I want to speak to you about probably the most important thing that you can hear as a Christian.
If you want to continue growing in Jesus Christ and that is the issue of offense, somebody said
there's two types of people that are offended. There's those who are mistreated and then
there's those who think they're mistreated but actually they are not. The most used word for
offense in Matthew 18:7 is the word scandal on, which actually means it's a trigger of a trap on
to which bait is placed when the animal touches the trigger to eat the bait the trap springs shut
and the animal is cut and so when it's used in a biblical context, what it simply means scandalon
indicates an enticement to conduct that will ruin the person in question, in fact I have a trap right
here mouse trap right before this recording while we were practicing it, it snapped into my finger
still hurts till till now and got a little bit swollen so unfortunately we didn't get that
captured but it's simply some of you used mouse traps or other traps like I have one right here
and this trap is pretty much already, you know, set and then all we got to do is
mess with it I think like this
yeah so that's what it does, it just snaps. A fence is a trap, it's demonic trap, we may feel right
feeling offended, we may have even circumstances confirming it and there's other believers that
can confirm yeah you have a right to feel like this but you must understand behind the spiritual.
Behind the visible world there is a spiritual world and there is forces of darkness that are
using the offense to entice you into character and habits that are not in line with God's word. It's
interesting because when Peter told Jesus "don't go to the cross and feel bad for yourself" Jesus
turns to Peter and says "get behind me satan for you are an offense to me because you're mindful of
the things of man instead of the things of God" so offense is what satan used on Jesus. An offense is
what he will use on you. Three things you have to remember about offenses; one is that you are unable
to avoid encountering offenses; according to Luke 17 verse 1 meaning offenses will come. The reasons
to be offended will always be there. The second thing we have to remember about offenses is that
we are able to avoid causing offenses while we are not able to avoid encountering them.
We are able to stop causing offenses to other people meaning we we can stop people from being
offended because we caused them to be offended, we can help to stop that but we cannot stop
from offenses happening to us or somebody you know doing something that we have a reason to
be offended by and the third thing is honestly your spiritual life and ministry can only go
as far as your ability to overcome offenses. Jesus says "blessed is he who is not offended at me", there
were people who left Jesus's ministry in spite of miracles signs and wonders, some who probably were
in His larger circle of disciples who were used by the power of the Holy Spirit to expel demons
but when He said certain things, they were offended so many people quit ministry, so many people walk
away from church, so many people they do not grow spiritually and some are trapped in the demonic.
Trap of offense they may justify their feelings, they might justify how all people mistreated me
but in reality behind all of that is a demonic trap that you fell for those feelings of self-pity.
Those feelings of pride are nothing short but a trap of the enemy. So let's quickly look at
the profile of an offended person. Number one; an offended person is somebody who is
entitled, a person with a fence feels they are owed something, they value what they have in
themselves and feel that they have worked so hard and they deserve to be elevated. The truth is they
felt they deserved something that they were not entitled to. Entitled people feel it is their duty
and responsibility even though if it's not and so the problem with entitlement is that it really is
the root and it's what fuels pride, it's what fuels offense.
Offended people are always entitled people they don't have a serving heart. They don't have a
you know a lifestyle of a crucified mindset where we live for Jesus we carry our cross, they're very
entitled people. The second characteristic of an offended person is of course they're
proud. Prideful people are self-reliant, instead of God reliant, when pride attacks it doesn't
allow us to see the full picture. You know satan didn't struggle with pornography, weed or some
other moral sins, his sin was pride and this pride caused him to fall it turned beautiful archangel
into a nasty devil and that's exactly what pride does, it takes beautiful gifted talented people,
it turns them nasty, it turns them crazy, it turns them honestly like really really bad people, why?
Because pride is really the root of offense. Number three; profile of a offended person is unfairness.
