Hurt is a Weight

PART A: TAKING ON THE INFIRMITY

Hebrews 4:15

For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

Touch means to take on the infirmities of others; to exchange places with another, which will destroy judgmentalism and breed compassion. Touch also means to determine how a situation will go.

Paul explains that we do not have a high priest that has not been touched by our infirmities. Jesus suffered all the things that we will suffer. He was tempted in every area. Jesus was able to endure the suffering of hurt, offenses and persecutions, because of the compassion that was produced in Him as He walked among men.

Compassion- A feeling of distress through the ills of others.

These things being true, let us now go before the throne boldly and obtain help in our time of trouble (need).

We have a high priest that has been touched like we have, therefore He knows when we need help. He knows when we are discouraged because of the opposition that comes against us. Even though we are saved, we still live in a fleshy body. Jesus knows there are some things that are going to hurt us.

Hebrews 2:18 KJVS

For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

Hebrews 5:1 KJVS

For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins:

We were taken from among men and are being trained in things pertaining to God. To be taken out from among men, means that we are saved (brought out of the world). We are in the world but we are not of the world.

Everyone of us now has a high priest ministry. This means we can go before God for other people. If you are saved, then you can approach God on behalf of someone who is not saved or needs help. God gave us His Spirit and made us His sons and daughters, now we can access Him for others.

Having access to God, makes our life one that is designed to be a light to pull other men and women out of darkness and into the truth. That is our only purpose for living; not to be wealthy, or to attain the authority and prestige of this world. If this is our mindset, then what happens when this world ends?

We know for a certainty that it shall surely end and that Jesus is coming back. When you die you will have to meet the Lord before the throne of judgment. There you must give an account for the life you lived on earth, whether saved or unsaved.

We are now able to go to the throne of God and ask for help for men. Why? So that we can have compassion on the ignorant and on them that are out of the way. However, those who are ignorant and out of the way are the same people who will hurt you. You have a high priest who has gone through whatever you could go through. He is ready to help you go through it righteously.

As I forestated, oftentimes the person you try to bring to the knowledge of God is the person who ends up hurting you. When this happens, you need help in order to continue to function in holiness and righteousness in the midst of the offense. The devil systematically trained us how to deal with an offense: “you hurt me, I hurt you back.” When we came into the church we still had this same attitude. We kept it on the inside and waited for an opportunity to retaliate. The scripture calls it wrath when we lay in wait for someone. We sin sometimes not by what we do but by the things we don’t do.

The person that needs help may be the same one that hurt you.

When you lie in wait for someone the scripture calls it wrath.

God will allow someone to hurt you and then create a situation for you to intercede for that person. If you don’t help the person, then you have still retaliated, by not giving the righteous response. When someone hurts you, you need to be able to go to God requesting Him to forgive the person, and to strengthen you in the offense.”

Hebrews 4:16

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

In the midst of a hurt or an offense, going to the throne for help does not mean you just suppress what you are feeling. When you talk to God, first tell Him the truth about what you feel. To go to the throne of grace in the midst of pain is to ‘consider God’ and your purpose inside of the trial or offense. Your purpose is always to reconcile that person back to God. You must always put yourself in the other person’s place, which will have a two-fold effect; (1) it will destroy judgmentalism and (2) it will breed compassion in you.

Hebrews 5:2

Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity.

FORGIVE

When you forgive a person, you wipe their slate of debt clean. Don’t ever forget that God forgave you and that it is your duty to forgive others.

When you are suffering and you bow down and worship those feelings, you make them an idol. Offenses have now become sin and a weight that has beset you.

Sometimes you cannot effectively witness to a sinner because you just don’t like the person. You look at their deeds and you place yourself above them. Location of sin does not make a difference.

You may not have committed physical sin but perhaps you are sinning in your heart. To God, sin is sin regardless of location. God wants us to love unconditionally, no one is a stranger. We may not like the things they do, but we still have to love the person. If the deeds of the flesh can offend you and cause you to lose sight of your purpose in their life, then you cannot provide them with the help they need.

PART B: HURT: THE WEIGHT THAT BESETS YOU

Hurt is a weight to self, but a sin when it effects others, regardless of whether or not it is deliberately inflicted. One of the greatest hindrances to spiritual growth in the body of Christ is hurt that results from an offense. Hurt will neutralize you to a point where you are unable to minister. If not dealt with righteously it can become a stumbling block to those within your sphere of influence. The Church has not been trained in how to deal with hurt. We adopted a mindset that we have operated in most of our spiritual lives. It is the “you hurt me, I hurt you back” mentality. My feelings were hurt due to your unrighteousness, therefore I have a right to carry that hurt. This is an issue that needs to be settled.

