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[00:00] We are in James chapter 4
[00:03] Yeah, James chapter 4 and I'm just gonna be honest right well always honest when we're speaking the word but
[00:12] The last couple of weeks right in James has been difficult I think right we talked about
[00:23] uh
[00:25] the tongue
[00:27] controlling the tongue
[00:29] Right tough one. All right, especially as we thought about like our own hopefully our own lives and how we don't
[00:35] Do very well at that
[00:38] And so we kind of got James kind of hammers people on that point right he's like man the tongue
[00:43] can't be controlled
[00:46] wicked
[00:47] Then last week Graeme and talked about earthly wisdom and heavenly wisdom with the earthly wisdom
[00:52] right brutal
[00:55] And he says to come from the devil and I thought you know
[00:58] As he was speaking last week. I was thinking man. I
[01:01] That's me in some cases right earthly wisdom
[01:04] I'm not really ever I mean, I'm not always like thinking heavenly wisdom
[01:10] And then James hammers that again right earthly wisdom and
[01:14] All right, and I love it because he James is very direct right? I mean the whole book
[01:18] Very direct. There's not a lot of like well. I wonder what he's really thinking here and you know
[01:23] I mean he says
[01:26] If you have bitter jealously, this is in chapter three verse 14 if you have bitter jealously and selfish ambition in your hearts
[01:31] Do not boast and be a fair false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes from above is earthly unspiritual demonic
[01:38] You know, tell me what you really think okay
[01:41] But that's us
[01:44] And so we get hammered again. We're like
[01:46] Mercy wisdom spiritual, you know, heavenly wisdom gotta have more heavenly wisdom because you know
[01:51] Don't want that want to be thinking demonic that i'm demonic and my and what i'm thinking about
[01:55] And then we come to today
[01:58] And then today he's telling us that friendship with the world is a problem
[02:04] Now it's interesting right because he's you know way back then
[02:09] For century and he's and he's you know talking to christians that are are kind of spread out spread abroad there
[02:17] And he's going listen you guys got some serious issues
[02:22] hmm
[02:24] And you would think back then right the world the things of the world wouldn't have been because it's not as much
[02:29] You know, it wasn't as open as it is today
[02:32] You know with not all the things that we have technology and all those things you wouldn't think
[02:36] That they would have a struggle being as well
[02:39] Compared to us, right?
[02:42] But obviously they did
[02:44] in a serious serious way
[02:48] And so it even though it's a separate chapter and we go to chapter four
[02:51] It's really a continuation of what ramen talked about last week what james was talking about in earthly wisdom
[02:57] Right because if we have earthly wisdom, right we can expect this
[03:03] What james is going to talk about right here and especially the first part of chapter four
[03:07] And so it's just a continuation
[03:10] And I think he's addressing
[03:16] Mostly fence sitters
[03:18] People who attempt to sit on the fence
[03:24] They don't really you know, they're christians. They you know, they would claim christ
[03:27] And their faith would claim christ
[03:30] But they kind of lean on the side of the world side right they kind of want what's what's on this side
[03:36] They want it both ways
[03:40] Right, they want to love god, but they want to love themselves and have everything that that means
[03:46] and
[03:48] The fence sitter though is going to find out after reading this
[03:52] That the fence is really shaky and broken
[03:55] It's painful and it's going to come down on one side or the other
[04:00] And if their hearts are humble if our hearts are humble we'll acknowledge that
[04:09] And we'll acknowledge that god already knows our hearts
[04:15] And you know and we'll acknowledge what's that he knows what's best for us and in humility go to him
[04:21] Say lord, I have sat on the fence
[04:24] Wanting what the world offers but also trying to please you and those two things are not compatible
[04:32] But the heart is not humble
[04:36] And the heart fails to accept what god
[04:39] Our savior and his sovereignty is doing in our lives
[04:44] right
[04:46] The pursuit of pleasure the pursuit of profit right all those things that we want
[04:50] Individuals discover we will discover that our lasting joy is not to be found
[04:57] It's out of reach
[05:03] And so as we read this
[05:07] Chapter just as we've done last pretty much since the beginning of james, but I keep reminding you
[05:13] At least the last few weeks is that we we really don't think about
[05:16] Our neighbor and what or our you know spouse or our kids or we think about god
[05:22] What are you trying to tell me here in this passage?
