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Amen, all right well the title of the sermon this morning is biting and devouring one another, biting and devouring one another. Let's pray Heavenly Father we thank you Lord so much for your word. Lord I pray that you'd help me to preach this sermon Lord it's an uncomfortable one maybe to some people but Lord we all need to hear these things in your word this morning I pray you fill me with the spirit and boldness in Jesus name we pray amen. So let's focus in Galatians chapter 5 verse 13 it says for brethren you have been called unto liberty only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh but by love serve one another for all the law is fulfilled in one word even in this thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself but if you bite and devour one another take heed that you be not consumed one of another this I say then walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh for the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that you cannot do the things that you would and so what I'm preaching about is biting and devouring one another and mainly and specifically I'm talking about gossip tail-bearing and other like things maybe just being hurtful with your words towards other people trying to make people feel stupid and things like that and that's not a godly attribute and if you look in these scriptures it's saying there's two different concepts going on here one is in verse number 13 it says but use not your liberty for an occasion to the flesh but love but by love serve one another so what does God want us to do with our lives and towards our brothers and sisters in Christ he wants us to love by love serve one another okay and not to bite and devour one another as a matter of fact he says to take heed that you be not consumed one of another hey you shouldn't be trying to eat people up and you shouldn't allow people to eat you up either it says take heed that you be not consumed one of another and hey as a Christian you shouldn't be trying to bite and devour other Christians and make them feel stupid and do things that would make them feel like they're not as good as you you know that's not a godly attribute and that's what the the scriptures are saying this morning that you know if you walk in the spirit you're not going to fulfill the lust of the flesh and so doing these acts is not a godly thing it's a work of the flesh that's what the Bible says and so if we bite if you just think about the words bite and devour you know what does it make you think of it makes you think of eating doesn't it you know you take a bite and then you devour it you know you take that prime rib you take a bite you devour it you eat it right and so Paul is warning the people of the Galatians Church not to bite and devour one another and I would say that I'm talking about by using malicious words and your tongue to do things that it shouldn't be doing which is talking crap about people you know just talking behind people's backs and it shouldn't be done it shouldn't be done in this church and look I'm not like I don't know who else talking crap about each other okay I'm just saying this is something that needs to be preached from time to time and we need to get our tongues in check sometimes we need to get our hearts in check and on this issue look it's everybody does this sometimes all right and and I'm not trying to destroy anybody today I'm trying to help you I'm trying to help you if your hearts not right with God when it comes to these things that I'm trying to help you I'm trying to exhort you to stop what you're doing think about what you're doing and change okay repent repent of that sin so the term take heed means to listen and pay attention so when the Bible says to take heed that's what it's saying hey take heed to this listen up and pay attention wipe that sleep out of your eyes pay attention what the Word of God is telling me this morning so one act here is spiritual serving one another with love that's spiritual isn't it that's what the Bible says but the other act is carnal so talking behind each other's backs gossiping about each other tale-bearing things that you shouldn't be repeating to other people hey maybe you catch a part of a conversation that's going on and then you take that to somebody else that's not your business to do that that's not your business if it's not your business if you don't have some authority in the situation or the authority the situation is not about you then you should not repeat those things all right keep them to yourself you know have some discretion so people are starting to sweat bullets right now but hey listen everybody gets in trouble in this aspect at some point in their Christian life so I mean really I'm taking that you know that spiritual shotgun I'm just gonna shoot holes through you this morning but I also want to help you to fix it hey maybe you have a problem in this area and it needs to be fixed well hey I'm gonna give you the solution to how to fix it at the end of the sermon so today in churches despite the fact that over and over again the Bible exhorts us and commands us to love and serve one another good you know and be good to our brothers and sisters in Christ with some people I see the exact opposite and I just don't understand it you know I just don't understand it you know sometimes yeah we slip up but to be malicious on purpose and to make someone feel stupid on purpose and to bite and devour each other in the church these things ought not to be happening you know have some Christian integrity in your heart and stop trying to have the preeminence in the church and stop trying to be better than everybody else because look if we compare ourselves amongst ourselves we're not wise so we shouldn't be comparing ourselves to other Christians and that's what happens that's where lusting and envying comes in so you know and I see some people that do bite and devour and treated treat other people like dirt or trash or talk trash or throw out passive-aggressive insults to people or try to make people bad or make people feel bad with their mouths using their mouths