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Series Code: BOL
Program Code: BOL000514A
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00:07 SERMON #514 How to Handle Haters
00:12 BREATH OF LIFE MINISTRIES THEME [Music] 00:20 PB: The Word of God says to us from 1 Samuel chapter 18, 00:23 verse number 6. If you have it, let me hear you say amen. 00:27 "And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned 00:31 from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came 00:35 out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet 00:39 King Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of musick. 00:43 And the women answered one another as they played, and said, 00:47 Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands. 00:53 And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; 00:57 and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, 01:00 and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can 01:03 he have more but the kingdom? And Saul," the Bible says, 01:09 "eyed." Everybody say "eyed." Aud.: Eyed. 01:11 PB: "David from that day and forward." Today I just want to 01:14 spend some time and challenge this class and everyone else 01:16 with the subject, How to handle haters. How to handle haters. 01:24 God, bless us now as we speak this word to Your people Hide 01:26 us behind Your cross and forgive us of our sins, in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. 01:32 On the count of three, everybody say "haters." One-two-three! 01:35 Aud.: Haters. PB: Come on, say it like you mean it. One-two-three! 01:37 Aud.: Haters. PB: One of the things I believe that makes ministry 01:41 effective is when we can just be real. If we can stop all the pretension, 01:47 all the fake, phoniness and be read. Because too oftentimes the church 01:52 is unable to live in reality and we live in ideality because we become 01:57 so blinded by our own stuff. That's why the world sometimes doesn't feel 02:04 a connection to the church, and the church struggles to connect with the world. 02:09 And if you can't connect, you can't convert. Do I have a witness in this place? 02:15 So we've got to be real. Everybody say "real." Aud.: Real. 02:18 PB: One of the things I've had to learn how to do and I'm continually 02:20 teaching myself as a pastor, it's to listen to what's happening outside 02:24 the four walls of the church. To be able to understand what people are really 02:28 going through and what they're really dealing with so I can be able to come 02:31 back to the Word of God and give people a practical, spiritual response to the 02:37 issues they face every day. And so today we're going to deal with a very, 02:42 very real issue that's in the world and in the church. Now for the 02:48 seasoned saints in the church and for those who have been insulated 02:52 by the four walls of the church and those who have not been able to 02:55 tap into what's going on outside in the world, let me tell what a hater is. 03:02 It's something that our young people describe as a person who has two 03:08 fundamental problems with you. Number one, they're jealous of you; 03:15 and number two, they envy what you have. Let me try it again: 03:21 number one, they're jealous. They're what, everybody? 03:24 Aud.: Jealous. PB: Jealous of you, and number two they envy. 03:26 They what, everybody? Aud.: Envy. 03:28 PB: What you have. And when you put envy and jealousy together, 03:32 guess what you've got. Aud.: A hater. 03:37 PB: A hater. These are people who can't stand to see you blessed. 03:41 All they do is talk about what you have and try to figure out 03:45 how you got it. Haters are people who are jealous and envious 03:50 and spend all their time trying to make you look small so they 03:54 can look tall. You have something they want, so they try to minimize you, 03:59 thinking it will maximize them. They're bitter about something. 04:04 Instead of counting their blessings, they start counting your blessings. 04:09 Haters don't want to see you happy. Haters don't want to see you blessed. 04:16 Haters do not want to see you succeed. Haters do not want you to get the victory. 04:23 Everybody is not happy about what God is doing in your life. Everybody is 04:29 not happy when you get that new job, that new car, when you get the new house. 