Forgive Us, Forgive Others

Introduction — We've come to this place in this pattern of prayer that God has given to us with Matthew chapter number six and we're now in verse number 12.

As you look at this prayer pattern that the Lord has given us as a whole you come to discover one of the most important fundamental truths about this pattern of prayer is that it is a family prayer.

This is shown in the very first two words, ‘Our Father’— There is no doubt that this is a family prayer.

This is not a pattern of prayer for those who are lost, But rather a pattern of prayer, who know God as their Father.

And I would remind you this morning that it is only in Christ that you and I are part of the family of God.

Now there is no doubt that every person that is born into this world is a creature and God is the Creator.

But says as stated in the book of Isaiah, our sins have separated us from our God (Isaiah 59:2).

The book of John tells us in the first chapter in the 12 verse that it is only those who believe and receive Christ can call God their Father because they have the power to become the sons of God.

And so the sobering truth is, is that every person that enters into this world being born in sin and our sinners because we sin are separated from God.

But those who, repent of their sin by faith trust in the Lord Jesus Christ alone for their souls Salvation, —they are part of the family of God.

And so this prayer opens up and it's important to understand that this is a family prayer.

The first two sections or the parts of this Pattern of prayer began by recognizing who God is and then submitting and requesting his will to be done In our lives and in the lives of others.

It is not until we arrive at verse number 11 that we begin asking for our needs.

I believe the idea is that we enter in to our conversation with the Lord with our hearts, pointed in the right direction.

One of the greatest things you can do to get in the right heart and mind set for prayer is the praise God, and to declare his goodness of who He is.

We will be looking at verse number 12 this morning and will read leading up to that verse beginning in verse 9.

Matthew 6:9–12 “9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.”

One simple sentence, but vital for you and I this morning.

Let’s Pray

I want you to know this morning that we're not wasting time By looking at this matter of prayer.

In fact, I will tell you that the more we allow the Lord to teach us to pray, the more we will succeed in living the life that God desires for us to live.

And the more we will be empowered to do the things that God has called us to do.

The power of God is the great essential for us to live the life God has for us to live.

In Acts 4:31“31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.”

Acts 4:33 “33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.”

Illustration - “The story is told of five young student ministers who decided to hear Spurgeon preach one Sunday. They had never met him, and as they waited for the church doors to open, they were met by a young man who asked them: “Gentlemen, let me show around. Would you like to see the boiler room?”

Now, in mid-19th century Victorian England the boiler room was a hot and dirty room down in the very heart of the church building. Think of it like a dingy basement. The boiler room was essentially the powerhouse of buildings at that time.”

Spurgeon led the young ministers down to the basement where they found about one hundred people in prayer for the services and the ministry—to which Spurgeon would point out this is the real powerhouse of the ministry.

So with that in mind, let us put everything that we have into understanding and Applying every truth, we can find in the Word of God concerning prayer.

And at the very end of this, Let us commit to get on with actually praying.

You will probably hear me say you'll probably hear my wife say it from time to time that knowledge without application is useless.

So lets spend this time in a useful way— and take what we learn.

Verse 12 is a pretty simple statement— but it teaches us so much.

Lets read it again.

Matthew 6:12 “12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.”

Now I'm gonna give you this morning three major headings to write down just to remind you of what is being said here.

But I really want you to take this time and consider what the Lord is teaching his disciples in the simple statement. Notice first of all, the:

I. Cause For Forgiveness

Can I say it plainly this morning that every one of us are sinners?

Every one of us.

No one here this morning likes to think about the fact that we break God's law as frequently as we do.

In fact, I would tell you this, I can't even conceive in my mind of how often I have broken God's law.

It is crossed my mind more than once. What is the number? What is the number of times that I have sinned against my God? I shutter to think of it.

Did you know that Paul the apostle —- the penman of a great majority of the New Testament (13 maybe 14 of the 27 books)described himself as the chiefest of the sinners?

