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Colossians chapter number 3, Colossians chapter 3, the Bible reads if ye then be risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God set your affection on things above not on things on the earth for you're dead and your life is hid with Christ and God when Christ who is our life shall appear then shall you also appear with him in glory mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth fornication uncleanness inordinate affection evil concubicence and covetousness covetousness which is idolatry for which things sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience in the which ye also walked sometime when you lived in them but now ye also put off all these anger wrath malice blasphemy filthy communication out of your mouth lie not one to another seeing that you have put off the old man with his deeds and have put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him where there's neither Greek nor Jew circumcision or uncircumcision barbarian Scythian bond nor free but Christ is all and in all put on therefore as the elect of God holy and beloved bowels of mercies kindness humbleness of mind meekness long-suffering forbearing one another and forgiving one another if any men have a quarrel against any even as Christ forgave you so also do ye and above all these things put on charity which is the bond of perfectness and let the peace of God rule in your hearts to which also you're called in one body and be ye thankful let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord and so what and whatsoever ye do in word or deed do you all in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God and the Father by him wives submit yourselves unto your own husbands as it is fit in the Lord husbands love your wives and be not bitter against them children obey your parents in all things for this is well pleasing unto the Lord fathers provoke not your children to anger lest they be discouraged servants obey in all things your masters according to the flesh not with eye service as men pleasers but in singleness of heart fearing God and whatsoever ye do do it heartily as as to the Lord and not unto men knowing that of the Lord yes of the Lord you shall receive the reward of the inheritance where ye serve the Lord Christ but he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done and there is no respective persons let's pray to the Lord God thank you for this church thank you for a pastor and just ask that you would fill them with your Holy Spirit now as you preach his word unto us in Jesus name we pray amen amen okay we are in Colossians chapter number three this morning and the time I sermon this morning is habits and attitudes new Christians should avoid habits and attitudes that new Christians should avoid now before I get into the actual points of the sermon let's talk about what is a new Christian a new Christian we would consider I would say it's a person who's been newly saved for the last they've been saved for about one to three years okay that is a new Christian now of course that's given that they've been in church for the last one to three years they would be considered still a new Christian they're newly saved they're new in the faith they're still what the Bible would consider to be a babe in Christ okay an infant so to speak spiritually speaking that would be a new Christian but it's also someone who maybe has been saved for quite some time but hasn't been in church or lived out the Bible for many years so even though someone has been saved for 10 years 15 years 20 years but they haven't been in church that time they haven't read the Bible at all the Bible would still label them as being a babe in Christ because at the end of the day you know being a spiritually mature person isn't necessarily something that's given to someone based upon how long they've been saved but rather how long they've been serving God how long they've been reading the Bible how long they've been in church and fulfilled the Christian duty to serve to serve God and so that is what a new Christian is that's how I would define a new Christian to be now we have a church full of a lot of new Christians and of course people have been saved for the last couple of years and in my experience I've noticed habits and attitudes that new Christians can often adopt and quite frankly this is just normal for everyone to kind of go through every Christian kind of experiences this they kind of go through these phases of being a new Christian but the danger is is that if you don't address it if you don't fix it then first of all you just begin to annoy people all right and secondly you actually don't grow in your faith okay because God expects you to move on to perfection he expects you to spiritually mature in the Lord and to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and to be a spiritually mature person and so I want to address some of these habits and attitudes that new Christians can often have and essentially how to avoid being that way now you're in Colossians chapter 3 let's get into the points of the sermon number one let's talk about the habits and attitudes new Christians should avoid number one avoid listen to this being a know-it-all new Christians need to avoid being a know-it-all okay you're in Colossians chapter 3 look at verse number 12 it says put on therefore as the elect of God holy and beloved bowels of mercies kindness I want you to notice this humbleness of mind meekness long-suffering you see a person who has a humble mind is a person who realizes they don't know everything now an error that we live in you know with the internet and social media and YouTube and how much information is just readily available to the public especially to Christians Christians can often accelerate their understanding of the Bible accelerate their understanding of doctrine accelerate their understanding of God not necessarily via their own personal studies of the Bible but rather because it's being given to them constantly through the internet and that's a positive right in order for people to understand the Word of God you have a variety of teachers a variety of preachers you have access to information and biblical knowledge that you can adopt over and over again and you can really accelerate not your spiritual per se not your spiritual maturity but your knowledge of the Bible and praise God for that I'm looking at a crowd that's probably accelerated their understanding of the Bible but hold on a second realize the Bible says that you need to have humbleness of mind why is that well if you accelerate your understanding of knowledge and of the Bible there's a tendency to become prideful and arrogant and think that you know it all but in my experience when I deal with new Christians who think that they know at all you know what conclusion I come to they don't know anything and they miss a large percentage of what the Christian life is all about because they're actually lacking humbleness of mind and you would think that a person who is newly saved who's accelerated their understanding and well I know the Bible and I've read the Bible well have you read Colossians chapter 3 verse number 12 you know boast not thyself let another man praise thee and not thy own mouth not thy own lips and you know try to exert this mentality or this persona that you just already know the Bible you're already up to par with everyone else who's been a Christian for decades on end it's a wrong habit it's a wrong attitude to have to be a know-it-all have humility of mind go to 1st Corinthians chapter 13 if you would 1st Corinthians chapter 13 and let's just be honest we've all talked to a person who thinks that they're a know-it-all not knows that they're a know-it-all because quite frankly nobody knows at all right I mean I've been a Christian for 17 years there's others who've been Christians for 20 30 years and you know what that creates within us an understanding that we just don't know everything as we ought to know the more you read the Bible the longer you're a Christian the more you realize I actually don't know everything there's still more of the Bible to learn therefore let me be humble about this thing because I don't know everything there is to know about the Christian life about the Bible whereas newer Christians have a tendency and a temptation because they've memorized all the verses they've heard all the sermons they know all the essential doctrines they have a tendency to think well I know more than the person who's been a Christian for X amount of years because I've heard all the sermons you know I'm an expert soul winner because I've heard all the sermons I'm an expert Romans road deliverer I'm an expert in end times Bible prophecy I'm an