Sermon: Take No Offense

Have you ever considered that by being offended your spiritual focus can be put at risk?

Presented by Mark Mickelson
Spokane, Washington - April 25, 2009 (41 minutes)

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Sermon Transcript

Good Afternoon. I got from Kelly that our attendance is all the way down to 109; that's not bad for a bunch of us being sick with colds. It's nice to hear the sermonette from Allen on coming to church one of the men who invented the cybercast. That's kind of covering all bases I'm sure trying to offer his service and hopefully it doesn't take the place of a service. That would be the way that God would have it to be. It's nice to be together. I'll be at the general conference next week. I enjoy it and it's exciting to go and see a lot of friends and get a couple free lunches and whatever comes my way.

Someone came up to me recently and commented on a particular family in the congregation and offered them a compliment to me on their behalf. They said you know they don't take offense. I thought now that's an interesting compliment to make for somebody, they don't take offense. What do you think they would have said about all the rest of us? Well, do we take offense? Are we only offended by somebody if they're offensive? Well, what does that mean? I mean would we be offended by something that's not offensive? I hope not. If you think that I'm giving this sermon just for you, I am. Don't come up to me afterwards and say you did that for me, I did. If you're easily offended then I'm especially trying to assist by showing biblically what the warnings and some of the cautions biblically would be. The problem is though that you is us. I don't give sermons for one person or two; it isn't worth all of our time. When I address things I do address it to the congregation.

Being offended in the bible implies a spiritual fault; it's where the root of bitterness comes from and what it implies is that our spiritual focus can be put at risk. It's like the chink in the armor. A chink is that little hole, that little crack. You know you shoot the arrow into the chink to get past the armor and the protection it provides. So being offended actually is that chink in our armor that Satan can use to cause us to stumble, fall or trip and turn aside.

Psalm 119:165 Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble.

If you read that in the King James, it says: Nothing shall offend them. So the difference between stumble because it speaks of spiritually stumbling and being offended is simply a matter of the translator, not a matter of the original text. So to trip up spiritually to stumble and to be offended are effectively the same concept in the bible. If you can be offended then Satan has access to you in that way; it's like a little open door that he can kind of muscle aside and walk right in. It creates a very hard problem once offense takes place to try to resolve it and put it away and go on with our lives.

Proverbs 18:19 A brother offended is harder to win than a strong city (With all the defenses the bulwarks are up and you can't come, in at least not again) and contentions are like the bars of a castle (Very hard to break).

So offense can have incredible consequences and there are two parts to that. One is to be careful not to give offense, but my sermon is even more so on not being willing to take offense, my title "Take No Offense."

We can't fix anybody else; we can only be responsible for us. So my focus today is more internal than the other.

I Corinthians 10; the bible does tell us to be careful. We certainly do need to be careful. We can't be just trampling on people and not being concerned. That would be irresponsible clearly. Paul writes:

I Corinthians 10:32 Give no offense, either to the Jews (On the inside) or to the Greeks (On the outside in terms of their culture) or to the church of God.

Now he's actually speaking to Corinth so I guess you could reverse it and go the other way. Give no offense outside the church or even inside the church, whether the culture is the Jew or the Greek on either side of the question.

Verse 33: Just as I also please all men in all things, (That does not mean to be a man pleaser in the way that we use it in the English today. It means to be looking out for, concern for all men) not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.

Our actions can impact a person's calling and the way they respond. Paul says:

I Corinthians 11:1 Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.

Now again, the warnings, the admonitions are quite strong in this area because it relates to the possibility of a person who might turn and stumble and fall away from the truth. Luke chapter 17 is one of those warnings. But notice it's actually warning on two sides. I think we take this sometimes in a very simplistic sense but let's look at it at least what it implies.

Luke 17:1 Then He said to the disciples, "It is impossible that no offenses should come (So you will have offenses or you will have things that could be offensive if you accepted as such) but woe to him through whom they do come! (From whom they do come).

Verse 2: It would be better for him if a millstone was hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones."

Now we're talking about little baby children, right? Offending baby children. No, we're not talking about that at all, we're not talking about that at all. We're talking about little ones. Do you know who the little ones are? The little ones are the ones who can be offended. If you can be offended then in the spirit and the knowledge and the fruit of the spirit, you're a little one. It's the big people, the mature Christians who are able to defend against offense. Now that's kind of embarrassing to say because it would make all of us feel a little bit uncomfortable to assess it that way, but it says:

Verse 3: Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him (So it's not saying just put up with everybody heaping abuse on you, if there's a problem, address the problem) and if he repents, forgive him.

