WEBVTT NOTE Podcast: Acts 29 Vancouver Episode: Restored : A Forgiven People Publishing Date: 2018-11-11T05:00:44-08:00 Podcast URL: https://acts29.ca Episode URL: https://acts29.ca/restored-a-forgiven-people/ 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.000 We got enough to do. 00:00:05.000 --> 00:00:11.000 Second, if you're a forgiving people, you should know that you need to start relinquishing things. 00:00:11.000 --> 00:00:13.000 Start relinquishing. 00:00:15.000 --> 00:00:24.000 If you are a forgiving people, which we are, you will have to start relinquishing or letting go of things important to you. 00:00:24.000 --> 00:00:26.000 Things important to you. 00:00:31.000 --> 00:00:34.000 Things highly valued in a democracy. 00:00:35.000 --> 00:00:38.000 Highly valued in a democracy. 00:00:41.000 --> 00:00:47.000 You'll have to relinquish things important to you, like moral indignation. 00:00:47.000 --> 00:01:04.000 Like the right to retaliate in self-defense or sometimes in, forget self-defense, the right to retaliate. 00:01:07.000 --> 00:01:09.000 Your attachment to being right. 00:01:10.000 --> 00:01:15.000 Your attachment to being right. 00:01:17.000 --> 00:01:20.000 The loss that you feel. 00:01:22.000 --> 00:01:24.000 These are valid. 00:01:25.000 --> 00:01:27.000 These are valid things. 00:01:27.000 --> 00:01:29.000 Moral indignation. 00:01:29.000 --> 00:01:33.000 The right to retaliate because it's your, it's your given right. 00:01:33.000 --> 00:01:36.000 It's part of your freedom to retaliate. 00:01:36.000 --> 00:01:40.000 The attachment to being right. 00:01:40.000 --> 00:01:42.000 The loss that you have suffered. 00:01:42.000 --> 00:01:50.000 If you want to be a forgiving people, you will have to start relinquishing these things that are important to you and that are highly priced in a democracy. 00:01:55.000 --> 00:01:57.000 What are we trying to do with these points? 00:01:57.000 --> 00:02:01.000 We're trying to say that restored people are not just forgiven. 00:02:01.000 --> 00:02:03.000 Restored people are forgiving. 00:02:03.000 --> 00:02:09.000 And if I am forgiving, then there are certain things that I must attempt so that I can move forward. 00:02:09.000 --> 00:02:14.000 There are certain things that I must attempt so that I can walk the way Jesus walked. 00:02:14.000 --> 00:02:17.000 And all these things really match up with Jesus. 00:02:17.000 --> 00:02:19.000 He gave up moral indignation. 00:02:19.000 --> 00:02:23.000 If there was any man who lived a moral life and had a high sense of morality, it was him. 00:02:23.000 --> 00:02:25.000 He gave up the right to retaliate. 00:02:25.000 --> 00:02:31.000 Even on the cross when he could have commanded legions, he gave up his attachment to the right to the truth. 00:02:31.000 --> 00:02:37.000 If there was anyone who knew it was him and he gave up loss, he didn't say I've given up all this. 00:02:37.000 --> 00:02:38.000 So nothing. 00:02:38.000 --> 00:02:39.000 He laid everything down. 00:02:39.000 --> 00:02:45.000 And yet that didn't mean that he commanded anything special because he gave up everything. 00:02:51.000 --> 00:02:56.000 Sometimes things happen and there is you have a right to be morally angry. 00:02:58.000 --> 00:02:59.000 Which one is this? 00:03:00.000 --> 00:03:03.000 Okay, I'll give you a chance. 00:03:03.000 --> 00:03:04.000 Moral indignation. 00:03:04.000 --> 00:03:05.000 Okay. 00:03:05.000 --> 00:03:09.000 Well, it was moral indignation about myself. 00:03:09.000 --> 00:03:14.000 So this was regarding my carpooler who has been actually quite nasty to me. 00:03:14.000 --> 00:03:23.000 I'm not saying any names because this is being recorded, but I was totally lambasted from the moment she got into my car. 00:03:23.000 --> 00:03:27.000 And it was just my car was full of venom. 00:03:27.000 --> 00:03:29.000 I was told I was stupid. 00:03:29.000 --> 00:03:32.000 Maybe not in so many words, but I was stupid and that nobody liked me. 00:03:32.000 --> 00:03:33.000 My work wasn't good. 00:03:33.000 --> 00:03:38.000 And she had unreasonable expectations and I had every right. 00:03:38.000 --> 00:03:42.000 I was thinking she's going on a leave in two days. 00:03:42.000 --> 00:03:51.000 And I thought I'm not going to carpool with her anymore after this because I don't need to be insulted and offended for no reason. 00:03:51.000 --> 00:03:54.000 And then I was thinking, but she will take it back. 00:03:54.000 --> 00:03:59.000 And that will close any door I have for the gospel presentation. 00:03:59.000 --> 00:04:04.000 And then what Jacob was just saying, yes, I don't need to be a doormat. 00:04:04.000 --> 00:04:06.000 At the same time, yes, I do. 00:04:06.000 --> 00:04:08.000 I need to be a servant. 00:04:08.000 --> 00:04:13.000 As we say, the thing that rises up in us is, yeah, we should not be doormats. 00:04:13.000 --> 00:04:14.000 And I agree. 00:04:14.000 --> 00:04:17.000 But let's look at the other side, which we always avoid. 00:04:17.000 --> 00:04:22.000 If we choose Jesus's extremes, we will land in a good middle. 00:04:22.000 --> 00:04:27.000 So if someone keeps insulting you, it doesn't mean you have to keep taking the insults. 00:04:27.000 --> 00:04:29.000 But let's go to the other side for today. 00:04:29.000 --> 00:04:32.000 Let's go to the other side and take the insults. 00:04:32.000 --> 00:04:40.000 Because there is a scripture actually which says when they insulted him, when they tortured him, when they did him harm, he was quite a man. 00:04:40.000 --> 00:04:48.000 There is a scripture actually which says when they insulted him, when they tortured him, when they did him harm, he was quiet. 00:04:48.000 --> 00:04:51.000 These are such extremes that we don't even want to go there. 00:04:51.000 --> 00:04:55.000 And yet there is truth to not being used as a doormat. 00:04:55.000 --> 00:04:59.000 There were times when Jesus would not allow anybody to use him as a doormat. 00:04:59.000 --> 00:05:05.000 But we are taking it to the other extreme so that we make up for what we don't have. 00:05:05.000 --> 00:05:10.000 So relinquishing these things is required if you are a forgiving people. 00:05:10.000 --> 00:05:17.000 At least if you start there, like Kramer says, if you're already there, then maybe you'll land in the middle. 00:05:17.000 --> 00:05:20.000 Don't worry about Kramer. It's from Seinfeld. 00:05:20.000 --> 00:05:24.000 Certainly, forgiving is not simply letting go. 00:05:24.000 --> 00:05:35.000 Forgiving is not simply letting go or forgetting over time. 00:05:35.000 --> 00:05:40.000 Because this is what we normally do. 00:05:40.000 --> 00:05:42.000 We let go of offence. 00:05:42.000 --> 00:05:46.000 We forget it over time. 00:05:46.000 --> 00:05:51.000 Guys, at no point today will we be talking about forgiving each other and stuff like that. 00:05:51.000 --> 00:05:57.000 We should be pretty well-versed in those things by now because we've been taught that through multiple years. 00:05:57.000 --> 00:05:59.000 We are talking about being a forgiving people. 00:05:59.000 --> 00:06:05.000 What should we attempt if we want to become a people that constantly forgive? 00:06:05.000 --> 00:06:06.000 Here's the thing. 