NPD

How's your life going? Pretty good? You probably feel like spring is just around the corner and we can all start feeling better. There are some people in this world that feel good all the time, and not because of the weather, but because of who they think they are. They feel good about themselves. That's why this sermon is titled NPD, as I want all of us to maybe look at ourselves and see if we can relate to NPD. Perhaps you know this man. He's very famous. He's very rich. He's very rich, very famous. He has not only money and wealth and prestige, but he was considered one of the best-looking men in Hollywood.

He also has one thing called an inflated ego. Perhaps even he had a song written about him that a woman he once dated, Carly Simon, wrote this song about him, and it became such a hit of a way to grant me, and it also became number one on the charts. Written about him and his vanity and his ego.

Perhaps you may think of other people with other ego issues. In the past, we've had certain people that, as the Bible says, think more of themselves than they ought to. Think about those in the past who are known for being vain people who were full of themselves, egotistical, all the words that would describe various people of the past. You even have them today as we have singers who are known as divas, who are known to have an inflated opinion of themselves. Besides politicians who have all the answers or think they do, people who really have a superiority towards other people.

And it's so sad today that many think they have all the answers. It is sad because sometimes their lives do not reflect that. And yet, they feel superior. They feel like the world owes them something because people flock to these people.

They worship these people. They hang on their every word, whether it's a good word or not. But these people believe. Some may feel they're the smartest man on the planet. And yet, they have an issue with life. Muhammad Ali was known for his statement, I am the greatest of all times. Well, it may have been a shtick to him, but we have also the top coach in college football that thinks he is the greatest. And many people are saying he is, even if he does have a red and white or crimson and white jersey on, as my wife might point that out, that he is the coach of Alabama, not the coach of LSU.

But Jeff, being an LSU fan, had to put that in there since he won a national championship there. So, what about that? Do you relate to the pictures and the stories that seem to resonate from people with egos, vain people? People who have NPD? Well, NPD is actually called a disorder. Some people, even medical term, they kind of wanted to say at one time that it was a disease, but now they've said that NPD is a disorder, a disorder that needs to be worked with and worked on.

The diagnosis of NPD is a condition in which a person has an inflated sense of self-importance. You ever met anyone like that? Maybe you live with somebody like that. Maybe you are that person, and it's something that we can all begin to look at, because we all, at one time or another, have had an inflated sense of self-importance. Most people have. I definitely have to raise my hand. At times, usually life smacks you back down when you get up there too high, and hopefully your family will and your friends will put you in that.

But what is the cause? What is the cause? What is the cause? It's interesting that they say the cause of this NPD is unknown, but likely involves a combination of genetics and environmental factors. Means where you live your life, plus where you perhaps grew up.

So what is NPD? The official name is narcissistic personality disorder. Narcissistic personality disorder. It is a disorder, and it's actually a medical term.

You may think, well, why would you bring this up for a message, for a sermon? Because it's something that we need to have some introspection in our life. Introspection in our life. To look at ourselves, and we can see it in other people, but is it really possible for us to see it in ourselves? Or do we kind of think that's somebody else's issue? We're going to look at some biblical examples today because they existed. And guess what? They exist even in today, and they exist in the church, and they exist in your life.

Some of the symptoms include an excessive need for admiration. The Mayo Clinic, Mayo Clinic, or the top hospitals, if not the top hospital in the entire United States, has paper after paper, study after study of this, that you can go online and find this as they address this NPD because it is beginning to become larger and larger and larger, and they feel like it will be a problem that really gets out of control, if it's not already out of control. But what do they say? It has an exaggeration of self-importance.

