(Disclaimer: This transcript is auto-generated and may contain mistakes.)

OK, so it's verse 12 there that I just want to focus in on. It's on the front of our bulletins in 2 Corinthians 10. So 2 Corinthians 10 and verse 12, which reads, For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves. But they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. And the title of my sermon this morning is competitive Christianity. Competitive Christianity, I'd like to pray before we continue. Father, thank you for your word. Thank you for this chapter of the Bible and this passage that we're going to look at, which just makes it very clear how we should and shouldn't behave, Lord. As Christians, as brethren here in this church, and Lord, help me to just preach this message, which I've been thinking about for a while now, just in a clear and accurate way, Lord, in a way that people would just be edified and want to apply it to their lives and help people to just really reflect and think about this and think of it, if it does apply to them, to want to just try and get right with you on this topic, Lord. In Jesus' name, pray all this. Amen. OK, so it's one of those sermons, OK, that needs preaching from time to time, because it is one of those things that the flesh can easily revert to, OK? It's one of those things, unfortunately, being competitive with your fellow church members. And I don't mean on the sports pitch, or the chessboard, or the bowling alley. Nothing wrong with that, OK? Especially if you're getting some good scores, all right? If you didn't get above 100, you're wicked. And I don't mean... Look, you can get competitive on the pool table, right? There's a bit of competition. You definitely get competitive on the punch machine, all right? And I know a few people are a bit injured after that. On Friday, it was, wasn't it, down in Exeter, look. OK, that's all fine, isn't it? And there's nothing wrong with some healthy competition when you're playing games and sports and things like that. And I'm talking about competing in spiritual things, OK? And you could add life in general, just competing to be better than your brother or sister in Christ, right? And in verse 12, Paul talked about those that compare themselves among themselves. And I was thinking about, I thought I'd give you some examples. It's just things kind of when I wrote these notes, I just kind of that came to me that I've seen, or at least I'd imagined, I'm sure do go on. But a lot of this I've seen and experienced over several years of being saved, you know, and one, for example, and this is a big one, and you get it all throughout the world is competitive parenting. OK, that is a big issue, right? OK, that is everywhere. Competitive parenting, for example, my child sleeps better than yours type thing. And there are people out there, and you might think I'm joking, some of you maybe haven't experienced this, but you'd be amazed, OK, how parents can get competitive about this stuff. They want to somehow beat the other parent, you know, somehow prove that their child's, you know, a better this or that because of their skills as a parent, right? Well, yeah, well, of course, you know, we just we wouldn't do it that way. You know, that's why our kids sleep much better. You know, there's that sort of thing that these and these are more of a first time parent thing, usually. OK, so there is a thing, and no offence to first time parents, a lot of the time kind of with that first kid, you're kind of looking at it, kind of trying to compare and compete a bit. And then kind of once you get to like two, three, four, you realise, yeah, they're all different. It doesn't really matter. They all work out in the end, right? OK, but sometimes that could be a bit of an issue for many. Mine crawled earlier, competitive crawling. You'd be amazed. There are people out there that somehow think that they've somehow achieved something because their child has crawled at an earlier age. Yeah, come across those types. Walked earlier, obviously, as well. It's like they're walking at this age. They're going to be like the future best sportsman ever. It's like, no, because they still, you know, they still seem to be walking when they're meant to be running when they're 20, right? They they they toilet train first. We've had we had this in this church, right? That was some competitive stuff. So my kids toilet trained at six months and they weren't. They just kind of seem to have been like strapped to the toilet or something, because when they weren't on it, it always work out. But there's this sort of stuff, right? And people, I'm going to get my kid toilet trained before yours. And it's a disgrace if a child's in nappies at two years old. It's like, what on earth, you know? There's weird stuff like that, right? Another one I was thinking about sitting through a church service. You think Christians don't get competitive about that? My child's sitting there. Yeah, I've achieved. I've done it. You know, my child is terrified to not, you know, to even breathe in the air. You know, it's like that's weird. But believe me, that's out there, right? OK. Read the Bible earlier. There are people like that, you know, and it's like they almost coach their kids to come in and talk about, you know, oh, yeah. Or they were like, just talk about it loudly about how my child was reading, whatever, you know, at like four years old or something. They've just been reading through, you know, the Book of Deuteronomy at four. Honestly, OK, I've seen all this stuff. That's another one. And then you have like to get saved earlier stuff. And, you know, again, that can be a hard measuring thing. It's hard, especially if kids grow up in the gospel and stuff, because it's hard to know when they really understood it and didn't just repeat as well, you know. So that's something only we can know. And again, you haven't achieved, have you? Obviously, you want to get your kids saved. But another one is maybe preach the gospel first as well. OK, and there'll be people out there that are like, want to competitively like, I'm going to have the most spiritual child. My kid's going to be preaching to other kids at five. I've made it, you know. But again, it's weird, right? OK, and it's not what we're told to do. I'm going to show you that shortly. And I was thinking about ones that you also see out there and sadly, you'll see in church as well, education levels. I mean, that's a big one. How many people just will unashamedly boast of their kid's so-called intellect and education levels, you know, and you'll come across them out there and they'll just be telling you about how amazing you go. How are you? I remember like it never ceases to amaze me when I moved to my old house and I met the neighbour over the fence. He's a fairly old guy. And within, I think it was about 10 seconds of talking, how are you? He started telling me all about his grandchildren's education and how they went to this school and they went to this university and they did this and did that and just no shame