First Christian Church - El Centro
At the Intersection of the Cross: Forgiveness
Where Life and Love Connect
Locations & Times
First Christian Church of El Centro
450 S Waterman Ave, El Centro, CA 92243, USA
Sunday 10:00 AM
I. THE FACTS OF FORGIVENESS
1. Forgiveness is an act of pardoning someone who has hurt or offended you. The Greek word used for forgiveness in the NT literally means “to let go”. It also can be applied to a debt that someone owes. By forgiving the debt you cancel the payment that is rightfully yours.
2. Jesus shares a story with his followers to drive this point home. It is found in Matthew 18:21-35. “Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times? Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy times seven’.”
- Peter was being very generous in how he understood forgiveness. The Law of Moses did not teach this amount of forgiveness. Maybe he had picked up on the mercy of God by watching Jesus minister to others.
- But Jesus had to blow him away in his thinking toward forgiveness. “Seventy times seven”. Since Peter put a number to it Jesus responded in like manner. So was Jesus telling us that we are required to forgive someone up to 490 times? That may be the literal take on what he said but what he meant spiritually was that forgiveness should be without limits. Do we want God to limit how much he forgives our sins?
3. There’s an old saying that speaks volumes on this issue: “To err is human, to forgive is divine”. We all make mistakes and do and say things we regret. But when in our anger, hurt, pain and pride, we chose not to forgive it has a chilling effect on our relationship with God. I John 4:20 “If anyone says, ‘I love God’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.”
4. Jesus drove this point home with an insane teaching for all mankind to follow. Jesus compares the teaching under the law of Moses versus the law of Grace. (Read Matthew 5:38-48).
5. This was a new teaching for the Jews. And completely contrary to their thinking. After all, their enemies were the Romans, who defeated them and controlled their lives and land. And they hated each other. So this would not have been a popular teaching. But God does not take a survey to see if we like the idea, before he instructs us on how to live. No, his teachings are usually counter culture and lead us to be holy, even if it means being ridiculed by others.
1. Forgiveness is an act of pardoning someone who has hurt or offended you. The Greek word used for forgiveness in the NT literally means “to let go”. It also can be applied to a debt that someone owes. By forgiving the debt you cancel the payment that is rightfully yours.
2. Jesus shares a story with his followers to drive this point home. It is found in Matthew 18:21-35. “Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times? Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy times seven’.”
- Peter was being very generous in how he understood forgiveness. The Law of Moses did not teach this amount of forgiveness. Maybe he had picked up on the mercy of God by watching Jesus minister to others.
- But Jesus had to blow him away in his thinking toward forgiveness. “Seventy times seven”. Since Peter put a number to it Jesus responded in like manner. So was Jesus telling us that we are required to forgive someone up to 490 times? That may be the literal take on what he said but what he meant spiritually was that forgiveness should be without limits. Do we want God to limit how much he forgives our sins?
3. There’s an old saying that speaks volumes on this issue: “To err is human, to forgive is divine”. We all make mistakes and do and say things we regret. But when in our anger, hurt, pain and pride, we chose not to forgive it has a chilling effect on our relationship with God. I John 4:20 “If anyone says, ‘I love God’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.”
4. Jesus drove this point home with an insane teaching for all mankind to follow. Jesus compares the teaching under the law of Moses versus the law of Grace. (Read Matthew 5:38-48).
5. This was a new teaching for the Jews. And completely contrary to their thinking. After all, their enemies were the Romans, who defeated them and controlled their lives and land. And they hated each other. So this would not have been a popular teaching. But God does not take a survey to see if we like the idea, before he instructs us on how to live. No, his teachings are usually counter culture and lead us to be holy, even if it means being ridiculed by others.
II. THE FEELINGS OF UNFORGIVENESS
1. When you hurt someone you love do you want them to forgive you? Of course we do. But how does it make you feel if they don’t or if they continual remind you of what you did? It sure is hard to get close to that person again.
2. Ephesians 4:26-32 deals with the issue of anger, bitterness and unforgiveness. “In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold…And do not grieve the Holy Spirt of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
PRINCIPLES FROM EPHESIANS 4:26-32
- Deal with your anger before the devil uses it to harm people
- Unforgiveness breaks God’s heart and the Holy Spirit in you
- Unforgiveness, leads to bitterness, rage, violence and hate
- Remember God’s forgiveness to you, cost his Son Jesus his life
3. An unforgiving spirit is not pleasing to God or to anyone else. It will lead to misery. And misery loves company. So your lack of forgiveness entices other to follow your lead. When left unchecked it will destroy us and others.