[05:24] And so we have your bibles open chapter four
[05:31] And i'm gonna again i'll just kind of read the whole thing
[05:35] And then uh at the end or um as we go i'll go through the verses again
[05:40] I just want to read it kind of quickly and then we'll go from there verse one through ten. It says this
[05:45] What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you?
[05:49] Is it not this that your passions are at war within you?
[05:54] Your desire and do not have so you murder you covet and cannot obtain so you fight and quarrel
[06:01] You do not have because you do not ask you ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly to spend it on your passions
[06:08] You adulterous people
[06:10] Do not know that friendship with the world
[06:13] Is enmity with christ or with god?
[06:16] Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of god
[06:20] Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the scripture says he yearns jealousy over the spirit that he's made to dwell in us
[06:28] But he gives more grace
[06:31] Therefore it says god opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble
[06:35] Submit yourselves therefore to god resist the devil and he will flee from you
[06:39] Draw near to god and he will draw near to you cleanse your hands you sinners and purify your heart you double-minded
[06:44] Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom
[06:50] Humble yourselves before the lord and he will exalt you
[06:54] Let's pray father just quick prayer just to say teach us what we do not know convict our hearts today lord
[07:04] And at the end and as we walk out these doors and we go into the world
[07:08] Father may we love you more may we want to serve you more may we want to obey you more
[07:13] Maybe we want to become more like jesus in your name. We pray. Amen
[07:16] All right
[07:20] So right off the bat
[07:24] We see that friendship with the world comes from sinful desires of the heart
[07:30] Selfish gain
[07:33] Pleasures in this world what is best for me, right?
[07:36] These things in the first couple of verses we see what causes quarrels and what causes fights among you
[07:42] That your passions are at war within you your passions, right being these sinful desires
[07:48] right
[07:50] At war against what christ and god at once for our lives
[07:54] Um
[07:58] He uses some really strong language doesn't he
[08:02] I mean
[08:03] He says what causes quarrels and fights that your passions are at war within you you're like, okay
[08:08] That's where this is kind of going then all of a sudden he says you desire and do not have so you murder
[08:11] Now i'm gonna i'm gonna say i'm gonna go on a limb here and say that the christians
[08:15] Right that he's speaking to are committing, you know first degree murder
[08:19] You know, that's like the second third, you know, but they're not committing murder
[08:24] And they're not going out and killing people
[08:29] What he's saying here is basically what god said what jesus said. I mean on sermon on amount when he talked about hating your brother
[08:35] right
[08:36] What first john says?
[08:38] about um
[08:40] Hating your brother that's the same as murder
[08:43] Right and the sin and the war within us to have what we want
[08:48] What we feel we need what we feel we are justified to have
[08:53] Right causes quarrels which makes sense, right? But we don't get what we want
[08:59] Right takes us off
[09:01] our spouse
[09:03] Doesn't give us what we want in some way
[09:05] right
[09:07] We're not happy
[09:09] All right, we let him we let him know
[09:11] Through various means if friends say something to us
[09:16] We don't like we let them know if people in the church say something we don't like or we don't disagree or we disagree with
[09:22] We're gonna let them know in various ways
[09:26] and
[09:28] So he says you desire and do not have so you murder
[09:31] Right this whole idea. I want what I want and when I don't get now
[09:36] I have a problem with you and now I have a problem with my brother or sister in christ and god says that's serious
[09:42] Says you covet and cannot obtain so I see maybe what others have I see what the world is offering and I want
[09:55] But maybe I don't have the finances. Maybe I don't have the wherewithal. Maybe my wife is holding me back
[09:59] Maybe my husband is holding back. Whatever. I can't get what I want
[10:02] So I fight and quarrel and quarrel with my friends fighting quarrel with my wife, whatever's holding me back it causes
[10:10] this quarrelsome spirit
[10:13] Because I have to have what I want and sometimes it's not a material thing
[10:20] Right. Sometimes it's recognition. I want recognition right? I don't like it
[10:25] I don't think that this person is honoring me the way they should honor me. And so now we're gonna quarrel
[10:31] He goes on to say you do not have because you do not ask
[10:38] Okay, you get that sometimes we we don't have because we don't ask but then he says
[10:47] You do not have because you do not ask you ask and do not receive
[10:50] Because you ask wrongly and to spend it on your passions
[10:55] Spend it on your passions
[10:59] James saying you don't go to god in prayer and if you do
[11:04] You are going to him in order to gain more of this world for yourself
[11:10] So you don't have
[11:12] You don't ask but when you do ask you don't get because you're going to him to get more of the world instead of more of him
[11:18] Right instead of praying right to god your name be honored as holy and your will be done
[11:25] We're saying honor me god, right and may my will be done
[11:32] And god says
[11:38] When our lives become about us, right?
