Herbert W Armstrong

   I've heard of the names McNair and Blackwell, Engelbart, Antion, and some of these very prominent names in the church, and I'm certainly thankful we have these gentlemen in the church speak to us, but I've never heard of the name too much, spoken around the name Jess Ernest, who is he? I've never, never heard of the gentleman myself. I mean I have, but maybe you haven't. Certainly if I haven't heard his name by now I'm in trouble.

   How many of you know me? Would you raise your hand? See, I am known. You raise this movement a little bit so the rest of them, see I'm a part of the church, you know, realize I am a minister of the church. How many of you don't know me? Would you raise your hand? How about that? How many don't want to know me? Oh I see, I didn't see hands that time because I closed my eyes.

   I want to spend just a few moments at the very outset getting you acquainted and kind of warming up to you as it is my custom as I go and have the privilege of going to a number of different congregations and speak to the people, which I think is a very fine blessing and opportunity to do so. I usually like to warm up to the audience by telling them a little about my past, and I don't want to spend 45 minutes doing so. My past is very short. It won't take more than about 2 or 3 minutes.

   I was baptized and added to the body of Jesus Christ on March 2, 1963, the San Diego congregation. And I applied for college in 1964, was accepted then to Pasadena and attended two years. It was transferred to Bricket Wood, England in 1966. Where I met my wife just before leaving for my first ministerial assignment in 1968. And usually, as I get up and, as I did in college recently, as I've done at headquarters, as I've had the privilege of speaking there, I forget about my wife so often. I certainly should not do that and I don't want to neglect my wife. And I also don't want to neglect my mother and father-in-law who are here with us also today.

   Hope all of you ladies realize that today and you men too, today is National Mother-in-law's Day. You realize that? Let’s give the lady a hand. National Mother-in-law's Day, and I certainly want to stay in good graces with mine. She's here today. So, Mr. and Mrs. Pyatt here with us from Oklahoma City Church.

   So anyway, I met my wife just before leaving for my first ministerial assignment in 1968 as I graduated from Bricket Wood, and I was sent to Ireland and the pastor, one of the pastors of one of the churches here in Kansas is here during the feast, here with us at the feast, I should say. He was the pastor of the church in Belfast and at that time he not only covered Northern Ireland but Era, Southern Ireland also he covered the whole country, north and south. Mr. Wells, so I served with him for about 3 months, and then when I left the bombs started dropping. You didn't get that. You see, as I left Ireland, the bombs dropped, you know, you didn't want it. Well, that's all right. It's fine. I'll keep moving on then.

   Anyway, I was in Ireland for about 3 months or so. I left there, I went to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I served with Mr. Hal Baird. He's a very faithful and a very fine minister of the church. Served with him for a year. After that, I was transferred to Ritzland Center, Wisconsin. I served there with Mr. Bill Freeland, a very fine minister in the church for 2 years. I moved up to Wisconsin Dells and served there for 9 months. And then moved to Appleton, Wisconsin, so you can see they kept me there a long time. I was in Wisconsin for 9 years. I'm so cold I couldn't move too quickly. Very cold up there and then I became the pastor of the Appleton Church and I was ordained to preaching elder in 1973. I was ordained to local elder here in 1970. I was ordained to preaching elder in 1973. And pastor of the Appleton Church and then I was had the wonderful privilege of establishing a church in Wausau, Wisconsin. That is a distinct privilege to be able to say you've been instrumental in use of God to establish a new church of God in Wassa, Wisconsin. And but we still resided in Appleton, lived there for about 5 years altogether. Then I went in for a sabbatical last year. Last August '77 and came out in this year in about June '78 this year, and I was assigned to Peoria McComb, Illinois. And the brethren are just warm and very friendly in Peoria. I don't quite understand why when I got there they cried, but nevertheless, Sometimes it happens, but anyway, so I'm serving now in harness back in harness again in the field in Peoria in Macomb, Illinois.

   Now, after telling you briefly a little about my past, it's very brief, you're probably still wondering why it is that I'm speaking to you, see, in comparison to all these big cannons, as it were, I'm just like a little pop gun compared to all these cannons of speakers. You're still probably wondering about that. Well, I want to tell you the reason for that. There were about 400 cards and letters and memos that went into headquarters, specifically requesting me to speak at the Feast of Tabernacles, and I know that because I sent everyone in myself.

   I don't know why I was selected to speak at the feast. I think it's an awesome privilege and opportunity, and I think those who were instrumental in it. I don't know. I got a letter on the day of Trumpets saying that I was speaking at the feast, and that's all I knew. I didn't get a phone call. No one told me anything. I just got a letter, and that was it, and that's fine. I prepared and ready to speak.

   But as I get into my sermon, I think it's kind of interesting to say, as it were, the laugh is on me. Because in 1970 I came to the Feast of Tabernacles here in the Ozarks and I was a little bit critical of the way the parking situation was handled. I sat impatiently in my car. I never blew the horn. I didn't go that far, but I was impatient. I was a little bit disturbed. It took so long to get out of the parking lot. That was in 1970. So 8 years later I'm assigned to the Ozarks and I'm on parking now. And I'm assisting Mr. Kelly Barfield on parking.

   Last year, and I'll tell you where I attended the feast, but last year I got a little bit critical of the sermons last year because I did not think they were as dynamic as they needed to be. And of course we had problems in the church at the time and some of the ministers were maybe in a little bit of a tether and it's hard to get up and speak dynamically and powerfully and with conviction when you yourself are in turmoil. And so I kind of criticized a little bit about that. Last year and I found out this year I've got the sermon. So I do want to go publicly on record saying that I have absolutely no criticism of the way the toilets are being handled at all.

   Half of my subject this morning deals with criticism, and the other half you'll learn about a little later on in the sermon. Want us to start out on the subject of criticism because it's still ripe in the church today, in 1978, it wasn't 1977, it's been around for a few years in the church. It's been fermenting a little bit more and more as time goes on.

