Phil 2 JSC, Bema Minded

This message originally delivered on August 11, 1991PM.  Near the latter half of this message there was a question and answer time.  Unfortunately the questions were not audible, but the answers were recorded and included here.

Episode Transcript

Kimber Kauffman (00:00):
We will continue the sermon that was
started this morning. If youweren't here this morning, I had
an eight page nine page messagefor this morning service only
got through the first threepages and I introduction took
the whole time. So we got outmaybe a couple of minutes
earlier than normal. But I wantus to consider again, the
importance of being reminded, Iwill tell you that I think God

(00:20):
the Holy Spirit has directed ourchurch at just at the right time
to be considering these type ofthings. I'm absolutely convinced
that we need to know about theBema, we need to think about the
Bema we need to be Bhima, brainfeeble minded, whatever you want
to call it, you need to haveBhima on our mind, it should be
something that is a regular partof our thinking, our decisions,
our attitudes. And I will saythis one of the reasons for a

(00:42):
lack of power, one of thereasons for a lack of character
in the church is we have notbeen thinking about the great
day. If you read through thepastoral epistles, you will find
that constantly, Paul says sothat at that day, just like in
Philippians, what's got usstarted was this so that at that
day, I would not have labored invain. Because at that day is the
important day. And we need to beliving our lives, like a true

(01:04):
life of living by faith isliving so that at the day of the
Bema, you will be rewarded andnot suffer loss, as the
scripture teaches in many, manyplaces, one of the things that I
would challenge you to do isthis, read your Bibles,
considering the Bema. Every timeyou hear something about a
reward, every time you hearsomething about an inheritance,
every time you hear somethingabout that day, every time you

(01:26):
hear something about variousnumerous terms that go in there.
I think all together, there's 10New Testament terms, you're
gonna find that you will notread a book in the Bible that it
is not mentioned about the Bemait is important that we
understand how and how much thebeam is emphasized in the Bible.
And I think a lack ofunderstanding that a lack of
that is the reasons why we weget into trouble. You will not

(01:47):
find somebody who gets involvedin some type of sin who is
thinking about the Bema, youjust won't, it should have an
impact upon our life that is, isvery, very important. And
quickly by way of review, let mejust show you again, you
probably are going to groan whenyou see this overhead because
you've seen it so much. But letme show you Thank you. Okay,
thank you.

Unknown (02:07):
The great judgment.
Remember, there's a greatjudgment, that is the judgment
for believers, the judgment forunbelievers, the judgment for
believers has to do with rewardor loss of reward, my friends,
Heaven will not be the same foreveryone. Those that have been
faithful and have sacrificed andhave extended themselves and
have been painstaking and theirservice will receive great
rewards. Those who haven't willsuffer loss yet they will be

(02:28):
saved as the one escapingthrough the flames. Unbelievers
will also be judged according tothe degree of their wickedness
and receive recompense in otherwords they will receive for the
things done in the body, it willbe a matter of degrees of
punishment. This ought to be, ofcourse, a huge motivation in our
lives you can grow and one moretime if you'd like. But how does
God motivate in the OldTestament by fear of punishment,

(02:50):
by hope of reward by love ofGod? How did Christ motivated by
fear of punishment by hope ofreward by love of God? How did
the apostles motivate fear ofpunishment hope of reward love
of God, it is terribly wrong foryou to say, Oh, I wouldn't do
anything for a reward. Becauseif you say that you are not
Bhima minded because BMO mindedpeople all through the Bible did
so for the reward.

(03:14):
Hence, an example is Paul,another example is Moses, who
chose rather to sufferaffliction with the people of
God and enjoy the pleasures ofsin for a season. Why? Because
he looked ahead to his reward,you should be able to quote that
with me right now, as many timesas we've said it, Moses made a
decision, a value systemjudgment that changed his life

(03:35):
based upon the Bema the verydefinition of faith who can call
Hebrews 11? Six, I've quoted itso many times who can quote it?
I'll start you without faith.
Please God, for them to come toGod must believe that He is.
He's a rewarder of those whodiligently seek and that's been
the word reward there has been aBelieve me it is. Now look here.
Leon Morris says this Thedoctrine of final judgment

