Introduction

Hello church! We are so excited to worship with you. Today we are beginning a new series called Bridge Builders. Over the next four weeks we will take a look at ways we can mend relationships and build bridges where there once were vast chasms of bitterness and hurt between people, groups, families, churches, etc...

In many ways our world today seems to be set up to foster bitterness, hurt, and unforgiveness. It’s all too easy to simply move on from relationships that are difficult or challenging. But we can fight for unity and work to build bridges… In fact, this is a core message of the New Testament as evidenced by the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross.

So the question isn’t if you’ll need forgiveness in your life, but rather when. Not only through Christ, but through others. The truth is, none of us are perfect, and we often make mistakes.

So the question isn’t if you’ll need forgiveness in your life, but rather when.

Main Teaching

As we get going today, it’s important to remember that forgiveness is a core message, if not THE core message of the New Testament. And one of the primary writers of the New Testament was the Apostle Paul. He was intimately aware of the power of forgiveness in his life personally, but also in the lives of the congregations he helped plant and minister to. One of them being the church at Colossae, from which we get Paul’s letter, Colossians.

Read Colossians 3:13-14: Verse 13 begins with the word bearing or bear with. This is the Greek word Anecho which means to hold up or to endure. Paul is saying that we need to hold each other up and endure with one another if there is a grievance between us. He also says that we must forgive one another, as Christ has forgiven us.

Christ is our example, not only for the power of forgiveness, but for the process. And what Paul tells us in verse 14 is that we must do this in love for each other, which binds the entire process up in unity (harmony).

Building Starts with Good Blueprints: In these 2 short verses Paul gives us a good blueprint for the process. We must “hold up” and “endure” with each other if there is a grievance or offense between us. Interestingly, this is exactly where so many people jump out of the process. It’s too easy to simply “cancel” someone or avoid a difficult relationship. Thankfully that’s not the path Jesus chose with all of us. He entered into the difficulty, He endured, and we’ve all benefited from His sacrifice.

Can it be a scary thought to endure with someone who’s wronged you? Of course it can be! But this might be why Paul reminds us to wrap up all we do in love. Love drives out fear.

1 Peter 5:7 tells us to, “cast all of our cares and anxieties onto Jesus because He cares for us ... View this full sermon with PRO Premium