Bible Teaching

Calvary Temple Teaching Library

Considering Yourself

Let's turn to Matthew. I want to segue off the humility teaching into something that is important here in our midst. Pastor Jeff was talking with some of the youth and then, I think very importantly, something that will go into the young adults, also. He was sharing with the young people, again, the need to make sure that as we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin. We're talking about, especially among the youth, being able to prefer others better than ourselves and to humble ourselves to where we'll speak the truth in love. There's such a tendency to want to not offend, not separate ourselves and go against the grain. But, the fact of the matter is, we're in a position to where it's our responsibility for light to reprove darkness; amen? So, we're going to talk about how to bring that reproof in the spirit of humility, because it's important.

Pastor Jeff shared that he said, "You guys need to speak up and challenge sin." I thought, "Oh, here we are just getting ready to go away and there's going to be a blood bath!" I want to talk just a little bit, especially with the young people, about how to wield that sword in a spirit of humility. Remember what the right motive is. The motive for bringing reproof, rebuke, and instruction in righteousness is so that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto every good work. That's what we're looking for. We're not looking to punish people, to just expose people, to embarrass people, but to bring them into good works, to see righteousness worked in them. The motive isn't: "Hey, I've got to suffer, you're going to suffer. If I have to keep the rules, you're going to keep the rules!" It's about bringing glory to God. It's doing what's right to honor God. That's the motive behind our bringing to light things that are important as a community.

Usually you would take someone aside and say, "We shouldn't be doing that." I shared with Pastor Jeff that there's so much of this being observed in community. If something's being done in the open that's questionable, then speak to it in the open. We don't have anything to hide. This is applicable to all of us as we relate one with another: making sure that we're not respecters of persons, making sure that we're not trying to vaunt ourselves and promote our own agendas and our methods, and how we conduct our lives. We're not looking to do that. We're not looking to sell your program on holiness. We're looking to really care for one another and, in that spirit of humility, to prefer one another and to seek everyone his brother's good. Amen? That's what allows us to speak openly and say, "How do you reconcile that with what the Word of God teaches; with what we're trying to do to edify and to bring about the iron sharpening iron aspect?" When we look at how we move in this humility, we want to make sure that Phinehas has a tender heart as he runs a javelin through yours; and that its motive is a jealousy for the glory of God.

All of us need to examine our hearts and say, "Why do we bring this light? Why do we bring this reproof? Is it a jealousy for the glory of God? Am I in a place to where I am truly speaking this truth in the love that I've received?" We all know the classic passage, turning to Matthew, Chapter 7, where we want to start tonight. As we're looking at some of these aspects this principle, Chapter 7: "Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged." Now, that's not a problem if you're judging properly. I want to be judged with the judgment that I judge with because I believe it's the Word of God. I believe that it's what's going to bring the most honor to God. So, go ahead and judge me with that; turn it back on me! When I shine the light, turn it back on me. If there's something lacking in my life, I want to hear it, because what I'm telling you is the truth. Praise God! If I don't see it, then help me see it. This is the spirit of preference of one another, preferring others better than ourselves. That is the fruit of humility.

Jesus goes on and says, "For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?" I want to talk for just a moment on that "consider not." You know people that don't look at themselves first, "What is the motive for me bringing this reproof?" As it deals with the young people, let me just give you a classic, okay? Here we go-because this has actually come up-I'll give you some classics. These are some things that come up. "So and so is always hanging around with that same person. And, by the way, they seem to be getting a little cozy as they're sitting there on the couch with 12 others watching whatever it might be." You know what? Good chance that they are sitting too close together. You know what? Maybe they are becoming a little bit isolated from others, because you can isolate in a group. How many of you know you can be in a group and you can be a couple? Maybe they are doing that. What's the motive? Is it that you want to be there? Consider yourself. Why are you wanting to bring this to the light? Are you trying to bring people down? Are you trying to vaunt yourself? Or do you want God to be honored? Are you trying to preserve lives? Is your real motive to protect us from youthful lusts? Is your real motive to protect us from taking fire into our bosom that we might be burned, or is the motive jealousy? Is the motive self-righteousness? So, consider yourself. It's very important that we understand our own hearts as we're going to begin to bring light to those that are around us. We can't help but speak the truth. We can't help but bring light if we are, in fact, the light of the world. Jesus, in His words, gives us the motive and the guidelines.

