Latest / Off The Kirb Ministries / When You Get Involved With a Christian Narcissist, These 5 Signs Will Take Place...
Transcript
- 0:00Imagine this scenario. You and I are at a Christian
- 0:02conference. There are literally 10s of
- 0:04thousands of people in this room.
- 0:06Young, old. Some have had many boyfriends
- 0:08and girlfriends, some have been married for years.
- 0:11And then suddenly the speaker at the front asks a question.
- 0:14A very key. Question, he says.
- 0:17I want you to raise your hand right now if you've ever been in
- 0:21a relationship with a narcissist.
- 0:24I wonder how many people? In that room, do you think would
- 0:26raise their hand? I think it would be.
- 0:29Literally a vast majority. Would say yes, I know a
- 0:32narcissist or yes, I've been in a relationship with a narcissist
- 0:35and yet if you look at the. Statistics.
- 0:37There's. Actually, only 1 to 2% of
- 0:40narcissists out there in the world.
- 0:42Now I know exactly what some of you are thinking.
- 0:44Well, if they're narcissists, they're not going to go to the
- 0:45doctors and get diagnosed because they think there's
- 0:47nothing wrong with themselves. And of course there's truth in
- 0:50that. But the same time, I do think
- 0:52sometimes we can be. Quick to give people labels.
- 0:55So when I talk about these five traits of a narcissist in your
- 0:59life, or perhaps you yourself or a narcissist, I want you to know
- 1:02I am painting with A broad brush here.
- 1:04I'm not saying that this person has been diagnosed as this, but
- 1:07I'm saying these are traits that even every single one of us
- 1:10needs to be aware of. OK, if this is your first time
- 1:13on the channel, this is my cup of Joe.
- 1:16Podcast where we're just. Dedicated to talking about the
- 1:19Bible whilst having a cup of. Coffee.
- 1:21So if you're new here, just try it.
- 1:23Please just just try it for. Once get yourself a nice cup.
- 1:26Of coffee, a cup of. Tea.
- 1:28Maybe an ice cold? Beverage.
- 1:30And just have a drink with me. As we study the Bible, some
- 1:33scriptures. And we think about narcissism
- 1:35and sorry, just. To say as well, these people up
- 1:37here are people. Who've bought one of the mugs?
- 1:39I make no money from this, literally.
- 1:41It's just to cover the cost. And sort of there's a little
- 1:44reminder because people are asking where do you get these
- 1:47from? When some friends of mine made
- 1:49me one, they said I would like 1.
- 1:50So I thought in the end after going back and.
- 1:53Forth I thought right we'll. Let people have them if it's
- 1:56something they really want. And it's actually been a real
- 1:58encouragement, just seeing faces of people who watch the channel,
- 2:02because for me it's just a number on the screen.
- 2:04You're always seeing my ugly face all day long, so it's nice
- 2:06to. See your face so.
- 2:08Yeah, if you'd like that, buy one of the mugs and I will send
- 2:12you an e-mail in a few weeks time and then we'll get your
- 2:14face on here if you want to send a.
- 2:16Picture of yourself. Drinking a nice cup.
- 2:19Of Joe. All right, the first sign of a
- 2:26Christian narcissist is they have an over.
- 2:29Inflated ego about their spiritual gifts they believe God
- 2:33has. Given them some of the greatest
- 2:35gifts and they. Believe that they should.
- 2:37Have a higher position in the church.
- 2:38They should have a higher. Position in life and God has
- 2:41given them their gifts and for some reason there are people who
- 2:45are blocking them from fulfilling God's calling on
- 2:48their life. You've ever met someone like
- 2:50that before? If you've got a Bible there,
- 2:51please would. You turn to Romans chapter 12
- 2:54and we're going to read. Verse 3.
- 2:57Romans 12 and verse 3. For by the grace.
- 3:02Given me, I say to everyone of. You.
- 3:05Do not think of yourself more highly than you.
- 3:08Ought but rather think of. Yourself with sober judgement in
- 3:14accordance with the faith. God has distributed to each of
- 3:17you so this. Particular verse is talking
- 3:21about. Faith but.
- 3:23In the same way God. Has distributed each of us with.
- 3:26Different gifts I don't have. All the spiritual gifts.
- 3:29And neither do you. There are gifts you have.
- 3:31That I don't have. And likewise, there might be
- 3:33gifts I've got that that you don't have.
- 3:35God has done it. Fairly so that none of us get.
- 3:37So puffed up because if any of. Us had all the gifts, if any of
- 3:41us. Was this?
- 3:41Super Christian. Suddenly we'd be trying to steal
- 3:45glory from the Lord God, and that's why it's.
- 3:48Good that we all have. Different roles, some have got a
- 3:51wonderful. Gift of hospitality.
- 3:53Some have a wonderful gift of encouragement.
- 3:55Some people have a great. Gift of speaking, some people
- 3:58singing, worship, some leadership.
- 4:01I'm a terrible leader, believe it or not, whenever.
- 4:03People think or because I. Preach.
