Are You An Enemy Of God?

James: A Christian's Guide To Living From Jesus • Sermon • Submitted a month ago • Presented a month ago

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Good morning. If you were able to go to the Triumphant Quartet last Sunday evening what a blessing that was......fellowship.....really low tire.....pizza.....last second arrival from the hospital.....worship....gospel.....JESUS!!!!!

It was great! If you didn’t go I am sorry but you truly missed out.

I also want to thank the few who came out for breakfast and church clean up day yesterday. Wonderful food....got some work done and better than both of those had a great time of fellowship as we talked as we worked. Thank you again and especially to Lee and Becky for all the hard work organizing and cleaning the kitchen and fridges!!!!!!

I just want you to know how much I truly enjoy fellowship even though fellowship is way outside of my personal comfort zone. One or two folks is great but a crowd is not my natural cup of tea but God said I don’t care do it anyway and I am always so blessed and filled when I do what God asks me to do......maybe you relate....get out of your comfort zone and make an excuse to be at the next fellowship opportunity with your brothers and sisters in Christ

Let’s Pray

START RECORDING

Before we get going this morning I want to talk about something very quickly......don’t laugh at me.....okay so I don’t talk about much of anything quickly but will try here

If you are new to CCC either here in person or watching on the live stream or later on youtube or right now media I want you to understand something

Here at CCC in Sunday School classes or discipleship groups or Bible studies or here from the pulpit our main concern is teaching and presenting the Bible

Not points

Not topics

God’s Word in its entirety

Now that can lead to you getting a lot of information and verses

That is why here in church I make and print the notes pages

You are going to hear a lot today

You are not going to be able to retain it all without taking notes

I have provided you a place to take notes or feel free to take notes on your own paper etc.

If you are watching online and want a copy of the notes email me and I will send them to you

Write down what God says to you today because the enemy will do all he can to get you to forget it

This morning we come across some very hard hitting

life changing truths

When one thinks about truths like these it should be heavy upon your heart because this is truth that we will fail to live up to so often throughout the day

Anytime you truly dive into God’s Word you will walk away realizing how holy God is and how sinful you really are

The closer you get to Jesus the more aware you are of your sin

Luke 5:8

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“When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”

When Peter realized who Jesus really was and because of that realization of who Jesus really was Peter realized how sinful he was in comparison

Peter fell at Jesus knees and said get away from me I am sinful and you are perfect and holy

When you look to and at Jesus and His perfection and holiness then you will be convicted and truly shown how sinful you really are

You and I are truly sinful people

If you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior and asked for Jesus’ blood to be applied to your sin debt you are saved....still a sinful nature but forgiven and free

Turn to

James 4:4–6

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“Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”

The very first thing pointed out here is a heart condition

As a Christian you are not to be and in fact cannot be a friend of the world

Who has your heart and devotion?

All of us will fall

All of us will sin

All of us will choose us and the world over God many times throughout our lives

This is a constant

minute by minute

daily battle

if one is not willing to fight this battle then you are a friend of the world and an enemy of God

Church never saves but how one feels about the church and if they make excuses to go to church and to go to discipleship groups and to go to Bible study shows heart relationship

So many don’t go to church

so many don’t go to discipleship groups

so many don’t go to Bible study

Why

Because they love the things of the world and refuse to make sacrifices

They would rather be at a Chiefs game

They would rather be at a play

They would rather be working

They would rather be golfing

They would rather be _________ fill in the blank with whatever it is you put ahead of church and discipleship and Bible study therefore what you put ahead of God

Again attendance doesn’t equal salvation however your lack of desire to do those things sure could

These are strong.....aggressive....convicting words here in James that fully display God’s expectation in terms of a committed relationship with Him

Adulterers and adulteresses were stoned for their sin not very long before this passage was written

God takes faithfulness very serious because His faithfulness demanded that Jesus die in our place

How in the world could one live from Jesus and love or be friends with the world.......the sin that killed Jesus!!!!!!