(03:58):
stresses man's accountabilityand the certainty that justice
will finally triumph over allthe wrongs, which are passed and
parcel of life here and now theformer gives the dignity the
humblest action, and the latterbrings calmness and assurance to
those in the thick of thebattle. This doctrine gives
meaning to life. The Christianview of judgment means that
history moves to a goal judgmentprotects the idea of the tribe

(04:18):
of God and of good, it isunthinkable that the present
conflict between good and evilshould last throughout eternity.
Judgment means that evil will bedisposed of authoritatively
decisively. Finally, judgmentmeans that in the end, God's
will will be perfectly done.
I'll tell you, it's amazing evento think of it like this Romans
chapter 12. In the middle ofinterpersonal relationships, he
says, Vengeance is mine I willrepay saith the Lord. You know,

(04:39):
that's talking about even whensomeone has hurt you back by did
you did something that was wrongand offensive, you know what
even that will be taken care ofat the beam. That's how personal
Our God is so involved and soready in our lives to help us we
consider the poem God's Hall ofFame and we will forget it. All
right. We already consideredthat this morning. If you'd like
a copy of it.

(05:00):
You can get it later. Now,here's what we've considered,
we've considered a couple ofother things.
Concerning the Bema, some of thecriterion for judgment, how you
treat other people, you are notmerciful to others, you will not
receive mercy. If you in fact,the Bible says this, the very
measure you use and how youtreat somebody else will be the
measure God will use and how wetreat you, I want to tell you,

(05:22):
if we got that one principledown, it would have drastically
affect our relationships. Youwouldn't hold grudges, you
wouldn't continue to be mad atsomebody, you wouldn't all the
time be be ticked off at yourhusband or your wife and hand
holding something that they didin the past against you. You
know why? Because if you treatsomebody that way, when you come
before God is the Bema, He'sgoing to judge you by that same

(05:43):
standard. Now, all of a sudden,if you realize that the way you
judge others gonna be thestandard for way God judge you,
I think it's gonna change. Butyou know what, we're not being
the minds enough.
James, chapter two, very clearlyteaches that, hey, go there, go
to James two, we may not evenfinish this message, because
this is important to see. But goover to James chapter two. And I

(06:05):
want you to see something ofgreat significance here in
James, the second chapter. Lookwhat it says this one, this one,
I just feel terrible when I readthis passage, because I preached
on the Bema, and how you shouldaffect the way you treat other
people and completely missedthis passage. Here's a gem of a
passage there. They look here,my brothers verse chapter two
verse one of James, my brothers,as believers in our glorious

(06:28):
Lord Jesus Christ, don't showfavoritism. How do you treat
others favoritism? Suppose a mancomes into your meeting, wearing
a gold ring would find clothesand a poor man and shabby
clothes also comes in? If youshow special attention to the
man wearing fine clothes andsay, here's a good seat for you.
But say to the poor man, youstand there sit on the floor by
my feet, have you notdiscriminate among yourselves

(06:48):
and become judges with evilthoughts? Listen, my dear
brothers Has not God chose thosewho are poor in the eyes of the
world to be rich and faith andto inherit the kingdom he
promised those who love him, butyou have insulted the poor? Is
it not the rich who areexploiting you? Are they not the
ones who are dragging you intocourt? Or are they not the ones
who are slandering the noblename of him to whom you belong?

(07:08):
If you really keep the royal lawfound in Scripture, love your
neighbors yourself, you aredoing right. But if you show
favoritism you sin and areconvicted by the law as law
breakers for whoever keeps thewhole law and yet stumbles at
just one point is guilty ofbreaking all of it. For his for
you said do not commit adultery,also said Do not murder. If you
do not commit adultery. But youdo commit murder, you have

(07:31):
become a law breaker now pleaseget this verse 12. Here's the
summary. Now this is being readyhere comes speak and act as
those who are going to be judgedby the law that gives freedom
because judgment without mercywill be shown to anyone who has
not been merciful. Mercytriumphs over judgment. Judgment

