The Green-Eyed Monster

...today, the green-eyed monster. Do any of us have hidden sins? If we do, why do we have hidden sins? Now, don't jump the track by hidden sins. In this case, I don't mean sins that you know about, that you're hiding, but sins in your life that maybe you're not aware of.

Let's note David's prayer in Psalm 19, verse 12. Psalm 19 and verse 12, where David prayed that God would reveal to him if he had them even secret sins. In Psalm 19, verse 12, who can understand his errors? Cleanse you, me, from secret faults. Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sin. Let them not have dominion over me. Then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. In Hebrews 3 and verse 13, we read that sin is deceitful. And also, we read in Hebrews, on the other hand, let's turn there to Hebrews 10, in Hebrews 10, about not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, and also exhorting one another, and so much more as we see the day approaching. In Hebrews 10 and verse 22, Hebrews 10-22, let us draw near with a true heart and full assurance of faith, having a heart sprinkled from an evil conscience in our bodies, washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, for he is faithful, that promise. And let us consider one another to provoke unto love, and to good works. A word to provoke is sort of like try to outdo. See if you can be more generous and loving than the other person, that's in a good sense, love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as a manner of some is, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the day approaching. But oftentimes our hearts are deceived because of sin, as I've already quoted from Hebrews 3.13, that sin is deceitful.

Also in Hebrews 3, it's repeated two or three times, today if you would hear his voice, harden not your heart. Let the word of God speak to you, ignore the messenger, per se, and let the word of God speak to you, and you know that the word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword, dividing us under the thought and intent of the heart of man. Once sin is brought to our attention, it can have the following effects. We can be convicted and repent, or we can try to justify ourselves. We can try to hide it. We can try to blame others. Or we can be convicted and harden our hearts. Or we can be convicted and repent and come before God. The truth is that all of us, I surely include myself and everything I say here today, because I do want to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I do want to be more like Him, and I hope all of us do. And all have sinned and come sure of the glory of God, as Paul writes in Romans 3, 23. So today we're going to examine a major sin that has dominated the history of spirit beings and human beings, especially one-third of the spirit beings. The other two-thirds have escaped this sin, that is the angelic realm. If mankind would repent of this sin today, we would have unity in the Church of God. There would be peace on earth and goodwill toward men. If this sin was conquered, there would be unity in the Church. Satan would be cast out of our lives, because he is the author of disunity, accusations, imputing motives, deceit, rumor, gossip, anxious care, fear, doubt, human reasoning, apart from God. Notice Revelation. Forward please, Revelation 12, verse 9. We can all quote Revelation 12, verse 9. We'll read 9 and 10. In Revelation 12, verse 9, The great dragon was cast out, that old serpent called the devil, and Satan, who deceives the whole world, he was cast out unto the earth, and his angels were cast out with him, and heard a loud voice, saying, In heaven now is come salvation and strength in the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ. For the accuser of our brethren is cast down, who accuses them before our God day and night. That word, accuse, as some translations and commentaries bring out, also has the connotation of slander.

Satan is there, slandering us before the throne of God. The sin that I am referring to is basically the root of all evil. Of course, we know the love of money is a root of all evil, as it says in Timothy. But this love of money is tied into this particular sin, because people who love money are usually, when that rules their life, is usually guilty of this as well. In the plant kingdom, we know that the root is a source of life, the life force, and to a large degree, most sins spring from this root of sin.

This sin is at the root of Satan's rebellion. It is at the root of why Cain killed Abel. It is at the root of the problems in the church today, which that's what I believe. It is why the pot calls the kettle black, and why the kettle calls the pot black.

In fact, this sin is so pervasive that it has been given many names among them, Erotomania, Erotomania, Sychos Pasanelli, the Othello Syndrome, the Green-Eyed Monster, the Mark of Cain, and the Dragon in Paradise. In addition, it's been listed as one of the seven deadly sins, because once it invades, destruction is sure to follow. Alfred Adler, one of the world's most famous social scientists, explained, and quote, all problems of which it is a type are social problems in a social setting, and there are no other problems.

Now, I don't know if I'd go so far as to say that. That was what he wrote about this that we're talking about. He says that all of the problems in the world can be attributed to it. Why is it? And what is it? I would imagine everybody here now knows what it is. It is envy and jealousy. Envy and jealousy or covetousness and idolatry. We shall see here today that envy and jealousy are equated with covetousness.

And we'll read a scripture that directly says that. The definition of envy to desire to possess the goods of another, coupled with resentment. The desire to possess the goods of another, coupled with resentment. Jealousy. The fear of being displaced by a rival. And covetousness is to long for something belonging to another. All of these go hand in hand. So the specific purpose of this sermon is to help us identify the green-eyed monster, and to kill the green-eyed monster and kill sin, erase the mark of Cain, and receive the mark of God.