expert in the reprobate doctrine I'm an expert in one saved always saved hold on a second yeah we're supposed to perfect ourselves in the faith but be humble in your mind and don't act like a know-it-all okay let me read to you from 1st Corinthians chapter 8 verse 2 verse 1 excuse me you're in 1st Corinthians 13 1st Corinthians 8 verse 1 says now it's touching things offered unto idols we know that we all have knowledge listen to this knowledge puffeth up but charity edify and what does it mean to be puffed up means to be proud blown up and arrogant have a big head right and the Bible says that's what knowledge actually does to you now it's great to have knowledge and in fact the Bible commands us to have knowledge and not to be people who are simple about the things of God right we are to have knowledge we're to acquire the knowledge of the Bible but it needs to be coupled with charity why because knowledge puffeth up but charity the Bible says edify it knowledge edifies you knowledge will edify your mind knowledge will edify your understanding but in order to edify someone else people actually don't need your knowledge they need your charity it says knowledge puffeth up but charity edify now newer Christians don't believe that newer Christians who think they know it all they think to themselves well in order for me to be a blessing to people they need to know how much I know in order for Christians to benefit for me in order for me to be a blessing they have to understand everything that I understand and they need to hear me talk to them 24-7 about all my knowledge but at that point you're just being a know-it-all it says and if any man think that he know with anything he know with nothing yet as he ought to know so I'm not gonna ask for a raise of hands here but you know do you think you know everything there is to know and if in your heart you raise your hand you say yes then guess what I got news for you you got you don't know nothing as you ought to know verse 3 says but if any man loved God the same is known of him Galatians chapter 6 verse number 3 says for if any man think himself to be something when he is nothing he did save it himself you know a lot of times people who are know-it-alls they have a tendency to express how much they know divulge how much they know and you know they want to portray this persona of being a very knowledgeable person but really at the end of the day they're deceiving themselves because the people they're speaking to understand this person doesn't really know everything they that they think that they know they're not as knowledgeable about the Bible as they think that they are they're deceiving their own selves now don't misunderstand me we want knowledge I teach knowledge from the Bible from the pulpit I teach doctrine I want you to be knowledgeable I don't want you to be biblically illiterate we have far too many churches far too many Christians far too many pastors who emphasize the charity but they don't necessarily emphasize the knowledge right they want you to read the Bible to be inspired but not necessary to receive information and that's wrong we need doctrine we need the knowledge of the Bible the point that I'm making here is that there's a habit and an attitude the new Christians have a tendency to have and that is that they think that they know it all because they've accelerated their understanding of the scriptures because of the internet or whatever look at first Corinthians 13 and verse number one really this point about knowing it all is helping those who are know-it-alls to balance out their diet with a plate of charity start growing not just in your knowledge but start growing in your charity as well look what it says in verse number one of first Corinthians 13 he says for though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels and have not charity I am become as sounding brass or a tinkling symbol now what is he referring to here well let me just clarify that the tongues of men and of angels is not referring to this Pentecostal mumbo-jumbo gun you know tongue flapping no you know language that no man understands but God okay this Pentecostal demonic practice tons of men and of angels is simply a phrase that's being used in the Bible to describe someone who has a silver tongue in other words they're able to they're an orator they able to speak well and communicate well and describe things well and it says although you're a great preacher you're a great orator you're a great communicator of the Bible if you lack charity you're basically just a well sounding instrument you're just a well sounding instrument because you have no charity with your preaching says in verse number two and though I have the gift of prophecy and understand listen to this all mysteries and all knowledge and though I have all faith so that I can remove mountains and have not charity I am nothing now I don't know about you I want to understand all mysteries right and I want knowledge and I want the faith to remove mountains I want to know everything there is to know about the book of Revelation I want to know everything there is to know about the about the seven Daniel 70th week about the tribulation about the seven vials seven trumpets I mean I want to know everything about the book of Daniel I want to have all knowledge of the deep things of God okay because that interests me I'll be honest with you you know on Sunday nights we've been preaching through the seven the lessons from the seven in Revelation I don't really care if you don't enjoy it I do though like some of you guys are like yawning you guys are all bored with it and stuff me I'm just like this is this is just for my edification I'll be honest with you like I enjoy it a lot me I could apparently mean miss Kelly enjoy she gave me the thumbs up I don't know if that's the thumbs up as in yeah it's boring or thumbs up as in yeah it's great I like it I like prophecy I like systematic doctrine I like for people to break things down I like expository preaching you know I enjoy information you know I like the symbolic representations of things the underlying tones of the Bible I like layers in the Word of God I like to find a little nuggets of truth I love that stuff but the Bible's telling us here that if we have all those things if we're able to preach if we have understanding of all these mysteries have knowledge have all the faith but we don't possess charity in God's eyes we're nothing why because charity or knowledge should I say needs to be balanced out with charity to keep you humble and listen to this to make your knowledge likeable to other people there's nothing more off-putting than a person who has knowledge with no charity than a person who's speaking knowledge to you but has no charity you know just a cold-hearted Christian with the cold hard facts and look I'm mature enough that you can give me the cold hard facts and not have any charity and I won't be offended by you but not everyone's like that and you know what this this is the cheesiest saying ever but it is true people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care you know the Bible came up with that first because charity edifies people want charity people respond to charity people reciprocate charity and if you want your knowledge to be effective amongst the brethren you want your knowledge to be effective in this world you gotta couple it with charity he says in verse number three and though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor and though I give my body to be burned and have not charity it profiteth me nothing at the Bible says so you can be a sacrificial person a person who gives alms you're feeding the poor but if you actually don't have love in your heart you don't have charity according to the Bible you're nothing why verse four charity suffereth long and his kind charity envious not charity vaunted not itself is not puffed up what does that mean it means it doesn't promote itself doesn't puff itself up it's not arrogant it's not prideful so when you give knowledge in a humble manner and it's sincere and humble way people respond to that better he says in verse number five doth not behave itself unseemly seeketh not her own is not easily provoked thinketh no evil rejoiceth not an iniquity but it rejoiceth in the truth beareth all things believeth all things hope with all things endureth all things what is the Bible trying to tell us here it's telling us that charity is just as important as knowledge and I think in our church we do have a group of people who are very knowledgeable about the Bible but here's the thing don't be a know-it-all and if you don't want to be characterized or stigmatized as a know-it-all have some charity coupled with your knowledge if you want your knowledge to be