- 4:05Put Joe in charge of doing some leadership.
- 4:07I panic. I'm terrible at ordering people
- 4:10around. I'm just like, would you like to
- 4:12do this A. Bit of a scaredy cat in that
- 4:14respect. We've all got different.
- 4:16Gifts haven't we? And yet some.
- 4:18People, there are people. Who think they've got them all?
- 4:21Or they think. The gift that they've got.
- 4:23Is greater than it is and that is why the.
- 4:26Church is. So, so important because the.
- 4:30Church has a way of. Filtering through these things,
- 4:32you know the. Bible talks about.
- 4:34There's wisdom to be found in many different councillors.
- 4:37If there's many people in the church, they will notice a gift.
- 4:40You mark my. Words.
- 4:42Sometimes it. Doesn't happen, but nine times
- 4:44out of 10 the church will notice it's a gift and they will put
- 4:47that person in a position because.
- 4:49They all have the same spirit, the Spirit of God.
- 4:53Sort of testifying that, yeah, this person has this.
- 4:56This ability to. Serve in a certain way.
- 4:58Let's use this person. I experienced this first hand in
- 5:04quite a negative way. I don't really like sharing
- 5:07negative stories and I don't want to ever seem like I'm
- 5:09gossiping, but I thought. This actually was a story.
- 5:12That maybe I should share. With you.
- 5:14When I was 232324 I was just starting out as an evangelist.
- 5:18I was. Shy, nervous, insecure and just
- 5:22really trying to make this job that I really wanted to do.
- 5:25I really wanted to be an evangelist.
- 5:27It was like my dream job when I became a Christian.
- 5:30And I remember there was an older man who joined the church
- 5:35who had been divorced at least once.
- 5:37It might have been twice. He's actually now what?
- 5:40People call a passport bro. He's living in the Philippines
- 5:44and I won't go into too many details, but anyway, this this
- 5:48man came along to me and. Said he'd he'd built a.
- 5:52Course for Evangelism. Now as an evangelist, I was
- 5:56working through my own sort of studies and studying myself how
- 5:59to become a better evangelist. But this man had just come along
- 6:03to the church. He'd never done any evangelism,
- 6:04and he'd written a course. He said no, I've.
- 6:06Never. He literally said it.
- 6:08In the in the opening paragraph of this course, no, I've never
- 6:10shared the gospel. No, I'm not an evangelist, but I
- 6:13do have a skill at writing courses so.
- 6:15I'd like to do this course and so it's like, OK.
- 6:18So we've got to be. Careful here.
- 6:20That it's not the blind leading the blind.
- 6:22I obviously didn't say that to him, but he'd written this
- 6:25course. A few months.
- 6:27Later, an older evangelist who'd been doing this for. 30 years.
- 6:31I'd been in touch with this man and I'd been working alongside
- 6:34him and some other evangelists and I'd invited him to come to
- 6:38the church and to do some training with the church and we
- 6:41were going to have a full. Day, what we called a gospel.
- 6:43Outreach Day where we went out and shared the gospel.
- 6:46So we've got this day. All planned and I've got this,
- 6:49you know. If you like this.
- 6:50Glittering evangelist come in. Who's had all of this
- 6:52experience? Who?
- 6:53Literally has LED. Hundreds, if not thousands.
- 6:55To the Lord Jesus Christ. And then this man comes from
- 6:59the. Church with his course.
- 7:01And he was fuming at me, just bearing in mind I'm just 2324
- 7:05years old, very, you know, not sure of myself.
- 7:08And he's literally shouting at me in the.
- 7:10Pews after church. Saying I am absolutely fuming.
- 7:15I am so angry that none of you have.
- 7:17Considered my course none of you have read.
- 7:19Through it, none of you, and you're inviting this evangelist
- 7:21and where's my course going to fit in on this day?
- 7:25Now, looking back, in hindsight, it was wrong with me.
- 7:28I should have looked at the course more and I should have,
- 7:31you know, at least addressed it. And because I was busy, I
- 7:34didn't. And you know, there isn't a
- 7:35great excuse for that. But this man was fuming.
- 7:38And then in my flesh what I did. Is I said right?
- 7:42If you're such a great. Evangelist, I'll tell you.
- 7:44What you'll do, what we'll. Do right now and the church was
- 7:46in a place that. Had sort of a shopping.
- 7:48Precinct, I said, let's go out onto the the street right now
- 7:52this second and you're going to go and share the gospel with
- 7:55people and I'll just shadow you. I'll stay in the background and
- 7:57you can teach me how to do it and the man said.
- 8:00Okay, I will. That's exactly what I'll do.
- 8:02He started to put his coat on, saw him on the other side of the
- 8:05room. And then just giving me.
- 8:07Daggers. He looked across.
- 8:08And said, you know what, I'm not.
- 8:09Playing your games, Joe I. Don't need to, I'm not doing it.
- 8:12And and he backed. Off so I was.
- 8:13Basically trying to call his. Bluff.
