Offense is the #1 culprit for resisting the breaking in of heaven on earth, leaving the Church cut off from her call and robbed of her inheritance. If we are going to see offense cut off from our lives, we have to begin being ultra receptive to receiving corrections from the Lord, constantly being humble enough to admit ‘I am wrong’ and broken-hearted enough to repent by saying, ‘forgive me.’
"Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand." - Matthew 3:2
Jesus’ primary mission has always been the manifestation of the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven. When God manifested himself in flesh in the life of Jesus Christ, he did not come to merely start a religion called Christianity, he came to give humanity access to the Kingdom of God. This begs the question, why is there such little participation with and evidence of the realities of the Kingdom of God within the Church? First and foremost, realizing that Satan is raging with great zeal to squelch and eliminate God’s people from accessing the realities of heaven is critical. It will enlighten us to realize that we are as susceptible to yielding to Satan’s schemes as anyone. We have to start with this truth if we are going to break down the barriers that have been built up in the Church from the Kingdom of God breaking in and God’s people encountering and walking in the presence and power offered to them in the Spirit of God.
While there are a plethora of topics we can discuss in regards to what blocks God’s people from encountering his Kingdom, I want to break down four of them over the next several blog posts. As I do, I encourage you to truthfully evaluate whether these barriers exist within you and your leadership of influence. If they do, rather than justify why they exist within your life, confess and repent of them before God. He is more zealous for the impartation of the Kingdom of God in our lives than we are. Thus, a surrendered and submitted life to Christ is the simplicity to increasingly encountering the breaking in of the Kingdom of God in our lives.
1) Offense:
“Blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” – Matthew 11:6
Offense is the #1 culprit for resisting the breaking in of heaven on earth, leaving the Church cut off from her call and robbed of her inheritance. It is at the top of the list, as when we are offended we will never confess we are wrong and repent, and thus in pride and arrogance hold onto our opinion rather than God’s truth. Spiritual offense causes one to react to God’s power with disbelief and disgust. Offense will empower you in a moment to believe the gift God is wanting to give you is schemed by Satan, while also empowering you to ‘protect’ others in ‘the name of God’ from encountering his gift to them as well. Unfortunately, you will end up thinking you are doing others a favor, while the whole time keeping them locked in a prison cell of slavery. The religious elite of Jesus’ day were experts in this. That is why Jesus confronted them saying, “Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering” (Lk. 11:52).
Offense will cause one to call demonic the work of the Holy Spirit and substitute carnality for spirituality, thinking wise that which God considers foolish. Offense always resists a lifestyle that lives in and under the conviction of God – repenting at his rebukes and responding to his requests by faith. Like the Pharisees and Sadducees, it will create self-righteousness and entitlement that will blind one from our desperate need for God. It will leave one lame on their day of visitation, thinking it is for the others in the room when it is really for them.
At the root of offense within the church is the religious spirit, as it will always resist the breaking in of God's Kingdom for the sake of holding onto its own. The number one enemy of the religious spirit is the ministry of the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit is exalted in the testimony of one’s life or operated by in their ministry, usually it is those operating under the religious spirit who are the most offended, and respond in such a way that either attempts for others to dismiss the testimony because of disbelief, slander it because of jealousy, or blaspheme it as demonic because they do not understand the heart or ways of God. Jesus encountered this constantly as he moved in the power of the Holy Spirit in his ministry. We see this occur in Matthew 13:55-58:
“Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is His mother not called Mary, and His brothers, James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this man acquire all these things?” And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not dishonored except in his hometown and in his own household.” And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.”
Jesus exhorted us to expect the same response from the religious spirit when we minister in the Holy Spirit as well. Expecting a different outcome when moving in the presence and power of the Holy Spirit than Jesus is detrimental and will set us up to compromise when the ache of persecution occurs. Jesus said, “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you as well” (John 15:20). So, for those not operating under a spirit of offense but moving in the power of the Holy Spirit, do not fear. Continually choose to die rather than defend yourself. In due time, God will expose the hidden motives of those offended by his Kingdom, exalting you in the process.
Each of these poisonous substances that will be discussed (offense, deception, control, and perseveration of the world's pleasures) have an antidote that can help break down the barriers that keep us from encountering the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven. These antidotes can be applied to all of our lives, and are a recipe for revival, as they will empower us to render our hearts to God, truly repenting and receiving all he has destined for us.
1) The Cure for Offense – Receptivity to the Rebuke and Correction of the Lord
“Blessed is the one who always trembles before God, but whoever hardens their heart falls into trouble.”
– Prov. 28:14
The way to keep one’s life free from offense is by being receptive to receiving corrections from the Lord, constantly being humble enough to admit ‘I am wrong’ and broken-hearted enough to repent by saying, ‘forgive me.’ Offense produces pride and arrogance while the fear of the Lord produces humility and sensitivity/receptivity to God. If not sensitive and receptive to the rebuke and correction of the Lord, we will harden our hearts to resist rather than receive him during our moments of visitation.
Receptivity to his Spirit bringing correction to our lives also empowers us to search after the truth of what God’s word says rather than our preferences to what we desire it to say. Being offended at God’s word can produce in us a complete rejection of it OR a desire to manipulate it to fit our preferences so that our current lifestyle isn’t confronted as wrong. The cure for this type of offense is by learning to approach God’s word as the mirror that judges our life, rather than approaching it for the purposes of validating what we believe we already know it to say. So, simply begin to read God’s word at face value, listening to what it says, believing it to be true, and then obeying it with your life. When offended by God’s word, simply recognize it is occurring, ask the Lord why it is occurring, and then begin to search after his truth and repent of living out your preferences.
If we are going to experience the breaking in of the Kingdom of God in increasing measures in the body of Christ we are going to need deep levels of humility that continually receives God’s rebuke with joy, knowing that our repentance positions us to more fully encounter the realities of his reign. Allow the truth of Proverbs 1:23 to provoke you to more readily receive the correction of the Lord and so receive revelation of who he is:
“Repent at my rebuke and I will pour out my thoughts to you, I will make known to you my teachings.”
– Proverbs 1:23
