#8 (The
“Remember” Series)
“REMEMBER
FORGIVENESS!”
TEXT: Matt.
5:21-26
INTRO: The biggest problems
among Christians that can hinder a proper witness of Christ’s love are the
myriad small things that often go unforgiven! It is rarely the big issues that go
unforgiven; it is usually a host of little things that rub us the wrong way that
we cling to. All this irritation
and unforgiveness builds up and creates a wall in relationships. At the base however of spirituality is
not how well we learn doctrines or how well we learn to properly worship or even
how well we follow religious guidelines, it is how MUCH LIKE JESUS WE ARE, AND
THIS INCLUDES BEING FORGIVEN AND FORGIVING others!
There will always be sources of
irritations to distract us from loving others, we need to grow up and learn to
forgive or we will miss out on what it really means to be spiritual! It is impossible to be spiritual without
experiencing forgiveness, both accepting it and giving it
unconditionally!
ILLUS: A MAN WHO
WORKED IN THE POST OFFICE HAD A GROUCHY OLD MAN COME IN ONE DAY. THE OLD GROUCH ASKED THE POSTAL WORKER IF
HE WOULD PLEASE WRITE OUT FOR HIM A POST CARD. THE OLD GROUCH INSTRUCTED HIM WHAT TO
WRITE AND HOW TO ADDRESS THE POST CARD. AFTER SPENDING QUITE SOME TIME WRITING
OUT IN FULL THE MESSAGE THE MAN WANTED WRITTEN THE POST OFFICE WORKER ASKED, “IS
THERE ANYTHING ELSE I CAN DO FOR YOU SIR?” THE OLD GROUCH LOOKED AT THE CARD AND
SAID, “YES, COULD YOU ADD A P.S. AND WRITE: ‘PLEASE EXCUSE THE SLOPPY
HANDWRITING!”’ IT IS THE MYRIAD OF THINGS LIKE THIS THAT BUILD UP IN OUR HEARTS
WITH UNFORGIVENESS THAT ROB US OF BEING LIKE JESUS! – SOURCE UNKNOWN
We tend to put lots of energy in being
busy for the Lord and learning Scripture and how to praise and worship, but we
need first to learn to be like Christ in forgiveness and then the other stuff
will find their proper expression and meaning!
PROP SENT: The Bible teaches that nothing is
as important as being in right relationship with God and each other, not even
our worship and gifts mean much to God if we are harboring unforgiveness towards
others. The root of spirituality is
more about WHAT WE ARE that it is what we DO!
I. CALLOUS CHARACTER
A. Perpetrator
1. Everyone clearly understands the
judgment that falls on those guilty of really big
sins!
a. Ironically, it is easier for most
people to forgive big transgressions than it is the host of little ones that
build up over time!
b. Those that are clearly guilty of
big sins will usually not go unpunished, and everyone clearly applauds
this!!!
2. But Jesus is about to make an
important point, while we may applaud those people who are punished for evil
sins like murder there is a hidden
murderer in all of us if we continue to hold grudges and anger towards
others!
a. This changes the whole concept of
“taking joy” in punishing guilty people who have committed the “big”
sins!
b. While murder as a crime is over
quickly, anger and unforgiveness in the heart can continue to cause injury long
term!
3. NOTHING is more important to God
than our being in right relationship with HIM and EACH
OTHER!
a. No style of worship is more
important!
b. No doctrinal creed is more
important!
c. No tithe is more
important!
d. No religious association is more
important, etc.
B. Petty
1. Jesus now spells this out clearly,
anyone who harbors hate or anger toward his brother is just as guilty as the
out-right murderer!
a. This is pretty straight forward
stuff!
b. This should sure change the self
righteous attitude we have toward those who have committed horrible crimes, or
more likely, it should change the way we feel about ourselves and all the petty
things we fail to forgive others for!
2. Life is too short to build up a
list of all the things people have done against us, things we will be sure to
remember so we can get even or treat them badly for it in the future
sometime!
3. Jesus’ point here is simple; sin
begins in the heart long before it becomes an outward act, that’s why
forgiveness is a must for God’s people, it keeps the heart from getting
cluttered with the seeds of sin!
