This morning I will be bringing forth a message on "forgiveness." I was ready to prepare a message from 1 Corinthians 2, however, as I prayed, I sensed that Spirit would have me preach on Forgiveness.
As Christians, we have so much to be thankful for, we have been forgiven of so much. And as God’s children we need to learn to exemplify our loving Savior who’s death brought us forgiveness. We need to be a forgiving people.
"What do you do when people mistreat you or
those you love? Does the fire of anger boil
within you, with leaping flames consuming
your emotions? Or do you reach somewhere-
to some source of cool water and pull out a
bucket of mercy- to free yourself? Is there
any emotion that imprisons the soul more
than the unwillingness to forgive?
Don’t get on the roller coaster of resentment
and anger. You be like the one who says,
"Yes, he mistreated me, But I am going to
be like Christ. I’ll be the one who say’s
’Forgive them, Father, they don’t know
what they are doing,’"
The first step toward forgiveness is to see
the other person as a human being, not a
source of hurt. That’s how God treated us
with mercy- he became one of us, he felt
as we feel, he understands our frustrations.
And as a result, when he hung on the cross,
he could look at those crucifying him and
ask God to forgive them.
When you forgive someone, you are as close
to God as you will ever be, because in that
forgiveness you are demonstrating the very
heart of God, if you want to draw closer to
him, then forgive someone today." Max Lucado
The very heart of God is that we would learn to forgive one another. a portion of the Lord’s prayer in Matthew 6 reads "And forgive us our debt as we forgive our debtors." I no possible way was Jesus trying to sell a subliminal message. He was being very direct and to the point. This is not a plea of merit, but a plea of grace. Note: Those who come to God for the forgiveness of sin’s committed against him, must make conscience of the forgiving of those who have offended them, else they bring upon themselves a curse..."
Our duty is to forgive those who sin against us, who offend us, who hurt us. The practical point is that there will come times in life when a brother or a sister in the Lord will do something to offend you. There is a very practical, scriptural way to deal with it.
I would like to remind you of three principles in which we learnt through the Larry Lea videos on prayer. They are; 1). Don’t Curse It. 2). Don’t Rehearse It. 3). Don’t Nurse It.
1). Don’t Curse the Offense. The first thing in which most of us do when offended is that we react in anger. For many of us, our first reaction is to revenge the offending party to somehow right the wrong.
2). Don’t Rehearse the Offense. Have you ever observed someone who has been offended and how they will begin to rehearse the offense. They will go from one person to the next rehearsing the offense. And the offense gets bigger and bigger and bigger, and before the person knows it they are out of control, and everybody and there brother have become a part of the problem.
3). Don’t Nurse the Offense. Have you ever dwelled on something that somebody has done to wrong you. At first, it wasn’t even that big of a deal, but you just couldn’t put it to rest. You kept rehashing it, it keeps churning through your mind, and it consumes you.
No wonder Hebrew’s 12:14-15 tells us; "Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled."
We must understand that when we give way to unforgiveness, and we allow it to run it’s course, we will become bitter. And bitterness, like a deadly cancer will eat away at us, and will consume us.
It Reminds me of when I was a youngster and would cut wood with my stepfather. On many occasions we would go to cut down a tree that I assumed was a healthy tree. It looked beautiful, seemed to be full of life. On an occasion I asked why we were cutting down a particular tree (besides the obvious, free fire wood). And I was told that this tree was dead inside. I really didn’t understand what he meant until the tree was on the ground and you could look right up the core of the tree because the curse of termites and ants had eaten the center of the tree out through he years. It was only a matter of time before the evidence of what was going on inside the tree became evident on the outside.
You might be here today and have all of the appearances of being a victorious Christian. But inside you might have the deadly cancer of bitterness, it will only be a matter of time before what is in the heart is manifest on the outside.
When you chose to forgive, you set your self free from the curse that unforgiveness will bring.
Now that we have stated a case for why we should forgive our brother, We need to look at the scriptural mandate for dealing with the offense so that reconciliation may come between the two parties.
Matthew 18:15-17 "Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear you, take with you one or two more, that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he refuses to here them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses to even hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector."