[11:41] We realize that all the hostility we have towards one another is really evidence of hostility towards god
[11:48] Right when our lives become all about us any hostility that we have towards people especially within the church
[11:55] Especially maybe not our church, but just christian brothers and sisters in general
[11:59] We realize that it's hostility towards god
[12:07] Which brings us to this almost shocking statement in verse four
[12:10] Right. I mean, I guess calling everybody a murderer is a shocking statement
[12:14] All right
[12:15] But look what he says in verse four you adulterous people are right
[12:20] And some other versions I think are adulteresses adulterous
[12:24] Yeah adulterous you adulterous people
[12:32] Now is he saying once again that all the people that he's speaking to all these christian brothers and sisters because he calls him brothers, right?
[12:39] Over and over in james one chapter one chapter two chapter three. He calls him brothers
[12:43] Now he cares for them. He loves him
[12:46] And now he says you adulterous people are all his brothers and sisters in christ committing adultery with their spouses against their spouses
[12:53] No, right
[12:55] No
[12:57] Dames is not
[12:59] Saying that
[13:02] He's talking about spiritual unfaithfulness
[13:06] He's talking about spiritual unfaithfulness remember we as christians are the bride of christ
[13:16] Ephesians talks about that
[13:20] You and I are the bride of christ
[13:23] And when we say what the world and what it has to offer is more important to me
[13:29] Right. We are cheating on christ
[13:31] We are committing adultery against christ. That's the bible wants you to know the seriousness of it
[13:36] Jeremiah 3 20 says this
[13:39] But like a woman unfaithful to her husband, so you israel have been unfaithful to me declares the lord
[13:44] See how god is using the terminology that we know this terminology that you know, um
[13:53] Causes pain and heartache
[13:58] And
[13:59] He's saying you are adulterous
[14:01] For those of you have turned your back on god and onto the web instead said hey, I want what the world has to offer
[14:08] The more we are conformed to this world
[14:13] The more we betray our god and our savior
[14:15] Right the more we cheat on him
[14:18] Remember thinking of it that way
[14:21] Then we ever think
[14:23] That we are committing adultery
[14:26] Against our savior, right
[14:28] I think of it kind of like you know in a regular marriage, right?
[14:38] Then we can even go back to the first couple verses
[14:42] A wife might think that she wants more things her husband has a job. Maybe she doesn't think his job is
[14:50] You know worthwhile doesn't bring in enough money. There's more stuff. I want to do
[14:55] More stuff I need
[14:56] And so she says I pray i'm gonna pray i'm gonna pray gets a new job. What's she pray? What's he praying?
[15:00] She's praying for she's praying for herself
[15:02] Right because she wants more things or whatever, you know, whatever the thing might be. I want a nicer house
[15:09] I want a bigger house. I want a nicer car
[15:11] Then she's god doesn't answer my prayers
[15:14] Because you're asking for what the world offers you're not asking for more of christ, right
[15:25] a
[15:27] Husband
[15:29] When he
[15:34] Thinks he is owed something when he thinks it's all about me
[15:38] And what I want and where I want to go and what I want to do pretty soon his wife starts to dim
[15:44] in his eyes
[15:46] Right, it's not all that right. I could do better
[15:50] This is all about me
[15:53] All right
[15:55] And so when he speaks I think there's two things going on here when he speaks of adultery
[16:00] He's he wants you to get the picture of what adultery is and the pain and everything that goes with that
[16:05] Right, we know and he's saying hey, you know uses the word. So you're almost shocked into saying wait, am I selfish am I?
[16:12] Self-centered am I about the world?
