Bible, Bros & Brew
Bible, Bros, & Brew is all about helping you navigate your relationship with God in practical, real-life ways. Hosts David and Phil dig into scripture—'chopping up the word'—and bring it to life with insights you can actually use every day. And while they’re at it, they share their favorite 'brews'—don’t worry, it’s not booze! Just a solid lineup of classic coffees and teas to keep the conversations flowing.
Bible, Bros & Brew
Walking in the Spirit: Understanding the Sins of Animosity | Bible, Bros & Brew
In Galatians 5:19-21, Paul outlines several actions and mindsets that comprise what he calls "the works of the flesh". Within this 17-item list there exists a handful of sins that are characterized by the idea of animosity. In this latest installment of our series titled "Walking in the Spirit", David & Phil take a deep dive into what these sins of animosity are all about, and offer insights from the scriptures to help you recognize as well as prevent them from taking hold in your life.
gotbrew@biblebros.net
Hey everybody and welcome to this episode of Bible Bros and Brew. We've been talking about Galatians, chapter 5, and specifically over the last few weeks we've been talking about the works of the flesh. This week we're going to continue and talk specifically about the groupings of that works of the flesh that we call the sins of animosity. Now, you're going to enjoy this because there's some real strong stuff in here, but I also want you to be encouraged, because this information isn't designed to weigh us down and leave us there. We're going to be able to flip this on the right side and help ourselves as we journey with Christ. Up next on Bible Bros and Bro. Hey everybody and welcome to Bible Bros and Brew. I'm David, the guy down at the bottom is John, and the guy that just flew into the screen out of nowhere like a bird hitting somebody in the face on a roller coaster ride, was Phillip Rich, the one and only Phillip Rich.
Speaker 1:How are you guys doing tonight?
Speaker 3:Doing good man.
Speaker 4:Doing well. I narrowly avoided a coffee disaster. Y'all don't even know what just happened, but we'll talk about it in a few minutes.
Speaker 1:All right. Well, we're glad everybody's joined us. Tonight we're continuing our conversation in Galatians, chapter 5, specifically down in verse 16 through, I believe, 26, the end of the chapter, and so we've been talking about walking in the Spirit and now we're specifically talking about what the opposite of that looks like and some of the outpourings of the opposite. So we've been talking. Last week we talked about the sins of sexual immorality, the sins of immorality, which includes sexual immorality and things related to that. Then we talked last week a little bit more about sexual immorality, but then or sins of immorality, but then we also talked about the sins of idolatry, which is where both idolatry and witchcraft hang out at, and that was a pretty interesting conversation.
Speaker 1:This week we're going to talk about the sins of animosity, and before we drink some coffee, let me tell you what the word animosity means. Animosity is a strong feeling of dislike or hatred, often accompanied by ill will or resentment, that can lead to active hostility. It can exist between individuals, groups or even countries. So that's a mouthful, so I'll probably read it again, but just remember it's a strong feeling of dislike or hatred that's often accompanied by ill will. And you know what I've always learned ill will, resentment, all of that stuff tends to lead people to want to act out on it, and so much of what we're going to see tonight is about people acting out on that hostility, strong feeling of dislike, ill will and resentment. So we're teeing up a good one for you tonight, but before we do, let's dig into the cup first and let's find out what's in the cup for everybody. Phil, since you had the near disaster, we'll start with you and hear how you made it to the table with your brew.
Speaker 4:Well, I wanted to highlight a new cold brew that I've never tried and that was my whole thing was. I'm going to try this for the first time on the air live. It's going to be awesome. This is something called La Colombe Draft Latte Mocha with cold brew with milk. I figured it'd be pretty cool.
Speaker 1:That looks extremely interesting.
Speaker 4:Yeah, man, I'm thinking it's going to be cool man. So just out of habit I shook the can because you know whatever. Oh my God the can because you know, whatever, Right before we started airing it I popped the tab and all of a sudden it's like this foam starts. I said, man, I'm about to have a huge disaster in the office here, so I had to run out and get it all squared away. So it was through many toils and snares that I bring you this cold brew tonight.
Speaker 1:All right, go ahead and take that first taste, so we can find out about it.
Speaker 4:The inaugural sip. Let's try it. It's good, that's good man. Holy smoke. That is good Again, mocha dude, yes, yes, okay, chocolaty, even a little caramel-ish, if you will. So this is beautiful man. So, yes, please try out some.
Speaker 1:Where'd you find that I?
Speaker 3:was just about to ask, yeah it was.
Speaker 4:I don't know if you, I don't know how many of these stores there are, but there's a place called the Fresh Market and it's like a smaller size grocery store, kind of like a Trader Joe's-ish situation, you know. But it's in Peachtree City and so I spotted this on the shelf last night. I was like dude, I got to try this man.
Speaker 3:So, you're such a bougie name dropper.
Speaker 4:I don't know if your neighborhood has one, but Right, that's so lame, I don't know.
Speaker 1:If you know, you know, you know you just three-time name dropped. You Make you feel like you're not good enough. But you are good enough. Jesus loves you and it doesn't matter that you don't live in Peachtree City, where they drive around in golf carts only.
Speaker 4:I know right, good Lord man. Full disclosure. We live next to Peachtree City.
Speaker 1:We live close enough to pretend.
Speaker 4:Exactly there you go.
