My name is Denny. I have a moment like that you'll start to talk to somebody and you think, I've forgotten their name. All right. We are a sinful people. Can I get an amen? We're sinful people. We have a tendency and sometimes a desire to think bad about our neighbor. We can't wait to get home and get on the phone and tell Uncle Bob what Aunt Sally did, or we think she did. This time of year, we do what we would never do at any other time of the year. We cheat on our income tax. We take things that are not ours. And by that I mean we put 9% in the offering plate instead of 10%. And the language we use when we cut somebody off in traffic, man oh man. And the magnitude of our sin only grows. We are guilty before a pure and holy God. We have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and we stand in need of forgiveness, each one of us. But sadly, once we're forgiven, our sin will only be repeated, or some like them, and we'll be in need of forgiveness again. Open your Bibles to the book of Matthew, chapter 18, verses 21 through 35, Matthew chapter 18 verses 21 through 35. Then came Peter to him and said, Lord, how off shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Till seven times Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee until seven times, but until 70 times seven. Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him 10,000 talents. But for as much as he had not to pay, his Lord commanded him to be sold and his wife and children and all that he had in payment to be made. The servant therefore fell down and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then the Lord of that servant was moved with compassion and loosed him and forgave him the debt. But the same servant went out and found one of his fellow servants, which owed him a hundred pence, and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou ow'st. And his fellow servant fell down at his feet and besought him saying, have patience with me and I will pay thee all. And he would not, but went and cast him in prison till he should pay the debt. So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were very sorry. and they came and told unto their Lord all that was done. Then his Lord, after that, he called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me. Shouldst not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow servant? I forgave thee all that debt. Should thou not also have had compassion on thy fellow servant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him unto the tormentors, until he should pay what was due him. So likewise shall my Heavenly Father do also unto you, if you from your hearts forgive not everyone his brother their trespasses. Brother Lloyd mentioned in his lesson last week, and I'm with him, when it comes to car insurance, I don't like buying it. But it's one of those things you gotta have. Many car insurance companies include accident forgiveness in their policies. The concepts of how this works are different, but the foundational idea is that an insurance company will forgive a policyholder's first accident by not increasing his or her premiums, right? Some companies offer accident forgiveness as a reward for anyone who chooses to be insured by them. Some offer it to customers who have been with them for a long time. At the same time, there are limitations to this kind of forgiveness. Just because an insurance company forgives you at fault, accident does not mean that those points just go away. They're added to your record. That part of your driving record is separate from what the insurance company can promise to do for you. Accident forgiveness does have its limitations, okay? In today's text, Peter asked Jesus about the limitations, limits on forgiveness. How much can I forgive and somebody can forgive me? The gist of Jesus' initial response is that there should be none, right? There should be no limitations on forgiveness. The master teacher then proceeds to tell a parable that challenges Peter and us to think not only of forgiving others, but also of how much we've been forgiven by our Father in heaven. the measure of the latter should affect our perspective on the former. In other words, considering how much our father in heaven has forgiven us, how much more should we forgive somebody else? Peter poses a problem. Peter's question, verse 21. Then came Peter to him and said, Lord, how shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him, till seven times. Now, if you know much about Peter, you know that Peter tends to be real vocal. He's always opening his mouth, putting his foot in there. Whether it's a matter of desiring to walk on the water, you know, he was, boy, he wanted to walk on that water. That's found in Matthew 14, or whether it was objecting to Jesus's more candid description of what the future holds when he tells of his pending crucifixion. found in Matthew 16, 21. The question he raises with Jesus almost sounds pharisaical. He's challenging Jesus to explain a portion of his teaching. But Peter's motivation is different. from that of the Pharisees, he's not trying to embarrass Jesus. He's not trying to find out some grounds for accusing him of something. Peter simply wants to know what extent am I expected to forgive somebody else should that person continue to sin against me. Now, in posing this question, Peter may have had in mind the Jewish teaching that states that you're supposed to forgive somebody three times. Three times. That's found in Amos chapter one, verse three, where God forgave Israel's enemies three times. And then they wouldn't quit sinning, so he punished them. Also worth noting is how Peter phrases his question. Peter may, he did not say, if I sin against someone, how often should that person be expected to forgive me? Instead of, if someone sins against me, how often should I be expected to forgive them? Forgiveness is usually a more comfortable subject. It's more comfortable for all of us if it's approached from the point of view of the offended person rather than the point of view of the one who has caused the offense. Don't you find that true? How do you react when you're wronged by a family member? Think about that. How do you react when you're wronged by a church member? How do you react when you're wronged by a stranger? If you just got a total stranger that offends you, how do you react to that? But maybe a more important question for each one of us to answer is how do they react when they are wronged by me? I don't, This is a time and a place. There is a time and a place and a way to ask for forgiveness. There's a time and place. But be that as it may, okay? I know that when I've offended somebody, I'm always relieved. I'm always relieved when I finally go to that person and I say, would you forgive me, please? and they say, it's okay, I forgive you. That makes me feel good. Verse 22, what's Jesus' answer? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, until seven times, but until 70 times seven. Jesus' answer must have left Peter stunned and speechless. That was something for Peter to be speechless. The phrase 70 times conveys the idea that forgiveness is to be extended without limits. The number is purposely stated extremely high so that how often, Peter, that becomes irrelevant. However, as we become willing to forgive, we may find ourselves in a position that we're taking advantage of. if I forgive you a number of times, you may begin to take advantage of me. You see what I mean? Forgiveness is one thing, but continuing to forgive somebody who continues to steal from you, for example, is only enabling them to do wrong. Jesus, as often as he often does, explains his situation by a parable. And in this parable, we see a servant's crisis. Verse 23, Therefore is the kingdom of heaven like unto a certain king which would take account of his servants. Now aware of what's in the hearts of others, Jesus knows that more needs to be said about the subject at hand. There's another side to forgiveness, that Peter seems to have overlooked, and we overlook it sometimes, too. As before, Jesus teaches by means of a parable. Now, this teaching format requires something that's a little different. It requires a great deal of listening on the part of the, by the listening, by the person that's hearing this. And you need to understand there's a challenge for comprehension here. You have to match the images in the parable with the times and the people in the real world. The 12 disciples don't seem to be good at doing this. They're always having to have the parables explained to them. Like they did in Matthew 16, verse six through 12. Then Jesus said to them, take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, it is because we've taken no bread. Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread? Do ye not yet understand Neither remember the five loaves of the 5,000 and how many baskets you took up? Neither the seven loaves of the 4,000 and how many baskets you took up? How is it that you do not understand that I spake it to you, not to you concerning bread, that you should be aware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees? Then understood they how he bade them not beware of the leaven of the bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. Jesus is probably gonna have to explain the parable, the following parable to the 12. The servants of this parable are likely to be slaves who work for no compensation. They're probably better described as stewards or managers who have taken their money of the king. They've been commissioned by him and they are supposed to invest this in profitable ventures. Now the time has come for the king to take account of how well these individuals have done in their assigned task. The imagery of a king auditing the books need to bring in mind what will happen to us on the day of judgment. Revelation 20, 12 says, and I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God. And the books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works. Verse 24, And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him that owed him ten thousand talents. This day of reckoning is not going to go good for this servant. having been brought before the king, the audit reveals that the servant owes 10,000 talents. Now in today's currency, 10,000 talents would be millions of dollars, millions of dollars. The detail about the vast amount is intentional. It's to shock the listener, it's to shock us, and so it captures our attention. But it also serves to emphasize You need to get this. It serves to emphasize what an immense debt we owe God. We owe God. A wise man once said, we are all beggars before God. We cannot hope to pay. Nothing is said about how this servant has amassed so much debt. The point is