And so again it's good to see everybody again this morning there in 1st Corinthians chapter 13 of course a
Very famous chapter in the Word of God if not one of the most certainly one of the most famous chapters
And I just want to look at the first couple verses there in verse 4 it says charity
Suffereth long and is kind charity envious not charity bought and vantith not itself is not puffed up of course charity
Would be what we would call today love so he's talking about love
Today charity has got that word has a kind of a different meaning to us today, but in the Bible
It's simply talking about love and it says there in verse 5 does not behave itself unseemly
So charity or love is something that does not behave itself unseemly
It's seeketh not our own
It is not easily provoked it thinketh no evil and when it says unseemly there
It means that love does not behave itself in a way that is not proper or appropriate. That's what it means to be
unseemly if you have a
Behavior that is not proper or appropriate
We would be called a unseemly person so when we have love you know we behave ourselves in a certain way
there's a way that we conduct ourselves and
This morning. I really just want to focus on one way in which we do not want to behave ourselves
Unseemly and that is in the in the aspect of not being people full of self-pity okay
I want to preach against the sin of self-pity, okay?
We don't want to be people that are always you know just down in the dumps always loathing our
Situation always feeling sorry for ourselves of course we go through things we go through trials tribulations
We have struggles in life, and of course there's seasons in which it's proper to be upset
It's proper to be sad as proper to mourn
But that should not be the way you know that should not be the the overarching arcing arching theme of our lives
We should not be people who are constantly in a state of self-pity self-loathing always feeling our sorry for ourselves
Because one the Bible tells us not to and to you know it's going to rob us of
A lot of joy in our lives
And it will actually hinder us from accomplishing the things that we can't accomplish in our lives
So I want to preach against the sin of self-pity if we go through our lives
You know just pitying ourselves feeling sorry for ourselves moping through life. You know that would be you behaving unseemly. It's not proper
It's not fitting. It's not appropriate for a Christian to live a joyless life. You know obviously we should have joy
We should have long-suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance
We should have all these things the fruit of the spirit in our lives, and if they're not there
You know we need to do a self-check. We need to ask ourselves. Why are these things absent in our lives?
Now if you would keep something there in 1st Corinthians and turn with me if you would over to Psalm 51 of course
There's several different
Examples we could look to in Scripture of people who were pitied themselves and also those who you know did not were not filled with
self-pity
Although in their situation
You know we probably would be very understanding if they had decided to just live their lives in a state of self-pity
one of these folks that we're gonna look at this morning is of course David when he had become king and
Before you get into Psalm 51 as you're turning over there
I'll just remind you of where you know Psalm 51 is following the sin of Bathsheba
If you look there at the top of I don't know if your Bible has it
But a lot of times in certain chapters in the Word of God
There's chapter headings that have put in there
And it says it before verse 1 if it's in your Bible it says a psalm of David with Nathan the prophet came unto him
After he had gone into Bathsheba, so if you know the story of course he committed adultery with Bathsheba
And he had Uriah the Hittite killed and then of course Nathan comes which Uriah was her husband
So he's committed
Adultery and murder and now and then Nathan came to him and said thou art the man right and David said I had sinned
Okay, of course David was caught and he was guilty he admitted as much, but and he was spared his life was spared
You know God Nathan said that you know he would not die that God had put away his sin
And there's several reasons for that we could we could talk about that
But what I want to emphasize this morning is the fact that David didn't just live the rest of his life
Feeling sorry for himself for what he had done of course there was a time
And a place which he lamented he mourned he repented a lot of tears were shed
I'm sure but you know he didn't live the rest of his life
Just beating himself up feeling sorry for himself and thinking that God couldn't use him of course
That's not to say that there weren't consequences
We know in second Samuel just read to you in verse 12 chapter 12 verse 19 that
That the child had died and that David had spent several days seven days in fact mourning for the child not eating
but on his face before God and
Praying that God would spare the child of that adulterous union
Okay, there was a child that was conceived with Bathsheba in that adultery and God said although I'll spare your life
There's still going to be the punishment in the fact that in the form of the fact that the child will die and not only
That but that you're going to have war in your house if there was going to be division of course you see that later
in his life, but in the immediate context of the story where he's
You know had just committed the sin and just had been confronted by Nathan and is told the child's going to die
You know he throws himself on his face before God for seven days
So he's he's begging for mercy for the child on behalf of the child
But it says in verse 19 again
I'll read to you from second Samuel 12
But when David saw that his servants whispered and they were talking about the fact that the child had died they were afraid to tell
David because they're thinking man if he's feeling this bad while it's alive imagine how bad he's gonna feel
When we tell him that the child died that your prayers were not heard that that God denied those prayers that God did not answer
your prayer
It says when David saw that his servants whispered David perceived that the child was dead so he sees what's going on
He puts two and two together
Therefore David said unto his servants is the child dead and they said he is dead
Then David arose from the earth and washed and anointed himself and changed his apparel and came into the house of the Lord and worshipped
Then he came to his own house and when he required they set bread before him and he did eat
So he has this completely opposite reaction to what his servants were anticipating. They're saying they're getting together
They're whispering say hey, do we tell him do we not tell me look how bad he's doing
Should we really go give him this bad news you tell him I don't want to tell him you tell me, you know
They're they're they're whispering
They're talking about what's taking place and then David perceives and he gets it out of him himself
And of course you see the reaction that he has is you know contrary to that which his servants had anticipated
He ended up actually getting up washing himself putting oil on anointing himself cleaning himself up putting on the proper clothes getting out of whatever
He must have been wearing maybe some sackcloth get the ashes off
Whatever and he goes to and he goes to church and he came to the house of the Lord it says and he worshipped
so he didn't get bitter and angry and say well
I didn't God answer my prayer and
Sit there and feel sorry for himself and go into this pit of despair this pit of self-loathing
He actually just gets right he just gets up and carries on with his life as he ought to
It says he went to the house of God and worship there
He didn't go and complain and whine and get bitter or angry against God
It says he went there and he worshiped and he came to his own house and then he ate
He said you know what now I need to just have some food. Of course. He's been fasting several days
But notice I'll just again. I know you're not there with me
I'll read to you it says in verse 21 a second Samuel 12 then said his servants unto him
What thing is this that thou has done so they're perplexed they're saying this is not what we expected David
We're you know
We are expecting a totally different reaction from you not to for you to get up clean yourself up go to church
Come home and eat a meal the child died. What are you doing? Shouldn't you be even more upset?
Shouldn't you be sadder than you were before should you even be?
