WEBVTT NOTE Podcast: Acts 29 Vancouver Episode: Reconciliation Publishing Date: 2013-10-28T06:00:44-07:00 Podcast URL: https://acts29.ca Episode URL: https://acts29.ca/reconciliation/ 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.600 Rachel are away somewhere. I know that Dagmar and all are coming back tomorrow. Jeff and 00:00:06.560 --> 00:00:15.040 Marie are in down in the US and I forgot the others who are missing. Okay guys, 00:00:17.120 --> 00:00:24.640 before we broke off about two and a half weeks ago, we were talking about presence and so we've 00:00:24.640 --> 00:00:32.320 continued down that track and today I just want to first remind you of the things we've spoken about. 00:00:32.320 --> 00:00:40.240 So first we started off with this premise from Exodus 33 verses 16 and 17 where Moses says to 00:00:40.240 --> 00:00:46.400 God, the thing that distinguishes us as a people from all the other nations is your presence. 00:00:47.600 --> 00:00:53.360 So that's the first statement we need to remember. What distinguishes us as a people of God from 00:00:53.360 --> 00:01:03.040 other peoples who have other gods? It's that in us lives the God of the universe. We carry his presence. 00:01:04.080 --> 00:01:09.280 We also said that there's a difference between carrying his presence and manifesting his presence 00:01:09.280 --> 00:01:15.520 and that's what we are trying to do through these series of teachings so that we manifest his presence 00:01:15.520 --> 00:01:22.640 because people knew that Israel as they walked through the desert had an amazing God in their midst 00:01:23.520 --> 00:01:29.680 because of the things that were happening with them. Leave alone the fact that there was a pillar of cloud and fire. 00:01:29.680 --> 00:01:36.160 Let's assume you couldn't see that. They could still see quail and manna and other things happening. 00:01:36.720 --> 00:01:41.120 So they were aware of his presence. Are people aware of the presence of God in you and I? 00:01:41.120 --> 00:01:46.400 Because that's the manifest presence of God and that needs to happen next guys. 00:01:47.120 --> 00:01:52.480 I mean I was going through my notes from 2009 onwards and I'm reading some of it. I'm thinking 00:01:52.480 --> 00:01:57.760 great there was tremendous revelation but let's get down to the nitty-gritty of now showing God. 00:01:58.480 --> 00:02:06.880 Then we said that the primary purpose of the church is twofold and what are they? 00:02:06.880 --> 00:02:15.440 Reveal the father and reveal the father's business. The next question is if we are to reveal the father's business 00:02:15.440 --> 00:02:19.520 what does the father's business involve and we talked about two things. 00:02:20.560 --> 00:02:25.760 To give life, John 10 10 and to destroy the works of the destroyer. 00:02:26.720 --> 00:02:32.720 That's how we the primary purpose of the church is to reveal the father and to reveal the father's business. 00:02:33.280 --> 00:02:41.280 We reveal the father through a lifestyle where the character of God is evident and we've honed in on that for years at Acts 29. 00:02:41.280 --> 00:02:47.760 And then we now come to the next stage where we say we now also reveal the father's business 00:02:48.640 --> 00:02:55.760 which is give life and destroy the works of the destroyer. That was the other thing we spoke about. 00:02:55.760 --> 00:03:02.320 And then we said that the word presence comes from I'm going to use Roslyn's favorite color now. 00:03:02.320 --> 00:03:10.320 The word presence comes from a Hebrew word that sounds something like this and it's the same word for faith. 00:03:13.120 --> 00:03:20.800 And we said that when we say that we reveal the father's business we reveal the father's business. 00:03:21.040 --> 00:03:27.840 And we said that when it comes to the presence of God when it comes to seeing him face to face 00:03:27.840 --> 00:03:37.840 it's one of the hardest habits to cultivate guys. I mean if I went around this room it would be embarrassing starting with me 00:03:37.840 --> 00:03:47.840 at how the one thing that we don't cultivate is face to face time with the God of the universe who lives in us 00:03:47.840 --> 00:03:56.880 but we've gotten so full of revelation the more you know I find that the less time you are willing to actually spend with God. 00:03:56.880 --> 00:04:04.880 The more you know about God the less you think you need to spend time with him. 00:04:04.880 --> 00:04:10.880 And so there's this thing that we need to once again come back to guys. 00:04:11.040 --> 00:04:21.040 Ask God for a hunger so that you will once again go back to face to face presence time whatever you want to call it. 00:04:21.040 --> 00:04:31.040 Father time or presence or seeking his face go back to asking God for hunger because most of us have even lost the hunger. 00:04:31.040 --> 00:04:35.040 Hunger will lead to intimacy. 00:04:35.200 --> 00:04:45.200 As I begin to hunger after someone I begin to get more intimate with that person because there is a desire that God now births in me. 00:04:45.200 --> 00:04:53.200 So Jacob shouldn't you have the desire already? I should but unfortunately because I know so much because I do so much. 00:04:53.200 --> 00:05:01.200 I don't necessarily think that seeking his face is any longer as important as it perhaps you might have to do it. 00:05:01.360 --> 00:05:05.360 It's a falling away from first love. 00:05:05.360 --> 00:05:19.360 One of the things that happens to couples that have been married for a while and it usually happens around the fifth year is that they begin to lose the excited fondness for each other. 00:05:19.360 --> 00:05:25.360 And there's a settled well you're around kind of a feeling that happens. 00:05:25.520 --> 00:05:31.520 People say it starts around the fifth year if you're not careful the first two years are pretty decent. 00:05:31.520 --> 00:05:33.520 How long have you guys been married? 00:05:33.520 --> 00:05:35.520 Well good for you. 00:05:35.520 --> 00:05:37.520 So hunger intimacy. 00:05:37.520 --> 00:05:41.520 Intimacy leads to awareness. 00:05:41.520 --> 00:05:45.520 Stop giggling Jason. 00:05:45.520 --> 00:05:47.520 Hunger leads to intimacy. 00:05:47.520 --> 00:05:49.520 Intimacy leads to awareness. 00:05:49.520 --> 00:05:53.520 So the more you're around the more you're going to lose the excitement. 00:05:53.680 --> 00:05:59.680 So the more intimate you are with someone the more aware you are of them. 00:05:59.680 --> 00:06:03.680 Sorry not awareness. 00:06:03.680 --> 00:06:09.680 Intimacy leads to knowledge of the person. 00:06:09.680 --> 00:06:13.680 And knowledge leads to awareness of the person. 00:06:13.680 --> 00:06:17.680 And awareness leads back to a greater hunger. 00:06:17.680 --> 00:06:21.680 And the cycle begins to spin on its own. 00:06:21.840 --> 00:06:39.840 So if I were to go around this room and ask whether people in this house actually were able to find deliberate time to love on God to be loved by God this week you'll be surprised at our answer. 00:06:39.840 --> 00:06:41.840 We didn't. 00:06:41.840 --> 00:06:43.840 Most of us didn't. 00:06:43.840 --> 00:06:47.840 I'm not even talking about Bible reading. 00:06:48.000 --> 00:06:54.000 I'm talking about a fondness that causes you to locate him in the middle of ten emails, four phone calls. 00:06:54.000 --> 00:07:00.000 The fact that I only have one hour to get to where I need to. 00:07:00.000 --> 00:07:06.000 The pressures that are put on me by my children, by my spouse, by my work, by church. 00:07:06.000 --> 00:07:12.000 In between all that and sleep and just tiredness. 00:07:12.160 --> 00:07:24.160 In between all that to locate where the God of the universe is so that once I locate him I can say behold I have come over the hills upon the mountains to you I will run my beloved. 00:07:24.160 --> 00:07:26.160 You've captured my heart. 00:07:26.160 --> 00:07:28.160 When does that happen guys? 00:07:28.160 --> 00:07:30.160 When does that happen for us? 00:07:30.160 --> 00:07:32.160 It's become a rarity. 00:07:32.160 --> 00:07:36.160 Some days it will be behold you have come over the hills. 00:07:36.160 --> 00:07:40.160 Some days it will be and behold I saw an open door in the heavens. 00:07:40.320 --> 00:07:44.320 And I heard a voice saying ascend and enter. 