Preamble
· Recap of the theme of the church (Luke 10:25-27)
· God created Mankind to have fellowship with Him
· Fellowship was broken on the side of Man
· Fellowship restored through the Person of Jesus Christ
· God expects that we have a vertical relationship with Him
· This will ultimately influence our horizontal relationship with other human beings
o We love because He first loved us
o We give in response to what He has already given us
o We forgive others because God has already forgiven us in Jesus Christ
Do we easily love others even though we claim to love God?
· Does the command to love others seem burdensome?
· Why is this so?
· What causes our inability to reflect God’s Love?
· How can this be remedied?
Why Can’t We Love Others
· Example of Power Supply from ECG & VRA
· Supply Cut-off From The Source
o When we do not relate with the Father, we cannot relate to His children
o When we have not experienced His Love, we cannot reflect it
o When we have not experienced His Gift, we cannot know what giving is
o When we have not experienced His forgiveness, we can never forgive others
· Distribution Cut-off In The Channels
o The command to love our neighbours is just as important as the command to love God. The two are inseparable (Matthew 22:37-40)
o If anyone loves God, but hates his brother, he is a liar (1 John 4:20)
o It is impossible to love God and not love your fellow men
o Many want to be recipients of God’s love, grace and mercy, but never distribution channels of these.
The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant (Matthew 18:21 – 35)
· The King was moved with compassion towards the one who had wronged Him
· The value of the debt of the first servant even far outweighs the weight of our sin against God
· The reaction of the 1st servant towards the 2nd is typical of many people,
o Is there any person in your life you are struggling to forgive?
o The Christian who demands justice will get it; both from God and Man
What Happens If I Fail To Forgive
· Our bitterness goes deep and establishes itself in us. Like cancer, it destroys us first before destroying others (Hebrews 12:14-15)
o Bitterness is cancerous, and it destroys.
o Hurt people tend to hurt others, unless they are healed (Serial broken homes).
o Bitterness can destroy business partnerships, marriages, break up church and family relationships
· We will be handed over to tormenters/torturers,
o They will rob us of our joy and peace
o Bitterness becomes a doorway/foothold to demonic affliction
o Medical affliction
· God considers the sins of the heart very seriously
o Lust is Adultery, Anger is Murder,
o Unforgiveness from the heart (Matthew 18:35)
Conclusion
· In light of the forgiveness that the true King offers, we no longer have the right to hold on to anger/bitterness/unforgiveness
· Guard your heart from hurt and offences (Proverbs 4:23). Rid yourself of all bitterness and malice which can pollute the spirit (Ephe 4:31-32; 2 Cor 7:1)
· Loving a person transcends what the eye sees, it is supernatural. Love exists only in the divine realm
· Before we can fellowship with other believers through the Holy Spirit, we should have experienced the Love of God by virtue of encountering the Grace of Jesus Christ, (2 Corinthians 13:14)
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