Unashamed with the Robertson Family - Ep 777 | Phil Really Did Run a Bar Just Like in 'The Blind' & It Was a Huge Mistake

Episode Date: October 27, 2023

Phil’s lease of a bar back in the 1970s relates easily to the guys’ study of how people rationalize their sins and are twisted to Satan’s purpose. Phil expounds upon the pedigree of Jesus, and Al clarifies a little more about faith the size of a mustard seed. The guys explore the concepts of forgiveness, reconciliation, and restoration as laid out by Jesus.  In this episode: Luke 17, verses 1-19; Mark 11, verse 25; Hebrews 12; Romans 12, verse 19 — Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I am unashamed. What about you? Welcome back to the unashamed podcast. We've been talking about Luke 16. We're about to get into 17. But, Jase, I think one of the things that's difficult about this upcoming text is because it kind of goes at the human condition, I would call it, that one of the hardest things to do in life is to, for forgive people. And, you know, even the setup around it, like when we're harmed, you know, you hear this thing now. Dad has been talking about woke lately, the idea about everybody wants justice, but what people need is forgiveness more than justice, you know, or grace. But it's so hard because it goes against the human nature. When Lisa and I were speaking up in, uh, in Minnesota last week, uh, one of the elements we do, we always do when we talk, you know, on a marriage setting,

is about how that forgiveness and honesty really are the two foundational things for any relationship and any marriage to be able to work. One is if you're not honest with each other, then there's always this distance that's created. And then finally, when something happens as a result of dishonesty, forgiveness is the only really thing that can really fix it to move forward in a relationship. Because if you can't forgive, right? And so we talk about how difficult that is in a marriage setting. And you have to kind of go at this aim small, miss small, if you're kind of living a life of forgiveness,

it's not near as hard when somebody really hurts you or betrays you with something major. Well, and I think what we're fixed to read in Luke 17, there's a couple of underlying principles, and one of them is really clear, is that we're not in charge. So we're not the owner of anything. And I think in marriage, you especially see that. When you think you're running it, if you have to tell, you know, somebody told me this one time, and I'd never forgotten it was true. It's like, if you have to tell your wife you're in charge, well, you were never in charge.

You know. But the underlying theme of that is, and it's a very difficult parable. It reminds me of the Luke 13. You know, when I first read it, I thought, wait, what? What's he saying? you know, this illustration of owner and servants kind of makes us uncomfortable, but his point was you are unworthy. And so when you think about why bad things happened on earth, because they do.

I mean, you could make a list, which I think is the wrong question, because every time Jesus was asked why do bad things happen, he went toward the future. So you remember John 9? Yeah. It's like, who sinned that this man was born blind? Jesus said neither this man nor his parents, but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in life.

Luke 13, we brought up many times. Why did this happen? Pilot just martyred a bunch of worshippers. And Jesus said a bunch of people died when a tower fell on them. And he's like, well, why did this happen? Were they more guilty? and he was like, repent or you'll perish. What are you going to do about it?

And even you remember Job, this, you know, Job was unaware of what happened. You know, there was a conversation. You know, the evil one was like, the only reason he serves you is because you give him everything. You spoil him. You turn you back on him and he'll crater, which he was wrong. But, boy, that was a rough test for Job to have to have to go through. And all his friends, to my point, the whole book of Job is most of it is about his friends saying, you did something wrong.

It's your fault. It's your fault. So when you think about why, I think it's okay to at least look at it. So you have your own sin that causes you a lot of problems, the consequences of that. Then somebody else's sin can cause you a lot of problems, especially when you're a kid. if, let's say, somebody abuses you. Well, you're going to have a lot tougher time in life because that happened. It was not your fault.

Or we just live in a sin, evil world. I mean, there's spiritual forces of evil out there. Well, they're causing all kind of mayhem. You remember the miracle where Jesus said that this, that woman who had been, I think it was 18 years, 12 or 18 years, and he said that the evil one had, you know, caused her condition. Yeah, 12 years. So you have that. You have God's discipline thrown in there.

