Welcome to PowerPoint with Jack Graham. When Jesus died on the cross, he spoke with bloody lips. These words. to the very men who were crucifying, Father, forgive them. But they do not know.
What they did. On today's PowerPoint, Dr. Graham brings a message about how you can experience the power of forgiveness.
Now, here's Dr. Graham with his message. the freedom to let go. The scripture is clear that anger. Must be.
Lay it aside. Let it go. There are some scriptures that I want to show you. For example, James 1:19 to 20. says, know this, my beloved brothers, let every person be quick to hear.
Slow to speak, slow to anger, for the anger of man does not produce. the righteousness of God. If your goal as a follower of Jesus is to reproduce the righteousness of God. then you must be willing to lay aside anger. Uh Psalm 37 verse 8.
It's the clear commandment, as we're often commanded in the scriptures. Not to be angry, refrain from anger and forsake. Wrath, forsake, let it go. Fret not yourself. It only leads to evil.
And then the primary passage that I'm going to talk about today is Ephesians 4. Ephesians 4, 26 says, Be angry and do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your anger and give no opportunity. To the devil. And then down to verse 30.
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God. You want to know what. saddens the spirit of God. You want to know what hurts the heart of God? Let all bitterness And wrath.
and anger and clamor. And slander Be put away from you. Let it go. Along with all malice. And do what?
Be kind to one another. Tenderhearted. forgiving one another as God in Christ. has forgiven you. Be angry.
And do not sin. That's a strange verse, isn't it? You see, it's possible. To be angry and not sin. There is certainly sinful and selfish anger that we're going to be talking about today that we need to let go.
But there is also What you could call a sanctified, spirit-directed anger. That leads to righteousness. Do not be angry. And do not sin and Be angry and do not sin. God expresses Himself righteous.
Anger. In fact, did you know that in the Old Testament The anger of God. The wrath of God. is mentioned over 600 times. That God pours out his wrath And judgment.
upon sin and sinners. The scripture says God is angry. With the wicked Every day.
So anger is a God-given emotion. and passion. We all have The image of God, and that includes. Holy anger. from time to time.
In fact, If you see sin, and injustice an immorality or abuse. Or death. Terrorism, you name it. If you can look at that and see that and it not make you angry, then there's something wrong with you. Anger can be an ally.
When we control it. We ought to be passionate about some things in life. Our blood, our hearts ought to burn. Our spirits should burn with passion for truth. We should fight for those things which matter, which matter to God.
So anger Holy anger. righteous anger is a good thing. Is a powerful force for good when it is disciplined and. directed By God. But we know That so much of our anger today is not Disciplined or directed by God, but it is misdirected and often undisciplined.
Thyself. There's all kinds. of anger. In fact, in the passage that we looked at earlier, Ephesians 4 and verse 31, there are some categories for anger. that are mentioned here.
Because we know everything from a slow burn to a seething rage to from irritation and frustration to bitterness and wrath. whether our anger is shouted out or silently suppressed. We all have to deal with issues of anger in our lives. And that's why Paul mentioned here in Ephesians 4 these different kinds of anger. He mentions, look at it, he mentions bitterness.
Which is anger turned inward. You could choose the word. Uh resentment. You know, it's just kind of walking away with an acid attitude in your life. Then there's the word wrath.
which is a powerful expression. Uh Judgment? There is anger, which is a generalized. Anger within. Then he uses the word clamor.
That's not a word you're probably using in your vocabulary, but it's a word that describes something that we see almost every day. Clamor. Outburst of anger. And then there's slander. using our tongues to poison others or try To Fight others with the weapon of our tongues.
And then there's malice, which That's That's hatred. That's the actual desire to hurt somebody. Because you have malice. hatred in your heart. All of these categories here are outlined to show us that we all deal with different levels.
And different kinds of anger. Uh reading this re week, I I I thought a lot about what causes so much anger. And I discovered that There are reasons for anger. And increasing anger in our generation, there's fear. People are angry because they are afraid.
There is injustice. Whether it's on a public and National level or a very personal level, injustice, there is hurt. Injury, someone injures you.
Someone wants to fight you. Threaten you. Betray you. There's Just irritation and frustration. Depression.
Another problem, of course, the Cause of anger is alcohol and drugs, whether it be illegal drugs or legal drugs, the abuse of alcohol and drugs. Another reason people are angry, there's a lot of unrealistic expectations. And so I'm pointing out that That we all have different reasons for our anger. There's different kinds of anger, but whatever it is, an uncontrolled and ungoverned anger can embitter you and enslave you. Yeah.
Yes, God cares about our temperaments. God cares about our personalities. When Christ comes to live in our lives, He wants to transform the way we think and, therefore, the way we act. And so we need to let go of any addiction we have. to anger.
How do you do that? We confront it. We confess it. We control it. And We conquer it.
And I want to show you how. First, We must confront Our anger. You can't keep saying It's just the way I am if you're a follower of Jesus. You have to see it and say it for what it is. Own it.
