Why Christians Want to Forgive Others (CC)
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SERMON TEXT: MATTHEW 18:21-35
OCTOBER 5, 2014
TWO REASONS WHY CHRISTIANS
WANT TO FORGIVE THEIR NEIGHBOR!
PLEASE RISE FOR THE READING OF
THE SERMON TEXT.
GRACE AND PEACE ARE YOURS
IN ALL ABUNDANCE THROUGH A
KNOWLEDGE OF OUR GOD AND LORD
AND SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST. OUR
TEXT FOR THIS MORNING IS
THE GOSPEL READING MATTHEW 18
21 THROUGH 35: AND I'M GOING
TO READ THE OLD NIV VERSION,
SINCE YOU ALREADY HEARD THE
NEW NIV VERSION.
NOT THAT MUCH DIFFERENCE.
THEN PETER CAME TO JESUS AND
ASKED, "LORD, HOW MANY TIMES
SHALL I FORGIVE MY BROTHER
WHEN HE SINS AGAINST ME? UP
TO SEVEN TIMES?"
JESUS ANSWERED, "I TELL YOU,
NOT SEVEN TIMES,
BUT SEVENTY-SEVEN TIMES.
"THEREFORE,
THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS LIKE
A KING WHO WANTED TO SETTLE
ACCOUNTS WITH HIS SERVANTS.
AS HE BEGAN THE SETTLEMENT,
A MAN WHO OWED HIM TEN
THOUSAND TALENTS WAS BROUGHT
TO HIM. SINCE HE WAS NOT ABLE
TO PAY, THE MASTER
ORDERED THAT HE AND HIS WIFE
AND HIS CHILDREN AND ALL THAT
HE HAD BE SOLD TO REPAY THE
DEBT.
"THE SERVANT FELL ON HIS KNEES
BEFORE HIM. 'BE PATIENT
WITH ME,' HE BEGGED, 'AND I
WILL PAY BACK EVERYTHING.'
THE SERVANT'S MASTER TOOK PITY
ON HIM, CANCELED THE DEBT
AND LET HIM GO. "BUT WHEN THAT
SERVANT WENT OUT,
HE FOUND ONE OF HIS FELLOW
SERVANTS WHO OWED HIM A
HUNDRED DENARII. HE GRABBED
HIM AND BEGAN TO CHOKE HIM.
'PAY BACK WHAT YOU OWE ME!'
HE DEMANDED.
"HIS FELLOW SERVANT FELL TO
HIS KNEES AND BEGGED HIM,
'BE PATIENT WITH ME, AND I
WILL PAY YOU BACK.'
BUT HE REFUSED. INSTEAD, HE
WENT OFF AND HAD THE MAN
THROWN INTO PRISON UNTIL HE
COULD PAY THE DEBT.
WHEN THE OTHER SERVANTS SAW
WHAT HAD HAPPENED,
THEY WERE GREATLY DISTRESSED
AND WENT AND TOLD THEIR MASTER
EVERYTHING THAT HAD HAPPENED.
"THEN THE MASTER CALLED THE
SERVANT IN. 'YOU WICKED
SERVANT,' HE SAID,
'I CANCELED ALL THAT DEBT OF
YOURS
BECAUSE YOU BEGGED ME TO.
SHOULDN'T YOU HAVE HAD
MERCY ON YOUR FELLOW SERVANT
JUST AS I HAD ON YOU?'
IN ANGER HIS MASTER TURNED HIM
OVER TO THE JAILERS TO BE
TORTURED, UNTIL HE SHOULD PAY
BACK ALL HE OWED.
"THIS IS HOW MY HEAVENLY
FATHER WILL TREAT EACH OF YOU
UNLESS YOU FORGIVE YOUR
BROTHER FROM YOUR HEART."
THIS IS GOD'S WORD. LET US
PRAY:
DEAR HEAVENLY FATHER, WE KNOW
THAT
BY OUR OWN WILL, BY OUR OWN
POWER
IT'S IMPOSSIBLE FOR US TO
FORGIVE OTHERS.
