August 4, 2013 Sermon #605 Forgive Them Introduction: Last week I turned to R.T. Kendall’s book Total Forgiveness for direction in the message. I recognized upon reading again that I had left out a most important part. That is forgiving oneself inside of the process of forgiving others. How do we know when we have totally forgiven someone? Genesis 45:9-15(NKJV) – 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. 10You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near to me, you and your children, your children’s children, your flocks and your herds, and all that you have. 11There I will provide for you, lest you and your household, and all that you have, come to poverty; for there are still five years of famine.”‘ 12”And behold, your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it is my mouth that speaks to you. 13So you shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that you have seen; and you shall hurry and bring my father down here.” 14Then he fell on his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. 15Moreover he kissed all his brothers and wept over them, and after that his brothers talked with him. The Gift Can Be True But The Person Immature 1 Corinthians 12:4-11(NKJV) – 4There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. 7But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. ILL: I was new to the gifts of the Spirit. I placed my hands on the woman and someone spoke a message in tongues. Inside I heard, “Her son will be saved and he will know Me and serve Me in the valley of suffering.” Woe I said to myself, “there is no way that I am going to tell this woman that her son is going to suffer.” - The message was right but I inserted the interpretation of the interpretation. A year later I heard the same women testify. “My son is now a Christian and is serving Jesus as a medical missionary!” Joseph had a true gift of prophecy - but did not know how to handle it! Genesis 37:5-11(NKJV) – 5Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more. 6So he said to them, “Please hear this dream which I have dreamed: 7There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and indeed your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf.” 8And his brothers said to him, “Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words. 9Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, “Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me.” 10So he told it to his father and his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you?” 11And his brothers envied him, but his father kept the matter in mind. Did God tell Joseph to share the prophecy? NO! If God gives you a gift you do not have to manipulate it ILL: Absalom was a natural leader and handsome - but he tried to manipulate himself into becoming king. 1 Corinthians 12:7-10 (NKJV) – 7But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. ILL: “We all thought he was humble until he told us he was.” Your gift will make room for you! “If we are walking in love, we will not play the manipulator when it comes to promoting ourselves; we will let God promote us in His timing.” R.T. Joseph is sold into Egypt Joseph is placed in jail for a crime he did not commit (Potiphar’s wife) Joseph gets another prophecy Genesis 40:5-13(NKJV) – 5Then the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison, had a dream, both of them, each man’s dream in one night and each man’s dream with its own interpretation. 6And Joseph came in to them in the morning and looked at them, and saw that they were sad. 7So he asked Pharaoh’s officers who were with him in the custody of his lord’s house, saying, “Why do you look so sad today?” 8And they said to him, “We each have had a dream, and there is no interpreter of it.” So Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell them to me, please.” 9Then the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, “Behold, in my dream a vine was before me, 10and in the vine were three branches; it was as though it budded, its blossoms shot forth, and its clusters brought forth ripe grapes. 11Then Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand; and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.” 12And Joseph said to him, “This is the interpretation of it: The three branches are three days. 13Now within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your place, and you will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand according to the former manner, when you were his butler. Once more Joseph gets into the flesh - he tries to manipulate Genesis 40:14-15(NKJV) – 14But remember me when it is well with you, and please show kindness to me; make mention of me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this house. 15For indeed I was stolen away from the land of the Hebrews; and also I have done nothing here that they should put me into the dungeon.” Forgiveness Shows Maturity - Applying Joseph’s Example Do not let anyone know what someone said about you or did to you Genesis 45:1-2(NKJV) – 1Then Joseph could not restrain himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, “Make everyone go out from me!” So no one stood with him while Joseph made himself known to his brothers. 2And he wept aloud, and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard it. ILL: Even the interpreter was told to leave. He did not want anyone to know what his brothers had done to him 22 years before ILL: God will not tell on you! Psalm 103:11-12(NKJV) – 11For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; 12As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. Acts 3:19(NKJV) – 19Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, Do not allow anyone to be afraid of you or intimidated by you 1 John 4:17-18(NKJV) – 17Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. 18There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We want them to forgive themselves and not feel guilty Genesis 45:3-5(NKJV) – 3Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph; does my father still live?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed in his presence. 4And Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near to me.” So they came near. Then he said: “I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. 5But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. ILL: Forgiveness is worthless to us emotionally if we can’t forgive ourselves.” R.T. Let them save face Genesis 45:6-11(NKJV) – 6For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. 7And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. 8So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout 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. 10You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near to me, you and your children, your children’s children, your flocks and your herds, and all that you have. 11There I will provide for you, lest you and your household, and all that you have, come to poverty; for there are still five years of famine.”‘ We will protect them from their greatest fear Psalm 51:4(NKJV) – 4Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight — That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge. Conclusion: Forgiveness is praying for those who have hurt you! Matthew 5:43-48(NKJV) – 43”You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? 48Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
Posted on: Wed, 31 Jul 2013 14:15:48 +0000
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