WEBVTT 00:00:01.919 --> 00:00:06.719 For those of you that are new, maybe you're here for the very first time today, let me catch you up. 00:00:06.959 --> 00:00:10.960 Our church is officially one week into a 21-day fast. 00:00:11.039 --> 00:00:16.160 And so for those of you that are fasting, let me just say, I hope it's going great so far. 00:00:16.320 --> 00:00:17.280 I hope it's been worth it. 00:00:17.359 --> 00:00:18.800 I hope it's been valuable. 00:00:19.039 --> 00:00:36.719 Even if nothing mind-blowing and life-altering has happened, even if you haven't been translated up to the third heaven and you've talked to multiple angels yet, even if none of that's happened, I hope at bare minimum you are at least loving or thinking about God more this week than you were last week. 00:00:36.960 --> 00:00:48.079 And let me also say to those of you who started this fast with high hopes, with big expectations, you were ready to go, you were excited for what was gonna happen, and then a few days in, you've already broken your fast. 00:00:48.240 --> 00:00:57.759 Once or twice or multiple times, maybe on purpose, maybe on accident, and now you're having it come to grips with the fact that your flesh is a little bit more in control than you thought it was. 00:00:57.920 --> 00:00:59.600 Let me offer you two reminders. 00:00:59.840 --> 00:01:06.159 Number one, I have been there many, many times, more times than I care to admit. 00:01:06.480 --> 00:01:14.719 And I identify with being weak and unimpressive and inconsistent much more than I identify with being strong and impressive and consistent. 00:01:14.959 --> 00:01:20.319 Number two, do not throw in the towel. 00:01:20.799 --> 00:01:22.319 I know you messed up. 00:01:22.480 --> 00:01:31.280 I know you ate the dessert and you wanted bread and you got on Facebook or you watched Netflix or you did whatever it was that you told God you weren't gonna do for 21 days. 00:01:31.519 --> 00:01:44.400 Get back up, eat your humble pie, keep fasting, and at the very least, allow this to be a learning moment where you can take from this fast and never again judge anyone for their moment of weakness. 00:01:44.560 --> 00:01:51.760 Now that you've had a moment of weakness, if you agree with that, then I want you to participate by giving me a thumbs up and letting me know that you agree with that. 00:01:51.840 --> 00:01:52.159 Thank you. 00:01:52.239 --> 00:02:01.840 Okay, that said, today's week nine of a collection of talks that we're calling a red letter summer, where we're spending every single Sunday covering as much Jesus as possible. 00:02:02.000 --> 00:02:05.200 Quotes from Jesus, stories from Jesus, teachings from Jesus. 00:02:05.280 --> 00:02:11.199 And the reason we're doing this is because the word that we've built our entire year around in 2026 is the word remember. 00:02:11.439 --> 00:02:23.439 And since we spent the first part of the year remembering the importance of the spiritual disciplines that turn regular people into disciples of Jesus, and then we spent 10 weeks unpacking some of the theological truths found in the Apostles' Creed. 00:02:23.520 --> 00:02:30.960 And then as of recently, we spent some time talking about and remembering the person and the role and the indwelling presence of God's Holy Spirit. 00:02:31.120 --> 00:02:39.599 We thought it appropriate to also make sure we spent some time covering, learning, relearning, and remembering the words of Jesus Himself. 00:02:39.759 --> 00:02:48.639 Words that oftentimes, as many of you know, show up in red font within the pages of your Bible, hence the name of the series, Red Letter Summer. 00:02:48.719 --> 00:03:00.800 And for those of you that were here last week, you will recall that we spent all of our time covering easily one of the most encouraging stories that Jesus ever told, known as the Parable of the Prodigal Son. 00:03:00.960 --> 00:03:29.520 It's this iconic tale about a guy who dishonors his dad and he embarrasses himself and really his entire family by wasting his dad's life savings in pursuit of reckless and selfish pleasures, which in the end only leave him like empty and broken and hurting and in pain and alone until, and this is one of the coolest phrases in the entire New Testament, until the Bible says he came to his senses and he decided to return home. 00:03:29.680 --> 00:03:42.400 And as we mentioned last week, when Jesus' listeners would have heard that this son was going to return home, they would have expected him to return home to a dad who is angry, a dad who would have answered the door and said, Whoa, get out of here. 00:03:42.479 --> 00:03:43.840 You don't have a place in this family. 00:03:44.000 --> 00:03:48.080 A dad who would have gotten on to him, a dad who at the very least would have lectured him. 00:03:48.240 --> 00:03:50.319 And then the exact opposite happens. 00:03:50.479 --> 00:03:55.599 This dad sees his son from a long way off, and he doesn't tell his son to turn around and get out of here. 00:03:55.759 --> 00:04:00.719 He takes off running after his kid, thus bringing his son's shame upon himself. 00:04:00.879 --> 00:04:03.680 He then showers his son with hugs and kisses. 00:04:04.000 --> 00:04:07.520 Then he gives his son back everything that he left behind. 00:04:07.680 --> 00:04:09.199 His son didn't have to work for it. 00:04:09.280 --> 00:04:10.639 He didn't have to prove himself. 00:04:10.800 --> 00:04:12.240 He got it all right then. 00:04:12.400 --> 00:04:17.839 And then, as if that wasn't enough, he throws a giant party to celebrate his son's return. 00:04:18.160 --> 00:04:30.240 Personally, outside of Jesus on the cross, I think it may be my favorite picture of God's love and mercy and compassion that we have in the entire biblical canon. 00:04:30.480 --> 00:04:37.439 But as some of you probably thought about last week, and as some of you know, we haven't even made it to the end of the story. 00:04:37.600 --> 00:04:42.000 That's actually not where the story ends, and there's another character we haven't even talked about in the story yet. 00:04:42.240 --> 00:04:46.639 Turns out, this young boy who made all these mistakes, he has an older brother. 00:04:46.879 --> 00:04:51.439 And the older brother was not impressed by this dad's display of mercy. 