How Much?

In the 1950’s the first credit card was created for mass usage by the general public.  Today most people carry one or more of these cards, using them to pay for things both big and small.  Not only do most people carry them, but the average American household carries $14,687 in debt on those cards.  Debt is not something that most people seek out, but struggle to get out from under.  Imagine if you woke up one day, and you were informed all of your debt had been cancelled.  The head of VISA or MasterCard decided that all of the debt you owed them would be forgiven, no strings attached.  Most people would line up for the chance to have their debt erased for free.

Jesus tells a story like this in the New Testament.  A king is taking care of some outstanding debts owed to him, and calls in one of debtors (Matthew 18:23-35).  One man owes the king 10,000 talents.  For perspective one talent was about 20 years of wages for a common worker.  This man owed the king 200,000 years of wages, or 1 year of wages from 200,000 people.  Either way a mountain of debt that is just staggering.  When the man cannot pay, the king is prepared to punish him, but then the story changes, “So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt.” (Matthew 18:26-27, ESV)  Just like that the debt is gone!!!!  I imagine the man kissing the king and dancing out the door with joy, but he does not.  “But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii (about 3 months wages), and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.” (Matthew 18:28, 30, ESV)  When the king hears what happened he throws the debtor who owed 10,000 talents in jail because he did not reciprocate the grace and forgiveness given to him.

Why do you think Jesus tells this story to teach us about forgiveness?  The end of this story trips me up each time I read it, a man who had an unthinkable amount of debt has it forgiven, and then he turns around and won’t forgive someone who owes him a drop in the bucket compared to what he had forgiven.  I wonder how often we are just like the man who owed 10,000 talents.  We are broken, sinful people.  What we owe God to cover all our mistakes and shortcomings is an amount we could never begin to pay back.  God’s call us as those whose debts have been forgiven, to share that forgiveness with others.  Share it in ways that make people scratch their heads, wonder, and even ask, why?  God’s grace is extended to us even though we could never do anything to earn it, so let us remember Jesus words, “For if you forgive others when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6:14-15, TNIV)  May we be bearers of God’s grace and forgiveness to others, remembering the forgiveness and grace that has been extended to us.

 

Pastor Bill

Discussion Questions

1. Which character in Jesus parable do you most relate to?  Why?
2. Why do you think it is important that we forgive others in the same way we have been forgiven?
3. How might you respond to God for the debt he has forgiven you from?

Green Grass and Tree Buds

The other morning I was out walking our dog and I took notice of something amazing unfolding.  The grass was greener, buds were beginning to form on trees and bushes, and I could go outside in less than a parka and blizzard gear.  It must be spring in Wisconsin!!!  It was amazing to notice the new buds beginning to form where the dried out leaves of last fall used to be.  Blades of green grass could be seen poking up in the midst of the brown, monotone lawns.  It was like the lawn had been brought back to life, revitalized, and began afresh.  In another month or so all the signs of winter, the empty trees, the brown grass, and the naked bushes will instead be filled with signs of new life, that just a month before was unthinkable.

One evening Jesus is with the disciples and he is approached by a Jewish religious leader named Nicodemus.  Nicodemus wonders who Jesus is or how he works, and Jesus responds to him, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born again.” (John 3:3, TNIV)  Jesus answers reveals to Nicodemus a new reality, a new way to see and live through Jesus.  But Nicodemus doesn’t get it, he responds, I can’t be born again from my Mom, that doesn’t work.  Jesus simply smiles and says to him, I don’t mean like that, instead I mean that in me, in God you can experience a rebirth, a new life, a start over that can come from nowhere else.

At church we are preparing to begin Holy Week, the days and moments leading up to Jesus’ death on the cross and his resurrection three days later.  We sit at church in this season, and like Nicodemus, we hear about new life and rebirth, and think, how could that ever happen to me?  How could there be new life in my broken relationship with my spouse, my kids, and my friends?  How could there be new life in the midst of my depression or my anger and grudges?  When Jesus died and rose for our sins, he came so that we might have life and life to the fullest (John 10:10).

