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(Sermon Quote) A Disciple of Jesus will Never get Offended
Zac Poonen
0:00
0:00 3:48
Zac Poonen

(Sermon Quote) A Disciple of Jesus will Never get Offended

Zac Poonen · 3:48

Zac Poonen teaches that true discipleship in Jesus requires dying to self, which means never getting offended because a disciple loves God above self.
This sermon emphasizes the importance of being a lover of God rather than a lover of self, money, or pleasure. It highlights how true Christians should not be easily offended, as offense often stems from self-love. The speaker warns about the lack of preaching on the cross and death to self in churches today, leading many Christians to prioritize self over following Jesus. The message challenges believers to examine their hearts and prioritize honoring God above themselves.

Full Transcript

Four types of lovers mentioned here. Lovers of self, lovers of money, and verse 4, lovers of pleasure and lovers of God. Four types of lovers. And only one of them is right. A true Christian must be a lover of God. But instead of being a lover of God, he's going to be a lover of himself. His own rights, his reputation, his honor. One of the proofs of that is we get so easily offended. Only one who loves himself gets offended. One who doesn't love himself but loves God never gets offended with anything that another person says or doesn't say, with anything that another person does or doesn't do. We get offended because we get hurt our self-life gets hurt by the way somebody treated us, by what we heard somebody said about us behind our back. We love ourselves so much and who are we talking about now? Unbelievers? No. So-called believers who have never understood what it is to take up the cross and put self to death. See, because in the last days there's going to be very little preaching about the cross and death to self-life. It's almost unheard of in most churches today and never heard of in Christian television. And so when there's no preaching against death on death to self, self is going to flourish in the lives of many Christians. They won't even know that you cannot follow Jesus if you love yourself. They'll think you can love yourself and follow Jesus. And look at the multitudes of Christians who get offended and hurt and don't even feel that that's a terrible sin. They say, well, somebody did that to me. I have a right to be hurt. Exactly, because you're an unbeliever. You're not a disciple of Jesus. That's why you've got a right to be hurt. If you're a disciple of Jesus, you have no right to be hurt. Jesus was never hurt. And they called him prince of devils. They spat on his face. They did all types of things. What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus? There are very, very few Christians who are going to take up the cross in the last days and follow him. And so it's going to be very difficult to be a true Christian because we are surrounded by people who claim to be Christians, who claim to be filled with the spirit, who claim to speak in tongues, and who get hurt and get offended or are disturbed because their name was dragged in the dust. And Jesus taught us to pray, Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Forget about your own name. But in the last days, Christians are going to be more concerned about their name. For example, I'll tell you, Do you know how much the name of Jesus is dishonored in India today? But that doesn't disturb most people who call themselves Christians. But if their name was dragged in the mud by somebody once, boy, that would really disturb them. Or if their little pretty daughter's name was dragged in the dust, boy, that would disturb them. But let the name of Jesus be dishonored throughout the country. It doesn't bother them. You think such people are disciples of Jesus? No. Far from it. But they sit in churches. They claim to be born again. They claim to love the Lord. That is the amazing thing that devil has done, deceiving them, that they love themselves from top to bottom, head to foot, and they think they are disciples of Jesus. So, we can only warn you. Nobody can change you from being a lover of self if you don't want to be free from it yourself.

Sermon Outline

  1. I. Four Types of Lovers
    • Lovers of self, money, pleasure, and God
    • Only lovers of God are true Christians
    • Self-love leads to being easily offended
  2. II. The Problem of Offense
    • Offense arises from self-life being hurt
    • Many believers do not understand death to self
    • Offense is a sign of unbelief, not discipleship
  3. III. The Call to Take Up the Cross
    • Following Jesus requires dying to self
    • Jesus never got offended despite insults
    • True discipleship is rare in the last days
  4. IV. The Danger of Self-Love in the Church
    • Many Christians love their own reputation more than God's name
    • The name of Jesus is dishonored without disturbance
    • Self-love deceives many into thinking they are disciples

Key Quotes

“Only one who loves himself gets offended.” — Zac Poonen
“You cannot follow Jesus if you love yourself.” — Zac Poonen
“If you're a disciple of Jesus, you have no right to be hurt.” — Zac Poonen

Application Points

  • Examine your heart to see if you love yourself more than God and repent if necessary.
  • Practice taking up your cross daily by denying personal rights and refusing to get offended.
  • Focus on honoring God's name above your own reputation in all circumstances.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do true disciples of Jesus never get offended?
Because they have died to self and love God above their own reputation or feelings.
What does it mean to take up the cross?
It means to deny self, accept suffering, and follow Jesus wholeheartedly.
How can we recognize if someone is a true disciple?
A true disciple does not get offended easily and prioritizes God's honor over personal reputation.
Why is offense considered a sin in this sermon?
Offense reveals self-love and unbelief, which contradicts the call to die to self in Christ.
What is the danger of loving oneself in the church?
It leads to pride, division, and a lack of true discipleship, causing believers to be easily hurt and offended.

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