What do you believe? It’s important to know because everyone believes something. And as followers of Jesus, what we believe is at the core of who we are and what we do. That’s why what you believe matters. So, what do you believe?
Message slides:
- "You yourselves, as living stones, a spiritual house, are being built to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." - 1 Peter 2:5
- "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy." - 1 Peter 2:9,10
- "For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, will multiply teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear what they want to hear." - 2 Timothy 4:3
- The Church is "A" people
- The Church is historical, global, and local
- The Church is those professing Jesus, following Jesus, and fulfilling the mission of Jesus
We Believe Series Week 6 8/14/2022
Pastor Andrew Smith: Forgiveness
Eph 4:30-32 Matthew 18:21-22
Principle: Life is in the ability to receive and give forgiveness.
1.We worship a forgiving God. He has given us the capacity to forgive. What truths in Psalms 86:5 encourage us to trust Him to help receive and give forgiveness?
1.The Nicene Creed says, “We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.“ What do we believe about baptism for the forgiveness of sins according to Romans 6:4?
2.Finish the sentence: “What we do NOT believe is that the act of baptism forgives our ______.
3.Matthew 18:21-22 lists the increasingly debilitating symptoms of unforgiveness in our emotional and spiritual life. Why does God list them in this order?
4.Think of unforgiveness as a genetic defect from our old nature, also known as our sin nature. What prescription for the condition of unforgiveness has God provided according to Eph. 4:32?
Principle: Forgiveness is a choice
5.How does Matt 18:22 support the “just as in Christ, God forgave you” part of Eph. 4:32?
6.Through whom and what are we enabled to forgive those we just can’t forgive? (John 6:63.)
7.It is difficult to follow Jesus’ commandment to forgive others on an ongoing basis (Matt. 18:22) How does the parable Jesus tell in Matt. 18:23-35 show us how serious the matter of unforgiveness is to God?
8.From Eph. 4:30, explain what it means to grieve the Holy Spirit. (Think about how we hurt for those we love: we love them, counsel them, instruct them, warn them, and then they still make bad decisions that hurt them.)
9.Why does the Holy Spirit enable us when we choose to forgive ourselves and others, and what is the benefit of continually making those choices? (John 10:10)
Personal response
According to Romans 6:4, I have been forgiven of every sin, past, present and future, and I have new life in Christ. How fully do I believe this? What business do I need to do with God in order to embrace my forgiveness and new life in Christ?
Who do I need to forgive and for what? Why do I need to extend this forgiveness? How many times am I going to forgive?
For what I need to forgive myself? Why do I need to forgive myself? How do I go about forgiving myself? How many times will I extend myself forgiveness?
