“Forgive Us...”
The King and His Kingdom
OKAY – let’s do this...
NOW - I want to start off our time this morning by reading several passages of Scripture...
AND UNDERSTAND MGCC – there is no better way for us to begin our time of study this or any morning for that matter than by reading God’s Word.
The first passage is found Matthew chapter 16.
NOW - in this chapter we find Jesus affirming His identity, UNDERSTAND - Jesus wants both His guys and us to know that... He is not just a great teacher or prophet...
He is the Christ (the Messiah) the Son of the Living God...
AND MGCC – it is upon the rock of who He is, and what He accomplished that Jesus will build His church and that the gates of hell will not prevail against her.
AND THEN – right after getting that identity thing squared away... we read the following...
From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. – Matthew 16:21
NOW - the next passage is about 1 ½ years later.
It’s Thursday Night... Jesus has just celebrated the Passover with His guys in the Upper Room.
AND AFTER – washing the disciples feet and celebrating the Lord’s Supper.
They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to His disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” He took Peter, James and John along with Him, and He began to be deeply distressed and troubled. “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” He said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.”
Going a little farther, He fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from Him. “Abba, Father,” He said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from Me. Yet not what I will, but what You will.” – Mark 14:32-36
QUESTION – what is ‘this cup’ that Jesus is referring too? UNDERSTAND - several times in the Old Testament we read of nations that were being judged by God, having to drink from the cup of His wrath... and we read in Revelation of God’s enemies (the beast and Babylon the great) having to drink the cup of God’s wrath.
NOW – the cup that Jesus is referring to in Mark 14 is the cup of God’s wrath and Judgement of sin, and Jesus did not want to drink it...
QUESTION - why do you think that was?
LIKE – was Jesus afraid of what He was able to suffer?
NOW – I am convinced that what He dreaded most was the nails or the cross but having God the Father turn His back on Him.
Sin = separation from the Father, first time ever.
AND WHILE – in that garden, Jesus is arrested and put through a mock trial before the High Priest and the Sanhedrin and a bunch of other religious cronies, who eventually take Jesus to Pilate, to be executed.
Then Pilate took Jesus and had Him flogged. The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on His head. They clothed him in a purple robe and went up to Him again and again, saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!” And they slapped Him in the face.
Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews gathered there, “Look, I am bringing Him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against Him.” When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!” As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw Him, they shouted, “Crucify! Crucify!”
Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.
Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. - John 19:1,6,16-18,28-30
One more passage, this one is from Isaiah chapter 53...
It is a prophecy about what Jesus suffered for us, written 700 years before God the Son on flesh.
He was despised and rejected— a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on Him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care. Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed Him down. And we thought His troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for His own sins! But He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the sins of us all. – Isaiah 53:3-6
Prayer
OKAY – so we are in this verse by verse study of the Gospel of Matthew...
NOW – currently we are doing a deep dive into the most famous prayer in the world.
A prayer, that Jesus unveiled in His Kingdom Manifesto aka ‘the Sermon on the Mount.’
A prayer, that Jesus-followers have been praying for 2000 years.
A prayer, that if rightly: understood, prayed and lived out has the power to change everything!
NOW - so far we have looked at the first 32 words
AND – this morning (11/13/2022) we are going to kick off a 2 week study on the next 12 words...
and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
MGCC - I think… no, let me rephrase that… Without a doubt the most difficult challenge that you will ever face as you strive to live out the Kingdom life…
IS WHEN - somebody hurts you, when they do you wrong, or when they do wrong to those you love.
AND UNDERSTAND B/S - forgiveness is not just some sidebar or footnote of Christianity.
LIKE - it’s not just one app in the app store. Or a pretty cool topic that we should get around to whenever we have the time.
INSTEAD
Forgiveness and the dispensing of grace is the operating system for Christianity.
LIKE – it’s the basis for the whole deal that you and I are a part of. YEAH - forgiveness is what makes the rest of it run. AND MGCC - forgiveness is the heartbeat and life blood of the Kingdom that we are a part of.
HEY – checkout this quote from a guy named Brian Zahand from his book, ‘Radical Forgiveness.’
To follow Jesus as a disciple is to become a practitioner of radical forgiveness. Conventional forgiveness, easy forgiveness, reasonable forgiveness is what most rationally minded people are willing to engage in.
Christ’s followers are called to radical forgiveness, unreasonable forgiveness, reckless forgiveness, endless forgiveness, seemingly impossible forgiveness. The expectations regarding forgiveness that Jesus places upon his disciples are among the most demanding aspects of Christian discipleship, but these demands must not be ignored. [END Q]
AGAIN – forgiveness really is the operating system of the kingdom. AND LISTEN – if it gets corrupted the entire thing shuts down.
