“Heart vs. Habit p.2 - Finding The Heart To Forgive" {Final}

Pastor Jim Lowe III

Sunday Morning, 9:30am Stream 02/11/24 (2nd Sunday Message) (Final Version)

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{All scriptures are “NIV84” unless stated}

Message Title:

“Heart vs. Habit p.2 - Finding The Heart To Forgive" 

I shared this scripture last week:

2 Timothy 3:1-5

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self- control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.

We talked about this last week.

There will be terrible times in the last days. Lovers of:

themselves money

and scripture goes into detail on the TYPE of things people will do. People would love the things that

The bible also shares about these type of people.

V. 5

5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.

Having a form of godliness but denying its power. it made me wonder about us.

Do we have a form of Godliness? but deny it’s power?

do we spend too much time focused on our desires? our feelings?

our wants?

and place those things above God?

Are Our Hearts In The Right Place?

If your goal is to have the power of God. you’ve got to have hearts towards God.

If you’re wanting to have a stronger heart towards God…

you’ve got to be honest and CHECK where you are right now.

2 Timothy gives us plenty to talk about in terms of how we check ourselves.

2 Timothy 3:2-3

2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good,

There is so much to talk about… reading through it…

I got to unforgiving…and I stopped.

THIS is what we talk about today!

What Is Keeping Our Hearts From God?

Our Lack Of Forgiveness Towards Others!

Let’s Define Forgiveness:

Forgiveness (Anchor-Yale Bible Dictionary): Forgiveness is the wiping out of an offense from memory; it can be effected only by the one affronted. Once eradicated, the offense no longer conditions the relationship between the offender and the one affronted, and harmony is restored between the two.

Forgiveness is the wiping out of an offense from memory. Completely wipe from memory??

This might seem impossible…

But this doesn’t mean we “literally forget” the thing that happened. But we remove it from the forefront of our minds.

But we no longer hold that offense against them. We have “moved on.”

But forgiving is a form of compassion… which the bible tells us to do.

Ephesians 4:32

32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

We are supposed to forgive!

But we all know forgiveness isn’t easy. Many of us have people we’ve forgiven.

But there are some we’re not “quite there yet.” or “we aren’t ready yet.”

But there are some misconceptions to forgiveness we have to address. Because some of us THINK it means something it doesn’t.

Things We Misunderstand About Forgiveness:

Forgiving Someone Means We Give Them A Pass

Many of us think if we forgive someone…

we are telling them what they did is okay.

Forgiving someone doesn’t mean we give them a pass to do it.

It doesn’t mean we condone their behavior. It means that we are releasing:

hurt anger rage bitterness

unforgiveness

and we are CHOOSING to release those things… for peace of mind

to take the power back

to not let it keep us from God.

We are NOT saying it’s okay. we are saying…

This thing is NOT okay…

but I choose to not let this control my peace.

Things We Misunderstand About Forgiveness:

Forgiving Someone Is Based On Them Asking For It

It’s easy to not forgive someone.

They even help you!

They won’t apologize.

They won’t ask for it.

They’ll say it’s YOUR fault.

They’ll even be caught red handed… and blame you!

And even after offending you… will stop talking to YOU!

They’ll act like they didn’t do anything wrong.

Or they offend you…

so you offend them…

and now you’re both waiting on the other person to apologize.

Those type of people make it easy to feel a type of way. but forgiveness is bigger than them.

Sometimes You Won’t Get An Apology. Remember That Forgiveness Is For You!

We may feel like they don’t “deserve” forgiveness… But this actually does damage to us instead of them.

We not smile when we see them…

The whole room gets hot when they come in.

Someone says their name:

we see EVERYTHING they did to us…

and we can’t stop TALKING about it to others!

2 Timothy 3

There will be terrible times in the last days… people will be “unforgiving”…

having a FORM of Godliness but denying it’s power.

“The Way I Treat Someone Else Shows The Condition Of MY Heart Towards God!”

Matthew 18:23-35

23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him.

Ten thousand talents - millions of dollars

Verse 25

25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. 26 “The servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. 28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii.

Hundred denarii - a few dollars.

Verse 28 (contd)

He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. 29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ 30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened. 32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. 35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”

The first servant had a debt he couldn’t pay.

Yet he was forgiven.

but the person who wronged them… they couldn’t forgive the debt.

How Can We Ask God For Forgiveness, And We Won’t Give It To Someone Else?

It may be difficult…

but if we want God to forgive us… we have to be forgiving.

Mark 11:25

25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

We said this in the Lord’s prayer as kids.

Matthew 6:11-12

11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Jesus told us this is HOW WE PRAY Forgive us our debts

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Forgive us

as we forgive others…

God operates on give and receive.

You Can’t Ask God For Something When You Won’t Give It!

Forgiveness (Anchor-Yale Bible Dictionary): Forgiveness is the wiping out of an offense from memory; it can be effected only by the one  affronted.

There is only ONE person who can forgive. That’s the person wronged!

If you are the person wronged… YOU have to be the forgiver!

We have wronged God over and over! And HE chooses to forgive us!

Forgiveness Is For Us! Not Them!

Not only is it up to US to forgive…

God holds us accountable to everyone we owe it to!

Matthew 6:15

15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

If you DO NOT…

He WILL NOT…

This is based on WHAT YOU DO. Life is CHOICE driven.

Don’t Let Someone Else Keep Your Heart From God!

This means you can praise…

but your hearts are kept away.

Matthew 15:8

8 “ ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.

We have to change our hearts toward God!

Don’t let someone else keep you from your blessing! Don’t let someone else keep you from God’s favor! Change your heart!

Joel 2:12-13

12 “Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” 13 Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.

How To Develop A Better Heart For God:

• Spending Time With God Develops Your Heart For Him

How To Develop A Better Heart For God:

• Make Sure You Don’t Let Someone Come Between You And God

Forgiveness is for Us!!

Forgiveness is for US!!

Forgiveness is for US!!

Matthew 18:21-22

21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

The footnote says 70 TIMES 7.

This means…LOSE count of the offenses… Because it’s not about them…

It’s about you.