Have You Forgiven God?

1. Have You Forgiven God?

2. Have You Forgiven God?

3. Have you forgiven God? • No, I didn’t ask has God forgiven you, I asked, have you forgiven God? In the January 1977 issue of Moody Monthly, I found an article with this caption: “Have You Forgiven God?” The first story was about a policeman who had three sons. The five year old died of leukemia. Then doctors found a rare form of cancer in his three year old.

4. Have you forgiven God? • His third son, who was twelve, had bone cancer and had to have his leg amputated. • Then a short time later, the father developed a brain tumor. • “What kind of God would strike three sons, and then the father?”

5. How do we respond to the trials of life? • In most cases, there are two possibilities: • 1. They can make us better, or • 2. They can make us bitter? • The difference in most, if not all cases, is a matter of forgiveness.

6. Bitterness is a terrible thing.

7. The Hebrew writer warned against bitterness. • (Heb 12:14-16 NKJV) Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: {15} looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; {16} lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright.

8. We need to deal with problems in the proper way. • (Heb 12:12-14 NKJV) Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees,{13} and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed. {14} Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:

9. We need to deal with problems in the proper way. • We need to encourage and help each other • We need to try to keep from offending others.

10. Great men could have been mad at God, but they were not.

11. Forgiveness is so essential whether toward God or others.

12. Joseph was a man, who was so wronged by his brothers, and they knew it, but he forgave them. • (Gen 45:3 NKJV) Then Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph; does my father still live?" But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed in his presence. • (Gen 45:3 NIV) Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph! Is my father still living?" But his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence.

13. But Joseph forgave them. •  (Gen 45:4-9 NKJV) And Joseph said to his brothers, "Please come near to me." So they came near. Then he said: "I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. {5} "But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life.

14. But Joseph forgave them. • (Gen 45:4-9 NKJV) {6} "For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. {7} "And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

15. But Joseph forgave them. • (Gen 45:4-9 NKJV) {8} "So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt. {9} "Hurry and go up to my father, and say to him, 'Thus says your son Joseph: "God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not tarry.

16. Smaller men were mad at God, and should not have been.

17. Balaam was mad at his donkey. • (Num 22:29-34 NASB) Then Balaam said to the donkey, "Because you have made a mockery of me! If there had been a sword in my hand, I would have killed you by now." {30} And the donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden all your life to this day? Have I ever been accustomed to do so to you?" And he said, "No.”

18. Balaam was mad at his donkey. • (Num 22:29-34 NASB) {31} Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam,and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand; and he bowed all the way to the ground. {32} And the angel of the LORD said to him, "Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out as an adversary, because your way was contrary to me.

19. Balaam was mad at his donkey. • (Num 22:29-34 NASB) {33} "But the donkey saw me and turned aside from me these three times. If she had not turned aside from me, I would surely have killed you just now, and let her live." {34} And Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, "I have sinned, for I did not know that you were standing in the way against me. Now then, if it is displeasing to you, I will turn back."

20. Balaam could at least acknowledge his wrong and repent.

21. Jonah was mad at God because He spared Nineveh. •  (Jonah 4:1-4 NKJV) But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry. {2} So he prayed to the LORD, and said, "Ah, LORD, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm.

22. Jonah was mad at God because He spared Nineveh. •  (Jonah 4:1-4 NKJV) {3} "Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!" {4} Then the LORD said, "Is it right for you to be angry?"

23. Jesus told the story of the Prodigal Son as an illustration of the need to forgive. • (Luke 15:25-32 NKJV) "Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. {26} "So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. {27} "And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’

24. Jesus told the story of the Prodigal Son as an illustration of the need to forgive. • (Luke 15:25-32 NKJV) {28} "But he was angry and would not go in.Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. {29} "So he answered and said to his father, 'Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends.

25. Jesus told the story of the Prodigal Son as an illustration of the need to forgive. • (Luke 15:25-32 NKJV) {30} 'But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.' {31} "And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. {32} 'It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.'"

26. The Jews were angry with Jesus because He would forgive sinners (Luke 7:36-47 NKJV) Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee's house, and sat down to eat. {37} And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner,when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil,

27. The Jews were angry with Jesus because He would forgive sinners • (Luke 7:36-47 NKJV) {38} and stood at His feet behind Him weeping;and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head;and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. {39} Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, "This man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what

28. The Jews were angry with Jesus because He would forgive sinners • (Luke 7:36-47 NKJV) manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner." {40} And Jesus answered and said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." So he said, "Teacher, say it." {41} "There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.

29. The Jews were angry with Jesus because He would forgive sinners • (Luke 7:36-47 NKJV) {42} "And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?" {43} Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more." And He said to him, "You have rightly judged." {44} Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman?

30. The Jews were angry with Jesus because He would forgive sinners • (Luke 7:36-47 NKJV) I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. {45} "You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. {46} "You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil.

31. The Jews were angry with Jesus because He would forgive sinners • (Luke 7:36-47 NKJV) {47} "Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little."

32. He also accepted the tax collectors. • (Luke 15:1-2 NKJV) Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. {2} And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, "This Man receives sinners and eats with them."

33. Forgiveness is required of us if we are to be forgiven. • (Mat 6:14-15 NKJV) "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. {15} "But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

34. Conclusion • It is a foolish thing to refuse to forgive God. • Have you forgiven God and others so that you might be forgiven? • Have you been forgiven of your sins?