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Amen, so keep your place in first Kings chapter two. Yeah, we'll get there in a minute I want to look at a specific story from that chapter But we're finishing up our sermon series this evening on the book that we've been studying on Sunday nights called up from slavery Which is the autobiography of Booker T. Washington. It's a great book. I hope I hope you all got a chance to read it I mean if if a six-part sermon series or five-part sermon series or whatever, it's been will not get you to read a book I don't think anything will but this evening I want to look at a topic from this book That I think is kind of an it was one of the things that really popped out to me after Reading the book, especially I've read it several times at this point in my life But especially studying through it like we did but what I want to talk about this evening to cap off this sermon series I guarantee every single person in this church tonight has a problem with with this From one degree to another so this is going to apply to everybody here tonight Not that every sermon doesn't but what I want to talk to you about is the subject of bitterness this evening I want to talk to you about the subject of bitterness go to Ephesians chapter 4 and look at verse 31 Or look at the verse of the week on the front of your bulletin the Bible says this it says let all bitterness and wrath and Anger and clamor and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice So I want to talk to you about before I even get to anything from the book this evening I want to just give you some I you know an overview of this idea of Bitterness and what the Bible has to say about it So the Bible is telling us in Ephesians chapter 4 in verse 31 in many other places You will never find a place in the Bible where it says bitterness is good By the way, the Bible is telling us you're not to be bitter but more than that is saying put away all bitterness So what kind of bitterness is there when you think about bitterness in your life when you think about what causes bitterness What what do you think that means? Where does that come from? You know, where does it where does it originate from and most of the time I would you know? Probably all the time it comes from this idea that somebody has personally wronged us Somebody has personally wronged me. So I am bitter about that I'm bitter at somebody or something or a group of people or a Situation in general has something has caused me to be bitter, but it's something maybe it's someone that's mistreated me Personally is the way I look maybe it's somebody that that stole something from me Maybe somebody stole, you know, some of my property, you know or hurt me or hurt someone that I love These are the types of things that can cause us to be bitter So basically what I'm trying to get you to understand is is that bitterness begins Many times with what you may look at as a just cause So it's a look. I'm right Brother so-and-so did something to me He hurt me and he was wrong and what he did to me was wrong and I'm bitter over that So you think someone wrongs you turn to first Kings chapter 2 or just look back at the story you think Look and here's the thing as we saw from this morning what you think is right and what you think is wrong Here's the problem folks in your own mind. It's subjective It's subjective if I get in an argument with one of my brothers in Christ or just anybody even out in the world or at Work or whatever, you know, there's a good chance that if we look at things from the perspective of the Bible There's a good chance that you know, we both might have blame in that situation. I would say that's most Conflicts between people however, you know bitterness sets in when you think that someone just wronged me. Somebody did me wrong Somebody did me wrong. Look at first Kings chapter 2. This is what we see in this story You know, you see you think somebody wrongs you and then you think somebody you know, that person owes me that person owes me You know Whatever they stole from me or they owe me an apology or they owe something to me to make things right and I you know It just makes you bitter. That's where bitterness begins. Look at first Kings chapter 2 I want to focus on the story of Adonijah here now remember Adonijah He tried to take over the kingdom He tried to take over the kingdom before Solomon became king and look what he says done in verse 13 It's actually a very it's kind of a humorous story if you if you actually read it And understand what's happening But look at verse 13 of first Kings chapter 2 and Adonijah The son son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon so Solomon is now King his mother is Bathsheba and Adonijah tried to just hire a bunch of people and kind of get a conspiracy going and take over the kingdom By just having like the people follow him even though he wasn't the one that was supposed to take over the kingdom And he knew that look at verse 13. He came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon and she said comest thou peaceably I mean he tried to you know You know take over the kingdom and it could have been a violent situation as we know the situation from Absalom What happened and he said peaceably? He said I'm here peaceably. She's like are you here to cause trouble? He said moreover. I have somewhat to say unto thee and she said say on so keep in mind He's now that that conspiracy has been