as a weapon we're starting factions within the church or causing division look all those things cause division and so that's not what this church is about look our source what we're called to be in unity okay and how are we gonna be in unity if we're all talking crap about each other how are we gonna be a one unit that's out there trying to do the things in the works of God when we're all just against each other behind each other's backs and that tells me that there's people that are walking after the flesh not walking after the spirit and they want to just be I don't know I don't know what the purpose of it is why someone would do that why someone would want to treat their brother and sister in Christ like garbage and talk behind their back and make other people not like them you know that's what what causing division is say hey I don't want to be around that person cuz that person's you know their parenting style is just not very good or maybe they're using some kind of you know medicine that I wouldn't approve of or maybe they're I mean I'm just trying to think of things they're worldly you know just whatever whatever you're trying to know obviously you should stay away from people that are being wicked okay doing wicked acts and you know that they're doing those things but you know what there's a there's a way to handle those things and that's the pastor hey if someone's doing something wicked come talk to me look I don't want to hear you know guess what I saw I saw brother Ross was smoking cigarettes after church it might have been a blunt I don't know I think he could you know he should be kicked out of church look don't come to me and tell me someone smoking cigarettes all right I don't care God cares you know and I look if it's marijuana cigarettes that yeah I do want to know but I'm talking about just cigarettes you know whatever there's things I don't need to know okay I guess what I saw I was over at so-so's house and they had DVDs from the world all over their walls Pastor Thompson you need to throw them out no I'm not gonna throw them out don't tell me about their DVDs okay don't tell me about their Xbox don't tell me about all that stuff I'm talking about something that someone's doing like fornication things that you could be kicked out of church for hey I do want to know about those things so that it's not just festering inside of the body of Christ and I can deal with those things I look I don't want to kick people out but sometimes people need to be kicked out and I mean I haven't I mean I'm not on a hair trigger to kick people out in case everybody I mean everybody that knows me knows I'm not trying to kick people out all the time I want to try to help people I want to try to restore people if they're in sin and I want to help them but you know biting and devouring each other it's it is a wicked sin it's you know and it can it can spill over into railing and railing will get you a kicked out of church so someone's just railing and saying wicked things about people that aren't true what that's wicked I do want to know if someone's just constantly railing against someone hey I don't care who you are I don't care if it's my wife I'll kick her out and I'll step down in a second and let somebody else take over I'm not kidding if my wife is a railer she's gonna get kicked out and I'll kick myself out too because I'm the pastor and I have to have my house in order so number one this morning biting and devouring or you know and I just want to focus on the things that are said by the tongue so biting and devouring things said by the tongue so behind those teeth right here in your house right here there's a little red devil that sits rest behind those teeth a little red devil behind the pearly white gates I'm sure you've heard me say that before but that's where the gossip that's where the tail bearing that's where the evil speaking and cutting people down with your mouth comes from that little member that's in the back of your mouth it's a really small member of your body but you know that body that little member in your body can just be set on fire of hell the Bible says turn over to James chapter 3 James chapter number 3 so the little red devil behind the pearly white gates is always getting you in trouble isn't that sometimes you know the Bible says we can't tame our tongues completely we can't and so we need both should we try to focus on taming our tongue it's a hard thing it really is you know you smack your thumb with a hammer and if you come from my background you know what the next word coming out of my mouth is it's not it's not something good I'll just tell you that right now and those are things that are coming out of your mouth that you you know you don't want to say but you don't know man contain the tongue James 3 5 it says even so the tongue is a little member and boasteth great things behold how great a matter a little fire kindleth and the tongue is a fire a world of iniquity so is the tongue among our members that it defileth the whole body and set on fire the course of nature and is set on fire of hell some of the things that come out of our mouths are set on fire of hell the Bible teaches they're not good things to be repeating now am I saying that you're going to hell no I'm saying Christians can say things that are straight out of hell though and there are things that we shouldn't be saying so look at verse 7 it says and every kind of beast and of birds and serpents and things in the sea is tamed and hath been tamed of mankind so you're talking about the birds you know you have you ever seen where people have like Eagles on their arms or Falcons on their you know on their shoulders or whatever and you know snake charmers can you know make the cobras like whatever not bite them things like that but it says but the tongue can no man tame it is an evil or excuse me an unruly evil full of deadly poison that little red thing in there that's what the Bible says right it says it's an unruly evil full of deadly poison and so we don't have complete control over that tongue it says the tongue can no man tame no man no man is sinless either right so we are going to use