Sermon Tone Analysis
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Hymn
How Firm a Foundation
Prior Week
1 Peter 4:7–11
No matter how bad the world gets, we live for the good of others to the glory of God
Did anyone take steps toward a greater understanding of their spiritual giftedness this week?
(prayer, signed up to serve somewhere, asked others for input)
Principle
Conflict reveals character, and resolving it requires repentance.
Passage
Conflict reveals character
James 4:1–3 (ESV)
1 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you?
Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder.
You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel.
You do not have, because you do not ask.
3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.
James uses 2nd person plural pronouns.
“You all” speaking specifically to Jews who have believed in Christ and are scattered across the Roman empire (1:1).
In this passage he’s talking about us when we get bent out of shape because we aren’t getting our way and we are the one who begins, or continues a conflict.
Our character is exposed because we are not getting what we want and our response is to suit up, and go to war.
The Cause of Conflict (1)
passions, or pleasures, are at war within you
Luke 8:14 “14 And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.”
Titus 3:3 “3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.”
1 Peter 1:14 “14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance,”
1 Peter 2:11 “11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.”
The Chaos of Conflict (2a)
you desire and do not have, so you murder
In conflict we “set our heart” on something (respect, love, being right, our way).
When we don’t get it we can metaphorically murder (hatred = Matt 5:21-22), or worse, commit murder to get what we want (2 Samuel 11:15 = David sending Uriah to frontlines then abandoned to die).
you covet and do not obtain, so you fight and quarrel
We stir up conflict when someone else has what we want.
Think of Joseph’s brothers, jealous over their fathers love for Joseph, they desired to kill him but end up selling him into slavery thanks to Reuben = Gen 37:3-4, 19-20, 21.
when we give in to the temptation to get what we want, chaos happens.
The Cure for Conflict (2b-3)
You do not have, because you do not ask.
If I don’t desire God’s will, I won’t go to God’s throne in prayer.
You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly...
When I go to God’s throne am I kneeling before it, or trying to sit in it?
...to spend it on your passions.
When we have conflict with one another it’s because in that moment we care more about our passions than God’s plan.
The cure for conflict is implied in this passage: when we go to God’s throne we ask for his will to be done and we submit to his ways.
The person in James’ example is independent and self-focused.
Contrast that with the Lord’s prayer where we are dependent and God-focused.
Matthew 6:6-14 “6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.
8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9 Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread, 12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”
Notice we are the one in need of receiving mercy and finding grace in our time of need.
God will always answer our prayers if they result in conforming our character to Christ.
Heb 4:16 “16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
Conflict reveals character.
We’ll discuss it more shortly.
But before we do, let’s look at how...
Resolving it requires repentance
Matthew 18:15–20 (ESV)
15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone.
If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.
16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.
17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church.
And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
18 Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.
20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
Often called the “church discipline” passage but Jesus is talking about a process with the end goal of restoration to fellowship with his people, and ultimately with him, God.
We often think of it as a 4 step process: confront one-to-one, confront with witnesses, tell the church, treat them as an unbeliever.
That’s true and right.
But I want to zoom out a bit more for the sake of tonight.
This passage deals with the one who sees “James 4:1-3” playing out against them or in front of them in the life of a professing believer.
So, when our conscience won’t allow love to cover over a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8).
We must:
Discern the sin in pursuit of restoration (15)
if your brother sins against you
Jesus is talking about when I am sinned against, he uses the second person singular or both the sinner and the sinned against.
This would also apply if I am witness to a clear sin habit of a professing believer.
We know it is a professing believer because later Jesus says to bring the church, the ekklesia, into the confrontation.
go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone.
Two commands.
go and tell.
This isn’t an optional thing, or a nice idea.
But a confrontation that is commanded by Christ for the good of another soul.
Galatians 6:1 tells us to check our own condition first, and then to confront in gentleness.
That doesn’t mean we “beat around the bush” but we confront knowing that we too are capable of the same sin or worse.
When there is sin, repentance is needed.
We go into the confrontation praying that God would use it to bring about repentance in a fellow believer or reveal a non-believer who needs to repent for the first time.
The goal of conflict resolution is never about us proving anything.
It’s about restoring a fellow soul to right relationship with God, so they can restore relationship with those they have wronged.
Restoration requires repentance – from at least one person, but often from more.
Step one should be happening ALL THE TIME in our lives.
It’s the spiritual equivalent of pointing out food in someones teeth.
You bring it up because you love them and don’t want them to make a fool of themself.
In a similar way if a professing believer is in sin, either against you, or you have witnessed it, you need to confront them so they don’t stain the reputation of Christ.
So what do we do when they don’t care?
When they don’t repent?
Deal with the sinner as a plea for repentance (16-17)
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