04-11-10 Service – Forgiveness: The Peace to Forgiveness
Published on Apr 11th, 2010 |
Are you ready to experience the peace you receive when you forgive yourself?
Get the Flash Player to see this content.
Download
Sermon Notes MP3 Audio Windows/Zune Video Mac/iPod Video
Subscribe
iTunes Video iTunes Audio Zune Video Zune Audio
Are you using a device that does not support flash video? No Problem!
Several years ago, I strayed away from God for a period of time and made some of the worst choices of my life. One day, I came to my senses. I asked God to forgive me and then I turned 180 degrees and started walking the other direction back to Him. Because of His great mercy, I didn’t get what I deserved or expected. Instead, I received more forgiveness, from God and others, than I thought was possible. But like Pastor Greg said, the one person who couldn’t forgive me was me.
So there were two things I didn’t understand.
I was so so sorry for the things I’d done. But instead of celelbrating the fact that I’d been forgiven I spent nearly 3 years basically walking around with my head down. If our purpose on this earth is to glorify God, then I wasted three years of opportunity to point to Him. Shame on me. What I should have done is look up. For the first time in a long time I felt hope about my future and I should have better expressed that to other people. What finally changed after 3 years? I felt God tugging at my heart over a period of months almost whispering Are you done pouting because I have some things I’d like you to do for me… I didn’t want to ignore God as I had in the past so I slowly began to turn my attention to the future he had for me instead of the past.
There was something else I didn’t understand.
I was just glad to be in church but assumed that because of my past failures I wouldn’t be useful in God’s kingdom. After all, people who teach Sunday school and serve as a deaconess are supposed to be people of integrity and I had been a hypocrite in the past. People knew about things I’d done wrong. I thought I’d be a poor reflection on God and I wouldn’t do that. So I figured I’d just sit quietly in a pew for the rest of my days. Of course that’s not what God intended when he forgave me. One day someone told me about how 2 corinthians 8:12 that says if we are willing to serve God then our gift is acceptable. I was acceptable. Past or no past. When God forgave it he forgave it so completely that he was unable to remember it even if other people did. And after all, if I’m working in the church, who am I working for? A God who has no rememberence of my past.
So now I teach Sunday school and lead ladies’ Bible study. I took my first seminary class this year. Do I regret my past failures? Absolutely. And in a way I hope I never fully forget because maybe that’ll keep me from going there again. But instead of refusing to forgive myself I’ve CHOSEN to give God the glory by acknowledging that forgiveness.
I wrote this verse on a notecard and taped it to my bedroom mirror where it hung for years- may it bless you too. A few words from David. A hypocrite murderer and adulterer. God called him A Man After His Own Heart AFTER all David’s failures when he turned to God for forgiveness and then forgave himself.
Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit. When I kept silent my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. THEN I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said I will confess my transgressions to the Lord. AND YOU FORGAVE THE GUILT OF MY SIN.
Psalm 32:1-5
Oh Johnna…I only have a small inkling of what you’re talking about when you refer to YOUR past, but you have spoken so well for those of us who have stumbled publicly and have experienced the mercy and grace of our Heavenly Father…and I assure you, he’s not done with us yet. ‘Empty vessels (for the first time maybe..really??) ready to be wholly and completely filled with Him. Praise God, from who ALL blessings and teachings flow!! ‘Hope all is well with you and yours. (you DO remember me, I hope! Louie will
And may you experience and extra special touch of God’s blessings this day!!