The Empty Tomb Means You Are Free to Forgive

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Introduction

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.”

We have been working towards these two verses for the past 2 weeks. Forgiveness is such a huge deal. it is so hard for us to give and even harder for us to accept forgiveness. Despite it being a Biblical truth spoken about by God in His Word, forgiveness has been so influenced by the world in both definition and application.

The past 2 weeks we looked at forgiveness from the scriptures. All of us should have a better understanding based upon these scriptures. If you were not with us or want to revisit those truths those sermons are up on our youtube page.

Today, much like 2022 years ago on the 1st Easter is where the rubber meets the road. If Jesus didn’t endure the rejection and painful beatings and give His life on the cross and if He wasn’t raised from the dead 3 days later none of this matters. Likewise if a Christian can’t apply forgiveness both accepting and giving none of this matters.

God has forgiven you of so much. He sent Jesus to this earth to die in your place.

To pay your price.

To shed His blood to cover your sins. you were doomed to death....eternal death and eternal punishment.

You were doomed to Eternal separation from God.

That is what you and I deserve but because of God’s great love He made a way. a very costly way to give us life…eternal life with God forever in heaven and the gift of the Holy Spirit here on this earth.

God did all of that for you and for me. Not because He had to but because He wanted to.

He could have blown it all up and started over but He loved you so much He sent Jesus to die.

That is forgiveness! That is the reason this truth in Matthew is here.

How could all that be true? All that we have looked at the past 2 weeks be true and you or I accept that and then refuse to give what we have been given????????

Jesus’ work on the cross didn’t apply itself automatically. It is very true that Jesus died once for all people, past, present and future but forgiveness is not automatically applied to your debt....you must claim it.

Romans 10:9-10

“If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.”

That is how you claim it.....you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart....when you confess Jesus is Lord with your mouth and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you are saved. Period.

If all that is true, which it is all true by the way, how could one who has freely received all that then refuse to freely give that?

I also believe , much like Matthew 7 away from me I never knew you, and our scripture today in Matthew 6 are both in the Bible because Jesus loves you and me and doesn’t want us to think we are good when we are really not!!!!!!

If you don’t forgive others, your Father will not forgive you. Eternal consequences. Just as Jesus’ death on the cross paid your sin debt and opened heaven to you…

it also set you free to forgive as you have been forgiven.

You must understand God’s forgiveness which we spent the last 2 weeks working to understand. Past that you must realize you are Free to Forgive.

So what does being Free to Forgive Look like?

Free from pride and keeping score

Free from getting even

Free from bitterness and rage

Free to live in unity and at peace

Free From Pride and Keeping Score

You KNOW who hurt you.

You KNOW who said something bad about you.

You KNOW.

You refuse to let it go because of your pride.

Who are they that I should forgive them?

They don’t deserve it.

You don’t know what they have done.

They have hurt me 762 times just this year.

When your pride drives you to keep score you will never deal with the hurt and the pain.

You for sure will not give that to God and allow Him to show you through the Holy Spirit and the Scriptures how to forgive that person.

Matthew 18:21-22

“Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?” “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!”

Pretty straight forward here. You should always forgive someone. ALWAYS.

I am think of the Liberty Mutual commercial well lets just look at it

CLAIRE PLEASE PLAY THE LIBERTY MUTUAL COMMERCIAL CLIP

NO you are not allowed to riff. Jesus says forgive as you are forgiven that means all day every day. If you have been offended or hurt forgive. EVERY TIME!!!!!

Stop keeping score.

Stop letting your pride keep you from doing what God has already done for you and expects you to do to others

Stop carrying the burden of unforgiveness with you

THE EMPTY TOMB MEANS YOU ARE FREE TO FORGIVE!!!!!!!!!

Luke 6:37

“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven.”

I believe this is really where we struggle with unforgiveness.

You are really judging the other person most of the time you struggle to forgive.

You don’t forgive because you want to see them punished.

You have judged them and condemned them to the need for punishment.

That is what the Greek word translated judge here means to decide, condemn in court of law or private.

There is but one judge and that is God.

You and I have no power to decide guilt or innocence.

You have no power to condemn, sentence someone to punishment.

You are guilty yourself and the only thing that keeps you from being condemned or sentenced is the blood of Jesus if we have truly accepted Him.

This is such a major heart issue.

Most of the time you are mad and refuse to forgive it is because you haven’t seen the person who injured you, hurt you, said things about you, did whatever was done to you......you haven’t seen them pay for their crime yet.

You are condemning them and in the process condemning yourself!

Stop....

THE EMPTY TOMB MEANS YOU ARE FREE TO FORGIVE!!!!!!

Are you allowing pride to stop you from forgiving as Christ forgave you?

