CURING CHURCH CONFLICT—II—James 4:1-17
Attention:
A man limps into a hospital to have his foot X-rayed, & is asked to wait for the results.
Some time later an orderly appears & hands the man a large pill. As he’s handed the pill, a mother with a small child in need of immediate attention enters & the orderly disappears with the new patient.
The man with the foot problem hobbles over to get a glass of water, swallows the pill, & sits down to wait. Some time later the orderly reappears bringing a bucket of water to the man with the limp.
"Okay," he said, "Let’s drop the pill in this bucket & soak your foot for a while."
*Our own behaviors can circumvent the very cure we need.
Need:
The tensions in my church are are obvious. As soon as you step on the property you know it. Visitors sense it. The community talks about it. Everybody hates it. We’re losing members right & left. Can our church ever be free to serve God like we used to & like we’re supposed to?
James revealed the solution for conflict within the local church body.
There is a known cure for conflict within the local church.
What is the cure for church conflict?
8 challenges to the cure for church conflict.
Previously we discovered that....
The cure for church conflict is Challenged by....
1. DESIRE(:1-2a)
2. PRAYER(:2b-3)
3—The cure for church conflict is Challenged by....
FRIENDSHIP(:4)
Explanation: (:4)
:4—“Adulterers & adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”
If the above description does not cause the readers any alarm, then perhaps calling their sin exactly what it is will do the trick!
The lusts of James’ audience are tantamount to nothing less than adultery! They have become adulterers by giving themselves to other gods while claiming to be Christians. The gods served & serviced are those of their own appetites.
James thereby points out that their intimacy is none other than blatant “friendship with the world.” Such intimate friendship is a personal & corporate choice made by individuals & groups. Ultimately, the choice these have made is to choose “the world” over “God.” Thereby such a person has made him/herself “an enemy” of the very God they claim to serve as Christians.
“Adulterers”—moicov—1) An adulterer; 2) metaph. one who is faithless toward God, ungodly. Strong—A (male) paramour; figuratively, Apostate:-- Adulterer.
“Adulteresses”—moicaliv—1) An adulteress; 2) As the intimate alliance of God with the people of Israel was likened to a marriage, those who relapse into idolatry are said to commit adultery or play the harlot—2a) fig. equiv. to faithless to God, unclean, apostate. Strong—An adulteress (literally or figuratively):-- Adulteress(-ous, -y).
“Know”—eidw—To see with the mind’s eye, signifies a clear & purely mental perception. Strong—properly, To see (literally or figuratively); by implication (in the perf. only) To know:-- Be aware, behold, X can (+ not tell), consider, (have) know(-ledge), look (on), perceive, see, be sure, tell, understand, wish, wot.
“Friendship”—filia—Friendship. Strong—Fondness, friendship.
“World”—kosmov—1) An apt & harmonious arrangement or constitution, order, government; 2) Ornament, decoration, adornment, i.e. the arrangement of the stars, ’the heavenly hosts’, as the ornament of the heavens. 1Pe 3:3; 3) The world, the universe; 4) The circle of the earth, the earth; 5) The inhabitants of the earth, men, the human family; 6) The ungodly multitude; the whole mass of men alienated from God, & therefore hostile to the cause of Christ; 7) World affairs, the aggregate of things earthly—7a) The whole circle of earthly goods, endowments riches, advantages, pleasures, etc, which although hollow & frail & fleeting, stir desire, seduce from God & are obstacles to the cause of Christ; 8) Any aggregate or general collection of particulars of any sort. Strong—Orderly arrangement, i.e. Decoration; by implication, The world (in a wide or narrow sense, including its inhabitants, literally or figuratively [morally]):-- Adorning, world.
“Enmity”—ecyra—1) Enmity; 2) Cause of enmity. Strong—Hostility; by implication, A reason for opposition:-- Enmity, hatred.
