Love Like JesusForgive Sinners
Love Like Jesus • Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 6 viewsNotes
Transcript
Sermon Series: Love Like Jesus
Sermon Series: Love Like Jesus
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
john
This doesn’t mean that he just invented it, but he’s presenting an old command in a new, fresh way.
The OT demanded that they love their neighbors as themselves - The new command teaches them that they should love their brothers better then themselves!
Notice that Jesus didn’t say that they would know that we are his disciples by our wealth, fancy clothing, beautiful buildings, even our extensive Bible knowledge.
If we are going to follow Jesus, we need to Love like Jesus. If we are going to reach people in our city, we need to Love like Jesus, etc ...
Jesus Forgives Sins
Jesus Washes Feet
Jesus Meets People Needs
If we are going to “love like Jesus” we must learn to “Forgive Sins!”
The Foundation of Forgiveness
The Foundation of Forgiveness
(1) The Problem of Sin
3 All have turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.
2 Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you.
psalm 143
10 As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one;
12 All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
3 All have turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.
2 Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you.
46 “When they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin—and you become angry with them and give them over to their enemies, who take them captive to their own lands, far away or near;
1 kings
“Even while asleep, an unbeliever, though not committing sinful actions or actively nurturing sinful attitudes, is still a “sinner” in God’s sight; he or she still has a sinful nature that does not conform to God’s moral law.” Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem
(3) The Substitution of Christ
“Even while asleep, an unbeliever, though not committing sinful actions or actively nurturing sinful attitudes, is still a “sinner” in God’s sight; he or she still has a sinful nature that does not conform to God’s moral law.” Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem
(2) The Forgiveness of God
18 Who is a God like You, Pardoning iniquity And passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in mercy. 19 He will again have compassion on us, And will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins Into the depths of the sea.
Illustration - The Titanic (How many of you have been to the Titanic museum?)
Illustration: the Titanic
18 Who is a God like You, Pardoning iniquity And passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in mercy.
micah
Once we understand the depth of our sin and the distance it placed between us and God, and once we get a glimpse of the sacrifice He made to restore fellowship with us - We won’t hesitate but to forgive!
Once we understand the depth of our sin and the distance it placed between us and God, and once we get a glimpse of the sacrifice He made to restore fellowship with us - We won’t hesitate but to forgive!
In 1912 the Titanic made its first and only voyage. More than 1,500 people lost their lives. The wreckage was almost 2.5 miles deep. Besides it being too deep to get to, they were unsure of its exact location.
Finally in 1985 they found the Titanic and had the technology to reach it. Every expedition was expensive and very dangerous.
That is what happens when things are cast into the sea. They become difficult to retrieve! It’s amazing that that is how God handles our sin!
There are many other scriptures that speak of how God handles our sin:
In we read “you have put all my sins behind your back.”
Jeremiah 45:12 seems to describe a game of “hide and seek.” "In those days, at that time,” declares the Lord,“search will be made for Israel’s guilt, but there will be none … none will be found.”
How do we forgive like Jesus? (4 powerful lessons we learn from Jesus)
32 Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. 33 When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. 34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
32 Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. 33 When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. 34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”
1. Ask God to Heal the Hurts
1. Ask God to Heal the Hurts
34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”
Resentment and unforgiveness will lead to bitterness and slowly destroy your intimacy with your Heavenly Father. It will affect you emotionally, spiritually and even physically. (I don’t know how true it is, but I read one article that stated in some cases arthritis could be traced back to resentment and bitterness)
gotquestions.org
Ressentir is an old French word, literally meaning "intense feeling." In English, it is resent, and it refers to feeling pain and indignation due to injustice or insult.
Cheated on? Stolen from? Lied to? The most powerful thing you can to is to “Ask God to Heal the Hurts.”
14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: 15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;
14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: 15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;
True to the purpose of the book of Hebrews, we can find some explanations in the Old Testament.
In the Pentateuch there is a verse that closely mirrors this. In , Moses reviews the covenant between God and Israel. In this context, he says:
18 Make sure there is no man or woman, clan or tribe among you today whose heart turns away from the Lord our God to go and worship the gods of those nations; make sure there is no root among you that produces such bitter poison.
18 Make sure there is no man or woman, clan or tribe among you today whose heart turns away from the Lord our God to go and worship the gods of those nations; make sure there is no root among you that produces such bitter poison.
In the Hebrew culture, any poisonous plant was called a “bitter” plant. Poison destroys, and the result of ingesting a poisonous plant would be bitter, indeed.
In the Hebrew culture, any poisonous plant was called a “bitter” plant. Poison destroys, and the result of ingesting a poisonous plant would be bitter, indeed.
The author of the book of Hebrews uses a “bitter root” as a metaphor for that which would bring harm to the believer and the church.
