Muskoka Lakes Ministry of Knox, Port Carling & Zion, Torrance
Sunday Oct 25, 2020
Sermon Series: The Ministry of Jesus
Message: Ministry of Forgiveness
Reverend Glynis Faith (705-765-3797) (muskokalakesministry@gmail.com)
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Announcements
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* Lectio Divina Thursday evenings at 8pm via Zoom. If you would like to take part contact Rev. Faith to receive a Zoom invitation.
* Knox Board of Managers meets at 7pm on Tuesday October 27 in the Sunday School room.
* Anyone interested in membership with Knox or Zion should contact Rev. Faith to discuss. Membership classes will begin in January.
DONATIONS TO KNOX, PORT CARLING
Mail cheques to Knox Presbyterian Church Box 283, Port Carling, ON, P0B 1J0
E-Transfers to KnoxChurchPC@gmail.com No security question required
Pick up ~ Please call the office (705) 765-3797 to arrange pick up
DONATIONS TO ZION, TORRANCE
Mail cheques to Zion Presbyterian Church 1046 Torrance Rd, Torrance, ON, P0C 1M0
E-Transfers to zionchurchpc@gmail.com No security question required
Pick up ~ Please call the office (705) 765 3797 to arrange pick up
Thank you for your continued support!
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Prayer of Thanksgiving and Intercession
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We have everything to be thankful for, O Lord. For life, for love, for second, third and seventy times seven gifts of forgiveness. Most importantly, we are thankful for Jesus, for the gift of salvation He has bought us with His blood, and for the freedom He gives to all who will accept Him as their Lord. Father, Son and Holy Spirit we offer You our thankful hearts.
Holy Spirit, watch over the people all around the world who have been infected with Covid. We pray especially for the elderly and people whose immune systems are compromised. Give strength to their lungs and hope in their hearts.
Guide the people of this world to use the creativity You have given us to help people affected by loneliness.
Bring peace and good will into the hearts and minds of our brothers and sisters across the border as the US election day nears. Whatever the outcome, we pray for peace in the streets across the country.
We lift up all world leaders, praying they will put politics aside, placing the long-term needs of people at the top of their agendas.
And we pray for everyone who is struggling to forgive someone in their life. We pray they will hear Your voice and trust You to ease their pain as they offer grace to those who have hurt them.
Smile Your blessings down upon us as we pray together the Lord’s Prayer…. Our Father, who art in heaven, hollowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, thine 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, the power and the glory, forever and ever. AMEN
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Hymn #774 God Forgave my Sin / Freely, Freely
Words: Carol Owens Music: Carol Owens
Words: paraphrase copyright © Lexicon Music Inc., 1972. All rights reserved. Used by permission of CMC Ltd. Music: copyright © Lexicon Music Inc., 1972. All rights reserved. Used by permission of CMC Ltd. ________________________________________

God forgave my sin in Jesus' name; I've been born again in Jesus' name,
and in Jesus' name I come to you to share his love as he told me to.
He said:
'Freely, freely you have received; freely, freely give.
Go in my name and because you believe, others will know that I live.'

All power is given in Jesus' name, in earth and heaven in Jesus' name,
and in Jesus' name I come to you to share his power as he told me to.
He said:
'Freely, freely you have received; freely, freely give.
Go in my name and because you believe, others will know that I live.'
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Scripture
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Matthew 18:21-35 The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. (most translations say 70X7 times)
“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
“At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
“But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.
“His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’
“But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.
“Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
“This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
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Message
“Ministry of Thanksgiving”
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This parable makes me scratch my head and wonder, how can someone be forgiven so much, yet refuse to forgive the debt of others?
The man’s debt is 10,000 bags of gold, and his entire debt is forgiven him.

