back to indexBerean Community Church Wednesday Bible Study Philemon 10-13
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Let's take our seats and get situated so we can start our worship together. 00:10:36.400 |
Okay, please join with me in a word of prayer as we open up with some time of singing together. Let's pray. 00:10:45.400 |
Our Heavenly Father, we give you thanks. Lord God, we thank you so much for your presence, your love, and your mercies that you pour out on us every single day. 00:10:56.400 |
And God, we recognize that as we live here on earth, we constantly are receiving from you a regular grace that's far above and beyond what we deserve. 00:11:06.400 |
And we pray that with grateful hearts we will continue to persevere through each season's ups and downs. 00:11:14.400 |
And we again want to thank you and praise you for the opportunities we have to come to worship, to lift your name on high, to fellowship, learn, and more. 00:11:23.400 |
So we do want to lift our hearts to you in this time. And even as we sing, we want to lift our words and affection to you, Lord. 00:11:30.400 |
So God, we thank you and pray for a fruitful time of study this evening. It's in Christ's name. Amen. 00:19:04.400 |
Well, I would like to just go over a few announcements. 00:19:09.400 |
And the first announcement is that for all the men, 00:19:12.400 |
reminder that this Saturday at 9 a.m. is going to be our men's fellowship and meeting. 00:19:17.400 |
Pastor Peter Kim will be preaching about biblical leadership. 00:19:21.400 |
There's many aspects about leadership, and we touched on it already a few times. 00:19:25.400 |
But we'll also have discussion and fellowship over lunch, 00:19:29.400 |
so make sure to sign up ASAP so that we can appropriately put you into groups. 00:19:33.400 |
And then, open to everybody, both members and non-members, 00:19:38.400 |
on the 28th, we're going to be having a special seminar on the topic of abortion. 00:19:44.400 |
We would like to just tackle, we have been hearing just more and more prominent 00:19:49.400 |
Christian individuals, figures, and pastors, and leaders 00:19:53.400 |
talk about the viability of taking a pro-choice position. 00:19:58.400 |
But we want to talk about what are the biblical arguments, 00:20:01.400 |
and even counter-arguments to the common statements that are made these days. 00:20:06.400 |
So, that's going to happen at 145 in the sanctuary on the 28th of this month, 00:20:13.400 |
Okay, but before I have you guys go into the discussion time, 00:20:18.400 |
I want to give just a brief, brief encouragement 00:20:21.400 |
to persevere through this long series of the study. 00:20:25.400 |
As you guys know, this spring session is 17 weeks long, 00:20:29.400 |
so including the praise and prayers and the different breaks that we have, 00:20:32.400 |
we've gone from January now to, we're going to finish in the second week of June. 00:20:37.400 |
So, this last, like, four or five weeks that we have, persevere. 00:20:41.400 |
Make sure you guys are coming with good questions. 00:20:44.400 |
Just making a side note that because in Philemon, 00:20:48.400 |
we're tackling maybe three to four verses per evening, 00:20:51.400 |
you might feel like there's only two points to hit. 00:20:56.400 |
But as we're seeking to hang on every word, so to speak, 00:21:00.400 |
try your best to break down those three sentences 00:21:03.400 |
into smaller, short phrases and meditate on each one. 00:21:06.400 |
The best thing to do if you're not able to, let's say, 00:21:09.400 |
dig for profound, you know, insights or observations, 00:21:13.400 |
is to try and ask as many questions as possible. 00:21:16.400 |
So, just as an encouragement to you, make sure that when you come, 00:21:19.400 |
come ready with at least several questions to ask about each phrase of the text. 01:09:30.400 |
Okay. Let's have those of the groups that are in the room go out and come on out, 01:09:37.400 |
