Forgiveness, Faith & Thankfulness Series

SERMON OUTLINE:

• (1). Forgiveness (vs 1-6).

• (2). Faithfulness (vs 7-10).

• (3). Thankfulness (vs 11-17).

SERMON BODY:

Ill:

• Last month on June 6th, 2019.

• You may or may not be aware that POPE Francis changed the Lord's Prayer.

• Now as you can imagine this has caused a lot of controversy.

• Albert Mohler, president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary,

• Said the changes are “deeply problematic”.

• Mr Mohler told the Seattle Times:

“I was shocked and appalled.

“This is the Lord’s Prayer. It is not, and has never been, the Pope’s prayer, and we have the very words of Jesus in the New Testament.

“It is those very words that the pope proposes to change. It is not only deeply problematic, it’s almost breath-taking.”

• Now this may shock you;

• But I am on the Popes side of the argument and not Mr Mohler’s!

• Let me explain…

If you missed the story let me tell what has been changed:

• When Catholics recite the Lord’s prayer, the phrase “lead us not into temptation”

• Has been changed to “do not let us fall into temptation”.

• The Pope has only just discovered what Bible scholars for years have been saying;

• That “do not let us fall into temptation”.

• Is a better translation because God does not lead people into temptation,

• That is the work of Satan, it is the evil one "one who leads you astray".

• So, Pope Francis has only changed the odd word in the English version of the prayer.

• He has not really changed the words of Jesus,

• He has only helped many people to see clearer what the meaning is!

• TRANSITION: The previous chapter (16),

• Jesus has warned the Pharisees (religious leaders) about being led astray.

• He has taught concerning the sin of loving money.

• Quote verse 14:

• “The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus.”

• Jesus will now warn his disciples about the possible sin in their own lives.

• This passage divides up under three headings;

• The first heading has to do with sin and forgiveness.

(1). Forgiveness (vs 1-6).

“Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. 2 It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied round their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble. 3 So watch yourselves.

‘If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. 4 Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying “I repent,” you must forgive them.’

5 The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith!’

6 He replied, ‘If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea,” and it will obey you.”

Notice: two things in these first six verses.

FIRST: We all stumble (vs 1a).

“Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come

Ill:

• In the ‘Dennis the Menace’ comic strip,

• You might be surprised to know;

• That Dennis often comes up with some interesting prayers.

• One time, Dennis was on his knees beside the bed and he says to God,

• “You might want to pull up a chair. I’ve been very busy today.”

• TRANSITION: Like Dennis we all make many mistakes,

• Most of us do not keep a list of the sins we commit,

• If we did, then we too would probably keep God very busy for quite a time.

Note: The Greek word (‘skandalon’) translated here as ‘stumble’ (NIV),

• “stumbling blocks” (NASB)

• “Fall into sin” (GNB)

• “Offences will come” (KJV)

Ill:

• The word was originally used of a trap,

• A device for catching something alive.

• I like the story of the man who was watching a TV programme late at night,

• When to his surprise a mouse right across the room, before his very eyes

• He was shocked, but immediately he took action,

• He found a mousetrap and then went to the fridge to get some cheese.

• But there was no cheese.

• So, he did what he thought was the next best thing.

• He got a food magazine that had colourful photos in it.

• And he cut out a picture of cheese and put it in the mousetrap.

• He then went to bed.

• Now the next morning he woke up and went to check the mousetrap,