Idol Words

Text: James 4:1-10

Place Preached - (Mississauga International Baptist Church)

Date Preached - (10/14/01)

Introduction:   

ILLUS:  Describe the expectations of a wonderful evening.  Describe how those expectations are frustrated by a generous helping of reality.  Describe your thoughts of disappointment, and the words of selfishness which follow.

The problem above is multiplied because the words I speak are “Idol” words.

Root & Fruit

LOOK UP & READ Luke 6:43-46

Our words are the root of the fruit issues found in our heart.

Our words reveal the true desires of our heart!

Jeremiah 17:9  The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

It is very tempting to blame people and situations that surround us, But they do not make us say what we say!!

They are only the occasion for our hearts to reveal themselves in words.

ILLUS: The Tea Bag

The flavour of your words is the same flavour as your heart!

An idolatrous heart will produce “Idol” words.

It is time for us to face what is going on in our hearts!!

Ruling Desires

CF. James 4:1-10

What I speak is directly related to what I want.  Why?

Because my words are one means of getting what is important to me.

Wars of the heart and wars of words are caused by desires battling within us.

A. Sinful Desire

It is not wrong to desire. (Lust – epithumia used several times in a good sense.)

Galatians 5:17  For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

It is always wrong to desire the wrong thing.

It is equally wrong to wrongfully desire the right thing.

Desire, even for those things which are good in and of themselves, is not to control our heart.

When these desires battle within us, it will affect the way we deal with and speak to people around us.

NOW, if a certain desire controls my heart, I will respond to you in one of two ways.

ONE – If you help me get what I want I will enjoy and appreciate you.

TWO – If you stand in my way, I will experience and express anger when you are around.

An (otherwise) good desire can develop into something quite different when we exalt or worship that desire in our heart.

EG. Love for your wife/husband.

We can so strongly desire something that we will not allow others, or even God to tell us NO!  Then it is sin, no matter how noble the thing desired.

This is a fundamental component of idolatry.

Idolatry is when my heart is ruled or controlled by anyone or anything other than God.

This happens more often than we would care to admit, or would tend to think.

At work we desire appreciation etc.

At Church we desire praise and position etc.

At home we want our space and our time, and our rights etc.

B. The Elevation of Desire

James 1:14-16  But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

15  Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

16  Do not err, my beloved brethren.

Here’s how it works…..

A desire battles for control until it becomes a demand.  The demand is then expressed as a need.  This sets up my expectations.  I expect to have my needs met.

Now unfulfilled expectation leads to disappointment.  Then we will often punish others for our disappointment.

C. Spiritual Adultery

Adultery happens when you give the love you promised to one person to someone else.

Spiritual adultery happens when you give the love that belongs to God to someone or something else.

This passage plainly shows us that human conflict is rooted in spiritual adultery.

We will not have victory with our words until we address the adultery and idolatry of our hearts.

Where Does the Change Begin?

1. Change begins at the level of the heart.

“Submit yourselves therefore to God”

2. There must be change in our behaviour.

“Cleanse your hands, ye sinners”

3. There must be change in our thoughts and motives.

“purify your hearts, ye double minded”

The Great Exchange

Romans 1:25  Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

The most serious problem is not that our words are selfish, angry, deceitful or manipulative, But that they are idolatrous!!

The operative word is “exchanged” in Rom. 1:25.

This is the fundamental nature of sin.  There is a drift or pull toward the worship of some aspect of creation in the heart of every sinner!

ILLUS: What is the main thing on our heart as we leave church services?

The Bottom Line

Any lack of love for neighbour, in word or deed, reveals some deficiency in your love for God.

LOOK UP & READ Matt 22:37-40 & I John 4:11-21

ILLUS: Two Drawers

            Top Drawer – Love for God

            2nd Drawer – Love for Neighbour

Communication is a top drawer issue first before it has anything to do with drawer #2!!

What or whom are we really serving?

Conclusion:     (Review)

Do you tend to blame your negative communication on situations?

Traffic – Schedule – Finances – Weather – Job - Family

Do you tend to blame others?

Family – Co-workers – Church family

Do you tend to blame God?

If only I had……………….

            …an understanding husband/wife

            …parents that allowed me a little more freedom

            …an employer that knew my strengths.

            …a few more programs in the church

            …a pastor who was more reasonable.