Thankful for forgiveness of Sin Matthew 9:1-8 11-8-09

Star Date: Thankful for Forgiveness of Sin Matthew 9:1-8 11-8-09

1 Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. 2Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.

3At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, "This fellow is blaspheming!" 4Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, "Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? 5Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? 6But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority n earth to forgive sins..." then he said to the paralytic, "Get up, take your mat and go home." 7and the man got up and went home. 8When the crown say this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to men.

Veterans please stand

Intro
November is a time to be thankful
series - start date 33
the ministry for forgiveness - a very simple thing that I think we don't think about as we should or as ofter as we should

what is happening in This story?
the religious crowd is keeping people in bondage
Jesus is setting them free

this story is about friends bringing a friend....
why are his sins forgiven?11
What does this do to your theology?

this story is about a man on the fringe of society.
Broken. Paralyzed. Rejected. Discouraged
What is Jesus expecting?
I am bad, I am unworthy, I am pitiful

Common thinking was that he may have been paralyzed because he had sinned.
Some people believe that God punishes them - John 9:1-3

1As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" 3"Neither this man or his parents sinned, " said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed n his life."

Sandlot theology - populist
Some people think that good people have god things happened to them, and bad people have bad things happen to them, good luck at that.

The rain falls on the just and the unjust. [Matthew 5] You can't expect good results because you have been good. And bad things in our life does not mean that you are bad. It is complicated, and we have to learn to trust God, no circumstances

Anyway, Jesus says....
"Take heart, Son; your sins are forgiven."
Yet he says, take joy.
Joy in what
Your sins are forgiven

To those on the margins, to the broken, to the paralyzed of life
Your sins are forgiven
This is not just a pie in the sky thing.
This is a here and now thing.

Some Christians say, I can't wait until I get to heaven because I have felt guilty my entire life for 60 years worth of sermons that told me I was a sinner.

Today I am thankful for this...our sins are forgiven

How can this be good new for us today?
Big and little sins
They don't seem the same to us.
If it is our sin, they seem huge
God can forgive everyone but me

middle
what is we got what we deserved...What it you were being punished - What if you were not forgiven

Ever have a friend that would not forgive you? Even after a divorce or separation, there remains a judgement.

If I do not forgive Dan I do not release him to live
He can hate me
He can self differentiate
He can so everything he can to more on

Bu the fact remains,
Every time I see him and he sees me, he is drug back into the pain of the brokenness
Only when I release him, is he free to live.

If I do not forgive someone else, can I ever understand the forgiveness of God?

Let's look at this another way
What would be the worst thing that your pastor could say on Sunday morning.
I don't believe in the resurrection. The resurrection is a myth.
What is that bad?
It is the core of the Christian faith
If Christ is not raised, we are still in our sins.

1Corinthians 15:17
17And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.

Why do we act like we are still in our sins
The message we give to others is that Christ is not raised.
Our witness of the faith is that the resurrection is a myth

And this is what Jesus is saying

You don't have to worry about the bad things that you did when you were in college. The bad things you did when you were in a mid life crisis...

We can live with a heart that is clear and clean.

But what I did was so bad and it was just a month ago
So here is the new formula, Jesus died on the cross for everyone's sins
that are at least a month old and medium size or smaller

Either his blood cover our sin or it does not.
These are his words...your sins are forgiven
See, this is good news

This relationship with God, the story of redemption begins with love, not sin
Remember your faith story
What do you remember
I am a bad person - I am a big sinner
No
God loves me - Jesus died for me.
I am forgiven

conclusion
we must make a choice about our lies
will our lives be sin centered or Christ cantered
everything is bad or everything is good
guilt centered r grace centered

to the life o bondage , to the life o being paralyzed by sin, to the life of---a life of joy and celebration
And so I am thankful that my sins are forgiven

So we have good news
Take joy, your sins are forgiven

Dale, take heart, you sins are forgiven. Ann take heart. Bill take heart. Janet take heart. Matt take heart, your sins are forgiven.