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Amen. So this morning I'm gonna continue on with the series I started last week. If you remember last week, we were looking at the example of Old Testament Israel coming out of Egypt, crossing the Red Sea and going into the wilderness, and we, you know, developed kind of an analogy out of that crossing that they went through the Red Sea, how that's a picture in our Christian life that there are certain seas that we're gonna have to cross, and then I used that word, you know, sea and made it into the letter C. So we have, they had the Red Sea, we have the dread seas, there's these seas in our lives that we need to be, need to dread, things that we need to cross and get over. You know, you say that's my attempt at being clever, you know, I guess, you know, but really what I'm trying to do is I'm trying to make these sermons memorable, you know, you put, get a title, alliteration, you know, the point of coming to church is for you to learn something, so hopefully I can do my part to help you remember these things, and if you remember last week, the first scene we looked at was complaining. Oh, come on, I guess I need to try harder, I guess I need more puns in my sermon, right? Anyway, we're gonna look at the second part of the three dread seas this morning. Last week was complaining, this week we're gonna look at contentions. Contentions or contention is a dreaded sea in our lives, and of course we got to get the context when we ever looked at this concept of contention in our lives. Last week we talked about the fact how complaining has to also be taken in context, specifically in the scripture, that often the word that is used in the Bible when complaining is in reference to actually petitioning God, it's not always what we would think of, you know, whining or complaining, that's what the Bible would refer to as murmuring, okay? So that's just a quick brief overview of last week, of course those are all up on our website, up on our YouTube page if you ever want to get caught up on these sermons, but again, just like last week complaining had to be taken in context, contention also has to be taken in context when you look at it in the scripture. There are many negative mentions of it, but there are also positive mentions of contention in the scripture, so we'll look at most of the negative here, and I'll warn you right now we're gonna look at a lot of scripture, but the good news is is that it's gonna all be pretty much in the book of Proverbs, okay? So you shouldn't get a paper cut this morning, you're gonna be just right there in that one little book, I'll have you go to a few other places, but you're there in 1st Corinthians chapter number one, let's start looking there in verse 10 where it says, now I beseech you brethren by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that you all speak the same thing, that there be no divisions among you, and that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. So Paul is admonishing the Corinthians to be at peace with one another, to have unity in church, that there don't, that there would not be any divisions among them, that they would be perfectly joined together, right? That's he wants the peace and the unity in the church. Why is he admonishing this? Why is he bringing this up in this letter? Verse 11, for it hath been declared unto me of you my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you, okay? And right there, there's a great, you know, something we can learn from that as well. Paul was tipped off by Chloe, the house of Chloe, right? They're accused that some people say, Oh, what a tattle tale. You know, there's some things that need to be brought to the preacher's attention. Not every little thing needs to be brought to people's attention. But you know, you could see that when it comes to this idea of bringing things to the preacher's attention, when you have disunity creeping in, when you have conflict creeping in within a church, that's something that needs to be brought to the leaner's attention and dealt with, okay? So because contention is a very serious thing. We're going to look at that here this morning. He says, Look, it has been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. And now, now this I say that every one of you sayeth, I am of Paul, and I have Paul's, and I have Cephas, and I have Christ. So that was the source of the contention. That was the division there. Some people are preferring one man of God above another. Some people saying, Hey, Peter got me saved, right? That's Cephas. Well, it was Apollos who got me saved. And well, you know, it was ultimately Christ. These are the hyper-spirituals. You know, these guys didn't save anyone. It was Christ that saved us. Duh, right? We all know that. But Paul said that he might save some. He comes all things to all men that he might be able to save some, right? Becomes all things to all men that he may be able to save some. Obviously, we know Christ is the one that saves, right? So even back then, they had those hyper-spiritual types. You know, some guys are claiming, I am of Paul. I'm of, I'm of Peter. And it was, well, I'm of Christ. You know, well, good for you. We're all of Christ. But the idea here is that there's this contention. Obviously, that's the specific example, the specific source of contention within the Corinthian church. But, you know, contention can come from any place of conflict. There's many different causes of conflict in our lives, right? Now, the reason why conflict here, or contention, is such a serious thing, something you want to take care of specifically and especially within the church, is because that conflict distracts from the cause. Conflict distracts from the cause. You know, we as a church body, we have a mission, we have a goal. There's something we're trying to accomplish. It's called the preaching of the gospel to the lost. We're trying to go out and fulfill the Great Commission. We're trying to go out into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. We're trying to get people saved. You know, we have a mission to do. We have a great work that's been given us. We are ambassadors for Christ. If we get so caught up in, you know, all these carnal conflicts within a church and there starts to be this division and this divisiveness, this disunity in the church, you know, that conflict is going to distract from the cause. And what is the problem with contention is that it often creates conflict. When people start to have contentions and conflicts, that in turn distracts from the cause. Look at verse 13, Paul deals with it and says, is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? He's saying, who are any of us? And obviously Christ is not divided. You can't say, you know, one group of people can't claim Christ all themselves. Christ, you know, we're all of Christ, okay. So he's dealing with this, but notice again, he brings them back as to why they need to get over this conflict, why they need to get over this division, why they need to be perfectly joined together. Verse 17, for Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel. He said, that's what I'm here to do. I'm here to preach the gospel. We're here to get something done. These divisions, these conflicts, this carnality that's within a church must be done away, okay. So he's dealing with this conflict within the Corinthian church. He's dealing with this contention and he's pointing out the fact to us today, we can look at this and see that the problem with conflict, the problem with contention is that it distracts from the cause. Now, what is the cause? Now, when I say the cause, of course, you know, it's the cause, right? We're down for the cause, right? The cause of Christ. But what is the cause of contention? What is the cause of contention? Now, here's where I'm going to have you go to Proverbs. Okay. Go to back to Proverbs chapter number 13. We're going to take a little ride through Proverbs this morning. Proverbs chapter number 13. So we started out by looking at, you know, why is contention such a dreaded sea? Why is this something we have to cross over in our lives? Why this is something we have to get behind us? Why is this something we have to get through and not let us stop us in our journey with Christ and our, you know, a walk with the Lord? Okay. Because of the fact that contention creates conflict and conflict distracts from the cause. Okay. That's why it's a dreaded sea. So what is the cause of contention? Where does this come from in our lives? Proverbs 13 verse 10 is very clear