male announcer: This
presentation is brought to you
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by the friends of the
Amazing Facts Ministry.
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Doug Batchelor: "For
to whom much is forgiven,
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the same loves much."
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I've got a theory.
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The reason that a lot of
Christians do not appreciate the
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forgiveness of Jesus is because
they don't know how much they
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have been forgiven.
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Doug: Everybody knows that Jesus
died for our sins to provide
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forgiveness that we might have
hope of everlasting life and
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share in eternity.
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But part of that forgiveness not
only means that we receive it,
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it means that we
share it with others.
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I want to read--most of us know
the Lord's Prayer, but I'm going
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to read the last section of this
in Matthew chapter 6 starting
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with verse 12.
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"And forgive us our debts
as we forgive our debtors."
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In Luke it says, "Forgive us our
trespasses as we forgive those
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who trespass against us.
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For if you, verse 14, "If you
forgive men their trespasses,
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your heavenly Father
will also forgive you.
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But if you do not forgive men
their trespasses, then neither
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will your Father in
heaven forgive your trespasses."
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So, we've learned about seeing
the Lord, seeing him in his
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goodness, his holiness, we then,
through the goodness of God, we
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see ourselves by contrast and we
repent, we confess, we receive
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the forgiveness he offers.
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Pastor Doug, are you saying that
the Bible teaches that before
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God can forgive us, we must
first forgive everybody else?
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I'm not gonna answer that right
away, I'm gonna let Jesus answer
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by going to a parable.
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Most of you know this, you
find it in Matthew chapter 18.
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It's only in Matthew 18, you
don't find this exact parable in
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Luke, or John, or Mark.
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And I'm gonna
start with verse 21.
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Now, Jesus is
speaking with Peter.
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A lot of the chapter
talks about relationships
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with your fellow man.
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"And Peter came to him and
said, 'Lord, how often shall my
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brother sin against
me and I forgive him?
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Up to seven times?'"
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Now, Peter thought he was being
unusually generous when he said
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that, because some of the
religious leaders at that time,
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they had a belief that you
forgive a person maybe three
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times, kinda like baseball,
you know, sin were these
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big calamities.
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But after you get to three, then
there's no more forgiveness.
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And so, Peter thought, "Well,
Jesus is so merciful, I'm going
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to double it and add one
for good measure and say seven,
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nice Bible number."
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"Lord, how often
shall I forgive my brother?"
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Not even an enemy, your brother.
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And he said, "Seven times?"
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He thought maybe Jesus would
say, "Peter, you finally get
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the message."
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But instead, Christ said to him,
"I do not say unto you seven
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times, but seventy times seven."
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Make a note of that number.
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And then Jesus goes on
and he shares a parable.
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"Therefore, the kingdom of
heaven is like a certain king
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who wanted to settle
accounts with his servants.
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And when he had begun to settle
accounts, one was brought to him
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who owed him 10,000 talents.
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But as he was not able to pay,
his master commanded that he
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should be sold with his wife and
his children and all that he had
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and payment be made.
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The servant therefore fell down
before him, saying, 'Master,
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have patience with me
and I will pay you all.'
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Then the master of that servant
was moved with compassion, and
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he released him and
forgave him the debt.
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But that servant went out and he
found one of his fellow servants
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who owed him 100 denarii And he
laid hands on him, and took him
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by the throat, and
said, 'Pay me what you owe.'
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So, his fellow servant fell
down at his feet and begged him,
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saying, 'Have patience with me
and I will pay you all,' and he
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would not.
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But he went and he threw him
into prison until he should pay
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the debt.
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So, when his fellow servants saw
what had been done, they were
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very grieved.
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And they came and they
told their master all that had
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been done.
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Then his master, after he
had called him, he said to him,
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'You wicked servant.
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I forgave you all that
debt because you begged me,
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because you asked me.
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Should you not have had
compassion on your fellow
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servant, just as
I had pity on you?'
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And his master was angry, and
delivered him to the tormentors
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until he should pay
all that was due him.
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So, my Heavenly father also will
do to each of you if you from
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his heart does not forgive
his brother his trespasses."
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Well, the Lord wants us clearly
to forgive others, but who does
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the first
forgiving in this story?
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The king does.
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Now, let's back up, and I'm
gonna use some alliterations and
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try and teach six main points
from this very important lesson
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on receiving and passing on
forgiveness, and how much the
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two of them go together, and it
is connected with our receiving
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the Holy Spirit.
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Alright, first of all,
the magnitude of the debt.
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It says that he's brought in and
he's somehow been squandering
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the king's money.
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He was in some position where he
had the king's combination two
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his safe or the bank book, or
the king's credit card, and he
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was on a spending spree.
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Maybe he had a gambling problem.
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We don't know what the issue
was, but somehow he racked up an
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unbelievable debt.
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Now, just to give you an idea
how big a number this is, he
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says 10,000 talents.
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So, let's just assume
they're talents of silver.
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If you go back to the time
of Christ, the annual tribute of
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Judea, Samaria, Idumea around
this time was only 600 talents,
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the tribute they paid to Rome.
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Here this man owes 10,000
talents of the king's money.
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The only other time you find
that number, 10,000 talents, and
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by the way, that's where
we get the word "myriad."
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It was the highest
number there in Greek.
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It's interesting that was
the amount that Haman offered
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to pay.
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You read in the book of Esther
chapter 3 verse 9, Haman said,
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"I will give 10,000 talents of
silver into the king's treasury
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if you will exterminate
these enemies," the Jews.
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And so, that debt, Jesus draws
from these Bible stories to
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remind us this represents the
burden of sin that is crushing
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us out.
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It's like a bounty on our
heads that's being paid for
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our destruction.
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And so, 10,000 talents, and
compared to the denarii, the
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denarii, you know,
that was a reasonable debt,
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it's only 100 denarii.
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Ten-thousand talents is 600,000
times as large as what this
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fellow servant
owed the king's servant.
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And so, you notice the magnitude
of the debt this man has.
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He has squandered a fabulous
amount, and I don't know, you
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know, the price of silver
and gold goes up, a talent is a
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weight, a weight
of around 56 pounds.
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That's the small side of what
a talent is, all the way up to
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75 pounds.
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And if you've got 10,000 times
75 pounds of silver, you can
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realize this is an astronomical
number, let alone if it
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was gold.
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So, the number is,
like, just a far out number.
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That is the number that
represents our sins against God.
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So, this man comes to the
king and he says, "I can't pay."
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And the king is moved.
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You can read it.
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Now we're gonna talk
about the mercy of the king.
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You look in Matthew chapter
18 verse 27, "Then the master of
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that servant was moved with
compassion, and he released him
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and he forgave him the debt."
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Now, there's a difference
between pity and compassion.
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They're both something that
represents pathos and feeling
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for another, but compassion
is really, it means with pathos,
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and typically in our dictionary,
it means that you not only
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behold a person's suffering,
it's not only that you empathize
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with them, you do
something about it.
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If I see a person get a flat
tire in rush hour and they pull
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off, I might say, "Oh,
Lord, help," them that's pity.
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But if I pull over and
help them change the tire,
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that's compassion.
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So, did Jesus have pity on
us, or did he have compassion?
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Did he just looked down and say
the human race is in a lot of
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trouble down there, it's so
sad, or did he come down and do
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something about it?
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The king was
moved with compassion.
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He forgave the debt.
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So, who ends up suffering
for this man's irresponsibility?
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The king does.
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He shows him mercy.
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He freely forgives the debt.
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"For I will forgive their
iniquity, and their sin I will
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remember no more."
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What a wonderful promise.
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Psalm 103:17, "The mercy of
the Lord is from everlasting to
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everlasting on those who fear
him, his righteousness to the
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children's children."
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God's mercy is everlasting.
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He's a merciful king.
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He's willing to forgive
whatever your sins might be.
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So, we see the mercy, and the
love, and the pity of the king,
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how much he is willing to
forgive us, but now I want you
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to notice it's not pleasant,
the meanness of the servant.
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This character is just, he
is harsh, he is hardhearted.
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Now, if I had owed the king
10,000 talents, obviously he
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knew he owed that money, and and
if you owe the king that much
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money, you know a
judgment day is coming.
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You're probably a
little apprehensive about that.
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And so, he kept
thinking about this burden.
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He kept thinking that
judgment day was coming.
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There's gonna be an accounting,
and if nothing else, this story
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reminds us there
is a judgment day.
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There's an
accounting that happens.
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I would be so relieved when I
came in before the king, I mean,
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the man, he had to
be feeling terrible.
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The Bible tells us that the king
was going to sell his family,
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his wife, his children, all of
his property, and, you know, the
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wife is crying as she's being
taken off to be sold, maybe part
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of someone's household or harem,
and the children are being taken
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off to be sold as slaves, and
his stuff that he bought with
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the king's credit card is being
pulled out of his home to be
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sold at a royal garage sale.
