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Now let's dive into today's teaching from Pastor Skip Heitzig. James chapter 4. Have you discovered James is a hard book to read? It's hard-hitting, is it not? I would even say that perhaps the most difficult journey we've had as a church.
At least that I can remember is going through The book of James, very hard-hitting. You may remember the old joke of a man who saw a guy hitting his. Thumb With a hammer over and over and over again. And he walked up to him and said, Why on earth would you hit your hammer? Thumb with a hammer And the man said, Because it feels so good when I stop.
And you might feel that way after we're done on Sunday morning. Finally, he stopped.
Now it feels much better.
Well We're about to make it a little bit tougher yet. James chapter 4, James turns up the heat.
So if you're thinking of leaving in the middle of the sermon, you may want to do it right away to save yourself the embarrassment. There is an obvious contrast. As tough as it has been so far in the book of James, very honest, very blatant. Chapter three, verse eighteen Ends with the note of peace. Look at it, verse 18 of chapter 3.
The fruit of righteousness is sown. In peace. by those who make peace.
Now we get into chapter four and notice the change in tone. Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure? that war in your members?
Now you'll notice that James begins chapter 4 by asking another question. He's done this a lot in the book. He asks question after question. In this section, he asks four. Different questions.
And the only thing I want to say about that is, that was an ancient method of teaching. The rabbis would often teach their students by asking them questions, then providing an answer.
Socrates, the Socratic method, was the diatribo, the diatribe. asking questions to lead their students along a line of truth to an obvious conclusion.
So he asks A question. But this is a question about the origin of conflicts. What is the source? of conflict and Fights.
Somebody once said the most persistent sound that reverberates through man's history. is the beating of war drums. War has been a part of our culture ever since we have been on the earth. It is even estimated that in the last Thirty four hundred years of recorded history.
Now, mind you, there are many more years of history, but There are 3,400 years of recorded history. In the last 3,400 years of recorded history, Only 268 of those years Have been years of peace. What that means is. Only Less than 8%, to be precise, 7.78%. of world history.
has been a time of peace.
So then peace. Is that brief moment in history when everyone stands around reloading? Right, getting ready for the next fight.
Well, because of this There is a growing field known as conflict resolution. You can even get a master's degree in conflict resolution.
Some of you may actually have. such a degree. If you do, you will be very helpful in solving disputes between individuals or between groups in organizations or perhaps making it all the way up to the United Nations where you would be used on peacekeeping missions or helping solve conflicts within local communities around the world. Conflict resolution. James Brings up Conflict, but what James is talking about is a very particular kind of conflict.
And that is conflict within the church. Conflict within the church. Did you notice the question: where do wars and fights come from? Among You, he's writing to brethren, we have noted. He's writing to believers.
Where do these fights come from among? You. He asks. We've already seen some hints of conflict in The book of James, for example, in chapter two, James notes the class. conflict.
between the rich and the poor. In chapter three, He writes that there are some Among them who want to be known as teachers, creating division and strife among the people. Also in chapter three. Uh Some who boasted of worldly wisdom. That James describes as bitter envy and self-seeking.
And the result of all of that, notice if you will, chapter 3, verse 16, where he says, where these exist confusion and Every Evil Work. Is there? He's talking about the church.
Now, I bring this up and I'm underlining this idea for this reason. From time to time, some people will criticize the modern church. Saying that we need to get back to the purity and the simplicity of the early church. Oh, really? like the early church in the book of James.
Like the early church at Corinth. If you know anything about The church at Corinth, you knew they were riddled with problems. Those are examples of the early church.
So this has been going on for a long time. I reminded of a young father who Heard a ruckus in the backyard. His kids had their friends with them, they were playing. But they seemed angry like they were in a fight. And so he went in to intervene.
And his son said, it's okay, Dad. We're just playing church. Or perhaps you've heard of the Irish church that had this little saying as one of its mottos. They would say, to dwell above with those we love will certainly be glory. But to dwell below with those we know well That's another story.
Okay, bad Irish accent aside. Let's look at James chapter 4, where I want to give you five steps. to overcoming Conflict, five steps to overcoming conflict. And this will work if it's a marriage conflict, if it's a conflict with a neighbor or a co-worker or whatever. Five steps.
To overcoming conflict. First step. Recognize The source. Recognize the source. Verse 1.
Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure. That war in your members You lust and do not have. You murder. and covet and cannot obtain.
Fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask? and do not receive. Because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your Pleasures.
First thing that strikes us is James says The real problem. is not on the outside. The real problem. is on the inside. The conflict isn't because of external reasons.
but internal reasons.
