Welcome to the Kerwin Baptist Church broadcast today. Our desire is for the Word of God to be spread throughout the world.
So that all may know Christ. Join us now for a portion of one of our services here at Kerwin Baptist Church, located in Kernersville, North Carolina. James chapter 3 tonight. We want to continue to talk about our series is The Prison. of resentment.
Now we've talked on three different areas and tonight We want to talk about the confusion of resentment. the confusion that it brings into your life. Brother Frank read our theme verse, Proverbs 18:19: A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city. And their contentions are like the bars of a castle. Remember, resentment literally imprisons you.
Resentment keeps people out and it keeps you in. It brings isolation into your life. And it's a very difficult wall to break through. It's a very difficult prison to get out of. And we've been dealing with this for a few weeks.
Of course, we've had revival in between. And so we've been looking at James chapter 3, and we started in verse 14. Let's pray. We're going to jump right into it tonight. You are so faithful for revival.
You went above and beyond. Our choir just absolutely blew me out of the water. And I'm just so proud of you guys. Looking forward to the Easter music we're going to be enjoying this coming weekend. And so I certainly aware of your time as a pastor, where there are going to be seasons where we have a lot going on, but I always try to be mindful to make up for that at different times.
So we will do that this evening. Let's pray. Lord, we love you. Thank you for all that you've done. We need your help tonight.
Make our hearts to be open. and help us to be honest. not just with ourselves, but with you. And Lord, many times there are things deep-rooted in our hearts. For some reason, you've laid on my heart to continue to preach on this subject.
And Lord, these passages have come alive to me through the perspective of resentment.
So, Lord, I pray you'd help us tonight. It really is a prison. And God, I pray that you would help many of our people to break free of this. I'm sure, Lord, that there are many things in life that there is good reason. Not excuses, but reasons why resentment and Um hurt and bitterness and all these things have festered in our lives.
Many times it wasn't anything we caused. It was wrongdoing by someone else. But Lord, help us to understand. That your grace is enough. Lord, I pray you'd help us to deal with it.
In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Number one tonight, I want you to notice this in our passage of James chapter 3. Number one, resentment is a heart. issue.
Resentment is a heart issue.
Now, notice what the verse says. But if ye have bitter. Envying and strife. We're not just talking about here the word envy as if that, hey, you have what I want. I wish I had that.
I wish my life was like your life. We're not talking, bitter envy is a whole different ballgame here in the Greek. And what we want to understand today is we're talking about deep-seated, and may I say, sometimes resentment. can be envious. Resentment can be that you've hurt me, and yet you're being blessed, and I'm not.
You did me wrong, and yet your life seems to go on wonderful, and I'm the one struggling with all these things.
So, a lot of times, I don't know if you've ever thought about this, but resentment can almost fester into an envy. And I resent you, and I'm mad because what you've done is still hurting me, but you're going on. You're moving on. You have everything else in front of you, and it seems as if you're not hurting. I'm the one hurting, and yet you're the one that did it to me, and I didn't deserve it, and yet my life is the one still being covered up by this, and you don't seem to be bothered at all.
Bitter envying, notice this, and strife, where? You know, a lot of times he's not saying that this is just going to cause strife everywhere in your life. Many times it does. But what we find resentment causes, it's internal. That there is literally Strife inside.
There is a constant tension. Even when something good happens in life, we can't fully enjoy it because we're still angry or hurt because of this. There's this cloud over everything. And notice what he says: But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not and lie not against the truth. I want you to understand something tonight: that resentment you might think is an issue of what the person did to you.
But resentment, which can, we talk about very similar with bitterness and contention, all those different things. Many times it's heart issue. not their issue. What they did was wrong. And what they did, God does not approve of.
But our reaction to it becomes an internal issue of. the heart. And that's what we've got to understand tonight. A lot of times a person wants to break free of something, but they don't understand that it's really an issue. In their heart.
Yeah, but preacher, I just can't get it out of my mind. But it's not a mind issue, it's a heart issue. Yeah, but it still keeps bothering me.
