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FORGIVE AND FORGIVE
Matthew 18:21-22
Sunday Morning Sermon
October 25, 1998
Fair Avenue Baptist Church
In the passage we read a few minutes ago we find where Peter asks an interesting question. As I was reading that passage some time ago I wrote down several observations:
· my brother sins against me
· there is no mention of the brother asking for forgiveness, the truth is that he might not even realize he sinned against me
· seventy times seven I am to forgive
· we are to forgive 490 times, even if they don’t ask forgiveness
I’m afraid just about every one of us would have to confess that we really don’t do that.
Let me build a sermon this morning on this matter of forgiveness. I don’t really have any points, but I do have several passages of Scripture that will help us learn the truth of forgiveness.
It will also help us determine just how good a Christian we really are.
Turn to John 15:12, “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.”
Commandment...
Love one another...
We are to _______ one another - fill in the word.
WHY? Because He loved us.
So, we are to ____________ one another - fill in the blank.
We are to love one another.
Next, turn to I Cor. 13:7, the great love chapter where the Bible is describing true love, “Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.”
Love __________ all things, (beareth)
Love __________ all things, (believeth)
Love __________ all things, (hopeth)
Love __________ all things. (endureth)
Love puts up with anything and everything - according the Bible.
Wait a minute.
We are to ________ one another. (love)
Love ____________ all things, (beareth)
Love ____________ all things, (believeth)
Love ____________ all things, (hopeth)
Love ____________ all things. (endureth)
We are to love one another.
True Biblical love will put up with anything and everything.
We are to _________ one another. (love)
True Biblical love will put up with ____________ and ____________ . (anything, everything)
Do we?
Are we?
Next, to Proverbs 10:12, “Hate stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.”
Love covereth _______ sins.
How many? ALL
So,
we are to ________ one another,
love ____________ all things, (beareth)
love ____________ all things, (believeth)
love ____________ all things, (hopeth)
love ____________ all things, (endureth)
love covereth _______ sins. (all)
The Bible says,
God’s Word says,
Jesus says,
we are to _________ one another, (love)
love, true Biblical love,
love ____________ all things, (beareth)
love ____________ all things, (believeth)
love ____________ all things, (hopeth)
love ____________ all things, (endureth)
love, true Biblical love,
love covereth ________ sins. (all)
Do we?
Are we?
Does our love cover all sins?
How good a Christian are we?
Ephesians 4:32, “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, FORGIVING one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”
Forgiving one another,
So, not only are we to love one another,
We are to ______ (forgive) one another.
We are to LOVE one another,
Love bears all things,
Love believeth all things,
Love hopeth all things,
Love endureth all things,
Our love should cover all sins,
And we are to forgive one another.
How are we doing so far?
And, now back to our text.
Peter says, “Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?”
Lord, my brother has sinned against me,
How many times should I forgive him?
Wait a minute!
What does the Bible say?
What does God say?
What did Jesus say in His Word?
Jesus says,
we are to _________ one another, (love)
and love, true Biblical love,
love ____________ all things, (beareth)
love ____________ all things, (believeth)
love ____________ all things, (hopeth)
love ____________ all things, (endureth)
true love puts up with ______________ and _________________ , (anything, everything)
and love, true Biblical love,
love covereth ________ sins, (all)
and, we are to not only love one another, we are to _____________ one another. (forgive)
Lord, how many times should I forgive someone?
Well, if you love one another,
If love beareth all things,
If true love believeth all things,
If Biblical love hopeth all things,
If Christian love endureth all things,
If Scriptural love covers all sins,
If we are to forgive one another,
Then, Peter, you should forgive not just seven times, but seventy times seven.
Jesus says,
we are to _________ one another, (love)
and love, true Biblical love,
love ____________ all things, (beareth)
love ____________ all things, (believeth)
love ____________ all things, (hopeth)
love ____________ all things, (endureth)
true love puts up with ______________ and _________________ , (anything, everything)
and love, true Biblical love,
love covereth ________ sins, (all)
and, we are to not only love one another, we are to _____________ one another, (forgive)
and we are to forgive _________ times seven (seventy)
How are we doing?
Now, that was my introduction, let me be open, frank, and honest in some applications, some real, and some not-so-real.
Let me pose some statements, questions, and thoughts from real life situations and let’s test our Christianity and our spiritual level.
“Well, Bro. Loy didn’t shake my hand. And that just really upsets me.”
Let me see,
What are we supposed to do?
What did God say?
What did God’s Word say?
What did Jesus say?
