CURING CHURCH CONFLICT—II—James 4:1-17
Attention:
A man limps into a hospital to have his foot X-rayed, & is asked to wait for the results.
Some time later an orderly appears & hands the man a large pill. As he’s handed the pill, a mother with a small child in need of immediate attention enters & the orderly disappears with the new patient.
The man with the foot problem hobbles over to get a glass of water, swallows the pill, & sits down to wait. Some time later the orderly reappears bringing a bucket of water to the man with the limp.
"Okay," he said, "Let's drop the pill in this bucket & soak your foot for a while."
*Our own behaviors can circumvent the very cure we need.
Need:
The tensions in my church are are obvious. As soon as you step on the property you know it. Visitors sense it. The community talks about it. Everybody hates it. We’re losing members right & left. Can our church ever be free to serve God like we used to & like we’re supposed to?
James revealed the solution for conflict within the local church body.
There is a known cure for conflict within the local church.
How can church conflict to be cured?
8 challenges to the cure for church conflict.
Previously we discovered that....
The cure for church conflict is Challenged by....
1. DESIRE(:1-2a)
2. PRAYER(:2b-3)
3. FRIENDSHIP(:4)
4—The cure for church conflict is challenged by....
PRIDE(:5-6)
Explanation: (:5-6)
:5—“Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”?
In calling his audience to the mat, James asks them if they really believe that the Scripture states God’s truth for no good reason. Or that Scripture is vain in its commitments.
There is no direct correspondence to any single Scripture declaring this truth regarding the S(s)pirit’s jealous desire for each Christian.
There are 2 viable understandings of this verse & it is “notoriously difficult to translate.”—Richardson
James summarizes from Scripture a truth regarding....
1)the Holy Spirit(NKJV/NASB) who now dwells in all Christians,....
2Cor. 1:21-22—“Now He who establishes us with you in Christ & has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us & given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.”
Eph. 1:11-14—“In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.”
OR....
2) He speaks of the human spirit devoid of God’s control.
1)The Spirit Himself in a sense “yearns jealously” for the Christian in the same manner as the spiritual adulterers(:2-4) do for their own fleshly desires. In fact, God is indeed a jealous God. He is jealous for our commitment to Him as are spouses for each other, & rightly so, not willing to share that special love with another. *However, the term translated here as “jealously” belies its description as entirely malicious as compared to zhlow(anq) which is used of God’s jealously in Ex. 20:5(LXX). See “Jealously”—fyonov below.
Ex. 20:1 -6—“And God spoke all these words, saying: “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third & fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me & keep My commandments.”
OR more probably,....
2)The natural man as receiver & thereby possessor(?) of the spirit of life, is prone to its purely natural envious yearnings apart from its surrender to the God who gave him that life. Richardson(NAC), MacArthur(MNTC), Adamson(NICNT) & Burdick(EBC) accept this translation.
“Scripture”—grafh—1) A writing, thing written; 2) The Scripture, used to denote either the book itself, or its contents; 3) A certain portion or section of the Holy Scripture. Strong—A document, i.e. Holy Writ (or its contents or a statement in it):-- Scripture.
“In Vain”—kenwv—1) Vainly, in vain. Strong—Vainly, i.e. To no purpose:-- In vain. Used 1X.
“Spirit”—pneuma—A current of air, i.e. Breath (blast) or a breeze; by analogy or figuratively, A spirit, i.e. (human) the rational soul, (by implication) Vital principle, mental disposition, etc., or (superhuman) An angel, demon, or (divine) God, Christ's spirit, the Holy Spirit:-- ghost, life, spirit(-ual, -ually), mind.
“Dwells”—katoikew—1) To dwell, settle—1a) metaph.—Divine powers, influences, etc., are said to dwell in his soul, to pervade, prompt, govern it; 2) To dwell in, inhabit. To dwell, settle, temporarily in comparison to paroikew meaning To dwell, permanently. Strong—To house permanently, i.e. Reside (literally or figuratively):-- Dwell(-er), inhabitant(-ter). RWP—To give a dwelling to.