SO WE ASK THAT AS WE MEDITATE
UPON GOD'S WORD THIS MORNING,
THAT YOU EMPOWER US TO DO SO
BY YOUR GOSPEL ...
BY THE GOOD NEWS THAT WE HAVE
BEEN FORGIVEN SO MUCH.
WE ASK THIS IN YOUR NAME,
JESUS. AMEN.
PLEASE BE SEATED.
SOMETIMES
WE HEAR A PROVERB, AND WE
SCRATCH OUR HEADS
AND WE WONDER WHAT IN THE
WORLD IS THAT TALKING ABOUT.
FOR INSTANCE, PROVERBS 26: 4
THROUGH 5 SAYS,
"DO NOT ANSWER A FOOL
ACCORDING
TO HIS FOLLY, OR YOU WILL BE
LIKE HIM YOURSELF.
ANSWER A FOOL ACCORDING TO HIS
FOLLY,
OR HE WILL BE WISE IN HIS OWN
EYES."
WAIT A SECOND.
DO NOT ANSWER A FOOL
ACCORDING TO HIS FOLLY.
ANSWER A FOOL ACCORDING TO HIS
FOLLY.
WELL, WHICH IS IT? WHAT DOES
THAT MEAN?
LET ME READ IT ONE MORE TIME.
"DO NOT ANSWER A FOOL
ACCORDING TO HIS FOLLY, OR YOU
WILL BE LIKE HIM YOURSELF.
ANSWER A FOOL ACCORDING TO HIS
FOLLY,
OR HE WILL BE WISE IN HIS OWN
EYES."
OKAY. ALRIGHT. UH, SO ...
HOW SHOULD ONE TALK TO A FOOL?
WELL,
THE ANSWER IS THAT IT VARIES
ACCORDING TO CIRCUMSTANCES.
SOMETIMES WE NEED TO IGNORE
THE BEHAVIOR OF A FOOL
AND JUST SHOW THEM LOVE AND
PATIENCE
IN OUR DEALINGS WITH THEM. AT
OTHER TIMES
WE NEED TO SHOW 'TOUGH LOVE'
TO THEM
BY DEALING WITH THEM IN SUCH A
WAY THAT THEY WILL STOP
HURTING THEMSELVES, US, OR
OTHER PEOPLE AROUND THEM.
OUR HOPE IS THAT IT WILL OPEN
UP THEIR EYES TO SEE HOW
FOOLISH THEY ARE ACTING.
OTHER PROVERBS ARE MUCH EASIER
TO UNDERSTAND, BUT HARD
TO PUT INTO PRACTICE.
FOR INSTANCE THE PROVERB, "HOW
MUCH BETTER TO GET WISDOM
THAN GOLD, TO CHOOSE
UNDERSTANDING RATHER
THAN SILVER."
[PROVERBS 16:16]
WHEN WE ARE FACED WITH A JOB
OPPORTUNITY
THAT WOULD MOVE US TO A TOWN
THAT IS FAR AWAY FROM A CHURCH
THAT PROVIDES US WITH A PURE
TEACHING OF GOD'S WORD ...
SHOULD WE "GO FOR THE GOLD" OR
SHOULD WE TURN DOWN THE MONEY
IN FAVOR OF STAYING CLOSE TO A
CHURCH WHERE WE CAN
BE SPIRITUALLY FED WITH THE
PURE TEACHINGS OF GOD'S WORD?
WE KNOW THE ANSWER.
WE WANT TO CHOOSE "WISDOM
RATHER THAN GOLD,
UNDERSTANDING RATHER THAN
SILVER."
BUT HOW HARD IT IS TO TURN
DOWN A JOB OPPORTUNITY THAT
MAY PAY MORE OR HAVE BETTER
WORKING CONDITIONS!
MANY HAVE CHOSEN MONEY
RATHER THAN GOD AND LOST THEIR
FAITH AS A RESULT!
