Healing the Nations

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The title of today’s message is healing the nation’s

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scripture Pictures of a river of life in revelations 22 flowing from the throne of God and wherever that river goes that which is dead will live And then it paints a picture that on the banks of the river are trees and these trees bear their fruit every month

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And then it says that the leaves are for the healing of the nation

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I believe there is a river of grace in life that God is bringing forth from the church Once again

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that will actually heal nations

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The fact that it tells us that the leaves were for the healing of the nations implies something doesn’t it

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It implies the nations need healed

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but it also implies that it’s God’s heart to heal nations

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Today’s message is part of a journey of seeking the healing of nations So we’re going to revisit themes and ideas that we’ve been looking at in the past and hopefully take those ideas and move them forward

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The central idea that we will be addressing is healing a root of offense hurt and bitterness

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I have to say I am so convinced that America needs healing

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I believe that one of the great battles spiritual battles that we are facing today

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is generalization and demonization

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What happens is that people groups are painted by certain generalizations and then just like Adam in the garden it’s the woman that you gave me

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we blame them for destroying the nation

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And what we are really seeing is that it’s kind of like an argument is going on and the relationship is falling apart because people are arguing about who’s right And in the process and the argument we’re all going down

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we generalize and we demonize and we forget that we are creating in the image of God that Christ died for all

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he loves all wants to heal and redeem all there is nobody that God God doesn’t come and sit and say wait a minute what are your what is your position on this to see if you’re welcome in the church

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I’m not sure you’re welcome at the cross Yes you’re welcome All are welcome Christ died for all One of the times when this really was highlighted to me was during COVID

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And I tell this story again and again because I believe that it was God trying to highlight to us that the division that we are facing

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the offenses that we’re carrying the hurts the wounds the traumas the attitudes they’re killing us

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have people in my office I don’t believe you can be a Christian and not wear a mask Then the next day I don’t believe you can be a Christian and wear a mask How about we believe that everyone is created in the image of God with dignity significance and worth and that He has given us the freedom of thought speech and belief People are believing certain facts that they choose to believe and they’re having a response to those facts

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And in the process what I would ask them is when this whole thing passes are we still going to be brothers

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Are we still going to um labor together in the gospel of Jesus Christ Or are we gonna be divided and conquered

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Dividing and conquering

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I really believe that is part of the Marxist agenda

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And I think we’re playing right into it

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because we start to play the blame game

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So one of the things that I’ve been talking I’ve been meeting with different pastors and talking to them

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and it’s been an interesting discussion you know because they say kind of a lot of times when you think of the way the world thinks

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will you design a whole church to reach a particular type of people group

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the different churches are called to reach different types of people And I and I and I threw this idea at them I said listen the harvest is ripe

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and there are so many people that don’t go to church and don’t know the Lord Why can’t we all be antioch churches

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Why I think the greatest need of this hour is for the church of Jesus Christ to exhibit what the cross of Jesus has done

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It is torn down the wall of separation between us and God It is torn down the wall of separation between Jew and gentile It’s torn down the wall of separation between every culture every race every social and economic status in every culture

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and what the world needs to see

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is what politics can’t do what education can’t do

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The cross of Jesus Christ can do it can break down the walls bring healing and let love ring

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It’s awesome isn’t it Lord let every church true church Let me preface it that way Lord let every true church in America become an expression of the full reconciliation of the cross

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in Jesus name

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So before I get into the main well the first scripture that we’re really gonna read I wanna talk about some foundational ideas

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when we’re talking about healing a root of offense hurt and bitterness The first is the word forgive

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and means to let go leave leave alone release forgive comes from oasis which simply means release liberation forgiveness The reason I wanted to read that word to you in the Greek

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is because I’m wrestling with ideas that I believe are gonna get more and more mature Does that make sense It’s kind of like when you’re seeing something in a mirror darkly but it comes more and more into focus And some of the thought that I have is that there’s a whole realm of life to be discovered when we start to see the greater implications of forgiveness

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A lot of times the church of Jesus Christ really focuses on why do you need forgiveness because you sinned What do you mean you sinned You broke the law OK So what happens You get forgiven Great I can move on darn it I broke the law again

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And there’s such a sin consciousness in the church of Jesus Christ

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that I’d almost like to turn it around and say God give us a glory consciousness

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What do you mean we’re falling short of the glory of God There’s more to know of Him and see of him and experience of Him There’s more for us to be conformed into his image

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And really if we stop and think about it what is sin really about It’s a broken relationship with God and a broken relationship with one another So forgiveness is not to just say you’ve got a clean slate and can go around and saying I am righteous You’re not because you didn’t get forgiven No forgiveness is about restored relationship with God and one another And with that in mind then when you look at that idea of to let go

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to release to forgive right It’s a liberation It’s a freedom it’s an opening of prison doors It’s a breaking of shackles

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I mean how often do we think of forgiveness as a liberation and a breaking of shackles and an opening of prison doors and opening up to the US to the fullness of life that God has for us It’s not just a legal declaration It’s about experiencing the fullness of life that God has freely given us when he died on the cross

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and poured out His Holy spirit

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Forgiveness entails all those ideas Also with another foundational ideas Romans 14 it talks about the mature and immature really helpful during COVID You know if

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you go to the market and you see meat that has been sacrificed to idols and you’re mature in the Lord and you’re like they’re nothing

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I have freedom in Christ Greater is he who is in me than he is in the world I’m not scared of the you know you see what I mean and you can go eat that meat but you have a weaker brother who’s like oh my gosh

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it was sacrificed to an idol and you could get cursed

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Oh and they’re offended So I won’t eat meat again not to offend them So Paul is teaching us to love one another bear with one another to be patient and kind hearted and um really value unity and not be easily offended right But then also the fact that he addresses it as mature and weak he’s also educating without

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diminishing a person’s value and worth does that make sense It’s just beautiful the heart of God to overcome these divisions Another one is you all know that probably by now that I like to read rabbi sacks

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and one of the things that he said that was really interesting to me They they were looking at what is leprosy And I’m not gonna go into that because it would be a major rabbit trail But it’s really intriguing if you ever want to read it it’s really wild what he says But the take away

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I or one of the takeaways or one of the applications or implications he says it’s wrong

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to speak Well of a man to his enemies

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What you see what I mean You’re like well why would you say that Because these people right here really can’t stand that guy over there But most of their life they’ve forgotten about it

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and they’re not paying any attention to it and the fire is quenched

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But if you go over to him and start speaking well to them of their enemy that he’s a really good guy and you really just misunderstand him blah blah blah He’s done all these great things Now They’re all riled up again and causing more destruction

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Were they they were really wrestling with how do we bring this world into the agreement of heaven

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the fire of his love rather than the fires of hell being burning on the earth And so we don’t ask what will be the outcome of our action

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or our speech or our behavior Will it bring life or will it bring death

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And and they were recognizing that sometimes when you speak well of somebody to their enemies you’re lighting the fire again and you’re stirring up the strife again Isn’t that interesting

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And that really is the idea

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that I think that we really need to wrestle with as a church and ask the Lord to give us wisdom

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Are the ideas that we’re putting forward are the things that we’re saying are the things that we’re doing Are they furthering or killing the kingdom of God Are they bringing life or death Are they bringing light or darkness I mean those are great questions The best way I can say it is it’s about knowing and seeing King Jesus

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who he is his character and nature and what the world would look like

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under his total reign

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And Lord let your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven that we have been given grace and apostleship to bring the nations into the obedience of the faith You see how these things connect

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So now we’re going to go ahead and explore a scriptural passage that will provide a starting point to look at healing a root of offense

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And we’re gonna go to Cade

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it’s the 40th year in the wilderness wanderings

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numbers 22 through 12

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Now there was no water for the congregation

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Now if they’re out in the middle of the desert that’s pretty serious isn’t it

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But you could also think about it like water

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the Holy Spirit the church of Jesus Christ What happens when we have no water

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We spiritually die Well they were afraid literally of physically dying

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So they gathered together against Moses and Aaron and the people contended with Moses and spoke saying if only we had died with our brethren when our brethren died before the Lord

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you know because during that those 40 years a whole generation passed away in the wilderness except for Joshua and Caleb right And Moses was still knocking about at this point

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But what you’re hearing is the language of people that are totally demoralized

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Oh that we had died You’re hearing human pain and fear at such a deep level aren’t you to say oh that we had died in the wilderness Oh that we hadn’t gotten to this place

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Why have you brought up the assembly of the Lord into the wilderness that we and our animals should die here And why have you made us to come out of Egypt to bring us to this evil place It is not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates nor is there any water to drink

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So Moses and Aaron

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went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the Tabernacle of meeting and they fell on their faces and the glory of the Lord appeared to them

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Then the Lord spoke to Moses saying take the rod you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together speak to the rock before their eyes and it will yield its water

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Thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock and give drink to the congregation and their animals

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So Moses took the rod from before the Lord as he commanded him and Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock and he said to them here now you rebels

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must we bring water for you out of this rock Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod and water came out abundantly

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and the congregation and their animals drink

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Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron

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because you did not believe me

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to hollow me in the eyes of the Children of Israel

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Therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them

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Moses

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God spoke to him face to face as a man

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God used him to deliver Israel out of Egypt He gave them the 10 commandments I mean we talk about a mighty hero of faith

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And now at the very end

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because of this one action

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he doesn’t get to go into the promised land

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It seems pretty weighty doesn’t it

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We we’re we’re gonna revisit that in a in a minute

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But there there’s a lot in this passage and we’re not even going to begin to scratch its surface

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But what’s interesting first

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is that the rock quit giving water

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First Corinthians 10 2 through three says all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea all ate the same spiritual food and all drank the same spiritual drink for They drank of that spiritual rock that followed them and that rock was Christ

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It’s really strange and I looked it up and researched it and yes it appears that that rock followed them 40 years in the wilderness and gave them water

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It’s I mean there’s some weird stuff in the Bible isn’t there And it says that rock was Christ

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and it always gave water

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So now they get to cash and it quits giving its water

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We’re gonna explore these ideas But it’s like that’s very interesting Right For 40 years it’s continuously given us water Why did it stop

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Right

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I I would say maybe I will explore that right now a little bit

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Why did the rock quit giving water I would say it’s for the testing of faith

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which is more precious than gold

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It was for revealing to the people what was in their heart

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and revealing the heart of God

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They are literally at the

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brink of going into the promised land

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and God is bringing them in

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But he wanted to show them that they had gotten crusty

