How did this happen to Me
Matt 24:10-13
Introduction: The disciples were talking to Jesus about some of the signs that were going to occur before His coming back. Vs 10, 11, 12, 13. How many believe were living in the last days
The Days Prior to the Return of Jesus vs. 10
- Then many will be offended( There’s a Trap Set Just for You)
- Many in the Greek word means majority. So that means at least 51%
- Offended then betrayal then hatred. This is a progression. An offended will eventually betray and if the betrayal is not dealt with it will ultimately lead to hatred. How do you know this
- A brother offended is harder to win than a strong city, and contentions are like the bars of a castle. Proverbs 18:19
- An offended person is harder to win than a fortified city with a strong wall around it. The walls were the city’s Assurance of protection. They kept out unwelcome inhabitants and Invaders.
- We often construct walls around ourselves when we are hurt in order to safeguard our hearts and prevent future wounds. We become selective, denying entry to all we fear will hurt us. We open our lives only to those we believe are on our side.
- The New Testament doesn’t call them walls but it calls them strong holds
- 2 Corinthians 10:3,4-5 For though we walk in the flesh we don’t war in the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal But Mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments (imaginations or reasonings) and every High thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to The Obedience of Christ.
- These strongholds are thought processes or reasonings that go contrary to the word of God. The word of God is rooted in His very nature and is nature is rooted in love. God doesn’t have love, He is Love
- The Greek word for Offense (skandalon)- a trap-stick, snare. Bait stick that a hunter would use to capture his prey
- The offense is the bait of satan to capture you into his trap
- The love of God is designed to give, give and give but an offended person that has been wounded finds themselves imprisoned within walls, unable to relate deeply to those around us. Our focus is turned Inward and introspective to protect, protect, protect. We guard our rights and personal relationships carefully. Our energy is consumed with making sure no future injuries will occur. “I’ve been hurt and don’t want to be hurt again”.
- To define betrayal we think of Judas or harsh act but Betrayal is seeking our own protection or benefits at the expense of someone. If it is not dealt with offense will eventually lead to hatred and hatred is looked upon as murder. death. Betrayal leads to hatred. (1 John 3:15) Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.
- Hatred in Greek literally means loveless.
- Feel intense or passionate dislike for someone. Loathe, detest, despise
- Picture a vacuum with zero love in it. We think a person who hates has a lot of emotion, but contrary a person who hates has no emotion.
- So Jesus was saying in the last days there would be many with massive offenses and these offenses would lead to many betrayals and if not dealt with is going to go to hatred.
- What’s going to be the result of this. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.
- Who are the many? The many that are offended. Defense is the breeding ground for deception. One problem with deception, it’s deceiving. Jesus calls false prophets in the NT wolves in sheep’s clothing. Notice He didn’t say wolves in shepherds clothing (everyone is always looking for the false prophet behind the pulpit)
- The wolves (predators) travel in packs and the goal is to separate the sheep from the herd
- Proverbs 18:1 A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire and rages against all wise judgment. Most isolations happen in the mind
- Jesus says in vs 12 and because lawlessness will abound the love of many will grow cold
- Lawlessness in Greek means anomia– not submitted to God’s Authority. Cause the love of many to grow cold. He’s talking about the church. AGAPE How do you know? Verse 13 He who endures shall be saved. The world has not gone through the process or plan of salvation.
- The Person who can hurt you the worse is the person the closet to you
- (Ps. 55:12-14). Most often, hurt from a fellow believer causes them to say with David if it was one who hates me who has exalted himself against me; then I could hide from him. But it was you, a man my equal, my companion, and my acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together, and walked to the house of God in the throng”
- Our expectation is not on those that are distant but on those that are close
- Believers
- Family
- Spouses
- Pastor or leader
- The greater the expectation, the greater potential for the offense
- 2 Categories of people:
- Those who have been genuinely treated unjustly
- Those who believe they have been entreated unjustly
- Im only going to deal with the genuine today
- DO you have the right to be offended?
- We all have free choice
- If you want to walk with God in His Presence you don’t have the right
- Yeah but Pastor you just don’t know what they did
- Yeah but What did we do to Jesus
- A person who can’t forgive is a person who has forgotten what He did for you
- Forgive-stop feeling angry or resentful toward someone for an offense, flaw, or mistake
- Don’t forget what we Deserve (Fire)
- The way we forgive is the way we will be forgiven (Lords Prayer)
- A Season of New Wine Skins
- Matthew 9:17
- It’s easy to forgive those where there’s no investment, its where you’ve poured in so much that’s hard.
- We live in the pride of I’m alright
- Still Preaching
- Still Teaching
- Still Singing
- Still Ushering
- Still Working
- Our ministry turns to occupation but yet the heart is getting colder and harder
- Snake analogy of shedding skin, instead of being a sponge and absorbing it
- Offenses are the same way, some things that should role right off, hit us and wounds us.
- Wounds don’t heal over night and if not properly treated they may never heal
- How do we heal? We have to exercise in the Word of God
- A lot of us are out of shape and that’s why its so easy for us to be wounded
- Not reading
- Not praying
- Only coming on Sunday and eating
- Not applying to good soil
- Those that are muscular and in shape
- Psalm 119:165 Great Peace have they which love thy word and nothing shall offend them
- How do we exercise?
- Matthew 5:44 But I tell you love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you,..pray for anyone that mistreats you and use you
- Not your mother, love ones
- Pray for those that offend
- How not to pray. Luke 18:9-14
- How to pray? Bless them God
- Forgiveness & Reconciliation
- Jesus Forgave before we repented
- 1 John 1:9
- Reconciliation: creates an atmosphere for forgiveness
- Adjust Your Attitude
- Love covers a multitude of sins
- Offenses will come but you don’t have to pick them up
- Luke 17:1 It is impossible that no offenses should come
- If you breathe air an opportunity to be offended is coming
- What you do with it is what’s going to determine your future
- You can learn from them and get better and stronger
- You can hold onto them and get angry, bitter, jealous, spiteful revengeful, hateful, hurtful , cold
- 2 Timothy 2:24-26 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.25 Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.
- Just endure– suffer patiently, go through, keep living
- Salvation is coming
- Romans 12:11-14 know the time that it high time to awake out of sleep, for now, is our salvation nearer than we believe. The night is far spent the day is at hand let us cast off darkness let us put on the whole armor of light. Walk honestly, not in rioting and drunkenness, not in stride or envy but put ye on the Lord Jesus
- Weeping may endure for a night but joy
- Leave it in His Hand and He will turn it to glory
- Most people who are offended don’t know or don’t want to admit they are offended.
- The enemy is very cunning, very suttle, you wont realize it until your snared
- We have walls that are standing between us and God
- DO I have a right
- If we cannot risk being hurt, we cannot give unconditional love. Unconditional love gives others the right to hurt us.
- Ask God to help you tear down your walls, become vulnerable, and repent of any offenses.
- Who do I allow to hurt me
- Those who I have locked out
- What do you say about my stance
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