Reconciled Series

Let me ask you 3 questions to begin today: 1) Quickly think of someone who is hard to forgive? Do you have them in mind? Is it one of your family members? 2) What makes it hard for you to forgive them? 3) Would you like to become more forgiving? True forgiveness is a miracle and no human relationship can endure without it. Say this with me, “Forgiveness is crucial for any human relationship to flourish.”

You maybe thinking, “Yea, that works well in principle but …”… and you have a story about a person and a situation and a thing they did. Or maybe you’re saying, “Yes, that’s what you say in church …” Or maybe you think, “I cannot possibly forgive him/her.”

We are coming near the end our series, My Crazy Family, the story of Jacob. If a family is to survive, they must learn the ability to forgive one another. Here’s what I mean when say forgiveness – it is to stop feeling angry or resentful toward someone for their wrongdoing.

Three Unforgettable Truths to Forgiveness

Before I get into the substance of today’s message, I want to offer you three “quick-hitters” on the unforgettable truths to forgivness.

1. When You Forgive, You Imitate God

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32)

2. The Cross is the Fuel When Forgiving is Hard

All forgiveness is not equal – sometimes it is harder to forgive some actions. Other times it is easier to forgive – it doesn’t take much from you. But, when forgiving takes a lot from you, the cross of Jesus is your source of fuel. “and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Matthew 6:12). Say this with me, “The cross is my source of power to forgive hard people.” God not only forgives all that I’ve done, He’ll empowers me to forgive you.

3. A Forgiving Nature Shows You’re Inching Toward Heaven

Forgiven people forgive others. “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matthew 6:14-15) People who habitually refuse to forgive others are not forgiven by God and are not headed to heaven.

Some of you savor it. Some of you hold it and re-grip where your resentment grows. This is not struggling with forgiveness where you try and fail and try again. Instead, this is the kind of person who says, “I will not forgive. I cannot forgive.” I cannot tell you that you are saved. And here’s what my experience tells me: those who truly are believers in Christ will hear these words and get after the work of forgiving those who’ve wrong them. But those who are in the great danger of this, just say something to the effect, “I guess that’s the way it’s going to have to be then.” No, you are not saved by forgiving but saved people forgive. Again, forgiven people forgive others.

The book of Genesis hovers over one family because this is the one family that God has chosen to change all humanity through. This family is the hope of the world. We have watched Jacob from his birth fighting for the upper hand with his twin brother, Esau. And today, we watch as the brothers come together for the first time in over twenty years. The last thing Esau said to Jacob was, “I want to kill you.” Now, we see that Esau wants to kiss him. Jacob had left home for his safety and has been gone for a long time. The last time Esau saw his brother; he was single – now he’s married. The last time Esau saw his brother; he was healthy – now he limps. Now, it’s time to face the music.

Today’s Scripture

I invite you to turn to page 35 in the pew Bibles or you can use the Bible app you see on the screens above. Now, if you are sitting next to someone who has an electronic Bible (phone or tablet), would you turn your “real” Bible’s pages a little louder to make up for them? And would you keep an eye on your neighbor with the electronic Bible so they don’t end up playing Angry Birds by the time I get to point #2?

“And Jacob lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, Esau was coming, and four hundred men with him. So he divided the children among Leah and Rachel and the two female servants. And he put the servants with their children in front, then Leah with her children, and Rachel and Joseph last of all. He himself went on before them, bowing himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. But Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. And when Esau lifted up his eyes and saw the women and children, he said, “Who are these with you?” Jacob said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” Then the servants drew near, they and their children, and bowed down. Leah likewise and her children drew near and bowed down. And last Joseph and Rachel drew near, and they bowed down. Esau said, “What do you mean by all this company that I met?” Jacob answered, “To find favor in the sight of my lord.” But Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself.” Jacob said, “No, please, if I have found favor in your sight, then accept my present from my hand. For I have seen your face, which is like seeing the face of God, and you have accepted me. Please accept my blessing that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.” Thus he urged him, and he took it. Then Esau said, “Let us journey on our way, and I will go ahead of you.” But Jacob said to him, “My lord knows that the children are frail, and that the nursing flocks and herds are a care to me. If they are driven hard for one day, all the flocks will die. Let my lord pass on ahead of his servant, and I will lead on slowly, at the pace of the livestock that are ahead of me and at the pace of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir.” So Esau said, “Let me leave with you some of the people who are with me.” But he said, “What need is there? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord.” So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir. But Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built himself a house and made booths for his livestock. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth. And Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, on his way from Paddan-aram, and he camped before the city. And from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, he bought for a hundred pieces of money the piece of land on which he had pitched his tent. There he erected an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel.” (Genesis 33:1–20)