WEBVTT

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 I was just handed a brand new book and I was told, why don't you give this away?

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!

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 All right, great. This, I'll just read off the cover, 500,000 copies sold. This for the

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 last 30 plus years, let me just see when it actually came out, 91, 30 plus years has been

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 kind of the staple resource within broader Christianity for conflict resolution, whether

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 it's interpersonal or whether it's between organizations. It's Ken Sandy's book called

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 The Peacemaker, a biblical guide to resolving personal conflict.

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 So there's so much help in this book. It'll do all the philosophical foundational stuff.

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 It will also do a lot of practical stuff. And when it's that long, it can do both.

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 Let me say, how do I want to, how do I want to do this? I could just say who feels like

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 they need this the most, but that would be more confession than anything.

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 All right, let's do this to the person whose birthday is closest to today.

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 Oh, when's your birthday?

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 February 14th.

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 Okay, who's closer?

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 March 9th.

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 Oh, can somebody do the math for me on that?

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 Yes.

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 February 26th.

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 Oh, no math needed. Can we beat February 26th?

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 Did you say February 14th?

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 Yes.

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 Oh, that's very sweet.

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 Congratulations. Can you pass that?

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 It's Valentine's Day. That's why it's sweet.

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 You have no idea how many heart-shaped cakes I need.

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 I'm sure.

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 After having given away a book, can I give you six other recommendations? You can jot them down.

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 Unless they're included in your intro stuff.

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 I don't know that Todd asked me for book recommendations. I sent them to him.

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 I don't know why he asked me if he was going to include them or not.

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 But let me just give them to you.

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 There is a reduced version of that book called Resolving Everyday Conflict.

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 That's by Ken Sandy.

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 Then this author chose a different angle for the title.

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 It's a very good book.

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 But If You Bite and Devour One Another.

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 That's language straight out of one of the epistles.

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 But If You Bite and Devour One Another by Alexander Strauch.

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 S-T-R-A-U-C-H.

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 That's going to be...

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 Ken's books are going to be a bit more on the practitioner side.

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 Like the practical.

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 Alexander Strauch's is going to be a little more of a biblical handling of these things.

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 Both are valuable.

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 Probably good side by side.

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 A couple more contemporary books written in the last 10 years.

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 Living Reconciled.

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 By P. Brian Noble.

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 A good companion for that is Pursuing Peace.

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 By Robert Jones.

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 And just two more.

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 I don't recommend my book every time I speak.

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 But I am going to recommend it here.

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 Particularly...

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 You know it focuses on marriage.

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 But with these words.

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 I've already referenced why it's relevant to this topic.

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 That's by yours truly.

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 And then I actually listed this in my list to Todd as a bonus book.

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 War of Words by Paul Tripp.

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 War of Words.

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 I'd say War of Words was certainly the first book I read on Christian communication

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 that had a really formative impact on me in just my regular conversations.

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 So it's not so much a conflict resolution book as it is what is the essence and the substance

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 of Christian communication.

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 Very good.

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 Paul is a very engaging writer.

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 Great storyteller.

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 So those are some recommendations if you want to go to the next level in pursuing this

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 or dive deeper into one element.

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 But let's jump into the issue of forgiveness.

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 We've talked a lot about conflict.

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 We've talked about our own hearts.

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 Our own contributions to conflict.

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 For conflict to kind of cross the finish line into resolution,

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 you have to go through the gauntlet of forgiveness.

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 This is essentially going to address how do we respond when we are actually wronged.

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 Okay, so I've titled it Why and How I Should Forgive.

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 And it's a very creative title because the first half is going to focus on why.

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 The second half is going to focus on how.

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 Okay, let me tell you, if you do end up getting the book I wrote,

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 the whole introduction tells this story in long form.

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 But let me tell you it in short form.

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 I was a Christian.

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 I felt like walking well with the Lord.

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 I got saved when I was 19.

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 Met Gina.

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 We started dating, I guess, when I was 22.

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 And we were married towards the very end of being 24.

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 I liked her.

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 And she liked me.

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 I don't mean like like in the awkward love sense,

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 but I actually enjoyed her as a person.

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 Then we got married.

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 And it went really bad really fast.

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 Five days in, actually.

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 We were on our honeymoon.

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 And we had the worst conflict of our marriage.

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 And I say that, I need to give you context.

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 Not the worst conflict we had had in our five days of marriage.

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 But I told you we're celebrating 30 years.

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 The worst conflict we've ever had in the 30 years of marriage.

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 It was ugly.

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 And we both, while still on our honeymoon that night,

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 really began despairing of the choice we made to get married.

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 We muscled out the rest of the honeymoon.

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 And when we got back to home,

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 we essentially spent a few months, three or four months,

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 just sniping and arguing constantly.

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 Until neither of us could do that anymore.

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 And we just stopped talking.

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 Like, stopped talking to one another.

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 Like, stopped talking to one another, just to be clear.

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 And it was just silent.

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 This cold war kind of ensued.

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 That went on until about 18 months into the marriage,

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 where we were told to go to a marriage conference for help.

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 And we both went to that first conference saying,

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 man, I hope she's listening to this.

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 I hope he's listening to this, right?

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 Then, for some reason, God chose to act.

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 I don't think either of us did anything particularly Christianly.

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 But he chose to act in just poor grace.

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 And then everything we learned at that conference

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 kind of came back and started to work on our own souls.

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 We both had this weeks of confession to one another,

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 sweet times of sorrow for what happened between us.

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 And once grace was on the scene,

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 we got to a place where we could actually forgive one another.

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 What was needed...

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 Well, let me finish, kind of put the period at the end of that sentence.

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 It was then that we started both to have this real passion

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 to help married couples.

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 Because I was leading worship at my church through that whole time.

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 And I was looking at a whole congregation of people

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 that didn't look as happy as Gina and I looked.

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 And I know what Gina and I were like at home.

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 And it just struck me, moved me,

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 what's actually going on in these homes,

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 in these people's lives,

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 that you don't see on their face on Sunday mornings.

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 So we just pressed in, studied like crazy.

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 That's when I read War of Words, by the way,

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 to bring that full circle.

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 And just started pressing into people's lives.

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 I read every counseling book I could get my hand on

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 so that I could be useful to people back then.

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 And the Lord has seen fit to keep me in counseling ever since.

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 But I tell that story in this context for this reason.

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 The thing that was needed,

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 there's a lot that was needed in the flood marriage at that point.

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 Humility, awareness of enemy number one, two, and three.

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 You know, all of that was needed in our marriage.

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 But when you go high enough,

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 what was really needed was the grace of God.

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 It was needed.

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 And then once grace was on the scene,

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 the next step was very obvious to us.

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 But this whole message is geared to,

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 in case it's not obvious to everybody,

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 once grace is on the scene,

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 the next step that was needed was forgiveness.

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 She was awful to me during those 18 months.

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 And I was awful to her.

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 We never would have gotten past it

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 by just starting to communicate better,

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 by just starting to read our Bibles better.

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 We needed to free one another

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 from what we had done to one another.

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 And that's where it stops being a marriage illustration.

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 It just goes into regular relationships.

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 If you're going to get through an injustice

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 to a place of either reconciliation,

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 if that's what God has,

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 or at least freedom from bitterness,

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 there's going to have to be

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 this bridge of forgiveness you cross.

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 Now,

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 I want to argue for you,

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 the way I think the Bible does,

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 not whether you should forgive.

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 We're told to forgive as the Lord has forgiven you,

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 so also you should forgive.

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 That's a very plain, straightforward sentence

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 that there's no getting out of.

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 That's the call.

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 But why?

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 We could just say,

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 well, because God says so.

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 But God doesn't even stop there.

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 He gives us reasons to forgive.

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 Let's cover that before we look at how.

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 And this is the territory

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 that Gina and I had to discover 28 years ago.

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 Still have to go there now

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 when we do sin against each other,

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 because newsflash, we still do that.

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 But this is the territory we'll all have to visit

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 if we're going to get to a place

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 of forgiving those who wrong us.

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 And it's going to be in Matthew 18.

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 Nearly the entire chapter focuses on forgiveness.

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 Jesus starts, I'm going to summarize the chapter.

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 We're eventually going to the end of the chapter,

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 the parable at the end.

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 So I'm going to give a quick flyover

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 to get us down to verse 21.

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 He starts with the seriousness of sin,

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 but he then quickly transitions

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 to the seriousness of forgiveness.

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 And he has illustrations he gives there.

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 There's the illustration of the lost sheep

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 and the amount of celebrating that happens in heaven

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 when one sheep who's lost, that's been found.

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 Heaven rejoices.

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 He then goes on after that illustration

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 to talk about what is often referred to

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 as the church discipline portion of Matthew 18.

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 I've already told one of you during the break,

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 I'm not a fan of that.

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 I do think it's a good structure for church discipline.

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 I'm not contesting that.

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 I support that.

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 But I don't know that church discipline

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 was what was in mind at first.

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 Jesus is talking about forgiveness

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 and about being wronged.

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 And so when you get to that first step,

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 if a brother sins against you,

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 go to him in private and show him his fault.

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 What's in view there?

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 So you can check off the first box

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 to kick him out of the church.

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 No, it's to reconcile.

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 It's to forgive.

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 It's to see if that private conversation

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 can resolve this issue.

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 If he doesn't listen to you,

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 then kick him out of the church.

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 No.

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 If he doesn't listen to you,

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 bring two or three others along with you.

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 That's not just to get their testimony on your side.

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 It's to increase the severity of this issue

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 so that this reconciliation,

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 forgiveness really matters here.

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 There needs to be that acknowledgement of sin

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 for reconciliation to happen.

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 If that doesn't happen,

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 let's expand it even further

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 and tell it to the church.

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 Again, that's not to shame the person,

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 but that's to call them to a place of repentance.

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 Whether it's sin directly against God,

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 it may not be a sin against anyone in particular,

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 or a sin against another member of the church.

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 It's to call them to repentance.

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 And then in the absence of repentance,

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 Jesus is holding out.

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 Okay, that is doing your due diligence

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 to contend for forgiveness and reconciliation.

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 If that doesn't happen,

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 then remove them from the church.

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 Okay, so I'm in support of that being

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 the structure of our church discipline.

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 I just think it has much broader application

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 for relationships and forgiveness

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 because that's what Jesus is talking about all along.

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 At the end of that church discipline section,

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 I'm skipping over the portion where

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 if two or three of you are gathering,

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 you agree,

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 whatever's bound in heaven is bound on earth,

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 skip over to that.

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 The apostles clearly know the whole time

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 Jesus is talking about forgiveness

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 because we come to the actual passage

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 we're going to look at.

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 Peter's response when Jesus is done teaching,

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 what question does he say?

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 You know, how should we practice this

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 in our church polity?

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 No, he doesn't say that.

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 Again, it's a fine application,

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 but that's not what he says.

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 He says,

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 Lord, how often will my brother sin against me

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 and I forgive him?

00:15:07.959 --> 00:15:08.799
 This is verse 21.

00:15:09.299 --> 00:15:11.299
 As many as seven times.

00:15:11.299 --> 00:15:13.779
 So Peter's tracking.

00:15:14.179 --> 00:15:16.039
 Jesus is talking about forgiveness this whole time.

00:15:17.319 --> 00:15:20.319
 How often am I supposed to forgive a repeat offender?

00:15:20.979 --> 00:15:23.019
 Someone who keeps doing the same thing to me.

00:15:23.939 --> 00:15:24.579
 And Peter's like,

00:15:24.620 --> 00:15:26.459
 all right, let me give a ridiculous number

00:15:26.459 --> 00:15:27.959
 so Jesus can say,

00:15:28.059 --> 00:15:28.539
 yes, Peter,

00:15:28.659 --> 00:15:29.819
 that's more than enough

00:15:29.819 --> 00:15:31.039
 and Peter can look great, right?

00:15:31.179 --> 00:15:32.599
 As many as seven times.

00:15:32.959 --> 00:15:36.259
 And Jesus gives him a crazier number.

00:15:38.199 --> 00:15:40.959
 I do not say to you seven times,

00:15:41.299 --> 00:15:44.519
 but 77 times.

00:15:47.759 --> 00:15:48.799
 Now just imagine,

00:15:48.979 --> 00:15:51.339
 if they had that mind-blown emoji,

00:15:52.039 --> 00:15:54.740
 it would have appeared over all their heads then, right?

00:15:55.000 --> 00:15:55.539
 It's just like,

00:15:55.599 --> 00:15:56.959
 what does that even mean?

00:15:57.479 --> 00:15:58.899
 Like, how in the world,

00:15:59.099 --> 00:16:02.659
 why would we forgive somebody 77 times?

00:16:04.399 --> 00:16:06.000
 And so Jesus doesn't wait for them

00:16:06.000 --> 00:16:07.399
 to ask the why question.

00:16:07.399 --> 00:16:09.179
 He says,

00:16:09.240 --> 00:16:11.179
 I do not say to you seven times,

00:16:11.279 --> 00:16:13.159
 but 77 times.

00:16:14.259 --> 00:16:15.819
 And then he goes into why.

00:16:16.079 --> 00:16:17.439
 Why am I saying that?

00:16:18.299 --> 00:16:19.860
 And this is a good time to remind you

00:16:19.860 --> 00:16:21.720
 of the qualifier I gave last time.

00:16:22.059 --> 00:16:25.019
 I'm not intending you to draw a straight line

00:16:25.019 --> 00:16:27.620
 from this to your relationship

00:16:27.620 --> 00:16:32.659
 if that relationship has been grievously wrong.

00:16:33.279 --> 00:16:34.679
 Abuse situations.

00:16:35.679 --> 00:16:36.940
 Unsafe situations.

00:16:37.720 --> 00:16:39.500
 We want to take this teaching.

00:16:39.620 --> 00:16:40.320
 It does apply.

00:16:40.840 --> 00:16:42.940
 But we don't want to draw a straight line

00:16:42.940 --> 00:16:44.080
 to by four o'clock,

00:16:44.220 --> 00:16:46.299
 you're calling that person who did that to you.

00:16:46.360 --> 00:16:47.320
 I'm not saying that at all.

00:16:47.580 --> 00:16:48.379
 Get counsel.

00:16:48.379 --> 00:16:51.399
 There's wisdom in many counselors.

00:16:51.939 --> 00:16:54.419
 But in the vast majority of our scenarios,

00:16:54.879 --> 00:16:57.159
 we probably should consider

00:16:57.159 --> 00:16:58.639
 what a straight line looks like here.

00:16:59.860 --> 00:17:00.000
 Okay?

00:17:00.120 --> 00:17:02.240
 Jesus goes straight into the why.

00:17:02.860 --> 00:17:03.080
 Okay?

00:17:03.480 --> 00:17:05.799
 He starts to say,

00:17:06.160 --> 00:17:07.380
 therefore,

00:17:08.099 --> 00:17:09.440
 so he says not seven times,

00:17:09.500 --> 00:17:10.380
 but 77 times.

00:17:11.539 --> 00:17:12.059
 Therefore,

00:17:13.299 --> 00:17:14.759
 and then we're into the parable.

00:17:15.180 --> 00:17:16.480
 So in your outlines,

00:17:16.480 --> 00:17:17.680
 I'm going to know why should I forgive?

00:17:17.860 --> 00:17:18.420
 Scene one,

00:17:18.579 --> 00:17:19.819
 the king and the debtor.

00:17:20.559 --> 00:17:22.079
 Let's just look at the first several verses

00:17:22.079 --> 00:17:22.720
 of the parable.

00:17:23.380 --> 00:17:23.660
 Therefore,

00:17:23.880 --> 00:17:24.960
 the kingdom of heaven

00:17:24.960 --> 00:17:27.120
 may be compared to a king

00:17:27.120 --> 00:17:29.400
 who wished to settle accounts

00:17:29.400 --> 00:17:30.279
 with his servants.

00:17:31.440 --> 00:17:32.720
 When he began to settle,

00:17:32.880 --> 00:17:33.799
 he was brought to him,

00:17:34.140 --> 00:17:34.240
 he,

00:17:34.400 --> 00:17:35.640
 one was brought to him

00:17:35.640 --> 00:17:37.019
 who owed him

00:17:37.019 --> 00:17:39.380
 10,000 talents.

00:17:40.400 --> 00:17:43.039
 Now that is a ridiculous amount of money.

00:17:45.120 --> 00:17:46.460
 Nobody could ever pay that back.

00:17:46.480 --> 00:17:49.799
 One wonders how he got that far into debt

00:17:49.799 --> 00:17:50.940
 to the master in the first place,

00:17:51.000 --> 00:17:52.099
 but I don't think that's the point.

00:17:52.759 --> 00:17:54.500
 The point is he owes a debt

00:17:54.500 --> 00:17:55.400
 he can never repay.

00:17:56.380 --> 00:17:58.259
 And since he could not pay,

00:17:58.960 --> 00:18:01.099
 his master ordered him to be sold

00:18:01.099 --> 00:18:02.759
 with his wife and children

00:18:02.759 --> 00:18:03.920
 and all that he had

00:18:03.920 --> 00:18:05.559
 and payment to be made.

00:18:05.960 --> 00:18:06.360
 Essentially,

00:18:07.000 --> 00:18:07.700
 he is,

00:18:07.799 --> 00:18:10.339
 he's defaulted on his loan

00:18:10.339 --> 00:18:12.599
 and the master is saying,

00:18:12.680 --> 00:18:12.920
 all right,

00:18:12.960 --> 00:18:14.279
 let me see if I can get 10 cents

00:18:14.279 --> 00:18:15.079
 on the dollar here.

00:18:15.079 --> 00:18:16.500
 Let me sell him

00:18:16.500 --> 00:18:17.019
 and his kids

00:18:17.019 --> 00:18:17.799
 and all his assets.

00:18:17.899 --> 00:18:18.980
 I'll get out of it when I can.

00:18:19.259 --> 00:18:20.299
 That's what he's doing there.

00:18:22.099 --> 00:18:22.779
 So the servant

00:18:22.779 --> 00:18:24.039
 fell on his knees

00:18:24.039 --> 00:18:25.740
 imploring him,

00:18:26.439 --> 00:18:27.819
 have patience with me

00:18:27.819 --> 00:18:30.019
 and I will pay you everything.

00:18:31.039 --> 00:18:32.720
 And out of pity for him,

00:18:33.059 --> 00:18:34.500
 not because it was a great deal

00:18:34.500 --> 00:18:35.119
 for the master,

00:18:35.599 --> 00:18:36.939
 out of pity for him,

00:18:37.220 --> 00:18:38.480
 the master of that servant

00:18:38.480 --> 00:18:39.139
 released him

00:18:39.139 --> 00:18:40.819
 and forgave the debt.

00:18:40.819 --> 00:18:45.039
 The first half

00:18:45.039 --> 00:18:46.019
 of what this guy says

00:18:46.019 --> 00:18:46.899
 is really solid.

00:18:47.659 --> 00:18:49.200
 Have patience with me.

00:18:49.960 --> 00:18:51.079
 It's a place of humility,

00:18:51.259 --> 00:18:51.679
 isn't it?