This same man is owed 100 silver coins, yet he sends his debtor to jail for not paying.
10,000 bags of gold – 100 silver coins.
This man goes from having a massive debt totally cleared for him, to holding someone else’s modest debt over their heads.
He is given grace, and he offers unforgiveness. And what is the result of all of this? He loses it all.
Imagine losing grace, simply because you choose not to extend it to others.
Our passage starts with a simple question from Peter, “how many times should you forgive?”
Perhaps Peters question should have been, “Lord, I am a sinful man, how many times will you forgive me before you give up on me?”
Here’s the thing, God never gives up on you – NEVER! Lamentations 3:22-23 tells us: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning;
That is like waking up every morning with a blank slate – God’s mercy is new every morning. So, the only thing that can stand between you and God’s grace is your own inability to extend grace to others. This is exactly what happens in the parable. Mercy is granted, but mercy is not extended, so justice is done.
God’s mercy is abundant – forgiving us 10,000 bags of gold worth of sins. God forgives us, but God also calls us to do the same – to forgive.
Matthew 5:23-24 “If you are bringing a gift to the alter (so, if you are bringing a gift to offer God), and you remember your brother has something against you, put down your gift and go and be reconciled with your brother”
Matthew 6:14-15 “if you forgive others their debts, your heavenly father will also forgive yours, but if you do not forgive others, you will not receive forgiveness.”
Matthew 18:21-22 “how many times should we forgive? It’s simple, how many times might you need to be forgiven?”
Forgiveness is a calling to which we are all invited to take part. Forgiveness is itself a ministry that enables people to see and experience the love of God. Scripture clearly instructs us to forgive those who sin against

us. They may not think they need our forgiveness and they may not want or accept it, but we are called to forgive, regardless.
Forgiveness can bless the other person if they choose to accept it, but even if they don’t (which sometimes happens) your willingness to forgive blesses God and blesses you. When you make the effort to forgive, you will feel a huge burden lifted from your shoulders. When you forgive, as God has forgiven, you will feel yourself drawing closer to God. Forgiveness frees you from the anger and pain and it is the first step in healing. It won’t necessarily help you to forget, but it will give you strength and peace.
How many times should we forgive? Seven times, Peter asks? When we listen to the parable we realize the question should not be ‘how many times should we forgive,’ but rather ‘ how can we do anything but forgive in light of the great mercy that has been shown us.’
Lets hear the parable again, only this time we will consider the outcome of someone who realizes their blessing and chooses to bless others:
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy times seven time.” Let me tell you a parable Peter:
“The kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
“At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
“Now, the servant had always been a generous person and frequently lent money to friends in need. He came across one of his friends who owed him a hundred silver coins. The friend saw him and said, ‘I am sorry I have not yet paid you back. Please be patient with me and I will get it to you as soon as I can.”
“Remembering the grace he himself had recieved, he chose to forgive his friend’s debt. Other people heard of the grace one friend extended to the other.

“The master also heard how the servant had cancelled his friend’s debt and he was pleased to see that the kindness he had show had been extended to others. He called the servant in and commended him with a blessing.”
“This is what your heavenly Father shall do for You, for the forgiveness you show others will be shown to you.” ////////
Friends, begin each morning reflecting on the fact that God has erased the debt of every sin you have ever confessed. Wiped your accounts clean and set you free! From there, step into the day knowing that you have been called into a ministry of forgiveness, a ministry that blesses you – blesses those who have offended or harmed you – and most importantly, blesses God, the giver of grace.

Please pray with me: Father God, if we were to add up our debts it would be more that we could possibly pay, so we thank you for Your grace and the gift of Christ’s sacrifice upon the Cross. We give thanks for the work of the Holy Spirit, who continues to call us to repentance and leads us into a ministry of forgiveness in the world. We give you thanks for the freedom we find in forgiving others, and for the ways sharing forgiveness also shares the Gospel message. With hearts set free, we offer this prayer in the Name of Jesus. AMEN
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Commissioning and Benediction
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Friends, forgiveness is a gift. Get up each morning remember the gift God has given you, determined to share what you have received with others…

And as you do, May the Lord bless you and keep you, may He make His face to shine down upon you. May the Lord, be gracious to you – today, tomorrow and every day here after. AMEN