WEBVTT 00:00:01.289 --> 00:00:03.950 Welcome to Healing Scars with Pastor Burton, 00:00:04.129 --> 00:00:07.269 the official podcast of Cross Christian Fellowship, 00:00:07.290 --> 00:00:10.769 Route 66, in the heart of Albuquerque, New Mexico, 00:00:10.990 --> 00:00:14.150 where Burton is the lead pastor. We're glad you're 00:00:14.150 --> 00:00:17.629 here. Hey everybody, welcome back to the Sanctuary. 00:00:17.750 --> 00:00:20.890 It's great to have you with us as always. Now, 00:00:20.910 --> 00:00:23.649 something that we talk about a lot in church, 00:00:23.769 --> 00:00:27.649 of course, is forgiveness. You know, it doesn't 00:00:27.649 --> 00:00:30.179 matter where you've been, when you've been. At 00:00:30.179 --> 00:00:33.000 some point, you've heard us talk about forgiveness. 00:00:33.119 --> 00:00:36.020 You've heard it defined. You've heard about biblical 00:00:36.020 --> 00:00:41.399 perspective, all that kind of stuff. Well, guess 00:00:41.399 --> 00:00:44.439 what? We're going to expand on it a bit this 00:00:44.439 --> 00:00:50.759 week. So, I'd like to start off by painting some 00:00:50.759 --> 00:00:56.770 pictures for you to reflect on, okay? we've all 00:00:56.770 --> 00:01:00.250 heard of or have experienced at one point or 00:01:00.250 --> 00:01:03.590 another. So first, I'd like for you to think 00:01:03.590 --> 00:01:06.049 about a church that you've been to at some point 00:01:06.049 --> 00:01:08.510 in your life. It could even be ours. In fact, 00:01:08.549 --> 00:01:10.629 it doesn't really matter. It could even be work 00:01:10.629 --> 00:01:14.730 or school or any number of places with people. 00:01:14.930 --> 00:01:19.709 There's the key. So whatever this place is, start 00:01:19.709 --> 00:01:24.439 putting it in your head. Now, suppose that somebody 00:01:24.439 --> 00:01:29.299 in this place has said something about you that 00:01:29.299 --> 00:01:34.519 just plain isn't true. Not that they were intending 00:01:34.519 --> 00:01:37.659 to do anything malicious or even hurtful, nothing 00:01:37.659 --> 00:01:42.980 like that. Just plain gossip. Now, the person 00:01:42.980 --> 00:01:46.340 really didn't know what they were talking about. 00:01:46.599 --> 00:01:50.340 They were just talking for talking sake. All 00:01:50.340 --> 00:01:53.890 right, starting to get the picture now? And basically, 00:01:54.349 --> 00:01:55.870 it kind of goes like this. It goes like that 00:01:55.870 --> 00:01:58.790 experiment where a person whispers something 00:01:58.790 --> 00:02:01.069 to someone, and then that person tells the next, 00:02:01.209 --> 00:02:03.170 and then that person tells the next person, and 00:02:03.170 --> 00:02:06.109 so on, and so on, and so on, until by the time 00:02:06.109 --> 00:02:07.689 it gets to the end of the chain, it's morphed 00:02:07.689 --> 00:02:10.229 into something totally and completely different. 00:02:11.169 --> 00:02:14.770 Well, in this case, it's worse. It's worse than 00:02:14.770 --> 00:02:16.629 what they originally said. So hold on to that 00:02:16.629 --> 00:02:19.330 thought, all right? So that's picture number 00:02:19.330 --> 00:02:22.479 one. And really a lot of us can picture that 00:02:22.479 --> 00:02:24.860 one pretty easy from work or school or something 00:02:24.860 --> 00:02:27.620 like that. Unfortunately, I say church because 00:02:27.620 --> 00:02:29.460 sometimes things happen in churches as well, 00:02:29.520 --> 00:02:32.879 right? We hate to say it, we hate for it to happen, 00:02:32.919 --> 00:02:36.219 but it does happen. Now, next, hold on to that 00:02:36.219 --> 00:02:39.039 picture, stick it to the side of your mind, and 00:02:39.039 --> 00:02:43.060 I want you to now think about a child in your 00:02:43.060 --> 00:02:46.860 life. Your child. Or maybe you don't have one, 00:02:46.879 --> 00:02:51.509 so maybe a niece or a nephew. Or a sibling. Because 00:02:51.509 --> 00:02:53.409 there are those of you out there that have siblings 00:02:53.409 --> 00:02:56.830 that are significantly younger. It happens. Or 00:02:56.830 --> 00:03:01.150 any other relative for that matter. Now, imagine 00:03:01.150 --> 00:03:04.990 them coming home in tears because of a rumor. 00:03:06.449 --> 00:03:09.770 So you start asking questions. What's this rumor? 00:03:09.870 --> 00:03:12.129 What did they say? When did it start? Who started 00:03:12.129 --> 00:03:15.110 it? Who's involved? All that kind of stuff, right? 00:03:17.319 --> 00:03:19.780 In either of these scenarios, or anything even 00:03:19.780 --> 00:03:23.539 remotely like them, you'd be getting pretty angry 00:03:23.539 --> 00:03:26.120 at this point. Right? I know you would, because 00:03:26.120 --> 00:03:29.500 I would. All of us do. That's just how it happens. 00:03:30.039 --> 00:03:34.219 And it's bad enough when somebody hurts you or 00:03:34.219 --> 00:03:38.460 attacks your character. It's something else when 00:03:38.460 --> 00:03:43.520 it's someone you care about deeply. Now, I said 00:03:43.520 --> 00:03:48.449 a few months back, these are all things, I'm 00:03:48.449 --> 00:03:50.870 sorry, I should say a few moments ago, I've said 00:03:50.870 --> 00:03:54.250 this about forgiveness months back. I've talked 00:03:54.250 --> 00:03:57.789 about it even recently. The way we react is the 00:03:57.789 --> 00:04:02.310 way we react. It's part of being human. These 00:04:02.310 --> 00:04:05.129 are all things that are hard to deal with. And 00:04:05.129 --> 00:04:07.949 maybe someone out there is dealing with this 00:04:07.949 --> 00:04:11.490 sort of thing right now. It happens. It happens 00:04:11.490 --> 00:04:14.830 all the time. I spent a long, long time working 00:04:14.830 --> 00:04:16.529 in health care, and I can tell you in hospitals 00:04:16.529 --> 00:04:20.970 there's a lot of gossip. So what do we do? Well, 00:04:21.269 --> 00:04:27.110 we look to Jesus because Jesus told us what we 00:04:27.110 --> 00:04:30.050 should do. And if we open our Bibles to Matthew 00:04:30.050 --> 00:04:33.149 18, We're going to start seeing what the word 00:04:33.149 --> 00:04:36.769 says. So Matthew 18, specifically verses 21 through 00:04:36.769 --> 00:04:39.310 22. So if you're following along in your Bible, 00:04:39.490 --> 00:04:43.829 Matthew 18, 21 through 22. If you're taking notes, 00:04:43.889 --> 00:04:47.389 again, Matthew 18, verses 21 through 22. And 00:04:47.389 --> 00:04:49.970 the word says, Then Peter came up to him and 00:04:49.970 --> 00:04:53.490 said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against 00:04:53.490 --> 00:04:57.970 me? And I forgive him up to seven times. Jesus 00:04:57.970 --> 00:05:01.290 said to him, I do not say to you, Up to seven 00:05:01.290 --> 00:05:07.209 times, but up to 70 times seven. Now, at this 00:05:07.209 --> 00:05:11.550 point, we have a choice to make, don't we? And 00:05:11.550 --> 00:05:13.449 that choice is whether we're going to forgive 00:05:13.449 --> 00:05:17.230 or not. Remember the old saying, what would Jesus 00:05:17.230 --> 00:05:21.589 do? Well, it applies here. We should ask ourselves, 00:05:21.730 --> 00:05:26.829 how we can be like Jesus here? Because the answers 00:05:26.829 --> 00:05:30.589 are very clear. Number one, We can choose to 00:05:30.589 --> 00:05:34.350 follow Christ and forgive the offender. Or two, 00:05:34.589 --> 00:05:38.850 we can choose to be worldly and go against what 00:05:38.850 --> 00:05:44.050 Jesus has told us and be unforgiving. Those are 00:05:44.050 --> 00:05:45.670 really the only two options on the table. There's 00:05:45.670 --> 00:05:47.350 nothing that truly falls in the middle. It's 00:05:47.350 --> 00:05:50.129 one or the other. So let's take a deeper look 00:05:50.129 --> 00:05:56.699 at this. In fact, Let's take a look as to why 00:05:56.699 --> 00:05:58.620 Peter asked Jesus this question in the first 00:05:58.620 --> 00:06:00.579 place. Let's just go back a few verses. We're 00:06:00.579 --> 00:06:02.680 going to just stay in Matthew 18, and we're going 00:06:02.680 --> 00:06:07.560 to look at verses 15 through 20. In verses 15 00:06:07.560 --> 00:06:11.600 through 20, Jesus says, Moreover, if your brother 00:06:11.600 --> 00:06:15.040 sins against you, go and tell him his fault between 00:06:15.040 --> 00:06:21.420 you and him alone. If he hears you, you have 00:06:21.420 --> 00:06:24.500 gained a brother. But if he will not hear you, 00:06:24.560 --> 00:06:29.560 take with you one or two more, that by the mouth 00:06:29.560 --> 00:06:34.160 of two or three witnesses every word may be established. 00:06:34.740 --> 00:06:38.079 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the 00:06:38.079 --> 00:06:41.420 church. But if he refuses to even hear the church, 00:06:41.600 --> 00:06:46.240 let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector. 00:06:48.379 --> 00:06:52.399 Assuredly, I say to you. Whatever you bind on 00:06:52.399 --> 00:06:54.720 earth will be bound in heaven. Whatever you loose 00:06:54.720 --> 00:06:58.879 on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again I say 00:06:58.879 --> 00:07:02.860 to you that if the two of you agree on earth 00:07:02.860 --> 00:07:06.620 concerning anything they ask, it will be done 00:07:06.620 --> 00:07:09.399 for them by my Father in heaven. For where two 00:07:09.399 --> 00:07:11.939 or three are gathered together in my name, I 00:07:11.939 --> 00:07:14.319 am there in the midst of them. All right, so 00:07:14.319 --> 00:07:16.279 now we're digging, right? We're digging in. We're 00:07:16.279 --> 00:07:17.699 getting in the meat and potatoes. We're starting 00:07:17.699 --> 00:07:21.620 to see the real context of the question and the 00:07:21.620 --> 00:07:25.000 answer, right? And I'd like to pause here for 00:07:25.000 --> 00:07:28.420 just a moment because there's something here 00:07:28.420 --> 00:07:29.839 I want to point out. I'm telling you, this is 00:07:29.839 --> 00:07:31.399 going to blow your mind if you've never seen 00:07:31.399 --> 00:07:39.560 it before. Let's take a look at verse 20. Which 00:07:39.560 --> 00:07:42.019 specifically says, for where two or three are 00:07:42.019 --> 00:07:46.139 gathered in my name, I am there in the midst 00:07:46.139 --> 00:07:52.379 of them. This verse is taken out of context way 00:07:52.379 --> 00:07:56.360 too often. Because it's taken and tried to be 00:07:56.360 --> 00:07:58.639 used by itself to mean something else, something 00:07:58.639 --> 00:08:00.779 other than what it does. But notice what we're 00:08:00.779 --> 00:08:03.139 talking about. We're talking about dealing with 00:08:03.139 --> 00:08:08.990 trespasses and forgiveness, not praying. It's 00:08:08.990 --> 00:08:11.009 not where two or more gather to my name and pray 00:08:11.009 --> 00:08:13.230 or whatever. It's not what it's talking about. 00:08:14.069 --> 00:08:16.750 When we take it out of context and we use it 00:08:16.750 --> 00:08:19.689 like it often is, it's like saying God isn't 00:08:19.689 --> 00:08:22.230 with us when we pray on our own or at any other 00:08:22.230 --> 00:08:25.490 time, which is absolutely ridiculous. It is completely 00:08:25.490 --> 00:08:32.899 silly. It stupefies me sometimes because to think 00:08:32.899 --> 00:08:35.799 that God's only with us if we have a couple of 00:08:35.799 --> 00:08:38.700 us together or more in order to pray, that he's 00:08:38.700 --> 00:08:41.820 not with us at any other time? No. What he's 00:08:41.820 --> 00:08:45.120 actually telling us is that as believers filled 00:08:45.120 --> 00:08:48.500 with the Holy Spirit, that when we come together 00:08:48.500 --> 00:08:51.179 and we pray and it's in God's will, that his 00:08:51.179 --> 00:08:56.039 will will be done. our demands, right? It's saying 00:08:56.039 --> 00:08:59.600 that God is with us as we pray for guidance and 00:08:59.600 --> 00:09:02.700 then move forward in his will. That he's with 00:09:02.700 --> 00:09:06.139 us and will uphold the decisions that are being 00:09:06.139 --> 