Listen to this morning's sermon on forgiveness. We are a few weeks behind on the videos and hope to have them posted soon.
Mark 2:1-5
1 When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home. 2 Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While he was preaching God’s word to them, 3 four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. 4 They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. 5 Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.”
Luke 23:34
Father forgive them – they don’t know what they are doing
Before Christ – You owe me and justice is mine. An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. –Matthew 5:38
God forgave me so I’ll forgive you. Forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. –Matthew 6:12
Matthew 18
23 Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. 24 In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. 25 He couldn’t pay, so his master ordered that he be sold—along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned—to pay the debt. 26 But the man fell down before his master and begged him, “Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.” 27 Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt.
Lesson #1 – The debtor can’t always repay you. (verse 24)
One of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars.
Lesson #2 – The offended can always show mercy. (verse 27)
Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt.
Matthew 18
28 But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment. 29 His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. "Be patient with me, and I will pay it," he pleaded. 30 But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full. 31 When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened. 32 Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, "You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. 33 Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?" 34 Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt. 35 That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.
Before forgiveness can be understood and experienced, it is necessary to know what forgiveness is not.
1. Forgiveness is NOT primarily a gift for the offending party
The primary beneficiary for forgiveness is the one who is forgiving. The alternative to unforgiveness is carrying around a bunch of bitterness and brokenness. Forgiveness does not allow the past actions of another party to determine your future. Unforgiveness burdens us with brokenness and pain. Anger makes us smaller while forgiveness forces us to grow beyond what we were. Forgiveness sets the forgiver free and points to a hopeful future. And if the offending party can rest their head on their pillow at night and feel a little less guilty, all the better.
2. Forgiveness is NOT a one-time event
Forgiveness doesn’t happen in a day; forgiveness happens daily. Forgiveness is not a process; forgiveness is a journey. Smells, sounds, and sights can bring back painful memories and the forgiver is often forced to re-forgive.
3. Forgiveness is NOT forgetting
Abuse, betrayal, and hurtful words are not forgotten. Forgetting certain offenses is nearly impossible and sometimes not even desirable. Thomas Szasz writes, "The stupid neither forgive nor forget; the naive forgive and forget; the wise forgive but do not forget." Remembering can help us learn from the past and can protect us from future hurts. Forgiveness is not allowing the unforgettable past to ruin the present and the future.
23 Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. 24 In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. 25 He couldn’t pay, so his master ordered that he be sold—along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned—to pay the debt. 26 But the man fell down before his master and begged him, “Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.” 27 Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt.
Lesson #1 – The debtor can’t always repay you. (verse 24)
One of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars.
Lesson #2 – The offended can always show mercy. (verse 27)
Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt.
Matthew 18
28 But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment. 29 His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. "Be patient with me, and I will pay it," he pleaded. 30 But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full. 31 When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened. 32 Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, "You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. 33 Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?" 34 Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt. 35 That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.
Before forgiveness can be understood and experienced, it is necessary to know what forgiveness is not.
1. Forgiveness is NOT primarily a gift for the offending party
The primary beneficiary for forgiveness is the one who is forgiving. The alternative to unforgiveness is carrying around a bunch of bitterness and brokenness. Forgiveness does not allow the past actions of another party to determine your future. Unforgiveness burdens us with brokenness and pain. Anger makes us smaller while forgiveness forces us to grow beyond what we were. Forgiveness sets the forgiver free and points to a hopeful future. And if the offending party can rest their head on their pillow at night and feel a little less guilty, all the better.
2. Forgiveness is NOT a one-time event
Forgiveness doesn’t happen in a day; forgiveness happens daily. Forgiveness is not a process; forgiveness is a journey. Smells, sounds, and sights can bring back painful memories and the forgiver is often forced to re-forgive.
3. Forgiveness is NOT forgetting
Abuse, betrayal, and hurtful words are not forgotten. Forgetting certain offenses is nearly impossible and sometimes not even desirable. Thomas Szasz writes, "The stupid neither forgive nor forget; the naive forgive and forget; the wise forgive but do not forget." Remembering can help us learn from the past and can protect us from future hurts. Forgiveness is not allowing the unforgettable past to ruin the present and the future.
4. Forgiveness is NOT an act of weakness
Forgiving is not easy. Forgiveness is tough. Ghandi said, "The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong." Forgiveness is challenging and rewarding.
5. Forgiveness is NOT permission to continue self-destructive behavior
Forgiving is not easy. Forgiveness is tough. Ghandi said, "The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong." Forgiveness is challenging and rewarding.
5. Forgiveness is NOT permission to continue self-destructive behavior
Enabling dysfunction is stupidity, not forgiveness. A profound difference exists between the two. Forgiveness is not continually letting somebody off the hook. Sometimes forgiveness loves so much it has to say no or goodbye.
6. Forgiveness is NOT conditional
Forgiveness doesn’t depend on the other person apologizing or changing. Forgiveness is unconditional grace, not conditional justice. It is given, not earned.
7. Forgiveness is NOT necessarily a fully restored relationship
6. Forgiveness is NOT conditional
Forgiveness doesn’t depend on the other person apologizing or changing. Forgiveness is unconditional grace, not conditional justice. It is given, not earned.
7. Forgiveness is NOT necessarily a fully restored relationship
It takes one person to forgive and two people to reconcile. Sometimes forgiveness leads to reconciliation. Sometimes it doesn’t.
8. Forgiveness is NOT denying a wrong doing
Forgiveness is not a doormat to a house that allows itself to be walked on time and time again without response. That is denial, which is quite different than forgiveness. One is an emotional dysfunction and the other is a grace.
9. Forgiveness is NOT neglecting justice
8. Forgiveness is NOT denying a wrong doing
Forgiveness is not a doormat to a house that allows itself to be walked on time and time again without response. That is denial, which is quite different than forgiveness. One is an emotional dysfunction and the other is a grace.
9. Forgiveness is NOT neglecting justice
You can forgive and hold accountable. Sin has consequences. The murderer and the rapist should go to jail. The embezzler should pay back. The gossiper should make amends. The forgiveness of sin doesn’t remove the consequences of sin. It just doesn’t. Only the offending party can do his or her best to make things right. And we all painfully know, sometimes that isn’t enough.
10. Forgiveness is NOT a new-age, self-help idea
Forgiveness is God’s idea. Nobody is better at forgiving than God. Nobody knows the benefits of forgiving more than God. God tells us to forgive because God loves us and wants what is best for us.
What forgiveness is:
10. Forgiveness is NOT a new-age, self-help idea
Forgiveness is God’s idea. Nobody is better at forgiving than God. Nobody knows the benefits of forgiving more than God. God tells us to forgive because God loves us and wants what is best for us.
What forgiveness is:
1. Possible
2. Grace
3. A good idea
2. Grace
3. A good idea
1 comment:
Best sermon on forgiveness that I have ever heard. Thanks for posting this and speaking to me this morning.
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