Life on the edge

Pastor’s Discovery Class

The Process of Sin

One constant in our lives is the propensity we have to sin and make mistakes. It happens to all of us and none of us are immune to this event. It is a part of the depravity of mankind that propels him into sin if he does not guard himself. In fact, John states that it is a sin to think that we do not sin. He says “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8). 

As I have studied the word of God there seems to be a defined pattern for sin that takes place over and over again. The purpose of this study is to look at this process and to establish ways to diminish the work of sin in our lives.

The pattern or process of sin is illustrated by Adam and Eve, Achan and David. Each of these very clearly followed this pattern. What is the pattern? It is:

• Each of them saw…..
• Each of them coveted…..
• Each of them took ……
• Each of them hid …..
• And, each of them was confronted…..

Let us look at the story of the fall of Adam and Eve and subsequently all of mankind:

Gen 3:1-13 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.'” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

A couple of comments before we look at the process:

The temptation to doubt God and to doubt the truth of His word is very real and can lead us into sin. The serpent deceived Eve with doubt and the life long battle of being like God. Notice that the serpent said “did God really say.” This is the one tool that is the most effective in our lives. When thoughts of doubt come we begin to doubt the truth of God’s word and whether or not He is who He says He is and so on. If the enemy can get us to doubt he has us where he wants us.

Secondly, the temptation to be like God is also very real. The serpent convinced Eve that the reason that God did not want them to eat of the fruit of the tree is that in so doing they would become like gods and God did not want that. This has been the battle since that time; e.g. man trying to get to God in his own way or in trying to lower God to his standard. Either way we fail. Today, the big issue is to diminish God and bring Him to our level by saying that we are all gods.

The process:

1. Eve saw that the tree was good for food. It is important to note that no sin had been committed at this juncture. It is not a sin to be tempted. In fact, the Bible says that Jesus was tempted in all points as we were but without sin. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. (Hebrews 2:18) For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. (Hebrews 4:15). This is where we get in trouble because sometimes we are convinced that because we were tempted we might as well do the sin. That is wrong.

2. Eve coveted the fruit because she saw that it was a delight to the eyes and that the tree would make one wise. Who would not want that but as we have experienced in our lives sin has consequences that must be paid. It is at this stage as we can begin to move into a state of sin when we begin to conspire to act out the sin. We say things like I would do this if no one would find out. James had this to say about being tempted. He stated “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.

3. She took of the fruit and ate it and she gave some to her husband. For those who think that Adam was somehow innocent, this passage reminds us that he was just as culpable. He stood by and let his wife fall into the trap of sin that would change the face of the earth and all of mankind forever. Sin has its consequences and their innocence was shattered forever. They now saw that they were naked and they were ashamed.

4. They hid themselves by sewing fig leaves to make loin cloths to hide their nakedness. What God created had now become a shame to them. Think with me about how much in our society is geared towards nudity and sexual immorality. Not only did they attempt to hide themselves by covering up their nudity, they also hid from God. “I heard the sound of you in the Garden and I was afraid because I was naked and I hid myself.” In terms of our relationship with God our relationship with Him is always affected when we live in unconfessed sin. Man was cowering in fear and shame. He now had a diminished view of the capacity of God to love him regardless of what he had done.    

5. They were confronted by God. Notice Adam’s response. That woman you gave me. You will know the depth of your sin by how you try to shift blame or divert attention away from the sin you have committed. How do you respond when you are confronted by your sin:

 a. It was that wife or husband you gave me.

b. It was that friend.

c. It wasn’t me.

d. It was not my fault.

e. I didn’t know it was a sin.

 For personal study review the story of Achan and David:

1. The story of Achan – Joshua 7.
2. The story of David – 2 Samuel 11 & 12.

Sermon on the Mount – Pastor’s Class

“Me Angry”

Matthew 5:21-26 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

 Two ways to deal with anger:

1. We internalize it.
2. We vent it.

 What causes us to get angry?

Unmet expectations – when our expectations are not met we often become angry and lash out at those who have failed us.

We have not dealt with issues in the past. When we walk in unforgiveness we have opened a door for anger to take hold of our lives. This is why Paul states that we should not let the sun go down on our anger (Eph. 4:26-27).

