Focus on Forgiveness
Minister Johnathan H. Blue
Heavenly Father, thank you for your word, thank you for your Son, thank you for your love, thank you for your grace. I cleanse my heart of all hurt by the blood of Jesus. Amen.
Lets dive right into the scripture. We’re going to look at Matthew 18:15-22 AMP. And it reads:
15 – If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens and pays attention to you, you have won back your brother.
16 – But if he does not listen, take along with you one or two others, so that every word may be confirmed by the testimony of two or three witnesses.
17 – If he pays no attention to them by refusing to listen and obey, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile (unbeliever) and a tax collector.
18 – I assure you and most solemnly say to you, whatever you bind [forbid, declare to be improper and unlawful] on earth shall have [already]been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose [permit, declare lawful] on earth shall have [already] been loosed in heaven.
19 – “Again I say to you, that if two believers on earth agree [that is, are of one mind, in harmony] about anything that they ask [within the will of God], it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.
20 – For where two or three are gathered in My name [meeting together as My followers], I am there among them.”
21 – Then Peter came to Him and asked, “Lord, how many times will my brother sin against me and I forgive him and let it go? Up to seven times?”
22 – Jesus answered him, “I say to you, not up to seven times, but seventy times seven.
We have heard what Christ says on the matter, and with that, we will teach from the thought: Focus on Forgiveness. Our subtopic for tonight will be “Let That BS Go!”
To recap our prior teachings on focus:
Focus involves directing our attention and efforts towards a central point or task, especially in the context of faith and spirituality. It requires careful attention, adjustment, and dedication to see and understand clearly. God’s promises demand our unwavering focus, encouraging us to prioritize faith, selfless service, and continual alignment with His will. The cost of focus is significant, involving sacrifice and self-denial, but the rewards—peace, joy, and fulfillment—are immeasurable. Procrastination hinders spiritual growth, while intentional focus advances God’s kingdom. Cognitive dissonance, or hypocrisy, arises when our actions don’t align with our beliefs, but overcoming this requires willpower and cognitive control. By mastering focus, believers can navigate life’s challenges with spiritual confidence, ensuring their actions reflect their deepest convictions.
With this in mind, let’s fix our focus on forgiveness. Why? Because we need to let that BS go!
Forgiveness involves willfully releasing feelings of resentment and anger toward someone who has committed a wrong, been unfair or hurtful, or otherwise harmed you in some way. Forgiveness is not simply accepting what happened nor is it ceasing to be angry. Instead, forgiveness involves a voluntary transformation of your feelings, attitudes, and behavior, so that you are no longer dominated by resentment and can express compassion, generosity, and the fruits of the Spirit so that you are able to walk in the fullness of God.
We are FOCUSED on Forgiveness!
Forgiveness doesn’t mean reconciliation. Nor does forgiveness mean forgetting or excusing the harm done to you.We don’t have to return to the same relationship or accept the same harmful behaviors from an offender. While the act that hurt or offended you might always be with you, forgiveness is a gift from God that brings the forgiver peace of mind and frees him or her from corrosive anger and allows you to focus on yourself and helps you go on with life. Working on forgiveness can help free you from the control of the person who harmed you.
Why is fixing our focus on forgiveness so important? Because
Forgiving
Others Openly,
Channels
Unending
Serenity
Now that we know why fixing our focus on forgiveness is so important, now we must learn how to forgive. Hear me clearly: All we have to do is LET THAT BS GO!
What is BS? Well I’m glad you asked. As I start naming some of the BS that we’ve had to deal with in our life, I want you to say LET THAT BS GO! Now we’re not going to play around with this because some of this BS has been holding us back from living a life of purpose in God for decades. So when you call out the BS, I want you to shout from the depths of your being, LET THAT BS GO!
- Bitterness and Spite
- Blame and Shame
- Burden and Stress
- Brokenness and Sin
- Betrayal and Sadness
- Baggage and Scars
- Bias and Stubbornness
Bitterness and Spite
You’ve worked hard at your job and always aimed for excellence. But your less qualified colleague, who often engages in unethical practices, receives more recognition and promotions.
LET THAT BS GO!
Ephesians 4:31-32 NLT tells us “31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.”
Blame and Shame
You grew up in a religious family and you always felt pressured to meet high expectations AND you made a significant mistake in your teenage years. You were harshly blamed and shamed by your parents.
LET THAT BS GO!
Hebrews 10:22 NLT says “22 let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.”
Burden and Stress
As a believer, you’ve always trusted in God’s provision. But you lost your job and now you’re facing immense financial stress and the burden of providing for your family.
LET THAT BS GO!
Matthew 11:28-30 NLT says “28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
Brokenness and Sin
In your youth, you made choices that led to a life of sin and brokenness. Now, as a believer, you struggle with the guilt and shame of your past, feeling unworthy of God’s love and forgiveness.
LET THAT BS GO!
Psalm 34:18 NLT says, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.”
Betrayal and Sadness
Your spouse betrayed you by having an affair. The betrayal shook your faith in love and relationships.
LET THAT BS GO!
Proverbs 19:5 NLT says, “A false witness will not go unpunished, nor will a liar escape.
Baggage and Scars
As a child, you dealt with neglect and emotional abuse, leaving deep scars and emotional baggage that affect your relationships and self-esteem as an adult.
LET THAT BS GO!
Hebrews 12:1 NLT says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.”
Bias and Stubbornness
You grew up in a community with strong racial and cultural biases and you’ve developed certain prejudices. And as a believer, you recognize that these biases conflict with Christ’s teachings of love and acceptance.
LET THAT BS GO!
2 Chronicles 7:14 NLT says, “14 Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.”
Realizing that bitterness only harms our spiritual and emotional well-being, we should seek God’s help to forgive others. By letting go of spite and focusing on living our lives with integrity and faith, we can find peace and renewed purpose.
In seeking spiritual counsel, we can understand the importance of forgiveness. By releasing blame and shame, we can embrace God’s grace and forgiveness through healing.
By turning to prayer and seeking support from our church community, we can let go of our overwhelming burdens. Through trusting in God’s plan, we can find peace and guidance.
In embracing the message of redemption, we choose to forgive ourselves and accept God’s forgiveness. This allows us to use our testimony to help others overcome similar struggles.
Through prayer and counseling, we can learn to release the hold of betrayal on our hearts, opening the door to emotional and spiritual restoration.
Seeking therapy and spiritual guidance enables us to address our trauma and its impact on our lives by shedding our emotional baggage.
By engaging in open dialogues and educating ourselves about different cultures, we can let go of stubborn prejudices and embrace the diversity in God’s creation.
In closing, let’s focus on forgiveness by letting that BS GO!