James 1:4-8 – A Touch from God – Bible study

James 1:4-8 A Touch from God We are about to begin a revival. What is a revival about? It is about getting a touch from God. Everyone needs a touch from God, saved and lost. Everyone needs a regular touch from God. However, there are different types of people and they need different types of touches! 1. Some need to be hit with the hammer of God. 2. Some need to be re-charged by God. 3. And some need their eyes to be opened. James introduces to some people who need a touch from God. I. The Foolish Man needs a touch from God. James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom. A. Please do not be offended if I seem to suggest that you fall into this category. 1. A foolish man is not necessarily one who lacks knowledge. 2. In fact, some of the most knowledgeable people of this world are very foolish and some of the wisest people of world have very little knowledge. 3. Wisdom and smart are not the same. 4. Knowledge is intelligence, the accumulation of facts; Wisdom is having the ability to see things as God sees things. B. James warns of the inferiority of mere knowledge. He calls a person who relies on knowledge double-minded, even unstable. James 1:8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. 1. Again, James does not mean that they are crazy, just erratic, unsteady, subject to change. 2. Why? Because knowledge can be faulty and is subject to change. In the old days, the largest printed encyclopedia was the Britannica Encyclopedia. It was so large that it was divided into different sets, the Micropdia and Macropdia. Together, they had about 40 million words and 24,000 pictures. The index contained 2,350 pages, which listed 228,274 topics written about in the Britannica, One could easily say that it was THE source of knowledge for many generations. However, since 1936, the articles of the Britannica have been revised often, with about 10% of the articles brought to be re-written each year. One Britannica website said that 46% of the articles were revised in the past three years; but another Britannica web-site says it was only 35% of the articles were revised. http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica 3. Knowledge, facts, smartsit changes which means what you think you know today might be incorrect. In fact, it probably is. C. So James warns us to get wisdom instead. 1. How do we get this wisdom? Just ask for it. God will freely give it. 2. But how can a person ask for wisdom if he does not know it exists? a. There was a time in our country when wisdom was as abundant as the leaves on the ground in fall. You could not walk anywhere without stepping in it. b. But the God-haters of this world have about destroyed wisdom off the earth. God is virtually outlawed in public environments and it wont be much longer before they attempt to outlaw Him in the private arenas too. c. That is one reason why we need revivals. People need to come out of this world and have some open the word of God and expose them to Gods view points not just for 30 or 40 minutes. But for 60 or 90 minutes. Not just one day a week, but night after night. D. What kind of wisdom does the foolish need to gain? 1. Wisdom of salvation a. The first and foremost wisdom that needs to be gained is the wisdom of salvation. b. Here it that wisdom in a nutshell. Mr 8:36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? 37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? c. What would you have if you gained every wealth the world contained or tried every pleasure that it offered? (1) Would it be worth your soul? (2) The foolish might answer, "Yes." (3) You need the wisdom to know that nothing is more important than your soul. (4) If you lack that kind of wisdom, only exposure to the powerful preaching of the Word of God can pound that kind of wisdom into you. (5) Being under the preached word is like a hammer. God designed it to drive wisdom into the heart. 2. Wisdom of eternity a. Eternity is not just a time period. It is a point of view, a perspective. b. Most everything changes when you start looking at them from the perspective of eternity. c. Perhaps your life is tough, filled with struggles and heartachesbut what are a few days of struggle compared to eternity? Ro 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 3. Wisdom of the Word a. Anyone can own a Bible. b. Understanding of the Bible can only come by wisdom. 1Co 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. E. These three wisdoms could altar not only the landscape of a human soul but of a nationof the whole world! II. The Tempted Man needs a touch from God. A. Much of the book of James is directed to the tempted. B. The tempted man that James writes to must be a Christian man. 1. You say why? a. Temptation does comes to the saved and the lost, does it not? b. Temptation is someone being tempted to abandon right for wrong, is it not? 2. Yes! But James knew that the lost mans best efforts were to be moral were wicked and abominable before God, so he would tell spend his time trying to help them win a moral battle when what they needed was to win the salvation battle! Jas 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. Ga 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. 3. You cant be a little bit good or bad anymore than you can be a little bit pregnant or a little bit dead. 4. As a matter of fact, the categories of "good" and "bad" dont exist. The only thing you can be is forgiven or not forgiven. C. So James is speaking to the saved man who was being tempted to be discouraged, defeated, or downhearted. Such a person needs a touch from God. D. What might God give to such a man? 1. Faith James 1:3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. a. When temptation comes, it is your faith that is being attacked. b. Faith is your assurance in God and His promises. c. You need a touch from God to strengthen your faith. d. Getting under the preached word is like a charger being hooked up to the battery. It will do something for you! e. They did not have batteries are charges in the Bible days but they had fire and undersand that from time to time, a fire needs to be restoked. f. Revival will out the fire back into you! g. Isnt it interesting that when the Holy Ghost came in the Upper Room that He came as a flaming fire? 2. Patience James 1:3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. a. When temptations comes, we need to hold on until God brings deliverance and victory! Heb 10:36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. b. Patience is the ability to wait without anxiety or frustration. c. So when temptation comes, we need to keep doing right and to wait patiently for God! 3. Joy James 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; a. God does want us to have the good things in life, like joy, peace, power, and purpose. 1Jo 1:4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. Joh 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. b. Now He is not as much interested in us having fun, pleasure, and prosperity; but God wants life to be good for us. III. The Cold Man needs a touch from God. A. The foolish man is lost; the tempted man is saved; but the cold man can be either. 1. It is strange that a malady as severe has coldness can have an effect on both the redeemed and the damned, but it can. 2. Whats more, it is very, very difficult to fix this condition. B. Notice how James describes it: 1. The cold man can know the Bible. James 1:23 For if any be a hearer of the word. 2. The cold man can know his sins and shortcomings. James 1:24 For he beholdeth himself. 3. The cold man can have a form of religion. James 1:26 If any man among you seem to be religious. 4. But for all he knows, he has no concern. James 1:24 He goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. James 1:23 He is not a doer. 5. He has grown cold and indifferent to the Word of God. C. The Old Testament says of him Proverbs 26:12 Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him. D. Such a man needs a touch from God! God summarizes what this man needs. 1. If he is religious, he needs to stop deceiving himself. James 1:26 He "deceiveth his own heart, this mans religion is vain." 2. He needs to let the Word of God penetrate his heart. James 1:21 "receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. 3. Friend, your best opportunity is to put yourself under the preached Word of God, night after night, service after servicepraying all the while that God would touch you!