00:04:51.680 --> 00:05:02.879 And today we're gonna spend some time talking about that older brother and just considering if maybe that brother pops up in our life uh every now and then. 00:05:03.040 --> 00:05:07.279 And so, like we were last week, if you have your Bibles and you want to turn there, we're gonna be in Luke 15. 00:05:07.439 --> 00:05:08.480 Luke chapter 15. 00:05:08.560 --> 00:05:13.360 I'll give you a second to turn there because once you're there, we are gonna reference some other verses. 00:05:13.519 --> 00:05:24.240 I'm not gonna give you time to turn to all those verses though, uh, but I do want you to be able to post up here so that you can maybe write some of this stuff on the margins of your Bible, take notes, follow along on your own. 00:05:24.560 --> 00:05:27.680 When we get to Luke 15, we're gonna begin in verse 22. 00:05:28.319 --> 00:05:31.839 And when we get there, we're sort of at the latter part of this story. 00:05:32.000 --> 00:05:35.600 So at this point, the son's already wasted his dad's life savings. 00:05:35.759 --> 00:05:43.360 He's come to his senses, he's written this speech to his dad where he says, Dad, I've sinned against heaven and you, and if you'll just take me back, I'll even be a slave. 00:05:43.439 --> 00:05:44.319 I'll just be a servant. 00:05:44.399 --> 00:05:45.360 I just want to come home. 00:05:45.519 --> 00:05:46.879 So he's made the trek home. 00:05:46.959 --> 00:05:54.560 His dad has seen him, his dad's already run out to meet him, giving him hugs and kisses, and the son has now gone into his speech. 00:05:54.800 --> 00:05:57.199 Dad, I'm not worthy to be your son. 00:05:57.279 --> 00:06:02.959 If you could just take me home as your servant, and the dad interrupts, and this is right where we're picking up in the story. 00:06:03.120 --> 00:06:06.560 So this is Luke 15, starting at verse 22. 00:06:07.839 --> 00:06:21.439 But the father said to his servants, Bring quickly the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet, and bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let's eat and celebrate. 00:06:21.680 --> 00:06:24.560 For this my son was dead and is alive again. 00:06:24.720 --> 00:06:26.560 He was lost and is found. 00:06:26.720 --> 00:06:28.879 And they began to celebrate. 00:06:29.600 --> 00:06:36.879 But his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 00:06:37.040 --> 00:06:40.079 And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 00:06:40.240 --> 00:06:43.519 And the servant, you can just imagine what's going on in the servant's mind. 00:06:43.600 --> 00:06:47.439 He looks back at him and he goes, Well, you won't believe it. 00:06:47.759 --> 00:06:50.639 Uh, your brother is back. 00:06:51.199 --> 00:07:01.279 He came home, and your dad killed the fattened calf because of how happy he is to have him back safe and sound. 00:07:01.519 --> 00:07:07.120 Well, upon hearing this, the older brother was angry and he refused to go in. 00:07:07.279 --> 00:07:09.600 So the father came out and entreated him. 00:07:09.680 --> 00:07:18.800 But he answered his father, Look, these many years I've served you and I've never disobeyed your command, and yet you never even gave me a young goat that I could celebrate with my friends. 00:07:19.040 --> 00:07:25.040 But when this son of yours came who's devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him? 00:07:25.279 --> 00:07:30.639 And the father replies, son, you're always with me. 00:07:30.879 --> 00:07:33.439 And all that is mine is yours. 00:07:33.920 --> 00:07:35.839 It was fitting for us to do this. 00:07:36.000 --> 00:07:42.639 It was fitting for us to be glad and to celebrate because your brother was dead and now he's alive. 00:07:42.959 --> 00:07:45.759 He was lost, and now he's found. 00:07:47.120 --> 00:07:50.800 Today I want to talk about being mercy people. 00:07:51.120 --> 00:07:53.600 And if you're taking notes, that's the title for today's message. 00:07:53.759 --> 00:07:56.240 Just very simply, mercy people. 00:07:57.040 --> 00:08:02.079 Now I'm gonna invite you to once again participate in an exercise. 00:08:02.399 --> 00:08:07.120 Unless you're super uh not fun at all and you just don't want to participate and watch everyone else do it, that's fine. 00:08:07.199 --> 00:08:08.399 You can be boring all by yourself. 00:08:08.560 --> 00:08:18.879 For the rest of you who would like to participate, by a show of hands, how many of you either remember or you know what I'm talking about when I talk about the card pulling system in elementary school? 00:08:19.120 --> 00:08:20.240 Just by a show of hands? 00:08:20.399 --> 00:08:20.720 Okay. 00:08:21.120 --> 00:08:28.319 Uh for some of you, you had really good experiences with the card pulling system, others of you, less good experiences with the card pulling system. 00:08:28.480 --> 00:08:30.800 But let me explain it in case you don't know what I'm talking about. 00:08:30.959 --> 00:08:35.200 For a lot of us, when we went to elementary school, you start off today with a green card. 00:08:35.360 --> 00:08:45.440 And if you do something wrong, if you talk out of turn, if you're mean to a student, if you get caught cheating, I don't know, whatever, you break a rule, that green card gets pulled, and you now have a yellow card. 00:08:45.679 --> 00:08:51.120 If you do something wrong again, break another rule, that yellow card gets pulled, and you end up with an orange card. 00:08:51.360 --> 00:09:03.519 If you have an orange card and you just have an appetite for destruction and you cannot be stopped, and you do one more thing that's wrong, you get that orange card pulled, and you're left with a red card. 00:09:03.679 --> 00:09:13.759 And when you get to red, red means you're gonna go see the principal or your parents are gonna get called, you're probably gonna get in trouble whenever you get home, and it's just not a good day for you or the teacher or anybody involved. 00:09:14.000 --> 00:09:20.559 Now, on the back end of that, there are inevitably always gonna be students in that classroom who end the day on green. 00:09:20.639 --> 00:09:35.919 They didn't get a card pulled, and what would typically happen is at the end of the day, everybody who ended with a green card would be uh one person out of all those green card people would be selected to go to the treasure chest and pick out a prize. 