Welcome to the Weekend Sermon posting for this week. It just keeps raining and raining where I live. So far, there hasn't been any bad flooding, but more rain is anticipated for the next several days. Please keep praying that all will be well. I hope and pray that everyone who reads this message is doing well and is in good health.
Last week, we started to see what James chapter 4 had to teach us. We learned that greed, selfishness and covetousness are at the root of the vast majority of sinful behaviors. We also learned that we need to ask the Lord for our needs, but we also need to ask God to supply us with those things that we can give to others, and we should pray that the needs of others will be met.
In today's message, I want to focus on one part of verse 4 that states, "Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?" That means that being a friend of the world makes us an enemy of God. Let us look into this in more detail.
There is a way that seems right to those that are not followers of the way of Jesus. We can call it the way of the world. The Bible refers to the world as that which sets itself up in opposition to the will and ways of the Lord. This world has a value system that is diametrically opposed to the value system expressed in the life and teachings of the Lord Jesus.
One of the main differences between the way of the world and the way of Jesus is in the pursuit of that which will bring ultimate fulfillment. The way of this world teaches that in order to have a good life, one needs to make money and have a certain position that commands respect within society. Those who have fame, fortune or reputation are considered to be successful according to the values of this world. The Bible makes it clear that all of these things are passing away. Jesus equates it to building up treasure on earth where moth and rust corrupt and where thieves break in and steal.
Jesus tells us that a successful life consists in building up treasure in heaven. According to Jesus, our live is not to be centered around the accumulation of those things which are passing away. Jesus truly expressed this teaching in His parable of the rich man and Lazarus.
The rich man had all of the things that this world believes make for success and happiness. He had all the riches that his heart could desire. On the other hand, Lazarus was a poor, sick and homeless man. Both of them died. To His hearers shock, Jesus said that the rich man ended up in hell while Lazarus went to Heaven. Jesus said that the first would be last and the last would be first.
According to the teaching of Jesus, the successful life is a life that is centered around serving Him and serving others. It is about sharing the love of Jesus and helping to make this world a better place until the time Jesus comes to restore all things.
This is just one way that the way of the world differs from the way of Jesus. Another is in the area of war, peace and non-violence. The way of the world is might makes right. It seeks to solve problems through violence and warfare. Jesus taught the way of peace and non-violence. He told us to love our enemies and to turn the other cheek.
The way of Jesus also instructs us to avoid the sinful practices that are held to be acceptable by this world. The sexual ethics of the Bible are quite clear, yet according to the way of this world, the way of the Lord is something to be mocked at and scorned.
This world's system is based upon exploitation. Those who are powerful and rich try to make more for themselves by oppressing the weak and the powerless. Jesus seeks to lift people up. His is the way of justice and breaking the bounds of oppression in order to set people free.
James tells us that when we are trying to be a friend of this world system and its values, we are enemies of God. This is very strong language. However, it is totally in keeping with the rest of the Scripture and the teachings of Jesus. When we say that Jesus is our Lord, we are saying something very radical. We are stating that we are turning our back on this world and its distorted value system. We are taking up our cross to follow Jesus in His way that is radically different from the way of this world.
We can learn about the way of Jesus and the way that it differs from the ways of this world by reading important sections of Scripture such as Matthew 5 through 7 and Luke chapter 6. We can read John 13 through 16, as well as all of the other statements and teachings of Jesus. We can observe how He dealt with and ministered to people while He was here on this earth.
If we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, we will follow in His footsteps. We will forsake the way of this world, and we will do what is pleasing to our Lord. Amen.
Prayer Requests
Thank you for praying about the situation with my job. Things have been better at work over the past days.
Please remember to keep praying for an end to the coronavirus pandemic. India and Brazil are still among the many nations that are experiencing difficulties. Pray that those who are sick will recover.
India also needs our prayers in regard to storm damage. Please pray that those who are affected by the storm will have their needs met quickly.
Continue to pray for peace in the troubled areas of this world. Israel really needs our prayers right now. Continue to pray for peace in Ethiopia, Eritrea, Chad, Somalia, Libya, Syria, Afghanistan and Yemen.
For our prayer focus countries this week, let us focus our prayers on the nations of Iraq and Senegal.
Next week, we will continue our series in James. On Monday, I will post the verses. I hope to have a post midweek. May God bless you all. Amen.
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