Raisingourhandinclass...becausewethinkweknowtheanswer!-- Whenwedidn’tknow,weslunkdowninourseats.-- But,whenwewereprettyconfident,wewantedcredit...soweraisedourhandandperhapswent,“Eww,Eww,pickme”(underourbreath).-- Whenweweren’tpicked,wesaidtoourselves,“Iknewthatone,too!”

-- Whatahorriblemomentthough,whenwe’veraisedourhand,beenpicked,confidentlyassertedwhatweweresurewastherightanswer...-- ...andthenwerecorrected,schooled,becauseouranswerwaswrong.TR:That’s,inasense,whathappenedtoPeter...

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RespondingtoJesus’teachingaboutcare-frontingasinningbrother,hegoesontothelogicalquestionofforgiveness.-- READSLIDE-- Peterbelievesheisgoingtheextramile...mostJewishteacherswouldhavesaidthatweneedtoforgiveuptothreetimestoshowthatweindeedhaveaforgivingheart.TR:Jesus’responsetoPeterisnothingotherthana...

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...lineinthesand.

TR:Itisalsoalineinthesandforus,andwehavetodecidewhichsidetostandon,aswereadthroughsomeofthemoststartling,divisiveteachingsofJesusin...

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...Matthew18-- SermonNotes-- WemustdealwithJesustoday...asalmostallthetextswelookattodayhavequotationmarksaroundthemandwouldbeinredlettersinBiblesthatmarkoffJesus’wordsthatway.Beinginreddoesn’tgivethemgreaterauthoritybutitdoesforceustorecognizewearedealingwithJesusandnotGarydeBock.TR:Let’susetheimageofraisingourhandinclasstoframeourthoughtstodayandlet’sseehowJesusschoolsuswithalineinthesand.

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WebeginbylookingatwhathappenedBEFOREPeterraisedhishand.-- MatthewrecordsJesusteachingaboutthetemptationstosinandourradicalresponsetothem,-- then,theparableofthelostsheep,andGodtheFather’swillandactiontoleavethe99andseektheonethatwentastray.TR:Andthen,theimmediatecontextpriortoPeter’s“Eww,Eww”inteachingtheconfusedabout...

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...infectedconflict.-- Icallit“infected”becauseconflictbyitselfdoesnothavetodealwithsin.Wecanhaveaschedulingconflictoraconflictoflimitedresources,butthatisn’tnecessarilyaboutsin.-- Rather,thesenon-infectedconflictsareaboutthewiseuseoftime,moneyandenergy.-- But,Jesusspecificallytalksaboutconflictthathasbeeninfectedbysin.-- Remember,wecanhavesinfulattitudesaboutwhatshouldbenon-infectedconflicts.Oncethejudgmentoflovehasbeencompromised,somethingsinfulishappening.TR:LookinyourBiblesatMatthew18:15...

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READSLIDE-- Note:thewitnessesarenotnecessarilythosewhohaveobservedthesinbutarethosewhohelptoestablishthecharge.Ithinkofthemasmediatorswhotrytocleanuptheinfectedcommunicationandgettotheheartofthematter.-- Theyaretheoneswhocanhelptheonewhofeelswrongedtoseethattheyarebeingoverlysensitive...-- ...orhelptheaccusedseetheirresponsibilityfortheirmethods,evenifthesemotiveswerepure.-- But,whentheaccusedrefusestolisten,theurgencyleveloftheconflictisraised.-- Mosthatetobringanyoneintothesituation...butrefusingtodosoviolatesJesus’teachingandistherefore

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sinful.TR:Verse17...

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READSLIDE-- The“church”isthegatheredassemblyofbelievers,whohaveenteredintoacovenantwitheachotherbymeansoftheirsharedcovenantwithJesus,theirSavior.-- Thegoalinallthestepsofheightenedurgencyisreconciliationbetweentheparties.-- Itseemsthatthisstepallowsfortheretobeanauthoritativeconclusiontothematter.Thatiscertainlysuggestedbyverse18’s“bindingandloosing.”TR:Verse19underlinesthis...

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READSLIDE-- UnresolvedconflictisnotourLord’swillforHiscalledoutcommunity.-- Thisisnotabout“forgivingsomeoneinourhearts”becausewearetoldto“goandtellhimhisfault.”-- Itissoimportantthatsinnotdivideus,thatitevenbecomesapublicmatter.TR:Jesusteachestheseprinciplesinnumeroussettings,includingLuke17...

