Sunday, January 29, 2023
Considering this topic today is a tough one for a lot of people. We do not like conflict, and we sure don’t want the fall out that comes with dealing with people who just don’t believe and think like we do. However, why should we tiptoe around people because somehow, we just might offend them because we believe in God?
We want to get along with people so are we, or should we, just stick to topics that are ones we agree with, or do we tell them the truth and how we really feel on a subject? How many times have you wanted to say something but you knew that as soon as you open your mouth and tell them something that they will either say they are offended, don’t want to hear what you have to say, or that they just don’t believe anything you say on the subject. Should that stop you from sharing your faith? No! They don’t have to believe you, and why does the truth offend them? Does the fear of offending someone keep you from saying what you know is truth?
Well, life is life, and being life…if we are a Christian (or anyone for that matter who wants to tell the truth) someone will be offended. Darkness can’t see the light nor do they want to. We might, no, we will offend people. Truth always offends someone.
Luke 21:12-29 NLT: 12 “But before all this occurs, there will be a time of great persecution. You will be dragged into synagogues and prisons, and you will stand trial before kings and governors because you are my followers. 13 But this will be your opportunity to tell them about me.[a] 14 So don’t worry in advance about how to answer the charges against you, 15 for I will give you the right words and such wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to reply or refute you! 16 Even those closest to you—your parents, brothers, relatives, and friends—will betray you. They will even kill some of you. 17 And everyone will hate you because you are my followers.[b] 18 But not a hair of your head will perish! 19 By standing firm, you will win your souls.
We might not want or like any persecution that could come our way because we tell the truth, but don’t back down from the truth because someone persecutes you for telling it. Your soul is worth so much more than anything you could/can go through on this earth for telling it. Death is not our end…and we are just sojourners on this earth. Death just means that the we get to go home to be with the Lord. So whatever they do to us while here…you still tell the truth of God’s word no matter what.
So let us discuss for a moment what do you want your life to be like? Do you choose the world over Jesus, and comfort and stuff over being in the right with God? Jesus left heaven once to show us the way. He left all the comfort of heaven and took on this crazy world with all the hate and evil here so that one day each of us could be saved and live with Him in heaven. He gave us a way to avoid eternal punishment and receive eternal love. Jesus came to earth on a rescue mission and came bearing the greatest gift ever: salvation.
Matthew 10:28-33 NLT: 28 “Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.[a] 29 What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin[b]? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. 30 And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.
32 “Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.
Have you ever watched someone go up to someone and just start talking about Jesus and they did it with such great ease even if the other person was offended and wanted nothing to do with what was being said to them? I wish I was one of those people but that is not me. It is not that I don’t know what to say for I think I do, it is more I just don’t do it because even though others can do it…I don’t seem to be able to. I think it goes back to school when I was young. Every time I had to get up before the class, I was physically sick (throwing up and all that). I would have rather got a bad grade than stand there having everyone stare at me while I was talking. That is just me and I am so very thankful that there are people who can go and talk to others. So am I failing God here? I don’t think so, for God gave me another way to talk to people without people staring at me while I tried to talk. I am not a good writer for sure, but God somehow makes it work and some people see it. Hopefully some get something out of it that helps them. God can use whatever we offer to Him to help someone else.
It is not that I fear talking to someone, but my brain shuts down and I don’t want to say something that doesn’t glorify God. You see, to me, the message of Jesus is the most important message one can tell anyone about. I did go to school, and I did get my ministry license, I did get my counseling degree and so on, but still talking to people is very difficult for me. So God took my situation and still gave me a platform to talk without standing there to do it. I am forever grateful for that one. It is not the fear of Jesus or the message but the fear of possibly saying something that would ever want someone to walk away from the Jesus who is the best thing that could ever happen to them. So, right now if you think I am making an excuse that is not it. I always want to tell the truth even if it makes me look bad in doing that. I love the Lord Jesus and I see great speakers, teachers, etc., but that is not my gift.
When something good happens in your life don’t you want to tell someone? Yes, of course you and I do that. We want to share the good regarding something in our life with someone we care about. That to me is very easy…but to talk to a room full of people is another story (for me).
What about places like social media etc.? We go there and we put down whatever we want to. If someone likes it…good. If they don’t…oh well. We can say something we want and if they want to hear it we are happy, but if they don’t want to we know that they won’t even read what we say, or if they do they will say they are offended, and complain about what we say even though what we say is the truth. Many people never want to hear the truth especially when it comes to god and with dealing with sin in their life. Yet, we also know that even if one person understands and accepts the truth of God’s word when we give it and they take what we said and research it to know it is the truth…that that person….that one person who took the time is a great thing…even if we never met them, might not ever meet them this side of heaven, and that they got something out of what we said. For me, I want no recognition but to give it all to Jesus. He is the only one who gets the glory. I am just an instrument that can be used by Him to tell you something. You might be the only one who reads this or any message I put out there. That is okay…for you just might have been the very one Jesus is/was trying to reach to hear something from this message. I don’t know your situation or your story…but Jesus does!
