The Cure for Wordliness

Intro

If you can, remember with me back to the beginning of this series. I want you to remember the illustration that I read from James where James says that a person who hears the word of God but doesn’t put it into practice is like someone who looks at themself in a mirror, walks away, and forgets what they look like.

And I asked the question, what is the purpose of a mirror. I said it is to look to see if everything looks the way it should. The idea is that when something is out of place or doesn’t look like it is supposed to, we correct it. The mirror shows us what needs fixed. Or at least confirms that we look the way we should.

So many times as Christians we are going through life never looking in the mirror. Never going to the word of God and checking to see if anything is off or out of place. If there are areas of our lives that need rearranged and corrected.

We just assume we are doing what we are supposed to, or worse yet, we don’t care.

This morning James, as we are going to see in part 5 of our James: A Faith that Works series, is going to sit us down in front of a mirror in order to expose something in us that is not only hurting us, not only hurting others, but doing great damage to the body of Christ, to the Church.

Let’s get right into it in James 4.

Power in the Text

James 4:1 NLT What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you?

It is really easy to look at the evil perpetrated by people in our world and ask how? How could someone do that? How could somebody hurt someone so badly or do such wicked things to other humans?

But James is saying hold on, we all have the capacity to do those same evil wicked things to others. Why? Because they same evil desires that led them to do it, exist in us as well.

James is putting us in front of a mirror and says, take a good look. Because if you don’t acknowledge and address the pride, the lust, the desire or more that you struggle with, then you will not only hurt yourself, but you will do great damage to others, even those you love and care about.

He goes on...

James 4:2-3 NLT 2 You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. 3 And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.

Not only is our desire for pleasure a contrast to our desire for God’s will, but it is filled with futility. We may lust, covet, and fight, yet we don’t obtain anything profitable by these impulses

The truth is, every single one of us is born into this world incomplete. We are born broken and empty in ways that we don’t or can’t understand.

This emptiness is the result of the fall of humanity in where sin entered creation through an act of disobedience therefore cursing humans from being in relationship with their holy creator.

And so this hole exists in our very souls where we long for something we cannot attain or even name for that matter so we seek to fill it with all kinds of things.

Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 NLT I said to myself, “Come on, let’s try pleasure. Let’s look for the ‘good things’ in life.” But I found that this, too, was meaningless. 2 So I said, “Laughter is silly. What good does it do to seek pleasure?” 3 After much thought, I decided to cheer myself with wine. And while still seeking wisdom, I clutched at foolishness. In this way, I tried to experience the only happiness most people find during their brief life in this world.

4 I also tried to find meaning by building huge homes for myself and by planting beautiful vineyards. 5 I made gardens and parks, filling them with all kinds of fruit trees. 6 I built reservoirs to collect the water to irrigate my many flourishing groves. 7 I bought slaves, both men and women, and others were born into my household. I also owned large herds and flocks, more than any of the kings who had lived in Jerusalem before me. 8 I collected great sums of silver and gold, the treasure of many kings and provinces. I hired wonderful singers, both men and women, and had many beautiful concubines. I had everything a man could desire!

9 So I became greater than all who had lived in Jerusalem before me, and my wisdom never failed me. 10 Anything I wanted, I would take. I denied myself no pleasure. I even found great pleasure in hard work, a reward for all my labors. 11 But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless—like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere.

James is repeating this idea in his letter that we want things, and so we will do whatever it takes to get them. Even if that means hurting others to get them.

Have you ever seen what happens when you dump crabs in a bucket? The crabs continually try to get themselves out of the bucket by crawling on top of each other and pulling each other down.

It is an endless cycle, as each crab is only trying to help themselves, thus fighting with all the others. Getting themselves out of the bucket is the thing they are lusting after, which is only causing futility.

In a similar way, the contentions that James speaks of are due to selfish desires, that only serve to help us but hurt others.

James is revealing something to us here in that when we go about making decisions based on our own will and desires rather than being led by the Holy spirit we will find ourselves in a cycle of futility and vanity.

We look in all the wrong places and even when we do look to God, James says we are asking with the wrong motives because what were are seeking God for is only going to serve to replace Him in our lives.

Do you see that? There are times when we are praying for God to give us something that in the end will be a replacement for God. Do you know what James calls that?

James 4:4-5 NLT 4 You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. 5 Do you think the Scriptures have no meaning? They say that God is passionate that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him.

Asking God for things that in effect, replace Him is described as adultery.

Big Idea/Why it Matters

This is the heart of what James is saying here. He is saying that all the strife, quarreling, fighting, and struggles that are happening among the body of Christ is the result of our own desires.

And these desires if we really boil them down are adulteress desires that seek to replace God with the things of this world.

God yearns to be with us. James says God is passionate that as born again believers we are faithful to Him. And when we are not faithful. What we are really saying is that God is not enough.

So if you are someone who claims to be a follower of Jesus and yet the things of this world look real good to you. So good that you are willing to chase after them rather than God, what does that say about your view of God? That despite your claim of faith, God is not enough.

And when we do that, James says if you want to be a friend of the world, you are making yourself and enemy of God.

In Matthew Henry’s commentary of the book of James he says...

“Covetousness is elsewhere called idolatry, and it is here called adultery; it is a forsaking of him to whom we are devoted and espoused, to cleave to other things; there is this brand put upon worldly-mindedness—that it is enmity to God. A man may have a competent portion of the good things of this life, and yet may keep himself in the love of God; but he who sets his heart upon the world, who places his happiness in it, and will conform himself to it, and do any thing rather than lose its friendship, he is an enemy to God;

it is constructive treason and rebellion against God to set the world upon his throne in our hearts. Whosoever therefore is the friend of the world is the enemy of God. He who will act upon this principle, to keep the smiles of the world, and to have its continual friendship, cannot but show himself, in spirit, and in his actions too, an enemy to God”

These are harsh words from James, but honest ones. But not ones that are void of hope. If you are looking at yourself in the mirror right now and you know you have made put the world and things of it on the throne of your life over Jesus then my question for you is what are you going to do about it.

You can’t claim ignorance. You can’t say you didn’t know because you know now. All that is left is to turn from it or remain an enemy.

Application/Closing

James 4:6-10 NLT 6 And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.

9 Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.

James is saying if you have love the world more than Him, it is okay. He will show you grace anyway. He will forgive you and restore you.

But, you have to humble yourself. You have to acknowledge that you have commited spiritual adultery. Don’t make excuses for it or try to blame everyone and everything else. Own it and be humble.

When you do that you will be able to submit to God, because a proud person can’t submit, only a humble person can. You must submit to God, and then you will be able to resist Satan and his plans to destroy you and when you resist him he will flee.

The closer you draw to Jesus, the further from your sin you will move. The more loyal you are to God, the less loyal you will be to the world.

James says Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. In other words, be broken. Are you broken over your rebellion? As followers of Jesus we can and should have joy, but there are times when we need to experience sorrow and brokenness over our sin.

When we allow ourselves to break and when we are willing to be humble, James says then and only then will God lift us up and honor us. Only then will be able to overcome the selfish evil desires within us.

The world is watching the Church and we are doing great damage to ourselves at time. If we could just get this one thing right that the Church might be able to offer the world something that it desperately needs, peace.