September 13, 2020 Matthew 18:21-35 “Reconciliation– Forgiving Seventy-Seven Times” Pastor Jacqueline Hines

 On this 25^th week of wandering in the dessert of the pandemic, we are beginning to see that God faithfully provides a cloud by day and a fire by night that guides us in our journey! What a wonderful God we serve. 

Donna has a special selection for us. 

If I had a million dollars for every time someone said to me, “Pastor, I will never forgive them for what they did to me,” I would be a triillionaire. When someone hurts us, resolution and reconciliation come with a painful price tag. We may grudgingly offer our olive branch, as a symbolic offering of peace. We may say we forgive because we fear the wrath of God, but our heart may not be wholly healed. Our heart may simply be limping along for the ride.

Let’s get used to the fact that no one can love us like Jesus! So why should we feel we have lost it all when human love fails. No one understands like the living God. The one who created us and sustains us knows us better than we know ourselves. Our every breath depends on the one who loves us with an everlasting love.

So, when others won’t give us what is due us and what they owe us, let us remember to look to the hills from where our help comes. Our help comes from the one who made the heavens and the earth.

We can trust that GOD WILL PROVIDE. And if God doesn’t give it, we don’t need it, at least we don’t need it yet. As the psalmist said, “Weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning.” Or as Job said, “God may not come when you want God, but God is always right on time.”

We have needs that are urgent. Our needs cause us inconvenience. They can cost us time and money. Our needs can cause us to suffer for a season. At times of suffering, it is easy to focus just on our own suffering.

Our suffering can distract us from higher priorities. A good soldier of the Lord is alert to the many things that an enemy can use to distract us. A good soldier keeps an eye on the one they are protecting and defending. A good parent endures lack of sleep, waking up in the night for infant feeding and having sleepless nights while caring for teens finding their way. A good friend is insightful enough to read between the lines of our life in order to show care and concern. As the bible says, “A friend loves at all times. A brother – or sister - is born for adversity.” There is a cost for being good.

To accomplish the greater good, we have to stay focused, even when we are inconvenienced and suffering. There are definitely moments when we have to pay attention to our own wounds and suffering. There are other moments we have to focus on another priority that God has for us.

It’s not always about us. We are the apple of God’s eye, but we are not always the center of attention. Sometimes we have to wait a minute for our needs to be met. We humans are not necessarily gold medal champions of patience, but patience is what it takes to thrive. And the more we practice patience, the more patient we become.

Our need to forgive each other is urgent, even though it is hard. Jesus called Peter a “rock” a solid foundation for the Church. But, Peter was not always so strong. He grew stronger as he spent time with Jesus. Peter is on record as asking Jesus,   ‘Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?’ ²²Jesus said to him, ‘Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.

Have you ever prayed about forgiving someone? Most of us may be so consumed with how hurt we are that we don’t give much thought to forgiving the one who hurt us.

One of the most profound things I heard this week was evangelist Beth Moore  saying, the leading cause of forgiveness is compassion. 

If we can wrap our minds around someone who hurt us, then we may be able to see them through eyes of compassion. We may be able to at least love them by praying for them in spite of our suffering. Doesn’t God love them, too?

Years ago, when someone hurt me, I was shocked, surprised, disappointed, sad and confused. After praying about it, it occurred to me to pray every day by visualizing her and myself wrapped together in the loving arms of Jesus. Isn’t it hard to think of our enemies deserving God’s love?  Don’t we feel that we deserve love and those who hurt us deserve all the revenge and punishment imaginable? We know that love is not a feeling. Love is what we do, not what we feel. If we act in loving ways, our feelings will follow. Our feelings will fall in line with the love we do.

If there is any punishment or revenge to be given, we know it is not ours to give. “Vengeance is mine…I WILL repay. God takes care of any payback that is due us. Surely, God does bring mercy and justice – but only in God’s timing and in God’s way. It is often not what we had in mind. God’s ways are higher than our ways. God’s thoughts are not our thoughts. 

Perhaps you have seen your enemy get what you think they deserve. We can’t always figure out what God is doing, but this I know, if you’re happy about something unpleasant that happens to someone who hurt you, then you’re not getting the message that God is sending. We should be no happier about God’s judgment or someone’s reaping the trouble that they have sown than we should be happy when we find ourselves in trouble.

The purpose of God’s judgment and punishment is to correct, to make things right again, to grow more fruit of the Spirit which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, (or generosity) faithfulness and self-control. Seeing someone get the trouble we think they deserve is not a time to celebrate. The time to celebrate is when any of us learn our lessons well enough to do the right thing.

The Lord is faithful and will do justice and show us and mercy. Months later, after praying that the one who hurt me and I were wrapped up together in the loving arms of Jesus, the pain and the hurt melted away. I never saw her again, and when she does come to mind from time to time, I still think of her in the loving arms of Jesus.

