Session 2 (The Christian, Conflict, and Working Towards Peace)

All right, guys, we're going to be on outline two there.

If you're tracking along in the handouts,

going to war with conflict,

I promised you in the last session we'd do a closer look at James 1-10,

that section of James where he's really dealing with this.

And so I'm going to make good on that promise in this session.

I referenced in the interview before the seminar started

that I worked for Family Life Ministries.

It was part of Campus Crusade.

It was at the time the most theologically conservative arm of Campus Crusade.

And I left almost 20 years ago, so I can't speak to it knowledgeably now.

But then it was very solidly reformed in its approach to the scriptures and to life.

One of their flagship events that they do all around the world,

about 300 times a year when I was there,

is a conference called A Weekend to Remember.

It's a marriage conference that's really designed to help cast a vision

for what biblical marriage is,

the purpose, the plan, and the power for marriage are three of the sessions there.

But in the first session of the conference,

somewhere in there,

they start drawing attention to how we should view our spouse.

This is not going to be a marriage session.

It's just an opening illustration.

And they're well known for this phrase,

my spouse is not my enemy.

And then they typically get the audience to repeat after them.

My spouse is not my enemy.

Turn to your spouse now and say that.

You are not my...

Like, they do this over and over again.

And they're...

Don't turn to one another.

I don't want to make this weird.

But they do that because they are trying to underscore

what many people came in believing wrongly.

Many people who come to this marriage conference

are coming with their marriage on the rocks.

They know their spouse is their enemy.

That's why they brought them, to get fixed.

Okay?

And that's why a lot of people come to marriage counseling.

They're convinced they're right.

Let me just go and be a cheerleader

as God works on my spouse.

Like, over and over again, this is this thought.

The person I'm in conflict with is my enemy.

Is the assumption we can bring.

And so Family Life, in their marriage conferences,

Rob, in this seminar, is here to say

the person that comes to mind when you're in conflict

is not your enemy.

Now, I don't know what kind of shape you showed up in here.

If there's...

I don't know any of you personally, really, at all.

So if you have a lot of conflict in your life,

if there's just one relationship,

maybe you're just, you know, conflict-free,

praise the Lord.

Regardless,

the person we're in conflict with is not our enemy.

Now, that is not to say you don't have an enemy.

The enemy that you do have

likes to stay as invisible as possible.

And he likes to whisper in your ear

so that you fight against someone who's not your enemy

so you do not fight properly the one who is.

Part of relational counseling

is taking people who are on opposite sides of a table

looking at one another in fighting

and figuratively, sometimes literally,

putting them on the same side of the table

fighting the enemy together.

Okay?

This is largely what's in view

when we get to James 4.

That we...

James 4 is trying to address

a people who have identified the wrong enemy.

And James tries to get you to identify

the right enemy.

When there's conflict,

we're supposed to, as Christians,

go to war.

But we're not supposed to go to war with each other.

We're supposed to go to a war against the devil.

It's just an error we so often make

that we fight against the wrong thing.

And what does that result in?

It results in chronic fighting.

Or,

eventually, cold apathy.

We can't fight anymore.

We just can't.

Neither of us has it in us.

We clearly can't be at peace

because you won't change.

So we have to get to a place

where we just don't act in love

toward one another anymore.

Married couples coexist.

Friends drift off.

Family members develop blacklists.

You don't get invited to Thanksgiving

or to this party or to that.

You know, Christmas is just really awkward.

Because of all of this apathy

and unresolved conflict.

Because we have fought the wrong enemy.

What does the Bible say

we're supposed to do

when we go to war against the right enemy?

Take a look at Ephesians 6.

Put on the whole armor of God

that you may be able to stand

against the schemes of the devil.

So right there,

Paul acknowledges who the right enemy is.

James gets to it eventually

in James 4 when we look at that.

For we do not wrestle

against flesh and blood,

but against rulers,

against the authorities,

against the cosmic powers

over this present darkness,

against the spiritual forces of evil

in the heavenly places.

