AGAINST ALL ODDS – 8

The Sickness Within

“God’s choice acquaintances are humble men.” –Robert Leighton

James 4:1 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?

1. If things are a mess on the OUTSIDE, things are a mess on the INSIDE.

James 4:2-4 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. 4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.

James 4:5-10 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:

“God opposes the proud
    `but shows favor to the humble.”

1. Behind the external fights is an internal SICKNESS – PRIDE.

“Pride must die in you, or nothing of Heaven can live in you.” – Andrew Murray

1 Peter 5:5 All of you, clothe yourselves in humility toward one another, because, ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.’

James 4:6 (NKJV) “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

Proverbs 3:3-4 (NIV) Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.

Micah 6:8 (NKJV) He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” 

1. PRIDE is a terrible thing. It’s the ROOT of all sin. Yet, it’s one of those sins we sometimes become ACCUSTOMED to.

James 4:10 (NKJV) Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

“A sight of God’s glory humbles. The stars vanish when the sun appears.” – Thomas Watson

Luke 10:17 Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.”

Luke 10:18-20 Jesus looks at them and responds, “I was watching satan fall from heaven like lightning. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in Heaven.”

1. Remember: It’s not ABOUT YOU – it’s all about Jesus!  

“Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself less.” – C.S. Lewis

Daniel 4:30 The king spoke, saying, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?”

Mark 10:44 “…and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all.”

Matthew 11:29 (KJV) “Learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly.”

Proverbs 16:18 (MSG) First pride, then the crash…

A few practical ways you know you NEED TO GET OVER YOURSELF:

1. You take everything PERSONALLY.

1. You think your feelings are the most REASONABLE.

1. Your DESIRES are the most important.

1. You always think the other person needs to APOLOGIZE or change.

1. You tend to be NEGATIVE and CRITICAL instead of positive and grateful.

1. You keep thinking of OTHER PEOPLE who need to hear this.

Obadiah 3 The pride of your heart has deceived you,

1 Corinthians 4:7 (TLB) What are you so puffed up about? What do you have that God hasn’t given you? And if all you have is from God, why act as though you are so great, and as though you have accomplished something on your own?

“A humble sinner is in a better condition than a proud angel.” – Thomas Watson