00:07:44.320 --> 00:07:48.320 Another day it will be and I saw peels of lightning and flashes of thunder. 00:07:48.320 --> 00:07:52.320 And in between that I heard a voice speaking to me. 00:07:52.320 --> 00:08:00.320 Another day it will be what is your name if you do not tell me your name I will not let you go. 00:08:00.320 --> 00:08:02.320 As in wrestling with God. 00:08:02.320 --> 00:08:08.320 But unfortunately in this room we have lost out on this. 00:08:08.480 --> 00:08:10.480 Go ahead man. 00:08:18.480 --> 00:08:26.480 Yeah it does tie in but praise and worship seems limited to a Sunday morning nowadays. 00:08:26.640 --> 00:08:38.640 Where is the adoration and if it is not great on you man I've had days of adoration during the last month that were great where it was not necessarily singing but just talking to him and adoring him with words that I've never spoken before. 00:08:38.640 --> 00:08:42.640 And then there are days that go by where there is no adoration. 00:08:42.640 --> 00:08:46.640 And then there are days that go by where there is no adoration. 00:08:46.640 --> 00:08:50.640 And then there are days that go by where there is no adoration. 00:08:50.800 --> 00:08:54.800 Guys we need to once again cultivate this habit. 00:08:54.800 --> 00:08:56.800 I only have to locate him. 00:08:56.800 --> 00:08:58.800 Matt it doesn't. 00:08:58.800 --> 00:09:02.800 Surprisingly not when I wake up things on my mind is do I have to wake up. 00:09:02.800 --> 00:09:04.800 Secondly I have to do it. 00:09:04.800 --> 00:09:06.800 I have to do it. 00:09:06.800 --> 00:09:08.800 I have to do it. 00:09:08.800 --> 00:09:10.800 I have to do it. 00:09:10.800 --> 00:09:12.800 I have to do it. 00:09:12.800 --> 00:09:14.800 I have to do it. 00:09:14.800 --> 00:09:16.800 I have to do it. 00:09:16.800 --> 00:09:18.800 I have to do it. 00:09:18.960 --> 00:09:20.960 Second 00:09:20.960 --> 00:09:22.960 is 00:09:22.960 --> 00:09:24.960 how many cups of coffee in the day. 00:09:24.960 --> 00:09:26.960 Third there are so many emails waiting. 00:09:26.960 --> 00:09:30.960 Fourth I have got to make this phone call because those countries are at least 12 and a half hours away. 00:09:30.960 --> 00:09:32.960 Five but I've got to be here at this time. 00:09:32.960 --> 00:09:34.960 And in the process 00:09:38.960 --> 00:09:40.960 it's so hard to locate him. 00:09:40.960 --> 00:09:42.960 I use the word locate maybe for you it's a different word. 00:09:42.960 --> 00:09:44.960 I use the word locate maybe for you it's a different word. 00:09:44.960 --> 00:09:46.960 I use the word locate maybe for you it's a different word. 00:09:47.120 --> 00:09:49.120 And don't think that because you're retired this will be easy. 00:09:49.120 --> 00:09:51.120 And don't think that because you're retired this will be easy. 00:09:51.120 --> 00:09:53.120 I'm retired. 00:09:53.120 --> 00:09:55.120 In the sense I live like a retired person. 00:09:55.120 --> 00:09:57.120 In the sense I live like a retired person. 00:09:57.120 --> 00:09:59.120 Roots stop giggling. 00:09:59.120 --> 00:10:01.120 Roots stop giggling. 00:10:01.120 --> 00:10:03.120 The point being 00:10:03.120 --> 00:10:05.120 The point being 00:10:05.120 --> 00:10:07.120 I'm re-fired. 00:10:07.120 --> 00:10:09.120 I'm re-fired sorry. 00:10:09.120 --> 00:10:11.120 Even that doesn't change it. 00:10:11.120 --> 00:10:13.120 Even that doesn't change it. 00:10:13.120 --> 00:10:15.120 So guys cultivate this. 00:10:15.120 --> 00:10:16.120 It's important. 00:10:16.120 --> 00:10:20.580 I would so suggest to you that you find this time. Some of us don't even know what I'm talking about 00:10:22.220 --> 00:10:28.440 Why because we we have perhaps never engaged in this cycle before I was talking to Jason 00:10:28.800 --> 00:10:33.180 I'm asking him. How did your week go Jason and Jason said it's been super busy 00:10:33.880 --> 00:10:37.060 Entire week has gone by and he hasn't found this time. I 00:10:37.060 --> 00:10:39.060 I 00:10:40.620 --> 00:10:46.300 Have weeks like this when I'll prepare a sermon using what I need to read from the Bible 00:10:46.300 --> 00:10:51.420 But this is completely missing the thing is I can go on like this for almost a year 00:10:51.900 --> 00:10:54.820 Without you knowing it because I've done this for so long. I 00:10:57.340 --> 00:11:02.380 Can choose to get out of this not participate in it and yet for one year I can 00:11:02.980 --> 00:11:09.420 Continue through what I know not out of a vibrant relationship with God because I've been doing this so long for some of you 00:11:09.420 --> 00:11:15.180 It's the same you've been doing it for so long. This isn't as important. This should increase as we grow older shouldn't it? 00:11:17.100 --> 00:11:19.820 The older we get in the Lord the grip the greater this 00:11:21.020 --> 00:11:25.860 Should become and so I encourage us to cultivate this I'm saying to you as 00:11:26.900 --> 00:11:30.020 Seasoned Christians. It's one of the hardest habits to cultivate 00:11:32.500 --> 00:11:34.540 And if you have gotten the hang of it 00:11:34.540 --> 00:11:41.220 I'm saying to you your life is doing much better than perhaps my life because I am not consistent in this yet 00:11:50.060 --> 00:11:54.880 Guys so today we're going to talk about this is just a sum up what we already did 00:11:55.820 --> 00:11:58.420 today, we're going to talk about the characteristics of 00:11:59.420 --> 00:12:07.300 Or the outworking of its manifest presence if its presence is in us here are some characteristics or 00:12:07.500 --> 00:12:09.500 some outworkings of 00:12:10.540 --> 00:12:15.300 What will happen if his presence dwells in us which also means then that if these 00:12:16.420 --> 00:12:23.100 Characteristics are absent. It means that the presence of God in me is shrouded as in its veil 00:12:23.140 --> 00:12:30.260 If the presence of God is in a people these characteristics must be manifested 00:12:30.780 --> 00:12:36.500 These outworkings must be manifested and so here is the list of them. The first one is reconciliation 00:12:37.300 --> 00:12:42.060 Meaning if the presence of God is in a people these are a people who are 00:12:42.500 --> 00:12:44.740 reconciled and do not have a problem in 00:12:45.540 --> 00:12:47.100 reconciling things 00:12:47.100 --> 00:12:49.100 to prosperity 00:12:49.100 --> 00:12:55.580 Three fear of God as in a reverence for God 00:12:57.900 --> 00:13:04.260 Four fearlessness as in boldness 00:13:06.700 --> 00:13:09.700 Five signs and wonders 00:13:14.380 --> 00:13:16.380 Six zeal 00:13:19.100 --> 00:13:23.460 As in a strength that comes from the very 00:13:25.220 --> 00:13:27.500 Muscle of God the zealous 00:13:28.620 --> 00:13:33.340 That doesn't define it exactly but its strength mixed with an enormous 00:13:35.660 --> 00:13:37.660 Single-eyed passion 00:13:38.980 --> 00:13:42.140 Seven reproduction as in 00:13:43.340 --> 00:13:45.780 Its reproduction is a combination of 00:13:46.460 --> 00:13:50.700 Multiplying as a numerical growth and multiplying after its kind 00:13:52.940 --> 00:13:57.380 Made in his image we multiplied after his kind then Adam came along and then 00:13:57.980 --> 00:14:05.500 Genesis 5 says and then they were born in his kind. So when I say reproduction, I mean the ability to increase 00:14:06.500 --> 00:14:09.980 Not just in numbers, but in numbers that look like him 00:14:11.900 --> 00:14:13.820 Eight 00:14:13.820 --> 00:14:15.820 Liberty as in freedom 00:14:16.860 --> 00:14:23.380 Because where the Spirit of God is manifest there there is tremendous freedom individually and corporately and nine 00:14:24.140 --> 00:14:27.460 Dominion as in the ability to rule 00:14:31.500 --> 00:14:33.100 Or have 00:14:33.100 --> 00:14:38.060 Dominion over which is the initial Genesis 1 mandate and so there are these nine 00:14:38.860 --> 00:14:42.540 Things that we'll be looking at over the next nine weeks, hopefully 00:14:42.860 --> 00:14:44.860 Taking each one and saying if 00:14:46.380 --> 00:14:52.780 God is present in a people these characteristics should be outworked in this people 00:14:53.340 --> 00:14:56.140 Some of these you may already have in your life 00:14:57.020 --> 00:14:59.020 That's awesome 00:14:59.020 --> 00:15:01.020 I was talking to somebody and 00:15:01.020 --> 00:15:06.220 We were talking about James and I was saying one of the things