I guess it would be number four. The Hebrews 12, he disciplines those. He loves, he gives us trials. But we also know that he doesn't give us more than we can bear. Right. So, but then I think number five, which is the one that's really not mentioned among people, which is after the garden happened and the sin. Because you've got to remember,

God gets the blame for why bad things happen. But he created humans, Adam and Eve, in a garden where there were no, none of the problems that we see today were not there. Just think about it. It was perfect. He said, it's very good. They had a tree of life that was keeping them alive,

because once they sin, not only were they separated from God, not only did they turn on each other, not only did they try to hide from God, he also said they must be separated from this tree of life. Well, and they can't maintain living forever. So when that happened, well, we all became perishable, no matter what. So that's where you get into, well, why do storms happen? Well, a storm really wouldn't be a problem if you were imperishable.

It's only a problem because you're perishable. So it's not really a bad thing. The bad thing is we're perishable. So having listed all those things, he starts this off a very interesting way after Luke's version of why you shouldn't pursue the earthly as far as your security, money, wealth, you know, the rich man, and you should lean on the Lord's help, Lazarus, which is what his name meant for eternity. He then starts this section off saying that do not offend, don't cause other people to sin, and then don't be offended, which is where forgiveness comes in. And that's why I said,

I think the underlying principle of this, the reason I'm going so long on this, because it's going be a very difficult passage to wrap your head around. The bottom line of that is because you're not the owner. You're not in charge. You can't look around and say why things are happening or who you are to forgive. You've been given life and the life giver, which is God, he owns us basically because he created us and he bought us through the blood of his son. He redeemed us.

He gave us a way out. It's all on His grace. The code the world puts on everybody. The code is about three strikes and you're out. Exactly. When it comes to forgiveness. Okay, you did it once, all right. Which is a baseball.

Three strikes out. And then they got that from baseball. I mean, you know, can you imagine if you had seven strikes how long a baseball game would be? Oh, man. Oh, man, they'd still be going on right now. But they said three because that was just, that's just more time than we just have. So I agree, Phil.

You get, I mean, unless you're all the time. In fact, they even came up with the three strike laws in many states. You know, you don't, you don't go to prison until you get that third strike, you know, that third felony. And once that happens, it's like, nope, that's three is all we're going to take. So now you got to go to the slam. somebody who won't count up your sins and once you hit three or more, you're out. If you run upon an individual and he does not or she does not think that way,

she's there no matter what, we all make mistakes. That's okay. Get up. Get up. Get on up. Let's go. Let's keep going. Keep going.

You're going to be all right. Yeah. So when you run up on them, you've run up on the kingdom of God. in my humble opinion. Well, no wonder more than half marriages end in divorce. Yeah. Look, you're going to get through three strikes, probably in the first week. Yeah.

If we went three strikes on marriage, we would be, there'd be a lot more divorces. I was, they just made a movie on my life, and during, during the movie, you'll figure out, why does he keep doing the same kind of sin? Can you imagine a voice from heaven every time you had a strike? strike 1,746,0003. I did mention it in the class I was teaching. I said, look, if you go to adding up my sins, it's going to be more than three. I said, however, if I start adding yours up, it's probably going to be over three too.

So we might as well just gathered up and say, okay, we're sinners and we will be long on forgiveness. I actually think that's going to be an important point when we go further is because you have to, the reason you forgive is you identify that all people are sinners. So when you take an unforgiving spirit, which leads to what bitterness, resentful, anger, you're then disassociating yourself from all other sinners, which always happens. There was a book somewhere about that where you, because you're not giving the anything. me credit for him dividing us and then you're detaching yourself from all other sinners in those moments and i agree look there are some sins that have more consequences than others which makes it

extremely difficult to forgive which is why i think he started where he started which is usually this phrase this first first two verses is used in the context of of adults doing sins against children children. And he gives very graphic detail on what he thinks about that. It'd be better for you to have a millstone tied around your neck and thrown in the sea than to do that. Which is why you see such a strong world reaction to what happened in Israel, right, recently. I mean, when you see the bodies of dead children that someone came in and just snuffed out their lives strictly out of hatred or, you know, evil and everything that went with that, I think that's why you see that strong reactions.

