Holiness in an unholy world (4)

A Rock of offense...

Last week we looked at the Living Stone rejected by mankind, but chosen and precious to God. We focused on Jesus being that Rock on which we build our lives.

Today, I’d like to focus on the offense of the gospel. Jesus is a stumbling stone to those who don’t believe. Almost everybody that I know wants to go to heaven, but many want to get in by another way than Jesus.

1 Peter 2:4–8 ESV

As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

Looking for the Messiah

For many generations, the people of Israel looked for the Hope of Israel.

Isaiah 7:14 NIV

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

Isaiah 9:6–7 NIV

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

Isaiah 2:4 NIV

He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.

Jeremiah 23:5 NIV

“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land.

Isaiah 11:2–9 NIV

The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord— and he will delight in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist. The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the cobra’s den, the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

Here are just a few different prophecies about the one that would come and rule in Israel.

Before we judge too harshly, let’s just stop and put ourselves in their shoes for a few minutes. We’ve been officially a country for 154 years. Israel had been promised their land about 2000 years before Jesus came. They had a king that was very winsome and popular, King David. That was about 1000 years before Christ. There had been some good kings in their history, but their country had been split up. The Northern 10 tribes were taken into captivity in @ 722 BC, and have been scattered ever since. In 586 BC, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon destroyed Jerusalem and carried the creme de la creme back to Babylon as well as the articles from the temple. He starved and killed many of the people. He left the poor of the country to take care of the land. For 70 years, the people of Judah were in captivity.

They were ruled by Babylon, then the Medes and the Persians (Modern day Iran), then by Alexander the Great, Greece, and finally the Roman Empire. They had this promise that a ruler would come and govern the children of Israel with righteousness and justice. It had been a long time since this had occurred and they were waiting for the day that Messiah would come, and some are still waiting.

Jesus, is that Rock

In Luke 4:16-23

Luke 4:16–23 ESV

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. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, “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, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 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?” And he said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘ “Physician, heal yourself.” What we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.’ ”

Jesus was doing miracles in other parts of Israel, and when He came hometown they said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?”

Often we are marked by our family name, good or bad. There was a man in my church that I grew up in. He had been my Sunday School teacher. He had been a pillar in the church. He would say to me when he would hear me speak, “Some day, you are going to make a good preacher.” His heart was to compliment me, but after being in ministry for a while, the question became, when is that day going to come?

None of us have arrived. We should never settle, and say that we have achieved everything that we want, when we get there, it’s probably time for us to go home to be with Jesus if we have nothing else to live for.

Philippians 3:12–14 NIV

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

A stumbling stone and a rock of offense

1 Peter 2:8 ESV

and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

The religious leaders of Jesus’ day had their minds made up. Their Messiah, the Anointed One, was coming, but he was coming to liberate them from the oppression and tyranny that they had endured for so many years. When would the time come?

When Jesus came, they weren’t looking for Him. He wasn’t born in a palace. He wasn’t born into a royal family. He was Joseph’s son.

Jesus came to free them from oppression. He came to bring light.

Isaiah 9:2 NIV

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.

Even Nathaniel asked the question, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”

When Jesus would speak, the religious leaders would cry, “Blasphemy!”

Listen to this if you want to rock a religious leader’s world.

John 6:53–54 NIV

Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.

God caused Jesus to be a stumbling stone and a rock of offense so that we the Gentiles could come to faith in Jesus. In Romans 11:11-12, Paul writes,

Romans 11:11–12 NIV

Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their full inclusion bring!

What about today?

Why do people take offense to the gospel? Why is Jesus a Rock of offense?

Legalism

Do we present a gospel of do’s and don’ts? Do people see us coming and see rules and regulations?

Conformity

Do we live a gospel that has no power to make us any different than those that don’t know Christ?

1 John 2:15–17 NIV

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.

Arrogance

Wasn’t it Frank Sinatra that sang, “I did it my way.”

Many people ask the question, “How dare you tell me how to live?” “It’s my right to live how I want.” “I’m my own boss!”

Anger/Disappointment

“Why did God let my mom die?”

“Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?”

“Why do innocent people suffer?”

I’d never serve a God like that”

Foolishness

What makes Jesus any different than other religious leader? He was just a good moral teacher.

1 Corinthians 1:18–25 NIV

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

What about you?

Is Jesus the Rock that you are going to build your life on or is He the Rock of offense?

Revelation 3:20 NIV

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

God doesn’t doesn’t want to follow from a distance. He wants us to follow Him closely. He longs for us to draw near to Him. James 4:8

James 4:8–10 NIV

Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

God wants nothing more than to life us up, but for us to come, we need to humble ourselves and receive forgiveness.

1 John 1:9 NIV

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

1 Peter 2:7–8 NIV

Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and, “A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.

Disobedience

They stumble because they disobey...

I believe that the Holy Spirit speaks to each and every one of us. When He prompts us, we have a choice to make. When He convicts us, we have a choice to make. This is called free will. God will not force us to obey. He will not force us to follow Him, but when He speaks, it’s important that we don’t harden our hearts. If we disobey, the voice of the Spirit starts to get quieter.

Psalm 139:23–24 NIV

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Let Him search! Let Him clean! Let Him free! 2 Corinthians 3:16-17\

2 Corinthians 3:17–18 NIV

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Amen.