00:09:36.159 --> 00:09:40.240 Now, personally, I had a great experience with the card pulling system. 00:09:40.480 --> 00:09:42.240 I didn't break the rules a bunch. 00:09:42.399 --> 00:09:44.159 I was pretty polite to teachers. 00:09:44.320 --> 00:09:53.120 I was a talker, but even as a young student, I wasn't breaking any rules, and so I'm gonna have to pull a lot of prizes out of a lot of treasure chests back in my day. 00:09:53.360 --> 00:09:56.480 Now, the same cannot be said about my wife. 00:09:56.639 --> 00:09:58.879 She's sitting right down here, but let me stop. 00:09:58.960 --> 00:10:02.080 Some of you already think you think you know where I'm going and you don't. 00:10:02.320 --> 00:10:07.360 The same cannot be said about her, and it's not because she was a bad student. 00:10:07.519 --> 00:10:09.200 In fact, it's the exact opposite. 00:10:09.360 --> 00:10:11.600 She was probably more respectful than I was. 00:10:11.759 --> 00:10:13.279 She probably talked less than I was. 00:10:13.440 --> 00:10:15.519 My wife is a rule keeper. 00:10:15.679 --> 00:10:18.480 If you tell her to do 10 push-ups, she's doing 10. 00:10:18.639 --> 00:10:21.919 She ain't doing nine, she's not doing 11, she's doing 10. 00:10:22.000 --> 00:10:23.440 That's who my wife is, all right? 00:10:23.600 --> 00:10:24.960 And in school, she was the same way. 00:10:25.039 --> 00:10:26.240 She's very respectable. 00:10:26.399 --> 00:10:33.039 She listened to her teacher, she didn't cause drama, and it's because she really wanted the prize of that treasure box. 00:10:33.279 --> 00:11:03.679 But one year in particular, she had this teacher who, in the name of positive reinforcement, would always let the kids who normally got their cards pulled but didn't that day, she would always pick one of those kids to go get a prize out of the treasure box, which seems like a good idea, until you consider the people in Sam's position who never make a mistake and they never talk and they never get out of line, and then at the same time, they never get to go get a toy out of the treasure chest, right? 00:11:03.759 --> 00:11:07.360 It just sort of leaves them feeling overlooked and undervalued. 00:11:07.519 --> 00:11:11.279 And this is exactly where we find this older brother in the story. 00:11:11.360 --> 00:11:38.720 Okay, I've always thought it was strange that he gets such a bad rap for his sour attitude in this, because if you just do me a favor and you quit reading the Bible in the way that you normally do, and you actually begin considering the things that are taking on in these pages, and you step out of that church mindset, you might start noticing that there is just a slight possibility that this brother has some legitimate grievances that he's dealing with right now. 00:11:38.879 --> 00:11:47.679 For example, if you have your Bibles open, I want you to look at verse 25, and I want you to see if you can find the first description of the older brother. 00:11:47.919 --> 00:11:53.440 In my Bible, it says that he was located in the field working. 00:11:53.600 --> 00:11:55.279 This is the first thing we learn about him. 00:11:55.440 --> 00:11:56.960 He's in the field working. 00:11:57.279 --> 00:12:36.960 Meaning that while the little brother was out chasing sin and making a fool out of himself and his family, there's Big Bro doing his thing, doing right, running the family business, reciting his prayers, memorizing his scriptures, going to church, obeying the rules, being full of integrity, being someone that you can count on, being reliable, being consistent, and then suddenly, unreliable, inconsistent, sinful little brother who's just caused all this family drama, not to mention community drama, because you know he was posting all this stuff on Snapchat and Facebook and Instagram, and everyone is seeing him wilding out when he's down the road doing his thing. 00:12:37.120 --> 00:12:42.399 Suddenly he comes back, and now he's the one that gets the toy out of the treasure chest. 00:12:42.960 --> 00:12:45.200 Big bro's like, nah, bump this. 00:12:45.360 --> 00:12:46.799 I am not here for this. 00:12:46.960 --> 00:12:49.200 I'm not going to this stupid party. 00:12:49.360 --> 00:12:51.840 This kid does not deserve to be celebrated. 00:12:51.919 --> 00:12:53.519 He deserves to be punished. 00:12:53.759 --> 00:12:54.879 This isn't fair. 00:12:55.120 --> 00:12:56.240 Count me out. 00:12:57.039 --> 00:13:03.919 And I think if you're honest with yourself, when you read this story, it's like, he's got a point. 00:13:04.159 --> 00:13:05.360 It's not fair. 00:13:05.679 --> 00:13:07.200 He doesn't deserve it. 00:13:07.519 --> 00:13:20.000 And yet, in saying this, Big Bro leaves us with a timeless lesson, which is this you can be in the father's home and still miss the father's heart. 00:13:20.240 --> 00:13:22.240 And you gotta be real diligent. 00:13:22.639 --> 00:13:28.399 You can be planted within the father's home and still totally miss out on the father's heart. 00:13:28.480 --> 00:13:28.879 It's easy. 00:13:28.960 --> 00:13:29.679 I've been there. 00:13:30.080 --> 00:13:37.440 You can memorize every verse in that Bible and still only use it to consistently prove why you're always right and they're always wrong. 00:13:37.759 --> 00:13:44.879 You can spend an hour a day in prayer and still leave church on Sunday and treat your server like garbage. 00:13:45.679 --> 00:14:14.559 You can lift your hands in worship and go to Sunday school and be a part of a small group and read your Bible and pray and give in the offering and serve on that team and help the needy and participate in that 21-day fast and all the while just become more impressed with yourself than you are obsessed with God or obsessed with the people that God loves because you can share the Father's home and miss the Father's heart. 00:14:14.799 --> 00:14:29.840 But if you want to share the Father's home and share his heart, then right now you have got to make sure that you are okay with the fact that God's heart is always bent toward mercy. 00:14:30.320 --> 00:14:35.679 His heart is always bent toward mercy, and if you have a problem with that, you're not alone. 