Arrogance (James 4:11-17)

Humility Before God in Prayer

Welcome this morning. Glad you're back. Let's pray and we'll begin. Well father it is again a privilege And a joy to gather together with the people of God in this place. To open the scriptures together and to incline our hearts and our ears and our minds to the Word of God.

Our father we pray that your spirit would do his good work in us this morning during this time and applying the truth where it needs be. Father may you rebuke us where we need to be rebuked. May you exhort us where we need?

Exhortation to To sell still more may you strengthen us and encourage us and even enable us to see Small victories by your grace even day to day as we continue our ongoing struggle with sin. We thank you that sin has been fully and finally dealt with in Christ that we are not on our own in this matter.

But he has secured our perfect righteousness and his spirit is now mediating that righteousness to us in The day to day as we fight sin and grow in the likeness of Christ in his name. We pray Amen. Look at that boy.

I close my eyes open them again and boom big crowd. Try it again two or three more times the place will be full. There's a an expression that everybody loves a story and I think that's got to be true.

I don't think I've ever met anybody who didn't like a good story and Jesus himself was a master storyteller and truth package as stories Is a very memorable way To teach and my children as they were growing up loved stories as most children do and they loved it when I would read stories to them and it was generally my practice to do that to read to the children and One of their favorite stories when they were young for each and every one of them was a children's book entitled the braggie king of Babylon the braggie king of Babylon it was a fun little book and it recounted the story of Daniel chapter 4 where Nebuchadnezzar Was reduced to the status of a beast for before God eventually restored him to the throne and it was just a great way to teach that story from Daniel 4 and have much to talk about in the process, but You know, you do have to ask yourself.

Why did God so dramatically humble that King? Why did he act in that way? To so Dramatically humble him as as no other king in history has ever been humbled. I Think the answer is because in his arrogance the king had forgotten and this is Daniel 425 that the most high is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever he wishes.

That God alone bestows the kingdoms and I think for the nation of Israel it was Yahweh's humbling of Nebuchadnezzar that Provided a vivid picture of Yahweh's sovereignty over all kings. You remember Israel is a captive people at this time and for the next 600 years they will be very much a captive people under succeeding genera or empires that arise and So if Nebuchadnezzar could be humbled in that way then by extension any and every King could be humbled in that way.

Should Yahweh so choose and so it was designed to encourage and exhort and strengthen a faith of the captive people of Israel. So what does that have to do with us this morning? We are in James chapter 4 by the way, so you could turn there the James Chapter 4 we're looking at verses 11 to 17.

But what does the story about the king of Babylon being humbled have to do with us this morning? None of us have a fraction of the power or the authority or the glory or the might of Nebuchadnezzar nor will we ever and Yet we still act often as though we were independent of God.

As though we were independent of God. We could say in a word that by nature. We are an arrogant people by nature. We are an arrogant people and that's the title of this morning's Session is arrogance from James chapter 4 verses 11 To 17.

Judgmentalism as a Mark of Arrogance

Let's read the text together before we begin. Do not speak against one another brethren. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother. Speaks against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law you are not a doer of the law, but a judge of it.

There is only one lawgiver and judge the one who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor? Come now you who say today or tomorrow. We will go to such and such a city and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.

Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say if the Lord wills we will live and also do this or that.

But as it is you boast in your arrogance all such boasting is evil. Therefore to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it to him. It is sin. This morning from this text James I think reveals for us two common marks of arrogance.

Two common marks of arrogance common meaning that we are all subject to them now and again. Perhaps more often than we'd like to admit and we frequently overlook and excuse these to our own shame. Two common marks of arrogance that we frequently overlook and excuse in ourselves to our own shame.

The first mark of that arrogance is found in verses 11 to 12. The first mark is judgmentalism. Judgmentalism notice where James says do not speak against one another brethren. He's back to the tongue again.

He's returning back to the sins of the tongue. Previously he has addressed the tongue chapter 1 verse 26. If anyone thinks himself to be religious and yet does not bridle his tongue He deceives his own heart.

