Alright, so our reading today is from Matthew 18, starting at verse 15 and finishing at 35.
If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.
If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.
But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you,
that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.
If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church.
And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven,
and whatever you lose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask,
it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.
For where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am among them.
Then Peter came up and said to him,
Lord, how often will my brother sin against me and I forgive him?
As many as seven times, Jesus said to him.
I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.
Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants.
When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.
And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold with his wife and children and all that he had,
and payment to be made.
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.
But when the same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii and seized him.
He began to choke him, saying,
Pay what you owe.
So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him,
Have patience with me and I will pay you.
He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt.
When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed,
and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place.
Then his master summoned him and said to him,
You wicked servant, I forgave you all that your debt because you pleaded with me.
And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant as I had mercy on you?
And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers until he should pay all his debt.
So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.
Good morning.
Good to see everyone again this week.
Also welcome to those who are online as well.
As Sam has said, we are doing, or we are reading,
and considering the book of Matthew, chapter 18.
And today we are in the second part of it.
So last week we talked about
how in the church,
or in the group of people,
we seek to be important,
to be somebody.
And this week we are coming to the part
where we seek to protect our rights.
So,
we will, yeah,
consider that.
Let's pray first before we stop.
Father God,
we are so thankful that we can
come together to worship you
as we sing songs,
as we listen to your word.
How does,
Father,
not to
concentrate on ourselves,
to consider how good we are,
or how bad we are.
help us to
be able to see the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ,
the founder and the perfecter of our faith.
For we pray in Jesus' name.
Amen.
For those of us who have
watched many movies,
you might notice that
a lot of movies are about vengeance.
The story will start with
somebody,
or the main actor,
or actress,
was
bullied by
someone,
I mean,
the bad guys,
or persecuted by the bad guys,
and then
we will,
as we,
we will wait for the
development of the story,
and we will predict that
at the end,
the ugly duckling
will become a swan,
and then
it will
take revenge,
and the bad guys
suffer for what they have done.
That
will be in our mind,
but I wonder
whether we would
also wait at the same time
to
hope that
the bad guys
would
say sorry,
and repent,
and get forgiven,
and then
they become good friends again.
I think that is not very common,
we don't
think so much about it,
because
if the movie is like that,
nobody will watch
it,
I suppose,
because it's not entertaining
very much,
because in our culture,
personal rights,
human rights,
is very important,
and if
we
dare to violate it,
you will
be punished,
and you should be punished,
and we expect that
to be.
And so
we are not
very
culturally,
we are not
good
at seeking
forgiveness,
or giving
forgiveness.
So today,
we are considering
this,
especially in our,
as a church,
as God's people,
how we should
interact
with one another,
and this,
because as we gather,
there will be conflicts,
for sure,
even
husband and wife,
I mean,
conflicts happen
all the time,
and how do we
handle that,
right?
And so,
today,
we will,
with the question
of rights,
I will talk
four things about
rights.
The first one
is about
personal rights,
and when a
personal right
has been
violated,
why should I,
or why should we
forgive?
The second one
is about
the right actions.
If the conflict
is not resolved,
what do we do?
And the third
thing is the
right to take
action.
How,
who has the
right to say,
finally,
what is,
what is right
and wrong,
and take
further action?
And the fourth
thing is right
relations,
right relationship.
That is the
end goal
of
chapter 18,
I think.
So,
we'll start
with,
I will start
with verse
21,
so,
I will come
back to 15
later.
So,
on verse
21,
that is the
famous
question that
Peter asked
Jesus,
Lord,
how often
will my
brother sin
against me,
will I
forgive him?
As many as
seven times?
You see,
what Peter
is asking
is,
if somebody
has been
infringing on
my rights,
how many
times
should I
forgive the
person,
that person
is a
brother,
take note
there,
before I
stop,
I can
stop
forgiving.
That is,
because
if we
live in the
world,
he suppose
if I
forgive one
time,
I will be
very generous,
but because
in the
church
condition,
church
circumstances,
maybe seven
times is
enough,
that's what
is in
Peter's
mind.