By the time we forgive someone 70 times as verse 22 says, we get God’s point. That point is that forgiveness NEVER ends. The time for forgiveness never ends because the time for love NEVER ends, so says I Corinthians.

So, when someone owes us as the slave owed the king in verse 24, we need to think twice before trying to get payback on our own. Verse  23 says, ‘For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. ²⁴When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents^* was brought to him; ²⁵and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made. 

²⁶So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, “Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.” ²⁷And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. 

The slave found mercy when he owed 10,000 talents of silver. One thousand is said to be the highest number used in the Roman world.  One talent was about 75 pounds of silver. Therefore, 10,000 talents equaled 750,000 pounds or 375 tons of silver. That would be over 100 billion today. The slave owed more than could be imagined. But, when someone owed the slave just about 19,000 dollars, he went berserk. 

Verse 28 – 35 reads

²⁸But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow-slaves who owed him a hundred denarii;^* and seizing him by the throat, he said, “Pay what you owe.” ²⁹Then his fellow-slave fell down and pleaded with him, “Have patience with me, and I will pay you.” 

³⁰But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he should pay the debt. ³¹When his fellow-slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. ³²Then his lord summoned him and said to him, “You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. ³³Should you not have had mercy on your fellow-slave, as I had mercy on you?” 

³⁴And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he should pay his entire debt. ³⁵So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister^* from your heart.’

If you are human, you may have had the thought of choking someone who owes you, who has hurt you. You may have wept helplessly or trembled with rage. It is human to feel like pulling that lever as you picture them in the electric chair or hitting the target until they get dunked into the water. It takes the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit in us to help us forgive.

I heard of a young man mentioned in a sermon (by C. Philip Green, Feed the Dogs, 10/16/2009) who walked five miles to church because he could not afford a bus. When he arrived, if he had not taken his medicine, he acted very inappropriately – lewd gestures and all. He decided he wanted to join the church, but the elders allowed him to be on probation until he understood better what it was to be a Christian and until he could act appropriately. He wanted to play his guitar in the choir and was allowed to do so as long as it was not plugged in. He had no family and no job, but he had a church that forgave him again and again and again. No doubt, they themselves knew they had been forgiven again and again and again?

When we are ready to be more like Jesus, we call upon him to fill us with the Holy Spirit that we might learn to forgive, that we would see each other in the loving arms of Jesus, and stay there until our pain and hurt dissolve, until the tears are wiped away and we can sing with conviction as Baptist songwriter Kurt Kaiser wrote: I wish for you my friend, this happiness that I've found; you can depend on God. It matters not where you're bound. I'll shout it from the mountain top - PRAISE GOD! I want the world to know. The Lord of love has come to me. I want to pass it on. Let us pray:  

Breathe on us, breath of God. Fill us with life anew, that we may love what Thou dost love, and do what Thou wouldst do. We pray your blessings upon those who suffer from illness or despair, from catastrophe, tragedy, floods, and fires. We pray for our first responders and caretakers near and far, for all the preachers, teachers, leaders, and missionaries from every nation and station. We pray as you taught the disciples…  Our father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

We hope this message has strengthened you in your journey and blessed you with a hunger and thirst for more of Jesus who will never leave you or forsake you. I invite you to give your live to Jesus today.

Next week we will continue looking at Matthew chapter 20 on the topic “Reconciliation – What’s Fair.”

If you would like to make your contribution to the great ministry and mission of Bethel, the website is 

Or you can send it to 952 Bethel Church Road, Spring City, Pa. 19475. 

God bless you! 

Reconciliation -God Will Do It

 

September 6, 2020 Matthew 18:15-20 “Reconciliation— God Will Do It!” Pastor Jacqueline Hines

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It is the 23^rd week now of our worshipping outside of our sanctuary during the pandemic. We have not figured out all that God is doing. We are just reminded to trust God’s love and care for us and for the whole world. We are a world in need of reconciliation, a world in need of peace.  

Christians so appreciate the idea of reconciliation. We love it when we see two people who are estranged from one another shake hands or hug one another. Or, these days, it would be ok to only look at them with love and kindness. Our hearts melt when we see people in a broken relationship get back together again. 

These days, especially, we are longing for the fighting to stop and the reconciliation to happen in a hurry. We take our time getting into trouble, digging deep roots of pride and prejudice, and greed. There is no reason to think that we can get things right overnight.

Let’s hear what Jesus has to say about reconciliation in Matthew 18 verses 15-20

Matthew 18:15-20

15 ‘If another member of the church^* sins against you,^* go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one.^* 16But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. ¹⁷If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax-collector. ¹⁸Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. ¹⁹Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. ²⁰For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.’