Is keeping score, tracking all the wrongs one has committed against you keeping you from forgiving as Christ forgave you?

The next thing we are free from is

Free From Getting Even

Not only do you keep score and pass judgement and commendation on someone but you also feel the need to get even.

Get revenge.

Avenge the evil done to you.

This is just as destructive as unforgiveness and again is a big reason those struggling to forgive are in that boat.

Romans 12:19-21

“Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for God’s wrath, because it is written, Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord. But If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. For in so doing you will be heaping fiery coals on his head. Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.”

It is not your job or even within your ability to get even so stop trying.

All you are doing is destroying an earthly relationship with whomever you are trying to get even with and destroying your relationship with your heavenly Father because you are choosing sin over Him.

He has spoken.

Don’t avenge yourselves.

Vengeance belongs to me says the Lord; I will repay.

God has got it.

I remember when the boys were little, Trenton probably middle school age and Logan probably Truman elementary age, I remember the fights.

Oh boy would they go at it.

When I would talk to each of them afterward some it would usually boil down to this, one was trying to get even with the other.

I would tell them, especially Trenton as the older brother.

I got this.

You don’t have to bear the burden of being the parent, your mom and I are here.

We will handle it you don’t have to.

Church I am telling you the same thing.

God has it.

You don’t have to bear the burden of being the parent,

God is here. He will handle it you don’t have to.

THE EMPTY TOMB MEANS YOU ARE FREE TO FORGIVE!!!!!!

The next thing you are free from when you forgive as Christ forgave you is

QUESTION FOR QUESTION SHEET DO NOT SAY OUT LOUD

Are you more worried about getting even or truly forgiving?

Free From Bitterness and Rage

Everyone of us sitting here today and listening online know how damaging holding onto bitterness and rage can be.

Maybe you have yet to realize holding onto bitterness and rage is what is driving you to the bottle.......the pills....the meth pipe.....the affairs....the porn.....the whatever.

You are holding onto something that is bigger than you

It is meaner than you

It will kill you in a heartbeat if it gets the opportunity.

Ephesians 4:31

“Let all bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander be removed from you, along with all malice.”

This is in regards to living in the light of Jesus but it also applies here.

You are to let all bitterness, anger, wrath, shouting and slander be removed from you.

Boy that sounds like the perfect definition of forgiveness. Letting all of that go.

This is not just a spiritual problem but science is pointing to unforgiveness causing some very serious medical issues.

Johns Hopkins Medicine, one of the leading hospitals in the nation in fact Johns Hopkins hospital is ranked #4 in the nation. I found an article on their website talking about how forgiving helps physically.

“Whether it’s a simple spat with your spouse or long-held resentment toward a family member or friend, unresolved conflict can go deeper than you may realize—it may be affecting your physical health. The good news: Studies have found that the act of forgiveness can reap huge rewards for your health, lowering the risk of heart attack; improving cholesterol levels and sleep; and reducing pain, blood pressure, and levels of anxiety, depression and stress. And research points to an increase in the forgiveness-health connection as you age.

“There is an enormous physical burden to being hurt and disappointed,” says Karen Swartz, M.D., director of the Mood Disorders Adult Consultation Clinic at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. Chronic anger puts you into a fight-or-flight mode, which results in numerous changes in heart rate, blood pressure and immune response. Those changes, then, increase the risk of depression, heart disease and diabetes, among other conditions. Forgiveness, however, calms stress levels, leading to improved health.”

Sounds like God knew what he was doing.......you don’t need science to tell you the benefits of forgiveness or do you?

Some of you are refusing to forgive and feeling all of these effects above and have changed diets,

you are exercising more,

you are taking medication and nothing has really changed.....

maybe it is time you get real with yourself and God and forgive as Christ forgave you.

THE EMPTY TOMB MEANS YOU ARE FREE TO FORGIVE

So far we have talked about three areas we are free from when we forgive as Christ forgave us. Now lets look at a big area we are free to do when we forgive others as Christ forgave us.

QUESTION FOR QUESTION SHEET DO NOT SAY OUT LOUD

Is bitterness and rage destroying your life?

Are you physically unwell because you spiritually refuse to forgive?

Free To Live In Unity and Peace

So many issues would be resolved if you forgave as Christ forgives you.

Today, Easter Sunday many churches will see a huge increase in attendance. Why is that? No matter how far you are from God you all know you need Him.

He ingrained that need inside of you, a hole only He can fill.

You try to fill that hole with all kinds of things, bottles, pills, things to smoke, needles, sex, money, power, status etc etc etc.

God created you to live from Him through the power of the Holy Spirit when you accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior

He created you with a need for fellowship and the quickest way, and often the preferred way the enemy ruins fellowship is through unforgiveness.

Colossians 3:13

“bearing with one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a grievance against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you are also to forgive.”

