Remembering Grace

Introduction

Open to Matthew 18

While you do…women’s/men’s worship nights

Read passage again, summarize

Forgiveness hits home, because we’ve all been wounded

It feels unfair

Dylann Roof, 2015, racially motivated shooting of 9, Charleston SC

“It hurts me. You hurt a lot of people, but may God forgive you…I forgive you.”

It’s powerful when it happens, but it feels unfair to ask of us

Takes more faith than last week — 77x over, from a brother

Re-read with me v. 31-35

Explanation

Until you will forgive others’ sins, you will sit under God’s judgement.

My discomfort at “tortured”

Isn’t it about non-Christians? (being tortured, not the unforgivable sin)

Actually it’s about Christians (context prior, “your brother,” “fellow servants”)

How to reckon Matthew 6:14-15 w/ the gospel?

The person who continually, willfully withholds forgiveness shows that they have not accepted forgiveness for themselves.

David Platt — “not easy, not natural, but Christian”

The redeemed Christian wants to let the offense go, even when it tears them apart…so, how do we do it?

Mentality shift

Re-read v. 28-30

He won’t forgive him of a smaller offense

We’re supposed to feel disgusted by his response

The reality is that he was well within his rights to demand payment, and to send him to a debtor’s prison

You will never be in a situation where you need to forgive unless you’ve been wronged and treated unfairly

It’s never gonna not hurt to forgive

The way to forgive is not by telling yourself they deserve forgiveness. They don’t!

Until you appreciate how undeserving you were, you’ll always be hung up on how undeserving they are.

My recent struggles with self-pity and unforgiveness

What if they get free? (Was he so urgent because it was about to be a Sabbath year?)

At times, Jesus says forgive if they repent. Other times, Jesus says forgive outright. The difference is similar to Neil’s chart of forgiveness v. reconciliation.

When we have to forgive outright for our own heart’s sake, we can get hung up on whether or not their heart will change. What if they don’t make it up to us?

Replaying your anger is like scratching a rash. Feels good but makes it worse

Sometimes their repentance soothes the pain.

When they can’t make it up to us, what balm can heal this wound?

When they caused trauma that can’t be undone

When they gossiped and ruined a reputation even after the truth came out

When they neglected you and can’t roll back the years

When they passed away without ever apologizing

When they’re still right there, but their repentance doesn’t feel sufficient

Re-read v. 23-27

Have you ever wondered why Jesus chose that number?

Amount is about $3B! (based on minimum wage, maybe closer to $10M)

Second servant owed $5,000 (maybe closer to $15K)

Why the absurd number? 

Could be embezzled funds

Either way, the point is how insurmountable his debt is

Until you realize how un-payable the debt was, you won’t appreciate how undeserved the grace is.

The greatest issue in our unforgiveness is not the pain that others’ sins have brought to our hearts, but our lack of appreciation for the pain that our sins’ brought to God’s heart

We don’t believe, or maybe we forget, how great our debt was

Issue is how we view time

Yes, my debt was paid at 10, but in some ways it’s accruing til my death

You’ve got to realize that you were never gonna pay it off!

When you do, you’ll realize how undeserving you were

When you do that, it won’t matter how undeserving they are

It will still be unfair, but unfair is exactly what grace is

Exhortation

As we turn to communion…

Person not currently feeling wounded

The time to get your heart ready to forgive is not when you’ve been wronged

The time is right now, by being rooted in the gospel

God’s grace to you has to sink down into your heart if you’re gonna draw from those wells to forgive others

Person withholding forgiveness

“Unworthy manner,” and “not recognizing the body” (1 Cor. 11)

At the table, we’re all one family

Don’t treat the poor differently

Not unworthy behavior during the week, but unworthy mentality as you approach

Maybe today, stay seated and pray for a heart change to release others’ debts

Maybe you’re the one needing someone else’s forgiveness…Jesus says as a Christian it’s on you to go and seek their forgiveness and reconciliation (Mt. 5)

[8:45 reconcile with them before you come back to the table next week]

Person who’s not accepted forgiveness

Crazy that this servant thought he could pay it back

Why trying to get right with God to pay the debt doesn’t work

Ref. my prior explanation of the test where you can’t go back to change answers

Different explanation — the interest alone will eat you whole

Doesn’t matter how “right” you get by your own power, your sin nature has built up evils you’ll never undo on your own