Josh: Hello. Hello. Hello. We’re just two normal dudes trying to live this Jesus’ life. My name’s 

Andrew: Josh. Hey, I’m Andrew. And we are this Jesus life podcast. Josh. We’re back. 

Josh: Andrew. Hey, dude, I just want to point out how proud I am of you getting that episode number, right? Six times the chart. 

Andrew: Yeah. I don’t know. I kept feeling so good about it every time.

And then it just kept saying episode 41 again and again. 

Josh: Well then the longer that it went on, I was like, uh, maybe it an episode. It I’d have to look, but now we got it. Oh my gosh. Which is crazy still to me, we’ve recorded 42 of these things. 

Andrew: It really is crazy. It absolutely is crazy. I, you know, I’m proud of us for a perseverance because this is basically, I mean, when we get to episode 56, we will have recorded for an entire year, which is nuts.

And we’re not far from that man. Yeah, which episode? 56, 46. Is it 52 or 56? How many weeks in a year? 

Josh: Just for the two weeks in the calendar. There’s one, but we can go 56. If you want to make the year longer, we go for the V6 fixtures, whatever, 

Andrew: whatever we have almost been recording a year. And there’s almost two days worth of episodes.

You can listen to, uh, 

Josh: which crazy somebody listened to them all recently on a new platform. Cause I’ve never seen it before. I mean, it’s some Hispanic platform. I only know that because I downloaded it. And then when I was listening to the episodes, the ads were all in Spanish and I was really lost because I.

Don’t know Spanish that well, and people that speak Spanish speaking really fast. So if I did know a little bit, it wasn’t keeping up 

Andrew: this whole time. I thought you were, uh, converting all of her audio to Spanish and uploading on all platforms. Is that not the case? 

Josh: Well, it’s true. It’s true. And I do your voice in Spanish.

I do just do a little bit higher, not a false setup, but close to it. Um, and then I figure like people will. We’ll catch up. Have you ever listened to fiction audio books? 

Andrew: No. No, but I imagine this very animated, animated. 

Josh: Yeah. Uh, you would think maybe, maybe others are I’ve. I don’t listen to fiction that often, but I was like change of pace for, for last month and I downloaded, um, A pre-call to the hunger game.

Hunger games series is like the story of how snow became snow, uh, super elementary. And I felt like a child listening to it, but I was like, Oh, whatever. Um, and, uh, we’re going to go with it, but it’s the same dude that does all the voices. He just does them differently. Uh, and I thought I was super entertained about at all.

No, it was, I entertained that he did it a second and I was like, man, how difficult would that be? Like as the voice actor, like to know what voice you’re supposed to do. And I’d be curious what their script looks like, how they keep track of that stuff. But yeah. No. Well, thank you. So since 

Andrew: it was SQL to the hunger games, was it called the fuller games or, um, how did that go?

Josh: It was called. Everybody dies.

When the hunger games first started, it was like right after the war that happened. Nice. I was lost. I’ll be honest. The first couple of chapters, I don’t remember the story that, well, probably a bad book to 

Andrew: pick, I think, as you were listening to Spanish, man, I mean that might’ve been parts of that. That was 

Josh: it.

That’s probably what’s a lot, but Hey, about a third chapter, I picked up on it. I was like, yeah, this is what this is about. I know Spanish, I know these hunger games, Spanish, Spanish speak Spanish or Espanol. But

I can say sink, which means sit down please. Um, because I did a VBS once in a border town in Mexico, and that’s just punch the yelled to people. We all know the 

Andrew: most, one of the very most important things about vacation Bible school is sitting. You need to be seated most of the time. 

Josh: That’s true. It says school in the title.

They should already know that this is going to school and you should always, there are a 

Andrew: lot of rules and you need to sit 

Josh: down. Yeah. For most people, the Bible isn’t fun. Um, which is sad, um, because I don’t know what parts they’re reading to get to that place, but the Bible is pretty entertaining, uh, in the story.

Uh, but also super helpful from our perspective. But, um, but for most people, like when they think, Oh, the cation Bible school. Yeah. Bible cool. Don’t sound fun. 

Andrew: Or like a 

Josh: vacation. Well, and they don’t seem to match the first word that’s when you’re like, wait a second. I have occasion to happen in this new world and school’s not involved.

I’m confused here. Yeah. 

Andrew: Yeah. We’ll save that for summer. Cover that in summer. Go ahead. Sorry. There you go. 

Josh: This is our, this is our second time recording this episode. Um, just so you know, and it’s a little bit late and we do apologize for that. Uh, for those, they reached out to me this morning saying, Hey, uh, do you still do the podcast?

And you’re like, uh, we’re a little late, like chill out. Just kidding. Thank you for actually following actually. Yeah, because in all reality, most of our listens for our episodes actually don’t come the week. They’re they’re put out, they come the following weeks after that. So we know that we’re we’re ahead of, of those that are listening, but.

