Bible Study Series: Knocked Down For The Lord, Acts 22:6-16

 KNOCKED DOWN FOR THE LORD

Acts 22:6-15

INTRODUCTION

DON’T LET YOUR GOOD LOOKS FOOL YOU

Saul was a bad man. He had it going on. He was from the right family. He

was from the right town. He had the right citizenship. He had the right

education. He had the right connections. He ran with the right crowd.

He was moving up in the Jewish rank. He had so much influence that people

followed him and people who were not in his crowd feared him.

I guess you could say in today's terms, He was a raciest. He hated "The Way",

Which later became known as the church. At his command, people of “The Way”

were thrown in jail and persecuted unto death.

It was Saul who was at the forefront of the persecution of the church. It was Saul

who stood by holding the coats of those who stoned Steven to death.

Did I tell you Saul was a Jew with Roman citizenship? He was taught by the

best teacher of the law. Saul was so well-versed in the law that he had his own

law library. He was a big dog. He was a Pharisee. He took

pride in his position and prestige. He was riding high in the Jewish social

circle. He believed that if there was a right, it was him and his thoughts.

But one day on his way to do harm to the members of “The Way”, the church

Saul met Jesus. All of us have had a Damascus Road Experience

KNOCKED DOWN TO BE LIFTED UP

V.22:6 "About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. 7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, 'Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?'

V:8 "'Who are you, Lord?' I asked.

I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,' he replied. 9 My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me.

Saul thought he knew the purpose of his life and was on a fast track to getting there.

You can be riding high one day and flat on your back the next day.

You can be doing your thing one day and not be able to do a thing the next day.

Saul thought he had a clear view of what his life would be like, but found out

that he was as blind as a bat.

Sometimes, God has to close a door to change your direction. Although he

had people of the Church killed, he thought he was right. He was trained to

think that way. His circle practiced the evil that he followed.

Sometimes to get you educated, God will put you in the wrong circle, so

you will know what wrong is.

Why did Saul accept the voice of Jesus so easily? He was trained in the

law, and recognized in the circle of Jews. Had fame and probably fortune.

Had position and authority. Why did He give that up at the voice of a

Jesus, he couldn't see?

I don’t know the answer to that question. But what I do know is God can

fix your mind so you do nothing but accept Him. God can fix your mind

so you will know that is the Lord speaking.

Maybe Saul (Paul) had heard Jesus speak before the crucifixion. Maybe

Saul (Paul) had heard Jesus speak so many times that His voice was

fixed in his memory.

Maybe the circumstances of this meeting were beyond anything the natural

man could do. The word was out that Jesus had been raised from the dead,

and this moment was the moment he came to believe in Jesus.

GOD HAS A MIRACLE JUST FOR YOU

According to verse 9, Saul's run dogs saw the light and heard the voice,

but understood nothing. Saul was the only one blinded by the light.

Saul was the only one affected by the Word of the Lord. Saul was the

only one that responded to Word.

The miracle was for Saul and not the rest of the Roman world. Has anyone

ever been in a situation that would have killed others, but left you

unharmed? It was your personal miracle. It was God talking to you

and not those around you. Have you ever said that IF IT HAD NOT

BEEN FOR THE LORD ON MY SIDE, I WOULD NOT HAVE

SURVIVED?

Have you ever had an event that changed your life forever? In the midst

of a crowd, God can speak directly to you and you only, It your

personal miracle.

Saul knew about the Lord, he just didn’t know the Lord. Saul knew the in’s

and out’s of the law, he just didn’t know the spirit of the law. Saul knew

how to use the law for judicial purposes, but didn't know the justice of Jesus.

Sometimes God will allow you to go down the wrong road until you

realize the wrong road is leading you nowhere. Saul was on a road

of destruction, but Jesus wanted him on the road of construction.

Saul was ready to tear down, but Jesus wanted him to build up.

God will pick a time and place for your conversion. Anybody remember when

you were blind and how you came to the light.

YOU CAN’T BE RIGHT IN YOURSELF, YOU NEED JESUS

Saul the big dog, had to be knocked down to a little dog to see Jesus.

Saul thought he was somebody, but Jesus had to show him, he was nobody

The text says a 12 A.m. he had his sight. But a 12:01 he was blinded by the

light of Jesus. At 12Am he was about to do bad, but at 12:01 he couldn’t

do nothing

At 12 Am he was listening to himself. But at 12:01 he had to listen to Jesus.