This is a heart issue

Matthew 6:19–21

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“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

Where your treasure is shows your heart

What you treasure

what you desire

what you long for

what you think about nonstop

where you invest your time

where you invest or spend your money

it all shows your heart

so many today work long hard hours to obtain or pay for the things and means to live

gain wealth

gain things

gain status

So many are slaves to lifestyle and vacations and hobbies and kids sports and money market accounts and retirement that they have no room for Jesus and His heavenly treasure because their heart is fond of.....set upon

temporary earthly things

The love of the Father is not in a heart ate up with worldly desires and affections

Things aren’t bad

work isnt bad

money isnt bad

It is the idol or loving these things

putting them before God that makes them a sin and evil

Why do you get up each morning?

Have you really ever thought about the answer to that question

Why do you get up each morning?

For so many who claim to be Christians it is the world....that is why they get up each morning....the world.

Job

family

friends

hobbies

sports

entertainment

You wake up each morning looking forward to a day full of worldly things

Where do you spend your time?

I came across this and did some figuring on my own because it really stood out to me and really grabbed my attention

God gives us 24 hours a day in those 24 hours you have some things you “have” to do work, eat, sleep. Most would agree those are necessary

if you work there is about 8 hours

If you eat there is about 1.5 hours

if you sleep another 8 hours

That is about 17.5 hours a weekday

Then you get to the weekends.....no 8 hours of work but still eating 1.5 hours and still sleeping about 8 hours so 9.5 hours on the weekends

If you add all that mess up you have about 6.5 hours a day “free” during the week and 14.5 hours a day “free” on the weekends

6.5*5=32.5

14.5*2=29

32.5+29=61.5 hours of “free” time a week

Time where you are not doing the necessities of life

How do you spend it?

So many say and I hear all the time

I don’t have time for bible study and prayer in the mornings.....aka secret place time

61.5 hours a week say differently

I dont have time to be in church on Sunday......61.5 hours a week say differently

I dont have time to be in discipleship groups....61.5 hours a week says differently

i dont have time to fellowship with the saints.....61.5 hours a week says differently

I dont have time to serve God......61.5 hours a week says differently

Friends....brothers and sisters this is a heart issue

it is not that you don’t have time but you don't have love

you don’t have the desire

you love the world too much to sacrifice your time with it

if someone asked you to join something related to the hobby that you enjoy doing most would find time

if someone asked your kid to join a travel team most would find time and resources to do that

if you were given a new job or asked to work more most would find time and sacrifices to do that

Following Jesus will always be very costly

you will have to make hard decisions

you will have to sacrifice personal wants and comforts

you will have to sacrifice your time but I have news for you from personal experience if you are truly putting God first by sacrificing time He always rewards that and you usually don’t even miss the time you gave up

There have been times where I have given up time to minister to people or to go to events or to fellowship and I thought in the process I was giving up something, having to sacrifice it to be present and God does what God does and it works out I was able to do what God wanted me to do and still get to do what I thought I was sacrificing.

I have also had to sacrifice things in order to minister or be a fellowship or discipleship or church and the thing is I have never missed what I sacrifice for God

When I don’t make a sacrifice and miss out on what God asked me to do I always miss that however

God is God......if you sacrifice a time of rest to do what God asks you to do your sleep that night is usually so much more restful and refreshing than sleeping twice as long......God is God.....an hour is a thousand days and thousand days like an hour....he controls space and time and I don’t understand how He does it but I have had my sleep multiplied many times when I have put Him first

Who or what do you look to in order to get through the day?

God or the world....those are the only two choices by the way

Do you fall to your knees in prayer or do you turn to you and the world

Do you turn to the Word of God or a self-help book or website

Do you turn to your elders and/or pastor or do you turn to facebook or instagram or tiktok?

Friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God

How do you know?

how do you know if you are a friend of the world and enemy of God?

Fruits

My dear brothers and sisters fruits

Not emotions

not traditions

not comforts

not justifications

fruits..what are your fruits?

Galatians 5:16–26

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16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

I felt lead to read this entire passage this morning

you cannot walk in the Spirit and walk in the world

if you walk in the spirit you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh

if you walk in the flesh you cannot fulfill the guidance of the Spirit

it is one or the other

serve God or sin

no gray area

no room for interpretation

No room for feelings or emotions

one or the other

lusts of the flesh or walking in the Spirit

Love the world and therefore hate God or love God and therefore hate the world

How do you know?

Fruits

What fruits do you see in your life?

Wars

quarrels

fights

materialism

obsession with sex and sexuality

self-centered living

pride

love of money

sin and death

Love

joy

peace

longsuffering

gentleness

goodness

faith

meekness

temperance or self-control

not desiring vain glory

not provoking others

not envying others

What is your fruit?

What does it say about your heart relationship with Jesus?

Romans 6:5–10

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“For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.”

Where do you stand

dead to sin and alive in Christ or dead to Christ and living in sin?

Those are again the only two choices

So many want to justify away their friendship with the world and think they are not enemies of God

You are dead to sin and alive in Christ

You are dead to Christ and live in sin

Period

Your fruits will display for all to see where you stand

What condition is your heart in?

The old man must be crucified with Jesus in order for the body of sin to be destroyed therefore breaking the stranglehold sin has on your life

The only way to live in freedom is to die to self

Another test is found in back in James 4 vs 6....

Are you truly humble?

God hates the proud

Why

Because the proud scream they do not need God

they reject God and that means they reject Jesus

The reject all He willingly did and all that He willingly suffered

They reject His death and demand to die themselves

They are enough

They can do it

They know better

They are doomed to sin and death and hell

Matthew 23:12

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“And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.”

Do you exalt yourself?

Do you brag to anyone who will listen?

Do you make yourself seem much bigger and better than you really are?

Most would say no way Pastor Joshua

Let me see your social media accounts and posts

In real conversation do you focus on your accomplishments and your successes and your strengths

Do you always have a story about you and your experiences that you must share in conversations

Do you exalt yourself?

If so watch out

God will humble you because your heart belongs to you and the world not to Him!

Friendship with the world means enemy of God......Love God and be an enemy of the world.......that is truth so what should our response be to that truth

James gives us 5 responses

1. Submit to God vs 7

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James 4:7

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“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

This is where it all begins. Without submission there is no salvation

Without submission there is no growth

you can not be a disciple of Christ without submitting to Christ

Submit yourselves comes from a Greek verb that means to subordinate, to obey…be under obedience, subject to, submit self unto

So how do you truly submit?

First realize the battle and the battlefield

Ephesians 6:12

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“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

Spiritual warfare

our fight is not in the flesh or against the flesh

it is felt in the flesh but the fight is not physical but spiritual

So many get focused on the person committing the sin instead of the real battle

So many get caught up and focused on the act.....the sin.....and lose sight of the real battle

The battle is against the spirit behind the problem....principalities....powers…rulers of the darkness…spiritual wickedness in high places

A Spiritual fight

Not a physical fight but a spiritual fight

The fight for us is who do we submit to?

Who do we yield authority to?

Only two choices

God

satan

notice you are not a choice

Middle ground is not an option or choice

Sunday morning christians are not a choice

Submit fully to God or you are submitting to satan

2. Resist the devil and he will flee vs 7

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You have action you must take to grow in Christ

You have a responsibility to carry out in order to grow in Christ

Resist

Stand firm

Stand some more

if you are building upon the Rock

The Firm Foundation

The Chief Cornerstone

then stand

resist because through Jesus you are already victorious

I talk every week about the importance of not just being here on Sundays but being here and

seeking

fellowshipping with others

looking to carry one another’s burdens

looking to edify others

looking to laugh with others

cry with others

mourn with others

Looking for Jesus and listening to the Holy Spirit as He teaches you each week

For those same reasons you need, no must get plugged into a discipleship group

Monday night for women

Wednesday night for men

Wednesday night bible study for men and women

Friday Free in Him for women

Some of us have started a life group that meets on Thursday evenings....start a life group

Seek God

Be in His Word

Be in prayer....fervent prayer constantly

Be in a discipleship relationship

Seek God…

That is how you resist

you stand on the Word of God and you seek God

I pray you understand you must act to grow

If you do not resist the devil he will devour you or stand on the Word of God

God said Resist the devil then he will flee from you

Ephesians 6:13–14

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“Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;”

Realize the battle is spiritual

Also realize you don’t fight it......