Christ, having cautioned his disciples not to give offense, comes next to direct them what they must do in case of offenses given them; which may be understood either of Personal Injuries, and then these directions are intended for preserving the peace of the church; or of Public Scandals which affect you, and then they are intended for the preserving of the purity and beauty of the church.
Personal Injures. Let us apply this to quarrels, deliberate insults, contempt or abuse, to blemish your good name by false reports or tale bearing, to damage personal property, or the trespasses specified in Leviticus 6:2-3, If a person sins and commits a trespass against the Lord by lying to his neighbor about what was delivered to him for safekeeping, or about a pledge, or about a robbery, or if he has extorted from his neighbor, or if he has found what was lost lies and lies concerning it, and swears falsely- in any one of these things that a man may do in which he sins." If he transgresses the laws of charity, justice or relative duties.
The preceding is a list of the types of sins that might have been committed against a believer in Christ. Now, how do we deal with it? What do we do? remember or principles from Larry Lea. 1). Don’t curse it. 2). Don’t rehearse it. 3). Don’t Nurse it.
1. "Go and tell him his fault." First I would like to compare this to Leviticus 19:17-18 ’You shall not hate your brother in the heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance, nor bear a grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.
If you have suffered displeasure from your brother by any injury that he has done, do not allow it to ripen into secret malice (like a wound, which is most dangerous when it bleeds inwardly). Do not go and rail against him behind his back. If he has indeed done wrong to you, go to him, show him his wrong. Between you and him alone. "The original language says "show" him his fault. has a three fold meaning which goes in three stages,
1. to test, try search out.
2. to cross examine with the view of convincing or refuting,
3. to rebuke."
Go in a spirit of love, not confrontation. Proverbs 25:8-9 Do not go hastily to court; For what will you do in the end, when your neighbor puts you to shame? Debate your case with your neighbor, and do not disclose the secret to another."
2. If he hears you." Praise God! End of story. Complete reconciliation.
3. "But if he will not hear." A sad but often true story is of that of a person who goes about recklessly damaging other believers, when confronted with there wrong, they often excuse, deny the accusation, they become defensive.
We can proceed in three possible directions now.
A). You can ignore the situation, making yourself more miserable because of the offense. Not highly recommended or scriptural.
B). One commentator suggests that if the offense of a small degree you can, you can simply forgive the offender and forget the matter. Remembering that "Love covers a multitude of sins." 1 Peter 4:8.
C). If the sin is to grievous to deal with out reconciliation you must go to the person with one or two more with you. The purpose for bringing others along is not for the purpose of tag teaming the offender, "but to reason the case further with him; he will be more likely to listen to them because they are impartial; and if reason will rule him, the word of reason by two or three witnesses will be better spoken to him" (plus vident oculi quam oculus- Many eyes see more than one), "and more regarded by him, and perhaps it will influence him to acknowledge his error, and say ’I repent.’"
The one or two more in which you bring should be in my estimation those of a seasoned Christians, not emotionally involved in fighting your cause. The Applied New Testament Commentary suggests that you should take one or two more Elders.
4. And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. Let it suffice, that if you have come to this point with a brother, there is truly a problem. God forbid we ever come to this point, that a brother would so grievously sin against a brother and not show any signs of repentance that it would have to be sent to a trial before the church officials. Tell it to the church does not imply that we come in and make an open spectacle of the offender on a Sunday morning. Many commentators agree that this case should be settled by those who rule the church, the Ministers and Elders. The apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 6, that the church should judge matters between brothers.
5. If He will not hear the church. If the offender persists in the wrong in which has been done, and continues to do wrong without any repentance, then treat him like a tax collector or heathen. Have nothing to do with him.
I must state, the goal hear is not to throw the offender out of the church, it is to bring forth reconciliation. It is to right the wrong. It is to make amends.
The last thing in which we need to consider this morning is this: Suppose you have a brother who continual offends you. He continually asks for your forgiveness. How long do I have to put up with this guy and forgive him? Good question.
"Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. Therefore the Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. But as he was not able to pay , his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that they had, and that payment be made. The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ’Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ’pay me what you owe! So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ’have patience with me, and I will repay you all.’ And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. Then the master, after he had called him, said to him, ’you wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you? And his master was angry, and delivered him to torturers until he should pay all that was due him. So My Heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.
