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Sermon Notes
Ephesians 4:25-27, 29-32
Recommended Reading:
Unoffendable: How Just One Change Can Make All of Life Better by Brant Hansen
Introduction: All of get offended at someone or something.
- Offense: “an anger or resentment brought about by a perceived insult, indignity or injustice.”
- Offenses are powerful! (Proverbs 18:19)
BIG IDEA: You can choose to be unoffendable
- Being unoffendable means letting go of the belief that we are entitled to our anger. (Eph 4:26)
- Acc. to Paul we get angry. But his response is to get rid of it. (Col 3:8. Eph 4:29ff)
- Everyone is fighting a battle that you do not see. Offenses intensify the struggle.
- Anger never ends well (Genesis 4, James 1:19,20)
Human anger does not produce the righteousness of God.
How?
- Get the focus off of YOU. (I Corinthians 13:5)
Love is not self-seeking, it keeps no record of wrongs.
- If you give up your right to be angry, it will make you others-oriented.
- Take off your old clothes and put on new clothes. (Colossians 3:12-14)
Choosing to be unoffendable is not about ignoring wrongs.
It’s about loving others even when or especially when we have been wronged.
SELAH: Holy Spirit what do I need to take off? What do I need to put on?
- Choose love I Peter 4:8
- Choose humility
Humility is not thinking of yourself less. It’s thinking less of yourself.
The Power of Unoffendability
Pr. 19:11 A person’s wisdom yields patience…it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense
Illustration: Abraham Lincoln Who do I need to forgive?