Sermon Presentation

1. relates to every person
2. relates to every age
3. relates to everyday life
4. relates to problematic areas in our lives
“…It is impossible but that offenses will come…” KJV
“The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the
contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds… we take
captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” II Cor. 10:4+5
captive / aichmalotizo / bring into captivity, to make a prisoner
thought / noema / disposition, intellect, mind, thoughts
obedient / hypakoe / compliant, obedient, submission
“…It is impossible but that offenses will come…” Luke 17:1 KJV
impossible / anendektos / impossible, inadmissible,
unallowable, unthinkable
“It is simply unthinkable that you could live life without an
opportunity to become offended.” (Literal Translation)
offense / skandalon / trap-stick
OFFENSE IS A TRAP FOR THE
BELIEVER
OUR RESPONSE TO AN OFFENSE
DETERMINES OUR FUTURE
THE GOAL OF OFFENSE
IS TO BRING US INTO CAPTIVITY
TO DO THE DEVIL’S WILL
“And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to
everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must
gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading
them to a knowledge of the truth, 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.” II Tim. 2:24-26
trap / pagis / trap, trick, snare
taken them captive / zoogreo / take an animal alive “zoo”
“…forced to run his errands.” MESS
difference + disbelief + disappointment = offense
“As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him
privately. ‘Tell us,” they said, ‘when will this happen, and what will be the sign
of your coming and of the end of the age?’ Jesus answered: ‘Watch out that no
one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ’
and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it
that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to
come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There
will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning
of birth pains. Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to
death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.
At that time many will turn away from the faith and will
betray and hate each other,” Matt. 24:3-10
OFFENSE IS OUR RIGHT
BUT SPIRITUALLY MATURE BELIEVERS
KNOW BETTER THAN TO GO THERE BECAUSE
IT WILL HURT THEM
“At that time many will turn away from the faith and will
betray and hate each other,” V.10
“…fall away…” RSV “…stumble…” ASV
“…be offended…” KJV
skandalon / trap-stick
“…betray each other…”
paradidomi / broken relationship, put in prison
“…hate each other…”
miseo / detest, loveless
Offense
!
Betrayal
!
Hatred
PICKING UP
AN OFFENSE IS THE BEGINNING OF A
SLIPPERY SLOPE THAT LEADS TO
BETRAYAL AND HATRED