Turn back to John chapter 16. Tonight we're going to observe the Lord's table together. What a blessed privilege that is. I had a great time in Mexico, very encouraged with the use of chat, whatever I don't know why I can't remember that, but the messages were translated that the men were bringing, and I was so encouraged by what they had to say, the depth of the message. It was a great blessing, and I was thankful for that opportunity. I've entitled the message for this morning, Offended? Question mark. Offended? Verse one. These things have I spoken unto you that you should not be offended.

Now, do you remember the Stony Ground hearers? They heard the gospel and they rejoiced. They believed. They received what was said. But when persecution came because of the Word, they were offended. They stumbled. Now the Lord says, I'm telling you these things that you would not be like them. That you would not be offended. Now what things were He saying? Well, He said in verse 18 of chapter 15, He's telling them this ahead of time.

If the world hate you, you know that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love his own, but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, Therefore, the world hateth you. I'm telling you this ahead of time. The world, you're guaranteed, the world, all who do not believe will hate you.

Verse 20, remember the word that I said unto you, the servant is not greater than his Lord. If they have persecuted me, They will also persecute you. If they've kept my saying, they will keep yours also. You are guaranteed persecution. And this is not much of a sales pitch, is it? You follow me, the world will hate you, the world will persecute you. Verse 21. But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake. Here's the reason. My name's sake, the person behind the name.

Because they know not him that sent me. They don't know God. Verse 22, if I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin. But now they have no cloak for their sin. If I had not done among them, verse 24, if I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin, but now have they both seen and hated both me and my father. I gave conclusive evidence. I gave infallible proof that I am who I said I am by doing what only God can do. I raised the dead.

That can't be duplicated in a lab. I control the weather. What manner of man is this that even the winds and the sea do obey him? I created matter, bringing food into existence that was not there before. Only God can do that. I suspended the law of physics, walking upon the water. I heal the sick, not like these phony healing services and church services where whatever it is that happens, you know, the Lord could go into hospitals with somebody dying of cancer and say, be healed, and they'll be perfectly healed. We don't see that happening, do we?

The works that I do prove that I'm God. That's what he said. Irrefutable proof. The Pharisees said to him, thou art not yet 50 years old, and have you seen Abraham? Before Abraham was, I am. That name goes only to the living God. I am that I am. Then they picked up stones to stone him. He said, I and my father are one. He's not like God. He's not like God at all. He is God. I and my father are one.

He that hath seen me hath seen the father. They took up stones again to stone him. Many good works have I done, for which of these do you stone me? We're not stoning you for good work because you, being a man, make yourself equal with God. The only person who's equal with God is God himself.

Verse 24, if I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin, but now they have both seen and hated, both me and my father. But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, they hated me without a cause. Now, me and you have been guilty of this.

Do you believe that? Have you been guilty of hating God? The carnal mind is enmity with God. That's the mind you were born with. You know, this hatred is not really seen until the gospel's heard, the truth is heard. Do you hate God? Of course not. You tell who God is, I hate that God. the God of the Bible. All men, me and you, have been guilty of hating the living God. They hated me without a cause.

But when the Comforter has come, speaking of God the Holy Spirit, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, I love that name for God, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, which proceeded from the Father. He, not it, he. God, the Holy Spirit's a person, the third person of the blessed Trinity. He shall testify of me. That's the work of God, the Holy Spirit. He shall testify of me. Look in verse 14 of chapter 16. He shall glorify me. That is the work of the Holy Spirit. He shall glorify me.

Verse 27, and you also shall bear witness I think it's interesting the word martyr comes out of that word witness. You also shall bear witness because you have been with me from the beginning. Now that's not talking about a calendar date. Every believer has been with Christ from the beginning. In the beginning was the word. I was there with him then. And the word was with God, and the word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. And all of God's people were with him then.

Now these things, chapter 16, verse one, have I spoken unto you that you should not be offended. Now, all of these men would be persecuted. All of these men, with the exception of John, would be murdered. That's a solemn thing to think about, isn't it? I'm telling you this ahead of time. Everybody's going to hate you. Everybody's going to persecute you. You're going to end up dying a violent death. You're going to be murdered because of your connection with me.

As I said, this is no sales pitch. He's telling them ahead of time of what would take place. Now you remember those stony ground hearers who received the word joyfully, but when persecution came because of the word, they said, we didn't sign up for this. They leave like the people in John chapter six, after they heard, they were called disciples. But after they heard what he said, they heard the message at Capernaum in John chapter six. From that time, many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him.

Now the Lord is saying, I'm telling you ahead of time what'll happen, so you won't be offended. You won't quit, you won't be surprised. This is going to happen to you, verse two. They shall put you out of their synagogues. Man's religion will excommunicate you. They'll have nothing to do with you. They won't own you. Yea, the time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think, I'm serving God and doing this. I'm being zealous for God and getting rid of these people. And these things will they do unto you?