- 8:16But the point is this man's come back over the years as this
- 8:19YouTube channel's grown up and he's he's been trying to get in
- 8:23touch with the former pastor saying you need to.
- 8:26Tell Joe to to share. My channel across the world, you
- 8:29know and I. Literally said to the pastor.
- 8:31There was no one who was more critical of my ministry after a
- 8:34preacher sermon. He'd be saying this was wrong
- 8:36with it, this was wrong with it. This man was always belittling
- 8:39me, always putting me down, and now he wants me to share his
- 8:42channel across the Internet when I don't personally believe.
- 8:45He has got a. A gift in that way.
- 8:48So my point is this. Was this man a narcissist?
- 8:50I don't know, but I'm saying there are people out there and I
- 8:52could, I could name many other instances of people.
- 8:55Who believe they've got this gift, They believe they've got
- 8:58this ability. And yet when?
- 9:01You've got the church as a whole.
- 9:03They haven't noticed that ability.
- 9:05Maybe that's you. Maybe that's me in some spheres
- 9:08of life, and we need to just be aware that we should never see
- 9:11ourselves greater than we are, but we should.
- 9:13Have sober judgement, am I really?
- 9:17As good as I think I am. Am I really good at?
- 9:21Preaching am I? Am I?
- 9:23Really good at this service. Am I really good at this skill?
- 9:28Just sober judgement and. As my dad would say to me, keep
- 9:32your feet on the ground, Joe, because at times I can go over
- 9:35the top with my own, with my own imagination.
- 9:39Now, the second sign that you are dealing with a Christian
- 9:41narcissist is they have double standards.
- 9:45For instance, they might control you massively.
- 9:48They might say you can't go out. Some aren't even allowed to go
- 9:52to the shop on their own. They're not allowed to leave the
- 9:54house. They're not allowed to see their
- 9:56friends at night. They're very much controlled.
- 10:00But then the person in the relationship, for instance, they
- 10:03have all the freedom in the world.
- 10:05They can do whatever they want. They have double standards.
- 10:07They might do something like for instance, they might when you're
- 10:11raising children, they might use terrible language in front of
- 10:16the children all the time. And you do it once and then
- 10:19suddenly, how dare you do that? You're terrible.
- 10:21You're a terrible example. And yet you've they've done it
- 10:241000 times. You see where I'm going with
- 10:26this? Jesus, actually.
- 10:28It'd be worth turning here. I'm not going to read a verse.
- 10:30To you but. It'd be worth turning there.
- 10:31Jesus told a parable of something kind of similar to
- 10:33this in in Matthew chapter. 18. Verses 21 to 30.
- 10:38Five if you'd like to to either pause the.
- 10:40Video and read it or I'm going to tell you what happened.
- 10:43So there was this servant. And he owed 10,000 bags of gold
- 10:48to his master. That's a lot of gold.
- 10:50And he couldn't pay it. And he went before his master
- 10:53and said I can't pay it. And his master said you need to
- 10:56pay it. And you just have to pay this
- 10:58money. If you if you do not, something
- 11:00serious is going to happen. I can't pay it, master.
- 11:03Right. Well, in that case.
- 11:04Take your wife, take your. Children, they're going to be
- 11:07sold so that in some way you can pay.
- 11:09Off this debt, the. Servant got down on his knees
- 11:13and begged and started crying. Please, please have mercy on me.
- 11:17I can't lose my wife and children.
- 11:19Please. And so the Master showed him
- 11:23mercy and. Do you know what he did?
- 11:25He decided to even. Cancel the debt, not say, OK,
- 11:28I'll give you some time to pay it off.
- 11:30He ripped the debt up. It was gone.
- 11:33Just a few moments. Later the.
- 11:35Servant was walking around and he notices another fellow
- 11:40servant, and this fellow servant owes him 100 silver coins, so
- 11:45we've got 10. 1000 bags of gold. And then we've got 100 silver
- 11:48coins. Not in the same comparison, is
- 11:51it really? And this servant says to the
- 11:54fellow servant, I want my money, give me the silver coins.
- 11:59And the servant says I can't, I can't pay it.
- 12:01No, you will give it to me. And he?
- 12:03Literally, the Bible says. He put his.
- 12:05Hands on him and started. You know, getting very.
- 12:08Physical with him you will. Pay this money and and the
- 12:12servant was pleading and. He couldn't.
- 12:14He couldn't pay it. So what did this?
- 12:16This servant who'd been forgiven, Do you know what?
- 12:18He did. He had this man thrown into
- 12:20prison until. He paid off the debt.
- 12:23Now that. Is very, very relatable.
- 12:26For many of us, we. Have some?
- 12:30Sins we see them as. Abhorrent, gross, terrible and.
- 12:35When we see people commit. Those sins, we we just.
- 12:38Say get rid of them, avoid them, get just.
- 12:41I don't want anything to do with those.
- 12:43People. And we write them off.
- 12:45And yet when we commit the same sins.
- 12:48We give it a green pass somehow, God.
