Freedom From Offense! - Psa 119:165

Freedom from offense!

June 30, 2013

Psalm 119:165 KJV

INTRODUCTION

• Last week we discussed the importance of the words we speak
• Our words can initiate either blessing or cursing
• This can and will have a lasting effect in our relationships, unless we choose to deal with it and make amends
• Even then, we cannot remove words that we spoke, and even careless words show what our heart is like inside
• But what if you are at school, and someone says something that cuts into you like a knife?
• What if you are at work and your boss or a colleague says something that is totally unfair?
• What if something happened in the family that shook you to your core?
• Today we are going to look at the subject of offense
• How should we deal with it when someone says or does something that offends us?
• Should we just leave it, and not react?
• What impact will it have on us?
• Do we have control over the way the other person's words impact us?

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO OFFEND?

• The Bible uses the word offend a number of times
• It is mainly used in the new testament
• Greek: skandalizo AV - offend 28, make to offend 2; 30
• 1) to put a stumbling block or impediment in the way, upon which another may trip and fall, to entice to sin, to cause a person to begin to distrust and desert one whom he ought to trust and obey
• 2) to cause to fall away, to be offended in one, i.e. to see in another what I disapprove of and what hinders me from acknowledging his authority, to cause one to judge unfavourably or unjustly of another, since one who stumbles or whose foot gets entangled feels annoyed
• 3) to cause one displeasure at a thing, to make indignant, to be displeased, indignant
• So to offend goes pretty deep
• It is a stumbling block, stumbling blocks hurt
• That stumbling block can lead to sin, causing distrust
• We see something in someone which we don't like, which stops us from seeing them the way God sees them, whether they are someone in authority or not
• Ultimately, it distorts our vision of people, and ruins relationships

WHAT IF SOMEONE ELSE OFFENDS US?

• Now we turn this definition around
• We are the ones who feel hurt
• We are the ones who are liable to sin, and distrust each other
• We are the ones who suffer the loss of relationship that comes from distrust
• This is how offense affects us. This then leads to other issues, such as anger, resentment and bitterness
• So the sins that taking offense at someone leads to, are distrust, disunity, anger, resentment and bitterness
• There is something crazy about this – the other person commits the offense, and we end up sinning in all kinds of ways

HOW DO WE RESPOND TO OFFENSE?

• Psalm 119:165 KJV - Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.
• A standard is given here – if we love God's law, nothing will offend us!
• The implication here is that taking offense at something, is something that is under our control
• We get to choose, will or will I not allow this thing that happened, to change the way I see that person
• But how do we deal with this issue then?

LOOK AT THINGS FROM GOD'S PERSPECTIVE

• Phil 2:5 – Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus
• We need to be learning to look at things from Jesus' perspective
• 1. Jesus forgives
• Matt 18:35 – parable of the unforgiving servant
• God expects us to forgive from the heart
• That seems hard. But that is what God expects of us.
• So this is the goal to which we are working
• Forgiveness is like an onion, layer by layer
• Matt 6:15 – unless we forgive, we ourselves will not be forgiven
• If we do not forgive the other for the offense, from the heart, God will not forgive us for our distrust, disunity, anger, resentment and bitterness
• 2. God understands where we are coming from
• Psa 103:8-14 – God is ready to forgive, as far as the east is from the west, and he considers our humanity
• Mark 6:34 – Jesus has compassion on the crowds
• Compassion was at the core of Jesus' ministry
• We too need to have this compassion and understanding
• When someone offends us, think about what brought them to say or do this.
• Can we understand where they are coming from?
• 3. Choose to suffer wrong, rather than exact revenge
• A basic principle of New Testament living
• Matt 5:38-39 – we do not retaliate
• Matt 5:9 – we are peacemakers
• Rom 12:17-21 – don't take revenge
• Overcome evil with good

CONCLUSION

• When someone does something that offends us, let's not take offense
• Instead, let's look at things from God's perspective
• We need to forgive, and consider our own sins as well
• Look at where the person is coming from, perhaps we can understand their motivations
• Choose to suffer wrong for righteousness' sake
• Overcome evil with good, do good things to win them over
• Matthew 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
• Allow God to work through you to bring peace into your relationships