and then we'll start our recap of the passage that we just discussed. 01:10:06.400 |
Okay. Let's pray together, and then we'll jump into the text. 01:10:16.400 |
Lord, Heavenly Father, Lord God, as we look at your Word, 01:10:27.400 |
and God, to really chew on every word that is found, God, in your Scripture. 01:10:34.400 |
Lord, we also pray that when we study a letter like this, 01:10:40.400 |
we've been learning much about the encouragement of Philemon's character. 01:10:48.400 |
and even from the one who has caused the offense, we're learning from Onesimus. 01:10:54.400 |
We pray, Father God, that we would not see them as distant figures 01:11:01.400 |
but we would really see our own hearts laid before you on the table, 01:11:05.400 |
God, that you would mend, you would conform to the image of your Son. 01:11:22.400 |
and I have entitled it as "My Child Onesimus," 01:11:26.400 |
because the meditation of truth from this text 01:11:30.400 |
will be focusing on the person and character of the former slave. 01:11:39.400 |
we have the idea that Paul was very, very thankful. 01:11:44.400 |
He said, "I make mention of you in my prayer, and I thank my God for you." 01:11:51.400 |
was that Philemon's faith that's already commendable 01:11:57.400 |
And you have to keep that in mind when you think about even Onesimus 01:12:09.400 |
through Philemon's character of joy, comfort, and refreshment. 01:12:15.400 |
which I hope you guys had a fruitful discussion when discussing 01:12:22.400 |
Do they see you as an individual who has an angry scowl 01:12:26.400 |
and you just have a resting, embittered face? 01:12:29.400 |
Or are you someone who brings joy, etc., etc.? 01:12:35.400 |
because of his confidence in Philemon's general character, 01:12:41.400 |
he could make an appeal that Philemon's forgiveness 01:12:47.400 |
as opposed to an exercise of Paul's authority to say, 01:12:54.400 |
He wanted it to be full of grace, full of mercy, 01:13:26.400 |
so that on your behalf he might minister to me 01:13:38.400 |
when I challenge at the beginning of the study 01:13:41.400 |
to break things up into small phrases that you can meditate, 01:13:47.400 |
as something that you can take time to meditate on. 01:13:57.400 |
verse 10 and 11, which clearly talks about Anisimus 01:14:11.400 |
are centering and meditating on Anisimus as a person. 01:14:20.400 |
but there's even here a lot to think through. 01:14:25.400 |
So what you'll notice is he describes the idea 01:14:36.400 |
but also it is contrary to what he actually wished. 01:14:40.400 |
Okay. So now there's three things about his simple sending 01:14:43.400 |
that you could sit and ask questions and meditate on. 01:14:47.400 |
So very briefly as an overview, it just looks like that. 01:14:51.400 |
So tackling the first section, verse 10 through 11, 01:15:03.400 |
Apostle Paul clearly is describing his perspective and heart 01:15:10.400 |
and so we have to be asking this question about, 01:15:16.400 |
but clearly it's going to be focused not just on, 01:15:21.400 |
You actually don't see a whole lot there, right? 01:15:24.400 |
You actually don't see this is biblical principle. 01:15:28.400 |
What you actually see is, look, look what I see. 01:15:33.400 |
He was begotten, and we have to just kind of think about, 01:15:36.400 |
yes, there's an obvious case he was converted. 01:15:38.400 |
He was formerly useless, and then now he's useful. 01:15:42.400 |
So then from that, you get lots of questions you could ask. 01:15:59.400 |
in Anisimus' character, even as a newer convert, 01:16:07.400 |
well, I've got like message and news for Colossae, 01:16:10.400 |
but I've got this long journey you need to go on, 01:16:15.400 |
If you guys remember my map of how far Rome is from Colossae, 01:16:22.400 |
Would you trust an individual who has a lot to lose? 01:16:29.400 |
what was the penalty for a runaway slave in the time of Jesus? 01:16:38.400 |
If the owner was like, it's okay, I don't want him, 01:16:50.400 |