- 12:51Hates this kind of hypocrisy. He hates double standards.
- 12:54And the narcissist will often find ways of bending the rules.
- 12:58You know, moving the goal. Posts, as we say over.
- 13:01Here in the UK, you know, in football.
- 13:03It's like you. You make the goal posts a bit
- 13:04wider so that you can score a goal.
- 13:07You know, it's moving things around to kind of make it fit
- 13:10into your agenda. And that's exactly what the
- 13:12narcissist will do. Now before some of you might
- 13:16have been feeling like I was pointing the finger at that man
- 13:20at my church. And yeah, maybe I was and maybe
- 13:23I shouldn't do that. Just call me out on it.
- 13:24I'd love to hear your thoughts on on whether I should share.
- 13:27Stories like that, but I'm. Going to right now.
- 13:30Put myself out there because it's all very well.
- 13:32You know, before I judge anyone, I'll judge myself.
- 13:36I was terrible at this a few years ago.
- 13:38Again, I hope this doesn't sound boastful in any way, but back in
- 13:432022, even 2023, I actually had technically the biggest
- 13:50Christian YouTube channel in the world on my main channel off the
- 13:53Curb Ministries. And again, I'm not saying that
- 13:58in any way to boast it was. All the Lord who did that, but
- 14:01we would literally. Every week on average, get.
- 14:04It was like 30 weeks where every video.
- 14:06Got over 1,000,000 views. We're just.
- 14:08Reaching so, so, so many people, and because of that, suddenly it
- 14:13put a lot of attention on my channel.
- 14:16And other Christian Youtubers saw that I.
- 14:18Was getting success and decided, you know, I want a slice of this
- 14:22pie. What's he doing?
- 14:24And they started copying various things, editing things that I
- 14:27did. Phrases that I used they would
- 14:31copy like. The thumbnails and titles,
- 14:33literally to the point some of them you couldn't tell the
- 14:35difference between the channels. And again, as embarrassed as I
- 14:39am to admit. This I got really, really
- 14:41bitter. Really angry in my heart and
- 14:46again, this is I'm really not proud.
- 14:47Of this but I started. Reaching out to some of these
- 14:50and saying what are you doing? This isn't right.
- 14:51You know, you, you're doing all of this.
- 14:54And there was it really hit a climax.
- 14:57And yeah, it was, yeah. It was 2022, August 2022 or
- 15:02September 2022. This should have been the best
- 15:05week of my life. I was there with my wife and our
- 15:09little son at the time, and we were on the Isle of Lewis, as
- 15:12some of you know, my favorite place in the entire.
- 15:14World, it was a beautiful. Sunshine A.
- 15:16Beautiful holiday and on that. Very.
- 15:19Week. I reached a million subscribers
- 15:22and instead of being happy and having fun with my my family
- 15:25because I don't get much time holiday on vacation, I was
- 15:30writing emails. To a particular YouTube who, if
- 15:33you like, was. The worst dealing like, well,
- 15:36copying the the the the background music I used
- 15:39everything was the same and I was writing to him and it was.
- 15:43Yeah, I just had a horrible, horrible holiday because of.
- 15:47That and then Emma said something and the Lord actually
- 15:52led me to. This very passage I've just
- 15:53shared with you, It was like Joe.
- 15:56You're being a hypocrite when? You first started out on
- 16:00YouTube. You copied people terribly.
- 16:03It used to take illustrations from pastors and give no credit.
- 16:07It used to take stories used to take.
- 16:10You know. Props that pastors would use and
- 16:12you wouldn't give any credit. You can't talk at all.
- 16:15And even now to this day I will copy titles and thumbnails
- 16:19sometimes. So the point is this.
- 16:21We're all hypocrites. I actually hold my hand up and
- 16:23say I'm a bigger hypocrite than most people.
- 16:26And the Lord took me on a long, long journey and it took me
- 16:29years to get to the point where it's like, no, we're all working
- 16:33in the same vineyard. We're all on the same team.
- 16:36We're all trying to. Reach this vast world of the
- 16:39gospel. And we need all the help we can.
- 16:40Get so. If you're a YouTube and you're
- 16:42watching this now if you ever want to take anything of mine.
- 16:45Please go feel free to do it because the Lord's healed that.
- 16:49Horrible simple side of me. Anyway, I just thought I needed
- 16:52to share that with. You just to show that.
- 16:54I'm not saying I'm the guy who's got it all together.
- 16:56They can be narcissistic. Traits.
- 16:58In me of all people #3 I just want to tread very.
- 17:02Carefully here because I. Actually think there's probably
- 17:05some people who are going through this right now and some
- 17:08of you, you're married to this person.
- 17:11And yeah, I just want to tread carefully.
- 17:14And I want to say in my last video I made an apology because
- 17:18I made some comments. About divorce.
- 17:22And I didn't qualify enough and I just the biggest thing I want
- 17:26to. Say if if you are.
- 17:27Going through any marriage difficulties?
- 17:30You need to bring in some elders at a church.
