The Gospel of Luke #20

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.040 --> 00:00:05.160 Of that Song Man. Well, so we come to God's word this morning. 2 00:00:05.240 --> 00:00:11.000 Let us prepare our hearts by praying for illumination on God's word. And 3 00:00:11.119 --> 00:00:17.320 now, Lord, you who indeed inspired the words of the prophets as they 4 00:00:17.359 --> 00:00:22.800 wrote, the apostles as they wrote. Lord, you who gave life to 5 00:00:22.879 --> 00:00:27.559 these words, you, God, to whom many of us here, if 6 00:00:27.559 --> 00:00:31.440 not all of us here this morning, can attest to the fact that your 7 00:00:31.440 --> 00:00:35.880 words gave light and life to us. And so, Lord, we come 8 00:00:35.920 --> 00:00:40.000 to you because you are the founder and the author of these words, and 9 00:00:40.039 --> 00:00:44.600 so, Lord, we desire to understand them. Lord, we look at 10 00:00:44.600 --> 00:00:48.000 a very familiar story this morning. But yet I pray, God, that 11 00:00:48.079 --> 00:00:52.719 in some way I may be able, through your grace and that you may, 12 00:00:52.799 --> 00:00:57.520 through my words, illuminate your people, that something about this story that's 13 00:00:57.520 --> 00:01:00.640 so familiar may still resonate in our hearts as new, or, if not 14 00:01:00.840 --> 00:01:07.359 new, at least anew, that we may be thankful for it. It 15 00:01:07.480 --> 00:01:11.560 is your word, God, and you can enlighten it and illuminate it to 16 00:01:11.680 --> 00:01:15.000 us, and we asked you would do so in Christ name. Amen. 17 00:01:15.560 --> 00:01:23.159 Our passage this morning comes from the Gospel of Luke, Chapter Five, making 18 00:01:23.159 --> 00:01:26.519 our way through that chapter. We look last week at the Lord's healing of 19 00:01:26.519 --> 00:01:32.359 a leper and we're going to see another healing this morning, beginning in verse 20 00:01:32.400 --> 00:01:36.319 seventeen. Here is God's word. On one of those days, as he 21 00:01:36.359 --> 00:01:40.560 was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law we're sitting there would come from 22 00:01:40.560 --> 00:01:45.079 every village of Galilee and Judaean from Jerusalem, and the power of the Lord 23 00:01:45.200 --> 00:01:49.000 was with him to heal and behold. Some men were bringing on a bed 24 00:01:49.040 --> 00:01:52.200 a man who was paralyzed and they were seeking to bring him in and land 25 00:01:52.239 --> 00:01:57.120 before Jesus, but finding a way to bring him in because of the crowd, 26 00:01:57.200 --> 00:02:00.079 they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through 27 00:02:00.120 --> 00:02:05.079 the tiles into the midst before Jesus. And when he saw their faith, 28 00:02:05.120 --> 00:02:08.240 he said, man, your sins are forgiven you. And the scribes and 29 00:02:08.280 --> 00:02:15.360 the Pharisees began to question, saying who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who 30 00:02:15.400 --> 00:02:20.240 could forgive sins but God alone? When Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered 31 00:02:20.280 --> 00:02:24.319 them. Why do you question in your hearts which is easier to say your 32 00:02:24.319 --> 00:02:30.840 sins are forgiven you or to say rise and walk but that you may know 33 00:02:30.919 --> 00:02:34.919 the son of men has authority on Earth to forgive sins. He said to 34 00:02:34.960 --> 00:02:38.840 the man who was paralyzed, I say to you, rise, pick up 35 00:02:38.840 --> 00:02:44.080 your bed and go home. And immediately he rose up before them, picked 36 00:02:44.159 --> 00:02:49.360 up what he'd been lying on and went home, glorifying God. And Amazement 37 00:02:49.439 --> 00:02:53.120 sees them all and they glorified God and we're filled with awe, saying we 38 00:02:53.199 --> 00:03:00.400 have seen extraordinary things today. Thus, sins, the reading of God's please 39 00:03:00.479 --> 00:03:07.879 be seated. Well, we have been looking through the weeks here on the 40 00:03:07.919 --> 00:03:14.319 gospel of Luke, specifically as it relates to Christ authority and victory over every 41 00:03:14.439 --> 00:03:19.800 enemy that he faces, whether it's temptation in the wilderness, whether it's a 42 00:03:19.879 --> 00:03:24.919 leper that comes to him, whatever we have come across in the ministry life 43 00:03:24.919 --> 00:03:29.719 of Jesus, he has shown he has ultimate authority over it. And so 44 00:03:29.800 --> 00:03:36.759 now this morning he comes to perhaps our most persistent enemy that we have and 45 00:03:36.840 --> 00:03:43.840 here again will show that he has become the victor over even that enemy. 46 00:03:45.319 --> 00:03:50.080 If you're a Sunday school student, or were once a Sunday school students as 47 00:03:50.120 --> 00:03:53.520 a child, I should say, but the chances are that you're familiar with 48 00:03:53.560 --> 00:03:58.039 the story this morning. I don't know that many Sunday school curriculums can get 49 00:03:58.039 --> 00:04:02.199 by without putting this story in it. And perhaps you can remember the pictures 50 00:04:02.199 --> 00:04:08.439 and your workbooks or if you're old enough like me to remember flannel boards and, 51 00:04:08.639 --> 00:04:12.520 uh, the things that the teachers were put up there. We probably 52 00:04:12.560 --> 00:04:16.160 remember seeing the pictures of the man being brought through the roof and being brought 53 00:04:16.240 --> 00:04:20.439 into the presence of of Jesus and UH, since I didn't grow up in 54 00:04:20.439 --> 00:04:24.800 a reformed church, we actually had Jesus and the pictures at that time. 55 00:04:24.879 --> 00:04:29.959 But nonetheless, you probably remember that this is one of those stories that is 56 00:04:30.000 --> 00:04:32.560 found in all three of the synoptic gospels. Matthew, mark and Luke all 57 00:04:32.600 --> 00:04:38.800 give us this story. They don't all tell us everything. Matthew actually eliminates 58 00:04:38.839 --> 00:04:43.319 the part of how the man comes before Jesus. He doesn't mention at all 59 00:04:43.360 --> 00:04:46.600 that going through the roof or any of that. So he does tell the 60 00:04:46.720 --> 00:04:48.920 story, however, has do mark and, of course, Luke, which 61 00:04:48.920 --> 00:04:54.040 we have just read. So let's begin with verses seventeen to nineteen. Luke 62 00:04:54.079 --> 00:04:59.360 doesn't give us the location of the healing, but Matthew tells us that it 63 00:04:59.439 --> 00:05:02.920 is in his own city, which we presume to mean Capernaum, because that 64 00:05:02.959 --> 00:05:08.040 seems to be where Jesus had his headquarters. Wouldn't be Nazareth or anything out 65 00:05:08.040 --> 00:05:13.319 of that, but but copernum was where Jesus had his headquarters of Ministry. 