FAITH
PART 2 – TRUE FORGIVENESS
First Baptist Church of Tawas City Michigan
Rev. Bruce A. Shields
www.tawasbaptist.org
WELCOME
• Visitors (Visitor Cards & Prayer Request Cards in pews)
Last week we talked about Faith and unforgiveness, and how unforgiveness can cause a roadblock and prevent God from working in your life.
We talked about how unforgiveness and gossip are sins against God, and Jesus tells us not to talk about our brothers and sisters or we will be in danger of the fire of hell.
These sins create a roadblock preventing God from answering our prayers, or working in our lives.
Today we are going to discuss true forgiveness and how important it is to church growth and health.
Most churches are made up of people who have come out of denominational churches, and many may still be holding grudges against their former church.
You may say, “They did me wrong. They taught unbelief”, or whatever the grumbling may be.
Even if they did you wrong or taught you wrong, you can not hold a grudge if you expect God to use you.
Let what happened be between God and them.
Do not let yourself be cut off from the flow of God’s presence by holding a grudge or giving a bad report.
Many churches today have problems because people in the congregation hold grudges against each other.
They sit in the congregation, thinking they’ve been wronged and, without realizing it, play into the devil’s hands.
They keep the power of God from being able to move effectively among the whole body of believers because they’re thinking;
I could run that committee better than that! I don’t know why they picked that person; I think so and so could do better.
Or, I wish the pastor would shut up. He’s been preaching 35 minutes. He already said that three times – what’s he saying it again for?
If you are not careful, this kind of thing will build up resentment in you, and before you know it, you won’t want to go to church.
Instead of getting upset and acting in unforgiveness, speaking evil about someone, you should give a good report.
You should say, “Praise God for working in this body of believers. He must know what He is doing!”
You should go to the person and say, “If you need any help, I am here for you.”
That’s acting in love. That’s the way it should be, because then the enemy will have no room to get in.
The power of God can move.
How does the devil get into churches?
The same way God does, through the congregation.
We either bring God’s Holy Spirit into this place, or the devils spirit.
And it all begins with our words.
Because from the overflow of our hearts, our mouths speak!
If you are not careful, your words will ensnare you!
Proverbs 6:2-5
“If you have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth, then do this, my son, to free yourself, since you have fallen into your neighbors hands: Go and humble yourself; press your plea with your neighbor! Allow no sleep to your eyes, no slumber to your eyelids. Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.
When our words go forth, they can ensnare us.
Like a gazelle or bird trapped by a hunter.
The only way to free ourselves, is to humble ourselves to that person we were talking about, and ask forgiveness.
Don’t wait! The scripture says allow no sleep to your eyes!
Do not let the days pass, for each day will give the devil one more day to work through your words and unforgiveness in your life.
The book of James has a lot to say about this.
James talks about the wagging tongue.
He talks about having faith.
And he exclaims, “How is your faith going to work if that tongue is always wagging?”
This happens in some people’s lives as well, God couldn’t move if He wanted to, because they’re never quiet long enough for Him to say anything to them.
I realized that one day while I was praying.
I was doing all the talking and God was just listening waiting for a chance to speak if I would ever shut up.
Words are filed with something.
They are containers.
They are either filled with hate, doubt, and unbelief, or they are filled with love, joy, peace, faith, and goodness.
You build an atmosphere with your words.
It’s the same in the spiritual realm:
Forgive and keep a good report. Let whatever flows out of your mouth be good!
We know God’s love and power and we know He wants to work in our lives.
If you are not experiencing God’s power in your life, it’s not because He’s taking a nap.
It’s because there is something keeping God from working in your life.
Sometimes it’s obvious, sometimes it’s not.
We sometimes see people living the way they want to, sinning against God.
It’s no wonder why God doesn’t work in their lives.
But sometimes it’s not obvious, even to the person themselves.
Sometimes we have resentment without seeing it, or unforgiveness, or something in our lives keeping us from experiencing the fullness of God in our lives.
The scriptures say that NOTHING can separate us from God’s love. So we know this to be true.
But the scriptures also tell us that there are things that can separate us from the power of God in our lives, the protection, benefits and blessings that exceed beyond our initial salvation.
