Sunday Evening Worship Service

get your Bibles remain standing we're going to go to the Book of Revelation man what a word we heard this morning thankful for the word of the Lord thankful for the taught word the preached word that we hear each and every week from our pastors and our Bishop whom I give honor to tonight the Bible says honor such men and we honor them for their labor in the word of the Lord Revelation chapter number eight we're going to read two verses verses 10 and 11. Revelation chapter number 8 verses 10 and 11. thank you John wrote and the third Angel sounded and there fell a great star from heaven burning as it were a lamp and it fell upon the third part of the rivers and upon The Fountains of waters and the name of the star is called wormwood someone say wormwood and the third part of the waters became wormwood and many men died of the waters because they were made bitter now someone say bitter I want to preach to you tonight for a few moments a star called wormwood a star called wormwood won't you put your Bibles or your devices down and would you lift up a hand or two or would you help me pray for the word of the Lord tonight that it might reach Hearts father we thank you for your spirit that is invaded the sanctuary today and this evening we thank you for the great word of God that we heard preached this morning and I pray father that your word would find good ground again tonight God it'll be good ground at the Sea The Good Seed is sown upon and help me it was a sower to sow the word tonight and I pray that there will be a great refreshing that would come from your spirit a great illumination from your from your spirit for your word tonight in Jesus name we pray and everyone said amen why don't you clap your hands again tonight [Music] and then turn around tell somebody I'm glad to see you in the house of the Lord and then you can be seated I had to see you here in the house of the Lord a star called wormwood is widely acknowledged that The Book of Revelation can be challenging to comprehend in certain sections I'm not sure about you but when I get to the Book of Revelation in my daily reading my yearly reading of the Bible I get just a little apprehensive does anybody anybody else feel that way maybe you're just like I love it so it's my favorite book that's my favorite book The Book of Revelation well it could be challenging at times because it uses symbolic language and surreal imagery and it perplexes its readers one particular aspect of Revelation that can be difficult to grasp is the account of the seals and the trumpets which pertain to the ongoing judgment in the last days now I've read through Revelation a myriad of times and I was listening to my Bible the other day as I was driving up to competition in Gatlinburg and Revelation 8 10-11 came through my reading and I've been using over the last several months I've been reading through the New Living Translation and it when I heard it it kept my ears and my ears perked up just a little bit because it didn't sound all that familiar to me when I heard it let me read it to you from the New Living Translation Revelation 8 10-11 actually just read verse number 11. the name of the star was bitterness it made one third of the water bitter and many people died from drinking The Bitter Water the name of the star was bitterness now that caught my attention because I always had heard it translated as wormwood as we read a few moments ago I went through all the different English translations that I like to read and went to Revelation 8 11 and 12 and all of them said wormwood I thought well this one says bitterness now I'm really interested to know about this I discovered in reading and got some commentaries out and began to take some notes that the name wormwood means bitter bitter the anchor Bible dictionary talks about wormwood and it defines it as this the popular name of for several plans which belongs to the genus of Artemisia named after the Greek goddess Artemis several species of Artemisia grow in Palestine and Syria so the worm would mention in the Bible is likely Artemisia a small heavily branched shrub with hairy gray leaves it is the most common variety of Artemisia in Israel and neighboring countries found in dry desolate areas you see it there on the screen it goes on to say that the wormwood plant known for its extremely bitter taste is eaten by goats and camels and its leaves are dried and steeped by Bedouins to make a strong aromatic tea and the Bible wormwood the usual translation that we find here is always used figuratively for bitterness oh the international Bible encyclopedia said wormwood was a bitter substance usually associated with gall just put a bark bookmark in your mind on that for a few moments now during John's vision of the blowing trumpets he sees a vision of a falling star trumpets are primarily in scripture associated with warning instruments in a war situation whether calling for an attack or Retreat or just simply to alert its people John hears a trumpet and sees the third Angel blow a trumpet and a great star falls from heaven burning like a torch it fell on a third of the rivers and on the Springs of waters the name of it wormwood and many die from the waters that were made bitter now wormwood is a symbol a metaphor that unveils a deeper spiritual truth wormwood represents the bitter consequences of our actions and the toxic outcomes of a heart consumed with resentment anger and unforgiveness you see bitterness of the Holy Ghost now you see bitterness is like a star that falls from the heavens casting a dark shadow upon our souls it's a spiritual poison that seeps into every fiber of our being staining our thoughts poisoning our relationships and hindering our walk with God and I just I was thinking through