Uh, thank you for listening. We really do appreciate it. And hopefully our conversations have been helpful. Um, as we’ve kind of pushed through, um, the, the parables of Jesus, these stories that he has told, um, to usher in the new kingdom and usher in a new way of doing life with those that are listening of his day.

We’re just trying to apply those the best that we can to our lives as followers of Jesus. Um, and hopefully that’s been helpful to you. Um, this journey has been helpful to me. I assume it’s going to be helpful to Andrew or drew. Uh, he likes to go by, as I’m looking at our screen right now, it says true.

Yeah. Do people call you drew? 

Andrew: Yeah. Some do some do I’m cool with drew or Andrew? I don’t like Andy. I’m not a fan of Andy. Um, 

Josh: but yeah, that’s a good one. Andy, let me go with that. Okay. You could be alive. 

Andrew: He’s funny. I know, but he’s also like dumb.

Josh: He’s dealt with Andrew.

Andrew: That’s funny. Yeah. So we’re in our 42nd episode somehow and, uh, yeah, continuing on in our parable series and. We hope it’s been helpful to you. Please let us know if it has been and how, um, or if you read one of these parables and, uh, and you’re like, yeah, that was way off base. You guys didn’t get parables.

Uh, tell us that too. We’d like to like to get your take. Um, remember you got to give us a five-star review publicly, and then you can privately email us your hate mail. That’s our policy. Yeah. Yeah, it’s a good policy. And if you’re going to mail it, I’ll get you Josh’s address. Uh, no problem. 

Josh: Um, we decided a couple episodes.

It was going to be your address that you were going to take all hate mail. 

Andrew: We did, but when they reach out, I’m just going to say, okay, send it to me and then give them your address. Uh, I shouldn’t have told you that, but. You know, 

Josh: I wonder, well, if it’s money, like you’re just, that makes money. I don’t know.

Here’s  it was like $20. I’ll give you my address for that. And then the hate mail specifically, just go to Andrew. And I know that may be two, two stamps at that point, and I apologize for that, but that’s just our process. It works best for us. 

Andrew: Yes. Just send $19 and one stamp. You know, it can happen. 

Josh: Take it out of the tip or the 55 cents or 

Andrew: 55 minutes.

It’s still been a long time. The stimulus money though, man, they’re probably up to 75 cents at this point. You never know. 

Josh: You never know. Yeah, you got get flight out for all that stimulus money. 

Andrew: So I’m going to try to tell, uh, this parable basically a quick version of it, but I did encourage you to either pause this episode or, um, Or after you listened to us, talk about it, going to read it.

Um, the whole parable yourself hop into Matthew 18, kind of verses 21 through 35. That’s the version I’m referencing in this that we are. And, uh, we always don’t. We always tell like our version of the parable, just because. We want you to go and read the Bible and spend time with the Lord and ask him if what you heard in our podcast is helpful for your life, or if there’s other things that God wants to say to you, um, about that parable.

So Matthew 1821 through 35, um, this is the unmerciful servant in my CliffsNotes version. Um, so basically there was a servant who, um, Went to the master, his master, um, and this servant owed a crazy amount of money to the master, like 10,000 talents. Which is like 10,000 weights of gold, which is a lot of money.

And, um, the servant owed the master this money and the master decided, you know what, it’s time that I’m going to collect on that debt. I’m going to take back what’s mine because we had a deal. And, uh, I guess it was time, you know, in the master went to collect and the servant, uh, did not have the money. Uh, he fell down as at his feet.

He said, master, I know I owe you this money, but I can’t pay it back yet. Just give me some time. And the master was getting fed up. He’s like, dude. You have known, you owe me this money for a long time. It is past due. Uh, you got to pay it back. I’m going to throw your family in jail. I’m going to put them into servitude.

Like I’m going to sell your house. I’m going to do all the things I can to get this money back. And you’re going to be in prison until it’s all paid back. And the servant, like. You can imagine like groveling on the ground, like, don’t do that. Don’t do that. Give me time. I swear to you. I’ll be, I’ll be patient I’ll or I’ll be loyal.

I’ll get it paid back. I swear. Just give me time finally, masters, like, you know what. I’m going to give you time. Uh, you go work hard, get me that money when you can pay me as you can, uh, go on your way, showed him mercy. That servant goes out and not 10 minutes later, he finds somebody who owes him a hundred pieces of silver.

Um, nothing compared to the 10,000 talents, like literally pocket change compared to that amount of money. And, um, Servant says, Hey dude, you owe me money. Uh, it’s time to pay up. You got to pay today. And that servant is like, dude, I just, I don’t have the money. Like give me some time, help me out. I’m like, I’m going to pay you back.