Well, the reason it keeps bothering you is because it's still in your mind. And the reason it's still in your mind, is because it's in your heart. And that's what we have to understand. Notice number two: resentment is not just a heart matter, but resentment is a source. matter.
Now, you're familiar with this passage, but let's break it down through this perspective. I think it really opened it wide open to me. Notice, if you would, verse 15: this wisdom. descendeth not from above.
Now, notice that phrase, from above. What's going on in your heart, this bitter envying and strife in your heart. It did not come. From above. In other words, God didn't give that to you.
That didn't come from God. That's not even a godly thing. And you and I have to understand that what we feel of our resentment and bitterness and different things, we've got to understand the source. Where does that come from?
Well, it came because this person did such and such.
Well, but I really think it goes further than that. Where is the source? Notice what he says: this wisdom. Cometh not from above. In other words, we think real wisdom and only wisdom comes from God, but why does he call this wisdom?
He refers to the opposite of wisdom as wisdom also. This wisdom cometh not from above.
Now, he tells us later the wisdom that does come from above. But he says, this wisdom, what does he mean? It's a way of thinking. When he uses this word wisdom here, he says you're processing the information, feeling like you're justified to have this bitter envying and strife in your heart. That is not from God.
Right. And you and I have got to understand it that we might say, listen, this is in my heart, preacher, and I just can't help it. But you need to know, number one, it is a heart issue. And number two, God didn't give that to you. That's not from God.
And if we've got something in us that is not from God, we need to figure this thing out. And we've got to deal with this. Notice in verse 15, this resentment is a source matter. He tells us what the source is.
Now, this is great. Look at this. This wisdom descendeth not from above. Notice first, he says, but is. Earthly.
That means this, it's flesh driven. The things going on in your heart and mind right now are not spirit-driven, they're flesh-driven. What does earthly mean of the earth? Guess what you and I are? We're of the earth.
Our flesh is of the earth. By the way, guess that's where our flesh is going to stay. When we die, our spirit and our soul is what goes to heaven. But you and I have to understand when he says earthly means this kind of wisdom didn't come from above. Let me tell you where it came from, it came from your flesh.
This harboring things and resentment and bitterness and these different things that we have in our life, you and I need to understand the source of where that comes from is our flesh. We feel like we've been done wrong. We were wounded. And it literally is something that comes not from God. And not from the Spirit.
But it comes from The flesh, it's earthly. Notice, secondly, he says sensual. The source of this Is sensual. What does it mean?
Well, earthly means flesh-driven, sensual means emotion. driven. Resentment is an emotionally driven thing. By the way, you don't need to trust your emotions. Thanks.
Are you all with me tonight? Say amen. Don't trust your emotions. They will lead you wrong every time. This sensual, what does it mean?
It means you are controlled by your senses. And all through the Bible, especially in the New Testament, we are told not to conduct our life. In a way that constantly feeds our sensual desires. You are a physical person, you are an earthly person, and that is going to create physical and earthly desires. And he said this: that literally, why you're harboring this kind of thing in your heart is because you are letting your emotions take over.
Now, nobody wants to admit that, but it's true. Yes, sir. Listen, you find yourself a bitter person, an angry person. Let me tell you what has gone on. At some point, the trust left your trust being in God and trusting Him and letting Him take care of it, and it moved to where now your emotions.
are controlling you. And how many of you know emotions are a good thing? They're a wonderful thing, and God can use emotions. But we are made, God said that God is in our heart. We are to be led by the Holy Spirit.
We are not to be drunk with wine as in excess, which means taken over by something else. We are to be filled with the Spirit of God. And emotions battle the Spirit of God. And if you and I allow our emotions to control us, It's going to lead us down a path that God is not leading. Our emotions.
He said the source is earthly. The source is sensual. Notice this, thirdly, it's devilish. That is Satan driven. I mean, it's not just flesh-driven.
And by the way, when something's flesh-driven, it's going to turn into emotional-driven. And if you let your emotions take over, guess who's going to land on your emotions? Satan will. And before long, now you are thinking the way Satan wants you to think. It starts with a little thing, even in church.