Speaker 1:No, good, good. I like that, phil. What about you, john? What are you drinking?
Speaker 3:Tonight I'm sticking with something simple.
Speaker 1:If you bring out a black rifle, cup of espresso cam, I'm going to shoot you.
Speaker 3:Well, it's not in a can, just kidding. I wish I could have more detail, but all the K-Cup said was cherry, and I'm not going to lie to you. It has strong flavors of cherry, which I do have a sweet tooth, if you don't know. I have a sweet tooth, and so when you say stuff like cherry coffee, but just because it's a simple coffee, I had to give it a nice little complicated mug. Of course, if you also haven't noticed, I have some star wars paraphernalia. Um, this that's what I'm drinking. Uh, what about you, mr david, what you got in your cup?
Speaker 1:you know, I think it takes a special person to drink a cherry coffee it's.
Speaker 4:It's not something you come across every day, that's for sure.
Speaker 1:So um no, it's an acquired. It's an acquired taste of all the places that I might want to taste a cherry I can tell you that in my coffee isn't necessarily one of them I I I'm a huge sucker for cherry.
Speaker 3:I'll admit it. I know it's say whatever. If Ryan was here I'm sure he'd call me cute but it does taste good. It's not like a super overwhelmingly sweet flavor. It still tastes like coffee, but it has it's a sweet like black coffee. I don't know. I don't know how else to describe it.
Speaker 4:I'm not gonna lie to you no are you a fan of cherry coke and cherry dr pepper and all you?
Speaker 1:like it, and I say that with great confidence to all you other weirdos out there drinking your cherry coat. So tonight I am going in a different way from all of these guys and I am pulling out for you the Red Barn, butterscotch.
Speaker 3:Nicely done.
Speaker 1:But you know, as I think I said before, I haven't had this in a while, which is why I'm having to do this. And then, phillip, I'm also going through a little bit of a life's dilemma. I am having to throw away most of my Peregrine and some of my other coffees, because I've got all these coffees and I pick one up here, I see something there, and now they've all. Some of them have sat so long. Um, you get mold in them. And just in case you, just in case you don't know, your coffee can mold, yeah, so you do want to smell it.
Speaker 1:You want to make sure that it's still fresh and ready to go. You do want to smell it. You want to make sure that it's still fresh and ready to go for you. These I've let sit too long and so I've had to do some house cleaning on them. But I pulled out the Red Barn because I haven't had it in a while. It tastes good, but it doesn't taste heavily butterscotch. If you've ever had a butterscotch candy, don't expect that from it. Okay.
Speaker 1:Expect hints of it. It may be something that feels a little more caramelly. Okay, all right, that's what's in the cup. Now let's dig into the word. So tonight we've been talking about, or over the last couple of weeks we've been talking about, galatians 5, and I want to jump right in by reading out of the King James Version where we've been so far Galatians 5, chapter 16, verse 16.
Speaker 1:Galatians, chapter 5, verse 16, says this I say then walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. So again, remember, there's the war going on between the flesh and the spirit. Both of them want control, but you are the decider of which one gets control, but they can't walk side by side. These are not buddies, they are not friends. So you are put in a position where you have to make a choice about which way you're going to live. It says, from verse 18, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envying, murders, drunkenness, revelings and such like, of the which I tell you before, as I've also told you in time past, that you which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. That's a significant statement there. Yes, it is.
Speaker 1:But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance. Against such there is no law, and they that are Christ have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. And if we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain or empty glory, provoking one another, envying one another. So we'll dig into what that means. But where we left off was way back up in verse 20, I believe, and we finished off with idolatry and witchcraft last week. And so, as I said, we're going to pick up with what are called the sins of animosity, and the sins of animosity starts with hatred. That's appropriate. Why not just go for the juggernaut right off the bat? Right.
Speaker 1:And I just want to talk about it. Before I even do that, Philip, is there anything, as you think back over the last couple of weeks, that you just want to tack on here that may be beneficial or helpful or a good reminder for us?
Speaker 4:I think the beginning part of that whole passage up in verse 16, when it talks about how you've got the desires of the flesh versus the desires of the spirit and how they're always contrary to each other, and I wanted to just kind of bring back that point or that idea from a commentary I'd read where it says that the picture that's given in the Greek, like when you read it in the Greek translation, is this idea of two armies in like trench warfare against each other.
Speaker 1:And.
Speaker 4:I love that whole picture. In my mind it's like each side refuses to give up any ground. You know, and it's a matter like david said right at the beginning, a matter of um, which way are you going to choose? And the the issue that we run into a lot of times is that we will often choose the one that we feed the most right. If you, if you're doing things that kind of feed the flesh or, and you're, you're giving into things that are uh, you know, selfish desires all the time, things like that, then you're probably going to go the way of the works of the flesh. But if you're filling your spirit with God's word, you're staying connected to him through prayer, through fellowship, through praise, through connection with other believers, like-minded people, then you're probably going to be more spiritually strong, and so you'll start leaning that way instead.