This man's religion is worthless. Comes back in chapter 3 and verses 1 through 12 and addresses the tongue again. We could lift out verse 6 for example. The tongue is a fire the very world of iniquity the tongue is set among our members is that which defiles the entire body and Sets on fire the course of our life and is set on fire.

Itself verse 10 from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing my brethren these things ought not to be this way. So the tongue is very much a theme that comes up back. Over and over and over again here in this rather short letter.

Last week we finished in verse 10 of chapter 4 with James's statement about humility where he says humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord and he will exalt you and. Now again back to the tongue.

He returns again to the sin of the tongue and in particular the destructive speech patterns among the community of believers. Notice again in verse 11 he returns to the to the familial and and loving Terminology of brethren he calling them his brothers.

You remember that He called them adulterous is last week because it was so serious an issue now He's back to that kind of pastoral terminology brethren. So it's back to brethren and it's brethren. There is something going on among you that has to stop.

It must end. Do not speak against one another brethren. This particular word kata Lala, oh, which is a kind of a fun word to say. It's an intensified word to speak and in the idea is to speak evil of or to slander or to say bad things about another person or literally to speak down on.

So that would be the literal rendering of it kata Lala, oh to speak down on and and we might in our parlance call that to run somebody down. With our mouths. That's the idea. And notice he says do not speak against it's a present active imperative.

I just tell you that because it indicates that this is not a one-time event Among the people of God here. This is actually a habit. This is a pattern and He is telling them this pattern has to stop this pattern has to end.

They they are deceased. They are deceased immediately. These this activity in which they are engaged running one another down with their mouths. I Think evidently it's probably if you go back to verse 1 of chapter 4 where the the source of the quarrels and conflicts I think evidently is probably the way that many of those quarrels and conflicts who are expressing themselves through that kind of of evil speech running one another down we could we could elaborate it a little more and and and basically say that that James is Condemning in them and by extension in us you and I things like willful false Accusations so making a false accusation against a brother and doing it willfully on purpose.

Or exaggerating a real fault for the purpose of damaging someone's character the needless repetition of a real fault a Fault that is true. It is real. But the idea that it's being repeated and it's being repeated verbally and it's being repeated one to another in fact, we would talk about that sort of thing and called slander wouldn't we so it's.

All of these kinds of sins of the tongue all these kinds of speech willful false accusations exaggerations of real faults. Needless repetitions of real faults slander all of these kinds of speech destructive speech.

Are designed to damage the character character and reputation of another person? That is their purpose. It is to destroy someone else with our mouths. James says it's going on among you. It's it's a it's a regular occurrence among you and it has to stop.

It just has to stop. And I think that the serious I mean it the seriousness of it is heightened I think because it's directed again notice to one another brethren. It's not just they speak poorly and and even in destructively of in general of people outside the community of believers.

But they're speaking this way about those inside the community of believers those for whom love is to be the defining characteristic John 13 35, they'll know you are my disciples by your love for one another and Rather than a demonstration of the love for one another what is going on here is this Speech and it appears like many if not, all of them are participating to one degree or another In speech designed to tear down to destroy the character to damage the reputation of their brothers and sisters in Christ.

That's pretty heavy-duty that's pretty heavy-duty and. What causes that do you think? Like what what causes a Christian to speak evil of a brother or a sister? What causes that kind of behavior to manifest itself?

I? Mean like what's going on? Okay? We're all guilty here. To one degree or another at one time or another we've all participated in this. So like what possesses us what what's going on inside our our heart and our head?

That would lead us to use our God-given gift of speech in a destructive way like that. To attack the character to damage the reputation of another person and particularly a brother or sister in Christ.

What would possess us? Well, we don't have to speculate because James is going to tell us not in an exhaustive way but in a representative way. That there are presumptions going on here regarding both God and his law.

And it is these presumptions is presumptuous attitude towards God and his law. That is motivating at least for here this kind of destructive speech. There are two of them. He identifies the first here is still in verse 11, and it's the idea that I'm above the law.

