February 7 2016 The Word Of Forgiveness

THE WORD OF FORGIVENESS

Luke 23:33-43

Verse 34 – Jesus said, “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.

THE PROBLEM WITH SOCIETY

-We try to bury the past.

Psalm 32 – When I refused to confess my sins, I was weak and miserable.

-We beat ourselves up.

Psalm 30 – Because I was foolish, I’m bent over and bowed down, I’m sad all day long.

-We try to blame others.

Proverbs19:3 – Some people ruin themselves by their own stupid actions and then blame the Lord.

TRUTHS TO HELP US

1. Forgiveness begins with God.

Verse 34 – “Father.”

Romans 3:23 – All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Romans 5:8 – But God demonstrates His own love for us in this, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

2. Forgiveness is possible because of Christ.

Verse 34 – “Forgive them.”

Hebrews 4:14 – Therefore since we have a great High Priest who has gone into heaven, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence so we may receive mercy and find grace to help in our time of need.

Isaiah 53:12 – He bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors.

3. Forgiveness is needed by all.

Verse 34 – “They do not know what they are doing.”

2 Corinthians 5:19 – That God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them.

4. This prayer sets an example for us.

Matthew 5:44 – But I tell you love your enemies.

WHAT JESUS WANTS US TO DO

-Admit our guilt.

Proverbs 20:27 – The Lord gave us a mind and a conscience, we cannot hide from ourselves

1 John 1:8 – If we claim to be without sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

-Accept responsibility.

Psalm 51:3 – I recognize my faults. I am conscious of my sin.

James 5:16 – Admit your faults to one another and pray for each other so that you may be healed.

1 John 1:9 – If we freely admit that we have sinned, we find God utterly reliable.  He forgives your sins and makes us thoroughly clean from all that is evil.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

-God forgives instantly.

Isaiah 55:7 – God is merciful and quick to forgive.

-God forgives completely.

Colossians 2:13 – He forgave us all our sins.

-God forgives freely.

Ephesians 1:7 – For by the death of Christ, we are set free.

July 20 2014 Dealing With Difficult People

God on Film (Planet of the Apes) Dealing With Difficult People 

5 kinds of difficult Apes

1. The Hostile Ape.
2. The Know It All Ape.
3. The Complainer Ape.
4. The Back stabber Ape.
5. The Unreliable Ape.

• The Story of Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10)

“Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was one of the most influential Jews in the Roman tax-collecting business, and he had become very rich.” - Luke 19:1-2

WHEN FACED WITH A DIFFICULT PERSON, I SHOULD...

1. DETERMINE GOD’S PURPOSE FOR THE RELATIONSHIP.

Luke 19:3-5“[Zacchaeus] tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowds. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree beside the road, so he could watch from there. When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. ‘Zacchaeus!’ he said.”

God allows difficult people in my life so He can...

• ŽUse Me
• Show Me
• Grow Me

James 1:2-4“Whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.”

2. DECIDE to respond with kindness. .

Luke 19:5-7 “‘Quick, come down! For I must be a guest in your home today.’ Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. But the crowds were displeased. ‘He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,’ they grumbled.”

Galatians 5:22-23 “But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

3. DON’T Avoid the real issue .

Luke 19:8 “Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, ‘I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have overcharged people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!’”

2 Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”

4. DEVELOP Jesus’s heart for people. .

Luke 19:9-10 “Jesus responded, ‘Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a son of Abraham. And I, the Son of Man, have come to seek and save those like him who are lost.’”

Matthew 5:44-46(Jesus) “But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven….If you love only those who love you, what good is that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much.”

1 John 4:11 “ Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other.”

February 16 2014 Becoming A More Loving Person

BECOMING A MORE LOVING PERSON

Galatians 5:22 –But the fruit of the Spirit is Love.

Misconceptions About Love:

• Love is a feeling.
• Love is uncontrollable.

Facts About Love:

• Love is a choice.

Colossians 3:14 – Over all these virtues, put on love which binds them all together in perfect unity.

• Love is a matter of conduct.

1 John 3:18 – Let us not love with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth.

Five Steps to Becoming a Loving Person:

Step One – Experience God’s love.

