Our peace is in jeopardy if we allow the world to influence our thoughts and behaviors. We cannot let circumstances “get under our skin” or control us. In this message with Jentezen Franklin we learn that Forgiveness is our doorway to peace … even when it doesn’t add up!

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forgiveness is not about keeping score

it’s about losing count that’s the only

way you can look at this what was Jesus

really saying he was saying you cannot

start keeping score if you’re gonna be a

forgiving person it’s not about keeping

scores about losing count I want to go

to a powerful perhaps the most powerful

parable Jesus ever taught and there was

a question that led into this parable

and I want to read the question in

Matthew 18 in verse 21 then Peter came

to him and said Lord how often chefs

someone’s sinned against me and I have

to forgive him up to seven times and he

said to him I do not say to you up to

seven times but up to seventy times

seven which is amazing statement I I

want you to notice that Simon Peter was

trying to define forgiveness with a

mathematical as a mathematical equation

what is the number probably I have a

sneaky suspicion because when you read

about Simon Peter he was a character and

probably he had one person in mind and

he had already forgiven him six times I

think that’s why he I think that’s why

he said seven because I think he was

ready to write somebody off and be done

with them and you know trying to put a

mathematical formula on forgiveness I

want to talk to you about the

mathematics of forgiveness for a few

moments today one area that we are all

I’ve seen astoundingly astonishingly

amazing at when it comes to mathematics

is we’ve learned how to keep count when

people hurt us

you may not be good at math but when

people hurt you you can keep up with

that stuff in an amazing way like 14

years ago at 3 o’clock in the afternoon

time place day I remember it and then

you did it again and again and again 4

years later and we can remember and do

that math real real easy the people who

hurt you the most in life or the people

you love the most you’ve trusted the

most and you’ve helped the most and the

one of the issues and the questions that

all of us struggle with when it comes to

forgiveness and it’s what Peter was

trying to get to is what are the

boundaries of forgiveness are there

boundaries to forgiving somebody is it

someplace where you just finally get to

say get out of my life

deleted you’re gone goodbye is is that

biblical to do that and Jesus absolutely

blew their minds when he said no not

seven times but seven times seventy

which I’m not good at math but that’s

490 times the same thing in one day from

the one from the same person

Jesus is not suggesting the number he’s

given us a new math formula he was

saying you can never stop forgiving

others regardless of how deeply and how

often they’ve hurt us Peter thought that

he was processed are proposing a

generous standard seven times but

instead Jesus ups it exponentially and

says no not seven times seven times

seventy here’s the point point number

one on forgiveness and don’t forget it

forgiveness is not about keeping score

it’s about losing count that’s the only

way you can look at this what was Jesus

really saying he was saying you cannot

start keeping score if you’re gonna be a

forgiving person it’s not about keeping

score

about losing count Microsoft Excel

spreadsheet changed the accounting world

and they do it in columns you you have a

topic or a client or a person and then

you have the date on one side and you

have the name and then you have that you

have the the column and you have the

amount that they owe you and I think

sometimes what we do is we have an Excel

spreadsheet on people in our minds

that’s ongoing so much so that I brought

one in with me today and these are just

examples so back in 2003

mom dad didn’t go to my ball games so

they got themselves to column then we

got a column for our friends you know it

goes way back maybe two high school days

or something stole your girlfriend you

