[ Congregation singing ]
>> Today we are blessed
with a wonderful gift from God,
the Bible.
This book is God's living word.
In its pages, we are told,
"For the word of God is living
and powerful, and sharper
than any two-edged sword."
It is in this book of books
that we find the answers
to all of men's questions
and need.
This morning, your area
Churches of Christ
welcome you to a program
committed to that perfect
law of liberty.
[ Singing continues ]
As we present "The Living Word."
[ Singing continues ]
Now here is your host,
Ray Sullins.
>> Jesus once proclaimed,
"If you love me,
keep my commandments."
Are you obeying
the commandments of God today?
We do thank you for joining us
on this Lord's Day,
and what a privilege it is
that we'll have time to spend
together in the study
of God's perfect word.
Also, we're happy that you have
chosen to give this day to God
and for the opportunity that we
have to glorify our Creator.
Therefore,
may we each do our part
to make this time acceptable
in his sight
and according
to his perfect will.
As we approach our father's
throne at this time,
will you bow with me in prayer?
Our God and Father in Heaven,
we are so thankful for this,
another day of life and the
great privileges and blessings
that we have as your children
to be those
who certainly are able to be
recipients of all of your love.
And, Father, we ask this day
that you will help us
to give you our very best
as we strive to worship you
and to lift up your holy name
according to your commandments.
And, Father, may we do everything that we do
exactly as you have asked,
that we might always be found
pleasing in your sight.
And, Father,
we also ask at this time
that you'll give us not
only a good day of worship,
but lives that are committed
to being lights in this world
that we might again do all that
we do in word and deed
according to your perfect will.
In Jesus' name, we pray.
Amen.
It's time to start our songs
of praise this morning.
We want to begin
with a song
that reminds us of the great
price paid for our salvation.
Furthermore, the fact is,
Jesus shed his blood
that we might have eternal life.
So won't you join in with
the congregation at this time
as we sing together
"There Is Power In The Blood."
>> Would you be free
from the burden of sin? 
 There's power in the blood,
power in the blood 
 Would you o'er evil
a victory win? 
 There's wonderful power
in the blood 
 There is power, power,
wonder working power 
 In the blood of the Lamb 
 There is power, power,
wonder working power 
 In the precious blood
of the Lamb 
 Would you be free from
your passion and pride? 
 There's power in the blood,
power in the blood 
 Come for a cleansing
to Calvary's tide 
 There's wonderful power
in the blood 
 There is power, power,
wonder working power 
 In the blood of the Lamb 
 There is power, power,
wonder working power 
 In the precious blood
of the Lamb 
 Would you do service
for Jesus your King? 
 There's power in the blood,
power in the blood 
 Would you live daily
His praises to sing? 
 There's wonderful power
in the blood 
 There is power, power,
wonder working power 
 In the blood of the lamb 
 There is power, power,
wonder working power 
 In the precious blood
of the Lamb 
>> The Bible is full of examples
and comments
which often make us think
that we are right
before God or even acceptable,
when the reality is we're not
proper before him at all.
I remember a verse in Matthew
in which our Lord deals
with this very idea.
Read with me from Matthew
seven and verse 21.
There the Bible says,
"Not everyone who says
to me, 'Lord, Lord,'
shall enter
the kingdom of heaven,
but he who does the will
of my father in heaven.
And many will say to me
in that day, 'Lord, Lord,
have we not prophesied
in your name,
cast out demons in your name,
and done many wondrous
works in your name?'
And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you.
Depart from me,
you who practice lawlessness.'"
Notice in this reading
that many of us again
are like those in it
who believe that we are right
and declaring, "Lord, Lord,"
yet at the same time,
according to the will of God,
we are not.
Here these followers
were even doing the things
at times in the name of God,
and some of those things
might have even been
according to his will.
However, it is obvious
that they were not completely
doing what was right
and that they were
lacking in something
because the Lord said,
"Depart from me."
And He went so far as to add
"you who practice lawlessness."
That means things
against the law, or even sin.
John understood this same idea
in the statement
that he makes in 1 John
chapter two and verse nine.
There we read,
"He who says he is the light
and hates his brother
is in darkness until now.
Someone may say
that he is of the light
and a good follower
of God or Christ,
yet he hates his brother."
You see what John says?
That individual
is actually in darkness.
The point of these scriptures
is that we might realize
that it does matter
what we do and say in life
and whether we are obeying
the will of God or not.
You see, God judges
everything according to his will
as found
in the word of God.
And just as we have read above,
the one who does the will
of the Father in heaven
is the one that is found
acceptable before God.
In other words,
doing what God's want --
God wants in God's way.
This idea can finally be seen
in the Book of Revelation
as we again find the words
of our Lord
recorded there in chapter two
and verse ten of that book.
