Forgive Us Series

THE LORD’S PRAYER

Part 4 of 4

Wednesday, August 10, 2005

Matthew 6:12-13, “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”

What makes it so hard to forgive?

1. Pride

2. Earthly view of life (this is all there is)

3. I still remember

What teaching of Jesus or the New Testament in general has helped you understand the nature of forgiveness most clearly?

• (Matthew 18) Parable of the unmerciful servant

• Jesus’ words “Go and sin no more”.

• (John 8)Jesus’ words to the woman caught in adultery, “neither do I condemn you.”

The forgiveness portion of the prayer makes it clear:

1. That we wrong others (especially God)

2. That others wrong us

3. You can’t receive forgiveness if you can’t extend forgiveness.

a. “The man who refuses to forgive destroys the bridge over which he himself must cross.” — John Iverson

b. Pastor Doug Dennis says, “To forgive is the most Christ-like thing you can do.” “To refuse to forgive is the most unchristian thing you can do.”

Let me make sure that we clear up a few misunderstandings about forgiveness. Before we can build, we have to blast. We have to blast away the erroneous thoughts on what forgiveness is not.

• When you forgive a person, this does not mean you are immediately healed.

• When you forgive a person, this does not mean you are going to be buddy/buddy.

• When we forgive a person, this does not mean we surrender the right to restitution or justice when appropriate.

• When we forgive a person, this does not mean that we trust them, yet.

• When we forgive a person, we are not avoiding pain, we are opening the door to healing.

• When we forgive, we take the journey at the pace we are able to handle...the deeper the hurt, the longer the journey.

(Lewis B. Smedes, The Art of Forgiveness.

Why are we led into temptation?

1. We want to be—we choose the wrong over the right because we, in that moment, want it more.

2. We are not vigilant.

a. Bob Dylan once sang "I did not know that the Devil could come to my door with blond hair blue eyes and tight fitting jeans."

3. We are not on the offensive.

a. Ephesians 6

Three words

1. Hurt

2. Heal

3. Halt