A DANGEROUS FRIENDSHIP – sermon outline

pastor Nick Lica

James 4:1-10

Introduction: 1Cor 15:33 says:  Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character”.

There is a type of friendship that is dangerous to Christian- is friedship with the world. James worn us in 4,4: Do not know that friedship with the worldis hatred against God?Let’s see today 3 things about this dangerous frindship

I. The Cause

• The 'world' in the Bible is a theological world. It is first of all the creation of God, owned and ruled by him, the 'cosmos,' the world order, to be subdued by man and enjoyed. But it is now also a fallen world, disordered, rebellious through our father Adam's broken relationship with God.
• James emphasiye the impossibility of being a friend of the World and of God.
• Love of the World Makes us an Adulterous People

The cause is inside us:

1. passion
2. self-centered desire

• Our God is a jealous God Church adulteresses.  4:4

1) Few events endanger a relationship more than adultery.

2) Relationship to God is a marriage, not slavery.   (OT)

3) Sin breaks God's heart, just as adultery does ours.

4) All sin is sin against love.

II. The Consequences (v. 3-6)

• Every friendship influences us in some ways. Friendship with the world has a bad impact on us and can corrupt our character and spiritual life. The result of that is :

1. self-centered prayers
2. wrong motives
3. enmity with God – spiritual adultery

(Psalm 68:21, Hebrews 10:31, 1John 2:15)

1. pride -   Proverbs 3:34

• Solomon put it in that way in Proverbs 6.27: Can a man walk on hot coals without his feet being scorched?

III. The Healing (v. 4-10)

• We cannot be friends of the world.   4:4
• "World" here stands for world's standards, as opposed  to standards of God's Kingdom.

God longs for us. 4:5

1) Verse 5 is most difficult in book.

a) KJV, NIV:  "our spirit tends toward envy (sin)."

b) Better:  "God longs for our spirit."

2) God is jealous, and longs for our love (O.T.).

a) "He gives more grace" is a new sentence.   4:6

b) God make great demands, but gives great grace.

c) The greater the demand, the greater the help.

3) We can never be tempted beyond our limit.   1 Cor 10:13

Conclusion: The steps for healing

1. Submit to God
2. Resist the devil
3. Draw near to God
4. Cleanse your hands
5. Purify your hearts
6. Humble yourselves