July 20, 2025 • 53 mins
Have you ever struggled to forgive someone who deeply hurt you? In this powerful message, we explore how Jesus—betrayed with a kiss—showed us the transformative path of forgiveness when retaliation would have been easier.
The world constantly pulls us toward distraction, bitterness, and revenge. When we're hurt or betrayed, our natural instinct is to fight back or harbor resentment. Yet Jesus demonstrates a radically different way. Even as Judas used a symbol of love to betray him, Jesus responded with compassion rather than condemnation. "He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered."
Through the parable of the Good Samaritan, we see how radical love crosses boundaries and heals wounds. A despised Samaritan cared for his cultural enemy, teaching us that compassion isn't reserved only for those we like. This challenges us to examine our own hearts—are we holding grudges against coworkers, family members, or strangers? Are we refusing to forgive because someone hasn't apologized?
Forgiveness isn't about freeing others from their debt—it's about freeing ourselves from the burden of bitterness. "I'm forgiving you of that debt, not so that you are free from it, but so that I am free from it." When we carry unforgiveness, we fill our hearts with negativity instead of Christ's love.
Remember that Jesus died for us "while we were still sinners." He didn't wait until we deserved grace—he extended it freely at our worst. If Christ could forgive those who crucified him, surely we can release those who've wounded us.
Who do you need to forgive today? Who needs to experience grace through you? Start there. Make that call. Send that text. Show up. Let the river of God's forgiveness flow through you, washing away everything that separates you from His presence.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hallelujah, hallelujah.
You are worthy of our praise,worthy of our praise.
Father, we thank you and wepraise you for anointed music
that allows us to come into yourpresence, that allows us to
focus our hearts and center ourminds on you.
Lord, father, I pray that we'renot focused on the things that
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are happening around us, thepeople we're sitting next to
Father, the noises that we mighthear, but, father, I pray that
we're not focused on the thingsthat are happening around us,
the people we're sitting next toFather, the noises that we
might hear, but, father, that weare focused on you and your
word today and that is all.
Father, allow me to be yourvoice today in the wilderness.
Lord, that these people, as Ispeak, that they will hear the
(00:46):
words that are directly from youand not of me.
Father, god and Lord, I praythat, as the children move from
this place into their classrooms, that you bless them abundantly
.
We stand firm that we areraising the next generation of
the church, lord, and we thankyou for blessing us with all of
your children.
We thank you, we praise you.
We us with all of your children.
We thank you, we praise you, wegive you all the honor and
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glory in the mighty name ofJesus, and the church says amen,
amen, amen.
We'll let the kids start aboutwhat God would have me speak
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about.
And I know that so many of usthis week have been faced with
hardships, that there's beenstress in our lives and a lot of
things have happened to a lotof us this week and it has been
seemingly incredibly upsettingto watch all of the things
unfold.
And I was thinking about someof the things I've seen on
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social media and you know peoplehave been felt like they've
been betrayed by a lot of thingsand you know life has been
incredibly challenging.
But I just in the young adultgroup, just speaking to the
young adults, hearing the thingsthat have happened to so many
of us this week, and you realizethat when you walk through life
living for the Lord, when youwalk through life focusing and
(02:30):
centering your life on Jesus,that it is incredibly easy to
become distracted by the thingsof the world, because the world
wants you to be distracted bythem.
So they will say it louder Amen.
The world will convince youthat you shouldn't be listening
to your spirit on the inside,that you should be listening to
the world.
And so, as I've watched theweek unfold.
(02:51):
You know, some people have beenbetrayed by friends, some
people have been betrayed bypeople that they thought were
friends.
All of these things havehappened and are like, hey, some
people have even been betrayedby kiss cameras at Coldplay
concerts, amen, amen.
But hey, I just want to startthis by saying there was
somebody else, somebody else whowas betrayed by a kiss, amen,
(03:16):
amen.
And that's where we're going tostart this morning.
Grab your Bibles.
We're going to go to Luke 22,47 and 48.
And it says but even as Jesussaid this, a crowd approached,
led by Judas, one of the 12disciples.
Now, I want you to just, let'sjust sit in our senses for a
minute and I want you to hearthis Judas walked over to Jesus
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and greeted him with a kiss.
And greeted him with a kiss.
Now, it was customary to greetpeople with a kiss when Jesus
was walking the earth, and somepeople, in some cultures, they
still do that.
Right, you guys don't want toshake my hand because you know I
don't wash my hands.
I can't imagine any of you aregoing to walk up to me and try
to kiss me on the cheek, andprobably because I'm going to
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fight you, right, but it wascustomary to greet a friend or
somebody that you cared aboutwith a kiss.
Judas chose to betray Jesus witha kiss.
One of his closest friendshanded him over to death with a
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symbol of love Amen.
And today my heart is burdenedbecause I watched so many people
go through so many things andwe just can't figure out how to
still love through those things.
Amen.
I mean, we've all been hurt,right, we've been hurt by things
that we never thought we wouldbe hurt by.
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We feel like we've protectedour hearts, guarded our hearts,
and yet the enemy still finds away to work inside of us and to
take things from us that we feellike we are owed.
Amen, jesus did not retaliate.
How many of us can say we'vedone that, that we've been
betrayed and we didn't retaliate?
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Not many of us, right.
And even if you don't do itphysically, you think about
doing it.
Amen, because, remember, whenyou think it, you might as well,
but I'm not encouraging you todo it.
Let's stop for a second.
Some of us have thought somethings that I am not encouraging
us to go and do, but we thinkthings and when we think them,
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god is already holding usaccountable for those thoughts.
Amen.
If we think it, we have alreadydone it in the presence of the
Lord.
See, the mind is thebattlefield right and we get
trapped inside of thatbattlefield and we think of all
of the things that we could doin order to crush our enemy
right.
But the problem is is manytimes they are not our enemy.
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Oftentimes we think about or wetreat people as if they are our
enemy, when oftentimes they arenot.
Oftentimes they are not.
They are somebody who was putin your way to grow you so that
you could make it to the nextlevel, the next place that God
would have you be.
Now, we don't always know whatthat is and we don't always like
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what it looks like.
Amen.
Sometimes it makes us nervousor apprehensive, but we can't
blame God for what the world isallowing us to experience, or
what the world is allowing us toexperience or what the world is
allowing us to feel.
Amen.
Instead of trying to retaliate,he showed restraint, compassion
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and love.
He did not stop who he was,even when others failed him.
Hear that Even when his friendsfailed him, he did not stop
being who he had always been.
I would like to remind you thatJesus had a group of friends
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that were committed to keepinghim safe.
Remember what Peter did Cut offthe soldier's ear.
Jesus told him to put the sworddown and helps to heal the
man's ear.
Now, in all of the things thatwere happening in that moment,
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jesus took that time to bepresent and to still love even
those who would only want to seehim die.
Our example should be found in1 Peter 2, chapter 2, verse 23.
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Get it together here.
He did not retaliate when hewas insulted, nor threatened
revenge when he suffered.
Now the world will not judge usfairly.
As Christians, we will be heldto a higher standard.
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We will not be judged fairly.
That's okay.
We should hold ourselves to ahigher standard, but I know in
the presence of God we will bejudged fairly.
The problem is is you don'tunderstand what fair is right.
We don't have a clearunderstanding of what the
baseline for fair actually is.
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See, we think that we can goaround and I don't want to say
all of us, but there are aportion of society who thinks,
as Christians, we can go aroundbeing kind and being nice and
that's good enough.
It is not good enough.
Those things come from being inrelationship with Christ,
following his guidance andwalking out the life that he
walked out.
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He did not retaliate when hewas insulted, nor did he
threaten revenge when hesuffered.
He left the case in the handsof God, who always judges fairly
.
People think a whole lot ofthings about me.
The world thinks a whole lot ofthings about me, dave.
I bet the world thinks a wholelot of things about you, amen.
There are people who think theyknow us, who don't know us and
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they wanna decide who you are orwhat you should be doing, and
they treat you a certain waybased on what they've decided
you are.
They can't judge you fairlybecause they don't have a
baseline for judgment.
Listen, if we put the baselineat Christ, that allows us to
determine what is holy and whatis not, amen, well, but if our
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baseline is not in Christ, so alot of the world who are
atheists or who don't believe inJesus, they don't have a
baseline.
They don't understand howimportant it is.
They think being kind is justnot saying something insulting.
Listen, it's not good enoughunless you know Jesus right,
because he is the example.
He did not retaliate when hewas insulted, nor did he
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threaten revenge when hesuffered.
Listen, some of you can't get onsocial media without insulting
people and then trying to defendyourself when they prove that
you're wrong.
Right, I told you guys oncebefore listen, don't argue with
me.
It's a waste of your time.
I knew I was wrong 10 minutesago.
I just want to see if I canmake you mad right At some point
(10:04):
.
The goal isn't to be right.
Sometimes the goal is that.
That's not healthy.
It's not okay.
Listen, if you can be thebigger person and say I was
wrong, I know that I shouldn'thave allowed that to happen.
You're much better off than theperson sitting next to you
who's always blaming someoneelse.
You guys know a person likethat.
(10:25):
If you're not raising your hand, it's you right.
You're probably the person thatthey're like.
Yeah, that person's the onethat always blames somebody else
.
Listen, if we claim to followJesus, what it's always Roger's
fault?
If we claim to follow Jesus, dowe have the courage to respond
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like him when people do wrong tous, right?
If we claim to follow Jesus, dowe have the ability, when
somebody does something that wedon't like, to respond like
Jesus responds?
Sometimes, the best response isno response, right?
I don't have to justify myposition in Christ.
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I don't have to justify whatGod has called into my life.
I don't have to tell you whatGod wants from me.
Listen, if you need to knowsomething about my relationship
with God, you need to go to him.
Listen, if you need to knowsomething about my relationship
with God, you need to go to him.
Lord, I want whatever it isthat you've put in Pastor
Michael's life.
I'm telling you right now don'tpray that prayer today.
You don't want what God has put.
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Listen, I'm telling you,because God will drive tests
into your life that you can'tunderstand.
He will put people in your paththat you go.
Lord, what did I do to deservethis?
Both good and bad?
Just so we're clear.
I fellowship with some of thebest people and I fellowship
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with some of the worst people,but I don't mean that I go and
try to be bad.
I don't mean that I go and tryto act like them, but I witness
to them and I spend time withthem so they can understand the
importance of being in thepresence of God at all times, in
all things.
Amen.
It is hard to do.
There is a golden rule.
(12:14):
In all things, ministry.
There is a golden rule in allthings ministry, and I have
fallen short of this before, butI'll tell you.