00:18:51.899 --> 00:18:52.839
 It's a place of saying,

00:18:52.939 --> 00:18:54.039
 I can't pay this now,

00:18:54.099 --> 00:18:55.619
 I'm pleading for mercy.

00:18:56.799 --> 00:18:58.159
 The next thing he says

00:18:58.159 --> 00:18:59.039
 is a little troublesome.

00:18:59.899 --> 00:19:01.579
 And I will pay you everything.

00:19:02.539 --> 00:19:03.679
 Everybody knew he had no way

00:19:03.679 --> 00:19:05.099
 of paying him any of that.

00:19:05.599 --> 00:19:05.779
 Right?

00:19:05.779 --> 00:19:06.740
 But somehow,

00:19:07.399 --> 00:19:07.940
 he's saying,

00:19:08.039 --> 00:19:08.440
 okay, listen,

00:19:08.680 --> 00:19:10.480
 I can get myself out of this.

00:19:11.500 --> 00:19:12.420
 It's like a gambler

00:19:12.420 --> 00:19:14.240
 whose debt is so grand,

00:19:14.740 --> 00:19:15.839
 he just needs to go hit

00:19:15.839 --> 00:19:16.879
 on that one big bet

00:19:16.879 --> 00:19:17.799
 and pay it all back.

00:19:18.259 --> 00:19:18.460
 Okay?

00:19:18.559 --> 00:19:19.799
 I'll pay you everything.

00:19:20.099 --> 00:19:21.339
 But the master doesn't say,

00:19:21.460 --> 00:19:22.579
 okay, check back with me

00:19:22.579 --> 00:19:23.359
 in 30 days.

00:19:24.259 --> 00:19:25.680
 He didn't negotiate.

00:19:26.480 --> 00:19:27.799
 The master forgave.

00:19:29.200 --> 00:19:30.460
 Have pity on me.

00:19:30.639 --> 00:19:31.759
 He had pity.

00:19:31.920 --> 00:19:32.759
 Be patient with me.

00:19:32.759 --> 00:19:34.359
 He gave him patience.

00:19:35.779 --> 00:19:37.339
 So, guys,

00:19:37.440 --> 00:19:38.660
 we're not supposed to,

00:19:38.759 --> 00:19:39.259
 right now,

00:19:39.339 --> 00:19:41.000
 identify with the master.

00:19:42.220 --> 00:19:43.019
 We're first,

00:19:43.180 --> 00:19:43.859
 in the story,

00:19:43.960 --> 00:19:45.559
 supposed to identify ourselves

00:19:45.559 --> 00:19:46.480
 as this servant.

00:19:47.319 --> 00:19:49.259
 The servant who owes God

00:19:49.259 --> 00:19:51.799
 an immeasurable debt.

00:19:52.599 --> 00:19:54.500
 One we could never repay.

00:19:56.539 --> 00:19:57.660
 That's us.

00:19:59.119 --> 00:20:00.700
 So, Peter says,

00:20:00.740 --> 00:20:01.859
 as many as seven times,

00:20:01.859 --> 00:20:02.139
 he's like,

00:20:02.240 --> 00:20:02.639
 okay, okay,

00:20:02.700 --> 00:20:03.160
 wait a second.

00:20:04.319 --> 00:20:04.759
 Peter,

00:20:04.759 --> 00:20:05.559
 you're going to be

00:20:05.559 --> 00:20:07.259
 the servant in this case.

00:20:09.140 --> 00:20:10.279
 Let's first visit

00:20:10.279 --> 00:20:12.299
 how God has forgiven you.

00:20:12.480 --> 00:20:13.440
 Let's start there.

00:20:15.220 --> 00:20:17.480
 He owes 10,000 talents

00:20:17.480 --> 00:20:20.440
 and the master forgave them.

00:20:22.819 --> 00:20:23.259
 Okay?

00:20:23.359 --> 00:20:23.779
 And that would be

00:20:23.779 --> 00:20:25.039
 an incredible story.

00:20:25.160 --> 00:20:25.740
 We could read that

00:20:25.740 --> 00:20:26.480
 to our kids,

00:20:26.920 --> 00:20:27.960
 tuck them in bed at night.

00:20:28.339 --> 00:20:29.640
 But there is a part two

00:20:29.640 --> 00:20:30.339
 to this story

00:20:30.339 --> 00:20:31.859
 and it's the servant

00:20:31.859 --> 00:20:33.039
 and his debtor.

00:20:34.939 --> 00:20:36.299
 Okay, look at verse 28.

00:20:37.059 --> 00:20:38.480
 But when that same servant

00:20:38.480 --> 00:20:39.039
 went out,

00:20:39.839 --> 00:20:42.459
 he found one of his fellow servants

00:20:42.459 --> 00:20:43.119
 who owed him

00:20:43.119 --> 00:20:44.059
 a hundred denarii.

00:20:45.419 --> 00:20:46.639
 And seizing him,

00:20:47.000 --> 00:20:48.459
 he began to choke him,

00:20:48.939 --> 00:20:49.240
 saying,

00:20:49.459 --> 00:20:50.459
 pay what you owe.

00:20:51.379 --> 00:20:52.619
 So his fellow servant

00:20:52.619 --> 00:20:53.459
 fell down

00:20:53.459 --> 00:20:54.819
 and pleaded with him,

00:20:54.819 --> 00:20:57.119
 have patience with me

00:20:57.119 --> 00:20:59.619
 and I will pay you.

00:21:00.899 --> 00:21:01.960
 He refused

00:21:01.960 --> 00:21:02.919
 and went

00:21:02.919 --> 00:21:03.899
 and put him in prison

00:21:03.899 --> 00:21:05.859
 until he should pay the debt.

00:21:07.000 --> 00:21:07.220
 Now,

00:21:08.220 --> 00:21:10.039
 immeasurable debt

00:21:10.039 --> 00:21:11.179
 owed to the master.

00:21:11.919 --> 00:21:12.759
 I'm trying to remember

00:21:12.759 --> 00:21:13.919
 what the study Bible says.

00:21:14.000 --> 00:21:14.659
 Some of you may have it

00:21:14.659 --> 00:21:15.299
 right in front of you

00:21:15.299 --> 00:21:16.599
 with 10,000 denarii.

00:21:16.720 --> 00:21:18.319
 It's like 200 years of work,

00:21:18.399 --> 00:21:19.099
 something like that.

00:21:19.099 --> 00:21:19.539
 Yeah,

00:21:21.439 --> 00:21:21.980
 it's like

00:21:21.980 --> 00:21:23.279
 it's a seven something billion.

00:21:23.439 --> 00:21:23.559
 Like,

00:21:23.599 --> 00:21:24.359
 that's quite a debt.

00:21:25.179 --> 00:21:25.359
 Like,

00:21:25.459 --> 00:21:25.699
 you know,

00:21:25.919 --> 00:21:27.159
 that's a problem.

00:21:27.779 --> 00:21:28.699
 A hundred denarii,

00:21:29.019 --> 00:21:30.480
 for basic purposes,

00:21:30.659 --> 00:21:32.459
 denarii is a day's wage.

00:21:33.740 --> 00:21:34.199
 Okay?

00:21:34.399 --> 00:21:35.759
 So this guy was owed

00:21:35.759 --> 00:21:37.539
 just over three months

00:21:37.539 --> 00:21:38.319
 of wages

00:21:38.319 --> 00:21:40.899
 where he owed

00:21:40.899 --> 00:21:42.559
 seven point something billion.

00:21:43.740 --> 00:21:44.059
 Okay?

00:21:45.259 --> 00:21:45.859
 But,

00:21:46.019 --> 00:21:47.339
 so Jesus is using

00:21:47.339 --> 00:21:48.539
 two extremes here

00:21:48.539 --> 00:21:49.159
 in this story.

00:21:49.279 --> 00:21:50.720
 The amount that I owed

00:21:50.720 --> 00:21:52.419
 and the amount that's owed to me.

00:21:53.159 --> 00:21:54.299
 The extremes.

00:21:54.720 --> 00:21:55.959
 The second thing he does

00:21:55.959 --> 00:21:56.919
 masterfully

00:21:56.919 --> 00:21:58.980
 is this servant

00:21:58.980 --> 00:22:02.399
 says the same thing

00:22:02.399 --> 00:22:03.599
 that this guy said

00:22:03.599 --> 00:22:04.199
 to the master.

00:22:04.539 --> 00:22:06.000
 Have patience with me

00:22:06.000 --> 00:22:07.539
 and I will repay you.

00:22:08.319 --> 00:22:08.559
 Now,

00:22:08.599 --> 00:22:09.819
 the story would be glorious

00:22:09.819 --> 00:22:10.980
 if he's like,

00:22:11.019 --> 00:22:11.459
 hey, listen,

00:22:12.539 --> 00:22:13.259
 in light

00:22:13.259 --> 00:22:15.259
 of the immeasurable debt

00:22:15.259 --> 00:22:16.259
 I've been forgiven.

00:22:17.339 --> 00:22:18.899
 It's my joy

00:22:18.899 --> 00:22:20.480
 to forgive you

00:22:20.480 --> 00:22:21.539
 the hundred denarii.

00:22:21.679 --> 00:22:21.879
 Brother,

00:22:22.000 --> 00:22:22.799
 go in peace.

00:22:24.000 --> 00:22:25.039
 Your debts forgiven.

00:22:28.039 --> 00:22:29.179
 But he throws this guy

00:22:29.179 --> 00:22:29.679
 in prison.

00:22:31.139 --> 00:22:31.359
 Now,

00:22:31.379 --> 00:22:31.879
 I don't know.

00:22:32.059 --> 00:22:33.039
 You only surmise

00:22:33.039 --> 00:22:34.059
 why that would be.

00:22:35.559 --> 00:22:36.919
 Maybe he refused

00:22:36.919 --> 00:22:38.019
 to receive the forgiveness

00:22:38.019 --> 00:22:38.779
 from the master

00:22:38.779 --> 00:22:39.919
 and didn't like

00:22:39.919 --> 00:22:41.019
 that place of humility,

00:22:41.159 --> 00:22:41.859
 of humiliation,

00:22:42.179 --> 00:22:43.220
 of being in need

00:22:43.220 --> 00:22:44.139
 of that much mercy.

00:22:44.439 --> 00:22:45.179
 And let me squeeze

00:22:45.179 --> 00:22:46.220
 a hundred out of this guy.

00:22:46.220 --> 00:22:47.000
 Let me squeeze a hundred

00:22:47.000 --> 00:22:47.539
 out of this guy.

00:22:47.740 --> 00:22:48.519
 Let me pay back

00:22:48.519 --> 00:22:49.259
 what I can.

00:22:49.579 --> 00:22:51.460
 Not living as a forgiven person,

00:22:51.880 --> 00:22:52.980
 but living as a person

00:22:52.980 --> 00:22:54.039
 who's still in debt.

00:22:57.140 --> 00:22:57.539
 Maybe

00:22:57.539 --> 00:22:58.880
 he's like,

00:22:58.920 --> 00:22:59.079
 all right,

00:22:59.120 --> 00:22:59.220
 well,

00:22:59.220 --> 00:23:00.100
 I've been forgiven that.

00:23:00.180 --> 00:23:00.960
 Let me stock up

00:23:00.960 --> 00:23:01.660
 on more money

00:23:01.660 --> 00:23:02.920
 so I don't go into debt.

00:23:03.039 --> 00:23:03.759
 We don't know

00:23:03.759 --> 00:23:04.799
 why he did this,

00:23:04.880 --> 00:23:06.000
 but there's a clear

00:23:06.000 --> 00:23:07.660
 incongruency here

00:23:07.660 --> 00:23:10.200
 between how he's been treated

00:23:10.200 --> 00:23:12.339
 and how he is treated.

00:23:12.339 --> 00:23:14.599
 And when he heard,

00:23:14.699 --> 00:23:15.339
 even though he went

00:23:15.339 --> 00:23:16.119
 after this guy

00:23:16.119 --> 00:23:16.720
 to collect the debt,

00:23:17.019 --> 00:23:17.839
 when he heard,

00:23:18.119 --> 00:23:19.259
 have patience with me

00:23:19.259 --> 00:23:20.519
 and I will pay you,

00:23:20.659 --> 00:23:22.159
 it should have jarred him.

00:23:22.599 --> 00:23:22.919
 It's like,

00:23:23.039 --> 00:23:23.199
 oh,

00:23:23.220 --> 00:23:24.199
 I've heard that before

00:23:24.199 --> 00:23:25.959
 and I've benefited

00:23:25.959 --> 00:23:26.959
 greatly from that.

00:23:27.039 --> 00:23:28.000
 That should have jarred him,

00:23:28.119 --> 00:23:29.439
 but clearly it did not.

00:23:30.059 --> 00:23:31.079
 He sends the guy

00:23:31.079 --> 00:23:31.679
 to prison.

00:23:34.579 --> 00:23:35.619
 There's a third part

00:23:35.619 --> 00:23:36.480
 in this story.

00:23:36.480 --> 00:23:38.420
 It comes with

00:23:38.420 --> 00:23:40.200
 Jesus' application.

00:23:40.759 --> 00:23:42.140
 It stings a little bit,

00:23:42.240 --> 00:23:43.860
 so buckle up.

00:23:44.059 --> 00:23:44.539
 Here we go.

00:23:45.180 --> 00:23:47.059
 The master executes justice.

00:23:48.160 --> 00:23:48.640
 Verse 31,

00:23:48.839 --> 00:23:49.860
 when his fellow servants

00:23:49.860 --> 00:23:51.339
 saw what had taken place,

00:23:51.420 --> 00:23:52.720
 they were greatly distressed.

00:23:52.839 --> 00:23:53.079
 Why?

00:23:53.319 --> 00:23:54.799
 They saw the incongruency.

00:23:55.059 --> 00:23:55.759
 They saw it.

00:23:56.839 --> 00:23:57.720
 And they went

00:23:57.720 --> 00:23:59.039
 and reported to their master

00:23:59.039 --> 00:24:00.299
 all that had taken place.

00:24:00.680 --> 00:24:02.240
 Then his master summoned him

00:24:02.240 --> 00:24:03.099
 and said to him,

00:24:03.420 --> 00:24:05.279
 you wicked servant,

00:24:05.279 --> 00:24:06.839
 I forgave you

00:24:06.839 --> 00:24:07.920
 all that debt

00:24:07.920 --> 00:24:09.779
 because you pleaded with me.

00:24:10.079 --> 00:24:11.200
 And should not you

00:24:11.200 --> 00:24:12.059
 have had mercy

00:24:12.059 --> 00:24:13.420
 on your fellow servant

00:24:13.420 --> 00:24:15.420
 as I had mercy on you?

00:24:15.960 --> 00:24:16.799
 And in anger,

00:24:17.279 --> 00:24:18.379
 his master delivered him

00:24:18.379 --> 00:24:19.139
 to the jailers

00:24:19.139 --> 00:24:20.700
 until he should pay

00:24:20.700 --> 00:24:21.599
 all his debt.

00:24:22.240 --> 00:24:22.940
 Now we have to be

00:24:22.940 --> 00:24:23.420
 very careful.

00:24:23.599 --> 00:24:24.039
 Parables,

00:24:24.240 --> 00:24:24.920
 I'm just going real quick,

00:24:25.000 --> 00:24:25.559
 you guys probably

00:24:25.559 --> 00:24:26.099
 already know this.

00:24:26.639 --> 00:24:28.700
 Parables are told

00:24:28.700 --> 00:24:30.920
 with a main point in mind.

00:24:31.139 --> 00:24:31.799
 We're not supposed

00:24:31.799 --> 00:24:32.940
 to exegete parables

00:24:32.940 --> 00:24:34.480
 the way we exegete

00:24:34.480 --> 00:24:35.000
 epistles.

00:24:35.279 --> 00:24:36.160
 We shouldn't come

00:24:36.160 --> 00:24:37.200
 to the end of this story

00:24:37.200 --> 00:24:37.579
 and be like,

00:24:37.680 --> 00:24:37.819
 well,

00:24:37.859 --> 00:24:39.059
 if he was genuinely born again,

00:24:39.139 --> 00:24:39.539
 did the master

00:24:39.539 --> 00:24:40.559
 take away his salvation?

00:24:40.759 --> 00:24:41.519
 That's not the point

00:24:41.519 --> 00:24:42.220
 of this parable.

00:24:42.599 --> 00:24:44.079
 The point of this parable,

00:24:44.220 --> 00:24:45.200
 Jesus tells us,

00:24:45.720 --> 00:24:46.619
 so also my father

00:24:46.619 --> 00:24:47.839
 will do to every one of you,

00:24:47.960 --> 00:24:48.200
 listen,

00:24:48.639 --> 00:24:50.420
 if you do not forgive

00:24:50.420 --> 00:24:51.440
 your brother

00:24:51.440 --> 00:24:53.059
 from your heart.

00:24:53.379 --> 00:24:54.319
 Jesus gives us

00:24:54.319 --> 00:24:55.819
 this long story

00:24:55.819 --> 00:24:58.139
 to underscore

00:24:58.139 --> 00:24:59.680
 a principle

00:24:59.680 --> 00:25:01.720
 that forgiven people

00:25:01.720 --> 00:25:02.980
 ought to be

00:25:02.980 --> 00:25:04.059
 forgiving people.

00:25:04.059 --> 00:25:08.639
 forgiven people

00:25:08.639 --> 00:25:09.539
 ought to be

00:25:09.539 --> 00:25:10.879
 forgiving people.

00:25:13.279 --> 00:25:13.919
 Why?

00:25:14.579 --> 00:25:15.899
 Because being forgiven

00:25:15.899 --> 00:25:16.819
 makes us nice?

00:25:17.059 --> 00:25:17.279
 No.

00:25:17.980 --> 00:25:19.179
 Because being forgiven

00:25:19.179 --> 00:25:20.019
 should make us

00:25:20.019 --> 00:25:21.220
 eternally grateful.

00:25:24.019 --> 00:25:25.379
 We should be

00:25:25.379 --> 00:25:26.559
 grateful,

00:25:26.759 --> 00:25:28.179
 so overwhelmed

00:25:28.179 --> 00:25:29.220
 with gratitude

00:25:29.220 --> 00:25:30.220
 gratitude.

00:25:30.220 --> 00:25:31.279
 For the punishment

00:25:31.279 --> 00:25:32.079
 of sin,

00:25:32.160 --> 00:25:33.140
 we don't have to pay.

00:25:34.420 --> 00:25:36.000
 For the consequences

00:25:36.000 --> 00:25:36.420
 of sin,

00:25:36.500 --> 00:25:37.680
 for the assurance

00:25:37.680 --> 00:25:38.360
 we have

00:25:38.360 --> 00:25:39.779
 once we're born again

00:25:39.779 --> 00:25:40.480
 that even our

00:25:40.480 --> 00:25:41.660
 ongoing sin,

00:25:41.720 --> 00:25:42.640
 the places we continue

00:25:42.640 --> 00:25:43.120
 to fall,

00:25:43.500 --> 00:25:44.819
 don't jeopardize

00:25:44.819 --> 00:25:45.600
 our standing

00:25:45.600 --> 00:25:46.539
 before God

00:25:46.539 --> 00:25:48.140
 because our standing

00:25:48.140 --> 00:25:48.980
 before God

00:25:48.980 --> 00:25:49.740
 is secured

00:25:49.740 --> 00:25:50.559
 in the completed

00:25:50.559 --> 00:25:51.360
 work of Jesus.