- 17:33Marriage counselors you need external.
- 17:35Help. I really do believe that.
- 17:37Because every situation is different and so I can't just
- 17:41say something on the Internet that applies to everyone.
- 17:43Because you have to. Literally meet with that person,
- 17:46untangle all of the stuff and and talk to them.
- 17:49But. Yeah, the third one, the. 3rd
- 17:50sign that you're dealing with a narcissist is they belittle you.
- 17:55Or they belittle. Or they.
- 17:57Call someone who doesn't agree with them, who doesn't bow down
- 18:01to their agenda, who doesn't bow down to them that they, they
- 18:03call them all these nasty, horrible names.
- 18:05They they can be. Really.
- 18:07Really. Mean some of them they'll.
- 18:09Nag you they'll. Just nag you to pieces, male or
- 18:12female, that that they'll nag you and and they'll be trying to
- 18:15bring you down. So that you'll never leave.
- 18:18Them that's actually the goal of the narcissist to to to make you
- 18:22not be on an equal plane, which we should all be in our
- 18:26relationships. We should all we've.
- 18:28All got different duties. Yes I do believe the man should
- 18:30lead as the the husband but we're equal before the sight of
- 18:34God. Man and woman is equal, but what
- 18:36the narcissist? Tries to do is sort of pat you
- 18:38down a few so that they're way ahead of you.
- 18:41And so that they can always get their.
- 18:42Way. It's always about their way.
- 18:45And you'll often find the the trail that the narcissist.
- 18:49Will leave is they're always falling out with people.
- 18:51There's always a problem with this friend.
- 18:54Or that friend. Or that.
- 18:55Person they work with. Or that couple they'll have.
- 18:58Many different friendships and at first when they're getting
- 19:01all this attention, they'll love it and they'll think these are
- 19:03the best. People ever they'll.
- 19:05Even idolisation, you know, idolise them, they'll they'll
- 19:08think they're great. But then when something happens
- 19:12that challenges their behaviour or they're not suddenly getting
- 19:14the attention they need, they'll ditch them.
- 19:16And that's. It they'll they'll call them.
- 19:19Rotten The other thing as well in a relationship with a
- 19:22narcissist is very often they don't like it when you're too
- 19:26happy. You might be watching something
- 19:28like a film, or you might be watching like a video and you're
- 19:31really laughing, really having a good time, and they come in and
- 19:34they get angry at you. They're not happy that, you
- 19:37know, you're having a good time, but on the flip side, they don't
- 19:39want you to be like this pit of, you know, just wallowing in
- 19:43sadness and they try and bring you out of that.
- 19:45So you do think they care about you in one sense, but.
- 19:48They don't need to be too happy. And why is that?
- 19:50Because it's almost as if you're doing well without them, or they
- 19:55want to keep you in this lower kind of sense of self.
- 19:59Which is very, very toxic. And So what would I say?
- 20:03If you are. Someone who is in this
- 20:05relationship and there will be times where you want to
- 20:07challenge this behaviour and, and sometimes you do challenge
- 20:12it. You have conversations and then
- 20:14they get angry. That is really one of the big
- 20:16signs. They can get destructive.
- 20:17They can be just, you know, the mask falls down and they can
- 20:21just, you see a completely different side of them.
- 20:24What does the Bible say? To do in these times.
- 20:27What would I say to you if? You've got a narcissist and
- 20:31they've. Gone from.
- 20:32Belittling to literally blowing a.
- 20:34Casket to just going. Crazy in your face.
- 20:37Just turn to Proverbs 15 with me, Proverbs 15 and verse 18.
- 20:45A hot tempered person. Stirs up conflict, but the.
- 20:49One who is patient calms a quarrel.
- 20:54Should I just read it one more time?
- 20:56A hot. Person stirs up conflict, but
- 20:59the one who is patient calms a quarrel.
- 21:03You don't. That's a difficult verse, you.
- 21:05Don't really want me to share that one with you, do you?
- 21:07Because if they're the one who's in the wrong, they're shouting,
- 21:10they're screaming, they're the one who should be dealt with and
- 21:15yet what's the Bible saying here?
- 21:17It's saying be patient. If you're patient, you will calm
- 21:21the quarrel down and. The sad reality?
- 21:23Is with this narcissist whether it's a friend.
- 21:27A brother family member. Or even your spouse.
- 21:31You are going to have to be the bigger person so much and the
- 21:34reason why I say don't start shouting back and don't start
- 21:38quarrelling. Back because it never works.
- 21:40The the narcissist is never wrong.
- 21:42And they'll just spiral more and more and they'll get even more,
- 21:46you know, they might bring children in.
- 21:47They might bring. Ways of sort of.
- 21:50Muddying your name and they'll. Make threats, they'll do all.
- 21:53Kinds of it. And it'll just get worse and
- 21:54worse. And some of you from experience
- 21:57know this the best thing. Is to to.
- 21:58Try and be patient and to try and gently try and calm arm this
- 22:02storm down now. Again, I really.
