The High Cost of Being Offended

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The Message Everyone Else Needs to Hear, But Not Me.

The Sower Sows The Word
Mark 4:3 ESV
3 “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow.
See, Listen, Dwell on. Take it in. Mark 4:20
"Hear the Word." Over 155 times God commands men to hear Him and His Word. Not one time is there a hint that what He says will be hard to understand or that it needs any special interpretation. The entire Bible assumes that what it says is clear enough if men will only believe it as it reads and not change it.
(from Dake Annotated Reference Bible © 2007 by Dake Publishing. All rights reserved in U.S.A. and Other Countries.)
In explaining the parable, Jesus talks about good soil.
Mark 4:20 ESV
20 But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”
They hear the Word. They Accept the Word and they The Hold the Word close. They delight in the Word.
Back to verse 3
Mark 4:3–8 ESV
3 “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. 6 And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. 8 And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”
Most important message. Read: The disciples weren’t sure either, so they asked him. What are you talking about.
Next Slide
Mark 4:13–17 ESV
13 And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. 16 And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. 17 And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.
Fade in the Word.
Continue:
Mark 4:18–20 ESV
18 And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, 19 but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 20 But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”
Fade in “The Word”
Keeping it in context, what are we talking about? THE WORD.
Breaking it down. Back to Verse 13.
Mark 4:13–15 ESV
13 And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them.
Jesus speaking: This teaching is key to understanding all his teaching. Who is the sower? The Father. What is He sowing? The Word. ( Jesus) In it’s simplest form, He is sowing Jesus into the World. Some will reject Him. Some will receive Him. In Addition:
Jesus Only Releases What Heaven Releases.
John 5:19 ESV
19 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.
NOTHING. BUT ONLY. Fade in, fade in. Was Jesus lying?
John 14:10 ESV
10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.
John 14:10 He repeats what he said in Chapter 5 and then adds. Even the Words that come out of my mouth are “heaven ordered.” In addition, speaking the Words of Heaven, produces the Works of Heavens.
Visual: Father releases the Word ( seed) Through Jesus to the earth. Jesus sees & does. Jesus hears and speaks.
Taking it one step further.
Next Slide
John 14:12 ESV
12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.
We will do the works of Jesus, producing the same results. Using the same method. Heaven releases the Word, to us, for us, or through us.
Even if you have a hard time believing what He said, it is still true.
Putting it Together.
Back to Mark.
Mark 4:13–15 ESV
13 And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them.
Satan: We have an enemy. His job is to steal, kill and destroy. He is good at it, but he is not the all powerful hero of the Bible. He is not equal to Jesus. He is not stronger than Heaven. Never exaggerate his place in your life.
Visual: Heaven sows. The enemy tries to prevent the seed from producing.
The ones along the path: They are on the outside looking in. There is no commitment to the word sown. If there is no commitment to the Word, it will be stolen from you. Good teaching Pastor Allen. You made me laugh, but I’m not going to change.
Mark 4:16–17 ESV
16 And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. 17 And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.
They hear it. They receive it, but they have no root…..in themselves. It hasn’t gone deep. They haven’t faced the trials and suffering. It’s a good word in church, but Monday morning things get tough. I’m going to try that. It’s not working Plan B. If they just hold on it will grow, but troubles come.
They fall away: That is the end result. They are cut off from the Word flow. It doesn’t flow to them. It doesn’t flow through them. 100 Fold is reduced to 0 Fold. They are just one verse removed from Joy. What happened? There was displeasure in what they saw.
They Fall Away: skandalizo: scandalize: To entrap, to trip up. Stumble, entice to sin. Other places it is translated. Offended
They Got offended. Thoughts (Having a thought doesn’t mean you have blown it. It’s what you do with that thought.) ( Amplify to teach) The devil set a trap, and they took it. Is it that big a deal?
Openings to Being Offended. If we can see the bait, we can avoid it. Fish.
The High Cost of Being Offended
Jesus Visits The Local Healing and Miracle Center
We Are about to become a Local Healing and Miracle Center, If......
John 5:1–3 ESV
1 After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. 3 In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed.
Bethesda: House of Kindness.
Multitude: A large number.
John 5:4 NKJV
4 For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had.
2 THINGS.
1)It only happened at a certain time. (Highlight)
2)The only one healed, was the first one in. (Highlight) Good to be him, but what about everyone else?
John 5:5–7 ESV
5 One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” 7 The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.”
One Man Jesus shows up. Why did Jesus Show up? I only do what the Father tells me to do. I only say what the Father tells me to say. Heaven is releasing Jesus onto a problem.