00:06:06.000 --> 00:06:09.000 Forgiving is not simply letting go or forgetting over time. 00:06:09.000 --> 00:06:13.000 It is not simply letting go or forgetting over time. 00:06:13.000 --> 00:06:21.000 It is active compassion or empathy. 00:06:21.000 --> 00:06:25.000 Empathy is when you put yourself in someone else's shoes. 00:06:25.000 --> 00:06:27.000 That's what empathy means. 00:06:27.000 --> 00:06:31.000 So forgiving is not simply forgetting or letting go over time. 00:06:31.000 --> 00:06:38.000 It's an act of compassion or empathy because rarely do we forgive out of compassion or empathy. 00:06:38.000 --> 00:06:40.000 We forgive because it's almost like a duty. 00:06:40.000 --> 00:06:45.000 We know that if we don't forgive, we've been told that God will not forgive us. 00:06:45.000 --> 00:06:52.000 We know that if we don't forgive, it might result in unforgiveness, which will lead to a whole load of toxic diseases. 00:06:52.000 --> 00:07:01.000 Most of the reasons Christians forgive have has everything to do with themselves and very little to do with the other person. 00:07:01.000 --> 00:07:03.000 This is such a selfish religion. 00:07:03.000 --> 00:07:05.000 We made it such a selfish religion. 00:07:05.000 --> 00:07:09.000 That whenever we do things, it's still for our benefit, not for the benefit of others. 00:07:09.000 --> 00:07:11.000 And yet it was never meant to be a selfish religion. 00:07:11.000 --> 00:07:14.000 Jesus didn't forgive because he was going to get something. 00:07:14.000 --> 00:07:16.000 He already had it and he put it down. 00:07:19.000 --> 00:07:23.000 So forgiving is not simply letting go or forgetting over time. 00:07:23.000 --> 00:07:30.000 It is active compassion or empathy where you're forgiving because you put yourself in someone else's shoes and your heart is overwhelmed with compassion. 00:07:30.000 --> 00:07:32.000 This is how Jesus was. 00:07:32.000 --> 00:07:34.000 This is how a forgiving community should work. 00:07:40.000 --> 00:07:41.000 Yeah. 00:07:46.000 --> 00:07:50.000 Kind of because we are when we get further, you'll understand why. 00:07:50.000 --> 00:07:51.000 Yeah. 00:07:51.000 --> 00:07:53.000 Any questions on this last one, guys? 00:07:53.000 --> 00:08:01.000 We are trying to behave or think or have the same approach that Jesus has to things so that it is no other way. 00:08:01.000 --> 00:08:05.000 We don't forgive because let it go, man. 00:08:05.000 --> 00:08:06.000 Don't hold any grudge. 00:08:06.000 --> 00:08:10.000 We don't forgive because, hey, if you don't forgive, you know what's going to happen to you. 00:08:10.000 --> 00:08:11.000 You'll get diseases. 00:08:11.000 --> 00:08:16.000 We don't forgive because, oh, he doesn't care, but you will be carrying this all this time. 00:08:16.000 --> 00:08:18.000 No, I don't. 00:08:18.000 --> 00:08:19.000 I don't. 00:08:19.000 --> 00:08:22.000 He doesn't care, but you will be carrying this all this time. 00:08:22.000 --> 00:08:27.000 No, we are forgiving simply because the compassion and the empathy of God works like that. 00:08:27.000 --> 00:08:29.000 Therefore, a forgiving community should be like that. 00:08:29.000 --> 00:08:31.000 It's a very different thing then. 00:08:31.000 --> 00:08:33.000 It's very non self-centered. 00:08:35.000 --> 00:08:36.000 Okay, next one. 00:08:41.000 --> 00:08:43.000 Forgiveness is a gift before it's a duty. 00:08:43.000 --> 00:08:48.000 Forgiveness is a gift before it's a duty. 00:08:49.000 --> 00:08:51.000 We destroy its power as a gift. 00:08:51.000 --> 00:08:59.000 We destroy its power as a gift. 00:08:59.000 --> 00:09:04.000 When we think of it as a duty. 00:09:09.000 --> 00:09:12.000 Forgiveness is a gift before it's a duty. 00:09:12.000 --> 00:09:15.000 We destroy its power as a gift. 00:09:15.000 --> 00:09:17.000 Forgiveness is a gift you give. 00:09:17.000 --> 00:09:19.000 It was a gift given to us. 00:09:19.000 --> 00:09:21.000 God didn't feel duty bound. 00:09:21.000 --> 00:09:22.000 See what we have. 00:09:22.000 --> 00:09:23.000 What are we trying to do? 00:09:23.000 --> 00:09:33.000 Reflect the heart and the attitude of God because we are supposed to be a microcosm or a demonstration of what it looks like when God dwells with the people and the people dwell with him. 00:09:33.000 --> 00:09:34.000 Forgiveness is a gift. 00:09:34.000 --> 00:09:35.000 I give it as a gift. 00:09:35.000 --> 00:09:37.000 I don't give it as a duty. 00:09:37.000 --> 00:09:41.000 If I give it as a duty, then I destroy the power of the gift. 00:09:41.000 --> 00:09:45.000 For too long, we've been taught that it's your duty to forgive. 00:09:45.000 --> 00:09:49.000 And so it's best not to coerce anyone to forgive. 00:09:49.000 --> 00:09:51.000 Don't course people to forgive. 00:09:54.000 --> 00:09:59.000 Because when you cause them, it ends up being more a duty than a gift. 00:09:59.000 --> 00:10:06.000 Most ministries that pray for healing and stuff like that will make you forgive people. 00:10:06.000 --> 00:10:09.000 And so you do it as a duty to escape the sickness. 00:10:09.000 --> 00:10:14.000 But that is not the purest form of forgiveness as God would have you. 00:10:21.000 --> 00:10:24.000 By the way, forgiveness is not reconciliation. 00:10:24.000 --> 00:10:26.000 Do not equate forgiveness with reconciliation. 00:10:30.000 --> 00:10:32.000 Forgiveness is just part of the gift. 00:10:33.000 --> 00:10:36.000 Forgiveness is just pardoning. 00:10:36.000 --> 00:10:38.000 Pardoning. 00:10:38.000 --> 00:10:43.000 And after you pardon, then you move towards reconciliation. 00:10:43.000 --> 00:10:51.000 Reconciliation is basically breaking down walls so that people who were hostile can live together. 00:10:51.000 --> 00:10:54.000 And it may or may not be possible. 00:10:55.000 --> 00:11:05.000 In Ephesians 2, 14, Jesus, it says about Jesus that he is our peace and he has broken down every wall and he has made one or reconciled the dew and the Gentile. 00:11:05.000 --> 00:11:09.000 Those that were hostile now dwell together. 00:11:09.000 --> 00:11:12.000 Those that are enemies now walk side by side. 00:11:15.000 --> 00:11:18.000 So they must, forgiveness is just pardoning someone. 00:11:18.000 --> 00:11:25.000 And after pardoning, there is a step that is expected of Christians, which is to go beyond just pardoning someone. 00:11:25.000 --> 00:11:34.000 It is now to see if there is any way that reconciliation can happen so that former enemies or victims who were harmed. 00:11:34.000 --> 00:11:39.000 I know I'm going into territory that is very difficult to fathom out. 00:11:39.000 --> 00:11:42.000 But at the end of the day, this is the heart of God. 00:11:42.000 --> 00:11:44.000 So I don't want to stop sharp shots. 00:11:44.000 --> 00:11:45.000 Any questions? 00:11:54.000 --> 00:11:57.000 Don't coerce people into forgiving. 00:11:57.000 --> 00:12:01.000 It's a gift that they should try and give. 00:12:01.000 --> 00:12:05.000 Does it affect health and life? 00:12:05.000 --> 00:12:06.000 It does. 00:12:06.000 --> 00:12:07.000 It does. 00:12:07.000 --> 00:12:12.000 Can you help them with it and ask them and tell them, listen, you need to forgive. 00:12:12.000 --> 00:12:13.000 Otherwise, this will continue. 