The Power of Forgiveness

This is a message from leading the way with Dr. Michael. You sat we pray that it will encourage you in your walk of faith. If you would like to learn more about Dr. you Seth for leading the way, please visit LTW.or prominent professor from the University of Wisconsin express deep lament over the shallowness by which we have taken this whole concept of forgiveness and issuing public apologies, insulting people, and then kind of issue public apologies. In fact, to rephrase the old adage is human to forgive is trending as a professor because it is a fluff, not the real stuff that is weakening us morally as a nation. It undermines the seriousness of what it means to forgive. It is even trendy today and some churches where pastors and preachers are encouraging their congregations to forgive God. Can you imagine the arrogance that we need to forgive the perfect holy, righteous, pure God will forgive the one who gives us our very breath to breeze. We forgive the one who forgives us our wrongs.

We forgive the one who suffers with us whenever we suffer injustice. This whole kind of modern preaching and teaching is not only repugnant this revolting because it places us in an arrogant place that we are in God's place in God is in our place.

It says that I am God and God needs my forgiveness, not the other way around. Forgiveness is a very serious business. It really is and that is why it was the very first statement of the seven statements from the cross that our Lord Jesus uttered in today I begin a seven part series on these awesome words that uttered from the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. The first statement is found in Luke chapter 23 verse 34 is our Lord Jesus was suspended between heaven and earth.

The Bible said. He said father forgive them for they know not what they're doing. Forgiveness is such a serious matter the Jesus had to deal with at first and foremost, I remember many years ago when I lived in Australia, a well-known psychiatrist said to me, and I'll never forget it. He said I could dismiss most of my patients tomorrow if I can convince them of the powder forgiveness that beloved.

The reason there are so many people walking around, literally, physically sick is because they are seething with hate that they are twisted with anger that they are spewing with Melissa inside they are consumed with revenge there exhausted from fighting wars in their heads.

They are saturated with animosity and are exploding with unforgiven and that is why it is my prayer that today will be a day of healing and restoration for summoning it is my prayer that you would understand the seriousness of what it means for God to forgive us and we forgive others the wrong that we have committed on the wrongs they have committed against us. I pray that today will be a day which many people will learn to claim the power of the cross and forgiveness.

Jesus made seven awesome statements when he was suspended between heaven and earth on the instrument of torture. After understand that Dr. Luke is a Gentile convert to Christ and as a scientist and as a convert Gentile convert to Christ. He was absolutely fascinated by this unconditional forgiveness on God's part, for it was in the Gentile culture. Forgiveness is a sign of weakness to forgive the dearest and the nearest and for a good reason was understood by some Jewish people but forgiveness unconditionally. That was puzzling.

Both the Jews and Gentiles alike, and that is why Luke records. These specific parables that you find in his chapter 15 the lost coin on the lost sheep on the lost son but more importantly is the unconditional love of the father in the parable of the particle absolutely shook him to his very core. As he understood this unconditional love and forgiveness on the part of the Lord and yet a faithful Jew ought to have understood that when the Messiah come here is to forgive his painters.

It is recorded in the Scripture 700 years before Jesus was born. Isaiah declared that he is going to intercede for his murderous the last verse of chapter 53 of Isaiah said he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgression of faithful Jew who anticipated the Messiah understood that the Messiah is going to use his special relationship with the father. His intimacy with the father to be able to forgive his haters and that is why Jesus said forgive them, remember there's nobody ever ever ever called father until Jesus came on the scene. It is a word of intimacy it's it's a word of familiarity with the word of home on hard. It's a word of kinship between child and father and beloved, listen to me if Jesus can forgive those hateful malignant vicious hands that nailed him to the cross, he can forgive anyone who would come to him today and asked for his forgiveness, for it is as the theologians would say forgiveness of Christ on the cross is for all people, and of course only effective for those who come and receive it, and therefore if you can forgive those people who can forgive anyone who would come to him and said father forgive me, but before I get into my message. Proper I have three distinctive thoughts you want to share with you.

When Jesus prayed father forgive them. He did not pray what every human being Fridays before they die. Namely, father, forgive me, or they don't know God as father, God forgive me the founders of all the other religions were people wanted to believe that they are all equal to Jesus. They prayed for the forgiveness of sin, but not Jesus.

I personally know at least a couple of times when I thought I was facing imminent death and I've prayed father forgive me and I remember one time and I really thought was over and I pray God confessed sins. I have never committed.

Just wanted to make sure that our Lord Jesus never said forgive me, he said, forgive them for the Scripture says that he was tempted in every way as we are, but he was without sin and that is why is the only one who can forgive our sins. Second thing I wanted to notice here is this Jesus never asked to be delivered from the cross, he prayed in Gethsemane for some other way and he knew this is why he was born but when he got on the cross, he never said deliver me from this cross get it over and done with God because beloved. What kind of the cross were not that Aiello's but his undying love for you and his undying love for us in the third thing I want to tell you before I get to the messages.

This Jesus never prayed father advantage me for if there was a clear case of injustice anywhere in the world. It took place on the day. I know some among us who are suffering injustice right now in the natural reaction is I don't deserve this and pray for God to vindicate us and we should. There's nothing wrong with that as natural but not Jesus. Think about this the very God who created all of the iron in the world was nailed by the science, the very God who created all of the roses in the world. Those forms crowned him the very God who created all of the timber and all of the wood in the world. They use that word to make a cross for him. You talk about injustice you talk about unfairness you talk about his rights to talk about revenge you talk about his right to walk away. This was it for an earlier time. He told his men. He said that he could call upon his father and he would send a legion of angels, and they could come up and deliver him. He had told him that he has at his disposal.

He has the command of untold numbers of spiritual powers and spiritual forces that they could currently can call upon and that would deliver him, but he didn't. Instead he prayed father forgive the word, forgive here literally means to send away from them that which they have done what Jesus is doing here is exercising his divine prerogative. You know how people in the liberal church and many other religions were to deny the divinity of Christ and yet that is the very reason why he was crucified.

The Pharisees… And the high priest said that he made himself equal with the father and the Pharisees were angry and mad at him every time he forgive sin. And yet, that is his prerogative. His divine prerogative, and that is why he died on the cross, but there were too blind to see it.

Now I come to the sermon prep three encouragements that I see from this short prayer that our Lord Jesus Christ prayed father forgive them for they know not what they're doing.

First, it gives us confidence that Jesus forgive sins but anyone would come to him.

Secondly, only on the cross that this vicious cycle of hate and sin can come to an end and thirdly it comforts us to know that our Savior practiced what he preached. First, that statement the first statement from the cross gives us confidence that our sin can be completely forgiven or not. I have met people through the years. I'm sure you've met them to know say to me Michael.

I don't feel forgiven. I have confessed and I depended on our prayed. I just don't feel forgiven.

Listen to me feeling has nothing to do with your forgiveness. Did you get that same man. It has everything to do with the promise of God, who said when you come to me and you confess I forgive you and that settles it. Either say, you know, I know God promised to forgive me and he may have forgiven me, but I can't forgive myself here on this one is a word of God for you today.

If God could forgive the cold hearts of the Roman soldiers who nailed him to the Red Cross.

If God could forgive the sadistic crowd that mocked him.

If God could forgive a prostituted priesthood of Caiaphas. If God could forgive all of these people. No one here or anywhere can say God cannot forgive me. Someone will say Michael, you don't understand.

How can God forgive me. I murdered with my tongue and reputations of people God can forgive me. I have betrayed the very tender vials of my marriage. God cannot forgive me. I have lived in fornication God cannot forgive me.

I have reversed the order of nature, and I lived in homosexuality God cannot forgive me.

I have been dishonest in my business off cooked the books, God cannot forgive me that I have had an abortion murdered my painting… Forgive me that I have hated with pure hatred and viciousness… Forgive me that I am cursed God and doubted him in his power, God forgive me. Beloved, listen to me if Jesus could pray for those who were at the outer limits of Satan. He surely can forgive you.

Secondly, praying father forgive them, assures us that only on the cross. Listen carefully. Nothing this funny public apologies. Not in the things that are said or not really meant only on the cross. Nothing will treaties and peace treaties, none or only on the cross.

The vicious cycle of hatred and sin can end only on the cross: Jesus was suspended between heaven and earth.

He was like a magnet.

The drawl of the hatred.

All of the viciousness and all of the anger to himself as if God is saying on the cross. If you want to know where your anger and hatred and bitterness and unforgiveness. And look at the cross of my son this should be the respond of every person who claims to know the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, for Jesus said forgive us our sins as we forgive the sins of others in his with argumentative everybody outer what I practice somebody wrongs you. Sometimes they know their longer, sometimes they don't.

That's not the issue. The issue is that you must clean it up with God in your prayer that in intimacy with God as you go to the Lord in prayer between you and him say the following Lord. I forgive in the name the person do not pray Lord help me to forgive none. Another sarong prayer.

Did you get that palisade together.

I forgive the rest is between you and God. Because if you got a person and say what I forgive you, the person doesn't know that you have done anything to harm you open a can of worms that you should not be opening you take care of it with God you take care of it in your heart you take care of it in your intimacy with God in prayer and then went on. If the person comes and asked forgiveness.

You've got it so you can give it to them a member volunteer Jacob Shays or was a fighter pilot who flew with Doolittle on that first raid over Tokyo. He was shot down by the Japanese was captured and interrogated. In fact, was more than that he was a prisoner of war for long time and those Japanese tortured him mercilessly in his own words he said I have managed to develop such intense hatred, pure hatred toward them like I have never experienced before. He said the only thing that kept me alive was the dream that one day I'm going to get my hand on their thoughts. Then one day a copy of the New Testament fill in Jacob's hand and mysteriously open to that verse. Luke 23.

Father forgive them for they know not what they're doing, and Jacob Shays. It became a new man in Christ, his heart was so filled with love instead of hatred and he began to love the Japanese people saw after the World War II. He became a missionary to Japan and he rolled his story in the little pamphlet and he would stand on the main railway station in Tokyo and he will hand out his story to the passengers passing by. Among those passenger there was a man who took that brochure.

He was traveling from Tokyo to his hometown in that man's name was Mitchell for cheetah. He was captain mature for cheetah who led the attack on Pearl Harbor.

In fact he was a man who issued the command all squadron attack and with that command 360 Japanese planes loaded with death came down upon Pearl Harbor captain mature become a national hero.

But then, when Japan was defeated.

He become so bitter and depressed and angry. He would even talk to anybody. So one day as he was struggling to his hometown of Lisa. It took that brochure and he sat on the train and he began to read it story of Jacob, the Shays or again supernaturally the Holy Spirit of God transforms him as he was reading that brochure and he invited Christ into his life. Not only that, he became an evangelist.

His own people and in his hometown of Mesa. He began to preach and you have to understand Mesa is where Shintoism first breached its way to Buddhism first preached announced for the first time the gospel of Jesus Christ being preached by this man and 2000 people come to Christ and that they'll all because Jesus said, father forgive them see that forgiveness included a wide circle that included the Roman soldiers that included pilot is included Caiaphas the high priest that included Judas to betray her.

It included the jeering mob included all there is no limit to that circle for that included me concluded you father forgive them for they know not what they're doing someone here my sale. Michael just women women women is what what what you mean.

They did not know what they were doing.

They knew what they were doing.

Judas knew that he was betraying the best friend is ever had.

Caiaphas knew he bribed some witnesses to become false witnesses against Christ pilot himself confessed with his own lips.

I do not find a fault in this man that mob knew that there were screaming against the righteous man they knew what they were doing on the deepest level on the deepest level they did not know what they were doing. They did not understand the enormity of what they were doing this they did not understand the significance of what they were doing. They did not know the horrors of what they were doing on that day was going to transform the lives of millions of people thousands of institutions and tens of nations they did not know that they did not know that in today that same forgiveness that was offered from the cross still open to all 2000 years later, whomsoever, whomsoever, the first thing I want to tell you about this magnificent awesome prayer from the cross is that our Lord practiced what he preached. If you come to me at the end of the service and you say Michael you don't practice all that you preached, or that you preach are left to hang my head in shame and say you are absolutely right. I'm a better preacher than practice, but not Jesus met the Lord Jesus Christ. He said father forgive those who cross you and doublecross you.

Then he went up on the cross and he did just what he said had the Lord Jesus Christ taught us to forgive and taught us forgiveness.

Then he went up on the cross and he began to curse those who crucified him. All of what he taught would've been swept away into the dustbin of history.

Some of you might be saying well, but I can't forgive I tried to forgive but I just can't remember if an incident many years ago, a Christian woman was convicted that she should forgive her abusive uncle Roland. She had such hatred from his risk under conviction and energy still struggling with her. Then as you said, you know okay okay okay okay I used to say that I'll never go to his funeral, but now I'll be glad to go to his funeral mass not that is not the power of the cross that is not the forgiveness that comes from the cross. You have to understand this something very important here about forgiveness and forgiveness gives Satan the power to control your life. Did you get that unforgiveness hands him the key to constantly come in and out and harass you and be in control of your life instead of your control of him is he forgiveness is a decision of the will. It really is this a decision of the will, your feelings and your emotions inevitably later will follow.

Sooner or later Al Gallant takes the will follow. But you gotta make the decision of the will, no matter how long you my nurse your grudges. You'll never get better, never get better only the power of the cross can set you free, and it can do today I'm going to tell you the story that has impacted my life and the early days of my seminary years. Most people think of the Reformation only took place because Henry VIII wanted to divorce his wives and do his miserable stuff but what most people don't understand is that within the church there were godly men who have been impacted by Luther and Calvin and wanted to reform the church and their hearts were turned to the word of God and realizing all of the stuff that came into medieval times and all that heresies in the church needed to be reformed. Go back to the word of God. One of them was the Archbishop of Canterbury, a man by the name of Cranmer due to other bishops involved Latimer and Ridley. In fact there were so many. But these were the leaders of the reform movement and in the middle of the 16th century when Queen Mary came on the scene.

She hated all the reformers and you want to kill every one of them. Many of them escape to Geneva and took refuge there but the three leaders stayed in the country and she wanted to burn him at the stake, and they struggled in many ways Cranmer struggled back and forth but ultimately he would not compromise and so with bitterness and anger in her heart toward this reformers.

She decided to burn them at the stake, and they decided to accept the fire.

In fact, as the fire was being left Archbishop Cranmer was heard to have been said, be of good courage, master Ridley and Clay. The man, for we shall, in this day light up such a candle by God's grace is our trust shall never be put out on most of the Brits have forgotten the rich heritage today millions of Anglicans in Africa and Asia and around the world are a testament of the overcoming of forgiveness and love, my beloved Lord Jesus lived as good as he preached.

He lived as good as he preached, and what Jesus did on the cross was the beginning of what is been doing for 2000 years. Four years continuously forgiving everyone who would come to him and asked for forgiveness. But the question is how are you doing in your forgiving department men.

If you think that forgiveness render you as a wimp.

Let me tell you you're never more of a man than when you forgive women if you ever think that forgiveness makes you a doormat you never greater in the sight of God than when you forgive. Forgiveness gives us power is indescribable.

Forgiveness gives you freedom that's unmatched forgiveness gives you liberty that is incomparable and it is the cry of my heart and the prayer of my heart that everyone was at the sound of my voice today would know the powder forgiveness. If you have never given your life to Christ. If you like come and asked for his forgiveness. He can do that today.

Father only you know what goes on in our hearts individually and the I trust your Holy Spirit to work in us individually and father, I thank you that you began to work in my life many years ago and father. I know that you're a mighty God in your powerful God, and you can give that power to everyone who asked for, and father. It is by the decision of the will we gonna be forgiving people so that we my walk and live in the power of the cross.

In Jesus name