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Hello and welcome to the
Middletown Baptist Church podcast,

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where we are proclaiming the
truth to the world.

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My name is Pastor Josh, and I
want to thank you for listening to

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this podcast.

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I hope that this podcast can
be a blessing to you and strengthen

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you in the word of God.

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Now, come along.

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Let's look into the Bible and
see what God has for us here today.

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All right, well, let's go
ahead and get into our study here

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this evening.

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If you were not here.

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Last week, we started our
study on forgiveness, and it was

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really this.

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This whole study on
forgiveness was predicated upon a

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question that basically was
this, what is true forgiveness?

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Is it just forgive and forget,
or is it something else?

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And we talked a little bit
about that last week, and what we

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talked about was some of the.

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Some of the really cornerstone
marks of true forgiveness.

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And it starts with, obviously,
a sin, right?

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Because a lot of times we
think that there has to be this big

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confrontation if someone just
looks at me wrong or does something

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that just offends me on my own
personal preference.

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But the Bible very clearly
teaches in Matthew chapter 18 that

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biblical forgiveness and
restoration really starts with an

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offense of sin against another individual.

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And then with that sin,
obviously comes the restoration.

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Because if someone sins
against me, if we're looking at the

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example of who Jesus is and
what he has done for us, then we

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as believers don't have the
obligation to forgive just because

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someone sinned against us.

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We have, I believe, the
obligation of something called forbearance,

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which is different than forgiveness.

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I believe as Christians, we
have to offer forgiveness.

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We have to be ready and
willing to receive the repentant

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heart of a brother or sister
and then extend that forgiveness

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to them if they come to us.

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But if they don't come to us
in repentance or repentance before

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the Lord, ultimately, I don't
believe that we have an obligation

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to ultimately absolve them
from their sin.

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And ultimately we can't
absolve anyone from sin.

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The Bible clearly teaches that
it is only God who forgives sin.

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But when we're dealing with a
personal slight or a sin against

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us, it starts with a sin, and
then it goes then to the individual

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who committed the sin to come
back in repentance.

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And the one who is willing to
forgive should be willing to be that

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forbearing person and extend
that gift of grace to them.

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And we looked at Matthew,
chapter 18, and we looked at that

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parable of the individual who
owed a great debt that he could never

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pay back.

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And then his Master, his Lord,
forgave him of that debt.

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And then he goes out right
away and finds another individual

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who barely owed him anything
and was willing to put him to death

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because of that.

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And it showed the disconnect
between experiencing the forgiveness

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of God and then extending the
forgiveness that God has extended

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to us.

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And so I, I think the key
passage that we can look at when

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it comes to forgiveness and
the perspective of forgiveness would

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be that passage of Scripture
in the book of Ephesians.

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And, and you can turn there
with me now if you would like to

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kind of start as a launching
point to the rest of our study in

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this.

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And so we, we have that
passage in ephesians, Ephesians,

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chapter 4, verse 32.

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And I think that right here it
explains to us exactly the motivation

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behind our forgiveness.

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And I obviously had some
questions with this sermon in the

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concept of, like, well, how
can I be expected to forgive someone

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who has done such a heinous act?

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Like, for example, you know,
someone kills someone that we love,

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how are we expected just to
let them go in that.

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And the Bible doesn't say that
we are to let someone go in their

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sin.

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We're not to condone their sin.

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We're not to even agree with
that sin.

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But what we are supposed to do
is forgive them the way that Christ

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forgave us.

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And so that's what Ephesians
chapter 4, verse 32 says.

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It says, and be kind, one to
another, tenderhearted, forgiving

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one another.

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And then here's the key
element of this.

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We forgive like Christ forgave
us, even as God for Christ's sake

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hath forgiven you.

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And so we do this because of
what was done for us.

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We do forgiveness in our life
because of the forgiveness that God

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extended us through Jesus Christ.

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And so the only way that we're
able to do biblical forgiveness in

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our life is through Jesus
Christ and his sacrifice for us.

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And so we always look at the
example of God's forgiveness.

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And so someone might say, how
can I forgive someone for this even

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if they come back to me?

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And I've heard individuals
say, you know what?

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Even if that person came back
crawling on their hands and knees,

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I would never forgive them.

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And so the question would be,
well, really, really?

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And, and, and, and the idea
that I would have is this.

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If you have experienced the
forgiveness of God in your life,

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how can you say that statement
of I would never forgive?

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And, and then the next
question would be, well, how.

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How can I forgive someone that
has hurt me so deeply?

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It's always going back and
appealing to the power of God and

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saying, lord, let me
experience your forgiveness, let

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me understand your
forgiveness, and let me be able to

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extend that same forgiveness
to others around me.

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But I think that one of the
things I wanted to touch on last

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week, which we'll look at here
this week, is in Matthew chapter

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six.

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If we looked at Matthew 18,
let's look at Matthew chapter six.

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And most of you know Matthew
chapter six because it's, it's tied

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to the Sermon on the Mount,
one of Jesus's, if not his most famous

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sermon.

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But we know that even in
Matthew chapter six, we see the model

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prayer, some folks call it the
Lord's Prayer.

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And I think that we'll learn a
lesson through this passage of Scripture

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when it comes to how can I forgive?

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And so I, I want us to rest on
that question here this evening.

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So, so we kind of already
know, at least to the best that we

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can within one study, what
forgiveness is, what biblical forgiveness

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is.

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And we've realized the
responsibility of forgiveness that

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we all have to be forbearing.

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We all have to extend that forgiveness.

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And then if someone comes back
in repentance, then we extend that

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forgiveness to them.

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But now we need to look at the
further question of how can we really

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do this?

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Well, let's look @ Matthew,
chapter six.

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And you remember this passage
of Scripture.

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Jesus's disciples come to him
and ask him, how should we pray?

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And Jesus says in verse 5, and
when thou prayest, thou shall not

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be as the hypocrites are.

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And then he talks about
praying in a humbled way.

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And then he talks about
praying not in vain repetitions,

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but praying in a specific way
in a direct way.

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And then he gets to the model
prayer, and we get to verse number

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12, and it says, and forgive
us our debts as we forgive our debtors.

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And, and I find that very
interesting because obviously Jesus

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is, is teaching them how to pray.

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But I think this is an example
for us when it comes to that question

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of how can we forgive.

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Well, we have to start with
asking God to give us the strength

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to, number one, understand the
forgiveness that we have received,

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but then, number two, to
extend that same forgiveness to others

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around us.

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And so the simple answer is this.

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Ask God to give you the
strength to forgive those around

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you, and ask God to give you
the understanding of how great his

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forgiveness is for us.

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Then, then if you, if you skip
into the next verse and, and look

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down Another verse, verse 14
says, for if ye forgive men their

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trespasses, your heavenly
Father will also forgive you.

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But if ye forgive not men
their trespasses, neither will your

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father forgive your trespasses.

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And so these are some strong words.

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Essentially, if we don't
understand God's forgiveness in our

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life, we're not going to be
able to extend forgiveness to those

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around us.

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And there's a lot of people
that will say, you know what, I'm

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a religious person, I believe
in God, I'm a person of faith, but

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I don't need forgiveness.

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I feel like I'm good.

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And the truth is, is that as a
believer, we all have to come to

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grips with this idea that we
all are in desperate need of forgiveness.

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And therefore, if we don't
understand God's forgiveness in our

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life, we'll never be able to
forgive someone properly and vice

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versa.

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And so it goes, it's a two way street.

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And so if someone says, you
know what, I cannot forgive somebody,

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then there is a heart issue
there, There's a heart issue there.

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Really?

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Have you actually experienced
forgiveness of God?

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Do you know the forgiveness of God?

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And so even further on in
Jesus's teaching, he speaks of that

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idea of understanding God's
forgiveness and then reciprocating

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that forgiveness to others
around us.

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And so there's all of those
different things that we can think

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about when it comes to this
idea of forgiveness.

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But what I would say to
someone who says, how can I forgive?

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It's a simple, simple answer.

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It's this, look at what God
has done for you, look at what God

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has done for you and
understand who you were before you

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came to him, and understand
who you are now after you have come

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to him in true forgiveness.

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And so what I would like to do
here this evening is go a little

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bit further into understanding
the forgiveness that we have received

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and how do we deal with that
after we're saved?

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Because you know what, I've
even heard some people say I can't

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forgive that person.

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But I've also heard people
say, you know what, I can't even

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forgive myself.

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I can't understand how I can
be used by God because of the things

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that I've done in my life.

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And, and, and that might be
not something that someone says publicly,

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but you know, as a pastor, I
have experienced people with their,

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their, their burdens and they
say, you know what, I just, you don't

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know my past.

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And, and so I want us to look
here this evening at what God's forgiveness

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really is and then how we go
in that, in our life, how we can

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grow in that understanding of
his forgiveness and how Deep it is.

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And I think that if we truly
understand the depths of the forgiveness

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that God extends to us, then I
think that we will then be able to

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extend the gift of forgiveness
to others around us in.

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In our own lives.

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And so, so the moment that we
are saved, the moment that we trust

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in Jesus Christ in faith, we
have repentant hearts.

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We're turning away from our
old ways.

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We're turning to him.

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The Bible says that we are saved.

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The Bible says that we are forgiven.

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And, and so we all know that.

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Hopefully you understand the
gospel, you understand that when

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you come to Jesus Christ, it's
not this thing that you have to clean

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up your life and earn your way
to him and, and pay your alms and

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do these sacraments and then
God forgives you.

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No, it's the moment of repentance.

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At the moment that I turn away
from my way and my works and my good,

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which is really in the Bible.

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Bible's way of saying things is.

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Is not good.

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When we turn away from our way
of thinking, our way of doing, and

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we turn to him at that very
moment, we're extending ourselves

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in faith, and God forgives us.

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So it's an immediate thing.

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And I think there's an example there.

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What's the example?

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There is, like, when someone
comes to me that has wronged me.

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Let's.

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Let's use an example.

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Maybe, maybe they, they.

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They said something negative
about me to my face.

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They called me a name, okay.

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And that really hurt me.

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And they come back and they're
like, hey, you know what?

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I'm really sorry about that.

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I shouldn't have done that.

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That was wrong.

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00:10:46,992 --> 00:10:48,528
I'm asking for your forgiveness.

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00:10:48,624 --> 00:10:52,144
Biblically speaking, at that
immediate moment, we should release,

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00:10:52,232 --> 00:10:57,040
we should forgive, we should
restore that relationship, because

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00:10:57,080 --> 00:10:58,128
that's what God does with us.

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00:10:58,184 --> 00:11:00,912
The moment of faith, the
moment of repentance.

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00:11:00,976 --> 00:11:02,928
God then extends forgiveness.

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00:11:03,104 --> 00:11:07,162
But what sometimes happens is
that we in our humanity say, okay,

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now you gotta.

246
00:11:08,326 --> 00:11:10,210
You gotta prove that to me.

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00:11:10,590 --> 00:11:13,606
You're gonna have to go
through a lot of steps to earn this

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00:11:13,678 --> 00:11:14,550
forgiveness.

249
00:11:14,710 --> 00:11:18,246
Again, that's not a biblical
way to extend forgiveness.

250
00:11:18,278 --> 00:11:18,518
Why?

251
00:11:18,574 --> 00:11:21,926
Because that's not the example
of what God gives us in his forgiveness.

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00:11:22,118 --> 00:11:23,942
And so I think that we need to
understand that.

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00:11:23,966 --> 00:11:27,462
But I also think that we need
to understand that at the time in

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which we have been forgiven,
we then now have to deal with the

255
00:11:31,806 --> 00:11:32,620
old man.