00:12:13.000 --> 00:12:14.000 Yes, you must. 00:12:14.000 --> 00:12:21.000 But try to remember the heart of God with this whole idea of trying to raise up a forgiving people. 00:12:21.000 --> 00:12:22.000 And here's the other thing, guys. 00:12:22.000 --> 00:12:26.000 When you're trying to forgive, you're trying to remember the heart of God. 00:12:26.000 --> 00:12:29.000 The whole idea of trying to raise up a forgiving people. 00:12:29.000 --> 00:12:31.000 And here's the other thing, guys. 00:12:31.000 --> 00:12:35.000 When it comes to forgiveness, storytelling is important. 00:12:35.000 --> 00:12:39.000 You must allow people to tell their story because there is anger. 00:12:39.000 --> 00:12:40.000 There is rage. 00:12:40.000 --> 00:12:41.000 There is sorrow. 00:12:41.000 --> 00:12:45.000 There is despair in what has happened to you. 00:12:45.000 --> 00:12:55.000 And so because we don't have time, we hurry people through the process where always Jesus had. 00:12:55.000 --> 00:13:00.000 Had time for people to tell him what they did wrong. 00:13:00.000 --> 00:13:02.000 He would spend time. 00:13:02.000 --> 00:13:05.000 Even our confession, when we take our sins, he knows. 00:13:05.000 --> 00:13:08.000 Don't think that you're confessing so that he's given all the information. 00:13:08.000 --> 00:13:12.000 He knows the information before and but he wants storytelling. 00:13:12.000 --> 00:13:14.000 He wants you to go and talk to him. 00:13:14.000 --> 00:13:16.000 One of the things he says is reason with me. 00:13:16.000 --> 00:13:19.000 Bring your arguments to me. 00:13:19.000 --> 00:13:24.000 Storytelling is part of this because there's a lot of anger, rage, sorrow, despair that is involved. 00:13:24.000 --> 00:13:27.000 And the question is, do I have time for it? 00:13:31.000 --> 00:13:39.000 Therefore, when I force someone to quickly say, Betty, you better forgive Jane. 00:13:39.000 --> 00:13:41.000 Just say, I forgive you, Jane. 00:13:41.000 --> 00:13:43.000 And so she says, I forgive you, Jane. 00:13:43.000 --> 00:13:46.000 And yes, it is an attempt and it is right. 00:13:46.000 --> 00:13:48.000 And there's nothing wrong with what it's done. 00:13:48.000 --> 00:13:51.000 But there's a more excellent way that requires time. 00:13:51.000 --> 00:13:53.000 I was listening to this guy called Miles McPherson. 00:13:53.000 --> 00:13:55.000 This is just on the side. 00:13:55.000 --> 00:13:58.000 One of the things he said is very and he's black. 00:13:58.000 --> 00:14:17.000 And he was saying how one of the things he's noticed in America is when he hangs around with whites for lack of I don't know how else to say, he says that no Caucasian is a Canadian thing. 00:14:17.000 --> 00:14:19.000 Asian is a Canadian thing. 00:14:19.000 --> 00:14:21.000 East Indian is a Canadian thing. 00:14:21.000 --> 00:14:23.000 Trust me. 00:14:23.000 --> 00:14:26.000 Indians don't like being called in the East Indians. 00:14:26.000 --> 00:14:28.000 Sri Lankans don't like being called in. 00:14:28.000 --> 00:14:29.000 Sorry. 00:14:29.000 --> 00:14:31.000 Sorry. 00:14:31.000 --> 00:14:33.000 Dame said so. 00:14:33.000 --> 00:14:35.000 So he's the authority on it. 00:14:35.000 --> 00:14:38.000 So here's what here's what Miles McPherson said. 00:14:38.000 --> 00:14:47.000 He said very often when he hangs around with Christians who are white, they say that I don't see color. 00:14:47.000 --> 00:14:48.000 I don't see color. 00:14:48.000 --> 00:14:50.000 I see everyone the same. 00:14:50.000 --> 00:14:51.000 I don't see color. 00:14:51.000 --> 00:15:02.000 And Miles McPherson says you must see my color first before you stop seeing it because my color carries with it a story. 00:15:02.000 --> 00:15:06.000 So we've got to try and escape these cliches that we use. 00:15:06.000 --> 00:15:13.000 Even when it comes to forgiveness, there is the need to hear the story. 00:15:13.000 --> 00:15:18.000 And he says because because there's this quick whitewash saying I don't see color. 00:15:18.000 --> 00:15:19.000 I see everybody equal. 00:15:19.000 --> 00:15:22.000 My God, that song was as racist as they come. 00:15:22.000 --> 00:15:23.000 We were talking about it. 00:15:23.000 --> 00:15:27.000 Jesus loves the little children red and yellow, black and white. 00:15:27.000 --> 00:15:31.000 And so even question was where's the brown? 00:15:36.000 --> 00:15:39.000 So he felt left out and some others felt insulted. 00:15:39.000 --> 00:15:42.000 But the point is this. 00:15:42.000 --> 00:15:44.000 I don't think they're singing that song anymore in churches. 00:15:44.000 --> 00:15:46.000 This is a politically so incorrect message. 00:15:46.000 --> 00:15:59.000 But the point is that I must see your color, your background, your gender at times, your country you come from before I quickly jump to the point and say, oh, I don't see. 00:15:59.000 --> 00:16:03.000 I see everyone as equal because our backgrounds carry a story. 00:16:03.000 --> 00:16:10.000 And sometimes it needs to be heard before you can come into any degree of reconciliation with anybody. 00:16:10.000 --> 00:16:16.000 That's the thought when I heard it, it just struck me hard because it's so easy to say, oh, I don't see color. 00:16:16.000 --> 00:16:18.000 I see everybody equal saying. 00:16:18.000 --> 00:16:23.000 But sometimes it's not such a good thing to say that people have gone through stuff. 00:16:23.000 --> 00:16:24.000 Go ahead. 00:16:31.000 --> 00:16:35.000 Yeah, you must see color and then treat everyone equal. 00:16:35.000 --> 00:16:40.000 You must see someone's background, someone's past and then treat everybody. 00:16:43.000 --> 00:16:44.000 Moving on. 00:16:46.000 --> 00:16:48.000 Here's another statement that really shook me. 00:16:49.000 --> 00:16:50.000 Go ahead. 00:17:02.000 --> 00:17:03.000 Yeah. 00:17:05.000 --> 00:17:07.000 Yeah, it's a demand you can make on yourself. 00:17:07.000 --> 00:17:12.000 And by the way, some problems between husbands and wives will take a few sunsets. 00:17:13.000 --> 00:17:22.000 At least ask your wife and she'll tell you that it's a husband who wants to get it done before sunset because that'll mean less explanation for the next eight days. 00:17:22.000 --> 00:17:27.000 But most wives don't worry about problem taking six sunsets. 00:17:27.000 --> 00:17:30.000 Just information for your husband. 00:17:30.000 --> 00:17:32.000 So you got your clue on from now on. 00:17:32.000 --> 00:17:33.000 Yeah. 00:17:35.000 --> 00:17:36.000 That's what Dano says too. 00:17:36.000 --> 00:17:38.000 And I don't believe either of you. 00:17:40.000 --> 00:17:41.000 That's the other thing. 00:17:42.000 --> 00:17:43.000 Use flash for husbands. 00:17:43.000 --> 00:17:50.000 What you see as not being a fight is actually a fight because your wife has a completely different take on it. 00:17:53.000 --> 00:17:55.000 If you notice, I didn't say anything. 00:17:57.000 --> 00:17:58.000 It's true. 00:17:59.000 --> 00:18:00.000 I'll give it to you. 00:18:00.000 --> 00:18:01.000 I'll give it to you. 00:18:01.000 --> 00:18:02.000 Come on. 00:18:02.000 --> 00:18:04.000 You are a nice guy to Anne. 00:18:09.000 --> 00:18:10.000 And the full stop. 00:18:10.000 --> 00:18:11.000 It stops there. 