August 5, 2018 - Tim Dilena - I'm Hurt, So What Do I Do Now?

god it is never wasted time to be in your presence because in your presence you do things that no man can do you change from the inside out and father we can fix the outside we can fix hair and nails and we can fix our bodies but only God can fix the heart and so I'm believing today that all over this place those that are watching live on our webcast around the world around New York City around the tri-state area we pray Lord God that Lord your word begins to come and do great things you promise that when your word is spoken it will never return void that means Lord God if we have the responsibility to speak your word God then something will happen and then you promise if we lift Jesus up you will draw men to you so god we thank you for those two promises you'd word doesn't return void and then you draw men as we lift you up so God when we leave this place today when we turn off a podcast and turn off a webcast they're not going to say how great the music was how great church was how great the people were they're gonna say how great God was in Jesus name and everybody said amen you may be seated alright take something out to write I'm gonna I want to share with you something today that could possibly be for life one of one of the most important messages that that you're gonna hear not because it's me but because of the concept that's there I want to talk to you about this I'm hurt so what do I do now I'm hurt so what do I do now I know that the one o'clock is the practical Christian living service can I just tell you something everything in the gospel is practical Christian living let me just tell you that because that's important for us to understand see us Lewis said these words he says everyone thinks forgiveness is a lovely idea until you have to forgive someone so let me talk to you about probably one of the most massive moments of forgiveness that I was reading recently - last week I shared something that Corey Tim Boone said when I when we talked about fear last week Corey Tim Boone for that are visiting her for those that weren't here last week was as one of the most amazing stories her book the hiding place is probably considered in the last 50 to 60 years probably one of the top ten great Christian books and it was really her journey her story on how they housed Jews running from the Nazis in Amsterdam in the name of the book is called the hiding place in a a little a little makeshift closet in her room and finally the Nazis caught up with them put her whole family in the Nazi concentration camps every one of them was exterminated except Corrie and she went on for thirty more years to begin to preach the gospel but what was amazing is is that if you think about this heinous crime that was done to the Jewish people of six million Jews being exterminated by Nazi Germany think of this think of the forgiveness load that you have to carry with that think of the amazing weight that that brought to it David Jeremiah's book recounted a story that Corey told and Corey and her family as I said she was the only survivor of it but she became a Christian after after or kind of started the journey during the concentration camps and what happened was for the next thirty years after the concentration camps Corey began to preach the gospel all over the world about how God miraculously delivered her keep this in mind what we said at the very beginning forgiveness is a lovely idea until you have to forgive yourself and one day Corrie said she was preaching in Munich Germany many years later decades after the concentration camp and at the church she was preaching she saw a familiar face the guard who mocked her and would put her in a shower almost every day to pretend she was good he was going to exterminate her and was responsible for her sister Betsy's death was sitting in the church while she was preaching now it's not so lovely of an idea is it she recognized the guard but he didn't recognize her after service Corrie said the guard came up and said Fraulein I heard you mention Ravens Brooke I was a guard there but since those days I become a Christian I know that God forgives me but would you forgive me she said I stood there paralyzed this man is a monster he's filled us with shame he killed my family and he killed my sister and how could she preach forgiveness when she's staring in the face of the one who needs to forgive and she can't forgive him and she said that she sat there at that moment in that church service and this was her prayer forgive me Father for the inability to forgive think of that for just a moment forgive me for the inability to forgive and she said immediately something happened this power of the Holy Spirit surged through her she felt her hand go out clasp his and said to the man you are forgiven and she said that day not only was the man set free I was set free that day keep this in mind Time Square Church when you forgive you not changing the past but you are changing your future let me say that one more time when you forgive you're not fixing the past it happened but what you're changing is the future of where you go that's why the glory of Christianity the way Christianity conquers its enemies is by forgiving its enemies this is what the gospel is all about and that's why it's so important to keep in mind one man said it this way it's always more rewarding to resolve a conflict than to dissolve a relationship let me say that again I need to resolve and not dissolve because forgiveness is hard the number one marriage counseling issue that I have faced and dealt with for 35 years in counseling has not been finances or intimacy it has been people not knowing how to resolve a conflict the number one thing because these things begin to live on not knowing how to resolve an issue and all of a sudden they don't know how to reconcile a broken relationships and all of us including me have left the trail of body parts and broken hearts because we have done and said the wrong thing and have not known how to resolve that and we sometimes we come to church and we have left the whole trail throughout the week because we'd rather be right than reconcile we would rather be seen as right than have the humility to fix a situation they say that the hardest animal in the world to catch is called the ring tailed monkey and they said it's so difficult to catch but not for the locals they said what they realized was this this very rare animal that doesn't appear in every zoo around the world they said has it's love of these certain melon seeds and what the locals do is they hollow out a tiny hole in a tree just small enough for the monkey to stick its hands through and they throw the seeds in there when the monkey sticks his hand through the hole he grabs the seeds but will not let go when its captors come up and when he holds onto the seat all he needs to do is let go to slide his hands out but he won't let go and holds on to those seeds until they capture him and put him in captivity and we live in a culture that will not let go but will hold on for something for years and even decades and we find ourselves being brought into captivity i sat in a funeral here in this state on Long Island and watched somebody pull out that their monkey hands pull out a letter that has been in their pocket for 40 years that they have been offended at someone this letter was so old that there were creases on it and some of it was falling apart and they wanted to show me what this one person said to them 40 years ago and I wanted to go let go of it monkey hands just let go of it at that point seriously you're gonna hold on to this thing for that long and this is what we do I want us to have a moment today that we are going to finally let go and see our future change today see being offended is a choice let me just say that again being offended as a choice you don't have a choice of what people are going to do to you but you do have a choice of whether you're going to be offended or not see forgiving others is really part of God's curriculum it really is teaching us the value of how God is forgiving us it's especially painful is when God uses the people we really don't like then forgiveness is tough I can forgive my wife I can forgive my kids I just don't like forgiving people I don't like because that's what me what you don't like people know I love them in Jesus name that's what we always say I love your brother I love you sister which means I don't like you see what happens is and that's when God begins to convict us and says those are the ones I'm going to use in your life see this is what happens is that we want to practice on the people that we care about but God goes you're not in charge of the fingers that I'm going to use to do the teaching and this is where God wants us to understand this is part of this curriculum can I just help you today count on people offending you count on a spouse a pastor an elder a deacon a choir member a church member a colleague and associate a firm partner a dorm supervisor a professor when people interact people do and say the wrong things and what may be surprising is that it can happen right here in the church on Sunday it can happen before service starts it can happen during the service it can happen that someone reached over and took juice and maybe spilled it on you and maybe they took the cracker that you wanted today and felt that the Lord goes that's your cracker they're all the same they're all the same crackers let me just help you with that the hardest though is when the people that you do love and are closest to offend you chop this down hurt is proportional to intimacy the closer you are to someone the deeper it hurts I've been on the streets of Detroit for thirty five thirty years ministering I've had bottles thrown at me preaching on the streets I've had bullets fly by me I've been cursed that I've been spit on but that never bothered me I wasn't offended I didn't know the person but man just have my wife look at me the wrong way lord have mercy all I need is for Cindy to go and then all that's worse than a gunshot that's worse than a bottle because hurt is per port even David said that David said this in Psalm 55 12 he said if it was an enemy that reproached me and hurt hurt me I could handle that but David said but it is you my mate my friend my companion my familiar friend who we had fellowship together because hurt is proportional to intimacy man I've been on both ends I've been the offender and I have been offended I have I have sat in the church I have been there have been moments that we took communion just like today and I sat in a chair just like this waiting to take communion and the Holy Spirit said do not touch that until you stand up and go and ask forgiveness of that staff member and I would look at the band and say keep playing until I get this rights and I would I'd have to walk out and make things right because it's so difficult sometimes when the Holy Spirit says you've not only have been offended but you have been the offender at times and I haven't telling you I've said things in sermons I have said things in in in speaking to people that God just had to convict me that God has used people for me to watch out what I say because listen to me folks words matter today words really matter and they carry weight in fact Solomon says in proverbs 18 they have life and death in it and even James chapter 3 reminds us that out of this mouth can come bitter water and sweet water out of the same source and then he says to the church that shouldn't be this way my brethren my brethren he speaks to us and that's why I realize how important this is and how important it is for my own life but since we have and are going to be heard what are we supposed to do with that because any hurt jot this down that is not dealt with