Communion Message
As We Forgive
July 17, 2005
Pastor Leighton Sheley

When there is a healing after a break in a relationship it's called a reconciliation. When a husband and wife who have been separated by some acts of selfishness they come back together it's said that they have been reconciled. The Scriptures describe our relationship with God as us being separated by sin, but through Christ we have been reconciled to God. Our relationship has been restored and we have been given the ministry of reconciliation, of bringing others to a knowledge of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior so that they too can be reconciled to God.

Now the disciples approached Jesus and they said, Lord, how should we pray? And Jesus gave an illustration that we call the Lord's Prayer, and many of us are familiar with that and recite it. And we are going to recite it this morning in just a few minutes, but I'm going to ask you first to listen to the reading of this passage from Matthew chapter 6.

Jesus said, "After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

And Jesus said that we should greet the Lord and then give petition, and there is a list of petitions here. We ask that His kingdom comes and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. We ask for God providing for us daily our bread and necessities. We ask God to lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil and from the evil one, and then we give Him the glory.

There is one phrase in the Lord's Prayer that has a conditional in it, and it's important that we not gloss over it. And forgive us our debts 'as' we forgive our debtors. That word 'as' may be only two letters long, but it's a very important phrase. Because Jesus in modeling our praying to the Lord says that we need to recognize that we can only receive forgiveness from God as we forgive others.

In fact, this was so important that as soon as Jesus finished the modeled prayer - For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen - He continues by saying, "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

Jesus says it's important for us to forgive that we might receive forgiveness; as much as it is within our power it is within our responsibility to be at peace with all men.

Now the Scriptures say at times like this we should examine our self, and so I'd like to invite you, if you are physically able, to join with me now as we kneel in the presence of our Lord and Savior.

Lord as we have examined our self this day perhaps Your Holy Spirit has brought to our attention relationships that have been injured and that we have been negligent in trying to reconcile. Lord we ask You to give the opportunity and prepare the way, and give us wisdom as to how we can restore broken relationships as much as within our power.

And Lord we thank you for all that You have done to restore our relationship with our Creator. We thank you for going to Calvary's cross and there paying the wages of our sin. We thank you Lord for leaving an empty tomb, yet another evidence that You were who You claimed to be and that You accomplished what You came to accomplish.

Lord the elements that we hold remind us of the price that has been paid for our salvation. Your word says if we confess our sin You are faithful and just and will forgive us our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Lord we ask You to forgive us and cleanse us this day in Jesus' name. Let's partake of the bread, and also the cup.

And let's pray together: Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Amen.