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Complete Sermon Notes
The Cure For Strife And Conflict
JAMES PART SIX: 11/09/16
INTRO: Written to Christians outside of Palestine – our default nature has to be rebuked often.
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The three ways to fail in life: Blame and Complain and not be Grateful.
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Why is it so important to address this?
We’ve become very good at avoiding conviction – if a person dares to challenge us, we make excuses.
1. Be open and teachable – recognize that their is crack in the armor.
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PRIDE puffs up – like a Balloon
JAMES 4 Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? 2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war.
When the Flesh Controls Your Life, Strife and Conflict are inevitable.
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All types of wars – pride sparks the flame: critical spirit, fault-finder, defensive, self-focus and superficial.
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My “desires” say – feed me so I can destroy you.
2…Yet you do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.
A] A diminished prayer life – the desire for pleasure diminishes the work of the Spirit – praise and worship are stifled, spiritual growth is halted, and joy and peace are nowhere to be found. Sin is a heavy weight of bondage that affects every area of life.
B] A self-focused prayer life
David Wilkerson’s article http://sermons.worldchallenge.
He is asking, “What’s in your life that keeps you from going on in the full blessing of Christ? You were doing so well at one time. I know you to be a praying people, and you labor diligently to do good works, but something is wrong. I don’t see you growing anymore. Instead, you’ve gone back to relying on your flesh. I don’t sense the sweet aroma of Christ you once had…Something’s hindering you. “What could have persuaded you to settle in this condition?”
Whatever it is, I tell you it’s not of God…Something is clouding you, something you may be holding on to… What leaven has crept in?” – “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump” (Galatians 5:9).
Lust diminishes the work of the Spirit – praise and worship are stifled, spiritual growth is halted, and joy and peace are nowhere to be found. Sin is a heavy weight of bondage that affects every area of life.
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Prayer is stifled when lust controls us.
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Cheating on God – the covenant of commitment and love has been broken.
2. Be filled with the Spirit and emptied of self
4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Spiritual Adultery – Cheating on God
Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”?
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Friendship with the world leads to conflict and strife.
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Giving our heart to another: “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”
SPIRITUAL ADULTERY – “I don’t love you anymore – I’m moving on.”
3. Return to the marriage covenant- 6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists [withstands against] the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”
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