The Passion 2 When the Cross gets Personal II forgiveness
When the Cross gets Personal II – (God Forgives You)
OS: The monks at a remote monastery deep in the woods followed a rigid vow of silence. Their vow could only be broken once a year—on Christmas—by one monk. That monk could speak only one sentence. One Christmas, Brother Thomas had his turn to speak and said, "I love the delightful mashed potatoes we have every year with the Christmas roast!" Then he sat down. Silence ensued for 365 days.
The next Christmas, Brother Michael got his turn and said, "I think the mashed potatoes are lumpy, and I truly despise them!" Once again, silence ensued for 365 days.
The following Christmas, Brother Paul rose and said, "I am fed up with this constant bickering!"
I had just finished a lesson on Christian behavior. "Now, Billy," I asked, "tell me what we must do before we can expect to be forgiven for our sins." Without hesitation, Billy replied, "First we gotta sin."
I. A Passion of Christ – Brutal –Why did Jesus endure such pain?
A. The Gospel writers tell us little of the details.
1. B Luke 23 33 When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. 34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
2. People of their day knew its sounds, sights, smells, and horridness.
B. This Morning – Love
1. Love in and of itself was not enough – without forgiveness that love would simple go unfulfilled.
C. Tonight – Forgiveness
II. C Isaiah 53 is a powerful section of scripture that speaks of the Passion of Christ, and has had an impact on the lives of many people. (DIGRESS FOR A MOMENT)
A. Preaching in Roanoke – Memorized in School
B. It’s interesting to note that Isaiah 53 is the passage the Ethiopian Eunuch was reading when Philip arrived in Acts 8.
1. Philip began with that very passage of scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. (vs. 35)
2. Result: vs.36, “Why shouldn’t I be baptized?” 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing.
C. : Good news - Isaiah 53:4-6
D. D Ephesians 1 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace
1. : God’s Grace + the Blood of Jesus = Forgiveness
TS] Bear with me for one more moment – Just a little overall observation about forgiveness…
III. The cross of Christ is good news because the opposite of forgiveness is Guilt and Bitterness.
A. Guilt when we are unforgiven, and bitterness when we refuse to forgive.
B. The story is told of a shoplifter who writes to a department store and says, "I've just become a Christian, and I can't sleep at night because I feel guilty. So here's $100 that I owe you." Then he signs his name, and in a little postscript at the bottom he adds, "If I still can't sleep, I'll send you the rest."
1. Money is about the only thing that will challenge our putting up with guilt.
C. And have you ever noticed? We don’t like to accept blame – ever wonder why? "You were right. Talking through the problem brought us to an agreement--that it's all YOUR fault."
1. The reason we don’t want it to be our fault is because we don’t want to have to deal with the guilt.
2. Guilt affects us in ways that we don’t even notice.
TS] So this morning if you’re struggling with forgiveness my intention is to share with you how to relieve that pain of guilt, and get rid of that bitterness. We struggle to accept God’s forgiveness and we struggle to forgive. If we can somehow grasp these truths about forgiveness it will set us free in life to live as God intended us to live.
Leave with this - E Guilt and bitterness will tear you down – forgiveness will set you free!
Two things you need to realize:
I. F God has forgiven me. – If you have responded to God in obedience, and you are striving to walk in the light you are forgiven. (How can we be so sure?)
A. G Reason #1 - God will forgive you because He paid for your forgiveness with the blood of His Son.
1. Forgiveness comes through the shed blood of Jesus – H Ephesians 1 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace
2. If you paid a great price for something aren’t you going to try to take advantage of what you bought? (Cruise/meal/etc.)
B. I Reason #2 - God has worked since the fall in the Garden of Eden to arrange things so that you could be forgiven.
1. God had to do more than just send Jesus to die, He had to teach man the significance of blood and sacrifice first. (Law of Moses)
2. You know why He made that promise to Abraham? Why He led the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt? Why He has done all He has done? So that Jesus could come and shed His blood so that He could forgive your sins.
C. J Reason #3 - The Bible says so.
1. :Micah 7 19 You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.
2. :Acts 2 38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
3. K Hebrews 8 12 For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”
4. :1 Peter 2 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.
5. :1 John 1 8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
D. If you fail to grasp the forgiveness of God you will have to deal with the guilt.
1. L Psalm 38 3 Because of your wrath there is no health in my body; my bones have no soundness because of my sin. 4 My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear.
TS] M Guilt and bitterness will tear you down – forgiveness will set you free! We’ve dealt with guilt, now what about bitterness? The cure?....
II. N I must forgive others.
A. A story in a 1930s edition of the Chicago Herald Examiner The article, "Man Spites His Wife by Staying Blindfolded in Bed Seven Years," reads: The strange story of Harry Havens of Indiana, who went to bed—and stayed there—for seven years with a blindfold over his eyes because he was peeved at his wife, was revealed here today when he decided to get out of bed. Havens was the kind of husband who liked to help around the house—hang pictures, wipe the dishes, and such. His wife scolded him for the way he was performing one of these tasks, and he resented it. He is reported to have said: "All right. If that's the way you feel, I'm going to bed. I'm going to stay there the rest of my life. And I don't want to see you or anyone else again." His last remark explains the blindfold. He got up, he explained, when the bed started to feel uncomfortable after seven years.
B. During a children’s sermon one Sunday morning, a preacher held up an ugly-looking summer shirt that he wore occasionally around the house. He explained to the children that someone said the shirt was ugly and should be thrown away. "This really hurt me," he explained. "I'm having trouble forgiving the person who said those mean things. Do you think I should forgive that person?" he asked the children. Immediately, his own six-year-old daughter, Alicia, raised her hand. "Yes, you should," she said without hesitation. "But why? The person hurt my feelings," He responded. To which Alicia wisely answered, "Because you're married to her."
1. Why must we forgive?
C. 1st reason - Principle: O What the cross has done for us we are to do for others.
1. Love from this morning. Remember: “Deeply Personal” Realize you are loveable, that He wants a relationship with you, and you need to take the steps to take advantage of that love relationship. Love because (1 John 3:16) Loveable – because they are created in His image, My Lord, Savior, Friend died for them, and they are my brother/sister in Christ.
2. Forgiveness is the same
D. 2nd reason – P Because our own forgiveness is dependent on our forgiveness of others.
1. Matthew 6 14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
2. If you want to be forgiven by God you better learn how to be forgiving toward people who do you wrong!
3. Do they deserve it? Probably not, but you deserve it! If you do not forgive you open yourself up to the cancer of bitterness, and you allow that person to continue to control your life.
E. Q 3rd reason - Because the Bible teaches us to forgive one another.
1. Colossians 3 13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
2. God designed His forgiveness to flow through us to others.
3. Don’t get me wrong – I realize that forgiveness is not easy. It is sometimes a very long process that takes lots of work, and sometimes the assistance of a counselor. Whatever it takes you better get a handle on forgiveness.
If you struggle to forgive it is because you struggle to accept your own forgiveness.
So what?
R Guilt and bitterness will tear you down – forgiveness will set you free!
1. Let the cross of Christ speak to your heart a message of good news. Good news of forgiveness that you have received from God when you became His child, and as you walk in the light. (1 John 1)
2. Let the cross of Christ speak to your heart a message of good news to those around you. Let His words, in the midst of His pain, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” Speak a message of forgiveness to those who have hurt you.