Out of the Salt Shaker

OUT OF THE SALT SHAKER

Matthew 5:13-17 

Introduction: Some time back, our denomination’s District Executive minister wanted to get to know me, since I was a new minister in the region. He wanted to treat me to an authentic southern breakfast, so he took me out to a Cracker Barrell Country Store. He ordered “Grits.” I was dreaming about a delicious breakfast. The waitress brought me back to the real world by placing a bowl of Grits in front of me. I put a spoon full in my mouth, you should have seen my reaction. It tasted awful, and bland like glue. My friend told me to add a pinch of salt to it when I did that and with a bite of the beacon, it tasted I wouldn’t say heavenly, but better.

            Then I realized how essential salt is! We don’t know the true value of salt until it is not there. After delivering one of his powerful sermons, called “The Beatitudes” or the sermon on the mount, in order to highlight their value, versatility, purpose and the relationship of God’s children to the world Jesus called his disciples, “You are the salt of the earth.” He further went on to say, “But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It’s no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.”

            You may have heard this statement, “You are the Salt of the Earth.” The question you need to ask yourself is, what kind of salt am I? Today we will unpack what it means to be the salt of the earth. Can a Christian lose his saltiness? What are the implications for us personally and as Hope Church to be the salt of the earth? We will be looking into some of the general qualities of salt, the biblical usage of salt and how Christians are to be salt in this world.

I THE USE OF SALT IN THE BIBLE

            During my study I learned some interesting things about salt. When we think of salt, most of us probably think of salt as simply a white granular food seasoning. In fact, only 6% of all salt manufactured goes into the food.

            Apparently, we use salt in more than 14,000 different ways from the making of products as varied as plastic, paper, glass, polyester, rubber, and fertilizers to household bleach, soaps, detergents, and dyes, etc. Salt is actually a mineral in its natural form, it is called rock salt. It is composed of sodium and chloride. Salt is extremely important for the alimentation of all mammals, including humans. Iodine (commonly found in dietary salt) is an important micro-nutrient for humans and a deficiency of the element can cause a myriad of hormonal problems.

            For this purpose, it was sought after commodity since before the Antiquity. The first evidence of extracting salt (by boiling spring water) comes from Romania, and there is evidence of saltworks in China in about the same period. It was highly valued by the Chinese and Arabs, as well as the Romans and Greeks. Roman soldiers were actually sometimes paid in salt – this is where the word ‘salary’ comes from.”[1]

            The Bible contains numerous references to salt. It was used as a seasoning, a preservative, a disinfectant, a component of ceremonial offerings, and as a unit of exchange. Consider the following scriptures: It was used as a preserving agent. All the meat-and grain offerings were seasoned with salt (Leviticus 2:13). To eat salt with one is to partake of his hospitality, to derive subsistence from him; and hence he who did so was bound to look after his host's interests. Ezra 4:14 “Now because we eat the salt of the palace and it is not fitting for us to witness the king’s dishonor, therefore we send and inform the king,” (RSV).

            God directed Elisha to use salt to cure bad waters and the unfruitfulness of the land (2 Kings 20-22). God used salt to make two important covenants one with the Levites and other with the house of David. Numbers 18:19, “All the holy contributions that the people of Israel presents to the Lord I give to you, and to your sons and daughters with you, as a perpetual due.

            It is a covenant of salt forever before the Lord for you and for your offspring with you.” 2 Chron 13:5, “Ought you not to know that the Lord God of Israel gave the kingship over Israel forever to David and his sons by a covenant of salt?

            Here, a covenant of salt suggests an agreement of enduring qualities. Salt is understood to be the preservative, suggesting endurance. Coming back to our passage, where Jesus used salt as a metaphor to explain the relationship of his disciples to the world. Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth.” Let’s unpack this impactful statement.

II YOU ARE THE SALT OF THE EARTH.

            Vs 13, “3 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.” Let’s pay attention to what Jesus is saying, he is not saying you should be the salt of the earth or you could be the salt of the earth, but you are the salt of the earth. It is a fact. Whether you know it or not, like it or not by virtue of accepting him as your Lord and Savior you become the salt of the earth. The word “You” here in the Greek is plural which means it applies to all believers and to the whole church.  When Jesus said you are the salt of the earth, he wanted his followers to exhibit the qualities that are found in natural salt. He wanted his disciples to endure in trails, preserve the society, heal the broken hearted and bring taste or flavor to the people they come in contact with and much more. Without exception, we all are called to be the salt of the earth. The only choice is what kind of salt do we want to be?