00:14:35.840 --> 00:14:38.799 Did you know that's what the entire book of Jonah is about? 00:14:38.960 --> 00:14:45.360 Some of you think the entire book of Jonah is just about this guy getting swallowed by a whale and then showing up, and that's the miracle. 00:14:45.440 --> 00:14:47.360 No, the book of Jonah isn't just about this. 00:14:47.519 --> 00:15:00.240 The book of Jonah is about this super sketchy prophet when you actually start reading about Jonah and other parts of the scriptures, who God approaches him and says, I want you to go to Nineveh, this really awful city. 00:15:00.399 --> 00:15:05.679 I mean, this committing all these horrible, egregious sins, murdering people, like all this bad stuff. 00:15:05.840 --> 00:15:10.399 And he says, I want you to go to Nineveh and tell them to repent, or else I'm gonna overturn it. 00:15:10.639 --> 00:15:16.879 And then you get to the end of the book and you realize why Jonah didn't want to do it, because Jonah doesn't want to do it. 00:15:16.960 --> 00:15:18.159 He says no to God. 00:15:18.320 --> 00:15:21.360 He takes off, literally gets on a boat and goes the opposite direction. 00:15:21.440 --> 00:15:22.480 But then many of you know the story. 00:15:22.559 --> 00:15:27.360 He gets thrown off that boat, ends up in the belly of a whale, ends up getting puked out onto a seashore. 00:15:27.519 --> 00:15:32.960 And when you get to the end of the book, you realize the reason Jonah didn't want to do it is because Jonah knew God was gonna forgive Nineveh. 00:15:33.360 --> 00:15:37.840 He was pretty sure he knew God's character enough that he knew God was gonna forgive Nineveh. 00:15:38.080 --> 00:15:41.279 This is how much, though, he didn't want them to experience forgiveness. 00:15:41.519 --> 00:15:44.879 Even after all of this takes place, he gets puked out onto the seashore. 00:15:45.120 --> 00:15:52.639 Jonah, when he goes to actually tell Nineveh what's going on, he doesn't say, God's getting ready to smite you, but if you'll repent and turn to him, he's gonna save you. 00:15:52.799 --> 00:15:57.679 He literally walks up to Nineveh and he goes, God's getting ready to overthrow Nineveh. 00:15:58.639 --> 00:15:59.200 That's it. 00:15:59.360 --> 00:16:00.480 That's all he says. 00:16:00.639 --> 00:16:03.200 And they still repent, they still get right with God. 00:16:03.279 --> 00:16:04.639 And you want to know what Jonah does? 00:16:04.799 --> 00:16:17.039 He just goes and sits in the corner and he's like and he's mad because Jonah hates the fact that God is always gonna be bent toward mercy. 00:16:17.279 --> 00:16:26.799 And if this older brother really knew his dad, like he thought he knew his dad, none of this would have been a surprise. 00:16:27.039 --> 00:16:28.320 You want to know why? 00:16:28.639 --> 00:16:42.559 Because he would have remembered all those moments in his childhood when his dad showed him mercy and showed him forgiveness and showed him grace and was patient on him or was patient with him and loved him. 00:16:42.960 --> 00:16:47.679 But instead of recalling all of those memories, this is what the older brother says. 00:16:47.840 --> 00:16:50.559 It's one of the craziest verses in the whole New Testament. 00:16:50.720 --> 00:16:51.840 This is Luke 15. 00:16:51.919 --> 00:16:53.759 We're gonna look at verse 28. 00:16:54.559 --> 00:17:00.240 Says the older son was angry, he refused to go into the party, and his father came out and he begged him to come in. 00:17:00.320 --> 00:17:01.200 Come on, come to the party. 00:17:01.279 --> 00:17:01.840 He goes, No. 00:17:02.000 --> 00:17:10.000 He answered his father, look, all these years I've served you, and I have never disobeyed your command. 00:17:10.240 --> 00:17:14.319 And yet you never even gave me a young goat that I could go celebrate with my friends. 00:17:14.480 --> 00:17:17.759 First of all, what a hysterical thing to say in 2026. 00:17:17.839 --> 00:17:23.039 Like, imagine your kid looking at you, you've never even given me a young goat so that I could go party with my friends. 00:17:23.200 --> 00:17:24.240 What a funny thing to say. 00:17:24.400 --> 00:17:26.799 But what I really want you to catch on to is that phrase. 00:17:26.880 --> 00:17:29.359 He says, I have never disobeyed your command. 00:17:29.599 --> 00:17:32.640 You want to know what that phrase is that we just read? 00:17:32.960 --> 00:17:37.359 Uh, the words of a misinformed child who is high on himself. 00:17:37.599 --> 00:17:39.440 Okay, this dude is convinced. 00:17:39.519 --> 00:18:01.200 He's trying to make the case that he was more deserving of the father's love and attention because he, unlike his little brother, he doesn't break dad's rules, and he goes as far as to say he has never broken dad's rules, which is what we in the South affectionately refer to as a hot pile of steaming garbage. 00:18:02.480 --> 00:18:04.880 There's two, there's at least two reasons why I can tell you that. 00:18:05.119 --> 00:18:14.880 Okay, number one, practically speaking, outside of Christ Himself, there's never been a single human being who hasn't disobeyed their father's commands, who haven't disobeyed the commands of their parent. 00:18:15.039 --> 00:18:15.680 Are you kidding me? 00:18:15.759 --> 00:18:18.319 You've all been children, and many of you have kids. 00:18:18.799 --> 00:18:22.400 You didn't even have to teach your kids how to disobey your commands. 00:18:22.559 --> 00:18:24.319 It is in them from the beginning. 00:18:24.480 --> 00:18:30.000 You never have to teach them how to lie or how to hit or how to do exactly what you told them not to do. 00:18:30.240 --> 00:18:35.759 They are just born knowing how to irk you and how to get under your skin and disobey you. 00:18:35.920 --> 00:18:38.880 I do not, I never had to show my son how to disobey me. 00:18:39.039 --> 00:18:40.240 I take him to the park. 00:18:40.400 --> 00:18:42.960 I say, Yes, you can play with your shark at the park. 00:18:43.119 --> 00:18:46.160 You cannot chase anyone with your shark. 00:18:46.319 --> 00:18:49.599 You cannot try to scare any little girls with your shark. 00:18:49.759 --> 00:18:52.079 And I say, Look, I look at him and I say, Yes, sir. 00:18:52.319 --> 00:18:53.440 He goes, yet uh. 00:18:53.680 --> 00:18:56.160 And so then we get to the park, I say, here's your shark. 