In an exasperated frustration you struggle and fight with one another.

Service Notes

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Bible Reading

Now to our passage for today.

I find this a very difficult passage, not because its teaching is unclear, but because its teaching is clear.

I understand I am not the only source for your Bible learning (or at least hope not - you were meant for me) but as I prepare for today I think about how important this truth is for the Christian life.

I have reworked this outline over and over and have settled on the simplest, most straight forward, verse-by-verse explanation that I can give.

It is powerful, I am not, and I pray I do not get in its way.

I would love to get down to verses 7-10 but you may not realize how far away that is from vs 1. :) But I encourage you to read the entire book of James each week.

James 4:1–10 (KJV)

1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?

2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.

3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?

6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.

10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

Sermon Introduction

Thirty years ago this week, Los Angeles was burning amid riots that ultimately killed 63 people, injured 2,383, and destroyed hundreds of businesses. Rodney King who was at the center of the story called a press conference and asked the question “Why can’t we all just get along?” “Can we get along? Can we stop making it horrible for the older people and the kids?”

1. Internal struggles lead to outward conflicts.

A. Question #1 is diagnostic and exposes the source.

James 4:1 “1 From whence come wars and fightings among you?

Plural form of “wars” and “fightings” shows James is not addressing an event but a chronic problem.

Wars brings to mind “a long season of hostility”

Fightings calls to mind “outbursts in active conflict”

Conflicts are symptomatic of something deeper. / Commonly held belief even by the Dr. Phil types of this world.

No reason to believe James is referring to military conflict, even though that was, is, and will continue to be a reality in this area of the world until Jesus returns. #PeaceintheMiddleEast

James seems to be bothered more by the selfish spirit and bitterness of the fighting than by the rights and wrongs of the various viewpoints

This remains a common problem

Paul told the church at Corinth their problems were a result of spiritual immaturity. 1 Corinthians 3:3 “3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?”

It is true today in our lives seen in our relationship among other believers, in our homes, and in our marriages.

B. Question #2 is rhetorical and names the source

James 4:1 b “..come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?”

Come they not hence = Is it not true?

There are other options (1) a noble fighting for the truth (2) an evil environment beyond their control

Answer Give: Lust.

What is lust?

Root word for lust is where we get the English word hedonism.

Definition: the enjoyment derived from the fulfillment of one’s desires or, as here, the craving for the pleasure itself.

The Greek term is rare in the New Testament, always with a bad connotation. it certainly is here.

Best understood in the contrast. James 4:7 “7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

Simply, the ultimate choice in life lies between pleasing oneself and pleasing God.

C. The tragic result is graphically portrayed.

James 4:2 “2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.”

Ye lust, and have not so you kill. - frustrated desire leads to extreme actions.

The word “kill” is startling and was meant to startle.

The Holy Spirit through James sought to force us to realize the depth of the evil in our bitter hatred toward others.

And ye covet (desire to have) and cannot obtain so you fight and war.

Failure and frustration harass the self-centered life.

Lust disappoints, torments, and then turns us on those around us who will not help us have our way.

Examples: (1) the teen without a charger for their phone (2) the dad blowing his horn from the car because no one is on time.

Recognize the war taking place inside and among us.

Battle described by Paul. Romans 7:22–23 “22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.”

Have you ever seen a war replica made up of little metal soldiers? People can walk you through what is going on. We would do well to build one for our hearts? Maybe youd did this with legos or Gi Joes. Here is a picture of the Battle at Waterloo

James continues his battle imagery in describing these pleasures as engaged in constant warfare. James 4:1 “1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?”

This self-centered, pleasure seeking activity stands over against their proper submission to God.

We know the position that God takes in this battle. James 4:6 “6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”

D. This is played out in our lives over and over again.

Humorous example: The nice ladies who go shopping together Friday after Thanksgiving. Who call their husbands from the police station because Karen put Janet in a head lock because they both wanted the Pioneer Woman Crockpot. Conflicting inward desires leads to conflict seen in aisle 7 at K-Mart.

Not so humorous when it plays out in our marriages.

We should constantly be asking ourselves some questions.