Verse 4: And if he sins against you seven times in a day and seven times in a day returns to you saying I repent, you shall forgive him."

Now you might want to move your nose out of his reach if he's breaking your nose. Again, this is in the context of the rest of the scripture but it just says the little ones are the ones who get offended. So you have to be careful for them but the little ones have to recognize that at some point in time they also have the obligation to take no offense. Let us not trample anybody but neither should we be in a position where we're constantly being trampled because it causes division, separation and injury and frankly it is the open door for Satan to come and push his way in to our mind.

Matthew 24 shows that under periods of stress in the church, offenses are going to be created that are going to actually cause people to stumble, to trip, to fall away and then turn on each other, start to kind of consume each other in a terrible way.

Matthew verse 8 talks about signs of the end time and things that will take place over time.

Matthew 24:8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

It gets worse.

Verse 9: Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake.

Verse 10: And then many will be offended, (Offended means because of the tribulation, persecution, and the suffering, they will trip and stumble and they will fall or turn aside from the truth. It's just too much, they don't understand. Maybe somebody said something, maybe somebody didn't say something) will betray one another (So they will turn on each other and by that is, the one who is offended will turn on he who hopefully was not.) and will hate one another.

Verse 11: Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.

Verse 12: And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.

Now you had to have love. We're talking about the members of the body here, their love growing cold, not just society at large because deceit and the false prophets ultimately impact us if we stumble and turn away.

Verse 13: But he who endures to the end shall be saved.

We're not talking about those who are not even on the track of salvation at this time.

Verse 14: And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations and then the end will come.

So it just says there's going to be an environment that's going to cause or increase the risk of somebody taking offense and the warning is that you'd better be careful not to do so; not to give offense but not to take it. What a remarkable comment about a family in the congregation. Someone would say, you know they don't take offense. I don't know, maybe we could test them to see how hard, no they don't take offense. That's an incredible blessing.

God shows us that there is an attitude in the Spirit of God that is given evident or made manifest in it's expression.

James 3:13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.

Now it's interesting the word meekness is used here in terms of wisdom, in terms of spiritual knowledge.

Verse 14: But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth.

Verse 15: This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, and demonic.

Being self-focused, self-willed is an expression of Satan's influence in your life.

Verse 16: For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing will be there.

Verse 17: But the wisdom that is from above (Notice now how it is described when God's influence and spirit is involved and we're responsive to it) is pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, (It's like giving up that parking place right by the front door of the supermarket that opens up and somebody comes up about the same time as you do and you turn away and go down to the end of the line and it's a quarter of a mile out there before there's a Cosco maybe. It just says if it's from God then you're gentle, peaceable and willing to yield. Willing to yield in a sense means that you're not taking offense, you're not upset, you're not angry.) full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.

Verse 18: Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

So it says there's a specific way in which this is expressed.

Now I'd like to show you someone biblically that lacked willing to yield and yet how at the end of their lives it was in place and when we see that hopefully it's encouraging to us that we can walk across that process as well, being led by God's Spirit. We don't have to be self-willed, stay that way, live that way; we can change.

Mark 3 in verse 13. I think these are remarkable examples when you think about it because when we look at our own lives, I think we see elements of this but we need to see elements of this receding in our lives, not increasing.

Mark 3:13 And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted and they came to Him.

Verse 14: Then He appointed twelve, (So Christ is appointing now the disciples) that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach.

Verse 15: And to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons.

And he goes through some of the names.

Verse 16: Simon to whom He gave the name Peter;

Verse 17: James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, "Sons of Thunder."

Well I wonder what that means. Sons of Thunder and He picked them to be disciples but He didn't intend them to stay that way because when you see the examples in His life, their lives, they were truly thunderous, ready to call down fire from heaven for those who oppose them, but they couldn't remain such and be of service in the church. So go over to Luke 9, I've tried to line these out in the order time wise. Again it says just breaking in:

Luke 9:51 Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, (Prior to Jesus Christ's death) that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem,

Verse 52: and sent messengers before His face, and as they went they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him.

Verse 53: But they did not receive Him because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem.

The Samaritans had their own worship and their own temple and their own religion so to speak.

Verse 54: And when His disciples, James and John saw this, they said: "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them. Just as Elijah did?"

Verse 55: But He turned and rebuked them and said: "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.

Verse 56: For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them." And they went to another village.