at all. And it's just pure boasting, right? And again, it's trying to compete and show, you know, living vicariously through their kids or their grandkids. Education levels, what a great school they're at. You get out there, you know, and well, of course, my child went to here and they think that they're somehow better than you because of that. But then amongst all sort of circles, they'll be how great they are at homeschooling. So then they'll be trying to show their kids like a sort of like an example of their amazing homeschooling. And you'll get people, sadly, that will in a group like ours will be loudly boasting about their homeschooling skills. They'll be coming out with all the kind of fancy educational terminology, which people aren't normal. People just don't really understand. Yeah. To show that, in fact, they're much more qualified for the homeschooling than anyone else. If you're a parent, you're qualified to homeschool. OK, it's as simple as it gets, right? But you'll get that sort of thing as well. Competitive discipline. There are those, you know, that want to be like maybe the hardest discipline or the opposite. Like, you know, I'm so loving that I would never smack my child's bottom, you know, because I'm so much better than you. I wouldn't need to do that because my kids are so well behaved, you know, and it's like, really? It's a bit strange. And, you know, there's even something that is out there as well. Even quantity of children is something people will compete. I'm going to have more kids than them. I'm going to achieve, you know, and I'm better than them because I've got more kids. There are people out there like that, OK? So it's not just parenting, OK? There are other examples of just competitive Christianity. Competitive church attendance. There are people that aren't coming to church because they just want to be in church. Sometimes you get people that are in church, you know, no matter what, no matter what happens, because they just want to be the highest attender of church, right? That you got that wrong, right? You've got to get your heart right. Yeah, understood, yeah. Another one, for example, Bible knowledge. There'll be those, they're reading their Bibles, but in the back of their mind, it's like, if I could just memorise this or remember this, I'm going to look better in front of people. That would be the wrong mentality, agreed? How about soul-winning? We've definitely had some competitive soul-winning here in the past, right? You know, the kind of coming back, it's just like... Ten. Strange, because no-one else even got salvation there. There's a lot of people out like that, right? And, you know, they think they've somehow achieved, they're somehow better than other people. Look, if you can get ten salvation, it's great, right? But you know the difference when it's people that are trying to compete, trying to be the best soul-winner and everything else, rather than just trying to get people saved. Have the best, you know, the best analogy. Well, of course, I use this analogy when I get people saved, you know, that sort of thing. Loudly showing off about how they got the Muslim cleric saved. Well, of course, you know, when I went back to Genesis and I showed... Look, we've had people like that. That will continue, sadly. People who will just want to loudly boast to you about, you know, just about all sorts of stuff like that, right? Want to be like some sort of teaching circle when they come back from soul-winning. Or they're telling everyone about how skilfully they went here and they went there and they did this and they... You know, that sort of stuff as well. And then there's competitive spirituality. There are those who just say things like, well, I would never do that. Well, of course, we wouldn't do that. Well, of course, I wouldn't behave. Well, of course, I don't do that like everyone else does in the church because I'm just that little bit more spiritual, right? OK, so you get that sort of thing as well. And then, aside from just the church stuff, comparing jobs out there. Again, you get that in churches that they're somehow better because they have either a better paid job or a more relaxing job or whatever it is. Houses, there is that as well, right? People want to show off about their homes, their cars, even their physiques. Yeah, I know, got to stop doing that. OK, but people are like that, right? And then another one we had before as well was trying to boast about their spouses. You know, it's just like, she's so amazing, she's so this, she's just... I just can't believe how godly my wife is, you know? It's just, come on, man, this is ridiculous, yeah? OK, so you can imagine the ways it goes. And even if you're not boasting, OK, you might not be that tired, but don't get pulled into the comparing. Just don't get pulled into it. For example, if only I was like them, you know? If only my kids behaved like those kids. Look, you don't really know, OK? How someone is at church, how someone behaves at church, how someone appears to be on the outside can be very different to how the reality of life is, OK? So you've got to really not get pulled into that because it's not wise and we're going to see that as we go through the sermon. So we're going to look at the context here, though, in 2 Corinthians 10, where Paul is warning them, firstly, to not get complacent about whether or not he's going to come in person, as if he was only tough when he's writing letters, OK? You know what he's saying, really, here in verse... And we're going to look from verse 11. He's basically saying, we're not just some keyboard warriors, OK? This is the equivalent. He says to them, here he says, let such a one think this, that such as we were in word by letters when we are absent, such will we be also indeed when we are present. So he's going, don't think that just because I write some tough letters, that when I come along, well, I'm not going to say anything now because it was only in the letters. He's saying, I'm not a keyboard warrior, OK? And you know what? There's a lot of keyboard warriors out there, aren't there? OK, and Paul wasn't a keyboard warrior. What Paul said in the letter, he'd come and he'd preach it behind the pulpit. He'd say it to your face. He'd come and he'd say what needs to be said. He wasn't someone who just hid behind the equivalent now of these people that hide behind their keyboards and their phones. They're all so tough and strong and can say what they want, but they won't say that stuff in person, right? Really, they're weasels, OK? I hate that stuff, it really bugs me, OK? He's saying, I'm not some effeminate little long-distance insult herner. Yeah? There's a lot of those around, aren't there? Long-distance insult herners. You know, you get those sometimes, have you ever noticed, you get that with people, like, while you're trying to talk to them on the door about the gospel and then it's as you're walking up, you're safely enough up the drive, then they'll call something else to quickly shut the door. You know, he's saying, I'm