Wisdom for Your Conflict

Tommy Meador

Grow in the Wisdom of the Word • Sermon • Submitted 5 years ago

James 4:1–12

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Introduction

$360 to fix dryer - Could have bought a brand new dryer! But, clothes were piling up. House was going on market. Urgent - needed to get it right immediately. I was willing to pay the cost to make it right.

This morning - I want you to feel a sense of urgency because in this passage James describes a war that you are in - and when you’re at war - you act with urgency. The war manifests itself in conflict with others and conflict with God.

We titled this series “Growing in the Wisdom of the Word” because James is practical - giving us wisdom to know how to live out our faith. But, we could have titled this series, “In Your Face.” James has been in our faces, and he’s definitely in our faces in this passage. But, James gets in our face to ultimately get into our hearts so we might allow God to do a work in us to change us for His glory.

You’re here and you feel conflicted. You know something’s not right in your relationship with God. You know something’s not right with your relationships with other people. How do you fix it?

Two simple challenges: know the source of your conflict AND embrace the solution for your conflict.

Know the Source of Your Conflict

James probably the earliest letter we have in the NT; written just a few decades after the resurrection of his brother, Jesus.

Church is barely getting started and it’s full of conflict because the church is full of imperfect people.

James already addressed some of the conflict: class wars (2:1-9), battles in the church because of bitter jealousy and selfish ambition (3:13-16), battles between the rich and those they have employed (5:4-6).

Conflict! We can’t seem to get away from it. You’ve seen lots of conflict and you’ve been involved in lots of conflict.

Question: What causes quarrels? (4:1)Legit question for these believers. Why were they fighting? Why do you fight?

Your answer: Not me. It’s someone else’s fault. I’m at war with my wife because of what she said to me. I’m mad at the church because of what they did to me. I’m mad at my boss because he never gives me a break. I’m mad at God because He put me in these terrible circumstances.

We think the source of conflict must be outside of us - someone did something to me, so I must retaliate, get revenge, etc. - and the result is lots of conflict.

James: Nope. Source of conflict is not outside of you it’s inside of you. The reason why you often find yourself at war with other people is because there is a war going on inside of you.

vs. 1 - passions - hedone - Where we get our word hedonism. Hedonism = a philosophy of life that says that pleasure is the highest good and the proper aim of the human life.

Hedonism says the primary question you should ask is: “What is going to make my life most enjoyable?” - If asking that question expect conflict with others and with God!

Problem: Life isn’t always enjoyable! You’re not always going to get what you want! When you don’t - the rage starts to come out and conflict ensues!

(You can’t hide the war inside! It’s going to come out! Staci making mac and cheese with squash - trying to poison me!)

vs. 2 - You desire and do not have, so you murder! Maybe literal murder but most likely figurative. (Sermon on the Mount) - If you harbor anger just as bad as murder. Truth: some people are dead to you because they stood in the way of you getting what you want. Someone stood in the way of your enjoyment, your pleasures, etc. Conflict ensued, and now that person is dead to you.

vs. 2 - You covent and cannot obtain. You see someone who is enjoying the pleasures of life more than you are, so you covet (bitter jealousy) - you get mad - you fight and quarrel.

Be honest: How many of your conflicts are a result of you not getting what you want?

James exposes our hearts! There’s a war within us that leads to a war outside of us!

This internal doesn’t only produce conflict with others, it also produces conflict with God!

Prayerlessness - You do not have because you do not ask. () - Every good gift comes from God. He’s the One who gives real pleasure, but you don’t believe it. You don’t ask! You have no desire to pray because you have no real walk with God.

Prayer with the wrong motives - You view God as a spiritual being who exists for your pleasures. You only pray to get from God instead of praying to know God and walk with Him.

“You adulterous people!” God has betrothed Himself to you but you are unfaithful! Bible uses language of marriage to describe our relationship with God.

How could James call us adulterers? Isn’t that a bit too strong? Not if you’re asking the wrong question. If you’re constantly asking, “What is going to make my life most enjoyable?” You’re missing the point of the Christian faith! The question we should be asking: “What is going to make my life most purposeful for the Kingdom of God?”

If you’re asking, “What’s going to make my life most enjoyable?” You’ve shown your allegiance, and it’s not to God! It’s to the world!

Friendship with the world = intimate knowledge of the world and longing for everything the world offers.

