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She's. She's welcome. Welcome. But what you see at change is not just Darius. It's. It's her. So it is. It is a ministry partnership. All right, so let's go to Matthew, chapter 18, verse number 21. It says, Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times. Jesus answered, I tell you, not seven times, but 77 times. I want to stop the reading of scripture there and talk from this subject. We're in part 12 of a series of teachings called Goaded. We're arguing that the goat is the lamb. The greatest of all time in life is Jesus. You become goaded when you let him do more than save you. You become goaded when you let him train you, when you let him teach you how to live a life. Not culture's way, not church's way, but the king's way. And so we're in part 12 of this series, and this topic of today's teaching is called I'm above it Now. So clap your hands if you're ready for God's word. I'm above it Now. I want to leap into this lesson with this sticky statement. The goal of God isn't just to make us blessed, book and busy, but the goal of God is to make us better. In other words, God's obsession is not simply improvement. God's obsession is evolution. If I were to use an analogy from the insect kingdom, I would suggest that it is not the intention of our eternal God to make us a faster caterpillar. God actually wants to transform us into a butterfly. And I want to speak with some pastoral confidence and maybe even some prophetic implications during this Lent season. It's your time to get some wings. In other words, no more crawling in carnality, no more sliding in stagnation, no more waddling and waiting in what was. God wants to give you your wings. And wings enable you to rise above the reach of that which would keep you grounded. And my prayer for us in this season is that something that used to reach you and wreck you can no longer reach, wreck you, because God's putting you out of reach. In other words, your evolution produces elevation. And there are some things that used to reach you in your past that don't have to reach you in your present. Because if you let God give you wings, your wings will put you out of reach, out of reach of being imprisoned by pettiness, out of reach of being captured by competition, out of reach from being encompassed by Agitations that come from the emotionally immature, out of reach from some habits and some hangups that kept you into cycles, kept you in cycles when God wanted to put you in seasons. And I want to know, am I talking to anybody at the 11, 1155 today, 1155, that's believing God to give you some wings. And if this revelation is going to become our reality, we need to pay attention to what Jesus is teaching here in this passage here in the Gospel of Matthew here, Jesus is showing us that you get your wings by getting revelation. You live, Pastor Darren, on the level of. Of your revelation. I'm going say that one more time. You live on the level of your revelation. And so Jesus Here in Matthew 18 is giving his disciples some revelation that will give them wings to rise above. An instrument that the enemy often uses to keep us grounded. And it is an instrument of called offense. Offense, when not properly handled, becomes a fence that keeps us entrapped, ensnared, and under optimized. Offense, when not properly handled, becomes a fence that keeps us entrapped, ensnared, immobile, and under optimized. And Jesus here gives some insight on how to properly manage offense, because Jesus understands that better can't come in until bitterness goes out. And bitterness can't go out until forgiveness comes in. Better can't come in until bitterness comes out. And bitterness can't go out until forgiveness comes in. Offense is inevitable, so forgiveness must be a life skill. Offense is inevitable, so forgiveness be a life skill. Pastor, where you get this from? I get it right from the text here, because the text lets us eavesdrop on a conversation between Jesus and his disciples. And this conversation is sparked by a question one of Jesus disciples asks. It's a question that is asked by a man named Peter. And Peter comes to Jesus and Peter says this. He says, now, Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Why is he asking this? Because in the top part of the chapter, Jesus gives. Just finished talking about conflict. And so Peter now, in response to Jesus teaching, says, I got questions. Because he models the principle of curiosity. And those who won't stay curious stay stuck. Did you hear what I just said? Some relations stay stuck because people stop being curious with each other. Some businesses stay stuck because people stop being curious about the customer. Some people's relationship with God stays stuck because they think they already know him because of how long they've known him. And they won't let him show them a side of him that they've never seen. So he asked the question. He says, now I know you're talking about conflict. And he says this. How many times shall I forgive? Listen to this. My brother or sister. So I want you to see here. He frames the language that lets us know that how do I. That lets us know. He's talking about how to handle offense in the context of people you got relationship with. This isn't just offense from strangers. This isn't just dealing with trolls who don't know you. He frames the language, brother or sister, am I right? It's like Peter is understanding the inevitability of offense. He's saying, people are going to people. And those watch this, those who are close are those that can wound me the most. So he says, okay, at some point, injury is going to be inevitable because whoever. Whoever is in my relational orbit is an imperfect individual. And at some point I am going to become a victim of their imperfection, whether they meant to do it or not. At some point I am going to be a casualty. I'm going to be collateral damage that is a consequence of their conscious or unconscious imperfection. So Peter's asking, how do I deal with people when people start