Blessing and Cursing - the Power of Words - James 3:2-12

Blessing and Cursing – the Power of Words

June 23, 2013

James 3:2-12

READING

• James 3:2-12

INTRODUCTION

• Have you ever been told something that hurt?
• Perhaps it was yesterday when your husband or wife said something that crushed you
• Perhaps your dad once said you were a no-good loser who would never amount to anything, and you might as well quit now because you sure weren't going to get anywhere in this life, and you would make life miserable for a lot of people, in the process, as a matter of fact, you are a waste of space.
• On the other hand, perhaps there was someone who praised you or encouraged you, someone who said they believed in you, that you would do great things
• Perhaps your mom said that you were so helpful, so giving, so understanding, you would make someone a wonderful husband or wife
• Words can make us or break us

• A long time ago, people used to say: Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me
• While this sounded great, and helped develop a macho image, it is not true
• Because words can and do hurt us, and the imprints they leave can stay with us for a lifetime!
• Today we are going to discuss the subject of blessing and cursing, the power of words

Words can be a blessing

• Do you remember a teacher at school who encouraged you?
• I remember in the 6^th grade, Mr Murray was such a person
• He would encourage me, told me that I did good work, and tried to prepare me for high school
• This teacher had a good impact on me, and helped me in my approach towards my future education
• When you are riding a horse, sometimes you will just let the horse have its head, and allow it to fololow the trail without your interference
• I had a boss like that once, who let me loose, with a little direction, and I was astounded at what I was capable of
• He built me up
• The words we use can build people up (Rom 14:19, 1 Thes 5:11)
• God encourages us, builds us up, gives us hope and a future (Jer 29:11)
• Proverbs 25:11 A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.

Words can be a curse

• The words people speak to us can damage deeply
• We internalize the words
• I remember one time I was standing out on the front lawn, and my dad told me I was lazy, and that the desire to do a good job was just not there.
• I internalized this, and I believed it
• These words became a curse spoken out over me, and I saw myself that way
• Though I made a choice at age 19, to be a hard worker and a good employee, and I followed through on that choice, those words still followed me around like a shadow
• Proverbs 14:1 Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.
• We can complain and criticize as much as we want, but the effect will be to destroy whatever good there is in the marriage
• Saying negative things to people is a curse
• A curse has an impact, just as surely as sticking pins in a voodoo doll will cause sickness and death
• The same thing applies to the words we say about ourselves
• When we tell ourselves we are useless, it is prophetic, we will live in a way that brings these words to pass
• When we tell ourselves we cant possibly do something, we will find it impossible to do
• On the other hand, positive words are prophetic as well, we will live up to them as well

The words we say cannot be recalled

• The words we say cannot be recalled
• Once those words are out of our mouth, they cannot be changed
• We so often say things carelessly
• We think we can always say sorry later
• But once the words have been said they are out there
• They are a reflection of how we feel inside
• Matt 12:34 Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks
• We think what we just said is merely some carelessly chosen words
• But it shows how we feel inside, and the person who listens recognizes this – that is why our words have such impact
• Often of course, we may not intend the words to have the meaning that actually came across to the other
• "When J. Edgar Hoover ran the FBI, he was boss and everyone knew it. As a result, almost all of his subordinates were on the lookout for ways to impress their powerful boss.
• A young FBI man was put in charge of the FBI's supply department. In an effort to cut some costs and impress his boss, he reduced the size of the office memo paper. One of the new memo sheets soon ended up on Hoover's desk. Hoover took one look at it, determined he didn't like the size of the margins on the paper, and quickly scribbled on the memo, "Watch the borders!"
• The memo was passed on through the office. For the next six weeks, it was extremely difficult to enter the United States by road from either Mexico or Canada. The FBI was watching the borders. "
• The Bible tells us to watch what we say
• Matthew 12:36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
• The word idle here does not mean intentionally hurtful, it comes from the greek word that means lazy! It speaks of the casual, careless words we throw out there like hand grenades, killing and maiming for life
• We forget what we said, but the person who receives them has a long memory
• And words stick

CONCLUSION

• The words we say are so important!
• They can damage and hurt, or they can heal and bless
• Part of my task as a pastor is to point damaged souls towards the path to healing
• Healing is possible
• We may have had innumerable negative things said to us, by the people in our life, or even by the enemy whispering them in our ear
• These words can be broken, and changed and turned around for good
• We do not need to live under the curse of negative words spoken to us long ago
• Jesus died so that we could live in freedom
• He came to heal the broken-hearted and to to give us life, more abundantly. This signifies positive change in our outlook on life.
• So there is hope for the future!
• Next week I will be continuing this subject, considering how we receive words and actions we consider to be negative

The need for faithfulness - Proverbs 20:6

The need for faithfulness

June 22, 2012 – Men's Breakfast

Proverbs 20:6

 

Introduction

• What is one of the most important things a man can bring to the table?
• Whether in the home, at work, in our community
• It is that a man is made to be faithful
• The Bible encourages us to be faithful
• Prov 20:6 Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?
• It is increasingly hard to find faithful men
• This is a characteristic of our culture, and it has infiltrated the church
• To be faithful has different nuances to it
• This morning we will look at how faithfulness can become part of our identity

Definition

• Faithful means that you can be trusted with something
• People can have faith in you in some respect
• God is faithful – 1 Cor 1:9
• If this is an attribute of God, we should be becoming that way too
• Because we are being transformed into His likeness
• 2Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the LORD.
• So how can people around us see us as trust worthy, worthy of trust?

Being sexually trustworthy

• I was reading this morning that nearly 25% of total internet search engine requests are pornographic in nature
• That is 68 million hits per day
• The average age of first exposure to pornography is estimated at 11 years of age
• 47% of families in the USA reported that pornography is a problem in their home – National Coalition for the Protection of Children and Families
• Consistent viewing of sexually explicit material more than triples the marital infidelity rate - NCPCF
• 40% of sex addicts lose their spouses
• As men, we should be able to be trusted by the women in our life
• As Christians we should be standing out against a society that is increasingly promiscuous
• Proverbs 5:19 Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.
• Determine to be satisfied with your wife, and to not allow yourself to stray in this area

Being dependable

• Men are intended to be the anchor of their family
• Our family needs a dad who is dependable
• Our children need a dad they can count on
• Are we faithful and dependable to what we have promised
• Is our word our bond?
• James 5:12 But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.
• If we set an example of being dependable, our children will be able to look back and recognize that our family did have standards
• This will make them more solid citizens as they grow up

Be true to yourself

• There is an epidemic of depression and anxiety in this nation
• Mental health has become a big issue
• Even our children talk about mental illness issues as though it is the norm
• A lot of these mental issues come from people not living the way that they know they should be inside
• When we have certain standards we know are right, internally, but our actions copy the community around us, there is conflict in our persona
• this comes out particularly in depression, because we are not happy about ourselves, and we are angry at ourselves
• Far better to be faithful to whom we are
• We are children of God, that is now our identity
• A child of God will live by God's standards, in every aspect of life

Conclusion

• As men of God, let us stand up for what is right, true, good and holy
• Phi 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
• Let our yes, be yes, and our no be no
• Let us be sexually faithful, trustworthy
• Our wife should be able to know that we would not go to those pornographic pictures, because we are faithful
• Let us be dependable
• Our family should recognize that there are values for which we stand, and upon which we will not waver
• Let us be true to ourselves
• Inside ourselves we should know that we are living what we believe in
• As we live a faithful life, it will create peace and security in our families, it will give us a reputation of being someone people can rely on, and we will be happier individuals because we are true to ourselves

Hearing God's Voice! - John 10:4

Hearing God’s voice

June 9, 2013

John 10:4

INTRODUCTION

-         People have varying levels of closeness to God

-         We are all at different stages of our walk with Jesus

-         On our journey, we will be moving forward with him

-         2 Pet 3:18 – Grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus

-         John 15:5 – Bear fruit

-         2 Cor 3:18 – from glory to glory

-         1 Pet 1:16 – God seeks those who want to be holy as he is holy

-         Being part of the vine implies we have close contact with God

-         During drought, soil pulls away from the roots, and plants dry up

-         There comes a point where the plant cannot be revived (Heb 2:1-3)

-         So we need this close contact with God

-         Today we are going to examine the subject of hearing God’s voice

IS IT POSSIBLE TO HEAR GOD’S VOICE?