will turn into bitterness any hurt that is left to stay there over time will morph into bitterness and that's what you do what happens when you're dealing with the bitter persons because they didn't take care of a hurtful situation so I want to answer the question today with two thoughts that I want you to jot down which is so important for your marriage for your relationships for your church life for your business life for your business partnership for your roommate whether you're going to NYU or Columbia whether you're working with somebody and it's somebody in a cubicle next to at your office this is so important if I'm hurt what do I do you have two choices and I want you to write these two things down and then we're gonna begin leave some space between them you have two choices when you're hurt either you cover it or you confront it those are your two choices you cover it or you confront it and I'll explain both of those in just a moment but always keep this in mind this one overshadowing thought is so important we base our forgiveness on what God has done for us not what the other person has done to us let me say that one more time our forgiveness is based on what God has done for us not what the other person has done to us the Bible says if we've been forgiven much then we can love much and if we don't understand forgiveness that means we haven't been forgiven or understand the forgiveness that God has given to us and this is so important so I want to walk through this today because this is literally life-changing I'm not speaking from simply a sermon I'm speaking of literally walking through things myself and realizing how important this is from children to marriage to ministry on how important this is so let's go through this for a second number one jot this down I want to talk to you about covering an offense because this is very biblical one of the stories that just makes me laugh about people that just can't seem to make be right with people is I was reading the story of a man who was rescued after 20 years on a desert island and as he was standing on the deck of the rescuing vessel the captain said to me said I thought you were there you were stranded alone there for 20 years and he says I was he says then why are there three huts on the beach he the man looked and he goes well that was where I lived and he says that one is where I went to church and he goes then what's the third he says that's where I used to go to church and so isn't it amazing you can't even get along with yourself that you're switching churches on a deserted desert island some of you are gonna understand what we just said there in just a moment there are people that literally are so much internal turmoil that they that they're offended at everything offended and let me just say this to cover an offense is very biblical it is it's in the Bible in fact you don't have to address everything every time you are offended or I think it's a sign of maturity to cover and to let things go at times there are some things I think God wants you to absorb to show and extend mercy why because I think it builds a mercy account jesus said in Matthew chapter 5 verse 7 blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy which means my mercy account goes up as I extend more mercy to people around me and there will come a day when you need to reform the mercy account and I want to have a full count of Mercy that I have shown to people see one person said this if God gives us then we must forgive others otherwise we're setting ourselves up as a higher tribunal than God sets up let me say that again if we are to forgive because God is forgiving us but we won't forgive someone that you've just set yourself up as a higher tribunal than God think about think how incredible that is when people are here and said I can't forgive them then if God who forgives says I am God of the universe I have been offended by all of humanity but you're here today and go but I can't forgive you have just now become your judgement criteria has gone higher than gods think how how sobering that even is it's an honor to cover drop this down proverbs 19:11 a person's wisdom yields patience and it's a glory to a person to overlook an offense every person should memorize that verse proverbs 19:11 it is a glory for someone to overlook an offense a good memory is fine but the ability to forget is the test of true greatness the greatest people I know are not easily offended they really aren't I came across a word that I've heard so many times I was reading a biography of Lincoln and it says that one of the words that it said of him was he was magnanimous I'm going man I would hear that all the time what does that mean when I looked it up I go god I want to be that way it says you're so high spirited and high minded that little things don't offend you man I want to be that way there are some people they were offended at everything they walk in the church because they didn't walk through this door during greeting time when Pastor David goes hey shake the who's visiting today and you raise your hand to go shake the hand next to you going well they should kiss him but they didn't shake my hand and you're going like really really because they didn't shake your hand all of a sudden now we're I want to be magnanimous how do you do that well in order to cover an offense this is important get this verse down you really have to go to the New Testament and I want you to read I want to read to you what the Apostle Peter said first Peter 4 eight Peter said this above all keep fervent in your love for one another because love covers a multitude of sins which means if I can't cover I must have lost some fervency let me say that again if you find yourself offended you're offended in the choir because someone is on the mic this Sunday and you thought it was your turn this was my solo week I had that anointing on me but you got Row three let me