I want to share this with you.
I'm going to give you thesecret, okay, but you have to
choose to use it.
Let me take this drink so I canput this water down, because if
I don't, they're going to startcounting.
I know you were.
(12:38):
That's why I made sure I took adrink.
Luke 6.31.
You ready?
Luke 6.31.
It says do to others as youwould like them to do to you.
It's right there in the word.
If you don't want people totreat you poorly, you shouldn't
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treat people poorly, right,because you will reap what you
sow.
Now, here's the thing.
Sometimes we're like oh well,I'm not really sowing, if I'm
this isn't gossip, if orwhatever.
Right, can I tell you something?
If you're trying to convinceyourself that this is an
acceptable thing to do, it'sprobably not an acceptable thing
to do.
You shouldn't have torationalize with the Holy Spirit
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, right?
Because when God says no, theanswer is no.
No, it's maybe I'm kidding theanswer is no.
When God says yes, the answeris yes, and when the answer is
wait, the answer is wait.
These aren't negotiations withthe Holy Spirit.
Listen when I go before the Lordand I am pleading with him for
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something in my life, andsometimes it's small, sometimes
it's big.
It's the same prayer every time.
Lord, you know what I need, but, lord, I trust you Allow your
will to be done, not my will.
Lord and Lord, I am going to doexactly what you lead me to do,
but I need you to do somethingbig because I need you to just
show me.
Right now, I'm in the valleyand I don't know what this looks
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like.
God, I need you to pull me outof this valley.
I'm going to trust youregardless today and, lord, I
know that you are going to dosomething great.
Now here's the thing thatsomething great might be six
months later.
I don't always know what greatlooks like, but what I do know
is that he has not left me norforsaken me, and I know that I'm
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gonna come out of that valleyonto a hilltop and that sunshine
is gonna be so much brighterit's gonna be brighter than the
last hilltop I was on Amen.
He is gonna continue to changeme and transform me from glory
to glory, from situation tosituation, and every time that
he does, I will be one stepcloser to eternal life.
And, lord, I am looking forwardto the day when I don't have to
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worry about this world, when Idon't have to focus on all of
the broken things that arehappening here.
I want to be able to focus onone thing and that is worship
all the time Amen, I'm excited,are happening here.
I wanna be able to focus on onething and that is worship all
the time.
Amen, I'm excited for that day.
I don't wanna go today.
I don't think any of us do.
But should the Lord tarry, wewill all taste of death and when
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that happens, we will be in aplace where we can worship all
the time.
We will be able to live in hispresence.
But you know, heaven is here onearth as well.
We just have to learn how toworship during service, right,
and sometimes what that means isyou're going to work and you're
working with the people youdon't like to work with, and
you're still worshiping.
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Through that, you're still ableto say God, I don't know why
you put me with these buffoons,but here I am and I'm going to
give you glory for it.
Amen, lord.
I don't know why you put mewith these buffoons.
But here I am and I'm going togive you glory for it.
Amen, lord, I don't know whyI'm here.
I don't like being here.
Lord, whatever this valley is,I need you to understand that my
flesh is uncomfortable, that myheart is nervous, that my body
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is not okay.
Give me peace that passesunderstanding.
Amen, because here's the thingIf, instead, we go in and we're
angry and we're frustrated, westart treating people poorly and
then we end up reaping that andpeople treat us poorly and then
we turn around and we blame Godfor allowing these people to
speak that way into our lives,right?
(16:21):
I always listen to the Wednesdaynight podcast and oftentimes
they'll mention something that Isay a lot.
I will not take advice or Iwill not take criticism I'm
sorry from somebody I will notseek advice from.
So if Pastor Holly calls me andshe says Pastor Michael, I
heard you say this and I don'tthink it was quite right, I'm
willing to hear that becauseshe's somebody I would go to for
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advice, that's healthy.
But when you go to the worldand somebody starts to criticize
you and you allow it to dragyou down, that is not a healthy
place to be, unless you arewilling to take advice from that
person.
There are some people who willtell you things just to drag you
into the valley, to get you todo things and say things that
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you wouldn't do in the spirit,because the world doesn't want
you on the mountaintop, amen.
So our goal is to do unto othersas we would like them to do to
us.
It's a simple verse.
It's soft but it's incrediblyradical.
Right?
If you look at that verse andyou go, I am gonna live my life
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this way.
Everything should change foryou.
Everything should change foryou because you can't look at
somebody and be offended becauseyou didn't get invited to a
birthday party.
You shouldn't be able to look atsomebody and be offended or
upset or angry because theywalked by you and didn't say
good morning.
You shouldn't be able to beoffended by somebody who doesn't
embrace you when they see you.
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You shouldn't be able to beoffended by those.
If you are treating others asyou wish to be treated.
And the reason is is because ifyou allow them to offend you,
then you will inevitably offendothers, and if we live a life
constantly choosing to offend,we will never be able to inherit
the kingdom of God.
We will never be able toinherit the kingdom of God.
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Offense, being angry, beingfrustrated, those are not good
things from God.
If all good things come fromGod and we want to be in God, we
should be able to only live inthe good things.
I'm not saying you're not gonnaget frustrated.
I'm not saying you're not gonnabe upset, but you need to know
what to do with that, and that'sto lay it at the foot of the
cross.
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That's to go before the Lordand say, lord, I can't change
this, I'm giving it back, Ican't fix this, I'm giving it
back.
Lord, I don't know what youwant from me.
I'm giving it back.
Lord, please show me clearlywhat it is that you need from me
today, because I want to serveyou and only you.
Because I want to serve you andonly you, Not this world that
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wishes to see me broken.
Amen, because it means treatingpeople kindly, even when they
don't deserve it, but especiallywhen they don't deserve it.
Amen, it means treating peoplekindly.
Have you ever gone somewhere andsomebody says something rude to
you and you really want to giveit back to them?
You ever talk to a telemarketeron the phone?
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How many of you have handedyour phone off to one of the
kids and let the kids talk tothem.
How many of you just mashbuttons on the keypad until they
eventually hang up?
Right?
Isn't it easier for us to justsay, hey, thanks for calling,
but I'm not interested, or hey,can you please take me off of
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your call list?
Right, we don't think that way,because we find those people
irritating to our spirit, right?
How many people do you walk byevery day that you find
irritating to your spirit, right?
I don't want to begin to countthem.
There are some people that whenI think about them, I
immediately become irrational.
Right?
You say certain people's namesto me and I'm like, please don't
even talk to me about them.
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Like I don't want to thinkabout them, I don't want to see
them, I don't want to deal withthem.
But the Lord says I shouldtreat them with kindness,
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especially then, because if Ican't do it, then how will I
ever actually do it?
There will always be an excusefor treating people poorly.
There will always be an excuseLuke 23, 34.
Jesus said, father, forgive them, for they don't know what they
are doing.
And the soldiers gambled forhis clothes by throwing dice
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Hanging on the cross.
Jesus is still asking God toforgive the people who have
crucified him, who arecontinuing to embarrass him by
throwing dice to gamble for hisclothing, and he says forgive
them, for they know not whatthey do.
Listen, if Jesus, hanging on across can forgive those who are
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around him, I think we can do it, because I don't think any of
us are in this room sufferingthe way that Jesus suffered on
Mount Calvary.
I don't believe that there areany of us.
And if you think that you aresuffering like that, come and
see me, because we need to talkreal bad, because something's
not right in your spirit, if youfeel like you are suffering.
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Jesus died a sinner's death.
A blameless man died a sinner'sdeath, still forgiving those
who would do evil against him,and we sit in our seat and we
can't forgive the Starbucksbarista who made our coffee
wrong.
Amen, amen.
One time I went to McDonald'sand I ordered a large Coke,
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drove through the drive-thru,got my Coke and I pulled out and
as soon as I took a sip it wasa Diet Coke.
Right, like I wish I could saythat.
Jesus consumed my body and Isaid you know what?
This is fine.
I wish I could say that, butwhat I really wanted to do, what
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my mind was, was drive backaround, get in line and throw it
back through the window,because I was immediately
enraged.
It was a Coke.
It was a Coke.
This wasn't life changing.
I didn't die because I had adiet Coke, right, I didn't die,
but my body, my flesh, said thisisn't fair.
I paid for this and I deservethis.
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Can I tell you something?
Jesus paid the price and hedidn't deserve it.
Jesus paid.
He didn't deserve to go to thecross, he was.
He chose death so that we mightbe saved, and yet we can't
figure out how simple it is totruly let go of the things that
do not matter in our lives.
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Amen.
Just for a second, take stock inthe things that you're holding
onto today the brokenrelationships, the frustration
you have with other people, theanger that you're holding onto
today, the broken relationships,the frustration you have with
other people, the anger thatyou're holding onto from
something that happened 15 yearsago.
Think about those things forjust a moment.
Think about them for just amoment and let me ask you a
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question Do they make up who youare today?
Are they affecting your bodytoday?
The answer is likely no.
The answer is very likely no.
So why is it that when youthink of that person, you are so
angry?
Why is it when you think listen, I'm preaching to myself this
morning, guys, this isn't justfor you.
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The Lord is telling me there arethings that I've got to let go
of today.
It's not going to be easy, butI know that if I continue to
walk and hold on to thefrustration and the anger and
the, I'm going to use the wordhate that I feel in my heart
sometime.
That is not healthy for me,it's not healthy for you,
because when I carry that, youhear it in my voice, right when
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I tell you a story, you mighthear, you might catch wind, you
might feel like I don't want tobe that way, because those
things do not make up who I am.
Do you know what makes up who Iam?
Who Christ has called me to be?
That's it.
That is it.
And when I focus on my spiritand not on the world, I can make
a difference.
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Father, forgive them, for theyknow not what they are doing.
Listen, say it, repeat it.
Lord.
Forgive them.
Lord, just forgive them.
Father, forgive them.
Allow me to forgive them.
Lord, allow me to walk awayfrom this.
Lord, allow me to walk awayfrom this, not carrying that
burden in my heart anymore.
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Listen, my heart is only so big.
I can only hold so much insideof it.
And I'll tell you, I want tofill as much of that with Jesus
as I can.
Amen, I want to fill as much ofthat with Jesus as I can.
You learn at some point in yourlife that there are things more
important than a grudge.
There are things more importantthan money, and it is having a
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great relationship with Christ,having a strong family and being
able to love peopleunconditionally.
Listen, some of us in this room,we all know each other.
As a matter of fact, I need totell a quick story.
I'm going to pause for just asecond.
I'm going off script.
Okay, I got a call the otherday.