AS IT SAYS IN
1 TIMOTHY 6:6-10,
"BUT GODLINESS WITH
CONTENTMENT
IS GREAT GAIN. FOR WE BROUGHT
NOTHING INTO THIS WORLD,
AND WE CAN TAKE NOTHING OUT OF
IT.
BUT IF WE HAVE FOOD AND
CLOTHING, WE WILL BE CONTENT
WITH THAT. PEOPLE WHO WANT TO
GET RICH FALL INTO
TEMPTATION AND A TRAP AND INTO
MANY FOOLISH AND HARMFUL
DESIRES THAT PLUNGE MEN INTO
RUIN AND DESTRUCTION.
FOR THE LOVE OF MONEY IS A
ROOT OF ALL KINDS OF EVIL.
SOME PEOPLE, EAGER FOR MONEY,
HAVE WANDERED FROM THE FAITH
AND PIERCED THEMSELVES
WITH MANY GRIEFS." TODAY'S
PARABLE
JESUS TOLD IS KIND OF LIKE A
PROVERB WHOSE MEANING IS
EASY TO UNDERSTAND,
BUT HARD TO PUT INTO PRACTICE!
LET US LOOK
TOGETHER AT THE PARABLE OF THE
"UNMERCIFUL SERVANT"
UNDER THE THEME: TWO REASONS
WHY CHRISTIANS WANT
TO FORGIVE THEIR NEIGHBOR!
NUMBER 1: WE WANT TO
FORGIVE OUR NEIGHBOR BECAUSE
OUR HEAVENLY FATHER WILL NOT
FORGIVE US IF WE DON'T. AND
NUMBER 2: BECAUSE GOD
HAS FORGIVEN US SO MUCH!
WHEN ONE BEGINS TO READ THIS
PARABLE,
INITIALLY YOU FEEL SORRY FOR
THAT UNMERCIFUL
SERVANT, THE MAN WHO OWES THE
TEN THOUSAND TALENTS
AND HE WAS UNABLE TO PAY IT
BACK TO HIS MASTER.
HE AND HIS WIFE
AND ALL THEIR CHILDREN WERE
GOING TO BE THROWN INTO
PRISON. ALL HIS BELONGINGS
WERE GOING TO BE SOLD
TO REPAY THAT DEBT. AND THE
AMOUNT OF THE DEBT WE'RE
TALKING ABOUT IS MILLIONS OF
DOLLARS!
WHEN HE BEGGED FOR HIS MASTER
TO BE PATIENT UNTIL HE COULD
REPAY THE DEBT, A SURPRISING
THING HAPPENED.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN
REMEMBER WHEN YOU FIRST READ
THIS PARABLE. IT REALLY IS
SURPRISING!
HE CANCELED HIS DEBT
COMPLETELY.
HE JUST DIDN'T PUT IT OFF; HE
SAID YOU ARE FORGIVEN.
YOUR DEBT IS CANCELED.
WHAT AN AMAZINGLY GENEROUS
THING TO DO.
HOWEVER, OUR IMPRESSION OF
THAT SERVANT CHANGES WHEN WE
COME TO THE NEXT PART OF THE
PARABLE. HE REFUSED
TO FORGIVE A FELLOW SERVANT
WHEN THAT SERVANT OWED HIM
ONLY A FEW DOLLARS. WE THINK
TO OURSELVES:
HOW COULD HE BE SO COLD AND
UNFORGIVING
TOWARD HIS FELLOW SERVANT
WHEN HE WAS JUST SHOWN
SUCH GREAT MERCY? WE FEEL
LIKE
THE OTHER SERVANTS WHO
WITNESSED HIS TREATMENT OF THE
FELLOW SERVANT AND WERE
SHOCKED AND GREATLY
DISTRESSED. THE NIV NEW
TRANSLATION SAID THEY WERE
OUTRAGED. BUT THEIR EMOTIONS
WERE REALLY ROILED
BY THIS. THE MASTER'S
REACTION
IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO NOTE AS
WELL, BECAUSE IN THIS PARABLE
THE MASTER REPRESENTS GOD JUST
AS SURELY AS THOSE SERVANTS
REPRESENT DIFFERENT TYPES OF
PEOPLE.