Let me encourage you.

Whatever relationship seems broken

or in conflict,

remind yourself of this.

You do not wrestle

against flesh and blood.

Now in some places,

that's the platform it plays out in.

But that's not what's really happening.

What's really happening

is that we wrestle

against rulers,

authorities,

cosmic powers,

against spiritual forces of evil.

One of the main devices

Satan uses

to diminish

the Christian witness

is to get Christians

fighting with one another.

If he can't get you

to ruin your own life

with personal sin,

secret sin,

those kinds of things,

he tries to get you

to turn on one another

with sinful judgments,

rash judgments,

self-righteousness

that causes you

to think you're better

than other people,

to view people

according to their worst attributes

while you prefer

to be graded

by your best attributes.

This imbalance,

it allows us

to turn against

one another as enemies

and then

he can kind of stop.

He just kind of steps back

because our sinful nature

will continue doing the job

once he gets us

fighting in the wrong direction.

Now,

before I get into

some of these comments

that James hits

in chapter four,

I want to give

an important qualifier.

I always hope

this doesn't apply

to people

when I'm speaking to them,

but I never assume,

so I want to make sure

I say it.

There are sometimes

those situations

that happen to you

where someone is

really your enemy.

Like,

they are out

to destroy you.

That happens.

There are also scenarios

where

a path forward

really is trying

to figure out

how can I be safe?

It's not just

kind of the common

relational conflict

that we've had in view,

but there really is

an issue of safety

at work.

I don't want you

to take away

from this seminar.

Let me go back

to that unsafe scenario

and apply these principles

of grace and forgiveness.

They apply,

but I want to really

plead with you

to get counsel,

get help,

if needed,

call the authorities.

Let's get you safe

before we start

working on your heart.

Does that make sense?

Everybody with me

on that?

Okay.

What I have in view

with these,

now again,

I think even in the

most extreme cases,

these things apply,

but what I have in view

with more immediate

application

is that broad set

of conflicts

that happen

in most people's lives,

not more of these

extreme examples.

Okay, now,

let's take a look

at James 4.

I want to read

verses 1 through 10.

Of course,

I'm preaching off

of a manuscript here

and I've left

my Bible in my bag.

Can I have,

can I?

I'll find it.

I kind of know

where it is.

Thank you.

Never go into the pulpit

without your Bible friends.

It's a job hazard.

All right.

James 4.

Here we go,

1 through 10.

I'm just going to read it,

follow along.

What causes quarrels

and what causes fights

among you?

Is it not this,

that your passions

are at war within you?

You desire

and do not have,

so you murder.

You covet

and cannot obtain,

so you fight

and quarrel.

You do not have

because you do not ask.

You ask

and do not receive

because you ask wrongly

to spend it

on your passions.

You adulterous people,

do you not know

that friendship

with the world

is enmity

with God?

Therefore,

whoever wishes

to be a friend

of the world

makes himself

an enemy of God.

Or do you suppose

it is to no purpose

that the scripture says

he yearns jealously

over the spirit

that he has made

to dwell in us,

but he gives

more grace.

Therefore,

it says,

God opposes

the proud

and gives grace

to the humble.

Submit yourselves,

therefore,

to God.

Resist the devil

and he will flee

from you.

Draw near to God

and he will draw

near to you.

Cleanse your hands,

you sinners,

and purify your hearts,

you double-minded.

Be wretched

and mourn

and weep.

Let your laughter

be turned

to mourning

and your joy

to gloom.

Humble yourselves

before the Lord

and he will

exalt you.

So what James does,

thank you.

What James does here

is he's highlighting

three enemies

that we're going to face

in the course

of these ten verses

and I want to take a look

at each one.

I want to pause.

Look at the verses

he's using to address

that enemy

and how can we make sure

that when we go to war

in conflict,

we're actually going

to war with conflict

and with the person

who benefits most

from conflict,

which is the devil himself.

