Restoring the Neglected Virtue, Part 1A

Let's go for a moment of prayer. Father, we thank you for this day. We realize, Lord, that this is the day that you have made. And we have come together this morning to rejoice and be glad in it. Because by coming together and worshiping you this morning, We have come to put you on display. We have come to honor your name and to glorify your existence in our lives. And we thank you for the greatness of your character. We thank you, Lord, for how you have given us your word that we might understand who you are, and that, Lord, that would help us understand the importance of true worship.

So this morning, as we once again look at you, see your character, may our hearts be stirred and challenged.

And may we walk in obedience to your holy word. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, our coming King. Am. Every year there was a law professor. This professor would look at his students, a new class of eager well-rounded, thinking, sophisticated young people that would come into his classroom and he would pose to them the very same question.

He'd put to them the very same scenario every year. He would begin by asking this question to his new students. What would you rec? And they would look at him, peering at him, trying to understand every detail of his words, and this is what he would say.

A certain man was rather ill-tempered. Some might say occasionally brutal. According to a few reports, he was a problem drinker. A weak leader in the home and unable to hold a steady job. His wife was not well. Fact is, she eventually died of the disease that had plagued her for years. tuberculosis. Of the seven children ultimately born to her, only three lived to adulthood. At this particular time and in that region of the world the death rate among children was tragically high. Three out of five died.

Plagues were not uncommon, typhoid, fever, diphtheria, smallpox, and a half dozen other treacherous diseases, including syphilis, were on the rampage. After losing her first son less than two years earlier when he was only six days old, the ailing, depressed woman discovers, much to her chagrin, that she is pregnant again.

The professor paused, glanced about the room, and returned to his original question. All right, what would you recommend? Logic took charge. Quickly, the students thought through the threatening domestic situation, mentally computed the odds against the possibility of survival, and came to the same conclusion. as all the other classes in years gone by. Unhesitantly, the great majority agreed. Without question, she must abort the child. The professor responded, Well, students, you just killed Beethoven.

At times, human logic breaks down. In fact, for most times, human logic breaks down. We face a scenario, we look at it, we evaluate it, we make a decision based on what we think is the best decision to make.

What's best for us, what's best for those round about us. In our well-ed society, in our age of technology, our reason begins to Be in control. And we follow what we think is the best thing. And yet, we've made a colossal error. Because for all practical purposes, we as the children of God cannot afford to think logically. We must always think theolog. For thinking logically will cause us to rest on human reason. Thinking theologically will cause us to rest on the precepts of God. And thus, listening to God, understanding His Word, we can make the proper decision based on what God has revealed to us in His Word.

My prayer for you and my prayer for me is that we would begin to think theolog every single day of our lives, especially when it comes to the topic we've been discussing the last couple of weeks. the issue of forgiveness. For so many times when it comes to forgiveness, we think logically. We think that because someone has wronged us in such a way that it was so bad that God excus Us in the area or the realm of forgiveness. That somehow we don't have to forgive our brother. That somehow we can hold the grudge and it's okay.

That somehow we can seek revenge and that's okay too. That's because we think logically and we don't think the. The Bible tells us that in the last days, 2 Timothy chapter 3, perilous times will come. And Paul begins to explain to Timothy the characteristic of those peril times. And one of the characteristics is that man will be un. Unforgiving. I found it quite interesting a number of years ago when there was a movie that was nominated for nine Oscars, and one of them was for Best Pict. And the title of the movie was called Unforgiven.

That seems to mark our society and our attitude. There are times we don't have to forgive. There are times we don't have to forget. There are times we can hold the grudge. And there are times that when opportunity arises, we can really seek revenge and get back and develop the upper hand. Over our enemy. And yet, that's logical thinking, not theological thinking. So we need to understand what the Word of the Lord says. If God is real, God's Word is relevant. If God's Word is relevant, God's Spirit is reliable.

And if God's Spirit is reliable, God's way is always right. For Solomon said, There is a way which seemeth right into a man, but the end thereof is the ways of death. There is a way that seems logical to man, but the end thereof will be death, not life. And so we must understand the ways of God. God is real. God's word is relevant. God's Son is reliable. Therefore, God's way is always the right way. Even though it might go against our feelings. Even though it might go against our human logic. Because God always speaks the truth.

