continued from yesterday
There is a difference between being offended and being hurt or displeased. Samuel was displeased with their request for a king but that is not the same as being personally offended.
If a person is hurt or crushed over a situation – that is quite different from being offended. We can be hurt without being offended. We can be crushed over something someone has done to us but if we are offended that is a different story.
If someone does something to us that we do not believe is right we can respond one of two ways. We can take it personally and become offended, or we can take the perspective that they need prayer because what they did was not very Christ like. Subsequently, we become burdened for their souls. To be hurt or crushed or burdened is not the same as being offended.
Being offended is quite like being discontent. A couple of weeks ago Pastor Joshua preached a great message on checking our attitudes. Discontentment is associated with our attitude.
Philippians 4:11 “…for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” KJV
When Paul said that he had learned to be content no matter what state he was in – at first I thought he was talking about Iowa. That would make our own Pastor Chad as spiritual as Paul the Apostle because Chad could be content in Iowa. Recently I did a conference in North Platte, Nebraska and I now think Paul might have been referring to Nebraska.
Now let’s go back and re-look at our opening verse.
Matthew 11:6 Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me."
I think it’s interesting that the word “blessed” also means “happy.” The happy man is rarely offended. Being offended is an issue of pride. The proud man struggles with happiness because happiness relates to humility. Happiness means you accept things more readily. The person who can easily laugh at himself is rarely offended.
When we think of someone who is austere we think of someone who us strict, or stern. Usually, that is how we describe someone we consider to be spiritual. In many ways that is what bothered the Pharisees about Jesus.
If Jesus was really the Messiah why was he always talking about people being happy? Shouldn’t he have had a furrowed brow about the sin of the people? Shouldn’t he have come down on the people? Do you see the difficulty with a discontent people? That is exactly what John the Baptist was and they didn’t like him either.
Do you remember when we had Don Stuckless here for one of our Missions Conventions a few years back? He got up here and played his spiritual instrument as he preached. He made a passing statement about a book he wanted to write called the Un-Offendable Christian. He talked a little bit about how it should almost be impossible to be offended as a Christian. I agree.
continued tomorrow
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Medication: A Merry Heart
The Farmer and his Dog
A farmer named Muldoon lived alone in the Irish countryside except for a pet dog he doted on. The dog finally died and Muldoon went to the parish priest, saying "Father, the dog is dead. Could you possibly be saying a mass for the poor creature?"
Father Patrick told the farmer "No, we can't have services for an animal in the church, but I'll tell you what, there's a new denomination down the road apiece, and no telling what they believe in, but maybe they'll do something for the animal."
Muldoon said "I'll go right now. By the way, do you think $50,000 is enough to donate for the service?" Father Patrick replied "Why didn't you tell me the dog was Catholic."
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