Love Does - Part 2

I want you to remember forgiveness reconciliation and restoration is a process of maturity. Just because we're forgiving doesn't mean we're we're reconciled to a full relationship. Just because we're right red cup reconcile doesn't mean that we finished whenever we're completely restored. I've seen people at each one of these stages in their life and they stopped and they quit at some particular point and never received the full blessing that God had in store for them. Each of us go through this process churches go through this process to triggers grow up. That's a that's a known fact. I've been in churches and act like toddlers. But I wasn't surprised are only a few years old. I've been in churches that that just act like rebellious teenagers not fun. I'll be honest with you there.

But every church has to grow in that means that each of us grow also along with it. We can forgive but never reconcile. We can reconcile and never be restored. Johnny 1 through 11 it says but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives early in the morning and he came to the temple all the people came to him and sat down and talked them the scribes and Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery in place during the Mets and they said to him teacher. This woman has been caught in the act of adultery now in the law of Moses commands us to Stone such women. What do you say they said this to test him that they might come to some charge to bring against him Jesus been down and wrote his finger in the ground. And if they continue to ask him he stood up and said to them let him who was out sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her and what's more he bent down and wrote on the ground, but when they heard that they all went away one by one beginning with the older ones when Jesus was left alone with a woman standing before him Jesus stood up and said to her woman, where are they has no one condemned you she said no one Lord in Jesus said neither do I condemn you go and getting it from now on send no more. now do we talk a lot about this in our class this morning at 9:15, but here's the highlights of that story. The religious leaders who hated Jesus were trying to trap him in this religious conundrum. If capital punishment by that point in time was administered by the Roman Empire. They were no longer allowed to Stone people another words according to the law of Moses. They had to get permission from the Romans. So if Jesus said Stone her he would have started a political fire fight with Rome. But if he had turn around and he said the law of really doesn't apply anymore it just not that big a deal just don't mess with him and go do something else more important. He would have been at odds with the temple and the leadership in the temple where he was literally sitting at at that particular moment. So Jesus refuses to play Bible bingo with these guys. He says we're not going to go there and oftentimes whenever we look into situations in our life. We need to be looking for a new solution that is given to us by the Holy Spirit instead of the ones that come to my mind immediately. We make better choices, whatever we do that. Amen. And so he says to them let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her. Or another word to any of you who have not committed this send go ahead and start checking.

and all of these guys are standing around there and they're going

I can't do that from the oldest to the youngest what scripture says they all drop the rocks and walked away. Jesus looks at a woman and says woman where are they has no one condemned you and she said no one Lord in Jesus said neither do I condemn you go and from now on send no more condemn means to be put to death. That's not your guilty guilty is one thing condemnation is another we are all guilty of sin. Amen for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, but the Romans it tells us in chapter number 8 that there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. Another words. We are not condemned to return to Eternal damnation. We're not condemned to hell because we have Saint because we do have something called forgiveness. That's in our lives. What is forgiveness? Forgiveness biblically means to release or dismiss something. That's all it means to release or dismiss something. So when you ask Christ to forgive you of your sins, he dismissed the charges against you and released you from the penalty you deserved which is eternal separation from God. That's what forgiveness did your sins are gone, and you will no longer have to pay the penalty for what you've done.

Too many forgiveness seems to be a weakness how many years has painful that you're forgiven? Amen? Yeah, all of us were like, okay. I don't I'm not going to burn in hell. Yes. Okay. I'm glad so glad you know, if I get more money back on your tax return or do you know that really you just like thankful whole guess thankful. I'm not going to be eternally separated from God, but some people see forgiveness as a weakness if I forgive them they're going to hurt me again. Well, that's true.

But that's not the point.

It's true. How many of you been burned more than once?

But to forgive them wasn't the point. Still have them to burn you again some to some forgiveness appears to be letting the offender. When if I forget them. I'm giving them permission to do it again. That's not the point forgiveness isn't about giving somebody else permission to go around and do it again. We're not giving license to people to continue to send just because we forgive them that's not the point forgiveness is all about you. What about them? It is an act of your will you choose to forgive I've been in situations where I've had to forgive people and sometimes it's like no problem. I forgive you. No big deal. There be another situation to my life where I've got like, okay, let me let me dig in here a little bit. I got to dig down deep here in my will. I got to do this this is going to be hard. This is going to be top. Some of you been there done that hello. But if you're not willing to dig down deep and you're not willing to go down there and find that forgiveness. It hurts you. not femme

forgiveness is about you. It's your I can wheel to decide to hold on to something against another person regardless of whatever they said or whatever they've done if it is done right forgiveness is a deliberate Act of love.