00:25:51.359 --> 00:25:52.639
 all judgment

00:25:52.639 --> 00:25:53.379
 for our sin,

00:25:53.500 --> 00:25:53.779
 past,

00:25:53.919 --> 00:25:54.139
 present,

00:25:54.199 --> 00:25:54.579
 and future

00:25:54.579 --> 00:25:55.219
 has been poured

00:25:55.219 --> 00:25:56.159
 out on Christ.

00:25:57.099 --> 00:25:57.279
 So,

00:25:57.479 --> 00:25:58.819
 this doesn't just

00:25:58.819 --> 00:25:59.899
 make us forgiven,

00:26:00.059 --> 00:26:00.619
 it gives us

00:26:00.619 --> 00:26:01.419
 security.

00:26:03.459 --> 00:26:04.099
 And we

00:26:04.099 --> 00:26:05.859
 enjoy an assurance

00:26:05.859 --> 00:26:06.659
 of heaven

00:26:06.659 --> 00:26:07.459
 as born-again

00:26:07.459 --> 00:26:07.939
 believers

00:26:07.939 --> 00:26:09.339
 because of the

00:26:09.339 --> 00:26:10.059
 finished work

00:26:10.059 --> 00:26:10.719
 of Christ.

00:26:12.419 --> 00:26:13.599
 It is finished

00:26:13.599 --> 00:26:14.639
 means something.

00:26:14.640 --> 00:26:18.000
 And so then,

00:26:18.160 --> 00:26:19.240
 being forgiven

00:26:19.240 --> 00:26:20.380
 and secured

00:26:20.380 --> 00:26:21.500
 the way we are

00:26:21.500 --> 00:26:22.800
 ought to then

00:26:22.800 --> 00:26:23.840
 influence how we

00:26:23.840 --> 00:26:24.420
 treat those

00:26:24.420 --> 00:26:25.440
 who wrong us.

00:26:27.880 --> 00:26:29.080
 What has been

00:26:29.080 --> 00:26:30.280
 committed against us

00:26:30.280 --> 00:26:31.560
 will never equate.

00:26:32.100 --> 00:26:32.800
 We don't have

00:26:32.800 --> 00:26:33.300
 any

00:26:33.300 --> 00:26:35.380
 10,000

00:26:35.380 --> 00:26:36.380
 denarii people

00:26:36.380 --> 00:26:36.920
 who sin

00:26:36.920 --> 00:26:37.800
 against us.

00:26:38.180 --> 00:26:39.060
 And here's why.

00:26:40.259 --> 00:26:41.360
 There are certainly

00:26:41.360 --> 00:26:42.360
 degrees of sin

00:26:42.360 --> 00:26:43.380
 and there are

00:26:43.380 --> 00:26:43.820
 some of us

00:26:43.820 --> 00:26:44.160
 have certainly

00:26:44.160 --> 00:26:44.759
 been sinned

00:26:44.759 --> 00:26:45.160
 against

00:26:45.160 --> 00:26:46.519
 more than

00:26:46.519 --> 00:26:46.840
 others

00:26:46.840 --> 00:26:47.360
 or in a

00:26:47.360 --> 00:26:48.040
 more grievous

00:26:48.040 --> 00:26:48.540
 way.

00:26:48.860 --> 00:26:49.600
 There's heinous,

00:26:49.779 --> 00:26:50.580
 awful sin.

00:26:52.120 --> 00:26:53.240
 But that sin

00:26:53.240 --> 00:26:53.740
 is committed

00:26:53.740 --> 00:26:54.480
 between two

00:26:54.480 --> 00:26:55.480
 fallen people

00:26:55.480 --> 00:26:57.120
 as opposed

00:26:57.120 --> 00:26:58.120
 to our sin

00:26:58.120 --> 00:26:58.580
 committed

00:26:58.580 --> 00:26:59.259
 against a

00:26:59.259 --> 00:27:00.340
 holy God.

00:27:01.040 --> 00:27:01.800
 It's sin

00:27:01.800 --> 00:27:02.240
 of another

00:27:02.240 --> 00:27:02.820
 nature

00:27:02.820 --> 00:27:04.200
 that creates

00:27:04.200 --> 00:27:04.860
 the incredible

00:27:04.860 --> 00:27:05.720
 debt that we

00:27:05.720 --> 00:27:06.220
 owe God

00:27:06.220 --> 00:27:06.860
 before our

00:27:06.860 --> 00:27:07.380
 salvation.

00:27:08.460 --> 00:27:08.820
 And so,

00:27:09.340 --> 00:27:10.660
 the image

00:27:10.660 --> 00:27:11.160
 that we are

00:27:11.160 --> 00:27:11.920
 given here

00:27:11.920 --> 00:27:13.180
 is to

00:27:13.180 --> 00:27:13.600
 forgive

00:27:13.599 --> 00:27:15.879
 as your

00:27:15.879 --> 00:27:16.339
 heavenly

00:27:16.339 --> 00:27:16.939
 father

00:27:16.939 --> 00:27:18.399
 has forgiven

00:27:18.399 --> 00:27:18.879
 you.

00:27:20.279 --> 00:27:20.879
 And gang,

00:27:20.980 --> 00:27:21.619
 this leads

00:27:21.619 --> 00:27:22.299
 us to this

00:27:22.299 --> 00:27:22.859
 place of

00:27:22.859 --> 00:27:23.439
 gratitude.

00:27:24.000 --> 00:27:24.559
 We need to

00:27:24.559 --> 00:27:25.319
 cultivate

00:27:25.319 --> 00:27:26.659
 gratitude.

00:27:27.339 --> 00:27:28.000
 If you're not

00:27:28.000 --> 00:27:28.759
 regularly

00:27:28.759 --> 00:27:29.980
 overwhelmed

00:27:29.980 --> 00:27:30.959
 with gratitude

00:27:30.959 --> 00:27:31.659
 at the mercy

00:27:31.659 --> 00:27:32.500
 you've received,

00:27:32.799 --> 00:27:33.339
 I just want to

00:27:33.339 --> 00:27:34.319
 encourage you,

00:27:34.480 --> 00:27:35.179
 revisit the

00:27:35.179 --> 00:27:35.619
 cross.

00:27:36.579 --> 00:27:37.379
 Revisit

00:27:37.379 --> 00:27:38.299
 the work,

00:27:38.500 --> 00:27:39.279
 what the

00:27:39.279 --> 00:27:39.719
 cross's

00:27:39.719 --> 00:27:40.559
 implications

00:27:40.559 --> 00:27:41.159
 are.

00:27:41.539 --> 00:27:42.059
 Revisit

00:27:42.059 --> 00:27:42.579
 the fact

00:27:42.579 --> 00:27:43.500
 that before

00:27:43.500 --> 00:27:43.980
 you were

00:27:43.980 --> 00:27:44.519
 dead in

00:27:44.519 --> 00:27:44.679
 your

00:27:44.679 --> 00:27:45.339
 trespasses

00:27:45.339 --> 00:27:45.879
 and sins,

00:27:45.980 --> 00:27:46.339
 but God

00:27:46.339 --> 00:27:46.759
 made you

00:27:46.759 --> 00:27:47.779
 alive together

00:27:47.779 --> 00:27:48.419
 with Christ.

00:27:49.119 --> 00:27:49.899
 Review the

00:27:49.899 --> 00:27:50.579
 fact that

00:27:50.579 --> 00:27:50.919
 when you

00:27:50.919 --> 00:27:51.559
 were lost,

00:27:51.679 --> 00:27:52.259
 the things

00:27:52.259 --> 00:27:52.759
 of God

00:27:52.759 --> 00:27:53.779
 are foolishness

00:27:53.779 --> 00:27:54.200
 to those

00:27:54.200 --> 00:27:54.460
 who are

00:27:54.460 --> 00:27:54.879
 perishing,

00:27:55.299 --> 00:27:56.339
 but to

00:27:56.339 --> 00:27:56.740
 those who

00:27:56.740 --> 00:27:57.379
 have the

00:27:57.379 --> 00:27:57.679
 Spirit,

00:27:57.799 --> 00:27:58.000
 they are

00:27:58.000 --> 00:27:58.679
 everlasting

00:27:58.679 --> 00:27:59.179
 life.

00:27:59.679 --> 00:27:59.899
 Just

00:27:59.899 --> 00:28:01.700
 review what

00:28:01.700 --> 00:28:02.700
 you have

00:28:02.700 --> 00:28:03.659
 in Christ

00:28:03.660 --> 00:28:05.440
 and realize

00:28:05.440 --> 00:28:05.960
 the only

00:28:05.960 --> 00:28:06.620
 reason you

00:28:06.620 --> 00:28:07.060
 have it,

00:28:07.200 --> 00:28:07.540
 what do

00:28:07.540 --> 00:28:08.019
 you have

00:28:08.019 --> 00:28:08.320
 that you

00:28:08.320 --> 00:28:08.720
 have not

00:28:08.720 --> 00:28:09.240
 been given?

00:28:10.900 --> 00:28:11.200
 And so

00:28:11.200 --> 00:28:11.540
 if you've

00:28:11.540 --> 00:28:11.920
 been given

00:28:11.920 --> 00:28:12.120
 it,

00:28:12.180 --> 00:28:12.460
 why do

00:28:12.460 --> 00:28:12.860
 you act

00:28:12.860 --> 00:28:13.320
 as though

00:28:13.320 --> 00:28:13.920
 it belongs

00:28:13.920 --> 00:28:14.380
 to you?

00:28:14.820 --> 00:28:15.740
 It's yours.

00:28:16.920 --> 00:28:17.040
 Right?

00:28:17.300 --> 00:28:18.440
 Everything we

00:28:18.440 --> 00:28:18.740
 have,

00:28:18.840 --> 00:28:19.240
 wisdom,

00:28:19.600 --> 00:28:20.259
 intelligence,

00:28:21.360 --> 00:28:22.100
 finances,

00:28:22.779 --> 00:28:23.540
 soundness of

00:28:23.540 --> 00:28:24.080
 mind,

00:28:24.400 --> 00:28:24.660
 safety,

00:28:24.740 --> 00:28:25.279
 whatever we

00:28:25.279 --> 00:28:26.100
 have is a

00:28:26.100 --> 00:28:26.779
 gift from

00:28:26.779 --> 00:28:27.220
 God.

00:28:28.420 --> 00:28:29.060
 And so

00:28:29.060 --> 00:28:29.800
 we live

00:28:29.800 --> 00:28:31.840
 aware of

00:28:31.840 --> 00:28:32.279
 that gift.

00:28:32.360 --> 00:28:32.820
 We live

00:28:32.819 --> 00:28:33.679
 in gratitude

00:28:33.679 --> 00:28:34.679
 of those

00:28:34.679 --> 00:28:35.059
 gifts and

00:28:35.059 --> 00:28:35.519
 we treat

00:28:35.519 --> 00:28:36.579
 others as

00:28:36.579 --> 00:28:37.819
 someone who

00:28:37.819 --> 00:28:38.220
 has been

00:28:38.220 --> 00:28:38.819
 treated with

00:28:38.819 --> 00:28:39.859
 great generosity

00:28:39.859 --> 00:28:41.220
 ourselves.

00:28:43.039 --> 00:28:44.039
 This parable

00:28:44.039 --> 00:28:44.599
 is one of

00:28:44.599 --> 00:28:45.179
 those places

00:28:45.179 --> 00:28:46.379
 that holds

00:28:46.379 --> 00:28:47.379
 out gratitude,

00:28:47.559 --> 00:28:48.079
 that holds

00:28:48.079 --> 00:28:48.779
 that out for

00:28:48.779 --> 00:28:49.399
 us in

00:28:49.399 --> 00:28:50.419
 striking terms.

00:28:50.519 --> 00:28:50.740
 Now the

00:28:50.740 --> 00:28:51.159
 question,

00:28:51.720 --> 00:28:52.679
 once you've

00:28:52.679 --> 00:28:53.419
 cultivated that

00:28:53.419 --> 00:28:53.799
 gratitude,

00:28:54.000 --> 00:28:54.419
 once you

00:28:54.419 --> 00:28:54.879
 have it,

00:28:55.240 --> 00:28:56.000
 how do

00:28:56.000 --> 00:28:56.819
 you now

00:28:56.819 --> 00:28:59.339
 forgive?

00:28:59.859 --> 00:29:00.579
 How do

00:29:00.579 --> 00:29:01.000
 you walk

00:29:01.000 --> 00:29:01.500
 through it?

00:29:01.500 --> 00:29:03.319
 Let me

00:29:03.319 --> 00:29:03.779
 draw some

00:29:03.779 --> 00:29:04.460
 principles from

00:29:04.460 --> 00:29:04.940
 the parable.

00:29:05.279 --> 00:29:05.559
 I've just

00:29:05.559 --> 00:29:06.160
 underscored a

00:29:06.160 --> 00:29:06.539
 couple of

00:29:06.539 --> 00:29:06.619
 them,

00:29:06.680 --> 00:29:07.079
 but let me

00:29:07.079 --> 00:29:08.099
 keep doing

00:29:08.099 --> 00:29:08.339
 them.

00:29:10.420 --> 00:29:11.319
 People sin.

00:29:11.660 --> 00:29:12.279
 Dogs bark,

00:29:12.400 --> 00:29:12.920
 fish swim,

00:29:13.039 --> 00:29:13.579
 people sin.

00:29:13.720 --> 00:29:14.500
 That's how it

00:29:14.500 --> 00:29:14.759
 works,

00:29:14.819 --> 00:29:15.079
 okay?

00:29:17.599 --> 00:29:18.440
 You're people,

00:29:18.720 --> 00:29:19.240
 so you do

00:29:19.240 --> 00:29:19.579
 it too,

00:29:19.839 --> 00:29:20.119
 right?

00:29:20.420 --> 00:29:22.079
 So we

00:29:22.079 --> 00:29:22.759
 shouldn't be

00:29:22.759 --> 00:29:23.859
 shocked in

00:29:23.859 --> 00:29:24.579
 our lives when

00:29:24.579 --> 00:29:25.119
 we're sinned

00:29:25.119 --> 00:29:25.460
 against.

00:29:25.680 --> 00:29:26.099
 Now some

00:29:26.099 --> 00:29:26.940
 particular sins

00:29:26.940 --> 00:29:27.319
 are very

00:29:27.319 --> 00:29:27.720
 shocking,

00:29:27.940 --> 00:29:28.359
 but it

00:29:28.359 --> 00:29:28.920
 shouldn't in

00:29:28.920 --> 00:29:29.819
 the end be

00:29:29.819 --> 00:29:30.319
 a shock.

00:29:30.700 --> 00:29:31.139
 How could

00:29:31.139 --> 00:29:31.659
 that person

00:29:31.659 --> 00:29:32.159
 do that?

00:29:32.439 --> 00:29:33.000
 We are all

00:29:33.000 --> 00:29:33.579
 capable of

00:29:33.579 --> 00:29:34.119
 the vilest

00:29:34.119 --> 00:29:34.700
 of sin if

00:29:34.700 --> 00:29:35.139
 it weren't

00:29:35.139 --> 00:29:35.460
 for the

00:29:35.460 --> 00:29:36.200
 staying grace

00:29:36.200 --> 00:29:36.619
 of God.

00:29:37.599 --> 00:29:38.119
 We need

00:29:38.119 --> 00:29:38.399
 to know

00:29:38.399 --> 00:29:39.000
 that about

00:29:39.000 --> 00:29:40.599
 ourselves so

00:29:40.599 --> 00:29:41.039
 that we can

00:29:41.039 --> 00:29:42.000
 respond properly

00:29:42.000 --> 00:29:42.819
 to the sin

00:29:42.819 --> 00:29:43.279
 that's committed

00:29:43.279 --> 00:29:44.000
 around us

00:29:44.000 --> 00:29:44.919
 and committed

00:29:44.919 --> 00:29:45.559
 to us.

00:29:45.679 --> 00:29:46.179
 So if you're

00:29:46.179 --> 00:29:46.919
 going to thrive

00:29:46.919 --> 00:29:47.759
 in relationships,

00:29:47.759 --> 00:29:48.240
 you're going to

00:29:48.240 --> 00:29:48.599
 have to bring

00:29:48.599 --> 00:29:49.460
 this expectation

00:29:49.460 --> 00:29:50.439
 that people

00:29:50.439 --> 00:29:50.980
 sin.

00:29:52.079 --> 00:29:52.679
 I've used

00:29:52.679 --> 00:29:53.079
 marriage as

00:29:53.079 --> 00:29:53.679
 an illustration.

00:29:54.000 --> 00:29:54.539
 It's beautiful

00:29:54.539 --> 00:29:55.200
 in this picture.

00:29:55.339 --> 00:29:55.879
 You've got two

00:29:55.879 --> 00:29:56.980
 sinners that

00:29:56.980 --> 00:29:58.099
 are married and

00:29:58.099 --> 00:29:58.700
 joined into

00:29:58.700 --> 00:29:59.580
 one flesh.

00:30:01.039 --> 00:30:01.660
 That's a

00:30:01.660 --> 00:30:02.700
 beautiful picture,

00:30:02.840 --> 00:30:03.380
 but it's also

00:30:03.380 --> 00:30:04.460
 crowded for two

00:30:04.460 --> 00:30:05.220
 sinners in one

00:30:05.220 --> 00:30:05.519
 flesh.

00:30:05.580 --> 00:30:05.840
 They've got to

00:30:05.840 --> 00:30:06.240
 work out all

00:30:06.240 --> 00:30:07.000
 their sin in

00:30:07.000 --> 00:30:07.779
 that one person

00:30:07.779 --> 00:30:08.160
 that gets

00:30:08.160 --> 00:30:08.480
 formed.

00:30:09.900 --> 00:30:10.700
 In a

00:30:10.700 --> 00:30:11.220
 household,

00:30:11.559 --> 00:30:11.940
 when you're

00:30:11.940 --> 00:30:12.380
 with people

00:30:12.380 --> 00:30:13.200
 24-7,

00:30:13.759 --> 00:30:14.180
 kids,

00:30:14.420 --> 00:30:15.200
 I don't know

00:30:15.200 --> 00:30:15.559
 if any of

00:30:15.559 --> 00:30:15.819
 you have

00:30:15.819 --> 00:30:16.100
 kids,

00:30:16.220 --> 00:30:17.100
 but you've

00:30:17.100 --> 00:30:17.340
 all been

00:30:17.340 --> 00:30:17.680
 a kid.

00:30:18.160 --> 00:30:18.559
 And so

00:30:18.559 --> 00:30:20.279
 when people

00:30:20.279 --> 00:30:21.100
 live together,

00:30:21.380 --> 00:30:22.059
 their sin

00:30:22.059 --> 00:30:22.700
 rubs off on

00:30:22.700 --> 00:30:23.140
 one another,

00:30:23.220 --> 00:30:23.400
 right?

