THE POWER OF FORGIVENESS
INTRO
This week we learned through the news media of the sentencing of three youths for the murder of Nachatter Singh Bola who was on holiday on Scotland and was killed by the intoxicated youths for a kebab takeaway he was on his way home with. It's one of many senseless deaths that occur in similar circumstances in various places throughout the world. How does it make you feel? Angry, sad, bewildered, screaming out for justice? We watched as his brokenhearted wife told of how she no longer has a breadwinner to care for her children in India, and how the shock and sorrow of what had happened had contributed to the death of the victim's father -- the grandfather to his children.
I came across another story this week -- the murder of a 20 year old pizza delivery lad in San Diego in 1995
Tariq Khamisa was delivering a pizza when a 15 year old boy tried to rob him of it. When Tariq refused to give it to him Tony Hicks pulled out a gun and shot Tariq, killing him. Tony Hicks was caught and brought to trial (Imprisoned). Tariq Kamisa's father was brokenhearted. It left him feeling depressed and suicidal. Then came the day when Tony Hicks grandfather asked to meet with the father of murdered Tariq to offer his condolences (Tony Hicks had been raised by his grandfather). Tony Hicks also asked for forgiveness. What was the father of the murdered boy, Azim, Khamisa, going to do? (Will tell you later)
POINT In our series on the road to maturity I am going to speak this morning on the powerful effect of removing a major roadblock on the road to maturity -- the roadblock of unforgiveness.
POINT
This is a sermon on the power of forgiveness.
Forgiveness is a major theme in the Bible.
It was something Peter struggled with:
Matthew 18:21 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?"
How many times have we asked the same question?
Jesus answer 'seventy times seven' is uncompromising. This illustrates the importance of forgiveness.
APPLIC
Resentment is a powerful force. Its grip on us can feel unbreakable. But forgiveness has a greater power, and if we have been caught in the grip of resentment we can experience the far greater power for us and for others when finally we choose to forgive.
READING Matthew 18:21-35
THE STORY -- What's what?
It's about the attitude and actions of a person who was forgiven an enormous debt (ten million pounds), to a person who owed him very little by contrast (a hundred pounds).
It illustrates the foolishness of the man. But we should remember that in condemning him we also condemn ourselves if we are doing the same.
POINT
The Bible tells us that there are two things that are ESSENTIAL for a Christian and ESSENTIAL before we die:
* One is that we die forgiven by God
* The other is that we die having forgiven others their sin against us
God placed such a high importance on our being forgiven that he went to extreme lengths to make it possible for us to be forgiven.
Romans 5:6-8
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. [7] Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. [8] But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Why? Because:
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
1. THE NEED FOR FORGIVENESS
Because we are all sinners and sin breaks down relationships. And this is never truer when it comes to our relationships with God.
WORDS TRANSLATED SIN
Hamartia - A shooting word: To miss the target
ILLUSTR
Look at what God says in the Bible that we should do.
Set out to be perfect for one day
Take a note of the times you fall short of this
(Even those who set rules for themselves rather than follow God's rules still break them)
Paraptoma - Slip across a boundary [THOSE ARRESTED IN IRANIAN WATERS]
ILLUSTR
Christian not displaying tax disc
Parabis - Step across a boundary (From right to wrong)
Anomia - Deliberately breaking God's laws
ILLUSTR
Deliberately doing wrong
Opheilema - Debt
(Failure to pay what is due)
ILLUSTR -- Tax returns
POINT
Sin, like an unpaid debt, has a penalty.
When God forgives he drops the charge and no longer requires that a penalty be paid.
FORGIVENESS
Remove barriers to reconciliation and fellowship
2. THE POWER OF BEING FORGIVEN
Forgiveness of God removes the barriers that separate us from God opening up the way for reconciliation and fellowship.
IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
* Sacrifices - Removal of guilt
* Forgiveness first before reconciliation and fellowship
* [cf the meal after the sacrifice]
* The word -- to cover; to send away
* Barriers are removed.
The offering is in effect offering his own life.
3. THE POWER OF FORGIVING OTHERS
TEACHING OF JESUS
Jesus introduced another element. He made it clear that we cannot be forgiven, reconciled to God and be in fellowship with God if we withhold forgiveness from those who have sinned against us but instead opt for resentment and the desire for revenge as a choice.
The result for us is torment. It is so significant and so important that we choose to forgive those who sin against us that God will allow us suffer the effects of not forgiving others in order that we are motivated to forgive. It's that important. We will be more motivated to forgive when we realise the harm it is doing to us by choosing not to forgive.
POINT
There is point in the Lord's Prayer when we pray 'Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us'
Jesus follows on by saying that if we forgive others, God will forgive us. But if we do not forgive others, God will not forgive us either.
= our relationship with God is affected if we choose to withhold forgiveness towards others.
ILLUSTR - UNFORGIVENESS
There are some truly horrible insects too. Wasps are my least favourite. Some of them lay their eggs inside caterpillars. And when they hatch they eat their from the inside of the caterpillar out!
POINT
This is similar to the effect of something in our sinful human nature that stems from our unwillingness to forgive others when they hurt us or sin against us.
It's not enough that someone does us harm. The problem is that when we refuse to forgive others they continue to do us harm, because unforgiveness is like an insidious creature that eats us from the inside out.
ANECDOTE -- Forgiveness -- Jim Dixon -- 1987 Enniskillen bomb - forgave
YEAH BUT -- [Not always able to forgive straight away]
APPLIC
Forgiveness is a choice
THE POWER OF FORGIVING OURSELVES
Torment/torture.
Until we forgive ourselves we are in danger of doing further damage to ourselves and to the lives of others.
We close ourselves off from the grace and love of God because we keep telling ourselves we don't deserve it.
APPLIC
Blocking spiritual growth.
CLOSING
Returning to the story:
15 yr old Tony Hicks (now serving 25 years)
Tony Hicks asked forgiveness
Grandfather wanted to meet the family and give condolences
Tariq's father felt suicidal. Considered what had been said. Decided to go down the road of forgiveness.
He saw that there victims at both ends of the gun
He decided to form a Foundation in his son's name and wanted it to be focused on preventing violence.
He rang Tony Hicks grandfather and asked for his help.
They got together and for over ten years now they have been going around schools talking to children about choices, revenge and forgiveness.
Tariq's grandfather reasoned:
'It is natural to want revenge, but will it bring Tariq back? Instead of revenge I chose forgiveness and reached out to Tony's grandfather.
The Account reads:
'This has developed unity, love and an amazing bond.
It is now 13 years into his 25 year sentence. But there is a job waiting for him when he gets out of prison with Tariq's dad!'
Hebrews 12:15
See to it that no-one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.
Grace available. Choose to forgive.
PRAYER TIME TO CLOSE
