26TH OCTOBER, 2014

Sunday Teaching
Topic: Dont Overlook These

Text: James 4-5

Key Verses:
JAS 4:4
You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God?
Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
JAS 4:7
Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
JAS 4:8
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and
purify your hearts, you double-minded.
JAS 4:11
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.
JAS 5:7
Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the
precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. JAS 5:13 Is
anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises.
JAS 5:19
My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back,

Introduction:
James continued his writing by reminding the saints the things that they should know about how
they behave toward one another, toward the world and toward God. Sometimes we forget these
things when we are occupied with so many things- most especially with the affairs of our lives
and of this world. As we pass through this earth these things should be part of our lives, our
thoughts, our confessions and our deeds. We should not overlook these. Let us learn from apostle
James the Lords brother and leader of the church at Jerusalem.

Body:
I. Relationship with God
1. Ask with right motives
2. We belong only to Him
3. Humble before Him
4. Submit and draw near to God
5. Resist the devil
6. Dont boast
7. Do what is right
8. Wait patiently for His Coming
9. Dont swear
10. Pray, sing praises
11. Pray earnestly
(Verse 4:3) 1Jn 3:22
(Verse 4:5) 2Cor 6:14-18
(Verse 4:6) Ps 138:6
(Verses 4:7-10) Jn 15:4-10
(Verse 4:7) Eph 4:27 1Pet 5:8
(Verses 4:13-16) Act 18:21
(Verse 4:17) Rom 14:23 1Jn 5:17
(Verses 5:7-8) 2Pet 3:3-9
(Verse 5:12) Mt 5:34-37
(Verse 5:13) Ps 50:15, 69:30 Col 3:16
(Verses 5:17-18) 1King 17:1-16 Mk 11:23

II. Relationship with the Brethren

1
 1. Dont envy
2. Dont quarrel
3. Dont speak against
4. Dont judge
5. Dont complain against
6. Pray for the sick
7. Confess sins and pray for
8. Turn back a sinning brother
(Verses 4:1-2) 1Pet 2:1
(Verses 4:1-2) Prv 17:14 2Tim 2:24
(Verse 4:11) Prov 15:1 2Cor 12:20
(Verses 4:11-12) Mt 7:1
(Verse 5:9) 1Cor 1:10
(Verses 5:14-15) Mk 6:13
(Verse 5:16) Act 19:18
(Verses 5:19-20) Mt 18:15 Gal 6:1

III. Relationship with the World

1. Not a friend of the world (Verse 4:4) 1Jn 2:15-17 2Cor 6:14-18
2. Misuse of riches (Verses 5:1-5) Lk 6:24, 12:16-21
3. Dont condemn the innocent (Verse 5:6) Ams 4:1-2
4. Endure (Verses 5:10-11) Jb 1:21-22 1Pet 3:14

Conclusion:
There are times when believers are busy with the work of the Lord, do many things for the
church and are involved with various activities; we overlooked our good relationship with the
brethren and the world. When disagreement arises we speak against one another and we judge
one another. This is not the way it should be. Rather we confess our sins to one another. Pray for
one another so we can be healed. We should turn a sinning brother back to the Lord. When we
are not in the ministry activity there are times we become friends of the world. Those who are
not involved with the church and are not conscious with their walk with the Lord are more prone
to be tempted and sin. James in his letter admonished the saints to hold our faith in Christ with
utmost care. We should not speak against our brethren. We should not be like the world with its
evil desires and evil works. We should not love the world and become an enemy of God. We
should endure everything while waiting patiently for the coming of the Lord. We receive from
the Lord if we ask and ask according to His will and not ask amiss. Let us draw near to God and
resist the devil for the days are evil and the enemy does not sleep. Humble ourselves before the
Lord and He shall exalt us. Therefore brethren let us not overlook these things- our relationship
with God, relationship with the brethren and with the world for in doing so we shall be fruitful in
our knowledge and service to God.

PRESENTED

BY

PST. ISHAYA CHRISTOPHER IYA

ECWA NEW GWAZUNU SULEJA, NIGER STATE