Who is driving....you or God?

Good morning and welcome to CCC. We are so glad each of you are here with us this morning both in person and watching on our livestream. If you live within driving distance and are watching on livestream we would love to worship with you in person and are praying God brings us together in person soon.

Gary and Kenny and Myself, your elders, have been meeting and talking through some things that God has laid on our hearts. You have heard and seen a little bit of that on Groupme and in conversations and we are very excited to keep meeting to work through what God has for us here at CCC. With that said one of the things we have been wrestling with is how can we be better elders to you the congregation

One thing that we felt was important was to hold a regular meeting. Right now we are meeting every Wednesday night at 6 pm. If you have something that you need to talk to us as elders about please come.

Another thing we felt led to do was to divide the congregation up amongst the 3 of us and have each of us be elders to the body as a whole but also to those assigned to us.

Kenny sent cards, i know because he is my elder....we made sure our families were not under us because we felt that was important....I plan to reach out very soon as well.

The heart behind this is to be able to better build personal relationships and help disciple and lead you better. If you need prayer or help or have a question then hopefully you feel comfortable contacting your elder

We love you and again just want to be the best elders we can for you

We have also been discussing something that was laid upon my heart and Gary’s heart. It was the same message but laid on our hearts in very different ways

IT.

You will be hearing a lot about IT in the near future as we are still wrestling with IT

IT is basically this.....the only thing that matters is this: is a person saved yes or no if they are saved are they growing in Christian maturity and discipleship

That is IT

Now IT includes many different aspects and disciplines but in a nutshell IT is the only things that matter salvation and discipleship

We want everything we do to be about IT

One of the things we have talked about and prayed about and quite frankly are excited about is this question

What if each one of us here at CCC did what excited them....served in areas that turns our cranks.....what if you woke up with a burning desire to come and serve because you are so excited about what you are doing for God?

Here is the thing......you will be excited to serve in the areas you are gifted in by God

Ephesians 2:8–10

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“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

God has good works that only you can do and carry out....those are the things you do with great passion and excitement. We as your elders urge you to be in prayer about what good works God has for you to do....what turns your crank to carry out

IT

Let’s pray

START RECORDING

This morning we are going to look at James 4:11-17. We are going to look at 11 and 12 then 13-17

Lets start with

James 4:11

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“Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.”

There is a two fold warning here....both related to each other but two fold warning

Speak not evil one of another

Judge not

Speak comes from a Greek verb and it means to slander, speak evil against

Culture today is okay with slander as long as someone defines what is said as truth

Doesn't have to be true....in fact it isn't true but someone claims it is true so therefore it is true

That is not the case with God

Websters 1828 defines slander as a false tale or report maliciously uttered, and tending to injure the reputation of another by lessening him in the esteem of his fellow citizens

Websters of today defines slander as utterance of false charges or misrepresentations which defame and damage another’s reputation

Telling lies to injure or defame or damage someone’s reputation

This happens all day everyday

Social media is full of slander

Gossip is full of slander

Lunchroom conversations are full of slander

i would venture to guess slander happened right here at CCC this morning

We slander each other all the time

Human nature is to slander…speak evil one of another

You have been taught by the world form a very early age....get ahead by any means necessary

The ends justify the means

If someone is in your way or is competing with you attack them....doesn’t matter if what you say is true as long as you win

Many will say

It is just words

How can words injure anyway?

Sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me

This is false

Words hurt

Slander hurts

Gossip hurts

however as a Christian when you have evil spoken against you you have to make a choice

react Biblically or worldly

Here is what I mean

Galatians 2:20

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“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

Your truth and identity are not found in you but in Christ so slander cannot damage you in the spiritual......it cannot take salvation away......it cannot take heaven away.......it cannot take Jesus away

As a Christian you no longer live in and for you

That means nothing physical done to you or said about you matters

You feel it absolutely but you have a choice

Get upset

be offended

hold a grudge

live in that sin

or

give it to God

realize you and your flesh are dead

they are attacking Christ not you and He can and will handle it

He is God you are not

Choose to stand on scripture and let it go

Here is another discipline and spiritual truth that has gone by the wayside in western Christianity

If you are slandered or sinned against, you are called to have a conversation

The Bible says speak no evil of one another....however if someone a brother or sister in Christ speaks evil of you they have sinned against you......now you have a responsibility

Matthew 18:15–17

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“Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.”

How many times are we Biblical when someone sins against us?

You as a Christian are to go to another Christian when they sin against you

So many Christians today payback sin with sin.....they skip the conversation with the person and start speaking evil about them in return

If you are sinned against and do not go seek reconciliation in a conversation you sin as much as the sin committed against you!

