Three Wars We Face: A War With Each Other
Book of James • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 20 viewsThe church should not have war among its members, but often she does because of envy and jealousy.
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction
Warren Wiersbe writes in his commentary on James...
Have you ever heard of “The War of the Whiskers” or “The War of the Oaken Bucket”? How about “The War of Jenkins’ Ear”? These were actual wars fought between nations, and you can read about them in most history books.
War is a fact of life, in spite of treaties, world peace organizations, and the threat of atomic bombs. Not only are there wars between nations, but there are wars of one kind or another on almost every level of life—even “gas wars” among filling station operators!
James discussed this important theme of war in this paragraph, and he explained that there are three wars going on in the world. He also told how these wars could be stopped.
With this said...
Do you believe we have wars within the church?
Focus Passage
1 What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is the source not your pleasures that wage war in your body’s parts?
11 Do not speak against one another, brothers and sisters. The one who speaks against a brother or sister, or judges his brother or sister, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you, judging your neighbor?
Outline
The Bible tells us that we are to be unified within the body of Christ. This truth is a truth that covers both testaments. In the Old Testament, the Psalmist states that it is a good pleasurable thing for fellow believers to be unified.
1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brothers to live together in unity!
Paul addressed the need for unity within the body of Christ on several occasions. He specifically wrote the church at Ephesus...
3 being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
However, we know that this not the case in far too many churches. Pride and tongue have caused great frustrations, frictions, and fights far too often within the household of faith. We see this throughout the Scriptures from both testaments.
Lot fought with Abraham (Gen. 13)
Absalom fought with David (2 Sam. 13-18)
Even the disciples of our Lord and Savior disputed due to pride and desire of position and influence
46 Now an argument started among them as to which of them might be the greatest. 47 But Jesus, knowing what they were thinking in their hearts, took a child and had him stand by His side, 48 and He said to them, “Whoever receives this child in My name receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me; for the one who is least among all of you, this is the one who is great.”
James addresses several areas of warfare within the body of Christ to those he is ministering too.
He addressed the class war in chapter 2, verses 1-9. He addressed the church fights (primarily due to the tongue) in chapters 1 and 3. He will address the employment wars in chapter 5, but within our text here, addresses a personal war within.
Question: Who does he address within our text?
Answer: He addresses fellow believers.
The wars that James, the half brother of Jesus, addresses are wars within the personal life of the believer and they as a corporate group. He writes, conflicts among you (v.1a).
Question: What was the purpose of his addresses within this chapter?
Answer: He was writing to address the friction, the fights, the wars that happen, but should not happen, within the body of Christ. He wanted the recipients of his letter to know why they were fighting, What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you.
James wanted those of the household of faith to understand where the struggle and fight was. He did not want them ignorant. He wanted them knowledgeable.
Why did he want them knowledgeable? Or to put it a different way, informed of the root cause?
Remember, problems within the church are not new. The believers at Corinth were divided over influence and dragging each other to court. The believers in the region of Galatia were warned not to consume one another in their back biting. Even two women at Philippi were fighting with one another. So, wars within the household of faith is nothing new. However, this is not what God wants. God wants His people to be unified. Therefore, it is only when we realize who and our fight is and with that we can overcome the wars within. Remember what Paul writes, our war is not with flesh and blood.
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
It with this same heart that James writes this rhetorical question, What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you?
Question: How often does our tongue cause us not only personal grief but corporate grief?
Question: James, after asking the question, What is the source of our quarrels, gives the answer. What does he state is the reason?
Answer: James states it is the flesh and its desires, Is the source not your pleasures that wage war in your body’s parts?
The pleasures of the flesh are often presented in the use of our tongue. James spent chapter 3 addressing the tongue and how unpredictable and evil it can be and often is. Many times, the internal wars between fellow believers begins with the slip of the tongue. James writes, Do not speak against one another, brothers and sisters.
Questions: How big of an issue is gossip and complaints in the body of Christ? What does gossip and complaints accomplish? Who wins in the tug-of-war of gossiping and complaining? Why do we do it?
Question: We just hear what Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus. Is our issue/concern truly with the one that we are guilty of complaining or gossiping about, or with something else?
Question: When we speak against a brother or sister, are we not in essence judging them?
Answer: James would submit that we are. He writes, The one who speaks against a brother or sister, or judges his brother or sister, speaks against the law and judges the law.
At the point you have promoted yourself to something you are not, the judge. He writes once again, if you judge law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it.
We are called to be observant and be fruit inspectors.
20 So then, you will know them by their fruits.
We are called to help a brother or sister through their struggles with a particular sin in the bonds of love
1 Brothers and sisters, even if a person is caught in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual are to restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you are not tempted as well. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.
15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, that is, Christ,
However, we are not to judge them. We are not the discerner of the hearts and minds.
9 “The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it? 10 “I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, To give to each person according to his ways, According to the results of his deeds.
James, in verse 12 writes there is but one judge, There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy.
I was driving down Hwy 51 in TN one day and I came up on a car that had monogrammed on the back window, God is my judge not you. I thought to myself, and that should scare you. I did not disagree with that monogram, but I did wonder if that personal understood the ramifications of that truth. I wonder if we all understand the ramifications of that truth.
Remember what Paul wrote to the church at Corinth...
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive compensation for his deeds done through the body, in accordance with what he has done, whether good or bad.
Or what he wrote to the church at Rome...
12 So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.
Who are we to judge one another? Who are we to pass guilt on one another? We often do this but why? Pride, ego, selfishness.
When we judge (gossip, slander, backbite), what are we doing? We are gossiping, slandering, and backbiting a servant/child of God. We are destroying another creation of God. As Paul wrote, more times than not, we are just as guilty as they, if not more.
As Paul writes to the church at Rome...
4 Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
Rather than judging one another let us be those who encourage and edify rather than tare down and destroy...
13 Therefore let’s not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this: not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother’s or sister’s way.
Conclusion
Our tongues are dangerous. Our tongues are vicious. They will start internal, personal and corporate wars, but through the grace of God, the love of God, and the Spirit of God, they can be tamed and overcome. Let us not let our tongues defeat us and cause division within the household of faith. Let us truly be those that love one another, edify one another, and encourage one another.
ADVERTISEMENT