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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, let's look
into the Bible and see what God has

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for us here today.

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All right, we.

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Well, we're gonna start a new
series here tonight.

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And if you were here last
week, you might know where we're

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going with this.

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I opened up last week an
opportunity for you to be a part

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of the sermon prepping process
of our Wednesday night services.

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Coming up here forever.

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How long it takes and had some
folks ask some questions.

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And you know, I didn't know
what I was getting into.

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I got a lot of questions and
that's good.

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It's some tough ones and there
are some that I really, I think will

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be a great study and all of
them will be a great study.

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I don't know how long it'll
take to just address the ones that

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came in last week, but we'll
go as long as we can with this.

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I think that it's important to
answer questions and we shouldn't

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shy away from the tough ones.

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And some maybe are easier to
answer than others.

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And there might be some
questions that have been posed that

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we might not necessarily even
have an answer for.

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An answer for.

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There can be asked about
things of God that, you know, we,

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we truly can't answer because
the things of God are higher than,

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than our thoughts.

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The ways of God are different
than our ways.

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So I went through all of them
so far and I came up with one that

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I think might take us at least
this week, maybe next week to deal

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with.

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And it was a two part question.

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And I think we'll deal with
maybe the first part tonight.

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We, we might get a little bit
into the second part.

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But the first part was what is
true forgiveness?

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Question was posed what was
true forgiveness?

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And second part of that
question would be are we supposed

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to forgive and forget?

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And maybe you've heard that
phrase before, forgive and forget.

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God forgets, so we should forget.

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That's a passage of scripture
that is, is talked about a lot of

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times within churches.

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You might even hear from the
pulpit, forgive and forget, move

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on with your life.

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And we're going to talk about
that because to some degree that

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is true and other degrees that
that isn't necessarily biblical.

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And we're going to talk about
that here this evening.

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If, if the Lord wills it for
for time's sake.

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So the Bible doesn't give one
basic succinct definition of forgiveness,

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but it does give us a lot of
examples of forgiveness.

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And, and we know that as we
read God's word, that there are a

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bunch of examples of forgiveness.

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And the greatest example of
forgiveness, I hope we know that

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that is the forgiveness of God.

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And that's what we'll study.

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We'll look at God's
forgiveness, how he extends forgiveness,

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and what that looks like for us.

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Because anytime we're looking
at any character trait, any action,

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any positive thing, we look to
the greatest example in our Lord.

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We don't say, well, this is
what I was told, or this is how I

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feel, or, uh, this is what the
world tells us to believe.

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We go back to what God says in
His Word about a specific topic.

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So we need to go to the Bible
to look at what forgiveness is all

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about.

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And so the.

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The passages of scripture that
we're gonna look at are gonna deal

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with forgiveness or things
revolving around the topic of forgiveness.

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And the first passage of
scripture I'd like us to go to is

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Psalm 103.

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If you have your Bibles
tonight, turn with me to Psalm 103.

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We're gonna look at it, a
handful of passages tonight.

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This will be our launching place.

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And, and in this passage of
scripture, it doesn't explicitly

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say God's forgiveness, but we
do see the aspects of God's forgiveness

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through this passage of Scripture.

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And I think this is a good
starting place when it comes to the

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idea of God's forgiveness and
how that transfers over to us, how

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that translates to.

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To our forgiveness, to those
around us that have sinned against

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us.

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And so we're in Psalm 103, and
we're gonna look at verses 8 through

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12.

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And it says here, the Lord is
merciful and gracious, slow to anger

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and plenteous in mercy.

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So, so we stop there and, and
we see very clearly that there's

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mercy, grace, patience, and
then a reiteration of God being plenteous

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in mercy.

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Verse 9.

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He will not always chide,
neither will he keep his anger forever.

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Verse 10.

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We'll go all the way down to
verse 12.

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He hath not dealt with us
after our sins, nor rewarded us according

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to our iniquities.

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For as the heaven is high
above the earth, so great is his

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mercy toward them that fear him.

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And, and here is a passage of
Scripture that use.

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Get you.

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Gets used quite frequently
when we deal with the area of forgiveness.

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And it says in verse 12 as far
as the east is from the west, so

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far hath he removed our
transgressions from us.

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We can use that word
transgressions and, and substitute

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in sin.

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So as far as the east is from
the west, so God has removed our

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sin from us.

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Now, how far is the east from
the west?

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Well, I don't know.

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We, it's, can't, can't put a,
it's infinite, right?

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We can't put a number on it.

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And so we know that God's
forgiveness is infinite.

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There's not a place where God
runs out of forgiveness.

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There's not a place where God
says, you know what?

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I've forgiven you a thousand times.

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I'm not gonna forgive you the,
the, the next time.

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So we know God's grace is, is abundant.

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It's not just abundant, it's,
it's infinite.

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And so it deals specifically
there with God's forgiveness of sin.

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And so I think it's important
to deal with a believer's role in

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forgiveness in, in
understanding that it's always operating

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in the realm of a sin against you.

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And, and what do I mean by that?

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I think sometimes we think
about forgiveness being something

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that we need to forgive
somebody if they just make us upset

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or they're doing something
that we don't agree with.

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I, I, I think that when it
comes to the area of forgiveness,

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biblically speaking, it's
always talking about someone has

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sinned against you.

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And, and the reason why I
bring that up is because, you know,

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so I can put an expectation
upon somebody.

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They don't meet that expectation.

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It's an unfair expectation.

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They don't sin against me.

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They just don't keep what I
expect them to do.

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And then I expect them to come
back and, you know, ask for forgiveness.

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When we're dealing with
biblical forgiveness, we're dealing

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with an issue of sin.

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And, and so if, if someone
just rubs you the wrong way, I don't

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think that's an element to
cause them to come to you in repentance

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and you to forgive them.

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That's just like, get over it.

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Right?

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It, it's a, it's, Jesus talks
about, you know, having patience

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and mercy.

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And, and so when we're talking
about forgiveness specifically in

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the area of restoration with
individuals, we're talking about

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an issue of sin.

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Okay.

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And so one of the things that
I would say is that if you are wrestling,

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if I'm wrestling with an area
of forgiveness, I need to make sure

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that, number one, that person
has sinned against me.

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Number two, Can I clearly
define what that person has done

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in sin against me?

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And then I need to deal with
how their response is to my confrontation.

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Matthew chapter 18, which
we're going to get to here this,

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this evening.

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So it's important to note that
forgiveness operates in that realm

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of sin.

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And, and in the majority of
passages of scripture that we look

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at, when it comes to
forgiveness, sin is mentioned.

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And so we, we talk about the
Old Testament.

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I mean, you could look through
passage after passage.

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When it's talking about God's
forgiveness, it's about the forgiveness

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of sin.

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Even when we look at the New
Testament, it's the same thing.

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When we look at the New
Testament situation where God calls

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an individual to forgive
another individual, it's always dealing

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with the area of, of sin.

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So for, for a person to find
true biblical forgiveness, I believe,

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biblically speaking, that he
or she must come to a place of repentance.

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And, and so, so what we would
call this is someone confessing their

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sin.

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And so if a person tries to
pass off sin as well.

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I made a little bit of a
mistake here.

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I, I slipped up.

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But, you know, can you just
overlook it?

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That's, that's not forgiveness.

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It, it's, it's the idea that I
have sinned against God.

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If you look back in the sin of
David with Bathsheba, if you remember

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what he said, he said, I've
sinned against you, Lord.

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He, he, he admits that there
was, there was an infraction against

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God's law.

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And so for, for me as an
individual to extend forgiveness

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to somebody else and for that
person to, to come seeking forgiveness,

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there must be what we would
call repentance that leads to a confession,

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a confession before God that
they are, they are repentant of their

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sin.

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They're turning away from sin.

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Now, a passage of scripture
that we can go to, to recognize that

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would be First John, First
John, chapter one.

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I think that there's obviously
a lot of passages that we could look

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at to the area of repentance.

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But I believe that true
biblical forgiveness is always linked

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to repentance.

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So, for example, when God
forgives us, it's always when we

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come to him in repentance and
trust in him in faith for forgiveness.

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God does not overlook sin.

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He doesn't wink or turn a
blind eye to someone sinning.

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Right?

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God always has to address sin
as it is sin.

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It's against him, it's, it's
in opposition to him.

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And so just as God requires
someone to come in repentance, I

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believe all of us as, as
individuals who can extend forgiveness

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can do the same thing.

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And so in First John, chapter
1, verse 8 says this.

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If we say that we have no sin,
so this would be someone who's not

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repentant.

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They're like, I don't sin.

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I didn't make a mistake, I
didn't do anything wrong.

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If we say that we have no sin,
we deceive ourselves and the truth

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is not in us.

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If we confess our sin, he is
faithful and just to forgive us our

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sins and to cleanse us from
all unrighteousness.

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If we say that we have not
sinned, we make him a liar and his

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word is not in us.

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There's other passages of
scripture that speaks this idea that

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if we are living in that
unrepentant spirit, we're not going

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to find forgiveness, we're not
going to find restoration.

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And so we know that the
greatest example of forgiveness is

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God forgiving sin.

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Um, but we already mentioned
God doesn't just look the other way

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when he forgives us of our sin.

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I think a lot of times people
think that that's how God works.

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Like God loves me so much that
he just overlooks my sin.

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That's not the case.

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Romans, chapter 6, verse 23
says, for the wages of sin is death,

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but the gift of God is eternal
life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

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So, so there always is a
penalty for sin.

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Always.

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And, and, and we know that
Jesus paid the price for us.

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And, and that's why it's tied
to the Gospel.

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Forgiveness is tied to the gospel.

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Hebrews chapter 9, verse 22.

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You've heard me actually quote
that verse.

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00:11:26,688 --> 00:11:30,816
When we take communion and do
the Lord's table, without the shedding

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00:11:30,848 --> 00:11:33,840
of blood, there's no remission
or forgiveness of sins.

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00:11:33,920 --> 00:11:37,312
So, so there has to be a price
that has been paid.

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00:11:37,456 --> 00:11:40,672
And in this case we know that
the ultimate sacrifice, that the

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00:11:40,696 --> 00:11:43,328
reason why we can forgive
others is because of what Jesus Christ

242
00:11:43,384 --> 00:11:44,416
has done for us.

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00:11:44,568 --> 00:11:47,744
And, and even in the book of
Hebrews, it talks about how the blood

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00:11:47,792 --> 00:11:54,592
of animals didn't really cover
it, didn't really, you know, pay

245
00:11:54,616 --> 00:11:55,344
the price for sin.

246
00:11:55,392 --> 00:11:57,392
It was just a postponing judgment.

247
00:11:57,456 --> 00:12:00,224
Ultimately, Jesus is the once
for all sacrifice.

248
00:12:00,272 --> 00:12:02,112
And Hebrews chapter 10 is all
about that.