put down Solomon is king and now he's coming to the king's mother. He's not coming to the king which is interesting in itself he's coming to the king's mother and he says I have something to say to you and she says say on and he said thou knowest that the kingdom was mine and That all Israel set their faces on me that I should reign How be it the kingdom is turned about and has become my brothers For it was from the Lord now That's a funny statement right there if you think about what he just said He's like don't you know that the whole kingdom was mine and he says all the people were with me All the people were with me and it was mine. It was just the Lord that said it was Solomon's You know just this God guy, right? So turn to first Chronicles chapter 28 and let's look at that situation first Chronicles chapter 28 I mean this shows you first Chronicles chapter 28 is where God basically said Solomon is going to take over the kingdom Look at first Chronicles chapter 28 and look at verse number 5 First Chronicles 28 and verse number 5 look what the Bible says and all of my sons For the Lord hath given me many sons This is King David speaking He hath chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel And he said unto me Solomon thy son He shall build my house and my courts for I have chosen him to be my son and I will be his father God chose Solomon to take over the kingdom. Remember David wanted to build the house He wanted to build the temple and Nathan came to David and Nathan said no He said your son is gonna build it and that's where God, you know tells him that Solomon's gonna take over God tells him, you know, your your kingdom will last into eternity and we've studied that out Before as well, but the point is that God chose Solomon God chose Solomon here Adonai job is coming to Solomon's mother saying you know what the kingdom was mine and you owe me and Then he asked to marry This gal. Well, I mean, you know, it doesn't really work out for him. Look at verse 16 of second Kings chapter 2 Second Kings chapter 2 look at verse 16 I asked now of one one petition of thee deny me not and she said unto him say on He's basically saying because of this that I was wronged because God got his way and not the people He's like you owe me Look at verse 17 and he said speak I pray thee unto Solomon the king for he will not say thee nay That he give me Abishag the Shunammite to wife and then down look at verse 25. This is how It turns out and King Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and he fell upon him that he died. So Basically, he goes to Bathsheba and he says look you owe me You owe me. This was my kingdom and it was just because of the Lord, you know The Lord that you know, it was taken from me you owe me So let me marry this the Shunammite and King Solomon hears about it and you're like man. He kills him for that Why is that? Why does he kill him for that? Why does he execute him for that? I mean, isn't that I mean, isn't that kind of harsh you read that in the Bible? You're like honey kill Well, here's why because Solomon realized that instead of feeling bad and being repentant for what he had done Instead Adonijah had become bitter towards him he'd become bitter towards the way the kingdom went and look that would only get worse and be trouble into the future and Solomon knew that turn to Job chapter 21 So we see that bitterness Bitterness can cause this we can think that someone has done wrong to us. Maybe they have and maybe they haven't Maybe it's a just cause maybe it's an unjust cause but bitterness can form inside us We see that in in this story with Adonijah He was bitter towards the way things had turned out and thus he thought that somebody owed him something When he wasn't owed anything turn to Job chapter 21 Job chapter 25. I'm sorry verse 23 The Bible says this it says one dieth in his full strength being holy at ease and quiet His breasts are full of milk and his bones are moistened with marrow. It says one one person is full strength Is whole at ease they're relaxed. They're having a good life. They're they're they're they're well-fed You know, their bones are moistened with marrow and then here's another guy verse 25 and another Dieth in the bitterness of his soul and never eateth with pleasure They shall lie down alike in the dust and the worms shall cover them So look whether or not it was somebody that justly did you wrong or not? The Bible is saying is that? Bitterness will rob you of joy in your life bitterness will rob you of pleasure in your life turn to James chapter 3 James chapter 3 James chapter 3 and look at verse number 14 Look folks having bitterness and bitterness in the Bible is always bad. It's always bad Look at James 3 in verse 14 The Bible says but if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts glory not and why not? Against the truth but being bitter in the Bible always leads to other things as well It leads to things like strife. It leads to things like envying it leads to things like lying What look was added was adenia adenia telling the truth was the kingdom his The kingdom was never his it was never supposed to be his but he just looked he himself that he was justified and That led to bitterness. So look that's where bitterness leads and we'll look at that in a little bit more detail later on But it doesn't matter the point I'm trying to make is it doesn't matter what the beginning of bitterness is it always leads you to a bad place