Forgiven to Forgive

After the civil war confederate general Robert G. Lee was traveling in Virginia and met a woman who poured out her complaints, even showing him a tree in her yard that was heavily damaged by Yankee artillery. General Lee gave the woman some straightforward advice saying...

“Ma’am I think you need to cut that tree down and let it go.”

Apply:

Every one of us has tree’s in our lives that are marked up by what other people have done to us. There are tree’s that we need to cut down!

Point: I need to give forgiveness as much as I need forgiveness

Declaration: Every Christian has a personal responsibility to give forgiveness as much as God has forgiven them.

- One of the greatest sins in Christianity today is the sin of an Unforgiving Spirit.

One of the greatest sins in Christianity today is the sin of an Unforgiving Spirit.

Proposition: How would you know if your struggling with the sin of unforgiveness ?

How do you know if Im struggling with the sin of unforgiveness?

Ask a question (Statements accuse, questions convict)

Transitional Sentence: Notice with me three evidences of marked up trees in our lives

1. Unforgiveness is evidenced by strained or broken relationships

Explain: There are many reasons why relationships are broken but a person whose life is characterized by broken relationships with whom they should be the closest to may be struggling with unforgiveness.

Apply: Satan works hard at building a stronghold of unforgiveness in your mind when you allow an issue, problem, conflict between you and someone else go unresolved. The result is broken and strained relationships.

Illustrate:

A family visited Washington D.C. and toured it. Their Young son got fascinated with the Washington monument and slipped away from his parents and went up to a guard. Confidently he told the guard about the monument

Confidently he told the guard about the monument “I want to buy it”

Boy: “I want to buy it”

Confidently he told the guard about the monument “I want to buy it”

Guard: He played along and said “How much you got?”

Boy: reached into his pocket and pulled out a quarter and handed it to the guard

Guard: smiled and said “I’m sorry son that’s not enough.”

Boy: reached into his pocket and pulled out a quarter

Boy: “I thought you might say that” he reached into his pocket and pulled out 9 more cents!

Guard: sensing he was serious kneeled down and told him “34 cents is not enough, 34 million is enough. secondly no amount is enough to buy it because it’s not for sale. Thirdly, he told the boy if you are an American citizen the Washington monument already belongs to you.”

That’s how the forgiveness of God works! We don’t have enough to pay our debt but you know what forgiveness is not for sale. All you need to do is believe in God and have faith in Him!

Supporting Scripture:

Apply:

Transition

2. Unforgivenss is evidenced by suspicion or lack off trust

Explain:

Explain: Being wronged by someone , especially by someone you trusted, does make it difficult to trust again. You see when we are suspicious our view of others is warped. If we haven’t dealt with past hurts, it’s easy to begin to start thinking the worst in others. The question we think is “ If that person hurt me, then why wouldn’t someone else hurt me? In other words because of one individual breaking my trust then all are under my suspicions now.

Illustrate:

Illustrate: People leave church

Supporting Scripture:

Apply: If we’ve been hurt God doesn’t want us to stay wounded and hurting. God wants to lift us up from our past scars and restore us through His grace. He also gives us the grace to do the same for others.

Apply:

- For every Wounded Heart there is a Wonderful Healer!!!

Transition:

3. Unforgiveness is evidenced by a desire to take revenge

Explain: You ever heard someone say “Im going to one up on them.” In other words they are basically saying I’m going to get back at them for what he/she did to me.

Illustrate: Why does it feel good to take revenge? Neuroscientist Dr. Eddie Harmon-Jones performed a study by using brain wave technology. He tracked what happens when we are offended. Our left pre-frontal cortex, the part of our brain stimulated when we crave something, is activated when someone hurts us. The result is an intense desire to get back at the person who wronged us.

Illustration: A mother came to President Abe Lincoln on behalf of her son who was sentenced for treason and condemned to be hanged. She pleaded for mercy. Lincoln consented, but he said to the Mother “I wish there was a way to teach him a lesson. I wish there was a way we could give him a little bit of hanging”

Apply: We must not position or to elevate ourselves to the place of God.

Explain:

Illustrate:

Unforgiveness is wicked and sinful

Supporting Scripture:

unforgiveness is torture and costly

Transition: The wrong you have suffered from others is significant.

however… The wrong you have suffered from others is insignificant when compared to the debt that you have been forgiven.

