DIGGING%DEEPER%INTO%GOD S%WORD% (BIBLE&STUDY)

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Cecily Peters
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1 The%Importance%Of%Forgiving%Others Matthew'18:21"35 Message&by&Michael&J.&Barnard January'25,'2015 Teaching)Aim:To#realize# a#parable#is#an#earthly%story%with%a%spiritual%meaning.)to#understand#jesus# was$ using$ this$ method$ of$ teaching$ in$ Matthew'18:23"35 to# demonstrate# the# importance# of# forgiving# others'even'as'we'have'been'forgiven'by'grace'through'faith'in'christ.''if'god'has'forgiven'us'of'our' huge%debts%to%him%and%blessed%us%withforgiveness*and*eternal*life,*shouldn t*we*be*willing*to*forgive* others'of'the'little'debts'they'owe'us. DIGGING%DEEPER%INTO%GOD S%WORD%(BIBLE&STUDY) Part%I:%%Jesus%teaches%Peter%a%lesson%on%forgiveness%(Matt.%18:21"22) 1. What%question%does%Peter%ask%Jesus%in%verse%21?""How"is"the"topic"of" forgiveness seen$as$the$theme$ throughout'much'of'chapter(18 (vv.#12"35)?###why#do#you#think#jesus#spoke#so#much#about#this# topic?' ' Are' you' struggling' to' forgive' someone' who' has' offended you?% % If% so,% what% steps% are% you% taking'towards'reconciliation? 2. The$Jewish$Rabbis$setthe$standard$that$Jewsonly%needed%to%forgive%someone%who%had%sinned%against% them% up% to% three% times,% after% that% enough% was% enough.% % Peter% seemed% to% think% he% was being& generous(by(offering(to(forgive(an(offender(up(to(7(times,(was(he((vs.$21)?## 3. According)to)Jesus,)how)many)times)should)we)forgive(someone(if(they(keepsinning%against%us%and% then% ask% for% forgiveness% (vs. 22)?# # (See# Luke% 17:3"4)" " Did" Jesus" mean" that" Peter" only" needed" to" forgive(up(to(490(times?((what(did(jesus(mean?((why(should(we(be(willing(to(forgive(people(an( indefinite' number' of' times?' ' (See' Mark% 11:25"26)" " What" if" the" person" who" sinned" against" you" refuses&to&repent?&&(see&rom.%12:17"19) Part%II:%%Jesus%shares%a%parable%about%the%amazing%forgiveness%of%the%master%(Matt.%18:23"27) 1. What% is% the% definition% of% a% parable?* * What% method% of% teaching% does% Jesus% choose% to% use% when% teaching)on)forgiveness)in)verses%23"35?""why"do#you#think#jesus#chose#this#style? 1

2 2. What% does% Jesus% compare% the% kingdom% of% heaven % to# in# verse% 23?" " Who" is" the" certain) king symbolic)of?))who)do the%servants represent?""who$ultimately$decides$when$accounts$become$ due?%%how%does%this#imagery#relate&to&thejudgment)of)god)at)the)end)times?)) 3. The$man$in$this$parable$had$built$a$massive$debt,$a$debt$he$could$never$repay$(vs.$24).###In#modern# terms,'a'normal'full'time'job'making$$15.00$per$hour$would$generate'an'annual'income'of'$31,200. On#this#basis#it#would#take#2#years#of#hard#labor#to#equal#1#talent#or#$62,400.##The#servant s#debt#was# 10,000$talents,$the$equivalent$of$$624,000,000$in$today s$dollars.$$how$would$you$feel$if$you$had$to$ repay&a&$624,000,000&debt&by&working&a&$15.00%an%hour%job?%%could%you%repay%a%debt%this%large%in% your%lifetime?%that%is%exactly%the%point%jesusis#making,#the#man#was#desperate(and(in(deep(trouble 4. How$was$debt$treated$differently$in$biblical$days$than$it$is$today?$$Do$people$take$debt$as$seriously$ today&as&they&did&then?&&do&nations?&&(note:&&our&current&national&debt&is&$18,090,828,776,616.84,& or#$56,558.93#per$person.)$what$could$have$happened'to'the$man$and$his$family$if$he$didn t$repay$ the$debt$according$to$verse%25?""how"is"this"different"from"what"we"see"in"our"country"today?""how" does%this%parable%relate%to%sin%and%our%debt%to%god%because%of%it? 5. What%does%the%servant%do%as%a%final%resort%in%verse%26?""Have"you"pleaded"with"God"for"mercy"because" of#your#huge#debt#of#sin#and#the#judgment#to#come?##(see#rom.%2:5"6)""why"do"you"think"so"many" people%today%believe%they%can%work%off%their%debt%to%god%through%good%works?%%can%they?%%(see%eph.% 2:8"10;$Tit.$3:4"6) 6. As# the# servant# pleads" for" mercy," what" does" the" master" amazingly" do" to" the" $624,000,000" debt" in" verse%27?""why?""how"would"you"react"to"such"a"gracious"act"if"it"were"done"for"you?""wouldyou$be$ thankful)to)the)one)who)erased)your)debt?))would)such)an)act)of)grace)change)your)life)and)the)way) you$treat$others?$$why$do$you$think$it$didn t$it$change$this$man s$life?$$(see$john%3:3,5) 2