just tell you something I must be touching something here today how this day that right now let me just tell you something no problems on pause row three listen you know what that means it means it's not the offense sometimes as we've lost the fervency it means you know what that we're fervency means it's a word which came to be stretched that was a word that was used of a of a runner stretching to get across it when God was saying I want you to be fervent he says I'm gonna stretch you a little bit I'm gonna make this a little bit harder than just going like I forgive you but God at times wants to begin to strip see unless you're fervent you can't cover those things and that's the challenge love covers a multitude of sins when we have a fervency towards the Brethren so that means when we can't cover something instead of looking at them sometimes we have to look at our own hearts and go god am i losing a flame am i losing a fire that's deep inside of me that you're wanting to deal with well pastor Tim how do i watch this how do I cover and forgive someone that doesn't think they've done anything wrong to me so I was driving in New York and I couldn't see cars coming on the street in Queens so I pulled out a little bit and all of a sudden this guy comes to a screeching look at me not it was totally my fault so immediately I just went i'm mouthing the words sorry i am so sorry that man laid on his horns on a horn laid on that horn and the more i said it the more and he was saying things to me that i don't think he was a christian and so words were coming out of his mouth and then he told me that there was one way to jesus but not exactly and the more i apologized the more irate he became i go it's my fault it's my i'm backing up so suck and he jesus one way to G and I'm just sitting there going so said now here's my question how do you forgive someone how do you forgive someone like that how do you cover because he wasn't in the mood to go like hey I'm a Christian I know it was my fault it was ungodly to pass by the stop sign how do you deal with them group job this word down it's really Calvary forgiveness what's Calvary forgiveness how does Jesus say Father forgive them and nobody was asking for forgiveness they were gambling and beating him and still was able to pronounce forgiveness because what God does there are moments that I think you've got to go all Calvary on people and say even if you don't think you deserve it I've got to stand back and go I forgive you regardless of what you think right now and that's so important because what we think is I can only forgive you if you think you've done something wrong and that's that's the misnomer I can only forgive you if you're repentant I can only forgive you Jesus is forgiving the people that are crucifying him and was still able pronouncement nobody was down they're going to forgive me except the thing and that's why this is so huge for us to understand how important this is there has been one thing that I've shared all over the country that is so hit her hit my heart with with these numbers how many remember this when Jesus said these words you are to forgive someone remember these numbers seventy times okay and that equals it's so funny everyone's going we're going to church this is not math class okay 490 let me help you I'm going like I would have said that okay 490 is what that means probably the greatest insight to that passage when I was reading something by CS Lewis he said this he says we think that's 490 offenses that that I have got to commit that David Ham has 490 times to offend me and you know what seus Lewis said he said I think we have a problem here he says because so many times it's so hard to forgive one offense and he said this he said really what it is it's many times one offense that you're forgiving 490 times that FC when you don't forgive you will relive that situation and there are moments that that thing how many knows that there's sometimes that thing will come right back up and that's where you're going I've got to go for 90 on that offense because one time is not enough there are some things that need a four ninety how many know that to be true today and that's the only way to cover something the way you cover something is to go for ninety on it that's really the only way because there are moments that are gonna provoke that bring a memory you're gonna hear something say something someone's gonna bring up and it's gonna provoke memory and at those moments I've got to go for ninety on something going I forgive that I forgive that I forgive why do I forget it because God has forgiven me that's my motivation I can go for ninety because I've been forgiven of so much so my first thing that I do when I'm hurt I have the ability to cover something because God says I can how do I cover it when there is fervent love towards people God said fervency fervency is enough to cover it even when they don't think they need that forgiveness for that situation let me give you a second thing and this is important number two it's really confronting something we either cover it or we confront it cover and confront are both biblical when Jesus said where two or three are gathered in my name there I am in the midst of it listen he wasn't giving us a verse for bad attendance in the church I've heard that verse used more at low attended prayer meetings and meetings than any other it wasn't Jesus going hey listen you're gonna have some meetings not many people are gonna show up so I'm gonna give you the right words to say so when you have a prayer meeting and only there's 10 there just say these words where two or three are gathered there I am in the mist nothing could be further from the truth because once again context means everything that is Matthew 18 and this is what's important you know how that passage starts it starts like this if your brother sins go to you're welcome if your brother sins go to