Forgiveness: A Sure Sign of Faith (Pastor Sarah Omakwu) 19-03-2017

★ MY SERMON NOTES

@ Family Worship Centre (FWC)

Wuye, Abuja

First Sunday Service

19th March, 2017

☆ SERMON:

* Speaker: Pastor Sarah Omakwu

* Theme: The Just shall live by Faith.

* Topic: Forgiveness: A Sure Sign of Faith

* Text: Mark 11:25 →"And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”  

* Faith is connected to forgiveness

★ Hebrews 10:38 → "Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.”

★ Hebrews 11:6 → "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."

* "There can be no spiritual progress without faith" - Derek Price

* If you are not willing to step out in faith, you have come to the end of your spiritual progress

* The spiritual life is a series of plateaus and at every step, you need to take a step of faith at every level

* Whenever you get to the point where you feel as if you are not making a headway, just know that you have take a step of faith

* The Holy Spirit stirs your heart to take a step of faith

* Unforgiveness and bitterness can block your faith

* Unforgiveness will make your faith to be rubbished

* When there is genuine forgiveness there will be:

⇒ Reconciliation

⇒ Peace

⇒ Harmony

⇒ Fellowship

⇒ Joy

⇒ Restoration

* Where there is NO genuine forgiveness, there will be:

⇒ Alienation

⇒ Discord

⇒ Fights

⇒ Sadness

⇒ Disharmony

⇒ War

★ Genesis 13:1-14:16

* NOTE: Lot got blessed by his association with Abram

* The Spirit of Christ is not a spirit of fighting, wrangling and strife

* Brethren are not supposed to fight

* You must eschew anything that will truncate your journey of faith

* NOTE: Abram did allow himself to be cheated by Lot (who took the best part of the land) Genesis 13:9-10 

* When you let go of that person who hurt you, then God will take over

* NOTE: Choosing the best part of the land was not the worse mistake that Lot made, but that He left Abram. 

→ There are people in this life that you should never leave

→ NOTE: On the other hand, there are people that you should separate from if you must make progress in life. 

* The people you must never abandon: your parents & your spouse.

→ You MUST never leave anywhere, any business or association without a blessing! 

* NOTE: Ruth held on to Naomi even when there was no reason to do so. She perceived that Naomi was a carrier of God's blessings. (Ruth 1:16-18) 

* There are certain things and people you need to let go so that God can give you forever blessings

* Live your life in such a way that generations that come after you can live off your legacy

* People who let go (forgive) go back to God

* Lot fell into trouble because the left the covering of the anointing (of Abraham)

* Any thing outside the God of Israel has no blessing

* When you hand over a matter to God, He takes over

* Before you claim Abraham's blessings, ask yourself if you can do what he did.

* Many people are vindictive because they place priority on money and material things

★ 1 Corinthians 6:1-7

* Abraham forgave Lot a lot!

* Believers should be able to settle their matters among themselves without resorting to legal action.  

* Have the Abraham's kind of life

⇒ It is better to allow yourself to be cheated than gain undue advantage over others. 

→ NOTE: You bring a curse on yourself when you cheat others

* Faith And unforgiveness cannot work together

* Forgiveness is a sign that you are wise and that you trust God to vindicate you

* Do not chain yourself to a person who has hurt you

* That person you are fighting with has something from God that you can be blessed with!

* Recommended Book:

→ Unbroken Curses (by Rebecca Brown)

Love Forgives Always (Pastor Sarah Omakwu) 01-05-2016

★ MY SERMON NOTES

@ Family Worship Centre (FWC) 

Wuye, Abuja 

2nd Sunday Service 

1st May, 2016 

☆ SERMON 

* Speaker: Pastor Sarah Omakwu 

* Topic: Love Forgives Always 

* Text: Matthew 18:21-35  

★ Mark 11:25-26 →"Whenever you stand up to pray, forgive whatever you have against anyone, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins. But if you do not forgive, your Father in heaven will not forgive your sins.”

★ Psalm 133:1-3 →"Look how good and how pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! It is like precious oil on the head, descending to the beard— even to Aaron’s beard— and flowing down to the edge of his robes. It is like the dew of Hermon falling on Zion’s mountains. For there the LORD commanded his blessing— life everlasting." 

