Forgiven…Forgive
#275, Forgiven…Forgive, Sunday, 04-29-2007
Text: Matthew 6:9-15 The Lord’s Prayer
Theme: If you are really forgiven, you’ll show it.
Introduction:
- If you follow Jesus you’re living in two worlds at the same time, in a Kingdom within a Kingdom (subculture).
- What makes us different, is the King in us.
- One day the King taught us how to pray.
- In this prayer we discover the basic DNA of all prayer (the language of the Kingdom)
- Text: Matthew 6:9-15 The Lord’s Prayer
- In this prayer our hearts are directed towards heaven and earth. (The Christianlife contains both a vertical and horizontal dimension.)
- Jesus directs us first to out Father in heaven.
- Jesus then brings us to our daily needs on earth.
- We are not surprised when Jesus speaks of food. But, what is surprising is Jesus’ emphasis on the subject of forgiveness. (Forgiveness is also a need!)
- After the prayer is over, Jesus gives commentary on this subject only! (vv 14-15)
- Why is forgiveness so important?
- Forgiveness is a critical evidence that we are truly in God’s Kingdom.
Theme: If you are really forgiven, you’ll show it.
How does your life show forgiveness?
We inhale forgiveness, and we exhale forgiveness.
- Are you willing to ask and receive God’s forgiveness?
- Jesus teaches us to ask, “Forgive us our debts” (v 12)
- This simple prayer brought life into me.
- I thought I was alive at one time, but I was a walking dead man among the living dead.
- When I admitted my need, the spirit rushed in.
- Sin is described as a debt.
- By our own sin we become debtors.
- We are in debt to both God and Satan.
- Satan wants to keep us as his slave. (you took my bait now you must live with my hook)
- God must have the crime judged and paid for. (Thank Jesus for His indescribable gift!)
- When God forgives, He doesn’t just “barely forgive”.
- “Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and He relents from sending calamity.” Joel 2:13
- God’s forgiveness abounds. He is lavish in his love
- He casts our sin into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19), He covers them (Psalm 32:1), He washes them away (Psalm 51:7), He takes us from the red to the white (Isaiah 1:18), He removes them as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12)
- Is this forgiveness just at salvation?
- We need daily cleansing.
- Jesus instructed Peter that he who has had a bath need only to wash his feet.
- When you breathe in forgiveness you’re changed.
- Before –> After
- Guilty –> Innocent
- Anxiety, Dread –> Joy, Peace
- Stressed –> Blessed
There’s more to life than being forgiven. You demonstrate true life by breathing forgiveness out. (exhaling forgiveness)
- Are you willing to give forgiveness to others?
- Jesus teaches an undeniable connection between being forgiven and forgiving others.
- “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” (v12)
- People will sin against us and owe us a debt.
- Will we respond like God or the devil?
- Example: the parable of the unmerciful servant (a man who owed 10 million wouldn’t forgive someone who owed $10.00.)
- How does this forgiveness of others look in everyday life?
- We must forgive immediately, quickly.
- Right after the nails went in, Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34)
- Immediate forgiveness is for our freedom.
- Most of what we forgive will be “minor stuff”.
- “Love covers over a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8
- forgiveness of major stuff requires extra grace.
- There may need to be guidelines and stipulations.
- Sometimes, the law needs to step in.
- To forget sin doesn’t always mean to ignore it.
- The key is we don’t give in to hatred, revenge
Conclusion:
Example – my dad
God showed me how much I have been forgiven.
God has given me a love for my dad.
Are you alive in God today?
Are you breathing in forgiveness?
Are you breathing out forgiveness?