Old Llantrisant Hill
Introduction
- Hymns and passages for different occasions – examples
- Do we believe these words?
- Why do relationships fail?
- What is this is love in 1 Corinthians 13 – it is the deep deep love of Jesus/God
- Today looking at forgiveness
- We all need God’s forgiveness
- We also need to show forgiveness to others
- Forgiveness is so important in Church
- Peter asks how often to forgive
- He suggested more than the traditional Jewish/Rabbinical number of (only) 3 times
- This follows Jesus’ teaching on the offended brother (18:15-20) – explanation
- Peter wonders if there is a limit to forgiveness
- He knew Jesus was one that forgave
- Luke 17:4 – even 7 times in the same day?
- Jesus says 70 x 7 – not 490 times but in a limitless way
- This is the nature of God who forgives all who repent
- The kingdom of God is not just about citizenship, but about life and values
- Jesus tells a parable about a king and his servants – explanation
- He is not condoning slavery but using an illustration from the time
- A judgment if you refuse to give
- Looking at
- A king who forgives a great debt
- A servant who refuses to forgive a small debt
A king who forgives a great debt
- A talent – 20 years of wages
- So 10’000 talents is 200,000 years of wages
- Almost a "zillion" – a debt that no person can pay
- We need to see ourselves as the servant
- We are indebted to God
- Are sins are so many – examples
- The king unconditionally and totally forgave the servant
- However – it cost the king
- It is a debt that we can never pay
- This parable predates the cross – but we understand how God can freely forgive sinners
- Christ came into the world to be the sin bearer
- God’s forgiveness is larger than our sin
- God gives us a new heart and a new start
A servant who refuses to forgive a small debt
- A 100 denarii
- About 100 days wages
- What is this in comparison 200,000 years of wages?
- This is human nature – refusing to forgive
- Why?
- There are lots of reasons why people refuse to forgive
- The biggest reason – because we do not love God, because we do not appreciate how much God has forgiven us
- 1 Cor 13
- God does not forgive those who do not repent and continue in sin
- How are we to forgive such?
- Pray for them – Example of Jesus and Stephen
- Have a heart of forgiveness – like Jesus
- The parable can be interpreted in different ways
- A believer – who refuses to forgive, discipline of the believer
- All people – the judgment of hell
- There is free forgiveness for all who come to God
- You must understand this
- You must take it
- If not, there will be judgment
- Example of such love shown by the Bristol Family
- Freely forgive if forgiven!