III OUT OF THE SALT SHAKER

            When Jesus said, to his disciples, “You are the salt of the earth,” he affirmed the fact that through their lifestyle they were to get involved in all aspects of life and make the world a better place. As we know salt is useless unless it comes in contact with the substance it is impacting.           For example, you cannot enjoy saltless food just by looking at and admiring the salt in a salt shaker. Unless the salt comes out and mixes with your food, it remains tasteless and flavorless. Similarly, Christians who are called to be the salt of the earth remain in salt shakers (churches) what impact would they have in the society? Only when they go out and connect with people and share the message of the gospel in practical and most relevant ways.

            Jesus challenges us not to lose our savor—our saltiness. In other words, he wants to us to be like the useful salt and not like the useless salt which is only good to be thrown on the wayside. In God’s sovereign providence he gave several commandments and moral laws to the Israelites to obey and conduct their daily affairs, matters of business and justice.

            Consider these commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not defraud, honor your father and mother, etc. If they followed them they will be preserved as a nation, live in harmony and become prosperous. But if they violated them they will reap the consequences. History tells us what happened to ancient Israel.

            It looks like, in the 21^st century we are repeating the same mistakes as ancient Israel did in their rebellion against God. Unlike never before, morality is declining in our times rapidly. Instead of following the moral laws of God people are following their own vices and manmade philosophies. As a result, people are hurting and the hurting people are hurting others.

            God is calling Christians to be the salt of the earth and not to abdicate their responsibility, instead to take up their position and preserve this decaying society.  May I suggest a few things as we seek to be the salt of the earth? Firstly, we cannot give what we do not have. We can only give from what we have received from Christ. Therefore, it is imperative that we let God work in us, change us from the inside out and empower us by His Holy Spirit to be effective witnesses in our communities and workplace.

            Secondly, as we go into the world, let’s have this attitude to understand, before being understood. We can begin this process right in our neighborhood. Find out who lives next door to you and get to know them. If they are from other culture or religion be interested in them. Ask questions to find out what their cultural values and religious beliefs are. Be friend them, by inviting them over to a meal or a BBQ in your yard. Summer is a great season for such initiatives. I know it is not easy, but why not give it a try. By doing so we are obeying one of the greatest commandments of Jesus, “love your neighbors as yourself.”

            Thirdly, “let your words be seasoned with salt.”  Colossians 4:6, “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” In Proverbs 18:21, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.” Where there is so much of harshness and derogatory speech these days, Christians are called to be gracious and kind in their speech. Maybe you are the only Christian in your workplace when everybody around you swears and curses, you don’t follow their way, instead, be an agent of healing and comfort through your words that are seasoned with salt.

            Finally, do something practical to meet the needs of people. Needs can be overwhelming. The DR outreach team can vouch for that. They realized they can’t meet all the needs there, but they took a step to do something practical, they spent a week in packaging and distributing over 2000 food packets, in addition to ministering to children and building relationships with people.

            That is being the salt on the earth. I encourage you to go on a mission trip next year. Why wait until next year, you can join the team that is ministering to the Homeless every third Saturday of each month. Or you can help us with the upcoming Ice-Cream social in the month of August. If you have the desire to get involved in outreach please talk to one of us after the service.

            If we have eyes to see and ears to hear and heart of compassion we can find people with dire needs all around us. While we cannot meet all the needs, but we can certainly try to meet some of them. In closing, I want to give you a challenge. What kind of salt are you today? Are you locked in like the salt in the salt shaker? My prayer is that God will shake you and spread you into the world where you can make a difference by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen!