Both biblical historians and also non-Christian historians 01:16:56.400 |
account to the fact that runaway slaves were branded fugitive. 01:17:06.400 |
In that long, long journey, if Anisimus is just thinking, 01:17:12.400 |
then there's many instances where he could have turned the other way, 01:17:23.400 |
So then going back to the text, when we look at this then, 01:17:27.400 |
what's more, we have questions about this idea of 01:17:30.400 |
Apostle Paul describes him as the one he has begotten. 01:17:34.400 |
So there's obviously a very near and dear closeness 01:17:37.400 |
because Apostle Paul's the one who talked to this individual. 01:17:46.400 |
And so he describes it as he has begotten him, 01:17:52.400 |
Taught him the core basics and led him to conversion. 01:17:58.400 |
When you think about the idea that Apostle Paul is describing him, 01:18:03.400 |
there isn't a whole lot said here, and honestly speaking, 01:18:06.400 |
a lot of what I'm saying is more generic just thoughts, 01:18:09.400 |
like, okay, clearly, like, Apostle Paul must have had 01:18:16.400 |
Clearly, his conversion must have been genuine and real 01:18:19.400 |
for Apostle Paul to think of him as a real converted individual 01:18:27.400 |
But why describe him as useless before and useful now, right? 01:18:48.400 |
Why use the word useful when it seems so condescending? 01:18:54.400 |
you have probably been at certain times complimented. 01:18:57.400 |
It's like, oh man, you know, you're so gifted. 01:19:02.400 |
someone may say, oh, you're handsome, you're pretty, 01:19:11.400 |
As though that was a compliment that I was waiting to hear. 01:19:19.400 |
But actually, Scripture has a lot to say about that. 01:19:27.400 |
I wanted to see if I can do this from presenter view 01:19:58.400 |
"What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. 01:20:02.400 |
For we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks 01:20:07.400 |
As it is written, there is none righteous, not even one. 01:20:26.400 |
Apostle Paul described the generic state of mankind 01:20:39.400 |
Well, I want you to think about an individual. 01:20:45.400 |
there are certain individuals where it's like 01:20:56.400 |
You have an individual who perhaps, potentially, 01:20:59.400 |
could have been a rebellious, bold individual 01:21:15.400 |
who is submissive to Apostle Paul's teaching, 01:22:20.400 |
I ask the question as we meditate on this passage, 01:22:27.400 |
how does Apostle Paul see this young convert, 01:22:36.400 |
He's already been sanctified in many ways, perhaps, 01:22:46.400 |
"so that we could do this work for the kingdom together." 01:23:02.400 |
what we could also add, by way of conviction, 01:23:06.400 |
what a challenging example of true repentance, 01:23:17.400 |
but nevertheless shows this kind of character. 01:23:21.400 |
Later on, I'm going to ask the question for discussion. 01:23:25.400 |
It's like, Apostle Paul is clearly making an appeal for Onesimus, 01:23:34.400 |
If Onesimus was maybe one of those people who, 01:23:52.400 |
By way of application, if you were a peacemaker, a counselor, 01:24:08.400 |
I'm just going to leave that for you to meditate on 01:24:15.400 |
is Apostle Paul just simply stating this profound statement, 01:24:40.400 |
It may just seem a matter of fact to just say, "Of course." 01:24:49.400 |
how many of us would rather if we got in a conflict, 01:24:57.400 |
Sometimes conflict resolution is ultra-awkward, 01:25:07.400 |
Is it necessary that an individual comes in person 01:25:09.400 |
because it was an option just to send a letter? 01:25:16.400 |
keep him with Apostle Paul, let him do the work. 01:25:20.400 |
What's more, why in the world does Apostle Paul 01:25:33.400 |
"to what makes sense to me as an alternative. 01:25:41.400 |
One of the questions I want to ask just from meditation is, 01:25:47.400 |
appealed to Philemon the same way he's appealing-- 01:26:11.400 |
