Sermon Tone Analysis

INTRODUCTION

Take God’s word with me this morning to and let’s get ready to look this morning at one of the most perverse issues plaguing our walk with God - it is the HOLD OF BITTERNESS - and it is a great problem in almost every area of life:

THE WORK PLACE: NO ENJOYABLE WORK, SNIPPY TOWARDS OTHER

FAMILY: IT CAUSES GREAT PROBLEMS IN THE HOME AND DRIVES A WEDGE OF SEPARATION BETWEEN FAMILY MEMBERS.

MOTHERS/WIVES - SAY THINGS THEY MEAN IN THE MOMENT

FATHERS / HUSBANDS - SHORT TEMPER, I WISH I NEVER MET YOU

SOMETIMES WE BECOME THE BITTER HALF INSTEAD OF BETTER.

BITTERNESS CAUSES PROBLEMS IN CHURCHES:

PEOPLE THAT ARE BITTER BECOME CRITICAL AND BEGIN TO LOOK FOR THINGS TO CRITICIZE - ALWAYS FINDING FAULT WITH OTHERS.

IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR FAULT - YOU WILL FIND IT

THERE IS NO PERFECT CHURCH.

THE ROOT OF BITTERNESS BLOWS OUR THE LIGHT OF JOY AND THEREBY LEAVES OUR SOULS IN UTTER DARKNESS - HOPELESS.

BITTER PEOPLE ARE LIKE:

PORCUPINE - THEY MAY HAVE A LOT OF GOOD POINTS BUT THEY ARE HARD TO BE AROUND:

HARSH, SARCASTIC, UNREALISTIC, UNEMOTIONAL.

ICE-BURG - CALM AND COOL, ALOOF - SEEMS LIKE NOTHING IS WRONG ON THE SURFACE, BUT LIKE AN ICEBURG MOST OF THE PROBLEM IS UNDERNEATH.

THESE PEOPLE ARE POLITELY INDIFFERENT, FAIL TO MAKE REAL CONNECTIONS WITH OTHERS BECAUSE OF FEAR OF HURT - BITTERNESS SETS IN.

CRY BABY: THE SELF PITY KING OR QUEEN, ALWAYS COMPLAINS, ALWAYS SEEING THEIR WAY OF DOING THINGS, MUMBBLERS, GRUMBLERS, UNHAPPY WITH LIFE & EVERYONE KNOWS IT, THIS TYPE OFTEN RESORTS TO ATTENTION GETTING SCHEMES, GOSSIP (THAT THEY FEEL IS NEWS OR HELPFUL) GRUDGES!

BITTERNESS DOES MORE TO HOLD BACK THE POWER OF GOD THAN ANY OTHER FORCE.

IT KEEPS YOU FROM EXPERIENCING GOD’S POWER, PROGRESS, AND REVIVAL.

IT IS THE SINGLE MOST DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOR IN THE FAMILY OF GOD.

HOW DID IT START?

ALL BITTERNESS HAS ITS BEGINNING AND ROOTS ITSELF IN OUT LIFE UNLESS WE QUICKLY DEAL WITH IT, AND CUT IT OFF AT THE ROOT.

REAL : WHEN SOMEONE ACTUALLY HURT YOU.

PERCEIVED: YOU THINK A PERSON HAS WRONGED YOU

EITHER OF THESE STARTS THE ISSUE OF BITTERNESS

BOTH ARE ISSUES OF THE HEART.

BITTERNESS DEVASTATES.

A. THE ROOT OF BITTERNESS IS EASY TO HIDE : IT’S UNDERGROUND

B. THE BITTER PERSON MAY BY:

VERY SENSITIVE

SHOW LITTLE TO NO GRATITUDE/ NOT THANKFUL.

HARSHLY CRITICIZES - ALWAYS ABLE TO FIND WRONG/NEGATIVE & LOVES FINDING FAULT

HOLDS GRUDGES - OFTEN FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME.

MOOD SWINGS.

THERE WILL BE THE FRUIT OF BITTERNESS

THE SEED - WHERE & HOW IT STARTED

THE SOIL - YOUR HEART, AND HARBORING ILL (BITTERNESS)

THE ROOT - HIDDEN, A SMOLDERING UNDERGROUND.

THE FRUIT - THIS IS THE OUTWARD EXPRESSION OF BITTERNESS

IF YOU NOTICE GERMINATION HAS TAKEN PLACE.

IT STARTED WITH THE SEED (EVENT) AND THE SOIL (YOUR HEART) AND NOW IT HAS GROWN ROOTS (ROOTS ARE LARGER THAN THE FRUIT, ALWAYS SPREADING UNDERNEATH THE SURFACE, GROWING STRONGER AND STRONGER - SO NOW AS OUR PASSAGE SAYS : IT IS SPRINGING UP - THE ROOT HAS FULLY DEVELOPED AND NOW THE FRUIT WILL BECOME CLEAR TO OTHERS.

BITTERNESS AFFECTS YOU IN ALL AREAS OF YOUR LIFE:

PHYSICALLY - TIRED, SICK, WEAK.

YOU CAN BE SICK AND NOT BE BITTER, BUT YOU ARE UNLIKELY TO FIND A PERSON THAT IS BITTER AND NOT SICK IN SOME WAY.

A FAMOUS CARDIOLOGIST WROTE A BOOK THAT LISTED 55 ILLNESS THAT CAN BE SPURRED ON BY BITTERNESS - ISSUES THAT ARE NOT FORGIVEN WILL EAT YOUR LIFE AWAY WITHOUT YOUR PERMISSION.

