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August 16, 2009
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It Came From Within! - Week 3
The Heart of the Matter; is a Matter of the Heart
Four enemies from within our hearts:
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Monster: |
Feeling it Expresses: |
The Heart Habit Needed: |
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| Guilt |
"I owe you" |
CONFESSION |
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| Anger |
"You owe me" |
FORGIVENESS |
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| Greed |
"I owe myself" |
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| Jealousy |
"God owes me" |
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Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger,
harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of malicious
behavior.
Ephesians 4:31
The Victim
You probably have a pretty convincing case as to why you have
every right in the world to be mad and stay mad.
A victim will always
have an excuse.
Victims don’t want to be proactive about
changing -- they want to be proactive
about making sure that they person who
hurt them PAYS!
Instead, be kind to
each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one
another, just as God through Christ has
forgiven you.
Ephesians 4:32
Forgiveness is what enables
us to be kind and compassionate to people who have given us neither kindness
nor compassion.
Be kind to each
other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has
forgiven you.
Ephesians 4:32
Create in me a
clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me.
Do not banish me from your
presence, and don't take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me again the joy of
your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. Then I will teach your ways to
sinners, and they will return to you. Forgive me for shedding blood, O God who saves;
then I will joyfully sing of your forgiveness.
Psalms 51:10-14
Matthew 18:21-35
Jesus talks about the
emotionally charged topic of forgiveness in terms that everybody can
understand.
Forgiveness is the decision to cancel a debt.
The warning of Jesus is severe because the consequences
of ignoring it are severe.
Perspective is Everything
From our perspective, we have every right to hold out
until we are paid back.
From God’s perspective, it is possibly the most
self-destructive thing we can do.
To refuse to forgive is to choose to self-destruct.
In the shadow of my hurt, forgiveness feels like a decision
to reward my enemy. But in the shadow of the cross, forgiveness is
merely a gift from one undeserving soul to another.
Paul was not talking about a one-time transaction.
His present-tense uses of the
term forgiving indicates a mind-set,
an attitude, a habit.
Forgiveness is a gift we decide to give in spite of
how we feel.
FOUR PHASES MUST TAKE PLACE TO COMPLETE THE CYCLE OF FORGIVENESS:
- Identify who you are angry with.
- Determine what they owe you.
- CANCEL THE DEBT.
- Dismiss the case.
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