A little about the man. He has been an invalid for 38 years. It doesn’t say he was born that way. He had been waiting a long time. Jesus had to ask him. Do you want to be healed? Doesn’t it seem obvious? I have been trying.
John 5:8–9 ESV
8 Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” 9 And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath.
At Once.
After the healing, Jesus finds him in the temple.
Verse 14 “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.”
Anon, 2001. The Holy Bible: English Standard Version, Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.
•Something worse? He was probably an invalid as a result of his own sin. He had probably opened the door. •But He’s healed. It’s dance around the table time, Right? Notice the ....I did not finish the verse.
Continue
John 5: 9 B (HATISHH) And suddenly everyone turned and recognized Jesus was busy healing. A line was formed of everyone wanting to be healed. It took all day, but everyone was made whole. Jesus had won once again. Shortly after that the pool of Bethesda was turned into a skating rink for the local children.
Bless God. Pastor Allen. That’s not what it says. No one else gets healed. Jesus is no where to be found. There were still multitudes of folks laying around, hurting, sick and diseased. It was no different from the angel stirring the water & one getting healed. Did Jesus miss it? He was sent to one man. Did God only want to heal one? Sorry everyone else. Not your day.
Jesus went were he was supposed to be. He did what he was supposed to do. But anyone there could have grabbed their healing by faith.
•Jairus & the woman with the issue of blood. Jesus was on assignment to heal Jairus’ daughter. The woman with the issue of blood. The woman without a name, interrupted Jesus with her faith. We can all do that. •Word for Kim: On Assignment. God sent me to Kim. Josh. I knew he needed exactly what I was saying to Kim, , but God sent me to Kim, so I turned to Josh and said, you take it by faith. We can interrupt the Lord anytime with our faith. A word is spoken and you qualify, take it. ( No stealing someone’s personal prophecy though.) (explain)
•Karen & me at K.H meeting. (background) He spoke exactly what Karen had said in her head. In line, Someone else, “ You are the one.” No, I’m the one. That’s my word. Focus on the Lord. He cares for you. “It’s not over”. Drive Home. Back to John.
John 5:9–10 ESV
9 And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath. 10 So the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your bed.”
They got offended. It’s not the right time for doing miracles. It shut down anything else, the Lord wanted to do.
Pastor Allen, we don’t get offended when God does something, do we?
What if someone else gets something you are believing for first?
Apostle Whiteside: Urgency to get there. (rough time) Believing God for some answers. Based on earlier experience, we trusted Apostle Whiteside. Word for Jennifer. Good Word. Very good word. Word for Michael: Good Word. Very Good Word. Word for Pastor. Good Word. Very good word. I’m next. I know I’m next. It only makes sense. I need to hear from the Lord. And then nothing. He started to teach. Time to make a decision. Get offended and shut down, or be happy for Michael & Pastor. I chose to celebrate. Keep the door open. When he began to teach, it was exactly what I had taught the previous Wed. Night. Not just close. Same scriptures, same terminology. Same side journeys. It was like he stole my notes. It meant more to me than a 1 hour prophesy would have. It wasn’t about where I was going. It was about where I was right now. ( Pray for Apostle Whiteside. )
•Check Time
Jesus Goes to Church
Luke 4:14–15 ESV
14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country. 15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.
It doesn’t say he’s doing miracles. Just delivering the Word in Love. Glorified by all. (Giving Him praise and honor.)
Continue
Luke 4:16–17 ESV
16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. 17 And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,
He’s getting ready to deliver the Word in Love.
What a timely message.
Luke 4:18–19 ESV
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
What a needed message. Israel had been waiting on this moment for hundreds of years.
Jesus continues.
Luke 4:21–22 ESV
21 And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?”
They are nodding in agreement. YES THIS IS TRUE. What happens when agreement is added to the word? An explosion is about to happen. Their hearts are racing. The word is reaching out to them, and then. The devil makes his move. The air is sucked out of them.
Look at it in Matthew:
Matthew 13:54–56 NKJV
54 When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? 55 Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? 56 And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?”
Matthew 13:57 NKJV
57 So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.”
They were offended: They lost their miracle. Why? We know him. We know his family. How did he get so smart. His parents weren’t even married when they got pregnant. No way God would use someone like that. Next verse. He couldn’t do any mighty works because of their unbelief. The Word Flow was stopped.
Offended: To put a stumbling block in the way, cause to be caught (or) to fall, cause to fall away, be led into sin, offend, anger, shock.
What happened?
Next Slide
2 Corinthians 5:16–18 NLT
16 So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! 17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him.
Read Red: At one time, We know Him differently now. Fade in the Green. Do we know him differently now when he is inside of someone else? Your answer might be hidden inside of the least expected source.