So how would we say to my brother, "Let me pull the mote out of your eye. You guys are getting a little cozy there. That's sin." and it is. But it's probably not as damning a sin as the pride, and the jealousy, and the strife that's working in you right now. "How can I ask you to take this sliver out of your eye when I have a beam in my own?" It's very important as we're going to walk in this ministry of preferring one another, edifying one another, lifting up hands, bringing reproof and instruction, and purging out the sin that's in our midst that we first of all try our own hearts, spend some time, and let Father minister His grace to us.

He goes on and He says very clearly, "Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye." Hypocrisy, playacting, is moving in these principles for self glory, for self gain, benefit, out of social community pressures and not for the glory of God. If the motive is anything but honoring God, it's hypocrisy. We're "playing Christian," but it's not of Jesus. It's not of the spirit that seeks the glory of the Lord and the good of my brother. It doesn't have to be something that's even purposely feigned. It doesn't have to be something that's even cunningly devised. That's why we need to look and search our own hearts and say, "What is it, really, that's working in me? What is my desire when I speak these things?" Galatians speaks to this as clearly as anything. Let's take a moment and look over at the Galatians passage.

Here in our midst, we're always wanting to bring about holiness. We're a people that are wanting to exalt the Lord, that are truly looking to destroy sin's power among us. Paul says in Galatians-after he gives us the discourse on walking in the spirit and coming to really understand what our natural man is like-what our flesh is like. I think it's interesting that Paul takes time to give us a picture of what the flesh is. He identifies it so that we'll know what to attack, that it's not just a putting forth, as I said earlier, of our own preferences, "My perception of what righteousness is." We're to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling; amen? Others' consciences cannot be our own. We have to understand that our conscience alone cannot be our guide, as some people would say, because a conscience can be seared. A conscience can fall into deception. A conscience needs to be purged and cleaned by the washing of the water of the Word. A conscience, a knowing within, is something that's done by the Spirit of God and the Word of God. We're all at different places in our lives. Our consciences are going to vary among us. That's why we can't be judgmental of others. We can't try to set a course for others that is outside the general course of the revealed will of God. We have to be patient. We have to, by faith, realize that there are different gifts, there are different callings, and there are the different applications.

It's an interesting thing. We just got another letter from someone the other day talking about how "cult-ish" we are and some different things. I thought it was very interesting. If anybody really took time to stop and look at us, we are definitely not a cookie-cutter group. But what we have, in absolute agreement, is our belief in the lordship of Jesus, the infallibility of the Word of God. As a people, we desire to be doers of the Word, and not hearers only. Because of that, because of our lack of compromising God's holiness and righteousness, people seem to think, "You guys don't think for yourselves." No, we don't think beyond the Word of God! Amen? But within the confines of this Truth, the Word of God, we walk in different areas of working out our salvation, of our own consciences, of disputable matters. We will be challenged when we use our liberty as an occasion to the flesh. "You may say this is a disputable matter. But I'm going to show you in the Word that it's sin, because it's right here in this list. So don't you call a liberty what I can show you is a sin." "That's just how I see it." "Well, everybody else doesn't; guess who's wrong?" Amen? So, then you get to change! You get to humble yourself and say, "Yes, it's me."