our tongue sometimes in ways that we don't want to it says there with bless we God even the father and there with curse we men which are made after the similitude of God we're made in God's image and yet people will sit there and say all kinds of wicked things to a person you know I see save people saying things that I just think man you shouldn't be saying that and you know I'm a safe person I've said some things that I wish I hadn't said even as a safe person I've said things I wish I hadn't said because you know what the tongue can no man tame but we should try to put a bridle on that bad boy right we should try to control ourselves and and to not say the things that we want to say hey you shouldn't say everything that comes right into your mind the Bible says to be slow to speak quick to hear slow to speak you know there's a reason why you should be slow to speak because you know what sometimes when you're fast to speak you're gonna say something stupid you're gonna say something rude you're gonna say something mean and some people just don't realize that they're doing it because they do it so much they just don't realize that what they're saying it's like hey did you realize that what you said was offensive I mean do you have any idea that you just hurt that person's feelings and people just don't care but you should care because we're supposed to be serving one another in love not talking crap about one another not cutting people down because you find their methods of breastfeeding inferior to yours or whatever kind of medicine I you know I brought the medicine up hey some people go too crazy on the the natural stuff that's why I like to make fun of it because look garlic drops isn't gonna cure every single thing and ailment in your body okay so sometimes it's good to take antibiotics oh well you're that's witchcraft Pastor Thompson no I think sometimes some of the other stuff delves into witchcraft thinking and believing and all these different herbal remedies all the time instead of thinking and saying hey maybe I should ask God what he wants maybe I should ask God to help heal me but you think that every natural remedy is the answer hey when you got an ear infection go to the doctor and get some antibiotics well those are Pastor Thompson you're stepping on toes yeah I am if you want to believe in the garlic drops that's fine I'm like way delving out of my sermon notes here but what I'm saying is that hey just because someone doesn't believe in the garlic drops doesn't mean that you're a better per a judge of medicine than they are don't get mad I see some salt I'll see some salt but you know what I'm just gonna try to be balanced on the subject hey sometime hey if you got a broken leg you're gonna put some garlic drops on that too go to the stinking doctor oh you know I'm just gonna try to see if God heals me and walk it off hey you got to have your bones set okay if you blow your knee out you got to go have surgery done on it you know it's not all things that doctors do are bad I'll say that a lot of things that doctors do are bad these days yeah hey I'm trying like I'm saying I'm trying to be balanced here fair and balanced all right I'm not Fox News by unfair balance anyway but when I'm saying is hey don't try to look down your nose at somebody else because they don't do every single medical thing that you think they should do if they have their kid at the hospital they're not going to hell because of that they're not a bad parent because of that maybe they're just afraid to do a homebirth you ever thought of that maybe they don't want to clean up all that blood and stuff maybe they're strong enough to say no to vaccines no and you know the hospital thing it's a lot of pressure but don't sit there and look down here it knows that someone just because you did a home birth and they didn't look I'm not saying anybody here has done that I'm just like thinking of things that might trigger you but anyway you can be mad at me you can use your little tongue against me anyway but the Bible says we can't tame our tongues and look you don't need to talk bad about people by the way for the way that they do things you know unless it's super wicked okay but those types of things are not something that's found in the Bible right okay so the Jesus said of he that is holding is not a physician so what is he saying well there are physicians and sometimes if you need if you're not whole you need to see a physician I mean isn't that kind of what he what it's saying now he's the great physician we should obviously always go to him first but look if your bone is sticking out of your arm okay you know you can pray and ask God to put the bone back in and maybe that would happen out in the wilderness somewhere who knows I'm not saying God can't do something I'm just saying that the likelihood of that bone going back in is probably very little very small and just know this that God said no go to the hospital I'm not putting the bone back in go to the doctor so anyway let's move on here so skip down to verse actually where was I at the tongue is full of deadly poison look at verse 9 it says therewith bless me God even the father went there with curse we men which are made after the similar to the God out of the same mouth proceed of blessing and cursing my brethren these things are not so to be hey don't bless God and then curse your brother and sister in Christ don't bless God and cut down your brother and sister in Christ don't bless God and then come to church and then talk trash about the pastor don't bless God and then come to church and talk about your so-called friend you're friendly to their face but behind your back you're talking mad smack about them and being a hater it's wicked shouldn't be done skip down to verse 13 who's the wise man and a dude with knowledge among you let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness and wisdom a good conversation hey well what is a good conversation well that word conversation means lifestyle let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom but if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts glory not and lie not against the