"that you've done in the past, now that you're in Christ? 01:26:18.400 |
And what's more, there is this immediate application 01:26:30.400 |
If I am the offender in that I hurt somebody, 01:26:38.400 |
clearly, clearly just in the category of wrong. 01:26:45.400 |
And would it have been acceptable for Onesimus 01:26:47.400 |
just to be like, "I'm going to send you this letter," right? 01:27:00.400 |
But we can actually take time to meditate on these things, 01:27:07.400 |
and go to 2 Corinthians 7, verse 8 through 11. 01:27:11.400 |
That passage is probably very familiar to you, 01:27:14.400 |
because it has a lot to say about genuine repentance as a whole. 01:27:18.400 |
Okay? Take your Bibles and go to 2 Corinthians 7, 01:27:24.400 |
I asked the question, "Wow, this is really interesting. 01:27:35.400 |
And what's more, what does that teach us about our own repentance 01:27:49.400 |
It says, "Apostle Paul speaking to the church, 01:27:51.400 |
"'For though I cause you sorrow by my letter, 01:27:54.400 |
"'I do not regret it, though I did regret it, 01:27:57.400 |
"'for I see that that letter caused you sorrow, 01:28:01.400 |
"'I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, 01:28:04.400 |
"'but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance, 01:28:07.400 |
"'for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, 01:28:13.400 |
"'So that you might not suffer loss in anything through us.'" 01:28:21.400 |
Verse 10, "For the sorrow that is according to the will of God 01:28:24.400 |
"produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, 01:28:29.400 |
"For behold what earnestness this very thing, 01:28:35.400 |
"what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, 01:28:41.400 |
"what avenging of wrong, in everything you demonstrate yourself 01:28:58.400 |
And the reason why is because in this side, I was like, 01:29:01.400 |
"Wait a minute, the gospel tells us you cannot pay for sins. 01:29:05.400 |
"The gospel tells us you cannot pay actually for anything you do wrong. 01:29:09.400 |
"As a matter of fact, we've been told you're not supposed to have a debtor's ethic, 01:29:13.400 |
"but on this side, Scripture is telling us you should actually be zealous 01:29:20.400 |
"If you cause somebody greatly, let's say you were all mad, 01:29:23.400 |
"worked up at something, and you knocked over your coffee, 01:29:26.400 |
"and it spilled on someone's computer, I should be quick to say, 01:29:29.400 |
"'Let me offer you payment for that computer.'" 01:29:35.400 |
"Because I should be zealous to make right what I did wrong." 01:29:41.400 |
But then in my head, I was like, "But what if I offend somebody?" 01:29:44.400 |
I don't know if you guys have ever hurt some nice person at church. 01:29:48.400 |
If you try to pay them, they're going to be like, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. 01:29:51.400 |
"No, no, it's okay. You don't have to pay me anything." 01:30:04.400 |
And then I realized, is there a biblical principle where not just here, 01:30:08.400 |
Scripture teaches us that even when we offend other people, not just God, 01:30:15.400 |
there is a desire and a zeal to show forth my heart's genuine desire, right? 01:30:32.400 |
And it says, "Zacchaeus, because he had listened to the word of the Lord, 01:30:38.400 |
"And when he came to faith," look at what he said, 01:30:40.400 |
"he stopped and said to the Lord, 'Behold, Lord, half of my possessions 01:30:44.400 |
"'I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, 01:31:00.400 |
Man, and once I heard this, I realized, oh my gosh. 01:31:04.400 |
You know, not just because I'm counseling people, 01:31:10.400 |
There are not just one, two, three different tools in my belt, 01:31:20.400 |
I can give excuses. I can sweet-talk my way out of things. 01:31:23.400 |
I can manipulate to be like, "No, no, you don't understand how hard it is for me," 01:31:30.400 |
Do you have any idea how many different paths we have to defend ourselves, 01:31:35.400 |