(07:52):
without mercy will be shown toanyone who has not been
merciful. tell you.
I do my share of it. In fact, Ihave this this, this has humbled
me to consider again, thisaspect of it. In this sense, the
way we talk about somebody. Sowhen we make good judgments of
the Christian, the way we putdown, somebody doesn't got their
eye crossed at the same way wedo, the way we do all of those

(08:14):
little type of things, myfriends is terribly wrong. We
need to be very extremelycareful the way we show
favoritism. Why do we treatcertain people nice is it always
in order to get repaid rememberChrist illustration in Luke
chapter 14, when you throw aparty, don't invite those who
can repay you invite those thatcould never repay you. That's
supposed to be one of thestandards. So anyway, we need to

(08:35):
how we treat others how we denyourselves. Oh, by the way, this
is this, this is a, this isanother thing before we get off
of it. I've got to say this,because I think it needs to be
said, and I'm sure that it'sgonna bother some of you when I
say this, but it needs to besaid anyway. And I hope you
listen because it's true. If thestandard that you use in judging

(08:55):
others and the way the standardyou use in showing love and
forgiveness to others, and thestandard you use, and in your
kindness and partiality towardsothers, all of that is going to
be the standard God's going touse to judge you according to
Matthew seven, one to two andJames to the no one asks you
something. How does that fit inwith this type of Psychology
Today, which tells you to hateyour parents and tells you to be

(09:17):
mad at these people. And I tellyou, I feel so sorry for some of
the situations I've seen in thelast year where where people are
become enslaved to their pastbecause they feel that someone
has offended them and they'renever gonna give that up because
someone else will just deporthim as a person. And they're
never going to give it up. I'mgoing to tell you something, the
standard you use, even towardssomeone who has deeply sinned

(09:37):
against you. You better becareful. Because God may use
that same standard against you.
My friends, if we understoodthis for a minute, we would be
driven down to say Well, where'sthe strength to do it? It only
comes from the cross. You'llnever find it anywhere else.
Read all the psychology books inthe world. Read all the
counselor books in the worldyou'll never find it. It only

(09:59):
comes from theIn a sinner before the cross of
Christ, and when you lay in yourown sin is heaped upon you that
is so great that you don't havetime to think about somebody
else's sin, then you'll be ableto forgive. But as long as you
say you have your rights andsomeone did you wrong, you will
never be a happy person. I knowbecause I used to be that way.
I thought I'd get the reasonsfor it. I can tell you why I can

(10:20):
be better I can tell you why Ican hold a grudge, I have a
right to because someone else iswrong. No, you know what I was
really doing, refusing to submitto what God said.
And my friends, it would shakeus up and wake us up if we got a
hold of that truth.
We need to remember with all ofour hearts, that part of the
Bema judgments is going to bethe way we treat other people is

(10:41):
going to be determined upon howwe are going to be treated.
And there is just so muchbaloney and malarkey out there
concerning these types ofthings. Let's just stop right
here. I want to just do thiswithout some questions. You got
some questions on what we'resaying? There's something more
you want to talk about. Yes.
There is hope in this life.
Because God may do some workthat is marvelous in our eyes

(11:06):
now. But the point is whether ornot he ever does it, the Bema
should be our motivation. Forinstance, Hebrews chapter 12,
says this, no discipline for thepresent seems joyous, but only
painful. Later on, however, itreaps you reap the peaceable
fruit of righteousness. So therethat tells us that as God brings
discipline into our life, nowthat even in this life, there is

(11:28):
a peaceable fruit of holinessand righteousness to those who
have been trained by it. So Ithink all of that language
speaks that yes, there issomething that happens so that
in this life, there will be adifference.
But when it comes to, forinstance, when I'm talking about
interpersonal relationships, theBible says things like this, if

(11:48):
possible, as much as dependsupon you live at peace with all
men, because we can onlyunderstand and are going to be
responsible to God for our will.
As a believer, we cannot beresponsible for someone else's
will. And there have been timeswhere the more I have tried to
get a relationship, right, theworship God, and everything I
did, until finally I realizedthere was nothing more I could

