[James 3:1-12]
Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.
How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.
{Rev. Dwight Yoo}
For the peace-making series we've been covering, Ken Sande largely covers practical ways to make peace. But today we are going to cover a very broad topic: the tongue and how it impacts our life.
Words are Powerful
Verse 3-5 reads: "If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things."
This generation might not consider words in this light because of things like twitter and blogger. Words are a dime a dozen. But consider all the upheaval around the world, all the revolutions and regime changes. These came from ideas, from words... They can inspire, give hope. They can also incredible negative and destructive effects. "Death and life are in the power of the tongue" - Proverbs 18:21
Controlling your tongue is difficult
Professional athletes train, eat properly, sleep properly... they live very, very disciplined lives to perform at that level. But how hard it is for them to control their tongue? Consider how these same athletes say such ridiculous things.
How do we change?
Verses 10-12: "With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water."
James refers to this duality in the Christian life. We have people who profess to be followers of Christ, yet have such hatred of others. How can someone who knows love still be so hateful?
"Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." - Matthew 12:33-37
There are two different kinds of trees (people) and they treasure different things. If we would treasure Christ & God, then this will be reflected in our fruit and in our speech. If we would treasure other things (idols), then this too will be reflected. Those who trust and love God, then your speech will be loving and gracious. If your speech is hateful, bitter, spiteful, & hurtful, then we are trusting in something else. Our words reveal our heart. So the way to change our words is to change our heart. Humanly this is impossible. So what we must do is this, submit our hearts to God.
The purpose of our words
We are made in the image of God. He is a God who speaks. In Genesis 1, God spoke... and everything was created. Not only that, but He creates things for love. But in Genesis 3, another voice speaks. It is our primary enemy, Satan. He twists God's word and misleads man. Man is twisted and so is his words. Neither he nor his words reflect God. But there is hope... The WORD became flesh. Jesus came. And He came to redeem and restore. Jesus will restore everything, including our speech. God is drawing people back to Himself. That is the role of our speech.
"All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." - 2 Corinthians 5:18-21
We are here to give the message of Christ. That is what our words are for. For those who do not know Christ, our words are to represent Christ and to draw them to God. For those who do know Christ, our words are to draw them closer to God.
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God." - Colossians 3:16
"Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love." - Ephesians 4:15-16
The entire church has been given the ministry of the Word. It is not only for the pastoral staff and biblical counselors. We should be building and encouraging each other in Christ. How much of our speech really draws people to Christ?
David Powlison - Speaking the Truth in Love: 4 out of 22 scenes where Jesus is speaking contains sermons. The other 18 scenes show Him speaking, dialoging, eating with others.
Mar 13, 2011
The Peacemaking Church: How To Approach Those Who Have Wronged You
[Matthew 18:15-20]
"If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them."
{Rev. Dwight Yoo}
Let us first bow our heads and pray for those who are brokenhearted in Japan.
While these principles can be widely applied to all our relationships, this is specifically for those who have sinned against us in church. It is for brothers and sisters within the body. There is an assumption that the people here are committed to a church body. They know other members and the leadership. It is an assumption of membership. If you have been here for awhile, please consider becoming a member of the church.
Verse 15
If your brother sins against you, go! While some sins can and should be overlooked in love, there are some that we should bring up and confront.
You need to GO and tell them, if their actions...
- Dishonor God.
- Damage your relationship.
- Hurt others.
- Hurts themselves.
What excuses stand in our way?
- We claim that we should be forgiving all the time.
- We think we are being judgmental.
- We think only the Holy Spirit should be doing this.
- We don't want to confront others.
Between you and them alone.
While it is wise to seek counsel, we should not be talking to everyone but the person who offended you. Usually the heart behind it is one of trying to get them on YOUR side. "Oh, that person is so wicked." "So jacked up" But if we are not seeking counsel, we are gossiping and slandering. God is not pleased. Satan, however, is very pleased.
Go with the right attitude.
- Go as a fellow sinner, as a servant... to build up and restore (Galatians 6:1)
+ Watch out for pride & judgment of others.
+ Be mindful that we may struggle differently, but we all struggle.
Verse 16
- Take one or two others along
Verse 17
- Take one of two others along again.
