Guarding Against The Green Eyed Monster of Envy
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
One of the most destructive emotions that a person can have is “Envy”. There is a phrase, “They turned green with envy”, means that a person became sick in jealousy to the point of obsession to cause someone harm. Jealousy means we feel rejected or threatened by losing something/someones love, while envy means we want what someone else has and will go to great lengths to obtain it even if we destroy them in the process.
[Ills.] There was a story about a small town merchant who was consumed with envy toward his number one competitor. One day as he was walking along the beach he found a bottle. He opened the bottle, and in a puff of smoke a genie appeared. The genie looked at the envious merchant and said, “I have been locked up in that bottle for 3,000 years, so I want to give you three wishes for setting me free. However, I must warn you that whatever I give you I must give double to the person you envy most.”
The man thought for a moment and said, “Ok. My first wish is for 100 million dollars.” The genie agreed but said, “I’ll have to give 200 million to the person you envy most.” The merchant said, “That’s ok.” Next, the merchant said, “I want you to make my wife beautiful.” The genie said, “Ok, but I’ll have to make the wife of the person you envy most twice as beautiful.” The merchant said, “Ok.” Then, the envious merchant said, “For my third wish I want you to beat me half to death.” Envy causes mean motives.
Higle, T. C. (2007). Journey into Living Wisely in a Foolish World: A Study of Selected Proverbs (p. 36). Tommy Higle Publishers, Inc.
Tonight lets talk about Guarding Against The Green Eyed Monster of Envy
30 A sound heart is life to the body, But envy is rottenness to the bones.
Envy affects our spiritual and physical health!
Jesus tells us that what comes out of the heart is what defiles a person [Mt. 15:18] When envy gets into a persons heart, rot begins, and the actions of rot are destructive and the smell is awful! Let me show you various types and actions of envy.
1. Types of Envy
1. Types of Envy
Spiritual Envy- hatred towards a more mature believer
3 And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord.
4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering,
5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.
6 So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen?
7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”
8 Now 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 killed him.
Family Envy- consumed with what others have in their family that you don’t
1 Now when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister, and said to Jacob, “Give me children, or else I die!”
From the same family, Joseph’s brothers envied the special treatment Jacob gave to their younger brother
4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him.
The prodigal sons older brother envied his returning brother’s homecoming
28 “But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him.
Popularity Envy- despising a person that others celebrate or hold a position of importance
1 Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married; for he had married an Ethiopian woman.
2 So they said, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?” And the Lord heard it.
3 (Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth.)
4 Suddenly the Lord said to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, “Come out, you three, to the tabernacle of meeting!” So the three came out.
5 Then the Lord came down in the pillar of cloud and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam. And they both went forward.
6 Then He said, “Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream.
7 Not so with My servant Moses; He is faithful in all My house.
8 I speak with him face to face, Even plainly, and not in dark sayings; And he sees the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid To speak against My servant Moses?”
9 So the anger of the Lord was aroused against them, and He departed.
10 And when the cloud departed from above the tabernacle, suddenly Miriam became leprous, as white as snow. Then Aaron turned toward Miriam, and there she was, a leper.
Saul was envious of David and even the Pharisees crucified Jesus because they envied his popularity.
18 For he knew that they had handed Him over because of envy.
2. How Envy Affects Us;
2. How Envy Affects Us;
Envy stagnates our spiritual growth;
1 Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking,
2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,
Envy stirs up evil obsessions;
3 If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness,
4 he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions,
Envy is a work of the flesh;
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,
20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,
21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
3. Guarding Against Envy;
3. Guarding Against Envy;
Admit it is SIN! It’s often hard to admit our sin, but if we don’t we forfeit the fellowship and blessings of God.
13 He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.
Quit Comparing. Envy starts in the heart when we compare ourselves with others or with what we have and what others have. We need to realize God gives us what we can handle.
19 As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and given him power to eat of it, to receive his heritage and rejoice in his labor—this is the gift of God.
Be Thankful. We need to be thankful for the blessings of God in our life including our health, marriage, children, jobs, home, spiritual gifts and most importantly salvation in Christ. Too often we just look at the material things trying to keep up with the Jones!
15 And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”
6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain.
7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.
9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.
10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.