The Dreamer: Part I: A Warning Against Jealousy

Introduction

Illustration

The world is filled with warning signs. There are signs that tell us to stop. There are signs that tell us not to touch certain wires. There are even signs that tell us not to touch wet paint.

-This summer I was putting up pools for the kids in the learning center and I noticed the warning sign at the bottom of the pool that was very straightforward. It said,

-“NO DIVING! You can break your neck and be paralyzed.”

It almost makes you not want to swim in the thing! Warning signs are there to keep us from doing something that can cause harm.

Transition

In the Bible we have many warning signs. Signs posted to warn us against potential danger.

In our story today, there are some warning signs against jealousy and bitterness. I looked up the definition for jealousy, and the first definition was terrible. Jealousy is the state of being jealous.

“No duh, right?” Jealousy is a word that we understand better through actions than probably through words to describe. A definition of jealousy though is one who is hostile toward a rival or one believed to enjoy an advantage.

hostile toward a rival or one believed to enjoy an advantage

To be jealous is to have a dislike for someone because of what they have, what they are, who they know, and that dislike causes a bad attitude against the person they are jealous against.

Jealousy is synonymous to envy and linked to covetousness, wanting something others have to a point of lust.

The point is this, jealousy and bitterness is sin. Both can be damaging to your soul. I come to you today, to open up as a warning sign to you and I against these sins.

Transition

This morning I want us to see Three Warning Signs against Jealousy and Bitterness.

Don’t Let Jealousy Create Bitterness against Others (v. 1-4)

It is evident from these verses that Joseph may have been the favored son, but he was not the favored sibling!

He was the most hated sibling in the household because he was the most favored by his dad. We also get insight in verse 2 that Joseph took a stand for right.

We’re not exactly sure what was going on, but Joseph was working in the fields feeding flocks and saw that his family members that he was working with was doing something wrong and he made his father aware of it.

This most likely did not help the perception that they already had of Joseph. We’re told that Joseph received a coat of many colors from his father. While that would not be the most fashionable trend of today to wear, back in the day that would have been a costly garment.

The brothers knew that, because the Bible says that when they saw their fathers love displayed toward Joseph in this way, they hated Joseph and could not speak peacefully with him.

Because of what Joseph had, the other brothers hated him. They wanted what Joseph had. They wished they had the rich garment. They wished that their father gave them the attention that young Joseph got.

They looked at their life and upbringing and compared it to Joseph and saw that it was different so it infuriated them. Because Joseph was favored and they were not.

Young people, be careful of comparing your life with other people. Because comparison will cause covetousness and discontentment.

In fact, the Bible warns us against comparison:

2 Corinthians 10:12 KJV 1900

For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.

It is unwise to compare your life to someone else. You’ll start to wonder why you don’t have what they have. Why you’re not treated the same way they are.

“Well, if only I looked like them. If only I grew up in the family they did. I wish the teacher treated me the way they treat them. Why do I always get in trouble and they don’t?”

And we start to pull the victim card on every situation by comparing our life with someone else’s. We get to a point where we are bitter against others that might have things we wish we had.

Who do you have jealousy toward this morning? I already know your answer, “I’m not jealous. I’m not jealous of them.” Let me ask it this way, “Who is it that you just can’t stand to be around. They’re just so, you fill in the blank.”

If that’s how you feel about someone, you’re bitter. It could be that the bitterness has stemmed off of jealousy. It could be a sister, a cousin, a brother, a person in this room, a teacher, a parent.

When there is jealousy involved there is this insecurity that is coupled with it. Because we think somehow that we have to make ourselves look better than them. Or somehow prove them wrong with what we think their perception of us is.

So we will live our life to impress someone we claim we don’t even like. Could I challenge you young people that if your life is consumed about trying to impress others, you will live a very defeated and disappointed life.

Your life should be consumed with pleasing God. God is already accepting of you because He’s the one that gives you the next breath that you’ll take.

He’s the one who’s given you this day to live. He loves you unconditionally. He is the one worthy of living for.

If you will cure the bitterness and jealousy in your life, you need to stop looking at everyone else and what they have, and look at what you have in Christ.

Let me just point this out. We find that Joseph and his love for God was authentic because when that relationship he had with his father was taken away and the garment was ripped apart, Joseph’s faith was unwavering.

If we’re not careful we will try to substitute our joy for things, people,

Don’t Let Bitterness Cloud Your Judgment of Others (v. 5-11)

Joseph gives the dreams and interpretations he had to his family. The message that he gives to them is widely rejected, save his own father who at first questioned it.

In this passage it would seem that Joseph is being arrogant with this new knowledge he had, but that is not the case at all. He was simply delivering truth that later would come to pass and ultimately save his families’ life.

But since Joseph’s brothers had already made up their mind that they hated their brother, they would not listen to what he had to say. They thought he was only trying to promote his own agenda and make himself greater than he already was.

So anything that came out of his mouth, even if Joseph were to say, “If you don’t do this judgment is coming your way,” I believe they would have rejected the message simply because of who was delivering it.

No doubt there’s some of you in this room who have bitterness in your heart. When you see certain people it gets your blood boiling. When your mom or dad tries talking to you, in your head you just mock them the whole time.