At 12 Am he had his agenda, but at 12:01. Jesus gave him a new agenda

The Lord will meet you where you are. He meet you at home. He will meet you

on the street. He will meet you in the hospital, He will meet you in the courtroom.

He will meet you in the middle of your bad stuff.

I GOT ONE POINT, KNOW IT IS LORD WORKING IN YOUR LIFE

GOD HAS A WAY OF GETTING YOUR ATTENTION

Jesus met Saul in the middle of his evil selfish mission. A bright light from heaven

blinded him and knocked him to the ground. Saul knew the work of God when

it happened to him. Can you imagine a light brighter than the sunlight? The

Sun is shining, but there is a light brighter than the sun

He heard the word of the Lord. There was no doubt in his

mind that it was the Lord. Sometimes God got to shock you to your right mind.

Saul was out of his mind with rage but God shocked him into reality.

Saul knew it was a miracle because he heard the voice of Jesus but

his road dogs didn’t hear.

The Lord knows you by name. Jesus didn’t say. Hey boy, hey man, hey friend.

He said Hey Saul.

Probably the only way to get Saul’s attention was to blind him.

Once Jesus gets your attention, He will tell you what you are doing wrong.

To be sure, it is alright to ask who is speaking to you.

Jesus identified Himself as Jesus of Nazareth. The same Jesus he had heard

teaching for 3 ½ years. The same Jesus he saw doing miracles. The same

Jesus, he, and his friends were crucified. The same Jesus he took down from the

cross and put into a tomb. The same Jesus the church said had been raised

from the dead. The same Jesus, Saul had refused to believe in.

Jesus was talking to him from heaven. That ought to get your undivided

attention. Saul blinded, could now see the Lord he had betrayed.

Saul, why are you persecuting me? You participated in killing one of my deacons, and

you own your way to kill my chosen. You know right from wrong, why are you doing

wrong? I educated you in the law. Why are you breaking the law? I showed you love

and compassion, Why are you hating on my people?

When you up one minute, and down the next minute, you ready to listen. Saul

flat on his back and blinded was ready to listen

THE RIGHT RESPONSE TO THE LORD

There is a right response to the Lord. It's a foolish man who ignores the Lord.

When the Lord calls, mercy is at your door.

V:10 "'What shall I do, Lord?' I asked.

"'Get up,' the Lord said, 'and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.' 11 My companions led me by the hand into Damascus because the brilliance of the light had blinded me.

Instead of being the leader, Saul had to be led. All of us have been led to Jesus

No one came on your own. Mamma may have led you. Daddy may have led you.

Some experience may have led you. The leading was God-directed.

When God knocks you down. You got to get up. You get up listening to God.

God has a mission for each of us. Someone may have led us to our Damascus

assignment. When you get up, get up on a mission for Jesus.

DAMASCUS, OUR TURNAROUND MOMENT

V:12 "A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there. 13 He stood beside me and said, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight!' And at that very moment, I was able to see him.

14 "Then he said: 'The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. 15 You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard

God will send someone to you who knows Him.

God will send someone who is respected in the church and the community

to give you His directions.

You will know it is from the Lord when it involves the work of the church.

You will know it is from the Lord when he sees you as a brother and not an enemy.

You will know it from the Lord when he brings the gifts of grace and mercy.

Saul received his sight, but it was a new sight of enlightenment. His old sight

was one of darkness. His new sight was focused on Jesus. His old sight was

focused on self. His old sight was his agenda. His new sight was God’s agenda.

His old sight was to look at the Word with a view of legalism. His new sight

was to look at the Word in the Spirit of the Lord. His old sight was about him,

his new sight was about Jesus Christ his Lord and Savior.

YOUR MISSION, A WITNESS FOR THE LORD

Acts 22:14-17

V:14 "Then he said: 'The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. 15 You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. 16 And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and wash your sins away, calling on his name.'

YOU HAVE BEEN CHOSEN BY THE LORD FOR THE LORD

LISTEN TO THE LORD

GET UP IMMEDIATELY

BE BAPTIZED IN THE SPIRIT

REPENT

CALL ON THE LORD

BE A WITNESS FOR THE LORD

START NEW FOR THE LORD

I GOT ONE POINT;

KNOW THAT THE LORD IS WORKING IN YOUR

 LIFE

CLASS QUESTION

SHARE WITH THE CLASS YOUR DAMASCUS

MOMENT.