this text and I begin to study and my mind began to just to spin and my spirit began to turn and I began to think well why why would God call this Burning brilliant shining star or wormwood could it be that it's light can illuminate and attract when you see a star you're attracted to stop and look at it could it be this bitterness called a star because it attracts the wounded and it attracts the hurt you see it's easy to be attracted to bitterness it's easy to stand under the light of bitterness and allow it to wash over you with anger and a sour attitude simply because it's the default disposition for so many of us but a star called wormwood will fall and it will harm and it will destroy your life you see bitterness is like a star that falls from the Heaven casting a dark shadow upon our souls it's a spiritual poison that seeps into our being Revelation 8 and 11 reveals the devastating effects of the star it says it's called wormwood it says this thing this bitter thing is coming down and when it falls it's going to poison the waters and everyone and anyone who drinks from it will die can I tell you something if there is bitterness that comes falling down towards your life don't drink the water don't drink the bitter Waters of resentment and anger and I wish somebody was helping me right now I'm telling you bitterness will destroy your spirit bitterness will steal your joy bitterness will steal your worship bitterness will ruin your relationships just as the bitter Waters cause death bitterness can kill relationships dreams and destinies you better hear me tonight it separates us from the love and grace of God and it stifles our spiritual growth I I when I was thinking through this again the the main character that came to my mind from the Old Testament was Absalom anybody remember the story of Absalom the third son of King David he possessed a captivating presence and a natural dignity his handsome appearance and eloquence made him irresistible to the hearts of Israel Israel viewed him as a Divine champion who could succeed his father David oh the potential that lay before Absalom possessing the world at his fingertips he had all that he desired as a prince of Israel his charm and smooth words held immense power Absalom could have been a hero a legend inscribed in the annals of Israel's Kings but alas his life took a tragic turn what caused such a downfall after such a promising beginning it began with a vile act committed by his half-brother amnon who raped Absalom sister Tamar King David their father failed to address the matter adequately leaving Absalom bitter and vengeful which allowed bitterness to take root within him his heart was consumed by a desire for a Revenge instead instead of waiting for God's timing and trusting in his Justice Absalom took matters into his own hands he devised a plan to kill amnon his brother he orchestrated a scenario where his followers would eliminate his brother after getting him drunk one fateful choice turn absalom's life upside down altering his Destiny forever can I tell you my friends bitterness has a way of consuming us it is a deadly poison that we often wish others would drink but it eats away at our own insides wormwood the star of bitterness fell into absalon's life and poisoned him to the Core and it led him to the unthinkable to plot the murder of his own brother stop pause and let's think telling my conscious tell you something right now I've seen far too many people be wounded and hurt and allow bitterness to come into their life and all they want to to do is attack somebody else they're willing to attack their brothers their sisters their parents and can I tell you they'll even attack somebody in the church oh Absalom allow bitterness to take hold of him was such an intensity that it allowed him to contemplate the murder of his own brother can you fathom the depth of such Darkness bitterness is like a Venom that corrupts our thoughts warps our perceptions and blinds us to the consequences of our own actions I'm preaching the ninth but it didn't stop him there it didn't stop oh no he's not done bitterness is never satisfied after he killed amnon he's not done after he got rid of it it didn't soothe his bitterness bitterness is never satisfied it's as cruel as the grave it knew no bounds it fueled a rebellion against his own father I'll kill my brother now I'll rebel against my father King David this Rebellion sought to tear down the the very fabric of God's kingdom can you Ma can you just think and imagine the magnitude of his Defiance the audacity of his actions bitterness my friends has a way of distorting our understanding and driving us to Extreme Measures just as we heard today bitterness will not disallow you to kill others it will allow you to rebel against Authority it doesn't want Authority it doesn't want to listen and you're not going to be able to counsel bitterness and I'm for counseling I'm for all of that but I'm going to tell you something you can't counsel bitterness it will blind you it will blind the beauty of unity and the wisdom of submission to Godly Authority it happens in every Church it happens in every denomination one person gets bitter and they'll attack a brother and a sister but they're not done now I gotta attack the leadership I gotta attack the doctrine I gotta attack the church I gotta attack everything that they stand for you know why they've allowed a root of bitterness to get a hold of them and the star wormwood has poisoned them we must be on guard brothers and sisters for the poisonous root that takes hold and spreads like wildfire it separates us from the love and grace of God it isolates us from the support of our loved ones and it tarnishes our witness to the world let us not be deceived for bitterness promises much