GIVING GRACE
Matthew 18:21-35
INTRODUCTION:
A. Tis the season to be jolly
1. Itfs the season of love, joy, and peace on earth, good will toward men
a. Itfs also the season of long lines, credit cards, traffic jams, and short fuses
b. Many grow depressed or irritable
c. While some are saying, gJesus is the reason for the season,h others are saying, gGET OUT OF MY WAY!h
2. Letfs face it, though, we can get just as irritated other times of the year as well
a. Surely, on more than one occasion, someone has said something to you that rubbed you the wrong made
b. Made a comment that hurt worse than a knife in the back
c. Gave you an icy stare
d. Did something that hoped the worst for the other person
3. Letfs be honest„Ÿwefve all done things that irritated someone else
a. After all, Jesus was perfect and He did things that caused people to dislike Him„Ÿeven hate Him
b. so much so that they wanted to put Him to death„Ÿeven the most tortorous kind of death they knew
c. You and I arenft perfect, so Ifm sure that wefve done something that has rubbed someone the wrong way
ILL> I learned something while we were sitting around the turkey with my family. My oldest brother Jim is kind of like the Apostle Peter in our family. Not because he is a great preacher, even though he has preached a sermon on a few occasions, but because he is the one that seems to speak first and think later.
One time several years ago, Jim and my other brother Dave were walking to high school. A car came up behind them and even swerved into the yard where they were walking and acted like they were going to hit them. My brother Jim got mad and started running after the car. Unfortunately for the driver, he was behind the wheel of a Corvair„Ÿnot a corvette. Corvair were never fast even when they were new, so my brother had no trouble catching up to the car. He then opened the door and grabbed the driver by the collar on his shirt. Thatfs about the time Dave got there and he said the guys eyes were as big as silver dollars. The driver looked at Jim and said, gMan, are you crazy!h
d. Ifm not sure what happened after that, but maybe the guy did learn a well-deserved lesson.
B. But isnft that how we would like to act many times„Ÿinstant justice
1. When somebody does something that wrongs us, we want revenge
a. You may walk on the other side of the room when they are around
b. You may give them icy stares
c. You may ignore them when they try to speak to you
d. You may hold a grudge
e. That grudge may actually grow into hatred.
f. We may even want to see them pay„Ÿget what we feel they deserve
2. How long do you make them pay until you finally get over it?
a. What do they need to do before youfll treat them with respect and love them again as a brother or sister?
b. Do they need to beg your forgiveness?
œ Be publicly humiliated?
œ Suffer some tragedy?
c. When will the score finally be settled?
I> HOW MANY TIMES?
A. That seems to be Peterfs question„Ÿhow far do I have to go in forgiving someone
1. VS 21
2. If someone has offended me, how many times should I be willing to forgive him?
a. Jewish law stated that you should forgive someone three times
b. Well, Peter had been around Jesusf teaching enough to know to go the extra mile
c. So, Peter doubles that amount and even adds one for good measure
d. gUp to seven times?h
3. Peter is probably feeling pretty good about himself
a. He probably thinks that Jesus will be impressed by his willingness to forgive someone 7 times
b. „Ÿbut Jesus is not impressed
c. VS 22 - or 70 times 7
4. Jesus is not saying that you should keep tabs on your mercy and forgive 77 times or even 490 times
a. Hefs saying that there should be no end to your mercy and grace
b. You should always be willing to forgive a brother when you have been offended
c. And herefs the real kicker„Ÿwe should be willing to forgive even when the other person does not ask for it or even deserve it
II> THE CAUSE OF HATRED
A. Wait a minute that doesnft seem fair
1. What about the mean things people have said to me or about me
a. What about my spouse who ran off with someone else?
b. What about the boss who fired me for no reason?
c. What about the teacher who gave me lower grades than I deserved?
d. What about my so-called friend who went around telling everything they know about me?
2. Jesus says, gNow wait a minute. Let me tell you a story!h
a. VS 23-27
3. Somehow the servant had gone to the credit barrel way too many times
a. He owed millions of dollars
b. If he could pay $1000 a day for the next 30 years then he might have his debt payed off
c. But, he didnft make $1000 dollars a day
d. In other words, his debt was far more than he had„Ÿfar more than he could ever hope to repay
4. That servant sounds a lot like you and me before we met Christ, doesnft it?
a. Because of our sin, we had a tremendous debt
b. We were unable to get rid of it
c. Our debt was far greater than we could hope to repay
d. Our pockets are empty and we need millions
e. We donft need a salary, we need a gift
f. Thatfs why God was willing to give us His grace„Ÿa free gift, not deserved or earned, but it was exactly what we needed
g. By going to the cross, Jesus Christ paid the price for our sins
h. He paid a debt He did not owe. I owed a debt I could not pay.
