Winning The War Within: Part 2

Transcription

1 LIGHTHOUSE MINISTRY LEADER S STUDY GUIDE SHOE LEATHER THEOLOGY: STUDY OF JAMES Winning The War Within: Part 2 James 4:7-12 Core Virtue: Humility April 10, 2016 Week 12 of Shoe Leather Theology: Study of James This guide is designed to provide helpful hints in preparing and leading your Lighthouse discussion. If you need any assistance or further instruction on any part of this teaching lesson, don t hesitate to contact Chris at celler@ffclife.com. Announcements: Coming Dates This Spring: o April 2016 Spring Fireside Chats o 4/30/2016 Mother/Daughter Brunch o 5/03/2016 Awana Carnival o 5/11/2016 Family Internet Safety Workshop (6:30 pm) o 5/27/2016 Last Day of Lighthouses before Summer Break Spring Teaching Schedule: 1. 1/3/2016 Week 1: Introduction to James 2. 1/10/2016 Week 2: James 1: /17/2016 Week 3: James 1: /24/2016 Week 4: Spotlight: Job on Trials 5. 1/31/2016 Week 5: James 1: /7/2016 Week 6: James 2: /14/2016 Week 7: James 2: /21/2016 Week 8: Spotlight: Abraham on Faith 9. 2/28/2016 Week 9: James 3: /6/2016 Week 10: James 3: /13/2016 Spring Break Week No Lighthouse 3/20/2016 Palm Sunday: 1 Corinthians 15 3/27/2016 Easter Sunday No Lighthouse 11. 4/3/2016 Week 11: James 4:1-6 Page 1 Lighthouse Ministry Discussion Guide Spring 2016 series are available at This work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

2 Overview of this Lesson 12. 4/10/2016 Week 12: James 4: /17/2016 Week 13: James 4: /24/2016 Week 14: James 5: /1/2016 Week 15: Spotlight: Jesus on Money 16. 5/8/2016 Week 16: James 5: /15/2016 Week 17: Mother's Day No Lighthouse 18. 5/22/2016 Week 18: James 5:13-18 Last week we focused on the source of quarrels and fights among believers. We identified the source as sinful desires motivated by pride. Each of us has an internal compass that continually guides our thoughts and actions towards self self promotion, self gratification, self advancement. This desire to promote self is at war within the believer, because as a Christian, our spirit years to please God and to give ourselves completely to His will and His desires for us. This war is often identified as the war between the flesh (self) and the Spirit (the Holy Spirit). This week we will begin to look at the solution to this problem. Victory does not come from trying harder to control our selfish desires, it comes from surrendering the fight to the Lord and allowing Him to take control of our thoughts, desires, and actions. James prescription to defeat pride includes four steps: 1. Submit to God 2. Resist the Devil 3. Draw Near to God and Repent 4. Humble Yourself in the presence of the Lord Memory Verse for This Week James 4:7 (ESV) Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Core Virtue: Peace Humility (Philippians 2:3-4): I choose to esteem others above myself. Page 2 Lighthouse Ministry Discussion Guide Spring 2016

3 Introduction 1. Looking back at your notes from this week s sermon, was there anything that particularly caught your attention, challenged or confused you? 2. Describe a time when you felt very close to the Lord? What was the situation that drew you into His presence? 3. What is the difference between pride and a sense of accomplishment? This Week s Take Home Truth "In order to fight the war with pride, we must humbly submit to God and show compassion to others." Read the Text (James 4:7-12) The believer in Christ is capable of the greatest sin. Jealousy and pride bring on sins that are destructive to the Christian walk. James again urges the child of God to be humble and to draw near to God with clean hands. He further commands believers to refrain from speaking against the brethren since God is the One and only Lawgiver and Judge. [Baker] Read James 4:7-12. James 4:7 12 (ESV) 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you doubleminded. 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. 11 Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. 12 There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor? Page 3 Lighthouse Ministry Discussion Guide Spring 2016

4 Digging Deeper In this section, feel free to develop your own questions to help guide your group s discussion. Below are some suggestions. 4. How does James instruct us to win the battles between pride and humility? James provides nine commands that will help the believer win the battle with pride. Keddie provides some insight into how each of these commands can help the believe win the battle: In James 4:7-10, the Apostle describes a life devoted to God through consistent obedience and a humble, submissive spirit. The practical prescription for this life of triumphant discipleship is set out in a series of nine practical imperatives which we are to work out in our daily lives (4:7-9). These may be arranged in three main groupings, as follows: A. Commitment to the personal God (4:7-8) 1. 'Resist the devil...' 2. 'Come near to God...' B. Commitment to personal holiness (4:8) 3. 'Wash your hands...' 4. 'Purify your hearts...' C. Commitment to a penitential spirit (4:9) 5. 'Grieve...' 6. 'Mourn...' 7. 'Wail...' 8. 'Change your laughter to mourning...' 9. '... and your joy to gloom.' The only antidotes to pride, self and strife are the Lord, holiness and a meek, repentant attitude. Where these elements of living faith are not being exercised and applied, then the evils of which James has already spoken will inevitably flourish. Here, then, is the Lord's prescription for the peace and joy of the Christian life. 1 1 Gordon Keddie, Welwyn Commentary Series The Practical Christian: James simply explained, (Auburn, MA: Evangelical Press, 1989), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Page 4 Lighthouse Ministry Discussion Guide Spring 2016

5 5. What does the word Submit mean in verse 7 and how does it relate to the word resist? The word submit means to put yourself under God, under His care, power, and strength; to yield to God, to His will, command, instructions, laws, behavior, and Word; to surrender yourself to God for Him to strengthen you so that you can do exactly what He says. The word resist means to take a stand against the devil; to exert the energy and effort to oppose and defeat the devil and his temptation; to keep your mind and energy focused upon counteracting and conquering the temptation of the devil. Both of these words are military words; therefore, they are urgent and they are imperatives. They are from our military commander, God Himself. When temptation strikes, submit yourself to God. Do exactly what your military commander says. He has the overall plan and all the weapons and fire power at His disposal. His grace and power can defeat the enemy How can submitting to God help us fight temptation? Submit yourself to God and His Word of command. What this means is to focus your mind upon God and His Word immediately when temptation strikes. Turn away from the temptation, push it out of your mind and begin to think about God and go over and over His Word in your mind. Just begin to resist the devil by focusing your mind upon God and His Word. Persevere in following God s command and in resisting the devil. When you do, the most wonderful thing will happen. The devil will flee and the temptation will be gone. Now, note the critical point: we must both surrender to God and resist the devil. Both acts are required. When the devil or temptation confronts us, we can never defeat him and his hoards of evil... by standing and fighting alone by going our own way by giving in a little 2 Teacher's Outline and Study Bible James: The Teacher's Outline and Study Bible, (Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries, 1994), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Under: "B. The Way to Overcome Temptation, 4:7-10". Page 5 Lighthouse Ministry Discussion Guide Spring 2016

6 by refusing to listen to our Commander s Word. We cannot even listen to the enemy s tempting offer not even for a moment. Picturing the temptation moves us a long way down the road to defecting and sinning against God. The only way to conquer temptation is to immediately submit ourselves to God and to immediately resist the devil and his temptation In verse 8, James encourages us to draw near to God and to repent. How can a Christian draw near to God? How does a Christian draw near to Almighty God? By reading the Word of God, the Holy Bible, or if we do not have access to God s Word when the temptation strikes, by reviewing verses of Scripture over and over in our minds. By prayer by asking God for strength and power, mercy and grace. But note: the prayer should be positive, focusing upon God and His strength and Word, not upon the temptation. Keep your mind off the temptation and upon God. Focus upon God and God alone. Get close to God. Draw as near as possible to Him and note the glorious promise: God will draw near you. He will draw near and embrace you and strengthen you and deliver you. This is exactly what God promises. The Importance of Repentance However, note that drawing near God is conditional. There is a person who God does not allow to draw near Him. Who? The person with unclean, sinful hands and an impure, wavering heart. A person must do two things before he can draw near God. 1. The person must clean his hands. Some had unclean, sinful hands and James called them just what they were: sinners. If any of us have unclean hands if we have touched what God forbids us to touch we have not only sinned, but we are sinners. A terrible title to have attached to our names. Nevertheless, Scripture says that a person who touches when God says not to touch is a sinner. The point is this: our hands must be cleansed of sin before we can 3 Ibid. Page 6 Lighthouse Ministry Discussion Guide Spring 2016

