Father, thank you for
your goodness Toward. Thank you for the many
blessings that we have in Christ and hopefully
as we talk about. Cove, we see that
the best remedy for that is
spiritual
on what you've done through, done for us
to your son
And so I appreciate the the theme in
this morning's
service, not 1 that I...
That I have my fingerprints on, didn't choose
the songs and didn't didn't expect Cary and
claude to be
playing this I
with
songs that the choir chosen lord. And so
I pray you help us to be focused
on your blessings things. I really think that
that's the best way to resist cove and
to be consent in abiding christ.
So I pray lord that that'd be the
forefront of our minds,
during this time, and I pray you just
use this Sermon.
To its fullest lord in each person's life
to help us to grow in this area
an area that all of us struggle with
to some extent.
And time talking about contentment,
and the importance of it, and I see
Cove as being the real enemy, Lord, and
so I I pray you'd help us to
build able to put off Cove and put
on contentment. Use these versus car in our
lives. Pray for an un believe who joined
us as Pastor nathan and pray at the
beginning of a service that none of us
have would leave here the way that we
came and especially any end believers if they'd
be born again and see their need for
Christ
that they would,
see their gentleness and need for the favor
that you provided or be vaulted,
and please with this time we have and
we asked this in Jesus name. Him amen,
The fellow morning, Sermon is you cove it
and cannot obtain so you fight in coral.
So if you need to joining us, I'm
preaching a few Sermon on Cove.
Not sure how many there will be, but
I enjoyed the time with contaminant after coming
to Akron from Africa and seen a strong
relationship between contentment and cove So enjoying being
able to talk about preach on this as
well. And I don't know if I'm just
preaching myself because I'm a cove person. But
I've been challenged and I hope that the
verse would administer to me minister to you
as well.
When California when Cad an Hour were in
California,
we had a neighbor, but that had 4
daughters,
and 2 of the daughters became particularly close
to. So when Ray was born, the 2
2 youngest daughter. They enjoyed coming into the
house. They enjoyed being
around the baby. They were pretty helpful for
Katie, and they spent a lot of time
in our home. The and developed a very
close relationship with us, and especially with Katie,
They would come over in the morning before
school, and then Katie would walk them to
to school It come over,
after school and state our house until,
I guess 1 of their sisters have come
over to bring them home.
And over time, it became apparent that the
older sister, there... They had 2 older sisters,
and 1 of those older sisters, seem to
really dislike Katie for some reason.
We'll call this older sister, Jennifer, and, Jennifer
was very rude to Katie,
and when she would come to our house
to pick up her 2 younger sisters, she
would pound on the door really loudly, and
she would be rude to Katie space.
And so, Katie,
put up a note next to the door,
asking people to knock quietly,
and
to not ring the doorbell. Now the note
was not,
let's say,
addressed to anyone, but it was intended for
this sister, Jennifer.
And so the first day that Katie put
up this note, Jennifer came over, pounded on
the door even louder than usual and sat
they're ringing the doorbell repeatedly like this.
So pretty clear that Jennifer didn't like Katie.
And
so when Katie,
talked to Jennifer about this instead of criticizing
her, for her behavior, Kate was very kind
to her and asked her why she's seemed
to hate her so much. And this sister
broke down and started to cry, and guess
why she she said she was treating Katie
the way she was.
Yeah. She was jealous. She was cove. She
acknowledged this. She jealous in a moment of
vulnerability
of the relationship that Her 2 sisters had
with Katie, and this brings us to less
than 1.
We fight and quarrel because of cove.
What do we think typically Ruins relationships? Not
up.
Necessarily right answer around looking for with this.
So what are some things that come to
mind. You can borrow some things about what
room relationships?
What something what?
K. You're not supposed to say Jealousy, because
that's the right answer, that I was gonna
mention. So let's say besides Jealousy imagine that
ethan just say that.
Selfish. What else did I hear?
Bitterness,
what else?
Anger,
gossip,
wise.
I don't think that we typically think.
Of self of jealousy or cove, ruling
relationships. But we should.
Cove ruined that sister's
relationship with Katie and
God blames cove.
For our conflicts and James 4, 1 and
2 says what causes ko and what causes
fights among you again, maybe we'd think
selfish s lying, gossip of, anger.
But James says
you desire and do not have, You want
things that you don't get and then he
says to your murder.
He says you cove it. Again, you want
things.
You can't obtain them. You don't get them,
so you fight and you quarrel about them.
So James blames,
cove us, for the conflicts we experience.
We take it out on others when we
don't get what we want. In Jennifer's case,
she wasn't getting the attention from Katie or
via affection. From her. And so she took
it out on her.
Notice the synonyms in the verse,
desire and do not have as synonymous with
covenant cannot obtain. Let me say that 1
more time. James is repetitive here. God is
repetitive through James. He says desire and do
not have, And that's the same as C
and cannot obtain,
and then he mentions murder, which is synonymous
with ko
and fights.
