CURING CHURCH CONFLICT—III—James 4:1-17
Attention:
A zookeeper wanted to get some extra animals for his zoo, so he decided to compose a letter. The only problem was that he didn’t know the plural of "mongoose."
He started the letter: "To whom it may concern, I need two mongeese."
No, that wouldn’t work, so he tried again: "To whom it may concern, I need two mongooses." Is that right?
Finally, he got an idea: "To whom it may concern, I need a mongoose, & while you’re at it, send me another one."
He never learned the correct term.
*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.
What is the cure for church conflict?
8 challenges/hindrances to the cure for church conflict.
Previously we discovered that....
The cure for church conflict is challenged/hindered by our....
1. DESIRE(:1-2a)
2. PRAYER(:2b-3)
3. FRIENDSHIP(:4)
4. PRIDE(:5-6)
5. RESISTANCE(:7-8a)
6—The cure for church conflict is challenged by our....
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.”
Mat. 5:4—“Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.”
*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 minimalized 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 and 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 and Achaia who believe.”
*Rom. 15:13—“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and 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 and continue with you all for your progress and 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 and complete, lacking nothing.”
The Joy of knowing we are completely following God in Christ.
Illustration:
Sam’s 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/JOY
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?
7—The cure for church conflict is challenged by our....
JUDGMENT(:11-12)
Explanation: (:11-12)Consideration/Slander/Defamation
:11—“Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother & judges his brother, speaks evil of the law & judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.”
James’ audience is cautioned not to badmouth their fellow Christian brothers. One’s own family members should not be spoken evil of.
This is an affront to God because anyone who speaks evil of his own brother in Christ, judging him wrongly, is in fact, saying the same of the law which God has given.
What is “the law”?
God’s perfect “law of liberty”(1:25; 2:12) that states... people are saved by grace thru faith alone.
If the OT Jewish law then it is plain that no one can measure up to it & all are condemned(Acts 13:38-39;Gal. 2:16;Gal. 3:10-12; Gal. 3:21-26;Rom. 3:20-21, 27-28).
AND...
Lev. 19:16-18—“‘You shall not go about as a talebearer among your people; nor shall you take a stand against the life of your neighbor: I am the LORD. ‘You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him. ‘You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.”
Mat. 22:36-40—““Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus said to him,” ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ “This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ “On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.””
Such a vilifier “judges” the law, determining it as unworthy for its purpose. Furthermore he brings his judgment to bear thru imperfect means, as a sinner.
As a “judge” of “the law” then, one does not “do” the law but instead sits as a “judge” of it. Such judgment shows that the “judge” is not satisfied with the law as he views himself above & superior to the law &, as such, will not intentionally “do” it.
Poor Judgment is borne of carelessness or frustration & is temporary...
BUT
Judgmentalism/Slander/Defamation/Denigration are all born of hatred....
1Jn. 2:9-11—“He who says he is in the light, & hates his brother, is in darkness until now. He who loves his brother abides in the light, & there is no cause for stumbling in him. But he who hates his brother is in darkness & walks in darkness, & does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.”
1Jn. 4:20-21—“If someone says, “I love God,” & hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.”
Mat. 5:11-12—““Blessed are you when they revile & persecute you, & say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice & be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Rom. 12:19-21(Ps. 25:21-22)—“Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
?Do you stand in judgment of God’s determinations?...His right & wrong...Society opposes it...Do you side with man or God?
“Speak evil of”3X—katalalew—V.—1) To speak against one, to criminate, traduce. Strong—To be a traducer, i.e. To slander:-- Speak against (evil of). From—katalalia—N. f.—Defamation, backbiting, evil speaking.
“Judges”—krinw—1) To separate, put asunder, to pick out, select, choose; 2) To approve, esteem, to prefer; 3) To be of opinion, deem, think, to be of opinion; 4) To determine, resolve, decree; 5) To judge; 6) To rule, govern—6a) To preside over with the power of giving judicial decisions, because it was the prerogative of kings & rulers to pass judgment; 7) To contend together, of warriors & combatants. Strong—properly, To distinguish, i.e. Decide (mentally or judicially); by implication, To try, condemn, punish:-- Avenge, conclude, condemn, damn, decree, determine, esteem, judge, go to (sue at the) law, ordain, call in question, sentence to, think.