[16:15] I also want you to know right that there's a danger in your marriage, but there's also a danger
[16:20] Right on cheating with god like it's like a two-fold thing going on
[16:23] And obviously if you're not married then it would just be the you know, basically your relationship with god
[16:31] But the imagery that james is giving here is unmistakable
[16:38] He uses the word adulterous right to describe these fence sitters
[16:44] Because he wants them to understand
[16:48] Really the pain and the suffering that comes with it
[16:51] We've done all sorts of things
[16:58] Maybe we have maybe it's just the church in general until sometimes
[17:02] They constitute cheating on our god and savior
[17:05] Right, we pursue the world's praise and popularity. We pursue the world's idea of what is you know, how you've made it
[17:13] So maybe it's a bigger house bigger car. Maybe it's more toys bigger toys
[17:18] But it's my desires. I have to meet them. Why because I am sitting on the side of the fence that is of the world
[17:24] So you come here today and you realize that's about you you look at yourself
[17:30] Everything I do is pretty much about me god has this warning for you
[17:44] Keeps going he says your adulterous people do not know that friendship with the world is enemy enmity with god, which right there, right?
[17:51] I mean you probably just say that state that statement and drop the mic and walk out
[17:56] Okay
[17:58] Doesn't get much easier than that as far as understanding
[18:01] Oh you want everything the world has to offer?
[18:04] Okay, but no
[18:06] All right
[18:07] That makes you an enemy of god you understand like the seriousness that james is trying to tell you like this is serious
[18:12] The world's pull is hard. It is right. We all do it
[18:17] We all want things of the world
[18:19] We all want it. Sometimes we we fall in love with the things of the world and
[18:24] James is saying listen
[18:26] friendship with the world
[18:28] Means or thing you are an enemy of god
[18:31] You cannot be both you cannot be friends with the world and love god
[18:36] He says it makes this interesting statement or do you suppose it is
[18:42] To no purpose that the scripture says he yearns jealousy over the spirit that has he has made to dwell in us
[18:49] And I would just you know, there's there's a lot of theologians. I think differently about that verse
[18:54] But I I think if you go back to exodus
[18:56] Right, um jeez god himself calls himself a jealous god
[19:01] right
[19:04] Exodus chapter 20 and exodus 30 chapter 34. He tells the people who I am a jealous god
[19:11] And I I read this example kind of what that means, right?
[19:14] Because when we think jealousy we kind of sometimes think of high school dating jealousy, right?
[19:18] You know your dating the girl in high school and she's talking to some guy
[19:22] Talking that guy
[19:24] Yeah, a lot been looking at you. All right more popular better athlete, right?
[19:30] Stupid that's not what god is
[19:34] But this guy gave a great a great example and he said this as a husband
[19:38] I am jealous for the affections of my wife
[19:40] And anyone or anything that threatens to steal her love from me is met with the strongest of opposition
[19:48] As it should be
[19:53] As a husband
[19:55] I'm jealous for the affections of my wife and anyone or anything that threatens to steal her love from me is met with the strongest opposition
[20:01] And in our relationship with god, he is jealous for our affections
[20:08] He is jealous for his people
[20:10] Right a godly jealousy that seeks what is best for us by guarding our hearts from adulterous pursuits
[20:18] You get that
[20:21] He is jealous for our affections
[20:28] in that wild
[20:31] the god of all creation
[20:33] The god of all power
[20:35] by the god of the universe
[20:37] Is jealous for our affections he wants our hearts to be fully turned to him
[20:44] And he says I want to guard your hearts against this worldly pursuit
[20:55] right
[20:57] This these adulterous pursuits. I want I want to guard your heart
[21:02] And you get to you get to the end of of that. Uh
[21:05] of verse five
[21:08] And you're like, all right, I'm a murderer i'm an adult all right
[21:12] I'm like what else? All right. I got I got
[21:16] earthly wisdom
[21:18] Right. I know. I love the earth. You know, I love the worldly thing sometimes
[21:22] like
[21:24] All right
[21:25] I guess i'm the worst
[21:27] You just feel almost like heavy
