Introduction: Some years ago, musicians noted that errand boys in a certain part of London all whistled out of tune as they went about their work. It was talked about and someone suggested that it was because the bells of Westminster were slightly out of tune. Something had gone wrong with the chimes and they were discordant. The boys did not know there was anything wrong with the peals, and quite unconsciously they had copied their pitch. So we tend to copy the people with whom we associate; we borrow thoughts from the books we read and the programs to which we listen, almost without knowing it. God has given us His Word which is the absolute pitch of life and living. If we learn to sing by it, we shall easily detect the false in all of the music of the world.

 

I wonder how out of tune we are singing?  I’m not referring to our song service - you sing wonderfully.  I’m referring to how out of tune we are singing with out life what Christ has done for us and means to us.   Instead of getting in tune with what God’s Word says, we have tuned the song of our life with the out-of-key tuning fork of the world.

 

Last Sunday morning we began an examination of problems in the church; believe it or not there are problems within the body of Christ! This morning we'll be examine "worldliness" in the church.

 

I. Worldliness is really infidelity to Christ . . . "ye adulterers and adulteresses."

James is writing to professing Christians.

James is not referring to physical adultery, but rather to spiritual adultery.

 

A. Christians are married to Jesus (Romans 7:1-4; Ephesians 5:31,32)

Romans 7:1-4 says, Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man. Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

Ephesians 5:31,32 says, For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

 

1. As a Christian you are married to Christ. This union with Christ is initiated by God and received by you the believer.

Ÿ         Christ is the husband of the church (II Corinthians 11:2)

Ÿ         The Church is the bride of Christ (II Corinthians 11:2).

 

2. The church is now the body of Christ in process of formation, and when completed will be presented as the bride; only the espousal as yet has taken place.  The consummation of the marriage relationship awaits a future fulfillment.  It’s celebration will be at the “Marriage supper of the Lamb.  Rev. 19:7 says, Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.

 

3. You would think the way some Christians live their lives that they were forced to be Christians - that they had no choice in the matter.

 

Illustration: A couple met with a marriage counselor and needed to sign some pre-marriage forms that the counselor had. One question on the form was: Are you entering this marriage at your own will."  The young man looked over at his fiance with a look asking what he should put down and she firmly said "Put down yes".

 

We came into this spiritual marriage to Christ willingly, even though he chose us and softened our hard heart so we would be saved.  Thus, to turn away from Christ and our walk with Him is an act of infidelity.

 

B. Spiritual unfaithfulness is defined as: "friendship of the world."

 

1. Though the nation of Israel is not the Church, there are many similarities.  The prophet Jeremiah, speaking the word of the Lord, said: Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD.(Jeremiah 3:20). Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:(Jeremiah 3:14).

 

2. James is saying: To desire the things of the world, to the neglect of Christ, is spiritual unfaithfulness.  In your walk with Christ do you find that you are often unfaithful to Him and are more a friend of the world than you are a friend to Christ?  Think of what would be true in your marriage if you were more faithful to someone else other than your spouse!  If your are married, you made a choice to be married to that person.  When a spouse turns from the one they married for another this too is also a choice they are making but it is called unfaithfulness.  Do you think your spouse is going to think that you are half faithful to them when you have been unfaithful to them?  I don’t think so.  We cannot be half faithful to God and half faithful to the world and sin in our life.  God will have nothing to do with such a philosophy of so called “faithfulness”.  He calls the whole thing unfaithfulness, and rightfully so.  In fact, James says here in 4:4 that such a person is at enmity with God.  Just the opposite is said of Abraham who chose to walk with God.  READ: James 2:23

 

3. Trouble comes in the church, in our families, and in our personal life when we are unfaithful to Christ.

 

Illustration: Henry Ford, when celebrating his 50th wedding anniversary, when asked what the secret was for having such a long marriage, responded, "Stick to the same model!"

 

4. Brothers and sisters in Christ - Are you “sticking to the same model”?  Are you remaining faithful in all aspects of your life to your espoused husband, Jesus Christ?  He is jealous for you.  He loves you.  He died for you.  What grief it must bring to Him when He sees us dallying around with sin and thinking it really doesn’t matter what we do.