And so God is repetitive to drive home
this point
that cove causes
conflicts.
The same point is made elsewhere, proverbs 28
25.
The greedy or the cove
stir up conflict. Why would the greedy stir
a conflict?
Because they're fighting to get what they want.
First timothy of 06:10,
The love of money or cove is a
root of all kinds of evils, and why
would it say that because in our efforts
to, in this case, get money,
we are willing to commit evil sins against
others.
We're gonna we're gonna do something a little
different this morning. We're gonna examine 4 accounts
that demonstrate this so we can learn from
them. And I'll go through the accounts quickly
because we're familiar with them. We're gonna look
back to back at the first 3 accounts,
consider the application from them, and then we're
gonna look at the fourth account by itself.
So the first
account is familiar. The prod go son.
The prod go son pence,
he returns home and then listen to this.
Luke 15 22. 23.
The father said to his servants.
Bring quickly the best robe,
put it on him, put a ring on
his hand, put shoes on his 20 the,
bring the fat and calf and kill it
and let us eat and celebrate?
Who does this not go over well with?
The older brother.
When he learned what happened,
luke 15 28 to 30, the older brother
was angry, he refused to go into the
celebrate for his brother, his father came out
and ent him,
but he answered his father and said, look.
These many years I've served you. I never
disobey your command but you never even gave
me a young goat, and I might celebrate
with my friends.
The son of yours home notice that the
son of yours,
How did God refer to the israelites to
Moses when he was angry with them?
What would God say to Moses when god
was angry with the israelites?
Your people,
not my people. Now they're Moses people. Who
else does this?
Parents do this.
Right?
When they're talking to each other,
your son did this.
Your daughter. Suddenly, they're not our kids anymore.
So the older brother, this isn't his brother.
He's like, he's not like my brother, but
this son of yours
devoured your property of prostitutes. You kill the
fat and
calf for him.
The older brother is furious about the patent
calf and the celebration.
Wait till he finds out about what.
The road, the rings and the shoes. Right?
It's about to get even worse for him.
Turn to Matthew 20. Keep that account in
mind.
Turns to Matthew 20.
The second example of cove
causing conflict,
is in the parable of the vineyard workers.
So keep in mind the conflict cove
caused
between the older brother and his father
or the older brother and his younger brother,
and now look at the conflict caused by
cove in the parable of the vineyard workers,
Map 20 versus 1 through 4. The kingdom
of heaven is like a master of a
house, caused to went out early in the
morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.
Notice this after
agreeing with the labor, this is a very
important point. That the labor agreed to a
den a day,
the master sent them into his vineyard.
Going out about the third hour of the
master saw others standing idle on the market
place and he said to them, you go
into the vineyard 2.
And then he said, whatever is right, I
will give you.
So place the workers that were hired early
in the morning, more than likely this is
about 6AM.
They agreed,
what they were told would be they would
be paid was acceptable.
The workers hire 3 hours later, about 9AM,
What does it say about them?
This is whatever is right. So they weren't
told how much they'd be paid
I suspect just because they're waiting for work
becoming more desperate as the day progressive they
disagreed or whatever,
the whatever. They... They're told.
You'll be paid whatever's is right and agreed
at. The master continues hiring workers at the
sixth hour, which is 1PM, the ninth hour
3PM,
the 11 hour 5PM.
When the master pays the workers, they each
received a areas.
So regardless how much they worked they each
received a areas and this did not sit
well with who.
The ones who started working earliest and longest
and bore the heat of the day.
So they tell the master, Lick verse 12,
Matthew 20 verse 12.
They said these last ones only worked 1
hour. They started working at 5PM and finish
to 6PM.
And you've made them equal to us,
who bore the burden of the day and
the scorching heat,
but the master applies to 1 of them.
Friend, very kindly here.
He says friend,
I doing you no wrong.
Did you not agree with me for area.
Now take what belongs to you and go,
I choose to get to this last worker
as I give to you.
Am I not allowed to do what I
choose with what belongs to me?
Or do you beg garage my generosity?
So let me ask you this. Was the
master fair? Dues
This it's kind of a trick question.
He was fair to somebody was unfair to
others.
This is important.
Because it was fair to pay 1 areas
for 1 day's work.
It was
unfair.
To pay one's and areas for less than
1 day's work.
It was unfair, but it was wet.
He says it was generous.
And that word generous is synonymous with what.
What is god to us?
We don't talk about him being generous to
us. We say that he's been what to
us.
Gracious. So you need to understand generosity here
is synonymous with gracious.
Now if the master was fair.
To everyone he would not be wet.
If God was completely fair with us, he
wouldn't be wants to us.
You wanna be gracious for mutually exclusive. You
can't be both.
Gracious by nature is unfair
because grace is un merit favor. It's receiving
what you don't deserve.
God can't be fair and gracious. He must
be 1 or the other.
So the master asks,
and and by the way, do you know
what's ironic.
Have you ever heard people say or maybe
use these instead,
I want god to be fair?
You don't want god to be fair.
If God was fair, he wouldn't be gracious
to you and he wouldn't be mer to
you.
You would go to hell.
You want god's to be unfair. You want
to be gracious you. You want him to
give you what you don't deserve and you
want him to be mer, which is to
say you don't want him to give you
what you do deserve.
We celebrate God being mercy every comm. When
you hold that bread,
I hope you're mindful that you're holding a
symbol of the body of Christ that took
the punishment your since deserved, which is an
incredible
demonstration of God's mercy.
If God was fair, there would be no
demonstration of Mercy. God would not have spent
his son.
But the master says this, he says, am
I not allowed to do what I choose
with what belongs to me?
What belongs to god?
Everything does.
Which is to say God can do it
every once
with what he chooses.
Everything belongs to the Lord. He's allowed to
be more gracious to some than others.
He is allowed to be mer or more
more mer. Some than others. He's allowed to
have objects for his mercy in his grace.
He's allowed to have
objects of his love.
Now, let's be honest.
Do we understand
why
the older brother
of the prod son?
Was upset and why some of the vineyard
workers that worked the longest or upset.
Just be honest.
You don't wanna lie in the church turn
a worship service you. Now when I read
this, and I look at the older son's
hostility. I don't go like this. I don't
go... I can't believe this guy. What a
how immature he is. I'm like, I kinda
get it. You know, it bothers me a
bit to see the father being so gracious.
To the prod son after living so
wicked.
And
if I worked all day like that
And then people that worked an hour, probably
1 twelfth of what I worked. Y'all paid
the same
that I got paid,
that would bother me too.
Now keep this in mind and turn to
first samuel 18.
Turn to first samuel 18, the third example
of cove causing conflict. Between Saul and David.
I'll just remind you how wonderfully this relationship
began because it's was not gonna laugh
It's hard to tell what I know which
took place first
in first Samuel, but it's hard to tell
which accounts took place if it was David
Fl, Goliath or if it was David playing
music
to alleviate
saul of the spirit that was torment to
him. But either way, David and Saul
relationship began beautifully
where
saul is being tormented, David comes in place
music, and he's refreshed.
And David goes out and defeats Goliath on
saul or the nation's behalf,
and
we're even told in first samuel 16 that
Saul had
great affection for David loved him very much.
And that continued until first samuel 18,
look at verse 6.
When David returned from striking down the Phil
Goliath,
the women came out of all the cities
of Israel,
they're singing and dancing to meet King saul
with Tam with songs of joy with music
instruments.
And the women saying to 1 another as
they celebrated,
saul has struck down his thousands,
nothing wrong with that,
but then this,
David has 10 thousands.
And this
to me looks like the vineyard workers.
God chooses
to be more gracious to some than others,
He
chooses for some to slay thousands and he
chooses some to slay 10 thousands.
And he probably chooses thumb to slay only
a few.
What's the point?
The point is there's always going to be
others who have more wet and fill the
blank with whatever you want there.
More gifts, more wealth, more success
better health,
better marriages, better children, better families,
reminds me of the parable to talents. Matthew
25 15. So 1 he gave what.
5 talents. To another he gave to, and
then to another, he gave 1.
So what must we avoid doing
when we look around and see some who've
been given more talents than us or who
has slain
thousands more than us or who have greater
wealth or health or
Intelligence,
or families, or marriages or homes or cars
of vacations in us. What what what must
we guard against?
Must guard against cove. That's right.
Now Saul maybe more than anyone else in
scripture shows us
the danger of failing to do so.
And how you just wanna think this. You
kinda think, well, what's gonna ruin a life,
murder, adultery,
cove,
ruin saul life.
Look in verse 8,
saul was very angry,
and this thing to displeased him.
And he said, they subscribed to David 10
thousands.
And to me, only thousands,
what more
can he have but the whole kingdom?
And saul Eyed David from that day on.
The Hebrew word for Ide at the van,
and it means to watch with jealousy. There
could be some
translations are translate it that way.
So there are 2 factors that caused Solves
downfall.
First,
his propensity to make excuses
To fail the take responsibility for his actions.
Right? First samuel 13, he offers the... He
is supposed to wait 7 days and Sam
order and offer the sacrifice.
Stall offers a sacrifice,
same can confront, and it's, like, well, you
didn't show up with the right time. And
then the people were fleeing and the fill
of things and he blames everyone he can
except for himself.
So fast forward a couple chapters for saying
the 15, you're supposed to exterminate the ama
heights,
Ph confronts them, so, well, the the people
kept the best of the sheep in Oxen
and all of the excuses.
