Do you think Jesus has let you down badly?

Do you think Jesus has let you down badly? Are you perhaps offended by Jesus? We are going to look at how Jesus offended people. Where are you at with Jesus? Perhaps, you do not even know Him, so listen for what God has to say to you through this blog. Perhaps, even during the prayer at the end, you may respond to Jesus and invite Him to not only forgive you but to fill you with Himself, His love and His Holy Spirit.

We are going to read in God's word as we begin and we read in 1 Peter 2:4-10 which says:

“As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and, “A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for. But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

I want to focus on just two verses out of the passage about Jesus causing some people to stumble. He talks here about belief. What do we mean by belief or believe? Many people of course mean that belief is simply to acknowledge a fact. For example, I believe it is going to rain today because Google says there is about a 60% chance of rain, so I believe there is going to be rain today. Is that the Biblical concept of belief?

In in the Bible, belief is linked with obedience. That is why in 1 Peter 2:7, to believe and to disobey are contrasted in parallel sentences. In this passage, they are seen as opposites. When we do not believe, we disobey. Some people say that they have heard of John 3:16 which says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” They say that they believe that He is the Son of God. They believe that He died for the sins of the world. They believe He rose from the dead on the third day. They believe He ascended to the right hand of God the Father. That concept of belief means they must be in good standing with God.

However, if belief alone, without obedience, was the only requirement. If that was so then demons would be in good standing with God and we know that they are not. There is no salvation for demons because as James 2:19 says, “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.” That is why in the Bible the word ‘belief’ means more than acknowledging the existence of God or mentally accepting the fact that there is a God. Belief includes as a main element the concept of obedience, that you should believe and obey God.

So to use the illustration of the weather again, it is good to believe it will rain, because the weather service predicts it, but true belief is taking your umbrella, when you leave the house.

That is why in this passage in 1 Peter 2:7-8 it says: “Now you who believe this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, the stone the builders rejected has become a Capstone and a stone that causes men to stumble in a rock that makes them fall. They stumble because they disobey the message - which is also what they were destined for.” That is a scary passage that if we just believe and we do not obey, then we are in big trouble, eternally.

It is not difficult to obey, when the character of the person whom we are obeying, is a loving character. We can know that the love of the person enables us to believe in them and obey them. We do not struggle to submit to God when we realize that He loves us. Love is the most important thing in this issue of believing in God and obeying Him. If you doubt that God loves you, you will quickly be offended and you will quickly stumble, as Peter warns. Jesus invites you into a relationship with Him where you love Him, believe in Him and you obey Him. ‘Trust and obey for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey’, as the old song says.

We know that the Jewish people in those days could not grasp that God wanted sons and daughters with whom He could have a relationship. God wanted an intimate family relationship where we could call Him Father, Abba. They rather wanted a formal set of rules. We fall into the same trap too. When we form all sorts of rules in our lives or form policies in the church, which we use to wield power, we become legalists. We do not want to go through the messiness of relationship. We want to earn God's favour. We want the lazier way we see it.

We forget that God has called us to a relationship because He has given us the free gift of eternal life, through Christ Jesus our Lord. That gift has been provided by Jesus. He is our hope. He is our salvation. If we do not take hold of this free gift of Jesus, then He becomes a stumbling block. As He did for many Jewish people in Jesus’ day and in the time of the early church, and even to this day. Simeon, the Prophet, who met Mary and Joseph in the temple when they brought baby Jesus to the temple, blessed them. He said to Mary (Jesus’ mother) that, “this child is destined to cause the falling and the rising of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be spoken against.” Simeon understood that Jesus would offend people.

How Jesus offended people is what I want us to look at first. Our problem is that we have a mental image of Jesus. We picture Jesus, perhaps holding little lambs in His arms or putting them over His shoulder. Our Sunday school picture of Him is still Jesus with the children gathered around Him. Indeed, Jesus said: “Let the little children come to me.” But we also know that the Bible tells us that Jesus got angry with the hypocrisy in the temple. Jesus overturned the tables and drove out the money-changers who were cheating the people. Jesus was courageous and mighty and He spoke the truth to people. John 2:13-22 describes how Jesus' encounter in the temple offended people.

Jesus also offended the Pharisees many times when He confronted their inconsistency and hypocrisy. They hated Him so much that they conspired to send Him to the cross and ultimately succeeded, or so it appeared. Jesus loved them enough to speak the truth to them in love. In Matthew 15:7-9: “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:“‘These people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; the teachings are but rules taught by men.” The Pharisees were so offended that even the disciples noticed this. The disciples who did not always understand Jesus, were worried. They were wise enough to see how Jesus offended them and said in Matthew 15:12, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?” they asked Jesus. Now think about what Jesus answered (Matthew 15:13-14): “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. Leave them; they are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man both will fall into the pit.” Offences will actually clean out those who were not really planted by the Father. It is true that some people join a church for many different motives but the preaching in that church will reveal their true motives. If necessary, it will uproot them from that church perhaps.

