WEBVTT - The Merciful Master

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<v Speaker 1>Let us pray. Then the Lord of that servant was

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<v Speaker 1>moved with compassion and loosed him and forgave him the debt.

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<v Speaker 1>Matthew 18.27 Dear Heavenly Father, Today I acknowledge that one

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<v Speaker 1>of the most powerful things I can do for myself

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<v Speaker 1>is to forgive others when wrongs are done against me.

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<v Speaker 1>I also acknowledge that the longer I harbor unforgiveness and resentment,

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<v Speaker 1>the longer I rob myself of experiencing your freedom and

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<v Speaker 1>your forgiveness when I mess up in life. Therefore, my

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<v Speaker 1>life will be one of mercy and grace. Because I

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<v Speaker 1>have been forgiven much, I now know I can forgive much.

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<v Speaker 1>I decree and declare that as much as it remains

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<v Speaker 1>with me, I will live at peace with all people.

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<v Speaker 1>I will realize that life is too short for me

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<v Speaker 1>to afford the enemy the luxury of keeping me stuck

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<v Speaker 1>in past hurts. This is the time and this is

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<v Speaker 1>the moment that I break free from unforgiveness, bitterness, and resentment.

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<v Speaker 1>I declare that Satan has no hold over my life

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<v Speaker 1>and over my peace. I declare that Satan has no

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<v Speaker 1>hold over my joy and over my peace. I am

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<v Speaker 1>free to love, and I am free to forgive, like

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<v Speaker 1>the merciful Master in Matthew 18 and Luke 10. In Jesus' name, amen.

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<v Speaker 1>Thank you for making prayer a priority in your day.

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<v Speaker 1>To learn more about the Bible, stay tuned for today's story.

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<v Speaker 1>Brought to you by BibleInAYear.com.

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<v Speaker 2>The Merciful Master In our last story, Jesus spoke of

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<v Speaker 2>generosity through the story of a gluttonous rich man and

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<v Speaker 2>a poor beggar. The rich man gorged on his wealth

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<v Speaker 2>with no attention to the sick and cold beggar right

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<v Speaker 2>at his door. As a result, the rich man suffered

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<v Speaker 2>when he died, but the poor man was restored. In

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<v Speaker 2>this story, Jesus teaches another valuable lesson on forgiveness through

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<v Speaker 2>the intense story of a servant and his master, as

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<v Speaker 2>inspired by the Gospels.

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<v Speaker 3>We're so glad you joined us on the Bible in

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<v Speaker 3>a Year podcast today. The Bible in a Year podcast

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<v Speaker 3>is an outreach of PowerPoint Ministries and can only come

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<v Speaker 3>to you each week through the support of listeners just

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<v Speaker 3>like you. Your support today is so important. that we

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<v Speaker 3>want to thank you for your gift by giving you

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<v Speaker 3>a copy of my book called The Jesus Book. It

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<v Speaker 3>is a powerful guide that shows how every book of

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<v Speaker 3>the Bible points to Jesus and how his living word,

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<v Speaker 3>the truth of God's word, will transform your life. So

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<v Speaker 3>to get a copy of The Jesus Book, simply go

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<v Speaker 3>to jackgraham.org slash Jesus. That's jackgraham.org slash Jesus. And thank

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<v Speaker 3>you for your support. In our last episode, we heard

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<v Speaker 3>about Lazarus and the rich man and how their earthly

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<v Speaker 3>and eternal lives were vastly different. It was a picture

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<v Speaker 3>of the complete restoration that awaits all who trust and

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<v Speaker 3>follow Jesus and the eternal separation and suffering for those

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<v Speaker 3>who reject him. Today we'll hear another parable, this time

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<v Speaker 3>about a master who forgives a large debt only to

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<v Speaker 3>discover that his debtor failed to extend the same mercy

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<v Speaker 3>to another. It's an important lesson about the forgiveness that

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<v Speaker 3>we've been given and the forgiveness that we must give

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<v Speaker 3>to others. So let's listen now to the reading of

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<v Speaker 3>God's Word.

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<v Speaker 2>It was midday, and Peter was walking silently behind Jesus

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<v Speaker 2>along with the other disciples. The dust drug underneath his feet,

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<v Speaker 2>and sweat dripped down his furrowed brow. Jesus knew what

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<v Speaker 2>Peter was thinking. As many people do, Peter was thinking

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<v Speaker 2>of past wrongs done to him. friends, family, and tax collectors.

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<v Speaker 2>Peter's memory was filled with people who had done him

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<v Speaker 2>a great deal of harm. To make matters worse, he

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<v Speaker 2>continually endured the backbiting in spite of the Pharisees because

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<v Speaker 2>he followed Jesus. The mental stress was weighing on him.