00:18:12.000 --> 00:18:13.000 Yeah. 00:18:15.000 --> 00:18:18.000 Here's another comment that really bothered me. 00:18:19.000 --> 00:18:24.000 As a Christian, I dehumanize you when I don't see you as a neighbor I must love. 00:18:24.000 --> 00:18:32.000 It really bothered me because this word dehumanization is used very often nowadays where don't dehumanize others. 00:18:32.000 --> 00:18:36.000 So you might dehumanize people in the world if you treat them a certain way. 00:18:36.000 --> 00:18:42.000 But as a Christian, I dehumanize you if I don't see you as a neighbor that I must love as myself. 00:18:44.000 --> 00:18:53.000 You become a little less than what you are supposed to be when I do not see you as a neighbor made in my made in the image of God and neighbor that I must love. 00:18:54.000 --> 00:18:55.000 I love instead of myself. 00:18:55.000 --> 00:18:56.000 Love as myself. 00:19:01.000 --> 00:19:06.000 As a Christian, I dehumanize you when I don't see you as a neighbor who I must love as myself. 00:19:07.000 --> 00:19:10.000 This is where the whole empathy thing kicks in. 00:19:10.000 --> 00:19:15.000 Where you put yourself in someone else's shoes, where you go with Matthew seven, verse 12. 00:19:15.000 --> 00:19:20.000 It says that do unto others what you would have them do to you. 00:19:20.000 --> 00:19:22.000 Do unto others what you would have them do to you. 00:19:24.000 --> 00:19:27.000 Very difficult guys these things, but thank God for an extreme Jesus. 00:19:29.000 --> 00:19:30.000 For an extreme Jesus. 00:19:30.000 --> 00:19:39.000 I mean, I had an opportunity a couple of weeks ago to practice some of this where a guy came and parked in my parking slot. 00:19:40.000 --> 00:19:43.000 And I'm coming home at 11 in the night and there's a guy in my parking slot. 00:19:43.000 --> 00:19:47.000 And it's one of those parking slots where you either park there or you park outside. 00:19:47.000 --> 00:19:49.000 And if you park outside, you pay for it. 00:19:49.000 --> 00:19:57.000 So, of course, moral indignation, rightfully so and all that stuff. 00:19:57.000 --> 00:20:01.000 And so should I key his car, scratch it? 00:20:01.000 --> 00:20:02.000 No, these thoughts didn't. 00:20:02.000 --> 00:20:07.000 I was saying these thoughts didn't occur to me because I'm a believer now. 00:20:07.000 --> 00:20:09.000 So now I'm thinking about what should I do? 00:20:09.000 --> 00:20:15.000 So now my thought is I'll have to drive and it's raining outside. 00:20:15.000 --> 00:20:19.000 A guy walked by, he said, just having towed, that's what we normally do. 00:20:19.000 --> 00:20:22.000 We just ask, call the manager, they ask the towing company to come and tow. 00:20:22.000 --> 00:20:25.000 And I'm thinking to myself, I would hate to be towed on a night like this. 00:20:26.000 --> 00:20:31.000 Because then he'll have to go somewhere downtown to pick up the car and pay 80 or 85 bucks. 00:20:31.000 --> 00:20:38.000 So I leave a note on his card saying, just if you don't remove this by six in the morning, it'll be towed. 00:20:38.000 --> 00:20:41.000 Now I go park my car and pay for parking outside. 00:20:41.000 --> 00:20:43.000 And then I'm thinking to myself, that I can handle. 00:20:43.000 --> 00:20:47.000 But waking up at six o'clock, that's even worse. 00:20:47.000 --> 00:20:50.000 But at six o'clock, I wake up and the car is still there. 00:20:50.000 --> 00:20:56.000 So now I write, if you don't, I cut out six, I write, if I don't, if you don't move it by nine, I'll have you towed. 00:20:56.000 --> 00:20:58.000 Come back at nine, the guy hasn't moved. 00:20:58.000 --> 00:21:03.000 So I know I cut it off and I say, if you don't move it by 12, I'll have you towed. 00:21:03.000 --> 00:21:05.000 The guy didn't move till five, man. 00:21:05.000 --> 00:21:08.000 But somehow I've been towed five, six times. 00:21:08.000 --> 00:21:10.000 I've been towed five, six times. 00:21:10.000 --> 00:21:13.000 That is the most miserable experience in your life. 00:21:13.000 --> 00:21:19.000 And somehow I didn't, somehow I didn't want it to happen to this guy. 00:21:19.000 --> 00:21:23.000 So I would rather pay than have this happen to him. 00:21:23.000 --> 00:21:24.000 Am I suggesting that you do it? 00:21:24.000 --> 00:21:27.000 No. Next time he parks there, I've taken down his number, I haven't towed immediately. 00:21:27.000 --> 00:21:34.000 But the point is this, guys, try to empathize and try to put yourself in someone else's shoes. 00:21:34.000 --> 00:21:46.000 And then know that as a Christian, I do dehumanize you when I don't see you as my neighbor, who I must love as myself. 00:21:46.000 --> 00:21:48.000 It's a very difficult thing. 00:21:48.000 --> 00:21:49.000 That's what bothers me. 00:21:49.000 --> 00:21:52.000 It is so difficult to see everybody as a neighbor. 00:21:52.000 --> 00:21:59.000 This is why I can understand why this guy who was listening to Jesus, the story asked the smartest and the dumbest question. 00:21:59.000 --> 00:22:00.000 Who is my neighbor? 00:22:00.000 --> 00:22:07.000 I mean, dumbest because he was setting himself up because now Jesus would tell him a story and smartest because that's what everyone would ask. 00:22:07.000 --> 00:22:08.000 Who is my neighbor? 00:22:11.000 --> 00:22:21.000 I was so convicted by that statement that when Jeevan texted me last night saying he had left his key at work, I even offered to drive him to work. 00:22:21.000 --> 00:22:24.000 But I sent the text message five minutes late, hoping he had found a ride. 00:22:24.000 --> 00:22:25.000 And thank God he did. 00:22:25.000 --> 00:22:26.000 Because Abel wouldn't take him. 00:22:29.000 --> 00:22:41.000 Okay, two ways to go about forgiving two ways to go about forgiving unilateral forgiveness, unilateral forgiveness where you forgive without anything in return. 00:22:41.000 --> 00:22:43.000 It requires nothing in return. 00:22:43.000 --> 00:22:44.000 It's an act of generosity. 00:22:44.000 --> 00:22:47.000 Even though you were wronged, it's an act of generosity. 00:22:47.000 --> 00:22:48.000 You just forgive. 00:22:48.000 --> 00:22:49.000 You just forgive. 00:22:49.000 --> 00:22:50.000 It's an act of generosity. 00:22:50.000 --> 00:22:53.000 Even though you were wronged, it's an act of generosity. 00:22:53.000 --> 00:22:55.000 You just forgive. 00:22:55.000 --> 00:22:56.000 Unilateral forgiveness. 00:22:56.000 --> 00:22:57.000 Nothing is asked. 00:22:57.000 --> 00:22:58.000 You just forgive. 00:22:58.000 --> 00:23:00.000 Many of you have done this many times. 00:23:00.000 --> 00:23:03.000 And then there is bilateral forgiveness. 00:23:04.000 --> 00:23:14.000 In this case, there is a need for justice to be served. 00:23:14.000 --> 00:23:25.000 And therefore, there must be remorse and change before forgiveness can take full effect. 00:23:25.000 --> 00:23:27.000 And both are present in the Bible. 00:23:27.000 --> 00:23:28.000 Bilateral. 00:23:28.000 --> 00:23:31.000 Yeah, bilateral forgiveness. 00:23:31.000 --> 00:23:36.000 Bilateral forgiveness is when there's an exchange involved. 00:23:36.000 --> 00:23:43.000 It depends on either an apology or a confession that wrong was done or remorse. 00:23:43.000 --> 00:23:49.000 It's tied up with justice and it requires the paying off of a debt or a restitution of some sort. 00:23:49.000 --> 00:23:51.000 And both are mentioned in the Bible. 