The Offense of the Cross: A Message of Hope and Redemption

The cross is a cause of offense and stumbling for many people.

Jesus' teachings and death were rejected by his own people.

The cross provides freedom and redemption for those who repent and trust in Jesus.

Jesus is the answer and atonement for our sin and salvation.

Music Music Once the Son of God, our Messiah, who is Jesus Christ, came into the world and began to set his kingdom up in the hearts of men and women, there a great cause of offense and stumbling occurred in the souls of many who should have received him. It was foretold of the Messiah that he would be a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense by the prophets in the Old Testament. And these people were the ones who had poured over the scriptures and knew in time this long-awaited prophecy was destined to happen. Read with me, please, in the book of Isaiah 8, verse 13. Isaiah 8, 13. The Lord of hosts regard him as holy and honor his holy name by regarding him as your only hope of safety. And let him be your fear and let him be your dread, lest you offend him by your fear of man and distrust for him. Verse 14. And he shall be a sanctuary, a sacred and indestructible asylum to those who reverently fear him and trust him. But he shall be a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And many among them shall stumble thereupon, and they shall fall and be broken and be snared and taken. Bind up the testimony, seal the law and the teaching among my disciples. and in the New Testament in the book of Romans 9.33 affirms what was written in the scriptures by the prophets as Apostle Paul declares as it is written Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone that will make men stumble a rock that will make them fall but he who believes in him who adheres to, trusts in and relies on him shall not be put to shame nor disappointed in his expectations. Well, Christ's very own people rejected him, and still they reject him today. They might profess the desire for their great deliverer, yet when he came into the world, they overlooked him and stumbled at his teachings, his death and humiliation. Jesus came into the world in poverty in every way so that we may become rich in him and inherit eternal life through his death, burial, and resurrection, which provides freedom for us by our repentance and the forgiveness of our sins. Jesus actually annulled the covenant of death, and the agreement we had with Satan the devil when we accepted him as our Lord and Savior. In Isaiah 28, verse 16, Isaiah 28, 16, The word declares, Therefore, thus says the Lord God, Behold, I am laying in Zion for a foundation, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone of sure foundation. He who believes, trusts in and relies on and adheres to that stone will not be ashamed or give away or hasten away in sudden panic. Verse 17 I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plummet and hail will sweep away the refuge of lies and waters will overwhelm the hiding place the shelter. Verse 18 And your covenant with death shall be annulled and your agreement with Sheol the place of the dead shall not stand. When the overwhelming scourge passes through then you will be trodden down by it. Well how unfortunate it is today. that many reject Jesus' teaching, which his heavenly Father had given him to bring to the earth and declare to all that he was indeed God's answer and atonement for our sin and salvation. Salvation by the cross, by our crucified one, was and is still a stumbling block and offense to many. In the book of Matthew 11, I would like us to look at the account of where John the Baptist, who was in prison at the time, showed some kind of doubt and possible stumbling over Jesus' ministry. Jesus speaks the words to John's disciples saying in verse 6, Blessed is he who takes no offense at me and finds no fault for stumbling in or through me and is not hindered from seeing the truth. Look with me, let's read this account in Matthew 11, verse 1 Starting in verse 1 When Jesus had finished his charge to his twelve disciples He left there to teach and preach in their cities Now when John in prison heard about the activities of Christ He sent a message by his disciples Verse 3 And he asked him Are you the one who was to come? Or should we keep on expecting a different one? And Jesus replied to them, Go and report to John what you hear and see. The blind receive their sight in the lame walk. Lepers are cleansed by healing, and the deaf hear. And the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news. The gospel preached to them. Verse 6, And blessed is he who takes no offense at me, and finds no cause for stumbling in or through me and is not hindered from seeing the truth. Hallelujah. Now verse 7. Then as these men went on their way, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John. What did you go out in the wilderness, the desert, to see? A reed swayed by the wind? What did you go out to see then? A man clothed in soft garments? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in the houses of kings. But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and the one out of the common, more eminent, more remarkable, and superior to a prophet. This is one of whom it was written. Behold, I send my messenger ahead of you, who shall make ready your way before you. Verse 11. Truly, I tell you, among those born of women, there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist. Yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. And from the days of John the Baptist until the present time, the kingdom of heaven has endured violent assault, and violent men seize it by force as a precious prize, and a share in the heavenly kingdom is sought with most ardent zeal and intense exertion. for all the prophets in the law prophesied up until John. Verse 14. And if you are willing to receive and accept it, John himself is Elijah who was to come before the kingdom. He who has ears to hear, let him be listening and let him consider and perceive and comprehend by hearing. Verse 6. Jesus says, Blessed is he who takes no offense at me and finds no cause for stumbling in or through me and is not hindered from seeing the truth. We could also say in paraphrasing this verse, Jesus is saying, Happy is he or she who will not stumble or take offense at my truth. The Jews had a preconceived idea of their Messiah. and when the long-awaited Christ came to them, they rejected his humble appearance, his simple doctrine and message of truth and therefore lost the benefit of salvation through him. The messianic kingly priest, according to their senses, did not represent their ideal of a wealthy ruler who would bring justice to the nations. Jesus said and blessed is he who takes no offense at me and finds no cause for stumbling in or through me and is not hindered from seeing the truth the king of the ages the all ruler of the universe and the ancient of days stood before them in simple robes in humility void of pride and pomp in this world by means of his gracious words he instructed and cautioned against all these that is pride and pomp and hypocrisy and furthermore Jesus declared he who will not humble himself and become poor become lowly, nameless and of no account and vile in his own eyes cannot enter into the kingdom of God it is the spiritually poor who enter into the kingdom of heaven. And the word poor is defined as meaning humble, void of pride. It means having meekness. Meekness is not weakness, dear ones. Meekness is having a lowliness of heart and the gentleness of our Christ. The humble and the meek ones of the Lord hear the word of God and trust in it and live it. meekness is an attitude of humility towards God and gentleness towards men springing from a recognition that God is in control although weakness and meekness may look similar they are not the same weakness is due to negative circumstances such as lack of strength or lack of courage but meekness is due to a person's conscious choice it is strength and courage under control coupled with kindness the scripture declares in her shall the afflicted