Extending Forgiveness

Why are we here? What is our purpose?

What is the foundation of our Christmas celebration, and why is there this Advent season leading up to it?

What are we about? What does God have for our future here at NCC?

This Advent season, we will wrestle with these questions … beginning with ...

Why did Jesus come?

At Easter we recognize His saving work - His death and resurrection.

At Christmas we recognize His coming / His humanity.

Did He need to come in this way to bring redemption?

Did He need to come in such a humble and low way?

Did He really need to make Himself so vulnerable?

We will be touching on / looking at a number of passages in the next bit; either be ready with your pen to jot the references down so you can study them later or join me in the gospels (starting in ) where most of the passages are.

Here in , the mother of James and John requests a position of glory for her sons when with Jesus in Heaven.

Jesus kindly points out the need for an attitude of service rather than seeking glory.

His words are simple and yet convicting.

Read (repeat v.28).

Jesus is calling us to serve others first and foremost.

Why did Jesus come?

To serve us in the most profound way.

Why are we here?

How are we serving?

Are we prioritizing others ahead of ourselves / those outside our church over those of us in NCC / those who remain lost over those who are found?

Our Advent and Christmas series is called “Here to Serve”.

We will look at a variety of aspects of how Jesus served.

We will consider what that then means for us / whether there is a specific act of service He is calling us to.

Each of us must respond personally.

Why am I here? Why are we here?

What specific ministry or outreach is Jesus giving us?

In what way are we “here to serve”?

A concept that came up during NCC’s transition period is that we together need to identify a specific ministry for us to zero in on.

If we are “here to serve,” how are we serving?

If we are “here to serve,” who are we serving and what are we offering them?

Jesus came not only to serve but to be a ransom / to bring forgiveness and oneness with God.

How did Jesus bring forgiveness?

How are we serving through forgiveness?

Our service today has many facets, with each being tied to the service and forgiveness of Christ.

Advent is a season of preparation and celebration of Christ’s coming.

It causes us to reflect on the “darkness” (of ) we are in without Him.

It causes anticipation because of the promised Saviour born as a child ().

It stirs a longing for our Saviour, causing humbling reflections on the forgiveness made possible by His coming.

Baptism and Communion are expressions of our forgiveness.

Through them we tell one another we are right with Christ, having put our faith in Him and received the forgiveness of God.

By participating, we express not only our forgiveness but our commitment to extending forgiveness.

When we look at the life of Jesus, we see repeated acts of forgiveness.

In , a woman caught in adultery is brought before Jesus for condemnation; He extends forgiveness but couples it with a call to holiness.

In , as Jesus ate with a group of Pharisees, a woman whose sin was known publicly came and anointed Jesus; while the group condemned her for her sin and Jesus for allowing her to touch Him, Jesus extended grace and forgiveness (v.48), acknowledging her love (v.47) and faith (v.50).

From the cross in , Jesus first extends forgiveness to those crucifying Him (v.34) and then to the criminal beside Him who admitted deserving what He was getting (v.43).

To Peter in , after having denied Jesus three times, Jesus forgives and affirms Peter’s place in His ongoing redemptive work.

We want Christ’s forgiveness, but then He also calls us to forgive.

In the Lord’s Prayer (), a commitment to have forgiven others as we ask God to forgive us.

In , we read, “Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.” (, ESV)

Jesus calls us not only to forgive but to be forgiving.

It is to be part of who we are / a natural outcome of who we are in Christ.

To be forgiven means to be forgiving.

How have we experienced forgiveness?

Many of us are left wrestling with being “forgiving”; we know we are forgiven but struggle to extend it to others.

Some of us have hurt others but expect them to merely let it go; an attitude of repentance is intended to co-exist with being forgiving.

As we prepare for communion, we reflect upon the forgiveness He has extended to us when we really only deserve condemnation.

Our Ephesians series has pointed us very clearly to this … - “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,” (, ESV)

We have been made ONE With Christ.

How are we extending forgiveness?

How can we reach those in our community typically judged or written off by the religious?

How do we, like Jesus, couple being forgiving with calling one another to holiness?

What does God have for us at NCC?

Why are we here? What are we about?

What distinct ministry and purpose is God calling us to?

Jesus came to serve … extending forgiveness to anyone who asked.

Let us also focus on serving other, especially those commonly judged.

Let us be forgiving, welcoming people (even the unlikely) to forgiveness in Christ which results in relationship and holiness.