Sermon Series: “Unforgivable? How God’s forgiveness transforms lives”

Can there be forgiveness without reconciliation?

I.     Forgiveness is the washing away of sin, and never ___________________________ again (Jeremiah 31:34; Hebrews 8:12).  

A.  When I forgive another person, I do so as a person who has also been ___________________ by the work of Christ (Matthew 6:12; Ephesians 4:32).   

B.  Unforgiveness results in bitterness and ______________________ the faith we have in Christ (Matthew 6:14; 7:2; Ephesians 4:31).

II.    Reconciliation is restoration of the _______________________.

A.  Forgiveness and reconciliation happen simultaneously with God (2 Corinthians 5:19). 

1.  Your sins are washed away, you are forgiven.

2.  You are restored as a child of God in His kingdom (Luke 15:22-24; 18:13-14; 19:9). 

B.  But a forgiven child of God may not always experience reconciliation with the other people involved.

1.  A relationship may remain unreconciled due to an unwillingness to forgive, an inability to forgive, death, dementia, etc.   

a.  Anyone who refuses to reconcile ___________________their relationship with God (Matthew 6:14-15). 

b.  Such a person should not partake of the ______________________, because they can no longer bear witness as someone forgiven in Christ (Matthew 6:15; 1 Corinthians 5:11; Romans 16:17).

c.  When someone refuses to reconcile with you, you experience God’s own _______________ (Genesis 6:6; Ephesians 4:30-32).

2.  At those times, we find __________________ in the forgiveness and   reconciliation we have with God through Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:18-19).

III.   A forgiven and reconciled child of God will desire to be reconciled with  others (Matthew 6:12). 

A.  Worship is the first priority of a believer, and the first priority of a   worshipper is _____________________ (Matthew 5:23-24).  Why?

B.  When a relationship is broken, you are responsible to initiate reconciliation, but you are not responsible for the other person’s __________________ (Romans 12:18).

C.  Like us, _____________ does not have a perfect record when it comes to reconciliation (Matthew 25:41ff.; Acts 7:51; 1 Timothy 2:1-4).

IV.   Application.

A.  Have you forgiven someone, but reconciliation has not taken place?

B.  What are some ways you might encourage reconciliation

Sermon Series: “Unforgivable? How God’s forgiveness transforms lives”

What if I can’t forgive myself?

I.     “Is ___________________________ not good enough for you?” (1 John 1:7)

II.    The _______________ of self-forgiveness.

A.  You have made your own _______________________ more important than God’s. 

B.  You believe in your ____________________________ and not in God’s love and forgiveness. 

C.  In fact, you are making yourself out to be God, the ultimate _________________ (Exodus 20:3). 

III.   Forgiveness comes from _____________________ oneself, not from _____________________ oneself. 

A.  Faith comes by _____________________ (Romans 10:17).

B.  ____________________ confession and forgiveness (Matthew 18:18; John 20:22-23).

Sermon notes:

Humanity divided (John 3:14-21)

I.     Humanity united under God’s judgment (Genesis 3:17-19,23; Deuteronomy 27:26;  Romans 3:23; Galatians 3:10).

II.    ______________ response to God’s judgment.

A.  Our serpentine Savior (v.14; Genesis 3:14; Deuteronomy 21:22-23).

1.  He bears our _________________ (Galatians 3:13).

2.  Eternal life is a __________________ possession (vv.15-16)

B.  The Light has come into the world (v.19a).

III.   Our response to the Light: no __________________ ground (Matthew 10:34-37).

A.  _____________________ by the majority (v.19; Matthew 7:13).

1.  Condemnation __________________ and is self-chosen (vv.18b,19-20).

2.  Hatred of the Light (v.20; Psalm 69:4).

B.  _____________________ by the minority (v.21; Matthew 7:14).

1.  ______________________ condemnation (v.18a; Romans 8:1).

2.  Drawn to the Light (v.21).

IV.   Application:

A.  The world’s hatred is not ___________________ (v.20; John 15:18-25; Psalm 69:4).

B.  The world’s self-chosen fate moves us to pity, and God’s amazing love for the world moves us to ____________________________ (Matthew 23:37; Acts 7:60).

Sermon Series: “Unforgivable? How God’s forgiveness transforms lives”

What if they won’t repent?

I.     Unrepentance: what does it look like? 

A.  ______________________ oneself and, therefore, one’s sin (1 Samuel15:15).

B.  ______________________ others (1 Samuel 15:20-21). 

C.  Either we cling to our sin, or we cling to _______________ for mercy.

II.    Christians are to forgive as God does (Colossians 3:12-13). 

A.  Did He withhold forgiveness until you repented?

B.  When did God forgive you (Romans 5:8)?

III.   When we grant forgiveness, we may or may not announce that forgiveness to the unrepentant person.  Speaking that forgiveness depends on the context. 

A.  The question is not ____________________ you should forgive but ___________________ you should proclaim it to the offender. 

1.  Sometimes, _____________________ forgiveness is enough to break the unrepentant heart (Matthew 18:15). 

2.  At other times, the pronouncement must be ____________________ to assist in their repentance (Matthew 18:17-18a; John 20:23b).

