Honoring God by Guarding Against Worldliness | James 4:1-12 | Pastor Jose Brevil

Deal word. Now may your word not return void. May your word do exactly what you have purpose for it to do last week. We looked at a chapter 3 in the book of gems and as we were studying the book of gym, so when things we learned was that honoring God, by keeping it real, keeping it real, meaning that we can either live the Christian Life as a pretender, or we can live the Christian Life as a contender. A contender meeting, somebody was contending for the faith because Jesus gave us the Great Commission which is to make the siples. So as we making disciples, we are contending for the faith. We are doing the things that Jesus calls us to do. Jesus gave us the great commandment, where we need to love. God, of all our heart and love one. Another So today we going to look at how we can honor God, by guarding against worldliness and worldly, is pretty much means that if you look on your message now, where Lena cell pretty my cell, this is our sinful tendency to conform to the world instead of a conforming to God to conform to the things of God. But we have a tendency to look on and see what the world says seems to be better. It's easier. We tend to relate to that more. But here in chapter 4, there's really no break in chapter 3 but you know that the chapters were put there, so that we can keep track and just make it more easier to read. But but it's the same Topic. Your James is talking about worldly, wisdom and versus Godly wisdom. Is he too many of us. Unfortunately, you don't live like selfish lives and as a result, we failed to live the Abundant Life. See a lot of us rethink that the more selfish. I am the more that I watch out for myself. The more I'm going to get what I want in life. But the Bible says, another for you to find your life, you need to lose your life. The Bible says, the more happiness you bring to others, the more happiness will comes back to you. That doesn't mean that every action that you take, that doesn't mean that every good thing that you do with that good is going to come back to you right away. Sometimes you might do something good for someone and still. You know, you know, that's what happens. A lot of time when you do something good for somebody but they don't respond kindly to you. But but but in the economy of God, you know, going long-term, it's saying this is the way to live. We should not be living selfishly. And last week we saw that living selfishly and being jealous being covetrus about people's stuff. This is, this is demonic. And this is something as Christians. We should not look on in 20 years. I saw their car. Now, all of a sudden, I want a new car. I want the exact car that they have. I see their house though. I want a house just like that. Nothing like if it just says but not like recovering after it, it's like, oh he doesn't deserve this. I should be having this. Okay, that's when this is the problem. Now, that's there's nothing wrong with running. To get nice things, K, all of us, most of us, we love, nice things, there's nothing wrong with knifing, but the problem is, when I see your fangs and then I say, oh you don't, I should be the one getting it self here in chapter 4 jams. Want us to guard against worldliness, where we feel like of everything that we do. We are just conforming to the culture in woman's chapter 2. It says do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. So, James is saying the same thing that Paul was telling us in Romans were not to be conformed but instead to be transformed By the by renewing our minds. So let's get now to chapter 4 as we look at our text, but he is the message in one sentence, it is crucial for believers to walk in right relationship with one another and avoid being at war with one another. It is crucial for believers to walk in right relationship with one another and avoid being at war with one another. You realize most of our relationships are marred by conflicts. Like, there's always something going on. And we will see here in chapter 4. James is going to tackle this right on. It says what causes quarrels and what causes fights among you is, it is it not just that your passions are at War within you? What happened when we have conflicts typically with people. We always say that it's a person's fault. Come on it's like, oh it's someone so would just do the right thing. Feet. But, but most of the time we never look at ourselves that maybe I need to look at the mirror and see what's wrong. And maybe I would find out much quicker to see what's going on. So James is saying what causes quarrels and what causes fights among you. Is it not the case that your passions are at War within yourself. So James is saying, 8 I want problems come from within you see some of us will do whatever it takes to get our way. See Jim says you desire and do not have so you do what you mother and that's where it says, you know, jealousy. And, but you said these are demonic because I remember Jesus says in Matthew, if you have hatred in your heart for someone, it's as if that you are murdering them here. May not be speaking about murder. Literally, some commentators think that there was actually a Christian in that group, that Jim's was writing to who actually killed another believer, b, b, b, b, for the most part, most of us believe, looking at this year. Not necessarily literally here when it's talking about murder, here you desire and do that have. So you met her, all of us know that we can murder people of our words, can't we? So just by our words, we can totally change the disposition of somebody else by what we say. We can really tear them down and fell and make people feel very small. So what gem is a is like you killing people with your words. Remember chapter 3? We were talking about our words, how we need to be careful of our words that can either direct people to do good or they can destroy because there is power in our words. So we need to be careful with what we say. So James is saying you desire, you do not have so you mother to some people in order for them to feel good, they have to make you feel bad enough for them to feel that they are so high up. They have to make you feel small. And that's what Jim is talking about their AAA. You don't mean to do that. Use your words to Delight instead of destroying people. That's not what God calls you to Ted you desire. You do not have so you murder your covet and cannot up then. So you fight and quarrel. He some people will do whatever it takes to get their way to Jim's. The saying 8, this is not the way to live and then look at this one. It says you do not have because you do not what? Forgot to say I can't stop fighting and something just asked me, that means you pray. A lot of times. The things we don't have is because we don't pray about them, even the preacher, you know. Sometimes I just But man, I should not say that preparing to teach just like become routine because I already, I've been teaching for so long, so I kind of have a template in the way that I want to structure the message and it a lot of time, I may not take the text and then going into prayer before I actually teaching. But because I've been doing it for a long time, I just drove with my template, I just pull up my template on my computer first. Okay, let's let's, let's just follow that outside and this is what works for me. And it may go fluid and not pray. God is saying what you need? You need to ask you. Did you pray Bible says, ask and you will receive. Jim says 8, we are bickering with a fighting with people we creating conflict or we we not happy, we don't get what we want, and then we think that we have to fight our own ways. We have to figure it out ourselves.