peopleing? And so he says, how many times shall I forgive them? Up to seven. You know Jesus, seven, a number, completion. It's only so much I got in me. And Jesus says, not 7 times, but 77 times. One translation says 7 times 70. See, here's what Jesus is doing. He's not giving us a math equation. He's giving us a mindset shift. He's teaching that forgiveness isn't about keeping count, it's about losing count. Did you hear what I just said? He's reframing forgiveness as a gift that you give to others and framing forgiveness as the gift you give to you. So you don't give it to them because they keep needing it. You give it to yourself because you deserve it. Hey. Forgiveness is a grace gift, which means the fact that they need it is an indication they don't deserve it. So the reason you give it is not because they deserve to be forgiven. The reason you give it is because you need, you deserve to be untangled from the implications of the offense they don't deserve. Are you hearing what I'm saying? Yeah. They may not deserve forgiveness from you, but you deserve to be free from being anchored to the offense that's going to keep you in the past when God's got some things in your future that your eyes haven't seen, your ears haven't heard, and your heart hasn't conceived. You don't forgive for them. You forgive for you. You forgive so that that offense keep grounding you and your testimony becomes, I'm above it now. And so Jesus knew this concept would be for him because Peter said, hey seven times. Because actually, there was some streams of thought in Jewish tradition that said, and there was a misinterpretation of some scripture in Amos. And so there was. And so this wasn't in the law. It was in the commentary on the law that kind of interpreted like, hey, you forgive up to three times. So Peter said seven. Cause he was trying to be impressive. And Jesus is like, you think a second way. Let me give you. So Jesus says, okay, let me give you a story, a parable to help you understand why this is necessary. And so he tells this story. He says, there's this king, and this king had this man in his kingdom, and the man in the Kingdom owed him 10,000 bags of gold. Got me? Okay. And so the man comes to the king and he begs for mercy. He asked the king for patience, for time to pay it back. The king says, I'm not going to give you time to pay it back. I'm going to cancel it altogether. You owe me, but I'm going to cancel it. I'm going to write it off as bad debt. And the man says, thank you, Jesus. Huh? He probably excited. He probably lead. Tyrio, give me some shouting music. He probably. He probably leads and say, jesus. He said, woo. And as soon as he's out of the dance, he runs into somebody that owes him 100 silver coins. So he owes the king 10,000 bags of gold. Someone owes him 100 silver coins. What does he do? He chokes the man out. He just received forgiveness, but doesn't extend forgiveness to somebody who owes him less than what he's owed. Come on here. So I don't know if the 10,000 bags of gold was a debt he accumulated at one time, or it was a cumulative quantity where over time, the debt just kept piling up and piling up and piling up. Come on. And so his amnesia about how his debt kept piling up and piling up caused him to mishandle somebody that had actually done less to them than what they've done to God. Because the king represents God, and the debt that is owed represents a sin debt. It's the debt having to be paid. It's a theory of atonement by Anselm of Canterbury called the Ransom theory of atonement, where Anselm postures sin as a debt that man owes God that man doesn't have the ability to pay. And so God, who's a God who can't lower his righteous standard, has to figure out how to get the debt paid. But the man incurred the debt, so man's got to pay it. But man doesn't have the capacity to pay. So God's got to figure out a way how to create somebody that's man enough to owe the debt and then at the same time, God enough to pay the debt. So he performs what some theologians call a hypostatic union. And he takes two natures and puts them in one person. He takes the divine nature and he takes the human nature, and he puts it in one person. And the natures have to coexist without co mingling. Because if the human touches the divine, it's not all human. If the divine touches the human, it's not all divine. So this hypostatic union allows two natures to exist in one person at the same time. And Jesus becomes fully God and fully man. He's man enough to owe the debt and God enough to pay the debt. I'm out of time. Here it is. So he said, hey, do you see how much you've been forgiven? And because you hadn't done to them what they did to you, you don't think you should give them what I gave? No, you didn't do to them what they did to you. But let's talk about what you did to me. Let's talk about what you owe me. Let's talk about every time you made promises to me at the times you said you were gonna show up for me, and you didn't show up for me. But every time you needed me to show up for you, I showed up for you. You want to talk about who's taking who for granted? You saying they taking you for granted? Are you taking me for granted? So here's what happens. We gotta go. Here's what happens. Somebody tells the king what this man did, and the king gets furious. And the king takes this man, throws him in prison and has him tortured. Because the principle from the parable is this unforgiveness leads to personal torture. The man that. Y'all missed it. We don't see. We don't know anything about what happened to the man that owed him. So he gets tortured and still doesn't get paid. I'm gonna say it one more time. Yeah, he's. He gets tortured, but the man that owes him 100 silver coins still can't pay them. Because unforgiveness doesn't hurt those who hurt you. It just holds up your healing better. Can't come in until bitterness comes out. And bitterness can't go out until forgiveness comes in. Unforgiveness doesn't torture them, it tortures you. Because most of the people that wrong, you don't