The same thing you see here when you harm a child because the implications of that are not only affecting the child, but then everybody that loves that child, which makes it so much stronger. The dad is interesting. Well, I wanted to make one comment on that. You're so right. And I think that's why Luke put this section right behind this vision of heaven and hell. Because you just think about it.

you didn't have God's justice. Because look, as bad as that is, you know, I mean, you're decapitating a baby. I mean, that, people are going to rise up against that. But the only way for us to even move on, I can't imagine any family member who would have something like that happened is the only way you're ever going to be able to move on with life is to say, you know what, I know there's a God and they're going to pay. I mean, if you didn't have that as a possibility, well, how would you ever be able to go on? But it's a main world, tough world.

And you're right. I think that's exactly why he starts there. Let's take our first break. Because he says things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come, which is, to your point. there has to be ultimate justice for anyone that hurts a child, because that's what he's talking about. But then he says in verse two, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. So watch yourself. So before we get to the second part of that, which he goes into the forgiveness,

he starts out with this idea about protecting innocence. And I sent Maddie a picture of a millstone because you hear that and you think what is a millstone you know it was basically a giant rock that grinds you know grinds up corn or you know whatever wheat whatever they needed to do but when you look at one and you see imagine that tied around your neck and you going into the sea that means you're going to be punished there's going to be destruction uh eternal destruction for you for this sort of lifestyle if you can't get out. And Dad, you mentioned the movie earlier. It was really interesting because one of the scenes, now that I've seen it a few times,

one of the scenes that didn't really jump out at me the first time that it did and the last time I saw it was when you're on the wrong path and you're not following God, but you're searching for something better for yourself, you'll come up with some of the craziest ideas. And so in the scene in the movie where you decide that we're going to run that bar, you know, because your thinking was in the movie. And I think it's probably true.

I've never asked you this. But the idea was, yeah, but we'll all be together as a family. This is something I can do for our family because I know that, you know, at that time, that was quite a bit of money you were making. And so in your mind, it was all built up like it made logical sense. But now looking back on it, you realize that that's because. because you were on the wrong path. Like, that would never make any sense to have your family in a setting like we were in.

But in your mind at that time, because, you know, the evil one was controlling it, you know, you looked at it and it made sense, but then it doesn't make sense. And so I think that's the picture we see here. Who would harm a child? How does that ever make sense? And yet when people are on the wrong path, they can do abhorrent, terrible things. Yeah. And I do think, you know, we should rise up and protect the innocent.

And that's not his point as far as saying, oh, well, just, you know, get over it. He's not saying that. But, you know, I listened to a wonderful lesson on this from Tim Keller. And when he read Romans 12, 19, which I read before, when it says, don't take revenge, but leave room for God's wrath. For it has written in his mind to avenge, I will. repay. You know, if your enemy is hungry, feed him, if he's thirsty, give him something to drink, and doing this, you'll heap burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. And so I think there's a line that you cross of trying to

protect the innocent, trying to, you know, take care of people, and I mean take care of them who are oppressing, especially the innocent. And so, you know, I support that. Sometimes, you know, people have to stand up and say, no, this is wrong. But in the back of your mind, you know, he made an interesting point about that word used there for God's wrath, which, you know, he got into the Greek of what that means, you know, anger or righteous anger. But it's like when we try to take the place of God, that's why I made this point where he's, because he's fixed to tell a parable, where he says, saying no matter what happens you got a member you're not the owner you're an unworthy servant i mean you do the best you can on the earth and you you battle evil in whatever way necessary to protect life

and innocent in your family and and your country but you're also keeping in in the back of your mind that you're an unworthy servant and and you must move on you know while you're here and so he got into the different words that that's translated and there was three of them so you have wrath which is anger uh it's also where the word comes from for wreath which is a twisted you know you take a bunch of vines and you twist them up and they call it a wreath but it's like when you're taking the place of god and you're angry and when you make this into the practical which is where he's fixed to go about forgiving each other because he's like watch out That's the key transition phrase.