truth so bitter and envying strife in your hearts that's what we're talking about here because that's where these things come from the bitterness that's in your hearts the strife that's caused from just being covetous because really your your problem with someone generally is your own problem and it's something that you're jealous or not jealous you're envious of in their life hey well you know they got a good husband so you're just hating on that's weird I mean if you think about it that is weird it is because you know you should be content with the husband that you have you should be content with the wife that you have and not be covetous and envious of other people and then that you use that covetous of bitterness and envy and strife in your hearts and then you just cut people down with it because you're not content with the way things are in your own life because your job isn't as good as so and so's you don't have as much money as so and so's your cars and as nice as so and so's and that's really what war and envy and strife comes from it's from the bitterness in your heart it's covetousness if you boil it down to a commandment it's covetousness envying and strife there's it says this wisdom descendeth is in verse 15 is not from above but is earthly sensual devilish does that sound like a godly attribute earthly sensual devilish for where envying and strife is there is confusion and every evil work so envy and strife is not being part you know you're not walking in the spirit you're walking in the flesh but the wisdom that is from above is first pure then peaceable gentle easy to be entreated full of mercy and good fruits without partiality without hypocrisy and the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace so the type of people that are are pure and peaceable and gentle easily and treated full of mercy and good fruits without partiality without hypocrisy are then that make peace hey instead of being envious and strifeful why don't you just try to make peace with people hey when you see someone make a stupid comment to someone maybe take that person aside and say hey you know it's kind of rude try to try to help make peace with that person you know that's the type of people we need in this church is people that will make peace instead of saying oh yeah I heard him say that it was not rude and then you start with the strifing you start with being the strife monger yourself and you just jump in with a little click we shouldn't have clicks here in this church but I'm not saying you have to be best friends with everybody we all hold hands that are in a circle all the time look there's gonna be people that just aren't up your up your alley personality type wise but doesn't mean you need to talk crap behind their back okay so the Bible says in Proverbs chapter 27 verse 4 wrath is cruel and anger is outrageous but who is able to stand before envy Proverbs chapter 14 verse number 30 says a sound heart is the life of flesh but envy the rottenness of bones you know what if you're an envious person and you're a strifeful person and you're a tailbearer and you're always gossiping about other people you know what your bones are rotten it's a rottenness of the bones you don't you know you wait you think you're gonna feel good about you know yourself by by propping yourself up and making others look bad but you know what it makes you you know what at the end of a just makes you feel like garbage because you know in your heart if you look in the mirror you'll realize that you're not as good as you think you are everybody if you just look in the the law of the perfect law of liberty you're gonna see hey I got some problems of my own I need to deal with I guess maybe I should stop focusing on what everybody else is doing and start focusing on my life and how I can improve it envy is a feeling of discontent or covetousness with regard to one to another's advantages success possessions etc so let me tell let me read that again this is what envy is okay when I so when I'm talking about envy for the rest of the sermon you should understand what I'm saying envy is a feeling of discontent or covetousness with regard to another's advantages success possessions etc and it's to regard with someone with maliciousness and what is maliciousness well you're it's something that you just you don't like them so much that you're gonna try to do bad things to them you're gonna try to say bad things to make other people hate them and then ostracize them from the rest of the group you know what you know who does that the world does that you know what place does that the place you work at does that and they're trying to you know stab people in the back talk bad about each other so this person who's better than them doesn't get promoted that's the kind of things that people do at my work you know once you're you're in the spot where you could be promote you're kind of in the middle pack where you're like upgraded to do certain things then then the haters come everybody that's on your crew that day is gonna try to show why you aren't as good as they are that's wicked we shouldn't be doing that you know what whoever the boss is that's who you should be obeying that's who you should be listening to don't sit there and try to make it your own thing yeah about you I could do it better we shouldn't be acting like that we should listen and obey our boss that's what God said to do and again I'm running into stuff that's not part of the sermon but turn to James chapter 4 James chapter 4 you were in James chapter 3 let's look at James chapter number 4 in James chapter number 4 so good verse number 1 from once come wars and fighting among you come they not hence even of your lust that war in your members you lust and you have not you kill and desire to have you cannot obtain you fight in war yet you have not because you ask not you ask and receive not because you ask amiss that you may consume it upon your lust so what are the wars of findings come from the Bible says come not they hence even of your lusts that war and your members the things you want the things you desire the things that are someone else's that you want