The Healing Word

Guest (Male): The Healing Word Ministry on one place is brought to you by the generous donations of people like you. At any time during today's message, feel free to send a prayer request or make a donation using the links provided. Now, I pray you will be blessed as Pastor Jack Morris delivers a message from the word of God that will encourage and strengthen your faith in him.

Pastor Jack Morris: When God forgives, he totally forgives. He puts it away, he restores, there's complete reconciliation. That's what I want to talk to you about just a little bit today.

Guest (Male): Welcome to the Healing Word, a radio ministry of the Largo Community Church. Here's Pastor Jack Morris with today's message that will grow your faith in God and lead you to a closer walk with Jesus.

Pastor Jack Morris: A number of years ago, I taught at a seminary. You know, that's the time when I was going away two weeks in the spring, two weeks in the fall, and go to the Orient and I'd teach a seminary class. We'd do a review, and I would review with individuals, and then I would review with the whole class. Then I would break the class up, all these young pastors and ministers working on their master's degree, break them up into smaller groups and we'd review again.

We were getting ready for our final and then I would tell them the questions that are going to be on the final test. Oh, they loved that. But do you know some of them still just barely made it? Then the director that was directing all of this, he emailed me and he said something to the effect, "I don't know why, but the students are asking for you to come and teach their classes." He said, "Do you know you're one of the most popular instructors that we have in the seminary?" He didn't know why. I told them everything but sit down, take a pen, and answer the questions for them.

But we're going to do a little bit of review today. For the last two weeks, this is the third week, I've been preaching on forgiving our offender, those people who have transgressed against us. How to do that, because we live in a broken world where there are a lot of things going on that sometimes hurt our feelings, hurt us deeply. People sometimes step on our feelings, not that we ever step on somebody else's feelings. But sometimes we are offended, and the Bible has a whole lot to say about it. Actually, the whole theme of the New Testament has to do with forgiveness.

So, the first sermon, October the second, Forgiveness is Forever. Do you remember that one? Wonderful. About half a dozen of you do. Forgiveness is forever. How that God originally forgave us, you know, we were brought into the kingdom of God, saved, we're baptized, take communion. God forgave us. Our sins are now buried into the sea of God's forgetfulness, never to be remembered against us again. They're gone.

But since that time, because we're in an imperfect world and because we are imperfect people, we do commit sins. Not because we want to, not because there's a desire in our heart to do that, but we do. Let's be honest, we do. And the Lord continues to forgive. He not only forgave all my past sins and brought me in and made me a Christian, he continues to forgive me when I do things wrong. Provided I confess and repent and turn to him and ask him in humility, he'll hear my prayer, he'll cleanse me.

And this is an ongoing thing. This is why we continue to come to the holy table and take communion. Not only at that time, but daily, we confess to the Lord. We have these situations that will arise. I used the illustration of feet washing. How when the person would go to the bathhouse and take a bath and then put his sandals back on and walk home, he'd walk down dirty streets. When he'd get home, he'd need to have his feet washed. He didn't need to go back to the bathhouse and have a bath again. So, the Lord is telling us, "I cleansed you, but you still walk in this world. You walk in dirty places." So that was my sermon on October the second.

Then October the ninth, last Sunday, Learning How to Forgive. There were five reasons given why we should forgive. Number one, Jesus forgave us and he continues. That's the amazing thing. He not only forgave, but he keeps on every time you do something wrong and you turn to the Lord and say, "Dear Lord, I didn't mean to think that thought, say that word, behave in that manner. I don't know why I did that." He understands and he immediately cleanses and forgives. You don't become a sinner again needing to be baptized again, not at all. But we just live in this world of woe.

So, he forgives, he continues to forgive. That's one of the reasons. The other reason: we want to obey him. Don't you want to obey the Lord? Sure you do, I do too. The third reason is that when we forgive those who transgressed against us, we please the Lord, and we want to please him. He has certainly pleased us. And then fourthly, when we forgive, a great release comes to us. Not only do we release that person and let him or her off the hook, a great release comes and we feel like we're born into freedom when that happens.

And then fifthly, we stay more healthy physically and mentally when we forgive. It is a scientific fact that people who hold grudges age more quickly and lines come into their face long before lines are supposed to come into their face. Scientific fact. So friend, if you want to be good and you don't want to forgive, go ahead and forgive. It'll redound to your goodness if you do that. But we want to do it because it's the right thing to do, it's God's thing for us to do that.

Jesus knelt and washed the feet of the saints. Now he washed all 12. He didn't wash 11 and say, "Judas, you're the betrayer. I know what you're going to do. I know what you're up to. I know what's in your heart. Repent. If you repent, then I'll wash your feet." No, he got down and washed his feet when Judas was going out to sell him for 30 pieces of silver, kiss him on the cheek and have the police recognize him so he could be arrested. Jesus still knelt down and washed his feet. Now if we have the heart of Jesus, we're going to be able to kneel like Jesus knelt.

