Been Offended?

I've given a couple of sermons in the past about reconciliation, and reconciling with your brother is not anything easy. And it is possible at times that I say something or somebody says something and then people get offended. And sometimes it's without intention. And we say things and we offend people. And then we have to go through a process of reconciliation. And reconciliation is not just getting along, but it really is about a family relationship. And really the relationship being healthy and sound. In the 2 Corinthians, Paul uses an interesting scripture that I've turned to before, but I want to turn to again. 2 Corinthians chapter 5. And in verse 18 says, Now all things are of God who has reconciled us to himself, in other words, to God through Jesus Christ. God the Father has reconciled us back to Him the Father through the work that is given to His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to Rico Silas.

In other words, not imputing, a bigger part of the host just jumping up, now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. You and I, brethren, have a job which is the ministry of reconciliation.

And particularly the ministers have this job to help and encourage people in the ministry of reconciliation. It may be a thing that in the past maybe was not talked too much about in the church, but I do believe that is something that we do need to consider and meditate and think about.

Continue in verse 19. There is the ministry of reconciliation. There is that God was in Christ, in other words, through Christ, God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself. Now you and I know that the world today is not yet reconciled to God. They're not at one with God, because when you reconcile, it's working as a family being at one. And obviously that is the goal, but it says that God was in Christ, reconciling the world Himself. And so God's intent, ultimate goal is that the whole world will be at peace with God and at one with Him, not imputing their trespasses to them and has committed to us the world of reconciliation. So God in the end wants to forgive mankind. Obviously there are certain conditions in the path of forgiveness for mankind, but He has committed to us as ministers, the ministry, the world of reconciliation. And now then, we as Christians, we are ambassadors for Christ. We are representatives of that way of life, or that example that Christ is giving to us. As though God were pleading through us, we implore you on Christ's behalf, being reconciled to God.

So the beginning of true reconciliation is for us to be honestly and 100% at one with God. So brethren, by extension, once we are reconciled with God, then we are on the road to reconciliation with our brothers and sisters, because it says, love God, and that's the law, love God, and love man. So by implication, that's what we have to do. But it's very difficult, brethren, when we've been offended. If you've been offended, if I've been offended, we all have. In fact, we also probably have offended others. Who hasn't? We all have, one way or another. So my question here today is, how shall we handle this? How? The how-to. So today, I want to spend a bit of time about the how-to, how to address ourselves when we're hurting, because we're all hurting for one thing or another.

I don't want to go into specifics, but you know, I can think of myself that I'm hurting for certain things. You can think of yourself that you're hurting for certain things, whatever they may be. We're all hurt. We're all being hurt. We're all being scarred, let's put it this way, all hurt, and we've got scars. We all have. We all have. And I appreciate the sermon that was very good and very fitting. And so let's look at what is the cause of hurt. And let's turn to Isaiah 59 verse 2. Isaiah 59 verse 2. Because Yah is the cause of hurt.

Isaiah 59, he says, and I'm just taking a section here. You can read, obviously, the whole chapter, but just in the section, yeah, he says, your iniquities have separated you from God.

In other words, that division between us and God has been our sins. And by extension, that division between us and other people are our sins. The problem sometimes is we sin. And sometimes it's without intent. Other times he is with intent. I mean, some people sin with intent. But I'm looking at it from the point of us as Christians, that as Christians, we sometimes sin without intending. We might say something wrong, which in good intent, I did not mean it wrong, but you perceived it wrong. Or my wife perceived it wrong, but I never say anything.

So that's a bad example. I'm just joking.

So, but the point is we all cause injuries somewhere along the line. We all have sinned, and our iniquities have separated us from God. And our sins have hidden God's face from us.

So God does not hear us. So what have we got? What have we got? A divide. The soul that sins, it shall die. The wages of sin is death.

Now, once you and I have sinned for all practical effects, maybe you and I have not died yet, but we will die. Now, once you and I are dead, there is a pretty big divide between a dead person and God, which has eternal life. And so, it is impossible for me, or you, or any of us, by ourselves, before we die or even after we die, to correct that. It's impossible!

You and I are by ourselves. We cannot cross that divide. It's impossible. It's a human impossibility. It's just a divide. We are dead or on the way to it, and God is eternal life. And this is a divide. That's it. I cannot cross that divide.

It's just impossible. So, you and I have caused hurt. Hurt. Those hurt caused wounds, and they are scars.