Those that suffer from this have a sense of entitlement, a constant excessive need for admiration. They like to hear that. You know, a bunch of ballgames, and you can hear people when they start yelling for somebody, they will look up into the stands, or he'll do this, or whatever. They tend to, those who suffer from the exaggerate achievements and talents, the fish story, it got bigger and bigger as they began to tell it. Well, yeah, I caught this fish, and it was this big. Or perhaps it was like, yes, I played in that ballgame. I remember that one. I think I got 29 points, and I got 16 rebounds. And next thing you know, you're exaggerating it. I used to love that because when I used to play, my father used to set up in the stands and keep keep his own tally of what I did and so forth like that. And guess what? It never matched exactly what I thought I did anyway. So it comes naturally with us. And the last one, a belief that others envy them. Look how important I am. Look how nice I'm dressed. Look at this. Familiar yet? Is there anything that rings a bell? Well, how about a scripture? Let's go to Proverbs. Proverbs 13 verse 10. God tells us through His word that by pride comes nothing but strife.

We see we saw pictures of people earlier who had this, but guess what? When you really begin to see their life, it was strife. There was strife in their lives. A lot of them were happy. You'd be surprised how many people, even young people today, suffer from suicide where life, the expectations of life are never really reached. So by pride comes nothing but strife, but with the well-advised is what? Wisdom. Wisdom. How about Proverbs 16? Proverbs 16 verse 18. Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before fall. Don't we see that so many times? We have people that brag about things, whether it's a, I saw something the other day about a boxer before a boxing match or something that was just telling how great he was and what he was going to do to this guy and then it was a first round knockout by the other guy. And he was just, all right, he was just telling how great he was, I was going to do this and guess what? They wanted to interview him after the fight. He didn't want to tell you say much. It reminds me of this. Pride comes before destruction.

So I question, I guess, to myself and all of you as we examine ourselves. Are you a narcissist?

Are you a narcissist? Is your ego out of control? Are you one that thinks about what's best for you more than others? Do I have to check myself and say, it's really important what others need, not what Chuck needs. Or is it kind of like, well, Chuck needs this. Well, Chuck should have this.

We should ask ourselves that question. Not only it should be good already every time of the year or all months of the year, but especially this one as we head into this spring holy days that we're going into. A professor of neurobiology made this statement. He said there is a definite connection between the brain, behavior, and thinking.

Well, thank you, Mr. Obvious. I hope you didn't have to go eight years for college to come up with that for a narcissist. A definite connection between the brain, behavior, and thinking?

Well, one of the things that it brings forth from this study is that NPD affects more males than females. Yes, that's right. Affects more males, they found out, than females, which is probably the most sexist and stupid statement for any of us men who suffer from narcissism.

But where do we go to work on this issue or problem?

I think we have to look at scripture, which helps ground us all. I hope you do. I look at scripture because it does. It tells me where I am, where I don't want to be, and then where I need to be. Hopefully you do the same thing. Go back to the book of Proverbs. Proverbs 29. That's 29 and verse 23. A man's pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor. Isn't that so true? Haven't you worked with people? Maybe you went into a business to do something and they just were talking down to you or didn't show any respect, but then you'll meet somebody else in another business that is humble.

And the one thing you always remember, you know, I want to go back to that.

He really appreciated my business. I appreciated the attitude that that business had.

You know, as interesting as I did this study on narcissistic behavior, this disorder, I found that the experts, which there are volumes written about this, besides what's in the scriptures, that they found its most prolific in three areas. Most prolific in three areas. Academia. Academia.

The most prolific area, which I had to think back and I reflected back and was talking to Mary was we were walking on the beach the other morning as I was working on this sermon. And I thought about, I was 20, 21 years old, working for a company in the town of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. It was a major university, MTSU, which is a very large university there. So they had a lot of professors, a lot of teachers, so I had this job along with four or five others in my in my worksheets to look at. So I was driving out and going to the place and I turned over and saw this last name was Green. So I get out of my truck and go up to the door to say I'm here to make this repair of what they were needing. And a man comes through the door and I said, Mr. Green, I'm here to repair your garage door opener. And he goes, that's Dr. Green.