256
00:11:32,790 --> 00:11:34,320
What's the old man say?

257
00:11:34,360 --> 00:11:34,752
I don't know.

258
00:11:34,776 --> 00:11:35,392
Who's the old man?

259
00:11:35,416 --> 00:11:36,832
The old man is our flesh.

260
00:11:36,896 --> 00:11:38,704
The old man is Our sin nature.

261
00:11:38,832 --> 00:11:41,376
And at the moment of our
salvation, we have the Holy Spirit

262
00:11:41,408 --> 00:11:42,256
indwelling us.

263
00:11:42,328 --> 00:11:44,672
But the truth is, is that I
don't know about you, but after I

264
00:11:44,696 --> 00:11:46,832
got saved, I thought for a
moment, hey, you know what?

265
00:11:46,856 --> 00:11:48,240
Maybe I will never sin again.

266
00:11:48,360 --> 00:11:50,800
Maybe I'll be able to live
this life without sin.

267
00:11:50,880 --> 00:11:53,620
And very quickly I realized
that I still sin.

268
00:11:53,960 --> 00:11:56,512
And I think that all of us, if
we're honest with ourselves, would

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00:11:56,536 --> 00:11:59,180
admit that, hey, I still
struggle with the old man.

270
00:11:59,490 --> 00:12:02,602
Paul even says in the New
Testament that he struggles with

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00:12:02,626 --> 00:12:04,010
the old man, the old way of
doing things.

272
00:12:04,050 --> 00:12:07,470
And so what happens for a
believer when we sin?

273
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Well, you know what?

274
00:12:09,298 --> 00:12:11,114
We're back again into condemnation.

275
00:12:11,162 --> 00:12:12,650
No, the Bible says that it's
not the case.

276
00:12:12,690 --> 00:12:17,002
And I want you to see in
Romans chapter 8 what the believer's

277
00:12:17,066 --> 00:12:20,190
state is when he or she is saved.

278
00:12:20,770 --> 00:12:22,870
So go with me to Romans
chapter 8.

279
00:12:23,330 --> 00:12:26,272
Now, the reason why I want to
point you to this is because this

280
00:12:26,296 --> 00:12:32,080
is a common misconception
within Christianity, the, the, the

281
00:12:32,120 --> 00:12:35,856
broader scope of what we would
call Biblical Christianity.

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00:12:35,968 --> 00:12:40,032
There, There are people that
feel like when they sin, they have

283
00:12:40,056 --> 00:12:41,504
to beat themselves up.

284
00:12:41,672 --> 00:12:44,304
They have to go back through
the whole process of getting saved

285
00:12:44,352 --> 00:12:44,940
again.

286
00:12:45,320 --> 00:12:46,660
They're disqualified.

287
00:12:47,000 --> 00:12:50,672
And, and I want you to see the
difference between two words here

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00:12:50,696 --> 00:12:51,380
tonight.

289
00:12:51,730 --> 00:12:54,586
Condemnation, which we're
going to talk about here in Romans

290
00:12:54,618 --> 00:12:55,514
chapter eight.

291
00:12:55,682 --> 00:12:58,218
And we're going to talk about
the word conviction.

292
00:12:58,394 --> 00:12:59,642
Two different things.

293
00:12:59,826 --> 00:13:04,010
And, and sometimes what
happens is we, we bring these two

294
00:13:04,050 --> 00:13:06,058
things together and make them
the same thing.

295
00:13:06,114 --> 00:13:09,114
And theologically that is not
the right way to see it.

296
00:13:09,282 --> 00:13:14,458
So when we sin, there should
be a response, but the response should

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00:13:14,514 --> 00:13:15,802
not be condemnation.

298
00:13:15,866 --> 00:13:17,322
Look at Romans chapter 8,
verse 1.

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00:13:17,346 --> 00:13:18,150
It says this.

300
00:13:18,290 --> 00:13:22,862
There is therefore now no condemnation.

301
00:13:22,926 --> 00:13:23,662
Now let's stop there.

302
00:13:23,686 --> 00:13:24,494
What is condemnation?

303
00:13:24,542 --> 00:13:26,690
Condemnation is guilt.

304
00:13:27,110 --> 00:13:31,790
Condemnation is someone is
condemning me for a wrong that I

305
00:13:31,830 --> 00:13:34,174
have done and I need to pay a price.

306
00:13:34,342 --> 00:13:39,454
I, I need, I need to pay the,
the, the judge, some type of payment.

307
00:13:39,582 --> 00:13:42,542
And so therefore, what we see
here in this context is what does

308
00:13:42,566 --> 00:13:43,102
Romans say?

309
00:13:43,126 --> 00:13:46,642
For the wages of sin, the
payment of sin is death.

310
00:13:46,826 --> 00:13:51,218
And so he says here, there is
therefore now no condemnation to

311
00:13:51,274 --> 00:13:55,522
them which are in Christ Jesus
who walk not after the flesh, but

312
00:13:55,546 --> 00:13:56,162
after the Spirit.

313
00:13:56,226 --> 00:14:01,250
So if you are a believer here
tonight, when you sin, there is no

314
00:14:01,290 --> 00:14:02,290
condemnation to us.

315
00:14:02,330 --> 00:14:04,130
Therefore, what that means is this.

316
00:14:04,250 --> 00:14:06,550
When I sin, I don't lose my salvation.

317
00:14:07,930 --> 00:14:10,434
So some people are afraid of
that teaching.

318
00:14:10,482 --> 00:14:10,786
Why?

319
00:14:10,858 --> 00:14:14,418
Because there is that human
fear that if we teach that there's

320
00:14:14,434 --> 00:14:17,410
no condemnation, that people
will just continue to sin.

321
00:14:17,490 --> 00:14:20,178
Paul's already addressed that
in Romans chapter six.

322
00:14:20,314 --> 00:14:21,330
Romans, chapter six.

323
00:14:21,370 --> 00:14:22,370
What shall we say then?

324
00:14:22,410 --> 00:14:23,858
Shall we continue in sin?

325
00:14:23,954 --> 00:14:25,234
That grace may abound?

326
00:14:25,362 --> 00:14:26,770
Then he says, God forbid.

327
00:14:26,850 --> 00:14:30,114
How shall we that are dead to
sin live any longer therein?

328
00:14:30,162 --> 00:14:33,282
And then he goes in to talk
about that whole struggle that we

329
00:14:33,306 --> 00:14:35,602
have between the flesh and the Spirit.

330
00:14:35,746 --> 00:14:37,346
So you say, where are you
going with this, Pastor?

331
00:14:37,378 --> 00:14:41,308
I want us to understand that
when we are forgiven, we are no longer

332
00:14:41,324 --> 00:14:42,332
in condemnation.

333
00:14:42,476 --> 00:14:44,012
You are no longer guilty.

334
00:14:44,076 --> 00:14:47,020
You are no longer having a
death sentence in your life.

335
00:14:47,060 --> 00:14:50,360
The Bible says that our
transgressions are blotted out.

336
00:14:50,820 --> 00:14:54,332
And so maybe you've heard this
before in our forgiveness.

337
00:14:54,476 --> 00:14:59,372
God forgives us for past sins
and maybe for present sins and for

338
00:14:59,396 --> 00:15:00,480
our future sins.

339
00:15:00,820 --> 00:15:01,404
And there's.

340
00:15:01,452 --> 00:15:05,132
There's a lot that we have to
unpack with that, because then we

341
00:15:05,156 --> 00:15:09,940
see passages of Scripture that
say, don't sin, and we struggle.

342
00:15:10,440 --> 00:15:13,664
And I want us to think about
the other word that I had mentioned.

343
00:15:13,792 --> 00:15:18,080
There is what's called
conviction, Holy Spirit conviction.

344
00:15:18,160 --> 00:15:21,280
The Bible speaks very clearly
that there is something in our life

345
00:15:21,320 --> 00:15:22,752
called Holy Spirit conviction.

346
00:15:22,816 --> 00:15:24,740
So we are not guilty.

347
00:15:25,080 --> 00:15:27,232
So a lot of times I'll hear
people say, you know what?

348
00:15:27,256 --> 00:15:28,576
I felt so guilty of that sin.

349
00:15:28,608 --> 00:15:30,128
I understand what we mean by that.

350
00:15:30,184 --> 00:15:33,802
Basically, we're feeling the
conviction of the Spirit, but we

351
00:15:33,826 --> 00:15:35,290
are not guilty before God.

352
00:15:35,370 --> 00:15:36,106
What are we feeling?

353
00:15:36,138 --> 00:15:39,690
We are feeling that conviction
that the Holy Spirit brings to us.

354
00:15:39,730 --> 00:15:44,570
So I want you to see John,
chapter 16 gives us a promise that

355
00:15:44,610 --> 00:15:47,402
when the Holy Spirit comes,
which we know, the Holy Spirit has

356
00:15:47,426 --> 00:15:48,522
already come to us.

357
00:15:48,626 --> 00:15:52,250
So this is speaking about a
past event for us, but for the Book

358
00:15:52,290 --> 00:15:56,042
of John, it's a future event
speaking of what happens in the Book

359
00:15:56,066 --> 00:15:56,746
of Acts.

360
00:15:56,858 --> 00:16:00,306
And it says, and when he has
come talking about the Holy Spirit,

361
00:16:00,458 --> 00:16:05,106
he will reprove the world of
sin and of righteousness and of judgment.

362
00:16:05,138 --> 00:16:09,298
That word reprove essentially
talks about that idea of conviction.

363
00:16:09,474 --> 00:16:12,274
The Holy Spirit will be
bringing conviction to those that

364
00:16:12,282 --> 00:16:13,190
are in sin.

365
00:16:13,610 --> 00:16:16,070
And so it's not just the
guilty conscience.

366
00:16:16,490 --> 00:16:21,330
It's not just shame over sin,
but it's actually conviction to bring

367
00:16:21,370 --> 00:16:25,026
us out of that sin and bring
us back into fellowship with God.

368
00:16:25,218 --> 00:16:25,618
And.

369
00:16:25,674 --> 00:16:31,448
And so when we sin, we can
respond either in a response of condemnation

370
00:16:31,544 --> 00:16:34,780
or we can respond in the
response of conviction.

371
00:16:35,680 --> 00:16:40,392
And so biblically speaking,
when we sin, God's forgiveness is

372
00:16:40,416 --> 00:16:43,944
still upon our life, but that
sin should bring about conviction.

373
00:16:44,072 --> 00:16:46,936
And when it brings about
conviction, there's actually a response

374
00:16:47,048 --> 00:16:48,680
to the conviction.

375
00:16:48,840 --> 00:16:51,656
Because we can push away the conviction.

376
00:16:51,848 --> 00:16:55,072
We can ignore the conviction,
and we can allow ourselves to, as

377
00:16:55,096 --> 00:16:59,408
the Bible says, quench the
Holy Spirit, reject the Holy Spirit,

378
00:16:59,584 --> 00:17:00,944
grieve the Holy Spirit.

379
00:17:01,072 --> 00:17:03,760
And so when the Holy Spirit
convicts our heart, what do we do

380
00:17:03,800 --> 00:17:04,304
in response?

381
00:17:04,352 --> 00:17:09,632
Well, the Bible says very
clearly that when we feel or perceive

382
00:17:09,696 --> 00:17:12,048
the conviction of the Spirit
in our life because we've sinned

383
00:17:12,064 --> 00:17:15,952
against God, that should bring
us to a place of another word that

384
00:17:15,976 --> 00:17:16,832
starts with a C.

385
00:17:16,936 --> 00:17:17,872
Confession.