5. God doesnft look at us and say, gYou must pay for thath
a. He paid the price for us
b. Imagine what kind of world it would be if God cut off a foot every time we walked down the wrong road
c. Imagine if God cut out an eyes when we looked twice at something we shouldnft have seen once
d. Imagine if God cut out part of our tongue when we used our mouths for cursing or gossip instead of praise
e. Needless to say wefd all be blind, lame, and mute
f. Arenft you glad that God doesnft treat us that way? Arenft you thankful that God willingly shows us His mercy and grace?
g. Arenft you glad that God is not like us when we say, gYoufll pay for this.h
6. In the story that Jesus tells it is interesting that the servant never asks for mercy
a. Ifll repay everything I owe. Just give me a little time
b. Yet the situation was hopeless. It wasnft going to happen.
c. VS 27„Ÿthe master gave him his grace
d. He forgave his debt completely
e. The only problem is, the servant doesnft live or act like someone that has just been cleared of a multi-million dollar debt
B. VS 28
1. We donft expect this at all
a. Here, this man has just had a debt of millions cancelled and now he is trying tochoke another for a few dollars.
2. VS 29-30
a. Has the debtor thrown into jail„Ÿnot likely that hefll make anything in jail to pay the man back
b. That doesnft make any sense
3. It may be that the servant never really believed that his debt of millions was cancelled
a. Now, this man who owed him a few dollars was a reminder of the debt he had
C. Donft we act just as irrational at times
1. Ifll bet that youfve done a lot more to God than what another has done to you
2. Even though God has forgiven you, you may still hold hard feelings toward another person, carrying a grudge or even hatred
a. If that is so, how are you any different than the servant in this story
3. It may be that you donft really feel that God has forgiven you completely
a. That your sins will never be remembered again as God has said
b. Even though God has said, gYou are forgiven. I have given you my grace.h you may still be holding feelings of guilt for the things youfve done
c. May have trouble believing that God could really forgive you
d. Maybe you canft fully accept that all of your sins are forgiven
e. LUK 7:47
gBut he who has been forgiven little loves little."
ILL> Years ago, the Denver Zoo was offered the gift of a large, beautiful polar bear, but there was no existin room for it. The board of directors decided to set aside funds for a magnificnet habitat for the bear. In the meantime it was put in a small temporary caage. The space was so small that it could only take three steps, turn around and walk three steps back. Because of unforeseen delays, the construction took 3 years. The new home was grand: waterfalls, caves, tremendous open space for the bear to roam. Upon entering its new home, houtgh, the bear stopped, looked around, took three steps in one direction, turned aorund, and took three steps back, continuing to confine himself to the amount of space he had grown so accustomed to.
III> THE CURE FOR HATRED
ILL> Lucado
gWhere the grace of God is missed, bitterness is born. But where the grace of God is embraced, forgiveness flourishes.h
A. The Bible says that feelings of hatred is the same as committing murder
1. We must be willing to forgive
a. Why? Because God has forgiven us
b. He has forgiven a far greater debt than owed to you or I
c. A far greater debt than we could ever pay on our own
B. Here is the key„Ÿstop focusing on what others have done to you and start focusing on what God has done for you.
1. Consider the alternative
a. What happens if you donft forgive
b. bitterness and hatred
c. JOB 21:23&25 (TEV)
gsome men stay healthy till the day they die...others have no happiness at all; they live and die with bitter heartsh
2. Is that the kind of life you want?
a. I donft think so
3. Remember this: You will never be called upon to given someone more grace than what God has already given you.
IV> CONCLUSION:
ILL> During WWI, a German soldier plunged into an out-of-the-way shell hole. There he found a wounded enemy. The fallen soldier was soaked with blook and only minutes from death. Touched by the plighto f the man, the German soldeir offered him water. Through this small kindness a bond was developed. The dying man pointed to his shirt pocket; the German soldier took from it a wallet and removed some family pictures. He held them so the wounded man could gaze at his loved ones one final time. With bullets raging over them and war all around them, these two enemies were, but for a few moments, friends.
What happened in that shell hole? Did all evil cease? Were all wrongs made right? No. What happened was simply this: Two enemies saw each other as humans in need of help. This is forgiveness. Forgiveness begins by rising above the war, looking beyond the uniform, and choosing to see the other, not as a foe or even as a friend, but simply as a fellow fighter longing to make it home safely.
A. We are in this together
1. EPH 6:12
We are in a spiritual battle, and gour struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.h
2. SILENT PRAYER
a. If we are holding a grudge, hard feelings
b. If we need to go to someone and ask forgiveness