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He wanted I mean I see it all over the gospels Jesus often addressed the fears that people carried the hurts the wounds the pain

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the insecurities

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40 years in the wilderness they’re wandering they hear the stories

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but even the manna starts to become normal and no longer like miraculous and exciting

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The rock giving water doesn’t seem strange anymore It’s just life as usual

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and they’re wandering around in a desert and they were told that they’re coming into a land flowing with milk and honey

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And they have to wonder

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is it real

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Is it true Will this wandering ever end Is there ever really a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow

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Is there really a promised land for us or is this all there ever will be

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Do we have a hope Do we have a future Is it real or have we just been led out here through this hardship in the desert all these years for nothing

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And those fears were in their hearts

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and when that rock quit giving water

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he exposed what was in their hearts that when in the normal routines of life they didn’t even realize that these roots of bitterness had been there

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that these fears and insecurities have been there

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but confronted with that situation that we’re now in the in the desert and the rock quit giving water

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Is this the end

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Is it over for us

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It’s so interesting isn’t it

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To understand this passage We have to go back 40 years

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to

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the first year when they were brought out of Egypt

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the people actually were rebellious I I believe in this passage they were demoralized

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and their father in heaven treated them according to where they are at But in the first chapter of or the first year of the Exodus

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or after the Exodus let’s put it that way

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They complained because they were in a similar circumstance and there was no water

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but they were rebellious and in real danger

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of going back into Egypt

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they’re in danger of a real rebellion

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of literally going back And God spoke to Moses to strike the rock

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Well what’s the difference when he struck the rock He’s he’s warning them

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and showing him that he’s a you know a little bit angry

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But when he tells Moses to speak to the rock see because the very action of the prophet is declaring the heart of God for them in the moment it’s declaring the living word for them in that moment And God wants to properly represent his heart towards rebellion Verse demoralization

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Does that make sense

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And when somebody is rebellious Think how Jesus spoke to the scribes and Pharisees

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right

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But think about how he spoke to the tax collectors and sinners

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And in that moment God said uh to speak to the rock because they’re demoralized

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and I wanna bring them in

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I’m bringing him in

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but I’m just healing their heart in the before I bring them in because I want them to really taste and see how good I am

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But Moses calls them rebels

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because he because he was wounded in his own heart

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he was hurt It was that old wound that has never healed

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And it goes back even farther to the beginning of the book of Exodus

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when Moses went

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and killed an Egyptian man a taskmaster

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00:22:45.239 – 00:22:47.92
And the next day saw two Hebrew brothers fighting

Speaker#1:
00:22:48.949 – 00:22:54.13
and he tried to intercede He had a heart for them And they said are you going to kill us too

Speaker#1:
00:22:54.89 – 00:22:59.79
They misrepresented his heart and it broke his heart and created a wound in him

Speaker#1:
00:23:03.03 – 00:23:04.9
that wound that never healed

Speaker#1:
00:23:07.29 – 00:23:12.829
later at the burning bush Many years later 40 years later at the burning bush

Speaker#1:
00:23:13.709 – 00:23:19.27
you get it in the v you get it in many translations It’s terrible in the new King James version This one

Speaker#1:
00:23:21.449 – 00:23:27.52
Moses when God gave him the calling he says behold they will not listen to me

Speaker#1:
00:23:28.81 – 00:23:31.219
and will say that you did not speak to me

Speaker#1:
00:23:33.709 – 00:23:36.03
That’s what he saw

Speaker#1:
00:23:36.9 – 00:23:39.109
That old wound had been festering

Speaker#1:
00:23:39.869 – 00:23:42.969
These people will not listen These people don’t get it

Speaker#1:
00:23:47.15 – 00:23:50.189
He never got God’s heart for them because of that old wound

Speaker#1:
00:23:52.619 – 00:23:55.89
God used him mightily God spoke to him as a friend

Speaker#1:
00:23:59.199 – 00:23:59.88
Mm

Speaker#1:
00:24:00.839 – 00:24:03.8
There really is a prophetic rightness too as well

Speaker#1:
00:24:05.319 – 00:24:09.15
The law cannot bring you into the promised land

Speaker#1:
00:24:09.67 – 00:24:11.05
Only grace can

Speaker#1:
00:24:12.51 – 00:24:18.829
the law cannot bring you in to the fullness of life that God has for you Only grace can

Speaker#1:
00:24:24.699 – 00:24:27.54
Moses misrepresented the heart of God

Speaker#1:
00:24:28.209 – 00:24:32.3
when He had no grace for the people He was out of sync with God

Speaker#1:
00:24:34.17 – 00:24:37.369
He had a root of offense heard in bitterness in his heart

Speaker#1:
00:24:40.349 – 00:24:41.66
This was Moses

Speaker#1:
00:24:43.689 – 00:24:46.13
imagine measuring your life with Moses

Speaker#1:
00:24:47.04 – 00:24:49.579
And I asked the question was his end of tragedy

Speaker#1:
00:24:52.819 – 00:24:56.839
I mean think about it He’s right about to go into the promised land

Speaker#1:
00:24:57.88 – 00:24:58.839
He is

Speaker#1:
00:24:59.369 – 00:25:00.839
had a hard life

Speaker#1:
00:25:02.06 – 00:25:09.4
40 years in the mid end and another 40 years in the wilderness And now right at the brink of going into the promised land

