Conflict

Intro

Story of fight with Philip.

I desired to be Batman and so did Philip.

Fights with siblings

Mom intervenes

James 4:1–3 NIV

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

Anyone struggle being happy for people when something good happens to them? Why?

We all do this!

We do this because deep down in our hearts we all have this thing that says, “Me First!”

Kids learn from a very young age: “Mine!”

James doesn’t leave it at jealousy, he says we want and don’t have so we [Kill]

1 John 3:15 NIV

15 Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.

You can’t love God and hate his kids.

James 4:4 NIV

4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.

James calls our selfish desires, ambitions friendliness with the world.

Vikings fan. Yeah but I like the packers too…

James 4:5 NIV

5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us?

We are Jealous of what people have; God is Jealous for us.

While we are jealous and saying “man I wish I had that.” God is looking at you and saying, “man I wish my kid would come back.”

James 4:6 NIV

6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”

But… he gives us more grace. Echo of James 1:5 God is generous with us. [Good News]

Three possible lies we believe that lead us to pursue the desires of our messed up heart.

God doesn’t like you

He loves you

God doesn’t see you

He’s always with you

God doesn’t care

He is jealous for you

How do we receive that grace?

James 4:7–10 (NIV)

7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

James is calling us to repent. Not just to realize that we are wrong, but to confess that we are wrong.

When we humble ourselves in repentance God lifts us up.

Pray