10 am Sunday 13 th Sept 2020: Forgiveness (Matt 18: 21-35)

Good morning and welcome to our word document service.

Church Family News: -

A brief reminder that on next Sunday, the 20th September, there’ll be a service of Holy Communion happening at 6.30pm.

This year our APCM meeting will be happening during the 10 am service on Sunday 25th October. In the light of this, please send your reports to our PCC Secretary, Brenda Stanford, by 27th September, if you lead/oversee any of our church’s groups or ministries.

Finally, it is exciting that our house groups are being re-launched this autumn with the name Grace, Truth & Life Groups and a course to help us reconnect with each other and be renewed in our Christian faith called ‘Moving On’. Mindful of the facilitators we currently have for groups, this time around there will be 5 groups happening, with one of these being a newly formed group. These will be taking place in groups of no more than 6, with one group meeting on zoom. If you’d like to join a group in January, please talk with me, Pete or Liz about this. Thanks a lot and God bless you mightily, Rev’d Gayle

Opening affirmation: -

The Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.

Let us rejoice and shout for joy.

Come, Holy Spirit,

fill the hearts of your faithful people,

and kindle in us the fire of your love;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Opening hymn: The Lord’s My Shepherd

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eIQQayhpak

The Lord’s my shepherd, I’ll not want;

He makes me lie in pastures green.

He leads me by the still, still waters,

His goodness restores my soul.

And I will trust in You alone,

And I will trust in You alone,

For Your endless mercy follows me,

Your goodness will lead me home.

He guides my ways in righteousness,

And He anoints my head with oil,

And my cup, it overflows with joy,

I feast on His pure delights.

And though I walk the darkest path,

I will not fear the evil one,

For You are with me, and Your rod and staff

Are the comfort I need to know…

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Preparation for confessionOur Lord Jesus Christ said: -The first commandment is this:‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is the only Lord.You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’

The second is this:‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’There is no other commandment greater than these. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Amen. Lord, have mercy.

ConfessionLord God, we have sinned against you;we have done evil in your sight.We are sorry and repent.Have mercy on us according to your love.Wash away our wrongdoing and cleanse us from our sin.Renew a right spirit within us and restore us to the joy of your salvation, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

AbsolutionAlmighty God, our heavenly Father, who in his great mercy has promised forgiveness of sins to all those who with heartfelt repentance and true faith turn to him: have mercy on us; pardon and deliver us from all our sins; confirm and strengthen us in all goodness; and bring us to everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

First Reading: Romans Psalm 103This is the word of the Lord – Thanks be to God

Gospel Reading: Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew Glory to You, O Lord

Matthew 18: 21-35

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This is the Gospel of the Lord Praise to you O Christ.

Reflection song: At the Cross

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUvpBphq5og

There's a place where mercy reigns and never dies

There's a place where streams of grace flow deep and wide

Where all the love I've ever found

Comes like a flood

Comes flowing down

At the cross

At the cross

I surrender my life

I'm in awe of You

I'm in awe of You

Where Your love ran red

And my sin washed white

I owe all to You

I owe all to You Jesus

Message: Forgiveness (Matthew 18: 21-35)2

There's a place where sin and shame are powerless

Where my heart has peace with God and forgiveness

Where all the love I've ever found

Comes like a flood

Comes flowing down

At the cross…

In one of Shakespeare’s most famous monologues, the St. Crispin’s Day speech from

Henry V, King Henry inspires his soldiers in the face of grim odds with a rousing speech about

how the men who fight this battle with him will be forever united as a “band of brothers.” This is a

king speaking to peasants, and yet he’s saying that what they’re about to go through will unite

them all as brothers. As Christians, we are united with one another by an even stronger bond.

The church is made up of people who have the most important thing in common: the

forgiveness of sins and our love for Jesus Christ.

Last Sunday morning we considered the three steps for reconciliation that reflect a common

practice of the time that Jesus’ disciples would have been familiar with. It was understood that

three pardons were enough – a fourth offense did not need to be forgiven. But the next section

of chapter 18 of Matthew’s Gospel, that’s our focus for this morning teaches us that through the

power of Jesus, our forgiveness of others’ offences towards us is to be limitless!