God already won

Jesus defeated sin on the cross and defeated death when He walked out of that tomb

You are to stand....the fight is inside of you......are you prepared to stand?

God is your one and only source of protection against this spiritual warfare so you must stand on His truth

How do you stand?

1 Peter 5:6–9

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“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”

First humble yourself under the might hand of God

That sounds like God you are God and I am not

God you are my strength.....my shield.....my protector.....my all in all

i am nothing without you God

I am yours

Second cast all your cares upon Him because He cares for you

He wants to take your cares

He wants you focused on Him and He will focus on you and worry about the other stuff

Your one and only focus must be God

keep your eyes fixed on Jesus and Jesus alone!

Third Be ready at all times

Be sober

clear mind and body

able to think on scripture clearly

Be vigilant

watch out

Know your blind spots

know your spouses blind spots

know your kids blind spots

know your family and friends blind spots

know your church family’s blind spots

Be vigilant

Fourth understand your enemy

prowling around like a roaring lion

Stand on Jesus…resist him and watch him flee

3. Cleanse your hands and purify your hearts vs 8

James 4:8

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“Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.”

Before you can cleanse your hands or purify your hearts you must draw nigh to God

You must accept Jesus and His free gift of salvation

you must make Jesus your Lord and Savior

You must walk in the Spirit and not in the world....heart issue

Then stop sinning

Stop walking in sin

Stop living in sin

Repent.......180 degree turn and sprint the other way

Allow God through the Holy Spirit to convict you

when that conviction comes

repent

confess

ask for forgiveness

and walk away

Fill your mind with scripture and God

Pray constantly

Die to you and the world and sin and death

Get to the altar and get real with God then do what He says

4. Be afflicted vs 9

James 4:9

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“Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.”

Be heart broken over you sin

Be crushed by your sin

See yourself as the sinful wretch you truly are

you should express deep sorrow when you realize you have sinned

I love David for many reasons but one of the biggest ones is he was broken when he realized his sin

In II Samuel 12 we see that played out. If you will recall King David’s men were at war and he should have been with them but he was at home

He couldn't sleep and was on the roof of the palace and sees Bathsheba taking a bath on her roof

He sends for her....sleeps with her....commits adultery with her....she gets pregnant and now David tries to cover his sin

He calls the husband back from war and Bathsheba’s husband is an upright man and with his men in battle he refused to go home to be with his wife

David gets him drunk and still nothing

David sends him back with a letter to put him on the front lines and pull back to ensure he gets killed

David then marries Bathsheba and that is where we pick it up

Nathan a prophet confronts David with a story of a rich man who takes a poor mans lamb that was not livestock but as a daughter to the poor man and eats is when he has company despite the hundreds of lambs the rich man had

David comes unhinged and demands justice

Nathan says that rich man is you

David broke

He committed adultery

He got another mans wife pregnant

He tried to trick him

He killed him

David realized how horrible he was and was broken

If you don’t feel broken over you sin you need to get with God and figure out what is going on

5. Humble yourself in the sight of God vs 10

James 4:10

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“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”

Know your place

Know where you are in the pecking order

Dead last

In today’s society we are told and taught to look out for #1

to promote you

brag about you

blast everything on social media

grow a following

be an influencer

You you you

i i i

Exalt yourself

promote yourself

make yourself a brand

complete opposite of Jesus and the Gospel

if you exalt yourself you will fall and fall hard

Maybe not today

Maybe not tomorrow

Maybe not anytime soon

But I guarantee you you will fall

It may not happen until judgement day when you heart is wrong and Jesus says away from me I never knew you…what a fall that would be

Listen here is the deal

the question comes down to this

is God really enough for you?

Are you content in Christ?

Are you satisfied with heaven as your true and only home?

I pray God has been convicting you right now

The ball is now in your court....be a doer and run to Jesus

repent

confess

ask for forgiveness

be cleansed

reject

ignore

justify away

and leave still a friend of the world and an enemy of God

Examine your fruits

Have God examine your heart

Respond accordingly

It is time to advance by surrendering

STOP RECORDING

Invitation

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