Just Lay It Down Part 2

Rain forests looking to Jesus to let go of bitterness means giving those who have wronged you. This is a bitter pill for many hold onto their anger until their knuckles turn white. Today, the practical side of forgiving people when in our own hearts. We just can't do it from the church in Chicago. This is wanting to win with Dr. Sir teaching sauce make it across the finish line after elixir, a relative of mine became embittered at her husband that bitterness to her grave family relationships, with no apparent way back to the situation that you describe is very sad, but it is not without hope stars the dead person is concerned. Indeed, there is no hope for him or for her to make things right, but for the living.

There's always hope.

It's important for people to lay things down even if the person who has wronged them is dead.

Forgiveness is something that we not only do for others to bring about reconciliation is what we can do for ourselves because that bitterness will corrode our souls so it's very important for us to understand this and you know I believe that these messages are so critical for people were making them available to all who are listening for a gift of any amount. These messages can be yours. The title of the series. Of course, is the power of a clear conscience. Here's what you do go to RTW offer.com RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337. Now let's open God's word and better understand what we can do with our own anger and our own bitterness and deal with it, to the glory of God. Now there are some counselors and I've heard them say what you don't have to forgive until you feel like well that is not very theological feel like now we're going to give you some specific instruction and this is a message you know that you need to take home. One of the disappointments for those of us who preach is the realization that there are many people who listen to say what was interesting and they may leave and they may think about it again during the week once twice it may come back to them. But basically the message is left at church. This is not a message that you can leave here at the church and profit from it. This is the kind of message where when you go home you find a quiet place and if you say there is no such thing where I go, then God will give you one and where you are at least an hour or two with God and you say this is our time together over God and what were going to do is deal with the root issues and up from the roots, with God's help bitterness which springs up and thereby many people are defiled. Are you ready so this is a message you do at home.

You listen now and then you take it home and you deal with it. There can't deal with it quickly. Now let me begin by emphasizing again. The Bible says do not grieve the blessed Holy Spirit and your believer if you want to do that but some of us do. Grieve the Spirit by sin. That is not been confessed by bitterness that we will not acknowledge and we will not deal with it. So let's begin. You'll notice that the apostle Paul says, be kind to one to another, verse 32, tenderhearted, forgiving one another.

Notice that there is reciprocity. I use that word in years. I'm glad it came out correctly was in planning to use it but you notice that forgiving one another and were going to talk about this next week when we speak about reconciling broken relationships, forgiving one another, but here's what I would like to give you as steps to follow to get at the root of bitterness which may be legitimate in a human sense because you've been sinned against. And by the way some of your listening and you're the ones who have done the sending against will deal with you next week. See if you can survive that long. Number one.

Be honest. Be honest. Admit the truth don't lie to see what happens is we justify our feelings first so long that we even forget the fact that we have the feelings oh yes yes I've forgiven you know we bury the hatchet. Yeah, but the trail to the hatchet is very, very well traveled in the hatchet is very shallow and so what we do is we we tell ourselves. Yeah, I have forgiven, but what we do sometimes is we shut down emotionally and as a result of that shutdown. We are really not honest with ourselves, especially those of you who are dealing not so much with the pitbull anger where there is this expression of anger, but rather the cobra type where it's deep and it's down and it's slow but it's there and it leaks out. Ask God to show you the deep root of the anger and be honest. Remember, others may see what you don't see our ability to see ourselves the way others see us is a divine gift, but especially the way God sees us and the issues we need to deal with. Deep in the soul. You know, skunks just to choose an animal that might bring many memories to your own heart as it does to me, a farmboy, so far as we know, and I don't know the research on this as skunks odor may smell very, very good to him. It probably smelled something like well there used to be. I don't know if it's still in existence for Chanel number five.

He doesn't notice it. What kind of odor do you and I sometimes give off that we do not notice those around us do and it may be for many different reasons. One reason is smoldering resentment. The honest second grieve the loss, grieve the loss. My some of you lost your childhood because of the way in which you are treated as a child.

Some of you had a destroyed marriage because of the unfaithfulness of the spouse. Why would you grieve the loss you are grieving. What could have been with Greenleaf Whittier who said that the saddest words and tongue and is simply this, it might've been put up in different God has given you some kind of a limitation some kind of trial and and it destroys your career and all in and you wanted to do this thing and some physical and remedy came in between you and in your dream. We why not lost an arm. You cry. So what we need to do is to become very very honest as we think about the regrets of yesterday.

