Stay Sweet | James 3 | Pastor Matt Nettesheim

Good job. Good job. Miss Abby, sometimes I forget

that a young lady's over there. You sound great.

Good job. That's a blessing. And they're playing

wonderful. Take your Bibles. Turn with me to

the book of James chapter number three. James

chapter number three. I'm excited about the message

tonight and I believe. This is a needed message

in a great way. And some of you didn't know this

one's coming. And it is gonna help you tremendously

if you open your hearts and your minds to the

truth that we're gonna look at and really wisdom,

wisdom from above. And I have the title, actually

the title is right here on this board. And I'm

gonna show you this in just a moment. And I don't

wanna see the title quite yet, but wow. Tremendous,

tremendous. Before we read this, I remember I

got a call from my dad. And by the way, today

is my dad's birthday. And today my dad turned

78 years of age. And my dad actually listened

to our Sunday night service on Sunday. And my

dad. very very rarely says nice things but he

said to me he said that was a help son and that

made me feel really good and so whether you like

the Sunday night service or not my dad liked

it amen amen but I remember several years ago

my dad typically will watch the services here

but he called me and he was not happy after I

preached a sermon And anyways, and not only was

he not happy, he let me know that he was not

happy. And he began to really, he focused in

on the problem. And he told me what the problem

was with my sermon. And then he wanted to help

me and be better preacher. He came not to criticize,

he came to correct something. And what he was

correcting, there was a story of my childhood

that I was telling you, the church, about. And

the way I described that story in the childhood,

it pulled up scabs that he would listen to when

I'd tell that story right there. And when he

said that, it was correction. He was correcting

me. He was offering a solution. He was not trying

to critique me, the individual seeking to find

fault. but he was correcting. Now, truthfully,

when you get corrected, it's not always something

that you enjoy. It's not always something that

you like. But at that moment, I embraced his

correction and I learned from it. And I think

I've become a better pastor because of that.

Does that make sense? Now, there's another side

to it. There's sometimes, and I remember through

the history of my church, not a lot, but several

times, there was a lady, maybe three years after

I became a pastor here, and she did not like

something that I preached, and she wrote this

seven page letter about the terrible pastor that

I was, and she was focusing on the person. She

was seeking to find fault. She was pointing out

problems without offering help. She was tearing

down and she was discouraging. And not only that,

but she took that letter and spread it through

a bunch of other people in the church. And so

that is called criticism. There's a difference

between correction and criticism. Both of them,

it sort of hurts. But correction is good. Criticism

is bad. And really we begin to get to the sermon

right there. One of the greatest battles you

have, one of the greatest battles I have, is

not always the correction of the criticism itself.

It's what happens inside of our hearts after

that correction or criticism comes. Okay, now

I don't know if you heard that, you're like stunned.

Okay, I'm gonna say it again. One of the greatest

battles we have, you have, I have in the Christian

life is not always the correction. or the criticism,

it's what happens inside our hearts after that

correction or criticism come. A negative comment

can replay in our mind for days. A critic especially

can occupy our thoughts and more than our faithful

friends can or the good in our life. In other

words, a problem, a critic can become so large

in our thinking that it overshadows the blessing

that God puts in our life. And here's the title

of the message. And it's a really simple one,

stay sweet. Stay sweet. And we're gonna stand

for the reading of God's word. We're gonna start

in verse number 13 of James chapter three. And

I'll start reading if you'll follow along with

me. Who is a what? Wise man. An endued with knowledge

among you. Now watch this phrase, let him show.

Who is a wise man? Let him show. out of a good

conversation, a good conversation. A conversation

is one's manner of life, his conduct, his behavior,

his way of living. Let him show out of a good

conversation his works with meekness of what?

Okay, wisdom, there's wisdom here. But if you

have bitter envies and stripes in your heart,

glory not, and lie not against what? Truth. This

wisdom descendeth not from above. but is earthly,

sensual, devilish, for where envy and strife

is, there is confusion and what? Every evil work.