People with offense often feel that church leaders have treated them unfairly. A common
complaint that we hear is this "they don't value my gifting, they don't appreciate my anointing I don't
get recognized enough" people get hurt and build up resentment and bitterness when they are not
being utilized in the church. What people don't recognize is that under proper well-structured
church more likely the person wants to be used and valued for their time. They don't realize is
that when you are in a bigger church, okay it's very difficult a lot of times for every single
person to be noticed that's why we don't go to church to be recognized, we go to church to serve.
We don't go to church for applause, we go to church so that we can glorify Jesus and serve one another.
As a pastor I'm not a church so that people can build my ego, I am in church so I can build
the kingdom of God and sometimes if we don't get treated with the respect that we feel like we need
or all of this stuff, we let it go because we're not there for that reason and so it's very
important to understand if you are an offended person and you constantly feel like it's not fair,
"my anointing is not being recognized" you know I am not being honored all the time. Please understand,
church doesn't exist to honor your anointing, church exists to honor Jesus and your anointing
exists to build his kingdom so the question is, is the kingdom of Jesus being built? Yes. "but I'm
not being recognized", is Jesus being worshiped? You didn't die on the cross nor did I, as long as Jesus
is being glorified the kingdom is being advanced then we should be happy that we can play a small
part in advancement of that kingdom should churches improve on recognizing other people
yes but we should also don't blow things out of the proportion to make it feel like it's about us
church doesn't exist to grow your gift, your gift exists to grow the kingdom of God, your gift exists
for His glory and so we need to snap out of this pride and out of this arrogance and honestly
out of this thing that it's not fair, well it's not about how people treat you, it's really about
the gift the favor God has given you and I've noticed this about my life is sometimes, the more
unfair people treat me the more favor God will release into my life if I handle that unfairness
properly, if I don't get bitter resentful and start demanding things from people
and become self-entitled easily offended and spoiled little brat but I just simply become a
servant God releases his favor the fourth profile of an offended person is respect,
they demand respect. The world has taught us to demand respect but Bible has taught us to humble
ourselves. The respect is not something you demand, it's something that is given to you, respect is
something you can sow into another person but you don't walk around demanding that from other people
and so it's very important that we live in humility and we embrace the character of Jesus
which is "I came to serve" Jesus didn't say I come to be respected, Jesus didn't demand respect from
anybody, in fact he got very little of that respect from His disciples for three and a half years
from the Pharisees and from the crowds but He still served even in the last supper. He would
gird Himself and wash their feet and that's really what leadership is that's really what being in the
church is and we all love the cute idea "Jesus make me a servant" until we start getting treated
like servants then we whine and complain, leave churches, switch pastors you know criticize
everybody gossip everybody but in reality, if we really dive deep it's because we're so ego
driven, you know your ego is like fingernails. Your fingernails need to be trimmed constantly okay but
when you trim your fingernails you don't cut your fingers so your identity of value is in Jesus but
there is that ego that a lot of times grows on our identity in Christ and that needs to be trimmed
regularly and sometimes there are situations where we don't get the respect that is owed
to us, we don't get the recognition the "thank you" and that's the moment where the Lord injures our
pride, where the Lord uses those situations to trim that ego so that all the dirt doesn't come under
that ego and so that we can walk in purity and keep the humble heart that the Lord has called
us to have. The fifth profile of a person who is offended is control; offended people desire
to control the situation and a lot of times you know when you control and try to have your own way.
This is what begins to happen is that it will always lead to offense and so if you want to
overcome offense I just want to encourage you honestly with just very very practical few steps.
Number one is Jesus said to disciples after Peter told him that "Jesus you shouldn't
die" and Jesus says "get behind me satan because you're an offense to me" and Jesus says this,
first is desire, He says ''whoever desires to come after me'' I find this interesting because
Jesus didn't say "whoever desires to have people followed them, whoever desires to be recognized,
whoever desires to be popular, whoever desires to be known, whoever desires to be invited everywhere
to be the speaker, whoever desires to be recognized by everybody" he says "whoever desires to follow me"
so honestly ask yourself a question, do you desire to follow Jesus or do you desire to have followers.
