Praying Circles Around Your Walls – 10
Subject: An Unoffended Life
by Rick Welborne
Joshua 6:1-5 (NKJV)
1 Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in.
2 And the LORD said to Joshua: "See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor.
3 You shall march around the city, all you men of war; you shall go all around the city once. This you shall do six days.
4 And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets.
5 It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man straight before him."
1 Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in.
2 And the LORD said to Joshua: "See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor.
3 You shall march around the city, all you men of war; you shall go all around the city once. This you shall do six days.
4 And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets.
5 It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man straight before him."
Matthew 11:1-6 (NKJV)
1 Now it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities.
2 And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples
3 and said to Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"
4 Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:
5 The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
6 And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me."
1 Now it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities.
2 And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples
3 and said to Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"
4 Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:
5 The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
6 And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me."
--Listen to the context of this setting with John the Baptist: Jesus is doing miracles everywhere He goes…He is healing diseases, casting out demons, and restoring sight to the blind.
--Unfortunately, it seems that poor John the Baptist is missing out on the miracles and he definitely needs one in prison. Jesus is rescuing almost everyone except His most faithful follower.
--You remember John was Jesus’s cousin as well. It just seemed as though Jesus could have worked just one more miracle and rescued him or at least organized an elite team to rescue him.
--Wow, instead of rescuing John Jesus sends him a message thru his disciples and tells him about all the miracles that are happening. Instead of rescuing him He sends him this message:
Matthew 11:6 (NKJV)
6 And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.
6 And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.
--Have you ever felt like God was doing miracles for everyone else (even people who obviously did not deserve it) but you were being passed by? God seems happy to answer others prayer but not yours.
--I wonder if that was how John the Baptist felt? What do you do when you feel like God is answering everyone else’s prayer but not yours?
1. We try to live our lives unoffended by God.
--Of course we are not in prison waiting for our heads to be cut off but Jesus promises us that we will be blessed if we aren’t offended. It is so easy to be offended or to take up someone else’s offense.
Luke 17:1-5 (NKJV)
1 Then He said to the disciples, "It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come!
2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.
3 Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.
4 And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive him."
5 And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith."
1 Then He said to the disciples, "It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come!
2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.
3 Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.
4 And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive him."
5 And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith."
--Offenses are going to come and we have to make sure that we guard our hearts from being offended. It is a choice. Be careful who share your mess with.
--You may get over it in a day or so but the person you share it with may carry it for a lifetime. Be careful running home and telling mom and dad what a jerk your spouse is…they pick up that offense.
--John Bevere’s book…Bait of Satan is a wonderful tool in training you how to live a life unoffended by people. Today we are talking about not being offended by God or toward God.
Jeremiah 12:1 (NLT)
1 LORD, you always give me justice when I bring a case before you. So let me bring you this complaint: Why are the wicked so prosperous? Why are evil people so happy? You don’t see when they close their doors.
1 LORD, you always give me justice when I bring a case before you. So let me bring you this complaint: Why are the wicked so prosperous? Why are evil people so happy? You don’t see when they close their doors.
--There are many couples or individuals this could apply to you or maybe you feel like it is you. God has used people in incredible ways to pray for and see miracles in other people’s lives.
--They prayed for the salvation of another family’s prodigal and God answered. They prayed for a friend’s healing and they were healed. A friend was going under financially and God showed up as you prayed.
--You even have family or friends who live ungodly lives and we feel God should judge them severely and they win $150,000 thru a lottery ticket. I know that person! Just not fair.
Jeremiah 5:27-28 (NKJV)
27 As a cage is full of birds, So their houses are full of deceit. Therefore they have become great and grown rich.
28 They have grown fat, they are sleek; Yes, they surpass the deeds of the wicked; They do not plead the cause, The cause of the fatherless; Yet they prosper, And the right of the needy they do not defend.
27 As a cage is full of birds, So their houses are full of deceit. Therefore they have become great and grown rich.
28 They have grown fat, they are sleek; Yes, they surpass the deeds of the wicked; They do not plead the cause, The cause of the fatherless; Yet they prosper, And the right of the needy they do not defend.
--If we would be honest with one another…many of us live in this place where we are wondering why God can be so good, so generous with others, so merciful but not with us…where are you, Lord?
2. We live in the ellipsis of life.
Ellipsis – is the triple dot punctuation. Ellipsis indicates a pause in speech or an unfinished thought.