[21:31] All right as i'm reading over and i'm I feel happy like, you know, I went back to chapter three and read the whole chapter
[21:36] I get to chapter four and i'm like, oh
[21:38] James give us some slack. All right
[21:40] Give me you know, give me some good news anybody does
[21:43] right
[21:46] Look what he says in verse six
[21:49] but
[21:52] he
[21:53] gives
[21:54] more
[21:55] grace
[21:57] Did you get that
[22:00] But he gives more grace
[22:04] Hmm yeah
[22:09] Right kind of smack dab in the middle, but he gives
[22:14] More grace
[22:18] The wonderful and amazing grace of god
[22:20] Is here for you and for me today
[22:24] We'll be there for you and me tomorrow. We'll there be there for you and me for as long
[22:30] As we are on this earth
[22:33] There's a quote by alec moiter
[22:38] Moiter who says this what comfort there is in this verse
[22:43] It tells us that god is tirelessly on our side
[22:48] He never falters in respect of our needs. He always has more grace at hand for us
[22:53] He never is less
[22:55] Than sufficient he always has more and yet more to give whatever we may forfeit when we put self first
[23:03] We cannot forfeit our salvation for there's always more grace. No matter what we do to him
[23:07] He has never beaten his resources are never at end. His patience is never exhausted
[23:12] His initiative never stops his generosity knows no limits. He gives more grace
[23:23] Hmm
[23:25] I love that man
[23:27] Because I am a great sinner
[23:29] Right to think that this verse is put right there
[23:34] For me and for you
[23:39] Because we all fail at this
[23:41] There's always worldly pursuits that we're after in some way or another
[23:45] He says
[23:50] But he gives more grace therefore it says god opposes
[23:53] The proud but gives grace
[23:56] to the humble
[23:59] Then he says oh humble, okay. Well here's how that looks submit yourselves to god
[24:06] Right next verse verse seven submit yourselves therefore to god
[24:11] And he's going to tell you how to do this
[24:14] He's going to give you a bunch of steps
[24:16] And how to submit yourselves to god because we hear that all the time right submit yourselves to god and sometimes
[24:20] I don't I guess I read more. I don't you know, what does that mean?
[24:25] You know want to submit myself to god do what he says, but we can do what he says and not have a good heart about it
[24:31] right
[24:33] Submit yourselves to god and so he says this resist it and we're going to get into these more
[24:39] But I want to read them all out submit yourselves. Therefore to god. He says this resist the devil
[24:44] And he will flee from you
[24:46] Draw near to god and he will draw near to you
[24:48] Cleanse your hands you sinner and purify your hearts. You double-minded be wretched and mourn and weep
[24:55] Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom
[24:59] Humble yourselves before the lord and he will exalt you now
[25:03] This part of the chapter
[25:06] Is supposed to be more uplifting
[25:08] When you read that you're like, uh
[25:12] Lend your hands you sinners purify our hearts you double-minded people
[25:16] Be wretched and mourn and weep. Okay, so it's fun. Let your laughter be turned to mourning
[25:23] That's definitely not fun. Right and your joy to gloom
[25:26] so I just want to go through these because
[25:29] I think they're really good, right?
[25:32] I think they're really good
[25:34] Um, and maybe just with a little explanation because I even even one of them
[25:37] Um, you know draw near to god
[25:41] I use that verse a lot
[25:43] and
[25:45] I've often thought when I was reading this passage. I don't know why I just started thinking
[25:48] It doesn't mean you're drawing near to god, right? Like a lot of those things. What's easy roll off coming from here to go
[25:54] Anyway, so it was a little deeper that I think it does
[25:59] So, you know, you do a little research try to find out what's going on with that and I think I like
[26:04] Where I landed on it, um based on some other people
[26:08] um
[26:10] But we'll get to that. I don't know, but maybe maybe you think it's easy. Maybe some of this stuff is easy easy for you
[26:15] Um, all these things are difficult
[26:17] Right, and so all these commands are to give a help us with submission
[26:21] to god
[26:24] You want to grow in intimacy with god you want to you want a strong friendship with god instead of the world?
[26:30] an intimate friendship
[26:33] Number one resist the devil forcefully
[26:38] Think about satan and since the very beginning and I think ramen touched on this last week, right?
