John Chapter 16:1-7

I know some people are taking kind of a laid-back blasé fair account of additive in well he'll come one day. But you know I'm just going to go to Beale cruise mode and then you know when when that happens, then I'll get ready cleaning when it happened, is called the twinkling of an we can estimate somewhere about one 300s or maybe even 13 house the second time to get ready for all you all pray that prayer that you always are telling us to pray to get the forgiveness of sins when that's when the rapture happens I'm gonna pray that prayer right then and there will have time to meet. That's pretty quick.

Lord I ask you to long Lord I long to cross the bridge with David McGee. David is the senior pastor of the bridge in Kernersville, North Carolina, one of David McGee's associate pastors as DA Brown who are blessed to have with this day.

Bob's good beer. This teaching all get ready for you know that Jesus told us the future today.

Pastor Dave explained how we can be ready for his return as he continues in the Gospel of John chapter 16 McGee teaches, don't be offended. Turn with me to John 16.

We finished up chapter 15 last week. Speaking about love and persecution, how we should love one another, in part because the world is going to hate us when we talked about the world we talked about it but it was the world system in the culture that wants to reject God and reject the truths of God's word, and so now we pick it up in chapter 16 verse one these things I have spoken to you that you should not be made to stumble here. I'm in the new King James of your in the King James, the word is offended if your your reading in the Greek Bible at scandal on your probably not the scandal I'm actually where we get our word for scandalize her scandal now. He says this is an amazing thing, especially when you consider what he's about to say he's about to say what these guys are going to kick you out of church looking to kill you and think that they're doing me a service now if you want some reasons make even legitimate reasons for fear of being offended, but there's a couple good ones are think you don't see what he saying here.

Don't be offended at that light don't be offended at the fact they want to kick out of church and they want to kill you all too eager to spend some time with this verse and you know why because we get offended a lot quicker than that. Don't somebody can look at a strong sentiment so I can say the wrong thing.

Maybe accidentally, send believe they set that Jesus is saying in these two reasons that they want to kick out of church and kill you are grounds for being offended.

So what you think you would look at you being offended at somebody looking at you wrong or saying the wrong thing.

I don't think you would clear. I don't think he would consider that as grounds for being offended. Now here's the thing. All of us tend to get offended every single person in every single person has probably been offended somewhere in the last month are weaker today. Here some of you will be offended before the end of the service in case you've been missing that out is legitimate grounds for offense see and even think about the word offense.

If you allow me a little denunciations slight here a sentence, you build a fence around yourself for the fences and and then when we do we pick him up and in here's here's where we slip off track us and enter picking up in offenses, like a rattlesnake's rattler. You know the hair-like hatchback or the way a skunk up back up to the inner hopefully you've not had that experience personally but when somebody gets offended. That's what it's like and what happens when we get offended we take it to God, not usually.

Should we take it to God you bet your first and foremost, but dimly we carry the offense around.

She we have to pick it up and carry it around with us and what we do, we begin to tell others about him offended, send it, you're not responding properly.

I'm going to go share with somebody else look him offended from somebody to respond properly to Martha Philly convicting power the Holy Spirit.

How should we handle it when we get offended. The Bible tells us plainly. Matthew 18 tells us.

Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone if he hears you gained your brother. That is the biblical way of handling an offense element ask you question how many people in here know somebody that's in here are goes here that's offended, don't raise your hand. Think about it for second how do you know there offended because you sat and talked with you want to when they should be talking to guys help me out with this when somebody comes to you in that situation since Yama cemented it so and so they know appointment stop man if you're offended with them if they've done some against you, go to them don't come to me with that and shut them down. In doing that you are carrying for that person because I can't tell you the number of times I've had somebody come to me and go talk to you about this guy, this this guy did this discussion that I will have you gone to him know okay I don't hear this, you need to go to him.

You need to go to so so many times they come back to me later and go. We got it all worked out.

We got it all worked out because I challenge them to speak to that person. Now what if Ida had had give them sympathy if I can't believe he said that's not right. He should treat you like that a lot. I knew there were some wrong with him.

