Tonight, we want to continue on our theme that we've been
teaching ever since Lord's Day morning, and for those of you
who haven't made them all, we've been talking about some things
that that absolutely must change.
Some things that must not change and what are the differences in?
How can we get it? The image of Christ into our
hearts and into our minds? God does not accept us just as
we are. He loves us.
Just As we are but he does not accept us just as we are He
commands. All men everywhere to repent,
acts 17 and verse 30 and because of that you and I both in
reflecting on that verse ask ourselves, what do I need to do
to repent? What is it that I need to repent
about? Well, repentance is a word which
we, as we've said, doesn't it don't doesn't normally come up
in our everyday language, but the word me.
Needs to change. And so that's the essence of
what we're studying tonight. We've been studying change or
we've been studying, studying repentance all week we've been
studying about things that we really need to change but one of
the things I want to focus on tonight before we make another
specific application of, this is how important it is to have the
right knowledge of what to change about to really focus and
look into the mirror. That God gave us in James.
The first chapter, if you have your Bibles open in James, the
first chapter We there notice that the Bible tells us in James
one that we're going to start reading if you will, and verse
19. This, you know, my beloved
Brethren, but everyone must be swift to hear slow to speak and
slow to anger for the anger of man does not achieve the
righteousness of God. Therefore, putting aside now,
here's one of those things that he described using the clothing
metaphor again. He says, this is something I
want you to put off after. I've just told you some things
to put on you. To put on some of these things,
put it. Be swift to hear.
Slow to speak and slow to anger, that's Behavior.
He wants us to adopt if we don't have that behavior, we need to
repent of that and put these things on, but notice he says, I
want you to put this these things off, be get away from the
anger for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of
God. Therefore putting aside all
filthiness and all the remains of wickedness in humility,
received the word implanted, or as the King James, Says
engrafted, which is able to save your souls.
Now, he specifically talks about this scriptures, the scriptures
that God gave us, he says, these have a work, God designed them,
not to be a spiritual rabbit's foot if you will or some kind of
Talisman. Whereas if you purchase a Bible,
you've bought your ticket. All you got to do is show God at
the Gate of Heaven, that you bought a Bible and have it
punched and you get in. That's not what this is about.
He said the word God wants us to use.
God wants us to use it and put it into our hearts and into our
minds. That's what he's saying, here,
receive the word, implanted or engrafted.
It means literally to put in to put under the surface and so the
word has its work. James tells us that the word is
important. Very, very important to our
understanding, what it is that we're supposed to put off.
Off and put on in our life. How can we even know that we're
supposed to put this on? Unless the word tells us the
very word itself tells us its purpose and the Bible must be
respected. Notice in the next few verses
verse 22 but prove yourselves doers of the word I want you to
underline that phrase because whenever he says prove
yourselves he's not saying I want you to prove that you have
a copy. I want you to demonstrate is
what he's saying. I want you to show That you have
this word in your heart and in your mind, I want you to
demonstrate it demonstrate. If you will yourselves doers of
the word and not merely hearers who delude themselves, there's a
delusion that goes on with knowledge.
We sometimes think because we know how to do something we can
do it. Well, you know, I've read books
on fixing cars, but I can guarantee you.
There's a difference between what they teach in the books and
what I can do on a car. I don't know about you, but
that's the way it is. Sometimes there's a variance
between that and God says here, I want you to not only know, the
word, I want you to do it because just having a knowledge
sometimes can deceive you into thinking that you're doing it.
You know, many times, Christians people who have the word of God
memorized in their life years, use that knowledge as a
substitute for obedience, they say, I'm smart, I know my Bible
but they don't do it. They don't obey the word, and
that's what James is talking about.
Don't be a person that gets dim deceived into thinking that just
because, you know, your Bible, your holy just because you know,
your Bible, your obedient know, you may know the right thing to
do and still not do it. And so, he says, here's the
important point, I want you to get the word, has a work in
those who obey it, those who examine themselves, those who
make sure that their Are doers of the word and not merely a
hearer a hearer notice. For, if anyone in verse 23 is a
hearer of the word and not a doer.
He is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror,
but once he is looked at himself and has gone away, he
immediately has forgotten what kind or manner of person that he
is. What kind of person that he is
this word of God reveals to us, where we need to change, but a
lot of times just having that knowledge, we go away and it
brings about About no real Corrections, the word of God
reveals to us how God sees us. We oftentimes don't use the word
to check out and see how God sees us.
If we don't have a mirror available, what do we do?
Well, I know what guys do they ask their wife.
Do I look okay, honey, you know, that's what we do.
We ask our wife. How do I look?
And if she loves you, she may correct you.
Or if you look, okay, she'll say you look.
Okay. But if she's got a malicious
Spirit, she may see all kinds of stuff on you and go.
Yeah, you look fine. Go out and look like a clown, I
don't care if she may not say that in her heart, but the fact
of the matter is, is sometimes your friends aren't very helpful
sometimes. They don't want to do the hard
things that friendship demands. The Bible says, a friend loves
at all time. All but proverb says the most
wonderful things. Faithful are the wounds of a
friend wounds of a friend sometimes our friends tell us we
have bad breath. Sometimes our friends tell us
you know we got toilet tissue on our shoe, sometimes our friends
tell us that things aren't Aren't all of what they're
cracked up to be. And we need to straighten up.
But God, doesn't say, I want you to depend on your friends.
God says, don't use them for a mere religiously.
Especially, he says I gave you the Bible because you're always
going to find different religious opinions about what's
pleasing to me, and you're going to find somebody in the world.
That's going to look at you and say, you're okay.
You know, something I don't care what you believe tonight,
morally, even or ethically you can find a religious group that
will support that there are Christian religious groups.
That thinks polygamy is okay, there are Christian religious
groups that believe homosexuality is okay.
There are Christian religious groups that believe all kinds of
behavior is okay, different structure, the home, different
definitions of the family, all kinds of things.
But my friends, God doesn't tell us.
To check with religious groups to see if we're okay.
He says, I gave you the word. I gave you the scriptures.
I want you to look into them to see how I see you don't keep
trusting everybody else. I want you to look into the
mirror. I gave you that reflects what
manner of man you are notice very fenneman once.
He has looked at himself got away, he immediately forgets.
What point it kind of person. He is verse 25.
And one, but one who looks intently at the perfect law of
Liberty and abides by it. Don't overlook that phrase.
That's the key phrase and abides by it.
Notice, this this man will be blessed in what he does.
So God gave us the word to bring about the changes that we need
to make and our life. He says, this is a mirror.
This is a mirror. I want you to look into to, I
want you to look into that mirror.
And I want you to see how I see you.
And this is my word. I want you to look there.
That's the source, that's the Judgment because you're going to
find men that will give you all different kinds of opinion.
The Bible talks about this process a little bit different
terms and the book in the scriptures in 2nd Corinthians
chapter 5 and verse 7. The bible says, for we walk by
faith and not by sight. Now, what does it mean to walk
by faith? Let's talk about that for just a
little bit walking by faith and not by sight.
Normally we walk by sight, don't we?
Normally we look and we look where we're going.
We say that's where I want to go and we make a name and we walk
toward that and we can be confident.
But what if we don't have our site, we have a brother here.
That's that's visually challenged.
How does he do that? Well, he has to have other
things that inform him other kinds of knowledge.
To inform him so that he can walk cautiously and safely
toward a certain kind of place. He walks by faith.
He literally walks by faith but spiritually I want you to know
that God tells us we walk by faith as well too.
How do we know what? Really pleases god without his
word. We we don't know.
We have good guests. We have guesses.
We have our conscience. But the Bible says, we walk by
faith. How can we walk by faith and not
by sight? How can we do that?
Well, first of all, he's saying it doesn't come from you.
That's the point your site often guide you, but I want you to
walk by faith. Now, Faith is something.
Unseen and Hebrews the eleventh chapter and verse 1.
The Bible says faith is the Assurance of things.
Hoped for a conviction about Things.
Not Seen, Hebrews chapter 11 and verse One.
Now, he tells us what faith is? He says, faith is having some
confidence, faith is having some Assurance.
Faith is having a strong conviction about what about
things, unseen. Ah, that's what it means to walk
by faith. In other words, we're not
walking by our site, or walking by faith in an area where we
don't have that knowledge in and of ourselves.
It's like walking in a dark room whenever I just walk without my
my site, I may bump into the wall I may make mistakes.
I'm not going to try it here but the whole point is is whenever
God who loves us, informs us of where he is, then we can follow
his voice. Can't we?
That's how we walk by faith. When God says, Hey, follow my
voice, follow my voice, follow my word.
This is how, you know, this is how, you know, the way this is,
the way that is safe. Follow my voice, listen to my
words, then we can walk confidently and know.
Oh, that this is pleasing to God.
If not, we're just making guesses in John 17 and verse 17.
The scripture says sanctify them by thy truth.
Thy word is truth. Here's how I can know that I
pleasing to God, I don't have to say how many people believe it.
I don't have to ask how many religious groups believe it.
Here's how I can walk by faith. I can know that the word of God
reveals to me what truth is and then I want you to make note of
this passage Judge, Romans 10, and verse 17, Romans 10 and
verse 17. The Bible says, faith comes by
hearing And hearing by the word of God, doesn't it?
That's how I can know. That's how can I can be
confident that what I'm doing is pleasing God is I have to come
back to the word of God the word of God which sanctifies me sets
me apart from sin that word of God which calls to be in
darkness calls to me and my spiritual ignorance and informs
me of how I can walk confidently.
In my Wok before. God how can I know that I'm
pleasing to God? How can I know how can I know I
have the word of God. Given to me, that causes me to
look into it and I can see myself, like God sees me, I can
know what God's will is for my life even though he's not here
to tell me. Even though he's unseen to my
eyes, I can have confidence in my walk before him because I
look into the mirror it reveals to me.
Those things. I Need to change in.
It tells me those things that I need to do to please Us in.
That's how faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word
of God Romans 10 and verse 17. Oh there are so many passages.
That we could talk about tonight but I just don't have time to
talk about all of them. But you know, there's so many
Christians today that aren't using their Bibles and I know
one Christian that he would it was really funny of.
I asked him where he's Bible was and he said it's in the trunk of
my car. I said, why is it in the trunk
of your car and he said so I won't forget to take it to
church. You give your Bible a ride to
church every Sunday. Yeah.
And I carry it in and I don't want to lose It so I keep it in
my trunk so I won't forget to take it to church man, why don't
you hand to down the rows and give it to somebody who use it?
You know how many people have Bibles and don't use them?
God gave us the word for a reason.
He wants us to look into it to see ourselves and that is how we
walk by faith. You can't go trust in every man,
every woman in the world, you just can't do that.
You've got to come back to the word.
It will tell us what it is that we have to change in order to be
pleasing to God. Now religious group, may tell us
what it takes to please them. But that's not necessarily
pleasing God. You see, that's the whole point.
That's the whole point. Sanctify them by thy truth.
Thy word is truth. John 17 and verse 17.
Well, what how what is let me start again here?
What is it that we're supposed to then find in the word of God?
Well the Bible tells us it records the image of Jesus and
the Bible tells us in Romans the 12th chapter as we've looked at
before that we are Being transformed into the image of
God, we quoted, Romans 8 and let's do it again in Romans 8,
2:29 notice what the Bible says here, he predestined us to be
conformed, to the image of his son.
The Bible says, that's our purpose in this life.
Is the things that we need to change.
Our chain, are things that do not reflect the image of Christ.
If Christ is our life, if we're supposed to be Christians, it
doesn't mean looking like Christ on on outside.
I remember in the 60s tell, You how old I am.
So sorry about that, you know, whenever there were people
walking around in sandals and white robes and everything
thinking, that's what it meant to imitate Jesus.
Well, my friends Jesus wasn't concerned about the outer man
unless it was a modest or something.
He was concerned about the Inner Man, and it's the inner man of
Jesus that got, it's the character of Christ.
It's the heart of Christ that God wants us to put into our
hearts and into our lives. It's his compassion, it's his
desire to please, his father. Father in heaven.
And so the Bible tells us here that God's purpose is for us to
be conformed to his character or his image in that sense, as the
word image is talking about inner character.
I believe that's what he's talking about.
Well, now notice, go to Romans 12, if you're there, go over
Romans 12 verse 1 in Romans 12 verse 1.
Therefore Brethren, therefore I urge you brothers and by the
mercies of God, to present your bodies, a living and holy
sacrifice acceptable, to God, which is your New American
Standard says, spiritual service of worship.
King, James did better on this one.
New King James is real good, which is your reasonable or
rational service in other words, it corresponds to reason that if
God died For us. Then we should be living
sacrifices to him to show him our appreciation.
That's reasonable. That's rational, somebody died
for me. Iõm iom, I need to honor them in
some way. Notice verse 2 and do not be
conformed to this world. There's our, there's our change,
do not be conformed to this world.
But be transformed in the Greek. This is the word metamorpho
which is literally where we get the word metamorphosis.
It means it's what happens to a caterpillar when it turns into a
butterfly. And he says, that's what we're
supposed to be doing. That's the kind of change that
supposed to happen to our life. We're worms that turn into
butterflies whenever we serve Jesus.
And so he says, here, do not be conformed, but be transformed by
the renewing of your mind. So that you may prove that which
is good and acceptable and perfect, our lives are supposed
to demonstrate our lives are Posed to explain demonstrate the
will of God, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
That's wild. That's our purpose.
My friends as a Christian, you
can't be a Christian without taking the purpose of the name.
A Christian means follower of Jesus Christ.
It doesn't just mean a state that you're in.
Yeah, I'm a Christian stamp. It on my hand, but I can behave
any way. I want.
God says, that's not it. That is not it.
You are supposed to be a transformed life, a life that
demonstrates. What the will of God is that
which is good and acceptable and perfect.
You have a responsibility if you wear the name.
How many people don't know that? We have a responsibility?
If we wear the name to demonstrate to prove, by the
way, we live that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
And if you'll remember last night, we showed that a lot of
treat people substitute, holy living with the Assembly of the
church. They believe, if they go and
they check in and they give three hours a week, they can do
that without giving their life. And my friends public worship is
no. Toot for a holy life.
It is not don't get deceived into thinking that it is.
That's what he's saying. Right here.
We're supposed to have a transformed life so we can prove
that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
Oh there's so much more. Let's go on down.
Verse 34. Well, no, let's just go on.
There are things that we need to get to tonight.
That's we've talked about in Luke 640 and disciple when he's
fully trained will be like his feature.
Christlikeness is our objective and my friends, if you're not
being christ-like in your home, it to your husband, to your
wife, to your children, to your employer, to your neighbors, you
haven't really grasp the authentic Christianity, that
Jesus Christ taught Jesus Christ did not bring a form of
godliness, he brought the reality of it and that is what
we his followers are supposed to adopt and that kind of holy
living is what we're supposed to be devoted to but we can talk,
we can preach a lot of we could scratch a lot of itching ears
tonight by just talking about what happens in the assembly and
my friends. That's important.