Friendship with the world = enmity with God. You can’t be a friend of both! You can’t have divided allegiance (double-minded)! God is jealous for you - He longs for you to be in a relationship with Him. (Theme of OT.) (Mocking bird attacking me - jealous for her children - everything to protect - God has done everything to protect you from what will corrupt your soul but we choose to live outside His protection.) () Are you more comfortable with the things of the world or the things of God?

James not telling us to not enjoy the things of this world. God wants us to enjoy this world, but He wants us to enjoy Him more - wants us to realize that everything is a gift from His hands. ()

James not telling us to not enjoy the things of this world. God wants us to enjoy this world, but He wants us to enjoy Him more - wants us to realize that everything is a gift from His hands. (Psalm 37:4)

Which question dominates your life: 1. What is going to make my life most enjoyable? Or, 2. What is going to make my life most purposeful for the Kingdom?

If 1. dominates your life - you’re always going to find yourself at war with yourself, war with others, and ultimately war with God. If 2., you’ll find the desires of your heart in Christ.

Embrace the solution to your conflict

There’s a better way - God gives more grace. The solution is grace! (Grace = God constantly giving you the life you do not deserve.) God gives grace to us - an adulterous people. He saved you, but you’ve blown it even after salvation so He gives more grace. He knows we’re going to mess life up. But He gives:

God gives more grace. That’s the solution! The solution is grace! (Grace = God constantly giving you the life you do not deserve.) Imagine! God gives grace to us - an adulterous people. He saved you, but you’ve blown it even after salvation so He gives more grace. He knows we’re going to mess life up. But He gives:

Grace to see that there’s more to life than living for your passions and desires.

Grace for your brokenness.

Grace to change - change your desires, change your conflicts to peace, etc.

Grace to do - to do God’s will instead of yours.

In grace, God saves us. He gave His Son for rebels. Jesus died in our place and rose again for people who think that this world is all that there is. Jesus died and rose again to show us there’s more. Do you know Him?

The grace is there - God

In grace, God sustains us. Because even as a follower of Jesus, you resort back to a heart attitude that says, “I exist for the pleasures of this world.” You need more grace - to see yet again that there’s more.

Grace is for the humble (vs. 6) because the proud don’t see their need for grace. Humility = an accurate assessment of yourself and an accurate view of God.

How do I daily walk in the grace of God? How do I daily put myself in a position to “delight in the Lord?”

Submit - Essence of humility - to put yourself under the authority of the One who created you and trust that He knows best for you. World says: Assert yourself, promote yourself, push yourself, and you’ll find delight. God says, “Submit to me, that’s when you find delight.” ( - submit your desires to God.)

Resist - To accept God’s authority means to reject Satan’s authority. You’re in a battle but you have been given victory in Christ. You are not under Satan’s authority. You resist and he flees.

Draw near - We have a God who wants us to come close! Come back - Prodigal Son () - Come back and He will draw near to you. For some, it’s time to return - to draw near again.

Draw near by resisting the enemy. The one who is stoking the fires of the conflict within you - you’ve believed his lies! Resist his schemes and watch him flee.

Draw near by coming clean. You can’t draw near without coming clean. Intimacy with God only comes as you are willing to be honest about your rebellion and turn from it. Strong language. We mourn things that don’t matter - Your team losing a football team and you’re mad for a week. Your kids don’t make the grades or make the cut, and you are sorrowful. What about mourning our rebellion against a God who loves us and has given us the gift of life? What about mourning the misery our sin has caused? What is your attitude towards sin?

Get clean - Strong language. We mourn things that don’t matter - Your team losing a football team and you’re mad for a week. Your kids don’t make the grades or make the cut, and you are sorrowful. What about mourning our rebellion against a God who loves us and has given us the gift of life? What about mourning the misery our sin has caused?

Stop the Wars - James is back to the way we speak. We judge. We criticize. We go to war. Who are you to judge your neighbor? You go to war against someone else, you violate the law (of love 2:8.) Stop!

This morning: deal with the war within.

Stop the wars with other people. Seek forgiveness and restoration.

Gospel - Jesus came to bring peace not war. He laid down His life and took it up again so you could know peace in a relationship with Him. Turn to Him.

Believer - Grace available to you. Run to His grace. Turn from your desires and live for His.

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