Unmerciful Servant
Notes
Transcript
23 “Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him.
24 In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars.
25 He couldn’t pay, so his master ordered that he be sold—along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned—to pay the debt.
26 “But the man fell down before his master and begged him, ‘Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.’
27 Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt.
End of story! – not…
28 “But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment.
· How quickly man forgets the good God has done for him.
29 “His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it,’ he pleaded.
· Friend repeated same words
30 But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full.
· Hypocrite – unthankful, greedy, unmerciful
31 “When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened.
· Public exposure of his private expression
32 Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me.
· Recall! Can penalty be reinstated?
· Can someone be required to pay back what was already forgiven?
· USA – forgivable stimulus loan. But the borrower can be penalized if procedures are not followed.
33 Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’
Answer = YES!
Go and sin more. GO and do likewise.
LOOK at the CROSS = PERSPECTIVE
The Cross Makes Forgiving Easy!
34 Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt.
· eternity
35 “That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.”
· Audience: church
· Worship service Vs lip service
· But I’m forgiven!
Other applications
Other applications
Parallel verses:
Let God’s Mercy Flow Through You
Let God’s Mercy Flow Through You
Flow down Vs SLOW down – or stop…
Lord’s prayer – forgive us our debts (trespasses) AS we forgive those who have sinned against us (70x7).
12 and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
13 And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.
14 “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you.
15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Temptation – to retaliate
Unforgiveness Cancels Prayer
Unforgiveness Cancels Prayer
25 But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.”
Call to Action: Forgive OTHER as Jesus Forgave YOU!
Call to Action: Forgive OTHER as Jesus Forgave YOU!
FORGIVE Other’s Debt
· They don’t “owe” me anything! – an apology, $, etc
· I cancel their debt
Prayer of forgiveness
Prayer of forgiveness
Even though it hurts:
· Family – ex spouse, parents, siblings, kids who don’t call
· work, - mean boss, lazy co-workers, ungrateful employees
· church, - betrayal, sheep stealing
· neighbors, - trespass, gossip
· voters – for ungodliness
uproot bitterness
repeat as necessary –
70x7 – use your mustard seed faith! Stare at the Cross until it becomes easy
Freedom!
Freedom!
Now your love for God will shinethrough
Now your faith will break through