Speaker#1:
00:25:10.839 – 00:25:12.5
because he was angry

Speaker#1:
00:25:13.38 – 00:25:14.93
because he was bitter

Speaker#1:
00:25:15.479 – 00:25:17.15
because he was hurt

Speaker#1:
00:25:19.979 – 00:25:21.339
He couldn’t enter in

Speaker#1:
00:25:22.31 – 00:25:24.619
He was kept from the fullness of God

Speaker#1:
00:25:26.17 – 00:25:29.239
So I asked the question was his end a tragedy

Speaker#1:
00:25:33.06 – 00:25:33.64
No

Speaker#1:
00:25:35.829 – 00:25:39.56
his end was not a tragedy He’s a prophet of God

Speaker#1:
00:25:42.04 – 00:25:46.18
a wonderful awesome glorious prophet of God

Speaker#1:
00:25:47.569 – 00:26:05.569
And even his death was a prophecy Even Him not entering the promised land was a great testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ that only grace can bring you in almost like Samson who says at his end he took out more than he did in his life

Speaker#1:
00:26:06.099 – 00:26:07.819
and in his failure

Speaker#1:
00:26:08.369 – 00:26:15.609
he brought forth a revelation of the grace of God in the heart of God No he was not a failure

Speaker#1:
00:26:16.28 – 00:26:20.64
It wasn’t a tragedy God even came and took him up into heaven

Speaker#1:
00:26:22.719 – 00:26:24.29
He was a friend of God

Speaker#1:
00:26:24.859 – 00:26:31.3
and a hero of faith and a part of the cloud of witnesses But it’s kind of like the

Speaker#1:
00:26:32.859 – 00:26:38.13
in the New Testament the life of Stephen as he’s dying you can see

Speaker#1:
00:26:39.079 – 00:26:49.41
the reproduction of the life of Christ Father forgive them for they know not what they do You see that heart of grace in the beauty of that heart of grace don’t you

Speaker#1:
00:26:50.239 – 00:26:56.209
And in the life of Moses it’s very similar Even in at in at his end

Speaker#1:
00:26:58.329 – 00:26:59.479
he’s the prophet

Speaker#1:
00:27:00.26 – 00:27:03.589
He’s a friend of God and even his failure

Speaker#1:
00:27:04.29 – 00:27:06.339
reveals the grace of God

Speaker#1:
00:27:06.92 – 00:27:10.39
isn’t that beautiful It makes me think of

Speaker#1:
00:27:11.03 – 00:27:24.329
when he looked over the hills at that congregation in the wilderness And we had seen all of their mistakes and all of their failures because God brings us in and lets us see it And we think how could they be so stupid

Speaker#1:
00:27:25.38 – 00:27:36.199
They saw the red sea part they saw the miracles in Egypt They’re getting bread from heaven a cloud by day and a pillar by night and they’re acting like total idiots

Speaker#1:
00:27:38.369 – 00:27:44.989
And then God pulls back and lets you see the big picture and said I see Him

Speaker#1:
00:27:47.15 – 00:27:49.959
They are not numbered with the other nations

Speaker#1:
00:27:50.65 – 00:27:55.5
God is present with them The shot of a king is in their midst

Speaker#1:
00:27:57.14 – 00:28:01.859
Oh let me die the death of the righteous and let my end be like His

Speaker#1:
00:28:03.26 – 00:28:05.729
no Moses’s life was not a tragedy

Speaker#1:
00:28:07.31 – 00:28:08.81
It was a testimony

Speaker#1:
00:28:10.599 – 00:28:12.589
that only grace

Speaker#1:
00:28:13.13 – 00:28:16.28
can bring you into the fullness of life that God has for you

Speaker#1:
00:28:19.52 – 00:28:22.589
That that end makes me think of Psalm 1 16

Speaker#1:
00:28:23.229 – 00:28:27.76
precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints

Speaker#1:
00:28:28.359 – 00:28:30.989
For even in their death they declare

Speaker#1:
00:28:31.729 – 00:28:34.729
that life has triumphed

Speaker#1:
00:28:35.4 – 00:28:36.829
through Jesus Christ

Speaker#1:
00:28:39.31 – 00:28:40.81
So the root of hurt

Speaker#1:
00:28:41.81 – 00:28:45.38
offense and bitterness It’s amazing that

Speaker#1:
00:28:45.89 – 00:28:49.469
we can when you track it through his life you can really see Moses had it

Speaker#1:
00:28:51.109 – 00:28:59.43
and it all began that day that those 22 Israelites misrepresented his heart and he was wounded

Speaker#1:
00:29:00.729 – 00:29:02.67
that old wound never healed

Speaker#1:
00:29:05.77 – 00:29:14.56
He was he he became frustrated with the congregation of the Lord He became frustrated with his fellow citizens

Speaker#1:
00:29:15.829 – 00:29:19.8
He in a sense did not believe anything good from them

Speaker#1:
00:29:20.739 – 00:29:25.39
He solidified them in an identity You are rebels

Speaker#1:
00:29:29.51 – 00:29:30.949
He couldn’t read

Speaker#1:
00:29:32.189 – 00:29:36.29
who they really were He couldn’t see who they really were through his pain

