Monday, June 13, 2011

Exerpt from the sermon "The Other F-Word"


*Asking for forgiveness…
   Forgiveness doesn’t work unless we change our attitude of why we forgive or ask for forgiveness. All of us at some point or another consciously or unconsciously will ask ourselves this; what’s in it for me? Selfishness rears its ugly head and whoop there it is! What started as a noble cause turns into a, “I feel better now moment”.  That is why forgiving works for God so well. He is not keeping track of what’s in it for him and you know why? THERE IS NOTHING IN IT FOR HIM, He has everything. There is not one thing in this vast universe that God needs from us, yet the mystery of his infinite heart and mind gives us this ray of hope, HE WANTS US. 
   For some reason God wants you and me and he wants to forgive ALL of our sins……I know what you’re thinking, did he just say that? Yes I did, “God wants to forgive ALL of our sins”, try to put your mind around that thought, I’ll wait a few seconds……..All our sins; name calling, inappropriate relationships, disobedience to parents, authorities or God, cheating of any kind, lustful thoughts towards the opposite sex or same sex for that matter, Complaining and moaning about trivial stuff, not sharing the gospel, not serving others, idol worship (music, movies, TV, Video games, etc.), "That’s the way we’ve always done it" syndrome, gossip, The good old boys club or the good old girls club, “the holy clicks if you will”, the list goes on and on….The point is this, it’s not enough to know your sins, you have to do something about it! God allows us to forget the sins we forgive others, because otherwise we would withhold love from them, but we are given memory of ours to stay humble enough to not go back there ever! 
   If we don’t live the way God wants us to live.  We can bring sorrow to the Holy Spirit by the way we live. Asking for forgiveness must come at a time where we are desperate for God. It has to come at a time like in Psalm 38:5-6   “My wounds are foul and festering because of my foolishness. I am bent over and brought low; all day long I go around in mourning.”
 David ‘s sin towards God created such pain within him he was in the fetal position begging God for forgiveness. Have you been there?…Are you there now but are too proud to admit it? Do you need to cry out to Jesus today; do you have to do that today?…is your sin eating you up in a way that you need to cry out to God like David? Don't wait any longer call out to Him who loves you just the way you are, repent and change your life today.