You know mourning and lamenting this fact even more than you were already
He's they said thou didst we fast and weep for the child while it was alive
But when the child was dead thou didst rise and eat bread, so they're perplexed
They're saying he were so sad when the child was sick
But now he's dead and we're looking at what you're doing and it just doesn't seem to fit
It's not what we expected and he said well the child was yet alive
I fasted and wept for I said who can tell whether God will be gracious to me that the child may live
He says I know what God said
I know God told me that the child was going to die and you know
And you know, that's that is what happened
But you know
I also know that God is a gracious God that he's long-suffering that he's full of goodness and compassion and gentleness and that he's very
patient and long-suffering
I thought maybe if I just throw myself at the throne of God and beg maybe God would still be gracious because I know that
God is a gracious God and that God might repent himself of the evil that he thought to be one of the child on my
Sake, you know God there was still a chance is what he was saying
So what he was doing when he was lamenting and mourning when the child was sick was not self-pity
It wasn't him just feeling bad for himself or lamenting what he'd gone through. He was actually trying to get God's attention
He was actually trying to get God to act on his behalf
But when the situation came to the head when the child was finally did die when God's judgment came through
You know what? There's he said there's no sense in me sitting here, you know weeping and mourning and feeling sorry for myself
You know, it's time to get up and carry on and go through life now
Some people might read that or hear that and think hey that seems kind of cold-hearted
That seems kind of you know, that seems kind of calloused David
But you know David has an understanding of who God is and and how life ought to be lived
I believe and he's showing us this in this example, you know
Sometimes in life we need to just get over the bad things that have happened to us and just carry on with their lives
We need to not just sit there and feel bad for ourselves and be filled with self-pity
Obviously terrible things horrible things people go through very difficult things in life
And there's a time and place to feel bad for those things
But at some point we need to just pick ourselves up get back in church clean ourselves up and just move on with life
He said in verse 22 and and he said while the child is alive I fasted and wept
I said who can tell whether God be gracious to me that child may live but now he is dead
There's nothing I can do about it. It's beyond my control
The things that have happened to us the things that we've been through the things that we will go through
They're gonna they're gonna come and go and there's gonna come a point where you can say, you know what it happened
It's in the past. There's nothing I can do about it. There's no sense in
Beating myself up and feeling bad. He said wherefore should I fast? Can I bring him back again?
I shall go to him but he shall not return to me
Which is also a great proof text of the fact that when children die in their innocence
They immediately go to heaven because they're in a state of innocence
Okay, the miscarriage the stillbirth the young child who is not to that age of accountability. They go to heaven
That's why David is able to say I shall go to him and we know David was saved
But he shall not return to me. Okay, and he's saying what he's saying is I I just I'm over it. I'm getting over it
Obviously, I'm sure he still was sad about the fact he wasn't rejoicing
But you know what? He also understood that he just needed to move on with his life
He didn't need to get he was the king, you know, he had job to do he had you know a kingdom to rule
He had things that God wanted him to do not just to sit around and feel bad and again whose fault is all this
It's David's I mean, it's his sin. This is his punishment
This is all a result of his actions
but did he just sit around the rest of his life beating himself up or did he pick himself up and
Dust himself off and move on with his life
Look at Psalm 51 that's not to say that he didn't feel bad. Okay, Psalm 51, you know gives us some insight
Into David's thinking during this time if you look at verse 1 it says have mercy upon me Oh God according to thy loving kindness
Okay, you can see I know God's a gracious God that he's still loving God
Yes, he judges but according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions
Wash me thoroughly for my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin
For I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is ever before me
He's saying it's not that I'm gonna just live the rest of my life ignorant of the things that I've done
I'm not gonna ever it's not that I'm just gonna pretend it never happened
My sin is ever before me
But I also know that God is a God that is of tender mercies that God can blot out my transgressions
He said in verse 4 against thee only have I sinned and done this evil nice sight that thou may be
Justified when thou speakest and be clear when thou judges behold. I was shape and iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me now
He's not making excuses for himself. He's just saying this is the way we are. I am a sinful man. I
Conceived in sin and not that his mother conceived him in sin
But you know, he's you know that he's born in sin like we all are have this sin nature
And he's saying verse 6 behold thou desires truth in the inward parts and in the hidden part thou shalt make me note to no
wisdom
He's saying it's not over for me
God isn't just impressed with what we do on the outside the show that we could put on but he's more concerned also
On the in what goes on the inside God looketh on the heart, right God
desires
He desires
Truth in the inward parts as it says in verse 6 verse 7 look at this
He says purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean wash me and I shall be whiter than snow
He's saying let me move on
Forgive me. I
Acknowledge the fact that I've sinned against you
I acknowledge that I'm shape and iniquity I acknowledge that you desire truth in the inward parts that you're a God that does not
Delight and iniquity but in truth and in righteousness wash me. Let me move on. Let me carry on with my life
He's not sitting here. Just feeling sorry for himself not beating himself up saying. Oh, I'm such a sinner. I'm so worthless
I can't believe I did this God. You're so holy. I'm such a worm. All those things are true. David knows that
But he says wash me purge me with hyssop and I shall be whiter than snow
Make me to hear joy and gladness that the bones which thou has broken may rejoice. He's saying heal me
He wants to live a joyful life. He wants to have gladness in his heart
He wants to hear these things hide thy face for my sins and blot out all mine iniquities
Created me a clean heart Oh God and renew a right spirit within me
Does it sound like a guy who's just gonna
David's a guy who's just gonna want to spend the rest of his life feeling sorry for himself full of self loathing and self pity
He sounds like a guy who's acknowledging the fact that this happened the consequences came and now he's ready to move on with his life
He's asking God to allow him to do that. And this is this is why
Being having self-pity is unseemly
Beating ourselves up feeling bad for ourselves, you know, if we need to be able to be move on with our lives
That's what God wants for us
He said in verse 11 cast me not away from my presence to take not thy Holy Spirit from me
Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and uphold me with thy free spirit
He's saying put me back on my feet. Give me joy. Give me the Holy Spirit again
Give me that joy of salvation
Okay, don't take my joy, of course, he wasn't he didn't say give me back my salvation
He said give me back the joy of my salvation
You know, he didn't want it. He knew he was still gonna go to heaven
He just didn't want to go to you know, live the rest of his life between now and then, you know feeling sorry for himself
Why because he had something to do verse 13 then I will teach transgressors thy ways and sinners shall be converted unto thee
Deliver me from blood guiltless. Oh God both blood guilty men
So God Oh God thou God of my salvation and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness
You know if David had just spent the rest of his life feeling sorry for everything they've done
God would not have been praised teacher or sinners would not have been taught and converted
You know, he wanted to be move on with his life. Oh Lord
He says in verse 15 open thou my lips and my mouth shall show forth thy praise for thou desire is not
Sacrifice else. I would give it thee thou delight is not in burnt offering
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit a broken and contrite spirit Oh God that will not despise
He's not saying here that that we should never have a broken spirit that we should never be contrite or sorrowful or upset with ourselves
He's just saying that's not how you want to live your whole life. There's a time and a place for it
Go over to James chapter number 4 James chapter number 4
You know, he said in Psalms 40 that God had given him a new song that he had lifted him up out of it and set him upon a rock
You know David is saying here that yes God, you know will not despise a broken and contrite spirit
There's a time and place for that if we sinned if we've done that which is wrong, you know, yeah, we should confess it
You know and David with some pretty heavy sins adultery pretty heavy sin murder
But he didn't spend seven years on his face spent seven days
And when the judgment came when God it finally did what he said he's going to do. He said it's time to move on
You know when we confess our sins and forsake our sins, we shall have mercy
And you know once we have that mercy it's time to move on and not remind ourselves that we should have mercy
It's time to move on and not remind God of the sins that he's forgiven us over and not remind God of the you know
Of things that he's only already shown us mercy for and already been gracious to us. We need to move on
He says and in James chapter 4 look at verse 7 submit yourselves
Therefore to God resist the devil and he will flee from you draw nigh to God
He will dry nigh to you cleanse your hands he sinners and purify your hearts your hearts he double-minded
Now that cleansing and that purifying that James is talking about here, you know, that's a process, isn't it?