(12:11):
do. And I was at the point ofthat verse, if possible, as much
as it depends upon you, therewas nothing more for me to do.
So now I got a choice. I feellike I've been deeply offended.
I feel like there's a tremendousirreconcilable difference
between me and somebody else. Ifeel like somebody owes me an
apology. I feel like there'ssome real problems. And yet,
Mike, my question is this, waita minute, Lord, what's going to
happen? And I'd had to realizethis is sort of like when

(12:37):
Peter was talking to the Lord inJohn chapter 21. And he said,
what's going to happen to John,what's gonna happen to John, and
Jesus finally says to him,Peter, what's going to happen to
him, you just shut up. And youjust worry, don't worry about
what's gonna happen to him,you'll take care of it. And I
think that that's what had tohappen in my life, I've had to
finally say, alright, I'm nevergoing to understand how this is

(12:57):
going to work. So I will saythis,
Lord, I'm gonna pray for thesepeople. Lord, I'm going to try
to love these people, as far asnot necessarily calling them up
on the phone and everything,because I think the relationship
from the irreconcilably. ButLord, I don't want this. In my
case, just to lay it out as flatas I can possibly laid out in
recent years. If I see theperson at the restaurant, I run

(13:20):
over to them, make an effort totell them that how they do and
ask questions to how they are.
And even when I've tried to dothat, it seems like they turn
the conversation around to tryto make me seem to be evil. I'm
asking those questions. So Ijust go, I all's I know is I
have a clear conscience that Itry. And there are certain times
when people may have sinned, andthey will never ever admit that
they even sinned against you.

(13:42):
And there's gonna be times whereyou're just gonna have to let it
go, you're gonna have to say,alright, this relationship may
never be what I want it to be.
But what I do have control of ismy attitudes and thoughts
towards these people that havesinned against me. Now, how can
I overcome those? Well,you can all grown again, I'm
serious about this. But that'swhy a pair if you had to say,
Kim, what makes you tick, one ofthe foundational items that make

(14:03):
me tick is the parable Jesustold about the man who owed $11
million to the Sovereign King.
And the Sovereign King in hismercy forgave him. And he went
right out and grabbed the guythat owed him $15. And he took
that man, and he grabbed him bythe throat and said, pay with
the host, and the man wouldn'tpay. So we had that guy that
over $15 thrown in jail rightafter he'd been forgiven. $11

(14:24):
million. And I know I've saidthis so many times that you guys
all know how I'm saying this,right.
But the fact is that the answer,the answer is this when I have
realized the filth and therottenness in the condemnation
that I deserve, as a sinnerbefore a holy God, and I don't
mean sort of like, oh, yeah, Iknow, I'm sort of good, but not
as bad as somebody else. No,when I say I'm the chief of

(14:46):
sinners, when I say that, Idon't know about anybody else
with a Pharisee ism that's in myheart, the wickedness the hate
the wrong attitudes. All Oh God,I need your mercy. Forgive me
for such attitudes. I don't havetime to be looking at what
No one else has done to me. Andthose have been the ways that
the cleansing the joy, the peacethat has come into my heart in

(15:06):
the midst of those kinds ofcircumstances has only come from
me realizing this truth. Sothat's why I can read Romans 14.
And it says, when you don't getalong with another Christian,
you better treat them rightbecause of the beam and you're
going to be judged, I understandthat. I understand that I'm not
going to have time to open mymouth and be pointing everybody
else's sins out, I'm going tostand to give account of my own
life. And I better make surethat I understand that

(15:27):
thoroughly. And so, forinstance, in my life, that since
you asked this question, therestill is.
With people that don't like me,there still is times when I see
them drive by their house,something like that, when there
is an ache in my heart. And thatache in my heart, I have got to
deal with again, and again, andagain. And again. And I can say

(15:48):
this in my situation, over time,and over constant prayer, and
over constantly applying thewords of my life, it's gone
away, slowly. Is it still there?
Oh, it's still there.
It's still there. Now, let metell you, if you if you don't,
let me tell you what happens.
Bitterness starts to stay inyour life. And you'll find