66 00:05:13.399 --> 00:05:15.439 And again, regarding the time, I've noticed with you in the past weeks 67 00:05:15.480 --> 00:05:20.360 here that Luke isn't real concerned about the time. He's not concerned about giving 68 00:05:20.439 --> 00:05:25.720 us a chronological account of the life and Ministry of Jesus. So don't get 69 00:05:25.759 --> 00:05:28.959 all bent out of shape. And you read this story in another Gospel and 70 00:05:29.000 --> 00:05:30.639 said, well, wait a minute, this happened after this and not before 71 00:05:30.680 --> 00:05:34.079 this, because Luke isn't concerned about that. He wants to give it topically. 72 00:05:34.079 --> 00:05:39.120 He has his own reasons for telling the stories in the order that he 73 00:05:39.160 --> 00:05:42.240 does so. Instead of being definite, as we've seen all along, he 74 00:05:42.360 --> 00:05:45.839 just says as one of those days, that's all he tells us about the 75 00:05:45.879 --> 00:05:48.680 timing at that point. And then, for the first time in the gospel 76 00:05:48.680 --> 00:05:53.560 of Luke, were introduced to a group of people called the Pharisees, and 77 00:05:53.639 --> 00:05:56.160 I told those of you that have been in the Bible Studies. If you 78 00:05:56.199 --> 00:06:00.399 need to remember when the Pharisees are just remember they're the ones that look in 79 00:06:00.480 --> 00:06:02.360 the mirror and say, Oh, I'm fair, I see so if you 80 00:06:02.360 --> 00:06:08.759 remember that, remember the Pharisees and UH. Anyway, Um, I am 81 00:06:08.800 --> 00:06:13.800 guessing that most of you, when you hear that word Pharisee, you don't 82 00:06:13.879 --> 00:06:16.040 have pleasant thoughts. It's kind of like a couple of weeks ago when I 83 00:06:16.079 --> 00:06:18.800 asked you to think about a lot and asked you what was the first thought 84 00:06:18.800 --> 00:06:21.759 that came to your mind. I don't think it was pleasant thoughts. Well, 85 00:06:21.759 --> 00:06:26.560 I don't think coming to mind about the Pharisees, you'd have very good 86 00:06:26.600 --> 00:06:31.040 connotations as well. And Uh, it's probably uh this way and there's, 87 00:06:31.079 --> 00:06:34.000 there's. There's really a good cause for this? Of course it's not that. 88 00:06:34.040 --> 00:06:36.639 Well, we do that for no reason. Uh, there's a good 89 00:06:36.680 --> 00:06:41.839 reason why. We don't have much good to say about it. Jesus has 90 00:06:41.920 --> 00:06:46.240 actually several bad things to say about them. We might particularly think about later 91 00:06:46.240 --> 00:06:50.439 in the Gospel of Matthew when Chapter Twenty three, when Jesus gives an entire 92 00:06:50.560 --> 00:06:58.600 series of woes upon the scribes and the Pharisees for how they live. But 93 00:06:59.600 --> 00:07:03.879 I need the side. We actually do have some good pharisees in the Bible, 94 00:07:03.959 --> 00:07:08.040 don't we? There are some good ones. Say. Oh well, 95 00:07:08.120 --> 00:07:12.560 let's start with the Apostle Paul. That's pretty good pharisee. Now again, 96 00:07:12.639 --> 00:07:15.560 he was changed, of course, but he was a Pharisee. He says 97 00:07:15.560 --> 00:07:18.759 in Philippians, three, five, as to the law, pharisee. So 98 00:07:18.800 --> 00:07:24.920 that's a good pharisee. Probably the most famous pharisee outside of Saul would be 99 00:07:25.040 --> 00:07:30.920 Nicodemus, who came to Jesus by night and although we're not specifically told exactly 100 00:07:30.000 --> 00:07:32.920 the state of his soul, it appears from the end, where he does 101 00:07:33.639 --> 00:07:38.920 come and help in the burial of Jesus with Joseph of Arimathea, that he 102 00:07:38.959 --> 00:07:44.480 had come around. And he also defends Christ before the council, and so 103 00:07:44.639 --> 00:07:47.199 we could also think about him. And then there's a Pharisee by the name 104 00:07:47.240 --> 00:07:53.240 of Gamilio who, although may not have been a believer, nevertheless he comes 105 00:07:53.319 --> 00:07:59.000 up in acts five and stops the consul from killing the apostles. So they 106 00:07:59.000 --> 00:08:03.839 weren't all bad. But the name Pharisees seems to indicate separated. One or 107 00:08:03.920 --> 00:08:09.199 maybe even holy one. They seem to have arisen between the testaments, basically 108 00:08:09.240 --> 00:08:16.680 around the maccabean revolt time, around one BC. Josephas, the Jewish historian, 109 00:08:16.720 --> 00:08:22.160 tells us the Pharisees were extremely influential among the common people. They held 110 00:08:22.160 --> 00:08:28.600 them in very high regard. And Uh, there's one particularly good thing that 111 00:08:28.680 --> 00:08:33.679 Jesus says about the Pharisees, and I don't know if you'll remember what that 112 00:08:33.960 --> 00:08:37.519 is or not, but in that Chapter I spoke about Matthew Twenty three. 