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This is how you shall pray
Part IV Part IV : Mat. 6:12 Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors (NIV) Mat 6:9 "This, then, is how you should pray: "'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, :10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Mat 6:11 Give us today our daily bread. :12 Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. :13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.' As we continue our spiritual journey though the Lord’s prayer, I truly hope that this sermon series will change your life in many way. I trust that it will change your life in your relationship with God and that it will change your relationship with others. Today we will talk about forgiveness. Forgiveness is a concept which runs against any human understanding. This world has taught us for a very long time that when we are hurt by others that we must retaliate in a way that we destroy the other. This concept is lived out by members of society (governments, special interest groups, and on a one-on one-basis) We all were hurt at some point in our life and we all felt the anger in us that accelerated and held on to us through these days. Something very amazing happens when others hurt us, we feel the immediate need to hurt back. Maybe it is out of pride, maybe it is just "to be right", maybe we were taught to hurt back. Whatever the reason is, our life changes. When we are in the mode of retaliation we are willing to wreck others and ourselves. You see if we do not forgive we become part of different life. A life, which by our own choice will consume us. It will overwhelm us with negative thoughts, it will not allow us to (re) think, it will not allow us to move on, it will not allow us to be content, it will not allow us to resign, it will not allow us to be ourselves. And with that we are straying away from the intended purpose of life. Forgiving is more then just an action. The act of forgiving is to take up the cross of Christ and not to judge: Luke 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. Forgiving is to be willing to give evil no chance to multiply through your own doing, but to stop in it’s tracks. Many of us know how to do it as we can read in the following story which is a story of "making it up". . .but the story tells us that we know what is right. Gen 50:17 'This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.' Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father." When their message came to him, Joseph wept. Forgiving is an action and is never too late and you can’t do it enough: Luke 17:4 If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him.". Forgiving is the formula that God commands for us to receive eternal glory: Mark 11:25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins." Forgiving is not allowing evil to continue, but to give a chance to experience goodness When you enter the chamber of the Oregon House of Representatives in the capitol building in Salem you will see a large picture of Oregon settlers. But in that picture you will see no native Americans, no African Americans or any other people of color. Even according to the lst census more than 90% are white. This is not accidental. In 1849 legislation passed whereby excluded blacks from the state and the effects are still felt today. And even though the act was repealed in 1926 its deep meaning of racist culture was/is felt until today. On April 22, 1999, 150 years later nearly 800 people converged on the State Capitol to change the future of the State and her attitude toward those who had been oppressed. They acknowledged their state’s exclusionary history, recognizing people of all races and called for ongoing dialogue and action. The resolution passed with but 7 votes in the house after passing anonymously in the Senate. Before any forgiveness can take place one must recognize the wrong one committed. We must constantly listen to those who cry out to us as the oppressed, the abused, the forgotten. Chief Justice Edwin Peterson did it well that day. It was felt from the heart. A former Oregon chief justice Edwin Peterson described how racist superiority had been firmly fixed in his mind by the time he was seven. In law school he had seen intellectually, that this was wrong, but it took years before what he knew in his head reached his heart. ""What causes racial discrimination?" he asked, and answered "It was people like me and you" He went on, " I can learn, I can change. I have changed." But it was not easy to unlearn racist attitudes. The first step was to look at ourselves, our own awareness. Then and only then would we be able to make great steps toward a future of racial equality quote from the book Forgiveness, breaking the chain of hate - by Michael Henderson
Once one recognize he or she is in need of forgiveness, then the other can forgive. God asks us to forgive. Not one time, but seven times seven times. Forgiveness then allows healing to begin and it set us free without any boundaries. Rose High Bear gave forgiveness in her words: As the Native American color guard turns on duty with the African - American Buffalo soldiers, Rose High Bear, from the group Wisdom of the Elders, spoke of the great cultural rebirth being enjoyed by her people. "As spirit people there is no time for anger, hatred, we do not place blame. They are not spiritual qualities and do not belong on the Indian road." She said her people were created to endure suffering. "We do not want to dishonor our ancestors who kept their way pure. From the wisdom of the elders came great healing power." Native Americans remembered their voyages of tears, and they prayed for Europeans on their own trail of tears. "It’s a great reunion," she said "a day to reconcile, a day to heal. quote from the book Forgiveness, breaking the chain of hate - by Michael Henderson And so it is. . ."God please forgive me for the things I have done wrong so that you can forgive me." I as an instrument for you here on earth can forgive and must forgive others, because otherwise forgiveness will be forgotten. As I pass that forgiveness to those who ask and do not ask, I will be forgiven, because God is a forgiving God. As I told you many times, every action we take on earth will have a reaction. Forgiveness triggers as a reaction a new freedom for all. The freedom of being forgiven and the freedom of having brought forgiveness. Forgiveness is not a human trait. . .it is Godly. As we prepare for our soon to be held Love Feast I would like for us to hold each others hand. As a symbol that we belong. . .and quietly think of those who may need our forgiveness. . . and then give it to them now, today or during this upcoming week. - - And then I would like for us to think of those who we can ask for forgiveness - and finally come to God and ask our loving God for forgiveness. Part 1 of this Sermon More Sermons by Pastor Manfred Schreyer >> >>
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