Parable Of The Unmerciful Servant – 1C

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Today on Real Life Radio.

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I will never really love someone unless my love is greater than their sin against me. Because, listen, because I do love them, I’m willing then to reach out to them if I love them.

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This is Real Life. Welcome to Real Life Radio with Pastor Jack Hibbs. I’m David Jay, thanking you for joining us today as we listen, learn, and are challenged by God’s Word, the Bible. Do you ever find yourself longing for a deeper spiritual walk? For many believers, the Holy Spirit is just a mysterious idea we hear about on Sundays but rarely live out on Mondays. What if His presence could transform your daily life, fueling you with hope and power and unstoppable joy? What if His guidance could help you navigate through decisions, strengthen relationships, and bring genuine peace to your soul? Well, this month, Pastor Jack Hibbs is featuring Living Water by Chuck Smith. It’s a down-to-earth look at the Holy Spirit who can revolutionize the way you connect with God. Inside, you’ll uncover practical biblical insights to help you walk and step with the Spirit right where you are. No hype, no cliches, just real answers for everyday challenges.

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This book changed my life. Authored by my pastor, Chuck Smith. The book, Living Water, incredible.

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Living Water is available for a gift of any amount at jackhibbs.com slash real radio. That’s jackhibbs.com slash real radio. On today’s edition of Real Life Radio, Pastor Jack continues in his series now called The Parables of Jesus and a message titled Parable of the Unmerciful Servant Part One. Now, whenever Jesus spoke to the crowds, he often spoke in parables that are relatable stories illustrated in full color, if you will, but with common themes. Now with his message called Parable of the Unmerciful Servant Part One, here’s pastor and Bible teacher, Jack Hibbs.

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The man owes the king, the servant owes the master, the king, so much that it would take him 100 lifetimes to pay him back. That’s big bucks. And the master says, look, I forgive the debt. That means that we’re looking at and we’re considering debt. The grace of God. How rich is Jesus concerning his ability to forgive? The answer is unlimited. You think Bill Gates has got a lot of money? Listen, what Bill Gates thinks he has in money, God has in forgiveness a billion times innumerable numbers more. There is no sin, hear me out, there is no sin that you and I could have ever committed or commit that is unable to be washed by the blood of Jesus if we repent. Now I’m not saying go out and sin because his blood will cover. No, no, no, you can’t do that. But he’s that rich in forgiveness. So there’s no doubt Peter is thinking, and this is beautiful, mark this down. You can kind of get inside Peter’s mind. Listen, Peter’s Jewish. He knows the scriptures. And so you think Peter pulled that number out of nowhere, seven? Oh, no, no, no, this is a big deal. Are you listening? This is fun stuff. In Amos chapter two, verse six, the Bible tells us, this is what the Lord says. The people of Israel have sinned again and again, and I will not let them go unpunished. In the Hebrew, it’s three times, right? The children of Israel have sinned against me three times and I will not let them go unpunished. Why? Because Israel is God’s chosen and he disciplines his chosen. Are you a child of God tonight? Then listen, you step out of line and God will speak to you. He’ll say, don’t do that. And you’ll say, well, whatever. And then you step out of line again and he’ll say, I’m telling you, don’t do that. And you say, well, you know, I got away with it once. It appears I’m getting away with it again. And then you do it a third time, and God says, all right. I mean, I know I’m not supposed to say this, because it’s like, I think against the law in California, but he’s gonna pull out a paddle, and he’s gonna thump you. What’s the old saying? He’s gonna apply the board of education to the seat of knowledge. Is that what it is? He loves us. If you don’t get disciplined by God, the Bible says you are illegitimate. That means you may be religious, but you don’t belong to God. God punishes his kids. And notice, Peter, being a good Jewish boy, remembering the scriptures, knows Amos 2.6. Okay, so God responds in three. Watch this. I’ll double that. I’ll make it six, and just to be super gracious, I’m gonna add one. Seven. Seven. And there’s no doubt that the rest of the disciples are going, oh man, Peter, that’s awesome. I mean, that is like huge graciousness, Peter. And Jesus, who of course is in route to the cross, knows the expense of sin. Can you imagine if Jesus died on the cross and somewhere in the Bible it said, I will forgive you seven times. Church, did you hear me? What if the Bible says that God says to us, come to me, I’ll save you, I’ll take you to heaven, but I can only forgive you seven times. Eighth time, you’re out. Could you imagine? No, Jesus says, no, no, no, Peter, 70 times seven, which again to the Jewish mind means a lot. Has God dealt with the nation of Israel in the book of Daniel, the 490 is very specific number for God dealing with his nation, with his people. But in the context of sin, Jesus is not saying 489, 490. Oh no, 491. You’re out. No, no, he’s not saying that at all. Note this. Here’s the situation. This is why Peter asks. Remember, he’s still stuck in verse 15. If your brother sins against you, hmm. Go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you’ve gained your brother. Church, listen, this is, Jesus is telling you, telling us, has someone sinned against you? Are you, listen, right now tonight, don’t jump up and say yes. Don’t say, he’s sitting right over there. Don’t do that. But is there someone in your life that you have not forgiven or they have sinned against you They’ve offended you. And God is speaking to you tonight. The Holy Spirit is saying, it’s, hmm, person. You will not, I will not spiritually advance. You and I will not grow. We will not have revival in our lives until this is dealt with now. Effective tonight. God is saying to us, you go to that person alone. Do you know what that means? I’ll tell you what it doesn’t mean. It doesn’t mean tweet. It doesn’t mean Facebook. It doesn’t mean whatever else is out there. You don’t tell your neighbor. If Joe has sinned against Fred, Joe and Fred get together. And we’re gonna learn there’s a way to get together. There’s a way to do this. And we are hypocrites and we are sinning when we think that we’re walking with Jesus and there’s this baggage we’re dragging behind of unforgiveness towards someone who’s wronged us. And we think that we’re being used by God or the power of God or whatever’s going on in our lives and we’ve got this trash that we’re dragging behind. We’re deceiving ourselves. Jesus says, no, no, no. In another place, we’ll get to it in a few weeks or months. Jesus says, listen, you and your brother have got something going and you’re at each other’s throat. Jesus says, leave your gift at the altar. Don’t come and do some God stuff when this is going on. Jesus says, stop right there. Leave your spiritual actions alone and go settle it with your brother or your sister. Stop. Isn’t it awesome? Do you hear that? Are you a stranger to the Bible? Are you a stranger to God? Hear this loud and clear. Our God is real. He’s alive. He’s the one and only God. And he’s so personal and so true and so loving that he says, I don’t need your religious trash. I don’t need your prayers. Go get along with your Neighbor, your husband, your wife, your brother, your sister, your aunt, your uncle, your grandma, grandpa, your grandkids, whatever it is, your boss, your employees, fix it. This is how real God is, fix that. Because I’m a relational God.