not like one of those people. I'm not one of those that sits behind a keyboard doing it. He says, it's the same things whether I'm writing it or speaking it. That's what he's saying there. He said in verse 11, Let such a one think this, that such as we are in word by letters when we are absent, such will we be also indeed when we are present. For we dare not make ourselves of the number or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves, but they measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves among themselves are not wise. He's saying, we're not just trying to boast of ourselves, you know, like these competitive clowns, basically. No, we have some genuine God-given authority to come here and crack some spiritual heads. He says in verse 13, he says, But we will not boast of things without a measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God had distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you. For we stretch not ourselves beyond our measure, as though we reach not unto you, for we have come as far as to you also in preaching the gospel of Christ. So he's saying, we've come as far as Corinth already. Don't think that we won't come again. Said in verse 15, Not boast of things without a measure, that is of other men's labours, but having hope, when your faith is increased, that we should be enlarged by you according to our rule abundantly, to preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man's line of things made ready to our hands. So basically saying, we want to work with you guys, and then we'll go even further, Phil 2, and it's not to boast in the work that's already been done. Says in verse 17, But he that glorieth let him glory in the Lord. So if boasting is your thing, if you've got to boast of someone, boast of the Lord, right? Boast of God. He said, for not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth. So if you're commending yourself, whether it's to yourself, your spouse, subtly to your fellow believers, a little info release there, you know, people do that stuff, and a little louder volume when mentioning your holiness in one way or another, you know, a little public showing of something, you're not approved of God, he sees it all. Okay, he sees it all, and he should be who's important, shouldn't he? He said in verse 12, back to verse 12, then he said, with all that in mind, he said, for we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves, but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves are not wise. The title is competitive Christianity, and point number one, competitive Christianity is risky. Okay, competitive Christianity is risky. Paul said for we dare not. He's saying we wouldn't even dare get into this sort of competitive comparing stuff. We wouldn't dare make ourselves of the number, basically we wouldn't be one of those types. We wouldn't be one of those ones. Why? Well, turn to Luke chapter 16. Luke 16, where Jesus is preaching about covetousness, and it upsets the Pharisees. So Luke 16, you're gonna look at, and we're gonna look from verse 14. So Luke 16 and verse 14, and it says this, and the Pharisees also, Luke 16, 14, and the Pharisees also who were covetous heard all these things, and they derided him. So they mocked, okay, they ridiculed him. And people often do that when the message affects them, don't they? When the message affects them, they often find a way to mock, to ridicule, to find a way to just kind of mock it. Or you get that in the simplest form just with the gospel, don't you? People will just gossip, sorry, will mock the gospel. They'll mock the fact that it's a free gift. They'll mock the fact that they'll call that easy believism. They'll get a license to sin and everything else because really it's affecting them. It's affecting their pride really, isn't it? It's telling them, no, you're not good enough to go to heaven, so mock it, right? Well, here they're deriding him because he's just been preaching about covetousness. And he said unto them, ye are they which justify yourselves before men. But God knoweth your hearts, for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God. He said that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God. So these guys are trying to justify themselves before men, impress others, they're trying to lift themselves up in the eyes of men. He said it's abomination in the sight of God. Okay, that means God hates it. He despises all of that stuff. All of that stuff for show, all that impressing people stuff, he hates it. It's abomination to him, right? Do you really want to be highly esteemed among men? Because if you do, well, are you daring to be abomination in the sight of God? Because that's the payoff, really. If you're trying to lift yourselves up to people, you're going to be abomination in the sight of God. And I don't want that payoff, right? Hopefully everyone is. I don't want God to look at me and go, you're abomination. What are you doing, right? What are you doing trying to lift yourselves up to others? The fools get impressed, okay? Foolish people do get impressed. Some people are just a bit simple with that stuff. They just get so impressed by the so-called like ultra, you know, ultra holy types, right? The hyper spiritual, but God hates it. God hates that stuff. He hates that competitive junk, okay? He hates it. Turn to Proverbs 16. What's our loving father likely to do to deal with that sort of thing? Do you know what he's going to do? He's going to tan your backside. That's what he's going to do. Yeah, he's going to deal with you in the end. He's going to say, you want to get competitive. You want to lift yourselves up against others, compete with your fellow church members, try and look great in front of other people. He's going to whip you, okay? That's what's going to happen. It says in Proverbs 16 and verse 15, sorry, verse five. Proverbs 16, five, it says, every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord. Though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished. He said he shall not be unpunished. So you start trying to lift yourself up against your brethren. It's abomination you won't avoid punishment. I mean, that's pretty clear there, isn't it? How will you be punished? You go, well, what's he going to do? Well, maybe you'll get seriously embarrassed. You know, if pride's your thing and you really want to show yourselves to be great in front of people, maybe you're just going to get embarrassed in front of people. Maybe that's one way you might deal with it. Maybe whatever it is that you're so proud of will be destroyed. Maybe whatever it is that you think that you've got sorted, you're so much better than other people with or whatever it is, maybe that's just going to get completely just stripped down in front of your eyes and everyone else's eyes, right? If that's what you care about. And I'm sure there's many other ways that I'm just, I can't even get into God's head. He knows how to deal with it, right? There's a hundred different ways he might punish you, but it