   I want to start with criticism basically before man, before you or I or ancestors were ever put upon this earth. There was a being, and we know who he is. His name is Satan. He started to be critical of his Master and his Lord and the creator of him, of Jesus Christ, of course he wasn't called Christ at the time and of God the Father. And I won't turn there. I think you're familiar with Isaiah 14, Ezekiel 28, where talks about Satan got a little bit critical. He didn't like being number 3. He wanted to be number 1. And so as time progressed and we put the word time in quotes because there's no such thing as time, there's no sun or moon, so there's no way of calibrating time the way we humans do at that time, in quotes again.

   So anyway, given the process of events going by, he got a little bit critical of the Godhead composed of two Beings. He didn't want to be number 3. He got critical and he wanted to be number 1. He wanted to be in the authority. He didn't like necessarily the way the Father was running things. Now that happened after he was sent to the earth and all the little jots and fiddles of the lawn and all the specifics. I don't know. I wasn't around, neither were you, so we're only speculating and guessing, but somewhere a long time, he didn't like the way God was running things. He got hypercritical of the Godhead. And we know what happened to him.

   Now that same being is very busy trying to influence mankind in general and more specifically with those in the church to be critical also. Why not? He bombed out. He wants you bombed out too, you see, because God is not offering him the same opportunity that he's offering you and me. Never is it recorded in here that he was offered the opportunity to be in God's family. It doesn't say that in here, you see, never offered that opportunity, but it says in here that you and I are to enter into God's very family and not be an angel, angelic being, but to be a son or a daughter of God.

   So he doesn't want you entering in that family. So what do you suppose he's gonna do about getting you out? He's going to not talk to you. He's going to influence you via moods and attitudes and thoughts. He doesn't say, "Hank, Hank, this is Satan, can you listen to me a minute?" Never has happened. He doesn't do it that way. What I want to show you is Satan is not the doer of our critical words. Satan is the influencer of our doing, but we are the ones doing it, not someone else. No, no, but he influences, see, helps you along, encourages you, and enjoys it and loves it, you see, as you be critical of your brothers and your sisters in Christ and of course those in the ministry and those over us, he really delights in that and gets a lot of enjoyment out of it.

   So it seems even as perverse as his thinking is, it seems to be logical along one plane and that is bomb you out, get you out of there. That seems to be fairly logical. And how he goes about doing it. Only I'm sure he knows, of course, God knows exactly all the intricate details how he goes about doing that. He does not want you nor me to succeed in our goal of entering God's family. He's going to take care of that one way or another, he says and he thinks.

   Now I've been in the church, as I told you earlier since about 1963. In those earlier years, certainly earlier for me, I never heard, and I'm sure criticisms were there, alright. But I personally never heard them of ministry in '63, 64, 65. I don't remember. I don't recall every hearing brethren criticize the ministry openly. Oh yes, the thoughts were there but not projected out of here, but they were here, you see. I don't remember hearing that. Maybe some of you did, but I didn't. And slowly it seems like it's gotten worse and worse and worse. And so I would say that about 1974. It really started to rear its ugly head. To the place where we could just be out and outright critical of almost anyone. It was open season on anyone you wanted to name.

   And I, as I'll explain to you, have done my share, and I've been sorrowful for that because I've done wrong, and I can't blame anyone other than myself. However, I do know and I am cognizant of the fact that Satan is the one influencing that I know, but I don't blame him saying he forced me, he did not. Satan never forced me to be critical of anyone. I did it. But he's helping along. He gives you the little hand, you see. He gives you the encouragement, and he'll continue to do so.

   So I think it started getting a little bit more open in about 1974-ish, a little open, you see. People got a little tired of what they thought the way the church was being run. They didn't like it run that way. And they wanted to run it whose way do you suppose? Well, their way, of course, you see. And so I noticed more and more criticism coming about the ministry and about me personally, and I know as you see me today, I know it's hard to realize people could criticize me, isn't that something? I'm not too tall. I'm not too short. My hair's not straight, you know what I mean? I mean how in the world could you criticize a guy like me, lovable old Ernest, you know. But people have criticized me, of course, not to anywhere near the same magnitude they have to those higher up in the church and those more used to God than myself.

   But anyway, I think 74, 5, 6 and 7 and then when I went to Ambassador College for the sabbatical last August, not this year, but in '77. I think the thing really peaked in my way of thinking and my personal experiences of it. I can't speak for all of you. I can't speak for other people. I can speak for myself and those I came in contact with. And I was warned by 1 or 2 in the ministry before I went to headquarters last summer. Be careful, don't get sucked in the conversations where you don't belong because people out of headquarters are very critical. And I know my wife and I discussed that more than once and said, well, I won't do that. I certainly, you know, I've made a few comments here and there, but I certainly won't do that.

   But you know what? I failed that test and I got critical too of certain people out of headquarters. I too had 2 ears that spent a lot of time listening to other people and made comments that I should have never made. And so I got sucked into it. And it's very, very easy to do, isn't it? Someone just makes a very slight little offhand comment and you pick it up and you carry it a little further and someone else hits it again and someone else hits it and you start ringing the bell ding dong back and forth. Here we go, you know, pretty soon the ball's really rolling. And we get to the place we get so intense about certain things in which we don't know where we're speaking even at times because we don't have all the facts. I certainly didn't. I still don't have all the facts. I don't plan on ever having all the facts. I'm going to show you later on. You don't need all the facts. You have all the facts you need already. You know where you are. You know why you're here. You don't need all those jots and those tittles and those little points, you know, and all the piquent little things.

   And so anyway, it came to the place where I begin to realize after I left headquarters, so you see, I did wrong things for about 10 months and said wrong comments I should have never said for about 10 months. Until I finally got back out into the field. And I had to repent of some of the comments that I made. I didn't have to, but I felt I'd better. I felt God wanted me to. And so I repented and asked God to forgive me of some of the statements that I made. And of course I realized I'm the only one in this group that's ever said anything, you know, against other people in authority.

   And I want you to concentrate this morning as I give my sermon on criticism toward those in the church, not outside the church. I'm not interested in that today, all right. I'm interested in talking about criticism within the Church of God. That's what I'm talking about, not some other I'm not talking about constructive criticism. There is a place and a time for that. That's not what I'm talking about. Hypercriticism. That's what I'm talking about.

