Ep 57: Head in the Sand (w/ Nick Gill)

1
00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:03,560
Well, good morning, I'm Daniel
Dalp and this is for Your Sunday

2
00:00:03,560 --> 00:00:06,440
Morning Drive, the short podcast
designed to give you your

3
00:00:06,440 --> 00:00:09,680
encouragement, your drive, and
your motivation on your way to

4
00:00:09,680 --> 00:00:13,120
worship and to help recenter
your mind on those spiritual

5
00:00:13,120 --> 00:00:15,160
things on a hectic Sunday
morning.

6
00:00:15,160 --> 00:00:17,480
We are brought to you in
partnership with the Ministry

7
00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:20,640
League network of podcasts.
Ministry League offers many

8
00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:23,920
resources to help support and
encourage the church, all of

9
00:00:23,920 --> 00:00:27,360
them free and all of them
available through their website,

10
00:00:27,400 --> 00:00:29,960
ministryleague.com or through
their app.

11
00:00:30,080 --> 00:00:32,119
Listeners.
Today you are in for an

12
00:00:32,159 --> 00:00:36,640
absolutely fantastic episode
brought to us by good friend and

13
00:00:36,640 --> 00:00:40,720
brother in Christ, Nick Gill.
Nick is from the Frankfort, KY

14
00:00:40,720 --> 00:00:44,360
area and has been married to his
best friend for 25 years.

15
00:00:44,480 --> 00:00:47,440
He's a graduate of Nation's
University and a grant

16
00:00:47,440 --> 00:00:51,080
administrator, and he loves to
brag on Jesus every chance he

17
00:00:51,080 --> 00:00:53,840
gets.
I met Nick about 10 years ago

18
00:00:53,840 --> 00:00:56,960
when I was trying out for a
congregation in his area, and

19
00:00:56,960 --> 00:00:59,960
we've kept in touch ever since.
I know him to be a sincere,

20
00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:04,040
nicer, and encouraging brother,
and I cannot wait to share his

21
00:01:04,040 --> 00:01:06,720
message with you this morning.
Nick, thank you so much for

22
00:01:06,720 --> 00:01:09,440
being part of the show this
morning and for putting together

23
00:01:09,440 --> 00:01:11,960
such great thoughts.
Let's get the show on the road.

24
00:01:11,960 --> 00:01:14,400
This is episode 57.
Head in the sand.

25
00:01:14,520 --> 00:01:24,320
Let's go to church.
Are we there yet?

26
00:01:37,160 --> 00:01:40,200
Would you believe that an
ancient tale about ostriches

27
00:01:40,200 --> 00:01:43,440
sticking their heads in the sand
can teach us something about

28
00:01:43,440 --> 00:01:46,000
being tempted not to show grace
to others?

29
00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:48,200
Why do we struggle to show
grace?

30
00:01:48,200 --> 00:01:53,160
Why is it so much easier for us
to harbor anger and resentment,

31
00:01:53,160 --> 00:01:56,880
or to lash out when we hurt, or
to just sort of hang some

32
00:01:56,880 --> 00:01:59,360
wallpaper over cracks in our
relationship?

33
00:01:59,720 --> 00:02:03,920
In Matthew 18, Jesus provides
bedrock teaching for how the

34
00:02:03,920 --> 00:02:07,600
people of God are called to
resolve conflict, as well as the

35
00:02:07,600 --> 00:02:11,440
terrifying consequences for the
church when grace does not

36
00:02:11,440 --> 00:02:13,640
abound.
If you have time today, read

37
00:02:13,640 --> 00:02:17,960
that whole chapter and see how
much God values both you and

38
00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:21,760
that person you might be mad at.
Forgiveness is like the air in

39
00:02:21,760 --> 00:02:23,840
our lungs.
If we're not breathing out

40
00:02:23,840 --> 00:02:27,600
forgiveness to others, there's
no room for us to take more in.

41
00:02:27,600 --> 00:02:31,520
And if we don't breathe, we die.
Humans can last for an average

42
00:02:31,520 --> 00:02:35,080
of 3 minutes without air.
The church can't even last that

43
00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:37,160
long without grace and
forgiveness.

44
00:02:37,160 --> 00:02:40,440
I think there are at least two
reasons we struggle to show

45
00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:43,240
grace.
One more obvious and one maybe

46
00:02:43,240 --> 00:02:45,920
less so.
The obvious one is simple and

47
00:02:45,920 --> 00:02:50,040
basic feelings of superiority.
Like the servant in Matthew 18.

