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James 4:1-3 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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Please take a copy of God's Word and join me in James chapter 4.
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!
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of the early church.
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In Acts 2, verse 42 and following, we read,
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And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship,
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to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
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And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.
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And all who believed were together and had all things in common.
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And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing to the proceeds to all as any had.
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Need.
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And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes,
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they received their food with glad and generous hearts,
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praising God and having favor with all the people.
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And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
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What a wonderful observation of the life of this early church.
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They found themselves, after the preaching of Peter on the day of Pentecost,
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a great multitude of people brought to faith in Christ.
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A revitalization amongst God's people.
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And we want our churches to look like this.
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But we must be careful that we don't idolize the early church.
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Some people want to put some formulaic equation to,
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if we would just do this, then this is what it would produce.
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And we have to be so careful because it doesn't take long for the early church to become a mess.
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The New Testament is replete with the church falling apart.
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The occasion for the writing of most of the epistles is because something has gone awry.
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The letter that James wrote that we have spent the past few months studying
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was meant to be circulated amongst Jewish Christian churches outside of Palestine.
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And James writes this letter concerns that its readers were not acting according to the word of God.
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They were hearers, but not doers.
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This is the theme of this book.
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Be hearers and doers of God's word.
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And news had reached him that this wasn't the case in these churches.
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That there was a lot going on that wasn't okay.
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They had developed social conflict between the rich and the poor
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and between factions in the church.
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And we pick up these clues throughout it as he is both rebuking and exhorting them.
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For the sake of time, I won't go through each of those texts.
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But I would encourage you to read the first three chapters of James with that in mind.
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Why is James addressing these churches in this way?
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See specifically James chapter 2 verse 1 through 11,
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chapter 1 verse 19 through 26,
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and chapter 3 verse 1,
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chapter 3 verse 14 and verse 16,
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chapter 3 verse 9 and 10.
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All of these things pointing at this conflict that was taking place in the life of these churches.
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All of this varied mess leads James to the exhortation he makes at the end of chapter 3.
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So before we read our text for today,
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I'd like to read last week's text beginning in verse 13 of James chapter 3.
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He writes,
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Who is wise and understanding among you?
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By his good conduct,
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let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.
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But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts,
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do not boast and be false to the truth.
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This is not the wisdom that comes down from above.
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But his earthly,
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unspiritual,
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demonic.
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For where jealousy and selfish ambition exists,
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there will be disorder and every vile practice.
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But the wisdom from above is first pure,
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then peaceable,
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gentle,
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open to reason,
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full of mercy and good fruits,
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impartial,
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and sincere.
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And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
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So to have churches that are healthy,
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churches full of people who both hear and do the word of God,
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will take careful attention to what our Lord has spoken,
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and it will take work.
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They don't just naturally,
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apart from God's good word and a spirit enacting it in our lives,
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become healthy.
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And James is going directly at this problem as he begins chapter 4.
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Right?
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It's coming off.
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Remember,
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the chapter breaks,
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not inspired.
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Right?
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They help us find where we're going.
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Right?
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But his flow of logic is coming right off of this.
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Right?
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Don't present yourself wise.
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If you're going to be vile,
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have selfish ambition,
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be jealous.
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Right?
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This is earthly,
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unspiritual,
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and demonic.
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Because the wisdom from above is pure and peaceable and gentle and open to reason and full of mercy and good fruits.
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Right?
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It brings forth peace,
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not division,
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not conflict.
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So with that in mind,
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let's read James chapter 4,
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verses 1 through 3.
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And before I read it,
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let me remind you,
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beloved,
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this is God's word to us.
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It was written for his glory and our good.
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And so we would do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises,
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and obey its commands.
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James 4,
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verse 1.
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What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you?
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Is it not this,
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that your passions are at war within you?
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You desire and do not have,
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so you murder.
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You covet and cannot obtain,
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so you fight and quarrel.
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You do not have,
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because you do not ask.
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You ask and do not receive,
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because you ask wrongly to spend it on your passions.
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Now this morning we have a simple three-point outline.
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It's astounding how many texts fall into a three-point outline.
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That really seems to be the inspired sermon outline.
