Sermon Tone Analysis

Series: The Gospel Truth

Text: Mt 18:21-35; Mt 5:21-24

Introduction: (What?)

Everyone want to be forgiven for wrong doings, but not everyone is willing to forgive those who wrong them.

Jesus spoke specifically about this when Peter raised the question regarding how many times one must forgive someone else.

Understanding forgiveness is important to your spiritual health.

Today we will look at Jesus’ teaching on forgiveness.

Examination: (Why?)

1.

How often should I forgive?

(vv 21-22)

Mt 18:21-22 “Then Peter approached him and asked, “Lord, how many times must I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me?

As many as seven times?” “I tell you, not as many as seven,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven.”

On the heels of Jesus teaching His followers how to restore a Christian brother or sister, Peter wanted to know if there was a limit on forgiveness.

As a matter of fact Peter thought that he was being pretty generous when he asked, “Up to seven times?”

The number 7 was considered to indicate completion.

The teachings of the day stipulated that three was the optimum number of times a person should be forgiven.

The rabbis based their teaching on the fact that in Amos chapter one God forgave Israel’s enemies only 3 times.

They taught that it was unnecessary to forgive anyone more than 3 times.

Jesus’s response blew Peter away.

When He said, “I tell you, not as many as seven, but seventy times seven.”

He was actually saying “an unending number of times”.

There is no limit.

I once heard a message by Christian counselor Henry Cloud about a man who had a bush pilot fly him to several remote locations in Alaska.

The plane was a pontoon plane and always landed on a lake and taxied up to the dock.

The pilot asked the passenger to jump out, stand on the end of the dock and hold a rope so that the plane would not drift.

When the pilot jumped out on the pontoon, the wing of the plane dipped and hit the passenger on the head.

The pilot said, “oh, I’m sorry”.

After this happened several times the passenger realized that no matter how sorry the pilot was, as long as he stood under the wing, the same thing was going to happen.

There are times when, although we forgive someone, we need to distance ourselves from them.

Perhaps seeing the confusion on Peter’s face, Jesus elaborated with a parable.

2. Relationship of Forgiveness and the Kingdom of Heaven.

(vv 23-35)

Mt 18:23-25 “For this reason, the kingdom of heaven can be compared to a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.

When he began to settle accounts, one who owed ten thousand talents was brought before him.

Since he did not have the money to pay it back, his master commanded that he, his wife, his children, and everything he had be sold to pay the debt.

At this, the servant fell facedown before him and said, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you everything.’

Then the master of that servant had compassion, released him, and forgave him the loan.

The servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii.

He grabbed him, started choking him, and said, ‘Pay what you owe!’ At this, his fellow servant fell down and began begging him, ‘Be patient with me and I will pay you back.’

But he wasn’t willing.

Instead he went and threw him into prison until he could pay what owed.

When the other servants saw what had taken place, they were deeply distressed and went and reported to their master everything that had happened.

Then, after he had summoned him, his master said to him, ‘You wicked servant!

I forgave you all that debt because you begged me.

Shouldn’t you also have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’

And because he was angry, his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured until he could pay everything that was owed.

So also my heavenly Father will do to you unless every one of you forgives his brother or sister from your heart.”

In the parable, Jesus gave a practical view of how forgiveness was to operate in the kingdom of heaven.

Often we, like Peter, think that we are being magnanimous if we forgive someone as many as 3 times.

Yet, if we understand what Jesus said, we realize that we fall way short of His standard.

I mentioned in the message last week a quote from Dwight L. Moody.

“There is one sin, one failure, that’s doing more to hold back the power of God in Revival in the lives and hearts of Christians than any other; the sin of an unforgiving spirit.”

Revivals have broken out in local churches when people began to forgive one another.

I heard of one church where two of the leaders in the church had been at odds for years.

At the close of a service where the topic of forgiveness was preached, both had come to the altar during the invitation.

Finally one of the men approached the other, and they talked quietly, then tearfully embraced one another.

It was as if a dam broke.

People began streaming to the altar, repenting of the sin of unforgiveness, and revival broke out in the church.

Henry Blackaby, who wrote the study “Experiencing God” which we will be offering on Sunday evenings beginning in August, tells of preaching on the campus of Howard Payne Uin 1995 when at the end of the service some students came to the platform and publically asked for forgiveness from their fellow students.

Again, as if a dam broke, other students began coming forward, confessing sins and asking for forgiveness.

The revival spread the next weekend to Coggin Ave.

Baptist Church where the morning service lasted 3.5 hours as people came confessing and seeking forgiveness.

We had two HPU students speak at our church in WPB and saw a great response.

3. How does unforgiveness effect your relationship with God? (Mt 5:21-24; 6:14-15)

Harboring an unforgiving spirit can eat you alive.

In Mt 5:21-24 Jesus addressed this issue.

“You have heard that it was said to our ancestors, Do not murder, and whoever murders will be subject to judgment.

But I tell you, everyone who is angry with his brother or sister will be subject to judgment.

Whoever insults his brother or sister, will be subject to the court.

Whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be subject to hellfire.

So if you are offering your gift on the altar, and there you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar.

First go and be reconciled with your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.”

Then in Mt 6:14-15 after He had taught His disciples the LORD’s Prayer, He added.

“For if you forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well.

But if you don’t forgive others, your Father will not forgive your offenses.”

An unforgiving spirit is no small thing.

Your spiritual well-being is at stake.

The longer you withhold forgiveness for someone who has hurt or offended you, the further away from the LORD you will drift.

Your prayers will not be answered because God will not listen to them (Is 59:2; Ps 66:18) The blessings of God will be withheld until you repent.

Someone has said, “We have been sub-normal for so long that when we become normal, people think we are abnormal.”

Don’t make peace with your sin of an unforgiving spirit.

Application: (How should I respond to this message?)

Is there anyone in this church, in your neighborhood, your family or your circle of acquaintances that may have offended you but you’ve never forgiven them?

Take care of it today.

Go to them, explain how you were offended and then forgive them.

You can do it right now if they are here.

Who knows, your act of repentance may lead to revival.

If someone comes to you offering forgiveness, don’t try to defend what they perceived you have done.

Graciously accept their forgiveness.

If you realize today that you have never surrendered your life to Christ, now is the time to remedy that.

In prayer say, “Lord Jesus, I give you my life.”

He will take it and you will have eternal life with Him.