He's like, you watch out. Now, he's not looking at as a disciple saying, you're out here doing these things. He's just saying, God's justice is going to take care of things that seemingly fall through the cracks. And he used the illustration, like kids being abused or whatever. And if you can't figure out how to bring justice, remember, God, the owner, he's going to administer that justice. and you're just going to trust him on that. But then he makes that transition, which gets so personal, which I think is hard for people to wrap their heads around.

But he's like, you watch out. If your brother sins against you, all of a sudden, he went from atrocity, something way more severe to where he's saying, look, you're going to trust me, justice is coming. And Jesus, by even saying that, is showing that he's the son of God.

How would he know that it's going to be better for that person, you know, to have a millstone tied around his neck than to do that. Because he's saying, oh, I know what's coming in the end. They're going to pay. Trust me. But you watch out because what if your brother sins against you? And so he was going through these words because what happens if what happens when that happens? Well, it makes you angry.

It's the same word for wrath. And what do you want to happen? Well, you want that person to pay, which is why we do what we do. We become bitter. We become resentful. And we basically hate them inside and then alienate them on the outside. I've seen, y'all have seen this. Y'all have done this.

This happens thousands of times in churches. Forget the world. It happens thousands of times a day in churches where people get mad at each other. They do something. And then all of a sudden it just burns you up. And so the last word, so you had wrath, is anger. You had wreath, which is it twists you down deep inside with this anger, makes you bitter, resentful. And then the other one is the old English word, which is

wraith, which is W-R-A-I-T-H, which means like a ghost. It's the word we use for a ghost, which you say, what's the point? But a ghost is deemed as a restless spirit. It's, it, and it makes you restless and it can't be housed or controlled. And so I thought it was a real interesting way to look at it when you take the place of God when you're sinned against. This is kind of what happens to you because most people don't think they have a problem of forgiveness. But when you start thinking about people you're mad at, that way down deep inside,

and you really want the worst to happen to them, and you become stressed out about it. You're just so upset that that relationship has been severed. And he carried it all the way out to show that when you do that, you're doing the exact opposite of what God has called you to do, which is being ministers of reconciliation. We're supposed to bring relationships back together. We're supposed to bring people back to God through his forgiveness.

Well, you're not going to be able to do that if you hate the person that you're supposed to be pointing to God. So I thought it was a real interesting take on that. And it really describes, Jace, what, like when Lisa and I are talking mainly to marriages, but you could do with any relationship. I agree with what you said 100% is forgiveness does one of two things. One is, of course, restoration, which is what we strive for, whether that's, God restoring us to him, marriage being restored, a parent child who have been alienated, and then forgiveness happens and they're restored. But forgiveness also can do something else that's not restorative.

It can release. It can release burden. It can release control. So when you talk about someone who's been abused as a child sexually or some other way, and then they carry this burden with them, really the only way they can ever release the control this person has had over their lives from this period of time is to be able to forgive them. And that doesn't mean that a relationship is restored because you may never see this person

again. What if someone who hurt you has died? You're never going to be able to make that right. I mean, I had a guy, an older man that come into my office one day and just pour his heart out because his dad, he hated him, but he was dead. And so he just was carrying this burden. And I was like, well, the only thing you can do is forgive him and release him. And he said, but, but how do I do that?

I was like the same way God has forgiven you. So some things are release. Some things are restored. But either way, you find healing in either one of those situations. And a lot of time until you release something, you can't restore then other relationships because it just keeps driving you into that with the wreath. I love the wreath idea about the twisted bitter. that happens in our lives.

So forgiveness becomes like this soothing bomb that changes everything. Well, he used out another illustration that I thought was fantastic because he said, you got to remember that Jesus is describing what the kingdom of God is going to be like. The kingdom that he is bringing, that he's going to die for and purchase men and women and make the Holy Spirit available. And this is going to be part of kingdom living. and part of that is being able to leave room for God's justice or things you can't control and be forgiving on a daily basis.

