A Brother Or Sister In Christ Offended

PROVERBS 18:19 “A BROTHER OR SISTER IN CHRIST OFFENDED”

A) A farmer owned a mule that was very important to him because it

was good at plowing. (Difference between a mule and a horse)

* The mule got sick one day, and the farmer called in the veterinarian.

B) The vet looked the mule over, and then gave the farmer some extremely

very large pills.

* The vet said, “Give the mule one of these pills three times a day, and he’ll recover.”

C) The pills were so huge the farmer asked how he was supposed to get them

down the mule’s throat.

* “Well, that’s easy,” the vet replied, “Find a piece of pipe wide enough to fit in the

mule’s mouth, and put the pill into the pipe, and then blow into the other end.”

* “Before the mule knows what’s happening, you’ll blow the pill down the mule’s

throat and he will swallow the pill.”

D) Well, that sounded easy enough ... So the farmer did what the vet asked

him to do.

* But just a few hours later, the farmer walked into the veterinarian’s office

looking horribly sick himself.

E) The vet said, “Sir, you look terrible, what in the world happened?”

* And the farmer replied, “The mule blew first.”

* That was no doubt a very bitter pill to swallow – And perhaps there might be

some here tonight who are dealing with your own bitter pills in life.

F) Perhaps someone tried to blow you a bitter pill down your throat before.

* And if they did, how did you respond? – If you have been mistreated, had your

feelings hurt, disappointed, betrayed, or insulted, should you be provoked?

* Do you have a right to be offended by the misdeeds of others?

PEOPLE TODAY ARE SO EASILY OFFENDED

A) It seems today that people inside and outside of the church are so easily

offended – The word offended means:

* “To hurt the feelings of, make angry, to affect in an unpleasant or disagreeable

way, to cause to sin, to sin against, wrong a person, to violate, to transgress.”

* The Hebrew word is “pasha” (paw-shah’) and means, quarrel, apostatize”

which means “to abandon, to break away from a person because of anger.”

B) Here’s what our text is saying:

* It is harder to win back the friendship of an offended brother than to capture a city

that’s barred up with iron fences – His anger shuts you out like iron bars.

* Some even boast that once you cross them or one of their loved ones, that’s it,

it’s all over.

C) That doesn’t say much good about their spirituality. (Not right with God)

* No one escapes an offense, but what we do with it determines whether we will

be blessed or broken because of it.

* Here’s what Jesus had to say about it in Matt. 18:7 “Woe unto the ....... (Margin)

D) Think about several things with me in regard to the matter of being offended:

(1) THE REASONS FOR OFFENSES * Just what are the reasons?

A) First: The Message Often Gives Offense. – Gal. 4:16 .......

* Some of the Galatian people had become Paul’s enemy because he told

them the truth.

* Many people today get offended because the preacher tells them the truth,

and they don’t like it.

B) Illustrations ... Man asked my opinion on certain sins, and I gave it to him

and he got mad.

* Others: Not being faithful – Not tithing – Stop kids from running in and out of the

church services – Not bringing sodas and food into the sanctuary – Etc.

C) Secondly: The Misuse Of The Tongue Brings Offense.

* James 3:6 “And the tongue is a fire, a world of .......” – In other words .......

* And the tongue is a flame of fire – It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting

your entire body – It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.

D) We should guard our mouths as one would an atomic bomb.

* Psa. 141:3 “Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.”

* He’s saying, “Help me, LORD, to keep my mouth shut and my lips sealed.”

E) Prov. 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they .......”

* Solomon is saying: “The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to

talk will reap the consequences.

F) Thirdly: Misunderstanding Often Brings Offense.

* People often get offended because they don’t understand another person’s

actions or motives.

* Some people don’t understand the Pastor’s following the Lord in the decisions

he makes, and they get offended, and sometimes leave the church.