But James is saying, hey, you just need to ask and Jim says, you do not have because you do not ask to look at verse 3. It says and you ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly selfishness to spend it on your passions. God, gimme gimme, gimme. Gimme gimme. Instead of God, thank you for your word this morning. Make it real in my life father to be jealous of others at them, two covered. What they have? I tend to create fights and quarrels and conflicts with my friend's father. Can you please help me to not be so worldly, but to be more Godly. If he you ask and you do not receive because you ask run way to spend it on yourselves on your passion. So Hear James is saying a be careful. Be careful. It is. You adulterous people. Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? There for ever reaches, to be the friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. So he were talking about the world system, the culture. So James is saying a, if you want to be. So full of the world, you just against me verse 5 or do you not, do you suppose? It is to no purpose. That the scripture says he yearns jealousy over the spirit that he has made to dwell in the Bible says, God is a jealous God. You know, jealousy can be a good thing. Ace of jealousy, K. If I'm married, I'm jealous for my wife because I want her to be just for me. Okay, so God want us to be just for him. What are you here today about open marriages? So why you married in the first place if you want to have an open marriage,

Food, right? So I have you, I'm sharing you with others? No. No. That's a marriage relationship. Date says that eighth, I commit my entire life to you. And you commit your entire life to me for as long as we live. Okay. So here is talking about jealousy in a positive where God says you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind, with all your strength, instead of having many Idols, God does not want us to have. I do the Bible says, you cannot love God and Mammon. So God has to be first. So he's saying, when you become a Christian, pretty much, you married to God, it's a marriage that happens. Our God is saying 8, when you come to me, I want you to be all mine over 6 as, but he gives more grace. Therefore, it says God, opposes the proud, but he gives grace to the humble. So James is on God's grace rely on God's grace. Don't be so worldly. Don't be so prideful thinking that you can do everything by yourself that you have it. All together. See James is saying, don't be preoccupied with worldly things. See, that's where it says there. You are. All true that you married to God, but now you want to be married to the world. So Jersey saying that eight, when you do that, you are an adulterer. And it says no that's not the way that we need to live. We should not live as such. We need not turn our backs on God. Got to think if you live in for the world, you are an enemy of God and God wants you to fully belong to him and a seventh. It says submit yourselves therefore to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you draw near to God and He will draw near to. You cleanse your hands, you Sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded, man. So Galaxy S8 instead of being worldly, but be Godly and this is how you become Godly by walking with him by doing the things that you see calls you to do a double minded. A lot of us, we want to follow God, we want to live for God, but at the same time, also we want to keep the world in in, in, in the back. Okay. I can pull it whenever that I want a commitment total commitment, we cannot just, you know, give it a toe, just just just half of our self. I want you completely don't be double-minded today. I want to follow God. And then tomorrow, I don't want to I want to do the things of the world, but God is saying, hey don't be doubled mad minded and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your Droid to Gloom. The Bible is not saying like that. We should not have joy but it's saying that a when we sending we need to takes them seriously. Okay. God wants you to have joy, all the good things that God created The World, God created them for our pleasure. But he only thing I hate when you weren't sending when you being worldly, it is not time to be having fun. Like That it's not a big deal and then it says in verse 10 humble yourself before the Lord and He will