What Is This Forgiveness Jesus Speaks Of, Part II

Welcome

Good morning and welcome to Community Christian Church. I am so happy you are here this morning to hear what God has for you. He brought you here to fellowship and to meet Him. I pray that happens for you today!

Let’s Pray

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INTRODUCTION

Last week we wrestled with 3 of the 5 questions that I felt led to ask myself and have God answer in response to this passage in Matthew 6. The first was How does God forgive. The next Who does God forgive and the third How does one access God’s forgiveness.

Matthew 6:14-15

“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

Today we will wrestle with the final two questions, What is the result of God’s Forgiveness and Does God’s forgiveness require action.

I thought a lot about where to go to handle this this morning and I landed on looking to God’s Word and looking at two stories and characters to see truth in action.

Before we go any further I want to make this statement. I don’t and God doesn’t want you to be Bible characters. I hear all the time, I want to be like David or I need to be more like Paul or whoever.

God created you to be you....for you to do the will He has for you to do....He doesn’t want you to be like or be anyone other than who He created you to be. When we look at Bible characters and stories it is not to emulate or imitate their behavior but to learn the truth of God and live that truth in our own lives.

Genesis 13

This is the story of Abram and Lot. Lot was Abram’s nephew and they were living and traveling together and God blessed them and they were very wealthy and had very large flocks both livestock and people. In fact, they were so well off that the land could no longer support both of them in the same area. Abram give Lot the choice of where to live

Genesis 13:12-13

“So Abram settled in the land of Canaan, and Lot moved his tents to a place near Sodom and settled among the cities of the plain. But the people of this area were extremely wicked and constantly sinned against the Lord.”

Lot chose something that looked great in terms of land but was full of evil.

Abram went to the mountains of Canaan and was very successful....Lot landed near Sodom.

I want to tell you to be so very careful where you land and put down roots. Lot had seen a man that was godly. Abram who became Abraham was a friend of God, a man God was going to use to build a nation. Lot had seen and heard how a godly man should live. When Lot chose to live near wickedness that wickedness eventually took its toll and destroyed Lot and his family. Be careful where you land.

Genesis 18

God is going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah and Abram is pleading with God to spare their lives.

Genesis 18:25-32

25 Surely you wouldn’t do such a thing, destroying the righteous along with the wicked. Why, you would be treating the righteous and the wicked exactly the same! Surely you wouldn’t do that! Should not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?”

26 And the LORD replied, “If I find fifty righteous people in Sodom, I will spare the entire city for their sake.”

27 Then Abraham spoke again. “Since I have begun, let me speak further to my Lord, even though I am but dust and ashes. 28 Suppose there are only forty-five righteous people rather than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?”

And the LORD said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five righteous people there.”

29 Then Abraham pressed his request further. “Suppose there are only forty?”

And the LORD replied, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the forty.”

30 “Please don’t be angry, my Lord,” Abraham pleaded. “Let me speak—suppose only thirty righteous people are found?”

And the LORD replied, “I will not destroy it if I find thirty.”

31 Then Abraham said, “Since I have dared to speak to the Lord, let me continue—suppose there are only twenty?”

And the LORD replied, “Then I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty.”

32 Finally, Abraham said, “Lord, please don’t be angry with me if I speak one more time. Suppose only ten are found there?”

And the LORD replied, “Then I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten.”

Sodom and Gomorrah were pure evil. The things that happened in the cities were beyond imagination. It was full of sinners living as sinners live. Sexual immorality sleeping with whomever you want married not married didn't matter. Homosexuality. Rape. If those were there one can assume the crimes against each other were limitless I am sure. Things were so bad as Abraham tried to interceded for them there wasn’t enough good to accomplish it.

I tell my kids at school all the time....I will fight for you but you have to give me ammo. That ammo is doing things right, give effort in class, having a great attitude etc. Here the wicked had provided God with so much ammo against them even Abrahams honest pleads to save them couldn’t do anything.

God allowed Abraham to get all the way down to 10.......only 10 righteous people. I am no scholar but in doing some research many believe that Sodom and Gomorrah would have had about 30 to 40,000 people living there. That is just a little bit smaller than Joplin Mo. Joplin has about 50,000 people today.

Not 10 righteous.

This was confirmed when the angels entered the city. Lot met them knowing what they would face and he begged them to stay at his house. The Angels wanted to stay in the city all night but Lot insisted.

