091014: James' 4x4 #2 -- Don't You Know That Friendship With the World Is Hatred Toward God?

Don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God?

I.                    Introduction

a.       This year we want to help you get more rooted in Christ and grow closer together.  One way we are doing that is through these messages, as we look at a question from the Bible. 

II.                 Body

a.       Read James 4:4-5 – “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God?  Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.  Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely?”

                                                             a.      “Don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God?”

                                                                                i.      What is the world?

a.       The world means the moral system of the world, it isn’t the people but the sin or what things are viewed as good or acceptable.

                                                                              ii.      What does friendship mean?

a.       The word used here is Philia (where we get Philadelphia from) meaning Love (but in this sense platonic (no romantic) love)

(So if we put it together love toward the world’s system of right and wrong is hate toward God)

                                                             a.      Why is this so extreme?

1.      Can’t you be friends with two people that don’t like each other?  Why not God and world system?

2.      The next verse says, “Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely.”  It could also be translated, “God jealously longs for the spirit that he made to live in us.”  Meaning that this is a fight over you and your soul.  

3.      This is a fight over eternity, not a matter of being a buddy, this is a fight in which both sides are completely opposed in every way, and there is no middle ground or hope of reconciliation.

b.      God wants your spirit (soul)

c.       God wants your undivided Spirit, he wants all, not a portion, not the leftovers.

                                                            b.      Illus: Car Ownership

                                                                                i.      Let’s say you purchased a car.  But that car randomly allows others to drive it.  Would this get frustrating quickly?  Who defines who gets it, when they get it, how long they get it, how they will treat it when they drive it?  You would want that car, you paid for it, you own it, yet it is being used by many in ways you might have never intended it to be used and maybe even getting hurt by those other drivers.

                                                                              ii.      God bought you, by dying on the cross for your sins, he wants to be in charge of you, and he doesn’t want to share you with others who may bring about harm and use you in ways you were never intended to be used.

b.      So how can we be friends of God instead of the world?

                                                             a.      Read James 4:6-8 – “But he gives us more grace.  That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”  Submit yourselves, then, to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  Come near to God and he will come near to you.  Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

                                                            b.      Humble ourselves by submitting to God

                                                                                i.      Establish His position and yours in relation to Him

                                                                              ii.      He is in charge you are not, so you will do what he asks

                                                             c.      Resist the devil

                                                                                i.      The word means “Stand Up Against” like a giant wind is blowing into you, but you remain standing firm in your spot, not falling into temptation.

                                                                              ii.      The promise is that when we resist he will flee, not that he won’t return but that victory in a battle can happen, if we resist.

                                                            d.      Draw near to God and allow God to draw near to us

                                                                                i.      Pursue God with abandon, make him the central focus of your life, and do what is necessary to draw near to him

                                                                              ii.      When we do he comes near to us…but we also must allow him to draw near to us, let him into every area of your life, let him bring healing to your wounds, be open with Him.

                                                             e.      Get cleaned

                                                                                i.      Allow God to point out where you are dirty, then allow God to clean it (you can’t do it, but he can) “He gives us more grace.” This isn’t about you becoming amazing, it is about allowing God to give us more of his grace. 

III.               Conclusion

a.       How many of you would say you have been a friend of the world?  How many of you want to instead be a friend of God?

b.      This starts at salvation, a rejection of the ways of the world and instead accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior.  Is there anyone here tonight that would like to take the first step and make Jesus their Lord and Savior?

c.       This continues as we allow God to change us, can I pray for you that God would help you to be his friend?

041614: Shall I Crucify Your King

Shall I Crucify Your King?

I.                    Introduction

a.       Our goal this year is to see you get more rooted in Christ as we grow together

b.      One way we are doing this rooting is through sermons about questions found in the Bible.

II.                 Body

a.       We left Jesus last week, standing trial before the governor, Pilate.  So let us pick up the story at the end of the trial. 

                                                             a.      Read John 19:12-16 – “From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jews kept shouting, ‘If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar.  Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar.’  When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge’s seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic is Gabbatha).  It was the day of Preparation of Passover Week, about the sixth hour. ‘Here is your king,’ Pilate said to the Jews.  But they shouted, ‘Take him away!  Take him away!  Crucify Him!’  ‘Shall I crucify your king?’ Pilate asked.  ‘We have no king but Caesar,’ the chief priests answered.  Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.  So the soldiers took charge of Jesus.”

b.      The question of the night is: Shall I crucify your king?

