When We Refuse To Forgive

Scripture: Matthew 18: 26-30

²⁶“At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ ²⁷The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. ²⁸“But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.^[i] He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. ²⁹“His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’ ³⁰“But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt.

Scripture Commentary:

Are you this man who refused to forgive someone? How many times do you think God has forgiven you during your life?

Do you know the feeling, the freedom that forgiveness can do for you?

It releases you from the chains binding you to Satan. Unforgiveness is a way he can keep you in his grasp. Since God forgives our sins, we should not withhold forgiveness from others.

When we don’t forgive others, we set ourselves outside and above Christ’s law of love. We should always forgive those who are truly repentant, no matter how many times they ask.

If you cannot forgive others, how can God forgive you?

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Matthew 18

Read Other Commentary From the Book of Matthew:

God’s People Are the Salt of the Earth

Jesus Fulfilled the Prophecy as King

Suffering Produces Perseverance

Scripture: Romans 5: 3-5

Not only so, but we^[c] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Scripture Commentary:

2 Corinthians 12:9 says, “My grace is sufficient for you…” The dictionary defines suffering as, “the state of undergoing pain, distress, or hardship.” In Romans 5 Paul is writing to the Romans who will be experiencing difficulties as they grow in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Jesus suffered and died for us.

Why do we think that because we accepted Him, we are to go through life on a bed of roses? With suffering we learn that we cannot go it alone. We can only move forward with God’s help and direction.

Our relationship with God begins with faith.

And in faith, Jesus delivers us from our past with His death and resurrection . Hope grows as we learn what God has for us. It gives us the promise of eternity with Him in His kingdom.

Paul tells us that we must become like Christ so we can overcome the earthly pitfalls of this world. We rejoice in suffering, not because we know God is using life’s difficulties and Satan’s attacks to build us. We thank God for these opportunities to grow and feel the power of God working through us.

God has taken us into His family. We are now children of God for eternity.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scriptures Referenced:

Romans 5

2 Corinthians 12

Read Other Commentary from the Book of Romans:

Be Declared Not Guilty By God

Without the Law, Sin is Dead

Pray to God in the Morning

Scripture: Psalm 5: 1-3

Listen to my words, Lord, consider my lament. Hear my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. ³In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.

Scripture Commentary: Get up early in the morning and see the glory of the Lord.

What is the first thought that comes to you in the morning when you wake up from a very good night’s sleep? Do you thank God for giving you this day or do you have no thought whatsoever? Do you take the day for granted?

When you have a close relationship with God, you pray to Him day and night. Prayer is your conversation with God. He is listening to you.

Prayer is how you get to know God because He already knows you.

When you pour out your heart to God as David and Jeremiah did, they asked God to correct them gently and not in anger. They recognized that if God treated them with justice alone, and no mercy, they would be wiped out by God’s wrath.

Think of this: If God judged us as we truly need at times, we all would be in trouble. But God, in His grace and mercy, gives us time to correct ourselves. We cannot measure God’s kindness and forgiveness and love.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Psalm 5

Read Other Commentary from the Book of Psalms:

Lift Your Eyes to the Lord

God, A Very Present Help During Trouble

We All Have Sinned.

Part Two of the Sermon, What Will God See From Heaven Today?

Scripture: Romans 3: 23

²³For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

All have sinned and fallen short.

I do not care how well I do in life or what I achieve in life.

No one can boast of their goodness when they know they have sinned. And only because of God’s grace and mercy are we here today. Because of God’s love, he sent his son to die for our sins. God did this out of love so he expects us to obey his guidelines. He wants us to love him with all our hearts.

God did this perfectly. Because we fall short, we must turn to Jesus.

Scripture: Romans 10: 9-10

⁹That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. ¹⁰For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Scripture: Psalm 14: 1-2

The fool^[a] says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. ²The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.

In this psalm, David applies to his enemies. These people have become corrupt. There is no good in any of them because they don’t believe in God, but only in themselves.

There was then, as is now, a clear distinction between those who worship God and those who refuse to worship God, the Father.

So here is the question again. Who do you worship?

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scriptures Referenced:

Romans 3

Romans 10

Psalm 14

Read Part One of the Sermon, What Will God See From Heaven Today?

What Would God See From Heaven Today?

Sermon Part One: Are our works corrupt and abominable or good?

Scripture: Psalm 14: 1-2

¹The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.²The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.

The question is asked, if God looked at us today, what would he see?

We are his children. He, God, is our Father. He knows that we, his children, are not perfect. Will he see us doing corrupt and abominable works or will he see us doing good?

Would he see disobedience, hatefulness, and vindictiveness or would he see kind, loving, praying people who not only love God but also love one another?

If you say and believe in your heart that there is no God, then you are saying, “I am an atheist.” The truth is not in you. You are a child of Satan because you ignore the truth. This person either ignores the evidence that God exists or they are just wicked and refuse to live by God’s truth.

We become this person when we live our life our way. We live in the flesh and by the world’s way, turning away from the way of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

This non-believer is someone who is aggressively perverse in their actions. To speak in direct defiance of God is utterly foolish. When your last day on this earth comes, you will stand before God or you will stand before Satan? And the question asked of you will be, “What have you done in my name?”

How will you answer this question and who will you be answering to?

No one is perfect. All of us stand guilty of sin and need God’s forgiveness.

Please join us next week for the conclusion of the sermon, What Would God See From Heaven Today?

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Psalm 14

Read Other Commentary From the Book of Psalms:

Don’t Worry That You Don’t Understand Everything

God Lifts Us From the Pit of Despair

Will You Betray Christ?

Scripture: John 13: 21, 37-38

After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.” (21) Peter asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” Then Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me? Very truly I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times! (37-38)

Scripture Commentary:

These verses describe two events with two different outcomes. First Psalm 41:9 speaks of “my close friend” (Judas) eating with me, then lifting his heel to betray me. When Jesus chose Judas, He knew what role Judas would play in His death. The betrayal was foretold in the Old Testament.

On the other hand, Peter’s role is different. Peter denies Jesus more than three times before he begins to spread the Gospel.

Peter and Judas have different roles in Christ’s ministry. Satan thought he would win by using Judas to betray Jesus, leading to His crucifixion.

Satan forgets that God is always in control.

Then there’s Peter who proudly tells Jesus he is ready to die for Him although he didn’t fully know at the time what he was saying.

As followers of Christ, we, too, have a role in Christ’s ministry. Ask yourself what role you are playing. Is it that of Judas or of Peter?

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scriptures Referenced:

John 13

Psalm 41

Read Other Commentary from the Book of John:

Lord, I Want to Follow You Now

You Will Die in Your Sins If You Reject God

Keep In Step With the Spirit

Scripture: Galatians 5: 17, 25

For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever^[c] you want.(17) Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.(25)

Scripture Commentary:

It’s vitally important to keep in step with the Spirit. There is a war raging on in you every day. If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then Satan has placed you on his list to bring you to his flock.

He starts by telling you to go ahead and do it your way. You don’t need permission.

Pray for God’s guidance.

Paul describes the two forces in conflict within you: The Holy Spirit and the sinful nature (i.e., your evil desires or inclinations of the flesh). When you rely on your own self, you are doing what satan would have you do.

Keep in step with the Holy Spirit that lives in you.

The Holy Spirit is infinitely stronger, and you must follow the Holy Spirit that God has placed in you. The only way to freedom from evil desires is through the empowering of God’s Holy Spirit in you.

As you keep in step with the Holy Spirit’s power, you need to submit every aspect of your life to God – emotional, physical and intellectual. If you say you are saved and have accepted Jesus Christ, then live like a Christian.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Galatians 5

Read Other Commentary from the Book of Galatians:

Live By the Faith of the God Who Loves You

Thanks Be to God for All He Has Done

For God’s Children: He No Longer Remembers Your Sins

Scriptures: Isaiah 43: 25 and Ephesians 2: 8-9

I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more. (Isaiah 43: 25)

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2: 8-9)

Scripture Commentary: God no longer remembers your sins.

Imagine the moment you accepted God and repented. In that moment your sins are forgiven. And God no longer remembers your sins!

In Isaiah 6: 7, a seraphim touches Isaiah’s mouth with a coal and God forgave his sins.

Imagine God wiping away all your lies and healing all of the hate you have stored up inside yourself.

Anger – forgiven
Bitterness – forgiven
Boasting – forgiven
Jealousy – forgiven
Envy – forgiven

Imagine it all forgiven by God – your evil thoughts, greed, hypocrisy, gossiping, lusts, pride, ingratitude, materialism and unbelief! All forgiven and forgotten by the grace of God!

Cry out to God for forgiveness.

Your sins are gone. Forgiven. Washed away. And forgotten. In the same way that the coal removed Isaiah’s guilt and sin, the blood of Jesus takes away yours. You don’t do anything except ask for forgiveness and repent of your sins.

God’s grace changes everything. Jesus Christ did it on the cross for you.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scriptures Referenced:

Isaiah 43

Ephesians 2

Isaiah 6

Read Other Commentary From the Book of Isaiah:

Learning from Adversity

The Destroyer Flees From the Voice of God

Love Your Enemies. Is Anything More Difficult?

Scripture: Luke 6: 27-29

“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. ²⁹If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them.

Scripture Commentary:

In Luke 6: 21-22, Jesus says, “Blessed are you who weep now.” He also blesses those who are cast out in His name. Then in verse 27 Jesus tells us, “Love your enemies.” This message has turned people away from Jesus because this is a hard one for most people.

How can I love someone who has hurt me?

How can I love someone who is bent on destroying me? This can be hard but Jesus is telling us to act in our best interest by praying for them and forgiving them. He gives an example to follow when He says to love your enemies as you love yourself. Grant your enemies the same respect and rights as you desire for yourself.

It’s easy to do things for the people who love us but love is doing for those we have problems with, for those who have hurt us. God has forgiven us so we are to forgive those who have hurt us.

Remember this: they whipped Jesus and placed a crown of thorns on His head. They spit on Him, and nailed Him to the cross, And He said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scriptures Referenced:

Luke 6

Luke 23

Read Other Commentary from the Book of Luke:

Save Yourself Through Belief; Save Others Through Discipleship

God Separates Light from Darkness, Good from Evil

Don’t Be Consumed With Anguish

Scripture: Lamentations 3: 22-25

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. ²³They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ²⁴I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” ²⁵The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him;

Scripture Commentary:

Our world is consumed with injustice, poverty, war and rebellion against God. All of this should move us to tears and to action. The book of Lamentations, written by Jeremiah in 586 B.C., is calling to us today.

Jeremiah is referred to as the weeping prophet. He wept because the people rejected God. He would weep today if he were here to see how people, out of selfishness and sinfulness, bring suffering to their fellow citizens.

Lamentations allows us to see what made Jeremiah sorrowful as well as shines a light on how we are today. Jeremiah saw a ray of hope in all the wrong that surrounded him, which is God’s love.

We have God’s love in us today.

We must turn from the wicked path we are on. If we do not, then punishment will come with our disobedience as it did with Jerusalem. God promised to restore and bless the people if they repented.

Lamentations is a funeral chant or song, so the people committed suicide rather than turn from their wicked ways.

God forgives when we repent. Are you going to repent and turn to God? He will forgive you.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Lamentations 3

Read Other Commentary from the Book of Lamentations:

God’s Compassion Never Fails

Praise God In His Sanctuary