And so
David, to his credit
was a repentance broken individual. I think they're
in the union the versus about God's.
Heart for a
heart, which makes me think why David was
a man after God's own heart con tradition,
following his failures and saul never
exhibited that sort of repentance or godly sorrow
just worldly sorrow with him.
But the second reason for saul downfall beyond
that was his
Cove. He was obsessed with David's fame popularity.
He could not handle someone else doing better
than him or having more than him.
Now let's learn from each of these accounts
in the spring to lesson 2.
We shouldn't let God's grace cause us to
part 1 cove.
We shouldn't let God's grace
to others
cause us to cove it.
The master said, do you my generosity or
my grace?
The King James says is divine I evil?
Is by evil. The evil eye
was a phrase that Jews used
to indicate an en or jealous
disposition which is why some translations,
such as the And Ne nes being amplified,
say are you jealous.
So we're tempted to cut it when people
get what we think that they don't deserve.
A sense of justice in us. Right? We'll
look at people and think, why did they
get to have that? Why did he get
that promotion? Why does she get that big
health? Why do they have so much money?
Why do they have that health?
We can be like the older brother.
And we say why do they get all
that, but I don't.
Or it might be like the vineyard workers?
And we say, why why do I have
work so hard? And they don't. Why do
they have it so much easier than me?
Why I have to bear the heat of
the day and only work 1 hour and
get the same pay as idea?
If you have children, what's 1 of the
most common statements they say?
It is not fair. And if you didn't
say that out loud, you must allow any
children.
Yeah.
Why do they get to have that? But
I don't.
If not fair.
Why did their parents? I mean, you know
what? Let's just get the children to pay
attention for this. Amen parents.
Kids, you will ruin
your joy and contentment
so fast.
If you wanna look at other kids and
what they have and do.
The fastest,
way to be miserable
and feel sorry yourself
is to make comparisons with other kids.
There is nothing that will make you miserable
quicker
than trying to find other kids that get
to have more than you.
Why do their parents let him steps so
late, but I don't get to. It's not
fair.
I have so many chores, but they don't.
It's not fair.
Why do they get to go there,
but I don't. It's not fair.
But who else can be like,
children.
Adults and the kids are, like, get them
pastor their Scott. Get the parents.
My son Ricky down there. It's just
want me to go after the adults hey.
I admit. We can be like this too
as adults. We make these compare since our
contentment is ruined and that's all We're preaching
the sermon. We're talking about experiencing contentment, and
I think the greatest ats and contempt is
cove
But here's the thing.
When we as parents
do this, we're acting more alike.
Children.
I mean, we'll condemn our children for the
things that we do.
We know they shouldn't do that, but we'll
do it. So we need to honor ask
ourselves if we cove what others have
when God has chosen to be
to them.
Allow them to slay 10 thousands
or
allow them to be paid well when they
haven't worked as hard as us.
The next part of lesson 2. We shouldn't
let God's grace cause us to part to
be discontent.
So 1 summer when I was growing up,
we had 2 separate neighbors,
that hired my brother, Jason and I
to take care of their animals
So I cared
for 1 neighbors animals
for 2 weeks,
and I had very little to do.
My brother Jason cared for the other neighbor's
animals
for 1 month,
and he had lots to do.
When the neighbors returned,
guess who was paid more.
I was.
Even though I worked
left,
I don't just mean less time, but had
less to do.
Jason was paid less even though if he
worked more and worked longer.
Now, Jason
received what they agreed to pay him.
And guess what? I didn't know what I
was gonna be paid.
And Jason felt
pretty
content with his pay
until what?
Until he found out what I was paid,
and then he was angry and he was
with art with his pay.
The vineyard workers.
Let's think for a moment about why the
vineyard workers were and were not upset.
Because they found themselves in a very similar
situation.
The vineyard workers
received what they agreed
to be paid a den darius.
So to be clear, the vineyard workers were
not
discontent because of what they were paid.
Why were they consent?
Because of what others were paid.
So if the others interestingly, if the other
workers had received less.
Then they would have been content.
So they weren't discontent because of what they
had. They were discontent because of what others
had.
And so often our discontent comes,
not from what we have or don't have,
but from seeing what others have,
And when others have more suddenly, we're discontent.
The older brother complains and he said, now
listen to what the father said this is
fascinating.
The father's response to the older brother with
son, Luke 15 3 1 son,
you are always with me.
And all that is mine is yours.
Wow.
I read that and I think this older
brother was not living some deprived life.
He had much.
Everything that belonged to his father belonged to
him.
He wasn't some des and neglected child.
He had as much as the father himself.
So here's the point.
Why was and wasn't the older brother discontent.
He wasn't
because he didn't have enough. He was discontent
because of what he saw his brother
have.