I was in my car and I get thiscall and somebody said that
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their daughter was in Walmartand they were shopping and some
guy had come up and told them aChristian joke and while they
told the joke, they introducedthemselves and told them where
they went to church.
All the while they had no ideathat who they were talking to
was the daughter of somebody inour congregation.
So they tell the joke,introduce themselves, tell them
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about our church, invite them tochurch.
And when the person says, whenthe lady who's being ministered
to says, oh, my mom goes to thatchurch, kind of took the person
aback, right?
They immediately respond with Idon't know who she is.
But the interesting part is Iguarantee they know who she is.
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Joe was the one who did thatStopped a random person in
Walmart to minister to them.
I'm sure it's not the firsttime you've done it.
I'm sure it won't be the lasttime you've done it.
Beth is sitting right backthere.
Joe, that was Beth's daughter.
She called Beth and spoke sohighly of that interaction that
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Beth felt the need to call meand tell me that that is what we
should be doing.
Right?
He didn't look at her and go oh, she needs Jesus.
He said I want to share thegospel, right?
See, that is the difference inliving a Christ-centered life
and looking at people andjudging them by the way that
they appear.
Right?
Listen, god loves each and everyone of you and I love each and
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every one.
There are some of you in thisbuilding that may not have a
close relationship with me thatdon't get to call me every day,
and there are some of you thathave slightly better access to
me, and then there are some ofyou who I see regularly and talk
to.
Let me tell you something itdoesn't mean that I don't love
you if we don't talk on thephone every day.
It doesn't mean that.
What it means is that we have adifferent relationship, but I
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care about you deeply and I wantnothing but God's best in your
life, and that is my prayer foryou every single day.
The problem is, oftentimes wefeel like we're not worthy right
, or that we're on the outsidebecause of.
I promise you this when you arein a church family, I don't
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just mean this church, but whenyou are in a church family you
are loved unconditionally inthis building.
You are loved unconditionally,not by all of the people in the
building, by Jesus Christhimself.
And I'll tell you, a lot ofthese people here will fall
short of the glory of God beforelunchtime today, right, but we
will love them through it.
(27:54):
But more than that, jesus willlove them unconditionally.
If Jesus can do it, why can'twe?
If Jesus can do it, why can'twe?
So I want to turn to Luke,chapter 10.
I'm going to start in verse 30.
Did I miss one?
(28:17):
You don't have that one, I'msorry.
Get it real fast, because thisis the most important part of
the message.
I guess somebody should havechecked my work today.
It's a good thing we gotsomebody seasoned in that seat
today, because we would havebeen in trouble.
Is that 30 through 37?
Yes, no, maybe.
(28:41):
Okay, that's fine, got it Allright.
Jesus replied with a story.
A Jewish man was traveling fromJerusalem down to Jericho and
he was attacked by bandits.
Now that sounds like a prettywild story for Jesus to be
telling right Now.
There's a whole backstory here.
The road that he specificallyspeaks of is known to be
(29:02):
treacherous and there's a wholebackstory to this, but we're
going to stick with the basicstoday, to Jericho.
He was attacked by bandits.
They stripped him of hisclothes, beat him and left him
for dead beside the road.
All right, how many of us haveever woken up on the side of the
road butt naked and bleeding?
Stephanie, put your hand down.
I was kidding, this wasn't ahand-raised moment.
(29:23):
All right, you all knowsomething about Stephanie now
that you didn't want to know.
All right, about Stephanie.
Now that you didn't want toknow, all right, but there's
always one.
In every group folks, there'salways one, and it's almost
always Stephanie if she's around.
(29:43):
So, by chance, a priest camealong.
Now we all know that a priestcares for everybody, right?
Well, by chance a priest camealong, but when he saw the man
lying there, he crossed on theother side of the road and
passed him by.
A temple assistant walked overand looked at him lying there,
but also passed by on the otherside.
(30:04):
Then a despised Samaritan camealong and when he saw the man,
he felt compassion in his heart.
And now we know, most of usknow, and if you don't know,
I'll share with you Samaritansand Jews despised one another,
right.
This Samaritan saw this Jewishman naked and bleeding on the
(30:27):
side of the road and he feltcompassion for him.
Going over to him, theSamaritan soothed his wounds
with olive oil and wine andbandaged them.
Then he put the man on his owndonkey and took him to an inn
where he took care of him.
The next day he handed theinnkeeper two silver coins,
telling him take care of thisman.
If the bill runs higher thanthis, I will pay you the next
(30:52):
time that I am here.
Now which of these would yousay was a neighbor to the man
who was attacked by the bandits?
Jesus asked Hallelujah,hallelujah.
Somebody who despised theJewish man went out of his way
(31:12):
to not just make sure that hiswounds he could have bandaged
his wounds and left him laythere.
Instead, the man put him on hisown donkey, walked that donkey
to an inn, put him up andcovered the cost of that bill.
Thank you, jesus.
Oftentimes we look at peoplethat we don't like, or people
(31:32):
look at us and they don't likeus and they write us off.
We're not important to them,amen.
We don't have value to them.
Let me tell you, those are notyour people, the people who see
value in you and are willing tobind your wounds.
I don't mean physical wounds, Idon't mean, you know, we don't
pick you up off the side of thisyour emotional wounds, right,
(31:56):
right, our spiritual wounds.
You know, sometimes I just needpeople to pray for me, like my
heart is heavy, it hurts, it'sbroken, I felt betrayed.
But I know when I'm beinglifted up in prayer because
those things are lifted from myheart, amen.
And when I can focus on Christand say this isn't who you want
(32:16):
me to be, lord.
I just need you to show me moreof you and less of this world,
Because when I look at the world, I see broken and damaged and I
see hurtful people, but when Ilook at the spirit, I see this
body of Christ and I see peoplewho want to lift up one another.
Amen.
I'll tell you, I put out a calllast week to do a meal train for
(32:39):
a family in need, and I knowthat at this point we didn't get
a single response.
And I know that sometimes it'shard whenever I'm vague because
you're like well, what's hetalking about?
This is what it boils down to.
For me, there has never beenonce when I've been called upon
to give or to support and Ihaven't done it.
And here's what I mean by that.
Sometimes the call comes atthree o'clock in the morning.
(33:02):
Sometimes the call comes at,you know, four o'clock in the
afternoon.
I've performed funerals forpeople that I don't necessarily
know.
I have done a lot of things inthe name of ministry, in the
name of Jesus, and it's alwaysshocking to me how we have to
have an explanation for whatwe're doing.
Right, if I come to you and Isay, hey, I really need you to
(33:26):
just help me out with this, canyou please?
Just whatever.
And Vicki Hickey, I'm going totalk about you again.
Okay, listen, I'm going to tellyou guys, I love that woman
with my whole heart.
I do, and the reason that I dois she is the kindest, most
caring person that I've ever metin my entire life.
She has a friend who has acritter living in her basement.
(33:46):
Okay, this critter won't diewith rat poison.
It eats it, but it doesn't die.
That's a critter now, right.
So she sends me a text messageand she asks to rent, not borrow
, to rent the live trap that wehave at the church to catch
groundhogs in.
And I said absolutely not, wewill loan it to you.
(34:08):
She was so compassionate thather friend was living in fear
that she was willing to go theextra mile to help her.
That's impressive.
She was willing to cross thestreet, amen.
But many of us would havelooked at her and go.
I don't really know how I'mgoing to help.
I don't have a lot.
She went to her resources andshe dug in and she said how can
(34:28):
I make a difference in thisperson's life today, right Now?
Sometimes people want more thanis realistic, right?
Like I said to somebody theother day.
I said, if you really want todo something nice for me, you
can raise $350,000 and pay offmy house.
You guys want to start thatfundraiser today?
Just skip the building fund,move straight into that.
(34:50):
Listen, people sometimes expectchurches to be able to do that.
Right, our goal is to love youspiritually and provide for you
physically when possible.
Right, I don't believe that anychurch should ever have a
surplus of money so big thatthey can build a whole new
building without ever having toblank, because that's scary to
(35:11):
me.
Right?
Because now I'm asking what isyour ministry doing to bear
fruit?
Right, you might have a bigcongregation and you might have
bucket loads of money, but whatare you doing to support the
community that you're in?
Right, you learn to do muchwith little, but you can't ever
do little with much.
(35:32):
The more you have, the more youshould do.
And can I tell you that I havebeen blessed abundantly
spiritually, financially,emotionally.
God has really blessed me, andwhen I look at that, I want to
bless the world.
Right, but sometimes,financially blessing the world
isn't the way to go.
Sometimes I need to bless theworld with forgiveness, with
(35:55):
peace, with patience, withunderstanding.
Any of you ever met a drugaddict and you're like they're
just a junkie.
Any of us ever met somebody.
Listen, I know that might havesounded insensitive, but I
promise you, most of us in thisroom have thought that at some
point About somebody in ourlives, about somebody that we
(36:16):
know.
Listen, I promise you, god didnot call that person to that
lifestyle.
I promise you, that is not whatGod wanted for them.
But somehow, somehow, the enemygot in their lives and took
control of something that theynever wanted to have.
The enemy have control of.
But I'm going to tell you, insalvation, through prayer,
(36:39):
through intercession, thosepeople can be released from
those things.
If we write them off, they willnever be freed.
Listen, praying moms do the mostwork in their children's lives
and sometimes it's work theynever see.
They pray and they pray andthey pray, lord, just continue
to move in their life and thatis what makes the difference in
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a child's life.
I feel bad for every kid thatdoesn't have a praying mom.
I feel bad because I'm going totell you, moms care all the way
to the end.
Moms don't give up.
Sometimes us dads.
We're like, yeah, that's not myproblem anymore, right, they're
18.
They're gone day.
(37:22):
It has been a hard lesson tolearn that that is not how life
works and that is not howministry works and that is not
how God works.
God has never looked at me andsaid you have fallen short,
therefore I'm casting you aside.
God has always said I'll beright here when you're ready.
I will be right here when youare ready.
(37:44):
And sometimes being ready isgetting through the part where I
got to be mad at God for asecond, like I think about Job a
lot and how Job would.
Just, I just want to die.
And I'll remind you that Job'swife wanted Job to die, right,
she's like, well, you just shutup and die already.
And God said not today.
And Job got stronger and wasable to continue to praise the
(38:06):
Lord.
Do you remember he was coveredin boils and he was scraping it
off with a clay pot?
Right, that's nasty.
Can you imagine being at thelowest point in your life and
still being able to give praiseto God?
Lord, I am blessing you throughthis right now.
Father, the valley that I am inis nothing, is nothing compared
(38:34):
to the blessings that you'regoing to provide in my life.
