Mike Fritscher, Pastor

March 26, 2017
We Choose Life By Walking In His Ways!
Why We Must Forgive! Matthew 18:21-35

1. We Forgive and Keep On Forgiving Because It’s God’s Way!

Deuteronomy 30:15 See, I have set before you today life and prosperity and death and adversity; 16 I that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and too keep His commandments!

Moses: Exodus 33:13…. Let Me Know Your Ways!

The Ways of God! Exodus 34:5-7 From Compassion to Forgiveness!

• Compassionate – Merciful, It’s a Movement in Your Heart! Feeling!
• Gracious – To Show Favor, To Bend or stoop in kindness
• Slow to Anger – Long suffering, Patient, to Anger
• Abounding in Loving-kindness: Mercy that Forgives, Grace that empowers, and Favor that positions us to Glorify Him! It’s the love, kindness and everlasting covenant love of God
• And Truth: faithfulness, stability, reliable
• Keeps loving-kindness for thousands!
• Forgives iniquity, transgression and sin!

John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld His glory, glory of the only begotten of the Father full of Grace and Truth!

Acts 4:18 And when they had summoned them, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered and said to them “Whether its right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge, 20 for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and

Why God’s Way from Compassion to Forgiveness so Important to You and the Kingdom!

2. It’s Life, Not Death: To Demonstrates the Kingdom’s Greatest Virtue: God’s Unconditional Love!

Romans 5:1-11 You Are Recipients of this Unconditional Love!
Matthew 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors!

3. The Alternative to Forgiveness is Un-forgiveness Which is Death, Bondage and Emotional Torture!

Matthew 6:14 For if you forgive others for their transgression, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.

Matthew 18:21-25: Forgiving and Forgiven

• You Are Forgiven a Debt You Could Never Repay!
• You Are Now a Steward of Forgiveness!
• To Not Forgive is to Violate Your Stewardship!
• Continue to Walk in Un-Forgiveness and You Will Remain a Tortured Individual!

4. You Release Your Offender From Your Condemnation to a New Position of Freedom!

John 20:23 If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained.
Position Yourself For Christlikeness! And you will be like Christ!

1. Ask, “Why Am I Offended, why am I Hurt? Is this a pattern?

2. Ask, “Is There Anything Ungodly That I have Done in this Relationship?

3. Or What Have I Brought to the Deterioration of the Relationship?”

4. Thank God For the Offense According to 1 Thessalonians 5:18-19.

5. Ask, “What Benefit Do I Receive By Walking in Hurt and Un-forgiveness Toward Your Offender?” There is no benefit! It’s Not Life, Only Death

6. Compare what you owe God to what your offender owes you. Or What you have done to God and others to what your offender has done to you. (Here I am remembering how great God has been to me in forgiving me!) The Publican and Sinner.

7. Pray a specific prayer of forgiveness and ask the Lord to remove all bitterness, anger and Hurt.

“Father, I confess that I have not loved the following people who have hurt and disappointed me. I have in my heart towards_______________ for_________________. This is sin. I ask You to forgive me for this bitterness, anger and wrath that I have walked in. I know that on my own, I could never forgive them. But I know that You can through me. So right now, by an act of my will and according to your spirit, I choose to forgive_______________ and release them of the debt. I will no longer walk in agreement with bitterness and un-forgiveness. In the name of Jesus I put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh. I choose to put on love. Thank you, Lord for forgiving me. And as you have forgiven, so I will forgive. Thank you for this power, thank you for this freedom, In the name of Jesus! Amen!

8. As Much As Your Are Able, Invest your life in the life of this Person. (Matthew 5:40-41)

Pray for him – Greet him – Praise his positive qualities – Defend him to others – Meet a basic need he has – Express appreciation