them and then he walks through the forgiveness grid on how to deal with it and this is what Jesus said he says this if you make the effort to forgive someone he said and you have two or three witnesses and you come together to try to bring reconciliation Jesus said I see reconciliation as so powerful that I will show up at that reconciliation meeting to see brothers and sisters come back to Jesus he said you don't even have to have Greg for music or the choir if you have a heart to reconcile Jesus says my presence will be in that situation how in Christ isn't that so much better than a low attendance first the offended it says has to go the offended Jesus says if your brother sins against you then go to them boy that's hard because let me tell you what my tendency is my tendency is to wait for them to come to me let me tell you one of the biggest battles that I've had in our marriage relationship is when I'm offended I'm not a Yeller I'm not an angry person I'm a powder I act like a lady I'm just telling you that I'm just telling you sorry ladies I'm just telling you I do so when I'm offended by Cindy even my children I soak until and I sulk until they come and go is there something wrong no have I said something no nothing and I started to realize let me tell you how important this is at one point I had this revelation and I told Cindy I said I need to apologize because when I pout watch this I'm manipulating you I'm making you do something that we belongs it's my responsibility to forgive it so if you sit here on staff and someone offends you is there something wrong no and all of a sudden you're trying to set the thermostat by your oh I'm gonna say I am gonna say because I go back to Louisiana okay this arrow goes because when people get offended they want the thermostat of the room brought all the way down so you notice them so you have to fix it and they don't have the maturity to come to you and I told my wife I said forgive me for not being mature enough for not coming to you when I was offended but I want you to notice me but now I'm pouting I want you to come to me and the responsibility is on me according to Matthew 18 so if you're here today and you've found an offense or you were offended it's not waiting for the person to come to you it's you going to the person that's what I said and isn't it amazing here's just a a simple note do you know Jesus only used the word church twice in the all four Gospels twice the first one was this that when when he sit when he talks about Satan attacking the church he says and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against my church he was speaking that satanic attack and then the only other time he uses the word church is in Matthew 18 in reconciling brothers and sisters man there seems to be a correlation there that you can have and there's almost as Jesus goes when I'm dealing with the church I want them to realize that the battle is gonna come from without and the battles are gonna come from within and you have a chance and the promise was this Jesus says I promise listen to this this is huge Jesus says I promise that I'll make sure that the gates of Hell will not prevail against the church but you have to promise that when you have an offense you will go and take care of it I'll fix the outside but you gotta fix the inside is what you have to do here this is this is important because this is where God really wants to help us Agustin the the 4th century theologian said officially Lord deliver me from this lust of always trying to vindicate myself and help me to realize when something's not right I'm not going to be right I'm going to reconcile and that's where God began to help me that a sign of maturity listen Church a sign of maturity is not waiting for someone to come to you but the sign of maturity is going to them before they confront you that's what maturity is maturity is not waiting and going okay you came to me now I'll forgive you no no maturity is I catch it by the conviction of the Holy Spirit let me come and talk to you you know you know what has helped our marriage more than anything is is obviously the pouting wasn't working tell you that but I'm gonna tell you the second thing the second thing is when you realize you've offended them even before they have a chance to come to you that's what maturity is before they before Cindy or myself have to confront it we go I shouldn't said that please forgive me you know what blessed me just this week my daughter and I were sitting together at a show and while we were sitting there she warned me at the very beginning she says do not talk to me cuz I'll talk the whole show if I'm not sleeping out who's that why are they up there what's going on you know it can get bad because it's it's a bad show so if it's if I'm not sleeping I'm asking questions the entire show so literally I went to my daughter my 16 year old daughter I said hey who's Jewish and this is what she did man it the show was phenomenal because of that then analyst me she goes please forgive me I shouldn't have done that I just I just wanted to lift my hands go thank you Jesus that's maturity that's maturity instead of me going and I'm your father you shouldn't say that when I have a question I expect it to be answered it was her going dad forgive that's what maturity is okay I want to help you does everybody still with me okay okay good I'm I'm really gonna help you on something I want to tell you how an apology works can I help you on this because I don't begin if you know how to apologize so let me help when there is an offense and I have to go it goes like this okay let me tell you what doesn't work sorry that is cheap okay sorry means you never owned it that's why one of the things that we have to say is I am sorry because that means you own it not like so if David offended me I'm gone like when you should have you should have said more things about me when you introduced me because