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You
Thank you for coming this morning page 223 in your green him books springs of living water
Page 223
Springs of living water
Let's sing it out loud on the first. I
Thirsted in the barren land of sin and shame and nothing satisfying there. I found
But to the Blessed Cross of Christ one day I came where Springs of living water did
About
Drinking at the springs of living water
Happy now am I my soul they satisfy
drinking at the springs of living water
Oh
wonderful and bountiful supply
How sweet the living water from the hills of God?
It makes me glad and happy all the way
Now glory grace and blessing mark the path. I've trod. I'm shouting hallelujah
every day
Drinking at the springs of living water
Happy now am I they so they satisfy
drinking at the springs of living water
Oh
Wonderful and bountiful supply on the last Oh sinner won't you come today to?
Calvary a fountain there is flowing deep and wide
The Savior now invites you to the water free where thirsting spirits can be satisfied
Satisfied
Drinking at the springs of living water
Happy now am I my soul they satisfy
drinking at the springs of living water
Oh
wonderful and bountiful supply
And thanks for coming this morning great singing brother Alex right here in front. Can you open us with the word of prayer?
People have come to our church today
We thank you for our church here father
We thank you for your word
And we ask you to bless our service day our worship of you
Amen let's turn to page 164
164 praise and praise him
page
164 praise and praise him on the first praise
praise him Jesus our blessed Redeemer
sing
This wonderful love proclaim
Hail him hail him highest arc angels in glory
strength and honor
Give to his holy name
Like a shepherd
Jesus will guard his children
In his arms he carries him all day long
praise him praise him tell of his excellent greatness praise him praise
him ever in joyful song
Praise him praise him Jesus our blessed Redeemer
For our sins he suffered and bled and died
He our rock our hope of eternal salvation
Hail him hail him
Jesus the crucified
sound his
Praises Jesus who bore our sorrows
Unbounded wonderful deep and strong
praise him praise him
tell of his excellent greatness
Praise him praise him ever in joyful song
praise him praise him
Jesus our blessed Redeemer
Heavenly poor
loud with hosannas ring
Jesus
Savior reigneth forever and ever
crown him crown him
Prophet and Priest and King
Christ is coming
Over the world victorious
Powering glory
unto the Lord belong
Praise him praise him
Tell of his excellent greatness
Praise him praise him ever in joyful song
We're singing at this time. We'll have our announcements
Let's take our
Bulletins and go through some quick announcements if you need a bolt and just lift up your hand when the
Ushels will bring you a bulletin. Just keep your hand raised
They'll get around to you
All right, there's a couple over here to both Sean one over here
All right while he's passing those out
I'm just gonna begin with the verse of the week it says and let us not be weary and well-doing
For in due season we shall reap if we faint not Galatians chapter 6 verse 9
Excellent scripture there on our inside page. There's a short message there on the left-hand corner
Just explains what kind of church we are and we're a church that preaches the Word of God
We're independent fundamental King James only
Baptist and we are so winning and salvation by faith alone
family integrated we sing the old the Psalms hymns and spiritual songs like the Bible commands us to and
I will set aside time after any service to answer questions. You might have about spiritual matters
If you're a first-time guest, we're happy you're here. Thank you so much for being here
We'd like to just welcome you to the service and we do have a gift
we have gift bags on the way out and we they have a DVD that has
Different I think right now we have the DVD being Baptist in there just explains kind of what Baptist believe
There's a some extra information about our church and a nice pin
So please take that as a token of our appreciation of you being a first-time guest on your way out
It's just on the right-hand side before you go out the doors little bags there
Feel free to take one and thank you for being at our service this morning. If you need to be baptized
Please just see one of the ushers of the men that are walking around with the pin that says usher on their coat
They'd be happy to set you up to be baptized
Our only requirement is that you're saved before you get baptized like the Bible teaches
And if you're not 100% sure that you're going to heaven we'd like to make sure that you know that before you leave
so if you're not 100% sure, please just
Ask one of the ushers to talk with you after the service and they'd be happy to do that with you
You can follow us on our
Social media we have a YouTube page a couple different YouTube pages
You can subscribe to under our name sure Foundation Baptist Church. We have a Facebook rumble
X formerly known as Twitter and
You can catch us on any of those platforms
Under our church name and then right to the right there
We have a Bible way to heaven is what that
Bw2h stands for and if you're not 100% sure and you're just too embarrassed to talk to somebody
you can just scan that code and it takes you straight to a video that explains how to go to heaven and
Our service times are 10 30 a.m. For our morning service or preaching service Sunday evening services at 3 30 p.m
or Thursday Bible studies at 6 30 p.m. Or an exodus chapter 38 this week and
Let's see this morning. I'm preaching about bitterness and then we have a special speaker
I'll announce that here in just a second, but
That'll be for the evening service tonight. We have so winning today at 1 o'clock
So if you are planning on going so winning you can either meet on location or you can just be here in the auditorium
At 1 p.m. Brother Sean Conlon is leading that group and so
Make sure that if you are in the whatsapp group and you're planning on going so winning that you
Find out what group you're in if you're planning on meeting on site. There's other times to choose from
You can just look at the times listed below and the captain's
Respectively and if you want to get involved there's plenty of times
During the week that you can get involved in soul winning and if none of those times work for you
I'm sure that somebody would be happy to go with you at another time
so if you look down you can see the praise report the salvation and
Baptisms and attendance totals from last week
Well, those aren't all the Baptist or baptisms and salvation from last week, but for the year-to-date and all that
So anyway our events coming up tonight. We have evangelist Jim weeb here from sure foundation Baptist Church in Winnipeg and
He is going to be preaching for us at the 3 30 p.m. Service
So if you haven't gotten a chance to meet him and miss Judy and her son Josiah
They're sitting right over here and they'd be happy to meet you and talk with you
He's not as mean as he looks, you know, so anyway, no, he doesn't look mean
But he's a real nice guy and we're very happy with all the work that they're doing up there in
Canada Manitoba Canada you think well, there's a church in Manitoba Canada kind of like this one. Yeah, it's it's an amazing thing, isn't it? And
They've already kind of gotten a Bible study group going in
Calgary that's running like 20 people so they just don't really have a
Man to lead necessarily. So brother Jim's leading that one from afar
But doing a great job up there and I'm planning on ordaining him
on the 9th of June, which is at the bottom of the event section there and
I'll get to that here in just a second. But yeah, he'll be preaching at 3 30 p.m
so don't miss this if you're normally not here in the evening service, please come tonight and
Hear what brother Jim has to say. Well God's put on his heart April 27th through 28th. That's next
Weekend is the SFB Seattle one-year anniversary and we're gonna have a soul winning special soul winning
Time next week and we're meeting at I forgot what the name of the park is already
But I think it's in the group if it's not in the group
I think does anybody know offhand what the name of that park is? I
Reached out and I we already went to the presses before I could
Let me see I think
It is Riverton Park and Tukwila
Is where we're meeting at 930 for coffee and donuts if you want to forego that and just meet on location 10 30 a.m.
at
The 27th on Saturday at Creston Point apartments. We're gonna be preaching the gospel there
It's a big apartment complex that we've had a lot of fruit out, but we haven't been we haven't knocked it in like a year
So we let the dust settle and we're gonna knock that
I'm sure we'll have other maps if we run out of real estate there
There's plenty of places to go and then Sunday. We have pastor Bruce Mejia from first works Baptist Church
She'll be preaching both services on Sunday and we do have a kind of a early service on Sunday morning
so and that's spells doom for a lot of Baptist but
Nine o'clock in the morning is the morning service that he'll be preaching at and then 5 30 p.m
Will be he'll be preaching the evening service there is a Sony time at 2 p.m. Also, so if you're interested in doing that and
Let's see food and cake and fellowship after the p.m. Service. So we have the room for the rest of the evening
So that's why I was choosing to do the food and fellowship after that. So if you're wanting to go
It's gonna be a packed service. So who all is going in here? Just I just want to see a quick raise of hands
All right good so
The the fail set we're gonna put as many chairs in there as we can
But then we have windows that line up if you've ever been there and we'll just open the windows and we'll put chairs right there
And so just don't be eutychus and fall out the window and die or something
But they're just this tall so you can see over them if you're sitting down. So anyway, so it'll be a great service
they're really fired up about it and it's gonna be it's been they've done a great job up there and
looking forward to
Celebrating with them on next weekend. So May 7th is the home school field trip to the Portland Zoo at 9 30 a.m. And
Please be on time to get your parking paid. They're gonna go in at 10. So please try to be on time
For that and remember that the traffic can get pretty gnarly in Portland. So 9 30 a.m. And
I think the tickets have already been bought and everything for that. So
May 11th, I didn't get this in the bulletin
It's not in there, but May 11th is the ladies tea at 11 o'clock
So this should be easy for you to remember May 11th 11 o'clock
So ladies tea here at the church building and it's something that we do every year
And of course May 12th is Mother's Day. It's not that I didn't think it was important
I just forgot so it's my fault. I can't even blame more Alan this time
It's it's actually my fault. So that's coming up. That's why I wanted to mention it
So if you're planning on going, please do you need RSVP on that, hon?