But the wisdom that is from above, now watch

this, 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. Verse 18, read

with me. And the fruit of righteousness is sown

in peace of them that make peace. And really

wisdom from above. And really the idea is keeping,

we're trying to keep sweet in such a negative

world. We're just trying to stay sweet in the

midst of correction. Correction is good for us.

And often we have to stay sweet even in the midst

of criticism. Before we go any further, Let's

go to the Lord in prayer. Dear Father in heaven,

we love you and I pray that you help us all to

stop and think and really pray to you God to

fill our hearts and our minds with your word

and really negativity, sometimes criticism. It's

wrong, it's destructive, but it's a reality.

Corrections, sometimes we need it. We don't like

it necessarily, but we need it. But the main

thing is really help us to stay sweet. We love

you, we ask you to give us wisdom and help in

Jesus' name, amen. You may be seated. And we

get to this, remember, I'm gonna say the opening

phrase again, one of the greatest battles in

our Christian lives. It's not always the correction

or the criticism itself, but it's what happens

inside of your heart. after that correction or

the criticism comes, okay? If you think you're

gonna live a life without ever being criticized,

you're not living reality. Somebody say amen

to that. If you think in this side of eternity,

you're never gonna be corrected, you're just

not living in the reality of life. It's part

of our lives. So we get to this first part right

here and I think this is important. I want you

to turn over to Luke chapter six. Luke chapter

six, if you will. Look, chapter six, look at

verse number 26. And look at chapter six, verse

26. If you're not there, I'll read this. Woe

unto you, when all men shall speak well of you.

Okay, say that with me. Woe unto you, when all

men shall speak well of you. For so did their

fathers to the false prophets. And when we get

this, wisdom knows that Criticism will come.

And by the way, I'm gonna sort of use criticism

and correction, understanding that they're different.

But wisdom knows criticism will come. And when

we begin to think about this, no servant of God

has ever escaped criticism. And amen, okay? Consider

Moses was heavily criticized. Think of Korah.

David was criticized. He lived with Saul throwing

a javelin at him. Paul was. criticized, thrown

into prison, even our Lord Jesus Christ was criticized.

He was despised and rejected of men, a man of

sorrows and acquainted with grief. We understand

that and we see that, amen. And so if the godly

men of the Bible and even the Lord Jesus Christ

was criticized. an imperfect person like Matt

Nettisime or an imperfect person like you is

gonna have times when you're gonna be criticized

or corrected. And many believers, now think about

this statement. Many believers, people saved

by the blood of the crucified one, waste emotional

energy trying to achieve something impossible,

universal approval. Okay, I'm gonna say it again,

just so you're here, okay? Many believers waste

So much emotional energy. Stay sweet, stay sweet.

Trying to, in my sermon, I gotta stay sweet.

I gotta stay sweet. I'm trying. Emotional energy.

Stay sweet. I gotta put the sign back up. Put

the sign back up. Okay, there we go. There we

go. Stay sweet. Waste emotional energy trying

to achieve something impossible. It's impossible

for everybody to always approve of you. Wisdom

understands that. Now this wisdom understands

that pleasing God and pleasing everyone and else

are not the same thing. There's a big difference

between pleasing God. and pleasing everybody

else. So here's the first step. Remember that

wisdom knows criticism will come. You know criticism's

gonna come. How many agree that criticism will

come? So when criticism comes, do not immediately

assume something is wrong. When criticism comes,

don't assume right away that something's wrong.

Sometimes criticism means you're wrong. Sometimes

it does mean you're wrong. Sometimes when you're

criticized, sometimes Matt Nettis -Iam is wrong.

Sometimes criticism means you're right, but either

way criticism itself is not the final judge,

God's word is. Say that again, either way criticism

is not the final judge, God's holy precious word

is. Okay, now number two. Psalm 141, Psalm 141,

go over to Psalm 141, look at this. Psalm 141,

yay pastor. Turn to my Bible page right there.

This is exciting. Psalm 141. It's a sword drill.