Well, God has already given us the earnest of the Spirit. And in that sense, we already have His mark, as it were, in our hearts in the symbolic sense. Envy, jealousy, covetousness, idolatry, especially the desire to gain the preeminence, are contrary to everything the Bible teaches, and in essence, breaks all the commandments. Let's notice Colossians 3, verse 5.

Colossians chapter 3, verse 5 makes it very clear what I've just said with regard to covetousness. In Colossians 3, verse 5, Mortify therefore your members, which are upon the earth, fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil, concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Covetousness, which is idolatry. Notice Galatians chapter 5, where Paul lists the works of the flesh. You'll notice that this is listed among those in Galatians chapter 5, verse 19.

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these, adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, covetousness is idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulation, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envying, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such lack of which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Envy, jealousy, and covetousness break the first three commandments and the ten commandments. The first three commandments, you shall not have any God before you.

You shall not make unto yourself any graven image. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. And the tenth commandment, you shall not covet. So why is covetousness labeled as idolatry? Because it becomes the object of desire, and one can become obsessed with having the preeminence, to the point that God is eliminated from the picture. The desire for having the preeminence can oftentimes be cloaked or disguised as righteousness by pointing out the sins and faults of others.

If the one who desires a preeminence can make others look bad, they think in the long run, they will be exalted. It's not so subtle in the Pharisaical prayer. In other ways, it is very subtle. The Pharisees prayed, I thank God I'm not like other men, other men even as this poor publican here. When sin and sinners are chronicled in the Bible, the events that surround who is going to be in control, who is going to rule, are given a lot of space. There are a lot of lines in the Bible that deal with this.

Man covets, man envies, man is jealous. Nearly all of the major confrontations in the Bible revolve around the question of who is going to rule, from the creation of Lucifer until he is put into his bottomless pit.

It will plague mankind during the millennium because human nature will still be there. It will plague humankind at the end of the millennium when Satan is released for a short season and goes out and deceives the nations. And what do they do? They try to come up against Jerusalem and take it.

Why? Because Satan wants to rule and both with him. The question of who is going to have the preeminence has plagued the people of God through the ages and it continues to this very day. On the very night that Christ was betrayed to be crucified, the apostles got into a squabble over who would be the greatest. Look at Luke 22, verse 21. This is when Jesus Christ, this chapter, records Jesus Christ implementing the symbols of the new covenant Passover, the bread and the wine, representing His body and His blood.

In Luke 22, Luke 22, verse 21. Luke 22, verse 21. But behold, the hand of Him that betrays Me is with Me on the table. And truly the Son of Man goes as it was determined, but woe unto that man by whom He is betrayed.

And they began to acquire among themselves which of them it was that should do this thing. And there was also strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest than Christ gives this lesson that's also recorded in Matthew.

And whosoever would be great among you, let Him become your servant. So you see that it goes back then, well, we're going to see it goes a lot farther back than that. As we've already noted, Hebrews 3.13 says that sin is deceitful. The church of God has emphasized the Ten Commandments. We've emphasized that the law of God has not been done away with. And we especially highlight the Sabbath because it is a sign between God and His people.

But while we extol God's great immutable spiritual law, and surely we should, if we find ourselves breaking the commandments through covetousness and idolatry, where does that leave us?

Notice James now, in James 2 and verse 8. James 2 and verse 8. In James 2 and verse 8, If you fulfill the royal law according to Scripture, you shall love your neighbor as yourself, you do well. But if you have respective persons, you commit sin. Disrespected persons, you commit sin. And are convinced of the law as transgressors. For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend, in one point he is guilty of all. For he that said, do not commit adultery also said, do not kill. Now if you commit no adultery, yet if you kill, you are become a transgressor of the law.

So the whole package has to be put together. And God wants to be our God. He wants to be our King. He wants to be our ruler. And if we had no humans to rule over us, what would we be like? Of course, we know that the Bible talks about shepherds and smite the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered. And Satan has surely been smiting the shepherds.

And some are being scattered. God wants to be our God. He wants to be our King. He wants us to recognize this. On the other hand, we see the princes, the rulers of this world. They desire to rule over man. And that has been the case basically from the Garden of Eden to the present time. The end time, you'll turn to Psalm 2. Psalm 2 gives you a summary of why the world eventually comes to the point that it comes with gathering the nations to Armageddon. And that is done by Satan, the beast, and the false prophet, gathering the people to the nations of the world, to the battle of the great day of God Almighty, as you read in Luke 16 verses 12 through 16. In Psalm 2, why do the nations rage? And the people imagine a vain thing. The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord, against the Yahweh, and against His anointed. That is Jesus Christ, the Messiah. And they are saying, the nations are, and the kings, let us break their bands asunder and cast their cords from us. In other words, we don't want them to rule over us. He that sits in the heaven shall laugh, the Lord shall have them in derision. Then it talks about God intervening. I'm going to give now a brief chronicle of the major confrontations that are recorded in the Bible. It may not be all-inclusive, of course, but it's something. The major ones, I have 20 listed here. The major confrontations and what was behind it. First of all, Satan tried to take over the throne of God. I will be like the Most High. In other words, I'll replace God. I believe at the root of this was envy, jealousy. Satan and at least a third of the angels were placed over the earth to perhaps prepare it for humankind. God probably shared with Lucifer, his name initially, and the angels what his great plan was, that he was going to bring sons and daughters to glory in his family. That would be born spirit beings, whereas Lucifer and the angels were created beings. And Lucifer didn't want to take a back seat to anybody. Of course, Lucifer saw his beauty and his wisdom, and all of that is recorded in Ezekiel 28. And he was vain and puffed up in his heart. And he decided that he should not take a back seat to God. Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, they wanted a shortcut to eternal life. Satan said, you shall not surely die, but your eyes will be open, and you can decide for yourself good and evil. Cain killed Abel because of jealousy.

