It’s Better to Have Permission Than to Ask Forgiveness

Posted by on May 4, 2008 under Sermons

Recap the lessons so far …

  1. Raising the Bar: Expecting the Best From One Another
  2. Diet and Exercise for the Soul: Spiritual Formation
  3. Every Shepherd Needs a Sheep Dog: Ministering to One Another
  4. The Air We Breathe: Grace and Hope Through Jesus Christ
  5. You Welcomed Me In: Practicing Christ-Like Hospitality [by Shane Hughes]
  6. Cloud of Witnesses: Ministry to Youth and Families
  7. Our Neighbor Across the Street: Integrating College Students Into the Life of the Church
  8. We Can’t “Retire” From Church: Ministering Through Seniors, Not Just To Seniors
  9. Across the Street and Around the World: It’s All Missional
  10. It’s Easier to Ask Permission than Seek Forgiveness: (Practicing Permission-Giving Leadership)

We’ve heard the old saying that “It is easier to get forgiveness than ask permission.”
What does that sort of philosophy say about a group of people?

  • It means that there is very little trust.
  • It means that authority is not being shared; rather a spirit of anxious control dominates.

God has given us permission – for the sake of the mission

Read Matthew 25:14-30.

  1. The master entrusts a large amount of resources to three servants.
  2. They are asked to do something with these resources – to put the money to work.
  3. Two double the investment. One does not, but not because he tried and failed. He failed by not trying …

Permission

  1. Are we governed by a spirit of trust or a spirit of fear?
    • Notice what the first two servants say: “You entrusted me.” They have the attitude of trust.
    • Notice what the third servant believes:
      1. “I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed.”
        • How did he know this?
      2. “So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.”
    • We fear God. We fear failure. We fear what others will think. We fear that they may say NO.
    • Trust leads us to experience God’s happiness. Fear will lead us to laziness, inaction and we will become as harsh as we expect God to be – and that’s not God’s disposition. He said YES.
  2. Saying Yes and Hearing Yes
    • “I don’t think that anyone is telling me no, but I don’t hear anyone telling me Yes.”
    • We have to learn to echo God’s Yes.
      1. For the sake of the mission, God has given us permission.
      2. Leaders need to say YES – empowering the congregation – accelerator and brake.
      3. Congregation also echoes YES by developing a spirit of trust in God and one another.
        1. A culture of CAN DO vs. CAN’T DO
        2. That’s how we will hear God’s voice
        3. God always says YES to those who come to him with a broken, contrite heart.