effective amongst the congregation in the church with others have some charity you say well how do I have charity pray about it you know you should be taught of God how to love your brothers amen and part of it is just kind of enough we'll get into it just a little bit but part of just being a knowledgeable person and helping people to know that you're knowledgeable it's actually not saying anything at all believe it or not the person who's just constantly flapping their gums showing how much knowledge they have is the person you actually become white noise to everyone because you just become that person who everyone knows that doesn't know anything and wants to act like they do don't be a know-it-all you sat that this was for new Christians I've been a Christian for a long time and I'm kind of guilty of this well it's probably because you're still bathing Christ or you're reverting back to these old habits and attitudes that you should not have amen you see none of us should think that we've attained or already made perfect we should seek to continuously grow in our faith and recognize that we have not arrived in the Christian life go to Proverbs chapter 11 if you would Proverbs chapter 11 hold your place in the New Testament because we're gonna come back to the New Testament we're gonna go to 1st Timothy in just a bit let's look at some verses in Proverbs we're talking about habits and attitudes that new Christians need to avoid the first habit the first attitude is this attitude that you know it all prideful arrogant know-it-all lacking all types of charity that is an ungodly attitude you're puffed up and you're not built up in love look at verse number 12 verse number 12 of Proverbs chapter 11 as is he that is void of wisdom despises his neighbor but a man of understanding listen this tells everyone about it no hold it this peace so according to the Bible if you have understanding if you have knowledge according to the Bible zip it as they used to say back in the day take a lock in other words don't say anything why because if you want to be esteemed as a person of understanding and knowledge you don't say anything about it you wait till people come to you look at Proverbs chapter 17 if you would Proverbs chapter 17 every couple months I kind of go through these passages and Proverbs we all know know them but we need to be reminded of them look at Proverbs 17 verse 27 he that hath knowledge tells everyone no spare with his words and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit even a fool an idiot someone who's stupid a foolish person when he holdeth his peace holdeth his peace and the Hebrew means when he shuts up keeps his mouth shut even a fool when he holdeth his peace is what is counted wise and don't you don't I want to be counted as a person who is wise what do you mean to be counted wise it means people have this perception of you that you have wisdom right you have this reputation before others that you have a sense of wisdom and obviously we want to be wise but we also want people to think them are wise as well it's two different things by the way right so we're not even talking about having wisdom let me give you a little life hack here if you're a fool if you don't have wisdom but you want people to think that you have wisdom then this is what you do shut up just don't say anything and you know people be like he's the quiet one he's got some knowledge this is natural people think so it says even a fool when he holdeth this piece is counted wise I want you to notice this and he that shutteth his lips that's Hebrew for shut up people who shut their mouths because the lips is on the mouth right is a is esteemed a man of understanding so if you want to be counted wise you want to be esteemed as a person of understanding if you want people to think that you are smart if you want people to think that you're godly that you understand the Bible here's the best way to go about it don't tell people that you understand the Bible let me give you a little bit of advice this morning you don't have to chime in on every conversation and put in your two cents especially if you don't know anything about that specific topic sometimes people ask me questions about the Bible and I'll be honest I'm the pastor there are instances where I don't know and you know what I say I don't know I have to look into that I'll have to think about because better to say you don't know and you'll look into it then be the person who gives an answer that potentially might be the wrong answer just because you want people to think that you know the answer don't make me repeat that and look this happens sometimes in our church where there's individuals who just want to put their two cents in they want to give an answer and they're wrong and you know what we have such a kind and charitable church regardless of what people say we have such a kind and charitable church that sometimes people don't call other people out about it because it's just like well they just they're just acting like a know-it-all but look I don't want people to think of you as being a know-it-all so this is what you do just don't say anything learn about the subject or better yet have the humility to say you know what I don't know actually I don't really know anything about that I would have to look into that you'd have to ask someone else about that I'm not very I'm not an expert in that area I know I may know a little bit this is what I've heard but I'm probably I'm probably wrong about it because I'm not a hundred percent sure you know a lot of people respect that answer more than you giving a wrong answer sometimes newer Christians get caught up in making sure people know how much they know but they should occupy themselves and being good examples to the believers instead but if we go to the New Testament again go to 1st Timothy chapter 4 we're talking about habits and attitudes that new Christians need to avoid and yay I would even say older Christians as well okay avoid being a know-it-all avoid being the person who thinks that they have knowledge and even though maybe you might possess a little bit of knowledge you don't know as much as you may think or say that you know new Christians need to occupy themselves and being a good example to the believers look at 1st Timothy chapter 4 and verse 11 it says these things command and teach let no man despise thy youth now this commandment this instruction is specifically given to those who are literally young right as far as of age is concerned but this could be applied to the youth in the in the faith as well okay because they kind of share similarities so the Apostle Paul is telling Timothy don't let anybody despise your youth now this doesn't mean let me let me just explain what that means first and foremost okay this doesn't mean you go around telling people don't despise me because you know you're being a jerk or you're being a know-it-all when it says let no man despise that youth he's basically saying don't build up a bad reputation where people don't like you because you're a youth they essentially paint the youth with the broad brush because of you you know a lot of people have a bad view of the youth they're just arrogant they don't take advice they don't listen you know they have you they're just we can just probably go through a list of bad qualities that the youth have and the Apostle Paul is telling Timothy because he's gonna be heading over a church don't let anybody despise your youth in other words don't be a despicable person don't give people a reason to not like you understand what I'm saying he says let no man despise that youth but be thou an example of the believers and he begins to give some qualities that they need to have he says in word in other words be appropriate when you speak learn how to talk to your elders let me say this if you're a young person speaking to an older person don't treat them like your teenager friend okay you say well I'm trying to you know we just got it like that no you don't you're still a young person you're a teenager okay if you want people to respect you you address them in a respectable manner you don't address them like they're your teenage buddy or something like that you know if you don't want people to despise your youth be an example to the believers in word learn how to speak to your elders learn how to speak to those who are older than you and that your elders is anybody who's older than you especially if you're a young teenager okay he says be thou an example of the believers in word in conversation what is conversation referring to your conduct right the manner in which you behave be an example in your conduct look what it goes on to say in charity in spirit now here's the great thing about the youth they got