“Yearns”—epipoyew—1) To long for, desire; 2) To pursue with love, to long after; 3) To lust, harbor forbidden desire. Strong—To dote upon, i.e. Intensely crave possession (lawfully or wrongfully):-- (earnestly) Desire (greatly), (greatly) long (after), lust. “Jealously”—fyonov—1) Envy; 2) For envy, i.e. Prompted by envy. Strong—Ill-will (as detraction), i.e. Jealousy (spite):-- Envy. Used 9X.
*Trench(per Adamson) states “it is used always & only in an evil signification.”(See above discussion).
:6—“But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.””
Reiterated in 1Pet. 5:5
However, in response to the unsurrendered spirit’s envy, God grants a comparatively greater grace. This is similar to Paul’s description of how sin is overridden by grace in Rom. 5:20—“Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.”—Which truth is declared specifically in Prov. 3:34 for James’ use.
Prov. 3:34—“Surely He scorns the scornful, But gives grace to the humble.”
The truth carried thru the entirety of Scripture is indeed that God is & has always been absolutely against & opposed to those identified by their self-pride.
In contrast, God indeed grants His immeasurable “grace” to those who are characterized by the obverse of pride, which is humility.
The humble regularly receive God’s goodness but the proud can never have it, as God will actively not allow it, due to the attitude of their spirit.
“Gives”—didwmi—1) To give; 2) To give something to someone; 4) To grant or permit one. Strong—To give (used in a very wide application, properly, or by implication, literally or figuratively; greatly modified by the connection):-- Adventure, bestow, bring forth, commit, deliver (up), give, grant, hinder, make, minister, number, offer, have power, put, receive, set, shew, smite (+ with the hand), strike (+ with the palm of the hand), suffer, take, utter, yield.
“More”—meizwn—Adj. comparative—1) Greater, larger, elder, stronger. Strong—Larger (literally or figuratively, specifically in age):-- Elder, greater(-est), more. Irregular comparative of megav.
“Grace”—cariv—N. f.—1) Grace; 2) Good will, loving-kindness, favor; 3) What is due to grace; 4) Thanks, (for benefits, services, favors), recompense, reward. Strong—Graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act (abstract or concrete; literal, figurative or spiritual; especially the divine influence upon the heart, & its reflection in the life; including gratitude):-- Acceptable, benefit, favor, gift, grace(-ious), joy, liberality, pleasure, thank(-s, -worthy).
“Resists”—antitassomai—1) To range in battle against; 2) To oppose one's self, resist. The negation of—tassw—to put in order, to station. Used 5X.
“Proud”—uperhfanov—1) Showing one's self above others, overtopping, conspicuous above others, pre-eminent; 2) With an overweening estimate of one's means or merits, despising others or even treating them with contempt, haughty. Describes one who thinks too highly of himself, describing a trait which is simply internal, not referring primarily to external manifestation, although this is implied. It means one who is proud, the external manifestation when it appears being in the form of arrogance in dealing with others. Used 5X.
Similar to our vernacular describing ‘stuck-up’ or ‘haughty’ people—RWP
From —uper— ‘hyper,’ over, beyond &—fainw—to bring forth into the light, cause to shine, shed light or shine.
“Humble”—tapeinov—Adj.—1) Not rising far from the ground; 2) metaph.—2a) As a condition, lowly, of low degree, 2b) Brought low with grief, depressed, 2c) Lowly in spirit, humble, 2d) in a bad sense, Deporting one's self abjectly, deferring servilely to others. Strong— Depressed, i.e. (figuratively) Humiliated (in circumstances or disposition):-- Base, cast down, humble, of low degree (estate), lowly. Used 8X.
Argumentation:
1Jn. 2:15-17—“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, & the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, & the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”
Isa. 10:12-13—“Therefore it shall come to pass, when the LORD has performed all His work on Mount Zion & on Jerusalem, that He will say, “I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria, & the glory of his haughty looks.” For he says: “By the strength of my hand I have done it, And by my wisdom, for I am prudent; Also I have removed the boundaries of the people, And have robbed their treasuries; So I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man.”
Prov. 16:18-19—“Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, Than to divide the spoil with the proud.”
Prov. 18:12—“Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty, And before honor is humility.”
1Sam. 2:3—““Talk no more so very proudly; Let no arrogance come from your mouth, For the LORD is the God of knowledge; And by Him actions are weighed.”
Ps. 138:6—“Though the LORD is on high, Yet He regards the lowly; But the proud He knows from afar.”
Lk. 14:11—““For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, & he who humbles himself will be exalted.””
Illustration:
Living in the country for the most part/People generally are less ‘lifestyle’ conscious....
People who call in to Dave Ramsey’s radio show or seek financial help/Housing choices—Some who Prefer a more extravagant lifestyle but cannot afford it/They may refuse to live within their means for lifestyle sake/*A difference between not being willing to settle for less(keeping your bar high—aiming high) & being unwilling to do the right thing/This is why bankruptcies & foreclosures are rampant/PRIDE
Love the urban lifestyle/But it may damage your children/Remain urban despite the need of your family/PRIDE
Application:
?Is your PRIDE challenged by the Cure for Church Conflict?
?Are you an advocate or hindrance to the Cure for Church Conflict?
5—The cure for church conflict is challenged by....
RESISTANCE(:7-8a)
Explanation: (:7-8a)
:7—“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil & he will flee from you.”
Seeing that God both actively 1) Sets Himself against the proud, & 2) Extends more “grace” to the humble(:6), it thereby makes perfect sense for His people to be encouraged in willingly “submitting to God.” This is a volitional act which must be undertaken by every believer.
To complement this action godward, we are also called to its contrasting action of actively standing against the slanderer(“devil”) himself. Upon our doing so, he will in turn, be driven to “flee” from the very one who stands against him.
Thereby, the true Christian will not live in fear of the devil & his strategies but rather stands against them empowered by his/her submission to God.
Eph. 6:10-18—“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord & in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh & blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, & having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, & having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, & the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer & supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance & supplication for all the saints--”
“Submit”—upotassw—1) To arrange under, to subordinate; 2) To subject, put in subjection; 3) To subject one's self, obey; 4) To submit to one's control; 5) To yield to one's admonition or advice; 6) To obey, be subject. A Greek military term meaning “to arrange [troop divisions] in a military fashion under the command of a leader.” In non-military use, it was “a voluntary attitude of giving in, cooperating, assuming responsibility, & carrying a burden.” Strong—To subordinate; reflexively, to obey:-- Be under obedience (obedient), put under, subdue unto, (be, make) subject (to, unto), be (put) in subjection (to, under), submit self unto.
“Resist”—anyisthmi—1) To set one's self against, to withstand, resist, oppose; 2) To set against. Strong—To stand against, i.e. Oppose:-- Resist, withstand.
“Devil”—diabolov—1) Prone to slander, slanderous, accusing falsely—1a) A calumniator, false accuser, slanderer, 2) metaph. Applied to a man who, by opposing the cause of God, may be said to act the part of the devil or to side with him. From—diaballw—1) to throw over or across, to send over; 2) to traduce, calumniate, slander, accuse, defame. Strong—A traducer; specially, Satan:-- False accuser, devil, slanderer.
“Flee”—feugw—1) To flee away, seek safety by flight; 2) metaph. To flee (to shun or avoid by flight) something abhorrent, esp. vices; 3) To be saved by flight, to escape safely out of danger; 4) poetically, To flee away, vanish. Strong—To run away (literally or figuratively); by implication, To shun; by analogy, To vanish:-- Escape, flee (away).
:8—“Draw near to God & He will draw near to you.”.....”
Further emphasizing his point of submission to God, James points out that one’s “drawing near” sets in motion a mutual response on God’s part. The two parties thus approach one another!
However, again(:7) it is a matter of personal volition on the part of the sinner to approach God. Why? Because God has done His part—standing & knocking.
Rev. 3:20—““Behold, I stand at the door & knock. If anyone hears My voice & opens the door, I will come in to him & dine with him, & he with Me.”