“Wants”—boulomai—1) To will deliberately, have a purpose, be minded; 2) Of willing as an affection, to desire. Boulomai seems to designate the will which follows deliberation. Grimm—Boulomai gives preference to the rational & volitive marking the choice as deliberate & intelligent. Cremer—Boulomai has the wider range of meaning & is rather to have in thought, to intend, to be determined. Boulomai sometimes means no more than to have an inclination. Strong—To "will," i.e. (reflexively) Be willing:-- Be disposed, minded, intend, list, (be, of own) will(-ing).
“Friend”—filov—Adj.—1) Friend, to be friendly to one, wish him well. Strong—properly, dear, i.e. a friend; actively, fond, i.e. friendly (still as a noun, an associate, neighbor, etc.):-- friend.
“Makes himself”—kayisthmi—1) To set, place, put. Strong—To place down (permanently), i.e. (figuratively) To designate, constitute, convoy:-- Appoint, be, conduct, make, ordain, set.
“Enemy”—ecyrov—1) Hated, odious, hateful; 2) Hostile, hating, & opposing another. Strong—from a primary ecyw(to hate); Hateful (passively, odious, or actively, hostile); Usually as a noun, an adversary (especially Satan):-- Enemy, foe.
Argumentation:
Rom. 8:5-8 “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life & peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”
Ps. 73:22-28—“I was so foolish & ignorant; I was like a beast before You. Nevertheless I am continually with You; You hold me by my right hand. You will guide me with Your counsel, And afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh & my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart & my portion forever. For indeed, those who are far from You shall perish; You have destroyed all those who desert You for harlotry. But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, That I may declare all Your works.”
1Cor. 6:15-17—“Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ & make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For “the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.” But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.”
Ezek. 6:7-10—““The slain shall fall in your midst, & you shall know that I am the LORD. “Yet I will leave a remnant, so that you may have some who escape the sword among the nations, when you are scattered through the countries. Then those of you who escape will remember Me among the nations where they are carried captive, because I was crushed by their adulterous heart which has departed from Me, & by their eyes which play the harlot after their idols; they will loathe themselves for the evils which they committed in all their abominations. And they shall know that I am the LORD; I have not said in vain that I would bring this calamity upon them.””
Ezek. 16:6-19—READ
Mat. 12:38-42—“Then some of the scribes & Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” But He answered & said to them, “An evil & adulterous generation seeks after a sign, & no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” For as Jonah was three days & three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days & three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation & condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; & indeed a greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation & condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; & indeed a greater than Solomon is here.”
Illustration:
We don’t want all that blood & gore—Lutheran?
Newlyweds/Destined for doom if maintain their old single lifestyle relationships rather than focusing on their roles as a couple in love with one another/FRIENDSHIP
&....
The Couple has children/Destined for Doom if maintain the ‘couple with no kids’ lifestyle & relationships/Will never be able to focus on their role as parents blessed with children/FRIENDSHIP
Application:
?Is your FRIENDSHIP challenged/Hindered by the Cure for Church Conflict?
?Are you an advocate or hindrance to the Cure for Church Conflict?
4—The cure for church conflict is challenged by....
PRIDE(:5-6)
Explanation: (:5-6)
:5—“Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”?
In calling his audience to the mat, James asks them if they really believe that the Scripture states God’s truth for no good reason. Or that Scripture is vain in its commitments.
There is no direct correspondence to any single Scripture declaring this truth regarding the S(s)pirit’s jealous desire for each Christian.
There are 2 viable understandings of this verse & it is “notoriously difficult to translate.”—Richardson
James summarizes from Scripture a truth regarding....
1)the Holy Spirit(NKJV/NASB) who now dwells in all Christians,....
2Cor. 1:21-22—“Now He who establishes us with you in Christ & has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us & given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.”
Eph. 1:11-14—“In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.”
OR....
2) He speaks of the human spirit devoid of God’s control.
1)The Spirit Himself in a sense “yearns jealously” for the Christian in the same manner as the spiritual adulterers(:2-4) do for their own fleshly desires. In fact, God is indeed a jealous God. He is jealous for our commitment to Him as are spouses for each other, & rightly so, not willing to share that special love with another. *However, the term translated here as “jealously” belies its description as entirely malicious as compared to zhlow(anq) which is used of God’s jealously in Ex. 20:5(LXX). See “Jealously”—fyonov below.