Unresolved guilt. When we walk in guilt and condemnation we also open the door to for anger to be manifested in our lives.

We feel abused or used. When someone continues to use us or abuse we often respond in anger. Whether than take our anger out on the one causing the abuse we often take it out on the one we love.

We are angry at someone else but we take it out on others.

We see wrongs done and we see others get away with wrong doing. When we believe that a person is getting away with sin or wrongdoing we can become angry.

There is a difference between righteous anger and anger.

Steps for dealing with anger:

1. Realize there is an offense.
2. Leave your offering.
3. Go.
4. Be reconciled.
5. Then return and offer your gift.

Scriptures for anger:

Psalms 37:7-9 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land.

Psalms 103:8-9 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever.

Proverbs 14:29 Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.

Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Proverbs 15:18 A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention.

Proverbs 16:32 Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.

Proverbs 19:11 Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.

Proverbs 29:22 A man of wrath stirs up strife, and one given to anger causes much transgression.

Ephesians 4:26-27; 31 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.

Colossians 3:8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.

James 1:19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;

Sermon on the Mount

“What Were You Thinking”

Matthew 5:27-30 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.  And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.

In this passage Christ is once again dealing with the Pharisees righteousness. His intent is to show that it is not only the act that is the sin but it is the thought processes and the character of the heart that is just as critical. The reason this is important is that the physical act begins in the heart long before it actually is an action. By this I mean that too often we play out in our minds what it would be like to have item ‘x’ or to do whatever. The Pharisees taught that if someone thought lustfully about someone that no sin was committed because they never had actually committed the act.

Lust is defined as wanting something that one can’t have. Jesus taught that the thoughts of our heart, not surrendered to God, can become actions that wound and hurt others. But, as believers we must deal with our thoughts and emotions before they become actions.

Jesus wants us to understand that it is out of the heart that we respond to the stimulus around us. It is for this reason that we can desire something and yet know that it is very wrong all at the same time.

When we sin there is a process that takes place. We see this in Adam and Eve’s life, in Achan and in David. In each of these cases we see what will occur when we do not control our thoughts and emotions. In every one of these cases the process was the same.

They saw the apple, the gold and the naked Bathsheba.

They coveted the apple, the gold or the woman.

In each case they took what they coveted. Have you ever notice how much sin draws you.

And in the end they tried to hide what they had done.

But in the end each one were caught. God came walking in the cool of the day. The army of Israel was defeated at Ai. And David was confronted by Nathan…

To offend is the same word as a spring loaded trap. This is the reason that Jesus says that if our eye offends us or causes us to sin that we are to pluck it or if our hand causes you to sin then it should be cut off as well. If you do not guard your eyes and your life you will place yourself in the place where the trap of sin will overtake you.

It is for this reason that John states that we should (1John 2:15-17) – Not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world–the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions–is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

  How do we combat the lusts:

We take every thought captive by controlling what we see and what we read – 2Corinthians 10:3-6 – For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.

We set up boundaries. Job said that he made a covenant with his eyes. (Job 31:1).

We meditate on the word of God. Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:11.

We pray for God’s guidance and protection. The Psalmist said it this way Psalm 141:3  Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!

 What we put into our minds shape and mold who we are and it shapes and molds our emotions.

Let me close with this. I recognize that in this room there are those of that are dealing with many different things. But there is one thing that you need to know. God loves you. There is nothing that we can do to stop God’s love. He loves us now as much as He ever will and that means even when we sin or we make big mistakes, He still loves us.

The Righteousness of the Pharisees exposed :

 The following is a summary of Matthew 23 and Jesus’ criticism of their lifestyle.

1. The Pharisees did not practice what they preach. They are the do as I say group and not the do as I do.

2. The Pharisees burdened the people with rules and regulations that the Pharisees could not keep.

3. The Pharisees were more concerned about their outward appearances but inside they were dead and lifeless. Their righteousness was based on how they dressed and how they performed the tasks they were to do.