We have a conflict between Canaan and Noah. It doesn't exactly say it was because of jealousy. The next one we have Ishmael and Isaac. Ishmael began to mock Isaac when Isaac was very young. Esau and Jacob, Joseph's brothers, 11 against 1. Well, Benjamin stayed at home, made him 10 against 1. Because of jealousy, they cast him into the pit. Aaron and Miriam, Moses, say, Moses, you take too much to yourself. Cora and Moses. Aaron and Miriam, we've already mentioned, the elders who went to Samuel. Saul and David. Saul was very jealous of David. Absalom, David's son, who rebelled against him. The advisors to the king of Media and Persia, as recorded in chapter 6, they were jealous of Daniel, who had been made second in the land. The Pharisees in Christ, James and John, and the other apostles, we've already read from Luke 22. Judas in Christ, Simon the Sorcerer, Peter and John, Alexander the Copper Smith and Paul, Diocerphies in John, the Beast Power, Christ and the Saints. The Beast Power sits in the temple of God, claiming that he is God. And at the end of the age, Gog and Magog, led by Satan the Devil, come up against the camp of the Saints.

Where influence, prestige, power, government control are involved, envy and jealousy rear their ugly heads. We really need to understand how destructive this is. First of all, here, let's notice Proverbs. We're in Psalm, go to Proverbs 14 and verse 30. Proverbs 14 and verse 30. Proverbs 14 verse 30, A sound heart is the life of the flesh, but envy the rottenness of the bones. And of course, the bones that they are rotten, that holds up the whole skeletal structure. And if the bones go, that's what I'm dealing with. If the bones and the joints go, you might be able to stand, but you might not be able to sit down.

But envy the rottenness of the bones. In Proverbs 27 verse 4, forward Proverbs 27 and verse 4, Wrath is cruel and anger is outrageous, but who is able to stand before envy?

So many people have been wiped out. In one way or the other, because of envy. Who is able to stand before envy? Open rebuke is better than secret love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend, for the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. You know that Jesus Christ was betrayed by a kiss. How debilitating is envy? Let's go to James chapter 3 verse 13. What will it do? What will it do in the family?

What will it do in the church? What will it do to a nation? What will it do to nations? What will it do to people? James chapter 3 and verse 13. James 3 verse 13. Who is a wise man and indeed with knowledge among you? Let him show out of a good conduct his works with meekness of wisdom. What if you have bitter envy and strife in your hearts, glory not and lie not against the truth?

This wisdom descends not from above, but is earthly sensual devilish. For where envy and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. It doesn't exclude anything. But the wisdom that is from above serves pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits. You know, I hope, and I hope all of us feel this way, that if we're called on to make a judgment, then we will err on the side of mercy if we are. We will err on the side of mercy glories against sacrifice, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

And notice further what God says about how seriousness is if we are caught up in it and if we don't repent of it. All of us, at one time or the other, I know I have been. We've been guilty at one time or the other of jealousy, of envy, maybe going back into the family, maybe some other place. I don't believe there's a person who has never had a jealous bone in their body. Maybe there has been. Jesus Christ, He didn't. 1 Corinthians 6, verse 9, Know you not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Be not deceived, neither fornicators nor adulterers, nor effeminate. This goes a step beyond homosexuality. Nor effeminate, then homosexuality. Nor abusers themselves, but mankind. Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkers, nor revelers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. Covetousness is idolatry. God rewards those who hate covetousness, those who desire what somebody else has, which is a form of jealousy and envy. Notice Proverbs once again.

Proverbs 28, 16. You know, there's a commandment, the fourth commandment, I mean the fifth commandment. Honor your father and mother that your days may be long upon the earth. But here also is a promise of life for those who hate covetousness. In Proverbs 28, verse 16. Proverbs 28, 16. The prince that lacks understanding is also a great oppressor. And basically, of course, you read from Isaiah 14 that Satan the devil is an oppressor. The rulers of this world have basically been oppressors. Jesus Christ warned the disciples not to be oppressive. He warned them to not be like the nations. Whosoever would be great among you, let him be your servant. Let him run through the dust for others.