that this servant has amassed such a staggering amount of debt. and it's readily understood by Peter as a debt that's virtually impossible to pay off. Verse 25, but for as much as he had not to pay, his Lord commanded him to be sold and his wife and his children and all that he had in payment to be made. Jesus doesn't comment on the rightness or the wrongness of this procedure that's used to satisfy the debt. What he describes is a typical way of a situation like this to be handled back in those days. There's no option to declare a chapter seven or chapter 13 bankruptcy. Instead, the servant and his family and all the possessions are sold so that payment can be made. This suggests that all members of the family will become slaves to somebody. They're gonna become slaves and then their income or their labor that they generate will automatically go toward payment of a debt. For a debt of this magnitude, it's very unlikely that the king can ever fully recoup his losses. But the king has compassion. Verse 26, the servant therefore fell down and he worshiped him saying, Lord, have patience with me and I will pay thee all. Now faced with such a dire future, the servant does the only thing he can do. He begs for mercy. He promises to pay all he owes. His promise to pay all that he owes is undoubtedly sincere in intent, but next to impossible to pay given the size of that debt. Aren't you glad that you don't have to beg the Lord for forgiveness? We don't have to beg for forgiveness when we go before the Lord. And we've sinned, we know we've sinned in our heart. We just have to ask with a sincere heart. Lord, will you forgive me for what I've done? First John 1.9 says, if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Not only does he forgive our sins, but he cleanses us from all unrighteousness. He makes us clean. And not only that, The wonderful thing about it is he'll do it again and again and again. Verse 27, then the Lord of that servant was moved with compassion and loosed him and forgave him the debt. The king's sense of compassion for this desperate servant overrules the stark requirements of justice. He forgives this man his unpayable debt You know, God hates sin, but he loves the sinner. The price for God's forgiveness is high. But he paid that price himself. By Christ's loving act of grace, believers are eternally freed. We are eternally freed from the dead of sin. we're eternally freed from the guilt of sin as well. Once we're covered by the blood of Christ, God does not keep a record of our sins. He doesn't remember what you've done, amen? But we keep dragging it up. We gotta go way back here, 30 years ago, and drag, well, because you don't forgive yourself. You don't forgive yourself for what you've done. Once it's been forgiven and God's forgiven it, let it go. Psalm 103, 12 says this. As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our sins from us. or transgressions from us. It's a long way from the east to the west. As a matter of fact, they can't ever meet. Hebrews 8, 12 says, for I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Our forgiveness is total and it's complete, every bit of it. Why can't we let that go? We got to go back here, way back there and dig something up and bring it back up to God when He's already forgotten it. How do we stay mindful of how much God has forgiven us? What about when a confrontation is imminent? When you know you're going to have a confrontation? We have a sixth sense in us. You know you're about to have war with your wife. Now, men just know that. We know there's, sometimes it's obvious. You know, you break the cake plate that her mother gave her. Or she ruins your screwdriver chipping ice. You know, but sometimes it's not quite so obvious. but you can tell by the look on her face that you're about to have a war. Proverbs 15, one says this, a soft answer turneth away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger. You know, and I'm sorry, will you forgive me, goes a long way towards solving the problem. And who knows, that may be all it takes. It's just that one thing. How about when you're alone in prayer? When you're alone in prayer, how is it that we remember these things? It's time to be honest when you're alone in prayer. You don't pull the wool over God's eyes. You don't lie. Now's the time to confess what you've done. Or said. Or thought. It goes deep. Get all of it. Get everything out. Everything. All those secret things that you've done in the dark. You know, behind closed doors. Get all that out. And some of them not so secret. those little things that we've done publicly to belittle or embarrass someone. It's amazing how prayer time sheds a light on these things, isn't it? Now we see a servant's cruelty, but at the same time went out and found one of his fellow servants which owed him 100 pence. and he laid hands on him and he took him by the throat and he said, pay me that thou owest. Now, you'd think this servant would rejoice and that he would celebrate the wonderful news that his fellow servant had been forgiven this millions of dollars worth of debt. I mean, it's gone. But the parable takes an unexpected and disappointing turn. A hundred pence is nothing. That's just a few dollars, or a few hundred dollars. I don't know what the exact amount is, and I did look it up, but I don't even think the scholars can agree how much is a hundred pence, or how much is 10,000 talents. The point is, It's specifically stated this way to shock us. Millions of dollars as opposed to hundreds of dollars. The difference between the amount the first servant owed the king and the amount the second servant owes the first is staggering. It's as staggering as the enormity of the first man's debt. Equally as staggering is the difference between the king's treatment of the first servant and the same servant's behavior toward his fellow servant. He says nothing about requesting payment until he first grabs the man by the throat. Now, that's something that the first king didn't do. Think how you'd feel if they sent somebody to your house to your apartment, and let's say it was the cable man, and he comes to your house and he grabs you by the throat. That's not the way I want to do business. Considering the extent to which God forgave us, he gives a stern warning, a stern warning to those who won't forgive. Matthew 16, I'm sorry, Matthew 6, 14 and 15. For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your heavenly Father forgive you. You're not gonna be forgiven unless you forgive. when I realize how much and how many times God has forgiven me. I should be ready and willing to extend forgiveness to others. When we think of the enormity of our debt that we owe, how many times has he forgiven you? What has he forgiven you for? and you won't forgive somebody. Verse 29, And his fellow servant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. The response of his fellow servant mirrors that of the first servant. When the first servant hears the plea that he himself had used, you'd think a merciful response would result. Verse 30, and he would not but win and cast him into prison till he should pay the debt. Now, instead, the first servant's reaction is the very opposite of how he was treated by the king. There's no compassion whatsoever in his heart. in spite of the mercy granted to him. The king had planned to arrange for some of his debt from the first servant to be repaid by selling him, along with his family and possessions. But the forgiven servant simply has his fellow servant thrown into prison. Now, that action puts this man in an obviously difficult position, does it not? I mean, how can you work? How can you pay this debt off when you are confined to prison? His only hope is to hope that some family members or some friends will come to his aid. Verse 31, so when his fellow servants saw what they had done, they were very sorry. And they came and told the Lord all that was done. These servants can't keep quiet. They can't keep quiet about what they've just seen. The one to hold the first servant accountable is the king, so it's to him they report what's happened. They go and tell him all that's done. That just goes to show you that there's always somebody watching you. You know, they're watching what's going on. There's always somebody watching us. There's always somebody listening to what we have to say, whether it's good or bad. It just so happens, as it turns out, that for one servant, this was good. But for the other, it was bad. The king's condemnation. Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, oh, that wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desirest me. Should not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant, even as I had pity on thee? The unforgiving servant finds him facing the searing anger of the king, who addresses him as a wicked servant. The king presents a simple logic. that should have guided the servant's attitude toward his companion. Since the first servant had been forgiven all the debt, shouldn't he have shown similar compassion to the other one? Anyone, any one of us who has been forgiven, especially such a large debt, should demonstrate a forgiving spirit toward another. But we fail to see what it will cost us. What about the times when we're unwilling to forgive? Unwillingness affects our spiritual growth. If we don't forgive others, God won't forgive us. But there's more to it than that. Unforgiveness affects our physical health as well. Whether it's a spat with our spouse, see what I told you. Whether it's a spat with our spouse or long held resentment. toward a friend or family member, unresolved conflict can go deeper than you may realize. Now, the good news. Studies have found that the act of forgiveness can reap huge rewards, huge rewards for your health. It lowers the risk of heart attack. It improves cholesterol levels. It improves sleep. It reduces pain. It lowers blood pressure. It lowers levels of anxiety and depression and stress. Hallelujah. You know, it sounds to me like to be healthy, all we gotta do is forgive. That goes a long way toward it, doesn't it? Now, here's the best part of that. Research points to an increase in the forgiveness health connection as you age. That means the older you get, the more you forgive, the healthier you're gonna be. That means like cheese, the older we get, the better we are. And verse 34, and his Lord was wroth and delivers him into the tormentors till he should pay what's due him. The anger results in the servants being placed in a position similar to the one in which he had himself placed with the second servant. Only now the unforgiving servant's position is far worse. He is given over to be tormented or tortured until his debt's paid. We're led to