Hello, and welcome to
3ABN's, A Sharper Focus.
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So glad that you have
joined us this evening.
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My name is Jill Morikone.
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And it is a privilege
to open up the Word of God
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on Wednesday night, to
be able to come to the Lord.
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Both our family
here; our 3ABN family here
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at the Thompsonville
Seventh-day Adventist church,
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as well as you at home.
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You are a part
of our 3ABN family.
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And we just welcome
you to, A Sharper Focus.
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As you can see, I'm
not Pastor John Lomacang.
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He is traveling actually.
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He's going overseas
and carrying on several
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evangelistic campaigns.
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So say a special prayer for him.
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But I'm delighted to
be here with you tonight.
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If you want to go to the
website, it's asf.3abn.org.
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And there you can
download the study guides,
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you can check out the videos.
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So before we get started
and go to the Lord in prayer,
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I want to read a scripture,
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and then we'll jump
into tonight's message.
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And tonight's message
is, to be honest with you,
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something that I need
in my own heart and life.
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Something that I
need God's working
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in my own
character, in my own life with.
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And that has to do
with judging other people.
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So our title for our topic
for tonight is, Judging Others.
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The scripture is 2 Corinthians.
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If you have your Bibles, open up
with me to 2 Corinthians 10:12.
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2 Corinthians 10:12
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The Bible says, "For we
dare not class ourselves
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or compare ourselves with
those who commend themselves.
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But they, measuring
themselves by themselves..."
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You notice they didn't
measure themselves against God,
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or the standard of righteousness
in His Word or His law.
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They measure
themselves by themselves.
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"...and comparing themselves
among themselves, are not wise."
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Let's pray.
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Father, we come before
You in the name of Jesus.
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And I ask right now that You
could hide me behind the cross,
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that Jesus could be lifted
up and honored and glorified.
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We ask that, by the power
of Your Holy Spirit, Your Word
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would come alive to us, and
we would not only be hearers
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but we would be doers of what
You have for us in Your Word.
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And I thank You in
the precious and the holy
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name of Jesus, amen.
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It was one of
those wonderful mornings.
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You are just getting up
and spending time with Jesus.
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You like those mornings?
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Oh, I love those mornings.
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So got up and I said,
well I'm going to spend my time
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having my devotions.
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And I had spent time
reading the Word of God
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and spent time
talking to Him in prayer.
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And now I was just
kind of sitting quietly.
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Kind of saying, "Okay God, I
want to hear You speak to me."
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You know, the
Bible says, Psalm 46:10,
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"Be still and
know that I am God."
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So prayer is not
only me talking to Jesus,
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it's Him talking to me."
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So I was just
sitting there quietly.
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And I began to pray
Psalm 139:23-24 over my life.
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You know that scripture?
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"Search me, O
God, and know my heart;
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try me, and know my thoughts;
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and see if there is
any wicked way in me,
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and lead me in
the way everlasting."
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Now when I pray that
scripture, I don't just say,
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"See if there is
any wickedness in me."
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Because I know it exists.
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I just say, "God,
show me the stuff inside
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that's not like You."
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Because I want to be like Jesus.
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And so as I was praying
that prayer, as I was praying
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that scripture back to God,
all of a sudden He showed me
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a picture of my heart.
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And I'm not saying it was
a vision, nothing like that.
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But it was almost as if I was
sitting there and I could see
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my heart laid out in my lap.
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And it was very clean and fresh
looking and nice in the middle.
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And all the way around the edges
were pockets of diseased tissue.
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And I began to cry.
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Because I know that
those pockets represented sin.
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Represented something in my life
that was displeasing to Jesus.
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But I didn't know what it was.
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And so I said, "God,
I don't know what those
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pockets represent.
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I don't know what's in them,
but please would You show me?"
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And so that day unfolded.
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You know, you get ready
for work and you run in.
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That very day a situation arose.
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And instantly my mind, my heart,
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responded with
a critical spirit.
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Instantly.
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And it was like I felt
God tap me on the shoulder.
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Not literally.
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But you know how He impresses
our hearts with something.
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And He said, "Jill, My daughter,
that is one of those pockets
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I showed you this morning."
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The pocket of a critical spirit.
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When I grew up, and then
we'll get into scripture,
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when I grew up, I
had wonderful parents.
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Loving home.
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Sometime about my teen
years, later teen years,
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I got involved in, I
don't know how to say it
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except for a better word,
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performance based religion.
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I don't know if that
makes any sense to you,
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or if that makes any
sense to you at home.
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Religion that would
be based on what I do,
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how I dress, how I behave.
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And that somehow
equated righteousness.
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I don't know if any of
you can relate to that.
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I think initially
rules became safe.
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It felt something comfortable,
something I could trust.
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Something I could
almost hide behind.
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And then the next
progression, rules began
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to become my religion.
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And then the final progression,
rules became what I thought
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was my salvation.
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Instead of
knowing Ephesians 2:8-10,
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we are saved by
grace through faith,
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"and that not of ourselves;
it is the gift of God,
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not of works, lest
anyone should boast."
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And yes, works is part of that.
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For we are created in
Christ Jesus to perform
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and to do those good works.
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But that comes as a
result of a relationship
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born out of
love to Jesus Christ.
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That comes out of Him doing
the work in me and through me
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instead of me feeling
like I had to do that.
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So somewhere along
the way I lost my way
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and became critical.
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I developed a judgmental spirit.
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It reminds me of the Pharisees.
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Let's take a look at Luke 18.
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This is the Pharisee and
the publican when they went up
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to the temple to pray.
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We're in Luke 18.
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Luke 18 starting in verse 9.
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"Also He," meaning Jesus,
"spoke this parable to some
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who trusted in themselves
that they were righteous,
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and despised others."
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Now instantly, if we
look at what are the qualities
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of the Pharisee,
the first quality I see,
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they trust in themselves.
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It's kind of interesting.
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Kind of easy to
trust in yourself.
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We're taught
from babyhood. Right?
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Learn to put on your own shoes.
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Don't always let mommy
tie them for you. Right?
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We're taught, learn
to brush your own teeth,
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and you learn to read
your own stuff yourself.
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Mommy can't always read for you.
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We're taught, learn to ride a
bike, and learn to drive a car,
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and be self-sufficient.
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And that almost goes
counter intuitive to the gospel,
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to how we are to
be as God's children.
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So the Pharisees
trust in themselves.
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But not just trust in themselves
in the self-sufficient way,
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but trust in themselves
in a self-sufficient way
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that they were righteous.
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Almost trusting in
their own righteousness.
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The second quality I see,
they trusted in themselves
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that they were
righteous, and despised...
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You've got it, Yannick.
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Despised others.
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In the Greek, that
word for, "despised,"
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means, to reduce to
nothing; to cast out as nothing;
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to treat with utter contempt.
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So they didn't just say,
"Oh, who do you think you are?
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I'm righteous and I
can trust in myself."
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But they had utter
contempt for people who did not
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follow their rules, who
did not do what they thought
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equated with righteousness.
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Let's keep going.
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"Two men went up
to the temple to pray,
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one a Pharisee and
the other a tax collector.
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The Pharisee stood and
prayed thus with himself,
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'God, I thank You that
I am not like other men:
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extortioners,
unjust, adulterers,
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or even as this tax collector.'"
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Now in the King James, it says,
"even as this publican." Right?
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We call it, the parable of
the Pharisee and the publican.
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Or the Pharisee
and the tax collector.
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"I thank You God that
I'm not like other men."
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What do I see there?
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He is self-righteous.
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Could we say that?
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He trusted in his
own righteousness.
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Very self-righteous.
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We could say, proud, even.
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Seems prideful to me.
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Then he goes on
to say what he does.
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He had just listed all the
things that he does not do.
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"I'm not an adulterer, I'm not
an extortioner, I'm not unjust."
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And then he goes
on to what he does.
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"I fast twice in a week; I
give tithes of all I possess."
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He's trusting in himself,
in his own righteousness.
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He's proud in
who he is before God.
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His, as I mentioned,
his rules maybe were safe
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and easy at the beginning.
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Something to hide behind.
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Maybe they became a religion.
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You can see that for sure
his rules are his religion.
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But I think, beyond that his
rules have become his salvation.
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Because he thinks,
"All I need is to accurately
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obey all these rules
and I will be saved."
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It becomes about the rules.
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Now let's contrast that with the
tax collector, or the publican.
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Verse 13, we're
in Luke 13 verse 13.
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Luke 18, I'm sorry. Luke 18:13.
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"And the tax
collector, standing afar off,
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would not so much as
raise his eyes to heaven,
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but he beat his breast, saying,
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'God, be
merciful to me a sinner!'"
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Then Jesus says, "I
tell you, this man,"
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meaning the tax collector,
the one who realized his need,
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"went down to his house
justified rather than the other;
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for everyone who exalts
himself will be humbled,
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and he who humbles
himself will be exalted."
00:12:07.92\00:12:11.16
Now what are the
qualities of the tax collector?
00:12:11.19\00:12:13.46
I see a man or a
woman who's humble,
00:12:14.00\00:12:16.56
who realizes
their need of a Savior.
00:12:17.13\00:12:20.97
And he also asked,
did you notice that,
00:12:21.20\00:12:24.04
he asked for help and pardon.
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Now, why did the
Pharisee not receive any pardon?
00:12:28.88\00:12:32.85
Jesus said, what did He say?
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That the tax collector went
down to his house justified.
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He received pardon.
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But it didn't say
anything about the Pharisee
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not receiving pardon.
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So was God being unfair?
00:12:43.53\00:12:45.09
Was He being, "Okay, I'm
going to pardon this person,
00:12:45.13\00:12:47.96
but I won't pardon this person."
00:12:48.00\00:12:49.50
No, not at all.
