Participants: Pr. Dwight K. Nelson
Series Code: NP
Program Code: NP031007
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00:27 Psalm 96, "Sing to the Lord a new song.
00:34 Sing to the Lord all the earth. 00:36 Sing to the Lord, praise His name, 00:39 proclaim His salvation, day after day. 00:44 Declare His glory among the nations, 00:47 His marvelous deeds among all the peoples. 00:52 For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise. 00:55 He is to be feared above all gods. 00:59 For all the gods of the nations are idols 01:01 but the Lord He made the heavens, 01:05 splendor and majesty are before Him, 01:08 strength and glory are in His sanctuary. 01:12 Ascribe to the Lord O families of nations, 01:16 ascribe to the Lord Glory and strength. 01:20 Say among the nations 'The Lord reigns.' 01:24 The world is firmly established it cannot be moved. 01:28 He will judge the peoples with equity. 01:31 Let the heavens rejoice. 01:33 Let the earth be glad. 01:36 Let the sea resound. 01:37 And all that is in it. 01:39 Let the fields be jubilant and everything in them. 01:43 Then all the trees of the fear 01:46 of the forests will sing for joy. 01:48 They will sing before the Lord for He comes, 01:52 He comes to judge the earth. 01:55 He will judge the world in righteousness 01:58 and the peoples in His truth." 02:10 These are the days of Elijah 02:14 Declaring the Word of the Lord 02:19 And these are the days of Your servant Moses 02:23 Righteousness being restored 02:27 And though these are days of great trial 02:32 Of famine and darkness and sword 02:37 Still we are the voice in the desert crying 02:41 Prepare ye the way of the Lord 02:44 Behold He comes 02:47 Riding on a clouds 02:49 Shining like the sun 02:51 At the trumpet's call 02:54 Lift your voice 02:56 It's the year of jubilee 02:58 And out of Zion's hill salvation comes! 03:04 And these are the days of Ezekiel 03:08 The dry bones becoming as flesh 03:13 And these are the days of Your servant David 03:18 Rebuilding the temple of praise 03:22 And these are the days of the harvest 03:26 The fields are as white in your world 03:31 And we are the laborers in Your vineyard 03:35 Declaring the word of the Lord 03:39 Behold He comes 03:41 Riding on the clouds 03:44 Shining like the sun 03:46 At the trumpet call 03:48 Lift your voice 03:51 It's the year of jubilee 03:53 And out of Zion's hill salvation comes! 03:59 There's no God like Jehovah! 04:04 There's no God like Jehovah! 04:06 There's no God like Jehovah! 04:11 There's no God like Jehovah! 04:13 There's no God like Jehovah! 04:15 There's no God like Jehovah! 04:18 There's no God like Jehovah! 04:20 There's no God like Jehovah! 04:22 There's no God like Jehovah! 04:25 There's no God like Jehovah! 04:28 Behold He comes 04:30 Riding on a clouds 04:33 Shining like the sun 04:35 At the trumpet's call 04:37 Lift your voice 04:39 It's the year of jubilee 04:41 And out of Zion's hill salvation comes! 04:46 Behold He comes 04:49 Riding on a cloud 04:51 Shining like the sun 04:53 At the trumpet's call 04:56 Lift your voice 04:58 It's the year of jubilee 05:00 And out of Zion's hill salvation comes! 05:05 Lift your voice 05:07 It's the year of jubilee 05:10 Out of Zion's hill salvation comes! 05:26 On that day on the day He comes, 05:30 living water will flow out from Jerusalem, 05:34 half to the eastern sea 05:36 and half to the western sea in summer and in winter. 05:40 The Lord will be king over the whole earth. 05:45 On that day there will be one Lord 05:48 and His name the only name. 06:02 My Jesus, my Savior 06:07 Lord, there is no one like You 06:12 All of my days, I want to praise 06:18 The wonders of Your mighty love 06:26 My comfort, my shelter 06:32 Tower of refuge and strength 06:36 Let every breath, all that I am 06:42 Never cease to worship You 06:50 Shout to the Lord, all the earth, let us sing 06:57 Power and majesty, praise to the King! 07:03 Mountains bow down and the seas will roar 07:08 At the sound of Your name! 07:15 I sing for joy at the work of Your hands 07:21 Forever I'll love you, forever I'll stand 07:28 Nothing compares to the promise I have in You 07:42 My Jesus, my Savior 07:47 Lord, there is none like You 07:52 All of my days, I want to praise 07:59 The wonders of Your mighty love 08:07 My comfort, my shelter 08:12 Tower of refuge and strength 08:17 Let every breath, all that I am 08:23 Never cease to worship You 08:31 Shout to the Lord, all the earth, let us sing 08:37 Power and majesty, praise to the King! 08:44 Mountains bow down and the seas will roar 08:49 At the sound of Your name! 08:56 I sing for joy at the work of Your hands 09:02 Forever I'll love you, forever I'll stand 09:09 Nothing compares to the promise I have 09:14 Oh, shout to the Lord, all the earth, let us sing 09:21 Power and majesty, praise to the King! 09:27 Mountains bow down and the seas will roar 09:33 At the sound of Your name! 09:40 I sing for joy at the work of Your hands 09:45 Forever I'll love you, forever I'll stand 09:52 Nothing compares to the promise I have 09:58 Oh, nothing compares to the promise I have 10:04 Oh, nothing compares to the promise I have in You 10:25 Holy Spirit, rain down 10:33 Rain down 10:39 O, Comforter and Friend 10:46 How we need Your touch again 10:52 Holy Spirit, rain down, 11:00 Rain down 11:05 Let Your power fall 11:08 Let Your voice be heard 11:11 Come and change our hearts 11:15 As we stand on Your Word 11:18 Holy Spirit, 11:24 Rain down 11:30 Holy Spirit, rain down, 11:38 Rain down 11:44 O Comforter and Friend 11:50 How we need Your touch again 11:56 Holy Spirit, rain down, 12:04 Rain down 12:09 Let Your power fall 12:12 Let