This morning we’ll consider four points that are all about forgiveness: that we can be forgiven ourselves always, that our response to our own forgiveness is to always forgive

others, that our forgiveness has got to be QUALITY forgiveness, and really importantly: what

forgiveness is not.

Starting with the truth that you and I can ALWAYS BE FORGIVEN by God, in verses 21

and 22 we read: ‘Then Peter came to Jesus and said to him, “Lord, if another member of the

church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him,

“Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times’.

Peter thought that surely, if the standard was forgiving up to three times, seven ought to be

more than enough to satisfy Jesus. Seven was symbolic of perfection in holy scripture, after all.

When Jesus says, “Not seven. Seventy-seven”, he’s asking Peter to go deeper in his

understanding of forgiveness. And Jesus invites us to go deeper, too.

Thinking about this, we might recall experiences we’ve had and wonder for example: ‘does

that mean the driver who knocked my off my bike at night and then drove away?’, or ‘does that

mean my ex-marital partner who cheated on me? What, even those who are racist or terrorists?

Last Friday was the 19th anniversary of Nine Eleven, when 3,000 people died when four hijacked

airliners were crashed into the World Trade Center in New York… and so we wonder ‘what – even

this?’

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Jesus teaches us through the parable of the unmerciful servant that it’s not the extent of the

atrocity, hurt or offence that’s committed towards us, nor the number of times we are hurt that is

the issue at work. No matter what someone has done, or how often, people can ALWAYS receive

forgiveness.

Let’s take a closer look at the parable: there’s a king and a servant. The servant owes the

king a huge amount of money – so much that the servant would not ever be able to repay the

debt. It’s ten thousand bags of gold, so he’d have to live something like 150, 000 years to be able

to repay the debt.

Massive as the debt was though, at seeing the brokenness and despair of the servant, the

king relents. Instead of working out some kind of deal to receive back some of the money, the

king goes the whole way, deciding to cancel 100% of the debt, making the servant free of it’s

weight altogether!

Jesus conveys through this part of the parable that we can KNOW that the forgiveness of

the Father is a very real and a very radical thing. Continuing to read on and engage with the next

part of the parable, we learn that having received the kings’ complete forgiveness of his debts this

servant does something we’d probably all agree was out of order.

You’d have thought that with his debt cancelled, the servant would have left the king feeling

on top of the world – free -spirited and generous! But naturally, we read that in the parable Jesus

shared, the servant notices a fellow servant who owes him just a hundred silver coins – nothing

compared to what he himself had owed the king!

And what’s he do? He grabs his fellow servant, choking him and demands the payment.

Even more shocking than that, we see that when his fellow servant falls to his knees, begging,

there is no mercy. This servant who’s received complete forgiveness and received so much

compassion, chooses to not be a vessel for those good things to be given to others. He even gets

the fellow servant thrown into prison!

Then comes the awakening for this first servant who received the kings forgiveness. In

verses 31-34 we discover that other servants present notice the injustice and are moved by it, and

decide to tell their master all about what’s happened. To say that the king is livid is an

understatement! His plan was that having received mercy, this servant would be merciful to

others.

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In the servant’s defence another factor to forgiveness that this parable draws out for us is

that forgiveness is challenging. It was the children’s author and Christian writer C S Lewis who

famously said that ‘everyone says forgiveness is a lovely idea, until there is something to forgive’.

So I’m always quite sceptical when I meet a Christian who tells me simplistically that they’ve never

had any problem with forgiveness.

Even so Jesus teaches us here that as His followers we’re to forgive. It’s in God’s plan

for us and God sees it when we don’t forgive. He notices. Let’s not forget that our Old Testament

reading from Psalm 103 explicitly emphasises for us God’s nature: It reminds us that God forgives

ALL of our sins, redeems our lives from the pit, crowns us with love and compassion – forgives our

sins completely (as far as the east is from the west!).

This brings us to considering the quality of our forgiveness towards others, and we’ll

think about this alongside what forgiveness is not.