here's the list that I gave to you and if David and so if I go David you offend him if David just goes sorry okay that's that's cheap and you didn't offend but but I am sorry owns it and let me tell you the other part this is important it's inserting what you did I am sorry for saying this this way I'm sorry for being sharp I'm sorry for being angry when you talk to me this I am you know what that is you're owning it and naming it for not only them but you're naming it for you and so many people just go sorry or or this one you ready for this that one's cheap this one's gross I'm sorry that you were offended [Music] Oh omen you know what that basically means that means this that means I'm sorry you're such a baby that's what that means I'm sorry you were offended I own it I'm sorry name it everybody still with me here's that here's the closing here's the closing would you forgive me oh that's when it gets hard because forgiving is so much harder than apologizing because what we'll do with people man they didn't I'm not sure if they meant it that didn't seem sincere they weren't crying they weren't dude okay can I help you on when someone apologize I just want to just want to make sure who made you the holy spirit that you've decided what the motive of some man's heart is did all of a sudden we've just got a fourth member of the Trinity that you can see the heart of somebody and go they weren't sincere oh so you can see hearts of people and decide if something is sincere and real stop it you're not the Holy Spirit's so when you go that wasn't sincere stop that I wondered what you're saying is I'm having a hard time forgiving that's why forgiveness is a lovely idea until you have to forgive apologizing is so much easier than forgiveness because once you forgive it's done get this down proverbs 1710 says he who repeats a matter separates intimate friends better think how powerful that is he who repeats a man see because when you forgive something it's not brought up when things begin to get hot in the house because when people get hysterical they can get historical but I have to tell you this when Jesus forgives us he says Ephesians 4:32 he says forgive one another as I have forgiven you which means when God forgives you he never brings it up and when you forgive someone it's me were brought up again [Applause] I own it and sorry for take responsibility please forgive me closes the deal that means when you forgive you can't bring it up again well what happens when I think about it 490 and just keep going just every time you go I'm gonna bring 4 94 94 94 94 94 94 I can't forget I can forgive pastor Tim but I can't forget is only another way of saying I will not forgive forgiveness is that cancelled note torn into burned up sort of never can show up again that's what it is he who repeats the matter separates intimate friends what do i do pêche it's him when I'm hurt 1 we cover it that's according to the bomb welcome I can't cover it first examine yourself do I have fervency towards the brethren be fervent in your love for one another because love covers a multitude of sins because so much can happen inside you and Jesus says this I'll take care of the gates of Hell outside you got to take care of the relationships inside that's why when Pastor David talks about a marriage conference coming up oh my goodness you need to be there because you know what I found out about marriages is when you don't let me tell you what that conferences listen to me close that conference is an oil change so you don't have to do an engine overhaul and there are people there are people that keep ignoring the engine I'd much rather pay 40 bucks for an oil change than 4000 bucks to get a whole new engine in that vehicle that's why you show up to that or if you can't cover it then you confront it I don't count I don't wait for you to come to me but I go to you and I try to bring reconciliation to the situation I apologize I apologize for the situation maturity means maturity means I notice it before you notice it I catch it you know my friend RT Kendall said it this way says you know what repentance is repentance and maturity is when you can kind of begin to make the gap between your sin and your reap and your apology shorter and shorter and shorter instead of waiting years instead of waiting months instead of waiting weeks it's now minutes and seconds I shouldn't have said that oh please forgive me for saying this I should have been more sensitive and what I'm doing is I'm beginning to bring healing inside the last thing I want is for the world to come into this church listen listen for the world to come into this church and see that we can't even get along here with one another my goodness I don't want to sit there and go I don't want I don't want anyone to ever say man it's just like my job inside the church I don't want anyone to ever say that I don't want anyone ever walk into a place and feel the thermostat go down because that person hasn't dealt with something they haven't stepped them and go please forgive me or this offended me and you what I tell my wife I want to just say something when someone comes to me and says that offended me let me tell you how you can ruin reconciliation you can rune reconciliation with an excuse when somebody has come to me and I told this to my wife I said every time you come to me I will never explain and go well you should have been well this should have been well if it I'll just go if it's important to you it's important to me please forgive me instead of creating an excuse well I was just so busy well I was just I wasn't paying attention well I was just it was just a difficult day no no we offended somebody let's just speak to it please forgive me instead of excusing yourself please forgive me and you know what happens if you can learn just to just to not explain but to apology there is so much more peace in life the church your family and your