that it's pride. Look at verse 10 again. It says, only by pride cometh contention. Only by pride cometh contention. Meaning in every single circumstance where you have conflict, where there is contention, there is pride involved. And you know, some in someone's part, you know, it's either both parties or one party, you know, wherever there's conflict. I mean, it's not what the Bible is showing us. You're only by pride cometh contention. Does contention come any other way? No, the Bible says only by pride. This is how contention comes about. This is the cause of contention. But with the well advised, there is wisdom. Now, why is it that pride is the cause of contention? Here's why. Because proud people cannot admit that they're wrong. Proud people cannot admit that they're wrong. Look, there is going to be conflict in life. People are going to do things. There's going to be contentions. People are going to offend one another. People are going to do things wrong and need to be corrected. Right? And when that correction comes, you know, the person who's proud, they can't admit that they're wrong. And now it's not just correction that's taking place. Now it's turned into contention. Okay? Is it the fault of the one that's doing the correcting necessarily? No. You know, you could come to somebody and say, Hey, you're done something wrong. You've, uh, you've messed up. You've made a mistake. You're you've offended me. Whatever it is, you could point out, you know, the offense. You can't probably you're not guaranteed how that person is going to receive it. And if they're a proud person, when they're gonna do it, say, Well, I'm not wrong. Look, people live like this. People live their whole lives like this. They're never wrong about anything. I mean, it could just be some random thing that happens to them. And it's like it's you know, it's it's that thing's fault. You know, they trip on a curb, and it's like it's the curbs fault. It's not that you were staring at your phone walking through, you know, walking into poles and things like that. People would literally blame who put that pole there? Didn't they know it's gonna be staring at my phone when I was walking through here? It's like, Well, you're the problem. But that's the you know, that's a silly example. But it kind of illustrates the mentality of proud people and why only by pride come with contention. Why does contention come by pride? Because proud people can't admit fault. They can't admit to being wrong. Okay, and look, a big part of being, uh, being wise, right? Is that what it says there at the end? But the with the well advised is wisdom with the well advised is wisdom, right? It doesn't say that, you know, wise people give a lot of advice. It says that with the well advised is wisdom, meaning people who have wisdom have been well advised. Okay, now look at verse one with that mind. A wise son here is a father, his father's instruction. So this idea in chapter 13 is that there's this, you know, wisdom is being given under those that are well devised. The son is hearing the father's instruction. But notice at the latter half of chapter verse one, it says, But a scorner heareth not rebuke here with not rebuke. And what is rebuke? It's being told that you're wrong. That's what it means to be rebuked by somebody that you've done something wrong, that you are in error. Okay, so notice here in this chapter we see that instruction comes in the form of rebuke, that the well advised, you know, they are not proud people that they can receive wisdom because often wisdom or instruction comes in the form of rebuke, which is negative. Okay, and that's what the preacher is commanded to do. Timothy was commanded in 1 Timothy to reprove, rebuke and exhort with all long suffering doctrine. Okay, so when someone comes to you and corrects you, when someone comes to you and tell you you've done something wrong, you know, we should have a humble spirit. We should receive that. Then therefore we will be well advised. We'll be a wise son. We'll hear instruction or the other option is we can get puffed up. We can get proud and say, I've done nothing wrong. And then that correction turns into conflict. Conflict is a very serious thing. We saw in 1 Corinthians chapter two. It distracts from the cause. Where does it come from? What is the cause of contention? Pride, only by pride. Go to Proverbs chapter number 17, Proverbs chapter number 17. Look, if we're going to be wise people, if we're gonna be a people that are at peace, if we as a body, as a church are going to accomplish something for Christ, you know, pride has to be thrown out. We can't have, we cannot have pride in church. You can't have proud individuals. And by that, I mean people who can't admit the wrong. Look, if it's my job to get up, reprove and rebuke and exhort with all long suffering doctrine, it's only a matter of time until I rebuke something about your life. And not because I'm taking notes on your life, not because I'm following you around during the week saying, how can I get them? You know, my job, you know, it's definitely my job to come here and correct, but it's not my desire to come in here and try to make people squirm in the seat or make people angry or upset people. But you know what? It's gonna happen. We'll see that here in a minute in James 3. It's gonna happen. I am going to preach something that's going to upset you, if I haven't already. Some of you are like, mm-hmm, oh I know. Amen. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt. You know, I survived deacons preaching, right? But it's just a matter of time. Now, if you're a humble person, if you're a meek person, you know, as long as what I'm preaching is Bible, then what's the problem? Right? Look at Proverbs 17 verse 10. A reproof entereth more into a wise man than a hundred stripes into a fool. What's he saying there? What's a reproof? Reprove, rebuke, exhort, right? That's another form of correction. To reprove somebody, right? To rebuke somebody. Reproof, correction, instruction, being told you're wrong, enters more into a wise man. Now you see why, you know, with the well of wise, well advised is wisdom, right? Because they've been reproved and it's entered in and it's made them wise. Reproof entereth into a wise man more than a hundred stripes into a fool. You know, some people are just so proud, some people are just so stiff-necked, some people are just so hard-hearted, you know, there's just no getting through to them. In fact, and what happens is when you try to reprove people like that, we try to instruct people like that, and you come up against that hard heart, you come up against that wall, it bounces back at you and now it's conflict. Now they're resisting and now they're fighting, now they're working against you, right? It's like trying to, you know, you'd be better off trying to whip a fool. You could sit there and whip a fool, he's never gonna get it. This is why the Bible teaches that oftentimes in order to resolve conflict when they have these situations is that you sometimes you even need an impartial third party to kind of step in, okay? Look at verse 17. He that is first in his own cause seemeth just, but his neighbor cometh and searcheth him. He's saying, hey, I'm, you know, I'm right in this situation, I'm just, you know, of course you're just, it's your, you're gonna, you're not gonna admit you're wrong. He that is first in his own cause seemeth just. People can explain things to themselves and make, to make themselves come out looking pretty good, don't they? It's very rare that people have enough humility to sit there and go, you know, I could have done things better. I sure handled that situation wrong. Maybe I'm the one that could have, you know, changed things. Maybe I could have fixed something. You know, maybe I'm the problem, you know, whoo, that's a scary thing to even think, let alone admit to yourself. He that is first in his own cause seemeth just. He's not just, but in his own eyes he seems that way, but his neighbor cometh and searcheth him out. The impartial guy is no dog in the fight comes along and says, actually, you're not just. Actually, here's the real problem and you're part of it. Actually, you're proud, you're proud, you both have a problem. Here's how you guys need to fix it. It takes that impartial third party to resolve conflict, especially when you start dealing with proud people. Verse 18, the lot causeth contentions to cease and parteth between the mighty. You have these two people that are mighty, two people that seem just in their own cause. There's contention