Welcome friend, to our program of Bible study In Search of the Lord's Way. Have you ever had to say, "Oh, pardon me," or "forgive me, I'm sorry, I was mistaken about that?" If not, you're definitely a member of a very small, envied segment of humanity. Even so, we all must know how to return the favor, don’t you think? That's our study today --Forgiveness.
Thank you! Thank you, friend, for inviting us into your home today by means of your radio or TV set. We're grateful. 2008 is hard upon us. If you travel much, as I do, you're accustomed to finding a Bible in the top drawer of the night stand in your hotel room when you check in. Well, according to a TV news report about a month ago, it is no more. Someone complained that it was a Bible, not a Koran, the Muslim holy book. So, it has to be removed! Warning: Americans: Christians: Our freedoms are vanishing! Right before our eyes. If that's an indication of what's ahead, we'd better be reading the Bible while we still have a right to do it! We'd like to encourage you and help you by giving you a free daily Bible reading schedule. By our plan, this little plan, you can read the Old Testament through once and the New Testament through twice in the year 2008. If you'd like one of our 2008 Bible reading program guides, get your pen and paper ready and I'll give you our address at the close of our program.
Now, let me introduce our study by relating a story. It's about a man who, in an attempt to establish his own business, went to an associate of his for the loan of a large sum of money. And he obtained it. When the time agreed upon for the repayment came, the business hadn't done so well. In fact, it hadn't even done poorly, and the borrower found himself absolutely unable to pay it --any of it. With the accrued interest, by this time the amount had grown to something like twelve million dollars. Now I have to confess to you that that’s a sum that boggles my mind. I'm not accustomed to talking about sums of money that big. However, I'm told that some such transactions --and even much larger ones-- transpire in the business world every day. Well anyway, what were they to do? Well, the lender could get an attorney and sue. But if the borrower didn't have the money to pay, what good would that do? Oh, he might get a judgment against him, but would it be worth the expense and hassle of a court battle? After much pleading from the borrower, the lender was moved with compassion and simply cancelled the debt --marked it "paid in full." Oh me! That's almost unbelievable. And, it would be unbelievable, had it not been --well, we'll see in a minute.
During the time of the operation of the business, some people had been slow in payment of some of their accounts. So, the forgiven borrower went out to collect that money that was owed him. He came upon a man who owed him, I believe it was something like seventeen dollars. Well, that's nothing at all like twelve million dollars, but this man couldn't pay even that little sum. He tried to appease his creditor; he pleaded with him; he promised to pay if given just a few days, but our friend mercilessly took him to court and had him punished for non payment. When the report of what he'd done reached the ears of his creditor, that man was furious! And he pursued every legal action he had against him and had him punished to the very limit.
Well, if you read your Bible very much at all, you recognize that as a story told by Jesus as it's recorded in Matthew 18, verses 23 35. It's only been given a modern setting. Our message today will be based on Jesus' parable. After Ken Helterbrand leads us in singing, I'll be back to read the passage and we'll pray together. We'll call our message simply, "Forgiveness."
We’re reading today from Matthew the 18th chapter. The apostle Peter had asked the Lord if he was to forgive seven times a person that had sinned against him and the Lord said no, but I say to you seventy times. And then he spoke this parable. “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 he 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 pay 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 his 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 the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.” We’ve read to the end. Now let us pray. Holy Father we are thankful to you for your teaching through Jesus Christ our Lord and through the revelation of it in your word. We pray your blessings upon us as we study this very vital subject of forgiving one another and living a life of forgiveness. In the lovely name of Jesus we pray your blessings on us. Amen.
The story I told earlier and the passage we read together from God's word teach us that, despite being forgiven a debt of sin so enormous it blows our minds to try to grasp it, we are often unwilling to forgive someone else the smallest offense. It also stresses the impossibility of entering the kingdom of heaven without doing it.
One of the reasons Jesus is recognized as the "Master Teacher," is because He spoke the truth and truth is so relevant. I mean He talked about, not some hypothetical supposition, but realities, things living people like you and I, then and now, experience in life really. And some of His teachings are so personal that they offend some people. So, He's called "a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense" in Isaiah chapter 8 verse 14. Moreover, Jesus is direct with His teaching. He goes right to the point that he has to make.
Who hasn't had a problem with forgiving other people? In a long ministry, I've witnessed at the grave side, one of their parents perhaps, some family member weren't speaking to one another. I remember at one funeral, we were all held in the grip of anxiety throughout it. The deceased's wife warned us before hand. She was bringing a gun and threatened to kill her departed husband's sister if the sister said or did something wrong. I don't remember now what that "something" was.
That's the way it is with such animosities. After they are passed from generation to generation to generation no one can remember what the fuss started over. They only know that they're not supposed to speak or to have anything to do with certain cousins or distant relatives somewhere. It might have started over some little childhood incident that, carried over into adulthood, evolved into something really serious. It became a point of honor. Very often both parties consider it a threat to their self esteem to even talk about forgiveness and reconciliation, so the fight goes on.
It may have begun with a conflict between the parents and the children during their turbulent adolescent years and neither can forgive or forget so they live life alienated for no reason at all. Mothers and fathers sometimes just cannot forget the rebelliousness of a teenaged son or daughter that brought embarrassment to the family at the time. Sons and daughters, married now with children of their own, still resent what they considered the stringent rules by which they had to live at home. (However, they look with great pride on the finished product of their parents. The ones they "raised.") Anyway, the resentment lives on. They live miles apart for years just across town. These are intelligent people, too. Maybe educated, successful in business and respected in the community, but they're doing makes absolutely –that make no sense at all. I've never known a mature adult who wouldn't admit mistakes during his "growing up" years; have you? Some of them are so petty and some of them are very serious, too. And I've never met a mother and father who wouldn't confess to being less than perfect parents; have you? But, mother and father or son or daughter make a terrible mistake if they don't forgive. Then they have to come to the grave side estranged. What a tragedy! What a needless tragedy that is! Instead of loving thoughts and fond memories, only rancor and resentment and bitterness.
There is no perfect husband –there is no perfect wife. You've heard it said, "Love is blind," but someone observed that "Marriage is an eye opener." Well indeed it may be, it takes a lot, a lot of forgiveness to make a marriage work. Really now, a marriage won't work without it, friend. Some married couples keep piling up offenses on offenses until they've made impassable mountains out of what began as mere mole hills. Why harbor thoughts about shortcomings and weaknesses, when there must be some virtue, some good in the one you married that could fill your mind and your heart and your life, --else, maybe you're the one at fault.
Christians have disagreements, too. We expect more of Christians than that, but after all Christians are people. And in this same chapter from which we read awhile ago (verse 7) Jesus said, "Offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!" James says if any of us doesn't offend others with our tongue, we're perfect, and I don't know very many perfect people, do you? But, what are Christians to do about those offenses? Oh, I think we all know, don't we. Ephesians 4:32 says it so well and we know that verse: "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you." Obviously, there are some misunderstandings and misconceptions about forgiveness that need to be clarified.
First of all, among them, as you well know if you've ever tried it, a forgiving spirit is not a sign of weakness. If you've refused to forgive someone because you thought it would indicate a weakness on your part, you need to rethink that one. The truth is just the opposite: it takes a big person with strong character to forgive another.
Secondly, forgiving a person doesn't mean giving consent or approval to the evil that he did to offend you. No, not at all. Of course not. Whoever came up with that idea was completely off beat. You've not considered your principles or your convictions by forgiving those who have trespassed against you. But, you have shown you are big enough to let it all pass into oblivion.
Closely akin to that is the myth that if a person forgives another of some offense, he acknowledges that he himself was in error. Well, that idea had to originate with the devil himself. It appeals to our pride and pride is probably the greatest roadblock we have to our forgiving other people. And being forgiven doesn't hallow or make the deed right. Forgiveness doesn't change an evil deed into a good one.
There are instances in which both parties "the Martins and the Coys" sincerely feel they are in the right. And both of them feel strongly that they are the aggrieved party. Of course they are. So they've come to an impasse unless they can forgive. But wait a minute. Just you wait a minute now. We have our pride, you know. And the battle rages on. Sometimes it ends in killing, or in other violent behavior. More generally, just hatred, bitterness, pouting, ill will. What a life! What a sorry, sorry way to live, friend!
Some people have sought the forgiveness of a person they'd wronged, but couldn't receive it. Perhaps you've experienced that and you don't understand it. The Holy Spirit asks, "What man knows the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him?" (I Corinthians. 2:11). It must be obvious then that we can't know all the reasons people won't forgive evils that are done to them.
As with all my messages, I'm appealing for and expecting a response. I'm going to get some mail or some telephone calls telling of the reconciliation of some people who have been estranged position for years and years. I speak on this matter in anticipation of making a difference in someone's life, perhaps that someone will be you friend. It just could be that you've been thinking about it a long time anyway, and you'll go now to someone, apologize for something, ask his or her forgiveness and maybe you will come away disappointed or unforgiven. Well, you've been a bit hesitant to go until now because of that, and you were pretty sure that would be the result. But, let me ask you to think about this idea of "instant forgiveness."
You see, you've been thinking about doing it this long time and you suddenly go and ask someone who is angry with you anyway, who is certainly not expecting you, and he doesn’t have all the time that you've had to think about doing it, getting hold of yourself, and planning your speech and all of that, to just instantly forgive you as you come home feeling great! He can't or he doesn't do it instantly. The Lord said to forgive as we've been forgiven, but instantly?
I had it happen to me once. Like a bolt of lightening out of a clear blue sky, in the middle of the morning while I was buried in work, an angry lady called me on the telephone. She didn't apologize, she just said, "I called to get your forgiveness. You can't refuse it, because Jesus commands you to do it." Well, --well, I –well anyway, I was totally taken by surprise, I don't know exactly what I said. I don't remember saying anything. I guess I just stood there with the phone in my hand because she told some other people she asked for my forgiveness and I refused it. She really didn't know. I said it was all over in less than 15 seconds, but I think maybe it was no more than 10 seconds. Instant forgiveness? No. Let’s pray. Father, help us, by giving us the strength of character and help us to develop that quality of character that we can be forgiving as we go along lifes way. In the lovely name of Christ we ask for it, Amen.
The parable with which we began this message followed a conversation between Jesus and His disciples. And in it we’ll read these words. "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, take with you one or two also, that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you as a heathen or as a tax collector" (Matthew 18 verses 15 to 17). "Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times? Jesus saith to him, I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven".
Well, there is so much violence and bitterness and hatred in the world, we simply must find a better way to live with each other, don’t we. Well, I'm recommending the Lord's way. He says, "Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from among you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you" (Ephesians 4:31-32).
Forgiveness isn't a way to look at and admire as a way of life --as we do an expensive piece of art maybe-- but it’s something that we must do. By doing it, we'll personally reap the rewards of the best way to live that man has ever known. And by doing it, one by one, we'll be able to lead the world into a better way.
One of the beautiful things about following God and doing the Lord's will is that, it not only is the best for this life, it holds out even a better life in the world to come. I can't understand why people want to live any other way. Are you a Christian, my friend? If not, why not? Put your trusting faith in Jesus Christ today. Turn from your sin in repentance right now. And obey him in baptism for the forgiveness of your sins just as you’re taught in Acts chapter 2 verse 38; Acts 22:16 and other places.
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We plan to be back next week if nothing hinders at this very same time. And we hope you will, too. Meanwhile tell some other people. Your friends, maybe the church where you attend. Tell them about the program and the blessings you derive from it and how it has blessed your life. And maybe some of them will hear the gospel, believe it and obey it. God bless you now. We love you.
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