•Stopped up ear. Others prayed. (Pastor, Bud, Michael,) •Laura 10 years old. on the way home. Oh isn’t that cute. (Which ear is it?) Next day woke up with it open and with Laura back to acting like a 10 year old. Can you receive from a learning, sometimes flawed little kid. One you probably just corrected, and probably will have to correct before the day is done? Recognize Jesus inside. It sure feels good to be healed.
Jesus Entertains the Experts
Mark 2:1–2 NKJV
1 And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. 2 Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them.
Packed house, Jesus preaching, Look at the same story in Luke,
Luke 5:17 NKJV
17 Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present to heal them.
They had made the effort to walk or ride 90 Miles for some of them.
Jerusalem to Capernaum=90 miles.
They were there early enough to get a seat inside the house. The power of the Lord was present to heal It doesn’t stop there.
Next Slide:
And the power of the Lord was present to heal...
Fade in. THEM
THEM! How many got healed? Just one. Is one a them? No, one is a one. Why just one?
Continue in the story.
Luke 5:20–21 ESV
20 And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” 21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
Good teaching Jesus. Good healing. But on this one point, I think you are wrong.
No more miracles, Heaven shuts down. They were offended.
•Camp-meeting. I was hurt. I was mad. I had scripture. You are getting ready to lose everything I sent you here for. •The next year. It was worse. Everyone needs to write a check for double what you have already put in. I didn’t have double what I had put in. That can’t be God. Hold on to the good. Spit out the bad. •Next Year. Midas Touch. ( I knew I was right.) •A deposit from the Lord. ( We can all be right in our heart and wrong in our theology.) Don’t shut God down.
Elisha Fails to Make an Appearance
2 Kings 5:9–11 ESV
9 So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.” 11 But Naaman was angry and went away, saying, “Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper.
Vs 10, The moment Naaman has been waiting for all his life, is about to happen........
Vs 11
God sent the cure, but Naaman walked away from his answer. Why? He didn’t like the way it was being done.
My Grandson is just as important as anybody.
Powerful woman of God. Biggest giver in the church. (Cancer) Don’t pray for me to be healed. I want my kids to see how badly they have treated me while I have had this disease.
There is a High Cost to Holding Onto Offences.
What causes the doorway to be open to offence? Thoughts.
2 Kings 4:38 ESV
38 And Elisha came again to Gilgal when there was a famine in the land. And as the sons of the prophets were sitting before him, he said to his servant, “Set on the large pot, and boil stew for the sons of the prophets.”
2 Kings 4:39 ESV
39 One of them went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine and gathered from it his lap full of wild gourds, and came and cut them up into the pot of stew, not knowing what they were.
One of the Sons of the prophets, trying to help, gathered wild gourds from a wild vine. He did not know, what he was doing.
2 Kings 4:40 ESV
40 And they poured out some for the men to eat. But while they were eating of the stew, they cried out, “O man of God, there is death in the pot!” And they could not eat it.
It would be easy to go on a Church Witch Hunt. (Who in this group is trying to kill us.) Who put the poison in the pot? you can try to dig the pieces out of the stew. Maybe you will get it all, maybe you won’t .
2 Kings 4:41 ESV
41 He said, “Then bring flour.” And he threw it into the pot and said, “Pour some out for the men, that they may eat.” And there was no harm in the pot.
What is flour?
How Do I Get the Poison of Offence Out of My Life?
Ephesians 4:22–24 NASB95
22 that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, 23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.
We make a choice to obey the Word. The problem is, we have a messed up mind. Be renewed in who we are. Act on the power of the Word. Today is not my day to be offended.
But Pastor Allen.
Take Control of Your Thoughts
2 Corinthians 10:3–5 NKJV
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
Casting down: Destroying
Because offence usually comes at the hands of someone you are to be tied to Pre-plan for victory.
WW2 shipwreck (Drinking Salt water)
Ephesians 4:3 AMP
3 Be eager and strive earnestly to guard and keep the harmony and oneness of [and produced by] the Spirit in the binding power of peace.
Go On the Offensive
Hebrews 10:24–25 NKJV
24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
Consider: Study
Not forsaking: No one is an island.
Exhorting: Building them up.
Pastor Allen. I need more. Okay.
Call Fire Down From Heaven
2 Kings 1:9–10 ESV
9 Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty men with his fifty. He went up to Elijah, who was sitting on the top of a hill, and said to him, “O man of God, the king says, ‘Come down.’ ” 10 But Elijah answered the captain of fifty, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.” Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.
. Call fire down from heaven on them. Last Week John. Jesus didn’t say no. He said you have the wrong spirit.
Heb: Our God is a Consuming Fire.
Luke 6:27–31 ESV
27 “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29 To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. 30 Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. 31 And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.
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