386
00:17:18,016 --> 00:17:20,592
Okay, now some of you are
about to walk out because you said,

387
00:17:20,616 --> 00:17:22,848
I was always told I'm not
supposed to confess to a priest.

388
00:17:22,944 --> 00:17:24,512
You don't have to confess to a priest.

389
00:17:24,576 --> 00:17:26,288
You don't have to confess to a pastor.

390
00:17:26,384 --> 00:17:30,560
The Bible says in First John
1:9, what does it say?

391
00:17:30,600 --> 00:17:34,592
If we confess our sins, he is
faithful and just to forgive us our

392
00:17:34,616 --> 00:17:36,944
sins and to cleanse us from
all unrighteousness.

393
00:17:36,992 --> 00:17:40,096
Now, what happens sometimes is
that people will take that verse

394
00:17:40,208 --> 00:17:44,016
in First John and they will
say, that's only talking about someone's

395
00:17:44,048 --> 00:17:44,800
salvation.

396
00:17:44,960 --> 00:17:48,706
Okay, now I will say that is true.

397
00:17:48,808 --> 00:17:51,726
We initially, when we confess
our sins to the Lord, he forgives

398
00:17:51,758 --> 00:17:54,350
us of our sins when it comes
to the idea of salvation.

399
00:17:54,510 --> 00:17:58,094
But you have to go back to
understand context, and you have

400
00:17:58,102 --> 00:18:01,582
to go back to remember who God
is talking to when he is talking

401
00:18:01,646 --> 00:18:04,398
to in the book of First John.

402
00:18:04,454 --> 00:18:07,038
The book of First John is
written to believers.

403
00:18:07,214 --> 00:18:09,886
And so we see that that is
actually a practice that believers

404
00:18:09,918 --> 00:18:13,598
are supposed to practice when
we sin in our lives.

405
00:18:13,654 --> 00:18:16,446
And so says, if we confess our
sins, he's faithful and just to forgive

406
00:18:16,478 --> 00:18:18,254
us our sins and cleanse us
from all unrighteousness.

407
00:18:18,302 --> 00:18:20,416
So some might say, well,
Pastor, you've just.

408
00:18:20,488 --> 00:18:23,424
You just contradicted yourself
because you said, we don't have to

409
00:18:23,432 --> 00:18:25,312
keep getting saved over and
over again.

410
00:18:25,416 --> 00:18:27,792
So why do we have to keep
coming back for forgiveness?

411
00:18:27,936 --> 00:18:31,232
Because we understand in
Scripture there's two elements to

412
00:18:31,256 --> 00:18:31,536
this.

413
00:18:31,608 --> 00:18:35,616
There's one element of the
fact that we never lose our relationship

414
00:18:35,648 --> 00:18:39,280
with God when it comes to him
being our father and we being his

415
00:18:39,320 --> 00:18:39,952
child.

416
00:18:40,136 --> 00:18:43,040
And so it's like I always use
this analogy when it comes to.

417
00:18:43,080 --> 00:18:43,952
To my children.

418
00:18:44,056 --> 00:18:45,744
Okay, I'll use Mike as an example.

419
00:18:45,792 --> 00:18:46,884
My firstborn son.

420
00:18:46,992 --> 00:18:50,252
There's nothing that he can do
to not be my child.

421
00:18:50,356 --> 00:18:50,892
Okay?

422
00:18:50,956 --> 00:18:52,316
He can try to deny it.

423
00:18:52,388 --> 00:18:53,868
He can say that he's not my child.

424
00:18:53,924 --> 00:18:56,652
I can say that he's not my
child, but I cannot deny that he

425
00:18:56,676 --> 00:18:57,516
is my child.

426
00:18:57,668 --> 00:19:00,860
The same thing goes for when
someone is adopted into the family

427
00:19:00,900 --> 00:19:01,516
of God.

428
00:19:01,628 --> 00:19:05,004
And the book of Romans speaks
all about that, that we can cry,

429
00:19:05,052 --> 00:19:05,996
abba, Father.

430
00:19:06,108 --> 00:19:08,748
And so in our forgiveness
comes our salvation.

431
00:19:08,844 --> 00:19:12,178
In our salvation comes our
standing with God as his child.

432
00:19:12,364 --> 00:19:15,350
Um, and if you want to speak
more to that.

433
00:19:15,390 --> 00:19:18,422
And in first John, it says,
behold what manner of love the Father

434
00:19:18,486 --> 00:19:19,830
has bestowed upon us.

435
00:19:19,870 --> 00:19:21,638
That we should be called the
sons of God.

436
00:19:21,734 --> 00:19:24,310
Lest you deny that we're
children of God.

437
00:19:24,390 --> 00:19:27,078
The Bible's and I believe it's
how it's written, we are children

438
00:19:27,134 --> 00:19:27,814
of God.

439
00:19:27,942 --> 00:19:31,638
But I do understand that with
my relationship with my son, that

440
00:19:31,774 --> 00:19:37,654
either he or myself can allow
things to get in the way of our fellowship

441
00:19:37,702 --> 00:19:39,298
within our relationship.

442
00:19:39,494 --> 00:19:43,322
So, for example, you know,
Micah can get mad at me and he can

443
00:19:43,346 --> 00:19:46,778
go slam his door and he can
say, dad, I'm not talking to you.

444
00:19:46,834 --> 00:19:48,826
That doesn't mean that he's
not my child anymore.

445
00:19:48,858 --> 00:19:52,234
But that might mean that my
fellowship with him has been broken,

446
00:19:52,362 --> 00:19:55,898
that our relationship has been
harmed, that he's not going to hear

447
00:19:55,954 --> 00:19:59,482
dad giving the affirmations
of, hey, son, I love you.

448
00:19:59,506 --> 00:20:00,250
Because he's not there.

449
00:20:00,290 --> 00:20:01,994
He's closed off to me.

450
00:20:02,162 --> 00:20:05,374
And so what I would say that
as a believer, when we feel, feel

451
00:20:05,462 --> 00:20:08,606
and perceive the conviction of
the Spirit when it comes to the sins

452
00:20:08,638 --> 00:20:12,798
in our life, if we don't
confess, we are driving a wedge between

453
00:20:12,934 --> 00:20:15,294
God and ourselves when it
comes to our relationship.

454
00:20:15,342 --> 00:20:16,526
God doesn't go anywhere.

455
00:20:16,638 --> 00:20:18,942
But we are the ones that have
turned our backs against him.

456
00:20:18,966 --> 00:20:21,582
And we are not perceiving the
conviction of the Spirit when we

457
00:20:21,606 --> 00:20:22,110
reject it.

458
00:20:22,150 --> 00:20:23,742
So the Bible says to confess.

459
00:20:23,806 --> 00:20:25,742
Now, what does that word,
confess mean?

460
00:20:25,926 --> 00:20:28,190
Some people think, well, that
just means that I need to go tell

461
00:20:28,230 --> 00:20:29,198
people what I'm doing.

462
00:20:29,334 --> 00:20:32,994
Well, that's not necessarily
the real definition of that confession.

463
00:20:33,182 --> 00:20:35,030
I want you to see what that means.

464
00:20:35,810 --> 00:20:39,670
Confession in the Greek
basically means this.

465
00:20:40,210 --> 00:20:44,922
The Greek word is two words together.

466
00:20:45,026 --> 00:20:47,562
And I don't wanna lose you
tonight in the Greek, but it'll make

467
00:20:47,586 --> 00:20:48,682
sense when I explain this.

468
00:20:48,786 --> 00:20:54,378
Homo meaning one logea, or
logos meaning word.

469
00:20:54,554 --> 00:20:57,370
And so one word, we're saying
the same thing.

470
00:20:57,410 --> 00:20:59,130
It literally means we're
saying the same thing.

471
00:20:59,170 --> 00:21:03,270
So for me to confess to God is
that I am saying the same thing about

472
00:21:03,310 --> 00:21:05,206
my sin as God is saying about
my sin.

473
00:21:05,318 --> 00:21:05,782
Right.

474
00:21:05,886 --> 00:21:08,534
So God says that sin is
terrible, that sin is against me.

475
00:21:08,622 --> 00:21:09,526
That sin is.

476
00:21:09,598 --> 00:21:11,590
Is what, you know, put me on
the cross.

477
00:21:11,750 --> 00:21:13,718
Okay, then I agree with that.

478
00:21:13,774 --> 00:21:16,422
So confession is just agreeing
with God.

479
00:21:16,486 --> 00:21:19,302
It's understanding and saying
the same thing about my sin.

480
00:21:19,446 --> 00:21:22,390
And so when we feel the
conviction of the Spirit in our life,

481
00:21:22,510 --> 00:21:25,670
and the conviction of the
Spirit comes in different ways, folks.

482
00:21:25,750 --> 00:21:28,642
We understand that faith
cometh by hearing and hearing by

483
00:21:28,666 --> 00:21:29,458
the word of God.

484
00:21:29,554 --> 00:21:31,618
We're not going to feel the
conviction of the Spirit if we're

485
00:21:31,634 --> 00:21:33,522
not in his word, because we're
going to.

486
00:21:33,546 --> 00:21:36,930
If, if we're looking at the
world as our guide, the world says,

487
00:21:36,970 --> 00:21:38,290
do whatever you want to do, right?

488
00:21:38,410 --> 00:21:40,722
And so if we're not based in
Scripture, it's going to be very

489
00:21:40,746 --> 00:21:43,730
easy for us to drift and not
receive the conviction of the Spirit.

490
00:21:43,810 --> 00:21:46,146
But I do believe that if
you're a child of God, the conviction

491
00:21:46,178 --> 00:21:47,234
of the Spirit will be there.

492
00:21:47,322 --> 00:21:50,210
And when that conviction of
the Spirit comes, when we sin, there

493
00:21:50,250 --> 00:21:54,904
is that restoration process
when it comes to confessing our sins

494
00:21:54,952 --> 00:21:55,704
to the Lord.

495
00:21:55,832 --> 00:22:02,536
And so it's to concede your
will and allow your will to align

496
00:22:02,568 --> 00:22:03,704
with God's will.

497
00:22:03,872 --> 00:22:07,304
And so I say all that to say
that's the type of forgiveness that

498
00:22:07,312 --> 00:22:07,912
we have.

499
00:22:08,016 --> 00:22:09,656
It's an extended forgiveness.

500
00:22:09,768 --> 00:22:11,576
It's not a superficial forgiveness.

501
00:22:11,688 --> 00:22:13,560
It's not a forgiveness that
doesn't care.

502
00:22:13,680 --> 00:22:13,960
Right?

503
00:22:14,000 --> 00:22:14,792
It pursues us.

504
00:22:14,816 --> 00:22:15,112
God.

505
00:22:15,176 --> 00:22:17,544
God pursues us when we sin.

506
00:22:17,592 --> 00:22:19,940
God pursues us in the
conviction of the Spirit.

507
00:22:20,120 --> 00:22:22,908
And so I would say that in the
process of someone sinning against

508
00:22:22,964 --> 00:22:24,492
us, we don't go, well, you
know what?

509
00:22:24,516 --> 00:22:25,132
I'm done with them.

510
00:22:25,156 --> 00:22:26,412
I will neglect them.

511
00:22:26,436 --> 00:22:27,612
I turn my back against them.

512
00:22:27,636 --> 00:22:28,492
I shun them.

513
00:22:28,596 --> 00:22:32,860
No, there's always that desire
to restore them back and allow them

514
00:22:32,900 --> 00:22:37,276
every opportunity to come back
in repentance and in humility before

515
00:22:37,348 --> 00:22:40,524
God and before the person that
they sinned against and say, you

516
00:22:40,532 --> 00:22:40,972
know what?

