Anger and Forgiveness Pt. 2

Continued coverage of the Charles Stanley sermon on Anger and Forgiveness (Part 2 of 3)



Obstacles to Forgiveness (Cont.)
8. Partial forgiveness (just like partial obedience is disobedience, partial forgiveness is unforgiveness. If you wait until you feel like forgiving someone then you probably never will.)
9. Justifying someone else's wrong doing for the sake of not wanting to forgive.

"12 And forgive us our debts,  as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation,  but deliver us from the evil one. 14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."

(Matthew 6:12 - 15; NIV 2010 Edition)

Why we must forgive:
-God forgives our sins only if we forgive the sins of others
- God does not condone willfully refusing to forgive others. Therefore it is an example of living in sin.
- Unforgiveness will destroy your life and separate your fellowship (not your relationship) with Christ.
- If you don't forgive others, your Father will not forgive you.

21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

(Matthew 18:21-22; NIV 2010 Edition)

- God does not give us a measuring rod to count the number of times we should forgive sin. There is no end to our need to forgive.

The Parable of The Unmerciful Servant (Matthew 18 22-35)
- Have mercy on those who owe you in the same way that The Master has mercy on us.

-There is no justifiable reason to not forgive someone.

Part 3 to be posted tomorrow!

Anger And Forgiveness Pt. 1

Today and tomorrow I want to spend time on the subject of anger and forgiveness through a message taught by Charles Stanley (Andy Stanley's father). We've all either been angry at someone or experienced anger towards us and know that neither feels any good. Anger is such a attitude of bondage and only forgiveness can unlock the key. Pray for those who have done you wrong and examine your heart to see if there are any areas where you may hold anger. Amen.

"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." (Ephesians 4:32; NIV 2010 Edition)

The pain and the promise of anger and forgiveness:

Sermon Notes:
Who are you angry with?
- Who are you angry with? What did they do or say? How did they heap on something that you can hardly live with?
- If you're angry you don't' want to see them and want to avoid them at all cost
- You can't just get rid of anger by replacing your destination, something on the inside has to happen to you.
- Anger, bitterness and resentment are enslaving attitudes.
-Physically you cannot avoid the affects of anger even if you don't show it on the outside.

Definitions:
Anger:  A strong feeling of intense displeasure, hostility or indignation as a result of a real or imagined threat, insult, frustration or injustice towards yourself or others important to you.

Forgiveness: The giving up resentment against someone and our right to get even no matter what has been done to us. It is the surrendering of my right to hurt you back. It's giving up our right to get even with someone.

Unforgiveness: The deliberate, willful refusal to give up one's resentment and the right to get even based on the wrongful thought that somebody needs to pay.

Obstacles to Forgiveness:
1. Wanting to forgive somebody
2. Rehearsing whatever they did to you
3. Pride
4. Fear (of being taken advantage of)
5. Rejection (feeling like it is a weakness to forgive)
6. Being Misunderstood
7. Negative advice (Sometimes friendly advice is not Godly advice. Discern between the two).

Part Two will be posted tomorrow! What are your thoughts thus far?