Key Scriptures: Matthew 18:21-35
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
“But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’ “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.
“Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
.
Theme: As the people of God—we are marked by forgiveness
.
Lesson One: We forgive because we have been forgiven.
• The goal of the Christian life is not just to have Christ leave a mark on us—but to become imitators of Christ
Ephesians 4:32, Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Matthew 18:32-33, “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’
.
Lesson Two: Our motivation to forgive is not simply personal freedom—but gospel alignment.
• Because we have been given the ministry of reconciliation—there will be a movement towards reconciliation
2 Corinthians 5:18-19, All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.
.
Lesson Three: When it comes to forgiveness, it’s always your move.
• Whether you are the one who owes the debt, or the one to whom the debt is owed—it’s your move
Matthew 5:23-24, Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.
Matthew 18:32-33, “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’
.
Lesson Four: Forgiveness is a promise before it’s a feeling.
• If you wait to feel like forgiving someone—you likely never will
Forgiveness is a promise
I’m not going to continue to bring this up to you
• I’m not going to keep holding this against you anymore
I’m not going to continue to bring this up to other people
• I’m not going to rally other in alignment around my argument anymore
I’m not going to continue to bring this up to myself
• I’m not going to allow the enemy to have his way in my thoughts anymore