4. The Pharisees aimed to gain the praise of men rather than the applause of God.

 Twelve steps to being a recovering Pharisee: The following are taken from the book 12 Steps for the Recovering Pharisee (like me) by John Fischer

 1. We must admit that we all tend to judge others.

 2. We must realize that we believe everyone else is lower than us in our minds..

 3. We realize that we detest mercy being given to those who unlike us, haven’t worked for it and don’t deserve it.

 4. We have decided that we don’t want to get what we deserve after all, and we don’t want anyone else to either.

 5. We will cease to apply teaching and rebuke to anyone but ourselves.

 6. We are ready to have God remove all these defects of attitude and character.

 7. We embrace the belief that we are, and always will be experts at sinning.

 8. We are looking closely at the lives of famous men and women of the Bible who turned out to be ordinary sinners like us.

 9. We are seeking through prayer and mediation to make a conscious effort to consider others better than ourselves.

 10. We embrace the state of astonishment and glorious reality.

 11. We choose to rid ourselves of any attitude that is not bathed in gratitude.

 12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we will try to carry this message to others who think that Christians are better than everyone else.

Being a Church on Mission

How Are You Seasoning Those Around You?

Matthew 5:13-16 – “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

To be the salt of earth and the light of the world we must develop an understanding of what does it mean to be a Church on Mission – Being a church on mission means that we are intentional and deliberate about reaching others for Christ. It means we are missionaries without ever leaving our zip code. It means we do missions right where God has planted us—in our community, on the job, with family, at school or wherever you find people who are not churched or may be unsaved and have a need for a personal encounter with Christ.

 Notice two words in our definition:

1. We are intentional – We purpose in our heart to reach our community for Christ. This does not happen by accident, it must be a lifestyle that establishes in each of us a desire to those around us to come into a personal encounter with a living God.
2. We are deliberate – We watch for opportunities to share our faith with others. We watch for opportunities to be Christ to another. We might be Christ incarnate to others. Someone has said that we should preach all of the time and some times we use words.
3. We do so without ever leaving our zip code. This does not mean that we do not go on foreign mission trips; it simply means that we recognize our mission field is where we have a sphere of influence.

 Notice that word program is not used. This is not about establishing another program in the church but rather it is about a lifestyle of passionately displaying the life of Christ so that others can experience His love and touch of grace.

The core values of being on mission:

Every believer is a missionary and every believer is a minister.  In the NT we do not see a biblical distinction between evangelism and missions. In fact the word mission or missions is never used in the NT. We are called to share the message of hope to all we encounter that are open to hear the message.

2 Timothy 4: 5 –As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

 Acts 10:42 – And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead.

Colossians 4:6 – Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

Matthew 28:18-20 – And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Mark 16:15 – And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

We need to build relationships because in building relationships with others they will be more open to hear the message of Christ’s love.  Spend time getting to know others so that trust will grow. Think about how you came to know Christ. Was it not from a personal encounter with someone who loved you enough to share Christ?

We need to love exceptionally because in evangelism our actions speak as loud as our words. Maybe you have become aware of some hardship or a project your neighbor or co-worker is facing. Is there some way that you and your family may help in these things? Jesus knew how our actions speak as loud as our message, so he teaches us to “let our light shine before other men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

We need to proclaim courageously as this kind of evangelism is different than proclamation evangelism, so you may not share the gospel the first time you meet. But, be sensitive to the Spirit’s work and if he opens the door, don’t wait too long before you lead the conversation to spiritual things and to the good news about Jesus Christ.

We must talk their language by speaking in their vernacular.

• The missional church avoids ‘tribal’ language, stylized prayer language, unnecessary evangelical pious ‘jargon’, and archaic language that seeks to set a ‘spritual tone.’
•  The missional church avoids ‘we-them’ language, disdainful jokes that mock people of different politics and beliefs, and dismissive, disrespectful comments about those who differ with us.
•  The missional church avoids ever talking as if non-believing people are not present. If you speak and discourse as if your whole neighborhood is present (not just scattered Christians), eventually more and more of your neighborhood will find their way in or be invited. Unless all of the above is the outflow of a truly humble-bold gospel-changed heart, it is all just ‘marketing’ and ‘spin.’

