Weekend Review 04.10.11
Band:
Cajon: Corey Wilkins
Bass: Gerald Lay
Electric Guitar: Rob Sherrod
BGV's: Trisha Brock
Acoustic Guitar & Lead Vocals: (Me), Jason Eaton
Songs:
Your Love Never Fails (Chris McClarney)
Great, Great God (David Moore / Gateway Worship)
Sweeter (Chris McClarney / Dave Fitzgerald)
Amazing Grace My Chains Are Gone (Chris Tomlin)
Apologize (One Republic / Timberland)
What is forgiveness? Well... forgiveness is when I decide to cancel a legitimate debt that you own me. THe best part about that definition is the word "decide". Because forgiveness is not an emotion is a decision! Forgiveness is something that we all have to deal with. But, what most of us dont realize is that forgiveness is all about our response and decision. It has nothing to do with the response of the other person. To use the Bible as our APP for this lets look at Matthew 18:21-35 (NKJV). I will add my thoughts about this scripture in BLUE.
21 Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.(What Jesus is saying here is forever. He isn't literally saying that you only have to forgive someone 490 times. He is saying forever.) 23 Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king (Jesus) who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.(believers) 24 And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents (10 thousand talents is = to 52,800,000.00 dollars). 25 But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children (our unforgiveness affects our family! It damages our wife and children) and all that he had, and that payment be made. 26 The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ 27 Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. 28 “But that servant (believer) went out and found one of his fellow servants (believer) who owed him a hundred denarii (100 denari = 40.00 dollars); and he laid hands on him and took himby the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ 30 And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. 31 So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. 32 Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 33 Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ 34 And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers (torturers is a symbol in scripture of demons. So what Jesus is saying here is that he gave this believer over to the demons) until he should pay all that was due to him. 35 “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”
How often do we do this? Jesus is saying this is a picture of what the Kingdom of God is like in the area of forgiveness. We as Christ followers sin and then we seek forgiveness through Jesus. And by the way we owe Jesus everything... the wages of sin is DEATH. We owe a lot more than 52 million 800 thousand dollars. But Jesus forgives us! Then we go to another CHRIST FOLLOWER who owes us a measly 40 dollars and in the ESV version it says "choked him". We physically assault a brother or sister in Christ over 40 dollars when Jesus forgave us for 52 million 800 thousand dollars. It doesnt make sense... but we do it. So Jesus says, fine! And hands us over to the demons. Notice that it isn't a loving rebuke from Jesus. He is angry towards this unforgiving believer. We have to be a forgiving people. Remember this... You will never have to forgive anyone more than God will forgive you.
Comments