517
00:22:41,076 --> 00:22:44,732
I'm going to forgive because
of your repentance.

518
00:22:44,796 --> 00:22:47,516
Now, I do want, I want you to
see another passage of Scripture

519
00:22:47,548 --> 00:22:49,206
that, that speaks about this.

520
00:22:49,278 --> 00:22:51,334
And I think I mentioned this
last week, but I think it's good

521
00:22:51,342 --> 00:22:53,410
to see Galatians, chapter six.

522
00:22:53,710 --> 00:22:58,614
This, this speaks the same
idea of, of extending that forbearance

523
00:22:58,662 --> 00:23:00,646
ex being patient in forgiveness.

524
00:23:00,758 --> 00:23:05,030
And so just as God is patient
with us in, in his forgiveness to

525
00:23:05,070 --> 00:23:08,166
us, we should be patient with
others when we extend forgiveness

526
00:23:08,198 --> 00:23:08,886
to them.

527
00:23:09,038 --> 00:23:11,142
So let's say, for example,
someone comes and they, they say,

528
00:23:11,166 --> 00:23:11,494
you know what?

529
00:23:11,502 --> 00:23:14,816
I'm sorry, I'm apologizing for this.

530
00:23:14,998 --> 00:23:19,484
We say, okay, this is the last time.

531
00:23:19,652 --> 00:23:22,716
If you do this again to me, no
more forgiveness again.

532
00:23:22,788 --> 00:23:24,124
That's not how God works.

533
00:23:24,252 --> 00:23:25,644
God is always patient.

534
00:23:25,692 --> 00:23:27,520
He's always long suffering.

535
00:23:27,860 --> 00:23:30,764
And, and again, we talked
about, remember what Peter in Matthew

536
00:23:30,812 --> 00:23:31,020
18.

537
00:23:31,060 --> 00:23:33,996
He says, Lord, how many times
do we need to forgive?

538
00:23:34,108 --> 00:23:34,760
Seven.

539
00:23:35,220 --> 00:23:36,316
Seven times 70.

540
00:23:36,388 --> 00:23:36,620
Right.

541
00:23:36,660 --> 00:23:36,876
It's.

542
00:23:36,908 --> 00:23:37,260
It's that.

543
00:23:37,300 --> 00:23:38,076
It's that patience.

544
00:23:38,108 --> 00:23:39,036
It's that long suffering.

545
00:23:39,068 --> 00:23:40,812
And so Galatians chapter 6,
verse 1.

546
00:23:40,836 --> 00:23:43,542
He says, Brethren, now we know
he's talking to believers here.

547
00:23:43,676 --> 00:23:47,750
If a man be overtaken in a
fault or a sin, ye which are spiritual.

548
00:23:48,250 --> 00:23:51,350
Now, that word spiritual means
to be guided by the Spirit.

549
00:23:51,850 --> 00:23:53,170
So, so what can we learn here?

550
00:23:53,210 --> 00:23:55,698
We can learn that true
forgiveness only comes from when

551
00:23:55,754 --> 00:23:57,590
we are spirit filled.

552
00:23:57,930 --> 00:23:59,106
How are we spirit filled?

553
00:23:59,138 --> 00:24:03,026
We are spirit filled by dying
to our flesh and allowing the Spirit

554
00:24:03,058 --> 00:24:03,826
to guide our lives.

555
00:24:03,898 --> 00:24:06,498
Now, how can we know that we
are being filled with the Spirit?

556
00:24:06,594 --> 00:24:08,850
Well, there's this wonderful
thing in Galatians, chapter five

557
00:24:08,890 --> 00:24:12,544
that comes right before this
verse that talks about the fruit

558
00:24:12,592 --> 00:24:13,620
of the Spirit.

559
00:24:13,960 --> 00:24:15,584
So we are to forgive in.

560
00:24:15,672 --> 00:24:17,728
Go back with me just a few verses.

561
00:24:17,904 --> 00:24:20,992
Some of you that are in my
Sunday School class will know that

562
00:24:21,016 --> 00:24:23,504
this is an important thing in
the believer's life.

563
00:24:23,672 --> 00:24:24,380
Love.

564
00:24:24,760 --> 00:24:27,392
We forgive in love, joy.

565
00:24:27,456 --> 00:24:32,400
We forgive with joy, peace,
long suffering.

566
00:24:32,480 --> 00:24:34,048
There's that word patience there.

567
00:24:34,184 --> 00:24:38,030
Gentleness, goodness, faith,
meekness, temperance.

568
00:24:38,370 --> 00:24:40,266
We have self control in our forgiveness.

569
00:24:40,298 --> 00:24:42,170
We have meekness in our forgiveness.

570
00:24:42,250 --> 00:24:43,546
Against such there is no law.

571
00:24:43,618 --> 00:24:46,874
And so he's referring back to
that individual who's walking in

572
00:24:46,882 --> 00:24:47,274
the Spirit.

573
00:24:47,322 --> 00:24:50,314
He says, you who are
spiritual, you are being guided by

574
00:24:50,322 --> 00:24:50,858
the Spirit.

575
00:24:50,954 --> 00:24:53,226
It is your job to forgive in
this way.

576
00:24:53,298 --> 00:24:56,218
He says, restore such a one.

577
00:24:56,274 --> 00:24:58,346
So the Spirit is always restoration.

578
00:24:58,458 --> 00:25:01,482
When, when a brother falls,
when a brother sins against us, or

579
00:25:01,506 --> 00:25:04,260
when they sin against the
Lord, it's always about restoration.

580
00:25:05,240 --> 00:25:09,344
Says re, restore them such a
one in the spirit of meekness, considering

581
00:25:09,392 --> 00:25:12,144
thyself, lest thou be tempted.

582
00:25:12,272 --> 00:25:18,432
Meaning if I am not willing to
forgive, going back to that forbearance.

583
00:25:18,576 --> 00:25:21,472
And I know that that's
probably not a word that you've ever

584
00:25:21,496 --> 00:25:24,304
heard, and maybe you've never
heard those two things separated

585
00:25:24,432 --> 00:25:26,096
forgiveness and forbearance.

586
00:25:26,288 --> 00:25:27,360
I had neither.

587
00:25:27,440 --> 00:25:30,966
But I think it makes a lot
more sense for me if I'm not a Christian

588
00:25:30,998 --> 00:25:35,974
who's willing to forbear in
grace and in patience, an individual

589
00:25:36,022 --> 00:25:38,678
until they get to the place
where they can come to forgiveness.

590
00:25:38,854 --> 00:25:39,702
You know what?

591
00:25:39,806 --> 00:25:42,090
I'm not a Christian in the
spirit of meekness.

592
00:25:42,670 --> 00:25:46,534
And I'm not a Christian who's
able to fight against the enemy.

593
00:25:46,582 --> 00:25:49,686
And the Bible says in verse
one there that we will be tempted

594
00:25:49,718 --> 00:25:52,998
and fall, fall into the trap
of the same thing that that person

595
00:25:53,054 --> 00:25:53,718
has done.

596
00:25:53,854 --> 00:25:56,782
Or maybe not the Exact same
thing, but the same idea of sin.

597
00:25:56,966 --> 00:25:58,686
And then the whole spirit is this.

598
00:25:58,758 --> 00:26:02,410
Bear ye one another's burdens
and so fulfill the law of Christ.

599
00:26:03,590 --> 00:26:06,782
For if, for if a man thinketh
himself to be something when he is

600
00:26:06,806 --> 00:26:08,222
nothing, he deceiveth himself.

601
00:26:08,366 --> 00:26:11,694
And it goes on to talk more
about bearing one another's burdens

602
00:26:11,742 --> 00:26:12,382
there.

603
00:26:12,566 --> 00:26:16,670
But what we understand is if
you go down to verse number seven,

604
00:26:16,790 --> 00:26:20,590
it says, be not deceived, God
is not mocked.

605
00:26:20,670 --> 00:26:24,060
For whatsoever a man soweth,
that shall he also reap.

606
00:26:24,560 --> 00:26:26,168
So, so my thought would be this.

607
00:26:26,304 --> 00:26:26,984
If.

608
00:26:27,152 --> 00:26:30,104
And I think that this is a
principle of sowing and reaping.

609
00:26:30,232 --> 00:26:34,072
If we want others to forgive
us, which I think we would, I, I,

610
00:26:34,096 --> 00:26:35,384
I, I, I want to be forgiven.

611
00:26:35,432 --> 00:26:37,448
I want people to give me the
benefit of the doubt.

612
00:26:37,544 --> 00:26:40,312
I want people to understand
that, hey, you know, maybe I, you

613
00:26:40,336 --> 00:26:41,432
know, that I'm not perfect.

614
00:26:41,496 --> 00:26:43,048
And the idea would be this.

615
00:26:43,184 --> 00:26:49,218
If I want to have people
forgiving me, I should sow forgiveness

616
00:26:49,314 --> 00:26:50,258
in my life.

617
00:26:50,394 --> 00:26:53,474
If I want people to be
unforgiving to me, I'll sow unforgiveness.

618
00:26:53,602 --> 00:26:56,258
You would say, well, what, why?

619
00:26:56,314 --> 00:26:56,626
Why?

620
00:26:56,698 --> 00:26:58,706
Because that's the principle
that we see here.

621
00:26:58,778 --> 00:27:02,930
The principle we see is that
we want to sow to the Spirit and

622
00:27:02,970 --> 00:27:03,554
not the flesh.

623
00:27:03,602 --> 00:27:04,226
Verse 8.

624
00:27:04,298 --> 00:27:09,270
For he that sth to his flesh
shall of the flesh reap corruption.

625
00:27:09,770 --> 00:27:16,922
So the Bible says here that
when we sow things that are fleshly,

626
00:27:16,986 --> 00:27:24,666
like unforgiveness, like
sensuality, anger, bitterness, whatever

627
00:27:24,698 --> 00:27:28,234
it is, when we sow that into
our lives, we're going to receive

628
00:27:28,282 --> 00:27:30,122
that and we're going to
receive corruption.

629
00:27:30,266 --> 00:27:34,954
But he that soweth the Spirit
shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

630
00:27:35,002 --> 00:27:38,426
Meaning there's, there's
blessings, there's the understanding

631
00:27:38,458 --> 00:27:41,770
of forgiveness when we sow
that forgiveness in our own lives.

632
00:27:41,810 --> 00:27:44,074
And so, um, and then I love
the next verse.

633
00:27:44,122 --> 00:27:47,594
It, I think it's connected
there because I think that we get

634
00:27:47,602 --> 00:27:48,522
tired in doing these things.

635
00:27:48,546 --> 00:27:51,370
It says, and let us not be
weary and well doing, for in due

636
00:27:51,410 --> 00:27:53,270
season we shall reap if we
faint not.

637
00:27:53,810 --> 00:27:56,602
And, and so as we have
therefore opportunity, let us do

638
00:27:56,626 --> 00:27:59,946
good unto all men, especially
unto them who are of the household

639
00:27:59,978 --> 00:28:00,314
of faith.

640
00:28:00,362 --> 00:28:02,666
And so I think there's another
lesson here.

641
00:28:02,738 --> 00:28:05,910
I think that we are to extend
forgiveness to all those around us,

642
00:28:06,290 --> 00:28:10,214
but more specifically, as it
says here, even more so, especially

643
00:28:10,302 --> 00:28:12,230
to those that are of the
household of faith, meaning other

644
00:28:12,270 --> 00:28:13,650
brothers and sisters in Christ.

645
00:28:14,750 --> 00:28:18,614
The problem is, is that
sometimes some of the most conflict

646
00:28:18,662 --> 00:28:21,414
that Christians have, is with
other Christians.

