Debt

Are you generous really folks are you generous because we always think oh I'm not rich I can be generous with whatever you have learned to be the hands and feet of God learn to give learned to help learned when you see someone was… Talk about this on the front porch and collect the checks top-selling is that what don't you know that will happen. No, I'm not stupid.

Yes I know that happens, your job is not to sit back and do all that criticizing your job as a safe God has blessed me God what he wanted and how can I serve and build your kingdom because that's just a portion of the upcoming message that Pastor Avedon shot Clearview church in Henderson, North Carolina focuses on making Christ worship we serve really love one another. 6/30 485 Oxford Rd. in Henderson or visit us online@clearviewb.org join us for the rest of this week's message message is a series on the parables of Christ, and were talking about that, but it's much more than just financial debt. Somewhere we can talk about that, but it's really debt is referring to sin and we talk about debt collection were really talking about forgiveness of sins and the message in a nutshell is very simple. Here is unless you understand how God has canceled your send that towards him, through Jesus Christ, you will never truly understand how to cancel the sin debt of someone else towards you repeat that again unless you understand how God has canceled your send it my send that towards him, through Jesus Christ, you will never understand how to cancel the sin debt of someone towards you.

You never you can say I'm sorry. I forgive you. Or whatever. My apologies.

You'll never understand.

This morning that's where were headed with this message titled debts. If you have your Bibles turn to Matthew chapter 18 starting in verse 23 and once again, as we always do. Let stand for the reading of God's word. Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. And when he had begun to settle accounts. One was brought to him who owed him 10,000 talents. But as he was not able to pay his master commanded that he be sold with his wife and children and all that he had and that payment be made. The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, master, have patience with me and I will pay you all in the master of that servant was moved with compassion released him and forgave him the debt. But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants, who owed him 100 denarii and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, pay up what you know so his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, have patience with me and I will pay you all and he would not, but went and threw him into prison, till he should pay the debt when the other servants saw what happened, they were outraged and went and told her master everything that happened. The master called the servant in and said you wicked servant, I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to, shouldn't you have's had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you in anger, his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured until he should pay back all he owed.

Verse 35 would you read with me. This is how my heavenly father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart this morning. We can talk about debt, financial debt, but much more than just finances, but parables are like mirrors you see yourself in the story. So the question is are you that wicked servant who had a massive debt forgiven and had he went out and took another by the throat and said, pale. The parable of the unforgiving servant is very basic and is very simple on the surface, but it's very baffling and complex. The more you study it more you look at it you realize there were so many questions that we simply gloss over and we never think about questions like this.

Why is sin described as a debt I'm in what way do we owe a debt to God is God, give us a certain amount of holiness, and then he requires it back.

We know that's not true here's another question. What is the connection. As I mentioned a few moments ago of our sin debt to God and others. Sin debt towards us.

What is the connection between the divine sin debt and the human sin debt because apparently there is a connection. Here's another question. Why is it so hard for us to canceled the debt of others. In other words, why so hard for us to forgive someone who has done us wrong and I truly believe and I know you will agree with me.

I believe you will agree with me. Is it really that we cannot cancel one sing that. Is it really that that one thing that did against is that we have a tough time forgiving. If you're really honest and think about it is not about that one thing if if everybody just did one thing to us. It would be easy to say you forgiven your forgiven were done. It's okay. It's all right.

Everybody makes mistakes now were back on the same place. It's the fear that you will do it again right trust has been broken.

Now what's going to happen. Cannot really trust as if I forgive you, you're going to come back and inflict the same pain, but in this fact this time will be worse so cannot really let you off the hook coming that's again the question coming out of this text.

And here's the big question cannot be saved cannot truly be saved if I refuse to forgive someone is all know that's not you are quite right. Think about that verse again. Jesus was he just bluffing I was.

He just say yeah I'm Seth said that but I really didn't mean it when he said so. Also, your heavenly father will do to you unless you forgive someone from the heart which means folks you'll be in hell if you don't forgive so so many questions I will believe I can answer in the next 20 minutes.

