James - Chapter 4

A look in the mirror

James – Chapter 4

Review

1. What did we discuss in the Intro?  What do we know about James?
1. Likely the half-brother of Jesus
2. The book is frequently considered in conflict with Paul’s teaching and emphasis on faith (rather than works)
3. Written to Jewish Christians
4. Probably written around 49 A.D.
5. Life was rough for the audience.
2. What was Chapter 1 about?
1. Trials are a test of our faith (ie v 12)
3. What was Chapter 2 about?
1. Trials are a test of our faith, cont.
2. Don’t discriminate.
4. What was Chapter 3 about?
1. The perils of our tongues

Introduction

1. How did you all do this week reading James?
2. What’s your opinion of James (thus far)?  Easy, hard, straightforward, confusing, basic, advanced, etc?
3. What is your opinion of this chapter?  Easy or lots of questions, difficult and convoluted?
1. Really straight-forward.  At first, hard to understand the relationship between the first half and second.

Lesson

1. vv. 1-5 [READ – James 4:1-5] A look inside…
1. V 1 – You and I are the source of conflicts.  Do not your marriages/relationships tell you this?  Sure.
2. V 2 – This is the definition of “worldliness”.  You lust and want, but don’t get, so you kill, deceive, fight and war.  Most don’t even think to take their prayers to God.
3. V 3-4 – When we do ask, we ask for the wrong reasons; we ask out of selfishness.  We’re adulterers when we do this (v 4).   We can’t be friends with both the world and God.  To love the world is to hate God.  To love God is to hate the world.
4. V 5 – [Reference to Proverbs 3:34] God is jealous.  He won’t allow His children to wander.  He’ll actively fight to bring you back to Him. 
2. vv. 6-10 [READ – James 4:6-10] Instructions to heed
1. V 6 – Know that God will give grace, but He knows your heart.  He cannot be duped into giving you something that is contrary to His will or from a prideful heart.
2. [Reference to Proverbs 16:18]
3. V 7 – These are simple instructions that aren’t easy to do…

                                                               i.      Submit to God – We know this, but it’s against our nature.  It’s hard to do.  But necessary.

                                                             ii.      Rebuke the devil – Satan knows your weak spots, so there’s no fooling him either.  You can’t meekly say “Devil, please leave, ‘cause I said so.”  The only authority you have against Satan is to command him to leave in the name of God.  He cannot stand against God, but he can stand against you (by yourself) all day long (and longer).

4. V 8-10 – How?  Stay close.

                                                               i.      Draw near to God.

                                                             ii.      Cleanse your hands

                                                            iii.      Purify your hearts (ye double-minded)

                                                            iv.      Be miserable / grieve

                                                             v.      Mourn

                                                            vi.      Weep / Wail

                                                          vii.      Change your laughter to mourning

                                                         viii.      Change your joy to gloom

                                                            ix.      Humble yourself before God

                                                             x.      What’s the bottom line?  Get real.  Mourn your sins.  Do you regret sins/mistakes or do you slough them off?  Do you indulge in things you shouldn’t?  God knows.

1.       How seriously does God take sin?  VERY!  If He sees your unredeemed sin at Judgment, you’re sentenced to Hell.  He cannot accept sin in His presence.  You should take sin seriously!

                                                            xi.      The “punch line”:  HE will lift you up.  Not us.  Not our spouse.  Not our kids.  Not our parents.  Not our careers.  Not tradition or a church-roll.  God.  Alone!

3. vv. 11-12 [READ – James 4:11-12] A look to others
1. V 11-12 – Don’t in-fight and judge one another.  Why? 

                                                               i.      Because if we can’t get along, do others in the world judge us individually or how they “classify” us?  This presumes they know you’re a Christian, so that’s the first point.  Once they know that, they watch what you do.  If you fight with others, especially other Christians, they don’t think as much of YOU, specifically, as much as they see that as a reflection of what they know about you.  It reflects poorly on God and the Scripture.

                                                             ii.      Because there is only one Judge, and that’s God.  You’re no one.  You have no authority to judge.

4. vv. 13-17 [READ – James 4:13-17] A look to God, rather than the future
1. V 13 – We love to make plans and dream big.
2. V 14-16 – But what do you know?  Nothing.  God controls your today, tomorrow and beyond.  Our lives are in God’s hands.  Any hand-waving we do with our plans and future and big-talk is prideful and sinful.
3. V 17 – Doing nothing is a sin if you know the good to be done.  It’s called the sin of inaction.

Summary

1. What’s your key verse?
1. v 2 (definition of “worldliness”)
2. v 17 (we know we should abandon “pet sins”, but we often don’t.)
2. How do you feel about James Chapter 4 now?
1. It’s humbling.
2. This chapter really hits home.  We make excuses about “habits” and “personality” and “nature”, but sin is sin is sin and we should seek to avoid it, confront it, admit it and avoid it (again).  Hiding from it is sinful in itself!
3. What will you do, starting now, to move forward on what God has told you?

Print | posted on Saturday, May 20, 2006 2:57 PM |