SUFFERING
Because of the Actions of Others
Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but....

    I and my son-in-law had the job to unload a very heavy clothes washing machine out of the back of U-Haul truck on a hot sweaty day in Houston, Texas.  The bed of the truck was almost waist high.  My son-in-law asked me, "How we should lift the washer and set it down?"  I replied that we should put one hand at the front then put other hand at the back of the washing machine.  He misunderstood what I meant. Our hands didn't match to balance the washing machine causing the washing machine to tilt.  I was unable to hold on with my sweaty hand.  The washing machine dropped about two feet to the ground and fell on my big toe. It crushed my toe! It was only by miracle of God that my toe was not cut off.  I could have easily been offended, but I knew that he simply didn't understand my answer to his question.  My wife and I were to fly two days later to Vancouver, British Columbia to catch a ship to go on an Alaskan cruise. I had brought with me tennis shoes and hiking boots for the trip, but the only pair of shoes that I could wear because of the big swollen toe was a pair of high toe dress shoes.  We made the trip and went hiking in rain forests and God keep back the rain that I did not destroy my expensive dress shoes.  My big toe nail did fall off about the next to the last day of our tip.

Some Scriptures:

"Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all"  (Psalms 34:19).

"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world"  (John 16:33).

"Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come!"  (Luke 17:1).

"Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God"  (Acts 14:22).

"My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;  Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience"  (James 1:2-3)..

"Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you"  (I Peter 4:12).

I. Offenses may come through a number of different people.

A. Offenses often come through those who are in authority over us.

1. The authority may cruel.
2. The authority may be overly demanding.
3. The authority may not keep his promise to us.
4. The authority may withhold wages, benefits, or a position due to us.

"If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offences"  (Ecclesiastes 10:4).

B. Offenses may come through siblings or other family members.

1. They may play embarrassing jokes on us.
2. They may betray our confidence.
3. They may become jealous of what we have.
4. They may tease us about something.

"A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle"  (Proverbs 18:19).

C. Offenses may come through our parents and especially our fathers.

1. They may neglect us.
2. They may be abusive (verbal, physical, or even sexual).
3. They may show favoritism toward another sibling.
4. They may use unfair punishment.
5. They may break their promises.

"And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord"  (Ephesians 6:4).
"Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged"  (Colossians 3:21).

D. Good close friends often offend us.

1. They may mock us.
2. They make fun of us.
3. They may talk about us behind our backs.
4. They may drop us for another friend.
5. They may also attack us for our beliefs.

"And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death"  (Luke 21:16).

E. Offenses may also come through churches and church leaders.

1. They may neglect to call you in a time of your personal need.
2. They also may make unrealistic demands of your time and energy.
3. They may become legalistic and critical of you and your failures.
4. They may belittle you about your personal relationship with Christ.

I spent an hour one day with an individual over the fact he could not find a perfect church home after visiting twenty churches.  Most likely he had been hurt by one or more churches.  

"But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in"  (Matthew 23:13).

F. We may also come to offend ourselves.

1. We may come to do something that we later regret.
2. We may keep falling into some sin habit.
3. We may even lie to ourselves.
4. We may fall under self condemnation.

"They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy"  (Jonah 2:8)

II. What should we do when offenses come?

A. We should forgive the offender and place their judgment in God's hands.

"And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted,forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you"  (Ephesians 4:32).

"Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots"  (Luke 23:34).

B. We should know that God has the final word.

"And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?"  (Daniel 4:35).

"What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?"  (Romans 8:31).

C. We should know that we as Believers have the grace to overcome the temptations.

"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it"  (I Corinthians 10:13).

D. We should remember the enemy can go no further than God allows.

"And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD"  (Job 1:12).  "And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life"  (Job 2:6).

E.  We should remember that God is well able to work the situation into a benefit for us.

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose"  (Romans 8:28).

F. We are to be salt that purifies and the light than shine in the darkness.

"Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.  Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.  Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven"  (Matthew 5:13-16).

G.  We are not to be overcome with the evil, but overcome evil with good.  Romans 12:21.

"Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good"  (Romans 12:21).  "And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain" (Matthew 5:40-41).

H. We are to bless rather than curse.

"But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you"  (Matthew 5:44).

III. Some Biblical Examples of overcoming offenses. A. Joseph was betrayed and sold as a slave by his brothers, but he forgave them and looked beyond the circumstance to see what God was doing.

A. Joseph was betrayed and sold as a slave by his brothers, but he forgave them and looked beyond the circumstance to see what God was doing.

He said to his brothers, "But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive"  (Genesis 50:20).

B. Joshua 7:1-26  Achan stole goods to be destroyed at Jericho.  God became angry at the people of Israel because of the sin of one.  Thirty-six were killed and about two or three thousand Israelites fled at the battle of the small city of Ai.  see: v. 1, 4, 11, 25.

However, "And the LORD said unto Joshua, Fear not, neither be thou dismayed: take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to Ai: see, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land:  And thou shalt do to Ai and her king as thou didst unto Jericho and her king: only the spoil thereof, and the cattle thereof, shall ye take for a prey unto yourselves: lay thee an ambush for the city behind it"  (Joshua 8:2).

C. In  the book of Numbers 13:1-14:34, ten fearful spies brought back an evil report which kept as many as two million Hebrew children from going into the promised land.  However, that did not keep Joshua and Caleb from going into the promise land some forty years later.

"But Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of the men that went to search the land, lived still"  (Numbers 14:38).

D. Daniel's friends were framed and thrown into fiery furnace, but they experienced the presence of Jesus with them.

"He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God"  (Daniel 3:25).

E.  Paul and Silas were cast into prison for preaching the Gospel, but God opened the prison door that they might lead the jailer and his family to the Lord.

"And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?  And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house"  (Acts 16:30-31).

F. Paul was put under house arrest, but set up a ministry where he was. 

"And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him"  (Acts 28:30-31).

G.  John was kicked out of the country and exiled on the Island of Patmos, but wrote the book of Revelation there.

"I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ"  (Revelation 1:9). "And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:   I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.  Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter"  (Revelation 1:17-19).