035: Matt Norton - Forgiveness

Automatically transcribed. Accuracy is good but not perfect, and words are sometimes wrong. Trust the audio over the text.

1. 0:13

   welcome to the good Christian talks podcast I’m Levi and I’m Chris thank you so much for joining us this week on this podcast we select one taco week to help each one of us get the Bible in our daily news feed we post at the start of each week for you to listen with a short intro before hand to kind of set the stage for the talk you’re about to hear and now let’s hear more about this week’s talk This week’s talk is by a brother Matt Norton. It’s an evening program from the Midwest Bible School are trying Bible School a couple years ago.

2. 0:44

   It’s absolutely fantastic on forgiveness. Matt has Philemon read before which we cut out from the from the show, but then kind of couches this whole conversation about how difficult it is to forgive those who have wronged you and I had looks at it looks at a few other examples. I’m involves our lord Jesus and and but really again highlights the extreme difficulty of truly forgiving someone when you have been genuinely wronged you can set you can sense in his voice.

3. 1:23

   Just how close this is to him. And this seems to be very personal even though he does not tell sharing personal stories and just very very powerful talk. So really enjoyed this. Thank you for your suggestions. We still really live off those if you’ve heard any any talks that you think would be good for the podcast.

4. 1:43

   Please send them to us on our email. Thank you for listening and reach out to us for any reason. Okay. Thanks. Bye the team. How are we all brothers and sisters this evening? That’s good. Good to hear. Are you ready to answer some questions this evening where we’re going to embark on a little discussion on that very touchy subject called forgiveness. And tonight we want to talk about our attitude towards personal offenses.

5. 2:17

   Okay, not dealing with a collegial transgression. Where might have many many meetings with a brother or sister. And there’s a need for acknowledgement of sin and transgression and wrong before there’s a reconciliation with the Ecclesia. This is just our personal view standing in your shoes looking out at somebody that’s offended. You hurt you left you feeling bitter in some way. We’ve all been hurt and offended by people in our past. Haven’t we all of us?

6. 2:50

   What about the mothers in the audience the young mothers who have had their parenting skills criticized by another parent or something? That hurts doesn’t it or a colleague at work? And they have sabotage your your project that you’ve been working on or as we even said this morning and at this talk will overlap a little bit this morning. So I should know some of the answers to that’s that’s helpful.

7. 3:14

   What about if a brother said to you that you’re not real? You’re not authentic that you’re insincere and that hurts when somebody calls you a liar and everything inside of you wants to justify yourself. see those those feelings of hurt can leave lingering feelings of bitterness and anger which even could lead to thoughts of Vengeance that you want to get somebody back and tonight we want to talk about In a perfect world OK in a perfect world. I offend you I come up to you and say I’m so sorry. I just can’t believe I did that.

8. 3:58

   Please forgive me, and you would be much more obliged to want to openly forgive me and let me go. I happens in a perfect world. Do we live in a perfect world? We don’t Dewey. We do not live in a perfect world how often brothers and sisters does it occur? Where somebody who offends you?

9. 4:24

   Says that they don’t even need your forgiveness. They don’t even acknowledge that they did anything wrong towards you and don’t you dare can condescend to forgive me.

10. 4:37

    How do we go then? What’s our attitude towards those type of people? What is it? Are we willing to let them go and for the purposes of tonight’s discussion. Our definition of forgiveness is to let go now where did that come from? We talked about that this morning because I didn’t just make it up. It suits the talks.

11. 4:58

    I just made it up out of thin air. That’s a good example of it. But the word for forgiveness. Let’s go to Matthew chapter 6 the word for forgiveness in the New Testament has the idea of letting go when you look at the Old Testament word. You got the idea of lifting which is even interesting in itself because when you go to forgive somebody don’t just let them go by.

12. 5:23

    Oh I let you go. I forgive you off you go. The idea is to lift the burden and the shame and the guilt off them now. Hard isn’t it? But for tonight, we just want to talk about letting go so if we go to Matthew chapter 6 will have a look at that there.

13. 5:41

    Are we ready to let go of those feelings of resentment and those thoughts of Revenge in order that we may treat our brothers and sisters correctly and righteously. Now one reason forgiveness is this will come to Matthew 6 and just a sec one reason for forgiveness. Is this what does God say about forgiveness?