there, someone's proud, maybe both of them. No one's willing to admit they're wrong and you cast a lot, you know, say what's casting a lot? We don't really know, but it's basically a thing of chance, right? They cast lots off in the Bible. You know, today maybe the modern equivalent would be flipping a coin, okay? You might just say, you know what, we're just gonna flip a coin and, you know, you call it and whatever comes up, that's the end of it. You know, here's the options, right? You know how to flip a coin, people. We've probably all done that, right? And it's the idea every parent understands this concept. It's like if people can't play nice, sometimes you just have to separate them. You go in that room and you go in that room. What's that parent? Well, I wouldn't go so far as to say they're impartial, but they're definitely a third party, right? They're coming into a conflict and saying, hey, we're gonna separate you two. We're gonna bring this conflict to an end. You know, a lot of times in conflict, that's what it takes to resolve it. Now look at verse 19. A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city and their contentions are like the bars of a castle. My last point there about third parties resolving conflict was kind of a rabbit trail, but this I'm bringing us back now at the end of this verse to my original point here that pride is the cause of contention, right? A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city. Look, when people are proud, when people are offended, when people cannot admit they're wrong, trying to win them is like trying to win a strong city. You know, I wouldn't even know how to go about doing that. You just go conquer some city. That sounds like a pretty insurmountable task. Yeah, it is, but you know what is even harder? Winning back a brother that's been offended and their contentions are like the bars of a castle. When people let conflict and contention set in in their lives, when they're just gonna become contentious people, it's like they're like they've they've walled themselves off behind the bars of a castle. You can't get through to them, okay? This is why pride is the cause of all contention, right? What's another cause of contention? We looked at pride. Another cause would be the power of the tongue, right? Not only can proud people, can't proud people rather, admit that they're wrong, but proud people will argue with you to no end. You could you could sit there and and and and tell them up one side and down the other why they're wrong and be absolutely 100% correct. They will argue with you to no end. They'll have never admitted that they're wrong and they'll keep arguing. You know, I get my fair share of this in this line of work dealing with people. You know, often we'll have people reach out to us with some complaint trying to you know complain about something that they saw on the internet somewhere and we try to explain the situation and they're like yeah but anyway just it doesn't matter so it doesn't matter what reason you give them right but every now and then you'll explain things to people and they'll say you know what I'm sorry about that you're right now that it now that I have a little more context in the situation you know I apologize and I've had that it's rare you know it's maybe it's five percent of people like that that will actually have enough humility to admit that they were wrong you know and but and whenever they do that I make sure to put them down and say yeah that's right you know I'm right sure showed you buddy right better keep that in mind next time before you start you know running your mouth again right no I say hey no hard feelings god bless right because all we care about is the truth all we care about is you know being right and not letting people walk around with you know the wrong idea but what's my point here the power of the tongue proud people argue to no end this is another source of contention this is the cause of contention pride the power of the tongue look at verse 20 of Proverbs chapter 17 a man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth and with the increase of his lips he shall be filled you can see again how he's talking about the lips right how it's your words are going to bring you prosperity in life the things that you say will help you to increase the way you conduct yourself right look at verse 21 death and life are in the power of the tongue that's a deep verse right I mean that's very literal you know people who do not confess Christ are gonna go to hell which is called death right that's very literal death and life are in the power of the tongue and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof go to Proverbs chapter number 18 Proverbs chapter number 18 the Bible says a fool's lips enter into contention and his mouth call it for strokes that's Proverbs 18 verse 6 where I just had you go Proverbs 18 verse 6 a fool's lips enter into contention what is one of the source what's a source of contention what is the cause of contention it's pride and it's the tongue right because out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speakest speaketh if we are you know if we have pride in our heart if we're hard-hearted if we're contentious people it's gonna come out of our mouth and we're gonna be people who can argue to no end we're going to enter into contention with our lips and I love the end of the verse and his mouth call us for strokes what's he what does he mean strokes he's talking about being on a rowing team stroke stroke stroke no that's not what he's talking about it's not getting slapped right that's what he calling about a stroke you know a stroke of the hand across the face you know that's what a fool's lips do they enter into contention and it's like he's saying slap me I deserve to be beat down someone slapped me out of my my foolishness and look this plays out in life in the sense that are or in one way you know sometimes you'll see people go run their mouth to other people right they'll go out looking for trouble right that's a that's just you know it doesn't really the thrust of the sermon here but hey don't don't be careful you mouth off to in this world some guys aren't looking for that they're not going to respond with words you say the wrong thing to the wrong guy and it's just like now it's on right he's not gonna he's not gonna want to get into a verbal exchange he's gonna say your mouth's calling for strokes buddy and I'm the like fuck person likes to hand him out right I'm not I'm saying that you know it's reenacting the situation I'm no striker okay that's that's not allowed for it for the preacher okay you know and I could think of examples of this even in my own life you know before I learned to control the tongue that's not not that I've mastered that you know the Bible says we'll see in James that it's an unruly evil that the tongue no man can tame you know if we tame the tongue you know we can we can bring the whole body into subjection right it's a struggle we work on it but I remember as a teenager you know I was always had that quick remark always had that talking back always had something to say about whatever and you know I can look back and I can see why certain individuals in my life are so frustrated with that because it's annoying right to have always had that smart aleck remark and I know I've told the story but you know I'm gonna tell it again there was that day you know I remember saying something having some wise thing to say to my stepdad he just looked at me and said one day you're gonna mouth off to the wrong redneck now he used some other color for language in that that I'm not gonna repeat from pulpit you know and he said it with a little bit more passion and vehemence than I just said it he said one day you're gonna mouth off to the wrong redneck and I was like whatever right 15 and got it all figured out and one day I mouthed off to the wrong redneck skating down the center of the street and he yelled at his window me and my buddy he yelled at us from his car window get out of the street and I don't know what it is that I said but whatever it was caused him to lock up the brakes and get out of the car and it was this jacked marine like full fatigues you know pants tucked into his boots just like I'm gonna teach you some respect and he's just marching down the street thankfully I had a skateboard you know I'm just you know trying to get out of there as quick as I can and he's just marching after me and once he you know we got away but then I you know my stepfather's words suddenly seemed so wise to me they came to they