WALKING WITH JESUS: Pursuing Permeating Peace

 Pursuing Permeating Peace Matthew 18:21-35 There is this element of us that we want to keep. Christianity is about giving something up, giving so much up in fact that we’re more like someone else than our former selves. But this one thing we want to keep. We want our judgment over others who’ve wronged us - but today we’ll learn that in paring our lives with Jesus we’re denied that injustice against grace. And today being communion, we’re reminded how paired we are with Jesus as we symbolically drink his blood and eat his flesh we become so joined with Him we ingest Him - and so, today will be a hard day to say (I’m joined to Christ, and to Deny His Commands) today Jesus becomes a) More clearly Lord b) Good advice that we don't follow Jesus tells a story that swings like a hammer. The blow of it is like cold steel to the gut and I want to read it this morning. I recently read it in a devotional style and I was struck as though I read it for the first time, it’s Matthew 18:21–35, over the next few weeks, I want to follow around Jesus example of Christian living. I think so often we get confused between the New and Old Testament(s), we feel like God is different between the two - rather I feel that we see human obedience against the holiness of God in the old, and theology that displays the character of God in the New. And so, in a carefully choreographed balance between the two we find a view that gives us a grace steeped picture in Christ - God’s Character and our Obedience. As we prepare to study a book from the Old Testament together (Jonah), I hope to lay out in the coming weeks a few key New Testament text that work to strike that balance of a grace steep picture of God’s character and our Obedience in Jesus who now lives in us who are redeemed, before we dive into Jonah. This morning is Communion Sunday - and so as we study these things, lets allow the harmony of God’s grace to come along side our desire for obedience to all that He’s called us to in Christian living, and be encouraged that communion is our regular reminder of all that we’re called into, Lives Paired With Christ’s Own. Matthew 18:21 The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant 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?” Lets get located in scripture. In Matthew 17 we have this amazing story called the Transfiguration where Peter who’s talking to Jesus here, stood as they were on a mountain top alone with Jesus (Peter, James, and John) and Jesus’ face started to shine bright, and His clothing became white (quite a trick for a desert living nomad) and Moses and Elijah step onto the scene (now they’re dead Moses and Elijah) Peter knows who he's looking at. These characters are so incredibly central to Judaism they’re representative of the Law in the Prophets - Luke 9:31 shows what they were talking about: Luke 9:30–31 (ESV) 30 And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, 31 Who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Peter wanted to hang out here and ask questions of Moses, Elijah, and Jesus and suggests so, and a voice from the cloud (spoiler alert this is God making Himself known) says to Peter essentially - stop talking, start listening, my son Jesus is paramount over all that you know - now learn from him. They’re terrified and Jesus touches and calms them, and says walk with me, He tells them about the Power of Elijah coming in John Baptist which was largely unrecognized. They keep walking and Jesus heals a demon, Jesus talks again about His own coming death and ultimate resurrection - and Jesus pays His temple tax with money from a fish’s mouth - you see they’re starting to see the plan of God and His power playing through Jesus in whom they saw God was pleased and had elevated over all they knew previously in the law and prophets… this is powerful revelation. The disciples decide now is a good time to determine once and for all what is the order of precedence among them - Jesus encourages them to be humble, and be dependent like a child; maybe they don’t know it, but He’s living that out before them, humility and child-like dependence on God. And it’s this humble dependence we’ll look to today as we learn to pair our own lives with Jesus’. Back to Matthew 18 where Peter asked, Jesus should we forgive 7 times, is that the number. Peter is looking for a rule, or some easy clarity and. Matthew 18:22–35 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. Don’t do the math, and come to a new answer, follow the trajectory Jesus’ point is greater than a simple rule that once you’ve forgiven 77 times that simply it - and the forgiveness train has run aground. Then you have to wonder, is that cumulative per person, is that per incident, and if someone reconciles after 76 times, then walks back into the same offense, are they done now or is that #1 because the counter started over. Jesus is passing to us a principle that He enacts for us then lives out in us, as we live as breathing representations of the church the Kingdom on earth - hear and now. 23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. The Kingdom of Heaven - I LOVE Jesus usage of that, here. Because it points to a truth that moves me, the kingdom of heaven is as much there and then as it is here and now. I want to say that again: The kingdom of heaven is as much there and then as it is here and now And so, the kingdom of heaven, here and now is compared to and king who wished to settle accounts with his servants - and incase you’re not following the players here let me help, you’re not the king, you’re one of the servants - you have to determine which one, each and every day. And this is what his me like a hammer, because this