And so he used Hebrews 12 as an example, which was fascinating and I had never looked at it in this light. But, you know, it's a famous chapter because it starts off saying, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and let us run with perseverance. the race marked out for us. So no matter what happens, we got to keep moving. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith.

Well, then he gets to verse 7, and he's like, endure hardship as discipline. I mean, he's not saying you're not going to have hardship and things that are going to be difficult. Well, he gets to verse 14 and says, make every effort to live in peace with all men. Well, now we're getting personal. and to be holy without holiness, listen to this statement, no one will see the Lord. I mean, we're set apart to be different and to be holy by God. And then he gets into this idea about the wreath,

which says, see to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. Because that's what an unforgiving, bitter, resentful spirit happens. It's like an unseen, he called it like a subterranean issue in your heart where you're mad at somebody because they did you wrong and you hate them. But you know it's wrong to do that so you alienate them. Then he gets down to verse 22 and he's like, you've come to Mount Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem to thousands upon thousands of angels and joyful assembly. and we read this before, but it says whose names have been written in heaven, you've come to God, the judge of all men.

There's that same concept. He's the judge, we're not, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, which earlier he said he's made us perfect as we're being made holy. He made us forever perfect. That's Hebrews to him. And then he gets into the kingdom. Verse 28. Yeah, 28.

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful and so worship God acceptably with reverence and all for our God is a consuming fire. It's like you see all the principles that Jesus is representing that later the Hebrew writer would put in a nice little chapter, but right there in the middle of it is don't miss the grace of God through this point. process and don't have this bitter root that comes up. So I think you should read on the next section in verse three. Yeah. So and just to that point about bitterness, he said it defiles many, but the first person

it defiles is you. And then that seeps into all your relationships. That's why it's so important to get that right. Which is so true. So before you read that, that's why this is so radical. Because Jesus is like, okay, he starts all. saying don't offend. Do your part to be holy and not offend, especially the innocent. But then it's like, but when you're sinned against, what's so crazy and so radical is Jesus

says, watch yourself. Yeah. Well, that's where we get off wrong, because when somebody sins against us, well, we're not watching ourself. We're watching what they did. But he said, you watch yourself. And then go ahead. Yeah. So he says, you know, watch yourselves. If your brother sins, and this is where he shifts it over to what you're talking about, rebuke him. So in other words, it's okay to call it out. You should. And if he repents, because you've called it out, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day and seven times comes back to you and says, I repent, forgive him. Now, we were talking about the three strikes and it's interesting because, and by the way, so Luke

takes these four verses to put this thought in where he does. And I definitely think that's because of what we had been talking about with judgment. But if you go back to Matthew 18, Matthew spends a whole chapter on these four thoughts that Luke deals in four verses. He spent a whole chapter because if you go back to Matthew 18, you see him talking about the greatest in the kingdom of God. And that's when he called the children. Remember he said you got to be like a little child. And then he mentions about the, he goes much more into graphic detail. You know, if your eye calls you to sin, cut it out, if your hand, if your foot. And then he goes into the parable of the lost sheep, which Luke had dealt with back in 15,

along with the lost coin and the lost sons. And then you get this idea about a brother who sins against you, which he taught, Matthew talks about. And then Peter asked the question, Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? up to seven times like I mean aren't I good I mean I'm thinking seven well it's probably a reference to this you know that's right exactly he said that before he did and so he says I tell you not seven times but 77 times or 70 times which is what some of the versions say which would be 490 in other words there's no there's no limit

is the point that Jesus makes and then he tells a parable which is so crazy though it's so crazy what he said when you put this all together. Okay, wait a minute. I got to leave room for God's wrath. I've got to watch myself because I don't want to call somebody to sin, but when somebody sends against me, I got to forgive them an endless amount. Well, guess what kind of response that triggered? They said, the apostle said to the Lord, increase our faith. We can't do it. They literally were saved. that's impossible. That's impossible.

