The Practical Living Series

Introduction
• This week I want to begin a series on practical living. This week I want to start off with avoiding offenses.
• To many people, especially Christians, Believers in Christ Jesus; take offense and miss out on the blessing of God.
• In order to avoid offenses, we must look at Jesus and His lifestyle. He showed us how not to become offended. Shout…. Love is the answer.
• It is important for us to continually walk in the love of God in order to avoid becoming offended.
• Satan will try to do everything in his power to get us to step outside the love of God. Once we step outside the love circle, the power of God is disconnected or disrupted from our life.
• Everything in the Kingdom of God is based on love; therefore, we must choose to love even when we are offended.
• Let us look to the Word of God and learn how to apply the principles for avoiding offenses.
(AMP) Psalm 119 165 Great peace have they who love Your law; nothing shall offend them or make them stumble.

1) A Key to Avoiding Offense is Loving God – Loving Others.

a) Shout…When I show love to all people, I won’t walk in offense.
b) Shout…Lord I love you! I will love others like I love you!
(NKJV) 1 John 4 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 19 We love Him because He first loved us. 20 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.
c) The devil tries to lure us away from God through offenses.
i) Whenever we experience offense, the first thing we should do is pray.
ii) Offense is based in selfishness and it produces fear.
iii) Fear gives Satan access to our lives.
(1) There is no fear in love; perfect love casts out fear.
(2) Fear is a tormenting spirit.
(3) When you walk in love you are dead to self.

2) Offense is a Blessing Blocker in Our Lives.
a) Shout…Jesus help me not to take offense.
b) Jesus said blessed are those who are not offended in Him.
(NKJV) Luke 7 23 And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”
c) Offense is a blessing blocker; it is a negative reaction to a condition or comment.
i) If there are things going wrong in our lives, it may be due to offense.
ii) We should refuse to question God when we are offended.
(NKJV) 1Timothy 1 3 As I urged you when I went into Macedonia—remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine, 4 nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith. 5 Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith,
iii) It may seem harmless to be offended, but it damages our lives and relationships.
(NKJV) Matthew 18 7 Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!
iv) Offense is a type of pressure applied to our flesh. It is a temptation.
d) Patience is a solution to offense.
i) We must consistently demonstrate the love of God when we are offended.