Can We Be Friends With The World? (James 4:1-4) [2025-12-21]

Devices is both are James chapter 4 your team are saying

James 4 · chapter mention

going to James there's someone maybe wondering isn't it the

last Sunday before Christmas? Why are we not going to

Christmas sermon and I never take the perspective of John

Calvin. So which is every Sunday is

Christmas and every Sunday is Easter and John Calvin for

decades. He just reads through the almost

render he and ever reads the Christmas sermon or Easter

sermon and I just think I'd say perspective.

So we're going to continue in our study of the book of James

this morning James chapter 4 verses one to four.

James 4 · chapter mention

That's the index Hope is in a word prayer and then we will

jump to concern this morning James one meeting in verse one.

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you?

Is it not this that your passions are war within you?

You desire to not have, so you hurt.

You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight in war you do not have

because you do not. You ask and do not receive

because you ask wrongly to spend it on your mouth.

You adulterers, do you not know that friendship with the world,

his enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wishes to be

a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

On this morning, as we prepare our hearts to celebrate the week

to celebrate the Church of Christ plan Salvation, look at

this text that deals with our interactions with the church and

our interactions with the world. Got it correct that he would

help us consider both of these contexts that the relationship

we have with other Christians and church or that we would not

be want to go or like that our relationships with the world as

we interact probably with friends and family this week

that there would be a decision that we would make spend

Christmas with them. We may go to events, parties and

so forth that these are our not our friends in the same way, in

the same context that we are currently and their friends.

Imagine if there were millions of people swimming in the ocean

and it's just a matter of time before they ground and die.

What should we do in our attempt to save them?

Here's what we should do. Get in a boat and try to go pick

them up. Here's what we shouldn't do in

the water. Our job is to be on the water,

but not in the water. I am to spend my time on the

water. You are to spend your time on

the water. But I shouldn't be invent.

I should look different than those in the water.

There should be a clear distinction between those in the

water and on the water. Can we be friends with the lost

world? Sure, we can certainly be

knowledgeable friends. But not swimming, Not swimming

water. And in those kids this morning,

as we look at our texts, let's start with expedition.

I'll bring it down section by section and then we'll get into

the application. So let's tell them we have a lot

to do this morning. Those are in verse 4, chapter 4,

verse one a, where James asks this question, what causes

corals and what causes spikes among you?

So they started off our past this morning by asking the

churches a question. What causes quarrels and what

causes fights among you? Now this question by Gaines

raises itself Greek questions. So on what is the difference

between a quarrel and a fight? Is there a difference?

The Greek word for quarrel is usually translated to me.

Well, that is typically used on a military conflict, but it can

also mean a standing of hostility or factorism.

Strike for conflict and the Greek word for fights.

This means squirrels are strive for their speeds.

So I don't think there's much other difference between these

two terms. I don't think it's kind of more

is a difference between that. I think it's called the

anxieties. Second question, what were the

terms formally dividing about? James says, you know, what

causes the schools divide for what were they formally about?

What were they divided by? You know, James never tells us.

He never gives us any necessarily clues as to what

this was that was specific. And then the question of the

reading is that is this real or is this happened?

In other words, is James just supposing this is happening or

is he anticipating this happening or does he know that

this is happening? From verse 2, it appears that

this is real and this is actually happening in the

church. Now, we're not told how James

knows about this, right? Somehow he does.

But it appears that these churches that he's writing to,

these churches are in the dispersion that they are

fighting. They are quarreling with one

another for the one being, is it not this that your passions are

at war within you? So James that asked the

question, what causes these fights in these worlds?

And James answers his own question.

He says, is it not this that your passions are at war within

you? In the Greek it's literally your

pleasures are at war within your members.

That's our reason 3 The Greek world of passions is to that

giggling. For hedonist, it means a state

or condition of experiencing pleasure for any reason,

delights, enjoyment or pleasantness.

So what does it mean that their passions, their their pleasures

are at war within them? What does that mean?

This is very similar to what the apostle Paul wrote in Romans

72223 where all says rise of light and the law of God in my

inner being. But I see in my fenders, I mean

my body, another law waging war against the law of my mind.

