The Mathematics of Forgiveness | Jentezen Franklin

the following program is sponsored by friends and partners of Kingdom connection forgiveness is not about keeping score it's about losing count that's the only way you can look at this what was Jesus really saying he was saying you cannot start keeping score if you're gonna be a forgiving person it's not about keeping scores about losing count I want to go to a powerful perhaps the most powerful parable Jesus ever taught and there was a question that led into this parable and I want to read the question in Matthew 18 in verse 21 then Peter came to him and said Lord how often chefs someone's sinned against me and I have to forgive him up to seven times and he said to him I do not say to you up to seven times but up to seventy times seven which is amazing statement I I want you to notice that Simon Peter was trying to define forgiveness with a mathematical as a mathematical equation what is the number probably I have a sneaky suspicion because when you read about Simon Peter he was a character and probably he had one person in mind and he had already forgiven him six times I think that's why he I think that's why he said seven because I think he was ready to write somebody off and be done with them and you know trying to put a mathematical formula on forgiveness I want to talk to you about the mathematics of forgiveness for a few moments today one area that we are all I've seen astoundingly astonishingly amazing at when it comes to mathematics is we've learned how to keep count when people hurt us you may not be good at math but when people hurt you you can keep up with that stuff in an amazing way like 14 years ago at 3 o'clock in the afternoon time place day I remember it and then you did it again and again and again 4 years later and we can remember and do that math real real easy the people who hurt you the most in life or the people you love the most you've trusted the most and you've helped the most and the one of the issues and the questions that all of us struggle with when it comes to forgiveness and it's what Peter was trying to get to is what are the boundaries of forgiveness are there boundaries to forgiving somebody is it someplace where you just finally get to say get out of my life deleted you're gone goodbye is is that biblical to do that and Jesus absolutely blew their minds when he said no not seven times but seven times seventy which I'm not good at math but that's 490 times the same thing in one day from the one from the same person Jesus is not suggesting the number he's given us a new math formula he was saying you can never stop forgiving others regardless of how deeply and how often they've hurt us Peter thought that he was processed are proposing a generous standard seven times but instead Jesus ups it exponentially and says no not seven times seven times seventy here's the point point number one on forgiveness and don't forget it forgiveness is not about keeping score it's about losing count that's the only way you can look at this what was Jesus really saying he was saying you cannot start keeping score if you're gonna be a forgiving person it's not about keeping score about losing count Microsoft Excel spreadsheet changed the accounting world and they do it in columns you you have a topic or a client or a person and then you have the date on one side and you have the name and then you have that you have the the column and you have the amount that they owe you and I think sometimes what we do is we have an Excel spreadsheet on people in our minds that's ongoing so much so that I brought one in with me today and these are just examples so back in 2003 mom dad didn't go to my ball games so they got themselves to column then we got a column for our friends you know it goes way back maybe two high school days or something stole your girlfriend you ought to thank them that they stole your girlfriend have you seen her look on Facebook she looks crazy you are blessed to get the girl you with but but you know they didn't invite me to the Super Bowl yeah come on now I noticed on Facebook y'all had a party but we didn't get invited so you just got yourself a column and and I'm gonna keep score I'm keeping score on our relationship and old coworkers and you lied about me took credit for my project didn't give me the credit and since sharise is here I'm gonna throw her under the bus treated me ugly notice that's going on there for years treating me ugly turned me down that means she had a headache and that would be numerous in there another one and another one and another and another one you got to get your in a column you're in a column but but there's other columns and that's the bottom line is I every time somebody does something wrong I put them in a column and I start adding and adding and adding and adding and adding you come to church and you're offended and you're angry and you're mad and you try to worship and you try to get something out of it but you can't because you've got columns on people the thing about Excel spreadsheets is if you keep putting the wrong formula in you will never end up with the right equation it keeps kicking it back saying you've got to go back and fix something in this column because it's messing up the whole equation and the reason people's equation of their life gets messed up it's because they don't deal with those columns and it's gonna come back in the equation of your life emotionally spiritually physically it's taken a toll on you it's taken a toll on you on you financially it's taking a toll on you relationally because there's people that you've got columns on and you keeping score and you know what they did and you won't let it go and it's not just affecting them it's eating you alive forgiveness is not keeping score it's losing count that's what Jesus was teaching and you got to do the right math because there's different formulas of math you've got to use the right tool now watch now Jesus gives us the right math in Matthew chapter 6 on forgiveness folks please lean in now and listen Jesus words Matthew 6 if you forgive those who sinned against you your heavenly Father will forgive him but listen if you refuse others your father will not forgive your sins he's saying this is a different kind of math and here's the math pattern and formula do the math the right kind of math means think about every time the father has forgiven you on a daily basis and then take that formula and apply it to the that person