Offences Will Come
Luke 17:1-4
Offences will come to each of us, making us the offended party. We will also be the offender from time to time. We need to know how to reconcile these offences as God would have it, and thus giving us peace and pleasing God.
IF You’re the Offended Party
[Lk.17:3] “If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him…” (Deal with it!!)Cost Involved [Lk.14:28-30] Is this something that you are willing to start and finish?
(Always start with the end in mind)
Willing to Forbear? [Eph.4:1-6] Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (Is it worth the fight?)
[Col.3:12-15] the bond of perfectness
Pride issue? [Prov.13:10] contention, (Some are offended way too easily) [Ps.139:23-24] “Search me. Oh God” (Always Look inward, first)
Dealing with a Scorner? [Prov.13:1] [Prov.9:7] High cost, low results
Needs to be addressed! [Rom.12:18] If it be possible. [Mk.9:50] be a little salty!
The Lord was: [Jn.2:13-15] beginning, and [Matt.21:12-13] at the end of ministry
[Col.4:6] “that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man”
Get to the Point! [Gal.2:11-14] Paul withstood Peter to the face (because it was affecting others)
1. [Lk. 6:28] Pray for them
2. [Eph.4:31-32] No rock fights, you must be willing to forgive.
3. [Prov.25:12] You need to be a wise reprover, be specific in your complaint.
4. [Prov.9:8] If he is a wise man, he will love thee, Peter did, [2 Pet.3:15]
[Lk.17:3-4] “if he repent, forgive him.” Even Seven times a day!
(He offends, you rebuke, He repents, you forgive)
Notice, his apostles answered in the next verse, “Increase our faith”.
[Matt.18:21-22] The Lord raises the bar to 490 times! The context is verse 15.
This instruction seems to be an exaggeration, but if you have younger children, be careful of their shallow repentance and your willingness to forgive them. They can easily surpass the seven times a day limit. It is easy to see that God wishes us always would be ready to forgive.
Older children may need to reconcile to God first, before they can truly reconcile with you, as the prodigal son, [Lk.15:17-21].
[1 Jn 1:6-10] God has provided a method to forgive us, don’t abuse it with shallow repentance, you know not the limit of God’s forgiveness.
IF You’re the Offender
[Matt.5:23-24] “thy brother hath ought against thee”Even though this is not a church age context, we can still clearly understand that God puts a very high value on reconciliation, even to put it before a gift at the altar. We should want to be reconciled to anyone we have offended. Once again, pride will be a sometime overwhelming force that keeps us from taking responsibility for our wrongs.
[Prov.29.23]. Honor upholds a humble spirit, do the honorable thing and humble yourself to reconcile with the one you offended.
[Prov.6:1-5] Make sure thy friend. “Give not sleep to thine eyes, not slumber to thine eyelids” We need to reconcile as soon as possible.
[Eph. 4:26-27] The sooner we make the effort to reconcile the easier it is because it has less time to fester, we also have an adversary that is eager to stir things up.
[2 Cor.2:6-11] Paul is encouraging the church to reconcile with the man who they had to throw out of the church in 1 Cor.5. He had apparently repented and at this point he many be taken with “overmuch sorrow”, and he may think that he has been offended by the church shunning him. Paul wanted to make certain that Satan would not be offered an opportunity to mess with them.
[Rom.14:12-13] Far better to resolve it here and now, as to wait and answer to the Lord later.
If you are the offender or the offended reconciliation can be offered by you and NOT accepted by the other party. All you can do is your part, you can’t make anyone reconcile with you, but you can and must always forgive, and offer your willingness to reconcile.