The worry sometimes about tomorrow. Could we, in moments of silence before God and by the way I read that the best cure for loneliness is silence before God and then number three we have to remember why Jesus was abused. I'm in the text now, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you now think for a moment about Jesus was really the pivotal of the whole thing and the one whom we worship and the one we love who is our Savior. What did Jesus endure while he was betrayed by a friend.

He was deserted by his followers suffered for what he didn't do because our sin was laid upon him, and he bore our iniquity and catch this even suffered under the hands of God, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken, follow carefully. You and I oftentimes have been the victim of injustice. We've been some of those who have tried to destroy us.

We've all been there in one way or another.

But that was not our choice.

We just happened to be where we happened to be in. People just did what they did, Jesus would not have had to be there. This was his voluntary choice because he said I so love the people whom God wants to redeem that I will die in their behalf. I will give my life I will make the ultimate sacrifice for them. Why so that you owe father can the sect them free.

Because I want them to be free from their sin and from the natural consequences that we might expect and I want to redeem them now think that we tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you. That's the standard you know that if you can't forgive if you absolutely say I can't forgive I have to question whether or not you have been redeem to because the sin that you and I have done against Christ is much greater.

Almost certainly then sends that have been done against us. The key to forgiveness is to understand the wonder of God's forgive and then what we do is we simply say I'm going to lay it down by a down. In fact, that is very important. The first step to forgiveness is to be forgiven and to realize the importance of Jesus Christ mercy toward us and we forgive accordingly as Jesus forgive you more than once.

Aren't you glad the answers yes in Christ we forgive others. A reconciliation is a separate issue that will deal with next week, but forgiveness the laying down of bitterness. May God grant us the ability to do it.

You know I'm told that rattlesnakes and I look this up on the web and if it's on the web. It must be true. Yeah, I'm sure it's true.

Not everything on the web is true.

I hope you realize that, but rattlesnakes sometimes bite themselves.

Nobody knows is it because of anger or is it because of fear but a rattlesnake bites itself my friend today.

If you harbor bitterness you are biting your self you're not changing your enemy you're not changing the situation all that you're doing is you are perpetuating the venom in the Bible says by that many are defiled and I'm saying stop it lay it down lay it down. You know there is a story may have told you the story years ago about a professor we shall call Mr. Smith Mr. Smith was known in his classroom for having object lessons for helping the people learn read away so one day he put a target on the wall and said now what I want you to do. Everybody gets a sheet of paper and what I want you to do is to make a picture drop picture of the person you dislike the most. The person that you hate.

I mean, let's just use the word hate a person that you hate drop picture. Well, all the students they just thoroughly enjoyed it. In fact, some of them said give me more than one piece of paper because I don't know who to choose plenty of people that we, because he said afterwards, working to put these people on this target that I put on the wall and then I've got all of these arrows and what you can do is to take those arrows and throw them as hard as you want the person that you hate what an exciting assignment plenty of opportunity for that. So the kids go through it in one by one these pictures are put over the target kids are there. They really enjoyed throwing these darts.

These these fears. These little spears as hard as they possibly can. These arrows and then when everybody was over and everybody was having a great time and everybody enjoying it. He went over and he pulled the target off the wall and painted was a picture of Jesus and the kids were still on every gouged out both eyes gouged out his cheeks, his chin, his neck all gouged. I mean the best way to describe it is the face of Jesus was mangled and then he said to inasmuch as you have done it on to the least of these. Jesus is saying if done it unto me. Angry parent you may be angry with the father of your child, you may be angry with the person who robbed you of your virginity you may be angry for all kinds of different reasons.

Just as the worker but every time you throw one of those errors and you shall anger not only doing it to your child, you're doing it to Jesus.

Therefore, the Scripture says, the tenderhearted, forgiving one, even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you. Jesus shed his blood, his body was nailed to the cross. All voluntary on his part so that you and I could be redeemed. We could experience forgiveness and then he gives us plenty of opportunities to forgive and return. Blessed are you, go to the root of your bitterness bitterness that forgiveness is both an act and a process. That's why say in the notes.

Lay it down and then if it comes back, lay it down again.