113 00:08:37.519 --> 00:08:41.279 As he begins it, he says this. The scribes and the Pharisees sit 114 00:08:41.399 --> 00:08:48.559 on Moses seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you. So that 115 00:08:48.720 --> 00:08:52.879 is the good thing that our Lord says right there. We should listen to 116 00:08:52.919 --> 00:08:58.320 what they taught because they were Orthodox. They were the Orthodox Presbyterians of the 117 00:08:58.440 --> 00:09:03.759 day. They they believed in the Orthodox teachings. They believed in the resurrection 118 00:09:03.799 --> 00:09:07.759 of the dead, which the SADDUCEES denied. They believe in the existence of 119 00:09:07.840 --> 00:09:11.960 angels, which others denied. They believed in the sovereignty of God, they 120 00:09:11.000 --> 00:09:18.000 believe with man's responsibility and they they were Orthodox believers. And there was about 121 00:09:18.120 --> 00:09:22.799 six thousand of them at the time of Christ that were there. Of the 122 00:09:22.840 --> 00:09:31.200 other four Jewish groups that inner uh have some some kind of action, interaction 123 00:09:31.240 --> 00:09:35.679 with their Lord, Luke will only mention two of those, the Sadducees and 124 00:09:35.720 --> 00:09:39.399 the zealots, and he will only mention each of them one time in his 125 00:09:39.519 --> 00:09:45.360 gospel. The other two he doesn't mention at all. But the Pharisees he 126 00:09:45.440 --> 00:09:52.120 will mention Twenty Five Different Times in his gospel. But sitting with the Pharisees 127 00:09:52.240 --> 00:09:56.399 is another group that Luke originally describes as teachers of the law, but later 128 00:09:56.440 --> 00:10:01.519 would describe them in this passage by our more familiar name, that of the 129 00:10:01.600 --> 00:10:07.679 scribes. In Verse Twenty One, he mentions that the scribe was known to 130 00:10:07.799 --> 00:10:11.399 be an expert in the law. That's why Luke calls him a teacher of 131 00:10:11.399 --> 00:10:15.480 the law. Ezra, who was ascribed in Ezra seven six and said this 132 00:10:15.639 --> 00:10:20.879 Ezra went up from Babylonia. He was ascribed skilled in the law of Moses 133 00:10:20.279 --> 00:10:24.480 that the Lord, the God of Israel, had given. Scribes were very 134 00:10:24.480 --> 00:10:28.720 respected by the common people in those days. They had the chief seats in 135 00:10:28.759 --> 00:10:35.960 the synagogue and whenever they entered a room people would rise to honor them and 136 00:10:35.000 --> 00:10:39.320 the phariseeasons and scribes had come, Luke tells us, from every village. 137 00:10:39.360 --> 00:10:45.120 That's again luke not being very specific. Doesn't necessarily mean it's like we say, 138 00:10:45.279 --> 00:10:48.279 everybody came from everywhere, and we know it doesn't mean they came from 139 00:10:48.320 --> 00:10:52.399 everywhere. But again, they came from most of the villages around about captain 140 00:10:52.559 --> 00:10:58.799 purliament at that time. And Luke is a kind of unusual sentence that were 141 00:10:58.840 --> 00:11:03.600 not quite prepared for. It says and the power of the Lord was present 142 00:11:03.720 --> 00:11:07.080 to heal them. You might think, we'll wait a minute. Wouldn't. 143 00:11:07.080 --> 00:11:11.559 Wouldn't anywhere Jesus was. Wouldn't? Wouldn't power the Lord be present wherever Jesus 144 00:11:11.639 --> 00:11:15.559 was? Well, yes, but the one thing we have to remember, 145 00:11:15.639 --> 00:11:20.039 which Jesus will tell us, is that he always does the things which please 146 00:11:20.120 --> 00:11:22.080 the father. He doesn't do anything on his own initiative. He says, 147 00:11:22.080 --> 00:11:26.080 he does what the father has commanded him to do. So when Luke says 148 00:11:26.159 --> 00:11:30.919 the power of the Lord is present to heal he's simply saying this is the 149 00:11:31.000 --> 00:11:35.120 time when the father is uh allowing his son or telling his son that this 150 00:11:35.200 --> 00:11:39.639 is a time when when indeed healing should take place, and so Jesus is 151 00:11:39.720 --> 00:11:45.799 doing uh an obedience to the father, even though really, of his own 152 00:11:45.799 --> 00:11:50.960 accord, he could heal whenever he wanted to. And so in verse eighteen 153 00:11:50.039 --> 00:11:54.720 we are introduced to the men carrying a paralyzed man on a bed. Luke 154 00:11:54.799 --> 00:11:58.159 doesn't tell us, but mark tells us that there were four men. That 155 00:11:58.200 --> 00:12:01.679 would make sense, that they always think of this as kind of a cot, 156 00:12:01.840 --> 00:12:05.240 you know, the top part of a COT, and that they're all 157 00:12:05.639 --> 00:12:09.000 each one of them is holding to one corner of the COT as they come 158 00:12:09.039 --> 00:12:13.519 at that time. In Verse Nineteen, they're told that as they come they 159 00:12:13.840 --> 00:12:18.480 are given a problem because they cannot approach Jesus, we're told, is in 160 00:12:18.559 --> 00:12:24.440 the house and the accounts and therefore they can't get in because the crowd has 161 00:12:24.519 --> 00:12:28.200 blocked the way for them. Uh is mark who tells us that Jesus is 162 00:12:28.279 --> 00:12:33.960 actually teaching in a house, and Matthew only deals with the healing itself. 163 00:12:33.960 --> 00:12:39.440 But mark and Luke give us how this man comes into the presence of Jesus. 164 00:12:39.440 --> 00:12:43.600 Our text says Um finding no way to bring him in because of the 165 00:12:43.639 --> 00:12:46.240 crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed 166 00:12:46.320 --> 00:12:52.840 through the tiles into the midst before Jesus. Mark says it a little different. 167 00:12:52.879 --> 00:12:54.679 He says when they could not get near him because of the crowd, 168 00:12:56.120 --> 00:13:00.200 they removed the roof above him and when they had made an open and they 169 00:13:00.279 --> 00:13:03.879 let on the bed on which his paralytic lay. Now neither of the text 170 00:13:03.960 --> 00:13:07.559 tell us how they got on the roof, but it was likely there would 171 00:13:07.559 --> 00:13:09.759 be a staircase. It would lead up to the roof of many houses. 