So we're not saying this is easy. This is not going to happen at the snap of your finger. Because when you start coming up with scenarios that make people mad, especially when it's oppression and sinned against, this is never going to be easy, which is why he's addressing it. And some of these scholars, when I was reading some of this, I just had to chuckle. Because I read one that said, well, you know, he's not talking about the world here.

Because he said, if you're a brother, you know, sins against you. Because they, in their mind, was just like the disciples and said, now there's just some things that we're just not going to forgive. And Keller brought that up and he said, look, what about Mark 11, 25, which, you know, I didn't notice this when we studied Mark, but it is a profound statement. Jesus said, and when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive your sins.

So, you know, don't take the easy way out. Just realize that this is going to be a very difficult thing that the Lord is asking, which is why he's fixed to tell this misunderstood parable in that you are not the owner of what's going on. you're not the creator. You're here only by the grace of God, and you will be here only by the grace of God. So take your stand, do your best, try to be holy, try to protect the innocent,

but in the back of your mind, realize I'm in charge here, which leads us to this parable. It's really two different parable. I think first he addresses this question of, or this statement, increase your faith. Because I believe he's saying by this phrase, he replied, if you have faith as small as a musher seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, be uprooted and planting in the sea and it will obey you. So his response was basically, you have that faith because I think he's saying it's not the amount, it's the object.

I am the object. I am your faith. You have me. That's why he gives a picture of two different things. Let's take another break. So these two things he mentions, you're right, Jay's, is the mustard seed, which is known for being so tiny. Like if you had it in the palm of your hand, you could even hardly see it. It's about the size of a flea.

But the mulberry tree is famous for being structurally strong. You know, like, I mean, it would have deep roots. And so when he painted those two pictures, you're exactly right, which is why I think, faith comes up anyway. If you don't have faith in something greater than yourself, then it's going to be very hard for you to live a life for forgiveness because you just don't have a structure big enough for you, which is why they instantly said, oh, man, we got to have some more faith. And it makes me think about Hebrews 111. Without faith, it is impossible to please God, you know, one through six there, or 11, 1 through 6. Because

it's the only thing that can fill the gap that happens between things that are wrong and the ability to be able to let it go or do something different about it. So I think that's why he paints the picture that he paints you're exactly right. Oh, yeah, it's going to take faith. But it's look, it's not you having more. It's about you trusting in me because I am more, which leads to that next paragraph. Paul does the same thing in 2nd, 5, you know, because I made this big deal about reconciliation.

If your strategy, when somebody does you wrong, is to alienate yourself, and then you read 2nd Corinthians 517, if anyone's in Christ, he's a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come, all this is from God who reconciled us to himself through Christ. He gave us the ministry of reconciliation, that God was not, that God was reconciled the world to himself in Christ, not counting men sins against them. There's his grace. He's committed to us the same message of reconciliation. We are there for Christ ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.

But I read all that to get here, which is the most non-talked-about part of this verse. But it goes right in with what we're talking about here in Luke 17. But he said, we implore you on Christ's behalf. Be reconciled to God. Because you're not going to be able to give the message of reconciliation. without trusting in God on this. Whenever you get off the reservation and start thinking that you're in control of this, it's never going to work out because you're going to get mad.

People are going to do you wrong. There's going to be things so bad that you're not going to know what to do. In those situations, you're just going to have to be reconciled to God and say, you know, I'm going to let him handle this, you know. that John 10 takes on new meaning when you read that John 831 to the Jews who had believed him Jesus said if you hold them or teaching you're really my disciples

then you'll know the truth and the truth are set you free they answered we're Abraham descendants we've never been slaves of anyone how can you say that we shall be set free you know if we put our faith in you to remove our sin Jesus replied, I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. A slave has no permanent place in the family,

but a son belongs to it forever. So if the son sets you free, you'll be free indeed. I know you're Abraham's descendants, yet you're ready to kill me because you have no room for my word. I'm telling you what I've seen in the father's presence, and you do what you've heard from your father. You're like, their father.

if you were Abraham's children, then you would do the things Abraham does. As it is, you're determined to kill me. A man who's told you the truth and heard from God Almighty did not do such things. You're doing the things your own father does. We're not illegitimate children. The only father we have is God himself and talking to the Son of God. Just think about it. But listen to this.

