Daily Devotional For Monday, May 6, 2024

I was on a roll Sunday and at times was speaking so fast, some of you were unable to fill-in all your blanks in time before the next slide appeared on our screens. So, below is the sermon outline filled in for you. Thank you for your patience.

Having Calmness Rather Than Conflict In My Relationships, Pt. 1

Sermon Outline FILLED-IN

Sermon Series: James — Tested By Fire

Sunday, May 5, 2024

Kelly Stanley

• • James 4:1, “What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you?” (NLT).

• The word translated as “quarrels” is the Greek New Testament word [πόλεμος, polemos], where we get our English word polemic. This word is used to refer to a struggle or conflict between power groups. It was used to refer to a battle with weapons. It referred too a long, prolonged and serious disputing or combat is often translated as “war.”
• The word translated as “fights” is the Greek New Testament word [μάχη, mache], which refers to a specific struggle without weapons. It refers to personal attacks through put downs and insults. Instead of being peacemakers as we saw last week, this church is at war with different groups in it.

• • James 4:2, “You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask” (ESV).
  • Matthew 5:21-22, Jesus said, You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’  (22) But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire” (NKJV).

• The Greek New Testament word translated as “angry” is [ὀργιζόμενος, orgizomenos]. It is the word from which we get our English word “ORGY.” This word refers to the long-lived anger; it is the anger of the person who nurses their wrath to keep it warm; it is the anger over which a person BROODS, and which they will not allow to die. Jesus forbids this kind of anger because it will not forget, it refuses to be pacified, and it eventually which seeks revenge. To Jesus this type of anger is murder.
• The Greek New Testament word translated as “brother” is [ἀδελφός, adelphos}, which refers to any believer. The word translated as [ῥακά, raka], in some translations is translated as insults. “Raca” is an almost untranslatable Aramaic word. The closest translation would be “BLOCKHEAD” or “IDIOT.” It is the attitude that one is better than another. It is that tone of voice that has that subtle put-down and blatant snobbishness.
• In Matthew 5:22a, Jesus uses the word “Raca.” Raca” describes a TONE OR ATTITUDE OF VOICE more than anything else. It describes the tone and sin of CONTEMPT. This word has no English equivalent. In Jesus’ day, New Testament scholars say it was used a a term of malicious abuse, derision, and slander. Therefore, many translations translate “Raca” as “brainless, worthless, empty headed, blockhead and such.
• Jesus attacks such self-confidence by charging that no one is truly innocent of MURDER, because the first step in murder is anger. Jesus, in His statement, is shattering our sense of PRIDEFUL SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS.

• • Psalm 51:6, “Behold, You delight in truth in the inward being and You teach me wisdom in the secret heart” (ESV).
  • 1 Samuel 16:7, “But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t look at how handsome Eliab is or how tall he is, because I have not chosen him. God does not see the same way people see. People look at the outside of a person, but the Lord looks at the heart” (NCV).

• Murder originates in the HEART, not in the HANDS. It starts with evil thoughts, regardless of whether or not those thoughts are brought to consummation in action.”
• Jesus says, “Whoever call his brother a fool . . .” The Greek New Testament word translated as “fool” is [ μωρός, moros]. This is where we get our English word “MORON.”

• • 1 John 3:15, “Everyone who keeps hating a fellow believer is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him” (NLT).
  • Matthew 5:28, Jesus said, "But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (ESV).

• When there is conflict between different groups in a church, when handled wisely and biblically, it can lead that church to more GROWTH. When they are not handled wisely and biblically it can lead that church to its GRAVE.

• • James 1:20, “Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires” (NLT).
  • Matthew 18:6, “But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in Me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea” (NLT).
  • James 4:1, “What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you?” (NLT).  