GOD FREELY FORGIVES PEOPLE'S
SINS.
HE HAS FREELY FORGIVEN US
OUR SINS AS WELL. BUT NOTE
THE MASTER'S REACTION WHEN THE
SERVANT DID NOT FORGIVE HIS
FELLOW SERVANT!
"YOU WICKED SERVANT! I
CANCELED ALL THAT DEBT
OF YOURS BECAUSE YOU BEGGED ME
TO.
SHOULDN'T YOU HAVE HAD MERCY
ON YOUR FELLOW SERVANT JUST AS
I HAD ON YOU? IN ANGER
HIS MASTER TURNED HIM OVER TO
THE JAILERS TO BE TORTURED,
UNTIL HE SHOULD PAY BACK ALL
HE OWED." [VERSES 32-34]
AND JESUS ENDS BY SAYING,
"THIS IS HOW
MY HEAVENLY FATHER WILL TREAT
EACH OF YOU UNLESS
YOU FORGIVE YOUR BROTHER FROM
YOUR HEART." [VERSE 35]
GOD WILL NOT FORGIVE US IF WE
DO NOT FORGIVE OUR NEIGHBOR!
SOME OF THE THINGS IN THE
BIBLE ARE
HARD TO UNDERSTAND. BUT THERE
ARE SOME THINGS VERY EASY TO
UNDERSTAND AND VERY DIFFICULT
TO PUT INTO PRACTICE!
FORGIVING OUR BROTHER FROM
THE HEART IS ONE OF THOSE
THINGS THAT'S
NOT SO EASY TO DO. AND THE
REASON JESUS TOLD THIS PARABLE
WAS THAT PETER CAME TO HIM
AND ASKED HIM,
"LORD, HOW MANY TIMES SHALL I
FORGIVE MY BROTHER
WHEN HE SINS AGAINST ME? UP
TO SEVEN TIMES?"
PETER WAS THINKING THAT WAS A
LOT. JESUS' ANSWER WAS
"NOT SEVEN, BUT SEVENTY-SEVEN
TIMES." AND,
OF COURSE, JESUS IS NOT SAYING
KEEP A TALLY UNTIL YOU GET TO
SEVENTY-SEVEN. WHAT HE'S
SAYING IS: UNLIMITED! ...
AMOUNT OF TIMES. IN OTHER
WORDS, JESUS WANTS US TO
FORGIVE OUR BROTHER WITHOUT
COUNTING THE TIMES
WE'VE FORGIVEN THEM IN THE
PAST. HE WANTS US ALWAYS
TO FORGIVE THEM. BUT THINK
ABOUT
THE TIMES THAT SOMEONE HAS
WRONGED YOU.
THEY MAY HAVE GOSSIPED ABOUT
YOU. THEY MAY HAVE STOLEN
FROM YOU. SOMETIMES THE
THINGS
PEOPLE SAY ABOUT US OR TO US
SLICE
RIGHT THROUGH THE HEART.
PERHAPS IT'S
YOUR MOTHER-IN-LAW WHO HAS
TREATED YOU BADLY.
OR PERHAPS IT'S A SON OR
DAUGHTER WHO HAS TURNED
AGAINST YOU. PERHAPS IT'S
SOMEONE YOU HELPED OUT
WHEN THEY WERE DOWN, BUT NOW
WHEN THE TABLES ARE TURNED
THEY TAKE THE TIME TO TREAT
YOU BADLY.
WE CAN ALWAYS THINK OF TIMES
WHEN SOMEONE
HAS DONE, OR SAID, SOMETHING
AGAINST US.