I swear, you know, all of that same rhythm of role. And, uh, the unmerciful servant says, Nope, chokes him, literally chokes the dude and then, uh, throws him in jail, uh, to, to sit and kind of rot, uh, because he couldn’t pay back his debt. Well, first master finds out this all happened and came back and guess what?

He collected his payment. He, he called them out. It’s like, you were shown mercy. You should’ve given mercy. And you did it. So clock is ticking. Time is up, you know, so that’s my, probably longer than it should have been version of the, the unmerciful servant. But Josh, was that helpful to you? How’d I do. 

Josh: Yeah, it was helpful to me to be reminded.

We shouldn’t choke people. Um, I just think definitely we hear nothing else out of this episode. Like that’s, that’s the key to the parable is don’t choke people, 

Andrew: choke people. 

Josh: Yeah. Yeah. Like you’re, you’re in the wrong when you’re choking people. That’s just like, just take that as, as gospel right there.

Like don’t choke that’s fair. I think he was, I think it was good every time you, you did this last time too. Um, uh, and I noticed it and I’m curious, I’m curious, I guess, I don’t know how to say this. I don’t want to be condescending. That’s not the point, but everything in my head sounds condescending. I don’t need to be the focus on the posture of the master and.

And what he did because, and this is why I bring it up, because this is in the story. The master essentially would be, um, God in this story, right? Like here is, um, You know what he’s, what he’s done. Like there there’s two there’s, there’s two threads that runs through the story. One is the importance of forgiveness because how God has forgiven you just like this master forgave, his servant, um, we should take the same posture with those that have wronged us.

The second thread has just escaped me. Um, so we’ll come up with that as I keep talking. Cause I don’t remember what I was going to say now. It’s great. But like, and I get where you’re coming from from the perspective of, um, Like what this guy rightfully deserved was that his debts, right? In this case, if we related it back to the spiritual that your sin be paid for, like, that’s the consequences of sin is death.

Scripture’s clear of that. So it’s eternal separation from God. Um,

So what the, what the server did I think is important. So verse 27 I think is, is huge here. And because it helps us posture ourselves, 

Andrew: the police felt compassion. It really stim and forgave him, his debt. Yeah, 

Josh: cancel everything and let them go. You’re right. Uh, that’s a big deal. Like, and I think too, like for Christians, this is where, this is where we get it ourselves in trouble.

Um, like there’s this idea that we become holier than thou holier than others were better than others. Um, we don’t commit as many sins as others, whatever our posture is being with that. Um, That we forget what Jesus has done for us, right? Like scripture is very clear. We, you have no power over sin and you just don’t.

Um, but through Christ we do because of the power that Christ gives us, you know, through, through the gift of the Holy spirit. Um, but so even from that perspective, you’re. You’re not conquering sin. So your whole year sanctified today because of reading, you’ve done, but because everything is Jesus has done, not just from the perspective of salvation point of, he went to the cross, died for your sins and conquered death to give you access to that.

But the continued work that it continues to mold and shape you and who you are. So even if you are I’m arguing, you’re probably not. But even if you are a better person, um, Today and you’re holier than those around you. Not, it’s not because of your own effort, right? It’s because of God’s up, but we get in this weird place in Christianity.

We, we think it is our own effort. Like it’s all about us and what we’ve been able to accomplish. And look at me I’m better than you. Uh, And I think it’s important to remember what Jesus did on the cross to save you from what he saved you from. Um, and then also to restore you to how he’s restored you to this point, um, in your walk.

I think it’s important. And I think the other thing that’s important, this is what keeps me humble is I recognize that with. If Jesus didn’t show up the way that he did and doesn’t continue to work in my life, the way that he does, I, 100% could be committing these sins of the circumstances were right.

Right. Like I could totally be choking somebody out because they’ve wronged me. Totally like 100% I could be the choker in this, like I’m joking, but I’m choking somebody else. And someone else is getting choked. Like it’s 100% Simpson styles choking like Homer chokey, Bart hands intertwined around the neck tongue out on Bart, all the light being squeezed

and not 100% can be me. And I think that’s where we get into rough waters as Christians is we, we think that could, I could never commit that crime. I could never commit that. So there’s no way I could ever reality. You could like if the circumstances were right you 100% 

Andrew: good. Yup. A hundred percent. And Hey, let me, let me address, uh, when you said, I don’t mean to sound condescending, uh, you weren’t, you weren’t condescending.

I should have re-read this right before, uh, doing my version of the parable. But gotta be honest both times last time. And this time I did it from memory as a, like, how do I tell this in story 

Josh: form memory? 

Andrew: Yeah. I mean, but I shouldn’t have read it directly because yeah, the, the huge key is that the master.

Literally forgives the dude, like no holds bar. I kind of told it as like, okay, pay it back. Cause he can, cause I was trying to like, you know, make it more of a story for him and make it more, make it just relatable of like, I can put myself in that shoes, those shoes. Um, but yeah, dude, he’d straight up forgives him.