B.  The goal is always the offender’s ____________________ to God (2 Timothy 2:24-26).

IV.   Therapeutic letter writing.   

Sermon notes:

R-E-S-P-E-C-T  (John 2:13-22)

I.     Respect:  acknowledging the _______________ and _______________ of another.

II.     location, location, location:  the Jerusalem Temple.

A.  ______________________ actions: buying and selling.

B.  ______________________ space: in the temple! (v.14).

1.  God’s __________________ dwelt there (1 Kings 9:3).

2.  It was the ______________ place God was to be worshipped (Deuteronomy 12:5-6).

III.   location, location, location:  Jesus replaces the temple . . .

A.  . . . with __________________________ (vv. 19, 21; Matthew 2:11; 14:33; Luke 17:16; John 4:21-23);

B.  . . . with __________________________ (1 Corinthians 12:27; Ephesians 5:25-32; 1 Peter 2:4-5).

C.  __________________ is the one place God is to be worshipped (John 4:21-23; 5:23; Philippians 2:10-11).

IV.   location, location, location:  respecting God today.

A.  ______________________ actions (Galatians 5:22-23; Ephesians 4:22-24).

B.  ______________________ space (1 Corinthians 6:9-11,15-20; Hebrews 10:23-25).

Sermon Series: “Unforgivable? How God’s forgiveness transforms lives”

The key to overcoming unforgiveness

I.     The ______________________ of unforgiveness.

A.  Our sense of justice (Romans 2:15).

B.  When justice is denied me, ___________________________ remains the one punishment I can inflict on my offender.

II.    The question for each of us: “Where is my ____________________?”

A.  “Fixing our eyes on Jesus” means ____________________________ from all others toward Him (Hebrews 12:2).

B.  Our many distractions: anger, lust, love of money, trying to _______________________________.

III.   Christ __________________________________ is the power for Christian living (Hebrews 12:1-2; 2 Peter 1:5-9).

A.  When I minimize my sin, I _______________________ the justifying work of Jesus for me.

B.  Do not burden yourself by trying to forgive and forget.  Instead, change how you _______________________ (Genesis 50:20; Ephesians 4:31-32;    Hebrews 12:3).

Sermon notes:

Stand by Me    (Mark 8:27-38)

I.     Rabbis teach by asking questions.

A.  The “___________________” question (v.27).

1.  Requires no personal commitment.

2.  “They” [all] answer (v.28).

B.  The “___________________” question (v.29a).

1.  The risk of a personal confession.

2.  Peter alone answers (v.29b).

II.    The Messiah’s work and our response.

A.  Jesus’ job description (v.31).

1.  Jesus _____________________ the Messiah’s role (cf. v.31, Isaiah 53).

2.  His _____________________ is the only way to break Satan’s hold on us (Matthew 26:52-56; Mark 1:24; 3:37).

3.  Peter gives Jesus the correct title (v.29b), but still has the wrong _________________________ (v.32), which is why Jesus commands silence for now (v.30).

B.  Our response.

1.  Confessing Christ.

a.  Confession has two meanings:

i.  to _____________________________ (2 Samuel 12:13; Luke 18:13);

Ii.  to _____________________________ (v.29b; John 1:20; Romans 10:9-10).

b.  Even bold confessors can be __________________________ (v.33).

2.  Jesus made the good confession before Pontius Pilate (Mark 15:2; 1 Timothy 6:13).

3.  Confessing Christ is ___________________ (1 Corinthians 12:3; 2 John 7ff.).

4.  Confessing Christ is ___________________ (vv.34-38; Mark’s context: Roman persecution).

5.  Luther’s great insight:  the Christian life is a flight from God the ___________________ to God the ___________________ (John 21:15-17; 2 Timothy 2: 11-13).

Sermon Series: “Unforgivable? How God’s forgiveness transforms lives”

“Am I in the place of God?” (Genesis 50:19)

I.     Anger is the new ___________________!

A.  Is anger required to produce positive change in society?

B.  Human anger, while not necessarily ____________________, is nevertheless __________________________ (Psalm 37:8; Ephesians 4:26-27). 

C.  What about “righteous” anger (Mark 11:15-19)?

1.  _______________________ can handle anger (Psalm 30:5; Jonah 4:2). 

2.  _______________________ must repent of it (Ephesians 4:31; James 1:20).

a.  To Jesus, being angry with and speaking insults against a fellow disciple is the same as ______________________ (Matthew 5:21-22).

b.  Extreme anger is a work of “the flesh” (Galatians 5:19-21).

c.  Unresolved anger leads to ______________________ (Hebrews 12:15).

II.    Am I in the place of God?

A.  Regarding ___________________________, the answer is “_____________” (Genesis 50:19-21; Deuteronomy 32:35).

B.  Regarding ___________________________, the answer is “_____________” (Matthew 18:18; John 20:23).

The Test (Mark 1:9-15)

I.     The ________________________ of testing.

A.  Professional exams (Medical Licensing; Law; CPA, etc.)

B.  Indiana BMV written/driving exams.

C.  Vetting prospective employees.

D.  Product quality. 

II.    “My son, do not despise _____________________________ of the Lord” (Proverbs 3:11; Hebrews 12:5).

A.  “Do you grow more spiritually when life is going well or when life is going not so well?”

B.  God chooses to rule creation through us (Genesis 1:26; 2:15).  Through tests, He teaches us to _____________________________ (Psalm 119:67,71).  

1.  Abraham (Genesis 12:1; 21:8-14; 22:1-19).

2.  Israel (Deuteronomy 8:2).

3.  Job (Job 1:6-12).

4.  Christ (Mark 1:12-13; 8:11; 14:32-42).

5.  ________________ (James 1:12; 1 Peter 4:12-13).

III.   Jesus passes every test ______________________. 

A.  Adam ______________________ the ministry of Christ (Romans 5:14c). 

B.  What Adam did affects everyone in a ________________________ way, leading to death, and what Jesus did affects everyone in a ___________________________ way, leading to life (Romans 5:12-21; 1 Corinthians 15:22; 2 Corinthians 5:19,21; Hebrews 4:15b)!