Welcome to the Kerwin Baptist Church broadcast today. Our desire is for the Word of God to be spread throughout the world so that all may know Christ. Join us now for a portion of one of our services here at Kerwin Baptist Church, located in Kernersville, North Carolina. Chapter four and um all right here we go Our subject Everybody's favorite. Forgiveness.
And nobody ever needs this. You know that? Nobody ever needs this. It uh yeah, other people need this preacher and Um I think truth be known, Probably all of us. Need to be reminded of some things in God's Word.
Appreciate you being faithful. Let me just say this too. I just want to say a big thank you for everything this month and pastor appreciation and stuff. You know, I should mention it more. It's just a little bit embarrassing.
It's just awkward for me a little bit. And thank you for the kindness and the encouraging cards and kind words and different things. I appreciate that. Our staff has been extremely thoughtful this year to try to, you know, what they kind of did every Sunday. And I'm sorry that you have to kind of hear about me every Sunday, but it's been very encouraging.
It began this month. Our staff, our executive staff, all wrote heartfelt letters, put it in a A book for me to have, and it was extremely kind of them. They wrote their feelings and different things. Brother Frank's letter had one sentence on it, but other than that, it was really, really good. He just said, Thanks for paying me.
That's all he said. And uh But hey, at least he's grateful for something. And I just had to pick on him again tonight. I just pretty much. Obliterated him this morning, so I had to keep up with it.
Nick's not here, so I don't know what else to do. And so Frank's the guy. Ephesians chapter 4, and we'll begin there. Obviously, we're doing kind of the subject. Of um our series and we talked last week about To love one another, and this is our series entitled One Another.
And here we have our Um instruction to forgive one another. It's not easy to Um make church work. Just going to be honest with you. Church is a difficult thing. It is a picture.
It is, we are the body of Christ. But we're humans, we're flesh. And church is in itself a perfect storm. You bring people from different backgrounds, different opinions, different um Preferences and interest, and all these different things. Everybody looks at something different.
and you put them in one body of believers. And uh then you um Expect everybody to just get along and have unity. It's a difficult thing. It really, really is. And one of the most difficult things about interpersonal relationships is forgiveness.
And let me just say this. We're all We're always and all of us We're always going to hurt somebody. And we're always going to be hurt, whether we do everything in our life not to. And even if we don't want to be hurt, Um It just happens. It just does.
And if a church doesn't get a hold of this principle, The problem with this one is: you know, if I don't learn, here I am a member of a church and I don't learn to love one another. Um, okay, you know, I'm one of, you know, five or six hundred here at this church, whatever the case might be. Maybe there's others that will. But when I don't learn to forgive. that's going to begin to spread.
And that's going to kill unity in a church. And forgiveness is something that if we don't kind of get a hold of, things are going to go very quickly awry.
So we're going to look at Ephesians chapter 4. You know these passages, but look at verse 30 and grieve not. The Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking be put away from you. with all malice and Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted.
A forgiving one another. Even as God for Christ's sake. hath forgiven you. I have it on the screen if you wish to turn to it. I want to read another passage of scripture.
We're going to deal with these things here in a little bit, but I wanted to read this to you in Colossians chapter 3. Just two verses, beginning of verse 12. Put on, therefore. as the elect of God. Holy and beloved.
So here's our description. We're the elect of God. We're to be holy, and we are to remember that we're beloved, okay? And God so loved us that He gave His only begotten Son. He says, We are to put on, therefore, remember now we just read in Ephesians: let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, evil speaking be put away.
Now here we are in Colossians 3. Put on, therefore, As the elect of God, holy and beloved, bows of mercies. Kindness. humbleness of mind, meekness, for uh long-suffering, forbearing one another, and forgiving one another. If any man have a quarrel, against any.
So our sentence is to forgive one another if any man have a quarrel against any. even as Christ forgave you.
So also do Yee. And uh if you um If you accept this as the truth of God's word, say amen. If you find it extremely difficult, to obey sometimes, say amen. Should have been every one of you.
Okay. You know, a church that knows how to forgive. will be a healthy church. they'll remain a humble church. They'll be a happy church.
and they'll be on their way to be a holy church. But if a church doesn't know how to forgive, there won't be any of those. A church will not be healthy. A church will not be humble. A church will not be happy.
and a church will not be holy. You can always tell, usually, and I remember I grew up on the road in evangelism. And my first time in church, I think I was four days old. And over the years, growing up, I know you think this is an exaggeration, God bless, that I was never sick. Um I have you know vomited I think twice in my entire life.
One was because my wife tried to poison me with bad bacon. When I had a surgery, I had shoulder surgery, I had a pain pump, my arm sitting there, and I was hungry. I hadn't eaten for a day and a half on the surgery, and she said, What do you want? I said, I want some bacon. And she took that as an opportunity to collect insurance, and it didn't work out.
But so other than that, basically one time in my life, I never broke a bone, you know, all those different things. I never missed church ever because I was sick that I can remember. I think twice an occasion when I was going to say, I remember missing church twice my entire childhood, all the way up through my teen years. And one was there was going to be a rough situation in a church service where dad was going to be, and he allowed, he said, told my mom, you and Daniel, stay home. I remember that night.
And I don't know what I missed. I would love to have seen it, though. And so I'm just, I'm blessed with that. And I certainly understand that. But growing up in evangelism, I was always in church, a different church every week.
I've been in hundreds and hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of churches. Then I was in evangelism for 10 years and in tons of churches and all over America. I've been in every state, I've been in churches in every state. And you can walk into a church and you can be in one church service and you can tell if that church is a forgiving church. If they are a forgiving church, people are happy.
But when you cannot forgive, you cannot be happy. Yeah, I agree. And you can just tell. It's like even as a child, I could sense that because I was in some.
Now listen, most of you, this is where you come. And I'm glad that you do. And so we might not have a whole lot to judge it against, but I'm just telling you, you can tell. And I desperately want to make sure. under my leadership here, however much influence that has here.
I want you to hear it from me that as a church, We've got to be the kind of church that figures out, learns how. follows God's word. determines that we're going to be a forgiving church. And by the way, just in the last two or three years, you as a church have taken great steps. In that.
And you know, we have, listen, we have all kinds of members here, and none of us that are members of this church have, none of us can say we've never messed up. None of us have never made a mistake. And we want to make sure at this church, when we mess up, we make a mistake. We want you to be faced with a church that forgives. And we believe that this is the kind of church if you're humble, and contrite.
and you admit and apologize, we ought to be the kind of church that is quick to forgive. Instead of criticize. to forgive. And I hope that we will be that. And um forbearing one another, and forgiving One another.
Paul reminds believers. That Um Isn't a feeling It's a choice. you probably are not going to feel like forgiving. It's just going to be a choice you're going to have to make. And unforgiveness is one of Satan's favorite weapons for division.
Listen to me, unforgiveness is one of Satan's favorite weapons to cause division. in a church.
So let's pray and we'll jump into it in a logical way. I'm not going to tell you a whole bunch of stories and how this person was done wrong and they finally this dramatic moment and they forgave. I'm not going to tell you stories, just going to give you the word of God tonight. And God said, this is how church should work.
So let's jump into it. Lord, I love you. Thank you for all that you've done. And thank you, Lord, already. Um I think I'm here as a pastor in this church because this church is a forgiving church.
Lord, I came here at 21 years of age, turned 22 right after. Um Lord, when you're young and in leadership and in ministry. You're going to have to be forgiven. I thank you, Lord, that over the years so many people here have forgiven. Um have had a heart that uh determined to not um hold a case against but to forgive and to give it to you and to move on.
I don't think I could be pastor here if this church wasn't that way. And so, Lord, as you grow our church, may we continue to grow in this area. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Number one, tonight, I want to give you the reasons.
for forgiveness. Second, I'm going to give you the requirements for forgiveness. And then, third, I'm going to give you the results of forgiveness.
Okay?
So, number one, the reasons the Bible gives for forgiveness.
Now, I'm sure there's others. I just chose to give you about 18 of them tonight. No, I'm not going to do that many, but I just chose to give you some tonight. You know, our kickoff first obviously would be Ephesians 4:32. Forgiving one another, which is our instruction this week, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
There's a reason given immediately. God asks something of you, but He gives you a reason why that's reasonable.
Okay?
So, number one, we forgive because of the example of Christ. You and I are to forgive because Christ is our example, and that's what he did. And by the way, there would be no reason to even have church if he hadn't forgiven us. Because you and I would have sin and no way to get to God, so why even come to church to learn about the God we can't even get close to, that we can't even approach, that we'll never hope to see? But because Jesus loved us enough to forgive us, that changed everything in our life.
And now, everything we learn about heaven, about Christ, about God as our Father, we are going to get to meet Him and see Him and spend eternity with Him because of the fact that Jesus forgave us. Let's look at our verses: Colossians 3, look at verse 13: Forgiving one another if any man have a quarrel against any, even as Christ forgave you. There's the example of Christ.
So, I forgive because Christ forgave me.
Okay, look at Luke 23, verses will be on the screen for you, verse 33. And when they were come to the place which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the male factors, one on the right hand and the other on the left. Then said Jesus, Father, get him back for me. Mm. Yeah.
What did Jesus say? Father, Forgive them. Yeah. for they know not what they do. Forgiveness reflects the spirit of our Savior.
And when we forgive, listen to me, when we forgive. we echo the voice of Calvary. The very person we worship. said, Father, forgive them. And every time here on earth, You and I choose to forgive.
We are simply echoing what Jesus said. Father, forgive them.
Okay?
Matthew 6, 14. For if ye forgive men their trespasses, Your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither Will your father Forgive your trespasses. We forgive because of the example. of Christ. Secondly, We forgive because of the experience of grace.
We forgive. And what is forgiveness, by the way? It's you showing grace. And the reason you and I, as God's children, should show grace. is because He showed grace to us.
Ephesians 4:32, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. Look at Colossians 2:13. And you being dead in your sins. Hath he quickened together with him having Forgiven, listen to this. Having forgiven you All Trespasses.
Let me say that again. Apparently. Nobody's really excited about that. That when Jesus forgave, he forgave us. But he forgave us not some, not most, but all of our trespasses.
Which means he forgave us of things we have never asked him to forgive us for.
Now listen, there's a number of things I've gone to God and say, God, I'm sorry. But there are probably numerous things in my life. Either I overlooked or by the time I was convicted, I hadn't been faithful to take care of that each day. There are things I've never asked Jesus to even forgive me for that He's already forgiven me for. Because when he forgives, he forgives all Trespasses.
I love this. Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, everything that had ever been written down that we had done. nailing it. to his cross. Which means Put it on my tab.
Yeah. Nailing it to the cross means I'll pay their bill.
Okay. Look at Matthew 18. Verse 32. You all know this parable that Jesus gave. We covered this in our.
Parable series in Wednesday nights. Then his Lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant.
So here's the story of an owner that had servants, and the servants owed the owner money, but somebody else also owed the servants money.
So notice this: the owner forgives the servant, but then the servant won't, and by the way, he forgives the servant a large amount, but then the servant turns around and he won't even forgive the other person a small amount. He says, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt. Because thou desirest you asked. Shouldst not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow servant, even as I had pity on thee? And his Lord was wroth.
Angry. and delivered him to the tormentors. Till he should pay all that was due. Unto him.
So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you. If ye from your hearts Forgive not every one his Brother. There trespasses. Anybody else convicted tonight? Either you're tired or you're convicted.
I hope it's maybe both. I don't know. Listen to me, forgiveness, and on each of these, I've kind of given you an application. Forgiveness reminds us of our own redemption. Me forgiving someone else always reminds me.
Of my redemption. We forgive much because we were forgiven much. Luke 747. Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins. Which are many?
are forgiven. For she loved much, but to whom little is forgiven. The same loveth Little. Interesting. Number three.
We forgive so that we do not exclude the Holy Spirit. We forgive so we do not exclude the Holy Spirit. You say, what do you mean, preacher? Ephesians 4:30. Remember, as we just, verse 4, we say we have to forgive one another.
It says, and grieve not the Holy Spirit of God. He says, Don't grieve the Holy Spirit. And then he says some things that we need to get out of our life and we need to forgive, which means this: unforgiveness grieves. The Holy Spirit of God. I do not want to exclude the Holy Spirit.
Out of my life, the blessing of my life, because I choose to not forgive somebody. Unforgiveness blocks God's blessing.
Now, listen to me. Here's why.
Now, think about this: the Spirit cannot fill a heart. that is full of resentment. I can't be full of the Spirit. and full of resentment at the same time.
So I'm either going to be led of the Spirit and forgive. or I'm going to be full of self. and not forgive. Let me just Timeout. Please do not misunderstand me.
I am not saying. That sometimes there's a difference in the things that we forgive. Oh, so-and-so made a rude comment.
Okay. It's one thing to forgive that and go on.
So-and-so was physically even wrongfully sexually abused. by somebody as a child. That's a different thing. to forgive. Please do not think that, oh, you're just kind of blanket statement.
Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Remember, you're talking to somebody that does a whole lot of counseling. I understand. Unfortunately, God does not say you need to forgive these small things, but you don't need to forgive these big things. And you say, well, preacher, that seems unfair.
No, no, no, no, no. If the object was the person that had done you wrong, that would be unfair. Why does a person who did a little, he, you know, gets forgiven? And why is the person that did horrible things, why do they still get forgiven also? Because it is not about the person that did it to you, it's about you.
And God wants you to forgive because He wants you to be free from it. Not them. It's about you.
So God's not being unfair to ask you to forgive him. God is showing love to you, He's thinking about you. You've got to get that off of you. That's not about them. It's about you, is why God has said you've got to forgive.
Okay?
Look at Galatians 5:22. But the fruit of the Spirit.
Now, why do I forgive?
So I don't exclude the Holy Spirit. What are we told here in Galatians 5? When you are filled with the Spirit, what is the result? What is the fruit? Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith.