That's not a permanent state of being that's something you go through that broken and contrite spirit is something you experience
It's not a permanent condition that you live with the rest of your life
I'm always broken of a broken spirit. I'm always contrite. I'm always lamenting, you know, everything I've done. No, you need to move on
You know, there is a season David spent all that time on his face before God lamenting
But he also, you know got up when it was time when it was appropriate and carried on with his life
And that's what James is saying here cleanse your hands, you know
When we you know, think about the literal, you know example of that of going to the sink and washing your hands
You know at some point they're clean
You don't just sit there until they turn it, you know, you get the the raisins on your finger
So I know when it's time to get out of the pool, you know, when you get the when you get the raisins on there
You get the wrinkly not literal raisins, you know, this is this is my own thinking coming out right now, right? I go raisins
Because your fingers look like raisins on the end they get all wrinkly right
That's not how we wash our hands, you know, we wash our hands we get them hopefully, you know
We get the hot water going we get them in there. We put the suds on we rinse them off then we shut the sink off and go eat dinner
You know, it's a process. It's not a continual washing. You don't sit there all day
And he's saying look cleanse your hands
Purify your hearts you double-minded if we have you know, sinner lives
Yeah, we need to clean it up if we're double-minded, you know, we need to straighten that out
We need to purify our hearts. We need to get on God's program
You know if we've been walking in the flesh, it's time to start walking in the spirit. We need to we need to change
And you know that change might be difficult look at verse 9 be afflicted and mourn and weep
Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to heaviness
You know, that's that's you know, that's not fun it's not a lot of people don't want to do that
But what I'm saying is this there's a time and place for it if it's appropriate by all means be
Afflected weep let your joy be turned to heaviness get right with God
But notice verse 10 humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and he shall lift you up
God's not gonna say oh, I see you weeping. I see you mourning. I see you cleansing your hands. That's good
Stay there for the rest of your life
Now that you're humble now that you see what a wretch you are now, you see how much you've offended me
Now you see how double-minded you are and how sinful you are just you just stay there and be broken and contrite for the rest of your life
You know the purpose of going through this is so that we're humbled
You know we come to that we come to our senses we say you know what I am all these things
David said you know what I was you know I was in sin did my mother conceive me I was shaping an iniquity
And thou desires truth in the inward parts he was very thinking very soberly about how it really is with us and God
But it says here that when we humble ourselves we go through that God shall lift us up
God doesn't want us down there like he said in Psalm 40 God you know he had set me upon a rock
He put a new song in my heart even praise unto our God
You know that's what God wants from us God doesn't want us to remain in this permanent condition of you know
Contrition and self-loathing and self-pity you know it could turn into a false humility at that point
It could turn into a false spirituality and quite frankly it's sin
Go over to 1 Corinthians I had you keep something there 1 Corinthians chapter number 9
We'll look at a couple more passages there
The Bible says in Ecclesiastes that there is a time to weep and that there is a time to laugh
There is a time to mourn to everything there is a season
So when it's appropriate obviously you know feel those emotions go through those experiences
Get right do whatever it is we have to do but then we move on
We don't want to be people that just live in a constant state of self-pity and self-loathing
Because what is self-pity right well the Bible or excuse me the dictionary rather it defines it as an excessive
Self-absorbed unhappiness over one's own troubles
You know people that are just constantly pitying themselves it's really egotistical when you think about it
Because you're self-absorbed it's just all about me all the time everything I've gone through everything I'm going through
How bad I feel me me it's a focusing on ourselves constantly
You know some people focus on themselves in other ways you know they're not self-pitying they're self-aggrandizing
They think the world of themselves right they're they're you know constantly look in the mirror and this and that
Bragging on themselves they're boasters they're proud but you know we can go to the other extreme and just feel sorry for ourselves
And become self-absorbed in that way either and it's an excessiveness to the point where it's extreme
I'm not saying there isn't a time to feel bad and I'm saying there's a time to maybe even feel sorry for yourself
Maybe feel bad or you know be upset and mourn over the things that have happened to you
You know that doesn't mean that that's not to be the defining characteristic of your personality for the rest of your life
Someone who's just full of self-pity
Look at 1 Corinthians chapter 9 verse 24
Paul of course in this context here is using the the analogy of those that run a race
And he said in verse 24 knowing not that they which run in a race run all everyone runs but one receive at the prize
There's only one winner okay this was written before our modern generation where everyone gets a trophy
Apparently there were less snowflakes back then so run that you may obtain saying you know what be the guy that wins
You're not you know and so you can't get on the racetrack and say well I'm just the slowest guy here
Everyone's so much faster than me I mean look at that guy over there you know that might be the truth sometimes you know literally
I know for me it's almost always the case but you know we know that he's saying don't run in your life don't run the Christian life feeling that way
Like you're just everyone's so much better than me I can't do anything you know that's a very limiting thing and really what you're doing is you're limiting God
When you say oh God can't use me like so-and-so you know we have this treasure on earth and vessels
And you know one of the greatest truths that I often have to remind myself of and we probably all should remind ourselves of
Is the fact that there you know God can use any one of us to do great things for God as much as we're willing to yield ourselves to that
As much as we're willing to be used of God, God will use us and I understand you know we if we want to get into the nitty-gritty of it
That there's certain things that are off-limits to people and so on and so forth but that doesn't mean that we can't be used of God at all
You know God can use you to a great degree if you're willing to run that you may obtain
He said in verse 25 that every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things
And when he's talking about temperance there he's talking about self-control
Right the guy that wants to run the race and outrun everybody and win the trophy you know he's the guy that's gonna have to train
He's gonna have to go and train when he doesn't feel like it he's gonna have to you know make sure he's getting the proper rest and nutrition
He's gonna have to be self-disciplined, he's gonna have to have self-control, he's gonna have to be temperate in all things
Obviously he's using the analogy of a you know a literal race right
He ends there by saying now they meaning the people of this world do it to obtain a corruptible crown
Those that run the literal race they're trying to get some corruptible crown that is going to wither away
It has no eternal value but we an incorruptible you know the crown that we're gonna be crowned with if we run
As we ought to is gonna be one that is an eternal weight of glory to us okay
But in order to have that we must be temperate okay temperate in all things
And part of the you know one of the areas that we need to be temperate in is not falling into this trap of self-pity and self-loathing
And just bemoaning our station in life and just feeling like every that you know the the the card you know the how does it go
The odds are stacked against us and there's just nothing I can do I can never you know get ahead
I can never get over this sin I can I'll never get over my past that's self-pity folks and that is not temperance
Again you know the temperate person would say hey you know what I did do this this is my situation this is how things are
I did experience that and they would mourn appropriately they would feel the proper emotions and then they would move on
That's temperance the person who lacked a self-control would just allow themselves to be just ruled by those emotions
Just let those things take over them and just constantly go through the rest of their life feeling like a failure feeling like they can't succeed
Feeling like they can't improve and just and just go through life you know telling themselves what they can't do or limiting themselves
That's a lack of self-control that's a lack of temperance we got to think soberly
Let's move on go to Philippians chapter number four actually go to James 5. I'll just read some verses for you
I should have had you keep something in James, but go back to James 5
Paul said there is no temptation taking you but such is common to man
But God is faithful who will not suffer to be tempted above that which you are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that you may be able to bear it
There's always a way out from these things whether it's temptations with sin whether it's a poor attitude whether it's a poor perception of ourselves
Whatever it is if we got on our knees before God if we did like David did and went through these things if we cleansed our hearts and we stopped being so double minded
We could get over those things. There's a way to escape is what I'm trying to say
The Bible says in first Thessalonians chapter number five verse 18 and everything give thanks
For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you in everything give thanks
Now that's that's real easy when everything's going great, isn't it?
