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May 17, 2021 8:00 am
Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ. How often does he forgive daily, hourly by the minute. By the second. How long is he forgive you as long as your breathing. See, that's the forgiveness, just as God in Christ has forgiven you to get rid of anger, forgiveness for joining us today on this additional Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana.
Let's join Pastor Bill Gebhardt now is once again he shows us how God's word meets our world God confront you with something it's very new, allowing you to change your life. You're a wise man but whenever the word of God addresses your confronts one of your behaviors and you ignore it.
Your full your scoffer so we look at this passage of letting all the bitterness, wrath, anger, and clamor and slander be put away from us and along with all malice. He said this is the way you do it because I know one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ has forgiven you. The first thing he says is to be kind, but I think that's a little bit misleading Christ. This is the Greek word and it means to be good and useful it can be translated kind but it means to be good and useful, so notice that the first thing he says is be good and useful to one another and then he says, tenderhearted you supplying loss. One of the only time to choose the entire New Testament you supplying loss. It means to be sympathetic and empathetic. That's what it means he says tenderhearted here. If you put those two together look good and useful to one another.
Be sympathetic and empathetic to one another and these are just set up versus these are the actions you need to have the set up what really is the solution and the solution comes with the next phrase forgiving each other how I put away anger. How do I do that he says by forgiving each other, and again he's very careful with his word choice after me is the word it's almost always use for forgiveness or forgiving. It means the send it away. The idea forgiving something.
I forgive you that I just send it away. But that's not the word he uses here he uses the word charisma. My if you see the word charisma you see in the beginning of at the word Congress. The word Congress is usually translated in the New Testament. Grace, it means gift.
Here is what he is saying he is saying.
When we forgive one another, he means that give the gift freely to give an undeserved gift. That's what he means when he says the forgive one another.
Give the person an undeserved gift and that gift. Of course, is forgiveness. So, which one do when you're angry.
That seem fair to you see is there something going on here. Well, he gets much clear the next two words just as just as God in Christ has forgiven you. Just as just like you have been forgiven. Now you see it as a gift, don't you is the forgiveness of God, a gift in your life or is it something you thought you earned. See that's the whole point of grace, just the way you been forgiven just as that's the way you forgive people that's how you get rid of anger in your life you forgive Andy Stanley really gets to the heart of it when he writes this he said in the shadow of my hurt, forgiveness feels like a decision to reward my enemy. I love that, in the shadow of my hurt, forgiveness feels like a decision to reward my enemy, but in the shadow of the cross, forgiveness is merely a gift from one undeserving sold to another. You see, you have to see it that way.
That's a you get rid of your anger. You get rid of your anger because you see it just as just as I have been forgiven totally repeatedly.
Maybe there's a loophole there's not will maybe there's a limit turn with me to Matthew chapter 18 Matthew chapter 18 verse 21, very familiar verse.
We been there not that long ago. In verse 21, Matthew writes.
Then Peter came and said to the Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him.
You see the world was like our world.
It's one thing to forgive someone who was never dying egg and Stewart all and then inadvertently does something and inevitably what your responses. I forgive you. What about somebody whose a stoning issue. The burrow under your saddle. What about the person. It seems like every single day.
There's a reason forgiven. In other words, what your spouse what about somebody that's right, there what about that so Peter says how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive them and then he gets very self-righteous and he says up to seven times. Peter understood the rabbinic tradition of the day was three see we often say maybe to write first time something you do something like that to me.
Shame what on you.
The second time and I forgive you.
Shame on me were not even close. Peter says seven times in the throes of the Lord's going to be very impressed.
He's not Jesus said to him I do not say to you what the seven times but up to 70×7. Jesus means that for you literalist Jesus is using hyperbole any means always he means perfection.
Some of you probably got a little notepad with a number 490 written on it and every time you forgive someone you cannot 486 471 to 95 were working it down. That's not what he means he means always. Now he understands it. When it comes the anger and the need for forgiveness. That's emotional and so he wants to illustrate just how important that is not only to him how vulnerable we are not the follow through on this and so he teaches a parable he said.
For this reason, the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man 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 again pure hyperbole.
