PUSH THE RESET

PUSH THE RESET I. MOST ELECTRONIC DEVICES COME WITH A RESET BUTTON. A. WE KNOW WHICH BUTTON TO PUSH WHEN IT COMES TO GETTING SOMEONE GOING. IT’S SURE BE NICE TO HAVE A RESET BUTTON TO START AGAIN. B. GENUINE FORGIVENESS ALLOWS US TO START ALL OVER AGAIN. II. FORGIVING IS A BIBLICAL MANDATE. A. MATTHEW 6:14-15 B. QUESTION: CAN WE BE FORGIVEN OF OUR SIN, IF WE REFUSE TO FORGIVE OTHERS? III. IF FORGIVENESS ISN’T FOLLOWED WITH FORGETTING, FORGIVENESS IS SHORT LIVED; WE BECOME “HISTORICAL.” A. MATTHEW 18:21-22 B. TO KEEP TRACK, BY COUNTING THE TIMES AND NUMBERS OF OFFENSES, MEANS WE ARE NOT INTERESTED IN GENUINE FORGIVENESS. C. COLOSSIANS 3:13 LUKE 23:34b MATTHEW 6:12 IV. HOW DOES THE LORD FORGIVE US? A. GOD’S FORGIVENESS IS ACCOMPANIED WITH FORGETFULNESS. B. HEBREWS 10:17 V. GOD CAN REMEMBER, BUT HE CHOOSES NOT TO REMEMBER! A. ISAIAH 1:18 B. REPENTED AND CONFESSED SINS, IN GOD’S EYES, ARE NEUTRALIZED, AS IF THEY NEVER HAPPENED. VI. THIS IS HOW JESUS FORGAVE AND HOW WE ARE TO FORGIVE EACH OTHER. A. THIS LEVEL OF FORGIVENESS ISN’T POSSIBLE UNLESS WE ARE FILLED WITH THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. B. PHILIPPIANS 4:13 VII. KEEPING TRACK OF THE OFFENSES IS ADDING THEM UP, WHICH REDUCES THE PURPOSE OF FORGIVENESS. A. PUSH THE RESET BUTTON AND START OVER AGAIN.