[26:43] Humans have been trusting him and distrusting god since then
[26:51] Yeah, so god says resist resist resist
[26:58] Oh, you're on your computer late at night
[27:02] Everybody's in bed
[27:04] You can look at whatever you want resist resist resist think satan think curb stop
[27:10] right
[27:13] Like just like i'm not doing right
[27:16] I'm not
[27:18] lord
[27:20] When you're tempted to put your needs ahead of your families ahead of your own spouses ahead of your kids
[27:27] ahead of your friends
[27:29] resist resist resist
[27:31] resist
[27:33] Resist the devil satan forcibly
[27:39] Like take it serious
[27:44] Right. I think it was
[27:46] I think it was charles bergen. I don't know said how valuable must your soul be that both satan and god are after it
[27:53] right
[27:55] Oh satan wants you to crumble
[27:57] resist resist resist
[28:01] resist
[28:03] Verse 8 it says this draw near to god and he will draw near to you
[28:08] I put and this isn't from me. This is just studying. I did it says seek god
[28:16] repentantly
[28:18] Right this implies this this draw near to god that you have been away drew away from god
[28:25] Right. So you are away from him not doing what you should be doing knowing the things that you've done
[28:31] To kind of turn your back on god and it says turn around and draw near to god and how by
[28:36] Repentant by being having a repentant heart
[28:39] towards god
[28:42] Oh lord, I have sinned against you and you alone
[28:46] And if you're taking notes write psalm 51
[28:50] psalm 51
[28:54] You want to know how to draw near to god
[28:56] David gives us a great example
[28:59] Here's a king who commits adultery
[29:01] a king
[29:03] To do what he wants
[29:05] And his sin is called out in front of him by the prophet nathan
[29:08] And then he goes at some point and writes psalm 51
[29:13] And i'm not going to read it yet because it also goes with our next one
[29:17] But I want you to be thinking and I would encourage you
[29:21] If you want friendship with god
[29:24] read psalm 51
[29:28] It teaches us about having how to have a heart a genuine heart of repentance
[29:34] Over and over again because you think david didn't sin again, right?
[29:41] Psalm 51 will teach you will teach me how to draw near
[29:47] The rest of verse 8 says
[29:55] Cleanse your hands you sinners and purify your heart to double-minded. It's an interesting statement
[30:00] This is just to pursue
[30:04] purity
[30:06] Right the whole core of who we are is pure before god
[30:10] Your heart your mind your desires your motives
[30:17] Because let's face it right we all do things
[30:22] We all have motives to do things and sometimes we'll still do the right thing
[30:25] But the motive behind it is wrong
[30:29] Right this idea
[30:32] of
[30:34] Cleansing your hands you sinners and purifying your hearts. It's both what you do and internal
[30:39] Right. It's internal and external
[30:41] Because we can have an external, you know, and most people look at us. Oh, we do a lot of good things
[30:46] But is it internal is your heart pure?
[30:49] So
[30:51] He then says
[30:59] verse 9 which is very hard
[31:01] Be wretched and mourn and weep
[31:04] Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy
[31:08] to gloom
[31:11] All right, that's it everybody go home and let your joy be turned to gloom you're happy you're happy your happiness your your joy everything you have
[31:19] Just go home be sad all the time
[31:21] That's not what he means
[31:24] what he means
[31:26] right
[31:27] Is that take your sin very seriously?
[31:30] Take your sin very seriously
[31:34] Bottom line is that those who have friendship with the world
[31:43] Do not see sin as a big deal
[31:47] But
[31:49] Sin is a huge it is a major deal
[31:52] We should grieve over it
[31:55] James basically says right there should be tears. We should weep over our sin
[32:00] Right if we just got done with easter not too long ago and we talked about
[32:06] You know on good friday what jesus took on the cross?
[32:14] And when we sin it's like saying I don't care
[32:17] Right. I don't care
[32:20] And so shouldn't that bring us to like some sorrow
[32:25] Martin lord joey martin loyd jones says this about revivals
[32:34] A revival is when a large
[32:38] I can get into it too much a large group of people, you know turn from you know, repent and and
[32:44] Put their faith in christ and you know or come back to christ
[32:47] right
[32:49] You can have a revival of heart. There's gonna be one person but usually when you speak of revivals, it's a it's a large mass of people
[32:54] He says go and read the history of revivals again
[32:59] Watch the individ watch the individuals at the beginning
[33:02] This is invariable the first thing that happens to them
[33:05] They begin to see what a terrible appalling thing sin is in the sight of god
[33:11] They temporarily even forget the state of the church and forget their own anguish
[33:14] It is the thought of sin in the sight of god and how terrible it must be
[33:18] Never has there been a revival but that some of the people especially at the beginning
[33:23] Have had such visions through scripture of the holiness of god and the sinfulness of sin that they have scarcely known what to do with themselves
[33:31] When was the last time you grieved over your sin
[33:40] Before god
[33:42] Right and
[33:45] We all sin every day
[33:48] Be a thought deed
[33:51] right
[33:52] When was the last time it actually grieved your heart?