Today, lord, I just thank youfor blessing my life, for
blessing my family, lord,blessing the people around me,
father.
I want to celebrate with themand their blessings, even when
I'm not being blessed, because,God, you are good in all things.
(38:58):
And what might feel like ahiccup to me, lord, you are
going to walk through it,opening doors that I have never
even seen before.
Father, I thank you for beinggenerous in my life, for
(39:18):
continuing to give me all ofyour blessings.
Thank you, jesus.
Thank you Jesus.
Thank you Jesus.
Jesus has to redefine ourrelationships.
He teaches us to love not justour friends, but our enemies,
(39:39):
and that is hard.
That is hard.
I'm going to skip around.
I'm going to Matthew 5, 44through 45.
But I say love your enemies,pray for those who persecute you
.
What does that mean?
What does persecution mean?
It doesn't mean those who throwyou in jail, right, it's just.
(40:03):
It's anybody who is doingsomething adverse to what God
would have in your life, thepeople who talk about you, the
people who say mean things toyou.
You're being persecuted in allof those things, but you should
not turn around and hate them,but you should turn around and
bless them.
Right, god.
Bless their lives, open theirhearts, soften their hearts,
(40:24):
father.
Allow them to see what it meansto live in your glory.
It means to be kind todifficult co -workers.
Anybody.
Have one of those in theirlives right.
Reach out to estranged familymembers.
Lord, allow us to do that.
Jesus is coming soon.
(40:45):
Folks, right?
Do you want to go to heavenholding on to that unforgiveness
, so that when you arrive helooks at you and says depart
from me, for I never knew you?
That is not what I want formyself or any of you.
Estranged family members.
That is such an easy thing.
It doesn't mean that you haveto let everything just roll off
your back.
Sometimes you love them at anarm's distance, but you can't
(41:08):
hold on to the hate or the angerthat you're feeling any longer.
This is not the day for that.
Today is a day for salvation,amen.
Today is a day to be saved andto be walking in the glory of
God.
Forgive the person who hurt youyears ago, even if they never
apologized, I told you I'mforgiving you of that debt, not
(41:29):
so that you are free from it,but so that I am free from it,
amen.
I don't want to be tied to thatdebt any longer.
I don't want to be angry, Idon't want to be hurt.
I don't want to look at you anddislike you.
I want to be able to go.
God is good in all things andI've blessed this person
abundantly and God has blessedme in return Amen.
(41:50):
It doesn't mean you ignoreboundaries or enable abuse, but
it means that you choose loveover bitterness and peace over
pride.
And here's this one Restorationover revenge.
Vengeance is mine.
Thus saith the Lord.
I don't have to get revenge forthe things that people do to me
(42:12):
, because God has my back.
I'm not saying I'm trying to sitGod on anybody right, like I'm
not praying God.
You just smite them.
That's not what I'm saying.
I'm saying Lord, thank you forbeing in my corner.
Lord bless them abundantly, andsometimes that blessing is a
(42:33):
revelation that they should havedone things differently.
Right Now I'm going to tell yousometimes, when people hurt you
, you can never expect anapology.
You just have to let it go.
You have to be able to forgivethem and just say God is good,
he will bless them.
I don't need to worry aboutwhatever it is that they're
(42:56):
holding onto, and a lot of timesyou live rent-free in their
space because they're constantlythinking about how they treated
you or what they did.
It is not a healthy place forthem to live and you should be
praying God's blessings overthem.
Amen.
Jesus treated us far better thanwe ever deserved, and if Jesus
(43:17):
can do that for us, we should beable and willing to do it for
others.
Amen.
Jesus treated us far betterthan we ever deserved.
Romans 5.8, it says.
But God showed his great lovefor us while we were still
(43:42):
sinners.
He didn't die after we becamesin-free.
Right, because if he would havewaited to die until we were all
sin-free, jesus would still behanging out here, right?
This world, our flesh, willnever be sin-free.
Jesus went to the cross to diefor us while we were still
(44:05):
sinners so that we might haveeverlasting life.
So long as we choose to accepthim as our Lord and savior.
He laid down his life to giveus grace and mercy, and we are
called to carry that same graceinto every space that we go into
(44:25):
.
When I walk into a room full ofpeople that I don't like, I have
to have grace, amen.
You know how hard that is To beable to look at somebody and
smile and pretend like I don'tdislike them.
Lord, help my heart, let me getrid of it, lord, because I
(44:46):
don't dislike them.
Lord, help my heart, let me getrid of it, lord, because I
don't want to dislike thesepeople.
Lord, I want my heart debt-free.
Amen.
You know I love Dave Ramsey andall things debt-free.
Financially debt-free isprobably a great feeling, but
spiritually debt-free is evenbetter.
Amen, because I might bedebt-free and still broke, but
(45:06):
if I'm spiritually free, I haveall the riches in heaven.
If I am spiritually free, Idon't have to worry about the
world because I can centermyself on Christ in heaven.
Question what if every one of uslived this way?
If every one of us lived thisway?
If every one of us lived thisway, what if our marriages were
(45:34):
built on mutual honor?
Amen, that's one thing I canpride myself on.
I just in the car the other daywith my wife, I said to her I
said I'm sorry and she goes.
You didn't do anything.
And I said well, I feel like Idid right.
I honor who she is in my lifeand she honors me for who I.
She doesn't just look at me asa husband.
I'm recovering, right.
So when Father's Day rolledaround, she had gotten me a card
(45:55):
and it was a beautiful card andshe'd written all of these
wonderful things.
And as I walked into this pastweek in my life, I felt like
everything that she had writtenI had just given up on that.
I had failed in every one ofthose ways, and I realized that
she had such grace for me inthat moment and I was so
(46:16):
thankful that God had put me inthat place.
Because what would life bewithout mutual grace and favor
and honor in your partner, amen.
What if every marriage was builton mutual honor?
What if every church was filledwith forgiveness?
Whoa, what a place.
(46:38):
This would be right, becauseI'm going to tell you there are
people sitting in their chairsright now who can't let go of
some things, right?
Because I'm going to tell youthere are people sitting in
their chairs right now who can'tlet go of some things, right,
stephanie's like why'd you lookat me like that?
There are some people who can'tlet go of how they've been made
to feel.
There are some people who lookfor ways to be made to feel like
(47:01):
that.
Right, I'm hurt because of thisand it's their own fault,
because they've chosen to pickup the offense and carry it with
them.
Listen, the church has to befilled with grace and mercy.
Forgiveness should flow throughthis sanctuary like nothing
else.
Amen, because we cannot hold onto those things as the body of
(47:22):
Christ and expect to enter intoheaven.
What if our communities lookedout for the vulnerable, for the
hurting and the forgotten?
What if we looked for thepeople who needed Jesus more
than ever and we gave it to them?
Instead, we look at them and wesay they're not worthy of our
time, they're not worth myenergy, there's nothing that's
(47:50):
ever going to change them, amen.
We look at people and we saythere is no hope for them.
I promise you, if God gave youfavor, he will give them favor.
Just the same.
He is no respecter of persons.
Listen.
If he can bring me to where Iam today, he can bring anybody
out of anything, and I'mthankful that he did it for me
(48:15):
and I'm believing he can do itfor anybody else.
I've been put in some positionswhere I'm talking to people.
God, I don't know why you'vegot them in front of me, I don't
know what you want from me, andusually I just need you to tell
them who I am.
They're lost, they don't know,they have no hope.
(48:36):
And all of the hope in thisworld can be summed up in Jesus
Christ All of the hope.
There is nothing in this worldthat will give somebody better
hope and a more solid footingthan Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Colossians 3, 12 through 14.
I promise I'm landing the plane.
I'm not going for a marathon.
(48:56):
Like Nick, I know some of youneed to go to the bathroom.
Since God chose you to be theholy people he loves, you must
clothe yourselves withtenderhearted mercy, kindness,
humility, gentleness andpatience.
Make allowances for eachother's faults and forgive
(49:17):
anyone who offends you.
Remember, remember the Lordforgave you, so you must forgive
others.
Above all, clothe yourself withlove, which binds us together
in perfect harmony.
Ask yourself right now, in thismoment, who do I need to
(49:40):
forgive?
Right now, in this moment, whodo I need to forgive?
Who have I ignored ormistreated?
Who needs to hear kindness, whoneeds to feel love or who needs
to experience grace from me?
And my challenge is start therethis week.
Start there, ask yourself thosequestions and start there.
(50:01):
Make a phone call, stop in andsee somebody Listen.
We can do so many things throughour lives.
We can touch people that havenever been touched.
We can love on people thatdon't feel like they are lovely.
I promise you, I've felt thatway.
I have felt that way this pastweek.
(50:22):
I have felt like I'm not worthyof love.
I promise you, with your words,with your presence, you can do
just that.
Amen, amen.
Let's pray together.
Yeah, certainly, pastor Holly'sgoing to share something real
quick.
I'd give you a microphone, butit's dead when we was in the
(50:42):
prayer room this morning the.
Speaker 2 (50:44):
Lord showed me the absolute, most beautiful
revelation and it goes rightwith your message.
And so there were banners.
The word was Jehovah Nisi, thebanner of Ruby.
And so there were banners, andthey were pink, and they were on
gold rods with rubies at thetops of them, and it was just
(51:05):
like they would go either sidestraight down through here.
And then there was a piece ofblue satin, iridescent, and it
rolled out and the Spirit of theLord said to me that that is
the river of God flowingdirectly from his throne, and it
was raging Like it was flowingso forcefully and it was
(51:28):
splashing up on the banks, andhe said that that is the river
of forgiveness.
Speaker 1 (51:33):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (51:34):
That is the river of God that wants forgiveness to
flow to you and through you.
Speaker 1 (51:39):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (51:40):
And today is the day the song started.
Speaker 1 (51:43):
Today is the day the song started.
Today is the day Amen, so ifyou are holding, unforgiveness
for anybody search your heartright now.
Search your heart, Father.
Thank you that you are Jehovahin the sea.
Speaker 2 (51:55):
That you are the banner of love.
Love covers everything,absolutely everything.
You are the banner of love thatcovers, and let that rushing
river from the throne of Godcome flowing straight into your
life and it will wash you clean.
Yes, amen, amen, because,unforgiveness, it don't hurt
(52:17):
that person that you're holdingall that anger for.
Speaker 1 (52:20):
Amen, it hurts you yes.
Speaker 2 (52:22):
It causes you to be sick.
It causes you to be sick, itcauses you to be out of sorts.
So just allow that river, justthink about it.
Just stop what you're doing andthink about it.