“What does this battlefield look like?” “What am I fighting for?” “What is truly at the root of this conflict?”

There is no value in living life like this. 2 Timothy 2:14 “14 Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers.”

A life of fighting and strife is a way to waste your life.

A selfish desire will always cause conflict with others unless the other person choices to yield to your selfishness.

In conflict their is always selfishness. It may be among both of you but always at least one.

Those who are walking in the spirit will walk with unity. Remember that is what sowing in peace yields.

Transition: Leaves us with the answer to the question “Why can’t we all just get along?” We have placed our selfish desires above our desire to please God with our lives. WHAT IF YOU NOW RECOGNIZE THE CAUSE OF THE WAR BUT FEEL HOPELESS. PRAY!

2. Self-centered living is the death of a meaningful prayer life.

James 4:2–3 “2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, (1) yet ye have not, because ye ask not. (2) 3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.”

A. Pursuit of own selfish desires keeps us from asking anything of God.

The problem many of James’s readers faced is that they looked to themselves both for the source of their pleasure and the end of their pleasure.

They should have looked to God in prayer. / Like a kid doing wrong and the parent saying “What are you doing?” Nothing. We are living lives we do not want to talk to our God about.

Since they made themselves the center of all actions, why did they need God?

Instead of wrestling with God in prayer, we wrangle bitterly with each other.

Since God is a Father it us ungrateful to run from Him.

“If he were a tyrant it might be courageous to resist, but since he is a Father it is ungrateful to rebel.” -Spurgeon

We should submit to God in prayer because He created us.

We should submit to God in prayer because His rule is good for us.

We should submit to God in prayer because all resistance to Him is ultimately pointless.

Notice the solution that is never offered is to live a life void of desires.

We are not called upon to be monastic monks.

We are called upon to “seek first the Kingdom of God.”

We seek joy, pleasure, friendships, comfort but we seek to find them in the giver of good gifts.

B. When our prayers are designed to satisfy own own lusts we have missed the purpose of prayer.

Why don’t we go to the Lord in prayer with our desires?

God is the giver of every good and perfect gift. James 1:17 “17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”

Why not pray? Maybe you know that it would be inappropriate for you to ask God for what you have your heart set on.

Resolution. If I should not ask for it in prayer, I will not going to pursue it with my life.

It is a fact that there are times when the worst thing that could happen to you is for God to give you what you ask for.

Prayer should align us to the will of God and not ask God to bend to our selfish desires.

As you hear kids start to learn to pray you may notice that they see prayer as a Christian form of magic to get from God what they want for today. “I pray we have a fun time. I pray we get this.”

Prayer helps us align our lives. / Recently ruined a good set of tires because I didn’t realize my car was not aligned. I should have taken them in to be rotated. We need rotating.

They are not accused of praying for sinful things, but their basic purpose in making their requests is to further their personal pleasures.

Their worldly, self-centered desires have invaded their prayer life

Transition: If self-centered living is the death of a meaningful prayer life. Than a meaningful prayer life can lead to the death of a self-centered life. What else in our lives need to be addressed?

3. A friendship with the world is unfaithfulness to our God.

James 4:4 “4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”

Have you ever had a friend that got you into trouble? Where any of you that friend?

Here we learn that there is someone very eager to be out friend but they are set on trouble.

James is addressing a group of Christian, Jewish believers scattered.

All facing the same issue of possible fence riding.

The friend in their story is the friend in our story; the world.

A. Friendship with the world will not serve us well.

1. What is the world?

Don’t think of a globe, think of a system.

James means the world system, consisting of people whose beliefs, values, and morals that are in opposition and rebellion to God’s.

If we have Bible discipleship, the world has indoctrination.

If we gather around the worship of Christ, they gather around the worship of self.

If we say sin is against God’s law, they teach they we should not allow anyone but ourselves to be the lawmaker.

2. What is meant by friendship?

The word form for “friend” in one way or another is used about 29 times in the New Testament.

It has the idea of an emotional bonding, of a real affection.

As a kid a friendship just requires a “common sandbox”

As you get older it gets more complex and deeper; common concerns, common interests, common objectives, common enterprises, deeply felt affection, sharing of experiences.