I have seen on a number of occasions, where people who have come to church and simply by preaching through God's word systematically in the Bible, they have been offended. I have sought not to compromise God's word, yet I have grieved when they have left. However, I have continued to feed and to nurture the ones that God has planted in the church. I have had criticism about preaching topically for a brief time on the topic of forgiveness. This topic which the Holy Spirit laid on my heart is such a controversial topic, because it seems like today everybody likes to be offended. Jesus did not mourn over those who rejected Him. He did not run after those who left Him, but His delight was to do the will of the Father. To benefit the greatest number of people in His day. Jesus would not be controlled by others. He spoke the truth in love even when it meant confrontation and ultimate offence. Do you do what God says, even when it might offend others? Or do you desire the approval of people? To be politically correct! God cannot bless you if you are worried about opinions. God cannot use you. You need to decide to speak the word of God and to do His will even if some people may be offended by it, just as Jesus offended some people.

Notice that Jesus did not just offend people in general but He offended specific people. Jesus offended even the people in his own hometown. When Jesus went to Nazareth His hometown, He was unable to do many miracles the Bible says. He was unable to speak with liberty there. He did not do all that He had done in other places. Matthew 13:55-57 tells us, When He did speak, the people rose up and said: “But isn't this the carpenter's son. Isn't His mother's name Mary and aren’t his, brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? Aren’t all His sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things? And the people took offence at Him. But Jesus said to them only in his own hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honour.” The men and women of Nazareth were saying, “Who does he think he is? Who does he think he is teaching? Us? We are his Elders! He has had no formal training. He is just a carpenter's son.” Despite that, Jesus did not compromise. He did not give up the truth to keep them from being offended, even when they took him to a cliff and wanted to throw him off. Even when his life was in danger, Jesus kept speaking the truth in love. In our day, we need more courageous people like this. People who will go even into difficult situations to speak the truth.

Jesus's own family were offended by him. They were worried about the pressures of all the crowds and the preaching. They found it hard to believe that Jesus was now a teacher, after just being a carpenter for so many years. Notice that Jesus' family went out to lay hold of him, even to take him into custody, if necessary. They thought he was crazy. His own mother and brothers did not believe in him. John 7:5 says, that Jesus was rejected by those closest to him. He was not looking for acceptance by his household. He came to do the will of the Father, whether they approved or not. I have seen some husbands disobey God's will and listen to their wives rather than following God's leading. I have seen some wives disobey God's will and go their own way, just to keep the peace. They have put their family before God. Then the backsliding began. They have grown cold and become unfruitful. They are in danger of being cut off from the Vine.

I know when I was born again my family scoffed at me. All of them, except my youngest brother Mark, who had prayed for me for years. Mark and I then prayed. I remember in all my zeal and passion going to speak to my Mom and Dad. My Dad threw me out of the house in anger, when I told him that you can only be saved by God's grace and not by all the good works. He was offended. For years I prayed for him and he watched my life from a distance. Eventually, God intervened in his life and he surrendered his life to Jesus and became fruitful, even in old age, together with my Mom. In the same way, Jesus' mother and his half-brothers thought he had lost his mind. Jesus did not compromise, when they spoke to him. Jesus kept speaking the truth in love, and they were ultimately saved. Remember in the upper room when 120 were gathered there. It would seem that finally Jesus's brothers and mother were in their midst and they became great leaders in the early church. Jesus offended the home crowd. Jesus offended people in general.

Thirdly, I want us to see that Jesus even offended his colleagues. We saw that last time in John 6:60-66, that when Jesus spoke about what is expected of us and how we need to live. We are to depend on him for everything, even eating and drinking His body and blood. It says: “on hearing this many of his disciples said that it is a hard teaching, who can accept it. Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them: “Does this offend you?” From this time, many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.” It was not only religious leaders who were against Jesus, it was not just his home crowd, it was his own family, it was his disciples. They were also offended, but Jesus did not compromise. He told the remaining few that they too were free to go if they wanted. Peter asked, “who do we go to for eternal life?” Only obedience in God's plan mattered to Jesus. Even if He was left standing all alone as he ultimately was, on the cross as He died for us. When everybody deserted him and abandoned him. He was still determined to obey the father's will. Jesus offended his colleagues.

Fourthly, Jesus also offended his friends. Jesus offended his closest friends in John 11:1-3 it says: “Now a man named Lazarus was sick and he was from Bethany, the village of Mary and his sister and her sister Martha. This Mary whose brother Lazarus now lays sick was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair. So the sisters sent word to Jesus. “Lord the one you love is sick.” John 11:6 says: “Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed there two more days.” We know that Jesus as God knows all things. He knows that this was a serious illness and that it would lead to death. Yet Jesus followed the Holy Spirit's leading and the Holy Spirit's timing. He was not controlled by people and their whims.