249
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If you want to get a really
interesting study.

250
00:12:04,234 --> 00:12:07,682
When it deals with the law
verse, grace, read through the book

251
00:12:07,706 --> 00:12:11,270
of Hebrews and the book of
Hebrews will explain to you the inadequacy

252
00:12:11,690 --> 00:12:16,082
of the law, the inadequacy of
our flesh and the sufficiency of

253
00:12:16,106 --> 00:12:17,698
Christ, How Christ is enough.

254
00:12:17,834 --> 00:12:18,130
So.

255
00:12:18,170 --> 00:12:20,466
So I don't know about you guys.

256
00:12:20,498 --> 00:12:22,722
I like to summarize every book
of the Bible.

257
00:12:22,866 --> 00:12:23,970
And for my mind.

258
00:12:24,010 --> 00:12:26,706
So, like, if I'm thinking
about a book of the Bible, that's

259
00:12:26,738 --> 00:12:27,832
the overall topic.

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00:12:27,946 --> 00:12:31,500
Um, the study of Hebrews is
Jesus is enough like that.

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00:12:31,540 --> 00:12:34,844
If you could summarize Hebrews
in one sentence, it's Jesus is enough.

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00:12:34,932 --> 00:12:37,500
We don't need the animals, we
don't need the law.

263
00:12:37,620 --> 00:12:38,716
We don't need anything else.

264
00:12:38,748 --> 00:12:40,940
We need Jesus, and we need his forgiveness.

265
00:12:41,100 --> 00:12:45,852
And so we know that in that
case, the example would be that Jesus

266
00:12:45,916 --> 00:12:49,400
has extended this gift of
grace, and so we should as well.

267
00:12:50,020 --> 00:12:54,680
And so God forgives people on
the basis of the sacrifice of Christ.

268
00:12:55,080 --> 00:12:58,700
So if God forgives people on
the basis of the sacrifice of Christ,

269
00:12:59,080 --> 00:13:03,024
how do we forgive people on
the basis of the sacrifice of Christ?

270
00:13:03,112 --> 00:13:03,568
I want.

271
00:13:03,624 --> 00:13:07,136
I want you to see this passage
of scripture, one that we frequently

272
00:13:07,168 --> 00:13:09,472
go to, but I think it's an
important passage of scripture to

273
00:13:09,496 --> 00:13:10,060
see.

274
00:13:10,440 --> 00:13:15,100
It's Ephesians, chapter four,
verse 32.

275
00:13:16,280 --> 00:13:18,304
We're gonna get to forgive and forget.

276
00:13:18,352 --> 00:13:21,808
But I want to kind of get a
biblical definition of forgiveness.

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00:13:21,904 --> 00:13:25,072
So so far, what we've realized
is forgiveness is always linked to

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00:13:25,096 --> 00:13:25,940
a sin.

279
00:13:26,360 --> 00:13:29,792
It's linked to repentance, and
it's linked to Christ.

280
00:13:29,976 --> 00:13:31,328
So, so forgiveness is.

281
00:13:31,384 --> 00:13:34,112
It's number one, it's linked
to a sin against me.

282
00:13:34,296 --> 00:13:34,784
Okay?

283
00:13:34,832 --> 00:13:38,432
And we're speaking on the side
of the forgiver, but I think all

284
00:13:38,456 --> 00:13:41,664
of us at some point will need
to be the one who is asking for forgiveness.

285
00:13:41,712 --> 00:13:45,184
But in this perspective, we're
looking at, hey, someone has wronged

286
00:13:45,232 --> 00:13:45,820
me.

287
00:13:46,280 --> 00:13:47,522
How do I deal with this?

288
00:13:47,616 --> 00:13:48,206
Okay?

289
00:13:48,318 --> 00:13:52,094
And so in this case, the Bible
says in Ephesians, chapter 4, verse

290
00:13:52,142 --> 00:13:56,942
32, and be kind, one to
another, tenderhearted, forgiving

291
00:13:57,006 --> 00:14:01,630
one another, even as God for
Christ's sake, hath forgiven you.

292
00:14:01,670 --> 00:14:02,718
So it's tied to Christ.

293
00:14:02,774 --> 00:14:04,222
It's tied to his sacrifice.

294
00:14:04,286 --> 00:14:08,062
It's tied to the forgiveness
that was extended to us in the gospel.

295
00:14:08,206 --> 00:14:13,836
And so going back, forgiveness
is linked to a sin against me.

296
00:14:13,998 --> 00:14:17,888
It's linked to repentance or
confession or an admission of sin,

297
00:14:17,984 --> 00:14:20,380
and it's linked to the
sacrifice of Christ.

298
00:14:20,680 --> 00:14:24,576
Now, we're gonna build a
little bit on this, and we're gonna

299
00:14:24,608 --> 00:14:29,776
realize that really the only
requirement is that a person who

300
00:14:29,848 --> 00:14:33,968
sins, confesses or admits
their sins, turns from it and trusts

301
00:14:33,984 --> 00:14:35,136
in Jesus Christ as savior.

302
00:14:35,168 --> 00:14:36,768
That's biblical forgiveness.

303
00:14:36,944 --> 00:14:41,060
Now, now, once a person has
experienced the forgiveness of God,

304
00:14:41,360 --> 00:14:44,328
um, And hopefully that's all
of us.

305
00:14:44,384 --> 00:14:48,488
Hopefully we've all tasted of
the forgiveness of God because we

306
00:14:48,544 --> 00:14:51,832
see that to have biblical
forgiveness, there's a prerequisite.

307
00:14:51,976 --> 00:14:53,336
That's a big word, prerequisite.

308
00:14:53,368 --> 00:14:56,904
Some of you that went to
college and you had to have a class

309
00:14:56,992 --> 00:14:58,152
to get to another class, right?

310
00:14:58,176 --> 00:14:59,016
A prerequisite.

311
00:14:59,048 --> 00:15:00,904
I gotta do this before I do this.

312
00:15:01,072 --> 00:15:02,040
Um, so.

313
00:15:02,080 --> 00:15:06,072
So you have to have something
in your life before you're able to

314
00:15:06,096 --> 00:15:07,458
extend biblical forgiveness.

315
00:15:07,584 --> 00:15:11,902
Well, Ephesians chapter 4,
verse 32 tells us that you have to

316
00:15:11,926 --> 00:15:16,206
experience the forgiveness of
Christ to understand how to properly

317
00:15:16,238 --> 00:15:17,570
forgive somebody else.

318
00:15:17,910 --> 00:15:18,638
Okay?

319
00:15:18,734 --> 00:15:20,510
That's the prerequisite.

320
00:15:20,670 --> 00:15:23,854
And so the Bible says that
once we have experienced the great

321
00:15:24,022 --> 00:15:27,518
infinite forgiveness of Christ
as far as the east is from the west,

322
00:15:27,654 --> 00:15:31,726
we are now able hopefully, to
have in our minds and in our hearts

323
00:15:31,758 --> 00:15:34,170
the framework to understand
what true forgiveness is.

324
00:15:34,560 --> 00:15:38,840
So, so another passage of
Scripture that is similar to this

325
00:15:38,880 --> 00:15:40,248
is Colossians chapter three.

326
00:15:40,304 --> 00:15:42,520
And I want you to go to all
these passages if you can.

327
00:15:42,560 --> 00:15:46,040
If you, if you don't feel like
flipping around, you.

328
00:15:46,080 --> 00:15:47,080
You can write these down.

329
00:15:47,120 --> 00:15:49,656
But I think it would be
important to see all these passages

330
00:15:49,688 --> 00:15:54,024
of Scripture dealing with
forgiveness, because I don't know

331
00:15:54,032 --> 00:15:55,752
about you, but I don't like to forgive.

332
00:15:55,896 --> 00:15:57,992
My, My flesh does not want to forgive.

333
00:15:58,056 --> 00:16:02,862
My flesh wants to hold other
people to the fire.

334
00:16:03,046 --> 00:16:03,918
I don't know about you.

335
00:16:03,974 --> 00:16:07,742
Maybe, maybe you guys are just
a lot more spiritual than me.

336
00:16:07,766 --> 00:16:10,046
But there's times in my life
where I'm like, man, they've wronged

337
00:16:10,078 --> 00:16:10,366
me.

338
00:16:10,438 --> 00:16:12,334
So you know what they get,
what they get.

339
00:16:12,502 --> 00:16:16,078
And, and, and the truth is, is
that's our flesh.

340
00:16:16,254 --> 00:16:16,782
Okay?

341
00:16:16,846 --> 00:16:19,246
But then we see what Scripture says.

342
00:16:19,318 --> 00:16:22,062
And, and that's how we deal
with all issues, all things that

343
00:16:22,086 --> 00:16:23,614
are difficult within the
Christian life.

344
00:16:23,702 --> 00:16:25,726
We don't appeal to our
feelings or our flesh.

345
00:16:25,758 --> 00:16:27,336
We appeal to what Scripture says.

346
00:16:27,438 --> 00:16:28,548
So what does Scripture say?

347
00:16:28,604 --> 00:16:33,440
Another passage, Colossians
chapter 3, verse number 13.

348
00:16:35,260 --> 00:16:39,700
And, and there's a word here
that we're going to talk about that

349
00:16:39,740 --> 00:16:44,000
a lot of times people link to
forgiveness, but it's actually the

350
00:16:44,300 --> 00:16:47,828
extension of forgiveness to
somebody until they repent.

351
00:16:47,924 --> 00:16:50,484
So let's look at verse number
13 of Colossians 3.

352
00:16:50,572 --> 00:16:55,250
It says forbearing one
another, and then it goes on to say,

353
00:16:55,290 --> 00:16:56,882
and forgiving one another.

354
00:16:57,066 --> 00:17:02,050
Now, a lot of times people use
the word forbearance and forgiveness

355
00:17:02,130 --> 00:17:06,482
as synonyms, but what
forbearance is.

356
00:17:06,506 --> 00:17:10,130
The, the best description I've
ever heard of forbearance would be

357
00:17:10,250 --> 00:17:16,882
I'm offering forgiveness on
the occasion that you come back and

358
00:17:16,986 --> 00:17:17,922
you repent.

359
00:17:18,066 --> 00:17:20,765
So, so forgiveness is ready
for, for you.

360
00:17:20,917 --> 00:17:24,605
And if the person says, nah, I
don't want your forgiveness, you're

361
00:17:24,637 --> 00:17:25,725
still forbearing it.

362
00:17:25,797 --> 00:17:27,517
You're still offering forgiveness.

363
00:17:27,613 --> 00:17:30,589
Now the moment they come back
and they say, you know what?

364
00:17:30,629 --> 00:17:33,805
I've sinned against you, I'm
repentant, then there's that restoration.

365
00:17:33,837 --> 00:17:35,645
And in restoration comes forgiveness.