04:33 Everybody is not happy when you find that special someone. Young people, 04:38 everybody is not happy when you graduate, because everybody can't handle 04:43 your blessings. Because the same people who used to give you a ride 04:47 sometimes can't handle you getting a new car. The same folk that used to 04:53 let you sleep in their spare room sometimes can't handle you getting 04:57 your own place. The same single people who you used to hang out with 05:04 sometimes can't handle your engagement. That's why, ladies, 05:10 when you go to the beauty shop, stop talking about your man. 05:13 [Aud. reaction] PB: 'Cause the same sisters you're talking to 05:15 about your man are the same people trying to get your man. 05:17 I wish I had a witness in this place. [Aud. reaction] 05:20 PB: Some people can't handle your blessings. Some friends you 05:28 make at one level aren't able to transition to the new level. 05:34 Let me tell you something. I've learned in my life--I graduated 05:37 from here 22 years ago--people will come in your life for a reason, 05:42 a season, and some for a lifetime. And you've got to know that everybody 05:49 that comes in your life, it has nothing to do with them but everything 05:53 to do with what God is about to do in your life. I told this before, 05:57 I'll tell it again today. It's like a space shuttle. The laws of 06:02 gravity say that what goes up must come down. So based on the laws of gravity, 06:09 space shuttles shouldn't be able to go up in orbit. I'm going somewhere. 06:13 Gravity is a force that pulls you down, and in order for a rocket to 06:17 escape the pull of gravity, it has to attain an escape speed of 06:22 6.96 miles per second. The space shuttle takes off. 06:26 It has two rocket boosters on the side of it. 06:30 These rocket boosters are designated and designed to help 06:35 that space shuttle get to a certain altitude and achieve that 06:39 escape speed. But when the space shuttle reaches a certain altitude, 06:45 you will notice the rocket boosters fall off. Now, when the rocket 06:50 boosters fall off, one of the reasons they fall off is because the 06:53 engineers determined that the rocket boosters are designed to get 06:57 the shuttle to a certain altitude, but they were not built to fly 07:00 in the shuttle's orbit. There are some people in your life, 07:06 thank God for the season that they came in your life, 07:10 that they were able to get you to a certain level. 07:13 But with what God is trying to do in your life, 07:17 some folk will just fall off because they were designed 07:23 to fly in your orbit; and some folk won't even fly in your orbit, 07:28 they won't even make it off the ground, because they represent 07:31 the gravity that's trying to hold you down. I wish I had a 07:33 witness in this place. [Aud. reaction] 07:36 PB: That's why you've got to be careful--I'm preaching to myself- 07:39 -who you share your blessings and your dreams with, because some 07:43 folk can't stand to see you blessed. If you don't believe me, 07:47 ask Joseph. Because if your own flesh and blood can turn against you, 07:52 God only knows who else will turn against you. There are some people 07:55 who also have spiritual jealousy. Spiritual envy. What am I talking about? 08:02 Think about some of your former friends. Some people will always give 08:05 you a cigarette after you've quit smoking. [Aud. reaction] 08:08 PB: Some people will always offer you weed after you quit smoking it. 08:13 Oh, don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about. 08:15 Some people will always offer you a 32-ounce after you've stopped drinking. 08:21 Some people will always offer you a good night after you've decided to be abstinent. 08:26 Some people will bake you a free cake after you start your diet. 08:31 [Aud. reaction] PB: Some people can't handle your newfound focus, 08:38 your spiritual growth, your commitment to Christ, your self-control, 08:42 your discipline, your plan of action, your focus and your will to succeed. 08:47 They can't handle your blessings--why? Because you remind them of 08:50 their own failed efforts. In a sense, you're leaving them behind, 08:55 and they know it. You see, misery still loves company. Birds of a 09:01 feather still flock together. Bad habits still corrupt good morals. 09:07 The name for these folks--haters. They're jealous, they're envious, 09:14 and they hate. Ellen White says in "The Testimonies" that "envy grieves God." 09:21 But Proverbs 14:30 also says "A heart at peace gives life to the body 09:25 but envy rots the bones." In the text, David has just accomplished an 09:32 incredible victory over Goliath. It's a time of celebration to the 09:35 nation of Israel as they have overcome the Philistines. 09:38 David has gained instant popularity; David has become a national hero; 09:43 David has become an overnight celebrity. People sing his praises, 09:48 but just as everyone else is celebrating the victory, the Bible 09:51 declares that King Saul starts hating. Because he now feels threatened, 09:57 because the people now sing "Saul killed his thousands, 10:01 but David killed his ten thousands." Now, everybody--especially Saul- 10:09 -should have been happy because of David's defeat over Goliath. 