James and John were offended by this and they were going to pay the people back. Jesus Christ said don't worry about it. Let it go. Like (Not distinguishable). Let it go. I gave a whole sermon on it; that concept, still working on it.

Mark 10, verse 35. It goes on to another example; I mean this is the thunder that was being described here. I mean they weren't exactly the shy recessive types.

Now it's interesting when you know the background here at least what appears to be the background, the indication is that Zebedee's wife was Salome. Now I've gone through this probably years back with tracing some of the scriptures. Salome married to Zebedee it would appear was the mother then to James and John. James and John were brothers and it also appears that Salome was a sister to Mary the mother of Jesus which means that Salome was Jesus' aunt whichever way it is here, so Jesus, James and John were cousins. So there's a relationship here and it goes back, way back, He just didn't meet him on the road one day after they were finished fishing. James, Peter and John were the inner circle of the disciples and therefore when you see what they were like and then when you see what happens down the road, you recognize that this was a relationship that was closely maintained, it brings out again the contexture a little bit more fully.

Mark 10:35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee came to Him saying, "Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask."

Now the fact is you have to know somebody fairly well to even say that because somebody else isn't going to put up with it; that they're asking Jesus Christ.

Verse 36: And He said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?"

Verse 37: They said to Him, "Grant us that we may sit one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory."

Verse 38: But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you ask. Can you drink the cup that I drink and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"

Verse 39: And they said to Him, "We can." And Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized;

Verse 40: "but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared."

Now when the other ten heard that they weren't offended at all, right? That's not true. Of course they were offended. They began to be greatly displeased with James and John for bumping up to the head of the line.

Verse 42: But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them and their great ones exercise authority over them.

Verse 43: Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.

See the whole idea is that we are here to help and serve and look out for the interest of others, not just, or even primarily for the interest of ourselves.

Verse 44: And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.

Verse 45: For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

Now James and John, who were they? Well they were the two disciples who were brothers obviously. James was the first apostle to be martyred. Not the first church member. Stephen was martyred earlier, but the first apostle to be martyred. Now, you can say well James, he kind of died and he was a pretty rough cob. No I don't believe it at all because Jesus Christ wouldn't have allowed that for the circumstance he was called into. He doesn't map out every change in James' life before he died, but he died a martyr in the church. He was a rough cob when he started but that process had to have taken place and the reason is because we can see it clearly having taken place with John and they were together and this is how God works. John was the only disciple apparently not martyred from what the records seem to show and what was John, one of the sons of thunder known as in the end of his life as compared to the beginning of his service? He wrote the book of John and what does the book of John talk about? What does James, Peter and John, faith, hope, love, that was the book of John? So John before he lived out his life and died, he suffered and he went to prison and God worked through him in mighty ways but he is known as, remembered as, the apostle of love, one of the sons of thunder who wanted to fry everybody in the village because they weren't responding in the right way. So I look at that and I say well God knows what He's doing but we have to be willing to do it as well. We're on a mission in that sense so we have somewhere we need to be and that means to take no offense and to be working in that direction and to be walking away from the direction from which we came. It is an important process.

I have over time; it's helped me to study a little bit in terms of what's in opposition to one thing. I've mentioned that, I've given sermons on some of those. You take what's in opposition to self. Well I believe that's love because one's outgoing concern, one's inward focus. What's in opposition to fear? Well faith's is an opposition to fear. One's the antidote to the other. One's the poison and one's the antidote. You could look at it from that respect. I gave a sermon on sloth and diligence on the same focus so I would ask you what's the opposite of offense; of taking offense? What's on the absolute, pin-point opposite of that? What's the antidote to taking offense? Well, you could look at that and you could say the opposite of taking offense is not taking offense. That's too easy, right? You knew it wouldn't be that simple. Being forgiving? I thought about well being forgiving would be the opposite of taking offense and I think it's more than that and I'll explain to you why I think it is.

Have you ever apologized to someone; maybe something you said and they responded, oh I know you didn't mean that. In other words they didn't have to stop and forgive you; they never took offense in the first place because they wouldn't. Not because you're so nice or me but because they are; because of what they are able to do and what they're striving to do. I've apologized to somebody, I've had people apologize to me at times and honestly, you didn't even know what it was. I don't even remember. They said well when did you do that? I go oh, I didn't, just forget I ever said anything. There are people that will say simply they didn't even notice, or oh I knew that you didn't mean that, I didn't take it for anything at all. They choose not to be offended. They processed life in that way. It wasn't that they forgave us; they never took offense to begin with. Again the title of my sermon: "Take No Offense." What is the quality in the bible of not taking offense? What is the character quality that is addressed there? You know we talked in Lewiston; we had a good discussion this morning. We talked about grace and we talked about perseverance and we talked about patience and love on the greater scale. There is I believe, a very specific quality that is in opposition to taking offense.