We are to _________ one another, (love)
and love, true Biblical love,
love ____________ all things, (beareth)
love ____________ all things, (believeth)
love ____________ all things, (hopeth)
love ____________ all things, (endureth)
true love puts up with ______________ and _________________ , (anything, everything)
and love, true Biblical love,
love covereth ________ sins, (all)
and, we are to not only love one another, we are to _____________ one another, (forgive)
and we are to forgive _________ times seven (seventy)
“Bro. Loy didn’t shake my hand.”
OK, if he did it by accident, what are you supposed to do?
Fill-in-the-blank: FORGIVE
OK, if he did it on purpose, what are you supposed to do?
Fill-in-the-blank: FORGIVE
By the way, why didn’t you go to him and shake his hand?
“Bro. Blakely said something about my kids. It really hurt my feelings.”
OK,
Let me see,
What are we supposed to do?
What did God say?
What did God’s Word say?
What did Jesus say?
I mean, we are Christians,
We claim to love the Lord,
We claim to read our Bibles,
We are Christians, aren’t we?
We are to _________ one another, (love)
and love, true Biblical love,
love ____________ all things, (beareth)
love ____________ all things, (believeth)
love ____________ all things, (hopeth)
love ____________ all things, (endureth)
true love puts up with ______________ and _________________ , (anything, everything)
and love, true Biblical love,
love covereth ________ sins, (all)
and, we are to not only love one another, we are to _____________ one another, (forgive)
and we are to forgive _________ times seven (seventy)
“Bro. Blakely said something about my kids.”
First, of all, did you hear him say it?
Not likely.
Did your son hear him say it?
Probably not.
OR, did someone tell your son who told you? YEP
REGARDLESS,
what are you supposed to do?
Fill-in-the-blank: FORGIVE
What if it was malicious? FORGIVE
What if it was simply a statement, not malicious or hurtful? FORGIVE
How are we doing?
“The Preacher hasn’t been to my house for a visit in quite a while and my feelings are hurt. I guess he doesn’t like me.”
Hmmmm,
Let me see,
What are we supposed to do?
What did God say?
What did God’s Word say?
What did Jesus say?
I mean, we are Christians,
We claim to love the Lord,
We claim to read our Bibles,
We are Christians, aren’t we?
We are to _________ one another, (love)
and love, true Biblical love,
love ____________ all things, (beareth)
love ____________ all things, (believeth)
love ____________ all things, (hopeth)
love ____________ all things, (endureth)
true love puts up with ______________ and _________________ , (anything, everything)
and love, true Biblical love,
love covereth ________ sins, (all)
and, we are to not only love one another, we are to _____________ one another, (forgive)
and we are to forgive _________ times seven (seventy)
“The Preacher hasn’t been to my house for a visit in quite a while and my feelings are hurt. I guess he doesn’t like me.”
What does the Bible say? FORGIVE
Question: When was the last time you dropped over to his house for a visit?
When was the last time you invited the Preacher over?
When was the last time you invited the preacher and his family over for supper?
How are we doing?
Let’s review once again:
We are to _________ one another, (love)
and love, true Biblical love,
love ____________ all things, (beareth)
love ____________ all things, (believeth)
love ____________ all things, (hopeth)
love ____________ all things, (endureth)
true love puts up with ______________ and _________________ , (anything, everything)
and love, true Biblical love,
love covereth ________ sins, (all)
and, we are to not only love one another, we are to _____________ one another, (forgive)
and we are to forgive _________ times seven (seventy)
How are we doing?
Let me close on an even more serious note.
I know some will say, “Preacher, I just can’t forgive them. They hurt me something bad. They hurt be deeply. I just can’t forgive them. I just can’t.”
Let me once again tell you what Jesus said about this matter of forgiveness.
Let me give you several verses of Scripture:
Matthew 6:14-15, “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
Mark 11:25-26, “And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.”
You understand it, don’t you?
Yes, it is very difficult, but you do understand what happens when you get to a point where you can’t forgive.
Have you been having a hard time praying lately?
Have your prayers been answered?
How is your prayer life?
Is there someone you need to forgive?
How are we doing?
Final exam:
We are to _________ one another, (love)
and love, true Biblical love,
love ____________ all things, (beareth)
love ____________ all things, (believeth)
love ____________ all things, (hopeth)
love ____________ all things, (endureth)
true love puts up with ______________ and _________________ , (anything, everything)
and love, true Biblical love,
love covereth ________ sins, (all)
and, we are to not only love one another, we are to _____________ one another, (forgive)
and we are to forgive _________ times seven (seventy).
How are we doing?
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