Oh this is good, pause for just a moment. Do you desire to follow Jesus or do you desire
to have followers because Jesus says "If you desire to follow me" and a lot of times what
happens is we look back and see who's following us, how they're treating us, who's walking beside
us how they're talking about us I mean I had a situation that happened obviously this morning
was, you know some person in our church really kind of, I felt like he undermined
my authority and certain things that I was doing and it kind of pinched me, you know a few days
ago, or let's just be honest, yesterday and so I went to prayer today and you know I was kind of
bringing that to the Lord and say Lord I don't know, it shouldn't bother me why this person you
know what they said got under my skin and I really felt the Lord challenge me from this
verse He says are you wanting to follow me or are you keep looking at people who are following you
so the first question you have to ask what is your desire. Do you follow? Do you want to follow or do
you desire to have a lot of followers. Number two is you have to deny self. Jesus says "If you desire
to follow me" so how do we deal with offense desire to follow Jesus more than you desire to
get many followers or to please people number two is you deny self not develop self, not pamper self
but deny self. An example of that is Jesus, He came not to be served but to serve. Inflated self-esteem
injured pride and wounded ego we have to lay that at the altar. Deny self, don't pamper don't expect
people to worship yourself, but lay that at the altar and deny self. Number three is discipline
yourself in carrying your cross. Jesus says deny yourself and then pick up your cross. Your cross
is the hardships that will come with following Jesus and fulfilling your calling in other words
Jesus says I want you to deny yourself. I want you to desire, to follow me and then He says honestly
pick up your cross and so that means that learn to endure certain hardships, learn develop a thick
skin. A lot of Christians have a very very thin skin. They don't endure hardships, they crush under
hardships. The Lord wants us to pick up our cross, meaning hardships that follow, following Jesus.
Hardships that come into our life living Christian life, these hardships are not taken away, we pick
them up and we follow Jesus carrying our cross and number four is devotion. Honestly fix your eyes
back on Jesus, Jesus says "satan you are an offense to me" why because you're mindful of the things of
man it's funny how Jesus did not say "satan you are mindful of the things of the of hell and
and hades and gehenna and you know like all the demons you're mindful of demons" no
satan wants to redirect your attention from God not to lucifer, not to demons, but to men. What men
think, what men said, what men did, as long as your attention is always on men obsession is with men
you honestly are falling for the trap. You can fall for the trap of offense and then the next thing is
that deal with roots, if you notice that you're already not just being offended once in a while,
you're actually an offended person you constantly get offended you really need to talk to the Lord
to reveal to you as well, where is this coming from, is this something that had to do with your parents?
How you were maybe mistreated first time, perhaps there was an abuse that took place, ask the Lord
to reveal roots or open doors where the demon of offense entered and the last thing that brings me
to it is you might need to have deliverance, why? because offense a lot of times is not just a trap.
When you let it inside of you, and you cultivate it and you allow that to become your thinking, it
actually can become a stonehold and it can open a door to actual demon of offense that even if
you repent of offense you reconcile with those people only to be offended again. And people like
that they need to be delivered and they need to break those strongholds so that they can walk
free and so they can encounter offenses but not become offended people so they don't cause
offenses to others and so that they mature in the lord and they don't fall trapped to these
traps of the devil. Offense is a trap, a fence is a bait like John Bevere says "it's a bait of
satan to lure you into a life that is bound by the devil" he wants to trap you into that.
If you're offended, ask God to expose the roots, deny yourself, put those feelings at the cross,
desire to follow Jesus more than please people and who's following you
and follow the protocol the recipe that Jesus gives us and Jesus will bless you.
Hey thanks for watching this video! I hope that you were blessed, if you know some offended people,
send them this video. Tag somebody, comment below something that stood out to you or God really used
to highlight a truth from His word. Don't forget to subscribe, like this video and also turn on
the bell. Thank you and I hope to see you again next day or on Thursday on our weekly streams.