Speaker 4:But there's always this battle that's going on, and you know the toughest part of it, if you want to put it that way, is the battle to be consistent. It's not easy. You know there's nothing about this Christian walk that's just like a breeze. You know we have to put in, you know, the effort and use our powers in. You know the the effort and the use our powers of decision to really go those right ways. Um, and then, of course, as soon as we make our mind up and say we're going to do this, then the Holy spirit is right there to to help us and back us up and give us the grace and the spiritual strength we need to be able to carry it out. So just um, a little thought there. Uh there, the trench warfare thing kind of really came back to me when I saw that a couple minutes ago.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's good, philip. You know the Holy Spirit is also there even before beforehand. If you invite God into your life, he's there telling you go this way, join this team.
Speaker 4:That's right.
Speaker 1:You always have. The answer is always present. Yep, they're telling you go this way, join this team. That's right you always have?
Speaker 1:the answer is always present. Yep, it's always present, praise God. So, philip, when we talk about this word hatred, a couple of things I want to point out from the commentary is that, first of all, that this word hatred is the first of a grouping of nouns that Paul would mention, all of which prefer to the breakdown of interpersonal relationships. So we're, you know where there was. We talked about immorality and we talked about how particularly sexual immorality is a sin against the body, yeah, and now we move into this grouping of nouns where we're really dealing with interpersonal relationships and how people get along, interpersonal relationships and how people get along. And it even talks about here in the commentary that hatred or enmity is the opposite of love, which I think is an interesting perspective, since one of the fruit of the spirit is love, which lets you know that the fruit of the Spirit are all very interpersonal.
Speaker 1:That's good they're very relational in their communication, and so, as we look in this, paul also used the same word of hatred to describe the hostility of the sinful mind towards God Wow.
Speaker 1:So you see this used in multiple ways, but the specific forms this hatred can take and tearing down community life, paul would enumerate in the words to come. So, in the same way that it's almost like and we'll talk about this when we get there it's like love is the primary fruit of the Spirit and the others are born of it. I think what the commentary here is saying that I find interesting is that hatred works in the same way.
Speaker 4:Wow.
Speaker 1:And that hatred is the foundation and pouring out of hatred is all of this other stuff, all of this discord and this disdain and dislike for your brothers and sisters in Christ and just people in general. What's your thought, Phil?
Speaker 4:Yeah, I was just thinking based on the. I looked up that definition of enmity because when you look at the Strong's Concordance for that word hatred, it's G2189, and it's the word that means hostility or enmity. I had to kind of remind myself what enmity meant. I had to go to Google and find it. It says it's the state or feeling of being actively opposed or hostile to someone or something.
Speaker 4:So it's a state of being in opposition to something, or a state of being in opposition to something or a feeling of being in opposition to something, and so we find that a lot in the world today. You know, and I do think the word hate does get misused a lot, you know now it's like if you disagree with anyone about anything, it's you hate me. You know it's that kind of thing. It's like that's not necessarily hate. You know, hate in this context here is talking about an active opposition to something. You know, because you can have disagreements with people.
Speaker 4:I might be jumping ahead, so just forgive me, it might be the cold brew, but you can have disagreements with people, or I don't know how to put it Just may not be compatible with certain people, but not be actively opposed to them, if that makes sense, right? It's like you hold no hard feelings against them, you're not mad at them, you're not anything. It's just you know that you're going this way and they're going that way and that's just going to be the end of that, and I think that you don't want to misconstrue something like that as being hate. In this context, hatred is talking about you actively oppose and are hostile, actively towards someone or something towards someone or something.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and you know what's so wild, philip, is that, if we could, can we just have a side conversation on the point, and it is that this is where I fear our world is right now and why we have to combat this as Christians, and it's because I believe that there is just a there is a true and genuine hatred that is holding and taking hold of the hearts of people. And I mean, if we just talk it straight out, tell somebody you love Trump.
Speaker 4:See what happens. See what happens, even if you don't mean it just see what happens.
Speaker 1:Say to somebody something like all lives matter or black lives matter or blue lives matter. You know, say to someone I war that we're fighting, that everybody is taking up a position in some corner somewhere. Yeah. And then not even willing to see things soberly. No.
Speaker 1:It's just attack, it's talking point, it's just moving beyond and it's you know. You don't even know me, but you say, oh, that guy does Black Lives Matter. We don't talk to him and you hold me in disdain without ever knowing me Right. And you put me in disdain without ever knowing me Right.
Speaker 1:And you put me in with that group of people. And I often fear, philip, that one of the things that's happening through the hatred that is willfully pouring out of the hearts of people is that what they don't see is you're not joining a group, you're working through a series of steps of isolation. I'm part of this group over here. Well, they're kind of weird. Yes, I believe that all lives matter, but I also believe in this kind of thing over here for the gays, and then I believe in this kind of thing over here for black people. And I believe this.
Speaker 1:And before you know it, you've created just this series of steps that leaves you just as isolated as everybody else and you're on an island fighting a battle that you think everybody else is on board with you and they're not. And remember isolation's intent. We've learned this, I think, back when we talked about idolatry and a couple of other series. Isolation's intent is to destroy you, because once the enemy gets you by yourself, then you're easy prey, because once the enemy gets you by yourself then you're easy prey.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. And so I'm genuinely, philip, concerned that hatred in all of its ways, because now we'll see, when it talks about murders, you know, you see that hatred had to be a part of that, absolutely, when you see about some of this wild stuff going on, hatred had to be a part of that, and the Scripture is pre-warning us of it yeah yeah, absolutely man.