* Forgiveness is the intentional and voluntary process by which a victim undergoes a change in feelings & attitudes regarding an offence, let's go of negative emotions like vengefulness and wishing the offender well 

* Repentance literally means to turn, reviewing one's actions and feeling contrition or regret for past wrong. It involves a commitment to personal change and to be more responsible and humane   

* You have not repented unless you have made a decision 

→ repentance always involves a decision to do something definite & positive and stick to it  

* Only a foolish person would refuse to forgive and keep score of every offence 

→ It is futile and stressful to keep counting every offence done to you by a single person every time 

→ it is easier to forgive and let go

* NOTE: You offend God many times daily, yet He forgives you every single time! 

* Whatever we owe one another, can never be compared to what God has done for us 

* NOTE: when it comes to the issue of forgiveness, God does not deal with us in groups 

→ He holds each person personally accountable 

→ God is angry whenever you forget what he has done for you and you refuse to forgive anyone who offends you - no matter the gravity of the offense 

* Usually, it is those who had been forgiven much that are more vindictive and judgmental

* The basis of Christianity is forgiveness

→ God had to forgive us in order to relate with us

→ You cannot be like God if you walk in unforgiveness 

* Leave the issue of vengence to God [Romans 12:19, Deuteronomy 32:35] 

→ It is not your duty to fight for God!

* NOTE: Every offence is forgivable! 

→ Every sin can be forgiven

* All the offences we have committed are nothing compared to the measure of forgiveness we have 

* You have to forgive in order to remain a Christian 

→ unforgiveness is unchristian 

* There can be no love without forgiveness

★ Psalm 99:8 →"LORD our God, you answered them; you were their God who forgave them, but also avenged their evil deeds." 

* Anytime you refuse to forgive, you become the victim of unforgiveness 

* If you don't forgive, you tie your life to it - and you carry the burden everywhere you go 

* There are certain things you forgive, but you should allow the consequences take their natural cause   

* NOTE: The fact that you have been forgiven does not mean you will escape the natural consequence of what you have done 

★ Hebrews 8:12 →"For I will be merciful regarding their wrong deeds, and I will never again remember their sins.”

* You must learn to forgive like God

→ when you forgive, you must forget the source of the offense and you must not remember it afterwards [see: Isaiah 43:25] 

* Forgiveness is not optional 

→ God demands and requires you to live and walk in forgiveness 

* Forgiveness is the glue that holds every relationship together 

→ There is no relationship where there are no offences 

→ The longer a relationship has lasted, the more the parties involved have had to forgive each other! 

* Even in your relationship with God, you must keep forgiving, and  trusting Him [regardless of the times you feel God has hurt/offended you] 

→ NOTE: God will not apologise for offending you 

→ The only time God was sorry was because He made man [see: Genesis 6:6] 

★ Job 13:15 →"Even though he kills me, I’ll continue to hope in him. At least I’ll be able to argue my case to his face!" 

* Unforgiveness causes men to lose out on God's prepared blessings for them 

★ Luke 17:3-4 →"Watch yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. Even if he sins against you seven times in a day and comes back to you seven times and says, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”

☆ NOTE: when you walk in forgiveness, you are taking heed to yourself & preventing yourself from becoming a victim of the devil

* Forgiveness should be unconditional and devoid of self-justification 

* True repentance should be without conditions and pride 

* Every time you say "sorry" genuinely, you get bigger and stronger 

* An unforgiving person is a weak and vulnerable person 

* When you don't forgive, you are:

→ separated from God 

→ separated from people

→ vulnerable to all manner of  diseases & health issues 

→ subjected to demonic oppression and torment 

→ unable to 'shine' and make progress in life 

→ cut off from enjoying peace, joy and freedom 

* Fighting with people and refusing to humble yourself to forgive them  is the devil's way of cutting you off from your [physical and spiritual] supplies 

* Pride and arrogance robs people of getting their share of blessings from God and from people who had offended them! 

* You know you have truly forgiven when you relate with the person(s) that offended you without any iota of bitterness  

* You must forgive: 

→ everyone 

→ everything  

→ everytime 

* You must refuse to take offence at the blessings of others

* You must release everyone of your personal judgement 

How to grow in Faith) (2) (Pastor Ambrose Nwogu) 15-12-2015

★ MY SERMON NOTES

@ NDIC/DMO Chapel,

Central Business District,

Garki - Abuja

15th December, 2015

Speaker: Pastor Ambrose Nwogu

Topic: Prevailing by faith (How to grow in Faith) (2)

Text: Luke 17:1-6

* It is your responsibility to grow by faith

* God expects you to keep growing in faith

* Take care about what you think, say and do so that you do not cause offense

* Many Christians do not want to be rebuked for any sin they commit

* It requires a high level of faith to forgive offences, especially repeated offences

★Proverbs 15:3 →"The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good."