that I see present in James's life is 00:15:07.020 --> 00:15:11.180 Boldness or a degree of fearlessness when it comes to voicing things 00:15:11.500 --> 00:15:16.300 Now I'd like to increase in that but there will be other areas in James's life where he needs to increase 00:15:16.300 --> 00:15:22.860 Same with you. These are already present and some of them are prevalent in your life. Others are dominant 00:15:23.900 --> 00:15:27.820 But this is what gives the world a look at our shucks 00:15:27.820 --> 00:15:32.620 These people have a distinct flavor because the god of the universe dwells in them 00:15:34.060 --> 00:15:36.060 Any questions before we go on? 00:15:36.700 --> 00:15:38.700 Any questions before we go on 00:15:46.300 --> 00:15:48.300 Okay 00:15:48.460 --> 00:15:54.940 Guys when it comes to reconciliation first thing that we already know is that god did reconcile us and 00:15:55.260 --> 00:15:57.980 There are three parts in a sense to the what he did 00:15:58.940 --> 00:16:01.420 and one he was our 00:16:02.220 --> 00:16:04.220 atonement and so 00:16:04.620 --> 00:16:09.340 His atonement as in taking the wrath of god his atonement 00:16:11.320 --> 00:16:15.260 Satisfied his atonement satisfied 00:16:17.660 --> 00:16:19.660 The justice of god 00:16:22.780 --> 00:16:26.460 His atonement satisfied the justice of god then there's redemption 00:16:27.580 --> 00:16:31.020 All these were worked out on the crosser and then there's redemption 00:16:31.500 --> 00:16:34.700 His redemption ransomed us 00:16:38.940 --> 00:16:40.940 From 00:16:41.660 --> 00:16:43.660 Hell 00:16:43.660 --> 00:16:45.660 Death 00:16:45.660 --> 00:16:47.660 Sin 00:16:47.660 --> 00:16:49.660 Satan 00:16:49.660 --> 00:16:51.660 Sickness 00:16:51.660 --> 00:16:53.660 His 00:16:57.900 --> 00:17:03.840 Redemption danger false doctrine we can throw in a few other things and then finally there's his reconciliation 00:17:10.140 --> 00:17:12.140 Which raises us 00:17:16.700 --> 00:17:18.700 To the privilege 00:17:22.620 --> 00:17:24.620 To the high privilege 00:17:26.380 --> 00:17:28.940 Of being sons of god 00:17:31.260 --> 00:17:33.260 Thank you for that loud hallelujah 00:17:39.660 --> 00:17:41.660 So the atonement 00:17:42.740 --> 00:17:44.740 Satisfied the justice of god 00:17:44.940 --> 00:17:50.460 By his being able to pour out his wrath on someone human who deserved to die 00:17:51.420 --> 00:17:53.340 redemption 00:17:53.340 --> 00:17:58.220 Ransomed us from hell from death from sin from satan from sickness and we can add a few more 00:17:58.940 --> 00:18:02.080 But here was a ransom that is paid and reconciliation 00:18:03.100 --> 00:18:06.300 now brings us back to our original position 00:18:07.260 --> 00:18:09.760 With god where god through christ reconciles 00:18:10.620 --> 00:18:15.740 The entire world takes away the hostility takes away the enmity and raises up once again 00:18:16.140 --> 00:18:19.420 To that high privilege of being the sons of god because when you read 00:18:20.060 --> 00:18:23.020 Luke and the genealogy of jesus, how does it end? 00:18:23.900 --> 00:18:25.900 It says and adam was the son of 00:18:26.380 --> 00:18:27.660 god 00:18:27.660 --> 00:18:30.940 Raises up back to that place now guys. It's all day 00:18:31.900 --> 00:18:33.900 This is the intent 00:18:34.540 --> 00:18:36.860 But this doesn't happen till these two are done 00:18:38.060 --> 00:18:43.260 Till you recognize christ as your atonement until you recognize him as the redeemer 00:18:43.820 --> 00:18:45.740 There is no reconciliation 00:18:45.740 --> 00:18:50.940 Even though god reconciled the whole world to himself through christ 00:18:53.900 --> 00:18:58.300 Amazing what he is doing. He wants to bring creation back to its original place 00:18:58.540 --> 00:19:01.900 And what is that original place the place of being the sons of god? 00:19:03.500 --> 00:19:05.500 That's his intent 00:19:06.460 --> 00:19:08.460 Back to where adam used to be 00:19:09.420 --> 00:19:12.220 And so he reconciled the entire world through christ and yet 00:19:12.220 --> 00:19:19.020 But unless you recognize his atonement and recognize him as redeemer there is no 00:19:20.120 --> 00:19:22.120 reconciliation 00:19:22.380 --> 00:19:27.340 So, how do you define reconciliation? I know we've talked about this before how do you reckon define reconciliation? 00:19:27.980 --> 00:19:30.300 When you when you say to reconcile what do you mean? 00:19:34.300 --> 00:19:36.300 To reconcile is to balance a ledger 00:19:36.940 --> 00:19:39.580 To reconcile is to balance the ledger 00:19:39.900 --> 00:19:44.940 So if there are two columns, there's a mutual change in both columns till there is harmony 00:19:45.500 --> 00:19:48.860 Let me say it again to reconcile is to balance the ledger 00:19:49.500 --> 00:19:55.340 So if there are two columns, there's there's mutual change in both columns till they are in harmony 00:19:57.660 --> 00:20:01.120 So let's assume in one column is guilt and hostility 00:20:01.840 --> 00:20:07.440 Now god mutually adjusts it so that he removes the debt of guilt and hostility and 00:20:08.160 --> 00:20:13.920 Credits you with the friendship of the father think of how ridiculous this thing is on one hand 00:20:14.240 --> 00:20:16.880 He removes the debt of guilt and hostility 00:20:17.760 --> 00:20:19.760 And then he credits you 00:20:20.240 --> 00:20:23.520 With the friendship of the father. That's what happens in reconciliation 00:20:23.520 --> 00:20:25.520 That's what happens in reconciliation 00:20:29.520 --> 00:20:34.260 Colossians 1 21 and 22 Colossians 1 21 and 22 00:20:34.260 --> 00:20:36.260 Here's what it says 00:20:49.700 --> 00:20:51.300 Here's what it says 00:20:51.300 --> 00:20:55.940 And you who were once alienated and hostile in mind doing evil deeds 00:20:56.340 --> 00:21:00.660 He has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death 00:21:01.220 --> 00:21:05.540 In order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him 00:21:06.180 --> 00:21:11.780 Let me read that again and you who once were alienated and hostile in mind doing evil deeds 00:21:12.100 --> 00:21:20.340 He has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him 00:21:20.580 --> 00:21:24.260 Here's what's happening guys in reconciliation god becomes the auditor 00:21:24.980 --> 00:21:27.140 And he audits god becomes a debtor 00:21:28.420 --> 00:21:30.420 And god becomes a penalized payee 00:21:31.620 --> 00:21:34.020 So god is the auditor he audits and finds there's a 00:21:35.540 --> 00:21:42.500 Problem he also takes on the role of the debtor who now has a debt to pay and who cannot pay and therefore 00:21:42.500 --> 00:21:49.380 He also plays the role of the penalized payee who now has to pay at any cost and in the process 00:21:49.780 --> 00:21:56.820 You now have the columns adjusted so that you come into a place where the friendship of the father is credited to you 00:21:56.820 --> 00:21:58.820 This is a permanent thing for us guys 00:22:01.140 --> 00:22:03.140 Permanent thing for us 00:22:03.700 --> 00:22:08.500 Got to understand this because some of us are thinking as we are talking about this. Well, I know i'm saved 00:22:08.500 --> 00:22:12.820 No, well, I know i'm saved but look at what had to happen for the saving to happen 00:22:15.380 --> 00:22:21.460 You know guys the knowledge of what god has done informs our talking our witnessing our everything 00:22:21.460 --> 00:22:24.500 Otherwise we get stuck in a rut and we say the same thing over and over again 00:22:28.820 --> 00:22:36.020 And I was thinking that for for jesus christ, I mean this is god i'm thinking of just me being accused 00:22:36.420 --> 00:22:42.740 Of being shamed and how not to react requires a degree of nothingness, but here is god 00:22:43.220 --> 00:22:47.060 He walks on the earth and he must have been so much more than a human being 00:22:47.460 --> 00:22:53.860 But here is god he walks on the earth and he must have been so nothing in his heart to be accused 00:22:54.340 --> 00:23:01.460 Stripped shamed beaten like a thief crucified and yet he says nothing man like a sheep being taken silent 00:23:02.100 --> 00:23:03.940 Silently to his share 00:23:03.940 --> 00:23:10.580 How does how we react when we are accused and shamed and stripped of our dignity? It's like how could that happen to me? 00:23:11.300 --> 00:23:14.020 Isaiah 54 17 father let your vindication come 00:23:14.980 --> 00:23:19.780 We get so riled up sometimes and yet here is god himself being accused 00:23:20.260 --> 00:23:24.740 shamed stripped beaten like a thief and hung like a murderer and 00:23:25.380 --> 00:23:27.940 He goes to the cross silent as a 00:23:28.740 --> 00:23:30.740 Sheep before its shearers 00:23:31.140 --> 00:23:34.580 You got to be really nothing to be able to take that without reacting man 00:23:37.540 --> 00:23:42.420 After all these years this thing this person called jesus still fascinates me 00:23:42.500 --> 00:23:45.700 In these things he does what kind of man was even 00:23:48.020 --> 00:23:50.740 For the joy that is set before him endured 00:23:52.980 --> 00:23:55.540 Even though so unjust doesn't say a word 00:23:57.860 --> 00:24:00.900 Any questions before we go on we won't finish this today 00:24:00.900 --> 00:24:04.900 So i'll go on for another 15 minutes and stop and then continue next time 00:24:06.100 --> 00:24:08.100 Any questions? 