Lockton when we forgive we're doing love.

Why does Jesus forgive us of our sins? He loves us. That's it. We don't deserve to be loved how many you know that one a man. I mean some of us don't even deserve a hug.

well in your past like it that you do now but When we see Love In Action Colossians, 3:13 says bear with each other bear with each other.

Will you put it another way put up with one another?

Don't thank you Jesus in the Bible.

But they're taking me off. What up weather. And forgive the rest of the scripture says whatever grievances you may have against one another forgive as the Lord forgave you 1st Corinthians 13. Keep no record of wrongs.

Yes, somebody is keeping record somewhere. I understand that. Jesus said that's none of your business. That's what he said. You don't know what's going on. You don't see the whole picture. You don't know what's taking place headed Matthew 18:22 and 21. He says forgive as often as necessary.

In the Old Testament, it says you can forgive a person 7 times after 7th time of offending you for the same thing in a day you had permission just to beat the stew out of them.

Is the New Testament that they come along and they said Jesus how many times should we forgive people? He said seven times seventy times a day 490 times a day.

Saint Peter's over there doing that. I can't count that high. Are you kidding me? the point was Donkey count for give Okay, keep doing it again. Forgiveness is not about them you forgiving them doesn't going to stop them from doing stupid.

But it real issue from having to live in the pain of it. And I would much rather be free to live in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ than to be locked in the past of some pain because I'm not willing to let go of it.

Forgiveness isn't about the offender forgiveness is about you. She if you refused to descend if you refuse to forgive you will descend into anger bitterness resentment and judgments. Godfrey-lee forgives us of our sins as many times as sweet as it takes and when we ask a man you agree a man. He does not a man and he says I'm going to do the same thing.

But Jesus don't know them as he does. That's just see that's a whole thing, but they were going to do before. We also know if they were going to irritate you before they irritated you. When he let it happen.

You got to think about that. Jesus wanted our forgiveness to know no limits because we have to understand forgiveness because we will be offended. It's not a matter of if it's a matter of what time?

I got another 20-25 minutes with you at 26. There's a chance you're going to get offended or let's be honest here. I might do it before that.

When you get up in the morning, somebody's going to finish somebody offended me on US1 the other day. Lord Jesus sorry was almost called fire down from heaven.

All the way in the right lane. I'm going to left lane missed it by that much. I lasted that little Sonata right up on its nose. I was locking the brakes. We were doing everything we could hanukkah's over there in the side door. Yeah. I was just fun and ran through my head forgive him in a moment.

You think I'm joking? I'm not at all. Only in Acts chapter number to we've been getting offended they called us a bunch of trucks.

Look at it acts chapter number to they are baptized in the Holy Spirit people that answer all they're just drunk on that. We started a fencer wasn't the first minute into the existence of the birth of the church, and we were already getting offended.

The attacks against the church the followers of Jesus and Leadership have been consistent for thousands of years. We should not be surprised. We should be prepared for it. I want to give you a little of stration here.

I've been told by the media department to get this closer. Okay, here we go.

Somebody's classes are a q.

a lot of people's lives

I like these Legos right here.

Looks good. Annika. Did a good job made that look good nice Castle there.

but every time did you get into the middle of their life?

Something stopped at you.

You go back in there again, and you get hurt again. You're thinking I ain't going in there no more.

But you might be married to them.

Might be your chance if you don't know.

Any keep going in there?

And if I can what is going on inside this person's heart. Every time I get involved with a man every time. He just keeps biting me.

And it's things like this that we get offended with.

And we think I what am I supposed to do with this? Usually we're so focused on what's going on down in here inside that we forget to notice that everything out here is nothing but if it's fake it's not real the real person isn't here.

The person who God created them them to be isn't in existence because the sin in their life.

has created a false image

And after you've done this one too many times you just want to go up to the person and don't I have had enough out of you.

We do it's like really we got to do this again.

That's what we wanted. Come on. We really want to do it don't we come on yet. Thank you. Jesus Hallelujah. Am I not my head? I'm going to be in big trouble. No, you're not. I would prefer you be honest. Cuz I am cuz there's just a lot of times this week. I just wanted them.

I'm just being transparent here if you're thinking wow, this is hard.

Yeah.

And then this person they go and they meet God and I hope you know, I have known situations where people got upset about this because God forgives them.

He dismisses their sins.

and he cancels all their penalties. What does that mean? But he just takes it all on.

When you are forgiven God takes your little facade any deals with it.

He clears the deck.

And that's what's so important here to understand that when you're forgiven. He is starting fresh in new the Clean Slate.