What Paul is saying there is that there are two delights in

all Christians. There is a delight in God.

There's a delight in place. We all have those delights, a

delight in God and a delight in sin, said we're not enjoyable,

we couldn't do it. And these two delights, these

two pleasures, these two passions, they are for the first

two days you desire and do not have.

So you murder, James says. You desire Freeport and desire.

It's not always a bad usage. You can use it in a positive

sense. You just use it in a positive

sense. You said I am purposely desire

to just pass up over to you. Now what desire is the same word

as desire here, no different. But it can also be used in a

negative sense where Paul uses it and take commandments.

When Paul quotes to take commandments in his letters, the

word for covet, he says you shall not covet.

It's the same word as desire here.

So be positive or negative. But notice James says you desire

and you do not have which should be taken to me.

You desire what you do. You desire something that you

don't have, and then as a result, what are they doing?

He says. So you hurt me.

Now we understand this. There are three possibilities.

This is either literal, This is either figurative or it's

prophetic. If it is literal, double smooth.

Who's going to mark another complicator like this?

Some of the believers may well have been former zealots and

granted this that taking it on others.

Life is not out of around the possibility for church members

as response to this. In other words, it may very well

be possible that these so-called zealots were so passionate that

when they disagreed with someone in the church they actually took

their time. That would be a little Turkish.

It could be figurative given the wisdom nature of the letter

James. James is the closest New

Testament to the Proverbs. Is there a wisdom nature?

Wisdom life in its nature? Murder could have a figured

meaning the same way that murder has a figure meaning from the

Proverbs, right? We say death and life are in the

power of God. That's figured it.

That's not the girl. It could also be prophetic.

James could be saying that if you let these desires go

unchecked, this is where it's standing.

You let these desires just rub rampant in your soul.

This is the logical. Now what do these things should

we say? Need that change?

Just moves on without talking about this anymore, I think.

Is that a figurative or perfect? In other words, if there was

literal murder called Doctor, I think James might want more

about that. But the fact that he just moves

on I think perhaps is to figure it in more.

What did you mean? You covet and cannot obtain?

So you fight in war. So notice you desire and

therefore murder you. Covet without word covered means

to be positively and intensely interested in something.

Describe or desire something. Again there's 3 words used for

covet used in a popular context. All says but earnestly desire

the higher gifts that would desire there same word for

coming here we can also use in a negative sense and the

patriarchs jealous of Joseph sold in Egypt Act 7 on that work

with jealousy and act 7 on same word as other here.

So it depends on the context. The nuance here though, is that

a person is jealous or envious of something or someone.

When he says you covet, this person is jealous or they're

envious of something or someone but they can't obtain.

They won it so badly. But no matter what, they can't

get what they desire. So instead of being content when

you desire something and you can't get it, you have one or

two options. You can either be content when

you fight before the words for fighting the world.

And this is the third form of the now, and now is the first

one. So notice James has answered his

own questions. He asked them what causes

quarrels and fights among you. And he says there's this tigers.

And it is you you do not have because you do not have this.

This is such a short and simple and it carries massively.

James tells the church that the part of the reason that they do

not have what they desire. Now why would they not ask?

Why would they not ask? You ask and do not receive

because you asked wrongly to spend it on your passions.

It's almost as if James anticipates their Republic.

It's almost as if James says you do not have it.

Yes, you do not ask. I mean, it just makes somebody

say, Oh no, no, no, no, no. I have asked, Yes, I have.

And I still have not received. I have asked many times and I

have got to see which James responds to the reason he asked

and yet still don't see it. Now how are they asking you?

How do you ask God for something wrong?

Then he says this, he writes. You ask to spend it on your

passions. For the passions, they're the

same. In other words, when they ask

God for these things, they're asking God for something.

When they ask God for these things, the purpose of their

asking is not glorified. It is not to build a church.

It is not to advance the people. It is not to bless others.

The purpose of their asking is to spend what they get on their.

There is a soft center in the forehead.

You adulterous people. Literally you adulterous.

That is the feminine form. Now James has called that

brother since not this one. Whether he's already called him

brother six sides, he's called him five dear brothers 3 times.