Father, let that river flowthrough me right now.
Speaker 1 (52:36):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (52:37):
Let it wash away anything that's separating me
from you.
Let it wash away, father.
I choose to forgive, I chooseto release and I choose, father,
to let your love be my banner.
Amen.
Speaker 1 (52:56):
Amen, amen, amen, amen, father, amen.
Hallelujah, hallelujah.
You are worthy of our praise,worthy of our praise.
Father, we thank you and wepraise you for anointed music
that allows us to come into yourpresence, that allows us to
focus our hearts and center ourminds on you.
Lord, father, I pray that we'renot focused on the things that
(00:22):
are happening around us, thepeople we're sitting next to
Father, the noises that we mighthear, but, father, I pray that
we're not focused on the thingsthat are happening around us,
the people we're sitting next toFather, the noises that we
might hear, but, father, that weare focused on you and your
word today and that is all.
Father, allow me to be yourvoice today in the wilderness.
Lord, that these people, as Ispeak, that they will hear the
(00:46):
words that are directly from youand not of me.
Father, god and Lord, I praythat, as the children move from
this place into their classrooms, that you bless them abundantly
.
We stand firm that we areraising the next generation of
the church, lord, and we thankyou for blessing us with all of
your children.
We thank you, we praise you.
We us with all of your children.
We thank you, we praise you, wegive you all the honor and
(01:08):
glory in the mighty name ofJesus, and the church says amen,
amen, amen.
We'll let the kids start aboutwhat God would have me speak
(01:46):
about.
And I know that so many of usthis week have been faced with
hardships, that there's beenstress in our lives and a lot of
things have happened to a lotof us this week and it has been
seemingly incredibly upsettingto watch all of the things
unfold.
And I was thinking about someof the things I've seen on
(02:07):
social media and you know peoplehave been felt like they've
been betrayed by a lot of thingsand you know life has been
incredibly challenging.
But I just in the young adultgroup, just speaking to the
young adults, hearing the thingsthat have happened to so many
of us this week, and you realizethat when you walk through life
living for the Lord, when youwalk through life focusing and
(02:30):
centering your life on Jesus,that it is incredibly easy to
become distracted by the thingsof the world, because the world
wants you to be distracted bythem.
So they will say it louder Amen.
The world will convince youthat you shouldn't be listening
to your spirit on the inside,that you should be listening to
the world.
And so, as I've watched theweek unfold.
(02:51):
You know, some people have beenbetrayed by friends, some
people have been betrayed bypeople that they thought were
friends.
All of these things havehappened and are like, hey, some
people have even been betrayedby kiss cameras at Coldplay
concerts, amen, amen.
But hey, I just want to startthis by saying there was
somebody else, somebody else whowas betrayed by a kiss, amen,
(03:16):
amen.
And that's where we're going tostart this morning.
Grab your Bibles.
We're going to go to Luke 22,47 and 48.
And it says but even as Jesussaid this, a crowd approached,
led by Judas, one of the 12disciples.
Now, I want you to just, let'sjust sit in our senses for a
minute and I want you to hearthis Judas walked over to Jesus
(03:40):
and greeted him with a kiss.
And greeted him with a kiss.
Now, it was customary to greetpeople with a kiss when Jesus
was walking the earth, and somepeople, in some cultures, they
still do that.
Right, you guys don't want toshake my hand because you know I
don't wash my hands.
I can't imagine any of you aregoing to walk up to me and try
to kiss me on the cheek, andprobably because I'm going to
(04:01):
fight you, right, but it wascustomary to greet a friend or
somebody that you cared aboutwith a kiss.
Judas chose to betray Jesus witha kiss.
One of his closest friendshanded him over to death with a
(04:26):
symbol of love Amen.
And today my heart is burdenedbecause I watched so many people
go through so many things andwe just can't figure out how to
still love through those things.
Amen.
I mean, we've all been hurt,right, we've been hurt by things
that we never thought we wouldbe hurt by.
(04:47):
We feel like we've protectedour hearts, guarded our hearts,
and yet the enemy still finds away to work inside of us and to
take things from us that we feellike we are owed.
Amen, jesus did not retaliate.
How many of us can say we'vedone that, that we've been
betrayed and we didn't retaliate?
(05:08):
Not many of us, right.
And even if you don't do itphysically, you think about
doing it.
Amen, because, remember, whenyou think it, you might as well,
but I'm not encouraging you todo it.
Let's stop for a second.
Some of us have thought somethings that I am not encouraging
us to go and do, but we thinkthings and when we think them,
(05:30):
god is already holding usaccountable for those thoughts.
Amen.
If we think it, we have alreadydone it in the presence of the
Lord.
See, the mind is thebattlefield right and we get
trapped inside of thatbattlefield and we think of all
of the things that we could doin order to crush our enemy
right.
But the problem is is manytimes they are not our enemy.
(05:52):
Oftentimes we think about or wetreat people as if they are our
enemy, when oftentimes they arenot.
Oftentimes they are not.
They are somebody who was putin your way to grow you so that
you could make it to the nextlevel, the next place that God
would have you be.
Now, we don't always know whatthat is and we don't always like
(06:14):
what it looks like.
Amen.
Sometimes it makes us nervousor apprehensive, but we can't
blame God for what the world isallowing us to experience, or
what the world is allowing us toexperience or what the world is
allowing us to feel.
Amen.
Instead of trying to retaliate,he showed restraint, compassion
(06:35):
and love.
He did not stop who he was,even when others failed him.
Hear that Even when his friendsfailed him, he did not stop
being who he had always been.
I would like to remind you thatJesus had a group of friends
(06:55):
that were committed to keepinghim safe.
Remember what Peter did Cut offthe soldier's ear.
Jesus told him to put the sworddown and helps to heal the
man's ear.
Now, in all of the things thatwere happening in that moment,
(07:16):
jesus took that time to bepresent and to still love even
those who would only want to seehim die.
Our example should be found in1 Peter 2, chapter 2, verse 23.
(07:36):
Get it together here.
He did not retaliate when hewas insulted, nor threatened
revenge when he suffered.
Now the world will not judge usfairly.
As Christians, we will be heldto a higher standard.
(07:57):
We will not be judged fairly.
That's okay.
We should hold ourselves to ahigher standard, but I know in
the presence of God we will bejudged fairly.
The problem is is you don'tunderstand what fair is right.
We don't have a clearunderstanding of what the
baseline for fair actually is.
(08:17):
See, we think that we can goaround and I don't want to say
all of us, but there are aportion of society who thinks,
as Christians, we can go aroundbeing kind and being nice and
that's good enough.
It is not good enough.
Those things come from being inrelationship with Christ,
following his guidance andwalking out the life that he
walked out.
(08:37):
He did not retaliate when hewas insulted, nor did he
threaten revenge when hesuffered.
He left the case in the handsof God, who always judges fairly
.
People think a whole lot ofthings about me.
The world thinks a whole lot ofthings about me, dave.
I bet the world thinks a wholelot of things about you, amen.
There are people who think theyknow us, who don't know us and
(09:00):
they wanna decide who you are orwhat you should be doing, and
they treat you a certain waybased on what they've decided
you are.
They can't judge you fairlybecause they don't have a
baseline for judgment.
Listen, if we put the baselineat Christ, that allows us to
determine what is holy and whatis not, amen, well, but if our
(09:21):
baseline is not in Christ, so alot of the world who are
atheists or who don't believe inJesus, they don't have a
baseline.
They don't understand howimportant it is.
They think being kind is justnot saying something insulting.
Listen, it's not good enoughunless you know Jesus right,
because he is the example.
He did not retaliate when hewas insulted, nor did he
(09:43):
threaten revenge when hesuffered.
Listen, some of you can't get onsocial media without insulting
people and then trying to defendyourself when they prove that
you're wrong.
Right, I told you guys oncebefore listen, don't argue with
me.
It's a waste of your time.
I knew I was wrong 10 minutesago.
I just want to see if I canmake you mad right At some point
(10:04):
.
The goal isn't to be right.
Sometimes the goal is that.
That's not healthy.
It's not okay.
Listen, if you can be thebigger person and say I was
wrong, I know that I shouldn'thave allowed that to happen.
You're much better off than theperson sitting next to you
who's always blaming someoneelse.
You guys know a person likethat.
(10:25):
If you're not raising your hand, it's you right.
You're probably the person thatthey're like.
Yeah, that person's the onethat always blames somebody else
.
Listen, if we claim to followJesus, what it's always Roger's
fault?
If we claim to follow Jesus, dowe have the courage to respond
(10:51):
like him when people do wrong tous, right?
If we claim to follow Jesus, dowe have the ability, when
somebody does something that wedon't like, to respond like
Jesus responds?
Sometimes, the best response isno response, right?
I don't have to justify myposition in Christ.
(11:12):
I don't have to justify whatGod has called into my life.
I don't have to tell you whatGod wants from me.
Listen, if you need to knowsomething about my relationship
with God, you need to go to him.
Listen, if you need to knowsomething about my relationship
with God, you need to go to him.
Lord, I want whatever it isthat you've put in Pastor
Michael's life.
I'm telling you right now don'tpray that prayer today.
You don't want what God has put.
(11:33):
Listen, I'm telling you,because God will drive tests
into your life that you can'tunderstand.
He will put people in your paththat you go.
Lord, what did I do to deservethis?
Both good and bad?
Just so we're clear.
I fellowship with some of thebest people and I fellowship
(11:53):
with some of the worst people,but I don't mean that I go and
try to be bad.
I don't mean that I go and tryto act like them, but I witness
to them and I spend time withthem so they can understand the
importance of being in thepresence of God at all times, in
all things.
Amen.
It is hard to do.
There is a golden rule.
(12:14):
In all things, ministry.
There is a golden rule in allthings ministry, and I have
fallen short of this before, butI'll tell you.
I want to share this with you.
I'm going to give you thesecret, okay, but you have to
choose to use it.
Let me take this drink so I canput this water down, because if
I don't, they're going to startcounting.
I know you were.
(12:38):
That's why I made sure I took adrink.
Luke 6.31.
You ready?
Luke 6.31.
It says do to others as youwould like them to do to you.
It's right there in the word.
If you don't want people totreat you poorly, you shouldn't
(13:03):
treat people poorly, right,because you will reap what you
sow.
Now, here's the thing.
Sometimes we're like oh well,I'm not really sowing, if I'm
this isn't gossip, if orwhatever.
Right, can I tell you something?
If you're trying to convinceyourself that this is an
acceptable thing to do, it'sprobably not an acceptable thing
to do.
You shouldn't have torationalize with the Holy Spirit
(13:25):
, right?
