Are you ready to offend people? Sometimes all you have to do is get out of bed and walk out of the house to offend someone. The problem lies with our desire to be liked (no reference to facebook, thank you) even in the light of scriptural warnings that it is far better to be a God pleaser than a man-pleaser. Two scriptures from Paul ring the bell in my heart this morning, the first being Gal 1:10, "Am I now trying to win the approval ofmen, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ". Not much later Paul had himself a first rate prison ministry...in chains. Secondly, Paul wrote to Timothy saying, "I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God unto Salvation to them that believe..." Rom 1:16. Dont be ashamed. Speak up.
Let's get over it, we are going to offend people for the sake of Christ. Jesus is called "the Rock of Offense". If we are in Him and He is in us, can it be any other way? How hard do we try to keep from offending people? Now, I'm not talking about being a total loudmouth with all the rudeness we can manufacture. But dont miss the important point, many are afraid of offending others that somehow it will have a negative effect that will cause that person to turn away from God later on. Let's face it, they are already turned away from God and that is why God wants you to "arrest" their attention with a simple word of righteousness. Jesus said the world will hate us because it hated Him first. Factor it in.
There is a philosophy of the world that has flooded the minds of believers that stands in conflict to the scriptures. It is this "dont judge me" mindset. Some will say that we as disciples should not judge others. I will go along with that....however, it is the Holy Scriptures that judge. Sometimes all we have to do is point out what God thinks about something for someone to say we are judging them. It is the Lord who judges and we can certainly use the Word of God to do so......but dont stop there. Be sure to offer hope of salvation in the forgiveness of sin through Jesus shed blood. Remember, the only difference between us and the vilest of sinners is the Cross. We cant brag, really.
So, get out there and preach. Oh wait, you arent a preacher right? Wrong. Dont mistake preaching for something accomplished by a preacher in the pulpit on sunday. Preaching simply means "proclaiming". Noah is said by Peter that he was a preacher of righteousness. Noah was a simple man living a focused life. No seminary degrees hung on his wall. It was said of the disciples that they were unlearned, unschooled men but when they moved in the same power in doing miracles as Jesus did they took note that they had been with Him. Preach righteousness. How else will this world know what is right and what is wrong? You dont need to lecture or fix up a sermon or invite someone to church hoping the pastor preaches real good. Preach.
So what if people dont like you? They were not the ones hanging on the cross for you.
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