Your voice be heard 12:15 Come and change our hearts 12:19 As we stand on Your Word 12:22 Holy Spirit, 12:28 Rain down 12:35 No eye has seen, no ear has heard 12:41 No mind can know what God has in store 12:47 So open up Heaven and open it wide 12:54 Over Your church, and over our lives 13:00 No eye has seen, no ear has heard 13:06 No mind can know what God has in store 13:12 So open up Heaven and open it wide 13:19 Over Your church, and over our lives 13:27 Holy Spirit, rain down, 13:35 Rain down 13:40 O Comforter and Friend 13:47 How we need Your touch again 13:53 Holy Spirit, rain down, 14:01 Rain down 14:06 Let Your power fall 14:09 Let Your voice be heard 14:13 Come and change our hearts 14:16 As we stand on Your Word 14:19 Holy Spirit, 14:25 Holy Spirit 14:32 Holy Spirit, 14:39 Rain down 15:07 I sing the mighty power of God 15:11 That made the mountains rise 15:14 That spread the flowing seas abroad 15:18 And built the lofty skies 15:22 I sing the wisdom that ordained 15:26 The sun to rule the day 15:30 The moon shines full at His command 15:37 And all the stars obey 15:44 I sing the goodness of the Lord 15:48 That filled the earth with food 15:52 He formed the creatures with His Word 15:56 And then pronounced them good 16:01 Lord, how Thy wonders are displayed 16:05 Where'er I turn my eye! 16:10 If I survey the ground I tread 16:16 Or gaze upon the sky! 16:23 There's not a plant or flower below 16:27 But makes Thy glories known 16:31 And clouds arise, and tempests blow 16:35 By order from Thy throne 16:39 Creatures that borrow life from Thee 16:43 Are subject to Thy care 16:48 There's not a place where we can flee 16:54 But God is present there 17:36 Your only Son, no sin to hide 17:42 But you have sent Him from your side 17:47 To walk upon this guilty sod 17:54 And to become the Lamb of God 18:02 Your gift of love they crucified 18:08 They laughed and scorned Him as He died 18:14 The humble King they named a fraud 18:20 And sacrificed the Lamb of God 18:26 O Lamb of God, sweet Lamb of God 18:32 I love the holy Lamb of God 18:37 O wash me in His precious blood 18:43 My Jesus Christ 18:45 The Lamb of God 18:52 I was so lost I should have died 18:58 But You have brought me to Your side 19:04 To be led by Your staff and rod 19:09 And to be called a Lamb of God 19:15 O Lamb of God, sweet Lamb of God 19:21 I love the holy Lamb of God 19:27 O wash me in His precious blood 19:33 Till I'm just a Lamb of God 19:40 O wash me in 19:43 His precious blood 19:50 My Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God 20:15 O God, its true, Lamb of God, mercy 20:21 He who is God goes by both names. 20:24 And our prayer is a simple and humble one. 20:27 May His Spirit teach us 20:31 about His mercy right now for His glory, 20:36 we pray in His name, amen. 20:40 Have you see one of these? 20:46 I hold in my hands. 20:49 It's just came out a few days ago. 20:50 This is the brand name newly minted 20:52 US gold one dollar coin. 20:55 You read about them? Yeah. 20:58 Americans have had a love-hate relationship with these coins. 21:02 Don't like using, we prefer the dollar bills 21:04 but we'll see how this one turns out. 21:07 The reason I am the owner of this is 21:08 because of my friend Dorothy Carscallen 21:10 who dropped these-- drop two by this last week. 21:14 You see, Dorothy like a good church member 21:15 when she came to church last week 21:16 she read her bulletin. 21:18 And she pulled out an insert in the bulletin 21:20 put together by our stewardship team 21:22 that noted that the new gold one dollar coin 21:25 does not have on it the words 21:27 that were so familiar with "In God we trust." 21:31 And it's true. 21:32 If you put the face of the coin there is it is. 21:35 You look at the face of the coin, 21:36 you look at the back of the coin. 21:39 Neither side, no, "In God we trust." 21:42 what's up with that? 21:43 However, if you had a magnifying glass 21:46 this charming little coin 21:47 and you turned it on its side on the edge 21:49 you just got up close enough 21:51 you would see tiny little letters 21:53 inscribing our national model in Latin E Pluribus Unum 21:58 and then you would see the words 21:59 "In God we trust" as well as the year 22:01 that the coin came out. 22:03 But in defense of this stewardship team 22:05 that's said, it's not on there. 22:07 Just this week, did you hear, just this week 22:09 somebody or some machine 22:10 made a big boo, boo in Philadelphia 22:12 where one of the two national mints is 22:15 and they minted a whole hoard 22:18 of these one dollar gold coins without the words 22:21 "In God we trust" chiseled on the edge. 22:24 So if you go on the eBay 22:25 they're going for $50 of whack now. 22:28 If you come across one of these collectors take note. 22:30 All right, so if I owed you one of these, 22:34 if I owed you one of these 22:36 it's not a very big debt, is it just one. 22:38 If I owed you ten of these, that's still not. 22:40 They'd got hundred man, ten thousand wow, 22:43 but what if I owed you a 156 million 22:48 of these gold coins. 22:50 Do you know how high that would stack? 22:52 If you took every one of these coins 22:53 and just stack them one on top of the other 22:55 that pile would reach over, a 142 million-- 23:03 142 miles into the stratosphere. 23:07 I get so excited about this dimension. 23:09 Man a 142 million and take your pass to sun. 23:13 And these would melt 23:14 when they went pass so forget it. 23:18 Point is once upon a long ago time 23:21 there was a man whose debt, 23:24 whose debt was a 156 million of these gold coins 23:28 and I have no idea 23:29 how he is gonna pay it off, good luck. 23:32 Open your Bible please to the gospel of Saint Matthew. 23:35 The gospel of Matthew Chapter 18, 23:37 we were there just a little bit earlier this morning. 23:40 Find Matthew Chapter 18, incredible story. 23:44 If you don't have the Bible 23:45 you've got a pull out 23:47 the pew Bible right in front of you 23:48 because you don't want to miss this story. 23:49 This a wapo of a punch line. 23:53 Wait till we get to the punch line. 23:54 But don't, don't look. 23:56 Make it a surprise, don't look. 23:58 Matthew Chapter 18, Jesus is gonna tell this story. 24:01 It's a New Kings James Version 24:02 that you'll see on the screen. 24:03 It's a New James Version in your pew 24:06 and it's what I have right here the New King James. 24:07 If you have the Pew Bible, 24:08 the page number would be page number 662. 24:12 So find 662, Matthew 18:21, Matthew 18:21, 24:17 "Then Peter came to Him 24:19 and said 'Lord'" I have been thinking. 24:22 "How often shall my brother sin 24:24 against me and I forgive him?" 24:26 How about this? "Up to seven times?" 24:31 Wow, Peter you're such a magnanimous 24:34 and merciful dude. 24:37 You mean you're willing 24:38 to forgive somebody in their lifetime, 24:40 somebody in his or her lifetime 24:41 seven times in their lifetime, have mercy. 24:45 Because you know what the rabbis, 24:46 its true, time of Jesus, 24:48 based on a faulty interpretation of Amos 1:3, 24:51 the rabbis concluded, 24:53 you only have to forgive somebody three times. 24:55 But Peter up saying 24:56 he wants Jesus glow in commendation. 24:58 He said Lord how about seven? 25:00 Oh, boy, does Jesus have a surprise for Peter. 25:02 Take a look at this verse 22. 25:04 And Jesus said to Peter 25:05 "I do not say to you, up to seven times, 25:08 but up to seventy times seven." 25:15 Talking about letting hot air out of your balloon. 25:17 Jesus upstanding Himself He trumps Peter seven, 25:20 with seven times seventy and then to drive 25:22 his astounding point home. 25:24 Jesus tells a story about a debt 25:26 so big even Donald Trump would blush. 25:30 Take a look at this story. 25:31 Wow, verse 23, therefore, here we go. 25:35 Here comes the story. 25:36 "Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king 25:40 who wanted to settle accounts with his servants." 25:41 It's time for an internal audit. 25:43 I only want to audit those who are close to me. 25:45 So guys get all of books out the auditor scramble 25:48 the accountant goes to work, they add up the numbers, 25:51 they bring the report in verse 24. 25:54 "And when he" the king "had begun to settle accounts," 25:58 because the work is done now "one was brought to him 26:01 who owed him ten thousand talents." 26:06 Now I understand ten thousand talents means 26:08 absolutely nothing to you and me. 26:10 So what we need to do here 26:11 is we need to we need to put 26:13 try to put those numbers into correct perspective. 26:16 I wish you jot down a few numbers 26:17 to crunch these numbers 26:19 and let's find out how much it really is. 26:21 In fact, take out your study guide 26:22 in your worship bulletin today, 26:24 brand new study guide pull it out 26:26 because we are gonna crunch the numbers. 26:27 How much are ten thousand talents. 26:29 Now if you didn't get your study guide, ushers, 26:31 could we do this really quickly please? 26:32 Would you make sure 26:33 that everybody here gets a study guide. 26:35 If you didn't get your study guide hold your hand up, 26:37 we'll make, make certain that you have one. 26:39 And while they're doing that those of you 26:40 who are watching on television go to our website please. 26:43 Let me put it on the screen for you, 26:45 www.pmchurch.tv that's our website. 26:50 You're looking for the series Mercy Came A Running. 26:54 And the title of this particular teaching 26:55 is "When the debt ratio is 600,000 to One." 27:00 When you see that title, 27:01 you'll see study guide right beside it 27:03 click on to that and you'll have the identical study guide 27:05 that we are gonna fill in right now. 27:07 Everybody in the balcony have one? 27:09 Everyone have one? 27:10 Good, keep your hand up the ushers are coming 27:11 but we're gonna fly anyway. 27:15 How much is 10,000 talents? That's the big question. 27:18 We all can understand taxes. 27:20 So let's do it in terms of taxes. 27:22 Pull your pen out. See this there. 27:24 "The combined total annual taxes in the time of Christ 27:28 for Judea, Idumea, Samaria, Galilee 27:31 and Perea amounted to only 80 talents." 27:36 Right in the number 80. 27:38 Whoever this fellow is as run up of bill of, IOU's 27:41 with the king not for 80 talents but for 10,000 talents. 27:46 That's 1,250 time the annual taxes 27:50 of the entire region of today's Israel and Palestine. 27:55 Now even the Jewish listeners to Jesus 27:58 they're unable to crunch these 27:59 that these numbers are so big. 28:00 All they know is that it is an astronomical amount. 28:07 In fact there keep your pen moving. 28:08 Let's just-- one talent jot this down. 28:10 This is fascinating. 28:11 "One talent was equal 28:13 to approximately 20 years of labor." 28:16 Took it 20 years to pay off one talent, all right. 28:18 Keep your pen moving. 28:19 "So 10,000 talents equal" 28:21 write it in "200,000 years of labor." 28:28 Let's put it. 28:29 Keep your pen moving, let's put a dollar amount 28:31 of these 10,000 talents 28:32 and so I went on the web this week to find out 28:34 what the market price is for silver. 28:35 It's running about $13 an oz. 28:38 Okay, so you see that in your study guide now 28:40 let's figure it out. 28:41 One talent equals 75 pounds of silver, 28:43 we know that and we know the. 28:44 And we want to the answer 28:46 so that's times 16 oz per pound. 28:47 That's 1,200 oz's for talent at $13 an oz 28:51 that would be $15,600 worth for just one talent. 28:55 Then we're going to multiply by 10,000 28:57 it equals write it down. 28:58 A $156,000,000. 29:02 That's stack of coins which stretch a 150 miles 29:06 almost into the stratosphere. 29:08 Wow, and by the way at $10 in-- 29:11 you're making $10 and hour. 29:12 A $10 an hour that would take you that bill of 156,000,000 29:15 would you take you 7,800 years to pay it off. 29:20 Any way you count it ladies and gentleman, 29:21 whichever way you wished 29:22 to a slice 7,800 or 200,000 years 29:27 what difference does it make. 29:28 You can't pay it off. 29:30 All right, let's go. 29:32 Verse 24, "And when he" the king "had begun to settle accounts, 29:35 one was brought to him 29:37 who owed him ten thousand talents." 29:39 Verse 25 "But as he was not able to pay, his master" 29:43 the king "commanded that he" the servant 29:45 "be sold with his wife and children 29:47 and all that he had, and that payment be made." 29:50 Because they were lost in the time of Christ 29:52 and in the orient they provided for this sort of indemnity. 29:55 You can't pay, all right, 29:57 we're gonna auction off everything you owe. 29:59 We're going to garnish every bit of fixed income you have 30:02 and we are going to throw you jail 30:03 and you're going to be in jail for 200,000 years 30:06 or until you die whichever come first. 30:11 That was a deal. 30:14 All right, verse 26, so you gonna-- 30:16 you gonna understand the plight of this servant 30:19 who responds in verse 26. 30:21 "The servant therefore fell down before the king saying, 30:25 'Master, have patience with me, 30:28 and I will pay you all.'" 30:31 Now ladies and gentlemen, I want you notice very quickly 30:34 he did not say have mercy on me. 30:36 It's the same language of the Syrophoenician mother 30:38 just back in chapter 15 where she falls, 30:41 saying Greek word, she falls to her knees, 30:43 he does too but he does not ask for mercy. 30:47 He should have but he didn't. Do you know what he asked for? 30:49 Give me enough time. 30:51 Just give me some more time. 30:52 If you give me a little more time 30:54 I am going to be able. 30:55 Oh, your highness I shall be able to pay you off every penny. 31:00 Do you know, do you know what 31:02 sometimes ladies and gentlemen, 31:03 you and I with God sound like the very same blubbering servant 31:09 that Jesus describes here in His story. 31:12 Oh, God, I am so sorry. 31:13 I don't know what got into me. 31:15 I'll never do it again. 31:16 I promise I'll never do it again. 31:17 I am gonna make it up to you God, 31:18 so just give me one more chance. I am begging for time. 31:20 I tell you what God, I really can't change. 31:22 If you give me enough time I'll bounce the books. 31:24 I'll come up with the payment just give me time dear, Lord. 31:27 And we sob before God. 31:31 Hey, I do not wish to make like of the times 31:35 we sob before God. 31:36 God knows what it does to our hearts. 31:39 However, however come on think. 31:43 You can understand that we begin to border to God and behave 31:47 as if we had it in our own power 31:49 to extricate ourselves out of the horrible pit of sin. 31:52 You can understand God just I can change, 31:54 I am gonna change, I am gonna change. 31:56 Trust me, I'll change. 31:57 You understand that we begin to sound 31:59 like this blithering servant who is trying to cut a deal. 32:05 Give me some more time. 32:09 All right, boy, how much time do you need? 32:12 About 200,000 years Your Highness and I can do it. 32:15 See how, see how dormant he is. 32:17 He can't do it. 32:20 The point is would you write this down 32:21 please in your study guide. 32:22 "You and I are infinitely, 32:25 indefinitely and impossibly indebted to God!" 32:32 How tragic and ridiculous our desperate efforts 32:35 to extricate ourselves to become our saviors. 32:37 I can get over this given enough time 32:39 I am surely gonna be able to pay you off, God. 32:42 What a fool I am? What a fool I am? 32:49 All right, well, look at this verse 27. 32:56 "Then the master." That'll be the king. 32:59 Now "That servant was moved with compassion 33:03 and released him, and forgave him" 33:07 I am gonna insert a word and forgave him the entire, 33:11 the entire "debt." Gone. 33:19 Just like that. Would you write it down? 33:21 "Just like that Calvary has canceled our debt!" 33:26 So Calvary did, okay, keep your pen moving. 33:29 This 2 Corinthians 8:9. Look at it. 33:31 "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ 33:35 that though he was rich, 33:37 yet for your sakes" write it in "He became poor, 33:41 so that through His poverty you might become rich." 33:47 Write it down. 33:48 You remember the words of Robert Robinson. 33:50 "O, to grace" fill it in. 33:51 "O, to grace, how great a what? Say it aloud. 33:55 "O, to grace how great a debtor 33:59 daily I am constrained to be! 34:01 Let thy goodness, like a fetter, 34:04 bind me closer. Lord to thee." 34:08 I'm telling you what guys, a huge bill, 34:12 huge debt wiped out at Calvary. 34:16 What a grace how great a debtor. 34:18 I wish the story ended there but unfortunately it doesn't. 34:21 Read on verse 28, but okay so that's all over now. 34:26 "But that servant went out." 34:29 I'll tell you what, 34:30 he is whistling like he has never whistled in his life 34:32 before the sky is bluer, the air is fresher, 34:34 the birds are sweeter, the grass is greener, I am alive. 34:38 And 200,000 years of hard labor 34:40 just got wiped out of my account. 34:43 You ought to singing. 34:44 You should be whistling. 34:45 And he is until, until. 34:50 "But the servant went out" in verse 28 34:51 "and he found one of his fellow servants 34:56 who owed him a hundred dinarii and he laid hands on him 35:02 and took him by the throat, saying, 'Pay me." 35:05 You pay me "what you owe!" 35:10 Ignoring the astonishing behavior of this 35:14 just forgiven servant for a moment. 35:15 Let's calculate how much this fellow servant owes him, 35:17 all right. Get your pen moving again. 35:20 One talent, jot this down, one talent equals 6,000 dinarii. 35:26 So we have 10,000 talents of 10,000 times 35:28 6,000 equals 60,000,000 dinarii. 35:31 That's when he got forgiven by the king. 35:34 This buddy of his owes him 100 dinarii, jot it down. 35:37 That is a debt ratio of 600,000 to 1. 600,000 to 1 35:44 we can do it another way, keep your pen moving. 35:46 One talent equals 20 years of labor. 35:48 We have already established that. 35:50 So 20 years of labor times 10,000 35:52 that would be those 200,000 years of labor 35:54 that we have been talking about at 300-days a year. 35:56 So you gonna have holy days off, come on, holy days off. 36:00 That would total 60,000,000 days of labor. 36:04 That's when he just got forgiven from the king. 36:06 Now his buddy owes him 100 days of labor. 36:09 There it is again a debt ratio of 600,000 to 1. 36:14 I yee, the debt of the servant who is being throttled-- 36:21 he is being throttled by the guy that's just been forgiven. 36:23 That debt is 1600,000 of the debt of the man 36:28 who just got that whole debt wiped out. 36:31 I repeat the debt ratio is 600,000 to 1. 36:35 You can't believe this. Look at verse 29. 36:38 "So his fellow servant fell down at his feet 36:42 and begged him, saying, 36:43 'Have patience with me and I will pay you all.'" 36:48 Ladies and gentlemen, 36:49 please note that these words are to sound 36:51 more than vaguely familiar to the servant who is standing, 36:54 towering over his pleading brow. 36:58 You know why, because Jesus made sure 37:00 when he told the story that the words of the begging servant 37:03 on the ground are identical 37:05 to the words of the servant before the king. 37:08 Identical words "have patience with me, 37:10 I will pay you back." 37:12 Now those words in the throne room touched a heart of mercy. 37:16 What happens when these words are spoken here? 37:22 And he would not-- this is so sad verse 30. 37:25 "And he would not, 37:30 but went and threw him into prison 37:32 till he should pay the debt." 37:33 Verse 31 "So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, 37:36 they were very grieved, 37:38 and they came and told their master the king 37:40 all that had been done. 37:41 And then his master, after he had called 37:43 that servant back to the throne room said to him, 37:45 'You wicked servant! 37:48 I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 37:52 Should you not," verse 33 37:54 "have also had compassion on your fellow servant 37:57 just as I had pity on you." 37:59 Verse 34 "And his master was angry, 38:02 and he delivered him to the torturers 38:03 until he should pay all that was due him." 38:06 Punch line now. 38:07 Verse 35, "So" Jesus concludes 38:10 "My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, 38:15 from his heart, does not forgive his" brother 38:19 his "trespasses." The end. 38:23 The end. 38:25 Can you believe that? 38:29 The moral of the story. Write it down. 38:32 "Freely you have received, freely give." 38:40 Jesus words in Matthew 10:8. 38:43 Keep your pen moving. 38:45 The words of the king in the message, 38:46 I like the way the message renders 38:48 the kings point just a moment ago inescapably clear. 38:51 Write this down. 38:52 "You evil servant! I forgave your entire debt 38:54 when you begged me for mercy." 38:56 Write in the word mercy. 38:57 See mercy is what said issue here. 39:00 "You beg me for mercy shouldn't you be compelled to be merciful 39:04 to your fellow servant who ask for mercy?" 39:09 Which being interpreted means, keep your pen moving. 39:11 "Freely you have received mercy from God, 39:15 freely, therefore, give mercy to all." 39:22 Freely you have received, freely give. 39:26 I happened to know that some of you here this morning, 39:31 some of you watching on television right now, 39:34 some of you have been severely wounded 39:38 at the hands of another human being. 39:42 The pain you have suffered is so sharp, 39:45 it is so keen, it is so close to the surface 39:49 that it literally throbs 39:50 in every waking activity of your life. 39:55 That pain, and you don't want to let it go. 40:01 Something deep inside of you is crying, 40:03 I got to have vengeance on this one. 40:08 And so you forgive, you refuse to forgive, 40:11 so hurtful a wound, so evil a wounder like that. 40:16 My friend, in the name of mercy, 40:18 in the name of mercy let it go 40:23 for you are only killing yourself. 40:30 Harold Kushner, you heard of Harold Kushner, 40:33 best selling rabbi author, 40:36 tells in Simon Wiesenthal book Sunflower 40:39 he writes an essay there. 40:40 And Kushner tells of a time 40:42 when one of his woman parishioners came to him. 40:44 So I am, that's the moment. 40:46 She is coming to see her pastor the rabbi. 40:48 He describes it now. 40:49 She is, she is a single mother, divorced, 40:53 working to support herself and three young children 40:56 and she says to me. 40:57 Listen to this "Since my husband walked out on us, 40:59 every month is a struggle to pay our bills. 