10:14 But I've learned firsthand that the greatest moments in your life 10:18 often produce the greatest moments of envy and jealousy in 10:20 somebody else's life. And I don't know, but it seems as if the haters 10:25 really don't start hating until God has done or is doing something 10:29 great in your life. You see, they didn't have anything to say when 10:32 you were working at Walmart; but the minute they hear you're 10:36 working downtown they start hating. They had no problem when 10:39 you were walking or riding your bike, but when they find out 10:43 you're driving a Beemer or a Benz, they start hating. 10:46 They were okay when you were their coworker; but when they 10:50 found out you were their new supervisor, they started hating. 10:54 When the women in verse 7 started singing Saul has slain his thousands, 10:58 David his ten thousands, jealousy and envy rose up in Saul 11:02 alike never before. But the song wasn't designed to disparage Saul. 11:07 The song was supposed to celebrate the victories of Saul and his 11:12 understudy David, because often when you're the coach, even though 11:17 you don't play the game you still get the credit. But with David's 11:22 rise in popularity among the people came the deterioration of his 11:26 relationship with Saul. So, the Bible says, he became jealous. 11:30 Jealous of Israel's new hero. The Bible goes on in verse 8, 11:34 "Then Saul became very angry, for this "saying displeased him; 11:38 and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, 11:40 and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he 11:42 have more but the kingdom?" Notice the Bible says Saul was 11:48 wroth and displeased. The word "wroth" in the Hebrew literally 11:52 means hot and furious. The word "displeased" means to quiver or to shake. 11:56 So, in other words, Saul became so angry he started shaking. Saul says, 12:01 They're giving more credit to David than me. What about me? 12:07 And when people become fearful, when people are insecure, 12:09 they'll try to block what God's doing for you so you can't 12:13 get to where they are. The Bible declares that Saul "eyed David 12:19 from that day forward." The word "eyed" means to watch with jealousy; 12:25 or to pay close attention to somebody, implying having a bad feeling 12:29 about the object being watched. You know what it is to eye somebody. 12:32 You know what it means to give somebody the evil eye. Saul started 12:40 eyeing David jealously. Saul could not enjoy what he did have, 12:46 because he was too busy watching what David had. And you really 12:49 can't enjoy what you have when you're too busy watching what 12:53 somebody else has. You see, David had the crowd, but Saul still 12:57 had the crown. But Saul couldn't enjoy the crown because he was 13:01 too busy focusing on the crowd. So it's where it started. 13:05 Saul begins to look at David not as an understudy, not as an aide, 13:12 but as a rival for his throne. David has done nothing wrong. 13:18 David has done nothing to merit such suspicion, but Saul's paranoia- 13:23 -imagination that was filled with paranoia--ran away with him. 13:27 And so Saul, in a jealous fit--you know the story--while David 13:30 is ministering to him on his harp, Saul throws a javelin at him 13:34 and tries to kill him. Envy can make you do some mean things. 13:38 Jealousy can make you do some ugly things. Hatred can make you 13:44 do some bad things. Hating makes you talk about people. 13:47 Hating makes you character-assassinate people. Hating makes you 13:52 spread lies on people. When people don't know what's going on in 13:55 your life they speculate, and when they think they know, they fabricate, 13:59 and when they do know, they hate. Remember, friends, people only 14:05 rain on your parade because they're jealous of your sun and tired 14:08 of their shade. But what do you do when somebody scandalizes your name? 14:14 What do you do when somebody character-assassinates your name? 14:20 What do you do when somebody disrespects you? What do you do when 14:25 somebody hurts your feelings? What do you do when the same person 14:28 who talks you up when they're in front of you is the same person 14:31 who talks you down when they're behind you? What do you do when you 14:36 find out who you thought was your ally is really your adversary? 