The Godly Wisdom We Need - Part 2
James 4:1-10
Sermon by Rick Crandall
McClendon Baptist Church - August 1, 2010
*In the late 70’s and early 80’s Mary and I were members of FBC in Macon, Georgia. There was a wonderful, wise, older couple there who helped us in a lot of ways. I remember visiting that lady in the hospital one night, and we were talking about my brother’s spiritual life. He had a whole lot of problems at the time, and they were mostly his own fault. As we talked the lady said, “I guess he hasn’t got through going up fool’s hill.” I had never heard it put that way before, but that was the spot-on truth for my brother back then.
*We don’t want to be going up fool’s hill, and the good news today is that we don’t have to! We can have all the Godly wisdom we need, and it will transform our lives. Let’s look into God’s Word and see how.
1. First: Godly wisdom leads us to make the right requests. (vs. 1-3)
*Last week James 3 warned us against the natural, wicked wisdom of this world.
13. Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.
14. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth.
15. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic.
16. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing will be there.
*Now here in James 4, God’s Word begins to show us some of the worst ugliness that can come from worldly wisdom:
1. Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?
*Wars and fights among Christian brothers and sisters!? -- Sadly, sometimes the answer is yes. Look how ugly it can get in vs. 2:
2. You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask.
*Does he literally mean that Christians can get to the point that they could kill each other? -- In the most extreme circumstances, yes. But remember that 1 John 3:15 says that whoever hates his brother is a murderer. In other words, he has the same spirit as a murderer. Our fussing and fighting may not kill someone’s body. But it can very easily kill friendships, dreams, opportunities and possibilities.
*This ugliness is the natural result of being led by the evil, selfish wisdom of this world. But there is more for us to see. In vs. 2&3 James talks about our prayer life and says:
2. . . . You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask.
3. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.
*In vs. 2, worldly wisdom puts an end to our prayer life. Then in vs. 3, worldly wisdom poisons our prayer life.
-But we don’t have to be led by the wisdom of this world.
-And Godly wisdom will put power in our prayer life!
-That’s because God’s wisdom will lead us to pray both regularly and righteously.
*Think of the wonderful prayers we find in the Word of God. One of many examples is Paul’s prayer in Eph 1:15-20. There Paul said:
15. Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,
16. do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers:
17. that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,
18. the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
19. and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power
20. which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,
*These prayer requests are the result of Godly wisdom. It leads us to pray regularly and righteously.
-We can pray for everyday things and eternal things.
-We can pray for mundane things and miraculous things, trusting God to always do the right thing.
-Godly wisdom leads us to make the right requests.
2. And it puts the priority on our relationship with God. (vs. 4)
*James was very strong in vs. 4 when he said: “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”
*Everyone has a choice to make: Be a friend of the world or be a friend of God.
-You can go along with the world or you can go along with God. -- But you can’t do both.
*When James talks about the world here, he’s talking about the world system, the evil system believes that might makes right.
-It puts outward beauty over inward beauty.
-It believes the end justifies the means.
-It is based on lie on top of lie.
*It rejects Jesus Christ and puts someone else on the throne.
-It puts self on the throne. -- It is selfish, sensual and sinful.
-It celebrates the darkest parts of our hearts.
-It gives great reward to the trashiest kind of talent.
*Everyone has a choice to make: Be a friend of the world or be a friend of God.
-Now of course, this doesn’t mean we can’t have friends in the world.
-I thank God for my friends. -- I thank God for you.
*But God Himself wants to be our Best Friend. That’s why in John 15:13 Jesus said, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” -- And that what Jesus did when He died on the cross for our sins.
*Thinking about the cross, Charles Spurgeon said:
-“See what (our) sin deserved. -- It was all laid on Him.
-Ridicule for the folly of sin. -- Scorn for the pretension of sin
-Shame for the audacity of sin. -- And Jesus took it all.” (1)
*Martin Dale told about a woman who was sentenced to death during the French Revolution.
-Her only crime was being a duchess who came from a wealthy family.
*She was thrown into prison, but still allowed to be served by a maid who loved her dearly.
-While the duchess slept, the maid quietly put on her mistress’ clothes.
-And when the duchess’ name was called, the maid went out and was executed in her place.
*The duchess woke-up and found her clothes gone, so she put on the servant’s clothes. And when the jailer came in, he said: “You are free to go. Your mistress has just been executed.” (2)
*That’s what Jesus Christ did on the cross for us: He took our place.
-Knowing that, -- how could we ever choose friendship with the world over friendship with God?
-Godly wisdom puts the priority on our relationship with God.
3. And it responds to God’s redemption. (vs. 5-7)
*How does wisdom respond to God’s redemption? James helps us see in vs. 5-7:
5. Do you think that the Scripture says in vain, "The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously’’?
6. But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’’
7. Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
*“God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” -- Why doesn’t God give grace to the proud?
-Well, it can’t be because they don’t deserve it. -- Nobody deserves grace!
*Remember these definitions of mercy and grace:
-Mercy is God not giving us what we do deserve.
-Grace is God giving us what we don’t deserve.
-Grace is GRACE: God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.