(16:09):
yourself meditating and havingconversations with them. And
you'll find yourself wishingevil on them. And you'll find
yourselfdoing all kinds of In fact, I'll
tell you something I stillstruggle with just to lay this
out as clearly as I know howyou are gonna think I'm crazy
want to tell you this? In fact,it's embarrassing to tell you
this. But this is truth when I'mputting gas in my car. This
sounds crazy. This happens to meso much that I've asked the Lord

(16:32):
to help me change my thinkinghabit. On this point, I'm going
to put gas in my car, and I got$10 I'm gonna put in that car.
And so I'm watching and I'm justa numbers, man. I'm always I'm
thinking of numbers and stuff,right wing? Yeah. So anyways,
I'm doing that. I put that in.
And I'm thinking this untilsomeone walks out that 711 door,
or that, you know, gas stationdoor, whatever number I get up

(16:53):
to that would be, I'm pretendinglike we have 1000 people in our
church and whatever number itis, like $6 $7 $8. That would be
678 100 people voted that I wasright in this decision about
these people. And so I'm all thetime. And sometimes I've seen
their people must think I'mcrazy. I'm kicking the tire when
someone walks out when it's only$300. Because I lost I got
outvoted 700 to 300. So therestill is that sense. I know that

(17:13):
may not make any sense to you.
But there's still that sense inmy heart of wanting to know that
I'm right. And you know what, Iwill never always know that. And
you've got todo, you got to have to come to
grips with that. But I know ofno better way to come to grips
with it than then. And that'swhy I tell you. You remember the
story that Becky pepper toldBecky pepper told the story. And

(17:36):
I'm telling you it was one ofthe greatest sermons I've ever
heard. And she said about thelady. Remember I told the story
before but I want you to thinkabout it again. Everybody. She
says about the lady that saidthis. She said that a lady came
to her married to a pastor. Theyhad four kids. And the lady
comes through. They've beenmarried for several years. And
she said, I gotta tell you astory. And she said, we were in

(17:56):
this church of 5000 people. Wewere the darlings of the church.
He was the associate pastor. Iwas married him there was a huge
wedding. They gave us GiftsGalore. What no one knows is how
miserable my wedding day was.
Because six months before ourwedding day, I found out I was
pregnant. I acted like I wasgoing on a trip to some
Christian conference and I wentout to California had an

(18:17):
abortion. And I came back andtried to pretend like everything
was right. Now, now listen. Shetells this whole story. She goes
now I've been married. Now wehave four kids. And I've just
felt so hypocritical. I've neverbeen able to get over the guilt
but I'm so wicked and so bad.
And Becky picker says sheperceived that it wasn't that
the girl was a sinner and wasashamed of her sin. It was a
girl was saying this is what Ithink is I just think this nails

(18:39):
the problem. She says this. Shesays it was how could a person
is good as good as I do such abad thing.
There's a world of differencebetween how could a person is
good I have this kind of sin inmy life compared to all wretched
man that I am. Who shall deliverme from this body of death?

(19:00):
There is a world of difference.
I don't know if you know thatdifference, but you need to know
if you really want to be able tomake it because that is a huge
difference. So the girl saysBecky Pippa says to her why
should it surprise you? That youmurdered your baby? You've
already been a murderer to draw.
And she says your sins put Jesuson the cross.

(19:22):
You know what we think we think?
I think you all think this Ithink I think this most of the
time. We all think it was all ofus, wasn't it all of us bad
people that put Jesus on thecross instead of it was me that
put them there.
And when you understand that itwas you that put them there and
not just everybody else, thenyou start to get the light that
you don't have to worry whenother people offends you. You

(19:44):
deserve it. You don't deserveanything. You don't deserve to
have godly parents. You don'tdeserve to have a godly boss.
You don't deserve to have agodly pastor. You don't deserve
any of those people don't youknow in other words that we
think we deserve, deservedeserve. We're gonna think about
what wedidn't get how we needed to get
it.
We don't deserve that.

(20:06):
Boy, that's important. There areso many Listen, there's this
legalistic, I'm gonna just saywhat I think it is the
separatist ik legalistic type ofBaptist fundamentalism that so
many people have been raised onthe dyno.
They've not been taught this.
They've been taught that no, youdo this and look better than
other people.