He says you all like his covetousness to idolatry.

It says that covetousness is idolatry.

Philosophy revive of death was urinating, sexual immorality and

purity, passion and desire and covetousness which is idolatry.

Paul tells us that the church is the bride of Christ.

Second Eve 11/2. I returned you to one husband to

present you as a pure urgent to Christ.

So we put those two things together.

The church is the bride of Christ.

Our Community Church is an idolatrous church, and an

idolatrous church is an adult church.

That's the first question. 10 questions.

Is James be an unnecessary questioner?

Imagine my all you guys, you adulterers, James being

unnecessarily large, you must remember that the Old Testament,

the prophet referred the people of God's horse or harvest

something many times the prophet is called the people of God

forms hearts something being Jesus.

You do not know that friendship with the world is enmity with

God. You know, we were talking about

this. I guess I just spoke to you back

about whether we've been friends with the world, and this is one

of those verses that needs clarification and needs

qualification. It needs clarification and

qualification. Questions that we need to answer

with this verse #1 how is change define friendship #2 who is the

world #3 What does enmity with God mean?

And #4 why is this the case? Listen to one other time #1 how

is change define friendship, right?

There's one question, right? Because you come to 4th of July,

you bring someone to the party, to the barbecue, and you're

like, hey, this is my friend Tom.

And I'm like, oh, and then after where I'm like, hey, who's Tom?

He's not Christian. How is James you're flying

friendship. You must understand that

friendship in the ancient theories is not how we very

good. We often use the word friend to

refer to acquaintances or work associates or maybe just even

someone we know in certain contexts, right?

We need to determine very, very, but the word friend in the New

Testament was used of those who shared common interests, common

purposes, common desires. There was an attachment there.

There's a unity there. You said John 1514, you are my

friends if you do what I am. So Dave is using the word

friends very difficult. Number one.

Number two, who is the world in the vast majority of the uses of

the springs in the New Testament?

The world almost always averse to the law school.

But it also been referred to the philosophies of this world

versus the values of this world, the spirit of this age.

You've heard that number three, What does enmity with God mean?

Said that if you're a friend of the world, you're an enmity with

God. What does that mean?

Enmity means hostility or entirely.

It needs to be an enemy of them. So in this case, it needs to be

an enemy of God. Now #4 why is this the case?

Why is it that friendship with the world meets being an enemy

of God? Why is that the case?

Jesus said no one can search messages.

Either you hate the one and love the other, or even others.

The one slides the other. In the same way that I can't be

friends with another woman as James is dividing friends.

In other words, if you ask that you have any women in your life

that are good friends, I would say as James is dividing

friends. If I did, if I had a woman in my

life I was friends with, as James is inviting friends, you

know what? That was great.

I'm still in my life. I cannot be friends.

Likewise, a Christian cannot attach themselves to the world

in the same way that we attach ourselves to God, and cannot

attach ourselves to the world in the same way that we attach

ourselves to the God. Therefore, whoever wishes to be

a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Now James here is addressing the fact that some of the church may

actually wish to be friends with the world.

In other words, James is saying that, you know, some of you may

say, look, I enjoy being with the wall more than the church.

I have known many Christians who said I enjoy my lost friends

more than my Christian friends never understood.

Perhaps they have more fun with the world than the church.

Perhaps they find that their their life is more successful

when they are friends with the world.

Perhaps they feel more at home with the world.

And James says whoever wishes to be a friend of the world,

whoever desires to be a friend of the world, the way that James

find the word friend. James says you make yourself

notice. You make yourself.

This is the name. There is no little grand.

A person is either a friend of God or an epinity.

There is no little grand. You are either a friend of God

or not. Case of the tennis.

I have 8:00 next auditions #1 One of the devil's primary

strategies in the fight is to give us a fight.

One of the devil's primary strategies in the fight is to

give us the Christian life is a fight.

Let's say you know what to say about Christian life is a fight.

The apostle Paul writes fight the good fight on the page for

7612. Later he writes I have thoughts.

The good fights. The Christian life is a fight

and one of the devil's primary strategies in this fight is to

get us the fight. You see, the devil's mission is

eternity to 612 on his head. Devil loves to do this.

