The Healing Word

Pastor Jack Morris: Are you not supposed to do what you're told to do by the Lord Jesus? He told you and me to forgive. I want to do it because he forgave me of my sins, and I want to forgive others perhaps for no other reason than my dear savior asked me to do something for him.

Guest (Male): On today's Healing Word, Pastor Jack Morris is going to talk about forgiveness and how we should and can forgive others. That can be a hard thing to do when we have been mistreated or wronged by someone else. But through the realization of how much Christ has forgiven us and his almighty power that is available to help us overcome and forgive like Jesus did. Let's go to today's message, learning how to forgive.

Pastor Jack Morris: Forgiveness is the most obvious and fundamental teaching of the New Testament. Do I need to say that one again? The most obvious and fundamental teaching of the New Testament is forgiveness. Now why should we forgive? Number one, Jesus has forgiven us. I was lost. I was in sin. I'd broken his heart, heavenly father's heart. And God in mercy and grace saved me and forgave me. Not because I was a good person. That wasn't why. Not because I am a perfect person. On the contrary, he came and saved me and forgave me because of his grace.

And when I remember what he did for me, that energizes me and gives me the strength and the power to forgive others. He forgave me because he loved me. Not because I I couldn't go back and undo. Now what can you do? You can't go back and undo anything, can you? It's what's done has been done. I mean sometimes I wonder what what does what does he expect me to do? Put on sackcloth and ashes and get down on my knees? I mean what can I do now but ask for forgiveness? What can you do?

Or what can that other person do? Do you want him? Do you want her to put on sackcloth and ashes and get down? No, I didn't have to do that to Jesus. I had to but just look up and ask for mercy. And he pitied me. He came to me. He helped me. He blessed me. He forgave me. And today I'm a new person in the Lord. And I've been new ever since January the 9th, 1951. I know the time. I know that that's a long time ago, isn't it? That's a long time ago. But I'm just as new today, perhaps even more new because of his grace that has continued to bless and help me.

So number one, I'm to forgive others because Jesus forgave me and I must remember that. If you don't have that in your mind, fixed in your mind, you are a forgiven sinner because he loved you. Not because you're good. Not because you never hurt anybody else. Not because you never made a mistake. Not because you're perfect. On the contrary, you and I are sinners. We have broken the law of God and he has forgiven us. That's simple. Now as I keep remembering that, holding that in my mind, keeping that in the fore of my attention.

Secondly, I'm first I'm to forgive because he told me to forgive. But listen to this. I'm to forgive because he told me to forgive. Now friend, come on. Am I not Are you not supposed to do what you're told to do by the Lord Jesus? He told you and me to forgive. I want to do it because he forgave me of my sins and I want to forgive others perhaps for no other reason than my dear savior asked me to do something for him. That's why I want to do it. He asked me to forgive.

Now the greatest consequences of forgiving Now notice I didn't say the greatest consequences of not forgiving. There are consequences to not forgiving. But the greatest consequences to forgiving a person who offended me, the greatest consequence is I bring pleasure to the heart of God. Now God has been so good to me. I want to do something good for him. And I want to be a reflection of Jesus. And I want God to look and smile and say you're doing it right. You're doing it right. I'm pleasing God when I forgive. Now the Lord's prayer, we read it again today after we have said it.

Forgive us our debts, our sins, our transgressions as we forgive others. As if I don't forgive others, God's saying you want me to forgive you as you forgive others, you don't forgive others. So you're asking me in that prayer not to forgive you. Friend, we need to be aware of the words we're saying when we pray. But Jesus says he will do that. Peter asked Jesus on one occasion, how many times shall I forgive my brother who sins against me, who does me wrong, who offends me? How many times? Seven? Now Peter thought he was being magnanimous.

He thought he was being very generous because the Jews thought it was sufficient to forgive three times. And so Peter put the word number seven on it. That's the perfect number of the New Testament. That's the number of completion. Seven times. Now that would be something to forgive seven times. I mean there that somebody does something the same thing against me seven times. You know they do it once, I forgive them. They turn around and do the same thing again, I forgive them the second time. They turn around and do the same thing again the third time.

After a while I'm going to say hey, enough already. Jesus said 70 times seven. Who's counting? I can't do that, Lord. But that's how he treats me. He forgives me repeatedly over and over again. Now friend, listen to me clearly. Please. God has no pets. He is not going to bend his rule for you or for me. He's not going to bend his rule. He says that we are to forgive even as we are to forgive. So I'm to forgive because Jesus forgave me. I'm to forgive because he has asked me to forgive. Now what will forgiving do for me?

I know what it's going to do, I think, for the person I forgive. But what's it going to do for me? Now if I am just purely a selfish person, I'm going to get a lot out of forgiving somebody else. Someone said but they don't deserve forgiveness. No, neither did you, do you. Neither did I. Nor do you and I deserve forgiveness now, this ongoing cleansing that God gives to us. But God's mercy is so great and so wonderful. So here's what it 's going to do for me and what it's going to do for you.

