Improving Relationships

We learned in yesterday's sermon by Mr. Taylor that at the return of Jesus Christ, we will be teachers of God's way, and that we have to prepare now to learn God's loving character, God's humility, that God expects us to have, that we can teach then. The topic of today's sermon follows Mr. Taylor's sermon very well. It's actually a continuation of it. Today, we're going to focus on one specific thing that we need to overcome now, so that we can teach then. One specific part of human nature that we need to overcome. One thing that causes mankind to hurt relationships with each other and with God. Satan has this character flaw. In fact, he is the originator of it. According to Ephesians 2 and verse 2, he guides the course of this world, influencing us as the prince of the power of the air. He influences the whole world to follow his mistakes. And we have the same character flaw. This character flaw in our human nature is at the root of human conflict. Let's notice what this character flaw is in Satan, so that we can see it in ourselves. Satan was an archangel named Lucifer before he sinned and rebelled against God. Notice Isaiah 14 and verse 12. And let's look at this character flaw that Satan actually influences us to have. And we all have it. Isaiah 14 and verse 12. How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning. How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations.

And boy hasn't he? Verse 13. For you have said in your heart, I will ascend to heaven. I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. I will also sit on the mount of the congregation, on the farthest sides of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. I will be like the Most High. Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol to the lowest depths of the pit. What is the character flaw that Satan has instilled in mankind? Selfishness. Self-exaltation. Looking out for self-interests. This is at the core of every human conflict. Husbands and wives, parents and children, brothers and sisters, communities, states, countries, politics, all warring with each other. And what's at the very core, the very center of that, what is the thing that we need to learn now to teach it then?

Selfishness isn't the only thing we need to overcome. It's just the one we're going to focus on today. One specific aspect of human nature.

The core of every human conflict. I want your position. I want your title. I want your wife or your husband. I want your stuff. So I will break your stuff so that you don't have it, and you have what I have. Or I will take your stuff so that I have it. Me, me, me. Selfishness creates conflict. And as I said, it's at the core of every human conflict. Notice that James says this in James chapter four, starting in verse one. James chapter four and verse one. Where do wars and fights come from among you? Where does human conflict come from?

In other words, do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?

Desire. In other words, what you want. What I want.

Verse two. You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight in war. And yet you do not have because you do not ask. And you ask and you do not receive because you ask amiss that you may spend it on what? Your pleasures. Your self-interests. The things that you desire. Me, me, me. James says that you may spend it on your pleasures. That is very selfish. That is Satan's attitude. And it is that selfishness that is at the core of why we don't get along with other people. It's why people fight with each other. Selfishness is a big challenge that we all face. And something, and I know this is an uncomfortable topic, but an important one, it's something that we need to take a look at and see in ourselves. It's so easy to see it in other people. But at this Feast of Tabernacles this year, let's stop and take a look in the mirror instead. It's uncomfortable to correct a flaw. It's challenging, and in fact a daunting challenge, to see and change a character flaw inside. But that is what God and Jesus Christ are asking us to do to get ready for His kingdom. To make ourselves ready to serve at the return of Jesus First, we have to overcome this. That's one character flaw among many, but this one has to go.

We all suffer from it. That selfishness inside. So what do we replace it with? There's another character attribute that God is helping us to replace our selfishness with. A character trait that He shares with Jesus Christ, and it's a character trait that He wants to share with you and me. Let's notice the concept, and this will be our core scripture for the sermon today, and it comes from a psalm from King David. A psalm 37 and verse 21.

I'm going to read this from the NIV. It makes it very clear. Psalm 37 and verse 21. This is our key scripture today. The wicked, who are the wicked? The wicked are people who have conflict.

Okay? The wicked borrow and do not repay. That is very selfish.

But the righteous give generously. Those are total opposites from each other. One borrows and doesn't repay. The other doesn't borrow and repay.

The other is completely opposite, giving generously with no expectation of repayment. It's not a loan. The righteous don't loan and expect repayment. The righteous just give generously.

