WEBVTT 00:00:09.359 --> 00:00:10.000 Morning. 00:00:11.119 --> 00:00:12.880 Welcome to Legacy of Freedom. 00:00:12.960 --> 00:00:14.960 I'm your host, Eric McBride. 00:00:15.199 --> 00:00:16.320 Glad that you're here today. 00:00:16.480 --> 00:00:19.839 I want to talk to you for a few moments about forgiveness. 00:00:20.079 --> 00:00:23.280 That's a subject a lot of us have difficulty with. 00:00:23.519 --> 00:00:27.600 We've been wounded, hurt, let down, oppressed. 00:00:27.760 --> 00:00:34.000 So many different things come, but I'm here today to tell you that Holy Spirit will help you to forgive. 00:00:34.159 --> 00:00:39.920 God is so faithful and He wants you to be free of every entanglement of unforgiveness or bitterness. 00:00:40.079 --> 00:00:44.719 I had something on my heart want to talk about today, dealing with unforgiveness. 00:00:44.880 --> 00:00:50.960 You know, there are times that you go through certain things in life and you don't really realize that there's an offense. 00:00:51.200 --> 00:01:01.039 There's things that they're kind of hidden below the surface until you are talking to someone or that person or something about the person comes up. 00:01:01.280 --> 00:01:05.120 Jesus says, out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. 00:01:05.280 --> 00:01:09.680 So there are times when we really don't know what's there until we begin to talk. 00:01:09.920 --> 00:01:15.840 Words come out, and there is a root that produces every fruit. 00:01:16.000 --> 00:01:18.079 And Holy Spirit will put his finger on it. 00:01:18.239 --> 00:01:23.840 And so often it's a root of unforgiveness that causes bitterness, that causes bad fruit. 00:01:24.000 --> 00:01:26.159 And you've got to be free of that. 00:01:26.400 --> 00:01:34.400 You've got to be free of that because it is a root that is affecting your life, is affecting what God wants to do in you. 00:01:34.560 --> 00:01:36.719 And the enemy wants to nurture that. 00:01:36.959 --> 00:01:39.920 He wants you to nurture it so it will be fruitful. 00:01:40.159 --> 00:01:49.280 Jesus, in this discourse, he says Peter came to him and said to him, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? 00:01:49.519 --> 00:01:50.480 Till seven times? 00:01:50.640 --> 00:01:51.680 It's the big question. 00:01:51.840 --> 00:01:53.680 How many times do I need to forgive? 00:01:53.840 --> 00:01:56.560 How often should I forgive my brother? 00:01:56.799 --> 00:01:58.799 How often should I forgive? 00:01:59.040 --> 00:02:00.719 Surely seven times is enough. 00:02:00.879 --> 00:02:05.920 And Jesus says, Peter, not seven times, but seventy times seven. 00:02:06.239 --> 00:02:09.120 God goes the furthest with us. 00:02:09.439 --> 00:02:11.039 He is long suffering. 00:02:11.280 --> 00:02:11.759 He's kind. 00:02:11.840 --> 00:02:14.400 And you say, Well, how can I be long suffering? 00:02:14.639 --> 00:02:16.080 With the help of the Holy Spirit. 00:02:16.319 --> 00:02:18.639 So how how do you deal with the roots? 00:02:18.800 --> 00:02:23.439 When you see things come up, I think we just need to be honest and say, God, you know it's there. 00:02:23.680 --> 00:02:25.919 God, forgive me for responding that way. 00:02:26.080 --> 00:02:27.280 Forgive me for being critical. 00:02:27.439 --> 00:02:29.439 Forgive me for being dishonoring. 00:02:29.599 --> 00:02:34.560 God, you call us to live a life of honor, a life of Christlieness. 00:02:34.719 --> 00:02:38.400 When someone slaps us on our cheek, you said, offer the other cheek. 00:02:38.560 --> 00:02:42.400 If someone compels you to walk a mile, walk with them two miles. 00:02:42.639 --> 00:02:43.840 Go the extra mile. 00:02:44.000 --> 00:02:45.439 Go the extra distance. 00:02:45.599 --> 00:02:46.879 You're an overcomer. 