172 00:13:11.159 --> 00:13:13.039 Could be that there was even a staircase on the house next to them and 173 00:13:13.080 --> 00:13:18.320 then they had to step over on onto that and apparently, once they'd remove 174 00:13:18.440 --> 00:13:22.039 some of the roof tiles, uh, they lowered the man through the roof 175 00:13:22.120 --> 00:13:28.679 into the presence of Jesus. Now, if you're one of those people who 176 00:13:28.879 --> 00:13:33.240 might get bothered when somebody comes to your house and spills something on the carpet, 177 00:13:33.919 --> 00:13:37.240 how would you feel if they started taking your roof apart? Um, 178 00:13:37.360 --> 00:13:41.679 I think that would be even a little tougher to do that. Um, 179 00:13:41.799 --> 00:13:46.960 I know as as a preacher Um sometimes in the middle of what you think 180 00:13:46.039 --> 00:13:50.559 is maybe your best point in the sermon and all of a sudden the baby 181 00:13:50.639 --> 00:13:54.840 lets out a whale in the service and and all your momentum goes down the 182 00:13:54.919 --> 00:13:58.000 drain and it's not so dramatic and and all of that. That that that 183 00:13:58.039 --> 00:14:01.080 you said, well, that could be a will bother some. I mean 184 00:14:01.080 --> 00:14:03.799 we're glad the babies are there and gred babies are crying because it means they're 185 00:14:03.799 --> 00:14:07.519 alive. But but still sometimes it can kind of throw you off a little 186 00:14:07.519 --> 00:14:11.159 bit. But but I have never ever been interrupted by someone taking the roof 187 00:14:11.200 --> 00:14:16.000 of the church apart. Uh, and so I have not been that affected 188 00:14:16.039 --> 00:14:20.200 in regards to that. But as we don't know how much did they take 189 00:14:20.200 --> 00:14:22.679 apart? We don't know. We have we always have the idea, perhaps 190 00:14:22.759 --> 00:14:24.759 I know I did that, that they took all of the way so they 191 00:14:24.759 --> 00:14:28.440 could just kind of lower him down with ropes on each corner. But you 192 00:14:28.480 --> 00:14:33.320 know, you can jiggle a bed kind of and put it at a thing 193 00:14:33.399 --> 00:14:35.480 like this. They might not have had to make quite as big of a 194 00:14:35.519 --> 00:14:39.000 whole as as we oftentimes, I think. But anyway, you get the 195 00:14:39.000 --> 00:14:43.960 point. So we look at versus twenties. It says there in twenty that 196 00:14:43.120 --> 00:14:48.279 Jesus when he saw their faith, and that seems to relay, particularly to 197 00:14:48.399 --> 00:14:54.159 the four men who are bringing the man, but probably also to the paralytic 198 00:14:54.240 --> 00:14:58.879 himself. And this is the first occurrence. We already had first occurrence of 199 00:14:58.879 --> 00:15:01.840 Pharisee. Now we have another, the important word that appears for the first 200 00:15:01.840 --> 00:15:05.159 time in the gospel of Luke, and that is the word faith. And 201 00:15:05.399 --> 00:15:11.840 so we have that. But we have something that might bring a question into 202 00:15:11.840 --> 00:15:18.120 our mind this. Why is it that in this particular healing that our Lord 203 00:15:18.200 --> 00:15:24.559 does, he speaks to the forgiveness of sins and not to the illness, 204 00:15:24.600 --> 00:15:30.919 to paralysis itself? Now we know in the Bible that there are times we 205 00:15:31.000 --> 00:15:35.000 know that sin causes sickness. King Ziah was a leper to his death because 206 00:15:35.440 --> 00:15:39.799 of the sin that he committed, and so we know that sin can cause 207 00:15:39.879 --> 00:15:46.279 illness, but we also know in the Bible that people's illnesses may not indeed 208 00:15:46.320 --> 00:15:50.360 be caused by sin at all. Remember the brilliant question of the disciples of 209 00:15:50.399 --> 00:15:54.600 the man born blind who did this sin this manner? His parents that he 210 00:15:54.639 --> 00:15:58.840 was born blind. I was wondering about that. That what you know? 211 00:15:58.080 --> 00:16:00.879 He was born and what? What kind of Sin Doy you think this guy 212 00:16:02.000 --> 00:16:03.399 did? was He in the womb. What you know, what was he 213 00:16:03.480 --> 00:16:07.440 doing that that would have been sinful in the womb? I'm not exactly sure 214 00:16:07.919 --> 00:16:12.720 what that was, but again, Jesus makes it clear that it had nothing 215 00:16:12.759 --> 00:16:17.840 to do with either his sin or the sin of his parents. So it 216 00:16:17.919 --> 00:16:22.679 seems to lead many to believe that in this instance, perhaps indeed sin was 217 00:16:22.720 --> 00:16:29.200 the cause of this man's illness. But we don't know, because, personally, 218 00:16:29.399 --> 00:16:34.240 I think there's another reason why Jesus, in this instance, uses that 219 00:16:34.360 --> 00:16:40.879 line son, thy sins are forgiven thee and that is because present that day 220 00:16:41.000 --> 00:16:45.200 are the scribes and the Pharisees and he knows that this saying is going to 221 00:16:45.240 --> 00:16:51.360 elicit some criticism and give him an opportunity to tell them something. So I 222 00:16:51.399 --> 00:16:55.759 think that might be the reason why. Well, in Verse Twenty One, 223 00:16:55.759 --> 00:16:59.279 a statement indeed does what the Lord intends it to do, and the scribes 224 00:16:59.320 --> 00:17:03.879 and the Pharis start saying, who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can 225 00:17:03.960 --> 00:17:10.720 forgive sins but God alone? And so what? You know? What do 226 00:17:10.759 --> 00:17:15.160 we guess? What do we get from that? Now, the better response 227 00:17:15.359 --> 00:17:19.079 from that would have been to maybe just ask a question. You know now, 228 00:17:19.359 --> 00:17:22.440 Jesus, we know that only God can forgive sins, and I'm sure 229 00:17:22.519 --> 00:17:26.319 you know that too. So you know maybe you're making a mistake and what 230 00:17:26.319 --> 00:17:30.799 you're saying here maybe intend something we don't understand. Maybe you could explain that 231 00:17:32.200 --> 00:17:36.119 nicely. But they don't do that. But there is nothing wrong with their 232 00:17:36.160 --> 00:17:40.039 theology. And the second part of that statement when they say who can forgive 233 00:17:40.160 --> 00:17:44.000 sins? But God only. And of course someone might sin against you and 234 00:17:44.039 --> 00:17:45.480 they may come to you and say please forgive me it. I mean to 235 00:17:45.519 --> 00:17:49.119 do that and then you forgive you. We have the ability to do that. 236 00:17:49.160 --> 00:17:56.680 But all sins are eventually and essentially against God, and so god alone 237 00:17:56.759 --> 00:18:02.720 has the prerogative because all sins are against none of us can claim to forgive 238 00:18:02.880 --> 00:18:07.680 sins because of that, because only God could do