You're going to experience a great release when you forgive. When you release them, you're going to receive a release. When you release that person who has offended you, you're going to be released from the bondage into freedom. Let me ask you a question. Do you remember the old peace that you used to have? Would you like to get it back? When you don't forgive, you don't have peace. You have bondage. There's something wrong. There's a cloud over you. And wherever you go and stick your head, that cloud stays right there. Only you, you and you alone to get rid of that cloud by looking to the Lord for his blessing.

You'll get a great and wonderful release. You'll get that peace back that you thought you had one time, that you did have one time, and now you lost it because that unforgiving spirit. Again, what do you want that person to do? Put ashes on his head? Get on his knees in front of you? You wouldn't even forgive him then. You would stay You know what you'd say? I am justified in what I'm feeling. I feel this way because of how I have been hurt. He doesn't deserve forgiveness. No, you don't either. But your name is written in the book of life in heaven because of God's mercy and grace.

Not one of us deserved deserved, did we? Be quiet. And then and then when I forgive, not only will I have that wonderful release, I'll I'll stay younger. You want to You want to come to the fountain of youth today? Well this is true. Th- this is a fact. This is well documented in the research universities. People who forgive remain healthier and they stay younger. There are people today who have lines in their face and they have aged because they have carried bitterness and resentment in their heart and they will not let it go. Years ago when we were over in the chapel, there was a lady who lived on the eastern shore.

She now, at that time, was singing for World Vision. And she had a concert here, a beautiful, wonderful lady with a beautiful, wonderful voice. And she gave this testimony. She was a young woman. She was only in her early 30s. And she said that she and her sister had a falling out years ago. And they didn't speak. And instead of it, you know the people said time heals everything. But sometime time just makes things worse. And the feeling between the two became worse and worse. And she said that she started having stomach problems. She went to Johns Hopkins and they examined her.

They put her through every examination and every test. The lining of her stomach had been just about eaten away. And she was looking like an old woman at 32 years old. And the doctor finally sat her down and told her I don't know how he found out about her problem with her sister. But the doctor told her he said whatever her name was I forget her name called her by name and he said there is not one thing that we can do for you that is wrong with you. The thing that is wrong is that you hate your sister.

You have such bitterness in your sister. It is poisoning your system. You're going to die. You're wasting away physically to nothing. You've got to change. You've got to forgive. Then healing will come to you. He said there's no need to come back. We've done all the tests that Johns Hopkins can do on you. She said she walked out on the sidewalk to get the bus and she stood at the bus stop. And she said she realized you know it's just a matter of time. I'm dying. My husband's going to be left behind. My children are going to be left behind.

All because I won't make things right with my sister. Friends, stop killing yourselves. Turn your eyes upon Jesus, which she did. And God came and forgave her and helped her and gave her the strength and healed her. Now she's out singing for World Vision, a missionary organization. God does great things. Can you say amen?

Guest (Male): Amen.

Pastor Jack Morris: This is what God will do. God will bless. And there are people that have stomach problems, back problems, and just an array of of problems coming from the stress of carrying a grudge, an attitude, a resentment. I don't know how what else to call it today. But they just keep remembering, remembering, focusing them on and they have the this imaginary conversation with that person that offended them. Now I can tell this to them. I You know if you if I did to you what you did to me And And they drive the car and they they're thinking and they're talking and that imaginary conversation goes over and over and over.

Their husband is sick of hearing about it. The wife is sick of hearing about it. So now she or he is talking to themselves. This has gone on and on and on. You're killing yourself, that's what you're doing. You've lost your peace with God. The messages, the services, the songs, the communion it's it's not there anymore. But you can get it back. That's the good news. Can you say amen?

Guest (Male): Amen.

Pastor Jack Morris: You can get it back. A doctor, a psychologist, a doctor Ken Hart of Leeds University in England did a course, conducted a course on forgiveness. Now as far as we know, this was the first secular course ever taught on forgiveness years ago. Now he's We don't think that he's a Christian. He didn't talk from the Bible. But he taught about forgiveness. And he was using biblical principles but he didn't even know he was using it. And he got this class together and he knew that that the the people in general, Christian or non-Christian, people need to know how to forgive one another.

They're going to die. They're killing themselves. Their life is miserable because they don't forgive. They don't know how to forgive. So he put together a course. And in that course, the people came into the class. There was one man there whose wife had committed adultery on him. There were people in that class who had been burglarized and bullied. And all of these people in that class had one thing in common. They all were angry. They all had hate and revenge in their heart. They all wanted to get even. All of them. And he taught that secular course knowing See it this just isn't a message for church people.

It certainly is. The New Testament is all about forgiveness but this is a message that people everywhere need to hear because people have hurt people everywhere. And it happens in the church too because we're still here on this earth. We're still human. We still have problems. We even offend God at times even after we've been saved. We need to come back to the Lord. I talked all about that last week. I won't go back into that again today. But we need to forgive. Now what about those who have already passed on and died and you're still angry with them and you don't have an opportunity now to go to them and ask for forgiveness or to go to them so that they can ask you for forgiveness.

