Why did Peter ask the question?
Was he repeatedly hurt by a brother?
Or is this just a story that Jesus told to illustrate a point or teaching?
The obvious lesson of the parable is
“Unlimited Forgiveness”
We can all agree on that! Right? Ok?
But there may or can be more to the
story as Paul Harvey used to say.
Something specific that the LORD
wants THIS group to understand.
When we are repeatedly hurt…and
really do forgive the person…are we immediately healed of the hurt?
Not necessarily!
Example of friend who was repeatedly
hurt…and forgave the people…but had a sort of “low grade fever”. As he
said. Not really incapacitated, but like
feeling alittle under the weather so to speak.
Divorce, estranged family members,
etc.
Some things are easy to forgive. But
there may be bigger things that we haven’t fully dealt with. Maybe don’t know
how to or what to do next.
Process:
1.
Need to see the person, not just in
light of how he or she hurt, wronged us,…, but through God’s eyes.
2.
Then we can/may see him or her as the
wounded and weak one he or she really is.
3.
Whether the person unintentionally or
intentionally hurt us, the process is the same.
4.
Forgiving people who hurt us on a day
to day basis enables us to forgive those who have deeply wounded us. Not just a
one time event.
5.
Healing starts with asking Jesus into
this process and into our heart and mind. Only Jesus can heal completely.
A few steps:
6.
Name the ways you were hurt and the
sin done to you.
7.
Perception vs. Reality…
8.
Tell God how you feel. Speak from
your heart.
9.
Ask Him to show you what He does with
the sin that was done against or to you.
10.Ask Him to cleanse and
heal you.
11.Now, choose to forgive
the person.
12.Easier said than done.
You already have forgiven the person,,,right?
13.Ask God to forgive the
person.
14.Now confess to the Lord
the sin (your sin) of holding onto unforgiveness and it’s effects on you…all
these years.
15.Relationships MAY be
restored…not maybe not always.
16.Reconciliation is NOT
always possible.
17.It may take time…
18.Forgiveness has been
started.
19.Healing may take time.
20.With Jesus living in us
and empowering us to forgive…we can then forgive those who have hurt us.
21.“Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors…Mat. 6:12
22.Unforgiveness effects
our relationship with God and others.
23.It’s NOT just an issue
we have with one particular brother…
24.It effects ALL our
relationships. Our spouses, children, parents especially, and the our co
workers, neighbors, friends, relatives, CHURCH members!
What is Sin? Real or imaginary?
Perception is Reality!
1.
Who are the people in your life you
need to forgive?
2.
How do you see the effects of
unforgiveness in your life?
3.
Any fears about forgiving?
Forgiveness is the great evidence
that we have become new creatures in Christ and that the Spirit of Christ lives
within us.
·
Personal Reflection
·
·
Sometimes we
think we have already dealt with a person or an issue, yet it comes creeping
back into our hearts. That’s because there can be layers of unforgiveness, especially
if the offense was severe or happened over a long period of time.
·
Sometimes we
may hold unforgiveness, bitterness and even resentment in our hearts towards a
person. We may even hold some bitterness toward God for allowing some things to
happen in our lives.
·
·
Even after
we may have consciously forgiven someone, we may still have recurring memories
of the situation...
·
·
"To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover the prisoner was
you." -Corrie ten Boom
·
Closing
prayer:
·
·
·
Heavenly
Father, I ask that You heal now the wounded places in my (our) soul(s). Heal my
memory of those offenses so that I can look back on them realistically, knowing
that they were hurtful but also knowing that You Lord, have healed the hurt.
And use those experiences for the healing of others that I have come in contact
with.