   Now I want to ask you this morning. Which one are you best at giving? Criticisms or compliments? Think about that, would you for a few seconds? Which one are you best at giving to others in the church? Criticism, criticizing them, tearing them down, or giving them a legitimate compliment. Think about that and see which is the easiest to come out from within your emotions to another fellow human being.

   I'm talking about in criticism, making judgments, finding fault, disapproving of others, and to tear someone else down is what I'm talking about when I talk about criticism. Making judgments, finding fault, going around seeking faults out of other people, disapproving of other people, and tearing someone else down is the kind of criticism I'm talking about, not constructive criticism.

   Now at the outset we need to understand the difference between evaluating someone and criticizing someone because there is a distinct difference. It's not very hard to understand, so I want to give you this and I hope you'll take it and accept it. All of us as human beings, if we have a good mind, and I'm sure most all of us do, I'm talking about, you know, there are handicapped people in the world who do not have good minds unfortunately they need to be healed, but those of us here who have good functioning minds, we almost automatically evaluate other people, you know that? Have you noticed that, you ladies, you ever notice how other women dress or not? See, you're automatically see, red looks good on her. Black, ooh, I don't think black looks good on her. Blue, no, she doesn't look good in blue. It doesn't match her eyes. She has green eyes.

   So women automatically, men do the same thing. I like his presentation. Oh, he speaks too fast. Well, he's too slow. His humor isn't the kind I like. I don't like any humor at all. He's too humorous. Well, this guy's dead. He doesn't have any life at all. I don't like that. So we always evaluate people, all right. Now what I'm saying is this it is not wrong to evaluate anyone. As long as you don't take it a step further, another step, and criticize them, tearing them down or making judgments against them. That is where I or you are wrong if we do that.

   So you see, and I see other ministers here at the feast and been around for a number of years, seen a number of ministers. As I see them, you know, I evaluate them and you know they evaluate me. And you know that which they have and their personalities and the character that they've developed, which is good. I try to emulate that which is poor that I don't like, I don't emulate it and I just drop it and let it go at that. And so that's what I want you to understand the difference. Now it's not wrong to evaluate people say, well, I feel guilty. I've even evaluated someone. Well, no, that's not wrong, not wrong to notice and take cognizance of what someone's doing. However, you don't want to pass judgment on them.

   Now let's get into the Bible. Genesis chapter 2, the very beginning. I want you to notice a little bit more about this influencer of criticism, the one who does the influencing of our criticizing other people, and the one who delights in it, really enjoys it, we people. The more you tear your brothers down, the happier he is. See that's wonderful to do that. And Genesis chapter 2. Beginning in verse 15, we find God's instruction to the clay man, to the man made out of clay, the clay man. Genesis 2:15, we read, and the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man saying of every tree that's in the garden, you can eat of it. Enjoy it, Adam, Enjoy all those trees. But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat of it, for in the day, no, not in the 24 hour period you'll die. No, it doesn't mean that. For in the day that you eat thereof, you shall surely die, meaning that if you imbibe of it, you're as good as dead is what it means, not that you'll die that 24 hour period. If you take it, you're as good as dead Adam. And yes, God, I understand what you're saying. I certainly leave that one alone. And Eve, you hear that too, Eve, yeah, I'll leave it alone too. So they were going to be obedient to God.

   Now, the next chapter, chapter 3 commencing verse 1 (Genesis 3:1). Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast in the field which the Lord God had made. So this serpent said to the woman, he started questioning and criticizing God's rules, you see, God laid out rules in the garden. He says, oh yes, come on now, as God said you should not eat of every tree of the garden, and God tell you that, uh, you, you sure you understood God's rules? And the woman said, Well, yeah, I understand very clearly. See, we may eat of every fruit of the tree in the garden, but of the fruit of the tree, which is in the midst of the garden, God said you shall not eat of it and don't even touch it, because if you do, we'll die. That's God's rules and we're going to obey God. And he said, and the serpent said to the woman, You shall not surely die. And there we know the scene goes on from there. So Satan was critical of God's rules to start with, see.

   You put the little man right on the earth here, you know, the environment God set out for him. God taught the man, and here we find the master critical person who likes to influence. No, you sure God means what he says? No, you know God is loving and God has these rules, but he's not so harsh on those rules. You don't really need to keep all those rules in the garden. I mean, it's just trees after all. And so he started criticizing at the outset.

   Now notice Job chapter one. We find Job again now in a different setting. Job chapter one. You find out another case where he's critical of God. And in this case a human being too. Job chapter 1 verse 8. This is Job 1:8. And the Lord said unto Satan, Have you considered my servant Job that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that fears God and eschews or hates evil? Satan answered the Lord and said, Yes, God, you're absolutely right. Satan is a wonderful man, and I certainly don't want to criticize Satan. I mean, Job, and I certainly don't want to criticize you, God, because I love you and I want to support you and back you up every way I can. Job is a wonderful guy, and I give him a hand for that.

   And you know that he didn't say that, did he? Satan answered the Lord and said, Does Job fear you for not God? Is there, you know, does he just fear you, does he? Does he love you, God? Is that, that's the way it is, I see, he says. He says, Haven't you made a hedge about him, about his house, about all that he has on every side, God? You've blessed the work of his hands and his substance is increased in in the land. Oh God, come on now, you've blessed him every way every way he could turn. Well, no wonder, no wonder he loves you. But put forth your hand now and touch all that he has and he'll curse you to your face. So you see Satan again, critical. Satan again, critical of God, saying, Well, God, no, that isn't the way it is. He doesn't really love you. You trust him. That's why he loves you.

   So then we find in chapter two of Job, verse 1 (Job 2:1), and again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord. Satan came also with them to present himself before the Eternal. And then we find now skipping down to verse 3 (Job 2:3). And the Lord said to Satan, have you considered my servant Job that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that fears God and hates evil, and still he holds fast his integrity. Although you move me against him, destroy him without cause. And Satan answered the Lord and said, Skin for skin, yes, all that a man have will he give for his life. Put forth your hand now and touch his bones in his flesh. He'll curse you to your face. So there again, talking to God, being critical to God about Job, God said the man physically was wonderful. He had a lot of character. He had a flaw, of course. He had a lot of character, and Satan was critical of God, Oh no, no, God, you're wrong. No, no, you let me work with him. He won't love you, you see. So critical again of God and so you can see a little bit about Satan's character.