We caused hurt to God and to others. Now, it is easy to say, Oh, the people are not treating me right, and the people must treat me right.

But the problem is, we all have sinned. We all have, at one stage or another, not treated other people right. We all have offended. So, the question is, how do we fix this?

How do we reconcile?

Now, to God, we've seen this divide, and we'll look at that in a moment.

But with brother and sister, how do we reconcile?

And the answer may be, or you may say, Matthew 18. If you've been in the church for a while, you'll think, Matthew 18. All right, let's go there. Matthew 18.

Matthew 18. And if you've been in the church for a while, you know it's verse 15. Matthew 18, 15. It's probably imprinted in your mind with indelible ink. Matthew 18, 15. Moreover, if your brother stands against you, go and tell him his fault, reaching you and him alone.

And if he hears you, you've gained your brother.

Easy, isn't it? So, if your brother stands against you, you go and tell him. Okay? And that's what it says. But now I've got a question.

Is that the first thing you and I need to do?

Is that the first thing you and I need to do? How did God reconcile us to him?

I mean, it's just a question of God coming to us and says, yeah, you go and tell him, but are we reconciled? What is the father and our elder brother done to reconcile us?

God has offered us forgiveness before we were even born.

He has offered us forgiveness before we even admitted we were wrong.

Can we follow the same example?

Because that is the first step.

Brethren, let's understand very clearly the difference between repentance and forgiveness.

Repentance is required for us as human beings because we've committed service. Repentance is required.

What is forgiveness?

Forgiveness is not a natural human reaction.

It's a Christ-like behavior of the person that has been offended. Forgiveness is the Christ-like behavior of the person that is hurting.

And therefore, because of that, it says the wages of sin is death but what of God is eternal life?

If you remember that, Romans 6, 23, some of you probably know it off by heart and you don't have to look up. But if you have to look up, that's okay.

The wages of sin is death but eternal life is the gift of God. It's a gift. There is nothing you and I can do.

So we have sinned. There is this divide between us and God because we are dead. Maybe not yet, literally yet, but we're on that way sooner or later.

As we get younger and younger, I joke, we're near and nearer to that. And you feel it.

So there's nothing I can do to go from young to big.

So to cross that divide is a gift. It's a gift. So are you offended? Are you hurt? Are you hurting?

Has somebody done something towards you that you're finding difficult to forgive? Are you prepared to have the same Christ-like behavior?

Because forgiveness is the Christ-like behavior of the person that is hurting.

The problem, brethren, is that normally we're not. Or, we may say, oh, I've forgiven.

But in reality, sometimes, this is still chewing inside you. You know, you say, well, I've forgiven it, but it's kind of still grinding as inside, tormenting as inside. There's this torment, this grinding, this thing inside us.

So the question I have is, is therefore the first thing I need to do to really talk to that person?

You see, what I'm asking is the following. If the Christ-like behavior is to forgive first, and I have not quite forgiven, maybe I am not imitating God, and maybe, therefore, I'm not obeying God in that point of forgiveness, of imitating God, of being like Christ. And so, therefore, maybe we have a problem between us and God. Because God forgives, upon repentance, of course, and that is His, but He's already prepared away for reconciliation. Obviously, God expects repentance. That's between God and the people. But God, in His heart, has done everything to make it possible to forgive and to reconcile the world. And that is the Christ-like behavior. It's not a human behavior. So, what is it that I need to do because I don't have it? The fact is, I mean, you and I don't have it. By nature, we don't have it. So, what is it that I need to do first to get that? So, before we go and deal with the other person that has made you upset or offended you, we must go to God first and make sure that we are right with God, that this healing is ill, that we get the strength from God to have the strength to be able to forgive and to forgive and to forgive and to forgive and to forgive and to forgive and to forgive and to forgive from God to have the same mind or Christ-like behavior as Christ has. And we must ask God for that help because we don't have it. You see, it does not mean that you ignore the offense.