Some would say that's $10 billion. I just read this. Lastly, one commentator said it would mean what you would earn 200 lifetimes, so the numbers just put out there. Theoretically, by Jesus's and when he began to settle them. The one who owed him a 10,000 talents was brought before him. But since he did not have the means to repay, his Lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children already had, and repayment to be made. Now there's justice now what Jesus is inferring by this is, guys.
You don't want justice, you clearly don't want justice settle, so you, your wife, your kids and you still will be close so the slave fell on the ground and prostrated himself before many saying them, have patience with me and I will repay you everything.
Of course the owner to the king knows you can't possibly pay me to God knows you can't pay for your sins, you can't possibly pay for it says in the Lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him and don't miss this the debt. Jesus wants the Lycan forgiveness as debt and otherwise somebody owes you a something will call the debt and to forgive the debt is to forgive the person. Now watch. He says with that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him 100 and Mary, and he seized him and he began to choke him, saying, pay back what you owe.
So his fellow slave fell on the ground and began to plead with him, saying, have patience with me and I will repay you. Was not that much. He probably could, but he wasn't. Don't miss it on willing but I don't miss this if you won't get rid of your anger.
By forgiving people. It's only because of one reason you are on willing.
Don't you say I just can't help but you know my whole family that I have only regrouped my grandpappy really angry. I inherited the anger Jean and another I can do about other than Angry Birds don't do that is only one reason you don't forgive people get rid of your anger. You are on willing. That's what he says he's anyone he threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed someone to fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to the Lord. What happened and summoning him. The Lord said to him, you wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me should you not also have mercy on your fellow slave in the same way as I had mercy on you. Another way to translate it just as in the same way, just as you see, God is not happy when his children are unforgiving. He's angry. You see it.
Notice and his Lord, moved with anger, handed them over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed. He said my heavenly father will also do the same to you. If you do not forgive his Brother from your heart. By way that takes away something doesn't that takes away this I forgive you, Jesus.
I do forgive you. I forgive you, from your heart. She's talking about the cross and understand this. The cross is not just the canceling of debt, but the absorption of injustice. When you forgive someone you knowingly cancel the debt you absorb the injustice.
You see, you could say would I was forgiven at the cross.
That's right that somebody pay for that is a pain involved. Yes, somebody has to absorb the injustice whenever you forgive somebody guess who gets to absorb the injustice you do, that's what we don't like it we don't like absorb the injustice. We don't want to forget. We want them to absorb the injustice. See what retribution we want this is is no just as I did.
You need to do it. I see this in four phases. By the way. Forgiveness is the canceling of the debt. So do you. Phase 1, the first thing you should do identify who your angry with. I guess it will look more dense, but were not that that's I know I'm angry with really. You may not. How many times or someone go to work and get angry all day, but because of the insecurity of their job situation.
Whoever their bosses or whatever they just stuff it and then they go home and they take it out on the people who were there who they really angry at what he really angry at their kids or their neighbor. The wife with her husband. No, really angry the bar so that's what I'm saying. The first phase identify who your anger with by the way, it might be you might be angry at yourself. Number two.
Determine what they go see what does that person. Oh, what did they do to you. Night obviously off the top. We always say why know what they owe me an apology.
Okay, I'm fine with that.
Take that you like that I've read they owe me an apology right so I got on second apology owed. Number three cancel the debt for Jesus cancel the debt.
Number four dismiss the case as forgiveness. I was hoping for something more. You know, I was hoping that somehow they would have to do something. It may or may not.
That is really nothing to do with your forgiveness. By the way, how has he forgiven you completely so, how often does he forgive you daily, hourly by the minute. By the second. How long is he forgive you as long as your breathing. See, that's the forgiveness, just as God in Christ has forgiven you, so you get rid of anger, forgiveness, that's what you're saying but in your heart you know what you're feeling, I want to hold on to this fight. I just want to hold onto this. I want some kind of retribution want them to pay in some way with the last passage you want to look at is in Romans chapter 12 Romans chapter 12 right at the end of the chapter.
These last four versus 17 through 21 of Romans chapter 12 verse 17. Notice the first word is in dinner and non-compromising word never never pay back evil for evil to anyone, never, never pay back evil for evil to anyone respect what is right in the sight of all men. If it's possible, so far as it depends on you. He knows is not always the case.
