The Ultimate Bailout - Mathew 18:21-35

What we learned in church today. This is really good if you really think about it and let it really sink in.


The Ultimate Bailout - Mathew 18:21-25


Then Peter came up and said to him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven. "Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants.  When he began the reckoning, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents;  and as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made.  So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, `Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.  And out of pity for him the lord of that servant released him and forgave him the debt.  But that same servant, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat he said, `Pay what you owe.'  So his fellow servant fell down and besought him, `Have patience with me, and I will pay you.'  He refused and went and put him in prison till he should pay the debt.  When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken  place. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, `You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you besought me;  and should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?'  And in anger his lord delivered him to the jailers, till he should pay all his debt.  So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart."


I. The Blueprints Of Forgiveness

- An unforgiving heart lives in prison
- God wants to release us from the prison of unforgiveness


II. The Foundation Of Forgiveness

- Take pity on the person who has wronged you.

- Cancel the debt
We try to make them pay down the debt. We're cold to them, we try to hurt them, we slander them, which only pulls us further down into our self-imposed prison of unforgiveness.

- We need to cancel their debt - pray for them, root for them, speak only good of them even if we think it will kill us! Keep praying and asking for God's help. We act this way because we feel (deep down) that we are better than them. We need to humble ourselves. If we act better than them we won't be able to forgive.

- Let them Go -
If you have truly forgiven them you will not think about it (the hurt they did). You will not bring it up to the person. You will not talk about it to others.
Do we really think our hurt is or was worse than what the Lord has paid for by dying for us on the cross? How can we not forgive others when the Lord has forgiven so much in us? In comparison to what the Lord Jesus has forgiven us, our hurt is small. We act like that person's sin against us is worse than our sin that the Lord has forgiven us. That cheapens the gospel. Are we better than the Lord Jesus, Himself? Who is able to forgive us all our dirty, secret sins? That we cannot then turn around and forgive our brother? Is his sin really any worse? We don't have the right to bear the name Christian until we can forgive.


III. The Structure Of Forgiveness

- Forgiveness is a choice, not a feeling

- Pay debt before you feel like paying the debt
(your feelings will come after your actions)

C.S. Lewis said in his book "Mere Christianity" to act as if you love your neighbor and you will begin to love your neighbor.

- Forgiveness is not excusing another's actions
- Forgiveness brings freedom
- Forgiveness does not mean that the relationship has to be restored, necessarily. We don't have to be friends with the person we forgive

IV. The Open Door Of Forgiveness

Our sin is not excused - it was paid for 2,000 years ago. We had the ultimate $700 billion bailout of all the sin and junk in our hearts. (Yes, it's a play on words because everyone's thoughts are on the bailout right now. But think about it, we had the ultimate bailout 2,000 years ago when we had our sins forgiven, just as our government is paying for the mistakes and sins others made, Christ paid for our mistakes and sins. Make sense?)

Choose the pain that leads to forgiveness
Choose to forgive

Psalm 103
Psalm 32
Isaiah 1:18