Face to Face with yourself: inner conflict
James chapter 4:1-6
Introduction:
We are still in the series Faith that works. I believe this is the 5th sermon. This morning dealing with inner conflict. Some say “I hope so and so is listening”. “Get him/her preacher”. This morning it is about taking a look inside yourself. You remember that James is talking to believers, not the world.
James 4:1-6
You see here that James really begins to speak to the closets of people lives. The skeleton rooms. The room that people hide from everyone else.. If you really look inside yourself, isn’t true, most of your problems are because of the battle that goes on inside of you. I’ve counseled long enough and been honest with myself enough to know that that is true.
I know that most of the time we know what is bothering us. We usually just don’t want to deal with it. (People say) I don’t know why I’m crouchy- most of the time you do, you just don’t want to say. Fights, quarrels, harsh words, bad attitude, come usually because something is stopping you from getting your way.
The battle of selfishness. I want it now I am not willing to wait. I am not willing to wait for God’s best, so I will settle for less now I want it yesterday.
Statistics tell us that the church and the world are alike when it comes to dealing with internal conflicts. (1)Divorce rate- about the same.(2)Living above our means- same.
(3)Immoral living- some have us higher, we just hide it better.
How will we get money (money that will change their life)
Sue to get it
Play the lottery.
Inherit it- waiting for granny to die.
We See people who spend a lifetime to acquire. Younger generation buying into the lie of consumerism. That they deserve it now. Don’t wait like your parents did. There should be a great distinction between the church and the world. The church should be setting the bar high and living a higher standard.
Acts chapter 5- Ananias and Saphirra sell a property, lie to the apostles for the amount given and God takes drastic measures and the church is woke up. Pretending to be something there not. Pretending to live like the Jones, living a lie. Coveting.
Truth be told, Jones are extended out, your following the Jones, and someone is following you. A vicious cycle of trying to empress someone you barely know. God says (v5) that He is a jealous God. He does not share the glory with anyone. He will not for long allow us to praise someone or something for our lives. There is a lot of things being offered on the altar of consumerism. Not to God, but a self made god and inside of us is a void that cannot be filled, a emptiness that has left our lives in chaos, unhappy although sometimes with a lot of stuff. There is a truth in the verse “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Outside the church, the church is accused of being a hypocrites. And some of it is justified. We don’t live up to what we know is right. say one thing and do another. But I say to the critics. Join us and there will be one more. I see this verse as God is a jealous God. He doesn’t share his glory and He will oppose and get after those that are proud and rebellious toward Him. But to those that are diligently seeking Him. I see Him pouring out his grace.
Definition of grace is “unmerited favor”. Giving us something we do not deserve. The turmoil inside of us alot of the time is self inflicted. We are rebellious against God. We are creating chaos in our lives. Because of rebellion it has affected our relationship with God and everyone else around us.
Let me give you some background of some of the translated words to this verse.
Quarrels- Greek word means- “continuous feuds in conflicts” Not arguments, or disagreements that get settled, but the Hatfields and Mccoys . I never forget. I never forgive. You cannot remember what started it, why you are fighting, but you remember it was a good reason.
Long drawn out resentment.
Spiritual bitterness toward God and others.
Life in general just stinks and you let everyone know you are unhappy.
Fights- Greek word means- “individual conflict, sudden explosions.”
Remember He is talking to Christians, those that know Christ. These emotions going on in Christian homes, living their lives in turmoil.
Illustration
Come to church and you fought the whole way . The kids are a mess, you are one step from eatting your young and you hit the church door- Hello brother, Hello sister Great day in the kingdom of God isn’t it. How about the Olympics, didn’t we do well?
Understand this:
God is not the author of this disorder.
God does not intend for us to live that way.
Concerning living your life.-chaos is not godly and is not considered suffering for Jesus. Christians limping through life. Verbally abused, mentally drained, spiritually empty. Godless world looks on and says if that is what it is all about, I DON’T WANT IT. I want to talk about 2 sources of conflict. There is more, we wil look at 2.
I. Overwhelming desire for pleasure
“Isn’t it because there is a whole army of evil desires within you”
A philosophy based on what pleases me
Commercials feeding that desire , telling us lies .
Have it your way
You deserve it.
Painting a picture that to have anything else is to be cheated by society. A wedge between the world and the things of God. This conflict is like a sore that just keeps getting rubbed. Remember he is talking to believers. The world has their own issues.
Every conflict begins with us:
in our body, in our mind, in our emotions. The war rages inside us.
Romans 7:19-23
“For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do, this I keep on doing. Now if I do not want to do it, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that I do it. So I find this law at work, when I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law, but I see another law at work in the member of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my member.”
Everyone has those battles in our mind. (Don’t let anybody fool you) It is what you do with them.
Battle going on right now in your mind weather you will accept or reject this verse of Scripture.
Emotions running- oh, here we go Submit to God. I don’t think so. Oh, God, that’s me That is how I am feeling. Battle for our strengths, energy, dreams, vision.
Seeking pleasure destroys our love for spiritual things.
Wrong motives cause us to do Godly things for the wrong reasons.
Matt. 11:29-30
“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden light.”
Conflicts at home
It is the wife’s fault.
It is the husband’s fault.
Conflict at work
It is my boss.
It is my client.
It is my co-worker.
The conflict begins with us.
Our attitude , our selfishness, our greed, our wanting pleasures above God causes conflict.
II. Overwhelming desires for passion
Wait a minute preacher, we just talked about pleasures. This is different. Greek Epithumea- “longing to possess.” Generally material things or things you can touch. There is in our lives a God given passion, that will find expression either for God or for the pleasures of the world. Passion in the wrong thing, wrong place and we believe that we will be the exception.
I know he/she is wrong for me, but I’ll change them.
I know I’m rebellious, but I’ll change later after I live a while and have some fun.
Although were rebellious against God, we keep praying that He will clean up our mess and change our created circumstances. (1)God is a kill joy. (2)He just doesn’t want us to have fun. God wants you to be happy. God wants you to have fun. Jesus Christ died so that you could have hope, joy, peace and a victorious life. It is not wrong to want pleasure and be satisfied. It is wrong to seek it in the wrong way. Then, not let God in your life to have a say in the matter.
Illustration
Suppose I invite you to my house for desert. I told you we were having angel food cake. I was going to make it.(Run, baby, run) Just suppose! I told you I would need pancake mix, baking soda, brownie mix, water, milk, vinegar. You would think I was crazy. Those ingredients don’t make angel food. Why can’t I make it the way I want too? God says love and obey me, I’ll give you such happiness that you can barely handle it. But you tell Him you want to do it yourself. I’ll put anger, hostility, sex, narcotics, pride, and we wonder why it don’t work. God says you don’t have what you want because you demand to do it your way and you have not come to Him. You create hell on earth and most of the time blame God when the cake of life you make is a disaster and don’t taste good anymore.
Closing
Let me bring this home
Pleasure and passion are okay, but they must be guarded by the Lord or your life will be a mess. The pattern of our lives is a indicator of our lives. If your life is always in crisis, you need to look at your life. A lot of chaos we bring on ourselves. We will either please God or please self. When we please God, there is a lot of satisfaction and pleasures in our lives. You know where your conflicts starts, and you know what you need to do to correct it.
First lie- I’m okay on my own.
Second lie- I’m better than that (exception)
Third lie- a little dirt never hurt anyone.
Mix that with
Rebellion toward God
Selfish desires
Mindless pleasures
you got a life out of control.
Bring all your thoughts under the captivity of Christ
God wants to fix it today
Deep void He wants to fill.
Control over pleasures and desires. Check and balances.
Altar Call