Speaker 4:And at the end of the day, a person with that type of thing in their heart cannot be operating in the fruit of the Spirit, can't be operating in the love of God. You just can't. But, philip, you know what, though?
Speaker 1:How many Christians are both operating? I mean, you literally have churches right now they don't even like one another because they're like oh, you're a white nationalist church because you say you're patriots, but we're African Methodist Episcopal over here. And then this church over here has the gay pastor and you know every. I mean it's wild out in these streets. It's literally wild out here. So church people who think that they are walking in the spirit and not fulfilling the lust of the flesh have no different outcome than every other person operating in hatred. That's right. That's right, it's crazy.
Speaker 1:And I'm not saying that everybody's operating in hatred.
Speaker 4:I'm talking about people who are effusing the spirit of hatred that this work of the flesh that's clearly manifesting in people's lives, we're seeing, yeah, yeah, and you know, a scripture came to me a few minutes ago, the Matthew 24, when Jesus said because iniquity shall abound, the love of many will wax cold. And I really feel like that's where we are. Is that we're at a place where, because iniquity is abounding, there's all manner of crazy stuff going on right now, some of which I don't know, that has been done before in human history. It's just, or at least on the scale, that is being done now. I can say that Because the way the world has gone, the trend towards moral bankruptcy and moral deterioration because of that happening, the love of many is waxing cold, meaning it's starting to grow cold. And so what happens when the love grows cold? That's the prime opportunity for a hatred and hostility to come in, and this is what we see. It's like hatred and hostility are filling that vacuum, right?
Speaker 1:Right, that's good, philip, that's good.
Speaker 4:Not good man I mean.
Speaker 1:Well, thank you, and you know the other. It's also the answer to this. Look, the answer is there. Walk in the spirit, yeah, and you will not fulfill the appetites, the cravings, the desires of the flesh. The answer is there. So that tells us there can only be one of two outcomes Spirit or flesh. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:And yeah, this is a good one to start with. And I'll tell you also, philip, until I saw that in the commentary, I didn't see hatred as being that lead off Right, yeah, right yeah. Like if you're reading in a new living or something like that, you're probably getting a more broke down uh version of that uh. And then does it say variants in the new living as well could be a new living uh to refer to john for that yeah, let's see the new living, says. The New Living says Quarreling, quarreling.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. And if you look at the Strong's Concordance, remember. Now I just want to tell you something. Remember, we want you to study with us, right? Yes, so one of the ways I'm able to dig around so quickly in a few of these tools is because I'm using BibleHub and I'm looking at the Strong's King James Version for my translation and because I'm looking at that, you see how all the words are highlighted in blue. That means I can click on those words and it takes me to the Strong's Concordance to understand what that word means.
Speaker 1:So when I click on variance there after hatred, then I see, ok, what variance is really meaning is strife, discord, contention, wrangling, deriving from a root word, meaning to strive or to quarrel. And then it goes on to say while there's no direct equivalent to eris. Similar concepts can be found in words like. I'm going to just take a shot at this maiden meaning strife or contention, and rib meaning dispute or controversy. The Greek word eros refers to a state of conflict, disagreement or rivalry. It is often used in the New Testament to describe interpersonal conflicts and divisions within communities, particularly within the context of the early Christian church. The term conveys a sense of contentiousness and a spirit of rivalry that disrupts harmony and unity. Wow.
Speaker 4:Wow, you know it's interesting, david. The thing that comes to me is a scripture in Proverbs and I hate that. I don't remember exactly which one it is, but in the King one it is. But in the King James it says only by pride comes contention, only by pride comes contention. And so, in one way or the other, if there is contention, there is pride present to some degree. It may be in one or both people that are button heads, but there's always pride involved when there is this type of hostility, quarreling and contention, and it's basically the idea that my way is right, I'm looking at it the right way. You know, whatever you say, I'm just going to stop my ears because it's wrong and not having that, I guess, like that humility of heart to just at least listen to the other side.
Speaker 4:That is sad when things get like that. But honestly, david, what you were talking about earlier, with these different little groups that we splintered off into, with these little, you know, I mean it could be over anything. We have groups based on politics where people have splintered off. We have groups based on generation wars, you know, the boomers versus the zoomers and all this stuff like that, and even the, of course, the male versus females, the gay versus. There's even strife within certain, like the trans versus the turfs, and all this. There's stuff everywhere, man, and all this stuff everywhere man, and it just to me it's like the hallmark or the sign of this time is just this constant contention and everybody getting off into their small little groups and fighting each other, dying on these little tiny hills, you know.
Speaker 1:And it's Literally becoming rivals.
Speaker 4:Yes, absolutely. And to me, if you're a Christian, especially in getting're in that kind of a place where you're fighting your brother or sister in Christ over political stuff. That ought not to be.
Speaker 1:It also reminds me how, in Philippians 1.15, paul talks about some indeed, preach Christ even of envy and strife and some also of goodwill. Yeah. So that envy or strife there also refers to envy and rivalry. Yes.
Speaker 1:And so there you see, once again, even in preaching, in these cases, their preaching wasn't for the benefit of glory and God, but was in rivalry. Yet God says I'll do something good even with that. Come on, man, he's so good and that's how some people answer. Well, how can all of the or some people ask the question, how can some of these preachers preach and do the stuff that they do? And it seem like everything's okay. And I'm going to tell you, first of all, it's the grace of God. Yeah.
