Love that Forgives

                                                                     Love that Forgives

Subject: Finding Love Enough to Forgive

By Rick Welborne

1 Peter 4:7-8 (NLT2)
⁷  The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers.
⁸  Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.

Proverbs 10:11-12 (NCV)
¹¹  The words of a good person give life, like a fountain of water, but the words of the wicked contain nothing but violence.
¹²  Hatred stirs up trouble, but love forgives all wrongs. 

--We established that in this world you will have tribulation…Jesus said to be of good cheer because He had overcome this world…strangely He overcame the world by forgiving them.

Luke 23:34 (NKJV)
³⁴  Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do."

--It is the “them” that all of us have struggles with…relationships with those of our families, our churches, our work places…those who are the closest to us are the ones who can wound us the most.

--We talked about how we humans do not seem to have the same capability as our dogs (Louis) to forgive and move forward…remember the illustration of putting your wife and your dog in the trunk of your car.

--We also talked about how we treat screwy Louis (our Beagle) and how it would be good if we treated each other as we treat him

--The point to all of this is that relationships can be and are difficult. It is not whether we will face heart ache, pain, deceit, or betrayal…it is how we handle it when it comes. Families, marriages, churches.

--A man went on a solo fishing expedition and ended up ship wreck because of a storm. He was able to survive on a deserted island where he spent the next 15 years alone.

--When his rescuers came ashore they were amazed at how he had survived. They asked him so many questions. We see you built three buildings…what is that first one? That is my home! Good job they commented.

--What about that building, it looks so nice? That is my church. What about that other building? Well, that is the church that I used to go to…relationships are tough.

--We often wonder why family relationships and marriage can be so dysfunctional…It has been that way sense the beginning…think about Adam and Eve…started great running around in a garden with no clothes. Oh man!

--It didn’t take long before Eve was getting some bad advice about their diet and felt the necessity to include poor Adam…They lose their beautiful property and have to start working and wearing clothes. Trouble!

The first two siblings (Cain and Abel) are trying to outdo each other which turns into conflict…It became so bad that Cain killed Abel because his giving was better than his…Already 1 out of four is killed! Dysfunctional!

--All of us have been hurt, wounded, broken, deceived, cheated on, and have been done absolutely wrong. The tragedy of this is that it usually comes from those who are closest to us. 

Psalm 55:12-14 (NLT2)
¹²  It is not an enemy who taunts me— I could bear that. It is not my foes who so arrogantly insult me— I could have hidden from them.
¹³  Instead, it is you—my equal, my companion and close friend.
¹⁴  What good fellowship we once enjoyed as we walked together to the house of God. 

--We know the Scriptures tell us that love covers or forgives a multitude of sins but most of us have figured out the application of that love is not so easy. Three things we must realize:

1. We must realize that the enemy’s plan is to divide and conquer. 

--From the beginning Satan’s plan or strategy was to divide Adam and Eve and Cain and Abel. God’s desire is for us to have our eyes wide open when it comes to Satan’s attacks.

2 Corinthians 2:10-11 (NLT2)
¹⁰  When you forgive this man, I forgive him, too. And when I forgive whatever needs to be forgiven, I do so with Christ’s authority for your benefit,
¹¹  so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes.

--Being totally transparent, when I went to this verse that says we are familiar with Satan’s evil schemes or we are not ignorant of his devices…I did not remember it was speaking about forgiveness. 

--Let me give you Pastor Rick’s extremely simple interpretation…if we allow the enemy to divide us thru un-forgiveness…we are ignorant and we definitely let him outsmart us. 

--With as much un-forgiveness as there is in the home, the church, and the world…we must admit we are pretty ignorant. When we wise up and realize forgiveness is the path of God’s will and God’s way.

--I do believe there is a level of evil that surpasses good old fashion stupidity and insanity. It is when people know their actions are bringing the division and the demise of whatever groups they choose to destroy.

Isaiah 59:6-7, 13-15 (NKJV)
⁶  Their webs will not become garments, Nor will they cover themselves with their works; Their works are works of iniquity, And the act of violence is in their hands.
⁷  Their feet run to evil, And they make haste to shed innocent blood; Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; Wasting and destruction are in their paths.
¹³  In transgressing and lying against the LORD, And departing from our God, Speaking oppression and revolt, Conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.
¹⁴  Justice is turned back, And righteousness stands afar off; For truth is fallen in the street, And equity cannot enter.
¹⁵  So truth fails, And he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. Then the LORD saw it, and it displeased Him That there was no justice.
--Divide and conquer…divide us by race, divide by economic status, divide us by issues that 3 years ago you were for but now you are against. Make us hate one another…Divide and conquer.

Unknown Author – United we stick…divided we are stuck.

2. God’s Law of Attraction

--Pastor, I hate the division in my family, in my marriage, in my church, in my work place, in my nation. I have prayed for it to change but I find myself too weak to do anything about it. 

--My spouse is distant, my kids are lost and floundering, my heart is broken, and there is within this mess a great temptation to give up…I am so weak things seem hopeless. God’s law of Attraction.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NKJV)
⁹  And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
¹⁰  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

--What’s your thorn? A broken marriage? A broken body? A broken family? You fill in the blank. I am not the deepest theologian but the thorn is explained in the verse…a messenger of Satan to buffet me.

--The accuser of the brethren never misses an opportunity to let you know how bad things are…he buffets…he harasses us day and night…Just walk out, just give up, just move on, just give in…he attacks our weakness.

--This is where we miss it…yes, Satan shows up during our weakness but so does Jesus. The law of attraction says “My grace…My love is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”

--I love the testimony of Viet Nam veteran Dave Reever when he had a grenade he was about to throw shot in his hand and exploded. In his weakness he made a choice.

Dave Reever – When you think you are going under for the last time, reach up, you may just grab the hand of God.

--Maybe you feel you are going under for the last time…the death of a relationship…a broken heart…the absolute end of yourself…reach up because Jesus is attracted to your weakness.

3. Life is an adventure in love and forgiveness. 

--Love covers the multitude of sins…forgiveness of others is what will set us free. 

Franklin – It is all about releasing and reaching. Release the past and reach for the future. The only way to do this is to love like you have never been hurt. This means loving so intensely that it overrides all your natural instincts for bitterness and revenge. You will never get ahead by trying to get even. 

--You must…you must believe this…the pain you feel today…the broken heart you have…the emotional prison you are in in can be healed! God can heal us! Our part is to learn to love and forgive. 

Exodus 15:25-26 (NKJV)
²⁵  So he cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet. There He made a statute and an ordinance for them. And there He tested them,
²⁶  and said, "If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you."