41:02 I have to tell my kids we have no money 41:04 to go to the movies, 41:05 while he's living it up 41:06 with his new wife in another state. 41:09 How can you tell me to forgive him?" 41:15 I answer her, 41:18 "I'm not asking you to forgive him 41:22 because what he did was acceptable. 41:25 It wasn't; it was mean and selfish, 41:27 I'm asking you to forgive 41:28 because he doesn't deserve the power to live in your head 41:31 and turn you into a bitter, angry woman. 41:36 I'd like to see him out of your life 41:37 emotionally as completely 41:39 as he is out of your life physically, 41:41 but you keep holding on to him. 41:44 You're not hurting him 41:45 by holding on to that resentment, 41:46 but you're hurting yourself." 41:51 Ladies and gentlemen, I remind you that at Cavalry 41:54 mercy has come running for all us 41:56 and has forgiven all of us of all our sins abundant. 42:01 Two hundred thousand years of hell and hard labor 42:04 have been wiped by that quivering prayer. 42:06 "Father, forgive all of them, forgive all of them, 42:09 they don't know what they are doing." 42:13 For mercy we have all freely received, 42:15 for mercy therefore we must all freely give, forgive him. 42:20 Forgive her. 42:22 She did not know what she was doing to me, 42:24 he did not know. 42:26 Oh God, a pray of mercy upon the cross 42:31 must become the prayer on the mercy 42:35 that comes running through You. 42:37 Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy. 42:41 Freely you received now, 42:44 now please, please, please freely give. 42:47 With your permission here enclosing. 42:52 I like to follow a rather, unexpected twist in this tale. 42:58 In fact, would you jot these down please? 42:59 "Freely you have received, freely give in terms of mercy, 43:03 yes," in terms of mercy. 43:05 But also jot these down. 43:06 "But also in works of mercy." 43:09 Not just the terms of mercy in works of mercy. 43:11 In the works of mercy for the poor. 43:15 Two Sundays ago in my Sunday paper, 43:16 boy, this caught my eye. 43:19 Let me share this with you. Take a look at this headline. 43:20 You see this, this is the Sunday paper 43:23 two weeks ago tomorrow, all right. 43:25 Here's the headline, you see it? 43:27 Record numbers are in severe poverty. 43:31 Keep your study guide right there 43:33 because I want to give you some stats 43:34 and you fill these in. 43:35 Let me just read the preamble. 43:36 "Dateline Washington, 43:38 "The percentage of poor Americans 43:39 who are living in severe poverty has reached a 32-year high, 43:43 millions of working Americans are falling 43:45 closer to the poverty line 43:46 and the gulf between the nation's 'haves' 43:48 and 'have-nots' continues to widen." 43:50 Do you understand that just this week 43:52 a Forbes Magazine has come out 43:56 with a 500 wealthiest human beings in the world 43:59 and they are only getting wealthier. 44:03 What this headline is telling us 44:05 is that the poor in the same world 44:08 and at the same time are only getting poorer. 44:14 Unless you are a incorrigible capitalist 44:19 that should bother you, that should bother you. 44:24 All right, jot it now. 44:27 Now let me read these numbers. 44:29 It's in your study guide. 44:30 "Nearly 16 million Americans," 44:31 would you write that numbering nearly 16 million. 44:34 "16 million Americans are living in deep or severe poverty." 44:39 By the way let me just hit the pause button. 44:40 You know what that is? 44:41 A family of four with two children 44:43 and an annual income, get this, 44:45 an annual income of less than $9,903 44:48 they are actually Americans living 44:51 on less the $9,903 a year, family of four, family of four. 44:58 Nearly 16 millions Americans are living in deep 45:00 or severe poverty. Keep your pen moving. 45:02 "The share of poor Americans 45:03 the deep poverty is climbed slowly 45:05 but steadily over the last three decades 45:06 but since 2000" hold now "the number of severely poor" 45:10 and this is quoting the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 45:13 "The number of severely poor has grown 45:15 more than any other segment of the population." 45:18 The fastest growing demographic slice in America 45:22 are the severely poor, 45:24 not they're marginally poor the severely poor. 45:26 They're growing faster than anybody else. 45:28 What does that tell you about this? 45:29 What does that tell you? 45:30 What does tell you? 45:34 One in three, jot this down. 45:35 "One and three severely poor people are under 17." 45:39 Isn't that amazing under 17? 45:42 High schoolers or younger 45:44 and nearly two out of three are female. 45:46 "Female headed families 45:47 with children account for a large" 45:49 write it in "share of the severely poor." 45:52 Now come on, come on, Dwight, come on pastor, 45:56 I don't know any poor people. 45:58 I don't know any fatherless children. 45:59 I mean, you know, I got to just live my life. 46:02 What do you mean you don't know any poor people? 46:03 You know poor people. 46:05 We got them right here 46:06 and we got them 12 miles up the road in a inner city 46:09 called Benton Harbor, Michigan. 46:11 Ever heard of that place? 46:13 We got the poor living on our very doorsteps. 46:18 I got an anguished letter 46:19 and I'm not even gonna quote from this letter, anguished. 46:22 The writer writing to me, 46:23 she is working at a Harbor of Hope Church a little church 46:25 that we planted up there and she is writing its 4:30 46:27 in the morning in the Lord has impressed me to write to you. 46:32 And then she tells me two pages worth of stories. 46:35 And she is saying "Pastor, you have to got to plead 46:39 with our home church at Pioneer and Andrews to help us please." 