Confront it for Not just a weakness, but A real, and not just a simple emotional problem, but a real problem for your life because. In losing it, you can lose. everything. If you are embittered or enslaved. You can lose your health, you can lose your wealth.
You can lose your family, you can lose your friends, you can lose your job. You'll certainly lose your joy. You'll lose respect. You want your children to honor you as a mom, as a dad, and yet you're running around in a rage? Blowing it, losing it.
You can lose your testimony. Because of anger at the office. In the neighborhood. Ask yourself, why am I angry? Stop.
The Bible says, be slow. to anger. You know, a wise person doesn't say everything they think. We are slow to anger. We put it off.
We pray. We wait. Why am I upset? Show me why I'm angry. Because again, if you don't, it can destroy everything.
You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message: the freedom to let go. Transform your spiritual life through the power of daily prayer. This September, Jack Graham invites you to deepen your relationship with God through a month-long prayer journey that will strengthen your faith and draw you closer to your Creator. To get started, Text challenge to 59-789 and deepen your connection with God as Dr. Graham leads you through this transformative 30-day prayer journey.
Your spiritual breakthrough could be just one text away. Again, that's CHALENGE to 59-789. Our world desperately needs Jesus. Every single day, countless people slip into eternity without ever hearing that Christ offers victory over death and the gift of eternal life. That's why your partnership to share the gospel is so vital.
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Now let's get back to today's message, the freedom to let go. I was doing some reading regarding what it takes away, hostility. physicians talk about, the medical world talks about hostility. And how it affects, particularly, the heart and the cardiovascular system. Unresolved anger, silent rage, outburst of anger put you at risk for heart attacks.
So when someone says his blood was boiling, That's real. Adrenaline begins to shoot through your system. Your your arteries constrict. And an angry spirit, a hostile heart can be fatal. In fact, Research at Duke University has shown that, quote, anger is a more accurate predictor of dying young than smoking.
Again, you can lose friends and family and Proverbs 11:29, the fool who provokes his family to anger and resentment will finally have nothing worthwhile. Left. I could keep going. Talking to you about the danger of this stuff. What it does to you.
Physically, emotionally. and certainly spiritually. Did you know, for example, that The Bible tells us that we're not even to associate with angry people. Proverbs 22, 24. Look at it.
Make no friendship with a man given to anger. Nor go with a wrathful Mayor.
Some people are angry. With God. You've got your finger pointed right at God because Something happened. You were injured, you were hurt. There was some injustice.
Some betrayal.
Some tragedy. And you're blaming God. That's like blaming the fire chief for the fire. You know the devil is a bully. He likes to pick bites and walk away.
And have you blamed somebody else? The world is on fire for sure. There is suffering and there is evil. But it is the result of rebellion and sin, not by the hand of God. And when you are.
in trouble when you are in in tragedy. in your life. Don't blame God. He's the one you need. You need his help.
I promise you, God is loving. God is good. God is just. He's going to bring out even of tragedies, ultimately triumph. You need to hang on in hope and trust in God, even when you're having a hard time doing it.
Say, like Job, Lord, even though you slay me, I will trust in you. Anger. And what anger can do to you is ultimately sink in and. One of the words that we haven't used a lot in this series is a stronghold. A stronghold is when A certain sin or a kind of behavior becomes addictive or it grips you and will not let you go.
That's a satanic stronghold. It can be an emotional bondage in your life. And these strongholds must be torn down. And they can be and they will be in Christ. But you have to be willing to confront it, this anger.
And Confess it. God commands us. Not to be angry. And if God commands us not to do something, He enables us. to keep that commandment.
God would never ask you to do something that you couldn't do.
So, yes, you can confront your anger. Yes, you can confess it. Yes, you can, by God's grace, control it. Less You hang on. to your hate.
and you become caustic and bitter and an angry old person. You know, there's nothing more disturbing than to see a miserable, angry, older adult. Who just held on through the years to all the stuff, an unforgiving, unrelenting, judgmental, caustic attitude. That makes everybody around them miserable. But hey.
teenagers can have that same attitude. You don't want to be that kind. a person. In fact, Ephesians 4.26 says If you want to control your anger, Don't let the sun go down on your wrath. Lest you give place or opportunity To the devil.
Don't let the sun go down on your wrath.
So, before you go to bed, before you go to sleep, if you're angry, you need to settle that with whoever you are angry, if at all possible. But certainly settle it in your own heart. Because if you don't, husbands, wives, you go to bed angry. Bitterness starts to grow. And you give place The scripture says there.
To the devil. And so When you get angry And you don't settle it. Bitterness can begin to grow. That's why the Bible says Don't let any root of bitterness, this is Hebrews 12. 15 and 16: Beware lest any root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble, that it may defile your soul.
Bitterness. What is bitterness? It's repressed anger. is ongoing Anger. You begin to see that ultimately, if you don't deal with it, it can even turn to malice or hate.
Oh, you wouldn't call it hate. Because you're blinded by the bitterness. You're blinded by the tears. And it begins to impact you every day. Because now you're in bondage.
It impacts your identity and your mentality, your personality, and even your spirituality. and you just keep fanning the flames of this Fire. You become profane. Romans 3:14 says, Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. You get bitter.
You start. profaning Profanity is a clear sign of anger in the heart. Immorality. Anger causes immorality? Sure it does.
Hebrews 12:15 says, Beware lest you have this root of bitterness that it may defile your soul. And then it speaks of immorality.
So confront it, confess it, and control it. and conquer it. How? The gospel. The answer for anger is the gospel of Jesus Christ.
which is forgiveness. Forgiving undeserving But repentant people. Forgiveness is the key to breaking down. This chain. When Jesus died on the cross, he spoke with bloody lips these words.
to the very men who were crucifying, Father, forgive them. For they do not know What they do. And so Ephesians 4:32 says that we are to forgive as Christ has forgiven us. To forgive Means that you release your right to dwell on the offense. Forgiveness is giving up my right to hate you.
for hurting Me. For some of you, anger and bitterness is the chain. hanging around your neck. And with that chain, You are dragging around for your life. the person who offended you.
But when you get free in Jesus, when you let go, You break the chain. You cut it loose. Alan with the offender.
Now forgiveness is often misunderstood. Forgiving and letting go does not mean. You give up on justice. In fact, You can seek justice while at the same time seeking forgiveness. You can seek legal action under the law while at the same time Forgiving.
Letting go does not mean giving up your rights. to justice. But it does mean you leave Justice. Yeah. Verse 19 of Romans 12 says, Beloved, never avenge yourselves.
But leave it. to the wrath of God. For it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord. God will do a much better job of repaying an unrepentant Offender. than you possibly could.
Rise above the revenge. Because revenge only brings you down.
So give up. On getting even because if you're Just getting even you're bringing yourself down the level of the person who offended you. You can trust God. to make things right. You can.
He will. Forgiveness is not the same as forgetting. Forgetting the offense, that's impossible. God would never ask you to do something impossible, would He? No.
You say, well, what about that verse that says, when God forgives, he forgets.
Well, that doesn't mean that God has some kind of holy amnesia. And totally forgets about it? Of course not. When it says God forgets, it means He chooses not to remember it, He chooses not to hold it against us. And so to forgive is not the same as forgetting.
It doesn't mean you enable sin. Forgiveness is not enabling sin or in any way endorsing the sinner. You must always be truthful in confronting sin. That's what God does. Forgiveness is letting go.
And it's like one person said, I let... The prisoner go free. And when I did, I realized the prisoner was me. You said you're self-free. When you forget, Forgiveness, you see, is leaving justice.
in God's hands. It's letting go. and moving on in your life. in the power. Oh Jesus.
You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message: the freedom to let go. We're excited to announce that we've been offered a $200,000 matching grant that will double your gift today to help proclaim the life-giving hope of Jesus to people all across the globe. Because your gift is so important, we want to send you a thank you for your generosity by sending you two copies of Dr. Graham's book. Triumph, to encourage your faith and equip you to share the hope of Jesus with someone who needs it.
Please give generously, knowing your gift will be doubled, and make sure to request your copies when you give. Text the word overcome to 59-789. Again, the word is overcome. Yeah, I think it's a good idea. Transform your spiritual life through the power of daily prayer.
This September, Jack Graham invites you to deepen your relationship with God through a month-long prayer journey that will strengthen your faith and draw you closer to your Creator. To get started, take a look at the first time. Text Challenge to 59789 and deepen your connection with God as Dr. Graham leads you through this transformative 30-day prayer journey. Again, that's Challenge to 59789.
Pastor, what is your PowerPoint for today? I would say first and foremost that God wants to show you how you can control your emotions, those emotions of anger and agitation and irritation, just negativity that so often grips people's lives. I would say that don't allow any excuse to keep you from avoiding the issue in your life. If you are habitually angry and if your emotions are out of control, you need to first own the problem, confess the problem. The old excuses of, well, it's just in my blood, or that's what my mother or father used to do, or someone hurt me, none of these excuses will do.
Followers of Jesus live at a different level. We live by a higher standard. James 1.19-20 says, Let every person be quick to hear, say. Slow to speak, slow to anger, For the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. I want to honor God with my life.
I want to please Him in all things. And certainly, my emotions, the way I express myself. the way I control my temper. That is a way that I can honor God and please him. Whether you struggle with anger or worry or overspending or lust, whatever your change, you need to confront it, confess it, and ask by the power of God's Spirit that He will help you to control it.
It may sound impossible, but it is possible by the power of Jesus working in you. And that is today's PowerPoint. Remember, when you give a gift of $10 or more to PowerPoint, we'll send you two copies of Dr. Graham's book, Triumph, as Our Thanks. Text the word overcome to 59-789.
And join us again next time when Dr. Graham brings a message about what's waiting for you in your heavenly home. That's next time on PowerPoint with Jack Graham. PowerPoint with Jack Graham is sponsored by PowerPoint Ministries.
