Sermon - 2017-09-17
Last week when we gathered together, we talked about the process to forgive someone. Jesus lays out in some rather clear steps, what it is we should do. Who it is we should involve. But above all that we should never give up on someone. Now it is in this process that we often have to say some rather difficult words I’m sorry, to be the bigger person to realize that there is more to a relationship than to be right. These are not easy words to speak and also a difficult process in the midst of our own pride.
It is this process that can be needed for our family, our friends, or even someone in our work world. Yes, our Christian faith influences who we are as people within our whole life, not just Sunday morning. Peter is the one who asks Jesus the question, you know for a friend who may have that problem...but it is certainly not him…..
I think that we can all relate though to Peter. How many times Lord do we need to forgive someone?? How many times do we have to forgive our brother or sister? Even when they annoy the snot out of us. We want to ask God what our limit is and when oh when can we finally say, “That’s it, no more.” We want God to show us the very boundary, the very line, or the very end of grace.
Jesus comes back to Peter and says, “My grace is abundant. It will seem never-ending. That’s how I want you to forgive.” this is the depth of love, grace, and mercy that God shows us through Jesus Christ. Now one very important thing that I want you to note. When Jesus says to forgive someone, that does not mean that you should tolerate someone who is physically abusing you, verbally abusing you, or emotionally abusing you. That person has far greater things that they are wrestling with but they are taking it out on you.
Now let’s go back, in our scriptures today, each has a focus of forgiving. The Old Testament talks about a time when a brother had to forgive their brothers for basically trying to kill him. Jesus in the gospel gives us the example of caring and forgiving people in our lives the way God has given to us. Yet I want to spend some time on Paul’s letter to the Roman Christians. While the others give examples, Paul lays out for us an entire understanding in such a way that we can understand forgiveness in the whole of our lives and the whole of our death.
Turn to Romans 14:7-9. This is one of those messages that we hear and realize only the death of a loved one. Indeed, it often spoken at a funeral but for many of us we are so overcome with grief and sadness that we do not hear the message or the word. So today, I want us to spend some time talking about this. For it is at the graveside of a loved one we are reminded of what is truly important in our life. I have never heard someone on their deathbed say, “I wish I would have worked more in my life. I wish I spent less time with my family. I wish I would have hated more people.” Yes, the death of a loved one, the person who we wish that we could hug one more time, tell them that we loved them one more time. Yet it is at this death that we put into perspective what is truly important in our life. How in the end it is how we have loved, forgiven and share that has truly left an impact upon others.
It is this process that can be needed for our family, our friends, or even someone in our work world. Yes, our Christian faith influences who we are as people within our whole life, not just Sunday morning. Peter is the one who asks Jesus the question, you know for a friend who may have that problem...but it is certainly not him…..
I think that we can all relate though to Peter. How many times Lord do we need to forgive someone?? How many times do we have to forgive our brother or sister? Even when they annoy the snot out of us. We want to ask God what our limit is and when oh when can we finally say, “That’s it, no more.” We want God to show us the very boundary, the very line, or the very end of grace.
Jesus comes back to Peter and says, “My grace is abundant. It will seem never-ending. That’s how I want you to forgive.” this is the depth of love, grace, and mercy that God shows us through Jesus Christ. Now one very important thing that I want you to note. When Jesus says to forgive someone, that does not mean that you should tolerate someone who is physically abusing you, verbally abusing you, or emotionally abusing you. That person has far greater things that they are wrestling with but they are taking it out on you.
Now let’s go back, in our scriptures today, each has a focus of forgiving. The Old Testament talks about a time when a brother had to forgive their brothers for basically trying to kill him. Jesus in the gospel gives us the example of caring and forgiving people in our lives the way God has given to us. Yet I want to spend some time on Paul’s letter to the Roman Christians. While the others give examples, Paul lays out for us an entire understanding in such a way that we can understand forgiveness in the whole of our lives and the whole of our death.
Turn to Romans 14:7-9. This is one of those messages that we hear and realize only the death of a loved one. Indeed, it often spoken at a funeral but for many of us we are so overcome with grief and sadness that we do not hear the message or the word. So today, I want us to spend some time talking about this. For it is at the graveside of a loved one we are reminded of what is truly important in our life. I have never heard someone on their deathbed say, “I wish I would have worked more in my life. I wish I spent less time with my family. I wish I would have hated more people.” Yes, the death of a loved one, the person who we wish that we could hug one more time, tell them that we loved them one more time. Yet it is at this death that we put into perspective what is truly important in our life. How in the end it is how we have loved, forgiven and share that has truly left an impact upon others.
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