November 25th, 2007
James 4:11-17 "Tongue control"
Intro… THANKSGIVING-THEMED MOVIES
To Kill A Walking Bird
My Best Friend's Dressing
The Texas Coleslaw Massacre
The Fabulous Baster Boys
Silence of the Yams
I Know What You Ate Last Winter
White Meat Can't Jump
The Wing and I
Today's sermon is all about tongue control…slander and boasting. Two thing we humans love to do. US magazine and the cheap tabloid…our challenge as Christians is not to participate in this…especially among other Christians!
Text: James 4:11-17
Two parts to today's sermon:
Vs. 11-12 Watch the mouth, slander, gossip and judging.
Vs. 13-17 Bragging about your own self accomplishments verses acknowledging God for all the blessings in our life (especially appropriate during Thanksgiving).
This passage is similar to James 3:1-12, taming the tongue.
In writing to these young Christians, James new that slanderous words would do harm in this young church.
Slanderous words still do harm to the church today.
v. 11-12 Gossip, Slander, saying those bad things about each other, speaking against one another.
"To make false charges or misrepresentations that damage a person's reputation." It's so easy, yet so harmful.
The Bible tells us to flat out avoid it, don't do it.
We slander and gossip because we are judging each other.
"The Law" is Leviticus 19:18: "Love your neighbor as yourself."
By not loving your neighbor and slandering them, you are placing yourself above the law and, by this action, declaring the law to be a bad or unnecessary statute.
Rather than submitting to it and "keeping it," we pass judgment on its validity and sets it aside. How bold and wrong of us!
This is not to rule out civil courts and judges. Instead, it is to root out the harsh, unkind, critical spirit that continually finds fault with others.
God is the only true judge.
So, what is the balance between slander/gossip and judging and when do we step in and tell our brothers and sisters that this activity is not right?...
When someone is clearly violating a Biblical mandate.
Our lips must be governed by the law of kindness, as well as truth and justice. We are brothers and sisters in Christ. When we speak evil of each other, we break God's commands.
Boasting/self credit.
Another thing that is tempting to do is boast about tomorrow, what may be coming up.
But the problem with boasting is that it puts it all on yourself, like you've accomplished this all on your own.
Instead, James tells us, our perspective should be, "Well, if it's the Lord's will…" That's called trusting God for what does come into our lives and what doesn't.
Matthew 6: 25-34
Why is it so easy for us to leave God out of our plans?
(we like to plan as if we know exactly what the future holds or even as if we have control of the future.)
How vain it is to look for any thing good without God's blessing and guidance!
"The frailty, shortness, and uncertainty of life, ought to check the vanity and presumptuous confidence of all projects for futurity. No Christian can safely assume that he can live independently of God. For a believer to leave God out of his plans is an arrogant assumption of self-sufficiency, a tacit declaration of independence from God." John Piper
The Greek text literally means "You are boasting in your arrogant pretentions"
(O how we love to be in control…)
Our heads may be filled with cares and worries for ourselves, our families, or our friends; but Providence often throws our plans into confusion.
All we design, and all we do, should be with submissive dependence on God.
God created us not just to do things and go places with our bodies, but to have certain attitudes and convictions and verbal descriptions that reflect the truth - a true view of life and God.
You weren't just created to go to LA and do business; you were made to go to LA with thoughts and attitudes and words that reflect a right view of life and God.
The Christian life is all about trusting God and his wisdom, not ours.
Read V. 17 It is basically saying, "You have been fully warned". It is like saying, "Now that I have pointed the matter out to you, you have no excuse."
Conclusion:
"Duties are ours, events are God's; When our faith begins to meddle with events, and to hold account upon God's Providence, and begins to say, 'How will You do this or that?' we lose ground; we have nothing to do there; it is our part to let the Almighty exercise His own office, and steer His own helm; there is nothing left for us, but to see how we may be approved of Him, and how we roll the weight of our weak souls upon Him who is God omnipotent, and when we can do that, it will be neither our sin nor our cross."
Samuel Rutherford
November 18th, 2007
James 4:7-10 "Idle Cure"
Intro…The band Idle Cure, a sound clip…
Idleness (sitting around doing nothing and getting into trouble) can get us into trouble.
It can lead to "worldliness" doing things that are not of God.
Text: James 4:7-10
Last week Jeff reminded us of the daily struggle we all feel against "worldliness".
How would you describe "worldliness?"
Fighting/quarreling
Those inner struggles, wanting what we may not need.
Asking God with the wrong motives.
Being too friendly with worldly things that take us away from God.
Too much pride. (That's the biggest thing I hear from the relatively new atheist movement, pride.)
So, we recognize the problem. Trying to live a godly life and not be tempted by worldly things that draw us away from God.
We can't do this on our own. We will never have complete victory, but we can always be moving in the direction of a more godly, sanctified life.
Knowing that it is only through the power of God we can be thankful that at least God gives us plenty of guidelines throughout the Bible.
In today's text, James offers ten commands that help in this battle with "worldliness".
(And this is the thesis for today's sermon, good practical examples of how to battle worldliness.)
Because if we expect to have any kind of victory in our Christian life over worldliness, then we have to begin to take steps like this.
And these are commands, not suggestions. In each instance the Greek aorist imperative calls for immediate response.
Submit (or surrender) ourselves (to God)
This command to submit yourself to God is a logical response to v. 6, a quote from Proverbs 3:34.
This is always the most important step. This way God can guide your steps.
Recognizing God's commands/admonishing and following them.
Being able to say, "I know this is God's best for me and I'm going to do it."
Submission is not the same as obedience. Instead, it is the surrender of one's will, which leads to obedience.