Bearing with one another and forgiving one another.

This is huge.

I believe as Christians you must live intentionally.

First and foremost you must ensure and be intentional about seeking and chasing Jesus.

You mus be intentional about being in the Word every day.

You must be intentional about praying constantly.

You must be intentional about applying the truths of God to your own lives through the power of the Holy Spirit.

2nd you must be intentional about your witness.

You must fight to protect your witness.

You will sin.

I will sin

but we must work to give that sin to Jesus.

You can’t sing about it on Sunday and not be about it on Monday.

3rd You must be intentional about fellowship.

Make excuses to be in fellowship not excuses to miss fellowship.

Sunday mornings both in Sunday School and Worship

Wednesday nights,

men 2nd saturday of every month at our men’s breakfast

These are just some of the different ministries and opportunities that you have be in fellowship.

Be around likeminded believers. Surround yourself with God’s children.

This is an area you can see is clearly under attack by the enemy, especially in America. you don’t need church. Being a good Christian is more important than church.

Those are true in theory but I would argue that without fellowship you will not be a good Christian, if there is such a thing.

What if churches where a priority every Sunday not just Easter and Christmas?

What if you truly made time to be in God’s Word everyday and to be in fellowship every time it is offered?

God designed us to walk together, first and foremost with Him and then with each other.

Forgiving others as Christ forgave you is the key to unity and peace and fellowship.

Think about your own life. if you truly applied this verse and looked to bear someone’s burden instead of destroy them for it

What would your world look like?

Who would come to Jesus because you live in the freedom of His forgiveness?

Proverbs 17:9

“Whoever conceals an offense promotes love, but whoever gossips about it separates friends.”

Again God pointing to forgiveness being a heart and love thing and unforgiveness something that destroys unity and peace and fellowship.

Isn’t that truly what true forgiveness is....When you truly forgive this is what you are saying to the person you are forgiving

I know what you have done because you did it to me.

I know the pain it caused because I felt it but I love you enough to forgive it and conceal it so that it doesn’t destroy me or you.

Not lie about it but it isn’t true forgiveness if you forgive someone and then put a rant on facebook about how wrong that person was and how much you dislike them now and how you will always remember and get even but then close with but I forgave them.....

No you don’t.....you can say your forgave them all you want but if it doesn’t match God’s Word it is not true.

God doesn’t say run them down,

attack them,

look to get even through forgiveness.....

no what God says is: whoever conceals an offense promotes love, but whoever gossips about it separates friends!

Proverbs 10:12

“Hatred stirs up conflicts, but love covers all offenses.”

Forgiveness frees us to live in fellowship, unity and peace with everyone.

Think back to conflicts in your life, maybe a conflict you are currently in or maybe a conflict you still carry with you. Would it have been different if true forgiveness was involved?

I would guess 100% it would have been different. Think about a time when you choose forgiveness over conflict. How awesome was it.

You can choose that right here this morning because THE EMPTY TOMB FREES YOU TO FORGIVE

QUESTION FOR QUESTION SHEET DO NOT SAY OUT LOUD

Are you allowing unforgiveness to keep you from unity and peace and fellowship with other believers?

Is the empty tomb and bloody cross enough to get you to live in unity with others?

Who do you need to truly forgive as a result of this scripture?

Matthew 6:14-15

“For if you forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well. But if you don’t forgive others, your Father will not forgive your offenses.”

Back to where we started.

For if you forgive others, your heavenly Father will forgive you but if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive you.

I pray you see that as a freeing statement instead of a dire warning.

It all comes down to your heart.

We have looked at God’s forgiveness,

we have looked at what that means in our own lives

and we have now today looked at how THE EMPTY TOMB MEANS YOU ARE FREE TO FORGIVE.

I pray God has shown you just how much forgiveness does, not only in the person being forgiven, but in YOU.

God loves you.

Jesus died for you and as we celebrate today Easter, God rose Jesus from the dead for YOU.

All that while you and i were dirt bags,

living in sin and hating God.

We were God’s enemies when Jesus died and was raised from the dead for YOUR and my SIN. God freely forgives and expects you to do the same.

If you have never accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior today is the day. My goodness our prayer list should point to the fact none of us know how long we have until our days on earth are done. If you are not saved, If you have not confessed with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart the God raised him from the dead when you die you will go to hell. That can all change in an instant here this morning.

Maybe you are here and saved but living in bondage to unforgiveness. Give that to God right now. He is asking for it, He wants you to live free in His love and forgiveness but you must be willing to love and forgive others!!!!!!!

Whatever it is that God has laid on your heart this is the time to get with him and deal with it! I am here for you, the elders are here for you. Bring it to the altar and leave it there at the foot of the cross.