He's the one

who sets goals

for division

and disagreement

in the body of Christ.

The first enemy

I want to look at here

is ourselves.

I won't read it again

but it's verses

one through three

where he's talking

about those desires.

We covered it

in the first session.

I just read it

when I read through

that passage

and this can be

the hardest thing

to recognize

in conflict

and I love

that it's where

James starts.

It's hard

because it's not

comfortable.

It's necessary

though

and therefore

it's good for us

to start

with us.

Going into conflict

if you knew

like in your

front of mind

knower

you like actively

knew

you were

the first enemy

in conflict

you probably

would behave

differently.

You wouldn't

raise your voice

you wouldn't

name call

you wouldn't

hold offense

you'd probably

begin with

confession.

Listen I'm

really upset

with what you

just did

and I know

that's because

of my

wicked heart.

I'm going

to try

to communicate

through this

wicked heart

as best I

can.

I'm aware

I'm the biggest

problem in this

right now.

Like that just

changes conflict.

You can actually

have a conversation

unless that person

really quickly

agrees with you

and says oh

you are the

biggest problem.

Yes thank

we finally

agree.

James highlights

what we're

loving what

our passions

are so I

asked before I

want to ask

again what

is it that you

are desiring

so much

even if it's

good or

wrong that

you should or

shouldn't desire

it that you're

willing to fight

for it.

Now guys

listen sometimes

the things that

come to mind

are really

obvious and

clear.

That we should

not desire it.

We're desiring

something that's

not good for us.

Maybe it's an

unhealthy or an

unbiblical

relationship in

our lives.

Maybe we're

striving for

control over a

situation because

we don't like how

God is handling

it.

Maybe we're in a

relationship that's

making demands on

our selfish heart

and we just don't

want to let go.

of the things that

we're selfish over.

Or maybe it's

something even more

obvious from

scripture so

clearly wrong.

We're trying to

protect an

extramarital affair

or we're giving

in to drug use

or other sinful

indulgences.

We fight to keep

them in obvious

opposition to the

will of God.

It's no wonder

we're in conflict.

The people that

you're in conflict

with may be the

ones most trying

to save you,

to rescue you.

You know,

Galatians 6,

they're coming

after the person

trapped in sin.

There's conflict

there.

There you're

obviously enemy,

number one.

You're the one

creating the

problems.

Okay?

Very few people I

think would argue

with that so I'm not

going to spend much

more time on that.

Let me move on.

I want to focus on

what happens when

we're in conflict

because we're loving

good things.

We're pursuing

good things.

Calvin summed it

up when he said

that the problem

is not so much

in that we desire

the wrong things

but that we desire

the right things

too much.

This is that

illustration of

peace in my home

with my kids

that I was telling

you about.

It's totally

appropriate for a

parent to desire

peace.

But when you

desire something

good and you're

willing to sin

to get it,

that's a problem.

That's enemy

number one

showing up.

Okay?

I've highlighted

two here.

I could have

picked any of

a thousand,

two thousand,

or more good

things we could

desire.

Let's use

respect as an

example.

And this could

be respect from

a professor,

from a friend,

from a parent,

from a sibling,

from a child,

a boss,

or a co-worker.

You desire to

be respected.

And that's good.

Like, don't give

that up.

Being born again

doesn't mean you

become a doormat.

It's right to

desire and even

work toward being

respected.

We don't want to

belittle it.

We don't want to

dismiss it.

But we don't want

to worship being

respected.

respected.

We don't want to

make respect our

first love.

We don't want to

have a pursuit of

respect that causes

us to forget we're

disciples.

Whatever scenario,

and I just laid out

about ten of them,

whatever scenario it

is, you're striving

to be respected,

or you're actively

being disrespected.

Let me say,

as an image bearer,

a child of God,

that God calls

those who bear

his image to be

respected.