So, we're walking in this light; we're bringing this reproof and instruction. As Paul is speaking here in the fifth chapter he says, "...walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would [verse 18]. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law." I don't want to get sidetracked from our study tonight, but we realize that the law is good. The law is pure. The law is holy. The law is for the lawless. But, if I'm in the spirit, I'm not under the law. I'm fulfilling the law. It's not without the law; it is a through-the-law-by-faith righteousness. When we speak to one another in love-when in humility we're going to bring understanding, revelation, to one another-we better know that it is sin and not just our own preference.

We talked about judging our own motives, knowing our own tendencies, and how important that is. But what we're to speak to is on this list: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, and witchcraft. You say, "Huh? I'm trying to remember the last time I saw [what do they call it?] eye of newt; the caldron of witchcraft." Witchcraft is just trying to manipulate people, con people, put power over people, and sway people under your influence. You're moving in the spirit of witchcraft when you pout, when you try to intimidate, when you isolate yourself, and you need people to come over to you. That's the spirit of witchcraft. You're trying to control and manipulate in different areas. We're looking at these things that sometimes we think are just little-kid-type behaviors. But, I want you to understand something. When there's a spirit of variance-that word in the Greek means "division." When we start dividing, and trying to pull people to ourselves, that's sin. That's the work of the flesh. That isn't the fact that, "You like them better than me." It's sin! So, you see it for what it is and you begin to speak to it. It's not a thing of, "We like this form of entertainment and they like this kind. This little group wants to watch Princess Diaries 2 and this guy wants to watch Cinderella Man; two different groups, two different preferences and appetites. You put these people together and somehow we've got to mesh. Does one group always get their way? That's not right, if it is. "Well, it should be! We, who want to watch Cinderella Man, are the cool dudes! We're the macho...macho, macho men... It's the girls and limp-wrist over there that want to watch Princess Diaries 2." (I didn't say they're homo, I just said limp-wrist.) There are people that prefer more feminine type things. (Now, I have to confess something here tonight. It would be wrong-I'd be a hypocrite if I didn't tell you I've watched both of those movies, and liked them both. Don't ask me which one I liked best. I just said I watched them both and liked them both.)

Do we prefer others? Do we always have to have our way? If we don't get our way we say, "Well, okay, you guys go ahead and watch that, we're going to go over here. Usually we do it as a group, but I'm going to separate. You guys go ahead and do that. I'll go over here and do my thing, because I can't not have my way. I can't subordinate myself. There's no way I'm watching a chick flick!" There's a proper way to do that and an improper way. When it begins to bring about division, when you go in the other room to pout or to show your displeasure, the Scripture calls that, in this list right here, a seditious spirit, or, ones that separate themselves. Things we seem to think are very minor and childish are intolerable if we're moving in humility and in love, preferring one another. "I'll stay in there, but I'm just going to make smart remarks through the whole thing, like: ‘Julie Andrews used to be able to sing in the Sound of Music. And, why does that princess have Chiclets® for teeth? Is Dumbo her stand in?'" (I just happened to glance at this movie the other day. I didn't watch it this time. I just went by and I thought, "Man, that girl's ears! She looks like she could fly!" I'm very critical. When I watch movies I'm just looking at people-it's bad.) Are we going to do that and try to ruin it for everybody else? Do we have to vaunt ourselves in the midst of it so that everybody will pay attention to us instead of what's going on? Now, I know this never happens among us, but I'm saying, just in case you see it, if anything kind of starts to manifest anywhere along these lines, as it pertains to young adults and the groups as they break up. Now, with the two groups that are breaking up it's the old codgers' group and the new young guys' group. "These guys can't even walk across the gym and they think they're still young adults! They're afraid of getting hurt. They can't play collision sports."

