Don't take the bait
Forgiveness, Don’t Take The Bait
(Alien Adventures pt. 2)
1 Peter 2:11 (NASB95)
11 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.
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Romans 12:19 Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.
A ventriloquist was making fun of rednecks with his dummy at a bar. Then an angry redneck stood up, rolled up his sleeves ,and yelled, "I resent that!"
The ventriloquist started apologizing to the redreck.
The redneck looked at him and said, " You stay outta this, I''m talking to the guy on your lap!!!!
The paradox- I have been hurt, offended, treated unfairly, thus it’s vengeance time isn’t it?
1) Me Offended? The Truth About Offenses
a) It’s going to happen. -Luke 17:1 (NKJV) Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come!
b) It’s usually someone you know. - Psalm 55:12-14 (NKJV) For it is not an enemy who reproaches me; Then I could bear it .Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me; Then I could hide from him. 13 But it was you, a man my equal, My companion and my acquaintance. 14 We took sweet counsel together, And walked to the house of God in the throng.
2) Are You In The Trap?
Offenses are a trap set by the devil to capture believers that you’re usually unaware of.
A minister wound up the services one morning by saying, ''Next Sunday I am going to preach on the subject of liars. And in this connection, as a preparation for my discourse, I would like you all to read the seventeenth chapter of Mark''.
On the following Sunday, the preacher rose to begin and said, ''Now, then, all of you who have done as I requested and read the seventeenth chapter of Mark, please raise your hands.''
Nearly every hand in the congregation went up.
Then said the preacher, ''You are the people I want to talk to. There is no seventeenth chapter of Mark.''
2 Timothy 2:24-26 (NKJV) And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, 25 in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, 26 and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.
Luke 17:3-4 (NKJV Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”
a) Offended people can be divided into 2 categories:
1) Those who have been treated unjustly.
2) Those who have believe they have been treated unjustly.
They are going to judge by feeling, assumption, appearance, and hearsay.
· The enemy keeps us in the trap by pride. Pride keeps us from admitting our true condition. Pride causes victim mentality.
· Therefore, because you believe that you have been mistreated, therefore you are just in holding back forgiveness.
· You’ve now have taken the bait, the trap is set and the noose has closed in on you.
You can’t see the impurities in gold till it gets under the heat.
Don’t let pride keep you in the trap.
3) Is God in Control Or Are You?
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a) What if I have been truly treated unjustly?
Who says there's no integrity in the business world? In the spring of 2006, an administrative assistant at Coca Cola's Atlanta headquarters left work with several classified materials hidden in her purse. These materials included recipes for upcoming products, future promotions, and a beverage sample for a product not yet on the market.
With the help of two other employees, the secretary sent a letter to Pepsi—Coke's oldest and biggest competitor—offering to sell the secrets. It was a chance for Pepsi to seriously damage its competitor for a relatively low price.
Immediately upon receiving the letter, however, Pepsi officials contacted Coca Cola's headquarters, which then called the FBI. The Feds conducted a sting operation that netted three conspirators two months later, when they agreed to part with the secrets for $1.5 million.
"We were just doing what any responsible company would do," said Pepsi spokesperson Dave DeCecco. "Despite the fierce competition in this industry, it should also be fair."
Sam O'Neal, St. Charles, Illinois; source: Kathleen Kingsbury, "You Can't Beat the Real Thing," Time magazine (7-17-06), p. 10-11
Genesis 50:20 (Joseph says to his brothers) But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.
· Are we focusing on the impossibility of the situation or on God’s greatness?
Examples: If it weren’t for my wife, I’d be in ministry today.
If it weren’t for my husband, we would have more money.
b) No man, woman, child or devil can ever get you out of the will of God. Only God holds your destiny.
c) If you stay free from offense, you stay in God’s will. If you get offended, you’re a prisoner.
1Cor 10:10
Joseph understood Matthew 5:44 (NKJV) But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,
- If the devil could destroy us, he would have long ago, but God holds us in His hand.
4) Spiritual Vagabonds Are Born By Taking The Bait.
Pillars and not Caterpillars
a) Spiritual Vagabonds take things into their own hands.
Romans 12:19 (NKJV) Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.
- David and Saul. Most people would be offended and try to find another church if they had to deal with Saul.
- Churches aren’t cafeterias. Jesus is the only perfect pastor and He offends people.
Isaiah 55:12 (NKJV) “For you shall go out with joy, And be led out with peace; The mountains and the hills Shall break forth into singing before you, And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
People who have been divorced and remarry say that 60-65% will get divorced upon their next attempt at marriage. Why? If we leave a church or a relationship resentful and embittered, we will enter the next relationship with the same attitude.
- An old proverb says, “Once a dog has been scolded by boiling water, he’ll even be afraid of cold water.”
How many of us are afraid of the cool refreshing waters that the Lord has for us because we have been burned once and can not forgive?
b) Jesus desires to heal us but, we want the easy road of unforgiveness. It is the path of humility and self-denial that leads to spiritual maturity and healing.
c) Forgiveness- You Don’t Give you Don’t Get.
Mark 11:24-26 (NKJV) Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. 25 “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”
Matthew 6:14-15 (NKJV) “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Luke 6:37 (NKJV) “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
· Forgiveness gets us out of the trap, self-justification and vengeance keeps us in.
Acts 24:16 (NKJV) This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.
d ) Reconciliation should be our goal-
Matthew 5:21-24 (NKJV) “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
5) Have You Met The Rock Of Offense?
1 Peter 2:6-8 (NKJV) Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, “Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.” 7 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone,”8 and “A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense.” They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.
- Jesus’ Home Town was offended with Him
Matthew 13:55-57 (NKJV) 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?” 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.”
· Jesus’ Own Family was offended with Him
Mark 3:21 (NKJV) But when His own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, “He is out of His mind.”… Mark 3:31-35 (NKJV) Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him. 32 And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are outside seeking You.”
33 But He answered them, saying, “Who is My mother, or My brothers?” 34 And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers!
35 For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.”
Own Staff
John 6:60-61 (NASB95)
60 Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this said, “This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?” 61 But Jesus, conscious that His disciples grumbled at this, said to them, “Does this cause you to stumble?
Jesus’ Response
Luke 7:21-23 (NASB95)
21 At that very time He cured many people of diseases and afflictions and evil spirits; and He gave sight to many who were blind. 22 And He answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have the gospel preached to them. 23 “Blessed is he who does not take offense at Me.”
When you live for God you strive not to live for others
1 Peter 4:1-2 (NASB95)
1 Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.
Review-
- Everyone will be offended at one time or another
- Offenses set a trap
- Is God in control or are we?
- Spiritual vagabonds are created by offenses
- Have you met the rock of offense?
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[1] New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. LaHabra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995