OPENER DVD SEGMENT
START: Menu Selection #2 - “The Accident” - 4:30 min.
END: When it starts to rain on Samuel L. Jackson
Two men (Ben Affleck and Samuel L. Jackson) on their way to separate court dates fight for a spot on the freeway and crash into each other.
The accident causes no physical injuries, but havoc ensues as one
man misses a child custody hearing while the other loses paperwork critical to a multimillion-dollar deal.
They each blame the other and acts of vengeance and violence ensue. When they finally examine themselves, is it too late for forgiveness and for justice?
Driving at 70 mph now seems fast compared to the 55 mph speed limit used years ago. Even at the maximum speed limit there always seems to be an impatient driver behind my car.
A person who will make numerous lane changes to get ahead or to speed up the process of getting to their destination.
The impatient driver that sped past me will sometime indicate his annoyance by giving me the “look”.
In most cases as I have observed, I will meet this driver at the next stop light, sometimes both cars are parallel to each other or one car length behind.
Our driving habits or driving in our society can tell a lot about how we live.
The Christian life is a race not for those who finish first but for those cultivating a steady, patient and obedient attitude during the journey to heaven.
This is difficult because we live in age defined by speed. Got to have it now! Got to get there fast!
This can drive our life to the point that we become a Christian who
is or always considering changing lanes on the narrow way.
A desire to have a faster version of God’s promises for our life result in the signals we turn on; impatient with the local church direction, impatient to wait for marriage, dating and loving one another.
Our choices we make, can affect us in the same amount of time that it takes in changing lanes while driving.
Like driving, a spiritual signal from a distant can alert others of your intentions so that counsel can be given or sought out.
The signal that is only turned on during the process of changing direction is un-safe and can harm the driver as well as others.
There is a constant risk in changing lanes, even though our signal is turned on.
It is called the “blind spot”; it is the area where the car mirrors are not sufficient to display all other vehicles.
Drivers have to always check their blind spot by looking over their shoulder to make sure it is safe to turn right or left.
Sometimes we are so sure of the direction we want to go that we fail to acknowledge and check for spiritual blind spot.
In rushing our view of what God should be like we miss seeing that the devil and his many schemes are waiting to collide with us.
Checking our spiritual blind spot means a consistent movement of our heart, head and eyes to God.
Then Peter came and said to Him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?"
Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. --Matthew 18:21-22
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Illustration: Bad Meat
Colin Byrne Smith of Australia told of a missionary who called on a tribe of cannibals.
Taking his life in his hands, he crossed the inlet in a small boat, and when confronted by the tribe, meekly endured every insult.
Long afterwards, when he had succeeded in converting many and establishing a church among them, he asked, "Why did you not eat
ME when I came to preach to you?”
The old chief, then a Christian, said, "You see, none of us wanted
to eat you, because the reason we eat people is to acquire their skills and bravery; but nobody wanted to be like YOU, taking all those insults, and patiently bearing every blow against you!"
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When one strives honestly and faithfully to live up to Jesus’ teaching in this matter, or any other, forces far beyond the knowledge of any man are working for the success of the obedient follower of the Lord.
Jesus reminds us that we are to redeem rather than to try to get revenge.
In our day, we seldom slap someone on the cheek to embarrass or humiliate that person. Instead, we shoot them a "zinger," cut them down sarcastically, or tell a joke at their expense.
Look up Matthew 15:18:
“But the things that proceed out of the mouth, come from the heart, and those defile the man.”
So many times, people have “changed lanes” in front of us, most of the time without signaling, at we’ve grown tired of it.
We just want to take a detour from our natural direction and either get off of God’s road to Him, or develop our own road rage.
God has directed your path tonight to pull off at a “rest stop” to hear this message...
Words shape your actions--which is why I want to show you the 7 things that God knows are hardest to forgive--why?
Because this is the only thing in the Bible that tells us what all knowing, all-loving God truly hates.
1. A Proud Look
Someone who is prideful has his nose in the air and his eyes uplifted. When pride fills the heart, it is reflected in one’s mannerisms.
God hates people who think they are above everyone and everything. The sin of pride is probably listed first because it is the root of all disobedience and rebellion.
2. A Lying Tongue
God is a God of truth who cannot lie (Heb. 6:18). How much He loves truth and hates lying is illustrated in the account of Ananias and Sapphira, who lied to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:1-11).
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Illustration: The Flat Tire
Two students were taking organic chemistry at the university.
Having done well in their work and labs, they were both going into the final exam with solid A’s.
So far, so good. Trouble was, they were so confident that they decided to party the night before the big test.
It was a great night; one thing led to another, and they ended up sleeping late the following morning.
They missed the exam! Disasterville!
Being inventive souls, though, they went to see the professor to explain that they had been visiting a sick, out-of-town friend the night before.
On the way home they had a flat tire. With no spare tire and no car jack, they were stranded.
They could only manage to hitch a lift back to town midmorning, which is why they missed the test.
They were really sorry to have missed the exam, they said (they were so looking forward to it!) but wondered whether they might be able to take it that afternoon.
The professor thought about it for a moment and decided that this would be permissible since they hadn’t had time to discuss the exam with any of the students who had already taken it.
After a short break for lunch, the two students were ready for the test.
The professor placed them in separate rooms, handed each of them an exam booklet, and told them to begin.
