FBCWest 715 | Forgive
Recorded On: 06/07/2026
Bulletin
Hymn # 349 “Have Thine Own Way Lord”
SCRIPTURE READING – Psalm 8
Giving of Selves and Our Offerings
OFFERTORY PRAYER
OFFERTORY MUSIC – Pru Hungate
Praise and Worship
“What an Awesome God”
“Good Grace”
“Praise You Anywhere”
Proclamation of the Word
Message by Pastor Joe
“Forgive”
PRAYER TIME / Time of Reflection
“At the Cross (Love Ran Red)”
Sermon Notes
Ephesians 4:32 Forgive each other as God has forgiven you
Matthew 18:21 – 35 How many times are we forgive & what happens if we don’t
Matthew 6:12 We are to pray forgive us as we have forgiven.
Matthew 6:14 & 15 If you don’t God. Does not forgive you
Luke 23:34 Jesus prays for those who are crucifying Him and they have not even asked for forgiveness
Scritpures
Transcript of Service
One of the most difficult things that we humans have to do is to forgive. A number of people say that if you don't forgive, that it affects your health, that somehow it impacts you more than the person that you're not forgiving. We're going to take a look at what the Bible says about forgiving. But it's interesting, the Bible has a much more consequential for us if we don't forgive, more than just our mental or physical health. So I invite you to hear about what the Bible says when we don't forgive. You seem to emphasize and preach salvation sermons all the time.
Now, that's good in the sense of the gospel is good news and we need to proclaim Jesus and His... But I think one of the other reasons why pastors preach salvation sermons is they have their salvation so they don't have to be uncomfortable about preaching things that they're struggling with. But Jesus told us that we're to make disciples, to teach them and everything that He's commanded us. And so I take that seriously and so when we get to topics like this one, I want you to understand that as I point one finger at each of you and at you, three fingers will be... Because there's something that I don't naturally done in my natural person. If somebody wronged me, there was kind of like a measuring stick. If I loved you so much, then I would tolerate so much. And if you exceeded, I'd love or care for you, then what I basically did was stop having contact with you.
That way you couldn't hurt or offend me further. I just ignored you, didn't go. So if you were to bite me somewhere, I just conveniently be busy.
That was an tendency. Now, when it came to other people that I loved, if you hurt them, then there was a part of me that kind of wanted to get back at you, but I didn't like you. And whatever. So, you know, so those things that I would deal with.
But Jesus didn't say that my natural instincts is what we're supposed to do. A lot of people will tell you that you're supposed to, the sermon title is, forgive. And you'll hear psychologists and other pastors talk about that you should forgive because it only harms you. But usually what they're talking about, the harm to you is either physical or mental. And they say, well, it doesn't hurt the other person. The Bible tells us that there are significant influences if we don't forgive.
And so, if you're struggling in your spiritual journey with the Lord, maybe you're having trouble with this topic. So we're going to talk about it, even though it's because I have to change my ways. And I suspect you have to change your ways as well. So the first verse we're going to take a look at is in Ephesians chapter 4 verse 32. And I'm going to recommend that you look at these. And if you, if I go too fast, that you write them down, because I, what I have to say is unimportant compared to what the Bible says.
And so I want you to get these scriptures and look at them because it will have a significant impact on your spiritual journey. So Ephesians 4, 32 says this, he kind of won another. You're hearted for giving each other just as God and Christ also forgave and for giving you. So we are to do these things and we are to forgive one another, not just as Joe naturally would or you naturally would. But we are to be as God in Christ has forgiven us.
Well, how has God forgiven us? He says that he casts our sins as far as the east is from the west. You can travel east and you can go the whole world. And you'll never be west because you're always traveling east. That's how far he has cast our sins so that they're not even contemplated anymore.
Well, what do we do, especially when it comes to spouses? A spouse will do something to hurt the other, giveness and the spouse says, I forgive you. And then two years later in an argument, you bring it up. Well, maybe you really didn't forgive, they should not forgive and forgive. And so God doesn't hold our past sins and stuff.
So we should be forgiving each other just as God has. So it isn't, well, I forgive him better than most other people. That's not the standard.
But how has God forgiven us? If you could go back, I'd appreciate it to the Matthew. Yes. Peter is going to ask a very important question. One of those that we all would probably ask if we heard Jesus teaching. And in Matthew chapter 18 verse 21 through 35, what a lengthy passage is this. Then Peter came up and said, how often shall my brother sin against me? And I forgive him up to seven times.
And so Peter has heard Jesus talk about forgiveness. He's going, well, how often am I supposed to forgive my person? And he's thinking, well, seven times is a lot. And quite frankly, it is. I feel fortunate if I forgive you once. And I'm saying, okay, Lord, seven is important.
Seven is going to be. So if my brother sins against me, six, seven suffer times that I forgive him. Am I good? Jesus said to him, I do not say to you up to seven times, but up to 70 times seven. Jesus basically said, don't worry about the number. Just keep forgiving. And again, on my natural seat, I wouldn't give you seven times that alone seven. I would want and then avoid you.
Jesus is teaching as we are to forgive each and every time our brothers sin against us. And then Jesus is going to give a parable that's going to accentuate this point. For this reason, maybe compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. And when he had begun to settle them, one who owed him 10,000 talents was brought to him. Now, I don't think we have a real understanding of the value of a talent. A talent was a denomination of the time.
It was pounds and pounds and pounds of silver. I heard that it ranges in the millions of dollars of the value. So we say, in essence, a single talent is worth hundreds and millions of dollars. And now we're talking about 10,000 talents. More than Elon Musk could afford. So basically, what I'm saying is this man, there's no hope that he's going to be able to pay.
And it was brought to him. But since he did not have the means to repay his Lord commanded him to be sold along with his wife and he had the repayment to be made, well, guess what? Selling the hub, husband, selling the wife, selling the children, selling everything he had is not even going to make a dent in the loan. But it's the debtor has. And so he wants his money. And the slave fell to the ground and frustrated himself before him saying, have patience with me and I will repay you everything. Now, I don't, you know, this is a concern. And I don't doubt.
The ability of the slave and this man. But when you're considering the amount of debt, there is no way he's ever going to repay if he was given 10,000 years to repay. Because he's not going to receive a thousand, he's not going to receive a talent in a year, let alone. But he's begging the master, the king to be patient.
That's a big ask. It's a big ask. Have patience with me. Do everything.
Can you even say give me a discount? And the Lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt. Now, how rich is the king that he can afford to forgive 10,000 times? But the king seen the humbleness and the pleading of his slave. He has compassion.
Not only has compassion, a lot of us feel bad. I feel bad. But I've whatever. I only did have compassion. He did something about it. He forgave the debt.
But that slave went out from the and found one of his fellow slaves who hold him for a denier. Now, a denier is basically one day's wages. So this slave was owed a hundred days worth of wages.
In significant compared to 10,000. And now you could understand this slave. If the master said, okay, I'm going to give you some time to pay. And he needs to collect everybody that owes him some money so that he can pay off the debt to avoid going.
But no, his debt has been wiped clean. He's no longer. So he doesn't need to worry about collecting money. And he seized him and began to choke him saying, pay back what you owe. He laid hands on this guy demanding repayment.
So his fellow slaves fell to the ground and began to plead with him saying, have patience with me. And I'll repay you the same thing except in a far less significant amount of money. He's saying, I will, I too will repay you. Just be patient with me. But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed.
Now, even in our world today, if you are sent to prison, you know, they used to be, you've made license plates and you get so much money per day. And so when you served your time, they gave you some money. I suspect even in today's world, you wouldn't make enough money to pay back what you owe.
So you're pretty much serving a life sentence in prison because you could certainly make more money outside of prison than you can't in prison. So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came to their Lord all that had happened. We've seen what's going on and this isn't right. And so other people rally to his support.
And so many in him, his Lord said to him, you wicked slave. I forgave you all you pleaded with me. Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave in the same way that I had mercy on you? That's saying, I forgave you of much more substantial debt than there was, shouldn't you have at least done the same thing?
I wiped out, should you not have wiped out his entire debt? And his Lord moved with anger. Handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed. Now I suspect wrong. But I suspect they don't pay you for getting tortured. You just suffer.
And so I guess this is where he's getting his pound of flesh. We so often think of God rightfully so as a merciful and compassionate and loving God. And we think we're his favorite. So the rules don't apply to us because we're special. Don't do what the king says.
Maybe he can get more than displeased. My fat Heavenly Father will also do the same to you if you each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart. The king will do to you what you have done to each other. You forgive, I forgive, you hold the debt, I hold the debt. I'm not scared.
Then Jesus when his disciples came to teach us how to pray. And so people call this the Lord's Prayer. It's the essence of the disciples prayer. You want to know the Lord's Prayer. You can go to John chapter 14 through. That's really the Lord's Prayer.
But this is a disciples prayer. After 612 it says and forgive us our deaths. As we also have forgiven our debtors. Notice the difference here in the parable the master forget the king forgave the debtor. Didn't forgive those who were indebted him. And this Jesus is teaching you want God to forgive you? For you ask him to forgive you.
You have already forgiven. It's past tense. You don't ask God for forgiveness and then hold in your heart. Him or brother.
But those who have wronged you. That's why. Jesus is teaching you just hard. Hard enough to say okay Lord forgive me. Oh okay forgive my fellow. Now he goes for you even ask. You do the forgiving. Matthew 614 through 15 again further on in the same text.