Be at peace with all men, but something you then he says never take your own revenge never. He says never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord. But if your enemy is hungry freedom. If he is thirsty, give them a drink and then a phrase we like a lot on the surface for in doing so you will heap burning coals on his head right now were talking.
All I have to do is forgive him and then got a get on.
That's not at all what it means I'm not saying God wouldn't.
I'm guessing that's not what this text means see says do not become overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. See he understands we get angry and vengeful, we become evil. He says don't let that happen to you. The reason God doesn't want us and wants us to get rid of her anger is not so much only what it will do to others.
It's what it does to us.
But that phrase for in doing so you will heap burning coals on his head. Paul understands an old Egyptian custom that would've been commonplace in his world and that is starting in Egypt if somebody did something that they were ashamed of really ashamed of.
They would let everybody know of their shame and they would do so they would place a small pan of warm hot cold sore smoldering winter term under person for the turbo and then they put the pan on their head and it will walk out in public when you saw someone out in public. Within a sense coals on their head. They were admitting their own shame for something they had done.
Paul says that's what happens when you act the way you are vengeful you will put those goals. In other words, though eventually feel the shame. But that comes from God.
You see if I could paraphrase that I think what you're saying is always put the retribution and vengeance in God's hands.
Just let God be God. Some people might apologize immediately. Some people may apologize later. Some people may not apologize, all the way to the grave.
Okay, let God be God in the situation you stay out of it because if you get involved. What's going to happen to you what's going to happen to you if you can allow evil in your own life.
That's what you're saying. So get rid of your anger.
By forgiving people justice crisis forgiven you identify who your angry with determine what they owe you cancel their debt, dismiss the case and by the way absorb the injustice want to close with a story written by David Jeremiah that illustrates how this can be done in an everyday way. Not a big wave in an everyday way that makes the point David Jeremiah writes this.
It was a busy day.
I had to eat lunch on the run and so I drove to the drive-through window. The local fast food restaurant. I suppose I had my order on my mind and I didn't see a woman who was approaching the line of cars from another direction. Apparently, I cut her off of her intended route.
It was completely unintentional, but she didn't see it that way. She was furious.
The woman rolled down her window and gave me a piece of her mind more than a piece she served me a second helping. She sounded some obscenities. I had heard those words in a long time. She used hand gestures. She honked her horn. It was a multimedia presentation to say the least. One of the most detailed dispersal's of anger I never seen. And by the time her volcano was out of molten lava. There she was behind me in line and we were both waiting for lunch. I must admit I reached over and lock my doors. But then I had an idea as I was getting my food I ask for the total bill. The woman behind me and the waitress asked.
She want your relatives. Certainly not. I said God sent a cold chill down Mike's behind but still I would like to pay for her dinner will that's very nice. The drive-through waitress said so I pay for both of us. I confess that I couldn't help but way to Ron and adjust my rearview mirror because I wanted to see the woman's response she was in total shock.
He says she was in total shock when I saw her again. It was if she had seen the supernatural. Maybe she had. He said she had just attacked some stranger with all her claws and he had bought her lunch was a full-scale reversal is that I don't know how she feels about it today. Whether it's hot coals or hot lava, but I feel good about the incident.
I feel that I proved the truth of God's biblical prescription.
He says we show that we don't have that molten stuff inside of us we should show the work out of worldly wrath, but we have plenty of lovingkindness plenty of tenderness and forgiveness in stock. He says we go heavy on the grace and the benefit of the doubt. We find some way some action to encourage the aggressor and in the process of doing all this, I can guarantee you that there is no anger in your soul that can whip up that your soul can whip up that won't be dissolved by the power of God's grace and forgiveness in your life. Get rid of your anger.
By forgiving, just as God has forgiven you in Christ spirit father. This is a universal need that we have we may show our anger in a variety of ways but we experience it. So many of us have unmet needs so many of us have unrealized expectations of people and situations. So many of us father have such insecurity and low self-esteem that we feel threatened. So we manifest our anger, no matter how we do it, it's still a problem for us because what you're telling us is that there's one way for us to deal with it. We have to put it off.
We have to separate ourselves from the we have to get rid of our anger and we can do so through the power of your word and your spirit. We can do so by forgiving each other. Father every day.
We thank you for your forgiveness for us. Maybe it's time that we forgive those who sin against us.
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