the attributes the characteristics of someone else that's not you you want and that's where emulations you think of that word emulations that's where you're trying to copy someone because you can't be yourself because yourself is just too bad of a person to deal with really and that's what it is have you ever been around someone that's just all they wanted all they do is copy other people they don't really have their own personality so those types of people you know they're that emulation is a sin you know emulation is a sin of the flesh to copy everything that everybody else does hey have your own personality and if you're a personality if you if you as a person suck then maybe you need to get better seriously don't you know if you're just so sucky that you have to copy everybody else and just be a better person now take a look at this book and let it change you read this book and let it change you listen to preaching edifying preaching that helps you to get better you know I mean I love listening to online preaching but hey if every sermon you click on is about the homos maybe you need to click on one about hey what how you can be a better person those aren't the ones that get the clicks the ones that get the clicks are the ones about the queers the ones about you know hating people or whatever look I'm almost I love those sermons and I do click on them okay I'm just saying that sometimes we need a spiritual kick in the pants and we need to listen to preaching that that is you know but when you look at the numbers if you just go through any YouTube page of any pastor you listen you listen to and look at which ones get the most clicks ones about false prophets ones about you know it's not how you can get the gifts of the Holy Spirit or the gifts of the Holy Spirit or preaching about the Holy Spirit or preaching about Jesus a lot of the times it's just preaching about stuff that is your hobby horse the post-trib rapture Israel those ones get a lot of clicks but once you click on some that will help you with your life so I'm not saying I'm just saying be balanced be fair be balanced you know listen to some other stuff every once in a while you don't have to only listen to the one those ones you know and I believe me if anybody knows me they know I like to click on ones that like get me fired up about certain things but I mean we need to we need to have a balance in our Christianity because if that's your balance if that's all you're in it for then you're gonna be disappointed someday you're gonna get to the point where it's like this homeless errand sermon is really not helping me in my situation right now my marriage is failing I guess I'll go to the home of sermon I mean you got to go to something else so the Bible says this look at verse number four says the adulterers and adulteresses known know you not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God do you think that the scripture saith in vain the spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy you see how these things are tied together talking about you know wars and your lust and your members in your flesh and then it talks about the spirit that dwell within us lust at the envy it's not talking about the Holy Spirit's talking about your spirit it's talking about the spirit that you have lost it to envy that means you're wanting to be covetous of other people stuff you want to have the preeminence over other people and to make yourself prop yourself up and make you the coolest person in the room you know who you should worry about thinking you're the coolest person in the room God you know if you're doing the things that he wants to do you're walking in the spirit you're doing the things and not walking in the flesh you know what you are gonna be the coolest person in the room to God but if you're biting and devouring one another you're not the coolest person in the room to God you're not the coolest person in the room to anybody unless they're just have no discernment so the Bible says this but he giveth more grace in verse 6 wherefore he saith God resists at the proud but giveth grace unto the humble submit yourselves therefore to God resist the devil and he will flee from you draw an eye to God he'll draw an eye unto you cleanse your hands you sinners and purify your hearts you double-minded be afflicted and mourn and weep let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to heaviness humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and he shall lift you up hey what's the what's the the medicine for you when you're lusting to envy well how about be afflicted mourn weep let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to heaviness hey if everything you do is just funny and you're never serious you know that's not being humble in the sight of the Lord there's a time to quit joking there's a time where you know you got to get serious not everything's a joke and hey when it comes to you biting and devouring other people in the church that's not a joke that's not funny and even if you're using your mouth to be funny about that person it's still not right God is not pleased with that so it says in verse 11 speak not evil one of another brethren what's it talking about this is this all ties together doesn't it speak not evil one of another brethren he that speaketh evil of his brother and judges his brother speaketh evil of the law and judges the law but if thou judge the law thou art not a doer of the law but a judge there's one lawgiver who's able to save and destroy who art thou that judges another so you're judging your brother and sister you're speaking evil one of another and look speaking evil doesn't necessarily mean what you think it means but speaking evil could just be me evil just means that you're doing bad that something harm is happening to somebody doesn't mean it's like some witchcraft or something that you're trying to say just speaking evil someone could be something that damages that person and other people's eyes damages that person in the church's eyes damages that person's in their own eyes because if they think hey this person all these people think that all this stuff about me