You know, in and out and out and I lead him on actually hurting them, and see this is one of the ways the body of Christ grows when we get offended at each other and we resolve our differences. That's what supposed to happen biblically and biblically because of that verse. If you go to somebody else other than that person you're in sin plainly what the Bible says. Now if they don't receive in the Matthew continues on and says look if they don't receive it get somebody else and take them to go with you and talk to them about it, but this is the proper grounds for dealing with offenses within the body of Christ and it's not often that it goes like this, but it's an opportunity to teach and train a somebody comes to you and tries to enlist you in their offense because again, this is the way we grow. This is an amazing thing to me because here we are in a world where in the fourth chapter of the upper room discourse and in this whole essay upper room discourse. What I mean by that is, it begins in this upper room with the washing of the feet and then now there there down in the garden close to the garden. We believe Jesus it's an amazing thing because for you stop and consider if this is he's been training these guys for three years. They were handpicked they were, in a week spoken about.

They were going to yeshiva school dropouts a warrant chosen by the rabbis out of Jerusalem to to follow them but chosen by Jesus reflecting back on the last chapters of the things of been said and done and you know what it's it's it's a little short study and in what all goes wrong because the disciples miss what Jesus is telling them at every turn starts out of your remember in an and 13 where you Jesus is washing their feet. You're not going to wash my feet and Jesus of love and don't wash your feet and your no part of me will wash my whole body wash, and nobody wants your feet, you know, and it's like Peter missed the point. And then Jesus is trying to hint them up at the Judas is going to betray him. He's okay Dixon, the sloppily depends happen Judas leaving to go over the root is that you know and they miss it again. John 14 goes like you know where I'm going I'm going on the way, the truth of life in the go will know it's amazing the patients of Jesus with that. He didn't look at him ago you know what you're all fired. This is not working out. The disciple thing is just beyond DOS. He sits and patiently walks them through this. Why don't pointed out because I understand that's his heart toward you. Some of you here this morning may have had some problems getting your mind, your heart around things of the Lord is teaching you make these to teach you the same thing several times and you still have got it know this. The Lord is can be patient with he loves you. He wants to teach you, and if that doesn't describe you this morning. I bet it describes somebody that you know may be family, friends, every people you work with and you sit there and they haven't wanted thank goodness I keep telling what to do and I keep not doing it. Remember, the heart of Jesus on the evening before.

He will, as he was betrayed as he was turned over was exercising great patience and great care and great love for these guys who still really forgetting verse two says they will put you out of the synagogue just the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service.

What an incredible prophetic statement and again he saying what they're going to try to kill you. Don't be offended using statement. I can't get it.

As I read this on my pocket so convicted because I think of the little thing I get offended about.

I mean, it's been a while since somebody kill me so but I tend to get offended at the little things in and in the Lord's going to hang when I try to carry. Don't get offended pretty challenging and it is it just me or does that mean that's pretty challenging.

So now the time out there to kick him out of the the Jewish synagogue and and you know really when you think about this verse every religious group has done this everyone I used to defend the history of the Christian church.

I don't I don't do that anymore because the more I dig and the more I research the more that I hang my head on some stuff and it's not really worth defending. Here's what I say when people start talking about the Middle Ages or the Crusades and stuff like that ago while you know what that looks like people who need a Messiah that looks like people who need Jesus that looks like people who need that forgiveness that he so graciously offers, rather than going well. What they really did was right. Now understand there's there's many people that and obviously the Jewish leaders and the Romans persecuted the Christians in and then later the Christians persecuted to the Jewish people and then you had the whole Catholic Protestant thing where Catholics wiped out whole cities. 70,000 people in 191 because they possess the Bible everything you could be saved outside the church called the Inquisition so much we we don't learn about that much in our history books but hundreds of thousands of people were killed for either owning a Bible or reading the Bible John Wycliffe who think they is nickname was the MorningStar of the Reformation. They actually after he translated the Bible into English, and after his death.

1230 think 35 years after his death excommunicated him 21 years after that they dug up his bones and burned him and threw them in the river for the crime of translating the Bible will be right back with more from David McGee on cross the bridge right now. Here's a word from associate pastor DA Brown want to take just a minute to pray for seven cities in our listening audience. Walker, Michigan, Brainerd Fergus Falls in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, Biloxi Friars pointe in Meridian, Mississippi, Lord.

Thank you that regular broadcast in the cities. Thank you for your good news which will not return void, or to pray for everyone listening right now that they would be encouraged today recognize that you love them greatly, and you have a good plan. Lord I pray for anyone in their lives who they been trying to reach out to really been trying to share the gospel with we list those up to you now. We pray that you would convince and convict and even encourage them to put their trust in you and we pray for protection safety in the cities give the police officers wisdom, the fire department wisdom. The town councils. The mayors everyone in leadership give them wisdom helped in the love one another, and Lord. We trust you that you do a great work in the cities.

