CURING CHURCH CONFLICT—III—James 4:1-17
Attention: This sermon hit home for many!!
A zookeeper wanted to get some extra animals for his zoo, so he decided to compose a letter. The only problem was that he didn't know the plural of "mongoose."
He started the letter: "To whom it may concern, I need two mongeese."
No, that wouldn't work, so he tried again: "To whom it may concern, I need two mongooses." Is that right?
Finally, he got an idea: "To whom it may concern, I need a mongoose, & while you're at it, send me another one."
He never learned the correct term.
*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.
How can church conflict to be cured?
8 challenges/hindrances to the cure for church conflict.
Previously we discovered that....
The cure for church conflict is challenged/hindered by....
1. DESIRE(:1-2a)
2. PRAYER(:2b-3)
3. FRIENDSHIP(:4)
4. PRIDE(:5-6)
5. RESISTANCE(:7-8a)
6. JOY(:8b-10)
7—The cure for church conflict is challenged by....
JUDGMENT(:11-12)
Explanation: (:11-12)Consideration/Slander/Defamation
:11—“Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother & judges his brother, speaks evil of the law & judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.”
“Do not speak evil of one another, brethren.
James’ audience is cautioned not to badmouth/slander their fellow Christian brothers/sisters. Particularly one’s own family members(brethren) should not be slandered.
“Evil speaking” here is not referring to ‘exposing sin with godly intent’, but is referring to the malicious sin of intentional slander. “It refers to mindless, thoughtless, careless, critical, derogatory, untrue speech...”—John MacArthur
“He who speaks evil of a brother & judges his brother, speaks evil of the law & judges the law.”
“Evil speaking” is an affront to God because anyone who speaks evil of his own “brother” in Christ, judging him wrongly, is saying that “the law”, declaring we should ‘never slander our brother’ is thereby wrong. In doing so, we slander both our “brother” as well as “the law” which emanates from God.
What is “the law”? God’s perfect “law of liberty”(1:25; 2:12) that states... people are saved by grace thru faith alone. A law that is made practical in love for one another!
Rom. 13:8, 10—“Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.”.....“Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”
Gal. 5:13-14—“For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.””
Col. 3:12-14—“Therefore, as the elect of God, holy & beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, & forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.”
Js. 2:8-9—“If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well; but if you show partiality, you commit sin, & are convicted by the law as transgressors.”
If the OT Jewish law then it is plain that no one can measure up to it & all are condemned(Rom. ).
AND...
Lev. 19:16-18—“‘You shall not go about as a talebearer among your people; nor shall you take a stand against the life of your neighbor: I am the LORD. ‘You shall not hate your brother in your heart. bYou shall surely rebuke your neighbor, & not bear sin because of him. ‘You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.”
Mat. 22:36-40—““Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus said to him,” ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, & with all your mind.’ “This is the first & great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ “On these two commandments hang all the Law & the Prophets.””
Such a vilifier “judges” the law, determining it as unworthy for its purpose. Furthermore he brings his judgment to bear thru imperfect means, as a sinner.
“But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.”
As a “judge” of “the law” then, one does not “do” the law but instead sits as a “judge” of it. Such judgment shows that the “judge” is not satisfied with the law(even God’s law of love) as he views himself above & superior to the law &, as such, will not intentionally “do” it.
‘Poor Judgment’ is borne of carelessness or frustration & is temporary...
BUT
Judgmentalism/Slander/Defamation/Denigration are all born of a deep seated hatred harbored & nourished in the heart....
It causes you to lose God’s rewards, Trust, Friendships, personal Peace, & your Christian Witness to a lost & dying world!
1Jn. 2:9-11—“He who says he is in the light, & hates his brother, is in darkness until now. He who loves his brother abides in the light, & there is no cause for stumbling in him. But he who hates his brother is in darkness & walks in darkness, & does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.”
1Jn. 4:20-21—“If someone says, “I love God,” & hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.”
Mat. 5:11-12—““Blessed are you when they revile & persecute you, & say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice & be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Rom. 12:19-21(Ps. 25:21-22)—“Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
?Do you stand in judgment of God’s determinations?...His right & wrong...Society opposes it...Do your judgments reveal that you side with man or God?
“Speak evil of/Speak Against/Slander”3X—katalalew— = ‘Speaking(lalew) Down/About/Against(kata)’—V.—1) To speak against one, to criminate, traduce. Strong—To be a traducer, i.e. To slander:-- Speak against(evil of). Used 5X.
