Untitled Sermon (36)

"What is the source of wars and fights among you? Don’t they come from your passions that wage war within you? "You desire and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and wage war. You do not have because you do not ask. "You ask and don’t receive because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. "You adulterous people! Don’t you know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? So whoever wants to be the friend of the world becomes the enemy of God. "Or do you think it’s without reason that the Scripture says: The spirit he made to dwell in us envies intensely? "But he gives greater grace. Therefore he says: God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. "Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. "Be miserable and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.” ()

James is writing here as a pastor. James writes and he addresses a series of different topics that are all packaged together in one volume.

It’s an intensely practical book and is completely relevant for much of the professing church in America.

"But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. "Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like someone looking at his own face in a mirror. "For he looks at himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of person he was. "But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer who works—this person will be blessed in what he does.” ()

Mark the mention of God’s Law. In 2:8 it’s called the “royal law” in v9 it mentions being convicted “by the law as transgressors.”

v10 says, "For whoever keeps the entire law, and yet stumbles at one point, is guilty of breaking it all.”

[Law/Gospel]

And as we prepare our hearts to pray, that same law of God spoken of here, some two thousand years ago, still has power to do what God told His people in the OT to do:"For this is what the Lord says to the men of Judah and Jerusalem: Break up the unplowed ground; do not sow among the thorns. "Circumcise yourselves to the Lord; remove the foreskin of your hearts, men of Judah and residents of Jerusalem. Otherwise, my wrath will break out like fire and burn with no one to extinguish it because of your evil deeds.” ()

So you have James writing to believers that have sinned against God and rather than blaming Washington, we are to look into the mirror of God’s Word and acknowledge our sin before the Lord.

"For the time has come for judgment to begin with God’s household...” ()

So we come, knowing that God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble.

"Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. "Be miserable and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.” ()

Let’s begin with a moment of silence as you personally draw near to God… and then I’ll lead us in prayer.

O most great, most just and gracious God, help us now by Your sacred Spirit to approach You rightly, with the deepest reverence because You are of purer eyes than to behold iniquity, you condemn the ungodly, impenitent, and unbelievers; but you have promised mercy through Jesus Christ to all who repent and believe in him.

We confess that we were conceived in sin, and are by nature children of wrath; and have all sinned and come short of the glory of God. We have neglected and abused your holy worship, your holy name, and your holy day. We have dealt unjustly and uncharitably with our neighbours, not loving them as ourselves, nor doing to others as we would they should do to us; we have not sought first your kingdom and righteousness and been contented with our daily bread, but have been careful and troubled about many things, neglecting the one thing necessary, which is to sit at Your feet and grow and learn and worship You!

So Lord, as we cling to Christ and His sacrifice, we pray and ask that You would come and extend Your kingdom all over our nation, sway Your scepter over every American heart! May You make each true believer in this place, an instrument of God in Your hands! As sheep that are prone to wander, keep us dear Lord. It’s in Your power that we trust, it’s upon Your strength that we rely! We are less than nothing and so we ask that You hold us by Your own right hand!

Lord, make us all fit for glory with You! Oh, go on most blessed Spirit, with your patient work, until you shall have made us heavenly, and then we shall be caught up to the “heavenly places,” to see the face of our Beloved. We praise You and thank You that You do hear and answer prayer! We ask and pray all these things in Jesus Name, AMEN.

Ritzema, E. (Ed.). (2012). 400 Prayers for Preachers. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.