CURING CHURCH CONFLICT-I—James 4:1-17
Attention:
A Cure & its Challenge...
A new miracle doctor had just arrived in town. He could cure anything & anybody, & everyone was amazed with what he could do. Everyone except for Mr. Thompson, the town skeptic, who didn't believe a thing.
Grumpy old Mr. Thompson went to this 'miracle doctor' to prove he wasn't anybody special. "Hey, doc, I have lost my sense of taste. I can't taste nothin.' So what are ya goin' to do?"
The doctor scratched his head & mumbled to himself a little. Then he told Mr. Thompson, "What you need is jar number 47."
So the doctor retrieved the jar & told Mr. Thompson to taste it.
He tasted it & immediately spit it out, "This is gross!" he yelled.
"I just restored your sense of taste Mr. Thompson," said the doctor.
So Mr. Thompson went home very mad.
One month later, Mr. Thompson went back to the doctor with a new problem. "Doc," he started, "I can't remember anything!"
Thinking he had the doctor stumped now, he waited as the doctor scratched his head, mumbled to himself a little, & told Mr. Thompson, "What you need is jar number 47..."
Immediately Mr. Thompson was cured & fled the room!
Church Conflict can also be cured!
*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 I know we used to, like I know we’re supposed to, & like I know we can?”
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 to the cure for church conflict.
1—The cure for church conflict is challenged by....
DESIRE(for pleasure)(:1-2a)
Explanation: (:1-2a) Lust
:1—“Where do wars & fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?”
Christians & thus the church in general can be the locus of whole “Wars” & its resulting skirmishes which take place among their own number. These confrontations are, in fact, a contest of wills which arise from the collision of selfish pleasures(lusts). These “pleasures” actually arise & begin their damage plan within our own bodies. An absolutely flesh-derived want-to.
“Wars/Quarrels”(See :2—V.)—polemov—N. m.—1) A war; 2) A fight, a battle; 3) A dispute, strife, quarrel. Polemov ordinarily means war, i.e., the whole course of hostilities; mach, battle, a single engagement. It is also true that mach has often the weaker force of strife or contention, which is very seldom found in polemov. Strong—from pelomai(to bustle); Warfare (literally or figuratively; a single encounter or a series). RWP—War (polemov, old word, Mat. 24:6) pictures the chronic state or campaign, while mach (also old word, 2Cor. 7:5) presents the separate conflicts or battles in the war.
“Fights/Conflicts/Quarrels”—mach—N. f.—1) A fight or combat—1a) Of those in arms, a battle, 1b) Of persons at variance, disputants etc., strife, contention, 1c) A quarrel. Strong—A battle, i.e. (figuratively) Controversy. Used 4X.
Macaira(a large knife, used for killing animals & cutting up flesh or a small sword) is from a presumed derivative of mach.
“Desires for Pleasure/Lusts/Cravings/Desires”(See :3)—hdonh(Eng.—‘Hedonism’)—1) Pleasure; 2) Desires for pleasure. Strong—from andanw (to please); Sensual delight; by implication--Desire.
“War/Battle/Wage war”—strateuomai—V.—1) To make a military expedition, to lead soldiers to war or to battle, (spoken of a commander); 2) To do military duty, be on active service, be a soldier; 3) To fight. Strong—To serve in a military campaign; figuratively, To execute the apostolate (with its arduous duties & functions), To contend with carnal inclinations. Used 7X.
“Members”—melov—A member, limb: a member of the human body. :2—“You lust & do not have. You murder & covet & cannot obtain. You fight & war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask.”
The wars & fights occur from personal “lusts” for particular things which are unmet. These lusts are encompassed by many in the Church, thereby making the entire church worthy of reproach & reprimand.
Just because we would like something does not necessarily mean that it is something we should scrap for. Personal lust should never drive the Christian to “obtain” by any means other than by God’s provision.
However the desired thing(s) can lead to “lustful”/covetous behaviors. These “lusts” lead to other more aberrant behaviors which still do not provide relief for that which is lusted after. Interestingly, a lusting attitude is never sated.
“Murder” & “covetousness” are results of lustful desires gone awry. These behaviors of course can be indirect as well as direct. We may display murderous & openly covetous attitudes toward even our Christian family.
“Fighting,” which is a characteristic of maintaining a “warfare” among Christian brothers & sisters, begins personally.
