James Message 8
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Get your prayers answered by getting closer to God
Get your prayers answered by getting closer to God
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.
Intro:
Our Prayers cannot be self-centered VS 1- 5
Our Prayers cannot be self-centered VS 1- 5
1 Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?
Look at 3:18. Peace, peace. 4:1 war, war.
James asks a question, and answers with a question. Elab.
There was conflict in the church
1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!
There a many things that cause conflict in the church. The devil loves to see conflict in the church. Conflict many times comes from self centeredness, I have to have it my way.
This message is not about church conflict. I want to talk about prayer, and getting closer to God.
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.
Lust: “to long for, lust after, covet” (Lust, we think a sexual lust, not here) “You lust and do not have”
James is saying, you have lust (desire) but you are not satisfied.
“You murder and covet and cannot obtain”
15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
Then he add’s in you covet. (Wanting something that is not yours.
“Cannot obtain”
You don’t have what you want, this leads to jealousy, more self centeredness.
“You fight , you war”
The fight and war is not always with others, at times it’s a battle within.
“You do not have because yo do not ask”
The reason we often do not get things from God is very simple: we don’t ask!
The Bible contains many admonitions to pray. The Lord Jesus taught His disciples to pray.
The church was born at a prayer meeting.
God refuses to be left out of our affairs. So many things that we need or desire are in His hand; therefore, we must come to Him and ask. Thus, He teaches us our dependence upon Him for all things
3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.
The Psalms are full of potent prayers. Apparently Jesus prayed through Psalm 22 while hanging on the cross. He prayed without ceasing. The early church prayed. The true church has always prayed. We should pray. James himself had a reputation for being a man of prayer.
Not only can we fail to pray personally but also we can fail to pray properly
We must pray properly: READ VS 3 AGIAN.
Amplified Bible Chapter 4
because you ask with wrong purpose and evil, selfish motives. Your intention is [when you get what you desire] to spend it in sensual pleasures.
Prayer is not some magical thing that guarantees you to get your hearts desire.
Prayer has its rules. It must be in accordance with God’s.
39 He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”
It must be in faith.
22 And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
It must come from a pure heart because God says that if we regard iniquity in our heart, He will not hear us
18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear.
It must be in the name of the Lord Jesus
. And it must be fervent (James 5:16).
13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.
Our prayers must always line up with Gods will, not our own desires.
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.
David committed adultery because of personal desires.
Here James is talking about spiritual adultery Whatever our desires are, they are either of God or of the world.
James says if you are a friend of the world you are an enemy of God.
James is saying we can’t be a friend of the world system, and be a true friend of God.
Friend: Close bond.
“He who wants (desires) the be a friend of the world, makes himself a enemy of God. If you are an enemy of God, who would He answer your prayers.
We have to live in this world, but we can’t live like the world. We cannot give into the ways of the world. God has not changed.
The world had gotten into the church then, and now.
5 Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”?
The holy Spirit of God that dwell in a believer in jealous. God want all of you.
We live in the world, but are not of the world. We do not have the same values of the world. If start to live of the world, have the same values the Holy Spirit will convict you.
When we sin the Holy Spirit yearns of us to repent,
Our Prayers must be in line with God’s will. VS 6-10
Our Prayers must be in line with God’s will. VS 6-10
6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”
All that James had talked about, some pretty hard things. READ FIRST 5 VERSES.
“But He give more grace”
The same Holy Spirit that convicts of sin, will also give grace and forgive so you can get right with God.
The first 5 verse deals with our weakness, compromise, worldliness, self-centeredness. VS 6 But, He gives more grace.
(Exp trans) He [the Holy Spirit] gives greater grace.
James hits them (the church he was writing to) but he lets them know about God’s grace.
His grace is greater then all our sin. He give, we have to receive it.
“God resists the proud, but give grace to the humble”
God sets himself in battle array against the arrogant and haughty but gives grace to the humble and lowly.
God give grace because of who He is. And if you want to receive God’s grace, humble yourself.
Grace save the sinner.
7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
“Therefore”
“Submit to God”
Because of our sin, self-centeredness, pride, lust, fighting (war) and because God gives grace, we must submit to Him. Obey, yield to God as superior.
Totally submit to God. If we do this the devil (who is behind and the sin, he will flee from you)
You have to submit to God for salvation.
Submitting to God is the only way to have peace with God.
8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
“Draw near to God”
This is an invitation to draw near to God.
This a promise that God will draw near to you.
In order to draw near too God, you have to submit to God.
Draw near to God: Worship, everything you do God is with you.
God wants a close relationship with you.
Cleanse you hands: Outward
Purify your hearts: Inward
double minded: Being a part of the world, and trying to be near to God.
9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.
Be sorrowful and distressed and grieve and weep audibly [over your sins]. Let your laughter be turned to sadness and your joy to gloominess.
As we draw closet to God, we will see our sin, and be sorrowful, grieve, weep, and be sad.
But God will forgive because of His grace.
10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
When we come before God with our sins, knowing God will forgive us, and we humble ourselves, God will lift us up. Back VS 6
Holy Spirit will convict us, our sin should make us feel bad, but when we humble ourselves before God, when we submit to God resit the devil, He will lift us up.