spirit right they're excited about the things of God they're zealous about the things of God they could be often because of their age you know visibly on fire not literally but you know visibly as in you know you can see their excitement you can see their zeal they have more energy than some of the older folks right that's great and that's why we need young people in the church amen like myself why are you laughing I don't know it's not funny in spirit be a spirited person so notice that some of these commandments here have actually nothing to do with what you teach like the Bible is not saying hey let no man despise that youth make sure you let everyone know how knowledgeable you are about the Bible how much a great awesome soul winner you are how you just have the Christian life down pack no it says in word and conversation and charity in spirit meaning your excitement and let me say this is that we need excited young people because older people have a tendency to not be as exciting they have a tendency to kind of just be a little dead okay cuz they're a little tired now I don't mean dead because you're close to death I'm just saying like in spirit although that might be the case you know you know they don't like loud things you know they don't they can't stand the the too much commotion you know I'm not like that I have a young spirit even though my you know my in my flesh I'm getting older I like to party you know I mean after church the fellowship everyone's just got their grooves and everyone's talking his life I kind of like that now obviously you know it can get too much for me if it gets a little later but you know sometimes people just don't like any of that but you know sometimes the younger people can teach the older people to get excited about the things of God and you need to be excited about the things of God okay get excited about sowing get excited about Church get excited about the hymns get excited about preaching be an example to the believers in spirit show some zeal about the things of God don't be you know some dead Christian who has no excitement no zeal whatsoever be enthusiastic about the things of God amen I mean you are about sports you are about Taylor Swift you are about whatever football game you are about whatever soccer games out there you are about whatever sport you like you are about whatever actor or whatever you are about the fact that it's December 1st now you can start posting on Instagram again when I get excited about the things of God so he says be that example in word and conversation and charity and spirit in faith in other words express show in conversation how you have faith in God step out in faith and of course the most obvious one should be impurity we need more young people who are pure in body and in mind right and that they promote purity in our culture so I want you to notice that what he's instructing the youth to be is not a knowledgeable person though that's commanded of all Christians it's saying that if you want to be an example to the believers you got to do it in this manner so if you don't want people to despise you for being a new Christian despise you for being young despise you for being a youth exercise these things in your personal life and people will respect you and yay they'll even follow your example because I would say that everyone here wants someone to follow their example and so in order for you to have an example to follow it should be you know up to par with these commandments here the point that I'm making here is that don't be a know-it-all be as someone who does it all be a person who is you know an example in charity and conversation and word and let me also say this you know as a new Christian be teachable what I mean by that well if you're a know-it-all then who's gonna teach you anything if you know at all right you know the people I avoid giving advice to are those who think that there are no adults why because what how am I gonna help them they know it all they know more than me not just about the Bible but just about life in general the person I want to invest in the person I want to help the person I go out of my way to counsel are those who are still teachable they have humbleness of mind they're willing to listen let me read to you from Proverbs chapter 1 verse number 5 as I'm going there go to Isaiah chapter 65 if you would Isaiah 65 Proverbs chapter 1 and verse number 5 says a wise man will hear and will increase in learning and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsel what does that mean they're willing to listen to advice they'll listen to counsel why because they're wise they're willing to hear and increase their learning I've been saved for 17 years and I'm still learning I still call other pastors for advice well I thought you're like anointed though like don't you aren't you anointed haven't you read about yeah but you know there's people who are further down the road than I am and it doesn't hurt me to ask someone else for advice on specific matters why not I want to be a wise man and as a wise man I need to go to others who are more knowledgeable about life than I am now I have a cabinet of counselors some people that I go to for specific doctrinal questions or that they would challenge my doctrinal position and see if they can you know debunk what I'm teaching but there are other pastors that I just go to for just life in general family life marriage children your problems now if there's a problem in the church that I don't really necessarily know what to do I'm not gonna be like well you know I'll figure it out no if I'm not knowledgeable about it you know I'll do is I'll call one of my friends and say I have this situation you know this is what I think I should do but I need your advice what do you think of this do you have something you can add to that yeah but then now that you said that now people are not gonna think that you know you're really like equipped or knowledgeable on their problems well I'm not my job is not to convince you of that my job is to fix your problem like my goal is not to have you think some have some high opinion about me that I'm able to fix your problem I just want your problem to be fixed so wise men will here will increase in learning and attain into wise counsel proper chapter 9 verse 9 says give instruction to a wise man and he will be yet wiser teach a just man and he will increase in learning let me admonish you this morning avoid being a know-it-all how closing your mouth having a humble mind being teachable being willing to listen to counsel and look not just me if one of the team leaders comes to you and corrects you in the area don't be a know-it-all don't reject someone's counsel there's a reason they're in that position of authority I place them in that position I've esteemed them to be men of understanding and even the team leaders the reason they're team leaders to begin with is because they take correction I correct the team leaders all the time not because you know they're bad it's just you know there's a certain way I want things done and they're not doing it that way I correct them but you know what I feel completely 100% comfortable with doing that because I know that they're wise men and as wise men they want increase in learning they don't want they're not necessarily concerned with their reputation they want to be just wise individuals who have understanding who attain to wise counsel I would never make a person a team leader someone who just can't take a correction be a person who's able to take correction you know be a person who when someone rebukes you corrects you you don't cry about it you don't get your feelings hurt you don't get it you don't become a person becomes resentful and bitter towards the person who corrected you you don't become a person who's just like well you know I guess you're not a wise individual if that's you and by the way you know to the person who's doing the correcting let me just say this is they make sure you're you're a person of reputation because you know a brother offended it's harder to be one than a strong city and his contentions are like the bars of a castle you know you better have a good reputation you better be a person who people steam as being a wise individual in order to give that correction habits and attitudes new Christians should avoid number one don't be a know-it-all number two here's another habit or attitude that new Christians should avoid avoid being a hyper spiritual holier-than-thou please avoid this hyper spiritual holier-than-thou this is straight from the Bible as far as the holier-than-thou is concerned let's read Isaiah 65 let's get some context here in verse number two he says I have spread out my hands all day all the day unto a rebellious people which