That's a good thing

you're desiring.

But are you loving

it more than

your Christian

example in that

context?

I'm not telling

you you do.

I'm not making

judgments.

I'm just asking

questions.

Okay?

We want to track

the good thing of

respect, our desire

for it, such that

we don't fight and

quarrel over it.

We don't allow it

to wage war

within us.

Can you think of

a time when you

were sinned against

by being disrespected,

but your response

was just as sinful?

That's just a sign

that enemy number one

is on the scene.

It doesn't condemn

you to help.

We're just holding

a mirror up right

here.

It's important

when we want

something good

that we don't

allow the goodness

of that

to be some type

of excuse

for the sin

we commit

in wanting it.

You with me on that?

Let's look at

another thing.

Comfort.

In an ultimate

sense,

God loves comfort.

He's built us

for it.

He created

a sinless context

in Eden

and then

before He

set mankind

to work,

which He does

eventually,

He gives everybody

a day of rest.

That's how it started.

They were made

on day six.

They weren't

immediately put

into work.

They were put

into rest.

They were put

into comfort

and then commanded

by God

later as a result

of that being

the example

to build comfort

and rest

into the rhythm

of their lives.

And at the end

when we come

face to face

with Christ

and we hopefully

all hear the well done

good and faithful servant,

what does He say?

Come into my factory?

Come into my work?

No,

enter into my rest.

We're designed

for it.

But there are times

we're called to work.

We're not called

to worship comfort.

There are

in God's rhythm

of life

six days for work,

not six days

for comfort

and one day

for work.

There is a time

ultimately

when we enter

into an eternal rest,

but that time

is not now.

So we have to realize

if God,

even in a sinless context,

it's six days

of labor

and one day

of comfort,

we have to realize

that our desire

for comfort

each day

is probably

a bit out of proportion

with what God

has for us.

Maybe comfort

here is talking

about relational comfort,

freedom from work

or physical comfort.

You know,

is there going to be

air conditioning

in heaven

or is it even

going to be necessary?

Right?

We love having

air conditioning

in where we live

or heat.

Maybe that'd be

more appropriate

looking outside right now.

Heat.

Heat is needed

for comfort.

That's a good thing

to desire.

But we can't desire

relational,

situational,

or temporal

comfort

more than we desire

the pleasure

of the Lord,

the fear

of the Lord.

Okay,

this enemy number one,

even when we ask,

he says,

he says,

you don't have

because you don't ask.

Why would we not ask

the God of the universe

for help?

Because in that situation

we're living as though

we're the God of the universe

or we're living as though

the God of the universe

doesn't exist.

We're functionally atheists

in that relationship

or functionally atheistic

in that situation.

But then he goes on

to say

that if

you ask

and do not

get

because you ask

for the wrong reasons.

Have you ever

asked God

to do something

you know

he can't do

because you're asking

him to sin.

Lord,

will you just

just smite

that kid

just a little bit

just smite him.

Not too much

but you know

and the Lord said

well

I'm not answering

that one.

Right?

You ask

with the wrong motives.

Maybe you're asking

so that you can have

your idol of comfort

or your idol of respect

or your idol of money

or your idol of prestige.

And he's like

no, no, no, no, no.

If I wanted you

to have that stuff

I already would have

given it to you.

I've kept it from you

because it's not good

for you now

or you're not ready

to bear up

under the weight

of that blessing.

Okay?

We ask

with the wrong motives.

So

I've bumped

all the way down here.

What he's saying here

is that

the enemy of self

shows up

with what we bring

to the table.

we bring

these desires

these passions

these sins

and if we don't

recognize

that's the first enemy

Paul calls himself

the chief of sinners.

If we don't recognize

that about ourselves

by the time

we get there

we prioritize

that other person

as the first enemy

or that scenario

as the first enemy

and we have failed

to address

what we have

the most control over

which is our own thoughts

and our own heart

and taking it

before our own Savior

and letting him

change us

from the inside out.