AND SOMETIMES EVEN WHEN WE
THINK OF JESUS' WORDS,
IT'S HARD FOR US TO FORGIVE
THEM FROM THE HEART.
THIS IS WHEN WE NEED TO
REMEMBER THE SECOND REASON
WHY CHRISTIANS WANT TO
FORGIVE OTHERS.
WE WANT TO FORGIVE BECAUSE
WE REMEMBER HOW MUCH CHRIST
HAS FORGIVEN US!
YOU KNOW IN THE FIRST PART OF
THE SERMON I SAID THAT,
YOU KNOW, WE WILL NOT BE
FORGIVEN IF WE
DON'T FORGIVE OTHERS. BUT THE
TRUTH OF IT IS, THAT GOD HAD
FORGIVEN US FROM THE VERY
BEGINNING. WHEN JESUS DIED
FOR OUR SINS ... HE PAID THE
DEBT OF THE WHOLE WORLD
EVEN ENEMIES OF CHRIST, AS WE
ALL WERE
WHEN WE WERE BROUGHT INTO THIS
WORLD. ALL OF OUR SINS
WERE FORGIVEN. BUT IF WE,
THROUGH UNBELIEF, REJECT GOD'S
FORGIVENESS AND DON'T FORGIVE
OUR BROTHER, THAT'S ACTING
LIKE AN UNBELIEVER,
ISN'T IT? AND THAT'S WHAT GOD
IS TALKING ABOUT.
HE HAS FORGIVEN YOU.
HE HAS FORGIVEN ME. NOT JUST
ONE SIN.
NOT JUST A WEEK'S WORTH OF
SINS. HE'S FORGIVEN ALL
OF OUR SINS. WE WANT TO
FORGIVE
BECAUSE WE REMEMBER HOW MUCH
CHRIST HAS FORGIVEN US.
THINK AGAIN ABOUT WHAT THE
MASTER SAID
TO THE WICKED SERVANT. "YOU
WICKED SERVANT!
I CANCELED ALL THAT DEBT OF
YOURS BECAUSE YOU
BEGGED ME TO. SHOULDN'T YOU
HAVE HAD MERCY ON YOUR
FELLOW SERVANT JUST AS I HAD
ON YOU?" THE REASON
THE WICKED SERVANT DID NOT
FORGIVE HIS FELLOW SERVANT
WAS BECAUSE HE DID NOT
REMEMBER HOW MUCH
OUR HEAVENLY FATHER HAS
FORGIVEN US.
HE DID NOT REMEMBER HOW MUCH
HE HAD BEEN FORGIVEN
BY HIS MASTER.
WHEN WE FIND IT HARD TO
FORGIVE SOMEONE,
WE SHOULD PAUSE AND REFLECT ON
HOW MUCH GOD'S FORGIVEN US.
WE WERE GOD'S ENEMIES, BUT GOD
LOVED US ENOUGH
TO SEND HIS ONLY SON INTO THIS
WORLD
TO DIE FOR OUR SINS. WE HAD
BROKEN
EVERY ONE OF GOD'S LAWS.
THERE WAS NO WAY
WE COULD PAY THE DEBT OF OUR
SIN TO GOD.
BUT GOD FORGAVE ALL OF OUR
DEBT BECAUSE
JESUS PAID ALL OF THAT DEBT
ON OUR BEHALF.
SUCH LOVE MOTIVATES US EVEN TO
FORGIVE
OUR ENEMIES. AND, IN FACT, IT
IS THIS LOVE WHICH COMES FROM
GOD WHICH SETS US APART
FROM THIS WORLD OF SINNERS;
THIS WORLD OF UNBELIEVERS.
JESUS SAID: WE KNOW
OR JOHN SAID IT. EXCUSE ME,
THE APOSTLE JOHN SAID,
"WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE PASSED
FROM DEATH TO LIFE BECAUSE
WE LOVE OUR BROTHERS. ANYONE
WHO DOES NOT LOVE
REMAINS IN DEATH. ANYONE WHO
HATES HIS BROTHER
IS A MURDERER, AND YOU KNOW
THAT NO MURDERER
HAS ETERNAL LIFE IN HIM."