came to mind one day I will mouth off to the wrong redneck and from that day on I was kind of like maybe there's something to that and then lo and behold I read the Bible and I'm like hey I I know what that's like to have a mouth that's calling for strokes right they have a mouth that just with with his lips a fool just goes out and just enters into contention just says this and says that and just has no control of the tongue just tells everybody whatever they think about whatever the situation and tells people things about themselves whatever right and just gets into conflict gets himself in trouble so that's kind of a sub lesson right you can see why contention is such a dreaded see this morning right we enter into contention we might not come out the other side looking pretty we might not win that conflict you know and it might even end up being a physical one you might have some bruises to show for it you know the Bible says in James 3 in fact if you would turn there keep something in Proverbs 18 but or actually yeah keep something in Proverbs 18 we come back to another proverb but we'll be back in Proverbs 18 even later that's not too much for you all at once but go to James chapter 3 just keep something in Proverbs okay hopefully you can count to 18 so right or higher maybe as long as you get to 31 you're good in the book of Proverbs all right we're gonna get you there James chapter 3 I'll begin reading in verse 5 the Bible says even so the tongue is a little member and boasteth great things behold how great matter of fight a little fire kindleth you own just that little bit of flame that a little bit of foolishness that a little bit of talking back a little bit of you know entering into contention you know that could kindle a great fire in our lives and the tongue is a fire a world of iniquity so is the tongue among our members that it defileth the whole body and set it on fire the course of nature and is set on fire of hell you know that's some pretty strong language about one little member in our mouth one little part of our body that can do so much damage the Bible says we read it earlier that death and life are in the power of the tongue you know we can do a lot of damage we can do a lot of bad things with our tongue but we also can do a lot of good right we can do a lot of lifting up with people we can do a lot of building we can preach the gospel we can bring people to life through our tongue or you know we can set on course the fire of hell with our tongue look at verse 7 for every kind of beasts and of birds and of serpents and of things and the sea is tamed and half been tamed of mankind but the tongue can no man tame it is an unruly evil full of deadly poison you know we could get so many other things brought into subjection in our Christian life we can come to church we were there three to thrive we you know we look the part we can you know go do the slowly we're Bible reading we can have all these other things nailed down but you know what that tongue is always gonna be there it seems to me like James is kind of saying like it's one of the last things we'll ever get right and we need to be on guard against the tongue and proud people they use that tongue to argue to enter into contention so that's the cause of contention it's pride how does it manifest through the arguing through the talking back through the inability to admit that they're wrong go back to Proverbs look at verse 20 chapter 26 Proverbs 26 I'll begin reading a verse 21 I got to move along here in Proverbs chapter 26 verse 21 as coals are to burning coals and wood to fire so is a contentious man to kindle strife you know there's some people that live to enter into strife there's some people that are out there that want to just kindle it contentious people and it's effective it works no one throws a lump of coal in the fire and goes I wonder if that's gonna catch fire no one sets a log on the fire and says I wonder if that's gonna burn you know it's gonna you can't escape it you know it's it's it's a law it's gonna burn you put wood on a fire if the fire is gonna get hotter so as a contentious man to kindle strife look if we're contentious people if we don't get over this dread seeing our lives if we don't let go of pride if we don't develop the ability to admit that we're wrong if we don't begin to control this tongue if we're contentious people we will kindle strife in our lives it's unavoidable it's as it's as natural as you know putting gas you know imagine a gas tank that's full of gas it's gonna blow up it's I mean you can't expect a different result if we're contentious people we're going to kindle strife I mean that's kind of what he's saying isn't that what he's saying Proverbs 26 verse 1 or 21 it's as coals to a burning fires it's as wood to a fire you know if they just go together one leads to another they can't the end and you know this is what contentious people do they go out and they kindle strife they they throw gas on the fire they love to hear about conflict they love to hear about people that are odds with one another they're not the impartial partial third party they're gonna go oh you guys are having a problem yeah well you should have a problem with that guy well you should have a problem with that gal yeah I don't blame you yeah you should be mad then they'll go to the other person yeah you know what you should be upset this is what tailbearers do too they like to pit people against each other and and you know kindle strife get people going I mean this is daytime television nobody does that that's literally dates all the talk shows isn't that what they're doing oh you committed adultery with the you know the the the postman or whatever your best friends you know your your boyfriend's best friend you know you whatever they get the most scandalous situations like let's get all of you on a stage and talk about it and we'll just air your dirty laundry to the world because people love contention makes for good TV right high ratings look people out there they just want to kindle this stuff they don't they're not interested in resolving anything they live for this kind of drama look people can be like that even in church we can be like that in our lives you know maybe we're not gonna I'm not gonna set the stage up here and we're all you know I'm gonna get a mic and and start you know acting like it's been so long Phil Donahue all the young people like who I don't I'm sorry that's my generation you know that's the 80s daytime television that's what I know Phil Donahue Oprah before she was Oprah right like the original Oprah who remembers original Oprah right with the permed hair yeah did she have a perm she had a perm you know whether or not she had a perm I know you know didn't want to admit it she had a perm and what you know before she was given building houses for everybody and giving away everything talking about books she was just like Phil she was like Jerry Springer ah there I got you young people I brought you back in the conversation Jerry Springer is that is that too far out of your time frame right I don't know who it is today if they're even still doing it I bet they are she was just like the rest of them that Oprah right don't let her fool you but this is what people do they Kindle strife in their lives they Kindle strip they love to see it look at verse 22 the words of a tail bearer are as wounds and they go down in the innermost part of the belly those are related those verses people who Kindle Kindle strife their tail bearers they go around oh did you see so-and-so you hear what so-and-so did they always want to talk about other people and get everybody riled up look at verse 23 burning lips and a wicked heart are like a potsherd covered with silver dross all these verses are tied together right a contentious man Kindle a strife how do contentious people Kindle strife with the tongue right the words of a tail bearer they're like they have burning lips fire the mouth burning it's all related but notice what it says about people who have burning lips and a wicked heart that it's like a potsherd which is like a like if you broke a pot and picked up one of the broken pieces that's a potsherd like a shattered pot you remember job scraped himself with a potsherd for this boils they're like a they have their their heart is like a potsherd covered with silver dross silver dross is you know all the all the impurities that you would take out of silver in the refining process it's like you got a big thing as dross and then you dip the potsherd in it and say that's what a person with a burning lips and a wicked heart is like what is the bill trying to tell us what's the illustration that they're worthless they're worthless contention makes us worthless people we're not good to anybody would you rather have a pot or a pot shared you'd rather have the pot could do something with a pot you could set a pot in the corner and say it looks pretty if it looks pretty right you could set up you'll set a pot aside you know my mother was like it was one of these uh anything that was plastic and had a lid got saved and there was like a whole roll of cupboards like in the bottom the bottom roll there's like two sets of cupboards when she passed and we finally you know sold the house and cleaned the place out it was like we all knew it was there and she wasn't a hoarder or anything like this you know but it was just she was all about recycle reduce reuse she was really big on that right and I remember it was just like yogurt cups I mean I mean just all if it was plastic and had a lid folks it got saved until the spaghetti stains like stain the plastic then it would finally go into the recycling bin not the trash recycling right what's the point is that you know a pot anything some empty vessel has some use potentially for anything but a pot shirt is completely worthless if I were to take scissors and cut up mom's you know Tupperware or whatever and say now there you go she'd say it's useless can't do it for it and do anything well that's what it's like when we're contentious people we're not good for anything we're not helping things is that what's going on first Corinthians you say you guys have something to do you have a cause here we're here to preach the gospel and you guys are getting all caught up in these divisions of this carnality you're worthless you're not gonna accomplish anything with all this division that's among you so this is why contention is such a dread at sea you know and this is why we have to root it out in our own hearts that's why we have to tame the tongue and not be people who want to just enter into contention for contention's sake okay there's consequences for it go back to Proverbs 18 back to Proverbs chapter 18 I should have had you keep something there in James 3 but I'll just read to you in James 3 again and in Proverbs chapter 18 it says in verse 19 a brother offended it's harder to be one than a strong city what are the consequences of contention why is it something that we need to be on guard against why is it a dreaded seed that we need to get over because the consequences of contention one of them is this ruined relationships contention among people will ruin relationships best of friends will be split over contention people can get at odds you know this will this will ruin marriages contention people get at odds people pride enters in things are said that it can't be taken back it's out there now and it'll ruin relationships a brother offended it's harder to be one than a strong city you know if we're contentious people we just go around kindling strife we end up offending even a brother a close relation a brother in Christ someone who's dear to us you know we don't have any problem offending people you know out in internet land we'll do people just blow off their mouth on in there they'll just say whatever they want anonymously on the internet but you know take that same attitude into an actual real-life relationship you'll destroy relationships say some of the things that people say online and say it in real life you'll people will be offended and again what's it what's the illustration here it's harder to win back than a strong city their contentions their offense is like bars that they put up in a walled castle you're not gonna it's there's no restoring it it's done you know and and here's the thing you know often I'll say things that offend people I know shocking right you probably aren't used to that right you say no Deacon you yes me because that's the nature of this job not not not that I go okay how am I gonna offend everybody this service how what what can I say that offend the most people that's not that's not what I mean but the Bible is real clear that if we just preach the word that the Word of God is an offense to this world that if you just preach this book you preach the Bible you're gonna offend people you know that's why a lot of preachers don't want to preach it that's why they'll come to up to a chapter and just go whoop I'm not gonna preach that one you know that's why they won't preach line by line chapter by chapter through the Word of God they'll just kind of tiptoe around certain passages won't they because they know if they preach it they're gonna offend people because that's the nature of the job how can you know that's how can you preach the Bible and not offend people I'm not gonna ask for a show of hands but I bet I did if I did I said hey who's ever been offended by the preaching the Word of God I bet every almost every hand would go up because no one's perfect no one walks in here with just squeaky clean never done anything wrong you know never made bad decisions you know never has sin in her life and then had it preached about everyone's gone through that the Bible says in Procter James 3 I'll just read to you my brethren be not many masters by masters he means teachers knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation you know we're gonna be held more accountable right also in the sense that you know we're going to be judged by other people we're gonna receive a greater condemnation there's gonna be more people say I don't like that preacher he's me I don't like the things that he says more people we're gonna get more condemnation from this world for in many things he says in verse 2 we offend all that's what that's what Paul James said he said look in many things we offend all you know we're already offensive we already have a hard time with our tongue if any man offend not in word the same as a perfect man and able to bridle the whole body you know if we all have a tongue to tame you know but here's the thing my job is to get up and preach the word and I do that you know I'm gonna offend I'm gonna offend even more people okay we're gonna have the greater condemnation that's just part of the job and look if I if I say something that offends you ask yourself this is it biblical and maybe be willing to admit that you're wrong if it's the Bible now look if I just get up and preach something that is just my opinion and it offends you then you know what do what you want with it you know but if what I'm preaching is the Word of God and it offends you I'm not the problem it's not me just doing my job you know and I don't want to be one of these preachers that that tiptoes around the passages of God of the Word of God he that hath my word let him preach my word faithfully that's what Jeremiah was told preach all of it hold nothing back that's the job of the preacher I don't so I mean I'd rather make you mad before I make God mad if I'm gonna offend somebody folks just tell you right now it's gonna be you because you know what you're not gonna you might you know get all mad and storm out of here but you're not gonna rain up and cloud on me like God can okay I need him I need to move along from this point but the consequences of contention real quick what are we talking about this morning you know the the dreaded seas the dreaded sea of contention why is it dreaded because it causes conflict where does it come from comes from pride and inability to admit you're wrong through you know run in your mouth and arguing and and and pride coming out of our mouth what are its consequences ruined relationships the Bible says in Proverbs 19 a foolish son is the calamity of his father and the contentions of a wife or a continual dropping go to Proverbs chapter 21 Proverbs chapter 21 it can ruin relationships with a brother with someone that's dear to us look it will ruin relationships contention will enter and ruin marriages which is the dearest relationship that we have on this earth is marriage it's okay to say to men that men maybe you marry guys with pipe up on that one good night it's gonna be a long ride home the contentions of her a wife or a continual dropping don't say him into that husbands just keep that one in okay I know it's true let's see what's he talking about that continual dropping well just think you ever hear like the toilet running in the night you're trying to sleep you know the dripping in the sink into that full bowl drip drip drip drip and you're just laying there trying to get and all you can hear is that that tiny