00:09:09.440 made. That's the key right there. Because if 00:09:09.440 --> 00:09:11.679 you look at this whole thing, it's like, I shouldn't 00:09:11.679 --> 00:09:15.240 say like, it is a legal concept. Because it's 00:09:15.240 --> 00:09:17.120 basically saying, hey, if somebody offends you, 00:09:17.500 --> 00:09:19.080 Go and talk to them. If they're not going to 00:09:19.080 --> 00:09:21.460 listen to you, go and grab a couple of witnesses 00:09:21.460 --> 00:09:23.820 who are there and go and try to confront them 00:09:23.820 --> 00:09:26.779 again. And if you still won't listen, bring them 00:09:26.779 --> 00:09:28.159 before the church. And this is all things that 00:09:28.159 --> 00:09:30.259 are happening essentially within the church, 00:09:30.320 --> 00:09:33.840 not outside. But I digress. Let's get back to 00:09:33.840 --> 00:09:37.220 our subject matter here. So again, Peter was 00:09:37.220 --> 00:09:41.679 asking, how far does someone need to go to forgive 00:09:41.679 --> 00:09:49.200 another? Basically, where's the line drawn? And 00:09:49.200 --> 00:09:52.240 at what point do they not have to worry about 00:09:52.240 --> 00:09:57.659 it anymore? And seven, it seems like a pretty 00:09:57.659 --> 00:10:01.080 good number, doesn't it? I mean, seven's already... 00:10:01.080 --> 00:10:04.159 If somebody forgives someone seven times, you 00:10:04.159 --> 00:10:06.700 can definitely say they're already going way 00:10:06.700 --> 00:10:09.700 above and way beyond what even rabbis are taught. 00:10:09.820 --> 00:10:13.500 Because they're taught that... You should only 00:10:13.500 --> 00:10:15.399 have to do something three times. Basically, 00:10:15.399 --> 00:10:18.179 three strikes and you're out. One, two, three, 00:10:18.240 --> 00:10:23.559 get out of here. However, what Jesus is saying 00:10:23.559 --> 00:10:25.860 is that neither of those numbers are good enough. 00:10:26.779 --> 00:10:29.740 We need to take a look at that seven and then 00:10:29.740 --> 00:10:33.980 go even further, about 70 times further. Think 00:10:33.980 --> 00:10:35.879 of it this way. Someone gives you something to 00:10:35.879 --> 00:10:38.039 take care of. It's not a matter of just having 00:10:38.039 --> 00:10:42.960 whatever it is, but leaving it. In better condition 00:10:42.960 --> 00:10:45.899 than how you received it. And our forgiveness 00:10:45.899 --> 00:10:50.960 needs to be the same. It's something we can't 00:10:50.960 --> 00:10:54.460 keep count of. Nor should we even try. You know, 00:10:54.480 --> 00:10:56.320 it should be limitless, which is the point here. 00:10:56.500 --> 00:10:58.559 Because, you know, how many times are you going 00:10:58.559 --> 00:11:00.320 to do something and remember, oh yeah, on this 00:11:00.320 --> 00:11:02.639 date I did it this many times, at this time, 00:11:02.740 --> 00:11:04.879 oh, and then there's this many times here. No, 00:11:05.059 --> 00:11:07.820 that's the whole point. You know, just as Christ 00:11:07.820 --> 00:11:10.940 forgave each of us and his forgiveness for each 00:11:10.940 --> 00:11:13.559 of us is limitless, no matter how many times 00:11:13.559 --> 00:11:15.899 we fail, no matter how many times we fall down 00:11:15.899 --> 00:11:18.820 or let him down or sin against him, you know, 00:11:18.820 --> 00:11:22.279 just as unlimited, you know, as the forgiveness 00:11:22.279 --> 00:11:24.990 is in the nature. of Christ. It should be in 00:11:24.990 --> 00:11:28.350 all of us as his followers. Why? Because he lives 00:11:28.350 --> 00:11:32.750 in us. In fact, it's so important that if we 00:11:32.750 --> 00:11:36.649 move back ahead to Jesus' response to Peter's 00:11:36.649 --> 00:11:39.970 question in Matthew 18, verses 21 through 35, 00:11:40.330 --> 00:11:44.269 we find that Jesus tells the parable of the unforgiving 00:11:44.269 --> 00:11:52.179 debtor. For time's sake, And if you're not familiar, 00:11:52.320 --> 00:11:56.179 I'm just going to summarize the story. And you 00:11:56.179 --> 00:11:58.500 can read it in its entirety at any point whenever 00:11:58.500 --> 00:12:01.220 you have time. Please do. I recommend it. Basically, 00:12:01.360 --> 00:12:05.620 the way it goes is there's a servant whose debt 00:12:05.620 --> 00:12:11.299 is pretty steep. And he's in debt to the king. 00:12:12.799 --> 00:12:15.259 And he goes before the king because his debt 00:12:15.259 --> 00:12:17.379 marker is being called, basically. And he begs 00:12:17.379 --> 00:12:22.259 for mercy. The king hears him and takes pity 00:12:22.259 --> 00:12:26.539 on him and forgives the debt like it never happened. 00:12:27.379 --> 00:12:32.240 And the servant is released. However, the servant 00:12:32.240 --> 00:12:35.500 then begins calling on debts owed to him. He's 00:12:35.500 --> 00:12:38.980 calling those markers in. And instead of being 00:12:38.980 --> 00:12:42.980 loving and forgiving just as he was forgiven, 00:12:43.299 --> 00:12:46.720 he's the opposite. He's harsh and he's unmerciful. 00:12:47.320 --> 00:12:50.029 Sounds like a lot of us, doesn't it? We want 00:12:50.029 --> 00:12:52.190 to be forgiven, but then we turn around and we're 00:12:52.190 --> 00:12:56.370 jerks to other people. And in the end, what he 00:12:56.370 --> 00:13:00.250 was doing was reported back to the king, who 00:13:00.250 --> 00:13:04.149 decided to rescind that forgiveness and had him 00:13:04.149 --> 00:13:09.970 jailed and punished for his transgressions. And 00:13:09.970 --> 00:13:13.970 that's exactly what God will do if we don't forgive 00:13:13.970 --> 00:13:20.179 people the same as he's forgiven us. what they 00:13:20.179 --> 00:13:23.320 did. We cannot hold those grudges. We shouldn't 00:13:23.320 --> 00:13:26.659 use these shortcomings as ammo against people. 