We've got the most

influence in conflict

over ourselves.

So we start there

James starts there

with enemy number one.

So let me ask you

I've got a few questions

down there for you.

What do you desire

so much

you're willing

to sin

to get it?

Be specific here

on the second one.

What good thing

most threatens

your peace

and your faith?

Are you actively

keeping someone else

on the witness stand

when your own heart

deserves to be there?

I don't know

the answers

to those questions.

I hope they serve you

in sifting through this.

Let's look at

enemy number two.

It's friendship

with the world.

It says

beginning in verse four

there

do you not know

that friendship

with the world

is enmity

with God?

Therefore

whoever wishes

to be a friend

of the world

makes himself

an enemy of God.

Or do you suppose

it's to no purpose

that the scripture

says he yearns

jealously

over the spirit

that he has made

to dwell in us

but he gives

more grace.

Therefore

it says

God opposes the proud

and gives grace

to the humble.

It's important here

to know

what's not being said

here

before we glean

what is being said.

It's not talking

primarily

about loving

the things

of the world.

Secular music

secular television

it's not talking

about those things.

There's probably

some implications

of that

but that's not

primarily

what he's talking

about.

What he's talking

about here

is

loving the way

the world

thinks

approaching life

the way the world

approaches life.

He's talking

about friendship

with the world

as an economy

not so much

with all these

individual examples.

That friendship

with the world

living according

to the world's

economy

quid pro quo

things like that

that kind of

approach

to living

is actually

enmity

with God.

God

sent

Jesus

to save

people

from that

economy

of thinking

from that

problem

of sin

not to save

us

and then

send us

into that

economy

of sin

to uphold

it.

Okay

so if you're

a friend

of the world

you're never

really going

to identify

enemy number

one.

There's

absolutely

no cause.

There's

very little

benefit

in the world's

economy

to call

yourself

the biggest

problem.

That's not

going to

help you

advance.

That's not

going to

help you

prove yourself

right.

That's not

going to

clear your

reputation

with the

eyes of

unbelievers.

None of

those things

work so

you're not

going to

pursue

enemy number

one.

Right here

at enemy

number two

if you're

loving the

world

you've

already

missed

the biggest

problem

to address.

Okay

blame

and responsibility

for hardship

and conflict

they're always

ascribed to

others.

I don't

presume any

of you

are these

people but

do you

know people

like that

that they

seem to

constantly be

in crisis

but it's

never their

fault?

That's just

the way the

world thinks.

One of the

things Jesus

prayed for

his church

in John

17 was

that we

would be

in the

world

but

not of

it.

Well that's

what James

is mirroring

here.

we're

supposed to

love the

world

but not

be friends

with the

world.

And before

I hear the

haunting voice

of my friend

Jim Donahue

here,

our church's

evangelist,

that doesn't

mean we're not

supposed to be

friends with

people in the

world.

It's not that.

We're not

supposed to be

friends with

that way of

thinking,

with that

approach to

living.

So we ask

ourselves,

realizing we're

supposed to be

in the world

and not of

it,

and that

we're not

supposed to

have friendship

with the

world.

Here's a

question.

What shaping

influences most

form your

perspective of

the world?

And that

may be a

question you

have to ask

some friends

about yourself

because it

may be hard

to see this

in yourself.

What forms

my worldview?

Let me give

you a couple

common examples.

Okay?

The home I

grew up in.

That's not a

bad thing

necessarily.

It might

be.

But the

home you

grew up

in surely

has had

some shaping

influence on

how you

view the

world.

Your parents'

values,

what was

valued in

your home,

what was

valued in

if you're

a Christian

when you

were a

kid,

what was

valued in

that church.

That has

shaped your

world either

by it's

made its

imprint upon

me,

or I'm

living my

life to

never do

those things.

Either has a

shaping influence.

Another could

be aspirations,

whether they're

career or

educational or

bucket list.