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Look at James chapter 4.
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James 4, we'll look
at two verses there.
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This is one of the saddest
verses to me in the Bible.
00:13:00.41\00:13:03.85
James 4:2
00:13:04.15\00:13:06.92
The second part of verse 2.
00:13:07.45\00:13:09.18
"You do not have
because you do not ask."
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You think of all the things
that God would want to give us.
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Number one, He wants
to give us salvation.
00:13:19.49\00:13:22.03
He wants to redeem us, and
forgive us, and justify us,
00:13:22.06\00:13:26.27
and sanctify us, and call
us as His sons and daughters.
00:13:26.30\00:13:30.71
But yet, we can't have
any of that if we don't ask.
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So you look at the
Pharisee, he never asked, right?
00:13:35.58\00:13:39.81
He never asked,
therefore he never received.
00:13:40.15\00:13:44.95
Having asked for
nothing, he received nothing.
00:13:45.19\00:13:48.39
Verse 6, James 4:6 talks
about, "God resists the proud,
00:13:48.56\00:13:52.69
but gives grace
unto the humble."
00:13:52.73\00:13:56.26
They often say, "Rules without
relationship lead to sin."
00:13:56.67\00:14:01.70
Rules without
relationship lead to sin.
00:14:04.31\00:14:07.41
Or rules without
relationship lead to rebellion
00:14:07.44\00:14:12.11
if we don't have Jesus.
00:14:12.45\00:14:13.78
So how do we see the
critical heart manifested?
00:14:13.82\00:14:18.65
And then I want to
spend the rest of our time,
00:14:18.69\00:14:20.42
what can God do in
our life to change us
00:14:20.46\00:14:24.76
and to take out
that critical spirit
00:14:24.79\00:14:27.60
and replace it with
a heart of humility,
00:14:27.63\00:14:30.87
a heart of love
toward other people?
00:14:30.97\00:14:32.97
So we'll spend the
balance of our time on that.
00:14:33.00\00:14:34.70
But I just want to take a quick
look at the critical spirit.
00:14:34.74\00:14:37.77
It destroys homes.
Could you say that?
00:14:37.81\00:14:39.94
It separates friends,
hurts innocent people.
00:14:39.97\00:14:44.71
And I believe the root
of the critical spirit,
00:14:44.75\00:14:47.02
if you boil it all the way
down, it comes down to pride.
00:14:47.12\00:14:51.39
Because the critical spirit,
or the judgmental spirit,
00:14:52.25\00:14:55.72
puts other people down
00:14:55.92\00:14:57.69
because I want to
make myself look better.
00:14:58.23\00:15:00.40
That verse we started
out, 2 Corinthians 10,
00:15:00.63\00:15:03.23
they "comparing themselves
among themselves are not wise."
00:15:03.26\00:15:09.14
Even critical
thoughts in my mind affect
00:15:09.37\00:15:15.14
my behavior toward other people.
00:15:15.44\00:15:17.35
Remember, the
Jews believed that...
00:15:17.91\00:15:20.05
And we could say the Jews, and
oh well the Jews believed that.
00:15:20.08\00:15:22.85
But you know what?
00:15:22.88\00:15:24.22
I've believed that.
00:15:24.25\00:15:25.59
And I'm sure we have too
00:15:25.62\00:15:26.96
as Seventh-day
Adventist Christians.
00:15:26.99\00:15:28.32
Often it's so easy to
believe that Christianity
00:15:29.12\00:15:32.09
is bound up in the
outward form of the law,
00:15:32.13\00:15:34.53
the actual Ten Commandment law.
00:15:34.80\00:15:39.03
And to realize that God's
standard goes so much deeper
00:15:39.53\00:15:45.31
and so much higher
than we could ever imagine.
00:15:45.41\00:15:49.28
Think of the
sermon on the mount.
00:15:49.31\00:15:50.65
Jesus gave some
radical belief systems,
00:15:50.68\00:15:54.75
some radical beliefs that
He was presenting to them.
00:15:54.78\00:15:57.62
And not only the beatitudes,
but after the beatitudes
00:15:57.72\00:16:00.39
we have six
antithetical statements.
00:16:00.42\00:16:02.66
Really, that's just
six contrasting statements.
00:16:02.69\00:16:06.16
And they believed in
the letter of the law,
00:16:06.70\00:16:09.53
or we could say
outward obedience to the law,
00:16:09.56\00:16:13.17
where Jesus said it
goes way deeper than that.
00:16:14.04\00:16:16.57
It goes into the
spirit of the law,
00:16:16.60\00:16:19.77
or the inward
condition of the heart.
00:16:19.81\00:16:22.81
Remember some of those six
statements that Jesus made?
00:16:22.84\00:16:25.51
"You have heard
that it was said,
00:16:25.61\00:16:27.92
'You should not
commit adultery.'
00:16:27.95\00:16:29.88
But I say to you..." What?
00:16:29.92\00:16:31.85
"Even if you have lust in your
heart, that's the same thing."
00:16:31.89\00:16:35.79
Wow, one is the
outward letter of the law
00:16:35.92\00:16:39.09
and the other one
goes so much deeper.
00:16:39.13\00:16:40.93
Remember, He said, "You
have heard that it was said,
00:16:41.10\00:16:43.70
'Do not murder.'
00:16:43.80\00:16:45.63
But I say to you, even if
you have hatred in your heart
00:16:45.67\00:16:49.84
it's the same thing
as committing murder."
00:16:50.01\00:16:54.31
So with the critical spirit,
with that spirit of judgment
00:16:54.78\00:16:59.75
toward others,
it's not just what I say
00:16:59.78\00:17:01.95
to my sister here, Tracy.
00:17:01.98\00:17:03.59
Or not just how I act.
00:17:03.69\00:17:06.19
It goes deeper than that.
00:17:06.29\00:17:08.16
It goes to my heart.
00:17:08.19\00:17:10.36
The thoughts and intents of
my heart and how I feel inside.
00:17:10.39\00:17:14.93
We see the example
of a critical spirit
00:17:15.36\00:17:18.00
at the dinner table.
00:17:18.40\00:17:19.73
You ever seen that?
00:17:19.77\00:17:21.10
It pops out, the conversation
turns to the pastor.
00:17:21.14\00:17:23.87
We have a great pastor here,
00:17:24.11\00:17:25.44
so we're not
talking about our pastor.
00:17:25.47\00:17:26.84
But it could, right?
00:17:26.88\00:17:28.58
You're in a church and all
of a sudden, boom, it pops out.
00:17:28.61\00:17:31.05
"Well you know
what he just did?"
00:17:31.08\00:17:32.88
"You know who he
failed to visit?"
00:17:32.91\00:17:34.88
What is that?
00:17:34.92\00:17:36.25
A critical spirit.
00:17:36.28\00:17:38.15
It comes up at nominating
committee in churches.
00:17:38.35\00:17:41.86
Someone's nominated for a
really important position.
00:17:41.89\00:17:44.96
And then, "Oh,
but you know what?
00:17:45.06\00:17:47.46
I have a concern
about so and so."
00:17:47.50\00:17:49.50
And we say it in such a
self-righteous attitude.
00:17:49.53\00:17:53.34
Like the Pharisee believing that
they had that righteousness.
00:17:53.54\00:17:57.94
What about, someone comes
up and says, "You know what?
00:17:58.61\00:18:01.31
We really need to
pray for sister so and so.
00:18:01.34\00:18:04.61
They're not
getting along very well."
00:18:05.75\00:18:08.15
Well what is...
00:18:08.18\00:18:09.52
At first it seems harmless.
00:18:10.69\00:18:12.92
Oh we believe in
prayer, we want to pray.
00:18:13.12\00:18:16.62
That's a good thing, to pray.
00:18:16.66\00:18:18.19
But underneath that
is that insinuation.
00:18:18.36\00:18:22.90
"Sister so and so
doesn't get along with
00:18:22.93\00:18:24.93
this other person there.
00:18:24.97\00:18:26.30
You and I are holier.
00:18:26.33\00:18:28.00
You and I get
along with people."
00:18:28.10\00:18:30.21
That critical spirit jumps
in when we don't even see it.
00:18:30.24\00:18:36.01
We see that example,
let's look at the disciples,
00:18:36.04\00:18:38.65
a couple of examples
of their critical spirit.
00:18:38.68\00:18:40.62
And then we'll take a
look at what God can do
00:18:40.65\00:18:42.38
and how He can change our heart.
00:18:42.42\00:18:44.09
The first example is in John 12.
00:18:44.65\00:18:48.09
There's actually many
examples we could give.
00:18:49.76\00:18:51.76
We'll just give
three here tonight.
00:18:51.79\00:18:53.13
John 12:2-7
00:18:53.16\00:18:58.07
John 12:2-7
00:19:00.40\00:19:02.60
Actually, we'll
start with verse 1.
00:19:04.27\00:19:05.81
John 12:1, let's
start with verse 1.
00:19:05.84\00:19:08.41
"Six days
before the Passover..."
00:19:08.61\00:19:10.48
Now we're coming
right up to the time when
00:19:10.51\00:19:12.61
Jesus is going to be crucified.
00:19:12.65\00:19:14.78
"Six days before the
Passover, Jesus came to Bethany,
00:19:15.05\00:19:19.09
where Lazarus was
who had been dead,
00:19:19.12\00:19:21.46
whom He had
raised from the dead."
00:19:21.56\00:19:23.76
Now I love it that
when you read the Bible,
00:19:23.96\00:19:26.19
you can look at
the different gospels
00:19:26.23\00:19:27.73
and you get a
little more detail.
00:19:27.76\00:19:29.46
In Matthew, it
talks about they're at the
00:19:29.66\00:19:31.97
house of Simon the leper.