00:30:23.460 --> 00:30:23.900
 There's all

00:30:23.900 --> 00:30:24.319
 this sin

00:30:24.319 --> 00:30:24.720
 going all

00:30:24.720 --> 00:30:24.980
 over the

00:30:24.980 --> 00:30:25.140
 place.

00:30:25.460 --> 00:30:25.880
 We just

00:30:25.880 --> 00:30:26.340
 have to

00:30:26.340 --> 00:30:26.700
 stop being

00:30:26.700 --> 00:30:27.720
 surprised by

00:30:27.720 --> 00:30:27.920
 it.

00:30:27.920 --> 00:30:28.940
 So let

00:30:28.940 --> 00:30:29.320
 me provide

00:30:29.320 --> 00:30:30.100
 four points

00:30:30.100 --> 00:30:30.580
 of application

00:30:30.580 --> 00:30:31.300
 from this

00:30:31.300 --> 00:30:32.660
 parable.

00:30:32.800 --> 00:30:33.060
 First,

00:30:33.140 --> 00:30:33.460
 I just

00:30:33.460 --> 00:30:34.120
 said keep

00:30:34.120 --> 00:30:35.019
 yourself

00:30:35.019 --> 00:30:36.080
 grateful.

00:30:36.920 --> 00:30:37.300
 And I

00:30:37.300 --> 00:30:38.120
 included here

00:30:38.120 --> 00:30:39.800
 Ephesians 5-20,

00:30:40.380 --> 00:30:40.880
 give thanks

00:30:40.880 --> 00:30:41.480
 always and

00:30:41.480 --> 00:30:42.100
 for everything

00:30:42.100 --> 00:30:42.720
 to God

00:30:42.720 --> 00:30:43.259
 the Father

00:30:43.259 --> 00:30:44.460
 in the name

00:30:44.460 --> 00:30:45.279
 of our

00:30:45.279 --> 00:30:45.779
 Lord Jesus

00:30:45.779 --> 00:30:46.220
 Christ.

00:30:47.060 --> 00:30:47.759
 I do love

00:30:47.759 --> 00:30:48.039
 when the

00:30:48.039 --> 00:30:48.660
 epistles use

00:30:48.660 --> 00:30:49.240
 those awkward

00:30:49.240 --> 00:30:49.880
 words like

00:30:49.880 --> 00:30:51.240
 always and

00:30:51.240 --> 00:30:51.880
 everything.

00:30:53.259 --> 00:30:53.420
 Okay,

00:30:53.720 --> 00:30:55.120
 give thanks

00:30:55.120 --> 00:30:55.940
 always and

00:30:55.940 --> 00:30:56.380
 everything.

00:30:56.380 --> 00:30:57.380
 gratitude is

00:30:57.380 --> 00:30:58.100
 a Christian

00:30:58.100 --> 00:30:58.680
 virtue.

00:30:59.560 --> 00:30:59.900
 It's not

00:30:59.900 --> 00:31:00.420
 just this

00:31:00.420 --> 00:31:01.680
 awesome app

00:31:01.680 --> 00:31:02.260
 you download

00:31:02.260 --> 00:31:02.660
 onto your

00:31:02.660 --> 00:31:03.220
 Christian life.

00:31:03.360 --> 00:31:03.760
 It's an

00:31:03.760 --> 00:31:04.880
 actual core

00:31:04.880 --> 00:31:06.420
 virtue that

00:31:06.420 --> 00:31:06.900
 we need to

00:31:06.900 --> 00:31:07.340
 cultivate,

00:31:07.860 --> 00:31:08.400
 one of

00:31:08.400 --> 00:31:08.840
 gratitude.

00:31:09.100 --> 00:31:09.320
 Second,

00:31:10.280 --> 00:31:10.540
 keep

00:31:10.540 --> 00:31:11.060
 others'

00:31:11.460 --> 00:31:12.980
 sin in

00:31:12.980 --> 00:31:13.800
 perspective.

00:31:14.920 --> 00:31:15.580
 This is

00:31:15.580 --> 00:31:16.000
 where the

00:31:16.000 --> 00:31:16.340
 servant

00:31:16.340 --> 00:31:16.880
 failed.

00:31:18.640 --> 00:31:19.700
 He treated

00:31:19.700 --> 00:31:20.220
 the guy who

00:31:20.220 --> 00:31:20.440
 owed him

00:31:20.440 --> 00:31:21.340
 100 denarii

00:31:21.340 --> 00:31:21.700
 in the same

00:31:21.700 --> 00:31:22.620
 exact way

00:31:22.620 --> 00:31:23.740
 that he was

00:31:23.740 --> 00:31:24.260
 going to be

00:31:24.259 --> 00:31:25.259
 treated for

00:31:25.259 --> 00:31:26.259
 the 10,000

00:31:26.259 --> 00:31:26.839
 talents.

00:31:27.259 --> 00:31:27.500
 There was

00:31:27.500 --> 00:31:29.140
 disproportion in

00:31:29.140 --> 00:31:29.920
 the consequence

00:31:29.920 --> 00:31:31.000
 because he

00:31:31.000 --> 00:31:31.700
 allowed their

00:31:31.700 --> 00:31:32.640
 debts to

00:31:32.640 --> 00:31:33.000
 lose,

00:31:33.299 --> 00:31:34.559
 the guy who

00:31:34.559 --> 00:31:35.279
 owed him to

00:31:35.279 --> 00:31:36.259
 lose perspective.

00:31:37.299 --> 00:31:38.019
 How do we

00:31:38.019 --> 00:31:38.299
 do that?

00:31:38.379 --> 00:31:38.759
 Why do we

00:31:38.759 --> 00:31:39.160
 do that?

00:31:39.359 --> 00:31:40.039
 Because when

00:31:40.039 --> 00:31:40.619
 we're sinned

00:31:40.619 --> 00:31:41.279
 against, we

00:31:41.279 --> 00:31:43.039
 foster bitterness.

00:31:44.420 --> 00:31:45.140
 And then what

00:31:45.140 --> 00:31:47.079
 happens is the

00:31:47.079 --> 00:31:47.579
 person who

00:31:47.579 --> 00:31:48.240
 sinned against

00:31:48.240 --> 00:31:49.099
 us now has

00:31:49.099 --> 00:31:50.000
 to answer not

00:31:50.000 --> 00:31:50.660
 only for what

00:31:50.660 --> 00:31:51.279
 they did,

00:31:51.519 --> 00:31:52.240
 but for what

00:31:52.240 --> 00:31:52.960
 we did with

00:31:52.960 --> 00:31:53.319
 what they

00:31:53.319 --> 00:31:53.680
 did.

00:31:55.480 --> 00:31:56.539
 So if we

00:31:56.539 --> 00:31:57.160
 fostered

00:31:57.160 --> 00:31:57.839
 bitterness and

00:31:57.839 --> 00:31:58.500
 hatred and

00:31:58.500 --> 00:31:59.339
 we've lost

00:31:59.339 --> 00:32:00.579
 sleep, and

00:32:00.579 --> 00:32:02.480
 now they're

00:32:02.480 --> 00:32:03.160
 accountable for

00:32:03.160 --> 00:32:03.960
 all of that.

00:32:04.680 --> 00:32:05.380
 And so we

00:32:05.380 --> 00:32:06.480
 immediately begin

00:32:06.480 --> 00:32:06.920
 to lose

00:32:06.920 --> 00:32:08.700
 perspective on

00:32:08.700 --> 00:32:09.680
 what people

00:32:09.680 --> 00:32:10.779
 have done as

00:32:10.779 --> 00:32:12.460
 though we

00:32:12.460 --> 00:32:13.099
 could never

00:32:13.099 --> 00:32:13.759
 do it.

00:32:14.120 --> 00:32:14.900
 The fact that

00:32:14.900 --> 00:32:16.200
 I could

00:32:16.200 --> 00:32:17.759
 never do

00:32:17.759 --> 00:32:18.099
 what that

00:32:18.099 --> 00:32:18.900
 person did,

00:32:19.019 --> 00:32:19.740
 just catch

00:32:19.740 --> 00:32:20.640
 yourself there.

00:32:22.240 --> 00:32:23.940
 it's almost

00:32:23.940 --> 00:32:24.819
 never true.

00:32:28.480 --> 00:32:30.140
 So I'm

00:32:30.140 --> 00:32:30.799
 not trying to

00:32:30.799 --> 00:32:31.640
 diminish the

00:32:31.640 --> 00:32:32.380
 hurt that

00:32:32.380 --> 00:32:33.099
 comes with

00:32:33.099 --> 00:32:34.259
 this, but I

00:32:34.259 --> 00:32:35.039
 am trying to

00:32:35.039 --> 00:32:35.799
 show you here

00:32:35.799 --> 00:32:36.200
 in keeping

00:32:36.200 --> 00:32:36.500
 others'

00:32:36.620 --> 00:32:36.819
 sin in

00:32:36.819 --> 00:32:37.839
 perspective that

00:32:37.839 --> 00:32:38.279
 we have

00:32:38.279 --> 00:32:38.940
 access to a

00:32:38.940 --> 00:32:39.680
 gospel that's

00:32:39.680 --> 00:32:40.519
 stronger than

00:32:40.519 --> 00:32:41.240
 the effect of

00:32:41.240 --> 00:32:42.620
 people's sin.

00:32:43.779 --> 00:32:44.460
 People's sin

00:32:44.460 --> 00:32:45.279
 really does hurt

00:32:45.279 --> 00:32:45.839
 us, but we

00:32:45.839 --> 00:32:46.400
 have a gospel

00:32:46.400 --> 00:32:46.980
 that's bigger

00:32:46.980 --> 00:32:47.660
 and stronger

00:32:47.660 --> 00:32:48.359
 than that,

00:32:48.799 --> 00:32:49.519
 so that we

00:32:49.519 --> 00:32:50.400
 don't have to

00:32:50.400 --> 00:32:51.059
 relate to

00:32:51.059 --> 00:32:51.879
 people according

00:32:51.879 --> 00:32:52.339
 to their

00:32:52.339 --> 00:32:52.960
 iniquities.

00:32:57.299 --> 00:32:58.099
 After all,

00:32:58.519 --> 00:32:59.039
 I'm sure you've

00:32:59.039 --> 00:32:59.419
 already made the

00:32:59.419 --> 00:33:00.740
 connection, God

00:33:00.740 --> 00:33:01.460
 doesn't treat us

00:33:01.460 --> 00:33:02.259
 according to our

00:33:02.259 --> 00:33:02.740
 iniquities.

00:33:03.639 --> 00:33:04.419
 It's not that he

00:33:04.419 --> 00:33:05.339
 sets aside justice,

00:33:05.460 --> 00:33:05.980
 all of that

00:33:05.980 --> 00:33:06.740
 actually matters,

00:33:06.879 --> 00:33:07.779
 it does, but

00:33:07.779 --> 00:33:08.220
 you'll never

00:33:08.220 --> 00:33:08.960
 actually be able

00:33:08.960 --> 00:33:09.440
 to pursue

00:33:09.440 --> 00:33:10.019
 justice

00:33:10.019 --> 00:33:12.440
 righteously if

00:33:12.440 --> 00:33:12.940
 you don't deal

00:33:12.940 --> 00:33:13.799
 with this first.

00:33:13.799 --> 00:33:17.539
 third.

00:33:18.299 --> 00:33:19.440
 Walk through the

00:33:19.440 --> 00:33:20.480
 steps of

00:33:20.480 --> 00:33:21.259
 forgiveness.

00:33:21.859 --> 00:33:22.659
 There are very

00:33:22.659 --> 00:33:23.759
 important ingredients

00:33:23.759 --> 00:33:24.599
 for forgiveness

00:33:24.599 --> 00:33:26.079
 to be

00:33:26.079 --> 00:33:27.960
 actualized.

00:33:29.359 --> 00:33:30.099
 Okay, let me

00:33:30.099 --> 00:33:30.559
 just lay out

00:33:30.559 --> 00:33:31.279
 four of them,

00:33:31.460 --> 00:33:31.960
 I could probably

00:33:31.960 --> 00:33:32.759
 insert a few

00:33:32.759 --> 00:33:33.139
 others.

00:33:34.139 --> 00:33:35.000
 Acknowledge that

00:33:35.000 --> 00:33:35.879
 you've been

00:33:35.879 --> 00:33:36.799
 wronged.

00:33:38.240 --> 00:33:39.139
 It doesn't

00:33:39.139 --> 00:33:40.039
 really do us

00:33:40.039 --> 00:33:40.539
 any good,

00:33:40.579 --> 00:33:41.000
 even if we're

00:33:41.000 --> 00:33:41.339
 trying to

00:33:41.339 --> 00:33:41.879
 overlook an

00:33:41.879 --> 00:33:42.200
 offense,

00:33:42.200 --> 00:33:42.680
 it doesn't

00:33:42.680 --> 00:33:43.299
 do us any

00:33:43.299 --> 00:33:44.039
 good to

00:33:44.039 --> 00:33:44.620
 say, oh,

00:33:44.660 --> 00:33:44.960
 what they

00:33:44.960 --> 00:33:45.519
 did wasn't

00:33:45.519 --> 00:33:45.860
 wrong.

00:33:49.180 --> 00:33:49.940
 I'm sure it

00:33:49.940 --> 00:33:50.140
 was.

00:33:50.220 --> 00:33:50.819
 Maybe it's just

00:33:50.819 --> 00:33:51.299
 a personality

00:33:51.299 --> 00:33:51.960
 thing that's

00:33:51.960 --> 00:33:52.580
 annoying you,

00:33:52.660 --> 00:33:53.140
 that's different.

00:33:53.380 --> 00:33:53.759
 But if the

00:33:53.759 --> 00:33:54.400
 person's actually

00:33:54.400 --> 00:33:55.059
 sinned, they've

00:33:55.059 --> 00:33:55.759
 done a wrong,

00:33:55.860 --> 00:33:56.220
 they've been

00:33:56.220 --> 00:33:56.819
 wronged.

00:33:57.279 --> 00:33:57.960
 They've done

00:33:57.960 --> 00:33:58.640
 wrong, you've

00:33:58.640 --> 00:33:59.140
 been wronged.

00:33:59.440 --> 00:34:00.420
 So if you're

00:34:00.420 --> 00:34:01.279
 going to actually

00:34:01.279 --> 00:34:02.059
 get to a place

00:34:02.059 --> 00:34:02.640
 of forgiveness,

00:34:02.819 --> 00:34:03.480
 you have to

00:34:03.480 --> 00:34:04.319
 acknowledge that

00:34:04.319 --> 00:34:04.700
 you've been

00:34:04.700 --> 00:34:05.160
 wronged.

00:34:06.660 --> 00:34:07.580
 And actual

00:34:07.580 --> 00:34:08.360
 injustice has

00:34:08.360 --> 00:34:08.900
 happened here.

00:34:08.900 --> 00:34:12.820
 you are

00:34:12.820 --> 00:34:13.880
 technically

00:34:13.880 --> 00:34:14.579
 owed a

00:34:14.579 --> 00:34:14.860
 debt.

00:34:18.579 --> 00:34:19.059
 Second,

00:34:19.480 --> 00:34:20.360
 allow their

00:34:20.360 --> 00:34:21.980
 sin to

00:34:21.980 --> 00:34:22.720
 remind you

00:34:22.720 --> 00:34:23.220
 of your

00:34:23.220 --> 00:34:24.099
 state as

00:34:24.099 --> 00:34:24.559
 a sinner.

00:34:24.720 --> 00:34:25.000
 This is

00:34:25.000 --> 00:34:25.320
 where this

00:34:25.320 --> 00:34:25.780
 guy fell

00:34:25.780 --> 00:34:26.139
 short.

00:34:29.440 --> 00:34:30.160
 When you're

00:34:30.160 --> 00:34:30.539
 struggling,

00:34:30.639 --> 00:34:31.079
 if you can't

00:34:31.079 --> 00:34:31.880
 overlook a

00:34:31.880 --> 00:34:32.460
 sin and it's

00:34:32.460 --> 00:34:33.740
 lingering in

00:34:33.740 --> 00:34:34.260
 your soul,

00:34:34.400 --> 00:34:35.019
 just take that

00:34:35.019 --> 00:34:35.720
 next step of

00:34:35.720 --> 00:34:36.960
 reminding yourself

00:34:36.960 --> 00:34:39.099
 of how you've

00:34:39.099 --> 00:34:39.659
 been treated

00:34:39.659 --> 00:34:41.539
 as a sinner

00:34:41.539 --> 00:34:42.240
 by God.

00:34:42.880 --> 00:34:43.659
 Let me tell you

00:34:43.659 --> 00:34:43.940
 a story.

00:34:45.880 --> 00:34:46.920
 When I was in

00:34:46.920 --> 00:34:47.320
 the Pastors

00:34:47.320 --> 00:34:47.880
 College for

00:34:47.880 --> 00:34:48.440
 Sovereign Grace

00:34:48.440 --> 00:34:49.699
 2007 to

00:34:49.699 --> 00:34:51.940
 2008, and

00:34:51.940 --> 00:34:52.780
 one of our

00:34:52.780 --> 00:34:53.519
 teachers there,

00:34:53.679 --> 00:34:54.360
 the class was

00:34:54.360 --> 00:34:55.300
 Christian Holiness,

00:34:55.500 --> 00:34:56.760
 I think is the

00:34:56.760 --> 00:34:57.260
 title of the

00:34:57.260 --> 00:34:57.800
 class, was

00:34:57.800 --> 00:34:58.460
 taught by Jerry

00:34:58.460 --> 00:34:58.940
 Bridges.

00:34:59.079 --> 00:34:59.480
 Anybody here

00:34:59.480 --> 00:34:59.960
 know Jerry

00:34:59.960 --> 00:35:00.400
 Bridges?

00:35:01.860 --> 00:35:02.740
 Sean Wu.

00:35:04.280 --> 00:35:05.039
 They don't know

00:35:05.039 --> 00:35:05.720
 him personally.

00:35:05.719 --> 00:35:06.500
 No, no, no.

00:35:06.639 --> 00:35:07.179
 But do you

00:35:07.179 --> 00:35:07.619
 know who Jerry

00:35:07.619 --> 00:35:08.299
 Bridges is?

00:35:09.179 --> 00:35:09.939
 Sean Wu.

00:35:11.459 --> 00:35:12.059
 Okay, yeah.

00:35:13.379 --> 00:35:14.379
 Okay, so

00:35:14.379 --> 00:35:15.459
 trusting God,

00:35:16.199 --> 00:35:17.500
 transforming grace,

00:35:17.659 --> 00:35:18.359
 disciplines of

00:35:18.359 --> 00:35:20.239
 grace, Sean.

00:35:24.000 --> 00:35:24.739
 All right, well,

00:35:24.799 --> 00:35:25.779
 listen, I'm going

00:35:25.779 --> 00:35:26.279
 to tell you a

00:35:26.279 --> 00:35:26.899
 story about Jerry

00:35:26.899 --> 00:35:27.619
 Bridges that will

00:35:27.619 --> 00:35:28.159
 be sweet.