That's the now that that's shocking to even say it out loud right because we don't waste these things out loud. But it's it's this idea that I am above the law above the law. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother.

Speaks against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law you are not a doer of the law, but a judge of it. Now the word here Is is Krino that it's the word for judge. And it's more than the idea of just rendering an opinion it it has the idea of condemning.

That's the that's the significant point of it. It's the idea of condemning the judgment to condemn. In fact if we were to paraphrase verse 11 using the idea that Kata laleo is to run someone down or let's just say to slander someone and The idea that to judge is to condemn then we would get a we would get a paraphrase something like this in verse 11.

I Think it's helpful because I think it drives it home for us he who slanders a brother or condemns his brother slanders the law and condemns the law. But if you condemn the law you are not a doer of the law.

But one who condemns it by your actions. Well. That sounds serious in fact it is serious and there's an amazing sort of biting irony to all of this because The the person who is slandering the brother and condemning the brother Jesus is actually Slandering and condemning the law and and the irony lies in this it is the law that condemns us.

It is the law that condemns us and yet we presume to sit in judgment upon it. It's an incredibly sin motivated a reversal of true opinion true judgment. Now an obvious question is what law is he referring to?

What law are they sitting in judgment over what law are they condemning? Not not by their spoken word, but by their actions by their behaviors. What law are they? Well, I think again in context we would have to find in in back to chapter 2 verse 8.

Where he calls it the royal law. Or we might say the law of our King. And what is that royal law what is that law of the King. The the law is to love our neighbor as ourselves. Not to tear him down. That's the law.

That's the law. Leviticus 1918 you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am Yahweh, right? The two great commandments love the Lord your God with all your heart soul mind and strength and your neighbor as Yourself.

In this you fulfill all the law so the law that they are sitting in judgment over that they are Condemning is the very law that says they are to love one another and they're not loving one another is not even close.

Again, notice how he picks up the word neighbor in verse 12 At the end of the verse, but who are you to judge your neighbor? Same terminology we would find in Leviticus 1918. So I think this is clearly what he's talking about.

The law the royal law the law of the King is to love one another and Yet the behavior is in dramatic opposition to it now. By slandering or Criticizing the fellow believers rather than loving them. What is being communicated in effect?

Is that the law is not good. This law is not good. Man should be repealed. Or perhaps more likely it's true for others, but it's optional for me. This law to love is okay. So yeah, they should love me, but it's optional that I need to look back.

It's an unspoken kind of attitude, but it's very much there very much there. It's and it's such a contradiction, isn't it? To be a Christian. To be indwelled by the very Spirit of God who makes us one in the body of Christ and yet To use that God-given gift to tear down to damage to destroy one another.

And be like a police officer who steals. It's just a contradiction. Or perhaps one that's near and dear to us after these last few years rules for thee and not for me. Hmm. Rules for thee and not for me.

So I think that's exactly what is going on. Here is this first presumption? I'm above the law. That's why they're judgmental. They do not see themselves under the royal law, but in some sense sitting over it judging it condemning it.

The second presumption in verse 12 is I Am like God Qualified to judge. I Am like God qualified to judge so I am not only above the law. Doesn't apply to me. But I am now like God and in a position to judge notice verse 12.

There is only one lawgiver and judge. The one who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor? Who are you? I? In setting themselves up above the law James is telling us that in effect.

They're usurping the role of God there. They're usurping his role they're trying to step into his position and He is very emphatic about this and there is only one he says. There is only one lawgiver and judge.

Because there can only be one sovereign in the universe. And that sovereign has all power all authority to both save and cast into hell. The words of Jesus and Luke 12 5. But I will warn you whom to fear fear the one who after he has killed has authority to cast into hell.

Yes, I tell you fear him. There can be only one sovereign can be only one judge. Newsflash. It's not you. It's not me again if we were to Paraphrase this a little bit put it in some colloquial terms James would be saying something like Do you have what it takes to judge humanity?

