WEBVTT 00:00:00.320 --> 00:00:06.459 Father, we ask that you would gently but deeply and thoroughly pour out your Holy Spirit upon us this morning. 00:00:07.400 --> 00:00:12.259 Father, we ask that your Holy Spirit would be poured out upon us to, on one hand, Father, 00:00:12.259 --> 00:00:21.920 humble our minds to know that unless you work, we cannot, by our own power, understand or capture you or your ways. 00:00:23.100 --> 00:00:27.339 And at the same time, Father, as your Holy Spirit falls to humble us, 00:00:27.339 --> 00:00:33.899 we ask that your Holy Spirit would fall upon us to create within us a hunger, a hunger, Father, for you, 00:00:34.000 --> 00:00:41.780 a hunger to know your word, a hunger to know about Jesus, a hunger to see ourselves truly in light of who you are. 00:00:42.500 --> 00:00:48.539 Father, we ask for this gracious double work of your Holy Spirit in our minds and hearts this morning. 00:00:49.019 --> 00:00:54.079 And all this we ask in the name of Jesus, your Son and our Savior. Amen. 00:00:54.939 --> 00:00:55.740 Please be seated. 00:00:57.340 --> 00:01:05.140 Is regret to be the story of my life? 00:01:06.000 --> 00:01:08.740 Is sorrow to be the story of my life? 00:01:10.219 --> 00:01:15.640 You know, in the midst of all of that confusing part of the Bible passage that I read just a couple of minutes ago, 00:01:16.180 --> 00:01:18.460 there's this very, very powerful verse. 00:01:19.159 --> 00:01:21.359 And it's sort of like a bit of a proverb. 00:01:21.359 --> 00:01:26.579 And in fact, what we're going to be doing this morning, we're going to look at all the verses, 00:01:26.879 --> 00:01:38.420 but really this, my great prayer and hope this morning is that we'll get this one verse sort of inserted into our minds and into our hearts. 00:01:38.420 --> 00:01:40.939 I don't know how many of you have seen the movie Inception. 00:01:41.840 --> 00:01:51.680 But if you've seen the movie Inception, you know that the movie, one of the things that drives the movie is that they want to plant an idea deep within a person. 00:01:51.680 --> 00:02:01.660 And so if this one verse can be deeply implanted in you, then I have done my job this morning. 00:02:01.659 --> 00:02:08.219 And the verse that we're going to look at time and time and time again, we're going to keep returning to this same verse, 00:02:08.280 --> 00:02:12.780 is a verse that talks about sorrow and it's a verse that talks about regret. 00:02:14.120 --> 00:02:20.419 And the fact of the matter is, is that there's some people here probably today who are living with a lot of sorrow. 00:02:21.439 --> 00:02:25.099 And there's some of us here who are probably living with a lot of regret. 00:02:25.099 --> 00:02:33.900 And in fact, there's probably some of us here who believe that living with regret or living with sorrow is a sign of our spiritual maturity. 00:02:34.780 --> 00:02:44.579 Just as there are some people here probably who believe that a sign of spiritual maturity is to instantly rid ourselves of sorrow and instantly rid ourselves of regret. 00:02:44.979 --> 00:02:48.139 And the rest of us are probably just somewhere confused in the middle. 00:02:48.439 --> 00:02:53.419 But we have these sorrows and we have this regret and we don't know how to deal with it. 00:02:53.419 --> 00:02:57.839 And for some of us, maybe our regret has been a very, very long season in our lives. 00:02:58.139 --> 00:03:06.179 And we feel doomed that maybe God is calling us to live a life of regret for what we've done. 00:03:07.859 --> 00:03:20.379 And so the Bible passage that we're going to look at today is a very, very powerful verse that speaks about sorrow and speaks about regret and speaks about salvation and speaks about death. 00:03:20.379 --> 00:03:31.419 You know, in other words, it's actually a verse which is very, very relevant to our lives and very relevant to the different stories that we tell ourselves and the stories that our culture tells us. 00:03:31.419 --> 00:04:01.399 So it would be a great help for us. 00:04:01.400 --> 00:04:31.379 The NIV uses the word grief. 00:04:31.379 --> 00:04:34.939 Whereas worldly sorrow produces death. 00:04:35.899 --> 00:04:38.600 It's a very, very powerful verse. 00:04:38.980 --> 00:04:42.240 And I have to confess it's a verse that I've read many times. 00:04:42.839 --> 00:04:48.819 But it was really only when I had the honor and the obligation of opening the Bible and telling you about Jesus. 00:04:48.819 --> 00:04:56.099 And that this text has sort of not quite haunted me, but almost like that throughout the entire week. 00:04:56.800 --> 00:04:59.159 Because I think it's such a powerful verse. 00:05:00.240 --> 00:05:01.600 And in fact, let's say it again. 00:05:01.600 --> 00:05:08.400 For godly sorrow produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret. 00:05:09.200 --> 00:05:12.220 Whereas worldly sorrow produces death. 00:05:12.220 --> 00:05:18.320 So the first thing is, some of us might think that this just doesn't sound right. 00:05:20.120 --> 00:05:27.460 This idea that somehow, okay, you have this period of little brief period of godly sorrow, 00:05:27.460 --> 00:05:30.900 and then it quickly leads you to repent, and then you have salvation with no regret. 00:05:30.899 --> 00:05:42.679 But is this text sort of just telling us that we shouldn't grieve or be sorry for some of the wrong things we've done, 00:05:42.819 --> 00:05:45.579 for some of the broken relationships that we have? 00:05:45.579 --> 00:05:56.479 You know, in Petawawa, the Roman Catholic Church in Petawawa is called Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrow. 00:05:58.399 --> 00:06:04.500 By the way, if you did a little contest, church names that you'd never see in front of a Baptist church, 00:06:04.599 --> 00:06:10.219 Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrow Baptist Church, I'm pretty sure there's no church like that in all the world. 00:06:10.220 --> 00:06:17.280 But, you know, this idea of, you know, for many people there's something deeply resonant about the fact that 00:06:17.280 --> 00:06:19.720 there should be this perpetual sorrow about it. 00:06:19.800 --> 00:06:23.420 So this verse seems like, is it trite? Is it trivial? 00:06:23.580 --> 00:06:26.220 Is it telling you to live a shallow type of life? 00:06:26.700 --> 00:06:28.840 Because it gets to without regret. 00:06:28.980 --> 00:06:30.740 Like, what on earth is going on here? 00:06:31.200 --> 00:06:35.160 And is it talking about me not feeling sad for some of the people that I've lost? 00:06:35.160 --> 00:06:39.640 Like, George, the text just doesn't, I mean, it sounds nice, 00:06:39.639 --> 00:06:43.459 but if you think about it, George, I think that text is not a wise verse. 00:06:43.560 --> 00:06:48.060 It's going to let people off the hook and tell people not to sorrow. 00:06:48.360 --> 00:06:49.959 It's not wise, George. 00:06:50.659 --> 00:06:52.639 Well, let's look at the context. 00:06:52.860 --> 00:06:57.399 So if you have your Bibles, and we'll start reading at 2 Corinthians 7, verse 2. 00:06:57.740 --> 00:07:01.060 We're not going to spend very much time on the context, 00:07:01.060 --> 00:07:07.419 but I want you to see, sort of narrow down what it is that the text is and isn't talking about. 00:07:07.420 --> 00:07:13.840 The text isn't saying that Jesus was wrong to weep at the grave of Lazarus. 00:07:14.280 --> 00:07:18.240 For those of you who are Christians, there's a very famous story in John's Gospel 00:07:18.240 --> 00:07:20.780 where Jesus goes to the grave of Lazarus and weeps. 00:07:21.300 --> 00:07:24.759 This Bible text isn't saying that Jesus did something wrong. 00:07:24.840 --> 00:07:25.900 It's not correcting Jesus. 00:07:26.060 --> 00:07:27.700 It's talking about something a bit different. 00:07:28.280 --> 00:07:29.680 So let's begin at verse 2. 00:07:29.680 --> 00:07:53.519 Just sort of pause there for a second. 00:07:53.660 --> 00:07:55.720 So, okay, what on earth is going on here? 00:07:55.720 --> 00:08:00.560 You know, for those of you who have been here most weeks, there's a part of the letter of 2 Corinthians 00:08:00.560 --> 00:08:01.640 that I haven't talked about. 00:08:02.680 --> 00:08:08.140 And the part of it that's all the way through the letter, and you piece it together as you go through the whole letter, 00:08:08.800 --> 00:08:12.400 is that Paul, before this letter, wrote another letter to Corinth. 00:08:13.380 --> 00:08:17.800 And the letter that he wrote to Corinth, which we don't know what it is. 00:08:17.920 --> 00:08:18.920 There's no record of it. 00:08:18.920 --> 00:08:19.900 It's not 1 Corinthians. 00:08:20.060 --> 00:08:20.820 It's another letter. 00:08:20.819 --> 00:08:25.180 It was a very, very hard, pointed, direct letter. 00:08:25.180 --> 00:08:30.740 Because Paul had become aware of the fact that there was something going on in the Christian community 00:08:30.740 --> 00:08:34.659 by whether it was just a couple of people or a small group, but it wasn't the majority, 00:08:34.840 --> 00:08:38.860 but there was a minority of people doing something in that Christian community 00:08:38.860 --> 00:08:44.379 that Paul thought was so wrong, and not dealing with it was so wrong, 00:08:45.120 --> 00:08:51.039 that it would endanger ultimately their whole status as followers of Jesus, 00:08:51.159 --> 00:08:53.259 whether or not, in fact, they would be a Christian church. 00:08:53.259 --> 00:08:56.519 I know if you're non-Christians, you might say, well, how do you know what does that matter? 00:08:56.600 --> 00:08:58.899 And that's a bit of a separate topic of conversation. 00:08:59.500 --> 00:09:04.960 But for Paul, Paul has staked his entire life willing to go to jail, 00:09:05.120 --> 00:09:09.200 willing to be beaten, willing to be shipwrecked, willing to be hated, 00:09:09.460 --> 00:09:14.059 willing to be pursued in false, all sorts of things, because he had met the risen Jesus. 00:09:14.559 --> 00:09:19.919 And he knew, beyond all doubt, that Jesus had actually died upon the cross, 00:09:19.919 --> 00:09:25.259 that the grave was empty, and the grave was empty because Jesus had risen from the dead, 00:09:25.339 --> 00:09:30.219 and Paul had met Jesus, and he knew that Jesus really was God's son, 00:09:30.319 --> 00:09:32.759 because the resurrection vindicates who Jesus is. 00:09:32.860 --> 00:09:36.919 And he knows that not only has Jesus, the resurrection vindicated Jesus, 00:09:37.059 --> 00:09:42.399 it means that Jesus has defeated death, and it means that Jesus has defeated that which causes death. 00:09:42.459 --> 00:09:46.099 It means that Jesus is the one that can reconcile us to our Creator, 00:09:46.100 --> 00:09:52.100 when we put our faith and trust in him, that this affects people's eternal destinies. 00:09:52.460 --> 00:09:53.580 And Paul knows that. 00:09:53.899 --> 00:09:58.279 And Paul sees that there's something going on in this church in Corinth by a small group of people, 00:09:58.360 --> 00:10:00.920 not the majority, but a small group of people, 00:10:01.200 --> 00:10:09.000 that endangers the spiritual destiny, the future, the physical, the literal destiny of the entire church, 00:10:09.100 --> 00:10:11.720 the entire people, and the entire movement in that city. 00:10:11.720 --> 00:10:18.240 And so we don't have this letter, but Paul writes a very, very hard, very direct and pointed letter to them. 00:10:19.519 --> 00:10:24.899 The same time, another thing which is going on is that there's a whole pile of people not very impressed with Paul, 00:10:25.440 --> 00:10:31.500 because he's not the best looking, he's not the richest, he's not the best speaker, he's not the smartest, 00:10:32.240 --> 00:10:37.399 and they think they're better looking, better people skills, better speaking skills, etc. 00:10:37.399 --> 00:10:41.679 And that's another bit of a thing that's also going on as he's writing this particular letter. 00:10:42.539 --> 00:10:47.419 And so that's part of the context here, is Paul's just reminding him, he's sharing his heart with him. 00:10:47.759 --> 00:10:52.759 In fact, it can't be captured in English, but in the original language, those verses that I just read, 00:10:53.179 --> 00:10:54.459 it's broken phrases. 00:10:56.059 --> 00:10:57.459 It's broken phrases. 00:10:58.439 --> 00:11:04.740 And in the English, it's smoothed out a little bit to make it look like proper sentences with verbs and everything like that. 00:11:04.740 --> 00:11:10.659 But in the original, it's as if when he's writing, he's just so overcome with emotion at this point in time 00:11:10.659 --> 00:11:15.759 that it's just, he says this, and he says this, and he says this, and dangly forgot verbs again, you know. 00:11:16.299 --> 00:11:20.039 And connectors, it's not good English. 00:11:20.480 --> 00:11:25.320 I mean, it's not good Greek, and it's smoothed over, but it's showing Paul's great heart for them. 00:11:26.980 --> 00:11:30.299 His great fear for the danger that they're in. 00:11:30.299 --> 00:11:40.299 And at the one hand, he hoped that when they received the letter, they would deal with it in a way that is good for people 00:11:40.299 --> 00:11:42.839 and meant that they were staying connected to God. 00:11:43.000 --> 00:11:44.519 And on the other hand, he's worried that they won't. 00:11:45.240 --> 00:11:47.299 And that's sort of what's going on behind this letter. 00:11:47.359 --> 00:11:48.819 Let's continue on with verse 5. 00:11:49.639 --> 00:11:53.899 For even when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest. 00:11:54.639 --> 00:11:56.139 And just pause here for a second. 00:11:56.139 --> 00:12:01.139 And there's no way in English it can be translated, but the original word in the original language, 00:12:01.620 --> 00:12:05.240 the word that he chose is a word that emphasizes frailty. 00:12:07.059 --> 00:12:09.819 His frailty as a person. 00:12:11.039 --> 00:12:11.919 So I'll say it again. 00:12:12.039 --> 00:12:16.860 For even when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest. 00:12:16.860 --> 00:12:43.700 Just pause here for a second. 00:12:43.700 --> 00:12:52.259 And there's part of this letter here which we have to realize that we couldn't write this letter in the same way. 00:12:52.400 --> 00:12:55.480 There's something very unique here about Paul that we have to realize. 00:12:57.080 --> 00:13:01.600 Because it sounds a little bit like it's self-centered, as if it's all about people being connected to him. 00:13:01.620 --> 00:13:02.820 And it's not that way at all. 00:13:02.820 --> 00:13:09.940 In fact, the whole letter keeps showing Paul's weakness, that he's a servant of God. 00:13:10.760 --> 00:13:16.379 The thing which is unique here is Paul is writing as an apostle. 00:13:17.980 --> 00:13:22.920 And the apostolic teaching is the teaching of Jesus. 00:13:22.919 --> 00:13:30.000 I mean, Jesus, for the three years of his public ministry, he taught and taught, and he taught publicly. 00:13:30.120 --> 00:13:31.219 The crowds heard him. 00:13:31.779 --> 00:13:37.959 But he especially taught not only his apostles, the twelve that he had chosen, one of whom betrayed him, 00:13:37.979 --> 00:13:40.479 and then that, in a sense, person's replaced by Paul. 00:13:40.979 --> 00:13:45.699 And there's not only this deep teaching of the crowd, but there's this deep teaching of the apostles. 00:13:45.899 --> 00:13:47.659 And Jesus himself doesn't write anything. 00:13:47.659 --> 00:13:50.919 And that's for our good. 00:13:51.059 --> 00:13:56.259 We'd probably end up maybe even worshipping the words rather than God. 00:13:56.360 --> 00:13:58.299 It would become a great idol to us. 00:13:58.620 --> 00:14:03.699 Just as it's actually a great benefit to us that the actual first document wasn't preserved, 00:14:03.819 --> 00:14:05.480 because we'd end up probably worshipping. 00:14:05.559 --> 00:14:07.019 It would become like an idol to us. 00:14:07.319 --> 00:14:10.480 We'd force everybody to write in the exact same way that Jesus wrote. 00:14:10.519 --> 00:14:11.419 Wouldn't that be terrible? 00:14:12.459 --> 00:14:15.399 Like telling kids, no, no, that's not how Jesus does that letter. 00:14:15.399 --> 00:14:15.519 Never. 00:14:16.480 --> 00:14:20.399 We'd be tempted to all be frozen in the same time period. 00:14:20.519 --> 00:14:23.000 Anyway, and so Jesus teaches the apostles. 00:14:23.139 --> 00:14:24.199 The apostles teach us. 00:14:24.360 --> 00:14:27.439 So the teaching of Jesus is the apostolic teaching. 00:14:27.600 --> 00:14:29.759 It's what we now know of as the New Testament. 00:14:30.539 --> 00:14:34.139 And so what Paul here is talking about is he's not being self-centered. 00:14:34.659 --> 00:14:38.340 He realizes that he has this specific authoritative role, 00:14:38.439 --> 00:14:42.779 that in a sense Jesus himself is speaking to the congregation through him. 00:14:42.799 --> 00:14:43.960 It's a very, very unique thing. 00:14:43.960 --> 00:14:47.639 So his worry isn't for him with his own ego. 00:14:48.300 --> 00:14:53.600 His concern is that if they reject the apostolic teaching, they're rejecting Jesus. 00:14:54.340 --> 00:14:55.460 That's his concern. 00:14:56.280 --> 00:15:00.820 That when they have a zeal to connect with him, it's not a zeal to connect with him. 00:15:01.240 --> 00:15:04.240 It's a zeal to connect with the apostolic teaching. 00:15:04.360 --> 00:15:06.080 It's a zeal to connect with Jesus. 00:15:06.820 --> 00:15:08.259 That's what he's concerned about. 00:15:08.320 --> 00:15:09.500 It's not self-centered. 00:15:09.500 --> 00:15:13.659 And in fact, once we try to get that in our head when we read it, 00:15:13.740 --> 00:15:18.039 we'll understand that some of the confusing part in the letter, it's not, 00:15:18.159 --> 00:15:21.059 I can't write to somebody and say, you know, it's all about me. 00:15:21.360 --> 00:15:23.419 I really want you to be reconciled to me. 00:15:25.279 --> 00:15:26.639 Some of you heard this story before. 00:15:26.679 --> 00:15:28.159 I did this wedding rehearsal. 00:15:28.379 --> 00:15:29.460 This is quite a few years ago. 00:15:29.460 --> 00:15:31.800 And it was a very, very proper lawyer. 00:15:32.500 --> 00:15:34.560 And it was a second marriage for him. 00:15:35.019 --> 00:15:38.300 And he had a 16-year-old daughter, 17-year-old daughter. 00:15:38.680 --> 00:15:41.000 And in the rehearsal, she wanted to practice reading. 00:15:41.460 --> 00:15:44.540 And the way it was going to be set up, the way the church building was, 00:15:44.620 --> 00:15:48.460 that the dad and his bride were standing there, like right in front of her. 00:15:48.500 --> 00:15:50.920 She was going to get up on a couple of steps, stand in front of him, do the reading. 00:15:50.919 --> 00:15:55.539 And she got up with a very, very, very serious voice, very serious expression. 00:15:55.699 --> 00:15:56.259 I'm smiling. 00:15:56.360 --> 00:15:57.299 I can't imitate her. 00:15:57.659 --> 00:15:59.879 She looked very somber. 00:16:00.319 --> 00:16:04.299 And she began to read the Bible with a very somber voice, you know, 00:16:04.319 --> 00:16:05.899 reading from, you know, whatever it was. 00:16:05.939 --> 00:16:07.519 I think it was 1 Corinthians 13. 00:16:07.839 --> 00:16:09.219 And she starts to read a few verses. 00:16:09.360 --> 00:16:11.699 And then she looks up and smiles, closes the Bible and says, 00:16:11.779 --> 00:16:12.719 I don't want to read this. 00:16:12.819 --> 00:16:14.039 I want to talk about me. 00:16:17.779 --> 00:16:19.599 And then it was one of those things. 00:16:19.599 --> 00:16:20.539 You wish you had a camera. 00:16:20.539 --> 00:16:24.699 The look of complete shock on her father's face when she said that. 00:16:24.819 --> 00:16:28.379 And then she giggled, hopped down the two steps, kissed her dad on the cheek, 00:16:28.459 --> 00:16:29.559 and said, I'm just kidding, dad. 00:16:29.599 --> 00:16:30.539 I'll do it right tomorrow. 00:16:30.740 --> 00:16:31.879 And then went to her seat. 00:16:33.199 --> 00:16:34.559 You know, but she captured something. 00:16:34.699 --> 00:16:35.480 It's all about me. 00:16:35.519 --> 00:16:37.179 And that's not what's going on here in the text. 00:16:37.240 --> 00:16:38.259 It's not about Paul. 00:16:38.719 --> 00:16:44.360 It's about Jesus and his particular, unique, irreplaceable position in this case, 00:16:44.579 --> 00:16:50.219 in terms of how Jesus teaches his people, how Jesus teaches us. 00:16:50.539 --> 00:16:51.740 So we continue on. 00:16:51.899 --> 00:16:52.740 It's verse 8. 00:16:52.819 --> 00:16:59.279 For even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it, though I did regret it. 00:16:59.379 --> 00:17:02.500 For I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while. 00:17:02.819 --> 00:17:08.680 As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. 00:17:08.759 --> 00:17:13.500 For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. 00:17:14.299 --> 00:17:15.480 So you see this? 00:17:15.839 --> 00:17:18.559 The thing is, he wrote a very, very hard letter. 00:17:18.680 --> 00:17:19.980 He was very, very worried. 00:17:21.480 --> 00:17:22.920 He knew it was going to hurt them. 00:17:23.660 --> 00:17:25.380 It was going to wound them deeply. 00:17:25.380 --> 00:17:30.760 And he worried about, he didn't want to hurt them because he loved them. 00:17:31.260 --> 00:17:35.880 And he was worried that the wound would cause, he didn't know what would happen, how they were going to react. 00:17:36.340 --> 00:17:38.560 He had a hope that they'd react one way. 00:17:38.700 --> 00:17:41.480 And on one level, it's like, I believe helped my unbelief. 00:17:42.080 --> 00:17:42.940 But he wasn't sure. 00:17:43.280 --> 00:17:44.680 And now he's gotten news. 00:17:45.380 --> 00:17:50.160 And that's 2 Corinthians is in response to this, that they reacted with deep repentance. 00:17:50.160 --> 00:17:54.840 They felt godly sorrow, deep repentance, and they dealt with the issue. 00:17:55.940 --> 00:17:57.380 And here we now come to verse 10. 00:17:57.480 --> 00:17:58.940 Here's the context in verse 10. 00:17:59.440 --> 00:18:02.259 For godly grief, for God, let's say it out loud together. 00:18:02.380 --> 00:18:03.740 If it's still up there, say it together with me. 00:18:04.100 --> 00:18:13.460 For godly sorrow produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly sorrow produces death. 00:18:14.060 --> 00:18:16.220 And then it continues on, verse 11. 00:18:16.220 --> 00:18:20.019 And this passage is a bit hard. 00:18:20.660 --> 00:18:23.819 If you're looking at it, it's not contradicting. 00:18:24.140 --> 00:18:26.440 It's just very technical language. 00:18:26.600 --> 00:18:29.420 The indignation they feel is not indignation at Paul. 00:18:29.559 --> 00:18:33.400 It's indignation at themselves for letting it happen. 00:18:33.519 --> 00:18:35.200 It's indignation at the wrongdoers. 00:18:35.299 --> 00:18:36.680 It's indignation for their leadership. 00:18:36.940 --> 00:18:38.240 It's indignation at their blindness. 00:18:38.600 --> 00:18:42.640 It's not that they've proved themselves innocent, but they've done, once they knew that there was a problem, 00:18:42.700 --> 00:18:44.960 they've done everything that had to be to make the matter right. 00:18:44.960 --> 00:18:46.799 And that's this language of verse 11. 00:18:47.279 --> 00:18:52.500 For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, 00:18:52.640 --> 00:18:56.480 what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment. 00:18:57.000 --> 00:18:58.720 Really, the better word there would be discipline. 00:18:59.120 --> 00:19:01.759 At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter. 00:19:02.120 --> 00:19:05.980 So although I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of the one who did the wrong. 00:19:05.980 --> 00:19:11.740 In other words, it's not because he's angry at them. 00:19:13.180 --> 00:19:16.200 And it's not for the sake of the one who suffered the wrong. 00:19:16.539 --> 00:19:19.019 He's not particularly caring about himself. 00:19:19.720 --> 00:19:24.180 But in order that your earnestness for us might be revealed to you in the sight of God. 00:19:24.279 --> 00:19:26.940 And here he means your earnestness to stay with Jesus. 00:19:28.140 --> 00:19:29.039 That's what he means. 00:19:29.039 --> 00:19:30.339 And it's comparative. 00:19:30.519 --> 00:19:32.019 Of course, he had a concern for other people. 00:19:32.180 --> 00:19:38.220 But relatively speaking, his primary concern is to have them go more deeply into Jesus. 00:19:39.819 --> 00:19:41.019 Therefore, we are comforted. 00:19:41.059 --> 00:19:41.639 Verse 13. 00:19:41.640 --> 00:19:44.640 And beside our own comfort, we rejoice still more at the joy of Titus, 00:19:44.720 --> 00:19:46.960 because his spirit has been refreshed by you all. 00:19:47.460 --> 00:19:51.040 For whatever boasts I made to him about you, I was not put to shame. 00:19:51.480 --> 00:19:56.440 But just as everything we said to you was true, so also our boasting before Titus has proved true. 00:19:56.820 --> 00:20:00.820 And his affection for you is even greater, as he remembers the obedience of you all, 00:20:00.880 --> 00:20:02.780 how you received him with fear and trembling. 00:20:03.320 --> 00:20:05.880 I rejoice because I have complete confidence in you. 00:20:06.700 --> 00:20:09.380 By the way, the very next thing he's going to say is to hit him up for some money. 00:20:09.500 --> 00:20:10.660 But that's next week's sermon. 00:20:10.660 --> 00:20:11.019 Okay. 00:20:13.060 --> 00:20:14.440 Actually, it's not about hitting him up for money. 00:20:14.580 --> 00:20:15.440 I misspoke it. 00:20:16.000 --> 00:20:17.259 So here's the thing then. 00:20:17.460 --> 00:20:18.160 Here's the thing. 00:20:18.940 --> 00:20:23.660 Some of you might say, okay, George, so this sounds... 00:20:24.300 --> 00:20:27.800 I don't know what to say, George. 00:20:27.980 --> 00:20:32.580 So, you know, this verse 10 here about life with no regret and sorrow. 00:20:32.940 --> 00:20:36.279 And I'm still a little bit confused here. 00:20:36.279 --> 00:20:43.119 Is it telling me that the sorrow or grief I feel because my dad... 00:20:43.119 --> 00:20:46.879 I'm just confused a little bit, George, about the text. 00:20:47.440 --> 00:20:48.799 So here's the first thing. 00:20:48.799 --> 00:20:52.059 There's no points up on the screen because the only point today is verse 10. 00:20:52.919 --> 00:20:54.039 That's what I want you to remember. 00:20:54.119 --> 00:20:57.960 I don't want you to go away and say, oh, George had such really good points if I was even able to do it. 00:20:58.759 --> 00:21:03.139 If you remembered my points but don't forget the scripture, in a very important way I failed. 00:21:03.140 --> 00:21:06.480 I want you to remember the scripture. 00:21:07.520 --> 00:21:08.800 So here's the first thing. 00:21:13.500 --> 00:21:16.620 Not all sorrow is being referred to in this verse. 00:21:17.960 --> 00:21:18.240 Okay? 00:21:18.680 --> 00:21:26.040 What we've seen in the story so far is the sorrow that Paul is referring to is the sorrow, the pain that comes 00:21:26.040 --> 00:21:30.880 when our moral failings have been made clear to us. 00:21:30.880 --> 00:21:33.740 That's the sorrow that Paul's talking about. 00:21:33.800 --> 00:21:35.440 That's the grieving that Paul talks about. 00:21:35.920 --> 00:21:41.540 Now, there's obviously connections here to the type of sorrow and grief we feel at the loss of a loved one. 00:21:42.120 --> 00:21:44.380 But that's not what Paul's talking about here. 00:21:44.480 --> 00:21:49.280 He has other texts like 1 Corinthians 15 where he talks about how you grieve. 00:21:49.920 --> 00:21:55.220 And he's not contradicting Jesus at all here because Jesus grieves at the sin of the world, 00:21:55.380 --> 00:21:58.540 the evil of the world, the lack of belief, the reality of death, 00:21:58.760 --> 00:22:00.540 the sin that causes death. 00:22:00.539 --> 00:22:06.539 That's why Jesus weeps at the grave of Lazarus before he heals Lazarus, 00:22:06.639 --> 00:22:08.920 brings him back to life to this side of the grave. 00:22:09.259 --> 00:22:10.539 Lazarus would still have to die. 00:22:10.619 --> 00:22:15.819 That's why we worship Jesus, not Lazarus, because Jesus died and he defeated death, 00:22:16.119 --> 00:22:18.940 and that which caused death, which is our rebellion against God. 00:22:19.259 --> 00:22:25.359 So this text isn't talking about just feeling sorrow and grieving the loss of a husband or a sister or brother 00:22:25.359 --> 00:22:27.079 or a good friend. 00:22:27.079 --> 00:22:29.000 It's not talking about that at all. 00:22:29.579 --> 00:22:36.799 It's talking about the type of pain that we feel when somebody confronts us of something that's wrong. 00:22:37.279 --> 00:22:38.619 So let's read verse 10 again. 00:22:39.199 --> 00:22:40.359 For godly sorrow... 00:22:40.919 --> 00:22:41.579 Is it still up there? 00:22:41.740 --> 00:22:41.879 Yes. 00:22:41.880 --> 00:22:47.940 For godly sorrow produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, 00:22:48.480 --> 00:22:51.340 whereas worldly sorrow produces death. 00:22:51.700 --> 00:22:54.420 See, I want you to have the verse memorized by the end of the service. 00:22:55.220 --> 00:22:56.260 Now, some of you might say, 00:22:56.259 --> 00:22:59.680 You know, George, I don't know about this text. 00:22:59.759 --> 00:23:00.900 I don't know about Christians. 00:23:06.599 --> 00:23:08.059 I mean, the fact of the matter is, 00:23:08.099 --> 00:23:11.059 is that sometimes when you tell people that they've done wrong, 00:23:11.059 --> 00:23:12.720 like Paul does in this letter, 00:23:13.440 --> 00:23:15.059 like they don't feel pain. 00:23:16.640 --> 00:23:20.180 I know a person who works in the civil service, 00:23:20.400 --> 00:23:22.619 and he was in an office for several years. 00:23:23.460 --> 00:23:25.000 He's no longer in that office. 00:23:25.000 --> 00:23:28.799 And there was a woman in the office 00:23:28.799 --> 00:23:32.440 who basically didn't show up to work for about two years. 00:23:33.700 --> 00:23:35.720 And she still kept getting paid. 00:23:36.880 --> 00:23:40.519 And everybody in the office was so terrified of her 00:23:40.519 --> 00:23:43.519 that they didn't do anything about it. 00:23:44.900 --> 00:23:47.519 They just let her stay at home and collect her pay. 00:23:49.299 --> 00:23:52.000 And we all know, I've shared with you before, 00:23:52.079 --> 00:23:53.940 I'm not very good at telling people off. 00:23:53.940 --> 00:23:55.539 It's a weakness of mine. 00:23:56.500 --> 00:24:00.700 But when I finally prayerfully screw up the courage to do it, 00:24:00.820 --> 00:24:02.680 you know, I can tell within a few seconds 00:24:02.680 --> 00:24:07.039 whether the person is going to feel even a tiny bit of twinge of conscience over it or not. 00:24:07.680 --> 00:24:09.880 And we all have experience of people 00:24:09.880 --> 00:24:12.980 that when we confront them about something that they've done wrong, 00:24:13.279 --> 00:24:14.519 and we know they've done it, 00:24:14.580 --> 00:24:16.039 and we know the facts are right, 00:24:16.100 --> 00:24:17.519 we know they actually have done something wrong, 00:24:17.519 --> 00:24:18.819 there's a whole pile of people, 00:24:18.980 --> 00:24:20.859 or maybe everybody at some point in time, 00:24:20.920 --> 00:24:22.299 that react with an attack. 00:24:23.139 --> 00:24:24.379 They go after you. 00:24:24.879 --> 00:24:26.680 They push back big time. 00:24:28.379 --> 00:24:29.480 And so for some of us, 00:24:29.500 --> 00:24:30.720 we might be a little bit confused. 00:24:30.900 --> 00:24:34.539 Okay, so the contrast is between godly sorrow and worldly sorrow, 00:24:34.660 --> 00:24:35.240 but George, 00:24:35.559 --> 00:24:39.339 that obviously isn't all of the options. 00:24:39.339 --> 00:24:41.279 And then all Paul would say, 00:24:41.359 --> 00:24:42.259 no, yeah, yeah, that's right. 00:24:43.559 --> 00:24:44.399 That's right. 00:24:45.519 --> 00:24:46.339 I'm not saying, 00:24:46.599 --> 00:24:52.599 Paul's not saying that everybody who's confronted by their wrongdoing reacts with pain. 00:24:53.699 --> 00:24:55.220 Paul's not talking about that. 00:24:55.319 --> 00:24:56.839 That's a different thing. 00:24:56.980 --> 00:24:58.220 He's very aware of the fact, 00:24:58.299 --> 00:25:01.159 that's partly what he was worried about when he wrote the hard letter, 00:25:01.379 --> 00:25:03.099 was that they wouldn't feel pain at all, 00:25:03.159 --> 00:25:04.279 but that they would attack him. 00:25:05.639 --> 00:25:06.839 He's aware of that. 00:25:06.839 --> 00:25:10.279 So one of the first takeaways for us here, by the way, 00:25:11.199 --> 00:25:14.399 is it's very easy for us to point at other people, 00:25:14.779 --> 00:25:16.059 because we know other people, 00:25:16.439 --> 00:25:19.000 that when we confront them of the wrong they do, 00:25:19.139 --> 00:25:22.819 they don't feel any pain or penitence or repentance. 00:25:23.000 --> 00:25:23.859 They just attack us. 00:25:24.279 --> 00:25:25.959 And it's very easy for us to think this, 00:25:26.099 --> 00:25:28.599 of all the people that this story illustrates, 00:25:29.259 --> 00:25:30.799 it's too easy for us to say, 00:25:30.899 --> 00:25:33.279 I wish Bob could hear that, 00:25:33.319 --> 00:25:34.839 or I wish Sue could hear that. 00:25:35.139 --> 00:25:36.220 But the fact of the matter is, 00:25:36.220 --> 00:25:39.640 one of the things we have to do is just take a moment with God and say, 00:25:39.700 --> 00:25:40.480 God, is that me? 00:25:41.339 --> 00:25:47.360 In what areas of my life are there that when people confront me about the real wrong that I've done, 00:25:48.039 --> 00:25:51.380 do I attack or dismiss it or completely ignore it? 00:25:52.740 --> 00:25:57.100 Like, Father, what parts of my heart don't feel pain, 00:25:57.099 --> 00:25:59.859 because my heart is so hard? 00:26:00.519 --> 00:26:04.299 So, Father, in hearing this verse, 00:26:05.419 --> 00:26:09.059 may you so grip me with your gospel 00:26:09.059 --> 00:26:13.480 that my heart will not be hard, 00:26:14.019 --> 00:26:18.099 that my heart will be able to receive 00:26:18.099 --> 00:26:23.539 this clear times and teaching when I've done wrong. 00:26:26.000 --> 00:26:29.019 So, the Bible here isn't saying that there's only one or two ways to react. 00:26:29.079 --> 00:26:31.759 It's just talking about for those times when we do react with pain, 00:26:31.839 --> 00:26:32.679 how do we react? 00:26:33.259 --> 00:26:34.299 That's what the Bible is saying. 00:26:34.839 --> 00:26:36.359 Could you say this text with me again? 00:26:36.359 --> 00:26:39.939 For godly sorrow produces a repentance 00:26:39.939 --> 00:26:42.779 that leads to salvation without regret, 00:26:43.339 --> 00:26:46.359 whereas worldly sorrow produces death. 00:26:47.119 --> 00:26:48.839 Now, some of you might say, 00:26:49.379 --> 00:26:54.339 well, George, I'm not entirely sure about this, 00:26:54.379 --> 00:26:55.839 and what about Christians and all that? 00:26:55.939 --> 00:26:57.919 You know, George, there's this person in my office, 00:26:58.479 --> 00:27:00.679 and she's a Christian. 00:27:00.680 --> 00:27:02.460 You know, she has the bumper stickers, 00:27:02.779 --> 00:27:05.400 and she has the little smiley-faced Christian things, 00:27:05.600 --> 00:27:08.019 and she listens to Christian music, 00:27:08.019 --> 00:27:10.060 and we can all hear it a little bit, 00:27:10.240 --> 00:27:12.680 and gosh, is she ever annoying. 00:27:13.380 --> 00:27:16.440 Like, George, you wouldn't believe how annoying this person is. 00:27:17.039 --> 00:27:19.380 And, George, here's what I observe about her. 00:27:20.200 --> 00:27:23.220 You know, this verse is supposedly described what Christians believe, 00:27:23.299 --> 00:27:25.100 but, George, here's what I observe about her. 00:27:25.640 --> 00:27:29.299 It's, you know, she's the biggest gossip in the office. 00:27:29.299 --> 00:27:33.659 And she never feels any guilt about the gossip, 00:27:34.019 --> 00:27:36.579 and she never feels any guilt about all of the harm 00:27:36.579 --> 00:27:39.639 her gossip talk goes on, causes. 00:27:39.799 --> 00:27:42.659 But, you know, George, the only thing that she shows any guilt about 00:27:42.659 --> 00:27:44.779 is the fact that she eats too much. 00:27:46.159 --> 00:27:48.519 And so, George, I don't know how this goes along with that person. 00:27:48.639 --> 00:27:52.519 Like, all she feels guilty about is when she eats, you know, 00:27:52.559 --> 00:27:55.319 another bag of Doritos, but she doesn't feel guilty 00:27:55.319 --> 00:27:57.299 that as she's eating that whole bag of Doritos, 00:27:57.299 --> 00:28:00.139 she's spewing gossip around the office. 00:28:00.259 --> 00:28:01.539 Like, George, how does that fit in? 00:28:02.799 --> 00:28:04.359 Like, I don't know if that's, well, I mean, 00:28:04.839 --> 00:28:07.480 that's a really good observation about a lot of us. 00:28:07.579 --> 00:28:11.119 And what the Bible says here, what the Bible's teaching here is, 00:28:11.180 --> 00:28:13.480 first of all, the Bible's never telling us, 00:28:14.619 --> 00:28:16.180 the Bible is never saying, 00:28:16.339 --> 00:28:18.279 come to Christians because we're so perfect. 00:28:18.279 --> 00:28:23.079 But at the same time, the Bible's not saying Christians always get a pass. 00:28:25.099 --> 00:28:29.720 You know, that's why the text about seeing the log in our own eye 00:28:29.720 --> 00:28:31.799 before we see the speck in other people's eye 00:28:31.799 --> 00:28:36.859 is such a foundational text for how we think and operate as Christians. 00:28:37.920 --> 00:28:42.420 But what the Bible would say in this particular thing 00:28:42.420 --> 00:28:47.940 is that our consciences are disordered. 00:28:50.580 --> 00:28:53.340 Our sorrow is disordered. 00:28:54.519 --> 00:28:56.759 I mean, we're going to talk a bit more about disordered sorrow, 00:28:56.920 --> 00:28:59.060 but the very first thing is that, in fact, 00:28:59.120 --> 00:29:01.100 it's another thing for us to pray over. 00:29:01.759 --> 00:29:06.380 Like, many of us don't feel guilty about envy. 00:29:06.380 --> 00:29:11.300 Many of us don't feel guilty when we envy another person. 00:29:11.460 --> 00:29:13.980 Many of us don't feel guilty when we hate another person. 00:29:14.100 --> 00:29:15.520 Many of us don't feel guilty. 00:29:15.900 --> 00:29:17.320 I mean, I've only talked about the fact 00:29:17.320 --> 00:29:19.960 as to whether or not regret should characterize my life, 00:29:20.040 --> 00:29:21.220 but how many of us, 00:29:22.600 --> 00:29:24.680 when we think of a person who's wronged us, 00:29:24.780 --> 00:29:26.680 how many of us are inwardly hoping 00:29:26.680 --> 00:29:30.660 that the other person feels unending regret 00:29:30.660 --> 00:29:32.240 about what they've done to us? 00:29:35.300 --> 00:29:35.700 Unending. 00:29:35.700 --> 00:29:35.779 Unending. 00:29:36.140 --> 00:29:38.259 That's what we desire for some people. 00:29:39.100 --> 00:29:41.200 If you knew what Bob did to me. 00:29:42.480 --> 00:29:44.340 Sorry, I always use the same name, by the way. 00:29:44.440 --> 00:29:47.120 If your name here is Bob, I'm not talking about you. 00:29:48.700 --> 00:29:51.660 Anyway, you know, if you only knew what Bob did to me, 00:29:51.740 --> 00:29:52.660 you would be like me, 00:29:52.680 --> 00:29:54.180 and you would want him to feel regret, 00:29:54.380 --> 00:29:56.900 and you'd want him to feel regret for the rest of his life. 00:29:57.160 --> 00:29:59.240 You would want regret to be the story of his life. 00:29:59.340 --> 00:30:00.220 And so here's the thing. 00:30:00.299 --> 00:30:04.039 Many of us don't feel guilty about cheating on our taxes, 00:30:04.039 --> 00:30:05.480 about doing a whole pile of things. 00:30:05.700 --> 00:30:08.039 But we feel guilty about how much money we have, 00:30:08.259 --> 00:30:09.700 in terms of not enough. 00:30:10.500 --> 00:30:13.059 Or we feel guilty that we're, I don't know, 00:30:13.140 --> 00:30:15.039 10 pounds over, 20 pounds over, 00:30:15.120 --> 00:30:18.299 or whatever the news, the magazines say we should weigh. 00:30:18.299 --> 00:30:23.139 Or we feel guilty because, you know, 00:30:23.139 --> 00:30:25.519 all of our neighbors have this really nice car, 00:30:25.599 --> 00:30:26.440 and our car's old, 00:30:26.480 --> 00:30:29.639 and we feel pained and sorrow about that. 00:30:29.639 --> 00:30:33.980 But the Bible never says it's a sin to not have much money. 00:30:34.859 --> 00:30:39.759 The Bible never says what the perfect weight is for a human being. 00:30:39.759 --> 00:30:45.299 The Bible never tells us that we have to have a particular amount of toys. 00:30:46.440 --> 00:30:52.299 We feel sorrow over all sorts of things that the Bible says aren't sin, 00:30:52.299 --> 00:30:58.059 and we don't feel sorrow over things that the Bible does say are sin. 00:30:59.339 --> 00:31:01.639 And so in reflecting about this text, 00:31:01.899 --> 00:31:03.899 there's a second thing that we should be praying, 00:31:03.900 --> 00:31:08.300 is that we should be acknowledging the fact 00:31:08.300 --> 00:31:10.600 that we might be that person in the office, 00:31:10.600 --> 00:31:16.440 feeling pained and sorrowful over our weight, 00:31:16.900 --> 00:31:20.220 and feeling no pain over our slander. 00:31:20.220 --> 00:31:24.839 And the Bible is inviting us to call out to God 00:31:24.839 --> 00:31:29.019 that he would heal our conscience. 00:31:30.120 --> 00:31:33.539 Because on one hand, we first want God to heal our conscience 00:31:33.539 --> 00:31:38.400 so that our hearts and our minds aren't hardened to moral truth. 00:31:38.880 --> 00:31:43.279 But we want God's word to form what makes us feel guilty, 00:31:43.940 --> 00:31:47.759 and not the world, and not our idols, and not our pride. 00:31:50.220 --> 00:31:53.500 Because every single one of us has consciences 00:31:53.500 --> 00:31:55.960 which need to continue to be healed 00:31:55.960 --> 00:31:58.940 and properly formed by God and his word. 00:32:00.759 --> 00:32:02.799 Every single one of us, without exception. 00:32:05.039 --> 00:32:08.299 And so this text is an invitation for us 00:32:08.299 --> 00:32:10.100 who are followers of Jesus to pray 00:32:10.100 --> 00:32:14.880 that God would bring that type of healing into our lives. 00:32:17.160 --> 00:32:18.839 So some of us might be saying, 00:32:18.839 --> 00:32:19.419 Okay. 00:32:23.899 --> 00:32:26.399 So George, you're sort of saying then that 00:32:26.399 --> 00:32:29.099 this Bible text, 00:32:29.220 --> 00:32:33.039 that God knows that our hearts are disordered, 00:32:33.259 --> 00:32:36.179 and our consciences are disordered, 00:32:36.399 --> 00:32:38.299 and that we sometimes feel, okay. 00:32:38.699 --> 00:32:39.720 But George, I'm not, 00:32:40.279 --> 00:32:42.740 I don't really understand what this verse says. 00:32:42.980 --> 00:32:47.019 Is it like one of these Buddhist koans, you know? 00:32:47.019 --> 00:32:49.039 Because doesn't it tell me to say, you know, 00:32:49.559 --> 00:32:50.759 to repent, 00:32:51.759 --> 00:32:52.859 and then it's going to tell me, 00:32:53.000 --> 00:32:54.379 I have to be sorrowful, 00:32:54.460 --> 00:32:55.420 and that's going to tell me to repent. 00:32:55.579 --> 00:32:57.900 That sounds like it's telling me to do the same thing twice. 00:32:58.559 --> 00:32:59.639 But at the end of the day, 00:32:59.720 --> 00:33:01.940 it's going to tell me not to do either of those things 00:33:01.940 --> 00:33:03.019 all at the same time. 00:33:03.240 --> 00:33:06.099 Like, George, isn't like feeling sorry and feeling regret? 00:33:06.240 --> 00:33:07.639 Like, isn't that sort of the same thing? 00:33:07.859 --> 00:33:10.339 And is it like, is it one of these Buddhist koans, 00:33:10.460 --> 00:33:11.559 you know, that, you know, 00:33:11.720 --> 00:33:13.319 like the sound of one hand clapping, 00:33:13.319 --> 00:33:15.899 feeling, feel with, and don't feel at the same time? 00:33:15.980 --> 00:33:17.099 George, is that just this, like, 00:33:17.179 --> 00:33:19.099 spiritual gobbledygook that just, 00:33:19.339 --> 00:33:21.000 you know, be honest with you, George, 00:33:21.319 --> 00:33:22.740 I know some people really like 00:33:22.740 --> 00:33:23.859 mouthing these things, 00:33:23.960 --> 00:33:25.919 like the sound of one hand clapping 00:33:25.919 --> 00:33:27.159 as if it makes them really wise. 00:33:27.240 --> 00:33:27.879 But, you know, George, 00:33:27.939 --> 00:33:28.839 I'm not one of those people. 00:33:28.879 --> 00:33:29.960 I like watching football. 00:33:30.359 --> 00:33:31.740 When I hear people like that talk, 00:33:31.759 --> 00:33:32.879 it makes me want to throw up. 00:33:32.939 --> 00:33:34.099 Like, it makes me want to gag. 00:33:34.200 --> 00:33:34.839 I just hate it. 00:33:34.879 --> 00:33:36.639 Is that what the Bible text is saying here? 00:33:37.599 --> 00:33:38.720 Let's read the text again. 00:33:38.720 --> 00:33:42.960 For godly sorrow produces a repentance 00:33:42.960 --> 00:33:45.600 that leads to salvation without regret, 00:33:46.059 --> 00:33:48.720 whereas worldly sorrow produces death. 00:33:48.880 --> 00:33:49.759 Let's say it again. 00:33:50.240 --> 00:33:52.860 For godly sorrow produces a repentance 00:33:52.860 --> 00:33:55.539 that leads to salvation without regret, 00:33:56.059 --> 00:33:59.059 whereas worldly sorrow produces death. 00:33:59.700 --> 00:34:01.120 So what's this text saying? 00:34:01.920 --> 00:34:04.079 So what this text is saying is that, 00:34:05.140 --> 00:34:05.940 well, first of all, 00:34:05.940 --> 00:34:08.300 that sorrow and repentance 00:34:08.300 --> 00:34:09.380 aren't the same thing. 00:34:12.500 --> 00:34:14.659 Repentance might have a feeling connected to it, 00:34:14.740 --> 00:34:17.039 but repentance is not the same thing as sorrow. 00:34:18.700 --> 00:34:21.079 Sorrow is a feeling word, by the way. 00:34:21.880 --> 00:34:23.320 And the text isn't telling us 00:34:23.320 --> 00:34:25.059 that first of all we have sorrow, 00:34:25.240 --> 00:34:26.079 then we have repentance, 00:34:26.240 --> 00:34:27.659 which is another way of saying sorrow, 00:34:27.980 --> 00:34:30.440 and then we don't have regret, 00:34:30.599 --> 00:34:32.159 which is another way of saying sorrow, 00:34:32.300 --> 00:34:33.200 that they're all just talking about 00:34:33.200 --> 00:34:35.320 three feeling words, 00:34:35.320 --> 00:34:38.140 and it's not saying that somehow 00:34:38.140 --> 00:34:39.539 God's going to zap you 00:34:39.539 --> 00:34:41.460 and then take away all feelings 00:34:41.460 --> 00:34:42.860 of sorrow or sadness. 00:34:43.039 --> 00:34:45.180 It's not telling you that you shouldn't feel sorrow. 00:34:45.300 --> 00:34:46.580 In fact, it's saying that there's this thing 00:34:46.580 --> 00:34:47.740 called godly sorrow. 00:34:49.519 --> 00:34:53.780 And the text isn't saying 00:34:53.780 --> 00:34:56.940 that godly sorrow feels one way 00:34:56.940 --> 00:34:59.800 and worldly sorrow feels a different way. 00:34:59.800 --> 00:35:02.700 They're both the same feeling, 00:35:04.380 --> 00:35:08.800 but godly sorrow... 00:35:08.800 --> 00:35:11.800 So, what... 00:35:11.800 --> 00:35:14.800 Here's the thing about feeling... 00:35:15.680 --> 00:35:16.800 I'll tell you that... 00:35:17.220 --> 00:35:18.039 Here's the thing. 00:35:18.039 --> 00:35:24.639 I was counseling somebody a couple of years ago, 00:35:25.019 --> 00:35:28.840 and he was from a very, very, very good Christian family, 00:35:28.840 --> 00:35:32.320 and he'd had a bit of prominence in Christian circles. 00:35:33.659 --> 00:35:37.360 And then he had some moral failings. 00:35:37.360 --> 00:35:43.260 And he was trying to disentangle himself 00:35:43.260 --> 00:35:46.240 from the things that were causing the moral failings. 00:35:47.500 --> 00:35:51.519 And he felt really broken up about it, 00:35:51.579 --> 00:35:53.120 and he was also sort of frozen, 00:35:53.300 --> 00:35:55.019 and he wasn't able to do anything with it. 00:35:55.019 --> 00:36:00.099 And I'm not the sharpest pin in the pin cushion, 00:36:00.840 --> 00:36:01.860 but it dawned on me, 00:36:01.980 --> 00:36:03.539 after we'd been talking for a while, 00:36:03.639 --> 00:36:04.719 after several sessions, 00:36:04.900 --> 00:36:06.199 I realized... 00:36:06.199 --> 00:36:07.619 I'd been assuming something, 00:36:07.739 --> 00:36:10.719 and I realized I was making a very wrong assumption about him. 00:36:11.420 --> 00:36:13.380 He actually wasn't bothered 00:36:13.380 --> 00:36:16.420 that he'd broken a commandment of God. 00:36:17.259 --> 00:36:18.840 What bothered him 00:36:18.840 --> 00:36:22.900 was that he wasn't living up to his image of himself. 00:36:22.900 --> 00:36:28.180 That he saw himself as Mr. Christian, 00:36:28.700 --> 00:36:32.700 and he saw himself as the one who always had the answers, 00:36:32.840 --> 00:36:34.180 and he was Mr. Christian. 00:36:34.720 --> 00:36:37.740 And Mr. Christian was spelt with all capital letters, 00:36:38.280 --> 00:36:40.539 and a little bit of sparkles, and stuff like that. 00:36:41.079 --> 00:36:43.840 And really, what he couldn't accept 00:36:43.840 --> 00:36:48.740 was that he had not lived up to his own image of himself. 00:36:49.940 --> 00:36:51.400 And interestingly enough, 00:36:51.400 --> 00:36:53.619 he actually felt very little guilt at all 00:36:53.619 --> 00:36:55.559 that he'd actually done something wrong with God. 00:36:56.800 --> 00:36:57.539 So you see, 00:36:57.619 --> 00:36:58.840 here's the thing about all emotions. 00:36:59.019 --> 00:37:00.160 The text of the Bible here 00:37:00.160 --> 00:37:02.460 isn't telling us not to feel a particular emotion. 00:37:02.579 --> 00:37:03.639 The Bible never tells you, 00:37:03.760 --> 00:37:05.059 stop feeling these emotions. 00:37:05.599 --> 00:37:06.800 The Bible doesn't tell you, 00:37:06.960 --> 00:37:08.019 don't have these emotions. 00:37:08.320 --> 00:37:09.579 The Bible doesn't say things like that. 00:37:10.039 --> 00:37:11.940 So part of the key to godly sorrow 00:37:11.940 --> 00:37:14.240 is when we're feeling this pain 00:37:14.239 --> 00:37:16.659 at a moral failing being revealed to us, 00:37:17.219 --> 00:37:19.099 and ask ourselves, 00:37:19.519 --> 00:37:20.679 well, what exactly, 00:37:20.819 --> 00:37:22.099 why am I feeling the pain? 00:37:23.159 --> 00:37:24.699 So the Bible text, in a sense, 00:37:24.759 --> 00:37:25.739 isn't inviting us to say, 00:37:25.879 --> 00:37:26.599 okay, just, 00:37:27.019 --> 00:37:28.059 Father, I want to keep praying, 00:37:28.219 --> 00:37:29.819 I want to keep singing praise music, 00:37:30.039 --> 00:37:31.879 I want to do all of these things 00:37:31.879 --> 00:37:33.339 until the pain goes away. 00:37:34.120 --> 00:37:35.680 The Bible isn't encouraging us 00:37:35.680 --> 00:37:36.260 to do, 00:37:36.440 --> 00:37:37.640 to use praise music 00:37:37.640 --> 00:37:39.039 or Bible passages 00:37:39.039 --> 00:37:41.160 or meditation as a type of drug 00:37:41.160 --> 00:37:43.539 to remove certain feelings from us. 00:37:43.559 --> 00:37:45.140 The Bible's not telling us to do that. 00:37:45.860 --> 00:37:47.079 What the Bible is, in fact, 00:37:47.160 --> 00:37:47.920 asking us to do, 00:37:47.940 --> 00:37:48.680 and this is the difference 00:37:48.680 --> 00:37:50.500 between godly and worldly sorrow, 00:37:50.680 --> 00:37:51.519 is we look, 00:37:52.160 --> 00:37:53.940 every time we feel an emotion, 00:37:54.620 --> 00:37:56.460 it points to what we value. 00:37:59.740 --> 00:38:01.660 It points to what we value. 00:38:01.659 --> 00:38:04.960 It points to what we think is important. 00:38:05.899 --> 00:38:07.399 It reveals to us 00:38:07.399 --> 00:38:10.399 where we think we get our meaning, 00:38:11.039 --> 00:38:13.339 where we think we get our justification, 00:38:14.179 --> 00:38:17.099 how we are going to achieve success. 00:38:17.839 --> 00:38:19.819 Every emotion that we have 00:38:19.819 --> 00:38:21.319 always reveals 00:38:21.319 --> 00:38:25.159 what our heart is tethered to. 00:38:26.739 --> 00:38:28.039 So let's be honest. 00:38:28.779 --> 00:38:31.619 How many of us just inwardly rejoice 00:38:31.619 --> 00:38:32.799 when an enemy falls? 00:38:32.880 --> 00:38:33.699 We go, yes! 00:38:35.420 --> 00:38:36.500 We don't say, yes, 00:38:36.559 --> 00:38:37.519 I hated that person. 00:38:37.599 --> 00:38:39.019 It's so good to see him 00:38:39.019 --> 00:38:40.039 fall on his face. 00:38:42.779 --> 00:38:44.319 But we feel that sometimes, 00:38:44.420 --> 00:38:44.759 don't we? 00:38:45.500 --> 00:38:47.079 It shows what we value. 00:38:47.239 --> 00:38:48.960 We value maybe 00:38:48.960 --> 00:38:50.559 showing ourselves to be right. 00:38:50.719 --> 00:38:52.440 We value our image of ourselves. 00:38:52.679 --> 00:38:53.159 We value, 00:38:53.859 --> 00:38:55.179 we think that if we weigh 00:38:55.179 --> 00:38:56.139 a certain amount of money, 00:38:56.279 --> 00:38:57.279 weigh a certain amount 00:38:57.279 --> 00:38:58.400 or have a certain amount of money, 00:38:58.480 --> 00:38:59.779 that it's going to justify ourselves, 00:38:59.900 --> 00:39:00.920 that it will make us look good. 00:39:00.920 --> 00:39:03.539 It reveals the idols of our culture. 00:39:06.260 --> 00:39:07.940 So worldly sorrow 00:39:07.940 --> 00:39:11.480 just stays at the level of myself 00:39:11.480 --> 00:39:12.240 and my idol. 00:39:13.500 --> 00:39:14.680 And worldly sorrow 00:39:14.680 --> 00:39:16.680 can be very, very, very, very bitter. 00:39:17.200 --> 00:39:19.220 And it can be the story of our lives. 00:39:19.219 --> 00:39:22.779 And as long as our feeling pain 00:39:22.779 --> 00:39:25.099 just keeps us even more enmeshed 00:39:25.099 --> 00:39:26.419 in our idols, 00:39:27.059 --> 00:39:28.359 we're more enmeshed 00:39:28.359 --> 00:39:30.199 in our own image of ourselves, 00:39:30.459 --> 00:39:31.899 it means that our back 00:39:31.899 --> 00:39:33.619 is turned to the cross 00:39:33.619 --> 00:39:36.079 and it's turned away from God 00:39:36.079 --> 00:39:37.799 and it's looking somewhere else. 00:39:38.480 --> 00:39:38.839 You see, 00:39:38.899 --> 00:39:40.359 the word repentance 00:39:40.359 --> 00:39:42.279 is a directional word, 00:39:42.399 --> 00:39:43.939 not an emotional word. 00:39:43.940 --> 00:39:47.059 partially how we feel, 00:39:47.200 --> 00:39:48.539 what we really worship 00:39:48.539 --> 00:39:49.880 and what we put our faith 00:39:49.880 --> 00:39:50.780 and our trust in 00:39:50.780 --> 00:39:53.039 is if we were to catch ourselves, 00:39:53.320 --> 00:39:54.579 where does our mind 00:39:54.579 --> 00:39:55.639 or our heart go 00:39:55.639 --> 00:39:59.500 when we are given this painful news? 00:40:01.679 --> 00:40:04.340 Does our mind instantly think of revenge? 00:40:05.220 --> 00:40:07.160 Does it instantly go to self-pity? 00:40:07.680 --> 00:40:09.519 Does it instantly start to go to the bottle? 00:40:10.039 --> 00:40:11.260 Does it instantly go to drugs? 00:40:11.820 --> 00:40:13.519 Does it very, very quickly go 00:40:13.519 --> 00:40:14.420 to what we should do? 00:40:14.480 --> 00:40:15.760 Maybe we should get our hair done 00:40:15.760 --> 00:40:18.280 or maybe we should buy some new clothes 00:40:18.280 --> 00:40:19.620 or maybe we need to buy a boat 00:40:19.620 --> 00:40:21.120 or maybe we need to buy... 00:40:21.120 --> 00:40:22.579 Does it go to possessions? 00:40:22.840 --> 00:40:23.840 Does it go to all of... 00:40:23.840 --> 00:40:25.140 Where does our mind go 00:40:25.140 --> 00:40:26.620 start to go for comfort? 00:40:28.240 --> 00:40:29.519 You see, the pain comes 00:40:29.519 --> 00:40:30.620 and worldly sorrow 00:40:30.620 --> 00:40:32.360 just keeps us going to our idols 00:40:32.360 --> 00:40:33.260 or to ourself. 00:40:34.780 --> 00:40:36.460 And ultimately, they will all fail. 00:40:36.579 --> 00:40:37.760 All idols fail 00:40:37.760 --> 00:40:38.800 because there is a God 00:40:38.800 --> 00:40:39.940 who really does exist, 00:40:40.320 --> 00:40:42.640 who really did create all things, 00:40:42.740 --> 00:40:44.019 who really does sustain all things, 00:40:44.079 --> 00:40:45.840 who really will bring all things to an end. 00:40:47.980 --> 00:40:50.220 And repentance is a directional word. 00:40:53.400 --> 00:40:56.539 Do we turn to God 00:40:56.539 --> 00:41:00.220 and say, God, I don't know. 00:41:01.579 --> 00:41:03.300 I did that and it's wrong 00:41:03.300 --> 00:41:05.019 and it's a sin against you. 00:41:07.019 --> 00:41:08.660 It's a sin against my wife. 00:41:08.760 --> 00:41:10.080 It's a sin against my boss. 00:41:10.180 --> 00:41:12.120 It's a sin against my church. 00:41:12.240 --> 00:41:13.539 It's a sin against my kids. 00:41:13.660 --> 00:41:14.920 It's a sin against my friends. 00:41:15.600 --> 00:41:17.000 And I'm not denying that, 00:41:17.060 --> 00:41:18.180 but it's also, Father, 00:41:18.539 --> 00:41:20.140 it's a direct... 00:41:20.140 --> 00:41:22.280 It's a rebellion against you. 00:41:23.440 --> 00:41:24.860 You see, when our sorrow 00:41:24.860 --> 00:41:26.440 leads us to see ourselves 00:41:26.440 --> 00:41:27.820 in light of who God is 00:41:27.820 --> 00:41:30.740 and when we turn in that direction, 00:41:31.539 --> 00:41:33.400 then that's godly sorrow 00:41:33.400 --> 00:41:35.780 that produces repentance. 00:41:35.780 --> 00:41:40.040 And here's the thing about the gospel, 00:41:40.640 --> 00:41:42.220 that when we turn to God 00:41:42.220 --> 00:41:43.760 and maybe, you know, 00:41:43.960 --> 00:41:45.660 partly how I became a Christian 00:41:45.660 --> 00:41:47.200 was I was just really aware 00:41:47.200 --> 00:41:48.240 of all of these things 00:41:48.240 --> 00:41:49.560 that I was doing that were wrong 00:41:49.560 --> 00:41:51.420 and I had this really strong, 00:41:51.620 --> 00:41:53.600 powerful sense of shame 00:41:53.600 --> 00:41:55.240 that not only was I doing these things 00:41:55.240 --> 00:41:55.940 which were wrong, 00:41:56.019 --> 00:41:56.740 but there was something 00:41:56.740 --> 00:41:57.960 radically incomplete 00:41:57.960 --> 00:42:00.320 in me and about me. 00:42:00.320 --> 00:42:04.080 And in my particular case, 00:42:04.160 --> 00:42:05.019 I met Christians 00:42:05.019 --> 00:42:06.600 who somehow or another 00:42:06.600 --> 00:42:08.400 seemed to just be connected. 00:42:08.600 --> 00:42:10.100 Like when I was in their presence, 00:42:10.200 --> 00:42:10.960 I had this sense 00:42:10.960 --> 00:42:12.080 that Jesus was present. 00:42:12.180 --> 00:42:12.880 I had this sense 00:42:12.880 --> 00:42:14.360 that the Holy Spirit was here. 00:42:15.780 --> 00:42:17.960 And my conversion came about 00:42:17.960 --> 00:42:19.360 when my sorrow, 00:42:20.180 --> 00:42:22.720 my sorrow over the wrong things 00:42:22.720 --> 00:42:23.300 that I was doing, 00:42:23.400 --> 00:42:25.260 my sorrow even over myself, 00:42:25.400 --> 00:42:26.660 I wouldn't have put it in the words 00:42:26.660 --> 00:42:27.519 that I was a sinner, 00:42:27.680 --> 00:42:28.320 but that's really, 00:42:28.559 --> 00:42:29.840 without the language of that, 00:42:29.840 --> 00:42:31.720 that was my sense of who I was. 00:42:32.720 --> 00:42:34.640 And the beginning of my conversion 00:42:34.640 --> 00:42:36.480 came when I turned, 00:42:36.620 --> 00:42:38.260 I realized that I had to speak 00:42:38.260 --> 00:42:39.260 to God about it 00:42:39.260 --> 00:42:41.500 and that I needed his mercy. 00:42:43.079 --> 00:42:45.019 I needed him to do something. 00:42:46.920 --> 00:42:48.720 And that's why this text says 00:42:48.720 --> 00:42:54.000 godly sorrow produces repentance, 00:42:54.280 --> 00:42:57.860 a repentance that as we turn to God 00:42:57.860 --> 00:42:59.160 and seek his mercy, 00:42:59.840 --> 00:43:03.640 that it will create salvation 00:43:04.340 --> 00:43:05.539 without regret. 00:43:06.300 --> 00:43:08.100 This is where the gospel comes in. 00:43:09.120 --> 00:43:10.500 You see, it's not just telling us, 00:43:10.660 --> 00:43:12.420 it's not talking about cheap grace, 00:43:13.360 --> 00:43:16.340 that as we go to God 00:43:16.340 --> 00:43:17.640 and as we think about 00:43:17.640 --> 00:43:19.980 how God has responded to our sin, 00:43:19.980 --> 00:43:24.679 and as we get more deeply gripped 00:43:24.679 --> 00:43:25.480 by the gospel, 00:43:25.480 --> 00:43:26.579 it changes us. 00:43:27.780 --> 00:43:28.559 Here in the light, 00:43:30.219 --> 00:43:30.420 you know, 00:43:30.519 --> 00:43:32.240 if you think of this as your life, 00:43:33.440 --> 00:43:35.460 some of your lives are frayed 00:43:35.460 --> 00:43:36.280 all the way through. 00:43:37.880 --> 00:43:39.860 All of our lives are a little bit twisted 00:43:39.860 --> 00:43:41.480 and have a little bit of depth, 00:43:41.740 --> 00:43:43.760 a little bit of things sticking out and in. 00:43:43.760 --> 00:43:46.260 I have to put it on the table here for a second, 00:43:46.960 --> 00:43:47.940 but the, you know, 00:43:48.180 --> 00:43:49.920 the frayed at the beginning doesn't really work, 00:43:50.000 --> 00:43:50.280 but, you know, 00:43:50.300 --> 00:43:51.820 we're conceived in our mother's womb. 00:43:52.280 --> 00:43:53.820 I guess I should do it from your point of view. 00:43:53.980 --> 00:43:56.060 We're conceived in our mother's womb over here, 00:43:56.420 --> 00:43:58.440 and this is the end of our life, 00:43:58.480 --> 00:43:59.120 which is death. 