and went a little longer in the Q&A than I anticipated, and looking forward to getting into part two tonight of our message from James in chapter four. James in chapter four, if you'll open there this evening, it's where we'll be, and we're gonna look at one point again this evening, two next week, and then we'll close the series down. I am gonna go ahead and tell you, though, everything ties together next Wednesday, so don't miss next Wednesday night. You're gonna wanna be here for that as we tie the entire series up. on that final segment. James in chapter 4, and the Bible tells us in verse 4, it says, God. Now, guys, we looked at this last week, we opened up, we gave one point last week as James kind of gives us the concern of God. We find that He is concerned with what is called worldliness. We're looking at the title of this sermon tonight as In the Way of Worldliness, which is that organized system that is headed up by Satan. It's designed to exclude God from the believer's life and the decisions we make, the prioritization of time, our commitment, our faithfulness, our SCHEDULE IN A TIME ALL THAT WE DO IN OUR LIFE AND LIVING EVERY SINGLE DAY, GOD HAS THIS CONCERN. AND HERE'S JAMES AS THIS CONDUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD, TELLING US HERE, SAYING, YE ADULTERERS AND ADULTERERS, KNOW YE NOT THAT THE FRIENDSHIP OF THE WORLD IS IMITATING WITH GOD. NOW, YOU GOTTA KEEP IN MIND, WHO'S JAMES WRITING IT TO? HE'S WRITING TO SAVED INDIVIDUALS. HE'S WRITING TO CHRISTIANS, AND YET HE'S SAYING, that friendship of the world is enmity with God. You know, again, when we think about worldliness, I can say, well, that's a worldly such-and-such, or this is worldliness. Every one of us in here have this preconceived image of what we would call worldliness, okay, as a Christian. Every one of us in here have not come to that conclusion on our own. we have come to that conclusion by that which we have been taught throughout the years and what we have learned from other men or women if you will uh... you know in sunday school whatever may be about what worldliness is and how christians should not be worldly and and we should avoid x y and z and we shouldn't do this shouldn't do that we should do these and all of these different things and and we begin to tick these boxes and and i and i i do think in a great way that our lot has been some of the worst, maybe not THE worst. We have the doctrine, man. We got the Bible right. We got the salvation plan right. Most have the prayer life right. We have all these things right. And then still, on the backside of having these things right, we've concocted this idea that if our husbands, our wives, and our children, if they follow this list right here, they're not worldly, they fit into our little box here, and I can have fellowship with you. And I've got to be honest with you, the majority of that little list is nothing more than preferential opinions, not based on biblical doctrine, but based on something what somebody else thinks. Part your hair on the right side, wear the right color of tie, carry your Bible with the right hand, not the left. Don't put anything on top of the Bible. I've heard men get in pulpits and spend 20 minutes about never ever sitting anything on top of the Bible, and then they walk back to their pew and they sit it on the floor. Something ain't right, amen? The floor is where your feet go. The dirtiest thing on the rent is the floor. So what I'm saying, guys, is that we have created this image of what we say is worldliness. Most of it has been concocted by someone else, who was taught by someone else, who was taught by someone else, rather than getting into the scripture and start looking at the fine details of what worldliness really and truly is. So James has a concern here. God has a concern about the Christian being worldly and therefore being an enemy of God. So where does worldliness truly rest? Well, by way of the Holy Spirit, James goes from the concern, and then he gives us a warning to not conform. To not conform, okay? James chapter 4, again, we read it, "...Ye adulteressers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." Now, I want you to remember, as we mentioned last week, A friend or friendship, guys, is something that is near and dear. Friend, the word friend comes from the word phileos, okay? And it means friend or to be friendly with someone, to wish them well, an associate or somebody who's familiar, a companion, if you will. That's what a friend is, okay? The Lord Jesus Christ uses the word friend quite often, but he also referred to, as Judas is his friend, okay? And a bit of a conviction thing, okay? Of course, that comes out of Psalm 22, we know. But anyway, when we surround ourselves with certain individuals, naturally, there's an adaptation from one to another. Some things can be harmless, while others can be detrimental. And this is where we're brought with this thought of conformity. This is where conformity comes from. Now, in Romans chapter 12, in verse two, The Bible tells us to be not conformed to this world, but be you transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. In other words, guys, if you are conformed to this world, you're never going to prove what is good, acceptable, and perfect will of God. Mind you, if you are not transformed by the renewal of your mind, you're still going to have the same outcome. You cannot prove what is that good, acceptable, and perfect will of God. So to conform means to press or to shape. It's like taking a piece of clay, guys, and mold it into the shape that you desire. A potter shapes a clay through pressure. Hence, that's what the word conform means, to press or pressure. It literally means to conform one's self, an example, one's mind and or character to another's pattern. That's what it means. You see it in clothing all the time. You see it in, I don't know much about the TikTok people. I don't know anything about it, number one. Some, I don't know, somebody will drop a name sometime, they'll say they're a TikTok influencer. I have no earthly idea, really and truly, the depth of what that even means. I think what it means is they don't have a job, they do videos, and millions of minions follow them, dress like them, talk like them, act like them, and walk like them. That's called being conformed, okay, to another person's character or image. We're getting a staunch warning here to not allow the world system, all right? Who is that system headed up by? Satan, okay? We are getting a staunch warning here to not allow the world system to press us into becoming an enemy of God. In other words, don't let the world press you into becoming something God did not design you to become. First John tells us this. Verse John 2, verses 15 and 16, he says, Now guys, Again, we go back, what is that world? That is that cosmos, that's the word that we mentioned last week, any type of organized system, any kind of operating system, the world of sports we talked about, the world of finance last week, all of those things that associate with that. Well, John just gives us three things there, less than the flesh, less than the eyes, and the pride of life. That's the three categories of sin. Where does that come from? It comes from the head of the world, the one who is headed up this world system, all the way back in Genesis chapter three. You know, the fruit was pleasant to the eyes, able to make one wise, good for food. It was the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, okay? All categories of sin fall into this right here. So John is saying love not the world neither things in the world Okay, it's this system guide this world We are commanded to be in but just not be of and that's what's under we understand cover that quite clearly last week We're not to be conformed to this world John 15 tells us in verses 18 and 19 if the world hates you, you know that it is that it hated me before it hated you and If you were of the world, the world would love his own, but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you OUT of the world, therefore the world HATETH you." So guys, here's what you need to understand. okay in this this center world system here and then you try to you try to hold to christ and then you try to reach over and hold to the world that world is going to turn on you in a heartbeat and it's going to hate you just like it hated him and it's not going to hate you for personal reasons it's going to hate you because of jesus christ and you need to understand that It's just like a ship. We're in the world like a ship is in the ocean, if you understand it. That ship is okay as long as it's on the water. But when the water gets in the ship, what happens? It begins to sink. And it's no different than our life, guys. If we're in this world, the moment that world gets in us, we're of the world, as a Christian, we're gonna begin to sink. And that is where you find what worldliness means. Next week, you're gonna find some of the markers, the true markers of what worldliness is. And I do pray that you come back, you'd be in your place next week. So, beloved, worldliness, when you leave God out of the equation, that's what it is. It's the unauthorized relationship we spoke about last week, mentions in James 4, 4. James is writing to Christians. And again, he's a conduit of the Holy Spirit. And therefore, it's God saying, you know, when he says, it's saying we, the same born again souls, guys, can become an enemy of God. We can become hostile with God. We can become antagonistic with God. We can become in opposition with God by way of this unauthorized relationship with the world. Because in the history of mankind, there has not been ONE unauthorized relationship that's ever rendered peace in people's life. Not one time. Ever. So worldliness, we find here in James 4, is equated to adultery. The opening words of our text is the label that is given, ye adulterers and adulteresses. So you may ask, how in the world is that the same? Read from the screen two verses here, Romans chapter 7, verses 2 and verse 4. The Bible says, For when the woman which hath a 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. Verse four, wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ, that ye should be married to another, even him who, even him, we're at a loss of a verse, a chapter. Even him who's raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. So guys, as believers, we are a spouse to Jesus Christ. We are the bride of Christ, amen? Every saved, born-again believer in the world today, faithful and unfaithful, alright, are part of that Bride, okay? And the Bridegroom, who is Jesus Christ, is alive and well, so we aren't to be bound to another. Does that make sense to you tonight? So when we get involved in this unauthorized type of relationship, when we CONFORM to the world, we commit adultery on Jesus Christ, and I'll tell you, that'll make some preachers stop and think, amen? There's a lot of preachers that hoop and holler about a bunch of things on their little soapbox, but they won't touch this with a ten-foot pole, amen? 2 Corinthians 11, look at this with me, if you will. Paul says, "...for I am jealous over you with godly jealousy. For I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent begot he through his subtlety, so your mind should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preach another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him." HERE IS THE HEAD OF THE WORLD, OKAY? AGAIN, WE LOOKED AT I JOHN CHAPTER 2, THREE CATEGORIES OF SIN. NOW WE TAKE THAT BACK TO GENESIS CHAPTER 3. NOW WE'RE LOOKING ABOUT BEING MARRIED UNTO ANOTHER. WE ARE DEAD TO THE LAW, MARRIED UNTO ANOTHER. WE'RE A SPOUSE. PAUL WANTS TO PRESENT US AS A CHASTE VIRGIN. HE'S JEALOUS WITH GODLY JEALOUS OVER US. HE WANTS TO PRESENT US AS A CHASTE VIRGIN TO JESUS CHRIST. AND NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN, HE'S SPEAKING UNTO THE CORINTHIAN CHURCH, AND HE'S SPEAKING BY PROXY UNTO US, AND HE BRINGS BACK THAT HEAD OF THE WORLD SYSTEM AGAIN. And he uses the very same thing that John used in 1 John chapter 2 and that is recorded in Genesis chapter 3 and he says, So your mind should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. Here's the head of the world system. A system preaching another godliness, a gospel of worldliness. Beguiling people into believing that you can be of the world and still maintain a chaste relationship with God. No, you don't lose your salvation. And I get that. I understand humanistic reasoning. When you look back and you go, Well, what's the biggest thing I'm going to lose? I can't lose my salvation, I'm not going to hell anymore, so I'm just going to live it up, soak it up, do whatever I want to do. There's a problem with that, guys, because when you stand before the judgment seat of Jesus Christ, the ENJOYMENT of this world, the FUN and the pleasures of sin for a season in this world is NOT going to matter to you. The friends that the so-called friends that you had in this world Or the money that you made none of that's gonna matter The only thing is gonna matter in how you built upon the foundation of Jesus Christ Either wood hay or stubble or gold silver and precious stones. That is the only thing That's why the Bible says he's wiping away tears. Amen two times in the book of Revelation. We see Jesus Christ wipe away tears both of them are at the end of a judgment seat one is our judgment as a Christ a church and Wipe them away after we find that we suffer loss of what we could have had. And the other one is that the Great White Throne Judgment, when I'm clearly convinced that we are going to see those opportunities, those souls that we knew and we loved or we said we loved, that we could have reached, that we forsook, that we didn't take the time out when we should to be a witness unto them, and they're going to be pitched off into the devil's hell. Then God shall wipe away all their tears. No tears in heaven, you'll hear people sing. That is about not biblical as anything else, amen? I wish some of the hymn writers and the songwriters We'll get them in A.V. 1611 and study the Bible out before they start writing words down that feel good and sound good. And our hillbilly preachers, hack preachers, get up and, hey man, they yell and scream and holler at a thing so all millennial, or it has nothing to do with the gospel of Jesus Christ, but it sounds good, amen? Just because it sounds good doesn't mean it preaches well, amen? I'm saying to all that guys, I say this, no, you're not gonna lose your salvation by being of the world. But you can and will become an enemy with God. You can become enmity WITH God, and enmity means a state of hostility or opposition with God. I don't know if that means anything to you, but I'll tell you what, it means something to me. So let's revisit James chapter 1. Look at the screen there, if you will. We'll wrap this one up here in just a moment. James in chapter 1 tells us verse 14 and 15, but every man is tempted, and when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed, then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin, and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Never says when you're finished with sin. It says when it's finished with you. Believers can become enemies of God through convenient commitments. Too many believers today treat God like a spare tire or AA. They just want Him there for emergencies. They just want Him there when they need Him. The rest of their time, they're happy for God just sitting in a boot, minding his own business. Beloved, in closing, that's not the relationship that God wants with you. And that's not the relationship that God sent his only begotten son to this earth to suffer and die for you. The Bible tells us not to be conformed to the world. That means to be shaped, to be shaped in the image of what this world is and led by the ultimate enemy of God, Satan himself. His one desire is to remove God from the believer's life, to remove God from society. You say, well, preacher, they talk about Jesus all the time, you know, when they're in schools or when they're here, when they're there. If you would begin to examine the average person image of who Jesus Christ is. You begin to find out real quick that just like we talked about in the question of 1 Corinthians 10, they ain't doing anything but idolatrous worship. When you worship a God, when you worship a Jesus that you created in your own mind of what you think he should be like, you're an idolater. You know better than the worshipers of Dagon. You know better than those bound to 2.4 million gods in Hinduism. Oh, we think we are, because we throw Jesus' name in there. We share in the gospel in the streets, actually in the shambles in the, not just the shambles, it's in Guyana. I was witnessing to a guy one time and he said, there's no way on earth, there's no way we can know who the real God is. I said, yeah, there is. I said, this Bible tells me who God is. The Bible tells me that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior. The Bible tells me that Jesus' name is above all names, and by him and through him, you must be saved. Otherwise, you're gonna die and go to hell for your own sins. He goes, well, I believe on that. I believe that. I wanna be saved right now. And boy, I tell you, for about half a second, I got a little sided. I said, hang on. I said, are you willing to forsake all those other gods? He goes, no, no, no, no. But I believe yours. He just wanted to add it to his repertoire. He wanted to add it to his pantheon of gods that he worshiped. God doesn't work like that. He never has, he never will. And beloved, in our life today, when we've created a system through our Bible colleges, through our churches, through our mission field, our questionnaires that we put out, We've created what we think is worldliness off preferential standards, as opposed to biblical standards that God himself has laid out. We say we're Bible believers, but we start peeling back the layers and we're gonna find out. Next week, Lord willing, if the Lord doesn't come back or if we don't pass on, we're gonna hit that last point and we're gonna unveil a few things. I hope and pray you're here. We're going to unveil a few things of what James, the man of God here, quotes the Word of God and writes the Word of God of what true worldliness is and what the markers are. Father, we thank you for the opportunity and time to be here tonight. Lord, I ask you to bless our prayer meeting to follow, Father. I thank you for who and what you are and all you've done. Do ask you now that if we will, Lord God, bless the rest of our time together as we go into our announcements, our offertory. Father, our prayer meeting this evening, I pray you bless it. Hear our prayers, answer them according to thy will. In Jesus' name, amen. Amen, praise the Lord. I hope and pray that preaching, teaching the word of God was a blessing to your heart tonight.