WHAT WERE YOU DOING WHEN YOU MET THE

LORD?

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "Rejoice When Someone Accepts Christ", Luke 15:11-24

 vREJOICE WHEN SOMEONE ACCEPTS CHRIST

Luke 15:11-25

THE WORD DRAWS LISTENERS TO CHRIST

Earlier in the chapter Jesus taught the word and tax collectors and sinners

came to hear. As usual, the Pharisees and the scribes were there to pass

judgment on Jesus. They murmured that Jesus treated the sinners with

kindness and therefore was disgraceful to be in their presence.

Jesus responded with three parables that showed His love for sinners.

Jesus uses the parables to show there is joy in heaven when one

sinner repents

The parable of the lost sheep. The owner leaves his flock to go

find the lost sheep.

The parable of the lost coin. The owner assuming a married woman

loses one of ten coins of her head ban. She searches the house to find

the lost coin. There is joy in her household.

THE SIN OF THE YOUNGER SON

V:11 Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them.

This was an unusual request because the estate was not divided until the father

died. This would be like the son saying to the father, I wish you were dead.

Out of compassion, the father complied with the son's request. While it is not

stated, the younger son thought he would have more freedom and fun in

life if he was not under the father's rules.

A FOOLISH DECISION

V:13 "Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.

The younger son only receives a portion of his inheritance. The Land remained

with the family. He may have received money and livestock to sell.

Having little or no management skills, he lived like there was no tomorrow.

Lacking the father's advice, he did not keep track of how much he was

spending or who he was spending it with.

The distance country may not have been a long way from home, but a long way

from fellowship with the father. Unlike the lost sheep or the lost coin, the father

did not go looking for his son. The father had servants and or hired hands who

could have been sent to look after his son. This was not the case. The

father allowed the son to learn from the decisions he made. The best way

to experience life is to do life and see how it turns out. In a way, the

younger son is to be admired because he took the chance to do something

different. He was foolish because he could not see the blessings of his

father’s guidance and direction.

He left his right mind when began to think that his father’s rules were

too restrictive. He chose the lust of the flesh over the guidance and

care of the Father. Perhaps he thought fun in the sun and an easy

life without responsibilities was the way to go. The grass always looks

greener on the other side of the fence.

Some foolish decisions lead to enlightenment that changes one's outlook

forever. The first thing the son learned is you need a rainy day fund. The

second thing he learned is that people who help spend your money

are not your friends. The third thing he learned is fun doesn't last long.

THE CONSEQUENCES OF SIN

V:15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

Life's lessons never end. The younger son learned that foolish living leads to

tough times. To survive tough times, unexpected decisions have to be made.

To eat, he took a job with substandard pay. He put himself in a situation

where he had to do what a good Jew would not do, eat with pigs. His foolish

decision impressed upon him the value of the life he ran away from.

You don’t miss fresh water until there is none to drink.

THE BEGINNING OF THE SON’S RESTORATION

V:17 "When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' 20 So he got up and went to his father.

Sometimes the foolish have to hit rock bottom before they look up and see

their mistakes. Rock bottom to the younger son was an empty stomach and being

treated less than a servant. All those who spent his money were long gone

and he was left sleeping with pigs.

Proverbs 22:6

Train a child in the way he should go,

and when he is old he will not turn from it.

What the younger son had going for him was the father’s teaching.

Rock Bottom was a wake-up call to remember the love and generosity

of his parents. He compared his desperate situation with the benefits

he had at home. What he ran away from was what he needed for a successful

life.

His father taught him right from wrong. He didn't realize his wrong

until the consequences hit him in the face. His turnaround was to

admit to himself that he had sinned against God and his father.

He realized that his disobedience was the cause of his desperate

situation. He also realized that in his fathers house was and abundance

of everything he needed.

He realized that he had the best life at home. He also realized that his

disobedient behavior disgraced the family and the community. He knew

his action deserved stoning to death according to the law by the city

leaders.

The text says when he came to himself he realized that his father’s servants

was treated with respect and had food to eat and clothes to wear.

He also recognized that he had forfeited his right to be called a son. He

made up his mind to go to the Father to confess his sin and ask to be treated as

a servant.

THE FATHERS FORGIVENESS

"But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him, and kissed him.