This makes me think just how far and how dead to conviction Lot was. He was comfortable living in a place that when strangers came in they had to be protected because of the sin that ran rampant in the city streets. Not only did he live there but he loved it so much he didn’t want to leave even when God’s angels said God is going to destroy this place get out.

Genesis 19:4-13

“But before they retired for the night, all the men of Sodom, young and old, came from all over the city and surrounded the house. They shouted to Lot, “Where are the men who came to spend the night with you? Bring them out to us so we can have sex with them!” So Lot stepped outside to talk to them, shutting the door behind him. “Please, my brothers,” he begged, “don’t do such a wicked thing. Look, I have two virgin daughters. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do with them as you wish. But please, leave these men alone, for they are my guests and are under my protection.” “Stand back!” they shouted. “This fellow came to town as an outsider, and now he’s acting like our judge! We’ll treat you far worse than those other men!” And they lunged toward Lot to break down the door. But the two angels reached out, pulled Lot into the house, and bolted the door. Then they blinded all the men, young and old, who were at the door of the house, so they gave up trying to get inside. Meanwhile the angels questioned Lot. “Do you have any other relatives here in the city?” they asked. “Get them out of this place—your sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or anyone else. 13 For we are about to destroy this city completely. The outcry against this place is so great it has reached the LORD, and he has sent us to destroy it.”

What a horrible picture scripture paints here. Here are men trying to beat down the door of a “friends” house so that they can rape the two new men in town who just happen to be angels. What a horrific scene then it gets worse. Lot offers his two daughters to the crowd. Dad of the year nominee here!!!!

This is what happens when we get comfortable with sin. It destroys us from the inside out......I am sure Lot would have never thought to offer his daughters to a mob to be rapped but since he was so comfortable with sin he did something that he normally would not have done.

The angels then tell Lot and his family to get out of town now as God is about to destroy it and everything in and around it.

Genesis 19:14-26

So Lot rushed out to tell his daughters’ fiancés, “Quick, get out of the city! The LORD is about to destroy it.” But the young men thought he was only joking.

15 At dawn the next morning the angels became insistent. “Hurry,” they said to Lot. “Take your wife and your two daughters who are here. Get out right now, or you will be swept away in the destruction of the city!”

16 When Lot still hesitated, the angels seized his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters and rushed them to safety outside the city, for the LORD was merciful. 17 When they were safely out of the city, one of the angels ordered, “Run for your lives! And don’t look back or stop anywhere in the valley! Escape to the mountains, or you will be swept away!”

18 “Oh no, my lord!” Lot begged. 19 “You have been so gracious to me and saved my life, and you have shown such great kindness. But I cannot go to the mountains. Disaster would catch up to me there, and I would soon die. 20 See, there is a small village nearby. Please let me go there instead; don’t you see how small it is? Then my life will be saved.”

21 “All right,” the angel said, “I will grant your request. I will not destroy the little village. 22 But hurry! Escape to it, for I can do nothing until you arrive there.” (This explains why that village was known as Zoar, which means “little place.”)

23 Lot reached the village just as the sun was rising over the horizon. 24 Then the LORD rained down fire and burning sulfur from the sky on Sodom and Gomorrah. 25 He utterly destroyed them, along with the other cities and villages of the plain, wiping out all the people and every bit of vegetation. 26 But Lot’s wife looked back as she was following behind him, and she turned into a pillar of salt.

Lot loved the city and the sin so much that he had to be forced to leave. Then when he knew he had to leave he begged to go to another village, notice it was also going to be destroyed as the angel said “I will grant your request, I will not destroy the little village” Lot ran from on area of sin to another.

We read this and think how could Lot and his family hesitate to leave but we do this everyday.

God says it is time to give me ___________ addiction, porn, greed, pride, whatever it is He asks for but we hesitate to give it to him and if we do give it to Him we then cling to another sin

God says go tell them about my Son and we make excuses to not do it and hesitate

God says stop and give that person money and the gospel but we turn around and go a different direction or pretend to not see them…we hesitate

We see the result of lukewarm living in 23-26. Lot’s wife was turned into a pillar of salt because she loved sin more than God. God hates so so we must hate sin. If you are comfortable with sin pray that God makes you hate sin as He hates sin or risk destruction.

Lot and his family are an example of not living in the result of God’s forgiveness and a result of not taking action following God’s forgiveness.

Lot was Abraham’s nephew and we know Abraham KNEW God so Lot was exposed to God and had seen God work in his own life and the life of Abraham. Lot knew about God’s forgiveness but it would appear he loved the world more than God.