Do you need RSVP for that for the ladies tea? Oh
Yeah, just get ahold of my wife if you have any questions or if you're planning on going
All right, May 24th through 26 is the Chicago soul winning preaching event
I'll be preaching with Pastor Shelley on a Friday night. There'll be a soul winning time before that
Earlier in the day and a time to get lunch or whatever our dinner before we go to
The venue we're preaching at a venue. We're supposed to preach at for that first Baptist Church on
On their campus, but they decided that they didn't want us to be there
So we are going to do it someplace else
But we're still planning on going to church there on Sunday because I still want to go
And just check it out and see a part of history of fundamentalism
But anyway as our soul winning marathon, it's gonna be on Saturday. It's gonna be in Cicero
So the place where most people are probably be staying in the hotel is gonna be about 35 minute drive from Cicero
Chicago is huge. So about South Chicago. So
anyway, Indiana is
Of course where first Baptist Church is and it's kind of on the border of Chicago, you know
It's it's right on the border there. So
but anyway, if you're planning on going to that if you have any questions, just email brother Justin Zong at
SF BC India gmail.com for hotel
Information where we're staying we have block rooms with a pretty good deal and then also the hotel
Or the venue location also if you're wanting to go
You need to know the location so we're not putting that out online
anyway, and then of course the ordination of brother Jim weeb is in Winnipeg and
Pastor Dave Burson's plan on preaching on Friday night of that weekend on June 7th and
There will be a soul any marathon, of course on Saturday. I'm guessing right brother Jim
I just kind of took the liberty to to guess that that's kind of what we do
And then the ordination will be Sunday morning and 10 30 a.m. Is your service time, right?
10 30 a.m. So and
So that'll be the ordination service or a family integrated
I already mentioned that we have a mother baby room and a dad baby room back there
Please just observe the rules on the list there
The online giving information is there the ties that have come in so far for the month of April
We already did all the birthdays you got notes place to put notes on the back and that's been a long
List of things to say so I'm just gonna be done with the announcements now, we'll sing another song and
Go ahead and come on up brother Brandon and lead us
All right, let's turn to page 255 in our green him books
255
Come and dine
It's 255 coming down
On the first
Jesus has a table spread where the Saints of God are fed. He invites his chosen people come and die
With his man, he doth feed and supplies are every need lotus sweet to sup with Jesus all the time
Come and dine the master calleth come and die
You may fees to Jesus table all the time
He who fed the multitude
Turn the water into wine to the hungry call it now come and die
the
Disciples came to land thus obeying Christ's command for the master called unto them come and die
There they found their hearts these are bread and fish upon the floor the sea
satisfies the hungry every time
Come and dine the master calleth come and die
You may fees to Jesus table all the time
He who fed the multitude
Turn the water into wine to the hungry call it now come and die
On the last soon the lamb will take his bride to be ever at his side
all the hosts of heaven will assemble be
Oh
We'll be a glorious sigh all the Saints is flawless why and with Jesus they will feast eternally
Come and dine the master calleth come and die
You may fees to Jesus table all the time
He who fed the multitude
Turn the water into wine to the hungry call it now
come and die
Great singing this time. We'll take our offering
And brother Alex can you bless the offering for us
You
Right going to open your Bibles to accent chapter number eight
Acts chapter number eight if you don't have a Bible there should be a Bible under the seat in front of you
Acts chapter number eight
Acts
8 the Bible reads and Saul was consenting unto his death and at that time there was a great persecution
against the church
which was that Jerusalem and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria except the Apostles and
Devout men carried Stephen to his burial and made great lamentation over him as for Saul
He made havoc of the church entering into every house and healing men and women
Committing them to to prison
Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every
Where preaching the word then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ unto them and the people with one
Accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake hearing and seeing the miracles which he did
for unclean spirits crying with a loud voice came out of many that were possessed with them and
Many taken with palsies and that and that were lame were healed and
There was great joy in that city
But there was a certain man called Simon which before time in the same city used sorcery and bewitched the people of Samaria
giving out that
Himself was some great one to whom they all gave heed from the least of the greatest
Saying this man is the great power of God and to him they had regard because that of a long time
He had bewitched them with sorcery
But when they believed Philip preaching
The things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. They were baptized both men and women
Then Simon himself believed also and when he was baptized he continued with Philip and wondered beholding the miracles and signs which were done
Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the Word of God
They sent unto them Peter and John
Who when they were come down prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Ghost
For as yet he was fallen upon none of them only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus
Then laid they their hands on them and they received the Holy Ghost and when Simon saw that through Lane
On the of the Apostles hands the Holy Ghost was given
He offered them money saying give me also this power that on whomsoever I lay hands. He may receive the Holy Ghost
But Peter said unto him thy money perish with thee because thou has thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money
Thou has neither part nor lot in this matter for thy heart is not right in the sight of God
Repent therefore of this thy wickedness and pray God that perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee
For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity
Then answered Simon and said pray ye to the Lord for me that none of these things which he have spoken come upon me and
They when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord returned to Jerusalem and preached the gospel in many villages of Samaritan
of the Samaritans and the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip saying
Arise and go toward the south unto thy unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza
Which is desert and he arose and went and behold a man of Ethiopia and
eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the
Ethiopians who had the charge of all her treasure and had come to Jerusalem for to worship was returning and sitting in it in his
Chariot read as I as the prophet
Then the spirit said unto Philip go near and join thyself to this chariot and Philip ran thither to him and heard him
read the prophet as I said
Understandest thou what thou readest and he said how can I accept some man should guide me
And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him the place of the scripture, which he read was this
He was led as a sheep to the slaughter and like a lamb dumb before his shearer so opened
He not his mouth in his humiliation
His judgment was taken away and who shall declare his generation
For for his life is taken from the earth and the eunuch answered Philip and said I pray thee of whom speak at the
Prophet this of himself or of some other man
Then Philip opened his mouth and began at the same scripture and preached unto him Jesus
And as they went on their way they came unto a certain water and eunuch said see here's water
What doth hinder me to be baptized and Philip said if thou believeth with all thine heart thou mayest
And he answered and said I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God
And he commanded the chariot to stand still and they went down both into the water both Philip and the eunuch and he baptized him
And when they were were come up out of the water the spirit of the Lord caught away Philip
That the eunuch saw him no more and he went on his way rejoicing
But Philip was found at Azotus and passing through he preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea
Brother bill we pray for us
Father we thank you for the reading of the word and thank you for this great chapter of the Bible
Let us go past the top and open up with the Holy Ghost and help increase the bowl of hope and understanding the message and apply it to our hearts in his name we pray in the name of the Lord
Amen all right well the title of my sermon this morning is the gall of bitterness the gall
Of bitterness look down at your Bible at verse 9. We're gonna go through a
little bit of
scripture here to start off and to get the context obviously we already read the chapter, but
There's a lot kind of going on this little kind of microcosm of this
chapter
There's a great chapter in the Bible obviously a lot of great truce in here
Well, let's look at verse number 9 the Bible says
But there was a certain man called Simon
Which before time in the same city used sorcery and bewitched the people of Samaria giving out that himself was some great one
So this man Simon. He was already kind of feared by the people
He was a he was kind of a someone that people respected greatly
because of his power and obviously his power was wicked and he was a sorcerer and he bewitched the people here it says
to whom they all gave heed from the least to the greatest saying this man is the great power of God and
To him they had regard
Because that of a long time he had bewitched them with sorceries, but when they believed
Phillips Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ
They were baptized both men and women then Simon himself believed also now
There's a teaching out there that says that Simon was not saved because of this story
But what does the Bible say right there?
Simon himself believed also Simon was saved
But see people have this weird idea that Christians don't sin after they get saved and they do and this guy
Falls into sin, but look what it says it says Simon himself
Believed also and when he was baptized he continued with Philip and wondered beholding the miracles and signs which were done
Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the Word of God they sent unto them Peter and John
Who when they came down or come down?