The Bible says,
"Be faithful unto death
and I will give you
a crown of life."
True love for God
and Christianity
depends on our willingness
to do the commandments of God
and to be found faithful
until the day we die.
However, as we have read,
we see that we are those
who must make the effort,
who must do what God asks
in order to receive the promise,
which is ultimately
the crown of life.
So let me ask you,
are you giving your all to God
and following his will today?
If not, why not repent
and make sure
that you give yourself
fully to him even now.
This morning we'll be
continuing our discussion,
which is based on the works
of the flesh
found in Galatians chapter five.
Our specific lesson
of the morning is entitled Envy.
So please stay with us,
and in a few minutes,
I will return with this study
from God's word.
Now it's time to join in
the second song of the morning.
The name of the hymn --
"I'll Live For Him."
>>  My life, my love
I give to Thee 
 Thou Lamb of God
Who died for me 
 O may I ever faithful be 
 My Savior and my God! 
 I'll live for Him
Who died for me 
 How happy then
my life shall be 
 I'll live for Him
Who died for me 
 My Savior and my God! 
 I now believe
Thou dost receive 
 For Thou has died
that I might live 
 And now henceforth
I'll trust in Thee 
 My Savior and my God! 
 I'll live for Him
Who died for me 
 How happy then
my life shall be 
 I'll live for Him
Who died for me 
 My Savior and my God! 
 O Thou Who died on Calvary 
 To save my soul
and make me free 
 I'll consecrate my life
to Thee 
 My Savior and my God! 
 I'll live for Him
Who died for me 
 How happy then
my life shall be 
 I'll live for Him
Who died for me 
 My Savior and my God 
>> We're so glad that you've
continued with us this day
now as we return to God's word
and continue to consider
a series
which is of
the utmost importance,
maybe sometimes
not the most popular
because it is of maybe
a negative nature
as the world would see it.
But from the one who loves God
and the standpoint
of the righteous of God,
certainly these things
are only reminders of what it is
that we are trying
to stay away from, these sins
that even as the text itself
clearly indicates in Galatians,
chapter five would keep us
from the Kingdom of God
or the inheritance
of the Kingdom of God.
And so because of that,
we need to understand
not only the words in general,
but we've been trying throughout
this series for several months
to look at a very deep study
of these words,
to really know what type
of character we need
and also therefore
what type of character
we need to stay away
from there.
Today we continue
to look in verse 21,
beginning as we look at another
one of the works of the flesh.
And one of those works
specifically is envy.
As I have been making mention
throughout the series,
we are obviously talking
about an active word, "works."
Those things that are done.
It's a choosing.
So these sins of the flesh
aren't something that
just kind of happen
or that we're forced to do.
These are things that we choose.
They are works.
They're things that we actually
choose to engage in
that pertain to the flesh.
And therefore, today what
we begin to look at is envy,
which certainly is one
that has a great effect
not only on the individual,
but really on the way that
they perceive and treat others.
And certainly we know that Jesus
said that we should be those
who are striving to treat others
as we would want to be treated.
He also said there
in Matthew 25
that we should treat others
as really we would
consider them as Christ.
In other words,
whatever we do,
we consider as if we're
doing it to Christ
so we treat others properly.
Now, with those things in mind,
then let's first define
the word envy.
What the word envy means here,
it's much more than jealousy.
The word that sometimes
we think of
is that I'm jealous of someone,
and jealousy certainly implies
something similar to envy,
because jealousy is that idea
that maybe we have looked
or we've seen some some benefit
that someone else has or some
ability and we don't have it,
and so therefore
we are jealous of that.
But envy really takes it
to the next step,
we might say,
or even a different level,
because again,
it is that concept of usually
having an underlying problem
of being jealous about someone
or something that someone again
has or some ability.
But then it goes farther because
there is some sort of spite
or grudge that is involved.
And if you were to look up
the original Greek word
based on what you find
in the Strong's Concordance,
it is defined as a strong
feeling or desire that really,
again, decays or sours
due to the influence of sin.
So you you have this feeling
or a desire against another
that really is creating
a sour attitude
or a decaying attitude,
a decaying relationship.
And again, that shows you that
you're moving away from someone
and maybe even trying to harm
someone with words and actions
because you are spiteful
and you have a grudge.
We've all used the concept
or even today
are aware of the concept
of someone
who maybe is angry
at another person
and they do something
out of spite.
And you might have yourself
told somebody before,
"Well, you just did that
out of spite."
Well, we know what that means.
You just did that because
you've been holding a grudge.
And I don't even know
you were holding the grudge.
Well, you see, again,
that is that foundation,
that meaning of envy.
And then another application
I found very interesting
is this --
to be glad at someone else's misfortune or even pain.