is pairing our lives with Jesus, this is why we take communion to be reminded not simply that our lives are redeemed by Jesus blood, but that they’re now lived for Jesus’ love - the rejoining of people to their God and buying their forgiveness at great high cost celebrated by the church lived out in His Kingdom Jesus paints that in the story of the King and servants and you’re SUPPOSED to find yourself in this story, so lets go: Matthew 18:24–27 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. The servant had a debt; he couldn’t pay it. This was known, it’s not that he could work harder - rather that the king had mercy and grace and called him debtless though that wasn’t true. Church I want us to see that. You’re either debtless because of God’s grace this morning, or greatly indebted, but standing before a God who wait on you to see and desire His grace - Find yourself, who are you? The hard truth is, if you’re found in debt to God this morning meaning your life doesn’t live up to His Holy perfect character - you’re in debt, but God stands ready for you to see your debt and cry out. If you’re in debt, God doesn’t desire for you to offer others forgiveness and to pretend not to harbor grudges against people, he desire your heart broken before him, so that it can be rejoined to him: Then you pair your life to Jesus. If you’re forgiven of your debt, if you’re made free - now that Christ lives in you, you’re to be ready to forgive others, you're to let grudges go, that’s your daily concentration - that’s a life paired to Jesus’ own. If you need to talk about salvation; I don't want you to leave today without doing that. If you need to be baptized which is step 2 after being redeemed by Jesus - I don’t want you to leave today without talking about that - this is why we live and breathe, Church. Find yourself in this story so that you can pair your life to Jesus’ and today communion will be meaningful: Matthew 18:28–29 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.’ Are you seeing the picture Jesus is painting here? Do you see it? Do you see it when you’re angry with other believers for their actions - God forgave yours, what made you so important? I’m not saying be a doormat, nor is God requiring that. In fact, we’re given devices to reconcile those things in Matthew 18 conveniently located juuuuuuuuuuust before this, the mechanism for working issues out among believers (and not a bad approach with unbelievers - deal head on and full of grace) however, in a sinful world things aren’t black and white, there is loooooots of gray, but we lives as people in whom Christ’s purposes live, and Jesus was here to seek and save, to find redemption. He suffered for it, He stepped down from glory for it, He made himself nothing for it when He was everything, …And so maybe we sacrifice some pride some times, church it’s a daily conscience decision. Matthew 18:30–31 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. People who knew the debt forgiven of this guy by the king said, what the actual heck, and they reported my man. Church, if your life was on display every trifling, grimy, no good, back handed motive you ever acted on was a museum exhibit that people could walk through and know you inside and out, next time you get angry with someone, if people passed through our exhibit - would they say yeah your mad and you have every right to be or are they ready to call the king and say, ‘really this guy/gal is angry. Church, it’s a daily decision: Matthew 18:32–35 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.” Guys I cannot make this passage go away, and that last part, verse 35, it stings a little bit. It weighs heavily on me. Lets read Jesus’ words slowly, together: Matthew 18:35 (ESV) 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.” Does that concern you? I think we have opportunities to forgive EVERY SINGLE DAY. I think this passage is located here in the story for two VERY specific reasons: 1) Jesus Is God demonstrated through transfiguration, God saying be quiet and listen to my son stop trying to hang out with Moses and Elijah, and they’d see Jesus’ power in miracles. 2) It comes JUUUUUUUUST after Jesus discourse on seeking forgiveness in the church. The one place forgiveness should be easy, a center full of forgiven sinners - but and you’ll be superbly amazed by this: Sometimes even other believers yes even me, will hurt you. And church it’s our supreme duty and pleasure to gladly have Christ’s life joined to ours, as we live out His forgiveness for the disinterested and unwilling - because we want to magnify and make real the glory, and grace, and forgiveness of God. It’s hard to magnify those things except by talking about them, but in the face of opportunities to reflect Jesus’ own motives, we should shine church. Lets shine, in forgiveness. Lets shine, in grace. Lets give up our judgment over others. Our right to hold over their heads all the wrong they've done in us, and lets be joined to Christ as we freely, lovingly and willingly forgive as a daily lifestyle. Oh church - you’ll need help with this, and were going to see that in Jonah, but we’re encouraged by these Old Testament books in our obedience to a God who we see as loving, caring, graceful in our New Covenant view, we see it dimly now - but soon Church it’ll all be so clear, lets trust like faithful children, lets look to God as father for truth over inventing an I can’t see you so you can’t see me kind of truth, let’s forgive as those joined to Christ. And so do we realize that Jesus is: a) More clearly Lord b) Good advice that we don’t follow Daily Decision WALKING WITH JESUS - MATTHEW Pursuing Permeating Peace Pastor John Weathersby Transcend Church 6 of 6 Sunday 7/2/2017