that. God assigns that 239 00:18:07.759 --> 00:18:12.599 prerogative to himself in several scriptures. In giving his essence to Moses and Exodus, 240 00:18:12.599 --> 00:18:17.640 thirty four, six and seven said the Lord passed before him and proclaimed 241 00:18:17.640 --> 00:18:22.440 the Lord The Lord a God merciful and Gracious, Slow to anger and abounding 242 00:18:22.480 --> 00:18:27.359 and steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and 243 00:18:27.400 --> 00:18:33.119 transgression and sin. But who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting 244 00:18:33.160 --> 00:18:37.400 the iniquity to fathers and the children and the children's children to the third and 245 00:18:37.400 --> 00:18:41.960 the fourth generation. God says, that's my prerogative, I am the one 246 00:18:41.000 --> 00:18:44.559 who forgive. So on one, Oh, three, two and three, 247 00:18:44.599 --> 00:18:48.160 we read this psalm last week. Bless the Lord O my soul. Forget 248 00:18:48.240 --> 00:18:52.680 not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity. It is God who 249 00:18:52.799 --> 00:18:57.400 must forgive our iniquity, and so every sin we do, even if it 250 00:18:57.440 --> 00:19:02.559 involves someone else, is ult a sin against God. So David Praise in 251 00:19:02.559 --> 00:19:06.240 the midst of his adultery against Bathsheb and your Rya and his murder against you, 252 00:19:06.400 --> 00:19:11.279 Riyah. He prays and says Lord, against you and you only have 253 00:19:11.480 --> 00:19:15.480 I sin so all. I can sin against you, I certainly can, 254 00:19:15.160 --> 00:19:21.240 and and you may forgive me, but there is another party with whom I 255 00:19:21.359 --> 00:19:26.640 have to do in regards to that sin, and that is God. I 256 00:19:26.720 --> 00:19:30.559 must always ask forgiveness of him, for he is the source of it. 257 00:19:30.559 --> 00:19:38.240 The Pharisees are right to forgive sins by a mere creature is equivalent to blasphemy 258 00:19:38.319 --> 00:19:44.079 and thus, by the old testament standards, was equivalent to being killed by 259 00:19:44.160 --> 00:19:49.880 the death penalty because of blasphemy. They're right in that point. They are 260 00:19:49.920 --> 00:19:56.200 missing, however, one piece of the puzzle, one thing that makes what 261 00:19:56.319 --> 00:20:04.359 Jesus says actually a wonderful statement and not a blasphemous statement, and that is 262 00:20:04.680 --> 00:20:15.720 that of course only God can forgive sins, but Jesus is God and that 263 00:20:15.839 --> 00:20:19.480 changes everything, doesn't it? And so in verse twenty two, it's interesting. 264 00:20:19.519 --> 00:20:22.640 I love this verse, coming right on the heels of verse one, 265 00:20:22.759 --> 00:20:27.400 it says Jesus perceives their thoughts. What does that tell us? There, 266 00:20:27.519 --> 00:20:33.319 right there, who can perceive thoughts? Only God. Jesus now is God 267 00:20:33.559 --> 00:20:41.039 who has forgiven sins, now perceives their thoughts. And so again he gives 268 00:20:41.079 --> 00:20:44.119 to them. Not only by perceiving their thoughts. What should have astounded them 269 00:20:44.119 --> 00:20:47.880 to how did he know what we were thinking? But he also says to 270 00:20:48.000 --> 00:20:52.119 them, in a very logical argument, what's what's easier to say to someone? 271 00:20:52.640 --> 00:20:56.640 Your sins are forgiven you, or rise and walk. Now we have 272 00:20:56.680 --> 00:21:00.720 to understand what Jesus means by that. Of course, US in a sense, 273 00:21:00.759 --> 00:21:03.000 either statement can be said. I just said both little statements to you. 274 00:21:03.119 --> 00:21:07.400 So they were both equally easy to me. But of course the point 275 00:21:07.480 --> 00:21:11.799 Jesus is making is if you say your sins are forgiven you, if you 276 00:21:11.880 --> 00:21:17.160 go to a man and that man says your sins are forgiven you, you 277 00:21:17.160 --> 00:21:19.839 know you can, you can think what you want, but you know there's 278 00:21:19.880 --> 00:21:22.960 it's easy to say any anybody can say it if they want to say it, 279 00:21:23.319 --> 00:21:26.279 and and nobody could really say. Well, I don't know if that's 280 00:21:26.279 --> 00:21:30.039 true or not. I mean weekend by Bible standards, but nonetheless, but 281 00:21:30.079 --> 00:21:34.960 if somebody says rise and walk, we're gonna Watch, aren't we? We're 282 00:21:34.960 --> 00:21:38.079 gonna look and say, okay, or maybe you know, maybe there's something 283 00:21:38.119 --> 00:21:41.119 to this guy. I'm not sure, but it looks like it. And 284 00:21:41.160 --> 00:21:47.680 then Jesus says, to make it even more emphatic, to the cripple rise, 285 00:21:48.160 --> 00:21:52.400 pick up your bed and go home. So let's look at the last 286 00:21:52.440 --> 00:21:56.039 two verses. Verse Twenty Five, we see the first reaction, or the 287 00:21:56.039 --> 00:21:59.519 reaction of the paralytic to the words of Jesus. He rises up, picks 288 00:21:59.599 --> 00:22:03.640 up as that he was lying on and he goes home, glorifying God, 289 00:22:03.720 --> 00:22:07.240 as he does in the reaction of the crowd. In verse they are amazed, 290 00:22:07.640 --> 00:22:11.920 they glorify God and they're filled with awe. We need to look at 291 00:22:11.960 --> 00:22:18.359 some Greek words here because they're kind of important. The Greek word for amazed 292 00:22:18.079 --> 00:22:23.839 is the word where we get our English word ecstatic. They were ecstatic, 293 00:22:25.920 --> 00:22:33.039 the crowd is ecstatic and they glorified God, the word where we get doxology. 