Some friendships are beneficial, many are not. Luke 23:12 “12 And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves.”

The world is the friend you make when you want to rebel against your parents. It is the friend you make when you seek comfort and pleasure outside of God ordained means in your life. The world is the friend you make when you want to go in the wrong direction in life. / At every age in life “the world” waits around the corner for the opportunity to befriend you.

B. Friendship with the world is to become the enemy of God.

The world wants you create an army that is hostile to God. Romans 8:7–8 “7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.”

James refers to this group as brothers about 9 times by now. As “brothers” they belong to the family of God.

But their efforts to satisfy their self-centered cravings, even when the results lead to quarrels and disputes, demonstrate that they are “double-minded.” James 1:8 “8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”

C. Who is the audience?

Thus far has been Jewish (ethically), Christians scattered abroad.

Warning to the the believer to not have a friendship with this world.

Understandably John MacArthur believes their is a change in the intended audience.

RED FLAG in a RELATIONSHIP: Unencumbered love for the world is the marks of an unbeliever. 1 John 2:15 “15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

Scripture refers to believers as “them that love God.” Romans 8:28 “28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

However, there are opportunities in our lives to act unfaithful to what we know and love. Thus the “ye adulterers and adulteresses.” James is not speaking of unfaithfulness in marriage here.

We are seeing what life will look like among us if we live according to the wisdom of this world. James 3:15 “15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.”

Contrast between the peaceful farmer sowing peace and seeing a harvest of right living.

C. Scripture is clear concerning God’s response to a self-centered life.

James 4:5–6 “5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? 6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”

The Scripture is clear on this matter

As to ask if you really believe you need a second opinion on the matter. / Story of fictional cousin who decided to get a second opinion after realizing he was allergic to his dog

Where do we find? “The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?”

Everywhere in the Scriptures.

James speaks of the reaction of the indwelling Spirit

James 4:5 “5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?”

This is considered one of the most difficult passages in the NT to understand. There is no contradiction. There are two valid, rightly dividing options.

1. The human spirit as the subject of the main verb: Then the meaning is that the human spirit longs perversely for enjoyment of the world’s pleasures, even to the point of envy.

2. The Holy Spirit as the subject of the verb: Then the meaning is that the Holy Spirit, imparted to us by God at conversion, yearns enviously for our total loyalty and devotion to Him.

In view of the rebuke to worldliness that James is administering to his Christian readers, the last view seems most probable.

God give more grace.

What a wonderful note for us to end on.

Often think about how I do not like ending each sermon on such a heavy or sad note. I know I am not supposed to decide this, but I need to be attentive to the message and emphasis of the passage. To those living in “Wars and fightings” there is hope because grace is available.

How much grace? More than you need!

Forget what you want for your life, and ask God what it is he wants from your life.

Transition: When the world competes for our love for God, resulting in our divided loyalty, God does not immediately cast us off but continues to give “more grace.” What does grace look like today. An opportunity to repent.

1. Recognizing the internal conflict with your sinful desire that is causing conflict.

2. Notice the lack of prayer in your life, how it has allowed for the kudzu of self to crowd out your heart. Accept your invitation to come to God for all your needs.

3. Brake off the friendship with this world. It is not helping that internal fight, that is manifesting itself in problems in relationships in your life.

Time of Response

Believer I believe you have been given more to consider. Please, speak to the Lord. You may even find during this time of worship to the Lord and time of prayer you are consumed with thoughts about yourself. Take that to the Lord and ask Him to help you.

In here today is most likely those who do not have a real and sincere faith.

Do you love the world? Do you have to say, “No, all my affections go to the world, I love the world, I love the things of the world, I love the joys of the world, the pleasures of the world, I’m driven by that.”

Your decision to love the world defies God’s rightful claim to your total allegiance

Whatever might be your profession on the outside, you better do a little inventory on the inside because anyone who is affectionate with the world, who is intimate with the world, who carries the world in his heart, who has in him the spirit of the world, who has not died to the world, having been crucified in Christ, any such friend of the world is the what? Enemy of God.