And that is the opposite of selfishness. That is the opposite of the attitude that we saw when we read Isaiah 14 about Satan's attitude of, I will become like the most high. Giving generously. That's what Satan didn't have. And that's what we must have. Selfishness, which is inherent in all of us, we have it when we're born.

What does a baby do? Cries when it needs food. Cries when it needs to change his diaper. Cries when he's tired. Cries when his tummy aches.

Little babies mostly understand only what they need. Now, a little baby is also loving. A baby is not completely selfish, so don't misunderstand me. All I'm saying is, when you see a baby, you can see self-interest are there from the time we're born. You know what? Not much really changes when we get older.

We all have selfishness. We all fall short on this issue. Romans chapter 3 and verse 23. We're familiar with this verse. In fact, for most of us, this is a memory verse. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Oftentimes, when we read that verse, when we go through that verse, we've read it so many times, it becomes cliché, and we focus on the sin. We tend to read it that everybody makes mistakes once in a while. But that is not the point that Paul was making, is it?

Paul wasn't talking about a few mistakes. He was talking about, and he said, we all, what? Fall short. That's not just a mistake he's talking about. That's the character inside that he's talking about. All of us fall short. It's easy to see this in other people. When we get trampled on by their selfishness, it hurts. Oh, and we see that very clearly. But it can be very difficult to see that in ourselves. But it's our selfishness that causes so much conflict in our lives.

We need to recognize that in our nature, this inherent selfishness, and if selfishness leads to conflict, and conflict leads to loss of friends, and more worry, and more stress, then there's got to be a better way.

There is a better way. There is a way of having less conflict, a way of having more friends, less worry, and more peace of mind. And it starts with you. Jesus describes the basic principles of what you need to overcome selfishness in his very first sermon, the Sermon on the Mount. And in this lesson of the Sermon on the Mount, he does not instruct us on how to do it, but he does instruct us on what to do.

This is a very basic and profound sermon. We'll discuss how to do it at the end. Most people are familiar with the New King James version of the Sermon on the Mount. I want to start with, we're not going to read the whole Sermon on the Mount. That's three chapters in Matthew, and we don't have time for that. We're just talking about the conversion process. And that's actually how Jesus begins the Sermon on the Mount. But we don't recognize it usually as the conversion process, as something that he's talking about. We usually read this as some kind of a Sabbath school lesson for the kids. This is something that you need to memorize.

And we don't always connect the dots that he's talking about, the reason he came to the earth, and what conversion, what that personal change in us is all about. And yet, that is the Sermon on the Mount. We'll start in Matthew chapter 5 and verse 1. And seeing the multitudes, he went on a mountain, and when he was seated, the disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth, and he taught, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.

You know, we've heard this so many times before. We teach this to the children in youth lessons. Verse 7, Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall seek God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God. And blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for my sake. And sometimes we can make the mistake of looking at that list of Blessed Be, and think those are just individual statements that Jesus made to introduce the topic of becoming perfect, which is what he mentions at the very end of chapter 5, which is the entire point of the Sermon on the Mount. Becoming like God. Becoming perfect. So let's walk through the Sermon on the Mount, this first part of it in Matthew 5, a little bit more slowly. Let's piece together how this is actually one, you know, one topic sewn together with all of its parts. I'm going to read it from the New Living Translation. I don't always like the New Living Translation because it's more of a loose, you know, paraphrase than the King James. However, it is written in more conversational English, so it is written more like the way we speak today. And in this particular case, it makes it pretty clear. Matthew chapter 5 verse 1 from the New Living Translation.

One day he saw the crowds gathering. Jesus went up on a mountainside and he sat down. Notice he's in the sitting position. He's not standing up and correcting a rebuking. He's very relaxed. So this isn't a rebuke. And when he gets to the point, and there are very pointed statements that he's making about conversion, he's not chewing us out. He's not disrespecting. He's being very loving and gentle and kind.

