(SHARP): NAU Matthew 18:21 Then Peter came and said to Him, "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.

Point of View: We do not forgive others readily because we do not comprehend the magnitude of the debt that God has forgiven us.

Action Step: Ask God to reveal the magnitude of the debt that was paid for us by the Cross of Christ – the blood debt.

Benefit: Freedom to forgive others even as we are forgiven – this is true freedom!

Key Point 1: We must understand the magnitude of the debt - our debt - that has been paid by the blood of Jesus.

Subpoint 1.1: NAU Matthew 18:23 "For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. 24 "When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him.  25 "But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made.  26 "So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, 'Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.'  27 "And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt.

Subpoint 1.2: NAU Matthew 18:28 "But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, 'Pay back what you owe.'  29 "So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, 'Have patience with me and I will repay you.'  30 "But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed.

Subpoint 1.3: (1 talent) x (75 pounds/talent) x (10,000 talents) = 750,000 pounds x (16 ounces/pound) x ($300/ounce of gold today) = $3,600,000,000 or 3.6 billion dollars.  This is more than anyone could make in a lifetime of work – an impossible debt to pay.  The typical workers wages were a denarii a day.  If the average salary today is $30,000 then 100 denarii would be about $12,000 – a large but payable debt.  The slave did not comprehend that the debt forgiven him was infinite; therefore, he was not willing to forgive a fellow slave a large but payable debt.

Key Point 2: We must know that we can never earn our forgiveness – the debt was larger than our ability to pay or pay back.

Subpoint 2.1: NAU Luke 15:11 And He said, "A man had two sons. 12 "The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.' So he divided his wealth between them.  13 "And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living.  14 "Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished.  15 "So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.  16 "And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him.  17 "But when he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger!  18 'I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight; 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men."'

Subpoint 2.2: NAU Luke 15:20 "So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21 "And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'  22 "But the father said to his slaves, 'Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet;  23 and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate;  24 for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.' And they began to celebrate.  25 "Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing.  26 "And he summoned one of the servants and began inquiring what these things could be.  27 "And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.'  28 "But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him.  29 "But he answered and said to his father, 'Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends;  30 but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.'  31 "And he said to him, 'Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours.  32 'But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.'"

Subpoint 2.3: The son wanted to become a servant in order to earn his father’s forgiveness and acceptance.  The older brother was still trying to earn the father’s favor through perfect obedience.  However, the father’s favor had already been given to them both as a free gift!

Key Point 3: We must realize that in ourselves we are sinners worthy of Hell – a place of eternal separation from God.

Subpoint 3.1: NAU Luke 18:9 And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: 10 "Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  11 "The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: 'God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.  12 'I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.'  13 "But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, the sinner!'  14 "I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted."

Subpoint 3.2: We must never approach God based on our worth but rather the worth of Christ Jesus that has been conferred upon us. This results in our being quick to forgive those that are being saved by grace because we remember that we are in the same boat.

Subpoint 3.3:  The conclusion of the first parable in Key Point 1: NAU Matthew 18:31 "So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened. 32 "Then summoning him, his lord said to him, 'You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me.  33 'Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?'  34 "And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him.  35 "My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart."

NAU Matthew 6:15 "But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.

NAU 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

FORGIVENESS - Forgiveness is hard to give because it hurts to extend it to undeserving and hard-hearted ones. To release a wrong-doer instead of exacting a just penalty requires that we reach out in love, rejecting the temptation to hold bitterness and resentment. This is contrary to our natural inclinations, thus the old adage,"To err is human, to forgive divine". Forgiveness is not forgetting the wrong done; some hurts are so deep that this would be impossible. We can forget the anger and hurt we felt, but the act is branded in our minds. Forgiveness takes place when the victim accepts the loss and/or injury done him and deliberately cancels the debt owed him by the offending person. Anger must be dealt with openly and honestly, not denied or ignored. Either it must be vented in retaliation or the injured party must accept his own anger, bear the burden of it, and confess it in prayer to release himself and to set the other party free. Revenge always hurts the revenger far more than the one at whom it is leveled. In other words , our pattern must be the grievous and substitutionary death of Christ. He willingly received all the hurt and evil of the entire human race in His own body on the tree (I Peter 2:21-24) to pay the debt for our guilt. He now offers what He has wrought as a free gift to undeserving and guilty persons so they can be free (Rom. 6:23; John 10:28-30). As nothing else will, forgiveness takes us into the mysteries of grace where God forgives unconditionally on the basis of the substitutionary payment by another (Mark 11:25-26). One of the fruits of the Holy Spirit's work in a life is the quality of meekness. It is a quality which is nurtured and abetted by practicing forgiveness. This highly prized quality will cause us to be able to accept God's dealings with us as good, without disputing or resisting them. Meekness will also cause us to be able to "bear one another's burden's" cheerfully and for Jesus' sake, enabling us to enter into the mystery of Christ's sufferings. This is the crucifixion of the flesh until you come to your senses, forgive your fellow man and then ask God to forgive you! The consequence of unforgiveness is the most important lesson that God has taught us about deliverance (from demons). Because unforgiveness, and the resentment and bitterness it generates is so deadly, it is not optional, but necessary that it be dealt with. Cancer and arthritis can come in through the sin of unforgiveness. To be bitter and unforgiving costs far more than it is worth. If you know a Christian with these diseases, see if they have unforgiveness. They cannot be healed if the demons have a right to be there. Pattern for being delivered and healed: forgive others, ask God for forgiveness, and forgive self. Cast out unforgiveness and bitterness. Cast out cancer and arthritis. Anoint with oil and pray for healing. (Moody)

Repeat Point of View, Action Step and Benefit