00:23:51.000 --> 00:23:52.000 There are different times for them. 00:23:52.000 --> 00:23:54.000 But just keep it in mind. 00:23:55.000 --> 00:24:00.000 Unilateral forgiveness is when you want nothing. 00:24:00.000 --> 00:24:03.000 It is out of your generosity that you give forgiveness as a gift. 00:24:03.000 --> 00:24:08.000 And it comes out of a place of compassion, not out of letting go. 00:24:08.000 --> 00:24:11.000 If you could move from letting go to compassion. 00:24:17.000 --> 00:24:22.000 The more conditions you attach to forgiveness, guys, the more vindictive it gets. 00:24:22.000 --> 00:24:26.000 The more conditions you attach to forgiveness, the more vindictive it gets. 00:24:31.000 --> 00:24:36.000 The more conditions you attach to forgiveness, the more vindictive it can get. 00:24:36.000 --> 00:24:43.000 I've read this many times that in 1919 after the First World War, 00:24:43.000 --> 00:24:48.000 when Germany was given a truce at the Treaty of Versailles, 00:24:48.000 --> 00:24:55.000 the conditions were so, so extreme that it was only a matter of time before Germany would strike back. 00:24:55.000 --> 00:24:57.000 It was humiliation. 00:24:57.000 --> 00:25:00.000 Sometimes we give forgiveness, 00:25:00.000 --> 00:25:05.000 but there are so many conditions that it humiliates the one receiving forgiveness. 00:25:05.000 --> 00:25:07.000 Be careful of that. 00:25:09.000 --> 00:25:11.000 Sometimes spouses do this to each other. 00:25:11.000 --> 00:25:14.000 Churches have to be careful about this too, because how do you deal with it? 00:25:14.000 --> 00:25:20.000 At present, I got a call earlier this week from someone who said that in that church, 00:25:20.000 --> 00:25:26.000 one of the pastors had committed a sexual sin and that it has finally come out. 00:25:26.000 --> 00:25:27.000 How do you deal with it? 00:25:27.000 --> 00:25:29.000 Do you bring it out into the open? 00:25:29.000 --> 00:25:30.000 Don't you? 00:25:30.000 --> 00:25:33.000 And if you bring it out into the open, because that's what the Bible says must be done, 00:25:33.000 --> 00:25:36.000 that an elder should be given a chance to be forgiven. 00:25:36.000 --> 00:25:39.000 And if you bring it out into the open, because that's what the Bible says must be done, 00:25:39.000 --> 00:25:46.000 that an elder should be rebuked in public. 00:25:46.000 --> 00:25:47.000 How will the church react? 00:25:47.000 --> 00:25:52.000 Will the church have him for breakfast for the next three months or will the church be kind? 00:25:54.000 --> 00:25:58.000 Forgiveness is a really messy thing, guys. 00:25:58.000 --> 00:26:05.000 I pray God that if it comes to a point where someone in this church has to be rebuked publicly 00:26:05.000 --> 00:26:10.000 because of a certain way of walking, then we will be so restorative. 00:26:10.000 --> 00:26:17.000 There will be an example that the person will happily come and know that safety in laying out 00:26:17.000 --> 00:26:24.000 what has been done publicly, knowing that the rest of the church will not eat he or she up for breakfast. 00:26:29.000 --> 00:26:31.000 What do churches do instead? 00:26:31.000 --> 00:26:35.000 Because they're scared of the reaction, everything is swept under the carpet. 00:26:35.000 --> 00:26:40.000 And anything that is swept under the carpet, there will be some guests who will come along and stumble on the carpet. 00:26:40.000 --> 00:26:45.000 And the day they stumble on the carpet, all your dust is revealed. 00:26:45.000 --> 00:27:00.000 If you've been through a traumatic situation, 00:27:00.000 --> 00:27:05.000 then one of the easiest ways to escape fear is to forgive those that caused the trauma. 00:27:05.000 --> 00:27:08.000 If you've been through a traumatic situation, 00:27:08.000 --> 00:27:21.000 it doesn't matter whether it was something as horrible as sexual abuse or as horrible as what happened to Prashant 00:27:21.000 --> 00:27:28.000 or as horrible as physical abuse or as horrible as just robbery or burglary or whatever. 00:27:28.000 --> 00:27:37.000 One of the fastest ways to escape the fear that that trauma causes is to forgive the perpetrators of the trauma. 00:27:38.000 --> 00:27:42.000 Sometimes you may have to go to their grave because they're already dead. 00:27:45.000 --> 00:27:49.000 Other times you may not have to meet them, but forgive them. 00:27:49.000 --> 00:27:57.000 It is one of the fastest ways out of the fear caused by the trauma and forgive how forgive out of compassion, 00:27:57.000 --> 00:27:59.000 not out of letting go, but out of compassion. 00:27:59.000 --> 00:28:06.000 Forgive how forgive as looking at the person, not in the way that dehumanizes them as perpetrators who harm me, 00:28:06.000 --> 00:28:09.000 but as ones who are my neighbor. It is extreme. 00:28:09.000 --> 00:28:11.000 This is so wrong. 00:28:11.000 --> 00:28:14.000 This is why it doesn't fit within democracy. 00:28:20.000 --> 00:28:35.000 The fastest way to escape the stigma caused by inequality and exploitation is to again forgive the ones who exploited you 00:28:35.000 --> 00:28:40.000 and treated you unequally, especially in an immigrant nation like Canada. 00:28:40.000 --> 00:28:48.000 You don't know the history of generations after generations of immigrants that have come into the land 00:28:48.000 --> 00:28:52.000 and have had an attitude towards the previous generation. 00:28:54.000 --> 00:29:02.000 Where you were treated unequally, people oppressed your grandfather or your grandmother 00:29:02.000 --> 00:29:07.000 or a certain nation behaved a certain way with the nation that you come from and now you carry it. 00:29:07.000 --> 00:29:09.000 Sometimes it's got nothing to do with nations. 00:29:09.000 --> 00:29:13.000 Sometimes it's got to do with you don't like people who are richer than you. 00:29:13.000 --> 00:29:15.000 You don't like people who are better cars than you. 00:29:15.000 --> 00:29:17.000 You don't like people who are better houses than you. 00:29:17.000 --> 00:29:21.000 You step into their house and the first thing you think is how did this guy get this house? 00:29:21.000 --> 00:29:23.000 He must be doing something on the site. 00:29:23.000 --> 00:29:29.000 It's a mentality and it comes out of either something I've developed in my childhood 00:29:29.000 --> 00:29:33.000 or sheer exploitation or just inequality I've suffered. 00:29:33.000 --> 00:29:35.000 Do you know something? 00:29:35.000 --> 00:29:39.000 And I'm not I wouldn't be off the mark if when I say this, 00:29:39.000 --> 00:29:47.000 there are people sitting in this room right now, including me, who have prejudices against certain nations. 00:29:47.000 --> 00:29:54.000 We all come, unfortunately, because of our childhood with prejudices against certain nations, 00:29:54.000 --> 00:29:58.000 against certain types of people, against certain strata, against certain riches. 00:29:58.000 --> 00:30:00.000 We all have them secretly. 00:30:00.000 --> 00:30:05.000 It'll come out in comments or conversations with people you're close to. 00:30:07.000 --> 00:30:11.000 There is no country as ridden with this as South Africa. 