Jesus said to him, if God were your father, you would love me, for I came from God, and now I'm here. I've not come on my own. He sent me. Why is my language not clear, do you? Because you're unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth. when he lies he speaks his native language for he's a liar and the father of lies yet because i tell you the truth

you still don't believe me can any of you prove me guilty of sin if i'm telling the truth why don't you believe me he who belongs to god here's what god says the reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to god that's pretty tough scripture right there to say when you fall as a victim of Satan, you will freely sin all you want to. You say, we're, we go back to our ancestry. But Abraham, but he said, Jesus said, Abraham's not your father.

The devil is. So it's a pretty tough read, but it got my attention. Well, no, and that's back. to the ultimate point. I think you're right, Dad. Let's take our last break. So the idea is to find this forgiveness. He says the faith part is a very small thing for you to do is to make a decision that you don't want to follow the evil one anymore, but you want to follow me. And in me, there's this power. I think about the line, I hear people say, well, you know, I haven't been able to forgive myself. And it's interesting when I hear people say that, because nowhere in the Bible

is that phrase ever mentioned about forgiving your. yourself. It's always about accepting the forgiveness of God and forgiving other people. The Bible doesn't say anywhere about forgiving yourself. And you know why? It's because you don't have the capacity. You're not the boss. The only thing you can do is trust God enough. The one he's addressing there in that John 8, that's the group he's addressing. Well, that's why I want to read this. All right. So in John, I mean, in Luke 177, so then he tells this parable. And I think we've got it set up pretty good. Suppose one of you, had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep.

What do you say to the servant when he comes in from the field, come along now and sit down to eat? Would he not rather say, prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink? After that, you may eat and drink. Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, They should say, we are unworthy servants. We have only done our duty.

All right. So you say, why is he all of a sudden telling the story? And I think the reason we have the problem with this is because when you see something, a story that starts talking about owners and servants, you either go to our economic principle, which is a boss and employees, which he's not talking about that, or you go to, unfortunately, you know, what happened in our country with slavery where people thought they were better than other people because of their race. Well, he's not talking about that.

We know that's wrong. But in this culture, I think if you go back and look at this scenario that Jesus is making a parable of, you know, back then when someone owed a debt, there was two things that happened. You either went to prison. You know, they didn't have bankruptcy. attorneys and either went to prison or you went to work for this person to pay off the debt. You became a servant. So he brings that up, which I know that's what he's talking about, but he's putting it in a context of God is in control.

He's the owner. He owns everything. He's created everything, including you. He's giving you grace. He's going to redeem you. He's going to give you life after death. It's all his. And so he tells this story where, like, well, they're out there working. And when you think you're the owner, you come back and you're like, I've been working for you all day.

No, where's my supper? And he's like, no, what you should say, since I'm the one in charge here is you're going to prepare my supper, I'm still the owner. And then after I finish, then I may give you or I may not. But, and we know God is a God of grace. So he's not trying to be funny or demeaning to us, but it's just like Luke 13. He's trying to get you to realize there's a God and you're not him. Are you going to trust me in this or not? I paid everything.

I paid your debt. I'm giving you the ability to work the debt all. I've paid everything. This is not about you. only out of my grace am I allowing you to do this I could have thrown you in prison and I think what you look at the context of how their culture work well it makes perfect sense and it really leads you to the cross he bought us you know and people don't like that verse in peter where it says even the you were bought at a price yeah you were bought at a price people bought well he bought

humans I mean that that's that's human trafficking you know he bought us by giving up his son and his blood purchased our wrongdoing and sins. And he's a just God. He's also a loving God. That's why he did it. And this wouldn't work if he had any kind of character flaws. But our God does not. And he's doing what's best.

