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The Blue Letter Bible

Chuck Smith :: Sermon Notes for James 4:4

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"ENEMIES OF GOD"
I. THERE ARE TWO OPPOSING KINGDOMS THAT RULE IN THE UNIVERSE.
A. The kingdom of God which is a kingdom of light and life.
B. The kingdom of Satan which is a kingdom of death and darkness.
C. You are in one or the other of these kingdoms.
1. If you are not in the kingdom of light, you are in the kingdom of darkness.
2. These kingdoms are mutually exclusive so that you cannot be in both.
3. Paul asked,
a. "What fellowship has light with darkness?"
b. "What concourse has Christ with belial?"
4. Jesus said, "No man can serve two masters, for he will hate the and love the other, or he will hold to the one and despise the other, you cannot serve God and Mammon."
5. To be a friend to one is to be an enemy to the other.
D. At the present time this world is under the rule of Satan and his kingdom.
1. The world originally belonged to God by the right of creation.
2. When God created the world for man, He said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth."
3. The world was then for a short time ruled by man, for God had given him dominion over it.
4. But man forfeited the world over to Satan, who rules over the world at the present time.
a. The Bible tells us that whoever we yield ourselves servants to obey, his servants we become.
b. When they obeyed the suggestion of Satan to eat the forbidden fruit, it was a double action. Obedience to Satan, disobedience to God.
c. Thus they were no longer in the kingdom of God but by the exercise of their will they transferred into the kingdom of Satan.
d. They made a startling discovery, the door only swung one way. There was no way back into the kingdom of God.
e. Man now became a slave to sin and was ruled by Satan.
f. But God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world, to condemn the world but that the world through Him might be saved, and he the believeth is not condemned.
g. Jesus paid the price to redeem man from his bondage to sin, and the power of Satan.
h. He made the way so that man by the exercise of his will could be delivered from the powers of darkness and come into the kingdom of light.
i. Paul said that the Lord had called him to go to the Gentiles: To open their eyes, [and] to turn [them] from darkness to light, from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and an inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith in Me.
II. TODAY, YOU HAVE THE SAME DECISION TO MAKE THAT ADAM MADE, TO OBEY GOD OR TO OBEY SATAN. TO LIVE IN THE KINGDOM OF LIGHT AND LIFE, OR THE KINGDOM OF DEATH AND DARKNESS.
A. James tells us that friendship of the world is enmity with God, that if you become a friend of the world, you are an enemy of God.
1. John said, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world, for he that hath the love of the world in his heart has not the love of the Father."
a. The world is very attractive and appealing.
b. It appeals to our flesh.
c. John said, "All that is of the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life are of the world and are not of God."
2. The folly of choosing the world over God.
a. God has a true love for you, and desires only your best.
b. Satan will offer you the world, in order to destroy your Soul. To yield your life to him is to guarantee your destruction.
c. Does it make sense to you to receive a few moments pleasure now and eternal torment?
d. Paul said that our light afflictions which are for a moment worketh an eternal weight of glory.
e. So we may suffer a little scorn from the world for our belief in the Bible and in Jesus Christ as the only way to salvation. But we will spend eternity with Him in His kingdom.
3. The wise man will look to discover the long term consequences of the short term benefit.
a. What is the end of it? This is the question the foolish person never asks.
PRO 16:25 There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof [are] the ways of death.
JER 5:31 The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love [to have it] so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?
4. Isaiah said, "Woe unto him that strives with his maker."
a. How foolish can you be to strive with God?
b. You are in a no win situation, for to win is to lose.
B. Jehoshaphat was a king over Judah, he was a good king and sought the Lord. There was a very wicked and worldly king who reigned over Israel, his name was Ahab. We read that Jehoshaphat went to Samaria to join affinity with Ahab. Ahab was going to war against Syria, and he asked Jehoshaphat if he wanted to go with him, and Jehoshaphat answered that he was one with him. In the battle Ahab was killed, and Jehoshaphat had a close call with death, and fled in terror. When he returned to Jerusalem the prophet came out to meet him and rebuked him, and said to him, Should you help the ungodly, and love them that hate the LORD? therefore the LORD'S wrath is upon you.
1. His sin was loving those who hated the Lord. Trying to be a friend to the world.
2. James calls them adulterers and adulteresses. He is using these words in a spiritual sense. They were supposed to be married to the Lord, but were in love with other gods. The gods of passion, greed, and materialism.
III. GOD CALLED ON ISRAEL TO COME AND REASON TOGETHER. HE IS BASICALLY SAYING "LETS THINK THIS THING THROUGH." AS MY TEACHER USED TO SAY TO THE CLASS, "PUT YOUR THINKING CAPS ON NOW."
A. He gives a diagnosis of the unreasonable things they were doing.
1. He had nourished and brought up children who rebelled against Him.
2. They were not considering the long term consequences of the things they were doing.
3. They had forsaken the Lord and provoked Him to anger.
4. They had become a morally sick nation.
B. He then offers His prescription for the cure.
1. Clean up your act.
2. Put away your evil.
3. Start doing what is right.
C. He promises them that if they will follow this prescription they can enjoy the good life.
D. It makes sense to live the good life.
E. The good life is to love God and live in His Kingdom.
F. Jesus told us to pray, "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven."
G. Are you an enemy of God? Would you like to be a friend of God?
Sermon Notes for James 3:15 ← Prior Section
Sermon Notes for James 5:16 Next Section →
Sermon Notes for Hebrews 1:1 ← Prior Book
Sermon Notes for 1 Peter 1:3 Next Book →
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