Overcoming Offenses

“Overcoming Offence”

July 27, 2003 Am - Danny L. Williams

Luke 17:1-5

Intro:

Last week I share on Patience the fruit of the Spirit,

And I believe that my subject this morning is responsible for absolutely blocking up the fruit of the Spirit.

EVERY One of them:

So we need to deal with this subject this morning

Sub title this the Fruit of the Spirit Part 4 ½

We cannot neglect this subject:

We need to deal directly with it:

And that leads me to a question?

Why is it we neglect so much, the things that pollute us the most, the things that potentially will destroy us?

And it is the Issue of offense

It is what I believe on of the most Important and Highly neglected Issues facing Humanity.

My Title this morning is

OVERCOMING OFFENSE-

Now what is offense? How does it work and what are its results?

Offense is at the very core of Satan’s Plot.

And is often one of the most difficult obstacles for an individual to face and then overcome. the hard part is getting us to face it.

SEE: If we never face issues in our own lives, we will never be able to overcome them.

Our text Jesus, has just said that it is impossible to live this life and not have the opportunity to be offended.

Vs. 1 It is impossible but that offences will come

In Psm. 55:12-15

David laments

Psalm 55:12 For [it was] not an enemy [that] reproached me; then I could have borne [it]: neither [was it] he that hated me [that] did magnify [himself] against me; then I would have hid myself from him:

Psalm 55:13 But [it was] thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance.

Psalm 55:14 We took sweet counsel together, [and] walked unto the house of God in company.

Psalm 55:15 Let death seize upon them, [and] let them go down quick into hell: for wickedness [is] in their dwellings, [and] among them.

The people who offend us most are sitting next to us, they are in our neighborhoods, on our Jobs, in our churches, in our families, confide in, grew up with or sleep next to.

Church: The closer the relationship, the more severe the offense.

The most hatred are within people who are close.

The most vicious cases in our legal system’s are divorces.

The media constantly reports murder in homes by desperate family members.

Father against son, son against father, mother against daughter,

Brother against brother.

See: our home are meant to be a place of love and hope, security and joy, are often the very roots of our pain.

History shows that the bloodiest wars are civil.

Listen to me for a moment:

The possibility for offense are endless in relationships.

No matter how simple or complex.

The truth remains: Only those you care about can hurt you.

You expect more from them,

But, I must remind you THE higher the Expectation the greater the Fall!!

The more you trust, the more your let down.

Amen

The more you love the more vulnerable you become.

Jesus said ye shall know them by their fruit.

Offended people produce fruit.

The people who offended and were offended most in the bible were the Pharisees.

Jesus had been addressing them since John 15:1 but now in John 17:1 he resumes his conversation with his disciples.

And he says

Vs. 1 , but woe [unto him], through whom they come!

How do offenses come?

Offenses come from: Insults, attacks, division, separation, broken relationships, betrayal, backsliding.

And produces : Hurt, anger, outrage, jealousy, resentment, envy Strife, hatred and Bitterness.

And the real fact is that most people who are offended don’t even realize they are trapped.

They are so oblivious to their condition because they are so focused on the wrong that was done to them. They are in denial

See: one of the great deceptions of Satan is not just to have people offend you, but for you to be offended.

It’s a FOCUS on our selves

Now lets examine the Trap:

The Greek word for Offend in Luke 17:1

is Skandalon where we get the word Scandal,

It has two meanings:

1. It is the part of the trap to which the bait was attatched.

2. A stumbling block laid for some one or as Niv says: to cause to sin

Hence the word signifies laying a trap in someone’s way.

Offense is a tool of the Devil to bring people into Total captivity.

II Tim. 2:24-26

See: Church when a person is deceived, he believes he is right even though he is not. It’s A trap

No matter what scenario, we can divide all offended people into two major categories:

1. Those who have been treated unjustly