<font color='black' size='4' face='Times New Roman, Times, serif'>Forwarded:
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<div><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Sermons for Proper 19</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman""> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Matthew 18: 21-35– <strong><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">“Forgive Us Our Debts”</span></strong>
</span><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Matthew 18:21-35 –
<strong><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">“Seventy-Seven”</span></strong></span><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Matthew 18, the sermon title “Forgive Us Our Debts” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As with so many of the
stories of Jesus, the parable of the debtors arose out of a question that was
posed to Jesus. Simon Peter said to him: “Master, if my brother sins against
me, how many times should I forgive him? Seven times? Even as he asks that
question my mind cannot help but think about children and how they will
sometimes confess something they do wrong expecting to get praise from a teacher
or a parent because they were so honest.</span><span style="font-size:8.5pt;
font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the same sense, Simon
Peter by asking this question is not expecting rebuke but praise. He is
expecting Jesus to say: “Excellent Peter. You go to the head of the class. You
get A+.” According to Jewish law, Peter had the right to think that he had done
something good. Scribal law clearly read:</span><span style="font-size:8.5pt;
font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“If a man transgresses
one time, forgive him. If a man transgresses two times, forgive him. If a man
transgresses three times, forgive him. If a man transgresses four times, do not
forgive him.” What Peter has done is to take this law of limited forgiveness,
multiply it by two and add one, and then sit back with a smile on his face and
say: Now how is that for being a great guy? And he surely must have been taken
aback when Jesus said you must forgive seventy times seven.</span><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then Jesus proceeded to
tell a story. There was a certain king who had a day of reckoning for his
servants…</span><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The rest of this sermon
can be obtained by joining Sermons.com at </span><span style="font-size:14.0pt;
font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman""><a href="http://mail.churchmail.com/lists/lt.php?id=Kk8GBgcADwZUCAZJAQcCCE5QW1YECA%3D%3D"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;
color:black">http://www.sermons.com/signup</span></a></span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-size:8.5pt;
font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">___________________________</span><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Matthew 18, the sermon titled “Seventy-Seven” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Most adults recognize it
is their “job” to teach children right from wrong, good from bad, safe from
scary, yes from no. </span><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But there are some
lessons that children are better at teaching us. Think about celebrations like
birthdays (especially Christmas), and Easter, and any other special days that
have the possibility of “presents” attached. Kids LOVE them, anticipate and
adore them. Children love and accept presents with unabashed enthusiasm.
Receiving a gift is “all good.”</span><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:
"Verdana","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For adults it is a bit
more difficult. We worry about the cost of the gift. We worry about
reciprocating the gift. We worry about whether the gift has invisible “strings”
attached. Suddenly “receiving” is a bit more complicated than just joyous.
Receiving a gift is hard for most of us. We either feel beholden, or
suspicious, or overwhelmed, or unworthy of the freely given gifts (gratuities)
that bless us. That’s why adults often become better givers than receivers.</span><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The adult vs. child
version of acceptance is even greater with the other tremendous “gift” young
children are good at offering and accepting. Kindergarten kids might get into a
heated battle over who gets custody of a Ninja Turtle figure. Tears and blows
might even be involved. But after a truce is called, and apologies are offered
(or sometimes enforced), in a short time all is forgiven, and (play) time goes
on. Forgiveness is offered and the play date goes on. </span><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There are no thoughts of
revenge. There is no nurturing of anger. There are no dreams of retaliation…</span><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The rest of this sermon
can be obtained by joining Sermons.com at </span><span style="font-size:14.0pt;
font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman""><a href="http://mail.churchmail.com/lists/lt.php?id=Kk8GBgcADwZUCAZJAQcCCE5QW1YECA%3D%3D"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;
color:black">http://www.sermons.com/signup</span></a></span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-size:8.5pt;
font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">___________________________</span><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Forgiveness Written in
Stone</span><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A story is told of two
friends who were walking through the desert. During some point of the journey
they had an argument, and one friend slapped the other one in the face. The one
who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand,
“Today my best friends slapped me in the face.”</span><span style="font-size:
8.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They kept on walking
until they found an oasis, where they decided to take a bath. The one who had
been slapped got stuck in the mire and started drowning, but the friend saved
him. After he recovered from nearly drowning, he wrote on a stone, “Today my
best friend saved my life.”</span><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:
"Verdana","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">His friend asked him,
“After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now, you write on a stone, why?”
The other friend replied “When someone hurts us we should write it down in sand
where winds of forgiveness can erase it away. But, when someone does something
good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it.”</span><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So real forgiveness
keeps on leaving the sins of others and our hurts in the past. Yet Jesus
understands the difficulty of such forgiveness. To keep on forgiving is a
God-like characteristic. It is contrary to human nature. So He gives a parable
beginning in v.23 which will help us obey His commandment to keep on forgiving.</span><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Stephen Felker, How
Often Should I Forgive?</span><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">_______________________________</span><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To be a Christian means
to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.</span><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman""><a href="http://mail.churchmail.com/lists/lt.php?id=Kk8GBgcADwZUCABJAQcCCE5QW1YECA%3D%3D"><span style="font-size:8.5pt;color:black">C.S. Lewis</span></a></span><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 8.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">___________________________</span><span style="font-size: 8.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman""> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Danger within Us</span><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">French author Victor
Hugo has a short story titled, "93." In the midst of this tale a ship
at sea is caught in a terrific storm. Buffeted by the waves, the boat rocks to
and fro, when suddenly the crew hears an awesome crashing sound below deck.
They know what it is. A cannon they are carrying has broken loose and is
smashing into the ship's sides with every list of the ship. Two brave sailors,
at the risk of their lives, manage to go below and fasten it again, for they
know that the heavy cannon on the inside of their ship is more dangerous to
them than the storm on the outside. So it is with people. Problems within are
often much more destructive to us than the problems without. Today, God's word
would take us "below decks" to look inside ourselves concerning the
whole matter of forgiveness.</span><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:
"Verdana","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Stephen M. Crotts /
George L. Murphy, Sermons For Sundays: After Pentecost (Middle Third): The
Incomparable Christ, , CSS Publishing Company, Inc.</span><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">_______________________________________</span><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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