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Mark Wheeler
James 4:1-10
06/04/2023
"Preach Practicing: Envy-itis – Another Pandemic?"
Lidgerwood Presbyterian Church
Welcome to worship, friends! What a gift to be together in this gathering of Christ-following sisters and brothers! In my humble opinion – there is no other place I'd rather be this morning than right here with you!
I mean, last year at this time I was in Galilee headed toward Jerusalem – and that was pretty amazing! Going to the mountains in Kyrgyzstan would be pretty awesome! Visiting castles and villages in Ireland is something I wouldn't turn down … but among all the places I am this morning, this is the best! Who's with me here?!
I'd like begin today by reading to you a few interesting stories I picked up while surfing the Inter-web a while back.
Story #1: "The Ann Arbor News crime column reported that a man walked into a Burger King in Ypisalanti, MI, at 7:50am, flashed a gun and demanded cash. The clerk turned him down because he said he couldn't open the cash register without a food order. When the man ordered onion rings, the clerk said they weren't available for breakfast. The man, frustrated, walked away."
Story #2: "Karen Lee Joachimmi, 20, was arrested in Lake City, FL, for robbery of a Howard Johnson's motel. She was armed with only an electric chain saw, which was not plugged in."
Story #3: "Three guys decided, late one night, to rob a gas station. Taking in baseball bats and knives they entered and demanded money from the clerk. But they weren't aware of a couple of rather important things: The clerk was an ex-Israeli. The clerk was an ex-Israeli Army officer. The clerk was an ex-Israeli unarmed-combat instructor.
Needless to say they ended up in the hospital … for a long time. (No charges were pressed by the gas station owner, and the police decided that there wasn't much point following through.)"
Story #4: "When a man attempted to siphon gasoline from a motor home parked on a Seattle street, he got much more than he bargained for. Police arrived at the scene to find an ill man curled up next to a motor home near spilled sewage. A police spokesman said that the man admitted to trying to steal gasoline and plugged his hose into the motor home's sewage tank by mistake. The owner of the vehicle declined to press charges, saying that it was the best laugh he'd ever had."
Story #5: "Burglars in Larch Barrens, MD., tried to cut through a safe using a Laser Tag gun."
Story #6: "Germany: Oil of Olay no longer doing the trick for her, a woman decided that she would bathe in the milk of a camel (a modern-day Cleopatra). So she stole a camel from the local zoo (where else can you find a camel when you need one?) and transported it back to her house – where she realized that the camel's name was 'Otto.'"
Story #7: "A man successfully broke into a bank's basement through a street-level window, cutting himself up pretty badly in the process. He then realized that (1) he could not get to the money from where he was, (2) he could not climb back out the window through which he had entered, and (3) he was bleeding pretty badly. So he located a phone and dialed '911' for help."
The site where I got these stories shouldn't be much of a surprise to you. The Internet site was called "Stupid People". The reason I share these stories is because I thought it would give you a slightly humorous look at stupid things people will do when we envy something. For most of these criminals, they went after money - they probably envied the "easy" life that people with lots of money appear to live. The woman with the camel – she envied the smooth skin and good looks that the "aging" women in Oil of Olay commercials portrayed.
This is the theme of today's passage in James – the disease of Envy-itis – is this yet another Pandemic?
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Join in as Pastor Kathy Sandusky leads us in our Call to Worship –
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And our Prelude of Praise and Worship –– … As We Gather
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Good morning Friends! Welcome to worship at Lidgerwood!! Shalom Aleichem!
Welcome, friends, from around the world, to this worshipping community!
Let's take a second to welcome each other, those in the room and across the globe, to a moment of Sabbath in God's presence and peace, and with others whom we love and with whom we grow together. Friends, may "The Peace of Christ be with you – and also in you!!"
Welcome to this "gathering" in God's name. We are assembled in NorthEast Spokane, WA, along with people from all over the world. We are very glad you are "here" with us.
Be filled with God's Holy Spirit presence and power, in your homes, through your phones and computers, in this building here, and in your lives. Pray with us … and hear and be transformed by God's Word.
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Choir – Bless you for your prayerful and melodic worship leading – today's Choral Anthem – "Holy Holy Ground"
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Pastor Kathy opens our Prayer time in Confession and Thanksgiving
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Gloria Patri
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Mark receives the praises, thanksgivings, adorations, concerns and Kathy prays
[The Lord's Prayer]
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Song of Devotion and Preparation to receive God's Word - #551 – Give Me Jesus
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The Promise and the Power of Your dream for us, O God, is brought to Life as we recognize Your resurrection! Challenge us to make the changes Your dream requires. Call us to Your passion for living lives that are full and abundant! Christ the Lord is risen today! Praise God. Amen.