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Three-point outline,
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and it's this.
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Number one,
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the source of conflict.
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Number two,
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the cause and effect of conflict.
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And number three,
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the prayerlessness of conflict.
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So number one,
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the source of conflict,
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found in verse one.
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James begins with a question,
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and then he follows with the rhetorical question to give the answer.
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So what is it that causes quarrels,
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and what causes fights among you?
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And then he answers it.
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Is it not this?
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He answers,
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yes,
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it is this,
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that your passions are at war within you.
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A more literal translation of the first question could read,
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this is the Greek,
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more directly,
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it's not good English,
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but could be this,
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from where wars,
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and from where fights among you.
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What is its source?
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This conflict,
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all of these things that he's been listing out,
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all this aforementioned conflict,
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up to the beginning of chapter four,
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why?
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Why does this happen?
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And the answer comes immediately.
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Your passions are at war within you.
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Your passions are warring,
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and they come out,
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and they cause wars.
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The immediate application,
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as we have seen,
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is for conflict within the church.
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But there is an appropriate and broader application
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to all of our conflict.
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Our hearts are fickle,
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they get confused,
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we often forget where our allegiance lies,
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we forget the sin that we've been delivered from,
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and who we've been delivered to.
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Our sin,
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at its core,
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is most readily an identity conflict.
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That when I sin,
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I forget,
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that I have been redeemed,
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by the blood of Jesus Christ.
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I have been called his brother,
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and I'm an adopted child of God most high,
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who's given to me good commands,
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that I might order my life,
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in a way that is both good for me,
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and honoring to him.
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I forget,
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because my heart is fickle.
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When this happens,
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conflict is often the result.
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So if you are in conflict with someone,
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whether within our church,
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or outside the church,
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you need to take a careful look at your heart.
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Keep asking the question,
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why?
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Go a little deeper,
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and a little deeper,
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and a little deeper.
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Expose the issue of your heart.
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Now,
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I will say that it is possible
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to be sinless in a conflict.
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Sometimes people just invite it,
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right?
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It just comes upon you,
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and you've done nothing wrong,
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but I will say,
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quickly,
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that it's not likely.
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A rare occasion,
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that you play no part at all,
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in some conflict,
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in your life.
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So the teaching of these three verses,
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is of great importance,
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to each,
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and every,
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one of us.
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I don't want you to sit there,
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and go,
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I'm not in conflict with anybody,
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in the church.
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Everything's great.
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Our church,
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is generally,
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conflict free.
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There's a lot of peace and unity,
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in our church.
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Praise be to God.
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But we have all,
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had conflict,
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and we all will have,
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conflict,
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in our life.
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And so this question,
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and this answer,
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are extremely important.
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What causes this?
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From,
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where,
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does it,
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come?
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And the answer is,
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it comes,
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from our hearts.
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The word here,
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translated,
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passions,
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is the Greek word,
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hedone,
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from which we get,
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our word,
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hedonism.
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Now,
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hedonism is,
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an ethical theory,
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that pleasure,
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in the sense of,
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satisfying your,
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every desire,
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very consumeristic,
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very self-focused,
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is the highest good,
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of mankind,
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right,
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is this,
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theory.
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Seems that our culture,
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whether they,
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would admit it or not,
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that's very hedonistic,
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in this way,
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right,
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if I want something,
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I should deserve it,
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and I should get it,
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now,
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right,
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pleasure on,
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demand.
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John McMurray,
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who was an early 20th century,
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Scottish philosopher,
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said,
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the best cure for hedonism,
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is an attempt,
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to practice it.
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Because this is not,
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the way the world works.
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The world,
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does not revolve,
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around,
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you.
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Some of us,
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think that it does.
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I know that our,
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children,
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certainly think so.
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And some of us,
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haven't outgrown,
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that thought.
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The world does not exist,
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to serve,
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you.
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So when James here says,
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your passions,
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are at war,
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within you,
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he's communicating,
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that you desire,
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some pleasure,
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that you cannot have,
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and this is the source,
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of your conflict.
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Now this word,
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hedonay,
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is only used,
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two other places,
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in the New Testament,
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and in both cases,
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it's translated,
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pleasures.
