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Guest (Male): Welcome to PowerPoint with Jack Graham.

Jack Graham: It is the gift of forgiveness. To know that you have been forgiven, to know that our sins are forgiven, past, present, and future. Therefore, we have a reconnect with God, a relationship with God.

Guest (Male): On today's PowerPoint, Dr. Graham brings a message about how to experience real forgiveness. Now, here's Dr. Graham with his message, The Gift of Forgiveness.

Jack Graham: Take your Bibles and turn to Genesis chapter 45. Because the story of Joseph illustrates in classic form the greatest demonstration of forgiveness in all the Bible outside of the cross of Christ himself. Of course, the greatest demonstration of forgiveness is at the cross. But I believe the classic illustration of what we experience in Christ is right here in the story of Joseph. As a matter of fact, the very first time the word forgiveness appears in the Bible, it shows up in this story of Joseph and his forgiveness of his brothers. Now, let me catch you up very quickly.

On the last episode in Joseph's story, if you will, Joseph, who was loved by his father but betrayed by his own brothers, sold into slavery by these cruel and heartless men. He ends up on the back of camels riding into Egypt where he is sold as a slave. He ends up in the house of Potiphar, a powerful man in Egypt. And as a slave to this man, he rose to service in that man's house. And because of the great spirit of this man, because he refused to bow down to the brokenness and shattered dreams of his life, he kept his dreams alive that God had placed in his heart.

And he rose to prominence even in the house of Potiphar. But then he was lied about, accused of attempting to rape or seduce his boss's wife. He's put into prison. You would think that's the end of the story. But Joseph kept trusting in the faithfulness of God, and God was certainly faithful to Joseph. So even in the prison, he rose to prominence. This great, powerful young man at the age of 17 all the way to age 30. This 13-year period, he continues to walk with God and in the will of God and fulfill God's purpose in his life.

So he is promised that he would be remembered to Pharaoh because he interpreted dreams there in prison. But he was forgotten by the man who promised to help him get out. A friend that he assisted in the release of that friend out of prison forgot him. So here is a man who is betrayed, sold as a slave, falsely accused in prison, forgotten in prison. But ultimately is given an opportunity to stand before Pharaoh where he interprets the dreams of Pharaoh. And not only that, but he gives Pharaoh a plan in saving Egypt and ultimately the world, including his own family.

Because God told this man in his dreams through Joseph that there would be seven years of plenty and seven years then of famine. And so Joseph was a man with a plan. He was God's man in Egypt. He said, Pharaoh, what needs to happen is that while we're in these years of prosperity, we need to take some of the grain and the profit and we need to set it aside for these seven lean years that are coming. He provided a kind of flat tax for Egypt. And as a result, because it all came to pass just as God said, just as Joseph interpreted it, Joseph was placed in charge over the distribution of all of the grain and all of the food of Israel.

He in effect is the head of the Department of Commerce in Egypt. And that brings us to our text today because his brothers come to Egypt to seek grain. They're starving. They're dying. So their father, Jacob, who's still alive, sends them into Egypt. And they stand before Joseph, whom they did not recognize because he appeared to be an Egyptian, of course, by this time. And Joseph puts them through a series of hoops and tests to awaken their conscience and to bring them to genuine conviction and repentance. He sends them back home with grain. He keeps one of them there.

He asks for his brother Benjamin, the brother by his own mother. And they come back to Egypt for a second time. And this is when they stand before Joseph in verse 45 or chapter 45, the first five verses. And again, this is so poignant. This is so powerful. Listen, put yourself in this position. Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood before him. Can you imagine those 13 long years of emotion that now begin to pour out? He cried, make everyone go out from me. So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers.

And he wept aloud so that the Egyptians heard it and the household of Pharaoh heard it. And Joseph said to his brothers, I am Joseph. Now, can you imagine the stark fear and terror that comes across the faces of those betraying brothers at this moment? They're thinking, oops. And it was just as Joseph had dreamed and declared years before that these brothers would end up bowing down to him. So the household of Pharaoh heard it. Joseph said to his brothers, I am Joseph. And he wanted to know, is my father still alive? Now, don't pass over that.

