Sunday, August 01, 2010

Parable of the Unmerciful Servant

Forgiveness - Matt 18:21-35
Riverton Gospel Chapel Pastor Don Brynteson

Mark 4:14 The farmer sows the Word. We are all sowers.
Mark 11:25 forgive so your Father in heaven may forgive you
Mark 2:5 Son your sins are forgiven this is God's Word to as today. God did something at the cross.

1. God forgiving us Matt 18:21-35
Peter asked: Should we forgive 7 times? (3 was considered generous) Jesus said - 77 times. Then he told a parable. the point of the story- we owe a debt to God's judicial system that we can't pay. In the O.T. the Jews were required to make more than 1,000 sacrifices a year of the best of the herd. Jesus is the Lamb of God - God in the flesh - his sacrifice was for us. Without defect. Each animal was accepted by God to atone for each worshipper. Leviticus 4:13 bring a young bull -lots of details about atonement and forgiveness.
Jesus is our priest and our sacrifice. We had a debt we could not pay. Jesus paid. Ps 103:12 as far as the east is from the west so far our sins have been removed. Erased. Gone. Not remembered.
Jesus told the lame man - your sins are forgiven. Heb 8:12 God will forgive when we come to Christ, recognize our sins and identify with Christ. We need to receive his forgiveness and cultivate an ongoing Christian life. I am crucified with Christ and resurrected to live with him. Heb 10:11-14 we are made perfect. If we only sinned once a week for 60 years, we would need to be forgiven more than 3,000 times. Jesus paid it all.

2. We forgive others. Corrie ten Boone was arrested. She managed to smuggle her Bible in to prison. Corrie spoke about forgiveness years later in a church when a former guard came to greet her. She prayed to forgive and God gave her the strength to forgive.
Resentment is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.
Forgive and forget does not work. Satan will keep reminding us. At such times pray, Lord I have chosen to forgive help me forget.

Song: Jesus all for Jesus.

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