Sermon Notes

Offense - to entrap or trip up, a stumbling block, to cause a person to begin to
distrust and desert one whom he ought to trust and obey.

“It is as if Jesus deliberately set himself against the background of the world's
religions in all their history and splendor, and demanded to be compared to
them and to have the verdict given" -Barclay

Matthew 16:13-23
1. Godʼs nature can overcome a lifestyle of offenses and sinfulness.
Vs. 17 “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not
revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.”

"If you know no more of Jesus than flesh and blood has revealed to you, it
has brought you no more blessing than the conjectures of their age brought
to the Pharisees and Sadducees, who remained an adulterous and
unbelieving generation." - Spurgeon

2. Offense comes when a desire is not fulfilled quick enough.
Vs. 20 “The He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that
He was Jesus the Christ.”
Proverbs 13:20-21

3. Offense comes when your ministry role gets changed.
Vs. 21 “From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He
must… suffer…”

4. The fruit of offense is often heard in words of anger.
Vs. 22 “…began to rebuke Him, saying ʻFar be it from You, Lord; this shall
not happen to you!ʼ ”

5. Offense is the quickest way to start thinking contrary to Godʼs Word.
Vs. 23 “…you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”
Getting people to doubt the truthfulness and holiness of Godʼs nature is
one of the greatest works of Satan in this world. (Gen. 3:1)

Matthew 16:24-27
He will reward you for laying down your life and living without offense.