Apply:

PART 2 -

Transition:

(Attach every Point with Scripture)

Explain:

Illustrate:

1. servant could not pay his debt

2. King forgave his debt

I a

2. I am forgiven my debt. Process repeats.

3. Servant learned the hard way that he needed to give forgiveness as much as he needed forgiveness.

Apply: Christians should be forgiving people because we have been forgiven!

Salvation Emphasis!

I must forgive because I am forgiven by God

before you were saved you were a sinner with a debt that you owed to God.

() “for the wages-payment- of sin is death…

a. It is an incalculable debt

b. it is an unpayable debt

2. God gives forgiveness and has paid your sin-debt through Jesus Christ () “…but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ.”

- The forgiveness of God is full

- The forgiveness of God is free

- The forgiveness of God is faithful

Illustration:

Boy: “I want to buy it”

Guard: He played along and said “How much you got?”

Boy: reached into his pocket and pulled out a quarter and handed it to the guard

Guard: smiled and said “I’m sorry son that’s not enough.”

Boy: “I thought you might say that” he reached into his pocket and pulled out 9 more cents!

apply: That’s how the forgiveness of God works! We don’t have enough to pay our debt but you know what forgiveness is not for sale. All you need to do is believe in God and have faith in Him!

- When God forgives He forgives completely, immediately and permanently!

Jesus treats us with kindness even though we don’t deserve it

Jesus prayed Father forgive them

Jesus has comforted our fears

Jesus has given His word to assure us He has forgiven us.

- Because of the cross we have another chance, set us free, God has not treated us the way we deserve, a fresh start, new beginning.

Apply:

question 1: If you are here and you don’t know that you have been forgiven of your debts then you need to receive Jesus for the full satisfactory payment of your offences.

question 2: if you know you already have received forgiveness from God then the next question we need to answer is...

What do I do with forgiveness?

1. Receiving forgiveness means I must give forgiveness

a. It is your personal Responsibility

Note- We who have experienced Gods forgiveness should be looking for ways to bring others who have fallen back into fellowship with God and with His people.

b. It is a proper Response

Conclusion:

2. Restoration instead of Revenge.

1. I am restored (Offendee)

Unforgiveness is a picture of a prisoner. Forgiveness is a picture of freedom. When you forgive you are setting two prisoners free : the offender and the offendee

2. They are restored (Offender)

Release the pain instead of retaining the pain. Restore the person instead of removing the person.

Illustration:

Relationship with mom. “Its not perfect, but something is better than nothing.”

What about repeat offenders? They just keep on offending.

Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

Application:

Don’t keep track and forgive 490 times. Jesus taught Peter that there should be no limit to our forgiveness.

- Every one of us has tree’s in our lives that are marked up by what other people have done to us. There are tree’s that we need to cut down!

Illustration: The girls testimony of Forgiving her father after he raped her mother in public and shot her dead.

Here’s what you need to do, cut down the tree in the power of Jesus, and give it to Him who was strung up on a tree for your sins.

King James Version Chapter 53

But he was pwounded for our transgressions,

He was bruised for our iniquities:

King James Version Chapter 53

But he was pwounded for our transgressions,

He was bruised for our iniquities:

The chastisement of our peace was upon him;

And swith his stripes we are healed.

God cut down the tree so that your debt could be paid! You were pardoned and set free.

cut it down, let it go, and move forward with your life!

Conclusion:

Forgive from the heart- not just head knowledge.

- To be honest it was easy for me to collect facts and study for this sermon this week and wrap my mind around it but the hard thing about this subject was wrapping my heart around it and accepting truth.

Illustration: The girls testimony of Forgiving her father after he raped her mother in public and shot her dead.

Boy: “I want to buy it”

Guard: He played along and said “How much you got?”

Boy: reached into his pocket and pulled out a quarter and handed it to the guard

Guard: smiled and said “I’m sorry son that’s not enough.”

Boy: “I thought you might say that” he reached into his pocket and pulled out 9 more cents!

That’s how the forgiveness of God works! We don’t have enough to pay our debt but you know what forgiveness is not for sale. All you need to do is believe in God and have faith in Him!

Invitation:

Ask a few very specific & convicting questions

I don't have the power to give forgiveness because I don't think I've ever been forgiven. I need the forgiveness of God for my sin debt!

I’m struggling to forgive someone because they hurt me. Please pray for me. Bitterness in your heart means you need to extend forgiveness. I’m struggling with revenge and I want to let go and let God be God.

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