CONTENTS

1    Scriptural Guidelines for Handling Offenses

2    The Forgiveness Issue

3    Offense Against. Jesus

4    Offense Because of the Word

5    Scriptural Illustrations of Offense

6    Dangers of Offense

7    Countering the Devil's Attacks

Personal Prayer of Commitment

Chapter 1

Scriptural Guidelines for Handling Offenses

In Matthew 18:7, Jesus gave a promise that most people do not like to hear. In fact, most people don't keep this promise posted on the refrigerator for a daily reminder! The promise is, offenses must come.

An offense is something that irritates, hurts, wounds, or causes damage on the inside of a person if it is not released.

About the time you want to hold an offense against someone, you will be reminded of how you have offended others at some point in your life.

Jesus gave us His directions in Matthew 18 on "how" to handle offenses.

...If your brother sins against you [this would include your sister, too], go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.

But if he will not hear you, take with you one or two more, that "by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established."

Verses 15,16

Jesus is talking about offenses in relationships. He was saying, "If there is an offense, go to the person who brought the offense and explain your understanding of it." Sometimes when you go to people and you share what appears to be an offense, you find out there was no intent to be offensive. This is why it is so important to go to the person who brought the offense.

When some people get offended and they allow the offense to fester, instead of going to the offender alone, they want to announce it to get a lot of other people offended. They build a team we could call "the offended"!

Most people harbor their offenses. They nurse and rehearse them! But Jesus said we are to go directly to the person who caused the offense. Then, if the person doesn't hear you, take one or two more with you that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word will be established.

Jesus didn't say, "Take one or two of the biggest, meanest guys you can find to get the matter straightened out." He was saying, "Take one or two people who will be objective and who will help establish the truth, mediate and reconcile the offense."

If the offender refuses to listen, Jesus gave another guideline for resolving the offense in verse 17:

And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.

If we literally did this in Sunday morning church services with a "telling" time for dealing with offenses, we might not have a worship service! I believe Jesus meant to take it to the leadership of the church. If it involves the youth group, it would be referred to the youth leaders. If it involves the singles ministry, it would go to the singles leadership. The pastor or other leaders would then determine how it should be resolved, sitting down with the people involved and talking it out.

If it continues to be a major problem that would affect or infect the entire Body, then it should be addressed to the whole congregation. In most situations, it would be resolved before it reaches this point.

How are we to treat heathens and tax collectors? We are to love them, forgive them and pray for them. If a believer acts like a heathen and refuses to be reconciled, it is because there is something wrong in his or her life. Get their strife out of your life and treat them with compassion, releasing prayer, love and blessing into their lives.

If you hold on to the offense, bitterness will corrupt your own spirit. It will defile your thinking, and it can even affect your health. Mental and physical disease comes when people allow the strife of offense to fester in their hearts and imaginations to grow bigger in their minds.

Some people harbor resentment until it becomes a monster, controlling their lives. People have been imprisoned and are on death row today because they allowed offenses to grow into hatred that was then translated into murder.

Offense must be cut off and removed.

Chapter 2

The Forgiveness Issue

In Matthew 18, while Jesus talked about the power of agreement, Peter was still pondering the forgiveness issue.

Then Peter came to Him [Jesus] and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven."

Verses 21,22

Although that would mean to offer forgiveness 490 times, this verse means, "Forgive as often as it is needed. Continually, if necessary. Be a forgiver. Don't allow yourself to be offended." Then Jesus explained forgiveness in a parable.

Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.

And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.

[The margin of The New King James Bible shows this to be $3,840,000,000.]

But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made.

The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, "Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all."

Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.

But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, "Pay me what you owe!" [This was only a few dollars in comparison to the huge amount he had been forgiven.]

So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, "Have patience with me, and I will pay you all."

And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt.

So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done.

Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, "You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me.

"Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?"

And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers [the King James Version says "tormentors"] until he should pay all that was due to him.

So My heavenly Father also will do to you If each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.

Verses 23-35

The "torturers" and the "tormentors" include mental insanity, psychological problems, depression, emotional instability, confusion and harassment.

Many times people get in the prayer line, asking for prayer, and there is no relief, because they have opened the door to the tormentors. To be free from the torturers and tormentors, you must be a forgiver. By your own choice, you can determine to be:

A believer and not a doubter, A forgiver and not a pouter!