what's the point of me coming here anymore if you can't even trust the people in this room right here then why even come to church I don't want people to feel like that when they come here I want people to feel like hey brother Ryan's in my corner brother Anthony's in my corner and hey I know that they're not speaking bad behind my back I know I got brother Ross in my corner I know I got brother Evan in my corner hey they're trying to serve me and and and do and be loving towards me not doing harm towards me wouldn't you like to be in this building and think that I hope you feel that way I hope there is some people talking behind each other's back all the time and that that's all you can do that's your hobby if it is you need to change it turn to 1st Peter chapter 2 1st Peter chapter 2 my pastor Thompson I didn't come here this morning to get picked on well you know the Bible takes on you sometimes doesn't it 1st Peter chapter 2 verse number 1 the Bible says wherefore laying aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envies and all evil speakings what is evil speakings again is speech that can hurt other people speech you know you're like well with sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me no words can't hurt you you know when when the Bible when Jesus comes back it says that he's gonna destroy people by the sword of his mouth and words can hurt people they're gonna make you explode okay so our words can't hurt people the things that you say can dig down and inside their people and make them feel bad do you want people to feel bad is that what you want I don't understand it says as newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby if so be that you have tasted that the Lord is gracious you know what he's saying there hey let all these things hey stop your envying stop your evil speaking stop your malice stop your guile as newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word they may grow by thereby hey he's saying why don't you read the Bible why don't you read the Bible and and get rid of all this garbage that's in your heart and all this garbage is in your mind and all this garbage is coming out of your mouth pick up the Bible and read it maybe you'll feel a little bit different about the way you are hey if you have the Word of God in your heart and maybe you won't have so much time to talk about other people so let's see the solution okay number two let's see the solution to fix to those that bite and devour now I'm talking about look I don't know who's biting devouring here but what I do know is that God has a solution and a way for you to help yourself he wants to help you stop being a dirty rotten no-good backstabber someone that prates and and and and says wicked things about their brother and sister in Christ hey he's got a way to fix you oh thou backstabber oh thou trash talker oh thou tail bearer only tell on half the tail you know that that that game campfire and people play it they're like I think people just you know if people actually were honest it probably would come back somewhat near the same but then when you get it back you know I'm talking about that game campfire the game campfire is when when it's done right and honestly I'm sure that would be like you know be like he comes out King James and comes back in IV it's still kind of the same but when people play that game in church when they're talking you know they hear a story isn't it funny how those stories come back and are nothing near what was told in the beginning and that's when people like in that game campfire if if it's done correctly it's gonna be it's gonna be a little bit different but it's not gonna be totally crazy but we should when we play that when you play the game campfire in church guess what people are gonna twist those things and say things that weren't added maybe they only had half the information when they told the other person or whatever and maybe some people are twisting the story on purpose to try to make other people feel bad and that's not right so this let's turn to the solution let's turn to Philippians chapter 2 of verse number 1 Philippians chapter 2 and verse number 1 Galatians Ephesians Philippians says if there be therefore any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any bowels and mercies fulfill you my joy that ye be like-minded having the same love being in what one accord of one mind let nothing be done through strife or vain glory but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves hey you know what's gonna help you is if you see esteem other people in this room better than yourselves and you don't think you're better than everybody else that's what's gonna help you having one accord one mind hey what's our what's the one accord that we want to do we want to reach this world for Christ how are we gonna reach the world with Christ when everybody's biting and devouring one another and causing people to drop out of church causing people to feel bad about themselves causing people to hey I'm just gonna go to another churches just church is too hard hard for me he men of Zara why are too hard for me you're way better than everybody in every single way shape or form I can't believe that person went and saw Avengers hey woman why don't you let them get mature before you just judge them as a heretic going to hell I by the way I didn't go to the theater to see the Avengers okay but anyway so look what it says in verse number four look not every man on his own things but every man also on the things of others now some people will take this verse out of context to this is not saying to be a busybody okay being a busybody in other men's affairs is not what God wants you to do not trying to get in other people's people's business and find out all the dirty secrets of so-and-so we all have dirty secrets in this room don't we we all have things in this room that we'd rather not tell in front of other people we're not supposed to confess our sins to each other and that you shouldn't be confessing sins of other people to other people won't you let them deal with that with God but it says look on look not every man on his own things but