00:30:11.000 --> 00:30:22.000 I have heard good Christians talk so so obnoxiously about the other race that it makes me shudder, 00:30:22.000 --> 00:30:26.000 but they will only talk about it when they know they are safe with you. 00:30:26.000 --> 00:30:27.000 But it comes out. 00:30:28.000 --> 00:30:33.000 Are there nations or nationalities that you do not hold in respect? 00:30:37.000 --> 00:30:41.000 There was a person in this church who I once was driving with was. 00:30:41.000 --> 00:30:43.000 So don't think of yourself. 00:30:44.000 --> 00:30:47.000 There was a person in this church who was driving with and at one point he told me, 00:30:47.000 --> 00:30:50.000 Jacob, you have no idea how much I hate people who are rich. 00:30:50.000 --> 00:30:52.000 Look at them. They just put on their money. 00:30:52.000 --> 00:30:53.000 They go buy these kind of cars. 00:30:53.000 --> 00:30:54.000 Look at their houses. 00:30:54.000 --> 00:30:59.000 Just just there was just such anger because they were richer. 00:31:05.000 --> 00:31:06.000 Why am I bringing this up? 00:31:07.000 --> 00:31:14.000 Because if you want to escape real of perceived inequality or exploitation, 00:31:14.000 --> 00:31:19.000 forgiving is the only way to safeguard your heart from prejudice and resentment against their cars, 00:31:19.000 --> 00:31:24.000 their houses, their money, their nationality, their culture, their immigrant values. 00:31:24.000 --> 00:31:27.000 Doesn't matter what it is. Get rid of it. 00:31:27.000 --> 00:31:30.000 Otherwise, at some point from your mouth will come out the statement. 00:31:30.000 --> 00:31:35.000 Ah, he's an Indian or he's she's German or he's Pakistani. 00:31:35.000 --> 00:31:38.000 You won't believe this. I had really good Pakistani friends in Bahrain. 00:31:38.000 --> 00:31:41.000 You know them. No, not you in Bahrain. 00:31:42.000 --> 00:31:45.000 No, no, in Bahrain. 00:31:45.000 --> 00:31:48.000 I didn't know them, but I had really good Pakistani friends in Bahrain. 00:31:48.000 --> 00:31:55.000 And my relatives would come and say to me, what are you doing hanging out with those Pakistanis? 00:31:55.000 --> 00:31:59.000 Because Indians and Pakistanis are not supposed to be friends. 00:31:59.000 --> 00:32:01.000 Right from when I was six. 00:32:03.000 --> 00:32:04.000 Praise God for you, man. 00:32:04.000 --> 00:32:11.000 When I was six, I remember at six being taught after as soon as school is out. 00:32:11.000 --> 00:32:15.000 When I was six, 1971, the India Pakistan war broke out. 00:32:15.000 --> 00:32:17.000 We were taught from when we were kids. 00:32:17.000 --> 00:32:18.000 To hate Pakistanis. 00:32:19.000 --> 00:32:28.000 We would walk back from school and there would be grownups teaching us slogans that we would shout down the roads because the war was going on and we would shout these. 00:32:28.000 --> 00:32:34.000 So I can understand why my relatives when I gathered together with them for dinner said, why are you hanging around with them? 00:32:38.000 --> 00:32:39.000 Yeah. 00:32:43.000 --> 00:32:44.000 Yeah. 00:32:44.000 --> 00:32:48.000 All I'm saying is guys do not pretend that you do not have prejudices or biases. 00:32:48.000 --> 00:32:52.000 We have them and unless we face up to them, we cannot get rid of them. 00:33:00.000 --> 00:33:09.000 One lady said, Chris and Heidi, no one says with a volant and she turns around to me and says, oh, I hate Filipinos. 00:33:09.000 --> 00:33:10.000 But there was some reason. 00:33:14.000 --> 00:33:15.000 She just blurted it out. 00:33:18.000 --> 00:33:19.000 Who do you hate? 00:33:39.000 --> 00:33:40.000 Getting stuck here. 00:33:44.000 --> 00:33:52.000 Do you know how hard it used to be for East Indian churches and Chinese churches to rent a church in Vancouver? 00:33:53.000 --> 00:33:54.000 You know how hard it was? 00:33:57.000 --> 00:34:02.000 Because no church would rent a church in Vancouver. 00:34:02.000 --> 00:34:03.000 You know how hard it was? 00:34:06.000 --> 00:34:12.000 Because no church would rent to East Indian congregations or Chinese congregations. 00:34:13.000 --> 00:34:14.000 You know why? 00:34:16.000 --> 00:34:23.000 Because in case they have a potluck, the kitten will smell and we can't allow those smells in our church. 00:34:25.000 --> 00:34:27.000 I'm talking about 15 years ago, man. 00:34:28.000 --> 00:34:29.000 This is not ancient history. 00:34:32.000 --> 00:34:33.000 This is very real. 00:34:34.000 --> 00:34:40.000 I pray God that we rid ourselves of these prejudices so that we become a restored people. 00:35:03.000 --> 00:35:05.000 Cultivate a prejudice-free Christ to you. 00:35:08.000 --> 00:35:13.000 Cultivate a prejudice-free Christ to you that dismantles your worldview developed during your childhood or adulthood. 00:35:14.000 --> 00:35:16.000 Cultivate a prejudice-free Christ to you. 00:35:17.000 --> 00:35:22.000 That dismantles your worldview that you may have developed through childhood or as you grew up. 00:35:22.000 --> 00:35:26.200 your worldview that you may have developed through childhood 00:35:26.200 --> 00:35:27.200 why as you grew up. 00:35:31.200 --> 00:35:37.400 Cultivate a prejudice free Christ view that dismantles your 00:35:37.400 --> 00:35:41.000 worldview that you may have developed from childhood. 00:35:42.000 --> 00:35:44.800 Because if you don't God will prune you with your with his 00:35:44.800 --> 00:35:45.200 word. 00:35:45.500 --> 00:35:47.900 And then if you don't he'll discipline you with affection. 00:35:48.600 --> 00:35:51.600 If you don't God will prune you with his word as he's doing 00:35:51.600 --> 00:35:54.700 right now through this teaching and then he will discipline 00:35:54.700 --> 00:35:55.700 you with affection. 00:35:56.100 --> 00:36:01.400 If you still don't change and a forgiven people must expect 00:36:01.400 --> 00:36:05.300 God's gift of discipline because he likes confronting and 00:36:05.300 --> 00:36:08.600 overcoming sin and helping you repent because he wants a 00:36:08.600 --> 00:36:10.100 holy peculiar people. 00:36:10.700 --> 00:36:14.000 So he prunes us through the word and if we don't change 00:36:14.000 --> 00:36:17.400 through the word then he brings in affection and discipline 00:36:17.700 --> 00:36:18.700 so that we change. 00:36:18.700 --> 00:36:24.500 Two more points and we'll wrap up because I want to break 00:36:24.500 --> 00:36:26.400 bread and pray for healing people. 00:36:29.300 --> 00:36:33.900 A forgiving people judge themselves a forgiving people judge 00:36:33.900 --> 00:36:37.400 themselves meaning first Corinthians 11. 00:36:37.500 --> 00:36:42.600 I think 31 says judge yourself lest you be judged judge yourself 00:36:42.600 --> 00:36:46.600 lest you be judged a forgiving people judge themselves. 00:36:47.500 --> 00:36:52.300 They examine themselves before God and they give others grant 00:36:52.300 --> 00:36:57.800 others the right to judge them as in tell me if there's 00:36:57.800 --> 00:37:00.400 something wrong that I need to correct. 00:37:02.400 --> 00:37:05.100 Because when you judge yourselves and you give people 00:37:05.100 --> 00:37:13.100 the right to judge you then you begin to as it says in Hebrews 00:37:13.200 --> 00:37:18.400 514 you begin to make judgments that distinguish between right 00:37:18.400 --> 00:37:24.200 and wrong as long as see on one hand we are forgiven but just 00:37:24.200 --> 00:37:27.100 because you're forgiven doesn't mean that you are shutting 00:37:27.100 --> 00:37:30.600 yourself out to judgment you go and stand before God and 00:37:30.600 --> 00:37:31.400 he's a father. 