Lose Ends Series

Lose Ends

Matthew 5:23-26

Good Morning Silver Creek and house guest,

Most of you know that we are continuing in a series about forgiveness. On Easter, we looked at how we can receive God’s forgiveness by asking God to forgive us and beginning the journey back into the direction of God. That Journey will lead us to the Best that God has planned for us instead of living our own way and under our own power.

The next week we talked about forgiving the person that we know the most dirt on, The one where we have watch them sin over and over….ourselves, and how with God’s help we are allowed and even expected to forgive ourselves.

Then on our third discussion of the topic we looked at how we can forgive others…which starts by recognizing how much we have been forgiven by God and how we as we mature and move toward God’s best we become a little more like God Each day. And ultimately we are able to really forgive what others have done to us physically, emotionally and spiritually. I encouraged reconciliation but only if it was possible and only if it was safe.

I don’t know about you but, I often need a reminder about how forgiveness works and I place a lot of weight on Jesus’ descriptions.

In our series so far we have looked at forgiveness from three simple view points.

First how to get it.

Second how to accept it

and then how to give it.

But something is missing….Personally, I believe that we have a loose end that has not been addressed.

That leads us to today’s topic – tying up loose ends.

So what is a loose end? The simple definition is unfinished business.

For most of us loose ends can be relatively trivial things. Most of them may not make or break any project however; a loose end can be an absolutely essential part of a project.

There are almost as many responses to a loose end as there are people in this world and there are always people that will sit at one extreme or another, but generally there is a dividing line. Those that are bothered by anything left undone and feel a little or a lot crazy until everything it all tied up and those that can let things slide and still sleep at night.

Our view of unfinished business can be modified by sources outside of ourselves. I am guessing that you all know the old proverb – “Nobody in the house is happy if momma is unhappy!” A person that is oblivious to loose ends around the house can be affected, influenced by what another person thinks is important.

Our understanding of forgiveness is the same way. It might be that a person can influence you; however, for our study today, let me clearly state that the influence I am talking about is an act of the Holy Spirit to focus our attention on the loose ends related to forgiveness.

The Holy Spirit can help us to notice things by influencing our opinion, our view, it might make us feel desire for healing, or loneliness, perhaps a little guilty.

Basically, as a member of God’s family we receive the GIFT of the Spirit. It acts as a guide to influence our view of the world and situations.

Consider this, as we grow in relationship with God through Jesus Christ…we grow in our family resemblance.

In small and sometimes invisible ways ( even to us) we slowly change on the way we act and the choices we make. We take up mannerisms and sayings and make decisions based on what we expose ourselves too. We don’t even notice how sometimes we sound like God in what we say or our actions are like God’s in the way we live and treat other people

Don’t misunderstand; the transition is normally pretty slow. And most times we don’t even notice what has been happening to us on our faith journey. Basically, as we grow up in God’s family, even as adopted children, we start to view the world like our heavenly father sees things and our response to what we see is affected by this view.

So, as a forgiven child of God we are working toward perfection…notice I said working toward.

Our scripture today is pretty short, We will actually have two. They are a part of the section of scripture in Matthew 5 that is called The Beatitudes, in many Bibles.

Listen to Matthew 5:23-24

"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.”