Really? Do you have what it takes? We should emulate Job's put our hand over our mouth, huh? Hand over our mouth. James questioning here, but who are you verse 12? It reminds me of the Apostle Paul and it reminds me of the Apostle Paul's words to the believers in Rome.

Because they're in Rome they are they are tearing up one another or the exercise of their biblical freedoms that Biblical freedom that is ours in Christ and is massive have become an occasion to tear up one another.

And so Paul addresses them in kind of similar terms. Romans 14 3 and 4. Let not him who eats regard with Contempt him who does not eat and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats for God has accepted him.

Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls. Instead he will. But the Lord is able to make him stand. Beloved. There's a massive temptation for all of us all of us.

To judge one another and those kinds of judgments they can occur at all levels in the church from the very eternal sort of things with judgments like Boy, they I don't know if they're really a Christian or they can't even be a Christian and participate in this that or the other.

To the very trivial man. Do you see the ugly clothes? They wear to church what an ugly outfit. To which James would respond. Who made you the world's fashion judge. Who pointed you that way. It happens and it happens.

Without us even thinking about it at times. We just we open our mouths and we speak now what would James Solution for this be what would his solution for this kind of critical speech this judgmental speech?

The solution is very direct and it's very simple you ready stop it don't do it. Just don't do it. It's like the Bible's commands regarding sexual immorality. Destructive speech is to be immediately Ended cease and desist.

Not to be named among us. Ephesians 5 3. That's something that we're gonna Say well, you know, yeah, I've got this tongue. Yeah, I can see in trouble a lot, but I'm working on it. No, that's not what he would say.

You see it's got to end. Because out of the same opening can fresh and saltwater come. These things cannot be my brothers. Can't be this way. Can't be well, that's the first of the common marks of arrogance is judgmentalism.

Self-Confidence and Presumption About the Future

Judgmentalism. The second is Self-confidence. Verses 13 to 17. Now there's an interesting tie I think between judgmentalism and self-confidence. And here's the tie. Human weakness should restrain us from engaging in either behavior.

And yet it doesn't. And yet it doesn't just like the believers the James writing to you and I we Frequently forget our place in this universe and we start acting like we're God. We are self-confident.

And again, James gives us two illustrations of the way this self-confidence Manifests itself and it and it comes in the area of presuming upon the future. Our self-confidence reveals itself in that we presume upon the future.

And we do so in these two ways. First in verse 13 we assume our future plans. We assume our future plans. Look at verse 13 come now you who say today or tomorrow we shall go to such-and-such a city and Spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.

This this come now we might say well wait just a minute. That's the idea just a minute here. I think he's engaging not a not a particular Individual or even small group of businessmen as it were. I think I think he's he's speaking here to an imaginary group of merchants, but the point is is So well made and well received, you know, they're gonna go to such-and-such a city.

These merchants are deliberately Self-confident planners we can see it there, right? They've decided where they will go. We're gonna go to such-and-such a city. When they will arrive and how long they will stay and so forth.

So they've got it all planned out. They're very so confident in their plans. Beyond that they're also quite certain about the results of their plans. Notice we're going to engage in business and make a profit.

That's that's confident. Confident and I think again the reality here is James is not exclusively focusing on business people. Although business people are certainly susceptible to this kind of sin. But he's speaking to all of us all the believers who engage in the sin of presumption about the future look at verse 16.

But at but as it is you boast in your arrogance all such boasting is evil. I think it applies to all of us. Engaging it to one degree or another at one time or another. So, I think he's again speaking to all of us.

We all have fallen into judgmentalism. We all fall into Self-confidence and how easily we can slip into it, huh? This kind of self-confident thinking so let me give you a few illustrations. For example, I don't want to join this church because I'm only going to be here for a year.

I'm here in the community on a short-term job assignment, or I'm I'm graduating from high school and leaving or you know I'm graduating from whatever it is. I'm gonna be here a year. So I Don't want to join the church.

It's pretty self-confident assertion. Really? You're only gonna be here one year. You sure that. Really, you're sure or how about this one? After I graduate I'm going to get a job. I'm gonna get married.

