Forgiven People Forgive People

This spiritual logic was given memorable illustration by Chuck Swindoll in his book Improving Your Serve.

“Let’s pretend that you work for me. In fact, you are my executive assistant in a company that is growing rapidly. I’m the owner and I’m interested in expanding overseas. To pull this off, I make all the arrangements to take my family in the move to Europe for six to eight months, and I leave you in charge of the busy stateside organization. I tell you that I will write you regularly and give you direction and instructions.

I leave and you stay. Months pass. A flow of letters are mailed from Europe and received by you at the national headquarters. I spell out all my expectations. Finally, I return. Soon after my arrival I drive down to the office. I am stunned! Grass and weeds have grown up high. A few windows along the street are broken. I walk into the receptionist’s room and she is doing her nails, chewing gum, and listening to her favorite disco station. I look around and notice the waste baskets are overflowing, the carpet hasn’t been vacuumed for weeks, and nobody seems concerned that the owner has returned. I ask about your whereabouts and someone in the crowded lounge area points down the hall and yells, ‘I think he’s down here.’

Disturbed, I move in that direction and bump into you as you are finishing a chess game with our sales manager. I ask you to step into my office (which has been temporarily turned into a television room for watching afternoon soap operas).

‘What in the world is going on, man?’

‘What do ya’ mean…?’

‘Well, look at this place! Didn’t you get any of my letters?’

‘Letters? Oh, yeah---sure, got every one of them. As a matter of fact… we have had letter study every Friday night since you left. We have even divided all the personnel into small groups and discussed many of the things you wrote. Some of those things were really interesting. You’ll be pleased to know that a few of us have actually committed to memory some of your sentences and paragraphs. One or two memorized an entire letter or two! Great stuff in those letters!’

‘Okay, okay---you got my letters, you studied them and meditated on them, discussed and even memorized them. BUT WHAT DID YOU DO ABOUT THEM?’

‘Do? Uh---we didn’t do anything about them.’”

Such behavior is professionally absurd. It is, in fact, professional suicide! But how much less absurd are we when we hear God’s Word without the slightest inclination to obey it? At the very least we are self-deceived. This is why James follows his call to be hearers with the command of verse 22:

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” If we are going to profit from God’s Word, we must receive and do it.”

Tonight I hope to explain through the Scripture the power of forgiveness and how important is to God and our recovery.

Remember we are all in recovery.

Jonathan Pokluda

Illustration of Allie mission trip to Amazon with bag of rocks

customs

luggage

weight of luggage to go on boat in amazon

swap things around

confusion and surprise

Bible study about forgiveness

hard to explain everywhere you go

It has been said that bitterness is like drinking poison and expecting them to die.

explain how weight of unforgiveness

From the counsellingdirectory.org

People who often get angry for any reason typically have issues associated with forgiveness.

Lack of self-love stem from not forgiving yourself or self-acceptance.

Unforgiveness leads to bitterness, which can increase the risk of depression.

It leads to constant worrying and can increase the risk of sleep deprivation and anxiety.

Unforgiveness leads to high blood pressure.

Increased risk of heart disease.

According to research, 61% of cancer patients also have forgiveness issues.

What are the benefits of forgiving someone?

From a separate source/ the mayo clinic

Letting go of grudges and bitterness can make way for improved health and peace of mind.

Forgiveness can lead to:

Healthier relationships

improved mental health

less anxiety, stress and hostility

lower blood pressure

fewer symptoms of depression

a stronger immune system

improved heart health

improved self-esteem

speak on forgiveness vs. unforgiveness pertaining to life and health

explain matthew 18 church discipline

Peter ask how many times should we forgive

7 times?

Jesus 70 times 7

not 490 but infinity

If you’re willing and able please stand for the reason of God’s Holy Word.

Explain how this morning your daily reading with Eric fell on Matthew 18. God is so good.

There are no coinsedences.

I’m not sure who this is for tonight.

Maybe me.

