Friends of God -James 4:1-10 (Pastors Notes)

Introduction

The church has always been called to be different than the world.  The Bible gives us instructions for a life that contrast with the culture around us. However it is all to easy to let the culture influence the church rather have the church be a positive influence on the culture. It easy to hear sermons on positioning yourself for blessing or having the victory. But how do we react when we are called to crucify the flesh, to be transformed into the image of God, to take up our cross and follow Jesus. James does not mince words in chapter 4 of his letter. It is bold and direct to a church that is acting too much like the culture around them. They are living according to the ways of the world which are earthly, unspiritual and demonic. And his is calling believers to come out of the world and turn back to following Christ.

(1) What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? (2) You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. (3) And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure. 

(4) You adulterers!  Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. (5) What do you think the Scriptures mean when they say that the spirit God has placed within us is filled with envy?  (6) But he gives us even more grace to stand against such evil desires. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but favors the humble.” 

(7) So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (8) Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. (9) Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. (10) Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor. 
James 4:1-10 – NLT

1. What causes quarrels and fights–

• It used to be that we could disagree with one another and be friends but we are living in a time of tribalism where, for some, if you don’t accept their view on something you are the enemy and they don’t want to talk to you. There is no attempt to reason or find common ground.
• But this should not be among believers. and yet James says people are jealous and scheming and even murder. Which i believe is probably not literal but equating the hatred in ones heart toward their brother or sister in Christ with a murderous spirit.
  • We are all on the same team. if we are submitted to God’s Spirit we should not  be trying to scheme against one another,
  • why we should avoid conspiracy theories. Some of the quarreling among Christians lately has been about some conspiracy theories. the tends to be more of a tactic of the devil to distract and divide believers. so be careful.

Isaiah 8:11-12 The LORD has given me a strong warning not to think like everyone else does. He said, “Don’t call everything a conspiracy, like they do, and don’t live in dread of what frightens them. 13 Make the LORD of Heaven’s Armies holy in your life. He is the one you should fear. He is the one who should make you tremble.

Notice he ends that verse with making the Lord Holy in your life. that means he is your number one priority and that You should fear him. that’s a good place to begin.

(James then begins to outline the real issues)

1. We cannot be at peace with others when we are at war with ourselves
   1. -if we want to be different than the world, if we want to get along with other believers and love our neighbors and be a good witness We need to realize where the real battle is, even though we are made a new creation in Christ Jesus and we are guided by the Holy Spirit we still live in a body of flesh that is subject to the same temptations. But we have the the power everyday to make that choice not to give into those desires.
2. Friendship with the World is incompatible with Friendship with God.
   • James uses the word Adulterers. Some translations say adulterous generation or both adulterers and adulteresses. Why such harsh language?  Consider the language in the Old Testament concerning God’s relationship with Israel. When they would worship false idols and walk in disobedience still claiming to follow him he would liken them to an unfaithful wife. And in the New Testament the church is called the Bride of Christ.
     • Illustration:-  Have you heard of “open marriages” if your unfamiliar with the term. It means 2 people that are married on paper and live together but they both sleep with other people which is not really a marriage in the Biblical sense. in fact it is a recipe for disaster. But a lot people professing to be believers want Jesus. they love that Jesus loves them. but they don’t want to be with him exclusively. they want Jesus but in an open marriage. they want to keep their options open. So many people today fill the church but don’t want to walk in obedience to God. They are their own God when it comes to their body and their behaviors. and habits.
     • Jesus warned of those who treat him like this
     • (21) “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. (22) On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ (23) But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’
       Matthew 7:21-23 – NLT
     • The operative words are “you who break God’s Laws”  or workers of lawlessness in other translations which connotates an ongoing sinful life. Or those who are living unrepentant lives but professing to follow Christ.
   • 3. A Call to Repentance
     • This is a clear and detailed description of what repentance looks like.  Sometimes we can let so much of the world into the church that no one can tell the difference. everyone wants a life change, a transformative power and all the benefits of being a believer in Christ. but that comes at a cost of total surrender to God. not holding back any part of us. not saying I’m not ready yet. as if whatever your doing now is working to well. IT is a call to undivided loyalty.