21 "The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'

Since the community knew the son's sin, they could have stoned him as he was

coming to the father. The father running to the son may have been to

protect the son from the community.

Deuteronomy 21:21

21 Then all the men of his town shall stone him to death. You must purge the evil from among you.

Let me suggest that the father was a praying man. He knew the word and trusted

the Lord to bring his son home. The father was expecting the Lord to answer

his prayer. He didn’t need to go looking because he had put his son in the Lord’s

hands. His compassion says the father had forgiven the son before he saw him coming.

The father welcomed his son home with hugs and kisses. The kiss represented

affection and reconciliation.

It was important for the son to confess his sin before his father. His sin had been

forgiven the day he left home. The Father did not accept the son’s request to be

treated as a servant.

The father did not judge the son because of his sins. The father made no

mention of the son's sinful activities. The past was the past. The son's restoration

was the father's priority and joy. Forgiveness should be immediate so you can

get back to the business of effective prayer.

THE FATHERS CELEBRATION

22 "But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.

The Father began immediately treating his son as restored and in fellowship

with Him. The father ordered the servants to bring the best robe. The

best robe may have been reserved for guest or was the father’s robe.

The family signet ring was placed on his finger indicating full sonship..

The sandals put on his feet indicated the father treating him as a son and not a servant.

The killing of a calf was enough food for the community. The father

celebrated the son’s return before the community. The father did all he could to

make his returning son feel loved and back in his proper position.

The son was dead to virtue, but his return made him alive in righteousness

He was lost in the world and his return found him in fellowship with his father.

We are all sinners in need of forgiveness and restoration. It is the mercy of God

that allowed Him to send His Son as the atonement of our sins.

Bible Study Series: God's Love, John 3:16

 GOD’S LOVE

John 3:16

16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

This verse sits in the middle of a conversation Jesus had

with Nicodemus a Pharisee about being born again with

water and spirit to enter the kingdom of God.

Nicodemus observed that Jesus’s teaching came with power

and authority. Jesus turned his inquiry into a salvation discussion

We have John 3:16 memorized. However to get a better understanding of the verse

We must go back to the original Greek structure of the verse.

It is;

So for God loved the World that His only begotten He gave,…..

The Greek word for “So” is houto which means after this manner

The “so” connects John 3:16 to verse 14 which reads

John 3:14-15

Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,

15 that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.

John 3:14 connects us to the events in Numbers 21.

In the desert, the Israelites became restless and spoke against God and Moses

saying they hated the journey and the food God provided.

As a punishment, God sent serpents with fiery bites that caused

inflammation in the body which led to death. The Israelites cried out to Moses to

ask God for relief.

What God did in the past was a forerunner of what He would do in the person of Jesus

Christ.

Looking upon the bronze serpent reminded Israel of their sins and the salvation

provided by God.

Nicodemus, a Pharisee and a teacher of the law was knowledgeable of

Numbers 21. Jesus used that story to point Nicodemus to Himself as

his salvation.

The punishment of the Israelites was a painful reminder to them

of their ungratefulness.

Looking at Jesus on the cross is a reminder of our sins and the salvation

He provides. It is God's goodwill toward us to be convicted of our sins

through the power of the Word

Let us look closely at the John 3:16

“So God loved the world”

God loves everybody. He loves His creation. God is no respecter of person

The Greek word for love in this verse is agapao. It is in a form that means

at the beginning God was full of good will. It also means He takes pleasure in or to prize His elect above others.

Nicodemus came to Jesus searching for answers. It was the agapao of Jesus

to lead him into a discussion that may have brought clarity to his search for

for salvation.

Therefore, God is full of goodwill toward His elect. Referring to Ephesians 1:4,

God was full of goodwill toward His chosen before the foundation of the earth.

WHAT ARE THE ASPECTS OF GOD’S DIVINE LOVE?

Love requires you to make a decision regarding the one you love. God made a

a decision regarding mankind.

He looked at the state of His creation as ruined. He decided to provide a

way of restoration.

1. His Love is directive. You have to direct your love to someone or something.

God’s love is directed at mankind and His creation.

Notice, God never said He was full of goodwill toward His fallen angels.

2. God’s Love requires giving of yourself and your resources. God gave Himself in the

person of His son

3. God’s Love requires a real sacrifice of something you love. He

loved His Son. God tested Abraham’s love for Him by commanding

him to sacrifice Issac. Abraham showed his love with obedience.