Ex. 20:1 -6—“And God spoke all these words, saying: “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third & fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me & keep My commandments.”
OR more probably,....
2)The natural man as receiver & thereby possessor(?) of the spirit of life, is prone to its purely natural envious yearnings apart from its surrender to the God who gave him that life. Richardson(NAC), MacArthur, Adamson(NICNT) & Burdick(EBC) accept this translation.
“Scripture”—grafh—1) A writing, thing written; 2) The Scripture, used to denote either the book itself, or its contents; 3) A certain portion or section of the Holy Scripture. Strong—A document, i.e. Holy Writ (or its contents or a statement in it):-- Scripture.
“In Vain”—kenwv—1) Vainly, in vain. Strong—Vainly, i.e. To no purpose:-- In vain. Used 1X.
“Spirit”—pneuma—A current of air, i.e. Breath (blast) or a breeze; by analogy or figuratively, A spirit, i.e. (human) the rational soul, (by implication) Vital principle, mental disposition, etc., or (superhuman) An angel, demon, or (divine) God, Christ’s spirit, the Holy Spirit:-- ghost, life, spirit(-ual, -ually), mind.
“Dwells”—katoikew—1) To dwell, settle—1a) metaph.—Divine powers, influences, etc., are said to dwell in his soul, to pervade, prompt, govern it; 2) To dwell in, inhabit. To dwell, settle, temporarily in comparison to paroikew meaning To dwell, permanently. Strong—To house permanently, i.e. Reside (literally or figuratively):-- Dwell(-er), inhabitant(-ter). RWP—To give a dwelling to.
“Yearns”—epipoyew—1) To long for, desire; 2) To pursue with love, to long after; 3) To lust, harbor forbidden desire. Strong—To dote upon, i.e. Intensely crave possession (lawfully or wrongfully):-- (earnestly) Desire (greatly), (greatly) long (after), lust.
“Jealously”—fyonov—1) Envy; 2) For envy, i.e. Prompted by envy. Strong—Ill-will (as detraction), i.e. Jealousy (spite):-- Envy. Used 9X.
*Trench(per Adamson) states “it is used always & only in an evil signification.”(See above discussion).
:6—“But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.””
Reiterated in 1Pet. 5:5
However, in response to the unsurrendered spirit’s envy, God grants a comparatively greater grace. This is similar to Paul’s description of how sin is overridden by grace in Rom. 5:20—“Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.”—Which truth is declared specifically in Prov. 3:34 for James’ use.
Prov. 3:34—“Surely He scorns the scornful, But gives grace to the humble.”
The truth carried thru the entirety of Scripture is indeed that God is & has always been absolutely against & opposed to those identified by their self-pride.
In contrast, God indeed grants His immeasurable “grace” to those who are characterized by the obverse of pride, which is humility.
The humble regularly receive God’s goodness but the proud can never have it, as God will actively not allow it, due to the attitude of their spirit.
“Gives”—didwmi—1) To give; 2) To give something to someone; 4) To grant or permit one. Strong—To give (used in a very wide application, properly, or by implication, literally or figuratively; greatly modified by the connection):-- Adventure, bestow, bring forth, commit, deliver (up), give, grant, hinder, make, minister, number, offer, have power, put, receive, set, shew, smite (+ with the hand), strike (+ with the palm of the hand), suffer, take, utter, yield.
“More”—meizwn—Adj. comparative—1) Greater, larger, elder, stronger. Strong—Larger (literally or figuratively, specifically in age):-- Elder, greater(-est), more. Irregular comparative of megav.
“Grace”—cariv—N. f.—1) Grace; 2) Good will, loving-kindness, favor; 3) What is due to grace; 4) Thanks, (for benefits, services, favors), recompense, reward. Strong—Graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act (abstract or concrete; literal, figurative or spiritual; especially the divine influence upon the heart, & its reflection in the life; including gratitude):-- Acceptable, benefit, favor, gift, grace(-ious), joy, liberality, pleasure, thank(-s, -worthy).