Occasionally, maybe the thing might be something that is just saying, okay, let it go. Well, but it does not mean that you pretend that sin did not take place. It does not mean that you erase God's standards of right and wrong. But it does mean that you forgive. That's different. In other words, forgiveness means that you give up the need that the other person does something back to you to show that you give up that need. And if they don't, you are prepared to suffer if it be so. In other words, forgiveness means that you're not thinking continuously and grinding and grinding and grinding on that offense. Forgiveness means that you're not allowing that to eke your way. Forgiveness means that you're not going to gossip about it either. You're not going to tell other people, oh, so has done this to me, and you're trying to kind of unload by talking to others. Forgiveness means that you give up the desire to keep back of being the enemy to that person. Now, brethren, I'm talking to myself. I'm not just talking. I'm talking to myself. These are not things to you, things to me as well. I need to learn these things myself. I'm not there. So I'm trying to learn to apply to become a better Christian. So I'm not a pedestal by no means. I'm just like you. Some of you might be better off than me. But the point is, forgiveness has nothing to do with the standard. In other words, it has nothing to do with doing away with God's laws. You see, when God forgives, he does not do away with his law. He doesn't. His law is still there, but he forgives. But you see, when God forgives, God gets to a point where he says, I'll remember your sins no more.

Look at Jeremiah 31, verse 34. Jeremiah 31, verse 34. Jeremiah 31, verse 34. And he's talking about the art that you'll be a new covenant, and I'll put my laws in their minds, in their hearts, so there is a repentance, there is a change of heart. And then God says, In verse 34, no more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother say, know the Lord. In other words, no more will you be needed to have somebody telling you, this is God, this is Christ, this is the way. Why? Because people know God's way. In other words, I don't have to teach you all the grass is green. The grass is green. The grass is green. You know the grass is green. In other words, I don't have to teach you about God because you know God. He says, No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother say, know the Lord, for they all shall know me. From the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Eternal. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more. I will remember no more. Now, in other words, remember is not forget. Remember is not forget. It's two different words. God does not have Alzheimer's or anything like that, but he chooses not to remember because he is forgiven. He chooses not to remember. Look at Hebrews 8.12. Hebrews 8.12. It's quoting from the same section. And this is Paul, we are writing in Hebrews, again about the New Covenant. In verse 12 says, I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more. God chooses not to remember. So when we forgive, we've got to choose not to remember. And that's hard because quite often, you say, how? I can't forget it. Well, maybe we can't forget it, but we choose not to remember. And that is important. Forgiveness is what you do in your mind and in your heart. That's why it says, I'll put my laws in your mind and your heart. In your mind, you choose not to remember, and in your heart you've got that heart of love and mercy and compassion. The two go together. In other words, let me look at it from a physical analogy. If you are sick, say, you've got a pain. I've got tennis elbows, so I've got this pain. So, now and again, I have to pump my fingers to actually get things to go. And it's not from playing tennis because I don't know what it is. I know what it is, but anyway, I've got it. If I'm continuously thinking about that pain, because it's there. But if I'm continuously thinking about that pain, then it's too hard to serve. It's too hard to go out and do things and use my hands, do other things. So, I kind of force myself as possible to exercise it and whatever, and force myself not to be thinking about it, but to serve. And I know it depends on the degree of pain and things like that, but what I'm trying to give is a physical analogy to something spiritual. It is that when we hurt, if we're continuously thinking about that hurt, it was if we don't choose to forget it, then that is continuously in our minds, we're obsessed with that, that's continuously grinding us in our minds, and therefore instead of us serving, we kind of want to be served. You see, that's using that physical analogy to bring a spiritual point. And so, we are continuously therefore in that wavelength of about that person that has hurt me and hurt me and hurt me. Turn with me to Ephesians chapter 5. Ephesians chapter 5.

It says, therefore be imitated of God as dear children. Brethren, we have to imitate God as His children. God, He says, and walk in love as Christ also has loved us, and given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. Should, when willed by God, says, will you think, well, I don't lie, I don't steal, I don't commit adultery, I don't cover it, whatever it may be.

But what about what Christ has done here, which is a sacrifice, which is an offering, and an offering means suffer for others because of our sins, and that's what we have to imitate God. Now, by now means am I saying, please, that we can to survey God, please, that's not the point. Don't take me out of context, because I know somebody sometimes takes people out of context. What I'm saying is, let's raise the bar a bit higher and look at it.

It's imitate God in that love and compassion and mercy and spirit of sacrifice like Christ has for us. Because if Christ had not done that for us, we would have never crossed that divide to be reconciled with the Father. We would be dead. And so when somebody offends you to be imitating God, if your husband's offended you, if your wife has offended you, if brother or sister's offended you, whatever it is, go and get it right with God first. And say, God, help me to have that Christ-like behavior like Christ has for us. Now, sure, we all refer to Matthew 18, which is a model of conflict resolution.

