Unmerciful Servant
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Parables
The Ungrateful Servant
Intro:
Well good morning Church and welcome. It is good to see you all here as we continue our studies on the parables. Jesus used the parables to teach spiritual lessons all the while hiding the meaning so that people would have to seek out the answer. It is no different with today’s parable, which is all about forgiveness. If you would go ahead and turn over to : Read
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Video (signs of Forgiveness) Power comes from forgiveness. The softening of your heart, the letting go of hate and anger. The freedom that is found in forgiveness is immense. To forgive is to bring forgiveness to yourself. That is what this week’s parable is all about, forgiveness. Not only the necessity of it, but also the freeing nature that it brings in our hearts and the danger of not letting it go. This parable begins in matt 18:23
I. Forgiveness
A. The debit is owed – vs 23 - 25
1. In the story it is a great debt
2. Could not repay
3. There is a price to pay
B. We also owe a debt –
1. It is a great debt
2. Caused by sin
3. There is a price to pay
a. Not only the body death
b. Spiritual death in hell
4. Hell is for real
a.
b. Description of hell
a. Wailing/nashing of teeth
b.
c. Not PC to talk about in Church anymore
a. But it is important
b. People need to understand the cost
c. must understand the debt
C. Grace in Forgiveness – vs 26-27
1. Repentance breeds forgiveness
a. Fell to His face
b. Truly sought out compassion
c.
2. God’s wants us to repent
a. Turn away from our sin
b. Daily act
c. Daily choice
d. Deciding whether or not eat junk
a. Or whether to go walking
3. God delights in repentance
a.
b. So turn today
4. Receive forgiveness
a. Lord forgave his debts
b. He no longer owed
c. We also have forgiveness
i. There is hope for us
ii. Jesus is our hope
iii.
II. Forgiveness has a price
A. What did this servant do? – vs 28-30
1. Used the same words
2. However the servant had no compassion
a. Learned nothing from His forgiveness
b. Goes back to original question
i. vs 21
B. Forgive because you have been
1. Don’t take it for granted
2. Instead embrace forgiveness
a.
3. How can we be the light without it
4. Forgiveness costs forgiveness
C. Easier to say forgiven or be healed -
1.
2. Forgiveness is about healing
3. It is about showing the world love
a. Through Grace
b. Forgiveness never has to be earned
i. but it is owed
ii.
c. Cannot ever be given too much
i. vs 22
ii. God has forgiven us
III. Forgiveness prevents hardness – vs 31-35
A. His heart hardened
1. Did not appreciate what was given
2. Spit in the face of the Lord
3. Did not learn anything
B. Debt was reinstated
1. Must be careful
a.
b. Prevent this in forgiveness
c. And encourage one another
2. See to it that your heart remains compassionate
a. Easy in this world to get sanicle
b. Lots of evil we want justice for
c. Yet each man can be forgiven
3. Forgiveness come from God
a. Because I was forgiven
b. Because I have been shown grace
c. Anyone can be forgiven
C. Practice Forgiveness
1. It doesn’t come easy
2. But it gets easier
a. Understand where ours comes from
b. It is Spirit that give us power
c. Forgive the unforgiveable
d.
3. If God can forgiven that
a. We can forgive
b. It will take off the weight
c. Forgiveness is as much for me
Conclusion:
Let me finish with this story. I remember the first time I had my rights read to me. I was a SSgt in the Air Force, working as a Security Forces member, which is the police in the Air Force. One night during an exercise I pulled up on a young airman who was napping a bit in his car. I came up beside him and gently shook him awake. I thought nothing of it and told him not to sleep. There were some words exchanged, but again I thought nothing of it.
Well that morning as I come off shift, I was pulled into an interrogation room and read my rights and told I was being charged with assault. My heart sank, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing or how I could possibly be being charged with that. After a brief Q & A session, I went back to my boss and explained what happened.
It didn’t take long to get to the truth, I was reprimanded for shaking the young airman, but I was so angry at him. He could have easily ruined my career, my family and my life. I could have ended up in prison. I held onto that anger for so long, it weighed me down and tore at my heart for probably 5 years. It was when I came back to the Lord, when I rededicated my life to Christ that I had to forgive this young man. Not for his sake, but for mine. I was so hard hearted, but when I forgave him all of that was gone, I let it all go and gave it to God.
You see forgiveness is such a powerful thing in our lives. It is the easiest thing to receive and the hardest to give out. But if we just remember the story of the unforgiving servant, what we realize is that when we truly have an understanding of what I have been forgiven of, it is easy for me to use that toward others. It is not only necessary but freeing from the hurt in my own heart. The only way to heal from a hurt in life is to forgive. And what we find in forgiveness is that the prison it truly frees is me!
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