“Resists”—antitassomai—1) To range in battle against; 2) To oppose one’s self, resist. The negation of—tassw—to put in order, to station. Used 5X.
“Proud”—uperhfanov—1) Showing one’s self above others, overtopping, conspicuous above others, pre-eminent; 2) With an overweening estimate of one’s means or merits, despising others or even treating them with contempt, haughty. Describes one who thinks too highly of himself, describing a trait which is simply internal, not referring primarily to external manifestation, although this is implied. It means one who is proud, the external manifestation when it appears being in the form of arrogance in dealing with others. Used 5X.
Similar to our vernacular describing ‘stuck-up’ or ‘haughty’ people—RWP
From —uper— ‘hyper,’ over, beyond &—fainw—to bring forth into the light, cause to shine, shed light or shine.
“Humble”—tapeinov—Adj.—1) Not rising far from the ground; 2) metaph.—2a) As a condition, lowly, of low degree, 2b) Brought low with grief, depressed, 2c) Lowly in spirit, humble, 2d) in a bad sense, Deporting one’s self abjectly, deferring servilely to others. Strong— Depressed, i.e. (figuratively) Humiliated (in circumstances or disposition):-- Base, cast down, humble, of low degree (estate), lowly. Used 8X.
Argumentation:
1Jn. 2:15-17—“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, & the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, & the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”
Isa. 10:12-13—“Therefore it shall come to pass, when the LORD has performed all His work on Mount Zion & on Jerusalem, that He will say, “I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria, & the glory of his haughty looks.” For he says: “By the strength of my hand I have done it, And by my wisdom, for I am prudent; Also I have removed the boundaries of the people, And have robbed their treasuries; So I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man.”
Prov. 16:18-19—“Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, Than to divide the spoil with the proud.”
Prov. 18:12—“Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty, And before honor is humility.”
1Sam. 2:3—““Talk no more so very proudly; Let no arrogance come from your mouth, For the LORD is the God of knowledge; And by Him actions are weighed.”
Ps. 138:6—“Though the LORD is on high, Yet He regards the lowly; But the proud He knows from afar.”
Lk. 14:11—““For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, & he who humbles himself will be exalted.””
Illustration:
Living in the country for the most part/People generally are less ‘lifestyle’ conscious....
People who call in to Dave Ramsey’s radio show or seek financial help/Housing choices—Some who Prefer a more extravagant lifestyle but cannot afford it/They may refuse to live within their means for lifestyle sake/*A difference between not being willing to settle for less(keeping your bar high—aiming high) & being unwilling to do the right thing/This is why bankruptcies & foreclosures are rampant/PRIDE
Love the urban lifestyle/But it may damage your children/Remain urban despite the need of your family/PRIDE
Application:
?Is your PRIDE challenged by the Cure for Church Conflict?
?Are you an advocate or hindrance to the Cure for Church Conflict?
5—The cure for church conflict is challenged by....
RESISTANCE(:7-8a)
Explanation: (:7-8a)
:7—“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil & he will flee from you.”
Seeing that God both actively 1) Sets Himself against the proud, & 2) Extends more “grace” to the humble(:6), it thereby makes perfect sense for His people to be encouraged in willingly “submitting to God.” This is a volitional act which must be undertaken by every believer.
To complement this action godward, we are also called to its contrasting action of actively standing against the slanderer( devil”) himself. Upon our doing so, he will in turn, be driven to “flee” from the very one who stands against him.
Thereby, the true Christian will not live in fear of the devil & his strategies but rather stands against them empowered by his/her submission to God.