You will have many opportunities to hold offenses, and you will have many opportunities to forgive! Because there is an outlaw loose in the earth (Satan), the human race isn't totally redeemed yet and even people who know the Lord and love Him aren't fully perfected, there will be offenses.

Chapter 3

Offense Against Jesus

Satan uses offense as a weapon against believers to steal, kill and destroy, because when nothing else can get to you, an offense usually will unless you are alert to Satan's devices.

When Jesus went to His hometown to preach (as the Living Word), He brought offense to those steeped in tradition and religiosity. If people could get offended over Jesus, they will certainly get offended over you and me! Jesus was perfect, yet they were offended at Him.

Let's look at this account in Mark 6:1-6:

Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him.

And when the Sabbath had come,

He began to teach in the synagogue.

And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, "Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands!

"Is not this the carpenter, the Son of Mary, the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?" So they were offended at Him.

But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house."

Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.

And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.

The people of Jesus' hometown recognized His great wisdom and the mighty works which He did, but He was an offense to them, because they knew Him as a child and as a young man and they knew His family. When people have a mind to be offended, it doesn't take much. If you could get offended over the fact that you know someone's brothers and sisters, you could get offended at anything!

Notice the results of their offense. Jesus came with the power to heal every person who was there, but offense short-circuited the power of God. If we aren't sensitive to the Spirit of God, the very ministry gift sent to deliver, heal, save and bless your family will be cut off by the enemy.

Instead of getting healed, the people in Jesus' hometown fell into unbelief. Scripture says Jesus marveled at their unbelief. Offense always leads to doubt and unbelief, replacing faith and belief.

Over the years as a pastor, I have observed people God called into our church body get offended over the smallest things. I've watched them get separated from the body to which God called them where they could be saved, healed, delivered and blessed; where their children could be trained, their teenagers reached and their marriage saved. I've watched them walk away, angry at members of the body. As staff members have reached out to them, many have refused to be reconciled. They hold on to their offense and let it fester into bitterness.

Wake up! Don't let anything separate you from the ministry gift God has called to bless your life. The lies and deception of the enemy keep people from receiving from the ministry gifts God sends in their midst.

Let the sure cure of God's Word get inside of you. When offense tries to come against you, something inside of you will rise up and say, "No way! I'm not getting separated from what God sent to heal and deliver my life."

Chapter 4

Offense Because of the Word

In Mark 4, Jesus explains the parable of the sower, which involves offense because of the Word, keeping people from receiving the full benefit of it. Let's look at this parable in verses 38:

Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow.

And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it.

Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth.

But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away.

And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.

But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.

In verses 14-17, Jesus interprets this parable:

The sower sows the word.

And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.

These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness;

And they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble. [The King James Version says, "...immediately they are offended."]

Often, we miss this in studying the parable of the sower, but what trips people up in the stony ground is offense over the Word.

Many people have an opportunity to be offended once they are born again, simply because they identify with Jesus Christ. They take a stand for the Lord and family members or neighbors attack them and someone at their job makes fun of them.

Other people have an opportunity to be offended over the baptism of the Holy Spirit. There are people who would flow in the power of the Holy Spirit if they weren't talked about. Others would be in Full Gospel, Spirit-filled churches if they didn't catch so much flack from their business associates. For the sake of their public image, they don't want to be identified with those who are radically sold out to Jesus, so they get offended.

Then there are people who have been offended over the word of faith because of things that have been said. Instead of letting go of the offense, they reject the Word God sent to bring wholeness into their lives.

If you allow offense to get inside of you, you will separate from the Word and wither and die in your relationship with God.

Chapter 5

Scriptural Illustrations of Offense

Let's look at a few illustrations from Scripture of what happens when offense comes.

Miriam and Aaron

In Numbers chapter 12, Miriam and Aaron became offended at their brother Moses for marrying an Ethiopian woman and for the leadership anointing upon him.

Moses was olive-skinned, while Ethiopians were very dark-skinned. When this interracial marriage took place, Miriam and Aaron said, ’"Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?’ And the Lord heard it" (Numbers 12:2).