             

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[1] https://www.zmescience.com/other/science-abc/salt-extraction/

RESCUE US FROM THE EVIL ONE (The Lord's Prayer Part VII)

RESCUE US FROM THE EVIL ONE

(The Lord’s Prayer Part VII) John 17:10-15, 

           The New York Times, in reporting on a survey by the Barna Group, noted the diminishing belief in the devil among Americans. In a nationwide telephone survey of 1,007 randomly selected people, pollsters asked whether they agreed that Satan is “not a living being but is a symbol of evil.” Sixty-two percent agreed with that statement, while 30 percent disagreed; the remaining eight percent had no opinion.” “If less than one in three Americans seems willing to give the devil his due,” reported the Times, “then that is a result of fundamental, long-term shifts in the nation’s religious culture.”[1]

            Most liberal and emergent village churches reject the reality of a personal Satan. So too do the majority of Americans who say they believe in God. Verbal Kint, the narrator in the 1995 film Usual Suspects, says, “The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.” While most Bible-believing Christians do believe in Satan, confusion often reigns.

            For the past few weeks we have been studying the Lord’s prayer. Last week we looked at the prayer, “Lead us not into temptation”, where we learned that that the devil also known as the tempter, tempts people to sin where as God tests and send trials on our way to prove our commitment to him, in doing so to prove to us His grace and loving kindness. Today we will look at the later part of the petition, “Rescue us from Evil.” By the end of our time we will find some answers to questions such as: Does Satan exist and is he real? If so what is his purpose and nature like? How did Christ overcame Satan? How can we overcome Satan and his demons? What are the weapons of Warfare? John 17: 10-15

            Just to summarize what we have learned from the Lord’s Prayer so far: God is our father in heaven and his name is to be honored under any circumstances. We are to pray for his kingdom to come and his will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. God is our provider and the giver of our daily bread. When we forgive those, who have sinned against us from our hearts God forgives our sins. We are to pray that God would not lead us into the great trail.

            Today we are looking into the continuation of the prayer from last week, “but deliver (rescue) us from evil.” In some versions it is translated as, “rescue us from the evil one.” Who is this evil one that Jesus is referring to in this prayer? It was Satan or the Devil who has been given different titles in the Bible and one of them is, “The Evil One. All of these names point to his evil character. The chief characteristics we find in Satan are his hostility, cunning, power, and evil intent toward God and His people. Jesus is teaching us to pray for God to rescue us from the power and the evil intent of Satan. Let’s look at a few known facts of Satan.

I THE ORIGIN OF SATAN:

            When it comes to talking about Satan many people, including Christians are either afraid to talk about him or completely ignore him as if he doesn’t exist. The truth of the matter is whether you like it or not Satan is real and he exists. Has he always been bad? No! Satan was an archangel or a cherub created by God. He was created perfect in beauty and splendor. He was the chief of the worshipping angels, leading them in worship of the living God on the mountain of God. His name was Lucifer meaning, “bearer of light or morning star.”

            We read in Isaiah 14:12, “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! (KJV). But all that was changed when pride entered into his heart. Satan coveted the position of God. He wanted all the glory that God had, he exalted himself and wanted to be like God.

            God did not tolerate this rebellion in his heart so he threw Satan down to the earth. I encourage you to read both Isaiah 14:12-15, Ezekiel 28: 11-17, for a detailed explanation on Satan. When God threw Satan down to the earth along with him he also threw a third of the angels who joined ranks with Satan in rebellion against God. They are referred to in the scriptures as “evil spirits, or demons” We find this reference in the book of revelation. Rev 12:4, “His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth.”

            Jewish thinkers often identified stars as angels. Jewish tradition taught that Satan’s revolt had long ago led to the fall of many angels. These are a few scriptural references to the origin and the fall of Satan. As we read through the Bible we will come to understand that Satan is not just a force or a symbol of evil, but he is a created being with a unique personality. Let’s see how he tries to discredit and hinder God’s purposes through his evil spirits or demons.

II. THE POWER OF SATAN

            Let’s not be fooled, in underestimating the power of Satan. He is a very powerful being, but not omnipotent or all mighty like our God is. Though his power is limited, it is more than anyone of us can handle. During his ministry Jesus often had to deal with the manifestations of demons. By a word of rebuke, he often cast out the evil spirits that were tormenting people.

            One of such occasions we read in Mark 5^th chapter: Jesus encounters a man with an unclean spirit who made his dwelling among the tombs. His power was so strong that no one could bind him, not even with chains and shackles. Night and day he spent his time among the mountains crying and cutting himself with stones.  When he saw Jesus, the evil spirit recognized who Jesus was. He shouted at the top of his voice saying, “What do you want with me, Jesus the Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won’t torture me!”