294 00:22:33.160 --> 00:22:37.640 They doxologized God, they gave praise to him, they glorified him and 295 00:22:37.680 --> 00:22:45.119 gave and gave him that. And then they make this statement we have seen 296 00:22:45.319 --> 00:22:51.359 extraordinary things today, and that's an interesting word. You may or may not 297 00:22:51.519 --> 00:22:55.960 know what that word is in the Greek. That that phrase that the S 298 00:22:56.079 --> 00:23:00.680 V says extraordinary, that word that. That's a good translation and there's nothing 299 00:23:00.720 --> 00:23:07.079 wrong with that. The King James says we have seen strange things, and 300 00:23:07.119 --> 00:23:10.039 there's nothing wrong with that translation either. In fact, I think I like 301 00:23:10.160 --> 00:23:15.839 the King James Translation better. They're strange things, spurgeon said. No Man 302 00:23:15.920 --> 00:23:21.759 ever spent the day with Jesus Christ without being filled with the sight of strange 303 00:23:21.920 --> 00:23:26.319 things. But the Greek word is very interesting to us because we have the 304 00:23:26.400 --> 00:23:30.359 same we we take that word from the Greek into English and it is the 305 00:23:30.400 --> 00:23:36.680 word paradox. Now that doesn't mean to doctors, but paradox, as you 306 00:23:36.759 --> 00:23:41.640 know, means that there's something and in fact, strong says the word means 307 00:23:41.680 --> 00:23:47.440 contrary to expectations, and I think that's what the word strange denotes. And 308 00:23:47.480 --> 00:23:52.559 the King James something. Sometimes something will happen to someone and and there'll be 309 00:23:52.599 --> 00:23:56.400 surprised and about it happening and you might have said, well, you should 310 00:23:56.400 --> 00:24:00.240 have expected it. Then they might say, well, I never expect that, 311 00:24:00.119 --> 00:24:03.640 and I remember, forgive me for this, but years ago there was 312 00:24:03.680 --> 00:24:07.599 a television show and and they have this little sketch where somebody would say, 313 00:24:07.799 --> 00:24:11.680 you know, well, you should have to expected and you and you would 314 00:24:11.680 --> 00:24:15.480 say, well, I never expected the Spanish inquisition. And then immediately a 315 00:24:15.519 --> 00:24:19.799 bunch of soldiers, Spanish soldiers, make their way into the door and said 316 00:24:19.839 --> 00:24:26.480 nobody expects the Spanish in position. But UH, anyway, that's beyond the 317 00:24:26.480 --> 00:24:32.559 scope of the sermon. But Um, but sometimes something happens and you just 318 00:24:32.720 --> 00:24:36.440 can't make rhyme a reason of it, you can't figure out what to make 319 00:24:36.480 --> 00:24:41.160 about it. And they say we have seen strange things. We have seen 320 00:24:41.240 --> 00:24:45.960 things para against Doc's opinion or things that we think about. We have seen 321 00:24:47.000 --> 00:24:49.759 things that are against what we normally think would happen this. These are strange 322 00:24:49.799 --> 00:24:56.279 things, you're not these are not the ordinary things we have seen. Well, 323 00:24:56.319 --> 00:25:00.799 let me make some applications as to close this morning. As I said, 324 00:25:00.839 --> 00:25:04.799 the Pharisees were the Orthodox of their time, as opposed to the other 325 00:25:04.920 --> 00:25:11.519 Jewish groups. The Pharisees indeed professed good and straight and right doctrine. The 326 00:25:11.559 --> 00:25:15.160 problem with the Pharisees wasn't what they believe, nor even really what they taught. 327 00:25:17.279 --> 00:25:22.720 The problem was how they lived, and this is something we will proclaim 328 00:25:22.720 --> 00:25:29.240 ourselves Orthodox as well. Have to be careful of one of the worst things 329 00:25:29.319 --> 00:25:33.200 Jesus ever said about the Pharisees, and these are very harsh words, in 330 00:25:33.279 --> 00:25:37.720 Chapter Twenty Three of Matthew, Verse Sixteen. Would you, scribes and Pharisees, 331 00:25:37.799 --> 00:25:41.960 hypocrites if you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte and 332 00:25:42.039 --> 00:25:45.880 when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of 333 00:25:45.960 --> 00:25:52.279 hell as yourselves? What a terrible thought to make a convert and then make 334 00:25:52.319 --> 00:25:57.119 that convert twice the child of Hell. As they are correct. Theology is 335 00:25:57.119 --> 00:26:00.359 a wonderful thing, no doubt about it, the great blessing. But it's 336 00:26:00.440 --> 00:26:06.359 important to see where that theology leads us. And if we become at all 337 00:26:06.480 --> 00:26:11.279 Pharaceutical, which we can very easily in our lives, there's a problem. 338 00:26:11.079 --> 00:26:17.279 But with correct belief we need to walk in love and mercy and not be 339 00:26:17.440 --> 00:26:22.359 harsh to those who may disagree with us, but to be loving and merciful. 340 00:26:23.079 --> 00:26:29.519 And let me ask you another question. How does Jesus see? Says 341 00:26:29.559 --> 00:26:33.440 he sees the faith of the man. Well, he might say, well, 342 00:26:33.480 --> 00:26:36.519 he's God and he can see the heart, so therefore he sees the 343 00:26:36.599 --> 00:26:40.880 faith that way. And yes, that that's true. But I think it's 344 00:26:40.920 --> 00:26:44.880 also true that Jesus sees the faith in a way that you and I also 345 00:26:45.039 --> 00:26:51.119 see faith, which is by actions the men, the thing that these men 346 00:26:51.240 --> 00:26:53.880 did, which James tells us we also do that. He says, what 347 00:26:53.960 --> 00:26:56.960 good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does 348 00:26:57.000 --> 00:27:00.880 not have works? Can that faith save him later? In Verse Twenty Four, 349 00:27:02.000 --> 00:27:04.079 James, as you see, a person is justified by works and not 350 00:27:04.200 --> 00:27:10.359 by faith alone. There was no mention this account of any words that are 351 00:27:10.359 --> 00:27:14.799 honored by either the men bringing the paralytic or the paralytic himself. Nobody says 352 00:27:14.880 --> 00:27:22.799 anything, but Jesus sees what they have done and their actions speak louder than 353 00:27:22.880 --> 00:27:26.279 words, and so he perceives it that way. When these four men go 354 00:27:26.359 --> 00:27:30.680 through everything they go through to get his friend there, we could we could 355 00:27:30.680 --> 00:27:33.240 look at that as well, right, we could see that and see someone 356 00:27:33.319 --> 00:27:37.039 going through the roof and bringing the bed down and say, well, man, 357 00:27:37.240 --> 00:27:41.240 those guys got faith. And indeed they do, and even the paralytic. 