exalt you. Because in our life we bombarded with Temptations everyday, Temptations of the Flesh and patience of the eyes and in an hour prideful sinful nature. The Bible is saying he raised the way that you avoid those worldliness is by drawing near to God. And God is saying, instead of being double-minded, we need to be single-minded that we are only focusing on God. Not the last two verses Mercy 11 says, do not speak evil against one another Brothers, the one who speaks against a brother or judges, his brother speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not adore of the law. Never again, going back to the speaking. Okay, I will words, we need to watch our words, our words, destroy people. And some people all that, we find others to judge people inside gyms that, you need to be praying for people, not judging them, they do not speak evil against one another Brothers, the one who speak against a brother or judges, his brother speaks evil against the law. What is the law with love? God, with all our heart and love. Our neighbors. As ourself in Jesus, says in those two, we fulfill the whole law and the prophets. So he has a when you speak against another You speaking against the law of God because God calls you to love others. Not judge others. Does that mean when you doing something wrong, I should not tell you a come on. You cannot do that. That's accountability in the Bible, you know, a lot of us would like to pull the verse that says judge, not lest you be judged talking about there. A scripture says a when you judge you need to judge with right judgment. So, that means, when you're judging, is that cording to scripture, say, I see that, you know, you're not being very kind and loving. But you know what the Bible says, get I see you living in this then, but you know what, the Bible teaches, okay. You need, you need to repent K. But not like, judging in the way like, to just stare down. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law, but a judge was the judge. Look at March 12th. There is only One lawgiver and judge he was able to save and to destroy. So that means it's the termination. None of us can send anybody to hear. Only God has that power. God is the one who decide we will be safe and will will be destroyed. So God is saying, hey, this is not our place to tell anybody that they going to hell to save and to destroy. Only God can do that. But who are you to truly judge to judge your neighbor? God calls us to love our neighbors In this passage. So the first in the back of your message, knows, the first thing James is telling us is to identify the source of our problems. James is calling us to identify the source of our problems. So James is saying Instead of us trying to fight and bicker with one another and blaming others for our actions. Jim says, you need to identify the source of your problem. Jensen saying the source of your problem is selfishness the source of your problems. Comes from your own selfish desires. That's what we saw in the first versus what causes quarrels and fights among you. Is it not your passions that is at War within you? James is saying what's creating your problems? It's not other people but it's your own selfishness. You desire, you do not have so you murder you covered and can not open so you fight and core. Will you do not have to do that as you asked and you do do not receive because you asked wrongly to spend it on your passions selfish. So Jim's is telling us here. We need to identify the source of our problems. Look in the mirror. Most of your problems comes from you. You are your greatest enemy. It's not other people. Most of the problems you have. You bring it up on your own self. It is not people making your life miserable, but it is you making your own life miserable because of your own selfish desire Genesis, a 8 before you blame. Somebody else look Within because that is one of the source of your problems. Then you said you see selfishness never leads to Godliness or his will for us. You see selfishness never leads to Godliness, somebody was selfish and then you say that though they are so Godly. No selfishness never leads to Godliness or God's will for our lives. If you want to find your life, you need to lose your life for God's sick. See the other problem, the source of our problem is prayerlessness. Or self-sufficiency, I can do it all by myself.