00:37:32.600 --> 00:37:37.200 What does it say with sub 139 or somewhere there it says see 00:37:37.200 --> 00:37:38.800 if there be any wicked way in me. 00:37:39.000 --> 00:37:45.600 That is one thing you need to do and then because you may 00:37:45.600 --> 00:37:48.200 not be able to see your blind spots. 00:37:49.300 --> 00:37:54.300 You must go and ask someone or give someone else the the 00:37:54.300 --> 00:37:58.700 the right to judge you saying I've gone before God, but I 00:37:58.700 --> 00:38:02.100 know I have blind spots and blind spots are always invisible. 00:38:02.300 --> 00:38:05.700 I grant you the right to judge me to call me into account 00:38:05.700 --> 00:38:09.300 and when you do I will do what is this required to change? 00:38:10.700 --> 00:38:12.900 You must give others the right to judge you. 00:38:15.100 --> 00:38:18.800 Once they judge you can resist it wrestle with it do whatever 00:38:18.800 --> 00:38:21.500 but you must give others the right to judge you if you don't 00:38:21.700 --> 00:38:25.100 you will never never be able to recover from your blind spots 00:38:25.200 --> 00:38:28.200 and they'll collect like leeches on your skin and they'll 00:38:28.200 --> 00:38:29.300 suck your blood. 00:38:29.500 --> 00:38:32.600 Because the forgiving people judge themselves, you know, 00:38:32.600 --> 00:38:36.100 why are forgiving people judge themselves because God expects 00:38:36.100 --> 00:38:39.500 a people who are forgiven and a people who forgive you know, 00:38:39.500 --> 00:38:42.500 one of the main things he wants to use them for he wants to 00:38:42.600 --> 00:38:46.700 use them for making peace blessed other peacemakers. 00:38:46.900 --> 00:38:52.000 It is only a people who know how to judge correctly that he 00:38:52.000 --> 00:38:54.400 can use to bring peace into situations. 00:38:54.400 --> 00:38:55.800 Christians are peacekeepers. 00:38:55.800 --> 00:38:58.100 God wants peacemakers to make peace. 00:38:58.200 --> 00:39:02.000 You have to judge correctly and you cannot judge other things 00:39:02.000 --> 00:39:05.400 correctly till you judge yourself correctly and you never 00:39:05.400 --> 00:39:08.200 can fully judge yourself correctly unless you allow others 00:39:08.200 --> 00:39:09.200 to judge you also. 00:39:09.900 --> 00:39:13.200 Once you get to that point, God will say aha now I have 00:39:13.200 --> 00:39:16.600 someone who can discern between right and wrong who can choose 00:39:16.600 --> 00:39:19.600 between right and wrong who can make good judgments. 00:39:19.600 --> 00:39:22.400 Who can choose between right and wrong who can choose between 00:39:22.400 --> 00:39:27.000 right and wrong who can make good judgments and yet make 00:39:27.000 --> 00:39:28.400 judgments with mercy. 00:39:28.700 --> 00:39:31.500 The beautiful thing about a people that are forgiving is 00:39:31.500 --> 00:39:34.400 that they make correct judgments and after making correct 00:39:34.400 --> 00:39:36.700 judgments, they show mercy. 00:39:42.700 --> 00:39:44.000 Paul was highly forgiving. 00:39:44.000 --> 00:39:47.300 We saw what he said and yet wasn't this is the same Paul 00:39:48.200 --> 00:39:52.700 to Elimast the sorcerer that there is such bitterness in you. 00:39:52.800 --> 00:39:53.400 Be careful. 00:39:53.400 --> 00:39:54.500 Something will happen to you. 00:39:54.600 --> 00:39:57.500 Wasn't it the same Paul that stood before Sergius Paulus 00:39:57.700 --> 00:40:01.400 and said to Bar Jesus the other sorcerer that a blindness 00:40:01.400 --> 00:40:04.000 is going to descend on you and the man was blind. 00:40:04.000 --> 00:40:07.600 Wasn't it the same Paul who would Silas before the left 00:40:07.600 --> 00:40:13.500 for Iconium in Acts chapter 13 dusted the dust off their 00:40:13.500 --> 00:40:16.400 shoes and walked away saying your blood be on your head. 00:40:17.600 --> 00:40:20.900 There are times when judgment is required by you judge 00:40:20.900 --> 00:40:21.600 correctly. 00:40:22.600 --> 00:40:26.500 But the beautiful thing is that after that it will always 00:40:26.500 --> 00:40:29.700 be coupled with mercy because of forgiving people are supposed 00:40:29.700 --> 00:40:33.600 to be peacemakers peacemakers are people who are forgiven 00:40:33.700 --> 00:40:37.500 and people who know how to forgive peacemakers are ones 00:40:37.500 --> 00:40:40.700 who are very keen in knowing how to dissect what is right 00:40:40.700 --> 00:40:41.500 from what is wrong. 00:40:41.500 --> 00:40:44.900 What is black from what is white and know how to divide 00:40:44.900 --> 00:40:46.600 the gray and say aha. 00:40:46.600 --> 00:40:51.100 And now that we have done this we will show mercy James 00:40:51.100 --> 00:40:55.300 chapter 2 verse 13 says that mercy triumphs over judgment 00:40:56.200 --> 00:40:59.400 that when one shows mercy, he will be treated mercifully 00:40:59.400 --> 00:41:00.900 when one does not show mercy. 00:41:01.000 --> 00:41:04.100 He will not be treated mercifully mercy triumphs over 00:41:04.100 --> 00:41:04.600 judgment. 00:41:04.700 --> 00:41:07.600 But don't for a second thing that any mercy can happen 00:41:07.600 --> 00:41:08.400 without judgment. 00:41:09.000 --> 00:41:11.700 There is no word called mercy. 00:41:11.700 --> 00:41:15.300 There is no concept called mercy unless there is judgment. 00:41:16.800 --> 00:41:20.000 One cannot exist without the other mercy does not exist 00:41:20.000 --> 00:41:21.200 where judgment is absent. 00:41:26.900 --> 00:41:29.900 The very word owes its existence to judgment. 00:41:35.900 --> 00:41:39.100 Therefore a forgiving people first know how to judge themselves 00:41:39.400 --> 00:41:42.100 and a forgiving people learn how to judge things accurately. 00:41:46.800 --> 00:41:52.900 First Corinthians 2 15 says a person with the spirit makes 00:41:52.900 --> 00:41:54.400 judgment about all things. 00:41:55.700 --> 00:41:58.600 We are called to make judgments but after making judgments 00:41:58.800 --> 00:42:00.700 show mercy or compassion or pity. 00:42:03.600 --> 00:42:04.500 I was watching this. 00:42:07.900 --> 00:42:11.400 I was watching this document called the end which is about 00:42:11.400 --> 00:42:15.100 the transition of Obama's presidency into the Bush presidency 00:42:15.100 --> 00:42:19.600 the last days and at one point few weeks before Obama leaves 00:42:19.600 --> 00:42:20.100 office. 00:42:20.400 --> 00:42:24.700 There is the shooting at Charleston where there was a Bible 00:42:24.700 --> 00:42:31.000 study happening in a church and nine African Americans were 00:42:31.100 --> 00:42:35.100 shot and through all the things that were happening Obama 00:42:35.800 --> 00:42:39.600 says that what just gripped him was the relatives of all nine 00:42:39.600 --> 00:42:42.700 African Americans went to the court and forgave this guy 00:42:42.700 --> 00:42:46.600 called Dylan Roof for shooting their sons daughters husbands 00:42:46.600 --> 00:42:50.500 wives father's mother and he was overwhelmed by the fact that 00:42:50.500 --> 00:42:53.500 these guys went they didn't say oh let him go free. 00:42:53.600 --> 00:42:56.500 There was justice that had to be met but there was forgiveness 00:42:56.500 --> 00:43:00.400 that was offered easy judgment must be always followed by 00:43:00.400 --> 00:43:00.900 mercy. 