The princes that lack understanding is also a great oppressor. But he that hates covetousness shall prolong his days. And hopefully we can all come to hate covetousness. God hates evil. And hopefully we do too. Where does jealousy begin? It starts in the toy box or on the playground. One child wanting another child's toy. Or one child saying to another, My daddy, my mother, my house, my dog, my car is better than yours. I remember one time my uncle got a new DeSoto. Most of you don't know what a DeSoto is, but that was a car. It's also the name of a town and one of the great explorers. But anyhow, he got a new DeSoto. And my cousins and I were out there in the yard. We were like four or five years old. We were walking around that car and we were admiring it and saying, Oh, this car is better than anybody's car. This is the best car it ever was. Then an old A-model passed along out there and we talked about how ugly and awful that was. I mean, we were four and five years old. Esmael began mocking Isaac when they were very young. The situation with Jacob and Esau developed quite early in their lives. However, of course, it is not limited to kiddie rivalries and it can be disguised in a thousand shapes. Envy and jealousy are two of the most deceitful sins that we have to deal with. You know what Jeremiah says in Jeremiah 17.9, The human heart is desperately wicked and deceitful above all things. Who can know it? Romans 8.7, the carnal mind is enmity toward the law of God. Not subject to it, neither indeed can be. And envy and jealousy can be disguised in so many different forms that your heart can easily deceive you. It can masquerade in several different costumes, much like the wolf in sheep's clothing, or as Satan who poses as an angel of light. The envious person oftentimes will pose as your friend. Family quarrels based on jealousy and hatred account for well over 50% of the homicides committed in this nation.

Jealousy flashes its green eyes when one employee envies or covets the promotion that another employee receives. Let's go back now to Psalm 75, and we'll see where true promotion comes from. When all is said and done, you know at funerals we talk about that this life is not the real life. This life is preparation for the life to come. Paul talks about in 1 Corinthians 4 that the time is coming when every man is going to get his reward. Even the secret things that you have done. And that ultimate promotion of God saying, well done, now good and faithful servant, you've been faithful over a few things, enter into the joy of the kingdom. I'll make you ruler over however many cities that we have qualified to rule. In Psalm 75 verse 4, I said unto the fools, deal not foolishly, and to the wicked, lift not up the horn. Lift not up your horn on high, speak not with a stiff neck. For promotion comes neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south. And from this we get the notion that God's throne is in the north country. But God is the judge. He puts down one and sets up another. So ultimate promotion will come from God. Jealousy rears its ugly head when one nation is belligerent towards another in the name of peace. See, most of the wars that have been fought, especially in the last 100 years or so, in the name of peace. We're going to make war so we can have peace. But really, the real cause is one nation's desire to have what the other nation has. Now I know the United States, hopefully that has not always been the case with us.

We intervened in World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, hopefully for the right reasons. Envy and jealousy, as we've noted, are very similar. There is a little bit of difference. Simply put, as we've already noted, envy is the desire to acquire another's possession. And usually with resentment. Resent the person who has whatever he has, or he is wherever he is. And jealousy is the fear of losing a current possession or position of power, influence, or office. Jealousy is concerned with the overmaintenance of relationships. And so concerned about overmaintenance, and this oftentimes happens with husband and wife. And I would say it's probably more the problem with husbands than it is with wives. That they are so concerned about their wife and jealous of their wife, so afraid, some live their lives in agony, thinking that their wife is unfaithful. I dealt with a couple there in Big Sandy when I was a pastor in Big Sandy back in the 70s. That he just knew that the last child that they had was not his. That his wife had been unfaithful and his best friend was the father of that child. And finally, finally, it was faced. And I think he came to believe the truth that she had not been unfaithful. To him at all. And for some people, it's like if he or she looks so much as looks at another man or woman, he or she gets jealous. Men and women oftentimes express jealousy differently. Men oftentimes direct it outward in women inwardly. In Shakespeare's play, Othello.

Othello is a tragedy of sorts, a play written by Shakespeare. I think it's basically based on real people in Italy. Othello murders his wife as a result of a false belief that she has been unfaithful. And that's one of the reasons why jealousy is called the Othello Syndrome. Iago is the character in the play, is the villain who manipulates Othello and plays on his paranoia and jealousy. He convinces Othello that Desdemona has been unfaithful. So Othello winds up killing Desdemona.

And then Iago kills his wife. And at the end of the play, Iago was taken into custody by Cassio. It shows the tragic and the domino effect of what jealousy and paranoia can lead to and how people can be manipulated. He was manipulated into believing his wife was unfaithful. And the same person who manipulated him into believing that his wife was unfaithful, that is Iago, winds up killing his wife, Emilia.