When it's just life's just smooth sailing there's no problems. I've heard that this can be the case sometimes
You know, there's there's smaller problems right the problems aren't as big it's just your your day-to-day problems
It's just what you expect. You're not going through some great trial or affliction. It's easy to just go. Thank Thank You Lord
Everything's going so well. Everything's going so smoothly. I'm so blessed and amen. We ought to we ought to give thanks and all things
You know and sometimes the tendency can be to not give God thanks when things are going well
That's when we should be extra grateful I guess right but he says and everything give thanks
Meaning even the tough things even you know, the low points that we go through
You know what? Well, why would I thank God for some, you know low point in my life through some trial or some affliction?
That's you know befalling me. Why would I thank God for that?
Well, if you're drawing nine to God you can thank God that he's there
The Bible says that he is tempted in all points like as we are yet without said that we have a high priest who can be touched with the feeling of our infirmities
That there's nothing in this life that we experience that Jesus Christ himself did not also experience even to a greater degree
You know God knows everything that we're going through every heartache every sorrow everything that we feel in this life. Jesus Christ has felt
That's what the Bible says. So maybe you know sometimes if we're feeling sorry for ourselves or something bad has happened to us
You know we can thank God that he's not a stranger to that that he knows what that's like that we can be comforted in the Word of God by the Holy Spirit in those situations
But a lot of times what we like to do is just feel feel sorry for ourselves. No one understands
No one no one knows what I'm going through. No one knows what it's like to be me
No one knows what how it feels to do what I have to do or go through this or whatever it is. Nobody else gets it
And God's up in heaven going excuse me
No one else understands
You know well Jesus understands and Jesus cares
So even in those low points in our lives those things those difficulties we go through we could still give thanks
And say well I know God knows
And maybe you know what and here's the thing maybe there are nobody else does really know maybe the people in your lives truly can't understand
Maybe they don't seem to care as much
Well, you know, that's all the more reason to give thanks to God for the fact that he does know does care and does understand
That you know, we're not alone in those dark those dark times
Look at James chapter 5 verse 11 behold we count them happy which endure
You have heard of the patience of Job and have seen the end of the Lord that the Lord is very pitiful and of tender mercy
You know, we don't need self-pity. We need the Lord's pitiful enough for for all of us
The Lord will show us pity. He'll show us mercy and he's referring here to the patience of Job, right?
Now if there's anybody in the scripture that you would think of that had an excuse to complain or feel sorry for himself. It's job
You know and and and and sometimes people will feel like you're minimizing what they're going through
When you know when they say things like oh it could always be worse
I'll tell you the truth. I'm not a fan of that statement, but it's true
III
Sometimes, you know when you're when you're in a bad mood, I know this probably never happens to any of you
But whenever you're okay, you know feeling sorry or you know, you're in some tough situation things aren't going right
Your backs up against the wall and someone comes you says well, it could be worse
Like oh, that's exactly what I needed to hear that makes everything better
You know what and if that's not in our flesh that's not our immediate reaction is it
You know, my reaction is yeah, it could be worse
But you know what it could also be a lot better
But you know, that's the truth is it it could be a lot worse you have heard of the patience of Job
And and I know that's probably not the best way to always kind of get over
Our self-pity if we're experiencing that to just think consider the fact that other people do have it worse
But honestly, you know, it's effective and that really is the case
You know, Job lost everything in one day all of his children all of his wealth all of his servants his houses everything
And it's to the point where his own wife came to him and said curse God and die give up and then he's covered in boils
And then he's got his you know, his his his buddies show up to comfort him and he says, you know, you're all miserable comforters
Here here physicians of no value
They showed up to help him and they end up just saying well God's obviously judging you
This is all the result of that your sin and we know from the book of Job that he did nothing wrong
That he was being tested that he was he was being made an example the rest of us
But Job's attitude when all this happened when the servants come and tell him hey all these terrible things have befallen you this day
He said it says in Job 1 verse 20 then Job rose and rent his mantle and shaved his head and fell down upon the ground
Does that sound like somebody who's feeling bad? Does it sound like somebody who's who's you know, is is is being affected negatively by their emotions?
Yeah, he's renting his clothes. That's an outward display
He's shaving his head. He's falling on the ground
But you know what else he did it says in the end of that verse that he worshipped
Yes, he felt bad. He rent his clothes. He shaved his head, but then he fell on the ground and worshiped God
And what did he say naked came out of my mother's room and naked shall I return thither
The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord
In this all this job sin not nor charged God foolishly
See this is part of the sin of being of being filled with self-pity
There's a lot of times we you know, it might be very subtle, but we might actually end up doing is charging God foolishly
And say well, I know God could fix the situation. I know God could come through if God can do anything. Then why doesn't he?
That's that's charging God foolishly
Job might not have understood the purpose behind everything that was taking place in his life
But one thing he did understand is you know what all those things that I had I never deserved
All those things that those good things that came to me in life, you know
I wasn't born into that. That's something that God blessed me with God's taken it away. The Lord giveth and Lord takes away
You know and you know having food and raiment let us be there with content
Let's go to I don't know where I had you go
James okay, you can leave James I think let me double check
Yes, and go over to Jeremiah chapter number 45 Jeremiah chapter number 45
I mean if there's anybody that could have just spent, you know
His life just feeling sorry for himself and lamenting all the bad things that happened to himself. It was job
But in the day that those things befell him
He immediately falls in his face and rather worships God and just states the plain and simple fact that the Lord hath taken
Blessed be the name of the Lord. I'm not gonna charge God foolishly. I'm not gonna sit here and blame God
We're gonna read the entire chapter there in Jeremiah chapter 45
It's a Bible joke the word that Jeremiah the Prophet spake unto Barak the son of Nariah when he had written these words
In a book at the mouth of Jeremiah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah saying so
This is the Lord speaking unto Barak. Okay now Barak if you know, he's Jeremiah's scribe
He's there with Jeremiah as Jeremiah's preaching and sending these letters to the king and so on and so forth
He's the one that's actually writing out these words
He's his scribe
So he's writing out and proclaim, you know helping Jeremiah, you know, publish all the doom and gloom if you know, Jeremiah
He's preaching God's wrath anger destruction judgment. It's not a positive message that he's delivering
Okay, and and barracks they're recording it
So barracks like he's getting a first-hand account of everything
You know that's going on and barracks writes these letters to the king and so on and so forth
It's like he's getting a first-hand account of everything, you know, that's going on and barracks right there in the midst with Jeremiah
Watching all these things come come upon Jerusalem and and and Judah. He's there there in the thick of it
It's not like they're observing these things from afar off at one point
You know Jeremiah's even arrested and put it down into the mire like of the outhouse and he's thrown into prison
You know because they're they're taking the things that he's saying and saying oh, this is insurrection
You know, you're you know, you're betraying your country, right?