00:13:27.000 --> 00:13:30.919 And man, do we love to do that. Instead, we need 00:13:30.919 --> 00:13:33.600 to forgive and we need to forgive in full just 00:13:33.600 --> 00:13:37.440 like we've been forgiven. And we should be doing 00:13:37.440 --> 00:13:39.580 it whether or not the other person's repentant 00:13:39.580 --> 00:13:42.519 or apologizing or anything or not. Because it's 00:13:42.519 --> 00:13:46.139 not about them. It's about God. And it's about... 00:13:46.460 --> 00:13:50.159 how we respond that reflects our relationship 00:13:50.159 --> 00:13:52.740 with God. Yes, your response, whether or not 00:13:52.740 --> 00:13:55.899 you forgive somebody, is a reflection directly 00:13:55.899 --> 00:13:59.980 of your relationship with Jesus Christ. So it's 00:13:59.980 --> 00:14:02.820 important that we forgive. It's not easy, but 00:14:02.820 --> 00:14:08.279 it's important. Aside from the obvious that I've 00:14:08.279 --> 00:14:13.690 already stated, let's take a look at it. let's 00:14:13.690 --> 00:14:16.570 look at that unforgiveness, that grudge and anger 00:14:16.570 --> 00:14:19.850 we hold on to as though we're entitled to it. 00:14:19.889 --> 00:14:26.210 We're entitled to want what we want. Let's look 00:14:26.210 --> 00:14:31.909 at what it gives us, and as we do so, let's read 00:14:31.909 --> 00:14:38.570 Matthew 18, 31. So, Matthew 18, verse 31, Jesus 00:14:38.570 --> 00:14:42.059 tells us, So when his fellow servants saw what 00:14:42.059 --> 00:14:45.240 had been done, they were very grieved and came 00:14:45.240 --> 00:14:47.659 and told their master what had been done. Again, 00:14:47.899 --> 00:14:53.100 what does unforgiveness get us? Well, let's start 00:14:53.100 --> 00:14:56.279 with our families. When we're angry and we're 00:14:56.279 --> 00:14:58.519 bitter, it affects them. They see it in us. And 00:14:58.519 --> 00:15:01.440 whether we realize it or not, we're victimizing 00:15:01.440 --> 00:15:04.340 them. We're victimizing the people we love with 00:15:04.340 --> 00:15:08.659 our own hate and discontent. It impacts our relationships. 00:15:09.080 --> 00:15:12.019 We start putting people at a distance or even, 00:15:12.059 --> 00:15:14.240 you know, it can even cost us relationships. 00:15:14.840 --> 00:15:19.919 And how we react, you know, our actions influences 00:15:19.919 --> 00:15:24.159 them. Think about it. If a loved one is hurt 00:15:24.159 --> 00:15:27.019 or angry, we usually are too because we don't 00:15:27.019 --> 00:15:31.019 want to see our loved one hurt. So we go on the 00:15:31.019 --> 00:15:34.419 defense and we want to help them. To get the 00:15:34.419 --> 00:15:36.799 justice they perceive that they're entitled to 00:15:36.799 --> 00:15:39.960 or that we perceive they're entitled to. Even 00:15:39.960 --> 00:15:43.139 though we don't know all the facts. We only know 00:15:43.139 --> 00:15:46.559 what's been brought home versus the full picture 00:15:46.559 --> 00:15:48.659 of what's transpired and what's going on on the 00:15:48.659 --> 00:15:52.320 other person's end. All too often, people come 00:15:52.320 --> 00:15:54.080 home and say, oh, I'm the victim, I'm the victim. 00:15:54.159 --> 00:15:55.960 And it turns out, no, they weren't the victim 00:15:55.960 --> 00:16:00.360 at all. So our sins of unforgiveness become our 00:16:00.360 --> 00:16:04.190 family's sin as well. You know, all those that 00:16:04.190 --> 00:16:06.929 hate, discontent parents, you pass that on to 00:16:06.929 --> 00:16:10.529 your kids. You pass it on to your nephews and 00:16:10.529 --> 00:16:14.789 nieces. You know, we pass those things on to 00:16:14.789 --> 00:16:17.429 people who look up to us. How about our friends? 00:16:17.830 --> 00:16:19.970 They're very similar to our families. When we're 00:16:19.970 --> 00:16:23.970 upset, they're upset. Much like our families, 00:16:24.090 --> 00:16:26.870 they have our backs. They're essentially our 00:16:26.870 --> 00:16:29.850 expanded family, right? And if we're vengeful, 00:16:29.990 --> 00:16:34.259 they are too. What's worse is if we're upset 00:16:34.259 --> 00:16:36.460 with a friend and we refuse to forgive them, 00:16:36.539 --> 00:16:41.059 we very well may end up losing that friend. Now, 00:16:41.139 --> 00:16:43.299 I know I've mentioned this a few times over the 00:16:43.299 --> 00:16:45.960 years, but I was a bit of a brat growing up. 00:16:46.000 --> 00:16:48.519 I got into a lot of fights. I did a lot of stupid 00:16:48.519 --> 00:16:51.419 things that I shouldn't have. And I know what 00:16:51.419 --> 00:16:53.840 you're thinking. What? A Marine who likes to 00:16:53.840 --> 00:16:56.879 fight? No, say it's not so. Surely you jest. 00:16:57.240 --> 00:17:00.539 I don't jest and don't call me Shirley. But I 00:17:00.539 --> 00:17:04.549 had one fight. In particular, that came about 00:17:04.549 --> 00:17:07.190 because of a friend. My friend had taken offense 00:17:07.190 --> 00:17:11.150 with another person over a girl of all things. 00:17:11.609 --> 00:17:16.049 Yes, I was in school. Now, my friend was not 00:17:16.049 --> 00:17:18.950 a fighter in the slightest, not even a little 00:17:18.950 --> 00:17:23.049 bit. So I stepped up and I made it my fight. 00:17:23.109 --> 00:17:25.130 I got angry. I was saying things I shouldn't 00:17:25.130 --> 00:17:27.809 have. I was doing things I shouldn't have. I 00:17:27.809 --> 00:17:29.950 was interjecting myself what I shouldn't have, 00:17:30.049 --> 00:17:33.690 but I did. And we get out there. We both show 00:17:33.690 --> 00:17:35.730 up. It's the old school. We have rings and stuff 00:17:35.730 --> 00:17:37.349 on us. We're prepared just in case. It's like, 00:17:37.410 --> 00:17:40.690 really? No. So we're taking them both. Both of 00:17:40.690 --> 00:17:42.569 us taking it off. We're going bare knuckle the 00:17:42.569 --> 00:17:45.630 whole time. It's go time. We're cocky. We're 00:17:45.630 --> 00:17:50.569 arrogant. I'm more so. I'd been in fights. I 00:17:50.569 --> 00:17:53.410 knew I could take a hit. So I let this guy get 00:17:53.410 --> 00:17:57.670 in a couple of shots. Well, that day, I found 00:17:57.670 --> 00:18:00.009 the bigger and better fighter. The bigger dog 00:18:00.009 --> 00:18:03.720 in the yard. It was right in front of me. Because 00:18:03.720 --> 00:18:05.960 I'll tell you what, when those first few hits 00:18:05.960 --> 00:18:10.339 came in, they left me in a daze. Not so much 00:18:10.339 --> 00:18:12.640 that they hurt, they didn't hurt. They just landed 00:18:12.640 --> 00:18:15.819 so right that I was seeing white. And nothing 00:18:15.819 --> 00:18:17.839 was working right afterwards. My feet were wrong. 