   Now in the New Testament, let's turn over to I Corinthians chapter 12. About this being the influencer, we find in I Corinthians 12, the apostle Paul writing about spiritual gifts in the church. Paul wanted unity in the faith. Mr. Herbert Armstrong wants unity in the faith. All of the ministry today who's faithful to God and to Christ and to Mr. Armstrong want unity in the faith also and hurts very badly when we don't have that kind of unification in the body of Jesus Christ.

   So Paul writes in I Corinthians 12 commencing in verse 18 (I Corinthians 12:18). But now has God set the members, every one of them in the body as it has pleased Him. And I think as a sidelight you ought to think about that brethren. How did you get to be a part of the body of Jesus Christ? How many people have voted for you and voted you in? How many letters did you write in about your own personal recommendation of how good you were so you could be added to the body of Christ? No, you know, it doesn't work that way, does it? That if God is the one who sets the light or the lights the torch in your mind to understand and perceive spiritual things, no man will prevent you from entering God's body once he wants you there and if you do your part. No man, it may, you know, it may take months or even a year or two, but eventually God will bring you into the body. And so it's God's decision that we all are here, not mine or not yours, see.

   You don't like tall people. God adds them. You don't like short people, God adds them. You don't like people of different nationalities, too bad. God adds them. And so those men or women, whatever, you know, God is the one that decides who he's adding. Of course it's a terrible thing to be so critical of the ones that God has added to his own body.

   So he says God has added the ones that it has pleased him, not as it pleased someone else. And if they were all one member, where would the body be? But now are they many members yet one body, not two or three bodies, by the way, only one body, you see, one body, not 2 or 3. But many members in that one body. The eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of you, nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. No, much more of these members of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary, you're uncumbly, you're not, you know, good to look at. I'd rather look at someone's face and their feet, you know what I mean.

   So and those members of the body which we think to be less honorable upon these we bestow more abundant honor and our incubly parts have more abundant comeliness, for our comely parts have no need, but God has tempered the body together, having given more abundant honor to the part which lacks, that there should be no schism in the body or division in the body, but that the members should have the same care, one for another. How do you have care for your brothers and sisters, and how do you have no schisms or divisions when we're going about criticizing those in the very body? There's no other results you can possibly have other than division when we criticize people. There's no other result you can have by being hypercritical of others.

   Satan and his approach has the attitude that he's going to get you sooner or later. It reminds me of the TV commercial. I saw it a couple of years ago, I don't know if you remember it. Here's a kind of a, not a fat man, but a heavy set man sitting in a very comfortable chair smoking a cigar. Very attractive music, kind of a march progressingly faster music in the background. He's smoking this. I don't remember what it was, a white owl, blue owl, or some kind of cigar, and you know he makes it look so good, so easy on the draw, and the puffs so nice, you know, and smells so nice to him, and sooner or later we'll get you. See, sooner or later we're gonna get you smoking them.

   Now years ago I used to smoke rum suck croaks, crooks. They make me croak too, that's for sure. Rum, suck croaks, cigars. We were kind of bent, you know, I mean those things were just tremendous. If the nicotine didn't get you, the rum did. And I used to like smoking cigars, and so here the ad tells you that sooner or later we're going to get you. You want to set the pace. It's so tempting for you. How many of you ever smoked cigars? Don't put your hand up, ladies. How many of you fellows ever smoked cigars? You know, you remember how nice they were, you know, they were firm, you know, not like some old cigarettes, some little old thing. This is a long firm thing. You know you can be masculine. Grab that thing good, like that and puff on that baby, you know. Oh, you can just look so masculine, so tough, so rugged, so outdoorish, so sportsmanlike with that cigar in there, especially with the rum quote. Who I think is even crooked, you know, he look better, you see.

   So Satan's kind of the same way. He says, sooner or later I'm going to get you. And you say, well, no, you're not going to get me, Satan. He said, yeah, I said I'm gonna get you. I said, I said you won't. He said, Yeah, I said I would though. I said, you won't. I said I will. And so back and forth it goes, you see, back and forth. And so you struggle and do you know how long you struggled with this being. Does anyone have any idea how long you struggle with him? As long as you live, no one was baptized into the five-year plan. You weren't given God's spirit for 5 years to overcome this all done say bingo, I've had my 5 years. I've done my time not change me. God doesn't do it that way, does he?

   So you battle the old boy for as long as you live, and he says, I'm going to get you. But the, the, the ironical thing is, you see, he doesn't just come out and say, Hank, Hank, I'm gonna get you. It doesn't work that way, does it? It's very subtle, and if he can get your mind off positive things onto negative things and on to being critical of other people, the better he likes it, see, because then he's got your foot moving or your feet moving the right direction slowly in the way he wants you, not where you want to be, not in the bastion of faith among members the way we should be being complimentary of each other, but in the bastion of criticism, you see, and he loves that and he wants that.

   So brethren, I don't want you to forget. That the only applause you get when you're critical of someone else comes from Satan, and he does give it. I would say if I could use that as an analogy, you get an applause from Satan when you're critical of your brethren, and you know most all of us have been that way, haven't we? At one time or another we've been critical. And we'll find out just a little bit later on some of the reasons why we are critical.

   Now, next I want you to notice our part. I talked about the influencer of criticism, Satan the devil. Now I want you to notice our part in this. Let's notice in Psalms 34, because you remember at the outset I said that Satan influences he doesn't force. Psalms 34 and verse 12 to 13. Psalm 34:12-13. David said, What man is he that desires life? Well, we all do, we all desire life and loves many days. That's we guys, us guys, that's us. We want a lot of days, you see, as long as we're in good health. That he may see good. I like to see a lot of good things. He says if you want these things, and he spoke on a physical plane in those days, he had God's spirit with him, but most of the people reading the scriptures in those days didn't. He says, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking guile are being critical of other people is what he says.

