Forgiveness, Get A Handle On It

FORGIVENESS: GET A HANDLE ON IT

MATT.6:14-15

1. INTRODUCTION. ALL OF US HAVE DONE SOME THINGS WRONG AND ALL OF US HAVE BEEN WRONGED BY OTHERS. SOMETIMES THE PAIN THAT WE HAVE EXPERIENCED BY OTHERS HAS LEFT US WOUNDED, WEARY, AND WOEFUL. YES, MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, THE STING AND THE DEPTH OF THE AGONY WE ENDURE HAS LEFT A BITTER TASTE IN OUR MOUTHS AND WE FEEL AS THOUGH WE CAN’T FORGIVE THE PERPETRATOR OF THE HIDEOUS AND HEINOUS ACTS AGAINST US. BUT I COME TO TELL US TODAY THAT IT’S NOT THAT WE CAN’T GET PAST THE PAIN AND FORGIVE THE PERSON, BUT IT’S A MATTER OF WE DON’T WANT TO FORGIVE THE PERSON THAT HAS INJURED US! HOWEVER, IF WE WANT OUR PRAYERS ANSWERED BY GOD, WE MUST GET A HANDLE ON FORGIVENESS AND FORGIVE THOSE WHO HAVE WRONGED US. WHY? BECAUSE FAILURE TO FORGIVE OTHERS DEMONSTRATES, ELUCIDATE, ILLUMINATES, AND ARTICULATES THAT WE ARE NOT READY TO BE FORGIVEN. SO I JUST STOPPED TO CHALLENGE US THAT WHEN IT COMES TO FORGIVENESS, WE MUST GET A HANDLE ON IT.

2. THE TEXT. JESUS HAD JUST FINISHED TEACHING HIS DISCIPLES A MARVELOUS LESSON ON PRAYER.

a) WHEN WE PRAY, WE SHOULD ALWAYS INCLUDE FORGIVENESS.

b) FORGIVENESS OF OUR OWN SINS AND FORGIVENESS TO OTHERS THAT HAVE WRONGED US.

c) JESUS TEACHES THAT IF WE FORGIVE, WE ARE FORGIVEN, BUT IF WE DON’T FORGIVE, WE ARE NOT FORGIVEN.

d) YOU’D BE SURPRISED AT THE NUMBER OF CHRISTIANS WHO ARE HOLDING GRUDGES TOWARD SOMEONE FOR SOMETHING THAT WAS DONE TO THEM YEARS AGO.

e) IF A PERSON HAS BEEN HOLDING A GRUDGE SINCE 1975, AND HAS NOT FORGIVEN A PERSON, THEY HAVE NOT BEEN FORGIVEN SINCE 1975.

f) WHEN IT COMES TO FORGIVING OTHERS, IT SHOULD BE NOT AN OPTION, BUT SOMETHING THAT WE MUST BE WILLING TO DO.

3. WHAT FORGIVEN DOES NOT MEAN. FORGIVENESS DOES NOT MEAN ACTING LIKE AN OFFENSIVE ACT HAS NOT OCCURRED.

a) NOR DOES FORGIVENESS MEAN THAT WE PRETEND THAT WE HAVE FORGIVEN A PERSON THEN TALK ABOUT IT TO OTHERS.

b) FORGIVENESS DOES NOT IMPLY WEAKNESS.

c) THAT WE WILL NOT BE OFFENDED BY THE SAME PERSON AGAIN.

d) FORGIVENESS DOES NOT MEAN THAT IF WE FORGIVE THEM THE FIRST TIME, THAT WE DON’T FORGIVE THEM IF THEY ASK US AGAIN IF THEY ARE SINCERE. JESUS SAYS IN MATT. 18:22, “I SAY NOT UNTO THEE, SEVEN TIMES: BUT, UNTIL SEVENTY TIMES SEVEN.”

e) FORGIVENESS DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE FORGET THE TRESPASS, BUT WE DON’T GET ENTANGLED IN THE TRESPASS.

f) IF WE ASK GOD TO FORGIVE US, BUT WE ARE UNWILLING TO FORGIVE OTHERS, IT MAKES US HYPOCRITES, WHICH MEAN PLAY ACTING.

g) FAILURE TO FORGIVE DEMONSTRATES A MALIGNANT MINDSET TOWARDS GOD.

4. WHAT FORGIVENESS DOES…

a) WHEN WE FORGIVE OTHERS IT DEMONSTRATES OUR CHRISTIAN MATURITY.

b) IT OPENS THE DOOR TO RECONCILIATION.

c) IT PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A BETTER RELATIONSHIP WITH A PERSON.

d) IT REVEALS OUR LOVE FOR THE PERSON BECAUSE WE CANNOT FORGIVE UNLESS WE LOVE, AND WE CANNOT LOVE UNLESS WE ARE WILLING TO FORGIVE.

e) IT MEANS THAT WE DO NOT PLAN REVENGE ON THE PERSON.

f) IT MEANS THAT WE ARE WILLING TO PRAY FOR THE PERSON.

g) WE SHOULD ASK OURSELVES, LORD IS THERE SOMEBODY THAT I HAVE YET TO FORGIVE?

h) WE MUST GET A HANDLE ON IT.

5. IT’S NOT THAT GOD WON’T FORGIVE US, BUT GOD CAN’T FORGIVE US… UNTIL WE ARE READY TO FORGIVE OTHERS.

a) IF GOD WERE TO FORGIVE US WHEN WE ARE NOT WILLING TO FORGIVE WOULD MEAN THAT GOD IS UNHOLY.

b) GOD CANNOT AND WILL NOT VIOLATE HIS OWN NATURE.

c) HIS LOVE AND HIS JUSTICE WILL NOT PERMIT HIM TO CONTRADICT HIMSELF.

d) IF GOD FORGAVE US WHEN WE ARE UNWILLING TO FORGIVE WOULD SEEM THAT GOD IS SHOWING PARTIALITY TO US, EVEN THOUGH WE ARE NOT WILLING TO FORGIVE.

e) THE STORY IS TOLD IN MATT. 18 ABOUT THE SERVANT THAT OWED HIS MASTER TEN THOUSAND TALENTS AND HE COULD NOT PAY. HIS MASTER COMMANDED HIM, HIS WIFE, AND ALL THAT HE HAD TO BE SOLD. THE MAN BEGGED HIS MASTER FOR MORE TIME TO PAY. HIS LORD WAS MOVED WITH COMPASSION AND FORGAVE THE DEBT. THIS SAME MAN FOUND A MAN THAT OWED HIM MONEY AND HE COULD NOT PAY IT. THE MAN BEGGED FOR TIME TO PAY THE DEBT BUT THE FORGIVEN SERVANT WOULD NOT. INSTEAD HE HAD THE MAN THROWN INTO PRISON. WHEN HIS LORD HEARD ABOUT IT, HE COMMANDED THAT THE FORGIVEN SERVANT BE DELIVERED TO THE TORMENTORS UNTIL HE COULD PAY.

f) SO WE MUST UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES TO UNFORGIVENESS.

g) SO GET A HANDLE ON IT!!

6. OUR REPENTANCE. WHEN WE PRAY, WE SHOULD ASK GOD TO FORGIVE US!