That is why we need to pray for the call committee as they search for a man after God's own heart to serve at RBC. A man who listens to the Holy Spirit. Please pray for them. Pray that they do not find a man that is just wanting to be everybody’s friend, because then he will be swayed by people's opinions. As I serve God here, I realise that cannot be both your friend and your Shepherd. I must be faithful to God and some people do not like that. They want a buddy, somebody that can go out for coffee at the snap of a finger. I have to do God's will and I have to preach and live the word of God. I pray that we find a godly man who will listen to God's Holy Spirit.

Jesus did not just offend his friends, but he also offended his cousin John the Baptist, for John had to deal with the temptation to be offended. In the same way you and I have to deal with that temptation. Luke 7:18-20 it tells us that: “John’s disciples told him about all these things. Calling two of them, he sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?” When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?’”

Now stop for a moment and consider this! This is the same John who when Jesus came to be baptised said: “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!” This was the same John who saw the Holy Spirit come down upon Jesus and heard the voice of the Father who said: “This is my beloved Son, listen to him.” This same John the Baptist, the cousin of Jesus, was now doubting. He was asking, “Is this really the Messiah?” Imagine for a moment how this might have happened. Imagine if you were John the Baptist, you are out there on the cutting edge of ministry. You are doing God's will you are seeing God at work in this world. Thousands of people are coming to you to be baptised at the Jordan River, and they are flocking to you. You have lived a life of self-denial, not even getting married to maximize your ministry potential and to fulfil your call. You have served God your whole life and you have done it all for God.

How can it be that Jesus, your cousin, the Messiah, does not come and visit you in prison? When he said that we as Christians must visit the prisoners. How come Jesus who did miracles for others did not work a miracle to get John out of prison. John was tempted into self-pity. All of us are tempted to self-pity at some stage. Jesus is saying: “John I know that you do not understand what is happening to you, sitting there in prison. Maybe you are doubting my ways, John. Maybe you do not understand how I am operating and working in a way that you did not expect. John you do not yet see the big picture but you have done what I have commanded and your reward is great. John, stay free from offence in me.”

We are involved in a great battle, a battle against principalities and powers in this world, that involves us in battles within and without. In battles within, we need to remember to guard our hearts against taking offence, against revenge and bitterness. There was a lovely scene in this new series out called the Rings of Power, which is based on the Lord of the Rings book by Tolkien. In the seventh episode, there is a scene in which the forces of good have been defeated by the forces of evil. Galadriel, one of the elves is walking away from the battle covered in dust, soot and ashes. She is walking away with a young guy called Theo. Theo is bragging about killing some Orcs in the battle and Galadriel says to him: “It darkens the heart to call dark deeds good. It gives place for evil to thrive inside us. Every war is fought both without and within. Of that every soldier must be mindful. Even I. Even you.” We are involved in a battle. Things do not always go the way we expect them and maybe you think Jesus has let you down badly. The battle is not going your way on the outside, but on the inside you need to guard your heart against taking offence.

No matter how mature of a believer you are, no matter how well trained you are theologically, you will probably have more than one opportunity to be offended by Jesus. If you think Jesus has treated you badly, the challenges are to love Jesus and to believe in him. Fight to stay free from offence. Trust that his ways are higher than your ways. That is why Peter says in 1 Peter 4:1, “Therefore since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. As a result he does not live the rest of his life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.” The bad news is you will suffer. Jesus said in this world you will have troubles. He suffered and his greatest opposition was from religious leaders.

Generally religious people think that God works just in the box in which they have created him. For people who have God in a box will be offended. When you are led by the Holy Spirit to say and do what he tells you to do; you need to decide in your heart to obey the Spirit of God no matter what the cost. Even then under pressure of choice, when things get difficult, the choice will already have been made. Do you think that Jesus has treated you badly? Remember that Jesus offended many people. Jesus offended his home crowd, his own colleagues and disciples. Jesus offended his friends and Jesus even offended John the Baptist , but most of them chose to forgive and to leave the ultimate plan in God's hands.

The challenge of this passage is to trust Jesus to work out all things according to his good purposes, for he has called you. Trust him and put your whole life now into the hands of Jesus. Do not be discouraged. Do not take offence at Jesus. He is at work in your heart and in the circumstances around you. Trust him.

Join me in prayer: O Lord Jesus, thank you that you have promised in your word that you work out all things together for the good for those that love you and that are being called according to your purposes. Help us now to trust you and to guard our hearts from taking offence at you. Others have taken offence and even left you. Help us to persevere with you, to suffer if necessary, to go through the difficult times that they may make us stronger. Lord Jesus, strengthen us now. For some listening to this message, they have realized who You are. Help them now to put their whole life into your hands. To cry out to you with that prayer of that man in the temple: ‘Jesus have mercy on me a sinner.’ Come into my life by your Holy Spirit I pray. Lead me by your Spirit from this day forward. Give me this wonderful gift of eternal life. I believe in you and I now obey you. I will follow you as you strengthen me day by day. To your glory, for I pray this in Jesus Christ's name, amen.

May God bless you as you now live for Jesus. Believe in him and obey him and so all to the glory of our one God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, amen.