He went up on the mountainside and sat down and his disciples gathered around him. And he began to teach them. Verse 3, God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him. It's an excellent way to put that. For the kingdom of heaven is theirs. The starting point, if you want to overcome this nature that Satan has originated and is in every single one of us, this selfish nature, we need to realize that we need God to help us do it.

God is the starting point. Do you still see or have you ever seen that you have a need for God to help you and your character? That you need to make a change in your life? And that you need God to help you make that change? The Apostle Paul, who was a brilliant man, we just heard in the sermonette how Paul was a Pharisee of the Pharisees.

He suffered much and continued to preach. This same Apostle recognized his need for God. He recognized what Jesus was saying in verse 3 of Matthew chapter 5 when he wrote the letter to the congregation in Rome. Let's go to Romans chapter 7. And he's talking about baptism here. He starts this topic in chapter 6.

And then in chapter 7, Romans 7 and verse 21, Paul makes this statement about his own character. Now, if an Apostle can say this, surely we can look in the mirror and say the same thing. This is an Apostle of Jesus Christ. And he says, verse 21, for I find then a law. What is a law?

It's a set of instructions. So he's got these rules going on. I find then a law that evil is present with me. The one who wills to do good. He says, I want to do good, but there's this other set of rules inside me wanting to do harm. For I delight in the law. Verse 22, I delight in the law of God. According to the inward man, I love God's law, he said. He's grown up with God's law.

He was an expert in God's law. And yet, verse 23, I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am, and notice this statement, who will deliver me from this body of death? Paul realized he need deliverance. He had a need for God. And that's how Jesus opened the Sermon on the Mount.

He opened with, you need to see, and blessed will you be if you see your need for God. Back to the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew chapter 5. We'll go on to Jesus' next point, which is verse 4, Matthew chapter 5 and verse 4. He says, again, new living translation, God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Now, how is that tied into recognizing the need for God?

He just said we're blessed if we see our need for God. And now he says, blessed if we mourn, what does he mean? What is there to be sad about? What do we need to mourn? I suggest this is a gentle reminder that we are imperfect, and we need to repent.

We can be much more accepting of others when we mourn our own faults. We can overcome selfishness when we are actually sorry that not we do what we do, but that we are what we are. And we can become so much more when we repent. Remember, once again, Jesus is sitting on the hillside in a very relaxed setting.

He's not rebuking his disciples. He's sharing something in a very kind way. And it's written down and shared with us. He's trying to help us. And now we pass it along to each other to help one another, not to put anyone down. We are all alike in this way. We are all born as flesh and blood human beings, and we grow up in Satan's world under his selfish influence. And at the Feast of Tabernacles, we are invited to grow in our conversion towards God's loving attitude, to overcome selfishness.

And that's a process we often call conversion. What does that mean?

Overcoming selfishness is a big part of that conversion process. So the first two things that we need to do in overcoming our human nature, specifically today we're talking about selfishness, is to be poor in spirit. In other words, put God higher than we are. No, we have a need for God. And secondly, we need to mourn or repent.

Recognize that there's something wrong or missing inside and repent. Still in Matthew chapter 5, let's move on to verse 5. God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth. Brethren, humility is a big key in overcoming selfishness. When we don't think too highly of ourselves, then we can be taught. Then we can change. Then we can grow. And our relationships with others will start to greatly improve. Our outlook in life will greatly improve. When we what? Do what by nature we want to do and exalt and promote ourselves? No, that only leads to anxiety. When we humble ourselves, our relationships start to greatly improve. Mr. Dan Taylor read this passage yesterday, and I will remind us today of Philippians chapter 2 and verse 1.

I almost took it out because Mr. Taylor read it yesterday, and I thought, no, we need to hear it again. Philippians 2 verse 1, Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ, any comfort of His love, any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another and working together with one mind and one purpose. We're going to hear more about that in the Bible study tomorrow. Verse 3 from the New Living Translation, Don't be selfish. Don't try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others better than yourselves. Don't look out only for your own interest. It doesn't mean it's wrong to look out for your interest. It's wrong to only look out for your interest. But take an interest in others, too. The second step, or the third step, excuse me, in this conversion process, is to make sure that you are teachable, humble. Speaking of teachable, that connects directly to the next statement in Matthew 5 and verse 6.