And
then
Jesus
said,
not seven
times,
but 77
times.
Don said
70 times,
seven times,
which is,
you can
translate that
as well.
It means
that there's
a lot of
times,
70 times,
or 490
times.
I mean,
it basically
means that
Jesus is
saying,
you don't
keep a
record of
how many
times people
have sinned
against you.
Because,
as you know,
I mean,
like in a
church
situation,
if there's
100 people,
if you
can remember
each one,
how many
times each
person has
sinned
against you,
seven times
is a lot
of number
to remember.
But 70
times,
it's just
impossible,
unless you
take a
notebook and
just record
every week,
who has
sinned
against me,
and whether
I've forgiven
the person.
So,
I mean,
life becomes
unlivable like
that.
So,
what Jesus
meant was
not,
don't record,
don't count.
So,
we can then
imagine,
Peter would
ask the
question that
it's not
fair.
Don't I
have my
rights?
I mean,
how,
why,
why should
I just
keep
copying
the
insults
on people,
or people
being taken
advantage
by people.
And,
in
anticipating
Peter having
this question,
then,
Jesus told
him and
the other
disciples that
the parable
of the
unforgiving
servant,
and we
know that
the servant
owes the
king,
owes the
king a
last sum
of money,
and it's
so large.
I mean,
in today's
term,
it's
calculated
to be
six billion
dollars.
Six billion
dollars,
I mean,
it's the
number that
we can
hardly
imagine.
And,
but,
obviously,
he couldn't
pay for
it.
He begged
for mercy,
and the
king had
mercy on
him,
and
canceled
his debt.
And,
the next
minute,
he went
out and
saw a
fellow
servant,
again,
his fellow
servant,
same servant
who was
serving the
king,
who
owed him
a small
debt,
which is
about
$12,000.
I mean,
it's still a
lot of
money,
$12,000,
but compared
to six
billion,
it's
nothing.
He
demanded
the
fellow
servant
to
repay
him the
debt,
and the
fellow
servant
pleaded
for mercy,
he couldn't
pay,
and then
he put
it in
jail.
And so,
when the
king found
out about
this,
the king
then put
this
unforgiveness
in jail
as well.
So,
we can,
I mean,
Peter thought
that by
forgiving seven
times,
he's already
doing better
than the
Jews.
The Jews
who forgive,
a good
Jew,
who forgive
their fellow
Jews three
times.
And,
so for
Peter to say
seven times
is very
generous.
But in
this parable,
Jesus is
reminding
Peter that
even if
you're the
best servant
of God,
you still
all got
a large
sum or
a big
debt,
because
the Jews
or the
Pharisees
or the
disciples
who think
that they
are giving
God a
service,
they are
contributing
to the
kingdom of
God.
But Jesus
is reminding
Peter that
it's not
so.
Because even
if we
serve God
perfectly in
terms of
following the
law and
doing things,
but our
hearts would
normally not
be serving
God.
We are
serving our
purpose like
the Pharisees.
I mean,
we do all
the things
for our
own reputation
or position.
And so
all the
service that
we appear
to give
service to
God is
actually for
our own
glory.
And so
we are
stealing
glory from
God
even as
we serve
him.
So we
can imagine
Jesus is
telling Peter
to imagine
one day
God
will come
to you
and demand
you to
pay back
all the
glory that
you have
stolen from
him.
and also
all the
neglect that
you should
have given
to your
brother and
you have
not.
What will
you do?
Peter and
Peter will
think,
I don't
know what
to do.
I won't
have any
way to
repeat that
debt,
but I
will plead
for mercy
and promise
that I
will do
better next
time.
I will
love God
as I
should and
love my
brothers as
I should.
okay,
I mean,
God hears
you and
forgive you.
But the
next minute
Peter,
you meet
a brother
who owe
you a
small debt.
And you
already
given this
brother seven,
extended the
debt line
seven times.
