James 4:1-12
This passage is challenging. We are going to shake things up a bit and have a 3 part sermon series with notes in order to truly get out of this what we should. Please follow this link to the sermon page. Click on FAITH IN THE WORLD. Today listen to the first 25:00. Instead of study notes I am including here my sermon notes to follow along- and ask yourself the questions posed throughout the sermon. We will do this the next 3 days. IT IS SO GOOD. Challenging, hard, good teaching.
Mt. Hope Church is located in Bristol, RI.
James 4:1-12
Submission: How do I feel when I hear that word?
We all submit to something. And good authority allows us to flourish. God is the perfect example of authority.
Humbly submit to the God who gives us greater grace.
1) Redefine worldliness v.1-5
2)Understand Grace v.6
3)Redefine repentance v.7-12
Part 1: Redefine Worldliness
- seek out the source of our sickness, not the symptoms but the root.
- an outward problem is always an inward problem
-passions is plural. Purity of heart is to will ONE thing. Set your heart on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
-we are not designed to have our hearts set on pleasures.
-Ecclesiastes: he had everything his eyes desired, yet when he considered everything it was futile and a pursuit of the wind. Have you ever held the wind in your hands? Can it be 'caught?'
-Worldliness is a system of thinking that places "self" at the very center.
-lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, pride of the heart
-"Legalism," is also not the answer. It masks worldliness rather than taking the heart of the matter- our sin. Our wicked heart.
Ask one another not simply how are you, but how are you doing spiritually? Is your heart soft towards the things of God?
-What is the lie that needs to be exchanged for the truth?
-Have we ever thought of prayerlessness as a sign of worldliness? Do we have a half-baked view of God and prayer?
-God loves us too much to let us mistake our pleasure for our purpose, to worship the creation rather than the Creator.
-Rightly ordered desires leave us not crushed but grant us grace to receive God's will. Not to pray give us what we want, But to ask Lord, give us our daily bread; protect our family allow us to trust in Your will.
-Praying that we can increase our joy in Him and give us what we need if we had the knowledge He has with eternal perspective. We can take great comfort in joy in that!
-You ask with wrong motives, James says. *Fatalism (it is what it is) *Hedonism (Give us our base pleasures, NOW.)
What do my prayers reveal about me? Am I praying to God or seeking a divine butler? *Every spiritual blessing is the heavens is THROUGH Christ!
-May we pray God, reorder our desires and give me Yourself.
James cries out YOU ADULTEROUS PEOPLE!!!! Friends with the world is enemy with God! Do we really think we can fool God? Let us not have kindred spirits with the world. Let us not trample of the blood of Christ!
Application: Take the time to answer through these and even cling tight to chapter 1. Do we consider it a joy through trials, do we trust the God? Do we want all things in pursuit of His glory for His Glory? May we come to live Soli Deo gloria (To the Glory of God alone).
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