Introductory Consideration
1. "Its not fair, Tommy gets to stay up till 8 o’clock and I have to go to bed at 7:30, and he’s younger than me. I wish I had his parents."
2. "I wished I looked like she does. She’s so popular."
3. "Man, do I ever wish that I could play hockey like he does!"
4. "Did you see the new car Bob got, what a beauty! It must have cost him a bit. Someday I hope I can afford a car like that."
5. "Why can’t you be more like Rita’s husband, he’s so good at woodworking and making things.Why can’t you make things like he does?"
6. "Everything seems to be so easy for them. God seems to bless them so much. It doesn’t seem fair"
7. "I wish I could sing like he does."
8. These are the kind of thoughts that go through the minds of all people, even Christians. They seem harmless. They may even motivate us to try harder to achieve or be better people.
9. Its natural to compare ourselves to others and then, of course, we want to have some of their good traits or abilities. The problem is that when we feel this way, we are being envious.
Teaching
1. Envy is the third of the deadly sins.
2. As I said, it is so natural. I don’t believe there is a person here he does not struggle with envy. And if you don’t think you do, listen carefully, and I believe that as you do, the Holy Spirit, will convict of this grievous sin.
3. Envy is much like greed. Some of things we said last week relate to envy.
a. But there is a difference. Greed has to do with material possessions, with tangible things -and wanting them more and more. Envy is much wider - it often has to do with the intangible .
b. Dictionary defines envy as a "painful or resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another joined with the desire to possess the same advantage.
4. To see how envy works we look at the passage we just read. In this passage we meet 11 brothers, or 10 since Benjamin was quite young who were filled with envy. They were resentful of Joseph.
a. He was the second youngest of 12 and he was loved more by his father than any of the others. Why? Because he was born when Jacob was old. But more because he was the first son born to Jacob’s beloved wife, Rachel.
b. Jacob had a special place in his heart for Joseph. And he showed that love by making a richly ornamented robe for him.
c. Joseph did not help matters at all. He seemed to flaunt the fact that his father loved him more. He probably wore the robe all the time. He wore it when he was sent out to see how his brothers were doing.
5. Because Joseph was his fathers’s favourite, his brothers hated him deep within and they showed it outwardly by not being able to say a kind word to him.
6. There is an important teaching here about all the deadly sins. These sins are deep within us and affect our whole being. They can lie hidden for a long time but when certain, sensitive nerve is struck, they manifest themselves. But why do we have these deep sins? We can say that we are born in sin - it is part of our sinful nature. That is true, but certain things happen to us that lead us to sin.
a. The brothers were envious because of the favouritism their father showed to Joseph. I believe this favouritism was a sin. Paul says "Fathers, do not exasperate or embitter your children."
b. As parents we may relate to some of our children better. A mother and a daughter may share certain interests. But we must not let one child think they are loved more or the others that they are loved less. To do that we may be planting bitter roots in our children.
c. So many of our roots and their sins are the results of sins against us. The pride of a parent can be passed down to the children. I could give many examples of this, but the important thing is that we take care not to plant deep roots in our children or in others as well.
7. But that does not excuse us for our own deep roots. We may feel taught or led to sin, but how we respond is still our own responsibility.
8. But I believe that one proven way to pull out deep roots is to be aware of why they are there. Let’s use the sin of envy as an example. I have come across those in my ministry who are envious of others. They have the traits of envy that we will talk about in a few minutes. They envy others and do not feel very good about themselves. Amazing how often they share with me how they felt unloved or less loved then their siblings. "My bother was the one they loved, not me." "I was just a bother - they loved my sister so much more." By being aware of this we are able to understand our sin more. Not to excuse it.
9. And then we can turn to our heavenly Father, and receive His great love for us. His love can fill the hole an unloved childhood may have left us.
10. So think about the things that stand out from your childhood - the feelings, the pain. Do they affect you today? Have they left deep roots that infect your lives? Bring these before God. Ask for healing and for forgiveness.