And then at the end, he's found out and taken into custody. These two, jealousy and envy, working together, become a vicious cycle or in computer jargon, an infinite loop from which there is no exit. Computers have to be programmed. If they're in a... back when I was taking computer science, we had what was called do loops. Do this, and this computer would start computing. It would stay in that loop until there was a command to exit. If you didn't have a command to exit, it would compute until it just blew up. In other words, jealousy can work the same way.

As Shakespeare wrote in Othello, "'Tis a monster begot upon itself, born on itself." As a person envies what another person possesses, he becomes more jealous, determined to maintain what he already has, and often his behavior and thinking becomes very emotional and irrational. A jealous person breeds envy in that he is never secure in what he already has, and he wants more, thus causing him to envy and covet.

And covetousness is idolatry, as we read. If unresolved, jealousy and envy becomes an overall condition, whereby a person destroys himself from the inside out. Oftentimes, when we think about jealousy, we just think in terms of man and woman, he's jealous of her, she's jealous of him, or they're jealous of this, that, or the other. But in the circles of institutions and families and so on, in being jealous, the most harmful aspects are in the arena of human relationships, dealing with who's the most popular, who's the most influential, who has the most power, who has the highest office, who has the most prestige, who gets the most recognition, who has the preeminence.

Envy, jealousy, and covetousness deals with the innermost emotions and feelings of love, affection, and hate. You know, most people will conceive that God and Christ are above them. Of course, the beast and the false prophet don't conceive that, because, as it says in 2 Thessalonians 2, verses 3 and 4, that he sits in the temple of God, saying that he is God, and he exalts himself above all that is called God, as you read in Revelation 13.

So the beast and false prophet don't even make that concession, that God and Christ have the preeminence. Now, in the case of the disciples, James and John and their mother, came and asked Christ if at least they give Christ the preeminence, and said, well, in the kingdom can my sons sit on your right and left hand? Is that hard for you to imagine today that two of the leading apostles basically is Peter, James, and John?

You read about Peter, James, and John. And obviously they talked in the family about this. So we're going to go to Christ, and we're going to say, now, when you come into your kingdom, grant this that my two sons will sit on your right and your left hand. Of course, Christ's answer was, you know, it's not mine to give, it was given to my father, and then he says, can you drink of the cup that I'm going to drink of?

Can you be baptized of baptism that I'm going to be baptized with, indicating that he was going to be martyred, killed, crucified, and they said, we're able. And according to legend, the apostles were killed and martyred him. In the case of people today, just like James and John, they would usually grant God and Christ their position.

And after that, the age-old question emerges, who's going to be the greatest? A person who is envious or jealous will take on one or more of the following behaviors. Martyrden, which oftentimes becomes self-pity, motivator or flattery, over-competitive, or sometimes tyrannical. The Bible has a lot to say about flattery and about all of these things.

And it warns us not to be taken in by any of that. Let's notice God's view of flattery. I would turn to Psalm 12 on the way there. I'll talk a little bit about flattery. The flattery, or the flattery, uses a never-ending stream of compliments to offset his feelings of envy and jealousy. The flatterer and one's genuine expression of encouragement should be distinguished. There are some people who will never give another person a compliment because they think, well, he'll think that I'm flattering him or trying to play up to him or her. And so, you know, there are scriptures and the Proverbs that talk about how a good word fitly spoken, what an encouragement it can be to various people.

So there is a time, of course, to express encouragement.

But without ulterior motives. The flatterer has ulterior motives. The genuine person has none. It is love unfeigned. Of course, the flatterer wants you to return his words by telling himself and others how great he is. Flattery is a subtle way to manipulate and control other people. You know, I have had people who tried to flatter me and people of God, leadership of the Church through the years, have been susceptible to flattery.

And there are those who are out there who will flatter and use flattery to try to gain position. And if you don't succumb to it, oftentimes their anger is bent upon you. Because you saw right through it. In Psalm 12, God's view of flattery. In Psalm 12, verse 1, Help, Lord, for the ungodly man ceases, for the faithful fail, for the faithful fall from among the children of men.

Of course, this is a time in which there is great oppression and trouble. In Psalm of David, they speak vanity, everyone with his neighbor, with flattering lips, and with a double heart, do they speak. The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips and the tongue that speaks proud things. Who have said, with our tongue will we prevail? Our lips are our own, who is Lord over us, for the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy. Now will I rise as the Eternal. I will set him in safety from him that puffs at him.

So God takes a very dim view of flattery. It was flattery that Absalom used to lead the rebellion against his father David. He said, Oh, if I were made king over Israel, then I would sit and hear every man's grievance.

Oh, that there was a man who was appointed to hear that. And with his much fairer speech, as it says in 1 Samuel, he stole the hearts of the children of Israel. And when all was said and done, there were only like 300 people with David. And of course, God, through his miracle working power, and what he had promised to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David, Absalom was not successful. You know what happened to Absalom. In Christ's encounters with the Pharisees, we see this principle most dramatically illustrated.

