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GAME: Make 2 teams each of 5-6 players. Arrange for 2 Plastic Chairs. One Person from each team sits on the chair and the other players lift him up and take him to the end of the room where other team members wait to pick him and bring him back, the next player then sits till all get chance.
Matthew 18:21-35
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?"
22 Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
23 "Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.
24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him.
25 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.
26 "The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.'
27 The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
28 "But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded.
29 "His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.'
30 "But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt.
31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.
32 "Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to.
33 Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?'
34 In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
35 "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."
1. Do you suppose Peter had a special reason for asking how many times he needed to forgive his brother and if so, what was it?
He was the type to keep score / He couldn’t forgive someone / He was easily hurt / He just wanted to know
2. What is the parable that Jesus told really about?
How to deal with someone who owes you money
How to deal with your own anger when you’ve been wronged / How to keep your relationship with God fresh / How to avoid getting trapped in grudges / How to say thanks for Gods forgiveness
3. How would you describe the attitude of the servant towards the one who had wronged him?
Business is business / An eye for an eye / Don’t let the scoundrel off the hook / Let him suffer
4. What’s the principle for you as a Christian in dealing with someone who has wronged you?
You can’t out-forgive God / Scorekeepers end up getting hurt / God expects you to be a “pushover” / If you don’t forgive others, God is going to refigure what you owe him / Unforgivers wind up in their own chains / Only the forgiven know how to forgive Study the case history below and share how you would deal with the situation.
LITTLE BROTHER.
You have been putting up with your little brother for years. When you were growing up, you had to share a bedroom, where he kept “his side” like a pigpen.
He borrowed your clothes without asking, left the car a mess when he used it, and never thought of filling the tank with gas.
Now, the two of you run the family business, but you have to keep the books, pay the bills, and come in on Saturdays while he coaches a Little League team.
Recently, your doctor told you that you have an ulcer, and it is caused by deepseated anger against your little brother.
1. What do you do?
Decide it is not worth getting sick over / Complain to his wife
Call your father and tell everything / Sweep it under the rug / Have it out with him
Take off for six months and leave the business to him.
2. What have you found helpful in dealing with sour relationships?
Keep short accounts / Write a letter but don’t mail it / Ask someone else to mediate
Have it out - right now / Sleep on it / Get away from the situation
Break off the relationship
3. Who is the easiest and hardest person for you to forgive?
Brother / sister /Spouse / Parents / kids / Neighbour / friend / Stranger / Yourself
4. How could you pass on God’s forgiveness to those who have wronged you?
Pray for them / Think first about whether I’ve done anything wrong to myself /
Hold them accountable for the consequences of what they have done / Drop the issue and let them know its past history / Look for ways to show kindness to them
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