00:35:29.500 --> 00:35:30.279
 After you read

00:35:30.279 --> 00:35:31.000
 his books, it'll

00:35:31.000 --> 00:35:31.739
 really be profound.

00:35:31.980 --> 00:35:33.319
 Okay, so Jerry

00:35:33.319 --> 00:35:34.019
 Bridges was teaching

00:35:34.019 --> 00:35:34.619
 this class.

00:35:34.859 --> 00:35:35.339
 He was 80

00:35:35.340 --> 00:35:36.059
 something at the

00:35:36.059 --> 00:35:36.300
 time.

00:35:37.480 --> 00:35:40.160
 And he came

00:35:40.160 --> 00:35:40.800
 in on Thursday

00:35:40.800 --> 00:35:42.940
 morning, red-eyed.

00:35:44.500 --> 00:35:44.900
 Irrespectable

00:35:44.900 --> 00:35:45.420
 sins would be

00:35:45.420 --> 00:35:45.760
 another one.

00:35:45.820 --> 00:35:46.920
 Yeah, he was

00:35:46.920 --> 00:35:48.059
 red-eyed, like

00:35:48.059 --> 00:35:48.440
 he had been

00:35:48.440 --> 00:35:49.620
 crying, or had

00:35:49.620 --> 00:35:50.240
 a hangover, I

00:35:50.240 --> 00:35:50.620
 assume he was

00:35:50.620 --> 00:35:51.000
 crying.

00:35:52.980 --> 00:35:54.140
 And so he was

00:35:54.140 --> 00:35:55.059
 gathering himself,

00:35:55.420 --> 00:35:56.019
 blotting his

00:35:56.019 --> 00:35:58.140
 eyes, and somebody

00:35:58.140 --> 00:35:58.720
 in the class just

00:35:58.720 --> 00:35:59.120
 said, Dr.

00:35:59.180 --> 00:35:59.940
 Bridges, are you

00:35:59.940 --> 00:36:00.579
 okay?

00:36:01.940 --> 00:36:02.559
 And he said,

00:36:02.579 --> 00:36:02.860
 well, let me

00:36:02.860 --> 00:36:03.460
 tell you a story.

00:36:03.579 --> 00:36:03.960
 I'm going to tell

00:36:03.960 --> 00:36:04.199
 you what he

00:36:04.199 --> 00:36:04.400
 said.

00:36:05.559 --> 00:36:06.300
 He said, this

00:36:06.300 --> 00:36:07.139
 morning in my

00:36:07.139 --> 00:36:08.679
 devotions, which

00:36:08.679 --> 00:36:09.380
 right there should

00:36:09.380 --> 00:36:10.159
 humble everybody,

00:36:10.300 --> 00:36:10.900
 because he's 80

00:36:10.900 --> 00:36:11.460
 something, still

00:36:11.460 --> 00:36:11.860
 doing his

00:36:11.860 --> 00:36:12.300
 devotions.

00:36:14.260 --> 00:36:14.980
 This morning in

00:36:14.980 --> 00:36:15.639
 my devotions, the

00:36:15.639 --> 00:36:16.519
 Lord convicted me

00:36:16.519 --> 00:36:18.860
 of a sin that I've

00:36:18.860 --> 00:36:19.740
 been committing, I

00:36:19.740 --> 00:36:20.440
 think, my whole

00:36:20.440 --> 00:36:21.380
 Christian life.

00:36:23.380 --> 00:36:24.260
 And he's just

00:36:24.260 --> 00:36:27.760
 chosen today to be

00:36:27.760 --> 00:36:28.740
 the day to convict

00:36:28.739 --> 00:36:29.459
 me of it.

00:36:30.419 --> 00:36:32.919
 He has forbeard

00:36:32.919 --> 00:36:35.419
 with me for 60

00:36:35.419 --> 00:36:37.599
 years without ever

00:36:37.599 --> 00:36:38.739
 pointing this out.

00:36:39.339 --> 00:36:42.000
 How good is God?

00:36:42.579 --> 00:36:43.419
 He starts crying

00:36:43.419 --> 00:36:43.959
 again, right?

00:36:46.339 --> 00:36:47.739
 God acknowledged it

00:36:47.739 --> 00:36:49.959
 was wrong when it

00:36:49.959 --> 00:36:50.979
 was best for Jerry

00:36:50.979 --> 00:36:52.039
 to deal with that.

00:36:52.919 --> 00:36:53.619
 And in that

00:36:53.619 --> 00:36:56.419
 moment, God was

00:36:56.420 --> 00:36:57.480
 bringing attention

00:36:57.480 --> 00:36:58.599
 to Jerry's

00:36:58.599 --> 00:37:00.960
 sinful state.

00:37:01.880 --> 00:37:02.559
 Now, Jerry

00:37:02.559 --> 00:37:04.180
 has, I've never

00:37:04.180 --> 00:37:04.480
 known him

00:37:04.480 --> 00:37:04.880
 personally,

00:37:05.000 --> 00:37:05.380
 personally.

00:37:05.519 --> 00:37:05.880
 I mean, I've been

00:37:05.880 --> 00:37:06.480
 in his presence,

00:37:06.579 --> 00:37:07.360
 we've talked, but

00:37:07.360 --> 00:37:08.900
 he's a gracious

00:37:08.900 --> 00:37:10.440
 man who treats

00:37:10.440 --> 00:37:11.559
 others the way

00:37:11.559 --> 00:37:12.079
 we're talking

00:37:12.079 --> 00:37:12.400
 about.

00:37:13.139 --> 00:37:15.420
 But even at

00:37:15.420 --> 00:37:16.980
 84, I think he

00:37:16.980 --> 00:37:17.460
 might have been,

00:37:17.860 --> 00:37:19.579
 there are sins

00:37:19.579 --> 00:37:20.099
 you're committing

00:37:20.099 --> 00:37:21.079
 now that God's just

00:37:21.079 --> 00:37:21.860
 not pointing out

00:37:21.860 --> 00:37:22.220
 to you.

00:37:22.219 --> 00:37:23.259
 He's bearing

00:37:23.259 --> 00:37:23.919
 with them.

00:37:25.619 --> 00:37:25.759
 Okay?

00:37:26.079 --> 00:37:26.859
 You may be

00:37:26.859 --> 00:37:27.299
 called to do

00:37:27.299 --> 00:37:27.659
 that with

00:37:27.659 --> 00:37:28.099
 somebody.

00:37:32.099 --> 00:37:33.480
 When they

00:37:33.480 --> 00:37:34.399
 grow in

00:37:34.399 --> 00:37:35.179
 Christ more,

00:37:35.259 --> 00:37:35.699
 they'll see

00:37:35.699 --> 00:37:36.419
 this clearly.

00:37:36.899 --> 00:37:37.679
 I can bear

00:37:37.679 --> 00:37:38.259
 with this

00:37:38.259 --> 00:37:38.599
 now.

00:37:41.299 --> 00:37:41.859
 And then

00:37:41.859 --> 00:37:42.259
 there are those

00:37:42.259 --> 00:37:42.719
 things that you

00:37:42.719 --> 00:37:43.239
 can't, that have

00:37:43.239 --> 00:37:43.819
 to be addressed,

00:37:43.919 --> 00:37:44.399
 and we talked

00:37:44.399 --> 00:37:44.980
 about addressing

00:37:44.980 --> 00:37:45.639
 those earlier.

00:37:46.159 --> 00:37:47.399
 But allow

00:37:47.399 --> 00:37:48.279
 their sin to

00:37:48.279 --> 00:37:49.239
 just remind you

00:37:49.239 --> 00:37:49.919
 of your own

00:37:49.919 --> 00:37:51.039
 sinful state.

00:37:52.219 --> 00:37:54.000
 then, next,

00:37:54.219 --> 00:37:55.500
 embrace that

00:37:55.500 --> 00:37:57.079
 Jesus bled for

00:37:57.079 --> 00:37:58.079
 their injustice

00:37:58.079 --> 00:37:59.419
 and for yours.

00:37:59.959 --> 00:38:01.159
 I find it very,

00:38:01.339 --> 00:38:02.079
 very helpful

00:38:02.079 --> 00:38:03.439
 when I'm at

00:38:03.439 --> 00:38:04.059
 odds with

00:38:04.059 --> 00:38:05.419
 somebody to

00:38:05.419 --> 00:38:06.299
 remind myself

00:38:06.299 --> 00:38:07.019
 of two things,

00:38:07.099 --> 00:38:07.539
 assuming they're

00:38:07.539 --> 00:38:07.919
 a Christian.

00:38:08.179 --> 00:38:08.659
 Well, first,

00:38:09.000 --> 00:38:09.500
 they're image

00:38:09.500 --> 00:38:10.799
 bearers of God.

00:38:11.519 --> 00:38:12.199
 Then, assuming

00:38:12.199 --> 00:38:12.959
 they're a Christian,

00:38:13.599 --> 00:38:14.279
 they're covered

00:38:14.279 --> 00:38:15.359
 in the same

00:38:15.359 --> 00:38:15.919
 blood that

00:38:15.919 --> 00:38:16.980
 needed to cover

00:38:16.980 --> 00:38:17.299
 me.

00:38:19.759 --> 00:38:20.639
 I'm going to

00:38:20.639 --> 00:38:21.099
 be spending

00:38:21.099 --> 00:38:22.139
 eternity with

00:38:22.139 --> 00:38:22.799
 this person.

00:38:25.119 --> 00:38:25.960
 These are just

00:38:25.960 --> 00:38:26.819
 good reminders

00:38:26.819 --> 00:38:28.079
 for us to

00:38:28.079 --> 00:38:29.679
 embrace the

00:38:29.679 --> 00:38:30.860
 Christian worldview

00:38:30.860 --> 00:38:31.519
 of who they

00:38:31.519 --> 00:38:32.199
 are, that

00:38:32.199 --> 00:38:33.059
 Jesus bled

00:38:33.059 --> 00:38:33.819
 for this

00:38:33.819 --> 00:38:34.519
 sin that

00:38:34.519 --> 00:38:34.980
 they've just

00:38:34.980 --> 00:38:35.759
 committed against

00:38:35.759 --> 00:38:36.559
 me, Christ

00:38:36.559 --> 00:38:37.860
 died for.

00:38:38.860 --> 00:38:39.759
 And then

00:38:39.759 --> 00:38:40.920
 cast their

00:38:40.920 --> 00:38:42.319
 sin into

00:38:42.319 --> 00:38:43.279
 the sea of

00:38:43.279 --> 00:38:44.339
 forgetfulness.

00:38:44.639 --> 00:38:45.019
 Now, that's

00:38:45.019 --> 00:38:45.679
 where God

00:38:45.679 --> 00:38:46.980
 has put your

00:38:46.980 --> 00:38:47.400
 sin.

00:38:47.400 --> 00:38:49.380
 And he

00:38:49.380 --> 00:38:50.340
 doesn't relate

00:38:50.340 --> 00:38:51.180
 to you

00:38:51.180 --> 00:38:53.240
 as that

00:38:53.240 --> 00:38:53.840
 person who

00:38:53.840 --> 00:38:54.460
 keeps failing

00:38:54.460 --> 00:38:55.039
 and keeps

00:38:55.039 --> 00:38:55.559
 offending.

00:38:56.280 --> 00:38:57.039
 He relates

00:38:57.039 --> 00:38:57.480
 to you as

00:38:57.480 --> 00:38:58.019
 one who is

00:38:58.019 --> 00:38:58.500
 forgiven,

00:38:58.780 --> 00:38:59.700
 freed from

00:38:59.700 --> 00:39:00.160
 the weight

00:39:00.160 --> 00:39:00.760
 of your

00:39:00.760 --> 00:39:01.119
 sin.

00:39:01.220 --> 00:39:01.660
 That's what

00:39:01.660 --> 00:39:03.139
 Matthew 18

00:39:03.139 --> 00:39:03.619
 here is

00:39:03.619 --> 00:39:04.559
 holding out

00:39:04.559 --> 00:39:05.519
 for us.

00:39:06.079 --> 00:39:07.000
 Now, God

00:39:07.000 --> 00:39:07.519
 has the

00:39:07.519 --> 00:39:08.260
 holy ability

00:39:08.260 --> 00:39:08.880
 to cast

00:39:08.880 --> 00:39:09.400
 things into

00:39:09.400 --> 00:39:09.840
 the sea of

00:39:09.840 --> 00:39:10.420
 forgetfulness,

00:39:10.820 --> 00:39:11.960
 and we

00:39:11.960 --> 00:39:12.880
 will struggle

00:39:12.880 --> 00:39:13.420
 with that

00:39:13.420 --> 00:39:13.780
 more.

00:39:13.780 --> 00:39:17.400
 Let me

00:39:17.400 --> 00:39:17.680
 take an

00:39:17.680 --> 00:39:18.140
 excursus

00:39:18.140 --> 00:39:18.360
 here.

00:39:19.300 --> 00:39:19.580
 When are

00:39:19.580 --> 00:39:19.820
 we here

00:39:19.820 --> 00:39:20.060
 till?

00:39:20.700 --> 00:39:21.060
 Three?

00:39:21.440 --> 00:39:21.760
 We have to

00:39:21.760 --> 00:39:22.080
 be cleaned

00:39:22.080 --> 00:39:22.380
 up by

00:39:22.380 --> 00:39:22.540
 them,

00:39:22.580 --> 00:39:22.680
 though,

00:39:22.680 --> 00:39:22.860
 right?

00:39:23.000 --> 00:39:23.140
 Yeah,

00:39:23.180 --> 00:39:23.260
 yeah,

00:39:23.260 --> 00:39:23.380
 yeah.

00:39:23.400 --> 00:39:23.580
 Okay,

00:39:23.640 --> 00:39:23.760
 great.

00:39:24.720 --> 00:39:25.180
 This is

00:39:25.180 --> 00:39:25.460
 not an

00:39:25.460 --> 00:39:25.940
 hour-long

00:39:25.940 --> 00:39:26.460
 excursus,

00:39:26.519 --> 00:39:26.800
 don't worry

00:39:26.800 --> 00:39:27.040
 about it,

00:39:27.040 --> 00:39:27.280
 it's just

00:39:27.280 --> 00:39:27.600
 a minute.

00:39:28.560 --> 00:39:29.200
 I'm trying

00:39:29.200 --> 00:39:29.820
 to see how

00:39:29.820 --> 00:39:30.100
 many of

00:39:30.100 --> 00:39:30.280
 these I

00:39:30.280 --> 00:39:30.600
 can take.

00:39:33.620 --> 00:39:34.100
 There's a

00:39:34.100 --> 00:39:34.640
 distinction

00:39:34.640 --> 00:39:36.140
 between

00:39:36.140 --> 00:39:37.600
 having a

00:39:37.600 --> 00:39:38.380
 posture of

00:39:38.380 --> 00:39:38.900
 forgiveness

00:39:38.900 --> 00:39:41.000
 and being

00:39:41.000 --> 00:39:41.640
 able to be

00:39:41.640 --> 00:39:42.380
 restored and

00:39:42.380 --> 00:39:42.780
 forgiven.

00:39:42.780 --> 00:39:43.820
 there's a

00:39:43.820 --> 00:39:44.340
 distinction

00:39:44.340 --> 00:39:44.740
 there.

00:39:44.900 --> 00:39:45.380
 One is

00:39:45.380 --> 00:39:45.900
 needed for

00:39:45.900 --> 00:39:46.240
 the other

00:39:46.240 --> 00:39:46.800
 to occur,

00:39:47.180 --> 00:39:47.720
 but there's

00:39:47.720 --> 00:39:48.260
 a distinction

00:39:48.260 --> 00:39:48.680
 there.

00:39:50.900 --> 00:39:51.380
 There's

00:39:51.380 --> 00:39:52.500
 this posture.

00:39:52.720 --> 00:39:53.420
 I have,

00:39:54.280 --> 00:39:54.780
 as far as

00:39:54.780 --> 00:39:55.300
 that Romans

00:39:55.300 --> 00:39:55.680
 12,

00:39:55.760 --> 00:39:56.060
 18,

00:39:56.220 --> 00:39:56.700
 as far as

00:39:56.700 --> 00:39:57.160
 it depends

00:39:57.160 --> 00:39:57.560
 on me,

00:39:57.640 --> 00:39:58.000
 I'm living

00:39:58.000 --> 00:39:58.500
 at peace.

00:39:58.740 --> 00:39:59.620
 I'm standing

00:39:59.620 --> 00:40:00.660
 ready to be

00:40:00.660 --> 00:40:01.600
 reconciled to

00:40:01.600 --> 00:40:02.200
 this person.

00:40:02.640 --> 00:40:03.019
 It's what

00:40:03.019 --> 00:40:03.519
 happened on

00:40:03.519 --> 00:40:03.940
 the cross

00:40:03.940 --> 00:40:04.440
 when Jesus

00:40:04.440 --> 00:40:04.820
 said,

00:40:05.040 --> 00:40:05.440
 forgive them,

00:40:05.519 --> 00:40:05.720
 Father,

00:40:05.820 --> 00:40:06.060
 for they

00:40:06.060 --> 00:40:06.480
 know not

00:40:06.480 --> 00:40:06.840
 what they

00:40:06.840 --> 00:40:07.040
 do.

00:40:07.320 --> 00:40:07.840
 The person

00:40:07.840 --> 00:40:08.160
 was not

00:40:08.160 --> 00:40:08.700
 asking for

00:40:08.700 --> 00:40:09.100
 forgiveness.

00:40:09.440 --> 00:40:09.760
 It was

00:40:09.760 --> 00:40:10.120
 Jesus'

00:40:10.120 --> 00:40:11.560
 posture to

00:40:11.560 --> 00:40:12.200
 release and

00:40:12.200 --> 00:40:12.580
 forgive.

00:40:12.780 --> 00:40:14.100
 But actual

00:40:14.100 --> 00:40:15.040
 reconciliation

00:40:15.040 --> 00:40:16.100
 doesn't happen

00:40:16.100 --> 00:40:16.620
 until that

00:40:16.620 --> 00:40:17.320
 forgiveness is

00:40:17.320 --> 00:40:18.240
 transactional,

00:40:18.640 --> 00:40:19.200
 where the

00:40:19.200 --> 00:40:20.580
 person acknowledges

00:40:20.580 --> 00:40:21.600
 their wrongdoing,

00:40:22.300 --> 00:40:23.460
 asks for that

00:40:23.460 --> 00:40:24.320
 forgiveness that

00:40:24.320 --> 00:40:25.180
 you're already

00:40:25.180 --> 00:40:26.160
 postured to

00:40:26.160 --> 00:40:26.600
 grant.

00:40:28.500 --> 00:40:28.740
 Okay?

00:40:30.019 --> 00:40:31.460
 The burden

00:40:31.460 --> 00:40:33.680
 of forgiveness,

00:40:33.940 --> 00:40:34.760
 the burden of

00:40:34.760 --> 00:40:35.540
 reconciliation,

00:40:35.940 --> 00:40:36.860
 does not rest on

00:40:36.860 --> 00:40:37.360
 you alone.