• The Greek New Testament word James uses here for “evil desires” is [ἡδονή;, hedone]. This is where we get our English word hedonistic, hedonism. This is the the philosophy that pleasure is the main goal of life. In everyday Greek, it literally meant “ENJOYMENTS.”
  • 2 Timothy 3:2-4, “For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, (3) heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, (4) treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” (ESV). 
• In James 4:1, the word translated as “war,” is the New Testament Greek word [στρατεύω, strateuo]. This is where we get our English word STRATEGY.

Some Modern Weapons and Strategies Use In Church Fights & Quarrels (Source: Life Application Commentary, "James," p. 92).

• MISSILES  > Attacking church members from long range.
• GUERRILLA TACTICS > Ambushing the unsuspecting.
• SNIPERS  > Well-aimed criticisms, labeling, name calling.
• TERRORISM > No one is immune from being hurt.
• MINES > Ensuring that others will fail in their efforts to serve God
• ESPIONAGE > Using friendships to get potentially damaging information about others.
• PROPAGANDA > Using gossip to spread damaging information about other.
• COLD WAR > Freezing out an opponent by withdrawing or refusing to talk to him or her.
• NUCLEAR ATTACK  > Being willing to sacrifice the church if the goals of my group are not met.

Three Attitudes James Says Is The Cause of Internal Conflicts In The Church

1. The uncontrolled desires to have POSSESSIONS. 

• • James 4:2a, “You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel . . .” (ESV).
  • The Greek New Testament word translated as “desire” is [ἐπιθυμέω,epithumeo] and it means “to LUST.”

2. The uncontrolled desires to feel PLEASURES.

• • James 4:3b, “. . . you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures” (NIV).
  • 1 Timothy 6:17, “God generously gives us everything for our enjoyment” (GNT).

3. The uncontrolled desires to be POWERFUL & PRIDEFUL.

• • James 4:2-3, “You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask God. (3) You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures” (NASB).
  • Proverbs 13:10, "Pride leads to arguments” (EXB). “
• The next time you're in an argument, stop and ask: “IS IT WORTH IT?”

James Tells Us Two Reasons Why Our Desires Are Not Met

1. We don’t PRAY to God; instead we PREY on each other.

• • James 4:2, “You want things, but you cannot have them, so you are ready to kill; you strongly desire things, but you cannot get them, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have what you want because you do not ask God for it” (GNT). 

2. When we do pray, we pray with the WRONG MOTIVES (James 4:2).

• • Philippians 4:19, “And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (ESV).

• The lack of PRAYER in conflict itself is an evidence of PRIDE. 

• • James 4:6, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (ESV). 

• The Greek New Testament word James uses for “oppose” is [ἀντιτάσσω, antitasso] is a military term that refers to an army ready for battle. This word conveys the idea that of disdainfully and arrogantly supposing oneself to be above others. The term is rendered “ARROGANT” in Romans 1:30 and 2 Timothy 3:2, and in both places is directly associated with BOASTING.

• • Proverbs 6:16-19, “There are six things the Lord hates. There are seven things he cannot stand: (17) a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that kill innocent people, (18) a mind that thinks up evil plans, feet that are quick to do evil, (19) a witness who lies, and someone who starts arguments among families” (NCV).
  • Proverbs 16:5, “Everyone who is arrogant and proud in heart is ran abomination to the LORD” (ESV). 
  • Proverbs 16:8, "Pride comes before disaster, and arrogance before a fall” (CEB). 
  • Proverbs 16:8, “First pride, then the crash— the bigger the ego, the harder the fall” (MSG).

James Tells Us Two Reasons Why Humility Is Better Than Pride

1. Humility uses the WORD OF GOD to defeat the devil’s schemes/strategies.

• • 1 John 2:14, “Because the Word of God abides in you, you have defeated the evil one with it” (PAR).

2. Humility gives the greatest privilege of all — ACCESS TO GOD.

• • Hebrews 4:16, “Let us then with confidence and humility draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (PAR).
  • Hebrews 4:14, “Since then we have a great High Priest Who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God . . .” (ESV).