These one or two others are there to reconcile. They are there to be a force for peacemaking. Note that there is nothing here in regards to agreement between both parties on when to call in a third party from the body. This third party is not here to be on ANYONE's side. They are there to bring peace. If this does not work, this matter should be brought to the church leadership. The third party will then play a role as a witness to the leadership. If this does not bring about peace and reconciliation, then they will be treated as unbelievers. What does that mean? It means that you still love them, you still pursue them, but you ask them whether they truly know Christ and the gospel. They are not to be condemned, but the nature of the relationship changes. Their actions do not reflect one who has the Spirit living within them. There is a lack of grace, a lack of love, & no desire for true peace.
"Nothing is so cruel as the tenderness that consigns another to his sin. Nothing can be more compassionate than the severe rebuke that calls a brother back from the path of sin." - Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Keep in mind that we sometimes need to wound people to save them. When doctors are dealing with those who have cancer, it is not cruel to cut them open to remove the tumor(s). It may be strange to see someone cutting someone open (from afar, not knowing the situation). But it is the most loving thing to do.
"If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them."
{Rev. Dwight Yoo}
Let us first bow our heads and pray for those who are brokenhearted in Japan.
While these principles can be widely applied to all our relationships, this is specifically for those who have sinned against us in church. It is for brothers and sisters within the body. There is an assumption that the people here are committed to a church body. They know other members and the leadership. It is an assumption of membership. If you have been here for awhile, please consider becoming a member of the church.
Verse 15
If your brother sins against you, go! While some sins can and should be overlooked in love, there are some that we should bring up and confront.
You need to GO and tell them, if their actions...
- Dishonor God.
- Damage your relationship.
- Hurt others.
- Hurts themselves.
What excuses stand in our way?
- We claim that we should be forgiving all the time.
- We think we are being judgmental.
- We think only the Holy Spirit should be doing this.
- We don't want to confront others.
Between you and them alone.
While it is wise to seek counsel, we should not be talking to everyone but the person who offended you. Usually the heart behind it is one of trying to get them on YOUR side. "Oh, that person is so wicked." "So jacked up" But if we are not seeking counsel, we are gossiping and slandering. God is not pleased. Satan, however, is very pleased.
Go with the right attitude.
- Go as a fellow sinner, as a servant... to build up and restore (Galatians 6:1)
+ Watch out for pride & judgment of others.
+ Be mindful that we may struggle differently, but we all struggle.
Verse 16
- Take one or two others along
Verse 17
- Take one of two others along again.
These one or two others are there to reconcile. They are there to be a force for peacemaking. Note that there is nothing here in regards to agreement between both parties on when to call in a third party from the body. This third party is not here to be on ANYONE's side. They are there to bring peace. If this does not work, this matter should be brought to the church leadership. The third party will then play a role as a witness to the leadership. If this does not bring about peace and reconciliation, then they will be treated as unbelievers. What does that mean? It means that you still love them, you still pursue them, but you ask them whether they truly know Christ and the gospel. They are not to be condemned, but the nature of the relationship changes. Their actions do not reflect one who has the Spirit living within them. There is a lack of grace, a lack of love, & no desire for true peace.
"Nothing is so cruel as the tenderness that consigns another to his sin. Nothing can be more compassionate than the severe rebuke that calls a brother back from the path of sin." - Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Keep in mind that we sometimes need to wound people to save them. When doctors are dealing with those who have cancer, it is not cruel to cut them open to remove the tumor(s). It may be strange to see someone cutting someone open (from afar, not knowing the situation). But it is the most loving thing to do.
Mar 6, 2011
The Peacemaking Church: Confession Brings Freedom
{Various Passages}
[Rev. Dwight Yoo]
The last sermon in this series is very important for understanding this message and even for your own spiritual and personal life. I highly recommend that you listen to it. (Conflict starts in the heart (mp3))
We are broken people, with broken relationships. Nine inch nails describes this in a song called Hurt(YouTube).
It is into a world of brokenness that Jesus came into. He is the one who stepped into all this brokenness and gives us hope for healing. Not only this, but He also calls us to be His ambassadors to the world. To point people to this hope we have in Christ. So Christians should have a suspicion of our intentions and our heart. We should jump to admit where we have gone wrong and our conflicts with others.
Confession before God
All offenses against others are ultimately a sin against God.