That's what leads us to reconciliation. This is why reconciliation is so important than at this particular time.

But what happens if God forgives them and you don't will number one God will wonder why you're worshipping Idols your anger in your bitterness. The number to you will never make progress in your future as long as your change for the bondage of your past.

Forgiving others about moving on to discovering the life that God has in store for you whenever you love other people it set you free. The more love you practice the greater your freedom.

Man that got one. That's right. That was good stuff. Thank you wasn't even in my notes. I was just straight from the Holy Spirit. Come on people. Jesus says go and sin no more stops. Any he sets the woman on a path of reconciliation step. Number one stop it. All of us know that one. All of you have heard me say it. some of you personally

Do that again?

And forgiveness starts a process of reconciliation 2nd Corinthians. 5:18 all this is from God who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.

A Ministry of reconciliation is to restore relationship of God through Christ. This is what we do. We take people who are messed up and we lead them to get their decks cleaned. How many know that was fun? right and then reconcile them to Christ you say well they did that when they were forgiven. It was it started but it hasn't finish. UC Whenever we allow ourselves.

To be forgiven often times. We don't move on to allow God to change us to make us more like him. And so what do we do? We go back and we start picking up our old life.

And we start to try to put things back together, but something happens this time because every time we try to do that God comes along ago.

You don't get mad at God for that stuff.

And then she come back and you set up one of your little mouse traps again.

Can you come back in there? Set that thing up to not care. Can you set that thing back up and somebody comes into your life? and they stick their

and the god comes along and say as you go make that right?

You messed up. I used to get away with this. I can't get away with it anymore. No because the holy spirit will come and he will speak to you and say that was wrong quit setting traps. Stop it. quit sinning There's a process of reconciliation that happens in our lives that completely changes us headed does not allow us to rebuild the old life that we had before. We ask Christ into our heart in life.

This is a process that we all have to go through reconciliation is an act of love that says I will not lose this relationship.

Reconciliation isn't just about people learning how to be more like Jesus. It's about people have a relationship with each with with Christ. But also have a relationship with the church with each other. I mean how much of the New Testament is dedicated to R&D did that beat that the writers Paul? It's actually gave to the to the church isn't galatian Ephesians and 10 all over Asia Minor during that time. Just trying to get them to get along with one another. there were so many time today that there was there was problems in the church and they had to deal with this man had to do with that reconciliation brings us to a place to where not only do we love God with all of our heart, but we also focus on our relationship with one another And we reconcile people back unto ourselves.

It's agape love. A sacrificial love that expects nothing in return. I will love you. I don't deserve it. I don't care.

Now you think that through just a second if you've never said that to someone and they didn't give you that respond to me that maybe a little bit top that he says I'm going to love you. I don't deserve to be loved your right, but I'm going to love you. Anyway, I'm going to love you. I don't care. I don't care that you don't care. I'm still going to do it. Everybody has a void in their heart that needs to be reconciled back to God and the only thing that's going to fill it is the love of God. Where does it come from only comes from Heaven it comes from you are the one to fill the hearts that are empty with the love of God that is given unto us a child is asked to be the hands and feet The Messengers he chose us to be the witness. He chose us to be the ones to help have that Ministry of reconciliation.

You say but these people are not headed and they are stubborn guess you aren't going to guess they are.

They don't listen to me I get that alot.

What am I supposed to do?

I don't want to I don't care Jesus still loves you whenever you're unlovable. Come on. If you want to receive it, you need to give it.

the process of Rifts reconciliation rebuilds our trust trust cannot be restored unless there is a relationship to restore. Do you know that? Trust cannot be restored unless there's a relationship to restored. Somebody goes out here and does something stupid. Oh, whatever. I don't even know the person from Adam. I tell who cares. Show me something and I know them and I know them personally at some particular level it impact my life.

EXO often times I find that people in a church could care less about what this person doesn't what that person does. Why because I don't have a relationship with him. It doesn't matter.

Isolation from one another in the church is rampant today. It's rampant in our society Millennials. I think I blogged about this Millennials have become the largest group of largest generation ever to say they have no friends 22% That's Millions. No friends none 0.

Oh my Lord. I could live without friends. I don't I couldn't do that. But we are becoming so isolated because this person that mean that person hurt me and I'm not going to just not going to going to get close. I'm not going to get involved. I'm not going to do this. I'm not going to do the whole time you're separating yourself from the power of reconciliation in your own heart and allowing Christ you to use you to change somebody's life. I know I'm getting hard-nosed here and I'm being tough about it. I get that. Okay.

So get some of you I think about to hyperventilate, I'm not quite sure. I'm looking at you like you're looking at me like where is he going with this? I've done this since I was 16 years old. I'm turning 56 this year. There's anything I've learned about a Pulpit tell the truth.