So not only does envy
have that concept
of really decay or souring,
but when I do something
or really consider
that I'm really hating
my brother,
which is a sin, obviously,
then I really am happy
when I see them in pain.
I'm happy when I see
that they have misfortune
because it makes me feel better
because I envy them.
Oh, my.
I think you can begin to see
that everything about this word
is bad, is negative,
is something
that we can't have any part in,
not only because it's amongst
the list
of the works of the flesh,
not only because it says
that those who practice envy
will not inherit
the Kingdom of God,
but because what we also know
is that the word itself
is an ungodly characteristic
or attitude
that is unacceptable for one
who is a Christian.
Let's turn back in our Bibles
to the book of Romans
because there in
the book of Romans chapter one
after we see the introduction
in the book by Paul
to the Roman Christians
and we even see there
the laying down
of some of the concepts
of righteousness and wrath,
there begins to be some warnings
later in that same chapter.
And if you look with me
there around verse 28,
he begins to say,
"And there were those in Rome
and in the Roman world,
and most likely the church
having been affected.
They were even doing things
against God,
great lascivious acts
and sinful sexual acts."
And then in verse 28, it says,
"And even as they did not like
to retain God
in their knowledge,
God gave them over
to a debased mind
to do those things
which are not fitting."
See, the world,
like our society today,
starts making
their own morality,
their own ideas,
and they reject what God says
when he gives us
a list of things
that are sinful or contrary
to nature or God itself.
And so they did not retain God.
They weren't interested
in what God said,
and they really wanted to do
what they wanted to do
no matter what, according to what was fitting to them,
and no longer
what was fitting to God.
And now notice what he begins
to say there in verse 29.
"They were filled
with all unrighteousness
and sexual immorality
and wickedness
and covetousness, maliciousness."
And then it says,
"Even full of envy."
The list goes on all the way
through verse 31
of so many other sinful things,
worldly things,
and even on Christlike
spiritual matters
that they were not following
or engaged in.
And then notice with me,
verse 32,
"Knowing the righteous
judgment of God
that those who practice such
things are deserving of death
or those who practice
or approve of such things."
So what is Paul saying here
amongst the whole list?
It's actually almost
a lengthier list
than what we have
in the description
because of the way it covers
multiple areas,
lengthier than what we find
in Galatians chapter five.
But amongst this list is envy.
You see, they were no longer
going to do
what was fitting to the Lord.
They chose, they desired
to be envious.
But then even further,
he says that they who practice
these things would be judged
by God accordingly,
or even those who approve of it.
Do you have any friends that are
caught up in bitterness and envy
and holding grudges
and being spiteful?
Guess what happens when you
condone that in your friends
and you allow your friends
to participate in such?
Well, you've done
against what God says.
You are taking part
in the sin.
You are condoning the sin
like many of these other sins
that we have
already covered as well.
You see, we must have
no part in envy.
What about in the Bible?
We find many examples of envy.
One I'd like to go to quickly
is found there in Matthew 27.
This is near the end
of Jesus' life
when he was actually leading up
to the crucifixion itself.
And we remember there
that some things
were transpiring.
Specifically here,
what is happening is that they
have been brought before Pilate
and now the decision
is trying to be made --
"Will I release Jesus
or will I release Barabbas?"
And you remember,
Barabbas was a thief.
And yet they kept saying,
"Crucify Jesus,
crucify Jesus."
I want you to notice what it was
that it says was the motive.
What was the motive
behind the council
and all the Jewish people
who were crying out,
"Crucify him,
crucify him"?
Well, the motive is found
in verse 18 of Matthew 27,
and it is here -- for he knew
that they had handed him over
because of --
guess what -- envy.
What did Pilate know?
The only reason
that these leaders
and the Jews were after Jesus,
they were jealous because the
people and the crowds loved him,
for he was a righteous man.
He was doing the will of God,
preaching the will of God,
and even performing
great wonders and miracles
in the name of God
that benefited the people.
And what were they?
Jealous to the point of envy.
They were spiteful.
They held a grudge.
They were joyous in his beatings
and his misfortune.
And they really had
a relationship
that had caused decay
and had soured against
even Jesus Christ,
the Messiah himself.
You see, it begins to play out
as really what these grudges
are all about.
But not only there,
but what about also there
in the Old Testament,
in Genesis chapter 37.
I think one of the most familiar
examples of envy is found there,
when Joseph was about to be
taken prisoner by his brothers.
But before that happened,
you might recall with me,
after his father
had shown him some favoritism
and then eventually Joseph
begins to have these dreams,
as we might remember
in Genesis 37,
when he told his brothers
and his father that "someday
the moon and the stars
will all bow down to me."