AND YEAH – I get it, I know that forgiveness… opposes the way our world operates, that it kicks against our natural instincts, and IS so very uncomfortable to look at closely…
YET - it’s still something we have to deal with…
BUT – at the same time it’s hard to deal with…
BECAUSE – there is real: hurt/pain/wrong/out there…
AND THEREFORE – the last thing that I want to do is stand up here (not knowing your story, not knowing that hurt and pain you went through),
AND ACT - like forgiveness is an easy thing to do… OR EXPECT - that in our conversation the next two weeks that everything will be worked out…
HOWEVER – however… what I do want to do…
IS TO - open up your heart and mind to the incredible opportunity that forgiveness is.
UNDERSTND MGCC – forgiveness is recognizing, THAT…
God is good,
The Gospel is that true, and that
The amazing grace which surrounds us is not only abundant, but freeing.
LISTEN – what I am trying to say is that forgiveness (or as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13, not keeping a record of wrongs) is not some burden that God has placed on us…
BUT RATHER - a gift, an opportunity, that Our Father gives us, to choose a direction that will make us more like Jesus and that will pour grace into a world that is so hell-bent for revenge and getting even.
SO MGCC – are you ready to dive into these 12 words from Jesus’ prayer...
and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. – Matthew 6:12
NOW – I think that it is pretty significant that these 12 words are the only part of the Lord’s Prayer, that Jesus gives additional commentary on, just one verse later...
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. – Matthew 6:14,15
forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses
QUESTION...
Are you feeling a little uncomfortable, right now?
I mean like, are you beginning to think, that praying this prayer may not be such a good idea?
Q - what if Jesus was serious when He spoke these words?
Just like what if Jesus was serious when in His Kingdom Manifesto He told us: to turn the other check, to go the second mile, to always tell the truth and keep our word, to love our enemies, to be a peacemaker, to be pure in heart and to show mercy... and that to even ‘lust’ after someone who is not your spouse is sin.
QUESTION...
IF - Jesus was serious when He spoke these things,
THEN - why don’t we take Him more seriously.
“Compare Jesus’ teaching to a quick survey of how Christians live, and one thing becomes apparent: we often ignore much of what He says.” – Skye Jethani (What If Jesus Was Serious>)
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors... For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. – Matthew 6:12,14,15
NOW – the way I want to attack this conversation.
Is by unpacking a few terms (debt, trespass and forgive), and by answering 4 questions...
Why should we ask God to forgive our debt?
When does God forgive our debts?
Why should we forgive our debtors?
How do we forgive our debtors?
AND – just a heads up, answering questions #3 and #4 will be the focus of next week’s conversation...
Prayer palms open...
Because there may not be a more important conversation that we could ever have than God forgiving us and us forgiving others..
Terms
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. – Matthew 6:14,15
Trespass
UNDERSTAND B/S – God (the Maker of Heaven and Earth, The Sovereign King of the Universe, the One who has all authority) has recorded for us in His Word how we are to live.
He has told us... ‘Hey, you are not to do certain things, you are not to...
to lie, to gossip, to hold a grudge, to slander, to steal, to hate, to lust, to commit sexual immorality... etc...
AND – He has told us... ‘Hey, there are certain things that I want you to do...
to love one another
to forgive those who hurt you
to.. etc
AND LISTEN – when we choose (And yes, there is intentionality) when we choose to cross over that line we have trespassed against God.
UNDERSTAND B/S - whenever we do this, we are saying,
“Yes, I know that God says I must ‘not do this,’ or that
‘I must do this’...
“Yes, I know what God wants, but I am going to cross that line anyway...
BUT UNDERSTAND B/S – whenever we/you cross the line that God has drawn you have trespassed against God and you now owe God a debt.
OKAY – so that is what it means to trespass against God, but what does it mean to trespass against another person?
UNDERSTAND – God has set boundaries in how we are to behave in our relationships.
LIKE – there are things we are to do, and not do, in regard to other people...
AND WHEN - choose to step over those boundaries we have trespassed against them.
Does that make sense?
QUESTION – so, who gets to decide what a trespass is against another person?
AGAIN – God is the one who decides and sets the boundaries for what we are supposed to do, and not do, in regard to our relationships with other people.
AND LISTEN – this is really important for us to understand, because here is how, many in our society define a trespass.
Anything that you do that offends me is a trespass.
If I feel offended that = a trespass.
AND TODAY – if you speak biblical truth: about subjects like:
life in the womb, about sexuality
OR - if you have a different point of view on some issue many people see that as an offense.
OKAY – here is what I am trying to say... and I am not sure I am saying it well enough.
MGCC – here is how you can determine if you trespassed against another person...
Have you violated God’s Word, His commands in relation to another person? If you have not you have not trespassed against them no matter how loud they scream or kick their feet.