Now what was saul praise for?
Killing?
Thousands.
I
don't have to live in the ancient world
to think they're killing thousands of a lot.
I mean, saul killed enough that the women
Nobody's happier after
a victory than women, because it means their
husbands are coming home and they're not gonna
become the slaves.
Of the opposing army.
So they're singing and saul had slain enough
soldiers
that the women saying about him slay
thousands.
So Saul was not discontent. This is important.
Saul was not discontent because he only
slay thousands.
He was discontent because they saying that David
killed tens of thousands
So Saul wasn't discontent because of what they
saying about him. He was discontent because of
what they saying about David and saul said
as much.
When he complains.
So we must be careful to resist being
discontent, not because of what we don't have,
but because of what others have.
So are we
this... Or are we content with our house
car vacation spouse, children and then we see
someone else's better?
Car vacation spouse, children and suddenly we're discontent
with ours.
We should ask ourselves am my I discontent
because I'm so focused on others.
The next part of left 2.
We shouldn't let God's grace causes part to
be better toward God.
The
When we cove it,
super easy to become bitter toward God,
The people most prone to becoming vi toward
God are actually the people who have the
highest view of gods,
sovereignty.
And why would that be?
Because they recognize is control,
They know that what they have or don't
have
is because of
God.
He controls what happens in their lives, So
it's very tempting to be bitter toward him
when we think he's not giving us enough.
He's not giving us what we deserve. Or
he's giving others what they don't deserve. We
might not even be better about what he's
giving us where is better than he's giving
other something else
So now this is ironic.
Instead of seeing God is gracious,
we see him as
unjust.
Instead of seeing him as good. We seen
him as bad. Why doesn't God give me
what he gives them?
He must love them more. He must think
they're better than me.
The prod sons father,
the prod son's father
and the vineyard master both represent him, Not
a your question.
The prod son's father and the vineyard
master or owner both represent who.
God the father.
The older brother's bitterness toward his father in
the vineyard workers bitterness toward the master
picture,
how we might be better toward god.
So we should consider whether we are like
the older brother,
and we should be like, him because we'll
probably say this.
Will sound like older brother. The older brother
says, I never disobey you.
I don't even get them easily as go
to celebrate with my friends.
So we're all proud and self righteous.
We say something like this. Look how good
I've been.
Look how beating I've been.
I've resist so many temptation compared to others.
I'm so much better than the people around
me, You know don't, give me anything, not
even go to celebrate with my friends.
Maybe we're more like the vineyard workers. We
complain about how much easier others have than
us.
Why do I have to work so hard
and they don't. Why do I all these
trials, but their life is care free.
Why are think so difficult for me, but
so much easier for everyone else.
So we wanna to be on guard against
this.
The next part of lesson 2.
We shouldn't elect God's grace caused us to
part 4 be bitter toward others.
We don't wanna let God's grace cause us
to be bitter toward others.
Picture this situation. Let's say there's a gentleman
named Bob.
Bob's been working it as job for years,
He knows other employees do things mediocre,
but he strive to do things excellent.
He's heard other employees criticized management.
He avoids those
conversations.
He's watched
other employees arrive early
or excuse me. Leave early.
Arrive late, Bob, arrive early, leave late.
Other employees move on to other companies. He
stayed faithful with this 1.
Bob's boss retire, there's this opening above him,
and Bob has convinced that his years of
excellence and hard work and faithfulness are gonna
pay off and he's gonna be given this
promotion,
but the company gives
the job to Bob's best friend Brian.
It's unthinkable to Bob.
Now, Bob and Brian work in the same
department. They often have lunch together.
When Brian gets the promotion,
Bob starts cove
Brian's position.
And pretty soon, Bob picks apart everything Brian
does.
He thinks why did we do it that
way? I kept done it better than him.
I remember last time we had to do
something. I gotta done so much quicker.
He's floppy. I'm excellent. He doesn't work as
hard as I do. I put him more
hours. I stay later.
Brian asked Bob, if they can have lunch
together.
He's always finding reasons to decline.
The point is when we cove what others
have,
we tend to become better toward them.
You start to pick them apart, criticize them,
find all the things we're doing wrong.
Saul became so bitter toward David
I mean, you wouldn't believe it. It was
if you
stopped at chapter 17, which is when David
killed Goliath.
And you never had chapter 18.
And someone came to you and told you
what happens in chapter 18. So you know
chapter 16 that David Plays music to refresh
saul and alleviate of the torment spirit, you
know the David goes out and kills Goliath,
And if you stop reading right after that,
someone comes and says, did you know in
the next chapter, Saul starts trying to murder
David, What would you say? You said?
That must
not be in the Bible Reading,
but he did.
Because of his cove, he despise David so
much,
became so jealous that he spent most of
the rest of his life, even mobilized the
army of this rule, to hunt David down,
forcing and the living in caves. He's on
the lamb, just trying to escape saul.
