Sunday September 13, 2020
Welcome I invite you to read our scriptures this week in Isaiah 38:15-20 and Romans 14:1-12.
The message this week we find in Matthew18:21-35.
The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?”
22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. 25 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.
26 “The servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.
29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’
30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.
32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”
I believe God led me to this passage in scripture because of a recent event that happened while I was golfing with my family.
There were five of us golfing from the Tee box which is normally a maximum of four. But it seemed there were few playing that morning .So I probably deserved the tongue lashing I received from the golfers behind us. We had offered the golfers behind us to go in front of us several times, but they seem to decline. Upon reaching the 18th hole, the two golfers behind us decided not to wait for us to finish and while passing by me, informed me of the golfing protocol in a rather angry voice. I apologized for slow play. Then with an angry and agitated look they moved on. Then as we were headed toward the club house one of the angry golfers was leaving in his vehicle and flipped me the bird. In response I smiled and waved. On later contemplation and prayer, I began to search the scriptures for guidance on dealing with those with hostile hearts. So, the message this week is…
Do you have a HOSTILE HEART?
Years ago, scientists identified two types of human behavior: Type A, in a hurry, impatient, often angry; and Type B, laidback, calm, slow to anger. Physicians found Type A people much more likely to suffer heart attacks. But only much later did researchers come up with a theory as to why this is so. Dr. Redford Williams and his associates at Duke University believe it is the hostility alone that damages the heart. He writes: “It isn’t the impatience, the ambition or the work drive, it’s the ANGER! It sends your blood pressure skyrocketing. It provokes your body to create unhealthy chemicals. For hostile people, anger is a poison.” In other words, the hostile heart kills.
Jesus told a parable about a man whose hostile heart killed his relationship with his king.
In our reading this morning, from Matthew 18:23-35. A king called in his servants to settle accounts. They were probably governors of his provinces. One owed the king 10,000 talents. In Jesus’ day, a king’s annual income was only 900 talents, so we quickly see the debt is an amount impossible to pay. In today’s currency it was $10 million. Not because the servant deserved it, but because the king was the king and was merciful, he forgave the servant the entire debt. Not part of it, but all of it, no strings attached. The forgiven servant had no sooner left the throne room than he encountered a fellow servant who owed him 100 denarii, about $20, 1/150,000 of the amount the Big Debtor owed the king. Though the Little Debtor likewise asked for mercy, the forgiven servant would not forgive and had him put in prison. Naturally when the king heard what the Big Debtor had done to the Little Debtor, he had the cruel man turned over to the jailers to be tortured. The Big Debtor’s unforgiving heart had ruined his reconciled relationship with the king.
This parable is not a “go thou and do likewise” like the Good Samaritan. This parable is a warning, “don’t let this happen to you.” Be sure your reconciled, privileged, forgiven status with God is not damaged by your unwillingness to forgive. This parable teaches us two things. (1) Christians should and can live in a forgiving spirit , (2) because we live in a forgiven relationship with God.
I. We can live in a forgiving spirit.
All human beings are in debt to God. We are the Big Debtors, $10 million debtors. We owe God for our lives, the air we breathe, the lungs with which to breathe it. We owe God for the world, everything. Most of all we owe God for our salvation through Christ, the forgiveness of our sins, our rescue from eternal death. We cannot possibly repay God.
So, when we ask, “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors….”as Jesus taught us to pray. God, forgives, all who believe. We are $10 million winners!
It’s out of this forgiven state, that we forgive. It isn’t that God doesn’t want to forgive us if we don’t. But if we don’t forgive, it is an indication that we have not fully accepted God’s magnificent forgiveness and the relationship of gratitude and strength that goes with it. By living in a forgiving spirit.
Because we’re $10 million winners, we can forgive ourselves, forgive others, forgive life, even when it’s unfair. We can forgive ourselves. Of course, we cannot execute our own forgiveness for moral and spiritual transgressions or pull ourselves out of the state of sin. Only God can do that. But we can forgive ourselves our failures and begin again.
Sometimes we fail in our ambitions. Many of us expect to complete our education, hold a certain kind of job, be in an ideal family situation. But it doesn’t always work out as we expected. We make bad choices, unintended mistakes. We are disappointed in ourselves and feel we don’t measure up. We blame ourselves when the years get away, and we suddenly realize we will not be president of the company, a TV star, a mother or a husband. But because we’re God’s $10 million winners, we can forgive our $20 debt to ourselves. Compared to all God has forgiven us, nothing is too big for us to forgive. We can let go of self-doubt, pick ourselves up and move on.
According to Webster’s Dictionary, to forgive is to “give up resentment and our claim to requital.”