And man, I'm alive. We got the Word of God. We're

turning into Psalm 141. You'll notice there it

says a Psalm of David. And I thought about this

Psalm of David almost when I read this verse.

I think of David when he sinned against God with

Bathsheba. Do you remember that? Nathan the prophet

came to him and corrected him. Do you remember

that? Do you remember that you corrected him?

And look with me at verse number, if you will,

verse number five. Look at verse number five.

Let the righteous smite me, and it shall be a

kindness. Let him reprove me, it shall be an

excellent oil. Let the righteous, think about

Nathan, Nathan the prophet, the righteous smite

me. It shall be a kindness. When David, was corrected

by Nathan the prophet right there. That's kindness.

Sometimes I need correction. Sometimes you need

correction. Teenagers, you always need correction.

Just kidding, just kidding. But we understand.

So not all criticism should be treated the same.

And I've already mentioned this. Some criticism

or correction is actually a gift. A wise person

asks, when somebody corrects you or criticizes

you, we gotta weigh in the balances. What is

this? Is there truth in this? When you're getting

criticized or corrected, is there truth in what

they're saying? Is God trying to teach me something?

Can I improve because of this? So a wise person,

we're trying wisdom which is from above. It's

merciful, it's peaceable. The wisdom from below

is different. You remember James chapter three,

we didn't spend a lot of time on that, but immediately

somebody criticizes or corrects, and we get angry,

we blow up, and we deal with it with anger, and

we let a root of bitterness begin to dwell inside

of us, and it begins to grow, and next thing

you know, I'm trying not to get ahead of myself,

but eventually that bitterness turns into us

being a bitter critical person. in our life,

and that's not what God wants. So even critics

occasionally tell us something we need to hear.

However, some criticism is simply unfair, inaccurate,

sometimes you might even say malicious, but wisdom,

what we need is the wisdom, and this is a message

on wisdom, we need wisdom to separate the truth,

you might say, from the noise, okay? So here,

correction, when we talk about correction, correction

focuses on a problem. seeks to improve, comes

with a desire to help, offers a solution or a

direction, and is building up. Correction is

trying to build up, not break down. Okay, so

I'm gonna say it again. Correction, I don't like

it when I get corrected. I don't like to be corrected,

but really, correction is good for me. I'm doing

something wrong. So it focuses on the problem,

not the personality. Correction seeks to improve.

Correction comes with a desire to help. Correction

offers a solution or direction. Correction builds

up. Criticism is different. Criticism often focuses

on the person. Criticism seeks to find fault.

Criticism usually points out problems without

offering any help. Criticism tends to tear down.

And criticism can leave discouragement, really,

leave somebody discouraged. So correction says,

here's how you can do better. That's good. Here's

how you can do better. Criticism, you're the

problem. Correction wants to make you better.

Criticism often wants to make you feel worse.

Their goal is to make you feel bad. So think

with these two sides. Even when criticism is

delivered poorly, there may be a truth that we

need to hear. And so wisdom learns from correction

even when it comes in criticism. We need to try

to have the wisdom to discern, wisdom to discern

some of the truth in that, okay? Now we go through

this second one. If you remember where we're

at, wisdom knows the difference between correction

and criticism. Do not reject correction merely

because you dislike the source, okay? A mature

believer can learn from correction. Okay. My

dad came to me. I didn't like what he said, but

he was not trying to criticize me. He was trying

to help me. And he shined a light on something.

And because of that, I've grown in that area.

Do you understand? And our relation, me and my

dad's relation is very, very strong, very, very

good. And that's important for us. Okay, we move

on to number three. And this is really, really

good. If you want to turn to 1 Kings chapter

1 Kings 19 · chapter mention

19, I'm gonna say this. This is the story about

Ahab and Jezebel. Remember Elijah and Elijah

on the Mount Carmel. You know, the prophets of

Baal, fire came down from heaven. Woo! Victory.

There is a victory for Elijah. There is a victory

for the Lord. And you know, mountaintop, mountaintop.