Excuse me prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Ghost for as yet
He was fallen upon none of them only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus
Then laid they their hands on them
And they received the Holy Ghost and once Simon saw that through laying on of the Apostles hands
The Holy Ghost was given he offered them money
Saying give me also this power that on whomsoever I lay hands. He may receive the Holy Ghost
So what is his problem here well?
he see he has this power in this clout with all these people and then he gets saved and then he's kind of a nobody and
In he wants to be a somebody still and he doesn't have this power
He's not an apostle so he sees the the Holy Ghost this power that the Apostles have to
You know lay their hands on someone and they received the Holy Ghost and he wants this also
But he doesn't have that power only the Apostles had this power
And he wants his power because in his former life before he was saved he had a lot of power
He had a lot of clout he had regard from the people right and it says and he said give me this power
So he tries to buy you know this gift from the Apostles
And it says but Peter said unto him by money perish with thee because thou has thought that the gift of God may be
purchased with
Money thou has neither part nor lot in this matter for thy heart is not right in the sight of God
Repent therefore of this thy wickedness and pray God if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee
For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity
Then answered Simon and said pray to the Lord for me that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me
so
That is the context for the sermon that I'm preaching this morning, and it's called the gall of bitterness so number one
What is bitterness so the first point of my sermon is what is bitterness?
Now if you look at verse 23 again
It says for I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness
So Peter here saying that he perceives or has come to realize that Simon is in the gall of bitterness or in other words
completely consumed with bitterness to the core and
Bitterness can take many different forms, but it's defined in
It's actually defined in different terms because bitterness can be something that you taste or
Bitterness can be a feeling that you have or how you express you know the way you cry even could be
bitter, but it says sharpness of taste is the first definition of bitterness lack of sweetness and
number two anger and disappointment at being treated unfairly
Resentment as in hostility a deep-seated ill will as
invite a harsh or sharp quality a bitter taste a bitter water bitter food
It also can be described as like a poison that can that you know some poison kind of you know starts to work in
You and then slowly it kills you
And you know you probably heard the term well
That's a bitter pill to swallow right so there's some medicine that people like
More than others and sometimes like it you take an aspirin or something that has that bitter taste, and we don't like bitter taste
So you know we have all these things these kind of candies that are like
Sweet you know or foods that are sweet and sour and we like the offset of it because it does it's pleasing to the
Palate to have something that's bitter and sweet at the same time sometimes or you sometimes you'll pair foods
And you'll eat it and then you taste you like you eat something bitter
Then you taste something sweet with it, and it kind of pairs well or whatever
But those are the basic definitions for it and the Bible actually talks and uses the word bitter a lot
It uses the word bitterness quite a few times. Let's look through some scriptures real quick here
Just to kind of get us started that you know and and I'll kind of maybe go through some of these definitions or
For the specific scriptures. I'm going to go through so Genesis chapter 27. We'll just kind of go in order. We'll go fast
Genesis 27 34 the Bible says when Esau heard the words of his father. He cried with a great and exceeding
Bitter cry and said unto his father bless me even also
Oh my father so when Esau realized he was tricked by Jacob
Into giving up everything and also stole the blessing from him
Then he was really bitter about that. He was really upset the Bible says he sought repentance and
And even though he sought it with tears. He did not get that that repentance right so it was a bitter cry
And I'm sure some of you could realize you know you probably had times in your life when you cried or wept over
something that
Was just something you couldn't quit weeping about or it was just a real bitterness that you had inside you
So there's that example Exodus chapter 1
Verse 14 you know when you're working someone's working you too hard. Maybe your boss is working you too hard
You know we might not understand slavery unless you have kind of a slave driving boss. I guess that's kind of a term
It's not you know literal slavery, but sometimes you can you know your boss can work it hard
And there's nothing wrong with that, but sometimes people can get bitter about having to work too hard without enough breaks or whatever
But the children of Israel were bitter about the bondage that they were forced to do it says and they made their lives bitter
With hard bondage the talking about the Egyptians in
Mortar and in brick in all manner of service in the field all their service wherein they made them serve was with rigor
So you know a lot of times working makes you feel good
And it makes you feel accomplished and you go home at the end of the day
And you're like hey
I can you know I can rest my head knowing that I put in a hard day's work
And I accomplished something, but this was not that kind of work
This is like I feel like I'm gonna die. You know when I go home. It's with rigor
It's not you know. It's not the normal kind of work, so look at Exodus 12 verse 8
it says and they shall eat the flesh in that night roast with fire and
Unleaven bread and with bitter herbs shall they eat it so there you have where it's talking about
Something when it comes to do with the palate, but you know that represents something doesn't it it represents
The bitterness of the bondage that they had and also represents the bitterness of
how Jesus Christ was treated right when before he went to the cross and
What he the cup that he had to partake of?
Well remember when they came to him on the cross and they gave him what?
Gall and vinegar to drink trying to give him the drink of a reprobate
Basically on the cross so you know they kind of cross over a little bit
Don't they look at Exodus 15 verse 23 Exodus 15 verse 23 the Bible says and when they came to Mara
They could not drink of the waters of Mara for they were bitter
Therefore the name of it was called Mara
So you know basically the Bible is defining that word Mara means bitter right and they came to that water
And they could not drink it why couldn't they drink it because if they drank it they would have been poisoned
It was water that was not able to be consumed by them
It wasn't just that it was bitter to the taste. It's that it was actually poison to them. Otherwise. They could have drank it right so
Now Deuteronomy chapter 32 verse 32 Deuteronomy 32 verse 32 it says
Give you a second to turn there Deuteronomy 32 verse 32 says for their vine is of the vine of
Sodom and of the fields of Gomorrah their grapes are grapes of gall their clusters are
Bitter so talking about you know obviously who's had a bitter grape in here before where you like
Oh those grapes look great, and then all of a sudden you take you know
You know they're not great so but this is obviously talking about their
Spirituality that their spirituality is like poison. They're the way they are is is wicked and poisonous so
Psalm 64 verse 3 Psalm 64 verse 3
Now when people have hatred towards other people a lot of times the only way that they can speak to them is in
bitter angry
Striving words it says
Who wet their tongues like or their tongue like a sword and bend their bows to shoot their arrows?
even bitter words
Turn to Isaiah chapter 5 verse 20
Isaiah chapter 5 verse 20 and the Bible talks about a time
And we're we're kind of living in this time right now where you know good is called evil and
You know
Easter's being hijacked by the trans people and and you know our president is
praising them and all this other stuff is going on the craziness in the world and
Our world is topsy-turvy. We're the bad guys and all these weirdos are the good guys, right?
But this is a very famous verse
It says won't to them to call evil good and good evil that put darkness for light and light for darkness
They're basically just changing the gold their their paradigm shifting
It says that put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter
It's basically you know what do they call that gaslighting?
It's kind of that's kind of like gaslighting right? Oh here try this. It's really sweet, and then it's bitter and like no
No, it's no no seriously. It's sweet, and they're like trying to tell you something. That's not true
Oh, no, no the homosexuals. They love you. They love God they go to church. They're saved
It's like no, it's not what the Bible teaches
That's just an example obviously, but I'm just saying that in this life
You know but notice how it's it's saying bitter for sweet because the opposite of being bitter is what?
Sweet isn't it?