Consider this. A man told a friend about his romantic woes. He said, “I asked my girlfriend to forgive and forget. She said “I’ll meet your half-way. I won’t forgive you, but I will forget you.” Refusing to forgive is our decision. But I’ve never heard a troubled person say, “I’m sorry I forgave him or her.” “I regret I am not still carrying around that resentment.” Not every relationship should be restored. Battered spouses and abused children must be rescued and freed. But forgiveness is essential for real freedom.
No type of forgiveness is easy. We may have to begin by praying God will give us even the desire to begin. Remember we’re $10 million winners. By the mercy of God, we live in a forgiven state. So, no matter how seriously another has injured us, it is a $20 debt by comparison, and we can forgive. So we can forgive ourselves, others, and we can forgive life when it is unfair.
There’s a story about a theatre usher who noticed a man, about one-third of the way down the theatre who was draped over two seats. He approached and said, “Mister, you’ll have to straighten up, you’re taking up two seats, and you just paid for one ticket.” No response. The usher summoned the manager. The manager said, “Sir, you’ll have to straighten up. You just bought one ticket, and you’re taking up two seats.” The man made no move. “Sir,” said the manager, “If you don’t straighten up, I’m going to have to call the police.” He didn’t, so he did. Police officer, manager, usher approached the man. “Look, Buddy,” said the officer. “You’re in a lot of trouble here. Where did you come from anyway?” To which the man moaned, “The balcony.”
Sometimes we’ve been hurt, and no one seems to care. We go through denial, anger, suffering, but finally we realize this pain does not define who we are. Life may have handed us divorce, job loss, abuse, bankruptcy, and we suffer. But this is not all there is to us. We can let God heal the wound, incorporate the scars and go on because we are $10 million winners. Forgiven, we can forgive life its hurts.
II. Christians can live in a forgiving spirit because we live in a forgiven relationship with God.
We forgive out of the overflow of forgiveness we have received, but the first step is to ask for and receive that $10 million forgiveness. Accepting God’s forgiveness is to receive the greatest gift in the world because only God can forgive without a trace.
In the comic strip “For Better or For Worse,” teenage Michael shoves his little sister Lizzie out of his room and slams the door. “I said get out of my room and stay out.” But the slamming door catches Lizzie’s finger and she is injured. In the next frame Lizzie, Michael and their mother are in the Emergency Room where Lizzie’s broken finger is x-rayed and set. Leaving the hospital, a contrite Michael says to the tearful Lizzie, “I’m sorry Lizzie.” “It’s o.k..,” she answers brightly, “My finger won’t hurt forever.” “I know,” responds the brother, but he thinks to himself, “Your finger won’t hurt forever, but my memory will.”
He had been forgiven, but the memory of hurting his sister was indelibly stamped on his heart.
Dear friends, only God can forgive without a trace. (1 John 1:9) John declares, “If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Isaiah promises: “Thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back” (38:17). Jesus said to his disciples, “This is my blood of the covenant which is poured out for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:28). Results of sin in the world remain, but in God’s eyes, it is as though we had never sinned. The guilt is gone. Our sin is blotted out of God’s sight forever, to be remembered against us no more.
Do you want to replace your hostile heart with a forgiving heart? Then let’s ask God to forgive us and go out from here to live and forgive like the $10 million winners we are!
In His Service,
Pastor Joe
Listen To Audio: Service Sept13
Listen To Audio: Sermon 20200913
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Pastor Joe will be available at the church on Thursday afternoon from 2 to 4. If you need to speak to him, contact Pastor Joe at 570-267-4570 (cell) or email: joetravis@live.com
The Loose change offering today goes to General Fund.
Sunday School begins at 8:30 – please join us! Weekly notes about the upcoming lesson will appear on your email.
Men’s Action Group Wednesday, Sept. 16 at 8:00am
Session meets Tuesday, September, 22 at 10:00am.
A box is placed at the entrance and will be moved to the exit door for cards to be “mailed” to the residents at Meadow View. They love mail and need a boost to their spirits.
PLEASE NOTE: We ask that you wear a mask as you ENTER the church and as you EXIT. To EXIT, please use the Front, Side, EXIT DOOR. Thank you. Members of Session.
If you are in the parking lot, PLEASE TUNE YOUR RADIO TO 89.5 FM TO HEAR THE MORNING SERVICE
There is a “Blessing Box” by the EXIT Door with food items or paper products. Take what you need or share what you can.
Anyone wishing to share an experience where they feel God guided or intervened in a life experience or wish to give their testimony, sing, play an instrument, read a poem, please contact Cathe at 607-768-9269 or parks1944@gmail.com .
Newsletter Deadline Tuesday, September 29.