“Law”—nomov—1) anything established, anything received by usage, a custom, a law, a command. It may mean law in general. In the N.T., however, it usually means the law of God, & most frequently the Mosaic law. Strong—from a primary nemw(to parcel out, especially food or grazing to animals); Law (through the idea of prescriptive usage), genitive case (regulation), specifically (of Moses [including the volume]; also of the Gospel), or figuratively (a principle):-- Law.
“Doer”—poihthv—1) A maker, a producer, author; 2) A doer, performer—2a) One who obeys or fulfils the law; 3) A poet. Strong—A performer; specifically, a "poet":-- Doer, poet. Used 6X.
—We think of poets as word-crafters of sorts. Thus this is not an accidental “doing” spoken of but is intentional.
“Judge”—krithv—1) One who passes or arrogates to himself, judgment on anything—1a) An arbiter, 1b) Of a Roman procurator administering justice, 1c) of God passing judgment on men, 1d) of the leaders or rulers of the Israelites. Gives prominence to the mental process, whether the judge is a magistrate or not.
:12—“There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save & to destroy. Who are you to judge another?”
To make his point clear, James declares the objective truth that there is only one true “Lawgiver.” And this Lawgiver is both “able to save & destroy.” In fact, He has ultimate Law-giving ability.
So anyone arrogant enough to take it upon himself to judge the law(of God)—That people are saved by grace thru faith alone— is foolish & has no actual right to judge any of his Christian brothers.
*The scenario begs the question...who does a person so smugly think they are to judge another if they will not accept God’s perfect law(of liberty (1:25; 2:12))?
“Lawgiver”—nomoyethv—A lawgiver. Strong— A legislator:-- Lawgiver. Used 1X.
“Save”—swzw—1) To save, keep safe & sound, to rescue from danger or destruction. To save, i.e. Deliver or protect (literally or figuratively):-- Heal, preserve, save (self), do well, be (make) whole.
“Destroy”—apollumi—1) To destroy. Strong—To destroy fully (reflexively, to perish, or lose), literally or figuratively:-- Destroy, die, lose, mar, perish.
Argumentation:
Titus 3:1-7—“Remind them to be subject to rulers & authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts & pleasures, living in malice & envy, hateful & hating one another. But when the kindness & the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration & renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”
Rom. 14:22—“....Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves.”
Gal. 6:1-5—“Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, & so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one examine his own work, & then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, & not in another. For each one shall bear his own load.”
2Cor. 1:12—Paul & Timothy—“For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity & godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, & more abundantly toward you.”
*Mat. 7:1-2—““Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; & with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”
Illustration:
The saying, ‘Beauty is in the Eye of the beholder’/JUDGMENT
Views & passions regarding homosexuality/JUDGMENT
Application:
?Is your JUDGMENT challenged by the Cure for Church Conflict?
?Are you an advocate or hindrance to the Cure for Church Conflict?
8—The cure for church conflict is challenged by our....
CONTROL(:13-17)
Explanation: (:13-17)
:13—“Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such & such a city, spend a year there, buy & sell, & make a profit”;”
This section(:13-17) relates the importance of responding to the will of God(MacArthur) & how a boastful arrogance plays into a lack of spiritual discernment.
This is seen in the money-making tactics of businessmen. Their self-determined approach at doing business leaves no room for guidance by the Holy Spirit.
They regularly decide when & where & for how long they will do business. Their sole purpose is to “make a profit.” There is no purpose of God in their determinations. They assume that so-much time can be allotted for their money-making endeavors.
“Spend/Continue”—poiew—1)To make; 2) To do. Strong—To make or do (in a very wide application, more or less direct).
“And spend a year there (kai poihsomen ekei eniauton). Another future (active of poiew). “We will do a year there.””—RWP
“Buy & sell/Engage in business/Carry on business”—emporeuomai—V.—1) To go a trading, to travel for business, to traffic, trade; 2) Of a thing, to import for sale; 3) To deal in; 4) To use a person or a thing for gain. Used 3X. From —emporia—N. f.—Trade, merchandise. Our English—Emporium.
“Make a Profit/Get gain/Make money”—kerdainw—1) To gain, acquire, to get gain; 2) metaph.—2a) of gain arising from shunning or escaping from evil (where we say "to spare one’s self", "be spared"), 2b) To gain any one i.e. to win him over to the kingdom of God, to gain one to faith in Christ, 2c) To gain Christ’s favor & fellowship. Strong—To gain (literally or figuratively):-- (get) Gain, win.
:14—“whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time & then vanishes away.”
However, the fact remains that these businessmen have no idea what will take place even tomorrow much less a year from now. It is humanly impossible to know their future apart from God. In so doing business(without God), they have neglected to consider the brevity of their own lives & the actuality of the resulting insecurity arising from their business ventures.
*Prov. 27:1—“Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth.”
1Pet. 1:24-25—“....“All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, And its flower falls away, But the word of the LORD endures forever.” Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.”
1Pet. 4:7—“But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious & watchful in your prayers.”
“Vapor”—atmiv—Strong—Mist:-- vapor. Used 2X. “Old word for mist (like atmov, from which our “atmosphere”)”—RWP
“Appears”—fainw—V.—(fainomenh—Eng.= ‘phenomenon’)—1) To bring forth into the light, cause to shine, shed light; 2) Shine. refers to the actual external appearance, generally correct, but possibly deceptive. Strong—To lighten (shine), i.e. Show (transitive or intransitive, literal or figurative):-- Appear, seem, be seen, shine, X think.
“Little time”—prov oligov—prov—1) To the advantage of; 2) At, near, by; 3) To, towards, with, with regard to. Strong—A preposition of direction; Forward to, i.e. Toward.— oligov—1) Little, small, few—1a) Of number: multitude, quantity, or size, 1b) Of time: short, 1c) Of degree or intensity: light, slight. Strong—Puny (in extent, degree, number, duration or value); especially neuter (adverbial) Somewhat:-- + Almost, brief[-ly], few, (a) little, + long, a season, short, small, a while.
“Vanishes”—afanizw—Negation of fainw(“appear”). —1) To snatch out of sight, to put out of view, to make unseen; 2) To cause to vanish away, to destroy, consume; 3) To deprive of lustre, render unsightly. Strong—To render unapparent, i.e. (actively) Consume (becloud), or (passively) Disappear (be destroyed):-- Corrupt, disfigure, perish, vanish away. Used 5X.
8—The cure for church conflict is challenged by....
CONTROL(:13-17)
:15—“Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live & do this or that.””
Rather than making such bold plans(:13) apart from God’s direction, the wise person(Christian) will make preparation only as or even “if the Lord wills.” The wise Christian realizes & obtains God’s direction in securing their lives & that work to which their hands & energies are set. Thereby every aspect of their living is organized around the direction of the Lord.
“If the Lord wills”—“The proper attitude of mind (Acts 18:21; 1Cor. 4:19; 16:7; Rom. 1:19; Php. 2:19,24; Heb. 6:3), not to be uttered always in words like a charm.—RWP
Yes, God has a “will” as do we!
“Wills”—yelw—1) To will, have in mind, intend. Strong—To determine (as an active option from subjective impulse;...i.e. Choose or prefer (literally or figuratively); by implication, To wish, i.e. Be inclined to (sometimes adverbially, gladly); impersonally for the future tense, To be about to; by Hebraism, To delight in:-- Desire, be disposed (forward), intend, list, love, mean, please, have rather, (be) will (have, -ling, -ling[-ly]).
:16—“But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.”
The person considering the Lord’s will in his business ventures—or any other venture for that matter—boasts/glories in the Lord’s determinations, direction & guidance for one’s life.
the opposite extreme of this is the example of :13, where the business partners plan endeavors apart from God’s direction. This is nothing more than glorying in one’s own “arrogance.”
James makes no bones about it, that such a boasting is downright evil of a vicious, mischievous & hurtful kind.
“Boast/Rejoice”—kaucaomai—1) To glory (whether with reason or without); 2) To glory on account of a thing; 3) To glory in a thing.
See Js. 1:9(“glory”); 2:13(“triumphs”); Js. 3:14(“boast”).
“Arrogance/Brag”—alazoneia—1) Empty, braggart talk; 2) An insolent & empty assurance, which trusts in its own power & resources & shamefully despises & violates divine laws & human rights; 3) An impious & empty presumption which trusts in the stability of earthy things. Strong—Braggadocio, i.e. (by implication) Self-confidence:-- Boasting, pride. Used 2X— here & 1Jn. 2:16(“pride of life”).
“Evil”—ponhrov—1) Full of labors, annoyances, hardships—1a) Pressed & harassed by labors, 1b) Bringing toils, annoyances, perils; of a time full of peril to Christian faith & steadfastness; causing pain & trouble; 2) Bad, of a bad nature or condition. It means mischief-making, delighting in injury, doing evil to others, dangerous, destructive. Strong—Hurtful, i.e. Evil (properly, in effect or influence....figuratively, Calamitous; also (passively) Ill, i.e. Diseased; but especially (morally) Culpable, i.e. Derelict, vicious, facinorous; neuter (singular) Mischief, malice, or (plural) Guilt; masculine (singular) The devil, or (plural) Sinners:-- Bad, evil, grievous, harm, lewd, malicious, wicked(-ness).
:17—“Therefore, to him who knows to do good & does not do it, to him it is sin.”
As a result, of the previous facts, for the person who is fully aware that they are “to do” God’s “good,” it is expected that they will do it. Anything less —not doing the good— is pure & unadulterated “sin.” It is “sin” for every individual who chooses not to do what is God’s determination of “good.”
“Good”—kalov—1) Beautiful, handsome, excellent, eminent, choice, surpassing, precious, useful, suitable, commendable, admirable. Kalov is a much higher word. It means beautiful, physically or morally. It is, however, distinctly the beauty which comes from harmony, the beauty which arises from a symmetrical adjustment in right proportion, in other words, from the harmonious completeness of the object concerned. Strong—properly, Beautiful, but chiefly (figuratively) Good (literally or morally), i.e. Valuable or virtuous (for appearance or use:-- X Better, fair, good(-ly), honest, meet, well, worthy.
“Sin”—amartia—1) Equivalent to amartanw—1a) To be without a share in, 1b) To miss the mark, 1c) To err, be mistaken, 1d) To miss or wander from the path of uprightness & honor, to do or go wrong, 1e) To wander from the law of God, violate God’s law, sin; 2) That which is done wrong, sin, an offense, a violation of the divine law in thought or in act; 3) Collectively, the complex or aggregate of sins committed either by a single person or by many. Strong—To miss the mark (& so not share in the prize), i.e. (figuratively) To err, especially (morally) To sin:-- for your faults, offend, sin, trespass.
Argumentation:
Gen. 11:4 “And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, & a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.””
In direct disobedience to the desire of God to “fill the earth & subdue it”.(Gen. 1:28).
Lk. 12:16-21 “Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns & build greater, & there I will store all my crops & my goods. ‘And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, & be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ So is he who lays up treasure for himself, & is not rich toward God.””
Rev. 18:1-7—“After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory. And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird! For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury. And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. Render to her just as she rendered to you, and repay her double according to her works; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her. In the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, ‘I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.’”
Illustration:
A car/We go to elaborate lengths to make it ours—personalize it/Keys—Power steering—Gas pedal—Brakes—Stereo—Air, etc./CONTROL
Application:
?Is your CONTROL challenged by the Cure for Church Conflict?
?Are you an advocate or hindrance to the Cure for Church Conflict?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
Action:
The cure for church conflict is challenged by our....
6—JOY(:8b-10)
7—JUDGMENT(:11-12)
8—CONTROL(:13-17)
1. DESIRE(:1-2a)
2. PRAYER(:2b-3)
3. FRIENDSHIP(:4)
4. PRIDE(:5-6)
5—RESISTANCE(:7-8a)
Presented 03/06/2011pm to:
Needmore Baptist Church
1620 Mt. Vernon Rd.
Woodleaf, NC 27054