366
00:17:35,757 --> 00:17:37,165
So it says, forbear one another.

367
00:17:37,237 --> 00:17:38,653
That's the starting place.

368
00:17:38,821 --> 00:17:42,413
So, so real world example,
someone sins against me and I go,

369
00:17:42,501 --> 00:17:45,565
I don't care if they come back
on their hands and knees begging

370
00:17:45,597 --> 00:17:47,453
for forgiveness, I'll never
give them forgiveness.

371
00:17:47,501 --> 00:17:48,365
That's not forbearance.

372
00:17:48,397 --> 00:17:50,076
Forbearance is, you know what?

373
00:17:50,148 --> 00:17:52,764
I'm ready and willing to
restore this relationship.

374
00:17:52,892 --> 00:17:55,308
I'm willing to forgive if
they're willing to forgive.

375
00:17:55,404 --> 00:17:57,228
If they're willing to repent,
I'm willing to forgive.

376
00:17:57,324 --> 00:18:01,148
So it says, forbearing one
another and forgiving one another.

377
00:18:01,204 --> 00:18:04,636
If any man have a quarrel
against any, even as Christ forgave

378
00:18:04,668 --> 00:18:06,348
you, so also do ye.

379
00:18:06,444 --> 00:18:09,320
So again, there's that
reminder that it's linked to Christ.

380
00:18:09,860 --> 00:18:17,340
And so those, those who
understand forgiveness from Christ

381
00:18:17,720 --> 00:18:22,480
and then are not willing to
extend forgiveness to those who have

382
00:18:22,520 --> 00:18:27,856
sinned against them are, are
not connecting the dots to what God

383
00:18:27,888 --> 00:18:28,976
has done for us.

384
00:18:29,128 --> 00:18:31,840
We, we as Christians should be
willing to forgive people who have

385
00:18:31,880 --> 00:18:33,340
sinned against us.

386
00:18:35,080 --> 00:18:40,416
And, and if we think about
the, the grandeur of the forgiveness

387
00:18:40,448 --> 00:18:45,210
of God, it really puts into
perspective how selfish we can be

388
00:20:05,780 --> 00:20:06,520
here.

389
00:20:07,540 --> 00:20:14,640
Jesus has just gotten done
explaining how to have biblical restoration

390
00:20:15,140 --> 00:20:21,500
and how to deal with an
individual who has publicly sinned

391
00:20:21,660 --> 00:20:23,292
and how to deal with them.

392
00:20:23,316 --> 00:20:23,650
Right?

393
00:20:23,740 --> 00:20:27,926
And so the, if, if you don't
have a working understanding of Matthew

394
00:20:27,958 --> 00:20:29,770
18, this is the basic summary.

395
00:20:30,350 --> 00:20:34,998
If someone of a brother,
brother or fellow believer sins against

396
00:20:35,054 --> 00:20:36,502
you, what, what do we do?

397
00:20:36,526 --> 00:20:38,742
Well, we go tell on him to
everyone else in the church.

398
00:20:38,806 --> 00:20:43,398
No, biblically speaking, Jesus
taught that if a brother sins against

399
00:20:43,454 --> 00:20:44,902
you, I, I want, I want us to
see that.

400
00:20:44,926 --> 00:20:48,870
B, let's, let's just go back
and look at it because we need to

401
00:20:48,910 --> 00:20:49,510
understand this.

402
00:20:49,550 --> 00:20:54,712
This is a, a passage of
scripture that in many ways gets,

403
00:20:54,776 --> 00:20:56,632
gets misused.

404
00:20:56,696 --> 00:20:58,472
Okay, so let's look at verse 50.

405
00:20:58,496 --> 00:21:02,072
He says, moreover, if thy
brother shall trespass against thee,

406
00:21:02,216 --> 00:21:03,780
that's Matthew 18:15.

407
00:21:04,480 --> 00:21:07,416
Now what did we say about the
idea of forgiveness?

408
00:21:07,528 --> 00:21:09,848
It always is in the realm of sin.

409
00:21:10,024 --> 00:21:14,248
It's not in the realm of my
personal ego being hurt.

410
00:21:14,424 --> 00:21:17,672
A lot of times people will
quote Matthew 18 because we, we say

411
00:21:17,696 --> 00:21:21,692
a word, it starts with an O
and ends with fend.

412
00:21:21,836 --> 00:21:22,412
Offend.

413
00:21:22,476 --> 00:21:23,964
They offended me.

414
00:21:24,132 --> 00:21:27,100
And if a brother offends you,
you need to go to them.

415
00:21:27,140 --> 00:21:29,692
Look, the truth is, is that
people can be offense and there not

416
00:21:29,716 --> 00:21:30,908
be a sin involved.

417
00:21:31,084 --> 00:21:34,156
And I've used this example
before, and it's a silly example,

418
00:21:34,188 --> 00:21:37,600
but it's example that I think
kind of resonates, hopefully.

419
00:21:38,020 --> 00:21:41,868
Let's say we have a potluck
here at the church, okay?

420
00:21:42,044 --> 00:21:47,042
And this, this person cooks a
meal and they're like, man, this

421
00:21:47,066 --> 00:21:48,354
is my secret recipe.

422
00:21:48,402 --> 00:21:49,410
And I've got this.

423
00:21:49,450 --> 00:21:50,962
And everyone loves this meal.

424
00:21:51,026 --> 00:21:51,762
Everyone loves this.

425
00:21:51,786 --> 00:21:54,978
And then we go, and, and, and
there's another person there that's

426
00:21:54,994 --> 00:21:55,810
known to be a good cook.

427
00:21:55,850 --> 00:21:58,018
And they walk right by and go,
I'm not trying that.

428
00:21:58,074 --> 00:21:58,930
That's not that.

429
00:21:58,970 --> 00:22:00,114
I'm not going to eat their food.

430
00:22:00,202 --> 00:22:01,350
Oh, I'm offended.

431
00:22:02,170 --> 00:22:05,106
So therefore we, we, we've got
an issue, we got an issue of separation

432
00:22:05,138 --> 00:22:05,666
within the church.

433
00:22:05,698 --> 00:22:07,986
Now, it can lead to
bitterness, it can lead to sin.

434
00:22:08,098 --> 00:22:11,074
But when we're Talking about
Matthew 18 and church discipline

435
00:22:11,122 --> 00:22:13,666
is what this is, it
specifically deals with.

436
00:22:13,738 --> 00:22:14,994
Go back to verse 15.

437
00:22:15,162 --> 00:22:18,562
Moreover, if thy brother shall
trespass against thee, it's a sin.

438
00:22:18,626 --> 00:22:19,074
A sin.

439
00:22:19,122 --> 00:22:22,430
What biblical sin has this
person committed against me?

440
00:22:22,810 --> 00:22:24,370
Okay, it's tied to sin.

441
00:22:24,530 --> 00:22:27,058
Go and tell him his fault
between thee and him alone.

442
00:22:27,154 --> 00:22:31,634
So the first step of a sin,
okay, so let's say, for example,

443
00:22:31,682 --> 00:22:35,186
I'm sitting here preaching,
and one of you gets up tonight, I've

444
00:22:35,218 --> 00:22:37,314
had it with Pastor Josh
preaching the way he preaches, and

445
00:22:37,322 --> 00:22:41,870
you come up and just give me a
right hook or cross across the face,

446
00:22:42,250 --> 00:22:42,610
right?

447
00:22:42,650 --> 00:22:44,834
You, you've sinned against me,
okay, You've hurt me.

448
00:22:44,922 --> 00:22:47,474
And, and then there's at that
point in time where I, I have to

449
00:22:47,482 --> 00:22:48,418
make a decision, okay?

450
00:22:48,434 --> 00:22:49,714
How am I going to respond to this?

451
00:22:49,802 --> 00:22:53,154
Well, I would say, okay,
instead of me going around talking

452
00:22:53,202 --> 00:22:55,810
about to all the other people
that, oh, that was a pretty much

453
00:22:55,850 --> 00:22:57,618
public sin, let's say you did
it in private.

454
00:22:57,674 --> 00:22:59,634
Maybe I'm just out in the
parking lot, but me and you're the

455
00:22:59,642 --> 00:23:01,922
last ones out there, and you
do something wrong to me, okay, I

456
00:23:01,946 --> 00:23:02,882
have a decision to make.

457
00:23:02,906 --> 00:23:07,222
I can take this offense and I
can, as Jesus says, turn the other

458
00:23:07,246 --> 00:23:07,686
cheek.

459
00:23:07,798 --> 00:23:11,462
And there's a perfect, There's
a, there's a biblical way to do that.

460
00:23:11,486 --> 00:23:12,854
There's a biblical way to say,
you know what?

461
00:23:12,862 --> 00:23:14,150
I'm not even Offensed by this.

462
00:23:14,190 --> 00:23:15,062
I'm just gonna let it go.

463
00:23:15,086 --> 00:23:16,390
I'm gonna let this one ride.

464
00:23:16,550 --> 00:23:19,398
And there's other times where
that biblical sin is such a strong

465
00:23:19,454 --> 00:23:21,702
offense to you that you can't
move past it.

466
00:23:21,806 --> 00:23:24,886
That's when we go one on one
and we confront the brother or sister

467
00:23:24,918 --> 00:23:27,302
and say, look, you bring it to them.

468
00:23:27,326 --> 00:23:27,910
That's what it says.

469
00:23:27,950 --> 00:23:29,772
And then everything's restored.

470
00:23:29,966 --> 00:23:31,792
And what does this say at the end?

471
00:23:31,976 --> 00:23:35,920
If he shall hear thee and
there's repentance, thou hast gained

472
00:23:36,000 --> 00:23:39,100
thy brother, it's even better, right?

473
00:23:39,400 --> 00:23:43,408
But if he will not hear thee,
then take with thee one or two more.

474
00:23:43,544 --> 00:23:46,992
That in the mouth of two or
three witnesses, every word may be

475
00:23:47,016 --> 00:23:47,424
established.

476
00:23:47,472 --> 00:23:50,672
And so there might be a point
where we say that individual has

477
00:23:50,696 --> 00:23:57,580
not received my approach, my
confrontation in that sin and love,

478
00:23:57,890 --> 00:24:02,074
and I need to bring more
people so that there is some sort

479
00:24:02,122 --> 00:24:05,770
of truth established that the
word, it's like it's not he said,

480
00:24:05,810 --> 00:24:06,250
she said.

481
00:24:06,290 --> 00:24:06,922
This is all that.

482
00:24:06,946 --> 00:24:09,066
Okay, then what does it say more?

483
00:24:09,218 --> 00:24:12,186
It says, and if he shall
neglect to hear them tell it unto

484
00:24:12,218 --> 00:24:16,346
the church, so it becomes
public, then let him who be unto

485
00:24:16,378 --> 00:24:18,666
thee as, as a heathen man and
a publican.

