Rise Above the Noise When Forgiving

Notes: Rise Above the Noise When Forgiving

Pastor Shawn Williams

Central Church

Las Vegas

August, 16 2015

An Amish community in 2006 lost 5 girls by the gunshots of a killer. The Amish community showed amazing grace, when they visited the killers family and made sure they knew they were forgiven.

Colossians 4:6 NKJV

[6] Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

Trust God even when it doesn't make sense.

Matthew 18:21 NKJV

[21] Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?"

In the cultural norm, it was three times to forgive someone.

Matthew 18:22 NKJV

[22] Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

Jesus basically is saying to never stop forgiving.

We need to instinctively forgive.

Matthew 18:23-27 NKJV

[23] Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. [24] And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. [25] But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. [26] The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, 'Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.' [27] Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.

Principles of the story:

1. Forgiveness is costly.

The man had to give up getting paid back lots of money by forgiving this debt.

We all find ourselves in debts we can not payback.

The story is showing our debt to God for our sins.

Jesus was sent to pay that debt for us.

God's gift did not cost us much, but cost God everything.

Forgiveness is not costly to the villain, it is costly to the victim.

Matthew 18:28-30 NKJV

[28] "But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, 'Pay me what you owe!' [29] So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.' [30] And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt.

It is impossible to be a forgiving person until you fully embrace that you are a forgiven person.

Sometimes we have a hard time forgiving for small things, like a stolen parking spot.

Then we have those huge things that are natural to not want to forgive, like a cheating spouse or someone lying about us.

NOT forgiving can be even more costly.

Forgiveness is like the air in our lungs. We can take forgiveness in like a breath, but not exhaling or giving forgiveness can suffocate us.

What does it look like to walk the path of forgiveness?

Matthew 18:31-33 NKJV

[31] So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. [32] Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. [33] Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?'

We are to do unto others as God has done unto us.

We forgive because we are forgiven.

Forgiveness is the only payment that can eradicate emotional debts.

Forgiveness is taught intrinsically in the Amish community, they practice forgiving the small debts everyday, so they know how to forgive the big debts.

A life that rises above the noise is one that can forgive a debt that can never be repaid.

The Prevailing Church

Notes: The Prevailing Church

Matthew 16:13–18

Guest SPEAKER: Pastor Jack Graham

Thursday, August 13, 2015 — 7:00 p.m.

Pastor Jack says he has loved the Lord and His church since he was a little boy.

The best things in his life have been in the church.

Getting baptized, meeting his wife, marrying his wife, dedicating his children, and the comfort from the church body when he buried his parents are all memories of the church for Jack.

The church will be your friend when you need a friend.

We are not talking about a building; we are talking about all kinds of churches.

Don't compare ourselves to one another or other churches; we are to compare ourselves to the example of Christ.

Some churches can seem dead; Harvest is not one of those churches.

Matthew 16:13-18 NKJV

[13] When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" [14] So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." [15] He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" [16] Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." [17] Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. [18] And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

Matthew 16:19 NKJV

[19] And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

"The gates of hell will not prevail against it."

This summer with all that has been happening doesn't seem to paint a picture that we are winning.

Romans 12:21 NKJV

[21] Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

America is having problems, but the persecuted church around the world has horrible things going on with it. Over 300 Christians are being killed every month around the world.

3 ways the church prevails:

1. The church prevails when our focus is on Jesus.

In Matthew 16, Jesus was a

Ready focused on the cross.

"Who is Jesus?" That is the most important question for all of us to answer.

Matthew 16:18 NKJV

[18] And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

Jesus is not just a great moral person. Jesus is God.

Have you confessed to God and asked Him to be your Lord and Savior?

This confession by Peter was done openly and publicly.

Matthew 16:16 NKJV

[16] Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

Don't ever be ashamed of Jesus.

Romans 10:9 NKJV

[9] that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

When Peter confessed Christ he became a new person.

2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV

[17] Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

In church today so many attendees that are not saved surround us.

The faith that fizzles at the finish is faulty at the first.