Is there a seditious spirit? Is there a variance that's taking place? Is there this division that's manifesting among us where we can't appreciate our diversity, and the fact that God has called us, and placed us, as it pleases Him? We're looking for the good of the whole. So, I can forgo full contact volley ball and make a gingerbread house at Young Adults. Now, granted, there will probably be cannons coming out of the windows and stuff, but I'll make a gingerbread house, and I'll probably destroy yours before the night is over! ("We've got to get this guy off steroids, you know?") This is diversity, and understanding what God's doing in our midst as He's making us one. We're helping each other become the best representative of the kingdom of God that we can possibly be. That's my job, to make you better. Not to make me better; my job's to make you better. But, the only way I can make you better is to first make me better. Isn't that what Jesus is teaching us? First take care of me, and now I can see clearly to help you out. "Now I can see clearly to condescend in my relationship to you. Now I can see clearly how much more spiritual I am than the rest of you. Now I can see clearly why I should be the head. And now, finally, Pastor Jeff and the rest of the pastors will realize that I'm supposed to be a captain and not that yo-yo over there, because I can see clearly now." No! My whole motive is to fulfill what Jesus said, "Love your neighbor as you love yourself." As you love yourself you're able to receive the love of God that's been infused to us-I'm talking about a genuine love, not a carnal love, not a selfishness, not a natural love-most of us, as we get glimpses of our depravity, we don't like ourselves. It's paradoxical, but most of us love ourselves and hate ourselves at the same time. The reason we hate ourselves is because we love ourselves so much. Don't you hate loving yourself too much? Or, do you love hating yourself? See? A lot of people have self-pity; they love hating themselves too much. Which means they love themselves too much and they should hate that, or...

It comes from both sides. We realize that in our depravity, while we were sinners, God loved us. He died for us. He's caused the fruit of the spirit to begin to manifest in our lives, which is love. We begin to love what God's doing. As He's reproving us, He chastens those that He loves, so I receive and believe the love that God has toward me, the Scripture says. Now, as I am able to love what God's doing in me-I'm beginning to be set free, I can love my neighbor as I love myself, the Christ that's working in me-I love them to see that working in their lives. That's what begins to motivate us. He says, "Walk in the spirit, and you'll not fulfill these lusts."

Paul is speaking in Ephesians concerning the light aspect. Keep your finger there in Galatians and go over to Ephesians for just a moment, Chapter five, where he's saying, "Be imitators of God [verse 1]. Walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor." [That burnt offering goes up to God, but don't let these things be named in your midst] But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness [not even once] Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting.

You know, there was a foolish comment made by one of the young people the other night. That stuff's not acceptable. The rest of you should have said, "Stop being stupid! That's foolish and we don't need that in our midst." Instead of, "Oh, that's just ‘Dummy.'" I won't mention any names. "That's just so and so. That's just how they are." No. That's not acceptable; change! Amen? Then why didn't somebody speak up? It's not once supposed to be in our midst, that foolish talking, those course remarks, nonsensical statements, "...which are not convenient: [he says] but rather giving of thanks. [Don't you understand? You can't have salt water and fresh water coming out of the same well. When that stuff is coming out of your mouth, it's not acceptable. We need to clean up your well.] For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: [talking a good talk. "Well, their hearts are right, and they didn't really mean it." Don't let anybody deceive you.] for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. For ye were sometimes [verse 8] darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: [parenthetical statement] (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable [Walk as children of light, proving what is acceptable] unto the Lord. And have no fellowship [nothing in common with, no seeking out, no desiring to hang] with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather [say it with me] reprove them."

Okay, so how do we relate to these things, these works of the flesh? We saw the Galatians list of the works of the flesh. We've seen the Ephesians list of the works of the flesh. It's not once to be named among us. When it begins to manifest, we realize that as children of the kingdom we're in jeopardy. It's dangerous. It's leaven. It can bring death to us. But, as children of light we prove what is acceptable. We do not fellowship, we reprove. "For it is a shame [verse 12 says] even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light." If you're going to bring something up that's out of order, if you're going to bring something up in another person's behavior or life, it can be done from two perspectives: light or darkness, vaunting self, trying to pull others down, jealousy, strife, bitterness, witchcraft, or light. But, he's saying, let everything that's reproved in your midst-if you're going to say something, you'd better be one hundred percent sure that it's light, or guess what? The light will be turned on you; amen? You're going to be judged with the same judgment wherewith you judge. So it's vital that we begin to see what Father's doing in our lives.