When we don't pray it's actually showing how arrogant that we are. That we do not need God. I am self-sufficiency self-sufficient. People don't pray. Self-sufficient, people don't pray. Another source of our problem is the lack of prayer says in verse to, it says, you do not have because you do not ask Then the other source of our problem is worldliness the culture. The culture is taking over, we get more advice from the culture from YouTube from why did it YouTube shorts from Tik-Tok? Why don't y'all have whatever we get more advice from Tik Tok? Then we get it from the word of God? And no wonder why we are so worried leash. God is saying hey the source of your problem is selfishness self-sufficiency, prayerlessness and worldliness. You got too much of the world in you. Seahorse for you adulterous people do you not know that friendship with God? Where the world is enmity with God, there, for whatever reasons to be, a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God? Do you not suppose it is to no purpose. That the scripture says he yearns jealousy over the spirit, the estimated, well enough, but he gives more grace. Therefore it says God, opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. People. Now, it's all about their opinion. Okay, it's my truth. I'm fighting for that true because it's my trufit must be, right?

Be careful. That's Prides, that's Pride, at least in the old days. People knew that they had to find truth outside of themselves. But now, when even we live in a culture that is so self-centered, we think that we have to find you. If we're inside of us of the truth, is wrong with it. It's my opinion. What I think is, right? Because I think it therefore, it must be right? But can you be wrong?

In the old days, people will find truce outside of themselves. They may not believe in God, but they know that the truth cannot comes from them. What does the Bible says in Jeremiah? Our heart is desperately, wicked above all things. We can understand that's God is saying don't trust yourself.

That's why you need the word of God. And you have to stay in the word of God and led the word of God. Change your heart, led the word of God, let you become more and more people like him. So James is saying the source of your problem is not only selfishness, it's not only prayerlessness and self-sufficiency, but it is also worldliness does too much of the world in us. Then the second thing that James tells us is that we need to recognize that the solution to our problems. We need to recognize the solution to our problems and the way that we recognize the solution to our problem. The first thing is that the solution to our problem is godliness. The solution to our problem is not worldliness but it is godliness. Look at it was 7. Why does it say something at yourself? That means you have to be humble. Just submit yourselves to God. That means that I'm trying to become a Godly. You resist the devil and he will flee from. You, remember, when Jesus was tempted, Matthew chapter 4, what did Jesus do, it is written. It is written, Jesus. Kept telling the devil, a what God's word says be when you resist the devil and he will flee from you. It doesn't matter. What's in that you struggle with, if you resist that Temptation, overtime, that Temptation will go away. The devil will leave you alone because you are resisting, but if you're given into that temptation is going to happen over and over and over and over and over again, just resist the devil and he will flee from you. What's the recipe to be Godly drawer near to God when you joining together, what does he do? He will draw near to. You cleanse your hands, you Sinners and purify your hearts, you double-minded be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your Droid to glue made again, as we said here, Jim's, the saying don't Texan like sin is not a joke, sin is not something to be toying with the Matthew Henry, put it this way, all sin must be wept over. In Godly sorrow or Hereafter in Eternal misery.