14. 6:06

    We’ll come to it right now. Okay? Will thank you brother Dean, but we’ll read it because I don’t want to embarrass anyone. So where is it? Help me find it. Matthew chapter 6 at the end of The Lord’s Prayer. The only part that needs qualifying is the part that involves us verse 14. for if you forgive others their trespasses your heavenly father will also forgive you, but you might want to Circle that but If you do not forgive others their trespasses neither, will your father forgive your trespasses? So this one incentive God is telling us Matt. If you don’t forgive other people, I won’t forgive you. So cunning map thinks I could use a ploy. And as I can say to God, I forgave them God I let them go. They hurt me a lot.

15. 7:10

    They offended me. And I let them go now. You’ve got to forgive me. But that’s not how it works with our heavenly father. We can’t use that as a strategic ploy to bind him so that he must forgive us.

16. 7:26

    I can say to God in humility God. I have forgiven them as best as I can now. You may you can you could forgive me. Now think about those words. I mean it’s chilling when you think about it. And gods telling us that if we do not forgive others. We will not receive his forgiveness. Now have you ever asked yourself? Maybe where did Christ if he got them from anywhere and I suppose I think he did where did he get this idea from that if you don’t forgive?

17. 8:07

    I won’t forgive. Could we find a place in the Old Testament where those principles are embedded? Because Christ knew them to be true, but it wasn’t like that until the time of Christ. Nobody had ever thought of it those principles were in the law to be learn. Anybody got any ideas where they could be drawn from.

18. 8:35

    That’s a good one. I’ll give that a mark Dean but that’s not the one I was thinking of, you know speakers are like they want their answer. I know.

19. 8:46

    Otherwise it makes it look really bad. Okay, what’s in Leviticus 6? Which sorry I’ll give that a tick as well. Remember what we were talking at now. I’m getting baracy remember what we were speaking about this morning. The Year of Jubilee principle remember that what’s the Year of Jubilee about let’s just go through a little bit of revision. once every you got to go free remember back to your clan back to your family back to your land any debts gone.

20. 9:29

    You weren’t allowed. In fact your boss. Your master had to let you go free and give you bountifully on your way out. You were allowed to go free, but think about it. When was The Year of Jubilee proclaimed? On what day the year?

21. 9:50

    The day of atonement. So what was happening every year on the day of atonement? People were being Let Go by God. God was forgiving their transgressions their sins their iniquities every single day of atonement and just once every 50 years God required of us to do no less you think about that. He’s telling us that if we don’t forgive neither, will he he’s been forgiving us every single year for 49 years and then just once on the If he says I want you to emulate what I’ve done and let those people go free and you know, the statistics are out if you think you’ve got a justifiable reason why you shouldn’t let someone go and your knuckles are white on The Grudge that you’re holding and you don’t want to let it go and it’s become your identity. Anyway, the statistics are outing and look on the internet people that are able to let go and go through things not stop but be able to reconcile more.

22. 11:00

    Really have more friends are happier live longer and Lead healthier Lifestyles with less and less and less illness. God tells us he is a loving heavenly father that loves to forgive. He wants to forgive for his own benefit as well. It’s only us that have the problem with forgiveness. He wants Israel to approach him.

23. 11:26

    He wants Israel to understand that he’s righteous. He wants Israel to come close to him as a father and as children. But you know what? My problem is with forgiveness. Does anybody know what my biggest problem is?

24. 11:42

    Yeah, exactly. I got a decent memory I have and so you come to me and you say oh brother Matt. I’m so sorry. I did that same thing against you again. For the 40th time. I’m really sorry and I go I’m trying to put my really angry face on. All right, okay.

25. 12:07

    I forgive you then not because I want to and not because I even care about you. But God’s told me that if I don’t forgive you. He won’t forgive me. and that’s what I’m like and I remember every other sin that you’ve done but we know that’s not how God is is it What’s God say about our sins that we commit against him?

26. 12:36

    Did you say Micah? I blotted out thank you for that. That’s excellent. God forgets Micah chapter 7 says that he casts our sins into the sea in Isaiah chapter 43 in Jeremiah 31. It says he forgets our sins so you don’t even remember them anymore. And the straightaway us humans go. Yeah, but you can never forget the feeling. All this talk is about Direction and not attainment Perfection is forgiveness.