Speaker#1:
00:29:39.38 – 00:29:41.91
That’s what we’re facing here in America today

Speaker#1:
00:29:43.77 – 00:29:47.829
That’s what we’re doing with one another today That’s what happens in churches

Speaker#1:
00:29:48.56 – 00:29:54.81
You know people have come to our church and and they say I have a hard time because I’ve been hurt by other churches

Speaker#1:
00:29:55.79 – 00:29:58.699
But with the reality

Speaker#1:
00:30:00.619 – 00:30:02.18
because we’re all human beings

Speaker#1:
00:30:02.729 – 00:30:04.29
we’re all jars of clay

Speaker#1:
00:30:05.16 – 00:30:09.569
Jesus was wounded in the house of his friends He was betrayed with a kiss

Speaker#1:
00:30:14.05 – 00:30:15.319
but forgiveness

Speaker#1:
00:30:16.14 – 00:30:17.469
in grace

Speaker#1:
00:30:18.03 – 00:30:21.26
in healing brings forth a life

Speaker#1:
00:30:22.479 – 00:30:23.579
bitterness

Speaker#1:
00:30:24.239 – 00:30:29.449
unforgiveness Keeps us out of the life that God has for us Frustration

Speaker#1:
00:30:30.819 – 00:30:32.66
powerful stuff Isn’t this

Speaker#1:
00:30:40.439 – 00:30:49.829
Luke 17 through three through five take heed to yourselves If your brother sins against you rebuke him and if he repents forgive him

Speaker#1:
00:30:50.739 – 00:30:58.479
and if he sins against you seven times in a day and seven times a day returns to you saying I repent you shall forgive him

Speaker#1:
00:31:00.589 – 00:31:03.439
And the Apostle said Lord increase our faith

Speaker#1:
00:31:05.67 – 00:31:18.93
When I was sharing some of these ideas with somebody they told me about a book that I had never read And so I read through it until it no longer interested me because the part on the fence at the beginning was really good I was gonna get one for Stephanie and then the rest of the book I’m like

Speaker#1:
00:31:19.76 – 00:31:24.53
only the first five chapters But anyway it was um John Veres bait of Satan

Speaker#1:
00:31:25.199 – 00:31:37.01
and apologize if you really love that whole book But it was really what the Lord was speaking to me at the time that I was getting excited about studying And when once it wandered off wasn’t as interesting to me anymore

Speaker#1:
00:31:38.9 – 00:31:43.06
But what he writes about that passage I believe is a real word from the Lord

Speaker#1:
00:31:43.68 – 00:31:51.93
the list of jesus’ miracles and wonders was so inexhaustible that according to the Bible the world of books could not contain it

Speaker#1:
00:31:52.489 – 00:32:05.54
Never before had mankind witnessed the miraculous hand of God in such an overwhelming and tangible way Amazed and odd as the disciples were was not these miracles that pushed them to the brink of doubt

Speaker#1:
00:32:06.76 – 00:32:21.619
No that challenge would come later toward the end of jesus’ earthly ministry Jesus had instructed his disciples If your brother sins against you seven times in a day and seven times a day returns to you saying I repent you shall forgive him

Speaker#1:
00:32:22.489 – 00:32:26.479
Their immediate response to him was increase our faith

Speaker#1:
00:32:27.219 – 00:32:39.67
The miracles had not inspired a cry for greater faith or for the raising of the dead or for a calm sea But the simple to command to forgive those who have wronged you

Speaker#1:
00:32:43.51 – 00:32:47.15
That’s what inspired a cry Lord increase our faith

Speaker#1:
00:32:48.17 – 00:32:49.89
This stuff is real people

Speaker#1:
00:32:50.43 – 00:32:55.51
When I say I believe that there’s a river of life that God wants to bring forth from the church

Speaker#1:
00:32:56.88 – 00:33:01.569
that will bring healing to the nations It begins with this

Speaker#1:
00:33:04.979 – 00:33:06.51
forgive one another

Speaker#1:
00:33:07.31 – 00:33:08.92
release one another

Speaker#1:
00:33:09.829 – 00:33:11.599
liberate one another

Speaker#1:
00:33:12.14 – 00:33:13.739
Don’t be offended

Speaker#1:
00:33:14.67 – 00:33:19.869
We’ve got to get healed of our hurts and our wounds our bitterness our frustration

Speaker#1:
00:33:21.16 – 00:33:24.5
only then will the river of life really truly flow

Speaker#1:
00:33:26.699 – 00:33:36.52
And sometimes we don’t even know where we have hurts And so God did what he did in that passage we read he stopped off the water from the rock and then revealed it

Speaker#1:
00:33:40.01 – 00:33:42.26
and and I know and I and and

Speaker#1:
00:33:43.469 – 00:33:45.599
you know it’s easy to forgive

Speaker#1:
00:33:46.209 – 00:33:48.369
when the relationship is now broken

Speaker#1:
00:33:51.14 – 00:33:54.239
We’re using this passage is such a challenge