46:44 And you know what she quotes. 46:46 She quotes, she quotes the scriptures 46:48 right back in to my face. 46:49 Hosea 6:6 don't you understand what does means. 46:53 "I delight a mercy not sacrifice." 46:57 Where was the mercy? 46:59 We are dying up here without help. 47:04 I have read that letter and I said to myself 47:08 oh, boy, how can I be preaching my heart out 47:11 on God's appeal to have mercy on the human race 47:14 and not--and not for you and me have a moment 47:19 when we stretch out of our 47:21 terrible comfortable comfort zone 47:24 and remember that less than 12 miles up the road 47:27 some other severely, the highest 47:29 the fastest growing demographic slice in America 47:31 is right up the road severely poor, severely poor. 47:34 Have you ever gone to a house in Benton Harbor? 47:36 We got 120 kids who are going this afternoon 47:38 to a house in Benton Harbor. 47:39 You go sometime, you look at that home 47:41 and you tell me is that not severely poor. 47:47 I came across these words written 100-years ago 47:49 and the classic on the Sermon on the Mount, 47:51 Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing. 47:52 You have to fill into very key words 47:54 take a look at that in your study guide. 47:56 Very frank appeal, isn't this? 47:59 "So also with the gifts and blessings of this life," 48:01 you got them and I do 48:03 "whatever you make possess above your fellows 48:07 places you in debt." Write it in. 48:10 whatever you had that's more than somebody else 48:12 "places you in debt to that degree, 48:15 to all who are less favored. 48:22 Have we wealth," and all of us saying in our hearts. 48:25 No, no, no, no, not me. 48:28 I understand that we are very poor church. 48:34 "Have we wealth." No. 48:36 "Or even the comforts of life." 48:40 How many have a very comfortable dormitory room. 48:43 Don't put your hands up, don't put. 48:46 Come on, we got the comforts the life here. 48:48 I have seen some of these homes in the community. 48:51 We have got the comforts of life. 48:52 Andrews's employees have the comforts of life. 48:54 Trust me, we have the comforts of life. 48:57 You are not wealthy I understand nor am I, 49:00 but you have comforts of life. 49:04 "Have we wealth or even the comforts of life, 49:06 then we are under the most solemn obligation to care 49:09 for the suffering sick, 49:10 the widow, and the fatherless" 49:12 and here comes the punch line "exactly," 49:14 write it in. 49:15 "Exactly as we will desire them to care for us 49:18 where our conditions and theirs to be reversed." 49:20 If I am living in Benton Harbor 49:22 and you are living in Andrew's University 49:24 I would beg in the name of mercy 49:26 for somebody to come up the street 49:28 because my boyfriend is in jail. 49:32 I had two kids, and does not anybody care. 49:38 What are you a Christian college down the roads, 49:39 is that true? 49:41 If our tables were reversed wouldn't you want me 49:45 to come to you if you were in Benton Harbor? 49:48 But of course you would. 49:53 You know what I wish. 49:55 Now you're gonna be mad at me for saying this. 49:58 I wish a hundred of you would pull up stakes 50:00 in this church and move up there. 50:02 You are not to move house 50:03 just move your body on Sabbath up there, 50:07 one hundred of you. 50:09 Oh, it will be tough it will be rough on you 50:11 and rough on us. 50:14 But God would empower you there and do you know what, 50:18 He would replace you here. 50:20 Not one of us is the replaceable. 50:22 He would find somebody else 50:23 if a hundred of these seats just now went empty 50:26 and you moved up to start worshipping 50:27 in the little Harbor of Hope Church, 50:28 number one, they would rise up and call you blessed. 50:32 They would rise up and call you blessed you be the most, 50:34 you'd be a hero in a whole lot of books 50:36 because they are battling alone. 50:39 So number one, 50:40 if they would be so tickled but number two God, 50:45 through you would send mercy a running in. 50:47 So come on I know, I got to have all this. 50:49 I got to have this. 50:50 Yeah, really. How good is all this? 50:55 If I stay here week after week after week after week 50:58 at I never let mercy run through me. 51:02 It's not good at all. 51:05 I was hundred of you, 51:07 I was hundred of you would pull up 51:08 your stakes and move up there. 51:10 So what can I do in that? 51:11 You know, you know what you could do. 51:13 They got a kitchen up there 51:14 where they provide food for those who come on Sabbaths. 51:16 If nothing else you could help in the kitchen. 51:20 You can meet with my friend Pastor Frank Yap, 51:23 eight to nine, eight to nine in the morning 51:24 he is praying the God will clean up this place 51:26 and make it a haven a harbor of hope 51:29 for people who have walked through these doors. 51:32 We got kids who need a role model 51:34 and an adult that will not abuse them. 51:38 An adult that will love them and give them hugs 51:40 and only mean by that hug I love you as a child of God. 51:47 We got a church in need up there ladies and gentlemen. 51:52 I am not trying to make you feel guilty, 51:54 what I am trying to do is-- 51:55 I bet you there a hundred of you here who could rise up 51:58 and go up there and help us up there. 52:00 Our students are going out this afternoon at 3 o'clock 52:02 why don't you go up with then why don't-- 52:03 you are student here go, go on jump on a bus. 52:06 You wont' gonna be doing anything else anyway. 52:09 Jump on the bus, walk the streets of Benton Harbor 52:12 that's all you have to do 52:13 looking into one of those severe poverty homes 52:14 and ask yourself the question 52:17 "I have the comforts of life what can I be doing. 