Series: Action [#101]
DON’T QUIT- GOOD RIDDANCE
2 Corinthians 2:5-11
Introduction:
Each of you should have a piece of paper that is labeled “Good Riddance”. On this paper, I would like you to write down any grievances that you would like to get rid of- Such as: Any painful memories, bad experiences, foolish mistakes, bad relationships, dumb choices, long-held grudges, etc…; anything that has been messing you up. I need you to do me a favor: Don’t look at any one’s paper but your own. Keep this paper close during the sermon just in case something or someone else comes to mind.
In order for you to move forward, you are going to have to say “good riddance” to the pain and hurt of the past. To do that you’re going to have to find the courage to let go of your anger, say farewell to your bitterness, and cast off your malice toward those who have hurt you deeply. You must learn to forgive. Until you do that you can never go forward. As long as you live in the past, you will be chained to the past, and the people who have hurt you win a double victory- Once when they hurt you the 1st time and twice when you refuse to let go and move on.
We all struggle with broken relationships, people who hurt us, painful words, deceitful actions, friends who turn against us, and unkind words said about us or our loved ones. There are 2 things I want you to remember this morning- You always need forgiveness and you always have someone you need to forgive. That is the focus of our text this morning.
In these verses, Paul challenged the Christians at Corinth to reach out and forgive a man in the congregation who had sinned. We don’t know exactly who the man was or exactly what he did but it must have been bad. Many believe that this was the man talked about in 1 Corinthians 5 who was sleeping with his father’s wife (evidently meaning his step-mother); and the church was doing nothing about it. Paul told them to “kick” the man out of the church, so that he might repent. Apparently the man did repent of his sins and wanted to come back into the church; but the people wouldn’t let him come back.
Which is harder- To judge sin or to forgive sin? Paul writes to tell the church that the man had suffered enough and they needed to forgive him so that he would not be ruined. Let me ask again, “Which is harder- To judge sin or to forgive sin?” “Is it harder to take a stand against sinful behavior or believe a man has truly changed his ways?” I think that both are equally tough and we can only do these things through the power of the Holy Spirit. We must understand that often times, we have the ability to restore someone or ruin them. What are the benefits of forgiveness?
2 Corinthians 2:5-6
Forgiveness…
1. Displays God’s mercy.
The church had punished the man enough. They had acted in a righteous manner by removing him; but now it was time to restore him. How do you know when enough is enough? I know as a parent that it’s hard to know how severe and how long the punishment should be. When we discipline those we love, we may be perceived as an enemy and not as a friend. This is really a tough question to answer because each person is different. For Tyler- Spanking, grounding, taking stuff away, etc… didn’t seem to work; while with Tharon, I could look at him and he would straighten out. So, in dealing with these matters, we need courage, tact, grace, and wisdom.
Paul wanted the Corinthians to know that what they had done was right, but now the time had come to forgive and receive this man back into the fellowship of the church. Forgiveness in that case displays the mercy of God. Remember that mercy is not getting what you deserve. Of course, the man didn’t deserve a 2nd chance; but he was going to get 1 because of mercy. Before you don’t give someone a 2nd chance, because they don’t deserve it; think about what God has done for you.
2 Corinthians 2:7-9
Forgiveness…
2. Restores the sinner.
So many times we are like the older brother in the story of the Prodigal Son. Down deep the sins of others disgust us to the point that we really don’t want them to repent. Forgiveness seems too cheap, too quick, and too easy. After all, we’re the ones who played by the rules. We’re not like those “other people.” I’m sure many in the Corinthian Church was saying things like, “Why should we let him back in? I didn’t tell him to do those evil things. I work hard at this Church. Why should we let him come back and destroy what we have built?
Please don’t forget the purpose of correction. Correction is done so that the person will understand that they have done wrong, and they need to change. The proper motivation for correction is restoration. Ask yourself, “Do I really want those that have done wrong to me be restored”?
2 Corinthians 2:10
Forgiveness…
3. Demonstrates obedience.
Again, this has 2 sides- Will you be obedient in exercising discipline? Will you be obedient in offering forgiveness? Do you love enough to forgive when discipline has led to repentance? This can be very hard to do, especially if the person involved hurt us or those we love. You must come to a point where you let go of the pain and reach out with the love of God to say, “You are forgiven in Jesus’ name.”
Forgiveness…
4. Reflects the character of Jesus Christ.
We forgive because we have been forgiven. We release others because Christ has released us from our sins. Forgiveness always flows this way: From Christ to us to others.
2 Corinthians 2:11
Forgiveness…
5. Hinders Satan’s schemes.
Satan is always looking for a way into your life, so he can mess it up. He just needs you to take your eyes off of Jesus and do your own thing so he can sneak in. When you offer forgiveness to someone, Satan’s plan is destroyed.
Conclusion:
If we don’t forgive those that have done wrong to us, we will not grow individually or as a church. I would encourage you to take that piece of paper that says “Good Riddance” and pray about it. Once the service is over you can come up and throw the paper away, rip it up, shred it, etc… to symbolize that you are letting that go and moving forward.
