Sermon for March 1, 2020: James 4:1-12 - Submission to God
1. We’ve been looking at the letter of James, the brother of Jesus. He was the pastor of the church in Jerusalem and he loved and cared deeply for his congregation.
In his day-to-day life he observed the congregation struggling with many of the same things that we struggle with today.
And God placed a burden on James to express God’s heart toward the followers of Jesus in Jerusalem. And God speaks to us today.
4. Today’s passage covers a few things. He talks about:
1. What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?
Christians not getting along, fighting amongst ourselves
That those disagreements with others stem from internal battles.
5. When we are at peace with God in our own hearts, we don’t fight with others. We seek dialogue and understanding.
We are willing to have conversations to deal with different viewpoints. We seek to be reasonable and kind.
We give each other the benefit of the doubt and do not assume evil motives of each other.
Near the end of our passage today James says more about how we relate to each other.
11 Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges… But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?
Bottom line: let’s not judge each other. If we’re in conflict, let’s talk it through.
If you’re in the church, or part of any human gathering, guess what.
At some point someone is going to say or do something that you don’t like or don’t understand.
And you may be tempted to gossip about them. You may be tempted to talk to everyone else but not the person who you’re mad at.
Don’t do that. Give yourself time to cool down. Mind your tongue, don’t slander anyone or gossip about what you’re annoyed about.
And as soon as you possibly can, talk to the person that you’re mad at. Talk it through. Find that courage and maturity to talk it through.
99% of the time you’ll figure out that it was a misunderstanding or a miscommunication. You'll find out it was nothing like the big deal you’ve made it in your head.
And when you talk it out and you really listen to each other, you’ll realize that you misjudged. Or one of both of you will realize that you hurt the other person without knowing it.
And you apologize. And you move on.
Thanks James, for reminding us to not judge each other.
6. James talks about a reason our prayers don’t seem to get answered. He says:
2b. You do not have because you do not ask God.
Sometimes we don’t ask God in faith.
We ask God in our complaint. So our prayers are bitter and resentful, and...boom. They don’t get answered.
7. OR we ask with wrong motives. Ever done that? I have.
3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
In John 14:14, Jesus says: “You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”
Here, Jesus does not promise His disciples anything and everything they want; rather, He instructs them to ask “in my name.”
To pray in Jesus’ name is to pray on the basis of Jesus’ authority, but it also involves praying according to the will of God, for the will of God is what Jesus always did (John 6:38).
This truth is stated explicitly in 1 John 5:14, “If we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” Our requests must line up with the will of God.
Matthew 6:33 helps us to see what our focus needs to be in order for us to be aligned with God’s will: But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
8. This can be hard to hear: 4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
If in my life, all my actions and opinions are popular and make me super cosy in the world, if I’m a friend of the world, I’m not God’s friend.
In fact it says that would make me God’s enemy. Wow.
James the pastor of the young church in Jerusalem wants us to examine our hearts. God wants us to examine our hearts.
And anything we find that we can see doesn’t please God...I’ve gotta repent. We’ve gotta turn from it.
9. But the next part is really important in understanding all this and not getting too freaked out:
5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”
Did you know that God gets jealous. That He’s a jealous God. Don’t take my word for it. Look at this passage. He is jealous for you. He wants all of us.
He doesn’t want our devotion to be split. He doesn’t want us to live continually with one foot in the world and one foot in the Kingdom. He wants us all in. All in.
That doesn't mean we have to be perfect, or close to perfect. We just have to be in. We are IN this relationship with God. We are in it and we show it.
10. Barbara and I have been happily married for almost 33 years.
Now if I started to stay out all hours of the night. If I started to hang out with another woman.
Well that would mean I wasn’t all in. And that’s no good in a marriage. That kills marriages. God wants us all in. He is jealous for you and me to be all in.
11. Here’s the last part for today:
6b “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”
If we’re proud, in a bad way that makes us look down on others, God will oppose us. He wants to bless us, but pride can make Him oppose us.
If we’re humble, for real humble - I think in part that means me have an accurate idea of who we are, strengths and weaknesses - God will give us His favour.
That works with people too. Ever met someone who kinda behaves all superior to others? Make you feel and warm and cuddly toward that person?
No, arrogance is a huge turn off, a very negative character trait that loses friends quickly.
12. 7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
Powerful stuff. But how do we DO this? What does it mean to submit yourself to God? I’m asking...
Make Him first. Make Him first in your day if you can. Wake up and give Him thanks for waking up alive!
Talk to Him while you’re having breakfast, if you’re on your own. I have a routine...
Whatever your routine, whatever healthy patterns you have going in your life, keep doing them.
And if they start to get stale, learn about what others do to keep their connection with God vital and happening. And try adding what they do to the rhythm of your life!
We submit to God by making Him first. When we mess up, we need to go to Him ASAP and confess.
And if we confess the Scripture says that he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all wrong, all unrighteousness.
We submit to God by loving Him. We show our love by obeying Him and not resisting the cleansing and healing work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
And we’re told to resist Satan. You know how I do that.
When I feel harassed or see others being harassed by the enemy I just say out loud: “Satan, go back to hell where you belong. I belong to Jesus Christ. My life is hid with God in Christ. The devil has no place or authority in my life”.
Satan flees. He stops harassing you when you resist.
And come near to God. Do those things that make space for God in your life. You’re here in church.
That’s good. That’s one thing. What else are you doing to make space in your life for God. Actually, to give God your whole self. When you do that, that’s freedom. That’s what freedom tastes like.
So may we draw near. May we reject the work and harassment of the enemy in our lives and may we draw near to the One who loves us more than we can ever imagine.
May we learn to submit everything to the One Who went to the cross for you and for me. The One who calls us to follow Him. May we draw near.