Matthew 18:23–35 NKJV

23 Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. 26 The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ 27 Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. 28 “But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ 30 And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. 31 So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. 32 Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 33 Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ 34 And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. 35 “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”

Pray. Thank you. You may be seated.

king

servant

tie into the debt being paid by God and Jesus with rocks

In order to be completely free from your resentments, anger, fears, shame, and guilt, you need to give and accept forgiveness in all areas of your life. If you do not, your recovery will be stalled and thus incomplete.

The first and most important forgiveness is extended from God to us. Have you accepted God’s forgiveness? Have you accepted Jesus’ work on the cross? By His death on the cross, all our sins were canceled, paid in full; a free gift for those who believe in Him as the true and only Higher Power, Savior, and Lord.

Jesus exclaimed from the cross, “It is finished” (John 19:30). No matter how grievously we may have injured others or ourselves, the grace of God is always sufficient! His forgiveness is always complete!

Romans 3:22–25 NKJV

22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed,

Remember, if God wasn’t willing to forgive sin, heaven would be empty.

The second kind of forgiveness is extended from us to others. Have you forgiven others who have hurt you? This type of forgiveness is a process. You need to be willing to be willing, but to be truly free, you must let go of the pain of the past harm and abuse caused by others.

sometimes there are people that we hold bitterness towards that haven’t a clue

bitterness, envy, jealousy, comparison

gym illustration

Forgiveness is all about letting go. Remember playing tug-of-war as a kid? As long as the people on each end of the rope are tugging, you have a war. You “let go of your end of the rope” when you forgive others. No matter how hard they may tug on their end, if you have released your end, the war is over. It is finished! But until you release it, you are a prisoner of war!

Think about who your anger is hurting most. I’ll give you a hint. It’s you! Forgiveness enables you to become fully freed from your anger and allows you to move forward positively in those relationships.

The Bible has a lot to say about forgiveness. Romans 12:17 –18 says, “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”

Causing an injury puts you below your enemy. Revenging an injury makes you even with him. Forgiving him sets you one above him. But more impor­tantly, it sets you free!

Illustration of the man that took advantage of a child a child

To recap, we need to accept God’s forgiveness by accepting what Jesus did for us on the cross, and we need to forgive and ask forgiveness of others. The last kind of forgiveness is perhaps the most difficult for us to extend.

We need to forgive ourselves. Have you forgiven yourself? You can forgive others, you can accept God’s forgiveness, but you may feel the guilt and shame of your past is just too much to forgive.

This is what God wants to do with the darkness of your past: “Come, let’s talk this over! says the Lord; no matter how deep the stain of your sins, I can take it out and make you as clean as freshly fallen snow. Even if you are stained as red as crimson, I can make you white as wool! If you will only let me help you” (Isaiah 1:18 – 19, TLB).

Let me ask you a question: If God Himself can forgive you, how can you withhold forgiveness from yourself? In fact, I believe that we must for­give ourselves before we can honestly forgive others.

talk about the paid debt we carry around

list what rocks represent

God took the weight of all our sins and He put it on the cross.

Isaiah 53:10 NKJV

10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.

Matthew 18:28–34 NKJV

28 “But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ 30 And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. 31 So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. 32 Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 33 Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ 34 And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.

Jesus says this controversial statement!

Matthew 18:35 NKJV

35 “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”

Why is Jesus putting so much emphasis on forgiveness?

Maybe your thinking Clay pulled one obscure text and ran with it.

Let us look at a few more.

Colossians 3:13 NKJV

13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.

Luke 6:37 NKJV

37 “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

Ephesians 4:31–32 NKJV

31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

Matthew 6:14–15 NKJV

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.

As Jesus hunk on the cross.

Luke 23:34 NKJV

34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” And they divided His garments and cast lots.

Are you saying grace plus something

Is this works based salvation

No I’m saying that when you truly get and understand God’s forgiveness toward yourself, you pass it on

as you hold that rock tonight I want you to think of who you want to choke

Who can’t you forgive

tie story of allie as she throws rocks in the amazon

FORGIVEN

FORGIVEN

two choices with the rocks

invitation