Forgiveness is forever and life changing. The result of that forgiveness must be a changed life because you are not who you once were when you have been forgiven.

Lets look at another scriptural example where someone comes in contact with Jesus and truly realizes the results of God’s forgiveness as well as took action because of that forgiveness.

Saul who became Paul after meeting Jesus

Acts 9:1-20

Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers. So he went to the high priest. 2 He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains.

3 As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?”

5 “Who are you, lord?” Saul asked.

And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! 6 Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

7 The men with Saul stood speechless, for they heard the sound of someone’s voice but saw no one! 8 Saul picked himself up off the ground, but when he opened his eyes he was blind. So his companions led him by the hand to Damascus. 9 He remained there blind for three days and did not eat or drink.

10 Now there was a believer in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, calling, “Ananias!”

“Yes, Lord!” he replied.

11 The Lord said, “Go over to Straight Street, to the house of Judas. When you get there, ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying to me right now. 12 I have shown him a vision of a man named Ananias coming in and laying hands on him so he can see again.”

13 “But Lord,” exclaimed Ananias, “I’ve heard many people talk about the terrible things this man has done to the believers in Jerusalem! 14 And he is authorized by the leading priests to arrest everyone who calls upon your name.”

15 But the Lord said, “Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel. 16 And I will show him how much he must suffer for my name’s sake.”

17 So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Instantly something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized. 19 Afterward he ate some food and regained his strength. Saul stayed with the believers in Damascus for a few days. 20 And immediately he began preaching about Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is indeed the Son of God!” 21 All who heard him were amazed. “Isn’t this the same man who caused such devastation among Jesus’ followers in Jerusalem?” they asked. “And didn’t he come here to arrest them and take them in chains to the leading priests?”

We see Saul who was going around killing Christians and in fact was very good at his job. In chapters 7 and 8 we see Saul giving approval to the stoning of Stephen. Saul was passionate about killing Christians because he felt that was the right thing to do.

Verses 3-6 Saul meets Jesus. Everything changed. Saul knew this was Jesus and his heart was immediately changed. He responded to Jesus and God’s forgiveness with action.

We see another person in this scripture also know the results of God’s forgiveness and he also responded with action. Ananias KNEW God and when Jesus spoke to him he responded in action.

Saul’s action and transformation was immediate look at verses 20-21

He immediately began preaching “He (Jesus) is indeed the Son of God!”

He preached with such conviction and passion all those around were amazed. Floored. Wasn’t this the dude who was killing Christians now he is preaching about Jesus. True transformation!

That is a perfect picture of the result of God’s forgiveness and the action that is required to follow it. Saul changed not because he felt guilty for what he did. Not because he got caught and was in trouble. Not because he was at rock bottom and lost everything. In fact the opposite was true. Saul felt he was doing the work of the church, he was encouraged by the religious leaders and he was wealthy and had a very high standing in society at the time he met Jesus.

Jesus meets us right where we are the question is will we respond and realize how to live for Jesus as a result of God’s forgiveness and will we act as a result of God’s forgiveness?

That brings it back to us. You and me. CCC. This week wrestle with are you like Lot..comfortable with sin…making justifications for sin in you and around you....hesitant to leave sin behind or are you like Saul who became Paul and Ananias. immediate action because of Jesus.

To grasp forgiveness we must start there. If you are forgiven is there enough evidence in your life to be found guilty of being forgiven. You can never earn forgiveness it is a gift granted by the one who paid the price, death on a cross.

What is the result of God’s forgiveness…completely changed from the inside out immediately. Thoughts. Behaviors. Attitudes. When you truly meet Jesus and accept Him your heart is eternally changed.

Does God’s forgiveness require action…absolutely not to earn it but as a result of it.

As the girls sing ask God to search your heart and respond to whatever it is He shows you.

Church....God’s children, those of us forgiven and free must live like it. As a result of God’s forgiveness we are free to live from Christ and not worry about this world. We are free to love as Christ loves us and that includes quick and complete forgiveness granted to others on our part because that is what Christ did for us.

God’s forgiveness requires action. A changed life. A life that points to Jesus because you are not who you once were. You are a new creature and are so passionate about Jesus people will ask.....isn’t that Josh who used to run the bars 3 or 4 nights a week and do this or do that. Now he lives for Jesus!?!?!?!?!?!

Again whatever God has shown you today as this song is sung come to the altar and deal with that right here and right now.

QUESTION FOR HANDOUT

Is your life marked by the forgiveness of God? Do you live a life of action as a result of God’s forgiveness in your own life?