Now what is that reason? called our sin nature. We all have it. By the way. This is why conflicts are rarely resolved internationally.
Because there's No admission of personal guilt. The worldview of most of humanity is not that I have a problem, but. You have a problem. And my only problem is the problem that I have with you because you have a problem, you are the problem, or they are the problem. There's no admission that we are all sinners, all warped and broken by sin on the inside, and therefore we all need redemption.
Which is what the Bible teaches. But you'll notice that James says, where do they come from? Do they not come from your desires for Pleasure that war in your members, that is, the members of your body, the different. aspects of your Physical body.
Now look at the word pleasure. The Greek word here is hedone. Hedone is where we get the word hedonism. You've heard of hedonism? A hedonism is the belief that pleasure is the chief Goal of life.
Now I need to say that Pleasure is not sinful, per se. God made all things for us richly to enjoy. But when pleasure becomes the driving force of one's life, It's problematic. And it's a mark of unbelievers, not believers. Ephesians chapter 2, Paul writes.
All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts.
So James says war Is simply the extension of man's struggle with sin in a fallen world. And when there's war on the inside, It's going to spill over to war on the outside. And I think you would agree that Many conflicts that we have had or that we see. is a result of selfishness. Think of the last time if you're married, that you had a conflict with your spouse.
Do you remember when that was? Could have been a year ago, could have been... 20, 30 minutes ago, probably not 20 minutes ago, we were in worship, and I hope your relationship isn't that bad. You're listening to Connect with Skip Heidzig. Before we return to today's message, have you ever struggled to study the Bible consistently?
or wondered how to really enjoy your time in the word? In his book, How to Study the Bible and Enjoy It, Pastor Skip gives you the tools and insights you need to dig into Scripture with joy, clarity, and love. clarity and confidence. This practical guide is our thanks for your generous gift of $50 or more to reach more people with God's Word through Connect with Skip. Request your copy when you give today at connectwithskip.com slash offer.
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Now, let's get back to today's message from Pastor Skip. But if you think back to your last conflict, you probably recognize that the real problem came down to this. You didn't please me. You didn't meet an expectation of you that I had. You didn't fulfill that.
Or maybe you think of conflict within a church. Church splits. Typically churches split because People don't like other people in the church, or they don't like church policy, or sometimes they don't like the pastor. I'll let you in on a secret. I don't like the pastor here all that much either.
Or When it's a National or international conflict.
Some wars start. Internationally, because certain leaders of nations want more land, want more assets, feel it is their right to invade. Etc.
Now go back to our text. And can you feel the pride in some of these words? Notice the personal pronouns. I'm going to read through it again, but I'm going to accentuate that on purpose. Where do wars and fights come from among you?
Do they not come from your desires? For pleasure that war in your members, you lust and do not have, you murder and covet and cannot obtain, you fight and war, you do not have because you do not ask, you ask and do not receive because you ask amiss that you. May spend it on your pleasures. Very, very self-centered ideology. There's something troubling about what I just read though.
If James is writing to the church, and he is, he's writing to brethren. Why would he say you murder? We hope that the menu is a very important thing. He is using that as an exaggeration, right? A hyperbolic way of expressing it.
You know, we like to say: if looks can kill. Right? Not meaning that you would actually kill somebody, but you're looking at them as if you could.
So maybe He's using this in the sense of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, where he said, if you hate Your brother, you're guilty. essentially of murdering. Or It's possible that James actually meant That among these congregations scattered throughout Asia Minor, one or more of them. Had a murder. A literal murderer.
Now, that wouldn't be Too far-fetched. We've even seen that here in this church.
So it could be that There was a scandal in one or more of these congregations where there was an actual. murder that took place In the church. R. Kent Hughes, a great commentator on this book. Reminds us that many of the new Jewish believers at that time came from a group called the Zealots.
You familiar with that term? The zealots? It's actually a political party in the New Testament. And they believed they had the right to kill people that disagreed with them politically. They could be part of the source of the problem that he is mentioning.
Now, here's what we notice as we dig into these verses. Not only does this Internal conflict Spill out into relationships with other people, but it also. Spills out into our relationship with God. Look at verse 2. You fight in war, that's with other people.
Yet you do not have because you do not ask. And some of your translations say, Because you do not ask God, that is what is implied.
Now, he's not saying, you know, if you would only pray about it, God would give you all your selfish desires. He's not saying that at all. What he is saying, however, is that you ought to, by prayer, have left it with God and walked away. Leave it with him. Trust him with it.
Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask, verse 3, that is, you pray about it. And you do not receive because you ask amiss or for the wrong motive that you may splend it or spend it on your. Pleasures. Have you read Psalm 37, where David said, Delight yourself in the Lord?
Do you know the rest of the verse? And he will give you the desires of your heart. Beautiful text. often misinterpreted to mean Just Get into God, and He'll give you every one of your little heart's desires. I don't think that's what it means.
I think what it means is when you make much of God and put him first and seek his glory, you delight yourself in the Lord, God will actually. Give you his desires. Implant the right desires in your heart. He'll give you the desires of your heart so that what you desire is what God desires. What James says Is even when you pray, you ask.
Amiss. I hope you realize that not all praying honors God. Not all prayers are pleasing to God. You recall that Jesus. Gave a story about two men.
This is Luke chapter 18. He said, two men. went up to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, the other was a tax collector. And it says this: He said, the Pharisee stood.
and prayed thus with himself. He wasn't even addressing God. He just wanted to pray out loud and listen to himself praying and go, man, I'm good. That was an awesome prayer I just said.
So he stood and he prayed with himself, and this is what he prayed: God, I thank you that I am not like other men. Unjust adulterers. I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I possess. And I especially thank you that I'm not like that guy.
The tax collector. Jesus continued and said, Well, that tax collector was so ashamed he wouldn't even lift his eyes toward heaven, but he beat on his breast and said, Oh God, be merciful to me, a sinner. Jesus said, It's that man, not the first man, that man that was justified and right before God because he had the right attitude of heart. You see, some of our prayers That should be Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, are actually more, my kingdom come, my will be done. And James says as much.
The conflict starts on the inside, spills to the outside, and even affects. Your prayer relationship. I wrote something down that I found helpful. I hope you find this helpful as well. When you pray, when the request is not right.
God says no. When the timing is not right, God says slow. When you're not right, God says, grow. But when the request is right and the timing is right and you are right, God says, go.
So James is saying God doesn't always say go. Because you're not right or the request is not right. you're actually praying amiss.
So First step, recognize the source. Second step, to overcoming conflict. Realize The consequence. Realize the consequence. What is that?
Look at verse 4. Adulterers and adulteress's exclamation point. 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. Or do you think that the scripture says in vain, The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously.
But he gives more grace. Therefore he says God resists the proud but gives grace. To the humble This is very serious. language, even harsh. I mean to Talk to somebody in your church and say, adulterer?
Adulterous? And again, you know, you end chapter three with peace and righteousness, and so you wonder.
So, did James go to lunch after chapter three, and then he had a really bad lunch experience, and now he's in a bad mood? No, I assure you, that didn't happen. What is happening is this: he's addressing a Jewish audience. Very familiar with the metaphor adulterer, adulterous, because in the Old Testament, There are several prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea. who all employ this term referring to God's own people.
Why would God use that term referring to his own people? Because They were unfaithful. to the relationship they had with God. They were, in effect, spiritual adulterers. They were going out on God.
Even though they had a covenant with God. That's the idea of adulteresses or. Adulterer. Here's the point James is making. You can get to a point.
When you are striving for what you want, So much that you not only fight other people and alienate other people, but you find yourself fighting God and alienating God, making God your enemy. Enemy. Ruining the relationship that you have with God. Because God doesn't want to be your enemy. He wants to be your friend.
Jesus said to his own disciples, From now on, I don't call you my servants, I call you my friends. That's the relationship God wants to have with us.
Now when James is writing this, he is not suggesting that they could lose their salvation, but he is suggesting that they can flatline their relationship with God by holding on to strife. Think of it. Jesus said to Peter, His friend Get behind me, Satan. Remember when Jesus said that to Peter? Get behind me, Satan.
You are not thinking like God thinks, but like man thinks. Why would he say that? Because Peter was acting like an enemy, not a friend. Peter was trying to keep Jesus. from fulfilling the will of his Father by going to the cross.
Likewise, we can do the same thing. Thanks for listening to Connect the Skip Heitzig. Before you go, don't forget to request this month's featured resource. How to study the Bible and enjoy it. This book from Pastor Skip offers practical, encouraging help to take your Bible study deeper and get more out of every verse.
It's our thanks for your generous gift of $50 or more to help share God's Word with more people. Call 800-922-1888 or visit connectwithgift.com slash offer. and be sure to sign up for weekly devotionals and get your free one-sheet how to approach studying the Bible. It's a great tool to jumpstart your time in Scripture. Come back next time for more verse-by-verse teaching of God's Word here on Connect with Skip-Heitzig.
Make it connect. Make a connection at the foot of the crossing. Cast your burdens on his wood. Make a connection. Connection.
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