Whether or not somebody just you know, did you wrong or not? It always is gonna lead you To a bad place which leads me to a couple things I want to read you from up from slavery the very first page of the book The very first page of the book Washington says this he says this he says Look this guy this guy One of the reasons that I love this book so much is because this guy maybe had the most just cause to be bitter in his life You think about I mean all the things that we have studied through whether it be, you know hard work Perseverance education all these things that we've looked out how to gain traction in your life and get moving in your life Look out of anybody that could claim that they couldn't do those things This guy had one of the best reasons the best excuses that I've ever seen in my life. I Mean look, I mean talk about somebody who's who's done you wrong. I Mean talk about somebody. I mean he grew up in slavery. I Mean somebody I mean talk about somebody that stole from you. They stole somebody stole his life from him They stole his labor from him yet Washington was not bitter Listen to what he says on the first page. He says my life had its beginning in the midst of the most miserable desolate and discouraging surroundings and You keep reading through the book and anybody that knows about this time in history Would agree with that if anybody had a just cause to be bitter. It was this man We'll get you say well, you know, even after even after this he must have been a bitter person Let me read you a page from page 88 Where he says he says this He's now in a point where he's now started his own Educational Institute at Tuskegee if you've read the book and he's dealing with a lot of rich people He's dealing with a lot of rich people He's going and he's getting funding for his school and you would think that you know He would just have a lot of bitterness towards these people But look what he says Says my experience in getting money for Tuskegee has taught me to have no patience with those people who are always condemning the rich because they are rich and Because they do not give more to objects of charity in the first place those who are guilty of such sweeping criticisms Do not know how many people would be made poor and how much suffering would result if wealthy people Were to put part at once any large proportion of their wealth or were to part all at once with any large Proportion of their wealth in a way to disorganize and cripple great business enterprises Look, the guy wasn't bitter towards even the people that he was going and getting donations from for his school Even these people that had great wealth and all this look he even had respect for that He said they lift people out of poverty. He didn't have bitterness for that And I think if you remember the sermon on the general I think that his attitude towards life in general came a lot from General Armstrong and if you remember the sermon on general Armstrong, he said this about general Armstrong He said although he fought the southern white man in the Civil War general Armstrong went to war Against the south and he fought the southern white man in the Civil War I never heard him utter a bitter word against him afterward So here was a man who fought these people in the war and he never said a harsh word about them in his life afterward on the other hand He was constantly seeking to find ways by which he could be of service to the southern whites So here was a man who fought a war Who fought a war against people who had? The people on the other side of this war in the Confederacy killed his friends killed his colleagues kill People that he led into battle and then he dedicated his life to serving those people Throughout I mean for the rest of his years That's the kind of people that that that Washington modeled his life after So look Washington knew that being bitter was life-consuming He knew this and look it can be life-ending if we listen to what the Bible has to say turn to Hebrews chapter 11 Mean bitterness probably begins with everyone. Look I'll give that to you I'll give that to you that bitterness for everybody starts with a cause that you feel is justified I'll give that one to you that you're bitter and the reason that you're bitter You're justified for in thinking that that was wrong what was done to you look at Hebrews chapter 12 Hebrews chapter 12 Look at verse 13 Look what the Bible says and make straight paths for your feet lest that which is lame be turned out of the way But let it rather be healed follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God Lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you and therefore and thereby many be defiled So this is really interesting This is really interesting how it says that you know this it starts with a root inside you it starts with a root I mean, maybe you've been really wronged By somebody but this root when it takes hold inside you it grows It grows inside you so look There's two roads in your life If you've had something happen to you and you want to be and you start to become bitter you say what do I do? there's two choices you either become bitter and you let that root take hold in your life or You forgive You forgive and I don't know how many times You know I brought up in in sermons and we've studied the Bible on this that this is why forgiveness is to be a one-way street We'll look at that in a little bit more detail in a few minutes but forgiveness