52:19 I can't give anything that taking every penny 52:21 I have here at the university but I can give time. 52:24 And give them myself. 52:26 And give my energy." 52:29 The next years Sabbath spring break 52:30 take them off don't come here go up there. 52:37 Check it out. 52:38 Just, just show up in the Harbor of Hope Church. 52:41 It would be tough to lose you 52:44 but God can replace you here. 52:47 Because you know what, this is how it works. 52:49 When you empty the pews here others come. 52:52 That's how the kingdom grows. 52:53 We only grow when we are seeking to grow. 52:58 We are saying bring on, bring on give me another one. 53:00 Give me another big Sabbath here man, I am happy. 53:02 As long as you give keep giving me this Sabbath 53:03 I will be just fine thank you. 53:05 We'll never grow. 53:06 We'll saturate and then stagnate. 53:10 It's called the Dead Sea, principle. 53:12 The water flows into a body 53:14 the water needs to come back out. 53:15 If the water cannot come out 53:17 the water that flows into the body 53:18 it will grow stagnant. 53:19 The Dead Sea is the deadest sea on earth 53:22 because it has no outlet. 53:23 It just keeps everything it gets. 53:24 It just sucks it up. 53:27 If I am just sucking it up I'll die. 53:31 Mercy has to come running through me. 53:33 What do we, what do we read just in the moment ago 53:35 "Whatever you may posses above your fellows places 53:38 you in debt that degree, to all who are less favored. 53:41 Have we wealth, or even the comforts of life 53:43 then we are under the most solemn obligation 53:45 to care for the suffering sick, the widow, 53:46 the fatherless exactly as 53:48 we would desire than to care for us 53:50 were our condition and theirs to be reversed." 53:52 You know what, would you like to experiment 53:54 to just don't go up there 53:55 don't make a live commitment yet. 53:58 We have a way that we would love to have you experiments. 54:00 In your bulletin today "Escaping The Matrix" 54:03 that's the theme of our evangelistic series 54:05 beginning in three weeks up in Benton Harbor 54:06 "Escaping The Matrix." 54:08 Would you take this out and say hey, 54:09 I could do that, I could help. 54:11 Just check it out try it, just try it. 54:13 Don't make a life commitment 54:14 just come up here and visit with us try it. 54:17 Say I could help fill this and give it to me, 54:19 give it to escape give it to any of our pastors, 54:21 give it to anybody. 54:22 Just say, I'll be willing to come up after spring break. 54:25 I'll be willing go up there and help just a little. 54:28 Try it, just try it. 54:31 Oh, Jesus says, I for I say onto you. 54:34 For I say onto you. 54:36 Freely you receive from me 54:39 now please freely in my name give to them. 54:46 Please in the name of mercy give to them. 54:54 Let us stand as we pray the benediction. 55:04 Holy Father, mercy came in running to us 55:07 200,000-years of hard labor wiped out 55:09 with the wave of Calvary's hand, 55:11 Father, forgive them they don't know what they're doing. 55:14 I beg of You forgive them, 55:16 take my debt and place it to their account, 55:20 forgive them please. 55:24 We just walked out of the palace this morning. 55:27 We are walking out of the palace the sky could not be bluer, 55:30 no one that are dead has been raised. 55:33 The air couldn't be fresher, the birds couldn't be sweeter. 55:35 It is so great to be alive our debt has been forgiven. 55:41 Oh, Father, please don't let the story Jesus told 55:46 turning into our story too. 55:48 Don't let us drive by Benton Harbor 55:55 and not respond. 55:57 Don't let us sleep comfortably 56:00 if mercy is bottled up in our dead seas hearts. 56:04 Please Father, for the sake of our salvation, 56:07 we got to let it go that dead water out 56:11 let mercy flow through us. 56:14 I don't know what you want for him, 56:15 I don't know what you want for her, 56:17 I know what You're asking for me. 56:19 And we are standing before You 56:21 and we're humbly asking of You 56:23 that You'll give us the courage having been forgiven 56:28 that massive debt please give us the courage. 56:34 Freely receiving as we have to now freely 56:39 give on behalf of our Lord Jesus Christ. 56:43 Let all the people say amen and amen. 57:00 Let me take one more moment of you time 57:02 to let you know that one of the blessings 57:03 I've received from this telecast 57:05 is being in touch with viewers like you all across Michigan 57:08 and our nation and literally the world. 57:11 I'm humbled and honored 57:12 with your sharing of journey with us. 57:13 Sometimes it's a Bible question 57:15 other times it's an observation or suggestion 57:17 and sometimes just a note to share a prayer 57:19 or a prayer request. 57:21 I'd love to hear from you and it's so easy to be in touch. 57:23 Just go to our Pioneer Memorial Church 57:25 website www.pmchurch.tv 57:29 and click on contact and then the word pastor 57:32 and then jot down the message you wish to send. 57:35 If you have a prayer request click on those words 57:37 or call our toll free number 1-877-HIS-WILL 57:42 and I promise you that our prayer partners 57:44 will lift your personal need to God 57:46 because, nobody should have to journey alone. 57:48 Not only do we have Jesus but we also have each other. 57:51 So write me won't you at www.pmchurch.tv. 57:56 In the mean time may the God whose mercy 57:58 continually runs after us 57:59 be with you 24/7 every step of the way. 58:04 I will see you again right here next time. |
Revised 2014-12-17