take refuge in Christ's wisdom only is the place where the church of the living God will find her strength her protection her courage and direction Now the words spoken by our beloved Jesus to John the Baptist's disciples in verse 6 of Matthew 11 again says, Blessed is he who takes no offense at me and finds no cause for stumbling in or through me and is not hindered from seeing the truth. and these words were words of reassurance to the unique, exceptional and matchless prophet John the Baptist who was at this time chained in a dark dungeon probably with very little food or water John by sending his disciples to ask Jesus saying are you the one who was to come or should we keep on expecting a different one this was showing that he was apparently having doubts about the one he had proclaimed as the Lamb of God in the gospel of John 1.29 look with me please John 1.29 the next day John saw Jesus coming to him and said look there is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world this is he of whom I spoke After me comes a man who has priority over me, who ranks above me, because he was before me and existed before I did. Verse 31, I did not know him and recognize him myself, but it is in order that he should be made manifest and be revealed to Israel, be brought out where we can see him, that I came baptizing in with water. John gave further evidence saying I have seen the spirit descending as a dove out of heaven and it dwelt upon him never to depart and I did not know him or recognize him but he who sent me to baptize him with water said to me upon him whom you shall see the spirit descend and remain that one is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit verse 34 and I have seen that happen And I actually did see it. And my testimony is this, that this is the Son of God. Again, the next day, John was standing with his two disciples. And he looked at Jesus as he walked along and he said, Look, there is the Lamb of God. And the two disciples heard him say this, and they followed him. Jesus' kind and gracious response contained only encouragement for John, not a rebuke when he declared, Blessed is he who takes no offense at me and finds no cause for stumbling in or through me and is not hindered from seeing the truth. In fact, Jesus went on to praise John's ministry and validate it on the basis of the Old Testament prophecy. And we must remember also that John the Baptist was the last of the Old Testament prophets. In verse 7, after John's disciples left and were on their way back to take the message from Jesus to John, we see where Jesus is affirming John's ministry. In verse 7, then Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John. What did you go out in the wilderness of the desert to see? A reed swaying by the wind? What did you go out to see? and a man clothed in soft garments. And behold, those who come wearing soft garments are in the houses of kings. And so we read this. Went out to see a prophet. And he says, yes, I tell you one out of the common, more eminent, more remarkable, and superior to a prophet. This is the one whom it was written. Behold, I send my messenger ahead of you to make ready your way before you. So we see that it was after Jesus commended and praised John Then he went on to reprove and scold the fickle crowd for their inconsistent and in the moment changeable remarks about John and himself. And we can see that in verse 16 when he says, But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like little children sitting in the marketplace who call to their playmates. we piped to you playing wedding and you did not dance and we wailed dirges playing funeral and you did not mourn and beat your breast and weep aloud verse 18 for John came neither eating nor drinking with others and they say he has a demon and the son of man came eating and drinking with others and they say behold a glutton and a wine drinker and a friend of tax collectors and especially wicked sinners yet wisdom is justified and vindicated by what she does, her deeds, and by her children. The inconsistency of the crowd shows the folly of the human heart and the evil of always trying to please everyone. It also shows the offense they had taken at the truth as Jesus spoke what the Father had commanded him to speak. Christ's compliment and praise of John shows his compassion towards our human frailties due to adverse circumstances such as John was passing through as he was in the dark and dank dungeon with very little food or water. Jesus shows us his compassion and grace when intellectual reason takes over and spawns doubt and fear and distrust even in the greatest of men and women. And since their hearts are set on him, Christ intervenes and rescues them from the mouth of the enemy and restores them back into fellowship with himself so that Satan will not become successful in coming between Jesus and his beloved. Jesus understands our weaknesses, and they do not have to necessarily affect our relationship with him. And another good example of Christ's compassion for human frailty is when he left his disciples at a certain place in the garden while he went a little ways away to pray. And when he came back, he found them sleeping and he said in Matthew 26, 41, All of you must keep awake, give strict attention, be cautious and active, and watch and pray that you may not come into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. and still reviewing Jesus' words in Matthew 11, 6 Blessed is he who takes no offense at me and finds no cause for stumbling or offense in or through me and is not hindered from seeing the truth. The word stumbling block most likely in its summation might say happy is he to whom I shall not prove or test or try a stumbling block. This means happy is he who shall not take offense at my poverty and lowliness of life so as to reject me and my doctrine or gospel. Happy is the one who can despite my poverty and mysterious ways see the evidence by what I have done that I am the Messiah and follow me. I believe we could rightly assume that John the Baptist desired that Jesus would publicly proclaim himself as the Christ instead of remaining obscure and silent but Jesus replied that he gave sufficient evidence by the works that he had brought forth in the way of miracles and healings and deliverances of oppressions and bondage due to evil spirits, so that people might determine and discover and embrace that he indeed was the Messiah in spite of his humble manner of life. Remember in Scripture, we are told that in Jesus' appearance there was nothing outwardly in beauty or handsomeness that we should desire him. That is found in Isaiah 53.2. And the word says, gazed upon him, but in his outward appearance there was nothing to attract or delight their senses. And again Jesus replied that he had given sufficient evidence by his works that if one would choose they could see that he indeed was the Messiah and embrace him as the Christ instead of taking offense and stumbling at his humble appearance and lowly manner of life. Indeed, what folly it is That many today are still taking offense And stumbling over the one Whom God the Father ordained to be the only one Who can save them from their sin And the grave of death In the most glorious one Is all beauty and wisdom and eternal life To those who do not stumble and take offense With this truth called the gospel of peace the offense of the cross of Jesus Christ is a message of atonement that offends men and women's pride the message of atonement is an act by which God restores a relationship of harmony and unity between himself and humankind through his son's death burial and resurrection atonement means at Through God atoning grace and forgiveness we are reinstated to a relationship of at-one-ment with God in spite of our sin. The offense of the cross is a simple teaching that offends man's wisdom, his carnal reason, and artificial tastes which say, if it sounds good, tastes good, looks good, smells good, it's good. Jesus' coming, though, caused offense and was a stumbling block for many. His coming was to be the remedy for man's ruin. But instead, and