Elliott Baptist Church - Sermons - Sunday, April 25, 1999

Sunday, April 25, 1999

The Robber- Bitterness
Hebrews 12:12-15

INTRODUCTION:

Bitterness will rob you; bitterness will effect every area of your life. Bitterness is a robber; it will rob you of your joy. Bitterness will cause beauty to be turned into ugliness. Bitterness will rob you of your song. Bitterness will ruin friendships.

The great cause of bitterness is unforgiveness. This is why Jesus said to Peter:, "Forgive seventy times....... or 490 times (Matthew 18:22). Jesus was aware of the mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual consequences of brooding over resentments.

I. EVIDENCES OF BITTERNESS

A. Bitterness, like a small root, grows into a great tree. Like a mighty tree, bitterness springing up in our heart overshadows even our deepest Christian relationships.

1. A bitter root comes when we allow disappointment to grow into resentment.

2. A bitter root springs up when we nurse grudges over past hurts.

3. Bitterness brings with it jealousy, dissension, and immorality.

4. Some say, “I'm only hurt or disappointed” – no, they are bitter.

B. Evidences of bitterness.

1. Distrust:

a. A bitter person will be very cautious of trusting others because of being hurt in the past by other folks.

b. Heb. 12:15

c. If you are bitter with another pastor or church, you will eventually become bitter with this pastor or church.

2. Insensitivity - bitterness causes a person to be hypersensitive to his own emotions, but insensitive to the feelings of others. A bitter person hurts others by the way he accuses them of hurting him. This is illustrated by the elder son (Luke 15:27-32).

3. Ingratitude - a bitter person expects to be compensated for the hurts he has suffered. He feels that life and others owe him something.

4. Tension – bitterness causes muscles to become tense. The muscle tone in the face becomes hard. The jaws close up tighter and put damaging pressure on the teeth. Refusing to forgive also results in physical fatigue and loss of sleep, which affects our facial features.

5. Sickness - Dr. S.I. McMillen says that bitterness produces chemical imbalance. Our resentments call forth excessive hormones from the pituitary, adrenal, thyroid, and other glands. Diseases such as ulcerative colitis, toxic goiters, and high blood pressure are a few of the diseases that can be caused by bitterness.

6. Bone Problems - bitterness has a direct and devastating affect on our bones. The marrow of our bones produce blood. Therefore, the health of our body is determined by the health of our bones. Since the life of our flesh is in the blood (Leviticus 17:1 1, Proverbs 14:30; 17:22; 12:4). "It is a proven fact of modern health science that a persons mental and spiritual health is strongly correlated with physical health” (Morris).

II. SPIRITUAL CONSEQUENCE OF BITTERNESS

A. An inability to love God as you could or should (I John 4:20,21). The elder brother was lost to the Father's love.

B. Bitterness hinders our spiritual development.

1. When we refuse to forgive and become bitter, we break fellowship with God (Matthew 6:14-15).

2. The model prayer says: "Forgive us our trespasses as [in the same way] we forgive those who trespass against us" (Matthew 6:12). If we refuse to forgive other people, we are actually asking God not to forgive us.

III. MENTAL CONSEQUENCES OF BITTERNESS

A. Bitterness effects people mentally. This has been proven by the medical profession.

B. A medical doctor illustrates the mental consequences of resentments with this description, “The moment I start hating a man, I become his slave. I can't enjoy my work any more because he controls my thoughts. My resentments produce too many stress hormones in my body, and I become fatigued after only a few hours of work. The work I formerly enjoyed is now drudgery. Even vacations cease to give me pleasure.... .1 can't escape his tyrannical grasp on my mind. When the waiter serves me porterhouse steak, it might as well be stale bread and water. My teeth chew the food, and I swallow it, but the man I hate will not permit me to enjoy its taste" (McMillen 72). 1985 - Associate worker - Jacksonville, AR

C. It is for this reason that that Solomon wrote: "Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith" (Proverbs 15:17).

IV. CAUSES OF BITTERNESS

A. Lack of forgiveness.

B. Attempting to get revenge.

1. Any attempt to teach someone a lesson will fan the flame of bitterness. "Where no wood is the fire.......”

& nbsp; 2. "Vengeance is mine sayest the Lord I will repay."

C. Temporal values.

1. Bitterness says that our affections are set on the things of the world and not on things above.

2. The basis of bitterness is a reaction to the loss of something temporal such as money, personal reputation, possessions, physical relationships, or future dreams.

D. Taking up offenses.

1. When we hear an evil report about another person, it is natural to take up an offense against that person.

2. Bitterness results from taking up an offense, and close friendships are destroyed (Proverbs 16:28; 26:22).

3. This bitterness is not easily overcome because God gives grace to the offended and the offender, but not to the person who takes up an offense. Playing children - Husband wrong, wife offended.

V. STEPS TO REMOVE BITTERNESS (STEPS TO GAIN A FORGIVING SPIRIT)

A. Realize God is working through the actions of your offender.

1 . God raises people up for specific purposes in our lives. Those who hurt us are not acting independently. If we think they are, we will become bitter.

2. As long as we realize God has raise them up to build our character in our lives, we can have victory (Genesis 50:20; Psalms 76:10; II Samuel 16:1 1; Romans 8:28).

B. Expect to suffer for doing right.

1. This is part of the Christian life.

2. Philippians 1:29; II Timothy 3:12 "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution."

C. Fully forgive your offender.

1. If you hold an offense against someone, the only way to victory is full forgiveness.

2. The only effective basis upon which we can forgive an offender is Christ's forgiveness of us (Ephesians 4:32).

D. Bitterness doesn't leave by itself - please forgive those who have wronged you.

CONCLUSION: Bitterness needs to be removed, so victory can be realized.

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