The king’s reaction to the servant he let off the hook’s lack of forgiveness of his fellow

servant is immense: he orders that the servant be locked away and tortured until the originally

needed payment is possible! And it’s that final verse of the passage that starkly warns us = Jesus

says that ‘THIS is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or

sister from your heart’. We learn from Jesus here that He wants the quality of the forgiveness we

give to others when we experience hurt to be real, from the heart.

Nonetheless, as I’ve reflected on the topic of forgiveness over some years now I’m

convinced that we can only really forgive others from the heart when we experience something

that’s especially hurt us when we approach forgiving as A PROCESS.

I’ve met so many people who’ve followed the lie that you can just ‘let it go to God’ and

‘forgive and forget’ and then felt inadequate as Christians when this hasn’t been possible for them

to do. When an event in life or someone’s’ behaviour towards us cuts particularly deep, we need

to start by thanking God that because of Jesus’ sacrifice we are forgiven ourselves.

Then, depending on the extent of the hurt, we make the decision to forgive in the Name of

Jesus that person who has caused us the pain, or if that’s too much for us, to daily choose to want

to forgive in His Name, talking to God about this. Each day that we make this choice, we come

closer to being able to wholeheartedly forgive the other in Jesus’ Name.

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The other main barrier to us being able to enter authentically into a process of being able to

forgive someone in Jesus Name is not fully understanding what it is to forgive. We’ve got to

realise that forgiving someone a minimal or a major hurt isn’t making an excuse for what

happened, and nor is it minimizing how bad it made you feel. True forgiveness is allowing yourself

to experience God’s anger about the hurt, too.

True forgiveness isn’t the absence of negative feelings. Instead it’s an ongoing choice to

love, which will result in positive feelings in time. Very importantly for any major hurt we

experience, that makes us feel betrayed or abused, forgiving isn’t then trusting the offender in the

respects that he or she has been untrustworthy. Instead, it’s letting the person who hurt us rebuild

trust when it’s appropriate.

Additionally, forgiving isn’t about tolerating further mistreatment but it’s setting some firm

boundaries in place to safeguard against further mistreatment. Instead of reconciliation on

unrighteous terms, it’s having the desire to be reconciled on God’s terms, and rather than

forgetting the offence, it’s remembering it in the light of the goodness that can result from the

forgiveness process.

We’ll spend a few moments in the quietness, asking God to bring to mind anyone we need to

admit a fault to and ask for forgiveness from, or who we know we need to extend forgiveness to in

Jesus Name….

Heavenly Father, we’re overwhelmed by Your infinite grace that You will always forgive us

because of Jesus paying the price on the Cross. Give us the desire and the strength to always

forgive others in Jesus’ Name in the radical way that You forgive us.

As we’ve waited on Your Presence today, if there’s particular individuals who we just know

we haven’t forgiven yet – maybe from the distant past or recent years – in whatever setting – we

say to You this day that we choose to want to forgive. By the power of the Holy Spirit we pray that

You’ll help us to bring the roots of those hurts to You now and in the coming days – that we will

choose daily to carry on this process, knowing as Corrie Ten Boom said about the Nazi’s:

‘Forgiveness, I can’t but He can’. You Lord Jesus can forgive.

And bless us with Your wisdom Lord, to reject what forgiveness isn’t about and live by what

we know forgiveness is about, in Your wonderful Name Jesus, Amen.

Song: Hallelujah, My Father

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxEbQ9r_bbc

Hallelujah, My FatherFor Giving Us Your Son

Sending Him Into The WorldTo Be Given Up For Men

Knowing We Would Bruise HimAnd Smite Him From The Earth

Hallelujah, My FatherIn His Death Is My Birth

Hallelujah, My FatherIn His Life Is My Life

The CreedLet us affirm our faith in Jesus Christ the Son of God:

Though he was divine, he did not cling toequality with God, but made himself nothing.Taking the form of a slave, he was born in human likeness.He humbled himself and was obedient to death,even the death of the cross. Therefore God has raised him on high, and given him the name above every name:That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,and every voice proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Amen.Prayers of intercession

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We pray for the Church throughout the world: that it will be a living example of God’s

love and forgiveness for all.

