Sermon Tone Analysis

Have you ever been hurt by anyone?

Intro

Intro

I could take you to the gym where I could show you the place I was threatenedHave you ever been hurt by anyone?

· Recap:

Recap:

Nature of parables

o Nature of parables

I know, it is a silly question.

If you have lived very long, you have had someone who has hurt you.

They have lied, they have disappointed you, they have intentionally done things to hurt you.

The Bible is

First two weeks – God scattering His Kingdom and seeking the lost

o First two weeks – God scattering His Kingdom and seeking the lost

o Last two weeks – Our response to the message of the Kingdom

Last two weeks – Our response to the message of the Kingdom

o This Week & Next – Living out the Kingdom lifestyle

This Week & Next – Living out the Kingdom lifestyle

We have all been hurt, so how does the Bible tell us we are supposed to handle that?

Final Week – The judgment of the King

o Final Week – The judgment of the King

As we will see over the next few weeks, God makes one thing painfully clear: we are called to forgive those who have hurt us.

This morning, I want us to see an especially crucial aspect of Kingdom living: the issue of forgiveness when wronged.

· This morning, I want us to see an especially crucial aspect of Kingdom living: the issue of forgiveness when wronged.

This is, quite possibly, one of the most difficult things you will be called to do as a believer.

We are going to take time to talk more about what forgiveness does and doesn’t mean in the weeks ahead, but I want us to start this morning with a clear understanding.

We are going to be starting our look at forgiveness by surveying a passage in .

Jesus has been telling parables, which are earthly stories that illustrate a spiritual reality.

This morning’s story has three main characters: a king and two different servants.

From this story, we are going to see that you are called to forgive because you have been forgiven.

As a side note, there is a saying in preaching: “Milk lots of cows, but churn your own butter” – I milked several cows to get the content for this message…

· “Milk lots of cows, but churn your own butter” – I milked several cows to get the content for this message…

· Let’s look at , starting with verse 21…

Let’s look at , starting with verse 21…

· I’m pretty sure that, as soon as I started, someone in this room immediately said in their heart, “Oh, I don’t need to hear this again.”

Would you promise me that you will agree with God, and that you will respond to what He tells you through this?

I’m pretty sure that, as soon as I started, someone in this room immediately said in their heart, “Oh, I don’t need to hear this again.”

Would you promise me that you will agree with God, and that you will respond to what He tells you through this?

· You may be confronted this morning with something ugly from your past that you thought you had forgotten about and were over—would you allow God to show you if there is any unforgiveness in your heart?

You may be confronted this morning with something ugly from your past that you thought you had forgotten about and were over—would you allow God to show you if there is any unforgiveness in your heart?

· Let’s stop and pray before we go any farther…

Let’s stop and pray before we go any farther…

· Although the moral is pretty clear, it is always important to look at the context of the story to get a clear picture.

Although the moral is pretty clear, it is always important to look at the context of the story to get a clear picture.

o Vv 21-22 – “Peter was being generous here, for the traditional Rabbinic teaching was that an offended person needed to forgive a brother only three times.”[i]

v 21-22 – “Peter was being generous here, for the traditional Rabbinic teaching was that an offended person needed to forgive a brother only three times.”[i]

o Jesus’ response would have floored him, and the picture He outlines is crystal clear.

Jesus’ response would have floored him, and the picture He outlines is crystal clear.

· I want you to see this morning that we must forgive freely, even when it is costly.

I want you to see this morning that we forgive because we have been forgiven.

God’s forgiveness forms the foundation for our forgiving others, so let’s see what this story shows us.

· Let’s look at this in greater detail:

1) God forgives most.

I) Forgiveness Is Costly

- For the one giving the forgiveness, forgiveness is very costly.

The master had called his servants together to settle his accounts with them.

Did you see just how deeply this servant had gotten into the hole?

Look back at verse 24.

Let’s try to put some numbers to this.

A talent was likely between 58-80 lbs of gold, so you’re talking 580,000-800,000 lbs of gold.

At the close of the market on Friday, that would have equaled out to at least $11,179,152,000.

- For the master in the story, it cost 10,000 talents.

A talent was likely between 58-80 lbs of gold, so you’re talking 580,000-800,000 lbs of gold.

At the close of the market on Friday, that would have equaled out to at least $11,179,152,000.

For some perspective, according to Forbes.com,

there are only 138 people in the world worth that much money.

In comparison, the other slave owed the first slave 100 denarii.

A denarius is a day’s wage, so in today’s figures would have been about $6000.

- In comparison, the other slave owed the first slave 100 denarii.

A denarius is a day’s wage, so in today’s figures would have been about $6000.

I want to be clear here, though: $6000 isn’t an insignificant amount.

The second slave certainly owed a lot of money to the first, but it was insignificant when you compare it to the amount of money the first owed their master.

The master forgave a greater debt than this man could have paid back in lifetimes worth of work.

You and I have to understand that we owed a sin debt to God that we could never repay.

No matter how good you think you are, you have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.

Let’s think about what the Bible describes as sin.

When you look at what is classified as sin in the Bible, you see that it is anything that displeases God or goes against his will.

The most obvious form of sin is doing bad things.

However, it is also sin when we don’t do good things that we are supposed to do.

Not only that, but we find Jesus telling us that sin starts in the heart and mind, so our thoughts and intentions can be sinful as well, even if we don’t act on them!

When I look at sin that way, I see that my life is full of sin.

I have sinned and I continue to sin, and yet God, in his mercy and his grace, offers forgiveness!

Isn’t this what God has done for us?

- Isn’t this what God has done for us?

If you have come to Christ and trusted in his death, burial, and resurrection, then it is!

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

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"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

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How complete is that cleansing?

How complete is that cleansing?

- How complete is that cleansing?

"When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross."

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"When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross."

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He erased our debt!

It is gone; it is paid.

If you have come to Christ, then God has completely forgiven everything you owed.

- He cancelled our debt.

He cancelled our debt.

Well, but couldn’t it come back up again?

"As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us." ()