2015.03.08.sermon TEACH US TO PRAY: Forgive others as we have been forgiven.
William Akehurst, HSWC
Teach us to pray (series)
LORD, teach us to pray. Forgive our sins as we forgive others. The effectual fervent prayer includes confession and forgiving. Jesus was the greatest example of this as he hung on the cross and said, Father Forgive them, for they know not what they do.
CALL TO WORSHIP
Psalms 32:1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
Psalms 85:2 Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah.
Psalms 130:3-5
3 If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?
4 But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.
5 I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.
PRAY, CONFESS AND FORGIVE
James 5:15-16
15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
TEACH US TO PRAY...
FORGIVE OTHERS AS WE HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN
Matthew 6:9-13
9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
Luke 11:1-4
1 And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.
2 And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
3 Give us day by day our daily bread.
4 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
THE GREATEST EXAMPLE
Luke 23:34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.
WHY FORGIVE?
BECAUSE WE ARE FORGIVEN
Ephesians 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
FORGIVENESS BRINGS JOY
Romans 4:7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
FORGIVE AND BE FORGIVEN
Luke 6:36-37 36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
FORGIVE OVER AND OVER AGAIN
Luke 17:3-4 3 Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.
4 And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.
FORGIVE IN THE NAME OF JESUS, AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF HIS FORGIVENESS
Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 2:10 To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ;
THE GOLDEN RULE? FORGIVE AS YOU ALSO NEED TO BE FORGIVEN
Matthew 7:12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
CONFESS AND BE FORGIVEN AND CLEANSED
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
THROUGH CHRIST, IS THE MESSAGE AND ACT OF FORGIVENESS
Acts 13:38 Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:
PAUL ENCOUNTERS JESUS WHO HE PERSECUTED. JESUS FORGIVES AND PAUL IS SENT TO TAKE THE GOSPEL MESSAGE OF FORGIVENESS TO OTHERS.
Acts 26:15-18 15 And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.
16 But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;
17 Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,
18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
IT IS BY HIS BLOOD SACRIFICE, WE ARE FORGIVEN AND ACCEPTABLE TO GOD.
Ephesians 1:6-7 6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
REDEEMED BY THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB
Colossians 1:14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
