Forgiveness makes room for Love!
Notes
Transcript
Intro:
Intro:
Thank you in English is such a nice word. We teach this word to our children to say when they receive something. We appreciate when a person says thank you in response to a kind gesture. It is nice to be treated kindly by someone.
The negative experience is when one does not feel appreciated and they do not hear thank you and other kind terms. It hurts people self esteem and lowers confidence.
“Research shows that people who are more grateful have better heart health and more disease-fighting cells in their bodies.”
“They showed a better well-being, a less depressed mood, less fatigue and they slept better,” said the study’s author, Paul J. Mills. “When I am more grateful, I feel more connected with myself and with my environment. That’s the opposite of what stress does.”
Another study found that gratitude can boost your immune system. Researchers at the universities of Utah and Kentucky observed that stressed-out law students who characterized themselves as optimistic actually had more disease-fighting cells in their bodies.”
In the Bible Thank you is not used, but the action of love says thank you. - To give thanks is to Praise God when we read this in the psalms. Therefore to love God is to praise God or to give thanks.
God has shown his love to us by forgiving us. We should in turn choose to love him aback. Just like when a person forgives you and you express love to them in return. That is saying thank you.
We teach to say thank you when someone gives something to you. The Bible teaches us to love people who forgive us as a way to show gratitude. When some one gives you something or does something for you we can show our appreciation by saying “Thank you.”
Forgivness is a gift
Forgivness is a gift
First, let me express how being forgiven is a gift. Forgiveness is free gift to let go of the pain, the injury, or debt that someone has caused . To pardon someone and remove the guilt they deserve is a gift. Forgiving makes room for love. Being unforgiven blocks love.
Forgiving is the key to make room for love. If there are roadblocks of hurt, pain and shame that may be hindering your way of love it might be from not forgiving. Unable to forgive is hurting your relationships at home, work, in the church in the community.
Being forgiving in this world is the idea that it takes two people. The party of the offended and the party offender. For the offended party the perspective of entitlement of what is owed needs to given back. One person may never be able to payback what is lost.
The truth is forgiveness takes one person to choose to forgive and walk in that attitude of love. So what is the answer to solve these problems. Answer is to Forgive. Forgiveness is free. To truly appreciate this grace, this gift is to know what it means to be forgiven and to know what it is to forgive. This free gift will benefit you and makes you debt free and free to forgive and free to love. Being forgiven leads to love and we need more love and therefore need more grace and mercy to see more love.
Dominant Thought: Learn to love is the right expression of gratitude toward our loving and forgiving God who shows us how to also forgive one another in love.
Text Lead in:
Text Lead in:
Today’s text we will look at two people interacting with Jesus who are learning about the power of love and being forgiven. We have a Pharisee, also known as the religious leaders of the church, and a sinful immoral woman, that could be understood today as anyone who the church judges and condemns without love and grace.
36 One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to have dinner with him, so Jesus went to his home and sat down to eat. 37 When a certain immoral woman from that city heard he was eating there, she brought a beautiful alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume. 38 Then she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept kissing his feet and putting perfume on them. 39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. She’s a sinner!”
Invite Jesus In (he has invited you)Jesus welcomes the broken, the broke, the indebtedFind beauty in your broken by coming to JesusCome boldly to Christ to remove shame and guiltReason to Invite JesusTo change your view of LifeThis happen to the Pharisee who invited Jesus into his home.This invitation opened for other issues to be exposed in his life. Sin is exposed when Jesus comes in to your lifeSinful woman comes when she hears of Jesus.Why did she come? (Jesus invites sinners)
Two perspectives of the people seeking an audience with Jesus.
Two perspectives of the people seeking an audience with Jesus.
One is identified as a sinner who Jesus welcomed.
She is known by her sinful life, yet humbly comes shame and all to Jesus.
She is seeking forgiveness and reconciliation.
She views herself in view of Jesus grace and mercy.
One is seeking influence and status and invited Jesus but did not welcome the immoral woman.
He is in a high position and looks low on others.
He sees him self righteous.
Jesus Teaches about love and forgiveness
Jesus Teaches about love and forgiveness
The pharisee doubts Jesus as a prophet.
Jesus shows him he is a prophet by reading his mind and gives this parable.
The pharisee invites Jesus to a banquette at his house and a sinful woman uses this opportunity to see Jesus. These two parties are directly addressed before the crowd and in the parable. This parable serves as an example of the impact of forgiveness and its power of love. Let me pick up in this text when Jesus speaks to Simon the Pharisee in parable addressing the sinful woman and in need of forgiveness. Join me in Luke 7:41-43 to see the power of forgiveness and the greatness of love.
40 Then Jesus answered his thoughts. “Simon,” he said to the Pharisee, “I have something to say to you.” “Go ahead, Teacher,” Simon replied. 41 Then Jesus told him this story: “A man loaned money to two people—500 pieces of silver to one and 50 pieces to the other. 42 But neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them both, canceling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that?”
Simon now is to answer the question and gives the summary of the lesson.
43 Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he canceled the larger debt.” “That’s right,” Jesus said.
What is the lesson
What is the lesson
Those who have been forgiven much love much.
Love is the action of gratitude.
There is no word for thank you, therefore love is the word and the action of gratitude.
That is why we echo Psalm 116:1.
1 I love the Lord because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy.
Jesus shows us that the size of the debt is not greater than his love.
Make Room for Love
Make Room for Love
Cancel debts - Hurting people hurt people.
Cancel debts - Hurting people hurt people.
Remove the hurt, the pain, and the debt by forgiving.
Who owes you? or should i say who hurt you?
Are you able to forgive them.
Who do you owe? or should i say who have you wronged?
You first step is to repent - and seek to reconcile.
Forgive yourself and know that God has also forgiven you.
Live in the Joy of forgiveness by showing your Love for the Lord. Live in the freedom of redemption by knowing God’s Love!
Live in the Joy of forgiveness by showing your Love for the Lord. Live in the freedom of redemption by knowing God’s Love!
44 Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn’t offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but from the time I first came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume. 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.”
Jesus recognizes her loving action
Jesus recognizes her loving action
Jesus’ Love welcomes us in his presence.
Jesus’ Love welcomes us in his presence.
It can be that the woman heard of the message of repentance of Jesus and our John the Baptist.
She comes with her guilt and shame to see Jesus.
Her reputation preceded her but the Love of Christ called her.
She is embolden because she is forgiven.
She is embolden because she is forgiven.
The woman comes to show her love in appreciation by bringing:
Her expensive perfume to anoint Jesus’ feet.
She is overwhelmed with emotion leads her to weep and her position has her tears on Jesus feet and she uses her hair to wipe his feet.
She can not repay Jesus but she shows her love to the Lord.
Her sins were many and her love is great toward Jesus.
She shows her appreciation in her loving action toward Jesus.
Jesus forgives her and blesses her.
Jesus forgives her and blesses her.
48 Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 The men at the table said among themselves, “Who is this man, that he goes around forgiving sins?” 50 And Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
Jesus Shows he is more than a prophet.
Jesus Shows he is more than a prophet.
Jesus is a prophet.
Jesus is our Priest
Jesus is our King
Jesus is the Son of God, the Christ.
Our Love is our worship of the Lord.
Our Love is our worship of the Lord.
The Lord forgives us and makes room for us. We are to make room for the Lord.
Love is to show gratitude. Love is the way gratitude is expressed. We show our thanks to God in how we love our God and one another.
Let us give thanks and receive more Love!
1 Praise the Lord! Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.