Remember This Advice

✝️ Remember This Advice

Text: John 16:1–4

🌟 Introduction

Jesus was imparting vital truths to His disciples about offences and offenders that would come once He was no longer with them. For the past 2,000 years, those offences and offenders have been busy.

Paul warned that in the latter times and last days there would be persecution, perilous times, and apostasy (1 Tim. 4:1; 2 Tim. 3:1; 2 Thess. 2:3).

👉 Christ’s warning still applies today: Don’t be offended.

I. 🚫 Don’t Let Offences Put You Out (v. 2)

  • Put Out Your Shine – “Let your light so shine” (Mt. 5:16; cf. 2 Chron. 29:6–7)

    “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine…”

  • Put Out Your Stewardship – (Lk. 16:4)

    • Whatever God has given you to do, do it with all your might (Eccl. 9:10; Col. 3:17).

    • “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful” (1 Cor. 4:2).

  • Put Out Your Sight – (Rev. 3:17; examples: Samson, Zedekiah)

💡 Quote:

“It is not only what we do, but what we neglect to do, that leaves others in darkness.” – J.C. Ryle

📖 Illustration:
A lighthouse is only useful if it produces light. If you neglect to man or maintain it, others shipwreck (cf. Hymenaeus & Alexander – 1 Tim. 1:19–20).

II. 🐑 Don’t Let Offences Put You Down (v. 2 – “kill”)

  • Forms of Offence:

    • Religious Criticism (Jn. 9:34 – the healed blind man silenced)

    • Resentment of your calling, ministry, or service

    • Ridicule from the world or brethren

      • David ignored his brothers’ ridicule (1 Sam. 17).

      • Bartimaeus pressed through ridicule (Mk. 10:46–52).

      • Job endured ridicule and trusted God.

📖 Bible Verses:

  • “The words of a talebearer are as wounds…” (Prov. 26:22)

  • “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth…” (Eph. 4:29)

💡 Quotes:

“You can’t hold a man down without staying down with him.” – Booker T. Washington
“People who belittle others are only trying to make themselves feel bigger.” – Bernard Meltzer

III. 🚷 Don’t Let Offences Put You Away

  • Sin

    • “Sin will keep you from this Book, or this Book will keep you from sin.”

    • “Sin will take you farther than you want to go, cost you more than you wanted to pay, and make you stay longer than you wanted to stay.” – R.A. Torrey

    • Example: the Prodigal son.

  • Selfishness

    • Examples: Achan, Saul, Gehazi, Judas, Demas

    • “He who lives only to benefit himself confers on the world a benefit when he dies.” – Samuel Johnson

    • “The smallest package in the world is a man wrapped up in himself.” – Vance Havner

  • Shame

    • Example: The Syrophoenician woman overcame shame for her daughter’s healing (Mk. 7:25–30).

    • “If you are not willing to bear reproach for your faith, you will never bear fruit by your faith.” – A.W. Tozer

  • Storms & Suffering

    • Example: suffering should draw us closer to Christ.

    • “The Christian is not saved from suffering, but he is delivered in suffering.” – Oswald Chambers

🔑 Closing Application

  • If you’ve been put out, put down, or put away ➝ it’s time to:

    • 🛡 Put on the new man (Eph. 4:24).

    • ⚔ Put on the whole armor of God (Eph. 6:11).

    • 🚶 Get up and keep going.

⚠ Don’t be:

  • Shipwrecked ⚓

  • Silenced 🤐

  • Selfish 💰

  • Shamed 😔

Instead ➝ Use your light to point others to the Light of Christ, and to the blessed hope of His return.

Jeffrey smith