Um, but then the servant goes out and shows that. He basically took zero. Uh, he didn’t apply that at all in his own actions. He’s like, I’m forgiven. Now I can go collect my debts. And, uh, and I can be, you know, unmerciful in how I do it because I don’t have to pay this dude back or cause I’m just like money or whatever his reason was, you know, but he was given true mercy and then turned around and didn’t give any mercy and you’re totally right.

Um, Can have power over sin, but he could have, as you were talking about, but this guy was in the position of just receiving mercy a second year before, a day before maybe. And, and you’d think that he, and we would be quick to give mercy after we’ve received it so clearly. Right. And like you were outlining, we have, uh, received it.

In a huge way through Jesus’s life, death and resurrection. Um, you know, uh, we, we have been forgiven and put in a real personal relationship with the Lord, um, with God. And that’s a gift that we can’t pay back and we didn’t earn, but we should at least do our best to live, to, um, show that we’ve been given mercy.

So, um, I told my point and then I was supposed to stop, but, uh, that’s my don’t worry. You won’t, weren’t being condescending at all. I did it from memory because I’ve been too busy and then I went on a little tangent there. 

Josh: No, you’re good. And too, like I just had a conversation with, with someone yesterday.

Maybe it was Tuesday. I forget what day of the week. These are in the COVID times, but, um, And we were, we were talking about this, this idea that I think a lot of Christians feel, um, they’re just waiting for the other shoe to drop with God and that they feel like they’re not measuring up. They’re not being good enough.

And they’re just waiting for God to seek vengeance on them. Um, and to some extent, like vengeance is a characteristic of God, like. Not in the sense of like, he’s going to destroy you, but like he’s just in his, um, uh, um, how do you want to say this? He’s just in, in who he is. So like, justice will be brought.

Yeah, based on the, on, on your actions. So if you choose to live in sin without, um, Jesus’ forgiveness, do you use as being Lord of your life then? Yeah. Justice is you will live eternally separated from God. Like that is, that is true. Characteristics of God. Um, but, um, if you do know Jesus, everything gets wiped clean, and I think this is where Christians.

I, I think we just get stuck in that old covenant thinking of blessings and cursings and if I do good, God loves me more. If I do bad, God loves me less. And it’s just not true. God loves you as much as he loves you. And he’s always going to love you that much. It doesn’t change. It’s infinite. And he has deep care for you.

Um, but on the other side of this is, or I shouldn’t say, but, but there’s another side of this is as a follower of Jesus, meaning you’ve recognized the sin of your life. You recognize that Jesus is who he said he was and did what he said he was going to do. Meaning he is fully, God lived a perfect life, died a sinner’s death taking on your sins on himself, conquering death three days later.

So you could do the same, um, and giving you a new life in the process of all that. Yeah. If, if you recognize that and scripture says, if you believe that in your heart and you confess with your mouth, then you are saved. Um, your life is completely different in the game. Just got changed for you. Um, and I think this is important as is.

The game got changed for you in the sense that your sins no longer count against you? The meaning God’s not sitting up there waiting, uh, for the other shoe to drop of like, man, you just keep pissing me off. I get ya. Like, that’s not, that’s not that’s character. That’s not who God is. We see that all throughout.

Let me see that all throughout scripture, not just the new Testament, um, that’s just that isn’t the heart of God. The heart of God is that he’s in deep relationship with you and he loves you deeply. Now, sin plays a role in that and it creates separation between us and God, but your sin is forgiven. It is taken care of, um, and just digging into relationship and you’re in a great place.

Um, and. You know, God is pleased with you. I always think of, you know, um, and if you’ve ever heard me teach before, you’ve probably heard me say this, but was the moment when Jesus baptized. Uh, by John the Baptist, um, in this moment of, you know, as he’s coming out of the water, it says the clouds open up and like the spirit, you know, sends on him like, like doves and God speaks in the all powerful, booming voice of God.

He says, this is my son, Homer love in with him. I am. Well-pleased like, of course he said it it’s Jesus. But he’s saying that before Jesus had performed any miracles yeah. Has done anything for Jim and Todd in a phone number. He didn’t need disciples. He looked at his son and he said, this is my son whom I love.

And with him I’m well pleased. Well, now that you’re a follower of Jesus, now that will give you life to Christ and you’re doing your best to live this life. Those sins still probably a part of the picture, I should say. It’s an instilled part of the picture is not probably

God looks at you. God says, this is my son. This is my daughter, whom I deeply love. And with them, I am. Well pleased. You don’t have to do a little thing more for God or do any less for God. God is pleased with you and loves you. Now. He gives us opportunity to do more for him. Here’s his opportunity to invest in the kingdom.

He gives us the opportunity to, to make disciples and live out the great commission as Jesus has commanded us to. And because that’s going, you know, there’s fruit of that, not just in this life, but in the next, like there’s an opportunity, but your salvation secure, you’re taking care of whether you do those things or not.