358 00:27:41.920 --> 00:27:42.759 I don't think the paralytic was they no, no, no, I 359 00:27:42.799 --> 00:27:45.839 don't want to get ill, don't take me to Jesus. I think they 360 00:27:45.839 --> 00:27:49.319 all. and Jesus sees that by by their coming to him, and so 361 00:27:49.400 --> 00:27:55.039 we observe it that way. But then we might ask, also ask a 362 00:27:55.119 --> 00:28:00.960 theological question here. Well, if the men bringing the paralytic had faith and 363 00:28:02.119 --> 00:28:07.079 Jesus sees their faith and heals the man, does that mean that their faith 364 00:28:07.279 --> 00:28:15.319 actually had an effect on the man being healed? Is that possible? So 365 00:28:15.359 --> 00:28:21.640 when it says Jesus saw their faith, we know it at least includes the 366 00:28:21.680 --> 00:28:26.519 four men, because otherwise it would have been singular. And so we see 367 00:28:26.720 --> 00:28:32.519 that faith. We do have instances in the Bible of other people coming to 368 00:28:32.640 --> 00:28:37.519 Jesus on behalf of someone else. Gyrus comes to Jesus because his daughter is 369 00:28:37.559 --> 00:28:41.400 at the point of death. The SYRO Phoenician woman comes to Jesus on behalf 370 00:28:41.400 --> 00:28:45.440 of her daughter who as a demon. We have the nobleman and John Forur, 371 00:28:45.599 --> 00:28:49.839 who comes to Jesus on behalf of his son, and in every one 372 00:28:49.839 --> 00:28:55.000 of those instances the Lord honors the faith are the people that come by doing 373 00:28:55.079 --> 00:29:00.400 exactly what they asked. James Edwards notes on the healing here. That critical 374 00:29:00.480 --> 00:29:06.920 element in this and similar encounters with Jesus seems to depend less on whose faith, 375 00:29:07.359 --> 00:29:12.640 whether the paralytics or as friends, then on faith itself. So faith 376 00:29:12.880 --> 00:29:19.400 is present and here we have a wonderful picture of intercessory prayer, that our 377 00:29:19.440 --> 00:29:25.599 prayers indeed can have an effect, that we do something, even though we're 378 00:29:25.640 --> 00:29:30.200 not coming for ourselves, that we're coming for our brothers, our sisters and 379 00:29:30.200 --> 00:29:33.720 and coming for someone else, that our prayers can indeed do something. And 380 00:29:34.079 --> 00:29:37.319 why else would we pray if we don't believe that? If we thought our 381 00:29:37.359 --> 00:29:41.480 prayer well, it doesn't do any good? We do it because we believe 382 00:29:41.640 --> 00:29:45.359 our prayers can do that and the faith that we have in our prayers. 383 00:29:47.240 --> 00:29:51.880 Calvin says we must hold a similar belief with regard to all believers that by 384 00:29:51.920 --> 00:29:56.319 their faith, the grace of God has extended to their children and their children's 385 00:29:56.400 --> 00:30:00.839 children even before they're born. That's why I've told you before I pray not 386 00:30:00.920 --> 00:30:06.319 only for my children and my current grandchildren and my coming grandchildren, but my 387 00:30:06.519 --> 00:30:11.880 great grandchildren and great great grandchildren, because our faith can have an effect. 388 00:30:11.640 --> 00:30:15.599 Calvin goes on to say it's beyond all question that earthly blessings are often, 389 00:30:15.680 --> 00:30:22.559 for the sake of the Godly, bestowed on unbelievers. Many years ago I 390 00:30:22.640 --> 00:30:27.240 was pastoring an assembly of God church and River Falls, Wisconsin, and I 391 00:30:27.279 --> 00:30:32.519 had a group of people come to do a service that were called accessibility, 392 00:30:32.599 --> 00:30:34.960 but there are a group of people who had special needs of all different kinds 393 00:30:36.720 --> 00:30:40.480 and I have to say it it's it's in all my life. It's a 394 00:30:40.519 --> 00:30:44.400 service I remember as one of the most beautiful services I was ever in. 395 00:30:44.559 --> 00:30:49.599 It's just a very touching and wonderful service to glorify God in. But I 396 00:30:49.599 --> 00:30:52.799 asked a local pastor of a word of faith church if he would like to 397 00:30:52.839 --> 00:30:56.640 have his church joined with us, because I thought this would be a great 398 00:30:56.119 --> 00:31:00.160 time. And he said no, he said I'm not to honor those people 399 00:31:00.200 --> 00:31:04.640 that don't have enough faith to get healed. And Uh, I didn't say 400 00:31:04.640 --> 00:31:07.839 it at the time. I wish it would have. Didn't think of it. 401 00:31:07.240 --> 00:31:10.559 I wish I'd have said, well, if you have the faith, 402 00:31:10.599 --> 00:31:12.559 why don't you come and heal them, you know, but I didn't say 403 00:31:12.599 --> 00:31:18.119 that and maybe that was God's providence that I didn't. But well, so 404 00:31:18.160 --> 00:31:21.240 many applications from this story, so little time as one of closed here, 405 00:31:21.279 --> 00:31:23.319 but one one of course. I've always spent a lot of time and but 406 00:31:23.440 --> 00:31:27.640 just mentioned it that it's been used before, oftentimes by people preaching on his 407 00:31:27.720 --> 00:31:33.480 passage, that the service these men do to bring their friend to Jesus, 408 00:31:33.519 --> 00:31:36.519 and that's that's our call as well, to those that we love that we 409 00:31:36.519 --> 00:31:38.839 we are to bring them to Jesus as well, that we should do that. 410 00:31:40.880 --> 00:31:44.359 But we see the reaction of the scribes and the Pharisees to the statement 411 00:31:44.400 --> 00:31:49.359 man thy sins are forgiven thee and they accused Jesus a blasphemy, and I've 412 00:31:49.400 --> 00:31:53.519 told you why they do that and what's wrong with it. But instead of 413 00:31:53.559 --> 00:31:59.799 looking at what they say, lettings, let us instead look at what they 414 00:32:00.000 --> 00:32:05.920 didn't say, which is really more amazing. What would have been the right 415 00:32:06.000 --> 00:32:09.759 reaction in that moment? Would have would have been the right thing I mentioned 416 00:32:09.759 --> 00:32:13.720 earlier. They could have asked a question at least, or something like that, 417 