home because you're not talking about things that took place three weeks ago three months ago and three years ago remember that time you left the toilet seat up when was that 1978 for real for real nothing is worse than walking into a someone's house and an apology is needed and you continue on like everything is okay and that's for some it's happening right now as the musicians come listen to me because there's one relationship that you have to deal with and it starts with an apology and that's your relationship with God listen to what John said in first John 1:7 he says if you walk in the light as he is in the light you will have fellowship with one another what he was saying was when this is right this can be right but this never seems to be right if this isn't right listen listen because just to come to church maybe I should ask you this way because some of you thought that just showing up at God's house the church that everything's cool everything's okay but God the Bible says was offended by our sin I have I have friends and family that sometimes that it's difficult for them to apologize you know what people will do they'll try to do more good stuff for you how many of every sin oh don't raise your hand no hand raising today and I've watched people to avoid an apology they'll do more good stuff to kind of try to fix the atmosphere of the room when you don't need more good stuff you need to begin to make things right with the person and so many times that's what we do with our journey with God the Bible says God was offended at our sin there's a sin there's a note that needs to be taken care of called sin in every one of us every single one of us and so where does our journey with God start where does your journey with God start some people go well it started when I got christened that's good but that's not doesn't fix that doesn't fix the events well I I was christened as a baby that's good I was I was water baptized when I was a teen that's great I was confirmed in the church great I had my first communion those are all good things but you still have an apology to make I come and I'm trying to be a good person great keep being a good person but that doesn't fix the relationship with God the relationship with God is fixed when we start with the apology wouldn't we start with God I'm a sinner please forgive me of my sins it starts there it starts to come into God's house and just say I'm gonna do a whole bunch of good stuff but never deal with the sin issue is one of the most dangerous things and one of the most religious things we can ever do because coming to church does that make us right with God coming to church does that make us a Christian these are just normal these are just the seats that were in the theater when we bought the theater this these aren't magic seats you know so they go where did they get this material is this material from Israel No no well I was baptized is that water from the Jordan no it's good old New York water that's all that is in there none of it is because just do baptize coming to church sitting in a chair doesn't fix that relationship an apology forgive begins to deal with that real lady and here's the promise you ready for this it doesn't matter what you did last night if you were up on that if it was just crazy last night here's the promise jesus said anyone who comes to me I will never cast them aside and say that's too much said Jesus says I will forgive you how amazing is that well pastor Tim how how does that happen how do how do I begin to start that jesus said this unless a man or woman John 3:3 John 3:5 unless a man or woman is born again they will never enter into the kingdom of heaven he didn't say be a TS seer you can sit there and go well I'm a Catholic I'm a Protestant I'm Jewish Jesus never said that listen to me close TSC people don't go to heaven born again people go to heaven that's what the Bible says Jesus said so you coming here listen man we're all the work in progress all of us are I still find myself spouting at times but work in progress I told you last week I'm a been I've been in ministry for 35 years and I'm afraid of stuff and we're all the work in progress but I do know this is that man God loves me not for being perfect God loves me not because I'm gotten all my life together here's the amazing thing no matter where you are today I don't care if you're a CEO I don't care if you work on Wall Street I don't care where you live I don't care on any of that we all have an apology to make to God and to make things right every single one of us how does that happen pastor Tim how do I become born-again it's as simple as this it's as simple as ABC explain that pastor Tim a here comes here comes the Nemean admit that I'm a sinner I'm a sinner well how do how does how does that how does that go past him it means that when I was born that there was sin inside of me that wasn't fixed when I got older when I got older it just came out different ways some of you who go like went man in you don't you you how can I be born into sin if people who say that never had children how many parents know what I'm talking about just have you did you have to teach your child to lie did you have to teach him to be selfish no you know none of you went like here's what I want you to say you said mama dad and I say mine say no no it says it's in us share this no mine did you take that cookie you know it's a sin nature in us that's a see here's the part that I want you understand we can't fix that there's not a priest a pastor a program or a promise you can make to fix you on the inside but that's where the B part comes and B believe that Jesus died in my place this is where God made an apology and said if you come to me my son died in your place and he was the one that instead of you dying for your sin I'm gonna let him die for for your sin because when Jesus went through all of that for us listen real close when G God sent