but delivers only devastation it promises justice but brings destruction it promises Vindication but so is division it promises to right the wrongs but only perpetuates more pain East Stanley Jones a great preacher and writer wrote this a rattlesnake if cornered will sometimes become so angry it will bite itself that is exactly what the harboring of hate and resentment against others is abiding of oneself we think we are harming others and holding these spikes and hates but the deeper harm is to ourselves I read a few studies this weekend working on this thought that not only does bitterness inflict spiritual devastation it causes mental and physical health issues bitterness takes on a toll on your physical health research done in 2004 shows that chronic negative emotions like bitterness and hostility can weaken the immune system making individuals more susceptible to illnesses and impairing their ability to recover another study in 2013 indicates that bitterness is associated with increased somatic complaints and physical health impairments another study in 2005 and 2015 shows it has a profound impact on our Mental Health those who Harbor bitterness tend to experience negative cognitive patterns such as rumination pessimism and difficulty processing emotions this can lead to increased levels of anxiety depression and overall emotional distress but I'm going to tell you something far worse than physical and mental health problems bitterness can extends to the spiritual well-being of a man or a woman bitterness can create a barrier between us and God it'll keep you from true worship it'll keep you from True Fellowship it'll keep you from good relationships I'm telling you something that bitterness is a toxic poison Paul would write in Ephesians 4 31 get rid of all bitterness you're gonna have to get rid of what's killing you you're going to have to get rid of what's killing your mental health your physical health and your spiritual health someone say amen I know this is not shouting preaching but it's helping preaching I want to help somebody tonight let me reveal to you the profound truth about wormwood it's not limited to poisoning rivers and Waters it has power to poison all who partake of it there's a lesson to be learned from absalom's business and I want you to hear me that's really important right now that you hear me the tragic event involving amnon and Tamar did not directly happen to Absalom he was a third party and he allowed that event to poison him there is such a thing as a perceived slight I've seen people get wounded and hurt and upset and offended over what somebody else went through and that's fine to have empathy and sympathy for somebody but don't allow their mistreatment and their abuse and their offense to become wormwood in your soul pray for him love them encourage them but don't be poisoned don't be inflicted [Applause] yeah his sister was the one who suffered the harm but just because somebody else was offended doesn't mean you need to be offended you don't have to be the injured party to be afflicted by bitterness it says all that the waters were infected by wormwood but all who partook of it you don't have to drink it you don't have to drink from the bitter Waters you don't have to drink from somebody else's offense hear me tonight there is great significance in the occlusion of this falling star a wormwood in the account of the end times we live in a time when many are willing to be offended and hurt by the slightest of things wormwood has fallen into the Waters of our lives and we find ourselves drinking from the bitter Waters we heard something uh recently in the last several months or years I won't put in a timeline but we heard of one leader calling another leader and this leader was left out of a certain song at their Church and I called the other leader and said do you think I need to be offended let me tell you something if you have to ask somebody else if you should be offended you're not offended you're looking for an offense and can I tell you leadership everybody in Ministry we do not have the luxury or the privilege of being wounded by Petty things we need to rise up go somebody hear me those who love his law are not going to be offended by anything I'm telling you right now we don't need to go looking for offense we don't need to go looking for wounds and hurts we need to realize we got to live above that stuff well they didn't shake my hand they might have been busy they didn't sing my song wait until next week they didn't do this they didn't do that who's they just looking for an offense that's the word we're living in right now we're looking for the most Petty things to find a fence in wormwood has fallen into the Waters of our lives and we find ourselves drinking from the bitter Waters it has become too easy for us to be offended and bitter politics has made us bitter social standing has made us bitter social media has made us bitter unmet preferences has have made us bitter wormwood has fallen into the Waters of the world and bitterness is Flowing abundantly but all who drink of it will be destroyed bitterness will destroy you from within and it will destroy everyone else that you come in contact with hear me tonight I'm preaching I'm helping preaching tonight someone may have hurt you and you were a child leaving you bitter a relationship may have ended leaving you with trust issues and bitterness someone may have lied about you leaving your reputation in Ruins you may have been overlooked for a position or a promotion leaving you bitter a parent may have disappointed you leaving you bitter someone may not have reciprocated your affections only to leave you better I'm telling you tonight you need to get healing in your spirit you need to get healing in your life don't