John K. Jenkins Sr - Moving Forward Requires Practicing Forgiveness

Get your Bible, iPad, iPhone, Galaxy, Android, or notebook, and take a look at the screen. I 'm telling you to sit down because I know it's going to take some of you a few moments to find the book of Philemon. It's in the New Testament, page 151. [Applause] The book of Philemon is a matter of fact. If you are in the New Testament and find Hebrews, it's a one-chapter book right before Hebrews. Say "Amen" when you get it . I'm so happy to share with you that if I make it to this coming Friday, August 23rd, my wife and I will celebrate 33 years of being together. Yes, that's worthy of a standing ovation! You see, she has stuck with me for 33 years , and I'm not the easiest person to live with. I am drama; I really am drama. She used to be tolerant, but we haven 't been together in this day and age when most couples don't last 7 years. It 's a miracle to stick together for 33 years. I wish I could tell you that I ' ve been the perfect husband, but that would be very far from the truth. I have often fallen short of being the sensitive, compassionate, loving, and sacrificing husband that I aspire to be. I 've been insensitive, selfish, and I won 't list all the other adjectives I don't care to share with you right now. On more than one occasion, my wife has decided to leave. On one particular occasion, the first time, she went into the closet, broke out the suitcase-some of you have heard me tell this story - so bear with me for those who haven 't heard it. She said, "I'm sick and tired of this mess." She broke out her suitcase, started packing her clothes, and said, "I'm leaving." I didn't know what to do, so the Holy Ghost told me what to do. I went into the closet after her, broke out my suitcase, started packing my clothes, and said, "I'm sick and tired of this mess too; I'm going with you." Every time she threatened to leave, I did the same thing. So, since she knows that if she leaves, I'm going with her, she has stopped threatening to leave. But a very real question remains: in light of the fact that many couples don 't survive-most marriages today will end in divorce before year seven, and the statistics are horrific-we live in a culture that has not learned how to build lasting relationships. In fact, we can 't seem to stay together in marriage, and we can't stay together with friends. Very few people can claim long-term friendships; it's rare for someone to reconnect with friends from 20 or 30 years ago. It's just not the order of the day. What I want to discuss today is what is needed to maintain a long-term relationship with people, especially in marriage. What is going to make your marriage last? What has enabled Trina Jenkins to stick with jacked-up John Jenkins for 33 years? I want to explore that with you today , which is why I want you to turn to the book of Philemon, a one-chapter book, the epistle from Paul the Apostle to Philemon. What does it take? It takes more than money; it takes more than a job, good looks, or good sex. It requires something that you may not want to talk аbout: forgiveness. Don 't clap now; it's too late. We're not willing to forgive; it has become an oddity today for people to be able to forgive. Yet my wife has forgiven me for a whole heap of stuff, and just to set the record straight, I have forgiven her for a lot, too. Yes. In order for a marriage to last and for any relationship to survive, you must be willing to forgive the other person for their wrongdoings or for not doing the right things. Amen. I see what kind of message this is going to be with you all right now. But that's the reality. In the book of Philemon, I want to talk about this text. I am not just going to read a bunch of verses; I will be reading from verse 4 through verse 21 today, which covers most of the chapter. Now, let me give you the background of what this chapter is about so you can follow along. All I ask is that you give me until 2:45; I promise I will be done by then. So, Philemon-the Apostle Paul is writing to Philemon, who has had one of his slaves, Onesimus, leave him. Not only did Onesimus leave, but he also stole some money from Philemon. That's what happened. Now Paul is writing back to Philemon about Onesimus. What Paul is addressing is the need for Philemon to forgive Onesimus for what he has done. I believe this is an important point. It's a very powerful book; it's only one chapter in length, but I think we ought to discuss it.