Therefore, we must understand His truth in order for us to think His way. In order for us to think Theologically. Last week we talked about for, whether it was optional or essential. The conclusion was that it was essential. Turn back with me, if you would, to that passage of Scripture in Luke chapter 17. Luke chapter 17. As one author put it, forgiveness is not an elective in the curriculum of life. It's a required course. And the exams are always tough to pass. That's true, isn't it? For is a required course in the Christian life.

And when you face the opportunity to forgive, that exam becomes very difficult in most cases. What I want to do is go back and review with you Luke 17 and point out some things that you might have missed last week and to help you understand some things that we didn't cover so that you might come to a clearer understanding of it. By way of introduction to forgiveness, we looked at the problem, and I changed the outline a little bit, the problem that we all fear. And that is that we would find ourselves in a death trap.

The Lord said it this way in Luke 17, verse number 1: It is inevitable that stumbling blocks should come. It is inevitable. But there's a problem we all fear, and that is we would be the object of someone else's transgression, and that we would be caused to fall into a death trap. For us to understand Luke 17, we must come to grips with the fact that a stumbling block is a death trap existent. What happens to us is so profound and so great that it would be better, we would think, To be dead than to live in that situation.

And Christ says it is inevitable that when you go through life, you're going to find yourself in situations.

That are going to cause you to stumble. Christ said it this way to his men: if they persecuted me, they're going to persecute you. If they come at me, they're going to come at you. So, therefore, you must understand that it is inevitable that stumbling blocks are going to come your way. It's a problem we all fear, that something might happen to us, whether physically, sexually, emotionally. Something might take place in our life that is so great that we can't forgive our brother, that is so great that it causes us to experience a death-like existence.

Yet Christ says, it is inevitable that they will come your way. Inevitable. And then he says, but woe to the one through whom the stumbling block comes. Another fear we face is that we would become the person who would cause another to fall into a death trap experience. That we would cause another brother to sin, that we would cause another brother to turn away from God, that we would be used in the life of another brother. To lead them further into sin. And Christ would go on to say: It would be better that a millstone were hung about your neck and you were thrown into the depths of the sea than to cause one of my little ones to suffer to sin.

To stumble. Christ says it'd be better for you to die a horrible death than to cause one of my little ones to fall into sin.

That's a problem we all fear. So there's a process that we are to face. A process we are to face. And Christ says it this way: Luke 17: He says, be on your guard.

There's a process personally, there's a process spiritually, and there's a process ultimately that every one of us must face. Be on your guard, be alert, stand awake, be steadfast. Why? Because you don't want to be one of those people who causes another brother's sin, right? And number two, you need to be on your guard.

Because it is inevitable that stumbling blocks are going to come your way. You got to be on your guard so that when they come, you can respond theologically, that you can respond in God's way, not logic's way. Be on your guard person. Be awake. Be al. Number two, spiritually, if your brother sins.

Rebuke him. Rebuke him. If your brother sins, you need to go to him and rebuke him. And we told you last week that when you rebuke your brother, you rebuke him how? According to the word of God. The word of the Lord says this, and with long-suffering and patience. 2 Timothy, verse number 2. That 's the guideline by which we are to rebuke a brother. If your brother sins against you, what you are to do is to go and rebuke him. And if he repents, you are to forgive him. You are to forgive him. Ultimately, you are to be a forgiving kind of person.

Now I'm going to stop right there. Because there are some of you who will have left last week or even this week and think that every time somebody sins against you, your job is to go and rebuke that person. Think about that for a moment. We think, well, you know, that person didn't treat me very nice on the way out of church today, and I got to go to them and confront them on their sin because. They weren't very kind to me, and the Bible says that we are to owe no man anything but love, and they certainly weren't loving to me.

Therefore, I'm going to go and rebuke them because of their sin. So you go up to them at their church, knock on the window of their car, say, Hey. Hey, the Bible says, oh no, man, nothing but love, and you didn't show me love today.

And we think that we've got to rebuke our brother for everything that comes down the pike. Now, let me help you understand something.