unfortunately, man, even today, is fantasized and imagined that he can save himself. This certainly shows us that the highest form of holiness offends man's love for his own sin. And we can see this offense of the cross is shown in the actual persecution of believers, but most often by slandering believers and jeering at them and calling them old-fashioned, foolish, weak-minded, gloomy and conceited folks. Offense of the cross is also shown by the great and horrendous persecution of Christian believers who are tortured and unmercifully beaten and thrown into prison for their testimony of Jesus. One such story is told of a little 12-year-old boy who believed and lived the scripture that declares, love your enemies and do good to them. The story goes as follows. The boy, only 12 years old, swallowed his fear as he stood before the communist officer. Captain, you are the man who put my parents in prison, he said. Today is my mother's birthday, and I always buy her a flower for her birthday. Since my mother taught me to love my enemies and to reward evil with good, I have brought the flower instead for the mother of your children. Please take it home to your wife tonight and tell her about my love and the love of Christ. Captain Marco, who had watched unmoved as Christians had been unmercifully beaten and tortured, was stunned at the act of love of this boy. His tears fell as he slowly walked around the desk and grabbed the boy in a fatherly embrace. Marcos' heart was changed by the gift of Christ's love. He could no longer arrest and torture Christians and he himself was soon arrested. Only months after the boy's visit to his office, Marco slumped in a filthy prison cell surrounded by some of the same Christians he had previously arrested and tortured he tearfully told his cellmates of the young boy and the simple gift of a flower and he considered it an honor to share a cell with those he had previously hunted and attacked a simple gift of love broke through the darkness of the offense of the truth and freed a prisoner of Satan and made him a prisoner of Jesus Christ. Apostle Paul said in 2 Timothy 1.8, Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God. Verse 9, Who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began. Unfortunately, offense of the cross is also evidenced by those who omit to teach and preach the message of the cross. Many today preach a Christless and bloodless gospel. Many mix the truth of Christ with error and heresy. and many openly deny the deity of Jesus Christ who died on the cross by saying that there are other ways to heaven other than through Christ the Messiah. For sure, dear Christian, there are many ways of showing that the cross offends us in one respect or another. Apostle Paul in Galatians 5.11 says to his flock, But brethren, if I still preach circumcision, as some accuse me of doing, as necessary to salvation, why am I still suffering persecution? In that case, the cross has ceased to be a stumbling block and is made meaningless, done away with. Paul shows us that we must not accommodate the message of the cross to men's likings and tastes, but we must raise human likings and tastes to love the message of the cross. This many times brings offense and stumbling to the hearers of the message. People in Paul's congregation were offended at the fact that the Gentiles were not circumcised and were stumbling over the message that Paul was bringing them regarding this subject. What is it that we must understand by the message of the cross? it is not the wood or the tree that we must apprehend and comprehend but the very one who was nailed to the tree and there upon that tree he was hung and died a brutal death to bring the message of salvation by his atonement for our sins this message of the cross was to be a right standard of principles of showing the difference between right and wrong behavior and it was to be an influence and message showing that we must live within and according to the new covenant agreement with a hatred towards sin, a weaning away from the world and devotedness and allegiance to our beloved Savior Jesus Christ. And the question here at this point in the message today is how can we avoid being included amongst those who carry offense and stumble over the message of the cross. Let's look and see what Jesus tells us in Mark's Gospel, in Mark 4, 21. Mark 4, 21. Jesus said to them, Is the lamp brought in to be put under a peck measure or under a bed or not to be put upon a lampstand? Things are hidden temporarily only as means to revelation. For there is nothing hidden except to be revealed, nor is anything temporarily kept secret except in order that it may be made known. Verse 23. If any man has ears to hear, let him be listening and let him perceive and comprehend. Verse 24. And he said to them, Be careful what you are hearing. The measure of thought and study you give to the truth you hear will be the measure of virtue and knowledge that comes back to you and more besides will be given to you who hear. For to him who has will be given more. And from him who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away by force. Jesus is warning in verse 24 that you must hear with eating. That means to pay attention. This is saying you must pay attention to what you hear in the message of the cross or the gospel of our Lord. You must take heed to what you hear and endeavor to retain or to hold fast to the truth when you hear it. By remembering it and practicing it and what it instructs you to do. And this is your lifeline, your connection to your dear Savior Jesus Christ. and this is saying that you must eat it on the spot and do not delay by saying oh I will get around to it tomorrow you must have the deepest desire in your heart to take every word as you hear it with a longing within and silent prayer that says oh Lord bless your truth to my ears and help me to retain it as you water my dry and thirsty and hungry soul. And what a blessing you shall have, dear one, as you hear the truth of the gospel with a longing and craving, as you listen to a sermon that is being preached, or as you read the word of God for yourself, to know that you know that God Almighty will fulfill your hunger and water the righteousness that you seek in Him as you follow after Him. Jesus will not disappoint you if you are crying out for his mercy believing and praying for his mercy he will answer you as you are persistent you who may be listening to this message today and you are broken hearted by your sin and you are seeking Jesus Christ's mercy you do not have to look any farther just fall upon your knees confess your sins before your Savior and ask for his forgiveness and surely he will forgive you but remember you must not go back to that sin again scripture declares that people who do this are like a dog that goes back to its own vomit or like a pig that goes back to its own wallow do not take offense at what Christ tells you to do in his gospel but practice it and surely you shall not backslide again. Jesus said to the woman who was caught in the act of adultery Woman, go your way and do not sin again. And after Jesus healed the man who was crippled for 40 years he said to him, go your way and stop sinning or something greater will happen to you. see the work of ministry is to preach the gospel in simple terms so that all can understand it Jesus did not appeal to anyone's vanity by giving intellectual dissertations nor did he water down the message his father sent him to deliver nor did Jesus have to put his gospel in comedic form so as to appeal to anyone's funny bone so that they might be more inclined to hear the truth of the cross and the reason that he came. I'm not saying that occasionally a preacher should not say something to make people laugh or smile because many times it is the only way a truth can be driven deep into the heart. Whether the truth of the cross brings sinners by way of laughing or crying, it does not matter. As long as they are brought to Christ who died for them and longs to have them and call them his own. And another thing in regards to how we can avoid having offense over the message