Now today, total forgiveness. But just one little more review. Last week when I talked about forgiveness, I said there were three types. And this is only for putting it on paper because it really doesn't work this way. Either we forgive or we don't forgive. It's like saying so-and-so is a little bit pregnant. How can you be a little bit pregnant?

There is that detached forgiveness. You know, the person will say, "I'm forgiving him," or "I'm forgiving her." Now that will reduce the negative feelings we have against him or her. But then we'll go another step further and we'll either say it or we'll think it. "I'll forgive, but I hope I never see him again. I hope I never see her again. I don't want to have anything to do with them. If I never see them again, it'll be too soon." Detached forgiveness, just detached. They're out there.

Then there's that limited forgiveness. It's somewhat similar to the detached forgiveness in that it will reduce negative feelings. But we'll say, "Okay, I forgive. And when I bump into that person, I'll smile, I'll be civil, and I'll shake hands. I may even give them a hug if they put their arms around me first. I'll not go looking for them with open arms. But you know, pastor, I'll forgive them, but I'll never feel the same toward them again." Now listen friend, if God forgave you that way and said, "Yeah, I'll forgive him. I'll forgive her. But I'll never feel the same toward that person." Friend, we'd be in a bad way, wouldn't we? We'd be in a bad way.

When God forgives, he totally forgives. He puts it away, he restores, there's complete reconciliation. That's what I want to talk to you about just a little bit today. Offenses happen. We live in a broken world and we're humans. There's things going to happen on the job. There are things going to happen in the home. There are things going to happen at church. Hey, did you know that? Church people. It happens because we're human and we need to be tolerant. We need to be forgiving because we are forgiven and we are continually being forgiven by the Lord.

The Lord has done so many great and wonderful things. One man, you know I tell stories sometimes, I like to tell stories. And if I can't think of a new one, I'll tell an old one. And you're always gracious, you'll laugh at it. So I'll keep on telling the old ones if I can't think of a new one. But the pastor met this former member on the street, they came face to face. And the pastor knew that he had been going from church to church, you know, a few weeks here, then a few weeks there, then a few weeks at another church.

The pastor asked him how he was doing, what he was looking for in a church. And he said, "Well, I'm looking for Christ-like people, people who are truly Christians, who will treat me with Christ-likeness. I'm looking for that perfect church." And the pastor said, "Oh, when you find it, please don't go in. You'll ruin it because it'll never be perfect again." Friends, you and I both are imperfect. There was only one who was perfect and that was Jesus. You know his name.

Now forgiveness is an act of the will. You have to want to forgive. See, you have to want to be a Christian to become one. You have to want to be baptized in order to be baptized. Most everything we do, we have to want to do it. But if you don't want to do it, and believe it or not, do you know there are some people who don't want to forgive? Oh, they'll say they do. "Oh, I wish I could get this out of my mind." But secretly, every time they talk about that person that offended them, they sort of get an adrenaline rush. That sort of feels good.

And secondly, if they forgave, they would not get all the sympathy that they're getting. You know, "People, I'm so sorry for you. You've been hurt." And they like that. It feels good. "I've been abused. Somebody sympathize." So they'll hold on to it and hold on to it. And they'll milk the last drop of sympathy from whoever they can milk it from. But you have to want to forgive. You have to want to become a Christian. Whatever you do, the want to must be there. You must choose to obey the word of God or you're not going to obey it. It must be a choice.

Guest (Male): We'll be back with the conclusion of today's message in just a moment. But first, here's an invitation for you to make an impact on reaching souls with God's word.

Pastor Jack Morris: Hello friends, I'm Pastor Jack Morris. I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for your prayers and your donations. In that order, prayers and donations. I need both from you, and if this ministry is to continue, and I believe it's God's will for it to continue, I'm going to need your partnership more so than ever before. I thank God for you. I trust that the Healing Word is a blessing. Pray that God's word will go forth in mighty power to the saving of souls and to the healing of lives, emotions, and bodies. God bless you, dear one, in Jesus' name. Amen.

Guest (Male): If the Healing Word has blessed you or someone you love, we invite you to prayerfully consider pledging your financial support. Simply visit thehealingword.com and click on donate now to make your tax-deductible contribution. Together, let's continue to share the beautiful blessings of God's word with a world in need.

Pastor Jack Morris: Now I cannot forgive unless I keep in mind as so, as the Lord has forgiven me six billion dollars, I can forgive somebody twelve thousand dollars. I can do the little thing. God hasn't asking you to save that person's soul. God is asking you to be reconciled to your brother, reconciled to your sister. He's asking you for a little thing in comparison to the big thing.

Well, now here's how we respond to those who when we are offended, when we are hurt, when somebody transgresses against us or steps on our feelings. And remember this, nobody really, I don't believe at the Largo Community Church in particular, ever intended to step on anybody's feelings. This is a very loving congregation. Truly it is. Love covers a multitude of sins. Covers mine, it'll cover yours. Love does.