You're trying to you know, turn you're on acting on behalf of the enemy, you know saying that they're gonna this place is gonna be destroyed
You're affecting morale, right? He was just saying it how it is. They should have listened to what he was saying
But you know, but my point is that Jeremiah is there and he's not calling Barak and saying okay now write this
Okay now right, you know barracks right there obviously writing these things with them. So Barak and Jeremiah are in the thick of it
So by Jeremiah chapter 45 you have all these things that barracks been writing out and apparently Barak developed might have developed a little bit of a an attitude
After he's sitting here listening to the preaching, you know being with the man of God he kind of starts to feel sorry for himself, too
So Jeremiah 45 is kind of an interesting chapter very short chapter, but it's written to Barak the guy who's writing the book
You know not not the preacher but the one who's literally penning out the words. Okay
The word of the Lord again verse 1 the word that Jeremiah the prophet spake unto Barak the son of Neriah, okay
Verse 2 so what is it that he said thus saith the Lord God
Excuse me, the Lord the God of Israel unto thee O Barak thou didst say woe is me now for the Lord hath added grief to my sorrow
I fainted in my sighing and I find no rest
Now humanly speaking we can read that and say well what's wrong with that?
He's watching you know his nation be destroyed he's seen them go into idolatry
He's watching them become stiff-necked and and and hard-hearted and ignoring the Word of God ignoring the preaching the Word of God
And he and he knows as well as Jeremiah that swift destruction is coming upon these people that they're going to suffer
You know immeasurably they're going to be destroyed and carried off into captivity
So you could kind of understand, you know, why he's saying woe is me
You know why he's feeling bad for himself, okay?
The Lord had added grief to my sorrow I fainted in my sighing saying I find no rest
Thus shalt thou say unto him the Lord saith thus
Behold that which I have built I will break down and that which I have planted I will pick up even pluck up even this whole land
What's he saying I've given and I take away I build I tear it down
It's mine I'll do whatever I want with the barrack quit feeling sorry for yourself quit having you know you know this pity party
Look at verse 5 and seekest thou great things for thyself seek them not
You know are you expecting more than you should in life are you expecting all these great things to come to you don't seek those
Behold I will bring evil upon all flesh saith the Lord but look at the end but thy life will I give unto thee for a pray in all places whither thou goest
What's he saying to him it could be worse
Oh you're feeling bad about what's happened barrack well guess what it could be worse
And what's he saying at the end I will give thee thy life unto thee for a pray in all places where there thou goest
You know what's a prey like a like a spoil right like you know and when warfare you had the spoils of war you know you would they would go they would fall upon the prey right
The things that are left vulnerable and they would spoil them and he's saying you know what your praise and all this your life
You know all these people are going to be destroyed they're going to go into captivity but wherever you go you're going to have your life
And if you have that then you know what what else do you need you've got more than these people have your situation can be so much worse than it is
Now wouldn't you look at barracks situation and say it's pretty bad I mean it's way worse than anything I've gone through
You know oh the car broke down the AC went out you know the bank accounts running on E you know I'm sick I got hurt
And then I you know something happens and then we just focus on the negative we forget about all the good things that we still have right
Well you know you're not out in the middle of the desert you still got a roof over your head
You know your provision you're still eating well you're still being taken it could be so much worse
But what we do when we fall into this trap of self-pity is we focus on the negative we just focus on all the things that are going wrong
And what we forget is that it could be so much worse and sometimes that's what we need to be reminded of sometimes we need that person like I'm coming this morning to say hey it could be worse
And instead of going oh that could be better and we can that can make us upset we could you know get tired of that you cliche but it's true
And a lot of times it's that mentality that'll snap us out of feeling sorry for ourselves going through self-pity
And Barrick he's saying you need to just get over it buddy because things could be a lot worse you at least have your life on for a prey to yourself
You're not going to die of starvation you're not going to be taken off into bondage you're not going to you know have to go and be wiped out by this in captivity
I mean how many people die going back to Babylon right he's saying you at least have your life you got a lot better than a lot of these other people and what they got coming
I know I got to wrap up let's go over to Hebrews chapter number 12
Again and I'm not saying you know I try to make this perfectly clear in the beginning of the sermon is that I'm not saying we should never feel bad
I'm not trying to preach some kind of you know health wealth and prosperity gospel up here
I'm saying you should never experience anything negative emotions in your life we saw that you know there is a time to be afflicted there is a time to mourn and weep
There is a time to be sad there is a time to be upset over our sins but there's also a time to pick ourselves up and move on and quit feeling sorry for ourselves
And not be filled with self-pity and self-loathing to the place where you know what we might even start charging God foolishly
In Hebrews chapter 12 of course verse 1 we all know this wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses
Let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us and let us run with patience the race that is set before us
Kind of as Paul was saying earlier that you know we have a race to run that we have to be tempered in all things
And part of that temperance is laying aside the sins but also the weights
You know there's some things in our lives that are sinful that are going to slow us down in the Christian life
They're going to be a hindrance to us but then also there's these weights now these weights might not necessarily be sinful things
But they're things that we need to just let go of things we need to just set down
I mean think of how ridiculous that would be if a marathon runner you know was going to try and run some you know or a sprinter you know just a runner I don't know whatever
You know some you know run some 50-yard dash or I don't even know what the lengths are folks I'm totally ignorant about that sport
You know but I know this much that they wear very light clothing you know that they slim themselves way down
But how ridiculous would it be to see some runner to get into those blocks that guns up and goes oh wait a minute and then put on some ankle weights
A weighted vest and grab some dumbbells okay now I'm ready
And say that guy's going to lose you know the slowest runner out there is going to beat that guy because he's running without any weight
You could be the fastest guy on the track but if you start picking up all this weight let me put a barbell on my back let me put 500 pounds on my back and try to run this race
You see that's ridiculous you know that's how some people try to live the Christian life
They carry this burden they carry this self-pity this self-loathing this guilt you know just feeling bad for themselves or things that maybe they should have felt bad about at the time
You know but God has forgiven they've confessed it they've forsaken it but they just they carry the guilt they carry the self-pity
You know that's what some people do spiritually they're like that runner who could run a lot faster if he just you know get the barbell off his back
If he just set aside the weight
Let us lay aside every weight and verse 2 looking unto Jesus the author and finish of our faith
Who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross
Oh that weight of self-pity of self-loathing you're feeling sorry for yourself or what you've gone through what you did
You know what you need to do is look unto Jesus
Nobody understands the difficulties I've had no one's gone through the things I've gone through
You need to look unto Jesus the author and finish of our faith who for the joy that was before him despised the you know endured the cross despising the shame
Have you suffered unto blood resisting against sin? Not one of us has
Have you endured a crucifixion? Have you been publicly mocked and humiliated?
You know and and and and died and been executed?
You know an innocent man have you experienced that level of injustice?