00:40:37.360 --> 00:40:39.680
 you can do

00:40:39.680 --> 00:40:40.340
 everything that

00:40:40.340 --> 00:40:40.860
 God has called

00:40:40.860 --> 00:40:41.500
 you to do

00:40:41.500 --> 00:40:42.400
 and still not

00:40:42.400 --> 00:40:43.180
 achieve that

00:40:43.180 --> 00:40:43.980
 because that

00:40:43.980 --> 00:40:44.460
 depends on

00:40:44.460 --> 00:40:45.220
 another person.

00:40:46.079 --> 00:40:46.280
 Does that

00:40:46.280 --> 00:40:46.700
 make sense

00:40:46.700 --> 00:40:47.000
 what I'm

00:40:47.000 --> 00:40:47.300
 saying?

00:40:47.519 --> 00:40:48.140
 It's important

00:40:48.140 --> 00:40:48.640
 to think in

00:40:48.640 --> 00:40:49.260
 those theological

00:40:49.260 --> 00:40:50.200
 terms so that

00:40:50.200 --> 00:40:50.980
 you don't carry

00:40:50.980 --> 00:40:51.620
 some burden

00:40:51.620 --> 00:40:52.280
 you ought not

00:40:52.280 --> 00:40:52.860
 be carrying.

00:40:54.260 --> 00:40:55.059
 But I don't

00:40:55.059 --> 00:40:55.880
 want to so not

00:40:55.880 --> 00:40:56.599
 carry that that

00:40:56.599 --> 00:40:56.920
 you're not

00:40:56.920 --> 00:40:57.599
 carrying any

00:40:57.599 --> 00:40:57.860
 burden.

00:40:58.220 --> 00:40:59.059
 We are called

00:40:59.059 --> 00:40:59.680
 to tend to

00:40:59.680 --> 00:41:00.300
 our own soul

00:41:00.300 --> 00:41:01.280
 and to engage

00:41:01.280 --> 00:41:01.900
 in these things

00:41:01.900 --> 00:41:02.680
 in this way.

00:41:02.679 --> 00:41:04.179
 The last thing

00:41:04.179 --> 00:41:04.480
 I want to

00:41:04.480 --> 00:41:05.159
 highlight for

00:41:05.159 --> 00:41:05.539
 you coming

00:41:05.539 --> 00:41:05.960
 out of the

00:41:05.960 --> 00:41:06.359
 parable,

00:41:06.519 --> 00:41:07.119
 and it's an

00:41:07.119 --> 00:41:07.739
 uncomfortable

00:41:07.739 --> 00:41:08.480
 one to

00:41:08.480 --> 00:41:09.139
 explore,

00:41:09.500 --> 00:41:09.940
 but it's

00:41:09.940 --> 00:41:10.259
 there.

00:41:11.079 --> 00:41:11.559
 Don't put

00:41:11.559 --> 00:41:13.079
 boundaries on

00:41:13.079 --> 00:41:13.759
 your forgiveness.

00:41:18.639 --> 00:41:19.239
 Essentially,

00:41:19.579 --> 00:41:20.579
 when Jesus

00:41:20.579 --> 00:41:21.679
 says 77

00:41:21.679 --> 00:41:22.579
 times,

00:41:23.319 --> 00:41:23.699
 you can

00:41:23.699 --> 00:41:24.559
 imagine Peter

00:41:24.559 --> 00:41:25.099
 just going

00:41:25.099 --> 00:41:26.139
 all wide-eyed

00:41:26.139 --> 00:41:27.719
 and saying,

00:41:27.960 --> 00:41:28.759
 what?

00:41:29.539 --> 00:41:30.359
 And Jesus

00:41:30.359 --> 00:41:30.799
 just saying,

00:41:30.940 --> 00:41:31.599
 no boundaries,

00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.980
 Peter,

00:41:32.079 --> 00:41:32.319
 no.

00:41:32.679 --> 00:41:33.279
 No,

00:41:33.440 --> 00:41:34.039
 you forgive

00:41:34.039 --> 00:41:34.659
 and you

00:41:34.659 --> 00:41:35.199
 forgive.

00:41:36.039 --> 00:41:36.319
 Now,

00:41:36.940 --> 00:41:37.639
 that doesn't

00:41:37.639 --> 00:41:37.940
 mean we

00:41:37.940 --> 00:41:38.539
 treat all

00:41:38.539 --> 00:41:39.159
 sin the

00:41:39.159 --> 00:41:39.480
 same.

00:41:40.579 --> 00:41:41.179
 It doesn't

00:41:41.179 --> 00:41:41.500
 mean we

00:41:41.500 --> 00:41:42.579
 continue to

00:41:42.579 --> 00:41:43.239
 allow others

00:41:43.239 --> 00:41:43.980
 to treat us

00:41:43.980 --> 00:41:44.619
 and disregard

00:41:44.619 --> 00:41:45.219
 us.

00:41:45.799 --> 00:41:46.419
 What it

00:41:46.419 --> 00:41:47.239
 does mean

00:41:47.239 --> 00:41:48.919
 is that our

00:41:48.919 --> 00:41:50.199
 forgiving posture

00:41:50.199 --> 00:41:51.679
 toward that

00:41:51.679 --> 00:41:53.179
 sin ought

00:41:53.179 --> 00:41:53.879
 not have an

00:41:53.879 --> 00:41:55.179
 expiration date.

00:41:56.819 --> 00:41:57.399
 Okay?

00:41:57.639 --> 00:41:58.039
 So,

00:41:58.179 --> 00:41:58.819
 I'm not trying

00:41:58.819 --> 00:41:59.539
 to whitewash

00:41:59.539 --> 00:42:00.039
 it all and

00:42:00.039 --> 00:42:00.679
 make all sin

00:42:00.679 --> 00:42:01.059
 the same.

00:42:01.059 --> 00:42:01.960
 I'm not trying

00:42:01.960 --> 00:42:02.659
 to somehow

00:42:02.659 --> 00:42:03.139
 just make

00:42:03.139 --> 00:42:03.559
 it look good

00:42:03.559 --> 00:42:03.800
 on the

00:42:03.800 --> 00:42:04.280
 outside

00:42:04.280 --> 00:42:04.880
 and let

00:42:04.880 --> 00:42:05.480
 all of

00:42:05.480 --> 00:42:05.880
 this

00:42:05.880 --> 00:42:07.139
 broken

00:42:07.139 --> 00:42:08.000
 depravity

00:42:08.000 --> 00:42:08.599
 happen in

00:42:08.599 --> 00:42:09.199
 relationships.

00:42:09.699 --> 00:42:10.000
 I'm not

00:42:10.000 --> 00:42:10.480
 saying that

00:42:10.480 --> 00:42:11.079
 there's not

00:42:11.079 --> 00:42:11.519
 a time for

00:42:11.519 --> 00:42:11.960
 you to stand

00:42:11.960 --> 00:42:12.519
 up and defend

00:42:12.519 --> 00:42:13.059
 yourself and

00:42:13.059 --> 00:42:13.699
 step into a

00:42:13.699 --> 00:42:14.500
 better situation

00:42:14.500 --> 00:42:15.440
 and get out

00:42:15.440 --> 00:42:16.199
 from underneath

00:42:16.199 --> 00:42:16.480
 this.

00:42:16.480 --> 00:42:17.539
 all those

00:42:17.539 --> 00:42:19.360
 things ought to

00:42:19.360 --> 00:42:20.039
 be pursued.

00:42:20.039 --> 00:42:20.880
 I said

00:42:20.880 --> 00:42:21.440
 earlier, I

00:42:21.440 --> 00:42:21.900
 forget if it

00:42:21.900 --> 00:42:22.260
 was to a

00:42:22.260 --> 00:42:22.860
 person or

00:42:22.860 --> 00:42:23.519
 from here,

00:42:23.980 --> 00:42:24.539
 a personal

00:42:24.539 --> 00:42:25.280
 conversation or

00:42:25.280 --> 00:42:26.340
 here, but

00:42:26.340 --> 00:42:26.940
 the God of

00:42:26.940 --> 00:42:27.519
 mercy and

00:42:27.519 --> 00:42:28.240
 forgiveness is

00:42:28.240 --> 00:42:28.860
 also the

00:42:28.860 --> 00:42:29.179
 God of

00:42:29.179 --> 00:42:29.780
 justice and

00:42:29.780 --> 00:42:30.119
 judgment.

00:42:30.599 --> 00:42:31.079
 Those things

00:42:31.079 --> 00:42:33.019
 matter, but

00:42:33.019 --> 00:42:33.500
 we can't

00:42:33.500 --> 00:42:34.320
 pursue justice

00:42:34.320 --> 00:42:35.079
 and judgment

00:42:35.079 --> 00:42:37.179
 in unrighteousness.

00:42:37.440 --> 00:42:38.139
 We have to

00:42:38.139 --> 00:42:38.760
 deal with this

00:42:38.760 --> 00:42:39.639
 personal stuff

00:42:39.639 --> 00:42:40.219
 first.

00:42:40.219 --> 00:42:42.079
 So, having

00:42:42.079 --> 00:42:43.059
 a posture

00:42:43.059 --> 00:42:44.179
 of forgiveness

00:42:44.179 --> 00:42:45.239
 positions us

00:42:45.239 --> 00:42:45.699
 to best

00:42:45.699 --> 00:42:46.379
 pursue

00:42:46.379 --> 00:42:47.039
 righteousness

00:42:47.039 --> 00:42:48.079
 and to

00:42:48.079 --> 00:42:48.639
 pursue

00:42:48.639 --> 00:42:49.659
 justice.

00:42:51.319 --> 00:42:52.259
 So, what

00:42:52.259 --> 00:42:52.779
 of the

00:42:52.779 --> 00:42:53.279
 chronic

00:42:53.279 --> 00:42:54.059
 offender?

00:42:55.179 --> 00:42:56.159
 Here's a few

00:42:56.159 --> 00:42:56.959
 extreme examples.

00:42:57.139 --> 00:42:57.480
 What of the

00:42:57.480 --> 00:42:58.679
 repeat adulterer

00:42:58.679 --> 00:42:59.939
 or a violent

00:42:59.939 --> 00:43:00.839
 abuser?

00:43:02.480 --> 00:43:03.239
 Ought we

00:43:03.239 --> 00:43:04.000
 forgive them?

00:43:07.079 --> 00:43:08.459
 Okay, good

00:43:08.459 --> 00:43:08.819
 question.

00:43:10.219 --> 00:43:11.699
 Now, in the

00:43:11.699 --> 00:43:12.539
 posture, the

00:43:12.539 --> 00:43:13.399
 truest sense

00:43:13.399 --> 00:43:14.079
 of the word,

00:43:14.779 --> 00:43:15.279
 the person

00:43:15.279 --> 00:43:16.480
 receiving that

00:43:16.480 --> 00:43:17.559
 abuse, the

00:43:17.559 --> 00:43:18.399
 person receiving

00:43:18.399 --> 00:43:19.059
 that gross

00:43:19.059 --> 00:43:19.799
 mistreatment,

00:43:20.119 --> 00:43:20.619
 is most

00:43:20.619 --> 00:43:22.339
 freed when

00:43:22.339 --> 00:43:22.839
 they're most

00:43:22.839 --> 00:43:23.339
 forgiving.

00:43:25.039 --> 00:43:25.799
 That does

00:43:25.799 --> 00:43:26.259
 not mean,

00:43:26.379 --> 00:43:27.039
 however, that

00:43:27.039 --> 00:43:28.219
 you're to go

00:43:28.219 --> 00:43:28.779
 back to that

00:43:28.779 --> 00:43:29.339
 relationship.

00:43:29.539 --> 00:43:30.059
 That does not

00:43:30.059 --> 00:43:30.480
 mean you're to

00:43:30.480 --> 00:43:31.000
 go back to

00:43:31.000 --> 00:43:31.819
 that situation.

00:43:32.179 --> 00:43:32.579
 This all

00:43:32.579 --> 00:43:33.219
 needs wisdom

00:43:33.219 --> 00:43:34.039
 and nuance.

00:43:34.599 --> 00:43:35.059
 But we

00:43:35.059 --> 00:43:35.679
 don't want to

00:43:35.679 --> 00:43:36.719
 skirt ourselves

00:43:36.719 --> 00:43:38.079
 out from the

00:43:38.079 --> 00:43:38.899
 plain teaching

00:43:38.899 --> 00:43:39.619
 of Scripture

00:43:39.619 --> 00:43:39.739
 Scripture.

00:43:41.019 --> 00:43:41.579
 Forgiveness

00:43:41.579 --> 00:43:42.859
 is not

00:43:42.859 --> 00:43:43.799
 enabling.

00:43:44.579 --> 00:43:45.079
 It's not

00:43:45.079 --> 00:43:45.859
 designed to

00:43:45.859 --> 00:43:46.699
 be enablement.

00:43:46.980 --> 00:43:47.579
 It's not

00:43:47.579 --> 00:43:48.259
 overlooking

00:43:48.259 --> 00:43:49.699
 heinous sin.

00:43:49.779 --> 00:43:50.239
 It does not

00:43:50.239 --> 00:43:51.019
 mean you stay

00:43:51.019 --> 00:43:51.539
 in bad

00:43:51.539 --> 00:43:52.319
 situations.

00:43:52.659 --> 00:43:53.159
 It doesn't

00:43:53.159 --> 00:43:53.480
 mean you

00:43:53.480 --> 00:43:53.980
 avoid the

00:43:53.980 --> 00:43:54.539
 authorities.

00:43:56.380 --> 00:43:57.000
 There are

00:43:57.000 --> 00:43:57.400
 times where

00:43:57.400 --> 00:43:57.880
 my direct

00:43:57.880 --> 00:43:58.539
 counsel is

00:43:58.539 --> 00:43:59.039
 call the

00:43:59.039 --> 00:43:59.519
 police,

00:44:00.759 --> 00:44:01.299
 have the

00:44:01.299 --> 00:44:01.699
 person

00:44:01.699 --> 00:44:02.259
 removed,

00:44:03.059 --> 00:44:03.639
 and then

00:44:03.639 --> 00:44:04.219
 we'll talk

00:44:04.219 --> 00:44:04.679
 about any

00:44:04.679 --> 00:44:05.239
 heart issues

00:44:05.239 --> 00:44:05.739
 that exist.

00:44:05.739 --> 00:44:07.859
 this dangerous

00:44:07.859 --> 00:44:08.759
 situation has

00:44:08.759 --> 00:44:09.299
 to stop.

00:44:09.659 --> 00:44:09.939
 I keep

00:44:09.939 --> 00:44:10.399
 using these

00:44:10.399 --> 00:44:10.779
 extreme

00:44:10.779 --> 00:44:11.539
 examples so

00:44:11.539 --> 00:44:11.919
 you're not

00:44:11.919 --> 00:44:12.500
 hearing what

00:44:12.500 --> 00:44:13.059
 I'm not

00:44:13.059 --> 00:44:15.599
 saying.

00:44:16.799 --> 00:44:17.019
 Okay?

00:44:18.079 --> 00:44:18.619
 It just

00:44:18.619 --> 00:44:19.059
 means that

00:44:19.059 --> 00:44:19.859
 our posture

00:44:19.859 --> 00:44:21.019
 while doing

00:44:21.019 --> 00:44:21.779
 wise and

00:44:21.779 --> 00:44:22.739
 just things

00:44:22.739 --> 00:44:24.059
 is to

00:44:24.059 --> 00:44:24.719
 reflect the

00:44:24.719 --> 00:44:25.219
 teaching of

00:44:25.219 --> 00:44:25.879
 Scripture and

00:44:25.879 --> 00:44:26.519
 release the

00:44:26.519 --> 00:44:27.139
 person from

00:44:27.139 --> 00:44:27.559
 the debt

00:44:27.559 --> 00:44:27.979
 they owe.

00:44:27.979 --> 00:44:28.619
 Why?

00:44:29.779 --> 00:44:30.819
 Because our

00:44:30.819 --> 00:44:31.879
 debt has

00:44:31.879 --> 00:44:32.619
 been released.

00:44:32.619 --> 00:44:34.299
 That's the

00:44:34.299 --> 00:44:35.339
 crux of

00:44:35.339 --> 00:44:36.059
 the end of

00:44:36.059 --> 00:44:36.779
 Matthew 18,

00:44:36.880 --> 00:44:37.380
 the climax

00:44:37.380 --> 00:44:38.019
 of the

00:44:38.019 --> 00:44:38.440
 chapter.

00:44:39.559 --> 00:44:40.400
 Now let me

00:44:40.400 --> 00:44:40.920
 give you a

00:44:40.920 --> 00:44:42.619
 few pitfalls,

00:44:42.839 --> 00:44:43.519
 things that

00:44:43.519 --> 00:44:44.059
 happen in

00:44:44.059 --> 00:44:44.659
 our lives

00:44:44.659 --> 00:44:45.960
 that work

00:44:45.960 --> 00:44:46.960
 against a

00:44:46.960 --> 00:44:47.359
 forgiving

00:44:47.359 --> 00:44:48.000
 posture.

00:44:48.819 --> 00:44:49.599
 First is

00:44:49.599 --> 00:44:51.339
 isolation and

00:44:51.339 --> 00:44:52.239
 alienation.

00:44:54.219 --> 00:44:54.960
 This has

00:44:54.960 --> 00:44:55.380
 made all the

00:44:55.380 --> 00:44:56.000
 more possible

00:44:56.000 --> 00:44:57.019
 in the last

00:44:57.019 --> 00:44:57.679
 15, 20

00:44:57.679 --> 00:44:58.319
 years as we

00:44:58.319 --> 00:44:59.359
 have cell

00:44:59.359 --> 00:45:00.139
 phones and

00:45:00.139 --> 00:45:01.219
 social media

00:45:01.219 --> 00:45:02.460
 and all of

00:45:02.460 --> 00:45:02.980
 these things,

00:45:03.500 --> 00:45:04.380
 FaceTime,

00:45:04.659 --> 00:45:05.320
 these kinds

00:45:05.320 --> 00:45:05.980
 of things,

00:45:06.380 --> 00:45:07.039
 they're

00:45:07.039 --> 00:45:07.460
 wonderful,

00:45:08.039 --> 00:45:09.119
 but they're

00:45:09.119 --> 00:45:10.099
 poor replacements

00:45:10.099 --> 00:45:11.380
 for actual

00:45:11.380 --> 00:45:12.059
 relationships.

00:45:12.760 --> 00:45:13.300
 So I'm not

00:45:13.300 --> 00:45:13.940
 casting shade

00:45:13.940 --> 00:45:14.380
 on all that

00:45:14.380 --> 00:45:15.119
 stuff, but I

00:45:15.119 --> 00:45:15.780
 am saying

00:45:15.780 --> 00:45:17.000
 that we have

00:45:17.000 --> 00:45:17.720
 to realize

00:45:17.720 --> 00:45:18.300
 there are

00:45:18.300 --> 00:45:18.940
 limitations

00:45:18.940 --> 00:45:21.079
 to, you

00:45:21.079 --> 00:45:21.480
 know, having

00:45:21.480 --> 00:45:23.260
 1,200 social

00:45:23.260 --> 00:45:24.460
 media friends.