so
Jeremiah chapter 4 verse 18 Jeremiah chapter 4 verse 18 says thy way and thy doings have procured these things
Unto thee this is thy wickedness because it is bitter because it reaches
unto thine heart
So bitterness is something that can get into your heart
and it plants a seed inside of your heart and it can begin to grow and it can grow roots and
Can consume a person if they're not careful look at Jeremiah
chapter 31 verse 15 I
Actually skip that one go to Revelation chapter 10
I'm going to read Revelation chapter 8 verse 11 it says and the name of the star is called
Wormwood and the third part of the waters became wormwood and many men died of the waters because they were made bitter
So you see how poison bitter is poison also, and you know obviously some poison takes time to
Totally affect you like arsenic if you give just a little bit of arsenic
Doses over multiple time periods then eventually that person is going to build that arsenic up in their system
And then they're going to die from it so some poison can kill you instantly
But when it comes to bitter you know what this bitterness it can it can hit all of a sudden
But it also can take time to take root in your life and can be a real problem
Obviously if you're crying bitterly about something Peter when he betrayed the Lord Jesus Christ and said he didn't know the man
He went outside, and what's the Bible say he wept bitterly when he looked at Jesus
And he Jesus was looking right back at him
It was bitter because of the betrayal that he knew that he did now last one. I'll have you turn to
Well not the last one. I mean we're gonna go to a lot of scriptures, but
That was a lowdown stinking lie, so
Colossians chapter 3
Colossians chapter 3 I meant that's gonna be the last of the short verses we're gonna go to okay
And that's even a lie so sorry
All of sin to come short the glory of God
Colossians chapter 3 verse 19 the Bible says
Husbands love your wives and be not bitter against them
So I would say that men you know when the Bible talks about you know men and women roles
Usually says you know husbands or were to love our wives it always says that probably because we have a hard or time
Loving than women have a the than women do of loving us and you know men
Can get bitter towards their wives more than wives would get bitter towards our husbands
I think that that's just kind of the proclivity of
Man, but there's no verses that say when wives don't be bitter against your husbands
It's husbands. Don't be bitter against them now obviously women can get bitter, too
I'm not saying that this kind of transcends. You know male and female, but
There is that warning for men because sometimes we will just not say something because men you know we're not
Known to just always want to talk about our feelings right
You know it's just not something that men are known to do
We don't just like to sit there and ramble on about our feelings who I mean
I'm not even gonna ask you to raise your hand okay
Because then we'll all make fun of you after church, but I mean we just you know obviously every time once a while
We like to open up, but most of the time men just aren't
Feeling tight people so there's a danger when we feel like we've been wronged by our wives
For us to kind of bottle that up inside
And then those things can fester then all of a sudden when you get an argument
You're you're bringing up stuff from like three weeks ago or something that you probably should have brought up at the time
You're like what about the time you did this this this this and this and then it just shows that you've been bitter
Against them and so we got to be on guard not to let those things fester in us and be bitter so
Now let's look at first Samuel chapter 1 verse 5 first Samuel chapter 1 verse 5 and sometimes
You know people are bitter for things that are legitimate
You know sometimes people get wronged, and they legitimately are upset about it, but I would just say this that
Knowing how to deal with those things can stop us from getting these bitter feelings because you know what's what's the problem with being bitter?
Well it eats us up it
Poisons us to the point where we're feeling negative about things or feeling negative about people or we just kind of have an overall
You know we're just kind of we turn into poison
You know it just poisons everything in us and instead of dealing with it the correct way
We deal with it the wrong way
And we can end up being like Simon the sorcerer where he is just completely in the gall of bitterness and
Instead of dealing with it right instead of just saying hey, I'll just accept my station as what I am
I'm not an apostle. I'm never gonna have this power
How about just go out and win souls and and you know do the things that God has?
Allowed you to do and not try to take on so you know because he had this power before
You know he's bitter because he sees them doing something that he can't do now
He used to be the man and now he's not the man now the apostles are the man according to his
Line of thinking, but in order to be an apostle you had to you know have witnessed
You know been with Jesus and witnessed his resurrection
Which Simon the sorcerer did not so that's why he said you have no lot or matter in this
Simon and besides that your heart's not right with the with the Lord because
you know and obviously is it bad that he wants to give people the power of the Holy Ghost or
Allow people to have the Holy Ghost that's not wrong
But what's his motivation his motivation is so he can be one of the top dogs
And that's where his envy kind of took over and ate him up now first Samuel chapter 1 verse 5 says
But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion for he loved Hannah, but the Lord had shut up her womb
So Hannah is being badgered by this second wife, so this is why a good idea to not have a second wife
Okay, and it's against the law in this country anyway, but Hannah
Has this adversary look at verse 6 it says and her adversary also provoked her sore for to make her fret
Because the Lord had shut up her womb
So Hannah can't have children
but her adversary is having sons and daughters and so she's just messing with her and
Teasing her and provoking her and mocking her because she can't have children and you think well
What's the big deal? Well women want to have children? You know most women want to have children when you can't have them it can cause
bitterness to sneak up on you and
Upset you and make it just consume you like it kind of has Hannah here
It says and as he did so year by year when she went up to the house of the Lord
So she provoked her therefore she wept and did not eat
Then said Elkanah her husband to her Hannah
Why weepest thou and why eatest thou not and why is thy heart grieved am not I better to thee than ten sons?
So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh and after they had drunk now Eli
the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the Lord and she was in bitterness of
Soul so she's in bitterness of soul. Why is she in bitterness of soul?
well
Because she has this adversary that's constantly messing with her about the fact that she can't have children and really what's the whole
What what is the root of her bitterness is the fact that she can't have children and she's being mocked about it
But really she just wants to have children and so you even the most godly people
Christians can get bitter about things and it says and and prayed to unto the Lord and wept
Soar, she's really just super upset about this
But she does handle it correctly in the end doesn't she look what it says and she vowed a vow and said Oh
Lord of hosts if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid and
Remember me and not forget thine handmaid, but will give unto thine handmaid a man child
Then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life and there shall no razor come upon his head
so
she made this vow and she kept this vow, but the
The bad part about it is that she end up having to let Eli
Raise her son and so she only got to come see him once a year
Give him that little coat and that coat just she kept making him new coats every year or whatever
But God did give her what she wanted God did allow her to have what she wanted and that bitterness
Went away, and I'm sure when Samuel was old enough to be able to do make his own decisions
I'm sure he was able to see his parents a lot more and things like that if they were still alive
But I think that he actually end up moving and having his home base kind of be in Rama where he was from and so
Maybe that's why he did it. But anyway
You know, what is bitterness? Well bitterness can be can show itself in a lot of different avenues, but we don't want to be people
That are given over to bitterness because it's just really dangerous for our Christian life. It's dangerous for our relationships
It's dangerous for our for our work, you know
If you go to if you start getting bitter about other people getting more opportunities than you at work
It can poison you there and then you're just complaining to everybody about all the problems and nobody wants to hear that
Nobody wants to hear they get sick of it
And if you're just somebody that you go to work and all you do is complain about the bosses
All you do is complain about this and that you're a bitter and you probably just need to change that
Mindset because people might not say anything to you, but they are annoyed about it
They and it just poisons the well basically and then you think they're not going to go and talk to the boss about that
They are going to go talk to the boss about that. So
number two bitterness can consume and can consume you and and
destroy you and others
So look back at Acts chapter 8 verse 23. It says for I
Perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity
So because he's in the gall of bitterness
Because he's bitter about this situation that he doesn't have this power
He's also in the bond of iniquity
So Peter said that what what's going on with him is not just that he's bitter about stuff
but he's actually in sin and he's bound, you know, when it says bought the bond of iniquity, that means he's
Enslaved to it
So it's completely taken over him and taken in this bitterness has come to the point where it's a sinful action
Because to weep bitterly is that a sinful action not necessarily
But when bitterness springs up in you and manifests itself in sinful ways and you don't deal with the bitterness in the correct way
Then that's when it's going to poison you and be a detriment to you. Even if somebody else is the cause of it
Like we saw with Hannah, you know, she didn't cause that
Hannah wasn't bitter just because of something that she did or was something that was her fault necessarily
Someone else was doing it to her and she was bitter
But then she ended up doing the right thing and going to the person who can actually fix it
Which is God and God did fix it, right? So
Now it says that he's in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity Simon. So Simon the sorcerer
He's bitter and envious
because
Like I said, he's revered and feared and you know, he just didn't have the power that he wanted
So and you know, basically he just wanted this gift so he could have power and that is envy
What's happening with Simon is envy
Envy that other people have something that he really wants but he can't have and so that is sin that is wickedness and
You know, it's kind of it's it's delving into covetousness
It's really kind of the same thing
you know, but sometimes people will do wicked things in order to get those things and because
Envy can become contentious. It can become a worse situation
It can lead to other sin where you're actually murdering or stealing or other things to get what you want
It's a it's a bitterness is a sin that affects men and women and can manifest itself in many different ways
But look at Ruth chapter 1 Ruth chapter 1
So
Point number two is that bitterness can consume you and
destroy you and others so
Ruth chapter 1 verse 20 says and she said unto them call me not Naomi
But call me Mara. What does Mara mean again?
Bitter, right? So she says call me not Naomi
Call me Mara for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me
Now, I mean we know if you know the story her both of her sons have died
So is that it was was God dealing bitterly with her or did her sons just die
It's it's not I don't think it's necessarily something against her her husband died, too
So all these people died when they went to Moab
That's why
God probably allowed them to die because they went there and they're not really supposed to be doing that
They're supposed to stay or they live not go live in Moab. So
But she's kind of taking this personally and she's who's she blaming right here. She blaming God, isn't she?