[33:55] So much so that you just sort of like
[33:58] God I don't
[34:01] I don't want to hurt. I don't want to do that. I don't want
[34:03] Sin against you a holy and loving god
[34:08] I
[34:10] Think in today's world we don't really talk about
[34:15] Truly the evilness of sin, but they'll make us feel good, right?
[34:19] Doesn't lift us up
[34:21] for sure
[34:23] That's why I love how he wraps up chapter this chapter chapter four he doesn't wrap up chapter this section verse 10
[34:34] The verse he says be wretched and mourn and weep let your laughter be turned to morning and your joy to gloom, right?
[34:40] Listen, take your sin serious so serious that that is what you would almost feel like
[34:45] Right just like lord and then there's this joy to knowing that he has taken your sin
[34:53] And so there's sadness and joy and then he says this in verse 10 have humble yourselves before the lord and he
[35:00] Will exalt you
[35:04] Oh
[35:06] He thought it was down
[35:08] We're gonna feel down or feel terrible and he says no listen
[35:12] If you humble yourself before the lord
[35:15] He will exalt you
[35:18] Right when we humble ourselves before our king
[35:22] We don't have to worry about trying to lift ourselves up trying to make ourselves feel better
[35:26] God does it for us
[35:33] But when you say I am a friend of the world by your actions
[35:37] By your thoughts by your heart
[35:40] Right
[35:42] There's not a lot of lifting up going on. Oh you feel good in the moment
[35:46] But long term
[35:55] Joy
[36:00] Is gone
[36:03] I
[36:05] Think when we think about friendship of god
[36:09] Right, it's obviously comes from the gracious desire of god, right? He he helps us with that
[36:17] But also there's a longing in our heart for eternal
[36:21] Satisfaction right we want to be satisfied long term
[36:30] And that eternal satisfaction and that that phrase got me to think about a movie that I one of my favorite movies
[36:35] You guys most of you have seen gladiator
[36:38] hopefully
[36:40] the general maximus decimus
[36:42] Meredith
[36:46] He is the general in charge of the roman army in some section and he's about to face battle
[36:53] Uh, and he has his men and he and he says this dude, I just want to read this little thing
[37:00] And he says brothers
[37:02] Three weeks from now. I will be harvesting my crops
[37:04] Imagine where you will be and it will be so hold the line
[37:09] Stay with me
[37:11] If you find yourself alone
[37:13] Riding in green fields with the sun on your face. Do not be troubled
[37:17] For you are in elisium, which is what he would consider heaven and you're already dead
[37:22] He says brothers
[37:27] I want you to get this what we do in life echoes into eternity
[37:33] Now I remember hearing that for the first time watching that movie and I was like man
[37:38] This guy is cold
[37:41] And what we do in life echoes into eternity and so when I say
[37:48] right
[37:50] That we should have a longing for eternal satisfaction
[37:54] Right what we do what james is saying what we do now whether friendship with the world or friendship with god, right?
[38:01] echoes into eternity
[38:04] If we have no thought of eternity, right we live for the here and now
[38:08] We only care about what I can have today
[38:12] And if we continue to be friends with the world and enjoy the worldly passions and live in worldly wisdom
[38:19] we can
[38:21] Expect the opposition opposition of god in eternity because that says something about us, right?
