Seventy Times Seven

Seventy times seven

Matthew 18:21-18:35

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant

21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?"

22 Jesus 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. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents 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 "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, cancelled 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 denarii. 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 you 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 greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.

32 "Then the master called the servant in. ’You wicked servant,’ he said, ’I cancelled 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 turned 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 from your heart."

I am sure if most of us gathering here this morning were to put a label on yourselves, it would be that you are a Christian.

Many churches this morning have met and broke bread as we have also done and in many churches this service as advertised as the breaking of bread service or a ‘service of thanks giving’

But what are we thanking God for? Is the main theme of service of thanks giving to thank God for all the material wealth that you have

no it is to thank God for dieing on the cross and forgiving us of our sins.

When we ask God to forgives us from our sins and come into our are heart we get lot more than we ask for

We are brought out of the darkness and into the light, into the family of God we are given so much power through Christ to lay hands on the sick and they will recover

God picks us up and forms us into the people He had made us to be.

God has given us so much power that when the demons see us coming the tremble with fear

This morning ask yourself is there a gap in your armour?

When I was preparing this message I was spending time thinking God what would you have me speak on

Then I came across a song from a group Whiteheart they were a Christian Band from the 90s they sang a song called ‘Seventy times seven’ you can get it on youtube. The song Got me thinking.

God has given us so much power and we throw it all away through unforgivness and bitterness and pride

the devil many times does not have to make us fall we can throw it all away ourselves because someone has done something to us or talked about us.

Our reading this morning tells us that if we don’t forgive others God will not forgive us.

Jesus says it in a number of places:

in Matthew 7:2

For in the same way as you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

in Mark 11:25

And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.’’

Paul says it in Colossians 3:13

Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

James says it in James 2:13

because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!

There are times in our life were we find it very easy to forgive people.

What if someone pulls your heart out jumps all over it and walks away, you are alone hurting you done nothing wrong you have been wronged