A WORD ON THE WORD: OFFENSIVE OR OFFENSIVE PART I
LUKE 9: 18-27
AUGUST 29, 2004
INTRODUCTION: OFFENSIVE: 1. offending. 2. attacking.
A famous Methodist evangelist named Peter Cartwright was known for his uncompromising preaching. However, one day when the President of the United States, Andrew Jackson, "Old rough and ready," came to Cartwright’s church, the elders warned the Pastor not to offend the President. In those days, the President had great power to influence a denomination for good or bad. Content, that their Pastor would not say anything to discredit their church, the elders retired to the back of the sanctuary.
When Cartwright got up to speak, the first words out of his mouth were, "I understand that President Andrew Jackson is here this morning. I have been requested to be very guarded in my remarks. Let me say this: "Andrew Jackson will go to hell if doesn’t repent of his sin!" The entire congregation gasped with shock at Cartwright’s boldness. How could this young preacher dare to offend the tough old general in public, they wondered.
After the service, everyone wondered how the President would respond to Cartwright. When Andrew Jackson met the preacher at the door he looked at him in the eye and said, "Sir, If I had a regiment of men like you, I could conquer the world!" When we appreciate the power of the word of God and the Holy Spirit speaking from the lips of people with conviction we will make eternal differences.
Contributed by: Paul Fritz
TRANSITION THOUGHT: Our text for today speaks to a powerful understanding of God’s word. Just like the powerful Methodist Preacher Peter Cartwright knew, the word of God is both offensive and offensive. Just sharing Jesus can offend someone and yet the sharing of Jesus is the only way to advance the Kingdom, it is the kingdom offensive! The struggle for us here concerning a WORD ON THE WORD, is how we deal with God’s word. For some, the word is offensive, it demands more than we want to give. For a select few, and as hard as it is to say this, I truly believe it is a select few, the Word of God is our offense, our method for reaching the lost, for building the kingdom without and within our own souls. Today, I want us to think about the word of God that is very offensive, as in offending, to us and to those we may share it with. Now you may say to me, Joe, the word of God is never offended me or anyone I know. I beg to differ with you on this. If the word of God doesn’t offend us, then why don’t we follow it?
THESIS SENTENCE: THE WORD OF GOD SHOULD NEVER BE OFFENSIVE TO US!
I. OFFENSIVE IS THE NAME VV. 18-20
A. THE NAME IS A PUBLIC OPPINION
B. THE NAME IS A PRIVATE OPPINION
C. THE NAME IS THE ANNOINTED OF GOD
ILLUSTRATION: I was leaving the nursing home after visiting one of our members and I passed a lady in a wheel chair. "What’s your name?" she said, smiling sweetly. I told her my name and asked, "What’s your name?" Suddenly her face contorted into a scowl and she said, "None of your business!"
Contributed by: Steven Easterwood
JESUS- NOT HATE BUT HOPE
"Jesus.
It’s a little name.
A small word.
Say this little name in public, however, in a way other than an obscenity, and stand back and watch the fireworks.
This little name is like a tiny detonator that triggers a nuclear warhead.
You can say "God," and you won’t get a squeak.
You can say "Our Father/Mother in Heaven," and few will flinch.
You can say "Great Spirit," and people will nod in approval.
You can say "Allah" and you will be deemed tolerant.
But say "Jesus" and just wait for the sonic boom.
Articles will appear in the paper. Reprimands will be posted from the home office. Suits will be threatened by the civil liberties block.
So don’t say Jesus.
Jesus is divisive, and now is a time for unity.
Jesus is an extremist, and that must mean right wing.
Jesus is exclusive, so His name amounts to hate speech.
Keep His name to yourself. Cloister it in your church. Lock it in your prayer closet. Close it between the covers of your Bible. But for God’s sake, don’t voice it in the public square!
It’s immodest. It’s immoral. It’s unloving.
Only one problem.
Jesus is God.
Only one problem.
Jesus alone brings salvation.
Only one problem.
All other gods are nothing.
So speak His name aloud.
Shout it from the mountain.
Whisper it in the dark.
Write it in the sky.
That’s not hate, it’s hope."
SOURCE: From The Southeast Christian Church, Louisville, KY, Newsletter, http://www.southeastchristian.org/. CITED IN: "The Question That Condemned Jesus - (Whose Line Is It?)": Matthew 26:57-68 by Jeff Strite.
http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermon.asp?SermonID=55872.