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<v Speaker 2>Good thing for Peter, he was not one to keep

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<v Speaker 2>his emotions bottled up. Out of the silence, Peter spoke

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<v Speaker 2>to Jesus, asking, How often should I forgive a brother

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<v Speaker 2>who sins against me? Seven times? Less? More? Jesus smiled

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<v Speaker 2>at Peter's question. It was a good inquiry. However, he

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<v Speaker 2>was mistaken that there was supposed to be a limit.

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<v Speaker 2>Seventy-seven times, Peter. As many as it takes for your

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<v Speaker 2>heart to learn what forgiveness is, Jesus replied. Jesus pulled

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<v Speaker 2>in his disciples closer to him. They walked along the countryside.

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<v Speaker 2>The rolling green hills sprouted with lilies tossed in the wind.

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<v Speaker 2>As they walked, Jesus told them another story. The kingdom

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<v Speaker 2>of heaven is like a king who wished to settle

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<v Speaker 2>his account with his servant. He borrowed money from him,

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<v Speaker 2>and now it was time to pay. This servant owed

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<v Speaker 2>him ten thousand talents, a very large sum of money. However,

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<v Speaker 2>the servant was unable to pay his debts. Because of this,

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<v Speaker 2>he was sentenced to be sold into slavery along with

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<v Speaker 2>his wife and children. The thought of him and his

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<v Speaker 2>family being sold off into the dark unknown broke him.

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<v Speaker 2>He knelt before his master and cried aloud to him.

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<v Speaker 2>He begged him to spare his life. He fell on

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<v Speaker 2>his knees, saying, Please have patience with me. Show mercy.

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<v Speaker 2>The master was a good man and decided to forgive

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<v Speaker 2>his debt. So the servant left with joy. Later that day,

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<v Speaker 2>the same servant went out into the marketplace. There was

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<v Speaker 2>a man there that owed him a hundred denarii. Seeing him,

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<v Speaker 2>the servant burst through the crowd and tackled him to

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<v Speaker 2>the floor. The two of them tumbled in the dirt,

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<v Speaker 2>and the servant pinned him down. Pay me what you owe,

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<v Speaker 2>the servant yelled as he slammed the man's head into

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<v Speaker 2>the floor. The man begged for mercy, but the servant

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<v Speaker 2>offered none of it. He refused to forgive him, and

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<v Speaker 2>instead had him thrown into prison. One of the other

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<v Speaker 2>servants saw what had taken place and brought the news

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<v Speaker 2>back to his master. That evening the servant was called

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<v Speaker 2>into the master's home. Rage boiled deep in his belly.

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<v Speaker 2>The master pinned the servant to the ground. You wicked man!

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<v Speaker 2>I forgave you of your debt and now I hear

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<v Speaker 2>you could not show mercy to your brother? The master

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<v Speaker 2>threw him against the wall and called for the jailers.

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<v Speaker 2>So the servant was taken away until he could pay

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<v Speaker 2>his debt. Jesus finished his story. and the disciples had

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<v Speaker 2>stopped walking to consider the meaning. Jesus looked at Peter

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<v Speaker 2>and said, Whoever is forgiven much must also forgive. Your

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<v Speaker 2>heavenly Father will do to you what you do to others.

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<v Speaker 3>Today's scripture begins with Jesus continuing to teach in parables.

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<v Speaker 3>Parables have been described as short stories with a long meaning.

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<v Speaker 3>Jesus is teaching the true nature of the kingdom of God.

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<v Speaker 3>who God is, what He is like, and how we

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<v Speaker 3>can know Him. Peter begins with a question, seeking to

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<v Speaker 3>understand the requirement for forgiveness of others. But now the

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<v Speaker 3>disciples would have known that forgiving others was really not

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<v Speaker 3>a question to be asked. We are all to forgive.

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<v Speaker 3>Jesus taught this in the model prayer. In teaching them

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<v Speaker 3>to pray, Jesus had instructed them to ask God to

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<v Speaker 3>forgive their debts just as they forgave their debtors. So

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<v Speaker 3>Peter was simply trying to determine how much was expected

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<v Speaker 3>of him. And in his mind, seven times was a

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<v Speaker 3>pretty good number to forgive someone else. But Jesus' reply

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<v Speaker 3>makes it clear that the bar is much higher. Not

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<v Speaker 3>seven times, but seventy times seven, Jesus said. To drive

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<v Speaker 3>home the point, Jesus tells them that God's kingdom can

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<v Speaker 3>be compared to a king who is owed different amounts

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<v Speaker 3>by his servants. One servant was called before him to

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<v Speaker 3>settle his debt, but there was a problem. The man

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<v Speaker 3>had absolutely no chance or ability to repay the debt.