   Notice what his son had to write in Proverbs chapter 6. Proverbs, flip on over to Proverbs there, chapter 6. I want to take just a few of these proverbs very quickly now. Proverbs 6:16. And you're familiar with this, I'm sure these 6 things does the Lord hate? Yes, 7 are an abomination to Him. I skip down to verse 19 (Proverbs 6:19), the 7th thing, a false witness, that's the 6 that speaks lies, and the last one is he that sows discord among brethren. Now do you suppose one way of sowing discord among brethren is to be hypercritical of the ministry and of your brothers and sisters in Christ? Do you suppose that's one effective way of doing it? I suppose, yes, that's one way of doing it.

   Proverbs chapter 10. In verse 19, Proverbs 10:19. In the multitude of words there wants not sin, but he that refrains his lips is wise. Example, you've gotten in conversations with people and they've said something like this. How'd you like that sermon today? Well it was a little long. Yeah, I noticed it was kind of long too. I didn't think he brought out really the piquing points that I would have brought out in a sermon like that. Well, that's what I kind of noticed that too. I'm glad you noticed that.

   I wasn't the only one noticing that too, and you know, he used humor in the wrong places. I mean, I like a little humor, but I thought the humor was in the wrong place. Well, I kind of noticed that too. The humor was in the wrong place, you know, if I was up there giving a sermon, I wouldn't speak quite like that. Well, you know, I think you're right on that. You know, if you were up there, I mean that would be just great for you to do that, and if I back you up, then you back me up.

   The Plain Truth magazine comes out basically once a month. People say, well, you know, if I were in the printing business, I wouldn't put a cover like that on there. And the person says, Well, that's right. I don't think I'd put a cover on the plain tooth like that either. And so back and forth it goes and slowly it snowballs and we're all sucked into it and we're in the conversation being critical. How much character do you suppose it takes to say something like, well, that's not my job, so I don't, I don't have anything to do with that. Wouldn't that be nice to squelch that kind of foolishness, but it's very difficult to do that, isn't it, brethren? It really is.

   Now Proverbs 11:9. A hypocrite with his mouth destroys his neighbor. What do you mean a hypocrite? Well, you see, any time any of us are hypercritical of our brothers and sisters in Christ, we are a little bit hypocritical in that. No one is flawless, you see. So how can I criticize my brother when I have faults myself? Well, you shouldn't do it. I shouldn't do it, but I do it anyway, and that's what I'm working on and trying to overcome.

   Now Proverbs chapter 15. Proverbs 15:28. The heart of the righteous studies to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things. We have problems in the church. Yes, we've had some problems in the church, you see, it says the heart of the righteous studies to answer, contemplates, meditates, reflects, acts circumspectly, thinks it over, realizes time and money and effort invest in the church. He's not going to bomb out so soon. He's going to think it over. Where the foolish person just yaps and yaps and yaps, keeps on going, and pretty soon he's out.

   New Testament, I Peter chapter 2. I Peter 2:1. It's kind of interesting to hear the apostle Peter speaking long time after Psalms and Proverbs are written, still battling the problem about people being critical. And guess what? Here we are in 1978 still battling the battle about people being critical. Why is that? Well, the, the being is still around, he's still influencing. Wherefore laying aside all malice and all guile, all hypocrisies and envies and all evil speaking, you see, that we should be laying aside. But for 10 months I didn't lay those aside when I was out of headquarters. And I'm sorry that I didn't lay them aside, and I'm sorry I said some of the things that I said, and I'm sorry that I wasn't the type of man I should have been. I wasn't the type of minister of Christ that I should have been. I was not as strong as I should have been, and I paid a price for that. And we've all said things we shouldn't have said. But I'm a little bit different today than I was 10 months ago or 9 or 8 or 6 months ago, and I'll tell you a little about it later on.

   Now the third major thing I want to discuss with you about criticism is why are we critical of those in the church? We need to analyze just for a minute or two of why we're critical of other people in the church.

   First of all, it's because as individual human beings, and I'm glad we all are individuals and not all the same, certainly glad of that. But as individual people, we all like to do things a certain way. And when other Christians in the church don't do it the way we do it, we criticize them, don't we? That's one of the reasons because people don't do as we do.

   Another reason is because I set up certain standards in my life and I expect all the Christians in the body of Jesus Christ to have those same standards, and when they don't, we criticize them, don't we?

   Let's take a quick little example. How many of you have a car parked out here today? Would you raise your hand? Isn't that interesting? Most, not everyone, but most everyone has a car parked out here. How does the trunk of your car look right now? Neat, tidy. Things in the trunk of your car well arranged, nice and organized so you can open your trunk lid, reach that old paw in there and get exactly I know exactly where it is to the right. No, it's over here to the left. This item is over straight back. This is real close. Is it real neat and tidy? Mine is most of the time. That's right, sure is. See?

   So when I see other members open their trunks, it looks like Piper McGee's closet, you know, I don't like that. So what do I do? What do you suppose I naturally do? Starts with a C. What do you suppose I do? Let's hear it. What do I do? That's right, I criticize. Shame on me for doing that. You see, that's a natural proclivity. Vote it out. Criticize them. See, their trunks should be like my trunk, you see.

   It isn’t. And I keep my pens in this coat pocket in the inside. My napkins on this coat over here. See, inside you'll find my napkins all of a sudden I don't like a hanky. I never did like a hanky all my life. I like napkins, I mean Kleenex. Look like napkins. I always keep my chapstick in this pocket over here to the right, chapstick. See, I have problems with my lips. I want them tender. So I'm no fool. I like my breath to smell nice. I keep the mints in the right pocket there. They're right here in the right pocket. See, I keep my wallet using the inside. I used to sit on it. The chiropractor said, Don't sit on your wallet. Over years, takes years, throws you back out. So I believe and I don't put my wallet there. I put it in here now, see.