will happen, okay? So make no mistake, you will get punished, okay? He said he shall not be unpunished, okay? Those are proud in heart because that's really what it's about, okay? He said, we dare not. Paul said, for we dare not. I wouldn't even dare getting involved in that sort of stuff. You know why? Because God's chastisement is scary. It really is. God's chastisement is scary. And we so often, as Christians, I think, and I say it many times, because I think we need to really get in that mindset of just assessing things and saying, am I being chastised? Because he said that he scourgeth every son who may receive it. So you have been chastised and you will be chastised in life. It's just a fact of the Christian life. So you need to try and recognise it when it's happening so you can actually learn from it and move on. But there's a strong warning there where he said, for we dare not be one of those. Proverbs 16, five said, everyone that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord. Though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished. Which leads on to point number two. So the title is competitive Christianity. Point number one is competitive Christianity is risky. And point number two, competitive Christianity is just prideful. Okay, it's pride. That's what it's all about. It's prideful. In 2 Corinthians 10, 12, Paul said, for we dare not make ourselves of the number or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves. They commend themselves, but they're measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves among themselves are not wise. Okay, because that's ultimately what people do. They're competing to commend themselves. Another way of saying that is to praise themselves, to lift themselves up. They want to be able to say to themselves, we're better than so and so in this or that area. And you know, it's just pride, pure and simple. It's all about pride. I'm better than that one at this. I'm better than this one at that. You know, look how good I am. And pride is a wicked sin, isn't it? It's a wicked sin. Trying to lift yourself up against someone else, not just someone else, but against a fellow believer. I mean, that's just weird, isn't it? It really is. And when I say weird, but the reality of it is everyone here will now and again have little, you know, kind of traits of this, I'd imagine, okay? But it is, it is wicked. Okay, it is wicked. And we need to get ourselves in check with this sort of thing. Everyone here needs to make sure that's not something that they're doing, right? It is wicked. It's pride. And rather than being prideful, we should actually hate pride. That's something we should hate. Proverbs 8, 13, up to turn there says, the fear of the Lord is to hate evil. Pride and arrogance in the evil way and the flow of the mouth do I hate. Okay, so we should. That's something that we should, we should just look at pride and go, I hate that. And it is, it's disgusting really, isn't it? When you see people are just so full of pride, so puffed up, so full of themselves, so boastful, so heady, so high-minded, it's horrible really, isn't it? It is horrible. It's a classic trait of the most wicked types of people, isn't it? Okay, it's something that we see time and time again. They're called the proud, the proud, the proud. They just, these pride, you know, these prideful people, they're just so full of it. And I've often thought of it like this. When you're that wicked, when you're that vile, say you're, for example, think about the pride parade. They actually call it a pride parade. They call it a pride parade because they're so oozing pride in being so disgusting. And I often think about it like this, is if you were that vile, you were just some vile reprobate, whether it's a sodomite or, you know, or the church kind of destroying type or the, you know, whichever type, the false prophet types of preaching lies for reward in one way or another, you've got to feel so disgusted with yourself that I think without the pride, you'd probably top yourself pretty early on, right? So I think the kind of counterbalance is pride. So they just convince themselves that they're these great people anyway. It's the only way to really function, isn't it? To get through being such a disgusting human being, right? And that's what you see amongst sodomites. Walking around with their literal noses in the air. We've been, I've been at airports a bit recently over the last few months and it's full of sodomites. What it is, I do know what it is about it because it's basically they just go places where no one really knows who they are and they can get up to all sorts of wickedness. But you see them in Marlov because the noses up here when they walk through the airport. That's what they're like, isn't it? Well, our old pastor used to have a term, he said they look like they have a face like they've just smelt freshly baked cookies. And you see them, don't you, everywhere. And it's so bizarre because they're so vile, aren't they? They're so full of pride. So we should hate that, shouldn't we? And we should want to be as far away from that sort of personality trait as possible, shouldn't we? We want to get that pride out of our lives. We should want to avoid any suggestion of it. Verse 17, in 2 Corinthians 10, says this, "'But he that glorieth let him glory in the Lord, "'for not he that commendeth himself is approved, "'but whom the Lord commendeth.'" So how about you glory in the Lord? And I don't mean, look, some people, and you know, nothing wrong with that. I'll say it sometimes, you know, praise God. You should mean it, shouldn't you, you know, praise God. So I know someone will say to me like, oh, that was a good sermon. I'll be like, praise God, because really, like, it's a chapter, isn't it? It's a word of God. You're like, yeah, that's got some great verses in there. That's got some great stuff. That was actually easy to preach, because it was just, there's just so much meat in the word of God, isn't there, right? And ultimately, it comes to him, because, I mean, without the word of God, can you imagine how appalling most sermons would be? I mean, I can only imagine what they preach out of the Quran and other things like that. It must be pretty bad stuff, right? Because I don't even know what they'd say, yeah, I can't imagine that it's anything like a biblical sermon, right? Or at least, you know, what you should get from a biblical sermon. But we should glory in the Lord, okay? But what it is, it should be what's in our heart, right? So are you celebrating God or yourself? Are you, whatever you're doing, whatever it is in life, are you celebrating, are you saying, yeah, you know, praise God, it's about God, or is it really about yourself? Are you trying to lift yourself up? If you're commending yourself for, for example, think about it this way, say you're commending yourself for soul winning more than so and so. Yeah, well, you know, I'm like, at least I'm not one of those, like, you know, once a month is like so and so, or maybe once a week