Submission Is Not Weakness Series

Help Wanted: Relationship or Religion

Submission is not weakness

James 4:7-10

Good morning everyone, glad that you have joined us.

We continue with our series Help Wanted; Relationship or Religion.

We won’t take the time today to recap but we have looked at several key things about having a stronger relationship with the Lord.

Illustration-

If I would just started shaking everyone’s hand and telling them that I was glad to see them and had a personal conversation with each person, the service would go to such a length that some would have to leave before I got to them and some would just leave... Why? Because they do not have that kind of time to wait. Why? Because there is a fine line of being friendly and a fine line of being too friendly.

There is what is expected and there is an extreme and if you cross that line, some will think you have gone too far and would show you some resistance.

Here’s a thought- if you are the one getting all the attention, you will not be as mad as the one that wanted attention and did not get it. There is the line and depending on what side of the line you are and what your idea of the line is will determine what and how you will respond.

There is nothing wrong with material stuff, as long as stuff doesn’t have you! Let me say that again, there is nothing wrong with wanting some things, but if things are the priority, you may have a problem.

Stuff

We have a bad day- it is because stuff happened.

We have a good day- good stuff happened.

We don’t get everything done that we should- stuff got in the way.

You get the point, stuff happens, stuff gets in the way and stuff stops us from enjoying our relationship with God.

So this morning, we need to submit to God- our stuff!

James chapter 4:7-10 Read from Bible

Submit yourself to God- The Word of God says the Devil has to run and flee!

Come near to God- He (God) will come near to you.

Wash your hands. Purify yourselves.

Don’t be double-minded. Don’t (you) be double-minded.

Grieve over the things that grieve the heart of God.

Humble yourself before the Lord, and He will lift you up.

Great! That is what it will take to have a relationship with God.

Then why don’t most people (especially believers) have that relationship?

Because stuff gets in the way! Some things we control and some things we do not.

James chapter 1

What causes fights and quarrels?

What about that battle that is within?

Wrong motives.

What causes us problems is that we do not know what it really means to submit to God.

truth be told, most have no idea what that looks like

Most hear the word submit and they tune out

We rebel against people that tell us what to do.

We rebel against God when He gets into our personal space and seems to boss us around.

Since the fall of man- it is easier for us to friend the world then be at peace with God.

(5) ”Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely. But He has given us more grace. That is why the scripture says: God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

As Christians we throw out a lot of church words that people that are not churched do not understand.

This morning I want to clear up a few of them.

We say to surrender to God certain things.

We say that we must obey God. (most people are rebellious)

We must trust God. (That is hard for someone that does not know God)

We must submit to God. (Turn our lives over to Him)

We must turn things over to Him.

We cannot do these things until we understand what it means- How can we surrender this stuff until we get a clear picture of what that means?

All these words are related to our relationship with God

Two of these words Webster uses to define submission.

Surrender and obedience.

Surrender defined is yielding to power, control, or procession of another upon compulsion or demand.

To give up completely

To relinquish your rights.

When we think of surrender, we think of weakness, loss, defeat, giving up because someone was stronger, more powerful.

We do not give up by choice, it is by circumstance.

Jesus tells us that surrendering to Him is the way that we may have peace, love, grace, guidance, wisdom, and eternal life in Him.

By surrendering to Him, we actually become free in our relationship with God. (Repeat)

Illustration-

Ever try to keep weeds out of your garden? If you are not constantly taking care of business, the weeds become overwhelming, impossible to do by yourself. We surrender to God the things in our lives that become weeds that will strangle our relationship with Him if He doesn’t help us pull the weeds of our lives.