God provided a ram instead.

WHOEVER

Love requires you to let the one your love is directed at, make a

decision to accept your love. Whoever includes every human

being. Some will and some will not accept Jesus

Without Jesus’s good will we are not capable of accepting Him as savior.

Romans 12:3

to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. God makes it possible for the chosen whoever selection.

You cannot force anyone to love you. Most Jews decided to reject Jesus

and most Gentiles will also.

BELIEF

The verse says whoever believes in Him.

The Greek word for belief in the verse is pisteuon, it is a form of

the word which means being persuaded to place confidence in.

In other words, our belief in Jesus is an ongoing process of learning

to trust God. The mature believer will develop a habit of belief

or trust in God.

Jesus led Nicodemus to a place to believe in Him. Nicodemus had already

concluded that Jesus had come from God and was with God. Nicodemus had

an eyewitness account of the miracles performed by Jesus. He needed

the next step, confession of faith.

We have eyewitness accounts of God's miracles all around us. I

believe God is in the continuous process of persuading us to put

confidence in Him for all things.

SHALL NOT PERISH

God’s Love rewards the one who accepts His love.

The reward is salvation. Heaven is the final destination for

those who believe.

THE WHOEVER REJECTION

God’s Love lets go of those who reject His love.

The Whoever that rejects Jesus does so with knowledge of His works.

Romans 1:20

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities — his eternal power and divine nature — have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

I believe that God so loves us that He is continuously pushing us into a complete trust or complete confidence in Him so our end is

eternal life

In the desert, the Israelites never put complete trust in the God who continued

to provide all they needed. They were in the desert being pushed toward

the promised land. But to get His people there, He wanted complete trust.

We the believers in Christ are in the desert of life full of sin. God is

dragging us toward the promise of eternal life but to get us there, He wants us

to develop a habit of complete trust in Him.

1. HOW DO I GET GOD’S LOVE?

Like the Israelites,

Recognize and confess your sins,

Cry out to God for forgiveness

Look to Jesus as your intercessor before God

Let The cross be the reminder of your ruin,

Jesus on the Cross is a reminder of God’s love for you

2. HOW DO I MAXIMIZE GOD’S LOVE?

Become a good listener. When you read the Bible, you are listening

to God-inspired words, searching for direction and meaning. ...

Open your eyes. God loves you so much that his “mercies…are new every

morning” (Lamentations 3:22-23). ...

Look for the bright spots. … Philippians 4

Look beyond your desires. God is bigger than you can imagine and

can provide more than you can conceive.

Make plans to glorify God daily.

3. HOW DO I DISPLAY GOD’S LOVE?

Obedience to His Commands

Be kind to others

Be tolerant of others

Be quick to forgive

Help those in need

Show God's Love by Listening.

Show God's Love with Generosity.

Show God's Love by Encouraging others.

Show God's Love with Acts of Kindness.

Show God's Love by Praying for Others.

Show God’s love by giving Godly advice.

Show God’s love by proclaiming the Gospel.

4. MY RESPONSE TO GOD’S LOVE

Giving Praise

Constant Prayer

Study Gods Word

Love your neighbor

Love yourself

Tithing

Service

Trust

CLASS QUESTIONS

WHEN YOU VISUALIZE THE CROSS WHAT DO YOU SEE?

HOW DO YO FEEL THE PULL OF GOD ON YOUR LIFE?

WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE TO THE CROSS?

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "The Habit Of Forgiveness:, Matthew 18:21-35

 THE HABIT OF FORGIVENESS

Matthew 18:21-19:1

INTRODUCTION

In Matthew 18, Jesus continued the teaching of His disciples about the kingdom of God.

There are four messages before we get to our text.

1. The greatest in the kingdom of God

To be great:

Child-like faith

Humbleness

Obedience

2. You are valued by God

Individually, you are important to God

God looks for His lost sheep.

3. Righteousness

Get rid of that which causes you to sin

God is concerned about your spiritual well being

Privately Counsel those who are in sin

4. The power of corporate prayer

ONLY WITH LOVE CAN YOU TRULY FORGIVE

V:21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?"

22 Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

23 "Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had to be sold to repay the debt.

26 "The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.' 27 The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt, and let him go.

28 "But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded.

29 "His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.'

30 "But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.

32 "Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' 34 In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

35 "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."

MEDITATE ON THE WORD

Matthew 18:21

21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?"