We must worship God in spirit truth, John for 23 and 24.
Don't get me wrong. But don't substitute that
assembly for the holy life, you can't do it.
They're both equally important. All of its important.
And so in our holy living, we have got to ask myself.
Is this the way Jesus would behave toward his children,
toward his parents toward a husband and toward a wife, a my
reflecting what the word of God teaches?
Do I reflect my knowledge of the word of God, when I read
Ephesians 5, is it? Something people can see in my
life and can you Preach, what I practice does the word of God
substantiate the way I'm behaving.
And the attitudes, I possess well tonight, let's talk about
one specific thing. It's 8:15, I'm going to, you
know, Monday night, I gave you, I thought they paid overtime and
so I went long but last night, I cut it off and tonight I'm going
to try to cut it off to, I get really in enthused in some of
these things. But tonight I want to look at
some primary things that the Bible says, we've got to put off
if You'll turn to First Peter once again.
First Peter, the second chapter verse 1 through 3 notice, let's
talk about one thing where he says, therefore putting aside
all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy.
We talked about that the other night, we talked about what,
Apocrypha see was it was that insincerity, it was that
sometimes majoring on the miners, it was that sometimes
that, that that being hypercritical, and we talked
about all those aspects of it. But notice what he says here,
all envy and all slander, like, newborn babes long for the pure.
Lotus, what he says in verse too, long.
Long. And that word long.
Their beans desire earnestly. It's like a romantic term.
What happens when you long for someone?
Well, it's something that you focus and you miss them and you
want them and you want them to be with you.
I long for them and he says, long here, verse 24, the pure
milk of the word. So that by it, you may grow in
respect to Salvation. If you have tasted of the
kindness of the Lord, this is supposed to be a Christians
attitude. He's so both still long for this
word. It's something we're supposed to
desire. I hope you're spiritually
healthy enough, that you have an appetite.
You know, whenever the doctor asks you if you've lost your
appetite that's a sign that maybe not everything is alright
and spiritually. The same thing is true whenever
a Christian does not long for the word, there may be some
weakness. There may be some spiritual
cancer, there's something going on in their life, that's not
right. Because newborn babes long for
the milk of the word, they long for it.
They look forward to it. They are satisfied when they're
getting nourished on it and that's what Christians are
supposed to be as well, long for the pure milk of the word.
So that by it you may grow in respect to salvation but let's
talk about one of the things he mentioned.
Like we said we're going to get to one of them anyway tonight,
one of the things he mentioned putting away in verse one is all
Pas. Crasy and all in be and I'll
slander. To talk about Envy for just a
moment. If you've got your old
testament's, please turn to Psalms, Psalm, if you wilt Psalm
number 73 and Psalm 73, the entire Psalm is a Psalm talking
about the temptation of envy. That isn't that interesting?
I didn't think Envy was that big of a thing to put out of my
life. Well, he says, as newborn babes,
it's something that's supposed to be put out of our Lives.
First thing first thing. What is Envy have you has
anybody ever asked you? What is Envy?
Well, you might not. You may say, well, I I don't
know what the words are, but I know when I've arrived, if I
have that feeling, I go. What is that feeling?
How do you know that you've envied something or that you are
envious of it? Well, I asked the young kids at
the Whispering Pines congregation, I asked the
younger ones about 13 and 14. I said, help me with this word
in vien and what is, how do you know when you're envious or not?
And one of the little kids, just hit it right on the head.
He said. It's that uncomfortable feeling
whenever somebody gets a new pair of shoes.
I said from the shoes, he said no, whenever they get shoes that
I wanted, it's that uncomfortable feeling when I
write see them when those shoes and I go and I'm comfortable
feeling. Yeah.
In other words, he's saying, I want them and they got them.
It makes me feel uncomfortable about it and I thought, well,
that's that's an interesting definition.
But, you know, it is kind of an uncomfortable feeling.
Think about it for a minute, everything's fine with you and
your friends until they get a different kind of car your head.
Are satisfied. You know, you're satisfied with
everything until they get another house, and then
something happens to you, it makes you feel uncomfortable.
Uncomfortable about it. You begin to maybe get envious
of them. Ah, that's it.
Maybe it's their new boyfriend, their new girlfriend, their new
bike, their new shoes, their new shirt.
I don't care what it is. Anything fill in the blank.
It's whenever somebody else is blessed.
And instead of rejoicing, with those who rejoice, it makes you
feel uncomfortable. You go.
Yeah, you know, I thought well Glenn, you know, you're mature,
you don't have these feelings very often, you know, do you?
And I thought Glen, are you ever India?
So I asked myself Glenn, are you ever envious?
You know, I'm really not envious of other people's cars.
I know they I know they lose that new car smell.
Just put a kid in it for a while and it'll lose the new cards.
Now, you know, houses need maintenance.
I've had houses, I know that they get old, you know, knew
this thing that that's not it. Grandkids.
Somebody got a grandkid and I went, I wish I had one of those.
That's the thing. You know?
That's something you kind of go, man.
I'd like one of those so I asked my daughter.