believe that the man will never know freedom again, given the size of the debt. And now a challenge from Jesus. So likewise shall my heavenly father do also unto you if ye from your hearts do not forgive his brother their trespasses. Jesus states the application of the parable. Obviously much more than money is being pictured by the master teacher. Ultimately, Jesus wants his audience then and now to get a picture of the enormity of our sin debt before God. We need to think about that. We God's servants are in a position similar to the first servant in this parable. There is no way we can repay the debt our sin has accumulated. There's no way we can repay the debt represented by our sin. Justice requires punishment. Our only recourse is to beg for mercy for our king, as did the first servant in the parable. Forgiveness is not thus a matter of how we treat those who have offended us. It's also a matter of how God has chosen to treat us according to the numerous times we've sinned against him. But have we considered the debt that God has forgiven us? Throughout God's word, Christians are exhorted to forgive others based on how Christ has forgiven them. How would our daily conduct our thoughts and our words and our actions be if we kept that point of view in mind. We must also note how Jesus instructs us to forgive from the heart, forgive from the heart. Forgiveness is not forgiveness. If I just say to you, I forgive you, while continuing to harbor anger and resentment, then in a manner of speaking, I've still got my hands around your throat. How would you counsel a friend who's been hesitant to forgive somebody? I'd turn him over to the pastor. That's what I'd do. There's a lot of things you have to consider. Consider the nature of the wrong. Consider the nature of the relationship between the two people. Consider the difference between forgiveness and consequences. Consider the extent of your forgiveness as received from Jesus. Consider the repentance or the lack thereof. Although I'd like to be a good witness, there are times when more expertise is needed than that. And like I said in the beginning, I'd turn him over to my pastor. Now from parable to real life. because Peter was the one who raised this question about forgiveness. It's interesting to follow up on what happened to him according to forgiveness later on, okay? After Jesus' capture, Peter followed close behind. When Jesus was taken captive in the Garden of Gethsemane, they're watching. Peter follows close behind to see what'll happen. And as they reach the palace, he's confronted by various people concerning his relationship to Jesus. Matthew 26, 69 through 74. Now Peter sat without in the palace, and a damsel came unto him, saying, that also was with Jesus of Galilee. But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest. And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him and said unto them that were there, this is the fellow that was with Jesus of Nazareth. And again, he denied with an oath, I do not know the man. And after a while, they came unto him, and they that stood by and said unto Peter, Surely thou also art one of them, for thou speak'st bereft thee. Then he began to curse and square, saying, I know not the man, and immediately the cock crew. He's enraged. He uses foul language. He denies knowing Jesus three times in spite of his bold claims that'll never happen. And the Bible says, Matthew 26, 75, And Peter remembered the words of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou should deny me thrice. And he went out and wept bitterly. It's hard for us to understand. It's hard for us to to think about the amount of remorse that Peter felt at that moment. And throughout the course of the day when Jesus was crucified, perhaps he resigned himself to being confined in the prison of his failure for the rest of his life. But three days later, the news began to circulate that Jesus was alive. And the message was first conveyed by the women who had gone to the tomb to anoint his body. Mark 16, and entering into the sepulcher, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment, and they were affrighted. And he said nothing, and he said unto them, be not affrighted, you seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified, and he is risen, he is not here. Behold the place where they laid him, but go your way and tell the disciples and tell Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee and there you shall see him as he said unto you. This specific reference to Peter was not accidental. It was Jesus' way of letting him know that forgiveness was more than a topic to be discussed in a parable. It was real. Jesus, the king of life and death, was declaring Peter forgiven. He didn't have to remain bound in the prison of failure and defeat because Jesus didn't remain in the grave. The king had forgiven his servant their debt. As I pointed out in my introduction, each one of us has an enormous an enormous sin debt before God. It's more than 10,000 talents. And even if it were only 100 pence, we wouldn't be able to pay it. We would not be able to pay the sin debt we owe a holy God. We need to ask him daily for forgiveness. and freedom from that sin debt. And then we need to praise him and we need to thank him for doing that for us. Amen? Amen. I want you to be back in here in about 15 minutes and we'll resume. Brother, you,