00:18:56.319 --> 00:19:00.400 He takes off running and goes, rah, and still tries to do it. 00:19:00.720 --> 00:19:03.359 He never even had to be taught how to disobey me. 00:19:03.440 --> 00:19:09.119 So, like, obviously, there's never been one human who's just never disobeyed the commands of their parent. 00:19:09.440 --> 00:19:17.680 But secondly, like on a theological level, we not only disobey God, we sin against God in two different ways. 00:19:17.839 --> 00:19:20.640 The first way we sin against God is called a trespass. 00:19:20.720 --> 00:19:25.440 Do you remember the Lord's Prayer back in the day when you said it in the King James Version, forgive us for our trespasses? 00:19:25.759 --> 00:19:29.599 A trespass is when you actually commit the sin. 00:19:29.759 --> 00:19:32.160 You do the thing that you're not supposed to do. 00:19:32.319 --> 00:19:36.160 It's when you know thou shalt not lie and you lie anyways. 00:19:36.319 --> 00:19:38.880 You know thou shalt not steal and you steal anyways. 00:19:39.039 --> 00:19:45.920 You know, uh, hey, when someone makes you mad, you're not supposed to punch them in the face and then you punch them in the face anyways. 00:19:46.079 --> 00:19:48.000 That punch is a trespass. 00:19:48.160 --> 00:19:51.359 But there's a second level to sin called iniquity. 00:19:51.519 --> 00:19:56.400 And this doesn't deal with what you do, it deals with how you think and how you feel. 00:19:56.480 --> 00:19:58.960 It deals with your mind and your heart and your motives. 00:19:59.519 --> 00:20:08.960 The iniquity is not punching someone in the face, it's hating them and being so mad at them that you want to punch them in the face. 00:20:09.279 --> 00:20:15.920 It's not cheating on your spouse, it's entertaining thoughts about someone that you're not married to for far too long. 00:20:16.160 --> 00:20:18.319 It's what's happening in here and in here. 00:20:18.400 --> 00:20:26.000 And let's be fair are the practical consequences between iniquities and trespasses different? 00:20:26.400 --> 00:20:31.839 Well, of course they're different because you didn't act out the iniquity, you just felt it. 00:20:32.319 --> 00:20:37.119 But Jesus says they are both equally by God considered sinful. 00:20:37.359 --> 00:20:42.400 In fact, this is what a large portion of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount is all about. 00:20:42.720 --> 00:20:43.920 And this is how Jesus says it. 00:20:44.079 --> 00:20:51.200 He says, Um, you've been told that murder is sin, which it is. 00:20:51.519 --> 00:21:00.880 But I tell you that to harbor hatred in your heart, to be angry and to hold a grudge against someone, is if you've done that, you've already murdered them. 00:21:01.119 --> 00:21:05.920 He's saying murder is sin, but that bitterness right in here, no, no, that's sin as well. 00:21:06.079 --> 00:21:10.640 He said, You've been told that cheating on your spouse is a sin, which it is. 00:21:11.039 --> 00:21:16.960 But I tell you to entertain lustful thoughts about someone that you're not married to, if you do that, you've already cheated on them. 00:21:17.920 --> 00:21:18.960 It's still sin. 00:21:19.440 --> 00:21:24.319 Again, are the practical everyday consequences for those two things different across the board? 00:21:24.480 --> 00:21:28.640 Of course they are, but Jesus himself, he says, No, those things are equally sinful. 00:21:28.720 --> 00:21:34.880 And the reason it's important for us to know this is because you gotta remember who Jesus is telling this story to. 00:21:35.119 --> 00:21:39.599 He's not just telling this story to regular everyday people, he's talking to Pharisees. 00:21:39.680 --> 00:21:42.079 And last week we talked about who these Pharisees were. 00:21:42.319 --> 00:21:47.920 The Pharisees, at least in their minds, they sat at the top of the religious food chain. 00:21:48.160 --> 00:21:59.680 They were the spiritually elite and they viewed themselves as better than everyone else and as more deserving of God's love and mercy because of their commitment and because. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:02.480 Of their outward holiness. 00:22:02.880 --> 00:22:08.799 Pharisees are the church people who are the most spiritually impressive. 00:22:08.960 --> 00:22:12.240 They're the church people who have been in church the longest. 00:22:12.400 --> 00:22:16.319 They are the church people who pray the most articulate prayers. 00:22:16.480 --> 00:22:26.319 They are the church people who know the Bible the best, who worship with the most passion, who give to the needy more than everybody else, who are more respected in their community than everybody else is. 00:22:26.559 --> 00:22:36.640 And because of this, the Pharisees began to see themselves as the most spiritually impressive people in their lives. 00:22:36.799 --> 00:22:41.759 They begin to see themselves as the most spiritually impressive people in the church. 00:22:42.000 --> 00:22:59.039 Now, I know none of you have ever felt this way, but a Pharisee might, in a worship service, notice someone who isn't singing and their arms aren't and their hands aren't raised and they're not jumping up and down and they're just sort of staring at a Pharisee might look at that person and go, man, I'm so glad I'm not like them. 00:22:59.759 --> 00:23:01.920 Oh, they don't even care about God. 00:23:02.079 --> 00:23:03.839 I mean, look at their worship. 00:23:04.160 --> 00:23:09.359 A Pharisee would consider themselves the most spiritually impressive person in their family. 00:23:10.400 --> 00:23:11.680 None of you have ever done that. 00:23:11.759 --> 00:23:13.920 I'm sure you've never gone to a family reunion. 00:23:14.079 --> 00:23:23.440 You've had uncles and aunts and grandparents and cousins over that weren't quite serving God like you were, and suddenly someone got blackout drunk and they start saying a bunch of crazy stuff, right? 00:23:23.519 --> 00:23:27.759 You're sure you've never looked at them and thought, I can't believe them. 00:23:28.160 --> 00:23:30.160 I'm glad I'm not like them. 00:23:30.319 --> 00:23:32.480 They just need to get it together. 