 We must practice Christian unity as much as possible on the local level. Today it is much more illuminating and helpful for a church to define itself over against the world’s values and the non-Christian culture rather than against other believers. It is very important that we not spend our time bashing and criticizing other kinds of churches. While we must align ourselves to denominations that share our distinctives, at the local level we must cooperate and reach out to and support other congregations and churches in our local area.

Characteristics of missional churches – Minfred Minatrea studied a number of missional churches. He defined missional churches as “Reproducing communities of authentic disciples, being equipped as missionaries sent by God, to live and proclaim his kingdom in their world.” He noted nine practices that they have in common (with my explanatory phrases in parentheses):

1. Having a high threshold for membership (high expectations for believers).
2. Being real, not real religious (being transparent, authentic, with one foot in “the world.”).
3. Teaching to obey rather than to know (a practical faith).
4.  Rewriting worship every week (Creative, participatory Sunday morning services).
5. Living apostolically (each believer as a missionary).
6. Expecting to change the world (aggressively engaged in transforming communities).
7. Ordering actions according to purpose. (Ruthless aligning of resources with mission) .
8. Measuring growth by capacity to release rather than retain. (Not megachurches but multiplying churches).
9. Placing kingdom concerns first (in contrast to denomination first. Thus, cooperation with other churches).

CONFRONTATIONAL vs. PRAYER EVANGELISM

Confrontational Evangelism has followed this sequence:

1. First knock on a door to meet a stranger.
2. You have no credibility because you look just like other religious groups who use this approach.
3. You intentionally patronize with a spiritual “one-upmanship,” i.e. “I have something you need,” or “your life is not right,” etc.

As you can imagine, the confrontational approach is threatening to the average believer, let alone the average resident who has faced too many of these situations before. As a result, only a small number of believers participate in evangelistic ministry, a ministry that is meant for all.
Prayer Evangelism follows the pattern of Luke 10:5-9:

1. Speak peace – give blessing.
2. Remain in the house – establish a relationship.
3. Heal the sick – discover felt needs and pray for them.
4. Proclaim the Kingdom of God is near – invite them to receive Christ.

Sermon on The Mount

How is Your Righteousness?

Throughout Jesus’ ministry here on earth He dealt with those who were religious but failed to have a personal relationship with Him. Our study today is one of those cases.

 Matthew 5:17-20 – “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

The first thing we see in this passage is that Jesus did not come to abolish the law. In verse 17 Jesus says “Do not think that I have come to abolish or destroy the law or the prophets” To understand this passage we must understand the meaning of “abolish.” The word “abolish or destroy” means to deny their authority or to set people free from the obligation to obey them.

Instead of abolishing the law He came to fulfill the law – This means he came to complete the design of the law; to fulfill what was predicted; to accomplish what was intended in them. Additionally, the word “fulfill” can mean “to teach.” The law of Moses contained many sacrifices and rites which were designed to shadow forth the Messiah. These were fulfilled when he came and offered himself a sacrifice to God. Romans 3:31 states “Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.

A review of the Old Testament reveals that there were two sets of law:

1. The moral law was that law established in the Ten Commandments and other vital laws that taught believers how they should act and honor God in their lives. In essence, Jesus did not destroy the moral law but He came to fulfill this law as He, through His death gave the power to overcome the very reason the law had been established and that was to overcome sin. He came to fulfill the moral law which means to establish, illustrate, and explain its highest meaning, both by my life and doctrine.
2. The second set of laws established in the Old Testament was the ceremonial law. The ceremonial law looked to the day of the coming Messiah. The ceremonial law set forth a series of acts that the Jew was to participate in to have their sins forgiven. But in the New Testament Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross took the place of the ceremonial so that we no longer have to bring bulls, goals or birds into church to be offered as a substitutionary sacrifice for our sin. In Eph. 2:14-16 Paul defines this when he said For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.

 The problem with the ceremonial law was that it powerless to do anything about the sin in our life. That is why the veil between the Holy Place and the Holies of Holies was torn into two pieces because upon His death there was no need for the sacrifices of the Old Testament.