00:19:32.00\00:19:33.64
So we know it's right
before Jesus is crucified,
00:19:33.77\00:19:36.30
they're in Bethany,
but they're at the house
00:19:36.34\00:19:38.84
of Simon the leper.
00:19:38.87\00:19:40.21
Verse 2, "There they made
Him a supper; and Martha served,
00:19:40.24\00:19:43.65
but Lazarus was one of those
who sat at the table with Him."
00:19:43.68\00:19:46.51
I imagine he
had a high position.
00:19:46.55\00:19:48.42
He had just been raised
from the dead, and everyone's,
00:19:48.45\00:19:50.35
"Oh, this is Lazarus.
00:19:50.39\00:19:52.19
And he's sitting
at the table with us."
00:19:52.22\00:19:54.19
"Then Mary took a pound of
very costly oil of spikenard,
00:19:54.29\00:19:57.83
anointed the feet of Jesus, and
wiped His feet with her hair.
00:19:57.93\00:20:01.76
And the house was filled
with the fragrance of the oil."
00:20:01.86\00:20:06.07
Now we know it was costly.
00:20:06.63\00:20:08.14
It had cost
what? A year's wages.
00:20:08.17\00:20:10.24
Or something like that.
00:20:10.27\00:20:11.67
"But one of His disciples,
Judas Iscariot, Simon's son,
00:20:12.11\00:20:17.71
who would betray Him,
said, 'Why was this fragrant oil
00:20:17.75\00:20:21.58
not sold for three hundred
denarii and given to the poor?'"
00:20:21.62\00:20:25.25
Now initially you'd say,
"Wow, that's a critical spirit."
00:20:25.95\00:20:29.02
He's saying, "Why is
she doing this for Jesus?
00:20:29.06\00:20:31.16
And why is it not
going to the poor?"
00:20:31.19\00:20:32.93
But his critical spirit
went even farther than that.
00:20:33.03\00:20:35.66
Because what does the Bible say?
00:20:35.70\00:20:37.03
The next verse, he said
this, not because he had any
00:20:37.07\00:20:39.37
compassion, not
because he cared for the poor,
00:20:39.40\00:20:42.20
but because he's a thief.
00:20:42.30\00:20:44.31
The man is a thief.
00:20:44.41\00:20:45.77
And he said, he wants to
make it appear righteous,
00:20:45.81\00:20:49.54
and, "Oh, this money
should really go for the poor."
00:20:49.58\00:20:51.95
But he wants to steal
the money from the purse
00:20:52.11\00:20:55.42
that the disciples had,
00:20:55.45\00:20:56.79
and he wants to use
it for his own gain.
00:20:56.82\00:20:59.05
So the critical spirit there.
00:20:59.55\00:21:01.66
Mary is doing an
act of sacrifice.
00:21:01.69\00:21:04.29
An act of pouring her
love, her heart, to her Master
00:21:04.46\00:21:10.53
who had saved her and
redeemed her from so much pain.
00:21:10.57\00:21:14.80
And yet Judas is engaging in
that judgmental critical spirit
00:21:14.84\00:21:21.34
and looking at
what he sees is a fault,
00:21:21.38\00:21:24.08
which was not a fault at all
but what he perceived as one.
00:21:24.11\00:21:26.92
The next example is in Mark 9.
00:21:26.95\00:21:30.65
Mark 9, and this is
where James and John,
00:21:31.72\00:21:34.52
remember, they asked to
sit on each side of Jesus.
00:21:34.56\00:21:38.13
Mark 9, we pick
it up in verse 30...
00:21:38.53\00:21:41.76
Mark 9:35
00:21:43.83\00:21:46.77
Oh, verse 33. I'm
sorry. I'm reading the wrong.
00:21:49.20\00:21:51.34
Mark 9:33, "He
came to Capernaum.
00:21:51.37\00:21:53.81
And when He was in
the house He asked them,
00:21:53.84\00:21:56.54
'What was it you disputed
among yourselves on the road?'
00:21:56.58\00:22:01.48
But they kept silent..."
00:22:01.88\00:22:03.22
Has that ever happened to you?
00:22:03.25\00:22:04.59
You know, when God wants to show
you something in your heart,
00:22:04.62\00:22:07.16
and it's like, "Oh
Jill, what's going on here?"
00:22:07.19\00:22:09.89
"Oh, I don't know, God.
00:22:09.92\00:22:11.33
I have no idea.
It's a really nice day.
00:22:11.36\00:22:13.09
Yeah, and I've
really got to get to work.
00:22:13.29\00:22:14.80
And I'm not..." Right?
00:22:14.83\00:22:16.16
We want to avoid that
because we don't want to
00:22:16.20\00:22:19.57
look at our own stuff.
00:22:19.60\00:22:21.17
Or what happens when
maybe your spouse or a friend
00:22:21.34\00:22:24.37
says to you, "You know what?
00:22:24.41\00:22:25.74
What's going on
with you, Tracy?"
00:22:25.87\00:22:27.41
And you're like, "Oh, I'm
great. I'm doing really good."
00:22:27.44\00:22:29.91
So the disciples knew they
had been in the wrong. Right?
00:22:29.94\00:22:32.28
They knew that, that
they were arguing about
00:22:32.31\00:22:35.18
who was the
greatest along the way.
00:22:35.22\00:22:37.19
So what does the Bible say?
00:22:37.22\00:22:38.55
They kept silent.
00:22:38.59\00:22:40.76
When Jesus says, "What
are you arguing about?"
00:22:40.96\00:22:42.99
What's wrong with
you?" they kept silent.
00:22:43.02\00:22:46.26
"For on the road they
had disputed among themselves
00:22:46.39\00:22:51.30
who would be the greatest."
00:22:51.60\00:22:54.87
The third example from the
disciples is in Matthew 15.
00:22:55.37\00:22:59.24
We won't turn there,
but Matthew 15:21-28.
00:22:59.27\00:23:03.08
And think about
the Canaanite woman.
00:23:03.11\00:23:05.01
Remember, Jesus led
the disciples by this path,
00:23:05.05\00:23:07.45
and there was the
Canaanite woman there.
00:23:07.48\00:23:09.22
And her daughter
was demon-possessed.
00:23:09.38\00:23:11.82
And she came
after Jesus and said,
00:23:11.85\00:23:13.86
"Please, will you
come heal my daughter?
00:23:14.06\00:23:17.13
Will you cast the demons out?"
00:23:17.16\00:23:18.86
And Jesus, He did not
have a critical spirit,
00:23:19.06\00:23:23.03
He loved everyone, but He wanted
to teach the disciples a lesson.
00:23:23.06\00:23:26.57
And so He pretended
like, "Oh, what do you
00:23:26.70\00:23:29.50
have to do with Me, woman?
00:23:29.54\00:23:30.87
I'm doing My own thing."
00:23:30.91\00:23:32.24
And so she came after Him again.
00:23:32.27\00:23:33.74
Remember? And again.
00:23:33.78\00:23:35.11
And then finally she said,
"Yes, Lord, but even the dogs,"
00:23:35.14\00:23:41.75
remember, "eat the crumbs
from off the master's table."
00:23:41.78\00:23:46.55
What lesson is Jesus
trying to teach His disciples?
00:23:47.79\00:23:50.59
In this sense they had a
judgmental or a critical spirit
00:23:50.63\00:23:55.30
toward a different race, really.
00:23:55.40\00:23:57.93
They thought, "We
are the chosen people.
00:23:58.53\00:24:01.50
This woman is a heathen.
00:24:01.54\00:24:03.54
She's a Canaanite.
00:24:03.57\00:24:05.14
We don't want
anything to do with that.
00:24:05.17\00:24:07.64
God's mercy, God's
forgiveness surely could not
00:24:07.74\00:24:11.18
extend to this person."
00:24:11.21\00:24:12.55
And Jesus wanted to teach them
that grace, mercy, forgiveness
00:24:12.58\00:24:18.45
is for everyone.
00:24:18.49\00:24:20.29
And He does not call us
to have that critical spirit.
00:24:20.32\00:24:23.36
So what can we do
about the critical spirit?
00:24:23.46\00:24:27.90
You know, the
interesting thing is,
00:24:27.93\00:24:29.36
the story I told you at
the beginning about my heart
00:24:30.97\00:24:33.57
and how God showed me
those pockets in my heart.
00:24:33.60\00:24:36.50
That happened years ago.
00:24:36.71\00:24:39.17
And I was so excited
God showing me my heart,
00:24:39.51\00:24:42.58
and He can work
in me to change me.
00:24:42.61\00:24:44.95
And then you know what happened?
00:24:44.98\00:24:46.31
I shouldn't be saying
this on live television.
00:24:47.82\00:24:50.09
Just last week, okay, that's
not a long time ago, is it?
00:24:50.69\00:24:54.19
So you could be
saying, "Oh yeah, Jill got
00:24:54.29\00:24:56.52
victory over this years ago."
00:24:56.56\00:24:57.89
Just last week God showed me
there's still a critical spirit.
00:24:57.93\00:25:05.20
Wow, just last week.
00:25:05.97\00:25:08.74
And I told Greg, "God just
showed me something in my heart.
00:25:08.77\00:25:13.91
And I don't like it.
00:25:14.24\00:25:15.74
And I don't want it.
00:25:16.04\00:25:18.45
I want God to take that."
00:25:19.11\00:25:21.05
So I had to go back
through the same steps.
00:25:21.28\00:25:24.95
And here I
thought I got victory.
00:25:24.99\00:25:26.76
Praise God He gave me
victory, but guess what happens?
00:25:26.79\00:25:29.52
Sin is insidious.
00:25:29.56\00:25:31.43
And you give your
heart to God and give Him
00:25:31.63\00:25:34.76
everything, and He takes it.