00:43:59.640 --> 00:44:02.180 And we experience our life one moment of time 00:44:02.180 --> 00:44:03.240 as we go along this. 00:44:03.239 --> 00:44:07.879 But from God's perspective outside of time, 00:44:07.959 --> 00:44:09.239 when he sees you and me, 00:44:09.879 --> 00:44:11.659 some of us are just over here. 00:44:12.959 --> 00:44:14.679 We have a lot of life living to go. 00:44:15.899 --> 00:44:17.279 Some of us are over here. 00:44:18.619 --> 00:44:21.159 We're very close to the end of our earthly life. 00:44:22.539 --> 00:44:24.099 But when God sees us, 00:44:24.299 --> 00:44:26.779 we experience ourselves one moment of a time, 00:44:27.039 --> 00:44:28.879 fearful of the future, 00:44:29.719 --> 00:44:31.739 a little bit of knowledge of the past and our depths. 00:44:31.739 --> 00:44:34.679 But when God sees you and me, 00:44:35.399 --> 00:44:36.459 he sees this. 00:44:37.819 --> 00:44:40.000 And he not only sees us from the outside, 00:44:40.199 --> 00:44:41.439 he sees all of our depths. 00:44:41.659 --> 00:44:43.799 He knows every little thing which is sticking out, 00:44:43.859 --> 00:44:45.000 every little frayed edge. 00:44:45.099 --> 00:44:46.179 He knows us to the depths. 00:44:46.359 --> 00:44:48.059 He knows every dream that we have at night 00:44:48.059 --> 00:44:50.459 that we don't even remember when we wake up. 00:44:50.539 --> 00:44:51.659 He knows all of our masks, 00:44:51.819 --> 00:44:52.599 all of our illusions, 00:44:52.859 --> 00:44:53.599 all of our idols, 00:44:53.839 --> 00:44:54.599 all of our enmity, 00:44:55.059 --> 00:44:56.039 all of our strengths, 00:44:56.219 --> 00:44:57.000 all of our glories, 00:44:57.159 --> 00:44:58.019 all of our beauties. 00:44:58.699 --> 00:45:00.000 He sees us in the womb 00:45:00.000 --> 00:45:01.679 as we are conceived, 00:45:01.739 --> 00:45:04.259 and he sees us at our point of death. 00:45:04.779 --> 00:45:07.059 And we might have given our lives to Jesus here, 00:45:07.139 --> 00:45:08.959 or maybe we gave our lives to Jesus here, 00:45:09.000 --> 00:45:11.359 or maybe we're going to give our lives to Jesus right here. 00:45:12.539 --> 00:45:16.559 But when we realize that Jesus is God's provision 00:45:16.559 --> 00:45:18.599 to make us right with him, 00:45:19.679 --> 00:45:21.879 and he sees us right from the beginning 00:45:21.879 --> 00:45:22.939 to the end of our life, 00:45:22.940 --> 00:45:27.200 it isn't that Jesus just saves this bit of the life, 00:45:27.860 --> 00:45:30.380 but Jesus takes the whole length of our life 00:45:30.380 --> 00:45:32.579 with nothing left over, 00:45:33.579 --> 00:45:36.740 and everything about our past and our present future 00:45:36.740 --> 00:45:37.880 is received by him. 00:45:42.260 --> 00:45:42.780 Everything. 00:45:45.780 --> 00:45:46.260 Everything. 00:45:46.260 --> 00:45:50.640 And the work of Jesus in our lives 00:45:50.640 --> 00:45:52.640 is both a removal and an addition. 00:45:53.380 --> 00:45:54.660 That on the cross, 00:45:55.000 --> 00:45:57.740 we see God powerfully dealing 00:45:57.740 --> 00:45:59.580 to remove the things within us, 00:45:59.620 --> 00:46:00.300 our shame, 00:46:00.880 --> 00:46:01.460 our sin, 00:46:01.640 --> 00:46:02.300 our rebellion, 00:46:02.920 --> 00:46:04.060 our sins of commission, 00:46:04.380 --> 00:46:05.540 and our sins of omission. 00:46:05.660 --> 00:46:07.740 All of the things that need to be removed from us 00:46:07.740 --> 00:46:09.280 are on Jesus. 00:46:10.480 --> 00:46:11.680 And he deals with it 00:46:11.680 --> 00:46:12.820 in his death upon the cross. 00:46:12.820 --> 00:46:15.600 And the work of the cross 00:46:15.600 --> 00:46:17.940 is not only a work of subtraction, 00:46:18.260 --> 00:46:19.220 but it's a word, 00:46:19.640 --> 00:46:21.720 it's also a work of addition. 00:46:22.740 --> 00:46:25.039 That when I stand before Christ, 00:46:25.820 --> 00:46:27.180 before God, 00:46:27.760 --> 00:46:29.740 I am in a sense clothed 00:46:29.740 --> 00:46:33.860 with Jesus' perfect keeping of the law. 00:46:35.200 --> 00:46:35.820 That he, 00:46:36.720 --> 00:46:38.180 there's a word federal head, 00:46:38.340 --> 00:46:39.000 covenant head, 00:46:39.260 --> 00:46:40.680 his righteousness, 00:46:41.039 --> 00:46:41.820 his perfect standing 00:46:41.820 --> 00:46:42.420 standing, 00:46:43.220 --> 00:46:45.360 his destiny stands for me. 00:46:47.059 --> 00:46:48.740 It's a profound mystery 00:46:48.740 --> 00:46:49.559 of what it means 00:46:49.559 --> 00:46:50.740 that when we put our hands 00:46:50.740 --> 00:46:51.800 in the hand of Jesus 00:46:51.800 --> 00:46:54.180 at this one little point in time 00:46:54.180 --> 00:46:54.880 on the thread, 00:46:55.380 --> 00:46:56.640 he doesn't just take our hand 00:46:56.640 --> 00:46:57.280 at that image, 00:46:57.360 --> 00:46:58.640 but he takes all of our life, 00:46:59.660 --> 00:47:01.300 past and present and future. 00:47:02.559 --> 00:47:04.320 Things that we might not even realize 00:47:04.320 --> 00:47:05.700 were sins that we committed 00:47:05.700 --> 00:47:07.160 until many, many years later 00:47:07.160 --> 00:47:07.940 when our friend 00:47:07.940 --> 00:47:08.580 or our wife 00:47:08.580 --> 00:47:09.360 or our son 00:47:09.360 --> 00:47:11.260 or our daughter 00:47:11.260 --> 00:47:12.079 or our brother 00:47:12.079 --> 00:47:13.559 reveals to us our hurt, 00:47:13.720 --> 00:47:15.079 but every single thing 00:47:15.079 --> 00:47:16.640 is covered 00:47:16.640 --> 00:47:18.240 by Christ 00:47:18.240 --> 00:47:19.019 and what he did for us 00:47:19.019 --> 00:47:19.559 on the cross. 00:47:19.559 --> 00:47:24.119 And so, 00:47:24.519 --> 00:47:27.579 when we are pricked 00:47:27.579 --> 00:47:28.880 in our conscience 00:47:28.880 --> 00:47:29.779 and go to God 00:47:29.779 --> 00:47:32.079 and call out to him 00:47:32.079 --> 00:47:32.739 for mercy, 00:47:33.239 --> 00:47:35.159 when we have that godly sorrow 00:47:35.159 --> 00:47:36.699 that produces a repentance 00:47:36.699 --> 00:47:37.980 that turns to God, 00:47:39.480 --> 00:47:40.820 it leads to salvation. 00:47:40.900 --> 00:47:41.699 It's supposed to lead 00:47:41.699 --> 00:47:43.179 to salvation without regret 00:47:43.179 --> 00:47:44.559 because as it starts 00:47:44.559 --> 00:47:45.799 to dawn on us 00:47:45.799 --> 00:47:47.219 that this is what Jesus 00:47:47.219 --> 00:47:48.019 has done for us 00:47:48.019 --> 00:47:48.839 on the cross, 00:47:49.459 --> 00:47:50.799 we are very frail 00:47:50.799 --> 00:47:51.739 human beings 00:47:51.739 --> 00:47:53.079 and we believe 00:47:53.079 --> 00:47:53.819 that our life, 00:47:53.939 --> 00:47:55.019 if too much truth 00:47:55.019 --> 00:47:56.119 about us comes out, 00:47:56.179 --> 00:47:56.980 it can completely 00:47:56.980 --> 00:47:58.539 and utterly shatter us 00:47:58.539 --> 00:47:59.619 and leave us 00:47:59.619 --> 00:48:00.679 just in fragments. 00:48:01.319 --> 00:48:02.379 But as we're gripped 00:48:02.379 --> 00:48:03.159 by what Jesus 00:48:03.159 --> 00:48:03.879 has done for us 00:48:03.879 --> 00:48:04.399 on the cross, 00:48:04.399 --> 00:48:05.199 when we realize 00:48:05.199 --> 00:48:07.079 that God sees us truly, 00:48:07.639 --> 00:48:09.099 God sees us perfectly, 00:48:09.519 --> 00:48:10.659 and he has provided 00:48:10.659 --> 00:48:12.000 his son to be the death, 00:48:12.119 --> 00:48:12.919 he has provided 00:48:12.919 --> 00:48:13.859 his son to remove, 00:48:14.000 --> 00:48:14.659 he has provided 00:48:14.659 --> 00:48:15.659 his son to clothe, 00:48:15.659 --> 00:48:17.179 and there is no secret 00:48:17.179 --> 00:48:17.639 from him, 00:48:17.839 --> 00:48:19.399 as this truth grips us, 00:48:19.639 --> 00:48:20.899 it starts to create 00:48:20.899 --> 00:48:22.019 a ground whereby 00:48:22.019 --> 00:48:23.579 we can look at our lives 00:48:23.579 --> 00:48:24.399 and our idols. 00:48:26.859 --> 00:48:28.699 And it starts to draw us 00:48:28.699 --> 00:48:29.960 because when we realize 00:48:29.960 --> 00:48:31.079 that there's nothing 00:48:31.079 --> 00:48:31.920 that we have done 00:48:31.920 --> 00:48:33.019 that's going to catch 00:48:33.019 --> 00:48:34.019 God by surprise 00:48:34.019 --> 00:48:35.019 when he's received us 00:48:35.019 --> 00:48:35.480 by his, 00:48:36.199 --> 00:48:37.859 when he's dealt with us 00:48:37.859 --> 00:48:38.819 in the gospel, 00:48:39.219 --> 00:48:40.519 it draws us 00:48:40.519 --> 00:48:41.379 to the possibility 00:48:41.379 --> 00:48:42.279 that we can actually 00:48:42.279 --> 00:48:43.619 try to look at 00:48:43.619 --> 00:48:44.359 what we've done 00:48:44.360 --> 00:48:45.300 and deal with 00:48:45.300 --> 00:48:46.039 what we've done 00:48:46.039 --> 00:48:47.539 and to call out to God 00:48:47.539 --> 00:48:49.220 to help us amend our lives 00:48:49.220 --> 00:48:50.500 because God is the God 00:48:50.500 --> 00:48:51.260 of all comfort, 00:48:51.599 --> 00:48:52.440 God is the God 00:48:52.440 --> 00:48:53.660 of all consolation, 00:48:53.780 --> 00:48:54.780 he sent his son 00:48:54.780 --> 00:48:56.000 to die upon the cross 00:48:56.000 --> 00:48:57.320 to reconcile us 00:48:57.320 --> 00:48:57.920 to himself, 00:48:58.079 --> 00:48:59.380 to console us, 00:48:59.640 --> 00:49:00.500 to comfort us, 00:49:00.680 --> 00:49:01.599 and so there is 00:49:01.599 --> 00:49:02.559 this possibility 00:49:02.559 --> 00:49:05.039 that we can deal 00:49:05.039 --> 00:49:05.780 with these things 00:49:05.780 --> 00:49:06.380 in our lives 00:49:06.380 --> 00:49:07.160 as the gospel 00:49:07.160 --> 00:49:08.500 grips us and shapes us, 00:49:08.780 --> 00:49:09.920 that it can ground us 00:49:09.920 --> 00:49:10.519 to look, 00:49:10.800 --> 00:49:11.740 it can give us hope 00:49:11.740 --> 00:49:12.140 to look, 00:49:12.139 --> 00:49:15.420 to know that the mistakes 00:49:15.420 --> 00:49:16.239 and the failings 00:49:16.239 --> 00:49:16.960 and the pride 00:49:16.960 --> 00:49:17.500 and the vanity 00:49:17.500 --> 00:49:18.039 of our life 00:49:18.039 --> 00:49:19.239 is not the final word 00:49:19.239 --> 00:49:19.960 about us, 00:49:20.119 --> 00:49:21.500 but that God has given us 00:49:21.500 --> 00:49:22.519 the final word about us 00:49:22.519 --> 00:49:23.420 in the person of his son 00:49:23.420 --> 00:49:24.619 and his death upon the cross, 00:49:24.619 --> 00:49:27.179 and so brothers and sisters, 00:49:27.420 --> 00:49:28.879 God's intent 00:49:28.879 --> 00:49:29.920 and purpose for you 00:49:29.920 --> 00:49:30.799 is not that you never 00:49:30.799 --> 00:49:31.579 feel regret, 00:49:32.299 --> 00:49:35.839 but that you not live 00:49:35.839 --> 00:49:37.739 by regret's script, 00:49:37.739 --> 00:49:41.379 that as you are gripped 00:49:41.379 --> 00:49:42.199 with the gospel, 00:49:42.319 --> 00:49:43.799 as you call out to God 00:49:43.799 --> 00:49:45.619 to pour out his Holy Spirit 00:49:45.619 --> 00:49:46.019 upon you, 00:49:46.059 --> 00:49:46.759 to have his word 00:49:46.759 --> 00:49:47.639 written in your heart, 00:49:47.699 --> 00:49:48.719 that there is a possibility 00:49:48.719 --> 00:49:49.979 for an amendment of life, 00:49:50.539 --> 00:49:52.319 and being gripped 00:49:52.319 --> 00:49:52.839 with the fact 00:49:52.839 --> 00:49:53.759 that you've been forgiven 00:49:53.759 --> 00:49:54.519 by the Father, 00:49:54.799 --> 00:49:55.799 that you can acknowledge 00:49:55.799 --> 00:49:57.019 with depth your sin, 00:49:57.979 --> 00:49:58.599 and acknowledge 00:49:58.599 --> 00:50:00.459 with even greater thankfulness 00:50:00.459 --> 00:50:01.139 your gratitude 00:50:01.139 --> 00:50:01.979 for what Jesus 00:50:01.979 --> 00:50:02.779 has done for you 00:50:02.779 --> 00:50:03.439 on the cross, 00:50:04.019 --> 00:50:05.699 and that you can talk 00:50:05.699 --> 00:50:06.399 to the Father 00:50:06.399 --> 00:50:07.719 to help you 00:50:07.719 --> 00:50:08.819 to amend your life 00:50:08.819 --> 00:50:09.960 and the Holy Spirit 00:50:09.960 --> 00:50:11.019 to amend your life 00:50:11.019 --> 00:50:12.939 as you begin to live 00:50:12.939 --> 00:50:13.939 without regret. 