And the brothers said, "Father,
do you not realize
that he is saying that we are
going to bow down to him
and you are even going
to bow down to him?"
Do you remember what it was
that motivated them
when they were hating him
and jealous
and eventually seized him
and threw him in a pit
and sold him into slavery?
Verse 11 of Genesis 37.
"And his brothers envied him.
But the father kept
these matters in mind."
You see,
it was that matter of envy.
So, what we really
begin to understand,
which is almost
a little bit scary, really,
in my -- from my perspective
or my mindset in these things,
what we begin to see
is that envy
really generally leads people
to ungodly acts.
It led the people,
in Jesus' case, to doing what?
To crucifying him.
They had got so lathered up
and bothered over the situation
and the leaders
had worked them up that they,
no matter what, were going
to see his blood and his death
because of it,
because of envy.
You see what envy can lead to?
Maybe sometimes we say,
"Well, I didn't go that far.
I didn't kill him."
We'll be looking
at murder next week.
But the idea --
"I didn't kill him."
Well, maybe you did
murder from the heart.
You did hate.
You did act spitefully.
You did decay.
You did find joy
in misfortune of others.
And the same true with Joseph.
Can you imagine the pleas
that he gave to his brothers
and the tears and the cries
as he was sold into slavery?
And yet, because of their envy,
their bitterness,
their spite, their grudge,
they even were ready
to kill him.
Fortunately, there were
some calmer voices
like Reuben and Judah
that kept him from being
murdered by his brothers.
Or they would have
murdered him because of envy.
We've got to be careful
with envy, my brethren.
But then finally,
let's end our discussion
back in the New Testament
in Philippians chapter one,
because once again,
we find this word here
mentioned by Paul
to the church at Philippi
as he challenges them again
to understand
that there were those even
in the church misbehaving
themselves because they were
being motivated by envy.
Do you notice that?
Notice that with me.
The whole context,
if we had time,
would be important,
starting around verse 12
of chapter one.
But look with me
in verse 15.
He said,
"Some indeed preach Christ
even from envy and strife,
and some from goodwill."
He says some preachers
are honest preachers,
but some preachers will actually
get up and use the pulpit
and the proclamation of
the Gospel of Christ with envy.
With what? With strife
and division in their hearts.
What have we already learned
about these things?
That person will not only
never see the Kingdom of God.
That person
will be punished by God
and lose their soul eternally.
So let me challenge us as those
who love God to understand
that we want no part of being
jealous and bitter and envious
or seeing or feeling joy
in the misfortune of others,
or desiring
to have relationships
that are not according to
the relationship of Christ,
but allowing those to decay.
We want no part in those things.
But rather we want to have
the love that Christ has for us.
And remember what He was willing
to do for you and me?
Forgive us of all of our sins.
Are you willing to get
right with God today
and make sure that
in all things your character
gives him glory and honor
and therefore you will
be blessed today
and blessed eternally
in his name?
 How shall the young
secure their hearts 
 And guard their lives
from sin? 
 Thy Word
the choicest rules imparts 
 To keep the conscience clean 
 To keep the conscience clean,
the conscience clean 
 To keep the conscience clean 
 'Tis, like the sun,
a heav'nly light 
 That guides us all the day 
 And through the dangers
of the night 
 A lamp to lead our way 
 A lamp to lead our way,
a lamp to lead our way 
 Thy Word is
everlasting truth 
 How pure is every page! 
 That holy Book
shall guide our youth 
 And well support our age 
 And well support our age,
and well support our age 
>> Let me thank you again
for choosing to be
with us this day
for "The Living Word" program.
I hope and trust that together
we have all benefited
from this time
in service to the Lord.
And let me invite you back
every Lord's Day morning at 7:30
as we give this time
to our Creator.
But for now, let me ask
if you have any questions
or comments
about today's lesson.
Maybe you'd like a transcript
or a CD or DVD of the program,
or possibly we could assist you
with free Bible materials
or free Bible
correspondence courses.
No matter what your need is,
please feel free to contact us
at the following address --
"The Living Word,"
2540 North Kansas Expressway,
Springfield, Missouri, 65803.
Many of these items are also
available on our website.
That address --
TheLivingWordProgram.com.
Or if you prefer, you may
call us at (417) 869-2284.
May we never allow envy
to creep into our hearts
and keep us from
treating others as we should.
Remember that the servant of God
loves God first and all men.
Therefore, we must not
be envious
towards those of this world
or towards those of the church.
>> Our prayer is to help
the world know more
about God through
this television program.
"The Living Word"
has been brought to you
under the oversight of the elders of the Kansas Expressway
Church of Christ
in Springfield, Missouri,
with the assistance
of the following area
Churches of Christ.
[ Congregation singing ]