is like so and so. Maybe for, you know, I still come to church when the kids are half dead, you know? You know, and they're kind of, you know, like, like you can barely move or something else. Well, maybe it's for having a higher paid job. It's just like, well, you know, really, I'm such an intelligent guy. I'm such an educated guy. I've got a better job than everyone else. Maybe it's being the best cook, you know? There's some women might be like, no, I just, I can really bake a cookie. You know, when I bake cookies, all the queers have their nose in the air, you know? Maybe it's that, right? You're not approved by God. So if that's you, if that's going through your head and your heart, God is not approving you. Turn to James chapter four. It's pride that makes us want to lift ourselves up against someone else, okay? James chapter four shows us something that's kind of linked with that as well, though. It says in James four and verse six. In fact, look from verse five. James four and verse five, it says this. Do you think that the scripture saith in vain, the spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? So it often starts with envy, okay? People want what someone else has got so they start to compete. That often happens. So they'll see what someone else has got, what someone else is doing, what someone else they perceive to have, and then they start to compete, right? They start to try and lift themselves up in comparison because they're envious. This happens a lot, right? Or at least they, you know, and it's what they perceive you have a lot of the time. And by the way, just quickly, envy is covetousness. So if you've got the green eyes of envy going, okay, really you're a covetous person. It's covetousness, because you're coveting what someone else has got because they've got it. You're envying them for that, okay? So you need to sort that out. Galatians 5, 26, you have to turn to it says, let us not be desirous of vainglory, provoking one another, envying one another, okay? That's something we should not have. We shouldn't be envying each other, okay? One-upmanship, okay? That is basically what it is. The vainglory, it starts with envy, doesn't it? And it does provoke people. He said, provoking one another, envying one another. Does it wind you up when people are like that? You come across people like that, and you don't even know anything. And people who get that envy going, oh, it's all right for you. Oh, if only I had what they had, and they start to try and, you know, just compete with you to try and somehow be better. This is so weird, isn't it? And it does, it's just annoying, okay? He said in verse six, but he giveth more grace. Well, for he said, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. God will resist you, okay? The prayers will be hindered. The blessings will be limited. He gives grace to the humble, basically to those that aren't lifting themselves up. And we want the grace of God, don't we? And we're not talking about salvation here, but those that aren't comparing themselves amongst each other to commend themselves, okay? Now, if we turn to Colossians 3.17, it says, and whatsoever you do in word or deed, deed do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. So everything you're doing, everything you have, everything you think you've achieved and everything else, you need to give thanks to God and the Father and appreciate that it comes from God, okay? And that will help you with that. And if you're comparing with other people, you've got it all wrong. And that's going to move on to point three. It says, our title is competitive Christianity. Point number one is competitive Christianity is risky. Point number two, competitive Christianity is prideful, and point number three, competitive Christianity uses a false measure. Okay, competitive Christianity uses a false measure. Back in St. Corinthians 10, it said this in verse 12. For we dare not make ourselves of the number or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves, but they measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves among themselves are not wise. So how on earth can you really compare? How can you compare to someone? Because there's no constant. What are you comparing to? You don't know how little or how much someone's been given or not, do you? Turn to Luke chapter 12. You don't know what they're doing in life. You don't know what God's really given them. You're measuring against an unknown. It will always be an unknown. It doesn't matter how close you think you've got to someone. You don't really know. Look at Luke 12, and Jesus said this in verse 42. So Luke chapter 12, verse 42. It says, and the Lord said, who then is that faithful and wise steward whom his Lord shall make ruler over his household to give them their portion of meat in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his Lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing. Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath. But, and if that servant say in his heart, my Lord delayeth his coming and shall begin to beat the men servants and maidens, and to eat and drink and to be drunken, the Lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his fortune with the unbelievers. And that servant which knew his Lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes shall be beaten with few stripes. And this is a key point for unto whomsoever much is given of him shall be much required, and to whom men have committed much of him, they will ask some more. You don't know who's been given what in life, do you? You really don't know what they've been given. You don't know what talents they started with. You don't know what else they're dealing with. You don't know any of that, really. You don't know what goes on in their life. You don't know what they might be battling with on the side. You don't know what issues, what problems, what's happened in their past, what will happen in their, you don't know any of that. It's bizarre to measure yourself against an unknown measure. Let me give you a couple of examples of that sort of thing. For example, okay, imagine I was lifting up myself that I'd read the Bible more times than, I don't know, let's go with James, okay? So I'm like, right, man, I know I'm better than James on Bible reading, yeah, because I know I've read it more times than James, right? Okay, yet maybe James has only been saved for a few years. I'm not saying he has, I don't know, okay? But just say, say James only been saved for a few years, and I've been saved for nine years. Well, I should have read the Bible more times than him, shouldn't I? But maybe I've only read it X amount of times and James actually read it almost nearly as many times as me. But I'm like, it's just, it's like, you can't even measure, can you? How do you measure that? You can't measure it. But then maybe James had a load more free time. And it's like, actually, you know, he's managed to have all this time. It's just a nonsense, isn't it? How do you even try and compare, right? Or maybe