allow bitterness [Applause] someone say Amen understand this listen to me now wormwood is not a devil or a demon but it afflicts like one it's destructive power is reminiscent of the enemy schemes it destroys relationships it tears apart families and it wreaks havoc on every soul wormwood has the ability to poison you so deeply that you become the carrier of its bitterness your words become tainted seasoned with the bitterness that consumes you it spills over into your interactions with your children your spouse and those around you hear me now the innocent bear the Brunt of the bitterness that has taken residence within your heart don't underestimate the power of bitterness to hold you captive to past hurts and broken relationships it has a way of lingering long after the wounds have healed making you bitter jealous and filled with rage and so you inflict pain on others who have done you no wrong all because you refuse to let go of the bitterness in your own heart listen to me somewhere bitterness like a badge of honor displaying it proudly for all to see it's etched on their faces evident in their pouting and their anger it becomes a defense mechanism keeping people at a distance for some they use their bitterness as it attracts pity from others and it draws in fellow bitter Souls creating a toxic atmosphere of gossip and jealousy as you go go around the cauldron of bitterness and all you're doing is creating a toxic brew for innocent bystanders I'm telling you right now you better let go of that bitterness you better let go of that bitterness you better let go of the bitterness yeah I wish somebody was helping me right now I'm coming for you get rid of the bitterness get rid of the offense get rid of the pity get rid of this there are those who carry bitterness wherever they go their sour disposition precedes them casting a dark shadow on every interaction teams corporations businesses jobs relationships families dread their presence for their constant cynicism complaints and murmuring only to constantly bring down morale and hinder progress you know them ah I said ah oh what's wrong with you again this week well you know what happened 25 years ago it's just when are you going to get over it when are you gonna get over it when are you going to let go of because it's just it's not getting you anywhere it's poisoning your soul destroying your relationships frustrating your progress and stunting your spiritual growth now I know this is not marriage retreat but I'm going to talk to some marriages right now there may have been some things that have gone on in the past there may have been words said there may have been actions played out and all you know how to do is constantly bring it back up you said you forgave him but you not forgot it and so you hold it over them like wormwood silent treatment sharp tones bringing it back up they forgot to buy the milk at the grocery store that's just like you unreliable wormwood come on I'm talking to somebody right now some of y'all allow warm wood to take up residence in the other room and then you allow it to come into the kitchen and sit at dinner with you you allow it to get in the car and ride to the to the church with you and all you're doing is entertaining and harboring bitterness and what you need to do so you can have some peace of mind and some healthy relationships as tell bitterness you're out of here I'm telling you it's time for you to go I'm serving you an eviction notice [Applause] ah musicians get ready there's a cure for bitterness there is a cure for bitterness let's go to Exodus chapter number 15. oh Jesus I love the word of God Exodus 15. beginning at verse number 22 so Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea and they went out into the Wilderness of sure and they went three days in the wilderness and found no water and when they came to Mara and the word on the name Mara means bitter they could not drink of the Waters of Maura for they were bitter therefore the name of it was called bitter Mara and guess what happens when you get you get bitter the people murmured murmuring always follows bitterness they murmured against Moses saying what shall we drink and he cried unto the Lord and the Lord showed him a tree which he had cast into the waters and the waters were made the bitterness of those Waters can serve as a metaphor a shadow of the bitterness that plagues our own lives just as the Israelites faced a physical bitterness we too experience the bitterness of sin and its devastating effects on our souls sin has a way of leaving us parched spiritually and emotionally that taints every aspect of our being but in the midst of their distress God put a tree in the bitter Waters notice he didn't tell Moses to cut it down but God supplied the tree God supplied the remedy to the bitterness he instructed them now taste now that the tree has touched the bitter Waters now's taste and see that oh it points to us this event it points to us a greater tree a tree at Calvary just as Moses told them to go and drink from the water at God had cast a tree into the bitter Waters our heavenly father sent a tree and upon that tree is Jesus Christ and it took every weight of our sin he took every weight of a fence and bitterness he took the bitterness he took the shame he took the guilt he took all the things that we Harbor inside of us and he said I'll make the bitter thing sweet I'll take the bitterness and I'll make it sweets you know what you can find here you can find Healing tonight for your bitterness you're going to find Healing at Calvary you'll only find forgiveness you'll find Healing at a tree called Calvary [Music] stand to your feet tonight took the bitterness upon himself [Music] the bitterness that once held us captive has been replaced by the Sweet