Speaker#1:
00:33:55.63 – 00:34:00.0
if they come 70 times seven times in a day

Speaker#1:
00:34:02.619 – 00:34:03.8
that is

Speaker#1:
00:34:04.53 – 00:34:05.689
repetitive

Speaker#1:
00:34:07.089 – 00:34:09.5
that is continuous

Speaker#1:
00:34:10.36 – 00:34:12.27
and it all starts again tomorrow

Speaker#1:
00:34:13.78 – 00:34:14.85
and the next day

Speaker#1:
00:34:15.989 – 00:34:17.09
in the next day

Speaker#1:
00:34:17.949 – 00:34:19.02
and the next day

Speaker#1:
00:34:20.918 – 00:34:23.58
that’s what Moses faced in the wilderness wasn’t it

Speaker#1:
00:34:25.209 – 00:34:32.78
This call of Jesus to the disciples to forgive and forgive and forgive

Speaker#1:
00:34:36.189 – 00:34:37.53
unless we should

Speaker#1:
00:34:38.878 – 00:34:40.729
get legalistic about it

Speaker#1:
00:34:41.29 – 00:34:42.908
Well it’s only if they repent

Speaker#1:
00:34:44.04 – 00:34:47.739
we have to look at the fullness of scripture and the cross They didn’t repent

Speaker#1:
00:34:48.469 – 00:34:50.1
Father forgive them

Speaker#1:
00:34:51.1 – 00:34:58.25
for they know not what they do Steven as he’s being stoned Father forgive them for They know not what they do

Speaker#1:
00:34:58.82 – 00:35:00.139
We forgive

Speaker#1:
00:35:03.62 – 00:35:06.56
we not only set them free we free ourselves

Speaker#1:
00:35:07.07 – 00:35:16.689
we break bonds we open prison doors we bring forth a river of life We turn the light on in the world when we forgive one another

Speaker#1:
00:35:18.53 – 00:35:37.689
When we let God heal us of our hurts and our wounds and our pain and our frustration and our bitterness If we get angry easy we’ve probably got some we got something If we get frustrated If we get depressed if we get discouraged it can express itself in so many ways If we get triggered

Speaker#1:
00:35:39.12 – 00:35:40.929
there’s a hurt there’s a wound

Speaker#1:
00:35:42.149 – 00:35:43.489
that God wants to heal

Speaker#1:
00:35:46.1 – 00:35:48.27
and he will heal it If we ask Him

Speaker#1:
00:35:50.33 – 00:35:52.219
God give us your love

Speaker#1:
00:35:52.739 – 00:36:10.31
shed abroad your love into our hearts Lord let us taste your goodness Lord It says all who call the name of the Lord shall be saved He came to set at liberty the captives he came not to heap guilt and condemnation He came to set us free And all we have to do is belief

Speaker#1:
00:36:11.419 – 00:36:17.919
that even our unforgiveness even our bitterness even our hurts even our wounds even our fences

Speaker#1:
00:36:18.679 – 00:36:21.969
He’s not trying to shove our face in it He says let me heal you

Speaker#1:
00:36:22.959 – 00:36:24.51
let me deliver you

Speaker#1:
00:36:25.139 – 00:36:26.33
ask of me

Speaker#1:
00:36:26.889 – 00:36:28.08
and I’ll do it

Speaker#1:
00:36:28.959 – 00:36:31.459
And people say but I I didn’t I’m hurt

Speaker#1:
00:36:32.3 – 00:36:34.219
I can’t get over this pain

Speaker#1:
00:36:35.139 – 00:36:36.29
Then come to me

Speaker#1:
00:36:36.8 – 00:36:44.11
all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest I will speak peace to your soul

Speaker#1:
00:36:46.11 – 00:36:47.56
I will deliver you

Speaker#1:
00:36:49.189 – 00:36:50.739
I will bring you life

Speaker#1:
00:36:51.75 – 00:36:53.479
I will let you drink again

Speaker#1:
00:36:54.239 – 00:36:56.479
from the well of life

Speaker#1:
00:36:57.429 – 00:36:58.87
It’s awesome isn’t it

Speaker#1:
00:37:00.0 – 00:37:00.62
awesome

Speaker#1:
00:37:08.12 – 00:37:10.879
You know when people often get hurt

Speaker#1:
00:37:12.169 – 00:37:14.679
they run from the situations don’t they

Speaker#1:
00:37:17.25 – 00:37:23.719
I mean that’s what that’s what all the modern wisdom is is run from the situation run run run

Speaker#1:
00:37:29.479 – 00:37:31.129
Heroes of faith

Speaker#1:
00:37:33.989 – 00:37:34.86
don’t run

Speaker#1:
00:37:36.54 – 00:37:41.09
They go when God when they go where God tells them they stay where God tells them

Speaker#1:
00:37:44.75 – 00:37:50.83
Steven could only reproduce that life of Christ because he stayed in the midst of the bickering women

Speaker#1:
00:37:56.05 – 00:37:57.09
Joseph

Speaker#1:
00:37:58.31 – 00:38:04.28
He let the grace of God touch his heart He was so cruelly betrayed by his brothers

Speaker#1:
00:38:05.629 – 00:38:14.11
He went I mean so if we look at that passage that we read about Moses the people had hoped defer for 40 years

Speaker#1:
00:38:14.909 – 00:38:18.53
is the stream even alive anymore Is it just a lie

Speaker#1:
00:38:19.31 – 00:38:20.409
Joseph

Speaker#1:
00:38:21.159 – 00:38:24.949
Who did everything I dream is my dream dead