[38:27] If we don't care ever about eternity if we don't care about what god has said and we said nope
[38:33] I want what I want now. I will get what I want to get
[38:37] That we can expect
[38:42] Right that when we say it echoes into eternity it echoes into eternity this way
[38:45] Right that we have opposition from god
[38:48] What
[38:50] Friendship with god though
[38:56] True friendship with god results in the submission to that authority of god
[39:01] and when we think of echoing into eternity we think of
[39:05] Standing before our savior and he says well done
[39:08] My good and faithful servant
[39:11] Can you imagine that
[39:18] Can you imagine at the end of all things standing before you're saved
[39:23] And he says well done my good and faithful servant
[39:29] I said that our posture should be psalm 51
[39:35] And so I just want to read that as we close
[39:39] And then we'll wrap up on a song
[39:45] It just says remember this is david, right
[39:48] The prophet nathan has called out his sin
[39:52] His adultery he tried to hide it
[39:55] basically
[39:56] Killed a woman's husband had her killed had him killed so that they would you know, he wouldn't find out
[40:00] Thought he had it covered up. Nobody would know
[40:03] God knew
[40:05] And brought it to david and this is david's response
[40:09] Have mercy on me
[40:12] Oh god
[40:14] According to your steadfast love according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions
[40:19] Wash me thoroughly from iniquity and cleanse me from my sin
[40:23] For I know my transgressions and my sin is ever before me against you
[40:28] You only have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight
[40:32] So that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment
[40:36] Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity and in sin. Did my mother conceive me?
[40:40] Behold you delight in truth in the un inward being and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart
[40:46] Purge me with high self
[40:49] And I shall be clean wash me and I shall be whiter than snow
[40:52] Let me hear joy and gladness. Let the bones that you have broken rejoice
[40:57] Hide your face from my sins blot out all my iniquities create in me a clean heart. Oh god
[41:04] And renew a right spirit within me
[41:08] Cast me not away from your presence and take not your holy spirit from me restore to me the joy of your salvation
[41:15] Salvation and uphold me with a willing spirit
[41:17] Then I will teach transgressors your ways and sinners will return to you deliver me
[41:23] From blood guiltlessness. Oh god, oh god of my salvation and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness
[41:30] Oh lord, open my lips and my mouth will declare your praise for you will not delight in sacrifice
[41:38] Or I would give it you will not be pleased with a burnt offering the sacrifices of god
[41:42] Are a broken spirit a broken and contrite heart. Oh god, you will not
[41:47] despise
[41:50] Have you ever cried out your sin like that
[41:53] Listen
[41:58] There's only two choices, right
[42:04] I would just encourage you to be your offense sitter
[42:07] And you're like man. I love the things of this world
[42:10] I'm going to do what I want to do when I want to do it how I want to do it
[42:13] I'm going to get me mine and I don't care who I have to burn down to do it
[42:16] Right you've kind of chosen a side of that fence
[42:21] All right, that's friendship with the world and you're taking all that the world has to offer
[42:30] But today I ask you right will you consider friendship with god
[42:35] In faithful submission to him and his word
[42:38] We went over a bunch of things but I really want to just kind of drill home this
[42:46] Sorrow over sin
[42:51] If we can become a people and a church
[42:56] That weeps that has true sorrow over our sin
[42:59] right
[43:02] God will do great things as it says humbly spells right and he will lift you up
[43:07] You have sorrow over your sin
[43:11] Encourage you this week to just read
[43:16] Every day just once a day read song 51
[43:19] Make it your prayer
[43:23] Say god convict me in the areas where I am being friends with the world by my attitude and my deeds
[43:28] Lord convict me and then cleanse me. Oh lord
[43:32] For I do not want any wicked way to be in me
[43:37] Will that be your prayer this week? Let's pray and then we'll sing father
[43:44] The hard-hitting passage
[43:51] These last few weeks have been difficult
[43:53] But we read that there is more grace for us
[44:00] Oh, we praise you god for your grace and your mercy
[44:07] We do not understand I can't even
[44:17] Truly wrap our minds around it but oh lord, we are truly thankful
[44:22] For we know that often we choose the side of the fence
[44:27] The world offers
[44:31] We believe the lives of satan
[44:35] And doing so we quarrel with one another
[44:39] And commit great sin against you oh god
[44:45] Father I just pray that we that me
[44:47] That we at the church
[44:50] That we would seek and desire friendship with you god
[44:54] And we would submit ourselves to your authority to your word to your desire to your ways
[45:02] And we'd seek
[45:06] Heavenly wisdom in our lives that we would seek friendship with you lord
[45:12] Lord
[45:14] For you are good
[45:18] We love you or we love you and we
[45:24] Do not want to leave this place unchanged
[45:28] Father convict our hearts this week
[45:31] today
[45:33] tomorrow
[45:34] and moving forward
[45:36] May we resist
[45:41] With all that we have
[45:43] The pull of satan to this world
[45:46] We pray these things in your son's precious precious name. Jesus