7 Deadly Sins - Unforgiveness
Notes
Transcript
7 Deadly Sins - Unforgiveness
7 Deadly Sins - Unforgiveness
37
1 Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him. He cried, “Make everyone go out from me.” So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. 2 And he wept aloud, so that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it. 3 And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence.
4 So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6 For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. 7 And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. 8 So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. 9 Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; do not tarry. 10 You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children’s children, and your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. 11 There I will provide for you, for there are yet five years of famine to come, so that you and your household, and all that you have, do not come to poverty.’ 12 And now your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth that speaks to you. 13 You must tell my father of all my honor in Egypt, and of all that you have seen. Hurry and bring my father down here.” 14 Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept upon his neck. 15 And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them. After that his brothers talked with him.
16 When the report was heard in Pharaoh’s house, “Joseph’s brothers have come,” it pleased Pharaoh and his servants. 17 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: load your beasts and go back to the land of Canaan, 18 and take your father and your households, and come to me, and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you shall eat the fat of the land.’ 19 And you, Joseph, are commanded to say, ‘Do this: take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. 20 Have no concern for your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’ ”
21 The sons of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the command of Pharaoh, and gave them provisions for the journey. 22 To each and all of them he gave a change of clothes, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels of silver and five changes of clothes. 23 To his father he sent as follows: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and provision for his father on the journey. 24 Then he sent his brothers away, and as they departed, he said to them, “Do not quarrel on the way.”
25 So they went up out of Egypt and came to the land of Canaan to their father Jacob. 26 And they told him, “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” And his heart became numb, for he did not believe them. 27 But when they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. 28 And Israel said, “It is enough; Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”
Genesis 45
Big Idea - I am living the beauty of Gospel when I forgive.
Story about Alissa - Toe Nail
Sometimes jokes and pranks go too far.
Due to a minor foot accident several years back my large toenail sheds every year. It doesn’t hurt, comes off and just grows back. No big deal.
Recently my toenail came off. I started joking around with this big nasty toenail.
I placed it on a shelf in Alissa’s room. She found it and placed it on my pillow.
This went back and forth until the toenail was placed on my toothbrush.
I placed it in her cotton balls that she cleans her face with.
One day I came home for lunch got a sandwich poured a glass of Coke Zero and went back to work.
I drink that soda and laying at the bottom of my cup with the ice was that toe nail.
Sometimes pranks go too far.
I’ve had to work through forgiveness this week.
We’ve all been hurt by something.
Opening - At the end of this message I am going to ask you to forgive everyone you are holding hurt against.
You say Jonathan, You mean that person who has cheated on me?
That person who has molested me?
That person who verbally attacked my children?
That terrible person I worked with 20 years ago that I think about every few weeks - who I still can’t stand?
Yes.
Why? I am living the beauty of Gospel when I forgive.
Forgiveness says,
Big Idea - I am reflecting the greatness of Jesus when I am walking in forgiveness. I am living the beauty of Gospel when I forgive.
I will no longer choose to hold onto the past and the pain of the past.
I will no longer let the pain of the past control me.
I will not longer allow past attitudes, actions and words control me.
I will stop holding onto the past in revenge over you.
Because God forgives me and counts my sins against me no more. I will not count your sin against me.
Big Idea - I am reflecting the greatness of Jesus when I am walking in forgiveness. I am living the beauty of Gospel when I forgive.
Transition - Forgiveness is not something that God drummed up when His Son went to the Cross. Forgiveness is something that we see from the 1st book of the Bible.
I. Everyone to ever live needs to practice forgiveness.
The book of Genesis is full of examples of forgiveness.
Today we will be looking at the forgiveness of Joseph at the end of Genesis.
If you are new to the Bible, this is not Joseph - Jesus earthly father.
This is Joseph the son of Jacob.
Story Tell
Jacob has 12 sons
-Joseph was next to the youngest of 12 brothers.
-Brothers were jealous of Joseph’s special status with His father.
-Joseph was his Dad’s favorite and it showed.
-Jacob, Joseph’s father gave Joseph many special preferences - including a coat of many colors.
-Brothers were also jealous of the prophetic dreams that Joseph as given by God that showed.
Joseph’s brothers decide to take action.
Joseph comes out in the field to visit his brothers and bring a report back to dad.
His brothers capture him, throw Joseph in a pit and are thinking about killing him.