But in chapter 19 of 1 Kings, Verse one, and

Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done. And

King Ahab was wicked, Jezebel was very wicked

also. Then it says in verse two, then Jezebel

sent the messenger unto Elijah saying, so let

the gods do to me. I can't do it, I don't know.

I'd love to be able to do that. Don't you criticize.

And more also. If I make not thy life as the

life of one of them by tomorrow about this time."

She was threatening Elijah to kill him. She is

a critic, okay? Would you agree with that? She's

a critic. She's not trying to help Elijah. She's

trying to tear him down, the person Elijah. And

then in verse number four, but he himself went

a day's journey into the wilderness and came,

sat down under a juniper tree. and he requested

for himself that he might die. So here's this

point, okay? Wisdom doesn't dwell on the criticism.

You just can't, okay? Well, it's not wise to.

So wisdom doesn't let one voice define the reality.

The reality of Elijah is he has a mighty powerful

God. Okay, our reality, your reality is we have

a mighty, powerful God. We serve the Lord God

of Elijah, and he is the King of Kings and Lord

of Lords. He's our captain, he's our commander,

he's our God, and we're soldiers of the cross.

And when we follow his orders, yeah, somebody's

gonna criticize you like a Jezebel. And so wisdom

doesn't let that voice of Jezebel define the

reality of God being, one criticism, we're not,

careful can outweigh a hundred good things that

are going on. You ever been there? Okay, me and

brother Jim. Okay, so I'm preaching to three

people today. That's fine. It's fine. Fine, fine.

Has anybody ever done that? You have like 100

good things and one critic and all of a sudden

you begin to dwell on that? Okay. Mitch, you

ever been there? You ever been there? Maybe,

maybe. Frank, I don't think anybody's ever criticized

you. They'd be scared to, okay. I don't blame

them, okay. So this is not wisdom. Think about

Elijah. One little threat from Jezebel caused

him to lose the perspective that he had a great

God. His circumstances had not changed nearly

as much as his focus had. He lost his focus on

the great God that he has and began to focus

in on the Jezebel or the critic. God then reminded

Elijah in that same chapter that there were still

7 ,000 that had not bowed their knees to Baal.

And God's saying, hey, you're looking at the

wrong thing. You're looking at the wrong thing.

You have a great God and there's many people

that are still serving me. So here's on this

one, remember this. Wisdom doesn't let that one

voice define the reality. Wisdom doesn't dwell

on the critic. So wisdom keeps things imperfect.

If we want that wisdom from above, we need to

keep things in the proper perspective. You as

a wise man or a wise woman need to make sure

that you do not just say, I'm not gonna dwell

on the critic. Now you need to have wisdom whether

it's a critique or a correction. We understand

that. I was trying to define that. But when it's

a critic, Trying to destroy, it's a Jezebel.

Don't dwell on the negative. Wisdom doesn't let

that one voice right there. So when criticism

comes to your life, they're trying to beat you

down, remember God. Remember God. Remember your

faithful friends. Remember the souls that have

been held. Remember the victories that have been

done. Remember the prayers that have been answered.

Remember the great God you serve. We serve a

great God. Okay, okay, okay, here we go, okay.

So, here we go, this next one. And I, Yowzers.

Oh, 1 Corinthians chapter 13. Go to 1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 13 · chapter mention 1 Corinthians 13 · chapter mention

chapter 13. Please, and then the last one, don't

allow that one critical voice to become the narrator

of your life, okay? Just don't, just don't do

it. So, in 1 Corinthians chapter 13, it is the

1 Corinthians 13 · chapter mention

charity chapter, the charity chapter. And really,

in a church, a divided church, First Corinthians,

divided church, problems. I'm of Paul, I'm of

Apollos, I'm of Stephen, and they were warring

against each other. If you remember that, you

remember the divided church. And then Paul remembers,

as a Christian, one of the great things we have

is the ability to be charitable. Though I speak,

verse one, though I speak with the tongues of

men and of angels and have not charity, I am

become a sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal.

and though I have the gift of prophecy and understand

all mysteries and all knowledge and though I

have all faith so that I could remove mountains.

