#4: Give Up - Holding a Grudge
Mark 11:22-25 Victory Fellowship
March 30, 2025 - Rev. Roderick Grabski
4th Sunday in Lent
I. INTRODUCTION:
a. Lent can be experienced as a season of conversion: we acknowledge the ways we have turned away from God in our lives and we focus on turning our hearts and minds back toward God.
b. Lent Series – What to Give Up?
c. My sermon focus in these six weeks before Resurrection Sunday will suggest attitudes or conditions that, with the power of the Holy Spirit, we can and should give up. Not just for 40 days.
d. We need to cultivate a habit of not doing these things:
Worrying Over Things We Cannot Control
Lying
Enduring Sickness w/o Prayer & Anointing
Holding a Grudge (Unforgiveness)
Prideful Arrogance
This week the focus is on giving up Holding a Grudge (Unforgiveness)
II. In the passage from Mark, Jesus suggests that we can do the impossible if we have faith:
24 I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.
a. Jesus also seems to place a condition on our prayers:
But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart.-- But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.
i. We must have faith. We must forgive.
III. So it would seem that there are certain circumstances in which the Lord chooses not to answer our prayers:
i. The ministry of suffering (Richard Foster)
ii. To bring glory to God (John 11:4 – Lazarus)
4 But when Jesus heard it, He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified by it."
b. Usually, though, for answered prayers to occur it has more to do with our own Spiritual condition
IV. When God does not answer prayer:
a. If we are presently or formerly involved in Cult of Occult activity. (Deut. 18:10-13)
10 "There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, 11 or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. 12 "For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD; and because of these detestable things the LORD your God will drive them out before you. 13 "You shall be blameless before the LORD your God.
b. If we are in Spiritual bondage (Eph. 6:12-13)
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual [forces] of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.
c. If we identify with our condition or situation and have no whole-hearted desire to be healed. (John 5:6)
d. If we harbor iniquity in our heart, HOLD A GRUDGE or nurture a desire to get even, or have unrepentant sin. (Mark 11:25; Psalm 66:18; 1st John 1:9-10)
Psalm 66:18: If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear;
e. If we are ruled by Doubt, Fear, Anxiety, Worry, Un-forgiveness, Bitterness (James 4:7-8)
7 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
V. Conclusion:
a. God loves us. He desires to freely give us whatever we need or want in accordance with His will.
b. Following his example, God has only Love in His heart for us and He wants us to freely give to others – our love – our forgiveness.
PRAYER
Song: Heart of God
Mark 11:22-25 (NLT)
22 Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God. 23 I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. 24 I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours. 25 But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.
