Memorial Day Sermon
James 4:1-6
5/27/2012
This weekend we take the time to honor those Americans who died on battlefields across the earth.
“For love of country they accepted death...” ~James A. Garfield
• A total of almost 2.5 million men.
• 9 major wars (from the Revolutionary war to the War on Terror)
• 66 minor wars, including the Thomas Jefferson’s Barbary pirate expedition and the Cold war.
• 146 National Cemeteries in the US
• 24 American Military Cemeteries overseas
I would like us to take a few minutes and honor these men and women by getting an understanding of just how much they gave so that we can enjoy the Freedom and privileges we have today.. We will view a presentation of the cemeteries and memorials so as we contemplate their sacrifice and pray for our future.
“And I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free.
And I won't forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.” ~Lee Greenwood
As Americans we are not afraid to fight, though we think highly of life and living.
We do not want our young men to die needlessly.
We do not like war, but sometimes war is the only way to peace.
But there is something, we as Americans, hate more than war, and that is loosing.
If we are going to fight a war, let us fight it to win.
For the most part I would also say that America is not prone to starting wars.
For the most part I would say that our attitude toward war is the right one.
So I must ask, with all the life lost through war, why do wars start?
• We do men continually seek to kill each other.
• Fifth Commandment – “You shall not kill” was broken before it was ever written by the Cain, the first born son of Adam.
• James, the brother of Christ, has something to say about this.
• We are going to skip over a few Chapters of James for the short run so that we can touch on James 4. We will come back to James 2 later.
• Look at Chapter 4
Jam 4:1 From where come wars and fights among you? Do they not come, even of your lusts (ἡäïíή, hedonism – our desire for pleasure or things) that war in your members? Jam 4:2 You lust, and have not: you kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: you fight and war, yet you have not, because you ask not. Jam 4:3 You ask, and receive not, because you ask amiss, that you may consume [it] upon your lusts.
Jam 4:4 You adulterers and adulteresses, know you not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. Jam 4:5 Or do you think that vainly the scripture says, to envy lusts the spirit that dwells in us? (i.e. the Holy Spirit desires our attention) Jam 4:6 But he gives more grace. Wherefore he says, God resists the proud, but gives grace unto the humble.
1. Man craves for things and when he does not get them in his timing, he set out in his own power to fulfill those cravings. How do you deal with cravings (Lust)? (4:1)
2. There are two ways to deal with one’s cravings or lust (4:2):
a. You can strive to get it.
b. You can petition God for it.
3. Why does man not get the things he prays for? (4:2) “man does not pray!”
a. We do not pray for the things we want because we do not believe God is real and therefore know he won’t be giving us anything.
i. Self fulfilling prophecy
ii. We don’t pray and say, see God is not real
b. We do not pray for things because we think God is powerless to provide for us.
i. Our God is not big enough
ii. Self fulfilling prophecy
iii. We don’t pray and say, see God can’t deliver
c. We do not pray for things because we do not think we are good enough to receive it from God. Problem with this mindset is a misunderstanding of our character and a misunderstanding of God’s character.
i. You and I will never be good enough to receive anything from God if God bases his giving on our being good.
ii. God does not base his giving on our goodness!
iii. Mat 5:45 He makes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
iv. Therefore to base our prayer on whether or not we are good is just plan stupid.
4. Why does man not get the things he prays for? (4:3) “man prays amiss!”
a. We do not get what we pray for because we pray for things are direct violations of God’s Word, therefore God cannot give it to you.
b. We do not get what we pray for because we pray for something that is not for anyone’s benefit but ours. (Lust, Cravings)
c. We do not get what we pray for because we pray for because we are not able to handle that item at this time in our life.
d. We do not get what we pray for because that thing we are praying for shows everyone that we are “adulterers and adulteresses who have jumped into bed with the world. (4:4)
Jam 4:4 You adulterers and adulteresses, know you not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
i. We can never be friends with God when we are friends with the world.
ii. We can never be friends with the World, if we are friends of God.
iii. What does friendship with the World look like?
1. It means to agree and practice the world’s customs, culture, and morals either knowingly or unknowingly.
a. Most do not realize when they are agreeing to or practicing the world’s customs, culture, or morals because America is eaten up with it.
b. The National Education Association,(NEA) only allows teachers that believe in their agenda to rise to the top.
c. The elite class of tenured socialist professors dominating our Colleges and Universities mold their thoughts into virtually every college student in America. Only the chosen few are allowed to become professors of the elite schools
d. Madison Avenue’s advertising agencies via Television and Hollywood dictate our customs, culture, and morals.
i. What to believe
ii. What is acceptable vocabulary
iii. What is sexually allowable
iv. What religions are acceptable
American Christians, as a whole, have bought into a way of life that today is wholeheartedly the world. We would be better off becoming Amish.
5. We can no longer hear God, because of the World’s gravity, sucking us into its filth. Thus James says:
Jam 4:5 Or do you think that vainly the scripture says, ‘to envy’ lusts the spirit whom dwells in us? (i.e. the Holy Spirit desires our attention, but we do not respond)
Jam 4:6 But he gives more grace. Wherefore he says, God resists the proud, but gives grace unto the humble.
Run from the World!
Return to God!
Open your ears to hear what he says!
You want wars to stop. They will stop when we bring the Christian heart to every man women and child in the world.
Love your neighbor, but separate ourselves unto God, let them see God working in your life.
Make them know that following God is not the same as following the American version of the world.
But realistically, war is coming. War like you have never seen or heard of in your life.
Pray that we be delivered before it gets here.
Pray