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You’re listening to Real Life with Pastor Jack Hibbs. You know, to hear more episodes and maybe catch up in the series, just go to jackhibbs.com. That’s jackhibbs.com. And for now, let’s get back to our teaching. Once again, here’s Pastor Jack.

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And Jesus says, listen. He says, if your brother sinned against you, verse 15, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. Alone. That’s safe, you know. That means humility. It’s a humble setting. You go to him alone. Listen, brother, did I understand you right? You called, you said to those guys that, did I understand this right? That I’m a jerk? Did I hear that right? Give opportunity. No, that’s not what I said. Let them respond. How much are we boiling with stuff that we heard that somebody said who said? And then you talk to them and you say, what? Man, I got to tell you, that happens to me all the time. First of all, just speaking to people is tough enough in life. Don’t you just want to kind of shut down? Pray for like a sore throat. Just how many of you are married? Raise your hands. You’re married. Well, put your hands up. How many of you are single? Raise your hands. Okay. All right. I just had a thought. I was thinking, hmm, single. Maybe all the single people should sit in this section. And then all the… That has nothing to do with the study. But… Because, you know, single people want to meet single people. And I’d rather meet… If you’re single, you ought to meet a single person at church instead of Joe’s Bar and Grill. You know, I mean, it’s just a… You catch the kind of fish… You know, anyway… But jet lag is in full effect and I’ve lost total. What was I saying before that rabbit trail? The what? Say what again? Create the atmosphere to speak to them alone. That they’re safe. And you ask them, is this true? No, it’s not true. Or yes, it is true. Or well, you know. And you can talk. Why, because you’re brothers in Christ Jesus. Both of you should by now understand, I’ve been forgiven a lot. And so I owe this to my brother and sister to talk to them in a setting that is first of all, without prejudice, without judgment, without a preconceived, listen, outcome, we are to meet with them to win our brother back, not to win the argument. Will you write that down? That’s brilliant. That’s the Lord. Get together not to win the argument, but to win your brother back to the Lord. Privacy, Jesus is commanding that there be a atmosphere of privacy, to maintain an atmosphere of restoration, to spare shame and resentment. It diffuses, by the way, the intensity, prevents gossip. And by doing so, that does not add to the sin. If someone sins against me or I sin against them, the moment I take that outside of that circle of sin and I confess it to Clyde or to anyone else and I say, well, you know what, boy, the other day, whew, you should have been there. Bob just went off, he was just freaking out, cussing and cursing and biting the tree and going nuts, man. Now, I’ve just polluted Clyde’s heart. And he had nothing to do with the situation. Look, in my gossip, I have just committed a greater sin than what that person did against me. Do you hear that? And the church does this every day. Christians do this every day. And it’s gossip. And the Bible says, God says, I hate those who sow discord among the brethren. In preparing for this message, I wrote this down, and if it means something to you, then grab it, because God gave it to my heart. And if it blesses you, then grab it, and it’s this. I will never really love someone unless my love is greater than their sin against me. Because, listen, because I do love them, I’m willing then to reach out to them if I love them. So did you get that? I will never really love someone unless my love is greater than their sin. Did you hear that? Do you know, when I heard that in meditation and just, I wrote that down. Gosh, Lord. That is so true. And then it dawned on me. This point is we are to forgive because Jesus, be like Jesus. And that came into my heart, went down on the piece of paper, and it hit me like a ton of bricks. That’s the definition of Jesus, is it not? Listen, that he loved all of us so much that his love was greater than our sins. I’m gonna ask you tonight, right now, we’re out of time, just bow your head, and let’s just get our hearts before him. I mean, I’m not into this visualizations of weirdness, but I’m just thinking right now, if I were to reach inside my chest and pull out my heart and hold it up to heaven, and God would shine his light upon the deep truth of my heart. Here’s the question that’s in my mind tonight. Am I forgiving people like Jesus has forgiven me? Do I understand tonight, in fact, Have I even stopped long enough to consider which of the centurion’s mallet drove the stake into my Savior’s hands and feet? What hit? What count was it? What number was it for which I was responsible for it? Was it the first strike? Was it the fifth? When Jesus felt every bit of flesh and nerve and bone and cartilage and vessels being separated and some mangled and some pierced through as that stake went into his hands and his feet. What part was mine? What do I own in that? And the more I begin to realize that and to meditate on that truth and that reality, number one, I realize that the pain that someone has perpetrated against me begins to dissipate. I’m starting to sense relief. And not only relief, but release. When I begin to see that I’m the guilty one, My finger pointing at that person, that man, that woman. Maybe it’s that whatever. I have got to confess that there’s been some justification. It’s felt good to point. It has felt good to say, even if it’s true, bad stuff about them. if I’ve repeated out of my mouth into the ear of someone standing by the pain, the hurt, the anger of what someone’s done to me. I’m so guilty. Tonight we are here. And Jesus, we ask of you to send the power of your Holy Spirit afresh into our lives. that we might forgive those who have sinned against us. And Lord, if we have sinned against someone, that we would now go to them, write them, call them, and humbly, with true humility, forgive and issue forgiveness. And Lord, in these weeks ahead, as we look to this, prime our hearts already, all of us listening right now, either in this sanctuary or those that are watching right now, that we would begin to embrace and begin to romance the reality That you didn’t call us to forgive others to set them free. You called us to forgive others to set us free. How did we ever mess that up? When we have said, I will not forgive that person or I will not forgive them. Or did we mess that up thinking that that was something else? Good? That that was some power? It’s bondage. It’s a crypt. It’s a tomb. It’s a flesh eater, a sarcophagus of sin. It’s a root of bitterness. God, open up our eyes as a church, as individuals, as husbands, as wives, as single people, as young, as old. Open up our eyes. We beg of you, Jesus, tonight. May we right now, even now, begin to be forgiving those that have sinned against us right now. Lord, I’m inviting you. We together are asking you to be so radical.