   So in other words, if I go up to you and say, Can I borrow your pen, you say, pen, pen, what pen? I don't even know where it is, you know. And so naturally we get critical of other people, see, because they don't do it exactly the way we do it. And that's unfortunate that we do that, but we do, and it's time we meet reality, isn't it, brethren? It's time we become honest a little bit more with ourselves and say that's right, that's the way I am, and that's the way you are.

   I got my hair. I got a permanent on my hair, see. Because it makes me look more distinguished and younger, and I have a lot of natural gray hair and when I had it straight, you couldn't see all that maturity there, so this way you can see it, see. So all of you guys who have hair. Who have it straight, I'm gonna have to criticize you because you don't know enough to get in the swim of things with this, see. On second thought, one of this is enough. But you get the point, don't you, brethren, that how we all are critical and in tune with criticizing other people when their standards are not synonymous with ours, and so we need to be aware of that.

   Another point, the reason we criticize other people is simply because while you are busy criticizing others, guess what, your mind is off of whom. Who do you suppose your mind is off of while your antenna is shooting out at other people off of yourself? Isn't that interesting? Then you haven't got time to criticize them constructively yourself. You've got plenty of time to dump it on them, you see. Isn't that interesting? Wonderful how human beings are, and that's the way I am, not pointing the finger at you. That's the way I am, and that's the way I'm trying to overcome, and that's the problem I'm working on, not to be so hypercritical of other people.

   Another reason we're critical is because of misunderstanding. Now I don't hope to enumerate all the reasons why we're critical of other people because I don't have all the reasons. I'm giving you some of the piquent ones. One of the reasons is because we do not understand. Example is AICF. When I heard about this AICF, I didn't understand what in the world is that. And what's it needed for? Why are we pumping money in that direction, all that, because I did not understand. That's why I criticize it, you see, and that's why some of you right here criticize AICF. Now that I see the film during the feast, I understand a little bit more clearly why we have that vehicle. If Mr. Armstrong has decided that he needs that vehicle and he wants the vehicle, that's good enough for me, you see. Because none of us would all agree exactly how we'd be doing things, would we? We certainly wouldn't.

   So those are some of the reasons. Now, what can we do about our criticizing? What can we do about it? First of all, I think you need to realize that God and Jesus Christ do not like it. I want to please my Savior, and Mr. Keller brought out something that was not new to me yesterday, however, he really nailed it home to me. Not new, but he really brought it into focus and nailed it home that Christ is loving, yes, compassionate, yes, and gentle yes. However, there's another side of that coin that is Christ is like a lion and he's also going to be our judge. And so I want to be very careful of what I say in the future about criticizing other people. They don't like it and so I want to please them. I don't want to do it.

   Another thing we need to do is realize Satan loves it. And so I think the thing that makes me so mad, as it were, when I was at headquarters is that they realized that as a minister of Jesus Christ I got sucked into pleasing Satan without even realizing it to start with because it was so subtle when it started, so very subtle. I feel very bad about that, that I helped the enemy as it were to the helping God.

   And I don't, you know, it hurts in one way, another way it really doesn't to tell you and to come before you and say I did wrong, brethren. I said things I shouldn't have said, but you know, the reason it doesn't hurt too much because I know a lot of us here. I'm not saying all of us. I'm not saying that. But I'm saying a lot of us have done the same thing, but I'm saying that I have repetitive mind and my mode of operations are a little bit different today than they were a few months ago. That I'm very careful not to criticize other people. I may laugh along a little bit. I may say, uh huh, I may listen, but I will say nothing. And if it gets too heated, too critical, then I'll jump in. And believe me, you, you know, you're gonna be swimming upstream as it were, if you start jumping into some of the conversations. And so I won't jump in to start with, but if it gets too far gone, I'll jump in, whether it be a minister or layman or whatever, I'll jump in. Because I feel that's what Christ would want me to do and not to flap my big tongue as I did when I was on my sabbatical.

   So the next thing is brethren, realize it's a habit, realize it's a habit being critical, just like smoking. We overcame smoking, just like swearing, eradicating words out of our vocabularies. Being critical of other people is a habit. Some of us are more critical than others. It's a habit that you want to break. Think about it. Think about it and concentrate it. Watch what you say.

   Now the last point on this subject about being critical before I get into my second major point of the sermon, and I'll finish. Last thing I want you to consider about criticism. I don't dislike anyone here. In fact, I can't say I love you from my premise because I can't love unless I know someone, you know, I can't say I love you and I don't know you. In my definition I can say I have a loving, you know, outwardly going concern for you. I can say that and I'd be concerned for you, but you really love, you know, but anyway, I have nothing against anyone here. And in a few minutes I have some compliments for you too, so I hope we realize brethren is the body of Jesus Christ. We're all here worshiping God and trying to learn a little bit more about God in His way. So I, I hope I haven't come across harsh to any of you because I, I don't mean that. I want to be more harsh with myself than anyone else.

   However, before I leave this subject, I want to mention to you today is Sunday. This last Thursday I had to leave the feast to conduct a funeral in Quincy, Illinois. I never like to conduct funerals. It's not one of my choices in the ministry. It's one of those things that I have to do, not want to do.

[Tape Flipped]

   It’s such a critical attitude with those at headquarters when I was in headquarters, I wonder what would have happened. I'm not so confident that I would have been in the first resurrection. I would have liked to have hoped I would have been in the first resurrection, but I'm not so sure. So that really brought the sting home to me. So I want you to put that on your list and one of the things you can do about criticism, think about it, brethren, when you're critical of other people.

   What would happen if all of a sudden as you're just mouthing off critical of, you know, whoever whoever is in authority or whatever in the church, what would happen as you're doing that that all of a sudden you develop heart palpitations, the heart starts beating erratically, all of a sudden numbness comes on the left arm, can't breathe, breathe too well. Short of breath and you feel, this is the symptoms of a heart attack. Do you suppose that there would be some quick repentance there? I suppose there would be in my mind, so I want you to think about that, brethren, you know, if you say, well, yeah, I know, but I may die tomorrow. I may have a month or two or a year or 5 or 6 more years. You may. I don't know. No one knows when your button will be pushed and no one knows when mine will be pushed either. So think about that, brethren, would you please, when you think about being critical of other people.