00:24:10.340 --> 00:24:12.340 Sure 00:24:12.820 --> 00:24:14.820 Sorry 00:24:15.700 --> 00:24:17.700 Sorry 00:24:23.700 --> 00:24:27.220 Yeah, i'm just using it because it's scripture yeah 00:24:30.340 --> 00:24:36.660 Oh, sorry to the slaughter yeah, so uh, maybe middle eastern sheep are different 00:24:36.660 --> 00:24:38.660 Um 00:24:38.900 --> 00:24:45.620 Canadian sheep are like us very individualistic and we have an identity and we have rights and we have the sheep lawyer and 00:24:46.260 --> 00:24:49.540 We have the sheep union but in the middle east sheep 00:24:50.260 --> 00:24:51.860 just go 00:24:51.860 --> 00:24:53.860 Sheep are just sheepish. Yeah 00:24:54.020 --> 00:24:56.500 Anyways, it's scripture. So i'll hang with it and then 00:24:57.140 --> 00:24:59.540 Maybe three weeks from now jason will give you 00:25:00.660 --> 00:25:02.660 The real history behind the hebrew sheep 00:25:07.060 --> 00:25:08.020 Um 00:25:08.020 --> 00:25:09.700 guys reconciliation 00:25:09.700 --> 00:25:11.860 We talked about reconciliation with god and i'm not 00:25:12.500 --> 00:25:15.380 Going down that road much because most of us understand it 00:25:15.780 --> 00:25:19.060 But now talk about balancing the ledger sheet between you 00:25:19.620 --> 00:25:21.620 And me you and your spouse 00:25:21.620 --> 00:25:23.140 You and friends 00:25:23.140 --> 00:25:25.140 you and people 00:25:25.780 --> 00:25:28.980 We rarely talk about forgiveness in this church because it's a given 00:25:29.300 --> 00:25:33.940 But because we are talking about these being characteristics of the manifest presence of god in us 00:25:34.260 --> 00:25:40.180 Let's go down that road guys at the end of the day the way to balance ledgers between people is forgiveness 00:25:40.500 --> 00:25:43.220 Forgiveness is the pathway to balancing the ledger 00:25:44.480 --> 00:25:49.380 Forgiveness is the pathway to balancing the ledger or to reconciling 00:25:49.940 --> 00:25:52.580 Forgiveness is the pathway because what does forgiveness do? 00:25:54.100 --> 00:25:56.980 It deals with debts that people owe us 00:25:57.920 --> 00:25:59.920 forgiveness deals with debts 00:26:00.640 --> 00:26:07.520 That people owe us forgiveness deals with debts that people owe us 00:26:10.960 --> 00:26:12.080 So 00:26:12.080 --> 00:26:16.640 If if there is a debt that you owe me in terms of an explanation in terms of an apology 00:26:17.020 --> 00:26:19.520 Forgiveness deals with that debt 00:26:22.160 --> 00:26:28.480 Therefore it's a pathway to reconciliation because reconciliation takes a column of debt debt and 00:26:29.420 --> 00:26:32.080 Reconciled the ledger is made good 00:26:33.200 --> 00:26:35.200 Yeah 00:26:59.200 --> 00:27:01.200 Yeah 00:27:10.000 --> 00:27:12.000 Yeah 00:27:19.680 --> 00:27:21.680 Yeah, we will probably 00:27:22.240 --> 00:27:25.200 I think we'll get to that part today and then see if 00:27:25.760 --> 00:27:26.960 Yeah, physically done 00:27:26.960 --> 00:27:29.360 I think we'll get to that in the next 15 or 20 minutes 00:27:30.000 --> 00:27:35.200 But I may not be able to complete the second half, but let's see if your question is answered then great 00:27:35.200 --> 00:27:37.200 Otherwise, you can ask it again 00:27:37.680 --> 00:27:40.720 Guys Matthew 18 23 to 25 00:27:41.360 --> 00:27:43.360 Matthew 18 23 to 25 00:27:46.480 --> 00:27:48.480 Matthew 18 00:27:52.400 --> 00:27:54.400 Therefore the kingdom of heaven 00:27:55.200 --> 00:28:02.160 May be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants when he began to settle one was brought to him 00:28:02.160 --> 00:28:07.760 Who owed him 10,000 talents and since he could not pay his master ordered him to be sold with his wife and children 00:28:08.080 --> 00:28:12.320 And all that he had and payment to be made so the servant fell on his knees imploring him 00:28:12.640 --> 00:28:16.160 Have patience with me and I will pay you everything and out of pity for him 00:28:16.160 --> 00:28:21.760 The master of the servant released him and forgave him the debt guys the point being that 00:28:26.000 --> 00:28:28.880 Forgiveness is a core kingdom value 00:28:29.600 --> 00:28:37.200 Forgiveness is a core kingdom value. Jesus is here talking about a parable about the kingdom of god and in the 00:28:38.080 --> 00:28:45.280 In the parable he establishes the fact that listen guys if you say you're kingdom people Jacob, then show me 00:28:46.080 --> 00:28:53.200 Any area of unforgiveness in your life towards someone in the church or outside amongst your relatives relatives or towards your spouse? 00:28:53.680 --> 00:28:59.760 And there is a lack of the manifestation of the kingdom in that area. It's a core kingdom value 00:29:01.200 --> 00:29:05.780 And strangely enough there is room at the cross for rapists and murderers 00:29:06.320 --> 00:29:11.840 And yet there is no room for victims who refuse to forgive strange 00:29:12.640 --> 00:29:20.480 There's room at the cross for rapists and for murderers and yet there is no room at the cross for some of us who have been victims of 00:29:21.120 --> 00:29:25.920 Abuse victims of hurt. There's no room at the cross for victims who refuse to forgive 00:29:28.160 --> 00:29:32.400 That's how core this value of forgiveness is in the kingdom 00:29:36.560 --> 00:29:42.880 Even and notice we are victims and yet there's no room for us at the cross when we refuse to forgive 00:29:44.800 --> 00:29:46.800 And yet there is room for rapists and murderers 00:29:50.480 --> 00:29:52.480 And 00:29:52.780 --> 00:29:55.520 Unforgiveness if you read that parable further 00:29:56.320 --> 00:29:58.720 Will show that unforgiveness will 00:29:59.680 --> 00:30:01.680 result in tormentors 00:30:01.840 --> 00:30:06.500 Having the legal right to inflict us and to ravages unforgiveness 00:30:07.840 --> 00:30:10.500 Gives legal right to tormentors 00:30:11.760 --> 00:30:18.160 Who now have the right to come and inflict or ravage us i'm turning this one on mat 00:30:19.040 --> 00:30:21.040 Matt yeah 00:30:23.120 --> 00:30:27.040 Unforgiveness results in tormentors having legal right to inflict and ravage 00:30:27.360 --> 00:30:32.240 I mean, it's ridiculous. But just think of how many of us christians are caught in this trapper 00:30:32.720 --> 00:30:39.200 We harbor anger and withhold mercy from another and yet we seek god for healing 00:30:40.320 --> 00:30:42.320 And expect to be healed 00:30:43.840 --> 00:30:45.840 We harbor 00:30:46.240 --> 00:30:48.640 Anger and withhold mercy 00:30:49.440 --> 00:30:56.480 From people sometimes spouse to spouse and yet seek god for our healing and expect healing 00:30:57.120 --> 00:31:04.000 Surprise that sometimes these things are not working out because i'd suggest to you not suggest the bible strongly says that listen 00:31:04.320 --> 00:31:10.000 When you are unforgiving jacob tormentors have now a legal right to inflict and ravage you 00:31:10.880 --> 00:31:15.040 It seems so unfair. Absolutely, but then even the cross was such an unfair thing 00:31:15.840 --> 00:31:17.840 I mean 00:31:24.160 --> 00:31:28.400 Sometimes the reason I refuse forgiveness is because my pain is greater 00:31:29.600 --> 00:31:30.480 than 00:31:30.480 --> 00:31:37.760 The sonship and the love and the great favor and forgiveness