I said, okay, I wasn't even thinking about it. And so I go and he opens the door, I'm able to go to repair things. And as I'm then leaving and going to my next job, without even thinking back, I said, well, thank you, Mr. Green, for your business. At which he reminded me, that's Dr. Green. I didn't think anything about it till I got back at the end of the day and the owner of the company came to me and said, I heard you and Dr. Green had issues. I said, well, I don't know. I was able to repair what he needed repaired and everything else. He said, you didn't call him doctor, you called him mister. I said, well, I just I guess I didn't read the very front what his title was. But I guess it was a big deal to him. And he said, well, it was to him. He said that he deserved that honor. He deserved to be called a doctor since he went all those years to get a degree to teach other teachers. So I kind of related this academia issue on people and it's not to talk down anybody that has a doctorate degree. I mean, there's a lot of there's a lot of time and hours and study that goes into such things. And I can respect that. But I hope we're not that way. I hope we're not that way in our lives to where we need to we ever get a doctorate degree. We insist on people calling us doctor.

I remember when I became a pastor, one of my mentors, a man I respect. Most of all the ministers I've met. If not, he's at the top. He's close to the top. When I became a minister, I would always call him Mr. And he said, Chuck, my name's Denny.

I don't need to be called Mr. It's just plain Denny. That's what my name is.

And I so remember that because I knew other ministers down through the years you would you dare call them by their first name.

Why? Why not? Why not? Try to tell people. Some people say, well, I don't feel comfortable just calling you Chuck. I do because that's the name I was given 62 years ago.

They said, well, I'd prefer to call you Pastor Smith. If you need to, but no. Pastor just means what? Servant. He just means servant. I'm an under shepherd. I just serve. I'm not your spiritual leader. Christ is your spiritual leader.

I'm more like a coach. I'm like an under shepherd just to make sure that I can help you.

I should never be up here in the business world. I know because I had a business. I were in my own corporation for 20 years and managed another building business for 10 years.

And I know how businessmen think. And I know why this is one of the most prolific areas. Because you make decisions. You have to make decisions every day and you make many, many decisions. And when 95% of all your decisions are right, you have a hard time trusting in anyone making decisions except yourself. And what does that do? It inflates you to where you think you're right all the time. All the time. And so you want to make those decisions even though you make them wrong, right? You make some wrong, see, but you make mostly right. And so that, too, inflates the ego. And then we can go into the entertainment world. Some people that never went to college, never even finished high school, but all of a sudden they're either a rock star or they're a movie star or a TV star or just any kind of star. And what happens? Everybody turns to them, oh, tell us what you think. And so they're thinking, well, I don't know that much about it, but there's a reason I'm making millions of dollars a year. And so I guess what I think is very important as people just how great they are and follow them around. NPD, narcissistic personality disorder. Are we on the lookout for it? Is it obvious? Is it maybe even obvious in our life? You know where it comes from? The word narcissistic. It comes from the word narcissist.

And the original word was about a hunter, a man named Narcissus. It's in Greek mythology. And in Greek mythology, Narcissus was a great hunter and a very good-looking man. And so all the mythology, all the women liked him and looked at him and wanted to be with him and wanted to be a wife and this. But Narcissus didn't really find any of them that attractive. But one day as he was out hunting, he came to this pond and when he saw and he saw his reflection in the pond, and what did he do? Well, according to mythology, Narcissus fell in love with himself.

He fell in love with himself and couldn't stop looking, looking at himself in that mirror that was water. In fact, you even have a flower now named after him that grows by the side of the water so it comes up and can then look at itself in the water.

How about you? Does that sound ridiculous?

But we need to be able to look in the mirror to see how beautiful we are, but look in the mirror to see the real us, the real you, the real me, and see us as God sees us.

Because we're nothing. I have a friend back in Tennessee who used to do a radio show, and he used to always tell me on his radio show, go, I'm nothing! I know that!

The Aunt Daniel.

He knew that ego is something that we need to keep in check.