4. The very first murder recorded in the bible involved two brothers Cain and Abel. Both were trying to please God with gifts of offerings. God was pleased with Abels’ offering more than he was pleased with Cain’s. Genesis 4:5-7 says, “So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. Then the Lord said to Cain, why are you so angry? Why is your face so downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must overcome it.”
5. Cain did not obey God’s counsel and warning and took his brother out into a field and attacked him and killed him. Cain was jealous of his brother and probably angry with God. But he did not calm down and angry turned to bitterness and bitterness turned to rage and rage turned to violence and violence turned into murder. There was now no turning back. Later on in his family tree we see a relative in his family killing one man and injuring another.
6. The spirit of unforgivness in our hearts is the bait of Satan, to trap us into a life of pain, sorrow, rebellion and hate. The effects can last for generations. Most would say that the effects of the American Civil War of 1860 are still with us today.
1. When you hurt someone you love do you want them to forgive you? Of course we do. But how does it make you feel if they don’t or if they continual remind you of what you did? It sure is hard to get close to that person again.
2. Ephesians 4:26-32 deals with the issue of anger, bitterness and unforgiveness. “In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold…And do not grieve the Holy Spirt of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
PRINCIPLES FROM EPHESIANS 4:26-32
- Deal with your anger before the devil uses it to harm people
- Unforgiveness breaks God’s heart and the Holy Spirit in you
- Unforgiveness, leads to bitterness, rage, violence and hate
- Remember God’s forgiveness to you, cost his Son Jesus his life
3. An unforgiving spirit is not pleasing to God or to anyone else. It will lead to misery. And misery loves company. So your lack of forgiveness entices other to follow your lead. When left unchecked it will destroy us and others.
4. The very first murder recorded in the bible involved two brothers Cain and Abel. Both were trying to please God with gifts of offerings. God was pleased with Abels’ offering more than he was pleased with Cain’s. Genesis 4:5-7 says, “So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. Then the Lord said to Cain, why are you so angry? Why is your face so downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must overcome it.”
5. Cain did not obey God’s counsel and warning and took his brother out into a field and attacked him and killed him. Cain was jealous of his brother and probably angry with God. But he did not calm down and angry turned to bitterness and bitterness turned to rage and rage turned to violence and violence turned into murder. There was now no turning back. Later on in his family tree we see a relative in his family killing one man and injuring another.
6. The spirit of unforgivness in our hearts is the bait of Satan, to trap us into a life of pain, sorrow, rebellion and hate. The effects can last for generations. Most would say that the effects of the American Civil War of 1860 are still with us today.
III. THE FRUIT OF FORGIVENESS
Interview
Interview
IV. THE FAITH OF FORGIVENESS
1. When we forgive someone it is not because they deserve it. It is because we desire to not let that pain and anger control our lives. It frees from the bondage of bitterness which can destroy our health, family and our relationship with God.
2. When we forgive we our releasing that person into the hands of a just God. You are entrusting God to deal with that situation that happen to you or someone you know or love, as he sees fit.
3. Remember the one who offended you, is no different from you, when you at some point in your life have offended someone else. We cannot have two sets of rules. One for everyone else and another set of rules for me.
4. Isaiah 53:4-6 “He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God…But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him sins of us all.”
5. Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us”.
6. James 3:17 “The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.”
7. I Peter 3:9 “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.”
1. When we forgive someone it is not because they deserve it. It is because we desire to not let that pain and anger control our lives. It frees from the bondage of bitterness which can destroy our health, family and our relationship with God.
2. When we forgive we our releasing that person into the hands of a just God. You are entrusting God to deal with that situation that happen to you or someone you know or love, as he sees fit.
3. Remember the one who offended you, is no different from you, when you at some point in your life have offended someone else. We cannot have two sets of rules. One for everyone else and another set of rules for me.
4. Isaiah 53:4-6 “He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God…But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him sins of us all.”
5. Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us”.
6. James 3:17 “The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.”
7. I Peter 3:9 “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.”