647
00:28:21,542 --> 00:28:23,958
And, and the problem with that
would be that we're fighting against

648
00:28:24,014 --> 00:28:24,342
each other.

649
00:28:24,366 --> 00:28:29,734
And, and Jesus even says in,
in John 17 that his prayer for the

650
00:28:29,742 --> 00:28:31,030
church is unity.

651
00:28:31,190 --> 00:28:34,512
And we can't have unity unless
we're willing to forgive each other.

652
00:28:34,646 --> 00:28:35,420
And for.

653
00:28:35,460 --> 00:28:38,012
Sometimes I think that we talk
about the.

654
00:28:38,116 --> 00:28:40,640
Jesus speaks of turning the
other cheek.

655
00:28:41,060 --> 00:28:44,876
And I think that with that
picture, I don't know if we necessarily

656
00:28:44,908 --> 00:28:48,156
have time to go into that
whole study, but Jesus is specifically

657
00:28:48,188 --> 00:28:50,732
talking about a personal
slight against you that you can just

658
00:28:50,756 --> 00:28:51,436
let go.

659
00:28:51,588 --> 00:28:52,716
Okay, Turn the other cheek.

660
00:28:52,748 --> 00:28:52,988
Okay.

661
00:28:53,004 --> 00:28:54,300
I'm not going to fight back.

662
00:28:54,420 --> 00:28:57,436
I'm not going to reciprocate
their wrong, because that's sometimes

663
00:28:57,468 --> 00:28:58,044
what we do.

664
00:28:58,132 --> 00:29:00,326
When someone wrongs us, we
want to wrong them.

665
00:29:00,508 --> 00:29:03,522
Jesus is teaching against
that, wronging them back.

666
00:29:03,706 --> 00:29:04,834
Just tolerate it.

667
00:29:04,922 --> 00:29:05,458
Okay?

668
00:29:05,554 --> 00:29:08,450
So, so, so there, there
doesn't have to be, I don't believe

669
00:29:08,490 --> 00:29:10,914
biblically speaking, there
doesn't have to be a confrontation

670
00:29:10,962 --> 00:29:13,710
every time someone does us a
little slight to us.

671
00:29:14,570 --> 00:29:17,874
If that be the case, we'd be
having constant confrontations.

672
00:29:18,002 --> 00:29:21,234
Okay, Any of you that are
married, it might just be constant

673
00:29:21,282 --> 00:29:22,642
confrontations all the way
through your life.

674
00:29:22,666 --> 00:29:23,202
You know what?

675
00:29:23,226 --> 00:29:24,258
You did this, you did that.

676
00:29:24,314 --> 00:29:27,186
There's gonna be things that
we can just overlook within the grace

677
00:29:27,218 --> 00:29:27,838
of God.

678
00:29:27,954 --> 00:29:28,886
Okay, I just.

679
00:29:28,958 --> 00:29:30,198
Not a big, Not a big deal.

680
00:29:30,254 --> 00:29:30,470
Not.

681
00:29:30,510 --> 00:29:31,798
I'm gonna get past this.

682
00:29:31,934 --> 00:29:36,454
But there are other things
that people do against us or to us

683
00:29:36,542 --> 00:29:38,358
that we can't get over immediately.

684
00:29:38,454 --> 00:29:41,062
And that's where we go back to
that Matthew 18 principle.

685
00:29:41,126 --> 00:29:44,070
Going to them one on one and
saying, look, you have sinned against

686
00:29:44,110 --> 00:29:45,610
me and this is the sin.

687
00:29:46,030 --> 00:29:49,638
I think it's very, very
important for us as a church, as

688
00:29:49,694 --> 00:29:54,182
individual Christians to point
out the specific biblical thing that

689
00:29:54,206 --> 00:29:55,890
was done against us.

690
00:29:56,420 --> 00:29:58,172
Because if I just go, I've
done this before.

691
00:29:58,276 --> 00:29:59,452
Well, you just were mean to me.

692
00:29:59,476 --> 00:30:00,636
Well, how was I mean to you?

693
00:30:00,708 --> 00:30:01,404
I don't know.

694
00:30:01,492 --> 00:30:01,740
Right.

695
00:30:01,780 --> 00:30:04,204
And maybe we don't remember
specifically, but I do think it's

696
00:30:04,252 --> 00:30:09,644
very helpful and very wise for
us to use scripture against that

697
00:30:09,732 --> 00:30:11,400
thing that was done against us.

698
00:30:11,860 --> 00:30:15,036
Because we know that scripture
does not return void and there's

699
00:30:15,068 --> 00:30:16,220
power in the word of God.

700
00:30:16,300 --> 00:30:19,132
And so if someone wrongs and
say, you know, what the Bible calls

701
00:30:19,276 --> 00:30:21,532
that, you know, for example,
let's say someone going back to that

702
00:30:21,556 --> 00:30:23,606
example, someone just says
something wrong against us, maybe

703
00:30:23,638 --> 00:30:25,014
a profane thing against us.

704
00:30:25,102 --> 00:30:27,734
You know, we say, the Bible
says let, let nothing corrupt come

705
00:30:27,742 --> 00:30:29,702
out of your mouth and
therefore you Know, you came to me

706
00:30:29,726 --> 00:30:31,062
and you said something
terrible about me.

707
00:30:31,086 --> 00:30:32,022
You tore me down.

708
00:30:32,126 --> 00:30:33,750
And, and that, that's not edifying.

709
00:30:33,830 --> 00:30:36,534
And, and we use that as an
example and we do it in love.

710
00:30:36,622 --> 00:30:39,958
And the Bible says that when
there's that restoration, there's

711
00:30:39,974 --> 00:30:43,334
a brother that is found,
there's a sister that's found.

712
00:30:43,502 --> 00:30:46,662
And so I, I think about that
when it comes to forgiveness, and

713
00:30:46,686 --> 00:30:51,522
I think about how the, how the
necessity of the Spirit is, is needed

714
00:30:51,586 --> 00:30:54,274
and the necessity of
understanding the forgiveness of

715
00:30:54,282 --> 00:30:56,402
Jesus Christ is needed when it
comes to forgiveness.

716
00:30:56,466 --> 00:30:57,522
So is it forgiven?

717
00:30:57,586 --> 00:30:57,922
Forget?

718
00:30:57,986 --> 00:30:58,306
No.

719
00:30:58,378 --> 00:30:59,682
I think we addressed that last week.

720
00:30:59,706 --> 00:31:03,890
If you didn't come last week,
you can turn back and watch that

721
00:31:03,930 --> 00:31:07,826
in, in the, in the podcast or
on the YouTube channel or on Facebook.

722
00:31:07,898 --> 00:31:09,442
But what, what I will say is this.

723
00:31:09,466 --> 00:31:09,922
It's you.

724
00:31:09,946 --> 00:31:13,730
You can't sometimes forgive or
forget when you forgive.

725
00:31:13,810 --> 00:31:17,074
But the reality is, is that
when we remember, when, when the

726
00:31:17,082 --> 00:31:20,046
Bible says God forgets it, it
doesn't mean that he has forgotten.

727
00:31:20,078 --> 00:31:22,254
It just means that he is not
bringing it back up and holding it

728
00:31:22,262 --> 00:31:22,798
over our heads.

729
00:31:22,814 --> 00:31:25,086
And I think that's the same
thing when it talks about forgiveness

730
00:31:25,118 --> 00:31:25,998
in our own life.

731
00:31:26,134 --> 00:31:29,210
If I forgive someone, don't
use that against them later on.

732
00:31:29,590 --> 00:31:30,894
Don't make them work for it.

733
00:31:30,902 --> 00:31:32,334
If you forgive them, forgive them.

734
00:31:32,422 --> 00:31:35,150
Let your yes be yes and let
your no be no.

735
00:31:35,270 --> 00:31:37,934
Biblically speaking, if you
extend forgiveness, make it forgiveness,

736
00:31:37,982 --> 00:31:38,970
make it final.

737
00:31:39,510 --> 00:31:44,126
And then again, if they come
back and sin again, what does Jesus

738
00:31:44,158 --> 00:31:44,734
say to do?

739
00:31:44,822 --> 00:31:45,982
Repeat the process?

740
00:31:46,166 --> 00:31:49,054
And that's, and I, I think
that's biblical forgiveness when

741
00:31:49,062 --> 00:31:52,190
it comes to the, the, the Scriptures.

742
00:31:52,270 --> 00:31:54,622
I, I know that there's a lot
of people that teach different things

743
00:31:54,646 --> 00:31:55,406
about that.

744
00:31:55,558 --> 00:31:57,678
I know that there are some
people that say you have to forgive

745
00:31:57,694 --> 00:31:58,570
no matter what.

746
00:31:59,430 --> 00:31:59,998
I just.

747
00:32:00,054 --> 00:32:03,470
The reason why I don't say
that is because I don't see God doing

748
00:32:03,510 --> 00:32:06,414
that when it comes to those
that have sinned against him.

749
00:32:06,582 --> 00:32:09,294
I, I don't see God looking at everybody.

750
00:32:09,342 --> 00:32:11,514
We don't believe in what's
called universalism.

751
00:32:11,662 --> 00:32:16,642
Universalism is a teaching out
there that says this, that God loves

752
00:32:16,706 --> 00:32:20,626
everyone so much that he sent
his only begotten Son and that he's

753
00:32:20,658 --> 00:32:22,750
just gonna save everyone in
this world.

754
00:32:23,130 --> 00:32:24,498
But the Bible never teaches that.

755
00:32:24,554 --> 00:32:27,470
The Bible says that there's
one way to heaven through Jesus Christ.

756
00:32:28,410 --> 00:32:30,994
And so I don't believe that
God forgives universally.

757
00:32:31,042 --> 00:32:33,442
And I think that that's an
example for us, that we don't just

758
00:32:33,466 --> 00:32:36,498
sit and go, well, guess I just
had to forgive everyone that wrongs

759
00:32:36,514 --> 00:32:36,738
me?

760
00:32:36,794 --> 00:32:37,010
No.

761
00:32:37,050 --> 00:32:40,156
But I do believe that we have
to extend forbearance, just as God

762
00:32:40,188 --> 00:32:41,340
has extended the gift to all.

763
00:32:41,380 --> 00:32:44,764
I believe that when Jesus came
to this earth and died on the cross,

764
00:32:44,892 --> 00:32:49,164
the gift of grace is extended
to all, all nations, all tribes,

765
00:32:49,292 --> 00:32:49,580
all.

766
00:32:49,620 --> 00:32:49,820
All.

767
00:32:49,860 --> 00:32:50,860
All languages.

768
00:32:51,020 --> 00:32:54,108
And that extension of grace is
for all.

769
00:32:54,164 --> 00:32:56,828
And it's those who receive it
and come to repentance.

770
00:32:56,924 --> 00:32:59,612
And I think that's the same
thing for us when we, we extend the

771
00:32:59,636 --> 00:33:00,556
gift of grace.

772
00:33:00,668 --> 00:33:03,148
We extend the gift of
forbearance to someone and say, hey,

773
00:33:03,164 --> 00:33:04,044
it's there for you.

774
00:33:04,132 --> 00:33:07,406
But if they don't receive
that, if they don't come to that

775
00:33:07,478 --> 00:33:10,686
in repentance, then we
continue on in patience and forbearance.

776
00:33:10,718 --> 00:33:13,758
And just as God is patient,
I've heard some people say, why doesn't

777
00:33:13,774 --> 00:33:14,510
God just come back?

778
00:33:14,550 --> 00:33:15,130
Now?

779
00:33:15,430 --> 00:33:16,686
Look at this world.