of the cross is to be aware that when you hear the truth, that you hear it with obedient ears. And this is saying that when you hear it, you have made a conscientious election of your heart to obey it by practicing it. It is useless for you to hear it unless you elect to practice it, dear one. And this can be like someone who is in debt. They go to a financial consultant who lays out a plan for them to get out of debt. And the individual never applies the principles that the consultant gave him. The individual continues complaining that his problem is greater than ever. and so it is for people who sit in church each Sunday and go to a weekly Bible study and say that they would never miss a time where they could go to church they listen to the word being preached and taught but they have not obeyed the gospel they have not at all obeyed the gospel Paul wrote about this in his epistle to the Romans in Romans 10 verse 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel For Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our report? So then faith comes by hearing And hearing by the word of God Dear ones, this is still true today And just as real as in Paul's day Sad to say, there are many who remain only hearers of the word And do not become doers of the word Their faith has never taken flight. So it is these kinds of people who stumble and fall and find offense at the truth. They become critical of others and especially their pastors because they did not listen or heed the truth with obedient ears. Jesus said in Mark's Gospel of Mark 4.21, He said to them, Do you bring a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don't you put it in a stand. We read this before, but we're just reading it again so that you can catch the fullness of this. For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear. Consider carefully what you hear, he continued. With the measure you use it, it will be measured to you. And even more, whoever has will be given more. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. So with the measure you use, Jesus says it shall be measured to you. And this is saying that the hearers of the gospel of truth will get measure for measure, and the measure shall be your own measure. So, for example, those who have no interest in the word of God will, of course, find it quite uninteresting. Just like that. It won't be interesting to them. So this kind of individual who comes to church and listens to the gospel of our Lord will not receive even the smallest tidbit of life or peace or joy because they were not sincere in growing in the truth, but found it uninteresting because of other passions. There will be nothing that strikes this kind of person because he listens with deaf ears. They have not been opened up because of disinterest in their Savior. People like this can read the Bible, but only as a blind man might. He gains nothing because he cannot see. Spiritual eyes and ears can only be opened up by the Master, who sees the hunger and desire for the truth. And there can be no true seeing or hearing without true interest and desire. People can go on listening, but never hear. They can go on seeing, but shall never perceive, so says the Word. if you have no desire to be saved no longing to escape from the guilt of your sin no desire for heaven no love for God then the most boring place for you to be is in a service where Jesus Christ is preached and taught you will only get it measured back to you what you have measured out and the last thing I would like to point out to you in avoiding the pitfall of falling into offense of the cross is do not be critical when you hear the word preached do not find fault there are many who sit in church and their only aim in going to church is to find fault with people around them and also by what is spoken from the pulpit may I say that if this is one way and source in which you derive your pleasure that you are only hurting yourself. It is like taking a knife and with cruel self-infliction you stab only yourself with repeated blow after blow. The one who is so critical of what is being preached believes that this is his or her ministry that is to find fault with what is being taught. The offense of the cross has not ceased for this kind of individual. It is still a stumbling block for those who believe not. The message of the cross has never truly broken their hearts. They only stumble over it. If you are one of these, dear listener, please know that unless you submit your life to Christ, this stone will roll back upon you. Jesus was a stumbling block to unbelieving people in his own nation, just as he continues to be a stumbling block today to all those who do not put their faith in him. Do not deceive your own soul over this matter, that you were destined to find fault with whatever is wrong and out of order according to your own estimation. This is called a critical spirit, and what you measure out, it shall be measured back to you. There is a saying, whatever you are fishing for, you will catch it. But for those who seek the pure and solid truth, these are those who come to hear the gospel with eager attention and alertness. They come with a frame of heart and mind that says, I'm hungry to know God's truth. I want to be taught this word concerning sin and its remedy. I want to grow in the knowledge and grace of the Holy Spirit's work in my heart and soul. I want to hear and learn of my Savior's atoning sacrifice. I long to know about the life of a Christian, his joys, his trials, his responsibilities. Oh Lord, I just want to know you. Capture my heart and make it your own Inspire me to love you God And to love others the way you love me Teach me and lead me by your Holy Spirit You see, with a heart like this There is no place for a critical spirit There is no place for offense or stumbling Wherever there is a hungry heart you will find there is plenty of food. And this kind of individual will find the true benefit of the gospel and the Lord's promise that says, Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. When you have first-hand experience of the emptiness of the Lord, it is truly a great blessing to understand the fullness of Christ as He fills your thirsty soul. the offense of the cross is great for multitudes we cannot make the gospel of truth tasteful to carnal minds we would have to hide the truth in order to do this and this ends up in air in apostasy with a gospel called easy believism we have not received a gospel from man but a gospel from the very mouth and heart of God himself we must continue to receive the truth in the only way in which it was designed and purposed that we would receive it and that is by the divine inspiration of faith the gospel of the cross as we have seen it brings offense to those who hear it we must not change the truth to fit what carnal minds want to hear Jesus didn't and he is our example he was crucified for speaking the truth it is the truth that offends and causes stumbling but it is also the truth that will set men free Hallelujah Hallelujah It is the truth that will save dear ones And we too must admit that we were once offended by the message of the cross, but now find it to be the very joy and life and hope of our hearts and souls. We find that we cannot help but speak of the one who saved us and set us free. We cannot help but give offense to those who do hate the cross by virtue of our Christian way of life. That is, by the way that we live, by what we believe, and how we act, and what we say. Many Christians who profess they are believers never cause offense to those who are godless without Christ. They do not live any differently than the godless. they do not speak about the one who hung on the cross and died for them it must be because they are not crucified with Christ they have no real trust or faith in their Savior nor any true knowledge of him to share with anyone as Apostle Paul declared in Romans 9.33 as it is written he says Behold I am laying in Zion a stone That will make men stumble A rock that will make them fall But he who believes in him Who adheres to him Relies on him Shall not be put to shame Nor be disappointed in his expectations Dear one The love for your Savior Will inspire and awaken Voluntary self-sacrifice Within your heart and soul to surrender your entire life to Him. You will not stumble over what He commands you to do. You too will, with longing in your heart as you grow in Him, desire to see others come to the cross freely without guilt or offense at the simple life and humility of their beautiful Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. Though this is a brief word today, on a big subject. It is our prayer that it will have been instrumental and helpful to show the guilt of those who hate the gospel of grace and truth and serve to remove the offense of the cross that they have been carrying and bring them into the victory of seeing the truth and becoming a vital tool and part in the family of God. Our main scripture today has been Matthew 11 verse 6 And blessed is he who takes no offense at me and finds no cause for stumbling in or through me and is not hindered from seeing the truth. Maybe you have seen something for yourself in this word today that has been crucial in setting you free from any offense that you have held in the gospel of truth. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. We believe that the Spirit of God has been moving in your hearts while the truth of this word has been going forth. It is good to examine your own place of standing in the Lord. That is your right to the Lord's favor and your right to eternal life. This place at his communion table holds him in high esteem with a grateful and admiring sense of fulfilling love that has grown out of your understanding and knowledge of who he really is and what he has done for you personally. Hopefully, you have learned by what has been spoken today and what has been aimed with encouragement, that is a message of hope to bring sinners back to God through Jesus Christ he loves them all, everyone they too are his little ones we must take heed that we do not find offense with them by despising them but we must bring them in where they too will be ones who are blessed and will have no cause for stumbling in the truth that is found in Jesus Christ we have seen in the example of a little 12 year old boy who risked his life by taking the gospel of love to a cruel and mean man who imprisoned his parents and tortured many Christians that God used the words and actions of this young child to set a God hater free by a simple act of love and with a flower Jesus taught that those who were God haters and those who were offended by the message of the cross would recognize true and real believers by their demonstration of love. God the Father gave his only Son to demonstrate his love for the world and Jesus purchased our salvation with his death, burial and resurrection. What, dear Christian, would you give today that might open someone's heart and lead them from the offense of the cross to their most beautiful and wonderful Savior, Jesus Christ. Whenever I read in 1 Corinthians 2.9 that no eye has seen nor ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him. My spirit becomes excited and my spirit is enlivened and aroused by the Holy Spirit's prompting. No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him. This eternal truth holds a present and future tense connotation in it. But the rest of this truth found in verse 10 says, But God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. What our eyes have not seen nor our ears have heard have not yet entered into our hearts. but God has prepared and made ready for those who love him. Dear ones, all who truly love the creator of the universe, who hold him in deep affection and reverence and promptly obey him and gratefully with holy gratitude recognize the benefits that he lavishly bestows and pours out upon us. You see, this is speaking of the hidden wisdom of God. This is not a wisdom that comes from the world. This wisdom teaches quite a different kind of knowledge than that which one acquires through their minds, assimilating facts and figures through experience and thoughts. Mental knowledge is good, and it's useful in itself for everyday living. But eternal truths which yours and my eyes and ears have never conceived can only be revealed by God's Holy Spirit. These truths cannot be gained by human reason. Only God himself can and will share his thoughts, his storehouse of treasures and wisdom, and our scripture says, with those who love him. God's word says that mental knowledge, although by itself can be good, but is capable only of producing pride. Apostle Paul's greatest desire and prayer was that the church would increase in the knowledge of God. Dear church, there are so many blessings awaiting you and me as to the hidden wisdoms and mystery of God. He has long kept these mysteries concealed from the world and the depth of them only He can reveal because only He fathoms and comprehends them. The mysteries of the ages have been hidden from ages to ages and generations and generations. You see, they have been hidden from the heathen world and from those who love not the Son of God. But today and since the time of Apostle Paul, they are continuously being revealed to those who love Jesus Christ. These secret things and mysteries are being shared and unwrapped for those who live in Christ. They are being revealed and made known by the Spirit of the Lord. These mysteries are gospel revelations of all types that are being unveiled and made plain. This is the wisdom of God, His prophecies and secret councils that are being opened up and are laid bare and are being published in your heart today. The wisdom of God in a mystery are made known and manifest to the dear saints of God, who laid before him, knocking at the door of his heart, saying, Lord, open up the treasures of the storehouse unto me. Lord, my eyes and my ears yearn to know what you have promised to those who love you. Reveal them to me, Holy Father, by your Spirit, whom you have given me, and then I shall truly know your truths. You see, even Daniel in his day desired to know some of the mysteries which he did not understand. He cried out to the Lord and said in Daniel 12, 8 saying, I heard, but I did not understand. And then I said, Oh, my Lord, what shall be the issue and the final end of these things? Verse 9. And then he said, Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and betrayed and smelted and refined, and the wicked shall do wickedly, and none of the wicked shall understand, but the teachers of those who are wise shall understand. For Daniel, the vision that he was shown was for a future time, for the end times, for the time in which you and I now live. Daniel was not privileged to know these things, dear church. It was not yet God's appointed time to reveal the things that were yet to come, but rather they were waiting for a future generation who was yet to come. Daniel had had a close relationship with his Creator, and God had entrusted much in the way of his wisdom and revelation to this prophet. Daniel was not to worry or concern himself with the things that he did not know, but rather he was instructed to go on his way and be satisfied with what he had. Go on your way, Daniel. It is not for you to know these things now, said his God. But you see, now is the time today when the rich words of the Lord that were spoken, No eye has seen, no ear has heard what God has prepared for those who love him and wait on him. This is the time and this is the season that these words are coming to pass, dear church. God is busy revealing the events and the times that lie straight ahead of us in these end days. and to those who are on their face in prayer saying, O Lord, according to your word in Isaiah verse 9, which says the former things have come to pass and new things that are springing forth, please show me, apprise me, Lord, of what is coming forth in these days. Do not leave me in the dark, I pray, O my God. Or you might say, your word, O God, declares in Isaiah that you are doing a new thing, and now it shall spring forth. Shall I not know it? O God, might God leave me not in the dark as these days are