            Jesus said, to the evil spirit to come out. In the end we know this man was possessed by thousand demons, but with one rebuke Jesus sets this man free, and this man goes to the region of ten cities and tell everyone how Jesus has set him free from demonic oppression. Satan and his demonic spirits have not stopped tormenting people. Yet, at times it is our ignorance and other times our willful defiance to God’s laws opens the door to the devil to attack us.  

            Jesus exposes the nature of the devil in John 10:10, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” The thief is another name given to the devil. He is successfully stealing the Joy of people. He is deceptively destroying relationships, in marriages, families and churches. And in the end, he is mercilessly killing many people through, violence, abortions, homicides and suicides.

            According to the Apostle Paul Christians are in a wrestling match with the devil. Ephesians, 6:12, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” This wrestling match is real, relentless and ongoing. Whether or not we will win this match depends on how well we are aware of the tactics of the enemy and how well we have armed ourselves with the weapons of the warfare.

            The Apostle Peter who knew a thing or two about the temptations from the devil warns his believers to be aware of the devil’s tactics. I Peter 5:8, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” Upon hearing all this frightening information about the devil, you might be wondering who can rescue you from the vicious attacks of the enemy. I have good news for you. Jesus who successfully defeated the devil on the cross is alive and right here with us to rescue us from the devil and his evil forces. Before Jesus was taken up into heaven he prayed for our protection.

            John 17:10-15, “And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you.  Holy Father, keep them in your name, While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me... I have given them your word... do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.” These verses tell us that Jesus not only protected his disciples, but also prayed to God for their protection from the evil one. In the Lord’s prayer he taught his disciples to pray to the father to rescue them from the evil one.

III. RESCUE US FROM THE EVIL ONE

            Oh, how we need to pray this prayer for God to rescue us from the evil one today more than ever before. You may wonder why? The scripture tells us that we are living in evil days. In order to maintain our Christian witness, first and foremost we need the ever-present help of the Holy Spirit, the powerful weapons of prayer, praise and worship and the double-edged sword which is God’s word, and the continued support of a community of believers. Who can pray, encourage and support us when we go through struggles and battles against our enemy the adversary of our souls. Above all we personally are to pray to God to rescue us from the evil one.

            As we pray he will send his angels to fight against the evil one and his evil forces. But God also made it very clear in his word how we can personally resist the devil. James 4:7 “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” The key here is our submission to God and then resisting means not giving into the devils’ temptation instead taking a stand against it. When we do that by faith, as it is promised the devil will flee from us. 

            In our fight against the devil, let’s remember, the one who lives in us (Jesus) is greater than the one (the devil) who lives in the world. Jesus has defeated Satan on the Cross. We are facing a defeated enemy, one day the devil and his angels will be thrown into hell forever. That is the ultimate rescue from the evil one, until then, let’s keep praying the Lord’s prayer. Amen!

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[1] Gustav Niebuhr, “Poll Indicates Diminished Role of Devil,” The New York Times, Saturday, May 10, 1997

Lead Us Not Into Temptation (The Lord's Prayer part VI)

LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION…

The Lord’s Prayer-Part VI 

Introduction: In December 2017, BBC circulated a controversial topic on the Lord’s prayer. The title of that article: The Lord’s Prayer: Pope Francis Calls for Change: “Pope Francis is suggesting changes to Christianity’s Best-known prayer. Pope Francis has called for a translation of a phrase about temptation in the Lord's Prayer to be changed. The current wording that says "lead us not into temptation" is not a good translation because God does not lead humans to sin, he says. His suggestion is to use "do not let us fall into temptation" instead, he told Italian TV.         The pontiff said France's Roman Catholic Church was now using the new wording "do not let us fall into temptation" as an alternative, and something similar should be used worldwide. "Do not let me fall into temptation because it is I who fall, it is not God who throws me into temptation and then sees how I fell," "A father does not do that, a father helps you to get up immediately." he told TV2000, an Italian Catholic TV channel.[1]

            It is the typical of the Media these days, Pope Francis has said one thing and the Media hyped it up and reported something totally different. In this era of Fake news, where the truth seems to have lost its credibility, how are we to understand this part of the best-known prayer of Christians worldwide? What does it actually mean when Jesus said, “Lead us not into temptation”? Would God deliberately lead his people into temptation? Can we expect God to protect us from temptation? How are we to understand the word, “temptation”? This morning we will be looking into the fifth petition in the Lord’s prayer: “LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION.” Matthew 6:13,