486
00:24:18,698 --> 00:24:19,882
That means there's a certain point.

487
00:24:19,906 --> 00:24:21,562
If they're not willing to
receive the.

488
00:24:21,666 --> 00:24:24,602
The love and the restoration
of the church, then we say, you know,

489
00:24:24,626 --> 00:24:25,926
you can't be a part of us.

490
00:24:26,098 --> 00:24:26,942
And that's tough.

491
00:24:27,006 --> 00:24:27,438
That's.

492
00:24:27,534 --> 00:24:28,046
That's tough.

493
00:24:28,078 --> 00:24:28,942
We never want to get there.

494
00:24:28,966 --> 00:24:29,198
That.

495
00:24:29,254 --> 00:24:30,446
That's like the atomic bomb.

496
00:24:30,478 --> 00:24:31,534
We don't want to drop that.

497
00:24:31,622 --> 00:24:32,142
Okay?

498
00:24:32,206 --> 00:24:36,094
We want to get it taken care
of on that first initial thing.

499
00:24:36,182 --> 00:24:37,198
Okay, so.

500
00:24:37,254 --> 00:24:41,650
So Jesus is talking to his
followers about forgiveness.

501
00:24:42,150 --> 00:24:45,050
And, and, and, and by the way.

502
00:24:45,830 --> 00:24:47,342
Well, I, I'll skip over that.

503
00:24:47,366 --> 00:24:47,566
There's.

504
00:24:47,598 --> 00:24:50,462
There's a couple other
passages of scripture here that kind

505
00:24:50,486 --> 00:24:52,916
of get misinterpreted, but
we'll just stop there.

506
00:24:53,038 --> 00:24:56,104
That's how we deal with a
brother or sister that has sinned

507
00:24:56,152 --> 00:24:57,512
against us individually.

508
00:24:57,576 --> 00:25:00,568
Okay, but then Peter comes, so.

509
00:25:00,624 --> 00:25:01,304
So we're back.

510
00:25:01,392 --> 00:25:02,120
Verse 21.

511
00:25:02,160 --> 00:25:05,384
Then came Peter to him and
said, lord, how off shall my brother

512
00:25:05,432 --> 00:25:06,072
sin against me?

513
00:25:06,096 --> 00:25:06,840
And I forgive him.

514
00:25:06,880 --> 00:25:09,496
So Peter, of course, is
thinking like we're thinking, yeah,

515
00:25:09,528 --> 00:25:13,544
but what if he does this like
20 times and we go and confront him

516
00:25:13,552 --> 00:25:14,216
and he says, I'm.

517
00:25:14,248 --> 00:25:16,872
I'm sorry, and there's
restoration, but then he does it

518
00:25:16,896 --> 00:25:17,224
again.

519
00:25:17,312 --> 00:25:18,478
What do we do?

520
00:25:18,664 --> 00:25:21,270
How many times do I need to
keep forgiving this guy?

521
00:25:22,010 --> 00:25:23,314
Till seven times.

522
00:25:23,402 --> 00:25:24,402
Seven times.

523
00:25:24,586 --> 00:25:28,610
And Jesus responds In, in the
way that only Jesus can respond.

524
00:25:28,690 --> 00:25:33,666
And, and I love the way that
Jesus responds to his followers because,

525
00:25:33,818 --> 00:25:36,290
you know, he could have just
said, no, you just keep, keep, he

526
00:25:36,330 --> 00:25:37,266
forgiven him forever.

527
00:25:37,378 --> 00:25:41,778
But he uses an analogy, he
uses something to explain to him

528
00:25:41,834 --> 00:25:44,850
the, the, the abundance of
forgiveness that we give.

529
00:25:44,890 --> 00:25:48,424
Jesus saith unto him, I say
not unto thee until seven times,

530
00:25:48,592 --> 00:25:50,728
but until 70 times seven.

531
00:25:50,864 --> 00:25:52,744
It's like, what, 70 times seven?

532
00:25:52,912 --> 00:25:55,752
And, and so I've heard some
people, I've heard some people hear

533
00:25:55,776 --> 00:25:57,672
this passage of scripture and
they're like, okay, what's that?

534
00:25:57,696 --> 00:25:58,936
I didn't go to math.

535
00:25:58,968 --> 00:26:00,072
I went to Bible School.

536
00:26:00,176 --> 00:26:01,880
Seven times 70 is at 4:90.

537
00:26:02,000 --> 00:26:03,592
Okay, so what happens at.

538
00:26:03,696 --> 00:26:06,856
So after the 490th time, then
we don't need to forgive.

539
00:26:06,888 --> 00:26:09,144
I, I don't believe that's what
Jesus is talking about.

540
00:26:09,232 --> 00:26:11,688
I think Jesus is trying to
explain to them that it's, you don't

541
00:26:11,704 --> 00:26:12,040
count it.

542
00:26:12,080 --> 00:26:13,482
Like, you just keep forgiving.

543
00:26:13,616 --> 00:26:14,966
You need to have a spirit of forgiveness.

544
00:26:14,998 --> 00:26:18,326
And so going back to biblical
forgiveness, it deals it, it, it's,

545
00:26:18,358 --> 00:26:23,526
it starts in a sin, it's
linked to repentance, it's, it's

546
00:26:23,558 --> 00:26:27,190
related and, and based in the
forgiveness of Jesus Christ.

547
00:26:27,310 --> 00:26:29,206
And it's abundant, it's merciful.

548
00:26:29,238 --> 00:26:33,254
Remember where we started in
Psalms, it was about God's abundant

549
00:26:33,302 --> 00:26:35,254
mercy, his abundant grace.

550
00:26:35,382 --> 00:26:38,732
So it's like, okay, I'll keep
forgiving, I'm patient.

551
00:26:38,926 --> 00:26:40,800
And there's a lot of arguments
with this.

552
00:26:40,840 --> 00:26:43,296
They say, well, you know, I
was never called to be a doormat.

553
00:26:43,408 --> 00:26:44,400
I understand that.

554
00:26:44,440 --> 00:26:47,664
And, and, and there's biblical
discernment on, on true repentance,

555
00:26:47,712 --> 00:26:48,112
right?

556
00:26:48,216 --> 00:26:50,416
Because there's gonna be
people that come to Christ and say,

557
00:26:50,488 --> 00:26:51,632
hey, you know what?

558
00:26:51,816 --> 00:26:53,248
You know, I, I, I wanna believe.

559
00:26:53,304 --> 00:26:55,408
And, and, and there's gonna be
people that fake it, and there's

560
00:26:55,424 --> 00:26:56,736
gonna be people that fake repentance.

561
00:26:56,768 --> 00:26:58,240
And we can't know everyone's heart.

562
00:26:58,360 --> 00:27:02,400
But the Bible does say in this
case that we should err on the side

563
00:27:02,440 --> 00:27:06,392
of graciousness, we should err
on the side of mercy, we should be

564
00:27:06,416 --> 00:27:07,960
willing to forgive multiple times.

565
00:27:08,000 --> 00:27:09,416
And so here's the parable.

566
00:27:09,448 --> 00:27:12,168
I know that was a long Runway
to get to the parable, but we're

567
00:27:12,184 --> 00:27:14,008
gonna get to this parable, okay?

568
00:27:14,104 --> 00:27:18,312
And I think most of you, if
not all of you will understand the

569
00:27:18,336 --> 00:27:22,408
exact application here, but it
says verse 23, Therefore is the kingdom

570
00:27:22,424 --> 00:27:26,168
of heaven likened unto a
certain king, which would take account

571
00:27:26,224 --> 00:27:30,472
of his servants, and when he
had begun to reckon, one was brought

572
00:27:30,536 --> 00:27:33,100
unto him which owed him 10,000 talents.

573
00:27:34,350 --> 00:27:36,934
Okay, so we don't.

574
00:27:37,062 --> 00:27:40,054
We don't really deal with
talents when it comes to money anymore.

575
00:27:40,102 --> 00:27:42,290
But this is a debt that was.

576
00:27:43,310 --> 00:27:44,166
Couldn't be paid.

577
00:27:44,198 --> 00:27:46,518
This guy could not make enough
to pay this back.

578
00:27:46,654 --> 00:27:47,254
It was.

579
00:27:47,342 --> 00:27:49,250
It was a unreachable number.

580
00:27:49,790 --> 00:27:53,494
But for as much as he had not
to pay, his lord commanded him to

581
00:27:53,502 --> 00:27:56,246
be sold and his wife and his
children, all that he had and payment

582
00:27:56,278 --> 00:27:56,886
to be made.

583
00:27:56,958 --> 00:27:59,668
The servant therefore fell
down and worshiped him, saying, lord,

584
00:27:59,774 --> 00:28:03,256
have patience with me, and I
shall pay, and I will pay the all.

585
00:28:03,408 --> 00:28:07,704
Then the lord of the servant
was moved with compassion and loosed

586
00:28:07,752 --> 00:28:09,500
him and forgave him of the debt.

587
00:28:10,000 --> 00:28:12,600
So there is forgiveness.

588
00:28:12,760 --> 00:28:14,696
But it was based upon what?

589
00:28:14,848 --> 00:28:16,232
It was based upon repentance.

590
00:28:16,296 --> 00:28:21,752
He came to him and showed a
repentant heart, at least in this

591
00:28:21,776 --> 00:28:22,232
scenario.

592
00:28:22,296 --> 00:28:22,872
Verse 27.

593
00:28:22,896 --> 00:28:25,192
The Lord of that servant was
moved with compassion, loosed him

594
00:28:25,216 --> 00:28:26,072
and forgave him the debt.

595
00:28:26,136 --> 00:28:28,020
But then the same servant went out.

596
00:28:28,480 --> 00:28:34,184
So this is the person who just
received a debt that was unpayable,

597
00:28:34,312 --> 00:28:36,808
but yet he received
forgiveness because of that.

598
00:28:36,864 --> 00:28:39,304
So it would be like, I don't
know, for example, I don't know how

599
00:28:39,312 --> 00:28:41,192
much money everyone makes, but
let's just say something crazy like

600
00:28:41,216 --> 00:28:45,224
he owed like a hundred million
dollars and he only made, you know,

601
00:28:45,392 --> 00:28:46,552
$50,000 a year.

602
00:28:46,576 --> 00:28:46,952
He can never.

603
00:28:46,976 --> 00:28:49,064
He's never gonna make this
money the rest of his life, but yet

604
00:28:49,152 --> 00:28:50,552
he's still forgiven of it.

605
00:28:50,656 --> 00:28:52,462
Okay, that's our sin debt.

606
00:28:52,576 --> 00:28:54,150
We can't pay back our sin.

607
00:28:54,890 --> 00:28:57,106
But then here we go.

608
00:28:57,258 --> 00:29:01,074
He's gonna go out and he's
gonna act a certain way.

