Going Beyond Forgiveness - Pastor Dan Cravillion

Going Beyond Forgiveness

2014-07-06

Acts 21:30-22:1 English Standard Version (ESV)

30 Then all the city was stirred up, and the people ran together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut. 31 And as they were seeking to kill him, word came to the tribune of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion. 32 He at once took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them. And when they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. 33 Then the tribune came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. He inquired who he was and what he had done. 34 Some in the crowd were shouting one thing, some another. And as he could not learn the facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into the barracks. 35 And when he came to the steps, he was actually carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd, 36 for the mob of the people followed, crying out, “Away with him!”37 As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the tribune, “May I say something to you?” And he said, “Do you know Greek? 38 Are you not the Egyptian, then, who recently stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out into the wilderness?” 39 Paul replied, “I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no obscure city. I beg you, permit me to speak to the people.” 40 And when he had given him permission, Paul, standing on the steps, motioned with his hand to the people. And when there was a great hush, he addressed them in the Hebrew language, saying:

22 “Brothers and fathers, hear the defense that I now make before you.”

Paul’s peace gesture didn't have any effect at all on Jewish non-Christians. Acts 21:27-29

·      “Asian Jews” falsely accused Paul of bringing Gentiles into the Temple & defiling it.

o   Had a concern for ceremonial laws, did not want to violate the temple by bringing in a Gentile.

§  Besides, if this was true, the Gentile was the one who was executed not the Jew who brought them in.

·      A riot ensued, Paul removed f/temple, viciously beaten. Act 21:30-36, Lk 23:18

o   If Roman commander & 200+ soldiers had not arrived quickly, Paul would have been killed

·      They assumed it was Paul’s fault so they chained him & carried him to the  barracks, where he is beaten gets the blame.

o   The hatred of Paul was so fierce that the soldiers had to protect him forcibly.

§  Away with him!” meant “Remove from the earth” and are the same words that were used at Jesus’ crucifixion  

Amazingly the commander granted Paul permission to speak to the crowd. That’s God’s sovereignty.

·      So standing before Jews, under the protection of the Roman army, Paul didn’t defend himself, but shared his testimony & the gospel with the Jews one last time. 

o   He loves the Jews so much that he wanted to share his faith with them, even after they tried to kill him.

§  By God’s grace Paul went beyond forgiveness into love. 

There is probably no other single teaching of Jesus more challenging to Christians then they should love their enemies. 1 John 3:18, Rom 9:1-5, Mt 7:1-3, Lk 6:27-31 & 37-38, 1 Cor 13:4-7,

•    Starts by forgiving...not forgetting, or justifying the act, nor is it undoing the deed.

o   Forgiving means: To refuse to keep score or harbor a judgmental attitude

·      Forgiving makes way for your own healing to begin.

•    We are able to forgive when realize God has completely forgiven our debt which is far greater than anyone’s debt to us. Mt 5:43-48, Mt 18:32-33, 1 Pet 2:21, 3:9

•    Difference in 2 debts is a remarkable $10 million to $20

·      As a Christian, we are freely/generously/completely forgiven so we can  freely/generously/completely forgive

o   One of surest signs we are forgiven is that we also forgive.

From forgiveness one must move to loving enemies and others which mirrors our Father’s love toward us. Eph 4:32, Rom 5:10, Rom 12:14, 17-21, Col 3:12-14

·      God took initiative to love us when we were His enemies.

•    Likewise we need to love people who don’t merit our love.
•    Love may involve emotion, but must involve action and conscious effort.
•    Love hates evil, but repays no one evil for evil
•    The joy of your life is that God will not return evil for evil to you.
•     This means not just acting in their best interests but also wanting best for them.
•    Doing good and desiring good to all, including to those who deserve the opposite.

·               That reflects God’s agape love. John 13:34, Rom 12:17-21, 1 Jn 4:10-11 God’s call on our lives to forgive and love EVERYONE is a lifestyle call. 

·      Sometimes this seems hard to do, but it is never impossible because the Holy Spirit will enable you.

o   It takes utter reliance on God’s special grace to obey this command.

•    The best way to agap¢ love ‘enemies’ is to pray for them.

o   Pray God takes away your pain & gives you the grace to enable to forgive.

•    when we pray God changes OUR heart toward enemies so it’s easier to love them.

Ultimately the command to love your enemy is a command to find your hope & satisfaction in God & His great reward—not in the way people treat yo