Empowered to Forgive

Secular:

One key among many options

Personal:

Have you found a key not sure what it opened?

Have you found a lock but lost the key?

Forgiveness can be described as freedom from shackles

The question becomes who’s freed? And without forgiveness, who remains bound?

Biblical:

Last week:

Stephen has been tried, much like Jesus

Stephen gave a powerful testimony of God’s presence and the benefit of His commands

He brought light into the darkness of injustice

How would his accusers respond?

Would they release him, forgiving him and asking the Lord for forgiveness?

Subject:

What is the key to unlocking forgiveness?

Textual:

Acts 7:54–60 ESV

54 Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. 55 But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57 But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. 58 Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

What is the key to unlocking forgiveness?

We must be Spirit filled (vv. 54-55a)

We must be Heavenly focused (vv. 55b-58)

Mark 14.62

Daniel 7:13-14

We must imitate Christ (vv. 59-60)