It's impossible to do that. So this is a multi part series and a word to the wise, do come and listen is on you this message. These theories are to be very important in your life and if you skip out or you are doing something, it's on you.

I've done my best.

So make sure you're here for. That would handle the question. The first question first, which is why is sin described as a debt what is the meaning of that now there are two reasons and begin to look at both those reasons, but this is a question we cannot just answer just like this and move on. We have to truly grasp this because it's laying the foundation for this entire idea of forgiveness.

So why is sin described as a debt, why did Jesus talk about debt. Forgive your debts the common mistake people make in studying this parable is that they quickly jump over the word debt and start talking about sin, they quickly go from okay Jesus said forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. Okay, so that's okay that's done, let's talk about your sin towards God and how you have sinned against his holiness and how you have broken his commandment, wait wait wait wait wait before we can start talking about the spiritual idea of his sin debt. We need to focus again on the reason Jesus used the word dad to understand that. Let's back up in the parable to just two verses prior to Matthew 18 verse 21 is on the screen. Then Peter came to him and said, Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me up to seven times and what did Jesus say Jesus answered and I tell you, not seven times, but 77 times. Now we all know this 77 times or 70×7. Was Jesus saying you know, forgive them for hundred 90 times longer message and that is not true right was at me keep forgiving why did Peter use the number seven and why did Jesus say 70×7. Martin Peter say they cannot forgive three times and then you know it's pretty much I get to hold a grudge. Oh no, not three times with 3×3. Why did Jesus not use the number five why did you not use the number 1010 would be even more right body to forgive only 10 note 10×10 or 10 times hundred why the number seven. Please listen because the number seven in the Old Testament is the number of fulfillment. It was the number of Sabbath is very significant when it comes to debt. Let me read for you two passages. The first one is in Deuteronomy chapter 15 and verse one at the end of every seven years you shall grant a release of debts. This was not random. As I okay how about seven know this was a number associated with forgiving debt.

According to the Old Testament law when it comes the seventh year, debts were canceled. Verse two and this is the form of the release. Every creditor who has lent anything to his neighbor shall release it, he shall not require it of his neighbor or his brother because it is called the Lord's release of any color love to live back then seventh year is over, gone. Listen to Leviticus chapter 25 verse eight and you shall count seven sabbaths of years for yourself 7×7 years. There's a reason why Jesus said 7×77×7 years and the time of the seven sabbaths of year shall be to you 49 years then you how to do math back then 49 years then listen then you shall cause the trumpet of the Jubilee to sound on the 10th day of the seventh month, on the day of atonement, and you shall consecrate the 50th year 49 years there serving you.

They cannot pay their bills.

Every seventh year you pardon them, but because the debt is such that now they are your slave in the 50th year something happens. What happens, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all its inhabitants, it shall be a Jubilee for you as we get the word jubilant. It shall be a Jubilee for you and each of you to return to his possession. Each of you shall return to his family.

Therefore you shall not oppress one another, but you shall fear your God, for I am the Lord your God, and the land will yields its fruit and you shall eat your fill and dwell there in safety.

So when Peter asked the question about forgiveness and use the word number seven and Jesus talk about 70×7. It was not just picking a number they were talking back to the Old Testament law where the seventh year debts are canceled and the 50th year after the 49th slaves are set free, but something else almost to pay attention to look at the screen.

Leviticus 25 verse 23 what is a saint. The land shall not be sold permanently. I read that last line with me for the land is mine. I keep that tucked away in your in your brain for the land is mine who saying these words goddess what he's telling us people is you can do these transactions you can work hard, work smart accumulate more land. Hey listen this family we get there and how to manage their finances are coming to you for help and in time there's a foreclosure you get all their property. Okay, you've grown.

You have become wealthy, wonderful, that's great. You help people out you don't try to put them in debtors prison know you give them a chance or two. It's on wonderful, wonderful, wonderful but at the end of the day. Don't forget it's not yours. This whole land is mine says the Lord. Something else in the head. Going back to Exodus chapter 19 verse five is on the swing again.