“Judges”—krinw—1) To separate, put asunder, to pick out, select, choose; 2) To approve, esteem, to prefer; 3) To be of opinion, deem, think, to be of opinion; 4) To determine, resolve, decree; 5) To judge; 6) To rule, govern—6a) To preside over with the power of giving judicial decisions, because it was the prerogative of kings & rulers to pass judgment; 7) To contend together, of warriors & combatants. Strong—properly, To distinguish, i.e. Decide (mentally or judicially); by implication, To try, condemn, punish:-- Avenge, conclude, condemn, damn, decree, determine, esteem, judge, go to (sue at the) law, ordain, call in question, sentence to, think.
“Law”—nomov—1) anything established, anything received by usage, a custom, a law, a command. It may mean law in general. In the N.T., however, it usually means the law of God, & most frequently the Mosaic law. Strong—from a primary nemw(to parcel out, especially food or grazing to animals); Law (through the idea of prescriptive usage), genitive case (regulation), specifically (of Moses [including the volume]; also of the Gospel), or figuratively (a principle):-- Law.
“Doer”—poihthv—1) A maker, a producer, author; 2) A doer, performer—2a) One who obeys or fulfils the law; 3) A poet. Strong—A performer; specifically, a "poet":-- Doer, poet. Used 6X.
—We think of poets as word-crafters of sorts. Thus this is not an accidental “doing” spoken of but is intentional.
“Judge”—krithv—1) One who passes or arrogates to himself, judgment on anything—1a) An arbiter, 1b) Of a Roman procurator administering justice, 1c) of God passing judgment on men, 1d) of the leaders or rulers of the Israelites. Gives prominence to the mental process, whether the judge is a magistrate or not.
:12—“There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save & to destroy. Who are you to judge another?”
To make his point clear, James declares the objective truth that there is only one true “Lawgiver.” And this Lawgiver is both “able to save & destroy.” In fact, He has ultimate Law-giving ability.
So anyone arrogant enough to take it upon himself to judge the law(of God)—That people are saved by grace thru faith alone— is foolish & has no actual right to judge any of his Christian brothers.
*The scenario begs the question...who does a person so smugly think they are to judge another if they will not accept God’s perfect law(of liberty (1:25; 2:12))?
“Lawgiver”—nomoyethv—A lawgiver. Strong— A legislator:-- Lawgiver. Used 1X.
“Save”—swzw—1) To save, keep safe & sound, to rescue from danger or destruction. To save, i.e. Deliver or protect (literally or figuratively):-- Heal, preserve, save (self), do well, be (make) whole.
“Destroy”—apollumi—1) To destroy. Strong—To destroy fully (reflexively, to perish, or lose), literally or figuratively:-- Destroy, die, lose, mar, perish.
Argumentation:
Titus 3:1-7—“Remind them to be subject to rulers & authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts & pleasures, living in malice & envy, hateful & hating one another. But when the kindness & the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration & renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”
Rom. 14:22—“....Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves.”
*Gal. 5:14-16—“For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite & devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another! I say then: Walk in the Spirit, & you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”
*Gal. 6:1-5—“Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, & so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one examine his own work, & then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, & not in another. For each one shall bear his own load.”
2Cor. 1:12—Paul & Timothy—“For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity & godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, & more abundantly toward you.”
2Thes. 3:13-15—“But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good. And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person & do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.”
**Mat. 7:1-5—““Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; & with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; & look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, & then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”
Jn. 7:24—““Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.””
Illustration:
Dr. Craig Conner(FBC Panama City, FL) was raised by his grandfather/When Craig was called into pastoral ministry his granfather would not accept it & they were estranged for 2 yrs./The Cure for their conflict was Challenged by Grandad’s JUDGMENT
Friends—What judgments are involved in choosing them?
The saying, ‘Beauty is in the Eye of the beholder’/JUDGMENT
Views & passions regarding ‘hot-button’ issues/Abortion-Homosexuality-Pot-Liquor-Marriage, etc./JUDGMENT
Application:
?Is your JUDGMENT challenged by the Cure for Church Conflict?
?Are you an advocate or hindrance to the Cure for Church Conflict?
8—The cure for church conflict is challenged by....
CONTROL(:13-17)
Explanation: (:13-17)
:13—“Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such & such a city, spend a year there, buy & sell, & make a profit”;”
This section(:13-17) relates the importance of responding to the will of God(MacArthur) & how a boastful arrogance plays into a lack of spiritual discernment.
This is seen in the money-making tactics of businessmen. Their self-determined approach at doing business leaves no room for guidance by the Holy Spirit.
They regularly decide when & where & for how long they will do business. Their sole purpose is to “make a profit.” There is no purpose of God in their determinations. They assume that so-much time can be allotted for their money-making endeavors.