You get offended by something, upset by something. You know, they didn't mention me, or they didn't do this, or they haven't asked me to do such and such. And the other person, they've asked them to do it 10 times, whatever the case might be. And if you are not careful, that's going to turn flesh-driven. And you're going to think, well, I was done wrong.
This wasn't fair to me. I've not been to you. That's all flesh. That has nothing to do with the Holy Spirit of God. We are to die to self, God says.
That is flesh-driven. And as soon as we become to be flesh-driven, guess what's going to take over? Our emotions. Well, I don't feel like they appreciate me. You ever felt that?
I don't feel that People value me. Hey, by the way, you don't think a pastor doesn't think that sometimes? We all think that sometimes. But if you go on your feelings then you are being controlled by the sensual. And that doesn't come from above.
It's coming from your emotions. And if you allow those two things to happen, watch out. Guess what? Satan's getting ready to take over. Good people.
have made very bad decisions. Because of this thing right here. Resentment is a hard issue. Resentment is a source issue. I want you to notice number three.
Resentment is a discernment issue.
Now look at verse 16. For where? Envying and strife is, remember where he said it's in your heart? He says, where envying and strife is, what is the result? There is.
confusion and every evil work. Can I tell you what bitterness in your life can do and resentment in your life can do? It can make you a very confused person. It's hard for you to really discern anything. It's hard to really get clear direction on anything.
And I'll tell you why. Being emotionally driven is what has brought this on. and emotions go up and down. And once you allow one area of your life to be controlled by your emotions, guess what's going to happen soon? You're going to allow other areas of your life to be controlled by your emotions.
If your emotions control this area, guess what? Before long, you're going to allow the emotions to control your marriage. You're going to allow your emotions to control your job. You're gonna allow emotions to control every relationship. You're gonna allow emotions to control what you think about this person and that person.
Now you got a chip on your shoulder, and you're just looking around to see that everybody's trying to wound me, everybody's against me, and before long, guess what's going on? There's confusion inside. You can't trust anybody, and I don't trust anybody, and I don't really know what's going on. And I feel like, is this God telling me this, or is this myself telling me this? Or is this my friends telling me this?
Listen, a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. It means this: that where that envying and strife is in your heart, it brings confusion. And notice what else? Every evil work. It allows Satan to start working in your life.
Can I tell you something, folks? Satan has no authority in your life. If you're saved, look at me tonight. We're not going to be here long. If you're saved, Satan has no authority in your life.
He can only do what you allow him to do. And as soon as you and I become flesh-driven, and emotion driven We now have opened the door for him to work in our lives.
Now here's the problem. It's very hard for Satan to to work in your life and God to work in your life at the same time. That's when you can sit in church. God can't do one thing to your heart. Because your mind is so full of everything that you're upset about, resentful of, bitter of, and now your emotions are going to take over.
And now that I let my emotions control how I feel about this person, now I'm going to sit in church and I'm going to let my emotions control how I feel about church people. How I feel about the church, how I feel about Brother Nick, how I feel about Brother Frank. and his dumb jokes he tells on Sunday nights every once in a while. How they feel about Brother David and his stupid power tool and everything else. I know it would never influence you on how you feel about me, but I'm talking about these individuals.
Oh, trust me, I know how Satan can. Bring on resentment towards the preacher. Who's that guy think he is? Thinks he's funny? Do you think he's funny?
If you and I are not careful.
Soon as we become flesh-driven. Very soon we will become emotion-driven. And then the next step is Satan driven. And good save people. can be used by Satan.
to do horrible things. because he's the one working in their life. The confusion of resentment. You know, I hate to say, but I think a lot of individuals Maybe even sitting here tonight, you can... And we wouldn't know this, but maybe you would know if there's some stuff you're harboring or hanging on to.
I think you could probably really look back at a little bit of a history of your life and say, you know, I see how it has brought confusion. Half the time I don't even know what I'm supposed to do. I want you to notice, number four, resentment. is a Wisdom. matter.
Now, please get this. Look at verse 17. But the wisdom. that is from above. Is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits without partiality, without hypocrisy, and the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
He said, Listen, your way of thinking right now, that whole internal envying, bitter envying and strife and all that, that didn't come from above. And he tells us the sources that they came from. He says, But the wisdom that is from above. The way of thinking, the way of conducting your life that is from above, he describes it here.
