
can
actually
fulfill
the
love
the
command
to
love
people
in
your
mind
if
you're
turning
into
a
passive
by
simply
withdrawing
from
people
I
have
nothing
to
do
with
people
if
I
have
nothing
to
do
with
people
I
don't
do
anything
bad
to
them
and
therefore
I
must
be
loving
them
that is
self
deception
that is
putting your
place in the
position of the
lawyer here
saying what limits
can I put on
love
you
cannot love
people
without
engaging
actively
with
them
a
Christian
community
is an
actively
loving
community
now
because
it's
our
vision
series
I'm
going
to
mention
four
ways
to
build
a
loving
multi
ethnic
church
here
and
I'll
do
it
really
quickly
because
it's
the
heartbeat
of
us
as
a
church
they
are
very
quickly
time
talents
treasures
and
testimony
so
very
quickly
first
time
easiest
way
to
build
a
multi
ethnic
church
is
with
your
time
don't
underestimate
the role
you play
simply
by turning
up
and that's
why I
think
online
church
is
brilliant
for those
who are
not able
to get
here
but it's
not the
answer
I invite
you to
come
and join
in with
the
people
it's
not
about
the
Christian
church
is
not
about
Christian
education
it's
about
building
a
community
so I
invite
you to
come
build
relationship
with
people
and
especially
with
someone
who is
different
from
you
take
the
time
to
talk
to
encourage
to
listen
to
pray
with
as
you
speak
the
truth
in
love
to
them
you
are
ministering
to
them
to
our
life
together
it takes
secondly
talents
ministry
doesn't
stop
with
conversation
God
has
equipped
every
single
one
of
us
if
you
are
his
by
his
holy
spirit
with
special
gifts
in
order
to
build
up
the
church
that's
those
that's
what
they're
there
for
to
build
up
the
church
to
serve
others
if
you
are
not
using
those
gifts
to
serve
others
in
the
church
you
are
not
actively
loving
them
thirdly
we
build
a
multi
ethnic
church
community
by
sharing
our
treasure
right
now
I'm
asking
you
to
give
towards
raising
$70,000
to
serving
the
next
generation
and
to
regularly
give
in
our
ministry
operations
here
now
if
you
are
new
here
you
might
be
unfamiliar
with
the
way
the
Anglican
church
works
basically
the
way
the
Anglican
church
works
is
we
do
not
have
a
pool
of
funds
sitting
outside
of
St.
Paul's
where
the
staff
and
everything
gets
paid
from
centrally
there's
not
an
Anglican
center
link
it
does
not
exist
for
us
if
anything
we
send
money
their
direction
it
doesn't
come
our
direction
so
what
that
means
is
we
fund
all
the
ministry
of
this
church
from
this
church
no
less than
five
times
in the
New
Testament
the
language
of
supporting
a
missionary
or
supporting
a
church
financially
is
described
as
ministry
as
service
this
is
a
key
loving
service
that
all
of
God's
people
are
involved
in
regardless
of
your
gifting
it
is
to
use
our
treasure
gifted
from
God
for
his
glory
to
serve
the
world
like
our
talents
there
is
something
that
we
do
in
differing
degrees
we
give
according
to
what
we
have
not
according
to
what
we
don't
have
the
principle
I
like
to
use
consistently
here
at
St.
Paul's
is
equal
giving
but
equal
sacrifice
it
is
love
towards
others
it's
service
lastly
we
build
a
multi
ethnic
community
here
by
sharing
our
testimony
every
single
Christian
has
got a
story
of how
God
drew
them
to
himself
how
his
love
poured
into
their
hearts
and
changed
them
and
can
I
just
be
clear
here
often
those
stories
are
not
dramatic
you
know
they're
not
dramatic
stories
necessarily
it
is
God's
unique
word
in your
work
in your
life
however
it's
your
testimony
so
pray
that
God
will
give
you
the
opportunity
to
share
that
testimony
with
others
so
that
they
too
might
have
a
testimony
of
God's
unique
work
in
their
life
God's
ongoing
work
in
life
and
our
growth
in
faith
in
him
nothing
fills
my
heart
more
than
to
hear
those
stories
and
so
friends
in the
next
week
you're
going to
receive
a
card
this
is
your
commitment
to
a
life
of
forgiveness
and
repentance
and
love
by
building
up
a
multi
church
here
St
Paul's
Chatswood
I'm
calling
you to
buy
into
our
vision
to
commit
to
give
of
your
treasures
to
pray
that
you
might
share
your
testimony
with
that
one
person
that
you
might
explore
the
scriptures
grow
in
faith
and
testify
to
God's
ongoing
work
in
your
life
to
your
church
family
here
and
to
serve
love
one
another
by
giving
of
your
time
your
talents
to
the
building
of
the
community
of
love
here
at
St
Paul's
human
he
who