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And the man falls down
crying, pleading the king,
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"Please forgive me, I
will pay it all back."
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He's never gonna pay it
all back, the king knows that,
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but the king is moved with
compassion, he forgives him.
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If that happened to me, I would
have gone, I would've kissed the
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king's feet, I would have gone
out of there, I would've been so
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happy I would've been skipping
and rejoicing, and I would've
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been smiling and
loving everybody.
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But all this guy can think
of is someone that owes him
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100 denarii.
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He's just been forgiven
millions, and millions, billions
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of dollars, and he goes and
he takes a friend by the throat.
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Now, let's read it again.
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Matthew 18:28, "But that same
servant went out, he found his
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fellow servant, and he laid
hands on him, and he took him by
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the throat."
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That's pretty serious,
saying, "Pay me what you owe."
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"So, his fellow servant fell
down at his feet, and he begged
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him, saying, 'Have patience with
me and I will pay you all.'"
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Now, when he said to the king,
"Have patience with me and I'm
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gonna pay you your 10,000
talents," no way that's ever
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going to happen, he can't do it.
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But if someone owes him 100
denarii, you know, in 24 hours,
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you could probably find a
creative way to get that money,
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an honest way, and pay it back.
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But he takes him by the throat.
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That's pretty heavy
handed, "Pay me what you owe."
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His fellow servant
says, "Have patience with me."
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Same thing he says to the king,
and he would not have mercy, not
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even for that petty amount.
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But he went and he threw
him in prison that he should be
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tortured for 100 denarii.
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See, in Bible times, if you owed
money, you couldn't pay, they
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put you in prison, and they
had a debtor's prison where you
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could actually be tortured,
they were called tormenters.
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That somehow had a price
list and on the wall, and if you
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owed, you know, ten denarii,
then it was one lash, and if it
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was 100 denarii, it was ten
lashes, or, you know, six hours
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on the rack.
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I'm not sure how they measured
out all their punishment.
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I sure wouldn't want to
go to a debtor's prison owing
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10,000 talents.
00:12:11.93\00:12:13.86
This man had just been forgiven
this incredible punishment, and
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he now punishes his
brother for this petty amount.
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What is this dealing with?
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The sun is about 93
million miles from the earth.
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That represents how much
God is willing to forgive us.
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I hear it takes about--light
travels at 186,000 miles
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a second.
00:12:36.48\00:12:37.79
It takes about eight minutes for
the light of the sun to reach
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the earth.
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That's how far away it is.
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But our forgiveness to
each other is like one foot.
00:12:44.69\00:12:50.63
God is willing to forgive us the
distance between the earth and
00:12:50.67\00:12:54.04
the sun, and we sometimes will
not forgive each other one foot.
00:12:54.07\00:12:57.81
This is what the
moral of the story is.
00:12:57.84\00:13:01.18
Christ is saying look how
much I'm willing to forgive you.
00:13:01.21\00:13:03.95
What right do you have to be
bitter and unforgiving with your
00:13:03.98\00:13:07.22
fellow servants, when I
have so freely forgiven you?
00:13:07.25\00:13:10.92
And we need to
have a change of heart.
00:13:10.95\00:13:12.42
When we see how much God
is willing to forgive us,
00:13:12.45\00:13:16.02
shouldn't we be
willing to forgive each other?
00:13:16.06\00:13:18.56
And I know there's people out
there that are thinking right
00:13:18.59\00:13:20.80
now, "Well Pastor Doug though,
if you only knew what they did
00:13:20.83\00:13:24.73
to me you'd understand
that this is an exception.
00:13:24.77\00:13:28.10
Most things you can forgive, you
know, the little offenses, but
00:13:28.14\00:13:30.61
this person, what they did was
just plain old wicked, and how
00:13:30.64\00:13:33.34
can I ever forgive that?"
00:13:33.38\00:13:35.74
You need to.
00:13:35.78\00:13:37.11
And I have a theory that if
people really spend time at the
00:13:37.15\00:13:40.65
foot of the cross looking at
Jesus dying and suffering for
00:13:40.68\00:13:43.28
their sins, it makes it a
lot easier for us to forgive the
00:13:43.32\00:13:47.52
other sins.
00:13:47.56\00:13:48.89
When you see, you know, this
part of the cross is longer than
00:13:48.92\00:13:51.26
this part of the cross.