walketh not in a way that was not good excuse me which walketh in a way that was not good after their own thoughts a people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face that sacrifice it in gardens and burneth incense upon altars of brick which remain among the graves and lodge in the monuments which eat swine's flesh and broth of abominable things in their vestors now look up here real quick does this sound like a godly person this doesn't sound like godly people right I mean they're participating in idolatry they're doing all this wicked stuff they're they're behaving abominably in the eyes of God right everyone can see that right look at verse number five which say referring to these people who are doing these things stand by thyself come not near to me for I am holier than thou now this is called hypocrisy as they are doing these abominable sacrifices doing that which is not pleasing unto the Lord then they have the audacity to come to others and say hey don't touch me because I'm cleaner than you I'm holier than you that's called a hyper spiritual holier than thou and what is how what does God think of this type of person look what it goes on to say these are smoke in my nose and a fire that burneth all the day in other words there are knowing smoke in your nose smoke in your eyes those things are irritating they're annoying and what he's saying here is that people like that annoy God but guess what let me let you in a little secret they also annoy us as well if you're a hyper spiritual holier than now let me just tell you you're annoying no one wants to be around you don't talk to me get away from me because you're cleaner than me these are self-righteous prideful people they deem themselves to be spiritually superior to everyone they condemn others if they're not as spiritual as them and obviously there's instances please pay attention there are instances where people who are hyper spiritual behave that way because they want to deter suspicion because they're actually wicked okay so false prophets evil workers will often kind of give this excessive and glib you know attitude of being holier hyper spiritual because they want to deter any suspicion for the fact that they're actually wicked okay this is the very common in the Pentecostal movement for example you have a lot of these Pentecostal pastors and they're super spiritual and you know they have the Christian ease down pack all the holy statements and they kind of exert themselves and portray themselves to be extremely righteous people they feign themselves to be just men but it's because they're hiding the fact that their Devils at heart okay that's a very common quality amongst false prophets that's why you got to be careful when you go to a church where they with a pastor just seems excessively spiritual you want to go to a church where the pastor is being real with you okay where he promotes spiritual things in the Bible but you know you kind of see that his feet are made of clay though understand you know that they're sinners that you know they're not perfect they make mistakes or as a lot of these other type of pastors you know in these other movements Pentecostal charismatic movements they want you to think that they are just perfect okay and so that's wrong but here's the thing is that it's not just false prophets who often adopt this type of attitude sometimes it's just immature Christians too and I've seen this over the years where this hyper spiritual holier-than-thou disposition is in our church and you know they often belittle others okay and they overcompensate and really what it is is that they just don't want you to know that they're not as spiritual as they want people to think that they are so they kind of cake on the spirituality they cake on the spiritual talk they cake on the spiritual actions because behind closed doors they're not really reading their Bibles yeah and closed doors they're not really praying as much behind closed doors they're very sinful they have sinful habits they fall short like anybody else does but they want to have this portrayal that they are far superior spiritually than anyone in the church than you are and you know what if you're a new Christian avoid this attribute avoid this attitude of being a hyper spiritual holier-than-thou just be real just be a real person people like real people now you know but don't take that too far though too because some of you are so real that you just become offensive too okay I'm just saying you don't have to cake on the hyper spiritual the the spiritual persona let that come over time as you're walking with God as you're reading the Bible as you're praying you know you don't have to try to create this reputation for yourself just walk with God and let God magnify you in the sight of all the people and here's the thing hyper spiritual people holier-than-thous are just easily spotted so you're not really fooling anybody everyone sees that you're just a holier-than-thou hyper spiritual person okay go with me if you went to 1st Corinthians chapter 3 1st Corinthians chapter 3 now in the New Testament probably one of the best examples of this are were the Pharisees and in fact a lot of times people will often you know associate be a self-righteous person right with being Pharisaical and that is true why it's because Pharisees were fake you know the Jesus said of the Pharisees that you know they sit in Moses see and he even said all therefore what's over they bid you to observe that observe and do but do not ye after their works for they say and do not so they kind of hold up people to a specific standard they're not they're not willing to adhere to or to do okay they're hypocrites which is why Jesus in Matthew 23 is constantly calling them hypocrites because they say one thing and actually do another they you know buying grievous burdens heavy to be born but they themselves will not lift it up with one of their fingers in other words they are hypocrites okay and why do they do this listen to this why are why were Pharisees holier-than-thou hyper spiritual people because they want to be seen of men and what are we talking about we're talking about avoiding habits and attitudes that new Christians can often have being a know-it-all being a holier-than-thou and why do they do it to be seen of men grow out of this thing that you just want people to think that you're a certain way to know that you're a certain way to have this perception that you're a certain way what I have you turn to have you turn anywhere else Oh First Corinthians chapter 3 look at verse number 1 and I brethren could not speak unto you as into spiritual but as into carnal even as into babes in Christ I have fed you with milk and not with me for hitherto you were not able to bear it neither yet now are you able for year yet carnal for whereas there is among you envying and strife and divisions are ye not carnal and walk as men what does it mean when it says you walk as men it's just another way of saying that they're walking as men absent of the spirit and part of being a babe in Christ an immature person is that they'll they will be involved in envying strife divisions constantly arguing naval gazing endless genealogies just endless disputes about whatever in the Bible that's a carnal attribute of a babe in Christ right because the reality is this is that we shouldn't strive among ourselves regarding a biblical interpretation of something that's not essential we've had this in the past okay we're and by the way I'm thankful that our church like fights about that stuff and not about like you know the floors or something okay the point that I'm making here is that a immature person will make something big of something that's very small because they're carnal they have strife and you know they're just like that now let me say this is that you know when it comes to being a hyper-spiritual holy than now there's this trend I guess it's not even a trend really amongst fundamental Baptist although we did have this in our church where you know sometimes newer Christians will have this stoic personality okay you know the stoicism amongst babes in Christ this attitude that says well you know laughing that's a little too much cackling and laughing that's you know that's not spiritual we need to be grave temperate and they almost but here's the thing though it's it's super hyper spiritual and very much a holier-than-thou attitude to have because we had a group of these bozos in our church a while back these groups of just holier-than-thou hyper spiritual no laughing no fun can't do anything like that no smile about those things we need to be stoic everything's serious you guys laugh too much and here here's a criticism they had about our church oh you guys are just too social fellowship