Yeah. I mean, I think that’s important for us to, to recognize and remember, um, because it gives, it puts us in a much better place, um, of no, Jesus does love me. And you got to tell yourself that sometimes, sometimes you feel like you’re not, um, you’re like, Oh, I haven’t spent any time with him. I’m screw up too focused on the wrong things.

Yeah. That’s probably all true, but God still loves you and God still wants to be in deep relationship with you. And it’s not like you have to jump through all these hurdle to restore back relationship. These guys are spending time with them again. And that’s why, you know, if you said this at the beginning of our episode, like the swab read the verses word for word ourselves for you on the podcast, because we want you to foster relationship with Jesus and God has given us his recorded word and what we call the Bible as a tool for that, like here’s, God’s speaking directly to your soul, into your spirit and you get to sit in and just so-called that in, in relationship.

Um, it’s conversation. Um, as, as you dig into these things, God speaks, you speak, God speaks, you speak, right? Like it’s, it’s that, that mentality back and forth. Like that’s why Jesus went to the cross to restore that relationship. And we often miss it or often feel like we’re not qualified. We’re not up to the, you’re probably not, but that Jesus, isn’t asking you to be, he’s saying, Hey, walk with me, be in relationship with me and watch me do what I do in your heart and in your soul to help you become who, who I’m calling you to be right.

That’s it. That’s all we have to do. Um, and so that the whole of the other shoes dropping, like you’ve got to fight those lies. It’s the enemy keeping you from relationship with God, because when you feel those things, I’m sorry I’ve been going on too long. Andrew, one last thought. W w when you. When we’re feeling that, that feeling, that emotion of, you know, God’s just going to get me, he’s going to, he’s going to get sick of it.

He’s going to get tired. He is gonna come after me. I’m like, that’s just the enemy trying to put barriers in, in space between you and Jesus. Yeah. He’s not, he’s not coming after you. He’s not trying to come and get you. Um, yeah, he wants more for you. Yeah. He wants you to experience the full life that he has for you.

He wants you to have a life full of adventure in, in, uh, inside of relationship with one another is, as you kind of live out this great commission, he’s, he’s called us to you. Um, and he’s sad, I would assume. And when we don’t live up to those things and we just we’re content with just, you know, the, the spiritual milk, you know, rather than the, the spiritual food that, that Jesus provides.

Um, but he’s not looking at you saying like, I’m going to punish this dude for getting it. Nah, he just wants more for you. And that more just comes in relationship with Jesus. We can’t say it enough on this podcast. The key to this whole thing is relationship with Jesus. The key of this whole thing is, is digging into relationship with Jesus.

The more we do those things, the more that we’re going to start to see a love for one another increase, the more that we do focus on our relationship with Jesus, the more we see Jesus shape and mold us, and always he’s called us to be in this life and in the next. That’s where we should be digging into and oftentimes, and do we miss it?

And we miss out on so much life when we end up in those places, 

Andrew: dude, that was a great, that was a great, uh, not a line of thinking. That was just really good, man. Um, and I have a few things struck me as you were, uh, talking, um, I’ll start with the last one first, um, that focus on the relationship with Jesus.

It. Like you could hear that in think like the only thing that matters about my walk with the Lord is whether or not I have relationship with Jesus, like, but you could take Jesus out of it. The only thing that matters in my marriage, if I have a solid relationship with my spouse, like yes and no, like, yes, you got to have a solid relationship.

Got to have trust. You got to have, you got to know that person. Right? You got to know. Jesus is the Lord. Um, but inevitably when you know somebody and have a great relationship with them, then your life starts to shift to look a little bit more like theirs over time. And. Jesus was real clear, like, okay, disciples go and do greater things even than I’ve done, you know, like, okay, now go and live it out.

You know, be in relationship, know him, be able to hear as well here’s guiding here’s prompting and then go do what he did. Um, which is freaking intimidating to even say that. But I think the more in relationship you are with the Lord, um, The more knowing you are of the Lord personally. Uh, the more your life starts to look like Jesus, his life, um, even in small ways.

Um, it does. And. The second thing I was thinking, which I, which actually does tie into this when you were talking about, don’t wait for the other shoe to drop. And that, so often we live our lives as Christians just, Oh, the other shoe’s going to drop. This is, you know, it’s going to come back to bite me.

It’s going to haunt me. And that’s really a lack of understanding deeply of, of what it means when the Lord says we’re forgiven, right? Our sin, as far as separated from us, as far as the East is from the West. Infinitely separated. There’s no way to put it back to us once we’ve been forgiven by the Lord.

Um, but we, we so often do walk around, like, ah, that’s kind of come back to bite me. I know that I know that I was forgiven for it, but he’s probably still got it, like on the back burner, ready to pull it out in my moment of weakness, you know, or whatever, and hit me with it. It’s like, no, man, just because you live that way or you think that, uh, doesn’t mean that’s, that’s the God.