I. UNDERSTANDING TEMPTATION:

            This part of the Lord’s prayer, “Lead us not into temptation,” has been a puzzle for me, and, perhaps for you as well. How do we understand these words? I want to break them into two parts: Lead us not into, and temptation. Let’s first look at the word temptation. What comes to your mind when you hear the word, “temptation”?  We often think of something irresistible, not good but pleasurable. For example, who can resist the temptation of Ice-Cream? 

            In plain terms temptation means, “a strong desire or urge to do something, especially something wrong or unwise.” What does this word temptation particularly mean in the Lord’s prayer? In the Bible, there are times some words from the root languages cannot be translated accurately because of the lack of corresponding words in English, this is one of them. From my study let me attempt to explain this word temptation based on the context.

            In the root languages the noun translated “temptation” has a broad range of meanings such as: To test, to try, to prove, to tempt, to put to the test, to put to the proof, to attempt, to entangle and to experience. Based on this range of definitions how do we understand this word temptation? Let me give a scriptural context. Genesis 22:1, “after these things, that God did tempt Abraham (KJV). The Hebrew word, Nacah means, “to put to the test.” It should not be translated as, “tempt.” The Geneva Bible (1599) translated this word as, “And after these things God did prove Abraham.” God wanted to prove Abraham as righteous by testing his faith.

            James makes it clear the difference between the sources of temptation to the first century believers in James 1:13-14, “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.” What James saying here is that, “let no one who is tempted (to sin) say that he is tempted of God.”

            God does not tempt anyone to sin, but he tempts only in the sense of proving somebody to create confidence in the Lord and in himself and to give him experience. Therefore, it is important for us to recognize the source. If it is the devil (aka the tempter) who tempts, then it is for the purpose of causing one to sin and fall short of the glory of God. If it is God, it is for the purpose of proving someone or having someone experience his grace, goodness and love, but never causing him to sin and fall. God’s ultimate objective is what is good for us.  

            God tests us inorder to confirm our faith, Ex 20:20, “Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.” Or to prove our commitment, Deut 8:2 “Remember every road that God led you on for those forty years in the wilderness, pushing you to your limits, testing you so that he would know what you were made of, whether you would keep his commandments or not. He put you through hard times…” Let’s look at how Adam and Jesus dealt with temptation.

II. DEALING WITH TEMPTATION: ADAM & JESUS

            For the very first time we see how the tempter the devil came to disrupt God’s good plan for the humanity. Here is the all too familiar story of the fall in Genesis 3: 1-7 “The serpent was clever, more clever than any wild animal God had made. He spoke to the Woman: “Do I understand that God told you not to eat from any tree in the garden?” The Woman said to the serpent, “Not at all.  We can eat from the trees in the garden. It’s only about the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, ‘Don’t eat from it; don’t even touch it or you’ll die.” The serpent told the Woman, “You won’t die. God knows that the moment you eat from that tree, you’ll see what’s really going on. You’ll be just like God, knowing everything, ranging all the way from good to evil.”

            When the Woman saw that the tree looked like good eating and realized what she would get out of it—she’d know everything! —she took and ate the fruit and then gave some to her husband, and he ate. (The Message). Here are a few things for us to know what the three areas of temptation for Adam and Eve were, and what contributed to their fall.

            The devil made the woman to doubt God’s command and enticed her with the forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil: Vs 6, “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, (to give insight) ESV.

            Here we see three basic areas that the devil uses to entice people, and they are: lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh and the pride of life. If we are not careful we all can be tempted by what we see with our eyes, by the fleshly desires and by what we have or want to have. Satan persuaded Eve, once Eve fell, she influences her husband to follow the same course.

            What contributed to their fall? It was a conscious and deliberate violation of God’s explicit command and adding more to God’s Word has lead Adam and Eve to fall and eventually plunge all of humanity into sin. Note that Eve adds the phrase, “neither shall you touch it,” to God’s words. This is typical of us humans. We find it difficult to leave God’s Word alone.

