Introduction:
A
B When a person has trouble with their heart (diseased, damaged) any thing that can be done to help them is a reason to shout.
1 A good medicine, surgical procedure, pace maker . . . in some cases a heart transplant is in order.
a Ezek. 36.26, tells us that God has given us a new heart!
b This heart transplant is no little thing, nor is it an option or a luxury or a nicetie that we can do without.
2 When we first get saved we start off so good! (We love everybody, everyone, best pastor/church/Sunday school teacher ever)
a No one ever says, “I can not wait to grow cold, hard hearted, hateful and develop resentment.”
b These things into our hearts under the radar, stealth.
c You may be doing fine today and tomorrow you get wounded, something happens, someone says something and it happens. (Maybe right now!)
d Matt. 24.13, “endure till the end.” It’s not how you start the race it is how you finish it.
3 Matt. 24.3, 10,12 NKJV, Jesus warns us that near the last days there will be an epidemic in the church that serves as the catalyst for people to flee from the church: OFFENSE.
a Offense (gk. Skandalizo from skandalon) which means stumbling block, to make angry, sin.
aa A “skandalon” was the stick that an animal would trip to engage a trap or snare to trigger its capture (bad day). Can’t go any further.
bb Offense can grip our hearts, trap our hearts!
b I know people who go from one offense to the next.
aa Instead of letting God dress their wounds they just carry around the weight of offense until it disables their walk with God.
bb God wants them to go to a new level but there is now way that’s going to happen until the drop the burden of their offenses.
c Jesus tells us what happens next: betrayal, hatred & cold love.
d The Church should grasp these verses with holy fear.
aa Unsound doctrine is dangerous but Jesus is saying offense is just as dangerous.
bb Why do we tolerate one more than the other?
4 People don’t typically trip/stumble over boulders, but relatively small stones.
a Maybe it’s your pastor’s/teacher’s personality over you.
b Maybe it’s that your expectations have been unmet by a friend or member of your family.
c Regardless of what we stumble on we hit offense when we fall.
C There is a danger in harboring offense. (Not letting go and letting God)
1 We cannot or refuse not to put an incident in the hands of the Lord, then we should to the individual . . . but no so fast.
a Wounded Spirits are not Offended Spirits.
aa An offense is only an offense because we picked it up.
bb Sometimes (many times) if we would let Jesus heal our wounds then they would never develop into an offense.
cc “Look, Mike’s working...better take a picture.” Wounded me, my spirit . . . not offended, not angry.
dd You do not have to get angry every time someone does insensitive or stupid.
b When the wound is not put in the hands of Jesus, the infection of offense sets in.
2 We get sideways with that person & move from the intimacy of close relationships once shared and move toward betrayal.
a We will find ourselves talking about the person who offended us behind their backs.
aa Our conversations are sprinkled with negative “hints” that expose the offending persons weakness to others.
bb We hide our betrayal with clever camouflage but before we know it we’ve spoke very negatively about that person to far too many people.
b What camouflage you talking about, preach?
aa Can I get your advice/opinion about something?
bb How should I approach this person because ...?
cc Would you pray for me about this situation?
c The goal is not really about getting advice, spiritual help for ourselves but to get revenge on the person who has offended us. (Manifestation of hatred)
d An offended spirit always leads to betrayal, hatred & cold love.
D This pattern is played out the same way in families, friendships and churches.
1 We must remember that our friends, families, preachers are not our slaves; they do not work for us: under contract to fulfill our needs and if they don’t we’re not going to love them.
a We have not hired them to do the job of keeping us happy, content or even fulfilling a need.
b If they fail to meet our expectation in some way we get offended.
aa Husband expects wife to be there at his beck & call, massage his shoulders when he gets home, have favorite meal prepared when he gets home...unmet expectations.
bb Wife expects husband to come home and spend time with the kids, do a load of laundry, sweep her off her feet and take her out for supper....unmet expectations.
cc Expect your preacher to be Adrian Rogers, Charles Stanley, David Jeremiah, Perry Stone, Ron Phillips...unmet expectations.
dd Preachers may want their congregation to give like the Lutherans, worship like the Pentecostals, and honor the pastor like Bishop Jake’s Potter House does him . . . unmet expectations.
c I’m not saying you should expect certain things from your spouse, kids, pastor or church, certain expectations are reasonable!