Here is why speaking evil against someone is such a big deal

you are condemning them

You found them guilty and you are trying to hurt them and their reputation

you have condemned them and are indeed trying to carry out your justice or punishment because of that condemnation

The problem for you is only God can condemn

That puts you in a really bad place my friends

Speak not evil one of another

James 4:12

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“There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?”

Judgeth not

condemnation follows judging

you judged them as guilty and took matters into your own hands

horrible idea by the way

Matthew 7:1–5

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“Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.”

Judge not

Jesus wasn’t joking or making a suggestion here

Judge not

Why are you to judge not.....you will be judged how you judge others

You and I want grace and mercy but judge others without either one

all along having unrepented.....undealt with sin of our own

Deal with God

repent of your sin long before dealing with others sins

We want punishment for someone else but want our sin swept under the rug and grace and mercy exercised on us.....shame on us

God expects and demands for us to die to us and stop living from us and live from Jesus

1 Peter 2:1–3

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“Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.”

laying aside ALL

malice is ill will, desire to injure

guile is to destroy, trick, compare, deceit

hypocrites acting under a feigned part, deceit

envies is ill will, jealousy

evil speakings is defamation, backbiting

websters 1828 defines backbiting as act of slandering the absent....talking behind someone’s back

Many are not growing in your faith because you hold on to these things not lay them aside

You justify your behavior…your sinful behavior and blame God

or

your spouse

or

right now media

or

me, your pastor

or

your elders

or

the church for your lack of growth

you will never leave the milk until you lay aside these things

not my words but God’s Word

Your choices have consequences

Positive and Negative

Anytime you fail or refuse to stand on God’s Word you will have negative consequences

sin

distance

broken relationships

stunted growth or lack of growth

just to name a few

Anytime you stand on God’s Word you will have positive consequences

peace

closeness

reconciled relationships

spiritual growth

Again just to name a few

Speak not evil one of another

Don’t judge one another

That is God’s way…will you be a doer of the Word and make that your way?

James 4:13–17

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“Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”

Pride

Arrogance

Self-confidence

independence

Self made man or woman

fool

That is what is being described here in 13-17

Who makes your plans?

you or God

What is your heart?

Some say Lord willing.....I pray that is truly your heart

If you are one who says Lord willing are you truly relying on Him to make the plans?

God doesn’t care about lip service

He cares about heart service

God doesn’t care about what you say

He cares about who you trust

Him or you and satan and the world

I love how plainly God through James speaks here

You make your plans

you plan out your entire next year maybe even two years

who do you think you are?

You have no idea what tomorrow holds how in the world can you plan for a year?

You are here today and gone tomorrow

Yet we still plan

we still leave God out of it

Most make a plan then ask God to bless their plan....doesn’t work that way

It is so much more than words

Not only will God’s plan be perfect and exactly what you need when you need it

including

trials

tribulations

persecutions

but it is more than that

so much more

God didn’t spare Jesus

His own perfect Son

He loved you and me and the world so much that He sent Jesus to be our substitution

to die in our place

He treated Jesus like a sinner so He could treat us sinners like Jesus

Let me say that again because you must hear and understand this

God treated Jesus like a sinner so He could treat us sinners like Jesus!!!!

That is why we should be seeking God’s plan

our deep love and devotion for what He has done and Who He is and how much He loves us

The problem is most Christians are like the fella in

Luke 12:18–20

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“And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?”

Work to get ahead to be lazy

hoarding for ourselves as people around perish

Build bigger barns and kingdoms to hold it all so we can lay back and enjoy the good life

Content with things

content with money

content with wealth

obsessed with things

obsessed with money

obsessed with wealth

1 Corinthians 5:6

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“Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?”

Do you glory in you?

you do you

live your best life

trust your heart

horrible advice

sinful advice

that is glorying in you

You don't matter

you are but a vapour

here today and gone tomorrow on earth compared to eternity

Your stuff doesn't matter

money

savings

retirement

cars

trucks

campers

boats

etc etc etc

None of it will get you into heaven....it might keep you out of heaven but for sure wont get you in

James 4:17

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“Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”

This should redefine how you look at sin

if you know to do good and don’t do it that is sin

Look at the truths discussed just in this series

Faith and patience and endurance…allowing temptation to test you and grow you

Not showing favoritism…rich over poor

hearing and doing

genuine faith

faith without works is dead

controlling your tongue

true wisdom from God alone

submitting to God and resisting the devil

Judging others

Warning about self confidence and trying to be God

For you to know and to not do is a sin!

You know so the question is

What is God calling you to do this morning?

What do you know to do that you are not doing

Where are you at?

STOP RECORDING

Invitation