Sunday Morning Sermon

Preached by John Gaines at Leonard Street Church of Christ

March 30, 2003

1. Have you heard musicians tuning their instruments? It isn't a particularly pleasant sound . . . not to be compared with the music the same musicians and instruments make when they are playing a concert. An orchestra of professional musicians has the ability to make beautiful music when they play together in perfect harmony. However, instruments slip out of tune very easily. It's necessary for the musicians to take time and effort to make sure their instruments are ready before beginning a concert.

2. Human relationships can be like that. Our hearts get out of tune and there is discord rather than harmony in the way we get along with other people.

3. These discordant notes ruin the "beautiful music" (i.e., the example of godly Christianity) the church ought to be presenting to the world. Forgiveness is the "instrument tuning" we need to go through so that we get it right. Like the sound of an off-key instrument, the process of dealing with conflict is not always pleasant.

a. Feelings are hurt and feathers are ruffled.

b. Often there must be confrontation and honest discussion about problems.

c. When forgiveness takes place and harmony is restored, the picture we present is one of the teachings of the gospel working to improve lives and right wrongs. God's plan is best! We must always be willing to follow His way when that involves either seeking forgiveness or granting forgiveness to those who ask for it.

4. Matthew 18:21-22 (NKJV) Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" 22 Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. Jewish rabbis taught that a person could be forgiven three times, but no more. Peter was being generous, then, in offering to forgive his brother seven times. Jesus said, however, that there is no limit on forgiveness. Forgive him seventy times seven!

5. Luke 17:3-4 (NKJV) "Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 "And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive him."

a. Sin should be rebuked. Jesus never commands us to ignore sin and simply forgive those who wrong us without saying anything about it.

b. When a sinner repents, he should be forgiven.

c. We do not have the right to judge the sincerity of repentance.

6. How do we go about being a forgiving church? There are several steps in the process.

I. MAKE SURE OF YOUR OWN FORGIVENESS

A. Forgiveness from God

1. God is ready and eager to forgive any sin for which you have repented. [2 Peter 3:9 (NKJV) The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.]

2. We must forgive in order to be forgiven [Matthew 6:14-15 (NKJV) "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 "But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.]

B. Forgiveness from other people

1. Matthew 5:23-26 (NKJV) "Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 "leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 "Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. 26 "Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny. We have a responsibility to seek reconciliation in any relationship which has been hurt by sinful conduct. That is especially true if we are the ones guilty of the sin.

2. Confessing our sins and seeking forgiveness is a necessary step in bring about reconciliation [James 5:16 (NKJV) Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. ]

II. BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR FORGIVENESS

A. All Christians are forgiven sinners [1 John 1:6-8 (NKJV) If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.]

B. We must not take our forgiveness for granted [Colossians 1:12-13 (NKJV), ". . .giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,"]

III. CHOOSE TO FORGIVE AND KEEP ON FORGIVING.

A. Forgiving is a conscious choice of the will [Ephesians 4:32 (NKJV) And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.] Being forgiving is not an option for a Christian. It is a commandment given by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. We must forgive one another -- just as God in Christ has forgiven us.

B. Sometimes the heart is slow to follow the lead of the mind in forgiving. We may continue to struggle with hurt feelings because of a wrong we have suffered. The mind must keep reaffirming the fact that forgiveness has taken place. Whenever those bad attitudes raise their ugly heads, we tell ourselves, "No! This is the wrong way to think, because I have forgiven that sin." Albert Barnes wrote, "To forgive is to treat as though the offence was not committed—to declare that we will not harbor malice or treat unkindly, but that the matter shall be buried and forgotten." The mind must enforce that decision on the heart.

IV. DEAL WITH FEELINGS OF BITTERNESS AND RESENTMENT IN A CONSTRUCTIVE WAY.

A. Recognize bitterness living in your heart. Sometimes writing a journal helps bring these feelings to the surface where they can be treated.

B. Admit that bitter feelings are your problem, no matter what another person has done to you. Realize that you also need to repent and be forgiven for what you've harbored in your heart [Ephesians 4:31 (NKJV) Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.]

C. Pray for the Lord to help you overcome resentment [Philippians 4:6-7 (NKJV) Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.]

CONCLUSION

1. I know you join with me in the sincere desire to make this a thriving, growing church.

2. One of the foundation stones necessary to make that happen is insuring that right relationships exist among members of the body here. It is necessary that we be forgiving people . . . that anything which took place in the past be "buried and forgotten."

3. Invitation