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Pastor and Bible teacher, Jack Hibbs, here on Real Life Radio with his message called Parable of the Unmerciful Servant, Part One. Thank you for being here today. You know, this message is part of Pastor Jack’s new series called The Parables of Jesus. It’s a series highlighting the teachings of Jesus while he was walking around here on this earth. And we’ll continue on the next edition of Real Life Radio.

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So as you heard from our broadcast, Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. And if you’d like to know what a commitment to Christ can mean in your life personally, we would love to help you out with that. Go to jackhibbs.com slash know God. That’s K-N-O-W God. And there you’ll be guided through what a commitment to Christ can mean in your life and the freedom that you’ll find in knowing God. Don’t miss out. That’s the know God tab at jackhibbs.com.

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Hey, everybody. How many people have you ever talked to, either A, they said they’d give Christianity a try, but it didn’t work, or how many people do you know who have been Christians, so-called, for a long time? They even got their master’s degree in divinity. They got a doctorate in theology. They studied. They got into the books. They heard all the sermons. They wrote all the papers. Where are they today? Listen, here’s the secret that’s not a secret. The only way Christianity works is that once you learn something about Christ… He’s expecting you to go do it. If you learn about Christianity and you don’t do it, it will actually come back to bite you. How many people know so much about the Bible and then decades go by, they never put it into practice and they wound up becoming really weird about things and they kind of fell off the edge, you know? Why? What happened? They never took what they knew and put it into practice. They never took what they learned and did it. They learned, they talked about it, they wrote a paper about it, or they might even written a book about it, but they never did it. Christianity is all about doing it. And that’s living out God’s will for your life. If you’re not doing that, then your Christianity will fail because God’s definition of Christianity is to go tell the world, go minister to the hurting, visit orphans, comfort widows, get involved, put your faith in Christ in action. It’s actually called Christianity. It’s not a noun as much as it is a verb. So let’s get up, let’s do it by the power of the Holy Spirit.

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This program is made possible by the generous contributions of you, our listeners. Visit us at jackhibbs.com. That’s jackhibbs.com. Until next time, Pastor Jack Hibbs and all of us here at Real Life Radio wish for you solid and steady growth in Christ and in His Word. We’ll see you next time here on Real Life Radio.