his son to die on the cross do you think God sent his son to die for us so you can sit in church for two hours every single Sunday do you think that was the whole purpose of him dying for you going like you they're finally in church for two hours do whatever you want but as long as you're sitting in that chair that's not what he did and this is a lifestyle this is a relationship this is what he's called us to do he didn't die on the cross so you can come to church he died on the cross so he can live inside your heart that's why he died on the cross and finally it's II confess him as Lord saying you're the boss now when I'm in charge of my life I find myself making just decisions that hurt people and hurt me but you're in charge now God you're in charge of my life I want you to be in charge I'm gonna pray a prayer with you that when Jesus died on the cross for me this is the apology prayer you know what note it is because some of you are asking this question we're talking about this on Wednesday at staff when Jesus died on the cross for the entire humanity doesn't that mean we're all he we're all forgiven everything nope this is what are you saying I forgive all of you I just want you to RSVP me I want you to send an RSVP that says I receive your forgiveness I'm a sinner I receive your forgiveness today you can know that if you were to die today you were gonna live forever with God today you can know that today because if I was to ask you how do you know you're going in well I'm a good person I went to church I was baptized that's never what Jesus said you must be born again I want you to bow your head because I want to pray a born-again prayer with you right now I want you some of you are sitting here you're watching on our webcast in the annex in this balcony on this floor and the first apology that needs to comes to God himself is to say God you know what I thought just showing up was enough that's like me showing up in a relationship and never dealing with the conflict that was there the conflict was dealt with at the cross now we're gonna begin to say God thank you for sending your son I want to receive that forgiveness today and he promises regardless of who you are where you are he promises to forgive us and change us from the inside out do you understand pastor Tim how messed up I am you don't have to be perfect you just have to be honest you don't have to get all cleaned up and then come to church God says I just want you to be honest and God says no matter what you've done no matter where you are no matter what sin is that we're all sinners but today is gonna be the day of forgiveness the first day of your life of the greatest journey you could ever experience today you can be born again and as sure as you have a birthday I want you to have a second birthday or the born-again date because everyone here I know I was born on December 22nd 1963 and I know that I was born again but today some of you don't know that some of you don't know that that what your second birth or you're born again deed is today could be that day has it happened pastor Tim I just want to pray a prayer a born-again prayer but if you're here today and say pastor Tim and I'm in this house I'm in God's house today but man I have never made that decision and prayed that prayer to say God come in and change me from the inside out please forgive me of my sin and if you're here today balcony annex main floor every head bowed every eye closed and you're here today and say pastor Tim when you pray that born-again prayer I want to be included in that prayer Times Square look at me this is a message like this is so important it allows us to begin to make sure when these brand-new coming into the faith moving closer moving close all these balcony people are coming down moving closer come on moving closer when we begin to join together on a day like this let me tell you something the reason why messes like with this is important is when these new family members come in and go and I want to be born again I want them to come to a place that they're gonna know this the gates of Hell won't prevail against this and when we have offenses we deal with our stuff here some people always go to go I want to go back to the early church they had a problems in the early church and people getting killed during the offering that doesn't mean they were perfect but they dealt with stuff they dealt with things widows being overlooked people lying with the off that's okay we're human we all got problem let me let me just tell you this those at this altar look at me for a second one is I'm so excited that you're here today making this decision that's number one okay the second thing is this here's our promise this is not a perfect Church but he is a perfect Savior we're not inviting you we're not inviting you to fall in love with us we're inviting you to fall in love with him today because if you fall in love with us we're gonna disappoint you then you're gonna have to either cover it or confront it but today is a special day today is a day that you're gonna be born again I want to you're not gonna be all alone we're all gonna pray this prayer together come on let's close our eyes let's pray this together say these words with me say dear Lord Jesus I believe you're the son of God I believe that on the cross you took my sin my shame and my guilt and you died for it you faced hell for me so I wouldn't have to go you rose from the dead to give me a place in heaven a purpose on earth and a relationship with your father today Lord Jesus I turn from my sin to be born again come on say this with me God is my father Jesus is my Savior the Holy Spirit is my helper and heaven is my home in Jesus name and everybody said amen

Channel: Times Square Church

Views: 22,615

Rating: 4.855238 out of 5

Keywords: Tim Dilena, Sermon, Times Square Church

Id: 4AiamvpEG-w

Length: 55min 13sec (3313 seconds)

Published: Wed Aug 08 2018