00:25:34.80\00:25:36.80
And then all of a
sudden something starts to
00:25:36.83\00:25:38.77
creep in the back door.
00:25:38.80\00:25:40.70
And so praise the Lord,
He doesn't show us our heart
00:25:41.67\00:25:45.11
and then say, "Okay,
Jill, you've just got to
00:25:45.14\00:25:47.08
grit your teeth and bear it.
00:25:47.28\00:25:48.61
You've got to try harder.
00:25:48.74\00:25:50.25
You've got to pull
yourself up," what do we say,
00:25:50.28\00:25:52.68
"by your bootstraps
and do it a little better."
00:25:52.71\00:25:55.62
Praise God, He
doesn't leave us that way.
00:25:55.78\00:25:59.19
He never shows us
our heart and then says,
00:25:59.22\00:26:02.09
"Okay, you're left to
work it out yourself."
00:26:02.12\00:26:04.43
He only shows us stuff
because He wants to change us.
00:26:04.46\00:26:09.23
He wants to redeem us.
00:26:09.33\00:26:11.53
He wants to make you and
I into the image of Jesus.
00:26:11.57\00:26:15.00
And so praise the Lord for that.
00:26:15.27\00:26:17.01
So three R's. I
love alliterations.
00:26:17.04\00:26:19.84
So they all start with "R".
00:26:19.87\00:26:21.21
These are the
three steps of healing
00:26:21.24\00:26:23.51
from that critical spirit.
00:26:23.55\00:26:24.98
Number one is to realize
we can't change ourselves.
00:26:25.25\00:26:29.85
To realize we
can't change ourselves.
00:26:30.55\00:26:33.82
I could say that's half
the battle, but to be honest
00:26:33.86\00:26:36.69
with you, I think it's
three-quarters of the battle.
00:26:36.73\00:26:38.76
Because if I try, like we
started with the Pharisee,
00:26:38.99\00:26:42.10
if I try to trust in
myself, in my own righteousness,
00:26:42.13\00:26:45.37
if I try to do it my
own way and try harder,
00:26:45.40\00:26:48.60
that is always
doomed for failure.
00:26:48.80\00:26:52.31
We can fake it for a
while, but eventually
00:26:52.57\00:26:56.81
we're going to find
out that we can't do that.
00:26:56.95\00:26:58.85
So the first step
is just to realize
00:26:58.88\00:27:01.08
we can't change ourselves.
00:27:01.22\00:27:02.82
Jeremiah 13, you
all know this verse.
00:27:02.85\00:27:05.32
Jeremiah 13:23
00:27:06.99\00:27:11.59
"Can the Ethiopian change his
skin or the leopard his spots?"
00:27:12.29\00:27:17.87
Of course not.
00:27:18.20\00:27:19.53
"Then may you also do good
who are accustomed to do evil."
00:27:19.57\00:27:26.24
What could we say?
00:27:26.47\00:27:27.81
Could we change our heart?
00:27:27.84\00:27:29.18
When I have a
judgmental or critical spirit,
00:27:29.21\00:27:31.78
when I'm struggling
with some certain sin,
00:27:31.81\00:27:35.22
can I change my heart?
00:27:35.25\00:27:37.12
Of course not.
00:27:37.15\00:27:38.49
We who are accustomed to
doing evil, we can't do good.
00:27:38.52\00:27:42.52
Number one is just to realize
that we can't change ourselves.
00:27:42.56\00:27:46.73
Number two, repent and
allow God, by the power of
00:27:46.76\00:27:51.93
His Holy Spirit, to change us.
00:27:51.97\00:27:53.90
1 John 1:9, "If we confess
our sins," what's the Bible say,
00:27:54.07\00:27:58.87
"He is faithful and
just to forgive us our sins
00:27:58.97\00:28:02.78
and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness."
00:28:02.88\00:28:06.21
You know, I use to
think, I need to...
00:28:06.25\00:28:09.28
Say you slip into sin.
00:28:10.92\00:28:12.55
You do something that you know
God does not want you to do,
00:28:12.59\00:28:15.39
and you step over
the line into something.
00:28:15.42\00:28:18.03
And then I would say,
"Well, I have to be good
00:28:18.49\00:28:21.23
for maybe three
weeks, maybe six weeks.
00:28:21.26\00:28:24.17
God would like it better
if I was good for three months
00:28:24.27\00:28:26.63
before I finally come
back to Him and repent."
00:28:26.67\00:28:29.57
Where does that come from?
00:28:30.27\00:28:31.61
Somehow it seemed
like I had to become better
00:28:31.64\00:28:34.84
or I had to act good for a while
before God would receive me.
00:28:35.04\00:28:40.45
And nothing is
further from the truth.
00:28:40.65\00:28:42.42
The minute He shows us our
heart, the minute He shows us
00:28:42.45\00:28:46.25
that junk and what's
inside, what do we do?
00:28:46.29\00:28:49.09
Instantly we turn to
Him, "Oh Father, I'm sorry.
00:28:49.12\00:28:53.43
Thank You for
showing me my heart.
00:28:53.53\00:28:56.13
Thank You for showing me..."
00:28:56.16\00:28:57.63
In this case we're talking about
a critical, judgmental spirit.
00:28:58.37\00:29:01.24
"Thank You for showing
me the critical spirit,
00:29:01.27\00:29:04.11
the critical nature in my heart.
00:29:04.14\00:29:06.78
And God, I give You
permission to change me."
00:29:07.18\00:29:09.54
We can't change
ourselves, but He can change us.
00:29:09.91\00:29:13.98
Ezekiel.
00:29:14.78\00:29:16.12
We were in Jeremiah there,
let's jump over to Ezekiel.
00:29:16.62\00:29:19.89
This is one of my
favorite scriptures.
00:29:21.76\00:29:23.39
Ezekiel chapter 36.
00:29:23.43\00:29:25.49
Remember, the children of
Israel were God's chosen people.
00:29:26.66\00:29:29.46
And He had called them to
be set as a city on a hill.
00:29:29.50\00:29:33.67
He had called them to
be a light to the heathen,
00:29:33.70\00:29:36.94
to be a light to the Gentiles,
to those who were around.
00:29:36.97\00:29:40.74
And yet, at the same
time they had miserably
00:29:40.78\00:29:44.25
failed in their mission.
00:29:44.28\00:29:45.61
They had followed
after other idols.
00:29:45.91\00:29:50.15
They had left God
and done their own thing.
00:29:50.35\00:29:55.26
And yet, this verse comes in
the midst of all that apostasy,
00:29:55.72\00:29:59.59
in the midst of all
them turning from God.
00:29:59.63\00:30:02.93
Verse 25.
00:30:03.53\00:30:06.07
"I will sprinkle clean water
on you, and you shall be clean;
00:30:06.27\00:30:12.37
I will cleanse you
from all your filthiness
00:30:12.61\00:30:15.34
and from all your idols.
00:30:15.44\00:30:17.45
I will give you a new heart
and put a new spirit within you;
00:30:17.65\00:30:22.28
I will take the heart
of stone out of your flesh
00:30:22.45\00:30:25.72
and give you a heart of flesh.
00:30:25.82\00:30:28.92
I will put My Spirit
within you and cause you to walk
00:30:29.09\00:30:33.80
in My statutes, and you will
keep My judgments and do them."
00:30:33.83\00:30:37.57
My favorite verse,
"Then you shall dwell in
00:30:38.10\00:30:39.80
the land that I
gave to your fathers;
00:30:39.83\00:30:41.84
you shall be My people,
and I will be your God."
00:30:41.94\00:30:46.04
You know, God knows we have
a stony heart, a hard heart.
00:30:47.51\00:30:53.18
I think about,
I've shared this before,
00:30:53.88\00:30:56.89
Greg and my
first year of marriage,
00:30:56.99\00:30:59.15
and we had some
sort of argument.
00:30:59.55\00:31:01.56
And to this day...
00:31:02.22\00:31:03.56
It was a discussion.
We could say a discussion.
00:31:03.59\00:31:05.63
Maybe we'll sanitize it.
00:31:05.66\00:31:07.03
It was a discussion.
00:31:07.06\00:31:08.40
And to this day I can't
tell you what we argued about,
00:31:08.60\00:31:12.37
what we discussed.
00:31:12.40\00:31:13.74
All I can tell you
is that I was right.
00:31:13.97\00:31:16.40
And I knew that.
00:31:17.67\00:31:19.01
And so I had, what
does this talk about?
00:31:19.04\00:31:21.24
A hard heart,
Right? A heart of stone.
00:31:21.28\00:31:23.14
I had a heart of stone.
00:31:23.24\00:31:25.61
And I remember thinking,
it's his job to apologize.
00:31:26.51\00:31:31.35
His job to come say,
"Jilly, you know, I was wrong."
00:31:32.25\00:31:36.62
His job to do all that stuff.
00:31:37.06\00:31:38.69
And my job is to
wear the cold shoulder,
00:31:38.73\00:31:42.90
as women are
very good at wearing.
00:31:42.93\00:31:44.83
And I will give
him a little bit of...
00:31:45.23\00:31:47.84
"Yeah, I'm fine.
Nothing's wrong."
00:31:49.27\00:31:52.31
You know, that ugly
attitude that we can be good at.
00:31:52.54\00:31:55.01
So this went on
for a couple of hours.
00:31:55.44\00:31:58.51
Whoof!
00:31:58.55\00:31:59.88
And then all of
a sudden Greg said,
00:32:00.15\00:32:01.48
"Jilly, I think we should pray."
00:32:01.52\00:32:03.32
And I thought, "I
don't want to pray."
00:32:03.35\00:32:05.65
Because God is going to
say, "Jill, you heart is hard.
00:32:05.69\00:32:09.12
Would you let Me
take out the hardness
00:32:09.46\00:32:12.69
and give you a heart of flesh?"
