Embracing Mercy: The Call to Forgive
Summary
### Summary
Today, we gathered to honor our fathers and delve into the profound teachings of Jesus on mercy, as part of our ongoing series on the Beatitudes. We began by acknowledging the fathers among us, celebrating their role and presence. The focus then shifted to Matthew 5:7, "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy," emphasizing the reciprocal nature of mercy in our lives. Through humor and light-hearted Father's Day jokes, we set a warm tone before diving into the deeper message.
The core of today's teaching revolved around the parable of the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18. This story illustrates the immense mercy God extends to us and the expectation that we, in turn, show mercy to others. The servant, forgiven of an unpayable debt by his master, fails to forgive a fellow servant a much smaller debt, leading to his ultimate punishment. This parable serves as a stark reminder of the importance of forgiveness and the consequences of harboring unforgiveness.
We also explored the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15, highlighting the merciful and loving nature of our Heavenly Father. Despite the son's reckless behavior and disrespect, the father welcomes him back with open arms, symbolizing God's unconditional love and readiness to forgive. This story contrasts the father's compassion with the older brother's judgmental attitude, urging us to emulate the father's mercy rather than the brother's condemnation.
In conclusion, we are reminded that our ability to forgive others is a reflection of our understanding and acceptance of God's forgiveness towards us. Unforgiveness acts like a bed sore, eating away at our spiritual health. Therefore, we must strive to forgive and show mercy, as these are the true indicators of our walk with God.
### Key Takeaways
1. Mercy Begets Mercy: The principle of mercy is reciprocal. When we show mercy to others, we open ourselves to receive mercy from God. This is a foundational truth in our spiritual journey, as illustrated in Matthew 5:7. Our ability to forgive is directly linked to our experience of God's forgiveness. [02:01]
2. The Unforgiving Servant: The parable of the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18 teaches us the severe consequences of harboring unforgiveness. Despite being forgiven a massive debt, the servant's inability to forgive a smaller debt led to his punishment. This story underscores the importance of extending the same mercy we have received from God to others. [10:06]
3. The Prodigal Son: The story of the prodigal son in Luke 15 is a powerful illustration of God's unconditional love and mercy. Despite the son's reckless and disrespectful behavior, the father welcomes him back with open arms. This story challenges us to reflect on our attitudes towards those who seek forgiveness and to emulate the father's compassion rather than the older brother's judgment. [19:38]
4. Unforgiveness as a Spiritual Bed Sore: Unforgiveness acts like a bed sore, slowly eating away at our spiritual health. It creates a prison of bitterness and resentment, hindering our relationship with God and others. To experience true freedom and spiritual health, we must let go of grudges and extend forgiveness. [39:14]
5. Forgiveness as a Barometer of Faith: Our willingness to forgive is a measure of our spiritual maturity and our understanding of God's mercy. Forgiveness is not just a one-time act but a continuous practice that reflects our walk with God. By forgiving others, we align ourselves with God's nature and open our hearts to His blessings. [41:01]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[01:03] - Father's Day Acknowledgment
[02:01] - Introduction to Mercy
[02:55] - Father's Day Jokes
[04:38] - Continuation of the Bless Series
[05:14] - The Beatitudes and Mercy
[05:51] - The Survey of Hurts
[06:30] - Our Struggle with Love
[07:04] - The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant
[10:06] - The Sobering Reality of Unforgiveness
[11:19] - The Foundation of Forgiveness
[13:04] - The King's Judgment
[14:05] - The Relief of Forgiveness
[15:25] - Our Debt to God
[16:49] - The Cost of Forgiveness
[17:35] - The Misconceptions of Fatherhood
[18:13] - The Heavenly Father vs. Earthly Father
[19:38] - The Prodigal Son
[20:16] - The Younger Son's Request
[21:17] - The Father's Response
[22:24] - The Prodigal's Downfall
[23:14] - The Prodigal's Realization
[23:57] - The Father's Anticipation
[24:40] - The Father's Embrace
[25:34] - Rembrandt's Painting
[27:18] - The Father's Compassion
[28:04] - The Older Brother's Disdain
[29:30] - The Spectators
[30:20] - Rembrandt's Self-Insertion
[31:17] - Self-Reflection
[32:16] - The Father's Unconditional Love
[33:47] - The Unforgiving Can Become the Unforgiven
[35:08] - The Unforgiving Servant's Hypocrisy
[36:27] - The Consequences of Unforgiveness
[37:09] - The Importance of Forgiveness
[38:30] - Unforgiveness as a Bed Sore
[39:14] - The Dangers of Unforgiveness
[40:23] - The Debt Nailed to the Cross
[41:01] - The Barometer of Forgiveness
[41:39] - Start Forgiving Now
[42:06] - Closing Prayer
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. Matthew 5:7 - "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy."
2. Matthew 18:21-35 - The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant
3. Luke 15:11-32 - The Parable of the Prodigal Son
#### Observation Questions
1. What does Matthew 5:7 say about the relationship between showing mercy and receiving mercy?
2. In the parable of the unforgiving servant (Matthew 18:21-35), what was the initial debt that the servant owed, and how did the master respond to his plea? [08:06]
3. How did the father in the story of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32) react when his son returned home? [23:57]
4. According to the sermon, what are the consequences of harboring unforgiveness, as illustrated by the parable of the unforgiving servant? [10:06]
#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the principle of "mercy begets mercy" in Matthew 5:7 apply to our daily interactions with others? [02:01]
2. What does the parable of the unforgiving servant teach us about the importance of extending mercy to others? How does this reflect our understanding of God's forgiveness? [10:06]
3. In the story of the prodigal son, what does the father's reaction to his son's return tell us about God's nature and His approach to forgiveness? [23:57]
4. How does unforgiveness act like a "spiritual bed sore," and what are the implications for our spiritual health? [39:14]
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you received mercy from someone. How did that experience impact your willingness to show mercy to others? [02:01]
2. The unforgiving servant was punished for not extending the same mercy he received. Are there any grudges or unforgiveness you are holding onto that you need to release? How can you take steps to forgive this week? [10:06]
3. The father in the story of the prodigal son showed unconditional love and forgiveness. How can you emulate this kind of mercy in your relationships, especially with those who have wronged you? [23:57]
4. Unforgiveness can eat away at our spiritual health like a bed sore. Identify one area in your life where unforgiveness is affecting you. What practical steps can you take to address this and seek healing? [39:14]
5. Forgiveness is a continuous practice that reflects our walk with God. What daily habits or practices can you implement to cultivate a forgiving heart? [41:01]
6. Think of someone who has sought your forgiveness in the past. How did you respond, and how might you respond differently now after reflecting on the sermon? [23:57]
7. The sermon mentioned that our ability to forgive is a barometer of our faith. How does your current attitude towards forgiveness reflect your spiritual maturity, and what changes can you make to grow in this area? [41:01]
Devotional
Day 1: Mercy Begets Mercy
The principle of mercy is reciprocal. When we show mercy to others, we open ourselves to receive mercy from God. This is a foundational truth in our spiritual journey, as illustrated in Matthew 5:7. Our ability to forgive is directly linked to our experience of God's forgiveness. [02:01]
"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy." (Matthew 5:7, ESV)
Reflection: Think of a recent situation where you withheld mercy. How can you extend mercy in that situation today?
Day 2: The Unforgiving Servant
The parable of the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18 teaches us the severe consequences of harboring unforgiveness. Despite being forgiven a massive debt, the servant's inability to forgive a smaller debt led to his punishment. This story underscores the importance of extending the same mercy we have received from God to others. [10:06]
"And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart." (Matthew 18:34-35, ESV)
Reflection: Is there someone you need to forgive today? What steps can you take to begin this process?
Day 3: The Prodigal Son
The story of the prodigal son in Luke 15 is a powerful illustration of God's unconditional love and mercy. Despite the son's reckless and disrespectful behavior, the father welcomes him back with open arms. This story challenges us to reflect on our attitudes towards those who seek forgiveness and to emulate the father's compassion rather than the older brother's judgment. [19:38]
"And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him." (Luke 15:20, ESV)
Reflection: Are you more like the father or the older brother when someone seeks forgiveness? How can you show more compassion?