He takes a verse, he turns it on his head, and he loves to take

Ephesians 612 and turn it on his head.

Here's how the devil or righteous do not wrestle against

rulers, against authorities, against positive powers.

Open the stretch of darkness against spiritual forces of evil

in the heavenly places, but instead wrestle against flesh.

Seems safe and get us to stop fighting everything outside

these walls. Start fighting everything inside

these walls. This is a very effective

strategy. It's very effective.

We see that we see fighting in corn people.

Your mom lawsuits each other. Also the fact that you should

have lawsuits and love yourself. You've already been defeated.

They feel like Gioia and Syndicate are having some kind

of relational conflict with one of them.

These two women are not in the grievance.

Even Paul and Marvelous had a sharp disagreement, so much so

that they parted place. Yeah, I've been in another

church most of my life, as long as I've been in my church.

The whole life and I've heard quite a few stories of fights.

I've heard stories of deacons going out in the parking lot.

This fights over church finances shares the environment of

business meeting over the desire to remove a pastor.

How have you talked to someone the other day about it?

You 2 got married that there are many that are made about church

conference in mystery. The 17th century Jewish

philosopher Spinoza wrote this. I have often wondered that

persons who make the most of professing the Christian

religion, namely, Bob George Peace and British Cherokee all

things, should quarrel with such strength Chris animosity and

display dating or one of such bitter hatred that this, rather

than the virtue of state profess, is the greatest

criterion our positions. We may have, we may have

conflict. We cannot have contention.

Our battle is never. Every day that we wake up, the

flesh and spirit are at war, and one of them, all of them.

Every day we wake up, the flesh and the spirit are at war, and

one of them. All of them.

If, if, if the church is made-up of people who are defined by

Lovejoy, peace, patience, time and goodness, neighbleness and

gentleness, self-control. If that's true, then where do

the world advice come from? You heard about that.

Like if what defines us? What identifies us?

That we are people who are defined by love and joy and

peace and patience and goodness and faithfulness and generous

and self-control. Peace define us.

Where do church flights and distributors come from?

Why do they exist when we step into a church or

when we step into a marriage? Why?

You sent the marriage, you sent the church, the house.

Housemates, we do not simply have the Spirit living inside of

us. We often have flesh.

These two housemates live in this temple and they are always

all arts are like this for the desires of the flesh are against

the spirit and the desires of the spirit are against the flesh

and these are opposed to each other.

James works like this. Your passions are at war within

you and the reality is is that many of us at our church be

pretty laid back. If somebody asked me, you know,

like paint with a very broad struck very wrong right.

Describe the personality of the real church.

We're free, hang back, chill, easygoing, agreeable people.

But when we want something, as all of us do, there is a

pleasure that we earnestly desire flesh inside of us and

steer inside of us. And one of them will always, I

have heard stories, multiple stories in the church, born in

marriages, in the Church of Howard struggles, financial

struggles and the serial struggles, vision struggles,

marriage struggles. And there is a common theme in

all of them. We may not murder to get what we

want, but be careful we don't kill ourselves while others.

We may not murder to get what we want, but be careful you don't

kill yourself or others, James writes.

You desire and do not have, so you murder.

Now, as I mentioned, the activist, this is being taken

literally. Figuratively or prophetically.

I think it should be understood figuratively or prophetically.

I doubt that anybody in this room has ever murdered anybody

because they lost. Yeah, burn yourself in, but be

careful that we don't kill ourselves.

Be careful that we don't emotionally or racially kill

others. Have you ever wanted something

so bad? I mean, you want, have you ever

wanted, just want them so bad that you felt like you would

dodge it and you would sacrifice everything to do this?

Power control, security thing, health, success, speed,

academics, a relationship validation, affirmation, sex

approval, your body, manage safety, a better life for your

kids, revenge, the avoidance of shame, the avoidance of failure.

I have seen many people through the years sacrifice their

health, sacrifice their tongue, sacrifice their emotional

well-being, sacrifice their mental well-being, sacrifice

their friendships, sacrifice their love life, sacrifice their

family, sacrifice their church involvement, all in.