Jesus came here to bring new life.  Jesus died so that you might see new life in your relationships with others, so that you might experience healing and restoration from the struggles, grudges, and hurt you bottle up inside.  Jesus came so that the areas of your lives that look like the brown lawn, the naked bush, and the empty tree, would begin to blossom anew, through Him.  Jesus doesn’t promise to make things all better, to take away all stress or hurt, but He promises new life for those who believe in him.  Jesus invites us to experience life renewed, reborn, and revitalized.

Pastor Bill

Discussion Questions

1. Where in your world would you like to see new life right now?
2. Do you believe that Jesus could bring about that kind of change?
3. What might new life look like?
4. To dig deeper into Nicodemus’ story read John 3:1-21.

Forgiven

About a year ago I got my first DVR cable box.  It is one of the coolest pieces of technology that I have had a chance to you.  I love being able to record shows that I am not home to watch, but my favorite feature is that you can pause and rewind live TV.  The winning home run, the punch line to the joke, the announcement of the results, all can be watched time and time again.  I can rewind and go back to watch the parts of shows that I wanted to see again.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could do that in our own lives?  You could rewind to relive the moments of greatest joy and love.  I also think back to how many times I could rewind so that I could change how something happened.  If only I could rewind and take those words back, if only I could go back and spend more time with that person, say something different, share something with them sooner, etc.  I have a few more moments that I wish I could get another shot at than I would like to admit.  But we have faith in a God of second chances, of grace, and of unconditional love.

We are told in scripture, “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.“ (Psalm 103:11-12, TNIV)  God forgives us.  God clears our names.  We are just a prayer away from that grace.  We are told in scripture we need to come before God with a penitent hard, that we truly need to be sorry for those things that we have done.

Reliant K says it this way in their song, Forgiven “And I know that I have been forgiven and I just hope you can forgive me too.”  So it is not just enough to pray for forgiveness but as Jesus tells us, we are called to forgive others, not just once, but “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” (Matthew 18:22, TNIV)

This week we are beginning a new sermon series talking about living the grace filled kind of life that God has in mind for us.  Our series, “Walk the Walk” will be a three week series through the book of Colossians looking at what it looks like to life the life that God has in store for us.  What does it look like to life a life filled with grace, grateful for what God has done for us?

June 27^th- Walk the Walk: Colossians 2:8, 16-23: “Walk Your Walk”

July 4^th- Walk the Walk: Guest Preacher Jill Vande Zande

July 11^th- Walk the Walk: Colossians 3:1-17 “Restart”

July 18^th- Walk the Walk: Colossians 4:2-6 “Knocking”

He said what?

Thursday March 25^th, 2010

This Sunday as we celebrate Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy week, we will study Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.  Jesus covers a lot of topics in this passage.

One phrase that is often used is, “You have heard it said…but I say to you.”  What is really being said to us?  Jesus tells us that leaders say one thing that is not always the full reality.  Instead Jesus tells us in the Sermon on the Mount – there is a different reality.

As we study these words, Jesus words cut to the core and speak deeply into the world that we live:

Society teaches us that we can find true happiness in money, success and material goods.   Jesus says, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.“ Matthew 6:24, TNIV

People tell us to be afraid of those who are not just like us or don’t talk to people who believe things differently that you.  Jesus says, “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.“ Matthew 5:44-45, TNIV

Often we are taught to be skeptical of those who may harm us or those closest to us.  We might even be taught that it is ok not forgive others.  Jesus says, “For if you forgive others when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.“ Matthew 6:14-15, TNIV

At times churches lose sight of the importance in loving sinners but rather focuses on hating their sins.  Jesus says, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.“ Matthew 7:1-2, TNIV

We are taught to just be students of scripture but how often to we put scripture into action.  Jesus says, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.  But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.” Matthew 7:24-26, TNIV

Pastor Bill