Now, I think this is interesting, and I'll tell you why. I'm going to give you this list briefly. But every one of these things are the antithesis of resentment. Every one of these things I'm getting ready to give you is the antithesis of what you feel like doing when you have resentment. When you are bitter.
Let's look at it. Please, just, you know, even if you don't, you know, I am dealing with this preacher, and I don't like being told, just hold on, just look at this with me if you would. Look, if you would, at verse 17. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, which means this: it's not from the flesh, it's not from the emotions, it's not from Satan, it's from God. It's pure.
The thinking you've been in is not pure. It's clouded with emotion. It's clouded with flesh. It's certainly clouded with satanic power. He says, But let me tell you what is from above: it's pure, it's clean.
But notice what he says. First, he says it's peaceable. You know what one of the first things resentment will take from your life is peace. He said, let me tell you how Your thinking should be centered around first, he says. Peaceable.
Do you notice he didn't say peace? He said, peaceable. Do you know you can be peaceable and not always have peace? You can be a peaceable person and not be at peace with everyone. Because there's just some people and they're not going to be at peace with you.
There's just some people they're going to fight everything that I don't care what you do, they're going to find something wrong and they're going to fight. God didn't say that you have to create peace. By the way, He's the only one that can create peace. That comes from him. But he said that we are to be peaceable.
When you have resentment, you don't feel like making peace with someone. The reason you have resentment is because you've refused to try to make peace with them. Do you all get it? Light bulbs? Say amen.
He said this: that the wisdom from above is the opposite of what you're feeling right now. What's from God is the opposite of what you feel right now. And God doesn't give all the excuses when we be peaceable unless this person did.
Well, no, no, no. He said. It's peaceable, the wisdom that's from above. The the way of thinking and believing. That's from above is peaceable.
In other words, does your best. Tries your hardest. To be at peace. Notice secondly, he says, is gentle. Gentle.
Tell you what, you get a bunch of resentment and bitterness in your heart. Guess what? You get a chip on your shoulder. And before long, guess what? You have this chip on your shoulder, and just waiting for somebody else to try to do me wrong, like that person did 30 years ago.
And you look at every person as a potential person to do what that person did. And the moment it even sniffs like someone else is getting ready to do that, what do we do? We pounce. Gentleness is gone. Notice the next one.
Approachable. What does he say? Easy to entreat. What does that mean? It means to be approachable.
Can I tell you something? When a person is full of resentment, they are not approachable. And be very, very careful that you give off a vibe of being approachable.
Now, I'm not saying you got all I didn't say be an idiot. I said... Don't be weird. Nobody's going to want to come near you. But what did God say?
The wisdom that's from above is. approachable, easy. To be entreated. Are you easy to be entreated? Most of us would say.
I am sometimes. Can I tell you what resentment And bitterness will do. It will make it to the point that you are not easy. to entreat. And what happens when you and I are not easy to entreat?
No one entreats. And then now what do we do? Everybody's against me. Nobody's friendly. Nobody comes talks to me.
It's everybody else's fault. Are you with me? Say amen. You see, a lot of times a person doesn't even realize there might be some real deep-seated unhappiness there. There is a resentment, an unhappiness.
There's something there, and guess what? It just it just pours out. I'm not happy. And that is a hard person to approach. And you're going to resist the very thing that you probably need, love from others.
But the message they get is Stay away. Notice here what he says. Full of mercy. Merciful. What oftentimes can happen with a person that has resentment, bitterness.
Look at me, please. Get this. They give no free passes. Anybody ever had a bad day? I don't know what's going on with you guys today, but.
I have a new church, apparently. Everybody's perfect today. I don't know what's going on. I'm the only rotten one here, apparently. Anybody ever have a bad day, raise your hand.
Thank you.
Some of you are having it right now. I understand. I heard that my friends came back. Are the fields here? Where are you at?
Wait a minute, there's Doug. Let me tell you what happened. Because I am an honest person and I am transparent.
So, I was at a store in Greensboro. I will not say what the name of the store was. It has the word home and the word at in the name. That's all I'm going to say. And I was in there trying to get some stuff for the house.