00:50:14.579 --> 00:50:15.480 In the gospel, 00:50:16.399 --> 00:50:17.899 sorrow is not to be 00:50:17.899 --> 00:50:19.099 the story of your life. 00:50:20.000 --> 00:50:20.899 Godly sorrow, 00:50:21.079 --> 00:50:22.279 which leads to repentance 00:50:22.279 --> 00:50:23.379 and salvation 00:50:23.379 --> 00:50:24.119 without regret, 00:50:24.939 --> 00:50:25.939 that is to be 00:50:25.939 --> 00:50:26.819 the story 00:50:26.819 --> 00:50:28.259 and the final word 00:50:28.259 --> 00:50:29.059 of your life. 00:50:30.059 --> 00:50:31.079 Could you please stand? 00:50:35.699 --> 00:50:38.519 If you are here 00:50:38.519 --> 00:50:39.839 and you have never 00:50:39.839 --> 00:50:40.599 given your lives 00:50:40.599 --> 00:50:41.159 to Jesus, 00:50:43.599 --> 00:50:44.239 then I don't know. 00:50:44.519 --> 00:50:45.019 I'm not going to, 00:50:45.079 --> 00:50:45.379 you know what, 00:50:45.460 --> 00:50:47.199 I can give you words. 00:50:47.439 --> 00:50:48.219 The problem I have 00:50:48.219 --> 00:50:49.079 with always giving you 00:50:49.079 --> 00:50:49.759 a little formula 00:50:49.759 --> 00:50:51.460 is I had so many years 00:50:51.460 --> 00:50:52.319 where I was beat up 00:50:52.319 --> 00:50:52.960 because it seemed 00:50:52.960 --> 00:50:53.839 the minister always used 00:50:53.839 --> 00:50:54.919 the exact same words 00:50:54.919 --> 00:50:55.419 and then I couldn't 00:50:55.419 --> 00:50:56.399 remember the words. 00:50:57.239 --> 00:50:58.119 God doesn't care about 00:50:58.119 --> 00:50:59.319 you having the right words. 00:51:00.259 --> 00:51:01.500 All you have to say is, 00:51:02.599 --> 00:51:03.079 Father, 00:51:03.079 --> 00:51:07.759 I want you 00:51:07.759 --> 00:51:09.559 to take all of my life 00:51:09.559 --> 00:51:11.119 and hold it in your hand 00:51:11.119 --> 00:51:12.099 and what Jesus has done 00:51:12.099 --> 00:51:12.880 for me in the cross. 00:51:13.980 --> 00:51:15.440 And I want verse 10 00:51:15.440 --> 00:51:16.779 to be the story of my life. 00:51:17.719 --> 00:51:18.900 And I turn to you 00:51:18.900 --> 00:51:20.099 and I turn to you, 00:51:20.199 --> 00:51:20.400 Father, 00:51:20.480 --> 00:51:21.500 and I ask that you help me 00:51:21.500 --> 00:51:21.880 because you know 00:51:21.880 --> 00:51:22.619 how weak I am. 00:51:22.659 --> 00:51:23.539 I turn to you. 00:51:23.980 --> 00:51:25.039 I want Jesus to be 00:51:25.039 --> 00:51:25.940 the Savior and the Lord 00:51:25.940 --> 00:51:26.460 of my life. 00:51:26.539 --> 00:51:27.340 I turn to you 00:51:27.340 --> 00:51:28.659 and use your own words 00:51:28.659 --> 00:51:29.519 and there's no time 00:51:29.519 --> 00:51:30.219 better than today 00:51:30.219 --> 00:51:31.199 to say that to him. 00:51:31.819 --> 00:51:32.619 And for those of us 00:51:32.619 --> 00:51:33.900 who are followers of Jesus, 00:51:34.119 --> 00:51:34.839 many of us need 00:51:34.839 --> 00:51:36.039 to come to the Father now 00:51:36.039 --> 00:51:37.759 and confess our need 00:51:37.759 --> 00:51:39.380 to have our consciences healed. 00:51:39.579 --> 00:51:41.159 Confess our hardness of heart. 00:51:41.920 --> 00:51:43.719 Confess that we have been 00:51:43.719 --> 00:51:46.039 living within a regret story. 00:51:46.400 --> 00:51:47.359 Confess that we have been 00:51:47.359 --> 00:51:48.759 desiring other people 00:51:48.759 --> 00:51:49.460 to live a life 00:51:49.460 --> 00:51:50.619 of unending regret. 00:51:51.000 --> 00:51:53.219 And just not to say, 00:51:53.359 --> 00:51:53.539 Father, 00:51:53.619 --> 00:51:54.400 this has violated 00:51:54.400 --> 00:51:55.559 my sense of myself 00:51:55.559 --> 00:51:56.500 and my image of myself, 00:51:56.639 --> 00:51:56.859 but it's, 00:51:57.099 --> 00:51:57.279 Father, 00:51:57.400 --> 00:51:58.799 thank you so much for Jesus. 00:51:58.980 --> 00:51:59.920 Thank you that you knew this 00:51:59.920 --> 00:52:01.119 about me. 00:52:01.299 --> 00:52:01.599 Thank you. 00:52:01.599 --> 00:52:01.980 Father, 00:52:02.539 --> 00:52:03.699 may this verse 00:52:03.699 --> 00:52:05.519 shape my life. 00:52:06.019 --> 00:52:06.219 Father, 00:52:06.380 --> 00:52:08.420 grant me a godly sorrow 00:52:08.420 --> 00:52:09.480 for my sins 00:52:09.480 --> 00:52:11.019 that produces repentance 00:52:11.019 --> 00:52:13.119 and leads to salvation 00:52:13.119 --> 00:52:13.980 without regret. 00:52:14.839 --> 00:52:15.639 For some of us, 00:52:15.699 --> 00:52:16.380 for many of us, 00:52:16.440 --> 00:52:17.440 maybe it is our time 00:52:17.440 --> 00:52:18.440 to call out to God, 00:52:18.539 --> 00:52:19.779 to ask that that be true 00:52:19.779 --> 00:52:20.239 in our life, 00:52:20.559 --> 00:52:22.420 that he would write this 00:52:22.420 --> 00:52:24.239 in our heart. 00:52:25.219 --> 00:52:25.839 Let's bow our heads 00:52:25.839 --> 00:52:26.199 in prayer. 00:52:26.199 --> 00:52:28.579 Father, 00:52:28.579 --> 00:52:29.539 thank you for Jesus. 00:52:30.559 --> 00:52:31.019 Thank you, 00:52:31.139 --> 00:52:31.319 Father, 00:52:31.379 --> 00:52:32.799 that you know us perfectly. 00:52:33.460 --> 00:52:33.939 Thank you, 00:52:34.059 --> 00:52:34.259 Father, 00:52:34.339 --> 00:52:34.980 that you know us 00:52:34.980 --> 00:52:35.460 from the moment 00:52:35.460 --> 00:52:36.279 of our conception 00:52:36.279 --> 00:52:36.859 to the moment 00:52:36.859 --> 00:52:37.599 of our death. 00:52:39.079 --> 00:52:39.659 Thank you, 00:52:39.759 --> 00:52:39.980 Father, 00:52:40.039 --> 00:52:40.419 that you know 00:52:40.419 --> 00:52:41.299 the dreams we have 00:52:41.299 --> 00:52:41.739 at night 00:52:41.739 --> 00:52:42.980 that we don't even remember. 00:52:43.179 --> 00:52:43.839 Thank you that you know 00:52:43.839 --> 00:52:44.579 us perfectly, 00:52:44.799 --> 00:52:45.299 and thank you, 00:52:45.399 --> 00:52:45.559 Father, 00:52:45.619 --> 00:52:46.819 that knowing us perfectly, 00:52:48.019 --> 00:52:48.319 knowing, 00:52:48.579 --> 00:52:48.699 Father, 00:52:48.779 --> 00:52:49.879 both how great 00:52:49.879 --> 00:52:50.599 we can be, 00:52:50.699 --> 00:52:51.539 but how petty 00:52:51.539 --> 00:52:52.619 and idol-driven 00:52:52.619 --> 00:52:53.980 and at enmity 00:52:53.980 --> 00:52:55.039 with you we can be. 00:52:55.239 --> 00:52:55.420 Father, 00:52:55.759 --> 00:52:56.480 we thank you 00:52:56.480 --> 00:52:57.480 that knowing all this 00:52:57.480 --> 00:52:57.900 about us, 00:52:58.019 --> 00:52:59.000 still you sent your Son 00:52:59.000 --> 00:52:59.679 to die for us 00:52:59.679 --> 00:53:00.320 on the cross. 00:53:01.079 --> 00:53:01.719 And thank you, 00:53:01.840 --> 00:53:02.059 Father, 00:53:02.159 --> 00:53:03.360 that when he died 00:53:03.360 --> 00:53:04.340 for us on the cross, 00:53:04.420 --> 00:53:05.380 he died for the whole 00:53:05.380 --> 00:53:06.340 length of my life, 00:53:06.400 --> 00:53:06.940 the whole length 00:53:06.940 --> 00:53:07.579 of our life, 00:53:08.400 --> 00:53:09.639 and that he deals 00:53:09.639 --> 00:53:10.360 with the sin 00:53:10.360 --> 00:53:11.019 in the whole length 00:53:11.019 --> 00:53:11.599 of our life 00:53:11.599 --> 00:53:12.360 and removes it, 00:53:12.420 --> 00:53:13.360 and that he clothes 00:53:13.360 --> 00:53:14.179 me, 00:53:14.460 --> 00:53:15.300 the real me, 00:53:15.420 --> 00:53:16.139 the full me, 00:53:16.239 --> 00:53:17.000 the long me, 00:53:17.099 --> 00:53:17.759 the deep me, 00:53:18.139 --> 00:53:19.500 that the true me 00:53:19.500 --> 00:53:20.259 is clothed 00:53:20.259 --> 00:53:20.779 with Jesus' 00:53:20.780 --> 00:53:21.560 righteousness 00:53:21.560 --> 00:53:22.640 when I put my faith 00:53:22.640 --> 00:53:23.360 and trust in him. 00:53:24.080 --> 00:53:24.360 Father, 00:53:24.460 --> 00:53:25.220 make me a disciple 00:53:25.220 --> 00:53:25.700 of Jesus 00:53:25.700 --> 00:53:26.340 who's gripped 00:53:26.340 --> 00:53:27.240 by the gospel, 00:53:28.580 --> 00:53:29.140 and so, 00:53:29.400 --> 00:53:29.560 Father, 00:53:29.660 --> 00:53:30.320 as the gospel 00:53:30.320 --> 00:53:31.080 grips me, 00:53:31.860 --> 00:53:32.600 will live a life 00:53:32.600 --> 00:53:34.320 of godly sorrow 00:53:34.320 --> 00:53:35.220 for my sins 00:53:35.220 --> 00:53:35.940 that leads to 00:53:35.940 --> 00:53:36.860 turning to you 00:53:36.860 --> 00:53:37.860 ever more deeply 00:53:37.860 --> 00:53:39.620 so that I will 00:53:39.620 --> 00:53:40.800 be more like Jesus 00:53:40.800 --> 00:53:42.360 and live my life 00:53:42.360 --> 00:53:43.240 without regret, 00:53:43.940 --> 00:53:44.960 but in deep gratitude 00:53:44.960 --> 00:53:45.820 for your Son. 00:53:46.460 --> 00:53:47.540 And all this I ask 00:53:47.540 --> 00:53:48.360 in the name of Jesus, 00:53:48.519 --> 00:53:49.060 your Son, 00:53:49.860 --> 00:53:50.700 and our Savior. 00:53:50.780 --> 00:53:51.500 Amen. 00:53:51.500 --> 00:53:51.660 Amen.