The message was brought by Rev. Eddie Foster on June 4, 2023.
James 4:7-10 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
A bullseye target has nine outer edges as it goes inside to the target–the bullseye. With practice a person should get better with each shot and get closer to the bullseye. How can we get closer to God? Verse 7 tells us to submit to God. We must realize our need for forgiveness and then we follow God and resist the devil. We don’t allow Satan to entice us. In an earlier chapter we’re told that we’re tempted by our own lusts. Verse 8 shown above says we’re to cleanse our hands and hearts. Verse 9 says we should weep over our sins and verse 10 says to humble ourselves before the Lord. If we do these things, we’ll be lifted up. This is put in conditional terms. If we do our part: submit; resist; draw nigh; cleanse ourselves–then God will do his part. He is faithful when we do our part. Matthew puts it like this: we ask–that’s doing our part; then God responds. We seek–that’s our part; then God responds. We knock–that’s our part; then God responds.
The outer section of the bullseye is way out there for a shooter. If you don’t even hit that part you’re way out there. Matthew 9:36 likens this to the multitude. In that line, we know the majority of people aren’t saved. The Bible says there are few on the straight and narrow road that leads to heaven. The way to destruction is broad and many are on it. We need to tell sinners to draw nigh to God. The next section is like unto Acts 4:32–the part of the multitude that has accepted Jesus as Savior. What do we say to them? The same thing: draw nigh to God. The next section is from the multitude in Matthew. Five thousand are shown. What do we tell them? Draw nigh to God. Of the 5,000 we go to 500. We see this number in I Corinthians 15:6; 31. Paul is talking about the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord. He says we are to die to self and our will. Again: draw close to God. From there we go to the 120 mentioned in Acts as those in the Upper Room. They were doing what few were willing to do. Don’t just occupy. Wait on the Lord. And draw nigh to him. From the 120 we go to the 70. In Luke 10 are those who went out two by two to win souls. All of us should be winning others. Not everyone is called to preach or teach but all are called to win others. Tell others about him. Again, draw nigh to the Lord. From the 70 the next section of the bullseye is the 12. Who are they? The 12 disciples who willingly sold out full time for the Lord. Not all were called for this but some were and not all called would go. We don’t get too many volunteers these days. We need people willing to be used. God will use you when you become willing to be used. Isaiah said “send me.” We need to say that and continue to draw nigh to God. From the 12 we go to the next section; this number is 3. Peter, James and John were the inner circle of the 12. Only these 3 were at certain occasions. In every church are those you can’t do without. Are you willing to do anything for the cause of Christ? When God comes first we will. And as we do, continue to draw nigh to God. Now we’re at the bullseye and number 1. Was it Peter? No. He had been crucified upside down. Was it James? No. His head had been cut off. That leaves John. They tried to kill him but he lived. Instead he was exiled to the island of Patmos and there received the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
How do we become a bullseye Christian? To be honest, I don’t feel I’ve arrived. How do we do it? It is verse 8. Draw nigh to God. Don’t just consider it. Do it. Take a blank piece of paper and sign it. Give it to God and let him fill it in. There is always room to draw closer.
Adwolfe Freewill Baptist Church 