780
00:33:16,838 --> 00:33:18,910
Look at all those people that
are out there.

781
00:33:19,030 --> 00:33:22,270
Look at all the evil that they
are committing against the things

782
00:33:22,310 --> 00:33:22,878
of God.

783
00:33:22,974 --> 00:33:24,222
Why doesn't God just come back?

784
00:33:24,246 --> 00:33:26,062
Why didn't he come back a
thousand years ago?

785
00:33:26,166 --> 00:33:30,382
And the only answer, the only
biblical answer that I can give is

786
00:33:30,406 --> 00:33:31,534
that he's patient.

787
00:33:31,662 --> 00:33:33,348
He's wanting more to come to him.

788
00:33:33,454 --> 00:33:34,840
Now, when is that going to run out?

789
00:33:34,880 --> 00:33:35,480
I don't know.

790
00:33:35,520 --> 00:33:37,160
And that's not my job to know.

791
00:33:37,280 --> 00:33:39,560
And God knows, and God knows
when that's over.

792
00:33:39,600 --> 00:33:42,856
But at the end of the day, for
me, all I have to say is that God

793
00:33:42,888 --> 00:33:46,408
has extended extreme patience
with this world.

794
00:33:46,544 --> 00:33:49,560
And, and so therefore, I think
that we have to do the same thing.

795
00:33:49,680 --> 00:33:50,920
Extreme patience.

796
00:33:51,080 --> 00:33:53,352
And, and, and I, and I know
that's not fun.

797
00:33:53,536 --> 00:33:57,272
I, I don't, I don't, I don't
get thrilled about being patient

798
00:33:57,336 --> 00:33:57,976
with people.

799
00:33:58,128 --> 00:33:59,850
I'm actually very impatient.

800
00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:00,886
Come on, let's go.

801
00:34:00,958 --> 00:34:05,606
But the truth is, is that if
we are walking in the spirit, okay,

802
00:34:05,638 --> 00:34:08,170
this is, this is not Pastor
Josh's opinion.

803
00:34:09,230 --> 00:34:11,958
One of the, one of the
elements of the fruit of the Spirit

804
00:34:12,054 --> 00:34:12,934
is this word.

805
00:34:12,982 --> 00:34:13,462
I like it.

806
00:34:13,486 --> 00:34:15,382
In the King James, long suffering.

807
00:34:15,526 --> 00:34:17,930
We have to be long suffering
in our patience.

808
00:34:18,750 --> 00:34:21,942
And, and, and so, like, that's
the idea of forgiveness is, is just

809
00:34:21,966 --> 00:34:22,870
being patient with him.

810
00:34:22,910 --> 00:34:24,022
So I could give you.

811
00:34:24,046 --> 00:34:25,686
I mean, I, I could.

812
00:34:25,758 --> 00:34:28,134
The thing, the danger would be
is me just sitting up here and giving

813
00:34:28,182 --> 00:34:31,597
examples of things that might
happen, things that didn't happen.

814
00:34:31,653 --> 00:34:35,229
I mean, for, for example, I,
I'll give one, I'll give one example.

815
00:34:35,309 --> 00:34:39,373
Let's say someone, you know, they.

816
00:34:39,541 --> 00:34:41,085
Well, I can, I can give you an Example?

817
00:34:41,117 --> 00:34:41,309
I.

818
00:34:41,349 --> 00:34:42,829
I will give you an example of
my own life.

819
00:34:42,869 --> 00:34:43,261
How about that?

820
00:34:43,285 --> 00:34:44,733
I'll give you that example of
my own life.

821
00:34:44,821 --> 00:34:49,769
Um, so some of, you know, I
think it was, like, two years ago.

822
00:34:50,069 --> 00:34:51,997
It was on, like, right before
the 4th of July.

823
00:34:52,053 --> 00:34:56,237
We got in a car accident, and
this young man ran through a stop

824
00:34:56,293 --> 00:35:02,300
sign, hit us, and flipped our
car and drove.

825
00:35:02,380 --> 00:35:07,100
He tried to drive away, and
his car was pretty much messed up.

826
00:35:07,220 --> 00:35:10,364
So I get out of the car, and
I'm, like, really disoriented and

827
00:35:10,532 --> 00:35:11,916
got the kids out.

828
00:35:11,988 --> 00:35:16,876
So at that time, it was Mike
and Nora, and I got helped the leash

829
00:35:16,908 --> 00:35:19,532
out because all their doors
were, like, smashed in, and we were,

830
00:35:19,556 --> 00:35:20,572
like, on the side.

831
00:35:20,676 --> 00:35:22,556
Anyway, I get out, and I'm,
like, really disoriented.

832
00:35:22,588 --> 00:35:23,354
And Alicia goes.

833
00:35:23,412 --> 00:35:23,982
They left.

834
00:35:24,086 --> 00:35:24,702
They ran.

835
00:35:24,766 --> 00:35:25,806
And I'm like, oh, man.

836
00:35:25,878 --> 00:35:27,326
And I'm like, just be honest.

837
00:35:27,358 --> 00:35:28,238
In that moment, I'm not.

838
00:35:28,294 --> 00:35:29,646
I'm not filled with the spirit.

839
00:35:29,678 --> 00:35:30,734
I wasn't filled with the grace.

840
00:35:30,782 --> 00:35:31,678
I was filled with.

841
00:35:31,734 --> 00:35:34,014
I need to find this guy that
just ran the stop sign.

842
00:35:34,102 --> 00:35:35,454
He almost killed my family.

843
00:35:35,542 --> 00:35:38,366
I need to tell him that he's
wrong, right?

844
00:35:38,518 --> 00:35:39,774
So I find him.

845
00:35:39,942 --> 00:35:41,502
And I said, yeah, you.

846
00:35:41,526 --> 00:35:43,470
And they, like, got out of
their car, and they were, like, looking

847
00:35:43,510 --> 00:35:44,686
like they were going to run.

848
00:35:44,838 --> 00:35:46,062
And I'm like, where are you going?

849
00:35:46,166 --> 00:35:47,902
And I'm like, you better not
go anywhere.

850
00:35:47,966 --> 00:35:49,246
I'm like, the police have to come.

851
00:35:49,318 --> 00:35:49,502
And.

852
00:35:49,526 --> 00:35:51,316
And he was like, well, how can
I go anywhere?

853
00:35:51,348 --> 00:35:52,132
Look at my car.

854
00:35:52,236 --> 00:35:53,364
And in that moment, I.

855
00:35:53,452 --> 00:35:55,252
I did not have the spirit of forgiveness.

856
00:35:55,316 --> 00:35:56,692
Okay, I'll just be honest with you.

857
00:35:56,716 --> 00:35:56,900
I.

858
00:35:56,940 --> 00:35:58,564
I just was not ready to forgive.

859
00:35:58,612 --> 00:36:01,600
It was a young man that was
being, you know.

860
00:36:01,900 --> 00:36:04,852
You know, irresponsible on the
road and just ran through a stop

861
00:36:04,876 --> 00:36:05,108
sign.

862
00:36:05,164 --> 00:36:08,084
And I gave him the dad's
speech of, like, how he could have

863
00:36:08,092 --> 00:36:10,340
killed a whole family out
there because of his sink.

864
00:36:10,420 --> 00:36:11,220
And at the end of the.

865
00:36:11,260 --> 00:36:13,556
At the end of the night, I
remember saying, you know, and then

866
00:36:13,628 --> 00:36:13,956
I.

867
00:36:14,028 --> 00:36:14,852
I cooled down.

868
00:36:14,956 --> 00:36:17,374
Cooler heads prevailed, and it
was like, okay.

869
00:36:17,422 --> 00:36:20,702
Like, it's okay, you know, But
I didn't walk up to him and just

870
00:36:20,726 --> 00:36:21,646
say, like, it's okay.

871
00:36:21,678 --> 00:36:22,334
You didn't do.

872
00:36:22,422 --> 00:36:25,230
But at the end of the day, he
was, like, blaming it on me.

873
00:36:25,350 --> 00:36:25,838
He was.

874
00:36:25,894 --> 00:36:28,206
He was talking to the police
officers, and he was saying, yeah,

875
00:36:28,238 --> 00:36:28,878
he was just.

876
00:36:28,934 --> 00:36:30,206
He, like, sped through that.

877
00:36:30,278 --> 00:36:30,910
That stop sign.

878
00:36:30,950 --> 00:36:33,134
I'm like, well, first of all,
I don't have a stop sign on my side.

879
00:36:33,222 --> 00:36:34,414
You had a stop sign.

880
00:36:34,502 --> 00:36:35,006
There was.

881
00:36:35,078 --> 00:36:37,694
And the police Officer pulled
me aside, and he goes, hey, look.

882
00:36:37,862 --> 00:36:39,278
Very evident what happened.

883
00:36:39,374 --> 00:36:40,254
We know what happened.

884
00:36:40,302 --> 00:36:40,894
You can just relax.

885
00:36:40,942 --> 00:36:44,062
Nothing's, you know, but, you
know, if that, if he would have come

886
00:36:44,086 --> 00:36:45,022
back and said, you know what?

887
00:36:45,046 --> 00:36:47,342
I'm really sorry, and it was
humble, I'd be like, hey, it's all

888
00:36:47,366 --> 00:36:48,046
good, you know?

889
00:36:48,118 --> 00:36:50,350
But at the end of the day, he
was still blaming me before we left,

890
00:36:50,390 --> 00:36:51,278
and he was telling.

891
00:36:51,374 --> 00:36:55,518
And so I had the forbearance
as I cooled down to say, okay, let's

892
00:36:55,534 --> 00:36:56,030
see what he says.

893
00:36:56,070 --> 00:36:57,502
And I went up and say, how's
everything going?

894
00:36:57,526 --> 00:36:58,526
Are you guys okay?

895
00:36:58,638 --> 00:37:01,294
And at the end of the day, it
was like, no, there's no repentance.

896
00:37:01,342 --> 00:37:03,406
So I don't feel like as a.

897
00:37:03,478 --> 00:37:06,622
As a person, I need to go up
to him and say, it's okay that you

898
00:37:06,646 --> 00:37:07,022
did that.

899
00:37:07,046 --> 00:37:08,586
I condone you're wrong.

900
00:37:08,718 --> 00:37:11,362
But the forbearance was there,
and there was an opportunity for

901
00:37:11,386 --> 00:37:12,162
restoration.

902
00:37:12,306 --> 00:37:12,802
Right?

903
00:37:12,906 --> 00:37:14,402
And that's the same thing on a.

904
00:37:14,426 --> 00:37:16,130
On a more difficult scale.

905
00:37:16,210 --> 00:37:19,394
Let's say there's been someone
in your life that has, like, harmed

906
00:37:19,442 --> 00:37:21,070
you or wronged you.

907
00:37:21,370 --> 00:37:23,858
Um, and I think that there's
this prevailing thing that within

908
00:37:23,914 --> 00:37:27,442
churches, it's like, well, I
have to just let go of what they

909
00:37:27,466 --> 00:37:28,242
did to me.

910
00:37:28,346 --> 00:37:31,122
But the truth is, is that I
think that just as Jesus called out

911
00:37:31,146 --> 00:37:33,906
the wrongdoing and sin, we can
do the same thing.

912
00:37:33,978 --> 00:37:35,256
So this is forgiveness.

913
00:37:35,288 --> 00:37:38,008
And forbearance is not a
condoning of sin.

914
00:37:38,104 --> 00:37:39,896
It's not an overlooking of sin.

915
00:37:40,008 --> 00:37:41,784
It's not an acceptance of sin.