ought to thank them that they stole your

girlfriend have you seen her look on

Facebook she looks crazy you are blessed

to get the girl you with but but you

know they didn’t invite me to the Super

Bowl yeah come on now I noticed on

Facebook y’all had a party but we didn’t

get invited so you just got yourself a

column and and I’m gonna keep score I’m

keeping score on our relationship and

old coworkers and you lied about me took

credit for my project didn’t give me the

credit and since sharise is here I’m

gonna throw her under the bus treated me

ugly notice that’s going on there for

years treating me ugly turned me down

that means she had a headache and that

would be numerous in there another one

and another one and another

and another one you got to get your in a

column you’re in a column but but

there’s other columns and that’s the

bottom line is I every time somebody

does something wrong I put them in a

column and I start adding and adding and

adding and adding and adding you come to

church and you’re offended and you’re

angry and you’re mad and you try to

worship and you try to get something out

of it but you can’t because you’ve got

columns on people the thing about Excel

spreadsheets is if you keep putting the

wrong formula in you will never end up

with the right equation it keeps kicking

it back saying you’ve got to go back and

fix something in this column because

it’s messing up the whole equation and

the reason people’s equation of their

life gets messed up it’s because they

don’t deal with those columns and it’s

gonna come back in the equation of your

life emotionally spiritually physically

it’s taken a toll on you it’s taken a

toll on you on you financially it’s

taking a toll on you relationally

because there’s people that you’ve got

columns on and you keeping score and you

know what they did and you won’t let it

go and it’s not just affecting them it’s

eating you alive forgiveness is not

keeping score it’s losing count

that’s what Jesus was teaching and you

got to do the right math because there’s

different formulas of math you’ve got to

use the right tool now watch now Jesus

gives us the right math in Matthew

chapter 6 on forgiveness folks please

lean in now and listen Jesus words

Matthew 6 if you forgive those who

sinned against you your heavenly Father

will forgive him but listen if you

refuse others your father will not

forgive your sins he’s saying this is a

different kind of math and here’s the

math

pattern and formula do the math the

right kind of math means think about

every time the father has forgiven you

on a daily basis and then take that

formula and apply it to the that person

think of every time he has forgiven you

and it wasn’t that you didn’t do it you

did it and he forgave you take that

formula and use it with somebody else

the second thing about forgiveness is

this sometimes the best in us can only

be brought out by the worst done to us

we don’t like it but the truth is that

the best of you will never be released

sometimes until the worst has been done

to you and usually it’ll be done by

people who you have loved trusted and

helped the most and God never intends

for that to destroy you if he allows it

and it’s not God doing it is people but

but if you will allow it the best will

come out of you out of the worst people

do to you

there’s something about unforgiveness

that people say well when something

happens and you and a bad thing happens

and you get and you feel unforgiveness

just leave it alone you ever heard

people say that that you know time heals

all things what that’s not true

unforgiveness doesn’t get better if you

leave it alone now listen to me

unforgiveness is not gonna get better if

you just back off and leave it alone it

does not get better it festers and you

either fester unforgiveness or you

foster healing but you have to do one or

the other and and if it’s unforgiveness

and your festering it it’s gonna get

worse and bitter and ugly and angry so

Paul in Ephesians 4 gives the beautiful

beautiful formula of how to release

forgiveness watch this Ephesians chapter

4 he says put away all

[Music]