No one has not to the degree to which Christ has
For consider him he said in verse 3 that endured such contradiction against sinners against himself lest you be weird in your minds and faint
It's something that affects our minds this self-pity just feeling sorry for ourselves it will affect our minds
Go over to 2 Corinthians chapter number 7
Look again there's a time and place to feel bad there's a time and place to mourn and to weep
There's also a time to brush yourself off and move on
He said in James chapter 5 is any among you afflicted? Let him pray
Is any Mary? Let him sing psalms
You know have the appropriate response to the appropriate motion when it's appropriate
If you're afflicted pray but that's not what we do when we're afflicted
You know some of us when we go through hard things we experience negative things when we're afflicted
The last thing we do is pray if at all we just brood right
We just get angry and upset we just dwell over it we run over the situation in our heads
We think about it we contemplate it we just think it over but we don't go to God and pray
And say God you know I'm feeling bad about this I'm feeling sorry about this
You know this is what I'm going through whatever it is you know whatever affliction it is
Whether it's some sin in our lives that we're feeling bad about or it's some situation that's got us down
If it's some depression that we're in if we're inflicted in some way pray
Say how do I get over it pray? Oh it sounds so easy
What a simple solution well you know what's the world going to do?
What's their answer? Take a pill
You know some people will just start to self you know prescribe
You know go down to the bar put a tear in your beer
Drown your sorrows in a bottle
You know that the solutions aren't there friend
You'll be you'll now you have another type of affliction
You know if we're afflicted if we're feeling bad you know if if we're being going through some judgment if God's coming down on us
Pray isn't exactly what we saw David do
I mean David did wrong no doubt about it he's publicly called out on it
He didn't and he was shown mercy he wasn't executed which was the biblical
Which is the biblical prescription for adultery and murder is the death penalty
Those are capital offenses according the Word of God
You know but he was shown mercy but he still you know when he learned that the child was sick
That it was God's judgment just as God said he prayed and he prayed fervently for seven days
There's a time and place right you're afflicted pray
You know what we what did we see in David is that he didn't pray you know the child's dead well let me just stay here longer than
Now it's going to go from trying to get God to act on my behalf and just feeling sorry for myself
I'm beating myself up self-pity
Is any Mary let him sing psalms
Look at second Corinthians chapter number seven verse eight
He said for though I made you sorry with the letter Paul writing the Corinthians referring back to first Corinthians
That letter that he wrote was first Corinthians
And how he talked about that there was one among them that that committed fornication so much as not named among the Gentiles
That one should have his father's wife remember he was rebuking the fornication and sin that was being permitted in the church
And saying get it right you know deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh
You know it's you know not to have no fellowship with that individual that you saying you need to execute church discipline
And he's saying though I made you sorry with a letter when I wrote those things it upset you it made you feel bad
Oh we disappointed Paul we really let apostle Paul down we're in sin here we're not doing things right we've made a mistake
He said though I made you sorry I do not repent though I did repent and that can be kind of a tongue twister
Saying I'm not I don't feel bad about the fact that I made you feel sorry although at the time when I wrote it I did feel bad
Although I did repent
You know keep that in mind when it comes to the preaching of the word of God
That preacher is me I go to church and it's just like he's trying to make me feel bad
It's like you know sometimes I got to deliver a message I know it's going to make people feel bad
And I don't go oh good this is going to be so fun to go to church today and make people cry
Who cries people cry you know you preach the word of God people go through things they get upset
It's not all the time praise God you know people get mad they get upset you know what's going to happen
It's not like I'm like looking forward to it you know it makes you know I repent
It's like man do I really have to preach this do I really have to preach this yes ok
But he's saying I did although I did repent I don't repent now why because I perceive the same epistle that letter 1st Corinthians that I wrote
hath made you sorry
He's saying I'm glad I wrote it because it made you feel bad
Oh that sounds so mean
Though it were but for a season
He's saying it's not that I wasn't trying to make you permanently depressed permanently upset
He said but you know what you guys had done wrong you had made a mistake
There was sin in the church and you needed to get it straightened out
I'm glad it happened I'm glad you feel bad for it though it were for a season
Now I rejoice verse 9 that ye were made sorry but that ye sorry excuse me not that ye were made sorry
I'm not rejoicing the fact that haha I made you feel bad
He's saying not that you were made sorry but that you sorrowed to repentance
That that sorrow that you felt led you to do something about it
Saying the reason I wrote that wasn't to make you feel bad it was so that you would get right
He said that you sorrowed to repentance for you were made sorry after a godly manner
I'm not saying this morning that sorrow is inappropriate
That we should never feel sorry about things that we've done or whatever
As long as it's after a godly manner that you may receive damage by us and nothing
Look at verse 10 for godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation
And he's not talking about our salvation in Christ
Because remember this is within the context of 1 Corinthians and 2 Corinthians
What he's addressing here is the first letter
Because if we have sin in our lives we will suffer condemnation
There is no condemnation in them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh
Even as God's own children Hebrews 12 we just read it God chasteneth every son whom he received it
So don't get confused here by verse 10
Godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation meaning God's not going to have to come down on you
It's going to spare you it's going to save you from God's judgment
I'm pretty sure everybody gets that
For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of
But the sorrow of the world worketh death
You know sometimes in the world you'll see people it's like feeling sorry for yourself and having all the self-pity
It's like a lifestyle
It's like it's just how they live their lives
You know it reminds me of like you know all the in my day we call them goths
Right in high school I think they're emos now
That might have changed again I don't know I'm so old and so out of it
I don't know what all the cool kids are saying anymore
Right but the goths emos where it's just like walking around in this depression
You know staying out of the sun wearing black all the time
You know writing really sad dark poetry
Going to the graveyards I mean it borders on demonic often
You know cutting yourself which is demonic in scripture
You know listening to really depressing music all the time
Just you know that whole scene it's like it's like people make a lifestyle out of feeling bad and sorry for themselves
To what end it worketh death there's no fruit there nothing comes of that
It's just they feel bad for themselves they go through the self-pity for the sake of self-pity
Look godly sorrow you know is the appropriate sorrow when we should feel bad let's feel bad
If we've done wrong let's feel bad about it let's mourn let's weep
Let's humble ourselves in the sight of god why so he can lift us up
Let's go through that why because it worketh salvation not to be repented of
You know god's not going to change his mind about it
He's not going to come back and remind us again oh yeah remember that thing you did
Once we get it right you know it's done it's not going to be repented of
Look at verse 11 for behold the self-same thing that ye sorrowed after a godly sort what carefulness it wrought in you