when James reads the Bible, he goes really slow and he takes absolutely everything in. And every time his mind wanders, he restarts at the beginning of the chapter again. And he really takes in everything he reads. He makes notes as he goes through it. And I'm just like skim reading and kind of thinking about all sorts and everything else. Like, how would I, you couldn't even compare, could you? And what a ridiculous thing to compare, right? But you know what? People compare. People will compete with that. I'd be foolish, right? And there are Christians all over the place trying to compare and compete with each other on all aspects of Christianity and aspects of just life itself. They've just got no idea. They've got no idea. Say I got 100 people saved this year, right? But someone else who got 20 people saved is also successfully raising three kids to be soul winners. And they go on to serve the Lord for the rest of their life. And I'm just so proud of my achievements, but I've messed up. It's just, you can't even compare, can you? You don't really know what they're doing in all the other aspects of life, right? So-and-so maybe gets one saved. Someone in here gets one person saved this year, but they started off with nowhere near the ability, the talents, the time to learn and everything else that maybe everyone else did. You just don't know, do you? You just got no idea what they were given in the first place, what they're given now, what they got. It's just, you can't do it. You just can't compare, can you? Okay, it would be foolish to even try. It's impossible. Turn to Philippians chapter two. In Philippians two, Paul shows us the sort of mind that we should have when we're looking at our brethren. Okay, Philippians chapter two. And we're going to look from verse one. Philippians two, one says this. If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, this is Philippians two, one, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfil ye my joy that ye be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. We're on the same team, aren't we? We're one big team here, aren't we? I remember our old pastor preached a sermon once called One Big Team, yeah? We should be one big team here. We should want our fellow man to achieve, to win great victories for God, shouldn't we? Hopefully everyone here wants everyone here to achieve, to win victories, to just keep improving, to keep becoming more just how God wants them to be. We want them to get more people saved. We want them to serve God. That's what we want, don't we? We should want what's best for them. Think about how wicked it would be to want your fellow believer to fail. And you know what? When the competitive gets up here, that's exactly what will be going through people's minds. Oh, I don't want them to be able... Oh, I hope they will mess up in this area. Well, I hope maybe they won't get so many salvations. Can you imagine? If you're having that attitude, that is wicked. Absolutely wicked, because what's our goal as a church? Get people saved, to build up the save, to be able to go out and get more people saved, to live for God. Obviously we want to come and praise and worship and fellowship, but ultimately our goal is more people saved and the various ways that that works, right? That's what we want. He said here in verse three, "'Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory, "'but in lowliness of mind, "'let each esteem other better than themselves.'" So that's what we should be doing. Instead of lifting ourselves up, we should be lifting up others in our minds. We should be looking at others and esteem them up here as our brethren and go, I want what's best for them. I hope they go on to achieve much more than me. I hope they go on to be a great Christian. I hope they go on to do great things. I hope they go on to do amazing things. That's what our heart should be like, yeah? "'Look not every man on his own things, "'but every man also on the things of others. "'Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.'" Now, Jesus Christ is the ultimate example. Let's see from verse six, "'Who, being in the form of God, "'thought it not robbery to be equal with God, "'but made himself of no reputation, "'and took upon him the form of a servant "'who was made in the likeness of men, "'and being found in fashion as a man, "'he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, "'even the death of the cross.'" What was the result of Jesus Christ humbling himself in an amazing way like that? Verse nine, "'Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, "'and given him a name which is above every name, "'that at the name of Jesus, "'every knee should bow of things in heaven "'and things in earth and things under the earth, "'and at every tongue should confess "'that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.'" And if you compare yourself to the right person, the Lord Jesus Christ, you'll always come up short, and you'll probably avoid having all that pride, right? If you compare yourself to the Lord, if you're comparing yourself to the Lord Jesus Christ, you could never be prideful, because you're always going to come up short, unless you're one of these clowns out there that thinks they're more holy than Jesus. They're more loving than Jesus. But hopefully no one hears like that, right? Okay, we'll always come up short when it comes to comparing ourselves to the Lord Jesus Christ. And that is a wise thing to do, because the alternative isn't wise. So the title is competitive Christianity. Go back to St. Corinthians 10. Point number one, competitive Christianity is risky. Point number two, competitive Christianity is prideful. Point number three, competitive Christianity uses a false measure. And point number four, competitive Christianity is foolish, okay? It is so foolish. Verse 12 says, "'For we dare not make ourselves of the number "'or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves, "'but they measuring themselves by themselves "'and comparing themselves among themselves are not wise.'" It's so foolish, and this is the main reason. When you see these types of people, however subtle they may be, and some, look, some people are very subtle with this stuff, okay? But with time, you start to see, yeah, I can see what you're doing there, right? What are they usually doing, okay? Usually, when it comes to people in our circles, when it comes to church members, things like that, it's trying to prove spiritual superiority. That's really what it usually is, is to try and, I'm a better Christian than you. I'm better in this sort of way, or if you put it all together, I'm a more holy person, I'm a better Christian. Now, that can even be when it's in regards to non-spiritual things like parenting, work, life, et cetera. They're just trying to prove that they're better than you, whoever it is, okay? That's what people do, okay, in various ways. I'm just a better person, and when it comes to people of faith, it's trying to then, that goes hand in hand with their spirituality as well. But