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<v Speaker 3>It was impossible. His fate was now in the king's hands.

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<v Speaker 3>So the king ordered him sold, along with his wife

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<v Speaker 3>and children, to pay the debt. He was no longer

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<v Speaker 3>a free man. His life was basically now over as

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<v Speaker 3>he had known it. So in desperation, he fell on

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<v Speaker 3>his knees and pleaded for mercy. He asked to be

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<v Speaker 3>allowed to work and pay off his debt. We need

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<v Speaker 3>to remember that this was an impossible feat, and yet

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<v Speaker 3>the king granted his release. Not only that, he canceled

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<v Speaker 3>the man's debt, Jesus said. He was now free and forgiven.

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<v Speaker 3>The parallel with this in our own lives is obvious,

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<v Speaker 3>isn't it? You would think that a man like this,

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<v Speaker 3>having received such grace and mercy, would be quick to

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<v Speaker 3>forgive others, to give grace to others. Instead, when he

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<v Speaker 3>ran into a man who owed him a small amount

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<v Speaker 3>of money— He ordered him to pay it and pay

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<v Speaker 3>it immediately. But just as he had been, this man

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<v Speaker 3>couldn't pay up. And like the servant had done, this

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<v Speaker 3>man pleaded for time and mercy. But the servant would

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<v Speaker 3>hear nothing of it. He refused to even let the

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<v Speaker 3>man go free and work off what he had owed. Instead,

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<v Speaker 3>he ordered him thrown into prison until he could pay

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<v Speaker 3>off his debt. This unforgiveness did not go unnoticed, and

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<v Speaker 3>soon word got back to the king. Knowing just how

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<v Speaker 3>much grace he had offered this man, his former servant,

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<v Speaker 3>he was enraged. So he had the man brought before

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<v Speaker 3>him and rebuked him for his lack of mercy. In

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<v Speaker 3>Matthew 18.33, we read these words, And should not you

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<v Speaker 3>have had mercy on your fellow servant as I had

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<v Speaker 3>mercy on you? So the man was then bound in

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<v Speaker 3>prison shackles, made to work to repay his debt. Jesus

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<v Speaker 3>then looked at Peter and the others, making sure they

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<v Speaker 3>understood the meaning of the story, saying, this is how

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<v Speaker 3>God will treat you if you're unwilling to forgive others.

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<v Speaker 3>We have been forgiven infinitely more than we could ever

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<v Speaker 3>hope to repay, and infinitely more than anyone could ever

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<v Speaker 3>owe us. And God's desire is for us to forgive

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<v Speaker 3>freely in the same way, because forgiven people forgive people.

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<v Speaker 3>It doesn't mean we allow people to abuse us or

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<v Speaker 3>walk over us again and again. But when someone honestly

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<v Speaker 3>asks for forgiveness and is willing to repent, we should

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<v Speaker 3>consider how gracious God is and how merciful He is

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<v Speaker 3>toward us and show His mercy to others. We who

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<v Speaker 3>have been forgiven so much should freely forgive others in Jesus' name.

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<v Speaker 3>Dear Jesus, we thank You for the forgiveness of our sins.

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<v Speaker 3>Though we owed a debt we could never pay, You

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<v Speaker 3>died for us on the cross to pay a debt

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<v Speaker 3>that you did not owe so that we could have

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<v Speaker 3>eternal life. Thank you for your love, your grace, your mercy,

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<v Speaker 3>the forgiveness and the freedom that we have in you.

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<v Speaker 3>And may we tell this good news to everyone that

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<v Speaker 3>we can until you come again. In Jesus' name, amen.

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<v Speaker 3>Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.

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<v Speaker 3>And before we go, I wanted to let you know

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<v Speaker 3>that the Bible in a Year podcast is an outreach

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<v Speaker 3>of PowerPoint Ministries, and can only come to you each

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<v Speaker 3>week through the support of listeners like you. Your support

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<v Speaker 3>today is so important that we want to thank you

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<v Speaker 3>for your gift by giving you a copy of my

0:11:56.780 --> 0:12:00.720
<v Speaker 3>book called The Jesus Book. This book is a powerful

0:12:00.800 --> 0:12:03.559
<v Speaker 3>guide that shows how every book in the Bible points

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<v Speaker 3>to Christ and how you can better read and understand

0:12:06.360 --> 0:12:10.630
<v Speaker 3>the Bible and how God's Word transforms our lives. So

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<v Speaker 3>to get your copy of the Jesus book, simply go

0:12:13.590 --> 0:12:20.420
<v Speaker 3>to jackgram.org slash Jesus. That's jackgram.org slash Jesus. And thank

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<v Speaker 3>you for your support.