God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice. In the New King James it says, Righteousness, for they will be satisfied. That's a promise from Jesus Christ. If we hunger for His way to be instilled in us, for His character, the love of God to be instilled in us, we will be satisfied. That is a promise. As Mr. Graby said in his sermon the other day, do we consider God's Word to be a delightful treat like our favorite food that we look forward to at the feast? I thought that was an excellent comment and a great analogy.

Hunger and thirst for the Word of God, the way of God, God's opinion, God's character, God's mind. The next step in the process, Matthew 5 and verse 7, blessed are those who are merciful. And now that you have the right frame of mind and you have repented and you recognize the need for God, it is time to take action. Much like Mr. Carmichael said in the sermon at verse 7, God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

A reciprocal action will be shown back to us, brethren. Be kind. You want to improve relationships? Be forgiving when you get hurt. It's so critical to relationships. Proverbs 17 and verse 9. Proverbs 17 and verse 9. Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends.

You want to have your love, in other words, your relationships, grow, then let it go. You know what happens? We meet people for the first time, and we make some kind of a snap judgment.

And people aren't a summation of the first time that they met you. That's not all that they are. They are so much more than that, and it's so unfair. But what do we do? We judge them on our first impression, and we never let it go, at least not by nature. We forget that people have bad days.

You don't get to, you know, really know a person the first time you meet them.

Some people are just awkward when you meet them.

Other people are disingenuous. They're not real when you meet them. They don't put their true self out there when you first meet them. First impressions are fairly useless when it comes to developing relationships. It takes time to get to know somebody, and that requires mercy.

Being merciful and letting the hurts go. Otherwise, that first impression, the first time they offended you, you're done. That relationship is over. Don't make snap judgments, in other words. Give people a second and a third and a fourth chance. And so on. Sometimes people make mistakes, and guess what? You and I, we're people. They will embarrass you. They will hurt your feelings. They'll say the wrong thing to you in public. I've done all of those things to people, and so have you. And so have people done those things to you.

These are attributes of a loving and giving person. This is part of the character of God and overcoming selfishness. You have to be merciful. Jesus continues with this theme in the same chapter we're in, Matthew 5. Let's drop down to verse 43. We'll come back to the Beatitudes in just a moment. Matthew 5 and verse 43. You have heard it said, you shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies. Who's your enemy? Anybody who hurts you. That's just human nature. If they hurt me, I hate them.

Love your enemies. Now that's mercy. Bless those who curse you. Do good to those who hate you. And pray for those who spitefully use and persecute you. We'll stop there. Be merciful. Giving other people a second chance, so to speak. This is part of the conversion process, and it is critical. So critical that Jesus Christ included it in his opening comments of his very first official sermon, the Sermon on the Mount. At least the first one that's recorded. Overcome the selfish need to retaliate. Letting go of the hurts that people cause.

And by doing so, you learn to gain peace of mind that comes from God's character. So the next step in the conversion process is an action step. Be merciful. Pretty clear. This sermon is very clear when you look at it from the point of view of conversion.

And how do we know he's talking about conversion? It's the last thing he says in chapter 5. You become perfect as your Father in Heaven is perfect. Okay, continuing on. Matthew chapter 5 and verse 8.

God blesses those whose hearts are pure. What an interesting word in the original Greek.

Blessed are those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.

This word pure means something that has been cleaned.

It doesn't mean something that was never defiled.

Rather, it means a thing that was defiled is now to be cleaned up. And in this particular case, he's talking about your heart, your character, your motives.

Something that was dirty and unacceptable is now clean.

King David described this in Psalm chapter 51 when he was praying to God to clean him after his sin of killing Uriah the Hittite and adultery with Uriah's wife Bathsheba.