            Let’s move now to see how Jesus handled temptation in the same three areas. Matthew 4:1-7, “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” What can we learn from this passage: Vs 1, “Led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil,” reveals that it was the divine intention for Jesus to be tempted, the Greek verb rendered here can also be translated as “tested.”

            The devil uses the same three areas: The lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life. Jesus used scriptures accurately and precisely not only to defeat the devil but give us tools to use when we are tempted. He overcame the lust of the flesh by quoting Deuteronomy 8: 3, “man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” He overcame the lust of the eyes by quoting Deut 6:16, “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.” He overcame the Pride of Life, by quoting Deut 6:13 “You shall fear only the Lord your God; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name.”

            What can we learn from these scriptures? Jesus was not only an avid reader of the scriptures but he also memorized, remembered and effectively used as weapons against the onslaught of the tempter who came to test Him.  If Jesus was tempted in these areas we are not exempted. How are these three areas manifested in our times? Lust of the eyes is what we see or read on the TV, internet, magazine or books. The devil allures us by what we see. What we see is what we think and what we think is what we act. Therefore, let’s make a covenant with our eyes as Job did. Job 31:1“I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I gaze at a virgin?

            Lust of the flesh is the cravings for food, pleasure and sex. Many of us lack control in these areas. We don’t want our natural appetites to control us rather we want to take control of them. Finally, the pride of life, is taking pride in our successes, achievements, possessions etc.

            Like never before these days so many temptations for God’s children to endure and overcome. I understand it is hard to live as Christians these days. But let’s not loose heart and give into temptation. We are given the word of God, let’s use it as a double-edged sword against the devil. Moreover, remember, Jesus was tempted as we are being tempted. He became our high priest and he is able to help us when we are tempted. (Heb 2:18), The one who overcame temptation in his life is now teaching his disciples to pray, “Lead us not into temptation.”

III. LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION

            Vs13, “lead us not into temptation,” (ESV) The Greek for temptation can also mean testing. N.T Wright in the Kingdom New Testament translates this verse as, “Do not bring us into the great trial.” Jesus is teaching his disciples to pray that God would not lead them into trials so deep that they would tempted to be unfaithful to Him. As we noted earlier, God does not tempt us to sin, but he may send various kinds of trails and tests into our lives.

            James the brother of Jesus exhorts us how to approach when we go through trails and testing. James 1:2-4, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

            The trials that come on our way may be in the form of chronic sickness, the loss of a loved one, broken relationships, and marriages, etc. This scripture tells us that God sends these trials tests on our way in order to test our faith, and when we stand the test to reward us.

            Trails expose the true heart. They are good for our soul as they keep us humble and refine our Character. There is a Chinese proverb, "A gem is not polished without rubbing, nor a man-made better without trials." Therefore, let’s not shy away when we go through our share of trails.

            Much can be said about trails and how to endure when we face them. But as we leave this morning let’s remember Jesus Christ our Lord stood His test and overcame the temptation from the devil. He is encouraging us to pray to God not to lead us into temptation. He sent His Holy Spirit to aid us. Next time when you go through temptation take hold of this promise, I Corinthians 10:13, “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” Amen!

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[1]https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-42279427

THE HEALING POWER OF FORGIVENESS (The Lord's Prayer Part V)

THE HEALING POWER OF FORGIVENESS

(The Lord’s Prayer Part V) Matthew 18:21-35 

           Here is a real story of what forgiveness can do. “Rev. Walter H. Everett answered the phone, unprepared for the words he heard: “Scott was murdered last night” Walter’s anger toward his son’s killer raged through him like a riptide, growing even worse when a plea bargain resulted in a reduced sentence for the attacker.

            My rage was affecting my entire life. How am I going to let go of this anger? I wondered. The answer came the first time I saw Mike, almost a year after Scott’s death. Mike stood in court prior to his sentencing and said he was truly sorry for what he had done.  On the first anniversary of Scott’s death, I wrote to Mike. I told him about my anger and asked him some pointed questions. Then I wrote, “Having said all that, I want to thank you for what you said in court, and as hard as these words are for me to write, I forgive you.” I wrote of God’s love and invited Mike tow write to me if he wished.  Three weeks later his letter arrived. He said that when he had read my letter, he couldn’t believe it. No one had ever said to him, “I forgive you.” That night he had knelt beside his bunk and prayed for and received the forgiveness of Jesus Christ.