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So in Luke 8,
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Jesus tells the parable,
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of the sower,
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and in verse 14,
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he says,
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and as for what fell,
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among the thorns,
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they are those,
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who hear,
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but as they go,
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on their way,
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they are choked,
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by the cares,
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and riches,
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and pleasures,
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of life,
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and their fruit,
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does not mature.
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I suggest,
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that James intends,
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for his original hearers,
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and for us,
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to have our minds,
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drawn to this.
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This is not the way,
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Christian people,
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ought to be,
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controlled,
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right?
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Christian people,
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are good soil people,
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where that word,
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is planted,
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and it takes root,
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and it brings forth,
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the fruit,
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of righteousness.
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It's also used,
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by Paul,
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in Titus chapter 3,
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and verse 3,
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speaking about,
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who God's people,
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once were.
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He says,
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for we ourselves,
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were once,
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foolish,
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disobedient,
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led astray,
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slaves,
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to various passions,
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or think desire,
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and pleasures,
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passing our days,
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in malice,
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and envy,
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hated by others,
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and hating,
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one another,
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right?
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Paul and James,
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would have gotten together,
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on this issue,
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of the heart,
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causing conflict,
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and been in entire agreement,
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with one another,
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right?
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But it's who we,
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once were,
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shouldn't be characteristic,
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of us,
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anymore.
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Now this war,
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of pleasure,
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in our hearts,
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can take on,
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many forms,
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and I don't think,
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it should be limited,
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to the obvious things,
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money,
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sex,
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food,
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etc.
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Those are kind of,
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on the surface,
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but it should also,
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be extended,
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to more,
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deceptive things,
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like,
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comfort,
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or power,
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or respect,
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status,
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of some,
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kind.
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I think,
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this is the way,
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it's going to tend to,
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bear itself out,
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in the life of,
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our church,
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and amongst our friends,
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and family members,
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right?
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I want to be,
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respected,
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right?
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I want to have,
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status amongst you,
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and when I don't,
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feel like I get it,
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conflict may ensue.
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Beloved,
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we can desire,
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good things,
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for,
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wrong,
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reasons.
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James is going to say,
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a little more about this,
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in a moment.
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It's altogether possible,
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to desire something,
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that is,
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good,
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but make it,
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idolatrous,
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in your life,
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make it about you,
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serving,
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your,
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passion,
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your,
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pleasure.
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If the desires,
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of our heart,
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aren't producing,
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the fruits,
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of righteousness,
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then the desires,
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of our heart,
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need a very,
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careful,
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assessment.
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Let me just read again,
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back up into chapter 3,
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verse 16,
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and following.
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For where jealousy,
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and selfish ambition,
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exist,
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there's,
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there's the condition,
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of the heart,
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there will be disorder,
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and every vile,
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practice.
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But the wisdom,
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from above,
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is first pure,
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then peaceable,
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gentle,
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open to reason,
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full of mercy,
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and good fruits,
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impartial,
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and sincere.
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And a harvest,
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of righteousness,
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is sown in peace,
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by those,
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who make,
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peace.
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These should be,
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the characterizing,
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qualities,
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of those,
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who are found,
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in Christ.
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We say this often,
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will we do this,
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with perfection?
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Of course we won't,
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the side of glory.
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But we ought to be,
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ever moving,
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in this direction.
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And when we fail,
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we should be those,
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who are quick,
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to repent,
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to make the appropriate,
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apologies,
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to one another,
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that we might,
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press on,
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in peace.
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And so we see,
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this source,
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what causes it?
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Where does it come from?
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It comes from,
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your heart,
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your passions,
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making war,
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coming out,
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and making,
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more,
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war.
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So secondly,
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let's consider together,
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the kind of the cause,
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and effect,
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of conflict.
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So this is the beginning,
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of verse 2.
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James writes,
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you desire,
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and do not have,
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so you murder.
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You covet,
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and cannot obtain,
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so you fight,
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and quarrel.
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Now we do not know,
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if an actual murder,
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had taken place,
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in one of these churches.
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But it's possible,
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that it had.
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It may have been,
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that kind of an occasion,
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for the writing,
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of this letter.
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I don't know,
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that we should immediately,
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take it figuratively.
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He very well,
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may have been saying,
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you remember that time?
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That time,
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that that kind of conflict,
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arose amongst you?
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That somebody was killed,
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as a result of it?
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But,
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even if that had been,
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the case,
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I think that James,
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is doing,
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something more complex here.
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So,
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even if there had been,
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an actual murder,
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that had taken place,
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it wouldn't have ended there.
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I think he,
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means,
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his readers minds,
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to be drawn,
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to the story,
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of King David,
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and Uriah,
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the Hittite.
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Remember,
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this is a Jewish audience,
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and they would have been,
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very familiar,
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with King David.
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I think he's meaning,
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to show them,
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hoping,
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that they're in Christ,
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that they're being,
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followers of Jesus,
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the heir of King David,
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right?
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The man after God's,
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own heart.
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That they're meant,
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to see,
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that they also,
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ought to be brought,
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to repentance,
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the way,
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King David,
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was brought,
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to repentance.
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So,
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you can read about this,
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in 2 Samuel chapter,
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11.
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Recall that,
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David wanted,
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Uriah's wife.
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He saw her bathing,
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on a roof.
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He wanted her for himself,
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so he,
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took her.
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When he found out,
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that she was pregnant,
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he called Uriah,
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who was off,
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fighting,
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a battle,
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on David's behalf,
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to himself,
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to try to get him,
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to go be with his wife,
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so that that child,
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could be Uriah's child,
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and not his,
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child.
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And,
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Uriah,
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being a soldier,
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refused to go home.
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There's this trouble,
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this war that's happening,
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and,
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shows himself,
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to be a rather,
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upright man.
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So,
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David tries to get him drunk,
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and send him home,
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and he still won't go.
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And,
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I think you may know,
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what happens next.
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David calls to Joab,
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and has Uriah,
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sent out on the front.
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And,
19:08
and not only sent out on the front,
19:10
where he perhaps might die,
19:12
but sent out on the front,
19:13
and soldiers commanded,
19:14
to withdraw,
19:15
so that he certainly,
19:16
would,
19:18
die.
19:19
And,
19:19
when Nathan the prophet,
19:20
is sent to David,
19:22
by God,
19:23
he calls what he did,
19:25
murder.
19:26
I think that James,
19:27
intends for,
19:28
his readers minds,
19:30
to go there.
19:31
Right?
19:31
For us to get there,
19:31
and go,
19:32
oh,
19:33
it's altogether possible,
19:34
to be God's man,
19:37
put in a place of prominence,
19:38
and to fail miserably,
19:40
at this point.
19:42
To have,
19:43
the passions of,
19:44
our hearts,
19:46
cause,
19:47
conflict.
19:48
So,
19:48
I think he's meaning to do that.
19:50
I think he also is recalling,
19:52
the teaching of his,
19:53
half brother.
19:54
Right?
19:54
The Lord,
19:55
Jesus Christ.
19:55
He's remembering what Jesus said,
19:58
in the,
19:58
sermon on the mount.
20:00
Matthew chapter 5,
20:01
verse 21,
20:02
and following.
20:03
You have heard,
20:04
that it was said,
20:05
to those of old,
20:06
you shall not murder,
20:08
and whoever murders,
20:09
will be liable to judgment.
20:11
But I say to you,
20:13
that everyone who is angry,
20:14
with his brother,
20:15
will be liable,
20:17
to judgment.
20:18
So it's the,
20:19
murder that exists,
20:21
in our,
20:22
hearts,
20:23
that we will also be,
20:25
judged for.
20:27
So whether an actual murder,
20:28
or murder in our hearts,
20:30
this is a serious,
20:32
matter.
20:33
James doesn't,
20:34
want us to miss that.
20:36
He's been building this case,
20:38
for how,
20:38
Christian people,
20:39
ought to live together.
20:41
And he gets to this place,
20:41
and he says,
20:42
so what's causing all of this?
20:44
It's your murderous hearts,
20:46
that's what's causing it.
20:48
You don't get what you want.
20:51
So you take it.
20:52
And you take it at the expense,
20:55
of others.
20:56
And beloved,
20:57
hear me,
20:57
we have all,
20:58
been guilty of this,
21:00
at some point.
21:02
We all,
21:03
before God,
21:03
right now,
21:04
would stand,
21:05
before him,
21:06
and be declared,
21:07
murderers,
21:09
on our own.
21:11
On our own merit,
21:13
we would be sentenced,
21:15
as murderers.
21:17
This is why we need,
21:19
the loving kindness,
21:20
of our God,
21:21
to show us,
21:22
mercy,
21:23
in the personal work,
21:24
of Jesus Christ.
21:26
This is why we need,
21:27
the imputed righteousness,
21:29
of Christ,
21:29
who never did this.
21:31
Any anger,
21:32
he experienced,
21:33
was righteous anger.
21:35
It was good.
21:36
It was well aimed.
21:38
Ours,
21:39
most of the time,
21:41
is not.
21:43
We need,
21:44
Jesus's,
21:45
righteousness,
21:46
a good old phrase,
21:47
I think that,
21:48
Zach used it,
21:50
last week,
21:50
we need an,
21:51
alien righteousness,
21:52
right?
21:52
A righteousness that comes,
21:54
from outside,
21:55
of us.
21:56
My voice snicker,
21:57
every time,
21:58
I say that.
21:59
We need,
22:00
an outside righteousness,
22:01
that's granted to us,
22:03
because,
22:04
we,
22:05
have,
22:06
been,
22:07
murderers.
22:08
Right?
22:08
We need,
22:10
the penalty,
22:12
for the sin,
22:13
we've already committed,
22:14
to be paid,
22:16
for us.
22:18
The infinite,
22:19
penalty,
22:20
to be bore,
22:21
on our behalf.
22:23
So,
22:23
our infinite Savior,
22:24
bore it on the cross,
22:25
for us,
22:26
that we would be forgiven,
22:27
of our murder,
22:29
and we would be delivered,
22:30
from the power,
22:31
of our,
22:32
fickle,
22:32
and,
22:33
oft,
22:34
confused,
22:35
hearts.
22:37
So,
22:37
see this,
22:38
cause and effects,
22:39
transgression,
22:40
that goes down.
22:40
Your desire,
22:41
you do not have,
22:42
so you murder,
22:43
you covet,
22:43
and you cannot obtain,
22:45
and so you fight,
22:47
and you quarrel.
22:49
It shouldn't be so,
22:51
amongst us.
22:54
Note,
22:54
finally,
22:55
the prayerlessness,
22:56
of conflict.
22:57
It's the last part of verse 2,
22:59
and on into verse 3.
23:02
You do not have,
23:03
because,
23:04
you do not ask.
23:06
So,
23:06
it would seem,
23:07
that some,
23:08
weren't asking at all.
23:10
They weren't asking,
23:11
for things,
23:11
but some were asking.
23:13
You ask,
23:14
and you do not receive,
23:16
because you ask,
23:17
wrongly,
23:18
to spend it,
23:20
on your passions.
23:23
It's a very,
23:24
serious thing.
23:26
Very serious matter,
23:28
that we understand,
23:29
what the will of the Lord is.
23:31
That we would know,
23:32
both that we ought to ask,
23:34
and that we ought to ask,
23:36
rightly.
23:37
much of our asking,
23:40
is aimed,
23:41
at us.
23:43
It's aimed,
23:44
at,
23:45
temporal joy.
23:47
It's aimed,
23:48
at things,
23:48
that will never,
23:49
really,
23:51
satisfy.
23:54
C.S. Lewis,
23:55
in,
23:56
The Weight of Glory,
23:57
wrote this.
23:59
It would seem,
24:00
that our Lord,
24:01
finds our desires,
24:02
not too strong,
24:04
but too weak.
24:07
We are,
24:07
half-hearted creatures,
24:10
fooling about,
24:10
with drink,
24:11
and sex,
24:11
and ambition,
24:12
when infinite joy,
24:15
is offered,
24:15
us.
24:17
Like an ignorant child,
24:18
who wants to go on,
24:19
making mud pies,
24:20
in a slum,
24:21
because he cannot,
24:22
imagine,
24:23
what is meant,
24:23
by the offer,
24:25
of a holiday,
24:26
at the sea.
24:28
We are far,
24:29
too easily,
24:31
pleased.
24:32
So the temporal,
24:35
passions of our heart,
24:37
things aimed,
24:39
at,
24:39
temporal gain,
24:42
respect,
24:43
status,
24:44
are asking,
24:46
too little.
24:48
So,
24:50
what ought,
24:50
we ask for?
24:52
We ought to ask,
24:53
for the Lord,
24:55
himself.
24:57
We ought to ask,
24:58
to spend it,
25:00
that we might have,
25:01
more,
25:02
of Christ.
25:03
We ought to join,
25:04
with Paul,
25:05
Philippians 1,
25:05
21,
25:06
for to me,
25:07
to live,
25:08
is Christ,
25:09
and to die,
25:11
is gain.
25:12
Why?
25:13
So that he would have,
25:13
more,
25:15
of Christ.
25:17
The Psalms are just,
25:19
full of,
25:20
the same teaching.
25:22
Psalm 37,
25:23
verse 4,
25:24
delight yourself,
25:25
in the Lord,
25:26
and he will give you,
25:28
the desires,
25:29
of your heart.
25:32
Delight yourself,
25:33
in,
25:34
God,
25:35
he will be,
25:36
your desire,
25:37
and guess what God,
25:38
will grant you?
25:40
Himself.
25:42
Psalm 34,
25:43
in verse 8,
25:44
oh,
25:45
taste and see,
25:46
that the Lord,
25:47
is good.
25:49
Blessed is the man,
25:50
who takes refuge,
25:51
in him.
25:53
Psalm 16,
25:54
in verse 11,
25:55
you make known to me,
25:57
the path of life.
25:58
In your presence,
26:00
there is fullness,
26:01
of joy.
26:03
At your right hand,
26:04
our pleasures,
26:06
forevermore.
26:08
Our greatest,
26:09
our highest good,
26:11
is found,
26:12
in,
26:13
God.
26:15
Most readily,
26:16
in,
26:16
Jesus Christ himself.
26:18
Right?
26:18
Because he's,
26:19
been revealed to us.
26:20
We can take up his word,
26:21
and we can read,
26:22
and we can understand,
26:23
and we can find,
26:24
the satisfaction,
26:26
for our fickle,
26:27
hearts.
26:28
So when we find,
26:30
ourselves in conflict,
26:31
we've forgotten this.
26:33
We are looking,
26:34
for something,
26:35
to satisfy us,
26:36
that will never,
26:37
satisfy us,
26:39
rather than,
26:39
looking to God,
26:40
who will,
26:41
amply,
26:43
provide,
26:44
for all that we need.
26:46
What we have,
26:48
whether it be,
26:49
material possession,
26:50
or some,
26:51
of the other desires,
26:52
I previously mentioned,
26:53
status,
26:53
respect,
26:54
etc.
26:56
These are to be spent,
26:57
that we might gain,
26:58
more of the greatest,
27:00
possession.
27:03
We ought not be,
27:05
a people at war,
27:06
with one another,
27:07
because,
27:08
wisdom from above,
27:10
is first pure,
27:12
then peaceable,
27:13
gentle,
27:14
open to reason,
27:15
full of mercy,
27:16
and good fruits,
27:18
impartial,
27:19
and sincere,
27:21
and a harvest,
27:21
of righteousness,
27:22
sown in peace,
27:23
by those,
27:24
who make,
27:26
peace.
27:28
So set,
27:29
your heart,
27:30
this morning,
27:31
on the goodness,
27:32
of God to us,
27:34
in Christ.
27:36
I'll close,
27:36
with a quote,
27:37
from Jonathan Edwards,
27:38
on a bullet,
27:39
if you happen,
27:40
to get a bulletin.
27:41
God is the highest,
27:43
good,
27:43
of the reasonable,
27:44
creature.
27:46
The enjoyment,
27:46
of him,
27:47
is our proper,
27:48
and is the only,
27:49
happiness,
27:50
with which our souls,
27:52
can be satisfied.
27:53
Let's pray together.