 If we were to follow Jesus’ words in Matthew to the letter, he tells us that if a member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. First of all, what kinds of sins is Jesus talking about? Let’s recognize that sin includes breaking one of the Ten Commandments. Let’s also understand that sin is a violation, an offense, a betrayal – something foul we do in order to steal another’s peace of mind or to rob them of something we desperately want for ourselves!

What kind of sins have people committed against you? What kind of sins have you committed against someone else? Have they told you that you sinned, offended, stole from them or betrayed them? Have you ever told someone they sinned against you, offended you, or stole from you?

Jesus’ words suggest we are on speaking terms with the offender, that we are free to go to them and talk. That, of course is not always the case. Many times, Jesus knows when we tell someone they have sinned, sometimes they are grateful. Sometime they get angry.

I went to Panera this week with a ten dollar coupon, so my order was about $2. The cashier had on gloves. She gave me change. Then she went to the pastry plate, picked up my elephant ear with the same gloved hands she given me my change. I called her aside and asked in a whisper, whimsically, if she had pastry tissues because she touched my dessert with the same hands she gave me my dirty money. Even with a mask, I could tell this 21-year-old or so was not happy. On my way out, I tried to smile at her but she slowly turned her back, probably to avoid me. There seemed to be no room for me to reconcile.

Later, I thought I could have slowly approached her and gently let her know that I appreciated her giving me another dessert that was not touched with a dirty glove. I could have, but I did not. Maybe next time I will remember to slow down and pray about that.

Have you told someone, especially a Christian about a sin that they have committed against you? As Christians, when someone has offended us, we do well to ask ourselves, “Do they know how I feel and did I tell them that they offended me?” Often we are too hurt or too afraid or too proud to speak the truth in love. We may be hurt and shocked. We may be afraid that they or their friends would retaliate. We may even be afraid that we would lose control and say something nasty or rude. Learning to control ourselves enough to speak the truth in love means a lifetime of training for most of us.

Jesus instructs us to help each other by telling each other when we are offended, doing it privately, one-on-one. If that does not work, are we supposed to tell everyone who listens that they did us wrong? Are we supposed to coddle our hurt feelings and never speak to them again? Would Jesus approve of our going out of our way to avoid them? No, our next step is to get someone else to try and help them to see that they have been offensive.

There is a saying “God Loves Us Just As We Are—But Too Much To Let Us Stay That Way!” It is our job as Christians to help each other stay on track, because our blessings are in the path of right living.

Every time we offend someone we should be ready to hear what they have to say without being defensive. We want to be open to understanding each other and doing whatever we can to bring healing and peace. Sometime we have few words and we speak to each other in body language, like my interpretation of the young lady turning her back to me. Body language is a real language and we do well to learn to watch our body language and to learn each other’s body language.

Every time we get offended, we should listen to our own heart and listen to God’s love for us. God cares when people step on our toes. God knows when someone is mean to us. We often hear of women being abused year after year after year and then one day, they hear the good news that they are loved and held in high esteem. They begin to see the light shining on a path of forgiveness and freedom.

If the abuser does not repent, because he or she does not share our Christian values or because they are not, in that situation, acting like a good Christian, we treat them accordingly. We remove our God-Created selves out of the way from any assaults and insults. We no longer open our hearts or minds to any ideas and behaviors that are not of the highest and holiest standards.

We may do best to respectfully and politely avoid the Gentile as Jesus says in verse 1. A Gentile is not simply a non-Jew, but a symbol of a person who has no intention of submitting their life to God. We may do well to avoid mingling too long with a tax collector. Tax collectors are the symbols of crime and corruption, for they had a reputation for forcing as much extra as they could get out of people when they knew they could not fight back.

When people do not want to do right by us, there no reason for reconciliation because reconciliation presupposes good intentions. Reconciliation may mean establishing boundaries and providing protection for ourselves as well as others and avoiding trying to be close with those who mean us harm.

We want to be reconciled to ourselves, to God and to everyone else who has good intentions.

Psychologist Dr. Anita Philips and Pastor Christine Caine who rescues trafficked women had a conversation recently about reconciliation in which a good example was given. They affirmed the idea that we would not ask a victim of human trafficking to reconcile with her traffickers. God does not want every broken relationship to be reconciled. The harm and the offence may require a lifetime, even generations of healing. Reconciliation begins with repentance.

Repentance begins with prayer. Pastor Henry Blackaby said that there are 6 reasons to pray.

1.  Prayer is an essential leadership activity.

2.  Prayer brings the Spirit’s filling. 

3.  Prayer brings God’s wisdom.

4.  Prayer accesses God’s power.

5. Prayer relieves stress.

6.  Prayer reveals God’s agenda.  

Number four stands out for us today because we need God’s power to overcome the evil powers that threaten our lives.

