It has been said that real friends are those who, when you have made a fool of yourself, don’t feel you’ve done a permanent job.
An elderly person was quoted that if you want to have a long relationship with anyone, you need a short memory.
Tell story Ananias; pray.
I. Forgiveness is a response to God.
You have to note that God came to Ananias. Forgiveness is initiated by God.
10Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.”
It starts with God and His purpose is to make your vessel clean so that He can forgive you. 14“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15“But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Why does it appear that God is dependent on you? First, He is not. However He gives you the power to choose. If you choose to trust Him, you will let it go. If you choose not to trust Him, you are choosing to literally take matters into your own hands. This will never please God because actions motivated by faith can only please God. These actions are prideful, and vengeful at best.
Your relationship to God is reflected in your relationship with others. Therefore if you have an issue with another person, you have an issue between you and God.
Do you remember the story in Mt. 18:21-35 where Peter came to Christ and asked Him how many times you should forgive your brother? Tell the parable. Every time that you read this do you think, “How selfish.” Or “Why didn’t he forgive that man?” He didn’t for the same reason you and I don’t. We are that man. When we don’t forgive, no matter what has happened, we become this man!
II. Forgiveness leads to the right road. . (11-12)
11So the Lord said to him, “Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. 12“And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.”
If pride goes before the fall, what would the antithesis, opposite, be? Humility goes before the stand. To make it clearer, to stand you must be humble! To get to the Straight St., you have to have humility! To forgive, you have to be humble!
Turn to Mt. 7:13-14. This is literal statement. Why is it true? Because in today’s time, no one wants to humble themselves and walk on the Straight St!
III. Forgiveness that supersedes their reputation. (13-14)
13Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. 14“And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.
Do you believe that God can change this person? Yes he changed you, but you were special, right? You were willing, right? You are clay and He is the potter, right? Give me a break! We all are in dire need of grace!
A young nun once claimed to have had a vision of Jesus. Her bishop decided to test her truthfulness and ordered that the next time she had a vision she should ask Christ what the bishop’s primary sin had been before he became a bishop. Some months later the nun returned and the bishop asked if she had asked Christ the question, to which she affirmed that she had. “And what did He say?” the bishop asked, apprehensively. “Christ said...” and the nun paused a moment… “He said, I don’t remember.” We have a God who not only forgives but forgets! “For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” (Jer. 31:34) We need to obtain God’s Holy Amnesia. I am tired of hearing, “20 years ago he did blah blah blah!” We need forgiveness that supersedes any reputation.
IV. Forgiveness that has a faith based rationality. (17)
17And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
Do you believe God? Ananias had to believe that God would physically take care of him. His life was literally threatened.
V. Forgiveness causes us to react. He went to where Paul was. (17a)
17And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said,
It causes us to do, to go, to be obedient to God. That translates into serving, as Ananias did here, even our enemy!
13For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. (Gal. 5:13)
Story of the “Ant and the Grasshopper”. Most students wrote the ant gave the grasshopper food for the winter. Some wrote the ant told the grasshopper no, and he died. But your son wrote, the ant gave the grasshopper all of his food. The grasshopper lived through the winter, but the ant died. At the bottom of the page were 3 crosses reminding us of the price God paid. Folks, God’s love should humble us to such a degree that we want to serve others because of what He has done!
VI. -Forgiveness with God’s revelation. (15-16)
There is a story in Spain of a father and his teenage son who had a relationship that had become strained. So the son ran away from home. His father, however, began a jouney in search of his rebellious son. Finally in Madred, in a last desperate effort to find him, the father put an ad in the newspaper. The ad read: “Dear Paco, meet me in front of the newspaper office at noon. All is forgiven. I love you. Your father.” The next day 800 Pacos showed up in front of the newspaper office. They were all seeking forgiveness!
15But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. 16“For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.” This is His perspective. This is how He sees Paul, and us. This is the plan that He has for Paul. Therefore we can pull back the curtains of heaven and get a good perspective on what God has in mind for you, and everyone else in the world!
Notice God’s revelation on how He sees us. This is why we should forgive. Paul was a chosen vessel. 1 Peter 2:9 says that we are chosen too. Listen to the personal relationship that God wants in verse 16. “I will show him…” God wants to get personal with you. He wants to reveal to you His purpose and His ways. He at the same time will show you that He has this same motive for everyone. This will cause us to yearn to see others in the same light that God sees us.
VII. Forgiveness that experiences Godly righteousness. (18-20)
(18-20) 18Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized. 19So when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus. 20Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.
What happens when you forgive someone? Notice what happens to Saul. Something falls from his eyes. He now has vision, a weight is lifted, etc. He does things outwardly to express what is happening inwardly, baptism. He is strengthened. And what does he do? Immediately he preaches Christ! When we show forgiveness, we truly set people free. And Christ works a work in us that only He can! He transforms from the inside out!
13bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. Col. 3:13
Forgiveness is a conscious choice. It is often has to happen daily. We are reminded of events that happen, at that point we must choose to let go of those emotions and thoughts. If we do not, then we haven’t fully forgiven. Remember to forgive is simply to give it to God. Allow Him to seek vengeance, allow Him to do what needs to be done. When we claim the right to have the emotions, we are taking the responsibility our of God’s hands!