This is for sure. because they've not known the Father, nor me. Now if you know the Father, you know Him. If you know Him, you know the Father. But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, I think of Peter being crucified upside down. He remembers why the Lord said this would happen. The Lord said this would happen. You may remember that I told you of them. Is it worth this? You're going to be killed. You're going to be put to death. You're going to be nailed to a cross. You're going to have your head cut off because of your association with me. Is it worth this?

You remember when the Lord said, I came to bear witness of the truth. everyone that is of the truth, heareth my voice. You remember Pilate's response? Truth! What is truth? Is it worth this? Is it worth you being nailed to a cross for? You know, two plus two equals four is true. If you tell me I'm gonna be nailed to a cross for believing it, I'll say three. What about this? Is it worth this?

Turn back to Matthew chapter 5. This is where the Lord has given the Beatitudes. And if you want to know what a real believer is, read these first 12 verses of Matthew chapter 5. And here's the eighth. Beatitude verse 10, blessed are they, blessed by God, supremely blessed are they, which are persecuted for righteousness sake.

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven, blessed are you. Oh, how supremely blessed by God you are when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. Now, when he says you're blessed for being persecuted for righteousness sake, Is He talking about you're blessed because you stand in front of an abortion clinic and protest?

Name anything of that matter of this world. You're persecuted because you say, my righteousness, the righteousness of Jesus Christ is the only righteousness there is. All other righteousnesses are as filthy rags, as the scripture says. You believe that the righteousness of Jesus Christ is the only righteousness God will accept. And you stand for that. You believe that. That is the gospel.

For he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God. in Him. That's why David said, I've made mention of thy righteousness, even thine only. The only righteousness that God will accept is the righteousness of His Son, Jesus Christ. If you don't have His righteousness as your personal righteousness before God, you will not be accepted. John chapter 20. I love this verse of scripture, it's so amazing. John chapter 20. I'm sorry, John chapter 21. Verse 15, so when they died, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, love us all, me, What a question.

Lovest thou me more than these? You know, I'm not real sure what he means by more than these. There was a time when he said, with regard to his fellow disciples, that bunch will deny you, but I won't. He really said that. He looked at all the other 11. Those guys will deny, not me.

It's the Lord saying, Peter, do you love me more than these fellows? Or is he saying more than fishing and the world? Peter answers, yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. I love what the Lord asks him. He doesn't say, Peter, are you ashamed of yourself? You're the one who denied me more than the rest. No, Peter, do you love me?

Do you love my person? Do you love my attributes? Do you love my holiness? Do you love my sovereignty? Do you love my righteousness? Do you love my justice? Do you love my love? Do you love my character? Do you love me? That's the issue. Do you love me?

Lord, you know I love you. Feed my lambs. He saith unto him again the second time, son, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, yea, Lord, Thou knowest that I love thee. He appealed to the Lord's omniscience. You know what's in me, and you know that I love your person. He saith unto him, feed my sheep.

He saith unto them the third time. Somebody has suggested that Peter denied him three times, and he's asking him three times, do you love me? He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, lovest thou me?

And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things. Thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, feed my sheep. Verily, verily, I say unto you, when you were young, you girded yourself, walked where you wouldest, and thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldst love.

This spake he signifying by what death he should glorify God." Now this is a reference to Peter being crucified. You're going to stretch forth your hands, you're going to be crucified, they're going to carry you where you don't want to go. And look at this amazing statement, verse 19, this spake he signifying by what death he should glorify God.

Now do you hear that? Now, the glory is not Peter. The glory is the gospel is so glorious that it's worth this. We're not glorifying Peter for this. Oh, we admire any martyr, don't we? But the glory goes to God that the gospel would be so glorious that a man would be willing to die for it. Look in Acts chapter five. Verse 40, and to him they agreed.

And when they'd called the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus and let them go. And they departed from the presence of the council rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. And daily in the temple and in every house, they cease not to teach and to preach Jesus Christ. Now, all men who are not saved will be offended. They will stumble. at the gospel of Christ.

Let me quote this very familiar scripture to you. 1 Corinthians chapter 1, beginning in verse 22, Paul said, the Jews require a sign. The Greeks seek after wisdom. The Jews, the religious, they need something they can see. Faith doesn't work for them. Faith is the evidence of things not seen. I'm justified before God according to the gospel. Well, you don't look justified to me. I realize that. Faith is the evidence of things not seen. I stand before God having no guilt, sinless because of Jesus Christ. You expect me to believe that? I need to say something.

The Greeks seek after wisdom. We want to make this world a better place. We want people to be able to get along better. We want to improve education and improve the economy and improve healthcare and make this world a better place. We're seeking wisdom to do that.

Paul said, but we preach Christ crucified. The only message to preach. We preach Christ crucified. As a matter of fact, in the next chapter, he said, I determine not to know anything among you save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. We preach Christ crucified.

Under the Jews, a stumbling block. They're offended. Same word. They're offended. You mean to tell me that I can be saved wholly upon what somebody else did for me, and then my works don't enter in? Why, that'll destroy good works. That'll destroy obedience. I don't believe that. I'm offended by that. The Greeks, how's that gonna help the economy? How's that gonna help education? Why, that's foolishness. But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, he calls some out of both bunches.

Christ, the power of God, Christ, the wisdom of God. Paul said in 2 Timothy 1, 12, for the witch cause, I suffer these things. Talking about his preaching. For the witch cause, I suffer these things. Nevertheless, I'm not ashamed. For I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I've committed to him against that day." Men, find the gospel offensive. The Lord said, these things I'm telling you ahead of time, that you be not offended. Now, when Christ walked upon this earth, people were offended by it. They were offended at his person.

He's a carpenter. He doesn't have any wealth. He doesn't have any education. He doesn't have armies backing him. What's he got for us? He's a carpenter. There's no form nor comeliness in him. And when we shall see him, there's no beauty in him that we should desire him. Everything the world admires, he didn't have. and they were offended.

He claimed equality with God. Now that's what they were offended by. Thou being a man, make us thyself God. I love saying this, he wasn't like God, he is God. And men were offended by his claims. I and my Father are one. He claimed the authority to forgive sins. Son, be of good cheer. Thy sins be forgiven thee. And they said, only God can make that claim. Only God can forgive sin. They were right. This was God saying, thy sins be forgiven thee. What if I said, Your sins are forgiven you. He would be horrible. He would be blasphemous. Me, making some kind of claim like that, like I could pronounce somebody forgiven or not, he could go. Because he is God.

What about when he said, I came down from heaven? How many times did he say that? Particularly in the book of John, I came down from heaven. If I said to you, I came down here from heaven, you'd do well to get up and leave. He could say that. And it's true. He was before he came, he came, he did what he came to do.

That's why he said, with regard to that statement, when they murmured, he said, murmur not among yourselves. No man can come to me except it were given him of my father. You're murmuring at me? Well, you can't come to me except it were given you of my father.

Men were offended by the gospel he preached to this extent. They nailed him to a cross. They hated his message of who he is, who they were, what he accomplished. They hated him. They nailed him to a cross. They were offended. I think of the response to his message at Capernaum after he brought that great message in John chapter six.

They said, these are hard sayings. Who can hear this? Who can be expected to listen to this? These are hard sayings. These are unfeeling sayings. These are severe sayings. Who can hear them? The gospel. The Lord says, I'm telling you these things ahead of time. that you be not offended. Now, let me give you some reasons why men are offended by the gospel. It might be that somebody here will be offended by these sayings. And to be honest with you, I hope you are. I hope you are, because that means you've heard. And I pray that God will be pleased to bless it to reveal himself to you.

The gospel offends men's sense of personal righteousness because it says you don't have any. None at all. It addresses all men as sinners. There's no difference. That's what Paul said, Romans 3.22, there's no difference. No difference between you and anybody else. All have sinned and come short. of the glory of God. Now this is what the gospel says about me and about you. We are sinners before God. It doesn't mean you just make mistakes and make errors in judgment. It means you are evil before God and deserve nothing but his wrath. You have no claims on him. You know, men have such a sense of entitlement. God's my creator. He ought to save me. He ought to love me. That sense of entitlement is wrong.

You and I are sinners before God, guilty to be blamed. I can't sit in judgment on anybody about anything because I'm a sinner. You believe that about yourself? The gospel of things means wisdom because it says you can't figure this out. Not by your diligent study and application. You can't figure this out.

You and I are totally dependent upon Him revealing Himself to me. I can't know Him except He reveal Himself to me. Remember what He said to Peter? Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jonah. Flesh and blood have not revealed this to thee, who I am. Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Here's why you know it. My Father revealed it to you. You cannot figure this out. You're completely dependent upon God to make Himself known to you. Don't you know that so? Can standby searching find out God? No! Totally dependent. Shut up! To revelation.

The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him, neither indeed can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. You've got to be given a living spirit to discern the things of the gospel. No natural man can. Thirdly, the gospel of themes means pride, because it gives him nothing to be proud about. Where is boasting then? It's excluded. You have nothing to be proud about.

Well, I'm proud about my intelligence, who gave it to you. I'm proud about my strength, who gave it to you. What do you have that you did not receive? Who makes you to differ? If you're saved, God made you to differ. God elected you. Christ died for you. God the Holy Spirit gave you life. If you persevere in the faith, who gets the credit for that? You or God. If you're glorified and brought into heaven, who gets the credit for that?