“Lust/Want something/Desire”—epiyumew—1) To turn upon a thing; 2)To have a desire for, long for, to desire; 3) To lust after, covet—3a) Of those who seek things forbidden. Strong—To set the heart upon, i.e. Long for (rightfully or otherwise).
“Have/Get”—ecw—1) To have, i.e. to hold; 2) To have i.e. Own, possess; 3) To hold one's self or find one's self so & so, to be in such or such a condition; 4) To hold one's self to a thing, to lay hold of a thing, to adhere or cling to. Strong—A primary verb; to hold used in very various applications, literally or figuratively, direct or remote.
“Murder/Kill”—foneuw—1) To kill, slay, murder; 2) To commit murder. Strong—To be a murderer (of).
“Covet/Envious/Desire to have”—zhlow—1) To burn with zeal—1a) To be heated or to boil with envy, hatred, anger—1a1) in a good sense, To be zealous in the pursuit of good, 1b) To desire earnestly, pursue. Strong—To have warmth of feeling for or against.
“Obtain/Get/Have”—epitugcanw—1) To light or hit upon any person or thing; 2) To attain to, obtain. Strong—To chance upon, i.e. (by implication) To attain. Used 5X.
“Fight/Quarrel”(See :1— mach)—macomai—1) To fight—1a) Of armed combatants, or those who engage in a hand to hand struggle 1b) Of those who engage in a war of words, to quarrel, wrangle, dispute, 1c) Of those who contend at law for property & privileges. Used 4X.
“War/Quarrel/Fight”(See :1—N.)—polemew—V.—1) To war, carry on war; 2) To fight. Strong—To be (engaged) in warfare, i.e. To battle (literally or figuratively). Used 7X.
Argumentation:
1Cor. 11:16-19—“But if anyone seems to be contentious, we have no such custom, nor do the churches of God. Now in giving these instructions I do not praise you, since you come together not for the better but for the worse. For first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, & in part I believe it. For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you.”
Mat. 15:18-20—““But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, & they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man.....””
1Pet. 2:11-12—“Beloved, I beg you as sojourners & pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.”
1Pet. 4:1-5—“Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles--when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, & abominable idolatries. In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you. They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living & the dead.”
Gal. 5:13-23—“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.” 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. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, & the Spirit against the flesh; & these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, & the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”
Col. 3:5-11—“Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, & covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, & have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all & in all.”
Eph. 4:1-3—“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness & gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
Rom. 12:10—“Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;”
Php. 2:1-5—“Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection & mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,”
Illustration:
Source of Muslim terrorism/The “war” exists & has life due to a quest for domination demanded by their belief-system/Conquest at the cost of innocent civilian lives/DESIRE
Bringing work hierarchy into personal life/‘Boss’ considers himself ‘boss’ in church relationships/This works both ways/Worship & service in Christ becomes compromised by boss’s wanting to be the boss & by the employee wanting to run the show/DESIRE
Christian church/2 people battling for teacher or treasurer position/Neither willing to concede to the other/DESIRE
Application:
?Is your DESIRE challenged by the Cure for Church Conflict?
?Are you an advocate or hindrance to the Cure for Church Conflict?
2—The cure for church conflict is challenged by....
PRAYER(asked amiss)(:2b-3)
Explanation: (:2b-3)
:2—“You lust & do not have. You murder & covet & cannot obtain. You fight & war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask.”
“Asking” assumes a Provider! NOT asking assumes a naturalistic provider—myself, the earth, the universe, natural course of things, ‘survival of the fittest’ mentality!
Obtaining that or those things which we desire is never to be had by means of our taking them for ourselves. Such behavior violates our trust of God as our Father, Savior, Provider & Protector.
Obtaining that or those things which the Christian desires is to be couched in our simply/merely asking God in Christ. To refuse the “asking” is to so severely limit God as to make Him succumb to our fleshly appetites.
“Ask”—aitew—1) To ask, beg, call for, crave, desire, require. denotes a request of the will. `Aitew signifies to ask for something to be given, not done, giving prominence to the thing asked for rather than the person. Strong—To ask (in genitive case).
:3—“You ask & do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.”
To compound the problem of the lustful warring church members lack of asking, is the fact that those who do in fact “ask” still “do not receive.” This is not God’s fault but is because the quality of their asking is not on a par with reception & sending from the Lord.