Long, what does it mean? It means that forgiveness is literally a fruit of the Spirit. It means that when I choose not to forgive, not only am I quenching the Holy Spirit of my life, but I am preventing the fruit that comes from the Holy Spirit because I choose not to forgive somebody. Number four. Why?
What are the reasons that we have to give, preacher? Number four, we forgive so that we can exalt Christ. Then remember our first one, we forgive. because of the example of Christ. But now we forgive so that we can exalt Christ.
Look at Matthew 5:43. Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy. That's the world philosophy. But I say unto you, love your enemies. Bless them that curse you.
Do good to them that hate you. And pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you. That kind of covers everything, folks. Uber is 45. that ye may be the children of your Father.
so that you can act like your father. Because when you forgive, you exalt Christ. Christ.
Okay. That's how his child should act. Notice this. For he maketh his son. Remember.
He maketh his son to rise on the evil. And on the good. And sitteth reign on the just. and on the unjust.
Now listen. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? Do not even the publicans, can't everybody love somebody that loves them? That doesn't necessarily show that you're a child of God because you can love somebody that loves you. Oh, no.
shows people that you're a child of God. is when you're able to love those who haven't loved you. Be ye therefore perfect even as your father. Father. which is in heaven is perfect.
We forgive so we can exalt Christ. Here's our application: forgiveness mirrors our Father's mercy. Forgiveness, when I forgive somebody, that shows them God's mercy. It points to him. It exalts him.
When we forgive, listen to me. When we forgive, It's on the screen for you. When we forgive. We display what divine love looks like. Because that is not our love.
And it is not human fleshly love. When we love like that, we're showing people what real divine love looks like. We forgive so that we can exalt Christ. And listen to me. If we had no other reason.
If just that reason, that is reason enough that you and I, as God's children, should be motivated. to endeavor and determine to forgive. Because everything we do should exalt Christ. Yeah. We forgive.
so that we can extinguish Satan. Remember, we forgive so that we don't exclude the Holy Spirit. But now we forgive so we can extinguish Satan. When I don't forgive, I extinguish the spirit. And I bring in Satan.
But when I forgive, now I extinguish Satan. And I bring in the Holy Spirit. Are you with me? Say amen.
So, I forgive so that I can get rid of Satan's influence and my mind on this matter. The more you refuse to forgive, the more Satan has your ear. 2 Corinthians 2.10. To whom ye forgive anything I forgive also. Lest Satan should get an advantage of us.
So, when I choose not to forgive somebody, I have given Satan an advantage. in my life. See, everybody thinks when some preacher sits down in councils that, oh, you're just being cold, that you're not listening to me. You're not listening to how bad I got hurt. Yes, I am.
And you're one of many that have been hurt. And there might even be some that have been hurt worse than you. But the longer you hold on to this, you're giving Satan. property in your life. He gets an advantage.
Notice this. I love this. For we are not ignorant. of his devices. How do you know that gives Satan an advantage?
Because we know how Satan works. God's word has made it very clear how Satan works.
So we are to forgive anyone of anything.
So that Satan doesn't get an advantage in my life. Listen to me. Unforgiveness is Satan's snare. When we refuse to forgive, we give the devil a foothold. in our life.
Ephesians 4.27, remember? Neither. Give place. to the devil. And that is something you and I can do in our life.
We can give Satan. property, room. We can make room for him. in our life. Next.
This is our last one. There's many more, but this is our last one for tonight. We forgive Satan so we can expose our purpose. We forgive So that we can expose the very purpose. That Jesus saved us for.
Look at 2 Corinthians 5:17. Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he's a new creature. Old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new, and all things are of God who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ. By forgiveness.
So he reconciled, Jesus forgave us, which reconciled us to God. Notice this, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation. You and I were reconciled to God because Jesus forgave us, so that you and I would now have a ministry where we go and forgive others. And we show them The reconciliation. In Jesus Christ.
Please notice, look at verse 19, to wit that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them. Forgiveness, not making them pay for their trespasses, and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. He forgave you, and he gave you a purpose, and your purpose now is to go out and exalt Christ and show people your Father, and show them the forgiveness that he showed you. And when you and I forgive others, it tells them and shows them our purpose now as God's children is to let them know that God will forgive them too. The problem is, this world sees God's children who won't forgive them.
And yet we tell them, our Father will forgive you of anything, but I won't. And that's an unclear message. Thank you for listening today. We hope you received a blessing from our broadcast. The Kerwin Baptist Church is located at 4520 Old Hollow Road in Kernersville, North Carolina.
You may also contact us by phone at 336-993-5192. or via the web. at Kerwin Baptist Church.com. Enjoy our services live and all our media on our website and church app. Thank you for listening to the Kerwin Broadcast today.
God bless you.