[1 JOHN 3:4-15]
WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU WANT
TO FORGIVE SOMEONE, BUT ARE
HAVING A HARD TIME DOING SO?
REMEMBER HOW MUCH JESUS HAS
FORGIVEN US.
AND THEN PRAY TO GOD TO
CHANGE YOUR HEART
BY THE HOLY SPIRIT'S POWER.
THE OTHER PERSON
MAY NOT EVER CHANGE THE WAY
THEY ACT TOWARD US.
BUT BY GOD'S POWER WE CAN
CHANGE
THE WAY WE THINK AND ACT
TOWARD THEM!
ASK GOD TO FILL YOU WITH LOVE
TOWARD YOUR NEIGHBOR SO THAT
YOU MAY BE A GOOD WITNESS
OF GOD'S LOVE ... NOT ONLY IN
YOUR THOUGHTS, BUT ALSO
IN YOUR WORDS AND ACTIONS.
FORGIVENESS THAT MEANS
CANCELING THE DEBT.
IT DOESN'T MEAN PUTTING IT
OFF. IT DOESN'T MEAN
DELAYING THE DAY OF RECKONING.
WHEN WE ARE WRONGED BY SOMEONE
AND THEN LATER ON MAYBE YEARS
LATER WE DREDGE UP THAT THING
ONCE AGAIN,
WE SHOW THAT WE'RE REALLY NOT
FORGIVING THEM, WE'RE JUST
DELAYING THE DAY OF JUDGMENT.
BUT CANCELING THE DEBT DOESN'T
MEAN POSTPONING
THE DAY OF ACCOUNTING. THAT'S
NOT FORGIVENESS.
KEEPING THE DEBT ON THE BOOKS.
NO! FORGIVENESS IS
CANCELING THE DEBT AND
REMEMBERING IT NO MORE.
GOD SHOWS US WHAT TRUE
FORGIVENESS IS.
HE SAYS IN JEREMIAH 31:34: "I
WILL FORGIVE THEIR
WICKEDNESS AND WILL REMEMBER
THEIR SINS NO MORE."
LET US ALSO
BE LIKE GOD; LET US FORGIVE
FROM THE HEART.
LET US REMEMBER GOD'S GREAT
LOVE
AND FORGET THE WRONGS THAT
HAVE BEEN DONE TO US.
GOD DIDN'T WAIT FOR US TO TAKE
THE FIRST STEP.
NO, GOD FORGAVE US FREELY!
THEN LET US
FORGIVE AND FORGET THE WRONGS
THAT HAVE BEEN DONE TO US
WITHOUT WAITING FOR THEM TO
COME TO US TO MAKE AMENDS.
AND LET US NEVER MENTION THEM
AGAIN.
LET THE LOVE OF CHRIST MOVE US
TO FORGIVE OUR NEIGHBOR, TO
SHOW LOVE AND FORGIVENESS
TO THOSE WHO HAVE WRONGED US
EVEN IF THEY'RE NOT SORRY
FOR WHAT THEY'VE DONE. THAT'S
THE CHRISTIAN OUTLOOK ON
FORGIVENESS. MAY THE GREAT
LOVE THAT CHRIST HAS SHOWN US
EMPOWER US TO ALWAYS SHOW
THAT LOVE ... THAT UNDESERVED
LOVE OF CHRIST TO EVERYONE
AROUND US. EVEN THOSE WHO
HAVE SINNED AGAINST US.
AMEN.
[MOTION FOR CONGREGATION TO
STAND]
TO HIM WHO LOVES US AND HAS
FREED US BY HIS LOVE, AND HAS
MADE US TO BE A KINGDOM AND
PRIEST TO SERVE HIS GOD AND
FATHER, TO HIM BE GLORY AND
POWER FOREVER AND EVER. AMEN.