00:32:12.73\00:32:14.56
And I thought, "No, I
don't want to be softened."
00:32:14.60\00:32:19.17
Whoo!
00:32:19.47\00:32:20.80
So I knew when Greg
said, "Jilly, we need to pray,"
00:32:21.74\00:32:25.74
that really we ought to
pray, because I've been raised
00:32:25.77\00:32:28.94
a Christian, and you're
suppose to do that, right?
00:32:28.98\00:32:31.28
So I thought, "Well,
I don't want to do it,
00:32:32.28\00:32:33.65
but God, please help
my husband to pray first.
00:32:33.68\00:32:35.78
Because I'm not going to
be the one showing weakness.
00:32:36.05\00:32:38.19
And I'm not going to be
the one who prays first."
00:32:38.22\00:32:40.49
So we knelt down
by our little couch.
00:32:40.89\00:32:43.36
And he prayed first.
00:32:44.43\00:32:45.76
And the first
words out of his mouth
00:32:46.39\00:32:48.86
God used to
soften my heart of stone.
00:32:48.90\00:32:54.60
The first words.
00:32:55.60\00:32:56.94
And he said, "God, forgive
me for not being the wife..."
00:32:57.17\00:33:03.21
I mean, the husband. Whoof!
00:33:03.24\00:33:04.78
"...forgive me for not
being the husband to Jilly
00:33:04.81\00:33:10.22
that I should be."
00:33:10.85\00:33:12.29
And as soon as he prayed that,
God, by the power of His Spirit,
00:33:12.52\00:33:16.99
used that prayer to
soften my stony heart.
00:33:17.03\00:33:23.80
You know, I think in the
Christian walk we can think,
00:33:23.83\00:33:26.17
"Okay, I give my life to Jesus.
00:33:26.37\00:33:29.64
I choose to follow Him.
00:33:29.67\00:33:32.37
I want to serve Him.
I want a soft heart."
00:33:32.67\00:33:35.31
And God gives that to us.
00:33:35.34\00:33:36.75
But you know what happens?
00:33:36.78\00:33:38.11
Life gets in the way.
00:33:38.15\00:33:39.55
Stuff gets in the way.
00:33:39.58\00:33:41.18
Trials and temptations come.
00:33:41.22\00:33:43.55
And all of a sudden, I
realize things in my heart
00:33:43.59\00:33:46.96
I did not know before.
00:33:46.99\00:33:48.62
I realize pride, and
junk, and a critical spirit
00:33:48.72\00:33:54.66
like God just
showed me last week.
00:33:54.70\00:33:56.60
These things all
of a sudden crop up
00:33:56.63\00:33:59.00
I did not know were there.
00:33:59.03\00:34:00.44
And at that
time I have a choice.
00:34:00.47\00:34:03.51
My heart at that time can go
hard or it can go soft again.
00:34:03.84\00:34:09.28
And at that moment I have to
say, "God, I want to allow You,
00:34:09.68\00:34:14.12
by the power of Your
Spirit, come into my heart.
00:34:14.15\00:34:17.19
Take out that heart of stone,
00:34:17.39\00:34:20.62
replace it anew
with a heart of flesh."
00:34:20.82\00:34:23.83
You know, Hebrews 8:10
talks about God writing His law
00:34:23.86\00:34:30.40
in the tablets of our heart.
00:34:30.87\00:34:33.44
Not just with
His finger on stone.
00:34:33.57\00:34:37.31
And it was put in what?
The ark of the covenant.
00:34:37.34\00:34:39.54
But God writes
His law in our hearts.
00:34:39.71\00:34:44.05
What does that mean?
00:34:44.08\00:34:45.41
We obey Him from the inside out.
00:34:45.45\00:34:47.85
It's not something external,
as we talked about in Matthew 5,
00:34:47.95\00:34:51.32
it's not something external
I put on because I have to.
00:34:51.35\00:34:54.79
I obey Him because I love Him.
00:34:55.49\00:34:57.69
Because life without
Jesus is unthinkable.
00:34:58.13\00:35:01.70
So back to God's solution
to the judgmental spirit.
00:35:02.06\00:35:05.83
Number one, realize we
can't change ourselves.
00:35:05.87\00:35:08.80
Number two, repent and
allow God, by the power of
00:35:09.14\00:35:12.64
His Holy Spirit, to change you.
00:35:12.67\00:35:14.31
And number three, replace
superiority with servanthood.
00:35:14.34\00:35:21.98
I'll say that again.
00:35:22.58\00:35:23.92
Replace
superiority with servanthood.
00:35:23.95\00:35:28.62
Replace pride with
the mind of Christ.
00:35:28.82\00:35:32.29
I want to look at two
scriptures in reference to that.
00:35:32.33\00:35:34.56
John 13
00:35:34.80\00:35:36.53
This is just
before the last supper.
00:35:38.17\00:35:40.40
John 13
00:35:40.70\00:35:43.20
What's incredible to
me about this passage,
00:35:46.98\00:35:49.44
we have the whole
footwashing experience.
00:35:50.01\00:35:52.28
And we won't
read all of that now.
00:35:52.31\00:35:53.75
But the part
that's incredible to me
00:35:53.92\00:35:55.48
is the first couple of verses.
00:35:55.52\00:35:57.05
It says, "Now before
the Feast of the Passover,
00:35:57.15\00:35:59.05
when Jesus knew
that His hour had come
00:35:59.09\00:36:02.72
that He should depart
from this world to the Father,
00:36:02.76\00:36:06.09
having loved His own
who were in the world,
00:36:06.29\00:36:09.26
He loved them to the end."
00:36:09.36\00:36:12.27
Verse 2, "And supper being
ended, the devil having already
00:36:12.47\00:36:16.91
put it into the heart of
Judas Iscariot, Simon's son,
00:36:16.94\00:36:20.68
to betray Him..."
00:36:20.71\00:36:22.44
So Judas has
already made up his mind.
00:36:22.54\00:36:25.31
He already made the
pact with the priest
00:36:25.35\00:36:28.65
that he's going to betray Jesus
for thirty pieces of silver,
00:36:28.68\00:36:31.52
which is the
price of a common slave.
00:36:31.55\00:36:34.89
He's already made that decision.
00:36:34.92\00:36:36.73
Verse 3, "Jesus, knowing that
the Father had given all things
00:36:36.93\00:36:42.23
into His hands, and
that He had come from God
00:36:42.26\00:36:45.73
and was going to
God, rose from supper
00:36:45.83\00:36:49.84
laid aside His garments, took
a towel and girded Himself."
00:36:49.94\00:36:53.44
And He began the
process of servanthood,
00:36:53.48\00:36:56.18
which was a servants job,
00:36:56.38\00:36:57.88
washing the feet
of the disciples.
00:36:57.91\00:37:01.62
But what I love is verse 3.
00:37:01.72\00:37:03.99
It shows us John
clearly understood that Jesus
00:37:04.02\00:37:07.99
was not doing the part of
a servant because He somehow
00:37:08.02\00:37:11.63
forgot He's the Messiah.
00:37:11.66\00:37:13.09
He wasn't doing it
because somehow He thought,
00:37:13.23\00:37:15.33
"Well, I'm just
an ordinary man."
00:37:15.36\00:37:17.30
It says, with full
knowledge that He came from God,
00:37:17.40\00:37:21.30
that after this
time, the sojourn on earth,
00:37:21.80\00:37:24.67
He's going back to God,
00:37:24.71\00:37:27.01
full knowledge of His divinity,
He still chose to serve.
00:37:27.04\00:37:32.28
That is the opposite
of a critical spirit.
00:37:32.51\00:37:36.95
Would you say,
the opposite of pride.
00:37:37.09\00:37:38.95
That is the heart of
humility, of esteeming others,
00:37:38.99\00:37:43.26
as better than Himself.
00:37:43.36\00:37:44.76
We see that... I call
it the mind of Christ.
00:37:44.79\00:37:47.16
But we see that
in Philippians 2.
00:37:47.20\00:37:49.93
Philippians 2, that's the
second scripture for this.
00:37:51.13\00:37:54.14
Philippians 2
00:37:54.17\00:37:55.67
If I can find Philippians.
00:37:59.04\00:38:00.48
Galatians, Ephesians,
Philippians, Colossians.
00:38:00.51\00:38:03.45
I went too far. Philippians 2:1.
00:38:03.48\00:38:06.11
"Therefore if there is
any consolation in Christ,
00:38:06.21\00:38:09.08
if any comfort of love, if
any fellowship of the Spirit,
00:38:09.12\00:38:13.32
if any affection and mercy,"
00:38:13.36\00:38:16.49
verse 2, "fulfill my
joy by being like-minded,
00:38:16.52\00:38:23.47
having the same love, being
of one accord, of one mind."
00:38:23.67\00:38:29.94
It reminds me of Romans 15.
00:38:29.97\00:38:32.64
I received a
letter once from someone.
00:38:32.91\00:38:37.15
Well I've received many letters,
but this particular letter
00:38:37.18\00:38:39.71
that I received was someone
who addressed some issues
00:38:39.75\00:38:43.18
that they saw in my life.
00:38:43.22\00:38:44.69
And you could say my heart
rose up with a critical spirit.
00:38:44.72\00:38:49.16
Really, to be honest with you.
00:38:49.19\00:38:50.53
Like, what business do they
have to write me this letter!
00:38:50.56\00:38:53.29
And who are they!
00:38:53.33\00:38:54.66
And instantly you start
getting defensive inside.
00:38:54.70\00:38:58.03
Not having the mind of Jesus.
00:38:58.13\00:38:59.83
Not having a mind
of servanthood or being
00:39:00.00\00:39:02.40
like-minded toward
my brothers and sisters.