Psalm 51 verse 6.

Behold, you desire truth in the inward parts.

And in the hidden part, this is not outward compliance. Yes, I keep the Sabbath. No, I don't eat pork. Well, that's good. That's kindergarten.

Definitely don't want to break the Sabbath, but you've got to go so much further.

David here is talking about not the letter of the law, but its intent, the spirit of the law.

Conversion.

You desire truth in the inward parts. And in the hidden part, you will make me to know wisdom. So how do you get there? Verse 7.

Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean.

Many of you know I've described hyssop before. It's the Mediterranean oregano. And if you get that oil from the oregano leaf, it is as hot as a jalapeno pepper. And it is stringent and it will clean you out. So when he says, purge me with hyssop, you get the idea. If you take a nice hot jalapeno, slice it open and lay that bad boy on your tongue. That's what he's talking about.

Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean. Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow. And the result, verse 8, make me hear the joy and gladness that the bones you have broken may rejoice.

There is peace of mind at the end of the conversion process. Verse 9, hide your face from my sins and blot out my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

King David gives the key of how we start having a pure heart. You have to ask God for it.

More on that just a little bit. Having a pure heart, as Jesus said in Matthew chapter 5, as we're going through this list in the Sermon on the Mount, having a pure heart shows itself by how you love other people. Notice what Peter said, 1 Peter chapter 1 and verse 22. 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 22, picking up on this idea of pureness.

Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the spirit and sincere love of the brethren, how do you show that you have been purified by obeying God and loving the brethren? 1 Peter chapter 22, loving one another fervently with a pure heart.

So there's actually a way to check your pulse whether or not you are growing in conversion.

And that is if you can get along with other people. The more converted you become, the more loving you become. Loving one another with a heart that has been cleaned. That's what it means when you are obeying God's laws, when you're using them as a guide to look out for the interest of your friends and of other people.

Okay, we're still in Matthew chapter 5. We're going through this list that we often call the Beatitudes, which is actually a list of how to be converted from our old selfish person to a new loving person like God the Father and Jesus Christ. Matthew chapter 5 and verse 9.

God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God. Peacemakers are laborers. They work. Working for peace.

Not quick to argue your point. By nature, we think that our point of view is correct.

When we make an assumption about another person, we think our assumption is correct. But we can't hear the inner voice of that other person. We don't know their heart. Assuming that your opinion is always correct is not the way to peace.

That's actually part of being selfish.

I'm right. Me, me, me. We go where we want to go. We eat what we want to eat. We shop where we want to shop. We buy what we want to buy. And if we don't get those things, we are generally very unpleasant people. We tend to be upset with others who prevent us from getting our way, from fulfilling our desires. Referring back to what James said in James chapter 4, where do wars come from?

What a world it would be. What a world it will be when everyone looks out for other people first.

God wants you to have your desires. When they're proper, obviously. But he also wants you to learn to share. He shares, and he wants us to be like him. Not just in action or outward compliance, but from the heart. To work to be a peacemaker. And in order to do that, you don't always have to be right. Now, God is always right, and you don't have to be so, you know, compliant with other people that you compromise the Word of God. We never compromise the Word of God. But do you compromise on your own opinion? Can somebody else's opinion be equal to your own opinion when it does not contradict the Word of God? But should! That's a difficult thing. A peacemaker does not get upset when other people get their way. When other people do things a different way than you do them. A peacemaker understands that everyone deserves a turn. A peacemaker allows other people to have their turn or to get their desires before you or I get our desires fulfilled. Don't worry, you'll get your turn. Be patient. Remember what we read in Philippians 2 in verse 1, 1 through 4, talking about humility and putting other people first? So as a peacemaker, just in review, we do not always have to be right. We do not always have to go first. And we do not always need the attention or the spotlight.

In the millennium, there will be an emphasis on giving in society, referring back to our key scripture of the Psalm. We will have to teach other people how to get along with each other. So our mission is to learn now how to get along with people.