You serve, who thinks that? Um, and, um, but here’s what I was thinking, um, with that other shoe to drop, uh, idea, which man that’s brilliant. That’s that’s a good, it’s a good word. Um, I was thinking about my toddler right before you and I jumped on, I was like, I was late. Everything kept going wrong. My toddlers screaming at me for no reason for like 20 minutes.

Um, no for her, it was a big deal that I wouldn’t let her watch her show. Um, But we never watched shows after lunchtime because after lunches, nap, so she knows this, but for some reason she just was fixated on, like, I got to watch a show, got to watch a show and just screaming, you know, everything was wrong, everything was bad.

And it’s like, dude, do that. You just need an app. Like the reality is I know her well enough to know that while she has moments where she can be a real punk and really hard to deal with. Um, the reality is I see like her character who she really is. And I also see there’s all these amazing moments of like, wow, you really love people super well.

Or like you, you really pay attention to stuff. Like you heard that small thing, I said four days ago, and you brought it back up in context just now, like you really like pay attention to what’s going on. Like just all these incredible attributes. Right. And, and the reality is. Most times she’s not screaming about not watching a show.

Most of the time, she’s in a great mood, playing, learning, laughing, whatever. Um, but sometimes she’s not. And I think maybe when we think that God is walking around, um, with his hand behind his back and in his hand is all the stuff that we’ve done in the past that sin. And he’s ready to just pull it out and put it in our face.

Um, I think BB we’re thinking like. Oh, all I do is all I do is scream. All I do is throw tantrums. All I do is I’m bad. I am bad. You know, it’s like, no you’re made in God’s image. You are inherently worthy to be in relationship with the Lord. Your sin separates you from that. But guess what? That’s been taken care of already.

So you’re able to live into the kingdom. Um, I dunno. I H I hope that was helpful. I hope that tied together, but I just, all I’m trying to say last thought on that is that when God looks at us who doesn’t see us, just for our moments of being like in a tantrum or our moments of sin, he says, this has the full people.

We are the beautiful moments. The things that we do that really do look like Jesus is example. As well as the things we do that we don’t, but when he looks at us, he sees a forgiven, um, child of God, like a forgiven, um, like adopted member of the family. Like you are you’re in my family, you know, I love you come and be in communion, communion with me.

Um, 

Josh: so yeah. Yeah, man. And this is where verse 27 becomes so important, right? Like the servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let them go. Like that is, that is the sacrifice of Christ in your life, um, is he’s taken care of it. So here’s, here’s the real issue. Is Jesus sacrifice big enough for the sins you commit?

Or is it not right? Like is their sins you committed? For whatever reason don’t, you know, are, are too big or they happen too often. It’s the same sin over and over again. That’s just, that’s too much for, for Jesus’ sacrifice. Know that that’s not the case. We believe Jesus sacrifice is 100% without question, greater than anything, either you can commit.

So you can keep, keep committing sins, right? As a follower of Jesus, you keep sending all you want, you’re forgiven, it’s taken care of. This is why, you know, Paul told the Romans, you know, he asked the question himself as like, should we keep it go up? You know, keep on sending. So our grace increases and there’s responses by bono moons.

Do that. Don’t do that. Not because you can’t right. The question was phrased because you can, um, like you have that option, but sin is destructive. Sin is going to create divides between you and God and you, and people. Like that’s not the life that he wants you to live. That’s not the life that leads to the full life that he’s promised us.

Um, but it’s an option for you. Because Jesus’ sacrifice and lacrosse was greater to cover all of their sins. Now it won’t experience everything Jesus asked for us then yeah. We start to have those conversations and deal with those sins and the habitual sins of your life. Get into relationship with Jesus and have those conversations like Jesus, what are the roots of these things?

Why do I keep going back to anger, you know, in such a way of hatred as Jesus calls it? Um, why, why do I keep going back to, um, pornography to satisfy such sexual sin? Why do I keep going back to, um, You know, theft or whatever. Why do I keep treating people around me? Like dirt? Like there’s so many ways that we continuous and like dig into those things.

That’s what Jesus wants us to do. It’s Jesus. This is what I keep doing. And I don’t know why I keep doing it, but I assume there’s a reason. There’s something that’s holding on that I’m holding onto. That I’ve, that we’ve got to deal with, that have those relationships with Jesus. You can deal with those things and figure out why you’re going down those roads, um, that the ends up to those places of, of sitting in causing destruction, not even just to your life, but to the lives of those around you.

Yeah, look, Jesus. His sacrifice is greater than all your sins. So it’s not a matter of, Oh man, like I’ve done too many bad things. I keep dealing with the same sin. Jesus is like, I’m sick of it. I’m tired. You keep doing this the 4,000 and 60,000 time that you’ve committed the sin. I’m so sick of it, but like go back to the verses.

