‘Avoiding Divine Scandal’ at MasterPiece in Christ Church (MICC)
Mathew 15:16 – 28
Scandals are things that happen in the lives of people, experiences, things that happen to them, or things they do themselves that cause a negative blow back towards them.
Scandals could be Natural or Divine.
Differences between “Natural” and “Divine” scandals:
When a Natural Scandal happens, virtually everybody knows about it. Someone who’s held in high esteem steals or is caught doing what he shouldn’t do, everybody talks about it, it becomes a natural scandal of whatever proportion it can be blown to.
It is different from Divine scandal because when
Divine scandal happens, only the Spiritual knows that the scandal is happening while everybody knows when a Natural scandal is happening; Natural scandals are actually less amongst children of God than Spiritual/Divine scandals. In other words, amongst those of us that are in the Church there are so much Spiritual/Divine scandals that are going on, that we may not even understand, or take note of.
However, for the most part, there are non-natural scandals that people don’t talk about.
As a matter of fact, you may actually be found as a Christian in the midst of Divine Scandals and the world is celebrating you as doing well in life.
That is why one of the attributes of a Natural scandal is almost everybody can notice when it is discovered.
This means when there’s no natural scandal, they celebrate you, they assume you’re doing well.
But in the midst of some natural scandals, the world will celebrate you because the nature of the world itself is “scandalous”. Divine scandals require the diagnosis of people who truly are spiritually sensitive and discerning.
In one way or the other, we have been involved in a number of Divine scandals and the message God is bringing to us is that you should be aware of “Divine scandals” and you should ensure that you learn to live freely of Divine scandals.
Appreciate your unique journey!
That your journey isn’t going to be like mine, that her journey isn’t going to be like his, there is uniqueness in our journeys but all driving towards the intention of God for our lives.
In spite of the fact that you’re blessed, in spite the fact you have revelational knowledge, despite the fact that you have received promises and prophesies, despite the fact that it’s been told to you that you have a future, that there’s a purpose, that God will use you, that God will establish you, that God will set you up, that there is a place for you in God’s agenda for your generation.
In spite of all those things,
If you don’t know how to handle these things it will block or oppose your blessing.
You may carry depth of revelation but if you don’t know how to handle these things, it will block you.
One thing stands as a potent enough resistance.
This is why so many in the body of Christ today with all the things that God has promised and said about them have still not been able to enter into the place of promise and prophecy that have gone ahead of them simply because of this one thing; “scandal”.
Far be it from you, it will not happen, you’re not going to go through this experience, and you’re not going to turn out the way you’re not supposed to.
Jesus acknowledged Peter, using five things about Peter:
• He’s blessed.
• He hears from God.
• There is an implication in his life.
• He has a destiny
• He elicited promise and prophecy.
The world will learn from and align with Jesus. Jesus will not learn from or align with the world!
It is not for any man to intimate Jesus on the things that are important and how life is to be lived; this is the prerogative of Jesus!
Jesus said to Peter, “you are mindful of the things of men and NOT THE THINGS OF GOD hence, you are an OFFENCE to me”.
The Word offence is the Greek word “Skandalon” which means a scandal. It is the trigger of a trap!
Know this therefore son of God, that putting human priorities, preferences, tendencies and agenda ahead of divine priorities, preferences, tendencies and agenda makes you scandalous and living that way is living in a trap of satanic design.
Therefore, be mindful of the things of God above all else; seek the well-being of the things of Christ above all else; set your mind on the things of the Spirit; and love not the world or the things in the world.
Any thing short of these, makes one a scandalous Christian!
If you see a rat trap, there’s a part of the rat trap where you put the bait, the spring. The “takute, traditional trap” where you put meat or fish knowing fully well that the rat will step on that thing for it to catch on and the moment he steps into it, he becomes entrapped; that is a scandal!
Jesus says to him, get thee behind me Satan.
He says;
You’re a potential scandal to me.
What you would notice with this story is:
“If Jesus had agreed with Peter and refused to do what he was set out to do, the world would not think it to be a scandal. And only the spiritual/heavens will know that the scandal has happened, only the heavens would know that there’s trouble. The people around would think it to be normal after all.