But in order to approach God rightly, & with the enablement to receive the fullness of His presence, one must first let go of that to which he currently clings... that which is representative of his sinful pursuits, a trust in self & the world rather than trust in God thru Christ.
“Draw near”—eggizw—1) To bring near, to join one thing to another; 2) To draw or come near to, to approach. Strong—To make near, i.e. (reflexively) Approach:-- Approach, be at hand, come (draw) near, be (come, draw) nigh.
Argumentation:
Rom. 10:1-4—“Brethren, my heart’s desire & prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, & seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.”
Mat. 11:29—““Take My yoke upon you & learn from Me, for I am gentle & lowly in heart, & you will find rest for your souls.”
1Pet. 2:13-14—“Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers & for the praise of those who do good.”
Lk. 4:1-13; Mat. 4:10-11—“Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, & Him only you shall serve.’” Then the devil left Him, & behold, angels came & ministered to Him.” Lk. 4:13—“Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.”
The devil’s temptation of Jesus(Mat. 4:1-11) was met by Jesus’ reliance upon God’s very word(in its proper context), the truth of reality! Thereby the devil fled!....but he left only temporarily! until a more opportune time. One instance of victory over the devil is no guarantee of his protracted flight.
Illustration:
I can remember in elementary school(1963-5?) receiving a sugar cube with oral polio medication on it/The entire school had to take the cube/We had to draw near(submit) to receive the cure/The sugar cube secured our RESISTANCE to polio virus
Small pox shot/Our parents encouraged by the govt. to get vaccinated/They had to resist the temptation to avoid the nurse administering the shot/Swallow our pride & get the shot!/RESISTANCE
Application:
?Is your RESISTANCE challenged by the Cure for Church Conflict?
?Are you an advocate or hindrance to the Cure for Church Conflict?
6—The cure for church conflict is challenged/hindered by....
JOY(:8b-10)
Explanation:(:8b-10)
:8—“.....Cleanse your hands, you sinners; & purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
We must effectively “cleanse” our sinner’s “hands.” The ones who desire to draw near to God & would thus expect God’s active presence in their lives, must have “hearts” which are singularly dedicated to God. Hearts not so devoted characterize the “double-minded.” They waver in their allegiance to God, being torn between fleshly desire & the known desire of God. Such people will simultaneously be impure in their thoughts. They must take it upon themselves to lay aside the un-godly desires of their heart, in order to establish a right relationship with God.
Ps. 18:20-26—“The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; According to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me. For I have kept the ways of the LORD, And have not wickedly departed from my God. For all His judgments were before me, And I did not put away His statutes from me. I was also blameless before Him, And I kept myself from my iniquity. Therefore the LORD has recompensed me according to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands in His sight. With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful; With a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless; With the pure You will show Yourself pure; And with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd.”
Ps. 24:3-5—“Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands & a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive blessing from the LORD, And righteousness from the God of his salvation.”
Isa. 1:16-18—““Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow. Come now, & let us reason together,” Says the LORD, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.”
Hypocritical behaviors are a tell-tale sign of a secondary God.
Eze 36:26-27—““I will give you a new heart & put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh & give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you & cause you to walk in My statutes, & you will keep My judgments & do them.”
2Cor. 7:1—“Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh & spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”
1Jn. 3:1-3—“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; & it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”
“Cleanse”—kayarizw—1) To make clean, cleanse—1a) From physical stains & dirt—1a1) Utensils, food, 1a2) A leper, to cleanse by curing, 1a3) To remove by cleansing, 1b) In a moral sense—1b1) to free from defilement of sin & from faults, 1b2) To purify from wickedness, 1b3) To free from guilt of sin, to purify, 1b4) To consecrate by cleansing or purifying, 1b5) To consecrate, dedicate; 2) To pronounce clean in a levitical sense. Strong—To cleanse (literally or figuratively):-- (make) Clean(-se), purge, purify.
“Hands”—ceir—Strong—The hand (literally or figuratively [Power]; especially [by Hebraism] A means or instrument):-- Hand.
