James 4:11-17 Beware of Boasting
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Scripture: Dave L
Intro:
I got a chance to visit my dad on Friday
That meant I had to drive to Lancaster
It was a good visit with my dad
He is really good at sharing stories
He kept talking about how his friend comes over and they go for walks and then hide behind the bushes and scare the girls
My dad is almost 90 years old and he is dealing with Alsheimers
It’s sad to see his decline but he has such a good attitude and lived a good life
He loves going to church and kept saying he wanted to come and see his son’s new church building
As I drove away I passed by several places that I hung out as a teenager
All of those places have become relics of the past, most are shut down and abandoned
The neighborhood I grew up in which was the perfect middle class housing tract, now is run-down
Driving down memory lane is a powerful reminder that life is but a vapor
Things just don’t last
That’s why it is important that we don’t waste our energy on boasting
Boasting can mean more than touting one’s accomplishments
It can also mean to be loud-mouthed and speaking loudly
Boasting is something that can infect many other areas
Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?
James wants us to get our boasting under control
There are several areas that can fall under that category
We see a couple today and a solution to overcoming it
Speaking Evil of Others vs. 11-12
Speaking Evil of Others vs. 11-12
One way that we boast is by speaking evil of others and judging
When we judge it is a form of boasting that we are better than them
We proclaim that we know better
To judge others is to put them down in such a way as to elevate ourselves
When we judge we put ourselves in the place of a judge and James reminds us that there is only one judge
Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.
James is telling us to stop talking badly about others
He is especially talking about how Christians talk about other Christians
The use of the word Brothers there refers to fellow believers
Let’s admit, We can be a judgmental bunch
It is often cloaked in concerned Gossip
I’m worried about so and so. She isn’t making the best choices. I just have to take it to the Lord because I just can’t
When we speak evil against fellow believers we put ourself in the place as judge
When we judge our brother, we put ourselves in the same place as the law, in effect judging the law.
This is something that we have no authority to do, because there is one Lawgiver
And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Who are you to judge another?
This is an extension of the same humility that James writes about in this chapter.
When we have proper humility before God, it just isn’t within us to arrogantly judge our brother.
Selfish Desires are Dangerous vs. 13-14
Selfish Desires are Dangerous vs. 13-14
The second way that we boast is in how we are going to make money
You hear it all the time
People bragging about their salary packages they demand for thier work
People like to brag about how much their investments portfolio’s have grown
People love to talk about their plans to make a lot of money
It was no different back then
In reality, we are really proclaiming our independence from God
James warns us
We do not know what tomorrow brings us
Now this doesn’t mean we don’t make any plans
It means that we don’t brag about what hasn’t happened yet
We don’t know what challenges we are going to face
If you want to make money off of something like a job or investment that is perfectly fine
Don’t go around boasting about it before it happens
Why?
James gives us a very simple reason
We don’t know what is in the future
Our life is but a mist
“Remember that my life is a breath;
John Piper taught a message in 2004 to thousands of college students out in the middle of a rain soaked field
They were there for the Passion conference, a worship gathering
His title of his message was called “Don’t Waste Your Life”
It was based on this passage
Our life is but a midst, make sure you spend it on something that is worthwhile
Responding to the Will of God vs. 15-17
Responding to the Will of God vs. 15-17
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Acknowledging God’s will affirms His sovereignty over all aspects of life.
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