Is my father still alive? Remember that old father back in Israel. For 13 terrible, dark years, he thinks his beloved son is dead. And Joseph, for all he knows, thinks his father is dead. And that's the first thing he wants to know, I am Joseph. Is my father still alive? But his brothers could not answer him right. For they were dismayed at his presence. That's the biblical way of saying they were scared to death. So Joseph said to his brothers, come near to me, please. Now, remember he has them in his hands now. The same hateful, terrible men who abused him and broke his heart and sent him off as a slave, told his daddy he was dead.

He has them right where he wants them, right in his hands. He could put them in jail for the rest of their lives. He could execute them. He has total power over these men. But he says, come near to me, please. And they came near and he said, I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here. For God sent me before you to preserve life. What a man. God had a purpose in all of this, Joseph says. God put me here to preserve life including yours.

Verse 15. Look at verse 15 of Genesis 45. And he kissed all his brothers and he wept upon them. He embraced them. He kissed them as was the custom of the Jews. And after that, his brothers talked with them. Now is a time of reconciliation and restoration. And then look over in chapter 50. As we get near the end of this story, Joseph said to them, do not fear for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good to bring about that many people should be kept alive as they are today.

So do not fear. I will provide for you and your little ones. Then he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. There's so many people today who need to experience what Joseph experienced along with those brothers that day. It is a gift that heals. It is a gift that restores. It is a gift that puts back the pieces of a broken life and a broken relationship, so many relationships have been ripped apart. And I'm speaking to people right now, many of whom really all of us in our lives have experienced injustice and unfairness. Someone mistreated you.

Someone betrayed you, friends, family that betrayed you, someone who abused you. All of us have experiences in life in which we have been hurt by others, mistreated. And we can't change the past. And it does us absolutely no good to to ring our hands trying to figure things out. Why did this happen to me? Why am I sick or why did my husband leave me or why did my friend lie or cheat or steal from me? Why why do I hurt? We we can't fix all that. It's a waste of time. And many of us today need to do what Joseph did.

And that is to get past our past and let go of the past and refuse to allow our past to pollute our present and our future. And to live, to forgive. Forgiveness is not a little thing in the Bible. It is the thing in the Bible. The forgiveness of God, the grace of God. And when Jesus taught us to pray, he included it in in that powerful model prayer. When he taught us to pray, forgive us as we forgive others. Forgiveness. And yet so many people live in the bondage of bitterness, in the chains of of brokenness in their lives.

And today I believe is going to be a breakthrough in so many lives today when you get past your past and allow God to heal your heart so that you can truly give the gift of forgiveness.

Guest (Male): You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message, The Gift of Forgiveness. Did you know that you can join Dr. Graham for his daily devotion? It's a study of God's word that will help you grow in your faith, encourage you in your walk with Christ, and show you how to navigate through the challenges of life. To sign up, text devo, d e v o to 59789 and begin receiving Dr. Graham's devotional every day. Again, text devo, d e v o to 59789. Every day, people around the world are hearing the truth of Jesus Christ through PowerPoint's broadcast, podcast, television ministry, and digital outreach, often during some of the most difficult moments of their lives.

And friends like you help make that ministry possible. That's why this month we want to say thank you for your gift of $10 or more by sending you Dr. Jack Graham's book, Destiny. In this encouraging resource, Dr. Graham walks through the life of Joseph to show how God is always working even through painful and confusing circumstances to accomplish his greater purpose. To give your gift and request your copy, text oct, o c t to 59789. That's oct, o c t as in October to 59789. Now, let's get back to today's message, The Gift of Forgiveness.

Jack Graham: Joseph's godly character emerges in this powerful story. As I noted, it's it was a perfect time for payback. And we live in a culture that's really committed to payback. I'll get you. I'll get even. I'm like a terrorist. I'll just wait and wait and wait, but my time's coming. And so many are filled with bitterness. And the problem is that so many are filled with anger and resentment because of past hurts, because they have been treated unfairly. And anger, of course, is becomes bitter when it is turned inward. Bitterness is anger anger turned inward. It is resentment until the to to the degree that such that it grows, it's like a cancer that that takes over everything.

Bitterness and anger turned inward, the refusal to to give up on past hurts and that that's all like a cancer and it's not benign. It it spreads, it metastasizes and consumes the person. And uh I've been a pastor long enough now to have seen it many many times this root of bitterness. That's why the Bible says in Hebrews 12:15, don't allow any root of bitterness to spring up in your life causing trouble. It's like a poisonous weed in a garden. This thing of bitterness and it has terrible consequences. What are the consequences of this one?