Speaker 1:It's pure grace, yeah of God, yeah, it's pure grace. But it's God saying that, even in envying and rivalry, even in bad behavior, for the sake of my sheep, I will find a way to make what they say, or part of what they say, beneficial to them. And I'm going to give you a personal, philip. I'm thinking out loud now. I'm in an epiphany right now, so pull me in.
Speaker 4:Let it flow, man, let it flow.
Speaker 1:I don't think that my old pastor was intentionally an errant preacher by any means he's fantastic but there were things that he preached that at the time I accepted. But later on, as I studied and dug into the word more, I began to see it differently. Right. And as I began to see it differently, I believe the truth of God's word began to stand out, and now I hold on to the truth of God's word over that teaching that I had back then as what is true Right. Yes.
Speaker 1:But God didn't take me out of that church at that time because there was a little bit of error. You can chart. You can literally charge error up to human error. This is how I understand it and I'm giving it to you the best that I know how and when people are giving it to you the best that they know how. God is gracious and he'll bring you to a place that, as you grow with him and walk with him, he'll begin to open up the truth of all of that to you, so you can begin to see it as you ought to see it. So he didn't say so-and-so is a bad person. He just led me to a greater truth that helped me to understand it more deeply. Does that make sense, philip?
Speaker 4:Oh yeah, definitely, definitely. I think that sometimes you know we're both referring to the same preacher, I'm sure, but I think that certain things were probably overemphasized.
Speaker 4:That probably shouldn't have been, and it wasn't that it was wrong to say what was in the scripture, but the overemphasis on some of those things can create like a warped view of what they mean. And I think that's what we were probably dealing with. And I'm saying this especially in light of teaching on biblical prosperity, teaching on wealth and things like that, and there's a whole thing we could get off on with that. But I think that things like that, you know God, he obviously, you know he loves his ministers that stand in the pulpit every Sunday. I have no doubt about that. But he also knows that we're fallible. The Bible says in Psalm 103, he knows our frame, he remembers that we are dust, you know.
Speaker 4:And so there's times when you know things are said from pulpits that may not necessarily be 100% on target with what the scripture actually says. But this is why it's important for those of us who are, you know, the congregants, the ones sitting there listening, not just to take the preacher's word for it. You have to get your Bible and you have to find those scriptures yourself and you got to go. Okay, well, let me read what it says before that scripture. Let me read what it says after that scripture, Let me get a good feel for the context, Let me see who this audience was that was being spoken to, and let me really kind of dig into it and find out what this actually means. A recipe for disaster is just taking the preacher's word and not doing your own study and the Holy Ghost to help you to really get the essence of what's being said in the scriptures. Man.
Speaker 1:Right, I'll even tell you, philip and I have been at this for what? 30 years now, philip.
Speaker 4:Yes, I can't believe it.
Speaker 1:And just before we got on here we were digging into the thought and the concept that context really, really is key and to be able to put Scripture in its context, in light of what was happening in the church that day, there is so much light that can be shined on what Paul or what the Scripture was saying to us to better and more deeply understand it, so that we can better and more deeply live it. Yes, yes.
Speaker 1:You know, revelation isn't just for revelation, revelation is for the purpose of having a revelation and that revelation should change your life and, specifically, it should change how you walk with Jesus.
Speaker 1:Yes, and how you live in this world. That's right. But don't, yeah, yeah. But you see envy and rivalry there. And, philip, I just want to give you one other thing out of this commentary that I'm working my way through and, by the way, if you're interested, this is the New American commentary. It's a great commentary. It's the New American Commentary. It's a great commentary. It's the New American Commentary for the Book of Galatians that I'm reading some of this content from. If you're looking for a book that you want to grab to study along with, that's great. But it also says and going back to what you talked about with pride, philip it says what damage is done to the body of Christ when ministers of the gospel do not walk in the Spirit, but rather are pulled aside by petty bickering and pride. Wow.
Speaker 4:Wow, I see a lot of that now, and I know you probably have too, david. Youtube is a prime breeding ground for some of the most crazy spiritual wars going on between pastors.
Speaker 4:I mean, it's like you'll see one preacher on YouTube, my response to pastor so-and-so, and it's like all these back-and-forth things happening because of a doctrinal disagreement or some other thing like that, and and. But at the end of the day, all we see is strife, strife, contention, and I don't know how productive any of that stuff is, to be honest with you. But you know, we, we gotta be careful for this stuff because a lot of times there are contentions that happen, especially between ministers and different churches, out of things like envy, out of things like just rivalry, like competitive jealousy and things like that. It's not good man. None of that comes from God.
Speaker 4:That's why Paul had to rebuke the Corinthians in first Corinthians three. He said you know, what are y'all, what are y'all in a fuss about? You know, well, I was baptized by Paul. Oh yeah, well, I was baptized by Apollos, you know. And he's like dude, what are y'all talking about? You know, he said is Christ divided? You know, um, what are we doing here? You know, getting off into these factions over who, which minister we sit under, like that makes any difference.
Speaker 4:You know it's silly, it's fleshly, it's carnal, it's immature. And we got to stop that stuff, man.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I think that's another great, that's another great call. I love the word factions. Yes.