When a teacher corrects you, you get angry. When someone who you have jealousy toward gets the right answer you mumble things under your breath about them.

Little do you know that the one who is receiving the most damage to your bitterness, is you. It is destroying your soul. If you have a parent who doesn’t let you do everything you want to do, you should be thankful for that.

If they try to speak truth into your life, you should listen. When a teacher is trying to teach you a life lesson or trying to warn you about something you’re doing. They care about you. They are looking out for you and you should take heart to what they are saying.

When a pastor preaches a message or counsels you in a certain area, you should not put your fingers in your ears and act as if you heard nothing, you should listen to what is being said to you.

I found that, even when I was a teenager, the people I was most bitter against were those in authority over me. I wish I would have listened to what some of them were trying to tell me.

But because I was so bitter and stubborn in my heart, I didn’t. Bitterness will cloud your judgment of others.

Satan would like you to believe that your parents know nothing and that that teacher really doesn’t care about you. Just so that you’ll reject truth that is trying to be instilled within you.

I’m sure when the famine in Israel came around and the brothers found out that their brother Joseph was a part of the kingdom in Egypt, they probably wished that they had listened to what their brother was trying to tell them.

But they were so bitter they couldn’t hear the message.

Don’t let bitterness make you miss important messages from influential people in your life. Let go of it and you’ll be glad you did.

Don’t Let Jealousy & Bitterness Lead You to Cause Harm Against Others (v. 12-36)

In verses 12-17 we find that Joseph is told by his father to go to Shechem to find his brothers. Joseph goes to Shechem, but his brothers aren’t there. He finds a man there and asks if he had seen his brothers and he tells him to go to Dothan.

Joseph arrives in Dothan, finds his brothers, and verse 18 tells us:

Genesis 37:18 KJV 1900

And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.

In verse 20 they say:

Genesis 37:20 KJV 1900

Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.

But it’s amazing to me, God’s hand in Joseph’s life, because God moves Reuben to convince the others not to kill Joseph. Instead they said to leave him in a pit.

In verse 25, the plot changes again and God is at work.

Genesis 37:25 KJV 1900

And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt.

They get the idea to sell their brother into slavery for twenty pieces of silver. They take that coat of many colors, dip it in blood, fabricate a story to tell Jacob, their father, that his youngest son was killed by an evil beast.

What a twisted plot, all because of deep rooted bitterness in their hearts. This bitterness would have caused them to murder if Reuben had not stepped in.

Genesis 4:8 KJV 1900

And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.

Jealousy, anger, bitterness. You say, “Oh, my bitterness isn’t that bad Mr. Bennett, I mean I have it under control.” I guarantee you though, one day your bitterness will be manifested.

Your bitterness will come out through your actions. Whether it be words that are said that are hurtful. Whether it mean relationships are lost. Whether it means a life is taken.

When you continually dwell upon that jealousy and you feed that bitterness, it is only a matter of time that it will come to light what is in your heart.

Why are there so many shootings? Why is there so much violence? Why so many murders? There are many contributing factors to these daily tragedies, but I believe probably quite a few of them could have been prevented if bitterness was dealt with in their life.

Don’t let Jealousy and bitterness lead you to cause harm to others.

Jealousy and Bitterness Is A Heart Issue

We have looked at how to deal with others in the wrong way. What is an example that we can look at and say, “This is how I should react or act.” I believe you find a great example in this chapter. Joseph.

Joseph could have got bitter. Joseph could have been jealous. But nothing in this passage indicates that. Now, you might be thinking, “What did Joseph have to be bitter about?”

Think about how he was mistreated. Could you imagine being Joseph at a family reunion? He would have been excluded from every conversation, every activity. He would have got glares.

But in this chapter when asked to check on his brother he did it, and he did it until he found them.

Another thing, no one listened to him. He had truth. He was trying to help. And he was rejected. Yet, he didn’t get angry and storm off. He displayed love and patience toward his family.

You say, “Yeah, but he was favored of his father with that nice jacket.” But both of those were taken from him when he was sold into slavery. All of that was lost.

Yet, we can’t find anywhere where Joseph got bitter about what was happening. Joseph is proof to us, that it is possible for people to mistreat you and do wrong by you, yet still have a loving spirit toward them.

Joseph’s soul was anchored to God. His heart was for God. He had a right perspective of the adversities he faced.

Genesis 50:20 KJV 1900

But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

Joseph looked at his life in the big picture and plan that God had. His heart was right, and in his adversities he acted in the right way.

Conclusion

10,000 Sermon Illustrations Feathers

There is a fable of an eagle which could outfly another, and the other didn’t like it. The latter saw a sportsman one day, and said to him: “I wish you would bring down that eagle.”

The sportsman replied that he would if he only had some feathers to put into the arrow. So the eagle pulled one out of his wing. he arrow was shot, but didn’t quite reach the rival eagle; it was flying too high. The envious eagle pulled out more feathers, and kept pulling them out until he lost so many that he couldn’t fly, and then the sportsman turned around and killed him.

My friend, if you are jealous, the only man you can hurt is yourself.

The lesson from the fable is that if you are jealous, the only person you can hurt is yourself.

Are you jealous today? Are you bitter? If you are, the only person you are hurting is yourself.