08 25 forgiveness matt 18 21-35 final

by Ps Dr Ng Swee Ming

“Forgiveness” Matt 18:21-35

10.25am October 2, 2006

10.25am October 2, 2006

Charles Robert

11.07am October 2, 2006

“forgiveness is ........”

Life Application Series :

FORGIVENESS

Matt 18:21-35

Forgiveness... “something that everyone

needs...

eager to receive...

but very hard to give.”

3 Aspects of Forgiveness 1. FORGIVENESS FROM GOD

Ref Matt 18:21-35 ...

Parable of the “Unforgiving Servant”

Understanding the Servant’s Debt to the King • 10,000 Talents • ‘Talent’ : Measure of weight or money. • 1 ‘Talent’ : 2,000* shekels or 75 – 95 lbs • NT era : The talent generally refers to currency

& was the most valuable unit of currency • 1 Shekel = 4* Denarii • 1 Talent = 8,000 Denarii • 10,000 Talents = 80,000,000 Denarii

NB: (If Weight for Gold) Today’s Gold price = RM $1,366/oz,

1 Talent =1200oz= RM 1,639,000 10,000 Talents = RM16,390,000,000

Understanding the Servant’s Debt to the King

At that time... • 1 denarius = pay for 1 work-day • 80,000,000 denarii / workdays • 80,000,000/365 days a yr = 219,000 yrs • Avg 80 yrs in a lifetime – 2,740 LIFETIMES • CONCLUSION : He owed the King a debt he cannot pay

1. Forgiveness From God Servant’s Debt to the King

• It cannot be repaid

• It can never be repaid

The Servant pleaded for MERCY

The King had compassion & showed GRACE

The Servant received

FORGIVENESS

Grace: getting something we do not deserve

Mercy: not getting something we do deserve.

"Can anyone tell me what you must do before you can obtain forgiveness

of sin?"

“sin!"

Acts 13:38-40

38 "Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.

39 Through him everyone who believes is justified ...

1. Forgiveness From God

Application : • That is a picture of man’s standing

before God • All man are born sinners • We all owe a debt we cannot pay • A Righteous God will have to

judge Sinful man • We ALL need to ask for MERCY



1. Forgiveness From God If we ask for MERCY...... God will extend His Compassion & GRACE because our ‘UNPAYABLE’ DEBT have been paid for by His

Son, Jesus on the Cross of Calvary

The is called SALVATION



As the Parable goes... The 1st servant ‘went and

found out’ another servant Deliberate, purposeful .... Debt - only 100 denarii

Cf v26 & v29 The difference : “No Compassion” or “pity”

Instead he threw his debtor into prison...

the King’s response ...

2. FORGIVING ONE ANOTHER


V21 Peter’s question :

• "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me?

Up to seven times?"

• Peter was being extremely generous...

Jewish authorities : Max 3 times

V22 Jesus answered,

• "I TELL YOU, NOT SEVEN TIMES,

BUT SEVENTY times SEVEN ....

Conclusion : UNLIMITED


Consider Matt 6:12, 14-15 ? 12. Forgive us our debts, as we also

have forgiven our debtors. 14 For if you forgive men when they sin

against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Q: Does it then mean God’s Forgiveness is ‘CONDITIONAL’ ?

Is God’s Forgiveness Conditional ? Answer : NO. Salvation is only by FAITH through GRACE *1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and

just and will forgive us our sins *Rom 10:13 "Everyone who calls on the name of the

Lord will be saved

but only if we forgive others...

but only if he forgives ...

and purify us from all unrighteousness.

.

forgiven to forgive... Our FORGIVENESS of others does not

affect our SALVATION ... BUT it does determine our

RELATIONSHIP with GOD Eph 4:32 “Be kind and compassionate to

one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Col 3:13b “...Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

Luke 7:47 “...he who has been forgiven little loves little”

God’s Love is UNCONDITIONAL, UNLIMITED &

COMPLETE


THIS MORNING . . . you and I are as the 1st servant . . . we have been forgiven much! An UNPAYABLE DEBT ... But, today we need to answer a question:

Who do we have in our “Chamber Of Unforgiveness” right now ? a friend that betrayed a sacred trust . . . abusive parents ... unfaithful spouse ... wayward rebellious child ... devious scheming business partner. . . traumatic incident ... or even a pastor that ‘failed’ you . . .


And on & on I could go . . . . Even as I speak .... You can see them there right now. “THE INCIDENT” you can still see –

even feel – or hear ... The hurt – the pain – the anger .... Names & Faces of people that we

have placed – in the ‘chamber of unforgiveness’ in our hearts

It’s still there .... It will not go away ....