But when a person is offended, they have three choices. Now think about it, you have choices and I have choices. Number one, we can flee. What's the second one? Fight. Third? Forgive. All right. For some unknown reason, the first two seem to be the most appealing. We can flee. We don't want to have anything to do with them. We want a distance between us. Now that'll happen at work. Do you know what how it let me see if I can make it as practical as I can. At work, when we're offended by somebody, we may go to our supervisor and say, "Can you have that person transferred out of here? I don't want to drink coffee with him in the morning or her in the morning. And if you can't get that person transferred, please, sir or ma'am, could you get me transferred to another department? I want to flee."

It's like the man that I told you about that was looking for another church. Something went wrong, so he thought he could find a better congregation to go to. And he met his pastor and his pastor says, "Hey, you're a sinner just like everybody else." You know, we want to run away, get out, a change.

The other is fight. Now here's a woman. She finds out that her husband had an affair, committed adultery 10 years ago. She found out about his adulterous affair 10 years after it had happened. He stopped it 10 years ago. He turned to God, asked God to forgive him. He never told his wife, never told anybody. He became an ideal husband. He lived well. But somehow the wife found out about it, and it about devastated her. She had such mixed feelings. It wasn't something that just recently happened. 10 years ago, 10 years of being a wonderful husband. Now she could have fled, she could have divorced him. She had every biblical ground to do so. She could have separated, she could have done that. Or she could have made it hell on earth for him at home. And it would have been hell on earth for her and the children. She could have stayed home and fought. Or she could have forgiven.

So this is what she decided to do. Both of them decided that they're going to go away and have a little break, a little vacation just the two of them. And they're going to think and they're going to talk and they're going to consider and they're going to pray because they have been going to a fine church for the last 10 years and he's been an ideal husband but he betrayed her 10 years ago. The 10th day, the man comes into the room where they were staying and he founds this card. It was like a Hallmark card with this verse written in the Hallmark card. It said, "I'd rather do nothing with you than something without you." And then underneath that she wrote, "I forgive you. I love you. Let's move on."

From her ink pen, her ink pen turned into a love poured forth. She didn't flee, fighting wasn't her thing, but forgiveness was the thing, the Christian thing. So forgive and totally forgive. Because you're not just a little bit pregnant, you can't forgive just a little bit either. You have or you haven't. Either God has forgiven me or I'm still unforgiven.

So here's the strength to do it. Here's the strength. Number one, your willingness. Now if you're not willing, that's still okay. Go to the Lord and say, "God, I know what you want me to do. I want to do what you want me to do, but I just can't. I'm not willing." Tell him that. Tell him how weak you are. He'll love you, he'll put his arms around you. You'll find a strength starting to come in. It'll come in when you're open and honest with the Lord.

But then you must be willing. Number two, you must remember your own salvation experience. How God has forgiven you. Now you're going to forgive as. Keep thinking, remember, go back, ruminate. See yourself giving your heart, confessing your sins, repenting, being baptized, taking communion. Think about it, rejoice in it, be happy about it. Let it be fresh in your mind and in your thinking again.

And thirdly, have a heart like Jesus. The natural thing to do is to flee or fight. The unnatural thing to do or the supernatural thing to do is to forgive. That's the supernatural thing to do. There must be full reconciliation. If there is not full reconciliation, friend, come to this altar, confess openly before God and before anybody else because you have talked about your problem before other people. Haven't you? You haven't? You've kept your offense very secret. Nobody knows that you were offended but you. Come on, friend. Let's be honest with God and honest with ourselves. Come to the Lord today, open your heart and he will bless you, he will love you. You will release that person, you will feel a great release, you will feel like you've been born again, and indeed you will have. It'll be a great experience.

Years ago, a mother was dying. I'll have to close now with this. She was dying. She was in the hospital. She did die just a few days after this event. She had two sons. They were middle-aged guys, they were in their early fifties. But these two boys fell out years ago with each other. They didn't get along with each other. Actually, they never spoke to each other. They never had any association with their two families because they had fallen out. And neither of them had the humility or the grace to ask the other for forgiveness and reconciliation.

Writing cards, one of the sons, the girl had grown up, she was getting married and they were writing the cards. The teenage son looked at the cards and he said, "Mom, none of dad's people are invited." And the mother said, "Well, son, we haven't had anything to do with that family for years. We haven't had anything to do with them."

So here's the mother dying and here those two boys show up in the hospital room with their mother. One of them walked down this side of the bed, the other one came in and walked down that side of the bed. Neither boys spoke to each other, neither looked at each other. And here that poor mother, "My boys, my sons, I love them equally." She died about four days after this event. And she said, I think the name was Jim, said, "Jim, give me your hand." That was the oldest boy. Took him by the hand and she put his hand right on her chest. And she said, "Larry," she says, "give me your hand." Larry gave her hand, she took Larry's hand and put it right on top of Jim's hand. And then she put her hand on top of their hand. And with tears she said, "I love you. I don't want to leave this world with you two boys."