Questions that need answering: Is it righteous for a saint to hurt? Am I supposed to hurt? How do I identify hurt? In what category do I put hurt? Do I put it in the same category with sin? No, because if I put it in the same category with sin, that means I have to deal with it the same way that I deal with sin.

Hebrews 12:1

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.

Weight - a burden, as of responsibility or sorrow; influence or power to oppress; (Webster’s) anything pressing on one physically (Matt. 20:12); something that makes a demand on ones resources, whether material or spiritual (I Thess. 2:6); something that is carried; a light affliction (II Cor. 4:17) Vine’s Expository

2 Cor 4:17

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.

The scripture above categorizes hurt as a weight (anything pressing on one physically). Hurt will keep love from flowing through you, because hurt comes from bitterness. If there is a root of bitterness in you, it is going to come out somewhere. You can suppress it, but it will rear its ugly head. Let’s look at where we are inside of hurts and offenses? The scripture says, “he that has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin” (I Peter 4:1). He is not talking about those who have experienced physical persecution, he is talking about those who do not respond negatively to offenses.

When you do not let your own thoughts, feelings, emotions, will and even your personage reign you have ceased from sin. The flesh (one's soul under the influence of satan) does not want to suffer, it wants satisfaction. There must be enough of the right word to kill the root of bitterness. Suppression is not deliverance.

HURT CAUSES NEGATIVE EMOTIONS

On your way to perfection people will offend you. When this happens, you need to go to the throne room for grace and mercy. You need help to hold your peace, to not hate the other person, and you need help not to let your emotions separate you from the other person. You can not do it with will power, it runs out. When will power operates you are simply conforming. This will become evident as soon as the other person does something else and you retaliate.

In the midst of offenses, we don’t normally take it to the throne. However, we should come boldly to the throne. Hurt causes negative emotions. When our emotions are negative, then our actions will be negative too. Paul is saying, once you discover it’s an offense and you are tried, go quickly to the throne of grace. Don’t wait, because the longer you wait the more opportunity you will have to sin.

The thing that causes us to wait and not go to the throne is that we lose sight of purpose in that person’s life. Purpose will drive you to the throne. If you remember purpose, you will run to the throne for help, “God, I am hurting, heal me quick so that I can do the righteous thing and show this person Christ.”

Hurt will keep love from flowing through you because it comes from bitterness.

Suppression is not deliverance.

If you don’t consider God in the midst of the sin, later you can’t go boldly, because of shame. You know you have failed.

PART C: HURT IS A DISTRACTION

Hebrews 12:2

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hurt is a distraction, and its purpose is to keep you from looking unto Jesus. Jesus has suffered in every capacity of human flesh. Paul is trying to explain to us that even inside of suffering we don’t have to sin. When Jesus suffered and was offended He never lost sight of His purpose. He would often go to the throne and pray. The Holy Spirit would encourage Him in His purpose. He went to the throne boldly and He stayed before God. So in the midst of your trials, fall on your knees, and before you know it, God will strengthen you by his Spirit of might and or have someone there to rescue and minister to you.

Don’t allow your mind to build a monument of your offenses. When we have been raised by Satan, and offended by many people, we take on a mindset that if we ever get in that situation again, we will not allow ourselves to be hurt. The scripture teaches us that it is impossible for us to live without being offended.

We know that God allows the offenses to reveal to us our spiritual location. We have the knowledge of God, yet we allow our feelings to war with God’s Word. If we put our feelings first, our response will be one of sin, when you are in a carnal state you cannot absorb offenses. You will respond to your sufferings, but if you exchange your feelings for God’s Word then you will be able to absorb all the effect of the offense (through the power of the Holy Spirit working through you).

Psalm 119:165

Great peace have they which love thy law: And nothing shall offend them.

The law of God is His love in our hearts. Everytime you are offended, it is an opportunity to express love. Love is an attribute of the character of God.

The church is crippled because we do not immediately respond righteously to offenses. The Word says as soon the offense happens, go to the throne and ask God to forgive the person and then you forgive him. It is our duty to forgive. If we keep purpose in mind we will run to the throne. Our healing begins immediately because purpose will have outweighed the suffering. Purpose must become more powerful than pain.

We Love You,

Bishop & Doc.