I. Introduction (Exodus 20:4,5)
A. What are Generational Curses?
- Hardships passed upon generations of people based on the choices and lifestyles of previous generations
- It is when a family’s patterns of sin are passed down from generation to generation
- According to Exodus 20:4,5 idolatry in a home curses that home for generations!
“Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me.” — Exodus 20:4,5
What is wrong with idolatry?
- The worship of Mary, the saints, statues, instead of God alone
- And the worship of money and wealth and good looks and popularity and self, instead of God alone!
- Idolatry shows a heart that is not worshipping God, but according to Exodus 20:5 is actually HATING God
- And that attitude towards God infects the entire home
- And brings loads of troubles
B. They are Real
- Generational Curses are not witches’ spells – they are God’s judgments upon people for their wrong doing, and wrong choices, going back even generations!
- We all inherit the results / the consequences of our parent’s sins - we cannot deny their effects on us
We inherited death from Adam:
“But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” — Genesis 2:17
“For the wages of sin is death…” — Romans 6:23
- And we inherited a cursed world
- Everybody is cursed to some degree because of sin
- We ALL have been affected by our parent’s choices
- As the adage goes, “Hurt people, hurt people.”
- So, Sin leaves no one unaffected
C. Generational Curses are hard to live under
- It is very hard to live under the anger of a parent that goes back generations
- Look at Northern Ireland and all the generational hurt, going back hundreds of years – it is a curse
- It is very hard to live under the addiction of a parent
- Or, Under the poverty that drink and drugs brings to a home
- So many studies have shown if your parents got a divorce, you probably will too!
- If your parents were alcoholic, you probably will be too
- If your parents were poor, you probably will be too!
- It should NOT be that way; It doesn’t HAVE to be that way - but so often it is!
D. Every curse on our lives can be broken! (Philippians 3:10)
- Are all generations doomed? Doomed to follow in the steps of the generations before them? NO! Not with Jesus Christ alive from the dead
- Christ’s Resurrection power is enough to break every curse and bond that you may find yourself in!
- All our suffering in this world can be priceless… because of Christ’s resurrection!
“That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.” — Philippians 3:10
- Know this… “Helped people, help people!”
- The life of a parent should be to affect the next generation for GOD, not for sin!
II. Background - Genesis 9
A. Noah Planted a Vineyard (Genesis 9:20)
“And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard.” — Genesis 9:20
B. Noah Got Drunk (Genesis 9:21-23)
“And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.” — Genesis 9:21
- He stripped himself of his clothes, and lay naked in his tent, totally intoxicated
- This was a failure of sense / a failure of wisdom
- A man knows when what he is drinking is affecting him
- Noah did not choose to stop when he felt the effects of the wine
- God gave you senses, and a BRAIN to know when things are wrong
“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” — Galatians 6:7
C. It Affected Noah’s Family (Genesis 9:22)
“And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.” — Genesis 9:22
- Noah’s drunkenness affected his son Ham
- Ham was attracted to seeing his father in a humbled state – he humiliated his father
- But that “look” by Ham was not the end. It will affect and bring a curse upon Ham’s children FOR GENERATIONS!
D. The Other Sons had A Right Reaction (Genesis 9:23)
“And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father’s nakedness.” — Genesis 9:23
- They were concerned with covering nakedness, not exposing it
- They chose to protect their father’s embarrassment
- That is what modesty is: Covering nakedness
E. Noah’s Curse on Canaan (Genesis 9:24-27)
“And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him. And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.” — Genesis 9:24-25
- Ham’s sin has hurt his own family
- Noah pronounces a curse, God’s judgement on Ham’s son Canaan
- Oh if you and I could just see who our private sins is affecting, it would crush us!
But not every Canaanite stayed under this curse:
- Uriah the HITTITE was a Canaanite that broke the curse and became a free man who served in king David’s army (2 Samuel 23:39)
- Zelek the Ammonite – from a cursed people (2 Samuel 23:37)
- Rahab the harlot was from a doomed Canaanite city called Jericho – she broke the curse by FAITH!
- Ruth was of a cursed nation called the Moabites – she marvellously broke the curse and became the great, great, great, grandmother of king David!
These men and women were able to break free of the curse – and so are you!
III. Message
A. The Reality of God’s Curses Passed Down Upon Us
- They are real and in effect – just like gravity is always affecting us
- They are destructive and oppressive and hard to handle
- They affect us in just about every way
- We live away from God not seeking God, and so are under the wrath of God
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life… He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” — John 3:16-18
“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” — John 3:36
B. The Power of Generational Curses (Ephesians 2:2-6)
- They usually govern our lives – control / dominate our decisions
- It is called the “course” of this world – culture
- They are very hard to break free from!
“Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” — Ephesians 2:2-6
- It becomes harder and harder to get out of it the longer you walk its path
- It is so much better to get saved at a young age, than when older!
C. The Problem with this Truth
-
We tend to blame others and won’t take responsibility ourselves
- It is so much easier to blame others like our parents, husbands, wives, children, employers, other church people
- Adam and Eve tried to blame someone else for their wrong decisions
- King Saul blamed the people for his own disobedience to God (1 Samuel 15:15)
- Blaming never works
- Be careful about blaming your parents for your sins and rebellion against God!
-
Most people only cope with their cursed life
- People go to counselling and start to blame everyone in their lives
- And then turn to extensive use of drugs and drink
- Feminism is a reaction to generational curses, but it is NOT an answer – it is more ruin!
- Anger in the home – feeds on itself – yelling louder never fixed a problem!
-
Most people stay stuck
- 95% of you will walk out of here believing you can manage the devil you know
- You will remain afraid to do what the Bible says
- Hoping things will someday get better… but they never do!
