Dream to Destiny Part 8: The Pardon Test

DREAM TO DESTINY

Part 8: The Pardon Test

July 16, 2023

(Genesis 45:1-5 NIV) Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, “Have everyone leave my presence!” So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s household heard about it. Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still living?” But his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence. Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.” When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.

• Keeps us from our .

(Psalm 73:21-22 NIV) When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant; I as a brute beast before you.

• Pollutes our other .

(Hebrews 12:15 Ph) A bitter spirit is not only bad in itself but can also poison the lives of many others.

• It makes us .
• It makes us .
• It makes us .
• Destroys our relationship with .

(Mark 11:25 NLT) When you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins too.

(Genesis 50:15-21 NKJV) When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “Perhaps Joseph will hate us, and may actually repay us for all the evil which we did to him.” So they sent messengers to Joseph, saying, “Before your father died he commanded, saying, ‘Thus you shall say to Joseph: “I beg you, please forgive the trespass of your brothers and their sin; for they did evil to you.”’ Now, please, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of your father.” And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. Then his brothers also went and fell down before his face, and they said, “Behold, we are your servants.” Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

1.  the hurt.

You can’t heal what you don’t reveal.

(Psalm 32:3 NIV) When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.

(Psalm 39:2 NIV) But when I was silent and still, not even saying anything good, my anguish increased.

2.  the people involved.

(Matthew 18:21-22 NIV) Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”

You don’t have anything to .

You have someone to .

(1 Peter 2:23 NIV) When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.

If you never heal from what hurt you,

you’ll bleed on people who didn’t cut you.

3.  forgiveness from God.

(Matthew 6:12-15 NKJV) And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

(Matthew 10:8 NIV) Freely you have received; freely give.

If you have a problem forgiveness,

you have a problem forgiveness.

4.  on God’s plan for my life.

(Genesis 50:20 NIV) You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done.

“A man is not hurt so much by what happens,

as by his opinions of what happens.”

Michel de Montaigne