00:23:32.720 --> 00:23:40.960 A Pharisee would have considered themselves the most spiritually impressive person in their class or in their school or at their job or in their town. 00:23:41.119 --> 00:24:02.880 And because of this, and a lot of times this probably displayed itself on the outside, but definitely inwardly, a Pharisee might, metaphorically speaking, have their chin up a little higher, have their chest out a little bigger, and while sitting on their high horse, look down at everybody else below them who just can't measure up to God's standards quite like I can. 00:24:03.359 --> 00:24:09.279 And you want to know how God views that kind of person, a person that carries themselves like that? 00:24:10.000 --> 00:24:11.759 Look at Matthew 23. 00:24:12.240 --> 00:24:14.480 Matthew 23, 25 through 28. 00:24:14.559 --> 00:24:17.279 I'm not going to give you time to turn there, but you can write it down. 00:24:17.440 --> 00:24:20.640 Matthew 23, 25 through 28. 00:24:20.799 --> 00:24:31.599 Jesus says, Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, religious elite, you hypocrites. 00:24:31.839 --> 00:24:38.559 You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you're still full of greed and self-indulgence. 00:24:38.880 --> 00:24:46.720 Blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside will also be clean. 00:24:46.960 --> 00:24:54.720 Woe to you, teachers of the law, Pharisees, impressive church member, you hypocrites. 00:24:54.960 --> 00:25:03.279 You're like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside, but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. 00:25:03.599 --> 00:25:13.680 In the same way, on the outside, you appear to people in your school and in your family and at your job and in your town and in your church. 00:25:13.759 --> 00:25:22.000 You appear to people as righteous, but on the inside, you and I both know, you're full of hypocrisy and wickedness. 00:25:24.319 --> 00:25:30.160 Quite possibly the least encouraging verse we've read in the last six months. 00:25:30.480 --> 00:25:33.759 No one shows up to church and like, please read that one to me. 00:25:33.920 --> 00:25:36.799 That's what I need today to feel better about myself. 00:25:36.960 --> 00:25:41.279 And you want to know why, when reading that verse, your heart jumps a little bit? 00:25:41.680 --> 00:25:43.279 Because that's terrifying. 00:25:43.440 --> 00:25:45.279 That's a terrifying verse. 00:25:45.519 --> 00:25:49.359 It's terrifying because we've all been there. 00:25:49.680 --> 00:25:59.200 And it's even more terrifying because if you're honest with yourself, you haven't just been there at some vague, distant point in your past. 00:25:59.759 --> 00:26:04.960 If you're like me, you've probably been there in the last week or two. 00:26:05.200 --> 00:26:08.720 I mean, can we be deeply honest with ourselves? 00:26:09.039 --> 00:26:21.039 We have all wanted to outwardly appear like, you know, we've got it figured out, like we've got it all together, especially compared to them, whoever them is. 00:26:21.359 --> 00:26:44.000 I think there's probably been moments in our lives where we all saw ourselves as better than and holier than and more spiritually impressive than someone else because of their politics or their weak moment or the sins that they deal with or their weaknesses or their denominations or their worship preferences or anything else. 00:26:44.079 --> 00:26:45.200 But here's the problem. 00:26:46.000 --> 00:27:08.319 When you finally peel back the facade of all those positive, encouraging posts on your social media page about your family and how awesome you guys are, and you peel back the facade of that fake Sunday morning smile, and you peel back that facade of all the church involvement that makes you feel important and special. 00:27:08.799 --> 00:27:20.799 Oftentimes, what's actually lurking behind the scenes are some pretty nasty and embarrassing moments and decisions and issues that you really didn't want anyone else to see. 00:27:20.960 --> 00:27:27.279 Maybe like a toxic desire to be liked by everyone in your life. 00:27:27.519 --> 00:27:31.759 The second someone doesn't like you, you can't go to sleep at night, and so you want to be liked by everybody. 00:27:31.839 --> 00:27:34.480 And so what you do is you do whatever it takes to fit in. 00:27:34.559 --> 00:27:43.759 You just become a chameleon, you lay your integrity at the door, and you act this way around this group of people, and you act this way around this group of people because you just you can't handle not being liked by everybody. 00:27:43.920 --> 00:28:13.680 Or maybe it's your lack of self-control with how much food you eat or how much alcohol you drink, or maybe it's the chokehold that nicotine still has on your life, or maybe it's the bitterness that you still have pinned up against that parent or that old church friend of yours or that old boss, or maybe it's the secret affair that you haven't told anybody about, or how you've been sliding into that person's DMs that you quit dating all those years ago. 00:28:13.920 --> 00:28:18.799 Maybe it's that secret addiction to pornography that you've been dealing with for a very long time now. 00:28:19.359 --> 00:28:21.200 Maybe, maybe it's something else. 00:28:21.279 --> 00:28:28.720 Maybe it's your tendency to lie and exaggerate for literally no reason. 00:28:29.440 --> 00:28:32.000 Maybe it's the fact that you're addicted to your phone. 00:28:32.240 --> 00:28:34.160 You cannot get off social media. 00:28:34.319 --> 00:28:44.079 You spend hours and hours and hours scrolling and scrolling and scrolling, or maybe it's not social media, maybe it's Netflix or Amazon or ESPN, you can't turn off the TV, or maybe you're just a bad listener. 00:28:44.319 --> 00:28:50.880 And everyone that gets around you ends up feeling worse about themselves because every time they start talking about themselves, you feel the need to do the same thing. 00:28:51.039 --> 00:28:52.240 You can't just be quiet and listen. 00:28:52.319 --> 00:28:55.599 No, no, you gotta interject, you gotta say something too, or maybe it's something else. 00:28:55.680 --> 00:28:58.960 Maybe you just work so many hours your kids barely even know you. 00:28:59.200 --> 00:28:59.839 I don't know. 00:29:00.000 --> 00:29:01.279 This is what I do know. 00:29:01.519 --> 00:29:05.680 Oftentimes, we are well aware of those issues. 