27. 13:11

    And we need some direction towards that type of perfection and we want to forgive wholeheartedly. We want to release our brothers and sisters. We want to let them go we want to forget we want to get over the resentment the bitterness the hatred the anger the thoughts of Revenge. We just want to get over it is hard for us. We don’t want to make any excuses for ourselves. Yes, but God says that he casts our sins behind his back and is far as the East is from the West. It’s absolutely amazing when we think about God’s forgiveness for us.

28. 13:48

    And you know what? The problem is. We are into that cycle with God don’t we and we have our own idiosyncratic sins the same sin that we fall into time and time again, like what’s yours? Would you tell me what it was? Is it Envy is it pride? Is it that your cheat a little bit every tax time when it comes around?

29. 14:06

    gossip, perhaps bitterness What is it malice? Are you nasty person underneath does that nastiness just keep bubbling forth in the Ecclesia that cutting remark. Whatever it is that scene that gives keeps reoccurring in our own life. We come back to God on our knees. Sometimes we say them. So sorry Father. I don’t want to ever do that again we go out and we do it again.

30. 14:33

    And we come back to the father again. And we saved it happened this time. It’s not ever going to happen again and we go out and we do it again. We all have those sins. Sometimes they even break us to the point. We may have tears. Maybe we’re too hard. We don’t have tears but sometimes you may do.

31. 14:52

    You come to the father for the 300th time and you say father I did that same sin again. Brothers and sisters. I want you to hear this and I want you to believe it. Do you know what God says to us when we come to him for the 300th time and we say I did that same sin again.

32. 15:14

    He says to us. What’s in? What are you talking about? You haven’t committed any sin against me. Every time we come to him and we fall on our knees and we don’t even remember the sins that we’ve committed but we say to him. Look. I’m so sorry for falling. I’m trying the best I can the father says don’t worry about it. Not only have I erased all your sins and I don’t remember any of that you’ve done previous.

33. 15:48

    In fact, what I’ve done with your account is of credited it as far as I’m concerned you’ve acted right only right always right. You’ve only ever done right for me. I don’t remember once that you’ve ever sinned against me. Does that blow your mind?

34. 16:04

    And yet that’s the same forgiveness that freedom in letting us go they God wants us to show to our brothers and sisters. Is that hard I didn’t say it was going to be easy. I’m listening to myself say these words to I’ve got people in mind who I know they’re very difficult to forgive people who you’ve had.

35. 16:23

    Differences within the meeting people where you walk down the aisle on a Sunday morning when they see you coming. They turn their back they want to shake your hand and you’re forced to walk past them. You may have done that to another person. You see them across the other side of the hall. They turn away.

36. 16:42

    They don’t want to any eye contact with you. How do we forgive those sorts of people? It’s almost like sometimes we’re so excited that they won’t say sorry and they won’t repent so that we can nurse The Grudge and we don’t have to let him go. We feel justified in that area really Justified. Knowing what God’s done for us.

37. 17:04

    It’s worth thinking about brothers and sisters every time our father forgives us. He’s forgiving our first scene. That’s the power of His grace and the extent of his Mercy.

38. 17:17

    It does make us think a little bit doesn’t it? These are difficult things not only to talk about but very difficult to apply in our own life. I mean how many of us have actually withheld forgiveness because the atmospheric pressure wasn’t just right and you talk about it with your girlfriend or your good friends, they’d look do you even think they were they were sorry.

39. 17:41

    They did sound. Sorry to me. I mean the tone of their voice that’s it. I’m not forgiving them. Even had those conversations before so it’s difficult to let go isn’t it?

40. 17:53

    As I said, I didn’t say it was going to be easy. But one thing’s for sure. It’s something that we have to strive for in our life as much as we’re striving for Perfection because our father said if you don’t forgive and if you don’t Faithfully try as hard as you can to let go of that I can’t forgive you. Now, where would we go in the New Testament to find this principle worked out in one of Christ’s Parables of a person that just can’t let go.

41. 18:28

    Where would we go for that? Prodigal son. The Elder son is a good example. That’s not the one I had in mind tell you what you’re good with the answers tonight. That’s just wish you’d get the right one.

42. 18:48

    What’s that answer? What’s he looking for now? Brian if I had lollies you’d be getting the first one. That’s excellent. Matthew chapter 18, we all know this but let’s just have a little look at it for ourselves because honestly the detail is horrifying when you when you consider it. Matthew iodine got this wicked servant look at this and it’s couched in terms of forgiveness.

