The Detours of Pardon

Many of us because were being held by a leash around Dr. Tony Evans explains why getting the pardon.

We need depends on the pardon you will all you from taking to celebrating.

This is the alternative Dr. Tony Evans, author, speaker, senior pastor of Oakland Bible Fellowship Dallas, Texas, president of the alternative. When we think of hostage we picture people being held against their will or threatened in some other way. Today Dr. Evans will talk about the kind of hostage you could walk away at any time, but refuses to go get ready to turn to the book of Genesis as he explains to monks were on their way to a particular destination on their way across the shallow river to get to where they will go. They went to an older lady lady sitting at the bank of the river that they had to cross. When I got to the bank of the river and saw the lady the lady was crying and I asked her what's wrong. She said I can't cross the river. I don't know how to cross the river runs across the river so kindly. The monks picked up the lady and carry her across the river.

When she got to the other side. She thanked him, went on her way and they begin to continue to their destination begin to continue to the destination amongst complained about the pain in his back. He said) that woman across he was happy, sad, it was difficult walking across the river and back is hurting so bad they have a monks analyst must keep on going. After a few more steps he said to make it. I'm hurting today. The other mom said what you will need for the caring woman I hurting too bad you hurting the other. Mom said I know why I got rid of her. 5 miles ago he was still carrying the woman although the woman had long, a lot of us are not reaching our defamation comes with still carrying the pain of the past. The weightiness of yesterday is still weighing us down causing us pain today, keeping us from the place God wants us to arrive. Nothing and I mean nothing will hinder you arriving in God's destiny for you like unforgiveness had a right to be angry better and hold a grudge.

It was Joseph, a dysfunctional family.

A dysfunctional father put in a pit. So slavery seduced on justly jailed forgotten him jail the right to be.

If anybody had a right to say life is not.

It was Joseph. Joseph from chapter 37 of the book of Genesis. So God wanted us the zero in on this man's life gave so much of the first book of the Bible to because he wanted to show us the key the destiny and one of the things that Joseph was going to grapple with you and I will have to grapple with having fulfilled my God you are going to have to wiggle and have to deal with the issue.

First of all, let's define forgiveness because the problem is many people don't know what it is they don't know what they really don't forgiveness in the Bible means decision to know against an offender forgiveness do without decision.

Let's start with that first and foremost an emotion. Forgiveness is not how you feeling at any given moment. It has to do with whether you have made the choice to the offense. If you asked if Israel wants forgiveness has not occurred because when forgiveness occurs, the delete button is pushed as trustworthy and starting five says, you keep no record forgiveness on two levels.

Unilateral forgiveness and transactional forgiveness you forgiveness is when you forgive the person having passport requested it of what they did to you unilaterally that his own without the involvement, granting them forgiveness grant unilateral forgiveness is so that you can keep going because nothing will to your detours keeping you from your like unforgiveness.

But then there is a second level of forgiveness transactional forgiveness transactional forgiveness is where for reconciliation and escalation of our relationship. It's where the person was a Jew, is willing to confess and repent in order to restore what was broken.

Now I want to show you in chapter 45 the steps you take to validate your own forgiveness. Chapter 45 is one that Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood before him. He cried have everyone go out for me so that there is no man with me when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. He wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it in the household of Pharaoh heard of it. Now you know you're serious about forgiveness. You don't bring other people in who have nothing to do with the sick control all Egyptians job would not have nothing to do what I'm going to confront the but all I know a person who is forgiven because of the gossip. They bring people in who have nothing to do with who can fix it.

They can resolve they don't even want to bring them into it because I want seeking vengeance. This does not bring people into it. Have nothing to do with. So if you are gossiping about the offense and the offense or forgiveness is not occurred. Second, you know, forgiven when you send feel at ease with you. Then Joseph said to his brother in please come closer to me when you have been forgiven. You say get away from. He says, I come close to me. I am now welcoming you into my space makes them feel comfortable in his presence instead of making them feel uncomfortable in his presence. He says come near not get out of my sight. I can't stand you don't ever see you again get away from McNulty since coming in these little ones.forgiveness creates a space where you repent, transactional forgiveness now that unilateral web can come into a space been extricated from because of their offense.

The next thing that happens verse five. Now, do not be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me the next thing the true forgiveness will do if it will help the offender to forgive themselves when they ask you to forget, and then he did one more thing while verse and go to my father, Joseph says and say to him.

My father, Jacob saving him.

Your son Joseph.

God has made me law all major come down to me. Do not delay which Mrs. he tell his brothers go back home and any image. Wait a minute you mean you not tell him to go tell daddy when Joe did delete go back and tell him how much of a man and I want to tell daddy everything thing on me.

I will go tell was he protect them from the one who would've been hurt most by because he was seeking transactional forgiveness on this. What's this you are blocking God from taking care of if you're trying to pay him back himself God will pay him back but God will stay out of it. The Scripture says this is not the Lord will repay God's way without breaks a lot of the legal issues efficiently, and last but when talking about vengeance and if you read the story.he did. Dr. Evans will have more forests on the link between forgiving and being forgiven when he comes back in a moment to continue this lesson from a series freedom through forgiveness.

This short but powerful six parts said points the way toward the healing and fulfillment. We can experience when we understand the mercy God has shown us and pass it along to those who hurt us.