Best way, you know how sometimes it's pretty sometimes it's not.

The religious leaders had no relationship with this woman in adultery. They could care less. They were already had already decided what they were going to do. How they were going to do it. I don't know you see and ask I see them stoning Stephen but their way out of town out in the wilderness somewhere where the Roman in the Roman centurions. Nobody was out there to regulate what they were up to. I had a feeling I have a feeling that this woman was about to take a trip into the desert.

And she was going to disappear and nobody was going to be the wiser for it.

They didn't care and fortunately in their foolishness they brought her to the one person who could do something about it. She's just love how God works things out. This woman is on death row, by the way where we've got her here. Let's see if we can trip Jesus up into saying something stupid and in turn they end up looking stupid. Can you imagine listening all those rocks hit the ground clunk clunk clunk as they walked away. Lastic the loved to have been there. No reconciliation is often condition on the attitude the actions of the offender. We offend God and we are reconciled to back to him. But we have to submit to his authority leadership in our lives. That's how we discovered healing in a future in him or what we call restoration. 2nd Chronicles 7:14 If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their Wicked Ways. Then I will hear from heaven and I will forgive their sin and I will heal their land. 2nd Chronicles is about reconciliation that leads to Restoration. If you will reconcile yourself back to me. God said I will restore. It's our hearts desire to see people's lives restore to a relationship with Jesus. Amen. We love it when people ask Jesus into their heart. We like that we do it right? Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Just checking I might been in the wrong Church.

But we also want to see them restored.

We want to see people.

Cup of Christ and be set free from addiction. We want to see people marriages restored families restored careers restored Futures restored and that's a process that happens that begins with forgiveness, but it requires a church that is committed to reconciliation in order to be able to celebrate and see the restoration of what God can and will do. You see all the promises that we have. The Jesus has given unto us that we find in the scriptures that are ours. How about restoration? Healing salvation Deliverance wisdom guidance knowledge character all of it. the restoration of Who We Are

but if we find ourselves in need of restoration We want to be lost and we want to be lead. when we find ourselves in a place where

we don't know what to do. We want somebody in our lives to love us and we want somebody in our lives to lead us. Jesus leads us. And he loves us and he said that's what I want you to do. I will Empower you to be able to do that by the Holy Spirit. I will gift you with the ability to do that. I will give you the words to say he says I will do everything I will back you up but love them and leave them and let's see what can happen.

Too often we give up on people before they have a chance to be reconciled.

Jesus said let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her. Jesus turn the tables on the drama. It was no longer about the mob of religious leaders for the adulterous woman. Jesus made it clear. This woman has broken her relationship with God and any of you who have never never done that go ahead and Accuser.

And all of them knew that they were guilty. Of not trusting God.

Loved one the day.

That's what happened in this story loved one that day. Jesus loved her enough to say I will stay here until we say to you. I will not let them get away with that.

Haney very gently pulled back the curtain and he exposes their sins right in front of them. and every one of them set Okay.

When you get into the fullness of the story again, we we did that morning in at 9:15, but when you get into the fullness of the story this was this was just classic Jesus, but it was more than just in your face. He let them have it. And I mean it was a clock cleaning and I don't think any of them was ever going to forget.

Which has more value to valuable to you being right or being loved? You don't always get the same.

Do you?

But we want to be loved.

We want other people to love us and you know what we should love one another.

I don't like them. I don't care. Some days I don't like you.

How can you say that because you do?

Some days you've left here. I don't like that Pastor. He sucks. I don't know.

We need to love one another.

It's a calling of every follower of Christ every church that calls him Lord to love one another with a sacrificial love that puts others before themselves to help others reconcile the relationship to God into each other to believe and see healing and restoration take place. This is what we do. This is what we do.

Lead them to Jesus mature in Christ seed God bless them any questions. It's pretty clear. What our job description is and it takes a lot of love and a lot of prayer had a lot of devotion and a lot of commitment in order to be able to see something like that happen and take place do we win everytime? We don't win every time.

But we don't stop trying. We never give up on anybody.

Becky can't do this if we're not committed to paying the greatest price of all.

our love

and the thing about it is you can never run out of it.

God is love which means he's our source. He's our provider the more love we give the scripture says more love he'll give We can never run out we can never.

Bee City kit you're never going to have a drought of love in your life.

When we asked used to love and care for one another father think it what you've done for us for many blessings Lord. I pray that you will touch your pour out your spirit upon us here in this place. Look in your heart of hearts. Look at our lives and see what it is that you want us to do. What is it?