Because when God says no, theanswer is no.
No, it's maybe I'm kidding theanswer is no.
When God says yes, the answeris yes, and when the answer is
wait, the answer is wait.
These aren't negotiations withthe Holy Spirit.
Listen when I go before the Lordand I am pleading with him for
(13:48):
something in my life, andsometimes it's small, sometimes
it's big.
It's the same prayer every time.
Lord, you know what I need, but, lord, I trust you Allow your
will to be done, not my will.
Lord and Lord, I am going to doexactly what you lead me to do,
but I need you to do somethingbig because I need you to just
show me.
Right now, I'm in the valleyand I don't know what this looks
(14:10):
like.
God, I need you to pull me outof this valley.
I'm going to trust youregardless today and, lord, I
know that you are going to dosomething great.
Now here's the thing thatsomething great might be six
months later.
I don't always know what greatlooks like, but what I do know
is that he has not left me norforsaken me, and I know that I'm
(14:33):
gonna come out of that valleyonto a hilltop and that sunshine
is gonna be so much brighterit's gonna be brighter than the
last hilltop I was on Amen.
He is gonna continue to changeme and transform me from glory
to glory, from situation tosituation, and every time that
he does, I will be one stepcloser to eternal life.
And, lord, I am looking forwardto the day when I don't have to
(14:56):
worry about this world, when Idon't have to focus on all of
the broken things that arehappening here.
I want to be able to focus onone thing and that is worship
all the time Amen, I'm excited,are happening here.
I wanna be able to focus on onething and that is worship all
the time.
Amen, I'm excited for that day.
I don't wanna go today.
I don't think any of us do.
But should the Lord tarry, wewill all taste of death and when
(15:17):
that happens, we will be in aplace where we can worship all
the time.
We will be able to live in hispresence.
But you know, heaven is here onearth as well.
We just have to learn how toworship during service, right,
and sometimes what that means isyou're going to work and you're
working with the people youdon't like to work with, and
you're still worshiping.
(15:37):
Through that, you're still ableto say God, I don't know why
you put me with these buffoons,but here I am and I'm going to
give you glory for it.
Amen, lord.
I don't know why you put mewith these buffoons.
But here I am and I'm going togive you glory for it.
Amen, lord, I don't know whyI'm here.
I don't like being here.
Lord, whatever this valley is,I need you to understand that my
flesh is uncomfortable, that myheart is nervous, that my body
(15:58):
is not okay.
Give me peace that passesunderstanding.
Amen, because here's the thingIf, instead, we go in and we're
angry and we're frustrated, westart treating people poorly and
then we end up reaping that andpeople treat us poorly and then
we turn around and we blame Godfor allowing these people to
speak that way into our lives,right?
(16:21):
I always listen to the Wednesdaynight podcast and oftentimes
they'll mention something that Isay a lot.
I will not take advice or Iwill not take criticism I'm
sorry from somebody I will notseek advice from.
So if Pastor Holly calls me andshe says Pastor Michael, I
heard you say this and I don'tthink it was quite right, I'm
willing to hear that becauseshe's somebody I would go to for
(16:44):
advice, that's healthy.
But when you go to the worldand somebody starts to criticize
you and you allow it to dragyou down, that is not a healthy
place to be, unless you arewilling to take advice from that
person.
There are some people who willtell you things just to drag you
into the valley, to get you todo things and say things that
(17:06):
you wouldn't do in the spirit,because the world doesn't want
you on the mountaintop, amen.
So our goal is to do unto othersas we would like them to do to
us.
It's a simple verse.
It's soft but it's incrediblyradical.
Right?
If you look at that verse andyou go, I am gonna live my life
(17:26):
this way.
Everything should change foryou.
Everything should change foryou because you can't look at
somebody and be offended becauseyou didn't get invited to a
birthday party.
You shouldn't be able to look atsomebody and be offended or
upset or angry because theywalked by you and didn't say
good morning.
You shouldn't be able to beoffended by somebody who doesn't
embrace you when they see you.
(17:48):
You shouldn't be able to beoffended by those.
If you are treating others asyou wish to be treated.
And the reason is is because ifyou allow them to offend you,
then you will inevitably offendothers, and if we live a life
constantly choosing to offend,we will never be able to inherit
the kingdom of God.
We will never be able toinherit the kingdom of God.
(18:10):
Offense, being angry, beingfrustrated, those are not good
things from God.
If all good things come fromGod and we want to be in God, we
should be able to only live inthe good things.
I'm not saying you're not gonnaget frustrated.
I'm not saying you're not gonnabe upset, but you need to know
what to do with that, and that'sto lay it at the foot of the
cross.
(18:30):
That's to go before the Lordand say, lord, I can't change
this, I'm giving it back, Ican't fix this, I'm giving it
back.
Lord, I don't know what youwant from me.
I'm giving it back.
Lord, please show me clearlywhat it is that you need from me
today, because I want to serveyou and only you.
Because I want to serve you andonly you, Not this world that
(18:50):
wishes to see me broken.
Amen, because it means treatingpeople kindly, even when they
don't deserve it, but especiallywhen they don't deserve it.
Amen, it means treating peoplekindly.
Have you ever gone somewhere andsomebody says something rude to
you and you really want to giveit back to them?
You ever talk to a telemarketeron the phone?
(19:15):
How many of you have handedyour phone off to one of the
kids and let the kids talk tothem.
How many of you just mashbuttons on the keypad until they
eventually hang up?
Right?
Isn't it easier for us to justsay, hey, thanks for calling,
but I'm not interested, or hey,can you please take me off of
(19:36):
your call list?
Right, we don't think that way,because we find those people
irritating to our spirit, right?
How many people do you walk byevery day that you find
irritating to your spirit, right?
I don't want to begin to countthem.
There are some people that whenI think about them, I
immediately become irrational.
Right?
You say certain people's namesto me and I'm like, please don't
even talk to me about them.
(19:56):
Like I don't want to thinkabout them, I don't want to see
them, I don't want to deal withthem.
But the Lord says I shouldtreat them with kindness,
(20:17):
especially then, because if Ican't do it, then how will I
ever actually do it?
There will always be an excusefor treating people poorly.
There will always be an excuseLuke 23, 34.
Jesus said, father, forgive them, for they don't know what they
are doing.
And the soldiers gambled forhis clothes by throwing dice
(20:37):
Hanging on the cross.
Jesus is still asking God toforgive the people who have
crucified him, who arecontinuing to embarrass him by
throwing dice to gamble for hisclothing, and he says forgive
them, for they know not whatthey do.
Listen, if Jesus, hanging on across can forgive those who are
(20:58):
around him, I think we can do it, because I don't think any of
us are in this room sufferingthe way that Jesus suffered on
Mount Calvary.
I don't believe that there areany of us.
And if you think that you aresuffering like that, come and
see me, because we need to talkreal bad, because something's
not right in your spirit, if youfeel like you are suffering.
(21:19):
Jesus died a sinner's death.
A blameless man died a sinner'sdeath, still forgiving those
who would do evil against him,and we sit in our seat and we
can't forgive the Starbucksbarista who made our coffee
wrong.
Amen, amen.
One time I went to McDonald'sand I ordered a large Coke,
(21:39):
drove through the drive-thru,got my Coke and I pulled out and
as soon as I took a sip it wasa Diet Coke.
Right, like I wish I could saythat.
Jesus consumed my body and Isaid you know what?
This is fine.
I wish I could say that, butwhat I really wanted to do, what
(22:00):
my mind was, was drive backaround, get in line and throw it
back through the window,because I was immediately
enraged.
It was a Coke.
It was a Coke.
This wasn't life changing.
I didn't die because I had adiet Coke, right, I didn't die,
but my body, my flesh, said thisisn't fair.
I paid for this and I deservethis.
(22:21):
Can I tell you something?
Jesus paid the price and hedidn't deserve it.
Jesus paid.
He didn't deserve to go to thecross, he was.
He chose death so that we mightbe saved, and yet we can't
figure out how simple it is totruly let go of the things that
do not matter in our lives.
(22:41):
Amen.
Just for a second, take stock inthe things that you're holding
onto today the brokenrelationships, the frustration
you have with other people, theanger that you're holding onto
today, the broken relationships,the frustration you have with
other people, the anger thatyou're holding onto from
something that happened 15 yearsago.
Think about those things forjust a moment.
Think about them for just amoment and let me ask you a
(23:04):
question Do they make up who youare today?
Are they affecting your bodytoday?
The answer is likely no.
The answer is very likely no.
So why is it that when youthink of that person, you are so
angry?
Why is it when you think listen, I'm preaching to myself this
morning, guys, this isn't justfor you.
(23:26):
The Lord is telling me there arethings that I've got to let go
of today.
It's not going to be easy, butI know that if I continue to
walk and hold on to thefrustration and the anger and
the, I'm going to use the wordhate that I feel in my heart
sometime.
That is not healthy for me,it's not healthy for you,
because when I carry that, youhear it in my voice, right when
(23:50):
I tell you a story, you mighthear, you might catch wind, you
might feel like I don't want tobe that way, because those
things do not make up who I am.
Do you know what makes up who Iam?
Who Christ has called me to be?
That's it.
That is it.
And when I focus on my spiritand not on the world, I can make
a difference.
(24:12):
Father, forgive them, for theyknow not what they are doing.
Listen, say it, repeat it.
Lord.
Forgive them.
Lord, just forgive them.
Father, forgive them.
Allow me to forgive them.
Lord, allow me to walk awayfrom this.
Lord, allow me to walk awayfrom this, not carrying that
burden in my heart anymore.
(24:32):
Listen, my heart is only so big.
I can only hold so much insideof it.
And I'll tell you, I want tofill as much of that with Jesus
as I can.
Amen, I want to fill as much ofthat with Jesus as I can.
You learn at some point in yourlife that there are things more
important than a grudge.
There are things more importantthan money, and it is having a
(24:55):
great relationship with Christ,having a strong family and being
able to love peopleunconditionally.
Listen, some of us in this room,we all know each other.
As a matter of fact, I need totell a quick story.
I'm going to pause for just asecond.
I'm going off script.
Okay, I got a call the otherday.
I was in my car and I get thiscall and somebody said that
(25:18):
their daughter was in Walmartand they were shopping and some
guy had come up and told them aChristian joke and while they
told the joke, they introducedthemselves and told them where
they went to church.
All the while they had no ideathat who they were talking to
was the daughter of somebody inour congregation.
So they tell the joke,introduce themselves, tell them
(25:42):
about our church, invite them tochurch.