1. Peter’s question, how many times Lord, up to seven.
Peter new that he had to forgive. There was no doubting this. Possibly Peter is contemplating how many times he must forgive before he can strike back. Peter may have been contemplating the rule outlined in Amos 2:3-4 which was that for three transgressions plus one that God would no more pass by. Basically meaning three strikes plus one and your out. So, Peter, no following the letter, trying to come of as the nice guy says’ I’ll throw in three extra. How nice of me.
Jesus gives Peter certain number for an indefinite one. "Note: it does not look good for us to keep accounting of the wrongs committed by a brother." As a Child of God living by the law of Love, we must remember that Love keeps no record of wrongs. Jesus was trying to train his disciples to forgive unconditionally. And to emphasize his point he tells this wonderful parable of the king who wanted to settle accounts.
There are three things in which we need to consider in this parable. 1. The master’s wonderful mercy to his servant who was indebted to him. 2. The servant’s unreasonable severity toward his fellow servant, forgetting his Lord’s mercy towards him. 3. The consequence of not forgiving as we have been freely forgiven.
1. The Masters Great Mercy.
Observe the following:
Every sin in which you and I commit is a debt to God. It is a trespass against God and His precepts. We are all debtors and are liable to the process of the law of God.
There is an account kept of these debts that we will have to give an accounting for. "The king will take an accounting from his servants." In the great hear and now, God has provided man with conscience; "Conscience is God’s auditor in the soul." If we heed to it’s voice, it will do us well. However, there will be another day of reckoning, when all will have to give an accounting to the Master for their debts.
The debt of sin is very large. This servants debt was 10,000 talents. It is important to note that a talent was the largest measure for counting money in the known world in the times of Jesus. "10,000 talents is roughly equivalent to five and a quarter million dollars today." For a moment, try paying down a five million dollar debt while flipping hamburgers at McDonalds. The guy was a servant, he did not earn top rate pay. It was literally impossible for this man to pay off this debt. And to compound the problem he was thrown into debtors prison until he pay off this debt, you didn’t earn wages in debtors prison. You had a name and a life. That was all. As impossible as it was for this man to pay off his debt, so it is with us and our debt with God, we are incapable of paying our debt with God.
The king orders this servant thrown into prison, his wife, children and possessions sold until he repaid all. The servant begs the king, and promises to repay all. One would have to ask if this guy thought that his master was an idiot. I mean come on, we are talking about Joe Smoe who is the head line cook for McDonalds who has some how amassed 5 million in debt, and he is going to pay this thing off while barely making minimum wage. Think about it. We do it all the time, God, if you well just let me off this time, I promise I’ll never do it again. Right. Get real.
The Master was moved with compassion. Praise God that we serve the king who is compassionate and has mercy. This Master new that his servant could not and would not ever be able to repay him. So he cancels the debt, and releases his. That is exactly what our God has done for us, our debt is insurmountable, we can never repay it, we can never appease the wrath due it. And then Jesus spread out his arms and was crucified, and he took the full penalty for yours and my sin.
2. "The servants unreasonable severity towards a fellow servant." Imagine with me if you would; you have just exited from the very throne room of God. While in His presence, you were declared righteous, as if you had never sinned. God the Father says, ’because of my Sons blood, you are forgiven all." On your exit out you bump into somebody how has grossly offended you, and you immediately begin the thought process of how rotten they are, and how you can never forgive them, it’s just to much to bear. We say, ’I would never do that,’ but we do.
We read this parable and we think how rotten of this man, but we do it, every time we refuse to forgive, harbor resentment and bitterness, we act just like this man. The debt this man had just been forgiven of was beyond comparison, yet what was owed him was equivalent to the change needed to buy a bagel and coffee at Brueggers.
3. The consequence of not forgiving after being freely forgiven. First it needs to be said that nothing escapes the Master. He always finds out what we are up to. When the master catches wind of what has just transpired, his compassion changes to wrath, his mercy changes to justice, and the wicked servant receives exactly what he deserves.
I am not sure of the full implications of the statement, ’So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.’ If it is to be taken literally, Then I am sure that many of us ought to be doing lots of forgiving.