We’re looking at today and it starts with. With verse one, Peter asked Jesus, how many times shall I sin? I will time. Shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me up to seven times. And that’s in reference to old covenant. And Jesus answered. I tell you not seven times, but 77 times or some scripture say seven times, 

Andrew: seven times, seven times 72.

Right. It’s what mine says, but it’s like infinitely more than what the old covenant was like. That is not, we don’t follow that rule anymore. And it’s increased exponentially. The forgiveness. You need to show people. Yeah. 

Josh: But that same forgiveness he’s, he’s calling us to show others is the same forgiveness in greater scale that he’s already shown you.

Yeah. And that’s important to remember. Yeah. He’s also shown you this forgiveness, like he already deeply loves you. He already has wounded. The cross took on a sinner’s death. Myrtle knew that separated themselves from God, the father severing relationship with himself for the sake of your sin. So you wouldn’t have to experience that anymore, but that’s the beauty of what Jesus has done.

Like that’s a big deal. That’s a big deal to, to fully grasp and understand and apply to our hearts and our lives and our minds of like, no, no, there’s nothing I can do. No matter how many times I commit to sin, God still loves me. God still forgives me. God still wants to build a relationship with me.

Nothing changes. Yeah. I don’t know if we beat that to death. I don’t feel like that comes across. It’s important. Um, because I think this is where we get in this crazy ground of, well, if God’s not going to forgive me of everything, I’m not going to forgive everybody else. Maybe that’s an underlying unsaid thing that’s going on in people’s hearts and minds.

Um, but I guess we can shift gears now and talk about this forgiveness. Um, I think it’s. It’s a big deal. Like how do we stop choking people is really the question. Right? I don’t know why. Oh 

Andrew: man. No. Yeah. I mean, yeah. Okay. I know you’ve been talking for a minute, but. I’d love to get your take. If so the servant goes in chokes, this dude, and we’ve joked a lot about choking, but you know, it’s a pretty serious thing to do to somebody shows like I might be killing you in this moment.

I might not, but I’m really angry. It’s it’s anger. Right. And it’s violence. Um, so like that was going on in the servant’s heart, probably for a long time, some level of violence and. And I don’t know, men, like did this come out of the servant, felt mercy, uh, from the master and, and then walked away and was like, actually, I don’t even deserve that grace.

I don’t deserve that mercy. So I’m going to take out my anger, uh, because I don’t feel worthy of it or like, I don’t know. Weird. I just don’t understand. I probably should understand. Cause obviously in the story, I should relate way more to that servant than, than the master. But like the anger is a little it’s stigma.

It’s difficult to understand, you know, to walk away and do the exact opposite of what you just experienced. But yeah, but we do that 

Josh: forgiveness. Yeah. Unforgiveness is a scary place to be. I just had this conversation with a friend a couple of weeks ago, like. Unforgiveness is going to destroy your life.

Um, more than it’s ever going to destroy the life of the person you’re not forgiving. True. Um, and here’s the reality. People are going to harm you in this life. We’re all broken. Um, you know, Christians are going to harm you in this life. Yeah. We’re all broken sinful people. That’s just the reality of it.

So you’re going to get harmed by people. You’re going to feel like they’ve wronged you and you shouldn’t have to forgive them. You should be able to choke them out because that is the proper response to whatever that they’ve done to you. Right. It’s like, I know these, I know these feelings, I get it. Like I’ve experienced these, these emotions, not even that long ago.

Right? Like I want to take a baseball bat to somebody’s head. Like that was the thoughts running through my mind, um, which might argue. Is probably even more vicious than choking somebody. I don’t know, even though they didn’t do it right, but like that’s going to happen. But if I hold onto those emotions, I keep thinking through them and letting them fester, um, and letting it grow and not doing what Jesus has asked me to do, have to forgive, um, like this, this is, this is where it ends up.

You end up doing things you never thought you’d do because you just couldn’t let go of the harm that you’ve experienced. You need to be justified in that harm in reality. Yes, you don’t because you’ve probably hurt people just as much as they hurt you. And if you haven’t. I doubt it, but if you haven’t, you are more than capable of doing it.

Yeah. And I think that’s important too, to recognize, like you can think of the most heinous sins out there. Um, uh, I can’t think of any off the top of my head, but you murder. Sure. Right? Yeah. Could I murder somebody? Yeah. 

Andrew: I’m stopping it. Like their life is done. I’m God decide. Yeah. 

Josh: Yeah. I’m so against that.

Like, absolutely. That’s not okay. I’m not for capital punishment in that sense. Like, no, absolutely not do that. But in all reality, if someone hurt someone I loved and killed someone I loved and I had an opportunity and the circumstances were just right. That I could kill them. I probably would. Um, and I think that’s important and important, humble posture to take.