Can I have a grandkid? And she says, if I helped pay
for shipping but anyway, the whole point is You know, it may
be something weird. It may not be material.
We're not talking about materialism here.
Mostly when you use the word envy or coverages, you think
about materialism but guess what?
Folks, it doesn't just apply to materialism.
It applies to listen any blessing that someone else has
That you wish you had. That's whenever you know, you're
envious, it could be respect, it could be a blessing of something
else. Some other kind, it could be the
fact that they're healthy and you're not, it could be all
kinds of things that create this sense of Envy within you this
uncomfortableness. It's somebody else's blessing
that, that feeling of jealousy. And by the way, this Greek word
is the root word for jealousy as well.
In fact, many translators, translate them interchangeably
jealousy and envy because they're both it conveys.
The same idea. The Bible says this attitude is
devilish or evil. Notice in James the third
chapter In James the third chapter, they're starting read
verse 14, 13, WHO among you is wise and understanding.
Let him show by his good behavior, his deeds in the
gentleness of wind wisdom, but if you have bitter jealousy,
there's that word that's translated in be in First Peter,
to notice bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart.
Do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth.
This wisdom is not that which comes down from above But his
Earthly natural, not spiritual and demonic demonic.
Look at that word there. In verse 15 demonic.
Verse 16, for where jealousy and selfish ambition exist.
There is disorder and every evil thing.
But the wisdom from above is first, pure then Peaceable,
gentle reasonable full of mercy and good, fruits unwavering
without hypocrisy, who's the, and the seed, whose fruit is
righteousness, is sown in Peace by those who make peace.
Now, here's where God exposes us to ourselves.
He says, this is not Heavenly wisdom, this is Earthly wisdom.
This is natural as Posed to spiritual.
And it is demonic instead of Godly.
This is something that must be put out of our young Christian
Hearts. It's something that's got to be
put out of it. Well Glen, you know what is the
difference between being motivated and Desiring
something? And being envious, good
question, that is a good question because all of us are
motivated to W certain things. Whenever we see things,
advertise, we may want something good.
Refreshing drink, you're not envious of that drink yet you
Desire. It it's not wrong for us to want
to get a better house, or get a better car or anything like
that. That's not the point.
It's not Wang for us to want to improve ourselves to be more
respected. But envious has within that
desire, the quality of being irritated that others are
blessed. That's indeed, it's being upset
with someone else's blessing. The point is, is if we, We do it
for ourselves. If we do it to improve
ourselves, if we have a goal and we go after it, that's one
thing, but to be irritated at somebody else's blessings, there
are thin That's the point he wants us to get and he says, I
want you to get that out of your heart and out of your mind, you
know, Envy has hurt the church, probably more than anything
else. It really has envy and jealousy
in James of for chapter, just go back on.
Gone to the next chapter. In James chapter 4, verse 1 and
2. What is the source of quarrels
and conflicts among you is not the source?
Your pleasures that wage war in your members?
You lust and do not have. So you commit murder.
You are envious and cannot obtain.
So you fight and quarrel you do not have because you do not ask.
Now, there's where he says, where's the source of the
quarrels? Where's the fighting?
Among you? He says it's your jealousy.
It's that's what's caused a lot of problems in the church.
A brother. No, get a new car and
inadvertently. There's nothing wrong with
buying a new car, but some other brother will be envious of that.
And it'll create bitterness, it'll create jealousy and envy
and it becomes the source of trouble later on all of sudden,
trouble shows up and nobody connects, nobody connects the
the problem with the new car, nobody connects the problem with
the new house, nobody connects the problem with the new child,
the new blessing, whatever it might be, but there is a
connection, the connection is envy and jealousy.
My friends, when things explode and there's no seeming
connection, double check, if you're uncomfortable at somebody
else's blessing, perhaps, that's the problem in our hearts and
our minds, but my friend's, this is such a great Temptation, you
might say, well, Glenn that's pretty selfish and that's very
childish, that should never be a problem for us.
Well, as Christians, you know, sometimes generally we are
jealous. We are envious of the wicked in
Psalm 73. Like I said, we were let me read
verse 1. Let's Start read it together.
If Open to Psalm 73. Surely God is good to Israel.
Notice what he says to those who are pure in heart but as for me
my feet came close to stumbling, you know, a song here in this.
Psalm the writer is saying, my feet came close to stumbling and
here's why notice my steps had almost slipped verse 3.
For I was envious of the Arrogant as I saw the prosperity
of the wicked for there were no pains in their death and their
body is fat. I think that is probably changed
Through the Ages. But it says they were blast.
Notice they are, they are not in trouble as other men nor are
they plagued like mankind. Therefore pride is in there
necklace and the Garment of violence covers them their eyes
bulge from fatness, the imaginations of their heart run
Riot, they Mock and wickedly speak of Oppression.
They speak from on high, they have set their mouth against the
heavens and their tongue parades through the Earth.
Now, here the writer is saying, look.
I was perfectly fine, living my life until I began to look at a
wicked man. One day and I saw his arrogance
and I saw the way he died, I saw the way he lived.
All the blessings that he had and I almost slipped.