I have received from god and that's absolutely possible. Eh, it's odd but 00:31:40.000 --> 00:31:42.880 Sometimes because I don't realize how much i've been forgiven 00:31:43.360 --> 00:31:49.280 My pain is sometimes greater than the forgiveness i've received and it's I find it very difficult than to release somebody 00:31:49.600 --> 00:31:53.520 You can tell me all the stuff about hasn't jesus forgiven you. Yeah. Yeah, he's forgiven me 00:31:53.520 --> 00:31:55.840 But you have no idea what this person did to me 00:31:56.080 --> 00:32:02.160 Sometimes our pain is greater than the undeserved forgiveness the undeserved sonship the undeserved 00:32:02.560 --> 00:32:07.280 Love and the great favor that i've received received from god and it's very possible to be in that situation 00:32:08.800 --> 00:32:12.560 Jesus made the statement. He said jacob. I pray that you 00:32:13.040 --> 00:32:15.920 Understand how much you've been forgiven so that you can forgive others 00:32:21.440 --> 00:32:28.160 Guys whenever the pain or the offense is the focus know that it's going to be very hard for you to forgive cleanly 00:32:28.960 --> 00:32:33.840 Even when I hear testimonies and I hear these testimonies often i've read books about this often 00:32:34.400 --> 00:32:41.280 Written by people who were abused or who were hurt and you will find that the focus of the testimony or the focus of the book 00:32:42.240 --> 00:32:45.920 Is on the offense and the abuse that was committed to them 00:32:46.720 --> 00:32:51.200 Out of a 90 page book 60 pages is on the offense and the abuse and I would say to you 00:32:51.600 --> 00:32:56.080 That in their life, it's perhaps still a scab that is waiting to be pressed open 00:32:58.800 --> 00:33:01.280 So when people come up and give testimony and they say 00:33:01.600 --> 00:33:04.960 How they were hurt how they were abused how this was done to them how that was done to them 00:33:05.200 --> 00:33:07.520 If that takes up the meat of a testimony 00:33:07.840 --> 00:33:13.040 I would suggest to you that it's still a scab that is just waiting to be priced open by some more pressure 00:33:14.320 --> 00:33:17.040 Because as long as my focus is on the pain or the offense 00:33:18.060 --> 00:33:19.520 invariably 00:33:19.520 --> 00:33:22.500 Feelings will rise up again that have to do with unforgiveness 00:33:25.520 --> 00:33:30.640 I'm not saying that forgiveness minimizes the hurt i'm saying that it chooses not to focus on it 00:33:32.640 --> 00:33:34.960 So when someone wrongs me and I have to forgive them 00:33:35.920 --> 00:33:37.920 I mean, I remember something that happened 00:33:38.640 --> 00:33:42.240 This year and surprisingly through someone in acts 29 00:33:42.800 --> 00:33:45.040 I remember going home and saying to the lord father 00:33:45.440 --> 00:33:50.400 I've got to come to church tomorrow and you know how resentful I am right now with what was said 00:33:51.040 --> 00:33:53.040 And you've got to help me 00:33:54.000 --> 00:33:59.040 Not even focus on this because if I do tomorrow I might use the pulpit as a bully pulpit 00:33:59.440 --> 00:34:02.160 And I don't want to and it's surprising. I've got to get away 00:34:03.120 --> 00:34:06.800 Because i've got to take away the focus from the resentment and the anger I feel 00:34:07.360 --> 00:34:12.000 Because if I do then sunday morning when I come here and I look at you I will use 00:34:12.720 --> 00:34:14.560 The pulpit to bully you 00:34:14.560 --> 00:34:19.200 Or some words will come out of my mouth that are meant to actually affect 00:34:19.920 --> 00:34:21.920 you 00:34:32.160 --> 00:34:34.160 Emotionally 00:34:34.720 --> 00:34:35.680 Yeah 00:34:35.680 --> 00:34:36.480 Yeah 00:34:36.480 --> 00:34:43.760 When I say focus, I mean that incident that happened to me. It's reliving it again and reliving it never heals me never heals me 00:34:44.960 --> 00:34:46.960 so even in counseling 00:34:47.120 --> 00:34:52.240 And ministry and conversation and testimonies don't necessarily encourage a person to relive 00:34:53.120 --> 00:34:58.000 The abuse done because it does not necessarily helping them get over it if anything 00:34:58.640 --> 00:35:00.640 it's 00:35:00.720 --> 00:35:02.720 Yeah 00:35:11.440 --> 00:35:18.660 Perhaps the first time but what happens in christian circles is we make them go over it again and again and again and again every time 00:35:18.740 --> 00:35:20.740 Yeah 00:35:30.500 --> 00:35:32.500 Yeah, and that should be 00:35:34.500 --> 00:35:35.860 Yeah 00:35:35.860 --> 00:35:40.900 Yeah, and that should be drawn out. But once it's drawn out, we don't need to go over and over it again 00:35:41.860 --> 00:35:46.900 Different. Yeah. Yeah, not a standard approach. I think the first I mean 00:35:47.700 --> 00:35:48.740 We may not get there today 00:35:48.740 --> 00:35:54.660 But one of the things that is required is confrontation of an issue so that it can be brought out into the light 00:35:54.900 --> 00:35:56.900 Because things flourish in darkness 00:35:56.900 --> 00:36:01.860 So the first time it needs to be brought out into the light but not relived in the limelight again and again 00:36:02.340 --> 00:36:04.340 guys forgive sorry, go ahead 00:36:06.740 --> 00:36:08.740 Yeah, yeah 00:36:09.300 --> 00:36:11.300 Yeah 00:36:16.180 --> 00:36:22.020 Yeah, and that's because the focus is again on the same thing yeah, i'll forgive you but I won't forget it 00:36:25.060 --> 00:36:27.060 Yeah 00:36:33.060 --> 00:36:34.420 Yeah 00:36:34.420 --> 00:36:38.980 And I think this part will deal with it when we talk about forgiveness what it actually means guys 00:36:39.700 --> 00:36:42.180 Forgiveness is not based on the merit of the offender 00:36:43.140 --> 00:36:46.740 As in it has nothing to do with with whether the offender is sorry or not 00:36:47.540 --> 00:36:49.380 It has nothing to do with it 00:36:49.380 --> 00:36:55.940 Because that's an issue that the world always challenges christians on because you see something heinous happening to a christian 00:36:56.340 --> 00:36:58.340 And the christian forgives and and the world says 00:36:59.300 --> 00:37:04.740 But how can you just forgive this is like a free ticket and yet forgiveness is not based on the merit of the offender 00:37:05.060 --> 00:37:07.060 It has to be given before it's asked 00:37:08.100 --> 00:37:13.460 Strange but it has to be given before it is asked and you might think no jacob. That's not right 00:37:13.940 --> 00:37:16.100 Romans 5 8 says that while we were yet 00:37:17.060 --> 00:37:18.420 sinners 00:37:18.420 --> 00:37:25.140 It is appropriated or received by the person only if he asks for it, but it cannot be held till the person asks 00:37:26.100 --> 00:37:28.100 When when this situation happened 00:37:28.980 --> 00:37:34.500 At axe 29 the person perhaps was unaware of it or perhaps wasn't going to come and talk to me about it 00:37:34.820 --> 00:37:39.620 But that doesn't mean that I now hold on to it till the person comes in 00:37:40.260 --> 00:37:46.100 Asks I got to release it immediately the sooner I release it the less toxic I'll become 00:37:48.420 --> 00:37:54.660 Otherwise i'm done for man if I was to wait for someone to ask or if you were to wait till I asked you for forgiveness 00:37:54.980 --> 00:37:56.980 What if I don't? 00:37:57.860 --> 00:37:59.860 so 00:38:01.220 --> 00:38:05.460 So it has to be given before it is asked while we were yet sinners romans 5 8 says 00:38:06.660 --> 00:38:08.660 jesus christ 00:38:08.980 --> 00:38:13.780 Died for us, so it's freely given and this is the hard part without strings attached 00:38:14.480 --> 00:38:15.700 unconditional 00:38:15.700 --> 00:38:21.140 Regardless of whether what they did is acknowledged or not regardless of whether they confess to it or not 00:38:21.460 --> 00:38:23.460 Regardless of whether they repent or not 00:38:24.420 --> 00:38:27.140 They appropriated only when they begin to 00:38:29.060 --> 00:38:31.460 Ask for it or only when they begin to 00:38:32.980 --> 00:38:35.140 Acknowledge it, but we give it without any 00:38:36.020 --> 00:38:37.700 strings attached 00:38:37.700 --> 00:38:42.740 So what am I doing? Here's what i'm doing guys when you do me harm when you hurt me 00:38:43.780 --> 00:38:48.660 Here's what i'm doing. I'm giving up my right. I'm rejecting the right