609
00:29:01,242 --> 00:29:03,618
But the same servant went out
and found one of his fellow servants

610
00:29:03,634 --> 00:29:05,074
which owed him a hundred pence.

611
00:29:05,202 --> 00:29:06,146
This is minimal.

612
00:29:06,178 --> 00:29:06,818
This is small.

613
00:29:06,874 --> 00:29:08,870
This is not a huge debt.

614
00:29:09,850 --> 00:29:14,738
And he laid hands on him and
took him by the throne, saying, pay

615
00:29:14,794 --> 00:29:16,310
me that thou owest.

616
00:29:17,130 --> 00:29:21,312
So there's no Greece, there's
no mercy, there's no reciprocation

617
00:29:21,376 --> 00:29:23,392
of what he has received from
the master.

618
00:29:23,536 --> 00:29:27,328
And his fellow servant fell
down at his feet repentance and besought

619
00:29:27,344 --> 00:29:29,776
him, saying, have patience
with me, and I will pay thee all.

620
00:29:29,848 --> 00:29:33,712
And he would not but went and
cast him into prison till he should

621
00:29:33,736 --> 00:29:34,448
pay the debt.

622
00:29:34,544 --> 00:29:37,232
So when his fellow servants
saw what was done and they were very

623
00:29:37,256 --> 00:29:39,472
sorry and came and told their
Lord, all that was done.

624
00:29:39,576 --> 00:29:43,296
Then his Lord, after that, he
called and called him and said unto

625
00:29:43,328 --> 00:29:47,040
him, oh, thou wicked servant,
I forgave thee all that debt because

626
00:29:47,080 --> 00:29:51,472
thou Desires me, should us not
thou also have had compassion on

627
00:29:51,496 --> 00:29:54,080
thy fellow servant, even as I
had pity on thee.

628
00:29:54,160 --> 00:29:59,072
And his Lord was wroth angry
and delivered him to the tormentors,

629
00:29:59,136 --> 00:30:01,520
till he should pay all that
was due unto him.

630
00:30:01,560 --> 00:30:04,912
So likewise shall my heavenly
father do also unto you, if he from

631
00:30:04,936 --> 00:30:08,320
your hearts forgive not every
one of his brother's brother their

632
00:30:08,360 --> 00:30:08,944
trespasses.

633
00:30:08,992 --> 00:30:12,954
And so the Bible very clearly
teaches here that the expectation

634
00:30:13,002 --> 00:30:16,314
for someone who has received
such a great gift of forgiveness

635
00:30:16,362 --> 00:30:20,906
from God should be willing to
extend that same forgiveness to others

636
00:30:21,058 --> 00:30:22,202
around them.

637
00:30:22,386 --> 00:30:28,458
So you say, okay, you've,
you've hit the idea of the need for

638
00:30:28,514 --> 00:30:28,954
forgiveness.

639
00:30:29,002 --> 00:30:30,314
And, and what is forgiveness?

640
00:30:30,362 --> 00:30:34,842
Forgiveness is releasing
somebody's debt to you.

641
00:30:35,026 --> 00:30:38,380
So they sinned against you,
they owe you a debt, you release

642
00:30:38,420 --> 00:30:39,020
that debt.

643
00:30:39,100 --> 00:30:41,240
That's biblically what
forgiveness is.

644
00:30:41,700 --> 00:30:47,360
Now the next question that is
linked to this is, so how do I forgive?

645
00:30:47,780 --> 00:30:52,000
Because you've maybe heard
someone say forgive and forget.

646
00:30:52,340 --> 00:30:53,388
That's what God does.

647
00:30:53,444 --> 00:30:54,924
He forgives and forgets.

648
00:30:55,052 --> 00:30:59,164
So therefore, you have to
literally have Christian amnesia

649
00:30:59,292 --> 00:31:01,228
and never think about what's
ever happened.

650
00:31:01,324 --> 00:31:03,154
You cannot think about what's happened.

651
00:31:03,332 --> 00:31:06,246
Um, but I don't think that
that's biblical.

652
00:31:06,278 --> 00:31:11,318
I don't think it's possible to
completely remove an element of our

653
00:31:11,374 --> 00:31:14,070
brain that's actually been hurt.

654
00:31:14,230 --> 00:31:15,862
So, so what does that mean?

655
00:31:16,046 --> 00:31:20,022
Um, I, I'm gonna pose to you
in the next few moments what I think

656
00:31:20,046 --> 00:31:21,446
biblically it, it means.

657
00:31:21,518 --> 00:31:24,390
And then I think what we'll do
is next week we'll come back and

658
00:31:24,430 --> 00:31:25,798
dive deeper into that.

659
00:31:25,934 --> 00:31:28,118
So, so we often hear the word
forgive and forget.

660
00:31:28,214 --> 00:31:30,974
And, and I think that that can
be misleading to people.

661
00:31:31,102 --> 00:31:33,854
And I think it can be
detrimental to someone's spiritual

662
00:31:33,902 --> 00:31:37,530
growth because they might feel
defeated, because that can't happen.

663
00:31:38,630 --> 00:31:40,750
You know, someone's greatly
wronged me.

664
00:31:40,790 --> 00:31:42,782
Maybe, maybe it's an issue of abuse.

665
00:31:42,926 --> 00:31:45,822
And I think it's insensitive
for me to come to someone and say,

666
00:31:45,846 --> 00:31:49,086
well, I know that you got
abused before, but you gotta forgive

667
00:31:49,118 --> 00:31:52,142
that person, even though
they're not repentant, by the way,

668
00:31:52,326 --> 00:31:55,486
and you gotta just get over it
and forget it even happened.

669
00:31:55,518 --> 00:31:59,236
Well, that's not, I don't
think, a good way to direct someone

670
00:31:59,308 --> 00:32:01,320
to understand the grace of God.

671
00:32:02,060 --> 00:32:04,596
Because, number one, I think
that a lot of times we think that

672
00:32:04,748 --> 00:32:08,308
forgiving somebody is
condoning the wrong that was done

673
00:32:08,364 --> 00:32:09,172
to us.

674
00:32:09,356 --> 00:32:14,100
Like, well, if I say that I
forgive him, I'm saying it was okay

675
00:32:14,260 --> 00:32:16,372
that that sin was committed
against me.

676
00:32:16,396 --> 00:32:18,212
I'm, I'm condoning that sin.

677
00:32:18,356 --> 00:32:19,764
God never does that.

678
00:32:19,932 --> 00:32:23,312
God never forgives and says,
well, it was okay that you did that.

679
00:32:23,436 --> 00:32:25,016
No, there was a price that was paid.

680
00:32:25,048 --> 00:32:26,120
There was repentant heart.

681
00:32:26,160 --> 00:32:28,584
There was Jesus Christ that
died on the cross for our sins.

682
00:32:28,712 --> 00:32:32,360
So, so there's this idea that
I think sometimes that's taught is

683
00:32:32,400 --> 00:32:35,192
that, hey, you have to forgive
everyone for everything, even if

684
00:32:35,216 --> 00:32:36,312
they're not repentant.

685
00:32:36,456 --> 00:32:38,136
And I don't think that's true.

686
00:32:38,168 --> 00:32:42,296
I think biblically speaking,
if we look at God as the example,

687
00:32:42,488 --> 00:32:47,192
we, we forgive and restore
with those that are seeking restoration

688
00:32:47,256 --> 00:32:49,020
and forgiveness in repentance.

689
00:32:50,010 --> 00:32:53,202
But I do believe that all of
us, no matter what has happened in

690
00:32:53,226 --> 00:32:57,842
our life, no matter what sin
has been done to us or against us,

691
00:32:57,946 --> 00:33:03,170
we must be willing to forbear
them until that repentance happens.

692
00:33:03,250 --> 00:33:06,578
Because I've heard people say,
well, someone's harmed me and they've

693
00:33:06,594 --> 00:33:07,506
never asked for forgiveness.

694
00:33:07,538 --> 00:33:09,266
Am I supposed to just release that?

695
00:33:09,418 --> 00:33:14,338
Well, the truth is, is that
you forbearing them is not releasing

696
00:33:14,434 --> 00:33:15,202
their guilt.

697
00:33:15,266 --> 00:33:18,688
It's releasing that grip and,
and the bitterness that you hold

698
00:33:18,824 --> 00:33:19,872
because of that sin.

699
00:33:19,936 --> 00:33:25,136
So, so you're allowing, if you
don't forbear that person and ultimately

700
00:33:25,168 --> 00:33:29,408
be willing to forgive, you're
allowing that sin to dictate to you

701
00:33:29,464 --> 00:33:30,368
your spiritual walk.

702
00:33:30,424 --> 00:33:34,560
Because it's like bitterness
and anger and, and, and condemnation

703
00:33:34,640 --> 00:33:35,488
and judgment.

704
00:33:35,584 --> 00:33:37,600
And, and that's not the way
that we're designed.

705
00:33:37,680 --> 00:33:41,664
That forbearance allows us to
release that burden that that person

706
00:33:41,752 --> 00:33:44,332
did or, or, or committed in my life.

707
00:33:44,356 --> 00:33:46,588
And saying, lord, I'm giving
that over to you.

708
00:33:46,724 --> 00:33:52,652
And, and so to, to forgive
somebody and, and forget does not

709
00:33:52,676 --> 00:33:56,572
mean that a person who has
been wrong develops some sort of

710
00:33:56,596 --> 00:33:57,660
like, forgetfulness.

711
00:33:57,740 --> 00:34:01,324
But a person has been, you
know, I mean, we could fill in the

712
00:34:01,332 --> 00:34:01,612
blank.

713
00:34:01,676 --> 00:34:04,012
We don't need to sit here and
give a bunch of hypotheticals.

714
00:34:04,156 --> 00:34:09,670
But the truth is, is that I
believe in the Bible, when, when

715
00:34:09,710 --> 00:34:13,350
it's talking about God, you,
you maybe even heard this.

716
00:34:13,390 --> 00:34:15,370
God's forgotten about your sin.

717
00:34:16,350 --> 00:34:18,326
I, I don't think that is the case.

718
00:34:18,478 --> 00:34:21,766
If you look at Genesis chapter
eight with me, we'll hit Genesis

719
00:34:21,798 --> 00:34:25,702
chapter eight and, and I will
speak to the idea of, the idea of

720
00:34:25,726 --> 00:34:27,542
God forgetting and remembering.

721
00:34:27,686 --> 00:34:29,010
Because think about this.

722
00:34:29,550 --> 00:34:36,639
If, look, remember some of you
were here on Sunday night.

723
00:34:36,679 --> 00:34:37,775
Theology matters.

724
00:34:37,887 --> 00:34:38,943
Theology matters.

725
00:34:38,991 --> 00:34:43,459
Okay, so is God all knowing?

726
00:34:44,759 --> 00:34:45,471
Yes.

