Sermon Tone Analysis

*Introduction*.

God wants his children to be free from resentment and critical and unforgiving attitudes.

An abundant, victorious, overcoming life is your inheritance as a member of God's family.

The promises of God's Word which provide an abundant life will be hindered in their flow to you if you refuse to forgive others.

*I.

*Wiped out Bitterness.

*A.

*Lack of forgiveness between people can cause a deterioration in relationships.

Example: a father's deteriorating relationship with his children.

(A true illustration.)

*1.

*A father becomes saddened by his children's behavior.

Communication between the father and his children becomes more and more difficult.

Bitterness develops between the father and his children.

*2.

*Discussion with the father reveals that since becoming a Christian (a few years earlier), he has done the following:

*a) *Disciplined his children according to the Scriptures.

*b) *He has taken the authority over Satan in their lives.

*c) *He has prayed and confessed God's word over them.

*3.

*Even so, his children are antagonized by all that he says and does.

*4.

*Discussion reveals that many times the father was unfair to the children.

*He never asked for their forgiveness.*

Offenses remained unsolved.

*5.

*Suggestions were made to remedy the situation.

*a) *In prayer, the father was to ask God to reveal to him those things that through the years could have brought bitterness to the children.

*b) *The father was to share these revelations with the children.

*c) *The father was to ask for the children's forgiveness for each offense.

*6.

*This action of asking for the children's forgiveness brought the following results:

*a) *the children for gave the father for the times when he was unfair to them.

*b) *A miracle happened.

There was a warm, beautiful growth of love in the family.

*c) *All bitterness was gone.

*7.

*The father and the children did what the Scriptures have told you to do.

The father asked for forgiveness and the children forgave.

*B.

*Forgiveness wipes away bitterness and restores fellowship.

*II.

*God Forgives You.

*A.

*Forgiveness is important in every area of your life.

*B.

*God has provided a perfect plan whereby your past can be cleared and you can be forgiven.

*1.

*You have no past in God's eyes-*Isaiah 43:18-19; 43:25*.

*a) *He completely forgives and never remembers your past sins.

*b) *Nothing in your past is held against you.

*2.

*When you are born again, you have a fresh new beginning-*Psalms 103:12.*

*a) *God cast your sins into a sea of forgetfulness.

It has been said, "He places a sign there that says 'No Fishing'."

*b) *If you ever hear of your sins again, it is Satan reminding you because he wants to condemn you.

You resist his evil thought by saying to Satan, "God has forgiven me.

Be gone in the name of Jesus."

*C.

*If you sin after you are born-again, you can have instant forgiveness from God-*1 John 1:9.*

*1.

*God wants you to follow his Commandments and avoid sin, but if you do sin, His great forgiveness is there for you.

*2.

*If you hold on to sin in your heart, God will not hear your prayers-*Psalms 66:18.*

The word *“Regard”* means *“Consider,* *perceive,* or *see”* sin in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.

*a) **Pro 15:29, **“The Lord is far from the wicked, But iHe hears the prayer of the righteous.”**

***[1]*** *

*b) * *28:9,* *“One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, Even his prayer is an abomination.”*[2]**

*(1) **“Abomination”* means *“detestable or hated by God.”*

*(2) **John 9:31 **“Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him.”*[3]

*c) **1 John 5:14-15*

*(1) *Listen to it from the Amplified, *“And this is the confidence (the assurance, the privilege of boldness) which we have in Him: [we are sure] that if we ask anything (make any request) according to His will (in agreement with His own plan), He listens to /and/ hears us.

(15) And if (since) we [positively] know that He listens to us in whatever we ask, we also know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that we have [granted us as our present possessions] the requests made of Him.”* [4]

*D. **Sin* in your life *does not affect* your *relationship with God;* it *affects* your *fellowship* with him.

*1.

*When you entered God's family a he became your father and you became his child.

That is your relationship.

*a) *You are part of his family.

*b) *Your relationship with God is settled.

He will not put you out of the family.

*c) *You have eternal life.

*2.

*Because of the relationship between you and God, you can fellowship with him.

*a) *Fellowship it is the open line of communication with the father.

*b) *Your fellowship can be broken and interrupted if you hold sin in your heart.

Sin does not affect your relationship; it affects your fellowship with him.

*(1) *Sin hinders fellowship.

*(2) *Your line of communication with God is cut off.

*c) *When there is unconfused sin in your life, you may feel as if you have lost your salvation.

However, you just need to ask for forgiveness and your fellowship is restored.

*3.

*Lack of forgiveness for your sin breaks off your fellowship with your father.

Here is an illustration of broken Fellowship with your child.

*a) *You tell your child not to go out to play after dark.

*b) *You have to leave the home for a while at night and a child goes out to play anyway.

*c) *When you discover that he has disobeyed, you correct him using Christian principles, assuring him of your love, letting him know that God expects you to train him.

*d) *The child may feel that you have been unfair and may say, "God does not know what he is talking about.

I played and I am not hurt."

*e) *Your words ring in the child's ears: "You could have been hurt.

Some could have harmed you.

I know best.

You were wrong to disobey me."

*f) *You may not know that the child is having this conflict.

*g) *A terrible feeling of tension is in the home.

Father and child are out of Fellowship with one another.

*h) *Later, the child decides that you were right and comes to you, asking for your forgiveness.

*i) *You say, "I will forgive you."

*j) *Now the terrible tension and strife are gone.

Fellowship is restored.

*4.

*It is a terrible feeling to be out of fellowship with your father.

*a) *Suppose that you have refused to forgive someone.

*b) *Bitterness enters your life.

Pride arises and you begin to defend yourself in your mind.

*c) *Your spirit within you, who is filled with the Holy Spirit, tells your mind that it is wrong.

*d) *Your mind may try to argue with your spirit and the Holy Spirit.