00:13:51.29\00:13:52.76
Our sins are much bigger than
our sins against God and our
00:13:52.79\00:13:56.83
sins against each other.
00:13:56.87\00:13:59.77
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It's now easier than ever
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"Amazing Facts"
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Doug: I remember hearing a story
years ago before Louis Pasteur
00:14:33.97\00:14:36.60
discovered the cure for rabies.
00:14:36.64\00:14:38.87
A man in France had been bitten
by a rabid dog, and when the
00:14:38.91\00:14:43.04
doctor finally told him I've got
bad news, we tested the dog, and
00:14:43.08\00:14:46.68
it's behaving like it has
rabies, which means that you're
00:14:46.72\00:14:50.82
going to probably die in a few
days, the man asked the doctor
00:14:50.85\00:14:53.96
for a pen and a piece
of paper, and he began to
00:14:53.99\00:14:55.72
vigorously write.
00:14:55.76\00:14:57.59
And the doctor said, look,
you've got a few days, take
00:14:57.63\00:15:00.16
your time.
00:15:00.20\00:15:01.46
If you're gonna write out
your will, you want to think,
00:15:01.50\00:15:02.93
make good decisions.
00:15:02.96\00:15:04.27
He said I'm not writing out my
will, he said I'm making a list
00:15:04.30\00:15:06.50
of everybody I'm
gonna bite before I die.
00:15:06.53\00:15:09.47
And this is the
way some people are.
00:15:09.50\00:15:12.51
It's like the devil, he's come
down with great wrath, because
00:15:12.54\00:15:15.54
he knows his time is short,
he wants to take as many people
00:15:15.58\00:15:19.15
with him as he can.
00:15:19.18\00:15:20.52
And believe it or not, there
are some Christians that are
00:15:20.55\00:15:22.55
vengeful, and that is
not the spirit of Christ.
00:15:22.58\00:15:25.99
So, now we're gonna talk
about the malice of vengeance.
00:15:26.02\00:15:30.09
You know, the Bible makes one
thing clear, that if we don't
00:15:30.13\00:15:33.80
forgive others, we
cannot be forgiven.
00:15:33.83\00:15:35.96
That vengeance
tends to backfire.
00:15:36.00\00:15:39.13
You get what you give.
00:15:39.17\00:15:40.74
Proverbs 24 verse 17, "Do not
rejoice when your enemy falls
00:15:40.77\00:15:45.64
and do not let your heart be
glad when he stumbles, lest the
00:15:45.67\00:15:48.91
Lord see it and it displease
him, and he turn away his wrath
00:15:48.94\00:15:52.11
from him."
00:15:52.15\00:15:53.48
Proverbs 26:27, "Whoever
digs a pit will fall in it."
00:15:53.52\00:15:57.99
Now, what does that mean?
00:15:58.02\00:15:59.35
Sometimes they used to try to
trap a person or herd a person.
00:15:59.39\00:16:01.36
They'd dig a pit and they put
spikes in it, so that they could
00:16:01.39\00:16:04.43
wound their enemy.
00:16:04.46\00:16:05.69
And it says, "If you dig a pit,
you will fall in it, and whoever
00:16:05.73\00:16:08.70
rolls a stone will
have it roll back on them."
00:16:08.73\00:16:11.97
Trying to roll a stone down a
cliff on your enemy, you might
00:16:12.00\00:16:14.64
find that it rocks the wrong
direction and it rolls back
00:16:14.67\00:16:17.21
on you.
00:16:17.24\00:16:18.54
If you know your Bible,
you know the story of Esther.
00:16:18.57\00:16:20.74
And the scoundrel and that
story is a man named Haman.
00:16:20.78\00:16:24.08
And he builds a
gallows 50 cubits high to hang.
00:16:24.11\00:16:27.92
Now, Haman is the one who wanted
to give 10,000 talents to kill
00:16:27.95\00:16:30.95
all the Jews.
00:16:30.99\00:16:32.62
He built a gallows 50
cubits high to hang Mordecai,
00:16:32.65\00:16:36.46
the hero of the story.
00:16:36.49\00:16:38.16
In the end of the story,
Mordecai gets Haman's position,
00:16:38.19\00:16:41.66
and Haman gets the gallows
that he built for Mordecai.
00:16:41.70\00:16:45.90
In your talking about your
neighbor, speaking badly about
00:16:45.93\00:16:49.50
your neighbor, being bitter
and unforgiving towards your
00:16:49.54\00:16:53.07
neighbor, you're
really condemning yourself.