every man on the things of others others so we should be helping others not you know looking on you know stop focusing on yourself so much and look at the things that other people are going through and try to help them that's what it's talking about well this is mine being you which is also in Christ Jesus but being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation hey instead of thinking you're the best around you're the next karate kid or something you know why don't you look at yourself of no reputation you're not the best you're the worst if you start thinking of yourself a little worse than you than you really think you are then maybe God can help you maybe God can help your unhumble heart instead of being a striper striper no strife II don't be a striper all right so it says he took the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men you know what God did he took himself a form of a man his own creation you know he made himself of no reputation he didn't say you know I'm the king I was born in Jerusalem you know he was born in Bethlehem he was born amongst animals he was born in a barn basically there was you know people came angels came and people shepherds and things like that and the Kings came to see him and things like that but those that was a few and far but not everybody even realized who he was you know and he was the king of glory and he came down of no reputation took upon himself the form of a servant and was made the likeness of men and found in the fashion of man he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the cross so let me back it up here again it says let this mind verse 5 be in you which was also in Christ Jesus well what was in his mind to be of no reputation to be in the form of a servant where did we begin this sermon at to serve one another with love and Christ loved us and he came down in the form of a servant so he could carry our burden every single step to the cross of Calvary that's humble so when God says that let this mind be in you which is in Christ Jesus think about that the next time you want to talk bad behind someone's back it's before you try to ruin someone else's reputation think about how Christ mind was and how your mind is supposed to be like Christ he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the cross so how can I get rid of my envy and strife pastor how can I get rid of that well we already saw you know how we're supposed to have the mind of Christ and we're supposed to you know think about the way he was and apply that to us well look at let's look back where we started in Galatians chapter 5 and let's look at number 6 verse number 16 I'm only gonna have you turn one other place besides this for the rest of the sermon so this will be our second to the last verse I have you turn to this morning how can I be rid of my envy and strife this morning well look at verse 16 in Galatians chapter 5 it says this I say then walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh well it sounds so simple pastor you know how can I walk in the spirit well do the things that the spirit would want you to do serve one another with love hey instead of talking trash behind people's back why don't you help them won't you you know help that person if you're so spiritual why don't you help them be more spiritual that's the things that we should be doing hey well they're just you know they only come to church once a week help them be more spiritual encourage them say hey brother I missed you in church last week you know where were you you know there's nothing wrong with a little prodding too but you know how can I how can you help them we'll help them be more spiritual some people just need some help you know in that area says for the flush lusts against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary one to the other so that you cannot do the things that you would are you always gonna be Spirit no you're not always gonna be walking in the spirit but you know if you feed your spiritual man more than you feed the unspiritual man the the dead flesh that you have then you're gonna walk in the spirit more than you walk in the flesh so these things it says you can't do the things that you would when you're walking out walking in a spirit you're gonna walk in the flesh you're gonna do the things and the lust of the flesh it says but if you'd be led by the Spirit. You're not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest which are these adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, strife, heresies or seditions, heresies. So strife is one of the works of the flesh that's what we've been talking about the whole sermon right? Envenes is another thing that's not a spiritual thing it's a bad thing. It's a sin. Murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such alike of which I tell you before as I have told you in time past that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Now I'm not saying if you do these things you're not saved. That's not what it's saying. This is what false prophets do. They'll say well see if you do those things you're not saved. It's a work of the flesh. If you're already saved you still have the flesh okay? You still have to deal with that flesh but you have a new man that you can walk in the spirit okay? And false prophets and heretics will get a hold of that and twist it but that's not what I'm saying. But you know the people that do those things there's people that aren't saved that do those things and they're not walking in the spirit and they are going to hell they're not going to heaven. So when you do those things you're doing the things that people are not going to heaven are doing okay? So it says but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. Against such there is no law and they that are Christ have crucified the flesh with the affections and lust and if we live in the Spirit let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vainglory, provoking one another, envying one another and that's how it ends right there. So what is the lesson to be learned today? Let us not be desirous of vainglory, things that you know it's just you want to glorify