sorry Lord I guess we just sorry for obeying your command to fellowship with the brethren we're just too social no you're just not social enough or maybe people just don't want to be around you because you're so freaking annoying right that's what it is maybe you're just bad because no one wants to socialize with you but there's this attitude of well and and let me just clarify something is that obviously there's a time to laugh there's a time to weep time to laugh time to mourn and we shouldn't be a church that's constantly laughing but you know what I actually am not offended that I would be considered a very a person who laughs a lot I'm actually not offended at that at all because the Mary Hart dude's good like a medicine and I'm a very joyful jovial individual I smile I like to have a good time because I'm filled with the spirit and because I'm filled with the spirit I have the joy of the Lord I'm able to enjoy life enjoy the things that God has given us richly to enjoy and I think it's actually very much appropriate to laugh and if you're the stoic person don't come around me you holier than now there is a time to weep there is a time to mourn but you know according to the Bible there's a time to dance as well there's a time to laugh there's actually a time to be jovial to celebrate to have Jubilee in our hearts but these holier than now's equate being spiritual and holy with being just mournful serious everything everyone's copying my face right now just mournful serious nothing's nothing should be fun well that's interesting the same group of people okay when they were in our church they're no longer here because I prayed them out of the church I did I did they didn't give me they didn't give me a reason to throw them out so I was just like Lord just take them out you know not take them out but you know like like take them out though you know out of the church but these same people let me say this these same people were in church and you know I can't remember the exact sermon that I was I was preaching on but I was talking about something very serious something that was very grave okay and the church knew that it was a very grave and serious subject and one of these guys who are hyper spiritual just started laughing his head off over some violence that I described in the Bible or something and I had to literally stop my sermon said that's not funny so it's funny how they want to criticize our church for being too social too fellowship II laughing too much when they're laughing at the wrong things we're actually laughing at good things we're actually laughing at wholesome things we like to crack jokes yes of course why not I'm married I'm a married person that's why our church reflects that but yeah you know laughing at violence laughing at wickedness must be appropriate though right no it's wicked I'm gonna read to you from Ecclesiastes chapter 2 verse number 2 I said in my heart go to now I will prove thee with mirth therefore enjoy pleasure and behold this also is vanity I said of laughter it is mad and of mirth what do with it now I don't know if you notice but Ecclesiastes is written by Solomon in his latter years when he was a major grump right everything was just negative a lot of wisdom found in the book of Ecclesiastes a lot of great truths found the book of Ecclesiastes but you also see at the end of the day everything's not vanity because with Christ everything's fulfilling but when he's in this state this grumpy Grinch disposition he I said of laughter it is mad of mirth what do with it just as what's the point of laughing what's the point of mirth what's the point of having a good time to have a good time but keep in mind Solomon wrote the book of Ecclesiastes but he also wrote the book of Proverbs that said that the person who has a married heart has a continual feast he's the one who said a married heart do it's good like a medicine and he wrote the book of Proverbs when he was actually joyful happy in his youth it's when he got older it's when he began to delve into all his lust and his desires that he became a depressed guy you know what I'm not gonna have that attitude in our church I'm not gonna have a faction of holier-than-thou hyper spiritual dudes who are giving each other marriage advice even though none of them are married or have a girlfriend let me just say this don't take advice from a guy on how to get a girlfriend if he doesn't have a girlfriend and whatever narrative he's promoting to you of how how much everyone likes him you might want to go see if that's true you understand what I'm saying you know these guys want to give each other advice on how to get a wife and how to get a girlfriend did you take your own advice you know you might you guys might want to get your refund on that on that little plan you got there because it doesn't seem to be working out for him it sounds like a pyramid scheme doesn't work but you know what that is a characteristic of a holier-than-thou hyper spiritual baby in Christ and look have a sense of humor by the way where in the Bible does it say it's bad to have a sense of humor and to laugh book chapter in verse on what the Bible says that you can't laugh and have a good time the Bible constantly talks about laughing it records God laughing it records God's people laughing it records joyfulness rejoicing and a merry heart oh yeah but these guys are even holier than that I guess you've heard of the people who are nicer than God there's people who are more holier than God apparently folks this is not a proper attitude to have this is a hyper spiritual holier-than-thou attitude and you know I want to have a continual feast in my heart and is it any coincidence that nobody liked being around these people you see according to the Bible when you when a man's ways please the Lord he make it even his enemies to be at peace with them when you are a pleasing person unto the Lord people want to be around you people want to go around you they want to talk to you they want to get to know you they like your company they like your fellowship right but when you are just a sourpuss no one wants to be around you why because who wants to be around a grumpy individual and look I'm not gonna call this person out right now because he's in our church but most of you know who he is and he knows who he is you know he specifically told me I was around this group of people and he's like I back slid he's like I got away from God and I back slid and you know what I told him I said yeah you did you were a jerk for a couple months you were just like unhappy you're miserable he looked miserable his countenance had fallen I was worried about him I prayed for him and I even got with the leaders like I'm worried about so-and-so I was like but I know why he's like this cuz he's hanging around these bozos cuz you know what being an arrogant holier than thou is actually contagious as well and you know he even said like God chastise me for it and then you know what happened by the way he would go so any but everyone in so many team was just like this guy's just like a jerk doesn't want to talk to anybody I want to be around anybody but you know what he got right with God and almost like night and day like the smile came back he got away from those people he separated company from these holier than now's these grinches and now he's a happy person again I was fellowship with him with the other day and he was just like you're right and he's like I was really backslidden and now I'm like happy the people you're around will affect your spirit you'll affect your attitude hey if you're a grumpy person just going around happy people and they'll help you to be happy you know you might cramp up smiling every once in a while you don't smile enough you might pull a muscle in your face because you don't smile enough but maybe you need to work out that muscle a little bit show your teeth brush them before you show them and realize yeah the house of God is a house of prayer but it's also a continual feast because we got salvation my friends we got the Holy Spirit we got the Bible we have much to be thankful for much to be happy about by the way last time I checked the one of the most boss prophets in the Old Testament was really funny Elijah when he's going at it with the false prophets he's like he's like trolling them you know he's trolling these holier-than- owls who are cutting themselves and being all excessive and overcompensating you know he's trolling them yeah I think it was funny I love it sounds very new IFB to me Bible says in Psalm 45 in verse 10 by the way this is not just for them this is for you you grump if you're grump in our church fix your attitude get right with the Lord put a smile on your face because what if what if God just jobs you today