00:43:03.800 --> 00:43:07.900 This is how peacemakers work peacemakers know how to distinguish 00:43:08.100 --> 00:43:11.800 and then peacemakers bring in the life of God full of mercy 00:43:11.800 --> 00:43:13.000 and grace into a situation. 00:43:13.500 --> 00:43:16.400 Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of 00:43:16.400 --> 00:43:16.800 God. 00:43:24.100 --> 00:43:25.900 This was the job of the prophets guys. 00:43:26.400 --> 00:43:27.200 I'll end with this line. 00:43:27.200 --> 00:43:28.400 This was the job of the prophets. 00:43:28.400 --> 00:43:32.700 What did the prophets do prophets would always bring judgment 00:43:33.300 --> 00:43:35.200 saying you guys have turned away you guys have turned away 00:43:35.200 --> 00:43:37.900 and then what would they do but God is merciful but God is 00:43:37.900 --> 00:43:39.000 merciful turn to him. 00:43:42.100 --> 00:43:46.100 And then they would usher in the peace of Christ into 00:43:46.100 --> 00:43:46.900 situations. 00:43:54.100 --> 00:43:57.500 Every time there was an apostate condition that Israel went 00:43:57.500 --> 00:44:00.500 to or there was a apostasy that was common in Israel a prophet 00:44:00.500 --> 00:44:03.500 would come he would say listen judgment judgment judgment. 00:44:03.900 --> 00:44:06.100 Now that I've got your attention mercy mercy mercy. 00:44:09.400 --> 00:44:11.700 This is the Old Testament how much more so in the New Testament 00:44:12.600 --> 00:44:16.000 Blessed are the peacemakers any questions I'm done. 00:44:17.700 --> 00:44:18.500 Any questions. 00:44:23.900 --> 00:44:26.800 From now on when you forgive people remember to forgive them 00:44:26.800 --> 00:44:28.300 because you are compassionate. 00:44:31.200 --> 00:44:36.700 From now on when you forgive people do it because you empathize 00:44:37.100 --> 00:44:40.000 you put yourself in their shoes you think of Matthew 712 do 00:44:40.000 --> 00:44:43.700 unto others as you would like done unto you now when you 00:44:43.700 --> 00:44:49.000 forgive people don't forget or let go be very deliberate about 00:44:53.000 --> 00:44:56.300 try thinking of people as your neighbor and then as soon as 00:44:56.300 --> 00:44:58.400 you think of them as a neighbor you are now required to 00:44:58.400 --> 00:45:01.500 love them as you love yourself not instead of yourself 00:45:01.500 --> 00:45:02.700 with important distinction. 00:45:02.700 --> 00:45:05.400 You can't talk about today, but as you love yourself. 00:45:06.400 --> 00:45:13.000 You cannot cause forgiveness a course a person to forgive 00:45:13.000 --> 00:45:15.200 because it's a gift remember every time you forgive you're 00:45:15.200 --> 00:45:16.800 giving up gift. 00:45:17.600 --> 00:45:22.200 What I mean such a such a such an amazing comparison to Jesus 00:45:22.300 --> 00:45:24.000 what he gave us was a gift. 00:45:24.300 --> 00:45:27.200 Whenever you think of forgiveness as a duty first you destroy 00:45:27.200 --> 00:45:28.200 the power of the gift. 00:45:29.100 --> 00:45:32.400 How horrible that is when I can give a gift and I do something 00:45:32.400 --> 00:45:33.400 instead as a duty. 00:45:36.400 --> 00:45:37.300 Give it as a gift. 00:45:39.400 --> 00:45:40.400 That's what Jesus did. 00:45:46.200 --> 00:45:49.100 Yeah, think along these lines. 00:45:50.900 --> 00:45:54.400 Consider that there might be people that you despise in this 00:45:54.400 --> 00:45:59.300 day because of the exploitation or the trauma or the inequality 00:45:59.300 --> 00:46:02.600 that you have suffered under their hand and therefore you've 00:46:02.600 --> 00:46:05.900 colored an entire race and entire nationality and entire 00:46:05.900 --> 00:46:09.000 ethnicity and entire group of people who have a certain status 00:46:09.200 --> 00:46:12.100 of certain riches of certain homes of certain cars a certain 00:46:12.100 --> 00:46:15.000 way time to let go of these because these are poisonous 00:46:15.000 --> 00:46:19.100 roots that have developed over 30 40 50 years you think they 00:46:19.100 --> 00:46:20.000 won't bear fruit. 00:46:21.500 --> 00:46:24.300 Why does the gardener prune the gardener prunes because the 00:46:24.300 --> 00:46:25.200 fruit is bad. 00:46:26.300 --> 00:46:29.200 And what does he prune with with the word how through 00:46:29.200 --> 00:46:32.300 teachings like this or through the word of God and what happens 00:46:32.300 --> 00:46:35.000 when we don't listen when after saying all this if I still 00:46:35.000 --> 00:46:37.300 don't listen, what do you think you'll do discipline me? 00:46:37.300 --> 00:46:41.000 Why because he is most interested in raising a community 00:46:41.100 --> 00:46:44.500 that is a microcosm and a demonstration of who he is and 00:46:44.500 --> 00:46:45.500 he is always. 00:46:49.200 --> 00:46:51.000 Escape the fear of trauma. 00:46:53.500 --> 00:46:54.400 So forgiveness. 00:47:03.300 --> 00:47:06.100 Judge yourself lest you be judged. 00:47:06.800 --> 00:47:10.500 Grant to others the right to judge yourself to critique you 00:47:11.200 --> 00:47:13.900 take what they say into account and forgive yourself at the 00:47:13.900 --> 00:47:18.100 cross after they critique you but give people the right to 00:47:18.100 --> 00:47:21.000 judge you judge you after you judge yourself. 00:47:25.400 --> 00:47:26.400 Make judgments. 00:47:26.400 --> 00:47:29.800 God wants to raise up a church that is peacemakers. 00:47:29.900 --> 00:47:33.400 You cannot make peace till you see what is black and white 00:47:33.700 --> 00:47:37.100 anything else is peacekeeping or daytime where you shut one 00:47:37.100 --> 00:47:39.800 eye so that you don't get bombed in the middle of the night. 00:47:45.700 --> 00:47:46.000 Father. 00:47:46.000 --> 00:47:47.500 I just thank you for your wisdom. 00:47:48.000 --> 00:47:49.500 I just thank you for your wisdom. 00:47:49.600 --> 00:47:53.500 You're an extreme God and I'm so grateful that we serve an 00:47:53.500 --> 00:47:57.300 extreme God and yet you are normal. 00:47:58.300 --> 00:48:02.500 We are the ones who diluted and just made everything so 00:48:02.500 --> 00:48:07.800 self-serving while everything about you is so self-giving. 00:48:08.700 --> 00:48:12.700 Oh God teaches this word itself carries the word given it 00:48:12.700 --> 00:48:17.600 forgiving for giving not for our sake but for the sake of 00:48:17.600 --> 00:48:18.400 someone else. 00:48:20.100 --> 00:48:20.800 Thank you. 00:48:21.000 --> 00:48:25.200 Make these lessons things we practice in our lives. 00:48:25.500 --> 00:48:30.700 Oh God the last point I want to rehash is that a forgiving 00:48:30.700 --> 00:48:32.000 people are hard to offend. 00:48:32.500 --> 00:48:35.900 Please help me to not take offense easily. 00:48:37.100 --> 00:48:42.200 I take offense because I'm proud help us to be humble. 00:48:43.100 --> 00:48:44.000 In Jesus name. 00:48:46.700 --> 00:48:47.900 Guys just.