A few minutes ago I reads some silly stories of Eny-itis at work. It's not always so funny. Listen to these following excerpts from various articles that I found:
"Leo Wilson, Jr., 16, was shot to death for his Nike sneakers and satin sports jacket, police say."
Or how about this one, "Wheatley High School junior Adam Joseph Martin, 18, gave haircuts to neighborhood kids to earn enough to buy his new $125 Nike athletic shoes last week. Saturday night, staring down the barrel of a 9mm pistol on a Houston street, he handed over his prized possessions to two robbers, who fatally shot him anyway."
The people that committed these murders were after a pair of shoes made by Nike. Hmmm … Envy … what will it drive people to do? What is envy?
That's what the book of James addresses in this next section, chapter 4, verses 1-10…. ----
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1 What causes quarrels & what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2 You desire & do not have, so you murder. You covet & cannot obtain, so you fight & quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.
3 You ask & do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4 You adulterous people!
Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
5 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, "He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us"?
23 6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, & purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be wretched & mourn & weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning & your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, & he will exalt you.
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While the stories I read you a minute ago are beyond us (none of us would ever do any of those things) … the reality of envy-itis is not. We are all affected. We are all infected. We all deal with its effects. Last week we read James 3:16 "For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice."
I would venture to say that one of the principal causes of evil and sin is this dangerous pandemic called envy-itis. Envy left unchecked, becomes a primary hyperlink to every other evil thought and action imaginable. Envy characterizes selfish ambition, greed, malice, stealing, murder.
It is no wonder that James attributes the cause of fights and quarrels among his readers as being "… your desires that battle within you" (4:1) And he goes on to describe the symptoms of this disease to be when "… you want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight …" (4:2) Remember that chapter 4 comes right after chapter 3! What did James talk about in chapter 3? Wisdom! These opening lines in chapter 4 sound awfully immature – like little children, but guess what? It happens to well-seasoned adults, too. I've been a part of it … and so have each of you.
Here's a Webster's Dictionary definition: Envy: "a feeling of antagonism towards someone because of some good which he is enjoying but which one does not have oneself, a coveting for oneself of the good which someone else is enjoying…"
In other words…envy is saying… "I like what you've got, I don't like the fact that you have it, and I want it"!!!
How many of you have ever had this feeling? It is the emotion of a child who throws a temper tantrum when her sibling has something she wants. It is the emotion of a woman when she sees someone in the clothing store trying on clothes three sizes smaller than her size - clothes that don't even come in her size. It is the emotion of a man when after a fruitless daylong attempt at catching "the big one" a boat pulls in to shore with a 7-yr-old kid holding a 10# Rainbow. It's the emotion of us all when we hear on the news the latest winner of the $500 million jackpot. It's the emotion we experience when we listen to Julie play the prelude music, or watch Teoscar Hernandez throw out a runner from right field, or when we taste one of Donna's cheese cakes, cuz we can't even come close and boy we wish we could! For most of us this feeling is fleeting - it is an emotion that we feel for only an instant - but for others it is a feeling that sticks in our heart - that irritates us and grinds away at us. Let's look at this Pandemic of Envy-itis.
Envy-itis is a terminal disease. A person with envy is a person with a troubled heart, a troubled mind and a troubled life. How does envy terminate us?
Envy-itis terminates OUR ABILITY TO EXAMINE OURSELVES.
The Story of Cain and Abel
When God accepted the offering given to Him by Abel and rejected the offering given by Cain it made Cain very angry. Envy began to stew and broil in Cain's heart.
The Lord warned Cain of this brooding emotion -
Genesis 4:6-7 "Then the LORD said to Cain, 'Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.'"
Instead of heeding God's warning and examining himself Cain let his envy consume him until he killed Abel, "I like what you've got, I don't like the fact that you have it, and I want it."
Envy terminates our ability to examine ourselves.
How many of you have ever said, "Gee, how come God answers her prayers but not mine?" Bam! Envy has planted its seed in our heart. If we are not careful it will blossom and consume us. We'll fail to realize and examine the motives of our prayers.
James 4:3 "When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures."
There are those that envy the perfect family in the midst of the breakdown of their own family. "Get off our backsides and examine ourselves --- what are we doing in our own families?!!!"
There are those that envy the fortunes of the rich – when we should be asking ourselves, "If I had that much money what would I spend it on, how would it change me?"
We've all heard story after story of what happens after the "big winner" cashes the check and their lives are destroyed by their new-found wealth.
The reason why envy is so dangerous is because it leads the person in an ever downward spiral and it terminates our ability examine ourselves - everything wrong, or hurtful thing we do seems justified by, "I like what you've got, I don't like the fact that you have it, and I want it."
Envy-itis terminates OUR SECURITY… It terminates OUR TRUST IN GOD.
Story of Joseph and his brothers
Genesis 37:11 "His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind."
One of the saddest thing that happens to a person is when their envy leads them to feel insecure. With envy we start taking things into our own hands instead of letting God take control of things. "I like what you've got. I don't like the fact that you have it, and I want it."
Envy-itis terminates OUR RELATIONSHIPS.
Not only did envy terminate the security of Joseph's brothers but it also terminated their relationship. Not only was there strain placed on the relationship between Joseph and his brothers but also among the brothers themselves as they would have to live with their actions for the rest of their lives. And not only among the brothers but on their relationship with their father, Jacob, too. This burden was only broken by Joseph's willingness to forgive many years later. And there's the cure … but we'll come to that in a minute.
Envying others leads to a bitterness in our talk, an abruptness in our actions, back-biting, gossiping, slander. Envy can take us from being a close friend to being a bitter enemy. It can break up families, tear apart churches and ruin communities.
There's a Greek proverb: As rust corrupts iron, so envy corrupts man.
But not only does envy terminate the relationships we have with others but it also terminates the relationship we have with God. We'll come back to that in a minute, too.
Envy-itis terminates OUR RESPECT FOR AUTHORITY/LEADERS.
Story of Aaron and Moses
Numbers 12:2-3 "'Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?' they asked. 'Hasn't He also spoken through us?' And the Lord heard this."
Korah and Moses
Numbers 16:1-3 "Korah … became insolent and rose up against Moses. With them were 250 Israelite men, well-known community leaders who had been appointed members of the council. They came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them, 'You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the Lord's assembly?'"
Psalm 106:16 "In the camp they grew envious of Moses and of Aaron, who was consecrated to the Lord."
The dangerous thing that happens when we envy those who are in charge, when we envy our leadership - our pastor, elder, boss, teacher, political leader, police is that we risk beginning to be disrespectful and disobedient towards them. What does it mean to envy these people? "I like what you've got, I don't like the fact that you have it, and I want it."
In this case envy usually begins when we get upset about something the leader or person of authority has said or done and then envy sets in. We say to ourselves "how did they get to be in such a position of authority anyways - I could do a better job then they could!" Scripture teaches that we are to obey those who have been placed in positions of authority and only in cases where their requests/teachings go contrary to the Word of God do we disobey.
Envy-itis terminates OUR SPIRITUAL GROWTH.
1 Peter 2:1-2 "Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation."
The implication made in this passage is that if you don't rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind, you will never grow up - that is you will never grow spiritually.
Envy-itis is a terminal disease! But we have a God that is bigger than what is terminal – He is eternal!
If you suffer from an inability to examine yourself honestly – SED (self-examination disorder)
If you find yourself insecure, unable to trust God through your difficult times
If your relationships with other people or with God are not what they could be
If you lack in respect for your leaders
If your spiritual growth has been stunted
You might have envy-itis! It is pandemic! It is everywhere!
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But there is a cure! Envy-itis is a worldly and sinful emotion. It is one of the most prevalent characteristics of today's society and hence it is no wonder that James writes to the envious: James 4:4 "You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. An envious spirit sets you against God!"
"ouch"!
God can perform an Envy-ectomy! And when He does, He needs to fill the void with something better.
One of the outward reactions and results of envy in our heart is a proud spirit. But notice how Moses is described Numbers 12:3 "Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth."
James 4:6 "But God gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble'." (Proverbs 3:34)
We are to crave spiritual milk - that is crave God's will, God's plan, God's desires … not OUR desires. When we see others who are being blessed, PRAISE GOD! Don't let envy set its footmarks all over our soul.
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In James 4:7 we are told to "Submit to God" and to "resist the Devil". By now you probably get the picture that envy is not a Godly trait!! It isn't - it is one of the biggest tools the enemy has in his arsenal to drag a person further from God. But James affirms that if we resist the devil he will flee from us!! Amen?
When we feel, "I like what you've got, I don't like the fact that you have it, and I want it" … resist it, say instead "I like what you've got, I want it, but I LOVE GOD MORE - GET AWAY FROM ME SATAN, IN JESUS NAME"!
James goes on further to write that if you come near to God He will come near to you. IF YOU HAVE ENVY IN YOUR HEART TODAY I WANT YOU TO LISTEN TO WHAT JAMES SAYS IN THE NEXT 2 VERSES!!! In vs 8-9 James tells us that in order to Come near to God we must…
Wash our hands
that is we must come to God with repentance, faith , and reformation. We are all sinners and in order to come near to God we must be cleansed. Remember that it was God who provided the wash basin! It is with Jesus' sacrificial blood that we have the opportunity to wash our hands. We must lay our envious thoughts bare before God and say, "Lord forgive me."
We must purify our hearts (you double-minded)
Double-minded refers to those who are wavering between God and the world. Purifying one's heart involves a resolving in mind and purpose to follow the ways of God - to crave spiritual milk - not an envious craving for things of the world. Our single aim must be to place God before anything else in the world - to place God as our only aim. The next time envy begins to sink its creeping claws into our spirit we must say "I like what you've got, I want it, but I LOVE GOD MORE - GET AWAY FROM ME SATAN, IN JESUS NAME"!
Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.
This is not a command stating that we can't be happy or laugh! It is merely a caution that this subject matter is one of utmost importance! The spirit of envy is one that cannot be ignored.
Yes we can rejoice at God's forgiveness but we must 1st grieve at our sinfulness, we must mourn our broken relationship with God because of that sin, and we must wail at our demise due to our broken relationship with God. It is in this trio of grief, mourning, and gloom that we'll find the proper submission to God. When we realize our need for God and our lostness in the WORLD, then we begin to understand that in order to be a friend to God we must 1st be an enemy of the world.
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We must pull envy's roots from our souls and cast them aside. James wraps up his treatise in verse 10 when he states that if you "Humble yourselves before the Lord … He will lift you up."
Are you envious of someone today? Is your heart steeped in pride? In the 1st chapter of James he tells us, "If you lack wisdom, all you need to do is ask God; He is generous and enjoys giving to His children. But when you ask you must believe and not doubt."
… Now is the time of God's favor! Today is the day of salvation! Amen!
Thank you, Lord, for Your gift of forgiveness, which grows in us to rejoice with those around us, and to celebrate "success" wherever it lands.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, One God, forever and ever. Amen.
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Receive our tithes and offerings as symbols of our very lives and livelihood, given as response to Your life given for us! Bless it, and by it bless the world around us. In Christ's name, Amen.
– Offering (4449 N Nevada St, Spokane, 99207 ; or click HERE)
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Communion Hymn #446 – The Savior Is Waiting!!!
The Communion Table is a Table of Equality and Eligibility. All who claim Jesus as Lord and Savior are invited to be at His Table. If you are a new believer, have not yet been blessed with the sacrament of Baptism, we invite you to speak with Pastor Kathy or me after the service, and we can work on a time and place for that to happen.
As our Servers pass the trays down your rows, please take a piece of bread and a cup of juice (or take one of the self-contained communion cups), and wait for Pastor Kathy to lead us in the service. Friends, the broken bread and the poured out cup for you and your salvation.
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Expedition Song #568 – Take my Life and Let It Be!
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Benediction: May we Grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Be filled with God's Holy Spirit. And give glory to God, today, and forever! Amen.
"May the Lord bless you and protect you; may the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; may the Lord look with favor on you and give you peace."
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Announcements
I leave for AK first thing tomorrow –Pastor is on-call and Rev Sheryl Kinder-Pyle, Executive Presbyter, will preach next Sunday
Breakfast Fellowship – Saturday, 9am, at Frankie Doodles
Furnace Fundraiser
Garden o' Feedin' – Thursday afternoons – or whenever!
Indians Baseball Game – Tuesday, June 20, 6:35, against the Eugene, OR, Emeralds!
Resources:
Ethier, Darren; The Crippling Effects of Envy; sermon preached 10/1998 at Hanover Pentecostal Church.
Wheeler, Mark; "Envy-itis: Is It a Pandemic?"; Lidgerwood Presbyterian Church; 05/14/2006.
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