Throw a Slandering Party: Turning Your Hurts Into Harvest
Dr RJ Sing, 2 hr 6 min
Originally recorded as “Turning Your Hurts into Harvest”
Sermon outline
The devil sends offence to separate you from your anointing, but if you refuse offence, rejoice and sow every hurt as a seed, God turns it into a harvest.
Main text
- 1 Peter 4:12-14
- Mark 4:14-17
- Matthew 11:6
- Luke 6:22-23
Opening
He leads the church in prayer and worship, gives words of knowledge for a right leg, a lump and partial deafness in a left ear, and has them confess that God is what He says He is and they can do what He says they can do. Saying he will try to keep it short because there is another service on Friday, he announces his subject, turning your hurts into harvest, which he says took him time to learn but changed him once he grasped it.
Think it not strange concerning the fiery trial, but rejoice
One of the biggest mistakes Christians make is thinking they will be challenge-free. Trials are not a sign that God has left you or that you have done wrong; He is developing your character and your faith. The strength to rejoice in affliction is not human but the Spirit's strength in you.
Illustration: As a young Christian he wondered how anyone could rejoice when things were going badly, until God taught him to turn his hurts into harvests.
“One of the huge challenges for Christians is that they think they are challenge-free.”
- 1 Peter 4:11-14
The devil can't steal your anointing, but offence can block it
The devil was once anointed and knows how dangerous an anointed believer is; religious people do him no damage. You are sealed by the Spirit and he cannot take what God gave you, so his only way to separate you from the anointing is to offend you. Your harvest depends on the anointing, your supernatural supply, so guard your heart.
Illustration: He couldn't stop Joseph, Paul, Stephen or the apostles: the early church was remarkably powerful.
“He can't steal your anointing, he can't take it, but you can give it. Just by getting offended.”
- Ephesians 4:30
- Proverbs 4:23
Offence comes to steal the Word: you are in a training programme
In the parable of the sower, Satan comes immediately to take the word, and when affliction or persecution arise for the word's sake, those without root are offended. Persecution and affliction will come; being forewarned is being forearmed, like carrying an umbrella when rain is forecast. God is preparing you for phenomenal things, and if they called Jesus Beelzebub they will slander you too.
Illustration: Someone recently told him two people were slandering him. In the past the blood would have rushed to his head; this time he laughed in his spirit and said, 'Lord, thank you, I'm in for a great financial harvest.'
“If somebody's been slandering you, you're up for promotion.”
- Mark 4:14-17
- Matthew 10:25
Blessed is he who is not offended
When John sent from prison to ask whether Jesus was the One, Jesus listed the miracles and added, 'blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me'. If you are not offended you are blessed, and taking offence makes the blessing leave you; it is too expensive. Make a quality decision in advance not to be offended, whoever it is.
Illustration: He once arrived late with some church leaders at a meeting in Johannesburg to find the doors shut, and decided beforehand that even if they were kept out or sent to the back, he would not be offended.
“We must decide to turn a devil sent opportunity for offense into a harvest of blessing.”
- Matthew 11:1-6
Rejoice and leap for joy when men hate you
Jesus said, in red letters, that you are blessed when men hate you, separate you from their company and cast out your name as evil, and that you should rejoice and leap for joy because your reward is great. Those who slander you are instruments of God's grace working on your behalf, as long as you don't take offence, so close the door and have a 'slandering party'.
Illustration: A man of God now in his seventies had a cheap camera stolen at an airport early in his ministry. God told him to sow it as a seed, so he and his wife forgave the thief, prayed for his salvation and expected a far better camera in return, and they received it. He himself was angry for two years at someone who took a large sum of money from him, until the Lord told him to forgive; within that year God gave back what he had lost, and more.
“When you sow your hurt as a seed, the devil has no option but to give up and pay back.”
- Luke 6:22-23
- Luke 17:21
Take every hurt and sow it as a seed
If you fight it you are on your own; if you let it go, God and His angels fight for you. Sow a lost car, money, friendship, opportunity or job as a seed, forgive and pray for those responsible, and expect a thousandfold harvest, not thirty, sixty or a hundredfold. It takes the Spirit's help to love people who don't love you, and Joseph shows it can be done.
Illustration: Joseph lost his brothers and his father's love when he was thrown into a pit and sold, but was not offended in his heart: he told his brothers, 'you meant it for evil, but God meant it for good'.
“If you fight this thing, you'll be on your own. If you let it go, God's on your side.”
- Matthew 5:41
- Matthew 5:44
- Mark 10:29-30
- Genesis 50:20
Putting it into practice
- Make a quality decision in advance not to be offended, by anyone.
- When you are slandered or rejected, rejoice instead of resigning or retaliating.
- Sow every loss and hurt as a seed: forgive, pray for the person and expect a harvest.
- Let go of grudges, whether family, friends or people who left the church; it is too expensive to hold them.
- Guard your heart so the anointing keeps flowing.
Closing
He calls forward anyone ready to let go of an offence and leads them in a prayer sowing every hurt as a seed, forgiving and praying for those who hurt them and claiming a thousandfold return, saying he prayed it for himself too. After announcing the Good Friday and Easter Sunday services he prays individually over many members, leaders and workers. He tells how Pastor Zubeda remarked that everything he touches is working, to say the anointing on the house must work for everyone, and closes in long intercession for the church's growth, souls, crusades, the city, the nation and its leaders, and for those who slander and criticise them and for other churches and pastors.
Declarations he led
- I make a quality decision not to be offended.
- Father, in the name of Jesus, right now I sow as a seed in the kingdom of God every hurt, every bad feeling, every theft, every loss, every evil thing any person has ever done or said to me, in my family or my ministry. I release every person who has ever hurt me and I forgive them now.
- Now I declare before You, God in heaven, that I expect a reward. I believe Your Word and by faith I set my sickle to the harvest. I believe I receive a thousandfold return for every wrong deed done to me, every unkind word spoken to me, and every cent stolen from me.
- God is what he says he is. God will do what he says he will do. God has what he says he has and you have what he says you have.
- I receive my harvest in the name of Jesus.
In his words
- “Any believer that's anointed, like you are, you become dangerous.”
- “He can't steal your anointing, he can't take it, but you can give it. Just by getting offended.”
- “We must decide to turn a devil sent opportunity for offense into a harvest of blessing.”
- “It's too expensive to hold a grudge, it's too expensive to hold an offense.”
- “If you fight this thing, you'll be on your own. If you let it go, God's on your side.”
Every scripture in this message
- Joshua 6:20
- John 7:38
- Jeremiah 31:13
- Psalm 103:1
- Psalm 136:1
- Psalm 23:4
- Psalm 91:7-10
- 1 Peter 4:11-14
- Ephesians 4:30
- Mark 4:14-17
- Matthew 10:25
- Proverbs 4:23
- Matthew 11:1-6
- Luke 6:22-23
- Luke 17:21
- Matthew 5:41
- Matthew 5:44
- Mark 10:29-30
- Genesis 50:20
- 3 John 2
- John 5:2-4
- Psalm 107:20
- Matthew 18:19
- Zechariah 4:6
- James 1:4
- Psalm 42:7
- 1 Corinthians 1:25