- 22:06If there's someone who's stuck in this mess, I really want you
- 22:10to talk to your church pastor. If you're not at a church, I
- 22:13want you to find a local church. If there is no local church
- 22:17nearby, I want you to to call up someone who the nearest church
- 22:22nearby and say is there a? Pastor who could?
- 22:24Come out and visit me. I'm not able to get out because
- 22:26some people can't get to church. I know there's many people who
- 22:29watch this. Podcast because of disability.
- 22:30They can't. They can't can't get out of the.
- 22:32House. Would there be someone who'd
- 22:34just be willing to come and sit with me and talk this through
- 22:38because you need help, You need support in this.
- 22:41You shouldn't be trapped in this, this pain in this cycle of
- 22:45of, you know. Where you have to.
- 22:47Be a doormat and suddenly say everything they want.
- 22:49To you to say just just so that. You know they don't break stuff
- 22:53or that, you know, your life isn't a mess.
- 22:56Yeah, this isn't an easy video to film.
- 22:58I want you to know that. And again, I'm not pretending
- 23:03I'm qualified to do this. I'm just an average Joe.
- 23:06I'm just a street. Preacher, as you know, but I
- 23:08felt that the Lord. Actually this very morning as I
- 23:11was led in bed, this message came to me and I thought I need
- 23:14to. Share this today.
- 23:15So maybe it's going to help someone, maybe it's not helpful.
- 23:18Let me know. Some of you have got real
- 23:20experience with this and real wisdom and I'm always learning
- 23:23from you. So please do write the comments
- 23:25down because because I really do try and read as many of them and
- 23:29as I said from the last comment on.
- 23:31Divorce. It was very helpful to hear.
- 23:33Someone who'd walk through this and it really challenged me.
- 23:36So do do let me know your thoughts #4 they are vain.
- 23:40They are. Superficial they're always
- 23:43attracted to. Kind of cool people.
- 23:45That's who they believe because they believe they're up here.
- 23:48They believe they should be hanging around with high value
- 23:51people, the the highest people in the world.
- 23:54Because that's who is. In their.
- 23:56League. And anyone who's below their
- 23:59league, they don't have the time for them.
- 24:01They're often quite, you know, into their appearance, even if
- 24:05they're not actually the any oil painting, they really do spend a
- 24:09lot of time in the mirror checking themselves out, you
- 24:11know, moisturizing lots of makeup or whatever it is, doing
- 24:15their hair, you know, working out that they're very much into
- 24:18their appearance, you know, very vain.
- 24:22And yeah, as I said, they don't want to.
- 24:23Associate with with lower people.
- 24:26And if you. You've got a Bible there.
- 24:27Again, could you just? Turn to Luke.
- 24:30Chapter 11 and verse 43. Luke 11 and verse 40.
- 24:38Three, it says. Woe.
- 24:40To you Pharisees, because you. Love the most important seats in
- 24:44the synagogues and respectful greetings in the marketplaces.
- 24:49Guys, this is crucial. The Pharisees, they always
- 24:53wanted. The best seat they always
- 24:55wanted. If there was the celebrities.
- 24:56Of the day they'd want to be sitting next to them.
- 24:58They wanted the best. That's what the narcissist is
- 25:00like. These Pharisees, they were
- 25:02likely. Many of them narcissistic in
- 25:04their personalities and. We have to be so careful of
- 25:08this. I noticed this again when I go
- 25:10to Christian conferences. You see certain people and they.
- 25:14Always. Sort of.
- 25:16There's like a magnet towards the kind of big names, the
- 25:20preachers, the. Speakers.
- 25:22Those who? Are in charge of charities.
- 25:24Those who? Run organisations the the the
- 25:27missionaries who've done great things and.
- 25:29They all sort of. Run in that direction, but then
- 25:32you've got, you know, Bob from Bradford, which is, you know,
- 25:36place in the north of England. Or you've got.
- 25:39Paul from down South and he's not done anything that exciting,
- 25:42but he's here and he and he wants to learn about Jesus or he
- 25:46wants to serve the Lord. And they sit on their own and
- 25:48they eat at mealtimes because no one wants to talk to them.
- 25:51We have to be so careful of that at church.
- 25:54When people are sat on their own, we need to make time for
- 25:57who Jesus would make time for. That's what I read when I read
- 26:00the parables. The Kingdom of heaven will be
- 26:02full of the very. People who we least expect the
- 26:05the people who aren't. You know, the ones with their
- 26:07names and lights. It's the lowly that.
- 26:09That Christ has the time for. I saw this just the.
- 26:12Other week in a in a cafe and it broke my heart.
- 26:16These weren't Christians as far as I know, but there was a
- 26:19little. Old.
- 26:19Lady and she was sat on this massive.
- 26:22Table had about 12 chairs. On it, but the cafe was full.
- 26:27It was the only. Table that was free and she sat
- 26:29there on her own. I think she had a little little
- 26:32Westy dog. A little dog.
- 26:35And she must have been in her 80s and she's eating this soup,
- 26:38you know, just skin and bones. And she sat there on her own.