The church that prevails is owned and operated by Jesus Christ.

Acts 20:28 NKJV

[28] Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.

Its not just how many you can get to come to church, it's to make sure that Jesus is in your church.

Acts 2:47 NKJV

[47] praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

The prevailing church is not any man, it's God.

This "Rock" is the answer Peter gave, Matthew 16:16 NKJV

[16] Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

Matthew 16:18 NKJV

[18] And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

It is Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, that is the Rock His church is built on.

The building is not the church, we are the church. We are a church when we are gathered and when we are scattered.

Our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NKJV

[19] Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? [20] For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.

1 Peter 2:5 NKJV

[5] you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Have you ever heard of a one brick building?

You are not just here for you but for the others that need you also.

1 Corinthians 14:40 NKJV

[40] Let all things be done decently and in order.

We are stacked together, brick upon brick, life upon life.

We are to work together with our church and the Church.

Psalm 119:63 NKJV

[63] I am a companion of all who fear You, And of those who keep Your precepts.

Ephesians 3:21 NKJV

[21] to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

We have already won! Jesus has already told us.

Romans 8:37 NKJV

[37] Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

Gates don't move. The gates of hell aren't moving on us, we are moving towards the gates of hell. We are an army on the move.

Jesus has given us the key to everything.

The "Key" is the Gospel!

With the Gospel we can set people free!

Any church that is not engaging the enemy does not have the right to exist.

You have been given the keys, are you accepting your authority and responsibility?

You have the keys to someone's heart that needs to know Jesus.

Tell Someone: How to Lead Others to Christ

Notes: Tell Someone: How to Lead Others to Christ

Pastor Greg

August 9, 2015

Sowing the seed, you can sow the seed others left or others can sow the seed you left.

Oscar Laurie is the man that Greg calls his father. He was one of the several husbands that Greg's mother had. Greg went many years without speaking to him. Greg tracked him down and visited. Shared the Gospel with Oscar, Oscar accepted the Lord with Greg.

1 Peter 3:15 NLT

[15] Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.

We must be ready to share at anytime.

John 4:28-29 NLT

[28] The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone, [29] "Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?"

1. Your testimony is one of the most effective ways to reach others with the Gospel.

It is a powerful bridge to reach others.

All our testimony is, once we were lost and now we are found.

Some testimonies may sound more powerful but may not resonate with every person. Your testimony matters.

John 4:39 NLT

[39] Many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus because the woman had said, "He told me everything I ever did!"

....

1. Don't glorify or exaggerate your past.

2. Don't boast about what you gave up for him, but what He gave up for you!

3. It's not about you; it's about Him.

.....

2. We must speak in a language people understand.

We can't assume the listener understands the language we use. We should use Biblical terminology, but break it down for them.

We are not a Culturally Christian country anymore. In the past we would have said that.

The largest growing group today is the Nones, they don't believe in anything specific so they believe everything.

Most of these people today have never heard the true Gospel.

The Gospel is that we are separated from God and there is nothing we can do about it, unless we put our faith in Jesus Christ.

1 John 1:8 NLT

[8] If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth.

Many don't actually know what it means to sin.  Trespass is one definition.

Trespass means to cross a line. Sin speaks more of missing the mark.

God doesn't grade on a curve, He grades by the cross.

Being a good person is not enough. Heaven is not for good people; Heaven is for forgiven people.

Romans 5:1 NLT

[1] Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.

How can a God of love send people to hell?

Hell was built for the devil and his angels.

To get to hell people have to climb over Jesus Christ to get there.

Jesus is a God of love and justice.

How do you lead others to Christ?

First you can't be afraid to close the deal. Be ready to lead them right then and there.

After they accept Christ, you have to lead them into the church. You have to help them to start following the Lord.

No one makes it as a solo Christian.

Your job is to bring people to Christ, get them on their feet and then do it again.

People are waiting for someone to walk up to them and show them the way.

Those people are out there, get out there and find them.

You need God's help to do this, the power of the Holy Spirit.