Part 4 Absurd Forgiveness (&Grace)

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Matthew 18:21–35 ESV

21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. 23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

Within the Series “MY BEST LIFE” / We have been discovering what it looks like in a socity that wants to tell us what a great life should and would look like i am grateful today for Gods word which clearly marks out, lays out what MY BEST LIFE is. And that life is centered amidst some important themes as seen in the bible:

Week 1: Total Surrender

Week 2: Radical Obedience

Week 3: Unusual Contentment

….

Now week 4: “Absurd Forgiveness”

I wrestled with the title this week a little and tried to use another word to descrive this kind of forgiveness. But i had to keep coming back to it because its true to the core of what the meaning of Gods forgiveness is to you.

Forgiveness is to the Christian like food is to the body. its a nourishment that is needed, its necessary and its vital for survival. For it all to work we have to have a revelation of his grace which is expressed through the forgiveness of sins and now has been given as a mantle of Christ like responsibility to us as believeers.

BUT HERE IS WHERE WE ARE:

We live in an era of CHEAP GRACE and RARE TRUE FORGIVENESS.

Two phrases that seem to be almost impossible to say:

phrase number 1: “I am sorry”

phrase number 2: “I forgive you”

Everyone wants to be let off but no one wants to give up their individual right to “be themselves” and “ill do me” and the SPIRIT of the AGE IS

DONT TELL ME IM WRONG. I DONT NEED YOUR FORGIVENESS. I DONT NEED TO SAY SORRY. But dont try to penalize me for that….. Thats our 2025 WORLD.

This is why Church is so important: it keeps your heart soft and close to what the trith of the word is and what the will of God is which is to be a person forgiven, who now will FORGIVE.

It all lies as a matter of the HEART Joel 2:13 “13 and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.”

QUICK PASTORAL NOTE

**forgiveness & forgetting is a hard thing and just a word of pastoral care i guess. Im not for a moment saying that we need to be turning a blind eye on any kind of hurtful abuse or harm or wrongdoing. If theres been hard done we dont want that to ever continue. so this message. Forgiveness isnt forgetting the wrong, its remembering the cross.

True forgiveness neever minimizes sin. It just magnifies the cross over all

1.FORGIVENESS IS AT THE HEART OF GODS CHARACTER.

(God can forgive, God wants to forgive… God does forgive).

1 John 1:9 ESV

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

See Jesus is trying to help us understand this is Gods will - that you and i - repent and come into the grace thats been made available.

Notice the way he talks about the start of this story:

Matthew 18:23 “23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants.”

Isaiah 1 ESV

10 Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom! Give ear to the teaching of our God, you people of Gomorrah! 11 “What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the Lord; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats. 12 “When you come to appear before me, who has required of you this trampling of my courts? 13 Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations— I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly. 14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates; they have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them. 15 When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood. 16 Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, 17 learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause. 18 “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. 19 If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; 20 but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be eaten by the sword; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

There are far too many people in St Augustine today who simply believe a lie: that God doesnt WANT TO forgive them. That he WONT Forgive them. Nothing could be further from the truth

What is revealed in the word is clear: God is a forgiving God.

who wishes that all would come to repentance.

This is why the church of the Lord Jesus is so vital in the community: its because we are called to be WALKING BILLBOARDS of GODS FORGIVENESS.

“i used to be a rotten scoundrel of a sinner… a total pagan a wretch. But guess what: I was forgiven. im set free. My God my saviour has ransomed me”

Why dont we talk more like that?

2.GODS STANDARD OF FORGIVENESS ISN’T SHORT ACCOUNTS, ITS NO ACCOUNTS.

Ephesians 4:32 ESV

32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Matthew 18:23 ESV

23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants.

Matthew 18:27 ESV

27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt.

Imagine that.

No account.

What a day for this man. I mean think about it - you talk about the score of all scores, the deal of all deals.

Life isnt sold off… people arent

We dont hear what he says in reaction but if i could take some creative licence here i know what my reaction would be.

Id be like “are you serious. all of it? just like that? that quick? that simple? thats absurd?

3.FORGIVEN PEOPLE FORGIVE.

AND THOSE THAT DO… GO ON INTO THEIR BEST LIFE.

(hurt people hurt)

(sinners sin)…

But a person who truly has discovered GRACE, will always forgive not even quickly. But immediately. Its not a question of if. Its now. Its immediately.

How do i stay close to grace? it says that something happened to the forgiven servant right after he was given the RELEASE OF A LIFETIME /

Watch this:

Matthew 18:26–28 “26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’”

THAT SERVANT WENT OUT.

Out where? to the store, to another country.

I think this is the point: when we GO OUT OF GODS presence. We run the risk of missing an opportunity to show someone the grace that we so closely have just receieved from the Lord ourselves. Dont leave Gods presence for very long. A great way to stay close to grace is to stay in church, stay in the word and stay around others doing the same. and its a miracle what happens. We find ourselves WANTING to display the grace given to us, to someone else.

WE WANT TO BREATHE OUT WHAT WE HAVE ALREADY BREATHED IN.

**someone who finds it hard to forgive FULLY has simply stepped away from GRACE in a way where the awareness has been lost even for a second. There are many people (myself included) who have forgiven partially but now hold the position… well because you did that, ill forgive you but i wont LET YOU FORGET IT. Thats not the same forgiveness that JESUS has shown us in his life death and ressurection. Forgiveness doesnt work if its only half poured out. Its all or nothing with GOD.

I am never more Christ like than when i forgive FREELY and FULLY.

Freedeom Recieved, Freedom expressed.

Jesus when he was on the cross. He was beaten, He was

Ephesians 1:7 “7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,”