Page one, question one. A simple one for five points. This will be easy! Having answered the first question each of the students turned the page for question number two:
It read: "Which tire?" (95 points).
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3. Murderous Hands
Verse 17 says that God hates “hands that shed innocent blood.”
God hates people with murderous, cruel dispositions who will kill rather than be denied or frustrated of what they want.
God hates murder because He created life and established its value of how precious it is. Therefore God ordained that when someone takes a life, he should pay with his own life (Gen. 9:6).
4. A Wicked Heart
God hates “an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations” (v. 18). It’s bad enough for a person to do evil, but it’s even worse when he plans at great length on how to do it. Awicked heart is the devil’s workshop for devising new ways of sinning.
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Illustration: DUMB CROOKS
A Circle-K convenience store was patronized by man requesting change for a twenty dollar bill.
As soon as the register drawer was opened, the man pulled a gun and demanded it contents. He fled with all dollars of it, but left his original twenty lying on the counter.
A guy walked into a little corner store with a shotgun and demanded all the cash from the cash drawer.
After the cashier put the cash in a bag, the robber saw a bottle of scotch that he wanted behind the counter on the shelf.
He told the cashier to put it in the bag as well, but he refused and said "Because I don’t believe you are over 21."
The robber said he was, but the clerk still refused to give it to him because he didn’t believe him.
At this point the robber took his drivers license out of his wallet and gave it to the clerk.
The clerk looked it over, and agreed that the man was in fact over 21 and he put the scotch in the bag.
The robber then ran from the store with his loot.
The cashier promptly called the police and gave the name and address of the robber that he got off the license.
They arrested the robber two hours later.
The television news one night told the story of a would-be holdup man who tried to disguise himself with a bag over his head. A bag!
Police in Oakland, California spent two hours attempting to subdue a gunman who had barricaded himself inside his home.
After firing ten tear gas canisters, officers discovered that the man was standing beside them, shouting pleas to come out and give himself up.
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5. Mischievous Feet
God also hates “feet that are swift in running to mischief” (v. 18).
The difference between this and normal sinning is that normal sinning is described in the Bible as a falling or a tripping.
But the mischievous person purposely runs as fast as he can--he’s in a hurry to sin.
6. A False Witness
Another thing God hates is “a false witness that speaketh lies” (v.
19). God hates people who put the blame on an innocent party.
David, Jesus, and Paul experienced accusations by false witnesses (Ps. 27:12; Matt. 26:59-61; Acts 25:7-8). Bearing false witness obstructs justice, destroys reputations, and even destroys lives in some cases.
7. A Divisive Spirit
Verse 19 says that God also hates people who “soweth discord among brethren.” – modern day called “poop stirrers” or “fire starters”
Troublemakers create divisions where there should be unity.
What Lane Are You IN?
Which lane do you have a hard time staying out of? Why?
What signal has God shown you to get out of that lane?
So How Do You Forgive When You’ve Been “Road Raged”?
Before we talk about what forgiveness is, let’s go on to what forgiveness is not.
Forgiveness is not the same thing as excusing.
You can excuse someone for doing something to you, but that doesn’t mean you’ve forgiven them for doing it.
Forgiveness is not forgetting.
People think that when we forget something, that means we’ve ultimately forgiven the person for what they’ve done.
This isn’t true.
When you’re reminded of the act against you, what kind of feelings come up?
Forgiveness is not the same as reconciling.
We can “be right” with someone who’s hurt us, but that doesn’t mean we’ve forgiven what they’ve done.
So what is forgiveness? Some people say, it’s “giving up the right for retaliation,” “giving up resentment,” “pardoning,” and “giving up the right to hurt someone back.”
They are definitely on the right track.
Forgiveness is giving up the quest to get even; however, this doesn’t mean that justice doesn’t take place.
When we forgive someone, we change the way we think and how we feel about the person.
We once again begin to wish the other person well. Also, forgiveness almost always starts as a one-sided thing.
Think about Jesus washing the disciples; feet. That is an awesome example of forgiveness.
He knew what they had done and what they would do. Jesus knew
Peter would deny him three times, yet Jesus took the lowest job of the household and washed the disciples’ feet.
What about when he was on the cross? Jesus forgave the very people who tortured him and sent him to his death.
Instead of seeking revenge next time someone does something to hurt you, forgive them.
Revenge does not bring closure. Forgiveness does.
Think of three people who have hurt you. Start praying for them.
Wish them well! It doesn’t matter if they’ve apologized to you or not, you can still forgive them and give up on trying to get even.
After all, the person who needs your forgiveness does not deserve it, but neither do you.
CLOSING DVD SEGMENT
START:
END: After Ben Affleck says: “You brought the file back”.
Menu Selection #14 - “The Memory Of Another Life” – 6 minutes
There comes a time when you just get tired of trying to get even
Just as Ben Affleck caught glimpses of a different life he could have, so does God give you the same chance through Changing
Lanes each day in life.
Where are you headed tonight?
Are you on the right road or stuck in a traffic jam of bad choices and regrets?
Have you cut somebody off while you were “Changing Lanes” in your life---did you leave the scene of the accident--without making things right with that person?
Are you in one of the lanes mentioned tonight that God says to get out of?
All it takes, is a signal from you, for someone to let you in to where you need to be going in your daily journey.
If you’re ready to change lanes, from where you’ve been, we want
to pray with you, talk to you, whatever it takes.
Just give us a signal