She says I went out full and the Lord has brought me home again empty
Blaming God why then call me call you mean Naomi seeing the Lord had testified against me and the Almighty
Hath afflicted me. So yeah, I mean she just has this bitter. She says don't call me Naomi call me bitter
Because she's bitter because her sons and her husband died in a foreign land and she's just basically this widow
With nothing and she has her daughter-in-law Ruth
So really that is something because her other daughter-in-law left and just kind of went back to the Moabites and and Ruth is
There and she's out, you know bringing home the the barley or whatever not the bacon
But she's bringing home the barley she's you know, she's gleaning the fields and things like that
but in the end of the story, you know, she's
rejoicing because she actually has a grandchild through Ruth, right and
So in the end what brought her out of that bitterness, you know death made her bitter
But that new life made her happy and joyous again in her Christian life
So, you know and this is a danger that death can make us bitter
People start to blame God how many times have you been to somebody's door or talked to somebody and says well God took away
You know this person out of my life and so I'm just angry with him
people say that all the time or they'll say I don't want to go to church because
Where was he when I needed him when this happened and they're bitter against God for the things that happen their life
But look God's not doesn't just have some personal vendetta against you
Look, we live in a sinful world and things happen people die
We don't always know the reason why people die, but here's Naomi just taking it personal, you know, and then just
blaming God for something that was really probably her husband's stupid mistake for leaving there in the first place and
Then maybe you know, they didn't want to leave
We don't really know why they chose to stay there
But they probably should have left and maybe and I don't think that it was right for them to marry
Moabite ish women
Isn't there something in the Bible talking about that right because Ruth didn't believe on the Lord
Until after her husband was already dead
According to the story, right? She says, you know, I want your God to be my God
She says that after and says I'm not gonna leave you
Maybe she already had that faith, but she at least told her about that faith at that point
But I think that that's when she believed so obviously things can work out for the good
But they weren't supposed to go to Moab
They weren't supposed to marry those strange wives, but they did and so why don't you look at it?
Like your husband made a stupid decision
Didn't trust God to get him through the lean times and because there was a famine in the land and your sons
Chose to stay there and marry wives that they weren't supposed to marry. Why don't look at it like that
See when we look at we always you know as Christians we can look at things the wrong way and and think things
that actually aren't true because
We just don't see the whole situation because we start looking at ourself and thinking about how we feel about things
Instead of how reality see how it is in reality. I think about Absalom what happened with Absalom?
Well Absalom was bitter because his father
Didn't handle a situation correctly and he really didn't handle the situation correctly
He should have put his son to death because of what he did and you know
It caused him to completely turn against his dad and try to murder him and overthrow him
He lied with his wives in front of the whole
the whole city
ten of his wives and then plotted against him turned the kingdom against him and
You know even some of his best friends turned against him over that whole thing
But what did it stem from the fact that David didn't deal with something that he should have dealt with and that turned
Absalom bitter and
So if you see the end of Absalom's bitterness is that he ends up being a bad guy in the end
Right and he ends up with darts in him hanging from his long beautiful hair from a tree, right?
so
bitterness can you know take root and just eat people up and totally consume them and
Even though Absalom seemingly had you know good intentions, you know
He killed his own brother because of what he did to his sister and you know
He was taking justice in his own hands, which he felt like it was right
but because of that it just led him down a trail in his life where he completely was consumed by his bitterness and
Ended up being a failure in his life and trying to murder his own dad
so it completely poisons people so
And
And basically this is where you know people can you know allow this stuff to take over their lives
Become an obsession it can cause us to be irrational and focus on all this negative stuff
It can cause us to destroy
Precious relationships that are in our lives and it can cause us to be toxic
Like I said at work and it can also talk be toxic in our parenting in our marriages
You know bitterness is really just a real subtle thing that we don't really talk about a lot
But it's there it's in the background
It's it's hidden down somewhere and when it takes root and springs up
That's when things can go really bad. Look at Galatians chapter 5 verse number 13 Galatians chapter 5 and verse number 13
The Bible says for brethren you have been called unto Liberty only use not Liberty for an occasion to the flesh
But by love serve one another
For all the law is fulfilled in one word even in this thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself
But if you bite and devour one another take heed that you be not consumed one of another
So, you know, it's awesome. This is like Christian cannibalism, right?
And obviously this is not talking about literally biting people and literally devouring one another
This is talking about you know
The way you treat other people and so when you start treating people in a way where you're just taking bites out of them
You're back biting, you know, you're you're just completely trying to devour them and you know
keep them out of your little circle of friends or whatever and
You know don't consume one another don't burn bridges in relationships
Especially, you know with people you have to see every single week at church three times a week
If you come three times a week
Every time we go soloing every time we have fellowship every time we do events and you're having to see these people look
you know, we should think about the way that we treat other people because you know, just like
Hannah, you know, there was an ad her adversary was what you know a weird a weird situation
It was the other wife, right?
But it was someone that she lived with someone that she had to deal with every day
Was just tormenting her all the time and look you don't want to come to church and there's someone there's someone is always
Tormenting you always giving you dirty looks and things like that
And I just I find it weird when people act like that. This is like why would you do that?
Why do we have to act in such a way now? Let's look at
Luke chapter 15 verse 25 Luke chapter 15 verse 25 and this kind of stuff can happen with families, too
And you obviously there's a lot of different
Interpretations they can be made from parables the parables aren't you know, obviously there's a primary
Interpretation of things but you know, I think that the primary interpretation of this is
basically
Well, I mean again, there's a lot of different interpretations, but I think that the prodigal son was obviously saved, right? And
but then you also have this where it could be it's talking about the Gentiles being
Grafted in and being able to be saved also and then the Jews are getting angry
Because and jealous because you know, they're letting the Gentiles you say but look at verse 25 here
This is dealing with two brothers and a father and a dad, right?
But the in in, you know in the parable God the Father is is the father here
But just let's just take it at a family
Just as as this is just a regular family a human family
Says now his elder son was in the field and as he came and drew nigh to the house
He heard music and dancing he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant
and he said unto them thy brother has come and thy father hath killed the fatted calf because he hath received him safe and sound and
He was angry and would not go in
Therefore came his father out and entreated him. So, you know, this is the story about the prodigal son, you know, he
You know, he wasted his father's living on on whores and and riotous living
And you know, he's he's eating with the pigs. He's like I got a good idea
I'll just go back to my father's house and be as a hired servant. I'll just be you know, I know I wasted my life
I'll just apologize. I'll
Ask him for forgiveness and he does his father meets him. He gives him that ring and they kill the fatted calf
They celebrate because you know, his son was lost and and then he came back and was found basically
So it says in verse 29 and he answering said to his father lo these many years do I serve thee neither
Transgress I at any time thy commandment and yet thou never gave us me a kid that I might make merry with my friends
So what's his problem here? He's envious, isn't he? He doesn't care that his brother came home
He doesn't really care about his brother at all. He cares about the fact that dad is treating him better than
He perceives as treating him right, but look how dad explains it
So it says but as soon as his son was come
Which had devoured thy living with harlots thou has killed for him the fatted calf and he said unto him son
Thou art ever with me and all that I have is thine
It was meet that we should make merry and be glad for this thy brother was dead and is alive again was lost
And is found so he's like hey, you know, he's your brother. Don't you care that he came back?
Don't you care that, you know, he's doing right and living well now, I mean
Instead he's just like he won't even go on the party. He won't even say hey brother. How you doing?
And and look, you know, this is bitterness. That's what that's what his problem is. He's bitter
He's envious and in reality, you know a Christian mentality would be hey
I'm glad my brother's back his dad's how his dad felt
But you know these kind of schisms can happen in families even in Christian families and look this shouldn't be happening
So don't be eaten up with bitterness because it destroys you and others around you look at this
I mean obviously this is a story a parable meant for us for learning but learn this lesson like
Be you know be happy when things are going right and you know
You should love your family members if your family if your family members are saved, you know
Try everything you can to get along
Now number three it says what is the root cause of bitterness number three is what is the root cause well
Let's look back at our text at Acts chapter 8 verse 18 Acts chapter 8 verse 18
It says
And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the Apostles hands the Holy Ghost was given
He offered them money saying give me also this power that on whomsoever I lay hands
He may receive the Holy Ghost
So what's the root cause again? It's that he wants this power
He's envious
That's the cause of the root of the bitterness in him so but again not every case is the same
But in most cases it seems like it's these misplaced feelings that lead to the bitterness
But sometimes again we also saw the example of how it's legit wrongs done to you
That you don't know how to deal with so then you internalize it
It becomes some kind of root of bitterness inside you and it consumes you and destroys you anyway
So it could not even be your fault and still you allow it to
Control you and destroy you and we can't allow that stuff to happen
So bitter people feel like they've been hurt
misused abused
The hurt you know may have been
Intentional unintentional or imagine when a bitter person is hurt and they
He or he or she doesn't deal with the problem. It's internalized. He begins to dwell on it and
Begin to mold over and over again, and it begins to consume them
What does the Bible say about bitterness bitterness can be defined as?
