Forgiving God Series

Message

Psalm 69:1-3

Forgiving God

You can listen to the full message here:-

http://www.nec.org.au/listen-to-a-sermon-series/forgiveness/

Over the past months we have kind of been working our way through a mini sermon series.

The topic of this series was FORGIVENESS.

So far we have talked about

… forgiving ourselves - how do we move forward from the point where we have acknowledged that our guilt and sin has overwhelmed us.

… forgiving others - what it means to pray, “Forgive our sins as we also have forgiven those who sin against us.”

Today we are going to look at an issue that is also important, but which we may be a little hesitant to think about.

For the moment we will think about it as the question of “Forgiving God”.

But I want to be careful here.

The concept of biblical forgiveness is very clear.

Forgiveness is God’s response to the sinfulness of mankind.

We … people … humans … have broken the relationship between ourselves and God.

We have let God down … turned our back … kicked sand in His face … broke the covenant.

We have done that.

In response God has acted.

God forgives by proclaiming that something which we have broken has been restored.

It happened at Eden when humanity was initially plunged into sin - God comes and says “Where are you?”. God restored what is broken.

It happened at the Flood. The inclination of all mankind was evil all the time. But God saved a people and set up a covenant. God restored what is broken.

It happened through the Babylonian exile. The people of God had turned so far from God that He punished them by sending them out of the land. But after 70 years they came back and restoration had taken place. God restored what is broken.

Most clearly it happened with the coming of Jesus. The punishment for our sin being placed on His one and only Son. God restored what is broken.

The concept of forgiveness is clear. We must start there.

So we need to be a little careful about how we talk when we say things like, “We need to forgive God”.

BUT … BUT

You know and I know that events happen in life which do cause us to question what God is doing.

Why is God acting the way He does?

Why do I feel so much under pressure from God?

Those times when the activities or decisions of God make you upset … at God.

And if the issue was just … that is how I feel … well maybe we should swallow our feelings and put up with it.

But it isn’t just how we feel. Scripture …

… God’s Word.

… the record of God’s interactions with his people through history.

Scripture records

… God has inspired the author to record …

times and emotions and responses when people get pretty ticked off at God.

1 Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck.

2 I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold. I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me.

3 I am worn out calling for help; my throat is parched. My eyes fail, looking for my God.

Psalm 69:1-3

I am drowning in the depth of the difficulty I am going through.

It is a deep flood. I have no hope of rescuing myself.

I am calling out. I am surround by water so can drink to quench my thirst. But I have called out so much that my throat has gone dry.

And God … you are nowhere to be seen.

No footprints in the sand.

No still quiet voice.

No rescue team.

Nothing. It is a deep flood and you give me nothing.

13 I cry to you for help, Lord; in the morning my prayer comes before you.

14 Why, Lord, do you reject me and hide your face from me?

15 From my youth I have suffered and been close to death; I have borne your terrors and am in despair.

16 Your wrath has swept over me; your terrors have destroyed me.

17 All day long they surround me like a flood; they have completely engulfed me.

18 You have taken from me friend and neighbour—darkness is my closest friend.

Psalm 88:13-18

I wake up and my morning devotion - that action which I do before anything else - in my morning devotion I am praying.

I’m committed to you God; I’ve been committed since I was a youth.

But it seems that my whole life has been a struggle.

Despairing. Overwhelmed. Destroyed.

You are meant to be light … a lamp … the friend who walks close.

These words are full of emotion … and in the Hebrew the emotion is so prominent.