Sermon Tone Analysis

Matt. 18:21-35

I heard about a man that went to see his doctor because he was feeling absolutely terrible.

The doctor gave him a careful examination, left the room to look at some tests, came back in with a very somber expression on his face, and said: "Sir, I don't know how to break the news to you, but you have rabies and you're going to die very soon."

The man very calmly got out a piece of paper and began furiously writing.

The doctor said: "What are you doing, making out your will?"

He said: "Oh no, I'm writing out a list of people I'm going to bite."

I'm sure that more than a few of us today have just such a list in the back of our minds in case something like that were to ever happen to us.

I'm sure that there are more than a few hearts here today that have become fertile fields for the root of bitterness.

Perhaps you are sitting there thinking: "So I do have someone I'm angry with.

So I do have someone I have a grudge against.

So there is someone that has done me wrong, and I have never forgiven them.

What business is it of yours?"

Well, I will let Dwight L. Moody answer that question.

He said: "The one sin that is keeping revival from coming to the church, more lost people from being saved, and more of the blessings of God from coming upon His people, is the sin of an unforgiving spirit.

Not every church has a great number of people attending it, and not every church has gigantic budgets.

But there is one thing that ought to be in abundance in every church, and that is the spirit of forgiveness.

Just as airports have metal detectors, I wish churches could develop "grudge detectors" to keep people out of the church who are harboring an unforgiving spirit.

The Lord Jesus had much to say to us about this matter of forgiveness, and it was vitally important to Him.

I. THE PROBLEM FORGIVENESS PRESENTS—V21

A. The Problem That Forgiveness Brings Is Sin.

1.

It Is Sin When Someone Does You Wrong.

B.

Even The Word “Forgiveness” Tells Us How Difficult Forgiveness is.

1.

The Word Literally Means To “Let Go”, Or To “Send Away.”

a. Release Any Bitterness.

b.

Let God Take Care Of The Matter.

2. There Is Only One Cure For The Cancer Of Bitterness.

a.

It Is Forgiveness.

b.

Dr. Archibald Hart, “Giving Up On My Right To Hurt You.”

C. Peter Asks A Question.

1.

How Many Times?

a. Thought He Would Be Super Spiritual.

1) Law Only Obligated Three Times.

b.

Since The Number 7 Denoted Perfection.

1) Peter Thought He Had The Perfect Answer.

II.

THE PARDON FORGIVENESS PROVIDES.

A. Jesus Gives A Stunning Answer—V22

1. Can’t Keep A Scorecard.

a. Law Has Limits—Love Doesn’t.

b.

Law Keeps Count—Love Does Not.

c. Law Keeps Records—Love Does Not.

d.

Law Has A Long Memory—Love Has No Memory.

2. Thinking—I Can’t Forgive Anyone That Many Times.

a. Remind You—This Is Not A Suggestion—It’s A Command.

b.

Your Choice—Not Only Can You Forgive, You Must Forgive.

3. ATTITUDE—“I’m Not Going To Get Mad, I’m Going To Get Even.

a. Ben Franklin—“Doing An Injury Puts You Below Your Enemy; Revenging One Makes You But Even With Him; Forgiving Him Sets You Above Him.”

III.

THE PRINCIPLES FORGIVENESS PROMOTES.

(Jesus Tells A Parable)

A. He Shares Vital Principles To Remember About Forgiveness.

1. V23-25—Forgiveness Is Free, But It’s Not Cheap.

a. Embezzled.

b.

Roughly, $15,000,000.

(1.

No Way To Repay.

c.

The Debt Represents Sin.

1) Sin Is An Unpayable Debt.

2) We Could Never Pay Our Sin Debt That We Owe God.

2. V26-27—Forgiveness Is Not Partial.

a.

The King Turned The Debt Into A Loan And Then Forgave The Loan.

1) The Debtor Owed A Debt He Could Not Pay.

2) The King Paid A Debt He Did Not Owe.

b.

That’s Exactly What Jesus Did On The Cross.

1) He Did Not Forgive Part Of Our Sin, He Forgave All.

1Jn 1:7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

3. V27—Forgiveness Is Final, Not Temporary.

a.

The Slate Was Now Clean For The Debtor.

1) Debt Was Cancelled—The Prisoner Was Released.

2) Nothing Was Left Hanging Over His Head; The Books Were Closed.

b.

Let Me Share Something About Forgiveness.

1) You Will Either Forgive And Forget, Or You Will Forget To Forgive.

2) Forgiveness Is Both An Attitude And An Action.

3) The Attitude Frees The Forgiver, And The Action Frees The Forgiven.

c.

The Point Is—If You Are Going To Forgive Someone—You Must Commit To Do Three Things.

1) Commit That You Will Not Use It Against Them In The Future.

2) Commit That You Won’t Talk To Others About Them.

3) Commit That You Will Not Dwell On It Yourself.

4. V28-33—Forgiveness Experienced Will Become Forgiveness Expressed.

a.

This Man Did Not Offer The Forgiveness He Had Just Received.

b.

This Man Owed Him $15.00.

c. 600,000 Times What This Man Owed The King.

d.

When You Compare Our Sin Debt To God, To Someone Else’s Sin Debt To Us—It’s Like Comparing Mountains To Molehills.