Do The Scriptures Offend You?
Do the Scriptures offend you? Does God’s Holy word offend you? Do you hate to hear Bible verses quoted? The reason I’m asking these questions is because Bible verses offended several people last week. Are you one of those who get offended when Bible verses are proclaimed in public? Do the Scriptures offend you?
One of my Facebook friends is a friend of a friend in real life. This friend is not saved, yet, I’m sure he’d tell you that everyone is alright. I know for a fact that he thinks you believe what you want to believe and leave everyone else alone. The problem is that isn’t biblical, so I can’t follow a humanistic approach to life that everyone is alright and everyone can believe what they want to believe. No, I believe God’s Holy word that says God‘s wrath abides upon those who do not believe on the Son; who do not believe in the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. For me to remain silent would be negligent on my part.
It would be like me witnessing a child that is about to be run over by a car on the square and I just stand there and don’t try to save the child because I believe it’s none of my business and besides, how do I know the driver doesn’t want to intentionally run over the child? So if I interrupted the destruction that was coming, I might infringe on that driver’s belief that he has the right to run over anything or anyone that is in his way. Don’t you see how foolish that would be? Well, letting lost souls die in their sins without warning them to flee from the wrath of God is just as foolish and negligent.
When I tried to quote Bible verses to this Facebook friend, he was greatly offended. He told me that he was just stating his opinion and that he didn’t need me to preach to him. The ironic thing is that he was the one who sent me the friend request to begin with and he was the one that jumped into the discussion of the transgender mess with Target. Yet, when I pointed out that it all boils down to a sin issue, that is a moral issue and that God is very clear on this issue, my friend was offended. He didn’t want to hear any Bible verses because the Scriptures offended him.
Another Offended Facebook Friend
Then another Facebook friend, one that used to live in my hometown of Lebanon, MO, one who is a professing Christian was stirred up over a couple of different posts and he accused another friend and I of being those Christians who quote too many Bible verses and we give him and other Christians a bad name who don’t quote Scripture. I don’t think this man saw the irony of his statement. By stating too many Bible verses we were giving Christians a bad name? What did Jesus do when He walked this earth? He preached the Gospel, healed the sick and quoted Scripture! How in the world can quoting God’s Holy word be un-Christian? It is truly amazing what some people will say.
But this friend is not a Christian. Oh, he is a professing Christian and he may very well have repeated the sinner’s prayer at one time or another or he may have had some sort of religious experience at one time, but he is most definitely not a Christian. You can’t be a born again believer, a true follower of Jesus, and hate God’s word! You can’t do it. You are either for Jesus or against Him and if you are against the Scriptures then you are most definitely against Him. Jesus loved the Scriptures. He quoted them and quoted them often. He quoted from at least 24 Books of the Old Testament. Jesus loves God the Father and He loves the Holy Spirit Inspired Word of God. He is the living Word of God!
In the end, this Facebook friend shook his fist at me, called me and other friends who tried to reason with him names and he ended up making crude, sexually explicit comments toward me, the whole time accusing me of being un-Christ like. Oh, the hypocrisy of this false believer. And what did this man believe? He believes that God is love, which is true. But in addition to being a loving, merciful and forgiving Father, God is also righteous, just and Holy.
My friend didn’t want to acknowledge the whole nature of God. He didn’t want to believe the God of the Bible. In fact, I pleaded with my friend to read past the first nine verses of Matthew 5 (the Sermon on the Mount). I’ve seen many preachers do this. But the Sermon on the Mount includes all of chapters 5, 6 and 7 of Matthew and Jesus says some pretty tough things to hear in these chapters. He tells us to pluck out our eye if it offends us. That it’s better to have one eye and enter into Heaven than to have both of your eyes, full of sin and go to Hell. Does this offend you? If so, then you are not saved!