“Spend/Continue”—poiew—1)To make; 2) To do. Strong—To make or do (in a very wide application, more or less direct).
“And spend a year there (kai poihsomen ekei eniauton). Another future (active of poiew). “We will do a year there.””—RWP
“Buy & sell/Engage in business/Carry on business”—emporeuomai—V.—1) To go a trading, to travel for business, to traffic, trade; 2) Of a thing, to import for sale; 3) To deal in; 4) To use a person or a thing for gain. Used 3X. From —emporia—N. f.—Trade, merchandise. Our English—Emporium.
“Make a Profit/Get gain/Make money”—kerdainw—1) To gain, acquire, to get gain; 2) metaph.—2a) of gain arising from shunning or escaping from evil (where we say "to spare one's self", "be spared"), 2b) To gain any one i.e. to win him over to the kingdom of God, to gain one to faith in Christ, 2c) To gain Christ's favor & fellowship. Strong—To gain (literally or figuratively):-- (get) Gain, win.
:14—“whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time & then vanishes away.”
However, the fact remains that these businessmen have no idea what will take place even tomorrow much less a year from now. It is humanly impossible to know their future apart from God. In so doing business(without God), they have neglected to consider the brevity of their own lives & the actuality of the resulting insecurity arising from their business ventures.
*Prov. 27:1—“Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth.”
1Pet. 1:24-25—“....“All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, And its flower falls away, But the word of the LORD endures forever.” Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.”
1Pet. 4:7—“But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious & watchful in your prayers.”
“Vapor”—atmiv—Strong—Mist:-- vapor. Used 2X. “Old word for mist (like atmov, from which our “atmosphere”)”—RWP
“Appears”—fainw—V.—(fainomenh—Eng.= ‘phenomenon’)—1) To bring forth into the light, cause to shine, shed light; 2) Shine. refers to the actual external appearance, generally correct, but possibly deceptive. Strong—To lighten (shine), i.e. Show (transitive or intransitive, literal or figurative):-- Appear, seem, be seen, shine, X think.
“Little time”—prov oligov—prov—1) To the advantage of; 2) At, near, by; 3) To, towards, with, with regard to. Strong—A preposition of direction; Forward to, i.e. Toward.— oligov—1) Little, small, few—1a) Of number: multitude, quantity, or size, 1b) Of time: short, 1c) Of degree or intensity: light, slight. Strong—Puny (in extent, degree, number, duration or value); especially neuter (adverbial) Somewhat:-- + Almost, brief[-ly], few, (a) little, + long, a season, short, small, a while.
“Vanishes”—afanizw—Negation of fainw(“appear”). —1) To snatch out of sight, to put out of view, to make unseen; 2) To cause to vanish away, to destroy, consume; 3) To deprive of lustre, render unsightly. Strong—To render unapparent, i.e. (actively) Consume (becloud), or (passively) Disappear (be destroyed):-- Corrupt, disfigure, perish, vanish away. Used 5X. 8—The cure for church conflict is challenged by....
CONTROL(:13-17)
:15—“Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live & do this or that.””
Rather than making such bold plans(:13) apart from God’s direction, the wise person(Christian) will make preparation only as or even “if the Lord wills.” The wise Christian realizes & obtains God’s direction in securing their lives & that work to which their hands & energies are set. Thereby every aspect of their living is organized around the direction of the Lord.
“If the Lord wills”—“The proper attitude of mind (Acts 18:21; 1Cor. 4:19; 16:7; Rom. 1:19; Php. 2:19,24; Heb. 6:3), not to be uttered always in words like a charm.—RWP
Yes, God has a “will” as do we!
“Wills”—yelw—1) To will, have in mind, intend. Strong—To determine (as an active option from subjective impulse;...i.e. Choose or prefer (literally or figuratively); by implication, To wish, i.e. Be inclined to (sometimes adverbially, gladly); impersonally for the future tense, To be about to; by Hebraism, To delight in:-- Desire, be disposed (forward), intend, list, love, mean, please, have rather, (be) will (have, -ling, -ling[-ly]).
:16—“But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.”
The person considering the Lord’s will in his business ventures—or any other venture for that matter—boasts/glories in the Lord’s determinations, direction & guidance for one’s life.
the opposite extreme of this is the example of :13, where the business partners plan endeavors apart from God’s direction. This is nothing more than glorying in one’s own “arrogance.”
James makes no bones about it, that such a boasting is downright evil of a vicious, mischievous & hurtful kind.
“Boast/Rejoice”—kaucaomai—1) To glory (whether with reason or without); 2) To glory on account of a thing; 3) To glory in a thing.
