2 Things That Will Stop Us From Experiencing God

A woman had returned home from an evening of church services when she was startled by an intruder robbing her house of its valuables.

She yelled "Stop! Acts 2:38!" (Repent and be Baptized, in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins may be forgiven.)

The burglar stopped in his tracks. The woman calmly called the police and explained what she had done.

As the officer cuffed the man to take him in, he asked the burglar: "Why did you just stand there? All the old lady did was yell a scripture at you."

"Scripture?!" replied the burglar. "She said she had an Axe and Two 38's."

Historical/Cultural Context -

The book of James was written by the half-brother of Jesus. The Son of Joseph and Mary. Written in the early 40s. He wrote to primarily Jews who were Christians, as at this time it was so early in the spread of Christianity that it had not been widely adopted by non-jews, also known as Gentiles. James encouraged his readers to live consistent Christian lives in the midst of persecution for their faith in Christ.

Biblical Text -

James 4:1–10 NKJV

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.” 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, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

-[Prayer]-

Life Principle - Conflicts And Entanglement In The World Will Stop Us From Experiencing God. The Answer Is Repentance.

Life Point - Conflicts Stop Us From Experiencing God

Exegetical -

James 4:1–2 NKJV

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.

James 4:1-2 BSB

1 What causes conflicts and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from the passions at war within you? 2 You crave what you do not have; you kill and covet, but are unable to obtain it. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask.

Homiletical -

Have you ever put thought into where conflicts come in churches?

It is over desires, but much more than that. It is about passions.

Passion in our life is fantastic, so long as the passion has eternal value. Passion for prayer, worship; passion for our spouse, passion for serving others. These things are not only good, but desirable.

James here isn’t talking about these. He is talking about our passions for pleasure. Our passion to have our own way. Our passion in our selfishness.

You would be surprised how passionate some people can be over small things.

I have seen arguments over sprinkler heads, doors, carpets and everything in-between.

I have also seen neighbors feud over things. Many times this ends in physical altercations.

I listened to a Dateline podcast a while back about two neighbors who had to share a driveway and neither of them wanted to give up control of a 10ft by 8ft easement for access. So one neighbor, in this highly influential neighborhood, as things escalated he ended up shooting the other neighbor and his wife, Killing them both. He now resides in prison.

It all comes down to two things.

1) Their craving over this insignificant piece of land (and)

2) Their passion, not only for the land but to get one over on the next guy. Not once did either of these gentlemen just let it go. They had to be right.

It all comes down to our sin nature, our desires, our pleasures and to get what is ours.

This continues the thoughts about selfishness that we saw before. It is about what “I” want, what will make “me” happy.

Many arguments come down to stubbornness, pride, arrogance and passion.

Married couples know this well.

How about your fight over how the tooth paste is handled?

He squeezes it from the bottom. You just want him to remember the cap afterward. One solution happy couples use: buy two tubes.

How about reading directions for putting things together?

I know that when I buy prefab furniture, how to put it together. I don’t need instructions. That is, until it doesn’t quite look right and my wife says, “I told you to read the directions.”

1 John 3:17 NKJV

But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?

2 Corinthians 5:15 NKJV

and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

Proverbs 16:5 NKJV

Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; Though they join forces, none will go unpunished.

Now the rest of our main text here says, we do not have, because we do not ask.

Many times people in these situations forget about one little thing. To ask God. You see when we are walking in the flesh, the last thing we are going to do is ask God.

Why?

Because if we ask God for it, we immediately sense that in our current state of being, that is our mind, will, and emotions, we are unlikely to receive it from God, because our hearts are not right.

Illustration -

A little girl was being selfish to her brothers. Her Dad sat her down and gave her a big lecture about being selfish. When he was done, the little girl said; "Daddy, I don't even have a shell fish!

Life Point - Loving The Things Of This World Stop Us From Experiencing God

Exegetical -

James 4:2–6 NKJV

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.”

Homiletical -

James 4:3 NKJV

You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.

Berean Study Bible A Warning against Pride

3 And when you do ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may squander it on your pleasures.

When someone asks God with wrong motives then they should not expect to receive the thing they asked for, that is, getting it from God.

Why?

Because you would end up squandering it on yourself; Your desires, Your Passions. Not God’s Desires, His Passions.

So much evil and greed has been done in the name of Church.

I have even seen where in bigger churches, contracts don’t go to the mid-range builder with a good reputation but to the “good ole boy” network. I know of a 2.1 million dollar building that was supposed to be 2 stories with a gym and a running track on the upstairs portion with multiple meeting rooms of all different sizes around the outside.

Well, the contract went to the “good ole boy” network and ended up spending twice what it was worth and they only got the first level. The work, by the way, wasn’t great either.

