The Lord's Prayer Part 8 Series

THE LORD’S PRAYER PART 8

MATTHEW 6:14–15 FOR IF YOU FORGIVE MEN WHEN THEY SIN AGAINST YOU, YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER WILL ALSO FORGIVE YOU. 15BUT IF YOU DO NOT FORGIVE MEN THEIR SINS, YOUR FATHER WILL NOT FORGIVE YOUR SINS.

OPENING ILLUSTRATIONS: DR. JANES BOICE WRITES IN HIS COMMENTARY OF THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT, “ONCE, AS I WAS TALKING TO A CHRISTIAN PSYCHIATRIST, I TOUCHED ON THE PROBLEM OF FORGIVENESS AND THE NEED MEN HAVE FOR IT. THE PSYCHIATRIST SAID, “AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED MOST OF WHAT A PSYCHIATRIST DOES IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO FORGIVENESS. PEOPLE COME TO HIM WITH PROBLEMS. THEY FEEL GUILTY ABOUT THEIR PART IN THESE PROBLEMS. THEY ARE SEEKING FORGIVENESS. IN EFFECT, THEY CONFESS THEIR SINS TO THE COUNSELOR AND FIND THAT HE FORGIVES THEM. THEN A PATTERN IS SET UP IN WHICH THEY CAN SHOW THEIR CHANGE OF HEART IN TANGIBLE WAYS TOWARD THE OTHER PERSON OR PERSONS.” THE PSYCHIATRIST CONCLUDED BY OBSERVING THAT THE GREAT NEED TO BE FORGIVEN BY MEN THAT MANY PERSONS FEEL IS ONLY A SHADOW OF A FAR GREATER NEED THAT ALL MEN HAVE TO BE FORGIVEN BY GOD.”

IN HIS BOOK CONFESS YOUR SINS DR. JOHN R. W. STOTT, MINISTER OF ALL SOULS CHURCH IN LONDON, QUOTES THE HEAD OF LARGE ENGLISH MENTAL HOSPITAL AS HAVING SAID, “I COULD DISMISS HALF MY PATIENTS TOMORROW IF THEY COULD BE ASSURED OF FORGIVENESS.” HE CITES THE SCOTTISH CHURCHMAN GEORGE MACLEOD AS HAVING WRITTEN, “WE LIVE IN A WORLD WHERE LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF CHURCH MEMBERS [NOT TO MENTION OTHERS] ARE IN NEED OF … RELEASE.… WE LIVE … IN A VACUUM WHERE MEN SIMPLY ARE NOT FREED.” NONE OF THESE STATEMENTS IS IN THE LEAST EXAGGERATED. FOR IN OUR DAY, AS IN ALL AGES OF MAN, PEOPLE ARE CRYING OUT FOR REAL FORGIVENESS AND AN ASSURANCE OF IT.

INTRODUCTION: AS WE COME TO THE CLOSE OF THE LORD’S PRAYER, WE ARE MET WITH A SORT OF COMMENTARY. JESUS HIMSELF, HAS NOT ONLY GIVEN HIS DISCIPLES AND EACH OF US A MODEL FOR EFFECTIVE PRAYER, HE HAS ALSO TAKEN A MOMENT TO RE-ENFORCE THE IMPORTANCE OF FORGIVENESS.

THIS SHORT VERSE APPROACHES THE MATTER OF FORGIVENESS FROM BOTH THE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE SIDES:

THE POSITIVE – WE AS BELIEVERS SHOULD FORGIVE OTHERS AS WE HAVE RECEIVED FORGIVENESS – JUDICIAL FORGIVENESS FROM GOD.

THE NEGATIVE – IF WE DO NOT FORGIVE, THE GOD THE FATHER WILL NOT FORGIVE OUR SINS. AN UNFORGIVING HEART, ACCORDING TO HEBREWS 12:15 – ONE THAT DOES NOT EXPRESS THE GRACE OF GOD, ALLOWS BITTERNESS TO GROW, FORFEITS BLESSING AND INVITES JUDGMENT.

HEBREWS 12:15 SEE TO IT THAT NO ONE MISSES THE GRACE OF GOD AND THAT NO BITTER ROOT GROWS UP TO CAUSE TROUBLE AND DEFILE MANY.

TRANSITION: FORGIVENESS, AS I HOPE YOU WILL SEE, IS LINKED TO OUR RELATIONSHIP/FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD AND OUR RELATIONSHIP/FELLOWSHIP WITH EACH OTHER. WE ARE TO BE FORGIVING PEOPLE!

I. LIVING IN RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD

a. THE DEFAULT POSITION AS A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST IS THAT OF BEING IN RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD

i. WE ARE THE BODY OF CHRIST

ii. WE ARE MEMBERS OF THE BODY WITH EAH OTHER

iii. WE ARE THE BRIDE OF CHRIST

iv. TOGETHER ARE THE BRIDE

v. WE ARE CALLED SONS OF GOD AND FELLOW HEIRS WITH CHRIST

WE CANNOT DIVORCE OURSELVES FROM THE SIMPLE TRUTH THAT WE ARE, AS BELIEVERS IN RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD AND RELATIONSHIP WITH EACH OTHER.

b. EACH AND EVERY RELATIONSHIP REQUIRES SOME MEASURE OF INTERACTION IN ORDER TO CONTINUE TO EXIST

i. IN THE FAMILY RELATIONSHIP

1. INSTRUCTION

2. PREPARATION

3. LOVE AND RESPECT

ii. IN THE WORK RELATIONSHIP

1. EXPENDING OF TIME AND ENERGY

2. RECEPTION OF WAGES

iii. IN THE GOVERNMENT RELATIONSHIP

1. PROTECTION

2. RESPONSIBILITY

c. FOR THE FOLLOWER OF CHRIST, FORGIVENESS IS THE KEY TO A SUCCESSFUL RELATIONSHIP WITH BOTH GOD AND OTHER BELIEVERS.

i. REDEMPTION AND SALVATION RESTS OF THE FORGIVENESS OF OUR SINS AND THE ACCEPTANCE OF THAT FORGIVENESS BY GOD THE FATHER.

ii. FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD RESTS ON THE CONTINUAL CONFESSION OF SIN AND THE ACCEPTANCE OF GOD’S ALREADY PROVIDED FOR FORGIVENESS.

iii. IN THE FIRST LETTER OF JOHN, WE ARE TOLD THAT IS WE SAY WE HAVE NO SIN, WE DECEIVE OURSELVES AND THE LOVE OF GOD IS NOT IN US.

1 JOHN 1:5–10 THIS IS THE MESSAGE WE HAVE HEARD FROM HIM AND DECLARE TO YOU: GOD IS LIGHT; IN HIM THERE IS NO DARKNESS AT ALL. 6IF WE CLAIM TO HAVE FELLOWSHIP WITH HIM YET WALK IN THE DARKNESS, WE LIE AND DO NOT LIVE BY THE TRUTH. 7BUT IF WE WALK IN THE LIGHT, AS HE IS IN THE LIGHT, WE HAVE FELLOWSHIP WITH ONE ANOTHER, AND THE BLOOD OF JESUS, HIS SON, PURIFIES US FROM ALL SIN. 8IF WE CLAIM TO BE WITHOUT SIN, WE DECEIVE OURSELVES AND THE TRUTH IS NOT IN US. 9IF WE CONFESS OUR SINS, HE IS FAITHFUL AND JUST AND WILL FORGIVE US OUR SINS AND PURIFY US FROM ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS. 10IF WE CLAIM WE HAVE NOT SINNED, WE MAKE HIM OUT TO BE A LIAR AND HIS WORD HAS NO PLACE IN OUR LIVES.