Message Notes
The Kingdom of God
Today: Forget About It
June 27, 2004
Matthew 18:21-35 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?"
22Jesus 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. 24As he began the
settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. 25Since
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.' 27The 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. 31When 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. 33Shouldn't
you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' 34In
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."
How to get a ”Kingdom” perspective on forgiveness and be
able to forgive anybody:
2) I
must forgive others before I can expect to be forgiven by God.
Vs.
35 This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive
your brother from your heart."
Luke
6:36-37 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. 37"Do not
judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be
condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the
gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
John 1:12 Yet to all who received him, to those who
believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—
A prayer to begin a
relationship with Christ: Dear Jesus, thank you for proving your love for me by dying for me on
the cross and paying for my sin. Thank
you for making a way to heaven for me.
Thank you for loving me and accepting me. Today I accept you and your free gift of forgiveness. Please forgive
me for my sins. I want to follow you and I want to love you and I want to get
to know you. In Your name I pray. Amen.
3)
Realize that God’s Kingdom has a higher purpose than my circumstances.
èOf course, God cares about
the details in my life, but one of the main purposes of His Kingdom is to help
all people know Him and become worshippers of Him. A kingdom minded person
keeps that perspective in every area of life, including the area of
forgiveness.
Matthew
5:13-16 "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its
saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything,
except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
14"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be
hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.
Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In
the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good
deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
Matthew
5:38-42 "You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for
tooth.' 39But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone
strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40And if
someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41If
someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42Give to
the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow
from you.
4)
Since God’s Kingdom is not a democracy, I need to let God determine what
happens in every area of my life.
èI may have a right to NOT
forgive someone, but I need to do it because God says to do it. I should pray for that person for the same
reason. This mindset should translate into every area of my life: how I spend
my time and money, the use of my talents, and what I do and don’t do. Remember,
it’s not about how I feel but about what God desires.
Psalm
24:1-2 The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who
live in it; 2 for he founded it upon the seas and established it
upon the waters.
Ephesians
4:32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in
Christ God forgave you.