In Matthew 5:30, Jesus says: And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. Oh, do these words offend you? Does Jesus telling you that entering into Heaven with one hand is better than dying in your sins and your whole body being cast into Hell, offend you? These are the Scriptures .These are God’s Holy words and they were spoken by Jesus Himself. If this offends you, then you are not saved!
The Sermon on the Mount was so much more than just the first nine verses of Matthew 5. In Matthew 6:19-24 Jesus continues: Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Oh, do these verses offend you? Does Jesus telling you that you can’t serve God and money offend you? Does Jesus telling you that you can’t serve God and your treasures offend you? Does Jesus telling you that you can’t serve God and wealth offend you? Does it offend you that Jesus says you will hate the one and love the other? What do you love tonight? What do you spend your time, money and talent on? Are you serving the flesh or serving God? If these verses offend you then you are just like my friend, you are still lost. You are still spiritually dead in your trespasses and sins.
Complaining Man With His Dog
In addition to two of my friends being offended by the Gospel last week we also encountered the man walking (actually holding) his dog that complained that we were too loud. Now this man lives on the square in downtown Springfield, MO where concerts are frequently held. Where many rally’s are held. We’ve witnessed down here many times and I can assure you that these rock concerts are much, much louder than our little 50 watt amplifier. But this man decided on this night to call the police. Not only did he call the police, but he lied to the police.
You see, this man claimed that he was in his loft apartment and that he couldn’t hear his television over our amplifier. First of all, he came walking up in front of us (from across the square) holding his dog in his hand. He was not in his apartment that was located behind us. (By the way, have you ever noticed how much louder an amplifier is if you are standing right in front of it versus off to the side and behind you?) This man blatantly lied to the police and they blatantly disregarded Aaron’s rights when they ticketed him for disturbing the peace.
But what’s even worse than all of this is that the man with the dog who filed the complaint is a professing Christian. Never mind that he cussed me and flipped two of us off, but he probably really believes that he will go to Heaven after he dies. I assure you that he will not make it to Heaven if he continues on his current path. He will join many other souls in Hell after he dies, if he dies in his sins.
Now you may be thinking, how can I judge this man? Isn’t it wrong to judge others? Well, let’s continue with the Sermon on the Mount in Chapter 7 of Matthew. Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye. (Matthew 7:1-5). In these verses Jesus is clearly saying DON’T BE A HYPOCRITE!
For example, my friends and I shouldn’t come out here and tell you not to get drunk and then we go home and get drunk ourselves. We don’t do that. We are not hypocrites.
Bad (Evil) Fruit
Here’s how we know the complaining man with the dog is not saved. Matthew 7:17-20: Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. This complaining man is standing against God Almighty. This man opposes the precious name of Jesus being lifted up in the open. Jesus said that we are either for Him or against Him. Which is it tonight? Are you for Jesus or against Him? if you oppose the Scriptures being read in the open-air then you are against Him. It’s black and white and it’s as simple as that.
Jesus goes on to warn people (again, He spoke these words during the Sermon on the Mount) Matthew 7:21-23: Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
You see, not everyone that claims Jesus as their Savior is saved. Jesus said many will say to me, Lord, Lord. Are you calling Jesus Lord tonight, but your heart is far from Him? Are you like the complaining man with the dog where you think you’ve had some sort of religious experience or you think you are a good person? Oh, do not be deceived tonight. If Jesus Christ is not your Lord and Savior, you are still lost and on the broad road to destruction. Do not die in your sins and go to a devil’s Hell. Do not continue opposing the Scriptures like the complaining man with the dog.
No, turn from your sins and turn to Jesus. Confess and forsake your sins. Put your trust in Jesus. Surrender your life to the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Oh be saved tonight. Come to Jesus and be saved. If you truly get converted, I assure you that the wonderful, blessed Scriptures will never offend you again. Do the Scriptures offend you? If they do you are still lost and bound for Hell. Repent and trust Jesus. Do this tonight and be saved.
(An abbreviated version of this message was proclaimed in downtown Springfield, MO on April 29, 2016)