How To Make Up Your Mind Series

A. Have you experienced the FRUSTRATION of trying to LIVE in two WORLDS?

1. You are a Christian on Sunday morning, but then during the week at WORK or at SCHOOL when

with your Non-Christian friends you ACT like them. Christ certainly doesn’t SHINE through.

ILLUSTRATION:

I shared with you recently that as a teenager that’s exactly what I tried to do. When I was at church or youth functions or just hanging out with my Christian friends, I always put my best foot forward and acted like a good Christian. Everyone would say to my Mom and Dad, “Your son Freddie is such a fine Christian young man.” And I was—around them.

But when I was at school or hung-out with my WORLDLY friends, Christ could seldom be seen in my LIFE. I would tell CRUDE JOKES just like them. I would use FOUL LANGUAGE. I would involve myself in SINFUL ACTIONS. You couldn’t tell us APART.

The PROBLEM was trying to LIVE this DOUBLE-LIFE. When I was with my Christian FRIENDS I acted like a Christian should. But when I was with my WORLDLY FRIENDS, I acted like the DEVIL. I didn’t want either GROUP to know about my DOUBLE LIFE.

So, when I was with my WORLDLY FRIENDS and a Christian FRIEND walked in, I would quickly LEAVE. And I did the same thing when I was with my Christian FRIENDS, and a WORLDLY FRIEND walked in. And this went on for a long time until I finally MADE UP MY MIND who I was going to SERVE—Christ or Satan?

2. This is what James is describing in our text- James 1:5-8 (READ)

a. In the Greek the word “DOUBLE-MINDED” is a combination of two words “twice” and “soul”, which literally means: “TWO SOULED” or “A SOUL DIVIDED IN TWO”.

b. James is the only writer in the Bible who uses this term and he uses it twice, here and 4:8.

COMMENT:

It’s the idea of going two different DIRECTIONS in life—to follow two opposite PATHS. James is describing a person who WAVES and WAFFLES over every CHALLENGE, every DECISION, and every POTENTIAL DIRECTION for his life. Which way he GOES depends on the PRESSURES felt at any given moment.

The DOUBLE-MINDED are the type of people that you can never REALLY COUNT ON for anything. They TALK BIG, but do very little that is LASTING.

B. As Christian we are not to be DOUBLE-MINDED.

1. With DOUBLE-MINDEDNESS come DIVIDED ALLEGIANCE.

a. Jesus- “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will

be devoted to one and despise the other” – Matthew 5:24a.

b. Jesus- “He who is not with me is against me”- Matthew 12:30a.

2. We either SERVE God or we don’t. We are either on Christ’s SIDE or we’re not.

3. We can’t STRADDLE THE FENCE and think that God is pleased with our WALK.

4. We have to MAKE UP OUR MINDS.

MESSAGE:

I. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE DOUBLE-MINDED

A. He or she is a DOUBTER.

1. James said, “When you PRAY you are to BELIEVE and not DOUBT”- James 1:6a.

a. This is ASKING in FAITH.

b. What kind of FAITH is James talking about?

COMMENT:

Is it a FAITH that simply believes, with confidence, that we will RECEIVE that for which

we ask? Or is it a FAITH based on our COMPLETE TRUST in God no matter what?

Is it a FAITH fueled by our BELIEF that God EXISTS? Or is it a FAITH based on our GENUINE BELIEF in WHO GOD IS and WHO WE ARE in Him?

2. The DOUBTING person is one who is DIVIDED in his or her own MIND.

a. James said, “He is like the wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind”- James 1:6b.

ILLUSTRATION:

How many of you saw the movie “The Perfect Storm”? It was a good movie—ROTTEN ENDING. It’s a TRUE STORY, and sometimes TRUE LIFE doesn’t END the way we like. It starred George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg. For those of you who may have missed it, it was the story of incredible storm of 1991 that struck the northeast coast. The story chronicled the fateful events that led to the SINKING of the fishing boat, ANDREA GAIL, and the LOSS

of its SIX-MAN CREW, captained by BILLY TYNE—played by Clooney in the movie.

The “PERFECT STORM,” was actually called the “HALLOWEEN STORM OF 1991.” It was called the PERFECT STORM because of the extraordinary way it formed. Three massive WEATHER SYSTEMS came together in the northwest Atlantic Ocean. A massive COLD FRONT had moved south out of Canada. An EXTRATROPICAL CYCLONE had formed about 300 miles east of Nova Scotia. And the subtropical HURRICANE, GRACE, was moving north from the south. These three SYSTEMS met in the PERFECT PLACE, at the PERFECT TIME,