In Jesus name, amen, amen.

Thank you brother and now get back to David McGee as he continues teaching verse by verse, verse three says, in these things I will do to you because they have not known the father, nor me saying look because you know me this is what can happen. There's a cost to follow in the Lord. And again he saying you know what they're doing these things because I don't know me, just like in last Jefferson to doing these things because I don't remember when you see :-) it's heavy and the drugs heavy in alcohol or same-sex relationships or whatever all that stuff they're doing because they don't know him either. They don't have a full knowledge they don't know him at all understand that it's an interesting thing here. If you think about this verse.

Here is a man if you allow me to use the term. He's hundred percent got hundred percent man, but let me here's a man who never traveled more in a couple hundred miles from his home never held political office was not a rich man. Contrary to what you might hear or see when asking for unit we got money to pay taxes. He said go get some money out of fishes mouth and he saying that at some point in the future the whole world is going to be divided into those who know him and those who don't know him. What an incredible statement to make an prophetically it comes to that. Now there's there's a line between those who know Jesus and those who don't burst forth these things I've told you that when the times come, you may remember that I told you of them in these things I did not say to you at the beginning because I was with you. It's an amazing thing to me the way that Jesus is caring for them because he's get ready to endure agony and pain beyond belief in the next 24 hours. What's he doing who's he concerned with.

He's not saying to the disciples because I really need to pray for me because you know that there this is gonna be tough.

In fact, when he did ask his first ring if you will to preform but fell asleep but in this moment he's not spending the time going to need you guys to pray for me.

He's ministering to them. That friend is the biblical model Christianity is not all egocentric focused on himself and me, but focused on others and sure you'll go see hard times were you you you don't want to do that or you don't feel like doing. But Jesus is the example in all that he was getting ready to face. He was still willing to pour out upon others and be concerned with others and not himself how challenging this now in his love for them what you notice this in his love for them. He is telling them what is getting ready to happen but just next 24 hours, but next few years. It's interesting one, because it's an expression of his love to tell them what is about to happen, but it's an interesting thing considering how much prophecy is in this book to he is told us a great deal about what's going to happen, not just today within the next few years. One because he loves you. They want you to be ready. Interesting story with Sodom and Gomorrah before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

The Lord said this in Genesis 1817 the Lord to chill hot from Abraham. What I am doing since Abraham shall surely become a great mighty nation and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him.

The Lord is deciding to tell Abraham what's about to happen in Sodom and Gomorrah. Why did he do that well were actually told in and James in a roundabout way. James chapter 2 verses verse 23 is in the Scripture was fulfilled which is Abraham believed God, and was counted to him for righteousness and he was called the friend of God. If you been here for a couple weeks last chapter, Jesus called us his friends of we know him and were following him, so why hasn't he revealed the future to us because were his friends and he loves us the same look this is what's going to happen.

This is what is coming down now. I'm talking about the rapture of the church now. I know some people are taken kind of laid-back lies a fair kind of attitude in well he'll come one day. But you know I'm just going to gonna be on cruise mode. Till then and then you know when when that happens, then I'll get ready, we mean when that happens, you'll get ready is called the twinkling of an eye, we can estimate somewhere about one 300s or maybe even one 3000 of a second time to get ready for all yeah pray that prayer that you always are telling us to pray to to get the forgiveness of sins when that when the rapture happens I'm gonna pray that prayer right then and there will won't have time to me that's pretty quick. Lord I ask is that's too long, Lord, I 202 is to log your talk that's it said it's over man. So what you have to do is be prepared now today and understand something. Why is Jesus waiting and in the years waiting I get the picture. You know that the Jesus of they're going now now father Connecticut not not yet, not yet, not yet, not yet. But one day soon the polysilicon gift that's it bring about in the doors can be closed. Why is Jesus waiting for that moment were told we don't have to wonder were told second Peter chapter 3 verse nine says the Lord isn't being slow about his promise to return as some people think he's been patient for your sake he does not want anyone to perish, so he is giving more time for everyone to repent when you really stop and consider this verse. There's a staggering implication.

So Jesus is waiting for people to repent. Well yes and no. Yes because he is waiting for them to repent.