Day 4: Unforgiveness as a Spiritual Bed Sore
Unforgiveness acts like a bed sore, slowly eating away at our spiritual health. It creates a prison of bitterness and resentment, hindering our relationship with God and others. To experience true freedom and spiritual health, we must let go of grudges and extend forgiveness. [39:14]
"Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." (Ephesians 4:31-32, ESV)
Reflection: What grudges are you holding onto that are affecting your spiritual health? How can you begin to release them?
Day 5: Forgiveness as a Barometer of Faith
Our willingness to forgive is a measure of our spiritual maturity and our understanding of God's mercy. Forgiveness is not just a one-time act but a continuous practice that reflects our walk with God. By forgiving others, we align ourselves with God's nature and open our hearts to His blessings. [41:01]
"Bear with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgive each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive." (Colossians 3:13, ESV)
Reflection: How does your willingness to forgive reflect your relationship with God? What can you do to make forgiveness a regular practice in your life?
Quotes
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "Blessed are the merciful. In other words, you're a person that shows mercy, for they will be shown mercy. The Bible says when you give mercy, mercy will be given back to you." (14 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "How many here want to be blessed? I think every one of us here wants to be blessed. And so Jesus said, Blessed are you, or blessed are the merciful, he said, for they're going to receive mercy." (12 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "Because I have been forgiven, I can forgive. This is the foundation for us to be able to forgive others that have wronged us, others that have hurt us, others that have done things to us, maybe an accumulated amount of hurt. The Bible says if we've been forgiven, then we should be able to forgive others." (25 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "This is a picture of you and I that we owe God so much that we have done so many things against God. The Bible says, for all of us have sinned. And fall short of the glory of God. There's none righteous, not even one. We're not even good enough in our own righteousness. The Bible says our good works are like filthy rags to God." (25 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "So why would God forgive us? Why does God forgive us this unpaid debt, so to speak? Can I tell you, nothing in this world is free. They say, hey, they're giving free stuff over here. Somebody had to pay for that. The government's giving free this. No, no, taxes pay for that. How many understand what I'm talking about? Nothing's free. And so forgiveness, although it's a gift of God, somebody had to pay the penalty for us to be forgiven. And how many know Jesus paid the price for you and I because of his love today?" (34 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
### Quotes for Members
1. "If I was to take a survey and I was to give you a piece of paper and you were to fill it out and I was to ask you a question or ask you to write down every time since you were five years old, let's just say you could remember everything that happened since you were five, that if I was to ask you to write down every hurt, every wound, every time someone told you something unkind, every broken relationship, every betrayal, every sort of wound that you've ever had, every hurt, every pain, every brokenness, every time somebody did something wrong to you, how long do you think that list would be? It would probably be endless." (46 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "And the reason why is because we don't love very good. We're not very good at loving others. We like to love ourselves, but it's hard to love others. And so we're constantly dealing with the hurt people have done to us and we're dealing with, with the hurt that we've done to others." (19 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "Because I have been forgiven, I can forgive. This is the foundation for us to be able to forgive others that have wronged us, others that have hurt us, others that have done things to us, maybe an accumulated amount of hurt. The Bible says if we've been forgiven, then we should be able to forgive others. In other words, Jesus has said, don't tell me you can't forgive when you've been forgiven of so much. Don't tell me, don't tell me that you can't forgive this person for the small that they've done to you in comparison to the big that you've done to God." (25 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "So here's the question today I think we need to ask ourselves. Which character are you in this painting? Are you standoffish? Looking from a distance, uninvolved? Are you the older brother looking in contempt and in disgust? When people come back to church, they say, oh, I can't believe they're back. What are they doing here anyway? Oh, again? You're coming back again? Yeah, self-righteous person. That's who that older brother is right there. Or are you the compassionate father? Or perhaps are we the prodigal son coming back and begging for mercy? I think at some point in our walk with God, we can be every character in that painting." (51 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "So let me just give you a few tips here, and then we're going to close. You guys can start playing here. But the Bible tells us this in the book of Colossians. Look at what it says here. It says, He canceled the unfavorable record of our debts with his blinding ruse and did away with it completely by nailing it to the cross. So Paul is saying, I owed a debt. I owed all of these things. I couldn't pay it. But when Jesus, was nailed to the cross, I nailed all of my debt on him. And he paid the price for me." (38 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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