You know,

aspirations in

life can

often shape

what we

value.

Prior hurts.

Whether it's

parental or

from some

other authority

or peer

hurts.

It may not

be anything

intensely

relational like

that.

It may be a

number of

career or

academic

failures.

There's three

different jobs

here I've

totally failed

at.

Now you've

got a

worldview

that's

being shaped.

Of course,

scripture should

be in there

too,

right?

Scripture

should be

the thing

that most

forms our

worldview,

our perspective

of the world.

But let me

just ask you,

not out loud,

but in the

reflections of

your own

heart,

what have

been the

most shaping

influence in

your life,

and have

they helped

you shape

a biblical

worldview?

If you

surround

yourselves

with people

who all

have that

worldview,

you're going

to think like

the people that

surround you.

So if you're

surrounded by

people who

all have

this dysfunctional

worldview,

but everybody

kind of shares

it in common,

you'll go

years and

years and

years believing

you're right,

all the time

being wrong.

It's one of

the benefits

that's built

into the

command to

not forsake

the assembling

of ourselves.

Built into

that command

to have

fellowship

with one

another,

to encourage,

correct,

edify,

love one

another,

is that we

are shaped

by a common

worldview that's

in keeping

with the will

of God.

So being

shaped by our

community,

again,

is not a

problem.

The type

of community

you're shaped

by may be

the problem,

but that's

part of our

design.

That's why

God calls us

to be part

of a body

of Christ

locally,

tangibly,

so we can

build the

biblical

worldview

together.

Christians,

by the very

nature of

being pilgrims,

citizens of

another kingdom,

we are

strangers.

We are

called to

be different

from this

world.

We've been

given something

the world

doesn't have.

we have

the spirit

of the

living God

living within

us.

So when

we're talking

about conflict,

back to the

topic you came

to hear about,

when we're

talking about

conflict,

we've got to

realize what

often informs

our conflict

is our

friendship with

the world.

We think

like the world

thinks,

we do like

the world

does.

We may do

it with fewer

curse words,

so we feel

like we're

doing well.

But sin

that's more

polished is

just shinier,

it's not

holier.

Sinning in

a Christian

way is an

oxymoron.

Are you

with me on

that?

We can't

engage like

the world

engages.

We're called

to be

different.

We're

empowered

to be

different.

We are

designed

to be

different.

Malachi 4,

5-6

says,

Behold,

I will

send you

Elijah the

prophet before

the great

and awesome

day of the

Lord comes.

And listen

to this.

And he

will turn

the hearts

of fathers

to their

children and

the hearts

of children

to their

fathers,

lest I

come to

strike the

land with

a decree

of utter

destruction.

What's

happening

with the

coming of

Elijah is

that this

place where

there's often

enmity,

this father-son

relationship,

this parent-child

relationship,

there's going

to be peace.

Hearts get

turned toward

one another.

We saw

it in

Ephesians 2.

When Christ

is central,

the wall

gets divided.

That is

otherworldly.

That's not

friendship

with this

world.

So let me

ask you

these questions.

How is

the world

defining

your

expectations

for your

relationships?

relationships?

Let me

ask that

differently.

Are you

willing to

take people

as they

are without

making

worldly

demands on

what they

should be

for you?

second,

do you

speak poorly

about those

who disagree

with you?

Like surely

there's a group

of friends

or family

that if you're

in a conflict

that this

thing may

come up.

When you

speak about

that person,

are you

carrying

Christian

ethics,

which is that

last call from

the last

session,

or are you

speaking about

them the way

the world

speaks about

people they

disagree with?

Here's a more

passive one that

we've got to be

careful of.

Do you tolerate

it when your

peers talk

poorly about

others?

Are you a

listening ear for

people sinning

about the people

they're in

conflict with?

Or do you

speak up for

Christian ethics?

Sorry, I keep

air popping into

that microphone.

Or do you

speak up for

Christian ethics?

