Debt Resolution

DEBT RESOLUTION

Luke 7:36-7:48

I invite you to find LK 7 in your Bibles.

Christmas as a day on the calendar has come and went but let’s keep celebrating Jesus all year long and all life long.

Although we know Christmas is about far more than the gifts…It is about “THE GIFT”…Jesus.

Yet I would gander to say that more than 90% of us here today did some cheerful gift giving during the holiday.

If you are like many people you may have even used those dangerous credit cards to do some Christmas shopping.

The outcome for many… may bring a change from Christmas joy to post Christmas

“Oh Boy!”

as they open those whopping credit card bills.

How would you like to have all your debts written off this morning? No need to be shy I’ll include myself in this survey this morning…let me see your hand if this morning you would like to have all your debts just written off…taken care of…

Well, I want to assure you that if you are here today and you know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior than you have had your greatest debt wiped away and taken care of.

It should cause our love for God to be immeasurable when we think of the gift He bestowed on us… forgiving our great debt.

When you think of God’s great debt removal of your sins,…. does it cause you to love Him little… or is there a great love for Him as a result…

Do you love Him little or do you love Him MUCH.

*(Play clip Two Debtors)

OPTIONAL Verbal Illustration of a debt forgiven or

*(Play clip Two Debtors)This is a movie clip see notes at the end.

We find here in the LK 7 an important message to us about forgiveness and the right result it ought to bring to every life.

Look with me at LK chapter 7 ND VERSE 36

36 Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table.

37 When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume,

38 and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured

perfume on them.

39 When the Pharisee who had invited (Jesus) saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of

woman she is—that she is a sinner."

40 Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you."

"Tell me, teacher," he said.

41 "Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.

42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?"

43 Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled."

"You have judged correctly," Jesus said.

44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon,

"Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet,

but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.

45You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet.

46You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet.

47Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little."

48Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."

To look at the testimony of this woman who visited the house that day where Jesus was, is to understand a heart that… loves much,…

The woman’s loved much….because she understood God’s opportunity for every life concerning our debt problem.

There are three important details that we would benefit in taking note of concerning this powerful testimony of a heart that loved much.

This woman

UNDERSTOOD HER INDEBTEDNESS

SHE RECOGNIZED CHRIST’S WORTHINESS

and

she WAS OVERWHELMED BY CHRIST’S FORGIVENESS

I. She understood her indebtedness

(which Simon clearly failed to do)

V 37 Says

37 When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume,

She had lived a sinful life.

Jesus knew it…

Simon the Pharisee knew it…

The verse indicates to us that pretty much everyone in town knew it…

V 37 says she “had lived a sinful life in that town”…indicating that she had a reputation for intentional, repeated, open for all to see sinfulness.