Speaker#1:
00:38:26.04 – 00:38:34.209
Did I mess it up Did I screw it up Did I get so far off path God that you’ve given up on me and left me to rot in this prison

Speaker#1:
00:38:35.58 – 00:38:36.229
No

Speaker#1:
00:38:39.02 – 00:38:43.709
every day he got up and and served as unto the Lord

Speaker#1:
00:38:44.52 – 00:38:52.33
Every day he got up and and walked and lived as unto the Lord But don’t think for a second he did not have pain

Speaker#1:
00:38:53.379 – 00:38:55.04
He walked through that pain

Speaker#1:
00:38:55.61 – 00:38:59.07
He carried that pain until that day of healing came

Speaker#1:
00:39:00.0 – 00:39:02.639
when he was resurrected out of that tomb

Speaker#1:
00:39:03.959 – 00:39:06.679
And he named his son Ephraim And Nasa

Speaker#1:
00:39:08.699 – 00:39:11.679
God has rolled away the reproach

Speaker#1:
00:39:15.409 – 00:39:16.35
David

Speaker#1:
00:39:20.11 – 00:39:23.629
One of my favorite passages in scripture is the song of the bow

Speaker#1:
00:39:24.79 – 00:39:27.11
because of how Saul treated him

Speaker#1:
00:39:29.05 – 00:39:31.649
But the grace of God possessed his heart

Speaker#1:
00:39:32.639 – 00:39:36.57
And when Saul died he sang a mourning for him

Speaker#1:
00:39:38.79 – 00:39:41.469
he mourned over the death of Saul

Speaker#1:
00:39:42.479 – 00:39:45.81
He celebrated what God had done through Saul

Speaker#1:
00:39:46.709 – 00:39:48.8
Tell it not in death

Speaker#1:
00:39:51.939 – 00:39:54.83
And when I see that heart I see Jesus

Speaker#1:
00:39:55.729 – 00:40:05.919
I see the power of God’s grace the power of God’s love in our life We see something that is beautiful in this world that we can’t help take notice

Speaker#1:
00:40:06.6 – 00:40:14.449
because the grace of God has changed our heart and has set us free from hurt and bitterness and unforgiveness And offense

Speaker#1:
00:40:15.189 – 00:40:17.55
And Christians are so easily offended

Speaker#1:
00:40:19.12 – 00:40:24.02
That should not happen in a church that should not happen in a Christian school

Speaker#1:
00:40:27.76 – 00:40:29.76
So easily offended

Speaker#1:
00:40:30.28 – 00:40:32.52
But we don’t find it in the heart of God

Speaker#1:
00:40:33.75 – 00:40:35.59
We don’t find it in Jesus

Speaker#1:
00:40:36.76 – 00:40:38.939
He was never offended

Speaker#1:
00:40:39.82 – 00:40:43.149
Even by Judas He was broken hearted

Speaker#1:
00:40:43.879 – 00:40:48.459
He loved he wept Oh Jerusalem

Speaker#1:
00:40:48.989 – 00:40:51.28
Oh I want to gather you

Speaker#1:
00:40:52.01 – 00:40:57.959
He always had a heart for even those that would betray him For those who had heard him

Speaker#1:
00:40:58.909 – 00:41:01.149
for those who spitefully used him

Speaker#1:
00:41:02.03 – 00:41:07.439
see these words until people have really been hurt They don’t understand the cost of forgiveness

Speaker#1:
00:41:08.3 – 00:41:15.79
They don’t understand how difficult it is to get past the pain or humiliation or embarrassment

Speaker#1:
00:41:19.939 – 00:41:21.75
But we get walled up don’t we

Speaker#1:
00:41:22.53 – 00:41:27.29
And robbed of the fullness of life falling short of the glory

Speaker#1:
00:41:32.429 – 00:41:42.31
Just read a couple more passage about pa passages about this Hebrews 12 14 through 15 pursue peace with all people

Speaker#1:
00:41:42.909 – 00:41:46.129
in holiness without which no one will see the Lord

Speaker#1:
00:41:46.719 – 00:41:52.5
looking carefully lest anyone shall fall short of the grace of God

Speaker#1:
00:41:53.629 – 00:41:59.709
We can fall short of the grace of God hurts offense Bitterness

Speaker#1:
00:42:00.5 – 00:42:03.419
will cause us to fall short of the grace of God

Speaker#1:
00:42:05.12 – 00:42:14.0
That’s what came up and bit Moses at the end But his life is not defined by one failure And God even brought good out of evil

Speaker#1:
00:42:16.899 – 00:42:17.719
But he says

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list any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble And by this many become defiled

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There’s a river of grace that God wants to flow from the church that will bring life to the nations

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But if we’re we’re offended with one another and offended at the unbeliever and placing blame everywhere what we’ve got is a root of bitterness that are defining many

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you know so we have to ask ourselves sometimes could we in our self righteousness become part of the problem rather than the solution

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If it’s not motivated by love

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if it’s motivated by fear

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if it’s motivated by offense

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then the river of life has stopped flowing

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If it’s motivated by hurt

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if it’s motivated by frustration

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the river of life has stopped flowing This is challenging stuff isn’t it

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But all we have to do is just say Lord forgive us heal us

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shed abroad your love into our hearts Once again

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Lord set us free

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ask and you shall receive

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Proverbs 18 19 says a brother offended is harder to win than a strong city