I mean,
this time is
the eighth
time you
said,
I won't
extend it
anymore,
you must
pay me
back.
And this
brother
couldn't
pay you
back,
you take
him to
court.
And put
him to
jail.
So,
Peter,
you have
broken your
promise.
What do
you think
God does
for you?
So that
is basically
what the
parable
is about.
And Jesus
is telling
us that in
the kingdom
of God,
people do
not think
in terms
of personal
rights.
Because they
are so
overwhelmed
by the
forgiveness
that they
have received
from God
that they
basically
lose
themselves
in that
amazement.
So you
can imagine
if you
borrow $6
million
from the
bank,
from a
bank,
and you
couldn't
repay it,
and the
bank
cancels
your $6
million
debt.
Would you
care if
your brother
all used
$12?
for any
person of
logic and
heart,
you won't
care about
how much
other people
owe you
if you
know how
much you
owe God
and how
much debt
God has
cancelled.
So if
we are not
forgiving,
that means
we have
not tasted
the forgiveness
of God,
or we have
not understood
the forgiveness
of God,
I understand
that sometimes,
as Don just
announced,
that sometimes
it's actually
very hard for
us to
forgive,
because the
hurt is so
deep.
But I
think the
important thing
is that we
do have a
desire to
forgive.
We may
not be able
to do it
straight away,
but at
least the
desire is
there to
tell God
that I
want to
forgive,
but I
find it
hard.
If we
do have
that desire,
I think
the Holy
Spirit is
already
working in
our hearts
for it.
Sometimes
people who
ask for
forgiveness
may not
be sincere.
We know
that.
They say,
I'm sorry,
but they
are not
actually
sorry.
What do
we do
then?
Or sometimes
people,
just like
in this
story,
just keep
sinning
against you.
What do
you do
then?
so we
will come
back to
verse 15
to look
at the
actions
that we
should take
if we
are suffering
or we
have been
wrong,
what do we
do if the
other party
has not
come to
apologize?
So there
are, I
will put
down in
five points
just quickly,
because verse
15 to
17 will
take the
whole sermon
at least.
So I
was, first
of all,
initiative.
So if we
find that
our relationship
has been
strained,
we should
be the
one who
take
initiative
to
reestablish
the
relationship.
So we
should talk
to the
person that
has wronged
us or
have not
sincerely
apologized.
we should
help the
person to
understand the
damage that's
done to
the relationship,
the hurt that's
caused.
It's not
easy, okay,
to do that.
Unless we
do it often
enough, we
just don't
know how to
do it, but
we have to
start somewhere.
We need to
have the
right place,
so we
don't just
in the
public area
and talk
about this.
Right
timing,
like if
the person
is busy
with something
else,
occupied with
something
else,
it's not
a good
time to
talk about
it.
And the
right attitude,
the attitude
will be the
next thing
that is,
we talk
about,
this is not
to protect
our rights,
but to
restore
relationship.
If you
have this
in mind,
then the
way we
talk will
be gentler,
not coming
down as
someone
aggressive,
and also
the attitude
of caring
for the
other party,
not so
much
condemning.
So we
also want
to consider,
not only our
rights have
been infringed,
we want to
talk about,
if you see
a brother
sinning against
somebody else,
somebody who's
weaker and
unable to
defend
themselves,
I think we
should still
talk to
the brother
as well,
or the
sister,
about this.
Or even
if you see
somebody who's
harming
himself,
herself,
by addiction,
alcohol,
pornography,
bambling,
all these
things,
I think we
should,
even though
it's not
sinning against
me or
ourselves,
then we
should still
talk to
the person.
So that
is our
attitude.
And then
there's the
steps that
we take,
that is
privacy.
So the
third thing
would be
privacy,
that is
when we
try to
settle
conflicts,
bear in
mind privacy
because we
do not
want to
publish the
whole thing
to everyone.
So as
the Lord
say,
it's one
to one
to start
with.