Eph. 6:10-18—“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord & in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh & blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, & having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, & having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, & the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer & supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance & supplication for all the saints--”
“Submit”—upotassw—1) To arrange under, to subordinate; 2) To subject, put in subjection; 3) To subject one’s self, obey; 4) To submit to one’s control; 5) To yield to one’s admonition or advice; 6) To obey, be subject. A Greek military term meaning “to arrange [troop divisions] in a military fashion under the command of a leader.” In non-military use, it was “a voluntary attitude of giving in, cooperating, assuming responsibility, & carrying a burden.” Strong—To subordinate; reflexively, to obey:-- Be under obedience (obedient), put under, subdue unto, (be, make) subject (to, unto), be (put) in subjection (to, under), submit self unto.
“Resist”—anyisthmi—1) To set one’s self against, to withstand, resist, oppose; 2) To set against. Strong—To stand against, i.e. Oppose:-- Resist, withstand.
“Devil”—diabolov—1) Prone to slander, slanderous, accusing falsely—1a) A calumniator, false accuser, slanderer, 2) metaph. Applied to a man who, by opposing the cause of God, may be said to act the part of the devil or to side with him. From—diaballw—1) to throw over or across, to send over; 2) to traduce, calumniate, slander, accuse, defame. Strong—A traducer; specially, Satan:-- False accuser, devil, slanderer.
“Flee”—feugw—1) To flee away, seek safety by flight; 2) metaph. To flee (to shun or avoid by flight) something abhorrent, esp. vices; 3) To be saved by flight, to escape safely out of danger; 4) poetically, To flee away, vanish. Strong—To run away (literally or figuratively); by implication, To shun; by analogy, To vanish:-- Escape, flee (away).
:8—“Draw near to God & He will draw near to you.”.....”
Further emphasizing his point of submission to God, James points out that one’s “drawing near” sets in motion a mutual response on God’s part. The two parties thus approach one another!
However, again(:7) it is a matter of personal volition on the part of the sinner to approach God.
But in order to approach God rightly, & with the enablement to receive the fullness of His presence, one must first let go of that to which he currently clings... that which is representative of his sinful pursuits, a trust in self & the world rather than trust in God thru Christ.
“Draw near”—eggizw—1) To bring near, to join one thing to another; 2) To draw or come near to, to approach. Strong—To make near, i.e. (reflexively) Approach:-- Approach, be at hand, come (draw) near, be (come, draw) nigh.
Argumentation:
Rom. 10:1-4—“Brethren, my heart’s desire & prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, & seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.”
Mat. 11:29—““Take My yoke upon you & learn from Me, for I am gentle & lowly in heart, & you will find rest for your souls.”
1Pet. 2:13-14—“Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers & for the praise of those who do good.”
Lk. 4:1-13; Mat. 4:10-11—“Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, & Him only you shall serve.’” Then the devil left Him, & behold, angels came & ministered to Him.” Lk. 4:13—“Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.”
The devil’s temptation of Jesus(Mat. 4:1-11) was met by Jesus’ reliance upon God’s very word(in its proper context), the truth of reality! Thereby the devil fled!....but he left only temporarily! until a more opportune time. One instance of victory over the devil is no guarantee of his protracted flight.
Illustration:
I can remember going to the elementary school(1963-5?) to receive a sugar cube with oral polio medication on it/The entire school had to take the cube/We had to draw near(submit) to receive the cure/The sugar cube secured our RESISTANCE to polio virus
Small pox shot/Our parents encouraged by the govt. to get vaccinated/They had to resist the temptation to avoid the nurse administering the shot/Swallow our pride & get the shot!/RESISTANCE
Application:
?Is your RESISTANCE challenged by the Cure for Church Conflict?
?Are you an advocate or hindrance to the Cure for Church Conflict?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
Limping man swallowing soaking pill.
*Our own behaviors can circumvent the very cure we need.
Action:
The cure for church conflict is Challenged by....
3. FRIENDSHIP(:4)
4. PRIDE(:5-6)
5. RESISTANCE(:7-8a)
?Are you an advocate or hindrance to the Cure for Church Conflict?
1. DESIRE(:1-2a)
2. PRAYER(:2b-3)
Presented 02/20/2011pm to:
Needmore Baptist Church
1620 Mt. Vernon Rd.
Woodleaf, NC 27054