00:18:18.099 --> 00:18:20.079 I was trying to return punches. They weren't 00:18:20.079 --> 00:18:24.220 going right. Everything was wrong. I was rocked. 00:18:25.259 --> 00:18:27.619 I was feeling pretty silly at that point. Not 00:18:27.619 --> 00:18:29.160 even embarrassed because things weren't even 00:18:29.160 --> 00:18:32.059 registered yet. I got a bloody nose. My ears 00:18:32.059 --> 00:18:39.539 are ringing. The bell was rung. The fight was 00:18:39.539 --> 00:18:45.039 done. And it earned me a concussion. Which evolved 00:18:45.039 --> 00:18:47.500 into post -concussion syndrome that lasted several 00:18:47.500 --> 00:18:51.059 months afterwards. Because I put myself into 00:18:51.059 --> 00:18:55.049 something petty that I shouldn't have. You know, 00:18:58.509 --> 00:19:05.349 and that feeling afterwards, you know, like I 00:19:05.349 --> 00:19:08.750 let down my friends who were there, you know, 00:19:08.750 --> 00:19:11.829 and gave other people I didn't know something 00:19:11.829 --> 00:19:14.690 to laugh about. These thoughts start seeking 00:19:14.690 --> 00:19:17.289 in. You know, here I am and I'm walking down 00:19:17.289 --> 00:19:20.910 the road with a bloody nose and black eye. So 00:19:20.910 --> 00:19:23.009 a little bit of humiliation starts to set in. 00:19:23.690 --> 00:19:27.369 Definitely humbled. You know, my friend's sin 00:19:27.369 --> 00:19:33.289 became my sin. And we all do it at some point. 00:19:33.329 --> 00:19:37.890 Maybe not to that extreme, but we all fall into 00:19:37.890 --> 00:19:41.910 that trap. Remember those scenarios that we started 00:19:41.910 --> 00:19:44.470 with today, right? I painted a couple pictures. 00:19:45.809 --> 00:19:48.950 Unforgiveness can rip apart churches as well. 00:19:49.710 --> 00:19:51.630 Just like it can rip apart friendships. It can 00:19:51.630 --> 00:19:55.390 rip apart families. There are pastors and congregations 00:19:55.390 --> 00:19:58.650 under them who are unforgiving, unloving, and 00:19:58.650 --> 00:20:02.089 un -Christ -like because of their own anger and 00:20:02.089 --> 00:20:06.490 resentment. Their own issues that have gone unresolved. 00:20:08.029 --> 00:20:11.769 And they let them seep in. These are some of 00:20:11.769 --> 00:20:14.029 the ugliest scars that have impacted the church 00:20:14.029 --> 00:20:22.380 today. Because not only Do they need to be recognized? 00:20:25.559 --> 00:20:29.099 But they need to admit to them and bring these 00:20:29.099 --> 00:20:34.680 issues before Christ in order to heal. The problem 00:20:34.680 --> 00:20:38.539 is pride gets in the way. So the church is hurt 00:20:38.539 --> 00:20:44.839 inside and out. And when and where there is unforgiveness 00:20:44.839 --> 00:20:48.720 in his church, In the people who should know 00:20:48.720 --> 00:20:51.980 better and do better, who set the example as 00:20:51.980 --> 00:20:56.279 his ambassadors. We don't need to bash the church 00:20:56.279 --> 00:20:59.119 at that point, do we? We don't need others to 00:20:59.119 --> 00:21:02.599 bash the church. Because the damage is already 00:21:02.599 --> 00:21:06.839 done. We've already hurt his name and his reputation 00:21:06.839 --> 00:21:09.220 ourselves. The devil doesn't have to do anything 00:21:09.220 --> 00:21:12.059 but sit back, pop some popcorn, and enjoy the 00:21:12.059 --> 00:21:16.579 show. We do it in our own arrogance and our own 00:21:16.579 --> 00:21:23.200 pride. We hurt the Father. The enemy doesn't 00:21:23.200 --> 00:21:26.259 even have to at that point because we make that 00:21:26.259 --> 00:21:31.339 choice. Let's look down a little further in Matthew 00:21:31.339 --> 00:21:41.089 18, verses 32 -34. Jesus says, He had called 00:21:41.089 --> 00:21:45.769 him, said to him, You wicked servant! I forgave 00:21:45.769 --> 00:21:52.289 you all that debt because you begged me. Should 00:21:52.289 --> 00:21:55.710 you not have also had compassion on your fellow 00:21:55.710 --> 00:22:01.250 servant, just as I had pity on you? And his master 00:22:01.250 --> 00:22:04.950 was angry and delivered him to the torturers 00:22:04.950 --> 00:22:09.529 until he should pay. All that was due to him. 00:22:10.150 --> 00:22:13.309 Oh, our hate and discontent, our refusal to forgive 00:22:13.309 --> 00:22:17.910 goes against God. And that sin makes him angry. 00:22:18.130 --> 00:22:22.410 Like any parent who warns their child, don't 00:22:22.410 --> 00:22:27.569 do it. Do not do it or else there will be consequences. 00:22:28.349 --> 00:22:32.420 But we do it anyways. And then we get upset and 00:22:32.420 --> 00:22:34.460 we freak out when our parents would spank us 00:22:34.460 --> 00:22:36.519 and ground us and take things away. You know, 00:22:36.539 --> 00:22:38.759 our employers get upset or our friends get upset. 00:22:39.099 --> 00:22:41.700 You know, we end up getting punished or written 00:22:41.700 --> 00:22:44.259 up or suspended or all this other stuff and it 00:22:44.259 --> 00:22:47.940 goes on and on, etc., etc. And our own anger. 00:22:48.599 --> 00:22:51.440 We forget all the things God has done for us. 00:22:51.480 --> 00:22:55.019 The price that was paid in blood so that we could 00:22:55.019 --> 00:22:58.480 be forgiven. The mercy and the grace poured out 00:22:58.480 --> 00:23:03.259 on us even though we continue to sin again and 00:23:03.259 --> 00:23:10.019 again and again. We forget. We forget all about 00:23:10.019 --> 00:23:14.099 the forgiveness and love given to us. Instead 00:23:14.099 --> 00:23:16.160 of paying it forward and sharing it with others, 00:23:16.279 --> 00:23:19.640 we hoard it for ourselves and refuse to share 00:23:19.640 --> 00:23:22.240 it with others. Like children who get upset because 00:23:22.240 --> 00:23:24.200 someone won't share their toys, but they refuse 00:23:24.200 --> 00:23:28.059 to share ours when they do. We're like Smeagol. 