I almost slipped because I envied the wicked.
Has that ever happened to you? Has that ever happened?
When it whenever you grown weary of serving God and you do it and
you do it and it cost you and your persecuted for it and there
doesn't seem to be any blessing and those who are wicked.
Just go act, wickedly and seem to get blessed and blessed and
blessed. And there's that little
temptation to Envy The Wicked. The Bible says, don't let your
heart and be Sinners, don't let it happen.
Proverbs 23 and verse 17, I want you to all memorize this
passage. I want you to really think about
its message, and I want to see if it affects your heart and
your mind, Psalms 23 and verse 17, do not let your heart in be
Sinners, but live in the fear of the Lord always, you know, All
the way through the scriptures. The Bible tells us of envious
people. All we could talk about so many
tonight because of Envy Cain slew Abel First John 3 and verse
2, because of Envy, the Philistines stopped up Isaac's
well, Genesis 26, because of Envy Joseph's brothers, sold him
into slavery, Genesis 37, verse 11, because of Envy men
crucified the Lord, Matthew, 27 and verse 18, because of Envy
the apostles were cast. Prison acts 5 verse 17.
Envy is a big problem. Envy is a big problem.
The Bible says in Proverbs 14 and verse 30, but in Venus is a
rottenness to the Bone. It's a rottenness what that word
suggests cancer. My friends bone cancer is what
he's talking about. In other words, it's cancer to
the very thing that holds your body.
Upright, it real a road, the very thing that causes you to
stand, Envy is nasty and horrible, it's a malignancy in
your life, crook. Wrath is cruel and anger
outrageous, but who is able to stand before Envy Proverbs 27
and verse 4 in these associated with all kinds of.
So, I want you to notice how many times it's brought up envy
and jealousy because of the same thing notice in Galatians. 5
verse 19. Let's see if you're taking
notes, please take some notes real quick and I'll repeat them
twice so that you can write them down in Galatians 5 and verse
19. Notice what it says here.
Now, the Deeds of the flesh are evident which are immorality
impurity situation, ality idolatry sorcery, enmities
Strife jealousy. There's the word right there.
It means Envy jealousy. Outbursts of anger disputes.
Factions dissensions factions, in beings this word in beams is
even more. It's in the plural and it means
having a heart that is if you will covetousness, it really
probably should be translated. Coverages.
But the whole point is, is he's talking about all of these
things that are works of the flesh, their deeds of the flesh,
but notice the fruits of the spirit verse 22.
But the fruit of the spirit is love joy, peace patience.
Kindness goodness and faithfulness gentleness
self-control against such things.
There is no law. This is the character.
Des, if you will description that a Christian is supposed to
have those last fruits to the spirit, but he said this other
description is something that's not supposed to be in Christians
at tall and notice in 2nd Corinthians 12 and 20. 2nd
Corinthians, 12, and verse 20. It says, I am afraid that
perhaps when I come I may find you not to be what?
I wish that may be found to you, be not what you wishes.
Well perhaps there will be Strife, jealousy, angry tempers
disputes Slanders, gossip arrogance, disturbances.
And I'm afraid that when I come again, my God May humiliate me
before you. He mentions, all of these lists
of debates and write a wrath. And, and problems, First Timothy
6 and verse 4, if you're taking notes, It's associated with all
kinds of evil strife and railings.
Perverse disputing Titus 33 foolishness dose, obedience
diverse lusts, Titus 33. First Corinthians 3, 1 through
3, Romans 129, we don't have time to mention all the places
that the word ND is found in the scriptures.
But what is the remedy for it? What is the remedy for it?
Now, this may be kind of interesting.
You may say, oh, Clank Clin. Now, that I know this is
something I need to put off. I need to put in its place.
You know, the Bible tells us every don't don't Christianity
is not a don't do religion. A lot of times people consider
themselves just to be Christians because they don't murder.
Don't steal don't lie, you know. Are you a good Christian?
Yeah, I don't do a lot of things.
Well, my friends, Christianity is stopping doing some things
but it's doing its positively doing some things we need to
replace the Avoid, we need to stop doing certain things and
then start doing other things to fill that void in our lives.
And so the, why do we fill in be with when we put in be out of
our Lives? Well, we put in love because the
Bible says in First Corinthians 13 and verse 4 love, doesn't
Envy There it is. The solution to Envy is love.
Well, wait a minute, I think I love my sister, my brother, the
gets. Oh, really then why aren't you
rejoicing with them? Or are you selfishly saying?
I wish I had it, and they didn't That's not real love.
Love is truly. And honestly rejoicing with
somebody who is rejoicing? Let me put it this way.
One writer I was reading after this, Jay Adams, he talks about
some of the things he says. Sometimes the best comparison is
to make it is to understand your feelings toward a child.
That gets an award. You know, do you do you feel
envious of your child? Whenever your child is honored
whenever your child is honored? You kind of go great.
You did so good and you're happy for them, aren't you?
You don't, you don't kind of say, you know, honey I really
felt empty tonight. Whenever my child received the
role that award, I'd all the lights just went off of me and I
felt empty and lost. What do you say to somebody like
that? Get a life.
