James 4:1-6

Intro: Welcome my Friends

BIBLE TEXT: James 4:1-6 “Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? 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. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. 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. Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”? But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.””

Sermon Title: Look at Gods View Not Mans View

Joke: The story is about a man by the name of Larry Walters, a 33-year-old man who decided he wanted to see his neighborhood from a new perspective. So, he went down to the local army surplus store and bought forty-five used weather balloons.

That afternoon he strapped himself into a lawn chair, to which several of his friends tied the now helium-filled used weather balloons. He took with him, something to drink, a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich, and a BB gun, figuring he could shoot the balloons one at a time when he was ready to land.

Walters, who assumed the balloons would lift him about 100 feet in the air, was caught off guard when the chair soared more than 11,000 feet into the sky--smack into the middle of the air traffic pattern at Los Angeles International Airport. Because he was too frightened to shoot any of the balloons, he stayed airborne for more than two hours, and forced the airport to shut down its runways for much of the afternoon.

Soon after he was safely grounded and cited by the police, reporters asked him three questions:

"Were you scared? "Yes."

"Would you do it again? "No.

"Why did you do it?" "Because you can’t just sit there."

Title Points: Walking in the Spirit Vs Walking In the flesh

Outline 1

Bible Text : James 4:1-3 “Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? 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. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.”

One Teaching Idea: (1 Sentence or Less)

This usually comes from two brothers not walking in the spirit.

The desires and pleasure we covet after other peoples goods

It is those who want attention or recognition and others have it so they have anger towards them

Have you ever been there?

Have you ever found your motives where not to help others , but to get what you want?

Cross Reference: James 3:18 “Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”

1st Point: Show peace not wrath

One Application:

When you are walking in the spirit you should not have any hatred or envy towards others.

Personal Story:

Growing up I had so much envy for those who where rich and it all, which I thought!

Outline 2

Bible Text : James 4:4 “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.”

One Teaching Idea: (1 Sentence or Less)

We always hear the word Adulterers meaning unfaithfulness.

James is refering to these people trying to love God and having affair with the world!

In the world they are saying that we should tolerate sin!

But it wont work because FRIENDSHIP WITH THE WORLD MAKES A PERSON AN ENEMY WITH GOD.

The world thinks the God and the world are as one the same, but they are direct opposites

They love God but they want the influence, the living standards and financial security of the world.

This will take away the true love, and caring for others that Jesus demonstrated.

Cross Reference: 1 John 2:15-17 “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”

2nd Point: Choose your friends wisely

One Application:

What then is our relationship with the world?

Although it is true that we are called to be in the world, but not belong to this world.

John 17:14 “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.”

We should love the people of this world to give them the Gospel.

We should be-friend them but not befriend the things that God doesn’t agree with!

Personal Story: I remember trying to witness to friends earlier in my walk. I spent more time with them and the things of the world, that it got me backsliding back into the things that God looked at as foolish.

Outline 3

Bible Text : James: 4:5-6 “Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”? But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.””

One Teaching Idea: (1 Sentence or Less)

We may say that we will befriend both God and the world, but in practice, we can only choose one way.

The more we give ourselves to the world, the stronger will be our allegiance to the world.

The more we give ourselves to God, the stronger will be our bond with him.

Matthew 6:21 “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

In verse 6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.””

We will need strength against the evil desires of the world.

Proverbs 3:34 “Surely He scorns the scornful, But gives grace to the humble.”

Pride makes us self centered and leads us to think that we deserve all we can.

Creates greedy appetites

It can cause us to think we don’t need forgiviness for our sin

BUT

Humility opens the way for God’s grace to flow into our lives.

GOD SHOWS FAVOR TO THE HUMBLE

Humility is not weakness

It is a place that a believer gains courage to face all temptations.

Cross Reference:

3rd Point: Humility = Strength

One Application:

It is our choice—we can humble ourselves and receive God’s grace, or we can continue in our pride and self-sufficiency and experience his anger.

I believe this is the number one characteristic of a believer walking in the spirit looks like!

HE IS HUMBLE

Personal Story:

I have experienced both sides of this coin

Walking Prideful and feeling empty

Walking Humbly and feeling full