            Additional correspondence led to regular visits with Mike in prison. Later I spoke on Mike’s behalf before a parole board, and he was given an early release. In November 1994, I was officiating minister at his wedding. When asked about his early release, Mike says, “it felt good, but I was already out of prison God had set me free when I asked his forgiveness.”[1] We have been studying on the Lord’s Prayer, in which Jesus taught his disciples a pre-requisite for forgiveness of their sins. Let’s look at this part of the Lord’s Prayer: “Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. THE HEALING POWER OF FORGIVENESS.

            This portion of the Lord’s prayer deals with the need of forgiveness. Matthew records it as, “and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” In the parallel passage in Luke 11:4 we read, “and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.” I prefer to pray “forgive our sins” as it reminds me to be grateful for God’s forgiveness of my many sins. I am forgiven therefore I need to forgive others. The context of this prayer indicates that Jesus was not praying about forgiveness of our physical (financial debts), but spiritual debts of sin. We all are sinners, and sinners are debtors to God for their violations of his laws. What are the consequences of unforgiveness? Why forgiveness is so important and what are the benefits of forgiveness? Let’s look at some of the devastating effects of unforgiveness.

I. THE CONSEQUENCES OF UNFORGIVENESS

            We often hear people saying, “I will never forgive that person in my life.” That is unforgiveness. It is unwilling or unable to forgive. According to some clinical studies, “Unforgiveness has been defined as a “cold emotion” that involves feelings of resentment, bitterness, and even hatred. It is the inability to forgive others who have committed a transgression.”[2] How many families were broken apart, marriages, ruined and churches split, due to this relentless attitude called unforgiveness? The numbers can be staggering.

            Joyce Meyer notes, “Many people ruin their health and their lives by taking the poison of bitterness, resentment and unforgiveness.”[3] How does the scripture define unforgiveness? A simple definition of unforgiveness is not having “the compassion to forgive.

            Here is a parable in Matt 18:21-33. Shortly, perhaps after listening to this teaching on the need to forgive inorder to be forgiven, Peter comes to Jesus with a logical question saying:

            How many times do I forgive my brother who hurts me? Seven?  Jesus replied, “Seven! Hardly. Try seven times seven. During that time the Rabbis, citing several verses from the book of Amos Chapter one, (1:3,6,9,11,13) taught that since God forgave Israeli’s enemies only three times, it was presumptuous and unnecessarily to forgive anyone more than three times. Peter may have thought, he was excelling the pharisees, through his generous approach to forgiveness.

            Jesus told a parable to put Peter in place: “The kingdom of God is like a king who decided to square accounts with his servants. As he got under way, one servant was brought before him who had run up a debt of a hundred thousand dollars. He couldn’t pay up, so the king ordered the man, along with his wife, children, and goods, to be auctioned off at the slave market. The poor wretch threw himself at the king’s feet and begged, ‘Give me a chance and I’ll pay it all back.’ Touched by his plea, the king let him off, forgiving the debt.

            “The servant was no sooner out of the room when he came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him ten dollars. He seized him by the throat and demanded, ‘Pay up. Now!’ “The poor wretch threw himself down and begged, ‘Give me a chance and I’ll pay it all back.’ But he wouldn’t do it. He had him arrested and put in jail until the debt was paid.

            When the other servants saw this going on, they were outraged and brought a detailed report to the king. “The king summoned the man and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave your entire debt when you begged me for mercy. Shouldn’t you be compelled to be merciful to your fellow servant who asked for mercy?’ The king was furious and put the screws to the man until he paid back his entire debt. And that’s exactly what my Father in heaven is going to do to each one of you who doesn’t forgive unconditionally anyone who asks for mercy.” The moral of this story is “God forgave you unconditionally therefore you are to forgive others unconditionally as well”. Let’s look at what forgiveness is, its importance and its power of healing.  