Have you ever really wondered why sin is easier to do than stand on the word of God and do right? People do like to sin, don’t they? God is the only way to heaven, but the devil sure likes to make our journey with God, at times, hard to follow. People like the world’s way, the sins way, the easy way, way more than they like the truth, the hard way, and doing right. After all…most of ones friends (if you want to call them friends) does the same things they do. But what if you did things God’s way and had godly friends? Your life would take on quite another path. Why is it so easy to follow the devil knowing that to do so won’t get you into heaven, but so difficult to follow Jesus who offers you eternity? Main reason is that you have been deceived and many don’t even know they chose the wrong path. They are programed to following the wrong path. Know this: You’re not going to experience God moving through you if you aren’t willing to step into the current of what He is doing. God is about rescuing the lost, and if we want to be a part of this story (what we were made for), we need to stand firm in the Lord no matter what happens to us while we live upon this earth. Earth is just a place where we learn and get to make choices in our destiny. No one who will ever stand before God can say they didn’t have a choice. No one can make a choice for Jesus for you either. The choice is 100% your choice. The best thing is that your choice of where you spend eternity is you getting to decide. If you don’t get into heaven, you have no one to blame but yourself. You see, doesn’t matter if you think you are a good person and do good deeds in this world…by whose standard? If you don’t know and have Jesus as your Lord no matter how good or kind you think you are you are the one who missed the truth and fell short. Jesus is the only way you will ever see heaven. PERIOD!
Many people won’t get the truth. Some think they are good and doing right…but that is not the qualification for heaven:
Matthew 7:22-23 says, 22 On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ 23 But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.
Do you understand even this: Some go to church, serve in church, do good things, yet do not know Him personally. Some people think that God needs us but He doesn’t: we need Him. He will exist always with or without us…but we will cease to exist without Him. Even our breath is because of His grace and mercy. He has given us time to change our ways…but a time will come when He says enough, and a day will come when each of us stands before Him. Don’t be on the wrong side! Jesus is calling to you right now to get right with Him. Will you?
Matthew 3:9 says: 9 Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones.
We need Jesus! We should want Jesus. We should search out a personal relationship with Jesus. Yet, there will be so many who decide to walk away and one day they will stand before God and think they can make excuses. God is not the God of excuses…He is the God of truth. God wants us to spend eternity with Him, but if you choose not to follow Him and wake up where you don’t want to be for all eternity…you were given a chance to go to heaven and rejected it. Right now…right this moment you can change your destiny.
Some people will always be offended by truth. Some will do all they can to come after you for telling it. That is okay because when we tell the truth God is always on our side. We might not avoid persecution by telling the truth, but we will one day wake up in heaven and forever spend time with God.
So to those you might offend, to those who think that we are the insensitive, narrow-minded, arrogant Christian…oh well! We were not called to be sensitive and considerate…we were called to tell the truth.
There are, however, some Christians who go overboard and yell and think that by doing so someone will come to Jesus. That would not have made me want to follow Jesus. Would that have made you follow Jesus?
While we want and should walk in love, we also need to always walk in the truth of God’s word no matter who it upsets or offends. The truth is out there for everyone to find in God’s word. There are many reasons to people why truth offends them. After all if you know the truth and don’t change when you find it…what does that say about you?
Finally, it is not my desire to offend anyone, but I will offend many on this earth by telling the truth of God’s word. This does not mean I don’t love people, in fact, I love them greatly to want to tell them the truth regarding Jesus. Each of us has the choice in life to care enough to tell someone the truth about Jesus. Each of us has the choice to tell them that God wants them to have eternal life with Him. Jesus is offering you heaven, but many will choose hell without even knowing what exactly that means. I can’t be quiet and say nothing for I love Jesus and He calls each of us to do our part. Our part is not the same for each of us. Some people might reach millions, some thousands, some a few hundred, so a hundred, and some might be called to reach even that one person. No matter what God calls us to do for Him and the kingdom of God…let us be about our Father’s business and stop making excuses.
If one person reads this today (or at anytime) and wants Jesus in their life then no matter what it was worth it.
Right now…and I mean right now…you can ask Jesus to come into your life and change you. All of heaven will celebrate you coming to the Lord. So what if people in the world don’t get it, after all, they don’t have a say in where you spend eternity…you do! The greatest day in ones life is not being born, the dash of life, or even the death date. The greatest day of life is the moment you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior and change your destiny. Now…the next is getting to know Him personally. Not book knowledge by really know Him. Talk to Him all the time. Discuss whatever is in your heart and listen to Him. Doesn’t matter if people understand you…Jesus does! Don’t put off this decision if you are one who doesn’t know Him. Tomorrow is never promised to us. Right now is what is important. Make this day and your decision count. If we are persecuted for our beliefs…just remember that Jesus is Lord, and He will get you across that finish line no matter what happens to each of us here. He didn’t promise us a life of ease and comfort but if you have it…be thankful. If you didn’t know this that one day you will cross over and never again, will you hurt, suffer, have loss, or cry. God is our answer and truth is the way.
Are you afraid of offending people with your faith? Don’t be. God is with you and on your side!
Now, may our Father in heaven bless you, keep you, draw you, change you, and give you His peace no matter what you might face in this life. He loves you!
God bless you!