 

C. It is possible for us to be unfaithful, but God remains faithful.

1. No divorce will come to those who are saved for He has promised to never leave us or forsake us!

2. The Scriptures teach that "nothing" will be able to separate us from the love of God. This is exactly what it says in Romans 8:38,39 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

3. God will never walk out on the one he has wed.

 

(But what about that professing believer who lives a life of rebellion towards God?)

 

II. Deliberate worldliness is really hatred of God . . . ". . . the enemy of God."

James says there is no other explanation for the person who continues in deliberate sin. No other explanation but that this person has never been wed to Christ.

 

A. This deliberate choice is evidence of an unchanged heart.

"Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world . . ." speaks of deliberate choice.

Ÿ         It is not a moral lapse, or a simple sliding into sin, but rather a continual, volitional choice.

Ÿ         NIV translates this phrase "will be" as "chooses to be." It translates the word in Greek (boulomai) which means, "to have a deliberate purpose and intention."

 

B. Man, left unchanged by God's grace, is always considered to be the enemy of God.

"a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”  Literally, that person who sells his soul to the world and its pleasures hates God with a passion.

 

(But what about those known by God who are unfaithful? It is possible, isn't it?)

 

III. A believer's worldliness will ALWAYS be corrected . . . "The spirit . . . lusteth to envy."

Ÿ         This phrase is best translated, "The Spirit caused to live in us longs jealously."

Ÿ         Some see this “spirit” as man’s spirit within him, but I believe the context is better served by understanding it as speaking of the Holy Spirit of God.

Ÿ         "Jealousy, properly considered, is an essential element of true love: it is . . . an unceasing longing for the loved one's welfare"  We would really wonder about somebody’s love for their spouse if they were not overwhelmed with jealousy and sadness if that spouse was pulled away by another.  It is only natural to feel jealousy when that takes place as well as great hurt.

Ÿ         When God wed you He gave you His Spirit to dwell within you and He is a jealous Spirit.

 

A. God's jealousy of us is intense (Zechariah 8:2)  Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I was jealous for Zion with great

jealousy, and I was jealous for her with great fury. God is concerned for His people.

Ÿ         God is jealous when He sees His people going after anything that takes them away from worshiping Him.

Ÿ         Consider how Solomon put it in regard to the husband/wife relationship in Proverbs 6:32-35 But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul. A wound and dishonor shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away. For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance. He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.

Ÿ         In the same way, though without sin, God is intensely jealous for His espoused wife, the church, the individual believer.

Ÿ         Do you understand that?  Shouldn’t that cause every believer here to think very seriously about what they are doing in this life?

 

B. God's jealousy of us is infinite (Exodus 34:14). For thou shalt worship no other God: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:  

Ÿ         A few years ago now I did a series of messages on the names of God.  One of those name we studied was this one - Jealous - Qanna

Ÿ         God demands our complete worship of Him - it cannot be divided between Him and something or someone else. 

Ÿ         1 Cor. 10:20-22 says, But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils. Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?

 

C. God's jealousy of us is intimate (James 4:5). The Spirit that “dwelleth in us."

Ÿ         Paul says the same thing in Galatians 5:16,17 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

Ÿ         God will always insure that His unfaithful people will return to Christ for; "It is God in you, both to will and to do His good pleasure."

 

Practical Application: How do we respond to those believers who are in worldliness?

We need to go after them in love and concern.  We want them to know that they need to turn back to Christ.  They need to acknowledge that their sin is wrong - we must stand with them and help them. 

 

If they say "I don't care"  We must say to them, “We still love you but you have never been saved by God.”  They are set outside the church and treated as a lost person - you love them but you don't make them feel they are saved.

 

If churches will not deal with worldliness, churches will die!

 

Let me ask you a question - is the Holy Spirit of God working in your heart today about some form of sin that you have been harboring in your heart and soul?  That is the jealousy of God pointing out to you that you need to turn from that private sin that you worship, and give Him your complete worship.

 

Are you here today with sin in your heart that you know has alienated you from God and made you an enemy of God, but today the Holy Spirit has softened your heart to that sin.  I beseech you to turn to the One who can remove that sin and the guilt of that sin forever.  He can give you a clean heart.  He can make you a friend of God