2 Instead of expecting a spouse to love, serve, meet my expectations, what if I put the demand upon myself to love and serve her, with no strings attached.
a Many people answer these unmet expectations by fighting to try to get their need met.
aa Or try trading their old one in on a newer model (New husband, wife, pastor or church)
bb Our loved ones did not come with money back guarantees. (We don’t own them!)
bb If your attitude, approach, expectations are wrong it doesn’t matter who your spouse, pastor or church is you’re going to walk around sour & sore at the world.
b But we made vows together. I expect my spouse to fulfill what was promised.
aa What if she is to the best of her ability, but you’re so offended that you can’t see she is trying her hardest.
bb What if we put the burden to change upon ourselves instead of our spouse.
c Matt. 23.11; Mark 10.43-44; Jesus said the greatest guy in the room will be the one serving others.
3 In church, false expectations are encountered regularly.
a If pastors & churches learned to appreciate one another more there would be a great deal of healing come to our congregations.
b Stop wishing you had better churches & better pastors: we’ve got each other.
c Pastors have to have a certain level of freedom to guide & lead the church because in Scripture he is the only one who has to give an account for that local church (Heb. 13.17)
aa The vision of a local church resides principally in the office of the senior pastor.
bb If you knew what God wanted, desired to lead the church . . . you wouldn’t need a pastor.
cc The Shepard leads the flock, the flock does not lead the Shepard. . . God leads the local church through flawed leaders, pastors as His primary means.
d If your pastor is faithful to preach the Gospel week in & week out, serves the Lord by trying to minister to Christ’s church, then God accepts him and you should honor him. He is a gift from God.
aa Don’t try to get him to be Jamey Ragel, Len Turner, or Dwain Miller ...He’s just Mike: When you do it lessens the effectiveness of the pastor.
bb In 2 Kings 2.16, Elijah had been translated to heaven and Elisha was left w/ his double anointing. (Disappointing to the sons of the prophets)
*Go send 50 men Elisha to find Elijah, maybe he’s up there in the mountains somewhere.
*They got their way after they made Elisha ashamed. Why? He wasn’t more like Elijah.
cc Our failed expectations can make a pastor feel ashamed for who he is and nothing will kill the flowing of the Holy Spirit like ongoing criticisms of your church leaders.
dd Learn to appreciate them for their gifts, honor them, pray they may become more like Christ.
e Likewise, Pastors should accept & love the flock which the Lord has placed them. (Don’t compare them to other churches)
aa Not save his best ideas, vision for the next church.
Conclusion:
Notice to Sermon Central Users:
My name is Mike Fogerson, and I pastor a Southern Baptist Church in Chester, Illinois. I have been a long-time user of Sermon Central and truly appreciate its content and contributors. Some of the best sermons I’ve ever preached have been reworked material from this website. As you use the material from my sermon bank, understand that it is work that has been done from not just myself, but from hundreds of other pastors as well. If you see part of your message, or a bunch of your message with my name on it and this upsets you, please email me and I will quickly respond and cite you as the main source. My intent is not to claim someone’s work as my own. I am disclaiming up front that I use the resources from Sermon Central and appreciate the tool. I simply want all those who use my work to know that some of these messages were inspired by the Holy Spirit working through other pastors. Because I do use the messages of other pastors I waive all claims of originality or origin of creativity for the messages posted under my messages. I pray God blesses your preaching ministry for the glory of His Kingdom.
Respectfully,
Mike Fogerson