Resist the devil
Completely staying away from those areas where you know you are weak.
Rather than resisting God's will for us, we should resist the devil.
James seems to suggest that the spiritual unfaithfulness of v. 4 …was the result of the devil's influence.
The promise "he will flee from you" gives assurance that, as powerful as he may be, Satan can be resisted.
Come near to God
James' readers had set their hearts on pleasure and drifted away from God. Sound familiar? We do this all the time…
Since we are actively avoiding the devil, run in the other direction right to God.
The assurance that God welcomes us back accompanies the command to return. God jealously yearns for our devotion (v. 5)
Time in the word, time in prayer, asking/begging God to help you in your struggles.
GOSPEL
Wash your hands (or clean up your lives)
Getting rid of the dirt, getting it out of your house, off your computer, out of the mail.
Taking that phrase, "I'm going to wash my hands of this" literally and washing temptation down the drain. Keeping our conduct pure.
Purify your hearts
The song, "Purify my heart" lyrics
We know this really starts in the mind…
James knows it too and reminds us that without purity of heart we are sinners and double-minded, trying to love God and the world at the same time.
The next four imperatives all have to do with repentance.
VIDEO CLIP that shows letting go of what we are trying to carry ourselves
Grieve
Are we truly grieved over the sin in our lives?
Do we grieve with God over the things he grieves about?
Mourn (or be sorry)
Confession, repentance, communion. Passionate grief that cannot be hidden.
Restoring that relationship with God.
Spiritual breathing
Wail
A deeper level past grieving and mourning.
This may be necessary for some of us at times.
Change your laughter (to mourning)
Stop joking about the sin areas in our lives.
Take serious what God takes serious.
Bottom line is that James is trying to get us to change our burning desire for worldly pleasure into godly pursuits.
Humble yourselves (before the Lord).
James says the same thing in vs. 6
God will graciously give grace to the humble. That's really all it takes. Admitting a need for help.
This is similar to submitting ourselves to God.
That God exalts those who humble themselves is a consistent biblical principle (Matt 23:12; Luke 14:11; 18:14; Philippians 2:5-11; 1 Peter 5:6.)
Conclusion:
Let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet yes to God and he'll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it's the only way you'll get on your feet.
November 4th, 2007
James 3:13-18
Intro… In 1 Kings 3, The Lord asked Solomon (the third and last king of united Israel) what he wanted and he asked for wisdom.
God granted him wisdom, with a stipulation, that Solomon follow God throughout his life. (V. 14)
Solomon wrote the "Wisdom books" of the Bible, Proverbs, Song of Solomon and Ecclesiastes.
I think most of us would like to be known as a wise person.
True wisdom doesn't usually come from a higher education.
Most often we learn from the school of hard knocks.
Yet God offers us true wisdom and it's found all throughout the Bible.
Text: James 3:13-18
Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here's what you do:
v. 13 Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It's the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts.
James does not have in mind the Greek concept of speculative or theoretical wisdom but the Hebrew idea of practical wisdom that enables one to live a life of godliness.
It's those daily choices to serve others done in humility, not expecting anyone to notice or compliment you.
v. 14 Mean-spirited ambition isn't wisdom. Boasting that you are wise isn't wisdom.
V. 14 tells us not to deny the truth, the truth that you're being a jerk. Or the truth about what real wisdom is, that it comes from God and humbly following him, not your own self-accomplishment.
Twisting the truth to make yourself sound wise isn't wisdom. It's the furthest thing from wisdom—it's animal cunning, devilish conniving.
Whenever you're trying to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others' throats.
The worldly approach to wisdom (stepping on whoever is in your way to get to the top) is just plain evil, of the devil.
From the wisdom books:
Ecclesiastes 2:26, 4:13, 7:11-12, 19
v. 17-18 Real wisdom, God's wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. (The great commandment love God and love others, Mark 12:29-31)
The contrast between earthly wisdom (v. 14-16) and godly wisdom (v. 17-18) is obvious. Just look at the words…
Godly wisdom is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced.
Here is our check list to make sure we've got wisdom from God:
Pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, sincere.
Considerate: "This is one of the great words of character description in the NT. It is used mostly of God's disposition as King. He is gentle and kind, although in reality he has every reason to be stern and punitive toward men in their sin. God's people also are to be marked by this godlike quality, not insisting on our rights according to the letter of the law, but exercising love's leniency instead."
Submissive: the opposite of obstinacy and self-seeking; it is a readiness to yield.
We can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if we do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor.
James's concept of wisdom is far from being theoretical and speculative, it is thoroughly practical. It is the understanding and attitude that result in true piety and godliness.
From the wisdom books: Proverbs 2:1-6, 3:13-18 (tons more too)
V. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness. "Raising a harvest of righteousness" demands a certain kind of climate. A crop of righteousness cannot be produced in the climate of bitterness and self-seeking. Righteousness will grow only in a climate of peace. And it must be sown and cultivated by the "peacemakers." Such persons not only love peace and live in peace but also strive to create conditions of peace.
Conclusion:
Who is wise? The person who remembers their moral responsibilities, their higher calling to the cause of Jesus Christ.
Solomon (the king who God granted wisdom to) did pretty good until the end.
His downfall was the beautiful women brought in through trade agreements. This large number of foreign women in Solomon's court made many demands on the King.
He allowed these outsiders to practice their foreign religions.
Regrettably, he did more to advance the material wealth of Israel then the spiritual state.
"Though Solomon started out so well, the tragedy of his gradual apostasy had more disastrous results than the infamous scandal of his father (David/Bathsheba, death etc.) who sincerely repented and was a man after the Lord's own heart."
His biggest mistake was a loss of devotion to God.
Compare his life to King Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4.