The Lord called for Moses, Aaron and Miriam to come into the tabernacle together, and He said to them:

"Hear now My words: If there Is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream. Not so with My servant Moses; he is faithful in all My house. I speak with him face to face, even plainly, and not in dark sayings; and he sees the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against My servant Moses?"

Verses 6-8

The judgment of God then fell upon Miriam— she was struck with leprosy—because she had touched God's anointed. Although Aaron also had touched God's anointed, he humbled himself.

So the anger of the Lord was aroused against them [Aaron and Miriam], and He departed.

And when the cloud departed from above the tabernacle, suddenly Miriam became leprous, as white as snow. Then Aaron turned toward Miriam, and there she was, a leper.

So Aaron said to Moses, "Oh, my lord! Please do not lay this sin on us, in which we have done foolishly and in which we have sinned.

"Please do not let her be as one dead, whose flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother’s womb!"

Verses 9-12

Miriam took offense at Moses' privileges with God and retaliated with words. The grace of God is that Moses prayed for her and she was fully restored after seven days. (See vv. 13-15.)

Offense can open the door to disaster. If someone does something that you don't understand or perhaps you don't appreciate, it might be best to remain quiet and pray.

Korah and Company

In Numbers 16, a fellow by the name of Korah got offended at Moses and Aaron and said, "You take too much upon yourselves, for all the congregation is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?" (v. 3).

In other words, Korah was saying, "You are trying to be the head of this whole deal! You act like you are the only ones who can go before God in this tabernacle and make an offering."

Moses challenged Korah and his company of 250 people: "Tomorrow morning the Lord will show who is His and who is holy, and will cause him to come near to Him. That one whom He chooses He will cause to come near to Him" (v. 5).

The next morning the Lord instructed Moses and Aaron, "Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them [Korah and his company] in a moment" (v. 21).

Moses said:

"By this you shall know that the Lord has sent me to do all these works, for I have not done them of my own will.

"If these men die naturally like all men, or if they are visited by the common fate of all men, then the Lord has not sent me.

"But If the Lord creates a new thing, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the pit, then you will understand that these men have rejected the Lord."

Verses 28-30

Here is what happened to Korah and his company:

Now it came to pass, as he finished speaking all these words, that the ground split apart under them,

And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the men with Korah, with all their goods.

So they and all those with them went down alive into the pit; the earth closed over them, and they perished from among the assembly.

Verses 31-33

Offense never pays good dividends! Korah lost ground by being offended. He dropped to an all-time low for his attack against Moses.

Michal

Another scriptural illustration of offense is found in 2 Samuel 6 where David's wife Michal became offended at him for his participation in the celebration over the ark being brought into the tabernacle in Jerusalem.

Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, "How glorious was the king of Israel today, uncovering himself today in the eyes of the maids of his servants, as one of the base fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!"

So David said to Michal, "It was before the Lord, who chose me instead of your father and all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel. Therefore I will play music before the Lord.

"And I will be even more undignified than this, and will be humble in my own sight. But as for the maidservants of whom you have spoken, by them I will be held in honor."

Verses 20-22

David had taken off his royal robe and danced, "...leaping and whirling before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart" (v. 16). Michal had watched David from the window, and she thought he had acted like a fool before all the common people.

What was the result of Michal's offense? Verse 23 says, "Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death." Because Michal took offense, her fruitfulness was cut off.

Simon the Pharisee

Remember how the Pharisee named Simon had become offended when a woman, known throughout the city as a prostitute, "brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet [Jesus' feet] behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil" (Luke 7:37,38).

Simon took offense and said within himself,

"This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner" (v. 39).

Verses 44-50 reveal Jesus' response to this man's offense:

"Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head.

"You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in.

"You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil.

"Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little." Then He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."

And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"

Then He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace."

Often, people become offended at the smallest things for various reasons, such as unforgiveness, resentment, bitterness, greed and selfrighteousness.

God does not overlook these situations. In both the Old and the New Testament, we see that He addresses those who carry offense. To put it simply, DON'T BE OFFENDED!!

Chapter 6

Dangers of Offense

Here are some of the great dangers of entertaining offenses in your heart.

1.    Offenses blind people to the truth, to the point they cannot tell the difference between right and wrong.

In Jesus' hometown, people became offended to the point they couldn't see the goodness of the Gospel that was coming to them. They criticized that which was good and rejected Jesus' healing power. They could not see that Jesus was the Messiah because they were offended.