Anger disappointment at being treated unfairly, so this is really the root of it
You know they they feel like they've been treated unfairly they feel like they've been abused
They feel like they've been you misused
They're disappointed about something that they feel like they should have that they don't get so it is synonymous with resentment and
envy and
You know obviously one of the well-known stories in the in the beginning of the Bible. Why did King kill Abel?
he resented the fact that
he didn't bring the right sacrifice and
He he was just wrong to bring that sacrifice the first place
He doesn't deal with the true issue is that his heart isn't right and that he brought the wrong thing
He's focused on the fact that his brother
Abel brought the right sacrifice and God was pleased with him and so he rises up and murders his own brother
because of
His own problem his own bitterness his own envy
Turn to James chapter 3 James chapter 3
And
a lot of the problem a lot of ways that bitterness start is the because of how people talk to each other and
you know just because you can talk to people a certain way doesn't mean that you should talk to people a certain way and
You know just because you think well we should always be honest about what we say yeah
I mean to a certain extent yeah, but just because you think that you should be honest with everything you say
You know all things are not expedient all things are not
things that you should say you don't just because it's it's you're thinking it in your mind and you think it's right to
Blurt out everything you want you should have you know people say I don't have a filter well
You should have a filter
you should actually have a filter because you know and and you should have a filter with
Everybody that you associate with everybody you talk to even your own spouse. You should have a filter
The way we talk to our spouse should be filtered you know you
sometimes you know when spouses are fighting they say things that are hurtful and are hard to take back and
They'll think about those things
For a long time, and they'll dwell on those things that you've said to them and even though you were just trying to hurt them back
They still internalize those things and try to you know like well
What's wrong with me or whatever?
So we should be careful what we say because if you really don't mean that and you don't want that
To fester in them then maybe you shouldn't say that you know we all do things more angry
I get that but we do need to be able to try it. I mean the Bible says no man can tame the tongue
but if you can
Learn how to tame that tongue because the tongue is what really gets us into a lot of trouble
It's really the dumb things that we say the stupid things we say to people that really get us in a lot of trouble
I was looking at this news report that this Caitlin whatever her name is that
Just she got picked number one in basketball from this college team or whatever
She's doing like an interview, and she always does this at the basketball games like to her
Parents or something at the games that she's at and like this reporter
Like was doing it to her like at the press conference, and she's like oh you like that and he's like
I'm glad you're here
He's like really just and people are just saying like this is really really creepy that he's doing this and he's like
You know if you do that to me, then we'll get along just fine or whatever. It's just like okay
But what a weird thing to say and you don't say everything that's on your mind, buddy
I mean now people are just like take away his press column and press his press credentials and stuff
It's like and he just said I'm sorry it was an awkward
I was it was an awkward thing to say, but it's like how did you become a journalist and you can't even
You know speak to a woman at a press conference or whatever, right?
But but again that just goes with hey be careful choose what you're gonna say and the things you say
Very wisely because they can be a big problem look at James 3 8 says
But the tongue can no man tame it is an unruly evil full of deadly poison
So this this is a warning to us that our we can start saying things and you know
What is deadly poison? What's another thing of deadly poison well bitterness?
Poison isn't it so when we?
Rise up, and we want to say something. That's that's not right
You know sometimes our mouth is hard to tame our tongue is hard to tame so we got to be aware
we got to try to keep these things in subjection and
Not say those things look skip down to verse 13
It says who is a wise man and dude with knowledge among you let him show out of a good conversation
his works with meekness of wisdom
but if you have bitter envy
and
strife in your hearts
See bitter and envy and then strife those things go together
Don't they if you have bitter envy and strife in your hearts glory not and lie not against the truth
And so it's like if you have this problem
Don't glorify it. Don't think it's okay or cool, and then lie not against the truth like
When when you know
You're what you're doing and saying is wrong
Don't just you know that you have a conscience for a reason so you know when you're doing something
That's right, and you know when you're doing something
That's wrong, so don't don't just try to lie to yourself and tell yourself that you're justified in
Behaving this way it says this wisdom is descendeth not from above, but it's earthly
Sensual devilish so that kind of wisdom what saying that and bitter envy and strife is okay and
Gloring in it and lying against the truth. It's it's it's it's not from above. It's not godly wisdom
It says for where envy and strife is there is confusion and every evil work
But the wisdom that is from above is first pure then peaceable
gentle and easy to be entreated full of mercy and good fruits without partiality without
Hypocrisy and the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace
So what's the you know the root?
It's telling us what the root is bitter envy and strife you know is the root problem, and how do we fix it well?
Peaceable gentle easy to be entreated full of mercy and good fruits without partiality without hypocrisy you know and then making peace
You know we don't always have to go to war we can make peace and we're called to be different as Christians
So be careful how you talk to people be careful what you say to people be careful
How you treat people and you know some things in anger are hard to get over
The Bible says a friend love it love it at all times and a brother is born for adversity
And that's kind of true some people are
It's easier for them to get along with a person that's not in their family that it is for them to get along with
Their own sibling which seems bizarre, but it is kind of true. You know I've been in some knockout dragouts with my brother
I mean plenty
But we get along I mean now
But there was times when we're growing up that we literally had knocked down drag-out fights like
You know just we're close in age
So he was always trying to challenge a big brother, and that wasn't gonna happen so now turn to Proverbs 18 verse 19
Proverbs 18 19, and and this is why it's so important that we treat each other
And you know obviously everybody we should be treating kindly, but as Christians, but to for
I'm this isn't just for your your
actual brother like blood brother necessarily, but also
for fellow Christians
It says a brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city
So once you offend someone to the point to a certain point
It's harder to win. It's hard to win them back in a lot of cases
To you know because sometimes you can just say things too much, and then like you can't come back from something you said
They might forgive you you might forgive them, but there's this kind of this feeling where you know
They're not really fully won over basically it says and their contentions are like the bars of a castle
So strong content the bars of the castle are strong aren't they so those contentions can be?
Really strong contentions, so we want to be careful
Because it says a brother offended. We don't want to offend. That's the point be careful
how you speak to people be careful how you treat them and
Especially when you're angry about something
Then that's when you really want to try to get yourself under control and the last point
This morning is how to get rid of bitterness
You know I don't want to just tell you all the bad parts about bitterness
and then not tell you how to get rid of it so and
Let's turn back to Acts chapter 8
Acts chapter 8 verse 20
So Simon the sorcerer in this story, he's bitter Peter just calls him out
Look at verse 20 it says
But Peter said unto him thy money perish with thee because thou hast thought the gift of God may be purchased with money
Thou is neither part nor lot in this matter
For thy heart is not right in the sight of God
Repent therefore of this thy wickedness and pray God that perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee
For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity
Then saw then answered Simon and said
Pray ye to the Lord for me that none of these things which he has spoken come upon me
So how does Simon deal with it well Simon deals with it by saying he doesn't say you're wrong
That's not true. You know I'm not bitter. What are you talking about? He doesn't go against what Peter says
he takes what Peter says and
Applies that in his life, and he doesn't say you're wrong. He said hey pray for me
Pray for me that none of these things which you spoke and happen. He doesn't want those things to happen
He wants his heart to be right he wants to repent of his wickedness
He wants you know that God would forgive him the thoughts of his heart and that he
Would be released from this bond of iniquity and that this gall of bitterness would leave him
I mean because
He's not arguing with Peter, and so that is the right response if you realize that you're in this kind of situation
You know sometimes. It's good to listen if someone says hey, I think that you're
You know you're kind of being bitter
Or that maybe you need to let this go or maybe you need to let this grudge go
It's not a people aren't always gonna say bitter because bitter kind of is a triggering word for some people
I think you're just bitter then people like
Yes, I am you know no, I'm not bitter. I'm not you know they make the bitter face
But
But if people would just
Sometimes and sometimes like you might not just think about it at first, but as you think about it
You know realize that hey someone's not just telling you that for no reason. I don't know it's telling you know not everybody's wrong
Sometimes we have to admit that we are wrong to
Turn to Proverbs chapter 15. Here's some ways to get rid of bitterness and just because what is the opposite of bitterness?
