The Churchgoers Guarantee

The Churchgoers Guarantee. THANK MINISTRY

(H) Story from E&G. Ever waited on someone who was waiting on you? - I was going to preach on an attitude of “Until” from Luke 24:49, but felt this was a disservice. Why? Because if we do not work out our offenses with one another we may wait forever while the Lord is waiting on us. Jesus had already taught them to work out their offenses before he told them to wait for the promise! Jesus wants us to work out our personal relationships before we give our “gifts” (see Matthew 5:24)

What did Jesus say about offense? The opportunity to be offended is guaranteed, it is inevitable. However, forgiveness is not guaranteed, that decision is ours.

(B) Luke 17:1 (NASB) Jesus said to his disciples: “It is inevitable that stumbling blocks (offenses) come, but woe to him through whom they come.”

· G4998 Skandalon- stumbling block, obstacle, offense; something that causes sin. Literally a snare trap, specifically the trigger of a trap.

· Offense always leads to sin – unforgiveness. Also translated: Things that cause people to stumble, offenses, temptations to sin. . .

Offense is a trap, and it is the seed of bitterness.

Hebrews 12:14-15 Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. (15) See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no "root of bitterness" springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;

Offense and unforgiveness are very powerful seeds that will grow into the root of bitterness and produce a bitter plant and bitter fruit. If offenses are left undealt with, we will have a big tree with a strong root system that needs uprooted. Deal with offenses while they are just the seed! Discard the seed and do not let the seed be sown into your heart!!

Jesus warned that a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand if we let bitterness grow the Bible says that many will be defiled... Is Satan’s kingdom more united than ours??

***Tonight we will be reading an entire book of the Bible, turn to Leviticus.

Philemon 1-25 Background: Paul is writing this letter from prison in Rome to Philemon. Philemon was a well-to-do Christian who hosted a church in his house. He was most likely from Colossae and he was a convert of Paul’s ministry (v19). He owned a slave named Onesimus who ran away, found Paul, and got saved. In this letter Paul is guiding the two of them to reconciliation and forgiveness.

Philemon was completely justified in the natural to be upset with Onesimus. In fact, under Roman law he could have had Onesimus killed and no one would have thought anything of it. Paul challenges him to receive him as a brother and even greater than this, as he would receive a spiritual father or leader, Paul himself. . .

Christ’s love and forgiveness towards us deem these “justified” offenses unjustified.

Matthew 18:21-35 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?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. (If you debate whether or not this is 77 times or 70 times 7 you have missed the point! We are not supposed to keep track either way this is hyperbole!) “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 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. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 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.’ So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 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. Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

· How many of you have ever repented of the same thing more than once? Were you really sorry? Be sure to give grace to others as the Lord has given grace to us.

· At one point the talent was worth approximately six thousand days work for the average worker. . . 10,000 talents would be roughly 60 million days wages. . . according to Jesus’s math here the first debt was 600,000 times greater. (Most kingdoms at this time would not have even had this much money in circulation amongst their entire economy!) Our debt was so much greater.

In both Philemon’s case and the parable there was a legitimate debt!!!! No one ever had to question the debts legitimacy. . .The second man did owe a debt! Onesimus genuinely owed a debt. Yet if we are still expecting repayment we have not forgiven yet! Remember - I owed a debt I could not pay, he paid a debt that he did not owe.

Matthew 6:14-15 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

(L) Jesus didn’t wait for you to apologize.

Romans 5:8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

(T) The next time you think of someone and desire to judge them based on their past behavior or have a stream of negative thoughts take the time to say aloud that you forgive them. Forgive the debt and it will free them and you.