Man will fail us. Our friends and family will fail us. But one man's love that will never pass away and that is Jesus Christ. The Bible says that even where sin abounds such grace exceeds because of his love. Romans tells us that neither death nor life nor angels nor persecution nor principalities can separate us from the love of God.
[01:04:11]
I'm so glad that the Bible tells me that greater love has no man in this than the one who laid down his life for his friends. I'm so grateful for his friends. I'm so grateful for his love today. Are you family? Are you? I know we talk about it every day. We talk about it every weekend. But it still wows me.
[01:04:44]
When I look in the mirror and I look at myself. I ask how can I make it to heaven? How can I be saved? How can I be lost? Because of the grace, the love that he gives me. I'm drawn to that man. Listen, I love my wife CJ dearly, but there's not a deeper love that I have for God.
[01:05:09]
Listen, family, here at New Life Christian Ministries, we're a family that we believe in discipleship, hope, and love, and service, and inviting all people into eternal life to meet Jesus Christ.
[01:08:57]
And I want to encourage the young adults as well. Continue to study the Lord. Continue to grow in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. And remember to keep his word hidden in your heart that you may not sin against God.
[01:11:13]
He is always there to preserve me. And so I thank him most importantly. Family, I don't want to be here before you long, but there is a word that we have today.
[01:13:12]
I believe that this moment in my childhood was a pivotal moment for me to understand the dangers of seeking revenge. We are brought to the book of Esther this morning to see what God has for you and I to learn for the scriptures tells us about a brother couldn't let go of his anger.
[01:19:30]
If we look into Haman's history pull back the curtain and walk backstage we will see behind every vengeful person somewhere down the line someone's heart was wounded someone's feelings were not considered someone was not treated as politely as politely as they should someone had experienced a level of rudeness and left them with a heart that was wounded and not cared for and and and and instead of being honest that their feelings are hurt check check it out this is what we do we we give permission to anger and allow it to control our every move from that moment further we allow it to be our shepherd rather than the Lord himself.
[01:22:30]
Because when we can't let go of our anger, our anger will grab a hold of you and I. It will grab a hold of us and our anger will grab a hold of us and control our next move. That is why Ephesians 4, 26 and 27 says, while quoting Psalm 4, verse 4, be angry and do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your rise, nor give place to the devil.
[01:26:27]
Before we get to revenge, the truth is, the truth is, that being angry is not a sin let that sink in being angry is not sinful let's pause being angry is not a sin it's not sinful because when you and I are angry we're not sinning because we are only being humans with emotions but here is the trick here is the part where we where we got to remember cuz we get tripped up about this one it's what you allow anger to do with you that's when it becomes a problem.
[01:27:49]
It's what I do after the slap that counts that will determine if I sin what thoughts do I have about you what what am I planning to do with you in my head what am I fantasizing your payback to be and do I act upon it am I going to be like the psalmist Jasmine Sullivan you break my heart now I'm considering busting the windows out your car or am I going to do what Jesus encouraged me to do in Matthew 5 verse 39 whoever slaps me on my right cheek turn the other cheek.
[01:30:56]
Some of us are running to alcohol and drugs to numb the pain that we're feeling the demons that we're battling some of us are running to escape with the music we listen to which will feed our anger rather than calling it out like King Saul and influence us to do something that is not according to God's will and some of us today may have made it in their mind to seek for revenge like Haman my god help us this morning.
[01:32:58]
Sometimes we don't calculate the cost, the price for seeking revenge. See, American Psychological Association stated and gave us a quote that says that research has shown that revenge comes with a price. Instead of helping you move on with your life, it can leave you dwelling on the situation and remaining unhappy.
[01:38:44]
That is why the Bible says in Romans 12, verse 19, beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath. I even like how the ESV says it. Beloved, never avenge yourselves. Never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written. Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.
[01:39:16]
I don't have to let anger rule in me I don't have to let sin be conceived me and I don't have to let it find comfort in my soul for I know a man who would come and rescue me from my pain I know a man that will come and preserve me in my pain and pull me through on the other side I know a man who saw me in my sickness who saw me in my pain who saw me deep in sin and pull me from the peaceful shore very deeply stand seeking to rise no more I'm so glad that God is a God who will avenge his brothers and sisters who will avenge his children because I am I believe this morning that God still has the power to deliver us.
[01:42:08]
But the longer we hold on to the pain, the longer it will rob us from expecting the peace, from experiencing the peace that he offers.
[01:51:43]
Revenge seeks to have the transgressor suffer while punishment looks to improve the transgressor behavior or to other future behavior. What they're saying is, let's break it down, punishment means pain given in hopes of improvement. Revenge is pain given in hopes for one to suffer or perish. Even when God says, vengeance is mine, he doesn't seek revenge. It is a punishment that he gives.
[01:52:24]
We get angry and push it inside, push it aside of us and we get angry and step out of Christ rather than remaining in him. Oh family, may we stay connected to the true vine in John 15 and be branches that are productive and fruitful. May we be branches that are thrown not into the fire. May we be branches that will hold on when the storm of life comes. May we be branches that will stay no matter the season, no matter the tests, no matter the trouble.
[01:56:22]
There are days you've got to look into the mirror like this, brother, as we come to a close. You have to tell yourself, Elijah, you can't let anger get the best of you today. Elijah, come on now. You can't let the devil take God's place today. Elijah, don't give your power away to sin. Elijah, you better call on the name of the Lord because that's where your help comes from.
[01:57:27]
There are times we got to look in the mirror and remind ourselves that we can't hold on to the pain. We can't hold on to the sin. We can't hold on to what's going on on the inside. We got to give it to Jesus. We got to give it to our father. We got to give it to the Lord. We got to know that there are times that we're seeking for revenge. But in essence, what we're really seeking for is healing in the name of Jesus.
[01:58:39]
His anger got a hold of him so much that it was the death of him. Because he didn't want to seek healing, but he wanted to seek revenge. I don't know what we're going through today, but this is an unfortunate end that we can experience if we don't allow God to intercede for us. If we don't allow God to take away our anger and transform it into faith.
[01:59:44]
Some of us have been carrying pain for so long. And we've been growing bitter and bitter rather than growing better and better. But God says, you can bring your bitter to me. Let me heal your heart. Let me heal your pain.
[02:02:03]
Somewhere down the line, you believed it because things didn't change according to how you planned it out to be. And if we're honest, we thought that God was absent in our time of trouble. I don't know what it is what you're struggling with this morning, but God is saying there's healing for your soul.
[02:05:03]
God wants to heal each and every one of us. And if you're today, say, you know what? Not only I want prayer, I want to give my life to the one who can for the first time. Well, I want to rededicate my life. That's you. Just wave your hand where you are.
[02:05:59]
So, God, as a wise woman once said to me that there is nothing that we have experienced that will be gone to waste, that you will change our pain and turn it into purpose. God, you will transform our pain and transform it into power. And not power so that we can ride and justify what we want to do. But you just said, I have gone through this. I've experienced that. And God has brought me through this. God has brought me through that. And because he has brought me through, I know he can bring you through too.
[02:10:47]
