GGC EM BLOG: February 2010

Friday, February 26, 2010

2-21-2010/ Who is your friend? /James 4:1-6

Intro: One decision that all Christians have to eventually make is choosing either the world or God as true friend.

I. Befriending the world will result in conflicts for Christians.

A. Conflict with others (v4): Christians who befriend the world will always have conflict with other genuine Christians because one belongs to the world and the other belongs to God.

B. Conflict with self (v1b-3): Christians who befriend the world will have internal conflicts because in the core of befriending the world, there lies desire for pleasure, lust and selfish wants, all of which devalue God and things of God.

C. Conflict with God (v4): Christians who befriend the world are in hostility with God because the idea is that befriending the world over God is the breaking of the spiritual marriage covenant with God. Hence, people are referred to as adulteresses.

II. Pride is the reason for friendship with the world.

A. The root cause of choosing the world over God is pride.

B. In the core of befriending the world, there lies pride because the underlying idea of choosing the world over God is that people do not need God or God is insufficient.

III. Befriending God means humility.

A. Befriending God refers to humility because when a Christian befriends God over the world, there is the conceder that God is indispensable foundation in one’s life.

B. Befriending God is humility, and God looks for a person of humility and gives grace (v6). The description of God’s preferred person, through out the bible, is described as person of humility.

IV. Conclusion: When Christians befriend God, grace of God will be renewed daily whereas befriending the world will result in ongoing detrimental conflicts.

V. Application: Be humble.

A. Look to Jesus Christ: Jesus Christ came to us as a man even though he is one part of divine trinity. Jesus Christ is the epitome of biblical humility.

B. Imitate Jesus Christ: Jesus Christ is the ultimate role-model of humility for all Christians because he befriended and relied upon God in all things despite who he was.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

2-14-2010/ True Wisdom/ James 3:13-18

Intro: Christians are to be wise in all things; hence, Christians are to seek for wisdom. However, Christians need to understand that there are two types of wisdom: the wisdom from the world and the wisdom from above.

I. Wisdom from the World

A. Motive

1. Envy (v14): Envy is best understood as bitter jealousy. Regardless of how good or wise things may seem, if it stems from jealousy or envy, it's from the world.

2. Selfish Ambition (v14): Selfish Ambition is best understood as personal gratification and self-fulfillment. Regardless of how good or wise things may seem, if the underlying intent is to fulfill self-desire, it's from the world.

B. Characteristics of wisdom from the world: the reason why Christians are not to imitate or partake in worldly wisdom.

1. Earthly (v15): This refers to self-advancement. In wisdom from the world, there is no genuine sacrifice of living for others and for God.

2. Unspiritual (v15): This refers to being opposition to spirit. Unspiritual things may range anywhere from physical lust to intellectualism without Christ. Wisdom from the world is never aligned with the will of God.

3. Of the Devil (v15): This refers to anything that deludes a person’s mind away from God’s decrees, which comes from the devil. Wisdom from the world originates from the devil.

C. Wisdom from the world is not merely inadequate for Christian life, but it is detrimental to growing relationship with God because it is false wisdom that opposes God.

II. Wisdom from above

A. Motive

1. Purity (v17): Purity refers to not being contaminated by the patterns of world and thus it's aligned with the will of God. Wisdom from above thus is the true wisdom since its motive is of God.

B. Characteristics: the wisdom from above will demonstrate godly characteristics as evidence and thus Christians are to seek and demonstrate the true wisdom from God.

1. Peace-loving: the wisdom from God does not produce conflict.

2. Considerate: the wisdom from God is expressed in loving others.

3. Submissive: the wisdom from God demonstrates obedience to God-given authority.

4. Full of mercy: the wisdom from God demonstrates compassion to those who are suffering and not just forgiving the wrong doers.

5. Full of good fruits: the wisdom from God is expressed in action (not just in words) to produce good results.

6. Sincerity: the wisdom from God leads the person to honesty before God.

C. The wisdom from God is the true wisdom because it is aligned with the characteristics of God.

III. Conclusion: Christians are to seek after wisdom that comes from God regardless of how slow, ineffective, dull, awkward, unpopular and foolish it may seem because even the foolishness of God is mightier than the wisdom of men.

IV. Application

A. Fear God: Fearing God is the beginning of all wisdom.

B. Love God: Loving God will help believers to desire the wisdom of God.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

God is Good & Great

"This, however, is my comfort. 'Jesus Christ saw me from eternity; He gave me being; He called me in time; He has freely justified me through faith in His blood; He has in part sanctified me by His Spirit; He will preserve me underneath His everlasting arms till time shall be no more.' Oh the blessedness of these evangelical truths!"

-George Whitefield

Is your week hard? Are you suffering beyond measure? Is Satan buffeting your soul? Guess what? God is good. He has given us the grace needed to overcome whatever worries we have, and He has given us life eternal! Let us rely on God's grace and goodness, freely given to us through Jesus Christ, to get us through whatever darkness we're in!

Here's some hymn to soothe your soul: