The Deadliness of Envy
LA CRUAUTÉ DE L’ENVIE
CHRIST THE ROCK CONGREGATION
SERMON FOR SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 2013
BY
PASTOR MARC E SIMEON
Genesis 37:17-20
17 And the man said, They are departed hence; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan.
18 And they saw him afar off, and before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.
19 And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh.
20 Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into one of the pits, and we will say, And evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.
Genèse 37:17-20
17 Et l’homme dit: Ils sont partis d’ici; car je les ai entendus dire: Allons à Dothan. Joseph alla après ses frères, et il les trouva à Dothan.
18 Ils le virent de loin; et, avant qu’il fût près d’eux, ils complotèrent de le faire mourir.
19 Ils se dirent l’un à l’autre: Voici le faiseur de songes qui arrive.
20 Venez maintenant, tuons-le, et jetons-le dans une des citernes; nous dirons qu’une bête féroce l’a dévoré, et nous verrons ce que deviendront ses songes.
The Bible depicts Jealousy as one of the works of the flesh.
- Galatians 5:19-21
- 19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
- 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousies, wraths, factions, divisions, parties,
- 21 envyings, drunkenness, revellings, and such like; of which I forewarn you, even as I did forewarn you, that they who practise such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
la Bible dépeint la Jalousie comme l’une des œuvres de la chair.
- Galates 5:19-21
- 19 Or, les œuvres de la chair sont manifestes, ce sont l’impudicité, l’impureté, la dissolution,
- 20 l’idolâtrie, la magie, les inimitiés, les querelles, les jalousies, les animosités, les disputes, les divisions, les sectes,
- 21 l’envie, l’ivrognerie, les excès de table, et les choses semblables. Je vous dis d’avance, comme je l’ai déjà dit, que ceux qui commettent de telles choses n’hériteront point le royaume de Dieu.
INSTANCES OF JEALOUSY IN THE BIBLE- •Cain, of Abel /Ge 4:5,6,8
- •Sarah, of Hagar /Ge 16:5
- Lea and Rachel
- •Joseph’s brothers, of Joseph /Ge 37:4-11,18-28
- •Saul, of David /1Sa 18:8-30; 19:8-24; 20:24-34
- •Joab, of Abner /2Sa 3:24-27
- •The brother of the prodigal son /Lu 15:25-32
- What is envy / Jealousy
- Bertrand Russell said that envy was one of the most potent causes of unhappiness.[2] Not only is the envious person rendered unhappy by his envy, but they also wish to inflict misfortune on others.
- Qu’est ce que l’Envie ?
- Par définition, l’envie est le sentiment que l’on ressent lorsque l’on convoitise le bien d’autrui.
- C’est son objet même qui fait de l’envie un péché : elle est tristesse du bien de l’autre. Si chaque péché s’oppose à une vertu, on peut dire que le péché de l’Envie s’oppose à l’Amour.
- Envy is a deadly emotion
- It requires the elimination of the favored person
- Envy is fuelled by disproportionated ego.
- A person who is full of envy is demon posessed.
- Envy can lead to the most henious crime.
- Envy and Jealousy are the greatest problems in the third world countries.
- Envy is the reason for most of the family disunities.
- Envy is hidden in the heart of most people
- Envy is the reason the church is so malnourished these days.
- Genesis 36:19-20
- 19And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh.
- 20 Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into one of the pits, and we will say, And evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.
JOSEPH THE DREAMER
- Joseph had huge dreams
- Joseph’s dreams were beyond the scope of imagination.
- His dreams were the prophesies of his life—his destiny.
- Every true dreamer recognizes the indispensability of God in the realization of the dream.
- People get offended by the size of somebody’s dream
- Dreamers naturally attract dream hunters.
- Dreamers are often too generous in sharing their dreams with others.
- Dreamers often fantasize to think that all are aboard in helping them to realize their dreams.
- Dreamers are always shocked to see where their greatest oppositions are drawn from.
- Dream hunters are merciless in eliminating the dreamer and his dreams.
- Dreamers have to be prayerful and selective with who they share their dreams with.
- Some dreams are better kept secret to all.
- The real dreamer does not fantasize but he is connected with the mind of God
- The real dreamer cannot afford to throw away his dreams for the convenience of others.
- Example of the eagle and the chicken.
- The eagle could not do well being a chicken no matter how much it tries.
- True dreamers cannot accept the status quo
- A dreamer is a man of faith
- A dreamer is not afraid of hard work
- A true dreamer believes in crossing the finish line
- Dreamers have passion and drive
- Dreamers believe in the impossible
- Dreamers order what the future must look like
- Dreamers are daring people
- Dreamers have hard shells
- The brothers of Joseph hated him because of his many dreams.
- They hated the meanings of these dreams
- They hated the fact that Joseph’s dream did not respect their birth hierarchy.
- They hated the fact God did not choose them for the job.
- They were willing to fight God
- They did not know that God had all of them in mind when he chose Joseph
- They did not know that the elevation of Joseph would benefit the entire family.
- You kill Joseph means, you kill your future
- You kill Joseph means, you kill your savior
- You kill Joseph means, you kill the plan of God for your family
- Many people mistreat their Josephs
- Joseph’s dreams were for the benefits of all his brothers
- In due time, the brothers of Joseph will be thinking God for the very dream they were trying to destroy.
- The dreams saved them from starvation
- The dreams granted them the best portion of land in Egypt
- The dreams of Joseph enabled them to become very rich and powerful in Egypt.
- The dreams of Joseph enabled them to become a nation.
- Ge 45:4 And Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near to me.” So they came near. Then he said: “I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt.
- 5 “But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life.
- Ge 45:4 Joseph dit à ses frères: Approchez-vous de moi. Et ils s’approchèrent. Il dit: Je suis Joseph, votre frère, que vous avez vendu pour être mené en Égypte.
- 5 Maintenant, ne vous affligez pas, et ne soyez pas fâchés de m’avoir vendu pour être conduit ici, car c’est pour vous sauver la vie que Dieu m’a envoyé devant vous.
- Ge 45:6 “For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. (NKJV)
- 6 Voilà deux ans que la famine est dans le pays; et pendant cinq années encore, il n’y aura ni labour, ni moisson. (LSV)
- 7 “And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. (NKJV)
- 7 Dieu m’a envoyé devant vous pour vous faire subsister dans le pays, et pour vous faire vivre par une grande délivrance. (LSV)
- 8 “So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt. (NKJV)
- 8 Ce n’est donc pas vous qui m’avez envoyé ici, mais c’est Dieu; il m’a établi père de Pharaon, maître de toute sa maison, et gouverneur de tout le pays d’Égypte. (LSV)
- Lessons learned:
- Quit being ambitious over other people’s dreams, they might be for your own good.
- Don’t fight the plan of God over someone’s life, you might be included in the blessing.
- Find your own destiny and don’t destroy that of another
- Desire the best for everyone and you will find your best.
- Dreamers
- Do not allow vengeance to hold you back
- Be fair and generous when your dreams materialize
- Forgive and forget those who tried kill you and your dreams.
- Amen!
Pasteur Marc Simeon 