The Pharisees were determined that they were going to have a preeminence, even if it meant murder. And several times, they plotted to kill Jesus Christ. Envy and jealousy and covetousness... You'll turn to John 16 now. Envy, jealousy, and covetousness can become so great, can so deceive a person or persons. And notice what the Bible says here about this.

These are the words of Jesus Christ. This is not the words of a man in John 16 in verse 1. These things have I spoken unto you that you should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues. Yes, the time comes that whosoever kills you will think that he does God service. See, you can become so filled with envy, jealousy, so deceived that you think you can commit murder in the name of God.

They shall put you out of the synagogues. Yes, the time comes that whosoever kills you will think that he does God service. These things will they do unto you because they have not known the Father nor me. But these things have I told you that when the time shall come, you may remember that I told you of them.

And these things I said not unto you at the beginning because I was with you. But now I go my way to him that sent me. So Jesus Christ, in those last few hours here on the earth before he was betrayed and crucified, of course tried to prepare the disciples. And then after his resurrection, where he appeared to them at least three times, he tried to prepare them. Why do you think there have been and continue to be so many political assassinations?

It has to do with jealousy, envy, covetousness, the desire for power all away from Satan, Cain and Abel. Up to the present day, you know how many American presidents have been assassinated in attempts on the lives of others. Why do you think Satan is the accuser of the brethren before the face of God night and day as we read from Revelation 12 and verse 10? Why do you think there's so much written in the Bible about the use of the tongue? Why do you think so much is written in the Bible about loving your neighbor as yourself? Why do you think Christ continually inspired it to be written, esteem others better than yourself?

Why do you think man has rejected Christ's formula for greatness? He who would be great among you, let him become your servant. Let him run through the dust for others. Man does not want God to reign over him as we read from Psalm 2. Oh, they direct it toward man. That is, they say it's about man.

But if they were really obeying God, they would be at peace and unity and harmony with God and man. Jesus Christ, as it says in Luke 2, grew in favor with God and man. So in reality, they were disobeying God and rebelling against God. And you remember the story when the elders came to Samuel and said, look Samuel, your sons, they're not walking in your ways and they're doing evil. They're right there in the temple. So give us a king to rule over us. Of course, Samuel had high hopes for his sons, but he... was he blind to them? Apparently, he had done nothing about what they were doing. So the people cry out for a king. Samuel is very sad. And God says to Samuel, you know, Samuel, they've not rejected you, but they've rejected me, that I should not reign over them. And as I said earlier, no matter what happens with us, if we understand who our king and who our Savior really is, no matter what the storms of life may bring, God will see us through as we see. So in the view of these things, what can we do? So let's focus the rest of the time on how to kill the green-eyed monster. I mean, we've talked and talked about how destructive the green-eyed monster is and how pervasive it has been, so how do we kill it? Jealousy is a signal or warning to all of us, just like the buzzer in your car. You get in your car, if you don't buckle your seat belt, that thing starts buzzing, and it'll drive you crazy. So we have to take the appropriate spiritual action when we hear the warning signal. With a seat belt, you're playing a game of probability. That is, you may never have a fatal accident. But the game of probability, you're better off in the statistical sense, to buckle the seat belt. But the warning signal that we have with regard to the things of God are for our eternal life. The warning signal of jealousy in your life. If it goes unheeded, it doesn't just kill you physically. If we don't overcome it, we're headed for the most fatal of all fates, the second death. When the warning signal flashes in your mind, you'd better take the necessary precautions. Now here are some of the steps for putting the green-eyed monster to death. Christ gave the simple formula, which I've already referred to twice, maybe three times, but I want to turn there and read it. Matthew 20. Matthew 20 and verse 26. Matthew 20 verse 26. But it shall not be so among you, but whosoever be great among you, let him become your minister. It's interesting, the Greek word, I would encourage you to look it up. The Greek word here for minister. And whosoever be chief among you, let him become your servant. So that's one of the first steps to serve, to submit, to surrender, and to love, results in greatness according to Christ.

The Bible teaches that we should think no evil of our neighbor, and that we should desire the best for others. In 1 Corinthians 12, and one of the things that I wrote to some people at the home office, had to do with this verse that I'm about to read.

You see, there are people who are suffering, and for whatever reason that it is, and whatever the perception might be. And as I said when I read this part about the agenda, the concern that church members have around the world. Christ says that we are, and I have this now to read next, that we are members one of another. And we're going to read here from 1 Corinthians 12, in verse 25, that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care, one for another. And whether one suffers, we don't just say, oh well, they deserve what they got.

And they are just this, that, or the other. The Bible is replete with, go seek out the lost sheep, which we have not been the one to do, it seems. In Ezekiel 34, Christ talks about, well, the Scripture, Christ is the living Word. The Scripture is given of inspiration of God, profitable for reprove, correction, doctrine.

He talks about that His sheep have wandered on the mountains, and none have really sought them out. This says that we are members one of another. Whether one suffers, all the members suffer with it. Or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it.

