Forgive, Forgiven (Matthew 7:11-15)
Gary McManus, 02/27/2022Part of the Mercy series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
Matthew 6:11-15
American preaching got a bad name in the last 200 years. Maybe it has always been considered bad preaching. Heard the phrase, “Don’t preach to me”?
See 2 Timothy 4:2.
The word preach is in the NT 96 times.
Has the American pulpit been giving much encouragement?
What about with patience? With careful instruction?
Consider the best-selling “Pollyanna”.
Pollyanna’s “glad game”; not to have to listen to the preacher for six days until Sunday. Be glad about that. He was described as a “Fire and Brimstone” Preacher. There is little fire and brimstone preaching anymore. It could be blamed on the Rev. Norman Vincent Peale, whose book, The Power of Positive Thinking, was first published in 1952.
Or a book entitled, “Whatever Became of Sin?” noted the loss of the idea of sin in our American talk.
The idea of individual responsibility in front of a Holy God had been dropped out of our language. Now, “society is to blame.”
In 1969, Psychiatrist Dr. Thomas Harris published
“I’m OK, You’re OK.” It was a foundational self-help book. The book implies that you are okay and if you are not or others are not, they can fix it themselves. The Lord God drops out of the equation altogether.
Jesus’ mission then becomes unnecessary (Isaiah 61,
Luke 4:16-20).
The “prosperity gospel” says that GOD
will help you achieve your dreams.
Pastor asks. . .”Whose dreams?”
Pastor wants to hear a Prosperity Gospel preacher
preach on Jesus’ words, “take up your cross and
follow me” (Matthew 16:4).
Pastor McManus is not a “fire and brimstone” preacher. Pastor McManus does believe in Hell and that people will go there.
See “23 Minutes in Hell “ by Bill Wiese.
People DO respond to Bill Wiese’s message.
But is that “fire insurance”?
Was Jesus a fire insurance salesman?
Did anyone ask Jesus how to avoid Hell?
One young man asked Jesus about how to obtain
“eternal life”. (Matthew 19:16-21, Luke 18:18-24)
The man was obeying the ten commandments.
Jesus didn’t say that the young man was going to Hell. The young man asked, “What else must I do?” (for eternal life) Jesus’ said, “Follow me.”
Accepting our God’s mercy through Jesus’ death,
has implications. . .implications for LIFE.
Accepting mercy is supposed to make us merciful.
Accepting the love of Jesus is supposed to make us more loving.
To accept the gifts of God is supposed to make us more giving.
This is not self-help but we have to participate fully. . . in prayer and practice.
We are learning to live with Jesus in us so when we get to Heaven it won’t be such a surprise.
Life in abundance (John 10:10). . .
Isn’t it loving God with all your heart and soul and mind and your neighbor as yourself?
(John 6:33, John 10:10, John 14:23, Colossians 1:10) Amen.
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