Now, Galatians says this. (Go back to Galatians.) As he's bringing this principle to light, he says in Chapter 6, "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual [mature, walking in the spirit, conveyors of the fruit of the spirit], restore such a one in the spirit of meekness;"[We've talked about what meekness and humility is. Meekness has a little different twist to it than humility. Meekness is really talking about a spirit that is in conflict with sin, but for God's glory, by God's strength, not trusting or relying on one's self. That's why Moses was called the meekest man of his generation, or on the earth. He had gone to try to deliver the children of Israel in his own strength; failed. Came back in the grace of God by the power of God, supernaturally with that staff, stood before Pharaoh, and said, "Let my people go!" The motives had changed. The methods had changed. This spirit of meekness that's being spoken of here is qualified by the next phrase, look, "considering thyself." Does that sound a little bit like what Jesus just said over in Matthew 7? The spirit of meekness always considers oneself first, "Why am I going to do this? Why am I going to speak toward this thing? What's God going to perfect in me in the midst of this? How can this person be healed? How can this person be delivered? How can this person be edified?" The spirit of meekness is always seeking the glory of God. There's never a self-righteousness attached to it. It's never legalism. It's never the law. It's not trying to bring anybody under the letter of the law. It's trying to bring people above the law to walk in the spirit so that the law can be fulfilled in us; not lawless, but the perfecting of the law through obedience, the fulfilling of the law. Paul, as he's speaking to us here, not making it doctrine, but he's trying to get it down to where we're living. He says, "When you guys are living and you're coming together, socializing, and out ministering, this is what's going to try and manifest itself among you." And it's amazing how many times it does.

You know, it happens in prayer meetings. There are people that get in the flesh during prayer at times. I don't mean somebody that jumps up, screams, and runs out like they're demonized. But there are times that people will pray to try to set a doctrine. "I'm going to get close to this guy and pray, ‘Oh, Lord, we really need to be more humble. And Lord, we need to be at church more. Stop missing Sunday nights.'" We try to set course as we're praying. Sometimes we just want to let everybody know that we're very prolific and really tight with God. We just want to be speaking with the tongues of men and angels and make sure that our oratory is proper, to be heard of men, to be seen of men. We really want to leave, but we're going to stay an extra 15 minutes so that everybody will take note of that. Nobody's ever done that here, but these are things that can happen in the flesh. It's in our midst. It's ugly! We are totally depraved individuals. In us, in our flesh, is no good thing. So we've got to walk in the spirit and not fulfill the lust of the flesh, and we all need help! Humility allows us to help one another and speak toward these things that are out of order. Now, we're not talking about the tenth gift of the Spirit: suspicion. "Well, I'm just kind of..." We like to call it "discernment." The sister gift of that is gossip. If it's not in the list, leave it alone. People are walking out their own salvation with fear and trembling. We begin to walk in the way and begin to see what God's doing in our midst.

"If you see a brother overtaken in one of these sins then restore him in a spirit of meekness considering yourself lest you also be tempted." That word "tempted" is tested. Because, when you go to somebody, guess what? You are now opening up a can of worms to be tested. "Who do you think you are?" "What do you mean, ‘Who do I think I am?'" Now you've got a fight and you just went over there to love them. "I rebuke you!" "I don't receive that rebuke!" Do you all remember that in Young Adults? That might be before some of your time. One guy went up to this other brother. He said, "I rebuke you!" The other guy said, "I don't receive that rebuke, in the name of Jesus!" "I rebuke your rebuke!" "I cast down your rebuke!" "I bind your rebuke!" "I loose your binding of my rebuke!" Dear God, we're just trying to get people healed!