-         Time after time in the Bible we read about people who hear from God

-         The Bible was written by people who heard God’s voice – it was written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (Heb 1:1)

-         Has God changed?

-         Does he no longer wish to communicate with his people?

-         Of course not

-         Heb 13:8 – Jesus the same yesterday, today and forever

-         Mal 3:6 – I am the Lord, I change not

-         John 10:4 – Jesus says his sheep know his voice (Heb 3:7)

-         So how do we develop hearing from God?

STARTS WITH A HUMBLE HEART

-         Isa 66:2 – To this man will I look

-         A person who is humble in his walk with God is teachable

-         When the Lord says to do something, he will accept it and be obedient

-         Sometimes God speaks to us and we make the choice to not obey , at this time

-         Eph 4:30 – this grieves the Holy Spirit

-         The Holy Spirit is responsive to our attitude

-         If we don’t want to be obedient, he will stop speaking

-         Sometimes we ask God for direction

-         So God responds in a number of different ways.

-         Perhaps we do not act on his answer immediately

-         We may keep asking for direction, but it seems heaven is silent

-         Possibly this is because he has already given direction but we did not receive it

-         1 Sam 3:19 – Samuel did not let one of the Lord’s words fall to the ground

-         He kept God’s words holy, he treasured them, he obeyed them

SO HOW DOES GOD SPEAK?

-         1 Kings 19:12 – a still small voice – a quiet thought in our mind – the most usual kind of word from God

-         Heb 4:12 - a word from the Bible – a verse jumps out at you with a personal meaning for you – is called a “rhema” word

-         Acts 16:9 – visions and dreams

-         Acts 16:7, Rev 3:8 - circumstances can show God’s intention for us – a door may be open for one alternative, but closed for another

-         1 Sam 3:10 – an audible voice – not a frequent way God speaks today
-         Romans 8:16, 9:1 - an inner knowing through the Holy Spirit should accompany any word from God – disquiet usually indicates a problem

HOW DO WE KNOW IT IS GOD?

-         The word we hear can have three sources

-         It could come from God, it could come from the enemy, it could be our own mind speaking

-         So how do we know if it is from God?

-         1.  It has to be according to God’s Word

-         Isa 8:20 – according to law and testimony

-         2. Has to fit with previous revelation

-         Num 23:19 – God is not a man that he should lie

-         3. He gives us peace with it

-         John 14:27 – my peace I give to you (Phil 4:7)

-         4. Seek qualified counsel before making major changes

-         Prov 11:14, 15:22

HOW DO WE DEAL WITH IT?

-         The closer we are to God, the more we will treasure what he says

-         Like Samuel, don’t let God’s words fall to the ground

HOW TO HEAR GOD’S VOICE

-         Hab 2:1-3

-         1. Be attentive to what he will say – expect an answer - according to your faith be it unto you

-         2. God often responds immediately, even as you are asking the question

-         3. Write down the word or revelation in a journal

-         4. If you don’t understand, that is fine, it may be for a yet future time

-         5. Be obedient

SUMMARY

-         1. Be humble and obedient

-         2. God speaks in different ways

-         - thoughts, scripture, visions/dreams, circumstances, audible voice, inner knowing

-         3. Evaluate – is it from God?

-         - Is it according to God’s word, Does it fit previous words, Inner peace, Seek counsel on major moves

-         4. Listen

-         - be attentive, write it down, be obedient

CONCLUSION

-         As children of our Father, he wants to communicate with us

-         How can we do what he wants, if we are not listening to him?

-         I see this church as an army of war4riors, moving out as the Commander sends us

-         We need the communication channel open so we can be doing what he says

-         Where you go I’ll go, where you move, I’ll move