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READSLIDE-- Forgiveness,here,istiedtowhethertheotherpersonsaystheyrepent.-- Thatis,theyowntheirpartofthemessandarewillingtoturnawayfromit.-- Itisnotjust“inourhearts”...suggestingthatwecanobeyJesuswithouteverdealingwiththeotherparty.TR:Peter’s“Eww,Eww,”reflectswhatIthinkwashisinteractionwithJesus’teachingaboutinfectedconflictand...

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...Peter’sconfusionabouttheloveJesusexpectsustoshowtoothers,especiallyotherbelievers.TR:PetercertainlywouldhavepickedupJesus’strongteachingaboutlove,asseeninJohn13...

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READSLIDE-- Ourstandardofloveisnotafeelingcapturedinsomelovesong,buttheveryloveofChristforHisfollowers.-- Itisloveinactionnotjustan“inourhearts”action.AsJohnwouldwritein1John3:18,“letusnotloveinwordortalkbutindeedandintruth.”-- PeoplewillknowthatweareChrist’s“learners”ordisciples,Hisstudents,IFwehavethesameloveforeachother.-- Howmanypeoplehaveleftchurchbecauseoftheunlovinghypocritesthere...butthenshowingthemselvestobenomorelovingbecausetheyaren’twillingtostayandworkthroughthepainofhealingabrokenrelationship.Afterall,

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lovealwaysbearsup,alwaysbelieves,alwayshopesandalwaysendures.(1Cor13)TR:PetercertainlywouldhaveheardJesustalkingalongthesethemes,likethatcapturedinJohn15...

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READSLIDE-- Jesus’commandment,whatHecallsa“new”commandment,istheoldcommandmenttoloveourneighborasourselvesbutnowdeepenedandtransformedbyHisexampletoevenloveourenemies.-- HereJesusfurtherdefineswhatitmeanstolovewhenHesaid,“justas”intheJohn13text– tobewillingtolaydownourlivesfor.-- Manyofusbelieveourselvestobelovingpeople...butitisintheconflicts,especiallytheonesthatgetinfected,thatweseehowdeepourloveruns.TR:Peterhadheardallthis,oratleastagoodmeasureofitandhethoughtheunderstood,sohesaid,“Eww,Eww”...

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“Lord,howoftenwillmybrothersinagainstme,andIforgivehim?Asmanyasseventimes?”TR:But,JesusdoespraisePeter’slargess,rather...

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...hedrawsalineinthesandandhelpsPeterunderstandthatheisSTILLNOTONJESUS’SIDEOFTHELINE.-- SeventytimessevenORseventy-seventimes,howeverwetranslateit,itistalkingaboutthekindoflovethatdoesnotadduparecordofwrongs.-- Whenwehavealistofgrievancesthatweusetoestablishourcase,wehaveaddeduparecordofwrongs,which1Corinthians13’sdescriptionsayslovedoesnotdo.-- Peterimaginesthatheisbeingincrediblygenerouswhenheiswillingtoforgiveuptoseventimes...butthestandardisJesus.-- And,JesusasksustodowhatisimpossibletodowithouttheSpirit’shelp...toloveandforgiveasHelovesandforgives.TR:JesusthentakesthefocusoffofPeterabit,andtellsakingdomstory...

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...andschoolsthehard-hearted.-- OvertimewewilleitherbelikeLamechwhosaid“IfCain’srevengeissevenfold,thenLamech’sisseventy-sevenfold”(Genesis4:24),-- ORlikeGod,Wholovedusevenwhilewewerestillsinners.TR:Beginninginverse23weread...(vv.23-31inBible)

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23"Thereforethekingdomofheavenmaybecomparedtoakingwhowishedtosettleaccountswithhisservants.24Whenhebegantosettle,onewasbroughttohimwhoowedhimtenthousandtalents.25Andsincehecouldnotpay,hismasterorderedhimtobesold,withhiswifeandchildrenandallthathehad,andpaymenttobemade.26Sotheservantfellonhisknees,imploringhim,'Havepatiencewithme,andIwillpayyoueverything.’27Andoutofpityforhim,themasterofthatservantreleasedhimandforgavehimthedebt.28Butwhenthatsameservantwentout,hefoundoneofhisfellowservantswhoowedhimahundreddenarii,andseizinghim,hebegantochokehim,saying,'Paywhatyouowe.’29Sohisfellowservantfelldownandpleadedwith

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him,'Havepatiencewithme,andIwillpayyou.’30Herefusedandwentandputhiminprisonuntilheshouldpaythedebt.31Whenhisfellowservantssawwhathadtakenplace,theyweregreatlydistressed,andtheywentandreportedtotheirmasterallthathadtakenplace.