00:23:28.119 --> 00:23:31.579 Oh, my precious, right? With his little ring. 00:23:32.240 --> 00:23:39.119 Our sin. Our sin doesn't just impact us. always, 00:23:39.119 --> 00:23:42.380 always impacts others. And the consequences of 00:23:42.380 --> 00:23:45.940 it aren't just ours to bear, but are theirs as 00:23:45.940 --> 00:23:50.460 well when they take it on as well. Our sin divides 00:23:50.460 --> 00:23:53.440 his people. It divides God's people. It hurts 00:23:53.440 --> 00:23:56.660 his church, his bride. It tarnishes the name 00:23:56.660 --> 00:24:00.579 of Christ. You know, we like to say things like, 00:24:00.640 --> 00:24:02.359 oh, you were hurt by the church? Well, that was 00:24:02.359 --> 00:24:06.730 people, not God. But let me ask you this. How 00:24:06.730 --> 00:24:09.430 is a non -believer or someone new just coming 00:24:09.430 --> 00:24:11.970 in the door supposed to believe this when they 00:24:11.970 --> 00:24:14.849 themselves were looking to know God but turned 00:24:14.849 --> 00:24:18.849 away by the sin of those claiming to be Christians? 00:24:20.329 --> 00:24:23.150 Those who are supposed to represent Him and teach 00:24:23.150 --> 00:24:27.650 others. The children act up. The father gets 00:24:27.650 --> 00:24:33.109 angry. And the price is paid for it. Remember 00:24:33.109 --> 00:24:37.380 when you were a kid? Right? You messed up. You 00:24:37.380 --> 00:24:40.319 got the belt. Maybe a wooden spoon. The old chancla. 00:24:40.500 --> 00:24:43.019 Right? Go get your twitch. Make it a good one. 00:24:48.140 --> 00:24:50.700 Part of that price is the personal pain we see 00:24:50.700 --> 00:24:55.200 in verse 34. We're tormented by unforgiveness. 00:24:56.319 --> 00:24:59.680 Some suffer throughout their entire lives because 00:24:59.680 --> 00:25:03.549 they won't forgive. They refuse. It eats away 00:25:03.549 --> 00:25:06.750 at them. It hardens them. And in some cases, 00:25:06.869 --> 00:25:12.190 just mention a name and you can see that anger 00:25:12.190 --> 00:25:16.910 start to well up. You want an example? Let's 00:25:16.910 --> 00:25:18.690 use a president's name. See how people react. 00:25:19.490 --> 00:25:25.869 Reagan. Clinton. Bush. Obama. Trump. You don't 00:25:25.869 --> 00:25:28.609 have to look back far and you see people melt 00:25:28.609 --> 00:25:33.599 down. From the opposite side of their political 00:25:33.599 --> 00:25:38.819 leanings. That's a lot to have to carry. And 00:25:38.819 --> 00:25:41.660 we're not supposed to. That's a weight we weren't 00:25:41.660 --> 00:25:44.500 even meant to pick up. So you have to forgive. 00:25:46.380 --> 00:25:50.599 Well, Pastor, how do we do that? Well, to start, 00:25:50.700 --> 00:25:54.240 Matthew 18 verses 15 -17 tell us. Tell the offending 00:25:54.240 --> 00:25:57.319 party that they've hurt you. We all need to tell 00:25:57.319 --> 00:25:59.180 those people who hurt us that they've hurt us. 00:25:59.450 --> 00:26:02.549 And if they won't listen and there are witnesses, 00:26:02.950 --> 00:26:06.750 we should go grab a couple of them to back us 00:26:06.750 --> 00:26:10.069 up in explaining how that person has committed 00:26:10.069 --> 00:26:15.089 an offense. Now, you don't have to take a lynch 00:26:15.089 --> 00:26:19.490 mob. Just a couple people will do. And if things 00:26:19.490 --> 00:26:24.609 still aren't moving forward and everybody's a 00:26:24.609 --> 00:26:27.400 part of the church, Well, then you and your supporting 00:26:27.400 --> 00:26:29.319 Christians need to take that issue before the 00:26:29.319 --> 00:26:31.680 church. Because the church needs to be protected 00:26:31.680 --> 00:26:35.400 from the sin occurring within. They need to deal 00:26:35.400 --> 00:26:39.259 with the issues that are within. If they're not 00:26:39.259 --> 00:26:43.259 part of the church, well, there's an answer for 00:26:43.259 --> 00:26:46.839 that too. Pray for them. Still pray for them. 00:26:47.700 --> 00:26:49.640 Church doesn't have to be involved at that point. 00:26:49.660 --> 00:26:54.079 Not necessarily. Now, it's not to say you can't 00:26:54.079 --> 00:26:57.619 take it before the church as a prayer request. 00:26:57.779 --> 00:27:00.599 Yes, you can. Just be careful about naming people. 00:27:00.859 --> 00:27:03.640 You might make it like an anonymous thing. But 00:27:03.640 --> 00:27:07.339 people need to be prayed for. And here's the 00:27:07.339 --> 00:27:10.539 thing, though. If you've done all this and that 00:27:10.539 --> 00:27:13.500 person or people still won't take responsibility, 00:27:14.000 --> 00:27:17.640 well, then we go on to what Matthew 18 verses 00:27:17.640 --> 00:27:21.480 19 through 20 are talking about. Pray for guidance 00:27:21.480 --> 00:27:25.880 in God's will. Make the decision on what to do 00:27:25.880 --> 00:27:31.059 and then do it. Don't be hasty. Pray. That's 00:27:31.059 --> 00:27:33.839 the whole thing. Take a minute, step back, talk 00:27:33.839 --> 00:27:37.079 to God about it. What's in His will? You might 00:27:37.079 --> 00:27:38.539 find, hey, you need to change something within 00:27:38.539 --> 00:27:42.099 yourself even. You never know. But you pray and 00:27:42.099 --> 00:27:44.339 you make that decision on what to do. And then 00:27:44.339 --> 00:27:46.579 once that decision is done, you do it. Don't 00:27:46.579 --> 00:27:48.900 hem and haw. Don't question it. Once the decision 00:27:48.900 --> 00:27:51.579 is there, just do it and move forward. And whatever 00:27:51.579 --> 00:27:56.319 that choice was between the few of you, God will 00:27:56.319 --> 00:27:59.579 honor it because it's being done in accordance 00:27:59.579 --> 00:28:04.480 with his will. Even if it means treating that 00:28:04.480 --> 00:28:07.740 person like a pagan or a tax collector, asking 00:28:07.740 --> 00:28:10.819 them to leave. Yes, asking them to leave is perfectly 00:28:10.819 --> 00:28:13.920 okay. It happens. Even in the church, it's okay. 00:28:15.960 --> 00:28:18.160 If push comes to shove and it gets to that point, 00:28:18.319 --> 00:28:20.880 sometimes that is the way to respond. It's like, 00:28:20.960 --> 00:28:24.180 hey, we can't have this. Something needs to change. 