* There is no offence that anyone does to you that the Lord is not aware of

* Many will misconstrue your forgiveness be weakness

* NOTE: Forgiveness is an act of meekness

* It takes faith to remember that vengeance is God's prerogative

* The efficacy of faith is not dependent on the size of faith

→ You do not need a very big faith in order to do what God desires

* NOTE: As small as a mustard seed is, it is still a real & complete seed that, given the right conditions, it will become a fruitful and productive tree! 

* As long as your faith is genuine, true, complete, credible, active and real, it will overcome every challenge

★ Mark 4:35-40

* Because the Lord is in your boat, he expects that you activate your faith in the face of every storm instead if panicking 

How to grow in Faith) (1) (Pastor Ambrose Nwogu) 14-12-2015

★ MY SERMON NOTES

@ NDIC/DMO Chapel,

Central Business District,

Garki - Abuja

14th December, 2015

Speaker: Pastor Ambrose Nwogu

Topic: Prevailing by faith (How to grow in Faith) (1)

Text: Luke 17:1-6

* The most important thing in our relationship with God is faith

* Every thing you do as a believer revolves around faith

* Anywhere man is found, sin is in abundance

→ Market, hospitals, hotels, Churches, etc

→ It is virtually impossible to run away from sin

* But woe onto the man by which the sin comes

* Jesus requires that despite the abundance of sin, you must always forgive

* NOTE: It takes faith to walk in perpetual victory and to live the Christian life  

☆ You need Faith to forgive:

1. Knowing that God indeed saw the offence

2. Knowing that God has already forgiven you also (Matthew 6:14)

3. Knowing that God holds exclusive monopoly of vengeance (Hebrews 10:30-31) 

→ Many people decide to revenge due to a lack of faith

* Prayer:

"God I thank you because you are a forgiving God and that no matter how heinous my sins are, you will always forgive me."

Why Prayers are not Answered (Evangelist Tobias) 20-08-2014

MY SERMON NOTES

* This Sermon was delivered by a Freelance Preacher in a Commercial Bus en-route Owerri to Enugu, Nigeria. (and YES, I took notes in the bus!)

* Preacher: Evangelist Tobias (Peace Park Owerri)

* Topic: Why Prayers are not Answered

* Date: 28th August, 2014

→ Prayer is the avenue of converting God's promises to reality
* Matthew 7:7 - "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."
* John 14:14 - "You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it."
- Any prayer made outside the name of Jesus will not be answered. Such a prayer is incomplete

1. Sin
- Sin is a destroyer
* Isaiah 59:1-2 - "Behold, the LORD’S hand is not so short that it cannot save; nor is His ear so dull that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear."

- Sin puts God off
- If you really want God to intervene in your case, you must avoid and hate sin
- Anything that is wrong in God's sight is sin

2. Unbelief (Lack of faith)
* Hebrews 11:1 - "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see."

* Hebrews 11:6 - "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."

* Mark 11:24 - "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."
 
- Unbelief and doubt affects your prayer
- we please God through faith

* Daniel 3 (the 3 young Jewish men trusted God even in the face of danger)
- Faith provokes God to action
- Don't allow the enemy to have the final say
- When your faith is alive, you don't have to struggle in prayers

3. Un-forgiveness
- Until you live in the realm of forgiveness you are not yet a mature Christian
* 3 people you must forgive
(a) God (some people blame God for the unfavourable circumstances they had experienced in life)
(b) Yourself
(c) Others

* Bitterness is a tool used by the devil to frustrate your life
 
* Matthew 18:21 - "Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times? Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times"

* In other words, you don't have any reason to retaliate until you are wronged 490 times by the same person!

* It is not biblical to pray for your enemies to die

* Mark 11:25 - "And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."

* Mathew 6:9-13 → Jesus taught his disciples to forgive

4. Matrimonial disputes
* Genesis 1: 24
- God places premium On matrimonial unity
* Ephesians 5:22-25
- The devil uses disharmony among couples to hinder their prayers
* 1st Peter 3:7 - "Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers."
- Many men don't know how to give honour unto their wives

5. Praying without the word of God
- Everything you need is already in God's word
- You have a duty to research and find out the Scriptures that is in line wits your desire
* 2nd Tim 2:15 - "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth."  
* Put God in remembrance as you pray.  
* Isaiah 43:26 - "Put me in remembrance; let us argue together; set forth your case, that you may be proved right."

6. Praying according to the will of God
- When you do not pray in accordance with God's will, You will not receive any answer
*1 John 5:14 "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us."

7. Not praying in the Holy Ghost
* Jude 1:20 - "But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit,"