916
00:37:41,912 --> 00:37:43,736
We can still call out sin for
what it is.

917
00:37:43,808 --> 00:37:48,200
But when the individual comes
in brokenness and humility and says,

918
00:37:48,240 --> 00:37:48,632
you know what?

919
00:37:48,656 --> 00:37:52,152
I am sorry, I think that we
have to reciprocate in the same way

920
00:37:52,176 --> 00:37:54,536
that God reciprocates in his forgiveness.

921
00:37:54,648 --> 00:37:57,496
And so I hope that makes more
sense when it comes to forgiveness.

922
00:37:57,528 --> 00:38:00,592
Because I've heard preachers
get up and say, I don't care what

923
00:38:00,616 --> 00:38:03,088
that person does to you, you
gotta just keep forgiving them.

924
00:38:03,224 --> 00:38:03,936
And that's.

925
00:38:03,968 --> 00:38:04,160
I.

926
00:38:04,200 --> 00:38:05,360
I believe that is a.

927
00:38:05,400 --> 00:38:09,184
A misnomer to the place where
people are set up for more abuse.

928
00:38:09,232 --> 00:38:09,520
And I.

929
00:38:09,560 --> 00:38:12,176
I don't think you have to be
abused in certain situations.

930
00:38:12,208 --> 00:38:14,544
I think that we can put our
foot down and.

931
00:38:14,632 --> 00:38:17,728
And say, no, that is wrong,
and we don't condone that.

932
00:38:17,864 --> 00:38:21,376
But I do believe that the
biblical teaching according to Scripture,

933
00:38:21,408 --> 00:38:23,616
is that forbearance must be extended.

934
00:38:23,808 --> 00:38:25,540
So it's not forgive and forget.

935
00:38:25,970 --> 00:38:28,870
But what I would say it's it's
forgive and release.

936
00:38:29,490 --> 00:38:32,890
It's, it's forgive and extend grace.

937
00:38:33,050 --> 00:38:35,070
It's forgive and restore.

938
00:38:35,410 --> 00:38:37,514
Um, it's forgive and be patient.

939
00:38:37,642 --> 00:38:40,762
And I think that's more of a
realistic biblical approach to when

940
00:38:40,786 --> 00:38:42,282
we get to this idea of forgiveness.

941
00:38:42,346 --> 00:38:45,082
And so to sum it all up, it's
just understanding what Christ did

942
00:38:45,106 --> 00:38:49,306
for us and this understanding
how we are interacting with God after

943
00:38:49,378 --> 00:38:50,218
our forgiveness.

944
00:38:50,314 --> 00:38:53,324
And, and in our forgiveness,
there's that restorative element

945
00:38:53,372 --> 00:38:53,884
to it.

946
00:38:53,972 --> 00:38:57,772
So I, I, I think that, I think
that for me, one of the issues that

947
00:38:57,796 --> 00:39:01,068
I might have is just, you
know, not pursuing it.

948
00:39:01,204 --> 00:39:04,780
One, one of, one of the things
that I have been good at in my life

949
00:39:04,900 --> 00:39:08,572
is that if someone has wronged
me, I, I'm not really tempted to

950
00:39:08,596 --> 00:39:11,612
go back and wrong them, but
I'm just really good at just kind

951
00:39:11,636 --> 00:39:15,628
of avoiding the situation and
just being like, well, that person's

952
00:39:15,644 --> 00:39:16,668
gonna have to come back.

953
00:39:16,804 --> 00:39:19,894
But, but I, I think that
biblically speaking, as God pursues

954
00:39:19,942 --> 00:39:24,230
us in conviction, I think so
we should also pursue others that

955
00:39:24,270 --> 00:39:27,366
maybe have fallen and, and
encourage them.

956
00:39:27,518 --> 00:39:31,606
And not that we're the Holy
Spirit, not that the, we're the ones

957
00:39:31,638 --> 00:39:34,182
doing the conviction, but I
think the example would be that we

958
00:39:34,206 --> 00:39:37,174
care about people enough to
get them to a place of restoration.

959
00:39:37,302 --> 00:39:39,110
Now, will restoration happen
every time?

960
00:39:39,150 --> 00:39:39,542
No.

961
00:39:39,646 --> 00:39:41,606
That's why, no, not everyone's
going to be saved.

962
00:39:41,638 --> 00:39:44,292
Not everyone that has walked
this earth is going to heaven because

963
00:39:44,406 --> 00:39:45,944
some are not willing for that restoration.

964
00:39:45,992 --> 00:39:48,968
Some are not willing to come
in humility and repentance.

965
00:39:49,144 --> 00:39:51,352
But, but looking at our
personal lives, what I would say

966
00:39:51,376 --> 00:39:53,928
is this, when we go back to,
because a lot of times we're thinking

967
00:39:53,944 --> 00:39:56,504
about us being the forgivers, right?

968
00:39:56,592 --> 00:39:59,576
I, I know, like, when I look
at Scripture, I don't ever see myself

969
00:39:59,608 --> 00:40:00,392
as the Pharisee.

970
00:40:00,456 --> 00:40:02,424
I always see myself as like
the disciple.

971
00:40:02,552 --> 00:40:05,656
Sometimes we should see
ourselves as the Pharisee and understand

972
00:40:05,728 --> 00:40:06,664
some conviction.

973
00:40:06,792 --> 00:40:09,016
So a lot of times when we're
talking about this topic of forgiveness,

974
00:40:09,048 --> 00:40:11,612
we're always thinking about
like, well, I'm forgiving someone

975
00:40:11,636 --> 00:40:13,836
who has wronged me, but what
about when I have wronged?

976
00:40:13,868 --> 00:40:15,280
What about when I have sinned?

977
00:40:15,700 --> 00:40:20,556
And I think it's so important
to understand those three C's of

978
00:40:20,628 --> 00:40:21,900
what's condemnation.

979
00:40:22,060 --> 00:40:26,892
An unsaved person is condemned
before the eyes of God, but a saved

980
00:40:26,956 --> 00:40:29,004
person is no longer condemned.

981
00:40:29,132 --> 00:40:32,956
A saved person is convicted to
come to a place of confession before

982
00:40:33,028 --> 00:40:36,074
God, to come to a place of
restoration with God.

983
00:40:36,212 --> 00:40:39,150
Um, and there's that there's
repentance in that confession.

984
00:40:39,310 --> 00:40:43,326
And so I think one of the
things that's lacking in American

985
00:40:43,398 --> 00:40:46,958
churches is, is repentance.

986
00:40:47,054 --> 00:40:50,010
I think repentance is not
highlighted enough.

987
00:40:50,950 --> 00:40:52,210
We want revival.

988
00:40:52,630 --> 00:40:54,286
You'll see tent revivals.

989
00:40:54,318 --> 00:40:55,950
You'll see special revival services.

990
00:40:56,070 --> 00:40:58,126
I'm going to tell you
something, and I think I can be pretty

991
00:40:58,158 --> 00:40:59,182
strong on this statement.

992
00:40:59,286 --> 00:41:02,870
There is not going to be
revival without repentance, because

993
00:41:02,910 --> 00:41:06,710
repentance is brokenness over
my sin, agreement with God that my

994
00:41:06,750 --> 00:41:08,662
sin is wrong and I need to turn.

995
00:41:08,766 --> 00:41:11,046
Repentance literally means to
turn from.

996
00:41:11,198 --> 00:41:12,870
And to turn to something else.

997
00:41:12,950 --> 00:41:16,934
It's turning away from
anything and turning to God.

998
00:41:17,062 --> 00:41:22,134
And if we want revival, if we
want restoration, if we want renewal,

999
00:41:22,262 --> 00:41:26,486
if we want revitalization
within the church, it starts with

1000
00:41:26,558 --> 00:41:29,708
repentance because that's,
that's where we.

1001
00:41:29,764 --> 00:41:32,000
We must be broken over our sin.

1002
00:41:33,220 --> 00:41:37,564
The problem with our world
today is that there isn't brokenness

1003
00:41:37,612 --> 00:41:38,124
over sin.

1004
00:41:38,172 --> 00:41:39,804
There's like, we wink at sin.

1005
00:41:39,932 --> 00:41:41,596
We go, oh, I made a mistake.

1006
00:41:41,708 --> 00:41:43,036
You know, aren't we all humans?

1007
00:41:43,068 --> 00:41:43,756
We are.

1008
00:41:43,908 --> 00:41:45,804
We are all humans and we all sin.

1009
00:41:45,932 --> 00:41:50,172
But that doesn't cheapen what
it is and how broken we should be

1010
00:41:50,196 --> 00:41:50,956
over it.

1011
00:41:51,108 --> 00:41:54,748
And so it's not just giving in
to the sin and saying, well, it's

1012
00:41:54,764 --> 00:41:56,240
okay, you know what?

1013
00:41:56,280 --> 00:41:56,720
That's.

1014
00:41:56,800 --> 00:41:57,856
You're just human.

1015
00:41:58,008 --> 00:42:00,944
It's understanding that that
sin is what nailed my Savior to the

1016
00:42:00,952 --> 00:42:03,140
cross, but yet he still forgave.

1017
00:42:03,720 --> 00:42:07,472
And, and if we understand it
from that depth, then we're able

1018
00:42:07,496 --> 00:42:10,816
to say, like, well, I can
forgive someone who, who slighted

1019
00:42:10,848 --> 00:42:11,040
me.

1020
00:42:11,080 --> 00:42:14,752
And, and that's the, that's
that perfect example of that, that

1021
00:42:14,776 --> 00:42:16,336
parable in Matthew, chapter 18.

1022
00:42:16,408 --> 00:42:19,904
So I hope that that gives you
a little bit more clarity in the

1023
00:42:19,912 --> 00:42:20,624
area of forgiveness.

1024
00:42:20,672 --> 00:42:20,992
There's a.

1025
00:42:21,016 --> 00:42:23,872
There's a couple books that if
you're still struggling with that

1026
00:42:23,896 --> 00:42:27,040
area of forgiveness and you
want to come talk to me about some

1027
00:42:27,080 --> 00:42:29,712
resources, I have a few
different resources that I would

1028
00:42:29,736 --> 00:42:33,312
like to point you to that,
that extend more into that area of

1029
00:42:33,336 --> 00:42:34,112
forgiveness.

1030
00:42:34,256 --> 00:42:37,632
And again, I think that that's
something that we can all talk about.

1031
00:42:37,656 --> 00:42:38,464
But is it easy?

1032
00:42:38,512 --> 00:42:40,496
No, it would not be easy.

1033
00:42:40,528 --> 00:42:41,312
It's not.

1034
00:42:41,496 --> 00:42:44,368
You know, I, I can't give you
the specific example because it's

1035
00:42:44,384 --> 00:42:48,060
too fresh, but there was a
situation with, with one of my children.

1036
00:42:48,610 --> 00:42:52,922
And, you know, when someone
wrongs you, it's one thing, but when,

1037
00:42:52,946 --> 00:42:56,122
if it's your child, like, I'm
like, where did that come from?

1038
00:42:56,226 --> 00:42:56,714
Okay.

1039
00:42:56,762 --> 00:42:57,594
And I, I'm.

1040
00:42:57,642 --> 00:42:59,070
I'm Usually a Pretty.

1041
00:42:59,810 --> 00:43:01,514
Pretty, like, put together.

1042
00:43:01,602 --> 00:43:04,362
Like, I'm always like, all
right, cooler heads prevail.

1043
00:43:04,506 --> 00:43:06,426
But something happened with
one of my children.

1044
00:43:06,498 --> 00:43:08,010
Someone else did something to
one of my children.

1045
00:43:08,050 --> 00:43:09,642
And it was like this.

