LUKE: YEAR OF OUR LORD - WEEK 34 - NO OFFENSE…

Why do we get offended? As I look back at my life, I get embarrassed at how often it was those LITTLE things that made me offended. Like there was a DEFCON meter for my offense when I’d go to the movies… Or the elderly gentleman who was mentoring me in my mid-20s whose ONE VOTE I blamed a particular presidency on… <br/><br/>I look back and realize that every time I’m offended, my anger is involved. And I have found out that not only does my anger NOT please God - it isn’t even REALLY EFFECTIVE. It sure isn’t making me more like Jesus - and it typically doesn’t settle any issues.<br/><br/>In the book of James, chapter 1, we are told, “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry; because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.”  And we’re talking about your human anger at the small offense AND at the major betrayal. We’re talking about your anger at the opposing political view AND at the guy that gave you the middle finger in the parking lot.<br/><br/>And some people push back saying, but Trey, you don’t understand - MY anger is a RIGHTEOUS anger because I’m angry over sin. And you might be, and there IS such a thing as righteous anger over things that break the heart of God, BUT in my experience, what I’ve noticed about “righteous anger” whenever we are angry about someone’s sin, it’s always about someone ELSE’S sin, not our own. Have you ever noticed that?<br/><br/>Here’s the truth that we will discover today in our passage: giving offense and taking offense does not bring glory to God, nor does it produce in us that which makes us more like Jesus and more ready to see the Fruit of God’s Spirit evident in our lives…<br/><br/>So let’s turn to Luke 17 as we begin today, and see how Jesus addresses this issue of offense.