But the point here is it starts with your offended person. Think about it. If your brother has offended you, it starts with us that have been offended. Now, let's look at a section in Matthew 18 that quite often we forget to look at.

And that starts in verse 21, Matthew 18 verse 21. So I'm jumping ahead a little bit from Matthew 18.15. But let's look at Matthew 18 verse 21, because Christ is summarizing this teaching with a parable. So in verse 21, Peter, which was, let's call it, a man that was more outspoken than the others, you know, he always more spoken. And he came to Christ and said, verse 21, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me?

Now, you probably can just think of Peter. And I said, hey, I'm going to go to Christ and I'm going to show him how... I don't want to mean the word righteous, but how good I am or whatever it is, because I'm not just going to forgive him once or twice. Hey, seven is a good number. It's complete, right? It's complete. I'm going to forgive him seven times. And Jesus Christ is going to give him a naughty batch. Well done! Seven times. Wow! Great man! Exactly!

Seven complete. And you know what I'm going at here. You know this parable. So you can see, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me? And I forgive him up to seven times? Man, I'm a good man, you know, seven times. And Christ answered, kind of swept him from his feet and said, Jesus said to him, I do not say to you up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. What? 490 times? I'm going to start... That ticking thing in check.

My brother, you know. And then he gives a parable. And he gives a very good parable. And I'm not going to reach through the parable. You know the parable. I'm just going to paraphrase it. There's the story of this man that owes a lot of money. For instance, owes somebody ten million bucks. He owes somebody ten million dollars. And he comes to me and says, there's no way I can serve. Please just let me go. And the man says, sure, you can have... we raise your debt.

And then somebody comes to him, this man, and says, hey, where is those two hundred dollars you owe me? Where is those two hundred dollars you owe me? Oh, I don't have... Well, you better pay me those two hundred dollars. And I'm just putting it into modern-day terms. And then... And then look at him, verse 29. So his parable servant fell down on his feet and begged him, saying, please, have patience with me and I'll pay you all.

And verse 30, and he would not, but went out and threw him into prison, till he should pay that debt of two hundred dollars or whatever he said. Obviously, exopoly has different things. 10 denarii, if I remember correctly, or 100 denarii, though, only 100 denarii. Okay. So whatever he said, a hundred dollars, or whatever the amount was in those days. But it's just showing one hour a lot was forgiven, and then he owed a smaller amount, but still some money, you know, and the other didn't want to forgive. So verse 31, so when these fellow servants saw what he had done, they were very grieved and came and told their master all that had been done.

See, so they went and told this guy that he raised ten million dollars debt, he said, listen, what he's done? I mean, you forgave him ten million dollars, but he doesn't forgive somebody for, you know, a hundred dollars or something like that, a smaller amount. Verse 32, then his master, after he had called him, said to him, you wicked servant, I forgave you all that debt because you beg me.

Put it now. God has forgiven us all the debt that we have towards him, and he's giving us eternal life. Obviously, there are conditions we've got to repent and all that, but God has already, to the world, set up his mind prepared to do it. On the condition that then they will want to get to know the truth, they've got to repent and all that, but God has already done his part.

He's put the money in the bank. Let's put it this way. He's already kind of said, that's it. And he said, I forgave you all the debt because you beg me. Verse 33, should you not also have that compassion on your fellow servant, just as I have between you? And so the lesson is to us. Should you and I, should we not forgive our brother for whatever sins or whatever fences or whatever things or whatever scars they've created to us, when God has forgiven us this enormous debt we have towards him?

And his master was very angry, verse 34 was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. Look at verse 35. And so, Yah is the moral of the lesson, which Christ is talking to us about the Father and us, and us and our brothers and sisters. So, my heavenly Father also will do to you, if each of you from his heart, from his heart, does not forgive his brother, his trespasses. This is the answer to Peter's question, How many times shall I forgive? Seven times. The answer is, we from our heart gotta be prepared to forgive our brother, the trespasses, from the heart.

If not, if not, look at verse 34. We will be delivered to the torturers. Who are the torturers? The torturers, this thing that goes in your mind, grinding you down all the time. When you and I don't forgive, this thing is kind of grinding us all the time. These are the torturers going, you know, in us, just, it's being us down, and giving us an answer, or whatever. Brethren, sinning against your brother is not a good thing. In fact, six of the Ten Commandments are about it. But, but, there's been more people turned away from God.