He's wanting to protect the innocent. He's wanting to redeem us. And he's wanting to give us a platform that we can forgive. And the true injustices of the world, he will take care of. at the final judgment. Trust me, they're going to pay. No, and you're right. And really, if you think about it like you just laid it out, which I agree with,

it's another retelling of the two sons in Luke 15. I mean, you know, he was just doing this two chapters ago. It's exactly the father was there. He was the dad. He was the owner. It was his money. And then the first someone in the inheritance to go squander it and then wanted to come back to be an indentured servant.

And the evil one had become their, the one they were just working for her. Well, that's right. And so he, one willingly gave his lap, but the problem was the other guy thought he deserved his part, the older son. And so he tells the dad the same thing. What you've done here is not right. I didn't get my, I didn't get a goat. I didn't get this. I didn't get that.

And he says, look, you understand, I am the father. Yeah. And so it's the same story told. that just a different way. I think the underlying theme here is because Jesus made the jump to our brothers and when things go wrong. And we want to have that anger and we want them to pay. And Keller made a really good point about this. He's like, somebody's got to pay. And internally, you want them to pay, which is where resentment and bitterness and this twisted distortion happens that affects us all. And he said, in reality, because of God's grace towards you, and he gave some steps on how you are practically forgive.

So you first of all got to realize that we're all sinners and we're all unworthy servants. So that is the basis of the flat line. Number two is you've got to realize our job is to reconcile relationships. We're to love God with all a heart, soul, monstrous, and we're to love people. So he's like, his opinion, which I agreed with, he's like, yes, when something has been done this wrong, somebody has to pay the consequences. So in this situation with your brother, you're going to have to pay because, and you said, well, how do you do that? Well, you're going to have to forgive them.

You're going to have to try to reconcile the relationship. So hopefully you can introduce them to Jesus, so they'll quit doing this. of stuff, which goes back to the first two verses. And he said, that's when you pay. Because he said, you try to pray for those who you really hate and be sincere about it to God. And you try to just to swallow it. He said, and every time you do that, you're going to go, it's going to be agony. He said, there's your payment for their mistake. And it will be the hardest thing that you will ever do. And even in his personal life, he said, it's taken me years to even consider that.

He said, because it burns us up when people talk behind our backs, when they try to destroy our reputation. And he made a good illustration for what we do as Christians is we'll try to, you know, we'll justify our resentment by going to other people. And he put in quotations and warn them about. about what happened to us. And he said, that's a camouflage way of being bitter and gossiping and trying to warn other people.

It said, no, what are you doing? You're trying to make them pay for doing you wrong. He's like, you're not keeping it to yourself, swallowing your own pride, realizing you're an unworthy servant, and saying, you know what, God, I'm going to give this to you. I'm going to try to repair this because I've been saved by grace, which is why he came up with that illustration about, well, where's my meal? Where can I be comfortable in this situation? And Jesus is basically saying, I'm not worried about your comfort. You're just going to have to swallow your pride and move on. And if you have to work all day to try to reconcile this relationship,

and then you have to fix them a meal and wait to their finish before you think about yourself, that's just what I'm asking you to do. It's a very tough teaching. It is. And I think that's why, And I want to read this before we go to overtime, so we can talk about it. I think that's why he uses the illustration Luke does of this next story about the 10 lepers because it goes into attitude. He says, on his way of Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee, as he was going into a village 10 men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, Jesus, master, had pity on us. When he saw them, he said, go show yourselves to the priest.

As they went, so they obeyed, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw it was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. This is all about attitude. He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him, and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus says, we're not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return to give praise to God except this foreigner? Then he said to him, rise and go.

Your faith has made you well. So we'll talk about this a little bit more in the overtime, especially in relationship to what we discussed in terms of our attitude and how we embrace forgiveness and what it does for us. If you want to follow us over to overtime, blazedtv.com slash unashamed is what I mean. Thanks for listening to the Unashamed podcast. Help us out by rating us on iTunes. And don't miss an episode by subscribing on YouTube.

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