00:39:02.44\00:39:04.54
And one morning I'm
having my devotions,
00:39:04.74\00:39:07.14
God led me, I was
just reading Romans 15.
00:39:07.18\00:39:11.41
And it talks about,
verse 5, the same thing that
00:39:12.61\00:39:15.18
Philippians 2 talks about.
00:39:15.22\00:39:16.55
"May the God of
patience and comfort grant you
00:39:16.99\00:39:19.25
to be like-minded
toward one another..."
00:39:19.29\00:39:22.22
There is the same phrase.
00:39:22.42\00:39:24.03
God calls us to be
like-minded toward one another.
00:39:24.06\00:39:28.56
And Romans goes on to
say, "Receive one another..."
00:39:28.66\00:39:31.63
This is in verse 7.
00:39:31.67\00:39:33.00
"Receive one another, just
as Christ also received us,
00:39:33.10\00:39:37.07
to the glory of God."
00:39:37.11\00:39:38.67
"Therefore,
receive one another..."
00:39:38.71\00:39:41.41
And when I read that,
when I was having my worship,
00:39:41.54\00:39:43.91
God instantly said, "Jill, why
can't you receive your sister?
00:39:43.95\00:39:49.08
You know, the one
who sent you that letter.
00:39:49.12\00:39:50.99
You're holding a
barrier or a bridge,
00:39:51.02\00:39:53.22
you're looking in condensation.
00:39:53.25\00:39:54.92
But she is your sister.
00:39:55.12\00:39:56.76
I have received
her as My daughter.
00:39:56.79\00:39:58.99
Do you not think you can
receive her as your sister?"
00:39:59.09\00:40:02.90
And so I realized at that point,
"Wow, look at the bitterness,
00:40:03.20\00:40:08.10
the critical spirit I'm
harboring toward someone else.
00:40:08.14\00:40:11.61
God, would you take that away?
00:40:11.64\00:40:13.71
Would you replace it
with the spirit of Jesus?"
00:40:13.74\00:40:16.44
And He lead me, in
that case, to write
00:40:16.71\00:40:18.71
this precious woman a letter.
00:40:18.81\00:40:20.28
And she became my friend.
00:40:20.32\00:40:21.65
And you know what?
00:40:21.68\00:40:23.02
Everything she said in
the letter was probably true.
00:40:23.05\00:40:25.52
There was a lot of good
things to learn in there.
00:40:25.99\00:40:28.46
So back to Philippians 2.
00:40:28.56\00:40:30.33
God calls us to be like-minded.
00:40:30.36\00:40:34.00
We fulfill His joy
"by being like-minded,
00:40:34.03\00:40:36.43
having the same love, being
of one accord, of one mind."
00:40:37.17\00:40:42.40
How much division and strife
00:40:42.57\00:40:44.57
would we avoid in the
family, in the church,
00:40:45.24\00:40:49.21
at our place of work if
we followed this scripture,
00:40:49.78\00:40:54.68
if we considered each
other as brothers and sisters,
00:40:55.02\00:40:58.69
instead of thinking, "I'm
going to scramble on my way
00:40:59.09\00:41:04.23
to whatever
position," and I just push my
00:41:04.26\00:41:07.23
brothers and
sisters out of the way.
00:41:07.26\00:41:09.13
Or instead of picking up
little pebbles and throwing them
00:41:09.46\00:41:13.13
at them, saying,
"Oh, you do this wrong."
00:41:13.17\00:41:15.14
and, "Oh, you do that wrong."
00:41:15.17\00:41:16.71
That's not being like-minded.
00:41:17.17\00:41:18.97
How much division
and strife could we avoid
00:41:19.01\00:41:22.64
if that really happened?
00:41:23.08\00:41:24.41
I heard from a woman, she said,
00:41:27.08\00:41:30.29
"I joined the
Seventh-day Adventist Church,
00:41:30.99\00:41:36.06
and I was brand new.
00:41:36.76\00:41:38.73
I didn't know
anything, didn't know much.
00:41:39.03\00:41:41.80
Just brand new baby Christian.
00:41:42.26\00:41:45.53
Excited to be in the church.
00:41:45.63\00:41:47.67
And the elder
sat me down and said,
00:41:48.64\00:41:54.08
'You wear your
hair the wrong way.
00:41:54.64\00:41:56.71
You don't dress the right way.'"
00:41:58.25\00:42:00.78
Or whatever. "You don't..."
00:42:00.82\00:42:02.78
You could
replace it with whatever.
00:42:02.88\00:42:04.82
And so she said, "I struggled,
and they would call me names.
00:42:06.12\00:42:11.19
But yet I'm a baby
Christian, and brand new,
00:42:12.66\00:42:15.43
and just coming
into the church."
00:42:15.46\00:42:18.40
Then she said,
"I left the church."
00:42:19.00\00:42:20.87
Because people did
not follow that principle
00:42:23.27\00:42:28.01
we're talking about
in Philippians chapter 2.
00:42:28.04\00:42:30.41
Because people harbored a
critical, judgmental spirit
00:42:30.71\00:42:38.62
toward someone else.
00:42:38.95\00:42:40.29
She said, "I've been
out of the church for years.
00:42:41.26\00:42:43.83
But I watch 3ABN.
00:42:44.83\00:42:46.63
I watch 3ABN."
00:42:48.60\00:42:50.33
And so, I think in many churches
we have people that come in
00:42:50.63\00:42:57.67
that are hurting,
people who are broken.
00:42:57.71\00:43:04.15
And often we don't
display the character of Jesus.
00:43:05.35\00:43:12.82
Could we say that?
00:43:12.92\00:43:14.26
We don't show His
humility and His servanthood.
00:43:14.29\00:43:18.19
We don't show His desire
that we would be like-minded
00:43:18.23\00:43:22.36
toward each other.
00:43:22.40\00:43:23.77
Instead we just
say, "Who are you?
00:43:24.23\00:43:26.70
Whatever. You do your thing.
00:43:26.94\00:43:28.44
I'm in my clique over here."
00:43:28.47\00:43:30.01
And we ignore people.
00:43:30.04\00:43:31.67
Or we criticize people.
00:43:32.44\00:43:35.74
Or we act very kind to them.
00:43:36.04\00:43:38.91
"Oh Cynthia, it's
so good to see you.
00:43:38.95\00:43:40.62
You know you're my good friend.
00:43:40.65\00:43:42.55
We're friends."
00:43:42.58\00:43:43.92
And then I go over
here to Tracy and I say,
00:43:43.95\00:43:45.69
"You know what Cynthia just did?
00:43:45.72\00:43:47.09
And she's a terrible person."
00:43:47.12\00:43:48.46
Well what is that all about?
00:43:49.09\00:43:50.49
Now we laugh, but you
know what? That happens.
00:43:50.53\00:43:53.40
It's that spirit of criticism.
00:43:53.60\00:43:57.07
That spirit of judgment.
00:43:57.10\00:44:00.00
You know, Satan, the Bible says,
is the accuser of the brethren.
00:44:01.27\00:44:06.14
Remember in Zechariah
3, Joshua stood before...
00:44:06.17\00:44:10.25
Let's look at that real
quick. I think we have time.
00:44:11.31\00:44:13.05
And then we'll keep
going back to Philippians.
00:44:13.08\00:44:15.25
Keep your finger
in Philippians 2.
00:44:15.28\00:44:17.25
Because we will be coming
back there, Philippians 2.
00:44:17.85\00:44:22.82
But go to Zechariah.
00:44:22.86\00:44:24.23
Zechariah is almost the
last book in the Old Testament.
00:44:24.33\00:44:26.90
Almost to Malachi.
00:44:26.93\00:44:28.26
Zechariah 3:1
00:44:28.40\00:44:32.43
"Then he showed me
Joshua the high priest
00:44:32.47\00:44:34.64
standing before
the Angel of the LORD,
00:44:34.67\00:44:36.50
and Satan standing at his
right hand to oppose him."
00:44:36.54\00:44:41.31
Look at that.
00:44:41.64\00:44:42.98
Standing there, and
instantly Satan is the accuser
00:44:43.01\00:44:45.58
of the brethren standing at
his right hand to oppose him.
00:44:45.61\00:44:48.82
"And the LORD said to Satan,
'The LORD rebuke you, Satan!'"
00:44:48.92\00:44:52.09
Praise the Lord for that.
00:44:52.12\00:44:54.09
I love that verse.
00:44:54.46\00:44:55.79
"The LORD who has
chosen Jerusalem rebuke you!
00:44:55.82\00:44:58.86
Is this not a brand
plucked from the fire?"
00:44:58.89\00:45:01.56
So my question
to you tonight is,
00:45:01.60\00:45:03.77
why don't we look at
other people that way?
00:45:03.80\00:45:05.77
When people walk into your
life, when people walk into
00:45:05.80\00:45:08.77
your place of work, when
people walk into your church,
00:45:08.80\00:45:11.14
why don't we say, "This is
a brand plucked from the fire.
00:45:11.37\00:45:15.41
Thank You, Jesus,
that this person is here.
00:45:15.44\00:45:18.35
I'm so excited."
00:45:18.38\00:45:19.95
And whatever Satan's coming
in the form of his saints with
00:45:19.98\00:45:25.15
criticism, with that accusation,
00:45:26.62\00:45:30.46
we just don't
even listen to that.
00:45:30.76\00:45:32.66
Push that aside.
00:45:32.76\00:45:34.36
"Now Joshua was clothed
with filthy garments..."
00:45:34.56\00:45:37.37
So you could say
Satan had a leg to stand on.
00:45:37.40\00:45:40.04
There was some dirt
going on here, right?
00:45:40.07\00:45:41.97
"...and he was
standing before the Angel."
00:45:42.37\00:45:44.21
Verse 4, "Then He
answered and spoke to those
00:45:44.31\00:45:47.01
who stood before Him, saying,
00:45:47.04\00:45:48.38
'Take away the
filthy garments from him.'
00:45:48.41\00:45:51.65
And to him He said,
'See, I have removed
00:45:51.91\00:45:54.38
your iniquity from
you, and I will clothe you
00:45:54.42\00:45:57.92
with rich robes.'
00:45:57.95\00:45:59.79
And he said, 'Let them put
a clean turban on his head.'
00:45:59.82\00:46:03.59
So they put a
clean turban on his head,
00:46:03.69\00:46:05.43
and they put
the clothes on him."
00:46:05.46\00:46:06.80
So he was clothed in
these filthy garments,
00:46:06.83\00:46:08.60
the Lord rebuked
Satan for the accusations
00:46:08.96\00:46:12.50
that he was
bringing against Joshua,
00:46:12.70\00:46:14.87
and then clothed him
and covered him with His
00:46:14.90\00:46:19.37
righteous white robe and
took away all of that iniquity.
00:46:19.41\00:46:23.35
Now back to Philippians 2.
00:46:23.38\00:46:25.11
We read Philippians
2:1-2, now we're on verse 3.
00:46:25.91\00:46:30.29
"Let nothing be done through
selfish ambition or conceit,
00:46:30.32\00:46:36.79
but in lowliness of
mind let each esteem others
00:46:37.06\00:46:41.93
better than themselves."
00:46:41.96\00:46:43.90
How in the world are
we to esteem someone else
00:46:44.17\00:46:46.57
better than ourselves?
00:46:46.60\00:46:47.94
Now we can read that and
say, "Oh, I definitely esteem
00:46:47.97\00:46:50.41
my sister Celestine
as better than myself."
00:46:50.44\00:46:52.37
But how are we to
do that practically?
00:46:52.41\00:46:55.34
What does that look like?
00:46:55.54\00:46:58.11
I think it means we
treat other people as though
00:46:58.88\00:47:01.68
they were our superior.
00:47:01.72\00:47:03.75
Right? The Bible says treat
them as better than ourselves.
00:47:04.49\00:47:08.39
So we treat them as if
they were our superior.
00:47:08.42\00:47:11.33
Now how do we do that?
00:47:11.36\00:47:13.06
Number one, I think
we listen to others.
00:47:13.50\00:47:16.10
That's a way to esteem someone
as better than ourselves.
00:47:17.03\00:47:20.97
Listen to them instead
of always having to speak.
00:47:21.00\00:47:24.01
If someone is sharing a
story, maybe Tracy is telling me
00:47:24.04\00:47:26.57
a story about her dogs, and
what's going on in her life,
00:47:26.61\00:47:29.01
and the people she's
just been witnessing to...
00:47:29.04\00:47:31.68
Because Tracy
is a great witness.
00:47:31.71\00:47:33.21
...and the people
you've just been witnessing to,
00:47:33.42\00:47:35.52
and I'm thinking the
whole time Tracy's talking,
00:47:35.55\00:47:37.69
"Man, I can't wait to tell
her the story about what just
00:47:37.89\00:47:40.62
happened to me and the person I
got to witness to on the plane."
00:47:40.66\00:47:43.93
Now is that esteeming
Tracy as better than myself?
00:47:43.96\00:47:48.60
No, because I'm
thinking, while she's talking
00:47:49.13\00:47:51.67
I'm thinking, "I'm
going to say this."
00:47:51.70\00:47:54.10
"Oh, I could top the
story in that fashion."
00:47:54.37\00:47:56.54
"Oh, I can do this."
00:47:56.57\00:47:57.91
What is that?
00:47:57.94\00:47:59.27
It becomes all about myself
instead of esteeming my sister.
00:47:59.31\00:48:04.98
So we listen to others
instead of always speaking.
00:48:05.58\00:48:09.78
Maybe someone is excited about
something that happened at work.
00:48:09.88\00:48:12.55
And we rejoice with them instead
of feeling sorry for ourselves.
00:48:12.59\00:48:16.79
"Boy, I wish I had
that happen to me."
00:48:16.83\00:48:18.56
"I wish I got that
check in the mail."
00:48:18.89\00:48:20.60
"I wish someone
had bought me that."
00:48:20.63\00:48:22.46
I wish, instead of
that, to rejoice with them
00:48:22.50\00:48:26.67
and not to do
with my own self-pity.
00:48:26.94\00:48:28.90
What's that? Esteeming someone
else as better than myself.
00:48:28.94\00:48:33.48
Not only do we listen to others,
I think another practical
00:48:34.48\00:48:37.61
way to esteem others
as better than ourselves
00:48:37.65\00:48:39.75
is to pay
attention to their needs.
00:48:39.78\00:48:43.35
Is someone sick?
00:48:43.79\00:48:45.12
We could bring them food.
00:48:45.62\00:48:47.02
We could pray with them.
00:48:47.26\00:48:49.42
Is someone lonely?
00:48:49.99\00:48:51.79
We could be a friend.
00:48:52.06\00:48:53.43
Take time and go visit them.
00:48:53.66\00:48:55.53
Is someone discouraged?
00:48:55.70\00:48:57.90
We could go and
offer to pray with them,
00:48:58.27\00:49:01.90
and pray for them.
00:49:02.17\00:49:04.14
And the third thing...
00:49:05.24\00:49:06.57
We listen to others, we
pay attention to their needs.
00:49:06.61\00:49:09.21
The third is to
give of yourself.
00:49:09.24\00:49:11.68
Sacrifice if need be.
00:49:12.45\00:49:14.22
You know, J. D.
Quinn, we all know him here,
00:49:14.45\00:49:17.55
he always says, "It
was the right thing to do."
00:49:18.49\00:49:21.42
I don't know if any of
you have heard him say that.
00:49:21.46\00:49:23.19
You've heard it.
00:49:23.22\00:49:24.56
He'll say, "It was
the right thing to do."
00:49:24.59\00:49:26.39
He'll say, it's late at night,
I remember this happening once,
00:49:26.43\00:49:29.26
it was a Friday
night, it was late.
00:49:29.30\00:49:31.27
You're ready for bed, you know.
00:49:31.37\00:49:32.90
It's Sabbath, and we don't
have work, and all that stuff.
00:49:32.93\00:49:35.90
It was maybe
eight, I don't remember.
00:49:36.20\00:49:37.87
Maybe even nine o'clock.
00:49:37.91\00:49:39.24
And someone calls and says,
00:49:39.27\00:49:40.61
"Boy, we really need
to do this anointing."
00:49:40.64\00:49:42.41
It's in Carbondale.
00:49:43.31\00:49:44.65
We're going to get there at ten.
00:49:45.11\00:49:46.61
Right? It's 45
minutes to Carbondale.
00:49:47.05\00:49:49.38
By the time you get there and
then you pray with the person,
00:49:49.55\00:49:52.59
and then you come home and,
00:49:52.62\00:49:54.19
"Oh God, I was so
tired this weekend."
00:49:54.22\00:49:56.42
What does J. D.
say? And this happened.
00:49:56.59\00:49:58.23
And I remember J. D.
and Greg talking about it.
00:49:58.26\00:50:00.53
"It is the right thing to do."
00:50:00.76\00:50:04.00
Get out of yourself,
focus on someone else.
00:50:04.33\00:50:08.04
It's the right thing to do.
00:50:08.07\00:50:09.40
Sometimes esteeming
someone as better than ourselves
00:50:09.44\00:50:12.87
takes sacrifice.
00:50:12.91\00:50:14.38
Does someone need a ride
and it's out of your way?
00:50:15.14\00:50:17.35
Drive the distance anyway.
00:50:17.38\00:50:19.28
Is someone lonely and
discouraged, but you feel tired?
00:50:19.45\00:50:22.92
Go and visit them anyway.
00:50:23.35\00:50:25.35
Is someone obnoxious and
likes to talk about themselves?
00:50:25.52\00:50:30.99
Listen anyway.
00:50:31.39\00:50:33.83
Verse 4.
00:50:34.20\00:50:36.90
Verse 4 we should have
read in conjunction with verse 3
00:50:37.83\00:50:40.04
because it really
goes along with three.
00:50:40.07\00:50:41.64
"Let each of you look out
not only for his own interests,
00:50:42.17\00:50:46.21
but also for the
interests of others."
00:50:46.24\00:50:48.84
And I think a point
here well taken would be that
00:50:48.88\00:50:51.78
we can take this to an extreme.
00:50:52.85\00:50:54.88
And I'm not trying to
advocate some sort of extreme.
00:50:54.92\00:50:57.39
We can say, "I'm supposed
to look out for my sisters
00:50:57.42\00:51:01.59
interests," and totally ignore,
run my heath into the ground,
00:51:01.62\00:51:05.23
and not only spend all my money,
now I would take loans out
00:51:05.26\00:51:10.10
so I can give money
to help other people.
00:51:10.13\00:51:12.03
That's not what the
Bible is talking about.
00:51:12.07\00:51:14.07
It says what?
00:51:14.34\00:51:15.67
Verse 4, "Let each of
you look out not only for his
00:51:15.70\00:51:19.47
own interests, but also
for the interests of others."
00:51:19.51\00:51:21.71
So I don't think the
Bible is saying we be
00:51:21.74\00:51:23.38
impractical about it.
00:51:23.41\00:51:24.75
But to be honest
with you, in my own heart
00:51:24.85\00:51:26.85
if I'm to error on
one side of that ditch,
00:51:26.88\00:51:29.65
it's much easier for me to
error on the side of not giving,
00:51:29.68\00:51:33.36
not sharing, not
going out of my way,
00:51:34.29\00:51:37.99
than it would be for
me to error on the side of
00:51:38.03\00:51:40.20
going into debt for
giving and helping someone else.