We live our lives refusing to forgive and to forget and to move on, hung up on the hurts of the past. What happens? Well, number one, it changes to the past. It changes us to the past. Life is difficult enough without carrying around excess baggage. And bitterness, anger, resentment is emotional baggage. And not only baggage, it is bondage like like a chain around you that keeps you moving forward from moving forward in your life. So bitterness chains us to the past. But not only that, it contaminates our personalities. People who become bitter become cynical and caustic caustic and critical and negative.

And unfortunately, bitter people show up in homes and families, places of work, and yes, even in churches. Bitterness spills out on others. And we become critical spectators in life. Negative about everything and everyone because bitterness is controlling us. This bitterness, this anger, if we don't let it go, will absolutely contaminate our personalities. You're no fun to be around. And and and the very thing that you don't need, which is isolation, you produce because you're holding people off. You can't change the past, but you can change the attitude that you have. Or should I say God can change the attitude you have regarding about what happened some of you so long ago.

Bitterness is that is that spiritual suit superiority. Sometimes we have this this bitter spirit which feels emotionally and spiritually superior to others. It is an emotional toxin. It is an acid that destroys its own container. And it not only contaminates our personalities, making us unloving and difficult to deal with, it colors our relationships. It devours relationships. It will spread to your marriage. It can even be passed along to your children from generation to generation. Angry, resentful, bitter people present become bitter parents who produce bitter children. You can't experience fully the love of God and the grace of God in your life if your heart is headquarters for hurt and hate.

It will rob you of a growing relationship with God. And you will never be all that God intends for you to be spiritually. You will never have the prayer life you desire. You will never have the influence for Christ that you desire. It will be impossible for you to pray effectively. I've seen this through the years. You look at a person and you think, why is that person not developing? Why is that person not growing as a Christian? What's holding that person back from really living for Christ and making a difference in the world? So much talent, so much ability, so many And often you get at the core of it and it's some hurt, it's some resentment, it's some pain in the past that that person is still dealing with.

It will disturb the peace of your life and keep you from fully seeing the love and the grace and the power of Jesus Christ. And then it can choke productivity. You can't work or produce effective if you're defiled by this. You're distracted by it. You can be even diseased by it. Did you know that doctors tell us that resentment and anger turned inward and the refusal to give up and forgive others can produce all kinds of physical ailments and even heart disease. One doctor said, resentment and bitterness puts the whole mental and physical system in a state of war rather than peace.

These are just a few of the consequences. So how can we receive this gift of forgiveness? Thank God there is hope for our hurts. Number one, admit the bitterness. As I said, you have to be willing if it's underground, if it's invisible, to dig it up. I'm not talking about it in an unhealthy way of going back in the past and this whole victimization kind of mentality. No, but ask the Holy Spirit to dig up anything in your life that is disagreeable in you and then confess and agree it with God. Say agree with God that it is wrong.

Say God, I am bitter. I am angry. I am full of resentment. I refuse to forgive. Lord, take this away and change my heart. You don't want to live a life like this. Ask God to heal your hurt and restore your spirit. And when you come to the cross and the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, you will feel the wonders of his grace. And then the anger will begin to dissipate in your life. And then ask God's help to freely and fully forgive those who have hurt you. Now, we're down to it. Because in my view, this is the hardest thing we ever do in the Christian life is to forgive those who have hurt us.

The disciples came to Jesus and questioned whether or not they should forgive and how much they should forgive. And in Luke chapter 17, Jesus responded to their question by saying, take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him, which means confront him. The Bible says agree quickly with your adversary. And if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day and seven times in a day returns to you saying, I repent, you should forgive him. And the apostle said in verse five, Lord, increase our faith. Because this isn't human, is it?

To forgive every day, every time somebody asks you to forgive. I mean, we maybe forgive that person one time, but he does it again. She did it again. Forgive again. Jesus said, yes, forgive. Bitterness often begins with just something small. It's a small little pain, a small little hurt. And then we nurse it and then we rehearse it and until it grows into a powerful force in our lives. And it just takes over. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 13:5, however, love does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, it's not provoked easily, and it thinks no evil.

