Fellowship in the Word

Jason Gebhardt: Today on Fellowship in the Word, Pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ.

Bil Gebhardt: See, when we let something else take control, we make God our enemy. We never respond in humility and say, look, just be humble before the Lord. You see this all through scripture. Proverbs 3 says that God gives grace to the humble. Ezekiel 21 God exalts the humble. The humble will be exalted. Matthew 23 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled. He who humbles himself will be exalted. 1 Peter 5 6 Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that he might exalt you at the proper time. Put it in God's hands. Allow God to be God.

Humble yourself, he said. Respond in humility.

Jason Gebhardt: Thank you for joining us today on this edition of Fellowship in the Word with Pastor Bill Gebhardt. Fellowship in the Word is the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible Church located in Metairie, Louisiana. Let's join Pastor Bill Gebhardt now as once again he shows us how God's word meets our world.

Bil Gebhardt: Notice what James is saying. There's no neutral ground here. There's no Switzerland here. He said either you are a friend of the world and if you are, you're now the enemy of God. Or if you're a friend of God, you're the enemy of the world. And if you're the enemy of the world, you would never allow your own emotions. You see, you'd never allow your own emotions to take control of a situation. It turns into conflict and to quarrels. When he means world, he doesn't mean the whole world. This is that cosmos diabolicus world, the system of the world.

Remember in Romans chapter 12 Paul said that we are to present ourselves as a living sacrifice to God. And he said one of the things he says in those first two verses is whatever you do, do not let the you need to be transformed, but do not let the world squeeze you into its mold. Do not let that happen. But whenever we're fighting and in conflict, that's exactly what is happening. We're allowing the world to squeeze us into its mold. And we justify it on the basis of our own emotions. What's really bad for a lot of us is we don't even want to come to grips with it.

We don't even want to admit it. We're not contrite enough to do that. We don't see the our own emotional stake. You adulteress, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility to God? Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend bolo my same another word for desire. He uses every word for desire he can think of, always coming from within us, always an emotion. To be a friend makes himself. Notice what God is saying. I didn't make you my enemy. You made me your enemy. You make yourself an enemy of God when you allow this kind of thing and happen.

This should never happen. And then he goes to verse 5 and he says, look, I hate this. Notice what it says. It looks a little bit difficult at first. He says, do you not think that the scripture speaks to no purpose? He jealously desires the spirit spirit which he has made to dwell in us. He says, don't you get the point of what the word of God says? You've been born again into the family of God. You are indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God. God didn't do that for nothing. He did that so that you would live your life differently and especially when it comes to conflicts and quarrels.

It's a very different kind of thing. He said, I don't get this. I don't understand why you're acting the way you are. Hold your place and go with me to Galatians chapter 6 in verse 14. I love this verse of Paul's. And it sort of gives you a secret to the frame of mind that Paul kept himself from these kind of problems. Verse 14 of chapter 6 of Galatians Paul says, but may it never be that I would boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ through which he says the world has been crucified to me and I to the world.

What's Paul's frame of mind there? Paul says I'm dead to the world. Whenever I became a Christian and I identify with Jesus Christ, I'm dead to the world. The world's dead to me. So Paul's going to say, I'm not going to let my own emotions and my take over the situation. I am not going to let them control my life. I am not going to get myself in this kind of trouble cuz this never comes from God. The world he said is dead to me. I am no friend of the world. In fact, turn with me also to Titus chapter 2 again the apostle Paul.

In verse 11 Titus chapter 2 in verse 11 Paul says this for the grace of God has appeared bringing salvation to all men. Now I think he's speaking there of the incarnation. Salvation came to everybody. Doesn't mean all men are saved. He talking different context, but what's what he says next? Those of us who are saved instructing us to deny ungodliness and then what? And worldly desires. Instructing us to deny worldly desires. What's the most worldly desire I have? My own emotional makeup and penchant. To be jealous, to envy, to lust, to grab, to be proudful, whatever it is.

He said to deny worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously, and godly in the present age. That's what Paul is saying. Now back to James. Selfish hedonistic emotions can cause great harm and a selfish hedonistic lifestyle means that we are worldly and the enemy of God. So the question is what do we do? You see, how do we overcome? What does it take to overcome this? What needs to happen? How do I stop fighting? Paul says the grace of God is the cure. Notice verse 6 but strong contrast. What he's saying everything I said in the first five verses, I want to contrast that now abruptly.

He says, but he gives greater grace. Therefore, it says God is opposed to the proud, but he gives grace to the humble. I love the extra word that James adds there. What kind of grace does God give you in a situation? Greater grace. He's always given us grace, but apparently that grace has not been able to overcome our own penchant, our own emotions. And so he says, I'll give you greater grace. Grace is the cure to the kind of problems that we are talking about here. You see, that's what he is saying. You see, if you're looking at from another point of view, from the C.S.

Lewis point of view, my pride which drives my emotions is my tin and and my humility before God. You see, my humility before God is the avenue of grace. How grace can really reach me? He said, but he gives greater grace. Therefore, it says God is opposed to the proud, but he gives grace to the humble. This grace that God gives allows me to do and for the next down to verse 12 he's going to give us I think eight different things that God's grace can do in your life. See eight different things that God says, look, I'll inject my grace here if you let me.

But by the way, the the only way it won't happen is if you aren't humble enough to receive it. If you're not humble enough to receive it, then you won't. And you'll just continue in your quarrels and conflict. The first one is this. The first thing he says is give up control of your life. Submit therefore to God. Give up control of your life. One of the real marks of humility is is it's submissive. Not just to God but any other authority that God puts in your life. Am I do I have a submissiveness? He says, you need he said to give up control of your life.

William Stevenson in his commentary on James says this. He said a surrender of the right to run my own life, to think and say as we do and please. Isn't that how we always end up in conflict? We think and say as we do and please. He said in a continuing dependence and obedience it is a recognition that only God can deal with this rebellious tyrant self and a readiness for him to do so. It means acknowledging him in all of our ways and letting him direct our paths. You see right off the bat do I give up control of my own life?

Am I willing to give God through my own humility control rather than my own emotions? Then he says secondly resist the devil. Just resist him. James realizes that no no one enjoyed the fight at the Baptist Church in Massachusetts more than the devil did. You see, he said you got to resist him cuz he'll take advantage of any situation he can. When he sees conflict between believers in a marriage or in a household, in the workplace or in the church, it doesn't really matter. He'll take advantage of it if he can. He said you need to resist the devil.

Simply the idea of stand firm, stand your place. Remember Paul told the Ephesians that he just said you put on the gospel armor and you just stand firm. Um turn with me for a moment as you hold your place here to 1 Peter just a few pages to your right chapter 5. 1 Peter chapter 5 in verses 8 9. He says be sober. It says spirit, but the spirit's not in the text, but he said be sober or be of sober spirit. Be on the alert. Why? He said your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour.

But resist him. Same word James uses. Firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accompanied by your brethren all over the world. Peter says the same thing. Just stay firm. Remember Satan himself personally tempted the Lord three times when the Lord began his ministry in the wilderness. And Jesus stood firm. Every single time he would tempt them, Jesus would answer them with scripture, all three scriptures out of the book of Deuteronomy. But he just stood firm. And what did Satan do then? He left. That's the model for us. Just resist him.

Just stand firm. You won't be vulnerable to him. Stand firm. Submit yourself to God, he says, and then resist the devil and he will flee from you. Thirdly draw near to God and he will draw near to you. He says you got to make worship a priority. He's not talking about corporate worship here. He's talking about personal worship here. He says you've got to make worship a priority. The Jews would have understood this. The Old Testament describes the priest as always coming in near to the Lord. That was their job to do the ministry of the Lord.

They had to come near to the Lord. They were in communion with the Lord. That's the way it worked. The writer of Hebrews said the law could really never do that. The writer of Hebrews says bringing in a better hope through which we draw near to God. You see, sometimes that's that never what happens. You never notice sometimes when you're in conflict, that's the last person you want to draw near to at all. You want to continue to express yourself and get your side of the story out. He says, no, worship me. Come near to me.

Give up control of your life. Resist the devil. Make worship a priority in your life. And then he says, confess your sins. He said cleanse your hands, you sinners. Confess your sins. Take responsibility for the part that you've done. That word confess depending on your background, I don't mean it in the sense of what is typically called confession. Omo la get oh, the word that's used in 1 John for confession of sins means to say the same thing as God is saying. Recognize that Lord, this is sin. Just acknowledge it. Lord, this is sin in my life.

Notice the imagery that he uses. He uses the imagery cleanse your hands, you sinners. When the priest was about to go in and do the ministry for the Lord, after he was at the altar and he's standing at the door to go into the tabernacle he had to clean his hands. It was ceremonial. But the idea was I'm clean before you. I can't serve you with dirty hands. That's true for us as well. You see, I can't serve the Lord with dirty hands. I can't do anything I want and then for a moment say I'm serving the Lord.

I can't do that. In this context, I can't have outbursts and anger and all those other kind of things and then say but I'm serving the Lord. He said you've got to cleanse your own hands. That's what you have to do in this context. Confess your sins. Even Paul remember said lift up holy hands. What he meant by that make sure your lives are clean. Not just lift my hands, but are they clean before the Lord. Fifthly he says you need to acknowledge your hypocrisy. He said purify your hearts, you double-minded. That's a great way to describe us.

It's the only time in the New Testament that word is there double-minded. If the word is dip sukos or suke dip suke. What's that mean? Two souls. Notice what he is saying. Purify your hearts, you double-minded. You're two people. You see, you're the new you, the new creature in Christ and you're the old you submitting yourself to your own emotions. You see your own problems and you're starting these conflicts and quarrels. That's what's going on. He said you have to acknowledge your hypocrisy before God. And then he says be miserable and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom.

Wow. That's an amazing thing. He's saying, do you react biblically to your sin? See, one of the things wrong with saying that confessing your sins is to agree with God. And you could say, well, I said it to God, so I'm all everything's fine. James wants to take it as the step further. He said, I know what your words were, but where's your heart? You see, where's your heart in this? What he's telling us is do you react biblically to your sin? Again, hold your place here and go with me to Romans chapter 7. Romans chapter 7 the apostle Paul.

These are verses worth reading on on a regular basis because it's so real. I love the fact that Paul wrote this. Paul says in verse 15 for what I am doing, I do not understand. I am not practicing what I would like to, but I am doing the very thing I hate. You ever feel like that? Sure. That the apostle Paul. He said, but if I do the very thing I want to do, I agree with the law confessing that the law is good. So now no longer am I the one doing it, but sin, he said, which dwells in me.

He said for I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is in my flesh. For the willing is present in me, but the the doing of the good is not. I know what I should be doing. I know what this is to be, but sometimes it just isn't happening. He said for the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil I do not want to. Well, this is just in the middle of any conflict or quarrel. This is a perfect kind of verses. He said if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it.

It's the sin in me that dwells. He sees the same duplicity that James does. He said, I find this principle that evil was present in me, the one who wants to do good. He said for I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body waging war against the law of my mind. What's he saying? It's my emotions. They're waging war with my thoughts and they win at times. He said making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.

And now what's his response to all that? Wretched man that I am who will set me free from the body of this death? Is that how you feel? Wretched man that I am. This is the great apostle Paul. He's letting all of his readers, everyone ever met him. Can you imagine what a celebrity he was over the world, everyone trying to get a glimpse of the apostle Paul? And Paul's assessment of himself as wretched man that I am who's going to set me free? And I love his next word. Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

He did it. You see Paul had had biblical response to his own sin. It's wretched. It's just not a matter of acknowledging it or realizing I'm hypocritical. But it's awful. And I'm ashamed of it. That's what Paul was saying. It doesn't just touch my thoughts and come out my tongue. It it breaks my heart is what it does. Now back to James. He then says in verse 10 humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord and he will exalt you. Respond to the Lord with humility. You see, when we let something else take control, we make God our enemy.

We never respond in humility. He said, look, just be humble before the Lord. You see this all through scripture. Proverbs 3 says that God gives grace to the humble. Ezekiel 21 God exalts the humble. The humble will be exalted. Matthew 23 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled. He who humbles himself will be exalted. 1 Peter 5 6 Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that he might exalt you at the proper time. Put it in God's hands. Allow God to be God. Humble yourself, he said. Respond in humility. Have you ever thought that your own pride might be a barrier to why the grace of God is not operating in your life?

Your own pride you never were humble. You never took your own sin seriously enough. We just have to think this way. And then the last thing he says do not speak against your brother. Some real practical advice here. He said do not speak against one another brethren. He who speaks speaks against his brother judges his brother. Speak against the law speaks against the law and the judges the law. But if you judge the law, he said, are you not a doer of the law, but a judge of it? He said, look it's never going to be your role.

If you really want to know this, when when can I speak to anybody about somebody else? What's James saying? Never. Do not speak against and I may not speaking of, but I mean speaking against. Do you ever wonder how many times in a week you have conversations when someone is speaking to you against someone? You see that type of thing, that's what James is saying. We're taking a role that doesn't belong to us. The Bible has so much to say about speaking against slander is sometimes translated. Do not slander anybody. Psalm 15 David says it is the mark of a godly man that he does not slander with his tongue.

God said whoever he said whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, I will destroy. And Solomon said, do not even associate with a slander, but we do, don't we? We really like listening sometimes. Paul commanded the Ephesians and the Colossians not to do it. You see it reveals humidity humility. In verse 12 then he said, look, there is only one law giver and judge, the one who was able to save and destroy. Who are you to judge your neighbor? He said it all. It's a rhetorical question. All judgment belongs to God. We can have an opinions, but we can form judgments.

You see he's saying that disagreements are clearly a normal part of our life. But turning them into real conflicts, real quarrels, or something like that he said that doesn't come from God. That comes from our own selfish emotions. That's what happens. He says that our selfish hedonistic emotions cause great harm that a selfish hedonistic lifestyle makes us worldly and an enemy with God. And he says grace gives us the cure to these kind of conflicts cuz it allows us to give up control of our life. It allows us to resist the devil. It allows us to make worship a priority.

It allows us to confess our sins, to acknowledge our hypocrisy. It allows us to react biblically to our sin. It allows us to respond to the Lord with humility. And it allows us not to speak against our brother. I'll end where I began. When the warring church members from Emmanuel Baptist Church in Newton, Massachusetts were hauled into court the judge who was a member of the local temple temple Beth Shalom looked over the police report of the incident and dismissed the case from his courtroom with these stinging words. No charges will be pressed at this point, but I urge you to work this out within your own church.

Your Jesus Christ may allow this sort of thing in his followers, but the Commonwealth of Massachusetts will not permit fist fights as a regular order of a church service. What a terrible testimony. What a poor witness to our faith. All because we allowed our own selfish emotions to render helpless the grace of God. Let's pray. Father, when it comes to conflicts and quarrels we've all been through them. Sometimes we're in them and we'll certainly see them in the future. I would pray, Father, that these words of James will guide us, help us as we work through them in our own lives.

James is as clear as he could be to let us know that when it turns to a certain level, it does not come from you. Father, I pray that we act humbly, spiritually, and rightly before you in Christ's name. Amen.

Jason Gebhardt: You've been listening to Pastor Bill Gebhardt on the radio ministry of Fellowship in the Word. If you ever miss one of our broadcasts or maybe you would just like to listen to the message one more time, remember that you can go to a great website called oneplace.com. That's oneplace.com and you can listen to Fellowship in the Word online. At that website, you will find not only today's broadcast, but also many of our previous audio programs as well. At Fellowship in the Word, we are thankful for those who financially support our ministry and make this broadcast possible.

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