Romans 14. I'm going to drag it out a bit though so you keep listening for the answer.

Romans 14:17 The Kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

So I thought I'd look at joy. What about that? Look at peace. Wow the opposite of taking offense could be peace. Peace is the destination but it is not the process. What I'm talking about is the process, the antidote, the thing you have to put in there to fix the problem in the first place, not where you arrive when you are done. Peace is where you arrive when you were done.

Verse 18: For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men.

Verse 19: Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace (That's what the answer is in the midst of the things that make for peace is where the answer is) and the things by which one may edify another.

Because it's helpful and it's positive in this way.

So what are the things that then make for peace? Where does peace come from? Well there are different again descriptions in the bible. Peace is a destination.

Hebrews 12 would be important in this relationship and in this regard. Hebrews 11 is the faith chapter. Hebrews 12 says well now we've got all these examples, we've got all these witnesses.

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, (That's like stumbling and falling, right? You know, loosing your path or your step or your way) and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

Verse 2: looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, (Notice what is says) despising the shame and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Where does despising the shame mean? Does it mean lashing out and getting angry at the Roman soldiers and yelling back and throwing your cross at them or your stake or whatever it would have been? Obviously it doesn't. It means to just pay no attention to it, it's not worth anything, I don't like that; it doesn't mean a thing to me. You know; sticks and stones, right? Words will never hurt me. Well sure, words hurt but I'm just saying the point is Jesus Christ refused to be offended. He just wouldn't do it. He wouldn't take it on. He let it go; despised the shame. I think it's an amazing analogy the way that describes itself, but going on:

Verse 3: For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, (People that were incredibly offensive) lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.

Remember the example that He set. Plus the power we have by God's Holy Spirit.

Verse 4: You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.

Verse 5: And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons:

"My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord,

Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;

Verse 6: For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives."

It says be willing to take trouble in you life if need be, knowing that the finishing of your faith is profitable, it makes us mature.

Verse 7: If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?

Verse 8: But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.

Verse 9: Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, (It doesn't just relate to God perfecting us in the faith, it relates to the environment that we live in, in our own family environment, in our society and culture among our friends) and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?

Verse 10: For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness.

Do you think that God is in charge of our lives and can't protect us and guide us and put His angels around us, intercede for us on our behalf as He chooses? When God doesn't intercede for us on our behalf, in some ways intentional is with purpose.

Verse 11: Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but grievous; nevertheless, afterward it yields (Notice this) the peaceable fruit of righteousness (It yields peace. It's a process though by where we get to peace the things that make for peace, again that's where the answer I believe to this question is.) to those who have been trained by it.

Verse 12: Therefore strengthen the hands which hand down and the feeble knees,

Verse 13: and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated but rather healed.

In other words the injury would be improving rather than being irritated.

Verse 14: Pursue peace with all men, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord;

Verse 15: looking diligently lest anyone fall short (Stumble, turn aside by being offended in part) of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble and by this many become defiled.

There's a warning there not to let something trip you up in that way. Go on to Romans 15. These will tie together. It goes back to the little ones and those who are strong or spiritually mature.

Romans 15:1 We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak and not to please ourselves.

Those who can be offended; let's be very careful with them. Now the injunction will obviously be for those who are easily offended to be careful for themselves because Satan then can walk right in and trouble them and they can stumble. But it says:

Verse 2: Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification.

Outgoing concern; please your neighbor.

Verse 3: For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written: "The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on Me."

He said I even took your offenses on Myself. I took stripes for Myself so you might be healed. I took your sins on Myself. Those who reproached you fell on Me.