"For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you may be justified in your words
and blameless in your judgment." - Psalm 51:3-4
"He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except yourself, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?" - Genesis 39:9
"Yet this is what Jesus did. He told people that their sins were forgiven, and never waited to consult all the other people whom their sins had undoubtedly injured. He unhesitatingly behaved as if He was the party chiefly concerned, the person chiefly offended in all offences. This makes sense only if He really was the God whose laws are broken and whose love is wounded in every sin." - C.S. Lewis "Mere Christianity"
Why are sins against others, sins against God?
- God is their Maker = Proverbs 13:21
- Christ is the Head of His Body = Ephesians 1, 4, and Colossians 1
- God commands us to love others = Matthew 22:37-40
- God commands us to love Him first = Exodus 20:3
For those of us who think that since we are in not in conflict with others and everything seems peaceful, we don't think this applies to us. We'll take some notes and remind others to resolve their conflicts. I warn you that you still may have sins of omission. Sins where you are falling short of things God commands. You are selfish and not loving others. You are not there for others.
What happens when love something over God?
Say what we are living for is success. What happens when someone gets in your way at work? You will punish them. You will back stab, start rumors, and do anything to keep your career on track. Or you'll neglect your family.
So how should we confess?
Confess before God
- With Assurance = 1 John 1:9; Psalm 32:5; Psalm 51:12
- With Hope = Colossians 3
Confession before Others
The 7 A's of Confession
Address Everyone Involved
Heart sins do not need to be confessed to others. These are thoughts and mindset sins that never became action. They should be confessed to God. But you do not need to confess to people.
Social sins need to be confessed to others. These are sins that became action. Each person who has been sinned against should be confessed to.
Avoid If, But and Maybe
These are the quickest way to ruin an apology. They express this feeling of callousness and uncaring. The word "but" eliminates everything you said before it.
Admit specifically
This expresses exactly what you want to change and how you've wronged this person.
Acknowledge the Hurt
Don't just apologize for your action. Acknowledge the feelings and pain.
Accept the Consequences
Let them know that you accept the results of what you have done. This is the perspective of a genuine and repentant heart.
Alter your Behavior
Explain to them how you will change your behavior. How will you change your behavior?
Ask for Forgiveness (and allow time)
Sometimes we get forgiveness by the end of the apology. But there are times where they are not ready to forgive yet. The best thing to do is to give them time and be patient with them.
[Rev. Dwight Yoo]
The last sermon in this series is very important for understanding this message and even for your own spiritual and personal life. I highly recommend that you listen to it. (Conflict starts in the heart (mp3))
We are broken people, with broken relationships. Nine inch nails describes this in a song called Hurt(YouTube).
It is into a world of brokenness that Jesus came into. He is the one who stepped into all this brokenness and gives us hope for healing. Not only this, but He also calls us to be His ambassadors to the world. To point people to this hope we have in Christ. So Christians should have a suspicion of our intentions and our heart. We should jump to admit where we have gone wrong and our conflicts with others.
Confession before God
All offenses against others are ultimately a sin against God.
"For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you may be justified in your words
and blameless in your judgment." - Psalm 51:3-4
"He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except yourself, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?" - Genesis 39:9
"Yet this is what Jesus did. He told people that their sins were forgiven, and never waited to consult all the other people whom their sins had undoubtedly injured. He unhesitatingly behaved as if He was the party chiefly concerned, the person chiefly offended in all offences. This makes sense only if He really was the God whose laws are broken and whose love is wounded in every sin." - C.S. Lewis "Mere Christianity"
Why are sins against others, sins against God?
- God is their Maker = Proverbs 13:21
- Christ is the Head of His Body = Ephesians 1, 4, and Colossians 1
- God commands us to love others = Matthew 22:37-40
- God commands us to love Him first = Exodus 20:3
For those of us who think that since we are in not in conflict with others and everything seems peaceful, we don't think this applies to us. We'll take some notes and remind others to resolve their conflicts. I warn you that you still may have sins of omission. Sins where you are falling short of things God commands. You are selfish and not loving others. You are not there for others.
What happens when love something over God?
Say what we are living for is success. What happens when someone gets in your way at work? You will punish them. You will back stab, start rumors, and do anything to keep your career on track. Or you'll neglect your family.
So how should we confess?
Confess before God
- With Assurance = 1 John 1:9; Psalm 32:5; Psalm 51:12
- With Hope = Colossians 3
Confession before Others
The 7 A's of Confession
Address Everyone Involved
Heart sins do not need to be confessed to others. These are thoughts and mindset sins that never became action. They should be confessed to God. But you do not need to confess to people.