becoming more evil. Daniel 2.22 declares, he reveals the deep and secret things. He knows what's in the darkness, and the light dwells in him. Jesus says in Matthew 13.10, when the disciples came to him and asked, Why do you speak to these others in parables? He replied to them, To you it has been given to know the secrets and the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. You see, as a believer in Jesus Christ, notice that I preface the word in, in Christ. These mysteries will be made known to those who truly love their master and do not offer lip service to what he commands. But these whom the sovereign one reveals, the secrets and mysteries are to those who are passionate about him and have made him their centerpiece. Jesus says in John 14, 21, A person who has my commands and keeps them is the one who really loves me. And whoever really loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and will show I'll reveal and manifest myself to him. I'll let myself be clearly seen by him, and I'll make myself real to him. Jesus will truly make himself known to those who love him and his father and what needs to be clearly known Jesus will make known and that is everything that he has prepared for those who love and reverence him for those who have faith and trust in him as I said much in the way of the former things have been concealed in the former ages because the unsearchable riches of Christ were hidden in God. They were hidden from the haughty and the proud and those who thought that they were wise. But Jesus says in Matthew 11, 25, when he was praying to his Father in heaven, he said, I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. I acknowledge openly and joyfully to your honor that you have hidden these things from the wise and the clever, the learned, and you reveal them to babies, to the childish, the untaught, and the unskilled. Jesus thanked his Father in heaven for favoring those who were humble and simple in their faith. he said only the truth of God comes by divine revelation the Jewish leaders in Jesus' day were proud of their learning and because of that they did not and could not recognize or accept the promised Messiah as he stood before them but you see in our day today the mysteries and the secrets are revealed by God's Spirit to those who are humble in heart. God has revealed these since the time of Paul so that the world should see the glory of the Son. God himself knew what he had in store for believers, but nobody else knew besides himself. You see, dear believer, If we think we have our minds wrapped around the concept of the cross, we must think again. The mysteries and the secrets transcend far beyond what you or I might understand in this totally awesome work of Jesus Christ when he divested himself of his glory and stepped out of heaven and humbled himself and allowed himself to become as we are so that we might become as he is. This is too great. This surpasses all conception and expression of our human imaginations, our thoughts or words. But unlike Daniel, who was told to go on his way and be content with what he had and knew, we are instead told to expect and wait patiently for the new things to be revealed. Again, this is by God's Spirit. In Jeremiah 33.3, God spoke to the prophet who was held hostage in the court by the rulers in his day. And God said to Jeremiah, Call to me, Jeremiah. I will answer you, and I will show you great and mighty things which you do not know. Jeremiah was called the weeping prophet Not because he was abused and bruised by the rebels in his day But because God had opened his eyes to see the wickedness of his people God is essentially saying to Jeremiah My son, if you will get down on your face before me I will show you great and mighty things If you cry out to me, my son, I will answer you. I'll open up the heavens and begin to show the things that you do not know, but have been sensing as a part of my plan and counsel. You see, God was encouraging Jeremiah to pray. And when we pray, we are to look for the things to come to pass. and we can expect to see and know God's great counsel and his wisdom in future matters and concerns. And we can expect to see his mighty work and revealing might and power at work in our lives, in our families' lives and in the affairs of the world. And we can expect to see new things that are fresh to ourselves in our own lives and fresh in our experience with him and far surpassing what we have expected at the onset of it all. God loves to surprise us, dear ones, with the unexpected things according to the divine realm. He says, I will show you. I will show you. And we should expect to see great healings and miracles in our lives and our loved ones in the church. We should expect to see a greater level of God's grace being poured out to sinners and forgiveness of sins being experienced as they repent by the droves in this last day. Jeremiah weeping his weeping heart for the rebellious ones in his day caused him with a driving force from deep within to transcend or go beyond the mundane or the ordinary in his day and to answer the call of God to go to his people and be a voice declaring the terrible judgments which only his prophetic eye could see His eyes perceived that God was about to bring judgment upon their land, because they had been rebellious among a bunch of other things. Jeremiah desired to vividly describe and picture to his people these judgments that were coming upon in the moment he was speaking to them. He wept because they refused to hear him. Instead, they turned on him. Jeremiah is often called the weeping prophet because he wept openly about the sins of his nation. He also wept at times because his message of judgment seemed to him to be futile because he saw no change in the people. His message was in the knowledge that he held that God was about to bring an end to the holy city and cast off his covenant people. The prophet even tried to hold back his prophetic proclamations as they bubbled up. But he found that the word of the Lord was like a burning fire shut up in his bones. He had no choice but to proclaim the harsh message of God's judgment. The great and mighty things of God bubbled up and went forth regardless of the outcome, regardless of what the people thought of the great and mighty things that God was unraveling that pertained to their doom if they would not repent. Jeremiah did not weep and lament because of any weakness he had, nor did he proclaim evil because of the subject matter that the Lord had laid upon his heart to be spoken. He cried out loud because of his love for his people and his love for his God. This is characteristic of the prophet and is actually a tribute to his sensitivity and deep concern for his nation. And this makes me think at times in Scripture where we read of our weeping Savior. In Matthew 23, verse 37, as Jesus was looking over the city, he cried, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, murdering the prophets and stoning those who are sent to you. How often I would have gathered your children together as a mother hand gathers her brood under her wings, and you refused. Behold, your house is forsaken and desolate. It's abandoned and left destitute of God's help. Oh, the beautiful treasures in heaven that Jesus had in store for those who would have turned to him. He wept because the people who had for generations of time denied that he was the Messiah and chose to kill him instead of receiving him as Savior. They read about him, they sang about him, and they looked for him to come. And here he was standing before them, telling them that he was the one spoken and prophesied about by the scriptures and the prophets. Jesus is the one who was called the word And was the one who spoke to Jeremiah and said Call upon me and I will answer And I will show you great and mighty things We too, dear church Must call upon our Savior And he will answer us If you expect to hear from God You must call upon Him in prayer. You must not give up when you do pray. You must continue until you hear from Him. If you want to see great and mighty things, you must persist in prayer. It is in