Is it heavy? Matthew Henry saying hey, if you don't wipe over your sin now,

In Godly sorrow. Afterward, you just have to deal with God, like an eternal misery here. That's a reference to hell. Easy Egyptian singer. If you toying with your son right now is that a big deal and just, I just having fun. I'm just kicking it with, you know, then just say, okay, rejoice over u.s.a. Now, I just have all the fun now, just, you know, just just just, just, just enjoy yourself and have fun with your sin. Matthew Henry saying, but if you don't wipe over your saying you don't you don't repent member David when David's sin with Bathsheba, when he committed adultery, and then later committed murder to cover it up. When David went to God, it says God wants a contrite spirit. And David was broke and he went before God and fasted and asking God for forgiveness. David lamented over his sin and God forgave him. See, but but but here is Sig all send must be wept over. So you don't take anything. Like I always just a little white lie. All lies are lies and James is saying, don't mess with scene saying, it's just a little lie, a lie, the lion. That's all it is. It's a lot K where the small or big is the consequences might be greater, but once you lie, it is a lie. So when you see that, you have a tent has a tendency to be lying all the time. That's time to repent. It's not time to make excuses for your sin, whatever it is, whatever your propensity to send Matthew Henry saying. Hey, weep over your sin, you know, feels sore in your heart because you are, remember you in a marriage with God, so you being an adulterer when you are sending. So, Matthew Andre sanke if we don't whip now. Then later one is going to be Eternal misery. Says blessed are those who mourn for they shall. They shall see God. See you moon now. Over your sin, then that's going to be Joy later. Because now you are repented of your sin, be recognized the solution to your problem. This problem, the solution to your problem is you mail it to not only got in there, but you military which is an extension of godliness. If you look at it first and it says, humble yourself before the Lord, and He will do what exalt you see, you soon? You humble yourself before God, God, please forgive me. I messed up badly. You mourn over your sin. And what will God do? God is the one that's going to lift you up? Warren? Wiersbe. Put it this way. We have a tendency to Tristan too light, even to laugh about it. But it says, let your laughter be turned into morning. I've ever seen people like laughing about their sin.

Bible says do not judge, lest you be judged.

We have a tendency to laugh over our sin but don't live over your thin, but instead turn it into morning C. Warren wiersbe said, but sin is serious. And one mark of true, humility is facing the seriousness of sin and dealing with our Disobedience. If he often, we try to make our sin, doesn't look as bad as it is, but if you're being serious, about walking the Christian Life, you do not toy with sin, but you become humble. Any solution to your problem is dependence, dependence on God, or dependents on Fraser dependent. Some guy in the pendants on Frasier is The solution to our problems. Look at verse six, it says, but he gives more what Grace you want to get rid of wilderness in your life depend on God's grace cuz God gives more Grace. It's your Melody seed in God's grace, not taking God's grace, for granted. Therefore it says God opposes the proud, but God gives grace to the humble. So you want to be Godly, you want to stop quarreling and fighting against people. You want to guard against worldliness live a Godly life live in humility and depend on God's grace depend on freyr because inverse to it says you do not have because you do not ask the God says 8 when you Humble yourself, you depend on my grace and you pray God says hey you will guard against worldliness, you will not be having conflict with everybody that you come in contact with. You will not be fighting with everybody that you come in contact with but instead you're going to love them, you good now, pray for them, you going to be there for them and instead of fighting and bickering with others, but instead you will be a source of joy in people's life. Your presence will bring Grace to people instead of judgment. And when we do that, God is saying and gems is telling us. Hey, we are becoming more Godly. The message in a nutshell selfishness and self-sufficiency only lead to conflicts. It is far better to live in. What? Humility. God's plan for you is far superior than anything you can ever plan for yourself. I'll say it again. Selfishness and self-sufficiency. Only lead to conflicts. It is far better to live in humility. God's plan for you is far superior than any plans that you can ever have for yourself. And that's why we cannot live selfish lives. Amen. That's what the Bible tells us in Philippians. Philippians chapter 2. It says do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit but in humility count others, more significant than yourselves so Lord help us Let each one of you look not only to his own interests but also to the interests of who of self. Lou to the interests of others. If you're married, you leave those two Bible verses, you'll be married for life. If you treat your friends as such Windows to Bible verses, you going to have friends for life. If you live, those two Bible verses do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, you will live more fulfilled life but in humility count, others, more significant than yourself, then you will become more Godly. Let each of you look, not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others. Father, may you help us this morning? to guard against worldliness becoming more like the culture instead of becoming more, like you The father of the, we find our counsel from your word, instead of the world, from Tic, Tac from YouTube, from Facebook, from Instagram. But instead Lord, God may we find

Our wisdom from you. For you, say Lord God, the wisdom of the world is Earthly. It's on spiritual. It is even demonic. But the wisdom that comes from, you is what you are.

It is reasonable.

The father help us. Define a wind wisdom in, you and honor you In everything that we do or we love you, we praise you. We magnify And we glorify your name.