"The Healing Power of Forgiveness"

Matthew 26:67-75

67 Then they spit in his face and struck him. And some slapped him,

68 saying, “Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who is it that struck you?”

69 Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came up to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.”

70 But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you mean.”

71 And when he went out to the entrance, another servant girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.”

72 And again he denied it with an oath: “I do not know the man.”

73 After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you.”

74 Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know the man.” And immediately the rooster crowed.

75 And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.

-PRAY

Introduction:

Have you ever said or done something that you instantly regretted?

Maybe you blurted out a cutting response to your parents or one of your friends. Maybe you cheated on a test or did something to hurt someone.

Whatever it was, you realized it was wrong and you wished you could take it back or undo it.

Maybe you still think of it and wish you could go back and change things!

That must have been the way that Peter felt that night at the fire.

Earlier that evening, around the table as Jesus shared a last supper with His disciples, the Lord had warned Peter about what was going to take place.(Matt. 26:31-35)

Of course Peter was quick to respond, denying that he would ever do such a thing!

Yet, here we seem him, just having denied Jesus three times.

The one who fought for Jesus in the garden now crumbles before a servant girl in the courtyard.

It must have been the darkest moment for Peter. I imagine it was a time of pain, disappointment and regret. Yet the good news is that the story doesn’t end there.

Peter’s story is where I get the title for the message, “The healing power of forgiveness.”

The power of forgiveness that Peter experienced can be yours as well through Christ.

Illustration:

Erma Louise Bombeck (née Fiste; February 21, 1927 – April 22, 1996) was an American humorist who achieved great popularity for her newspaper humor column describing suburban home life, syndicated from 1965 to 1996. She published fifteen books, most of which became bestsellers.

Erma Bombeck once observed,” If I had my life to live over again, I would have waxed less and listened more. Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy and complaining about the shadows over my feet, I’d have cherished every minute of it and realized that the wonderment growing inside of me was to be my only chance in life to assist God in a miracle… I would have cried and laughed less while watching television…and more while watching life…. There would have been more I love yous… more I’m sorrys… more I’m listening… but mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute of it… and never give that minute back until there was nothing left of it.

Let me share with you three truths that I see in this story from Peter’s life:

I. Authentic Forgiveness Follows Repentance:

There were actually two betrayals of Jesus that night.

Peter denied Him in the courtyard, but earlier Judas had denied Jesus with a kiss, for the price of thirty pieces of silver.

The opening verses of Matthew 27 show Judas’ realization of what he has done, and the result: he committed suicide.

There was regret, but no repentance, and his story came to a bitter conclusion at the end of a rope.

Now, what did Peter do differently than Judas? Let’s look at verse 75; “he went outside and wept bitterly.”

Crying alone wouldn’t have been enough, but we know from observing the rest of Peter’s life that the tears he shed were tears of repentance.

How do we know Peter repented of what he had done?

Jesus reached out to him, in Mark 16:7 “But go, tell his disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.”

Jesus restored him to service, in John 21:15-17, “When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?"

"Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you."

Jesus said, "Feed my lambs." 16Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?"

He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."

Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep." 17The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"

Peter’s own testimony of the healing power of Christ’s forgiveness, in 1 Peter 2:24, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.”

So let me ask you this, are you in need of forgiveness today?

Maybe the first step in your healing is repentance- recognizing your need and having a sincere desire to make things right.

There is nothing more important, than for you to experience true repentance between you and the Lord.

As you recognize your sin and your need for a Savior, and are willing to allow Christ to transform your life and lead you in a new way, you can experience the most wonderful forgiveness of all!

II. Authentic Forgiveness Results in a Response:

John 21:15-17 tells about Jesus’ visit with Peter as they sat together on the shore in the days following the Lord’s resurrection. Jesus is calling Peter to a life of service for Him.

Here we see Christ questioning Peter three times- once for every time Peter denied Him.

Now Peter is fully restored and ready to enter into his role as a dynamic leader of the church.

When we have truly experienced forgiveness, it will make a difference in our lives.

Henry Ward Beecher once said, “Forgiveness ought to be like a cancelled note, torn in two and burned up, so that it can never be shown against the man.”

You see, that is the kind of forgiveness that we experience through Christ.

Forgiveness calls for a response. If Christ has forgiven you, how are you demonstrating it in your own life?

III. Authentic Forgiveness is Complete:

The night he denied Jesus, Peter was a broken man. He had failed the One he loved, and he wept bitter tears of regret and pain.

Yet in the days following the resurrection, Jesus reached out to Peter to forgive and restore him to service. The one who denied Christ has been forgiven.

Now on the day of Pentecost, the day when the New Testament church was started, who comes forth as the primary one to share the gospel? Peter!! The one who failed miserably is now a forgiven man, and that forgiveness has brought new power to his life.

When Christ forgives us, He doesn’t do half a job. God’s forgiveness is complete!

Let me share this quote with you; “The person who sees the greatness of his own forgiveness by God’s love will himself in love be forgiving. He forgives in love because his heavenly Father has forgiven in love and he desires to be an imitator of His Father.”

Is there someone tonite who needs your forgiveness? Are you willing to forgive and leave it behind so that there can be true restoration?

There is one from whom all of us need forgiveness. Despite our sin and rebellious nature, Christ offers us complete forgiveness, if we respond to His call. J. Sidlow Baxter wrote, “We have full, final, forever forgiveness in the atoning work of Christ.”

So will you be truthful and serious with Christ this morning? Are you willing to accept His forgiveness?

(Pray)

Someone once said, “To forgive is to set the prisoner free, and then discover that the prisoner was you.”

I don’t know if you realize it or not this morning, but we are sitting in a hospital. I know it looks like a well built traditional church building, but it is a hospital for sinners. I know we look good with suits and dresses, but really we have deep wounds scars and are covered with bandages.

If I told you that a Dr. was in and there was no wait, You would be astonished and ready for treatment. However Sundays come and Sundays go and we don’t come before the Dr.

Will you come to the great physician and do business this morning?