48
00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:52,160
We forget how much we've been
forgiven.

49
00:02:52,200 --> 00:02:57,120
We forget how much we need fresh
forgiveness every single day.

50
00:02:57,200 --> 00:03:00,600
And so we let other people's
perceived shortcomings open the

51
00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:02,480
opportunity for us to attack
them.

52
00:03:02,480 --> 00:03:05,960
Maybe not as graphically or as
physically as the servant in

53
00:03:05,960 --> 00:03:09,920
Matthew 18, but attacked them
all the same, with cruel words,

54
00:03:09,920 --> 00:03:12,720
whispered accusations and
constant murmuring.

55
00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:16,680
It's not as big of a gap as we
think between our behaviour and

56
00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:19,440
that of the unforgiving servant.
Now, the second reason we

57
00:03:19,440 --> 00:03:24,120
struggle to show grace is maybe
less obvious because I know I

58
00:03:24,120 --> 00:03:27,720
went for years imagining
avoidance to be a virtue.

59
00:03:27,920 --> 00:03:31,480
There's an ancient myth dating
back at least to Roman times,

60
00:03:31,480 --> 00:03:35,480
that ostriches stick their heads
in the sand, believing that if

61
00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:38,720
they can't see a predator, then
a predator can't see them.

62
00:03:38,720 --> 00:03:42,400
Ostriches do nest in the ground
and sometimes stick their heads

63
00:03:42,400 --> 00:03:45,880
in their nests to turn their
eggs or to check on the welfare

64
00:03:45,880 --> 00:03:48,240
of their young.
And you know, we've all seen

65
00:03:48,240 --> 00:03:51,600
toddlers play hide and seek by
sticking their head behind

66
00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:54,360
something and imagining that
fully concealed.

67
00:03:54,400 --> 00:03:57,080
So it's understandable where the
myth came from.

68
00:03:57,160 --> 00:04:01,560
And one thing is certain,
sticking my head in the sand

69
00:04:01,760 --> 00:04:05,600
isn't showing grace.
It's easy to believe that by

70
00:04:05,600 --> 00:04:09,800
simply avoiding or ignoring
disagreements, conflicts, and

71
00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:12,960
feelings sinned against, we're
being gracious like God.

72
00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:17,240
But the hard fact is, we're not.
God didn't ignore sin.

73
00:04:17,720 --> 00:04:22,200
God sent his Son to reconcile
sinful people to himself.

74
00:04:22,200 --> 00:04:26,160
Grace acts.
Grace doesn't sit aloof waiting

75
00:04:26,160 --> 00:04:30,480
for someone to come to us and
explain themselves or beg us for

76
00:04:30,480 --> 00:04:33,440
forgiveness.
Grace goes the second mile, not

77
00:04:33,440 --> 00:04:36,880
to launch an attack or to paper
over the cracks in our

78
00:04:36,880 --> 00:04:40,640
relationship, but with a
steadfast commitment to working

79
00:04:40,640 --> 00:04:44,600
towards reconciliation and
seeking the best for the other

80
00:04:44,600 --> 00:04:47,560
party because we belong to each
other.

81
00:04:47,760 --> 00:04:51,520
Rejoice with those who rejoice,
weep with those who weep.

82
00:04:51,520 --> 00:04:54,400
Paul says that's not really a
command.

83
00:04:54,400 --> 00:04:58,080
That's just what life looks like
when we share the same heart,

84
00:04:58,120 --> 00:05:00,480
the same mind, and the same
purpose.

85
00:05:00,480 --> 00:05:02,280
We've got a long way to go to
get there.

86
00:05:02,280 --> 00:05:06,200
So let's recommit to doing the
hard work of reconciliation, to

87
00:05:06,200 --> 00:05:10,480
becoming reconciliation people
rather than retribution people.

88
00:05:10,480 --> 00:05:13,560
The alternative is too
terrifying to accept.

89
00:05:13,760 --> 00:05:17,400
Nick shared some absolutely
awesome thoughts with us this

90
00:05:17,400 --> 00:05:19,560
morning, and now it's time to
hear yours.

91
00:05:19,560 --> 00:05:22,920
Our discussion questions for
today are what does it mean for

92
00:05:22,920 --> 00:05:26,320
us that forgiveness is like air
in our lungs?

93
00:05:26,320 --> 00:05:30,360
What can we do when feelings of
superiority threaten to stop us

94
00:05:30,360 --> 00:05:34,640
from showing grace?
And what can I do today to

95
00:05:34,640 --> 00:05:37,760
recommit to reconciliation and
grace?