By the way, I have faith that can move mountains.

I did it some day, didn't you see that mountain

when I was on there right there? Remember that

ladder right there, that mountain, move that

mountain right there? And have not charity, I

am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods

to feed the poor and though I give my body to

be burned and have not charity, it profiteth

me nothing. Charity suffereth long and is kind.

Charity envieth not. Charity vaunteth not itself,

is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly,

seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked,

thinketh no evil. And I want to say that, thinketh

no evil. and thinketh no evil, and thinketh no

evil. And then we get to the last one in verse

number seven. Beareth all things, believeth all

things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

Read the first three words of verse eight. Charity,

never, faileth, say it again with me. Charity.

Okay. Wisdom, and when we begin to think about

that, refuses to become bitter. Wisdom stays

sweet. Wisdom. has charity, wisdom, and I put

this, don't let your sweet become sour. And praise

the Lord. And this may be one of the greatest

dangers of all. After you've been disappointed

enough, and by the way, I'm not necessarily talking

about correction. We gotta learn to take correction.

Please learn to take correction. One of the difficulties

is you can't stand to be corrected. Sometimes

I need to be corrected. Sometimes you need to

be corrected. Correction is good. And we understand

that. But criticism, when it comes, and it does

come, and you get criticized enough, after another

criticism, it's a danger for you and I to stop

being charitable. It's dangerous for you and

I to stop loving. It's dangerous for us to stop

hoping. It's dangerous for our sweet to become

sour, amen. And that critical person, if we're

not, we become the critic ourselves. and we become

negative ourselves. And that's not biblical wisdom.

A person with biblical wisdom, wisdom from above,

thinketh no evil. We have a heart and a mind

that is pure, you might say, that is charitable,

right? Wisdom, of course we need to remain realistic,

but let's not become bitter. Okay, Jesus knew,

and knows our failures. I put this in bold. Jesus

knew and knows my failures, Matthew, Alan's failures,

and your failures too, and he still loves us.

He still loves us, right? And praise God. So

we've got to think that wisdom, your wisdom,

to have wisdom, you need to refuse to become

bitter. I am gonna be joyful. I'm gonna choose

to stay sweet. I'm gonna choose to stay sweet.

I'm not gonna become sour. I'm never gonna let

somebody who's difficult make me to become a

difficult person. I'm never gonna allow a bitter

person to make me. I'm never going to allow that

critical person to make me critical. I'm going

to stay sweet, and I'm saying that's the way

we need to try to live. We need to make a decision

that that's the way we do. I'm optimistic in

God. I have a great God. He's my commander. He's

my chief. I'm going to follow him into the battles

of war, and sometimes there's going to be battles

and difficulties and struggles in war, but let's

stay sweet. Okay, we go to this next one. I want

you to think with me on this one. Oh, how do

I do this one? In John chapter 21, if you wanna

John 21 · chapter mention

turn John chapter 21, this is interesting. John

John 21 · chapter mention John 21 · chapter mention

chapter 21. Peter in this, you have to read the

verses 17, 18, 19. He's told that he's gonna

die. And then in verse 22, it's really interesting.

Then Peter turning about, seeeth the disciple.

whom Jesus loved following. So after Peter was

told what he's going to do, what's going on in

Peter's life, he turns to that disciple whom

Jesus loved. That's John the beloved, okay? Which

also leaned on his breast at supper and said,

Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee? Peter

seeing him sayeth to Jesus, Lord, and what shall

this man do? He took his attention off of his

life, basically. and begin to look at the life

and plans that God had for John. Then Jesus looks

at Peter and says in verse 22, Jesus says to

them, if I will that he tarry till I come, what

is that to thee? Follow thou me. What he's saying,

don't get sidetracked with somebody else's life.

Make sure that you follow thou me. Do your will.

