Draw Near to God

Sermon Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman

James 4:1-10 (ESV)
 1 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?  Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? 6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says,  “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.  Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

Prayer of Confession
Our Father, we are a wandering people.  In our pride we turn our backs to you, the one who gives us all good things.  We exalt ourselves, and in this folly we bring harm to ourselves and others. We confess our worries, our guilt, our wrong doing, our selfish instincts.  We need more grace. Thank you for calling us back to you. Thank you for the promise that if we draw near to you, you will not reject us. Thank you that you have drawn near to us first.  Forgive us our sins. Pardon our guilt, cover our shame, cleanse our hands and our hearts from all unrighteousness. During this time of social distancing, help us to know that you are close to us.  We draw near to you in the name of Jesus, whose blood was shed so that we would have life in his name. Amen.

Word of Encouragement – Psalm 103:11-13
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, 
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; 
as far as the east is from the west, 
so far does he remove our transgressions from us. 
As a father shows compassion to his children, 
so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.