to settle scores 00:38:50.180 --> 00:38:52.500 I'm rejecting the right to humiliate you 00:38:54.420 --> 00:38:56.820 I'm rejecting the right to punish you 00:38:59.220 --> 00:39:01.780 I'm rejecting the right to hold a grievance against you 00:39:02.580 --> 00:39:08.420 What a ridiculous people these are these people must be a people in whom god dwells because no one else can do that 00:39:10.180 --> 00:39:12.180 Even our 00:39:13.060 --> 00:39:18.420 Laws which are supposedly based on the bible are based on old testament ways of doing things 00:39:18.500 --> 00:39:24.020 I for an eye tooth for a tooth capital punishment all we can always go to scripture and find a basis for that 00:39:24.260 --> 00:39:26.980 But then here is a people who now have god living in them 00:39:28.020 --> 00:39:33.620 Who who have a very different standard when they are hurt and offended when they are abused and betrayed 00:39:34.180 --> 00:39:36.180 They reject the right 00:39:36.500 --> 00:39:43.540 Even perhaps an old testament biblical right to punish to humiliate to continue to hold the grievance 00:39:44.500 --> 00:39:45.700 to 00:39:45.700 --> 00:39:46.820 to 00:39:46.820 --> 00:39:50.900 Settle scores. We reject that right. We don't go eye for an eye or tooth for a tooth 00:39:51.780 --> 00:39:59.220 You see why reconciliation then becomes such a powerful display of the care of the outworking of the presence of god enough people 00:40:02.580 --> 00:40:09.160 And in the process I now demolish any platform on which I can build bitterness 00:40:09.560 --> 00:40:15.240 I demolish any platform whereby tomorrow I can come and look for faults in you 00:40:16.840 --> 00:40:20.760 I demolish any platform for hostility towards you 00:40:22.840 --> 00:40:26.840 And I demolish any platform for a host of diseases that come with unforgiveness 00:40:28.840 --> 00:40:33.960 So i'm collapsing this platform in my life because if I allow it to be built and it's built 00:40:34.280 --> 00:40:39.000 Because if I allow it to be built and it's built piece by piece as I let it 00:40:39.560 --> 00:40:43.160 Go on for a while as I do that now what happens is 00:40:43.800 --> 00:40:50.680 In my life this platform is being built for bitterness for hostility for tomorrow having an attitude towards you and for a host of diseases 00:40:50.840 --> 00:40:53.800 Oh, by the way, a short interruption before I go on 00:40:54.520 --> 00:40:56.520 From now on when new people come 00:40:57.320 --> 00:40:59.320 I've appointed tavis to 00:40:59.320 --> 00:41:00.520 To 00:41:00.520 --> 00:41:06.040 Direct them to their chairs and tavis will also let them know where the washrooms are because when new people come 00:41:06.360 --> 00:41:10.040 Sometimes they don't know where the washrooms are and tavis will also let them know where the 00:41:10.600 --> 00:41:15.720 Offering boxes so that's his responsibility. So you may find him at the door and 00:41:17.240 --> 00:41:23.320 If you need help in these three areas in terms of the washrooms in terms of where the offering box is or finding a seat to sit 00:41:24.120 --> 00:41:27.640 Tavis that's become tavis's responsibility. You're okay with that, right tavis? 00:41:27.800 --> 00:41:32.440 Yeah, so because we saw how well he did when we had the 00:41:33.480 --> 00:41:39.080 The first banquet at himalaya he and jason was standing there and after some time 00:41:39.080 --> 00:41:45.240 I saw that jason wasn't doing anything. He was just standing there, but tavis was directing all the guests to the chairs 00:41:45.800 --> 00:41:48.280 So I thought it's a good responsibility to have 00:41:52.760 --> 00:41:57.080 I love this liner and I was thinking of it this morning that this is something 00:41:57.400 --> 00:42:02.520 So true of God and me and how this has to be the same with other people forgiveness is a power 00:42:03.960 --> 00:42:05.960 To free the offender from the offense 00:42:08.200 --> 00:42:14.360 Forgiveness is the power just one thing James forgiveness is the power to free the offender from the offense 00:42:15.480 --> 00:42:17.800 And not punish them or prove them wrong 00:42:19.640 --> 00:42:26.440 Forgiveness is the power to free the offender from the offense and not punish them or prove them wrong. Go ahead 00:42:27.080 --> 00:42:52.280 Yeah, very true. That is also, bitterness rises up in my heart. Yeah. And so, it, and 00:42:52.280 --> 00:42:58.280 when bitterness rises up in my heart, my usual desire is, I wish there was some way to humiliate 00:42:58.280 --> 00:43:04.720 this person or to bring them down a notch or to cause them some harm that will diminish them. 00:43:04.720 --> 00:43:10.560 That is a problem with bitterness. When I'm bitter with you, I want to put you back and put you in a 00:43:10.560 --> 00:43:18.560 place where you are demeaned. And when I can't do that, then my only option is use sarcasm, 00:43:18.760 --> 00:43:24.560 use words, use actions that will somehow humiliate you or punish you or extract a pound of flesh. 00:43:24.560 --> 00:43:34.920 And if I don't get an opportunity for that, now it begins to build in me. Pardon? Yeah, 00:43:34.920 --> 00:43:41.120 totally. Which is why I need to eliminate it early. In a sense, guys, forgiveness is really 00:43:42.120 --> 00:43:50.440 God's action. Because what did we say? Graces. Grace is God giving himself to us bountifully, 00:43:50.440 --> 00:44:00.200 joyfully, and mercifully, even though we don't deserve it. And somehow when I am not going to 00:44:00.200 --> 00:44:07.800 hold on to what you have wronged me in, I'm participating in the action of God, where instead 00:44:07.800 --> 00:44:13.880 of hostility, I'm through the vehicle of kindness, beginning to offer you bountifully, joyfully, 00:44:13.880 --> 00:44:25.240 and mercifully. Undeservedly, I'm offering you not unkindness, but kindness. A very hard thing to do. 00:44:25.240 --> 00:44:32.760 Guys, I mean, when I look at my life, it's been easy to forgive people because all that has 00:44:32.760 --> 00:44:39.600 happened in my life is people who have said things nasty, treated me nasty. But I haven't had betrayals 00:44:39.600 --> 00:44:47.520 like spousal betrayal or my parents doing me harm or my siblings doing me harm. I haven't been through 00:44:47.520 --> 00:44:57.320 that. But know this, that at the end of the day, if Maurice carries in his heart any resentment or 00:44:57.320 --> 00:45:03.160 unforgiveness against his sister, if you as a spouse carry in your heart resentment against the 00:45:03.160 --> 00:45:10.760 other spouse, these things are such toxic buildups. Because if you don't forgive trespassers, you 00:45:10.760 --> 00:45:11.720 accumulate garbage. 00:45:27.320 --> 00:45:33.640 I'm not speaking out of experience. I'm just speaking out of what I know from the word and from other 00:45:33.640 --> 00:45:41.680 people's experience. The thing is to guard my heart against the root of bitterness. We are offended 00:45:41.680 --> 00:45:51.480 enough at what we hear on Fox News and CNN, so that Christians begin to hate Obama. How silly is that? 00:45:57.320 --> 00:46:07.400 How many times do I keep forgiving? Lamech said that if he was harmed, he would murder or avenge 00:46:07.400 --> 00:46:13.640 people 70 times seven in Genesis 424. Jesus takes that and reverses it on its head. He says if you 00:46:13.640 --> 00:46:20.000 are done harm, Lamech said he would hurt people 70 times seven, you are to forgive them 70 times 00:46:21.000 --> 00:46:29.000 seven. And I know I've displayed this before, but just to refresh our memory, if every time I ask him for a glass of 00:46:29.000 --> 00:46:35.520 water, he comes and gives me the glass of water, but whenever he gives me, I hit him. The first time I hit him, 00:46:35.520 --> 00:46:39.840 he'll say, all right, it's okay. I ask him for another glass of water. He brings me another glass of water. 