God has a plan for your life. Don't let. God's

plan for somebody else's life or somebody's criticism

or somebody's this gets you sidetracked from

God's will for your life. In other words, wisdom

keeps their eyes on the Lord Jesus Christ. We

keep our eyes focused on God. Wisdom stays busy

doing God's work. My, oh my, let us labor therefore

to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after

the same example. of unbelief for the word of

God is quick and powerful and sharper than any

two -edged sword. You know, as we begin to look

at that, we can become consumed with what others

are doing, what critics are saying. Man, you

want, you want. I'll give you an example. I,

okay, before I say it, this may shock you. I

believe the King James Bible is the inspired,

inerrant Word of God. It's perfect from beginning

to end. Matt Nettesheim, I'm not a Bible corrector,

I'm a Bible believer. And I believe this Bible

is a lamp on my feet and a light on my path.

I believe God said it is written, not it was

written. And it's a glorious book. It's a glorious

book. But if you look up on the internet, on

YouTube, and look up, I didn't even know some

things about me before. The critics, if you put

in somebody who believes the King James Bible

is the word of God, you put that in YouTube,

holy mackerel, there's thousands of videos that

are critical of somebody believing that this

is inspired in the word of God. And if you listen

to them, they will call you sitting in a Bible

-believing church, a King James Bible -believing

church, you're ignorant and unlearned. and your

hatred, and I didn't even know all those things

about myself. I mean, it's vicious. And if you

listen to that enough, I can get sidetracked

from what God has called me to do. My biggest

job in the world is not to defend the King James

Bible. May shock you, my biggest job in the world

is to take the sword and use it. and go out there

and tell people about Jesus. The King James Bible

says, Jesus saves. He is the way, the truth,

the life. And we go out there and we use the

Bible to change people's lives and lead people

to Bible believe in Christianity. So wisdom keeps

its eyes on the Lord. Wisdom saves being worked.

And by the way, I just think that's a danger.

It's a side note. But if you're not careful,

I'm looking at this section, this section, this

section. I have no doubt in every section, some

of you are watching way too many YouTube videos

that are criticizing. Bible, believe in Christianity,

and you wonder why you're discouraged. You wonder

why your mind is not doing too good. Man, get

in the word of God. The word of God is quick

and powerful and sharp, and read the word of

God. We have faith comes by hearing and hearing

by a YouTube video. No, faith comes by hearing

and hearing by the word of God. And too often

we're sidetracked away from Bible, believe in

Christianity, and we know YouTube videos, but

we don't know the word. But that's a side note,

okay, man? If we're not careful, we get sidetracked,

we end up neglecting the work that God has actually

called us to do. Wisdom keeps its eyes on Christ

and our hands on the task God's given us. So

I wanna just ask you and ask you to say, what

does God want for me today? And then follow through

and do what God wants you to do today and stay

away from that saturation of, I think sometimes

we walk in the lion's den of critics for no good

reason at all. So we get to this next one. This

comes from second Samuel chapter 16, and this

2 Samuel 16 · chapter mention

is gonna be a quick one. Remember, wisdom stays

busy doing the work of God. This one right here,

do you remember the story of David and Shimei?

So David is running for his life from Absalom,

do you remember that? And he's got this guy named

Shimei. And Shimei is cursing David, the king.

and cursing David the king. Shimei is cursing

David the king. Okay, do you understand? The

king of Israel. He's cursing God's man. And David's

being cursed. What does he do? Well, he keeps

on walking. It may be, and it says in chapter

16, second Psalm, chapter 16, verse 12, it may

be that the Lord will look on my affliction and

that the Lord will quite me good for his cursing

this day. And so it gives us an example. David

did not spend his energy defending himself. Instead,

he trusted the Lord. He's busy in the work of

the Lord right there. In other words, wisdom

doesn't have to win every battle, okay? Wisdom

knows when to let things go. Wisdom trusts God

to defend it. Wisdom doesn't feel the need to

answer every critic. You can't. There's a saturation.