What was it again?
sweetness how do you get rid of bitterness if you have something bitter in your mouth that you put something sweet in your mouth it
Gets rid of the bitterness doesn't it and
so in our life as
Christians if
We're not being bitter, and we put a little bit of sweetness in our life
then
That can help so Proverbs 51 says a soft answer turneth away wrath so if someone's you know just speaking to you
harshly instead of
freaking out back then you know give them a soft answer and
Maybe that will turn aside some of their wrath that they're having it says but grievous words stir up anger
So when you're when someone else comes when you come back at someone it's kind of like this Samson
mentality that the mentality that Samson had where it's like well
I'm gonna pay the Philistines back for what they did to me and
Then they have Philistines do something worse to him, and then he says well
I'm gonna do something worse to them now
You know he just had this it wasn't do unto others as you would have them do unto you
He was his philosophy was do unto others as they do unto you so the opposite of what Jesus was teaching
He's like oh, yeah, you killed these people. I'm gonna kill a thousand Philistines. How about that?
So I mean we we don't want to be a Samson style Christian where we're just paying everybody back for everything they do
against us so turn to Proverbs 25 verse 11, and you'll notice I'm going through
I'll hit on some some Proverbs here
But Proverbs are gonna. Give us that wisdom. That's why that books here
It's a book of wisdom to help us to deal with life
You know a lot of great wisdom of course in the book of Proverbs look at Proverbs 25 verse 11 a word
Fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver
So this is another way of saying carefully chosen words at the right time are of a great value
So you know don't always you know sometimes
It's nice to just say something the right thing at the right time
And you can kind of maybe divert some of that wrath and maybe not have that root of bitterness even
Be allowed to plant its seed or take hold turn to Psalm chapter
19 verse 9 now of course the Word of God is what renews the new man
So we want to we want to renew our minds
Through the Bible and the new man is the new you know we're a new creature in Christ Jesus once
We've been saved you know that new man
We want to walk in that new man not in the old man
And the Word of God is what helps us to do that in Psalm
19 9 it says the fear of the Lord is clean enduring forever the judgments of the Lord are true and
righteous altogether
More to be desired are they than gold yay than much fine gold
sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb so that sweetness
From God's Word can help to counteract that bitterness that we might have in our life that bitterness that we're feeling a
sometimes it's best to just go to the Word of God when you're feeling bitter or go to God in prayer like Hannah did and
Plead with him and ask him to help you in the situations instead of just saying I'm gonna be you know
I'm gonna get pay them back tenfold for what they've done to me, or I'm gonna
You know that's not the right way to handle it and
It's just not so turn to Proverbs chapter 17 Proverbs chapter 17
And look we could go around and be upset about everything all the time or we can walk around as Christians
Living the joyous victorious life the joyous victorious abundant life that we have in Christ Jesus
This is a merry heart doeth good
Like a medicine, but a broken spirit dry at the bone
So we don't want to be people with these broken spirits these bitter spirits we want to be you know a
Merry and joyous people obviously we're gonna have times of trouble and times where we might feel bitter
But just don't let it consume you and so I would say if sweetness were an attribute
I would exemplify it as charity or charitable
loving merciful
forgiving joyfulness
long suffering and
Salt also balances out bitterness so salt is another thing like when it comes to the palate can balance out bitterness
so
As saltiness were an attribute
I would exemplify that as truthful because we as Christians are called to be salt and light
And so you know sometimes someone just telling you the truth
You know just take that truth from people sometimes people aren't just trying to tear you down or hurt your feelings
they're just trying to help you and
Salt preserves you know we want to preserve our relationships preserve our friendships obviously per you know
Preservation has to do with eternal life obviously, but you know we want to preserve our
You know people preaching them the gospel giving them eternal security, but you know it's it's savory
it's
effort because it does take effort to be salty and
You know righteous judgment comes along with that so we want to be righteous
We want to be salty, but we also want to have a little bit of sweet in there, right?
It kind of just makes the palate all better right so the Bible says faithful are the wounds of a friend
You know sometimes your friends are gonna be the ones that tell you how you know
They're gonna be the ones that give you a truthful answer
You know so don't ask your friends for advice if you don't want the true answer
Say well, what do you think about this is like? Are you sure this is what if someone asked me some an opinion?
Then I say are you sure you want me to tell you that opinion because I'm gonna tell you the truth
And somebody because some people are just shopping or just want to know how you feel about something
They don't really want to know how to get the advice or whatever so they might just be
Waiting to see how you feel so they could be mad at you right so the Bible also says have salt within
Yourself you know be why so I would say this be wise take reproof take rebuke
Be wise on how you take it
but be wise on also how you give it when you give it how you give it who you give it to and
however
There are you know so look and hey look just let grudges go because grudges are bitterness aren't they?
They're just things that you just kind of hold on to it's like
I just don't like that person and look it's it's easy to keep those those grudges or those
mistrust of people, but true forgiveness also gets rid of bitterness and
you know just being honest with yourself about your own shortcomings and your own imperfect ways because
you know again nobody ever thinks that they're wrong and
sometimes we have to really look inward to realize that we are wrong and
That's it's pride when you think you're right all the time it just is it's pride
Everybody's always right you know and just to admit you're wrong sometimes to some people is really difficult
And it just never ceases to amaze me just how incredibly blind people are to their own issues
They can see everybody else's issues, but they can never see what's wrong with them
And you know I think everybody's like that to a certain extent
So you know they but they some people are just like they can see everybody everything is wrong and everybody else's Christian walk
Everybody else's parenting everybody else's marriage
Everybody else's character everybody else's looks
Everybody else's health standards they can see all that, but they can't they can't look inward and see where they're failing and
so we have to be able to look inward and
Not just look at what everybody else is doing
So turn to 1st Corinthians chapter 13 verse 8 1st Corinthians 13 8
People like to look at other people and what they're doing
But when they have to look in the mirror at what they're doing they you know or somebody points that mirror to them
Then sometimes people can't handle that stuff
So, but we should have you know great peace of they that love thy law and nothing shall offend them in reality
Nothing should really offend us, but people do get offended don't they so we shouldn't get offended, but we do and
Jesus said woe to those were that were
Those people that were the offenses come right so obviously he's talking about with the little children
But we just shouldn't be attempting to offend people all the time
You know the Bible says charity never faileth verse 8
so
Charity is never going to be the thing that fails us in anything in our Christian life
When we do something with charity or love in our hearts those things are always going to be
good
But you can understand Scripture you could be the greatest preacher in the world you can have multiple languages that you speak
But if you do any of the things that you do in our church, and you do it without charity, it's nothing
So you could be you know the the sharpest?
tack in the drawer as
Far as the Christian life is and you have everything all down pat
But if you don't do that stuff with charity you're you're not charitable to your brothers and sisters in Christ
Then it means nothing it literally just means nothing
That's what Paul's saying hey have charity
And charity doesn't fail you know if your relationships fail
It's not it's not God that failed. It's you that failed
It's it's you failed in your charity. That's what happened because charity doesn't fail
So if your relationships fail in church, it's not it's not it's not you or them necessarily. It's charity that failed
It's your charity that failed not literal charity because if you actually had charity then it wouldn't have failed
But see that's the problem is that people fail to have charity when they know it's a Christian teaching
They know that they're supposed to be that way, but they just don't
So if your relationships fail your love failed, that's what really happened if your marriage failed your love failed
That's what happened if you if you're sure if you
Duck out of church and quit serving the Lord your love failed God's love for you didn't fail
His love never fails he'll never leave you know forsake you you forsook him you left him
That's what happens the Bible says in Matthew 5 7 blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy
Verse 9 says blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God
Look we shouldn't be the strivers. We shouldn't be the envious strivers. We should be the merciful
We should be the peacemakers look people
Just you know these are the things that people don't really like to hear because when they're not doing them
It's that should be convicting that should be you know making you feel guilty about things when you're not doing these things
You know you you're like well. Well. Yeah, but so-and-so isn't doing it either well
Why don't you worry about yourself?
That's exactly what I was just talking about
Worry about you as far as what you're doing and stop worrying about what other people other people are treating you
Because here's the thing you
Have to at the end of the day live with the decisions that you make and the choices that you make and how people
Respond to how you're doing when you're doing something right how people respond you're not responsible for how they respond
You're responsible for how you act and for how you behave and for what you do with that truth
You know what God deals with the rest you deal with yourself not how?
How they deal with it?
And then don't base base how you treat someone based upon how they received
What you how you resolve the situation if you really if you resolved it in the right way, then that's all them
Proverbs 1911 says go ahead and turn to Proverbs 1911
Proverbs 1911 the Bible says
The
Discretion of a man
Defeareth his anger and it is his glory to pass over a transgression
So the discretion is I mean discretion in this instance is talking about the ability
To make a choice of whether you're going to do something or not right and then a man
The discretion so the ability to defer your anger you don't always have to you know act out
On your anger, and it says and it is a glory to pass over transgression
Well if someone does you wrong you don't always have to write every single wrong. You don't have to
And isn't that what Jesus is talking about?