One more thing about trespassing against someone...
Not all boundaries that God sets up in our relationships are the same... Sure some boundaries are the same...
But some are specific to certain relationships.
For example:
Husbands are to love their wives as Christ loves the church... they are not told to love everyone in that way or to that degree.
If family members do not take care of each other they have denied the faith and are worse than an unbeliever
Debt
Opheilema – to owe a debt.
UNDERSTAND - when we trespass against God we violated His Holiness, and we owe Him a debt.
AND LISTEN – the debt that we owe God us a debt that we can never pay on our own...
IN FACT – Jesus in Matthew 18 told parable to illustrate this very thing... the truth about the unpayable debt.
The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. And since he could was not able to pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and to repay the debt. – Matthew 18:23-25
NOW - I want to talk about the size of that debt for a minute. UNDERSTAND - before “talent” meant skill, it meant money. It represented the largest unit of accounting in the Greek currency – 10,000 denarius.
AND – a denarius was equal to one days wage. Multiply your daily wage by 10,000, and you discover the value of a talent.
OKAY – let’s assume that you earn $50,000 a year and you annually work 260 days, you make about $192 a day. A talent in your case is valued at 10,000 times $192 or $1,920,000
THEREFORE - 10,000 talents = 19.2 billion dollars
QUESTION – if you worked 365 days a year at your daily rate of $192 per day... do you know how long it would take for you to repay 19.2 billion?
273,972 years
QUESTION – what is JESUS trying to say by choosing such a large number in this story…?
THAT – this guy owes a huge/massive debt, ONE - that he will never been able to repay…
NOW – let’s hit the pause button for a moment
UNDERSTAND MGCC - this is really a story about the human race.
IN FACT…
This is my story and it’s your story.
Jesus says there is a king, there is a God, who is extremely generous (full of mercy and grace), and who is also painstakingly just.
AND – everyone of us have accumulated a mountain of unpayable debt.
AND MGCC – we add to that debt all of the time by our sins of ‘commission’ and ‘omission’…
UNDERSTAND
Any time we are less than honest.
Anytime we twist the truth to make ourselves look better
Every time we are unloving with our kids
Any time we’re unkind to our spouse/disrespectful to our parents
Every time we speak reckless words that hurt someone
Every time that we knew the right thing to do, (like – share our faith, give our tithe, care for the needy…etc)
but we don’t do it.
Every time we gossip, slander and tear others down with our tongue
Every selfish act, every racist joke,
every sexually impure thought or deed
every judgmental attitude, every malicious act
UNDERSTAND MGCC – all of those things are adding to this massive un-payable debt.
BOTTOM LINE – we all stand before Almighty God with our sins piled up like a mountain. And this mountain is so tall we can’t get over, it’s so wide we can’t get a round and it’s so deep that we cannot get under it.
AND SO - Matthew 18 just begins with this reminder—that we all owe this huge debt to God…
Forgive
Aphiemi
Apo = implies separation
Hiemi = to put in motion,
An action that leads to separation
The image underlying aphiemi is that of releasing a prison or letting go, as of a debt
At this 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. – Matthew 18:26,27
UNDERSTAND – if we want to know what forgiveness is, we can look at how God deals with repentant sinners...
He turns away His wrath and anger
He removes our guilt and shame
He reconciles us to Himself
Questions
Why should be ask God for forgiveness?
Because of what sin does
Sin separates us from God
Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear. – Isaiah 59:1,2
Sin makes us an object of God’s wrath
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
– Ephesians 2:1-3
Because our debt is unpayable
19.2 billion
273,000 years
MGCC
There is only one thing that can pay for our debt of sin
For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. – 1 Peter 1:18,19
Because God loves to forgive us
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—
Grace = getting the opposite of what we deserve
even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—
and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
– Ephesians 2:4-9
When does God forgive our debts?
A Jesus-follower
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
– 1 John 1:9
Sin = hamartia = to miss the mark
Confess = homologeo = to say the same thing, to agree with
Lord, I agree that what I did is wrong, that it is a sin.
And it is something that I should not do again.
Understand, to confess our sins without any intention of changing our behavior is not biblical confession.
QUESTION – are there any trespasses that you have committed to God that you need to confess?
When does God forgive our debts?
An unbeliever
According to Scripture...
When they hear the Word
Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. – Romans 10:17
When they believe
For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. – John 3:16
Q - What do they need to believe?
When they repent and are baptized
When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. – Acts 2:37-41
Why should be ask God for forgiveness?
Because of what sin does
Sin separates us from God
Sin makes us an object of God’s wrath
Because the debt we owe is unpayable
Because God loves to forgive us
When does God forgive our debts?
When a Jesus-follower confesses
When an unbeliever
hears the Word
believes
repents and are baptized