here's the thing, it's so carnal. It's so carnal that they're basically doing the complete opposite, the complete opposite. If you're trying to compete with other believers, you've already lost. You've already lost. You lost at the beginning. The second you entered the race, you lost because you're trying to compete with other believers. It's madness. Like, you've completely lost because you're completely carnal. You've got the whole thing wrong. So if you're showing that and you're exuding that to other people, people in the notice think you think, man, that person, he's sort themselves out. Because there is no, there's no competing, there's no comparison because you're trying to compete, you nutter. What are you doing? Turn to 1 Peter 2. If as a Christian, you're comparing so as to commend yourself, you are so carnal in that way, okay? It's the opposite of spirit-filled. It's the opposite of holiness. It's wicked. Okay, it really is wicked. However much you may think you've perfected the subtlety. Okay, it's wicked. There's no other word for it because what on earth are you doing? What are you doing? And you know what it is often with the subtlety and all, it's really just guile. A lot of people, they're very guile-filled when they do this stuff. They're trying to just subtly compete and show off and lift up whoever it is, whether it's family or themselves, or it's, there's just so much guile involved, yeah? And 1 Peter 2 equates that stuff with being a babe in Christ. He says in 1 Peter 2 and verse 1, Wherefore, laying aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envies and all evil speakings as newborn babes desired a sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby. So if you're carrying on with all of that stuff, you need to get yourself on the formula a bit longer. Go and get some Cow & Gate and start the Cow & Gate of God's word and get sucking on that teat again. Because you, like what you're doing. And if you're, you know, being saved many years and you're in the things are gone, you're soul winning, you're in the Bible, you're free to thrive and you're still on that stuff, you're either a babe in Christ or it's even worse, right? How do you behave? How do people behave like that? Turn to James 3. Paul said in verse 12, For we dare not make ourselves of the number or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves, but they measuring themselves by themselves, comparing themselves among themselves are not wise. Okay, so you're not wise and look, you want to be wise, okay? It's a good thing to be wise. James, in James 3, he said it like this. Verse 13, James 3, 13. Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? Let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. So that's the humility that comes with wisdom, okay? We should show some meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above but is earthly, sensual, devilish. So it's definitely not godly, okay? It's not of the Holy Spirit, it's carnal, even devilish. Now that's quite a strong word to use for it, right? That sort of stuff, that bitter envying, that strife in your hearts, that glorying. He said, for where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil word. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace. Look, comparing with each other is clearly not of God, okay? It's a fool's errand. It is, it's a fool's errand. We have to keep in mind, if ever there's a temptation, do that, okay? You just got to keep that in mind. Because look, you're going to have times. If you're like just grit with this stuff, you've got serious issues, okay? But there'll be people here that now and again, they'll look at someone and be like, oh, if only I could, just don't even start comparing. Stamp it out. Just go, like, what am I doing, right? Stamp it out straight away. Just say, I'm not going down this route, okay? I'm not going to start trying to compare and compete and think about, just get that out of your head, right? Remind yourself that basically you're nothing without Christ, okay? And you can't, like I said, ever accurately compare with someone else. You can never do it. There's nothing to compare and compete in. You've just got no idea. Because it's all about God at the end of the day. God knows what you started with. God knows what he's given you. And of whom much is given, much to be required. You think you're some sort of great spiritual holy person, then, well, you better work hard, right? And you know what? First thing you need to do is cut out all that stuff. Now turn to Luke chapter 18 for a famous story of someone who takes comparisons to the extreme. Now in Luke 18, there's a parable of the Pharisee and the publican going to the temple to pray. Luke chapter 18 and verse nine. Luke 18, nine, and it says this. And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others. Two men went up into the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in a week. I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican standing afar off would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other for everyone that exalteth himself shall be abased and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. That's not a good look, is it? That's a pretty terrible look, right, of that publican. We don't want to be, of the Pharisee, so we don't want to be like a Pharisee, do we? This guy is so far off, okay? This guy's so far off, he's comparing all the way down to hell, okay? This guy's not even saved, but it's so far off, isn't it? Saying, I thank you, I'm not like this person here. I'm so amazing. He's definitely not wise, okay? He's not saved to begin with. But verse 14 says that too, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other for everyone that exalteth himself shall be abased. So there's that promise again. And he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. There's another promise. So not a wise move getting a base, okay? Competitive Christianity is foolishness. Turn to Colossians chapter three where we see the wise thing to do. The wise thing to do is this. If you turn to Colossians three, and we're going to look from verse 23. Colossians 3, 23 says it like this. And whatsoever ye do, Colossians 3, 23, do it heartily as to the Lord and not unto men, knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance, for ye serve the Lord Christ. So if you do things to be seen of men, you know what the opposite is? You lose a reward. You lose, like how foolish is that? You lose a reward. Because look, something put some hard work in here at this church, right? Okay, and there's some hard stuff to do, isn't there? And can you imagine doing all of that, all of that stuff for the Lord? But in your heart, in your wicked heart, you're just trying to compete and be better than everyone else and lift yourselves up and everything. Like, what a waste. What a massive waste. Turn to Matthew chapter six. Because if you do it for the Lord, well, you receive the reward. Right, who can get their quickest? No, I'm joking. Okay, there you are. Yes, yeah, got