                                                             a.      Take a vote

c.       Before we decide one way or the other, let us see what happens to Jesus

                                                             a.      Jesus has his last meal with his disciples, goes to a garden and prays, under intense pressure and stress he is sweating blood

                                                            b.      A group of soldiers approaches and arrests him.  They are shown where to find him by one of his own followers.

                                                             c.      He is taken to trial before the priests.  After a guilty verdict is rendered they spit on him, strike him with fists repeatedly, blindfold and tie him up and march him to the governor.

                                                            d.      He has now been up for at least 24 hours, the governor sends him to the King, then he is sent back to the governor, around 2.5 miles of walking

                                                             e.      Pilate tries to release him but a threat of riot keeps him from doing it.

                                                              f.      He has him flogged/scourged (whip with leather and things like boens, metal, or lead balls tied in.  It caused deep bruises, ripped skin and then muscles). 

                                                             g.      A robe is placed on him and then removed (probably tearing open the wounds again).  A crown of thorns (1-2 inches) is placed on his head and then a staff is used to pound the thorns in.

                                                             h.      Isaiah tells us he would have been so disfigured people wouldn’t recognize him as a man anymore, appalling to look at.

                                                               i.      The walk him less than a mile to the site of execution (tying a cross beam to his back, 75-125lbs) but he must have help in order to make it.

                                                              j.      He is spit on and insulted by the crowd

                                                            k.      Crucified

                                                                                 i.      5-7inch long x 3/8in wide nails were driven into his wrists and feet. 

                                                                               ii.      Then the cross would be dropped into a hole.

                                                                              iii.      Nail would have caused cramping, a nerve was more than likely hit and thus would give shocks of pain anytime he would move

                                                                             iv.      He  would have had to pull himself up using the nails in order to breath, slowly suffocating to death

                                                                               v.      People wandered around mocking, including those that were crucified with him.

                                                                             vi.      Then he dies

d.      The question of the night is: Shall I crucify your king?  Should he have to endure this, he did nothing wrong, never sinned, did nothing wrong.  Shall we crucify him?

                                                             a.      Take a vote

e.       Before we decide one way or the other, let us see why Jesus died

                                                             a.      See the thing is that it is easy for us to say that we don’t want him crucified, no one should have to endure all that, especially when they are innocent. 

                                                            b.      But we know from the story that:

                                                                                 i.      Jesus is God

                                                                               ii.      Jesus knows it is going to happen (predicts it at least 3 times)

                                                                              iii.      The night of he tells Judas to go and do what he is going to do, then when he is praying he tells his disciples Judas is coming, he is able to knock his attackers to their knees, he tells his disciples he could have called a legion of angels to help him, he never tries to defend himself in the trial…

                                                                             iv.      We know from the story that Jesus was willing to sacrifice himself…but why?

                                                             c.      I am a sinful person that has done many horrible disgusting things in my life.  I have lied, lusted, lashed out, been lazy, overate, not helped those in need, etc.. I deserve hell.  I deserve no relationship with God…and because of my sin I couldn’t have a relationship with God, and I was headed to hell.  No matter how many good things I have done, I can never make up for the bad things I have done.  I can’t buy my forgiveness or earn my way out of hell and into a relationship with God.

f.        The question of the night is: Shall I crucify your king?

                                                             a.      And I come to the conclusion that I need him to be crucified.  Shall I crucify your king?  Yes, if he is willing to be crucified, if he is willing to go through all that pain, if he is willing to go through the anguish, if he is willing to die for me, then yes, crucify my king.  Though he is innocent, and I am the one deserving death, yes, crucify my king.

                                                            b.      Crucify Him!  Crucify Him!  I don’t want him to be crucified, but I need him to be crucified, because my salvation depends on the cross.  So I lay down my resistance.  I take my place in the guilty mob and I say, “Crucify Him!  Yes, crucify him , if he will be crucified, for I am a sinner who needs a Savior.”

III.               Conclusion

a.       The question of the night is: Shall I crucify your king?

                                                             a.      Take a vote

b.      And if he was willing to die for you, what should your response be?  Thank him, and live for him.

c.       Take time and write a thank you to him and during the worship time present it to him at the cross.