yourself and make yourself look good but you know what it's just vanity. Why don't you just let make yourself look good in front of God you know and do the things that he wants you to do. Keep his commandments, do good to your brothers and sisters in Christ and look there's tons of verses, tons of verses about loving one another. I'm not gonna go to them all today because I'm almost done but let me turn well have you turn to one John chapter 13 this will be the last scripture we turn to this morning. John chapter number 13, John chapter number 13. This is Jesus speaking says a new commandment I give unto you that you love one another. It's not just something that he suggests, it's something he commands that you love one another as I have loved you that you also love one another. That's the commandment from Jesus it's a new commandment he gave he says that you love one another like I've loved you. Can you say that this morning about your brothers and sisters in Christ that you love one another the way Christ loved you? It's a hard commandment to keep. Some people are not very lovable but you know what you probably weren't very lovable to Christ either. When he bore your sins on the cross of Calvary when every single sin that you've ever done from the time you the first sin you ever made to the day you died all those sins were on him and he had to go through three days and three nights of hell. If he had to die for your sins you're a dirty rotten person too just like everybody else is okay. So it says by this shall all men know that you're my disciples if you have loved one to another. Hey you want to show that you're a Christian? Hey have love towards your brothers and sisters in Christ. By this shall all men know that you're my disciples. Hey how do you know that he's a disciple of Jesus? Well he loves his brothers and sisters in Christ. That's a that's a good way to show it isn't it? So before I end I just want to ask you have you asked yourself these questions you know this question do I love my fellow Christians like the Lord Jesus Christ loved me? It's a good question to ask. That's the benchmark according to these verses isn't it? So that's a tough hey why don't we just focus on getting there because you're probably not gonna ever get there. Well why don't you focus on trying to get there. Trying to restrain that little red devil behind your pearly white gates. If you don't have any teeth then you know there's there's nothing guarding it but sometimes we just need to learn to shut our lips. If you don't have any teeth just shut your lips. Just zip it up throw away the key you know. But in a sermon like this generally it doesn't reach the ones that need to hear it most. Someone can be sit here and they just they turned off as soon as I started talking about their sin. Well hey let me wake you up a little bit. If you don't think it's you that that you know it's everybody else it is probably you. Okay so and I'm not looking at anybody in particular I'm looking around I'm just gonna look up right now. It's you. So it's meant for you it's meant for everybody. Okay it's a shotgun blast. Take it whatever whatever is in your heart that's wrong when it comes to this sermon try to fix it. Ask God to help you. Hey that's that's a good thing you could do. Hey ask God to help you be a better Christian. Ask God to help you be better to your brothers and sisters in Christ. That's a good way to try to fix it isn't it. And then receive the correction that you're getting in this sermon and fix it. Don't just keep going on and then like oh yeah well it wasn't meant for me. By the way did you hear about so-and-so? They lost their job this week you know. If they would have came to church three times last week then they wouldn't have lost their job. That's that's so wicked to do stuff like that. It just is. So don't do that kind of stuff. So are you walking in the Spirit of God or the lusts of your flesh this morning? Have you tried to rein your tongue in? We all need to rein our tongues in don't we? It says no man can tame them. So I know nobody in this room has tamed their tongue because the Bible says no man or woman all right. Especially women. No I'm just kidding. So you know let's let go of the envy and in strife with our brothers and sisters in Christ and turn and start serving one another all right. And this is a good start to the holiday season right because the holidays are all about trying to get things right right. You try to you know do better at the first of the year and everybody makes all these resolutions. I'm gonna why don't you make a resolution right now and start it today instead of waiting till the first of the year. Why don't you make a resolution I'm gonna stop talking trash about my brothers and sisters in Christ. I'm gonna stop trying to lift myself up and look at better try to look better than everybody else. And how about you esteem others more than you esteem yourselves. And I'll tell you what your New Year's gonna be off to a great start all right. So and then you know if people are you know that someone said something about you. Hey you just forgive them just take just take it and move on. You know if you can't then just pray that they get their heart right and they come and ask you for an apology. Because look I'm not gonna say and you know I believe this that we have to forgive we have to forgive everybody that sins against us. That's not that's not biblical. God doesn't forgive anybody unless they ask him. So that's why we're supposed to confess our sins to God on a daily basis. Because you know he's the one that's gonna help us out in that area. So let's work on being peacemakers and not strife monitors all right. Let's pray. Heavenly Father we thank you so much. Lord some of these things are hard to deal with and sometimes when you say thou art the man in our our spirit Lord it's it's hard on us. And I just pray the Lord that you would help us to be a congregation here Lord that when people come they say those people were disciples of the Lord. Those people are this church is a great church because the way we treat each other. And I pray these things in Jesus name Amen.