You know, some of us are way way way too touchy. We're offended at the slightest thing. We get angry about the smallest little deal. And it's because we've never dealt with this spirit that exists in our lives that refuses to let things go by the grace of God. There's one final thing and that is to accept God's plan. And that's really where we get back to Joseph here. Because in chapter 50 verse 20 when God said, but as for you, you meant it as evil against me, but God meant it for good. That's the Romans 8:28 of the Old Testament.

Romans 8:28 says, for God works all things together for the good to them who love the Lord, to those who are called according to his purpose. And Joseph was able to forgive his brothers for one primary reason. He knew that God was in control of his situation. He is now seeing his dreams fulfilled that God used this adversity to advance him. And so often God uses something in our lives, some major crisis or hurt and pain to get us ready for the next big thing that God is about to do in our lives. Did you know that?

If you're in the middle of something right now as a believer in Christ, remember there is nothing that works against you. With Christ, everything is working for you. Nothing is working against you. Everything is working for you. Everything. And if you know that, you can let go of all this other stuff and let God make you a man and a woman of grace that forgives even as the scripture tells us as Christ has forgiven us. Don't let your past determine your future. Don't let what happened so long ago control your destiny today. God's at work.

Where God doesn't rule, he overrules. And I'm telling you for the believer, even those terrible experiences that you're thinking about of injustice and pain and brokenness and abuse and mistreatment and lies and slander. While someone meant for evil, God meant it for good.

Guest (Male): You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message, The Gift of Forgiveness. We want to tell you about an encouraging resource available this month from PowerPoint Ministries. It's Dr. Jack Graham's book, Destiny. Have you ever wondered if God really has a purpose for your life or questioned what he might be doing through the seasons of disappointment, waiting, or uncertainty? In Destiny, Dr. Graham explores the life of Joseph to reveal how God's sovereign hand is always at work even when we can't see it. This powerful resource will help you trust God's plan, find peace in a difficult season, and move forward with confidence and hope.

And when you give a gift of $10 or more to help share the biblical truth around the world through PowerPoint, we'll send you Destiny as our thanks. To give your gift and request your copy, text oct, o c t to 59789. That's oct, o c t as in October to 59789. Let me remind you that you can join Dr. Graham for his daily devotion. It's a study of God word that will help you grow in your faith, encourage you in your walk with Christ, and show you how to navigate through the challenges of life. To sign up, text devo, d e v o to 59789 and begin receiving Dr.

Graham's devotional every day. Again, text devo, d e v o to 59789. Pastor, what is your PowerPoint for today?

Jack Graham: We've all been hurt or mistreated by others. It's part of life. And the truth is we can't change the past. And it doesn't really do that much good to ask why. What we need to do is move forward. Yet one of the things that hold most people back from moving forward are the hurts in life and it creates an unforgiving spirit. If your heart has been broken, but you want to get on with your life today, you must be willing to forgive. You can never fully realize God's grace in your own life if you are harboring hate or bitterness or resentment or pain towards others from your past.

But what if you don't forgive? Well, there are consequences if we don't forgive. The scripture warns us about these consequences. Unforgiveness can contaminate your personality with bitterness. It's like a weed that gets out of control in your life. When you become bitter, you become negative and critical. Anger and resentfulness can grow unchecked and before you realize it, joy and happiness have leaked out of your life. If left unchecked, unforgiveness will devour your relationships and jeopardize your future. Bitterness can spread to your marriage and be passed along to your children even from generation to generation. Worst of all, unforgiveness can rob you of a growing relationship with God.

Listen to the words of scripture, Hebrews 12:15. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God, that no root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble and by it many become defiled. If you've been living with bitterness and anger in your life, there's some things you can do to begin the healing process. Admit the bitterness in your heart. Confess it to God as sin. Then ask God to heal your hurt and restore your spirit. And then ask God to help you fully forgive those who have hurt you. Right now, take an inventory of your life.

Do you harbor any resentment or anger? It's not healthy for your life and your relationship. Forgiveness is not only a gift that you give to others, it is a gift you give to yourself. And when you forgive, you experience the freedom to love, to trust, and to begin living again according to God's plan for your life.

Guest (Male): And that is today's PowerPoint. Remember, when you give a gift of $10 or more, we will send you Dr. Graham's book, Destiny as our thanks. Just text oct, o c t to 59789. And join us again next time as Dr. Graham brings a message about how Joseph is a picture of Jesus. That's next time on PowerPoint with Jack Graham. PowerPoint with Jack Graham is sponsored by PowerPoint Ministries.