Living in Humility - Part 2 - James 4:13-17
Pastor Tim Brown, Calvary Chapel Fremont, Sunday March 29, 2009
Living in humility p2
James 4:13-17
God resists the proud. Parents, you know what this is like: taking away privileges – TV, friends, videos, computers, car… U R resisting your child. God doesn’t want you living in a place where He has to resist you.
God gives grace to the humble. He desires that you live in a place of grace – a place where He can treat you better than you deserve. Live in humility – in that place where God can be for you & not against you.
But if you are living in pride, you will discover that God is resisting you. Pride just isn’t an arrogant attitude/stuck-up nose. It isn’t merely thinking that you are better than others or deserve more than you have. The ugliness of pride is an independent spirit.
Making determinations:11-12 judging brother…13-17 not submitting tomorrows to the lord
Pride manifests itself when you make plans and don’t ask the Lord for His will – assert your will apart from His will. God desires to be involved in each decision that you make. But there are three assumptions we have that keep us from consulting the Lord. And these three assumptions manifest the pride that God resists.
#1 I know all I need to know to make an informed decision
There’s nothing God can tell me that I don’t already know/factored in. How many have crashed and burned w/ this assumption? 1S14:19 “W/draw hand. I don’t need to pray about this, it’s obvious.” Nothing is obvious w/o prayer and waiting on God.
“I know all I need to know to make this decision.” How many marriages have been entered into with this thinking? Heart pounding/passions stirred/body aching/we like the same movies!
Christians divorce at the same rate as non-Christians. Why? Because people thought they knew all they needed to know to make an informed decision. The problem – we have Christians who are married, but not Christian marriages. Christian marriage - 2 people counting the other more important, serving each other, putting other first, seeking to bless the other. What is % of divorce among Christian marriages? Zero %.
God desires to be involved in each decision that you make. But if there is no discipline to seek God’s will before a critical decision, there will be no discipline to seek God’s will when the decision goes sour. Counsel someone: please pray before you divorce. “I know all I need to know to make this decision - I’m unhappy.” When you are driven by pain, you cannot discern God’s will. Live w/ pain.
John 5:30 “I do not seek My own will.” Seek/see God’s will. The clarity of your understanding depends on the purity of your motive. But pain can hijack the agenda and muddy the motive.
“I know all I need to know to make this decision.” If you do not know God’s will, you’re not ready to make a decision. Seek God! Spend time – give the Lord time to veto or confirm the decision.
#2 God is w/ me no matter where I go/what I do
Omnipresence doesn’t mean omnipotence. God doesn’t tag along w/ you and bless whatever it is you’re doing. 1S4:1-11 NLT
1S4 The Israelite army was camped near Ebenezer, and the Philistines were at Aphek. The Philistines attacked and defeated the army of Israel. After the battle was over, the army of Israel retreated to their camp, and their leaders asked, “Why did the LORD allow us to be defeated by the Philistines?” Then they said, “Let’s bring the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD from Shiloh. If we carry it into battle with us, it will save us from our enemies.” So they sent men to Shiloh to bring back the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim. Hophni and Phinehas, the sons of Eli, helped carry the Ark of God to where the battle was being fought. When the Israelites saw the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD coming into the camp, their shout of joy was so loud that it made the ground shake! “What’s going on?” the Philistines asked. “What’s all the shouting about in the Hebrew camp?” When they were told it was because the Ark of the LORD had arrived, they panicked. “The gods have come into their camp!” they cried. “This is a disaster! We have never had to face anything like this before! Who can save us from these mighty gods of Israel? They are the same gods who destroyed the Egyptians with plagues when Israel was in the wilderness. Fight as you never have before, Philistines! If you don’t, we will become the Hebrews’ slaves just as they have been ours!” So the Philistines fought desperately, and Israel was defeated again. The slaughter was great; the Ark of God was captured, and Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were killed.
Presence didn’t mean power. With didn’t mean for. Just because God is w/ you doesn’t mean He is backing your every move.
“God is with me no matter where I go/what I do.” How many business ventures begin w/ this assumption? Many crash and burn or they financially prosper and spiritually crash and burn.
#3 The will of God will line up with my desires
Jeremiah 42:1 – 43:3 NLT
J42-43 Then all the army officers, including Johanan son of Kareah and Jezaniah son of Hoshaiah, and all the people, from the least to the greatest, approached Jeremiah the prophet. They said, “Please pray to the LORD your God for us. Beg the LORD your God to show us what to do and where to go.” “All right,” Jeremiah replied. “I will pray to the LORD your God, and I will tell you everything he says. I will hide nothing from you.” Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the LORD your God be a faithful witness against us if we refuse to obey whatever he tells us to do! Whether we like it or not, we will obey the LORD our God to whom we send you with our plea. For if we obey him, everything will turn out well for us.” Ten days later, the LORD gave his reply to Jeremiah. … ‘Stay here in this land. If you do, I will build you up and not tear you down; I will plant you and not uproot you. Do not fear the king of Babylon anymore, says the LORD. For I am with you and will save you and rescue you from his power. … ‘If you insist on going to Egypt, the war and famine you fear will follow close behind you, and you will die there. Yes, you will die from war, famine, and disease. None of you will escape from the disaster I will bring upon you there.’ “Listen, you remnant of Judah. The LORD has told you: ‘Do not go to Egypt!’ Don’t forget this warning I have given you today…When Jeremiah had finished giving this message from the LORD their God to all the people, Azariah son of Hoshaiah and Johanan son of Kareah and all the other proud men said to Jeremiah, “You lie! The LORD our God hasn’t forbidden us to go to Egypt! Baruch son of Neriah has convinced you to say this, so we will stay here and be killed by the Babylonians or be carried off into exile.”
If you have predetermined the will of God, your prayer cannot be sincere because your motive is not pure. What if God says not to marry that person, enter into that business deal, make that move?
You are a vanishing vapor. “Pastor, that is exactly my dilemma. Since I am a vapor, I must move quickly, now, before it’s too late.” Vapor not only points to fleeting, but also to fragile. The slightest breeze can scatter it. Since this is so, entrust your vapor to God. These breezes will make your vapor to vanish -
#1 I know all I need to know to make an informed decision
#2 God is w/ me no matter where I go/what I do
#3 The will of God will line up with my desires
V17 What is the right thing to do? Sins of commission/omission. Omission: sins we haven’t got around to yet! What is right thing to do? Commit the vapor of your life into His hands – for now and eternity. Move out of that place where God is against you - move into that place where God can treat you better than you deserve. God gives grace to the humble.
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Living in humility p2
James 4:13-17
God resists the proud. Parents, you know what this is like: taking away privileges – TV, friends, videos, computers, car… U R resisting your child. God doesn’t want you living in a place where He has to resist you.
God gives grace to the humble. He desires that you live in a place of grace – a place where He can treat you better than you deserve. Live in humility – in that place where God can be for you & not against you.
But if you are living in pride, you will discover that God is resisting you. Pride just isn’t an arrogant attitude/stuck-up nose. It isn’t merely thinking that you are better than others or deserve more than you have. The ugliness of pride is an independent spirit.
Making determinations:11-12 judging brother…13-17 not submitting tomorrows to the lord
Pride manifests itself when you make plans and don’t ask the Lord for His will – assert your will apart from His will. God desires to be involved in each decision that you make. But there are three assumptions we have that keep us from consulting the Lord. And these three assumptions manifest the pride that God resists.
#1 I know all I need to know to make an informed decision
There’s nothing God can tell me that I don’t already know/factored in. How many have crashed and burned w/ this assumption? 1S14:19 “W/draw hand. I don’t need to pray about this, it’s obvious.” Nothing is obvious w/o prayer and waiting on God.
“I know all I need to know to make this decision.” How many marriages have been entered into with this thinking? Heart pounding/passions stirred/body aching/we like the same movies!
Christians divorce at the same rate as non-Christians. Why? Because people thought they knew all they needed to know to make an informed decision. The problem – we have Christians who are married, but not Christian marriages. Christian marriage - 2 people counting the other more important, serving each other, putting other first, seeking to bless the other. What is % of divorce among Christian marriages? Zero %.
God desires to be involved in each decision that you make. But if there is no discipline to seek God’s will before a critical decision, there will be no discipline to seek God’s will when the decision goes sour. Counsel someone: please pray before you divorce. “I know all I need to know to make this decision - I’m unhappy.” When you are driven by pain, you cannot discern God’s will. Live w/ pain.
John 5:30 “I do not seek My own will.” Seek/see God’s will. The clarity of your understanding depends on the purity of your motive. But pain can hijack the agenda and muddy the motive.
“I know all I need to know to make this decision.” If you do not know God’s will, you’re not ready to make a decision. Seek God! Spend time – give the Lord time to veto or confirm the decision.
#2 God is w/ me no matter where I go/what I do
Omnipresence doesn’t mean omnipotence. God doesn’t tag along w/ you and bless whatever it is you’re doing. 1S4:1-11 NLT
1S4 The Israelite army was camped near Ebenezer, and the Philistines were at Aphek. The Philistines attacked and defeated the army of Israel. After the battle was over, the army of Israel retreated to their camp, and their leaders asked, “Why did the LORD allow us to be defeated by the Philistines?” Then they said, “Let’s bring the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD from Shiloh. If we carry it into battle with us, it will save us from our enemies.” So they sent men to Shiloh to bring back the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim. Hophni and Phinehas, the sons of Eli, helped carry the Ark of God to where the battle was being fought. When the Israelites saw the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD coming into the camp, their shout of joy was so loud that it made the ground shake! “What’s going on?” the Philistines asked. “What’s all the shouting about in the Hebrew camp?” When they were told it was because the Ark of the LORD had arrived, they panicked. “The gods have come into their camp!” they cried. “This is a disaster! We have never had to face anything like this before! Who can save us from these mighty gods of Israel? They are the same gods who destroyed the Egyptians with plagues when Israel was in the wilderness. Fight as you never have before, Philistines! If you don’t, we will become the Hebrews’ slaves just as they have been ours!” So the Philistines fought desperately, and Israel was defeated again. The slaughter was great; the Ark of God was captured, and Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were killed.
Presence didn’t mean power. With didn’t mean for. Just because God is w/ you doesn’t mean He is backing your every move.
“God is with me no matter where I go/what I do.” How many business ventures begin w/ this assumption? Many crash and burn or they financially prosper and spiritually crash and burn.
#3 The will of God will line up with my desires
Jeremiah 42:1 – 43:3 NLT
J42-43 Then all the army officers, including Johanan son of Kareah and Jezaniah son of Hoshaiah, and all the people, from the least to the greatest, approached Jeremiah the prophet. They said, “Please pray to the LORD your God for us. Beg the LORD your God to show us what to do and where to go.” “All right,” Jeremiah replied. “I will pray to the LORD your God, and I will tell you everything he says. I will hide nothing from you.” Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the LORD your God be a faithful witness against us if we refuse to obey whatever he tells us to do! Whether we like it or not, we will obey the LORD our God to whom we send you with our plea. For if we obey him, everything will turn out well for us.” Ten days later, the LORD gave his reply to Jeremiah. … ‘Stay here in this land. If you do, I will build you up and not tear you down; I will plant you and not uproot you. Do not fear the king of Babylon anymore, says the LORD. For I am with you and will save you and rescue you from his power. … ‘If you insist on going to Egypt, the war and famine you fear will follow close behind you, and you will die there. Yes, you will die from war, famine, and disease. None of you will escape from the disaster I will bring upon you there.’ “Listen, you remnant of Judah. The LORD has told you: ‘Do not go to Egypt!’ Don’t forget this warning I have given you today…When Jeremiah had finished giving this message from the LORD their God to all the people, Azariah son of Hoshaiah and Johanan son of Kareah and all the other proud men said to Jeremiah, “You lie! The LORD our God hasn’t forbidden us to go to Egypt! Baruch son of Neriah has convinced you to say this, so we will stay here and be killed by the Babylonians or be carried off into exile.”
If you have predetermined the will of God, your prayer cannot be sincere because your motive is not pure. What if God says not to marry that person, enter into that business deal, make that move?
You are a vanishing vapor. “Pastor, that is exactly my dilemma. Since I am a vapor, I must move quickly, now, before it’s too late.” Vapor not only points to fleeting, but also to fragile. The slightest breeze can scatter it. Since this is so, entrust your vapor to God. These breezes will make your vapor to vanish -
#1 I know all I need to know to make an informed decision
#2 God is w/ me no matter where I go/what I do
#3 The will of God will line up with my desires
V17 What is the right thing to do? Sins of commission/omission. Omission: sins we haven’t got around to yet! What is right thing to do? Commit the vapor of your life into His hands – for now and eternity. Move out of that place where God is against you - move into that place where God can treat you better than you deserve. God gives grace to the humble.
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