Not because they committed the sin, but because they've been offended and became bitter. A root of bitterness. They've been proud, they're not prepared to forgive, that becomes a bitter thing, that becomes a root of bitterness, that root of bitterness grows, grows, grows to a point, it explodes, maybe one day, maybe ten days, maybe a year, maybe ten years.

I've seen in cases where it's been like twenty years, or thirty years, where somebody brings that trauma of twenty, thirty years back, and this whole thing just explodes thirty years later, because that little root of bitterness was not removed decades ago. Turn with me to Hebrews chapter 12. Hebrews chapter 12. This is a big subject for everyone, and now it's a heavy subject, and I forgive, but it is an important subject to all of us. And as I said, it's to me as well. Hebrews chapter 12 verse 14.

Hebrews chapter 12 verse 14. Pursue peace with all people and holiness.

I kind of sometimes wish they would say, pursue people with all those that haven't offended you, but that's for what it says. Pursue peace with all people.

And holiness. Without which, no one shall see the Lord. What? If I don't do that, I will not be with Christ in resurrection.

Wow!

Looking carefully, lest anyone fall short of the grace of God. Why? Because God's got this loving, kind, caring, concerned graciousness towards us.

And if we're not forgiving, we're falling short of that. Lest any root of bitterness. Any of this little bitter thing that might ever be so small, but it grows. It's like a root. You get your weeds and you gotta get that root out, otherwise it comes back again. You gotta get that out. A little bit of spring up, cause trouble. And by this, many become default.

We have to imitate God, brethren, and we need to do the same. It's a Christ-like behavior. It's not a natural human reaction.

It is the most dangerous thing in the Church of God, when we are offended by another Christian. I'm not even talking about people in the world. I'm talking about now in the Church of God. Why? Because we think of this pain, this offense, this car, this hurt. And when we're continuously thinking about that, it's impossible to love, to have outgoing concern. Because we are, we have this emotional illness in us. And we become driven by hurt. This hurt drives us continuously.

So what is the quickest way to become bitter? What is the quickest way to become bitter? Is to have someone sin against you.

Now, it's so easy for you and I to say something, and it's wrong. And you know, the adversary, the enemy, it is like he is there, just kind of guiding your words subconsciously, or whatever it is, and bam! You just say something, it just comes out of your mouth. And we all do it. I do it, we all do it. And then, well, the other person may feel it's abuse, may feel whatever, and then you have, we have this root of bitterness. And then it's not resolved. Easy to happen between husband and wife, it's easy to happen with families. And then, if you don't let it go, this thing is tormenting you inside, grinding you inside, you can't let it go. And therefore, your concern is now how you have been treated. The people in the church don't treat me well. Instead of, the true Christian attitude should be, what? How I treat others. Are we focusing on how I treat others, or am I always focusing on how others are treating me? Can you see the difference between the way of give and the way of get? Right there. So, we read in Matthew 18, verse 35, that if we don't forgive from the heart, forgiving from the heart means that you let it go. That emotion, you let it go. But it's not a natural human reaction. It's a Christ-like attitude or behaviour. So, what are you going to do? You want to go to God and ask Him for that. Ask God for that help, because I can't do. I need God's Holy Spirit. I need that Spirit of kindness, of love, of gentleness, of goodness, of patience. You look at all those things in Galatians 5, where it says all those characteristics of God's Holy Spirit, but I need that. I need to control myself, self-control, self-discipline. I need all these things. It's a Christ-like behaviour, and I don't have it.

To cross that divide between me and my brother. And brethren, getting back to the point, more people have left the Church because of this, because, how are people not treating me properly, or whatever, than because they have sinned? Because maybe the sin gets forgiven and things like that. And I often think about the period of the Great White Throne Judgment, you know, of the Second Resurrection, when people be resurrected, and people are going to have a period of time to have to reconcile with one another. And that's not going to be easy. All that period has got to be reconciliation. It's going to be a period where you've got to work through these things and reconcile. And, okay, the person that says against you, maybe he's forgiven, now you need to forgive that person and reconcile. And that's not easy. It takes time.

So brethren, if you and I refuse to forgive and offer reconciliation, for one, in the short term, you and I will be turned over to the torturers. This thing is grinding us in our mind. But if that persists, we might end up in the Lake of Fire, because it says you will not see the Lord. Look at Colossians chapter 3. Colossians chapter 3.

