Bob Sorge - Envy: The Enemy Within

PRAISE FOR

ENVY: THE ENEMY WITHIN

Bob Sorge has not only unearthed but has also helped us to overcome one of Christendoms greatest deterrents to fruitfulness: envy. This will be a must-read for every vigilant leader who desires to make a difference within his or her lifetime. This message will save you 10 years of unnecessary pain!

DR. WAYNE CORDEIRO

NEW HOPE CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP

This book could not have come at a better time. Seemingly at every level of society we are seeing this insidious sin. Bob Sorge has a word from the Lord to rescue the Church from the poison of envy.

JOHN A. KILPATRICK

SENIOR PASTOR, BROWNSVILLE ASSEMBLY OF GOD CHURCH
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA

Envy: The Enemy Within is a book filled with scriptural exposition on the topic and keen insight into human nature and relationship. Although we might be reluctant to acknowledge it, what the author writes about is a shoe that fits all of us in one way or another. And since he spends a good amount of time addressing the problem within the Church, those of us in ministry might find it an especially good fit.

RON MEHL

AUTHOR, GOD WORKS THE NIGHT SHIFT AND THE TENDER COMMANDMENTS
PASTOR, BEAVERTON FOURSQUARE CHURCH
BEAVERTON, OREGON

Only a broken but bold vessel could write a book like Envy: The Enemy Within. In this book Bob Sorge represents Gods heart to lead His people out of captivity and into freedom. This is probably one of the greatest displays of revelation I have read in the last 10 years. If the Body of Christ removes envy, strife and jealousy, we will quit warring with each other, become the worshipers God created us to be and overthrow the enemys plan against Gods kingdom advancement. This book takes you to the Cross and into resurrection power. Envy: The Enemy Within is one of the few books that I can honestly say will revolutionize your life. Once this evil force is removed from us, the glory of God will move in our midst!

DR. CHUCK D. PIERCE

AUTHOR, THE FUTURE WAR OF THE CHURCH
VICE PRESIDENT, GLOBAL HARVEST MINISTRIES
PRESIDENT, GLORY OF ZION INTERNATIONAL, INC.

In Acts 6 there is an account of how the leaders of the Early Church dealt with envy. The Greek-speaking Jews thought that the widows of the Hebrew-speaking Jews were receiving a more favorable distribution of food. Their perception could have wreaked havoc within the young movement. However, the spiritual wisdom of the apostles created a plan that nipped envy at the root, and the growth of the Church continued. Bob Sorge has brought the same spiritual wisdom to todays challenge of envy. Reading this manuscript will help us see where envy has crept into our lives and into the Church and how it is hindering the work of the Church in the earth today. Bob also shares that this doesnt have to be the case. There is a way to root out envy and move forward in love.

PASTOR DUTCH SHEETS

AUTHOR, INTERCESSORY PRAYER AND TELL YOUR HEART TO BEAT AGAIN
PASTOR, SPRING HARVEST FELLOWSHIP
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO

2003 Bob Sorge
www.oasishouse.net

Published by Chosen Books
11400 Hampshire Avenue South
Bloomington, Minnesota 55438
chosenbooks.com

Chosen Books is a division of
Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
www.bakerpublishinggroup.com

Chosen edition published 2014

ISBN 978-1-4412-6881-5

Previously published by Regal Books

Ebook edition originally created 2012

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meansfor example, electronic, photocopy, recordingwithout the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

All Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Cover and interior design by Robert Williams
Edited by Deena Davis

Its time to stop calling envy everyone elses problem. Lets demystify it and own up to the truth.

Whenever we feel pain over anothers success, envy has us in its diabolically deadly claws.

Envy is usually an issue between brothersand sisters. We can trace that pattern beginning with Cain and Abel and continue on through biblical history.

When God gives out varying degrees of talent, its a masterfully designed setup for an envy eruption.

Could it be that envy is the most formidable hindrance to true biblical revival?

God deals with envy by crucifying the one who is enviedthe foremost example being Jesus.

As we explore comparison and the seemingly arbitrary distribution of spiritual gifts and different spheres of influence, there are things we can do to overcome envy.

When God wants to bless a person or a ministry, He minimizes the envy factor by taking them to their promised land via a circuitous, arduous detour.

At the heart of envy is the issue of love and the need to be rooted in Christs love as the source of our personal identity.

I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH ENVYa huge problem with envy. Because any problem with envy is a huge problem. Envy runs so deep in the inner recesses of my carnal flesh that its probably a whole lot worse than I realize. (Who of us knows our own heart?) This book exists simply because God has had to speak volumes to me about the envy of my heart.

My own struggles with envy are rooted in a certain competitiveness that seems native to my personality or upbringing. I dont know whyI just know Ive been competitive all my life. Whether it was a sports event or a board game or a scholastic assignment, I have always been motivated to perform at my best. While the pursuit of excellence can be praiseworthy when its submitted to Christs Lordship, Ive discovered that the desire to excel beyond my friends can actually be the seedbed for envious heart attitudes. When I stepped into the arena of Kingdom ministry, the old ambitious desires didnt completely fall away, even though I told myself they had. When I saw my friends enjoying successes that I desired for myself, envy quietly sulked below the surface. (Envy is the internal pain we feel over someone elses successbut well define it more clearly in the next chapter.)

I didnt see my envy for a long time. But when God started to reveal it to me, I was appalled at what I saw of the true condition of my heart. Now I am fervently committed to radical repentance and walking in the light in this area of my life.

I am compelled to honestly share my own shortcomings in the area of envy for two reasons. Firstly, Ive learned the power of the flesh is amazingly broken when we bring our sins into the light (see John 1:7; James 5:16), so I gladly receive the grace that comes to me through the humility of confession. Scripture tells us that God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). I need that grace more desperately than I could possibly say. Secondly, I want to assure you that Im not speaking from the aloof position of someone who is beyond envys tentacles. I am still in process of victory. I hope you can receive the message of this book from a fellow pilgrim who is even yet in this journey with God.