00:32:15.359 --> 00:32:19.119 but the better thing would have been to go to the Lord and say, 418 00:32:19.200 --> 00:32:24.559 Lord, not just that man sin, but my sins also. That 419 00:32:24.599 --> 00:32:29.240 would have been the right thing to do, but they didn't do that. 420 00:32:30.759 --> 00:32:37.559 Our Lord Jesus has the power to forgive sins, and I don't want you 421 00:32:37.599 --> 00:32:42.400 to walk away from here, if you're not a believer this morning without saying 422 00:32:43.039 --> 00:32:47.599 Lord, forgive me my sins. To do so, to walk out of 423 00:32:47.640 --> 00:32:52.079 here without that, would be as amazing as these men not saying at the 424 00:32:52.200 --> 00:32:58.359 Christ your sins can send you to hell, but there's one present who has 425 00:32:58.440 --> 00:33:01.160 the power to forgive you. It's an me, but the one who can 426 00:33:01.160 --> 00:33:05.799 forgive you all your sins it is not me, but it is the Lord 427 00:33:05.880 --> 00:33:10.680 Jesus Christ, who died on the cross. The only person in the world 428 00:33:12.279 --> 00:33:17.480 who has the authority to say what Jesus said was Jesus himself, because he 429 00:33:17.640 --> 00:33:22.799 is the only one who paid the price. It's like someone doing a favor 430 00:33:22.880 --> 00:33:28.519 for me and I thank somebody else for it. No, the only one 431 00:33:28.799 --> 00:33:32.000 we thank is our Lord. For our sake, he made him to be 432 00:33:32.160 --> 00:33:39.359 sin, who knew no sin, that in Him we might become the righteousness 433 00:33:39.359 --> 00:33:44.880 of God. And not only that, we are told he ever lives to 434 00:33:44.960 --> 00:33:51.000 make intercession for his people, as Hebrew says, that he's able to save 435 00:33:51.039 --> 00:33:53.759 those to the uttermost who draw near to God through him, since he always 436 00:33:53.799 --> 00:34:04.119 lives to make intercession for them. The peril left glorifying God. Why? 437 00:34:04.359 --> 00:34:10.039 For his healing, Oh, I'm sure, but still I believe he glorified 438 00:34:10.079 --> 00:34:16.159 God even more for the forgiveness of his sins. Let me ask you a 439 00:34:16.239 --> 00:34:23.599 question. If you relying on your deathbed because of a terrible disease and you 440 00:34:23.599 --> 00:34:30.719 could have your choice of hearing the Lord say either be healed or your sins 441 00:34:30.880 --> 00:34:37.480 are forgiven you, which would you prefer? I know which one I'd want. 442 00:34:38.320 --> 00:34:44.679 Your sins are forgiven you. There's no greater message to ever hear. 443 00:34:44.800 --> 00:34:47.440 Yet healings a marvelous gift of God, but it's not the greatest gift. 444 00:34:49.519 --> 00:34:54.840 The greatest gift is the forgiveness of sin, and if we sincerely call upon 445 00:34:54.920 --> 00:35:01.000 God for that forgiveness, he will speak. Forgive this to us today. 446 00:35:01.199 --> 00:35:05.639 Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins 447 00:35:05.679 --> 00:35:08.000 be like scarlet, they shall be white as snow. Though they are red 448 00:35:08.079 --> 00:35:14.320 like Crimson, they should become like Woa, and no longer so. Each 449 00:35:14.400 --> 00:35:16.320 one teaches neighbor and each his brother. Say No, the Lord. For 450 00:35:16.360 --> 00:35:20.559 this you all know me, from the least to them to the greatest, 451 00:35:20.599 --> 00:35:25.960 declares the Lord, for I will forgive their iniquity and I will remember their 452 00:35:27.039 --> 00:35:32.519 sins no more. SPURGEON and his sermon on strange things talks about when Martin 453 00:35:32.599 --> 00:35:37.519 Luther was in great distress of soul, a good monk said to him, 454 00:35:37.559 --> 00:35:44.199 brother, canst not thou'll say the creedle. Yes, Luther said, I 455 00:35:44.199 --> 00:35:47.039 can say it. Well, then, replied the man in the CREEDLE, 456 00:35:47.079 --> 00:35:52.440 they'll say yest. I believe in the forgiveness of sins. Yes, said 457 00:35:52.519 --> 00:35:58.360 Luther. I've often said that and then inquired the other. Do you believe 458 00:35:58.360 --> 00:36:05.360 in the forgiveness of your sins? For if you don't, how can you 459 00:36:05.440 --> 00:36:12.559 utter? I believe in the forgiveness of sins. These four men. They 460 00:36:12.599 --> 00:36:15.760 love their friend, no question about it. They wanted him healed. They 461 00:36:15.800 --> 00:36:22.840 brought him to Jesus. But you know who else loved the paralytic? God 462 00:36:22.880 --> 00:36:27.599 loved him and, as Kent Hues Point points out in his commentary, God 463 00:36:27.639 --> 00:36:32.679 so loved us that he dug through the roof of this world to let down 464 00:36:34.000 --> 00:36:40.320 his only son into our presence to die for us, that we can walk 465 00:36:40.360 --> 00:36:46.000 away from here saying we've seen strange things. God has forgiven my sins and 466 00:36:46.119 --> 00:36:52.320 I am a new creature. Coming bow in prayer. Our God and father, 467 00:36:52.400 --> 00:36:55.119 we thank you for your word, thank you for the promise of forgiveness 468 00:36:57.159 --> 00:37:00.480 that you have said, if we will just ask and confess our sins before 469 00:37:00.519 --> 00:37:05.440 you, you are faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us 470 00:37:05.480 --> 00:37:10.360 from all on righteousness. Those are not empty words, Lord, those are 471 00:37:10.440 --> 00:37:15.400 true words, because you have uttered them. And so, Lord, indeed, 472 00:37:16.440 --> 00:37:20.119 if there's any that are in doubt this morning, may they come to 473 00:37:20.159 --> 00:37:24.159 you today and cry out, Lord, forgive me, and may they know 474 00:37:24.360 --> 00:37:30.760 the peace and the assurance that comes from knowing you. I thank you, 475 00:37:30.840 --> 00:37:37.360 God, that you are God and that you have that ability to forgive us. 476 00:37:37.320 --> 00:37:42.199 And so, Lord we say, indeed as we will pray in a 477 00:37:42.280 --> 00:37:46.880 prayer in just a few moments, forgive us our sins, as we forgive 478 00:37:46.960 --> 00:37:52.639 those who sin against us. We pray all this and Christ name, Amen.