Colossians chapter 3 verse 12. Now, this is scriptures that we've read many times. We talk about putting on the new man, and who is renewed in the knowledge in verse 10, according to the image of him, that's Christ. And then in verse 12. Therefore, Colossians chapter 3 verse 12. Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies. Oh, you and I have read this so many times, haven't we? Well, put on tender mercies.

Why do we need to put on tender mercies if nobody's done anything wrong to us? Right? If nobody's done anything wrong to us, if we're not offended, why put on tender mercies?

It says on kindness, humility, or the problem, quite often, because we don't forgive, is because they have hurt my self-image, my pride. See, a lot of things start with pride, lack of humility.

Miknus. Miknus means teachability, being malleable, long-suffering.

Why do we need to suffer long if they've never hurt us? Then there'll be no suffering. If you have no pain, why not wrong-suffering? Bearing with one another, and forgiving one another. If anyone is a complaint against another, even as Christ forgave you so you also must do. And above all these things, put on love, which is the bond of perfection. Jesus Christ is our model. As Jesus Christ forgave us. Because what God did for us, we must do to others. Is it comfortable? No. Do you think it was comfortable for Christ to give up the position He had of eternity to become a human being and to be beaten and die for us? Do you think that it was comfortable to Him? But He did it for you and I.

Now, the problem is we have human nature. We don't like to do it, but He did it for us. We are to become like Him. So when somebody offends us, what do we need to do first? We need to go to God first.

And get peace from God. And get that help from Him. To be like Him. And so, I can just imagine, you and I are now praying, God, this person, look at Him, or hey, look at what He's done!

And then Christ says to you, I'm just putting a little bit of theatrics into this, you know. Christ says to you, I understand, George, I know what it's like. Yeah, but look at what He's done! X, Y, Z, He's done this, that and that and that. And Christ says, yeah, I know what that feels like.

But the person said that I'm this, that, that, that. And Christ says, yeah, I know what it feels like. And the person yelled at me, and Christ says, yeah, I know what it feels like.

And then Christ says, and by the way, do they nail you on the cross?

And I think our answer is, no.

Look at Isaiah 53. Isaiah 53.

Here's a prophecy of Christ, the stuff in the sermon.

Isaiah 53 will start in verse 3. He is despised and rejected by man, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him, He was despised and with an understanding. That was Christ on the cross. Surely, verse 4, He has borne our sicknesses, our griefs, our difficulties. He's carried our sorrows, He's carried our pains. Yet we are esteemed in stricken, smitten by God. In other words, we thought, oh well, He's just been punished by God because He's done something wrong. At least that's what the people they thought. Verse 5, But He was wounded, He was pierced, He was wounded for our transgressions, for our sins. He was bruised, He was hurt, He was crushed for our iniquities. The chastisement for our peace was upon Him. And by His stripes, by the blows that He received, by the punishment He did, by His very death, we are healed.

Not just physically, but emotionally.

And so...

Christ heals us emotionally. Not just physically. Quite often, when we seek, we say, come and ask for anointing. But you know what? Emotionally. When you are hurting, when I'm hurting, because somebody's offended me or offended you, we need to go to Christ and ask Him, please heal me.

And He will. He will. Now, it's not a question of lack of justice.

But it's a question of mercy. It's different. It's not a question of vengeance.

Because when there's vengeance, we've got to be careful. Because sometimes there's collateral damage. And we say, for instance, there's a trouble between a husband and a wife, and the two end up being divorced. What is the collateral damage? The children! They're innocent. They suffer.

So, we need to get emotionally healed. And we need to come to Christ for that. Turn with me to Romans 12. Romans 12. Romans 12. Romans 12, verse 17 and 18.

Repain a one evil for evil. In other words, don't seek revenge. Romans 12, 17. Repain a one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, which means it's not always possible. But if it is possible, particularly when you deal with people in the world, but if it is possible, as much as depends on you, it was doing your part. Live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath. In other words, let God sometimes deal with it. There are times when you and I cannot do anything and just leave it in God's hands. Because it's written, vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Eternal. Therefore if your enemy is hungry, feeding. If he is thirsty, give him a drink. For in so doing, you will heap colds of fire on his head. Go over and beyond in service. Do not overcome evil by evil. In other words, don't have revenge, but overcome evil with good. Because sometimes that revenge will only make things worse.

So sometimes there's a time that it's better to just let it go.

Let it go. Look at 1st Peter chapter 2. 1st Peter chapter 2.

Verse 19.

