Speaker: Jeremy Utley
Title: Careful to Avoid Causing Others to Stumble
Date: 8/15/21
Our Goal as Christians is this: To be an exact reflection of Jesus, the Son of God (Romans 8:29)
We do this individually by growing in purity in our personal lives (1 John 3:2-3)
We do this corporately by becoming fully functioning members of a local Church (Ephesians 4:11-16)
Summary
The central message is the profound seriousness of causing others to stumble, drawing parallels from scripture passages like 2 Corinthians, Jude, and Revelation. The speaker emphasizes that this sin is taken extremely seriously by God, citing Jesus's warning regarding stumbling little ones. He applies this principle broadly to modern issues of conscience, urging believers to avoid setting stumbling blocks for others in their personal lives, family, and the church.
Outline
The message in plain words, in the order it unfolds. Select a time to jump the video to that moment.
Who is Balaam and why does the Bible warn against his way?The old Testament character Balaam is mentioned three times in the late books of the New Testament—in Second Peter, Jude, and Revelation—as a specific warning for believers to avoid.
What was the error of Balaam?Revelation chapter 2 explains that Balaam taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, leading them to eat idol sacrifices and commit acts of immorality.Revelation 2:14
How seriously does Jesus view causing others to stumble?While we often take causing people to stumble lightly, Jesus states in Matthew 18 that it would be better for someone to have a heavy millstone hung around their neck and be drowned in the sea.Matthew 18:6
Avoiding stumbling blocks in daily life, starting with familyJesus warns against causing even a little child to stumble, and fathers are specifically commanded not to provoke their children to anger, reminding us to take our responsibility seriously.
Applying Romans 14 to modern gray areas and matters of conscienceRomans 14 deals with varying levels of maturity and conviction over permissible issues, reminding us not to judge one another or put a stumbling block in a brother's way.
What does true spiritual maturity look like?True maturity is not having the right perspective, but having the instinct to die to one's own opinions rather than destroy a brother for whom Christ died.Romans 15:1
The danger of not taking up your crossJust as walking in the dark without picking up your toys causes others to trip and get hurt, the Christian who fails to take up their cross ends up hurting their brothers and sisters.
Pursuing peace and building one another upInstead of gravitating toward divisive topics and judgment, believers are called to pursue things that make for peace and build one another up in love.
The public record of Balaam in Numbers 24When Balak tried to get Balaam to curse Israel, Balaam refused and blessed them instead, making it difficult to find faults in his recorded public behavior.Numbers 24:10
The danger of a spotless public reputationBalaam did a great job ensuring his public record had no errors, yet he was secretly a stumbling block, serving as a warning against mere reputation management in the church.
Speaker: Jeremy Utley
Title: Careful to Avoid Causing Others to Stumble
Date: 8/15/21
Our Goal as Christians is this: To be an exact reflection of Jesus, the Son of God (Romans 8:29)
We do this individually by growing in purity in our personal lives (1 John 3:2-3)
We do this corporately by becoming fully functioning members of a local Church (Ephesians 4:11-16)
Summary
The central message is the profound seriousness of causing others to stumble, drawing parallels from scripture passages like 2 Corinthians, Jude, and Revelation. The speaker emphasizes that this sin is taken extremely seriously by God, citing Jesus's warning regarding stumbling little ones. He applies this principle broadly to modern issues of conscience, urging believers to avoid setting stumbling blocks for others in their personal lives, family, and the church.
Outline
The message in plain words, in the order it unfolds. Select a time to jump the video to that moment.
Who is Balaam and why does the Bible warn against his way?The old Testament character Balaam is mentioned three times in the late books of the New Testament—in Second Peter, Jude, and Revelation—as a specific warning for believers to avoid.
What was the error of Balaam?Revelation chapter 2 explains that Balaam taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, leading them to eat idol sacrifices and commit acts of immorality.Revelation 2:14
How seriously does Jesus view causing others to stumble?While we often take causing people to stumble lightly, Jesus states in Matthew 18 that it would be better for someone to have a heavy millstone hung around their neck and be drowned in the sea.Matthew 18:6
Avoiding stumbling blocks in daily life, starting with familyJesus warns against causing even a little child to stumble, and fathers are specifically commanded not to provoke their children to anger, reminding us to take our responsibility seriously.
Applying Romans 14 to modern gray areas and matters of conscienceRomans 14 deals with varying levels of maturity and conviction over permissible issues, reminding us not to judge one another or put a stumbling block in a brother's way.
What does true spiritual maturity look like?True maturity is not having the right perspective, but having the instinct to die to one's own opinions rather than destroy a brother for whom Christ died.Romans 15:1
The danger of not taking up your crossJust as walking in the dark without picking up your toys causes others to trip and get hurt, the Christian who fails to take up their cross ends up hurting their brothers and sisters.
Pursuing peace and building one another upInstead of gravitating toward divisive topics and judgment, believers are called to pursue things that make for peace and build one another up in love.
The public record of Balaam in Numbers 24When Balak tried to get Balaam to curse Israel, Balaam refused and blessed them instead, making it difficult to find faults in his recorded public behavior.Numbers 24:10
The danger of a spotless public reputationBalaam did a great job ensuring his public record had no errors, yet he was secretly a stumbling block, serving as a warning against mere reputation management in the church.