And you know that the life is just.

Got to get through this for a season.

Once you get it, relax. You desire what you do not have

so and often those that you love become.

Covetousness, envy, and jealousy will always keep us in the rain.

Covetousness, envy, and jealousy will always keep us in the rain,

Tim writes. You covet and cannot obtain, so

you fight a war. Now this has been true since the

beginning of time. Evident King was jealous of his

brother's approval, So what did he do?

He murdered his brother. Joseph's brothers were jealous

of Jacob's love and approval for what they do, sold Joseph and

slavery. Cor was jealous of Moses's

leadership so we better rebellion against Moses.

Saul was jealous of David's praises so we tried to kill

David. The Pharisees were jealous of

Jesus so they crucified them. The Corinthians were jealous of

power and received in the church, so they created

divisions in the church. Covetousness, envy, and jealousy

will always keep us in the ring. It's sometimes that ring, it's

simply an eternal right. And there's going to be a ring

where it's it's you against somebody else in the church or

you against somebody else in your family.

Sometimes it's simply an eternal ring where it's you in the ring

against yourself. It's just you against you.

It all starts with does it on an individual level.

You compare yourself to someone else, right?

You look, you're like moms. You're right.

You're the same, you're the same, you're the same school and

then not one pursuit this job. On a family run, certain parent

families, Why does their family seem happier than ours?

Why do their kids behave better than us?

Why do they travel more than us? Or on a church run.

This search has no facilities. This search has more programs

for kids than. You know what happens when you

go down this, even if it's an eternal

fight, an eternal spell, we fight and we quarrel with

somebody, consciousness and jealousy and all.

Could be that the reason I don't have what I want is because I

have not asked. Could it be that the reason I

don't have what I want is because because I have not asked

for now there's a tension in prayer?

On the one hand, Jesus told us your Father knows what you need

before you ask him, not you 6 days.

So that's true, right? God knows what we need before we

ask him. That's the ones I've been.

But then on the other side, on the other hand, how many times

did Jesus command us to ask and ask?

And it will be given to you after 7/7.

How much will your Father who is in heaven get good things of who

ask in 19711 And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive

192122. Whatever you ask in prayer, you

believe that you have received in Art. 1124 whatever you ask in

my name, this I will do. John 1430 Ask whatever you wish

and it will be done for you. John 15 says ask and you will

ever see that your joy may be full.

John 1624 And these are not all these terrorists.

So here's the thing. If Jesus commanded us over and

over again to ask him over and over again he says ask, ask,

ask, ask. Why don't we ask?

We're all filthy of this. James Rice you do not have

because you do not ask so why don't we ask about time reasons

a laughing we don't need to ask for how to be different.

All these politics lives 3 self-reliance.

We have grown so accustomed to being self reliant in other

areas of our life that we have see fear of disappointment.

We don't want to hear no, my subject is they won't ask me.

This is right. I'd rather not hear no, it's an

emotional defense thing. The overestimation our

companies. Jesus said apart from me you can

do nothing, but we wrongly believe I can do something.

DA wrong view of God's heart. We don't believe God will teach

us. We don't believe that God wants

us. Yeah, false humility.

We mistakenly believe that it is actually coupled to not us,

wrong to a divine sovereignty. So why page a misunderstanding

of contingencies? You should and I a wrong view of

the righteousness of drugs. I'll have to be in a certain

conspiracy of the forehouse I sing today in their forecast.

There's never been. Could it be that the reason we

don't have what we want, since prayer is not enough, we must

pray with the right motive and the right prayer is not enough.

We must pray with the right motive and right objective.

Now some of you, some of the church here included, it may

give her a bottle of the previous point by saying I don't

have any Paul asking. I ask not every single day to

raise. I have no problem asking God.

My problem is not the master, you know, my problem is master.

My problem is that God rarely hits me what I ask.

So what's up with that? It's all time.

You don't give it to me. What's up with that?

James says it could be you're the word could it could be asked

and you do not understand because you asked wrong.

And what does that mean? Let me give an example.

Earlier, James said that if any of you watch this, what should

be doing? That's that's that is generously

all about first now that perceived to imply that if we

ever needed wisdom, we could just ask God and he'll give us

wisdom. He says he'll give him

Jefferson. He'll give him without approach.

It seems as though there's no qualification of that of that

promise, but we know that's not to be true.

This is not going to be the whole counsel of God's heart

because James here gives us qualification.

He says we must pass with the right motives and the right

objective. This if someone asked God for

wisdom, let's say I, I asked God for wisdom.

But suppose I asked for wisdom because I wanted you to think

that I would want this. You know, maybe I'm, I'm single

and I'm like this girl. I know that she likes wise guys

that kind of wise guys. I'm like, and I asked for wisdom

because I want her to think that I'm wise.

Or perhaps that's the reason to get rich.

That's the money and get rich. Or they used to give listen to

get power. James is suggesting that such a

person should not expect that the motivation for what you're

asking for is to use it for yourself, for your own glory and

your own purposes. You should not accept to God

prayer is not enough. We must ask for the right motive

and right objective, and that motive, that objective, the

ultimate level, ultimate level must be this.

There may be multiple motives and multiple objectives, but at

the alternate level it must be the glory of God.

The Bible actually gives us several qualifications of our

period. You're father and look with hey.

It must be in Jesus name, which means it must be aligned with

the heart and the teaching of Jesus.

B It must be asked to pay with conservative name.

C It must be according to God's will.

Becoming a multi millionaire is probably not God thrill.

C It must be with a striving for obedience.

We should not accept that God will give us something if we are

living in unrepentant sins, and He must be with perseverance.

Sometimes God won't give it to us until we persist in prayer

and F we must ask the right voters and the right objectives

to warp by God to build. The church said spiritual

adultery doesn't require consummation, but sin.

Spiritual adultery doesn't require consummation but simply

change. What's interesting about first

form is that change doesn't say that idolatry of the world is

empty. He doesn't.

He doesn't say idolatry of the world.

He says friendship. In other words, for us to be

guilty of spiritual adultery, it doesn't require us to engage in

consummation where we become full blown idolaters.

We just need to become full blown friends in the world.

Let me give another example. Often you guys know that we go

workout. We go workout in one time.

Often I'll see people again and we're working out and I wonder

what is the nature of the relationship as I'm sitting

there and I wonder what is the nature of the friends, boyfriend

and girlfriend or husband and wife.

It's all about you. But if you watch them

consistently over time, it will usually become evidence.

Watch them consists of time and usually as to what the nature is

saying to us. In other words, if people were

to come to our work parties, to our college parties, to our

sports games, to our playmates, to our neighborhoods as they

watch us interact with the world, does it look like we are

acquaintances, we are Navy, or we are here?

Is it clear that we may be at the same gym or the same party

or the same playground or we're not on the same We're not We're

together, but we're not together.

That should be evident. A Christian's joy will be found

and the type of people who share their A christian's joy will be

found in the type of people who share their joy, James says.

Whoever wishes to be a friend of the world, why would anybody

wish to be a friend of the world?

Why would a Christian say, I wish, I want, I desire to be a

friend of the world here's why. If they find joy.

That Christians joy found the type of people share their joy.

You see, the reason we don't desire to be friends with the

world, the way that changes dividing friends is because the

world does not share the same kind of joy that we have.

They don't share. Let me give you a very simple

example. I really don't like that.

Sorry, I don't think if you do. I'm not a cat person, but

suppose I had to be friends with someone who loved cats.

I mean loved them. Like every time I asked them to

hang out and wonder if I'm going to a cat cafe, they keep sending

cat videos. I don't want to do that.

I don't want to go cat cafe. I don't want to watch a cat

video. Why?

Because I don't share your joy, I don't share it.

I don't think this friendship is going to work out.

The only reason that any Christian would become friends

with the lost world again as James is finding friends is if

they have the life and the same things as Christians are.

Greatest joy. Is that not true?

You are a Christian. Greatest joy.

So how can we possibly be friend?

How can that work? Our friendship is beyond the

wall.