When you see people around you and the heinous things that they’re doing. Because of the circumstances were right. Yeah. I probably could do it myself if I keep, you know, um, digging in to, to unforgiveness and letting that fester and grow and getting angrier and angrier at that person. Yeah. Yeah. 100%. I ended up that place.

I keep fostering these sinful habits in my life that I’m not bringing them to Jesus and I’m not dealing with yeah. They could end up in really ugly, horrible places and I could do some sinful, um, despicable things. Um, And when we get outside of that and make the statement, if I could never, or 100% of the wrong, cause you probably could.

And it’s by the grace of Christ that you don’t. For no other reason. Yeah. It’s not your power to snap. Right? You do some pretty heinous things. So I think it’s important to, to take that posture and remember, no, I, 100% could be this servant. That’s that’s choking a dude out. This really could be me. Yeah.

And in all reality, I’m probably doing right now. There was probably some unforgiveness that I’m holding on to it I’m not dealing with. And I’m probably. Few steps away from it right now. Um, but you gotta deal with those things. You, you’ve got to jump on, um, those things when they present themselves and start having that conversation with God and, and express the emotion about it.

Like it’s not God, you know, he was so-and-so over here. This is what he did to me. And I’m not okay with it and done with this. We’ll help you forgive them. Yeah, that’s not the conversation. The conversation is, this is what they did to me. And this is how I perceived it and got here. Here’s just the emotion of it all.

And here’s how I’m feeling. And then here, here’s how it’s, it’s just holding onto me in this way. And like, God, when I think of this, I just get angry about it again. Or if I think of this, I feel like I’m a victim again. Go into all the ugliness of that, let it out. Those problems should be a lot of emotion in that conversation with God, you can’t hold it in.

You’re holding an ink to help you. Right. But start to have the conversation with God and God’s going to start walking through those things. I mean, you’re going to be amazed at how much easier it is to forgive that person. Not just the first time over and over and over and over again, and something new is going to come out and you’re like, ah, and then you’re going to, I got to forgive them again, like with that stuff.

Yeah. Um, that’s okay. That’s how Jesus in saying, Hey, you forgive everybody and it’s up to you to figure it out right now, as he said with, with the end of the great commission, I, if you always for the jury, why can’t forever and that’s what we’re average trend. That’s good. That’s it. That’s what Jesus is asking us to do.

Like walk with him. He’s not going to ask you to do it on your own. He’s saying walk with me and I’ll teach you how to live this life. I’ll teach you how to forgive. Um, but unforgiveness is rampant in the church, like man and unforgiveness justify so much sinful behavior in our own heads and in the heads of those around, but unforgiveness is the ugliest thing.

I think. And pride are the two things that destroy unity in the church big time, because we can’t do this stuff, then you’ve got to find a place to forgive. Yeah, man. Any last thoughts before we close this up? I know you got to go soon. 

Andrew: Yeah. Um, I was just going to say like the, you know, before you and I hopped on, I was telling you just a small way.

I said, man, Josh, God was really kind to me yesterday. And I gave you one example of him being just kind, uh, it was a small thing, but to me. It’s a big deal. And, um, I don’t know. I think we’re just so quick to forget that we’re forgiven already that, um, that we live in unforgiveness, or we live with looking over our shoulder, like when is God going to pop that thing out to make me feel bad?

Uh, when he’s, when is he going to bring that sin up and just hit me over the head with it? When’s the other shoe going to drop, but yeah. Yeah, I think that that more shows, uh, that we don’t understand the level of forgiven that we actually are. Um, and you know, early on in the story of the unmerciful unmerciful, servant, um, the master just straight up, like you said, in verse 27, straight up for gave a 10,000 talents, which.

We looked it up in the parable of the talents and that’s like a, that is a unfathomable sum of money. It’s like, okay, you owe me a billion dollars. Uh, your debts clean it’s wiped. Now go live, uh, live a good life and give mercy to others. Wait, it’s wiped a billion dollars. Yeah, it’s forgiven. Love you, man. I love you.

And I’m here for you and go be free. You know, it is literally that level except more because our, our spiritual forgiveness, the Lord gives us is worth a lot more than any amount of dollars that, uh, that there are in this world. Um, but. Yeah, man. I think when we are struggling to forget about those, maybe it’s because we don’t actually understand what forgiveness means and what, how God views forgiveness to us.

So 

Josh: definitely that’s the case. 

Andrew: Yeah, man. Yeah. So yeah, I got bounce. Um, I’m sorry to cut a little bit early, but that was my final thought. And dude, this has been just really good. Thanks for the awesome conversation. 

Josh: Yeah. Hey, thank you so much for listening. We love you guys. We are praying for you guys.

Andrew: Thanks for listening to our show. It really means a lot to us. And we hope that it helps bring you closer in your relationship with Jesus and with other people. 

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