00:28:24.299 --> 00:28:25.799 We're going to ask you to leave until it does 00:28:25.799 --> 00:28:32.019 change. It happens. But beyond it all, be loving 00:28:32.019 --> 00:28:37.079 and discerning the entire way. Loving and discerning. 00:28:37.390 --> 00:28:40.849 The entire way. I said it again. And continually 00:28:40.849 --> 00:28:44.750 pray over them and continually pray over this 00:28:44.750 --> 00:28:48.930 situation for God's guidance and, if need be, 00:28:49.130 --> 00:28:54.069 His intercession. So be loving, be discerning, 00:28:54.069 --> 00:29:02.750 and prayerful. Next, it's more important that 00:29:02.750 --> 00:29:06.269 we need to forgive the offending party. In our 00:29:06.269 --> 00:29:10.730 own hearts. Yeah. We need to forgive the offending 00:29:10.730 --> 00:29:12.930 party in our own hearts. Colossians chapter 3 00:29:12.930 --> 00:29:17.829 verses 12 through 13. The word says, Therefore, 00:29:18.089 --> 00:29:22.390 as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on 00:29:22.390 --> 00:29:25.329 tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, 00:29:25.410 --> 00:29:28.710 long -suffering, bearing with one another, and 00:29:28.710 --> 00:29:32.170 forgiving one another. If anyone has a complaint 00:29:32.170 --> 00:29:35.359 against another, even as Christ forgave you, 00:29:35.519 --> 00:29:41.640 so you also must do. It's not a simple matter 00:29:41.640 --> 00:29:44.599 of saying a couple words. Oh, I forgive you. 00:29:47.200 --> 00:29:50.119 No, it goes deeper than that. We truly and fully 00:29:50.119 --> 00:29:53.079 have to let go in order to purge it from our 00:29:53.079 --> 00:29:58.599 hearts. Sometimes, you know, you get in a fight 00:29:58.599 --> 00:30:02.420 with your significant other. Separate for a little 00:30:02.420 --> 00:30:06.769 bit. Come back together. Separate for a few minutes 00:30:06.769 --> 00:30:08.089 so you don't have to say things that you don't 00:30:08.089 --> 00:30:10.309 need to say. Say things that you don't want to 00:30:10.309 --> 00:30:12.710 say. Things that shouldn't be said. Because you 00:30:12.710 --> 00:30:14.210 don't want to be ugly. You don't want to be ugly. 00:30:15.049 --> 00:30:16.490 Sometimes it's good to just take a moment to 00:30:16.490 --> 00:30:17.970 go and breathe. Come back together and say, okay. 00:30:19.410 --> 00:30:20.750 We can work through this, right? We're going 00:30:20.750 --> 00:30:24.309 to move forward, right? Yes. Okay. Cool. I forgive. 00:30:24.829 --> 00:30:26.190 Sometimes that's all that needs to be said. I 00:30:26.190 --> 00:30:29.430 forgive. I'm sorry. I love you. I forgive you. 00:30:30.269 --> 00:30:33.930 Moving forward, right? But we truly and fully 00:30:33.930 --> 00:30:35.930 have to let go in order to purge these things 00:30:35.930 --> 00:30:39.470 from our hearts. We have to take the hurt that 00:30:39.470 --> 00:30:41.329 we're feeling to the Lord and tell Him what it 00:30:41.329 --> 00:30:45.589 is and leave it at His feet knowing, trusting, 00:30:45.690 --> 00:30:49.329 that's faith, that He will deal with it properly 00:30:49.329 --> 00:30:56.009 and in His perfect timing. You can't just, or 00:30:56.009 --> 00:30:59.950 I should say, we can't just go and complain to 00:30:59.950 --> 00:31:02.460 Him. and then carry it back out the door with 00:31:02.460 --> 00:31:04.019 us. You know, he can't do anything about it when 00:31:04.019 --> 00:31:06.859 we carry it back out with us. We have to surrender 00:31:06.859 --> 00:31:08.839 it to him. We have to, you know, just completely 00:31:08.839 --> 00:31:12.200 drop it at his feet, at his throne. You know, 00:31:12.220 --> 00:31:13.680 some of us, we like to walk out. We have that 00:31:13.680 --> 00:31:15.920 little, you know, rope tied around it where we're 00:31:15.920 --> 00:31:17.259 walking out. We just, you know, kind of like 00:31:17.259 --> 00:31:18.920 that dollar bill trick. You can just jerk it 00:31:18.920 --> 00:31:21.519 and pull it back to yourself. No, let it go for 00:31:21.519 --> 00:31:23.440 your own sake. You have to realize that all that 00:31:23.440 --> 00:31:26.079 pain and all the suffering that comes with it 00:31:26.079 --> 00:31:30.960 isn't worth the price. that it takes on you and 00:31:30.960 --> 00:31:35.900 those you love. So like the king in Christ's 00:31:35.900 --> 00:31:38.680 parable, and like Christ himself, because that's 00:31:38.680 --> 00:31:42.579 who it's talking about, you have to release your 00:31:42.579 --> 00:31:46.059 offenders of repayment or obligation to correct 00:31:46.059 --> 00:31:50.720 the transgression and move forward with no expectation 00:31:50.720 --> 00:31:55.259 of reward or settlement other than the peace 00:31:55.259 --> 00:32:01.880 that God and God alone So we begin to work towards 00:32:01.880 --> 00:32:04.380 a close. I'm going to remind you of Romans 5 00:32:04.380 --> 00:32:11.920 verse 8. So Romans chapter 5 verse 8. The word 00:32:11.920 --> 00:32:18.380 states, But God demonstrates His own love towards 00:32:18.380 --> 00:32:22.440 us, and that while we were still sinners, Christ 00:32:22.440 --> 00:32:29.089 died for us. We've all sinned. We've all done 00:32:29.089 --> 00:32:34.170 things to hurt and offend others. Our forgiveness 00:32:34.170 --> 00:32:38.710 was bought for the very heavy price of Jesus 00:32:38.710 --> 00:32:43.869 on the cross. A price paid in full, in blood, 00:32:43.930 --> 00:32:50.509 that we ourselves can never repay. We can never 00:32:50.509 --> 00:32:54.809 earn it. It's a forgiveness that we truly never 00:32:54.809 --> 00:33:00.349 even deserve. Yet it was given anyways. Freely, 00:33:00.349 --> 00:33:03.609 lovingly, gracefully, mercifully, a forgiveness 00:33:03.609 --> 00:33:08.210 so full and so loving, it was given to us so 00:33:08.210 --> 00:33:11.369 that we in turn can not only be reunited with 00:33:11.369 --> 00:33:14.509 the Father, but share it with others so that 00:33:14.509 --> 00:33:17.450 they too can come to know Christ and be forgiven 00:33:17.450 --> 00:33:21.849 as well. So don't be ungrateful. Don't be selfish. 