Now, you are the body of Christ, and members in particular. So, He uses the analogy, if your thumb hurts, like I had a really bad pain on the way up here, in my right little toe. And it really hurt! And I felt it all over, I guess you would say. It went from my toe to my head. And it hurt, like He says here in verse 24. For our calmly parts have no need, but God has tempered the body together, having given more abundant honor to that part which lacks.

Now you go back to Romans 12. Romans 12. Verse 3, For I say through the grace given unto me to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly according as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith.

I know I could look back in my years, pastoring in the church. I have not done what I should have done in many cases of seeking out that one which was lost. And it seems through the years, it's sort of like, well, out of mind, out of sight. Reminds me of a football game. It hurt, it stopped playing for a moment, it dragged him off the field, put a new guy in. This is as if nothing ever happened. Well, we hope he lives, hope he gets better, but the game goes on.

Whereas the Bible says that we have the same love, care, and concern for one another. I say through the grace given unto me to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly according as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office, so we being many are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

How are we members one of another? Because the divine nature, the very essence of God, the Holy Spirit of God, is in me, is in you, is in each member of the body of Christ, and we are all linked together, for by one Spirit, are we all baptized into one body. It is not just a matter of saying, well, they did this, they did that, so on and so forth, and maybe they did do that, or they did some other thing. But the Bible is about living in peace and harmony.

The Bible is about being like Christ, and coming to the fullness and measure, the stature of Jesus Christ. We all have the same Father. We're brothers and sisters in the family of God. We are members one of another, just as surely as those who sit by your side, those of you who have children here today, that flowing in their bodies and their very DNA, some of your DNA. And so it is with us in the body of Christ. God is not going to permit jealousy or envy in His family. It is foolish to think that God would tolerate jealousy in His family.

It is also the height of folly to believe that one could gain advantage over another if you really believe that God is the righteous judge. Now, it may be in this life, or it may be temporary, but in the ultimate sense, it won't happen. So it's the height of folly to believe that God would reward such behavior. If God is with a person, we're fighting against God. And we all know Romans 8.31, if God be for us, who can be against us? The surest way to conquer the green-eyed monster is to master the art of unselfish loving.

Jesus Christ, God the Father, God so gave His only begotten Son. Jesus Christ willingly gave Himself. He so loved the world. It's sacrificial love, being willing to lay down our lives. Love, joy, and peace can be ours apart from envy. Great peace have they who love Thy law, and nothing shall offend them.

Psalm 119, verse 172. With God, motive is everything. Let's go to 1 Corinthians 13. With God, motive is everything. You'll notice here as we read this short summary of what love is, that envy and love are opposites. 1 Corinthians 13, verse 4. Agape suffers long. Love, God is love, suffers long and is kind. Love envies not. They're at opposite ends of the spectrum. Love vaults not itself, is not puffed up. Does not behave itself unseemly. Seeks not her own. Is not easily provoked. Thinks no evil. Rejoices not in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth.

Bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. Whether there be prophecies, they shall cease. Now, some people get the wrong idea. You look at that word, fail, there, and you know it has about six different meanings. Among them has to do with ceasing or coming to fulfillment or fruition. Whether there be tongues, they shall cease. It's a different Greek word, but it has the same meaning there, basically. And whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. We know in part, we prophesy in part, but when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

When I was a child, I spoke as a child. I understood as a child. I thought as a child. You know how children think. I've talked a little bit about that. But when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then shall I know, even as also I am known. And now, abides.

These live faith, hope, love. These three. The greatest of these is love. I mean, if you want to put the green-eyed monster to death, you start unselfish loving. Sacrificial love is God in Christ who has done for us. The green-eyed monster has no power. It is interesting to note that one of the very apostles, remember James and John, who along with their mother came and said, ran into me, and I sat on the left and right. One of my sons sat on the left and right in the kingdom.

Well, John, one of the apostles who was caught up in this, he is now known as the apostle of love. And he put that away. And he writes in 1 John very much about how we can put away idols. And he closes 1 John with, My children flee from idols. Because idols is covetousness, and covetousness can lead to the breaking of the first three commandments along with envy and jealousy. My little children, keep yourself from idols. So, one of the very apostles who got caught in this question of envy and jealousy, became the apostle of love.

And so it is possible to put that away. James and John did, and we can too. We all need to try more and more to please God. God cannot be manipulated. God is not a thing or a person. God is God. His thoughts are not our thoughts. We cannot manipulate Him. We are to be as clay in the hands of the Master Potter. God is not on some kind of intellectual trip. And we cannot be deceived into thinking that He thinks like we do. Because He doesn't.

