Offence Will Neutralise You: How to Avoid Distractions
Dr RJ Sing, 1 hr 2 min
Originally preached as “Avoiding Distractions”
Sermon outline
To walk in the supernatural accomplishments God has for this year, you must refuse offence, protect your heart and not be distracted from what God told you to do.
Main text
- 1 Kings 13:6-28
Opening
He opens full of joy, calling the church to be filled with the Holy Ghost as the cure for depression and discontent, and leads a long time of laughter, worship and ministry. He reminds them that after Christmas and New Year the things of God can slip away, and he wants to get them back on track as they start 2007.
Be full of the Holy Ghost
The Bible commands us not to be drunk with wine but to be filled with the Spirit, as the disciples were on the day of Pentecost. Jesus' secret was not simply more prayer or more scripture, but fellowship with the Father and the anointing of the Holy Spirit. A believer full of the Spirit can laugh at the devil instead of running from him.
Illustration: A drunk man who came to the building during renovations, laughing and reciting poetry badly. He asks why a Christian should be sad when even a drunk man was having a good time.
“Jesus' secret was He had fellowship with the Father and the anointing of God's Holy Spirit.”
- Ephesians 5:18
- Acts 2:15-17
- Joel 2:28
- Luke 4:18
Do not entertain a spirit of offence
Discontent, bitterness, offence and complaining are not just moods; an evil spirit is on you, trying to rob your joy. The joy of the Lord is your strength, and once it is gone you pray mechanically and no longer sense God's presence. You can test it by the fruit of the Spirit: a person under that oppression only complains and says things that do not build up.
“Make up your mind that nothing anybody says will distract you from your course in serving God.”
- Galatians 5:22-23
- Nehemiah 8:10
Stand your ground
The word wrestle in Ephesians means standing your ground, not fighting the devil, because Jesus has already defeated him and we enforce that defeat. Every believer has a gift from the Holy Spirit, but once you are offended or distracted it cannot function, and the devil has neutralised you. Celebrate other people's successes, and the presence and favour of God will move you towards your own.
Illustration: When someone buys a new car or a house, rejoice as if God had given it to you.
“We enforce the defeat that Christ had already won for us.”
- Ephesians 6:12
- 1 Corinthians 12:8-10
Protect your heart
Spiritual things work on the basis of the condition of your heart. An open, willing, rejoicing heart lets God work, and some things you will not even have to pray for. He shares that for years he prayed for many things, but now he rests and guards his heart.
“All I do is I protect my heart and God gives me the desires of my heart.”
- Proverbs 4:23
- Psalm 37:4
Let it go
People who hurt you last year are not worth a grudge, a fight or a debate. The devil is a thief, and what he stole through others he must restore sevenfold. Jesus made Himself of no reputation, so when people attack yours, rejoice and laugh, because it shows you are on the right road. Fight to protect the presence of God in your life above everything.
Illustration: He says he was persecuted more in ministry than in his secular employment, where people respected him. He has heard the untrue stories, and has learned to laugh.
“Listen, you fight to protect the presence of God in your life.”
- Proverbs 6:31
- John 10:10
- Philippians 2:7
- John 15:20
Supernatural accomplishments in 2007
After testimonies of healing and favour, he releases the word that this is a year of supernatural accomplishments: what others take two years to do, they will do in two months. As the prophet made the axe head float, God's prophetic word will cause sunken things to rise. Angels, tongues and prophetic declarations are on our side, because it is not by might nor by power but by His Spirit.
Illustration: A pastor whose foot was healed after wearing a large special shoe for 18 years, and a man whose daughter was chosen for a school and who flew to America to meet Oprah Winfrey and later got his lost phone back.
“It's a prophetic word that makes your axe head to float.”
- 2 Kings 6:1-7
- Zechariah 4:6
The preparation is to avoid being distracted
The man of God from Judah healed the king's hand and had the courage to refuse the king's reward, because God had told him not to eat bread or drink water in Bethel. Then an old prophet in a backslidden state lied, claiming an angel had spoken, and the man of God went back with him. The word of the Lord came through that same old prophet, and on the way home a lion killed him, and the Bible calls his body a carcass.
Illustration: The old prophet saying 'I am a prophet also as thou art' and claiming an angel sent him, which the Bible says was a lie.
“But there's a preparation for those things. And that preparation is called avoid being distracted.”
- 1 Kings 13:6-28
Putting it into practice
- Get filled with the Holy Ghost daily and do not start the year sad.
- Refuse offence, bitterness, jealousy and complaining; decide nothing anyone says will distract you.
- Celebrate other people's blessings as if they were your own.
- Forgive and let go of last year's hurts before the year goes further.
- Obey what God told you, even when someone claims to bring a different word.
Closing
Midway through the message he leads the church in a prayer to forgive and release every offence, then ministers under the anointing, with a word of knowledge for a woman carrying deep anger. He returns to 1 Kings 13 to begin his main teaching on distraction, but the recording ends while he is still reading the passage.
Declarations he led
- Tonight, I want to get full with the Holy Ghost.
- I'm a man of God. I'm a woman of God. I'm filled with the Holy Ghost. I'm going somewhere this year. It's upward and forward.
- God is with me in a strong way.
- Dear Lord Jesus, I heard the word of the Lord. I come to the point where I realize my spiritual life is more important. So for 2007, Lord, I want to start the year right. I want to forgive. I want to let go of all offenses, of all hurt, of all pain, of all anger. In the name of Jesus. Now I'm free.
- Devil, take your hands off my life. I will not go your way. I will go the way of the word. I will not be distracted. I'm free now.
- Thank you for the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus. It washes me whiter than snow. I'm clean before the Lord. Body, mind, soul and spirit.
In his words
- “There's a cure for depression. There's a cure for being discontent, and that is being full of the Holy Ghost.”
- “You make up your mind that nothing anybody says will distract you from your course in serving God.”
- “If God blesses someone with a house, you'll rejoice like you've got the house.”
- “People that offended you, it's not worth harboring a grudge against them.”
- “If it's a deep pit we find ourselves, we know our way out. It's by love and it's by the Holy Ghost.”
Every scripture in this message
- Ephesians 5:18
- Acts 2:15-17
- Joel 2:28
- Luke 4:18
- Galatians 5:22-23
- Nehemiah 8:10
- Ephesians 6:12
- 1 Corinthians 12:8-10
- Proverbs 4:23
- Psalm 37:4
- Proverbs 6:31
- John 10:10
- Philippians 2:7
- John 15:20
- Psalm 51:7
- 2 Kings 6:1-7
- Zechariah 4:6
- 1 Kings 13:6-28