-
That is NOT the way of life for a Christian!
D. The Promise
- Remember that I said that Canaan was going to suffer the consequences of the choices and sins of his father Ham?
- Well, neither he, nor his children HAD to continue the sins of their forefathers!
- And they did NOT have to live under the consequences of Ham’s sin
- Oh how powerful is that statement!
A Bible believer has a greater power than any curse has:
“Who [JESUS] hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.” — Colossians 1:13
- But every person in this room can live free from the curses of their parents sins
- And your nation’s sins
- Not usually by healing – although that can and does happen
- But always by faith! You need to go and re-read Hebrews 11, “By faith…”
- We Christians do not face death anymore – just falling asleep!
E. The Prescription
1. Humble YOURSELF – THIS is the starting place!
It means:
- To consciously, on purpose lower your sense of self-importance
- Acknowledge your limitations
- And become open to correction instead of being defensive
- Recognising that you don’t have all the answers
- It’s a willingness to learn, to admit mistakes, and to set aside pride
Accept the blame for your own sinful actions and decisions:
- YOU picked up the cigarettes and started smoking – don’t blame
- YOU kept drinking after accepting that dare at 15
- YOU drove too fast down a dangerous road and got into an accident
BE guilty for once. Accept the curse of God’s judgment as right and just. THEN you can break it.
“We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled… O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive.” — Daniel 9:5,19
The cure for a generational curse has always been repentance on the part of those under the curse.
When Israel turned from idols to serve and obey again the living God, the “curse” was broken and God saved them, time and again. In other words, God’s grace lasts a thousand times longer than His wrath.
2. Get the New Birth – it is a free gift!
Believe with all your heart that Jesus broke the curse!
“Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.” — Galatians 3:13
“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” — John 1:12-13
You are free now – SOOOOOO free! Jesus fought the war and won!
3. What the New Birth Does
All Generational Curses are broken the moment you got saved!
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” — 2 Corinthians 5:17
If you are in Christ, you must immediately stop tying anything that happens in your life to a generational curse. It simply does not exist in your life any longer. The moment you came to Christ, he made you into a brand-new person. This means the slate has been cleaned, and whatever happened before has no power over you.
You do NOT need to blame anybody, or hate anybody now:
- You are free from all powers of the past
- You are NOT cursed anymore, no matter WHAT someone has done to you!
- Sin and its effects no longer enslave the believer
- Sin and its effects no longer hang over us like a curse
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” — Romans 8:1-2
God’s Grace is Bigger than Our History:
“Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” — Romans 5:20
Our ancestors’ sins no longer claim us for themselves—Jesus does (Romans 6:11).
- Your skin colour does not define you
- Your past does not hold you back
- Your bad habits do not define you
- Not if you have been born again
- There is nothing about you now except Jesus Christ that defines who you are!
F. Stay Free
1. Fight to stay free
Christ made you free. Will you STAY that way?
- You cannot lose the forgiveness Christ bought you
- But you can step back into the traps of the things that enslaved you before
“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” — Galatians 5:1
“All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.” — 1 Corinthians 6:12
I refuse to be enslaved again to: Bitterness, Anger, Lust, pornography, Depression, Alcohol, or drugs.
When someone says, anger, addiction, divorce, depression, lust, laziness runs in the family… that is when you tell them, “THIS is where it runs out!“
2. Stay Responsible for your own doings
- Stop finding faults with others when you and I have plenty of our own
- We are all responsible for our own actions – never forget that!
- Don’t try to blame every sin and problem on a generational curse
- Every individual is responsible for their own choices
Claiming a Generational Curse Makes You a Victim, Not a Victor:
- Holding on to the idea of a generational curse does not set you free. It keeps you trapped.
- Claiming a generational curse in your life causes you to forget that Christ has set you free.
- From this day forward, know there is no generational curse on your life. That is because you are in Christ.
Here is my charge for you: By the power of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you, walk in the newness of life that Christ has given you. In Christ, you are victorious and there is no curse that is being held over you because Jesus broke them all on the cross. You are free. Now go live like it.
3. Cast your life (past, present and future) upon the Lord’s shoulders
“Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” — 1 Peter 5:7
- Stop trying to handle all the burdens of your past, the hurts, the memories
- Ask for a break from the pressures, from the weight
- Ask for strength beyond your own abilities to keep going
- Just constantly rededicate your LIFE to Jesus Christ
4. STAY Humble
“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” — James 5:16
- Confess your own faults to the people you have hurt
- Own your own wrong choices
- Live a life of repentance – don’t allow sin to harden you!
5. Do the opposite of how you feel
“If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” — John 8:36
- Praise God, be grateful for everything in your life!
- Forgive absolutely everyone who has ever hurt you
“Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” — Ephesians 4:31-32
You think that will free them from YOUR grip, but it actually frees you from sin’s grip!
- Stop listening to those who are still angry and hurt – feminists, angry men, podcasters, reporters, social media
- Listen to this Bible
- Listen and hang around humble servants
IV. Summary
A. Generational Curses are hard to live under – your past hurts, parental addictions, sinful cultures, hating yourself, false religion, confusion…
B. We tend to blame others (and they are to blame) but we won’t take responsibility ourselves!
C. So, Most people only cope with their cursed life
D. And Most people stay stuck where they are at
E. That is NOT the way of life for a Christian! More than conquerors!
F. Every person in this room can live free from the curses of their parents sins:
- Humble YOURSELF before God
- Get the New Birth – call upon the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved!
- And then Stay Free – you can do right by God’s grace!
For more information about finding freedom in Christ, contact Bible Baptist Church of Ballincollig.