7 approach and draw near God. God will not respond He will not draw near to a person whose hands are not cleansed of sin. 2. The person must purify his heart and quit wavering between God and temptation. A person cannot have a divided loyalty between God and the world. A person who is double-minded, who tries to follow God some of the time and the world at other times, cannot draw near God. God does not accept him nor draw near him. A person must purify his heart, turn his heart completely and totally over to the Lord Jesus Christ. A pure heart a heart totally committed and loyal to Jesus Christ is the only heart that God will accept and draw near How should a Christian respond to the presence of sin in his/her life? The Christian has somewhat difficult-to-understand relationship with sin. On the one hand, the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross provided atonement for our sin past, present, and future. We are forgiven. At the same time, while we walk this earth as a fallen creature, we battle temptation and sin, and even the best of us continue to sin. We are not perfected and our flesh wars against us. Even though a Christian continues to sin, he knows his sin is forgiven. But, as James so clearly points out, our sin is a serious matter. It grieves God when we sin, and as a result we need to appreciate the seriousness of our sin. The words James uses describe a person who is grieving over his own sin. "Be miserable and mourn and weep. Your laughter must change to mourning and your joy to sorrow (v. 9). Cornelius Plantinga has talked about how we have lost this view of sin: The awareness of sin used to be our shadow. Christians hated sin, feared it, fled from it, grieved over it. Some of our grandparents agonized over their sins. A man who lost his temper might wonder whether he could still go to Holy Communion. A woman who for years envied her more attractive and intelligent sister might wonder if this sin threatened her very salvation. 4 Ibid. Page 7 Lighthouse Ministry Discussion Guide Spring 2016

8 But the shadow has dimmed. Nowadays, the accusation you have sinned is often said with a grin, and with a tone that signals an inside joke. At one time, this accusation still had the power to jolt people. 5 D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones has noted how the awareness of sin grew in times of revival: Go and read the history of revivals again. Watch the individuals at the beginning. This is invariably the first thing that happens to them. They begin to see what a terrible, appalling thing sin is in the sight of God. They temporarily even forget the state of the Church, and forget their own anguish. It is the thought of sin in the sight of God. How terrible it must be. Never has there been a revival but that some of the people, especially at the beginning, have had such visions of the holiness of God, and the sinfulness of sin, that they have scarcely known what to do with themselves How can a Christian who is grieving over his/her sin feel good about himself/herself? Ask this question, When was the last time you grieved over your sin before God? That may sound self-defeating. What about feeling good about yourself and self-esteem? True beauty comes in verse 10, when James says, "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you." When we humble ourselves before God, we don't have to lift ourselves up; He does the lifting for us. We need to trust God completely. God will give us grace in our humility, and He will be the one to raise us up. We need not do that on our own. 5 Cornelius Plantinga, Jr., Not The Way It s Supposed to Be: A Breviary On Sin, (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co, 1995), ix. 6 Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Revival, (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 1987), 157. Page 8 Lighthouse Ministry Discussion Guide Spring 2016

9 Concluding Thoughts These questions are given to prompt both reflection and learning on a personal level, and should likely be completed individually and apart from your regular group time. 10. What can you do this week to draw near to God? 11. In what situations do you need to resist the devil this week? 12. What can you do this week to help you bring more humility into your life? Page 9 Lighthouse Ministry Discussion Guide Spring 2016