For some of the most formative wonderful years
of his life. That's how David had spent
them because the saul cove.
We also tend to become better toward people
who don't give us what we cove it.
This happened with 2 of our examples,
the older brother,
the older brother, if I say who is
the older brother bitter toward, there's 2 answers
to that.
What's 1 of the answers? You kinda quick
stays younger brother.
But he's bitter toward his father,
because his father not giving him what he
thinks he deserves.
The vineyard workers became bitter toward the master
who didn't pay them for working longer.
Similarly, our converse say our cove can make
us a better picture these situations.
Let's say there's a woman named Wendy.
And she cove
this other man's wife.
She cove mike's wife Jennifer.
So who does Wendy become bitter to?
Her husband.
Brian. She says, why doesn't my husband, Brian
get me these things that Mike by Jennifer.
Why doesn't Brian treat me like Mike treats
Jennifer?
Let's say there's a guy named Mike and
he's cove b of heather husband James.
So he becomes better toward his wife?
Michelle, and he says, why does the Michelle?
My wife respect me like I see Heather
respecting James.
I've bet Heather never talks to James like
Michelle talks to me.
Like Think of parents who cove the children
of another family,
And who do those parents become bitter for
it? They become bitter toward their own children,
Why don't our children do their chores
as joyful as those other kids?
I have those kids never complain. I bet
those parents never... Have the same problems with
their children that we do.
I bet those kids are thankful for all
they have, not like our un grateful
children,
have Children who are cove of other children
become bitter toward their parents? Why don't my
parents get me as much as these other
kids have. Why do I have to go
to church so much or why can't I
go at all these fun places? Why do
my parents make me do so much work?
I bet those other kids have so much
better than me.
It's almost inevitable to cove and not become
better.
Now let's discuss the 4 account, you can
turn to Genesis 25.
This one's particularly interesting because it involves 2
Cove brothers, Jacob and Esa.
Their account shows the conflicts
that cove causes.
Familiar accounts, so I'll go through it quickly.
Genesis 25.
Here's the lesson that goes with it. And
I forgot to put a blank there. So
you already have it on your on your
bullets in less than 3.
Jacob shows covenants doesn't disappear with time.
We're gonna see that covenants
does not disappear with time. Listen to this.
Genesis 25 26.
Afterward,
Esa brother came out.
This is Jacob.
With his hand holding ef files heel,
so Jacob's name was called Jacob.
So Jacob grabbed eth ethos heal for what
reason
because he wanna wet.
He wants the birthright. He wants to come
out first.
Psalm 51 5 says behold. I was brought
forth in an equity and inc my mother
did conceive me. So, Jacob's is a good
example of this. He seemed to struggle with
cove.
Right out of the womb.
His struggle continued into adulthood. Look at verse
29,
Genesis 25 29.
Jacob was cooking stew, Esa came in from
the field.
Esa was exhausted and he said to Jacob.
Let me eat some of that red stew
for I'm exhausted.
Therefore, his name was called Eat because it
means red. Jacob said tell me your birth
right now.
Esa said I'm about to die,
which is pretty dramatic.
Of what you as a birthright right to
me.
Jacob said swear to me now.
So esa saw swore to him and sold
his birthright right to Jacob,
then Jacob Gave Esa saw bread and lentils
stew and he ate and drank and rose
and went away Didn't think anything about giving
up his birthright right. Thus he the despise
it.
So the point is Jacob coveted at Esa
ethos birthright when he was in the Womb
and he still coveted it lair.
Coveted this is not something that disappears on
its own with time. It is not something
that's outgrown.
And let me say, like, if not something
we overcome without repentance, might be a better
way to say it.
And this is why if we cover a
bigger house, we cover a fancy car are
we covered a better paying job? It's not
going to disappear? And this is why you'll
meet some people and it is a sad
thing.
Or they could be in our 60 seventies,
eighties,
still
discontent
with their marriage with their career with their
children with their parents with their house their
friends,
spend decades of their lives,
discontent and bitter.
Why?
Because of cove
with It's a sin they didn't repent. It
was never put off so that they could
put on consent.
Now we can learn from Esa lesson 4
Esa saw shows Cove in this part 1
produces bitterness.
Ef shows us that cove part 1 produces
bitterness.
How did Esa respond
when he learned that his brother, Jacob received
his birthright right? Did he confess us then
in repent?
No, he didn't.
We discussed cove tempting us to become better,
and Eth is a great example of that.
Look at Genesis 27 41,
Genesis 27 41,
and
I'll go through these versus quickly
drawing your attention to a few parts.
Genesis 27 41.
Now Esa saw hated
Jake a that a strong language.
