Second Look Series: Forgiveness - Cole Parleir
[powerpress] Review of Last Week's Message
• Last week Pastor Rollan taught out of Matthew 18, and we learned that a child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven, because they are humble. They lack pride and self-sufficiency. • We learned that the greatest sin is pride, because it is the root of all other sins. • We learned that Jesus is the Chief Shepherd who came to save sinners and build His church. • Pastor Rollan laid out for us the difference between the universal Church of Jesus and the local church, saying anyone who believes in Jesus. and turns to Him through repentance and faith in His death, burial, and resurrection, is a part of God’s universal Church. One who sets his or her repentance and faith to practice locally is involved in the local church. Pastor Rollan defined the local church as:
o A house worship and prayer for all the nations. (Luke 19:19-48; Matt. 18) o A family where issues can be worked out as we grow together into the image of Christ. (Matt. 18) o A place of instruction and teaching form the Bible. (Acts 2) o A series of local bodies of government and God ordained leadership. (Acts 15) o A community of repentance and discipline. If you can’t be excommunicated, it is a social club, not the church of Jesus Christ. (1 Cor. 5) o A gathering where the sacraments of baptism, communion, and holy marriage are practiced. o A haven of relational encouragement, fellowship, and accountability. (James 5:13-20) o A people on mission with Jesus. (Matthew 16)
Matthew 18:15-35 (NIV)
15 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ 17If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector. 18 “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 19 “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” 21Then 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?” 22Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. 23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. 25Since 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. 26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. 28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. 29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’ 30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened. 32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. 35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
Our greatest need is God’s greatest gift: forgiveness. Forgiveness from God and others are very closely tied together, with God’s forgiveness being the foundation for us to forgive others. Last week, Pastor Rollan spoke of pride being the chief of all sins. If this is true, then humility is the chief of all righteousness. Pride and sin separates us from God and people. Humility is the foundation for all relationships with people and God. The cross of Christ is the revealer of hearts shining light on our sin and our need for forgiveness. The cross of Christ defeats relativistic morality and actually unites all of humanity by making the bold, humbling, yet dignifying, statement from God, “You are all more messed up than you could ever know…and I love you more than you ever thought possible.” The cross truly is the unifier of God and humanity with Himself and each other. A humble heart accepts this level playing field, while the prideful heart rejects it.
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Romans 3:23-24
Our most important need: We’re all sinners on the same playing field, named Earth, and desperately in need of God’s forgiveness.
For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all. Romans 11:32
Have you come to a place of humbly accepting your status with the rest of the human race as being in need of forgiveness, or do you have a bumper sticker that with pride and assumption states, “I was born OK the first time?”
Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” John 3:3
Jesus shares with us the power and God’s acceptance of the sacrifice of humility through His calling of a child to Himself as the response to the disciples question, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” The child is reported to not have said a word, but simply to have trusted Jesus and obeyed, coming and staying in the center of the disciples. Jesus then takes their question of hierarchical concern and knocks it down with the answer, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Whoa! Wrong question disciples, right answer Jesus! As long as we are worried about being great, there is no room for us in the Kingdom of Heaven. In the Kingdom of Heaven, all people, no matter of their role or reward level (yes there are rewards for serving God well in this life), will know the love of God fully, and they will not be concerned about greatness. The people who chose not to love God will not be there.
Why the need for humility and forgiveness? So that you can love God and serve God fully, for eternity.
If you, LORD, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you. Psalm 130:3
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. Matthew 22:36-38
Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” Luke 7:47
The more we realize that we have been forgiven, the more we can love God. The deeper the depths of hell, the higher the highs of heaven! Since eternity is in our hearts, we can start experiencing the full life of Christ here and now!
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. Ecclesiastes 3:11
We become reconciled to God and are being reconciled to man.
This is so interesting! In Matt. 18:5, Jesus says whoever accepts one of these “children" in His name (i.e. humble disciples not obsessed with being great), He accepts him, too. There’s a spiritual principle of delegated authority here. When God sends a messenger, it’s not the messenger that’s important, it’s the author and content of the message. God is sending you as a messenger of mercy and forgiveness, in Jesus’ name.
Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.” Luke 10:16 (Jesus talking to the 72)
Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Matthew 18:18 (Jesus confirming the Church's authority to invite people into the family and excommunicate them from it.)
Peter asks a great question in Matt 18:21: If I’m walking in humility like a defenseless little child, how many times do I have to be wronged before I can take justice into my own hands? Seven times? The standard teaching in Judaism at the time based on several Old Testament references was that three instances of forgiveness reflected a forgiving spirit, which made Peter’s offer of seven, a number which generally reflects completeness in the Bible, seem like the perfect answer (taken from an NIV study note). Today we might have said, “Wrong me once, shame on you. Wrong me twice, shame on me.” In typical Jesus fashion of cutting through the Law and traditions of men to get to the heart, He answers, "seventy times seven." Basically, “as many times as it takes.” Jesus again appeals to the truth that He has placed eternity in the hearts of men. If we are going to be with people forever, all eternity, we need to start acting like it now.
Matthew 18:23-25 (NIV) The Unmerciful Servant
“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold[h] was brought to him. 25 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. 26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. 28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.[i] He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. 29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’ 30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened. 32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. 35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
The unmerciful servant owed 10,000 talents. One talent was equal to twenty years worth of wages for a laborer. Today, at 40 hours a week, at minimum wage in IL, one talent was worth $343,200, meaning that the servant owed $3,432,000,000. The servant who owed money to the unmerciful servant owed $6,600 in today’s money.
We can forgive, because we have forgiven. The One who owns everything has paid our bill, meaning we don’t have to collect what others legitimately owe us. Not only has Jesus Christ paid for our sins, but we have become children of God through Him, as well, and our Heavenly Father promises to meet all our needs according to His riches and glory. He paid our debt and gave us the world, if we obey Him, unlike the unmerciful servant.
An unforgiving heart is an unforgiven heart and is subject to torment... -The Reformation Study Bible note on Matt. 18:23-35
“What goes around comes around…until someone forgives.”—Cole Parleir
Supporting Scriptures
Do you have prayer blockages?
Matthew 6:9-14 (Forgive to be forgiven)
"This, then, is how you should pray: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."
Matthew 5:23-26
23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift. 25 “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.
Psalm 130:3 (Forgiven to serve God)
If you, LORD, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you.
Matthew 7:12-14 (Do to others what you want done to you; it’s hard.)
So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
Matthew 9:1-8 (Physical healing to prove authority to forgive sins)
And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to his own city. And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven." And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, "This is man is blaspheming." But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts? Or which is easier, to say, "Your sins are forgiven.' or to say, 'Rise and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"-- he then said to the paralytic--"Rise, pick up your bed and go home." And he roe and went home. When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.
Second City Church- Second Look Sermon Series 2013