That's what you probably say. It's not all about you.
That's what you. If somebody really says that you
wouldn't say you are. Why would you be jealous of your
son, or your daughter getting an award?
Gimme a Break because you love them.
You want to see them honored. Can we make a parallel to the
church? Yes, whenever brother and
sisters are blessed. It's not about what you don't
have. It's about what they're
receiving Rejoice with them. Be happy for them, be happy.
They got that car. So don't we ask him to borrow
yours be and be thankful whenever they got that new
computer be thankful whenever they got their blessing,
whatever it might be because you're not supposed to be
thinking about what you haven't got.
It's not about you. It's about them Rejoice with
them. First, Corinthians 2:12 chapter.
So love does not envy a parent. Doesn't experience discomfort
over the advantage and blessings of their children and neither
should we? We to one another, the Bible
said Paul says, put on the Lord Jesus Christ Romans 13 verse 13
and 14. Let's look at this passage
because he just tells us to put off the Envy notice in Romans
13. I do want to, I'm going to have
to speed on here but Romans 13. Verse 13 and 14.
Let us behave properly, as in the day, not in carousing and
drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and set in situat
nor in strife, and jealousy, but put on the Lord, Jesus Christ,
and make no provision for the Flesh and regards to its lust.
He tells us here whenever we're putting on the Lord, Jesus
Christ, that it's going to automatically.
Take off, take off Envy in our lives.
Jesus Christ, wasn't envious. Jesus Christ, wasn't envious.
Let me ask one more question, then I'll bring our lesson to a
focus here at the end, but you know what have you ever worked
in an office with a lot of people.
Have you ever heard the petty stuff that goes on sometimes in
office? You know, somebody was
disrespected, they disrespected me, they didn't wash my coffee
cup. They did, they took my parking
place and all kinds of the garbage.
Did you know people get killed over that kind of stuff people
get killed. There was a boy killed over a
pair of tennis shoes that he wore to school.
It was a source of murder. Source of murder in school.
Somebody's tennis shoes. Give me a break.
I don't care what your label says.
Is it is the label on your clothes causing problems at
school at work, the kind of clothes you have our, don't have
does what somebody else where causing you problems.
It really is childish. And it really is not like
Christ. Let's Christians as Christians.
We're not playing church tonight.
We're not here. Scratching Engineers, folks.
I'm trying to get really real Since we're trying to imitate
Jesus, jealousy is something that was no part of his
character and it should have no part of ours.
Let it totally get out of us. Let's think about others welfare
above our own. It B is one of the works of the
flesh. It is not a work of the spirit,
therefore we should not. If there's any place that a
person should find Refuge from envious pettiness, it should be
in the body of Jesus Christ in Philippians chapter 4 and verse
11. In Philippians 4:11 right quick.
Not that I speak from want. Paul says, for I have learned to
be content and whatever. Circumstances I am, the Apostle
Paul learned that whatever he had, he was going to be content
with it. And that's what we need to be in
this world. We need to learn some
contentment. We need to put to death, some
materialism. We need to put to death envy and
jealousy. Let's just learn.
Paul said he was a secret that he had to learn and it is a mark
of maturity learn. Learn to be content, learn to be
content. We can overcome Envy if we will
consider. What Envy is what the nature of
it is. What its source is, what its
cost is the Habit that it's rigged, wrecked on the church,
and exactly how much it is, not in the image of Jesus Christ.
So tonight, that's all we've got time for.
I wish we could talk, I wanted to bring in hatred to, but we're
not going to have time to bring that in.
Night. The lesson is yours.
We've looked into the word of God, and we've saw its one
aspect of it, and one aspect of a character thing that we've got
to change. Now tonight, this may or may not
have applied to you, but one thing we can do is teach our
children, not to Envy. We can teach them about how to
Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep and
not whine about not having what other all the other little kids
have. My friend, you can teach your
children, very basically early on not to hate and you could
teach them not to Envy as well, don't it anytime your child.
It sometimes looks down on another kid because of the
clothing there where that's something that really needs to
be corrected, but, more than that, it may be expected of a
child, but never in an adult. Let us get it out of our Lives.
Let's make sure that we don't reflect to our children
attitudes that are Unworthy of following Jesus Christ.
Let's make sure that we're not uncomfortable.
When somebody else is blessed. Okay.
Because Jesus rejoices with those who rejoice and he weeps
with those who weep. So tonight the lessons yours.
We don't have time to look at everything in the mirror
tonight. I would love to but I can't have
time tonight. If you have any questions about
this or anything else about the church, or about the necessity,
the need of looking into the mirror of the word tonight, then
please just ask and we'll attempt to give an answer for
the hope that lies within us tonight.
If you want to know how to please God, I don't we don't
stand up here, like, Paula, missions and say, trust me, I
know you need to ask a question of somebody who says, they know,
What do you know, where in the scriptures?
Is that what scripture tells that?
Oh, dude? Is that something you just
imagined? Something you thought up
something? You think something you guessed?
Or is this a word? What is the word of God teach?
I want to know how to please God.