Even if those hurts feel like they're tearing us apart. Unforgiveness is like an emotional cancer, but the principles in this message collection are the cure and will send it to you as her.

Thank you gift when you make a contribution to help us keep Tony's teaching on the station along with it will include his companion book for the series 30 days to victory through forgiveness. It's a step-by-step month-long journey toward freedom from the wrongs done to you or by you. Visit us@tonyevans.org. Make your contribution online and let us send you a copy of the special to resource package before time runs out next Wednesday or give us a call at 1-800-800-3222 our resource center is open 24 seven so there's always someone waiting to help you again. It's Tony Evans.org or call 1-800-800-3222 with Dr. Evans will come back with more of today's message right after this. It's beyond this Sunday sermon a chance to really dig into the Bible and the kingdom in a new way anytime and anywhere because it's all online. The Tony Evans training center, in-depth courses, all kinds of topics cultural transformation intro to expository preaching June John Hebrews, Old Testament, New Testament, and so much more.

These are sermons their teaching courses to help you engage understand Scripture and not just to hear about, but to explore the kingdom of God on your own. Find out more Tony Evans training.org Tony Evans training.org Judah is because he was the lead guy got Joseph putting a hole when he was 71 of you read the story you will will shop the only Jew in the story Joseph causes showing you how God pay somebody back when you when you read the story of Jonah in the middle of the giving repay that you but if you believe that you know vengeance is mine and you know when God moves he moves what helped Joseph to forgive. This is a painful situation.

Verse 50 through 52 now before the famine came two sons were born to Joseph Holman, the daughter of pre-so Joseph named the first floor you said God has made me for all my trouble in all my father's household name. The second Ephraim 40 said God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction. God set them up for forgiveness gave him a whole new family.

And he said family and himself that he will will and naming his kids may want to go through me. God has made me fruitful one in the land of my affliction to forget the pain is blessing me where I am right you will see the goodness of God showing you and maybe you forgiveness blocks you from one spring.

Six forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against you referred to the Japanese to sweep you do not forgive, you will not be forget we all have to remember we got to silence the story the need to forgive and the need to be forgiven now. Very few people need to forgive also need to be forgiven okay. Forgiveness is a beautiful word when you need it word when you have to get it. But we all need both words because we need to be forgiven and we need to forgive is in heaven forgive you about your salvation about your experience with John chapter 1 natural GPS is working you. God will recycle your pain to his purpose in excusing you ignore it.

I'm saying you have a problem. Eventually sovereign God who can fill his purposes in spite of it is taking you seen the movie. I'm sure 90% of you have the old movie Forrest Gump remember Forrest had a friend from his childhood days named Jenny one day Forrest and Jimmy were walking along and they came across the shack in which she was raised which was also the shack in which she was abused by her parents when she walked by her all that shack. She looked at it. She reached down, she picked up a rock and she reached down, she picked up another lock the window the shack. She reached down, she picked up another rock.

She remembered the pain style as her and she collapsed.

And that's when Forrest looked at her and said Jimmy sometimes I just ask because no matter how many you throwing that shack is still some of us have been throwing stones at the shack that stop you will become something. Dr. Evans will come back in a moment with the final illustration to wrap up this message because the detours report part of his current series freedom through forgiveness copies of this individual message are available.

Just visit Tony Evans.org to get the details. Better yet request this entire six lesson collection make a contribution toward the ministry of the urban alternative and will send it to you along with the companion booklet I mentioned earlier 30 days to victory through forgiveness.

Just visit Tony Evans.org to get the details and make the arrangements or call us. They are night at 1-800-800-3222 that's 1-800-800-3222 as you heard at the top of the program. The urban alternative is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. The expansion and growth. We've experienced is nothing short of a miracle.

And a lot of it traces back to the unique way. Dr. Evans communicates across racial and cultural lines. Here's what he told me recently about how the Lord equipped and to do that. I was the fourth African-American student Dallas theological seminary. So many of the students there were not used to being around black people, but because my personality.

I would take the initiative, build relationships, I could see those who didn't want it versus those who were open to it versus those were confused about it. Went knocked on doors met professors talk to them so I would take the initiative to not only learn but to build bridges but at the same time I went to a black church. Their community Bible Church.

I got a Ruben Connor and Douglas kept me in touch with the black community and he had a ministry starting black churches and so that kept me involved in black church ministry.

While attending a conservative white theological sentence on still operating on dual tracks and so I think that again kept me in both worlds. Biblical conservative theology but operating in two directions in one direction I wanted to strengthen the biblical foundation in the African-American community in the other direction I wanted to increase the social sensitivity in the white community. Dr. Evans says forgiving others releases us from one source of pain and prevents a brand-new one will tell us what it is tomorrow, but right now he's back with a final thought for those who aren't feeling free enough to forgive just say testing has to remind you about the bell know the bell in the bell tower was is on a rope and you pull the rope go on because when they go of the rope would still be swinging but it would slow down until it stopped because they were no longer forcing it to me. I want to invite you today to let go to Rome as long as you pull in is not for me to when you make the decision of the ring for a while until the alternative Dr. Tony Evans celebrating 40 years of faith thanks to the generous contributions of listeners like you