Sermon Notes

Parable of the Unforgiving Debtor - Matthew 18:21-35
21 Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?”
22 “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven! 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.
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.
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.
30 But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full.
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.
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.
33 Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’
34 Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt.
35, “So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

Point 1: Forgiveness isn't OPTIONAL for Christians, it's required.
Matthew 18:35 - “So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

Ephesians 4:31-32 - Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

No matter how much injustice has been done to us, we choose to forgive because we were forgiven a huge debt.

Point 2: Forgiveness FREES us.

Forgiveness is less of a gift to them and more of a gift to you!

Point 3: The MYTHS of forgiveness.
Myth 1: I'll forgive when I feel like it's time.
Myth 2: I need them to apologize and admit what they did before I forgive.
Myth 3: We have to be friends again.
Myth 4: Just forgive and forget.

Point 4: What TOTAL forgiveness is.
How to Forgive:
1 - Remember what you've been forgiven by God.
2 - Reflect on how Jesus forgave those who killed him.
3 - Recite the Lord's Prayer and pause on the part about forgiveness.
4 - Release the need to see people suffer of pay for it.
5 - Choose to be a forgiver today before any more offenses come.