Speaker 1:That's another great call. I love the word factions. Yes, that's just another way to say we split off and we're all in our corners with our flags and again, I hate to keep harping on it, but everybody thinks they're raising the Christian flag and they think their Christianity is better than that group's Christianity is better than that group's Christianity. And now we have I'll say a strong word a bastardized-looking Christianity in some places that actually brings more confusion to people's lives than it does clarity so that they can walk uprightly with the Lord.
Speaker 4:That's right and we ought to go, and learn what it means when Jesus said that does clarity so that they can walk uprightly with the Lord. That's right, and we ought to go and learn what it means when Jesus said they that are last shall be first and the first shall be last Right.
Speaker 1:You know which leads to. You know I'm about to get off track Just one more time, but you know it reminds me of what I'm reading in my devotional right now, and it's that the key is humility. Yes. Yes, I've come to a place, you guys, where I recognize I don't know anything about this word and I've been at it for 30 years.
Speaker 4:Brother, I'm right there with you, man, and I've been at it for 30 years, brother, I'm right there with you, man, I mean to be exact.
Speaker 1:Yes, I know some things and I've studied and dug into things and you know there have been times where I felt super strong in the word. But I've come to realize at any point where I think I'm more than I am, god can easily show up and say you don't understand this, you don't understand that. Bring yourself back down and be a student and stick with my word. That's good.
Speaker 1:And we've all got to stay humble and keep our place in Christ. And if we do that, keep our place in Christ, and if we do that, he'll pour out more than we're able to contain. But if you start getting prideful and full of yourself and all of that good stuff, it can't produce anything because it's an end road. It's an end road from the beginning. Dead end, dead end. You're not going anywhere. Nope.
Speaker 4:Oh go ahead, phillip. No ahead, no no you go, you go you go. Okay, sorry, I wanted to, um, pull up a scripture just popped in my head. Uh, john, if you could pull up first peter five, and I think it goes in line with what we're saying here. But, um, especially in light of this thing about humility, because I I do think in many cases that's what's lacking, like what you're saying. I mean, dude, I don't even know that I've fully grasped John 3.16, yet to be honest with you.
Speaker 4:Right, I'm serious man, you know, he's that awesome, you know? Um, okay, if we go down, let's go here to verse two. And this is Peter encouraging those who are elders in the church. And he says care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly and not for what you'll get out of it, but because you're eager to serve God. Right, and in verse three, don't lord it over the people assigned to your care. Good gosh, man, there's a whole thing to be discussed where that's concerned but lead them by your own good example, and when the great shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never ending glory and honor.
Speaker 4:Now verse five is where I want to kind of get to. In the same way, you who are younger must accept the authority of the elders. But then he says and all of you, all of you, which means the younger and the elders, all of you dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another. For God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble, for God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. No-transcript, and there's no kind of love and no kind of humility involved. It's just.
Speaker 4:I'll just put it this way. I've seen several situations, many of them at megachurch pastors where the general atmosphere of that ministry was one where the pastor was not even approachable, where they were more of a celebrity, if you want to call it that, and even staff members who've been working there for years. If they saw the pastor coming down the hall, they duck because they've been instructed not to say anything to the pastor, you know, unless they're spoken, and to me that is the most wrongheaded way to go about being a leader of an organization. How in the world could you distance yourself from people like that? That can only come from one place and that would be pride you know that is so backwards, isn't?
Speaker 4:it. It's completely backwards, man, you know, because it says here first Peter five is right there in the scripture Humble yourself. Everyone should relate to one another in humility. You know. Clothe yourself with humility, because God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. So I just, I don't know, man, I mean to take us too far off on the trail, but I just was thinking about that. You know, this is the way God wants us to interact with each other, no matter what your position is this is where we should be.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's good, philip, because you know now you got me thinking about the Gospels. Once again, humility shows up. Yeah, the Gospels, it tells you, when you're invited to a party or a dinner, don't just go up and take the foremost seat, right, Right but, but to sit in the back and be invited all the way up to the front. Come on, because when you do it that way, then you become an honored guest and others will see your favor.
Speaker 1:But when you but go sit in the back, don't go to run to the sit in the front. That's right. But what do we all do? We always run to try to get the best tables in the best places, and I mean that's if you're at a restaurant and all that good stuff and you want. I'm not saying that, but you see, kind of the perspective that Jesus has and the perspective is humility. There you go, it's humility. There you go.
Speaker 1:It's humility that's right. All right, let's take another word, philip, because we may be able to get this. This might be our last word of the night man. We've got to get fast, we've got to figure out a way. We can't do it? No, we don't, we just need to leave it be. Yeah, jesus has good timing. That's it. That's it. And the next word in here now is well, we've talked about hatred, we've talked about variance, which we realize is a form of what's the word?
Speaker 4:we just said Like quarreling yeah quarreling and rivalry. Yeah, there you go.
Speaker 1:The next word is emulations.
Speaker 4:That's fascinating.
Speaker 1:So, once again, john, if you click on that word emulations, it brings us over. John. If you'll click on that word emulations, it brings us over to the Strong's Concordance and it tells us that this word actually means zeal, jealousy, ardor and favor. So now, the first thing that you probably should be thinking or if you think like I think, is you realize that jealousy is not necessarily a bad thing.
Speaker 4:Right, right when it's in its proper place.