So what happened? Well this guy, for all looks, looked saved, and besides he was a “good ole boy” surely he wouldn’t spend more than necessary? Surely he would do the church a solid? Well, that ain’t what happened.

Many times it will look like someone asked for something and God came through. You know, that BMW or fur coat? How do you know it was God? Maybe you didn’t see the wheeling and dealing behind the scenes. Maybe you didn’t see the credit that was extended that they can’t pay.

This doesn’t come from God, this comes from man’s selfishness. Man’s house of cards that can come tumbling down in an instant.

Don’t give God credit for your selfishness. There are two things we do as humans that are wrong in this area.

1) We don’t give God credit for His goodness in our lives in providing for us.

2) We give God credit for something He didn’t do. You just clothed your sinful action and selfishness in a religious coat.

James 4:4 NKJV

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.

We are called the bride of Christ.

Revelation 19:7–9 NKJV

Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.”

James calls Christians who are working the world’s system. Doing things that are unethical and immoral in their lives and their businesses Adulterers and Adulteresses! To be a friend with the world and its’ ways makes himself an enemy of God.

Remember God will discipline His children, and He will do what it takes to get to our hard-hearted stubbornness.

Hebrews 12:4–12 NKJV

You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin. And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.” If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees,

James 4:5–6 NKJV

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.”

All throughout scripture God tells us to be humble and come to Him in humility. This means showing our humility in our life choices and actions. Not just lip service, but in our deeds.

The person who is not humble will not receive from God.

Luke 18:9 says:

Berean Study Bible The Pharisee and the Tax Collector

9 To some who trusted in their own righteousness and viewed others with contempt, He also told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed,1 ‘God, I thank You that I am not like the other men—swindlers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and pay tithes of all that I acquire.’

13 But the tax collector stood at a distance, unwilling even to lift up his eyes to heaven. Instead, he beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man, rather than the Pharisee, went home justified. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Pride and arrogance has been the downfall of many individuals, including pastors, politicians, and great business men. If your heart is not a heart full of humility then you need to watch for two things. (1) God not giving you what you ask for and (2) The discipline of the Lord.

Illustration -

A herd of zebras are grazing peacefully. They begin to suspect that lions are waiting to ambush them in a nearby meadow. One of the zebras however thinks he knows everything and confidently declares that there can’t be lions because lions don’t move into that area until the autumn and haven’t arrived yet.

The other zebras are skeptical, so not wanting to be seen as wrong the arrogant know it all offers to prove it. He trots into the suspect meadow and is promptly devoured by the family of lions he insisted weren’t there.

One of the other zebras shrugs and says “everyone knows the pride comes before the fall.”

Life Point - The Answer Is Repentance

Exegetical -

James 4:7–10 NKJV

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, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

Homiletical -

We are told to submit to God. The original Greek word for that means “to submit to the orders or directives of someone—‘to obey, to submit to, obedience, submission.’

A soldier doesn’t question his commander. He goes and does what he is told.

2 Timothy 2:3–4 NKJV

You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.

Guess what? Christians will have hardships, submission to God at times isn’t easy. The flesh wants to come right up and take control. It is our job to push that flesh down and crucify it again.

Through submission we don’t get entagled with the trappings of this life or the sinful corrupt system of doing things in this life.

We should analyze and find not only the source of things that are being said, but what is the logical conclusion? So, submit to God by crucifying the flesh and rejecting evil.

Once we are submitted to God, which by the way will require repentance, then we can resist the Devil and he will flee from us. We get all caught up on resisting the Devil but forget the submission part. Without that you can’t resist, because you are already entangled in his world. The world’s ways of doing things.

To submit to God means to examine one’s life and find out where the sin is and repent of it. Repent means to turn away from the things you once did in the flesh and turn to God alone.

This is uncomfortable, our flesh doesn’t like do it! That is why the submission part is often forgotten.

This is the meaning of verse 9

James 4:9 NKJV

Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.

To know that you have been in sin and rebellion, and maybe not even to have known it, against God is an awful thing. It should break your heart, it should bring deep lament, mourning, weeping and gloom to us.

As this mourning does happen we can rely on verse 10

James 4:10 NKJV

Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

Humble ourselves before God and He will lift us up! Why? Because the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin.

1 John 1:7–10 NKJV

But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

The answer is repentance, true unfettered repentance. To truly take the time and ask God to reveal Himself to us and show us our sin so that we may confess it and repent of it. If you truly ask, trust me He will show you.

How about you? Will you do that today?

Life Principle – Conflicts And Entanglement In The World Will Stop Us From Experiencing God. The Answer Is Repentance.

Call to Action – altar call….