Discipleship: Forgiveness The FIRST Key to Freedom!

The First Church: Acts 2:37-47 Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. “For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.” And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation!” So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favour with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Jesus forgives, God the Father forgives 1. Forgiveness and God’s justice go hand in hand 2. What did God’s justice do for us? For you and me? 1. While we were yet sinners 2. His sacrifice 3. “Father forgive them” 3. Key points: 1. God’s justice demanded that mankind’s sin was brought to judgement before His Throne – that happened at the Cross of Calvary as part of God’s Divine plan 2. The ONLY way was for someone innocent and without sin, to pay for the guilty – the guilty could not pay for the guilty – Jesus Christ was the ONLY sinless human who was able to stand before God on behalf of mankind 3. Jesus paid the price for sinful mankind for all time - ONCE for ALL! 4. He now rules over all authority and power at the right hand of the Father in heaven 5. To avail yourself of this you must come to the Father on the basis of this finished work, believing it to be true, and ask for His forgiveness for your sin inviting Jesus to be your Lord and Saviour 6. This personal act releases for you all the benefits of the work of the Cross! 7. Receiving His forgiveness with thanks brings you into direct relationship with Father, Son and Holy Spirit

We are called to Forgive 1. To grow as a Christian and as a disciple of Jesus we need to forgive too 2. Unforgiveness locks us up and prevents God answering prayer 3. It locks us in to: 1. Fear 2. Anger 3. Resentment 4. Hatred 4. Unforgiveness robs us of: 1. Peace 2. Joy 3. Love 4. Relationship 5. Spontaneity 6. Freedom 5. He who loves much 1. Nothing can separate us from His love 2. This is love 3. No-one can say they love

How do we do that? 1. Honesty is central to any dealing with God 2. Captives cannot free captives! You may need help. 3. There are three dimensions to forgiveness 1. Others 2. Yourself 3. God 4. Forgiveness starts with a decision to do it – feelings come later!

Let’s do it! 1. Write down on a piece of paper 1. Those you are going to forgive now 2. Those you will have to deal with later or need help to forgive 2. Quietly, while the worship team plays 1. Go through one at a time those on your list in prayer before God acknowledging what they did and telling the Lord that you have decided to forgive them for His sake, for their sake, and for your sake – pray from your heart in your own words something like: 1. “Heavenly Father I acknowledge before You that …name…. Did wrong by ….what they did…. And that this hurt me deeply. I acknowledge that I have been …angry, fearful, resentful and hated them… for it. 2. I now before your Throne in Heaven have decided to forgive them and cancel the debt that …name… owes me and chose to no longer count that against them. Will you forgive me for the way I have behaved to them as a result and help me to put the relationship right again if at all possible?” 3. Now forgive yourself as God has forgiven you – tell the Lord you are willing to forgive yourself and then do it! 4. Also tell God about anything you have felt about Him – thinking that He had ….abandoned you… allowed them to get away with it…or anything else you felt that God had done that was not right… and ask Him to forgive you for blaming Him for being something He is not and has not done! 5. Once you have finished come to the front and put the piece of paper in the bucket which will be burnt up at the end of the service.

The Priestly Blessing - Numbers 6:24–27 (NASB95) 24The L ORD bless you, and keep you; 25The L ORD make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you; 26The L ORD lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace.’