2. FORGIVING ONE ANOTHER In your mind / heart you’ll say . . . . “Pastor ... to forgive ? You don’t know what they said ! You don’t know what they did ! You don’t know the hurt – the pain

– the sorrow – the anguish ....”

“Yes you are right ... I do not know... I cannot understand... I’m unable even to begin to

comprehend... BUT ....


This I can tell you with full confidence... God alone fully understands... God was there when “it” happened... God knows exactly what you went

through... Jesus experienced all that you went

through ... and more... much more ... physical pain, emotional –

betrayal, abandonment ...

We are Forgiven to Forgive ... It’s your choice ...

3 ASPECTS OF FORGIVENESS Easiest to ask GOD FOR FORGIVENESS Harder to FORGIVE ONE ANOTHER – in releasing forgiveness or asking for forgiveness Hardest for many of us, is in...

FORGIVING OURSELVES

From what ?

Sins we have committed in the past...

Sins we are still struggling with at present...

3. FORGIVING OURSELVES

WHY is it so ?

• We know ...

‘our conscience bearing witness’

• No hiding...

• No escape ...

• List of sins ...

3. FORGIVING OURSELVES Why must we FORGIVE OURSELVES ?

1. GOD's WILL & PURPOSE In our single act of CONFESSING our sins and INVITING HIM into our heart as Savior, Lord & Master ... • God Forgave Us • God Accepted Us • God sealed us with His Holy Spirit • God called us His Children • God declares that we are WORTHY God has forgiven us, We need to forgive yourself !

Why must we FORGIVE OURSELVES ?

2. SATAN's PLOY Ref 2 Cor 2:10-11

“If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven — if there was anything to forgive — I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.”

Why is it important to forgive ? Satan is the “accuser of the brethren” (Rev 12:10) If we do not forgive – Satan will be rejoicing

Need to Forgive One Another & Also to Forgiving Ourselves

Why must we FORGIVE OURSELVES ? 3. OUR GOOD Physical, Emotional & Spiritual Unforgiveness breeds anxiety – anger - hatred -

bitterness ...... Ref Heb 12:15 See to it that no one misses the

grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

*Effects on HR, BP, Appetite, Sleep, Work... Quote : Karl Menninger, the famed psychiatrist:

“If I can convince patients in psychiatric hospitals that their sins were forgiven, 75% of them could walk out the next day!”

Why must we FORGIVE OURSELVES ?

4. HIS MINISTRY We are Called to • Love One Another • Accept One Another • Encourage One Another etc If we cannot even love, accept, encourage ourselves – how then can we minister His Love, His Acceptance, His Encouragement to others ?

5 Keys to Forgiveness

1. Cannot give what we have not received

2. Have compassion for all

3. Allow God to heal the wounds

4. Choose to forgive and be set free

5. Stop “pulling the string”

“stop pulling the string”

The Way Forward: 1. Acknowledge our need for

forgiveness

2. Believe that God has done it all

3. Choose to have it all –

FORGIVENESS & FREEDOM

Is It POSSIBLE ?

October 2, 2006 forgiveness is... • ‘giving up a grudge’ • ‘giving up my right

to revenge...’

Calvary & Forgiveness Calvary’s Cross ...

most powerful symbol of

• God’s love for man

• God’s mercy & grace to man

• God’s forgiveness of man

Forgiveness is only possible because of Calvary.

Eph 1:3-10 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

Eph 1:3-10 cont.

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace ... to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.

Heb 9:22b

“... without the shedding of blood there is no

forgiveness.”

Heb 10:19-25 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. ...

Matt 26:26-29 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body." Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins....”

What do I write... Names of people you choose this day to

forgive.... Events that have happened in the past that

you choose to forgive esp yourself... Anything that the Lord thru His Holy Spirit

reminds you of – release forgiveness to yourself, people you know or even strangers – choose forgiveness and be free.

• Please treat this with a sense of reverence and awe.

• There will be no steward to usher you today. Only when you are ready, come forward to receive the Holy Communion.

• If you have written something on the paper, then crumble the paper and throw it into the wastepaper basket before receiving Holy Communion.

• No paper to throw, it’s OK – still come forward for the Holy Communion.

Desmond Tutu :

Without forgiveness there is no freedom, no hope, no healing, no future.

Unforgiveness is like drinking rat poison and expecting the rat to die

Unforgiveness is like allowing the person to live rent free in

your mind all the time !

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."