MY WAY Will Not Work (James 4:7-12)

Notice the verbs in James 4:7-10. "Submit," "resist," "come," "wash," "purify," "grieve," "mourn," "wail," "change," and "humble yourselves." These verbs suggest that "I did it my way" or "my way or the highway" is NOT a wise way to live. It is certainly not the way to live under the blessing of God.

• Trials are Beneficial (Overview of James). Suffering is good for you!

1. Horrible Days (1:1-4). The Way to Maturity and Wholeness.
2. How to Know What's Going On (1:5-12). A Prayer that God is Always Happy to Answer.
3. When Trials Become Temptations (1:13-21). God Never Tempts Anyone.
4. Self-Deceived Christians (1:22-27). When Reading and Studying the Bible Makes You Worse.
5. Showing Favoritism (2:1-13). Trust God rather than show favoritism toward influential people.
6. True Faith and Loving Deeds (2:14-26). Loving others--amid our own difficulties and trials--always accompanies true faith.
7. Lashing Out Verbally at Others (3:1-12). If you think you have to teach others, it's better to shut up!
8. The Wise and the Selfishly Ambitious (3:13-18). You can't be wise if you are selfishly motivated.
9. Infighting in the Church (4:1-6). Being upset with others may not be the fault of others.
   

The first sin in God's universe was someone saying to God, "Not your will, but mine!" (Genesis 3; Isa 14:12-14; Eze 28:11-17) The rebellion against God says, "Do what you want, not what God wants. God is holding back something good from you, something that will make you feel real good and make you smart and wise. But God doesn't want you to have it. So you got to go and get it for yourself. Don't let God decide what's good for you. You decide, which you can and should do." In the Garden of Eden when Eve agreed to this, Adam agreed too. They both set themselves against God, becoming enemies of God. So God had no choice but to cast them out of Eden, which was paradise. This rebellion against God continues to this very day in many forms depending on the vastly different circumstances of our lives. But they all basically say, "God is NOT going to give me want I want."

• God is not going to give me the kind of comfortable retirement that I want. I gotta worry about making a lot more money for my retirement years. Cut a few corners. Bend a few rules. Just don't get caught.
• God (or he/her) is not letting me be honored and recognized as I should. So I gotta craftily bad mouth certain people to make them look bad, so that I will look good.
• God is not going to give me the marriage that I want. My spouse has major issues. I need a change.
• There are no one in church who is cool and cute and funny for me to date. I have to expand my horizons, lower my standards a little (but not make it obvious) in order to find "the one" for me.
• Why be devoted and dedicated to God and to the church if God is not giving me what I want?
  

Such is the voice of Satan. Yet God still woos us jealously, asking us to trust him and He stands ready to bless us if we will humble ourselves before him (Jas 4:4-6).

The world's way of coping with trials is to lash out against others, fight and quarrel with others because they are the ones aggravating my difficulties, and basically demand that others act the way I expect them to act.

In contrast to the world's way of reacting, James appeals to Christians to submit to what God is doing in our lives (Jas 1:2-4; 4:7-12), to accept that things will be difficult for a while, and to not try to teach others in our frustration to conform to our expectation (Jas 3:1-2).

Jas 4:7a, 10 are parallel statements: submit, humble yourself. The verses in between describe what this humble submitting looks like as far as God is concerned (Jas 4:7b-9), and the verses which follow describe what it looks like as far as others in the church are concerned (Jas 4:10-12).

To humbly submit to God means first to resist the devil, who always insinuates that God is not being good to you and is withholding something from you. When we resist the devil we affirm Rom 8:28 and Jas 1:17. In this way we come near to God (Jas 4:8a) even when a trial is unbearable. When we do Satan flees from us (Jas 4:7b), because our humble submission to God is a grave threat to him and his evil kingdom. C.S. Lewis has Screwtape, a senior demon explain to his mentee Wormwood:

"Our cause is never more in danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending, to do our Enemy's will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys."

To submit humbly means to wash our hands of sin and purify our hearts and cease being double-minded about whether God is in our trials for our good (Jas 4:8b; 1:6-7, 14-15, 21). In our submission we may grieve and mourn for the heaviness of our trials, our failures and our lapses during them (Jas 1:9). Our circumstances may not elicit laughter and joy. But our conviction is secure and unshakable: The Lord is good. He will eventually lift us up (Jas 1:10).

Humbly submitting to God enables us to become gentle and kind toward others. We do not slander or judge others for how their actions and words adversely affect us (Jas 1:11-12). That violates the law of love. Instead of advesarial words and actions we become peace-loving, considerate, submissive and full of mercy (Jas 3:17). In this way we avoid being pulluted by the world's way of responding to trials by blaming others (Jas 1:27; 2:8-13; 3:1-4:10).

When we submit to God, we know that MY WAY is not the way. Instead, we learn from the Son: "Not my will, but yours be done" (Lk 22:42).

Infighting in the Church (James 4:1-6)

Why do we not like certain people? Why are there fights and quarrels, some rather bitter and longstanding, even in the holy church of God?

• Trials are Beneficial (Overview of James). Suffering is good for you!

1. Horrible Days (1:1-4). The Way to Maturity and Wholeness.
2. How to Know What's Going On (1:5-12). A Prayer that God is Always Happy to Answer.
3. When Trials Become Temptations (1:13-21). God Never Tempts Anyone.
4. Self-Deceived Christians (1:22-27). When Reading and Studying the Bible Makes You Worse.
5. Showing Favoritism (2:1-13). Trust God rather than show favoritism toward influential people.
6. True Faith and Loving Deeds (2:14-26). Loving others--amid our own difficulties and trials--always accompanies true faith.
7. Lashing Out Verbally at Others (3:1-12). If you think you have to teach others, it's better to shut up!
8. The Wise and the Selfishly Ambitious (3:13-18). You can't be wise if you are selfishly motivated.

What causes us to be angry, to fight and to have quarrels?

The Wise and the Selfishly Ambitious (James 3:13-18)

Who is one who is not wise, and the one you should not listen to? Briefly, according to James, it is the one who thinks they are wise and are too quick to teach others (Jas 3:1)! How can one tell who they are? They often cannot control their tongue and they blame others. Those who desire to teach others and who see the fault in others but none in themselves are the ones who should learn to simply shut their mouth!

• Trials are Beneficial: Overview of James.

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1. Horrible Days (Jas 1:1-4). The Way to Maturity and Wholeness.
2. How to Know What's Going On (Jas 1:5-12). A Prayer that God is Always Happy to Answer.
3. When Trials Become Temptations (Jas 1:13-21). God Never Tempts Anyone.
4. Self-Deceived Christians (Jas 1:22-27). When Reading and Studying the Bible Makes You Worse.
5. Showing Favoritism (Jas 2:1-13). Trust God rather than show favoritism toward influential people.
6. True Faith = Loving Deeds (Jas 2:14-26). True faith is always expressed through deeds of love for others, regardless of what trial we may be personally going through. [Loving others--amid our own difficulties and trials--always accompanies true faith.]
7. Lashing Out Verbally at Others (Jas 3:1-12). If you think you have to teach others, it's better to just shut up!

Lashing Out Verbally at Others (James 3:1-12)

Lacking tongue control: "If anyone makes no mistakes in what they say, such a person is a fully complete human being, capable of keeping firm control over the whole body as well" (Jas 3:2b, N.T. Wright). "Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check" (Jas 3:2b, NIV). "For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way" (Jas 3:2b, NLT).

Theme: If you cannot control your mouth, don't teach the Bible to others. Definitely, don't teach others the Bible if you are blaming others for problems and difficulties. Don't be in Christian leadership if you have a habit of lashing out at others. For the easiest way to sin, the most common, and the hardest sin to prevent, is with the tongue.

• Trials are Beneficial: Overview of James.

Faith During Trials and Loving Deeds (James 2:14-26)

• Trials are Beneficial: Overview of James.

1. Horrible Days (Jas 1:1-4), or The Way to Maturity and Wholeness.
2. How to Know What's Going On (Jas 1:5-12), or A Prayer that God is Always Happy to Answer.
3. When Trials Become Temptations (Jas 1:13-21), or God Never Tempts Anyone.
4. Self-Deceived Christians (Jas 1:22-27), or When Reading and Studying the Bible Makes You Worse.
5. Showing Favoritism (Jas 2:1-13), Trust God rather than show favoritism toward influential people.

How can we know if our faith during our trying times and troubling trials will bring forth the blessing of God which James calls "a crown of life" (Jas 1:12)? There is a way to know whether your faith is alive and vital, and will see you through the trial to the good end that God intends (Jas 1:4). Here's how. Very simply, James says that your loving deeds toward others reveal a liging faith. Your loving acts of compassion and mercy show that you have a genuine trusting faith that will see you through the trials to God's reward.  Read James 2:14-17.

Showing Favoritism (James 2:1-13)

1. Trials are Beneficial: Overview of James.
2. Horrible Days (Jas 1:1-4), or The Way to Maturity and Wholeness.
3. How to Know What's Going On (Jas 1:5-12), or A Prayer that God is Always Happy to Answer.
4. When Trials Become Temptations (Jas 1:13-21), or God Never Tempts Anyone.
5. Self-Deceived Christians (Jas 1:22-27), or When Reading and Studying the Bible Makes You Worse.

If you see a pretty girl and an unattractive girl at two ends of the room, which end do you casually gravitate toward? If you see a rich cool guy who is funny and friendly and a poor nerdy guy who is awkward with shabby clothes who would you charm up to? If you meet a person who can possibly benefit you and your church and a person who looks like they will be a drain to you and your church, which person would you extend more grace to?

Self-Deceived Christians (James 1:22-27)

Imagine that reading and studying the Bible and listening to good preaching could make you worse!

"But be people who do the word, not merely people who hear it and deceive themselves" (James 1:22, N.T. Wright).

"Mirror, mirror on the wall..." What do you see when you look in the mirror? Beautiful eyes? Fantastic flowing hair? A look to die for? A cool tough masculine look? Some facial hair to enhance your manliness? Or do you see a balding hairline, wrinkles, crow feet and sagging bags under your eyes?

1. Trials are Beneficial: Overview of James.
2. Horrible Days (Jas 1:1-4) or The Way to Maturity and Completeness.
3. How to Know What's Going On (James 1:5-12) or A Prayer that God is Always Happy to Answer.
4. When Trials Become Temptations (James 1:13-21) or God Never Tempts Anyone.

When Trials Become Temptations (James 1:13-21)

"Nobody being tested should say, 'It's God that's testing me,' for God cannot be tested by evil, and he himself tests nobody" (James 1:13, N.T. Wright).

James has written that we should consider trials as pure joy (Jas 1:1-4). Horrible days are simply God working in us to produce patience and perseverance until we come to maturity and completeness (Jas 1:2-4), until we are "conformed to the image of his Son" (Rom 8:29). If we're not sure what's going on (Jas 1:5-12), James tells us that there is a prayer that God is always happy to answer (Jas 1:5). But there is one condition (Jas 1:6): we must trust that he is good and not doubt his goodness by blaming stupid people around us.

How To Know What's Going On (James 1:5-12)

(A Question that God is Always Happy to Answer)

"If any one of you falls short in wisdom, they should ask God for it, and it will be given them. God, after all, gives generously and ungrudgingly to all people."

In the first sermon, Horrible Days (Jas 1:1-4) or The Way to Maturity and Completeness, James tells us that horrible days and hardships, trials and tribulations should be thought through thoroughly. We should count and consider them as something positive, even joyful, for that is God's way to bless us with what we truly need in life: perseverance (patience, endurance)--which in God's time will lead to maturity (perfection) and completeness, not lacking in anything.

Horrible Days (James 1:1-4)

(The Way to Maturity [Perfection] and Completeness)

"James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus the Messiah (Christ), to the twelve dispersed (scattered) tribes: greetings.

My dear family, when you find yourselves tumbling into various trials and tribulations, learn to look at it with complete joy, because you know that, when your faith is put to the test, what comes out is patience (perseverance, endurance). What's more, you must let patience have its complete effect, so that you may be complete (mature, perfect) and whole, not falling short in anything" (James 1:1-4, N.T. Wright).

Theme of James (Consider Trials a Complete Joy): Persevere joyfully in trials because of God's reward and blessing (Jas 1:2-4, 12).

Consider Trials as Beneficial (The Book of James)

Theme: Be happy when you encounter trials, difficulties, disappointments and hardships.
"Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy." "God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him" (Jas 1:2, 12, NLT). 
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds." "Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him" (Jas 1:2, 12, NIV).

Romans at West Loop

Sermons preached at West Loop in 2014:

1. Gospel of God's Grace (Romans 1:1-6). "Through him we received grace..." (Rom 1:5).
   
2. Gospel Enthusiasm (Romans 1:7-15). "I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you" (Rom 1:15).
   
3. Gospel Power (Romans 1:16-17). "...the gospel...is the power of God..." (Rom 1:16).
   
4. Gospel Suppression (Rom 1:18-2:5). "...people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness" (Rom 1:18).
   
5. Gospel Impartiality (Romans 2:6-29). "For God does not show favoritism" (Rom 2:11).
   
6. Gospel Accusation (Romans 3:1-20). "There is no one righteous, not even one" (Rom 3:10).
   
7. Gospel Righteousness (Romans 3:21-26). "...the righteousness of God has been made known" (Rom 3:21).