11. Lets go back to envy and Joseph’s brothers. When we are envious of someone our focus is not just on what they have or who they are, but on the person himself. We cannot bear them having something we don’t have ourselves. We want them to lose what they have. We may even wish them illness. We’re so envious or jealous that we wish they would loose their looks, health, good voice or integrity. Maybe we’re tired of hearing about how good someone is or, say, a church is. "They’ve got it all together - great music, great pastor, great facilities - everyone wants to be part of the church." And then we hear that they are having some problems. Inside of us, we may smile. We kind of feel good. Because we did not have what they did, we like to see them tarnished or to loose it.
12. And we might even do things to take away their reputation. So easy to say something negative about someone we envy. "Maybe he’s a good preacher but he sure does not know how to be a pastor or a shepherd."
13. And as so, as with all deadly sins, they lead to other sins. It almost led Joseph’s brothers to murder had God not spared him. Perhaps the dreams Joseph had did not help. To think that one day they would bow down to him. But they would have laughed this dream off was it not for the deep hate they felt toward him.
14. Envy can be the controlling force in our lives. It so easily leads us to sin. It led Cain to kill Abel because his sacrifice had been acceptable. It led David to steal Uriah’s wife. It led the Pharisees to reject Jesus, the Son of God.
15. A number of times, Proverbs warns us not to envy wicked or evil men. Prov 24:1 Do not envy wicked men, do not desire their company; and Prov 23:17 Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the LORD. We may see the riches or pleasures of the world and we may wish we could share in the.
16. Envy brings disorder. It divides and sets us apart and against one another. James 3:16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. Rather than focus on serving God and rejoicing in how the talents of another person can serve God, we are jealous of them. Envy leads to competitions, put downs, gossip, hatred. It stops us from working as a team but instead we want recognition and certainly don’t want others to get it.
17. Envy can lead to illness and unhappiness. Prov 14:30 A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. It makes us discontentful.
18. Let us consider how to deal with root of envy.
19. First, as just said - to be content. Contentment is being thankful for who we are and what we have. Careful not be complacent. We should strive for holiness and to develop and use gifts and talents God has given us, but if we are content we do not envy.We talked about at men’s conference last fall.
a. Bill McRae told us how contentment is commended and commanded and confessed in the word.
1 Tim 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.
Heb 13:5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."
Phil 4:11-12 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
20. To get rid of envy and to be content we need to remember that there is one thing we have that is more important than anything else we can have. We have God. In Hebrews we read we can be content because God said He would never leave us. We don’t need what others have. Paul relied on God’s strength not on his own circumstances
21. Contentment is recognizing that God is sovereign. He is one who has made us as we are and He is even in control of what happens to us. That He is working things out for our good.
a. That does not mean that we like everything about us or that happens to us. Paul did not say he was content WITH all circumstances but IN all circumstances. We may still feel pain and hurt and suffering. Contentment is an attitude not a feeling. A way we deal with feelings and not allow them to control us.
b. We overcome envy when we accept from God’s hand what He sends because God is a wise, sovereign , good God.
c. I suggest that we daily thank God for all things - start day off that way.
22. The 2nd remedy is, in response to God’s goodness, live to honour Him. To seek His kingdom. Don’t focus on self.
a. See example in Mark 9
b. Mark 9:38-41 "Teacher," said John, "we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us." "Do not stop him," Jesus said. "No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us. I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward.
c. Illustration of F.B. Meyer - see under envy in Bible Illustrator.
22. The 3rd found in illustration. Pray for those whom you envy . Pray that God will use them for His glory. We are told to pray for those who persecute us. That includes those who bother us (make us feel persecuted). As we pray for them, our envy will disappear and we will rejoice in their strengths and gifts rather than resent them.
23. 4th - again - confess this sin. 1 John 1:8,9
24. Is their envy in your heart? Do you feel short changed? Do you feel others get the attention, the love, the recognition? Are you content?
25. Envy affects your life, your family, your church and your God. They make us sinful and resentful. Remember we have a sovereign God, seek His glory, pray for those envy and confess your sins
26. Let us pray.
