Hope That I Can Forgive and be Forgiven Series: Christmas Hope December 23, 2012 Mike Newman, Senior Pastor December 2, 2012... Hope When God Seems Silent December 9, 2012... Hope When Relationships and Life Fall Apart December 16, 2012... Hope That My Life Matters December 23, 2012... Hope That I Can Forgive and be Forgiven Check out Matthew 1:18-2:23 and Luke 1-2 for the biblical account of Jesus birth. Matthew 1:18 21 (NLT) 18 This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. 19 Joseph, her fiancé, was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly. 20 As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. Joseph, son of David, the angel said, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. Romans 3:10 (NLT) 10 As the Scriptures say, No one is righteous not even one. Romans 3:23 (NLT) 23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God s glorious standard. Romans 5:6 8 (NLT) 6 When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. 7 Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. 8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.. Psalm 32:1 5 (NLT) 1 Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! 2 Yes, what joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! 3 When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. 4 Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. 5 Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, I will confess my rebellion to the LORD. And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. 1 John 1:9 (NLT) 9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. Acts 4:12 (NLT) 12 There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved. John 14:6 (NLT) 6 Jesus told him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. 1 Timothy 2:5 (NLT) 5 For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity the man Christ Jesus. Five Truths: Jesus came for a purpose. He came to save us from our sins. 1) Every one of us has a. See Romans 3:10 and Romans 3:23 2) God for our sin problem through Jesus Christ. See Romans 3:10 and Romans 3:23 3) God followers of Jesus for every sin when they confess and repent of their sins. It is important to understand the difference between Salvation Forgiveness and Relational Forgiveness. See Psalm 32:1-5 and 1 John 1:9 God promises to forgive us! Two Important Conditions of God s Forgiveness: a) God s promise of forgiveness is only for those who are. See Acts 4:12, John 14:6, 1 Timothy 2:5, Ephesians 2:8-9, John 1:12, and Romans 10:9-10 God s forgiveness can only be experienced through a relationship with Jesus. b) God s promise of forgiveness requires. See 1 John 1:9
Ephesians 2:8 9 (NLT) 8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. John 1:12 (NLT) 12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. Romans 10:9 10 (NLT) 9 If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. Psalm 86:5 (NLT) 5 O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help. Psalm 103:8 12 (NLT) 8 The LORD is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. 9 He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. 10 He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. 11 For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. 12 He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. Psalm 130:3 4 (NLT) 3 LORD, if you kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive? 4 But you offer forgiveness, that we might learn to fear you. Hebrews 10:17 (NLT) 17 Then he says, I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds. 1 John 1:9 (NLT) 9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. Hebrews 4:14 16 (NLT) 14 So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. 15This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. 16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. Colossians 3:13 (NLT) 13 Make allowance for each other s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Matthew 6:14 15 (NLT) 14 If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins. Ephesians 4:31 32 (NLT) 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. 4) We need to choose to of forgiveness and live in the grace He offers to us. See Psalm 86:5, Psalm 103:8-12, Psalm 130:3-4, Hebrews 10:17, 1 John 1:9, Hebrews 4:14-16 Here is what we learn from these Scriptures about God s forgiveness: God is ready to forgive and doesn t do it reluctantly. God is compassionate, merciful, and filled with love toward us. God doesn t give us what we deserve. God doesn t constantly accuse us and keep throwing things up in our face after He forgives us. God doesn t deal with us harshly or punish us for all our sins. God chooses to not dwell on our sins and He removes them from His mind as far as the east is from the west. God forgives us every time we ask Him to forgive us regardless of how big the sin or how often we have sinned against Him. Experiencing God s forgiveness will change your life. 5) God s should be the basis and motivation for us to forgive others. See Colossians 3:13, Matthew 6:14-15 and Ephesians 4:31-32 Two Important Things to Keep in Mind: a) Remember that forgiveness is something you. b) Choose to forgive because you have been instead of forgiving them based on whether they deserve to be forgiven. Christmas is a time to celebrate the amazing truth that Jesus came to save us from our sins! For more information about what it means to begin a relationship with Jesus or what to do after making a decision to follow Him, stop at Guest Central in the lobby following the service or call the church office at 717.762.7147 to set up an appointment. You may also learn more about what it means to follow Jesus and/or request materials and find additional information to help you on your spiritual journey by clicking Jesus on our website at www.otterbeinchurch.org
Jesus came for a purpose. He came to save us from our sins.
1) Every one of us has a sin problem.
2) God provided a solution for our sin problem through Jesus Christ.
3) God promises to forgive followers of Jesus for every sin when they confess and repent of their sins.
Salvation Forgiveness is the forgiveness we receive from God when we choose to begin a relationship with Jesus.
Relational Forgiveness is the forgiveness we receive from God on an ongoing basis after we become a follower of Jesus that allows our relationship with God to remain strong and intimate.
a) God s promise of forgiveness is only for those who are followers of Jesus.
God s forgiveness can only be experienced through a relationship with Jesus.
b) God s promise of forgiveness requires confession and repentance.
4) We need to choose to accept God s promise of forgiveness and live in the grace He offers to us.
God is ready to forgive and doesn t do it reluctantly. God is compassionate, merciful, and filled with love toward us. God doesn t give us what we deserve. God doesn t constantly accuse us and keep throwing things up in our face after He forgives us. God doesn t deal with us harshly or punish us for all our sins.
God chooses to not dwell on our sins and He removes them from His mind as far as the east is from the west. God forgives us every time we ask Him to forgive us regardless of how big the sin or how often we have sinned against Him.
Experiencing God s forgiveness will change your life.
5) God s forgiveness of our sins should be the basis and motivation for us to forgive others.
a) Remember that forgiveness is something you do and is not a feeling.
b) Choose to forgive because you have been forgiven by God instead of forgiving them based on whether they deserve to be forgiven.
Christmas is a time to celebrate the amazing truth that Jesus came to save us from our sin.