Verse 4: For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

Verse 5: Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another according to Christ Jesus,

Verse 6: that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Now it's interesting, you go back to the scriptures like James where it says count it all joy when you fall into various trials. That's a tough call, but it says, let patience have its perfect work. So there's a process then that plays out and takes place. Again, what character attribute drives us along spiritually in this way? What is it that drives us toward being a willing sacrifice where we're not just sacrificed because somebody set upon us but they're actually willing to be so? What is it that drives us to where we're willing to turn the other cheek and go the extra mile? If the Roman soldier compels you to carry his pack for a mile and you're willing to carry it two, do you think you're going to be offended that he only made you carry it one? That's what saves you from offense. That willingness to do more gladly; sacrifice yourself willingly and it protects you from the injury of the offense in the first place. That character trait, that attribute I believe is compassion. I think you can take offense, being offended and compassion, being compassionate and you can put it right together on the opposite sides. One is the poison, and one is the antidote and I'd like to show you that.

Matthew chapter 9 and verse 35. The non-inspired part of my new King James says the compassion of Jesus on this passage.

Matthew 9:35 Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

Verse 36: But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them because they were weary and scattered like sheep having no shepherd.

Verse 37: Then He said to His disciples: "The harvest truly is plentiful but the laborers are few.

Verse 38: Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."

Why did Christ want there to be fruit born in the church? Because He had compassion on the people and He wanted there to be those who could go out and teach and assist and guide and direct them into the truth. But it says His response to their desperation and their troubles was compassion.

Matthew 23 is a stronger example. Jesus says:

Matthew 23:37 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to Her! (Who sent them? Jesus Christ. If you had a friend and you sent him over to your neighbor and your neighbor murdered him and you had gone over to your neighbor and said, oh neighbor, neighbor, I wish I could hold you and comfort you and you would not be this way anymore, that's what Jesus was saying.) How often I wanted to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings but you were not willing!

Verse 38: See! Your house is left to you desolate;

He's not talking about their receiving their due just reward, their punishment. He's talking about their loss of opportunity and blessings because of their attitude and approach. He's crying out to them: "I would like to help you, I wanted to help you and you murdered those that I sent."

Verse 39: for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!'"

You cut yourself off but it is compassion that is pouring out in response to their evil deeds.

Act 7, verse 60. Stephen is being murdered here by his countrymen. In some cases maybe even by people that he knew.

Acts 7:59 And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying: "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."

Verse 60: Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice: (Wouldn't it be offensive if somebody threw a rock at you? You don't think that would offend you if the whole city got together and threw rocks at you and tried to kill you? In fact they accomplished the task. I guess you wouldn't be offended after you died.)

"Lord, do not charge them with this sin." And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

What is it that poured out of Stephen as he was being offended to his death? Compassion! He cried out at the loss of those people because of what they did not know or understand. Didn't Christ Himself do that: "Father forgive them, they don't know what they're doing for they do not know what they do." This was poured out as He was dying. Compassion!

What is it that keeps us from offense? Well, various things, endurance and peace and mercy flow into that in various ways but I really believe that the head on the nail, the point of this sphere so to speak is compassion. When you have compassion for someone you do not harbor evil intent or response. You express concern. You do not return kind for kind if they have caused offense or done things in an offensive manner. It is the thing that would secure us and protect us from falling away, stumbling for turning aside in that way.

We had again an interesting discussion down in Lewiston today. After I presented this there and we had a little bit of discussion, Joe walked up and handed me a little clipping that came out of the Lewiston Tribune and I want to read it to you and then I'll explain it a little bit. This is very short. It was a comment, a letter to the editor type of a thing. Lewiston Tribune recent, it would have been just in the last few days. It says: "Reading the letters to Tribune has made it clear that the leading cause of brain damage in the region is the bible. Nothing hallucinates the victim more thoroughly than the bible. Not LSD, mushrooms, pot or meth. The bible's worse than meth or pot as they call a magic mushrooms. In fact I'd say a person doing LSD stands a much greater chance of communicating with God than someone reading the bible and going to church. At least that person's hallucinations are more based in reality than those who spew bible verses. When will we wake up as a society and rid ourselves of the evil that is in the bible? I say free your mind and burn a bible today."

Now, I'm going to tell you who this came from and then I'm going to read it again just to make sure it settles into its place. It's a former member of the Worldwide Church of God who attended in Lewiston congregation. It is not a secret. I'm not reading you his name but the name is signed on the letter so everybody down there who had these friends and knew these people know exactly who the individual is and Diane said I know what happened. There was a very specific altercation and it led to offense. There was a controversy between a couple members that escalated and one of the members became offended and quit. She said it was known, it was understood and it was visible. The person stumbled and fell. How far can you fall? This is pretty far. Now think of this as someone who was offended in the church in the course of a relationship of some kind who stumbled.

Article above read again.

Does this tell you what the risk is, what the consequence is? Brethren, "Take No Offense."