When you hear the Word of God challenge your understanding of the Word.

Don’t just read the Word as if you know all about it. You do not. There is

more to learn.

Peter heard the word on forgiveness and restoration (verse 15)

But he may have been troubled by what

he heard and wanted a deeper understanding.

I believe that when you are troubled by the Word, you get God's attention.

He is the one who troubled you.

Peter asked the question about forgiveness and gave his answer.

I supposed he reasoned that since 7 was the number of completion and

forgiving a brother 7 times was enough. When we reason according to the flesh

we will come to the wrong answer.

It is our meditation on the Word that allows the Holy Spirit to correct our thinking.

I believe Jesus loves for us to engage Him in conversation about His Word.

Peter asked a question and concluded with the wrong answer. Jesus immediately stepped in

and corrected his thinking. Peter said 7 but Jesus said 70 times 7. Peter had a limit

for forgiveness, but God's forgiveness was unlimited. Peter had a limit for mercy, but

God’s mercy is unlimited. Peter had a limit on goodness, but God's goodness is boundless

We normally think in the flesh, but God wants us to be in the habit of thinking in the spirit.

HEAVEN IS THE PLACE WHERE SIN DEBT HAS BEEN SETTLED

Matthew 18:23-27

23 "Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him 10 thousand talents was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had to be sold to repay the debt.

26 "The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.' 27 The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt, and let him go.

The kingdom of heaven is the place where all debts have been settled. It is a place where there is no need for forgiveness because the payment was made on the cross with the blood of Jesus.

All of us have a sin debt that we can't pay. All of us will have to go before the Supreme judge to settle our accounts.

The master, the Father is aware of how big your sin debt is. He stands by

and allows you to accumulate your debt.

In fact, you came into this world with a sin debt. You were born in sin and shaped in inequity.

You started your life’s journey with a debt you couldn’t pay. You started your life journey with a judgment. The wages of sin is death.

THE KINSMEN REDEEMER

Notice the master, the Father is tolerant to allow you to continue adding to your debt.

Under Jewish law, a person could be sold to pay his debts. However, his debt was

forgiven in the year of Jubilee. Before the year of jubilee, a kinsman could redeem him.

Leviticus 25:48

After that he is sold he may be redeemed again; one of his brethren may redeem him:

Ruth 4:14-15

The women said to Naomi: "Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a kinsman-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! 15 He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age.

Our kinsmen redeemer is Jesus. The year of jubilee for the believer is the day

Jesus died on the cross.

We are brothers and sisters of Jesus, the firstborn of the new creation.

Colossians 1:18

18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

The servant had a debt he couldn’t pay. The payment was hard labor.

The servant fell on his knees and begged for mercy. His large

debt was canceled.

Notice, it was his asking that caused the mercy of the master to flow. Jesus is

waiting for us to ask for forgiveness. Although our debt is large, the kinsmen, Jesus,

is willing to cover our debt.

Look back at verse 26, The servant, the one who owed the large debt made a vow

to pay back the master. He asked for patience. Don't make a vow to the Lord that

you are not going to keep. God knows your heart. He will hold you to your vow.

TO MUCH IS GIVEN, MUCH IS REQUIRED

Matthew 18:28-30

"But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded.

29 "His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.'

30 "But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt.

God will test you to see if you will keep your commitment to Him. The servant who owed a large

debt had someone who owed him a fraction of what he owed the master. You can’t beat God’s

giving. (fyi; a talent is 100 denarii. Compare that to 100,000 denarri debt canceled)

The servant whose debt was canceled treated the one who owed him money violently. He showed no mercy to his debtor or his family. He forgot the vow he made to the master.

His heart was unchanged by the mercy the master showed him. He failed to consider

that man who owed him money was important to the master.

It is probable that the money owed him came from the master who canceled his debt.

We should never take for granted the mercies God shows us each day. What God does for us He expects to do for others. The goodness of the Lord flows to us daily in ways we cannot conceive of and don't deserve it. The kindness we show others have already been shown to us.

God showed the bigger beggar mercy, who refused to show the same mercy to

another person.

The truth is we don’t know how big our sin debt to the Lord is. We can bet that whatever

is owed us by others is but a grain of sand on the seashore of our sins.

THE LORD HAS HIS EYES ON YOU

Matthew 18:31

31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.