25 Then they sat down to eat. And looking up they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing gum, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry it down to Egypt. 26 Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? 27 Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him. 28 Then Midianite traders passed by. And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. They took Joseph to Egypt.
Genesis 37:25-
Jospeh becomes a slave in Egypt for years and has a lot to forgive
-Betrayed by his own brothers
-Joseph was away from home and alone with no family
-Forced to learn a new language
-Had no famil
-Eating slaves food
-He didn’t answer to his father, but to a slave foreman.
-Falsely accused of raping his masters wife
-Unfairly sent to the federal prison
-Reached out to help other guys in prison figure their case out and be released, but his favor was forgotten later.
No one in this room has probably been betrayed in this way, yet we all need to practice forgiveness.
Everyone one in this room has someone to forgive.
We have to coach our children on how to practice forgiveness, because they are going to get hurt in life. The first place they are going to need to practice forgiveness is in our home.
How do I begin the process of forgiveness?
Believe that ...
II. God has a plan and purpose in my pain.
Turn to
Joseph in slavery developed a spiritual perspective.
Joseph asked God, Where are you in this?
Over time, many years, God showed Himself.
You and I must develop a spiritual perspective when it comes to the hurt in our lives.
We must see that God has a plan and purpose in our pain.
Story Tell
Over many years, God works a miracle in Joseph’s life. God does something that Joseph would have never expected.
Pharoah heard Joseph was an accurate interpreter of dreams.
Joseph was called out of the prison where he sat for years to interpret the Kings dreams.
Pharoah was so impressed that He made Joseph the Prime Minister of Egypt.
God revealed to Joseph a long famine was coming.
Joseph prepared Egypt for this famine.
When the famine came, much of the world came to Egypt looking for food. Because Joseph had prepared Egypt for the famine millions of lives were saved.
Including Joseph’s brothers.
Joseph saw his brothers buying food.
He had the chance to have them executed.
Joseph has developed a spiritual perspective. Joseph saw God working in his situation.
4 So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6 For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. 7 And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. 8 So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt.
God had a plan and purpose in his pain.
4 So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6 For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. 7 And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. 8 So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt.
“Nothing touches me that has not first touched God.”
Over 25 years ago I did a summer internship in youth ministry in a church in Evans, Ga.
Illustration -
There was a mom - volunteer - for some reason she decided she didn’t like me.
20 years ago
She started making up lies about me. Saying things that I did or said that were blatantly untrue. I was deeply hurt. I was fresh out of Bible College - idealistically going into ministry. My first little job in ministry I get punched in the mouth.
I started teaching Bible at Augusta Christian that Fall after the summer internship was over.
Every time I rode past that church I felt the hurt and resentment and I would pray about it and surrender it.
3 years into teaching who walks in my class?
Do you know it took a year before I was really free and had completed the forgiveness.
Example -
III. Forgiveness in the Gospel
3 years into teaching Bible who walks in my class?
A new student, the daughter of the woman who had been so terrible to me. The girl was in middle school in my youth group.
There was a decision to be made.
You want to hurt someone - you hurt their child.
Through a lot of prayer - God gave me grace - to extend grace.
That girls knew there were problems between her mother and I. She experienced God’s grace in our relationship.
Why did God allow her mom to sin against me?
I went to a Middle School that was 1/3 Black, 1/3 Hispanic and 1/3 White. It was literally in the middle of the Ghetto. I could look out my english class window in 7th grade and see a crack house.
One day my dad was picking me up from school one day and he turned down a ghetto street to get to the school. A guy that looked like he needed some help waved him down. My dad a pastor rolled down the window to see what the guy needed. The guy tried to make a drug deal with my dad.
Most days going to school was fine and I figured it out.
There were a few days I was threatened, felt scared and didn’t want to be there, but I figured it out.
My academic education suffered, but my life education was strong. I had to figure out how to live life and get comfortable in a situation that was ethnicly different that mine - and I did.
Do you know it took a year before I was really free and had completed the forgiveness.
My parents were frustrated that we had to go to this school.
They didn’t know why.
God was teaching me about ministry, about people, about myself and Himself. He was growing me closer to Him.
Here is what none of us knew at the time.
God was also showing that girls how to extend grace when relationships are bad.
Later in College
- I would be asked to teach Sunday School in the South Carolina Youth Detention Center that was very ethnic in the sex offenders dorm.
It worked - I wasn’t out of my element - didn’t feel out of my element.