One of the big keys is learning to overcome selfishness within yourself. It will improve your interpersonal relationships, and it will help you teach other people how to do so in the world tomorrow. What you learn today and you put into practice today, you will teach tomorrow.

Jesus warns finally at the tail end of this opening section of the Sermon on the Mount, he gives a little warning so that we don't fall off track and we don't stop overcoming.

He warns us that this is not the easiest path to take. There are other paths that are easier, but this is the one path that leads to the reward, and it leads to peace, and it leads to wonderful relationships. Matthew 5, the very next verse, is verse 10. God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right. Oh, if you go the conversion route, then you go against Satan and this world.

You are now the fish swimming against the stream, everybody bumping into you saying, hey, you're going the wrong way.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for doing right, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. Blessed are you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers, he says.

Be happy about it. Be very glad, for a great reward awaits you.

And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.

Jesus also said in Matthew 16, something similar, Matthew 16 in verse 24, then Jesus said to his disciples, if anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me, implying that this will not be the easiest route to take. The New Living Translation reads the same verse, Matthew 16, 24, then Jesus said to his disciples, if anyone wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross and follow me.

You know, at the end of Jesus' ministry, he gave a message to his disciples on the night before he was crucified, that last Passover he kept before he was killed, and he told them how. Now, in the Sermon on the Mount, he told them what to do.

And in John chapter 14, he tells them how to do it.

John 14, let's go there, in verse 16. John 14 and verse 16, I will pray to the Father, and he will give you another helper.

The thing that King David was asking for, this is what Jesus is talking about.

That he may abide with you forever. I believe the original King James says, He doesn't give it a personal pronoun, the Holy Spirit. Verse 26, But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things.

How will you learn to overcome? Well, you have to have God's Holy Spirit working in you, and will bring to remembrance all things I said to you. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go, the Helper will not come to you. But if I depart, I will send him or it to you. And what does this Helper do? Philippians 2, 13. For it is God who works in you, both to will and to do, his good pleasure. It is the power to overcome this fleshly mind, this fleshly heart that we have, to overcome that me-first attitude.

The Holy Spirit is God helping us. We have to put all of our effort into it, but our effort is not enough. So God gives us a serious boost with this Holy Spirit to overcome personal selfishness and to become this loving person we're supposed to be so that we can teach it as well, to become like God. The process starts with repentance and baptism, but that's only the beginning. Baptism is not some kind of a graduation ceremony where you get your degree. That's the introduction to school, where you start class. Selfishness is inherent in all of us. In overcoming selfishness, well, that's a process, and it will take a lifetime for you to accomplish it. Satan has this character flaw, this selfishness. In fact, he's the originator of it. According to Ephesians 2, verse 2, he guides the course of this world, influencing us as the Prince of the Power of the Air. He influences the whole world to follow the mistakes that he made and to have the same exact character flaw. This character flaw is in our nature, yours and mine, and we have to overcome it, because it is the root of all human conflict.

I know this is an uncomfortable topic to look inside and correct a character flaw. There are much easier things to talk about. It's challenging and daunting to change that character. In fact, it takes God and Jesus Christ's help to do it, to make ourselves ready for the kingdom of God and to serve Jesus Christ at his return. But we have to. That is our calling. And we are up for it.

One of the character flaws that we all suffer from is this selfishness. And brethren, it's gotta go.

And in its place, another character attribute has to be there. God will help replace this selfishness with the character that he shares, a character attribute that he shares with Jesus Christ, and it is a trait that he's going to instill in your heart. And that is the nature of a giving and loving attitude to take care of other people first. Back to our key scripture, Psalm 37 and verse 21. Psalm 37 and verse 21. The wicked borrow and do not repay. We are to be so opposite that.

We're not lenders, we're givers. That's what we're called to. But the righteous give generously. Let's do more than just agree with this sermon, agree with the concept of being giving and loving. Let's strive to overcome that selfish nature that we all have inside. Do your part to get ready to be a big brother or a big sister in the kingdom of God.