I'm gonna buy a house. I'm gonna have four children nice. Rather self-confident assertions about the future there young man or how about this one? I'm going to retire. I'm going to travel. I'm going to see my grandchildren and I'm going to enjoy life.

Can't tell you how many people I know who made These kinds of assertions and then one of the partners comes down sick like seriously sick and All the plans are gone. They're all gone. You work your whole life To retire.

That's gone. How about the young person who says well, I'm gonna go to Bible college and become a missionary. Really? Really? All you need to do is find a church who's willing to support you. Or maybe a hundred churches who are willing to support you at the rather confident self-assertion young man.

I'm gonna get a promotion and That that promotion it's going to provide such a pay raise is going to take care all of our financial needs and we will live comfortably after that. Really? Big promotion.

Yep. I'm gonna get it hear the words of the gospel of Luke chapter 12 beginning in verse 18. This is what I will do. I will tear down my barns and build larger ones. There I will store all my My grain and my goods.

Now say to my soul so you have many goods laid up for many years to come. Take your ease eat drink be merry. Sounds like retirement. But God said to him You fool You fool this very night. Your soul is required of you and Now who will own what you have prepared?

So is the man who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God. Well Proverbs 27 in verse 1 do not boast about tomorrow. For you do not know what a day may bring forth and we don't. And we don't but we are a self-confident people.

We are a self-confident people and we presume upon the future. And we do it first by assuming our future plans secondly. We assume our future longevity verse 14. We not only assume our future plans, but we assume our future Longevity verse 14 yet.

You do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You're just a vapor that appears for a little while and Then vanishes away. I mean not only do we not know what God's providential Plans are for our life.

We don't even know if we'll be alive tomorrow. None of us know that James says that our lives are like the steam over a cup of coffee. Like the like our breath on a cold morning here and gone. Here and gone.

Here one minute gone the next accidental death life-shattering illness. The return of Christ, oh, yeah, there's that too. Yeah, there's that too. We cannot predict With any certainty the longevity of our lives.

We do not know. We do not know and since. Since we cannot guarantee our existence or even one day. How can we confidently declare what will happen in the future answer. We can't. We cannot. So what would James say to us James help me?

Yeah. Okay. I get it. Yeah, I'm that's it. You're in gone. Help me verse 15. Stead. You ought to say if the Lord wills we shall live and also do this or that. If the Lord wills we'll live and we'll do this or that.

Now James is not giving a religious formula by which we baptize our independent plans. We make our plans and then we end with if the Lord wills. It's kind of like any our prayers in Jesus name, right?

So we there instead of yours truly we like that. It's an expression of a very deep and profound theology very deep dependence upon Christ a recognition of his providential rule and leadership in our lives if he wills this or that and If he doesn't.

It won't we can't just simply make our plans and say if the Lord wills that doesn't get at it. We have to Consciously believe and live our lives in light of that truth. That's the secret that's James answer for us.

And how do I know if I'm doing that or not. But one way you can get an idea is how do you respond to disappointment? How do you respond to deep disappointment, how do you respond to frustrations? Where things don't work.

The way you want them the way you think God would like them for you. How we respond Reveals much about what we really do believe about his Sovereign leadership of our lives. How do we respond verses 16 and 17, but as it is You boast in your arrogance.

All such boasting is evil. Therefore to one who knows the right thing to do and Does not do it. To him it is sin. Self-confidence is not a small matter. It's not a eatsy-beatsy little sin. James says it's a betrayal of an arrogance that lies deep in our heart and that arrogance is evil.

It is evil beyond that he says once we come to realize this truth and yet Be persistent in our refusal to submit genuinely submit our plans to the will of God. Then it is a case of clear sin. It is clear sin.

He knows the right thing to do. Therefore to one who knows the right thing to do. What is the right thing to do is to recognize God's sovereignty over your life that you are but a vapor a Wisp above a cup of coffee.

That's all you are. Once you intellectually understand that and but then persistently refuse to live in light of that reality then to you it is sin in all of its manifestations. So it probably ought to be said here and this is good places anything that James is not condemning planning.