   Now I want to get into my next major subject and that is compliments, compliments before I finish today. Compliments. I'm talking about compliments. I'm not talking about flattery, I'm talking about an expression of admiration or praise or respect for another human being.

   Now I want to give you an example quickly of a compliment I gave a man years ago. It's a very unique type of compliment you'll understand as I go through the story, go through the story here. Another minister and I, Bill Freeland, a number, Bill Freeland. Bill Freeland and I went to visit a man one time for the very first time, prospective member. He sent us a letter. However, before we went to visit him, he said, please come and see me. I have a number of biblical questions. I'm interested in the church, something like that, but watch out for the dog.

   I thought, oh boy, watch out for the dog. Well, you know, I've seen a lot of dogs in yards and, you know, probably dog and surely the man will know enough to chain his dog up in the yard before we come. There'll be no problem or changing the back or whatever. So Mr. Freeland and I went on the visit, and I was getting a little bit apprehensive, not nervous, but a little apprehensive about this dog. Usually people don't tell you about a dog unless there must be something there, you know, a big dog.

   So we got there and I didn't see a dog in the front yard. I didn't see a dog in the backyard. I thought, well, this is, you know, this isn't so bad. Maybe he sent the dog some other place. He said it was a big dog. So we knocked at the door, you see, Mr. Freeland and I. I could not believe the sound of that dog bark. I mean, without exaggerating, it was a cross between a bear and a lion. The biggest dog I've ever seen in my life, he weighed 135 pounds. Forgot what you call this big thing, short haired dog. I don't, I hate to tell you because I may be mistaken, but it was a big dog, about this tall here. I don't if you can see that he was up about this tall about my waist.

   And so as we knocked at the door, the dog started growing. Oh I thought, oh, you want this to be careful about the dog. Oh my. So Mr. Freeland was in charge of being the pastor. So of course, as we opened the door, I went in first. The the dog was bigger than a man. Had the dog, I'm not exaggerating, had the dog stood on his hind legs, you know, this way, he would have been probably he was 6' something, this dog, 6 ft long and about 6 ft or something like that, similar to that, the biggest dog ever, and this man was about 5’ 3”. He was, yeah, he wore, he wore bath sandals, you know, he just as he walked and this big ferocious dog there and so I thought, oh no, my knees start getting weak. I start shaking a little bit, you know.

   And so right away, the man, he had kind of a, a shallow voice, you know, he said, hi, hi, hi fellas, come on in. I like, oh my. I said, I'm praying, I hope he has a Child Rearing booklet. So, you know, teaching his dog, you know, Child Rearing, you know. The guy was a bachelor, you see, and so here he comes in, he walks to the sands, you know, these sandals and kind of a high voice and this big dog like oh boy, you know, and I, I knew I had to go to the bathroom for sure. For two reasons, you know. Relieve myself and leave Mr. Freeland with the dog.

   So anyway, we sat there with the dog and here this man was, you know, I, you know, you, you know, Mr. Freeland directed everything to me to go ahead and conduct the visit. He didn't want to sound, you know, at all against this man, you know, strong or raise your voice or anything, and this so every once in a while he grabbed the slipper off from his bath slipper and hit the table. Dongore, Dongore, Dongore, I guess, oh please down Dongore, please sit down. Big dog, he came right over to me and leaned on me, you know, just almost knocked me over, you know, the dog is so big, 135 pounds, 6 ft dog.

   And Mr. Freeland said, Well, you go ahead, Mr. Earnest, you can conduct a visit, and I said, thanks. So I didn't want to get tough with this guy. I want to be just super friendly and just wonder I loved him, you know, and I wonder. So anyway, getting into it, I gave him a compliment and I felt it was time. I said, you know, for a small men you sure are nice. You might turn to Matthew chapter 11 now, think about that big dog.

   Matthew chapter 11. So you see, there are times to give compliments. I think you realize that that man needed some kind of a compliment. There's no way I wanted to rile him up, that's for sure. By the way, I'd like to mention, he later was baptized. And even in spite of his big dog, but he later was baptized and very glad about that.

   Matthew chapter 11, I just want to show you very quickly an example here about Jesus Christ offering a compliment. I know we understand that in most cases Jesus didn't go about giving an awful lot of compliments. His work was very serious, very grave, and he had a lot on his mind most of the time. He had a lot of teaching to do once he entered his earthly ministry for the 3 1/2 years. You don't find a lot of compliments, but here in Matthew 11, I just want to get a little biblical support on the subject of compliments commencing in verse 7 (Matthew 11:7).

   And as they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John, John the Baptist, What went you out in the wilderness to see a reed shaken in the wind, or what did you go out to see a man clothes and soft raiments. Behold, they that wear those kind of clothes are in king's houses. But what went you out to see, a prophet? Yes. And I'll tell you this multitudes, people who are out here, I'll tell you this, he says is greater than a prophet, for this is he of whom the Bible even was written about. One of the prophets even spoke of this man, Behold, I send my messenger before my face. What shall prepare your way before you. In verse 11 now (Matthew 11:11), truly I say unto you, among them that are born of women, there is not risen a greater than John the Baptist. That is a tremendous compliment.

   And I'm not going to turn over to Romans. You might want to jot it down in Romans chapter 1, verse 7 and 8 (Romans 1:7-8). You find the apostle Paul certainly complements the brethren at Rome, the members of Rome, just like we can complement the brethren in New York City Church or the Los Angeles Church or like the Ozarks congregation or Peoria or wherever. You know, if the apostle did that, we could do the same today.

   What I'm telling you, brethren, is that we need more legitimate compliments in the church today, don't you think? I think we really do. I think we've had enough rancor. We've had enough castigation where we're castigating people, putting people down, slating them, you know, and chewing them apart. I've had enough. I really have. I've repented of it. I've had enough of it. I don't want to do any more of it. I'm on my guard now very carefully. I watch what I say. I hope you do the same thing, and I hope we can change that around, turn it around to compliments and really compliment each other properly.

