You Have Never Had More Opportunities to Be Offended
Gary Keesee • May 8, 2020
Offense – a breach of a law or rule; an illegal act; a thing that constitutes a violation of what is judged to be right or natural; an affront; a slap in the face; annoyance or resentment brought about by a perceived insult to or disregard for oneself or one's standards or principles.
Offended – upset, resentful, or annoyed, typically as a result of a perceived insult.
You have never had more opportunities to be offended than right now.
No, not by this blog ... by all of the things happening in our world right now.
And it just seems to get worse each day.
You name it, and someone is offended by it.
And it doesn’t stop there.
And Christians are just as guilty as non-Christians. (Yes, I actually typed that.)
Here’s the thing friend: WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE DIFFERENT.
First Peter 2:9-23 tells us exactly what we should be doing right now:
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God
on the day he visits us.
Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.
Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s servants. Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.
Servants, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
“He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.”
When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.
So, what’s your purpose as a believer?
TO BE A WITNESS OF HIM IN THE EARTH REALM—
TO DECLARE HIS GOODNESS AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS.
How are you doing with that?
Are you too busy venting your frustrations, annoyances, and offenses for anyone to see God in your life?
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
— Matthew 5:14-16
What does it mean to be the light of the world?
Being the light of the world means that there are deeds
that match up.
Philippians 2:14a tells us we should “Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe.”
You don’t have to purpose to see the stars in the dark night sky. And you don’t have to work to convince other people that the stars are there. Religion is like that—always striving to prove to people that the stars exist, instead of just showing them the light.
People don’t need convincing; they just need to see the light in your life.
People need to see the proof of God in your life.
The demonstration of the Kingdom of God speaks FOR us. In John 10, Jesus told the disciples that even if they didn’t believe Him, they should believe the miracles—the deeds.
Acts 8:6 tells us that multitudes of people paid close attention to what Phillip had to say because they heard
and saw
the miracles he performed in Jesus’s name.
That’s the light people are looking for.
They want to be an eyewitness to the glory of God.
They want to know
how you’re not living in fear...
how you’ve been healed...
how you’re keeping your peace when everything feels chaotic...
how your marriage is staying together...
how your family actually likes
one another...
how your business is still successful.
THOSE ARE THE THINGS YOU SHOULD BE TALKING ABOUT ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
People are watching.
My own dad was one of those people.
See, growing up, I couldn’t talk about the Bible, or church, or God. My dad wouldn’t listen. He was one of the most cynical people ever.
It was so bad that I had a terribly hard time believing that my dad could ever come to know the Lord personally. I would pray that he’d receive from someone, anyone, because he just wouldn’t hear it from me.
But one day, without my knowledge, he started watching our television show, and listening to the stories of lives changed by God and His Kingdom principles.
Then, he came to our church.
And, after years of thinking it was hopeless, my dad gave his life to Christ at the age of 80.
I walked up behind him one day at church as someone asked him what had changed and he answered, “I’ve just seen too many things…”
Friend, you’re the only credibility God has with the unbelievers you encounter.
Are you attaching Jesus’s name to good things?
The enemy is looking for an open door in all of our lives.
Harboring offenses is THE NUMBER ONE way he enters lives.
First Peter 3:9 says, “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.”
But that chapter goes on to say,
For, whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it.
For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.
Friend, don’t take things into your own hands.
Seek peace and pursue it.
Don’t let people or their actions get you so stirred up that you step out of the love walk and begin to judge people and criticize people and gossip about people and vent about people. Don’t step out from under the authority of God.
Be an example. Be the light.
To this
you were called.
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Reading Time 3 mins 46 secs – Picture this. You’re standing at the edge of a foggy path that winds through a forest. You’ve never walked this path before. You can’t see more than a few feet ahead. There are no signs. No map. No flashlight. Just a still, quiet voice inside telling you to start walking. Would you? Most people wouldn’t. They’d wait until the fog clears. Until the way is visible. Until they feel “sure.” But that’s not how the Kingdom works. Friend, faith walks before it sees. Hebrews 11:1 (NIV) tells us this plainly: Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Not what we can see. Not what we understand. Not what’s guaranteed. Faith is walking when it feels like you’re walking blind, but you’re actually walking guided. Let’s talk about Abraham for a second. God said to him, “...Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you” (Genesis 12:1, NIV). God didn’t show Abraham the land first. He didn’t explain all the details. He didn’t promise a step-by-step plan. God simply said, “ Go, ” and Abraham went. He didn’t argue. He didn’t delay. He didn’t ask for the weather report or route details. He trusted the voice. He walked before he saw. And because of that one step, a generational promise was unlocked. Now, let’s fast forward to the New Testament, to the story found in Matthew 14. Jesus came walking on water in the middle of the night, and Peter saw Him. Peter said, “Lord, if it’s really You, tell me to come.” And Jesus said, “Come.” What did Peter do? He stepped out of the boat and onto the water. Pause and think about that. Peter walked on water—not because he had magic in his feet but because he trusted the One who called him forward. Peter walked before he saw. Yes, he started to sink when he looked at the waves, but before that, he did what no other human besides Jesus had done: he walked on water by faith. Friend, your boat might feel safer. It might feel familiar. But if God is calling you out of it, staying there is more dangerous than stepping forward. Let’s get real for a second. There are seasons when God will not show you the full picture, on purpose. Why? Because if He showed you everything, you’d try to control it instead of trusting Him with it. Faith is trusting His character when you can’t see His hand. It’s saying yes without having every answer. It’s building the ark before the rain comes. It’s marching around Jericho before the walls fall. It’s digging a ditch before there’s a drop of rain. That’s the Kingdom. Here’s what the Bible says: “For we live by faith, not by sight,” (2 Corinthians 5:7, NIV). That’s not a metaphor. That’s a lifestyle. You don’t wait until all your fear is gone to obey. You don’t wait until you’re certain to trust. It means you don’t wait until your finances line up perfectly to give. You walk before you see. Let’s look at one more example. In Acts 9, Saul, who later became Paul, was traveling to Damascus while persecuting Christians when, suddenly, a blinding light stopped him. Jesus spoke directly to him, and Saul was blinded. God then instructed a man named Ananias to go and pray for Saul and restore his sight. Ananias was hesitant because he knew Saul’s reputation for harming believers. Despite his doubts and without any guarantees, Ananias obeyed and went to Saul. He stepped out in faith before knowing the outcome. That single act of obedience set the stage for Paul’s powerful ministry and the writing of much of the New Testament. So, let me ask you… Where is God asking you to walk, before you see? To step into a calling that scares you? To give up something you’ve leaned on for security? To trust Him with your finances? To forgive someone you haven’t gotten an apology from? Whatever it is, I want you to hear this. You don’t have to see the outcome to take the next step. You don’t have to understand the entire path to move forward in obedience. Faith walks before it sees. That’s where the miracles are. That’s where the provision is. That’s where peace is waiting. Your comfort zone won’t get you there. But your obedience will. God doesn’t need your full understanding. He needs your full surrender. So today, let this be your reminder… You don’t have to feel brave. You just have to follow. Even in the fog. Even in the unknown. Even when it doesn’t make sense. Because God is already in the place He’s calling you to. He’s gone ahead. He’s prepared the way. He’s waiting at your next step. So, take it. Because faith? It always walks before it sees.