little sound of that dripping in the middle of the night when everything else is supposed to be quiet and you got to get up and do something about it right that's what a wife's continual contentions are her contentions they're like a continual dropping right what's he talking about being a being the nag the proverbial nag nagging the husband right the Bible says in Proverbs 25 verse 24 it is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop than with a brawling woman in a white and in a white house you'd rather go sleep on the roof then go inside and get an argument with your wife this is why why you know and wives drive their husbands away with this they just want to argue and be contentious and get into fights and constantly you know bring things up and and the Bible calls it brawling they want to brawl they want to get into a fight and then they wonder I don't know why my husband doesn't want to spend any time with me I don't know why he's always taken off I don't always why he's always out with his buddies he's always got a hobbies always out in the garage he's always you know zoning out staring at a television well maybe it's the continual dropping maybe it's the brawling not always but you know that the Bible's warning about it look if we're contentious people we can ruin relationships and obviously husbands can have their fair plenty of different ways that they can you know ruin a relationship too okay I understand that but you know I'm just again I already told you I was gonna offend to offend people I already told you I'm gonna preach these passages all right look at Proverbs 21 verse 19 it is better to dwell in the wilderness than with a contentious and an angry woman didn't I just read that oh wait no the Bible says it twice just differently it says it better to be up on the corner of the house it'd be better to be out in the woods why does he why does he always go to deer camp you know I you know most deer camps are a week or two why are you out there all season that's a long deer camp right I'm not saying every guy who goes to deer camp has a nagging wife okay it's kind of you can't I can't help but think about it when you read this right some of you have no idea what I'm talking about deer camp you know like that's a big thing back in Michigan you can actually hunt with having not having to win a lottery anyway slight knock on Arizona there it is better to dwell in the wilderness than a contentious and angry woman right the contention will ruin marriages obviously I'm kind of picking on ladies this morning because we're looking at it from the wife's side of things right obviously you know men can be contentious too but people and how does how does a woman brawl right how would it calls her a brawling woman in verse 25 calls her contentious contentious and brawling are synonymous this is what it's like to be a contentious person getting into conflict unnecessarily right obviously a brawling woman you know isn't gonna literally a brawling woman isn't gonna stand much of a chance in a physical altercation with her husband right because men are just naturally stronger than women oh no that's like you know way politically incorrect say these days but it's true it's just nature okay I want to go off on that but so how does a woman brawl with her lips with her mouth right they will ball up their words like a fist and look this can happen in marriage because wives have the goods on their husbands and husbands have the goods on their wife they know just what to say and just how to say it to just yeah right and then he's then he's gone you know and then he's got to go drive around and yell in the car for now too not that I've ever done that you know but then he's down at the bar right then he's gonna show her and then he's you know that who knows where it leads right why because of contention look this is why contention is a dreaded see in our lives it's something we want to get behind us because of its consequences it'll ruin relationships it will ruin lives go to Proverbs chapter 22 I'll wrap it up Proverbs chapter 22 it'll ruin lies very briefly on this point who hath contentions who hath babblings who hath wounds without cause who hath redness of eyes they that Terry long at the wine they that go to seek mix one they that look upon at what when it giveth it's when it's move itself a right when it move with itself in the cup when it would give its color in the cup when it move itself right so I'm up fermented beverages alcohol right you get drunk you know a lot of times people get into contentions when they're drunk and they ruin their life they severely alter the course of their life you know alcohol will do that it'll make a brawler out of you the angry drunk right it's a real thing I don't want to spend a lot of time on that point but that's one way in which contention can rule ruin a life you know the end and alcohol leads to contentions physical altercations so we've looked I think we all understand this morning I think we're all would probably agree that contention is not something we want in our lives it's a dread-seed we want to get over they want to get it past us we want to get behind us obviously we always have to be guard against it but we've looked at the cause the pride the tongue we've looked at the consequences the relationships the lives that are ruined so the question now is how do we cleanse ourselves from contention how do we cleanse contention from our lives well sometimes you just have to part company now that's not an option in marriage it's not an option in marriage divorce is not an option and if you've been divorced I'm not against you I'm not mad at you I'm not trying to make you feel bad but there's people in this room that have not made that mistake yet I'm preaching to them there's young people that even gotten married yet young people when you go into marriage you have to go in and do it saying divorce is not an option till death do us part it's literally in the vows for better or worse richer or poorer sickness and health if poverty and well-unwealth forsaking all others right till death do us part it's not an option okay and I don't spend a lot of time on that the Bible says if you leave your wife and you know if you leave your spouse and marry another the Bible calls it adultery in the eyes of God okay and if you made that mistake if you've done that you confess that sin you forsake it and you move on with your life and you stay married to your spouse that you have now period okay but you know that's just a clause because what am I talking about I'm talking about how do we cleanse contention well sometimes you just have to part company obviously not an option in marriage you know the you got to work that stuff out in marriage okay but you know even then that's what people end up doing even if they don't get divorced they just become emotionally distant from one another okay they'll end up living on that corner they'll end up living out in the wilderness proverbially you know you know in a sense Bible says in Proverbs chapter 22 verse 10 cast out the scorner and contention shall go out you know cast out the person who's the source of contention and it'll go cast out the person who with their lips wants to enter into contention pass out you know cast out the proud person you can't admit the wrong and watch contention go with it cast out the scorner people who scoff and mock at things people who don't want to get there wrong isn't that what that's is that kind of related you know you say hey this is this is how things ought to be done whatever that's contention that's scoffing you know and sometimes scoffers just need to go and when they go contention goes with them yay strife and reproach shall cease why because it's just like you know if you throw a log on a fire it's gonna burn and contentious people will kindle strife you know and that's being content being contentious you know one way that shows up is when people scoff at things they scoff at the Word of God they scoff at the rules they scoff at you know standards they scoff at these things rather than admitting the wrong and getting right they just scoff at it and they're just they just cause contention they just cause strife so that's one way to cleanse contention okay obviously that's a very broad you know application okay here's another broad application go to Proverbs 17 I was gonna have you know just go to Titus 3 we're done in Proverbs I'll just read them to you I only got a couple more go to Titus 3 I got to wrap this up what's the other way to cleanse contention why do you want to cleanse contention