Where the Battle Rages

Creed Greatest Enemy

War, Conflict, Battle, Struggle, Internal Turmoil

Recently I have felt a push by the Holy Spirit to find areas of disunity and be the peacemaker that really all children of God are called to be. What I find interesting is how great the wounds are that have been cause among a people that are supposed to be known for the love and unity it is supposed to have.

To Stop the Conflict: How It Is, Why It Is, The Solution.

HOW IT IS.

Joshua 4:1–3 NIV

When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, “Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe, and tell them to take up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, from right where the priests are standing, and carry them over with you and put them down at the place where you stay tonight.”

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.

WHAT CAUSES FIGHTS AND QUARRELS AMONG YOU? DON’T THEY COME FROM YOUR DESIRES THAT BATTLE WITHIN YOU? 2 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. 3 WHEN YOU ASK, YOU DO NOT RECEIVE, BECAUSE YOU ASK WITH WRONG MOTIVES, THAT YOU MAY SPEND WHAT YOU GET ON YOUR PLEASURES.

Redundant question

Our own desires

We are the Culprit

It is a battle

Romans 7:14–23 NIV

We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.

Matthew 26:41 NIV

“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Mt 26:

All sin including the most grievous happens as a result of some desire we have.

All conflict comes from a desire to have things our way and a willingness to fight over it.

We don’t get what we want because we want with the wrong motives.

He is speaking to CHRISTIANS. It is the way it is.

WHY IT IS

James 4:4–5 NIV

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

* 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. 5 OR DO YOU THINK SCRIPTURE SAYS WITHOUT REASON THAT HE JEALOUSLY LONGS FOR THE SPIRIT HE HAS CAUSED TO DWELL IN US?

Adulterous

Matthew 5:27–28 NIV

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Split Loyalty

We are to love with all...

often though we try to fit in other things…

Monotheism vs Polytheism

Deuteronomy 4:6–9 NIV

Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.” What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him? And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today? Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.

Deuteronomy 6:4–9 NIV

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

Dt 4:6-9

It is the one thing that matters — not most - but all.

THE ANSWER

 BUT HE GIVES US MORE GRACE. THAT IS WHY SCRIPTURE SAYS:

“GOD OPPOSES THE PROUD

James 4:6–10 NIV

But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

BUT SHOWS FAVOR TO THE HUMBLE.” Q

INCREASING HUMILITY EQUALS INCREASING GRACE

Humility is the pathway to a grace we dont deserve

Put aside your ways and fully accept His ways.

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.

Resist the Devil (all ways contrary to his - resist temptation - it will pass)

*

Come near - just and inkling and he responds with all the way

Wash and purify - do what you can to get it out.

Grieve, Mourn, Wail - recognize the gravity of our sinful nature.

As we Humble He lift.

WHERE IT SHOWS UP

11 BROTHERS AND SISTERS, DO NOT SLANDER ONE ANOTHER. ANYONE WHO SPEAKS AGAINST A BROTHER OR SISTER OR JUDGES THEM SPEAKS AGAINST THE LAW AND JUDGES IT. WHEN YOU JUDGE THE LAW, YOU ARE NOT KEEPING IT, BUT SITTING IN JUDGMENT ON IT. 12 THERE IS ONLY ONE LAWGIVER AND JUDGE, THE ONE WHO IS ABLE TO SAVE AND DESTROY. BUT YOU—WHO ARE YOU TO JUDGE YOUR NEIGHBOR?

James 4:11–12 NIV

Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?

IF HE GRANTS GRACE TO US EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE COMMITTED GREAT OFFENSES AGAINST HIM, SHOULDN'T WE ALSO GRANT GREAT GRACE TO THOSE WHO HAVE OFFENDED US.

CONC.

WE DISCUSSED:

1. THERE IS CONFLICT

2. WE ARE THE MAJOR CULPRIT

3. HE PROVIDES GREAT GRACE AS WE HUMBLE OURSELVES

4. WE MUST IN TURN PROVIDE GREAT GRACE TO THOSE WHO INTENTIONALLY OR UNINTENTIONALLY OFFENDED US.

5. ACT ON IT. AGREE WITH DEEDS.