- 26:41And then suddenly a party of women who were probably in the
- 26:4560s, fifties, they came because the only.
- 26:49Table that was free was. That one with the old.
- 26:50Lady. So they joined her.
- 26:53And this. Little old lady, it was like it
- 26:55was Christmas Day. She was so, so pleased they were
- 26:58there. And she was talking away to them
- 27:01and laughing and. And joking and there.
- 27:04Was actually one of the women the youngest woman was actually
- 27:06taking her on? Was actually in conversation
- 27:08being really pleasant to her. But I saw the.
- 27:10The other women, particularly the one who sat right next to
- 27:12her, dolled up with her makeup, you know, probably had a bit of
- 27:16money, you can imagine. And she just, she was just like
- 27:19rolling her eyes, turning away. Her body language was away from
- 27:23her. She didn't just didn't want to
- 27:25engage with this woman woman at all.
- 27:27And are we really that selfish that we can't just give up?
- 27:31Half an hour. We can't give up half an hour.
- 27:34Share a table. With someone who's who's going
- 27:35to spend the rest of the week on their own, we need to make.
- 27:38Sure, we do that as. Christians and I felt like I
- 27:41thought. It'd be awkward at this.
- 27:43Point but I was like. Come and sit with us, love.
- 27:45Come and join our. Table with the the children if
- 27:47you if you're happy to have screaming in your ears and I'm
- 27:50sure they'll, they'll enjoy spending time with your dog.
- 27:53But yeah, let's make sure we're not always wanting the higher
- 27:56things in life and we make time. And yeah, we're not superficial.
- 28:01That's what I'm trying to say. And lastly #5 which really just
- 28:04comes off the back of #4 is this.
- 28:06The narcissist has 0 empathy. They don't care about anyone but
- 28:12themselves. As long as they're happy and
- 28:15their needs are met, that's all that matters.
- 28:18They have to be the centre of attention.
- 28:19And sometimes there can be days. Where this is.
- 28:23It really comes out quite strongly and and the mass falls
- 28:26down and you. Really see their true, true
- 28:28colours. For instance on a.
- 28:29Birthday. You've been really excited.
- 28:32It's your birthday. You know, only comes around once
- 28:34a year and the day you know we're.
- 28:36Not when we have our. Birthdays we're not being
- 28:38egotistic when we expect it to be a nice day for us.
- 28:42You know, it's just kind of an unwritten rule.
- 28:45And yet on your very birthday, the narcissist can make it all
- 28:49about them. They can make you cry on your
- 28:51birthday. And again as I speak, maybe I'm
- 28:53I'm. Speaking so directly that it's
- 28:55hard for. Some of you to even listen to
- 28:57this. Perhaps a narcissist in your
- 28:58life has made you cry on your birthday.
- 29:00Because it was all about them, all the attention.
- 29:03Needs to be on them, and in Christianity this is very, very
- 29:09worrying. Because if there is a.
- 29:12Christian narcissist and is all they care about is themselves.
- 29:16That's concerning because as Christians were.
- 29:20Called to care about the lost, I mean.
- 29:23All these millions and millions of people who are going to be
- 29:27trapped in hell forever because they haven't come to.
- 29:30The cross of Jesus Christ. Some of them haven't even heard
- 29:34about Christ Jesus. They.
- 29:36They don't know. The true gospel message.
- 29:38That Jesus died on that. Cross for all of our.
- 29:40Sins and now forgiveness. A new slate.
- 29:43A new. Beginning is possible because
- 29:45Christ shed his blood on that cross.
- 29:47They they don't know that Christ has risen from the dead.
- 29:50And this is the greatest news in the.
- 29:51World that that we. Can have eternal life.
- 29:54Because Christ is risen. And yet the the narcissist, even
- 29:59though they themselves are saved, they.
- 30:00They don't care. It doesn't bother.
- 30:02Them they they make no. Effort to share the gospel.
- 30:05They don't care about the poor that right now there.
- 30:07Are brothers and sisters in Christ.
- 30:09Around the world, who? Will not eat tonight.
- 30:12Who are living in war-torn countries.
- 30:15Who as they put their children to sleep, they they have to
- 30:18somehow read a bedtime story to their children whilst missiles,
- 30:22whilst loud bangs are going on in the background and yet you
- 30:27and your safe place in the West you're putting your children
- 30:31down to. Sleep and everything's safe and
- 30:33everything. 'S nice and the narcissist
- 30:35doesn't doesn't care. The narcissist, The person at
- 30:39the church who has just. Got that life?
- 30:42Changing news. Something that's could.
- 30:45Be potentially the the ultimate. Price they'll be gone or.
- 30:48Something that's going to absolutely destroy their quality
- 30:52of life and is all they need to do is just remember them in.
- 30:55Prayer. And yet they don't.