See Js. 1:9(“glory”); 2:13(“triumphs”); Js. 3:14(“boast”).
“Arrogance/Brag”—alazoneia—1) Empty, braggart talk; 2) An insolent & empty assurance, which trusts in its own power & resources & shamefully despises & violates divine laws & human rights; 3) An impious & empty presumption which trusts in the stability of earthy things. Strong—Braggadocio, i.e. (by implication) Self-confidence:-- Boasting, pride. Used 2X— here & 1Jn. 2:16(“pride of life”).
“Evil”—ponhrov—1) Full of labors, annoyances, hardships—1a) Pressed & harassed by labors, 1b) Bringing toils, annoyances, perils; of a time full of peril to Christian faith & steadfastness; causing pain & trouble; 2) Bad, of a bad nature or condition. It means mischief-making, delighting in injury, doing evil to others, dangerous, destructive. Strong—Hurtful, i.e. Evil (properly, in effect or influence....figuratively, Calamitous; also (passively) Ill, i.e. Diseased; but especially (morally) Culpable, i.e. Derelict, vicious, facinorous; neuter (singular) Mischief, malice, or (plural) Guilt; masculine (singular) The devil, or (plural) Sinners:-- Bad, evil, grievous, harm, lewd, malicious, wicked(-ness).
:17—“Therefore, to him who knows to do good & does not do it, to him it is sin.”
As a result, of the previous facts, for the person who is fully aware that they are “to do” God’s “good,” it is expected that they will do it. Anything less —not doing the good— is pure & unadulterated “sin.” It is “sin” for every individual who chooses not to do what is God’s determination of “good.”
“Good”—kalov—1) Beautiful, handsome, excellent, eminent, choice, surpassing, precious, useful, suitable, commendable, admirable. Kalov is a much higher word. It means beautiful, physically or morally. It is, however, distinctly the beauty which comes from harmony, the beauty which arises from a symmetrical adjustment in right proportion, in other words, from the harmonious completeness of the object concerned. Strong—properly, Beautiful, but chiefly (figuratively) Good (literally or morally), i.e. Valuable or virtuous (for appearance or use:-- X Better, fair, good(-ly), honest, meet, well, worthy.
“Sin”—amartia—1) Equivalent to amartanw—1a) To be without a share in, 1b) To miss the mark, 1c) To err, be mistaken, 1d) To miss or wander from the path of uprightness & honor, to do or go wrong, 1e) To wander from the law of God, violate God's law, sin; 2) That which is done wrong, sin, an offense, a violation of the divine law in thought or in act; 3) Collectively, the complex or aggregate of sins committed either by a single person or by many. Strong—To miss the mark (& so not share in the prize), i.e. (figuratively) To err, especially (morally) To sin:-- for your faults, offend, sin, trespass.
Argumentation:
*Gen. 11:4 “And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, & a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.””
In direct disobedience to the desire of God to “fill the earth & subdue it”.(Gen. 1:28).
*Lk. 12:16-21 “Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns & build greater, & there I will store all my crops & my goods. ‘And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, & be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ So is he who lays up treasure for himself, & is not rich toward God.””
*Rev. 18:1-7—“After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, & the earth was illuminated with his glory. And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, & has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, & a cage for every unclean & hated bird! For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, & the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury. And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, & lest you receive of her plagues. For her sins have reached to heaven, & God has remembered her iniquities. Render to her just as she rendered to you, & repay her double according to her works; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her. In the measure that she glorified herself & lived luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment & sorrow; for she says in her heart, ‘I sit as queen, & am no widow, & will not see sorrow.’”
Illustration:
A car/We go to elaborate lengths to make it ours—personalize it/Paint—License tags—Keys—Engine—Stereo—Air, etc./CONTROL
Application:
?Is your CONTROL challenged by the Cure for Church Conflict?
?Are you an advocate or hindrance to the Cure for Church Conflict?
CONCLUSION:
(This sermon hit home for many!!)
Visualization:
The zookeeper's mongeese or mongooses?
Action:
The cure for church conflict is challenged/hindered by....
7—JUDGMENT(:11-12)
8—CONTROL(:13-17)
1. DESIRE(:1-2a)
2. PRAYER(:2b-3)
3. FRIENDSHIP(:4)
4. PRIDE(:5-6)
5—RESISTANCE(:7-8a)
6—JOY(:8b-10)
Pts. 7-8 Presented 02/02/2014pm to:
FBC C’belle
206 Storrs Ave. SE
Carrabelle, FL 32322
Pts. 6-8 Presented 03/06/2011pm to:
Needmore Baptist Church
1620 Mt. Vernon Rd.
Woodleaf, NC 27054