-- Thedebtorassumedhisabilitytopay...heislookingforsomegraceandreceivestheofferofgreatgrace.TR:Verse32thengivestheMaster’s,theKing’sresponse...

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READSLIDE-- Forgivenessisaboutreleasingsomeonefromtheirdebt.-- Forgivenessisaboutshowingmercyandnotgivingsomeonetheconsequencestheydeserve.Verse27saiditwas“outofpityforhim”thatthemasterreleasedhim.TR:Butforgivenessinthekingdomofheavenistiedtoourforgiveness...

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...evenasverse34andfollowingshowus...READSLIDE-- Inasense,themaster“un-forgives”thewickedservant.Goddoesn’t“un-forgive”usbecauseHeknowswhatistrulyinourhearts.Yet,wemay“un-forgive”someonewhentheirverbalizationofrepentanceneverbecomesthevisiblefruitsofrepentanceinpracticalchange.-- So,thiskingdomstoryunderlinesJesus’teachingthatourunwillingnesstoofferforgivenessandseekreconciliationwherepossibleisanindicatorthatwehaveneverreceivedHisforgiveness.-- ToforgiveFROMourheartsisnotjusttoforgiveINourhearts,buttoofferforgivenessfromthecenterofone’sreason,emotions,andwill.

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TR:ThisisnotanoutlierinJesus’teaching.WhenHetaughtthesampleprayerthatweoftencallTheLord’sPrayer...

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...saying,“forgiveusourdebtaswealsohaveforgivenourdebtors.”-- HethenunderlinedHispointbysaying...READSLIDETR:OrMark11...

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READSLIDE-- Thistextseemsmorelikethe“offerforgiveness”or“extendthehandforgiveness”ratherthanactuallycompletingforgivenessbytakingthehandofarepentantperson.TR:OrLuke6...

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READSLIDE-- Themeasureweuseiswhatwillbeused.Themeasuringcupweuseistheonewereceivefrom.-- Jesus’mercyissoimmense,thatwedon’thavetoworryabouthavingtofinishpayingthingsoffbyspendingtimeinpurgatory.-- But,Histeachingissostartling,becauseifwedon’tforgiveandloveasHedoes,thenwewillhavetogotothejailersuntilwe’vepaidoffourunpayabledebt.TR:I’vebeenlikePeter,raisingmyhandbecauseIthinkI’vefigureditout.ButoftenI’veonlyfiguredouthowtohavestandardsIcankeepandbeagoodlittlePhariseerule-keeper...

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I’vebeenmorelikeSimonthePharisee...towhomJesussaidinLuke7...READSLIDE-- Jesushadbeeninvitedtodinnerbutnoexpressionsofpoliteness,letalonelove,wereshown.TR:Jesuscontinues...

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READSLIDE-- SimonthePhariseewasbeingschooled.-- SimonPeterwitnessedthingslikethisandthoughthehadauditedthelearningfromJesusconfrontingothers.TR:But,asissooftentrue,wethinkwegetituntilweactuallyexperienceitanditbecomespainfullyobviousthatwedon’t.

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Petergotitwrongsooften,buthehadtheheartofalearner...andhekepttrustingtheTeachertoteach.-- Whenconfronted,becausetheanswer,thatweweresoconfidentof,fallsshortofthemeasuringline...howdowerespond?-- Jesusdrawsalineinthesand.-- Inmyexperience,thelineoflovingandforgivingothersisthemostdifficultpointofobedienceofallofJesus’teaching.-- ItisthelinethatnoonecancrosswithouttheHolySpirit’swork.Itisthelinethatseparatesusfromjustbeingrule-keepingPharisees.TR:ThescariestprayerinalltheBibleis...

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READSLIDE-- IshowweareforgivingothersthewaywewantGodtoforgiveusandthentreatus?-- Ifnot,perhapsitistimetostayafterschoolforsomespiritualdetention...andseekJesusforHismercysothatwecanextendmercy...-- ...toseekHisforgivenesssothatwecanlovemuch,andnotinwordortalk...-- ...tolovemuchbynotaddinguparecordofwrongs,butbybearingup,believing,hopingandenduring.--

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ENDSLIDE(Blank)

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