There are battles that God never intended for

us to fight. Not every accusation requires an

answer. Not every critic deserves a response.

Not every misunderstanding needs to be corrected

immediately. And here's why I'm saying church,

for me, for you, wisdom knows when to speak and

when to leave the matters to God. Wisdom from

above, wisdom from above, wisdom from above.

It's merciful. It offers peace. It offers restoration.

It's wonderful. But if all of a sudden we get

critical, the critic makes us critical. And next

thing you know, that all we wanna do is go after

the critic and we're not caring about correction

and building them back up. We wanna pound them

down. That's a little bit opposite from restore

such a one in the spirit of meekness considering

thyself less also be tempted And the idea is

we've got to be very careful wisdom doesn't have

to win every battle now We get to the end and

this this is the end. I could have elaborate

a little bit further, but i'm going to go over

these Stay sweet The idea is we need to keep

sweet in a negative world with wisdom from above

I need wisdom from above. How many need wisdom

from above? Oh, we need it, we need it, we need

it right there. Wisdom knows, you know, your

wisdom, your criticism's gonna come. When you're

doing the work of the Lord, criticism's gonna

come, okay? How many of you know that? How many

of you know that? Criticism's gonna come, you

tried to do that. But also, there is a time,

and I wanted to hint on that again, but wisdom

knows there's a difference between correction

and criticism. Sometimes I need correction. Matt

and Ed assign, needs correction, okay? How about

you? How many of you would say sometimes you

need to be corrected? Okay, do you remember that

verse by the way? That from a child thus known

the holy scriptures which are able to make the

wise and the salvation through faith which is

in Christ Jesus, all scripture is given by inspiration

of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof,

for correction, for instruction in righteousness,

correction. You preach the word of God, it's

sometimes gonna step on your toes and it's not

trying to tear you down. It's trying to build

you up. It's trying to show you that you're wrong

and lead you onto a better decision path. Corrections

good right there. So we go to this next one.

Remember, this is what we've already gone through.

Wisdom keeps things in perspective. Don't dwell

on the negative. Don't let one voice define the

reality. Wisdom refused to become bitter. Do

too many Christians become bitter? They just

do it as a terrible thing. And Satan sits back

and laughs. Stay sweet. Wisdom keeps its eyes

on the Lord. Wisdom stays busy doing God's work.

And wisdom doesn't have to win every battle.

I need wisdom. I need wisdom. I need wisdom.

And I need wisdom. Oh, there's too many stories

to tell. But in your own heart and mind, I'd

look back over your life. Every one of you at

times has been corrected. Maybe not liked it,

but correction's good for you. When you go to

somebody, don't be a critic where you're trying

to estompadate them. When you go to somebody

and God leads you to correct them, it's restorative,

it's helpful, it's in a meek spirit, it's wisdom

from above, it's peaceable, not trying to stomp

somebody, okay? We got that, okay, good, good,

good, good, good. But when criticism, don't become

the critic, but when the critic comes to you,

stay sweet. Stay sweet, stay sweet, stay sweet.

Let's pray. Dear Father in heaven, we love you.

Oh, this was a needed message. And I have no

doubt behind the scenes, there are individuals

going through this right now. And they're battling

in their hearts and minds and becoming negative

and cynical, you might say, and critical themselves.

And I pray that that root of bitterness has been

dug up tonight. And even right now, decisions

are made. And I pray that even some pray to you

right now and say, Lord, help me to stay sweet,

help me to accept the correction and help me

to stay sweet when there are critics. And then

I pray that you help somebody here tonight who

has maybe leaned over and started to be that

critic, where it's not about correction, but

it's about destroying. And I pray that you work

in their hearts and show them clearly that's

wrong. And God, I pray that you help our church.

love Chesapeake Baptist Church, the people. I

believe we have such a sweet spirit in our church,

Lord, and I love it. I love coming around the

people of God, and I pray that our church stays

sweet. We love you, Lord. We need you in Jesus'

name, amen. Stand with me if you will. Turn around

to somebody.