Hates Jacob because of the blessing with which
his father had blessed him, and Esa said
to himself, the days of mourning for my
father approaching,
then I will kill my brother Jacob, so
East Was planning to murder,
murder him.
Skip down to verse 44.
His mother 7 say your brother's anger turns
away from you
until
his mother recognizes this. Until your brother anger
turns away from you,
and he forgets. So this is why Jacob
had to flee and go live with Lay,
because his mother was convince this is the
only way to keep them alive.
The words esa saw hated Jacob, I will
kill my brother, Jacob, Your brother's anger, reveal
just how bitter Esa became.
I didn't read it, but Rebecca said, esa
saw comforts himself.
Comforts himself.
Thinking about... In in verse 42. I'll have
you. Look at verse 42. The words of
Her older brother, told her son, we're told
Rebecca. She sent, called Jacob,
Her younger son and said to him behold
your brother esa thought comforts himself about you
by planning to kill you.
Now how fitting is that?
When people are better, how do they comfort
themselves?
By thinking about,
horrible things. They want to see happen to
the person they're bitter toward
or thinking about horrible things they wanna do
to that person,
I mean, this is a very unique
moment where we get an insight into a
bitterness where Re rebecca says, your brother is
comforting
himself by thinking about murdering you. Which is
frequently what happens when we're bitter.
We comfort ourselves with these ugly dark spots,
about what either we hope happens to the
person or what we wanna do to them.
Now turn to hebrews 12:15, we won't turn
back to Genesis
I want you to see the ethos connected
to bitterness, caused by his cove.
So Hebrews is James t the Bibles after
Paul's epi,
Think this is the last place we turn.
Right before James where we have a scripture
reading.
Hebrews 12:15 and 16 or 2 versus about
esa.
And I want you to notice that esa
saw is connected here to bitterness,
which shouldn't be surprising based on the verses
we just read in Genesis.
The Hebrews 12:15 c to that no 1
fails to obtain the grace of God that
no root of bitterness
springs up and
causes trouble and buy it many become to
file that no 1 is sexually immoral or
un holy here it is like Esa, who
sold his birthright right for a single meal.
So how much trouble was caused by Esa
ethos root. If we talk about a root
of bitterness if filing many are causing trouble,
how much trouble was caused by Esa ethos
bitterness?
So much so that
Jacob had to flee to go live with
Lay,
Rebecca said 4 a while. Because I don't
know how long that while ended up being
end up being 20 years,
20 years, the Jacob was separated from his
parents
and his brother during that time, Rebecca died,
she never thought her son again.
It's
a disastrous
situation caused by cove, but
Cove ruins relationships, not just between Jacob and
esa thought between Jacob And occurrence. Now look
at hebrews 12:16 again.
That no 1 is sexually a immoral or
un
like Esa
who sold his rate for a single meal.
Now, it might initially sound strange
to
compare esa with sexually immoral people.
There are many similarities that we would do
well to remember, especially young people.
Esa saw coveted the stew that belonged to
Jacob like sexually immoral people cove the intimacy
that belongs to married people.
Esa was willing to trade his birthright right
for what, kind of a quick thrill. Can
we say a a quick satisfaction,
having a a quick
a desire quickly satisfied?
Just like sexually immoral people are willing to
trade their purity for a quick thrill.
Esa was impulsive,
He wanted instant gratification, Esa gave no thoughts
to the consequences.
If you're familiar with the account, did Esa
saw later feel bad about what happened.
Yeah. I thought. It describes him as this
grown man weeping, just begging his father, give
me something, getting anything you must have something
left. Remember he goes in, to get the
birth right, but the birthright right I had
already been given to Jacob.
So my point is he ends up regretting
it later,
and that's often the case with sexually immoral
people to not thinking about it at the
moment, but experiencing terrible regret later,
the shame of it,
Notice Hebrews 12:16 also calls Esa un.
Un means I'm spiritual.
What does un or un spiritual have to
do with esa trading as birthright right?
The person with a birthright right, took the
father's place and became the spiritual head of
the family.
So in Esa ethos case,
he was so un un spiritual,
that he didn't even care about not
becoming
the spiritual leader of their family or he
thought nothing about ab advocating that role and
allowing Jacob to have it.
And that's why
we don't read the God of Abraham, Isaac
and Esa.
For him, there's never been
Mean, he could been 1 of the patriarch.
He he forfeit 1 of the most esteem
positions in all of came in history
to bend 1 of the patriarch.
Of the nation of Israel,
and he just gave that up to his
brother and I thought nothing about after eating
the stew just walking away.
That's how he was un and spiritual. And
it's often the case when they struggle with
cove. There's this focus on the physical versus
the spiritual. And my whole point for drawing
that out, is to be able to say
this to you.
Esa off focused on the physical with no
thought to the spiritual
and that is often the case with cove.
There was only 1 thing that Esa thought
about in that moment, and it was the
stew that he coveted. It was entirely physical.
No thought to the spiritual consequences and this
view to our last lesson.
Esa shows cove part 2 is a spiritual
versus physical problem.
Shows cove part 2 is a spiritual versus
physical problem.
Philippians 03:19
discusses people whose God is their stomach.
That means that they're dominated or controlled by
their appetite, physical
appetite.
Whatever they happen to cove at that moment,
little self control,
no
self denial.
If ethos problem,
was not that he didn't want his birthright
right, his problems that he didn't want it
more than he wanted the sue.
And he resembled every un spiritual person who
cove the physical more than the spiritual.
Donald Barn House wrote
History shows that men prefer illusions to realities.
Men choose time rather than eternity.
Men choose the pleasures of sin for a
season rather than the joys of God forever.
Men will read trash rather than the word
of God and adhere to a system of
priorities,
that lee god out of their lives.
Multitudes of men spend more time shaving than
they spend on their souls
Multitudes of women give more minutes to their
makeup than to the life of their eternal
spirit.
The point of men still sell their birthright
right for a massive stew.
It is a shameful thing to cove the
physical and the temporal more than the spiritual
in the internal.
And that's what you thought pictures
and we can to when we cove it
because we're typically cove the physical
To prevent this, we need to focus on
the
spiritual.
We're not gonna have a whole sermon or
few sermon on cove
with me turning and telling you that the
solution is to try harder
or that it's about a white knuckle effort
And if you just put forth enough strength
and you're gonna have victory in this area,
that's not the gospel remedy to this.
To prevent this,
we should ask ourselves what pot of stew
or physical thing we cove more than the
spiritual that the Lord offers.
And we resist cove by focusing on those
spiritual blessings that we have in Christ.
Let me conclude by taking back to the
verses that we looked at. To begin this
sermon,
which also make the point that Cove is
a spiritual versus physical problem. Listen to this
again. James 4 1 and 2 to what
causes corals and what causes fights among you?
Is it not this
that your passions are at war within you?
You desire and do not ask, see murder
you cove and cannot obtain the fight in
portal.
And you need to notice something super important
about these verses,
the James is making the point that we
focus on
the physical instead of the. Spiritual listen to
this.
Passions at war within you, desire, cove,
are always for him to describe the spiritual,
that cause the physical problems. He says ko,
fights and murders. Those are all physical.
So the point is the conflicts are only
the symptoms
The problems arise from cove within our hearts,
which is what Jesus said, Mark 07:21
22 out of the heart of man comes
cove.
And so when we experience all of these
physical problems, we're experiencing them because of
spiritual reasons,
When we experience conflicts, we have to look
past the physical to the spiritual and focus
on the heart
rather than the q itself.
So cove causes conflict
that takes place horizontally
So we tend to look at cove as
something
horizontal or physical.
But the weakness is
in our relationships with the lord,
and that's why the solution
to cove or the remedy for it is
to focus on our blessings that we have
in Christ. We put off cove not by
trying harder.
We put off cove by what has afforded
us through Christ. On the blessings things that
we have in him. Let me just read
a few of them. Ephesians 1, 3 to
14.
The God implied of our Lord jesus with
Christ who has blessed us in Christ with
every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,
even as he chose us in him before
the foundation of the world,
In love, he pre destiny us for adoption
to himself as sons. He has blessed us
and the beloved, we have redemption through his
blood the forgiveness of our tres passes,
according to the riches of his grace, which
he lavish upon us,
making known to us the mystery of his
will.
In him, we have obtained an inheritance, having
been pre destined, we were sealed with the
promised holy spirit.
And so the point is,
instead of getting more stuff,
the gospel
solution to cove is meditating on our. Spiritual
blessings in Christ.
So if you find yourself ke, go to
ephesians 1, read through these blessings,
And when you do, I'm convinced
instead of feeling cove you're going to feel
what.
Thankful.
Content. Grateful.
How could we cove it
when reading these blessings and thinking about everything
that has been given to us in Christ.
If you have any questions, or I can
pray in way, I'll be front after service,
and I considered a privilege to speak with
you.
Father the, thank you so much for the
blessings that you've given us in Christ.
We thank you that you've redeemed us that
you have saved us, adopted us to be
your friends and daughters, when we struggle with
cove, Lord help us,
to reflect on these wonderful blessings things
and find contentment, fill us with thankful
and grateful at those times. That's really the
way to put off cove.
And to be consent in Christ is by
thinking about what he has done for us
Lord. And so if do pray for that
that it wouldn't be something that we try
to accomplish our human effort, but would instead
look to Christ and what has been afforded
us through him
and that we would be able to find
contentment
to But that's what we put on after
repent of and putting off cove.
Thank you for this time, Laura we thank
you for your son he's done for us,
and we put all this in his name.
Him amen.