Now therefore, if you live in you will if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to me above all people, for read with me all the earth is mine all yours is mine who is saying these words goddess you know. And Jesus came into this world to preach the gospel and to give his sacrifice on the cross repeatedly. He talked about debt repeatedly talked about finances. There's a reason for that either the Pharisees we talked a lot about the Pharisees had created a system called processable.

It was a system according to the system, the debt collector could give someone's debt over to the court. Now if this individual debt at this end of the seventh year, what's gonna happen if you told me $1000 at the end of seventh got forgive what happens at the end of the 49th year.

If you are my slave because of debts. Your grandparents have accumulated. Now I have to forgive you have to give you back your land, but the Pharisees came up with this system called processable. According to the system, the debt collector could give someone's debt over to the court there still in charge, but now it's not me it's belongs to the court. So what happens no longer do you have to pardon that debt. What happens at the end of the seventh year. I don't I'm not holding the lien on their their property.

I'm not holding the lien on their farm, the cordis, but really you are not in a way it was a win-win situation as it would mean by win-win folks.

If you were a creditor. What would you do in the sixth year would you ever loan out any money. What would you do come on y'all maybe on the clerk of our yard broke what would you do the sixth year and I are managers don't have any money I can help me out. Come back in a year to what you're saying is when I have time to collect my money back. I'm not so they had stopped giving so is a win-win situation. Here is a poor sharecropper coming to a red should landlord take and I have sure you can have it will let the court hold.

What a great system. It's a win-win, because now the landlord can loan money loan property and still get it back in the eighth and ninth and 10th year of the 15th and 16, the 17 year and the poor farmer can also have property have money to do the was great to write is in the win-win situation there's a problem. The debt kept mounting. It kept growing to a point that it was absolutely impossible for people to get out of there debt.

The only way you can do that in two ways, really foreclosure or slavery.

So when Jesus was preaching the gospel in those spindles years those in 03 and 1/2 years or whatever. There were people who were in massive debt. Does that sound familiar, and he talks about in Matthew 612 what it is a forgive us our debts, not just transgressions debts as we forgive our debtors.

And then he gave a parable about a creditor. I had to debtors.

One had owed him 500 notable note in 50 which one would love him more if you were to forgive.

Of course the one who had more and then this parable of this unforgiving servant. How much did heal. How much did heal 10,000 talents. How much is talented people know so it's very hard to tell what exactly is happening at 10,000 pennies a what is talents well. One talent is really it's a measure of weight would be equal to 60 to 90 pounds depends on whether was gold or silver or copper. So one talent is about 60 to 90 pounds when were talking about 10,000 talents were really talking about close to 225 tons of whatever it is 225 tons how much is one talent. Let's say of gold were talking about close to 6000 denarii not do the math. How much would 10,000 talent be in denarii.

If one is 6000, 10,000×6000 were talking about how much 60 million B.

Even that sometimes may not make sense unless you have the more information I did Samantha do some research to figure out exactly what this comes down to. Well, think about King Herod, King Herod who built the Temple King Herod, who was a great architect.

King Herod did you know that it yearly once they did the math books out there.

He brought in only 900 talents of gold that was his annual income. How much of you say 10,000. It would take King Herod 10 years to pay back the debt. If you never spend a penny or dime or anything and just Whatever he came in he was giving out. It would take King Herod 10 years, which means what it is impossible.

There is no way that that servant can ever pay back that money. A common laborer could work all day and get one denarii 60,000 60 million denarii. It's impossible to know when Jesus was preaching people understood what he was talking about. He was talking about financial dad. He was talking or people struggling with money and I want to say something folks on a capitalist, and I've actually studied it versus people just mouthed of capitalism not to study your true capitalism is not about get all the money you can best capitalism. That's greed, true capitalism is God has blessed me to do all this so that I will become his hands and feet in this world. Solid feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and share the gospel with the poor by my question to you is if you were living back within 2000 years ago would Jesus water pump pointed his finger at you and said you forgive their debts as God has forgiven yours.

