SCRIPTURE: James 3:1-4:10 (Page 1436); 1Samuel 13:1-14; 16:6-14 (Page 344)
SERMON: Godly Ambition									     8 July 2001

  I. REVIEW AND INTRODUCTION
A. SELFISH AMBITION IS EVIL (Jms.3:14,16; 2Th.2:4,9; Phil.2:21; see 6/10/01 sermon)

B. LACK OF AMBITION IS EVIL (Prov.6:6f; 12:24,27; 13:4; 15:19; 19:24; 20:4; 21:25,26; 22:13; 24:30f; 26:13f; see 1Th.4:11,12; 2Th.3:11,12; 6f)

C. AMBITION CAN BE GOOD!

 II. WORD
A. LOVE HONOR (Rom.15:20,21; 2Cor.5:9; 1Thes.4:11; see 6/10/01 sermon, II. WORD)
1. love: brotherly exchange (see Lk.6:32-34)
2. honor: esteem; price (see Rom.13:7; Mt.15:4-8; Mt.27:6,9(Zech.11:13); honor/arium)

B. NOTE-ASPIRATION: LONGING (1Tim.3:1(6:10); Heb.11:16)

III. USAGE
A. EMULATING (see Ps.119:99)

B. ZEALOUS, STRIVE EAGERLY (see Phil.3:12,14)

C. ACT WITH PUBLIC SPIRIT (in honorary decrees; see Rom.13:7; Acts 10:22)

D. COMPETITIVE GREED (see Phil.1:15,17)

E. STRIKING CONTRAST (Rom.2:7-10)

 IV IDEAS 
A. SOURCE (Jms.3:17a,13; see 1:17)

B. CHARACTER (Jms.3:17; see 4:6,10)

C. RESULT (Jms.3:17,18)

D. PURPOSE (2Cor.5:9; see 1Cor.10:31; see Jms.3:15,17; Rom.11:33)

  V. ACCOMPLISHMENT-EXAMPLE: JESUS THE CHRIST
A. HIS AMBITION (Jn.4:34; 6:38(Mk.10:45=Mt.20:28; see Jms.3:15,17?; Phil.2:5f); 8:29(5:41,44); Lk.22:42)

B. THE SON OF DAVID (Acts 13:22 (1Sam.13:14; Ps.89:20); see Lk.22:42)

C. HIS HONOR (Mt.3:17&17:5(2Pt.1:17); Is.42:1; see Phil.2:5-11)

D. THE MYSTERIOUS RIDDLE (Jms.3:13,17; see Lk.14:11; 18:4; Jms.4:10; see Lk.6:38; 9:24; 2Cor.9:6)

E. PROOFS (Phil.2:5-11 vs. Is.14:12f; 2Th.2:4,8; Rev.20:7f; see 1Sam.13:14)

VI. APPLICATION-IMITATION: PAUL THE APOSTLE 
A. PHILIPPIANS (Phil.3:14; see 3:1-6/7-16; see 2:21(2:5f); 1:17)

B. CORINTHIANS (see 2Cor.4:15; 12:19 vs. 11:20)

VII. APPLICATION-IMITATION: YOU THE CHRISTIAN!
A. YOUR AMBITION (2Cor.5:9(Jn.8:29); 1Cor.10:31; Rom.2:7,10)

B. YOUR HONOR (Rom.2:7,10; 2Cor.5:9,10; Mt.6:33; 23:12; 25:21,23(Mt.3:17; Acts 13:22))

C. YOUR WISDOM (Jms.3:13,17; see Lk.14:11; 18:4; Jms.4:10; see Lk.6:38; 9:24; 2Cor.9:6)
“The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever”  This is good and godly ambition: in dependence upon Christ, who accomplished godly ambition, 
•	to exalt God by humbling ourselves to hear His word and obey His commandments; 
•	doing His will and not ours that we may enjoy His glory and not our shame; 
•	losing our life that we may gain His life; 
•	humbling ourselves in obedience in order that He may exalt us in grace; 
•	seeking honor, glory and immortality by persevering obedience so that He will cause us to find eternal life; 
•	giving what He has given us to share so that we will receive more than we could think to ask for 
•	sowing temporal good abundantly so that we may reap eternal good abundantly even now; 
•	saying in every thought, word and deed, “Thy will be done, not my will” so that we may hear above the contempt of men, “Well done, good and faithful servant; enter into the joy of your master”
•	living the mysterious riddle of heavenly wisdom: to be ambitious for our own desires by our own means will bring us complete loss and humiliation; but to be ambitious for God’s desires by His means will bring us glory, honor and immortality dawning in our lives even now

be ambitious to please God; He will honor you!