This is why it’s important for us to work together in love.
Growing together in God’s word, and gaining understanding.
In the same way we shouldn’t speak badly about others.
We also need to ensure that we don’t allow what others say about us to remain in our memory.
If you dwell on those things long enough, they will begin to affect you.
The devil will jump on your shoulder and say, “If I were you, I’d wait for an opportunity to get back at them!”
Many people have trouble like this on their jobs.
They may feel they’ve been wronged or passed over for promotions, so they try to get even with the person they believed wronged them.
How can you recognize if someone has unforgiveness?
When they see that person making a mistake, they make sure the mistake is noticed by everybody.
Hey world, did you see what he did!
Everyone, look at that speck of sawdust.
Can you believe it?
That, is harboring unforgiveness to the point where you begin to sin against your fellow man, and God.
Luke 11:17
“Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: "Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall.”
When you act that way, you are attacking part of the body of Christ.
How do you think Jesus feels about you attacking His body?
You don’t need to be a scholar to figure that one out.
Many people get themselves in trouble when they see somebody doing something they think is wrong.
This church will not stand on personal opinion or point of view.
This church MUST stand on the word of God, and what Jesus Christ says is right and wrong and nothing else!
The minute we try pleasing men and their opinion is the minute we rip this church from God’s hands and hand it over to men.
We stand for God’s word, not popular opinion.
It’s wrong if God says it’s wrong, and it’s right if God says its right, period.
So, what if you are trying to forgive but it’s difficult?
The Holy Spirit will help you forgive.
Jesus Promises!
John 14:15-17
“15"If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— 17the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be[c] in you.”
The literal word for Counselor here is COMFORTER, which means counselor, helper, intercessor, advocate, strengthener and standby.
The Holy Spirit is a helper. He is with you.
If you chose to forgive and forget and to keep a good report, the Holy Spirit will help you.
But until you CHOOSE to forgive, the Holy Spirit cannot help you, though He wants to.
God will never tread on your free will.
You control what comes out of your mouth, if we didn’t God wouldn’t hold us accountable for it.
It’s your choice to speak faith words – not to say anything evil.
You can choose to talk about those in authority and bad-mouth them all day long, dwelling on their bad points, but if you dwell on these kinds of things, they will become a giant and eat you alive.
On the other hand, you can choose to talk about God and how great He is.
You can choose to say good things about people who have wronged you.
Jesus says love your enemies, and pray for them.
You can choose to talk about the goodness of God, how great it is to be alive, and what a wonderful day God has made.
It’s your choice to hold a grudge or forgive.
It’s your choice to speak faith words (positive words) or speak failure words (negative words).
Speaking for myself, if somebody wrongs me, I forget it – I let it go – and I pray for them.
A good example would be my step father from when I was a kid.
Last Saturday I performed a wedding, for Crystal Oswald, now Holt. You may remember her.
One of the scriptures I used was where Paul says “Faith worketh by love.”
Faith works through love.
If you do not have love, you do not have faith.
Love isn’t bothered by trivial things. Love overlooks them. Love forgives them. Love let’s them go.
When you truly love somebody, you forget their failings and mistakes.
That’s what the word of God says.
It says He forgives us of our sins and He forgets them – It’s as if we never had sinned.
True forgiveness is acting like it never happened. That’s true love: never thinking about it.
If you want to be strong in faith, you’ve got to be strong in love and forgiveness.
Last week we read, “And when you stand praying, forgive.”
That should be foremost in your mind, your heart, and your spirit.
Without forgiveness it is impossible to make your faith work.
The person who wronged you has to answer to God.
And you have to answer for YOU!
If you want strong faith, forgive when you stand praying, if you don’t, God can’t do anything for you.
To those who say, “God can do anything!”
No He can’t.
He cannot go contrary to His word, and He says right here in Mark 11:26 that if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive you.
And when we do this, we remove a roadblock preventing God from working in our lives.
Our faith will grow, and this church will begin to function as one body, serving the Lord and His will for us at the First Baptist Church.
ALTAR CALL
Unforgiveness of wrongs in your life
Hurt from being wronged
Forgiving others