not own up to our sins, our hurts that we've given to other people? 01:31:42.400 |
Pretending like we can sweep it under the rug, we have so many. 01:31:51.400 |
a true sense of repentance over anything that we have wrong 01:31:58.400 |
And I want to say this interesting point that, 01:32:01.400 |
although yes, we are supposed to be a people marked by giving forgiveness, 01:32:06.400 |
where is the talk of we are supposed to be a people 01:32:12.400 |
First, in rectifying what I'm doing wrong. Right? 01:32:20.400 |
because there we begin Jesus' words, "Blessed are those who mourn." 01:32:27.400 |
In our own brokenness, we should be able to fully embrace the feeling of guilt, 01:32:35.400 |
that sorrow will lead us into the will of God and we will lose nothing. 01:32:39.400 |
We have confidence that this is the way God has designed for us 01:32:49.400 |
So in thinking about that then, we have much to learn about 01:32:52.400 |
what that means for, let's say, if we're thinking about 01:32:56.400 |
an isthmus as an example we can follow when we've wronged somebody. 01:33:03.400 |
and ask the question about the whole sending my heart. Okay. 01:33:08.400 |
And meditate on this because, let's take a moment to think about 01:33:11.400 |
Apostle Paul as an example. Remember he is the peacemaker. Okay. 01:33:16.400 |
He is the peacemaker and he is appealing for an isthmus 01:33:20.400 |
and he's saying that I'm sending my very heart 01:33:26.400 |
Clearly what he's saying is, I'm sending my heart in the sense of 01:33:33.400 |
Could it mean that I'm sending my very heart in the sense of 01:33:36.400 |
an isthmus and I are so close, our thoughts are harmonious, 01:33:45.400 |
What I want to highlight for you in this is, man, 01:33:57.400 |
that goes far above and beyond what is normal 01:34:03.400 |
What I mean by that is, as a pastor, I actually have to vouch 01:34:09.400 |
If let's say we have somebody who is leading a team 01:34:12.400 |
and then our leadership talks about it, there are moments when I'd be like, 01:34:15.400 |
"Hey, I meet with this guy, he's good. I know he's a little bit quirky, 01:34:21.400 |
And a lot of times when people come and ask me, a girl may ask, 01:34:24.400 |
"Hey, this guy asked me out. What's he like?" And I gotta be like, 01:34:27.400 |
"Well, he's got these good things and those bad things." 01:34:31.400 |
But I vouch for him. He's gonna be a good guy. 01:34:45.400 |
I send him to you like I'm sending you my heart. 01:34:51.400 |
Apostle Paul loves this man with an incredible deep, deep love 01:34:59.400 |
And amongst his peers, that's hard to get to, is what I'm saying. 01:35:07.400 |
Apostle Paul has a deep, deep love for an isthmus 01:35:17.400 |
If you have your Bibles again, or not, I know you have your Bibles, 01:35:22.400 |
And in that passage, you know the passage about the genuine repentance? 01:35:26.400 |
I want you to feel Apostle Paul's heart surrounding 01:35:33.400 |
If you take your eyes and look at verse 2-3, listen to what he says. 01:35:37.400 |
He says, "Make room for us in your hearts. We wronged no one. 01:35:40.400 |
We corrupted no one. We took advantage of no one. 01:35:43.400 |
I do not speak to condemn you, for I have said before 01:35:46.400 |
that you are in our hearts to die together and live together." 01:35:53.400 |
I don't have to say it because you guys know the Corinthians were a rowdy bunch 01:35:56.400 |
with a lot of sin, a lot of division, a lot of competition, 01:36:03.400 |
But Apostle Paul loves them so much, he says, "We die together, live together." 01:36:07.400 |
And he risks, "I know that when I say these things to you, 01:36:10.400 |
you may think and feel like I'm condemning you. I'm not." 01:36:15.400 |
Apostle Paul is saying, "I love you, and that's why I correct you." 01:36:20.400 |
Look at verse 8. 2 Corinthians 7 verse 8 says, 01:36:23.400 |
"For though I cause you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. 01:36:27.400 |
