★ MY SERMON NOTES
@ Family Worship Centre (FWC)
Wuye, Abuja
2nd Sunday Service
1st May, 2016

☆ SERMON
* Speaker: Pastor Sarah Omakwu
* Topic: Love Forgives Always
* Text: Matthew 18:21-35

★ Mark 11:25-26 →"Whenever you stand up to pray, forgive whatever you have against anyone, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins. But if you do not forgive, your Father in heaven will not forgive your sins.”[b][/b][/b]

★ [b]Psalm 133:1-3 →"Look how good and how pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! It is like precious oil on the head, descending to the beard— even to Aaron’s beard— and flowing down to the edge of his robes. It is like the dew of Hermon falling on Zion’s mountains. For there the LORD commanded his blessing— life everlasting."

* Forgiveness is the intentional and voluntary process by which a victim undergoes a change in feelings & attitudes regarding an offence, let's go of negative emotions like vengefulness and wishing the offender well

* Repentance literally means to turn, reviewing one's actions and feeling contrition or regret for past wrong. It involves a commitment to personal change and to be more responsible and humane

* You have not repented unless you have made a decision
→ repentance always involves a decision to do something definite & positive and stick to it

* Only a foolish person would refuse to forgive and keep score of every offence
→ It is futile and stressful to keep counting every offence done to you by a single person every time
→ it is easier to forgive and let go

* NOTE: You offend God many times daily, yet He forgives you every single time!

* Whatever we owe one another, can never be compared to what God has done for us

* NOTE: when it comes to the issue of forgiveness, God does not deal with us in groups
→ He holds each person personally accountable
→ God is angry whenever you forget what he has done for you and you refuse to forgive anyone who offends you - no matter the gravity of the offense

* Usually, it is those who had been forgiven much that are more vindictive and judgmental

* The basis of Christianity is forgiveness
→ God had to forgive us in order to relate with us
→ You cannot be like God if you walk in unforgiveness

* Leave the issue of vengence to God [Romans 12:19, Deuteronomy 32:35]
→ It is not your duty to fight for God!

* NOTE: Every offence is forgivable!
→ Every sin can be forgiven

* All the offences we have committed are nothing compared to the measure of forgiveness we have
* You have to forgive in order to remain a Christian
→ unforgiveness is unchristian

* There can be no love without forgiveness
★ Psalm 99:8 →"LORD our God, you answered them; you were their God who forgave them, but also avenged their evil deeds."

* Anytime you refuse to forgive, you become the victim of unforgiveness

* If you don't forgive, you tie your life to it - and you carry the burden everywhere you go

* There are certain things you forgive, but you should allow the consequences take their natural cause

* NOTE: The fact that you have been forgiven does not mean you will escape the natural consequence of what you have done

★ Hebrews 8:12 →"For I will be merciful regarding their wrong deeds, and I will never again remember their sins.”

* You must learn to forgive like God
→ when you forgive, you must forget the source of the offense and you must not remember it afterwards [see: Isaiah 43:25]

* Forgiveness is not optional
→ God demands and requires you to live and walk in forgiveness

* Forgiveness is the glue that holds every relationship together
→ There is no relationship where there are no offences
→ The longer a relationship has lasted, the more the parties involved have had to forgive each other!

* Even in your relationship with God, you must keep forgiving, and trusting Him [regardless of the times you feel God has hurt/offended you]
→ NOTE: God will not apologise for offending you
→ The only time God was sorry was because He made man [see: Genesis 6:6]

★ Job 13:15 →"Even though he kills me, I’ll continue to hope in him. At least I’ll be able to argue my case to his face!"

* Unforgiveness causes men to lose out on God's prepared blessings for them

★ Luke 17:3-4 →"Watch yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. Even if he sins against you seven times in a day and comes back to you seven times and says, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”

☆ NOTE: when you walk in forgiveness, you are taking heed to yourself & preventing yourself from becoming a victim of the devil

* Forgiveness should be unconditional and devoid of self-justification

* True repentance should be without conditions and pride

* Every time you say "sorry" genuinely, you get bigger and stronger

* An unforgiving person is a weak and vulnerable person

* When you don't forgive, you are:
→ separated from God
→ separated from people
→ vulnerable to all manner of diseases & health issues
→ subjected to demonic oppression and torment
→ unable to 'shine' and make progress in life
→ cut off from enjoying peace, joy and freedom

* Fighting with people and refusing to humble yourself to forgive them is the devil's way of cutting you off from your [physical and spiritual] supplies

* Pride and arrogance robs people of getting their share of blessings from God and from people who had offended them!

* You know you have truly forgiven when you relate with the person(s) that offended you without any iota of bitterness

* You must forgive:
→ everyone
→ every offense
→ everytime

* You must refuse to take offence at the blessings of others

* You must release everyone of your personal judgement