Peace

Big Idea of the Message: We are not meant to carry the weight of bitterness and anger, but we can trade them for freedom and peace.

Bitterness

Who here is carrying pain that you should not be carrying;

How many of you are carrying something beyond your control, but yet in your control;

How many of you know what it means to be hurt emotionally;

Bring up v. 21

Have you ever asked the same question that Peter is asking Jesus;

Peter knows that he should forgive, which includes releasing grudges and desire for revenge;

How can we be certain he knows this - let’s look at Matthew 6:14;

Bring up Matthew 6:14

Peter did not forget this instruction, he just wanted limits to this instruction;

Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume Matthew 18:21–35

He thinks it is a great matter to forgive till seven times; he means not seven times a day, as Christ said (Lu. 17:4), but seven times in his life; supposing that if a man had any way abused him seven times, though he were ever so desirous to be reconciled, he might then abandon his society, and have no more to do with him.

It could be assumed that Peter was thinking there has to be a limit on my need to forgive someone that caused me pain, perceived or real;

Would you like a cap on forgiveness to others;

Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume Matthew 18:21–35

There is a proneness in our corrupt nature to stint ourselves in that which is good, and to be afraid of doing too much in religion, particularly of forgiving too much, though we have so much forgiven us.

What if God only forgave you seven times?

Beginning

How does bitterness begin;

Bitterness does not begin as bitterness. It begins with unforgiven pain. “Our lack of forgiveness is why we choose to hold onto bitterness, letting it ripen into full grown resentment. While it looks like we are unable to forgive, sometimes we need to face that we are unwilling” (Anne Peterson, “How to Deal with Bitterness and Resentment,” Christian Bible Studies, March 15, 2019,)

People like to keep score, especially in the area of being wronged;

We, self included, will share more about how we have been hurt rather that how we have been blessed;

Why, my thought is that if we remain focused on the negative Satan is well pleased because we will now grow to where God wants us to be - we become stagnant;

So if you are keeping score you are not living a biblical life period;

Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume Matthew 18:21–35

It does not look well for us to keep count of the offences done against us by our brethren. There is something of ill-nature in scoring up the injuries we forgive, as if we would allow ourselves to be revenged when the measure is full.

The world keeps score and if Christian’s do the same thing then we are no different from the world so how can we be a witness;

Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume Matthew 18:21–35

God keeps an account (Deu. 32:34), because he is the Judge, and vengeance is his; but we must not, lest we be found stepping into his throne. It is necessary to the preservation of peace, both within and without, to pass by injuries, without reckoning how often; to forgive, and forget.

In order to be an Everyday Disciple and Live like Jesus Everyday Life this is and area that must be addresses in our lives, remember what God said “vengeance is mine says the Lord”.

Forgiveness

I want you to think for a moment about the absolute worst thing you ever did in you life;

Did that event cause pain in someone else’s life;

Did that event grieve the Holy Spirit;

Did God forgive you for that event through the blood of Jesus Christ;

As we look at these verses we see that the servant owed his master “ten thousand talents”;

So in modern terms 1 talent equals approximately $200,000 so he owed approximately $2,000,000,000;

Yet because he feel before his master and asked for patience with him that he would repay all that he owed;

So the master went beyond patience and released him from the entire debt;

This absolute forgiveness is an example of what God did for us through Jesus Christ;

Yet notice what this servant does following this forgiveness (v. 28);

From the wording it almost sounds like he purposefully when looking for him because of a debt of one hundred denarii;

So in modern terms 1 denarii equals approximately $8.00 so he owed approximately $800;

Yet he was not shown patience but instead was shown wrath by the one forgiven such a greater debt;

So God has forgiven you a great debt - more than you ever will comprehend - why are you still holding on to grudges against others;

What is God continued to hold you in the why you hold others?

Application Point: Jesus offers us freedom and peace in exchange for the bitterness and anger we experience. Identify a person who has hurt you and set down the baggage of bitterness by beginning to pray for them—or for God to help you to pray for them.