And I've got to be honest with you, you've got to be here for every sermon, or you're going to miss the essence of forgiveness. You can't just come one Sunday and think, well, I got the whole realm of forgiveness. I got it down pat. You got to be here every week. Why? Because each week builds upon the other. So you've got to realize that we have to have an attitude of forgiveness. The context of Luke 17 is the death trap experience. It's the scandal on. It's the stumbling block that causes another brother to fall into gross sin, to fall in such a way that they are dam.

Does it mean that every little sin that comes my way by someone else, I am to go to that brother and rebuke him? No. It doesn't mean that. Folks, listen, we have to have the attitude of forgiveness. Let me show it to you this way.

Listen to what the Bible says in 1 Peter 4, verse number 8. Keep fervent in your love for one another. Because love, listen, covers a multitude of sins. Peter says you've got to be a loving kind of person. Because love is that which covers a multitude of sins. Let me read this to you: Proverbs 10, verse number 12.

Hatred stirs up strife. But love, here's the word again, covers all trans. Proverbs 17 verse number 9, he who, here's the word again, covers a transgression seeks love. 1 Corinthians 13, 5 says, love keeps no record of wrongdoing. Now you must understand something. You must understand what it means to cover a transgression. What does that mean? Does that mean that when a person sins against you, you cover it up? You hide it? You don't expose it? You don't deal with it? No, not at all. When you cover another person's transgression, you know what you're doing?

You are willingly, eagerly, and gener forgiving that individual. Without ever going to them and rebuking them and requiring that there be repentance on their part. That's important because we miss that. Let me read it to you this way: Psalm 32, verse number 1.

How blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. That's a Hebrew parallelism, which means that there are two statements. That means virtually the same thing, but they're phrased differently. Blessed is the man whose sin is forgiven. And then it says these words. Whose sin is covered. To cover another person's sin is to freely forgive that person. Let me read this to you.

Psalm 85, verse number 2, you forgave the iniquity of your people, you covered all their sin. Same Hebrew parallelism. Forgiveness and the covering of sin is the exact same thing. Remember James 5, 20? He who turns a sinner From the error of his way, he will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. Will cover a multitude of sins. That is, there's going to be forgiveness that takes place. Turn with me in your Bible to Mark chapter 11 for a moment.

Mark chapter 11. As you recall the story, Christ had seen a fig tree and he told the fig tree, listen.

You're not going to bear any more leaves. You're cursed. It's over. They come back the next day and listen to what happens. Verse number 20, Mark 11. And as they were passing by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots up. And being reminded, Peter said to him, Rabbi, behold, the fig tree which you cursed has withered. Behold, Rabbi, Lord, what exactly Happened here. You said it was to be cursed, and guess what? It was cursed. This is an amazing thing. And Jesus answered, saying to them, Have faith in God.

Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, be taken up and cast into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. Therefore, I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they shall be granted to you. Stop right there. Now, here's a verse of scripture that can be taken out of context. But you've got to understand exactly what the Lord is saying. He says, Peter, you've got to have faith in me.

If I say I'm going to do something, I'm going to do something. So when you pray, you've got to pray and ask according to the will of God. Because if you're praying the words of God, guess what? These things are going to happen exactly as I have said they were going to happen. Now, listen, there are some of us who pray for things to happen, believe in it's the will of God, but they never take place. And we wonder why. We ask ourselves, what is happening here? Read further. Next verse. And whenever you stand praying, what's the next word?

Forgive. For if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your transgressions. Listen, when you stand praying, when you go to prayer, you have got to go to prayer having already forgiven your brother. You will note that in Mark 11, verses 25 and 26, there is no record of a confrontation. There is no record of a rebuke. There is no going into your brother and saying, Hey, listen, you violated the word of God. You sinned against me. Therefore, you have sinned against God.

None at all. Why? Because the attitude of the believer is to be one governed by a forgiving kind of spirit. And there are many people who pray today, asking God to do many things, but because they harbor bitterness and anger and malice and wrath in their hearts. God does not answer their prayer because they stand unforgiven, not forgiving. You see that? You see, it's important for me to help you understand this because you've got to realize, and you're going to understand this as time goes on, because we're going to explain to you exactly what Jesus meant.