because of the consequences the ruin relationships the ruin lives pick your battles pick your battles because here's the thing there are instances in which we should contend and this is what I started saying in the beginning the sermon that contention has to always be considered in its context obviously when you look at the context in Scripture there's many negative mentions of contention but there's also some positive mentions of content of contention that's what I want to look at in the end you have to pick your battles there's a time to contend the Bible says in Proverbs 17 the beginning of strife is was when one letteth out water therefore leave off contention before it be meddled with now I know you're in Titus but let me read that to you again Proverbs 17 14 if you're taking notes the beginning of strife but when strife is just starting to form but it's just starting to take shape it says when one letteth out water what is he talking about there well if you ever like poke the jug of water or you know I've dropped one of those five-gallon jugs you drop a five-gallon jug you get a little crack in it it's like you're not just gonna go punk it's like there's not you got to get it to the sink in the whole way you're like oh you're making a mess trying not to slip right you've ever seen those videos where people like puncture the back the backyard pool who's ever seen that you know they're standing there like what's the worst that could happen you know and then they're whoa and they get slept off their feet and they you know carried away but that's what the Bible saying that the beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water you know it's all damned up but then we just come along and start chipping away well I'm just gonna cause a little strife here I'm just gonna poke a little hole in this situation I'm just gonna you know I'm just gonna you know interject myself in this relationship a little bit more than I should I'm just gonna chip away I'm just gonna make this one little comment you know what you might just puncture that hole and then it's just like the whole thing's gonna come flooding out and there's no stopping at that point oh I didn't mean to confer things to get that carried away I didn't mean for things to go that far well you know that's what the beginning of strife is like it doesn't seem like it's that big of a deal it doesn't seem like it's gonna be that far you know I'm just gonna make this one little comment and I'm just gonna you know say this one little thing I'm just gonna treat my spouse a certain way till I get what I want you know what and then you're divorced then you've ruined that relationship I'm just gonna you know make that one little comment I'm just gonna go ahead and say that you know just do a little bit of tail-bearing and now you've separated chief friends you know it's just that one thing that the pastor said it's just that one rule that they have at that church the next thing you know you're at a church and you're offended that's what strife is like it's like letting out water you can't once it's out it's out and it's a flood that will sweep you away therefore he says in Proverbs 17 because strife it says the beginning of strife is when one let it out water therefore leave off contention before it be meddled with before you meddle with it don't meddle with strife a little bit say okay that's enough because it's like letting out water you can't control it once it's how it's out before it's even meddled with it just say I'm out there's conflict you know there's something going on there's some situation that involves other people doesn't involve you I'm out you know in your marriage relationship sometimes maybe you're even in the right maybe just say you know I'm just gonna let them have their way I'm just I'd rather just be at peace in my house I'd rather just you know let them continue to be wrong they'll figure it out on their own eventually I'd rather just you know have peace and just leave off strife before it be meddled with before things get carried away and wait for other people to come around so how do you cleanse yourself from contention first of all pick your battles you don't need to die on every hill pick your battles some sometimes we just need to leave off strife and just say it's not worth messing with it's not worth making a big deal about you hear me say something I got some rule you don't like maybe you should just get over it just go along get along look at Titus 3 verse 9 where you are avoid foolish questions and genealogies and contentions and strivings about the law there's some contentions that should just be left even before they're meddled with it said in Proverbs avoid these things avoid contentions avoid striving supply for they are unprofitable in vain you know some people like to argue just for the sake of arguing that's a vanity it profits nothing it's like a pot shirt dripped and draw dipped and dross it's worthless it's vain it's unprofitable why just you know I'm Irish it's my Irish heritage looks like like like being a contentious you know arguing person has anything to do with your genetics that's called human nature and people have these dumb excuses of why they're a certain way you know oh I'm part Irish and we just have a temper it's like no it's the way you were raised maybe I maybe were raised in an Irish household where everyone was like that but it's not because you know your descendants came from a certain plot of land on the earth it's silly right but this is what I'm saying people have silly ideas in their heads I can't I can't stop I can't leave off these things I can't avoid this stuff it's just who I am change change change or you know what go around your life just letting water out everywhere you go go around just needling and poking and chipping away and you know what prepare it be paired to drown in that dread sea this is a great chap Titus chapter 3 verse 9 this is a great one for those of us that go out and preach the gospel you know for soul winners to remember and anybody else in different situations obviously but you know when we're out there knocking on doors I don't know how many times we have people to try to drag us into some argument try to drag us into their doctrine and try to tell us you know why we're right it's like you know what I'm not out there for that I'm gonna avoid people like that avoid foolish questions well before you preach me the gospel what about aliens what's the Bible say about aliens well we'll come back to that I'm not gonna go oh I'm glad you asked about aliens let me explain to you why aliens don't exist aliens don't exist okay can say amen to that too I won't bring up Bigfoot I know there's some believers in here right but some things are just to be avoided foolish questions contentions people just want to argue strivings they're unprofitable a man that is an heretic after the first and second admonition reject I told him once I told him twice he wouldn't receive it it's like goodbye and you don't have to be mean about it you can just say have a nice day not here for that knowing that he is that he that is such is subverted and synth being condemned of himself right and this is a hang up for some people they love people they love the loss they want to bring people out of there you know and obviously I have to use discernment different situations they're just so they just so desperately want to get people saved they can't see the fact that some people are just gonna condemn themselves that there's no getting through to them that the that the pride in their heart is like it's like they've walled themselves off to the truth okay let me close by this with this point get contention and context okay because the other people who run the other extreme Oh anytime anyone's ever contentious about anything somehow they're you know they're not godly they're not walking in spirit it's so funny you know when when when preachers are criticized for you know they're hard preaching for saying something controversial biblical but you know I don't know if you've noticed the world's not exactly towing the line on the Bible these days we're kind of you know if you're gonna be a Baptist preacher if you're gonna preach the Bible you're gonna be kind of going against the grain you're gonna run into contention and it's so funny when people look at a preacher like that and say oh well Christ never would have done that Paul certainly when it's like all right have you read the Bible you just told me by a comment like that you've never read the Bible you've never read it Oh God would never you