43. 19:23

    Peter comes up and says Lord thinks he’s really generous. How often should I you know, my brother offend against me sin against me and I forgive him is 7 times enough and the Lord gives that seven times seven principle, which I forgot to let you know but I’m sure you filled it in mentally that the jubilees based on that 7:00. Times seven year principle every seven years slaves would let be let go released and every seven times seven years the whole nation had a collective Liberty.

44. 19:58

    Isn’t that amazing it Peter says look seven times. Is that enough and the Lord says Seventy Times seven times. And he’s referring back to a Daniel chapter 9. But then he says let me put it this way Peter. The Kingdom of Heaven it could be compared to a King who wished to settle accounts with his servants and when he began to settle with them one of them was brought to him.

45. 20:23

    He owed him. Going to take a breath before you say this 10,000 talents. And he could not pay his master. And his master ordered him to be sold and his wife and his children and all that he had and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees imploring him have patience with me and I will pay you everything now.

46. 20:47

    Just take a look at that for a second. Does anybody know how much 10,000 talents has now? I can hardly teach English? Okay, and I’m no math teacher. So I’ve got the I’ve got the details written here. I’ll let you know one penny is one denarii. That’s one day’s wage tick that box you work all day.

47. 21:07

    You get one. Denarii. Remember the parable the servants would you work for a penny a day? And everybody said yes. One Talent is 6,000 day’s wages. That’s 17 years just for one Talent. So how much does this fellow?

48. 21:29

    It’s scary doing nothing public, isn’t it? a hundred and seventy Thousand Years wages and this fool says I’ll pay it. I’ll pay it. It’s his own life God’s couched it in monetary terms. So you and I first of all we set up and go I got got my attention. Now, it’s money. It’s the back pocket. I understand when you couch forgiveness and sin in the fence in terms of money.

49. 22:01

    We owe a hundred and seventy Thousand Years wages and we say like the judeo eyes is don’t worry God. I got this. I’ll make it up. You don’t think we do that. We do it all the time with our wives. We sin against them. We say something nice. T we have an argument and we on the scale. We judge it we go on a scale of 1 to 10. I was about a five offense.

50. 22:22

    So what we do is we go down to the supermarket where the cheap flowers are and we buy the cheap bouquet of flowers and we come home and we’re thinking five offense. This is worth about seven. There you go. Sorry love. And we get irritated and mad if our seven which we supposed gazelles the five best still mad with us and they won’t forgive us and they won’t talk to us and now we feel offended and we miss the point brothers and sisters that forgiveness can never ever ever ever ever ever be bought.

51. 22:57

    It can’t be demanded. It has to be free and given graciously. That’s why God says look, I just let you go. I’ll let you go free. Of course all our lives we want to make it up to him, but we can never make it up when you sin against somebody. Of course. You want to make it right?

52. 23:14

    Of course. You want to make it better. Of course, you want to heal the breach but don’t ever think in your mind that you’ve done 10 extra things and now you’ve made it up and they should be nice to it doesn’t work like that and yet all of us suppose that it does.

53. 23:29

    And this fool doesn’t even understand the gravity of sin. He says don’t worry hundred seventy Thousand Years wages. Got it covered. That’s pretty frightening when you think about forgiveness in those types of terms.

54. 23:45

    It’s got to be free and forgiving. And then he says in this Parable this really gets to me. So he forgives him. And it says so when the servant fell on his knees imploring him have patience with me and I will pay you everything it look at verse 27. This is this is God here. This is God a depiction of our father our out of pity for him. The master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt and the you know what it releasing forgave me. It’ll let him go now.

55. 24:26

    Look what it says next. But when that same servant went out, does anybody knows where that phrase went out comes from? In the AV is I think it’s depart. But if you were to go back to Leviticus 25 on the Year of Jubilee the people who are released and let go it says they go out they depart it means they went out and they go out to their families out to their land out into Freedom.

56. 24:55

    Here’s a person who’s just got his Year of Jubilee. He’s let go and he goes out. But instead of going back to his family and rejoicing and praising God and off to the temple and leaping and jumping in Jubilation. He goes out and gets a and gets a man. He found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred Pence. And seizing him began to choke him saying pay all you. Oh now that’s a good symbol of forgiveness. Isn’t it?