 The Jews believed that the words of Jesus were contrary to the religion and faith of his followers, who assert, that the Law of Moses was being abolished. The rule which Christ came to establish exactly agreed with the scriptures of the Old Testament, here called the law and the prophets. The prophets were commentators upon the law, and both together made up that rule of faith and practice which Christ found upon the throne in the Jewish church, and here he keeps it on the throne.

Our Righteousness must exceed the righteousness of the Pharisees. The Pharisees of the day believed that they had a corner on the law and that they had some unique ability to establish the law but they themselves could not keep the very law they instituted.

All of the law will be fulfilled.

The righteousness of the Pharisees exposed – Jesus in this passage points out that the righteousness of the believer must exceed the righteousness of the Pharisses. To understand the issues the Pharisees had one must turn to Matthew 23. It is here that Jesus exposes who the Pharisee really was.

1. The Pharisees did not practice what he preached. They expected everyone else to obey the law but they themselves were filled with excuses. (Matt. 23:2-3). Once again this speaks to the idea of being authentic and real. In other words we will not ask anyone to do anything that we ourselves are not willing to do. The Pharisees were critical and judgmental but they refuse to obey their own preaching.
2. The Pharisees burdened the people with rules and regulations that they themselves could keep. (Matt. 23:4). Rather than preaching liberty and life they actually add chains and bonds to their converts. In other words, they are always adding to what it takes to be a believer thereby complicating the process and making conversion works based rather than grace based. (Matt. 23:13-15) The Pharisees were critical and judgmental of others who attempted to keep the law according to God’s purposes and His plans. You could never be good enough. It was easier to set a law than to deal with the issues of the heart.
3. The Pharisees were more concerned about their outward appearance but inwardly they were cold and dead. All of their deeds were to be done to be seen by others. They make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long. They love they place of honor at the feasts and the best seats in the synagogues. They love being greeted in the marketplace and they love the idea that they are known as a rabbi. They kept the outside clean but inwardly they were filled with dead men’s bones and all sorts of evil. (Matt. 23:5-7 & Matt 23:25- 28). They would dress the part and act the part but they were not close to God at all. It was an act. They were hypocrites. Hypocrites were those who were play actors. They wore masks to hide their true character and true intent.
4. The Pharisees aimed to gain the praise of men rather than the applause of God. They tithed regularly but they neglected justice, mercy and faithfulness. (Matt. 23:23-24). The Pharisees priorities were out of order. They worshipped the temple more than the God of the Temple. When you accomplish things for God do you do gain a reaction from people or do you do them for God. There is a difference.

What about you today? Are you exhibiting Pharisaical attitudes? If so ask for God’s forgiveness and He will restore you to right thinking.

When Should I Overlook an Offense?

Please note that these are a summary of Ken Sande’s words found in the Peacemaking Church.

Because we are family, the Bible teaches us that we should see conflict neither as an inconvenience nor as an occasion to force our will on others, but rather as an opportunity to demonstrate the love and power of God in our lives. This is confirmed by 1 Cor. 10:31 – “do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble…” Thus conflict resolution done right is an opportunity to glorify God, serve others and to grow to be like Christ.

God has called us to be peacemakers as he has called us to be ambassadors. God delights to breathe his grace through peacemakers and to use people to dissipate anger, improve understanding, promote justice and encourage repentance and reconciliation.

When we are dealing with issues in our lives and facing conflict we must have an understanding of when to overlook an offense. The reason for this is that it would be impossible for us to deal with every known offense.

Know when to overlook an offense.

To live life in community and to glorify God, serve others and grow to be like Christ sometimes we need to overlook and offense. When seeking forgiveness we need to understand that forgiveness requires more than just judging one’s sin as there are times that an offense must be overlooked.

1.  
   1. Proverbs 19:11 – Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.
   2. Proverbs 12:16 – The vexation of a fool is known at once, but the prudent ignores an insult.

God exercises kindness, long-suffering and patience toward us and therefore we should exercise kindness, long-suffering and patience toward others.

Romans 2:4 – Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? 

Two diagnostic questions that can help us determine if we should overlook an offense.

• Is the offense a persistent sin, a habitual sin, or the result of bondage to a particular sin? While God encourages us to be long-suffering he never calls us to overlook habitual, hurtful sin that causes damage to ones self or to others.