727
00:34:45,615 --> 00:34:47,539
We call that omniscience.

728
00:34:47,879 --> 00:34:49,183
God knows everything.

729
00:34:49,351 --> 00:34:55,967
So if God knows everything,
does God forget about something and

730
00:34:56,023 --> 00:34:58,379
then have to be reminded of something?

731
00:34:58,999 --> 00:35:01,408
No, not, not not theologically.

732
00:35:01,504 --> 00:35:04,608
Theologically speaking, God
knows all we don't like.

733
00:35:04,664 --> 00:35:07,504
He doesn't go, oh wait, I
forgot about, you know, Middletown

734
00:35:07,552 --> 00:35:07,936
Baptist.

735
00:35:07,968 --> 00:35:12,848
Oh man, I, I, so, so when the
Bible uses the term forget and remember,

736
00:35:12,944 --> 00:35:14,336
it's, it's talking about
something else.

737
00:35:14,368 --> 00:35:17,020
And so I want you to see
Genesis chapter eight with me.

738
00:35:18,120 --> 00:35:20,900
You know this story, it's the
story of Noah.

739
00:35:21,480 --> 00:35:23,712
So we're not going to dive
into that, but we're going to dive

740
00:35:23,776 --> 00:35:24,960
into what verse one says.

741
00:35:25,000 --> 00:35:30,344
And it says, and God
remembered Noah and every living

742
00:35:30,392 --> 00:35:33,384
thing and all the cattle that
was with him in the ark.

743
00:35:33,432 --> 00:35:36,984
And God made a wind to pass
over the earth and the waters assuaged.

744
00:35:37,032 --> 00:35:41,000
And so that's talking about
the end of the, the flood.

745
00:35:41,160 --> 00:35:44,296
Now theology matters.

746
00:35:44,488 --> 00:35:47,784
Did God sit up there during
the flood and forget about Noah?

747
00:35:47,912 --> 00:35:49,336
Oh man, I forgot Noah existed.

748
00:35:49,368 --> 00:35:50,328
Now I remember him.

749
00:35:50,384 --> 00:35:53,336
No, that, that's not, I don't
think biblically what it's talking

750
00:35:53,368 --> 00:35:53,940
about.

751
00:35:54,260 --> 00:36:00,604
And, and I believe in, in the
Hebrew, in the, in the biblical concept

752
00:36:00,652 --> 00:36:02,300
of remembering it.

753
00:36:02,340 --> 00:36:07,740
It, in the Hebrew, it actually
means to choose to act upon.

754
00:36:07,900 --> 00:36:11,080
So, so to, to, to put
something to action.

755
00:36:11,780 --> 00:36:12,908
So what does that mean here?

756
00:36:12,964 --> 00:36:17,772
Well, well, at the end of the
flood, God chose to act upon what

757
00:36:17,796 --> 00:36:21,410
he promised Noah and his
family, right?

758
00:36:21,870 --> 00:36:23,014
Same thing with forgetting.

759
00:36:23,062 --> 00:36:27,478
He, he, he holds back or he
pulls back action so he doesn't bring

760
00:36:27,534 --> 00:36:31,302
it to the forefront of his
mind or he doesn't bring it to action.

761
00:36:31,406 --> 00:36:33,046
So, so what it means is this.

762
00:36:33,118 --> 00:36:36,390
When God remembers us, it's
not like he forgot about us.

763
00:36:36,510 --> 00:36:39,686
It means that God is putting
to action what he has promised us.

764
00:36:39,758 --> 00:36:43,542
And on the same thing, on the
area of forgetting, God doesn't forget

765
00:36:43,606 --> 00:36:44,630
about who we are.

766
00:36:44,750 --> 00:36:49,660
God doesn't pull back into his
mind or pull back into us and put

767
00:36:49,700 --> 00:36:51,692
to action what we actually deserve.

768
00:36:51,836 --> 00:36:55,852
And so when God, when it says
that God forgets our sin, or in that

769
00:36:55,876 --> 00:36:59,548
context of, of, of not
remembering, it means that he's not

770
00:36:59,604 --> 00:37:03,740
bringing back before us the
sin that we committed in the past

771
00:37:03,780 --> 00:37:04,956
because we're forgiven from that.

772
00:37:05,028 --> 00:37:10,204
So remove far as the east is
from the west, that so, so true biblical

773
00:37:10,252 --> 00:37:14,492
forgiveness, if there's
repentance, means that we don't bring

774
00:37:14,596 --> 00:37:17,276
back what has been committed
in the past.

775
00:37:17,348 --> 00:37:18,556
I don't remember that.

776
00:37:18,628 --> 00:37:22,060
So in essence I forget, I
don't forget that it existed, but

777
00:37:22,100 --> 00:37:25,116
I don't use that against
somebody else because of a sin.

778
00:37:25,148 --> 00:37:26,892
I don't hold that over their head.

779
00:37:27,076 --> 00:37:30,140
And so you guys have all heard
the classic example of like, okay,

780
00:37:30,220 --> 00:37:31,180
well, I forgive you.

781
00:37:31,220 --> 00:37:35,020
But then next time it happens,
it's like, well, remember that last

782
00:37:35,060 --> 00:37:36,172
time you did that?

783
00:37:36,356 --> 00:37:38,412
Well, you didn't really
forgive then because you're bringing

784
00:37:38,476 --> 00:37:41,586
up, you're remembering and
you're not forgetting.

785
00:37:41,618 --> 00:37:43,410
You're not, you're not keeping
it back here.

786
00:37:43,450 --> 00:37:46,434
You're putting it to action,
the sin that has been forgiven.

787
00:37:46,482 --> 00:37:47,830
So it's not forgiveness.

788
00:37:48,330 --> 00:37:53,154
And so I know that's tough to
kind of, to articulate, but what

789
00:37:53,162 --> 00:37:54,242
I would mean is this.

790
00:37:54,346 --> 00:37:57,042
You can't forget about the sin
that has been committed against you.

791
00:37:57,066 --> 00:37:57,950
Maybe you can.

792
00:37:58,650 --> 00:38:01,266
Maybe some of you can come up
to me and say, pastor, I completely

793
00:38:01,298 --> 00:38:02,434
forgot about that sin.

794
00:38:02,562 --> 00:38:03,874
Well, you didn't forget about it.

795
00:38:03,882 --> 00:38:05,522
If you just told me you forgot
about it.

796
00:38:05,546 --> 00:38:07,176
Okay, so it's there, right?

797
00:38:07,248 --> 00:38:08,728
You're able to put it back.

798
00:38:08,784 --> 00:38:11,352
So it's not in the forefront
of your mind and you dwell upon it

799
00:38:11,376 --> 00:38:12,456
in an unhealthy way.

800
00:38:12,528 --> 00:38:13,832
We meditate upon the truth.

801
00:38:13,896 --> 00:38:16,600
We meditate upon those things
which are good, pure, holy.

802
00:38:16,680 --> 00:38:19,624
And we don't meditate upon
those things that were, were forgiven.

803
00:38:19,752 --> 00:38:21,992
And that's the way that God,
God doesn't sit there and go, well,

804
00:38:22,016 --> 00:38:23,784
remember that last time you
did that?

805
00:38:23,952 --> 00:38:26,872
Anytime you reminded of the
sin of your past, that's Satan trying

806
00:38:26,896 --> 00:38:27,768
to pull you back in.

807
00:38:27,824 --> 00:38:28,328
Okay?

808
00:38:28,424 --> 00:38:29,224
That's not God.

809
00:38:29,272 --> 00:38:31,646
God never reminds us of our
past and our sin.

810
00:38:31,808 --> 00:38:32,786
And so that's the idea.

811
00:38:32,818 --> 00:38:35,870
And then the other thing that
we do within relationships is like,

812
00:38:36,490 --> 00:38:40,242
it's the passive bringing back
up of things like, well, I'm not

813
00:38:40,266 --> 00:38:41,858
gonna bring up what you did
last week.

814
00:38:41,914 --> 00:38:43,410
I'm not gonna bring up what
you did.

815
00:38:43,530 --> 00:38:44,610
Well, you just brought it up.

816
00:38:44,650 --> 00:38:45,426
Cause you said that.

817
00:38:45,498 --> 00:38:48,626
And so the idea for us in
forgiveness would be true biblical

818
00:38:48,658 --> 00:38:53,858
forgiveness is if I have
forgiven and if there is repentance,

819
00:38:53,954 --> 00:38:58,150
then it's no longer in our
midst, it's no longer in the conversation.

820
00:38:58,590 --> 00:39:04,742
And so, and, and, and so like
Jeremiah 31, 34, the, the Lord is

821
00:39:04,766 --> 00:39:05,142
speaking here.

822
00:39:05,166 --> 00:39:07,494
He says, for I will forgive
their iniquity and I will remember

823
00:39:07,542 --> 00:39:08,770
their sin no more.

824
00:39:09,150 --> 00:39:13,926
It's not that God like wipes
things out of his brain.

825
00:39:13,958 --> 00:39:15,542
Now some people would argue
with me on that.

826
00:39:15,566 --> 00:39:16,358
They say, you know what?

827
00:39:16,414 --> 00:39:18,790
He buries it in the ocean and
he can't remember it.

828
00:39:18,830 --> 00:39:20,182
He can't remember it.

829
00:39:20,366 --> 00:39:24,182
I, I think it just means that
God is not going to remember our

830
00:39:24,206 --> 00:39:25,730
sin or judge us for the.

831
00:39:27,300 --> 00:39:30,732
And so, you know, I'm, I'm
willing to have that debate with

832
00:39:30,756 --> 00:39:34,892
you, but I do believe that a
good Example of this would be First

833
00:39:34,916 --> 00:39:36,920
Corinthians, chapter 13, verse 5.

834
00:39:37,300 --> 00:39:39,564
First Corinthians, chapter 13,
verse five.

835
00:39:39,732 --> 00:39:43,596
I think we'll probably end
with this tonight and we'll speak

836
00:39:43,628 --> 00:39:46,812
more about forgiveness next
week, because I want to talk next

837
00:39:46,836 --> 00:39:49,964
week more about the practical
application of it.

838
00:39:50,132 --> 00:39:54,500
And, and so we will launch in
First Corinthians chapter 13 next

839
00:39:54,540 --> 00:39:54,692
week.

840
00:39:54,716 --> 00:39:56,560
But I want to leave us with
this because.

841
00:39:57,020 --> 00:39:57,764
True.

842
00:39:57,892 --> 00:40:00,932
So in, in forgiveness is love, right?

843
00:40:01,116 --> 00:40:07,540
And it's, it's, it's the
sentiment that if God loves us and

844
00:40:07,580 --> 00:40:11,560
God forgives us, he will not
keep a record of wrongs.

845
00:40:12,460 --> 00:40:13,204
Okay?