Though I did regret it, for I see that that letter caused you sorrow, 01:36:34.400 |
He risked--I mean, you probably have done this going back and forth, 01:36:39.400 |
like, "What do I say? How do I say it? And oh, my goodness, 01:36:43.400 |
Anytime you try to correct anybody, you're taking tons of risks. 01:36:55.400 |
and that desire and that love desires for Onesimus to have nothing lost. 01:37:03.400 |
Very briefly, in some ways, I think that we have kind of a twisted version 01:37:09.400 |
of love in our day, where if somebody sins, if they fail, 01:37:13.400 |
if they have a deficiency, we want to cover it, but like, 01:37:15.400 |
"No, no, it's okay. Don't feel bad about it." 01:37:18.400 |
We may even say things to things like, "Hey, we all make mistakes, 01:37:22.400 |
and I understand if I was in your shoes, I would do the same," etc., etc. 01:37:26.400 |
And all that is doing is giving sympathy, which is good. 01:37:31.400 |
However, if that is where we end, that's all they get is my sympathy. 01:37:38.400 |
But by pushing Onesimus to go and seek repentance in that fashion, 01:37:43.400 |
what he's going to get is clarity of conscience. 01:37:47.400 |
He's going to receive grace and mercy from his former master. 01:37:51.400 |
He's going to have doors opened of grace, love, affection 01:37:58.400 |
And that way, it's just like, again, a pure father's heart for his own kid. 01:38:10.400 |
And lastly, obviously, Apostle Paul makes a sincere sacrifice. 01:38:15.400 |
When we come to this passage, and he says, "Whom I wish to keep with me," 01:38:19.400 |
I don't think Apostle Paul is just using buttery words to be like, 01:38:22.400 |
"You know, Onesimus is so good. You could have him. I wanted him too." 01:38:27.400 |
No, I think Apostle Paul says what he means, which is, 01:38:36.400 |
And in that way, there's a sincerity of sacrifice, there's a sincerity of motive. 01:38:43.400 |
And Apostle Paul actually says that exact same thing in 2 Corinthians 7, 01:38:56.400 |
He says, "So although I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of the offender, 01:39:01.400 |
nor for the sake of the one offended, but that your earnestness on our behalf 01:39:06.400 |
might be made known to you in the sight of God." 01:39:11.400 |
"For this reason we have been comforted, and besides our comfort, 01:39:14.400 |
we rejoice even more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all. 01:39:19.400 |
For if in anything I have boasted to him about you, I was not put to shame. 01:39:24.400 |
But as we spoke all things to you in truth, so also our boasting before Titus proved to be the truth. 01:39:30.400 |
His affection abounds all the more towards you, as he remembers the obedience of you all, 01:39:35.400 |
how you received him with fear and trembling. 01:39:38.400 |
So I rejoice that in everything I have confidence in you." 01:39:44.400 |
He's not actually taking sides one way or the other. 01:39:47.400 |
He's not thinking of just the offender or just the offended. 01:39:51.400 |
But for truth's sake and for love's sake, he's instructing. 01:39:57.400 |
The final thing I want to say about this passage when I look at it is, man, 01:40:02.400 |
since so far then in this juncture of studying Philemon, 01:40:06.400 |
we saw Philemon's character that was very encouraging, full of love. 01:40:10.400 |
We actually are starting to get a lot of confidence in Nisimus too. 01:40:15.400 |
And then I realized, man, there is in any reconciliation a need for hopefulness. 01:40:25.400 |
If at any time Apostle Paul had no confidence in Nisimus' character or in Philemon's character, 01:40:33.400 |
I'm sure you're going to butcher it when you show up. 01:40:38.400 |
Apostle Paul, out of his love, he says to the Corinthians church, 01:40:42.400 |
"Do you understand I have confidence in you?" 01:40:51.400 |
because we've been through various different conflicts in life, 01:40:54.400 |