think of every time he has forgiven you and it wasn't that you didn't do it you did it and he forgave you take that formula and use it with somebody else the second thing about forgiveness is this sometimes the best in us can only be brought out by the worst done to us we don't like it but the truth is that the best of you will never be released sometimes until the worst has been done to you and usually it'll be done by people who you have loved trusted and helped the most and God never intends for that to destroy you if he allows it and it's not God doing it is people but but if you will allow it the best will come out of you out of the worst people do to you there's something about unforgiveness that people say well when something happens and you and a bad thing happens and you get and you feel unforgiveness just leave it alone you ever heard people say that that you know time heals all things what that's not true unforgiveness doesn't get better if you leave it alone now listen to me unforgiveness is not gonna get better if you just back off and leave it alone it does not get better it festers and you either fester unforgiveness or you foster healing but you have to do one or the other and and if it's unforgiveness and your festering it it's gonna get worse and bitter and ugly and angry so Paul in Ephesians 4 gives the beautiful beautiful formula of how to release forgiveness watch this Ephesians chapter 4 he says put away all [Music] wrath anger the first thing you got to do is drain all the all the damaging emotions of unforgiveness and listen if you're sitting there saying well I feel like I've forgiven that person if when you see that person better their face comes up or you're thinking about them and this is the reaction that comes out of you bitterness wrath anger clamor evil speaking let it be put away from you with all malice let it be put away from you with all malice I want to read it from another translation it said bitterness rage anger harsh words all types of mean behavior Wow then notice the next part of that verse be kind to one another tender-hearted forgiving one another here it is there's the math formula even as God in Christ or for Christ's sake has forgiven you in other words do the right math forgiveness is not about keeping score it's about losing count and the only way to effectively release forgiveness is it's not usually some quick instant thing the only way you can release it because it's deep inside of you is you have to start praying and asking God to give you and release through you forgiveness to that person who has done something that is wrong and it was as wrong as it could be and the only way to release it and we want it quick we want it quick it's kind of like ketchup how many of you love ketchup and you know the modern generation your generation has the quick squeeze plastic bottle all you got to do is take just flip the top up and squirt and there it is I love ketchup I love it on everything don't you and I asked our team I said I want you to go get me the old-fashioned glass bottle of ketchup and I want to have a plastic bottle representing quick fix but I want one of those glass bottles and somebody on staff brings this for my illustration and how many of you know they got to come on them now and they already got count already counting against some things against them already but this is a glass bottle this is how originally came and this is interesting if you go to heinens.com they will describe to you for example this is another example Heinz 57 I didn't know this they said only 11% of their consumers know what I'm about to share with you so this was worth coming to church if you're one of those people who when you get that bottle of ketchup the number one is so hard to get the top off and and the reason according to the to the website is because the contents on the inside are under tremendous pressure and so the first step to getting it out and letting it flow is to open it up and good luck with that because it's like a workout to get it open it's you need you you have to use the name of Jesus and plead the blood and especially when you're hungry and if you like me I start beating on the table I take my mouth and turn it or I take a I start jabbing it with a knife when I do get it open and if I don't only read the website because the website said that for example in the Heinz 57 that they place the sticker strategically with the number exactly where it is a lot of research went into this that if you want it to come out you don't have to and and all you got to do is just start knocking on the 57 and when you do he didn't come real quick it's not squeezable just just plop might take a minute this is how forgiveness is we got to get you opened up and Jesus said ask and you shall receive and keep on asking sink and you shall find and keep on seeking knock and it shall be open but if it doesn't have keep on knockin know the right spot that's prayer God I'm trying to forgive this person and not kill them and follow their in the name of Jesus I'm knocking and it may take a minute it may take a minute it may take a minute you gotta wait is slow it's not squirting out real fast it's slow come on but you keep praying about it well well how many times do I have to pray for you keep on knocking keep on knocking keep on knocking keep on until the contents on the inside of forgiveness begins to be released little by little by little by little God begins to heal and restore our relationships if you have your Bible open it to Matthew chapter 18 and listen to this so Jesus just confronted Peter and said 490 times and I'm closing with this but but Leaney and this is the most important part of the message if you had heard nothing else hear this therefore verse 23 the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants he had a spreadsheet this King did and when he had begun to settle the account one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents of gold but I love the next verse but he was not able to pay that is a direct reference to our sin debt and the king is Jesus and the master commanded that he be sold with his wife and his children to make the payment and and the scripture said the servant therefore fell down before him saying master have patience with me he's repenting I'll pay you back please Lord please Lord and the master of the servant wasn't this is Jesus move with compassion everybody say the cross released him and forgave him his debt everybody say oh say