FORGIVENESS

This is a whole service that I preached several years ago, enjoy.

-Start of Service-SERMON, WEEKS CHAPEL, 5-3-98

WHO SAVED US FROM OUR SINS?

WHO DO WE LOVE?

WHO DO WE SERVE?

IN WHOSE NAME DO WE PRAY?

IN WHOSE NAME DO WE DO MIRACLES?

WHO GETS THE CREDIT?

LET US PRAY---------

FATHER WE LOVE YOU AND WE PRAISE YOU. OPEN OUR HEARTS TO YOUR WORD AND HELP US TO RECEIVE THE WORDS YOU ARE ABOUT TO FEED US WITH NOW. SPEAK TO US YOUR PEOPLE, WE NEED YOUR GUIDANCE, YOUR ENCOURAGEMENT, AND YOUR STRENGTH. LET YOUR HOLY SPIRIT GUIDE ME AS I SPEAK, AND GUIDE US ALL AS WE HEAR YOU WITH OUR SPIRITS AND NOT WITH OUR EARS. FILL US NOW WITH YOUR SPIRIT. WE ASK IN JESUS NAME.

LK 6:37 "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. [38] Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

WHAT WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU? HOW ARE YOU TO GIVE? GIVE FORGIVENESS, GIVE FORGIVENESS. THE MORE FORGIVENESS YOU GIVE THE MORE FORGIVENESS YOU WILL RECEIVE. IN THE LORDS PRAYER "FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US." IF WE FORGIVE OTHERS LITTLE, SO THE LORD WILL FORGIVE US LITTLE.

LK 6:41 "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? [42] How can you say to your brother, `Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

LK 6:43 "No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. [44] Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. [45] The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

HAVE YOU EVER HEARD THE EXPRESSION, HOME IS WHERE YOUR HEART IS. WHERE IS YOUR HEART? IS IT ON SPIRITUAL THINGS? WHAT ARE SPIRITUAL THINGS? THEY ARE LOVE, FORGIVENESS, CARING, COMPASSION, GIVING, HEALING, AND WITNESSING, TO NAME A FEW. ALL THESE THINGS ARE SPIRITUAL. SO IF YOUR HEART IS ON SPIRITUAL THINGS, THEN SPIRITUAL THINGS WILL FLOW FROM YOUR MOUTH AS YOU SPEAK.

WE ALL HAVE HEARD THAT ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS, WELL THEY DO. SO IF YOUR HEART IS ON SPIRITUAL THINGS YOUR ACTIONS WILL ALSO SPEAK OF THE SPIRITUAL. YOU WILL PRACTICE LOVE, FORGIVENESS, CARING, COMPASSION, GIVING, HEALING, AND WITNESSING AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY.

LK 6:46 "Why do you call me, `Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? [47] I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. [48] He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. [49] But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete."

SO BY PRACTICING WHAT JESUS TAUGHT AND PLACING OUR HEARTS ON THE THINGS ABOVE WE BUILD OUR LIFE FOUNDATION ON A SOLID ROCK THAT CAN AND WILL ENDURE ANYTHING.

THOSE WHO ARE FOOLISH ENOUGH TO BUILD THEIR LIFE AROUND THE THINGS OF THIS WORLD AND AROUND FLESHLY DESIRES WILL BE WASHED AWAY ON THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT.

RO 2:1 You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.

HERE PAUL IS SPEAKING TO THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS OF HIS TIME, BUT HE COULD ALSO BE SPEAKING TO US NOW. THERE ARE MORE BIBLES IN PRINT AND MORE GREAT STUDY MATERIALS IN PRINT THAN EVER BEFORE. EASIER TO READ AND UNDERSTAND TRANSLATIONS OF HIS HOLY WORD THAN EVER BEFORE. GOD HAS POURED OUT HIS SPIRIT AT PENTECOST AND HAS BAPTIZED MORE PEOPLE WITH HIS SPIRIT THAN EVER BEFORE IN HISTORY. THUS ENABLING CHRISTIANS TO PREACH, TEACH, AND WITNESS WITH THE VERY POWER OF GOD HIMSELF. TO DO THE WORK THAT JESUS AND THE DISCIPLES DID IN JESUS'S DAY, WE CAN DO THIS NOW. SO WE HAVE NO EXCUSE. WE CAN LIVE A LIFE FILLED WITH POWER JUST AS PAUL, PETER, AND OTHERS DID. OUR ONLY EXCUSE IS OUR GRIEVING THE HOLY SPIRIT BY HOLDING BACK AND NOT EXERCISING THE POWER HE GIVES US. THERE ARE MORE PEOPLE IN NEED OF SALVATION TODAY THAN EVER BEFORE. THE FIELD IS RIPE AND READY TO HARVEST, BUT SO FEW WANT THE HOLY SPIRIT TO EMPOWER THEM, AND GUIDE THEM INTO THE HARVEST. WHY? BECAUSE THEY WANT TO HOLD ONTO THE CARNAL LIFE, THE LIFE OF SIN, THE LIFE OF I'LL DO WHAT I WANT. THEY DON'T WANT TO GIVE UP THEIR WORDLY PLEASURES. WHAT THEY DON'T REALIZE IS THAT THERE IS GREAT PLEASURE IN SERVING GOD, WHETHER AS A WITNESS OR AS A CHURCH WORKER. REMEMBER AT PETECOST WHEN THE DISCIPLES WERE ACCUSED OF BEING DRUNK ON WINE, WELL EVIDENTLY THEY WERE HAVING A GREAT TIME, AND IT WAS HOLY FUN, NOT SINFUL FUN. IT WAS PLEASURABLE, JUST AS IT CAN BE PLEASURABLE TO A CHRISTIAN LISTENING TO PREACHING, TEACHING, SINGING, PRAYING, OR WITNESSING IN THE SPIRIT. BOY IS IT GOOD, WOW PRAISE THE LORD,IT DOESN'T GET ANY BETTER. IT IS SO GOOD THAT SOMETIMES WE DON'T WANT TO COME OFF THE MOUNTAIN. HALILUYA!!.

RO 2:5 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. [6] God "will give to each person according to what he has done." [7] To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. [8] But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. [9] There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; [10] but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.

THESE WORDS FROM GOD HAVE ADDRESSED 3 THINGS THIS MORNING.

1)JUDGING ONE ANOTHER

2)EXAMINING OUR OWN LIVES

3)ALLOWING THE SPIRIT OF GOD, THE HOLY SPIRIT TO TAKE CONTROL AND EMPOWER US FOR THE WORK OF THE KINGDOM.

LETS OPEN THE ALTER

TO PEOPLE WHO WANT TO PRAY FOR SOMEONE

TO PEOPLE WHO WANT TO ACCEPT THE LORD

TO PEOPLE WHO WANT MORE OF WHAT GOD HAS TO OFFER

AND TO PEOPLE WHO WANT TO COME WITH SOMEONE WHOM THEY HAVE WRONGED AND TO MAKE THEIR PEACE WITH THEM

AND ANYONE WHO WANTS TO BE HEALED COME FOR THE LAYING ON OF HANDS BY MYSELF AND ANY ELDERS WHO WILL HELP

AND ANYONE WHO WANTS TO RECEIVE THE SPIRIT BAPTISM, I WILL BE MORE THAN GLAD TO LAY HANDS ON THEM THAT THEY MIGHT RECEIVE THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY GHOST.

COME CHRISTIANS, LETS CELEBRATE AND BE VICTORIOUS.

-End of Service-

Bro Billy