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Why Do We Need a Sermon on Forgiveness /Write a Sermon on Forgiveness
Write a Sermon on Forgiveness? Forgiveness is a key requirement of every Christian because we are in a relationship with others and they will hurt us at some point. God wants us to forgive those who offend us so that nothing will hinder our walk with Him. If you have to write a sermon on forgiveness, this article will give you some nuggets of wisdom, which will enlighten you. Sermon on Forgiveness
What is Forgiveness?
Forgiveness is the act of releasing another person from anything you hold against them. Forgiving another does not mean that they are no longer guilty of the offense, they still are, if they have not repented.
Forgiveness opens the door for healing and reconciliation of a relationship although things will not necessarily be the same as they were before the offense. Writing a sermon on forgiveness means that you know how to forgive and what the Word of God teaches about it.
We All Need It
In all our dealings with each other, our brothers and sisters. Those who have not accepted Christ Yet, we make mistakes, say, and do things we should not. Sometimes we are not even aware of transgressions that we make. Jesus died for us all even when we were in our sin. He did it before we ever even knew him, he loved us that much.
These are from Satan’s realm of weakness in us that he exploits –
- Unforgiveness
- Anger
- Strife
- Hatred
- Revenge
All These can easily be grown from the sin of unforgiveness
Jesus put it this way in one of his parables. Matthew 7: 1 – 6,
1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?
5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. 6 “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.”
We should Forgive as we would ask and need to be forgiven.
The Discipline of Forgiveness
All of us sin, sometimes willfully, sometimes not even realizing it. It is wise to develop the discipline of Forgiveness quickly. When Someone wrongs us, being able to easily deal with it and move on is crucial to maintaining a spirit of peace.
How to develop a spirit of forgiveness
- Deal with it quickly
- If You Feel Someone has wrong you – Lovingly tell them
- Tell the Lord about it in Prayer
- Put it aside
- Do Not Dwell on it
- Do Not Mention it
- Do Not Repeat it
- When You got to sleep, if it haunts you – Pray it will be removed
- Get Back to doing good, overwhelm the sin with good works.
“When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. 34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” Luke 23: 33 – 35
We are Made in the image of our Father, he is a builder, creator, giver of life, it is in our DNA
Unforgiveness Enslaves Us
When we are unable to forgive, it hurts us more than those we refuse to forgive.
- We Become Consumed
- It changes our Behavior
- It Consumes Our Thoughts
- It can give us ulcers
- It can spill into Relationships with others.
- We cease to grow and can stop personally Growing
- Can Develop into Hatred
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akJzicgAO8g
How to Write a Sermon on Forgiveness
1. Pray for Revelation
Before you write a sermon on forgiveness, pray about it so that God can give you a revelation of what He wants you to preach. If you have no idea how to tackle the topic of forgiveness, pray and trust that God will give you a message for your congregation. In Jeremiah 33:3, God invites you to ask Him for anything that you don’t know, and He will give you the answers.
“Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”
Instead of worrying about what you will preach on forgiveness, pray.
2. Read and Meditate on Bible Verses on Forgiveness
For you to get a solid message on forgiveness, read and meditate on Scriptures that talk about forgiveness. Understand the topic well so that you can preach on it comfortably in a way that those who hear it will understand and apply it in their lives. 2 Timothy 2:15 says that you should present yourself to God as a worker who correctly handles the word of truth. God expects us to teach the correct thing from His Word so that those who hear it can know the truth.
“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”
3. Write Down the Ideas that Come to Mind
As you read the Bible, some ideas on what to preach about forgiveness will come to mind. Write them down so that you will not forget them; they don’t have to be in any particular order. These notes will help you when you want to write your sermon. Have a notebook / journal with you so that you can write things as they come to mind. After you finish writing your ideas, you can group similar ones together so that it will be easier for you to write your sermon.
One thing I have learned is that it is important to write down inspiration as God Shares it. back in 2014, I had a stroke. Lost a lot of my short term memory. So to compensate, when something is shared with me in my thoughts that are from God or His Holy Spirit. I jot it down quickly so I don’t lose it. It also allows God to expand on that as the week goes on.
Jesus Said – 11“ When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.” Luke 12: 11-12
4. Prepare your Sermon Notes in Advance
Once you have written down your ideas and thoughts, write an outline of your sermon, highlighting the main points. An outline will help you have a structure for your sermon, which you can build on as you write. Be sure to write your sermon in advance so that you will be ready ahead of time. This will give you time to rehearse how you will preach on the day of the sermon. Preparing ahead of time will help you make adjustments if you need to without any last-minute rush.
5. Gather the Scriptures you Will Use
After you have written your ideas, put together the Scriptures you will use to help you develop your sermon. Write down the ones you remember by heart and then use an online Bible to find others you can use.
6. Read Through your Sermon Before the Day of Preaching
After you write your sermon, take some time to read through it. This will help you see if it makes sense and whether you have written it in an easy to understand way. Reading through your sermon will give you time to better understand your message such that you can preach it even without your notes. You definitely want to be comfortable with what you will preach as this will boost your confidence when you stand on the pulpit.
6. Type Your Notes
Once you finish writing your sermon by hand, you can type it so that it will be easier for you to read. A typed document is easier to glance at even at a distance. If you are not good at typing, you can get someone to do it for you. If you have a personal assistant, he or she can help you get your notes organized. It is not mandatory to type your notes, go with what works for you. Some prefer typed notes while others their handwritten ones. There are no rules here.
Some Helpful Tips – Sermon on Forgiveness
As you write your sermon on forgiveness, look for simple illustrations that can help bring the message home. The sermon can be a practical one where you ask everyone to get into a session where they forgive those they are holding grudges against. This will be a healing sermon and you can prepare your prayer counseling team to help those who will be overcome by emotion. You can also direct your congregation to where they can get prayer and counseling after the service so that they can deal with any deeper issues on forgiveness. You want to be able to provide help with prayers, and possibly counseling to help people forgive after your message.
You can also give your congregation an assignment on forgiveness to go and do at home.
This will ensure that they will deal with the unforgiveness issues they have. The internet has great ideas on where to find forgiveness exercises that can get people moving in the right direction.
If there is a member of your congregation who had to forgive someone and has a great testimony to share, you can give them an opportunity to do so as you preach the sermon.
Stories are powerful and they inspire others to forgive. If you have a forgiveness story, share it with the congregation to encourage them to forgive. You can expect God to do great things in the lives of your congregation after they forgive their offenders.