846
00:40:13,332 --> 00:40:16,084
So, so God isn't sitting up
there after he's forgiven us of our

847
00:40:16,092 --> 00:40:19,028
sin, and now he's saying,
okay, well, I still have that record

848
00:40:19,084 --> 00:40:19,300
there.

849
00:40:19,340 --> 00:40:22,040
I've still have the, I still
have all your transgressions.

850
00:40:22,180 --> 00:40:23,680
Well, that's not biblical love.

851
00:40:23,720 --> 00:40:25,856
And that's the same thing when
it comes to our forgiveness.

852
00:40:25,968 --> 00:40:27,936
1 Corinthians, chapter 13,
verse 5.

853
00:40:28,088 --> 00:40:29,600
It says love.

854
00:40:29,640 --> 00:40:30,896
This is talking about love.

855
00:40:31,048 --> 00:40:31,520
It does.

856
00:40:31,560 --> 00:40:35,460
Or charity, as the King James
says, doth not behave itself unseemly,

857
00:40:36,440 --> 00:40:37,632
seeketh not her own.

858
00:40:37,656 --> 00:40:39,300
So it's, it's humble.

859
00:40:39,960 --> 00:40:41,360
And then it goes on a little
bit further.

860
00:40:41,400 --> 00:40:42,896
It says, is not easily provoked.

861
00:40:42,928 --> 00:40:44,816
And then here's what I want
you to think about here.

862
00:40:44,888 --> 00:40:47,140
It says, thinketh no evil.

863
00:40:47,730 --> 00:40:51,290
Now, in, in the original
language, that it literally means

864
00:40:51,330 --> 00:40:53,338
don't keep a record of wrongs.

865
00:40:53,514 --> 00:40:56,474
Don't assume that they're
going to go right back into that.

866
00:40:56,562 --> 00:40:58,378
And so forgiveness would be.

867
00:40:58,514 --> 00:41:01,802
Look, I'm not going to keep
hitting you over the head with what

868
00:41:01,826 --> 00:41:03,786
I've forgiven you of already, okay?

869
00:41:03,818 --> 00:41:05,482
That's, that's biblical forgiveness.

870
00:41:05,546 --> 00:41:11,354
Now, it's not forgive and
forget as much as it is forgive and

871
00:41:11,442 --> 00:41:14,986
not hold this against somebody
in their account, not to condemn

872
00:41:15,018 --> 00:41:16,170
them for that sin.

873
00:41:16,330 --> 00:41:19,850
Not, not to, not to rake them
over the coals again and again and

874
00:41:19,890 --> 00:41:20,470
again.

875
00:41:21,970 --> 00:41:28,026
And, and so both, both the
person who has forgiven and the person

876
00:41:28,098 --> 00:41:32,522
who is the person receiving
the forgiveness should allow it to

877
00:41:32,546 --> 00:41:33,910
be something of the past.

878
00:41:34,610 --> 00:41:36,922
And so we'll, we'll get more
about this next week.

879
00:41:36,946 --> 00:41:39,658
But I think so.

880
00:41:39,714 --> 00:41:42,612
So, so the question is this,
is it forgive and forget?

881
00:41:42,676 --> 00:41:43,840
Yes and no.

882
00:41:44,460 --> 00:41:46,324
It's impossible to completely forget.

883
00:41:46,372 --> 00:41:50,132
But it is like, we act like we
have forgotten about it, and I think

884
00:41:50,156 --> 00:41:52,932
that's the way that we, we can
deal with it when it comes to things

885
00:41:52,956 --> 00:41:53,732
that are really wrong.

886
00:41:53,796 --> 00:41:57,236
Now, this isn't talking about
a personal, like, people have probably

887
00:41:57,268 --> 00:42:01,092
said something critical of me
and it was of no offense to me, and

888
00:42:01,116 --> 00:42:04,116
maybe at first I was a little
upset, and then like five minutes

889
00:42:04,148 --> 00:42:04,932
later I forgot about it.

890
00:42:04,956 --> 00:42:05,140
That.

891
00:42:05,180 --> 00:42:06,440
I mean, that's okay.

892
00:42:06,780 --> 00:42:07,700
We understand that.

893
00:42:07,740 --> 00:42:08,820
We understand like just kind of.

894
00:42:08,860 --> 00:42:11,416
And Jesus speaks of that, like
just turning the other cheek.

895
00:42:11,588 --> 00:42:11,936
That's.

896
00:42:11,968 --> 00:42:14,592
That's against personal
slights, by the way, that Jesus is

897
00:42:14,616 --> 00:42:15,520
talking about that.

898
00:42:15,640 --> 00:42:20,080
But, but the idea for me would
be someone who's been seriously hurt,

899
00:42:20,160 --> 00:42:23,648
seriously sinned against, you
know, dealing with people within

900
00:42:23,704 --> 00:42:24,528
the church.

901
00:42:24,704 --> 00:42:25,920
And I know this is long, but.

902
00:42:25,960 --> 00:42:27,312
But I think we gotta talk
about this.

903
00:42:27,416 --> 00:42:31,712
There are a lot of people that
are dealing with church, what we

904
00:42:31,736 --> 00:42:32,784
call church hurt.

905
00:42:32,912 --> 00:42:33,856
I've gone through a church.

906
00:42:33,888 --> 00:42:35,100
I've been hurt here.

907
00:42:35,880 --> 00:42:36,656
So, so that's.

908
00:42:36,688 --> 00:42:37,948
We had to unpack that.

909
00:42:38,104 --> 00:42:40,468
There's a lot of people that
have been harmed by their own family.

910
00:42:40,604 --> 00:42:43,140
There's a lot of people that
have been harmed by someone of their

911
00:42:43,180 --> 00:42:43,428
past.

912
00:42:43,484 --> 00:42:47,204
Maybe it was someone that
there was a relationship with.

913
00:42:47,292 --> 00:42:48,292
Who knows what it is.

914
00:42:48,396 --> 00:42:50,932
But, but so many people are
carrying baggage with them.

915
00:42:50,956 --> 00:42:53,012
And there's this idea that,
you know what?

916
00:42:53,036 --> 00:42:54,132
I just have to get over it.

917
00:42:54,156 --> 00:42:56,196
But the Bible doesn't ever
speak of you just pulling yourself

918
00:42:56,228 --> 00:42:59,124
up by the bootstraps and just
saying, I gotta be better than this.

919
00:42:59,212 --> 00:43:03,944
It's allowing the forgiveness
of Christ to be the driving force.

920
00:43:04,132 --> 00:43:07,312
And something that's
impossible, forgiving someone that

921
00:43:07,336 --> 00:43:10,160
has done something terrible
can eventually get to a place of

922
00:43:10,200 --> 00:43:11,968
possibility in the power of God.

923
00:43:12,064 --> 00:43:14,448
And so we'll talk more about
the practical application of that

924
00:43:14,504 --> 00:43:20,112
and what that will look like
in the real world setting next week.

925
00:43:20,136 --> 00:43:21,744
So I know that that's a tough topic.

926
00:43:21,792 --> 00:43:21,952
No.

927
00:43:21,976 --> 00:43:23,984
1, we never want to sit and
talk about forgiveness.

928
00:43:24,032 --> 00:43:24,240
Right?

929
00:43:24,280 --> 00:43:27,424
We never really want to, like,
dwell upon things that make us uncomfortable.

930
00:43:27,472 --> 00:43:28,608
And forgiveness makes us uncomfortable.

931
00:43:28,624 --> 00:43:32,542
I mean, at least makes me feel
uncomfortable sometimes until I get

932
00:43:32,566 --> 00:43:34,782
to the place where I
understand what's done for me in

933
00:43:34,806 --> 00:43:35,454
Jesus Christ.

934
00:43:35,542 --> 00:43:37,438
And that's where we always
have to go back to.

935
00:43:37,574 --> 00:43:42,890
But I think a lot of issues
within the church, within the family,

936
00:43:43,350 --> 00:43:48,910
could be easily avoided if we
were able to mirror and model what

937
00:43:48,950 --> 00:43:50,558
the forgiveness of Christ
looks like.

938
00:43:50,614 --> 00:43:52,622
And, and, and I think that
that's something that we can talk

939
00:43:52,646 --> 00:43:53,630
about more next week.

940
00:43:53,670 --> 00:43:59,112
So we will deal next week with
the element of forgiveness in the

941
00:43:59,136 --> 00:43:59,720
practical.

942
00:43:59,800 --> 00:44:02,632
And then there was another
question that was posed to me.

943
00:44:02,816 --> 00:44:07,160
And, and I think it will link
together really well with.

944
00:44:07,200 --> 00:44:12,968
This is the idea of repentant sins.

945
00:44:13,144 --> 00:44:16,680
Okay, so am I perpetually
sinning if I have done this?

946
00:44:16,800 --> 00:44:19,880
Or is It a one time sin or is
it, you know, we're gonna talk about

947
00:44:19,920 --> 00:44:23,224
that, so we'll, we'll link in
the idea of sin with forgiveness.

948
00:44:23,272 --> 00:44:26,120
And so we've, we started with
forgiveness and next week we'll deal

949
00:44:26,160 --> 00:44:30,040
with sin and repentance and
how God releases us from our past

950
00:44:30,160 --> 00:44:31,256
when we are saved.

951
00:44:31,368 --> 00:44:32,056
Okay?

952
00:44:32,168 --> 00:44:35,752
You are not defined by what
you've done.

953
00:44:35,936 --> 00:44:38,980
A lot of people were like,
man, if you knew me.

954
00:44:39,680 --> 00:44:43,096
Well, I don't know you, but,
but God knew you and he still forgave

955
00:44:43,128 --> 00:44:45,864
you because he loves you and
his, his, his infinite grace.

956
00:44:45,992 --> 00:44:48,312
And, and so I think there's a
lot of people, I've heard people

957
00:44:48,336 --> 00:44:52,786
even say this and, and
hopefully, hopefully you, you'll

958
00:44:52,818 --> 00:44:53,602
understand what I mean by this.

959
00:44:53,626 --> 00:44:56,706
I've heard people say, I don't
know how God forgives me, I can't

960
00:44:56,738 --> 00:44:57,910
forgive myself.

961
00:44:58,250 --> 00:45:01,778
You know, and I'm not here to
pitch this like, oh, God, forgive

962
00:45:01,794 --> 00:45:02,162
yourself.

963
00:45:02,226 --> 00:45:05,938
It's, it's the idea that who
are we to say that we can't forgive

964
00:45:05,954 --> 00:45:09,442
ourselves and get past what we
have done if the Lord of the universe,

965
00:45:09,506 --> 00:45:12,802
the one who created us, is
willing to extend forgiveness to

966
00:45:12,826 --> 00:45:13,250
us?

967
00:45:13,370 --> 00:45:17,122
So it's, it's wrestling with
our past, I think is, is a big thing

968
00:45:17,146 --> 00:45:18,608
that we all have to deal with.