Contributed by: SermonCentral PRO
TRUTH: THE NAME IS OFFENSIVE TO ALL WHO DO NOT BELIEVE!
QUESTION: IS THE NAME OFFENSIVE TO YOU?
II. OFFENSIVE IS THE GOSPEL STORY VV. 21-22
A. THE GOSPEL STORY IS SUFFERING
B. THE GOSPEL STORY IS REJECTION
C. THE GOSPEL STORY IS MURDER
D. THE GOSPEL IS RESURRECTION
ILLUSTRATION: Paul Eshelman, the man responsible for distributing millions of copies of the Jesus film around the world, tells bout the time that the film was shown at a refugee camp I Mozambique on the southeast coast of Africa. Although most of the people had never heard the gospel, they fell in love with Jesus through the film When he was arrested, beaten, an led away to be crucified, they began to weep and wail, and many rushed toward the screen. Their cries and the dust they stirred made it impossible to finish the film, so the projector was turned off. For more than thirty minutes, the townspeople were on their knees weeping and confessing their sins.
Each of the film crew members and counselors relayed how they would try to approach one of the villagers to pray with them, but the Spirit of God was so real that the counselors themselves were falling to their knees, confessing their own sins and glorifying God. “The sense of God’s presence-his power and his holiness-was so great,” the counselors told Eshelman, “that no one could do anything but confess sins.”
Paul Eshelman said that eventually, after more than thirty minutes, the Jesus film crew turned the movie back on so the people could know the end of the story. You know the end. It does not end in death on a cross, but in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. When the townspeople saw how the story ended, Eshleman said, “The crowd exploded as if a dam had burst. Everyone began cheering and dancing and hugging one another and jumping up and down. When the invitation was given for people to accept Christ, nearly everyone in the crowd wanted to respond! The following Sunday five hundred new believers showed up at the forty-member church in the refugee camp. Contributed by: David Yarbrough
TRUTH: THE GOSPEL IS OFFENSIVE TO THOSE WHO ARE PERISHING!
QUESTION: IS THE GOSPEL OFFENSIVE TO YOU?
III. OFFENSIVE IS THE CALL VV. 23-27
A. THE CALL IS TO COME AFTER
B. THE CALL IS TO DINIAL
C. THE CALL IS THE CROSS
D. THE CALL IS TO FOLLOW
E. THE CALL IS TO LOSE LIFE
F. THE CALL IS TO UNASHAMED ALLIGIENCE
G. THE CALL IS TO THE GLORIOUS RETURN OF OUR LORD
H. THE CALL IS TO THE KINGDOM OF OUR LORD
ILLUSTRATION: A religion that gives nothing, costs nothing, and suffers nothing, is worth nothing.
M. Luther. Contributed by: Glenn Queener
In the eleventh century, King Henry III of Bavaria grew tired of court life and the pressures of being a monarch. He made application to Prior Richard at a local monastery, asking to be accepted as a contemplative and spend the rest of his life in the monastery. "Your Majesty," said Prior Richard, "do you understand that the pledge here is one of obedience? That will be hard because you have been a king."
"I understand," said Henry. "The rest of my life I will be obedient to you, as Christ leads you."
"Then I will tell you what to do," said Prior Richard. "Go back to your throne and serve faithfully in the place where God has put you." When King Henry died, a statement was written: "The King learned to rule by being obedient." When we tire of our roles and responsibilities, it helps to remember God has planted us in a certain place and told us to be a good accountant or teacher or mother or father. Christ expects us to be faithful where he puts us, and when he returns, we’ll rule together with him.
Steve Brown, Key Biscayne, Florida.
TRUTH: THE CALL IS OFFENSIVE TO THOSE WHO REFUSE TO FOLLOW!
QUESTION: IS THE CALL OFFENSIVE TO YOU?
CONCLUSION: The word of God is offensive. It demands our all. It tells of the story of cruelty and death and calls for the same from us. If we are not offended by the Gospel, what does it look like? What would Jesus say? The word on the word for this week is that we are not to be offended by Jesus or His word. IF we are, he will be offended by us when He returns. How will you reveal today and this week that you are not offended by the Gospel, the word of God, and of Jesus?
BENEDICTION: ROMANS 15:5-6