00:33:22.519 --> 00:33:26.500 God gave us this gift in the expectation that 00:33:26.500 --> 00:33:31.039 we share it with others and use it to point the 00:33:31.039 --> 00:33:37.079 way to Christ. We need to be forgiving like Christ 00:33:37.079 --> 00:33:42.259 who forgave us and do our very best to act the 00:33:42.259 --> 00:33:49.220 way He acted regardless of our own hurt. To forgive 00:33:49.220 --> 00:33:57.059 without excuse. Because we ourselves, we have 00:33:57.059 --> 00:34:01.420 no excuse. And in freeing others, we free ourselves. 00:34:01.559 --> 00:34:05.319 We free the future. Because Christ has broken 00:34:05.319 --> 00:34:07.940 those chains. He's given us the key to finish 00:34:07.940 --> 00:34:12.480 releasing those bonds that held them to us. So 00:34:12.480 --> 00:34:15.219 we need to forgive as Jesus forgave. You need 00:34:15.219 --> 00:34:19.340 to forgive as Jesus forgave you. And as we close, 00:34:19.900 --> 00:34:21.940 I'd like everyone to bow their head for a moment 00:34:21.940 --> 00:34:24.559 and close their eyes. Unless you're driving out 00:34:24.559 --> 00:34:26.800 there, of course, and you're listening online. 00:34:27.159 --> 00:34:29.940 But I want you to search yourself. Search yourself 00:34:29.940 --> 00:34:32.679 and ask God to reveal those things that you've 00:34:32.679 --> 00:34:36.559 been blind to. To take those hurts that are inside 00:34:36.559 --> 00:34:40.340 and turn them over to Christ today. Leave them 00:34:40.340 --> 00:34:43.639 with Him. And if you're hearing this and you 00:34:43.639 --> 00:34:47.400 haven't forgiven yourself, you need to do so. 00:34:47.500 --> 00:34:50.340 If you haven't given yourself to the Lord, You 00:34:50.340 --> 00:34:54.480 need to do so. And you can do this now because 00:34:54.480 --> 00:34:57.159 his forgiveness is available to you as well. 00:34:58.719 --> 00:35:02.480 Pray and ask for the forgiveness that only Jesus 00:35:02.480 --> 00:35:05.260 can give you and recognize that we've all sinned 00:35:05.260 --> 00:35:09.039 and we've all fallen short and we all need that 00:35:09.039 --> 00:35:15.280 forgiveness in our lives. Let us pray. Father, 00:35:15.320 --> 00:35:17.000 we come to you knowing that we're all sinners. 00:35:17.099 --> 00:35:19.750 We've all fallen short of the goal. We've all 00:35:19.750 --> 00:35:24.389 messed up. Those expectations that you've had 00:35:24.389 --> 00:35:29.030 for us, well, we've missed them too. We've offended. 00:35:29.130 --> 00:35:32.909 We've hurt. Sometimes we've done it willingly. 00:35:32.969 --> 00:35:36.130 Sometimes we've done it knowingly. Other times, 00:35:36.250 --> 00:35:39.389 no idea. None whatsoever. But that's never an 00:35:39.389 --> 00:35:43.050 excuse. None of that is an excuse. So please 00:35:43.050 --> 00:35:48.480 forgive us. Forgive us all. And help us to let 00:35:48.480 --> 00:35:52.019 go of those transgressions and forgive others 00:35:52.019 --> 00:35:55.480 just as you've forgiven us. Teach us how to let 00:35:55.480 --> 00:35:59.940 them go, fully and completely. Help us to find 00:35:59.940 --> 00:36:05.599 that closure when we can, to go to those that 00:36:05.599 --> 00:36:07.559 we're able to and try to have that dialogue. 00:36:07.820 --> 00:36:09.260 Unless, of course, it's going to make the situation 00:36:09.260 --> 00:36:11.079 worse, in which case we leave it in your hands. 00:36:11.619 --> 00:36:13.320 We leave it all to you because we don't want 00:36:13.320 --> 00:36:16.199 to hurt others more than we already have. And 00:36:16.199 --> 00:36:17.780 we know sometimes just being there is going to 00:36:17.780 --> 00:36:22.639 do just that. Help us to fully understand this 00:36:22.639 --> 00:36:26.079 gift that you've given us and that forgiveness 00:36:26.079 --> 00:36:28.440 is all part of loving our neighbors and you have 00:36:28.440 --> 00:36:31.659 commanded us and your second commandment is to 00:36:31.659 --> 00:36:34.519 love others just as we would love ourselves. 00:36:36.010 --> 00:36:38.269 So we need to take that and recognize that forgiveness 00:36:38.269 --> 00:36:41.329 in all of its forms is love and you are love. 00:36:41.530 --> 00:36:44.369 And it's a gift to be shared. So please help 00:36:44.369 --> 00:36:49.130 us. Help us to live that life that you've set 00:36:49.130 --> 00:36:51.550 for us and that you'd have for us. Live that 00:36:51.550 --> 00:36:54.510 life that's in your will where we can become 00:36:54.510 --> 00:36:57.809 more Christ -like every day and less like the 00:36:57.809 --> 00:37:02.889 world every day. And when there's a chance in 00:37:02.889 --> 00:37:05.739 front of us to point the way to you, and to be 00:37:05.739 --> 00:37:08.639 a beacon of hope for others, to be a blessing 00:37:08.639 --> 00:37:10.679 for others. Help us to recognize it, open that 00:37:10.679 --> 00:37:13.559 door, and walk right through it in your light, 00:37:13.599 --> 00:37:16.739 in your guidance. We pray this in Jesus' name. 00:37:16.820 --> 00:37:20.039 Amen. And remember, as you go forward from here 00:37:20.039 --> 00:37:23.519 today, you are loved and you are blessed. Now 00:37:23.519 --> 00:37:29.880 go and be the church. Thank you for joining us 00:37:29.880 --> 00:37:50.460 at Healing Scars with Pastor Burton. Until next 00:37:50.460 --> 00:37:52.860 time, take care and God bless.