I would later take students to do mission work in: the 9th Ward in New Orleans, Philadelphia, West Virginia, Slums of Brazil, China and youth in India.
In those ethnic environments - sharing the Gospel - they weren’t uncomfortable they were just different.
Those 3 years in an ethnic environment trained me for future ministry. There was no way to know that the school zoning line that was drawn was not drawn by man, but by God. God used the uncomfortableness, the threats and fear , and the lack of academic education for His purpose.
For those of you who have experienced pain, disappointment & abuse know that God does not waste you pain.
God has a plan and purpose in my pain.
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
God can and will use your pain for His good. Why?
For those of you who have experienced other hurts … example
Because He has invited you to into His ministry. To use your past to minister to others.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
You have been comforted by God, so that you can minister to others.
:3 - God of all comfort to comfort others, forgiveness ...
-There are those in this room who have lost love ones early and unexpectedly. Who have been abused. Struggled with family members who have addiction. Who have been looked over, left out and bullied.
God will send people in your path to minister to in life.
Why?
Because you have experienced what they have - you will be able to tend to their heart better than any pastor or any counselor who has never experienced what you have.
Your hurt, opens the doors to minister to others.
God has a plan and a purpose for our pain.
Question, Who has God called you to minister to - out of the pain you have experienced? Pause
You present a testimony to others that Jesus is worth it.
I can forgive knowing that my pain is not wasted.
Jesus is
Even though I experienced pain, I will still follow God, Jesus is worth it!
I also can forgive because I myself have been forgiven much..
Even though I may not understand all the why’s, I will still follow God, Jesus is worth it.
Even though I have been deeply hurt by this person I will forgive.
Jesus is worth it.
I am living the beauty of Gospel when I forgive.
Transition - And we forgive much, because Jesus has forgiven me much.
Transition - And we forgive much, because Jesus has forgiven me much.
III. I have been forgiven much.
To the Christ follower let me ask you this.
How many times do you sin a day?
10, 20, 50 100? We sin in what we do and what we don’t do.
God has forgiven the sins of the past, present and future because God is a God of compassion of the past, in the present and in the future.
8 The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 He will not always chide,
nor will he keep his anger forever.
10 He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
PSalm 1
God is a great God of mercy.
Why do we need our sins removed so far away?
Our sin has eternally offended the perfect character of God.
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits,
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
-No one has eternally offended and hurt us.
-but you have eternally offended God.
God gave a sacrifice for our sins that was perfectly eternal - Jesus Christ.
Our forgiveness is eternal.
If you are not a Christ follower you can have you sins forgiven today by saying yes to following Jesus and trusting that His sacrifice was for you.
Will you say Yes to the forgiveness of God right now?
Will you stop walking in guilt and start walking in the love of God’s forgiveness?
IF you are a Christ follower, your current pain from being hurt will not last into eternity. It is temporary.
God asks you to forgive this temporary offense because He has forgiven your eternal offense.
Forgiveness is such a defining characteristic of what God expects from a Christ follower Jesus said this.
14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Will you choose to forgive?
Will you choose to forgive?
Will you forgive as God has forgiven you?
What is holding you back from forgiving?
Nothing held back the Father offering His Son on the cross so that you could be forgiven.
IV. God calls me to forgive right now
Alivideo
Unforgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. Unforgiveness is a poison to our soul.
Forgiveness says,
IV. God has forgiven me
I will no longer choose to hold onto the past and the pain of the past.
I will no longer let the pain of the past control me.
I will not longer allow past attitudes, actions and words control me.
I will stop holding onto the past in revenge over the offender.
Because God forgives me and counts my sins against me no more. I will not count your sin against me anymore.
Who will you forgive right now?
Show Video (Card Flip)
At the end of your row there are 3 x5 cards. Everyone take one and pass it down. You just need one. Do not write your name on the card.
During our song of response the offering plates are going to go around again. We are not going to collect money, we are going to collect your cards.
I want you to write down on your card either - the initials of that person that today you are making a decision to start the process of forgiving.
You have a decision to make.
Will I write down initials on that card and give that card to God as an offering or will I chose to hold onto unforgiveness?
I want everyone to place a card in the plate, but you will need to chose whether or not there is an initial or name on the card. You will need to choose whether or not you will start forgiving or continue in the process of forgiving.
Will you start the process of forgiveness today?
I am going to ask the ushers to not look at the cards, but to bundle them and give them to me. I’ll throw them away.
Ushers come forward and I’ll pray.