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Series Code: BOLS
Program Code: BOLS000141S
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00:05 #S073 - No More Excuses For Refusing To Forgive (Part 2)
00:20 Welcome to the Breath of Life 00:21 Television Ministries broadcast with Pastor Debleaire Snell . 00:25 In today's episode. 00:27 Pastor Snell will continue part two of the powerful message 00:33 “No More Excuses For Refusing To Forgive.” 00:37 Now let's go deeper into the word of God. 00:43 You see, friends, all vengeance does help me, Holy Spirit. 00:47 All getting even does 00:50 is nullify the power of God 00:54 to fight the battles on your behalf. 00:57 See, I need you to know that when you start fighting 01:00 for yourself, you essentially handcuff Jehovah, 01:05 whose job it is to fight battles on your behalf. 01:08 See how many of us know 01:09 that we operate in the covenant of Abraham through faith 01:14 so that all of the blessings of Abraham 01:17 are available to us because we abide in faith. 01:21 And did not God say to Abraham that I'm going to bless 01:24 those that bless you and don't go curse those that curse you. 01:29 It is why Paul says, do not repay evil with evil, 01:32 but repay evil with good. 01:34 In fact, he says, leave room for God's wrath 01:38 because God says vengeance is mine. 01:41 I will repay you all here. 01:43 What I'm saying 01:43 and what I'm saying to somebody today 01:45 is that you don't have to fight for yourself. 01:49 Avenge yourself. 01:50 Get even yourself. 01:52 Because this battle is not yours. 01:57 This battle belongs to God. 02:01 And see how many of us understand friends of mine 02:02 as the great Michelle Obama said it. 02:04 When they go low, we've got to go high. 02:10 Our weapons. 02:11 Are y'all with me today? 02:12 Church are not carnal, but they are mighty and God 02:16 to the pulling down of stronghold is 02:18 because we all need you to know that a spiritual man 02:22 will never win a battle using carnal weapons. 02:27 So you got to use a different type of ammunition 02:31 if you're going to overcome. I hear what I'm saying. 02:33 I see the reason we often suffer defeat 02:36 and we never see the hand of God move is because we're fighting 02:38 in the gutter when our weapons are from the Spirit. 02:43 It's kind of like this I may have said before, 02:45 I remember, you know, 02:46 before I start going over here to the car wash, 02:47 I'll wash my car out in the front yard. 02:51 And sometimes when I was watching the car out 02:52 in the front yard, the kids would come out 02:55 and they would want to just kind of 02:56 have a mud and water fight and see. 02:59 Man One of the things I began to learn quickly clean is that 03:01 I could never really win a fight in the mud with my kids. 03:05 Because the truth is, 03:06 when they came outside with their school clothes on, 03:10 with their plain clothes on, they kind of came outside 03:12 to get dirty. 03:13 Now I can throw the mud. 03:14 But the truth is, Malcolm, 03:16 I don't really want to get that dirty. 03:19 I want to leave this thing kind of clean, 03:21 and it didn't matter how much mud I threw on them. 03:25 It doesn't matter how much dirt I threw on them. 03:27 Guess what? 03:28 They would get excited when they got dirty. 03:30 They would get glad when they got mud on them. 03:33 In other words, they came outside to get messy. 03:36 And what 03:37 I'm saying that somebody is you can never win a mud 03:39 fight with somebody that came to get dirty. 03:43 In other words, there is a level of grime 03:46 they are willing to take just to bring you down. 03:51 And you can never win that battle 03:55 because you've got boundaries, 03:57 you've got conviction, you've got character. 04:01 There's only so far you're willing to go in the mud. 04:05 But there are some folk that were born in the mud. 04:08 They thrive in the mud. 04:11 They are strengthened in the mud. 04:13 They prosper in the mud. 04:16 And their whole goal is to get you to come out of character 04:21 and to come play in the mud 04:23 with them. 04:26 But no, the church, 04:28 the word is that the man was unable to pay. 04:34 So the sentencing calculus 04:36 actually reveals that particular truth. 04:39 You see, understand, if he was just unwilling to pay, 04:42 he would have been dealt with much more harshly. 04:43 But understand the one thing that the King recognizes 04:47 and he understands. 04:48 It's foolish to jail somebody if they don't have it, to give, 04:53 to punish somebody, if they don't have it, to give, 04:56 to try to get even with somebody who just does not have it 04:59 to give. Are you all catching me today, friends? 05:02 In other words, it is foolish for him. 05:05 That's why he didn't Bill for bear. 05:06 It is why there's no payment plan. 05:08 He just cancels of that because he realize they just 05:11 don't have it to pay back 05:13 and see 05:14 the reason we sometimes live offend it is 05:17 because we are trying to get something from people 05:22 and we think they're unwilling to give it 05:25 when the truth is, they're just unable to give it. 05:28 For some people, it's not a lack of willingness. 05:31 It's a lack of capacity. 05:34 In other words, you're trying to get something 05:36 from somebody that they just don't have to give and see. 05:40 Instead of you living offend it, 05:42 you need to change your expectation 05:45 and go to somebody that can give you what you need. 05:49 Y'all hearing the pastor today, 05:50 in other words, we keep trying to get blood 05:53 from a turn up when that's not what turnips give. 05:57 I hear what I'm saying. 05:59 In other words, Sister, you know he didn't like to dress up 06:02 and go out fancy before you married him. 06:11 Let's go get quiet in here for a minute. 06:13 You know he ain't like that. 06:14 Have no long conversations before you said I do. 06:18 And I need you to know friends. 06:19 You think he's withholding certain things 06:22 when the truth is? 06:23 That's just not his nature to do. 06:25 Y'all hear what I'm saying? 06:26 Church 06:27 The truth is that we're messed up 06:29 because we're trying to get friendship from people 06:32 that don't have friendship inside of them. 06:35 We're trying to get loyalty from people that don't have loyalty 06:37 inside of them. 06:38 We're trying to get dependability 06:40 from people that don't have dependability inside of them. 06:44 We're actually trying to get love from people 06:46 that don't have love inside of them. 06:48 And I need you to know, friends, 06:49 that that is a poor exercise in futility, 06:53 because for some people, it's not that they're withholding it. 06:56 The truth is they just don't have it to give. 07:00 And we need to stop 07:01 walking around offended and upset 07:03 because there are certain people that just 07:04 don't have time to give. They can't be your mentor. 07:06 They got too much on their plate, 07:08 but you're sitting up here in your feelings 07:10 because they didn't have time for you. 07:12 The truth is, they just didn't have time to give. 07:15 They didn't have the money to give. 07:16 They didn't have the energy to give. 07:18 And so I need somebody to understand that 07:20 being offended because somebody doesn't give you something 07:24 is like going shopping for something at a store 07:27 that doesn't sell what you're looking for. 07:32 So that if I'm looking for groceries, Malcolm 07:35 is stupid for me to go to Footlocker 07:39 and demand groceries from Footlocker 07:42 and demand to see the manager from Footlocker. 07:45 Because in Footlocker that's not what we did. 07:46 We don't sell groceries and Footlocker. 07:49 It's this crazy say I need my oil change, 07:52 but I'm going to go up here 07:53 to Publix and throw a fit at Publix 07:55 because that'll change all at Publix. 07:56 That's not what they do. If I want collard greens, 07:59 I should not show up at Taco Bell. 08:02 And that's that's not what they sell. 08:05 And the truth is that as long 08:06 as I'm trying to get something from people 08:10 which they lack, the capacity to be able to give 08:12 the flow is not with the person that doesn't give it. 08:16 It's with me for seeking and expectation 08:19 and from somebody who doesn't have that to give. 08:22 I got to hear what I'm saying 08:25 and see one of the things 08:26 I want to say to somebody real quickly, 08:27 because I want to say this as a caveat. 08:29 You need human friendship, you need companionship, 08:32 you need love. 08:33 But one of the things I've learned 08:35 is that whenever you can't get something from people, 08:39 it is a call to redirect your focus to the God 08:43 that can supply whatever it is that you need. 08:48 You are here what I'm saying. 08:49 In other words, I need you to know 08:51 that sometimes it is the flakiness of people 08:55 that points you in the direction of the faithfulness of God. 08:58 Because how many of us know 08:59 that He never runs out of time for you? 09:03 He never runs out of attention towards you. 09:06 He never runs out of love for you. 09:08 He never runs out of provision. 09:10 He never runs out of protection. 09:12 He never, ever lets you down. 09:15 He's always away for he that watches over Israel 09:18 need a slumbers, no sleep. 09:20 And instead of trying to draw water 09:24 from a rock, God is saying you need to go to the well. 09:27 Who is the Lord Jesus Christ? 09:30 And He shall supply all your needs 09:35 according to His riches and glory 09:39 who ain't got no friends? 09:42 There's a friend that sticks closer than a brother. 09:45 There's somebody who ain't, 09:46 you know, this person wasn't there for me. 09:47 No, there's somebody who's waiting for you to turn to him 09:52 and he'll supply whatever you stand in need of him. 09:54 What I'm saying today, church 09:57 thing, this teachers, friends of mine watch this is 10:00 that forgiving is simply giving 10:04 what you have received. 10:07 So help me, Holy Spirit, 10:13 y'all met at the pass of the day, 10:15 so I'm going to take my time to y'all get this is have to do 10:19 forgiving friends is simply giving 10:23 what you have received. 10:25 Now to be clear today sorry 15th 10:28 today I'm not talking about the psychology of forgiveness. 10:32 I'm talking about the theology of forgiveness. 10:35 Because if you never understand the theology of forgiving, 10:38 then you'll never be able 10:39 to digest or apply the psychology of forgiving. 10:43 Now, friends of mine, I need you to know 10:45 that Peter asked this question and Jesus shares this parable 10:50 using hyperbole or extreme exaggeration. 10:54 So Jesus says there is a King who wants there 10:56 to settle some accounts. 10:57 And so the Bible says that he finds a servant 11:01 that owes him 10,000 talents. 11:05 Now, we're not sure, Malcolm, if his 10,000 talents of gold 11:07 or silver, 11:09 but scholars believe that if it's 10,000 talents of gold, 11:14 it is the equivalent of 70 to billion dollars. 11:18 In other words, what the hearers in that time 11:21 are hearing him say is that he's got a debt 11:24 that cannot be paid, and his lifetime or the next. 11:29 And notice, friends, that what happens is that the king 11:32 and compassion does not put him on a payment plan. 11:35 He then put it in forbearance. 11:36 The Bible says he simply cancels the debt. 11:40 Now that this man gets free, he goes out 11:43 and find somebody that owes him 100 down there. 11:47 Right now, they say 100 denarii is essentially 11:51 the equivalent of one day of labor. 11:55 And it's crazy because this man that was forgiven, 11:59 that which could not be paid and a lifetime 12:02 has this man that owes him a day's labor 12:05 prosecuted to the full extent of the law. 12:10 No, I need you to get this, because essentially 12:12 what people see Jesus doing is using satire folk man. 12:17 When they're listening to this, 12:18 they're not saying a man they are killing over. 12:22 They are laughing like they're watching Saturday night Live 12:26 or in living color, because in their mind, 12:29 there is no way that somebody can be forgiven 12:32 that much 12:35 and still act that petty. 12:38 In order to get it, you got to understand the roles 12:42 for the King represents God, the Father. 12:46 The 10,000 talents represents the sin debt that we cannot pay. 12:51 The canceling of the debt 12:53 is symbolizing Christ work for us at the cross, 12:57 and then that other servant represents 12:59 those that we refuse to forgive. 13:05 After all that has been forgiven us, 13:10 I need you to understand that 13:12 the theology of forgiveness, it is very, very simple. 13:16 I don't have to do what Christ did. 13:19 I simply have to give what I have received. 13:23 How many of us understand that because of Adam saying 13:27 that death reign from Christ all the way over to 13:30 Jesus Christ, that there was nothing 13:32 that could disrupt the curse except the setting of blood. 13:37 But how many of us know that? 13:38 Because all have said all of us stand condemned 13:41 under the law and were the end deserving of death. 13:45 But how many of us know 13:46 that not even my own death can atone for my sins? 13:50 Because my death for 13:52 my sins is not propitious and it is just justice. 13:57 It is me getting what I deserve. 13:59 So the only way substitution can take place 14:02 is if the sacrifice comes from a perfect being. 14:06 And because I am flawed, I can never, ever 14:08 stand in a place where even my own death 14:13 suffices for my sins and see forgiveness. 14:16 Friends of mine is not about doing what Christ did. 14:19 Forgiveness is simply about sharing what 14:22 I have received. 14:29 You know what the brother should've did 14:31 when he found the brother that owed him 100 denarii? 14:35 All he simply had to do 14:38 was nullify the man's debt by borrowing 14:42 against the abundance of grace that had been shown to him. 14:47 And so let me just say to somebody today that 14:49 when it comes down to forgiving somebody that has harmed you, 14:54 I need the believer to be clear 14:55 that you don't have to create forgiveness. 14:58 You don't have to mend your fact, your forgiveness. 15:01 You ain't got to come up with it out of your own goodness. 15:04 All you've got to do is borrow from the ocean of grace 15:07 that God has extended to you. 15:10 See, y'all still acting brand new. 15:11 I need all of you to know that all your sins are like an ocean. 15:16 All their sins are like a bottle of water. 15:20 So don't act like you don't have it in you to forgive. 15:23 Because if you've received it 15:26 all, you've got to do is transfer it 15:30 and see friends. 15:32 This is why 15:34 Unforgiving is condemned so harshly by Scripture 15:40 because when I refuse to forgive, 15:43 it is an admission that I have either forgotten 15:48 or I am ungrateful of the merits of Jesus Christ at the cross 15:54 that guaranteed my salvation and essentially what 15:58 unforgiveness does is it waters down the power of the cross, 16:03 because what unforgiving does is it places their offense 16:08 on the same level as yours against God. 16:11 See what makes unforgiveness literally blasphemy, 16:16 because it says that the suffering that you've incurred 16:19 is on the same level of the suffering that 16:22 Christ endured on the cross. 16:25 Are you hearing what I'm saying? 16:27 So. So what you're saying is the inconvenience of them 16:31 not repaying your $50 16:35 is on the same level of my Savior being hung high 16:39 and stretched wide and suffering the second death. 16:44 And see friends of mine. 16:45 I need you to know that when you forgive, 16:48 it is not just because I'm trying to obey a command. 16:52 See what forgiveness see is friends of mine. 16:54 Forgiveness is an act of worship. 16:58 Forgiveness is an act of gratitude. 17:02 Forgiveness is an expression of Thanksgiving. 17:06 Because friends of mine, when I am grateful that 17:08 Jesus died, a substitution every death, 17:12 when I'm truly grateful that Jesus stood in my step, 17:15 when I'm truly grateful for what He has done, 17:18 I don't just say Hallelujah and thank you, Jesus, 17:21 and clap my hands. 17:23 But the tangible way 17:24 of showing gratitude for what I have received 17:27 is to freely give it 17:31 to those who stand in need when they brought offense toward 17:34 me. Are you all here? 17:35 Midday church? 17:37 And see, this is why 17:39 Jesus considers somebody who is listening to this 17:43 and saying, Pastor, I don't think I hear you. 17:46 I agree with the theory and the theology, 17:49 but I don't think I'm strong enough to forgive. 17:54 I'm glad you said that. 17:56 That's why Jesus made forgiving 18:00 a commandment. 18:04 Now see, the problem, Julian, is that some of us still see 18:08 a commandment as arbitrary 18:11 obedience. 18:17 Do you realize what a commandment is? 18:21 Commandments are actually authority. 18:26 Okay, 18:28 notice when Jesus was here on Earth, 18:31 when he dealt with sickness, he didn't recommend 18:34 for sickness to leave. 18:37 He didn't suggest for sickness to leave. 18:41 He commended sickness to leave because when he commanded it, 18:46 it was the application of authority 18:49 that made sickness come out of a disease person. 18:52 Do you notice when he came upon a demon, 18:56 he didn't say, demon, will you please leave? 18:59 He didn't say Devil, when is convenient for you. 19:02 He commanded the demon to come out 19:05 because with every command there is an authority 19:10 that makes the command become a reality. 19:13 And see, that's why Jesus didn't leave forgiveness 19:16 as a recommendation. 19:18 He made it a command, because when he made it 19:21 a command, that command comes with the authority to be able 19:27 to make the commandment a reality. 19:31 So I need you to know that when you approach your bitterness 19:35 and your approach, your anger and your approach that toxicity, 19:40 you don't approach it as one that is recommending it. 19:43 You don't approach it as one that is hoping it, 19:46 but you're coming under the command 19:49 and the authority of Jesus. 19:51 And when you forgive, you command the bitterness 19:55 to come out. 19:56 You command the frustration to leave, 19:59 you command the anger to be dismissed. 20:02 You command the wounds to be healed. 20:06 And God is saying, when you operate in obedience, 20:10 you get divine authority 20:14 to act in forgiveness in a way that's going to bring healing 20:19 and wholeness to your life. 20:21 Are you hear me today? France 20:24 and Spain. 20:25 I just stopped by here to say to somebody today 20:28 that I know 20:33 what they did to you, hurt. 20:40 I know they said I do forever. 20:43 And then walked out the door when it was not convenient. 20:48 I know fathers were supposed to be there to protect and uncles. 20:53 We're supposed to be there to reinforce. 20:55 But you had a daddy or an uncle do some unseemly things. 21:02 I know that you've had those that you've depended on 21:06 and you counted on, 21:07 and they said that they would be there 21:08 and they let you down in the most disappointing fashions. 21:13 I know some of us have been tight, 21:15 I mean, with some folks since you were been 21:17 able to crawl and walk. 21:19 But men in recent years, they have done some things 21:22 that men 21:24 you could have never, ever considered being done unto you. 21:28 You've been hurt in ways that it is literally changing you. 21:32 And see, the problem is that there is somebody who is stewing 21:37 and ruminating and reliving and rehearsing 21:42 and being paralyzed by a hurt that was inflicted 21:45 by somebody else. 21:48 And so the issue is 21:50 you are spending your life waiting on them to confess, 21:55 waiting on them to apologize, waiting on them 21:57 to admit it, waiting on them to show contrition. 22:01 But how many of us know 22:02 that if you're going to allow your healing to be contingent 22:07 on somebody else's remorse, you might be waiting 22:09 past the second coming of Jesus Christ. 22:15 And there are some of us 22:19 that can't even come to church because you hate 22:21 seeing that other person in the balcony. 22:25 There are some of us that have to avoid family functions 22:29 just because when we see them, our heart starts racing. 22:32 There are some of us that can't even sleep at night 22:35 because man, you are up 22:36 and your mind is constantly toiling 22:39 about when they're going to do right or how can you get even 22:41 or how can you repay the harm that was done to you? 22:45 And there are some of us that are suffering physical 22:48 disability and emotional weight and emotional pain. 22:52 Because you have I outsource your healing 22:56 and made it dependent 22:58 upon them seeing the light. 23:02 But what this message is saying, friends, 23:04 it doesn't matter if they ever come to themselves. 23:10 I cannot go through 23:13 all the hell of this life 23:17 and miss out on eternal life 23:20 because of somebody else's toxic 23:24 and foolish and immature behavior. 23:28 And I will not sit as a judge 23:31 trying to assess their goodness of their worthiness 23:33 or whether or not they deserve. 23:35 No, what I simply do is I look at my life 23:39 in the light of the cross and I realize that 23:41 I was unworthy, I was undeserving. 23:45 I was undependable. 23:46 God literally frames our behavior as adultery 23:50 is against the most high God. 23:53 And yet every time 23:57 I fell on my knees 24:00 and said, God have mercy, 24:04 there was never a time where God said, You've come 24:06 too many times, you've messed up too many times. 24:10 There is no room for you at the end. 24:12 And I don't know about you. 24:13 I'm just so thankful for first John one time 24:17 that when you confess so since he is faithful 24:20 and just to forgive you of your sins and cleanse you 24:25 of all 24:25 unrighteousness, and I 24:31 have received an ocean of grace. 24:36 And when you've received that much grace from God, 24:42 it can't help but overflow 24:45 to those who brought offense 24:48 and disruption and disappointment to your life. 24:54 I wanted to preach this this Father's Day, 24:57 because there are a lot of us in this room 24:58 that got what you call daddy wounds 25:03 from a daddy who wasn't there 25:06 or daddy who didn't show up 25:08 or daddy who left the forever covenant with mama. 25:11 And what I'm saying to somebody today 25:13 is that 25:14 whether the wound is with dad or mom, it doesn't really matter 25:16 who it is. 25:17 At some point you got to stop making about there 25:21 worthiness and you got to say, 25:25 I deserve to be home, I deserve to be free. 25:31 I deserve 25:33 to have my wounds bound up. 25:36 And let me just say this. 25:37 You got to play some of 25:39 that forgiveness because you're going to mess up. 25:42 If you say, man, your pastors come in town, 25:44 it's going to come in time. 25:45 And, you know, and I'm praying about it. 25:47 I know what you're praying about. 25:50 No, the word has already spoken. 25:53 So? So you don't need to be praying about whether or not 25:55 you should make the decision. 25:56 You should be saying, God, 25:57 give me strength to act on the decision. 26:00 And let me just say to somebody that forgiving 26:02 it is not a feeling 26:06 right? 26:10 How many of us know? 26:12 There's just never going to be a day 26:15 where you wake up and the birds are going to be singing 26:19 and the sun is just shining 26:22 and you can hear angels in the corner of your bedroom 26:25 and you just got forgiveness flowing 26:27 out of your spirits. No. 26:31 Forgiveness is a decision. 26:36 It is an intellectual choice 26:39 that is made contrary to your feelings, 26:43 but it works out for your good, 26:45 Your Holiness, and your benefit 26:49 and the word to somebody today 26:53 is that hating them 26:56 won't make you whole. 27:01 Withholding grace from them 27:04 won't make you feel any better. 27:08 Withholding your love is not going to build it up. 27:14 It's actually going to please you more. 27:15 What are you going to learn the hard way 27:16 is that being petty and going tit for tat? 27:20 It's actually harder and more difficult than actually 27:23 giving forgiveness and grace to those who don't deserve it. 27:28 And it's funny because I love how some of your man 27:32 y'all love to talk about the standards of the church, 27:36 but do you realize what I'm preaching? 27:38 This is the highest standard in scripture right here. 27:42 No, no. 27:43 We all come out standard. 27:44 Y'all always talking about skirt length, jewelry and music. 27:46 No, no Come right here. 27:50 And then talk to me about Bible standard, 27:52 because you got to have the Holy Ghost 27:57 to move in this. 28:00 You just got to have decorum to do some of that other stuff. 28:04 (Breath Of Life Music) |
Revised 2024-10-07