When he said, if you don't forgive your brother his trespasses, neither will your Father in heaven forgive you your trespasses. And you got to ask and answer: how does a believer Have un sins if God separates his sins as far as the east is from the west. You need to understand that. But I can't tell you today because we're not in Mark 6, 14 and 15. I mean, excuse me, Matthew 6, 14 and 15. We'll get there in the weeks ahead. But you must understand that we have to have an attitude that forgives. When you stand praying, make sure you stand with a forgiving spirit.

Make sure you stand willing to forgive your brother no matter what they have done to you, because if you have an unforgiving spirit. God is not going to answer your prayers. He won't. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. So simple. If I have an unforgiving spirit, I've harbored resentment and bitterness in my life. And God says, I'm not going to hear you.

It's not that He doesn't hear, He hears the prayer. But because your sin has separated you from your God, there's not going to be that ready answer that you so desperately need to have happen. Now, let's bring it home all the more. Because the reason we started the series on forgiveness was because of the life of Joseph, right? We're going verse by verse to the book of Genesis. Do you know that Joseph freely forgave his brothers without ever rebuking his brothers? Did you know that? In fact, do you know that there is no record in the book of Genesis of his brothers ever repenting of their sin to Joseph?

And yet Joseph freely forgave them. He was eager to forgive them. He wanted to forgive them. And he demonstrated a forgiving spirit. When he saw his brothers come to him that day and he faced them off for the very first time, but he recognized who they were.

They didn't recognize him. And at that moment, remember his two boys? Manasseh, Ephraim. Manasseh, God has caused me to forget. Ephraim, God has caused me to be fruitful. Fruitfulness in the present demands a forgetfulness of my past. It demands it. In Joseph. Had forgotten. He hadn't forgotten the fact that his brother sold him into slavery. He didn't forget that Potiphar's wife tried to seduce him and lied about him. He didn't forget the fact that Butler forgot about him, left him in prison. He didn't forget those.

Events, but he forgot the sting and the pain of those events because Manasseh means God has caused me to forget. And God had taken away the sting of any kind of bitterness or anger that was there, and Joseph was a forgiving man. And yet, in his whole ordeal with his brothers, and we're right in the middle of that, and everything that he took them through to get them to realize the error of his way, there is no record in Genesis that they ever came to Joseph and said, Joseph. We have sinned against you.

There's no record where Joseph said, I'm going to rebuke you. Brothers, it's good to see you. Guess what? You sinned against God. You violated the law of God. You've got to repent of your sin. No record of that. Why? Because Joseph would stand praying with a forgiving spirit. And the closest the boys, the brothers, ever came, ever came to asking for forgiveness. Is in Genesis chapter 50 after Jacob is already dead. And because it's going to be a while before we get there, I can go ahead and read you the story.

Genesis chapter 50, verse number 15. When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, What if Joseph should bear a grudge against us and pay us back in full for all the wrong which we did to him? Jacob dies. And what do the brothers think? The very first thing they think of is what everybody else would do.

Joseph, I'm not sure he's forgiven us. Now, maybe the only reason He's been good to us, He brought us to Egypt, He gave us a beautiful parcel of land, He's taken care of us, we're well fed. Maybe He did all that just because of Dad. Now, dad's gone. And because dad is gone, Joseph's going to kill us. Maybe the only reason he kept us alive was to see whether or not dad was alive. And when he found out dad was alive, he just. Kept us at arm's length. And now that dad is dead, now maybe he's going to harm us.

That was their attitude. Listen to this. So they sent a message to Joseph saying, Your father charged before he died, saying, He said, This is what dad said, Joe. You got to do what Dad said. Thus you shall say to Joseph, Please forgive, I beg you, the transgression of your brothers and their sin, for they did you wrong. That was the closest the brothers ever, ever came to asking Joseph to forgive them. It was by way of message. And it says this, and now please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.

And Joseph wept. When they spoke to him, why did he weep? Because he didn't understand. He had already forgiven them. So you too should forgive your fellow man. Just as the Lord was eager and willingly came to this earth that he might provide forgiveness for you from your sins. So, you too need to follow that pattern in dealing with your brother. It is a neglected virtue. So, we're going to spend some weeks talking about it. Because you are most like Christ. When forgiveness is at stake, how much do you want to be like Jesus Christ?

How much do you want to follow the pattern that He set? Then you need to be a forgiving kind of person, as God Himself in Christ Jesus forgave you. Let's pray.