II. THE IMPORTANCE OF FORGIVENESS.

            Forgiveness is the action or process of forgiving or being forgiven. Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines it in more practical terms: To stop feeling anger toward (someone who has done something wrong): to stop blaming (someone): to stop feeling anger about (something): to forgive someone for (something wrong): to stop requiring payment of (money that is owed).   According to the scriptures when it comes to forgiving the sins of human beings is only the prerogative of God. Nehemiah acknowledges that our God is a God of forgiveness. Nehemiah 9:17, “But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them.” David pleads God to, “Consider my affliction and my trouble, and forgive all my sins.” Psalm 25:18 For the Lord declares, “For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” Jeremiah 31:34

            During his ministry whenever Jesus healed someone he would often say, “your sins are forgiven.” He said that so that people then and us now know that “the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” Yes, when it comes to forgiving our SINS, Jesus, who is also God could only forgive, no pastor, priest or not even Pope could forgive our sins. Then how about the prayer where we are taught “to forgive other’s sins” and elsewhere it is written that we are to “forgive one another,”? Ephesians 4: 32, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” How are we to understand these scriptures?

            According to the Apostle Paul, Jesus cancelled our huge debt of SIN. Colossians 2:14, “God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.” In other words, God forgave our major SINS such as Unbelief and Pride. Now it is our turn to forgive those who commit minor offenses against us.

            For example, someone in the Church doesn’t greet you when you walk through the doors or makes an insensitive comment about your looks. Or the kind of dress you are wearing. Or forget your name or mis spoke your name, is that the end of the world? Are you going to hold that offense against them, or you are going to forgive them and forget that offense?

            That’s what Jesus is addressing through this prayer, “forgive our sins as we forgive the sins of others.” It is more often the offenses that other commit against us are negligible than the sins that we commit against God. But our God is gracious and compassionate to forgive our major sins however gruesome they may be. Why is forgiveness so important?

            Jesus, taught us forgiving other’s sins is a prerequisite for us receiving forgiveness of our own sins. Right after teaching them the Lord’s prayer Jesus leaves his disciples with this caution Matthew 6:14:15, “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” If you don’t forgive you will not be forgiven it is that simple.

            We are not just encouraged but commanded to forgive. Col 3:13, “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” These days we are made to believe that strong leaders never apologize and asking for forgiveness is a sign of weakness. According to Mahatma Gandhi, “The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.” You are strong when you can forgive.

III. THE HEALING POWER OF FORGIVENESS

            Unforgiveness is the root cause of Bitterness, hatred, resentment and anger. Karen Swartz, (John Hopkins Psychiatrist) notes, “Forgiveness is not just about saying the words. It is an active process in which you make a conscious decision to let go of negative feelings of anger, and resentment towards the person who wronged you whether that person deserves or not.

            As you release them you begin to feel empathy, compassion, and even sometimes affection for the person who wronged you.” Forgiveness is first and foremost a matter of the heart. Towards the end of the parable of the unforgiving servant we find these words. Matt 18:35, “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” I listened to an interview on CBN as I was preparing this message. Here are a few excerpts of that interview. “Unforgiveness is classified in medical books as a disease. According to Dr. Steven Standiford, chief of surgery at the Cancer Treatment Centers of America, refusing to forgive makes people sick and keeps them that way.

            According to a research by Dr. Michael Barry a Pastor and the author of the book “The Forgiveness Project, “Of all cancer patients, 61 percent have forgiveness issues, and of those, more than half are severe. "Harboring these negative emotions, this anger and hatred, creates a state of chronic anxiety," "Chronic anxiety very predictably produces excess adrenaline and cortisol, which deplete the production of natural killer cells, which is your body's foot soldier in the fight against cancer," Barry said, "When a person forgives from the heart which is the gold standard we see in Matthew 18, forgiveness from the heart we find that they are able to find a sense of peacefulness. Quite often our patients refer to that as a feeling of lightness,"[4].

            What powerful findings based on the parable in Matthew 18.I encourage you to go home and read it again.  God has placed a cure for cancer in His holy scriptures. What are you holding on to today? My prayer is that as you choose to forgive and surrender to your loving heavenly Father, you’ll begin to experience the freedom and healing that comes through forgiveness.

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[1] Walter H. Everett, “Forgiving the Man Who Killed My Son.” Decision, December 1996, 32

[2] Worthington E, Wade N. The psychology of unforgiveness and forgiveness and implications for clinical practice. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology. 1999;18(4):358–418. [Ref list]

[3] https://www.joycemeyer.org/everydayanswers/ea-teachings/the-poison-of-unforgiveness

[4] http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/healthscience/2015/june/the-deadly-consequences-of-unforgiveness