Church Wars and Fights
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Handout
1 Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? 2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. 4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”? 6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” 7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
Church Wars and Fights
Church Wars and Fights
Slide
When we read James 4:1-6, our tendency is think he is talking about the world and non-Christians.
He is talking about people, but not me.
Not a follower of Jesus!
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Who is James addressing ?
Can we build a theological bridge from what James said at the end of James 3?
Wisdom from Above vs Wisdom of this World
Wisdom from Above vs Wisdom of this World
Slide
James is about to focus in on how wisdom of this world is affecting the church.
The Source is Wrong Pleasure
The Source is Wrong Pleasure
Slide
1 Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?
Where do wars and fights come from in the Church?
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ἡδονή, ek head-on-a, from pleasures, plural, genitive(we are the source) noun.
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From which we get The word 'hedonism'.
Hedonism is a school of thought that argues seeking pleasure and avoiding suffering are the only components of well-being.
But what does James mean?
From self (Genitive noun), not from above
My right to myself.
Self gratification.
Insisting on my own way (also not being a door mat).
From our sinful nature.
Totally undermine the Gospel message of the church.
Personally I believe they are equally as damaging as false doctrine.
We cannot control it, but we can seek to be Christ like.
Fleshly or Earthly Wisdom
Fleshly or Earthly Wisdom
Slide
James highlights three main problems!
1) Quarrelsomeness
1) Quarrelsomeness
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1 Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? 2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask.
Open hostility.
People seek to advance themselves in church, and not God’s kingdom.
The lust for prominence. Leads to murder of the other.
Hate in inner murder.
Anger, strife.
The said fact is that such a church does harm to the Gospel.
Just lock the doors!
False claim..Come to Christ and it will change your life, even if it has not changed mine.
The answer is to this is being intentional on,
34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
2) Praylessness
2) Praylessness
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2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.
James adds Praylessness to Quarrelsomeness
How would you explain James 4:3?
They were wanting the wrong things.
They were praying about the wrong things
Yet they had justified and rationalised it as God’s will.
Opening Up James Prayerlessness (vv. 2b–3)
If we come to the church wanting prestige, we will pound on one another. If we come to the church wanting the Lord to be glorified and our fellow-Christians edified, we will pray for one another.
3) Worldliness
3) Worldliness
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4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”? 6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”
Who are the church having an affair with?
The world, and its values, based on worldly wisdom.
Opening Up James Worldliness (vv. 4–6)
What is worldliness? It is thinking like the world, talking like the world, acting like the world
Why does James says the follower of Jesus cannot habitually be worldly?
James 4:5 “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”
General quote, no direct corresponding verse in OT.
3 And the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.” 4 There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown. 5 Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,
James 4:6 “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble”
From,
34 Surely He scorns the scornful, But gives grace to the humble.
The Cure for Worldliness and Earthly Wisdom
The Cure for Worldliness and Earthly Wisdom
7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
Slide
What is the cure for world infected Christians according to James?
First, First and First, get very intentional about my relationship with the Lord!
8 Verbal Imperatives. Submit, Resist, Draw, Cleanse, Purify, Lament, Mourn and Humble
When did you last see those listed in the “Top 10 Steps to Effective Living”.
Is the order important or just random?
Lift you Up
Lift you Up
Is God just waiting for us to follow the formula from James to pour of His Spirit on us?
10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
Focus of being Christ like.
Let God fight your corner in His time and His way.
“Lift you up”. Is this not a present promise and a future promise.