Here's a Sermon Outline until I can get more on here.
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TimScarbrough.com
WHICH CITY ARE YOU LIVING IN?
INTRODUCTION: Have you ever been offended by someone in church? If you’ve been
a Christian for any length of time at all, more than likely you’ve been offended by
someone.
I’m here to tell you that the devil loves it when Christians are offended by other
Christians in the church. Not only because of the disunity and strife it can bring, but also
because the offended person is robbed of God’s miracle working power in their own
lives.
Which city are you living in? The city of Offense or the city of Delight?
A brother offended is harder to win than a strong city,
And contentions are like the bars of a castle.
(Prov. 18:19)
Delight yourself also in the LORD,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
(Psalm 37:4)
HOW TO REMAIN IN THE CITY OF DELIGHT
1) Recognize the cause and effect of offenses.
2) Deal with offenses in the proper way.
3) Set your mind to live in the City of Delight.
I. RECOGNIZE THE CAUSE AND EFFECT OF OFFENSE
A. Pride is the key reason that people become offended.
(Matt. 24:9-10) (Prov. 16:8)
1. “Nobody’s going to tell me what to do!”
2. We live in a self-absorbed society where it’s politically
correct to think that everybody gets to find their own
way and that’s okay. WRONG!
3. For the Christian, they’ll often get offended if church
isn’t done their way.
a. It’s not about me or you, it’s about Jesus.
b. I become concern about the church movements
that focus on how to grow a church by changing
the church to be more appealing to people.
4. The effect of refusing to live under the authority of
Christ’s name is bitterness and hatred.
B. An unwillingness to accept the truth when it means
change in our own lives. (Matt. 15:10-14)
1. The Pharisees were offended because one of their
key teachings had to do with dietary restrictions.
2. Some people refuse to accept the truth and prefer to
stay in their comfortable “religious” place.
3. The effect of being offended by the truth is that an
individual will walk in blindness.
C. Placing our eyes on man instead of God. (Mark 6:1-6)
1. Instead of seeing what God was doing, the people in
Christ’s hometown focused on His humanity.
2. There are people who have walked away from God
because they became so offended by man.
3. The offended person is in danger of not receiving the
miracles of God in their life.
II. AVOID BEING OFFENDED IN THE FIRST PLACE
A. Walk in humility.
1. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.
(James 4:6)
2. We have to come to the realization that we don’t know
it all and that there are still changes that need to be
made in our lives.
3. Example of me getting offended last year at 25 Year
Anniversary.
B. Be slow to anger.
1. The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger,
And his glory is to overlook a transgression. (Prov. 19:11)
2. It’s a proven fact that if we are angry for more than a
moment, it’s because we are feeding that anger.
C. Be quick to forgive. (Luke 17:3-4)
1. There are times when we are told to talk to those who
have offended us.
a. You might be surprised how often people have no
idea they offended you, because they didn’t do
intentionally.
b. Example of Rachel knowing her manager isn’t
intentionally offending her.
2. Forgive them as often as you need to.
a. Hanging on to your offense only hurts you.
b. Once you’ve forgiven them, let it go. Don’t go
around talking about them.
D. Avoid hanging out with the offended people.
Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses,
contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. (Rom. 16:7)
Jesus didn’t chase after the offended Pharisees in Matthew 15:14.
CONCLUSION: Live in the city of delight!
INTRODUCTION: Have you ever been offended by someone in church? If you’ve been
a Christian for any length of time at all, more than likely you’ve been offended by
someone.
I’m here to tell you that the devil loves it when Christians are offended by other
Christians in the church. Not only because of the disunity and strife it can bring, but also
because the offended person is robbed of God’s miracle working power in their own
lives.
Which city are you living in? The city of Offense or the city of Delight?
A brother offended is harder to win than a strong city,
And contentions are like the bars of a castle.
(Prov. 18:19)
Delight yourself also in the LORD,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
(Psalm 37:4)
HOW TO REMAIN IN THE CITY OF DELIGHT
1) Recognize the cause and effect of offenses.
2) Deal with offenses in the proper way.
3) Set your mind to live in the City of Delight.
I. RECOGNIZE THE CAUSE AND EFFECT OF OFFENSE
A. Pride is the key reason that people become offended.
(Matt. 24:9-10) (Prov. 16:8)
1. “Nobody’s going to tell me what to do!”
2. We live in a self-absorbed society where it’s politically
correct to think that everybody gets to find their own
way and that’s okay. WRONG!
3. For the Christian, they’ll often get offended if church
isn’t done their way.
a. It’s not about me or you, it’s about Jesus.
b. I become concern about the church movements
that focus on how to grow a church by changing
the church to be more appealing to people.
4. The effect of refusing to live under the authority of
Christ’s name is bitterness and hatred.
B. An unwillingness to accept the truth when it means
change in our own lives. (Matt. 15:10-14)
1. The Pharisees were offended because one of their
key teachings had to do with dietary restrictions.
2. Some people refuse to accept the truth and prefer to
stay in their comfortable “religious” place.
3. The effect of being offended by the truth is that an
individual will walk in blindness.
C. Placing our eyes on man instead of God. (Mark 6:1-6)
1. Instead of seeing what God was doing, the people in
Christ’s hometown focused on His humanity.
2. There are people who have walked away from God
because they became so offended by man.
3. The offended person is in danger of not receiving the
miracles of God in their life.
II. AVOID BEING OFFENDED IN THE FIRST PLACE
A. Walk in humility.
1. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.
(James 4:6)
2. We have to come to the realization that we don’t know
it all and that there are still changes that need to be
made in our lives.
3. Example of me getting offended last year at 25 Year
Anniversary.
B. Be slow to anger.
1. The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger,
And his glory is to overlook a transgression. (Prov. 19:11)
2. It’s a proven fact that if we are angry for more than a
moment, it’s because we are feeding that anger.
C. Be quick to forgive. (Luke 17:3-4)
1. There are times when we are told to talk to those who
have offended us.
a. You might be surprised how often people have no
idea they offended you, because they didn’t do
intentionally.
b. Example of Rachel knowing her manager isn’t
intentionally offending her.
2. Forgive them as often as you need to.
a. Hanging on to your offense only hurts you.
b. Once you’ve forgiven them, let it go. Don’t go
around talking about them.
D. Avoid hanging out with the offended people.
Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses,
contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. (Rom. 16:7)
Jesus didn’t chase after the offended Pharisees in Matthew 15:14.
CONCLUSION: Live in the city of delight!