Speaker 1:Correct, because notice that one of the roots of this word is the word zeal.
Speaker 4:Right.
Speaker 1:You know, and so we saw Jesus talk about the zeal for his house in the Gospels. So all zeal isn't bad. It can also mean eagerness, enthusiasm, but it can mean jealousy and rivalry. And one of the things the commentary says is jealousy can be used in the Bible in a good sense to describe even God himself, but here a negative connotation is meant. So this is why you've got to put context together, because first of all, we know the context has to be a negative, because we're talking about the works of the flesh. So we know that Jesus didn't slip in something good here by way of Paul in this category of bad behaviors.
Speaker 1:Yes, it goes on to say a jealous person is someone who wants what other people have. A jealous pastor looks with envious eyes on the more prosperous church field of a neighboring minister. Jealousy often leads to bitterness and sometimes erupts into violence, as when Joseph's brother seized him in anger and sold him into slavery. Wow, I'll read one more part. At the root of all sentiments of jealousy is the basic posture oh God, let me reread it. At the root of all sentiments of jealousy is the basic posture of ingratitude to God, a failure to accept one's life as a gift from God. To envy what someone else has is to fling one's own gifts before God in unthankful rebellion and spite.
Speaker 4:My goodness.
Speaker 1:Good Lord. Let me read that last part again To envy what someone else has is to fling your own gifts before God in unthankful rebellion and spite Goodness.
Speaker 4:Wow, that is just that. I mean, I don't know that we can even add to that. That's gosh, If you think about it, man.
Speaker 1:Go ahead. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. No, I was just going to say I love the part that it says the basic posture of jealousy is in gratitude to God.
Speaker 4:It's like they're there, it's almost like they're inseparable, like you can't have jealousy without also being an unthankful person, right? I mean, it's like you know and I remember hearing I think it was Joseph Prince that said this. He said jealousy is when you think that God is blessing someone else at your expense.
Speaker 1:Wow.
Speaker 4:And I was like, wow, man, that's heavy. And I know that. I mean I've had times in my life where I was jealous here or there or whatever, and so I know the feeling. But it's always this thing of you feel like something's being taken away from you because someone else has something. That's kind of wild when you think about it, Because God is big enough and he's made his grace, is big enough to give everybody what they need. You know, instead of you thinking that God made a pie and they got four slices, you only got two. Actually, god gave you access to the kitchen where you can make as many pies as you want. You know, we got it. We got to see it a different way, man. We got to see it a different way.
Speaker 1:Something else that's interesting here is it talks about the root word, the root word of this word, jealousy, is the Greek word is zealous, so we write, so we see this word zeal in the midst of it, but it says that the root literally means hot enough to boil. Literally means hot enough to boil. It is metaphorically used of burning anger, burning love or burning zeal, ie to burn in spirit. So you can boil in anger, you can boil in love and zeal for what is good or for what is bad.
Speaker 4:Wow, you think about how Jesus flipped the tables over in the temple when the money changes were in there? Right, and that's when they use that scripture. The zeal for your house has consumed me.
Speaker 1:Right right. But, then even Jesus tells us why he was doing this. He says my house won't be a den of thieves, but it should be a house of prayer.
Speaker 4:There you go. He had a passion for God's house and the physical symbol of God's presence being used in the proper way, you know. And there was absolutely nothing wrong with what he did, because, remember, there's plenty of scriptures that talk about how he never sinned. So, even in that moment of extreme passion and anger, where he went in there and flipped the tables over and whipped some folks with a rope or whatever it was, there was not a single shred of sin in that act. And I thought that's interesting when you look at it that way, because he had, it was literally a righteous indignation that he was operating with and he was like, dude, this stuff ain't right. You are in here acting like there's no God. You know Right, you know we can't have that. So, yeah, he was cleaning house.
Speaker 1:And I'm going to tell you, phil, I'm adjusting my seat so I can say what I need to say. It's like a fireside chat. I am, I am. I've never seen it like this, so I'm convicted, because I am definitely guilty, of being jealous. I've heard people sing and wished I could sing that good. And tried to sing like them and would have never told you. What I was doing was flinging my gift back before God in unthankful rebellion and spite. Wow.
Speaker 1:I have watched and looked at people who preach the word 10 times better than I do, and I find myself all the time thinking why didn't I think of that? Why didn't I think of that connection, why? And so I want to try to preach like someone else and didn't realize that was me flinging my gift before God in unthankful rebellion and spite. And I can think of all of these times that I've been jealous. I've been jealous of other people's wealth and wanted to be able to live a life like they live, and that means I wasn't accepting the life that God given me. And so, now that I'm sitting here thinking about it, I'm recognizing how much of my own life have I forfeited out of jealousy and wanting to live somebody else's life. I've chased their life, not my own. Wow, wow, goodness man. And I'm convicted by this.
Speaker 4:It's heavy, it's heavy. It's heavy Because what it really boils down to is it's the old adage about the grass is always greener, and it's like this idea that, okay, yeah, god, I see what you gave me, but look at what this guy has over here. It's like, for some reason, the lack of contentment I think has a lot to do with it too. We can reason the lack of contentment. I think has a lot to do with it too. Like we can get into a lack of contentment and the problem with that is you're not seeing it how God sees it. You know, the Bible says that he has.