and just takes everything from you then you would think upon the days when you had it all and you had something to smile about and again there are times to be grave to be sober to be serious but there's also times to be jovial and to be happy and let me say this the majority of the time the majority of the time in the Christian life everything is jovial and happy the Christian life is not always arduous and difficult by the way these same people do like so when are we gonna get protested again I don't know I don't schedule those things it's not like I put it on the bulletin and say you know by the way we got a scheduled protest you know then why are we being protested why are we attacked I don't know I didn't schedule the last protest I didn't schedule the bombing I just preach God's Word and whatever happens happens because I think there's something wrong because nothing's happening what do you want to happen you act like we could construct these things or something but you know what that's what they do they construct who they are and intentionally try to act a certain way well whereas we we're just being Christians we're just being Christians reading the Bible loving the Lord winning souls to Christ fellowshipping one with another and just let the Lord do whatever he must do with us allow persecution or not plain and simple I haven't changed the agenda of what we do as a church plain and simple but folks this is the attitude of the holier-than-thou hyper spiritual person let me say one more thing about this dumb group okay now and I'll finish with this okay not the sermon but just this point typically hyper spiritual holier than thou's overcompensate majorly because they're lacking in their personal life lacking a lot and you know we went to this sowing meeting in in Barstow we were going there on a monthly basis and it was good for a time it was a very small group and you know one of these holier-than-thou's came with us and that was the last trip he came to by the way I banned him for life from ever going he can go sowning somewhere else but not with us because he was so hyper spiritual in that meeting in that in that sowning trip and so off-putting he just made it this distasteful and you know he's like how long have we gone what was the amount of salvation what were the addresses what was the specific time I'm like why are you asking all this and this is what he said well so-and-so which is the other hyper spiritual guy wants to know all the stats of this particular area because he wants to see if it's worthy for him to come there yeah you heard right that's what he said I told him I said you can't come anymore and I didn't give him any stats so he's like oh if it's worthy enough I'm sorry I'm sorry that the Great Commission is not worthy for you since he told us to go everywhere regardless you understand we go to play with sowing in areas that are not receptive should we just not go there no we need to go everywhere plain and simple oh well I need to know if it's so he says this little minion that's how rats are by the way did you know that rats will literally send out their young first to see if they get trapped and then you know what if they get trapped they're like oh can't go that way that's all rats are you don't want to see if it's worthy enough to go there no we're not worthy enough sorry don't ever come and is it any you know is it any coincidence the same guy is saying that we're not charitable you're the same people are saying that we're not a charitable church not charitable towards our visitors and look folks this guy one of these guys was extremely offensive in our church he offended not everyone but a large portion of our church he offended women in our church he offended moms wives all the time he said why don't you get about because I'm a pastor who loves the people and I wanted to be patient with him and admonish him and encourage him so I never did but the guy never he never got the memo you know we have potlucks or whatever and by the way I'm preaching on manners and etiquette tonight so you know I hope everyone comes back tonight because I'm talking about you all right and then if you don't come I'll make sure the leader send you send you a link to the sermon you know we would have these potlucks and then one of these holier-than-thou's because you know he's so charitable he would just stack up his plate and just walk away like look everything in our church is free but can you be considerate though or the fact that there's you know other people behind you are you just gonna do like a cartoon just like grab a few slices and walk away and come back for more later oh but we're not the charitable ones I mean there's a lot that I can say about it but I'm gonna say it tonight the point that I'm making here is sometimes I preach a sermon I want to preach a sermon about one specific thing so I have to create like other points around it so this is one of them all right don't be a holier-than-thou hyper spiritual person don't be weird be a likable individual in our church be a personable individual be a person that people can socialize with be a person you can have a normal conversation with and look I know COVID made off everyone all weird because everyone's all in isolation but you need to learn how to socialize again because that's part of the Bible okay and if you don't know how to socialize go read a book go listen to a podcast fill your mind with information that you can give out to people when you're in a conversation become knowledgeable about things you guys can like be an interesting person to talk to and if you don't want to do that just kind of listen to people and people love hearing the person who just listens to them and do one of these every once in a while be a person who's just able to smile don't take yourself so serious let me also say this okay a person who's humble is able to make fun of themselves all the time the people who are the hyper spiritual holier than Dallas they can't stand when people poke fun at them they can't stand it because they take themselves too serious that's why I don't mind poking fun at myself I don't mean you look throughout the sermons over the years I poke fun on myself all the time plain and simple I think everyone should do that get a sense of humor don't take yourself so serious anyways go to Ecclesiastes chapter 7 these are habits and attitudes new Christians need to avoid one of these other guys you know it told me this a couple years ago he was like pastor I'm not gonna get married because having a wife and children would just hinder me from getting more people saved you know as he's telling a married person this who has children right and I'm thinking in my mind no you're not married cuz no one wants to marry you don't bring don't bring the Lord in this don't bring the Lord's work in this boy that's your fault he's like I don't want to hinder myself from winning more people to Christ and you know I said that's a I thought that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard and then the next that was on a Saturday that Sunday I preached against them this is so stupid it was a retarded thing to say because he's essentially saying that the institution that God created is insufficient or makes you less efficient in your gospel presentations in your soul and I said well what if my wife so wins and then I raise my kids to be so owners what if I have ten kids doesn't that multiplier efforts to get more people saved he's like oh yeah but it's just the holier than thou hyper spiritual statement to make because he wants people to think like wow this guy is just so godly he's so whole I wish one day I can just be that way habits and attitude the new Christians should avoid number three avoid excessiveness on either end now what I mean by that don't be overly excessive in being righteous meaning don't bite off more than you can chew okay look at Ecclesiastes 7 16 I want you to notice this be not righteous over much neither make thyself over wise why shouldest thou destroy thyself here's another way of saying it pace yourself in the Christian life sometimes I see Christians come to church they get plugged in and then they put it in fourth gear right away now if you can handle fourth gear for years on end without downshifting then kudos but most people can't though and what happens is they become righteous over much and they end up burning out in the Christian life okay don't bite off more than you can chew now with that being said you know we're talking about excessive excessiveness on either end don't be overly excessive in being too lax either go to Philippians if you would chapter 4 Philippians chapter 4 just do what you can and I think the bare minimum of what God requires is it's perfect you know going to 