Look when we go through a season of heaviness when we go through feeling bad about something it should it's it's appropriate
In what the results that it yields is what I'm trying to say
How do I know if it's appropriate what's it what's the outcome what does it lead to
You know if you feel bad about something that's going on in your life what you should be asking yourself I feel bad about this this isn't good how can I fix it
Right what do I got to do get and get this right instead of just going this this is not good I feel bad
And then just I feel bad and I feel bad and I feel bad this isn't right no one you know just fall on this dark deep hole self-bidding
If we feel bad if we have sorrow after a godly sort we'll know it's godly if we're asking ourselves how do I fix this
You know what's the outcome and even when we go through bad things or we've made mistakes goods can still come of it
Okay because he says look you you felt sorry I wrote you that letter I said you guys messed up you've got fornication and sin in the church
You need to deal with it you're not right God's gonna judge you and he and he ripped their face at first Corinthians
Okay and he says for behold the self same thing that you sorrowed after godly sort what carefulness around you
Yea what clearing of yourselves yea what indignation yea what fear yea what vehement desire yea what zeal yea what revenge
You took revenge on that sin you know you got it right
In all things you've approved yourselves to be clear in this matter
But you know what you should still beat yourself up over it every single day of your life going forward
I know you've gotten it all right I know all the revenge and the clearing and and and you're approved now
But you know what make sure you just dwell on it and you just think about it and you just beat yourself up
That's not what he's saying you're clear in this matter let's move on
And I'll close very quickly with one last example of Peter
Okay if you would go to Luke chapter 22 Luke chapter 22 and I'll wrap it up
You know Peter is another example of somebody who who made a mistake
I mean he messed up in more than one way and I you know I'm not saying that to drag Peter's a great man of God
He's one of the twelve apostles he's one of the few people that got to go with Jesus and the amount of transfiguration
He was part of that inner circle within that inner circle okay great man of God
But you know the Bible records a lot of things that he did and said for us
You know why I love Peter is because he's so relatable
You know we sometimes we you know that's what the Bible tells us not to think about that which is written
And God writes some things about men that you know to kind of bring them down a notch in our own sight
And make them relatable because we can look at men like Peter and Paul and others and say oh man these these lofty giants
And say again great great men of God these lofty giants of the faith we put them on a pedestal
And say I could never achieve or do anything like they did
But we have to understand is that they're they're men just like us okay and they make mistakes
And Peter is somebody who went through a season of self-pity okay
If you remember in Matthew 26 after the the Last Supper they went to the they went to the
The Mount of Olives right they go up there and they're singing the hymn and Jesus begins to tell them
That they're gonna that he's going to you know I will smite the shepherd and and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad
Are you saying look this is gonna happen okay you guys are gonna be offended me in this this night
And Peter's answered and said unto him though all men shall be offended because of thee yet well I will never be offended
Right that's a very proud prideful statement isn't it I mean Jesus just got done saying it
He just said you know what all men are gonna be offended all ye shall be offended because of me this night
All of you and remember it's just him and his 12 disciples at this point and then Peter says though all men shall be offended
Yet I will never be offended basically saying well you're a liar you don't you're talking about Jesus
He's like replying against the Lord you know that's not the case and he's trying to convince himself you know
Now here's something just something a lot of people might not think about imagine being one of the other disciples there
We know Judas was gone but remember one of the other ten right and it's just that's that's the only people that were there
And Peter's saying though all men be offended yet I never will be if I were John or James or you know one of the other disciples
I would have been like excuse me or well you know what do you mean all men like he's saying he's basically saying you know these other guys
These other guys they're gonna you're right Jesus they probably would be well are gonna be offended this night but not me
Because I'm better than them I'm more spiritual that's what he's saying I mean think about the story
It's just the ten of them and Jesus says you're all gonna be offended Jesus and Peter says you know kind of puts it in a way where it's like
Does he mean just us because he says all men well not just you guys everybody it's not just you guys that I'm better than it's everyone
Don't that's even more boastful that's even more offensive you know if I were in the other disciples I'd be a little upset with Peter at that point
Like come on buddy it makes you so special
Jesus said unto him verily I say unto thee that this night before the cock crow thou shalt deny me thrice
Peter said unto him though I should die with thee yet I will not deny thee likewise also said all the disciples
Now look at Luke 22 I went to Luke 22 because the parallel passage in Matthew doesn't have this one little detail in it
That really hits you know if you're into the story of course this is when Jesus has been taken into before the Jews and he's being interrogated
And John and Peter have been let in they've come in they're there while this is all taking place while he's being Jesus is being questioned
And they're trying to bring false accusations against him false witnesses and Peter ends up denying just as Jesus said
You know the maid comes to him another and he denies the Lord three times just as Jesus said and after the third time it says in verse 61
And the Lord turned and looked upon Peter and looked upon him I mean what a what a powerful moment
That's the detail you don't get that the Lord looked on him I mean Jesus looked right at him
After he did the very thing that he was just a few hours ago boasting and saying I will never do that I'll never deny you I'm willing to die with you
Though all these other guys forsake you not me he's really lifted himself up and then he's doing exactly what Jesus said he would do in denying the Lord three times
And that's when the Lord turns and looks right at him and I don't know that the Lord looked at him in disgust
It was like I told you so there was probably not a lot of you know I don't know what the face he made or what you know emotion was expressed in his face
But I can't imagine it would have taken much to make Peter feel like absolute dirt at this point
The Lord's looking right at him and he's just because we know his reaction we know it made Peter feel terrible
It says that Peter remembered the word of the Lord how he said unto him before the cock crow thou shalt deny me thrice
Verse 62 Peter went out and wept bitterly I mean he's feeling really bad you know and rightly so
Who can blame him in that moment? You know obviously he had good intentions but the Lord knows the frailty and the weakness of human flesh
He knows you know what we're made of he knows as David expressed earlier we saw that we are shaping in iniquity you know that we are sinful beings
Let's go over to John chapter number 21 it didn't end there with Peter you know Peter you know later gets backslidden
And he ends up you know after Jesus has come and has been resurrected and tells them to tarry in Jerusalem you know Peter ends up backsliding even further
It says in verse 1 of John 21 after these things Jesus showed himself again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberius and on this wise he showed himself
Of course he comes to them and he's showing himself alive his disciples let me move along here quickly
And he says he goes fishing right yeah okay so he's catching him fishing here
Verse 3 Simon Peter saith unto them I go a-fishing right now why is he doing that?