We are commanded to study to show ourselves approved unto God. A workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth. Not a workman unto ourselves, but a workman unto God. Oftentimes, what we perceive as a threat to us and our security, is not real at all. It's vain imagination. The devil wants you to believe that other people are a threat to you. If you believe that the threat is genuine and not just a figment of your imagination, then face the situation. It's note Matthew 5. There is a time to face. There is a time to confront. There is never a time to compromise with the Word of God. And there is never a time to compromise with evil. You'll never find God compromising His Word or compromising with evil. In Matthew 5.21, You have heard that it was said by them of, O, you shall not kill, and whosoever shall kill be in danger of the judgment. But I say unto you that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment, and whosoever shall say to his brother, Rehkla, that is, Rehkla shall be in danger of the counsel, but whosoever shall say, you fool, shall be in danger of Gahannathire. Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and then remember that your brother has ought against you, leave there your gift before the altar, go your way. First, be reconciled to your brother. Then come and offer your gift. Time after time in sermons for two years, and I have done it for over 30 years, and talked about judgment, mercy, and faith, and doing the first works, which has to do with reconciliation and walking hand in hand as God wants us to walk. And I believe that's still what we need to work on collectively in the church and individually. We can overcome paranoia and vain imaginations through the spiritual weapons that God has given us. Look at 2 Corinthians 10. Have you ever been a victim of paranoia? I have. Paranoia is thinking that some kind of danger, some kind of evil lurks out there, does not really real. But you've built it up into your mind to the point that you think, well, they're going to get me. When really they're not out to get you at all. But let's say they were. Who is our deliverer? In 2 Corinthians 10 and verse 3. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty, through God, to the pulling down of strongholds. The strongholds are those things, those vain imaginations that come upon our minds and grip our minds that are contrary to the promises of God. God says, if I'm for you who can be against you, God says, I'll never leave you or forsake you.

Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. God says, come and learn of me. Cast all your care of me. Come and learn of me. Because my yoke is easy, my burden is light. Cast all your care on him, for he cares for you. And bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience. In other words, to get rid of it when your obedience is fulfilled. You know, there are nights in which I've done this in the past. Started thinking negative thoughts, maybe they're going to do this, and they're going to do that, and what's going to happen. And you start singing to yourself, sweet hour prayer. Sweet hour prayer, sweet hour prayer that calls me from this world of care. And you pray that God will give you comfort and strength, and He does. It would be interesting for you to look up the life story of the man who wrote that sweet hour prayer. Quite inspiring. God wants us to learn how to voluntarily overcome this great weakness in human nature. That is, to desire to have what other people have. In the past, maybe we had a type of unity because of fear, or being cast out of the synagogue.

Maybe we have that fear now. We had a forced type of unity. God wants us to come to the point that we have the mind of Christ, and we come to realize that we are brothers and sisters in God and Christ as we've read from Romans 12. God wants us to have the mind of Christ in all things. Let's look at Philippians 2. We had a sermon out by Bill Crow here, not all that long ago, about what did Christ really give up. He gave up His glory in the habits, not His divinity. But He paid a high price in humbling Himself. In Philippians 2, verse 1, If there be any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any vows and mercies, there be any of that, fulfill you my joy that you be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord and one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory, but in low laces of mind, let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not to every man on his own things, but let every man also on the things of others, and let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. And then it describes what Christ did. Being in the form of God, gave up His glory, came to this earth, humbled Himself to the most ignominious death, death on the stake.

As my dear wife Wanda said recently, the things that are going on now are so childish, so immature, that it is disgusting. She continued, if the leadership and the ministry really had the love of the brethren in their hearts, all of this would come to a screeching halt. So we must learn to treat each other with dignity, with respect.

We cannot undo the sins and mistakes of the past, but we can repent of those sins as much as lies within us. We can try to bring about reconciliation and restitution. That is my cry, and it has been for quite a long time. Yes, we are all sinners. Paul said of sinners, I am chief. He was an apostle and had been in the church for quite a long time. When he said that, he recognized the flesh. Now we close, once again, 2 Corinthians 5. 2 Corinthians 5, 17. Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. Are we in Christ? Are we new creations? All things are passed away, behold, all things will become new. And all things are of God, who had reconciled us Himself by Jesus Christ, and had given to us the ministry of reconciliation. To know that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself. You know what it says, and this is a very important point, what it says in Romans 5. It talks about giving a life. It says, scarcely for a good man, some would dare to die. Even for a good man, give your life. But Christ gave His life for us, well, we were yet sinners. Christ died for us. So what is the lesson there to a large degree? He who has the power should lead the way in reconciliation, in the home, and wherever it may be. They have the power. The husband should lead the way in reconciliation. And so it is that those who have the power, who have the knowledge, the onus is on people with the knowledge. That God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them. All this slate is wiped clean, and had committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ. In other words, we should go do the same thing. As though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's dead be you reconciled to God. You see, you can't be reconciled to God as 1 John 4. Last several verses say, you can't love God and hate your neighbor. It's not possible. For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. So brethren, let's kill the green-eyed monster, and let's become ambassadors for Christ. Let's embrace and commit ourselves to the ministry of reconciliation.