Social sins need to be confessed to others. These are sins that became action. Each person who has been sinned against should be confessed to.
Avoid If, But and Maybe
These are the quickest way to ruin an apology. They express this feeling of callousness and uncaring. The word "but" eliminates everything you said before it.
Admit specifically
This expresses exactly what you want to change and how you've wronged this person.
Acknowledge the Hurt
Don't just apologize for your action. Acknowledge the feelings and pain.
Accept the Consequences
Let them know that you accept the results of what you have done. This is the perspective of a genuine and repentant heart.
Alter your Behavior
Explain to them how you will change your behavior. How will you change your behavior?
Ask for Forgiveness (and allow time)
Sometimes we get forgiveness by the end of the apology. But there are times where they are not ready to forgive yet. The best thing to do is to give them time and be patient with them.
Feb 27, 2011
Jesus: Salvation is found in No Other Name
[Acts 4:10-12]
let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
{James Cha}
Saved from what?
Slavery to sin - John 8:34 (Romans 6:16-17)
Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin."
Slavery to fear of death - Hebrews 2:14-16
and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
What is Islam?
Islam means submission to Allah
Muslim is someone who is submitted to Allah
Islam began with Muhammad, who lived in the 600's
He was a merchant, a teacher, and a warrior.
Who is Allah?
Jews believe in God revealed in the Old Testament
Christians affirm the God of the TO and believe in the Trinity as revealed in the NT
Muslims claim that their Allah is the same as the God of the Bible.
Islam
Allah is distant and impersonal.
Allah's loves conditional.
Salvation is based on scales. It is not guaranteed.
Muhammad himself did not know his eternal destiny.
Keep the 5 pillars.
Heaven is pictured as men sitting on couches being served wine by perpetual virgins; majority in hell are women.
Allah wants Islam to take over the world, even by force.
Muhammad viewed men as superior to women.
Muhammad had 13 wives; His youngest, Aisha, was 9 at the time of marriage.
Muhammad has no record of healing the sick or raising the dead.
Muhammad initially doubted whether the revelation he received was divine or demonic.
Muhammad died peacefully in the arms of his youngest wife, Aisha; buried in Medina.
Muhammad won a following by military victory and/or forced conversion.
Muhammad washed the swords of his followers.
Muhammad taught that Jesus was not God.
What does the Bible say about Muhammad? (1 John 2:22-23)
Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.
The Baha'i religion came on the scene at 1850 AD. They say that the previous religions have failed and they have newer revelation.
God is looking for a man or a woman
Of Conviction - John 15:1-7; Acts 4:18-20
Of Compassion - Matthew 5:43-48; John 13:34-35
"For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him..." - 2 Chronicles 16:9 (ESV)
let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
{James Cha}
Saved from what?
Slavery to sin - John 8:34 (Romans 6:16-17)
Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin."
Slavery to fear of death - Hebrews 2:14-16
and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
What is Islam?
Islam means submission to Allah
Muslim is someone who is submitted to Allah
Islam began with Muhammad, who lived in the 600's
He was a merchant, a teacher, and a warrior.
Who is Allah?
Jews believe in God revealed in the Old Testament
Christians affirm the God of the TO and believe in the Trinity as revealed in the NT
Muslims claim that their Allah is the same as the God of the Bible.
Islam
Allah is distant and impersonal.
Allah's loves conditional.
Salvation is based on scales. It is not guaranteed.
Muhammad himself did not know his eternal destiny.
Keep the 5 pillars.
Heaven is pictured as men sitting on couches being served wine by perpetual virgins; majority in hell are women.
Allah wants Islam to take over the world, even by force.
Muhammad viewed men as superior to women.
Muhammad had 13 wives; His youngest, Aisha, was 9 at the time of marriage.
Muhammad has no record of healing the sick or raising the dead.
Muhammad initially doubted whether the revelation he received was divine or demonic.
Muhammad died peacefully in the arms of his youngest wife, Aisha; buried in Medina.
Muhammad won a following by military victory and/or forced conversion.
Muhammad washed the swords of his followers.
Muhammad taught that Jesus was not God.
What does the Bible say about Muhammad? (1 John 2:22-23)
Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.
The Baha'i religion came on the scene at 1850 AD. They say that the previous religions have failed and they have newer revelation.
God is looking for a man or a woman
Of Conviction - John 15:1-7; Acts 4:18-20
Of Compassion - Matthew 5:43-48; John 13:34-35
"For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him..." - 2 Chronicles 16:9 (ESV)
Feb 20, 2011
The Peacemaking Church: Conflict starts in the Heart
[James 4:1-10]
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, but 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.
{Rev. Dwight Yoo}
Starting Principle - Get the log out of YOUR eye. (Matt 7:3-5)
The inclination of our hearts is to look others in a negative light. To see their faults and their failings. But this is a downward spiral. We can keep going and going in pointing out others faults because all of us are sinners. We will start to think others are worse than they are. But this is not what God wants us to do.
We are to look at our own faults and failings FIRST. What does that get us? We get a healthy sense of self-suspicion. When we get into certain situations, we will examine ourselves to see whether it is our sinful hearts leading us astray. James tells us that conflict starts in our hearts. The world tells us that the reason we have conflicts because of things outside... the traffic, our work, or a bad situation. This is why we are having conflict. BUT the Word tells us it comes from our heart. This is not referring to the organ, but when God talks about the heart, He is referring to the central control in our life. Proverbs 4:23; Matthew 15:19-24;
The desires and passions found in our hearts can be good as well as evil. These are the things that control and move us. Whether it is a desire to eat at Tyson's Bees or to have your children behave...
Let's take a peek at our hearts and how this works...
- i desire...
- (becomes) I Demand...
- (changes us) I JUDGE...
- (makes us) I PUNISH !
So desires that may be perfectly good become demands. And these demands become central to our satisfaction and happiness. They are now idols. They have taken God's place in our lives. Given time, when our demands are not met, they start to impact our relationships. We then begin to judge others according to whether they meet our demands or not. "SHE's a horrible friend." "My husband's so USELESS." Whether we say it or it is just in our hearts, we become overly critical of others. This is what James 4:11 says, "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." So then, when we become judges, we will then pass judgment and punish others become of their failures. We see others according to our kingdom rules and regulations. When they fail to meet your expectations or they are not meeting your "needs", you will give them the cold shoulder, shame them, or ignore them.
If you are giving people the cold shoulder or slandering others, it is a CLEAR sign that an idol is in control of your heart. When we punish others who are close to us, they do not want to love us more. It makes them hurt. It makes them get defensive, attack us back, or run away.
"double-minded" - James is telling us that we can only have ONE ultimate source of satisfaction and fulfillment. We cannot serve both God and money. We cannot serve both God and ______. (Friends, family, success, career, & spouse.) No matter what else it is, it will NOT satisfy. It will only disappoint. People are fallible, they will fail us.
We cannot simply remove an idol. Just removing an idol simply opens our heart to another idol. We must replace the idol with God. We must replace the idols of our lives with the desire to love & follow Jesus. Then our fears and anxieties will dissipate...
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, but 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.
{Rev. Dwight Yoo}
Starting Principle - Get the log out of YOUR eye. (Matt 7:3-5)
The inclination of our hearts is to look others in a negative light. To see their faults and their failings. But this is a downward spiral. We can keep going and going in pointing out others faults because all of us are sinners. We will start to think others are worse than they are. But this is not what God wants us to do.
We are to look at our own faults and failings FIRST. What does that get us? We get a healthy sense of self-suspicion. When we get into certain situations, we will examine ourselves to see whether it is our sinful hearts leading us astray. James tells us that conflict starts in our hearts. The world tells us that the reason we have conflicts because of things outside... the traffic, our work, or a bad situation. This is why we are having conflict. BUT the Word tells us it comes from our heart. This is not referring to the organ, but when God talks about the heart, He is referring to the central control in our life. Proverbs 4:23; Matthew 15:19-24;
The desires and passions found in our hearts can be good as well as evil. These are the things that control and move us. Whether it is a desire to eat at Tyson's Bees or to have your children behave...
Let's take a peek at our hearts and how this works...
- i desire...
- (becomes) I Demand...
- (changes us) I JUDGE...
- (makes us) I PUNISH !
So desires that may be perfectly good become demands. And these demands become central to our satisfaction and happiness. They are now idols. They have taken God's place in our lives. Given time, when our demands are not met, they start to impact our relationships. We then begin to judge others according to whether they meet our demands or not. "SHE's a horrible friend." "My husband's so USELESS." Whether we say it or it is just in our hearts, we become overly critical of others. This is what James 4:11 says, "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." So then, when we become judges, we will then pass judgment and punish others become of their failures. We see others according to our kingdom rules and regulations. When they fail to meet your expectations or they are not meeting your "needs", you will give them the cold shoulder, shame them, or ignore them.
If you are giving people the cold shoulder or slandering others, it is a CLEAR sign that an idol is in control of your heart. When we punish others who are close to us, they do not want to love us more. It makes them hurt. It makes them get defensive, attack us back, or run away.
"double-minded" - James is telling us that we can only have ONE ultimate source of satisfaction and fulfillment. We cannot serve both God and money. We cannot serve both God and ______. (Friends, family, success, career, & spouse.) No matter what else it is, it will NOT satisfy. It will only disappoint. People are fallible, they will fail us.
We cannot simply remove an idol. Just removing an idol simply opens our heart to another idol. We must replace the idol with God. We must replace the idols of our lives with the desire to love & follow Jesus. Then our fears and anxieties will dissipate...
Feb 13, 2011
The Peacemaking Church: Live At Peace
James 3:13-18
Rev. Dwight Yoo
This is the second sermon in a series.
James writes this to a church in conflict. This church has a group of teachers that are saying the church should focus on this or that. This was not about heresy, it was probably more likely about something good. But there is a difference of opinion about what good things to focus on...
I feel our church is particularly susceptible to this. We can get too caught up in our causes and what we are passionate about. This, if left unchecked, can cause division and even for the church to fracture and split. James addresses those who claim to be wise and learned to show their wisdom by their works of faith. He tells them this would result in humility and meekness in their actions. The wise should be humble and meek...which was not the case here. Rather they were living contentious and antagonistic towards others in the church. How so? Consider how Jesus laid it all down laid it all down and lived humbly and meekly. We should follow in His footsteps. Conflict should be an opportunity to love and serve others. Not fighting to be right or trying to escape...but looking to benefit others. We should choose this over harsh zeal regardless of how great the cause. While the cause is good or your point is right, your actions are not spirit-led. The Spirit does not lead in this fashion. Not only this, but all this fighting and struggling to have our way...is demonic. James calls it DEMONIC. There is a time and place to take a stand for the right things in the right fashion. But by and large, it is destructive. Pure, peaceable, gentle, full of mercy, impartial, sincere, & open to reason...this is the way of the Spirit. Those who live like this will bring about a harvest of righteousness! Whether in marriage, parenting, at work, our in the church...there will be blessing. THIS IS WHAT WE ARE CALLED TO.
Rev. Dwight Yoo
This is the second sermon in a series.
James writes this to a church in conflict. This church has a group of teachers that are saying the church should focus on this or that. This was not about heresy, it was probably more likely about something good. But there is a difference of opinion about what good things to focus on...
I feel our church is particularly susceptible to this. We can get too caught up in our causes and what we are passionate about. This, if left unchecked, can cause division and even for the church to fracture and split. James addresses those who claim to be wise and learned to show their wisdom by their works of faith. He tells them this would result in humility and meekness in their actions. The wise should be humble and meek...which was not the case here. Rather they were living contentious and antagonistic towards others in the church. How so? Consider how Jesus laid it all down laid it all down and lived humbly and meekly. We should follow in His footsteps. Conflict should be an opportunity to love and serve others. Not fighting to be right or trying to escape...but looking to benefit others. We should choose this over harsh zeal regardless of how great the cause. While the cause is good or your point is right, your actions are not spirit-led. The Spirit does not lead in this fashion. Not only this, but all this fighting and struggling to have our way...is demonic. James calls it DEMONIC. There is a time and place to take a stand for the right things in the right fashion. But by and large, it is destructive. Pure, peaceable, gentle, full of mercy, impartial, sincere, & open to reason...this is the way of the Spirit. Those who live like this will bring about a harvest of righteousness! Whether in marriage, parenting, at work, our in the church...there will be blessing. THIS IS WHAT WE ARE CALLED TO.
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Feb 6, 2011
The peacemaking church: Conflict provides opportunities
{Rev. Dwight Yoo}
We will be covering a book "the peacemaker" by Ken Sande for eight weeks. This is not a complete departure from James, but it is certainly not an expositional series. We wish to focus on a specific core value for a season. In this case, we want to focus on Gospel Community.
What happens when the church does not handle conflict well?
Spiritual growth suffers - Ephesians 4:1-16
Marriages suffer - Ephesians 5:22-33
Friendships suffer - Proverbs 17:17;18:24
What if, by God's grace, we get this right?
Spiritual growth and renewal
Powerfully redemptive, long-lasting, world attracting marriages, families, and friendships
A Gospel community, whose relationships display the power of the Gospel to an unbelieving world.
That was the intro to this series. Now the sermon.
Matthew 5:9
The church should be a community of peacemakers in a world of conflict.
Conflict: "A conference in opinion or purpose that frustrates someone's goals or desires."
Conflict is not all bad. Even the apostles had them. There are two major bad responses.
Escape: aka peace-faking. This is self-centered. The person hates the situation and wants out. There is denial of any problem. They may run away from these situations. If they go to an extreme, they may choose to commit suicide.
Attack: aka peace-breaking. This is also self-centered. This person wants to always be right. They are convinced that the other person is the problem. Assault of either the emotional or even physical attack. They may litigate, take you to court. Taken to the extreme, they may murder others. This can be just pretending someone does not exist. Completely ignoring them.
KYRG - KISS YOUR RELATIONSHIPS GOODBYE.
The best and biblical response?
Peacemaking: It is about we. Directed towards finding just and mutually agreeable solutions to conflict. There is a covering over and overlooking of small sins. There is reconciliation over more serious sins. And for seriously contentious issues, there is mediation and even arbitration.
Three opportunities from conflict
Glory for God
Trust Him - Proverbs 3:5-7
Obey - John 14:21
Imitate - Philippians 2:1-7
Acknowledge - 1 Peter 2:12
Serve others
Put others first - Luke 6:27-28;36
Meet others needs
Show others where they need to grow - Galatians 6:1-2
Introduce them to Jesus - 1 Peter 3:15-16
Set an example of healthy conflict resolution (your kids are watching.)
Grow to be like Christ
Romans 8:28-29
We will be covering a book "the peacemaker" by Ken Sande for eight weeks. This is not a complete departure from James, but it is certainly not an expositional series. We wish to focus on a specific core value for a season. In this case, we want to focus on Gospel Community.
What happens when the church does not handle conflict well?
Spiritual growth suffers - Ephesians 4:1-16
Marriages suffer - Ephesians 5:22-33
Friendships suffer - Proverbs 17:17;18:24
What if, by God's grace, we get this right?
Spiritual growth and renewal
Powerfully redemptive, long-lasting, world attracting marriages, families, and friendships
A Gospel community, whose relationships display the power of the Gospel to an unbelieving world.
That was the intro to this series. Now the sermon.
Matthew 5:9
The church should be a community of peacemakers in a world of conflict.
Conflict: "A conference in opinion or purpose that frustrates someone's goals or desires."
Conflict is not all bad. Even the apostles had them. There are two major bad responses.
Escape: aka peace-faking. This is self-centered. The person hates the situation and wants out. There is denial of any problem. They may run away from these situations. If they go to an extreme, they may choose to commit suicide.
Attack: aka peace-breaking. This is also self-centered. This person wants to always be right. They are convinced that the other person is the problem. Assault of either the emotional or even physical attack. They may litigate, take you to court. Taken to the extreme, they may murder others. This can be just pretending someone does not exist. Completely ignoring them.
KYRG - KISS YOUR RELATIONSHIPS GOODBYE.
The best and biblical response?
Peacemaking: It is about we. Directed towards finding just and mutually agreeable solutions to conflict. There is a covering over and overlooking of small sins. There is reconciliation over more serious sins. And for seriously contentious issues, there is mediation and even arbitration.
Three opportunities from conflict
Glory for God
Trust Him - Proverbs 3:5-7
Obey - John 14:21
Imitate - Philippians 2:1-7
Acknowledge - 1 Peter 2:12
Serve others
Put others first - Luke 6:27-28;36
Meet others needs
Show others where they need to grow - Galatians 6:1-2
Introduce them to Jesus - 1 Peter 3:15-16
Set an example of healthy conflict resolution (your kids are watching.)
Grow to be like Christ
Romans 8:28-29
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