Sermon Central
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Imagine Forgiveness
Contributed by Brian Harrell on Oct 18, 2018 (message contributor)
Summary: Based on the I can only imagine series / campaign. Imagine what forgiveness looks and feels like. Mainly based on God's forgiveness toward us but does talk briefly about forgiving others. Forgiveness is resetting the relationship. This is what Jesus does! Includes 9 ways God forgives
We are in a four-week series called “I can only imagine” based off of the movie of the same name. Last week we talked about imagining a father… A perfect heavenly father who loves you a million times more than I could ever love anyone; a heavenly father who is perfect, gracious, loving and all of his dealings with us.
- A father with a personal love
- a father with a purposeful love
- a father with a providing love
- a father with a protecting love
- a father with a promised love
- a father with a proven love
- a father with a powerful love
- a father with a passionate love
Today let’s talk about and let’s imagine forgiveness.
Way back when I was a kid I remember my grandma giving me a $20 bill and asking me to go to the store up the street and get something. Somewhere between her house and that store I lost that money. I couldn’t find that money. I couldn’t even imagine where that money went. I was feeling so guilty and so low because to me $20 was like $1000! I came back empty-handed; no food and no money. I was met with grace and forgiveness. And that felt awful good!!
Maybe in one of the most shocking stories of the New Testament Jesus explained it best. You find in Luke 15 the story of the prodigal son. It is here that Jesus reveals the vastness of forgiveness that our Father in heaven has for us. We looked at some of this last week but let’s look at it again.
The story begins with a son who wants his father to be dead so we can have his money now and live the life he wants to live. He is sick of the rules, the boundaries, the responsibilities and he just wants to do what he wants to do. He sees his father as controlling, restrictive, straight-laced, no fun and to tame. For some reason the father gives him what he wants; his portion of the inheritance right up front.
The kid predictably goes off binging on whatever the world could offer him; Wild living, wild parties, lots of drinking, lots of women, the life of the party right up until the day he spends his last dollar. Now he is broke and the economy has taken a downturn. He has no job, he has no friends, he has no prospects and no one will give them credit anymore. This young man ends up at a hog farm trying to find something to eat in the slop buckets that won’t make him sick.
And then the story turns…
Luke 15:17 “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! 18 I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, 19 and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’
You know the story - he decides to go home. But it’s very risky; what will his father do and what will happen? What will they do? This boy is well aware that he has disgraced his father and his family and could actually be stoned to death by his father’s village before he ever makes it to his father’s farm. He prepares a speech, he just wants a job, he’s hoping for mercy.
But this boy feels worthless, wasted, he’s ashamed of himself, he’s embarrassed and dirty and tainted. He realizes that his sin against his father has completely wrecked the relationship. He’s wracked by guilt, he’s ruined his life and he has nothing left to offer.
And now is about to show up at the house of his father and his father owns all the power in this relationship to do with this boy whatever he wants to do…
And this is where Jesus shocked them all…
Luke 15:20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.