00:29:05.839 --> 00:29:24.240 We're well aware of those issues, and we are well aware of just how much mercy God has shown us despite those issues, and yet when it comes to showing that same kind of mercy toward everybody else for their embarrassing issues, we can't do it. 00:29:24.480 --> 00:29:25.920 And it's too hard. 00:29:26.160 --> 00:29:52.160 And it's what's the phrase, uh, not fair, which is wild because if you spend any time at all reading the scriptures, you would know that the, not a, the defining characteristic that is supposed to set people within the family of God apart from people in the rest of the world, is the fact that we are outlandishly willing to give people mercy. 00:29:52.400 --> 00:29:59.279 We are outlandishly willing to forgive and to love and to show compassion on whoever and whenever. 00:29:59.519 --> 00:30:01.599 We are so ready for it. 00:30:01.759 --> 00:30:06.000 That's what's supposed to be what sets us apart from everybody else. 00:30:06.319 --> 00:30:09.359 We are called to be mercy people. 00:30:09.599 --> 00:30:12.960 That is supposed to be our identity, the core of who we are. 00:30:13.039 --> 00:30:14.319 We're mercy people. 00:30:15.279 --> 00:30:22.799 And Jesus lays out a terrifying warning when we are not that. 00:30:23.039 --> 00:30:26.960 Here's another really encouraging verse. 00:30:27.200 --> 00:30:30.400 It says Matthew 6, 14 through 15. 00:30:31.119 --> 00:30:46.480 Jesus says, if you forgive other people when they sin against you, let you down, do you dirty, then your heavenly father will also forgive you. 00:30:48.319 --> 00:30:56.240 But if you do not forgive others their sins, then your father will not forgive your sins. 00:30:57.200 --> 00:31:07.119 When was the last time you just sat and wrestled with that verse and didn't just dismiss it and think that's not what he really means? 00:31:07.920 --> 00:31:10.480 What if that is what he really means? 00:31:10.720 --> 00:31:15.039 What if he said it because that's what he really means? 00:31:15.680 --> 00:31:20.400 Now, God willing, we're gonna talk about this verse in a lot more depth next week. 00:31:20.559 --> 00:31:43.039 But Jesus is saying this, he's saying, So you're telling me that even though you are well aware of just how messy and imperfect and inconsistent and unimpressive you are, even though you are well aware of just how much I've had to forgive you over and over and over, even after you said, God, I'm never gonna do it again. 00:31:43.279 --> 00:31:56.319 You're telling me you're well aware of that, but when it comes time for you to determine the kind of judgment that someone else deserves, you can somehow so quickly arrive to the conclusion that they deserve no mercy at all. 00:31:57.440 --> 00:32:11.119 Even though I have forgiven you an infinite amount of times, even though I have loved you unconditionally and shown you mercy and grace and compassion every single morning, you still can't show that same mercy to someone else. 00:32:11.759 --> 00:32:13.359 Okay, well, cool. 00:32:13.599 --> 00:32:15.680 If that's how you want it, fine. 00:32:15.920 --> 00:32:30.079 When it comes time for me to judge you, I'm not gonna show you any mercy because apparently you're not a big fan of this mercy thing, anyways, and I'd hate to shove it down your throat because you don't like showing mercy. 00:32:31.680 --> 00:32:40.559 I don't know about you guys, but it disheartens me that the people of God are more known for being judgy people than we are for being mercy people. 00:32:41.599 --> 00:32:50.720 You know, whether it pertains to showing mercy to I don't know, let's let's just pick the craziest thing, right? 00:32:50.960 --> 00:33:37.839 Whether it pertains to showing mercy to pastors or politicians that are involved in some sort of awful, slimy scandal, or showing mercy to celebrities who say something off the wall and now they're getting beat down and canceled for it, or showing mercy to friends who didn't treat you like you deserved to be treated, or parents who didn't love you like you needed to be loved, or showing mercy to a spouse who went back on their word, didn't keep their commitment, or I don't know, showing mercy to a boss or coach or classmate or someone else who left you feeling uh broken and in pain. 00:33:38.400 --> 00:33:44.720 No matter who we're talking about, we are so we're supposed to be known for being scandalously merciful. 00:33:44.960 --> 00:33:52.240 And when I say scandalously merciful, I mean legitimately, people are supposed to look at Christians and actually be uncomfortable with how merciful we are. 00:33:52.400 --> 00:33:55.759 They're supposed to say things like, wait, wait, wait, no, you can't just forgive them. 00:33:55.839 --> 00:33:58.400 Like you need to you need to do something back. 00:33:59.519 --> 00:34:05.519 They look at how forgiving you are and it makes them feel uncomfortable because they're like, that can't be, that can't be right, can it? 00:34:05.839 --> 00:34:12.639 Now that's not to say that there's not a time and a place where you are supposed to stand up and confront someone when they've done you wrong and they've hurt you. 00:34:12.719 --> 00:34:19.840 And that's not to say there's not also a moment where justice is supposed to be served and people are supposed to face the consequences of their actions. 00:34:20.000 --> 00:34:23.360 All of that is true and good, and we're gonna talk about that next week. 00:34:23.519 --> 00:34:27.039 But as disciples of Jesus, now let me pause right here. 00:34:27.280 --> 00:34:31.119 As disciples of Jesus, what is being a disciple of Jesus means? 00:34:31.280 --> 00:34:33.360 This is what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. 00:34:33.599 --> 00:34:45.360 People who believe that our God became a man, suffered, died, and was buried at the hands of those that he made only to resurrect from the grave and forgive the people who crucified him. 00:34:45.760 --> 00:34:52.239 As disciples of that guy, dare I say forgiveness should come easier to us than it normally does. 00:34:52.559 --> 00:35:02.559 As disciples of that guy, we should be experts in showing people the kind of mercy that God tells us they deserve. 