Why is the gospel so offensive?

Too many "Christians" are afraid of controversary.

If somebody is offended by God's Word, they are a step closer to the Rock of Offense the seed is planted.  

If you don't feel the need to be comforted by God, maybe you aren't really saying anything that matters.

1 Peter 2:7-8

“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6; 1Peter 5:5)

Jesus is a Stone of Stumbling and a Rock of Offense.

The word of God is a seed, which must be planted.  Some people are not ripe for the harvest because they haven't heard the message clear enough to be offended.

"Rather than worry about who will be offended if you tell the truth,  consider who will be misled, deceived and destroyed if you don't."

The devil has made the word "Church" come to thought of as a non political term.  That is the opposite of what it meant in the New Testament.

There is a cost of following Jesus: we will hated by those who hate Him if we act like Him and do His will.

Who is the Church really according to the New Testament?

Saints in the Church?

God has many pet names for His people.  Each designate its own purpose He has for us.  

Neither Saints nor Church were religious words in the original Greek.

We don't understand either term, especially Church, because we don't see a Senate or City Council as a Church. 

Acts 19:23-41 reveals what the term "Ecclesia" or "Church" means.  They were a non-Christian "church" who worshipped the goddess Diana, but had the responsibility to decide the morals and policy of a public situation in their culture.

The “sign of Jonah” is all the validation one needs.

The empty tomb validates all Jesus said and did.

The New Covenant is seen through Old Testament types and shadows.

Jesus shows off by fulfilling so many Old Testament prophecies; we should boast in Him.

Separated to Gospel involves being in the world not of the world.

Many are offended by the "good news" but God calls it "good news".  

Living "separated to the gospel" is to live according to the Word of God rejecting the values of the world.  

The central focus of the gospel is the Person of Jesus Christ God’s Son our Lord.  What about other philosophies and ideologies? 

The Messiah had to be human and His humanity had to be of the “seed of David” or He didn’t qualify.

David is underrated as a historical figure.

Our Salvation is through the Seed of David.

Romans 1:1 Paul introduces himself to the Roman Church as "Separated to the Gospel".

If you don't separate yourself to God and His Gospel, you will seek to separate yourselves somehow (Big-government Leftism, Islam or some other religion, transgenderism, etc.)  Everybody wants to be separated but the Church whose very name means to be separated.  

It is so important to be separated.

Do not let the world influence you.

How Separate Are You?

Jesus shows off by fulfilling so many Old Testament prophecies; we should boast in Him.

Separated to Gospel involves being in the world not of the world.

Paul's title is different than what Christians today might expect.  

How Jesus lived His life is our floor not our ceiling.  John 14:11-12  

God is restoring back what the enemy stole in multiplication.

God is restoring truths that were lost to something better than what was stolen.

There is nothing that was stolen from the first century Church, that God isn't restoring to better in quality and quantity.