wrath anger the first thing you got to

do is drain all the all the damaging

emotions of unforgiveness and listen if

you’re sitting there saying well I feel

like I’ve forgiven that person if when

you see that person better their face

comes up or you’re thinking about them

and this is the reaction that comes out

of you bitterness wrath anger clamor

evil speaking let it be put away from

you with all malice let it be put away

from you with all malice I want to read

it from another translation it said

bitterness rage anger harsh words all

types of mean behavior Wow then notice

the next part of that verse be kind to

one another tender-hearted forgiving one

another here it is there’s the math

formula even as God in Christ or for

Christ’s sake has forgiven you in other

words do the right math forgiveness is

not about keeping score it’s about

losing count and the only way to

effectively release forgiveness is it’s

not usually some quick instant thing the

only way you can release it because it’s

deep inside of you is you have to start

praying and asking God to give you and

release through you forgiveness to that

person who has done something that is

wrong and it was as wrong as it could be

and the only way to release it and we

want it quick we want it quick it’s kind

of like ketchup how many of you love

ketchup and you know the modern

generation your generation has the quick

squeeze plastic bottle all you got to do

is take just flip the top up and squirt

and there it is I love ketchup I love it

on everything don’t you and I asked our

team I said I want you to go get me the

old-fashioned glass bottle of ketchup

and I want to have a plastic bottle

representing quick fix but I want one of

those

glass bottles and somebody on staff

brings this for my illustration and how

many of you know they got to come on

them now and they already got count

already counting against some things

against them already but this is a glass

bottle this is how originally came and

this is interesting if you go to

heinens.com

they will describe to you for example

this is another example Heinz 57 I

didn’t know this they said only 11% of

their consumers know what I’m about to

share with you so this was worth coming

to church if you’re one of those people

who when you get that bottle of ketchup

the number one is so hard to get the top

off and and the reason according to the

to the website is because the contents

on the inside are under tremendous

pressure and so the first step to

getting it out and letting it flow is to

open it up and good luck with that

because it’s like a workout to get it

open it’s you need you you have to use

the name of Jesus and plead the blood

and especially when you’re hungry and if

you like me I start beating on the table

I take my mouth and turn it or I take a

I start jabbing it with a knife when I

do get it open and if I don’t only read

the website because the website said

that for example in the Heinz 57 that

they place the sticker strategically

with the number exactly where it is a

lot of research went into this that if

you want it to come out you don’t have

to and and all you got to do is just

start knocking on the 57 and when you do

he didn’t come real quick it’s not

squeezable just just plop

might take a minute this is how

forgiveness is we got to get you opened

up and Jesus said ask and you shall

receive and keep on asking sink and you

shall find and keep on seeking knock and

it shall be open but if it doesn’t have

keep on knockin know the right spot

that’s prayer God I’m trying to forgive

this person and not kill them and follow

their in the name of Jesus I’m knocking

and it may take a minute it may take a

minute it may take a minute you gotta

wait is slow it’s not squirting out real

fast it’s slow come on

but you keep praying about it well well

how many times do I have to pray for you

keep on knocking keep on knocking keep

on knocking keep on until the contents

on the inside of forgiveness begins to

be released little by little by little

by little God begins to heal and restore

our relationships if you have your Bible

open it to Matthew chapter 18 and listen

to this so Jesus just confronted Peter

and said 490 times and I’m closing with

this but but Leaney and this is the most

important part of the message if you had

heard nothing else hear this therefore

verse 23 the kingdom of heaven is like a

king who wanted to settle accounts with

his servants he had a spreadsheet this

King did and when he had begun to settle

the account one was brought to him who

owed him ten thousand talents of gold

but I love the next verse but he was not

able to pay that is a direct reference

to our sin debt and the king is Jesus

and the master commanded that he be sold

with his wife and his children to make

the payment and and the scripture said

the servant therefore fell down before

him saying master have patience with me

he’s repenting I’ll pay you back please

Lord please Lord and the master of the

servant wasn’t this is Jesus move with

compassion everybody say the cross

released him and forgave him his debt

everybody say oh say it again

oh he released him and that’s what

that’s all to be your reaction oh my god

ten million pieces of gold and he

released him oh the watch watch now

but that servant went right out of that

church service and found one fellow

servant who owed him a hundred didn’t a

few pieces of silver listen didn’t even

talk to him

laid his hands on him and took him by

the throat and started choking him

saying pay me what this is how the King

sees you when you don’t forgive people

so the fellow servant fell down at his

feet begged him same words have patience

with me I’ll pay you for it all he would

not went and threw him into prison that

he would pay the debt and so there was

some fellow servants who saw what was

done they were grieved and they told the

King all that had been done then the

King after he had called him sent again

and said you wicked servant i forgave

you all the debt because you begged me

should you not also have compassion on

your brother just as I pitied you this

is so powerful verse 34 and his King was

angry and delivered him to the torturers

or the tormentors until he would pay all

that was due him and then it ends with

verse 35

so my heavenly Father

also will do to you if each of you from

his heart does not forgive his brother

his trespasses look at me I’ve heard all

my life there’s one unforgivable sin

blaspheming the Holy Spirit you’ve

committed the unpardonable sin

that’s not true there are two not one

that scripture just proves it

the first unforgivable sin is to

blaspheme the Holy Spirit

the second is according to Jesus words

it is unforgivable to be unforgivable if

you don’t release forgiveness you will

not receive forgiveness and there’s a

lot of religious people who play Church

there’s a lot of people listening to me

right now

and you can play the part and I’m

talking to me I’m talking to all of us I

am NOT going to go to hell for nobody

I don’t care what they did again

forgiveness doesn’t mean that you have

to be in my life but I am NOT gonna get

bitter and angry and have a swamp of

emotional hatred toward people and

bitterness

you got to drain that swamp be kind be

loving forgive and and it may take a

minute it may take a while

pray not not not until the contents of

forgiveness and love begin to pour out

of your mouth and heart and emotions and

attitude again because if you don’t

Jesus said your king will not forgive

your debts this is serious stuff this is

life or death this is eternal stuff is

stuff that we cover up and act like it’s

not there in our families and the truth

is only Jesus and an encounter with

Jesus can change our hearts and it

starts in a service like this when you

begin to hit in the right spot quit

playing games and hit in the right spot

and saying Lord I need to tear up the

spreadsheet I need to quit keeping count

and keeping score and I need to lose

count I need to understand that what

they’ve done to me is just supposed to

bring out the best in me and I need to

remember that unforgiveness will bring a

harvest of unforgiveness from the King

back to me now I love that scripture

that said live peaceably with all men

nitta-san it has little calls where is

possible where in as possible which

means it is some people that they’re

never gonna be at peace with you they’re

never gonna be there it is if it is

possible I’m thankful for that cause as

much as depends on you he didn’t say you

get the option to forgive them live

peaceably with them but if they don’t

want to be at peace with you there’s

some people that they’re not gonna be at

peace with you but all you’ve got to do

is forgive them and be alright I’ll put

it like this I’m

with the fact you’re not at peace with

me and there are some cases where if it

is possible it’s applicable such as in a

molestation or and I don’t have time to

go into everything but you know what I’m

saying

but I don’t have the option to forgive

well I don’t want him to get by with it

I don’t want to get by with it vengeance

is mine saith the Lord I will repay and

I’ll turn around and when you release

them I’ll pour out blessings like I did

you remember when a lot went when

Abraham let lot have all the good stuff

and I mean the inheritance he took all

the good land and he got all the bad

stuff but because he was a peacemaker

because he had the right heart lot ended

up losing everything including his

family and Abraham became the Blessed

Most Blessed man in in the world at that

time only God can do that God says

vengeance is mine I’ll repay you keep

the right spirit and I’ll take care of

everything else stand to your feet every

head bowed every eye closed the first

thing that we’re gonna do is pray for

people who do not know that your

relationship with Jesus Christ is right

you have a debt you cannot pay you

cannot pay it only the King can forgive

it and he did on the cross that’s why I

said it’s finished and if you ask him

into your heart today

he’ll forgive your debt with every head

bowed and every eye closed

pastor pray for me I know that I’m not

right with God and I want to get right

with God and I don’t want to go into

eternity and be cast to the tormentors I

want forgiveness that came through the

cross in the blood that Jesus shed pray

for me that you boldly raise your hand

right now if you know I’m speaking to

you you know it there’s a hand there’s a

hand another another at every campus

across across their churches every hand

raised it high and keep it up just a

moment keep it high

Heavenly Father I come in the name of

Jesus Christ the one who said to pray

forgive us our debts as we forgive those

who have debted against us I pray right

now in the name of Jesus Christ that

forgiveness would be released to every

person who says Jesus and everybody in

this room say Jesus I call on your name

save me wash me pay the price that I

cannot pay through your precious blood I

receive forgiveness of all my sins now

secondly I in Jesus name

release forgiveness Jesus was asked and

I close with this Jesus was asked what

is the greatest commandment

he said love the Lord your God with all

of your heart mind soul and strength and

love your brother your family your

neighbors the people you can see and if

you do it you fulfill all the law