44. This is commendable if because of conscience towards God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. For what credit is it when you've beaten for your own faults, you take it patiently. But when you do good and suffer it patiently, if you take it patiently, verse is commendable before God. Verse 22. Why were you called to the church? There's an answer in verse 21. Sorry, verse 21. Why were you called to the church? For this you were called. Because like Christ suffered for us, left in left, leaving as an example that you should follow the same steps.

So our model for reconciliation is Christ. In other words, it says in verse 23 and 24, he was rebelling and rebelling in return. He suffered, he did not threaten it. And then he says, he bore our sins in his body on the tree that we, having died to sins, might live for righteous by whose stripes we are healed. So Yah is the first principle of reconciliation, brethren.

Sometimes you've got to leave it to God. Sometimes you and I can't fix it. Sometimes it's too big. You and I can't fix it.

And you and I are hurt. And we and I can't control the other person. We can't change other people's minds. We can't. We can only change ourselves.

And so, what it is, we need to seek God for His solution. We need to ask, what is the Christlike response for this problem? We need to ask, what lessons is God teaching me through this trial? We need to ask, am I overreacting? Am I acting because I'm frustrated? And then I do something towards it that I contribute to this problem, because quite often it's not in a vacuum. Maybe I said something and then He said something and bing bing bing bing bing bing bing, and the thing exploded. Christ, in the Sermon on the Mount, said something very strong. And I want you to look at that now briefly, which is in Matthew 7, verse 5. Matthew 7, verse 5.

Matthew 7, verse 5.

Matthew 7, verse 6.

He is talking about judging and getting offended. And then he says, hypocrite, first remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. Well, maybe the speck in your brother's eye is not a speck, it's a plank. But the point is, do I, do we have a plank in our eyes?

And brethren, if we can't forgive, if we don't show forgiveness like Christ showed to us, maybe that's a plank. That you and I have to move. I'm not saying, ignore the offense, but I'm saying, as we heard in the sermon, approach our Father and ask for healing.

That's what we're going to do. Look at 2 Timothy, chapter 2, verse 24-26. 2 Timothy, chapter 2. 2 Timothy, chapter 2, verse 24-26. 2 Timothy, chapter 2, verse 24-26. And a servant of the Eternal must not quarrel, the Lord must not quarrel, but be gentle to all, able to teach patience, enumility, correcting those who are in opposition. So, if we are going to go and talk to our brother, because after we've analyzed these things, and therefore it's warranted that we need to do it, if we're going to do it, are we going to do it in humility? Correcting those who are in opposition, so that if God put an eventual grant him repentance, so that they may know the truth and come to their senses. So, we get right back to the core. It's pride. You see, if there is pride, then we can't forgive. And I know sometimes it is very difficult to forgive, and say it isn't, but we've got to look at ourselves. I've got to let go. I've got to let go. And we've got to seek the humility. And we've got to go back to how God is reconciling us through Christ, because he's forgiving us through Christ. He's opening up the way for forgiveness. So, the ministry of reconciliation, brethren, is first, go to God for help, because you and I want to imitate Christ. That's where it starts. One of my favorite scriptures in Philippians 2, and I've probably mentioned that a number of times, but let's go back to that. Philippians 2, in the first few verses, is in 4. If there's any consolation in Christ, Philippians 2, starting in verse 1. If any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection of an mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind, let nothing be done through selfish impatience. So that means we've got to be humble, not what I want or conceit, but in loveliness of my complete humility, let each esteem others better than himself. That's hard. Let each of you look out, not only for his own interests, but also the interests of the others, particularly one that has offended me and offended you and offended us. Verse 5, let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. So the ministry of reconciliation is, look at Christ first. We want to, obviously, to be proactive, but we don't want to repay you for evil. We need to seek God's solution. We need to ask, what is a Christlike response? What lesson is God teaching me through this trial? Am I overreacting? Am I reacting out of frustration? What part did I have in creating this issue?

So therefore, seek God's healing. Deal with your own issues first, and approach God to get that plank out of our minds and our hearts. Be careful of pride. And was it? You've done these things. And if now the thing does warrant you to go to your brother, then, yes, go to your brother in humility, in the right spirit. After you've looked at all these things and you've forgiven anyone, there's no bitterness in your heart. I'm not talking about sweeping the sin under the carpet, no. But after you've done this, then, you go and talk to him. This, brethren, is the ministry of reconciliation. And it always starts by remembering how God has reconciled you and I to him.