Everybody escapes trouble, everybody wants to stay away from hard things. So, if you escape these hard things, the world would celebrate you, as having escape a scandal.
Many of us are more concerned about the things of men than the things of God, it is completely wrong for a Christian.
Amongst us as believers, many are riddled with scandalous things.
Many of us are more concerned about what we can sell, much rather than whether or not what we’re selling will bring Jesus glory
If you’re more concerned about what you can get, than what He can get, it’s a scandal!
If you are more concerned about what your name is becoming than what God is becoming, it’s a scandal!
If you are more mindful about the things of men than the things of God, it’s a scandal!
If you’re more concerned about your business than you are about God’s business, it’s a scandal!
If you are more concerned about making money; looking good, getting married, whatever it is, than you are about the things of God, it is a scandal!
If you’re more concerned about your comfort and your escape than what God counsels being fulfilled, it’s a scandal!
We treat people specially because of what we can get from them, it’s a scandal!
Some Christians are more interested in going to clubs than going to Church!
Without a shadow of doubt God is always thinking and mindful of each and everyone of us and God is always making provision to see to it that each one of us move from where we are to the next and higher level of operation of functioning in Him, for Him and through Him that which He desires for us. My life and your life are a journey and we are journeying in God’s provisions to arrive at destinations which are His thoughts, His imaginations and His provisions for us.
You’re not just an individual walking in the face of the Earth, there is a destiny to you, there is a purpose to you. One thing about God is that He just doesn’t design and release you into the Earth but by His Spirit and His word He watches over you to see to it that you do not miss your way, you do not detour and, if there should ever be a time in life when it seems you have detoured and walked up the beaten part that He wants you to walk, through Jesus He has given us His Spirit by whom He again walks to guide us back into His counsels for our lives
These are some of the reasons why we must love Jesus more and more because through Jesus God has made these kinds of provisions for us, provision that ensures that in life you’ll not miss it.
If you’re a Christian with the Holy Spirit for you to miss it in life you must choose to miss it in life.
If you miss it in life that’s simple because you choose to miss it in life, why? because He has given us everything we need for life and all these things that we know, that we imagine and many more He has given to us in the Holy Spirit
He has delivered to us in the Holy Spirit the Bible says; eyes haven’t seen, ears have not heard neither has it entered the mind of anyone for what God has prepared for those who love Him
That doesn’t mean the kind of car God has provided for you the world hasn’t seen it before, neither doesn’t mean the kind of wife or husband He will give you the world hasn’t seen before, it doesn’t mean the kind of business that God will have you have is the type that the world hasn’t seen before. It just tells us that majorly you’ve got to understand the work God has prepared for you, do not lie in the realm of sensual perceptions, the provisions of God for you are not physical things, what He has made available for you to live in victory to experience grace and glory which are not physical things. There are spiritual things, there are things which are known by your Spirit, things which you have first of all taken possession of by your Spirit and things which you require the Spirit of God to make known to you.
You must remember this at all times that you’re a Spiritual being and the best of God’s live for you is a product of what exist in the Spirit for you not what you can get out of the flesh/mind.
Between our conduct in life and our Spiritual realities exist an entity that you must learn to train and harness which is your ‘Mind’.
Your realities are set nothing can change them, what Jesus has done for you Jesus has done for. You know it, you don’t know it, it doesn’t change the fact that those things are, they’ll not be, they are.
Whether you enjoy them or you don’t enjoy them it doesn’t change the fact that they are, they will not be, they are.
Those things that really are and the things that we will eventually experience “Our minds have a very strong part to play and you must learn how to handle your mind in order not to mess up your destiny”.
Your destiny is in existence, your destiny has been set up,
Your destiny has been dreamed up by God
Your destiny has been planned for by God, provided for by God, you’ve got to learn that if you don’t learn how to bring your mind into the arena of functioning and manner of functioning as at you function, your mind will mess up your destiny not your Spirit. Your body will follow where your mind goes.
In the real sense of it, even though you’re a spirit, you have a mind, or you have a soul and you live in a body. The real sense of it, what determines your direction of flow and functioning in life is not your spirit it is your mind, your spirit will generate signals, directions but without the agreement of your mind all those things will go to waste.
Romans 12:1
Do not be conformed to this world but rather be transformed by the renewing of your minds.
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