Caden's in the hospital. He's coming home, blah, blah, blah. And got to meet Doug and Mrs. Fields. And I'm so glad they're here today.
He even came back tonight. They're already more faithful than a lot of our members. Isn't that great? It's just wonderful. No, I'm picking.
Well, it's true. But you're you're here, but...
So let me tell you, after I got to meet them and just enjoy meeting them, what a wonderful time of friendships and we have watched you for years and all, I mean, it couldn't have been, I just loved them already and just felt an instant my spirit bore witness with their spirit and they're just precious people. And they went on shopping and I still had some more things to get, but thank God they left the store. Because I had everything in my buggy and I got to the checkout line. There's only two people on the line. 27 minutes later, I was still standing in the line.
I have three items. The checkout lady was, I mean, to the point they were talking, and literally the checkout lady got out her phone, and the other lady got her phone. They're swapping contacts, just talking about whatever. We're just standing here, another lady in front of me. I mean, 27 minutes went by.
Finally, the one in front of me got to go. There's nobody else in the store, and that's exactly why. Everybody was at home because it's better than to be here. I'll tell you that.
So I waited for that person. Took another 15 minutes. I mean this lady. Oh my word, of the devil. Anyway, it was just pitiful.
So I had my buggy. I'm getting really frustrated. But I'm, Lord, you brought good, wonderful Christian people by to meet me. I need to make sure I need to be an example, blah, blah, blah.
So finally she gets done. Over 30 minutes, I have just two people. Over 30 minutes. I was tracking it, trust me.
So finally they leave and I pulled up to the And then he says, hey, I'm sorry about your weight. In my mind, I thought, if I say no problem, that gives a free pass, and there's no free passes here right now. I'm upset, I want her to know I'm upset, but I don't want to be a jerk.
So I just didn't say anything.
So I put up the first item. And I said here, I said it's on a rack with 50% off. Beep. Oh, it's not on sale. I said, but it's right on the right.
No, it's not on sale. I said, are we going to go check it? No, it's not on sale. Now she just yakked it up with two ladies in front of me.
Now she doesn't want to talk. She said it's not on sale. And I just said, ma'am. I have physically been in the store. as long as I could possibly be any place.
Thank you.
And I left my buggy and I walked out. I just couldn't take it anymore. I just said, if I stay here, I'm going to lose it. Thank God I met them before all that happened. Thank God they were gone.
Anybody ever have a bad day? Yeah, I had one. Here's the issue. When you're full of resentment, guess what? Nobody can just have a bad day with you.
We don't hand out free passes. I've already been wounded. I've already been hurt. We don't let the husband have a bad day. We don't let our wife have a bad day.
We don't let the kids have a bad day. We don't let Our friends have a bad If you and I are not careful, guess what? Mercy. quickly leaves with resentment. Res The greatest news that anyone can receive is the news of the free gift of salvation found in Jesus Christ.
It is our desire for you to know him personally. Would you take a moment to hear this today? Every man is born with a sin nature. Romans three twenty three says For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. No matter how hard we try, we're not good enough to obtain God's glory.
or to get to heaven. Because of that, sin carries the penalty of death. Romans 6.23 says, For the wages of sin is death. But the gift of God is eternal life. through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The wages of our sin, or the payment of our sin, only equals death and separation from God. But it's only through God's gift salvation through Jesus Christ that we can accept him as our Saviour. Jesus Christ paid for your sin debt. The Bible says in Romans 5:8, but God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. All you have to do is receive Christ.
by faith as your Saviour. Romans ten nine says That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Verse 13 continues, For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. It's as simple as admitting that you're a sinner believing that Jesus is the only way. and calling upon his name.
Bible says whosoever that's anyone can call upon the name of the Lord to be saved. Have you accepted Christ as your personal Savior? There is no greater day than today to take care of this. Would you accept Christ as your Savior? If you have any questions, please give us a call at 336-993-5192 or visit our website at Kerwin Baptist Church.
Dot com. or visits that person at one of our three service times. We hope you have a great rest of your day. God bless you. Mm-hmm.