this place that your beloved Savior will give you a clear and full look of the hidden things which, though in part, are discovered already, but yet you know them not because you haven't been given the revelation by His Spirit. This is what your waiting soul really longs for. And this is the great expectancy that those who have been knocking upon the door of the Master's hearts are waiting for. This is what they are longing for. Jeremiah was told to ask, and then God said, after you ask, I will hear you. And now this is the place where you learn to wait upon your beloved. You see, too many Christians have never learned to be patient, especially today, because everything in our society is designed to have everything now. We want it now. Children grow up making their demands, and they are satisfied and accommodated with their selfish desires because everybody else has them, whatever it is, and they want that in the moment. We have two generations of these young adults who are parents themselves now and have children of their own who cannot concentrate on anything else but the latest technology, the gadgets, and the sources of entertainment. Many and most of these young adults and their children have no interest in their Savior, let alone developing a close relationship with them because the latest technology has become their God. God's word calls these things idols. It's just like that. That's what they are. The very first commandment is, you shall not worship any other God. you see anything that occupies first place in your life in the way of stealing your time your attention and focus away from the development and building of an intimate relationship with your creator is called idolatry because you put these things first and you neglect the number one commandment that says you shall have no other god before me you see when you bow to other things that is people places or things only a dead preoccupation is being worked out in your heart these people places and things are only temporary and they satisfy your time your senses and feelings and appetite in the moment. They are temporary. And you are devoting time to the worship of physical objects because they are taking precedence over your time rather than devoting this time to the development of building a relationship with your Creator who is the eternal, everlasting Father. And what He has to offer you and me is eternal. it will last forever. Dear one, what he has to offer is not cheap or quick to have in terms of money or demands. The great and mighty God who created all things whether they be in heaven, on earth, or under the earth is not a cheap commodity or something to be had by a flippant or disrespectful demand by a mere creature of clay whom he has made and crafted with his own hands. These unrevealed great and mighty things are promised to those who put nothing else first in the way of the preoccupations just as we have mentioned. Most have not had the awesome privilege and experience that John the Beloved had when he leaned his head upon the bosom of his master Jesus Christ. Nor have most had the experience and privilege like that of Paul, who was caught up into the third heaven and was showing great and mighty things, some of which he shared and some of which he was not allowed to share. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12, 2, I know a man in Christ who 14 years ago was caught up into the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body, I do not know. God knows. And I know this man, whether in the body or apart from the body, but I do not know, but God knows, was caught up into paradise. And he heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell. These are degrees and heights in personal experience and experiential knowledge of the great and mighty things of God, which are promised only to those who are in earnest of truly knowing him intimately, like David or Daniel or Deborah or Paul and the others throughout all the ages of time, who were not satisfied with knowing their creator from a distance, but were hungry to have their spirit and souls filled with his love, his joy, and his peace. Out of this place in God came the desire and the hunger to know his great and mighty things promised to those who have entered into this place of rest. no stargazer no intellectual one in philosophy or astronomy or an occult dabbler no new age believer or any false religion will ever know or see the great and wonderful things that God holds in store for those who love him only God alone through the power of his Holy Spirit can take us into the realm of his eternal treasures in heaven. And dear one, you might be hungry for the things of God, but he has an order and a requirement before he, as a supreme being, will show us anything in his divine kingdom. Jesus gave the command in Matthew 6.19, Do not gather and heap up and store for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and rust and worm consume and destroy, where thieves break through and steal. But gather and heap up and store for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust nor worm consume and destroy, and where thieves do not break through and steal. Verse 21. For where your treasure is, there will be your heart also. The eye is the lamp of the body. So if your eye is sound, your entire body will be full of light. But if your eye is unsound, your body will be full of darkness. If then the very light in you, your conscience, is darkened, how dense is that darkness. No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stand by and be devoted to the one and despise and be against the other. You cannot serve God and mammon that is deceitful, riches, money, possessions, or whatever is being trusted in. Gather and store up for yourself treasures in heaven. This was Jesus' command. It wasn't an offer to be held out and an offer to be tried. But you see, this was a command. And this is the only treasure storehouse that has eternal insurance on it. Earthly treasures and things and stuff are insecure and corruptible, while the eternal treasures in heaven are secure and incorruptible. Jesus tells us that the love for these things and money, which are all related and tied to greed, can infect and poison a person's entire life. And we are given the choice to choose either God or money because both cannot be served at the same time. God is a jealous God and he will not share his great and mighty eternal things with a half-hearted, lukewarm Christian who wants to use him for their own means or make him an insurance policy as a means to save them from the eternal flames of hellfire. The best and safest place to start in seeking the great and the mighty things of God is to start in his word. Jesus said we should seek the treasures of heaven. And Apostle Paul said in Colossians 2.3 that all of these treasures are found and hidden in Christ himself. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Well, let's look at this. We will begin in verse 1, Colossians chapter 2. Colossians 2 verse 1. For I want you to know how great is my solicitude for you, how severe an inward struggle I am engaged in for you, and for those believers at Laodicea and for all who are like yourselves, have never seen my face and know me personally. Verse 2. which is found in Jesus Christ. In him all treasures of divine wisdom, comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God, and all the riches of spiritual knowledge and enlightenment are stored up and lie hidden. I say this in order that no one may mislead and delude you by plausible, persuasive, and attractive arguments and beguiling speech. When Paul spoke these heartfelt and agonizing words at this time, I am sure he knew full well that he was speaking to generations of people after that time. These are words that came with suffering both within and without. As he deeply desired, all believers would come to know Jesus Christ personally. Paul said my deep concern for you is that you will come to full maturity in Christ and be knit together with him by the strong ties or cords of love. And this you too dear believer by abiding in Christ through daily fellowship