If you're a peacemaker, you know we should strive to be peacemakers
You know Jesus said you know I say you know when Peter asks
How shall I forgive my brother if he trespasses against me tell seven times he said no tell 70 times seven times
So what's he saying when someone asks when you offend somebody and they ask your forgiveness
You're supposed to forgive them
It's not conditional
It's not like well. You know. I don't know let me why don't you just crawl
I'm gonna crush some some some glass here, and you kneel and walk through it on your hands and knees
And there's a bed of colds. I want you to walk over first. It's like it shouldn't be like that
It's just be I'm sorry okay, I accept your apology. You know it's just it's just that simple
So you know and then in that story that parable there's a story where?
He kind of right after Peter asked him this
You know basically the story is that God forgives this man a great debt
You know and then he grabs his fellow
Brother by the throat over a very small matter and says pay me what thou owe us
You know he's strangling somebody that he you know
God has forgiven us this huge debt of sin that we have in our lives and says hey
You know I paid it for you. You can go to heaven for free even though you did all this stuff
You're good to go, and then we will get in some trivial argument with somebody
That is in our church
Or we have you know factions of people upset about one thing or another with with and so and so won't talk to so
Or something like that, and it's just like you won't forgive those people
I'm not saying you have to be best friends with people, but you won't forgive those people why?
Why won't you just let it pass over?
Why not just let it go instead of letting it stir up in your heart as a root of bitterness
Because you might not realize it, but at some point
It's gonna spring up, and then it's gonna manifest itself
And then it's gonna destroy you and it might destroy other people around and you're like well
Where are you getting that from I'll get there in a minute here?
But I want to I want to go through a couple more verses, and then we'll be done here John chapter 13 verse 34
You don't have to turn there, but I'm gonna start reading it a new commandment
I give unto you that you love one another and here's the part where people
Forget to read as I have loved you
So he wants us to love each other
Like he loved us so did he forgive us for all of our sins yes, so we're supposed to forgive each other
Right not just keep grudges keep burdens keep all these different things that ye also love one another
By this shall all men know that you're my disciples if you have loved one to another
Like pastor this is a pretty loving sermon. Well. You know believe it or not ever once a while preach a loving sermon
Okay, I I think that we should have Christian love for each other
I think that we should treat each other well
And I don't want to see people just eaten up with bitterness because eventually that just leads to you just being
unfruitful in your life
So you know people are really good about quoting what the Bible says on these things
We know what Jesus says about these things, but actually putting these things into practice
I see a lot of people fail at these things and we should be the standard not the train wreck
We should be what other believers look at and say hey these Christians here. They got it together
These Christians here not only is their doctrine great
But look how they treat each other and and Jesus said that we would he would people would know
There were his disciples by how we treat each other not on how good our doctrine is
So you know as as
Independent fundamental Baptist you know we should have all that together not just the great doctrine
But we should also have the other stuff in line to write look at first John chapter 4 verse 20 first John chapter 4 verse 20
The Bible says
If a man say I love God and hate at this brother. He's a liar
For he that loveth not his brother whom he has seen how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
People just oh yeah, I love God, but then you hate your brother
You hate someone that goes to this church that you know is saved and like don't pull this well
I think that person might be secretly a reprobate or something look you know if you don't know then treat them like they're not
Then think of them as they're not because if you don't really know
Don't go there because that's a the wrong way to think of it
You can just be suspicious or have red flags in your mind about people
But don't use as an excuse to not like people or to treat people wrong
Says in this commandment have we from him that he who loveth God
Love his brother also
So the next time you feel like you have a good excuse to be bitter
You know just let that you know let the Bible just shut you up and keep that excuse from coming out of your mouth
Because you know this is how the heathen act the heathen get bitter and rage against each other
But we shouldn't be like them right Jesus is saying you know go the X when you sound like go the extra mile
You know turn the other cheek also to them
You know he's just saying we are to be different don't the publicans love you know other people like you know
He's just like you know we should be
The standard we should be setting the standard. We shouldn't be the ones that are lacking in our morals
Turn to Ephesians. We have two more places to go and we're done Ephesians chapter 4 verse 30
Ephesians chapter 4 verse 30 the Bible says and
Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God
whereby you're sealed unto the day of
Redemption so is it possible to grieve the Holy Spirit well the Bible says it is
It's possible
Let all what does it say there?
What does it say?
Someone say it loud so I can hear like you got a voice
bitterness thank you let all bitterness and
Wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice
Those all go together because they're all part of the same family right there
Because bitterness can lead the wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking and putting you know put
Be put put all that stuff away malice is like going after people with the intention of actually hurting them or hurting their life
It says it be kind one to another
Tender-hearted forgiving one another even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you so isn't that what Christ's message is though?
That we should you know treat others like he treated us
right it's not what he's basically saying and all those other verses I just showed you and
Hebrews 12 verse 14 which I actually could have just used this text for the whole
The whole sermon really, but I wanted to kind of save it till the end
Look at Hebrews 12 14. This is the really important and
Why keep talking about roots and springing up and all this stuff because the Bible actually teaches this concept so last verse
We're done
Says follow peace with all men and
Holiness with 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
You see that so we're supposed to be looking diligently
What for that we would fail the grace of God that we're going to get into this root of bitterness
We need to watch for these things we need to watch and make sure that we're not caught up in
Getting this root of bitterness that springs up
And you know what happens when you plant something in the ground a seed you plant it
And then all sudden things just take root and they grow and sometimes the things will just sprout up overnight
You're like oh wow where that come from and it's just because that's just how
That works, but so does bitterness bitterness is the same way a seed gets planted
And then you know you're mulling over these things you're upset about these things and you can't stop thinking about these things
You know and then you pour a little water you put a little dung around it and next thing
You know it just springs up out of nowhere, and then it turns into
Anger malice clamor evil speaking and all this other stuff
And what's it say so it says lest any root of bitterness springing up. What does it say there trouble you
So you see who's the trouble the troubles you
the root of bitterness troubles you and
then
Thereby many be defiled so it doesn't just affect you
Just like your sin doesn't just affect you
The bitterness affects you and then it affects other people you see that thereby many be defiled
so
You know we don't want to have a root of bitterness we have to be on guard for these things and
Really like I showed you it takes on many meanings and that thought of bitter food
You know is how people's souls feel when they're eaten up and in the gall of bitterness so hopefully
Some of these things helped you and if you are caught up in this just like hey
You know take these tools and apply them to yourself, and if you have some kind of bitterness towards somebody else
Whether it's in your family whether it's in your church. You know whether it's in your you know your other family
Not your immediate family, but or whether it's people what if it's people if it's people at your work
Maybe it's just something you're feeling wives. You know with your children
You know whatever that bitterness is and you get that out you need to pull it out root and stem
and just get it out of your life and
Go to someone who can actually help you take care of it the Lord
Go to the book that's going to give you the wisdom how to deal with it the Bible
All right, let's pray Lord. We thank you so much for this beautiful day outside. I pray that you just help us as we go out
In our daily Christian lives help us to not be caught up in the root of bitterness
Lord you forgive us for the things where we don't we're not treating each other right and Lord
You'd help us to be more forgiving and
Lord that not only would our doctrine be strong, but our spiritual life would be strong and we live in a positive
charitable way as Christians
We treat each other. We love each other like you told us to do and that people be able to see that
We're your disciples Jesus name. We pray amen
It is well with my soul page 145
It is well with my soul on the first when peace like a river
Attendeth my way when sorrows like sea
Billows roll
Whatever
My law
Thou hast taught
me to say
It is well
With my soul
It is well
With my soul ladies
It is well
With my soul
All right. I want to hear everyone next time. This is not a
Presbyterian Church, this is a Baptist Church. It is well. All right on the second though
Satan should buy
The fifth though
Trials should come
Let this
bless
Assurance control
That Christ has regarded my
Helpless estate and has shed his own
blood for
My soul man it is well
With my soul
It is well it is well
My soul
My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious
Thought
My sin
Not in part
but the whole
Is nailed to the cross and I bear
It no more
Praise the Lord
My soul
It is well
With my soul
It is well
My soul
on the last and Lord
face the day
When my face shall be sigh
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll
The
Reason and the Lord shall descend
Even so it is well with my soul
It is well
With my soul
It is well
My soul
And thank you for coming to the church this morning
We'll have to see you back here at 3 30 this afternoon brother Jesse you want to end us with the word prayer
Lord I thank you for the preaching this morning
Jesse you bless us as we go by our ways
Bless the soul when he can come
In Jesus' name we pray. Amen
Man you're dismissed
Amen
You