Unleashing Unforgiveness
Notes
Transcript
SPIDER-MAN MOVIE — SOMEONE IS IN OUR SEAT
PEACE — HAPPINESS — JOY — TIME
UNFORGIVENESS
GOD IS CHARACTERIZED BY HIS FORGIVENESS
Jesus on the cross — But not just forgiveness his forgetfulness
God chooses to forgive and forget. Separating us from our sin as far as the East is from the West
Shame Is The All-Consuming Emotional Condition
That We've Let Down Ourselves, Others, And God.
Some SHAME is caused by us. — Some happened to us.
WHO IS SITTING IN YOUR CHAIR?
AND EX SPOUSE? PARENT? A RELATIVE THAT TOOK ADVANTAGE OF YOU?
Maybe they died years ago, maybe you cannot be in contact with them today. And we can have all these reasons why we can’t forgive.
MAYBE A PAST YOU IS SITTING IN YOUR CHAIR BECAUSE YOU CAN’T FORGIVE YOURSELF FOR THINGS YOU’VE DONE
Have you ever been hanging out with some people and there’s someone in the group that asks certain questions just to show how smart they are?
21 Then Peter approached him and asked, “Lord, how many times must I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? As many as seven times?”
Pharisees thought 3 times was a lot. SO he’s trying to impress everyone.
BEFORE JESUS ANSWERS — HE GOES INTO A STORY
FORGIVENESS IS MORE FOR THE OFFENDED THAN THE OFFENDER
And Peter thought forgiveness was to benefit the offender. Someone has hurt me. Been mean to me. So now im going to wait until they crawl back to me and ask them to forgive them and then i’ll give them that gift
They hurt me. They are in the wrong. And can you see how that person starts sitting in that seat you were supposed to sit in.
We all know someone like this. The person that offended them comes up in ever conversation. So much so that you start to either avoid them or you feel like you have to ask them about it every time you see them...
PARABLE: SERVANT OWED 10 MILLION DOLLARS
The master calls him in and decides hey… now is the time to pay up. And you couldn’t file bankruptcy… Your life and your families could potentially be over.
The man begs for forgiveness of this debt. And the master forgives the debt. Just tells him don’t worry about it. Im good. You’re good. Have a good day.
IMAGINE BEING THAT GUY. How would you feel? You think student debt being relieved… imagine owing 10 mil and it being forgiven. That’s life changing to another level. That’s death to life right?
THE SERVANT… WHO OWED 10 MIL. LEAVES AND FINDS A FRIEND WHO OWES HIM $10- $20. ORDERS HIM TO PAY UP. CHOKES HIM OUT. THROWS HIM IN PRISON.
WHO DOES THIS GUY THINK HE IS? You were just forgiven in such a large way and now you are going to go demand others pay back their debts?
32 Then, after he had summoned him, his master said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me.
33 Shouldn’t you also have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’
34 And because he was angry, his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured until he could pay everything that was owed.
35 So also my heavenly Father will do to you unless every one of you forgives his brother or sister from your heart.”
JESUS WAS PRETTY CLEAR. Forgiveness is… for you.
FORGIVENESS FEELS UNNATURAL. It can even feel wrong...
They did the wrong thing and I’m supposed to just release them? Really the whole time you were the one chained up by their actions not them. Jesus says FORGIVE… Because you’ve been forgiven.
THE PEOPLE IN YOUR CHAIR… MOST OF THEM MAY NOT EVEN KNOW WHAT THEY’VE DONE OR THE IMPACT IT HAD ON YOU.
They aren’t up at night thinking about it… You are. They aren’t bringing you up at ever hangout… you are. They are not carrying what they did into each new relationship you are.
CAN YOU SEE HOW WHAT THEY DID MAY HAVE HURT BUT YOU’RE THE ONE PUTTING SALT INT HE WOUND AND NOT LETTING IT HEAL?
EVERY TIME WE HARBOR UNFORGIVENESS WE PICK AT THE SCAB AND RE OPEN THE WOUND INSTEAD OF ALLOWING IT TO HEAL THROUGH UNFORGIVENESS.
AND YOU KNOW AT THIS POINT PETER IS LIKE.... WHY DID I EVEN OPEN MY MOUTH
22 “I tell you, not as many as seven,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven.
THIS IS A PART OF SANCTIFICATION
Sanctification is basically growing and becoming closer to and more like Jesus. You’ll never fully get there because you’re never gonna be perfect. But it’s coming face to face with issues, with struggles with things in our lives and deciding to choose the way of Jesus over our own way.
FORGIVENESS IS THE WAY OF JESUS
BUT THEY DON’T DESERVE IT — NEITHER DID YOU
YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT THEY DID — JESUS KNEW WHAT YOU WOULD DO AND DIED FOR YOU ANYWAY
BUT THEY HAVE TO EARN IT — YOU NEVER COULD
RESENTMENT
God knows what they did. It’s his job to handle people not yours.
32 And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and dearly loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,
13 bearing with one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a grievance against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you are also to forgive.