00:02:47.039 --> 00:02:53.120 So if you've dealt with unforgiveness, if you've dealt with being hurt, then simply go to God with that. 00:02:53.280 --> 00:02:54.319 Give it to Jesus. 00:02:54.560 --> 00:02:57.680 Peter tells us to cast all our cares on him. 00:02:58.080 --> 00:03:01.599 Casting all your cares upon him, for he careth for you. 00:03:01.759 --> 00:03:03.199 God knows you're dealing with it. 00:03:03.360 --> 00:03:06.719 Confess your faults one to another that you may be healed. 00:03:06.960 --> 00:03:09.039 I didn't realize it, but I was offended. 00:03:09.120 --> 00:03:12.080 I was harboring unforgiveness and I've repented for that. 00:03:12.240 --> 00:03:14.319 And so I just want to make that right. 00:03:14.400 --> 00:03:15.759 I want to make that clear. 00:03:16.000 --> 00:03:17.599 Is it comfortable to do that? 00:03:17.759 --> 00:03:19.840 Not always, but it's necessary. 00:03:20.080 --> 00:03:24.000 We can't live a life of unforgiveness and expect no bad fruit. 00:03:24.240 --> 00:03:26.960 It is time to put the axe to the root. 00:03:27.120 --> 00:03:29.759 It is time to get unforgiveness out of your life. 00:03:30.000 --> 00:03:31.120 If not now, when? 00:03:31.280 --> 00:03:33.520 And if you do it today, choose to forgive. 00:03:33.680 --> 00:03:42.319 If you choose to honor God, then you will find freedom begin to flow again in areas that it has been dry and barren. 00:03:42.800 --> 00:03:46.879 Jesus speaking, he says, and when you stand praying, forgive. 00:03:47.039 --> 00:03:54.319 If you have aught against any, that your Father also, which is in heaven, may forgive you your trespasses. 00:03:54.400 --> 00:04:00.319 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father, which is in heaven, forgive your trespasses. 00:04:00.560 --> 00:04:02.319 This is a weighty matter. 00:04:02.479 --> 00:04:03.680 I mean it is serious. 00:04:03.919 --> 00:04:05.360 It makes all the difference. 00:04:05.680 --> 00:04:15.280 May today be a day you choose to forgive, and may today be the day where freedom flows in the deepest places of your heart. 00:04:15.439 --> 00:04:16.399 Let's pray together. 00:04:16.560 --> 00:04:24.480 Father, we just come to you humbly and we thank you, God, that you're faithful, that you're gracious and long suffering, willing to forgive. 00:04:24.720 --> 00:04:34.160 But Father, where we hold unforgiveness towards others, Lord, we shut off the supply of grace that would flow and forgive us. 00:04:34.480 --> 00:04:40.879 So God, today, we repent of harboring unforgiveness, resentment, offense. 00:04:41.360 --> 00:04:45.439 Today, Lord, we choose to forgive. 00:04:45.600 --> 00:04:47.360 Today I choose to forgive. 00:04:47.519 --> 00:04:52.399 I choose to release those who have wounded me, who've harmed me, who have broken me. 00:04:52.560 --> 00:04:53.920 I choose to forgive them. 00:04:54.160 --> 00:04:56.000 I release them into your care. 00:04:56.160 --> 00:05:04.959 I pray for them that their hearts will be touched by your love, and that Father, today you would restore the joy of my salvation. 00:05:05.120 --> 00:05:06.079 Thank you for this. 00:05:06.240 --> 00:05:07.839 Thank you for setting us free. 00:05:08.000 --> 00:05:10.800 For us in the name of your Son Jesus, we pray. 00:05:11.040 --> 00:05:11.600 Amen. 00:05:11.839 --> 00:05:15.199 Well, don't forget, God's grace is deep. 00:05:15.439 --> 00:05:16.560 You can't measure it. 00:05:16.720 --> 00:05:19.920 It flows freely into the heart of those who seek Him. 00:05:20.079 --> 00:05:22.480 So I want to encourage you, run after God. 00:05:22.639 --> 00:05:30.079 And as you run after God, you will leave a legacy of freedom for others to follow to Jesus. 00:05:30.240 --> 00:05:37.759 May your family be blessed, may your neighborhood be blessed because you have chosen to follow Jesus. 00:05:38.000 --> 00:05:42.399 Until we meet again, may God's blessings be upon your life.