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And contentions are like the bars of a castle

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a brother offended

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I’m telling you our culture is destroying itself by multiplying offenses

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Our culture is destroying itself

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by being offended

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And our offense offends them and then they are offended and they act in ways that offend us And the whole thing is going down in ashes until the cross of Jesus Christ slams in the middle of it and sets us free

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to forgive

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to love

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to transform

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to bring healing

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It’s not about right and wrong

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it’s about come to Jesus and he will break those yokes in people’s lives

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And that’s the way only way out

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It’s the truth

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Sin

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brings death

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And the only way out of sin is through Jesus Christ

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The only way to heal nations to transform nations

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is to change hearts through the gospel of Jesus Christ

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That’s what God wants to bring forth from the church Once again

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it is easy to fall prey to a root of offense heard in bitterness

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When we are hurt we put up walls That brother who is offended is hard to reach They’re like in a castle But the other side is they are also bound up in a prison

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When we are offended we lock ourselves in a prison When we are hurt we lock ourselves in a prison We say I will never let myself be hurt again or humiliated again or ashamed again And what we’ve done is we’ve put ourselves in the prison too Forgiveness opens prison doors

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when things press our buttons when things feel painful and we have to feel like we have to run

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There are signs that there’s things in us that God wants to heal

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There are signs that we need healing past hurts choke oh choke our expectations

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Those Israelites when that water quit going you know flowing they started to really become concerned

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There is no hope for us There is no future

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There is no like one trial after another after another can lead people to the idea There is no hope for me There is no better life for me

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Things being the way they always have been We start to think there couldn’t be anything better

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and we lose hope

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We lose life we lose curiosity we lose wonder We lose praise we lose Thanksgiving

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You know it’s interesting

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a root of bitterness or hurt wounds

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They can be based on reality or they can be based on unreality They have the same effect

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They can be a total misunderstanding

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but they can still have the same effect Isn’t that interesting

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But when we see triggers when we see somebody touching something in us and we start to have a wounded response When we discover frustration there are signs that God wants to touch our hearts somewhere

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When we find ourselves easily offended or placing blame there’s something in our heart that needs healed somewhere

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That’s what God wants to do in the church so that we can go bring healing to the nations

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Hopefully just by studying a root of offense hurt and bitterness Hopefully it is created in us A hunger

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to experience more of his life

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Hopefully it has put a hunger in us not condemnation to know

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for every one of us There’s more

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more fullness of life more experience of his grace

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There’s a passing from a wilderness into a promised land there’s a land flowing with milk and honey but it begins in the soul being free and liberated

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Not based on our circumstances

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before our circumstances change Usually our heart changes

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and then the fullness of life floods our whole being

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As a matter of fact we can experience the fullness of life in every circumstance

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But even circumstances change

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There does come a day when Joseph comes out of prison

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there is a day where God turns the tide

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and there’s a day that those Israelites went into the promised land

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But God was aiming at their hearts first

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because he really wants us to know his heart

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and he wants us to be able to see the heart of one another

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It’s pretty cool stuff isn’t it

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And so really like when I was thinking about

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how do we

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get free

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One Really All who call on the name of the Lord shall be saved Two ask and you shall receive seek and you will find

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put three It’s the reason why I call this healing the nations and tied it to the river of God flowing from the throne

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John 7 37 through 39 On the last day that great day of the feast Jesus stood and cried out saying if anyone thirsts

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that could be thirsting to be free from a hurt or pain or offense thirsting in any way there’s got to be more Is this all there is If anyone thirst come to me and drink

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he who believes in me as the scripture has said out of his heart will flow rivers of living water

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But this he spoke concerning the spirit

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whom those believing in him would receive for the Holy Spirit was not yet given because Jesus was not yet glorified

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If anyone thirsts come to me

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and out of his heart will flow rivers of living water

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Those rivers of living water that are that have been prophesized that are gonna come they flow out of our heart

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It’s a heart transformation that the Lord is looking to accomplish

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more of his love more of his grace for one another more compassion

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And I tell you when this river starts to flow the enemy will want to sow division He will want to sow offense He will want to sow bitterness

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But God’s call is love Those who hate you bless those who curse you do good to those who do you evil and show yourself to be sons of God

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But that river of life our life our freedom It’s the ministry of grace

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the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set us free from the law of sin and death It’s the Holy Spirit receiving the Holy Spirit being filled with the Holy Spirit That

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is the best way to receive healing

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to receive grace

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to open prison doors

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Well how do you receive the Holy Spirit Jesus told us if you being evil know how to give good gifts to your sons How much more will your father give the holy spirit

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to those who ask

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if you thirst

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if any man thirst

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let him come to me

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And he believes in me as scripture has said

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out of his heart will flow rivers

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of living water

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Lord

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fill us with your holy spirit this morning

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Lord heal us of every hurt heal us of every wound heal us of every offense Make us un offend help us to forgive help us to let go help us to release help us to open prison doors Lord God don’t let us be like Moses who carried that wound

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but deliver us from evil

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Deliver us for an evil father

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forgive us as we forgive those who have sinned against us God give us your heart for one another give us compassion for one another Let that love just overflow out of us that we would just have compassion for those that hurt us

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God have mercy

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and bring us into the fullness of life that you have for us

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In Jesus name

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Amen