LAST SUNDAY'S SERMON NOTES
Read Peter's preaching notes....
“Can Jesus Forgive Me?”
Micah 7:14-20; 1 Timothy 1:12-17
10/15/17
Can Jesus forgive me? Big question: look at carefully
For what I’ve done, or for who I am?
2nd easy: knock that out first: can God forgive me for who I am?
based on shame: something about you that’s bad: deserve people to look down on
maybe others will shame you, maybe shame self, but God never does
he made you! knew you long before born, knows you better than know self
God of both Psalm 139 & Isaiah 43: knows completely, fills him w/ delight
thought of you on cross: went there for you, because you’re worth it
may be hard to accept if others or self think worthless, treat like trash
but literally God’s honest truth
1st: Can Jesus forgive me for what I’ve done? question comes out of guilt
awareness that responsible for something bad
“bad guilt:” paralyzed, eats you up; “good guilt” leads you to do something about
Let’s be honest: all of us have done things God doesn’t like, even hates, furious about
but most people have one of two problems: actually opposites
don’t realize how deeply have angered God w/ what have done, damage we’ve done
too aware of how angered God: so much, too big to get over
question if Jesus can forgive more about 2nd problem, so let’s look at
Is it possible that we could do something too awful/horrible for God to forgive?
to answer, 1st have to define forgiveness: what does it mean to forgive? DD last year
“not counting someone’s wrongs against them”
doesn’t mean didn’t do anything wrong: can’t forgive if nothing wrong
also doesn’t mean pretend not a big deal: to forgive is to take wrong very seriously
but not to press charges, seek payback or revenge, hold grudge
to forgive is to absorb the damage yourself, not push it back onto person who did it
damage could be stolen goods, violation of personal integrity, emotional pain, etc
powerful example 2 yrs ago: family members after Emmanuel Baptist Church shootings
voices shook w/ rage & grief, but chose not to put anger on him
Can be tough to do: bigger the offense or wrong, harder it is
family member for me right now: would love to lay into, rip up one side & down other
practice all the ways can tell them how awful they are
struggling to forgive: would mean don’t hold what did/are doing against
trying to find way to deal w/ or resolve anger w/out laying it on them
hope I’m big enough person to do it
That’s the point: takes big person to forgive
strong enough character to absorb the wrong, deal w/ it themselves
forgiving one of most powerful, strongest things to do
example in Bible: son wished father dead, wanted half of money & left
spent it all, dirt broke, hit bottom, life in ruins
decided to crawl back home on hands & knees: maybe father would help a little
as soon as father saw coming, ran to welcome home, had big celebration
father big enough man to forgive & receive son
you’re perfectly capable of forgiving some things
someone took my shopping cart while in restroom: empty, but still
others a bit harder: depends on your strength of character
when kids 1st got licenses, each had “incident”
not happy about, but forgave: can joke about now
how about Halloween prank that goes bad? car or house damaged
hurts or kills loved one, like families of Mother Immanuel?
eventually, each of us will reach point when burden of forgiving is more than can carry
you could do things to me, I could to you, neither strong enough to absorb or forgive
Back to question: Is it possible to do something too awful/horrible for God to forgive?
word it another way:
is God big enough person to handle/absorb all the stuff we’ve done to him?
how strong of a character does he have? how much can he handle?
How big is God? challenge for us to realize how powerful/capable he is
anything we compare to him just doesn’t even come close: class of his own
no limit to what he can do: not just create & sustain, but personal character
but if have even slightest sense of how enormous beyond comprehension God is,
realize character always strong enough to carry every wrong & injustice,
pain and anger
Micah 7:18-19: dumps them into sea: but even bigger than ocean!
glad to have pity/ delight in showing mercy
Other way to look at: actually egotistical, conceited, full of self, to ask question
to think could do something greater than God’s ability to forgive
would have to mean you are more powerful than God
capable of doing something that is more than God can handle
whom do you think is more powerful: you or God?
if realize God is more powerful, and delight to show his love,
then can be absolutely convinced that he can forgive anything you do
no matter how bad, no matter how many times you do it
Paul: 1 Timothy 1:15-16: thought he was worst sinner of entire world
not just “God was even able to forgive me” but “forgave BECAUSE was worst”
so that when people looked at me & knew God forgave
would know he can forgive them too, wants to forgive them
proof: cross & empty tomb
went to cross to carry all our wrongs: to absorb or handle it all: killed him
but didn’t defeat: empty tomb because back to life: wasn’t enough to keep him down
overcame/absorbed it all
including whatever you may be carrying & wondering if God could ever forgive
already has! baptism: forgive not just what done, but everything going to do
Icing on cake: questioned if we’re strong enough people to forgive
to absorb what’s done to us: find somewhere to put it: into hands of God
but God shares his strength w/ us: as he did for Amish & Immanuel
gives us his power so we can forgive
question not just: Can Jesus forgive me?
but, Can I rely on him enough to I can forgive another?
Micah 7:14-20; 1 Timothy 1:12-17
10/15/17
Can Jesus forgive me? Big question: look at carefully
For what I’ve done, or for who I am?
2nd easy: knock that out first: can God forgive me for who I am?
based on shame: something about you that’s bad: deserve people to look down on
maybe others will shame you, maybe shame self, but God never does
he made you! knew you long before born, knows you better than know self
God of both Psalm 139 & Isaiah 43: knows completely, fills him w/ delight
thought of you on cross: went there for you, because you’re worth it
may be hard to accept if others or self think worthless, treat like trash
but literally God’s honest truth
1st: Can Jesus forgive me for what I’ve done? question comes out of guilt
awareness that responsible for something bad
“bad guilt:” paralyzed, eats you up; “good guilt” leads you to do something about
Let’s be honest: all of us have done things God doesn’t like, even hates, furious about
but most people have one of two problems: actually opposites
don’t realize how deeply have angered God w/ what have done, damage we’ve done
too aware of how angered God: so much, too big to get over
question if Jesus can forgive more about 2nd problem, so let’s look at
Is it possible that we could do something too awful/horrible for God to forgive?
to answer, 1st have to define forgiveness: what does it mean to forgive? DD last year
“not counting someone’s wrongs against them”
doesn’t mean didn’t do anything wrong: can’t forgive if nothing wrong
also doesn’t mean pretend not a big deal: to forgive is to take wrong very seriously
but not to press charges, seek payback or revenge, hold grudge
to forgive is to absorb the damage yourself, not push it back onto person who did it
damage could be stolen goods, violation of personal integrity, emotional pain, etc
powerful example 2 yrs ago: family members after Emmanuel Baptist Church shootings
voices shook w/ rage & grief, but chose not to put anger on him
Can be tough to do: bigger the offense or wrong, harder it is
family member for me right now: would love to lay into, rip up one side & down other
practice all the ways can tell them how awful they are
struggling to forgive: would mean don’t hold what did/are doing against
trying to find way to deal w/ or resolve anger w/out laying it on them
hope I’m big enough person to do it
That’s the point: takes big person to forgive
strong enough character to absorb the wrong, deal w/ it themselves
forgiving one of most powerful, strongest things to do
example in Bible: son wished father dead, wanted half of money & left
spent it all, dirt broke, hit bottom, life in ruins
decided to crawl back home on hands & knees: maybe father would help a little
as soon as father saw coming, ran to welcome home, had big celebration
father big enough man to forgive & receive son
you’re perfectly capable of forgiving some things
someone took my shopping cart while in restroom: empty, but still
others a bit harder: depends on your strength of character
when kids 1st got licenses, each had “incident”
not happy about, but forgave: can joke about now
how about Halloween prank that goes bad? car or house damaged
hurts or kills loved one, like families of Mother Immanuel?
eventually, each of us will reach point when burden of forgiving is more than can carry
you could do things to me, I could to you, neither strong enough to absorb or forgive
Back to question: Is it possible to do something too awful/horrible for God to forgive?
word it another way:
is God big enough person to handle/absorb all the stuff we’ve done to him?
how strong of a character does he have? how much can he handle?
How big is God? challenge for us to realize how powerful/capable he is
anything we compare to him just doesn’t even come close: class of his own
no limit to what he can do: not just create & sustain, but personal character
but if have even slightest sense of how enormous beyond comprehension God is,
realize character always strong enough to carry every wrong & injustice,
pain and anger
Micah 7:18-19: dumps them into sea: but even bigger than ocean!
glad to have pity/ delight in showing mercy
Other way to look at: actually egotistical, conceited, full of self, to ask question
to think could do something greater than God’s ability to forgive
would have to mean you are more powerful than God
capable of doing something that is more than God can handle
whom do you think is more powerful: you or God?
if realize God is more powerful, and delight to show his love,
then can be absolutely convinced that he can forgive anything you do
no matter how bad, no matter how many times you do it
Paul: 1 Timothy 1:15-16: thought he was worst sinner of entire world
not just “God was even able to forgive me” but “forgave BECAUSE was worst”
so that when people looked at me & knew God forgave
would know he can forgive them too, wants to forgive them
proof: cross & empty tomb
went to cross to carry all our wrongs: to absorb or handle it all: killed him
but didn’t defeat: empty tomb because back to life: wasn’t enough to keep him down
overcame/absorbed it all
including whatever you may be carrying & wondering if God could ever forgive
already has! baptism: forgive not just what done, but everything going to do
Icing on cake: questioned if we’re strong enough people to forgive
to absorb what’s done to us: find somewhere to put it: into hands of God
but God shares his strength w/ us: as he did for Amish & Immanuel
gives us his power so we can forgive
question not just: Can Jesus forgive me?
but, Can I rely on him enough to I can forgive another?
Old Union Presbyterian Church | 200 Union Church Road, Mars, PA 16046
724-538-8672 | OldUnionChurch@gmail.com
724-538-8672 | OldUnionChurch@gmail.com