“Sinners”—amartwlov—1) Devoted to sin, a sinner—1a) Not free from sin, 1b) Pre- eminently sinful, especially wicked—1b1) All wicked men, 1b2) Specifically of men stained with certain definite vices or crimes—1b2a) Tax collectors, heathen. Strong—Sinful, i.e. A sinner:-- Sinful, sinner.
“Purify”—agnizw—1) ceremonially—1a) To make pure, purify, cleanse; 2) Morally. Strong—To make clean, i.e. (figuratively) Sanctify (ceremonially or morally):-- Purify (self).
“Double-minded”—diqucov—1) Double minded—1a) Wavering, uncertain, doubting, 1b) Divided in interest. Strong—Two-spirited, i.e. vacillating (in opinion or purpose):-- Double minded. Used 2X here & 1:8. From—div & quch— ‘Twice-breath-ed.’
:9—“Lament & mourn & weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning & your joy to gloom.”
James now describes for us what the person who truly seeks God must do. He/she must “lament”, “mourn” & “weep” because of the control afforded their sin, as opposed to the control of God. The “laughter” & “joy” of which James speaks is that borne of sinful submission. The things which bring us joy by means of the flesh are the very things which should be red flags of a lack of surrender to God. When these red flags present themselves we should mourn because of them...because of the damage done to God thru them. But we should not mourn the loss of this kind of “laughter” & “joy.”
We must personally & corporately examine the reasons & motives for our “laughter” & “joy.”
Examples of such lamentable joy are seen in the things we consider ‘funny’ on TV, radio. The jokes we tell at the water cooler, on the CB, at break time, etc.
Eph. 4:29—“Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.”
Ps 119:71—“It is good for me that I have been afflicted, That I may learn Your statutes.”
Eccl. 7:3-6—“Sorrow is better than laughter, For by a sad countenance the heart is made better. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, But the heart of fools is in the house of mirth. It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise Than for a man to hear the song of fools. For like the crackling of thorns under a pot, So is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.”
Eph. 5:2-5—“And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us & given Himself for us, an offering & a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. But fornication & all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ & God.”
Heb. 12:4—“You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.”
*2Cor. 7:9-11—“Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter.”
“Lament”—talaipwrew—1) To toil heavily, to endure labors & hardships; 2) To be afflicted; 3) To feel afflicted & miserable; 4) To afflict. Strong—To be wretched, i.e. Realize one's own misery:-- Be afflicted. used 1X.
“Mourn”—penyew—1) To mourn; 2) To mourn for, lament one. Means properly to lament for the dead. It is also applied to passionate lamentation of any kind, so great that it cannot be hid. Strong—To grieve (the feeling or the act):-- Mourn, (be-)wail. Used 10X.
“Weep”—klaiw—1) To mourn, weep, lament—1a) Weeping as the sign of pain & grief for the thing signified (i.e. for the pain & grief), 1b) Of those who mourn for the dead; 2) To weep for, mourn for, bewail, one. To weep audibly, cry as a child.
“Laughter”—gelwv—Laughter. Strong—Laughter (as a mark of gratification):-- Laughter. Used 1X.
“Turned to”—metastrefw—To turn around, turn around. Strong—To turn across, i.e. Transmute or (figuratively) Corrupt:-- Pervert, turn.
“Joy”—cara—1) Joy, gladness. Strong—Cheerfulness, i.e. Calm delight:-- Gladness, X greatly, (X be exceeding) joy(-ful, -fully, -fulness, -ous).
“Gloom”—kathfeia—1) A downcast look expressive of sorrow; 2) Shame, dejection, gloom. Strong—Demureness, i.e. (by implication) Sadness:-- Heaviness.
:10—“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, & He will lift you up.”
To truly be broken over our sin signifies that we have seen fit to “humble” ourselves recognizing God’s very presence. In so doing, God Himself will respond favorably by lifting up the one who is humbled.
True Christians cannot view themselves proudly as that signifies their relationship with God is minimized rather than maximized.