10 Becoming A House of Prayer 40 Days of Prayer and Fasting April 6-May 15, 2016 Praying the Scriptures All of Scripture can teach us to pray. I wrote Pray the Scriptures Bible as an outflow of ministry and life. The idea began as a simple act of pairing Bible verses and prayer on posters for people to wander around and ponder during worship. That exercise reflected my own habit of a moment-by-moment conversation with God, especially when studying Scripture. As a follower of Jesus, spiritual leader, and author determined to make the Bible real and relevant to all ages, I developed an unconscious pattern of responding in prayer to passages I studied. Because God spoke to me, I spoke back to him. As a next step to Pray the Scriptures Bible, this book will help you build your own habit of praying Scripture by leading you to respond to forty daily Bible readings. There are passages reminding you of God s unstoppable love and his plan to lift you to new life. Others help you express a craving for God. Some lay down practical challenges for you to obey. Others let you track with Jesus as he moves from his garden agony to the cross and resurrection and beyond. For each passage I provide an opening thought. I finish with questions to answer on your own or with others. In the middle I split up the Bible passage and offer words and short phrases to prompt you to pray Scripture back to God. Feel free to use these prompts or to respond with your own thoughts. Dare to share your prayers with others, and listen to what they said to God. There are themes that weave from one day to the next, but you can also move through the readings in whatever order you choose. Groups studying this book can work through it at any comfortable pace. Throughout this book you will engage in an uncomplicated response to God s words. Many passages move you to declare who God is or what he has done, is doing, or will do. You identify with a thought or feeling. That might prompt you to confess something that s come between you and God or to commit to living differently. Or you might ask the Lord to work in you or meet a need. My prayer is that by the end of this book you will have grown in your own one-onone conversation with God by using Scripture as the ultimate guide to prayer a way to process your own life circumstances and give voice to your own spiritual longings, wonderings, and worship. Kevin Johnson 7 7 Kevin Johnson, Pray the Scriptures: A 40-Day Prayer Experience (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2013). Page 10 Lighthouse Ministry Discussion Guide Spring 2016

11 Jesus Your Shepherd Picture yourself as a sheep ceasing your struggle, finding rest cradled in the arms of your shepherd. The shepherd satisfies your hunger and thirst (Psalm 23:1 2) and rescues you from lost and wounded places (Ezekiel 34:15 16). He prizes you like no other. He is wholly unlike thieves who harm you secretly... robbers who attack you openly... hired hands who abandon you when trouble nears. The shepherd gives you a name, and you follow his unique call. You scatter at the voice of an imposter. Moment by moment, the shepherd walks ahead of you, guiding you to lush pasture and guarding you from danger even at the price of his own life. As you pray John 10, discover what Jesus wants to teach you about himself and about you. John 10:2 5 GW [Jesus said,] The one who enters through the gate is the shepherd. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep respond to his voice. He calls his sheep by name and leads them out of the pen. After he has brought out all his sheep, he walks ahead of them. The sheep follow him because they recognize his voice. They won t follow a stranger. Instead, they will run away from a stranger because they don t recognize his voice. Jesus, you are my shepherd. You... Jesus, I am your sheep. I... John 10:7 10 GW Jesus emphasized, I can guarantee this truth: I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before I did were thieves or robbers. However, the sheep didn t respond to them. I am the gate. Those who enter the sheep pen through me will be saved. They will go in and out of the sheep pen and find food. A thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But I came so that my sheep will have life and so that they will have everything they need. So many people live like thieves and robbers. They... You came to... John 10:11 14 GW I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. A hired hand isn t a shepherd and doesn t own the sheep. When he sees a wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and quickly runs away. So the wolf drags the sheep away and scatters the flock. The hired hand is concerned about what he s going to get paid and not about the sheep. I am the good shepherd. You are the good shepherd. You... Some people act like hired hands. They... Page 11 Lighthouse Ministry Discussion Guide Spring 2016