James is not condemning advanced planning. The New Testament is filled with examples of planning even strategic planning. You cannot read the book of Acts follow the church planting strategy the Apostle Paul and not see strategic planning.

He goes here. He bypasses here. He goes a little work. And you'll figure it out. But I think that probably the clearest illustration in the New Testament of strategic planning Is found in the ministry the public ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ himself during his three three and a half years of public ministry he executed the most perfect and the most biblically shrewd Plan to enable him to move and minister in the land where they hated him and wanted him dead and yet he was able to Move in and out.

And how did he do it the genius. He began his ministry by cleansing the temple and completely Infuriating the Sadducees who would have killed him right then and there and then he left for Galilee. Why.

Because Galilee is the territory of the Pharisees. Oh Yeah, the Pharisees and the Sadducees they hate each other's guts. Oh, yeah, they do. So he spent a considerable amount of time in Galilee until he had all of the Pharisees Ready to stone him and then he slipped away north Into the Gentile land then to Mount Hermon and then over into Perea outside the reach of Herod.

Constantly one step ahead of the hangman until he returned for his triumphal entry cleansed the temple a second time and by this time The Pharisees and the Sadducees are willing to overcome Their hatred their mutual animosity.

An enemy of my enemy is my friend. And they conspired together and he's on a cross less than a week shrewd as a serpent innocent as a dove. It's masterful. Masterful. Planning is good. Planning is good and proper.

As long as it is done under the realization that God is sovereign. God is sovereign and we are frail. We are weak. We're ignorant. We're entirely dependent upon him for every single breath. We draw if we can plan in light of that base reality.

Then we could and should plan. How do we take Christ into our planning? This could be a whole Multiple message. Maybe maybe the pastor will do this for us someday. But let me just suggest two for you quickly.

Now first recognize his providence over your life. How do you take Christ into account in your planning. Recognize his providence? In other words, he may have other plans for you. He may have other plans for you.

Proverbs 16 9 the mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps. Recognizes providence in your planning process and Secondly recognize his will over you. In other words, does your planning and violate scripture?

Search the scriptures. Make sure your plans do not violate the clear precepts of scripture or the necessary implications. And Then plan. Let's wrap it up this way. My friends judgmentalism and self-confidence.

They have no place in the life of God's people wouldn't you agree? But they are insidious and they are persistent and they must be battled. We must put it into it. Make a decision. Our mouths are not gonna be used in this way and then each and every day and dependence on the Spirit of God drawing close to him.

That the devil might flee from you to use James words we exercise speech that gives life. That conveys grace. It is life giving that it might be the habit of our lives. Until the Lord comes to take us home our father.

The gift of speech is a gift that you have given to only us in your creation. Among this terrestrial realm. We alone have this gift of speech and It is an amazing gift the ability to communicate with one another and the ability to communicate very complex ideas.

The ability to to write to sing music poetry to read. To pass on History and culture and family value and and most gloriously the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. What a gift it is and yet our father how often we find ourselves Utilizing this good gift of yours.

For ill-purpose and our father we confess that it is not often that it's planned not that we wake up in the morning and and have a Picture in mind of a particular individual and and say okay today. I'm gonna destroy his character with my mouth.

We just even to say it sounds crazy and yet I Can slip out we can find ourselves there. Oh Lord help us. Help us as a people To be pure of speech. Help us to train our tongues. To speak only that which gives life.

It gives grace to our hearers. Father, we know that the restraint of the tongue begins in the heart. And so we pray we're praying for it for there for the for your mysterious work of your spirit in us responds to your word.

Transform us sanctify us. Grow us in the likeness of Christ protect us here at at this Amazing body of which we find ourselves apart that we would never Contribute to the destruction or the criticism of a brother or a sister.

With our own mouths. We know it's real. We know it lies close at hand. We know our father this was not just some ancient problem of of some believers 2 ,000 years ago with no relevance for us. We we acutely feel it even now and in this moment.

That it lies close at hand. Help us we pray The glory of Christ.