00:35:02.639 --> 00:35:07.920 And catch this, that's true, even if they haven't repented for it. 00:35:08.239 --> 00:35:12.559 We should be experts at it at it even before they say that they're sorry. 00:35:12.800 --> 00:35:16.320 And some of you are already going, well, that's not fair. 00:35:16.639 --> 00:35:20.880 Well, you want to know why we should that's the case? 00:35:21.519 --> 00:35:25.039 Because, sweetheart, that's your story. 00:35:25.280 --> 00:35:27.199 That's what happened to you. 00:35:27.440 --> 00:35:27.760 Okay? 00:35:28.159 --> 00:35:48.639 Before you ever did anything right or impressive, before you stopped cussing and you stopped drinking, stopped treating people bad before you became a better husband or a better wife, before you became a better friend, before you started reading your Bible and praying and going to church and tucking your shirt in and getting in small groups and giving in the offering and serving on that team, before you literally did one thing right at the moment. 00:35:48.880 --> 00:35:55.199 The Bible says that Christ died for you while you were still a sinner, far from God, not interested. 00:35:55.440 --> 00:35:56.800 He took the cross then. 00:35:57.039 --> 00:36:01.280 He didn't wait on you to acknowledge your sins, to confess your sins before he took the cross. 00:36:01.440 --> 00:36:02.159 No, no, no, no. 00:36:02.239 --> 00:36:05.599 He took it before then, long before you were deserving of anything at all. 00:36:05.760 --> 00:36:07.679 God was already chasing you down. 00:36:09.599 --> 00:36:13.280 Do you remember that moment when that happened? 00:36:14.079 --> 00:36:21.440 I'm not talking about that silly thing that happened, and I don't mean to disregard this if this is actually your story. 00:36:21.840 --> 00:36:30.320 I don't mean that thing that happened when you were five and a half at vacation Bible school, or someone told you you were gonna go to hell if you don't repeat this prayer. 00:36:30.880 --> 00:36:41.440 I mean the moment that you were confronted with the fact that you are far from God and God still likes you, and he still wants to save you. 00:36:41.760 --> 00:36:44.480 Do you remember when that happened to you? 00:36:44.800 --> 00:36:49.599 One, if you can't, there's some knock clocking here. 00:36:50.079 --> 00:36:52.480 Two, if you can, go there. 00:36:52.880 --> 00:37:01.440 Were you in your car on the way to work and you heard that song, and the Spirit of God filled your car, and it was almost like hard to drive because you knew he was right there with you. 00:37:01.840 --> 00:37:10.400 Maybe it was at church on a Sunday morning or a Wednesday night or a Sunday night or at some kind of conference and you were singing a song, and all of a sudden God's love and mercy became so real. 00:37:10.480 --> 00:37:11.840 Maybe you answered an altar call. 00:37:11.920 --> 00:37:20.079 Maybe I don't know, maybe you were you were watching online at some point, and uh you were sitting on your couch and felt the presence of God right where you were. 00:37:20.239 --> 00:37:24.559 Maybe you're at a small group, maybe you're at a men's retreat, a youth camp, a women's retreat, something else. 00:37:24.639 --> 00:37:25.599 You remember that moment though? 00:37:25.760 --> 00:37:28.400 You mean maybe it wasn't a moment, maybe it was a season of life. 00:37:28.639 --> 00:37:35.360 You remember the season of life where all that started changing for you and began tasting the goodness of God that was moving toward you? 00:37:36.239 --> 00:37:38.320 I'd bet you can remember it. 00:37:39.039 --> 00:37:41.760 And now I want you to consider what happened after that. 00:37:42.320 --> 00:37:43.599 Did you quit sinning? 00:37:45.119 --> 00:37:46.480 Got it all together now? 00:37:47.119 --> 00:37:48.400 You're good now, right? 00:37:48.719 --> 00:37:50.880 You've never crossed God again, have you? 00:37:51.199 --> 00:37:52.559 Or is it the opposite? 00:37:52.960 --> 00:37:56.800 You experienced his unbridled mercy and love and compassion. 00:37:56.960 --> 00:37:58.079 What happened? 00:37:59.360 --> 00:38:06.800 You kept sinning, you kept doing wrong things, you kept disobeying God, knowing good and well you're not supposed to do that or say that or act that way. 00:38:06.880 --> 00:38:08.000 And what did God do? 00:38:08.639 --> 00:38:19.760 Knowing good and well that you were gonna keep sinning and keep making mistakes, he just keeps showering you with mercy and grace and love and forgiveness over and over and over. 00:38:20.800 --> 00:38:28.480 And today, I would like to give some of you the opportunity to simply begin that process. 00:38:28.639 --> 00:38:30.159 It's a lifelong process. 00:38:30.400 --> 00:38:36.239 Some of you are not ready to fully embark on that right now, depending on your situation. 00:38:36.719 --> 00:38:40.639 But that's okay because we're gonna talk about this again next week. 00:38:41.119 --> 00:38:42.960 Today is a warm-up. 00:38:43.440 --> 00:38:52.239 Today, I just want to get you ready for next week, get you thinking about it, and get you in the process of getting ready to make some of those moves. 00:38:52.320 --> 00:39:02.159 And so without jingling your purses and keys and getting all your stuff together, and maybe even more importantly, without walking out those back doors, I want to invite you to stand up on your feet. 00:39:15.840 --> 00:39:17.280 Now, God willing. 00:39:18.320 --> 00:39:22.000 We're gonna talk about this in more depth next week. 00:39:22.239 --> 00:39:33.440 We're gonna talk through why and maybe more importantly, how you're supposed to engage in the process of forgiving people who hurt you. 00:39:33.760 --> 00:39:40.159 We're gonna answer questions that sound like, am I really supposed to forgive and forget? 00:39:41.039 --> 00:39:52.960 And we're gonna talk about when it's necessary to reconcile and other moments when it's not necessary, good, or helpful to reconcile. 00:39:53.039 --> 00:39:55.679 We're gonna talk about all that and more next week. 00:39:55.920 --> 00:39:58.159 It's pretty important that you're here for that. 00:39:58.320 --> 00:40:06.480 This is one of those subjects that I can say without a shadow of a doubt, lands with every person in the room every time we talk about it. 00:40:06.559 --> 00:40:07.920