But in today's society, as they talk about this generation that is coming up now as the most narcissistic society that's ever been raised. Because now you need to tell young kids growing up that everything is great, and you're great at everything. And now I walk out on the beach, and when I do my walk in the mornings or whatever, and you'll see people with their cell phones out here, you know, or they've got a stick, even a stick, hold their cell phone out here so they can take a picture. And then you may see a group of young girls. There was one the other morning, and there were three young girls, probably teenage girls, and so one of them was taking pictures, and they were all posing like they were models. Now they were showing this, and they were had, you know, little clothes on, but they were, to them, they were models. Modeling as everybody begins to want to be something in this world. They want to be known. They want to be seen.

So let's go to the Bible. Let's look at some biblical narcissists, and it would be at the top of your list. It would be the top of your list of all the narcissists in Scripture. Well, I think there's one. One that should fit all of ours, and that is Satan the Devil.

Satan, just read about it. I'm not going to turn there today. I want you to think about these people, because you can go through and study about this, but it also helps us to make sure we're not going down that path. Because whether you want to read Isaiah 14 or Ezekiel 28, they both give a description of the mindset of Lucifer.

It became Satan, one of the biggest narcissists that has ever existed and probably was the father. I would have to say, he says, father of all eyes.

Where do we want? Do we want to be like that? Do we want to follow these examples? That's why I want to go into not only Satan, but also whether you want to talk about, I thought, was Absalom. Absalom, the sons of David. To me, that's what he looked like, a Brad Pitt lookalike.

Just think about it. 2 Samuel 14, verse 25 says, In all of Israel, there was no one who was praised as Absalom was for his good looks.

I'm a confident heterosexual. I can say Brad Pitt's a good-looking man.

But I look at Absalom was like that, to where he got people following him, to where they eventually rejected his father.

And he was still full of himself. Had long, flowing hair that was actually his undoing.

Come and read the story of Absalom. See if there's anything that might help us to look and say, hmm, I want to make sure I'm not. I don't have to worry. I got a haircut this week, and Jeff and Maurice certainly are not going to have to worry about getting their hair caught in a tree, running from someone. But there was an attitude there. There was a narcissistic attitude in Absalom. And then, take Nebuchadnezzar. Any of you remember Nebuchadnezzar, the mighty king that David had to deal with? And he walked through, and he had an experience with David. He had a chance to understand about God. And yet, he walks through, and he says, is this the great Babylon? As he's walking over, looking at all this, that I have built for my honor and majesty. He was all about himself. You want to read that story and see how God worked with him? Because I think God worked some of the narcissism out. I don't want to have to run around in a field chewing on grass for seven years.

There's a purpose for that story, and it's also to help teach us. Daniel. Oh, yes. What did I say? David? I had David on my mind, yes. Daniel. I don't think David lived that long to come in there a few hundred years later. But, yeah, Daniel wanted to work with him. He served him. And you can have too much power. With Absalom, you can have too many physical gifts. With some men like Nebuchadnezzar, you can have too much power.

Say, power corrupts absolutely. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. And this is what happened here. We also see the same thing in Saul. When Saul was king, what did it say? When he first became king, he went and hid because he didn't like being in front. And the Bible says, you know, you were okay when you were young. You were okay when you first started. You didn't have this ego. You weren't a narcissist. But then as he began to look at himself and people held him up, and God blessed the kingdom, and God had him anointed king, he started standing a little taller. And he was already head taller than anyone else. But, wow, all of a sudden he had all the answers to where power went to his head that he said, I'm not only king, I think I'll be a priest, too, which causes downfall. What about us? Do we get above our raising sometimes? Do we get above our calling to where we become an authority in different areas of our lives, even scripture? Think about this. Think about him. How about Jeroboam? Remember the story of Jeroboam? Jeroboam wasn't even part of the royal family, but God thought so much of him, he sent a prophet to him and said, I know that Solomon tried to kill you and his son is going to try to kill you. So he ran off to Egypt, but when he came back, Solomon died. God sent his own prophet to him and said, you know what? I'm going to give you so much, I'm going to give you more than Solomon had. I'm going to tear apart this nation and I'm going to give you ten of the tribes, and your glory can be all! Just worship me. Just worship me. Follow me.

And what did he do? As soon as he became king over the northern ten tribes, first thing he did was, uh-oh, what if they go back to... what if all the people that followed me, they go back for the holy days, they go and go back to Judah and they're like, believe me! So what am I going to do? I know! I'll make a calf. I'll make a couple calves and we'll keep them here and then I'll get the people, move it back 30 days, and I'll get the people to follow me and not God. And that was his downfall. That was his downfall. Why? Ego. Because he was a narcissist. NPD.

And then you have... it's not just men. We're probably more guilty of it, as the studies say, than women. Probably a study all done by women. But I'm joking, so don't send me a bunch of emails going, you sexist. No, I'm joking. But I mean, one of the women in the Bible, Jezebel. Jezebel, what a story this woman is. She was so full of herself. She came from royalty. She married royalty. She was royalty. And she was so narcissistic that even when the man that God had sent to kill her, starts riding towards her house, starts riding towards this palace, she gets all dolled up. I'm sure thinking, well, I'll just seduce this guy.

Well, I look how beautiful I am. Everybody makes over me. Well, I'll just, when he comes in, I'll call out to him and read the story and find out just how far that went.

It wasn't, as she might describe herself, it wasn't pretty. It wasn't pretty.

God has a way of working through these things. He has a way of humbling people. He has a way of taking you down quite a few notches. Most of you, I think, can probably understand that. You've probably gone through that yourself. It's a lot easier for us to lower ourselves down by ourselves than for God to push us down. Even though he has so much mercy, he would prefer that we do it, not make him do it, because his whole goal for us is to be in his kingdom. That's why this is so important, brethren. It's just important to me as I examine myself, as I look at myself and say, you've got some work to do, Chuck. You've got some serious work to do.

One last woman. If you don't know the story of Athaliah, Athaliah was Jezebel's daughter, and she became the queen, queen mother of Judah.

Athaliah was one of the most wicked women, the most wicked biblical narcissist I can find as a female in the Bible. I don't know. She's not even in Satan's league. I don't think she's even in Absom's league, but she was so hungry for power that when her son was killed, she wanted to assume the throne as the queen mother. Her son had children, had boys, that the day he was killed, she went out and had her men kill all the grandchildren, all of her grandchildren, wipe them out, kill them so that she could be queen over Judah, the only female to reign over Judah's throne. And she did. But God had his plan too. As he hid one of, he made sure that one of the, one of the her grandsons were hid. She had so many, I guess she didn't even remember this one, but he was able to hide out for six years in the temple.

An incredible story. I don't know why they make movies of everything else that's lousy. I don't know why they can't make a movie over that because that is one of the most inspiring stories of, of biblical times. And I want, I bring these stories up just so you can go back and look at them. I know you have all kinds of things to study in and you may have certain Bible studies you want to do, but reflecting on these examples really help us because these were real people. Real people in real lives dealing with a real God. And what are we? Real people with real lives dealing with a real God who has called us. So as I wrap up today, as I begin to look down the road, we go to the New Testament and you find that Jesus Christ had an issue with his disciples, all 12. He had trained them for three, three and a half years, worked with them, and they come to the very end and they all get into an argument on the walk. And so he kind of, I'm sure, to embarrass them. So what were you talking about? Everybody shut up!

Amazing, when I was growing up, my sister and I used to be in the back seat, and we'd just be arguing and everything else until my mother turned around. And then what were you talking about? What were you saying? We shut up.

These men shut up because they knew what they were saying. They shouldn't have been saying. They were suffering from this disorder, narcissistic personality disorder way back 2,000 years ago. They were suffering from this because they were arguing about who would be the greatest in the kingdom of God. Me! Oh, me! Look at me! I'm sure Peter goes, I walked on water. They like that, huh? Yeah, I did.

Bet you didn't. James and John, oh! We were ready to call fire down from heaven. Forgot that Jesus Christ rebuked them for that.

All of them were wanting to be great. And what was the lesson that Christ taught them and teaches us? The greatest in the kingdom of God is a servant. One who serves.

One who serves other people who serves the least. I didn't know what Maurice was all the scriptures he was going to go through when I built this sermon, but some of his definitely in mind because we kind of had the same, well hopefully we have the same spirit, I believe, and the same respect for God's will and lets him guide us in what we're what we're trying to teach you and teach ourselves.

But it's amazing because Christ's warning to his disciples, Luke 22 or Mark 9, there's various stories of this, trying to teach them to be humble servants, to not let themselves become narcissists. Paul also wanted to teach this. Paul knew how important it was because I think we could definitely say before he was called and struck down, blind, that Paul was definitely a narcissist, full of himself. He even pops up afterwards as he sometimes does a little bragging in his word about some of the things, but God is working with him. God is working with him, and he worked with him. Same way he's working with us because Paul will be in the kingdom of God. Will you?

Will I be in the kingdom of God? That's what's most important to God.

It isn't whether we have fame, whether people fall all over us, whether we have riches or anything else, because all that pales into significance to the glory and to the inheritance we receive in the kingdom of God. Greatest in the kingdom of God. We show that now. We qualify for that now by what we do now. Do we? It's something we have to work at.

And it's something usually takes a lifetime. Lifetime. The younger you are, the more ego, cockier you get, the more full of yourself. And as you get older and older, you begin to see that everything in this world we thought was important didn't really mean a lot.

I sure have. I'm still learning. Still learning. So Paul was writing a he wrote a letter to his church at Philippi, and the Philippian church was one of his favorites. I would never say a favorite. It's just like I can't all the nine or ten churches and I don't say which is a favorite. I don't have enough time to answer their emails if I did. But no, because each one has has qualities and I love each of the churches. But with Paul, the Philippians, they were on fire. They were really, really zealous. And he loved going there and he loved the leaders and he loved everything because they just they were anything but apathetic and they were growing. So he writes this letter to them. Because why? Because this wasn't good enough.

He wanted them up here. He wanted them up here. He wanted them to be the best that they could be. He wanted that church to be a church on fire. And he knew there were things they need to deal with, even though he loved them so much. I'm gonna go where where my brother Maurice went in Philippians two. Because this is what he wrote them in Philippians 2 and verse 1. He gave the old King James version. I'm gonna give the new King James version. He says, therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, any comfort of love, any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy fulfill my joy by being like-minded. Like-minded. Having the same love. Agape is the word there. Agape. Being of one accord, of one mind.

How about your church? Are you there yet? Are you there yet?

I must bring up one thing before we go on through this. If anything that I hope that during this year that the churches that I'm responsible for, those who watch here, those who are my brothers and sisters in Christ who we serve together, learn this one thing. Be able to agree to disagree.

Be able to agree to disagree. Because it's so unless it's a salvation issue, which most of the time it's not.

We've had church splits. We've had people leave the church. We've had all this stuff, anger and everything else because they didn't take these scriptures to heart. But having the same love, that means agape, godly love, being of one accord and one mind. And then verse 3, let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, you narcissistic people.

Because that's what happens. But in lowliness, that's the Greek word for humble, but in lowliness of mind. It starts up here, brethren. It's up here. Let each esteem others better than themselves. If we would do that, there wouldn't be any issues in the church other than what comes out from the outside. It's amazing how we always worry about the outside. I think we need to be worried about what's coming on from the inside. Don't you? And I'm talking to the ministry here. And I'll leave because, hey, I need to look from the inside.

We have a job to lead by example, to show that humility. We are called to be leaders from the ministry to the elders, to the deacons, to everyone out there.

Let us be your servant and remind us when we're not. Correct us when we're not of that mindset. Help us help you.

That's what a really spiritual church is all about.

Let's go on to verse 4. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, which most of us do, but also for the interest of others. If we could do that, what an amazing church it would be. What an amazing church! Everybody would know if we could do this one thing plus the next thing, we could do these couple of things, there wouldn't be anybody wanting to go to any other church because God would say, this is where you need to be.

I think we hold God back.

We've got to take care of the inside. Remember the bowl? In Christ, we say, clean the inside. First, verse 5.

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ. Jesus is probably the most difficult scripture in the entire Bible. I haven't lived up to that yet, but it's always out there. My people, my church have heard it for nine years. I've just said it many times because why? I need to know it. I need to remind myself. How am I going to serve you if I don't have the mind of Christ? If I don't have the mind of Christ and try to have the mind of Christ, United Church of God, Victor Cubic, Mark Welch needs to fire me tomorrow. Because it is about you and it's about God. Philippians 2, verse 6. Who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God. He was equal with God. He didn't think, oh, well, you mean I got to come down and hang out with them stinking humans? Those people who, oh, well, I'm above that. I'm better than that. No. But made himself a no reputation, taking the form of what? A bond servant and coming in the likeness of men. And he wasn't a Brad Pitt looking guy. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. He took such a beating that they said they couldn't even recognize his face, his body. They beat him, and he did that for us. Now, I bring this up because I believe Paul wrote this in his letter, in the middle of the letter, because he had two people that was on his mind, that he really wanted to reach. And so he gave this, God inspired him to give such rich verses here in chapter 2. But I'd like to go to chapter 4 as I wrap this up today. Chapter 4 and verse 1 said, Therefore my beloved and longed for, brother, he wanted to go there. He wanted to be with them. He felt that love. I longed for. I felt that way, and Mary has too for the last year, and I know Jeff has, because we can't see you in the Caribbean. We can't be with you. We love to be with you. We love to share. We touch. He said, For my longed for, brother, my joy and crown, he's holding them up. So stand fast in the Lord beloved.

My beloved. I implore Eodia. I implore Eodia. And I implore Syntyche, two ladies in the congregation, to be of the same mind in the Lord. What do we have here? We have two women in church that can't get along. Talk to the hand, and I said back then, I don't know. But guess what? These women were in the same church, serving the same God, serving the same people that didn't like each other, or couldn't get along. How often does that happen in the church of God? Oh, wow!

Steam others better than yourselves. Can you agree to disagree? We've had people leave the church over the type of flower somebody brought, or somebody said this, or somebody did this, and just little petty stuff. Where the church needs to be full of love. This is what Paul knew that this church was growing. This church was dynamic. This church was everything a minister could dream. What God had in mind from the very beginning.

But yet, narcissistic attitudes were prevailing. Because a narcissist is the very exact opposite of what esteeming others better than yourself is, the humility. That's what God wanted. That's what Paul wanted. And he's saying, please help these two women. Help them.

I employ Eudia, and I implore Sentai to be of the same mind in the Lord. What do you say? And I urge you also, true companion, a leader in the church who had written this letter to, help these women who labored with me in the gospel. They weren't just members that just showed up. They were leaders. They were helping with the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are written in the book of life. Do you know why? Do you know why he wrote this? Because he's afraid. He's afraid if these women continue this, he's afraid if we continue this, guess what? Our names can be stricken from the book of life.

Their names were in the book of life.

Because you see, there's no NPD in the book of life. There's nobody in the book of life.

That is the book of eternal life that will be there, who has a narcissistic personality.

We all have to have the mind of Christ. And he so wanted these two women to come together in one accord, as he wants us, brethren, to come in one accord. Now, guess what? In about three weeks or so, we're going to meet for the first time in almost a year in Fort Lauderdale.

Now, come together as a church. Let us come together in one accord.

Let us, we've been away from each other, and hopefully you've still Bible study, and you've kept your prayer life up. We have a job to do. God has planted a church. He's planted a church in other islands. Let us learn from this incredible lesson in Philippians. Let us be the church that he wanted them to be, so that we can not only have our names written in the book of life, does when we become and given his spirit, but that we help others whose names, who we fellowship with, who are brothers and sisters, whose names are written in the book of life. Let us learn. Let us learn from this. Put our egos aside. Put our own thoughts aside. Let us help each other, because it is our destiny to be with Christ, to be with God, in the kingdom of God. Have a great week. I look forward to seeing you next week.