Conflict Revolution Series

If you could use one word to describe the current state of the world around us, what would it be? Sad? Troubled? Crazy? If you chose the word Peaceful, I may use the word Drunk to describe you! I think we would all agree that the past few years have been a difficult season, and so here’s the word I would choose – CONFLICT. It seems that no matter where you look, conflict is the name of the game. And over time, conflict can wear down even the most joyful people. And the reason for so much conflict, is because mankind, at its core, has been tainted by sin.

We often hear about counselors helping people in terms of conflict resolution. But this morning, I want to make the case that we don’t need RESOLUTION, where we come to agreement about a set of facts, we need a REVOLUTION where we come to the place that we have an entirely different perspective when it comes to conflict, Amen?

Turn with me this morning to James 4 If you’re not familiar with this James character in the Bible, here are some fun facts. James was a real historical person who was the little brother of Jesus. And despite having an up-close-and-personal relationship with the historical Jesus, church history tells us that James didn’t call himself a Christian until AFTER Jesus was crucified and rose again. And now, about 15 years have passed and James is now the pastor of a growing church in the city of Jerusalem.

And guess what…all the way back, nearly 2000 years ago, James looked around his church and asked, “Why is there so much fighting? And why in the world do some people’s lives seem to be magnets for conflict?” And so, maybe borrowing from some of the ways that he had seen Jesus address conflict, James decides it was time for a Conflict Revolution within the walls of his very own church, and this is the message he preached.

James 4:1-6

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. 4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? 6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

One of the beauties of biblical truth is that it will hold up to any context, in any culture, at any point in time. And that means that we don’t have to know exactly what type of conflict that James was specifically addressing. Was it marital conflict? Was it relational conflict among members? Was it conflict between parents and their children or between bosses and employees? It was probably D…all of the above. And so this morning, in whatever context we’re experiencing conflict, Pastor James wants us to see conflict differently. And the first thing he wants to do is to give us the tools…

1. VIEW CONFLICT REDEMPTIVELY – vs. 1-3

Now that seems like an odd statement, because redeeming something is generally viewed as positive while conflicts are generally viewed as negative. But James is telling us that conflict is actually an opportunity. Now when you hear “conflict is an opportunity” you might be thinking “yeah, an opportunity to hide a body.” But let me tell you how it really IS an opportunity. Conflict draws out of us something that is often ugly. In fact, the ugliness that it draws out is probably a good representation of what is truly in our hearts. But in that moment, when God exposes our true self, we should see this as an opportunity, not to destroy the other person, but to redemptively realign our hearts with God’s. After all, James lets us know that the issue at the heart of conflict, is not really THE issue. The issue at hand is simply the overflow of where the REAL issue lies – in the affections of the heart.

Look with me at verse 1: “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?” Notice that James doesn’t even deal with external circumstances. The relational conflict you’re experiencing is not because of the way someone said something to you, or because someone didn’t give you something you thought you deserved. James says it’s because your passions are at war within YOU…there’s no mention of the other party.