57. 25:27

    Got him round the neck pain mule. Yo, that’s a beautiful symbol of holding a grudge. We do it all the time. People nurse the garage like their favorite child and they don’t want to let it go. hundred Pence you and I when we look at the superficially we go a hundred Pence is nothing. A hundred Pence if you want to know and thanks for asking is a third of a Year’s wages.

58. 25:59

    Now, I’m not good at maths as you already know. So I’m just going to stick around figures but let’s just say a median wage in a richer area $60,000 a year. That’s 20 grand 20 thousand dollars. This person owes you. I like it because God God acknowledge. Like if somebody owed you 20 grand, would you just got I don’t worry about it.

59. 26:21

    It’s fine. I’m looking for 20 bucks if somebody borrows it off me $20,000. What are we going to do? So God does acknowledge. There’s a debt. There is an offense. God says I understand they have caused you offense and he hasn’t minimized it because we can understand $20,000 1/3 of a Year’s wages is huge. Bot.

60. 26:54

    Let’s just have a little bit of perspective here. This is what this Parable does. So his fellow servant fell down just the same dial as what he had previously dud did done. Sorry. That’s the word I’m looking for. I was teasing new zealanders before about their vows and always comes back to bite you. So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him have patience with me.

61. 27:23

    And I will pay you I will pay you. And he refused and he went and he put him in prison until he should pay the debt. Now. Look at this next part this part here, honestly, if you read it carefully and slowly. It sends a chill down your spine. You can hardly read it when his fellow servants saw what had taken place.

62. 27:44

    They were greatly distressed and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place and then his master summoned him. And said to him you Wicked servant. I let you go. I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me and should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant as I had mercy on you. And in Anger now, that’s the chilling part our refusal to forgive our brothers and sisters makes our heavenly father angry. It makes him angry.

63. 28:28

    And delivered him to the jailers until he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly father will do to every one of you if you do not forgive your brother from your heart. Do you know where God forgives us from he forgives us from his heart? He lets us go from his heart from his mercy and from his compassion. He actually it’s any of you wants to let us go. He doesn’t like to hold grudges.

64. 28:54

    It’s not even good for him. It’s just simply not part of who he is. Why is it part of us? Why do we want to hold on like that? Why why why? We should have compassion like this. And we know what happens don’t we we’re so happy on a Sunday morning. We come to the meeting and we look at the emblems and we listened to the exhorter and we’re brought in our minds again in direction to what the Lord has done for us and we seen hanging there on the cross and we think you went to that bother for me to pull me up in my life to show me all the things that I’ve done wrong to show me a better Direction and now because of you I have forgiveness and we accept all the Forgiveness of Christ. And all these love and grace and care and mercy and we accept all that we praise God and we thank him and under our breast we say but don’t expect me to do it for anybody else. On the one hand.

65. 29:56

    We accept Christ with all that love and yet our hands our Knuckles are white. In an effort not to show that same appreciation to other brothers and sisters because we’re Justified, of course, they always $20,000 third of years wages a hundred pants. And we forget. That because of how much God has forgiven us.

66. 30:22

    We ought to forgive that small tiny amount in comparison to that of that other brother or sister. We fail to see it. Now. Where would we go in the New Testament to see this? We’ve looked at if you don’t forgive I won’t forgive we saw the Old Testament Year of Jubilee where we forgive other people on the same day that God forgives us.

67. 30:50

    We looked at Matthew 18 just briefly. We hadn’t even considered with just superficially look that you can see those ideas where that models been brought at work. We see it brought out in real life in the New Testament.

68. 31:02

    When we got red this evening. Do you say Philemon? Okay, Under Pressure now. We’ll go to Philemon then. It’s terrible. Okay. Now this if I try and start saying Philemon, I’m going to go backwards and forwards and make a mess of it. So I’m just going to stick with Philemon. Okay, that’s the bad Australian way of saying it.

69. 31:37

    I apologize. This letter to Philemon is Paul’s epistle and it makes a case study of this principle that we’ve been looking at. It’s the only private letter besides the third letter to John. Does anybody remember which other Epistles were sent out? time that the letter to Philemon went Colossians and Ephesians and where did Paul write the letter to filament from where?

70. 32:08

    He’s in prison in Rome Shackled to a soldier. He writes the letter to the Ephesians the letter to the Colossians the letter to Philemon a private letter and he sends it with the Hand by the hand of Tajikistan and Anissa – now we all know who are nice immerse is but let’s just we know what happened Anissa Miss was that servant of brother filmin who lived in colossi and Anita Miss appears has absconded and he’s run away from his duties.

71. 32:37

    He Slave he’s life was owed to filament. He’s run away and we don’t know what he’s taken with him. But by the tenor of this letter, it’s evident that it was a difficult reconciliation. So, who knows maybe he took off with the Family Jewels who knows what he did but he’s fled from colossi across the Rome ironically most of the cities in slavery finds the Apostle Paul chained to a row.

72. 33:07

    Owen Soldier But the irony is that Paul is the freest man in Rome being in Christ and a nice to mrs. Still slave to his own lusts and sins. Why do you think he sought out the Apostle Paul?

73. 33:29

    Wouldn’t that just be reminding him of his past now that he thinks he’s free, wasn’t he run into freedom and never talked to anybody again that was relevant to his history.

74. 33:48

    Excellent point he knew Paul story and how did he even know Paul? He must have been there. On many occasions as the servant making Paul’s room giving him a table a desk to sit at nice bottle of water making sure he’s roles and parchments are there when Paul visited he evidently stayed the filaments house may be filled maybe a nice seamless was there when filament his master first heard the truth and got baptized and became a brother a significant brother in the colossi of closure. We don’t know that there he is.

75. 34:22

    He’s found the Apostle Paul now. Look what happens when we read this Paul now, right? This letter now, you know who you have to be when you read this letter, don’t you you’ve got to be filament and you’ve got to have a lot of resentment in your mind and you’ve got to have all these raw memories of this this servant who has taken off from you now returning with this letter from the Apostle Paul.

76. 34:46

    And try and think about these words. Verse 4. I thank my God. Always when I remember you in my prayers because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have towards the Lord Jesus for all of your Saints. Now that’s important for straightaway. The way Paul can commends him because the love that Paul uses there is the Agra pail of it’s the love where this filament his name’s based on just a brotherly love. Paul says don’t you’ve got such a love that Christ had the same type of life love rather that a person would lay down their life for their friends and Brethren.

77. 35:24

    That’s the love that I’ve heard. You’ve shown to your brothers and sisters in the Ecclesia. And I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ for I have derived much joy and comfort from your love my brother because the hearts of the Saints have been refreshed through you.

78. 35:50

    now accordingly Though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required yet for Love’s sake I prefer to appeal to you now. Isn’t that interesting? Remember how we’re talking about forgiveness? God commands it but you know what he can’t make us forgive and he doesn’t want us to forgive with our arms up behind our backs Zoom forgive them then like we did our kids when we’re trying to get them to make up with their brothers.

79. 36:22

    It doesn’t work. That’s not forgiveness. He could command him but I don’t want to go there. I don’t want to command you I prefer to appeal to in now. This is heavy-duty this letter I Paul an old man, and now a prisoner. Also for Christ Jesus I appeal to you for my child Anissa – are you kidding?

80. 36:48

    That’s slaver. Nice immerse. You say your child. How many children did Paul have in the truth? Timothy was it just Timothy. and Titus And a nice seamless just three he’s been elevated to a certain height here a certain elevation of privilege, which if you which you are filament, it’s a bit hard to take.

81. 37:19

    It’s a bit Rich, isn’t it? My son in the faith? Whose father I became in my imprisonment formerly. He was useless to you. But now he’s indeed useful to you enter me. Now, you are thinking you know, that’s a play on his name. Everybody knows that the niece of his name means useful and industrious and you can imagine how he was sold at the slave markets come and get this look at this strapping young lad. What are useful man.

82. 37:45

    He is and by G his name means useful as well imagine the type of benefit and and and good that could bring to your house. Coming by and fill a man can hardly get his hands in his pockets quick enough. He buys an SMS. It turns out to be useless. Not useful. But Paul saying but he’s useful to both of us now.

83. 38:07

    Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me? This is all a bit hard for me to take formerly. He was useless to you. You’re not wrong there, but I’m sending him back to you sending my very heart. by Paul’s own heart I would have been glad to keep him here with me in order that he might serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment.

84. 38:34

    Wow, but I wouldn’t do anything without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion. There it is again. I don’t want to compel you. I can’t command you. I mean I could command you but I’m not going to but if you own a chord for this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while that you might have him back forever. No longer as a slave.