You know you say well why is he why in the middle of the story at the end of this book after everything that's happened after the commission everything that's taken place
The return of Christ that Peter is going fishing and I don't think it's because he just had such an affinity for fishing
But the whole time he's following Christ he just can't stop thinking about the boat you know that was his day job you know that was something he did to make a living
That wasn't you know today fishing is a very leisurely activity right it's something that a lot of people do just for fun this is how he made his living
So I don't think he went a-fishing because he just really missed fishing or he just really loved fishing I think he went fishing because he felt like you know what I'm not fit for the ministry
I don't belong here I can't do this I'm not the one that got to be I denied Christ you know he's lifted himself up really high and he's been brought very low
And appropriately right as it should have been but now he's feeling very bad for himself Christ is appearing he's saying you know you're gonna go in all the world preach God's blood every creature
And in the midst of all that Peter says you know what I go fishing he's bowing out he's backsliding okay
I go fishing they say unto him we go also with thee they went forth and entered into a ship immediately and that night they caught nothing
You know which is an interesting sermon in of itself that's exactly what's happening before Jesus called him in the ministry he went right back to the same
Remember when Jesus came to him told him to let down the nets he said we've fished all night and caught nothing right
You go back to the world you know what's waiting for you more of the same nothing's gonna change
But when the morning was now come Jesus stood on the shore and the disciples knew not that it was Jesus then Jesus saith unto them children having any meat they answered him no
Of course we know the story John says it is the Lord Peter cast himself in the water out races everybody to the shore he swims there and Jesus comes and they have bread and fish on the fire
And it says in verse 14 this is now the third time that Jesus showed himself to disciples that he was risen from the dead and when they had dying Jesus saith to Simon Peter
Simon son of Jonas lovest thou me more than these and people have different opinions about what he's referring to there my opinion is that he's referring to the disciples not the fish
I have a hard time believing that Peter was struggling with loving fishing or fish more than Jesus
Especially in the context of the rest of the epistles or excuse me the gospels where we see him lifting up himself and saying though all other men forsake thee yet not me
I love you more I'll go to you with death he's saying I'm more spiritual I love you more Jesus than these other men
That's why I believe he's referring to the other disciples and he's saying you love me more than these than these referring to the other disciples
And Peter said saith unto him yea Lord thou knowest that I love thee he saith unto him feed my lambs what's he trying to get him to do he's trying to get him to stop feeling sorry for himself
And he's addressing the very thing that Peter's been beating himself up over I lifted up myself that night I boasted how I would not forsake him
That I would not deny him and then I did it and Jesus looked me right in the eyes right after I'd done it and I went out and I wept bitterly
I'm just like everybody else and I believe what's going on here is Jesus is trying to get him over his self pity
Trying to get him to quit feeling so sorry for himself and understand yea you know what it was appropriate for you to go out and weep bitterly that night but get over it
I'm risen I have work for you to do feed my lambs he saith unto him again the second time Simon son of Jonas lovest thou me so it's like he's pouring salt in the wound
He's just really digging in on him right he's pushing on the bruise he's drawing attention to it he's saying get over it
You know sometimes we feel bad about something we have the self pity over something we're feeling bad for ourselves and we know we shouldn't but we just keep on doing it
I know this isn't appropriate I know I shouldn't feel bad about this I know I've been forgiven I know I should just move on with my life but we keep beating ourselves up over these things
I believe that's an example of this in the scripture like Jesus is dealing with it he's not just going to mention it once because he knows how bad Peter feels about it
He's saying it's good that you felt bad about it Peter but it's time to move on let's get over it let's deal with it
He saith unto him again the second time Simon son of Jonas lovest thou me he saith unto him Yea Lord thou knowest that I love thee he saith unto him feed my sheep feed my lambs feed my sheep
Okay we're done right nope verse 17 he saith unto him the third time Simon son of Jonas lovest thou me Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time
lovest thou me now he's dealing with it now he's feeling bad he's grieved at this point oh Lord you know that I love thee feed my lambs oh Lord you know that I love thee feed my sheep
and now he's really driving home he's dealing with the issue the thing that Peter's been beating himself up over he's really drilling down to it
He says lovest thou me and he said unto him Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee
He's saying Lord you're God you know my heart you know all things I don't need to convince you of anything you know I love you
no matter how bad I feel no matter how much I'm beating myself up over denying you and lifting myself up above these other men and thinking I'm more highly than myself
and I have to think I know you know all that but I also know one thing I also know that you know that I love you
you know and sometimes we beat ourselves up over things and we feel bad about things and you know but at some point we have to also remind ourselves that
that we still love God and He knows it you know if we've done bad if we've sinned if we've made mistakes okay but do you still love God
well God knows that too sometimes all we focus on is all the bad things that we've done well God knows I did this and God knows I did that
and God knows I feel this way and God knows how I treated this person you know God knows all the deep dark secrets God knows all the things I shouldn't have done
and have done all the things I haven't done and should have done God knows all the sin in my life and we just sit there and beat ourselves up and beat ourselves up
but we also have to remind ourselves that God might know all those things but He also knows something else that we love Him
if any man love God the same is known of Him so if I love God why should I just sit around and beat myself up constantly about all the shortcomings that I have
you know that's that there's no end to that there's no end in sight to that and like God needs to be reminded of how you know
frankly just insufficient we are you know but God wants to use us anyway so that you know all the glory goes to Him
you know Peter's the perfect guy to use because he's not he's over it he's not saying oh the wall men forsake thee he's been humbled now
he's been afflicted he's mourned he's wept he's humbled himself in the sight of the Lord and now the Lord's ready to lift him up
say well now I can use you because now you know some things about yourself and the point of you knowing those things is not to feel sorry for yourself or to feel bad
it's so that you'll know that you know we have this treasure in earthen vessels he says thou knowest all things and you know that I love you
I'm not saying I love you more than anybody else I'm not saying anybody else loves you any less I know that you know that I love you and that's enough for me
Jesus saith unto him feed my sheep he's saying go do the work that I've ordained for you to do let's move on
don't go back to this old life don't go feel yourself sorry for yourself in some boat somewhere don't go you know cry into some empty net
don't go back to the old life there's no you know you're just it's just a it's a sea of self-pity out there for you Peter you need to go get on land and go feed my sheep
I got to wrap it up I know go to first Peter one and we're done okay because this works on Peter you know this guy I believe it helped Peter get over it
look should Peter have felt bad about what he did of course you know and who knows I mean I doubt any one of us wouldn't have done the same thing in his position
I don't know I'd like to think that I wouldn't have denied Christ either but you know what when you're there and with all that and Jesus has taken a beating
and everybody else has fled and everybody else is on board that's what's going on and you start people start asking you questions well don't you go to that church
no aren't you a Christian not me I don't listen to that guy we'd like to think that we would in the face of that you know threat we would remain faithful
but you know truth be told we probably end up the same boat as Peter but you know here's the thing should make us feel bad should we be like Peter just beat up ourselves
over some shortcoming some mistake we've made of course not should we deal with it should we admit it yeah we should we should confess our sin and forsake it
whosoever confesseth and forsaketh the sins shall have mercy the Bible says and not sit there and dwell on it forgetting those things which are behind
and it worked on Peter look at first Peter chapter 1 verse 13 wherefore gird up the loins of your mind be sober and hope to the end hope to the end
see this is the real sin of self pity it's a hopeless position to be in it robs you of hope it feels hopeless when all we do is sit there and focus on everything that's gone wrong
all the negative things life feels hopeless doesn't it what's the point I said I wouldn't deny him and now here I you know I did I might as well just there's what's the point I can't do the work of God
I'm just gonna go back to the boat I'm just gonna go cast the net bring up nothing that's my life that's all I'm good for no you need to get over it Peter
and Peter did and he said you know what I hope to the end I have hope to the bitter end I have hope all the way through this life but no matter what mistakes I've made no matter what I've done wrong
that God can still use me I have hope to the end you know that that's what we need to have in our lives not not self pity I'm not saying never be sorry
you know if thou has sinned in lifting up thyself if thou has done foolishly lay your hand upon your mouth as the scripture says you know if we're afflicted pray
you know if we've done wrong let's get it right but then let's get over it let's get right and get over it you know and that will bring back hope into our lives
and say you know what there's still a way out of this situation there's still a way to continue to serve God despite whatever shortcomings you know God has
plan B for your life God has plan C D E F G I mean God would have to go into another alphabet it would be sub letters be a one for your life B two for your life
God has God has God of multiple chances and I'm not saying we won't deal with the consequences of our sins that there won't be you know the effects of sin in our lives
that you know they're there but that doesn't mean God has given up on us so don't give up hope don't fall into you know the sea of self pity
you want to be people who know when it's appropriate to feel bad when it's appropriate to mourn and pray and get right with God get over it and move on and serve God