Would he say that to you. Are you generous. I mean really folks are you generous because we always think oh I'm not rich I can be generous with whatever you have learned to be the hands and feet of God learn to give learned to help learned when you see someone who is Donna don't talk about the sit on the front porch and collect the checks top saying that you say what don't you know that will happen. Folks know I'm not stupid. Yes I know that happens, your job is not to sit back and do all that criticizing your job as a safe God has blessed me God what you want me to do. How can I serve and build your kingdom because that's biblical. That's biblical reenters as all doable, but it is a mean anything.

Jesus, when he came he addressed an issue that was a big deal for people. They were struggling.

There was suffering. The question is are you generous or clear. We have a lot of people were generous, but are you are you generous so there you have it.

There's a reason why Jesus talked about debt, but now here comes the second part of the question in the next five minutes.

What does debt financial debt have to do with sin. What is the connection between I/O money to my creditors and this is now sin before God. Or now I have to forgive the sin of others ascendant. What is the connection will in the Bible. Sin is defined by metaphors of, for example some time. Sin is a burden. And Jesus says come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Sometime sin is described as a stain that has to be washed. Sometimes it slavery you are in bondage to Egypt and you have to be set free, but many times sin is described as a debt limit view of give you a verse from Leviticus chapter 5 verse one. If a person sins and hearing the utterance of an old and is a witness, whether he has seen or known of the matter. If he does not tell it, he bears guilt. In other words, he is assuming a debt when we sin, we are assuming a debt towards home towards God's yardage said that one is that have to do with this. It has to do with the land. You know this whole idea of sin being debt became very prominent ones. The children of Israel were taken into exile in the profits. If you ever study Old Testament repeatedly talked about forgiveness of sin as if God is paying your debt. Listen to two of them. Jeremiah chapter 31 verse 11 for the Lord has redeemed Jacob and ransomed him from the hand of one stronger than he, to us it doesn't make sense.

Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. But the people of Israel the first century audience then you because they were in debt to God. They were on God's land and they were still sinning and the prophet said God has to redeem you, God has to forgive you of what you owe to him. This is his land here.

Zechariah chapter 9 verse 12 returned to the stronghold you prisoners of hope and even today I declare that I will restore doubled to you so when you work for the Lord listen when you work for the Lord God says if you truly work hard for me. I will pay you double so you can pay me back. Are you getting this in the early it in the end that audience. People need what Jesus meant when he said, forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And by the way, when Jesus came. What did he preach in Matthew 2028 it says, just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many. Note to us all. We think about is that Jesus died on the cross for my sins, but the first people who heard the gospel. They understood what Jesus meant when he said I have come to pay your debt. Listen to how Paul addresses this in Colossians chapter 2 verse 13 is on the screen and you, being dead in your trespasses and the un-circumcision of your flesh, he has made alive together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses forgiven you all your debts.

How has God forgiven you, your debt, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which he has, which was contrary to us and he has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. You know what God did with your sin debt.

The way he did it for the people of Israel. Same with us.

We may not have the land, but but same principle applies. It's a death listen said that you can never ever repay folks unless you understand this, you will never understand how to forgive other people know the breath on breathing my heart beating my brain waves functioning all that I'm doing over here. The smart decisions on making the wise decisions on making the blessings that I'm a committed, everything belongs to him because I'm on his land unless that fundamentally alters your mind and how you think. Always hold a grudge. You took what you owe to God for living on his arm for living under his grace and he took all sin, and he nailed it to the cross and you wiped it clean the blood of Jesus Christ.

Thank you so much for joining us for this message.

Hopefully help you understand your sin debt you can never repay. We CRC in debt get a better understanding of God's forgiveness and were encouraged to extend that forgiveness to other people you trust in God for the forgiveness of your sins do that today. For more information visit us online at Clearview B.arranging for this sermon's notes checkup exercise block and other non-shop.com