Sermon Tone Analysis

Forgive!

What is the single most difficult thing for Christians to do? (ask first)

But … Forgive is exactly what we are COMMANDED to do…

Look at Col. 3:1-17 — The Apostle Paul gives us some direction on Holy Living… Look at what he says:

Colossians 3:1 (NRSV)

1 So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

Colossians 3:2 (NRSV)

2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth,

Colossians 3:5 (NRSV)

5 Put to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly [the Flesh]: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry).

Colossians 3:8 (NRSV)

8 But now you must get rid of all such things—anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive language from your mouth.

Colossians 3:9 (NRSV)

9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practices

Colossians 3:12 (NRSV)

12 As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.

Those are all great things, right?

— But… Look at what Paul says next:

Colossians 3:13 (NRSV)

13 Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

Does Christ really understand how hard that is?!

— Does He really mean it?

— Do we really have to forgive someone who abused us… who mis-treated us… who wronged us… ?

— Do we really have to forgive the liar… the cheat… the murderer… the child abuser… the rapist… ?

Yes!

Yes!

We do!

Yes!

He means it!

There is an old Spanish story told of a father and son who became estranged.

As the relationship grew colder and colder… the son eventually ran away, and the father set out to find him.

He searched for months and months… to no avail.

Finally, in a last, desperate, effort to find him, the father put an ad in the Madrid newspaper.

It read:

“Dear Paco, meet me in front of this newspaper office at noon on Saturday.

All is forgiven.

I love you.

Your father.”

On Saturday, 800 Pacos showed up… looking for forgiveness and love from their fathers.

(adapted from “Bits and Pieces” Oct. 15, 1992.

www.sermonillustrations.com)

There is a truth revealed in this story:

We ALL want forgiveness!

However, we struggle with extending it.

General Oglethorpe once told John Wesley: “I never forgive, and I never forget.”

To which Wesley replied:

“Then, Sir, I hope you never sin.” (source unknown)

Now, look what Jesus says right before that:

— We are not like the world… We forgive because we are forgiven!

— It is not our place to judge… to seek vengeance… to condemn the offender…

So… Why do we?!

— Because we think we are better then they are…

— Gen Oglethorpe felt it was his right to “punish” the offender… because he was “on higher ground”… so he “never forgave and never forgot.”

— “You never forgive someone to whom you feel superior.”

— Tim Keller

We do not have the right to decide what someone deserves.

Only God does!!!!

— Feeling superior to someone else (even subconsciously) leads to judgment of that person… which leads to unforgiveness!

We are supposed to build bridges of Love and Forgiveness.

We do not have the right to judge, and decide what a person deserves.

“Only God has the wisdom and right to know what a person deserves.”

— Tim Keller

Look at:

and

Jesus leaves us no room for debate!

We are not to judge and harbor unforgiveness… We are to LOVE and FORGIVE!!!

The Truth is: We EXPECT others to forgive us, but we struggle to FORGIVE them of the same thing!

So… How do we forgive when we struggle so much with unforgiveness?

— By Faith!

BUT… We can only find the Faith it takes by understanding what Forgiveness is…

“Forgiveness is the release on the part of the creditor, or offended party, of any expectation that a debt will be repaid, or that an offender will receive punishment fo the offense.”

— Lexham Theological Workbook

“Forgiveness is to set the prisoner free, and to realize that the prisoner was you.” — Corrie Ten Boom

You see — Forgiveness is not about the other person, it is about YOU!

— Unforgiveness harms our relationship with God, and binds us up in chains of hate… anger… depression… vengeance…

Forgiveness sets us free…

— Think of someone who wronged you… who mistreated you… who abused you… maybe they lied about you… maybe they cheated you… or cost you something important… maybe they used you… what ever the case, you just can’t stand to be around them....

— Everyone got someone in mind?

— Now… What do you feel when you think about them?

Anger?

Bitterness?

Resentment?

Fear?

Desire for revenge?

Those things imprison us… They bind us up in chains that control our lives… If you feel those things, then you have not extended forgiveness.

— When we extend forgiveness, then we are set free from those feelings… Because…

Forgiveness rolls the burden to God.

When we forgive, we are saying — “It’s not my place to judge you, God will deal with it… And you will no longer affect my life.”

But… Here’s the catch…

We can only learn to extend forgiveness, and trust God, when we truly understand the forgiveness we have received.

Colossians 3:13 (NRSV)

13 Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

In Richard Hoefler’s book Will Daylight Come, there is a story on how sin can enslave us but forgiveness can free us!

In the story, a little boy visits his grandparents and gets his first slingshot.

He practices in the woods, but he never hits his target.

As he leaves his grandparent’s backyard, he sees a pet duck.

On an impulse, he takes aim and lets it fly.

The stone hits the duck, and it falls dead.

The boy panics.

Desperately, he hides the duck in the woodpile, only to look up to find his sister Sally saw the whole thing.