Know because while mass question.

How will they repent.

Romans tells us how they going to know unless we tell to conceptually Jesus is waiting on them to repent.

But you know what's really going on is waiting for us to tell all now past data think you taken some liberty without Scripture. I don't think I am because of other scriptures. John chapter 4 verse 35 says do not do not say there are still four months and then comes a harvest to hold us. They do lift up your eyes look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest. Matthew 937 and 38 says. Then he said to his disciples, the harvest truly is plentiful but the laborers are few therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. So we think that were waiting on the return of Jesus. Actuality is waiting on us to fulfill the great commission and he's told us the future because he loves us and wants us to be ready.

Let's the life lesson.

Here Jesus is told us the future because he loves us and so we can be ready because he loves us and so we can be ready. He even told parables about people who, after being told were not ready like the bridesmaids and some other parables. Why did he tell us that to communicate to us like this is going to happen then you need to be ready for the and in a more personal way.

Understand this.is also trying to prepare you what's coming next in your life as people in here there to have desks and their families. There's people in here that are going to go through hard times at work.

God knows that and even right now he's trying to prepare you for that time because he knows what's next verse five.

But now I go away to him who sent me.

None of you asked me where you going, but because I've said these things to you sorrows filled your heart Jesus thing you know what you're sorry, but you should be glad in his get ready to explain to them why that is. Verse seven nevertheless I tell you the truth it is to your advantage not go away, for if I do not go away, the helper will not come to you, but if not the part I will send him to you. He's talking about the Holy Spirit and remember before Jesus died and was resurrected. The Holy Spirit could only come up on people. He couldn't do well and fill people because there was the sin issue see in the Hebrew Scriptures in the Old Testament the word there for a tone. It is the Hebrew word kefir go far. Depending on the usage.

It's where we get our word for cover sheet but under the blood of Jesus. The sins are washed away completely to mellow their sins can be washed away. We can receive the Holy Spirit in power and in so because of the death of Jesus and the resurrection of Jesus the Holy Spirit can indwell us and you know it really is.

Jesus is saying here.

This is what I came for is what I came for.

When he came. This was part of the package. Any new and he still came understand. He lived to die. That was his purpose and catching by surprise.

As a matter fact he sped up the timetable leadership in Jerusalem to list all taken during the fee still be an uproar and Jesus looked at Judas and seduced what you're about to do. Go do it quickly. Go do it now. Let's get the thing going on an amazing Jesus didn't come here to shed a little light on the subject. He didn't come here to communicate if a few trousseau we could get along a little better. He didn't come to share a few things so we could just feel little better about ourselves became the.make it will personal he came to die for you friend, you know for sure that your sins have been forgiven. You can know right now only Legion a short simple prayer simply telling God you're sorry and asking him to help you to live for him.

God wants you to pray this prayer so much that he died to give you the opportunity and the ability to ask him to forgive you. Please pray this prayer with me out loud right now. Dear Jesus, I believe you died for me that I could be forgiven and I believe you were raised from the dead that I could have a new life not done wrong things I have sent and I'm sorry. Please forgive me of all those things.

Please give me the power to live for you. All of my days in Jesus name, amen it friend of you prayed that prayer according to the Bible you've been forgiven you've been born again. So congratulations Springer just made the greatest decision that you will ever make. God bless you, if you pray that prayer with David for the first time we'd love to hear from you. You can visit cross the bridge.com to receive our first steps package with helpful resources to help you begin your walk with Christ. Or you can write to cross the bridge at PO Box 12, 515 Winston-Salem, NC 27117 and share how God is working your life you're the Bible tells us that the free gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord. But it does cost for us to come and bring that message to you and to others in your neighborhood through radio through the Internet and through the mobile technologies that God has gifted us to be able to use so if you like to support this ministry. Please go to cross the bridge.com. Click on the donate button and ask God how much he would have you give either on a one-time basis or continuing basis each month to help ensure that the teaching of God's word continues to go out through cross the bridge. Thank you so much ODA before we go.

What are some ways that we can bless our listeners they can wake up with encouragement Pastor David to the word of God with his email devotional life lessons to consider daily reading and the thought to meditate on. Throughout today from the heart.

David McGee those are terrific and it's easy and it's free so folks sign up today@crossthebridge.com. Thanks again for listening and join us next time. As David McGee continues teaching verse by verse in the gospel of God