These things are

friendship with

the world.

And when we're

there, we've

got to realize

it's not just,

oh yeah, there's

still worldliness

about me.

James puts it

in enmity

with God.

Now the

antidote, the

opposite of

friendship with

the world is

humility.

He said,

God opposes

the proud, but

gives grace to

the humble.

And so in

response to

our temptation

to be friends

with the world,

we need

humility to

realize God

knows better

than we do.

God's economy

is better than

the world's

economy.

That's the one

we're called to

live according

to.

So it leads

to this

question, do

we really

want the

power of the

gospel unleashed

in our lives?

If we do,

we'll pursue a

path of

humility.

We will

pursue a

path of

faithfulness.

We will

pursue a path

of friendship

with Christ,

abiding in

Christ, so

that the

fruit that

comes out of

us can flow

from the

vine, from

Christ himself.

The fruit of

the spirit that

we see in

Galatians 5 can

manifest in

our lives.

Friendship with

the world will

never manifest

love, joy,

peace, patience,

kindness, goodness,

faithfulness,

gentleness, and

self-control.

They won't.

Our abiding in

Christ generates

that.

And James

highlights this

for us when

he highlights

the dangers of

being a

friendship with

the world.

And then

enemy number

three.

You might

think it's the

devil.

He gets

mentioned in

this thing.

But I think

it's actually

something broader

than that.

In number

three here,

verses 7 to

10, James

is highlighting

the danger of

distance from

God.

Take a look at

what it says and

then I'll break

it down a little

bit.

Submit yourselves

therefore to

God.

Resist the

devil and he

will flee from

you.

Draw near to

God and he

will draw near

to you.

Cleanse your

hands, you

sinners.

Purify your

hearts, you

double-minded.

Be wretched

and mourn and

weep.

Let your

laughter be

turned to

mourning and

your joy to

gloom.

Humble

yourselves

before the

Lord and he

will exalt

you.

So just as we

look at that

verse, let me

make the case

that it's

broader than

just the

devil.

The devil

only gets

one sentence

in that, not

even a whole

verse.

He shares

verse 7 with

submit yourselves

therefore to

God.

So the devil's

a real enemy.

We talked

about that in

the last

session, right?

He's a real

enemy.

That was the

intro to this

session.

We talked

about it.

But his

commands are

resist the

devil, but

before that

submit yourselves

to God.

And after

that draw

near to God.

you know,

sometimes when

I'm talking

to my

kids, they're

all very

respectful of

me, but

sometimes they

can't help

themselves.

And I'll

get a

random, not

a frequent,

Lord willing,

but a random

eye roll.

And I'll

just pause.

I'll be

like, please

don't roll

your eyes

at me.

And what

do I hear

every time?

What do I

hear?

I wasn't

rolling my

eyes.

All right.

Then I

got to take

an excursus.

And I've

got to say,

okay, if you

were not

rolling your

eyes, why

would I tell

you to stop

rolling your

eyes?

Like, that's

what's happening

here.

Why would

you tell

people to

draw near to

God if they

were already

near to God?

Why would

you tell

people to

submit

themselves to

God if

they were

already submitting

themselves to

God?

The command

comes to

address a

problem.

The problem

is distance

from God.

Now, I

don't mean

like eternal

distance from

God.

I'm not

talking about

that.

But if we

are not

walking

closely with

God,

that in

and of

itself is

an enemy

to our

lives.

We're not

going to

care as

much about

the

affections

of the

Lord if

we are

not

stirring

our

affections

for the

Lord.

We're not

going to

care about

what matters

to God

if,

functionally

speaking,

he is

not

mattering

to us.

And so

part of

this fight,

this war

against

conflict,

is we've

got to

eliminate

the

functional

distance we've

allowed to

creep into

our

relationship

with the

Lord,

to whatever

degree it

exists.

Again,

you may

just be the

most faithful

person in

the state of

Massachusetts