85. 38:57

    But more than a slave as a beloved brother, especially to me, but how much more to you both in the flesh and in the Lord and you think about this Paul’s telling philomene now that when you receive a nice team is back, it’s not as a slave that’s gone. I honestly gets me riled.

86. 39:20

    I try and be filament. I imagine what I would feel like and that’s difficult to take he’s telling me I could command you but I’m only appeal to you and Union everyone hates being cornered don’t be but there’s more to come that’s just this like half of it what Paul lays on next.

87. 39:36

    But he says he’s got to be a brother and what does that mean for on-the-ground practically? You only go to the meeting on a Sunday. And a nice to mrs. Going to be sitting in the Hall. Don’t not shake his hand as he walks down. The aisle don’t sit on the other side of the occlusal hall and have a nice him sitting on the other side or at the back. He’s your brother and he Paul saying I expect you to treat him as a brother.

88. 40:08

    Always thought to be going through filaments head all the practicalities the same practicalities that you and I have to face when we’re met with having to figure you’ve a brother or a sister that has had a long-standing offense and breach with us. How’s it all going to work? And what about my rights and my place in the meeting and my privileges over yours? And you’ve got to receive them back as a brother no longer as a slave that owes you anything.

89. 40:40

    If you consider me your partner receive him as you would me it just keeps getting worse. So filament looks at a nice image now who’s probably hiding behind tissue kiss anyway. And says when I look at him, I meant to see the Apostle Paul.

90. 41:02

    If he’s wronged you at all or owes you anything charge that to my account. Are you serious? I’m writing this with my own hand. I will repay it but I won’t remind you all say nothing of how much you owe me even your own self besides.

91. 41:23

    Let’s just think about that concept. So Paul says I acknowledge the debt that he has to he may have absconded with the Family Jewels. He owes you something. I acknowledge that. I’ll tell you what filament you put what he owes on my tab on my account. I’ll pay you back but I won’t remind you how much you owe me now.

92. 41:44

    How could he say? Oh is is owes him his own life besides. How could he say that? Because without pull filament was a dead man, Paul it brought filament to the truth shown him Christ. He’d received forgiveness because of Paul and Paul here is taking God’s place. Do you think that ever be a time when filament would meet the Apostle Paul and say hey Paul, you know about that debt that you told me to put onto your account that a nice seamless owes me.

93. 42:18

    Can we settle that now? Can you pay it back? Do you think that there ever be a time? With filament would say that to Paul never ever ever.

94. 42:29

    Now that leads us to so many thoughts come to mind now about how much we owe our heavenly father our own life besides and that person that owes you $20,000 that’s significant debt that that offense they got acknowledges which God then says just put that on my account. Just put it on my account.

95. 42:51

    I’ll pay it. Are we ever going to say that God now? Can you pay that back to me? Hundred seventy Thousand Years wages. In fact, you know what? Here’s a happy way of looking at a fence every time you sin against me brothers and sisters. You’re helping me pay back my debt to God.

96. 43:11

    Wow, I can only thank you for the offense. I’m happy to let you go free because you’ve assisted me now with how much I owe to God. I’ve already told you we can’t pay it back. We know that. But it helps us to understand some of these Concepts.

97. 43:31

    Yes, brother. I want some benefit from you in the Lord refresh my heart in Christ. And you know what? I’m feeling and I’m thinking to myself. Hold on a minute. Yeah. And Paul, although he’s couched it in diplomatic language. He’s telling filament. You better let him go. If you don’t forgive him, I won’t forgive you. He’s telling him you’ve got to do it. It’s not that subliminal is it and we’re thinking to ourselves. Wow.

98. 44:06

    I’m philomon. I think will Paul’s chained to a Roman soldier in Rome. I can do whatever I want to do. But Paul he already pre amps that and he says but confident of your obedience verse 22 at the same time prepare a guest room for me for I am hoping that through your prayers.

99. 44:24

    I might be graciously given to you so that verse in the epistle for all filament new Paul could be already traversing the Mediterranean on a At this very moment on his way to colossi and so the potential and imminent visit of the Apostle Paul was another impetus another motivation for filament Aladdin easy must go do I need to spell it out brothers and sisters that Christ is telling us that I’ll be here at any single moment.