Speaker 4:What is that scripture in Romans 12? It says that he has given everyone a measure of faith. But then there's also that thing about we all have gifts according to the grace of God, you know, individually, and not everyone's gift is the same. That's just the bottom line and the truth of the matter is OK. We don't know why. We don't know why God chose to gift this person this way and gift another person that way. We don't know why. We don't know why God chose to gift this person this way and gift another person that way. We don't. I mean, if I could sing the way. Goodness, who's a good singer out there?
Speaker 1:Pick one. I honestly was sitting here thinking about Holland. Yeah. Holland. Philip's sister is a great singer.
Speaker 4:Yeah, Amazing voice man, you know, and I wasn't given that same vocal talent not like her, not even close. But you know, it's like I was given gifts in other areas and I got to not neglect the things that God gave me, you know, and I need to learn how to optimize those and maximize those and realize that my contentment with those gifts matters more to God. In other words, it would not be even, I would say, necessarily just for him to hold me accountable to something that I can't really, that wasn't even really gifted for. You know, I have to be, but I do have to be a good steward over the things that I am gifted for, and I think that's where we can sometimes miss it. We're too busy looking at what everybody else has or can do and wishing or wanting that, versus really taking inventory of what we have and going man, what did God gift me to do? You know, if I focus on that and maximize those things, you won't lack.
Speaker 1:You won't lack in any area, man, no, and that's the sober thinking that we all have to have. Now that you're starting to put these pieces together, you begin to understand why Paul was saying none of these things will get you into the kingdom of God. That's right.
Speaker 1:None of these things will even get you close. But when you're in rivalry with other people, when you're just plain out hating people and having hostility towards them, and that it's deep-rooted and deep-seated and it's pouring out of you and you begin to see now why Paul wanted better for us and the better is in that fruit of the Spirit and I just man, this is so good. Yeah, Praise God, this is good. But we've got to stop. I'm telling you this is I mean, I feel like my eyes are being opened right now, even as we're kind of talking about this. It's just, it's deep work and it does matter that God's called you. It does matter that he has a purpose for your life, that you say no to things and don't get into rivalry and quarrelings and hatred for people for having gifts differing from yours. It's important to say, Lord, I humbly come before you with what you've given me. Help me to do my best with it. That's right.
Speaker 1:And then trust him for it and never look at I can look at somebody else's gift. Now you know who I don't envy. I don't envy CeCe Winans. I am in awe of the gift that God has given her.
Speaker 4:Right, there you go.
Speaker 1:Because that is a one of a kind voice and you'd know God dealt that one out. Yeah, you'd know God dealt it out.
Speaker 4:She's absolutely gifted for that one out.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, god dealt it out and she's absolutely gifted for that, yeah, and you and you look at preachers that are that way. But then do you know what? I know people who are woodworkers, who can just build the stank out of stuff. I know people who are awesome project managers, who just know how to put the pieces together and guide people through the process. So in every area of life, god gifts people, that's right. And if people never went and took a project management class, how would they uncover the gift? That's right yeah.
Speaker 1:But we sometimes think, because it's not singing and dancing and there's five brothers and three sisters and you're called the Jacksons, that because you don't have that, then you don't have anything, when God has given every man according to his several ability. That's right.
Speaker 4:There you go.
Speaker 1:There you go, and so we've got to work to discover what it is God's given us and then work it. And the only way that you can do that is beginning to pray, prayerfully, ask God what it is and then begin to just dig into the things you love. You never know when you might hit a gusher. That's right, that's right. Man, we got to stop right now. Thank you, Phil.
Speaker 4:Thank you, man. This was good. This was really good. I hope everybody enjoyed it and listened. By the way, we're having fun.
Speaker 1:My prayer for you is that you'll find that thing.
Speaker 2:That's my prayer for you is that you'll find that thing? Yes.
Speaker 1:That's, that's my prayer for you. In fact, let me just pray for you now. Father, in the name of Jesus, thank you for opening the scripture up to us tonight. Thank you for revealing the things that you've revealed to us. Thank you, lord. Don't let these things fall to the ground, lord God. Let it fall on good ground, lord, and let it bear fruit. Lord God, thank you for ears that have heard, eyes that have seen and a heart ready to receive what you've shared with us and through us tonight, lord God. Thank you, Jesus.
Speaker 1:I pray that everybody finds their special place. I pray that everybody gets connected to the thing that you called them and created them. And then, lord, they do it like nobody else can, so that they can live lives like nobody else does. Thank you. Lord, we love you. We give you praise and thanks for it In Jesus' name. Jesus, amen, amen. So do you. We give you praise and thanks for it In Jesus' name Jesus, amen, amen. Bill, do you want to close us out?
Speaker 4:Yes, please, please, please, don't forget to like, share, subscribe, tell your friends, tell your family, spread the news far and wide.
Speaker 4:Tell your mom and them, tell your mom and them and your uncle and them. But, um, we definitely welcome any and all comments and suggestions and questions. If you have any of those, or would like to just even see something covered on the podcast, maybe a certain topic that you're curious about, feel free to send us an email at gotbrewatbiblebrosnet. Once again gotbrewatbiblebrosnet, Once again gotbrewatbiblebrosnet. And until next time. I am Philip, he is David, and we appreciate y'all for tuning in and we will see you again very, very soon. Peace, thank you.