3 Part%III:%%Jesus%shares%the%consequences%of%not%beingwilling&to&forgive&others&(Matt.&18:28"35) 1. How$does$the$servant$demonstrate$his$appreciation(or$lack$of$it)once%he%isforgiven)and)released) from%his%debts%(vs.$28)?##have#you#ever#taken#for#granted#the#grace#god#freely#gave#to#you?##if#so,# how? 2. How$much$did$the$fellow$servant$owe$the$slave&who&had&been&forgiven?&&A&denarii'was'the'equivalent' to#one#days#wages.##at#$15.00#per#hour,#working#an#8#hour#day,#the#man#would#have#earned#$120.00# per$day.$$a$debt$of$100$denarii$was$the$equivalent$of$100"days"wages"or"$12, ""how"does"this" debt%compare%to%the%$624,000,000%debt%that%had%just%been%forgiven?%%how%does%the%forgiven%debtor% respond(toward(the(man(who(owed#him#a"comparably"small"amount"of"money""(vs.$28)?## 3. How$are$the$two$pleas$similar$in$verses%26%&%29?""How"are"the"responses"of"the"men"holding"the"debt" different(in(verses%27%&%30?""how"gracious"are"you"toward"those"who"disappoint"you"and"fall"short" of#fulfilling#your#expectations? 4. How$did$the$fellow&servants&respond&to&the&mistreatment&of&one&of&their&own&(vs.31)?##Is#the#world# watching)how)christians)treat)other)people)today?))the)number)one)accusation)against)christians)is) that$they$are$hypocrites,*why?**is*this*an*accurate'description?''what"do"people"think"of"you"and" your%lifestyle?%%would%they%call%you%a%hypocrite? 5. How$did$the$master#react#when#he#found#out# the man$he$had$forgiven$was$not$$willing&to&forgive& others'(vs.$32)?##according#to#this#parable#how#will#god#react#if#we#are#unwilling'to'forgive'others' after&being&forgiven&so&much&in&christ?&&(see&matt.%6:14"15)""according"to"verse%33,"how"should"the" forgiven)servant)have)responded?))is)the)same)true)for)us)today)when)dealing)with)other$people?$$ How$should$our$attitude'as'Christians&be&different&from&that&of&the&world? 3

4 6. What%does%the%master%do%as%a%result%of%his%servant s%wicked%behavior%(vs.$34)?##god#always#reserves# the$right$to$have$compassion$on$whom$he$will$have$compassion,$and$justice$on$whom$he$will$have$ justice.))it)is)important$for$each$of$us$to$remember%that%god%is%god%and%we%are%not.%%what%would%we% receive&if&god&gave&us&the&justice&we&deserve&because&of&our&sin?&&on&the&best&day&of&our&lives&we&are& only%deserving%of%hell,%so%why%do%you%think%so%many%christians(are(unwilling(to(forgive(the(faults(of( others? 7. In#light#of#verses%34%&%35,"what"does"Jesus"promise"God"will"do"if"we"aren t"willing"to"forgive" our% brother'or'sister'in'the'lord from%the%heart?%%what%does%it%mean%to%forgive%from%the%heart?%%what% can$ we$ learn$ about$ our$ spiritual$ condition$ from$ an$ unforgiving$ heart?$ $ (See$ Matt.% 5:43"44;# John# 13:34"35;$1$John$3:10"23;$4:20"21) 8. What%can%we%learn%about%how%we%should%live%ourlives&from&Eph.4:31"32#and#Col#3:12"13?""Are"you" willing&to&forgive&others'as'god'has'forgiven'you'in#christ?##to#put#it#another#way,#you#have#been# forgiven)from)a)$624,000,000)debt)in)christ,"are$you$willing$to$forgive$others$their$comparably$small$ $12,000"debts"against"you?""God"not"only"requests"it,"He"requires"it"if"you"want"forgiveness""(See" Matt.%6:14"15) 9.##Have#you#received#Jesus#Christ#as#Savior#and#Lord?##If#not,#why#not#do#so#in#prayer#right#now?##Are# you$holding$a$grudge$or$personal$vendetta'against'someone'in'your'life?''why'not'take'your'struggle' to#the#lord#in#prayer#right#now#asking#him#to#forgive#you#of#your#own#sin#and#to#help#you#forgive#the# person'who'has'offended'you?''do'your'part'in'reconciliation'and'let'god'take'care'of'the#rest MINER S(CORNER(~"Manna"to"live"by Jesus%taught%we%are%to%be%willing%to%forgive%an%indefinite&number&of&times&when&people%repent%and%ask% us##for#forgiveness. Jesus%used%a%parable%to%demonstrate%we%could%never%pay%our%debt%to%God. If#God#forgives'our'massive'debt'because'of'sin'by'grace'through'faith'in'Christ,''we'should'graciously' be#willing#to#forgive#the#sin#of#others#as#well. If#we#won t#forgive#others,#god#won t#forgive#us#of#our#sin There%is%a%lot%of%truth%in%the%statement,% Whatgoes%around%comes%around,be#careful#how#you#treat# others. Commit&today&to&forgiving&people&in&your&heart&who&have&sinned&against&you,&then&seek&reconciliation& with%them%if%you%can%in%the%name%of"jesus"and"to"the"glory"of"god 4

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TABLE TALK QUESTIONS THERE ARE TREMENDOUS BENEFITS TO FAMILIES WHO COMMIT TO EATING TOGETHER. // THOUGH IT IS JUST FOOD,

M I L E S T O N E S TABLE TALK QUESTIONS THERE ARE TREMENDOUS BENEFITS TO FAMILIES WHO COMMIT TO EATING TOGETHER. // THOUGH IT IS JUST FOOD, BEING PROACTIVE ABOUT YOUR TIME AROUND THE TABLE CAN BRING CONNECTION,