00:16:53.11\00:16:55.88
The Bible is so clear with
what judgment you judge you will
00:16:55.91\00:16:59.08
be judged.
00:16:59.11\00:17:00.52
So, part of our embracing God's
forgiveness is we then need to
00:17:00.55\00:17:04.82
be willing to pass it on.
00:17:04.85\00:17:06.52
If we are not willing to pass on
his forgiveness, it evaporates
00:17:06.55\00:17:10.39
in our own lives.
00:17:10.43\00:17:12.16
We really need to appreciate
what the Lord has paid, the
00:17:12.19\00:17:16.67
amount of the debt
that we might be forgiven.
00:17:16.70\00:17:19.33
Let me give you another story in
the Bible that helps illustrate
00:17:19.37\00:17:21.57
this, and it's not in my
notes, the Lord reminded me.
00:17:21.60\00:17:25.97
When Mary Magdalene washes
Jesus's feet, she's called Mary
00:17:26.01\00:17:28.68
of Bethany in this story,
Simon the leper, he begins
00:17:28.71\00:17:32.08
to complain.
00:17:32.11\00:17:33.55
And he thinks within himself,
"If this man, Jesus, was a
00:17:33.58\00:17:36.92
prophet, he'd know who
and what manner of woman this
00:17:36.95\00:17:39.32
is that's touching him,
because she's a sinner."
00:17:39.35\00:17:42.36
Jesus tells a parable to Simon.
00:17:42.39\00:17:44.76
He says, Simon, I've
got something to say.
00:17:44.79\00:17:46.63
He says say on, master.
00:17:46.66\00:17:48.56
So, there's a certain man that
had two debtors, one owed 50
00:17:48.60\00:17:51.23
pence, one owed 500.
00:17:51.27\00:17:53.00
Neither of them could pay,
so he freely forgave them both.
00:17:53.03\00:17:57.01
Which of them do you
think will love him more?
00:17:57.04\00:17:59.67
Simon said, well, I suppose
the one who is forgiven more.
00:17:59.71\00:18:03.04
He said you've rightly judged.
00:18:03.08\00:18:04.85
He said I want you
to look at this woman.
00:18:04.88\00:18:06.68
When I came into your house, you
did not greet me with a kiss,
00:18:06.72\00:18:09.85
but she's kissing my feet.
00:18:09.88\00:18:11.85
You did not wash my feet, but
she's washing my feet with her
00:18:11.89\00:18:14.89
tears and drying
them with her hair.
00:18:14.92\00:18:17.46
And he said her sins,
which are many, are forgiven.
00:18:17.49\00:18:21.63
"For to whom much is
forgiven, the same loves much."
00:18:21.66\00:18:26.10
I've got a theory.
00:18:26.13\00:18:27.47
The reason that a lot of
Christians do not appreciate the
00:18:27.50\00:18:30.67
forgiveness of Jesus is because
they don't know how much they
00:18:30.71\00:18:33.61
have been forgiven.
00:18:33.64\00:18:35.74
"He who is
forgiven much loves much."
00:18:35.78\00:18:37.45
Jesus is not saying you've
got to go out there and be an
00:18:37.48\00:18:40.22
exceptionally bad sinner,
and then repent, and then you're
00:18:40.25\00:18:43.45
going to love your neighbor.
00:18:43.49\00:18:44.82
He's saying you need to
know what a big sinner you
00:18:44.85\00:18:46.59
already are.
00:18:46.62\00:18:47.99
No matter if there was anyone
else in the world who had ever
00:18:48.02\00:18:50.86
sinned, Jesus would have to go
through what he went through on
00:18:50.89\00:18:53.76
the cross for you,
your sins are that big.
00:18:53.80\00:18:57.33
Sometimes we say, "Well, Jesus
died for the sins of the whole
00:18:57.37\00:18:59.83
world," and we figure we'll
mitigate the guilt by doing
00:18:59.87\00:19:03.20
that, spread it
around a little bit.
00:19:03.24\00:19:05.44
And no, Jesus died for your
sins, yes, the sins of the whole
00:19:05.47\00:19:09.01
world, but you've got to
take it and make it personal.
00:19:09.04\00:19:12.05
He went through everything
he went through just for you.
00:19:12.08\00:19:15.85
If we understand the magnitude
of that 10,000 talents, then we
00:19:15.88\00:19:19.75
appreciate how much he's
forgiven us and we're willing to
00:19:19.79\00:19:22.72
forgive others instead of trying
to extract vengeance on them.