and communion just as Paul said is found in Christ who embodies all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. It's all found in Christ. This personal relationship with Christ is not held in lip service or by methods and rituals of just going to church once a week and maybe singing in the choir or having some responsibility in your congregation and then the rest of the week you bow down to your idols and now and then you throw Jesus a little kiss on the way out the door and give him a little hand clap here and there. What treason! I don't know who coined the phrase in church where people are told by a pastor or a leader, let's all give Jesus a little clap offering, or let's all throw Jesus a little kiss. I cringe at the disrespect and the lack of true reverence and admiration when these carnal tokens of honoring and esteeming the one who suffered a horrible death in giving his life on the cross for the sake of our sins is treated in such a fleshly and unholy and profane way. Dear church, Jesus went to hell and he spent three days winning back the keys to death in Hades. my God and John the beloved was apprehended and taken by the spirit and was shown great and mighty things and was told to write them down and he reports in Revelation 117 when I saw him I fell at his feet as if dead but he laid his right hand on me and he said do not be afraid I am the first and the last. I am the everlasting one, the ever-living one. And I am living in the eternity of eternities. I died I am alive forevermore and I possess the keys of death and Hades the realm of the dead John had a glimpse of Christ's glory in being shown great and mighty things John heard a trumpet call and saw Jesus amid the golden lampstands holding seven stars in his hands and his face shining like the sun The effect of this experience left John as though he were paralyzed as he fell at Jesus' feet. And I remind you on the earth, John had walked in close fellowship with Jesus for three years. And he had witnessed the miracles and he heard his sermons. And he watched his beloved Savior die on the cross. and he rejoiced in his resurrection and was privileged to see his ascension. But all of this had happened about 60 years before John had the experience of this great and mighty revelation that he was told to write down and share with the generations to come. And now he was overwhelmed as he saw his beloved Redeemer in all of his glory and blinding holy brightness. And Jesus assured John, I am the living one who died. Dear church, the real symbol of Christianity is not the cross, but it is the empty tomb. You must have a revelation of your risen Savior and what he has really done for you. You must understand the great love that motivated he and his father to set up what they did, to arrange what they did, to plan for eternity what they did. This requires more than a little hand clap or throwing him a kiss on your way out the door or when you are in church. Jesus really did more for his church when he went to hell and took back the keys of death and Hades these keys included of course the assurance of every true Christian the right to eternal life and not to eternal death through Christ death, burial and resurrection but also included in these keys are the keys of the kingdom the keys of knowledge the key of the throne of David found in Revelation 3.7 and the keys to the bottomless pit. And these keys are handed down to all true Christians and they're given as provision as mentioned in Titus 1.2. That is, all the promises are yes and amen in Christ. You and I are promised as we obey Christ's commands to have the opportunity and the privilege to grow in and see and hear the great and mighty things that are found embodied in Jesus Christ. Just as John the Beloved was privileged to see his high priest dressed in all of his glory on that day, and he was told, write it down. You and I can see him through and by his Holy Spirit who promises, I has not seen nor ear heard what he has in store for them who love him. Jesus Christ is the pearl of great price. and you should begin with Christ and learn to develop a love for his word. And this is the beginning for everything else that will grow out of all and any divine and supernatural experience that you will ever have. There are heights in the knowledge and the experiences with the Lord. and we saw that John the Beloved's great experience of being taken in the Spirit happened almost 60 years after he walked and talked with Jesus. Have you ever had the experience as you read God's Word of seeing that His Word vibrates with life and with this He thrills your spirit and soul and you can't help at first but shout or weep or leap up and whirl around. And with any of these reactions, you know that this experience has ushered in the manifested presence of God, and He's all over you. You see, this is the work of His Spirit. This is a great and mighty thing that occurs and happens as you devote time to the One who is drawing you with cords of loving kindness. He arouses your faculties by exciting your spiritual senses, and then he witnesses the truth of the revelation to your spirit. What a privilege! What an honor! What love the Creator to his created being! The truth will set you free, dear one. You could be satisfied in this place, but you must not. you must not stay in the feasting and remembrance of yesterday's experience but you must know that his promises and blessings continually draw you forward to know that he has fresh manna for you every day and the great and the mighty things that he has to thrill and delight you with are limitless and un and never ending it is there for the asking when you diligently search for it. These great and mighty experiences in God through His Word are uniting you with eternity. Do not take it lightly. Do not neglect your time with your beloved Jesus. Thank Him for what He does in showing you His truth. Be appreciative and be grateful. If you are not, you will not receive more. He is worthy of all honor and glory, dear church. He is the pearl of great price. He is the all-worthy one. Other ways that the Lord will reveal His great and mighty things, when we ask is, for many God reveals these by dreams and visions. And yes, contrary to many people, depending on denominational doctrines of cessation, which says that these things, the dreams and visions along with healing and speaking in different tongues and etc. stopped after the book of Acts was finished being written. These things were for that time but not for our time today. But fortunately, many in the body of Christ have not fallen for that error and have not limited God's Holy Spirit from doing what He has been sent to do. Through dreams and visions, God throughout the ages of time since the book of Acts has shown his people many and great and mighty things by which he gives direction, gives inspiration, even shows many of the evil plans of Satan and his schemes and endeavorings to thwart God's eternal plan for the advancement of his kingdom. Yes, indeed. God, through these ways, shows his faithful intercessors these conspiracies so they can be used to carry out the eternal designs of God to bring his sovereign will into being. Does God have to use human beings in this way? Is he not great and powerful enough to do this work by himself since he is God? Indeed he could and would. But this is part of the wonder-working and awe-inspiring attribute of the Almighty, that when he gave us his Son, Jesus Christ, he endowed us with his Spirit, and by His Spirit were given the privilege and the honor to pray into existence those things as though they were, even though they're not. And the power of prayer is awesome, dear church. This is yours and my number one and primary responsibility. And this is where you will experience the great and the mighty things of God happening in your life because you are faithful to this command as a Christian. And look what Revelation 8.3 has to say about the importance and outcome of your sincere and reverent prayers. Again, Revelation 8.3. Another angel who had a golden

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