14:40 What do you do when the one you help is the one trying to hurt you, 14:44 because the people you help the most hurt you the most. What do you 14:48 do when the one that talks to you is the one who talks about you? 14:53 What do you do when the one that looks like they're pushing you up 14:56 is really pulling you down? How do you handle haters? How do you 15:00 deal with wolves in sheep's clothing? Young people, remember these things, 15:07 and then I'm going to sit down: Number one, know your purpose. 15:10 Know your what, everybody? Aud.: Purpose. 15:12 PB: With purpose you can focus without being distracted. 15:14 With purpose you don't get flustered with every little thing somebody 15:16 says about you. With purpose you don't get upset when you're not invited 15:19 out with your friends. With purpose you know God's will is what you 15:23 want for your life. Your purpose is not defined by what other people 15:27 think about you, because if it is, you will always try to get stuff 15:30 because you think the more stuff you get, the more it will prove 15:33 what folk think about you. Your purpose is not defined by how others 15:37 think about you or how they think they can outperform you. 15:42 If I know my purpose, I then don't care what you think of the job I'm doing. 15:47 I've been through too much to let you keep me from my purpose. Friends, 15:53 I don't come to church to make friends, join cliques or to get 15:59 somebody's number or business card. I know my purpose, which means 16:04 if I don't get friends; if I don't join cliques; if I don't get 16:09 somebody's business card that's all right, because I've come to 16:12 church to find Jesus. [Aud. reaction] 16:15 PB: God has a purpose for your life. God has a plan for your life. 16:21 I say it all the time. I've learned over the years that too many 16:25 people aspire to what they see up front, so they aim for the 16:30 person in the position up front. So we have people operating 16:35 outside of God's purpose because they want to do what they see 16:38 rather than what God sees. Everybody wants to do something they 16:41 think is important and significant because they believe if they 16:44 do something that is important, that will make them important. 16:45 But all that glitters is not gold. What's on the outside may not 16:49 be what's on the inside. What you see may not be what is. 16:51 You can have more titles than space to put them; more degrees 16:54 than a thermometer; more letters behind your name than the alphabet. 16:57 But if it's not what God for you, you will become nothing but 17:01 sounding brass and tinkling cymbals. Be careful--listen to me--of 17:05 wishing you were somebody else. I've never known anybody who was 17:10 unbelievably powerful who was not equally painful. People always 17:15 want your power but they never ask for your pain. And if you're 17:18 not willing to carry my cross, you can't wear my crown because my 17:21 crown is created by the intensity of my cross. 17:23 God, what is Your purpose for my life? What is Your plan for my life? 17:31 What have You called me to be? If it's to be the best pastor, 17:36 then be the best pastor. If it's to be the best president, 17:40 be the best president. If it's to be the best doctor or lawyer, 17:43 be the best doctor or lawyer. If it's to be the best teacher, 17:46 be the best teacher. If it's to be the best accountant, 17:49 be the best accountant. Just be what God has called you to be. 17:52 It's dangerous to be like somebody else. If God wanted you to 17:57 be like somebody else, then God would have given you what He gave them. 18:01 Can I be vulnerable? In the church--not just Oakwood, but the Church- 18:07 -people are always running up to me and asking me, what do you want to do? 18:10 What's your next step? Where do you want to go? What ultimately 18:16 do you want to do? Do you know what my response is? 18:19 I want to be the best Carlton Byrd that God has called me to be, 18:26 because what God has for me, it is for me. But when you know your purpose- 18:34 -listen to me--it will make you a target. Because when you're operating 18:38 in God's purpose for your life, it will make you a marked man or a marked woman. 18:42 You see, the brighter the light the more you attract bugs. 18:46 [Aud. reaction] PB: Whenever you're doing something for the Lord 18:55 and you're fulfilling God's purpose, there will always be an element 18:58 that envies what you have and will plot against you and undermine you 19:03 at every turn. This element is a part of the process. Young people, 19:08 when you graduate from Oakwood there will be somebody at grad school 19:10 who does not like you. That's a part of the process. But you've got 19:16 to keep your eyes on Jesus. You've got to know your purpose. 