00:45:26.179 --> 00:45:26.940
 That's very

00:45:26.940 --> 00:45:28.159
 different from

00:45:28.159 --> 00:45:28.820
 having 12

00:45:28.820 --> 00:45:29.780
 real friends.

00:45:30.619 --> 00:45:31.199
 We have to

00:45:31.199 --> 00:45:31.519
 see the

00:45:31.519 --> 00:45:32.280
 difference, the

00:45:32.280 --> 00:45:32.740
 substantive

00:45:32.740 --> 00:45:33.519
 difference

00:45:33.519 --> 00:45:33.880
 there.

00:45:34.380 --> 00:45:34.480
 Okay?

00:45:35.120 --> 00:45:35.820
 And the

00:45:35.820 --> 00:45:36.860
 former, that

00:45:36.860 --> 00:45:37.640
 electronic

00:45:37.640 --> 00:45:39.540
 community, allows

00:45:39.540 --> 00:45:40.280
 you to

00:45:40.280 --> 00:45:41.200
 cultivate and

00:45:41.200 --> 00:45:42.240
 curate so

00:45:42.240 --> 00:45:43.160
 you only see

00:45:43.160 --> 00:45:43.780
 things on your

00:45:43.780 --> 00:45:44.360
 social media

00:45:44.360 --> 00:45:45.100
 feeds that you

00:45:45.100 --> 00:45:45.780
 want to see,

00:45:46.180 --> 00:45:46.880
 you block

00:45:46.880 --> 00:45:47.420
 things you

00:45:47.420 --> 00:45:48.080
 don't want to

00:45:48.080 --> 00:45:48.980
 see, you

00:45:48.980 --> 00:45:49.700
 block people

00:45:49.700 --> 00:45:50.260
 you don't want

00:45:50.260 --> 00:45:50.840
 to hear from,

00:45:51.120 --> 00:45:51.900
 you only allow

00:45:51.900 --> 00:45:52.580
 people you do

00:45:52.580 --> 00:45:53.060
 want to hear

00:45:53.060 --> 00:45:53.860
 from, and

00:45:53.860 --> 00:45:54.420
 then it seems

00:45:54.420 --> 00:45:54.960
 like everybody

00:45:54.960 --> 00:45:55.860
 agrees with you.

00:45:56.000 --> 00:45:56.480
 That's simply

00:45:56.480 --> 00:45:57.000
 because you've

00:45:57.000 --> 00:45:57.560
 filtered out all

00:45:57.560 --> 00:45:58.000
 the people who

00:45:58.000 --> 00:45:58.460
 don't.

00:45:58.460 --> 00:45:59.320
 right?

00:45:59.559 --> 00:46:00.300
 We can

00:46:00.300 --> 00:46:01.340
 curate that,

00:46:01.519 --> 00:46:02.099
 and that's

00:46:02.099 --> 00:46:02.900
 fine for the

00:46:02.900 --> 00:46:03.760
 technology that

00:46:03.760 --> 00:46:04.340
 it is, but

00:46:04.340 --> 00:46:05.699
 when we think

00:46:05.699 --> 00:46:06.360
 that's real

00:46:06.360 --> 00:46:07.480
 relationship, when

00:46:07.480 --> 00:46:08.099
 we think that's

00:46:08.099 --> 00:46:08.940
 real community

00:46:08.940 --> 00:46:09.460
 is when we

00:46:09.460 --> 00:46:10.340
 get in

00:46:10.340 --> 00:46:10.659
 trouble.

00:46:12.099 --> 00:46:12.980
 We are

00:46:12.980 --> 00:46:14.320
 prone, when

00:46:14.320 --> 00:46:15.139
 we see

00:46:15.139 --> 00:46:16.019
 people that

00:46:16.019 --> 00:46:17.420
 wrong us, we

00:46:17.420 --> 00:46:18.360
 are prone

00:46:18.360 --> 00:46:21.119
 to forget

00:46:21.119 --> 00:46:21.780
 the good

00:46:21.780 --> 00:46:22.619
 about them,

00:46:22.860 --> 00:46:23.780
 the humanizing

00:46:23.780 --> 00:46:25.220
 qualities that

00:46:25.220 --> 00:46:25.780
 they have.

00:46:25.780 --> 00:46:28.300
 we isolate,

00:46:28.519 --> 00:46:29.300
 we alienate,

00:46:29.360 --> 00:46:29.960
 and we only

00:46:29.960 --> 00:46:30.680
 rehearse the

00:46:30.680 --> 00:46:31.400
 wrongdoing.

00:46:32.360 --> 00:46:32.640
 Okay, so

00:46:32.640 --> 00:46:32.960
 when a

00:46:32.960 --> 00:46:33.940
 situation develops

00:46:33.940 --> 00:46:34.340
 into a

00:46:34.340 --> 00:46:36.000
 conflict, consider

00:46:36.000 --> 00:46:37.280
 that the

00:46:37.280 --> 00:46:38.420
 debate in

00:46:38.420 --> 00:46:38.960
 the comment

00:46:38.960 --> 00:46:40.040
 section has

00:46:40.040 --> 00:46:40.620
 outlived its

00:46:40.620 --> 00:46:41.220
 unusefulness,

00:46:41.400 --> 00:46:41.580
 right?

00:46:41.800 --> 00:46:42.860
 If you're

00:46:42.860 --> 00:46:43.500
 going back and

00:46:43.500 --> 00:46:44.160
 forth on a

00:46:44.160 --> 00:46:44.780
 comment section

00:46:44.780 --> 00:46:45.340
 or texting

00:46:45.340 --> 00:46:45.820
 or whatever,

00:46:46.140 --> 00:46:46.880
 at some

00:46:46.880 --> 00:46:48.040
 point, ring

00:46:48.040 --> 00:46:48.700
 the phone,

00:46:50.160 --> 00:46:50.860
 call and

00:46:50.860 --> 00:46:51.580
 talk to the

00:46:51.580 --> 00:46:52.040
 person.

00:46:54.140 --> 00:46:54.580
 I mean, my

00:46:54.580 --> 00:46:55.360
 normal MO,

00:46:55.360 --> 00:46:55.940
 I don't post

00:46:55.940 --> 00:46:56.620
 a lot, but

00:46:56.620 --> 00:46:57.079
 my normal

00:46:57.079 --> 00:46:57.680
 MO in a

00:46:57.680 --> 00:46:58.140
 texting

00:46:58.140 --> 00:46:59.579
 conversation or

00:46:59.579 --> 00:47:00.280
 messaging in

00:47:00.280 --> 00:47:00.700
 some form

00:47:00.700 --> 00:47:02.260
 conversation, if

00:47:02.260 --> 00:47:02.900
 it starts to

00:47:02.900 --> 00:47:04.660
 get contentious,

00:47:05.340 --> 00:47:06.640
 my next text is,

00:47:06.740 --> 00:47:07.059
 hey, I'm going

00:47:07.059 --> 00:47:07.400
 to give you a

00:47:07.400 --> 00:47:07.820
 call in about

00:47:07.820 --> 00:47:08.140
 a minute.

00:47:08.940 --> 00:47:09.400
 And I just

00:47:09.400 --> 00:47:10.079
 call them.

00:47:10.599 --> 00:47:11.200
 We got to

00:47:11.200 --> 00:47:11.539
 take it

00:47:11.539 --> 00:47:12.340
 three-dimensional

00:47:12.340 --> 00:47:13.280
 and get it

00:47:13.280 --> 00:47:13.599
 out of the

00:47:13.599 --> 00:47:14.099
 two-dimensional

00:47:14.099 --> 00:47:14.880
 relationship.

00:47:15.960 --> 00:47:16.539
 Okay, you

00:47:16.539 --> 00:47:17.200
 want to see if

00:47:17.200 --> 00:47:17.840
 you and that

00:47:17.840 --> 00:47:18.420
 person that

00:47:18.420 --> 00:47:19.200
 you're disagreeing

00:47:19.200 --> 00:47:19.780
 with can get

00:47:19.780 --> 00:47:20.640
 face-to-face.

00:47:21.200 --> 00:47:22.059
 Now you've got

00:47:22.059 --> 00:47:22.940
 facial expression

00:47:22.940 --> 00:47:23.860
 and body language,

00:47:23.860 --> 00:47:24.620
 all that

00:47:24.620 --> 00:47:25.820
 helps healthy

00:47:25.820 --> 00:47:26.640
 communication.

00:47:27.059 --> 00:47:27.760
 Isolation and

00:47:27.760 --> 00:47:28.599
 alienation work

00:47:28.599 --> 00:47:29.420
 against all

00:47:29.420 --> 00:47:29.800
 healthy

00:47:29.800 --> 00:47:30.579
 communication.

00:47:31.680 --> 00:47:32.280
 Okay, so

00:47:32.280 --> 00:47:32.820
 that's the first

00:47:32.820 --> 00:47:33.019
 thing.

00:47:33.300 --> 00:47:34.599
 And something

00:47:34.599 --> 00:47:35.460
 that opposes

00:47:35.460 --> 00:47:37.240
 forgiveness and

00:47:37.240 --> 00:47:37.539
 grace.

00:47:37.700 --> 00:47:38.599
 Second is

00:47:38.599 --> 00:47:40.280
 narratives and

00:47:40.280 --> 00:47:41.220
 closed loops.

00:47:41.300 --> 00:47:41.620
 I've already

00:47:41.620 --> 00:47:42.240
 talked about your

00:47:42.240 --> 00:47:42.960
 social media

00:47:42.960 --> 00:47:43.780
 closed loop.

00:47:45.000 --> 00:47:46.079
 But this is a

00:47:46.079 --> 00:47:46.640
 caution.

00:47:46.639 --> 00:47:46.839
 caution.

00:47:47.839 --> 00:47:48.559
 All right, I'm

00:47:48.559 --> 00:47:48.940
 hoping I don't

00:47:48.940 --> 00:47:49.819
 step on landmines

00:47:49.819 --> 00:47:50.039
 here.

00:47:50.539 --> 00:47:51.379
 This is a

00:47:51.379 --> 00:47:52.239
 caution in our

00:47:52.239 --> 00:47:54.159
 lives just to

00:47:54.159 --> 00:47:56.039
 be careful about

00:47:56.039 --> 00:47:57.699
 the news sources

00:47:57.699 --> 00:47:59.379
 that we get our

00:47:59.379 --> 00:48:02.819
 news from, the

00:48:02.819 --> 00:48:03.339
 circles of

00:48:03.339 --> 00:48:04.199
 friends that we

00:48:04.199 --> 00:48:04.639
 have.

00:48:05.440 --> 00:48:06.199
 If there's

00:48:06.199 --> 00:48:06.799
 nobody in your

00:48:06.799 --> 00:48:07.440
 circle of friends

00:48:07.440 --> 00:48:08.359
 that disagrees with

00:48:08.359 --> 00:48:09.059
 you on anything,

00:48:09.859 --> 00:48:12.759
 when we surround

00:48:12.759 --> 00:48:14.079
 ourselves with

00:48:14.079 --> 00:48:16.000
 news that always

00:48:16.000 --> 00:48:16.780
 agrees with the

00:48:16.780 --> 00:48:17.460
 perspective we

00:48:17.460 --> 00:48:18.320
 already have or

00:48:18.320 --> 00:48:19.320
 friends who already

00:48:19.320 --> 00:48:19.920
 agree with the

00:48:19.920 --> 00:48:20.820
 perspective that we

00:48:20.820 --> 00:48:21.920
 have, we're robbing

00:48:21.920 --> 00:48:22.619
 ourselves of the

00:48:22.619 --> 00:48:23.239
 whole story.

00:48:23.400 --> 00:48:24.159
 We're accepting our

00:48:24.159 --> 00:48:25.059
 blind spots and

00:48:25.059 --> 00:48:25.800
 we're just friends

00:48:25.800 --> 00:48:26.960
 and with people who

00:48:26.960 --> 00:48:27.739
 have all the same

00:48:27.739 --> 00:48:28.699
 blind spots.

00:48:30.579 --> 00:48:32.159
 So if the focus in

00:48:32.159 --> 00:48:33.159
 a conflict is

00:48:33.159 --> 00:48:34.219
 relational issues,

00:48:34.320 --> 00:48:35.900
 just be careful that

00:48:35.900 --> 00:48:36.519
 you don't surround

00:48:36.519 --> 00:48:37.199
 yourself with people

00:48:37.199 --> 00:48:38.019
 who already dislike

00:48:38.019 --> 00:48:38.639
 that person.

00:48:39.860 --> 00:48:41.119
 You follow what I'm

00:48:41.119 --> 00:48:41.400
 saying?

00:48:42.920 --> 00:48:43.840
 Reach out to

00:48:43.840 --> 00:48:44.679
 someone who you

00:48:44.679 --> 00:48:45.519
 know will tell you

00:48:45.519 --> 00:48:47.500
 the truth, even if

00:48:47.500 --> 00:48:48.360
 it's hard for you to

00:48:48.360 --> 00:48:48.639
 hear.

00:48:49.320 --> 00:48:50.300
 We've got to love

00:48:50.300 --> 00:48:51.860
 truth so much that

00:48:51.860 --> 00:48:52.960
 we resist the

00:48:52.960 --> 00:48:54.500
 temptation to

00:48:54.500 --> 00:48:55.219
 curate our

00:48:55.219 --> 00:48:56.719
 narratives and our

00:48:56.719 --> 00:48:57.239
 community.

00:48:57.800 --> 00:48:58.559
 The church is a

00:48:58.559 --> 00:48:59.739
 great place to cut

00:48:59.739 --> 00:49:01.059
 against this trend.

00:49:02.079 --> 00:49:03.300
 Because Sean, from

00:49:03.300 --> 00:49:04.179
 the whoever fills the

00:49:04.179 --> 00:49:04.820
 pulpit, they're going

00:49:04.820 --> 00:49:06.199
 to tell you truth.

00:49:07.880 --> 00:49:09.139
 And if you're sitting

00:49:09.139 --> 00:49:11.980
 live, there's at least

00:49:11.980 --> 00:49:12.940
 social pressure to

00:49:12.940 --> 00:49:13.960
 stay and listen to it.

00:49:15.260 --> 00:49:16.260
 If you're watching the

00:49:16.260 --> 00:49:17.099
 streaming, did you

00:49:17.099 --> 00:49:17.960
 stream your services?

00:49:19.099 --> 00:49:19.860
 Okay, good for you.

00:49:20.980 --> 00:49:22.059
 But if you're watching

00:49:22.059 --> 00:49:23.200
 or listening to a

00:49:23.200 --> 00:49:23.900
 message, you don't

00:49:23.900 --> 00:49:25.260
 like what you hear, you

00:49:25.260 --> 00:49:26.139
 just jump over to a

00:49:26.139 --> 00:49:27.240
 podcast or you just

00:49:27.240 --> 00:49:28.139
 shut it off.

00:49:28.400 --> 00:49:29.059
 That's a good time to

00:49:29.059 --> 00:49:29.659
 use the restroom.

00:49:31.059 --> 00:49:32.179
 But if you're in a

00:49:32.179 --> 00:49:33.179
 church, it's awkward.

00:49:33.500 --> 00:49:34.179
 And tomorrow when I'm

00:49:34.179 --> 00:49:34.599
 preaching, I'm going to

00:49:34.599 --> 00:49:35.220
 be watching you.

00:49:35.219 --> 00:49:38.179
 It's awkward to just

00:49:38.179 --> 00:49:39.659
 stand up and walk

00:49:39.659 --> 00:49:40.719
 out, right?

00:49:43.779 --> 00:49:44.779
 The church is a great

00:49:44.779 --> 00:49:45.719
 place to cut against

00:49:45.719 --> 00:49:46.879
 your pre-fixed

00:49:46.879 --> 00:49:47.639
 worldviews.

00:49:48.219 --> 00:49:49.339
 And community,

00:49:49.559 --> 00:49:50.639
 properly built in the

00:49:50.639 --> 00:49:51.419
 church, is a great

00:49:51.419 --> 00:49:53.379
 place to benefit from

00:49:53.379 --> 00:49:54.519
 the differing grace

00:49:54.519 --> 00:49:55.459
 given to one another.

00:49:56.179 --> 00:49:56.679
 All right, next.

00:49:57.339 --> 00:49:58.639
 Caricatures of

00:49:58.639 --> 00:49:59.299
 character.

00:50:00.559 --> 00:50:01.559
 That's when we allow

00:50:01.559 --> 00:50:02.439
 somebody to become

00:50:02.439 --> 00:50:03.319
 nothing more than the

00:50:03.319 --> 00:50:04.099
 wrong things that

00:50:04.099 --> 00:50:04.599
 they've done.

00:50:05.219 --> 00:50:06.959
 We two-dimensionalize

00:50:06.959 --> 00:50:07.919
 an image-bearer of

00:50:07.919 --> 00:50:09.339
 God, all the while

00:50:09.339 --> 00:50:10.439
 considering ourselves

00:50:10.439 --> 00:50:11.419
 in three-dimension.

00:50:12.639 --> 00:50:14.119
 Now listen, this is a

00:50:14.119 --> 00:50:16.399
 well-tested historical

00:50:16.399 --> 00:50:16.939
 tactic.

00:50:19.299 --> 00:50:20.480
 I won't give any

00:50:20.480 --> 00:50:21.659
 specific examples.

00:50:22.559 --> 00:50:23.739
 But different nations

00:50:23.739 --> 00:50:24.739
 throughout the course of

00:50:24.739 --> 00:50:27.000
 human history, two-

00:50:27.000 --> 00:50:28.599
 dimensionalize the

00:50:28.599 --> 00:50:28.919
 enemy.

00:50:30.779 --> 00:50:32.659
 With derogatory terms,

00:50:33.939 --> 00:50:35.199
 calling attention just

00:50:35.199 --> 00:50:35.859
 to things that are

00:50:35.859 --> 00:50:36.899
 different and foreign.

00:50:38.379 --> 00:50:39.599
 And when you can

00:50:39.599 --> 00:50:40.899
 two-dimensionalize the

00:50:40.899 --> 00:50:42.000
 enemy in a soldier's

00:50:42.000 --> 00:50:43.139
 mind, he never has to

00:50:43.139 --> 00:50:44.019
 think about pulling a

00:50:44.019 --> 00:50:44.859
 trigger against a

00:50:44.859 --> 00:50:45.819
 three-dimensional person.

00:50:47.099 --> 00:50:48.419
 It's a well-established

00:50:48.419 --> 00:50:49.480
 tactic, training for

00:50:49.480 --> 00:50:50.319
 military, that you

00:50:50.319 --> 00:50:51.319
 two-dimensionalize the

00:50:51.319 --> 00:50:52.019
 enemy to make them

00:50:52.019 --> 00:50:52.679
 easier to kill.

00:50:53.219 --> 00:50:54.099
 Now hopefully nobody

00:50:54.099 --> 00:50:54.819
 here is looking to kill

00:50:54.819 --> 00:50:55.099
 anything.

00:50:55.500 --> 00:50:57.879
 But the point here is

00:50:57.879 --> 00:50:58.839
 actually the same.