Ephesians 3:17-18 – I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts, living within you, as you trust in Him May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love, and may you be able to feel and understand, as all God’s children should, how long, how wide, how deep and how high His love really is and to experience His love for yourself.

1 John 4:19

Step Two – Forgive your enemies.

Colossians 3:13 – Forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.

Step Three – Think loving thoughts.

Philippians 2:4-5 – Don’t just think about your own affairs, but be interested in others too, and in what they are doing. Your attitude should be the kind that was shown us by Christ Jesus.

A fact of life: Hurt people hurt people.

Step Four – Act in loving ways.

Luke 6:27-28 – Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

Four Ways To Act Lovingly:

• Overlook their faults.
• Do good to them.
• Bless them.
• Pray for them.

1 Corinthians 13

Step Five – Expect the best.

1 Corinthians 13:2 – You will always believe in Him, always expect the best of Him.

Taking the First Step

• Remember God loves you.

John 3:16 – For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him, shall have everlasting life.

• Repent and turn to God.

Acts 3:19 – Repent then, and turn to God.

• Trust Jesus for forgiveness and power.

John 1:12 – All who received Him, He gave the power to become children of God.

November 13 2011 Love That Lasts

Love That Lasts

Isa. 54:8 - I will show you my love forever, so say the Lord who saves.

John 15:12 - I command you to love each other in the same way that I love you.

Col. 3:14 – Over all these virtues put on love which binds them all together in perfect unity.

I John 3:18 – Let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

Five Steps To Making Love Last:

Step One: Experience God’s love.

Eph. 3:17 -18 -I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts, living within you, as you trust in Him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love, and may you be able to feel and understand, as all God's children should, how long, how wide, how deep and how high His love really is and to experience His love for yourself.

I John 4:19 - We love because he first loved us.

Step Two: Forgive your enemies.

Col. 3:13 – Forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.

Step Three: Think loving thoughts.

Phil. 2:4-5 – Don't just think about your own affairs, but be interested in others too, and in what they are doing. Your attitude should be the kind that was shown us by Christ Jesus. 

A Fact Of Life: Hurt people hurt people.

Step Four: Act in a loving way.

Luke 6:27-28 – Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

Four Ways To Act Lovingly:
 

• Love your enemies
• Do good
• Bless those who curse you
• Pray for those who mistreat us

I Cor. 13

Step Five: Expect the best.

I Cor. 13:2 – You will always believe in Him, always expect the best of Him.

Taking the First Step:

Remember God loves you

John 3:16 – For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him, shall have everlasting life.

Repent

Acts 3:19 – Repent then, and turn to God.

Trust Jesus

John 1:12 – All who received Him, He gave the power to become children of God.

April 3 2011 The Word Of Healing

THE WORD OF HEALING

(John 19:28-30)
(Verse 28 – I thirst.)

1. Truth it was the cry of a human being.

(John 1:1 – In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.)

(John 1:14 – The Word became flesh and lived for awhile among us.)

(Hebrews 2:18 – Because He Himself suffered when)

(He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted.)

2. Truth it was a cry for the human race.

(II Cor. 5:14 – Because we are convinced that One (Christ) died for all.)

(Heb. 4:15 – For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have One who has been tempted in every way, just as we are, yet was without sin.)

(I Peter 5:7 – Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.)

3. Truth every person needs to respond.

(Matthew 25:37 – Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give You something to drink? And He will tell them, I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you were doing it to Me.)

(Prov. 25:21 – If your enemies are hungry, give them food to eat. If they are thirsty give them water to drink.)

4. Truth we can drink freely from Christ.

(John 7:38 – He who believes on Me out of him shall flow rivers of living water.)

(Psalm 63:1 – O God, you are my God and I long for You. My whole being desires You. Like a dry, worn out, and waterless land, my soul is thirsty for You.)

(Isaiah 53:4-5- He took our suffering on Himself and felt our pain for us. He was wounded for the wrong we did and crushed for the evil we did. The punishment which made us well was given to Him and we are healed because of His wounds.)

(John 7:37-38 – On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds. “If you are thirsty, come to Me!” “If you believe in Me, come and drink, for the Scriptures declare that rivers of living water will flow out from within.”)