ILLUS: THE STORY
IS TOLD OF 2 BUDDHIST MONKS WHO WERE WALKING THROUGH A THUNDERSTORM WHEN THEY
CANE TO A SWOLLEN STREAM. AT THE
STREAM WAS A BEAUTIFUL YOUNG JAPANESE WOMAN IN A KIMONO TRYING TO
4. As Christians, we are quick to
condemn the sins of our society, things like homosexuality, murder, stealing,
adultery, etc. Yet, how many of
God’s people run around holding grudges and anger in their hearts toward
others? IF WE DO WE ARE JUST AS
GUILTY!!!
a. Jesus had in mind a crowd of Jews,
some of which may have contained the very religious Pharisees and
others.
b. In this audience were very
religious and sincere people, people who claimed to be God’s people, they were
good at praying, tithing, helping the poor, faithful to God’s house, well versed
in Scripture, they knew how to sing and praise, the protocols of worship,
etc.
c. But they were just as wicked as the
hard line criminals if they harbored unforgiveness and anger toward their
brothers!
5. The Pharisees were good at being
petty toward others … and so can we!
a. Jesus was the model, He certainly
did condemn sin but He also sought to forgive sinners!
b. Even when He was cruelly mistreated
He did not retaliate or hold grudges, He forgave freely and so should
we!
c. Chances are we are in church with a
plethora of grudges and petty things we are holding onto towards others, and
then we wonder why it is hard to worship in freedom!
II. CONDUCT & “CHARISMATA”
A. Praise!
1. The picture here is one of a
worshiper who has come to praise God, bringing a gift, probably a gift of
thanksgiving.
a. This was the usual picture of a
good worshiper of that day, to come to God’s house prepared to worship and
praise the Lord!
b. The man is not put down as a
false worshiper, but Jesus is pointing out an important aspect here about
praise and worship, that it means nothing to God if we aren’t in right
fellowship with one another!
2. This is a strong point, and how
many Christians in this country right now are finding it hard to enjoy worship
and feel like their praise is acceptable to God because they are harboring
grudges toward brethren somewhere!
3. Giftedness means
nothing to God without Godliness!
a.
b. We can be gifted in the church, but
if we are harboring unforgiveness in our hearts our gifts mean nothing to God!
He would rather have us leave our
gifts at the altar and take care of the relationship issues and then come back
and offer those gifts!
4. Worship and praise take a back
seat to love, the reason being is that worship and praise is not real when we
are in broken relationships, we are then just pretending to love when we really
aren’t!
a. This was precisely the problem with
the Pentecostal church in
b. Hence 1
Cor. 13 – even if they spoke in tongues and prophesied but had no love
they were only making noise to God!
5. There is NO substitute for right
relationships in God’s mind. His
character is to forgive freely, and if we call ourselves “Christians” then so
must our character be like Christ to forgive freely!
a. It is not easy I know, but it is a
must!
b. It is much easier to learn to
worship and praise, to memorize and tithe, but to forgive is
divine!
ILLUS: THOSE WHO
LEARN TO LOOK LIKE CHRISTIANS WITHOUT PRACTICING THE TOUGH STUFF WE ARE CALLED
TO LIKE FORGIVENESS ARE LIKE COUNTERFEIT MONEY. COUNTERFEIT MONEY CAN BE MADE TO LOOK
LIKE THE REAL THING, IT CAN EVEN CIRCULATE THROUGH SOCIETY AND BE USEFUL FOR A
WHILE, BUT IT LACKS IN REAL AUTHORITY BECAUSE IT IS NOT THE REAL ARTICLE!
EVENTUALLY IT WILL BE SEEN FOR WHAT
IT REALLY IS – WORTHLESS! THE
PHARISEES WERE LIKE THIS; THEY LOOKED GOOD IN CHURCH
(
B. Priority!
1. Jesus makes very clear here the
priority He places on right relationships!
2. There can be little doubt about
what Jesus was saying, leave the gifts behind and take care of loving one
another, THEN come offer your gifts!
a. Jesus did not deprecate gifts at
all, in fact, His point was to make gifts more beautiful and important by this
instruction!
b. Gifts are appreciated more when
they come from loving hearts than from grudging
ones!
3. A gift will be spurned by others if
it is given out of any other motive than love!
4. There is simply no other way to
interpret here what Jesus is saying, He places a high priority on love and
forgiveness!
a. After all, the issue was that this
man had someone he was not in right relationship with, and this needed to be
repaired above all things.
b. PRAISING AND WORSHIPING GOD IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR BEING
RIGHT WITH ONE ANOTHER!
c. This same concept is found in the
communion passage in 1 Cor.
5. You can tell your kids HOW to pray,
HOW to worship, HOW to study the Bible, etc., but you must show them HOW TO FORGIVE AND LOVE
OTHERS, TO BE CHRIST LIKE or it won’t make much an impact on
them!
ILLUS: ONE LITTLE
BOY TAUGHT HIS MOM THIS POINT ... AS HE WAS PRAYING ONE NIGHT AS HIS MOM HAD
TAUGHT HIM, “NOW I LAY ME DOWN TO SLEEP, I PRAY THE LORD MY SOUL TO KEEP, IF I
SHOULD DIE BEFORE I WAKE ... IF I SHOULD DIE BEFORE I WAKE …” THIS KEPT RUNNING
THROUGH HIS MIND AND HE SUDDENLY STOPPED HIS PRAYER AND RAN DOWNSTAIRS TO HIS
MOTHER’S SURPRISE! A FEW MINUTES
LATER HE CAME BACK UP AND AGAIN KNELT AT THE BED LOOKING AT HIS CONFUSED MOTHER.
“DANNY,” SHE SAID, “YOU SHOULDN’T
STOP TALKING TO GOD IN THE MIDDLE OF YOUR PRAYER AND RUN AWAY, THAT’S NOT NICE,
WHAT IN THE WORLD DID YOU DO?” DANNY THEN EXPLAINED, “MOM, I THOUGHT
ABOUT WHAT I WAS PRAYING AND IT HIT ME, I HAD PUT MY BROTHER TED’S WOODEN
SOLDIERS ALL ON THEIR HEAD INSTEAD OF THEIR FEET LIKE TED HAD PLACED THEM JUST
TO MAKE HIM MAD IN THE MORNING WHEN HE SAW IT ... THEN I HEARD MYSELF PRAYING
“IF I SHOULD DIE BEFORE I WAKE ...” AND I THOUGHT IF THAT HAPPENED I DIDN’T WANT
HIM TO REMEMBER ME IN ANGER SO I THOUGHT GOD WOULDN’T MIND WAITING FOR THE REST
OF THE PRAYER WHILE I UNDID WHAT I DID FIRST.” THE MOM SIMPLY RESPONDED WITH A QUIVER IN
HER VOICE, “YOU’RE RIGHT DEAR, GOD DOESN’T MIND ONE BIT!” IF ONLY WE COULD LEARN WHAT THIS LITTLE
BOY DISCOVERED – SOURCE UNKNOWN
a. The gifts are not condemned, only
the condition of the giver in the text.
Take care of the priority of relationships and then bring the
gifts!
b. Healthy relationships in a church
make the gifts of the Spirit even more powerful and their impact even greater,
and more appreciated!
III. CONCILIATORY OR CONSEQUENCES
A. Peacemaker
1. Jesus had earlier pronounced a “blessing on the
peacemakers” of this world.
2. His point here is that we should
settle matters quickly when we are at odds with someone, otherwise the wounds
fester and are harder to heal. The
likelihood of severe consequences increase with the length of time without
reconciliation!
a. The issue Jesus is making has to do
with settling things as soon as is possible.
b. This reduces the severity of the
consequences and may even keep those consequences from becoming reality if we
deal with things in a timely matter.
c. After all, this is the whole point
of salvation. If we accept Christ’s
forgiveness now in this life we will escape the ultimate consequences of
sin altogether!
d. Those who procrastinate however
will experience the full measure of the consequences of sin, eternal damnation
after they die!
3. It is
interesting here that Jesus ignores the whole issue of WHO IS RIGHT, His only
interest in the story is restored relationship! Thus it doesn’t matter who is right,
just that they are right with each other!
a. This is the role of the peacemaker,
those who don’t care who is right or not, just that things be made right between
people!
b. This is the problem with the U.N. –
they send in peacekeepers and they often fail in their mission because
the world needs peacemakers more than
peacekeepers!
c. You can’t keep peace where none has
been made! First we have to
reconcile the parties, peacemaking, and then we can continue
peacekeeping!
4. This is the one area of forgiveness
many Christians are weak on. They
might bring themselves to eventually forgive but they want to enjoy the anger
for a little while first, or at least make the other person suffer for a while
first!
a. The tragedy of this is that the
consequences of the broken relationship grows with the passing of time and anger
builds, hatred gets fixed in our hearts the longer we harbor it, thus it is
harder to get rid of later! We may
say unkind things to others and thus bring more people into the hurt that takes
more time to fix later!
b. God’s forgiveness is immediate and
sure and we must learn to do the same!
5. Wounds heal faster if they are
dressed immediately and the damage is contained when a heart attack victim gets
immediate care! This is true in the
spiritual realm as well!
a. We Christians sometimes want to
wait until we feel like God is telling us to do something about the
relationship, Jesus is telling us here –
DO SOMETHING! ... do it right away – don’t
wait!
b. How many times do we have to hear
this?
ILLUS: LIKE THE
MAN WHO ANGERED EVERYONE AT AN INTERSECTION. THE CARS WERE ALL WAITING FOR THE LIGHT
TO TURN GREEN SO THEY COULD GO. IT
FINALLY DID BUT THE MAN IN THE CAR AT THE LIGHT DIDN’T MOVE! AGAIN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN BUT HE
STAYED ... AND AGAIN AND AGAIN IT HAPPENED! FINALLY EVERYONE WAS MAD AND GOT OUT AND
ASKED THE MAN WHAT HE WAS DOING! HE
FINALLY RESPONDED, “WELL I JUST WANTED TO BE SURE THIS LIGHT REALLY DOES TURN
GREEN SO PEOPLE CAN GO, I TESTED IT SEVERAL TIMES JUST TO MAKE SURE.” (THIS IS NOT A TRUE STORY) OBVIOUSLY SOMEONE LIKE THIS WOULD BE
CONSIDERED CRAZY ... YET THIS IS WHAT WE DO WITH GOD AND HIS CALL FOR US TO
FORGIVE FREELY OTHERS. WE WAIT AND
WAIT FOR THAT GREEN LIGHT, AND EVEN WHEN GOD GIVES IT WE WAIT EVEN MORE TO MAKE
SURE IT IS REALLY A GREEN LIGHT. IN
THE MEANTIME, GREATER DAMAGE OCCURS TO THE RELATIONSHIP AND EVERYONE AROUND US
CONTINUES TO GET ANGRIER AND ANGRIER! – SOURCE UNKNOWN
B. Penalty
1. Consequences of sin are absolute,
there is real penalty for unforgiveness!
a. Jesus’ words here indicate the
sureness of penalty!
b. There is no end to the suffering of
unforgiveness.
2. Not only does the other person lose
out when we fail to forgive and reconcile, but Jesus clearly says here we are
the losers too!
a. “Two wrongs
don’t make one right!”
b. Damage is a sure thing where
tension and friction continue!
ILLUS:
3. Hence, Jesus’ strong words on
forgiveness, not an easy task to be sure, but a necessary
one!
a. It is not so much that people don’t
like Christ as much as it is they don’t like Christians – so for us, the more we
are really like Christ the more people will like
Christians!
b. We are to be like Christ, forgiving
freely, even as you have been forgiven freely!
CONCLUSION:
It is far easier to appear
spiritual than to be spiritual! The real impact of Christianity in this
world will not be how well we can defend doctrine, or even how well we can
worship! It will be how much we
have been transformed into the image of Christ. While it is important to receive Christ’s
forgiveness, it is equally important to remember to give it to others ...
REMEMBER FORGIVENESS!