needs to be a one-way street in your life, but look these two roads that's getting bitter and This forgiving these two roads lead in completely opposite directions And here's the funny thing the reason that Hebrews chapter 12 says that it's a root of bitterness is Because bitterness if you let it take root will always lead to more bitterness It's a snowball effect if you want to think about it that way look at me like I said it may start with a justified grievance Somebody did you wrong somebody stole from you? There's the root right there? But then it just leads to this attitude of just being bitter about everything And that road that root of bitterness in Hebrews chapter 12 The Bible says it will turn you out of the way It will turn you out of the way look it's sad it's sad, but people are being raised this way today People are being raised today to think that they're owed something People are being raised to think that you know what they're bitter against people are being raised to be bitter against people They've never even met Someone they've never even met They're bitter for no reason they're bitter because of maybe the situation that they find themselves in and They find themselves in and Then they become bitter because of the situation and then they become that bitterness just leads to more bitterness and more bitterness And they're standing around waiting for others to do something for them and give them something that they're owed That's where bitterness will lead you and then you will become more bitter of where that leads you Look, I'm telling you this will get you nowhere In your life, and that is what the Bible is telling you this can be said about your Christian life as well Turn to Luke chapter 9. Jesus said this about your Christian life Bitterness in the Bible is regressive to the Christian life That means you know what that means that means it will set you back in the Christian life That means if you want to go forward in your Christian life, you got it You have to get rid of bitterness because it will set you back It's not it's not like it's gonna pause you it's gonna it's gonna turn you the other way Look at Luke chapter 9 and look at verse 62 and Jesus said unto him No Man having put his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God. Look what this is saying Putting your hand to the plow is going forward in your Christian life is going in and harvesting that field and doing the work That needs to be done that you know all know needs to be done in this Christian life Look, the Bible says if you look back you're not fit for it Look, it doesn't say it doesn't say you can't do it. It doesn't say you don't deserve it It says you're not fit. That means you can't do it. You're not able to do it it's like if we go on a big long hike and Somebody's out of shape. It's like you're not fit for that You can't plow the field if you're bitter because bitterness is gonna keep you looking back Bitterness is a form of constantly looking Back and it will completely stop forward motion This is the huge problem with bitterness. You find me. Look you find me a bitter person that accomplishes anything Find me a bitter person that accomplishes anything especially in the Christian life Especially in the Christian life two steps folks You forgive and then you put your hand to the plow and you get moving forward Look I mean this book this book this was one of the best things in this book But the most amazing thing in this book we looked at so many great quotes from this book so many great Character traits that Booker T Washington had but this thing popped out at me as look the most amazing thing about this book Was the the things that were not said The complaints that were not made by him Born in the worst conditions In the worst situation truly wronged truly wronged and then freed and Then freed and he only chose to move forward And what do you think do you think that after the Civil War things just suddenly just got great He couldn't go places He couldn't buy things There were things he couldn't do there were places. He couldn't stay he said that in the book There was still no bitterness when he talked about those situations He just chose to only move forward. That is a great character trait That is a great character. And you know what? He chose to fully forgive and to fully embrace what was in front of him, which is why he accomplished so much in his life For other people and there was plenty of wrongs still happening. This is why that forgiveness needs to be a one-way street Because if you sit around and you say you know what I'll forgive you as long as you Apologize for every single thing that you did wrong and you know You're one of these people these all but you didn't apologize for that one thing. Look you have to forgive period It's one way it's for you. It's not for them But you have to recognize this pattern in your life folks, I know we all suffer from this To one degree or another you have to recognize, you know, you were wronged You have to recognize that you know There might have been some disappointment and some anger that came from from being wronged and then you know what came in I bet you some unforgiveness sat in Turn to Matthew chapter 18 Matthew chapter 19. Sorry Matthew chapter 19 Matthew chapter 19 Matthew chapter 19 look at verse 21 No I'm sorry. It is 18 Look at Matthew chapter 18 in verse number 21 Look what the Bible says then Peter then came Peter him and said Lord