Getting Right With God and Others

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=50 BGCOLOR="#333366" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>Getting Right With God and Others</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=165 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="132" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 35 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id215.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Handling Conflict By Practicing Wisdom"><U><B><IMG SRC="007151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id217.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Planning With Humility"><U><B><IMG SRC="008151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="20"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="35" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="20" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="13"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="27"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <div> Previous/Next Sermon</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="www.stanbaker.org"><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Biblical and Theological Studies"><U><B>Biblical and Theological Studies</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Church Ministry"><U><B>Church Ministry</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sermon Notes"><U>Sermon Notes</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id5.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Personal"><U><B>Personal</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> <div> <A HREF="mailto:stan@stanbaker.org" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:stan@stanbaker.org"><U>stan@stanbaker.org</U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=430 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>James 4:1-12, “Getting Right with God and Others,” Berean Bible Church, 7-29-2001am</B></div> <bR> <div> <I>     </I>God wants us to know how to deal with disagreements, but it is not “three simple steps to getting your own way” or “four ways to get what you want.” It involves a much deeper solution. God’s solution to conflict involves you first, not the people you have conflict with.</div> <bR> <div> <B>[Two Observations:]</B></div> <div> <B>I. Vss. 1-4 – Constant conflict is evidence of a deeper spiritual problem – unfaithfulness to God.</B></div> <div> A. We want what <I>we</I> want. Power, wealth and material goods, pleasure (hedonism) (vss. 1b-2a).</div> <div> B. We will do just about anything to get it. Scheme, manipulate, fight, cause pain . . . (vss. 1a, 2b-2c).</div> <div> C. We don’t care what God wants for us (vss. 2d-3).</div> <div> D. We make ourselves out to be enemies of God (vs. 4). He calls people like this “unfaithful,” like a cheating spouse.</div> <bR> <div> <B>II. Vs. 5 (NIV footnote 1) – God longs for us to be faithful to him.</B> </div> <div> Exodus 20:5, 34:14: God is a jealous God, who wants people to worship him alone.</div> <bR> <div> <B>[Two Challenges:]</B></div> <div> <B>III. Vss. 6-10 – Being faithful to God first means getting right with him.</B></div> <div> A. God freely offers his grace, which is undeserved kindness. (vs. 6).</div> <div> B. Experiencing God’s grace demands humility (vs. 6, 10).</div> <div> 1. Submit to God and resist the devil (rather than vice-versa) (vs. 7).</div> <div> 2. Get close to God (vs. 8a).</div> <div> 3. Change <I>actions</I> and <I>attitudes</I> (vs. 8b).</div> <div> 4. Confess sin with seriousness (vs. 9).</div> <bR> <div> <B>IV. Vss. 11-12 – Being right with God will affect how we get along with others.</B></div> <div> A. When you judge others, you break the Law. You demonstrate pride, not humility.</div> <div> B. We are responsible to God; people are not responsible to us.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> copyright, 2001, Stanley Baker</div> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> </td> </tr></table></body>