Lord, our strength and our redeemer: hear our prayer.

We pray for our parish, family and friends: that we will do our best to treat each

other better and to say sorry when we have done something wrong.

Lord, our strength and our redeemer: hear our prayer.

We pray for our parish, family and friends: that we may try to help others to see that

they need to make a change, so that they no longer hurt others and the world

becomes a better place for all to live.

Lord, our strength and our redeemer: hear our prayer.

Father, we bring to your love

The suffering and sorrow of our world.

We continue to pray for all affected by the Covid 19 virus any by other illnesses.

We remember in your presence all who are ill at home

Or in hospital, and pray for those caring for them.

And we pray for all with mental health problems,

Those who live in fear,

or feel that they can no longer cope with life.

Lord, our strength and our redeemer: hear our prayer.

And we pray also for all church leaders.

O Lord, you are our strength and our shield;

your love sustains us through all the challenges we face.

May they know your strength and protection,

your healing and your love,

in the name of Jesus and in the power of the Holy Spirit.

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God of love, help us to share your forgiveness with others. Guide us to do what is

right and to make this world a fairer place for all who live in it. Amen.

An act of Spiritual Communion

Reflect on the day and on your relationships

What good things have come from God today? Where have I fallen short? What might I do tomorrow?

Lord have mercyChrist have mercyLord have mercy

Jesus said “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. John 6:35

Pray for the needs of the world, for your local community, and for those close to you. End with the Lord’s prayer

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.Give us today our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours.Now and forever. Amen

Give thanks for the saving death and resurrection of Jesus and ask him to be with you now.

Thanks be to you, Lord Jesus Christ, for all the benefits you have given me, for all the pains and insults you have born for me.Since I cannot now receive you sacramentally, I ask you to come spiritually into my heart. O most merciful redeemer, friend and brother, may I know you more clearly, love you more dearly, and follow you more nearly, day by day. Amen

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You might then add one or more of the following prayers

Lord Jesus Christ, you said to your disciples, “I am with you always”. Be with me today, as I offer myself to you. Hear my prayers for others and for myself, and keep me in your care. Amen

O God, help me to trust you, help me to know that you are with me, help me to believe that nothing can separate me from your love, revealed in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Lord, in these days of mercy, make us quiet and prayerful; in these days of challenge, make us stronger in you; in these days of emptiness, take possession of us; in these days of waiting, open our hearts to the mystery of your cross. Amen

Conclude with the following: -

The Lord bless us, and preserve us from all evil, and keep us in eternal life. Amen

Final song: Ascribe Greatness to Our God the Rockhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02D3SMB21BI

Ascribe greatness to our God, the Rock His work is perfect And all His ways are just Ascribe greatness to our God, the Rock His work is perfect And all His ways are just

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A God of faithfulness and without injustice Good and upright is He A God of faithfulness and without injustice Good and upright is He

Blessing

May Christ’s Holy, healing, enabling Spirit be with you and guide you on your way at

every change and turn; and the blessing of God Almighty…

Closing Affirmation

As we leave this building todayFill us with your Holy SpiritAs we read the Bible you gave usFill us with your Holy SpiritAs we seek you and find youFill us with your Holy SpiritUntil we meet again,Fill us with your Holy Spirit.

LET’S KEEP PRAYING FOR OUR CHURCH FAMILY’S SAFETY, PEACE & JOY THIS WEEK…

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A few resources for children & young people…

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Personal questions

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How many times did Jesus say we should forgive someone when they sin against us? 77

times (in other words, over and over) Some versions of the bible say “seventy times seven”.

In the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, the king forgave his servant and did not make

him pay back a huge debt. Then the servant found out that another servant owed him a little

money. Did he forgive the servant that owed him a small debt? No, he tried to choke him

and then threw him in prison.

Why was the king angry with the unforgiving servant? The king forgave the servant and did

not make him pay back a huge debt. The least the servant could have done was to forgive

someone else when they owed him just a little money.

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