00:50:58.840 --> 00:51:02.519
 you can foment some

00:51:02.519 --> 00:51:03.400
 pretty significant

00:51:03.400 --> 00:51:04.820
 long-standing anger if

00:51:04.820 --> 00:51:05.920
 you two-dimensionalize a

00:51:05.920 --> 00:51:06.220
 person.

00:51:07.100 --> 00:51:08.380
 But if you're willing to

00:51:08.380 --> 00:51:10.640
 see, let's say, that

00:51:10.640 --> 00:51:12.079
 community group leader who

00:51:12.079 --> 00:51:13.079
 did this really awful

00:51:13.079 --> 00:51:14.340
 thing to me, if you're

00:51:14.340 --> 00:51:15.700
 willing to also see them

00:51:15.700 --> 00:51:17.220
 as a loving husband and a

00:51:17.220 --> 00:51:18.740
 loving father and a

00:51:18.740 --> 00:51:20.039
 faithful worker and a

00:51:20.039 --> 00:51:21.059
 member of the community,

00:51:21.059 --> 00:51:22.539
 and you're willing to see

00:51:22.539 --> 00:51:23.500
 them, yeah, they did this

00:51:23.500 --> 00:51:25.019
 wrong to me, but look at

00:51:25.019 --> 00:51:26.140
 that really nice thing they

00:51:26.139 --> 00:51:26.440
 did.

00:51:26.679 --> 00:51:28.039
 Like, that has to

00:51:28.039 --> 00:51:29.159
 three-dimensionalize

00:51:29.159 --> 00:51:30.480
 people, and now it's just

00:51:30.480 --> 00:51:32.159
 a whole lot harder to

00:51:32.159 --> 00:51:33.579
 keep them in the prison of

00:51:33.579 --> 00:51:34.599
 your bitterness if you

00:51:34.599 --> 00:51:35.659
 allow them to be

00:51:35.659 --> 00:51:36.339
 three-dimensional.

00:51:37.500 --> 00:51:38.619
 What we do is we

00:51:38.619 --> 00:51:39.859
 caricature people.

00:51:40.199 --> 00:51:40.779
 And you know what a

00:51:40.779 --> 00:51:41.519
 caricature is.

00:51:41.539 --> 00:51:43.039
 It's a drawing that

00:51:43.039 --> 00:51:45.099
 highlights particular

00:51:45.099 --> 00:51:46.739
 features over and above

00:51:46.739 --> 00:51:48.179
 other features, and it

00:51:48.179 --> 00:51:49.400
 pictures a person out of

00:51:49.400 --> 00:51:49.839
 proportion.

00:51:50.019 --> 00:51:50.900
 It's like a funhouse

00:51:50.900 --> 00:51:51.279
 mirror.

00:51:52.619 --> 00:51:53.960
 We want to make sure we

00:51:53.960 --> 00:51:55.299
 are living in reality.

00:51:56.139 --> 00:51:57.420
 And whatever person,

00:51:57.819 --> 00:51:59.460
 whatever person in your

00:51:59.460 --> 00:52:00.739
 political worldview that

00:52:00.739 --> 00:52:03.019
 sits on or stands for the

00:52:03.019 --> 00:52:03.980
 other side of the aisle,

00:52:05.219 --> 00:52:06.119
 they're three-dimensional

00:52:06.119 --> 00:52:06.619
 people.

00:52:09.000 --> 00:52:10.460
 We need to think of the

00:52:10.460 --> 00:52:12.039
 people in our lives that

00:52:12.039 --> 00:52:13.319
 are on our side and not

00:52:13.319 --> 00:52:14.639
 as three-dimensional

00:52:14.639 --> 00:52:15.839
 people and not consider

00:52:15.839 --> 00:52:16.839
 them as caricatures.

00:52:17.440 --> 00:52:18.519
 And then lastly here on

00:52:18.519 --> 00:52:19.619
 this section, winning

00:52:19.619 --> 00:52:21.400
 battles and losing wars.

00:52:21.400 --> 00:52:25.220
 We can sometimes take a

00:52:25.220 --> 00:52:29.280
 12-year relationship and

00:52:29.280 --> 00:52:32.900
 over one disagreement throw

00:52:32.900 --> 00:52:33.680
 the whole thing in the

00:52:33.680 --> 00:52:34.079
 trash.

00:52:36.160 --> 00:52:37.820
 Now listen, there are

00:52:37.820 --> 00:52:38.760
 those, I keep making these

00:52:38.760 --> 00:52:40.500
 qualifiers, there are such

00:52:40.500 --> 00:52:42.880
 grievous actions that

00:52:42.880 --> 00:52:43.800
 perhaps that's even

00:52:43.800 --> 00:52:44.400
 appropriate.

00:52:45.059 --> 00:52:45.920
 But again, I keep saying

00:52:45.920 --> 00:52:46.840
 we're not talking about

00:52:46.840 --> 00:52:48.840
 those rare, we're talking

00:52:48.840 --> 00:52:49.780
 about the more common

00:52:49.780 --> 00:52:51.700
 things. We can take

00:52:51.700 --> 00:52:53.920
 10 years of church

00:52:53.920 --> 00:52:54.440
 membership

00:52:54.440 --> 00:52:56.760
 and because of one

00:52:56.760 --> 00:52:58.120
 thing a pastor does,

00:52:58.220 --> 00:52:59.460
 who, let me remind you,

00:52:59.480 --> 00:53:00.300
 is also a sinner,

00:53:00.940 --> 00:53:02.100
 because of one thing a

00:53:02.100 --> 00:53:03.360
 pastor does, we'll leave

00:53:03.360 --> 00:53:04.500
 our church family to go to

00:53:04.500 --> 00:53:05.180
 another church.

00:53:08.120 --> 00:53:09.180
 And I just want to say

00:53:09.180 --> 00:53:09.800
 we ought not.

00:53:10.400 --> 00:53:11.740
 We ought not take

00:53:11.740 --> 00:53:13.120
 all of

00:53:13.120 --> 00:53:15.620
 a relationship and throw it

00:53:15.620 --> 00:53:16.780
 away over one battle.

00:53:16.780 --> 00:53:18.980
 We try to win one

00:53:18.980 --> 00:53:20.320
 battle and we spend so

00:53:20.320 --> 00:53:21.580
 much equity on one

00:53:21.580 --> 00:53:23.019
 battle that we actually

00:53:23.019 --> 00:53:24.300
 end up losing in the end

00:53:24.300 --> 00:53:24.960
 anyway.

00:53:26.660 --> 00:53:28.760
 Okay, that stands in

00:53:28.760 --> 00:53:30.160
 opposition to a posture

00:53:30.160 --> 00:53:30.860
 of peace.

00:53:31.540 --> 00:53:32.480
 So what do we do?

00:53:32.760 --> 00:53:34.160
 I've got those math

00:53:34.160 --> 00:53:35.240
 equations you see there

00:53:35.240 --> 00:53:37.080
 on the end, apply grace.

00:53:38.820 --> 00:53:40.560
 I call this the mercy

00:53:40.560 --> 00:53:40.780
 equation.

00:53:41.560 --> 00:53:42.240
 You'll see why.

00:53:43.000 --> 00:53:44.540
 What we want to arrive at

00:53:44.539 --> 00:53:45.779
 is a simple addition

00:53:45.779 --> 00:53:48.159
 solution that is, you

00:53:48.159 --> 00:53:49.380
 have an offender in a

00:53:49.380 --> 00:53:51.079
 conflict and you have an

00:53:51.079 --> 00:53:52.759
 offended in a conflict.

00:53:53.039 --> 00:53:54.820
 What can we add to those

00:53:54.820 --> 00:53:57.159
 two givens that results

00:53:57.159 --> 00:53:59.079
 in the sum of mercy?

00:54:00.679 --> 00:54:02.059
 Okay, so let's, there's a

00:54:02.059 --> 00:54:03.199
 first one where I fill in a

00:54:03.199 --> 00:54:03.699
 blank there.

00:54:04.380 --> 00:54:06.159
 Offender plus offended

00:54:06.159 --> 00:54:07.940
 plus anger.

00:54:09.460 --> 00:54:11.239
 When you add anger to the

00:54:11.239 --> 00:54:13.119
 mix, it doesn't end up in

00:54:13.119 --> 00:54:13.519
 mercy.

00:54:14.259 --> 00:54:15.239
 That's revenge.

00:54:16.019 --> 00:54:17.199
 That's what Paul was

00:54:17.199 --> 00:54:18.799
 warning us against doing

00:54:18.799 --> 00:54:20.159
 where it says, you know,

00:54:20.219 --> 00:54:21.519
 do not avenge yourselves.

00:54:21.739 --> 00:54:23.299
 Vengeance is mine, says the

00:54:23.299 --> 00:54:23.440
 Lord.

00:54:23.579 --> 00:54:24.679
 Therefore, if your enemy is

00:54:24.679 --> 00:54:25.719
 hungry, feed him.

00:54:26.339 --> 00:54:27.920
 Okay, he's trying to get

00:54:27.920 --> 00:54:29.719
 you to mercy and he's

00:54:29.719 --> 00:54:30.779
 protecting you from doing

00:54:30.779 --> 00:54:31.759
 that by making sure you

00:54:31.759 --> 00:54:33.599
 don't add anger as a

00:54:33.599 --> 00:54:35.440
 posture in this situation.

00:54:36.659 --> 00:54:37.839
 So, okay, next we have

00:54:37.839 --> 00:54:39.299
 offender and offended.

00:54:39.759 --> 00:54:41.159
 What if we add self-pity?

00:54:41.159 --> 00:54:44.339
 That actually doesn't take

00:54:44.339 --> 00:54:45.059
 us to mercy.

00:54:45.059 --> 00:54:46.000
 That takes us to

00:54:46.000 --> 00:54:46.839
 victimhood.

00:54:47.879 --> 00:54:50.119
 Now, your self-worth is

00:54:50.119 --> 00:54:51.299
 determined by what's been

00:54:51.299 --> 00:54:52.480
 committed against you.

00:54:53.879 --> 00:54:55.219
 And that's a distinctly

00:54:55.219 --> 00:54:56.339
 non-Christian worldview.

00:54:58.399 --> 00:54:59.920
 Okay, so we don't, it's

00:54:59.920 --> 00:55:01.279
 certainly appropriate to

00:55:01.279 --> 00:55:02.599
 sorrow over what's been

00:55:02.599 --> 00:55:03.219
 done to us.

00:55:04.039 --> 00:55:05.319
 If your definition of

00:55:05.319 --> 00:55:06.480
 self-pity is that big, let

00:55:06.480 --> 00:55:07.359
 me protect you there.

00:55:07.360 --> 00:55:09.320
 But as a settled position

00:55:09.320 --> 00:55:11.740
 of self-pity, you're now

00:55:11.740 --> 00:55:12.539
 going to have to overcome

00:55:12.539 --> 00:55:14.620
 the victimhood mentality

00:55:14.620 --> 00:55:15.559
 you've just put yourself

00:55:15.559 --> 00:55:15.880
 in.

00:55:17.380 --> 00:55:19.019
 Okay, so what do we add to

00:55:19.019 --> 00:55:20.099
 offender and offended?

00:55:20.519 --> 00:55:22.099
 We add grace.

00:55:23.320 --> 00:55:25.059
 Grace for the sinner

00:55:25.059 --> 00:55:27.740
 recognizes that, who they

00:55:27.740 --> 00:55:29.519
 are, recognizes that even

00:55:29.519 --> 00:55:30.900
 if they ask forgiveness

00:55:30.900 --> 00:55:32.120
 right away, they're never

00:55:32.120 --> 00:55:33.320
 going to be able to undo

00:55:33.320 --> 00:55:34.380
 what was just done.

00:55:34.380 --> 00:55:37.119
 There has to be a releasing

00:55:37.119 --> 00:55:38.360
 for that relationship to

00:55:38.360 --> 00:55:38.940
 move forward.

00:55:39.860 --> 00:55:41.119
 They could try to pay you

00:55:41.119 --> 00:55:41.380
 money.

00:55:41.480 --> 00:55:42.340
 They could try to pay you

00:55:42.340 --> 00:55:42.619
 back.

00:55:43.019 --> 00:55:44.519
 Words don't get taken back.

00:55:44.680 --> 00:55:45.820
 Actions don't get taken

00:55:45.820 --> 00:55:46.220
 back.

00:55:46.980 --> 00:55:49.460
 Forgiveness gets asked, but

00:55:49.460 --> 00:55:50.680
 only happens when it's

00:55:50.680 --> 00:55:51.260
 granted.

00:55:52.260 --> 00:55:53.000
 And that's what we've been

00:55:53.000 --> 00:55:54.079
 working on this whole time.

00:55:54.160 --> 00:55:54.680
 That's grace.

00:55:55.079 --> 00:55:57.019
 When you add grace to the

00:55:57.019 --> 00:55:59.019
 picture, you end up with

00:55:59.019 --> 00:56:00.539
 mercy, which is the result

00:56:00.539 --> 00:56:01.320
 of forgiveness.

00:56:02.320 --> 00:56:03.640
 Richard Sibb says it would

00:56:03.639 --> 00:56:05.440
 be a good contest

00:56:05.440 --> 00:56:06.699
 amongst Christians.

00:56:08.579 --> 00:56:10.679
 One, to labor to give

00:56:10.679 --> 00:56:13.119
 no offense, and the

00:56:13.119 --> 00:56:15.440
 other, to labor to take

00:56:15.440 --> 00:56:15.799
 none.

00:56:16.900 --> 00:56:18.500
 The best men are severe

00:56:18.500 --> 00:56:20.480
 to themselves, tender

00:56:20.480 --> 00:56:21.879
 over others.

00:56:22.460 --> 00:56:23.739
 I want to break that down

00:56:23.739 --> 00:56:24.679
 just a little bit, and

00:56:24.679 --> 00:56:25.599
 then we'll end on that.

00:56:28.139 --> 00:56:29.619
 The best men are severe

00:56:29.619 --> 00:56:30.400
 to themselves.

00:56:30.920 --> 00:56:32.559
 Are you suspicious of what

00:56:32.559 --> 00:56:34.159
 you bring to the table in

00:56:34.159 --> 00:56:34.980
 conflict?

00:56:37.239 --> 00:56:38.480
 Do you have an

00:56:38.480 --> 00:56:39.820
 acknowledgement that you

00:56:39.820 --> 00:56:40.719
 might be part of the

00:56:40.719 --> 00:56:41.119
 problem?

00:56:42.119 --> 00:56:43.960
 Not always, but are you

00:56:43.960 --> 00:56:45.119
 always willing to ask that

00:56:45.119 --> 00:56:45.559
 question?

00:56:47.019 --> 00:56:47.219
 Okay?

00:56:47.619 --> 00:56:50.920
 Then, tender over others.

00:56:51.500 --> 00:56:53.259
 Am I willing to extend

00:56:53.259 --> 00:56:54.900
 grace as one who's received?

00:56:55.299 --> 00:56:56.599
 Am I willing to extend

00:56:56.599 --> 00:56:57.880
 mercy as one who has

00:56:57.880 --> 00:56:58.299
 received?

00:56:58.460 --> 00:56:59.519
 To extend forgiveness

00:56:59.519 --> 00:57:00.519
 forgiveness?

00:57:00.519 --> 00:57:02.199
 As the Lord has forgiven,

00:57:02.920 --> 00:57:04.639
 so you also shall forgive.

00:57:04.739 --> 00:57:05.820
 As the Lord has loved you,

00:57:06.739 --> 00:57:07.980
 so you also should love

00:57:07.980 --> 00:57:09.159
 others.

00:57:12.360 --> 00:57:15.360
 In the end, as a believer,

00:57:15.920 --> 00:57:18.940
 we want to acknowledge that

00:57:18.940 --> 00:57:20.980
 we are part genetically with

00:57:20.980 --> 00:57:21.480
 the fall.

00:57:21.639 --> 00:57:24.320
 We are part of a conflict-laden

00:57:24.320 --> 00:57:24.759
 people.

00:57:24.760 --> 00:57:27.860
 And God has given us

00:57:27.860 --> 00:57:29.480
 someone to deliver us from

00:57:29.480 --> 00:57:29.780
 that.

00:57:30.340 --> 00:57:31.780
 To remove the

00:57:31.780 --> 00:57:33.600
 enmity between us and

00:57:33.600 --> 00:57:35.960
 others by restoring us to

00:57:35.960 --> 00:57:36.260
 God.

00:57:36.620 --> 00:57:38.080
 We have enemies of

00:57:38.080 --> 00:57:39.500
 ourselves, of friendship with

00:57:39.500 --> 00:57:40.080
 the world.

00:57:41.080 --> 00:57:43.080
 Enemies of our distance from

00:57:43.080 --> 00:57:44.800
 God that we can actually take

00:57:44.800 --> 00:57:45.260
 hold of.

00:57:45.540 --> 00:57:48.900
 And we can go to war over the

00:57:48.900 --> 00:57:50.640
 devil who looks to draw us from

00:57:50.640 --> 00:57:52.180
 God and create division.

00:57:52.179 --> 00:57:54.179
 And we can be those who

00:57:54.179 --> 00:57:56.059
 pursue a posture of peace,

00:57:56.599 --> 00:57:58.079
 a posture of forgiveness.

00:57:58.879 --> 00:58:00.940
 This, friends, in the place of

00:58:00.940 --> 00:58:02.419
 difficulty, in the place of

00:58:02.419 --> 00:58:04.279
 conflict, is what the

00:58:04.279 --> 00:58:06.639
 Christian does when they move

00:58:06.639 --> 00:58:07.659
 toward peace.

00:58:08.659 --> 00:58:10.299
 And I hope that has been

00:58:10.299 --> 00:58:11.119
 helpful to you.

00:58:12.539 --> 00:58:14.339
 I think we'll have time here for

00:58:14.339 --> 00:58:14.980
 some questions.

00:58:15.599 --> 00:58:16.960
 So I do want to field those

00:58:16.960 --> 00:58:17.440
 questions.

00:58:17.679 --> 00:58:19.879
 But let me thank you for your

00:58:19.879 --> 00:58:21.500
 attention during these sessions,

00:58:21.500 --> 00:58:22.519
 for your attentiveness.

00:58:23.480 --> 00:58:25.219
 And I'm eager to field some of

00:58:25.219 --> 00:58:25.900
 these questions.

00:58:26.840 --> 00:58:28.219
 Yeah, so thank you very much.

00:58:28.219 --> 00:58:29.360
 Applause

00:58:29.360 --> 00:58:30.519
 Applause

00:58:30.519 --> 00:58:31.739
 Applause

00:58:31.739 --> 00:58:31.739


00:58:31.739 --> 00:58:31.739


00:58:31.739 --> 00:58:31.739


00:58:31.739 --> 00:58:31.739


00:58:31.739 --> 00:58:31.739


00:58:31.739 --> 00:58:31.739


00:58:31.739 --> 00:58:31.739


00:58:31.739 --> 00:58:31.739


00:58:31.739 --> 00:58:31.739


00:58:31.739 --> 00:58:31.739


00:58:31.739 --> 00:58:31.739


00:58:31.739 --> 00:59:01.719
 Thank you.