00:46:40.040 --> 00:46:46.920 Again, I hit him. Third time he's smart. Third time I ask him for a glass of water, he'll come. He doesn't 00:46:46.920 --> 00:46:54.320 throw it at my face. He comes and leaves the glass of water here and he stays about a feet and a half away 00:46:54.320 --> 00:47:01.240 from me because he can still give me the glass of water, but he will not be foolish enough to give it from 00:47:01.240 --> 00:47:07.040 within a radius of one and a half feet. He'll stay outside that radius because he'll still give me the glass 00:47:07.040 --> 00:47:13.520 of water, but he will not choose to get slapped again unnecessarily. Twice is enough. You only have, 00:47:13.720 --> 00:47:17.720 Jesus said, give the other cheek. Two cheeks are enough. That's all. After that, no more cheeks to give. 00:47:27.200 --> 00:47:33.920 Guys, there's a process to reconciliation. I thought I would stop. Let me finish this, guys. Otherwise, 00:47:34.200 --> 00:47:40.160 half finished next time will be difficult. I'm sorry it's going to take 10 minutes. Reconciliation, the 00:47:40.160 --> 00:47:48.600 process of reconciliation, be it in a body or be it between individuals. There's a process for forgiveness 00:47:48.960 --> 00:47:56.960 to be appropriated or to be dished out. We have to go through these four stages, guys, which we prefer 00:47:56.960 --> 00:48:18.240 avoiding because these are not fun. Confrontation, confession, restitution and restoration. 00:48:18.240 --> 00:48:30.360 I'm hoping that this church will always use this method for things within the corporate body and that 00:48:30.360 --> 00:48:37.560 you will try and use this in your man-to-man relationships and even God and man deal like this. See, 00:48:37.560 --> 00:48:45.240 forgiveness and reconciliation must precede prayer and praise. Matthew 5.23 says, if you know that 00:48:45.240 --> 00:48:51.120 your brother has something against you, before you come to the altar, go sort out things with him. Not 00:48:51.120 --> 00:48:55.560 even that if you have something against your brother. If you think your brother has something against 00:48:55.560 --> 00:49:01.680 you, it becomes your responsibility. These are the four steps, be it in this church or be it in God 00:49:01.680 --> 00:49:08.520 and you and be it in man and man. Confrontational requires us to understand that sin is not a private 00:49:08.520 --> 00:49:14.680 matter. Sin is not a private matter. We have made it a private matter, but sin is not a private matter. 00:49:14.680 --> 00:49:22.800 If I am aware of a sin in your life, not by guesswork, not by hearsay, but either through seeing it 00:49:22.800 --> 00:49:28.080 or through knowing it, but God has very clearly said it, then sin is no longer a private matter and I 00:49:28.080 --> 00:49:37.520 need to come and talk to you about it as you do me. So now that I confront you with it, and it should 00:49:37.520 --> 00:49:43.360 be so because the church belongs to Christ who is light and the church is called the pillar of truth. 00:49:43.360 --> 00:49:49.720 I love the word, one of the Greek words for truth which is aletheia, which means non concealment. 00:49:49.720 --> 00:49:56.880 I love it. Non concealment. What a life to live. Non concealment. Where now that you know that 00:49:56.880 --> 00:50:03.000 there is an area of darkness that exists, if I'm aware of it, then I need to come and confront you 00:50:03.000 --> 00:50:07.840 with it. And this is one of the things that we are fortunate in because we are small because you can't 00:50:07.840 --> 00:50:13.640 do this on a large scale because we don't have time for it. And the Holy Spirit will convict and 00:50:13.640 --> 00:50:19.760 confront me on my sin usually through people or through the word, one or the other. Many times 00:50:19.760 --> 00:50:26.560 people have come up to me and confronted me on sin. Roland has, Eddie has, Michael Scantleberry has, 00:50:26.560 --> 00:50:41.880 Jeannie has, some of you, once or twice you have, to confront me on sin. This is a privilege we have 00:50:41.880 --> 00:50:48.080 in a small church like this. Don't shirk away from it when it happens. Once that happens guys, 00:50:48.080 --> 00:50:53.120 we then go on to confession. Confession is admission and agreement that yes there is a 00:50:53.160 --> 00:51:00.200 problem. And without that ability to agree and admit and acknowledge it, there is no transformation 00:51:00.200 --> 00:51:11.600 really. So why even wait for confrontation? One of the things I really liked about Eric is that in a 00:51:11.600 --> 00:51:17.960 certain situation, Eric was having a problem and I was going to take him with me to a place and before 00:51:17.960 --> 00:51:22.360 even going there, he said, Jacob, I need to talk to you. And he came and said, I've got a situation 00:51:22.360 --> 00:51:26.560 and a problem in this area and I need you to know it ahead of time and I want to bring it into the 00:51:26.560 --> 00:51:33.760 light because I want it to lose its power. I would have never known, but the reason he brought it up 00:51:33.760 --> 00:51:38.680 to the surface and exposed it is so that it would lose its power. I thought to myself, that's nuts, 00:51:38.680 --> 00:51:45.080 man. Even I wouldn't dare do that if it was hidden. I prefer it being hidden. This doesn't mean we come 00:51:45.080 --> 00:51:49.200 up in front of the church every Sunday with a confession time and wear our heart out on a sleep. 00:51:49.280 --> 00:51:55.600 That can be disastrous sometimes. I've done that and it's very disastrous. I went up, I know I told 00:51:55.600 --> 00:51:59.600 you this before, but I went up to the pastor of a church just before he goes over to preach and I 00:51:59.600 --> 00:52:08.960 confess to him publicly in front of the church that I really hated him. This was 20 years ago. It just 00:52:08.960 --> 00:52:15.160 didn't do him any good, nor did it do the church much good. I know if you look at the mistakes I've 00:52:15.160 --> 00:52:21.920 made, it was very satisfying for me. It was like, now I can enter into worship easily because my 00:52:21.920 --> 00:52:38.160 guilt is over. I just hung an albatross on his neck, man. That's the intent of not confessing 00:52:38.160 --> 00:52:44.480 publicly, but sometimes if you're struggling with an area, and I do it every so often with some of 00:52:44.480 --> 00:52:47.960 these guys I've mentioned, where I'll go and say I'm struggling with this area. I remember coming 00:52:47.960 --> 00:52:52.400 back from a trip, struggling in a certain area, and I remember telling Eddie about it. The beautiful 00:52:52.400 --> 00:52:56.720 thing was Eddie says, Jacob, I used to have the same struggles, and then he told me how he overcame 00:52:56.720 --> 00:53:01.480 it. It was the first time I'd admitted something to Eddie without him having to pull it out or him 00:53:01.480 --> 00:53:07.480 having seen it. It really helped. Sometimes you do that, confess your sins one to another, or talk 00:53:07.480 --> 00:53:12.400 to the set man or the pastor or someone that you trust is operating at a level, hopefully spiritually 00:53:12.400 --> 00:53:18.680 at a place higher than you. This is not accountability. I do not believe in this accountability stuff, 00:53:18.680 --> 00:53:24.280 where you and I sit every week and you tell me your sins and I tell you my sins. It's disastrous. 00:53:24.280 --> 00:53:30.560 I think I told you that too, where I'd sit with this guy and he was married and he'd tell me such 00:53:30.560 --> 00:53:35.440 terrible sins that by the third week I started inventing sins, man, because I was beginning to 00:53:35.440 --> 00:53:43.080 feel bad that he would say, and what about you, Jacob? And mine would be stuff like, oh, I set a 00:53:43.080 --> 00:53:48.960 white light this week. And I realized this guy is not feeling encouraged, so I started fabricating 00:53:48.960 --> 00:53:55.560 sins so that he would feel that, okay, at least he's with... And then I confess that line. So it was 00:53:55.560 --> 00:54:01.240 quite a painful thing. Moving on. Then comes restitution. This is a hard thing. Restitution is 00:54:01.240 --> 00:54:09.200 when you deal with the fallout of your action instead of walking away from it saying, God has 00:54:09.200 --> 00:54:18.320 forgiven me. I'm okay now. This is very difficult. We would prefer burying the past, burying guilt, 00:54:18.320 --> 00:54:26.760 and just moving on. I hear this very often from people. Let's start afresh and let's start to visit 00:54:26.920 --> 00:54:37.960 the past. You cannot start afresh without dealing with the past. Spouses do this too. The question 00:54:37.960 --> 00:54:45.520 may arise, should I tell the guy I'm marrying about all my affairs? It depends on situation 00:54:45.520 --> 00:54:48.960 to situation. That's not up for discussion right now. It's beyond the scope of what we're doing 00:54:48.960 --> 00:54:55.840 here. But generally, the question, the thing that happens between people is they've sought God's 00:54:55.840 --> 00:55:01.040 forgiveness and it's taken care of. And now it is like, let's move on. Let's start on afresh. 