Throw It Off!

There is awesome power in forgiveness. I wonder how many people I'm speaking to right now who are angry? Who are you angry with? What did they do in your life? What did they say? What did they do? How did they put something on you that you can’t live with? And day by day you can't hardly live with it. And somehow deep inside it just eats away at you. You don’t want to see them. You don’t want to talk to them. As a matter of fact, you would rather just avoid them at all cost.

And so I want you to listen to this message today, because this message, by the power of the Holy Spirit can set you free. You see so many people are angry and they know it. But there are a lot of people who are angry and they don’t know it. They are living enslaved by an attitude of bitterness, anger, and hostility. All of these are very enslaving attitudes. And no matter who you are and where your are, as long as those things are present in your life, they becomes this constant poison that’s leaking through your entire system. And while you may not show it on the outside, on the inside it’s eating away at you because physically you cannot avoid the consequences of anger.

And so Jesus says in Matthew 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” It’s like He’s saying the more your get rid of bitterness in your heart, which is what anger turns into when it is not disposed of. He says the more you get rid of it, the more you’re going to see God in every area of your life.

You’re going to see God show up.

You're going to see God make ways.

You're going to see God open up doors.

You're going to see God vindicate you.

You're going to see God fight for you.

Why should God fight for you when you're always fighting for yourself. If you would just release and let it go, Jesus says you're going to see God! (Is there anybody in here who would like to see God?)

That’s why there's no need for you to respond to your critics, let God respond to your critics. Because when you respond to it, when you get in the fight, all you do is give life to the fight - sometimes we just need to learn how to shut up and let God fight for us! (Tell your neighbor to shut up sometimes).

Come here Moses (Ex. 14:13)!

It is amazing to me, not so much that secular people find it hard to forgive, because secular people’s heart can be harden, because they have not received Jesus in their hearts – they have not believed the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But what is shocking to me is those who have been forgiven, often find it difficult to forgive.

I told you at the beginning of the last two sermons that someone has set you up to be released. Someone has been setting you up all this time so that you can get the blessings that God has already prepared for you. All you have to do is receive ALL of His gift of salvation, and be totally free!

This may not be a popular message. Because we are a generation that have been taught that praise will fix anything. Countless sermons – Praise your way out – Come out with a praise – When praises go up, blessings come down – He’s worthy of the praise – almost everything we sing is about praise. In principle I do not dispute the power of praise. But if you are praising and worshipping, and giving, and tithing, and you are still not experiencing the exchange from heaven that you sing and shout about, then some further testing must be done.

If you pass several test, but you’re still symptomatic, then some further testing must be done. You pass the praise test, you’ve passed the worship test, but if you still have the same symptoms as before, then further testing must be done – you need to evaluate and revise your prescription.

For example, if you are dealing with a sickness and you go to the doctor and the doctor gives you all kinds of test to find out what's wrong with you, and you pass all the test, but the symptoms of your sickness are still there, the doctor will refer you to a specialist because further testing must be done. If you pass several test, and you're still symptomatic, then further testing must be done.

You come to church on Sunday, you're a faithful tither, you love to worship God in church and out of church. You love to read your bible, and yet your blessings and your peace, and your power and your prosperity is shut up, then that means further testing must be done. (Can I teach this instead of preach this today?)