If it
doesn't get
resolved,
you get
some weaknesses,
so small
group leader,
or another
elder,
or somebody
else who
is appropriate
to talk
to the
person.
And only
if it's
not resolved
that you
bring the
whole matter
to the
church.
And then
so the
church can
make the
decision
or make
a judgment
on this
case.
And there
is the,
we also
need to
consider the
cause of
doing it.
sometimes
we try
to resolve
the
conflict
that it
may not
be
resolvable.
We thank
God that
most of
the time
it is
resolvable,
one to
one
level.
Sometimes
you go
to one
to,
many to
one,
some
two or
three to
one.
But in
reality,
in the
church
situation,
it's very
rare for
the case
to bring
up to
the
whole
church.
For my
last ten
years being
involved in
the
eldership,
there's none
of these
cases ever
come to
this.
Just because
by the
second stage,
when there
are two
or three
talking to
one, if
it doesn't
get resolved,
the person
usually leave
the church
and they
just go to
another
church.
And that's
the cause
of it,
when there's
not resolved
on both
sides.
And the
other cause
would be
reputation,
because the
person who
leave the
church would
usually get
asked,
why did
you leave
the church?
So then
he would
talk about
the hurt
that he
received
by somebody
in the
church.
But those
who left
in the
church,
who are
involved in
it,
because of
privacy,
they don't
tend to
talk about
their side
of the
story.
And so
whoever
tries to
resolve
problems,
sometimes
they will
be the
ones paying
for the
price for
doing it.
Just be
mindful of
this as
well when
we try to
resolve
conflicts.
Sorry,
I need to
hurry.
So we
will go
to the
next,
from
18 to
20.
It's
talked about
here,
the church
has got
the final
authority to
decide on
a conflict.
Who gave
the church
that authority?
So that's
18 to
20.
Jesus is
saying that
God has
given the
church
authority to
decide in
terms of
the binding
and losing.
And of course,
if the church
went through a
trade,
gather in
Jesus'
name,
and God
will guide
the church
for the
decision.
The question
would be,
would the
church,
even as
the church
make a
decision,
to make a
judgment,
would the
church always
be right?
It depends
on what
you define
as right.
How do you
know something
is right or
wrong?
Sometimes we
don't actually
know or
can never
know.
in
1748,
Jonathan
Edwards,
the famous
preacher in
America,
was dismissed
by his own
church.
Because the
church,
by that
tradition of
the church
is that
the Lord's
Supper was
open to
anyone,
whether they
are Christian
or not.
So this
is a means
of the
church to
attract
non-Christians
who come
to church
and start
joining the
church.
But Jonathan
Edwards insisted
that only
Christians,
people who
have repented
of their
sins,
should take
part in
the Lord's
Supper.
So the
church came
together and
out of the
230 people,
only 10%
voted for
Jonathan
Edwards.
The others
were against
him.
So Jonathan
Edwards was
dismissed.
Jonathan Edwards
wasn't
bitter about
this.
He was
very calm.
He gave
a farewell
sermon and
in the
sermon he
told,
advised the
church to
keep their
unity.
I mean,
don't divide
because of
this.
And he
just went
on and
do some
other
ministries.
So is
it a right
or wrong
decision?
It's very
hard to say.
the church
definitely
have
possibly the
best pastor
and preacher
American ever
had.
But in
God's
sovereignty,
the church
has set
loose a
very powerful
missionary to
the Indians
because they
dismissed
Jonathan
Edwards.
So we
can never
know in
terms of
right or
wrong in
there.
But in
God's
sovereignty,
things will
always turn
up right in
God's plan
in any
case.
So why
should we do
all these
things?
That is the
main point
of the
second half
of 18.
That is to
have the
right
relationship.
We try to
reestablish
relationship with
people and
with God.
And so
with the
forgiveness
and all
those going
on, we
are talking
about is
about
relationship.
You see
the word
righteousness
is not
only to
do the
right thing
in God's
eye, it's
actually to
have the
right
relationship.
