Moving Forward Requires Practicing Forgiveness
Philemon 4-21
We’re coming to the age where people are unwilling to forgive. Paul is writing to Philemon. Philemon has had one of his slaves leave. Onesimus was one of his slaves and he left and stole some money. Paul is writing to Philemon to encourage him to forgive him for what he has done
Let’s talk about forgiveness because so many are not truly willing to extend forgiveness. We all want it but sincerely don’t to others. We have a tough time forgiving.
We don’t have to search for the offense it will find you. Forgiveness is better than bitterness ( have you seen someone bitter)Describe What You Saw:
Bitterness hinders and dampens your prayers with God. Scriptures you can study
Ps 32, Prov 2, Proverbs 12, Proverbs 14, Proverbs 15-17. What do they so to you?
You will see that if you don’t forgive and allow bitterness to invade your life it will cause you to become sick and weak.
Forgiveness means: to lay it aside, leave it alone, forget about it, send it away, to clear the record. I’m not going to hold it against you.
Romans 12:17-21 says vengeance is mine. I will repay. God says don’t you try to pay them back. God says I will take my hands off if you going to handle it. The problem is if you handle it your gonna do it again. When He does it you never have to worry about it again.
Paul wants Philemon to forgive Onesimus. Starting at vs. 4-9. Vs 10I could make a command to you on what’s right to do I rather make an appeal vs.10 i want you to hear my appeal about Onesimus. Vs.11- 12 I’m sending him back and I want you to receive him. Philemon had every reason to be offended
We all have people we have kicked to the curb because of offense and don’t want anything to do with but God says I’m sending them back into your life. (I got to teach you some things so I’m sending them back) What lessons have you learned and what is He doing in your life now?
God is going to bring someone back that you thought was gone forever, so you better get ready to receive them.
Vs.14 I don’t want to keep him here with me when he should be there with you.
You’re saying how am I going to accept them back. All the pain, caois and drama, How?
How do I move forward?
Vs. 15 1) The Reason you take back is because of the PURPOSE
a.) Left to get saved and delivered. Look past the person and pain and recognize if God allowed them to create the pain He allowed it for a purpose to work something out of your life.
b.) It could not step into life if God didn’t put enough in you to survive it.
c.) Our problem is we play the blame game, look at the person and grow up and say God allowed them to do and say what they did so that He could make me a better person
The purpose is permitted as a practice in whatever position that you will praise the prince of peace as you stroll on the path of your powerful purpose.
There’s a Purpose. All the pain you’ve caused has made someone a better person
2) The Way You Move Forward is you Pardon vs 16
He is a forgiven person. God has wiped your slate clean
3) Vs.17 Receive him as a Partner
Receive them as you receive me. Stop leaving the room.
We go talk to someone about the person instead of talking to them. That’s a sin. Your spreading bitterness
4) Vs. 18-19 Payback
He says put it on my account. I will pay it back.
Not to mention that you owe me. Take him back accept him as you accept me oh and by the way you owe me. Make me feel good because you’re going to make the right choice
20-21
Yes, Onesimus was wrong but Paul got him saved sent him back. While were looking down on someone we all have a spirit of Onesimus we have done somebody wrong, did something or taken something that didn’t belong to us, and ran away, and while we were getting delivered God might be getting you ready because you got to go back and get right with someone. God is going to send somebody in your life that you’re going to have to forgive the same way you want someone to forgive you. Who is God showing you?
Conclusion: God has forgiven all of us and let us come back to him. God is receiving us back and we need to think of the list of people we need to go back and get it right. The list of people you’ve wronged, messed up their names. Go back to people you’ve wronged, make restitution to people you’ve stolen from, get those names, and release. Let it go. It’s not worth losing your walk with God. Ask God for the wisdom on how to go back to those people and say you are sorry. We going to pray today.