00:51:41.03\00:51:44.43
So whatever your battle
is, I mean, God knows that
00:51:44.47\00:51:47.14
and He can help us adjust that.
00:51:47.17\00:51:48.90
Verse 5 is really the crux
of the whole thing we've been
00:51:48.94\00:51:52.67
talking about; esteeming other
people as better than ourselves.
00:51:52.71\00:51:55.94
It says, "Let
this mind be in you
00:51:56.04\00:51:59.01
which was also
in Christ Jesus..."
00:51:59.11\00:52:02.98
And what's the mind of Christ?
00:52:03.72\00:52:05.05
He was in the form of God.
00:52:05.09\00:52:06.42
Remember we read in John 13
how, with full knowledge of His
00:52:06.45\00:52:09.72
divinity, that He came from
God and that He's going back
00:52:09.76\00:52:12.49
to God, He chose to serve.
00:52:12.53\00:52:14.93
And that is the mind of Christ.
00:52:14.96\00:52:16.63
"He was in the form of God,
00:52:16.67\00:52:18.33
He didn't consider it
robbery to be equal with God,
00:52:18.43\00:52:21.14
but He made
Himself of no reputation,
00:52:21.17\00:52:23.74
and took upon Him
the form of a servant,
00:52:23.77\00:52:27.08
and was made in
the likeness of men.
00:52:27.64\00:52:29.44
Being found in fashion as
a man, He humbled Himself..."
00:52:29.64\00:52:32.58
So He didn't just say,
"I'm going to be a man,
00:52:32.61\00:52:35.32
and I will be a
prince or a king."
00:52:35.52\00:52:37.75
And then He didn't say, "Well,
I'm going to humble Myself
00:52:38.15\00:52:41.99
down here and become a servant."
00:52:42.02\00:52:44.33
Not only that, He humbled
Himself to death on the cross.
00:52:44.56\00:52:49.36
And in their culture, especially
in the Jewish culture,
00:52:49.40\00:52:53.30
what does it say in Galatians 3,
00:52:53.34\00:52:54.67
"Cursed is everyone
who dies on a tree."
00:52:54.70\00:52:57.64
So they believed if
you died in that fashion,
00:52:57.84\00:53:01.08
it was a sign of
divine displeasure, a curse.
00:53:01.31\00:53:03.85
So He not only
humbled Himself as a human,
00:53:03.88\00:53:06.05
and as a servant, but He
died the worse death possible
00:53:06.31\00:53:10.55
in their mind.
00:53:10.59\00:53:11.92
The sign of divine displeasure,
separation from God,
00:53:12.45\00:53:15.82
because He loved us.
00:53:15.86\00:53:17.79
That is the mind of Christ.
00:53:17.96\00:53:20.96
"He became obedient to death,
even the death of the cross.
00:53:21.13\00:53:25.17
Therefore God also
has highly exalted Him
00:53:25.53\00:53:28.50
and given Him the name
which is above every name,
00:53:28.54\00:53:31.01
that at the name of
Jesus every knee should bow,
00:53:31.04\00:53:33.58
of those in
heaven, and those on earth,
00:53:33.78\00:53:35.61
and those under the
earth, and that every tongue
00:53:35.64\00:53:38.61
should confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
00:53:38.65\00:53:42.38
to the glory of God the Father."
00:53:42.58\00:53:45.72
Now you may be watching tonight,
00:53:46.39\00:53:49.56
and you may be saying...
00:53:51.16\00:53:52.49
I just got an email
from someone else saying,
00:53:52.76\00:53:55.33
"I was in the
church, newly baptized."
00:53:55.43\00:53:57.43
This is another country.
00:53:57.47\00:53:59.20
Newly baptized in the church.
00:53:59.43\00:54:01.74
"And then people started
saying things, and I started
00:54:01.94\00:54:05.41
feeling like they didn't accept
me or want me in the church.
00:54:05.51\00:54:09.68
And now I'm hurt. I'm hurt."
00:54:09.98\00:54:14.15
So I don't know where you are
tonight in your walk with God.
00:54:14.25\00:54:19.39
You might be saying,
"I'm one of those people
00:54:19.62\00:54:23.59
who's hurting other people."
00:54:23.63\00:54:25.66
"I'm one of those
people that has a critical,
00:54:26.46\00:54:29.46
a judgmental spirit
toward other people."
00:54:29.66\00:54:33.47
God, by the power of His Holy
Spirit, says, "I can change you.
00:54:33.74\00:54:38.24
Once you've
realized your need of Jesus,
00:54:38.27\00:54:41.18
I can take out
that heart of stone,
00:54:41.38\00:54:44.75
I can replace it
with a heart of flesh."
00:54:44.95\00:54:48.52
God says, "I can put
in you the mind of Christ,
00:54:48.92\00:54:53.19
that servant's heart
that esteems other people
00:54:53.22\00:54:56.39
as better than yourself."
00:54:56.42\00:54:57.93
So if that's
where you are tonight,
00:54:57.96\00:54:59.59
go to God and say,
"God, will You change me?
00:54:59.96\00:55:02.33
Would You take out
this critical spirit?
00:55:02.36\00:55:05.00
I don't want it anymore."
00:55:05.23\00:55:06.57
And sometimes, you
know, in my own life
00:55:06.60\00:55:08.00
I've found maybe I do want it.
00:55:08.04\00:55:10.61
Right? I want to
hang on to something.
00:55:11.34\00:55:14.11
And if that's the case, we
just claim Philippians 2:13.
00:55:14.14\00:55:17.68
"It is God who works in
us both to will and to do
00:55:17.71\00:55:20.82
of His good pleasure."
00:55:20.85\00:55:22.18
That means God not
only gives us the desire,
00:55:22.22\00:55:24.82
He gives us the power.
00:55:24.85\00:55:26.19
So if you don't
even have a desire
00:55:26.22\00:55:28.06
to have a spirit of
humility, God knows that too.
00:55:28.09\00:55:30.89
Just go to Him and
say, "God, will You give me
00:55:30.93\00:55:34.13
a desire to have You change me?"
00:55:34.16\00:55:37.03
And God will do that.
00:55:37.07\00:55:38.40
Maybe tonight you're in the
other camp, and you're saying,
00:55:38.50\00:55:41.97
"I'm new in the church, or in
my family, or my place of work,
00:55:42.27\00:55:45.87
and people have
trampled all over my life.
00:55:45.91\00:55:49.38
People have hurt me.
00:55:50.15\00:55:51.48
People have been
critical to me, and I just feel
00:55:51.65\00:55:54.48
crushed and beaten down."
00:55:54.52\00:55:56.38
Know that the
Lord Jesus loves you.
00:55:56.42\00:55:59.82
You are His son and daughter.
00:56:00.29\00:56:02.12
And He says, "You are
My purchased possession."
00:56:02.32\00:56:05.23
We are worth,
Shelley always says this,
00:56:05.26\00:56:07.30
nothing less than the price
Christ paid for us on Calvary.
00:56:07.33\00:56:11.57
We are worth an
infinite cost to the Son of God.
00:56:11.80\00:56:15.80
And He loves us, and He can
restore those broken places.
00:56:15.84\00:56:19.81
He came to set at
liberty those who are bound.
00:56:19.84\00:56:23.04
He came to heal
the broken-hearted
00:56:23.08\00:56:26.25
and to bind up our wounds.
00:56:26.28\00:56:28.65
So that's the
beautiful thing about God.
00:56:28.68\00:56:31.25
No matter what side we're
on, He says, "I can change you."
00:56:31.29\00:56:35.36
If we're critical, He can make
us humble and He can make us
00:56:35.52\00:56:39.56
esteem other people
better than ourselves.
00:56:40.66\00:56:43.43
And if we are beaten
down and crushed and have been
00:56:43.47\00:56:46.53
criticized, what does He do?
00:56:46.57\00:56:49.07
He lifts us up, pulls our
feet out of that miry clay,
00:56:49.30\00:56:53.41
and sets us up upon a rock.
00:56:53.44\00:56:56.81
So let's pray as
we close here tonight.
00:56:57.01\00:56:59.21
Father, we come before
You in the name of Jesus
00:56:59.25\00:57:01.48
and we thank You,
God, that You love us.
00:57:01.52\00:57:05.32
We thank You for
the gift of salvation.
00:57:05.35\00:57:08.76
We thank You that
even now, right now,
00:57:08.79\00:57:12.19
You can renew in us
the spirit of Jesus.
00:57:12.43\00:57:16.36
You can take out from
our hearts the stony heart
00:57:16.40\00:57:21.67
and you can replace
it with a heart of flesh.
00:57:21.70\00:57:25.21
We thank You, God, that You
are the one who's working in us
00:57:25.41\00:57:29.64
and through us both to will
and to do of Your good pleasure.
00:57:29.68\00:57:32.95
And right now I just pray
for my brothers and sisters
00:57:32.98\00:57:35.25
not only here in our church, but
those at home, those watching,
00:57:35.28\00:57:40.62
those who are hurt and
battered, those who are crushed.
00:57:40.66\00:57:44.26
And I ask, Lord Jesus,
that You would speak peace,
00:57:44.29\00:57:47.60
that You would
bring the comfort,
00:57:47.63\00:57:49.33
the oil of Your Holy Spirit,
and You would do a new thing
00:57:49.36\00:57:53.54
and cause rivers to flow
where once there was desert.
00:57:53.70\00:57:57.21
Lord, we ask that You
would guard our minds,
00:57:57.24\00:57:59.47
that You would guard our
hearts, that You would change us
00:57:59.51\00:58:02.68
into the image of Jesus.
00:58:02.91\00:58:04.25
And we thank You.
00:58:04.28\00:58:05.61
In the precious and the
Holy name of Jesus, amen.
00:58:05.65\00:58:09.62