Giving Up

Giving Up

James 4:1-10 (NIV)

1What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. 3When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

4You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? 6But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:

“God opposes the proud

but gives grace to the humble.”

7Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

I.       Introduction:

II.    Terminate Contentious Battles

A.    A Struggle With Self

B.     A Struggle With Others

C.     A Struggle With Prayer

III. Eliminate Conflicting Loyalties

A.    Faithfulness vs. infidelity

B.     Friend vs. Foe

C.     Pride vs. Humility

IV. Demonstrate Complete Surrender

A.    Complete Surrender To God

1.      Yield Authority To Him: Consecrated To God

2.      Reap Nearness To Him: Close To God

B.     Complete Surrender Of Sin

1.      Cleansing: Separation From Sin

2.      Contrition: Sorrow For Sin

V.    Conclusion: