Matthew 6:9-15 family drama. Forgiveness is about remembering, recognizing, and resting

1. THE GIFT OF
FORGIVENESS

2. Matthew 6:9-15 In this manner, therefore,
pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your
name. (10) Your kingdom come. Your will be
done On earth as it is in heaven. (11) Give us
this day our daily bread. (12) And forgive us
our debts, As we forgive our debtors. (13) And
do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us
from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom
and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
(14) "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.

3. A.Did you write an annual Christmas letter
this year?
B.What did your Christmas letter looks like
this year.
1. Was it an easy year or a hang-on-for-
dear-life kind of year?
2. Sometimes life packs such a wallop of
dramatic surprises that words don't
even begin to describe it
3. If you had a roller coaster kind of year,
you can take heart that you are not
alone!

4. B. The bible is filled with family drama
1. Adam and Eve effectively lost their two sons
when Cain's jealousy baited him to kill his
younger brother Abel.
2. Jealousy reared it's ugly headed again in
Jacob's family when the older brothers grew
tired of baby brother Joseph and sold him into
slavery and lied to cover their deed by telling
Dad that poor Joseph had been killed by wild
animals.
3. Moses married a woman of a different
ethnicity and his two siblings tried to stir the
people up against his leadership.
C. Devastation and drama! And that is only the
beginning of the Bible's list of family sagas.

5. D. Forgiveness played a key role in handling the family
drama.
1. When Cain killed Abel, God spoke with Cain before
the fatal decision, guiding him to understand how to
beat down the temptation within him (Genesis
4:7). Cain acted against God's counsel and took the
life of his brother. God banished Cain and put some
kind of mark on him so that others wouldn't decided
to enact their own justice and kill him.
2. God elevated Joseph to a position of power second
only to the Pharaoh and it was to Joseph that his
brothers eventually bowed and pled for mercy. Joseph
forgave his brothers (Genesis 50:19-21).
3. In Moses' family saga, Miriam bore the brunt of God's
discipline (assuming that she was more the instigator
behind the ruckus) and she turned leprous. Moses
prayed and begged God to heal her and have mercy
on her -- an expression of love and forgiveness.

6. E.Forgiveness is an emotional and
spiritual healing process that happens
between you and another person.
F.Reconciliation is a healing process
that takes place between you and that
person.
G.Sometimes we are not able to have the
reconciliation we would wish for, but
we are always called to forgive.
H.Forgiveness is related to three "R"
words.

7. A.We need to remember God's abundant grace
and the forgiveness He has granted us in spite
of our own sins.
B.We need to remember we too are in need of God's grace
and forgiveness- just like the person who offended us.
C.Ephesians 4:32 And be kind to one another,
tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ
forgave you.
D.1 John 1:9-10 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and
just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we
make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
E. Ecclesiastes 7:21-22 Also do not take to heart everything
people say, Lest you hear your servant cursing you. 22 For
many times, also, your own heart has known That even
you have cursed others.

8. E. We need to remember we once were in need of
forgiveness - Titus 3:1-7 Remind them to be
subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be
ready for every good work, (2) to speak evil of no one, to
be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. (3)
For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient,
deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in
malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. (4) But
when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward
man appeared, (5) not by works of righteousness which
we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us,
through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the
Holy Spirit, (6) whom He poured out on us abundantly
through Jesus Christ our Savior, (7) that having been
justified by His grace we should become heirs according
to the hope of eternal life.

9. A. You are important to God –
Zechariah 2:8 holds a visual image
we should keep fresh in our minds: For thus says
the LORD of hosts: "He sent Me after glory, to the
nations which plunder you; for he who touches you
touches the apple of His eye.
1. The phrase "the apple of His eye" is a term of
endearment.
2. But the phrase literally means you are held so
close to someone that you can see your own
reflection in the pupil of their eye.
3. God is holding you so near and dear to
Himself that if you look up, you will see your
reflection in His eyes!

10. B. We need to recognize our true
identity in Christ! 1 John 3:1-3
Behold what manner of love the Father has
bestowed on us, that we should be called
children of God! Therefore the world does not
know us, because it did not know Him. (2)
Beloved, now we are children of God; and it
has not yet been revealed what we shall be,
but we know that when He is revealed, we
shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He
is. (3) And everyone who has this hope in Him
purifies himself, just as He is pure.

11. A. At the end of the day, what's done is done. If I
trust that my heavenly Father sifted the pieces of
my life through His loving hands, then I must
come to the conclusion that He is ultimately able
to use the pain for good.
1. Romans 8:28 And we know that all things
work together for good to those who love
God, to those who are the called according to
His purpose.
2. We can choose to rest in His ability to set
things right. Easier said than done, but it will
grant us peace -- something a wounded soul
desperately needs!

12. B. The other aspect of His all-powerfulness that we should
rest in is His ability to meet out perfect justice.
1. Yet, there are things in life that are deeply wrong and
God wouldn't be a loving God if He didn't set a few
things straight.
2. Romans 12:17-21 Repay no one evil for evil. Have
regard for good things in the sight of all men. (18) If it is
possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably
with all men. (19) Beloved, do not avenge yourselves,
but rather give place to wrath; for it is written,
"Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. (20)
Therefore "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is
thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap
coals of fire on his head." (21) Do not be overcome by
evil, but overcome evil with good.
3. When you let God handle the matter, you can rest in
Him and be the gracious person He called you to be!

13. C. One last thought about forgiveness. Miriam isn't
mentioned much after her rebelling against Moses.
1. It seems as though she wasn't given the same place of
leadership she had once enjoyed.
2. God calls us to forgive.
3. But He doesn't require us to enter into some kind of
crazy-making cycle where we give trust to people who
haven't earned it.
4. Sometimes we can reconcile differences and enjoy the
same sweet fellowship as before the offense.
5. Sometimes we forgive, but the person never earns back
that place of trust.
6. That is okay -- it doesn't usually feel okay, but it is.
7. It is better to let go of expectations into the Father's
tender care than to hang them over someone else's
head and over your heart.

14. A. As the holidays approach and the stress of it all
brings out the sometimes not-so-very best in us
and our family members, consider how God might
be calling you to forgive and to perhaps let go of a
few expectations into His hands.
B. After all, forgiveness was the whole point of
Christ's birth, life and death!
C. Forgiving someone just might be the best present
you can give them.
D. Forgiving someone just might be the best present
you can give yourself.
E. Unwillingness to forgive does more damage to us
than it does to the offender.
F. We think we are punishing them by withholding
forgiveness but in reality it is we who suffer most.

16. TONIGHT’S SERMON
GIFTS WE ALL NEED