969
00:45:18,754 --> 00:45:22,852
And you know, some people say,
well, Pastor Josh, you grew up in

970
00:45:22,876 --> 00:45:25,412
the church, you went to a
Christian school, you didn't have

971
00:45:25,436 --> 00:45:26,660
a tough life like me.

972
00:45:26,780 --> 00:45:28,612
And I'll say, you know what,
There's a lot of things that go on

973
00:45:28,636 --> 00:45:29,860
at Christian schools that
aren't great.

974
00:45:29,900 --> 00:45:30,148
Okay?

975
00:45:30,164 --> 00:45:31,828
I, I, I'm not proud of my past.

976
00:45:31,884 --> 00:45:32,916
And I think everyone's honest.

977
00:45:32,948 --> 00:45:35,380
We've all sinned, we've all
fallen short of the glory of God.

978
00:45:35,540 --> 00:45:37,796
And, and we, we all have to
wrestle with that.

979
00:45:37,868 --> 00:45:41,620
And sometimes what Satan does
is he'll take a grip, a small little

980
00:45:41,740 --> 00:45:45,300
piece of something from our
past and put it into our, our, our

981
00:45:45,340 --> 00:45:47,884
lap and make us feel like
that's who we are today.

982
00:45:48,012 --> 00:45:48,988
And we can't have that.

983
00:45:49,044 --> 00:45:50,844
As a Christian, we are free
from that.

984
00:45:50,932 --> 00:45:51,980
And Romans, chapter eight.

985
00:45:52,020 --> 00:45:54,844
Man, I, I'm, you got, you got
another hour.

986
00:45:54,932 --> 00:45:55,932
Romans, chapter 8.

987
00:45:56,036 --> 00:45:58,060
There is therefore now no condemnation.

988
00:45:58,140 --> 00:45:58,716
Right?

989
00:45:58,868 --> 00:46:01,388
Condemnation is much different
than conviction.

990
00:46:01,484 --> 00:46:04,476
And, and we will, we will look
at those two things, the difference

991
00:46:04,508 --> 00:46:07,868
between condemnation and
conviction, because conviction's

992
00:46:07,884 --> 00:46:09,180
a good thing, condemnation is
a bad thing.

993
00:46:09,220 --> 00:46:10,620
And we're gonna talk about
those two.

994
00:46:10,660 --> 00:46:11,148
Okay?

995
00:46:11,244 --> 00:46:12,476
And we'll get to some more questions.

996
00:46:12,508 --> 00:46:17,550
I, I got questions about, I
got questions from everything between

997
00:46:18,410 --> 00:46:23,826
dinosaurs to Satan to creation
to all different kind of stuff.

998
00:46:23,858 --> 00:46:26,034
So we're gonna, we're gonna
delve into topics that maybe don't

999
00:46:26,082 --> 00:46:29,282
get talked about as often
within the church, but we need to

1000
00:46:29,306 --> 00:46:31,362
talk about these things
because you know you're gonna get

1001
00:46:31,386 --> 00:46:32,978
people having questions about things.

1002
00:46:33,034 --> 00:46:37,778
And maybe you've been taught
something that is right, maybe you've

1003
00:46:37,794 --> 00:46:38,834
been taught something that's wrong.

1004
00:46:38,882 --> 00:46:41,442
Maybe you watched a movie and
thought that that's what that's all

1005
00:46:41,466 --> 00:46:41,650
about.

1006
00:46:41,690 --> 00:46:43,706
I mean, feel free to ask any question.

1007
00:46:43,778 --> 00:46:49,850
I promise you that I will do
my best to try to address it some.

1008
00:46:49,890 --> 00:46:53,082
I might not address completely
exactly the way that you posed the

1009
00:46:53,106 --> 00:46:53,578
question.

1010
00:46:53,714 --> 00:46:55,034
Don't feel offended or anything.

1011
00:46:55,082 --> 00:46:58,954
It's just I have to fit it
into a, a sermon and, and apply it

1012
00:46:58,962 --> 00:46:59,386
to everything.

1013
00:46:59,458 --> 00:47:03,994
But I have some more cards up
here, and if you feel like asking

1014
00:47:04,042 --> 00:47:05,594
some more questions, you can.

1015
00:47:05,762 --> 00:47:08,090
And this, this is stretching me.

1016
00:47:08,130 --> 00:47:08,426
Okay.

1017
00:47:08,458 --> 00:47:10,544
Because last week I was like,
okay, we're gonna do this.

1018
00:47:10,552 --> 00:47:14,224
And then I got the questions
and I'm like, okay, I committed to

1019
00:47:14,232 --> 00:47:14,352
this.

1020
00:47:14,376 --> 00:47:15,360
Now I gotta do this.

1021
00:47:15,480 --> 00:47:18,320
So I love doing this kind of
stuff, but it puts a little bit more

1022
00:47:18,360 --> 00:47:20,192
pressure when you all are
looking at me.

1023
00:47:20,216 --> 00:47:20,448
Okay.

1024
00:47:20,464 --> 00:47:21,792
If it's a one on one, I can do that.

1025
00:47:21,816 --> 00:47:23,872
But sometimes it's, it's a
little bit more stressful in that

1026
00:47:23,896 --> 00:47:24,320
way.

1027
00:47:24,440 --> 00:47:26,448
Um, so anyway, ask, ask, ask away.

1028
00:47:26,504 --> 00:47:27,488
Ask those questions.

1029
00:47:27,584 --> 00:47:32,016
And, and it, and it could be
just, it could be a short question.

1030
00:47:32,088 --> 00:47:38,152
Like, I had someone ask me,
who did, who did you know, you have

1031
00:47:38,176 --> 00:47:40,408
Cain and Abel, who, who do
they marry?

1032
00:47:40,504 --> 00:47:42,296
And that's a, that's an
interesting question.

1033
00:47:42,368 --> 00:47:42,696
Right?

1034
00:47:42,768 --> 00:47:45,864
A lot of people have a hard
time with understanding all the concepts

1035
00:47:45,912 --> 00:47:47,064
of the book of Genesis.

1036
00:47:47,112 --> 00:47:49,656
Like, that's a hard thing to
think about because it's a different

1037
00:47:49,728 --> 00:47:50,616
way of life.

1038
00:47:50,688 --> 00:47:53,112
It was a different way of, of,
of living there.

1039
00:47:53,216 --> 00:47:54,392
So, so we'll talk about some things.

1040
00:47:54,416 --> 00:47:55,608
If you want to ask them, we can.

1041
00:47:55,664 --> 00:47:57,272
All right, well, let's move on.

1042
00:47:57,296 --> 00:47:58,328
I know that's a long time.

1043
00:47:58,384 --> 00:47:59,048
Took too long.

1044
00:47:59,104 --> 00:47:59,992
I apologize for that.

1045
00:48:00,016 --> 00:48:04,382
But if you, if you need a
prayer sheet, go ahead and slip your

1046
00:48:04,406 --> 00:48:06,410
hand up in there and we'll get
one of those for you.

1047
00:48:15,670 --> 00:48:18,158
Before we go any further, I
do, I do want to make it clear.

1048
00:48:18,214 --> 00:48:22,270
You know, speaking of
forgiveness, you.

1049
00:48:22,310 --> 00:48:27,986
When you have a situation and,
and I, I think we've, I've been taught

1050
00:48:28,018 --> 00:48:29,538
you gotta forgive in every situation.

1051
00:48:29,634 --> 00:48:30,978
You have to just let it go.

1052
00:48:31,114 --> 00:48:33,602
The truth is, I think you, I,
I believe biblically speaking, you

1053
00:48:33,626 --> 00:48:35,442
have to, forbear in every situation.

1054
00:48:35,586 --> 00:48:38,418
I don't believe you have to
forgive if that person is unrepentant

1055
00:48:38,434 --> 00:48:40,162
and continuing on in that sin.

1056
00:48:40,306 --> 00:48:41,634
Um, there's grace.

1057
00:48:41,682 --> 00:48:43,154
We, we treat him with, with grace.

1058
00:48:43,202 --> 00:48:44,130
We treat him with love.

1059
00:48:44,170 --> 00:48:47,474
We treat him with, with, with patience.

1060
00:48:47,602 --> 00:48:51,234
But, but sometimes I think
people are pushed to saying, just

1061
00:48:51,322 --> 00:48:51,890
let it go.

1062
00:48:51,930 --> 00:48:52,656
Just, you're.

1063
00:48:52,688 --> 00:48:53,616
You condone the wrong.

1064
00:48:53,648 --> 00:48:55,088
And I don't think that's
biblically right.

1065
00:48:55,144 --> 00:48:56,672
God doesn't condone the wrong.

1066
00:48:56,816 --> 00:48:59,888
I think it's biblical to stand
up against those that have done evil

1067
00:48:59,904 --> 00:49:00,592
against us.

1068
00:49:00,696 --> 00:49:02,160
And so I just wanted to be
clear about that.

1069
00:49:02,200 --> 00:49:04,320
I didn't because I know
sometimes I've gotten up and people

1070
00:49:04,360 --> 00:49:06,496
have said, so now I'm supposed
to forgive this person that's hurt

1071
00:49:06,528 --> 00:49:07,776
me and they don't care.

1072
00:49:07,928 --> 00:49:09,088
I don't think you have to forgive.

1073
00:49:09,104 --> 00:49:12,112
I think you have to forbear
them and biblically be willing to

1074
00:49:12,136 --> 00:49:14,704
forgive if they came back in,
in, in repentance.

1075
00:49:14,752 --> 00:49:15,104
Okay.

1076
00:49:15,152 --> 00:49:16,780
So just want to go on record
for that.

1077
00:49:17,800 --> 00:49:20,464
Thank you again for listening
to the Middletown Baptist Church

1078
00:49:20,512 --> 00:49:21,216
podcast.

1079
00:49:21,328 --> 00:49:24,040
I hope that this sermon has
been a blessing for you.

1080
00:49:24,340 --> 00:49:26,556
You would like to find out
more information about our church

1081
00:49:26,588 --> 00:49:30,252
or this sermon, you can find
us at middletownbaptistchurch.org

1082
00:49:30,396 --> 00:49:33,200
or find us on Facebook or YouTube.

1083
00:49:33,620 --> 00:49:38,924
You can also email me directly
at Josh Massaro, Middletown BaptistChurch.com

1084
00:49:39,092 --> 00:49:40,876
if you've enjoyed this podcast.

1085
00:49:40,988 --> 00:49:45,680
Please subscribe and follow
along for future podcast and updates.

1086
00:49:46,020 --> 00:49:47,180
Thank you so much.

1087
00:49:47,300 --> 00:49:48,124
God bless.

1088
00:49:48,252 --> 00:49:49,300
Have a wonderful day.