• Is the offense hindering my relationship? If there has been a change in the way you view the other person or feel about the other person has changed then the offense should not be overlooked.

 Use the two day test:

• If I find myself frequently reflecting upon my brother’s or sister’s sin for more than two days.
• If it is there when I rise and when I go to sleep
• If I think about it while I am showering and when I am driving
• If I am reticent to greet this fellow believer at church.

Sermon on the Mount

How salty are you?

Matthew 5:13-16

As believers in Christ we have been created to be the “salt of the earth” and the “light of the world.”

Matthew 5:13-16 – You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

As we look at this passage this morning the first thing we must consider is that the Beatitudes which we have been discussing for the last several weeks give us direction on how we are to live as passionate followers of Christ. The Beatitudes give us an overview of the Christian life but this week we begin to look at some specifics of what it means to live as a Passionate Follower of Christ.

What did Jesus mean by these verses? In this passage Jesus uses the symbolism of salt and light to describe the life of a Christian.

Salt speaks of inward character that influences others.  Character is that inward quality that no one else knows about but you and God who sees the heart. Just like salt when it is applied to our food, it is invisible but we know it is there. So it is with our character it is invisible but we know it is there and we know when it is not there.

Salt has many uses:

• As a preservative – Before refrigeration salt was used to keep food fresh. Even today some foods are cured in salt. While living in Virginia we were given some fresh pork. In the packages of pork was some fresh ham. The first time we cooked the ham it was horrible because we forgot to clean off the excess salt which had been used to cure it or preserve it.
• As a cleanser – Salt has also been used as a cleanser. In the case of medical treatment it is used to clean out a wound and promotes the healing process.
• To seasoning food – The interesting thing is we know when food has been seasoned and when know when it has not been seasoned.

Light speaks of the outward testimony of that point to God’s glory. This testimony is best seen through the good works that one does, not to be seen of men but to bring glory to God. The light is able to penetrate the darkness and give direction and hope. It does not matter how big the light. It is interesting to note that it only takes a small amount of light to dispel the darkness.

It should be noted that we don’t become salt and light “we are the salt of the earth and that we are the light of the world.” In other words as a believer one of the innate qualities of the redeemed life is that we have been created to be salt and light in this world. The key to Jesus’ words is that he tells us that we ARE salt and we ARE light. Salt and light are not some statuses to be attained. They do not take hard work to achieve. They are not the keys to our salvation. Salt and light are simply what we are as passionate followers of Christ.

Because we are salt and light:

• God gives us identity – The identity we have is that we have been called to make a difference in the world we have been called.
• God gives us a sphere of influence – Because we are salt and light we are to influence our environment – Jesus was implying that by living a Christian that we influence the environment in which we live. Both salt and light are forces that change an alien environment permanently.
• God’s requires us to make an impact on the world around us. What changes when you walk into a room? How do you impact those around us?

Please note that we must give out the right amount of salt. If we do not use enough salt food is bland and tasteless. The same is true with our lives. Too often we make the Christian walk one that is bland, boring and without excitement. But this walk of faith for me is no boring. I enjoy the fact that as a believer I can have fun and I can enjoy life. However, too much salt causes one to be rejected. Have you ever tasted something that was too salty. My initial reaction is to spit that food out of my mouth if it is too salty. In our witness for Christ there are some who come across so strong in their message that they turn people off rather than turn them to Jesus.

The fact is every situation in our live will be different. In some cases we will need just a little salt and in others we will have to use a bit more salt. As believers the Holy Spirit will give us discernment on how salty we need to be.

The primary message here is that salt and light speaks of authenticity and being real. It means that we do not try to hide who we are or pretend that we do not have a relationship with Christ. The greatest need in our society is authenticity and realness. When we are salt we must hear the voice of God and be obedient to what He calls us to do.

If salt loses its ability to do these things then it worthless and was only to be used to pave the road ways to prevent grass from growing or to melt the ice and snow. God has called us as salt to have an impact on the world in which we live. The fact is we will have an impact whether we recognize it or not. Our task is to keep our lives pure that we might “salt” this earth and hold back corruption so that the Gospel can get out. Our good works must accompany our dedicated lives as we let our lights shine.