08.02.2009 James 3-4 - In essentials, unity

SermonAudio

08.02.2009 Grace Summit Sermon from Grace Summit on Vimeo.

08.02.2009 Grace Summit Worship from Grace Summit on Vimeo.

I have another announcement – there will be a second baptism – uh oh – sounds like a theological argument - At the picnic – there will be a dunk tank – so if you’d like to participate in that – dress appropriately.

Financial Peace University – by Dave Ramsey – we will be having a preview after the August 30 service.

St. Augustine of Hippo – this is his Drivers License picture – I got it off the internet from the BMV…
In the essentials unity; in non-essentials, diversity; in all things, charity.

This is very relevant in the study of James that we are doing.
There is not a lot of difference between James’ time and our time. When Augustine speaks of essentials, he is referring to those things the church has always held to. In those areas, there must be unity – we must make our stand and not step back. Those things we have known for 2000 years to be true and agreed upon. In the non-essentials – do you know what that is? That is everything else – diversity. In all things, charity, or love. This is most important. This is where we fall down and the folks in James’ day fell down. We tend to ignore the priority of love in relationships because we are fixated and think we have the right way of doing things.
Again – in the essentials – we must stand – but in reality – there are fuzzy things – gray things – maybe things you have been brought up to believe as straight aren’t as straight and you don’t have to be as dogmatic as you think.

James 3: 13 Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.

He has been talking about wisdom throughout the letter – we tend to use the term intelligent, or smart – but that is not what James is talking about – not how well you did on the SAT. But wisdom is “skill for living life in a way that is pleasing to God – it is putting into practice what God wants – you cannot separate good character and good conduct from wisdom – they are connected.”
In the world, someone can be accomplished and skilled, but if they lack character and have relationships that are a mess, all that skill and knowledge is of no value. He wants us to focus our attention on bringing the two things together. Knowledge and character.

James would say in our language – Who among you is spiritually mature? Spiritual maturity is not about your gift or talent or what you accomplish – it starts with an understanding of who God wants us to be and putting that into practice in our life.
Let him show, by his good character and deeds, his beliefs.
As you raise kids, you pray and hope that their character and actions will match God’s character.
Then he says, “in the gentleness of wisdom”
In our day – it seems like the one who can win the debate by tearing down the other is the winner. But there is a humility and gentleness – it is not about winning the argument but winning the relat5ionship.
James 3: 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and [so] lie against the truth.
He begins to point out the problems – the reason they have conflict –
15 This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic.
He wants us to understand where that type of attitude comes from – the enemy and the devil.
16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.
If you have conflict in relationships – in the church, job, or family – understand that the conflict is not there because of the programs or style or strategy or the color of the carpet or the parking (or lack of it) – those are not the source of conflict. In your relationships – the source of conflict is not what they do. We think, if my husband or wife would get it together and stop doing this, this, and this… - but that is not the source of the conflict – but rather, selfish ambition and pride. If you find yourself a person who is always living in relational conflict – guess what? I’m sorry – but the Bible is really clear where the problem is – selfishness and pride inside of us.
James is saying – if you want to clear up conflict, you need to clear that up.
People who have relationship problems are spiritually immature. If you think it is everyone else, it is probably you! It is your own spiritual maturity James wants you to focus on.
Phil. 2: 3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; 4 do not [merely] look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
Paul is speaking about proper relationships – if you want proper relationships, it starts by doing nothing out of selfishness or pride. When we act out of our own selfishness and pride and arrogance, we will always have relational conflict. He says to do NOTHING from selfishness…
We need to look at others in relationships and see the other as more important – this person is more important than me getting what I want or me holding on in pride to believing that this is what must be done.
Back to Augustine of Hippo (that was the city he was from, not his favorite animal) – in the essentials, unity.
There are so many areas – in the use of money – we will have this Dave Ramsey seminar – when two people come together in marriage- they usually hold to the way they were brought up – and you believe that is right.
Phil 2:4 do not [merely] look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
It is turning the attention from ourselves to the needs of others. How can I take care of others and their needs?
5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,

James 4:1 What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? 2 You lust and do not have; [so] you commit murder. And you are envious and cannot obtain; [so] you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend [it] on your pleasures.
He is saying very clearly – relational difficulties come from your own selfish desires.
This does not mean that the person with which you are having conflicts with does not have any issues that need to be confronted and addressed. It is unselfish – you are doing it for their benefit, not for theirs. We do it so we’ll be happier, but we need to approach the person so that he can be happier and better. It is not for our ease, but for them. To not approach – because we want to avoid conflict – that is just as bad. If there are issues in someone’s character – for you, you can be sure that the person is having similar issues with others. If we are doing nothing from selfishness – in seeing someone’s need, we will help him with gentleness and humility of mind as Paul and James speak about.

James 3: 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.
Spiritual maturity – wisdom – all the qualities of it – nowhere is persuasiveness or the ability to win the argument or to get things done your way. If your spouse were this way all the time, pure, peaceable, gentle, reasonable (oh that is a big one – it got a good laugh) – it would be hard to NOT have a good relationship with that person.
James was unique. It is similar to Galatians 5 and the Fruit of the Spirit
Love – under love falls, joy, peace, patience, kindness…
If you have true love, you’ll have the others.
When James says PURE – that is the primary characteristic – free from stain or blemish – free from spiritual defect. Spiritual maturity begins inside of you – it comes from a pure heart. Out of a man’s heart he speaks. From a pure heart comes pure things. From a heart that is polluted – you see it in sports – if something goes wrong, the words just fly out. We talked about speech last week – it is revealing what you are on the inside. Angry speech reveals an angry soul and heart. Dirty speech reveals a dirty heart. Kind/kind. Sarcastic speech reveals a sarcastic heart.
It starts inside of us – that does not mean we are perfect – we are always working on it – but we have the understanding that that is where the work needs to take place – inside of you. I urge you strongly to take enough time to focus the attention on the inside. We fill our lives with so much activity that we don’t think about what is going on in here – to find out what is going on inside.
God spoke many times – I don’t want your festivals and sacrifices…it starts with the heart. We had communion here – it was not the activity of communion, but the heart of joining back with God, restoring, returning, that He might dine with us and us with Him – to fellowship together.
Peaceable – I was thinking – we don’t use that word – except with war. But how often do people talk about it when it comes to their jobs, family, or schools? God wants peace –
18 And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
Spirituality (Wisdom) has a lot to do with being at peace in relationships. At peace with God and your past and those in your life right now – to the extent that you can do that – to live in peace is the fruit = it says – sown in peace by those who make peace – those who recognize and get things right in their relationships.
Gentle – reasonable – seems like such a simple thing. The reason we are not reasonable is because of our pride. Full of mercy and good fruits – we looked at faith and works – works are those acts of love and care for one another. The spiritually mature – the wise, will care for others – to be involved in deeds of kindness and love, unwavering without hypocrisy.
18 And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
It is one thing to hate conflict – it is another thing to be a peacemaker. We tend to avoid life – the tough stuff. Bt James is saying to sow peace – to get involved relationally that you are making peace in all your relationships. That should be your pursuit – to the extent you are able. Let’s pray.
Lord, allow us to understand true spirituality. It is not how loud we are or how smart or gifted or winning the argument – in all things charity. Help us to seek and have an attitude of love for those You’ve placed in our lives – full of mercy and good fruit – in Your name we pray – amen.