100. 44:56

     And if we from our hearts don’t let our brothers and sisters go. I’ll be there soon by your prayers. In fact, we’ll be bringing Christ closer. dare any of us hold back that forgiveness and when you know what we think to think of this imagine if we let a brother or sister go That god holds responsible because they are unrepentant and they won’t say sorry to you. But you’ve let them go.

101. 45:25

     And because you’ve let them go because of your mercy because of your compassion and your grace. Is it possible that we could even move our heavenly father to let that person go as well. So that in our hands we have the life and soul of our brothers and sisters and God lets us every time we forgive to stand in his place. We have the opportunity to offer to our brothers and sisters every time we forgive them are many salvation. Now that that totally amazes me.

102. 46:00

     In fact, it’s the thought is just so much and so hard to bear. I don’t even want to hear it because I like grudges. I want to hold on. I don’t like forgiving but that’s what Paul is telling filament. That epistle is really really heavy now just for a moment as we are about to close just think in our minds back to the Year of Jubilee just one more time and think about this and the day of atonement say On the first year your father, you’re 17 years old.

103. 46:34

     Now. I always get myself mixed up with the mouths of caves. Don’t laugh at me. I mean, if you can love me, it means we like each other. It’s okay. So the first year after the last Jubilee your father out of Disobedience didn’t follow the law didn’t go up to the Tabernacle didn’t give his 10th and he wasn’t tithing for the Levites and the crops haven’t grown. And the family is reduced to poverty and dads come along and said when you’re 17 years old son, we’ve got to go into another tribe and we’re going to be Bond servants to another family and you can’t believe at your heating 17 and you knew that you could make it work on your land. But you have to wait another 50 years before the Year of Jubilee comes around.

104. 47:25

     And so you’re going to be what is that 67? So this is the Year of Jubilee and it comes around the 67th year of your life 50 years. This is the Year of Jubilee. It’s the day of atonement and on this day when God’s commands you remember to to whale to cry to be afflicted to be upset because of all the sins that you’ve committed all the sins in your life. And in the in the nation itself, you come to the day of atonement to the Tabernacle.

105. 47:56

     It would be pretty hard not to feel that Jubilation bubbling up inside you when today’s the day you’re going to get your land back. You’re going back home. You’re going to show you aged mother and your aged father that you can make a go of this now, you’ll be faithful you’ll do your best. You’ll follow God your crops will grow today’s the day how excited and happy with that man.

106. 48:16

     Be see that man. Represents for us the person that you’re going to forgive that’s how happy and free and liberated another brother or sister feels when we freely let them go. But let’s flip the coin then and say you’re the wealthy landowner. You’re the one with all the money. You’re the one with all the bond servants and it’s the day of atonement and it’s the Year of Jubilee.

107. 48:43

     Are you particularly that day downcast? Are you really involving yourself in the Affliction? Can you really feel it? And your begrudgingly have to let them go. You think about that? There’s the two attitudes. I think just starkly contrasted for us and it’s easy to see I can see myself in. Both of them been forgiven having have not wanted on occasions to forgive a brother or sister.

108. 49:11

     Other occasions I’ve been free and let them go and felt the health the happiness the smiles and felt like that person who had the breach with me was even a closer brother now than they ever were. That it doesn’t always work and some of us are Justified for saying well, it doesn’t matter.

109. 49:31

     Anyway, if I forgive them, they won’t reconcile with me. We haven’t got any control over that have we we have not got any control over whether or not they reconcile all we have control over is whether or not our attitude is going to be free and forgiving and let our brothers and sisters go like God does to us every day of atonement why he does for us in Christ.

110. 49:54

     And it helped me to reflect on the manner in which I forgive and the feelings of Jubilation and freedom that I can instill in another brother or sister just because I lift that heavy burden of shame or guilt off them and freely let them go.

111. 50:21

     Thank you for listening to the good Kristoff and talk spot. Just please subscribe for new episodes and leave a review and apple podcast or whatever service you are listening from to help people find the show when they search for it. If you enjoyed this talk share it on social media. So other people can find it to for show notes and links to the talk that you just listen to visit our show page at anchor dot f m / G CT. We want to encourage everyone to share their thoughts from the talk this week on Facebook or Instagram where we are at good christadelphians talks or on Twitter where we are at CT underscore podcast if you know of a great talk, we want to know about it to send a suggestion to good christadelphians talks at gmail.com or message us on any of our social media platforms. Thank you for listening.

112. 51:07

     God bless and talk to you next week.