it. You reckon people don't think that, when they say, I bet there are people sitting in this church that before, when it's gone, turn here, they're like. They turn there and then they're just like this, just showing everyone. I got there first. I bet, no, you've got to make sure you don't, I'm joking, but we've got to not do that stuff, right? Because that's a bad heart, isn't it? In church, worshipping God, it's like, come on, man, let's show everyone. I know where my Bible is. I know where I'm going. Minor prophets, woo! Okay, Matthew chapter six, okay, and we're going to look from verse one, just to remind you this, because Matthew six, verse one, says, take heed that you do not your arms before men to be seen of them, otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Now, arms are basically doing good things, okay? Things of charity, we're not giving money to random, just bizarre, non-charitable companies calling themselves charities, right? But doing arms, okay, the many things, the many good deeds, the many good works that we should be doing, if you're doing them, if you're doing them to be seen of men, you're not going to get any reward. What a waste of time. Now, don't get me wrong, arms benefit people anyway, right? Okay, and of course, hopefully not everyone's just like, rewards, rewards, rewards, and forgetting everything else. But there is, though, it's not the other way, is it? So look, it's good to get rewards as well. Can you imagine what a waste of, you know, you go to heaven, and you're like, man, I did some great things, and it's like, wait a second, zero, zero, zero. You just wanted everyone to see you! Oh, man, all of that, all of that. And all I was trying to do was compete and compare and show off and be the best and everything else, instead of just saying, Lord, let me just serve you, right? Because what are we really, you know? And we don't want to go too far with extremes. We're not all like, I don't think everyone here is just complete, you know, kitchen sink scum. And, you know, hopefully some people have some good qualities aside from what God's given you as well. However, you know, you've got to also appreciate that really, without God, we are nothing, right? We are nothing, and he said, Take heed that you do not your arms before men to be seen of them, otherwise you have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore, when thou doest sign arms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues. And there are subtle trumpets out there, okay? He said, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men, verily I say unto you, they have their reward. But when thou doest, so that's their reward, basically. If you're, you know, you want the reward of people going, wow, how ultra-spiritual you are, or how great you are, or you're the best at this, or you're this, you know, well, that's your reward, right? And I get a feeling that the real rewards are going to be much better than a few easily deceived morons, you know, thinking that you're great, okay? I want the real rewards, right? He said, But when thou doest arms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth, that thine arms may be in secret, and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. And if you think about your left hand or right hand, we're all the body of Christ, aren't we? Yeah, if you don't want, you know, really you should be doing it not so that someone else in church sees what you're doing, okay? You should be doing it just because you want to, you know, you should be doing good things, you should be obeying God. Not just trying to earn rewards, trying to do good things, trying to live right, okay? He said that God will reward thee openly, and whether or not that's in the time to come, or sometimes we get blessings in life as well. He said, And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as a hypocrite self. They love to pray standing in the synagogues, and in the corners of the streets they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. But thou when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou has shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret, and thy Father which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. Now, he's not saying that every time you pray you've got to climb into your wardrobe, okay? I've tried it, it's not very comfortable, all right? My wife gets annoyed because everything gets trashed, okay? But what? When I pray 10 times a day, no, no, I'm kidding, okay? But what I am saying is that, look, what he's trying to say is that it shouldn't be to be seen of people. We're not praying for other people to see us praying, right? We're not praying so everyone thinks we're so holy, we're praying because we're praying to God, right? We're praying for things, we're doing what he wants us to do, we're trying to live for God, it's not about other people, okay? And that's how we should be in life, right? And that's why, if you go back to 2 Corinthians 10 and verse 12, Paul said it like this, he said, for we dare not, he said, I wouldn't even dare to be like these people. We dare not make ourselves of the number or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves, but they measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves among themselves are not wise. And we all want to be wise, right? And I hope everyone here at least had a think about this. I'm sure many people, you know, this could talk to in one way or another. And if you're really at the bottom of the rung with this, you need to get up quickly because it's a bad place to be, right? If that's all that's going through your head and you're just constantly trying to compete and compare and be better than other people in one way or another, whatever it is, right? Get out of your head, right? Let's focus on just serving the Lord. The title was competitive Christianity. Point number one, competitive Christianity is risky. Competitive Christianity is prideful. Competitive Christianity is a false measure. And last one, competitive Christianity is foolish. And we're going to finish up on that in a word of prayer. Father, thank you for the clear teachings you give us about that sort of thing. The sort of thing which is common in the world, Lord, people just competing, comparing, all this one-upmanship, trying to be better than their fellow man and everything else. And help us to not just focus on those sorts of things, Lord, and instead just focus on you, focus on pleasing you, focus on being what you want us to be, help us not to get pulled into just trying to compete and compare. And we really just have no idea what we're comparing with, Lord, help us. Just pull away from that and not be like that, Lord, to just have our focus right. Help us all this afternoon, Lord, to go out and get people saved, not for the glory of others, just to do the right thing, Lord, to please you and to go out there and do the work that you have for us to do, Lord. And help us to get back for this evening's service. Just thank you for all of this. Amen.