it again oh he released him and that's what that's all to be your reaction oh my god ten million pieces of gold and he released him oh the watch watch now but that servant went right out of that church service and found one fellow servant who owed him a hundred didn't a few pieces of silver listen didn't even talk to him laid his hands on him and took him by the throat and started choking him saying pay me what this is how the King sees you when you don't forgive people so the fellow servant fell down at his feet begged him same words have patience with me I'll pay you for it all he would not went and threw him into prison that he would pay the debt and so there was some fellow servants who saw what was done they were grieved and they told the King all that had been done then the King after he had called him sent again and said you wicked servant i forgave you all the debt because you begged me should you not also have compassion on your brother just as I pitied you this is so powerful verse 34 and his King was angry and delivered him to the torturers or the tormentors until he would pay all that was due him and then it ends with verse 35 so my heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you from his heart does not forgive his brother his trespasses look at me I've heard all my life there's one unforgivable sin blaspheming the Holy Spirit you've committed the unpardonable sin that's not true there are two not one that scripture just proves it the first unforgivable sin is to blaspheme the Holy Spirit the second is according to Jesus words it is unforgivable to be unforgivable if you don't release forgiveness you will not receive forgiveness and there's a lot of religious people who play Church there's a lot of people listening to me right now and you can play the part and I'm talking to me I'm talking to all of us I am NOT going to go to hell for nobody I don't care what they did again forgiveness doesn't mean that you have to be in my life but I am NOT gonna get bitter and angry and have a swamp of emotional hatred toward people and bitterness you got to drain that swamp be kind be loving forgive and and it may take a minute it may take a while pray not not not until the contents of forgiveness and love begin to pour out of your mouth and heart and emotions and attitude again because if you don't Jesus said your king will not forgive your debts this is serious stuff this is life or death this is eternal stuff is stuff that we cover up and act like it's not there in our families and the truth is only Jesus and an encounter with Jesus can change our hearts and it starts in a service like this when you begin to hit in the right spot quit playing games and hit in the right spot and saying Lord I need to tear up the spreadsheet I need to quit keeping count and keeping score and I need to lose count I need to understand that what they've done to me is just supposed to bring out the best in me and I need to remember that unforgiveness will bring a harvest of unforgiveness from the King back to me now I love that scripture that said live peaceably with all men nitta-san it has little calls where is possible where in as possible which means it is some people that they're never gonna be at peace with you they're never gonna be there it is if it is possible I'm thankful for that cause as much as depends on you he didn't say you get the option to forgive them live peaceably with them but if they don't want to be at peace with you there's some people that they're not gonna be at peace with you but all you've got to do is forgive them and be alright I'll put it like this I'm with the fact you're not at peace with me and there are some cases where if it is possible it's applicable such as in a molestation or and I don't have time to go into everything but you know what I'm saying but I don't have the option to forgive well I don't want him to get by with it I don't want to get by with it vengeance is mine saith the Lord I will repay and I'll turn around and when you release them I'll pour out blessings like I did you remember when a lot went when Abraham let lot have all the good stuff and I mean the inheritance he took all the good land and he got all the bad stuff but because he was a peacemaker because he had the right heart lot ended up losing everything including his family and Abraham became the Blessed Most Blessed man in in the world at that time only God can do that God says vengeance is mine I'll repay you keep the right spirit and I'll take care of everything else stand to your feet every head bowed every eye closed the first thing that we're gonna do is pray for people who do not know that your relationship with Jesus Christ is right you have a debt you cannot pay you cannot pay it only the King can forgive it and he did on the cross that's why I said it's finished and if you ask him into your heart today he'll forgive your debt with every head bowed and every eye closed pastor pray for me I know that I'm not right with God and I want to get right with God and I don't want to go into eternity and be cast to the tormentors I want forgiveness that came through the cross in the blood that Jesus shed pray for me that you boldly raise your hand right now if you know I'm speaking to you you know it there's a hand there's a hand another another at every campus across across their churches every hand raised it high and keep it up just a moment keep it high Heavenly Father I come in the name of Jesus Christ the one who said to pray forgive us our debts as we forgive those who have debted against us I pray right now in the name of Jesus Christ that forgiveness would be released to every person who says Jesus and everybody in this room say Jesus I call on your name save me wash me pay the price that I cannot pay through your precious blood I receive forgiveness of all my sins now secondly I in Jesus name release forgiveness Jesus was asked and I close with this Jesus was asked what is the greatest commandment he said love the Lord your God with all of your heart mind soul and strength and love your brother your family your neighbors the people you can see and if you do it you fulfill all the law

Channel: Jentezen Franklin

Views: 45,638

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Keywords: Jentezen Franklin, Free Chapel, Sermons, jensen franklin, jentezen franklin sermons, christianity, franklin jentezen sermons, church online

Id: phZ7rNvhREA

Length: 25min 6sec (1506 seconds)

Published: Fri Nov 02 2018