They're dead. They're gone but you still are angry. You still have that bitter feeling in your heart. You still want to get even but you can't. They they're gone but you don't have a goodwill feeling. Their memory is isn't pleasant. Well this is what I would suggest you do. Go to their gravesite. Or if you can't go and they're way off somewhere, get alone somewhere and in your mind, in your imagination, you go to that gravesite. Before you go though, write down some scriptures on forgiveness. Write down the Lord's prayer. And there before that grave, standing there, looking at that grave, either literally or in your imagination, read those scriptures how God saved me, saved you.

Friend, you're not going to be able to think about your own salvation and your own forgiveness very long until you're going to be able to forgive others. There's where it's to begin. Read those scriptures. You may want to take your hymnal along and in your imagination or a standing there by that grave sing Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. Or you may want to sing What a Friend We Have in Jesus. Friend, you've got to do something. It's not going to go away. This ill will feeling, this attitude, this unforgiving spirit, it will not go away on its own.

Months have gone by. Years have gone by. It's still with you. You have to make an effort. And when you stand there and you tell Jesus how grateful you are that he saved you and that you want now to forgive this this one, you sing of God's amazing grace. You sing What a Friend We Have in Jesus or or some other hymn, whatever or course or whatever is near to you. You're going to be able to come away with that peace. You're going to be able to reach out and and regain that that peace that you had lost so long ago.

You'll live better. You'll live happiler happier. God will help you to know the the true abundant life in Jesus Christ. Now forgiveness isn't easy. I believe in all my heart that forgiveness perhaps will is the hardest thing in the world to do. It is not easy. You know why it isn't easy? Because it's unnatural. You know the world is an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. You hurt me. Now I'm just waiting for you to reap what you sowed. Friend, you're the one that's doing the reaping. And you're the one that's being hurt.

But that attitude is not a Christian attitude. Now here's the ultimate proof of forgiveness. A lady wrote sometime ago. Her name is Michelle Nelson. She wrote about three stages of forgiveness. The first stage Do Do we have it on the screen now? The first stage is detached forgiveness, limited forgiveness, and full forgiveness. Come on, read them out loud. Detached

Guest (Male): Detached forgiveness, limited forgiveness, full forgiveness.

Pastor Jack Morris: Now friend, listen to me now clearly. Jesus knelt before his nemesis. Jesus knelt before his adversary. You see we want those who offended us, we want them to do the kneeling, right? We want them to get down in sackcloth and ashes. No. That's not Christianity. I wonder if we truly know what it is to be a Christian and to live the abundant Christian life and treat people like Christians. Jesus is the one that got down. Jesus knelt. And Jesus washed his feet and cleansed this man even before he sinned. Jesus was there doing that. Now I can only do that.

This is the most unnatural thing in all the world to do is to forgive somebody who hurt me. The natural thing is get even, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Be vindictive. Make him hurt like he hurt me. Make her hurt like she hurt me. We may not say that but all we would feel good if it started happening to them. Tell me, is it hurting anybody in that person yet? You know somebody would come and tell me. Yeah, well you know they they're getting what they deserved. They're getting what they deserved.

But I can only kneel when Jesus inside me is kneeling. It's the most unnatural thing in all the world to forgive. I can't do it. I must confess. I'm your pastor. I cannot do it. I can't forgive. In my natural way, I want to be vindictive. I want others to hurt like they hurt me. I want to get even, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. That's the old natural person. But when Jesus is there, the power of Jesus that knelt before Judas and that power is within me I can kneel before the person that doesn't like me, that hates me, that is angry with me.

I can kneel. I can't do it in myself. I can't do it. But Jesus is kneeling again. Jesus is forgiving again. Where is Jesus and where is he doing that? He's in me doing that. He's in you doing that. Jesus is kneeling. Now I need to pray. Lord, fill me with Jesus, the spirit of Jesus so that I can kneel before my enemy, so that I can pray Father, forgive them. Father, bless them. Father, make their life to prosper. That's That's exactly what Jesus said. He looked up and remember this. Always remember this. He didn't say I forgive them.

He had already done that but now he is praying Father, those who lied on me, those who cried out crucified me, those who did all of this to me, Lord, bless and prosper them. Do you know what happened? On the day of Pentecost, some of those very people were there outside the upper room who heard the sermon that Peter preached and 3,000 of them came into the kingdom of God. Why did that happen? Because Jesus prayed Father, forgive them. They don't know what they're doing. Father, bless them. And God did forgive them. God did bless them with eternal life.

They heard the truth and they prospered spiritually and they came in. Friend, you can win more people to the Lord. You can win your enemy to the Lord. I can win mine. We can do it in the power of Jesus, in the power of Jesus Christ.

Guest (Male): Have you been challenged today to forgive as Jesus did? If so, I invite you to reach out to God in prayer and simply ask him to cleanse any attitudes or anger that might be blocking your ability to forgive and energize you with the same humility and overcoming power Christ demonstrated in forgiving others. If today's message strengthened your faith, we invite you to stand with the Healing Word through your prayers and your generous support. Every gift helps us take the gospel to more people who desperately need to hear that Jesus still saves. Join us tomorrow for another Healing Word message.

Until then, blessings on you.