2.    Offenses separate people.

If you allow an offense to come between you and someone else, many times you will cut off an association that God intended to bless and enrich your life.

3.    Offenses will keep people from their divine calling.

Many people, including preachers and missionaries, have walked away from ministry because of offense. They become offended at a circumstance, a leader, a group, or an individual and sometimes even at God and say, "If that's the way it is going to be, then I am going the other way." They fail to realize it was a tool of the devil to cut them off from their calling in life.

4.    Offenses open the door to the devil. James 3:14-16 KJV says:

But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.

This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.

For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

Where strife enters, the door is opened to the devil and all sorts of evil. Many sicknesses, tragedies, and accidents have come out of offense.

5.    Offenses can separate people from God Himself.

In 1 Peter 2:8, Jesus is called "a rock of offense." People will either fall on that rock for salvation or they will stumble over it in offense.

The preaching of the cross and the fact that you have to be saved by faith in Jesus' shed blood is very offensive to people who refuse to accept the simplicity of the preaching of the Gospel.

6. Some people become offended at the offenses others are experiencing.

Second Corinthians 2:10,11 says:

Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ,

Lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.

Don't assume the offenses of other people. Most people have enough to deal with themselves. Someone hears about a person who was treated, mistreated, or not treated, and they say, "I can't believe that happened." They had nothing to do with it, yet they take on the offenses of others.

Your role should be to help those who are offended get free of their offenses rather than taking on a load of their offenses!

Chapter 7

Countering the Devil's Attacks

Recently, I heard of a situation where a black man was blocked from getting to the president of a company because of discrimination and prejudice.

This man said to me, "I had an opportunity to get upset, but I said, 'Lord, what should I do?'" The Lord showed him what to do.

He said, "I waited until all the people who created the problem left. Then I had an opportunity to talk to the president. This man was so impressed with what I am doing that he called in other people. I walked out with $6,000 worth of checks for the services I offer. Had I become offended, I would have missed the business opportunity as well as an opportunity to minister to this man."

To counter the devil's offenses, be quick to forgive and release the offender out of a heart of compassion. If it is a brother, go to him, share it and get it out in the open in an attempt to reconcile it. If that doesn't work, bring it before one or two other objective people. As a final attempt at resolution, bring it to the leadership of the church. Get the strife out and go on.

If it is an unbeliever, you can pray, "Lord, I bless him [or her]. I will not allow his [or her] strife to get inside of my life."

You can't control the offenses that come against you, but you can control your responses.

Psalm 119:165 KJV says, "Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them."

One of the greatest ways to counter the devil's attacks is by making a choice: "Nothing shall offend me or cause me to stumble. I love Your law, Lord, and I will fill myself with the spiritual manna of Your Word daily. Great peace dominates my spirit, soul and body, in Jesus' name."

Personal Prayer of Commitment

Father, forgive me for causing offenses and for entertaining offenses. I now understand the dangers of being caught up in offense, and I do not want to be a part of it.

I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son, Father, and I believe He was crucified, buried and resurrected to pay the penalty in full for the curse of sin, sickness, poverty (both spiritual and natural) and spiritual death. I renounce every work of darkness, and I accept You now, Jesus, as my personal Lord and Savior.

Thank You, Lord Jesus, for empowering me with Your Spirit, equipping me with ability to resist offenses and to be a bold witness of Your life and love.

Thank You, Father, for giving me a hunger for Your Word, which will be the stabilizing force of my new life in You, in Jesus' name.

Signature ________   Date ________

BILLY JOE DAUGHERTY is founder and pastor of Victory Christian Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Victory has a Christian school, Bible Institute and Missions Training Center. Other Victory outreaches include taking the gospel via radio and television to North America, along with shortwave radio and television to other nations, plus the distribution of books, tapes, and videos. He and his wife, Sharon, minister God’s healing, saving, and delivering power as a team. Their family works alongside them in the ministry.

Table of Contents

1 Scriptural Guidelines for Handling Offenses

2 The Forgiveness Issue

3 Offense Against. Jesus

4 Offense Because of the Word

5 Scriptural Illustrations of Offense

6 Dangers of Offense

7 Countering the Devil's Attacks

Personal Prayer of Commitment