00:19:22.76\00:19:28.23
So, we've talked about
vengeance, the malice of
00:19:28.26\00:19:31.80
vengeance, now we're gonna
talk about the model of Christ.
00:19:31.83\00:19:35.30
What is the challenge?
00:19:35.34\00:19:36.64
What is the command of Jesus
about our enemies when it comes
00:19:36.67\00:19:39.21
to forgiveness?
00:19:39.24\00:19:41.14
Matthew, he says, "So when his
fellow servants," these other
00:19:41.18\00:19:44.75
servants, the angels see how
we treat each other, "They came
00:19:44.78\00:19:47.92
and they told the
master what was done.
00:19:47.95\00:19:50.42
They were so grieved.
00:19:50.45\00:19:51.95
His master, after he had
called him, he said to him,
00:19:51.99\00:19:55.02
'You wicked servant.
00:19:55.06\00:19:56.36
I forgave you all of that debt
because you begged me, you asked
00:19:56.39\00:20:00.63
me,'" and you know, this is what
we're saying during the seminar.
00:20:00.66\00:20:04.40
Ask and you'll receive.
00:20:04.43\00:20:05.73
Pray, repent of your
sins, confess your sins.
00:20:05.77\00:20:08.67
You ask him, he will forgive
you 10,000 talents, it doesn't
00:20:08.70\00:20:11.74
matter how much you've sinned.
00:20:11.77\00:20:13.41
If God can forgive Mary Magdalen
and cast out seven devils, and
00:20:13.44\00:20:16.58
if he can forgive Manasseh, and
if he can forgive Moses after
00:20:16.61\00:20:19.65
murder, it's more alliterations,
he can forgive you, you just
00:20:19.68\00:20:23.72
need to ask.
00:20:23.75\00:20:25.09
"I forgave you that debt because
you asked me," and then he says,
00:20:25.12\00:20:28.36
"Should you not have had
compassion on your fellow
00:20:28.39\00:20:31.43
servant as I had pity on you?"
00:20:31.46\00:20:34.00
How are we supposed to
treat our fellow servants?
00:20:34.03\00:20:37.03
As God has treated us.
00:20:37.07\00:20:39.43
What does the
Bible say about that?
00:20:39.47\00:20:41.37
Ephesians 4:32, "Be kind
to one another, tenderhearted,
00:20:41.40\00:20:47.41
forgiving one another," how?
00:20:47.51\00:20:49.64
"Just as God in
Christ forgave you."
00:20:49.68\00:20:53.48
That's a pretty tall order.
00:20:53.52\00:20:55.12
We're to forgive others.
00:20:55.15\00:20:56.99
Well, what kind of church would
we have if people really loved
00:20:57.02\00:20:59.52
and forgive others the way that
Jesus has loved and forgiven us?
00:20:59.55\00:21:03.79
Colossians 3:12, "Therefore,
as the elect of God, holy and
00:21:03.83\00:21:07.93
beloved, put on tender mercies,
kindness, humility, meekness,
00:21:07.96\00:21:12.33
longsuffering, bearing with one
another, forgiving one another.
00:21:12.37\00:21:17.34
If anyone has a complaint
against another," notice this,
00:21:17.37\00:21:20.38
"Even as Christ forgave
you, so also you must do."
00:21:20.41\00:21:25.91
It's not a recommendation,
God commands us to love
00:21:25.95\00:21:29.08
and to forgive others
as we have been forgiven.
00:21:29.12\00:21:31.39
And when we do that, even
though we may not feel like it,
00:21:31.42\00:21:35.46
then all of a sudden,
something happens in our hearts.
00:21:35.49\00:21:38.49
We began to experience the
real peace and joy of Jesus.
00:21:38.53\00:21:42.50
There's a lot of people out
there in the church that they've
00:21:42.53\00:21:44.53
never had the joy of the Lord
because they've accepted God's
00:21:44.57\00:21:47.10
forgiveness, but
they've never passed it on.
00:21:47.14\00:21:49.50
And they're still
bitter, they're still angry.
00:21:49.54\00:21:51.77
I meet people, they're angry at
parents and grandparents who may
00:21:51.81\00:21:54.94
have mistreated or even abused
them that are dead, and they're
00:21:54.98\00:21:58.35
never going to get
an apology from them.
00:21:58.38\00:22:00.75
You've got to let it go.
00:22:00.78\00:22:02.12
You've got to forgive them.
