Unhindered Forgiveness Week 2

7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

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Scripture Reading by Lady Pepper (Show Slide)

(Show Slide) Thank you Lady Pepper for the announcements and the reading of God’s Word.

Welcome! to everyone and especially those who are joining us for the first time. My name is Pastor Doc, and I will be sharing the Word of God with you today.

Please have your Bibles ready and Take Note’s

Show Video - Unhindered Forgiveness

Title of the message this Morning

Unhindered Forgiveness

Week 2 -

Big Idea:

In the Old Testament forgiveness of sin came under the old sacrificial system.

But when Jesus died on the cross that changed everything.

His single sacrifice on the cross made forgiveness available for all who confessed and believe.

There is no longer any hindrance or obstacles to forgiveness and salvation.

Prayer:

“Thank you Lord!

Not only for the forgiveness I have received in my life,

but for making forgiveness available to everyone.

Thank you for removing the obstacles, and sending your Son

so that I could experience forgiveness, redemption, and salvation.”

Scripture: Acts 28:28-31, Romans 10:9,

(All scripture taken from the NIV translation unless otherwise noted.)

Introduction

Welcome back church!

Today we’re going to continue on in our series, Unhindered.

If you weren’t with us last week, here’s a brief recap;

The book of Acts is not a list of attributes to memorize or bullet points to fit into a spreadsheet.

It tells the story of the birth of Christianity and the very beginnings of the spread of the Gospel…

And when you’re going through the book of Acts there’s one specific word that brings it all together, actually it’s the very last word of the book, Unhindered.

It’s this one word that bridges the gospel accounts to the epistles.

This one word gives us context, hope, and clarity for all that God has done and is doing through His Son, Jesus.

Last week we started by looking at the lavish love and grace available to us through the unhindered Kingdom.

God has held nothing back from us, and we’ll see over the next few weeks just how amazing that truth really is.

Pastor - As a way of transitioning to the main teaching of this sermon, share a powerful story of forgiveness that you’ve seen or experienced in your life.

Forgiveness is a powerful force in our lives.

It’s something that all of us need, and thankfully through Jesus, we all have access to.

Main Teaching

What is the big deal about forgiveness?

To a Christian, forgiveness is rooted in the belief that all people are sinners and in need of forgiveness from God.

We believe that forgiveness comes from God, who extends mercy and grace to all who repent and seek forgiveness.

Forgiveness of sin used to come through the sacrificial system as described in the Old Testament.

But Jesus changed everything, and now, through His single sacrifice on the cross, forgiveness is available to all who confess and believe.

It is this single act of love that has opened the door for everyone.

I. Forgiveness for everyone

As I mentioned, the “system” of forgiveness used to be a complicated one; centered around the concept of repentance and atonement.

It involved a complex system of sacrifices and rituals that were intended to restore a person's relationship with God and the community after they had sinned or committed a wrong.

Repentance was the first step towards reconciliation, then atonement, which involved making amends for the wrongdoing.

This was done through the offering of sacrifices, which were a way of symbolically transferring the guilt of the individual to the animal being sacrificed.

The blood of the animal was seen as a way of cleansing the individual from their sin and restoring their relationship with God.

This was all done through rituals, priests, sacrifices, prayer, fasting, etc…

All that to say, it was a thorough process that required copious amounts of time and energy from everyone involved.

Not to mention, this process was only available for the Israelites or others who were adopted into the faith.

So, not only was it complicated, it was constricted.

Only those who were chosen could be forgiven…

And that’s what makes Jesus, the chosen Messiah, all the more significant.

Through His single sacrifice on the cross, forgiveness is available to all who confess and believe.

Read Luke 23:32-34; 39-43

This story highlights for us the power of believing in Jesus.

It shows us the freedom we have to come, unhindered, to Christ and be forgiven.

Even if it’s at the last minute, in the final hour, or at the very end.

Read Romans 10:9

Confess and believe… That’s it.

Or said another way, confess our sin and need for a savior, and believe that Jesus is the savior.

He is the Messiah He claimed to be.

This is a pretty straightforward path to forgiveness.

And in a similarly straightforward way, Jesus asks us to share this gospel truth with others.

II. Forgiven to forgive

Forgiveness is not just about being forgiven by God, but also about extending forgiveness to others.

It’s about sharing the amazing news of Jesus with others.

We believe that forgiving others is not only an act of obedience to God but also a way to experience healing and freedom from the burden of anger and resentment.

We are called to forgive as we have been forgiven, and to extend mercy and grace to others just as God has extended it to us.

Pastor -

Share a personal experience here about a time when it was difficult to extend forgiveness to someone else. This could even be a light-hearted story about kids forgiving one another, or something similar.

It’s not always easy to forgive, but when we stop to consider how much we have been forgiven and how much we are loved by God, it’s hard to hold it back from others.

Read Matthew 6:14-15

It’s also worth noting that Jesus warns us about withholding forgiveness from others here.

You could say He warns us about putting up obstacles and hindrances that others must overcome.

It’s hypocritical on some level when we’ve been given freedom and forgiveness but then we withhold the same from someone else.

You can see why this would be such a problem.

But it’s not just a little problem, unforgiveness in our lives can have a multitude of consequences;

Negative Emotions:

Unforgiveness often leads to negative emotions such as anger, resentment, bitterness, and hatred.

These emotions can consume a person and affect their daily life, leading to stress and anxiety.

Health Problems:

Holding onto unforgiveness can have physical effects on the body, including increased blood pressure, heart disease, and weakened immune systems.

It can also lead to

Mental health problems,

such as depression and anxiety.

Damaged Relationships:

Unforgiveness can damage relationships, as it creates a barrier between people and makes it difficult for them to connect emotionally.

It can also lead to the breakdown of Relationships and cause feelings of isolation and loneliness.

Stuck in the Past:

Holding onto unforgiveness can prevent individuals from moving on from past hurts and experiences, keeping them stuck in a negative mindset and preventing personal growth.

Spiritual Blockages:

For some individuals, unforgiveness can lead to spiritual blockages, preventing them from experiencing a deeper sense of connection with their faith and spirituality.

As you can see, Jesus isn’t only concerned with our spiritual well-being but our overall well-being as well.

We are called to follow in the steps of Jesus, who even forgave His accusers and executioners as He was hanging on the cross.

Read Luke 23:34

You could say that Jesus didn’t want these people to experience any hindrance in their ability to receive salvation.

He wanted them to be forgiven and He recognized that they didn’t even fully understand what they were doing.

It should makes you wonder how many of us fall into a similar category.

We sin or hurt others out of ignorance.

We move too quickly through our lives and we miss opportunities to slow down and be present with the people around us we care about most.

We need a savior who sees us as we truly are, in all our brokenness and beauty, and who loves us all the same.

That’s grace. That’s forgiveness. That’s Jesus.

Conclusion

Forgiveness used to be a complicated thing to figure out.

The right sacrifices, on the right days, made in the right way.

That’s what you had to do to be made right with God…

But that was the old way, and Jesus is the new way.

In fact, He says explicitly, “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” - John 14:6.

Forgiveness is a straightforward doctrine with incredible implications.

In his book Orthodoxy, GK Chersteron says, "The essence of the whole Christian position is that we have all sinned and that forgiveness is possible."

Forgiveness is possible.

That small sentence alone must be amazingly good news for some who are here today.

Some who need to be reminded that there isn’t any hindrance to forgiveness here…

Jesus made sure of that on the cross when He took the whole weight of sin upon Himself.

2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

Just as Forgiveness has been generously made available to us, we are to offer it equally generously to those around us.

Consider today who may need to receive forgiveness in your life or who you may need to ask for forgiveness.

Don’t be stingy, don’t hold back.

Pray that God would open your eyes to any root of bitterness or discord that may have set root in your heart.

Remove the hindrances and find the peace that God has waiting for you.

It’s on the other side of forgiveness, and it’s available to us all.

Let’s pray together.

Now for those of you who do not know Jesus!

Salvation:

The Word of God says in:

John 3:16

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Romans 10:13

13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

If you’d would like to receive Jesus today, please pray this prayer with all of us:

Lord I believe that Jesus is the son of God, and that He died On the cross for my sins and His resurrection from the dead gives me eternal life. I ask forgiveness of my sins, and I accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior. Amen.

PastorDoc@FaithVision.org

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(Show Slide)

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Communion

I want to take a few moments to give you the opportunity to ask forgiveness of any sin in your life.

Let us pray over the elements (Cross Exposed) in the name of the father, the son, and the Holy Ghost

Read first Corinthians 11:23- 26 - (Taking the elements together)

23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread;

24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” (take bread)

25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” (Take Cup)

26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.

Pepper Praise Reports

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Lord we pray not in our own strength, but in the power and in the name of our Lord and Savory, Jesus Christ!

Closing Blessing

1 Cor. 15:58

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

This is Pastor Doc & Lady Pepper with:

Faith Vision Christian Ministries

See you next Sunday @ 10:55 on Facebook Live!!

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Have a Great Week! GOODBYE !

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