Half-Hearted Forgiveness
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Title- Half-Hearted Forgiveness
Passage-
Before we turn to our text this morning lets begin by asking the Lord to speak to us and bless us
We are going to for go with the reading of the text at the beginning this morning and we will read through it as we discuss it but I want to start this morning by saying that after wrestling with this text and after studying it out I have come to this conclusion...
Attention- Forgiveness is a bit like tackling someone in football
Introduction
I can still remember our first tackling drills
We kind of jogged toward each other and gave what was more like an awkward hug that ended up with guys on the ground that anything that resembled football
And it was not a fun experience
Every time you got “tackled” and fell it hurt
Then the coach said something that initially made no sense at all
He said that in order for the drill and therefore tackling in a game situation to not hurt we had to hit harder
It made no sense
Until you do it
It hurt less to hit harder than to be hit hard
My takeaway was to always tackle with everything that was in me…no half-hearted tackles
Why in the world bring this up other than it being the opening weekend Sunday for the NFL season?
What is the main driving point (CPS)?
Friends, like tackling…when we go about forgiving half-heartedly…it hurts more than if we forgave with everything that is within us
Why does the CPS matter, what is the consequence?
Transition
Lets take a look at this chapter of Scripture and see what happens with halfhearted forgiveness
Read verses 1-20
I. David is talked into bringing Absolom back
I. David is talked into bringing Absolom back
Explain
David had no plans to forgive Absolom…this is all Joab’s idea
Bridge to today
Relevance
This is his son!!
Why does this matter?
One is dead and the other is a fugitive on the run and David walks around with his head stuck in the sand
Joab is not weak timid man
He is the man David chose to be the captain of the armies
He is most likely a strong and powerful man
Also a shrewd and motivated man
I do not think that Joab is easily intimidated
But at this point he does not want to confront David about Absolom
I also do not think this plan was for David’s benefit…I think it was something Joab was plotting for his own advancement
None the less he sends a woman in to try to persuade the king into bringing Absolom back
David sees right through it but in the end tells Joab to bring Absolom back
Sure David allowed Absolom to come back but he told Joab to not let Absolom come see him 14:24
Verse 28 tells us that after two years the king still had not allowed his son to come see him
Talk about half-hearted forgiveness
So Absolom asks to see his father Joab ignores him until Absolom burns his barley field and then he is allowed to see his father
What is the interaction between father and son?
You cannot even tell its father and son
No warm embrace…no tears…no forgiveness
Just homage by Absolom and minimal affection by his father
The half-hearted forgiveness is just like a white lie
There is no such thing
Half-hearted forgiveness is not forgiveness at all
Transition
Read 14:21-15:6
II. David’s half-hearted forgiveness angers Absolom and creates bitterness within him
II. David’s half-hearted forgiveness angers Absolom and creates bitterness within him
Explain
Absolom never heard the words he needed to hear and he never spoke the words he needed to speak to his father
Not only did Absalom need to hear his father ask for his forgiveness for the lack of justice for his sister Tamar... he also never asked his father to forgive him for the murder of Amnon
How is Absolom able to win the hearts of the people, David is out of touch with what is going on…things are spinning out of control and David is losing his grip
It started with the sin with Bathsheba but his unwillingness to ask his son’s forgiveness intensifies this situation
Relevance
I believe that it is David’s lack of forgiveness coupled with Absalom’s refusal to ask for forgiveness that created within him an angry and bitter heart.
Why does this matter?
Forgiveness may not have completely remedied the situation but I believe it would not have gotten this far out of control.
Transition
So what then is forgiveness, if it is so important what do we need to understand about forgiveness?
III. What is biblical forgiveness ( )
III. What is biblical forgiveness ( )
Explain
We need to understand the foundation of biblical forgiveness…
Two passages come to mind
In
And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
This is a command from Paul via the inspiration of the Holy Spirit
We MUST forgive one another
We MUST ask for the forgiveness of others
This is not like heated seats in a car…its more like the tires or the engine
It is a necessity
This command is based on the foundation that is found in
And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: For they shall all know me, From the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: For I will forgive their iniquity, And I will remember their sin no more.
What do we learn about forgiveness from this verse?
That it is a PROMISE
I WILL forgive and I WIL remember no more
He is in essence saying three things
1- God will not bring up your sin ever again
If you are dealing with it the devil or yourself brought it up not God
2- It is not discussed among the parts of the trinity
3- God chooses to not bring it up to himself either
This ought to transfer to our horizontal relationships
1- Don’t bring up an offense to another person
2- Don’t bring up the offense to others
3- Don’t dwell on it yourself
Biblical forgiveness is a legal concept
It is our sin that makes us guilty before God
But it is the grace imputed to our account that allows God to no longer see our sin and be forgiven.
We are justified by Jesus’ blood…it becomes just as if we never sinned
Biblical forgiveness is nothing like what our culture sees as forgiveness
There are also some misconceptions about forgiveness
-Forgiveness is not “I’m sorry”
-Forgiveness is not acceptance
*The word means “release” or “pardon”…when you are pardoned it is with the intent that the offense is no longer on your record
It will not be brought up again
-Also, it forgiveness is a=often mistaken for a feeling
As we saw in forgiveness is a promise
A promise is a choice and therefore can be kept even in spite of feelings
Bridge to today
So, where are you today?
Do you need to go and ask someone to forgive you?
Do you need to go to someone and tell them that they have offended you in hopes they will ask your forgiveness?
Or do you need to come to the Lord and ask Him for forgiveness?
Sinner
Saint
Relevance
I have hear that forgiveness is about the person asking for forgiveness and I have heard its about the person granting the forgiveness
I think it’s both
I think that either party can end up in the same state by either not asking for forgiveness or not granting forgiveness
The stae they find themselves in is often dwelling on the situation until they are stirred up with anger
After the anger dwells for a while there is bitterness
And after bitterness comes vengance
Each of these responses is a dangerous place
They each end in sin
Each could be resolved by forgiveness
Not by feeling like forgiving
But by choosing to forgive
By choosing not to go there again
By choosing to respond to others the way that the Lord responds to us
There are some things we ought to be half-hearted about...
Conclusion
Review of the Principles and the Sermon Proposition
Challenge to act now (your part)…immanence
Forgiveness is not one of them
Visualize Audience Implementation
Final Statement
Would you bow your heads and close your eyes with me?
Closing Hymn
320 Pass Me Not