Blackaby reminds us that "God is all-powerful. . . .God can do far more than even the most resourceful [leaders] of us. God's promise is open ended: 'Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock; and it will be opened to you' (Matt. 7:7 NIV). If someone is angry,…reconciliation might look impossible. But God can melt the hardest … God can change people's attitudes overnight. No matter how powerful a position we may have, we can still find ourselves powerless in certain situations.” The only thing left to do is pray! God is all about reconciliation and peace and repentance. God will make reconciliation and peace and repentance happen when we do our part. God will do it!

May take courage today and find a way to listen to each other’s hearts when we offend on another as Christians, to speak the truth in love so that we can be reconciled to ourselves, to God and to one another. Let us pray.

Lord, what you ask of us seems too hard. We know that we can do all things when you strengthen us. Still we hesitate to go forward. Stir up in us the will to trust your ways. We pray as you taught the disciples:  

We hope this message has been a blessing and has strengthened your resolve to grow closer to the one who loves you with an everlasting love, one who will never leave your or forsake you. I invite you to give your live to Jesus today.

Next week we will continue looking at Matthew 18 on the topic “Reconciliation – Forgiving Seventy Times Seven Times.”

If you would like to make your contribution to the great ministry and mission of Bethel, the website is Bethelumchurch.com

Or you can send it to 952 Bethel Church Road, Spring City, Pa. 19475.

God bless you! 

 

 

 

September 6th 2020 Communion Meditation for Shick Shack ~ I Samuel 8.1-9 “God’s Presidential Candidate”

 

Communion Meditation for Shick Shack

September 6^th 2020

I Samuel 8.1-9  “God’s Presidential Candidate”

Once upon a time there was a country that had no king, no governor, and no president. Everyone got along so well and loved each other so deeply that they could resolve any conflict they had. It reminds me of one of my counseling professors who said to the class: the sign of a healthy society and culture is the ability to solve their problems.

Have you had the blessing of seeing some of your problems solved? You probably did it with the help of family, friends, a community, or maybe strangers. Some of your help may have come from wisdom you have gained over the years. Solutions may come to the surface of your mind in the nick of time.

Do you have any problems that have not been resolved yet? Are they nagging at you day and night or on certain holidays? Are they relationship problems, money problems, health problems, stinking thinking problems, anxiety, depression, obsession, compulsion problems? Whatever they are, give them to God in prayer today.

Israel had their share of problems, and like us, naturally, they paid more attention to the problems than they did to the Problem Solver. It is supernatural to put God first. It is a nature we find in prayer and studying God’s word.

We have seen God bless us over and over again. God has healed us, delivered us, and saved us in the nick of time. But, when a problem comes, it is not so easy to look to the One who never leaves us, who is ALWAYS there for us.

So, right now, take the time to think about those big, in-your-face problems – in this very moment! Name them quietly in your heart, write them out in your mind’s eye on an invisible piece of paper. Now fold it neatly. Put it in an envelope. Write on that envelope “God” and hand it over to the angel that is waiting by your side and watch that angel walk to the altar and deliver all your problems to God. Thank God quietly that the love and power of God can manage whatever you have on the altar!

The Israelites had blessings and they had problems. They looked at how the rest of the world was dealing and they wanted to be like all the other nations. The others had a king, so they wanted a king. Having a king is a good thing. Like having a president is a good thing.

It stops being good when we decide to hold any leader – whether pastor, president or pope - as more honorable than God.

Christians around the world are led by all kinds of leaders. They speak all kinds of languages. They are Muslims, Jewish, atheists, gay, lesbian, male, female and a whole lot more. We are called to hold all leaders in the highest esteem, to pray for them, to honor and respect them.

We may be called like Billy Graham, to have lunch with them and tell them whatever God gives us to say in agreement or disagreement and always speak the truth in love. We are to prayerfully cast our vote, which is not always easy since there are so many issues at stake. There is never one candidate who aligns 100% with what we think or what God says. It is always a mixed bag. But we are called to get along with one another. To agree to disagree, to be at peace whenever possible. God gives us the power, as we pray, to help us be all we can be.

Samuel was disappointed that God’s people wanted a king like the rest of the world. But God said give them what they want and warn them that if you do not choose to follow me above all else, you will be left with only what a limited human can provide for you.

When we cast our ballots as good citizens and good Christians, let us remember that God is our leader first and foremost. It does not matter who the human leader is. It does not matter what language they speak, what religion they practice or what their politics are.

If every Christian were to respect leaders while at the same time honoring and obeying God above all else, there would be fewer hungry children in the streets, fewer homeless sleeping on park benches, and fewer youth running away in order to escape an abusive home. If every Christian were to respect leaders while at the same time honoring God above all else, there would be more justice and more mercy. Cast your vote and remember, no matter who you vote for, always put God first.  Amen.