even think they wrong. I'm preaching. I'm preaching to this section right here. Are y'all gonna help me preach up? Some people are so self absorbed and self deceived, they're blind to the implications of their actions. They hurt you and mad at you. Cause you mad. How you mad at me? You hurt me. Why you mad that I'm mad? You lucky all I'm doing. You lucky I'm third way. Now let me woo third way say, vengeance is mine. Third way. Say, when they go low, we go high. Second and first way say, okay, I'll leave that. It's torture. It's mental torture. It's mental torture. Your soul can't close the wound if you keep opening the file. So. So the offense keeps occupying real estate in your mind. Did you hear me? The mind is the instrument that God uses for innovation and creation. Everything is created twice. It's created first in the mind and then it's created in reality. And the enemy wants the mind so occupied with offense that you're dealing with offense and not innovation. And the fence keeps your mind replaying the past when God wants to use your mind to envision the future. Am I making sense? So now you stop dreaming, you stop having visions, you stop visioneering. Because you're so trapped in what has happened in the past, you can't visioneer what can happen in the future. Future. But I pray that God breaks the hold of offense off your mind so you can innovate and create what God called you to create. I gotta take the offense off replay because it's mental torture. It's emotional torture. Because unforgiveness anchors your emotions in a past moment, making it hard to enjoy present peace. It inhibits our ability to live in the now. So your mood is at the mercy of a memory. God. You can be having a good day, blessed and highly favored. Joy of the Lord. Peace that passes all understanding. And then the enemy will let you see something. And that something you see or hear trigger something. And now all of a sudden, my mood, which was in one place, has now regressed to another place. Because my mood is at the mercy of my memory. It creates relational torture. Because when walls go up Love shuts down. So you build walls to protect yourself, but you end up isolating yourself. And so we mistrust the innocent because of the wounds from the guilty. So there are people that broke you, and it broke your belief in people. Then God's trying to send people that will re establish your hope in people, but you're keeping the people at arm's length because of mismanagement of people that you held too close. And so now the innocent are having to prove they not guilty. Y'all missed it. So instead of, am I making sense? So now people have to prove to you they're not like they were. And so when God sends people to say, I really want what's best for you, I want the relationship, I don't need it. Let me go over here. Did you hear what I just said? Those people are looked at with a degree of cynicism because unforgiveness doesn't just lock them out, it locks you in. And then there's spiritual torture. Are y'all ready for this one? You become a judge when you're still a criminal. God's like, no, you need the same thing now. You need it for different reasons, but you need the same thing they need. So self deception and spiritual arrogance create an illusion of superiority that forgets the same standard you use on others God uses on you. Don't miss this. So forgiveness isn't what you give them, is what you give you. Cuz I don't deserve. I don't deserve what you did to me, but I also don't deserve to be mentally and emotionally and relationally and spiritually tortured. You are occupying too much mental real estate. And my mind is consumed with offense when God wants my mind consumed with innovation. God Almighty, I feel something right there. And I pray that God starts bombarding your mind with divine and creative innovation. I pray that God gives you not just good ideas, but God ideas in this season. All right, we done? We done. Here it is. Let me wrap up with this. Whenever I prepare a message. Cuz I wanted to be a lawyer. So whenever I create a message, I'm trying to anticipate your internal objections. Cuz most people don't disagree with pastors publicly. They just don't do what's been taught. Yeah, I hear what you're saying, but. So I try to anticipate your objections and then answer your objections before you make them. That's a good attorney. So some people are like, play Tarios. So. So some people. Some people are like, no, no, Petey, I'm with that, I just, I'm not with that forgiveness thing. I think people take advantage of. Here's what I think. Let me just propose this to you. Maybe you're not rejecting forgiveness. Maybe you're rejecting what you think forgiveness is. Maybe you're rejecting presentations of forgiveness that are not third way. Because let me tell you what forgiveness is not. Forgiveness is not excusing the behavior. Forgiveness is not saying, hey, this is excused. And forgiveness is not saying, am I making sense? What you did is okay. It's saying I'm choosing to release you from this so I can be okay. You wrong. But I can't stay anchored to your wrong because if I do, I'll never get right. Number two, forgiveness is not intentionally exposing yourself to further injury. I know you on a healing journey, but I can't be a victim. I, I'm not obligated to be a victim of your journey. So some people say, no, no, no. Pastor Jesus say if they slap you on one cheek, you give them the other one. You got to interpret scripture with scripture. Because I can show you instance. This doesn't mean you subject yourself to self sabotaging behavior. Cuz I can show you instances where, where individuals wanted to take Jesus's life sooner and he slipped away. He said, no man, take my life. I lay it down. Which means not going to subject. The only injury I'm going to subject myself to is the one that God assigned to me. So you can choose to. But forgiveness doesn't mean that. And number three, forgiveness does not always mean restoring the relationship. There's a difference between reconciling the offense and restoring the relationship to the same position. Does that make sense? Yeah. Sometimes relational consequence is harvest. Take that, think about that one. Because when we talk about harvest, we only talk about harvest one way. Does that make sense? It works both ways. Right? So sometimes racial consequences, it doesn't mean I don't. You don't love them, you don't, but it means that. And sometimes it doesn't mean you're displacing people. It means they were misplaced in the first place. Place. It means they had a seat on the bus of your life based off of who you thought they were. Now you got a revelation that they were not who you thought they were. And they feel displaced when they were just misplaced in the first place. And when you reposition them, you put them in the right place. So when most people say I'm, I'm not, I'm not, they're assuming forgiveness means these things or they Got an understanding of forgiveness. That's culture's way that encourages cutting people off without closure. Confusing avoidance with healing. Forgiveness becomes about self deception, not soul freedom. And unresolved pain leads to bitterness disguised as strength. I'm strong, you bitter. Then there's church's way that that teach that teaches surface level forgiveness, forgive and forget without providing a process for healing or allowing room for emotional honesty. I got to go we way over time. I want to show you something though. I'm going to show you this. Yep. Watch this. Give me Psalms 109. I said this in the last service. They looked at me like they didn't believe me. Give me Psalms 109. Give me verse. Give me verse one. Stay right there. Tario. Psalms 109, verse one. My God in whom I praise, do not remain silent. For wicked and deceitful mouths open against me. They speak against me with lying tongues. They surround me with hateful words. They attack me without cause. And in return for my love they accuse me. But I'm a man of prayer. And they repay me evil for good and hatred for my love. Watch. Listen to David now. Are y'all ready to handle this? Set over him a wicked man. Let an accuser stand at his right hand when he is tried. Let him be found guilty. May his prayer be regarded as sin. May his days be few. May another man take his position. May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow. May his children wander as beggars, seeking substance far from their ruined homes. May the creditor seize all he owns. May strangers plunder the fruits of his labor. May there be no one that extends kindness to him and no one favor to his father. May his descendants cut off. May their name be blotted out from the next generation. I don't want you to emulate his words. I want you to emulate his honesty. He's talking to God about what he feels in his heart and some people's hearts not pure because your heart not empty. This is David's journal entry. We reading stuff we shouldn't be able to read. And you'll see this trend with David where he's. He's operating with emotional honesty with God. And intimacy requires emotional honesty. Intimacy requirements requires emotional honesty. And emotional honesty doesn't break relationships, it exposes them. He said, we have one that can't handle honesty. And David would empty his heart. I'm way over time. They would empty his heart. Listen to this. And then you see in some of the Psalms the word salah, which is a musical interlude for meditative purposes, David said, my enemies, they getting away with this, they getting away with that. But thou, oh Lord, art a shield for me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. Because at some point in pouring out his soul, God meets him at the point of his honesty. And if you get honest, you get healed. If you'll put it on the altar, God will consume it. If you're willing to empty your heart of it, God will fill your heart with him. We need the King's way is forgiveness as a decision to release the debt, pardon the offense, and give God the gavel. I release the debt. What you owe me, you can't pay me. You can give me an apology that fixed nothing but my ego. If you stole money from me, even if you give me the money back, you can't give me back the time I lost not having it. I released the debt, I pardoned the offense. I say you did the crime, but I'm no longer having my closure at the mercy of your confession. I can't wait for you to acknowledge what you did for me, for me to get closure. I pardon it, you free me too. And I got to give God the gavel. Say, God, I'mma trust you to handle them because my business is me, not them. Vengeance is mine. I will repay, says the Lord. God says he will repay. He didn't say he'll let you see him repay. So sometimes we're saying, God, you didn't deal with them. And God's like, you don't know what I did. You don't know what they dealing with. You think they okay because of they post, they posting happy pics, but they in a miserable season, I give God the gavel. The rabbi is trying to teach you and I how to rise above and inevitable reality you're going to have to keep facing. It's a fence I used to look at like older pastors and I grew up in an era where pastors don't retire. They just, I mean, they be falling asleep in the sermon. And Jesus, I mean, now there are reasons why. There are reasons why. But Mark Young, it would be like, I'll be sitting there, be a lot of fussing. Like, I would hear a lot of fussing. And the longer I did this, I understood, I start, I shouldn't have been judged in the first place, but I judged less because I'm like, what that is is the accumulation of offense that they didn't have the tools to address. So now they're punishing the innocent because of what they wish they could say to the guilty, you gonna get hurt? The question is, do you know what to do when you are and the rabbi is teaching you how to get above it? I'm giving God the gavel. It's not mine. It's yours. You gotta let it go. Now you see why we need that devotional, the small groups to reflect. We need all that. If you're here today and you've never given your life to Jesus, if you're here and.