Lev. 26:40-45—“‘But if they confess their iniquity & the iniquity of their fathers, with their unfaithfulness in which they were unfaithful to Me, & that they also have walked contrary to Me, & that I also have walked contrary to them & have brought them into the land of their enemies; if their uncircumcised hearts are humbled, & they accept their guilt-- then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, & My covenant with Isaac & My covenant with Abraham I will remember; I will remember the land. The land also shall be left empty by them, & will enjoy its sabbaths while it lies desolate without them; they will accept their guilt, because they despised My judgments & because their soul abhorred My statutes. Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, nor shall I abhor them, to utterly destroy them & break My covenant with them; for I am the LORD their God. But for their sake I will remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God: I am the LORD.’””
Does your joy arise in the absence of the Lord’s desire & blessing?
Mat. 18:2-6—“Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, & said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted & become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me. But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, & he were drowned in the depth of the sea.”
1Pet. 5:1-7—“The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder & a witness of the sufferings of Christ, & also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; & when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away. Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, & be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”
“Humble”—tapeinow—1) To make low, bring low. Strong—To depress; figuratively, to humiliate (in condition or heart):-- Abase, bring low, humble (self).
“In the Sight of/In the Presence of”—enwpion—1) In the presence of, before. Strong—In the face of (literally or figuratively):-- Before, in the presence (sight) of, to.
“Lift...up/Exalt”—uqow—1) To lift up on high, to exalt; 2) metaph.—2a) To raise to the very summit of opulence & prosperity, 2b) To exalt, to raise to dignity, honor & happiness.
Argumentation:
1Chron. 28:9—““As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, & serve Him with a loyal heart & with a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts & understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever.”
Ps. 73:12-14, 16-17—“Behold, these are the ungodly, Who are always at ease; They increase in riches. Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain, And washed my hands in innocence. For all day long I have been plagued, And chastened every morning.”.....“When I thought how to understand this, It was too painful for me--Until I went into the sanctuary of God; Then I understood their end.”
Ps. 51:12-13—“Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted to You.”
Prov. 28:14—“Happy is the man who is always reverent, But he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity.”
1Thess. 1:6-7—“And you became followers of us & of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became examples to all in Macedonia & Achaia who believe.”
*Rom. 15:13—“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy & peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Php. 1:25—“And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain & continue with you all for your progress & joy of faith,”
Hab 3:17-19 “Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls-- Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, And He will make me walk on my high hills. To the Chief Musician. With my stringed instruments.”
Js. 1:2-4—“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect & complete, lacking nothing.”
The Joy of knowing we are completely following God in Christ.
Illustration:
Feeding bears at your home may give you great joy(because its so unusual) but it is dangerous to cozy up to & encourage a deadly wild animal!/JOY
My music tastes prior to salvation/Now they are unacceptable/JOY
Today’s Comedy/A Vast majority of it is built around worldly concepts of filthy language & sexual themes/Themes not laughable to the Christian/JOY
Sam’s ‘custom’ Jeep Cherokee needed new tires/Constantly going flat & replaced with old tires which went flat!/His Super Swampers were possibly 10 yrs. old!/Wouldn’t save his money/We helped him pay for new tires/Prayerfully his newfound JOY will ensure the cure.
Sorrow that brings repentance
Humility restores Joy
Application:
?Is your JOY challenged by the Cure for Church Conflict?
?Are you an advocate or hindrance to the Cure for Church Conflict?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
Limping man swallowing soaking pill.
*Our own behaviors can circumvent the very cure we need.
Action:
The cure for church conflict is Challenged by....
4. PRIDE(:5-6)
5. RESISTANCE(:7-8a)
6. JOY(:8b-10)
?Are you an advocate or hindrance to the Cure for Church Conflict?
1. DESIRE(:1-2a)
2. PRAYER(:2b-3)
3. FRIENDSHIP(:4)
Pts. 4-6 Presented 01/19/2014pm to:
FBC C’belle
206 Storrs Ave. SE
Carrabelle, FL 32322
Pts. 3-5 Presented 02/20/2011pm to:
Needmore Baptist Church
1620 Mt. Vernon Rd.
Woodleaf, NC 27054