Well the Bible tells us what it takes to please.
God without faith, Hebrews 11 and verse 6.
It is impossible to please him. If you want to, please God, you
can you can do all kinds of religious are behave in
religious ways. But without faith, It is totally
insincerity at Apocrypha see. God says he's not pleased ta
even though you give your body to be burned and have not
charity. It profiteth.
Nothing First Corinthians 13. What's going on in our heart is
important. So he says without faith, it's
impossible to please him Hebrews 11 and verse 6, in our faith.
Then what do we do? I believe.
In God, I believe Jesus is the son of God.
I believe that he brought the message from God, what is it
that he wants me to do? Jesus says, if you keep my words
this, He it is who loves me in John the 16th chapter Jesus,
what do you want me to do? Jesus himself said in Mark
16:16. He that believes and is baptized
shall be saved. But he that believeth not shall
be damned, you know he didn't have to say and is baptized not
because if somebody didn't believe, they're not going to
obey him. All you need to say is he that
believes in is baptized shall be saved my friends.
That's what Jesus told us to trust.
If we trust him, we trust his word and as a preacher of God's
word, I don't know what churches either say that or don't say
that, but that's what I've got to teach tonight because that's
what Mark 16:15. And 16 says, and I'm not making
a guess about it. That's what it says he that
believes in is baptized shall be saved.
If you have a right to leave out, baptism, I have a right to
relieve that belief. But who's going to do that?
God says don't. You add to or take away from my
word. So we're not doing that tonight.
Tonight. This church did get together and
vote on what it took to please. God, we just try to follow the
word of God. That's all it is.
So tonight, the word says, Mark 16:16.
He, that believes and is baptized shall be saved.
We've got to repent of our sins to accepting 30.
God is commanding all men everywhere to repent.
That means we've got to make a choice that we're going to
follow Jesus and stop sinning and start obeying.
So we've repent of our sins and the bond, our repentance and
upon our belief, and our on, and we're going to go ahead and obey
the Lord. What does he tell us to do?
He tells us to confess Jesus Christ before men.
Matthew 10:32, it's not a one-time thing.
Matthew 10:32 says, whoever, confesses me before men him will
I confess before my Father which is in heaven.
Whosoever shall deny me before men him will I deny before my
Father, which is in heaven. We need to confess that we
believe Jesus Christ, the son of God before Men.
First John chapter 4. Makes it very plain that we need
to confess that. Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
Why do you believe Peter was asked Peter?
What a man said, uphill one of the prophets, one of the set.
What do you believe? I believe you're the Christ.
I believe you're the Son of God. That's what we need to stand up
and say tonight, I believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God and
upon that confession were fit subject for baptism in Acts 8.
And they both went down both Philip and the eunuch into the
water and he baptized him and he went on his way rejoicing.
Tonight, why is baptism? So important, why is he immersed
in water? So important, I do want you to
look at one last person passage right quick.
Please turn to Roman's the sixth chapter in Romans the 6th after
we're talking about change and I want to talk about the important
part right here. This last / I promise.
This is the last verse. Usually at my home congregation
whenever whenever I say ask the brother in there, what does
Glenn mean whenever he says in conclusion and they say it means
absolutely nothing. But look at this passage right
quick and Romans 6 chapter. Verse 3.
Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into
Christ? Jesus have been baptized into
his death. Therefore, we have been buried
with him. With him.
I thought I was only one of the water.
No, we've been buried with him, end get through baptism into
death. That as Christ was raised from
the dead, through the glory of the father.
So we too might walk in newness of Life verse 54.
If we have become United with him in the likeness of his
death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of his
resurrection knowing this that our old Old self was crucified
with him in order that the body of sin might be done away with.
So we would no longer be slaves to sin right there.
Folks were United with him in the likeness of his death,
baptism is a lightness of the death of Jesus Christ.
He died was buried and raised. He says, we do a likeness of
that. In baptism, we do.
I to our sin were buried in water.
Not sprinkled, we don't sprinkle people here.
Sprinkling dirt on somebody doesn't bury him and sprinkling
water on. Somebody doesn't bury him
either. We are immersed in water in the
likeness of his death and then raised to walk in newness of
life. That's why baptism is so
important because it brings about that change that freedom
from sin that death to sin and and a whole new life.
So tonight if you want to start change, that's the very
beginning. It's obeying the gospel.
The good news about Christ's death, burial, Resurrection by
imitating, it in your life. Have you been baptized in a
likeness of Jesus? Death, burial.
Resurrection in baptism tonight. If you haven't, we stand?
Ready and willing to help you do that in our following of Jesus.
Jesus Christ. All of us.
We're not here. We're not a club for perfect
people tonight. We're a bunch of imperfect
people that are trying our best to imitate Jesus Christ, and we
need your help. Won't you come and join with us
tonight on that Journey? Come with us.
If you haven't obeyed the Lord. Now, you know, at least some
primary things to do. So put off and put on to do.
Why don't you do what? You know, you've looked into the
word. If you see that you need to do
that. Then why don't you let us help
you do that? We thank you for listening to
our podcast, put on by the Church of Christ at 22:15 plans.
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