If others for their transgressions your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. Notice if you forgive then your father will forgive. It's not your father forgives. Now we kind of have it backwards in a sense because when we came to Jesus. Fest our sins and he forgave us. And therefore we have a clean slate if you will. And so having this clean slate we're thinking okay well God's already forgiven us. And so I'm forgiven and therefore whether I hold something against my brother or not and.
And well guess what. There is not a single one of us. From the time of Jesus. Till the time of Jesus coming back. We are saints. For believers. Who are called ones. Who do not sin.
We are instructed not to sin. We are instructed that we are consider ourselves dead to sin. But guess what. That ugly sin keeps the rising every single day. And quite frankly every single hour and every single moment. Sometimes we've been sin in our sleep.
Because that's who we are. And keep having to need that slate clean every moment. Who said your father will forgive you as you have forgiven. If you forgive again. The obligation is you first and then God. But. Forgive others.
Then your father will not forgive your transgressions. Wait a minute. That'll sound right. I'm not just supposed to forgive me because I've asked him for forgiveness. God saying no. If then I forgive. This verse really bugged me.
Because a lot of times I would say well, I'll forgive. But they asked for forgiveness. I may not want to forgive, but I'll be magnanimous and I'll be real Christian. And I'll forgive if they forgive. Luke chapter 4. Jesus is hanging on the cross being crucified. People first in him and mocking him and enjoying the fact and the show that he's being crucified.
Jesus says this. But Jesus was saying father forgive them. But they do not know. Do we.
They didn't even ask for forgiveness. And Jesus forgave. I said. Jesus just took away one of my excuses. Now the problem was if I'd read in.
It would have been I still need to forgive before I seek for forgiveness. So they will have to wait until they ask for forgiveness is not only off the table. I was supposed to forgive before they even asked.
But Jesus understood that what was happening was according to God's will. And his death and resurrection was for us. And therefore what he did was for our benefit. Now in case you want to make the argument, well, Jesus is God. He's godly.
Therefore it's easy for. In this situation. I'm going to use one more example by a man named Joseph. I have an affinity for Joseph because he has a wonderful life and wonderful life. And since he goes to prison, all these other things. But but he's used by God and there's great.
For like I said, he's I share his name. Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers. Because they were jealous and hated him because his he was his daddy's favorite. Of the dreams. And they thought he was also superior. So their first thought was to kill him.
But they thought well, we can make money out of the deal. We'll we'll sell him. And then we'll tell dad he got eaten by a predator.
And here's his. Others and see how ripped and bloodied and he's gone. Joseph goes from slave. To hot first house to prison. To being the second in command of Egypt.
And there was a famine. But Joseph prepared for the famine. And the famine was those to fear that his family needed to buy food from Egypt.
And Joseph arranged it so that in essence his entire family had to come. Egypt to him to buy it enough rain. And when he revealed himself to his brothers who he was.
They were afraid and rightfully so. And they wanted him dead. Joseph didn't ask.
Them to forget. They didn't ask Joseph for forgiveness. Joseph said. What you did you meant for evil.
Joseph knew exactly. He didn't. He said. What you did was you meant for evil. But God meant it for good. He saw the hand of God regardless of what the evil was done. And he forgave them and hug them and fight it for them. And because of what God did, he saved Jacob's family.
So the scripture says. God causes all things to work for good. To those who are called.
Those who love him. So maybe somebody might do evil. But maybe God is doing something. Good. Jesus suffered on a cross which was evil and terrible.
But God turned that. Not only good, but awesome blessings for you and me. That we are not only forgiven.
We're redeemed. We're not just in prison. We are made free. We are not only made free.
We are called his children. And just forgive our debt. He changed our relationship from enemy to a child. So the point of this message, if you will, is that you just forgive that one person. But to be forgiving as God is forgiving. And to be forgiving as a parent.
Even the ugliest among. Please, when somebody tells us that our children look like us. I used to have this other phrase that said, my children get all their looks from me because their mother still has her. So, you know, so I would take credit knowing that I'm not, you know, I'm not the. But no matter how you got your father's eyes and you got whatever you got your father's nose.
We're so pleased with that. What if? What if somebody said to us? You have your father.
You're loving. You're merciful. You're forgiving. You're your father and you. I can't think of a better compliment than that. So it is in your and my best interest.
If we're just being selfish about this, that you are better off if you forgive. Because if you forgive, you're forgiven. If you don't forgive, you're not forgiven. But let's move from forgive to be forgiving. Because that's who our father is. And we see that on the cross. The debt that he paid was more than 10,000 talents of my sin. And he used an infinite value to pay by in your debt.
The cross ran red. As the cross had ran red. He showed his love and his forgiveness. And what God has asked us to do the same. That.