Human pride is utterly excluded and cast out. The gospel offends men's sense of personal rights. My rights are being violated. I want my rights. Criminals don't have rights. You have no rights. This sense of entitlement. The gospel offends that. The gospel offends men's sense of fleshly distinctions because it says there's no difference between men.

There's no male and female. There's no black, white, or brown. There's no educated and uneducated. There's no rich, there's no poor. There's no male and female. There's no Democrats, there's no Republicans. You're all one in Christ Jesus. All fleshly distinctions are cast out.

I love the parable of the workers in the vineyard when those fellows that worked 12 hours, they saw that fellow that only worked one hour get the same pay as them, exact same thing, no difference. They said, you've made them equal with us when we've borne the burden and heat of the day. That's right. That's right. No distinctions in heaven. No distinctions. We're all one in Christ Jesus. Men are offended by the freeness of the gospel. We want to make a contribution.

If I told you you could be saved for $1,000, you'd find a way to come up with it, wouldn't you? If you knew you could avoid hell for just $1,000, you'd come up with it for your children. You'd come up with a way to pay. But if I say it's utterly free, well, nobody's much interested in that.

I'll tell you who is interested in it. People that have nothing to pay. They're interested in it. Men are offended by the smallness in their perception of the gospel. Look at this little church. That one across the street has a couple thousand people. They're getting something done. Small, insignificant. I don't see why you're making an impact on the world. Small. Small. I don't see where God's in that which is small.

Men are offended by the narrowness of the gospel. You know something I fear? I fear making the gospel too wide. And I fear making the gospel too narrow. I love the way the Lord did it. Broad is the way, wide is the road that leads to destruction. Many there be that go in thereat, but straight is the gate, narrow is the way that leads to life, and few there be that find it. And let me tell you how narrow this gate is. If you have anything more than Christ alone, you're not getting through. The only way you can get through this gate is if all you have is Jesus Christ, nothing else. The gospel offends men's love of self because it calls men to deny self. Take up your cross and follow him. Now, in closing, I would like to read a passage from Luke chapter 7, if you'll turn there.

Verse 17, and the rumor of him. went forth throughout all Judea and throughout all the region round about. You see, he had just given somebody life of the dead, and the rumor of him went throughout everywhere. Wouldn't that be something if the rumor of him went throughout all of Lexington, all of Fayette County, all of Kentucky? The rumor Well, this is a good rumor, isn't it? I love this rumor, this word with regard to him.

And the disciples of John showed him all these things. John was imprisoned at this time. He'd gone from being this great prophet. As a matter of fact, the Lord said of them that are born of women, there's risen none greater than John the Baptist. He was greatly used. And now all of a sudden he's shut up in prison. What a difficult, difficult thing to bear. I've tried to think of what I'd be like in prison. Oh, what a difficult thing to bear. Depressing. I'm sure he was questioning things, because here I am in prison.

And John calling unto him two of his disciples, sent them to Jesus, saying, Art thou he that should come, or look we for another? Now wait a minute, John. You saw the dove descending upon the Lord at his baptism. You witnessed that. Are you doubting? How can you doubt after seeing that? Well, let me ask you a question. How do you doubt? I have no doubt that John was doubting. I've heard people say, John couldn't doubt. He's flashing me. He can doubt as easily as you can.

Verse 21, in the same hour, These people that came from John, are you he that should come or do we look for somebody else? In that same hour, he cured many of their infirmities and plagues and evil spirits. And then many that were blind, he gave sight. Then Jesus answering said unto them, go your way and tell John what things you've seen and heard. And here's what happens in the gospel. How the blind see, the lame walk. The lepers are cleansed. The deaf hear. The dead are raised to the poor. The gospel is preached and blessed is he.

Let's call this the ninth beatitude. Blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me. In him, That's the only place I want to be. When God looks at me, I want for him to only see his son, Jesus Christ, and me in him. No, I'm not offended by that. That's the only hope I have. Blessed is he that is not offended in me. Now, when you hear the gospel preached, When I hear the gospel preached, if I've heard, here's my thought. When God comes looking for me, I want him to see me only in Christ. And I want to rest only in him. No, I'm not offended by that. He is my salvation. Let's pray.

Lord, we are so thankful that salvation is in your son and nowhere else, and that everything you require of us, we have in him. And Lord, by your grace, we're not offended by that. And Lord, we ask that we might be enabled to endure all the way to the end, looking to your son only, in spite of whatever the world may think or say of us or persecute us. Lord, we count it a blessed privilege and gift of your grace if you allow us to be persecuted for the sake of thy son. Lord, enable us to be faithful in preaching your gospel. Enable us to be faithful in believing your gospel. Bless this message for Christ's sake. In his name we pray, amen.