Each time it has less power lay it down lay it down lay it down be free in Jesus who redeemed you and now let us pray father. I'm thinking of people who have lived with bitterness and anger for years roots go down very very deep. Would you help them. Father to lay it down. I'm thinking of the trail. I'm thinking of situations promised broken people who were misused and thrown away like the peelings of an orange today. That's the way they feel, I pray that in your presence they might receive and rejoice in the greatness of your forgiveness and your love for them and then in turn grant others the same grace that you gave them.

And for those who are listening have never trusted Christ as Savior.

This seems to be all very foreign to them. Help them to know that Jesus died for sinners, so that we could indeed be forgiven as we receive forgiveness and help us.

Now's a church as we remember his debt to be deeply grateful that he died for us and set us free. Whatever God is talking about to take the sermon home with and you respond in Jesus name we thank you, help our people helpful. You know my friend when I preach this message at the Moody church. I remember I gave an invitation and I remember the huge response that we received this people were responding to the truth that they needed.

What about you today. Are you willing to deal with these kinds of issues that stand not only between you and God. But you and others.

I trust that you are and you know if you've been blessed as a result of this ministry and if you'd like to listen to the sermons again and again today. Possibly you are listening and God brought to mind. People who need to hear these messages for a gift of any amount were making this sermon series available to you. It's entitled the power of a clear conscience. We hear it running to win. Have a great desire to take God's truth and to apply it to the deepest levels of human need.

Thank you in advance for helping us now if you're interested in the sermon series. Remember, go to RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337. I believe that this sermon series is so critical that I'm going to give you that contact information once again thanks in advance for helping us as we get the gospel to thousands upon thousands of people go to RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 nine number another chance for you to ask investor loads or a question about the Bible or the Christian life. Today a heartbreaking story from an anonymous couple who need serious help. My wife and I are desperately seeking advice. Our son married a woman who regrets that she did not marry another woman.

She now wants to be in a same-sex relationship. They have three children are daughter-in-law claims to be a Christian and yet refuses to repent she wants to leave the marriage to pursue what she thinks is a more fulfilling relationship. What do we do well my first inclination is to say that there isn't too much that you can do but now that I've said that. Let me back up and tell you what I think your response should be.

I think what you should do is to take your daughter-in-law aside and help her to understand why the decision that she wants to make is a very bad idea. That's a bad idea because it's a sinful idea. Help her to understand that the consequences are going to be far-reaching that it's going to affect their family. It's going to affect the witness that she is trying to have to her children. Hopefully a good witness that she wants to have and that she cannot simply pursue her own desires as if to say those desires have to be elevated above all of the implications for her husband and children so very, very difficult decision fraught with all kinds of dangers so I think that needs to be said.

The second thing that I think needs to be said is that you will continue to love her and continue to do all that you possibly can to help the children then beyond that, there isn't much that you can do except, of course, to pray to intercede. After all, she is an adult and oftentimes adults say I'm going to do what I'm going to do, no matter how it's going to smash relationships no matter what the consequences are like somebody says all join hands with the devil and go across the bridge and then deal with the devil later tragic but that's the way it often is in the lives of people determined to pursue their own way. The next thing is if she follows through.

It will be your responsibility to help the children to process this through prayer, through supplications for your own witness through your own love. We pray that they will not be too badly damaged by the actions of her mother and then to remind yourself that Jesus Christ came to this earth to repair the irreparable. He came to this earth to help people with their masses with their brokenness with their great need to bind up the brokenhearted, yes. To forgive those who trespass and to help us in our need. So I want to leave you here with hope hope that in the midst of all of this, God still is glorified by showing his grace in the midst of disobedience in the midst of heart felt pain, God will be with you keep believing. Keep trusting and you'll see God. Even here some compassionate counsel from Dr. Erwin Blitzer.

Thank you Dr. lutes are if you'd like to hear your question answered. Go to our website@rtwoffer.com and click on ask Pastor lutes are or call us at 1-888-218-9337 that's 1-888-218-9337 you can write to is running to win 1635 N. LaSalle are Chicago line 60614. Once you've given up your bitterness.

How do you repair broken relationships. Next time I'm running to win the how to of building bridges to make things right. Thanks for listening for Dr. Erwin Blitzer this is Dave McAllister running to win is sponsored by the Moody church