19:20 There are some folk who don't like you on your job because they 19:23 think you're going to take their position. There are some folk who 19:27 don't want you to serve in ministry because they think you're going 19:29 to take their position. But the truth of the matter is they don't 19:32 have a thing. And how can you want nothing? 19:37 I'm over here at Oakwood fighting over a position. 19:39 Everybody makes $40,000 a year. Come on, say amen. 19:42 [Aud. reaction] PB: That's why you've got to make up in your 19:48 mind that you don't want negative folk around you. If I'm going to do bad, 19:53 I can do bad by myself. People who don't--excuse the double negative, 19:59 I know what I'm saying--but people who don't want nothing, 20:01 don't have nothing, and they don't want anybody else to have nothing. 20:06 Tell somebody, I'm changing my crowd. I'm tired of hanging around 20:12 folk who aren't going the same way I'm going. Blessed is the 20:16 man who walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly nor standeth 20:20 in the way of sinners nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 20:22 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law does 20:25 he meditate day and night. I'm calling the devil out. 20:28 I'm changing my crowd. When you leave Oakwood, seniors, 20:32 put away childish things. You are not going to the 17th grade. 20:38 [Aud. reaction] PB: 'Cause you're going somewhere. 20:44 And what God is trying to do in your life, tell somebody- 20:46 -Don't hate me. Just love me. Because it's of God, and it ain't of me, 20:52 so don't hate the player, hate the game. Are you hearing what I'm saying? 20:55 When you're fulfilling your purpose, you will always become a target. 20:58 Number two. Know your hater's purpose. Knot your hater's purpose. 21:05 What am I trying to say? Recognize who you're dealing with. 21:08 When we get upset and frustrated with our haters, we often 21:11 fail to realize that it's not the hater you're dealing with, 21:13 but you've got to look at the big picture. It's demonic attack 21:17 in disguise. You've got to know that your haters are being used 21:21 by the devil. In other words, the real person you're dealing with 21:25 is really someone that is hiding behind the hater, and that's the Enemy. 21:28 And when I recognize who I'm dealing with, then I don't try to 21:32 deal with them by getting even; I just stand still. Let the Lord 21:37 take my battles. Because vengeance is mine, saith the Lord. 21:41 I wish I had a witness in this place. [Aud. reaction] 21:43 PB: If you get hated on because the Lord blessed you with a new house, 21:46 recognize it's nobody but the devil. If you get these comments about 21:51 you having your own business, recognize it's nobody but the devil. 21:55 If you go to school, stay out of trouble, graduate and still get 21:59 talked about, it's the devil. And when you recognize it's the devil 22:03 that ;you're dealing with, you will not fall prey to the devil's 22:06 favorite tool of deception. And if he can deceive you into getting 22:10 angry and frustrated with your brother and sister, then you will 22:13 respond by saying or doing something that is out of line with God. 22:18 Ellen White says, "Testimonies, Patriarchs and Prophets," 22:21 "Satan seeks to incite envy among God's people." She says, 22:26 "Envy is of Satan, but people who love God cannot harbor envy." 22:30 Which means, you can't love God and be envious of your brother. 22:33 You can't love God and be envious of your sister. Stop fussing 22:36 and fighting with your brother that is hating on you. 22:39 Stop going toe to toe with him. Your enemy is not the 22:42 person seated next to you. Your enemy is not your brother; 22:45 your enemy is not your sister; your enemy is not your spouse; 22:48 your enemy is not your teacher; your enemy is not your classmates. 22:51 Your enemy is the devil. We wrestle not against flesh and 22:55 blood but against principalities and powers, rulers of the 22:58 darkness of this world, spiritual wickedness in high places. 23:01 What am I trying to say? The hater is supposed to hate. 23:05 They're used by the devil. Stop moping around here, having a 23:12 pity party, feeling sorry for yourself. Why are they hating on me? 23:17 Why won't they leave me alone? They're better off than me, 23:21 why are they hating on me when they have more than what I have? 23:24 Why are they hating on me when they're living better than me and 23:26 driving better than me? But what I've come to understand is that 23:29 even though they may be better off than you--better driving than 23:32 you, better living than you--even though it may seem like they 23:36 have more than you, the different is you have something they don't have. 23:41 [Aud. reaction] PB: You have something they don't have, 23:43 and what you have that they don't have, they don't want 23:46 you to have it. Listen to me, young people, listen good. 23:49 Don't let somebody who gave up on their dreams talk you out of yours. 