1 Timothy 1:15 “15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.”

By the way, if you look at that verse, Paul didn't say I was the chief as of sinners,

But he says, “…Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners;…” and then he says,

“…of whom I am chief.”

If we were just peruse through the Bible, here's what we begin to understand that every person that God has ever used have been the chiefest of sinners.

Adam and Eve began this journey of sin for all of humanity (Genesis 3:6).

Noah is recorded after the flood as being drunk and passed out naked.

Think of it, Abraham was an idolater. Abraham doubted the Lord and went along with his wife Sarah's plan and the result we have of Ishmael through Hagar.

Jacob, who's called Israel lied to his own dad was summarily separated from his family because of his deceiving ways.

David, a man after God's own heart, Murdered, lied and committed adultery.

Solomon his son, the wisest man in all the Earth, save the Lord Jesus Christ fell into idolatry. He had 700 wives and 300 cocubines according to 1 Kings 11:3.

Paul, the apostle of course we understand was a murderer of Christians.

Peter, at the Lord's greatest hour of need denied the Lord three times and cursed why I was doing it.

I think the very first thing that we can see in this text is that you and I are admitting what God already knows and that daily we are a sinners.

This cause for forgiveness is pretty easy to understand.

You might say to me this morning Pastor I thought that when I received Jesus Christ his mind savior that means that my Sin debt—- All of my sin is dealt with—-It is blotted out—- I am saying to the utter most—And because of my Lord Jesus Christ and his death on the cross in his shed blood for my sins past present and future I know that Jesus is my savior in heaven is my home.

Can I tell you if you by faith have repetitive of your sin and trusted in Jesus Christ as your savior you are a child of God you are born into the family of God yes, your sins which are many have been forgiven.

At the judgment sheet of God, it can never be brought forward in a punitive way because Jesus paid your her sin debt.

And there's two words I want you to get down in your heart and mind because the first thing I just described is relationship.

Look with me for just a moment in the book of John.

John 13.

John 13:4–10 “4 He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. 5 After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. 6 Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? 7 Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. 8 Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. 9 Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. 10 Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.”

Now drop down to verse 13.

John 13:13–14 “13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.”

The Word debt gives the idea of something that is owed. And let me just make this statement we owe it to our God to keep our fellowship right with him.

We owe it to Him.

And so we must recognize first of all, the:

A. Reality Of Our Sin

You say Pastor OK I'm willing to admit that I sin.

I want you to look at this. It goes a little bit farther than that notice what the Lord says in verse number 12 again.

Matthew 6:12 “12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.”

Did anybody happen to notice that the Word debt there is not in the singular but it is in the plural?

And so listen I want to understand we are in this praying this way saying Lord, I realize I'm a sinner. And I realize that I don't just sin, but I have many sins plural.

And so number two, not only do we recognize the reality of our sin, but we recognize the reality of our sins.

B. Reality Of Our Sins

I want you to consider this for a moment that if we're coming to the Lord to restore fellowship with him, we must stop and think about are many sins.

Many folks I've run into over the years of preachers have said this that listen at the moment that you had sin to stop and pray and asked the Lord to forgive you.

And I think that's good. We're not talking about relationship. Remember we're talking about fellowship if I've trusted in Christ as my savior Jesus, death barrel and resurrection is sufficient for all of my sins, but I want to keep my fellowship with the Lord right.

So I think it's a good practice for you and I especially at the end of the day, Maybe when you pull your head at night that time before you drift off to sleep think about and ask the Lord specifically to forgive you for anything that Holy Spirit might bring to your mind — where you have sinned.

And I'm just gonna throw a couple of things out there just to get you to thinking his direction.

Maybe it is during the day you had a terrible attitude. In that terrible attitude that you've had has caused you to have some terrible thinking some sinful thinking.

Maybe it is during the day the Holy Spirit of God wanted you to go and speak to someone and you said no to God and would not.

Maybe it is that in the day you've gotten so mad that maybe some speech that you've had is not Christian speech it's not speech that is becoming of the Lord Jesus Christ and so your communication is not what it should be.

Colossians 4:6 “6 Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.”