- 30:56Because they're so concerned with their own needs, the
- 30:58narcissist has no empathy. And really, it doesn't bother
- 31:01them that the. Person might come up to them and
- 31:03talk to them and. They'll say, oh, that's sad and
- 31:06they'll pull all the right faces, but inside they, they,
- 31:09they really don't care. They'll, they'll forgotten about
- 31:11it and in five seconds time they'll be going back to, to
- 31:14their own way. Now remember.
- 31:16How I said at the beginning of the video, I'm going to use the
- 31:18word narcissist loosely. I do wonder some of you
- 31:22listening to this. You're not a narcissist, you
- 31:25know. With all the traits with like if
- 31:28it was a doctor sat before you, they'd.
- 31:30Say you're not a narcissist, and yet I think every single one of
- 31:33us probably can identify. With what I've just said, do we
- 31:37really care about them, The poor?
- 31:39As much as we should. Do we really care about the
- 31:42lost? Even me as an evangelist.
- 31:45Do I honestly care about them? I know I used.
- 31:47To care much more than I do now, and I have to.
- 31:50Really work on that to to get closer to the Lord again.
- 31:54Do we care about those people in our church?
- 31:56Who? Going through a terrible time
- 31:59and yet if the narcissist or if any of us.
- 32:01Were to go through that time and the.
- 32:03People at the church. Didn't care about us.
- 32:05We would be fuming, we'd be so upset and we'd say, well I've
- 32:08seen my true friends now haven't I?
- 32:10The second I got. Ill I realised.
- 32:12Who my true friends were. Let me read a Bible verse to
- 32:15you. Matthew 24, Matthew 24 and verse
- 32:2412. So here Jesus is talking about
- 32:32the end. Times the sign of the end of the
- 32:34age and he says 1 of. The signs is this.
- 32:37Because of the increase. Of wickedness the love of most
- 32:42will grow cold or the the version we're used to is the
- 32:45love of. Many will grow cold and that is
- 32:49something. That will happen.
- 32:50I do believe we're in the end times.
- 32:54Some of you need to. Look.
- 32:56Out for this this this book's going to come out very soon I've
- 32:58written a book on the end times and as I'm going through all
- 33:02these signs of the end times and different things, it really
- 33:06looks like the world we're living in right now and so
- 33:10something. That you and I have.
- 33:11To be careful of. Even as Christians is.
- 33:14Our love. You know, have we let too much?
- 33:17Sin enter in have we become so selfish has social.
- 33:20Media has our cushy nice lifestyles has.
- 33:24Has that affected? Us so much, or because perhaps
- 33:26we've been. Hurt we, we just.
- 33:28Think well I can't trust. Anyone else?
- 33:29I'm just going to look after myself.
- 33:31We need to, we need to have empathy.
- 33:33We need to have love. And if there's anyone who's
- 33:36feeling like that right now, I'm going to pray in fact, and I
- 33:40need to pray for myself. Will you just bow your head and
- 33:42let's all just. Pray to the Lord for.
- 33:43This. Father, we've talked about some
- 33:48difficult things in this video. Very difficult things.
- 33:53Some people are going. Through this right now with.
- 33:56A family member, a friend, a spouse who is a narcissist and
- 34:01they are struggling. Lord, I pray for.
- 34:04This person. That there will be relief.
- 34:07That this narcissist will be cured.
- 34:09Of their narcissism. That they will.
- 34:10Repent of their sin. And that there will.
- 34:14Be a a healing. That will will take place.
- 34:16Lord and I just pray. That you will be the comfort
- 34:19that they need. Every day.
- 34:21Every day will be difficult. Please draw close to them.
- 34:24And please send them. People in their life.
- 34:26Who can help them with this battle so they don't fight this
- 34:29battle? Alone and Lord, I pray for any
- 34:33of us who have been challenged. By this message challenged by
- 34:39these words, if there are any narcissistic, selfish, prideful
- 34:44things inside of our lives. Ugly things, Lord Pruners.
- 34:48Cut it out, Help us to be more like Christ.
- 34:51And I pray above all that our love would not grow cold, that
- 34:56we would love people, that we would see others highly more so
- 35:01than ourselves, that Christ would increase and we would
- 35:04decrease. And that we would remember that
- 35:06acronym of joy that. Jesus comes first, others next,
- 35:10and then. Yourself, ourselves would come.
- 35:13Last, that's the true way to joy, not putting.
- 35:16Ourselves on a pedestal. And living for ourselves.
- 35:19Please help us all help. Me to love more and help
- 35:23everyone who's listening to this.
- 35:26To just have a greater. Love and a greater desire to
- 35:28serve you, for we are in dark days.
- 35:31And we need to shine. As lights.
- 35:33For the Lord Jesus Christ. Please hear these things in
- 35:36Jesus name. Amen.
- 35:38Now if you want to know the video that caused such a.
- 35:40Stir such a commotion. On divorce and you do still have
- 35:43coffee left in your pot, well. You've got a few minutes.
- 35:47Go and check this video. Out here because I think you'll
- 35:49find it challenging, but also hopefully very helpful.
- 35:53God bless you all and thank you for watching.