So here we are, moving and realizing that we're to consider ourselves. What it means is just fulfill what He goes on to say. "For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. Bear ye one another's burdens [verse 2 says], and so fulfill the law of Christ." And so that spirit of humility-considering ourselves lest we fall into either self-righteousness or we begin to be condemning. There is no condemnation in Christ Jesus; amen? "There is no condemnation to those of us who are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit." As we go as children of light and we begin to speak to these things, be jealous for the truth. Be jealous for the glory of God. Be jealous for your brother's growth. Be jealous for your brother's prosperity. That's contrary to the natural man. We want to be the hero. We want to have the girl. We want to have the money. We want to have the fame. Who are these people that say, "Father, if you have that for me, then I'll receive it. But not my will, Your will be done. But, Father, just bless my brothers"?

Now, there can be a false humility. Two guys are there and here's the girl. They're both interested in her. One goes, "Nah, she's yours." He says, "Nah, she's yours." "She's yours." "She's yours." She's going to turn around and say, "I'm not either one of yours!" That's not humility. Humility is three people-this girl knows you're both interested in her-and three people that are able to say, "Not my will, Thy will be done. Now, let's be family. As the body of Christ, let's go see what we can do to go bring glory to God. Let God work this thing out for His own honor and His own glory." What's going to happen is God will raise up somebody ten years younger than she. She'll go to him, and God will bring you two better than her. (Sorry young lady, I didn't mean to put you down. She's metaphorical anyway, so we didn't hurt her feelings.) That's humility. That's the love of God. That's the spirit of meekness that we're talking about, wanting to see Christlikeness-zealous for it-worked in my brother. But it first has to work in me. Love me enough to become more like Jesus. You become more like Jesus and you'll be able to love me as you've been loved.

Father, we thank You for Your Word tonight. We just ask that You'd bring into our midst a great move of Your Spirit, Father; that You would show Yourself mighty among us. Father, we're believing You for souls to be added to us this year, people that could be discipled and raised up in the army of God. As we're out into the streets, let this spirit of humility begin to work in us. Let us just love people for who they are, because of Your love for them, not as this notch on our belt, "I've got to win somebody." I want to win everybody! It's not a competition, it's souls. I just want to be obedient. Some of you are on the verge-you might think you're going to be bummed out if you don't get to reach somebody this year. If you've done all you can and you don't personally get to bring somebody, so what? Have you done all you can? It's He that brings the increase. No one can come if the Father's not drawing them, but we are to go into all the world. We are the light of the world. It's just Your glory, Lord. It's not my performance. It's not my report card. I'm just doing what You've graced me to do. I just want to brag on You, Lord, and Your goodness in my life. I want my brothers to be better Christians than I am. I want them to excel, and then they'll be strong to help me. I need help, that You might be glorified. Don't let these things once be named among you. Be jealous for the light, in a spirit of meekness lest you be tempted.

Let's stand before the Lord. As Gary plays for us, take just a moment and allow the Lord to minister His love to you. What a privilege (Amen?) to be part of this family, the body of Christ; this family here, this community of believers. In one of our meetings, I was just sharing what a privilege to have so many people that love you. You know, there are people that don't have anyone that loves them. None of us deserve it. Do you know the gift that you have in this community of people that will love you genuinely? There's nothing more valuable in your life than the body of Christ, Jesus loving you through His body. It's the method He chose. He didn't choose to manifest in the Spirit and morph Himself into something that you can touch and cuddle, your "relationship with Jesus." He chose to reveal Himself to you through His body, the church. Receive that love. Let's sing it together; just bless Him. "Jesus, Draw Me Close." Thank You, Jesus. Hallelujah! It's our choice, Lord, to make You big and to keep Your commandments; the whole duty of man. Work it in us, we ask, Father, in Jesus' name. Amen.

Before you go, turn to somebody next to you and say, "Consider yourself!" Go in peace. God's love go with you.

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