Relationship
with God
and relationship
with man.
For example,
in Psalm
112,
verse 9,
it says
that he
has
distributed
freely,
he has
given to
the poor,
his
righteousness
endures
forever.
And his
horn is
exorbitant
honor.
Righteousness
in here is
saying that
somebody is
generous,
distributed,
freely,
given to
the poor,
and so
he established
a relationship
with people,
the poor
people,
the needy
people,
and that's
righteousness.
And so
it is
important for
us to
know that
to be
considered
righteous,
it's not
only sort
of living
according to
God's
law,
but more
so is
having
the love
towards
God
and other
people.
And that
is the,
I suppose,
sum up
the message
of chapter
18.
Then,
from this
understanding,
I will go
back to
the parable
of unforgiving
Because I
think there
are many
questions that
we will have
from this
parable.
I will
deal with
three
questions.
The question
one is,
is the
unforgiving
servant
a believer?
Is he
a sort
of,
according to
a Christian?
If he's
not a
believer,
how can
he be a
servant of
the king?
But if
he's a
believer,
how can
he be
condemned
by the
king at
the end?
How do
we resolve
this,
question?
We need
to think
about
relationship.
When the
unforgiving
servant
asked for
mercy,
do you
think he
have,
what did
he have
in mind?
Why did
he ask
for mercy?
So he
didn't want
to be
punished,
obviously.
Did he
have in
mind he
want to
reestablish
his
relationship
with the
king?
Possibly
not.
So his
mind is
about himself,
how he
can get
off the
punishment.
So the
relationship
is very
important in
here.
If we
go back
to,
if we
go to
Luke 15,
in Luke
15 we
have the
parables of
the lost
sheep,
the lost
coin,
the lost
son.
Remember
Jesus was
talking to
the Pharisees
in Luke
15 and
he first
mentioned the
lost sheep,
one lost
sheep with
99 sheep
who didn't
think that
they were
lost.
The 99
sheep is
actually
referring to
the Pharisees,
people who
think that
they are
right with
God because
they have
followed the
law,
the
diligently,
but they
are not
actually,
their heart
is not
with God.
And then we
go to the
lost son.
The son is
lost,
the younger
son,
not because
he lost
his ways
or his
mind,
but he
lost his
relationship
with the
father.
When he
demanded his
inheritance,
he's already
considered his
father dead.
He didn't
actually care
about his
father.
So the
lost son
is about
people who
pay no
regard to
God,
who
who's
got his
pleasure.
He just
focused on
finding
pleasure in
life.
But the
lost son,
when he
realized that
worldly
pleasure
did not
last or
did not
satisfy,
he remembered
the goodness
of the
father.
So he
went home
and apologized.
He said,
I sinned
against heaven
and I sinned
against you,
the father.
So it
shows that
he wants
to reestablish
relationship
with the
father.
In the
story of
the lost
son,
there's also
the older
brother who
didn't think
that he
was lost
because he
had been
serving the
father faithfully.
But he
was equally
lost because
he did not
have a right
relationship with
the father
or the
younger
brother.
So the
older brother
represents people
who are lost
because his
God is
religion.
religion to
him is
the most
important.
He worships,
he's not
worshipping God,
he's worshipping
religion.
It means that
he's worshipping
himself because
by religion he's
establishing his
position,
his reputation.
And so if
we look at
this parable,
we know that
again,
the right
relationship is
very important.
so we
come back
to this
servant,
is he a
believer?
Now,
it is not
easy to
define a
believer.
While it's
quite easy to
define an
unbeliever,
unbeliever is
like the
younger son
who did
not pay
any attention
to God
at all
and have
nothing to
do with
God.
But to
define
believer is
harder.
You see,
most of
us,
when we
come to
believe in
God,
we usually
believe in
God because
God is
useful to
us.
God can
help us,
God can
make us
happier,
or suffer
less.
So that
is still
about
myself
when I
come to
believe in
God.
Am I a
believer then?
Possibly.