there's going to be a temptation for you to constantly have a pessimistic 01:41:03.400 |
But in that kind of scenario, the scripture is not asking you, 01:41:07.400 |
put your blinders on and just believe all things. 01:41:14.400 |
Scripture is calling us to have incredible confidence beside what you see physically. 01:41:21.400 |
I'm willing to bet every single one of you have stories and experiences 01:41:25.400 |
that will be justifications as to why conflict resolution is hard, 01:41:30.400 |
why certain individuals shouldn't be trusted, 01:41:32.400 |
why it's very, very difficult to seek greater peace with so-and-so. 01:41:37.400 |
Every single one of us has stories like that. 01:41:40.400 |
But remember, scripture has for us this incredible encouragement. 01:41:53.400 |
does not rejoice in unrighteousness but rejoices with truth, 01:41:56.400 |
bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. 01:42:08.400 |
Apostle Paul, the individual who, again, by the time he's now in Rome, 01:42:13.400 |
he's done so much ministry all through Turkey, Greece, and whatever, 01:42:18.400 |
and he's already seen people who claim to be faithful already reject him 01:42:22.400 |
and yet have so much confidence in the work of Christ 01:42:31.400 |
There's incredible confidence in the work of the Holy Spirit 01:42:43.400 |
forgiveness requested, forgiveness given, forgiveness received, 01:42:52.400 |
if we think about reconciliation and forgiveness. 01:42:55.400 |
But I want to encourage you to see the example of Apostle Paul, 01:42:59.400 |
where he has great, great hope and confidence 01:43:14.400 |
This particular portion of the text had so much for us to think about. 01:43:20.400 |
And God, we recognize there are situations, Lord, 01:43:25.400 |
where it is hopeless and people are hard to change. 01:43:34.400 |
for two individuals 1,200 and plus miles apart 01:43:39.400 |
to be reconciled, to be reconciled specifically in Christ 01:43:50.400 |
And so it's a beautiful thing, Lord, and I pray 01:43:53.400 |
that this kind of love is both inspiring and convicting 01:43:59.400 |
to what greater degree can we exercise this grace, 01:44:02.400 |
to what greater degree can we exercise this love? 01:44:13.400 |
because that one had like the core of the, you know, 01:44:18.400 |
Anisimus and his return and thoughts like that. 01:44:22.400 |
Just as a heads up to you guys, May 19th is Praise and Prayer 01:44:26.400 |
and the week after is going to be verse 14 through 16. 01:44:49.400 |
where he was maybe defending himself, et cetera. 01:44:52.400 |
Number two, what does it show about the reconciliation 01:44:57.400 |
The expectation for the one who has given the offense, 01:45:02.400 |
I asked another question, like what are some common offenses 01:45:08.400 |
I want for us to talk about actual tangible possible scenarios 01:45:12.400 |
because obviously we're not in a situation where, 01:45:16.400 |
I don't know, your slave has dissed you, you know, 01:45:20.400 |
deprived you of your rights, like that's not for us. 01:45:24.400 |
And then if we did do wrong, then what is the earnestness 01:45:28.400 |
to show repentance that we are responsible for? 01:45:31.400 |
Number three, what risks do you have to take as an offender 01:45:36.400 |
repenting for, sorry, well, what risks do you have to take 01:45:40.400 |
as an offender repenting or the offended giving grace? 01:45:43.400 |
So I want us to think about like, if you're the one trying to go 01:45:47.400 |
and seek someone's forgiveness, what risks are you actually taking? 01:45:50.400 |
If you're the one who's feeling offended but you want to give 01:45:53.400 |
for forgiveness so you initiate going to talk to that person, 01:45:58.400 |
Number four, have you ever played this third party peacemaker? 01:46:01.400 |
And how do you love both parties without bias? 01:46:06.400 |
All right, you guys, go ahead and do your discussion, 01:46:09.400 |
and then we'll see you guys next time. Thank you.