   I want to compliment Mr. Herbert Armstrong because of his loyalty. His faithfulness to God for 5 years, it's always been faithful to God, is that right? No, for 50 years. See, when you think about Mr. Herbert Armstrong, whether you agree with everything he decides on which you don't, what you do not. But in the main you have to realize that man's vision of God is more clear and more distinct than my vision or yours. That man's understanding and wisdom about what his Savior wants him to do is greater than yours and greater than mine, and I don't mean to put you down for that. That's just the way it is, you see, that's just the way it is.

   He lost his first born son, you see, he could have left the church over that. Say, oh God, you took my, you know, I'm the apostle, you took my son. He didn't leave the church. He lost his wife. Whom he loved for many, many years, and that would be enough to really upset a person. I'm sure it upsetting, but he didn't leave the church over it. And if that isn't enough, He lost another son. So the man is going to put God first regardless, regardless, he's going to do it, and I don't care what it said.

   I'm not interested in Roman numeral 1 and little A, B, and C, and little 1 under the C. I'm not interested in in the beginning to the end. All I'm interested in is the bottom line. It says rebellion is rebellion. A quick analogy, brethren. When a man is on a train, he's on the train, and when he gets off, he's off the train, he's not still on the train. So don't say yeah, but he left his briefcase on the train, he may be still on the train. No, his briefcase is on the train. He's off the train. So he's not on the train, so don't give me that, you see.

   So the bottom line is the bottom line. You don't know A, B, and C, and neither do I, and you'll never know A, B, and C. I was there for 10 months. I couldn't figure A, B, and C out. I don't need to know A, B, and C. The bottom line is all I need to know and I've got it. And you've got your bottom line. You've seen conversion in your own lives, directed through one man. God gets the credit, but God used the man to do it, you see.

   Those that leave, I'm sorry. I don't speak against them. I don't criticize them, but I don't follow them either. It's kind of ironic, isn't it? I've never heard, and maybe some ministers done this who's left the church, maybe he has. I personally have never heard of one minister who's ever left the church who said, Well, I don't follow Mr. Herbert Armstrong, guess who you should follow? Me. They never say that, do they? They're never that open and clear about it. It's always subtle, see. It makes me laugh. It's like little children playing with toys. It shows the immaturity of those that leave the church. It really does. They get together with the little groups and they look around and they say, well, we can't follow Mr. Herbert Armstrong because, you know, for some reason I don't know why, but you know he's not the church or whatever it is. And so we've got to look around among us in our little group of 30 or 50 here and we've got to decide on who the new leader is going to be and I wonder who it should be. And who do you suppose is a new leader? The one that puts down authority so strongly about authority in the church, and guess what, they rise up as the one in charge of their church. Isn't that interesting? Little kids with games.

   So I think Mr. Herbert Armstrong of any human being should be complimented the most. And I need to write in more memos from time to time thanking that old man for giving that old body to God. He gave it to God as a middle aged man. It's old now and he's still giving it to God, and I love him for that, and I thank him for that.

   I want to thank all those. I would like to thank all those at headquarters because you don't understand unless you've been there, the pressure cooker it is to be at headquarters. All those men who are at headquarters who are doing a tremendous job. Do I agree with every single one of them and every little decision they make? No, I don't. But do I back up and support it? Yes, I will. Always have and will continue to do so. I have not been called to make those decisions, so I don't make them. I've been called to support them, see, and that's my job. I'm a supporter of policies made by those at headquarters, so I support them, but I don't realistically, I don't have to go around with a pie in the sky attitude saying, Oh, I agree with every little thing. Of course I don't. But that's not my place to agree or disagree. My place is to support them, and that's exactly what I'm going to do, and I hope you'll do the same thing.

   Now I want to mention two other people. One other is the local pastors. We guy’s, as we say in Wisconsin, over here in section B3 plus all the other sections wherever they are. I want to mention something very briefly here now. Your local pastor is under an awful lot of pressure. I know because I'm a local pastor. Let me tell you, the word phobia means affair or something. I don't know what the word is, it means you hate it, but I'm getting where I hate telephones because most of the time in my household when the phone rings, it's a problem. Most of the time, not always, most of the time when I receive a letter, it's a problem with some of the members.

   So I'm saying, brethren, would you be considerate and can I solicit a little help from you as complimenting your local pastor, whoever he is? Would it be all right? Do you suppose it may be thinkable that once in a while, and not every day, you know, we don't want that, of course, once in a while do you suppose you could send a note saying, Dear Mr. so and so, thank you for being our pastor, thank you for sacrificing for us, thank you for serving us. I just want to say have a good day and that's it. That be wonderful. I've received about 5 letters in 10 years like that. Wouldn't it be wonderful to receive a letter? It contains no problems, absolutely none. Just a compliment. Wouldn't it be nice? I got a phone call two months ago from a little old lady, just a sweet girl. She called it Mr. Earnest. I thought, oh, probably a problem. See, Mr. Earnest, I just want to say we're thankful you're in the area, in our church area here. We're glad you're our pastor. Have a nice day. Goodbye. And I was astounded. Then I got a compliment like that. So how about doing it once in a while that you're a pastor, would you?

   Now lastly, I want to compliment someone else. Who I think is extremely important and that's you. Thank you for allowing God to open your mind, thank you for repenting of your sins. Thank you for accepting Jesus Christ as your personal savior. Allowing God's precious Holy Spirit to enter your minds and helping you to overcome your problems and your faults, whichever ones they are, thank you for your loyalty to God the Father and Jesus Christ, Mr. Herbert Armstrong to the church for many years. Thank you very much for that.

   Thank you also for fasting on the day of Atonement and not only that, you gave an offering to God, the one who's the author telling you to fast. You give him an offering. Isn't that stupid according to the world. That's dumb. You go to, you're fast, you don't even you afflict yourself, you don't eat and drink, and you go to worship the God that tells you to do that, and then you give them an offering on top of that. That's a paramount stupidity, some would say. I don't, so I say thank you for that, brethren. Thank you for your loyalty.

   And now let me conclude with this. As I said earlier in the sermon, which are you going to be best at giving in the future, criticisms or compliments?