know God is just all all love all the time I'm just never always seeking peace never judging anyone the Bible says God is a righteous judge the Bible says God will judge the Bible says we will judge angels Jesus said judge righteous judgments judge according to the appearance oh he said judge not he said you know don't don't judge like a hypocrite you know get the beam out of your own eye then you can see clearly cast them out mode out of your brother's eye but go ahead cast the mode out of your brother's eye judge him about that little speck of dust after you've got me as long as you have a beam in your own eye he's just saying don't be a hypocrite about it don't judge people over things that you're doing you know but people grab verses like judge not and that's just like they parrot that verse that's the only Bible verse that liberals know judge not like you don't you know if you've never read the Bible and look I'm talking about getting contention in context when you see a preacher get up and he's saying things that are entering into contention it's not because he's a fool it's not because he's trying to kindle strife it's because he's at odds with this world because he's preaching the Word of God because this book is at odds with the world the Bible says the whole world lieth and wickedness how can we not you know we that are righteous not be at odds with it contend and cut it needs to be taken in context pick your battles contend for the right cause you know there's some contentions that are not unprofitable in vain Bible says in Proverbs 28 if you would go to Jude last place I promised go to Jude they that forsake the law praise the wicked it's not and again this is something I'm always seeing in Scripture and I'm always bringing up is there's no there's no neutral ground with God you're just not like well I'm just not I'm not taking aside oh yes you are you will there's no spiritual you know demilitarized zone with God there's no green zone whatever they call it you're on it you know he that it's not our part is against us they that forsake the law praise the wicked they that forsake the law you know they're just kind of neutral you know they end up praising the wicked say yeah you're right you know that that preacher you know I can't believe he turned to that passage and actually preached that part of the Bible I can't believe actually go through that chapter in the Bible so it's so judgmental yeah but it's the Bible God's gonna judge the whole earth God's gonna judge the living and the dead we're all gonna get you only God can judge me well I'm glad you understand that God is going to judge you and by the way that's a stupid statement because I can judge you too we can we can go around judging people only God can judge me that's funny because I have that ability what a dumb thing people say only God can do they tattoo that on their body only God can judge me I can judge how stupid that tattoo is you know what I'm it's like it's off limits like I'm not allowed to make a judgment people that forsake the law they praise the wicked but such as keep the law contend with them such as keep the law contend with the wicked you know if I'm gonna keep this law if I'm gonna keep this book if I'm gonna preach this faithfully as I've been commanded to do I will enter into contention with the wicked so you pick whose side you want to be on be careful about it I'm gonna keep the law you keep the law we will end up contending with who with the wicked but that's a good battle the Bible's not condemning that you know it's the contention within a church that we want to avoid it's the contention and our relationships that are dear to us that we want to avoid but I want to contend with the wicked folks you know I like a good fight not a physical fight you know but that's something that's just in us that's something that's in men we like to go out and go up against something you know and there's no greater fight to involve yourself in than the cause of Christ the battle the spiritual battle of preaching righteousness of preaching the gospel of contending with the wicked that's a good contention to get into that's a fight worth fighting it's not unprofitable in vain Bible says the first Thessalonians chapter 2 for yourselves brethren know how our entrance into unto you was not that it was not in vain but even after that we had suffered before and were shamefully entreated as you know at Philippi we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention so he's got to get contention in context there's bad contention but then there's good contention he said look when we entered in among you we were bold in our God to speak the gospel with much contention you know if we start preaching the gospel if we start doing what we're supposed to be doing as a church we continue you know preaching righteousness preaching the gospel preaching the law can you know not forsaking the law and contending we're gonna enter into contention with the wicked there will be much contention just make sure let's just make sure it's coming from out there and not in here I don't have a problem with contention in the right context I don't have a problem contending with the wicked but what I don't want to see is contention within a church just like Paul he doesn't want division he wants unity why because we have a job to do and contention and conflict distract from the cause that we ought to be fighting I had you go to Jude look at verse 3 beloved when I gave all diligence to write unto you for the common salvation it was needful for me to write unto you and exhort you what what was it what did he need to do why was it needful what was needful what it needed we need be exhorted by Jude they should earnestly meaning seriously earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered on the Saints that's a good contention I'm gonna contend for the faith and I want everyone in this room to be willing to do the same thing you might not do it to the same degree as other people you know you might not obviously not everyone's gonna get up here and put themselves out there and preach the things that we preach but you know you could get behind the preacher you could at least support him you really say hey you know what I'm on your side I'm gonna be on that side I'm not gonna forsake the law and praise the wicked you get behind him because there is a contention look at verse 4 there are certain men crept in unawares who are of old ordained to this condemnation ungodly men and so on and so forth he what is he saying here why should we contend for the faith which was once delivered the Saints for certain art men are crept in unawares look there are people that are trying to stop what we're doing and not just our church not just you know it's just us it's anybody that's trying to contend with the wicked it's anyone that hasn't forsaken the law it's anyone that's holding up this banner right here and saying thus saith the Lord anyone that's preaching this book there's people that are trying to silence people that are doing that you'd have to be blind not to see that today you have to be ignorant to not understand that getting kicked off of all the social media platforms being silenced anyone that says anything remotely biblical even it's not Bible it's just like a principle that the Bible might support people are just being nuked by you know the woke crowd by who certain men crept in ungodly men right the wicked the wicked are contending today it's about time we contend with them right and obviously our warfare is a spiritual warfare it's not physical it's a spiritual battle that we're involved in but it's one that we must be involved in it's a conflict you know that we're all called to and the way we fight it is through yes preaching the Word of God but also preaching the gospel to the lost and winning people to our side through the gospel and you know taking some captives you know getting him into this you know the the the greatest POW camp was ever constructed called heaven going out taking them from the enemy okay that's the conflict I'm involved in that's the conflict we all have to be involved in you know that's you have to consider contention in its context that's worth contending for but if we get caught up in all these other contentions that are unprofitable in vain that are just you know petty squabbles often you know it's just going to be ruined it's just going to ruin relationships and you know what else it's going to do it's going to distract from the cause I'm not against conflict as long as it sends right context go ahead close the wood