1046
00:43:09,746 --> 00:43:12,602
I don't know who that was came
up, and I'm like, where did that

1047
00:43:12,626 --> 00:43:12,922
come from?

1048
00:43:12,946 --> 00:43:14,832
And I was ready to go, and I
had to.

1049
00:43:14,856 --> 00:43:15,040
And.

1050
00:43:15,080 --> 00:43:16,016
And you know who.

1051
00:43:16,168 --> 00:43:20,112
You know who actually brought
me back to a place of, like, sanity?

1052
00:43:20,176 --> 00:43:22,672
Well, I wish I could say it
was the Holy Spirit's conviction.

1053
00:43:22,736 --> 00:43:26,352
It was the Holy Spirit's
conviction after the child who was

1054
00:43:26,376 --> 00:43:28,272
wronged told me, dad, it's okay.

1055
00:43:28,416 --> 00:43:29,200
It's no big deal.

1056
00:43:29,240 --> 00:43:29,888
I'm okay.

1057
00:43:29,984 --> 00:43:32,272
And I was like, man, that
convicted me so much, and I'm like,

1058
00:43:32,296 --> 00:43:32,800
okay.

1059
00:43:32,880 --> 00:43:33,232
And I.

1060
00:43:33,256 --> 00:43:33,440
I.

1061
00:43:33,480 --> 00:43:33,680
And.

1062
00:43:33,720 --> 00:43:36,224
And thankfully, I didn't do
anything that harmed my testimony.

1063
00:43:36,272 --> 00:43:37,408
I was ready to go.

1064
00:43:37,544 --> 00:43:37,888
And.

1065
00:43:37,944 --> 00:43:38,256
And.

1066
00:43:38,328 --> 00:43:40,838
And, you know, they were like,
okay, dad.

1067
00:43:40,934 --> 00:43:41,734
And I realized.

1068
00:43:41,782 --> 00:43:43,782
And it, like, the Lord spoke
to me too.

1069
00:43:43,806 --> 00:43:45,126
And then it's like, you know,
it's okay.

1070
00:43:45,158 --> 00:43:45,862
It doesn't matter.

1071
00:43:45,966 --> 00:43:49,158
And I think so many times, the
enemy, who.

1072
00:43:49,214 --> 00:43:52,454
Who we're gonna talk about
later on in this study, the enemy

1073
00:43:52,502 --> 00:43:54,310
knows where to push our
buttons, right?

1074
00:43:54,350 --> 00:43:56,902
And then that's where we can
get back to that place of, like,

1075
00:43:56,926 --> 00:43:57,846
well, I'm not gonna forgive.

1076
00:43:57,878 --> 00:43:59,654
I'm gonna get even with that.

1077
00:43:59,742 --> 00:43:59,990
And.

1078
00:44:00,030 --> 00:44:02,902
And we have to make sure that
we are ready and prepared in the

1079
00:44:02,926 --> 00:44:05,110
fruit of the spirit and the
armor of God to.

1080
00:44:05,150 --> 00:44:05,302
I.

1081
00:44:05,326 --> 00:44:07,004
I think of it as, like, a
fiery dart.

1082
00:44:07,102 --> 00:44:08,176
And that's what the Bible says.

1083
00:44:08,248 --> 00:44:09,520
The Bible says that Satan is.

1084
00:44:09,560 --> 00:44:11,920
Is firing those fiery darts at
us, and he.

1085
00:44:11,960 --> 00:44:13,696
He wants to just get through
those little cracks.

1086
00:44:13,728 --> 00:44:15,936
And when he gets through that
little crack, he's got us.

1087
00:44:16,008 --> 00:44:17,408
And we want to make sure that
we fight.

1088
00:44:17,464 --> 00:44:20,160
We fight against that with the
things of God and the word of God.

1089
00:44:20,320 --> 00:44:23,888
All right, well, I'm gonna
give you a little preview for next

1090
00:44:23,944 --> 00:44:24,304
week.

1091
00:44:24,392 --> 00:44:28,864
Speaking of the enemy, I had a
question that came in that specifically

1092
00:44:28,912 --> 00:44:31,968
talked about, what does the
Bible say about Satan?

1093
00:44:32,144 --> 00:44:34,416
And, you know, you don't hear
a lot about Satan within the church.

1094
00:44:34,448 --> 00:44:37,392
Sometimes we're, like, afraid
to say the name or we're afraid to

1095
00:44:37,416 --> 00:44:37,952
talk about it.

1096
00:44:37,976 --> 00:44:40,944
But I think it is wise to know
who we're fighting against, to know

1097
00:44:40,952 --> 00:44:42,160
our enemy now.

1098
00:44:42,200 --> 00:44:43,936
Now, we do know that our flesh is.

1099
00:44:44,008 --> 00:44:45,904
Is a big enemy that we fight
against ourselves.

1100
00:44:45,952 --> 00:44:48,544
Like, I think we give Satan a
lot of credit for the things that

1101
00:44:48,552 --> 00:44:52,288
our flesh does in our life,
but we do need to know who Our enemy

1102
00:44:52,304 --> 00:44:52,432
is.

1103
00:44:52,456 --> 00:44:54,500
The Bible does call Satan our enemy.

1104
00:44:55,000 --> 00:45:02,428
And so there's a lot out there
today about the devil, Satan, and,

1105
00:45:02,484 --> 00:45:06,316
and maybe movies have
portrayed him or TV shows have portrayed

1106
00:45:06,348 --> 00:45:08,200
him in a certain way.

1107
00:45:08,500 --> 00:45:13,196
I want to show you from the
Bible what the Bible says about Satan.

1108
00:45:13,308 --> 00:45:19,244
Okay, who he is, what, what
he's capable of, what he's not capable

1109
00:45:19,292 --> 00:45:19,740
of.

1110
00:45:19,860 --> 00:45:24,524
Because one of the questions
might be, well, is God and Satan

1111
00:45:24,572 --> 00:45:28,028
kind of like the, the good and
evil equal, you know?

1112
00:45:28,164 --> 00:45:31,436
No, we're going to talk about
how Satan is actually a creation.

1113
00:45:31,628 --> 00:45:32,764
God is not created.

1114
00:45:32,812 --> 00:45:34,172
Satan is a creation.

1115
00:45:34,316 --> 00:45:37,084
And, and there are limitations
to that creation.

1116
00:45:37,212 --> 00:45:38,396
And we're going to talk about
our enemy.

1117
00:45:38,428 --> 00:45:42,156
Like, just like any good team,
like, you know, or, or any good soldier,

1118
00:45:42,268 --> 00:45:45,932
when you go to battle or you
go to the competition, you need to

1119
00:45:45,956 --> 00:45:46,812
know who your enemy is.

1120
00:45:46,836 --> 00:45:48,332
You need to know how to fight
against them.

1121
00:45:48,356 --> 00:45:49,340
You need to be prepared.

1122
00:45:49,420 --> 00:45:51,628
You need to know your side of
things, but you need to know how

1123
00:45:51,684 --> 00:45:53,100
the enemy is going to attack.

1124
00:45:53,220 --> 00:45:55,292
And so I think what we're
going to talk about next week will

1125
00:45:55,316 --> 00:45:59,758
be biblically, who, who is our
enemy and how we can fight against

1126
00:45:59,814 --> 00:46:00,222
him.

1127
00:46:00,326 --> 00:46:03,198
And that might be like a two,
three part series kind of dealing

1128
00:46:03,214 --> 00:46:06,014
with that, because we do, we
do need to know who our enemy is,

1129
00:46:06,102 --> 00:46:08,254
but we also need to know who
our Savior is.

1130
00:46:08,342 --> 00:46:12,062
And we need to know how our
Savior has given us the tools to

1131
00:46:12,086 --> 00:46:13,294
fight against the enemy.

1132
00:46:13,422 --> 00:46:17,662
But what I will say that a lot
of times we give more credit to the

1133
00:46:17,686 --> 00:46:22,702
enemy than we should, and much
of our struggles are because our

1134
00:46:22,726 --> 00:46:24,142
flesh and our desire.

1135
00:46:24,286 --> 00:46:28,222
Um, but we'll kind of try to
separate the two and explain that

1136
00:46:28,246 --> 00:46:28,638
to you.

1137
00:46:28,694 --> 00:46:31,390
So anyway, if you want to come
back and study that, that would be,

1138
00:46:31,430 --> 00:46:32,462
that would be great.

1139
00:46:32,646 --> 00:46:36,622
We have a lot more questions
that have come in and I will try

1140
00:46:36,646 --> 00:46:39,150
to address them as quickly as
I can.

1141
00:46:39,190 --> 00:46:43,118
But if there are more
questions, please, please ask because

1142
00:46:43,254 --> 00:46:45,790
I, I know that you, you are
used to.

1143
00:46:45,830 --> 00:46:46,510
If you've been here.

1144
00:46:46,550 --> 00:46:46,766
I've.

1145
00:46:46,798 --> 00:46:50,164
I've been here for not a
decade yet, but it's getting close.

1146
00:46:50,302 --> 00:46:55,464
I, I am predominantly 99.999%
an expository preacher, meaning I

1147
00:46:55,472 --> 00:46:56,840
like to preach through books
of the Bible.

1148
00:46:56,920 --> 00:47:00,312
But I do believe that there's
a time and a place to answer questions.

1149
00:47:00,456 --> 00:47:05,064
And, you know, I would love to
have a coffee with you or tea or

1150
00:47:05,152 --> 00:47:08,312
sit over a meal and have these
discussions, but sometimes we just

1151
00:47:08,336 --> 00:47:09,464
don't have the time to do that.

1152
00:47:09,552 --> 00:47:12,792
But what we can do is ask them
here, and I can try to address them

1153
00:47:12,816 --> 00:47:16,600
in the best way that I can, so
hope that that's helpful for you.

1154
00:47:16,720 --> 00:47:21,064
I will say this, if there's
anybody ever that's a spiritual guide

1155
00:47:21,112 --> 00:47:24,472
in your life or someone that
you see within a spiritual authority

1156
00:47:24,536 --> 00:47:27,304
and they don't want you to ask
questions, that's a big red flag.

1157
00:47:27,352 --> 00:47:28,060
Okay?

1158
00:47:28,640 --> 00:47:29,512
Ask questions.

1159
00:47:29,576 --> 00:47:32,136
You should want to ask
questions and you should receive

1160
00:47:32,168 --> 00:47:33,940
answers the best that you can.

1161
00:47:34,240 --> 00:47:36,340
And that's an important thing
to do.

1162
00:47:36,800 --> 00:47:39,432
Thank you again for listening
to the Middletown Baptist Church

1163
00:47:39,496 --> 00:47:40,280
podcast.

1164
00:47:40,440 --> 00:47:42,990
I hope that this sermon has
been a blessing for you.

1165
00:47:43,290 --> 00:47:45,586
If you would like to find out
more information about our church

1166
00:47:45,618 --> 00:47:49,234
or this sermon, you can find
us at middletownbaptistchurch.org

1167
00:47:49,362 --> 00:47:52,230
or find us on Facebook or YouTube.

1168
00:47:52,650 --> 00:47:57,874
You can also email me directly
at Josh Massaro Middletown BaptistChurch.com

1169
00:47:58,042 --> 00:47:59,906
if you've enjoyed this podcast.

1170
00:48:00,018 --> 00:48:04,630
Please subscribe and follow
along for future podcast and updates.

1171
00:48:05,050 --> 00:48:06,130
Thank you so much.

1172
00:48:06,250 --> 00:48:07,074
God bless.

1173
00:48:07,202 --> 00:48:08,330
Have a wonderful day.