Why is this so important?
How do we forgive like Jesus?
Ressentir is an old French word, literally meaning "intense feeling." In English, it is resent, and it refers to feeling pain and indignation due to injustice or insult.
Cheated on? Stolen from? Lied to? The most powerful thing you can to is to “Ask God to Heal the Hurts.”
The “bitter root” in Hebrews refers to a source of evil or wickedness that could creep into the church. A root may be small and slow in its growth, but, if it carries poison, it is malignant; it is dangerous. Sin in the church must be diligently rooted out; the result of tolerating wickedness is that “many” will be defiled.
“Unforgiveness is like drinking poison and hoping the other person dies.” Anne Lamont
Romans worshiped “revenge” as one of their gods. Jewish law—an eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth—blood for blood (Remember, Jesus gave us a new command)
17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Hurt, resentment, and bitterness have no place in the life of a Christian, so we must “Ask God to Heal the Hurts!”
It’s worth noting that gave the “new command” in , it came on the heels of Jesus predicting Judas’ betrayal and then preceeding this statement Jesus says that Peter and the rest of his disciples would betray Him as well.
2. Pray for Those Who Hurt You
2. Pray for Those Who Hurt You
28 Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.
When Jesus taught his disciples to pray, he taught them to request that the Father “forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors” ().
Jesus teaching sermon on the mount
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
matt 5.
Why should we “pray for those who hurt us?”
Romans worshiped “revenge” as one of their gods.Jewish law—an eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth—blood for blood
#1 Jesus commanded it
The first is simple: Jesus said so. We don’t always need to understand or be on board to obey. It’s about trust. A child may not always understand a parent’s reasoning not to run out in traffic, but should listen.
#2 God loves those who hurt you
Which leads me to the second reason to pray for those who hurt you…because God loves them (and you love God). Because He has a plan for them. Because they may need these prayers that may never have come were it not for the hurt they caused you. Because God loves you too and wants to bring good out of the pain He’s allowed in your life.
Romans worshiped “revenge” as one of their gods.Jewish law—an eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth—blood for blood
This command of Jesus’ is probably one that is ignored often, but the most amazing things can take place in our hearts when we begin to pray for those who hurt you.
Romans worshiped “revenge” as one of their gods.Jewish law—an eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth—blood for blood
Ask God to Heal the Hurts ~ Pray for those Who Hurt You and thirdly …
3. Forgive as you Have Been Forgiven
3. Forgive as you Have Been Forgiven
The most amazing display of forgiveness was on the cross! ()
32 Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. 33 When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. 34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
32 Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. 33 When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. 34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
luke 23.
We first need to get a revelation of the immensity of our sin and the extravagance of our Father’s forgiveness!
13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
Forgiving someone won’t change the past, but it can change your future
Lots of people treat forgiveness as a form of therapy. It’s a way of moving on. It’s a form of personal healing. This is not what Jesus taught. Jesus taught us to forgive as we have been forgiven.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Jesus’ point is simple. We must forgive, all the time. People will sin against us all the time. We will sin against others all the time. Just as God forgives us all the time, we are to forgive others all the time.
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
This prayer captures something significant about being a Christian. We live by faith under grace and act out of grace. We are free to forgive in the way the rest of the world is not.
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
Understand Forgiveness
Sin is any failure to conform to the moral law of God in act, attitude, or nature.
We can act in mercy because God has carried out justice in Jesus’ life and death for us.
“Even while asleep, an unbeliever, though not committing sinful actions or actively nurturing sinful attitudes, is still a “sinner” in God’s sight; he or she still has a sinful nature that does not conform to God’s moral law.” Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem
Jesus’ point is simple. We must forgive, all the time. People will sin against us all the time. We will sin against others all the time. Just as God forgives us all the time, we are to forgive others all the time.
To many Christians, forgiveness sounds like a nice thing to do, but there must be a limit.
If people are truly repentant, won't they just stop committing that specific sin? This is also not what Jesus taught:
15 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ 17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector. 18 “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 19 “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” 21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
matt 18.15-
Jesus’ point is simple. We must forgive, all the time. People will sin against us all the time. We will sin against others all the time. Just as God forgives us all the time, we are to forgive others all the time.
17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
I have heard people say things like, “I forgive, but so and so still needs to pay for their sin”; “I forgive, but they have to deal with the consequences”; “I forgive, but I will never let them forget”; and “I forgive, but they had better show themselves worthy of forgiveness.” This is not what Jesus taught.
luke 23.
13 Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, 14 and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. 15 Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. 16 Therefore, I will punish him and then release him.”
Closing
Closing
Believing for some powerful moments of forgiveness to happen today and the weeks to come!
(Not sure about this scripture)
47 “I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.”