Transcript Envy - Spiritbuilding

Envy
…coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander,
pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from
within, and they defile a person.” (Mark 7:22-23 ESV)
Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual
immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery,
enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries,
dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and
things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before,
that those who do such things will not inherit the
kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21 ESV)
So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and
envy and all slander. (1 Peter 2:1 ESV)
Envy is dangerous because…
1. It is easily disguised
Envy is dangerous because…
1. It is easily disguised
2. It is not restrained to one person
And the officers shall speak further to the people,
and say, ‘Is there any man who is fearful and
fainthearted? Let him go back to his house, lest he
make the heart of his fellows melt like his own.’
(Deuteronomy 20:8 ESV)
Envy is dangerous because…
1. It is easily disguised
2. It is not restrained to one person
3. The number of casualties is staggering
The casualties are staggering
1. Fractures families
1. Cain and Abel
2. Sarah and Hagar
3. Joseph and his brothers
The casualties are staggering
1. Fractures families
2. Lacerates leadership
And they rose up before Moses, with a number of the
people of Israel, 250 chiefs of the congregation, chosen
from the assembly, well-known men. They assembled
themselves together against Moses and against Aaron
and said to them, “You have gone too far! For all in the
congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD
is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above
the assembly of the LORD?” (Numbers 16:2-3 ESV)
The casualties are staggering
1. Fractures families
2. Lacerates leadership
3. Crumbles churches
If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree
with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the
teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with
conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy
craving for controversy and for quarrels about words,
which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions,
and constant friction among people…
(1 Timothy 6:3-5 ESV)
The casualties are staggering
1.
2.
3.
4.
Fractures families
Lacerates leadership
Crumbles churches
Delivered an innocent man
For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief
priests had delivered him up. (Mark 15:10 ESV)
Our Envy is Often Inflamed…
when those not following God have it good
Ps. 73:3, 5-6- have no trouble, much pride
Ps. 73:8-9- they scoff, threaten, talk big
Ps. 73: 10- good men find no fault
Ps. 73:13-14- wasting time in doing good?
Ps. 73:17- end of the story explains things
Fret not yourself because of evildoers, and be not
envious of the wicked, for the evil man has no
future; the lamp of the wicked will be put out.
(Proverbs 24:19-20 ESV)
Our Envy is Often Inflamed…
when others live more righteous than us
Successful soul winning?
Sacrificial service?
Leadership attention?
Envy says,
“Why them?” “Why not me?”
What can be done about envy?
•
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Rejoice in other’s blessings
Be thankful for what YOU have received
So put away all malice and all deceit and
hypocrisy and envy and all slander. …if
indeed you have tasted that the Lord is
good. (1 Peter 2:1-3 ESV)
What can be done about envy?
•
•
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Rejoice in other’s blessings
Be thankful for what YOU have received
Stop the comparisons
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with
every spiritual blessing in the heavenly
places, (Ephesians 1:3 ESV)
What can be done about envy?
•
•
•
•
Rejoice in other’s blessings
Be thankful for what YOU have received
Stop the comparisons
Be more concerned about glorifying God
• To this end we always pray for you, that our
God may make you worthy of his calling and
may fulfill every resolve for good and every
work of faith by his power, so that the name
of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and
you in him, according to the grace of our God
and the Lord Jesus Christ.
• (2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 ESV)
ENVY is …
• Not worth the bitterness
• Not worth the resentment
• Not worth the fractured
relationships
• Not worth losing one’s
place in the kingdom