--Every time I write anything…I have always used ellipsis but just did not know what it was called. When I pause for effect in my sermons I am using ellipsis.
--When we are waiting on God to answer a prayer for us, we are in a period of ellipsis. It is a divine pause where we are simply waiting on God to complete the thought…to complete the miracle.
--We usually use the NIV for this portion of scripture because it says plans…but listen to it in NKJV.
Jeremiah 29:11-14 (NKJV)
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.
13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.
14 I will be found by you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the LORD, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive.
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.
13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.
14 I will be found by you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the LORD, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive.
--For whatever reason God has chosen…we have a Lord Who uses ellipsis for His honor and His glory. What makes no sense to us and what seems so unfair to us is just God being sovereign.
Isaiah 55:8-11 (NKJV)
8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD.
9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.
10 "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater,
11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD.
9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.
10 "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater,
11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
--What would have happened to Joseph when God made him wait 22 years for his dreams and visions to come to pass? A pre-mature deliverance may have put him in the wrong place.
--I am sure Joseph asked God more than one time…what is going on in my life? Did I really receive dreams from you or was it just my own desires coming through?
--Even ungodly Egyptians seem to be blessed with their servants and overabundance of food and luxuries. He was in a pit, sold into slavery, accused of adultery, forgotten in prison. It is not fair!
--Could it be that this is one of those ellipsis moments where we can say with Esther and Mordecai…For such a time as this. God is not as interested in our comfort as He is in His will.
--Listen to what Joseph had to say after approximately 22 years of abuse and what appeared to be abandonment by God…you see he chose not to be offended by what God was doing…he lived unoffended.
Genesis 45:4-8 (NIV)
4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come close to me." When they had done so, he said, "I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt!
5 And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.
6 For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will not be plowing and reaping.
7 But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
8 "So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.
4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come close to me." When they had done so, he said, "I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt!
5 And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.
6 For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will not be plowing and reaping.
7 But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
8 "So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.
--You see, the last chapter has not been written…God is still working on your book (on your life) and He is still working everything for your good if you love Him.
--Listen to the testimony of this couple from an Assembly of God church in the Washington D C area. They were used mightily by God to pray miracles for others but struggled having their prayers answered.
John and Heidi – Living an unoffended life is not some Zen-like experience. It is living a life surrendered to His sovereignty, His majesty, and His love. Jesus promises blessings if we are not offended when He does things for others. And if He does it for them, He might do it for us. I don’t know why God does what He does. I do know that 100% of the prayers I don’t pray won’t be answered.
--You can give up or you can hold on. You can let go or you can pray through. You can get frustrated with God or you can choose to live an unoffended life.
3. Even now!
--Mary and Martha had a very good opportunity to be offended at Jesus. Their brother Lazarus was dying so they sent for Jesus.
John 11:5-6 (NIV)
5 Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
6 Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.
5 Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
6 Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.
--What? Lazarus is dying and Jesus knows it but it appears He purposely stays where He was two more days… He intentionally let Lazarus die and then had the gall to say He was asleep…let’s go wake him up.
--What kind of God-man is this that even death is sleep to Him…notice the only people who were upset or potentially offended had no idea what Jesus was up to.
John 11:2-4 (NIV)
2 This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.
3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick."
4 When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it."
2 This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.
3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick."
4 When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it."
--Watch this…Jesus owes Mary…she had shown ultimate humility and worship when she poured perfume on His feet and wiped His them with her hair. Sometimes we feel God owes us for some reason.
--The two sisters even use psychology on Jesus…Lord, the one you love is sick. That is funny to me. Jesus knew Lazarus was sick and obviously Jesus loves everyone.
-- Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." Listen to Martha’s declaration of an unoffended life.
John 11:21-22 (NIV)
21 "Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died.
22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."
21 "Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died.
22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."
--Most of us would have stopped with v 21 if you had been here Lazarus would not have died. Martha adds the conjunction but I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."
--Even when it seems like God is four days late, it’s too soon to give up on God. Even when it seems like your dream is dead and buried, it’s too soon to give up. Even now!
--God can reverse the irreversible! Even now He can say Lazarus come forth…dream come forth…healing come forth…prodigal come back to God…Even now!!
--Don’t quit…Don’t give up because there is an “Even now!” on its way! Live unoffended by God!
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