BITTERNESS IS AN ACID THAT DESTROYS ITS CONTAINER.

b.

EMOTIONALLY - ANXIETY, STRESS, DEPRESSION, HATRED, WORRY

C. SPIRITUALLY - IT KEEPS YOU AWAY FROM THE POWER AND PLEASURE OF ALMIGHTY GOD.

WE ARE TO SEEK PEACE WITH PEOPLE - REAL PEACE.

NOT A FAKE PEACE THAT GIVE NO SATISFACTION, AND IS AGAINST GOD.

BITTERNESS IS A CHAIN REACTION

DO NOT KEEP A LONG ACCOUNT OF WRONGS.

WORK IT OUT.

BITTERNESS - IS THE ROOT , THE BEGINNING

WRATH - IDEA IS A SMOLDERING HEAT

ANGER - WRATH BECOMES ACTIONS:

CLAMOR - WE PUT OUT TONGUE FROM HELL IN TO ACTION

5. EVIL SPEAKING - NOW WE MAKE IT EVEYONES BUSINESS AND SPEAK EVIL AGAINST THAT PERSON.

HURTFUL WORDS TO THEM AND TO OTHERS.

6. MALICE - THE IS HATE IN ACTION.

YOU “GO OFF”

THIS IS WHEN SOMEONE HAS GONE THROUGH ALL OF THE ABOVE AND NOW THEY REACH THE POINT THAT THEY TAKE EXTREME ACTION SUCH ARE PHYSICAL HARM - KILLING.

IT WAS AND IS A CHAIN REACTION!

IT MUST BE STOPPED AT THE VERY ROOT.

THE CURE FOR BITTERNESS

LET GOD REVEAL IT!

YOU MAY SAY - I KNOW MY HEART AND I AM NOT A BITTER PERSON.

THE FACT IS YOU CAN NOT DIAGNOSIS YOUR SELF.

A DECEITFUL HEART CANNOT DIAGNOSIS A DECEITFUL BITTER HEART - ONLY GOD CAN DO SO.

LET GOD REVEAL IT TO YOU.

OUR RESPONSE :

WE SHOULD BE PRAYING THIS GREAT PRAYER FROM GOD’S WORD.

GOD WILL REVEAL TO YOU MANY THINGS - ACT ON THEM.

2.LET GRACE REMOVE IT :

2.

WITHOUT THE GRACE OF GOD WE ARE WONDERERS THAT WILL NEVER FIND OUR WAY.

STORY OF CORRIE TEN BOONE: NAZI CAMP, SHOWERED WITH MEN WATCHING HER, AND AS SHE SAID IN HER BOOK “HIDING PLACE” THEY WERE ALL BUT RAPING HER WITH THEIR EYES.

SHE WAS LECTURING IN GERMANY MANY YEARS LATER AND A MAN CAME UP TO HER - ONE THAT HAD BEEN THERE, ONE THAT HAD VIOLATED HER, BEAT HER, AND MADE HER GO NAKED.

AFTER THE LECTURE HE CAME TO HER AND TOLD HER I AM NOW A CHRISTIAN TOO.

HE REACHED HIS HAND OUT AND ASK HER TO FORGIVE HIM - SHE SAID THAT HER HEART FELT COLD AND HATE BUT THAT MERCY AND GRACE OVERTOOK HER AND SHE REACHED OUT AND TOOK HIS HAND.

AND AS SHE FORGAVE HIM SHE SAYS THAT A TINGLING WENT ALL OVER HER BODY AS IF A GREAT WEIGHT WAS LIFTED FROM HER SOUL.

FORGIVNESS - MERCY AND GRACE WAS DEMONSTRATED.

HE DESERVED DEATH FOR HIS CRIMES

SHE GAVE HIM MERCY AND GRACE

WE DESERVE DEATH FOR OUR CRIMES - GOD GIVES US MERCY AND GRACE.

WRATH - IS WHAT WE DESERVE

MERCY IS WHAT WE GET WHEN WE TURN TO CHRIST

GRACE IS WHAT MAKE IT ALL WORK - MAKES IT ALL HAPPEN.

HE LOOKED BEYOND MY FAULT AND SAW MY NEED - AND MY NEED IS JESUS, YOUR NEED IS JESUS.

3. LET GOD REPLACE IT.

A LIFESTYLE OF STRIFE, AND BITTERNESS, COMPLAINING PLACES A GULF BETWEEN YOU AND GOD - YOU CANNOT SWIM THE GULF ALONE.

BITTERNESS BINDS THE POWER OF GOD.

HOW CAN GOD REPLACE SUCH A HEART? - GRACE! IT IS SIMPLE.

WE LEARN TO BYPASS JUDGMENT (WHAT WE DESERVE)

SHOW MERCY (OVERLOOK )

SHOW GRACE (SOMETHING YOU CAN NEVER EARN, BUT CAN BE FREELY GIVEN.

LOOK AT JESUS - HE PROVIDED A WAY FOR GOD TO OVERLOOK OUR SIN BY HIS REDEMPTIVE WORK ON THE CROSS, WHEN WE COME TO JESUS AND ALLOW HIM IN OUR LIFE AND ASK FOR FORGIVENESS - THE PENALTY IS THEN OVERLOOKED BY GRACE ALONE.

CONCLUSION

ALLOW GOD TO MAKE ALL THINGS NEW BY SURRENDERING YOUR LIFE TO JESUS CHRIST.