The good news is as we see here in our text, we can come to the Lord and seek for restoration of fellowship— by asking for forgiveness.

1 John 1:9 says, “9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

II. Case For Forgiveness

A. It Is Central To The Heart Of God

I want you to think for just a moment about the totality of the Bible from Genesis all the way through the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

Do you know what we discover when we're reading the Bible from beginning to end we discover that this entire book is the record of man's disobedience to the Lord and God's redemption of man through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

In other words, all the way beginning in Genesis chapter 3 moving forward the sum of the Bible is in dealing with this matter of sin and the forgiveness of sin through the atoning work of Jesus Christ our Savior.

And I don't think there could be any greater case for this matter of forgiveness then what we see in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

If forgiveness is at the heart of God, and we are the children of God, we ought to be concerned with not only being forgiven, but forgiving others.

We want to carry our family name well.

B. It Is Essential For The Heart Of The Christian

It's essential to the heart of the Christian to recognize that our father is in heaven on the throne. He is our father and we could cry out to him.

It's essential for the heart of the Christian to understand that listen I can't make it through not even one day without my Lord, providing my needs physically emotionally and spiritually.

Can I say that it's essential for the heart of the Christian to stay and fellowship with the Lord recognizing and seeking restoration as a child of God.

At last can I say this is essential for the heart of the Christian to not hold onto unforgiveness, but forgive others.

And I believe that what we have here is not just a list of things to pray for that the Lord says hey this is what you need to pray. This is what you need to pray, but it is a right heart attitude towards our God and seeking his face.

And shall we see first of all the cause for forgiveness number two we see the case for forgiveness but then lastly I want you to make note of this the caution against unforgiveness.

III. Caution Against Unforgiveness

I'm gonna make a statement and I hope you understand what I'm saying,

You cannot be right with God and unforgiving to others.

Look with me in verse number 14.

The Lord continues and says, Matthew 6:14 “14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:”

Now what is not being said here is that you earned forgiveness from the father because you're willing to forgive others.

But what is stated here is that you cannot be in a right state to receive forgiveness from God with the wrong heart attitude towards others.

In other words, if you are harboring unforgiveness you are sinning.

Hebrews 12:14–15 “14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: 15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;”

Deuteronomy 29:18 “18 Lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the Lord our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations; lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood;”

I believe the Bible teaches that sin it permeates it doesn't just affect us in the slightest. It works out into all manner of evil and destruction in our lives.

Not just the sin of bitterness, but any sin is so destructive. In other parts of the scriptures is described as 11 and 11 at the whole lump.

And I believe the Lord out of a heart for concern and desire for us to be in fellowship with him is saying look don't allow this common sin of unforgiveness to continue in your life.

A. Forgivness Is Commanded

Ephesians 4:31–32 “31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”

Every one of us are guilty of causing injury and offence to others… Every one of us— need forgiveness and need to be forgiving.

B. Forgiveness Is Curing

The Bible tells us in Mark 11:25 “25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”

I wonder if they asked as I closed this morning two things so we think about the time with the ultra call here in just a moment.

Number one how many of us just need to come up for to get real with God for a moment and honestly come before the Lord, and start pouring out our hearts about all the things that we've done to hinder our Fellowship with him.

You know we're about to have a revival the next month you know what revival is it is a return to normal Christianity. It is a return to vibrant fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

But in order for that to take place, we have to be honest before the Lord.

Then, secondly, I wonder how many Christians are hindered in their walk with the Lord because they refuse to forgive someone or someone's for the hurt and injury in offense that those individuals have done to them.

You know the truth is there might be seller Christians. They might be doing everything they can do for the Lord Jesus they may love people they may be giving out the gospel. They may be serving the Lord. They may be doing it all, but there's a hindered fellowship between you and the Lord because of your unforgiveness.

Maybe it is that we need to come to this altar and come before the Lord and say Lord I need your help but I wanna forgive this person and maybe it is if the Lord will direct you as you need to go to that person and just tell them I forgive you.

Let’s Pray