How off shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him tell seven times Jesus saith unto him I say not of thee until seven times but until seventy times seven You know what Jesus was saying there was just keep forgiving him It's not like you have to keep track and do the math on that he's just saying just keep forgiving them I think sometimes that we all forget this that that letting go of wrongs and forgiving Letting go of wrongs that people have done to you and forgiving other people is a benefit to you It's a benefit to you personally it's more like it's more than just a person being forgiven it's for us to regain joy in our lives It's for us to move forward in our lives forgiveness isn't really at all For the person being forgiven. It's for you After all look it doesn't say that that person has gotten right in Matthew 18 It doesn't say that they got right. It's a it's a command for you For you to act towards your brother look so the root of bitterness doesn't start to grow within you That's what it is and guess what that root of bitterness will grow. It will turn you into an unproductive Christian in this life Now let me give you a little bit of a you know I'm yelling at you, and I'm telling you you all have this problem Let me give you a little bit of a personal testimony. This is a real threat to the ministry Bitterness I Mean you see you see I mean look this has been a huge lesson for me in the last two years In the last two months in the last you know just it just in general in the ministry. This is a huge threat to the ministry Can you imagine as as a pastor is leading a church that is out plowing the field that is out carrying the gospel? To the lost and doing that work and putting his hand on that pot Don't you think Satan would like to get those hands off that plow? Why do you think you see so many Pastors being attacked Why do you think you see so many pastors being attacked from inside their church from outside their church look? This is why pastor he meant is I don't know if you've ever heard him say this But there's this really great statement that he made one time I don't know maybe he said it a couple times, but he said every look here. It's a real threat to the ministry It's a real threat because look if I just get bitter it could just destroy my joy for the ministry. Could you imagine? You Imagine I mean that would be that would be I mean it joy. I mean it kills joy. It kills optimism It kills the excitement of reaching people with the gospel bitterness Sounds like a perfect tool of Satan. This is why pastor Jimenez said one time. He said every man Every man talk about a blanket statement. Every man should either be a pastor or be supporting a pastor And you say oh you're up here you're up here, you know preaching how everybody needs to support you No, hey, if you don't want to support me fine, but go to somewhere where you can support a pastor Go somewhere where you can get behind a pastor. So someone that's carrying the gospel to a lost and dying world and support that man Because look they need it They need it just like Moses needed his hands held up by other men Look that the ministry is What? You're just it's pretty easy just to come to church You're like, oh it's not that easy for me. What that's the easy thing It's easy You just come to church. You just listen to the sermon you get yelled at and you go on with your life look being in the ministry you are the center point of attacks and Look this needs something this needs support this needs support and look I have to be careful. I can't get bitter. I Can't get bitter could wreck the ministry If I just became this bitter person, you know, you somebody call me. Yeah, I can't come to church. Yeah, you never come to church What you you it could literally get the hands of the preacher off the plow and then what's going to happen And look here's another thing Here's another thing. Look you just got to forgive people and move forward And you got to not worry about other people because guess what but you're like, oh, yeah But if I forgive them then they're not gonna change look guess what? Guess what? I gotta tell myself this you tell yourself too. It's not my job to change you I'll stand up here and I'll tell you what the Bible says you go home and decide for yourself And then you and God can work it out It's not your job to change every single person that you think wronged you it's your job to forgive them It's your job to forgive them. You're like, but then they won't get right. That's not on you That's not that's the answer folks. You forgive people. It's a one-way street That's it forgiven Forgiven do they get right? I don't know. I hope they do. I pray they do but that's not on me and Guess what? That's not on you Don't put that on you. There's enough put on you in the Bible. Don't put other people getting right on you Because that that will that will form that root of bitterness inside you Don't ruin your own Christian life because someone else didn't get right. What sense does that make? It doesn't even make any logical sense Because as that root grows it gets even worse I have you're like how could it get worse than this I'm gonna give you one last point Here's how bad it could get Bitterness turn to 2nd Peter chapter 1 You have to forgive other people and them getting right is between them and God Bitterness can focus you so much. Here's the last point. I want to make this evening bitterness can focus you so much on the sins of other people You could become oblivious to your own sin Turn to 2nd Peter chapter 1 2nd Peter chapter 1 Look at what the Bible says 2nd Peter chapter 1 and to godliness brotherly kindness 2nd Peter chapter 1 and to godliness brotherly kindness and to brotherly kindness charity For these things be in you and abound They make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ Verses 7 and verses 8 is the good Verses 7 and verses 8 it's godliness brotherly kindness and in brotherly kindness charity, which is love For these things look these are the good But he that lacketh lacketh these things Is what is blind and cannot see afar off and have forgotten that he was purged from what? From his old sins look folks bitterness Bitterness will blind you Can you imagine a state in your life where you could be blind to your own sin? Look folks you ever wonder you ever wonder you ever see people outside a church Attacking a church You're like you're like, I mean you look at it logically and you're just like you don't go to church there So why would you attack a church that you don't even go to church because these people are if they're saved They're 2nd Peter chapter 1 people their 2nd Peter chapter 1 people they have let the root of bitterness turn into a tree and They do not even know that they're sinning. They're so blind They're so bitter and they're so blind they have this tree of bitterness completely covering themselves They don't even they're oblivious to their own sin Can you imagine being in a worse place in your life? Where you just committing grievous sin after grievous sin after grievous sin, and you don't even know you're doing it That's where bitterness will get you You become so bitter and you become so focused on what you think is unjust or like I said, that's all subjective and You let bitterness grow up inside you to the point where you're just in terrible grievous sin, and you're completely blind to it What a nightmare what a nightmare for a saved person to be in but the Bible says that that can happen You got to take look you got to fix that that that root starts to grow you got to fix that thing right away I mean to think you could fall into sin yourself and not even know it scary Bitterness is a terrible disease and It I guarantee it affects us all it affects us all to one degree or another but look folks You got to recognize it right away You got to identify its cause and you just got to forgive one way That's what the Bible says you got to move on you got to move forward and guess what? You know, what'll happen, you know What'll happen if you forgive one way and you put your hand back on the plow and you start plowing You know what will happen your joy will come back You're like I just been bitter and I've been negative for so long but Forget look I'm telling you. This is a choice This is a choice that you can make you can choose to forgive somebody that has not gotten right You can make that choice and it will be like a ton of bricks that comes off you you will feel it It will be like a ton of bricks that comes off you and then you pray You pray that God intervenes and helps get people right it helps, you know people to to come to you know, the truth And you know you can pray but that's between them and God It'll be like a ton of bricks that comes off you and guess what your joy That cloud will come off you and your joy will come back And as far as your Christian life goes look if you're not having joy in this Christian life If you don't experience joy in this Christian life if you don't enjoy coming to church and here in the Bible if you don't enjoy Seeing your brothers and sisters in the church and spending time and fellowshipping if you don't enjoy that if that doesn't give you joy There's something wrong And you need to think about that You need to think somebody's forcing you to come to church. You know, look there's something wrong there And you need to find what that is. I guarantee you right? There's a good chance that bitterness has something to do with it It's a risk for all of us It's a risk for all of us and guess what? Booker T. Washington is just such a great example of somebody who just Who just didn't have any part of that? It's such a great example of you know, that's that's what I like about, you know, look this isn't the Bible This is an autobiography This isn't the Bible but you know the beauty of the book and the reason we went through all these different subjects was because we look at somebody who Actually practiced the principles that the Bible says and we're like man that sure worked for him. I Mean, what else can I do? I can sit up here and I can yell at you and I can tell you like if you if you listen to the Bible Your kids will turn out. Okay, if you listen to the Bible things will go the way that the Bible says Look, these are promises that God gives you but it's also nice to have an example of someone that actually did it Somebody that actually got those results somebody that actually did put these principles in practice in his life It's a proof You ever do a trigonometry proof. It's a proof that the formula works It's a proof that the Bible works and that's why we went through this sermon series, but bitterness It wasn't what the book said on this topic. It was what he didn't say He was not a bitter man He only looked forward. He kept his hands on the plot because he can't do both Let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer You