[Propertalk] Fw: Sermon resources for September 14 - Part 2

[Joe Parrish]

Forwarded:



Debts in Roman Society
 
In the ancient worldcruel treatment was practiced against debtors, often without regard to thedebtor’s ability or intention to repay. In Athens prior to the establishment ofdemocratic rights, a creditor could demand slave labor of his debtor or of membersof the debtor’s family as surety of payment.
 
Roman law providedpunishment by imprisonment to the debtors. The reason for imprisonment andcruel treatment was to force the debtor to sell whatever property he mightsecretly own, or to have the debtor’s relatives pay his debt.
 
The creditor woulddemand slave labor of the entire family so that the debt might be worked off.There were legal restrictions to prevent extreme cruelty, but in spite of thelaws the entire system of debts and sureties was recklessly abused in theancient world.
 
The prophets frequentlycondemned violations of the laws.
 
James R. Davis, TheUnmerciful Servant
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Saved by Forgiveness
 
Since nothing we intendis ever faultless, and nothing we attempt ever without error, and nothing weachieve without some measure of finitude and fallibility we call humanness, weare saved by forgiveness.
 
David Augsburger
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Forgiveness Is NotInnate
 
William Willimon writes:"The human animal is not supposed to be good at forgiveness. Forgivenessis not some innate, natural human emotion.
 
Vengeance, retribution,violence, these are natural human qualities. It is natural for the human animalto defend itself, to snarl and crouch into a defensive position when attacked,to howl when wronged, to bite back when bitten. Forgiveness is not natural. Itis not a universal human virtue."
 
Will Willimon
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Two Million DollarMistake
 
John D. Rockefellerbuilt the great Standard Oil empire. Not surprisingly, Rockefeller was a manwho demanded high performance from his executives. One day, one of thoseexecutives made a two million dollar mistake. Word of the man’s enormous errorquickly spread throughout the executive offices, and the other men began tomake themselves scarce, not wanting to cross his path. One man didn’t have anychoice, however, since he had an appointment with the boss. So he straightenedhis shoulders and walked into Rockefeller’s office. As he approachedRockefeller’s desk, he looked up from the piece of paper on which he waswriting. “I guess you’ve heard about the two million dollar mistake our friendmade,” he said abruptly. “Yes,” the executive said, expecting Rockefeller toexplode. “Well, I’ve been sitting here listing all of our friend&rsquo ;sgood qualities, and I’ve discovered that in the past he has made us many moretimes the amount he lost for us today by his one mistake. His good points faroutweigh this one human error. So I think we ought to forgive him, don’t you?”
 
Dale Galloway, You CanWin with Love, in The Tale of the Tardy Oxcart, Charles Swindoll, Word Pub., p.215.
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What God Can Do withForgiveness
 
By the grace of God wecan use forgiveness as a positive, creative force bringing light into adarkened world. Nobody does that kind of thing better, of course, than God. Whocould imagine 2,000 years ago that the symbol of the Christian church would bea hangman's noose, an electric chair, a guillotine? Those analogies may benecessary for us to keep from being too sentimental about "the old, ruggedcross." A cross is a terrible thing. It was indeed a symbol of sufferingand shame. Humanity nailed God's own Son on a cross. What barbarity! Whatunspeakable evil! Yet God turned that cross into the means by which you and Imay find our salvation. That is what God can do with forgiveness. What can youdo?
 
King Duncan, CollectedSermons, www.Sermons.com
 
 
Forgiven: Too Poor toPay
(A good sermon closer)
 
When the books of acertain Scottish doctor were examined after his death, it was found that anumber of accounts were crossed through with a note: "Forgiven--too poorto pay." But the physician's wife later decided that these accounts mustbe paid in full and she proceeded to sue for money. When the case came to courtthe judge asked but one question. Is this your husband's handwriting? When shereplied that it was he responded: "There is no court in the land that canobtain a debt once the word forgiven has been written."
 
And that is the goodnews that the Gospel offers us this morning….
 
Many additionalillustrations, sermons, commentary, and worship aids for this Sunday and foreach week of the year can be accessed at www.Sermons.com.
 
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