00:22:02.15\00:22:03.82
You know, some people
are unhealthy because of what
00:22:03.85\00:22:06.59
they eat.
00:22:06.62\00:22:07.96
Some people are unhealthy
because of what's eating them.
00:22:07.99\00:22:10.93
And a lot of people are
being eaten up with bitterness
00:22:10.96\00:22:14.00
and unforgiveness.
00:22:14.00\00:22:16.77
And what's amazing is that
sometimes it's even people in
00:22:16.80\00:22:19.87
the church.
00:22:19.90\00:22:21.40
First Thessalonians 5:15, "See
that nobody renders evil for
00:22:21.44\00:22:25.54
evil to anyone, but always
pursue what is good, both for
00:22:25.57\00:22:29.68
yourself and for all.
00:22:29.71\00:22:31.51
You have heard it said love your
neighbor and hate your enemies,
00:22:31.55\00:22:34.68
but I say love your enemies.
00:22:34.72\00:22:36.48
Bless those who curse you.
00:22:36.52\00:22:38.39
Do good to those who hate you.
00:22:38.42\00:22:40.22
Pray for those who spitefully
use you and persecute you, that
00:22:40.26\00:22:44.13
you might be the sons
of your Father in heaven."
00:22:44.16\00:22:47.10
You know, there's an
interesting story from history.
00:22:47.13\00:22:49.63
Many people know about the
famous mural that Leonardo da
00:22:49.66\00:22:52.57
Vinci painted there in
the chapel in Italy of the
00:22:52.60\00:22:55.54
Last Supper.
00:22:55.57\00:22:57.11
And he uses live
models when he was painting.
00:22:57.14\00:22:59.77
Took him quite a while.
00:22:59.81\00:23:01.24
During the time when he was
painting that, he had another
00:23:01.28\00:23:04.28
very public argument with a
famous artist and sculptor by
00:23:04.31\00:23:08.45
the name of Michelangelo.
00:23:08.48\00:23:10.95
And, you know, they
would write these open letters
00:23:10.99\00:23:13.32
insulting each other.
00:23:13.36\00:23:14.69
They were very competitive,
I guess, and you know,
00:23:14.72\00:23:16.26
both architects, and
both artists, and sculptors,
00:23:16.29\00:23:19.76
and they were
criticizing each other's work,
00:23:19.79\00:23:21.66
and it became very personal,
very angry, very heated,
00:23:21.70\00:23:24.63
and a lot of bitterness.
00:23:24.67\00:23:26.27
And it was the tabloids of
the day, the letters they were
00:23:26.30\00:23:28.67
writing to and about each other
being posted and made public.
00:23:28.70\00:23:33.68
And so, Leonardo got an idea.
00:23:33.71\00:23:36.24
When it came time to paint
Judas, you know, he used live
00:23:36.28\00:23:41.52
models normally.
00:23:41.55\00:23:43.22
He skillfully painted in the
face of Michelangelo there to
00:23:43.25\00:23:47.99
the left of Jesus.
00:23:48.02\00:23:49.32
You realize the Bible says John
was on his right, Judas was on
00:23:49.36\00:23:51.89
his left, it's very clear.
00:23:51.93\00:23:53.90
And people came by
watching him work, they went,
00:23:53.93\00:23:55.83
"Oh, look at that."
00:23:55.86\00:23:58.33
Well, he felt like he had vented
his spleen, he was happy now.
00:23:58.37\00:24:01.00
I'm getting even.
00:24:01.04\00:24:02.34
I'm going to show everybody
what a scoundrel he is.
00:24:02.37\00:24:06.31
But then he came to paint
the face of Jesus, and the more
00:24:06.34\00:24:09.71
and more he tried to
paint the face of Jesus,
00:24:09.74\00:24:11.58
he just couldn't do it.
00:24:11.61\00:24:12.95
He'd paint something and
it wouldn't be right, and he'd
00:24:12.98\00:24:15.12
erase it and he'd try it again,
and erase it, and he just could
00:24:15.15\00:24:17.92
not get that wonderful,
beautiful face of love,
00:24:17.95\00:24:21.19
and mercy, and
compassion that he wanted.
00:24:21.22\00:24:24.23
And after weeks of trying, he
knelt by his bed, and he prayed,
00:24:24.26\00:24:27.03
and cried out and said, "Lord,
please show me the face of
00:24:27.10\00:24:29.73
your Son."
00:24:29.76\00:24:31.23
And God spoke to his heart, and
he said, "You'll never see the
00:24:31.27\00:24:33.40
face of Jesus until you
change the face of Judas."
00:24:33.44\00:24:37.97
And being convicted, he went and
he erased the face of Judas, and
00:24:38.01\00:24:43.01
painted in the portrait of the
stranger that you see there now.
00:24:43.04\00:24:47.38
A lot of people cannot see
the face of Jesus because they
00:24:47.42\00:24:51.65
cannot forgive others.
00:24:51.69\00:24:53.22
They're looking at
ways of getting even.
00:24:53.25\00:24:55.66
They're bitter, and I'm not
denying that there are not mean
00:24:55.69\00:25:00.36
or unkind things that people do
to each other, but you know, I
00:25:00.40\00:25:04.10
think it makes it easier to
realize the reason that sometime
00:25:04.13\00:25:06.84
sinners do such cruel,
unkind things is because
00:25:06.87\00:25:10.07
they're sinners.
00:25:10.11\00:25:11.61
If people don't know the Lord,
if they don't love the Lord,
00:25:11.64\00:25:14.14
they're gonna ask selfishly.
00:25:14.18\00:25:15.48
They're gonna do mean things.
00:25:15.51\00:25:16.85
And when people have treated me
that way, I say, "Lord, I want
00:25:16.88\00:25:19.65
them to be converted, and then
I can love them easier because
00:25:19.68\00:25:23.32
they'll be like you."
00:25:23.35\00:25:24.69
But if they could only be
converted, it is possible for
00:25:24.72\00:25:27.09
someone like Paul, who's killing
Christians to be a Christian.
00:25:27.12\00:25:31.43
For Manasseh, who is sacrificing
his children, and he's
00:25:31.46\00:25:35.33
worshiping devils, for him to be
filled with the Holy Spirit and
00:25:35.36\00:25:38.97
be converted.
00:25:39.00\00:25:40.54
And you think,
"Well, if I had only known."
00:25:40.57\00:25:42.30
A lot of folks out there,
you think, "You know, if I could
00:25:42.34\00:25:44.61
just get even with my enemy, I
think God hates them," but, you
00:25:44.64\00:25:47.78
know, God loves them.
00:25:47.81\00:25:49.11
Jesus died for them
just like he died for you.
00:25:49.14\00:25:51.45
We need to receive and share the
forgiveness of Jesus, and then
00:25:51.48\00:25:55.95
I think we're preparing
our hearts for the outpouring
00:25:55.98\00:25:58.35
of the Spirit.
00:25:58.39\00:26:03.56
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male announcer: The
statistics are grim.
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Millions have been
infected by Coronavirus.
00:26:38.89\00:26:41.53
Thousands have died.
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Race riots have broken out on
the streets, political tensions
00:26:42.93\00:26:46.37
are at an all-time high.
00:26:46.40\00:26:48.14
Does the Bible have anything
to say about the times in which
00:26:48.17\00:26:51.44
we are living?
00:26:51.47\00:26:52.97
Doug: Hi friends, this
is Pastor Doug Batchelor.
00:26:53.01\00:26:55.41
Many people are wondering if
the world's about to implode.
00:26:55.44\00:26:58.95
Some are fearful that global
events point to a coming crisis
00:26:58.98\00:27:02.55
unlike anything
we've ever witnessed.
00:27:02.58\00:27:05.35
Did you know the Bible book of
Revelation actually speaks about
00:27:05.39\00:27:08.72
the days in which we're living
now, and it contains a message
00:27:08.76\00:27:12.66
of hope, if we
would only listen?
00:27:12.69\00:27:15.30
That's why I'd like to
invite you to "Revelation Now!
00:27:15.33\00:27:18.50
Decoding the Bible's
Greatest Prophecies."
00:27:18.53\00:27:21.44
In this multi-part series, I'll
be sharing relevant truths for
00:27:21.47\00:27:24.91
our time from the
last book in the Bible.
00:27:24.94\00:27:27.81
announcer: Coming October 23.
00:27:27.84\00:27:29.58
To learn more,
visit revelationnow.com.
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announcer: Would you like to
know God's plan for our troubled
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world and solutions
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to understand.
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How can I have healthier
relationships, when will Jesus
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come, and much more.
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Order yours today by
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00:28:12.25\00:28:15.59
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00:28:15.62\00:28:17.56
We hope you'll join us next week
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00:28:17.59\00:28:21.00
of God.
00:28:21.03\00:28:25.03
This presentation was brought
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