Remember the movie Forrest Gump?  It was the life story of a mentally challenged boy who’s simplistic positive outlook on life touched the hearts of everyone who saw the movie.It also popularized an old adage “My mamma always said”.  Part of it’s appeal is that all of us think of things our mothers said to us growing up so often, that they are forever part of us.  We even catch ourselves saying them to our children!

This morning I want to share some of my mothers sayings and apply them our Christian living.

I. Is not what you say, but how you say it.

A. Growing up, I was an attitude waiting to happen.

1. I had all the right answers.   All you needed to do was ask me.
2. The problem was that my mom thought she had the answers too and hers disagreed with mine!
3. When I was right I would definitely let her know about it.
4. That’s when I heard our familiar refrain, “it’s not what you say, but how you say it.

B. Attitudes

1. So often as Christians we do the same thing to our brothers and sister and even the world.
2. Our attitudes stink, even if we are right.
3. Jonah

a) In Jonah 3 God tells Jonah to go preach to the city of Nineveh and this time he goes.
b) But I don’t think he preached with the right attitude.
c) READ v 3-5
d) He said the right things, but I don’t think it was done in a loving and compassionate way.
e) READ 4: 1-3

4. A modern day equivalent would be me.

a) A few years back at another congregation, I had a run in with one of our elders.
b) He said some things that were untrue and hurtful.
c) I was hurt and angry and although what I said was right, I didn’t say it very kindly.

5. There are too many of us who are willing to make our point no matter the cost in souls in proving ourselves right.
6. This congregation I know has the same struggles.

a) Some have talked to individuals, some have talked to me, some have talked to the elders.
b) What you said may be right, but the way you said them was very wrong.

A. I heard that way too many times for my own good and it was often followed up with the use of a belt mom kept in a closet just for me.

1. But disobedience has its consequences.

a) I could have been good.
b) I could have done what mom wanted.
c) I could have stopped doing what mom didn’t want
d) but I chose to defy her.
e) And I paid for it.

B. Sin has consequences too.

1. David could have stopped himself from having an affair with Bathsheba.
2. Judas could have decided not to steal from the apostles money or betray Christ.
3. Ananias and Saphirra could have told the truth.
4. All chose to willfully disobey God and suffered the consequences.

C. So many want to say to God “I am sorry” and expect all the consequences to go away.

1. God forgives, but sometimes we still have to make atonement for our forgiven sins.
2. Just as Mom held me accountable for what I did wrong, God does the same to us.

a) He will forgive our sins, but he never says it’s okay to sin.
b) I think we get to thinking sometimes that since God will forgive me, I can just do whatever I want.
c) Remember what Paul said. “ What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Rom 6:1-2

3. God holds us accountable in many ways.

a) He knows our hearts and nothing hides from him.
b) But he also uses our brothers and sisters to encourage us to live right and rebuke us in love when we do wrong.
c) All that goes back to the attitudes.
d) in both cases, if our attitude is wrong, no good will come of it.

A. Just as often as I heard the dreaded full name, I also heard the statement, “I still love you.”  That was good to know as a child.  Even being disciplined, I knew that mom still loved me and would forgive me.
B. Forgiveness

1. That is what is so wonderful about the metaphor of God as our father.
2. In the good family relationships that God intended, we have the knowledge that our parents will forgive us even if they have to punish us.
3. Last week a man and his family were traveling on the toll road when he fell asleep at the wheel.  The van crossed the Median and hit head on with a semi.  The man lived, but his wife and 2 children were killed.  I couldn’t even begin to imagine the kind of guilt this man has to live with.  I’m not sure he could ever forgive himself.
4. Sin often works the same way.

a) We drive down life’s highway trying to do what is right, but we get tired and too often don’t stop and revitalize ourselves.
b) The consequences are devastating.
c) We may spiritually kill ourselves or others around us.
d) We think we can never forgive ourselves, and that is right we cannot.
e) Only God can forgive us.

(1) Some commentators feel that is why the Bible refers to sin as scarlet.  It is the only color that gets into fabric and cannot be removed without ruining the garment.
(2) There is no scientific way to remove our sins only a divine way.
(3) Only God can forgive

5. God wants to forgive.

a) Christ died so he could forgive.
b) God allows man to keep on living in hopes that just one more will seek his forgiveness.

C. In that forgiveness comes an understanding.

1. God doesn’t want us to sin.
2. He hates sin as much as he loves us.
3. Once we understand that, it should lessen our willingness to sin.

4. and increase our desire to love him back and make him happy just as a child does with his parents.