Be careful how you treat others. Someone is always watching. Whatever you do in the

dark will come to light. The Lord hears the voice of everyone, even though they may not have a relationship with Him. Your reputation is in the open for everyone to see.

God sees and knows your heart.

Whatever you do affects the hearts of others. They may not know you, but to see you treat others disrespectfully affects them. We should be a light unto the world, not a shade of darkness. We should be a blessing to others, not a curse.

YOU WILL BE TREATED THE WAY YOU TREAT OTHERS

Matthew 18:32-34

32 "Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' 34 In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

God judges us by what we do or refuses to do for others. To refuse to show mercy is an act of wickedness. We were made in the likeness and image of God. Anything other than that is wickedness.

When we refuse to be kind, it angers the Lord. When we refuse to show mercy it angers the Lord. God is not satisfied with our selfishness and ungratefulness.

You don't want to get in the hands of an angry God. It would be better to show more

mercy and more kindness than required than to show none at all.

Luke 6:38

For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

What goes around comes around. No man is an island unto himself. We are all in this world

together. We are family. We should, we must treat everyone like family.

FORGIVENESS REQUIRES A CHANGE IN HEART

Matthew 18:35

35 "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."

Forgiveness is an act from a changed heart. Forgiveness is an act from a renewed heart.

Forgiveness has to be deliberate. It has to be something that you want and a state of

mind that you cultivate for your well-being.

Romans 12:2

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is — his good, pleasing, and perfect will.

It takes an effort on your part to let the past stay in the past. Satan will remind you of

the past. But you don’t have to bring the hurt, anger, and frustration into the present.

Forgiveness is an attitude of releasing yourself from past hurts and taking the opportunity to glorify God through your love for others.

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "Parables, Enlightment For Believers", Matthew 13: 7-19

 

PARABLES, ENLIGHTENMENT FOR BELIEVERS

Matthew 13:13-17

PARABLES FOR BELIEVERS

V:13 This is why I speak to them in parables:

"Though seeing, they do not see;

though hearing, they do not hear or understand.

According to Matthew, Jesus began speaking in parables to his followers

after the religious leaders rejected His teaching and miracles and labeled them as being

by the power of Satan. They committed the one unforgivable sin found in chapter 12.

Matthew 12:22-24

22 Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him so that he could both talk and see. 23 All the people were astonished and said, "Could this be the Son of David?"

24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, "It is only by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons."

The unforgivable sin is this:

Matthew 12:32

32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

The Father, Son and the Holy Spirit are one God in three persons; the divine Trinity.

Anyone who claims the work of the Trinity is the work of the devil is on a

stairway to hell that cannot be reversed.

The word parable is made of two words, para and ballo, together it means to throw along

side. A parable makes a comparison between a truth and an untruth.

Jesus began to preach in parables for three reasons;

1. His preaching had been rejected by the religious leaders as satanic

2. Parables were designed to hide the truth from unbelievers

3. Parables were designed to reveal the truth to believers

4. Parables were designed to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah

OLD TESTAMENT FULFILLED IN NEW TESTAMENT

THE CURSE OF REJECTING CHRIST

V:14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:

"'You will be ever hearing but never understanding;

you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.

15 For this people's heart has become calloused;

they hardly hear with their ears,

and they have closed their eyes.

Otherwise, they might see with their eyes,

hear with their ears,

understand with their hearts

and turn, and I would heal them.'

Those who reject Christ, have their understanding of the Word

blocked by Him.

In the book of Exodus, Moses took the commands of God to the

Pharaoh. In each of the ten plagues cast on Egypt, the Lord hardened

his heart so he would not obey. Lacking the guidance of the Lord

all the firstborn of Egypt were killed and his entire army was destroyed.

Those who reject Jesus also in the same breath reject the divine teacher

of the scriptures, the Holy Spirit.

Since faith come by hearing and hearing by the Word of God, those who

reject Christ cannot hear the Word of God.

The just live by faith and not by sight. Those who reject Christ walk blindly

in this world. They make plans with no assurance of an increase.

The steps of a Good man are ordered by the Lord. Those who reject Christ

have no idea if they are going in the right direction

THE BLESSING OF A RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST

V:16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17 For I tell you the truth, many prophets, and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

Those who accept Christ are blessed with all the spiritual capabilities to do the

work of God. We are blessed more than the prophets who waited patiently

for the coming of the Messiah but did not sit in His presence or bathed in

His glory.