But if
at some
stage I
can see the
beauty of
God and
I want
to know
God and
love him
and love
other people
as well,
then I'm
coming to
believe in
God not
because he's
useful to
me, but
because he's
beautiful.
And I
think Jesus
is talking
to Peter
in this
level of
belief,
desire to
have a
right
relationship
with God.
And that
is very
important to
the church
definitely
because if
you have
desire to
have the
right
relationship
with God
and then
you have
desire to
have the
right
relationship
with one
another.
And that's
how the
church will
grow and
be attractive
to other
people as
well.
So that is
the first
question.
The second
question would
be, I
imagine
Peter
asked
Jesus,
he said,
Peter could
say,
Lord, I
know that I
need to
love God
for all my
heart, all
my soul,
all my
strength,
all my
might,
and I
should love
my brother
as myself.
But I'm
not confident
that I can
keep it up
all the
time.
If I
fell,
would God
put me in
prison?
That's from
this,
parable.
So we
can imagine
also how
Jesus will
answer this
question.
Jesus will
say,
Peter, I'm
glad that you
have no
confidence in
yourself.
You are
always full of
confidence,
but it's
good that you
have no
confidence.
And it's
not a
question if
you will
fail, you
will fail
again and
again.
In the
parable,
the unforgiveness
servant
needed to
pay all
his debt
before he
can be
released
from the
prison.
But in
reality,
one day
you will
understand
that your
debt
has been
paid by
someone.
Your debt
in the
past or
in the
future
will be
paid.
And it
will be
paid by
me.
And that's
why I
have been
telling you
about my
debt
on the
cross.
So that
is the
second
question.
The third
question is
Peter may
then ask
Jesus,
oh, in
that case,
you have
given me
an hour
of jail
card.
Then why
should I
worry to
be unforgiving?
I mean,
you have
already paid
my debt.
I can't
just go
on and
live my
life and
be unforgiving.
I won't
be a
job.
God will
not put
people into
prison.
Why would
Jesus answer
this question?
Jesus would
say,
Peter, you
don't
understand.
When you
are being
unforgiving
to your
brother,
you are
putting
yourself in
prison,
in a prison
voluntary.
Many
people in
the world
live in
prison
voluntary.
We live
in prison
of
bitterness,
prison
of
jealousy,
prison
of
hatred,
prison
of
anger.
There's
so many
prisons that
we build
for ourselves.
God doesn't
need to
put you
in prison.
You
put yourself
in prison.
When you
insist
that you
want to
protect
your own
rights,
you are
living for
yourself.
The longer
you live
for yourself,
the more
prison you
will build.
and one
day you
might find
that you
cannot
repent
anymore.
You
can't
even use
that
out
of
cut
because
you
forget.
You
are so
lost in
it.
You
are lost
in your
resentment,
in your
bitterness.
You
don't think
that one
day you
can
suddenly
come back
to me.
You
might not
because
if you
just live
for yourself,
you will
lose
yourself.
but if
you live
for God
and other
people,
you will
find
yourself.
Peter,
I've
come to
set the
prisoners
free.
Wouldn't
you
follow me?
Wouldn't
you
trust me
now?
Let's
pray.
Father
God,
we
know that
we are
unable
to
love you
as we
should
or our
fellow
brothers and
sisters
as we
should.
And so
many times
we insist
of our
own rights
and demand
to be
respected.
Father,
help us
to be
free from
such
prisons.
Help us
to be
able to
say
that it's
no longer
I who
live.
And
therefore,
I do
not need
to
protect
my own
interests.
But it's
Christ who
lives in
me.
I already
have
Christ in
me.
So at
times,
I'm not
confident
that I
can keep
up with
loving you
other people
because I
still live
in the
flesh.
but I
do not
live by
trusting
myself.
I live
by the
faith,
having faith
in the
Lord Jesus
Christ who
loved me
and gave
himself for
me.
Thank you,
Lord.
We pray in
Jesus' name.
Amen.