Such ‘non-receptive’ asking is accomplished with a spirit that is averse to the will of God. ‘Non-receptive’ prayer is born out of a regard for an anemic(& thereby false) God which has been ‘dreamed up’ in our own minds.
An ulterior motive guides prayers asked amiss.
God did this & that for me. Throw in the God-word(play the God card) once in a while for good measure because the preacher’s here.
Such “amiss”(wrong) asking is further distinguished as being intentionally sought out for the purpose of one satisfying one’s fleshly “pleasures.” To satisfy this type of request is no more than a waste of that which God would have supplied. Therefore He will not supply it & thus the asker cannot receive that which is asked for.
“Amiss/With wrong motives”—kakwv—1) Miserable, to be ill; 2) Improperly, wrongly; 3) To speak ill of, revile, one. Strong—Badly (phys. or morally).
“Receive”—lambanw—1) To take. Strong—To take (in very many applications, literally & figuratively [properly objective or active, to get hold of.)
“Spend/Consume”—dapanaw—1) To incur expense, expend, spend; 2) In a bad sense: to waste, squander, consume. Used 5X.
“Pleasures/Lusts/Evil desires”(See :1)—hdonh—1) Pleasure; 2) Desires for pleasure. Strong—from andanw (to please); Sensual delight; by implication, Desire.
Argumentation:
Mat. 7:7-12—““Ask, & it will be given to you; seek, & you will find; knock, & it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, & he who seeks finds, & to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law & the Prophets.”
Mat. 18:18-20—““Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, & whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.””
Mat. 21:19-22—“And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it & found nothing on it but leaves, & said to it, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately the fig tree withered away. And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither away so soon?” So Jesus answered & said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith & do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed & be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.””
Jn. 14:12-17—““Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; & greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. “If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. “If you love Me, keep My commandments. “And I will pray the Father, & He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever-- “the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you & will be in you.”
1Jn. 3:21 -24—“Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments & do those things that are pleasing in His sight. And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ & love one another, as He gave us commandment. Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, & He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.”
**1Jn. 5:14-15—“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”
Rom. 16:17-18—“Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions & hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, & turn away from them. For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; & by their smooth & flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting.”
Php. 3:17-19—“Brethren, join in following my example, & observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. For many walk, of whom I often told you, & now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, & whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.”
Illustration:
A son or daughter who is addicted to methamphetamine/They decide making their own meth is a good move/Ask their parents or law enforcement to finance drug production/PRAYER Asked Amiss
A son or daughter wanting to start a business/They have thought it out thoroughly—Planned appropriately—Researched fully—Called to it!/Asking parents to help finance their business venture/Simple & helpful response/PRAYER
Application:
?Is your PRAYER challenged by the Cure for Church Conflict?
?Are you an advocate or hindrance to the Cure for Church Conflict?
3—The cure for church conflict is Challenged by....
FRIENDSHIP(with the world)(:4)
Explanation: (:4) with the world
: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.
“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).
“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.
“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]).
“Enmity/Hostility/Hated”—ecyra—1) Enmity; 2) Cause of enmity. Strong—Hostility; by implication, A reason for opposition.
“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.
“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.).
“Makes himself/Becomes”—kayisthmi—1) To set, place, put. Strong—To place down(permanently), i.e. figuratively--To designate, constitute, convoy.
“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).
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. 16:2-34—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.”
1Cor. 7:29-31—“But this I say, brethren, the time is short, so that from now on even those who have wives should be as though they had none, those who weep as though they did not weep, those who rejoice as though they did not rejoice, those who buy as though they did not possess, & those who use this world as not misusing it. For the form of this world is passing away.”
Illustration:
“We don’t want all that blood & gore...”—Lutherans of a liberal strain
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?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
Jar #47— Ability to cure Mr. Thompson's loss of taste & memory.
Action:
The cure for church conflict is challenged by....
1. DESIRE(for pleasure)(:1-2a)
2. PRAYER(asked amiss)(:2b-3)
3. FRIENDSHIP(with the world)(:4)
Pts. 1-3 Presented 11/17/2013pm to:
FBC C’belle
206 Storrs Ave. SE
Carrabelle, FL 32322
Pts. 1-2 Presented 02/06/2011am to:
Needmore Baptist Church
1620 Mt. Vernon Rd.
Woodleaf, NC 27054