(20:27):
And with that, there is thisdeplorable loss of respect when
they fail, and they see thatthey're sinners. They say, Oh,
how could it be? I've got tocover it up. I can't let anybody
know.
People have said to me, Kim, howcome? You're so there is no,
there is not an ounce ofanything except for God's glory

(20:48):
on this point. But people saycan we appreciate so much that
you share your openness, you'rewilling to admit you're a
sinner, you're willing to admityou fail, we feel like we
understand everybody else whofeel like they've been up on a
pedestal. And I've never seen orfelt, we feel like you
understand that? If that's true,if you've ever thought that in
many, many, many of you told methat I wouldn't have even known
it except you keep telling methat. If that's the truth, the
only reason is, is because it'sso true. I am a wretched sinner.

(21:15):
And I can't believe that thedepths of it, I was explaining
my wife this week again, sin inmy life about saying bad things
about people, that I how I'verejoiced in it, and how I love
it, and how it has just made mesick. I'm preaching about how
you treat others is the wayyou're going to be treated. And
I'm out there speaking bad aboutsomebody else.

(21:37):
This is something that if youhad to say, Kim, what is the
greatest source of joy? In yourlife, it would be this without a
question without hesitation isthe person of Jesus Christ. But
you say this, but why is he thegreatest source? Because I
needed him so badly.

(21:59):
You will never love Jesus Christif you don't need them.
As long as you are a good personthat sort of added Jesus to your
life.
You'll never love them.
But when you're a filthy,rotten, vile sinner headed to
hell, and he, in his grace,reached out and pulled you out

(22:21):
of the waters, you're gonna lovethem.
This has been a wild day at ourchurch. I've never thought that
I would be preaching on thispoint again, to tell you the
truth.
We've got to know this. We'vegot to know this. i
The biggest problem in the worldin American Christianity is that

(22:41):
we're not as simple peopleanymore.
Was it? You show me somebody whois sinful? I'll show you
somebody who is humble. You showme somebody who is humble. I'll
show you somebody who can getalong with people.
Only by pride cometh contention.
So if you make yourself out tobe well, let's see if that is I

(23:02):
have a good somebody to do mylittle checklist. Am I better
than somebody else? Do you not ahumble person? You're constantly
comparing what does thePharisees do? They love to cook
there. I thank you that I'm notlike this man. I fast twice a
week I do this. I did that. Youknow what I'm that way here.
That way. We all have seeds, thePharisees in the group and our
hearts like cancer, we got toput chemotherapy on them.
Or they keep growing.

(23:22):
The problem that last week, thestuff I read it was Larry Crabb
that I read it from so now, youknow, but I didn't want to say
it, who he was. But you knowwhat he said? He says, Did you
notice something that was bad?
Those couple of slides, theywere all more concerned about
themselves than they were aboutanything else. And when you
tried to point out that theywere the problem, they all that

(23:43):
they wouldn't see that they keptwanting to look somewhere else.
Listen, you've got problems. Isaid this to the deacons just a
little bit ago, I said, Man,I've had a tough week a better
way. I know this is not anybodyhere's problem is my problem.
And yet we live in a world thatsays everybody else's problem
when we're unhappy.
I say we need to become greatersinners, greater sinners, love

(24:06):
grace. He who has been forgivenmuch loves much Jesus says,
We've got to have that. We'vegot to have that in our life.
And I see that a question John.
Praise the Lord. That is whatchurch is supposed to be about
that right? They're supposed tohelp us it's remember the quote

(24:28):
I use many times it's thechurch, Christianity's for
Senators. And yet once that theonly organizations will get to
be a senator nor to join if youjoin, you try to act like you're
not a sinner.
That's true good.
Somebody else can answer that. Ihope John

(24:52):
and to add to that, the Askyourself this question like he
that's what he said is, wouldyou do it? If you
No one else noticed. Anotherquestion is this. What's it take
to stop you?
One of the things that weresupposed to say in the sermon
tonight was when trouble comesin your life, persecution,
sorrow, how many Christiansyou've you've heard, so this

(25:14):
whole, no one appreciated me.
Oh, you know, for instance, howmany of you husband wives know
that you go out of your way todo something for your spouse,
and they don't appreciate it?
How fast you point out to themwhat you did and how they didn't
appreciate it. You see, if we'reliving under the Bema, we're not
gonna have to worry about that.
Would you do it for otherreasons? Do you have a chance to
do it secretly? Or do itpublicly to do it secretly?

(25:34):
There's, I'm sure there'll beall kinds of tests that I can't
think of right now. But thatwould at least be the start
because we know that one of thekey things in Matthew six is to
be seen as men to be seen as mento be seen the men there you
have their reward.
So we do itthat always make ourselves look
too good. Dale.

(26:00):
Yes.
Yeah, absolutely. Right.
Chuck Colson is illustration asthey say. The Chuck Colson.
Who by the way, if you ever readChuck Colson, you'll see a guy
that has been smashed by theSpirit of God as to what a
sinner he is, you read, that guyhas got I'm a sinner all over
all his writings, and by gradesgreat anyway, they asked him,

(26:21):
they said, you're only doing allthis ministry, Prison Fellowship
and all this because you'retrying to make up because you've
made such a horrible name foryourself. And they were
critical. And you know whatColson said, Coulson said, Well,
maybe you're right. I don'tknow. He said, The Bible says,
the heart of man is desperatelywicked and deceitful above all
things. Who can know it? I can'teven know my own heart.
He said. So I hope that's notthe case. But the best that I'm

(26:44):
pursuing is that and that's ahealthy attitude. And all the
time going, Oh, my motives,right. I've seen people and fake
friends than they've done this.
And they're overcoming this now.
But it was always it was always.
It was exactly right. So whathappens you get paralyzed about
your motives? You never doanything.
And there's also that's thewrong side to Boy, that's a good
point. They'll balance it out.
That's a good point. Good.

(27:07):
Another comment or question?
Yes.
Right.
Right.
That is there's anotherbalancing. That's what we need.
Because that well, there's thethere's the balance that would

(27:28):
say this in for instance, let'sgo back to pass original
question. That would be thebalance that would say this, or
So somebody has hurt me, becausethat's how we got started
tonight. Or it wasn't anything.
It is small only in comparisonto our sin against God. In our
sin against God. It's small,what they've done to us, but
let's be honest, does it hurt?
does it kill yet? Does it chewyou up on the inside is John

(27:49):
Lankford in pain because of whathas just happened is he gave his
testimony? Yes. Did they killyou? Yes. You. I remember
banging my head against thesteering wheel in the car.
Because I was so frustratedcrying about the situation and I
couldn't get resolved. So hekills you. So yes, that's
another good balance. And thento say, oh, no, it was really
nothing. You know, you murderedmy three kids and my wife now
nothing. Don't worry about it.
I'm fine. God's embrace it. No,you know what? It would kill

(28:11):
you.
That's right. So that is that iswisdom coming out balancing
wisdom from the last couple ofcomments. Yeah.
Don't help too much.
You know, something else we readtoday in the accountability
group, we read about thepsalmist. You know, the Psalmist
says, he says, Oh, God, thisband of evildoers has been risen

(28:33):
up against me. They say this,they do that. So see, there it
is. That's what you're saying.
That's right. That's what you'resaying. And he's not saying
well, or they're not that bad.
I, you know, help me. Theproblem is both. Sorry. That's
right. Well, anybody thatdoesn't do that, it's gonna be
all right. But the person wholives is a victim, there's is
literally there's a long timeago, there's no help for the
victim.

(28:54):
As long as you're a victim,you're not going to get help.
Got to understand that. As longas you see yourself as the one
being sinned against and hurtall the time that you're not
going to get help.
That's so true. Don't forgetthat.
Okay, good comments and goodquestions. Again, an unusual day
here at the church, but I hopethe Lord used it in your life.

(29:14):
Let's do this. Let's singacapella, Amazing Grace. We know
some most of those lines andthink about it in light of our
sin. God's amazing grace. Let'ssing it sincerely and then we'll
be dismissed. Okay, let's standtogether singing