*The main reason God doesn’t give grace to the proud is because they don’t want it. -- They don’t think they need it. So God resists the proud, trying to get them to the point where they see their need for grace.
*“God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore submit to God.”
-Trust in the cross of Jesus Christ.
-Open your heart to receive Jesus as Savior and Lord.
-Passionately submit your life to God’s control. -- Yield to His leadership.
-Put yourself under His rule. -- Be obedient to Him.
*You can trust God to always do the right thing.
-He always keeps His commitments.
-When He says “God gives grace unto the humble.” -- You can count on it!
*Down in vs. 10, when He says “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” -- You can count on it! -- You can trust in the Lord!
*Pastor Stephen Funderburk gave this testimony:
-A young lady was flying to be on the Oprah show to talk about living life in fear.
-A local TV station interviewed her in the airport just before she left.
*At the end of the interview, I walked up to her and her husband and said,
-“You can be secure, you can be safe, in Christ alone. I am flying out of this airport today, and I will arrive back in Montgomery, Alabama or I will arrive in heaven. -- Either way I am sheltered in the arms of God.”
*Her husband got saved on the spot. -- They got involved in a local church.
-And they sent me a letter telling how they were working in a local youth group and felt a call to youth ministry.
*That young couple responded to God’s redemption.
-They found out that Jesus Christ is worthy of our trust!
-And they submitted their lives to the Lord. (3)
*Godly wisdom responds to God’s redemption.
4. And it answers God’s call to revival. (vs. 8-10)
*God calls His people to revival in vs. 8-10:
8. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
9. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.
10. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
*How can I answer God’s call to revival? (James gives us 3 ways.)
[1]-First, answer God’s call to revival by coming closer to God. In vs. 8: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. . .”
*Draw close to God, and when you do, you will find out that He was close by all the time. -- As David said in Psalm 139:7-10:
7. Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?
8. If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
9. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10. Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me.
-Draw close to God in prayer and in praise.
-Draw close to God in worship and in His Word.
-Draw close to God and He will draw close to you.
*Answer God’s call to revival by coming closer to God.
[2]-Also in vs. 8, by cleaning up your life: “Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
*God wants us to complete our cleansing.
-Cleanse your hands. -- And cleanse your heart.
-Clean-up on the outside. -- And on the inside.
-Clean-up you actions. -- And your attitudes.
*Clean up your life by repenting from sin, and by confessing your sins to God.
-God will surely do His part! -- His Word makes this clear.
*In Rev 1:4-6, John opens his letter with grace and peace:
5. from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood,
6. and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
*And remember when Jesus washed the disciples’ feet on the night before the Cross.
8. Peter said to Him, "You shall never wash my feet!’’ Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.’’
9. Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!’’
10. Jesus said to him, "He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.’’
11. For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, "You are not all clean.’’ (John 13:8-11)
*1 John 1:8-9 says this to Christians:
8. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
*Answer God’s call to revival by cleaning up your life.
[3]-Also in vs. 9-10 by crying in sorrow over your sins:
9. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.
10. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
*Doesn’t God want Christians to be happy? -- Yes, God wants His people to overflow with joy. But God never wants you to be happy with sin, -- no not for one moment. God never, ever wants people to be satisfied in their sins.
*So in vs. 9, He says: “Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.”
*How long has it been since you cried over your sins?
-Maybe you have put the most obvious sins behind you, but there is no such thing as a good sin. And God calls us to sorrow for our sins.
*The best way to have true sorrow for your sins is to remember the price that Jesus paid for your sins.
-See every sin as a thorn in His crown. -- See every sin as stripe on His back.
-See every sin as a blow from the hammer that nailed Jesus to the cross for you.
*Dana Chau tells the old story of a son who constantly rebelled against his dad.
-He was destroying his own life by his rebellion.
-And he refused to listen to his dad.
*One day, the dad told his son, “I want to show you what you’re doing to your life. I’m going to put a wooden post in our front yard.
-Every time you rebel, I will put a nail in the post.
-Every time you obey, I will pull out a nail.”
*At first, the boy thought: “I’m going to do everything I can to fill that post with nails.” -- And he did. In two months, the post was covered with nails.
-But the boy began to realize the damage he was doing to his own life and to his parents.
-With true repentance, he began to obey his dad, and one by one the nails came out. -- But when the last nail came out, the boy broke down in tears.
*Dad asked: “Son, why are you crying?”
-And the boy said, “I got rid of the nails, but I can’t get rid of the holes.” (4)
*Every time you sin, remember the holes.
-Remember the nails that pierced His hands and feet.
*Remember with sadness for your sin, but also remember with joy and gratitude for His love.
-And remember with the inspiration to live in obedience to the Lord.
-Christian: Answer God’s call to revival.
*And if you have never trusted in the Lord, the wisest thing you can ever do is open your heart to receive Jesus.
-Rom 10:13 says “Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
-You can do that right now as we go to God in prayer.
1. (Original source unknown)
2. SermonCentral.com sermon “Smyrna” by Martin Dale - Rev 2:8-11 - 09/03/03
3. Adapted from SermonCentral.com sermon “God of Wonderful Change” by Stephen Funderburk - Psalms 40:1-3
4. SermonCentral illustration contributed by Dana Chau