And when the person says, whenthe lady who's being ministered
to says, oh, my mom goes to thatchurch, kind of took the person
aback, right?
They immediately respond with Idon't know who she is.
But the interesting part is Iguarantee they know who she is.
(26:06):
Joe was the one who did thatStopped a random person in
Walmart to minister to them.
I'm sure it's not the firsttime you've done it.
I'm sure it won't be the lasttime you've done it.
Beth is sitting right backthere.
Joe, that was Beth's daughter.
She called Beth and spoke sohighly of that interaction that
(26:26):
Beth felt the need to call meand tell me that that is what we
should be doing.
Right?
He didn't look at her and go oh, she needs Jesus.
He said I want to share thegospel, right?
See, that is the difference inliving a Christ-centered life
and looking at people andjudging them by the way that
they appear.
Right?
Listen, god loves each and everyone of you and I love each and
(26:48):
every one.
There are some of you in thisbuilding that may not have a
close relationship with me thatdon't get to call me every day,
and there are some of you thathave slightly better access to
me, and then there are some ofyou who I see regularly and talk
to.
Let me tell you something itdoesn't mean that I don't love
you if we don't talk on thephone every day.
It doesn't mean that.
What it means is that we have adifferent relationship, but I
(27:11):
care about you deeply and I wantnothing but God's best in your
life, and that is my prayer foryou every single day.
The problem is, oftentimes wefeel like we're not worthy right
, or that we're on the outsidebecause of.
I promise you this when you arein a church family, I don't
(27:34):
just mean this church, but whenyou are in a church family you
are loved unconditionally inthis building.
You are loved unconditionally,not by all of the people in the
building, by Jesus Christhimself.
And I'll tell you, a lot ofthese people here will fall
short of the glory of God beforelunchtime today, right, but we
will love them through it.
(27:54):
But more than that, jesus willlove them unconditionally.
If Jesus can do it, why can'twe?
If Jesus can do it, why can'twe?
So I want to turn to Luke,chapter 10.
I'm going to start in verse 30.
Did I miss one?
(28:17):
You don't have that one, I'msorry.
Get it real fast, because thisis the most important part of
the message.
I guess somebody should havechecked my work today.
It's a good thing we gotsomebody seasoned in that seat
today, because we would havebeen in trouble.
Is that 30 through 37?
Yes, no, maybe.
(28:41):
Okay, that's fine, got it Allright.
Jesus replied with a story.
A Jewish man was traveling fromJerusalem down to Jericho and
he was attacked by bandits.
Now that sounds like a prettywild story for Jesus to be
telling right Now.
There's a whole backstory here.
The road that he specificallyspeaks of is known to be
(29:02):
treacherous and there's a wholebackstory to this, but we're
going to stick with the basicstoday, to Jericho.
He was attacked by bandits.
They stripped him of hisclothes, beat him and left him
for dead beside the road.
All right, how many of us haveever woken up on the side of the
road butt naked and bleeding?
Stephanie, put your hand down.
I was kidding, this wasn't ahand-raised moment.
(29:23):
All right, you all knowsomething about Stephanie now
that you didn't want to know.
All right, about Stephanie.
Now that you didn't want toknow, all right, but there's
always one.
In every group folks, there'salways one, and it's almost
always Stephanie if she's around.
(29:43):
So, by chance, a priest camealong.
Now we all know that a priestcares for everybody, right?
Well, by chance a priest camealong, but when he saw the man
lying there, he crossed on theother side of the road and
passed him by.
A temple assistant walked overand looked at him lying there,
but also passed by on the otherside.
(30:04):
Then a despised Samaritan camealong and when he saw the man,
he felt compassion in his heart.
And now we know, most of usknow, and if you don't know,
I'll share with you Samaritansand Jews despised one another,
right.
This Samaritan saw this Jewishman naked and bleeding on the
(30:27):
side of the road and he feltcompassion for him.
Going over to him, theSamaritan soothed his wounds
with olive oil and wine andbandaged them.
Then he put the man on his owndonkey and took him to an inn
where he took care of him.
The next day he handed theinnkeeper two silver coins,
telling him take care of thisman.
If the bill runs higher thanthis, I will pay you the next
(30:52):
time that I am here.
Now which of these would yousay was a neighbor to the man
who was attacked by the bandits?
Jesus asked Hallelujah,hallelujah.
Somebody who despised theJewish man went out of his way
(31:12):
to not just make sure that hiswounds he could have bandaged
his wounds and left him laythere.
Instead, the man put him on hisown donkey, walked that donkey
to an inn, put him up andcovered the cost of that bill.
Thank you, jesus.
Oftentimes we look at peoplethat we don't like, or people
(31:32):
look at us and they don't likeus and they write us off.
We're not important to them,amen.
We don't have value to them.
Let me tell you, those are notyour people, the people who see
value in you and are willing tobind your wounds.
I don't mean physical wounds, Idon't mean, you know, we don't
pick you up off the side of thisyour emotional wounds, right,
(31:56):
right, our spiritual wounds.
You know, sometimes I just needpeople to pray for me, like my
heart is heavy, it hurts, it'sbroken, I felt betrayed.
But I know when I'm beinglifted up in prayer because
those things are lifted from myheart, amen.
And when I can focus on Christand say this isn't who you want
(32:16):
me to be, lord.
I just need you to show me moreof you and less of this world,
Because when I look at the world, I see broken and damaged and I
see hurtful people, but when Ilook at the spirit, I see this
body of Christ and I see peoplewho want to lift up one another.
Amen.
I'll tell you, I put out a calllast week to do a meal train for
(32:39):
a family in need, and I knowthat at this point we didn't get
a single response.
And I know that sometimes it'shard whenever I'm vague because
you're like well, what's hetalking about?
This is what it boils down to.
For me, there has never beenonce when I've been called upon
to give or to support and Ihaven't done it.
And here's what I mean by that.
Sometimes the call comes atthree o'clock in the morning.
(33:02):
Sometimes the call comes at,you know, four o'clock in the
afternoon.
I've performed funerals forpeople that I don't necessarily
know.
I have done a lot of things inthe name of ministry, in the
name of Jesus, and it's alwaysshocking to me how we have to
have an explanation for whatwe're doing.
Right, if I come to you and Isay, hey, I really need you to
(33:26):
just help me out with this, canyou please?
Just whatever.
And Vicki Hickey, I'm going totalk about you again.
Okay, listen, I'm going to tellyou guys, I love that woman
with my whole heart.
I do, and the reason that I dois she is the kindest, most
caring person that I've ever metin my entire life.
She has a friend who has acritter living in her basement.
(33:46):
Okay, this critter won't diewith rat poison.
It eats it, but it doesn't die.
That's a critter now, right.
So she sends me a text messageand she asks to rent, not borrow
, to rent the live trap that wehave at the church to catch
groundhogs in.
And I said absolutely not, wewill loan it to you.
(34:08):
She was so compassionate thather friend was living in fear
that she was willing to go theextra mile to help her.
That's impressive.
She was willing to cross thestreet, amen.
But many of us would havelooked at her and go.
I don't really know how I'mgoing to help.
I don't have a lot.
She went to her resources andshe dug in and she said how can
(34:28):
I make a difference in thisperson's life today, right Now?
Sometimes people want more thanis realistic, right?
Like I said to somebody theother day.
I said, if you really want todo something nice for me, you
can raise $350,000 and pay offmy house.
You guys want to start thatfundraiser today?
Just skip the building fund,move straight into that.
(34:50):
Listen, people sometimes expectchurches to be able to do that.
Right, our goal is to love youspiritually and provide for you
physically when possible.
Right, I don't believe that anychurch should ever have a
surplus of money so big thatthey can build a whole new
building without ever having toblank, because that's scary to
(35:11):
me.
Right?
Because now I'm asking what isyour ministry doing to bear
fruit?
Right, you might have a bigcongregation and you might have
bucket loads of money, but whatare you doing to support the
community that you're in?
Right, you learn to do muchwith little, but you can't ever
do little with much.
(35:32):
The more you have, the more youshould do.
And can I tell you that I havebeen blessed abundantly
spiritually, financially,emotionally.
God has really blessed me, andwhen I look at that, I want to
bless the world.
Right, but sometimes,financially blessing the world
isn't the way to go.
Sometimes I need to bless theworld with forgiveness, with
(35:55):
peace, with patience, withunderstanding.
Any of you ever met a drugaddict and you're like they're
just a junkie.
Any of us ever met somebody.
Listen, I know that might havesounded insensitive, but I
promise you, most of us in thisroom have thought that at some
point About somebody in ourlives, about somebody that we
(36:16):
know.
Listen, I promise you, god didnot call that person to that
lifestyle.
I promise you, that is not whatGod wanted for them.
But somehow, somehow, the enemygot in their lives and took
control of something that theynever wanted to have.
The enemy have control of.
But I'm going to tell you, insalvation, through prayer,
(36:39):
through intercession, thosepeople can be released from
those things.
If we write them off, they willnever be freed.
Listen, praying moms do the mostwork in their children's lives
and sometimes it's work theynever see.
They pray and they pray andthey pray, lord, just continue
to move in their life and thatis what makes the difference in
(37:01):
a child's life.
I feel bad for every kid thatdoesn't have a praying mom.
I feel bad because I'm going totell you, moms care all the way
to the end.
Moms don't give up.
Sometimes us dads.
We're like, yeah, that's not myproblem anymore, right, they're
18.
They're gone day.
(37:22):
It has been a hard lesson tolearn that that is not how life
works and that is not howministry works and that is not
how God works.
God has never looked at me andsaid you have fallen short,
therefore I'm casting you aside.
God has always said I'll beright here when you're ready.
I will be right here when youare ready.
(37:44):
And sometimes being ready isgetting through the part where I
got to be mad at God for asecond, like I think about Job a
lot and how Job would.
Just, I just want to die.
And I'll remind you that Job'swife wanted Job to die, right,
she's like, well, you just shutup and die already.
And God said not today.
And Job got stronger and wasable to continue to praise the
(38:06):
Lord.
Do you remember he was coveredin boils and he was scraping it
off with a clay pot?
Right, that's nasty.
Can you imagine being at thelowest point in your life and
still being able to give praiseto God?
Lord, I am blessing you throughthis right now.
Father, the valley that I am inis nothing, is nothing compared
(38:34):
to the blessings that you'regoing to provide in my life.
Today, lord, I just thank youfor blessing my life, for
blessing my family, lord,blessing the people around me,
father.
I want to celebrate with themand their blessings, even when
I'm not being blessed, because,God, you are good in all things.
(38:58):
And what might feel like ahiccup to me, lord, you are
going to walk through it,opening doors that I have never
even seen before.
Father, I thank you for beinggenerous in my life, for
(39:18):
continuing to give me all ofyour blessings.
Thank you, jesus.
Thank you Jesus.
Thank you Jesus.
Jesus has to redefine ourrelationships.
He teaches us to love not justour friends, but our enemies,
(39:39):
and that is hard.
That is hard.
I'm going to skip around.
I'm going to Matthew 5, 44through 45.
But I say love your enemies,pray for those who persecute you
.
What does that mean?
What does persecution mean?
It doesn't mean those who throwyou in jail, right, it's just.
(40:03):
It's anybody who is doingsomething adverse to what God
would have in your life, thepeople who talk about you, the
people who say mean things toyou.
You're being persecuted in allof those things, but you should
not turn around and hate them,but you should turn around and
bless them.
Right, god.
Bless their lives, open theirhearts, soften their hearts,
(40:24):
father.
Allow them to see what it meansto live in your glory.
It means to be kind todifficult co -workers.
Anybody.
Have one of those in theirlives right.
Reach out to estranged familymembers.
Lord, allow us to do that.
Jesus is coming soon.
(40:45):
Folks, right?
Do you want to go to heavenholding on to that unforgiveness
, so that when you arrive helooks at you and says depart
from me, for I never knew you?
That is not what I want formyself or any of you.
Estranged family members.
That is such an easy thing.
It doesn't mean that you haveto let everything just roll off
your back.
Sometimes you love them at anarm's distance, but you can't
(41:08):
hold on to the hate or the angerthat you're feeling any longer.
This is not the day for that.
Today is a day for salvation,amen.
Today is a day to be saved andto be walking in the glory of
God.
Forgive the person who hurt youyears ago, even if they never
apologized, I told you I'mforgiving you of that debt, not
(41:29):
so that you are free from it,but so that I am free from it,
amen.
I don't want to be tied to thatdebt any longer.
I don't want to be angry, Idon't want to be hurt.
I don't want to look at you anddislike you.
I want to be able to go.
God is good in all things andI've blessed this person
abundantly and God has blessedme in return Amen.
(41:50):
It doesn't mean you ignoreboundaries or enable abuse, but
it means that you choose loveover bitterness and peace over
pride.
And here's this one Restorationover revenge.
Vengeance is mine.
Thus saith the Lord.
I don't have to get revenge forthe things that people do to me
(42:12):
, because God has my back.
I'm not saying I'm trying to sitGod on anybody right, like I'm
not praying God.
You just smite them.
That's not what I'm saying.
I'm saying Lord, thank you forbeing in my corner.
Lord bless them abundantly, andsometimes that blessing is a
(42:33):
revelation that they should havedone things differently.
Right Now I'm going to tell yousometimes, when people hurt you
, you can never expect anapology.
You just have to let it go.
You have to be able to forgivethem and just say God is good,
he will bless them.
I don't need to worry aboutwhatever it is that they're
(42:56):
holding onto, and a lot of timesyou live rent-free in their
space because they're constantlythinking about how they treated
you or what they did.
It is not a healthy place forthem to live and you should be
praying God's blessings overthem.
Amen.
Jesus treated us far better thanwe ever deserved, and if Jesus
(43:17):
can do that for us, we should beable and willing to do it for
others.
Amen.
Jesus treated us far betterthan we ever deserved.
Romans 5.8, it says.
But God showed his great lovefor us while we were still
(43:42):
sinners.
He didn't die after we becamesin-free.
Right, because if he would havewaited to die until we were all
sin-free, jesus would still behanging out here, right?
This world, our flesh, willnever be sin-free.
Jesus went to the cross to diefor us while we were still
(44:05):
sinners so that we might haveeverlasting life.
So long as we choose to accepthim as our Lord and savior.
He laid down his life to giveus grace and mercy, and we are
called to carry that same graceinto every space that we go into
(44:25):
.
When I walk into a room full ofpeople that I don't like, I have
to have grace, amen.
You know how hard that is To beable to look at somebody and
smile and pretend like I don'tdislike them.
Lord, help my heart, let me getrid of it, lord, because I
(44:46):
don't dislike them.
Lord, help my heart, let me getrid of it, lord, because I
don't want to dislike thesepeople.
Lord, I want my heart debt-free.
Amen.
You know I love Dave Ramsey andall things debt-free.
Financially debt-free isprobably a great feeling, but
spiritually debt-free is evenbetter.
Amen, because I might bedebt-free and still broke, but
(45:06):
if I'm spiritually free, I haveall the riches in heaven.
If I am spiritually free, Idon't have to worry about the
world because I can centermyself on Christ in heaven.
Question what if every one of uslived this way?
If every one of us lived thisway?
If every one of us lived thisway, what if our marriages were
(45:34):
built on mutual honor?
Amen, that's one thing I canpride myself on.
I just in the car the other daywith my wife, I said to her I
said I'm sorry and she goes.
You didn't do anything.
And I said well, I feel like Idid right.
I honor who she is in my lifeand she honors me for who I.
She doesn't just look at me asa husband.
I'm recovering, right.
So when Father's Day rolledaround, she had gotten me a card
(45:55):
and it was a beautiful card andshe'd written all of these
wonderful things.
And as I walked into this pastweek in my life, I felt like
everything that she had writtenI had just given up on that.
I had failed in every one ofthose ways, and I realized that
she had such grace for me inthat moment and I was so
(46:16):
thankful that God had put me inthat place.
Because what would life bewithout mutual grace and favor
and honor in your partner, amen.
What if every marriage was builton mutual honor?
What if every church was filledwith forgiveness?
Whoa, what a place.
(46:38):
This would be right, becauseI'm going to tell you there are
people sitting in their chairsright now who can't let go of
some things, right?
Because I'm going to tell youthere are people sitting in
their chairs right now who can'tlet go of some things, right,
stephanie's like why'd you lookat me like that?
There are some people who can'tlet go of how they've been made
to feel.
There are some people who lookfor ways to be made to feel like
(47:01):
that.
Right, I'm hurt because of thisand it's their own fault,
because they've chosen to pickup the offense and carry it with
them.
Listen, the church has to befilled with grace and mercy.
Forgiveness should flow throughthis sanctuary like nothing
else.
Amen, because we cannot hold onto those things as the body of
(47:22):
Christ and expect to enter intoheaven.
What if our communities lookedout for the vulnerable, for the
hurting and the forgotten?
What if we looked for thepeople who needed Jesus more
than ever and we gave it to them?
Instead, we look at them and wesay they're not worthy of our
time, they're not worth myenergy, there's nothing that's
(47:50):
ever going to change them, amen.
We look at people and we saythere is no hope for them.
I promise you, if God gave youfavor, he will give them favor.
Just the same.
He is no respecter of persons.
Listen.
If he can bring me to where Iam today, he can bring anybody
out of anything, and I'mthankful that he did it for me
(48:15):
and I'm believing he can do itfor anybody else.
I've been put in some positionswhere I'm talking to people.
God, I don't know why you'vegot them in front of me, I don't
know what you want from me, andusually I just need you to tell
them who I am.
They're lost, they don't know,they have no hope.
(48:36):
And all of the hope in thisworld can be summed up in Jesus
Christ All of the hope.
There is nothing in this worldthat will give somebody better
hope and a more solid footingthan Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Colossians 3, 12 through 14.
I promise I'm landing the plane.
I'm not going for a marathon.
(48:56):
Like Nick, I know some of youneed to go to the bathroom.
Since God chose you to be theholy people he loves, you must
clothe yourselves withtenderhearted mercy, kindness,
humility, gentleness andpatience.
Make allowances for eachother's faults and forgive
(49:17):
anyone who offends you.
Remember, remember the Lordforgave you, so you must forgive
others.
Above all, clothe yourself withlove, which binds us together
in perfect harmony.
Ask yourself right now, in thismoment, who do I need to
(49:40):
forgive?
Right now, in this moment, whodo I need to forgive?
Who have I ignored ormistreated?
Who needs to hear kindness, whoneeds to feel love or who needs
to experience grace from me?
And my challenge is start therethis week.
Start there, ask yourself thosequestions and start there.
(50:01):
Make a phone call, stop in andsee somebody Listen.
We can do so many things throughour lives.
We can touch people that havenever been touched.
We can love on people thatdon't feel like they are lovely.
I promise you, I've felt thatway.
I have felt that way this pastweek.
(50:22):
I have felt like I'm not worthyof love.
I promise you, with your words,with your presence, you can do
just that.
Amen, amen.
Let's pray together.
Yeah, certainly, pastor Holly'sgoing to share something real
quick.
I'd give you a microphone, butit's dead when we was in the
(50:42):
prayer room this morning the.
Speaker 2 (50:44):
Lord showed me the absolute, most beautiful
revelation and it goes rightwith your message.
And so there were banners.
The word was Jehovah Nisi, thebanner of Ruby.
And so there were banners, andthey were pink, and they were on
gold rods with rubies at thetops of them, and it was just
(51:05):
like they would go either sidestraight down through here.
And then there was a piece ofblue satin, iridescent, and it
rolled out and the Spirit of theLord said to me that that is
the river of God flowingdirectly from his throne, and it
was raging Like it was flowingso forcefully and it was
(51:28):
splashing up on the banks, andhe said that that is the river
of forgiveness.
Speaker 1 (51:33):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (51:34):
That is the river of God that wants forgiveness to
flow to you and through you.
Speaker 1 (51:39):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (51:40):
And today is the day the song started.
Speaker 1 (51:43):
Today is the day the song started.
Today is the day Amen, so ifyou are holding, unforgiveness
for anybody search your heartright now.
Search your heart, Father.
Thank you that you are Jehovahin the sea.
Speaker 2 (51:55):
That you are the banner of love.
Love covers everything,absolutely everything.
You are the banner of love thatcovers, and let that rushing
river from the throne of Godcome flowing straight into your
life and it will wash you clean.
Yes, amen, amen, because,unforgiveness, it don't hurt
(52:17):
that person that you're holdingall that anger for.
Speaker 1 (52:20):
Amen, it hurts you yes.
Speaker 2 (52:22):
It causes you to be sick.
It causes you to be sick, itcauses you to be out of sorts.
So just allow that river, justthink about it.
Just stop what you're doing andthink about it.
Father, let that river flowthrough me right now.
Speaker 1 (52:36):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (52:37):
Let it wash away anything that's separating me
from you.
Let it wash away, father.
I choose to forgive, I chooseto release and I choose, father,
to let your love be my banner.
Amen.
Speaker 1 (52:56):
Amen, amen, amen, amen, father, amen.
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