Waters of his grace mercy and love but the tree has got to touch the waters [Music] I forgive you have you forgiven them [Music] like Christ has forgiven you thank you you see you can't find forgiveness for yourself unless you're willing to forgive [Music] that tree putting nails in his hands and what does he say father get them get the Angelic host down here and swipe them off the face of the Earth get them that's not what he said he said forgive him can you forgive the one who drove the nail into your heart can you forgive the one who drove the nail into your back can you can you forgive the one who drove a nail into your reputation can you forgive the one who drove a nail into your marriage and into your relationship until you're willing to forgive them you're not going to find forgiveness for yourself [Music] remember wormwood was a plant better plan Matthew 27 and 34 we we read that Jesus was offered wine mixed with Gaul [Music] but he refused to drink it I told you Gaul was related to Wormwood foreign he was not willing to consume that which would kill him he took what was killing us so we could be freed from what's killing us [Music] bitterness of every offense I had somebody one time message me and I'm closing come on out I had someone message me one time [Music] good I said Pastor Whitley what do you do when you're innocent and people just keep doing things to you and you don't deserve it I'm not sure they like my reply because my reply was that's never happened to anybody but one person there's only been one person who's been innocent that took on things that they did not deserve and it's not you and it's not me it was Jesus you see he took the offense so we didn't have to be offended [Music] but some of us like being offended [Music] we like offense more than we like peace [Music] we love are you hearing me right now there's some who don't want to get rid of it because it gives you an advantage in arguments it's the Joker when can I pull it out when can I pull this out oh here's the oh to that I'm I'm feeling extra spicy today boom you know some of you all get on Facebook just looking for somebody oh screenshots sending that to Pastor name what do you think about this take what I think about it stop sending me stuff I don't see it and I'm not going to do something because you've seen it if you've got a problem the Bible says if if your brother has offended you don't screenshot it and send it to your pastor the Bible says to take it to your brother and confront them with them but some of y'all don't have enough courage to do that so you want somebody else to do it so you can stay offended [Music] you're gonna have to get rid of that bitterness got to get rid of that bitterness you know the word unforgiveness is not really a word but it's a right concept unforgiveness will kill you it will bring bitterness it's like wormwood coming down into your life poisoning you if you would just let it go and let Calvary touch you I wonder if somebody lift up their hand right now I I don't know who I'm preaching to I didn't have one mind and and I had one face in mind as I was working through this and praying through this this week but is there's just somebody who just says you know what they hurt me a long time ago maybe it was a parent maybe it's some disappointment uh maybe it was a relationship that went around I I gotta get rid of it's killing me on the inside it's killing me mentally and emotionally and physically but more importantly it's hindering my spiritual growth I wonder if somebody would say Lord touch me with your tree today a tree of Calvary the place where you can forgive those who put nails into your hand and a crown of thorns on your head and they openly abused you and and mock tube but you forgave them God and I've never went through anything like that and I'm gonna go ahead and just give it to you come on is there somebody who's brave enough somebody who's brave enough tonight who'll come to an altar and say I need this sweet dream Calvary to come and touch the bitter Waters that are raging in my hearts come on it's all right it's all right it's okay to let that go it's okay to admit it it's killing me it's killing me it's killing my marriage it's killing my relationship with my kids it's killing me I've got to get rid of it come on would you lift up your hands come on they're gonna sing but I want you to say Lord forgive me forgive me but God I'm forgiven them I might not forget but I'm gonna forgive and I'm going to move on I'm gonna let you I'm gonna let you take care of it God I'm not gonna be like Absalom and try to make and then bring revenge for myself but God vengeance is yours God Justice is yours and I'm giving it to you I need peace of mind I need peace of mind in my spirit my marriage needs peace come on my family needs peace my kids need peace I've got to get rid of these feelings that I'm harboring in my spirit it's callousing my heart it's promising my mind come on come on it's okay let it go come on Let It Go come on Let It Go Get It Over get it over with come on say God I'm getting there I'm getting rid of it I'm taking it to Calvary today I'm taking it to Calgary today come on he's good come on he wants to heal that which is killing you oh yes [Music] [Laughter] your mercy is forever come on somebody lift up your voice come on pray and ask him God Lord my God make a Bittersweet make the Bittersweet God you can take it away you can heal it God you can restore it but it starts with me it doesn't start with them they may not ask for forgiveness but I'm going to let them I'm gonna let it go it's worth it it's worth my peace of mind it's worth my spiritual well-being it's worth my help it's worth my peace come on come on he's healing he's healing he's healing come on he's healing yes