1 to 2 to 3 services a week is great but going to 1 to 2 3 services every two months not great that's very lax you know the Bible talks about not being slothful in business but fervent in spirit God wants us to have fervency when we serve the Lord to be excited about the things of God to make ourselves do these things and to be excited about serving the Lord look at Philippians chapter 4 verse number 4 says rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice let your moderation be made be known unto all men the Lord is at hand what does he talk about moderation meaning don't allow it's the opposite of excessiveness don't be a person who's overly righteous but then also overly lax you should be right in the middle moderate you go to the services you win souls you read the Bible you pray repeat right go to church go sowing read the Bible pray repeat you standardize your Christian life before you optimize it the bare minimum should be that you go to church every single week right and you say well I feel like I'm not growing on my faith or I don't know if that's enough add another service in my opinion obviously we can't find three services in the Bible but if you want to be a mature Christian if you want to accelerate your growth if you want to if you want God to bless you want more Bible knowledge come to all three services I mean what better thing to do than to come to all three services you know something and by the way I like the service because it kind of gives you a midweek jumpstart you're in the world you're dealing with all kinds of people and you're hungry for the Bible you go there for the Bible study it requires a certain level of commitment for sure I'm not gonna I'm not gonna you know stand up here lying to you coming to a Thursday night service requires some commitment on your end sitting in traffic kind of traffic we got out here you know sitting in traffic and you know it's in the evening it's after work you're tired it requires a level of commitment let me say this whatever you commit to God will obviously recompense you reward you for that number four habits and attitudes new Christians need to avoid avoid remaining a self-centered Christian when you first come to church you kind of come here to see what the church can do for you and we're here to help you we're here to bless you we're here to be a blessing to you but eventually you got to move on from that ask not what the church can do for you but after a while ask what you can do for the church too many times Christians have this mentality that the church is there to serve them and that's a hundred percent true in the beginning stages when you're a babe in Christ but after a while you should be well fed enough well equipped enough well trained enough you're like now it's time for me to be a blessing to someone else I want to learn and Sony I want to help someone else I want to be a blessing to other people this is called moving on from being a self-centered Christian okay Philippians chapter 2 let me read this to you in verse number 19 it says but I trust in the Lord Jesus to send to Moteus shortly unto you that I also may be of good comfort when I know your state for I have no man like-minded who would naturally care for your state for all seek their own not the things which are Jesus Christ what am I saying it's time for you to seek that which is Jesus Christ and not just your own benefit and look the church will always be here to serve you the church will always be here to feed you spiritually but we all got to get to a point where we're like you know what I think I'm ready to start serving where is an area in the church that I can get involved in that I can personally invest my time into be a blessing to others because we all come here to hear the preaching of God's Word but let us go on into perfection you know the Bible says that these things are given unto us for the perfecting of the Saints listen to this for the work of the ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ so our intention should be you know I want to get to a certain level where you know I think I'm ready to actually start being a stop coming here just to be fed but I want to feed to I want to feed someone else I want to be a blessing to someone else I want to serve in a particular area and lastly and I'm done because all that sermon was just centered around that one point so I'm just kind of breezing through these other ones but they're still good points though okay I was just like what else can I come up with no I'm just kidding lastly number five avoid listen to this this is for new Christians avoid the missing out mentality what I mean by that you know if you're a new Christian this is a new structure for you these are new rules it's a new atmosphere and sometimes Christians can get the mentality oh man just being in church all the time and serving God and soul winning and reading the Bible I feel like I'm missing out in the world okay but let me just tell you this is that the cucumbers the melons the leaks that stuff's not real you know children visuals like oh we missed the garlic and the leaks and the melons it's like what do you talk about you're talking about how you're like dying there the reason you guys are out here in the first place is because you're crying out to God because you hate it in Egypt but it comes to a point where sometimes newer Christians because they're in the new atmosphere and yes it's an atmosphere of rules they can often have this mentality oh it was better in Egypt oh yeah under Pharaoh and your taskmasters under the devil's influence with the consequences of sin with all the filth and disgusting perversion out there oh yeah it sounds great no at the end of the day you know we should have this attitude one thing have I desired and that's to be in the house of the Lord all the days of my life you know the Bible tells us for a day and night courts is better than a thousand right it says I'd rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness what does that mean it means to be someone who's opening the door for other believers to come into the house of God is way better than whatever the world can offer why that's where God's blessing is that's where God's will is even doing the most menial task and there's no menial tasks but even the most menial quote-unquote task in the church is still better than whatever the world has to offer it's better than whatever you people used to do people whatever you used to do on Friday nights or Saturday nights serving is far greater but you know what in order for you to have the mentality you got to grow into that mentality okay so how do I grow into that mentality well coming to church helps you to grow into that mentality listening to preaching like this will help you to have the right biblical perspective and then fellowshiping with people not being a person who hates socializing you know fellowshiping with people will reinforce that mentality as well you will become like the people you're around plain and simple so if you want to be godly on fire a fundamental independent Baptist be around fundamental independent Baptist be around Christians are on fire for the Lord if you want to be a soul winner be around soul winners if you want to be around zealous Christians be around zealous Christians if you want to help with your if you need help with your sense of humor be around funny people who don't take themselves so serious if you feel like you're prideful and arrogant and lack humility in mind be around people who have humility of mine who are able to laugh and enjoy life and still serve God because they both go hand in hand anyways the point that I'm making here is that these are habits and attitudes the new Christians yea even older Christians need to avoid let's pray father we thank you so much for your word thank you for the admonishments of the Bible Lord help us as your people to realize that it's actually fun to serve God yes it is joyful to serve the Lord and yeah of course there's hardships and difficulties serving God is not without its its ups and downs the Lord we realize that the majority of the time in the Christian life we're just having a blast it's it's it's a wonderful thing to serve God and Lord you even said that you would anoint us with the oil of gladness and so if I find people who are just grumpy and angry and miserable they're lacking being spirit filled because an indicator that someone is anointed with the Holy Spirit of God is that they have gladness and that gladness is not just something that's displayed in our heart it actually also resonates in our countenance I pray that you bless us as we go on our way Lord bless our evening service in Jesus name Amen please turn your 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