00:55:01.040 --> 00:55:10.880 And you still haven't dealt with the issues of the past and you cannot move on. Restitution needs 00:55:10.880 --> 00:55:18.760 to deal with the fallout of your action. I remember learning this very early where I told this person, 00:55:18.760 --> 00:55:22.920 I'm really sorry and all this stuff. The person said to me, so what about all the debris that 00:55:23.120 --> 00:55:30.440 you've left in your wake? And my reaction was, but the past is the past. No, the past is very 00:55:30.440 --> 00:55:37.240 present in the lives that you have just disrupted. Now you have to work at setting that right. If I 00:55:37.240 --> 00:55:47.160 have stolen money from you, I now need to make restitution. If I have coveted your wife, now I 00:55:47.160 --> 00:55:54.800 need to go through a process of discipline where my ways are straightened out. That's not how normal 00:55:54.800 --> 00:56:00.000 Christianity works. You can be restored in an instant by some apostle or prophet who will lay 00:56:00.000 --> 00:56:05.000 hands and say, the Lord forgives you. Of course he forgives you. But now let there be a process of 00:56:05.000 --> 00:56:10.240 discipline and restitution through which a person is brought back into normal. I mean, guys, two 00:56:10.240 --> 00:56:17.040 incidents that I want to highlight, one without taking permission from someone in this room. One 00:56:17.040 --> 00:56:26.800 is when we had a problem with, when I had a problem with Artie at the coffee shop and he wouldn't even 00:56:26.800 --> 00:56:32.400 talk to me. He wouldn't give me coffee. That was the most dreadful thing. For three weeks I had to 00:56:32.400 --> 00:56:38.040 go buy coffee beans from other places and it sucked. And so three weeks he wouldn't talk to me. He 00:56:38.040 --> 00:56:44.680 would only talk to Heidi. He threatened to lock up the church. And this was around the same time 00:56:44.680 --> 00:56:52.160 that the Lord was saying move. And I remember saying to some of you guys that we will not move 00:56:52.160 --> 00:56:57.960 till our relationship with this person is restored. And so I would go there even though he wouldn't 00:56:57.960 --> 00:57:04.560 talk to me. When he was sick, I would go give him soup. I would buy him things, not to suck up to 00:57:04.560 --> 00:57:11.040 him, but to show kindness. Took three months, guys. But in three months the relationship was 00:57:11.040 --> 00:57:16.560 restored to better than what it was and then we left. Because how you leave a place is how you 00:57:16.560 --> 00:57:24.000 enter the next place. Because you will always reproduce into your new phase what is left, 00:57:24.000 --> 00:57:32.840 how you left. I mean, some of you, when you left the last church you were in, you went and spoke to 00:57:32.840 --> 00:57:39.560 the pastor of the church and sorted things out. You didn't leave there with any animosity, but you 00:57:39.560 --> 00:57:45.080 still went and got blessed and got released. So when you enter this place, you now are blessed. 00:57:45.080 --> 00:57:51.840 This is the way, I mean, one of the things I don't like doing and I always have to do is sit with 00:57:51.840 --> 00:57:56.280 someone who's left the church and say, okay, so what were the circumstances and why are you here 00:57:56.280 --> 00:58:05.760 and how did you leave? I mean, we are a small church. The last thing you should do is that. You 00:58:05.760 --> 00:58:10.160 should just invite them by horde saying there's 700 people, they bring 10 more. No, no, no, no. 00:58:10.160 --> 00:58:22.640 You can reap a whirlwind if you're not careful. Because how you exit is how you enter. Otherwise, 00:58:22.640 --> 00:58:28.720 you just keep infecting your next phase with the same leaven that you had before you left. And only 00:58:28.720 --> 00:58:32.960 now it gets worse because the longer you keep leaven, the more it ferments and the more potent 00:58:32.960 --> 00:58:42.880 you get. So when you come into a new phase of your life, you're even more toxic than you were if you 00:58:42.880 --> 00:58:49.840 didn't exit properly. Unfortunately, many refuse and want a quick fix. And I would suggest to you 00:58:49.840 --> 00:58:55.200 that till restitution is complete, keep a healthy arm's length distance from the person who's 00:58:55.200 --> 00:59:04.920 refusing restitution with discipline. This is why we've set up Bob Kran and Eddie as two people 00:59:04.920 --> 00:59:16.160 that you can go to if I refuse discipline. And finally, restoration where wholeness and forgiveness 00:59:16.160 --> 00:59:22.200 is released to the person or to the body or to people in the body because they've gone through 00:59:22.200 --> 00:59:28.600 the process of discipline and restitution. Whatever needed to be taken care of is taken 00:59:28.600 --> 00:59:35.920 care of. Harm done. I mean, people, churches, they do nasty things to their pastors and then say, 00:59:35.920 --> 00:59:40.880 oh, now that the new pastor has come, let's begin all over again. No, what about the guy you messed 00:59:41.040 --> 00:59:57.080 up? We got to live out this process of reconciliation because then it becomes a very wavy function. In 00:59:57.080 --> 01:00:02.600 all your relationships, begin to think along these lines in terms of these four things in a process. 01:00:02.600 --> 01:00:07.760 So let me end with this, guys. Now go home and do what you have heard if there is something 01:00:07.920 --> 01:00:13.640 outstanding that needs to be reconciled. We got to be doers, not hearers of the word. So go home 01:00:13.640 --> 01:00:21.240 and gather the courage through your time with God to do what you have heard and recall if there is 01:00:21.240 --> 01:00:27.600 any situation that needs to be rectified. And remember, the process of restitution is the 01:00:27.600 --> 01:00:34.320 hardest part where the harm that I have caused her is forgiven by God and she may have forgiven me, 01:00:34.320 --> 01:00:39.080 but the debris that has been left in her life through the harm that I caused her, I now have 01:00:39.080 --> 01:00:46.840 to help either clean up or restore. That is the hardest part. Our lives are so interwoven that if 01:00:46.840 --> 01:00:53.200 I do her harm, it will affect Heidi and because they live in the same house, it will affect Gisela 01:00:53.200 --> 01:00:59.120 and because they're leaders in this church, it will affect you. Amazing, huh? Through one person 01:00:59.120 --> 01:01:06.640 doing. We are never isolated situations. What I do to you always affects a few more. Always. 01:01:06.640 --> 01:01:26.880 Then I walk a few extra miles till I know that at present there is no chance of them opening the 01:01:26.880 --> 01:01:34.320 door. I'll let it be. But I'll go at least two or three times. This is out of practical experience 01:01:34.320 --> 01:01:39.800 where I've done others harm, gone again and again and again till they are offended enough to even 01:01:39.800 --> 01:01:48.400 open another wound. That's when I back off. Yeah. Guys, if I do you harm and I'm not aware of it, 01:01:48.400 --> 01:01:59.920 come and gently confront me with it. Confrontation always has to be gentle. Right? Good. Confrontation 01:01:59.920 --> 01:02:04.000 always has to be gentle, but if I have done you harm and I'm usually if I'm not aware of it, 01:02:04.000 --> 01:02:10.440 you'll have to come and make me aware and there are so many ways that I may offend you. And when 01:02:10.440 --> 01:02:22.360 we talk about we'll see whether there's substance for your offense. Expect this process of reconciliation 01:02:22.360 --> 01:02:26.920 to be applied with regard to your personal life and with regard to the corporate body. The other 01:02:26.920 --> 01:02:32.960 thing I want you to do is take a copy of the CD and give it to people who need it. Take a copy of 01:02:32.960 --> 01:02:35.440 the CD and give it to some people who need it.