Don't Take the Bait by Brother Curtis Hansen

         This morning we are going to read a little from Jesus' famous Sermon on the Mount. If you want to read the sermon in its entirety, you can find it in the gospel of Matthew chapters 5 through 7. Our scripture is going to be Matthew chapter 5 verses 21 to 26.

        21 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgement:

        22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgement: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

        23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there remembers that thy brother hath ought against thee;

        24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first to be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

        25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, while thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.

        26 Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.

        Briefly we are going to look at two terms there in verse 22. First, the term Raca was not a term of endearment in this time. It is defined as "vain, worthless, empty." It was a term of contempt used in this day and it's derived from the root meaning to spit. Pretty serious stuff to declare here. The hell fire Jesus referenced is not what we normally associate as in Lake of Fire. It is actually referencing Gehenna which was a valley west and south of Jerusalem where children were burned as sacrifices to Moloch who was the Ammonite's god.  After that period, the people used the area as a garbage site. 

        Our message is about spiritual growth. In growing spiritually, joy is central in developing that, but we are looking at the flip side of growth. This is offense.  An offense primary goal is to divide you from things in life, and we live in an oversaturated, overstimulated time today where we can find offense everywhere. We often give our joy away to something or someone rather than have it stolen from us.

        In the sermon on the mount, Jesus was revealing the true intentions of six of the ten commandments given to Moses. He pairs negative and positive commands to help us from breaking them. He leads us into practicing and teaching these commands.

        You have to remain joyful in the widescreen, big picture mindset. Handling things right when you are in a offense will bring you treasures in heaven. Out of groups who are the most offended day to day, it isn't either political party, it's Christians. We take offenses so easily and quick that often we can become self absorbed in dwelling in our hurt. People quietly gathering and stacking small offenses into a barrier or wall that separates us from one another. 

        The devil's agenda is not to have a final battle with God. His goal is to steal, kill, and destroy. His strategy is division. His tactic is through offense. So, if you are easily offended day to day, you are an easy target for destruction. The closer of any relationship, the greater the opportunity. Separation comes from tiny offenses which you can accumulate over time. Briefly, lets look at Matthew chapter 7, the first 5 verses.

        1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.

        2 For with what judgement ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

        3 And why beholds thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considers not the beam is in thine own eye?

        4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?

        5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

        See how Jesus instructs us in handling offense? It goes directly to examining ourself, and is opposite in how our flesh generally acts in these moments. It takes one person to forgive but two to reconcile.

        Let's look how Jesus pivots from here. In verse 22 Jesus is speaking about your brother, verse 23 is bringing your gift to the altar, by verse 24 he's saying to leave the gift and make it right with your brother. You cannot get it right with God before you get it right with your brother. The devil is all about isolating people away from others. Carrying an offense against your brother voids your offerings, tithes, attendance, what you work for to the kingdom in God's eyes.

        Agree with your adversary while there still is time. Job would have never been restored by God until he had reconciled with this friends. In Job chapter 42 verse 10;

        10 And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends; also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.

        If you don't make it right with your brother, you will be in the judicial system. Settle your dispute before it gets to the throne of God. So what do we do? How can we avoid this situation if we get into it? You drop the offense! Move on from it. That action is preventive maintenance against building up a barrier inside and isolating yourself. Offenses are always going to steal your joy, drain your spirit if you allow them to. This simple concept baffles many believers because the need to pray, study, and dwell on things is prevalent in our walk.

        We will close with two scriptures. The first is in Proverbs chapter 18 verse 19

        18 A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city; and their contentions are like the bars of a castle.

        Also of not is Paul's second letter to Timothy. Chapter 2 verses 22 through 26.

        22 Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

           23 But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes.

           24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,

            25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;

            26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.