23:53 [Aud. reaction] PB: That's a hater. Know your purpose. 24:01 Know their purpose. The devil uses them to hate. 24:06 You gotta understand that whenever the haters attack you, 24:08 they're not fighting you but they're really fighting God. 24:11 And I know there have been a lot of folk that have tried 24:14 to fight God, and they lost. They lost. Goliath tried to fight God, 24:18 and he lost his head. Pharaoh tried to fight God, and he 24:23 drowned in the Red Sea. Jezebel tried to fight God, and the dogs ate her. 24:28 Herod tried to fight God, and the worms got Him. Haman tried to fight God, 24:34 and his own gallows got him. Stop trying to fight with your haters, 24:39 because if you try to get them back, you've taken the focus off of 24:42 God's purpose for you, and you've started focusing on them. 24:45 Don't worry about your haters; God's got your back. It's not your job; 24:50 it's not my job to take care of the haters. That's God's job. 24:53 And if God took care of Goliath; if God took care of Pharaoh; 24:57 if God took care of Jezebel; if God took care of Herod; 25:02 if God took care of Haman, then I know God will take care of my haters. 25:08 And let me throw this in: If you're hating, stop. 25:14 You don't know what people have gone through to get what they have. 25:18 You see people's glory, but you don't know their story. 25:21 If the grass looks greener on the other side, 25:23 you'd better believe the water bill is higher. 25:24 Are you hearing what I'm saying? [Aud. reaction] 25:26 PB: Imitation leads to limitation. Finally, number three. 25:34 Rejoice when your haters hate. Rejoice? Everybody say "rejoice." 25:42 Aud.: Rejoice. PB: What do you mean rejoice, Pastor Byrd? 25:45 How can I rejoice when somebody's hating on me? 25:47 How can I rejoice when somebody's dogging me out? 25:50 Paul said it best in Romans 12:14 and 15: 25:51 Bless them which persecute you. Bless and curse not. 25:57 Rejoice with them that do rejoice and weep with them that weep. 26:00 Now, rejoice when haters hate. And the reason you should 26:05 rejoice when haters hate is because haters never hate on 26:07 somebody that's not doing anything. [Aud. reaction] 26:11 PB: Haters only hate on folks that are doing something. 26:15 I wish I had a witness in this place. If David had never 26:17 defeated Goliath, then the people would not have had anything 26:20 to sing about, and Saul would not have started hating. 26:23 But because David was doing something, then David was attacked. 26:27 Stop wondering what you've been doing to be treated in a certain way. 26:31 Stop wondering why trouble is in your life. Stop wondering why 26:35 you're being attacked by the devil. If you weren't attacked, 26:38 I'd think something was wrong with you, because if you're not 26:41 being attacked you and the devil must be running in the same direction. 26:45 [Aud. reaction] PB: I get delighted when haters hate. 26:51 When folk talk about me, that's good advertisement. 26:54 Come on, say amen. Byrd's doing this; Byrd's doing that. 26:56 Good. They come see what Byrd's doing. Are you hearing what I'm saying? 27:00 [Aud. reaction] PB: I get delighted when haters hate, 27:02 because that lets me know that God is getting ready to do 27:06 something greater in my life, or God has already done something great. 27:11 So let the haters hate. My haters are just my elevators that make 27:17 me walk higher in Jesus Christ. But not only does it let me know 27:22 that I'm doing something, but it also lets me know I'm doing something right. 27:28 You see, if I'm doing something wrong, haters really don't have anything 27:32 to hate on you about. And the reason they have nothing to say is 27:35 because you're doing wrong, and they believe they're doing right, 27:38 so then they don't have to say anything to try to push you down beneath them. 27:42 But it's when I'm doing right; when you're doing right; when you're going 27:47 in the right direction; when you're saying the right thing--that's when 27:53 you get attacked. That's when I get attacked. So go on and talk about me, 27:59 and the Lord is going to keep blessing me. Go on and talk about what 28:06 somebody else can't do. Go on and talk about the successes that 28:11 >: Thank you for joining us for another exciting 28:13 Breath of Life television broadcast. 28:15 Tune in next week at the same time, 28:17 as Dr. Byrd will deliver another dynamic message 28:20 from the Lord, just for you. 28:22 Until next time, may God bless you. 28:25 END |
Revised 2016-05-01