James 3:1

My Invitation Tonight Might Come Off as a Bit Brutal

I Don’t Intend to Step on Toes or Hurt Feelings…

But if that Happens, Maybe it will Be a Needed Eye-Opener

James 3:1 (LSB)

1 Do not, many of you, become teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive a stricter judgment.

This is a Very Important Verse with a Very Important Command

James Told His Audience that Teachers Receive a Greater Judgment

Therefore, Many of Them shouldn’t Be Teachers

What are We Meant to Take From this Verse?

Is it Permission to Be Released From the Duty of Teaching?

Is it Permission to Forsake Evangelism/Sharing the Gospel?

As is the Case with Every Passage of Scripture…

Context Matters

What Do We Know About the Recipients of this Letter?

They were Persecuted

They Needed Wisdom in How to Respond to Their Persecution

They were Quick to Run Their Mouths and Get Angry, Instead of Listening

They were Not Good at Controlling Their Mouths

They were Guilty of Hearing the Scriptures But Not Putting Them into Practice

They Professed Belief in God, But Their Actions Didn’t Prove it

They were Prone to Show Favoritism to the Rich

With All of that Background that We’ve Been Given in the First 2 Chapters…

Now Read the Verse Again:

James 3:1 (LSB)

1 Do not, many of you, become teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive a stricter judgment.

With Context, it Makes a Lot of Sense Why Many of Them shouldn’t Be Teachers

They Lacked Wisdom

Their Behavior Didn’t Match Up with What They Claimed to Believe

And Most Pertinent to this Passage:

They had Very Little Self-Control Over Their Speech

James 3:2–12 (LSB)

2 For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the entire body as well. 3 Now if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well. 4 Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, they are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot wills.

5 So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. Behold how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, the very world of unrighteousness; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our existence, and is set on fire by hell.

7 For every kind of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. 8 But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a fountain pour forth from the same opening fresh and bitter water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can saltwater produce fresh.

Our Speech is a Powerful Tool

It can Do Great and Terrible Things

It’s Like a Small Fire in a Forest

When it’s Controlled, it can Be a Source of Warmth, Nourishment, and Light

When it’s Uncontrolled, it can Burn Down the Entire Forest…

Destroying Everything and Everyone in its Path

The Recipients of this Letter were Known for Not Controlling Their Speech Like They should

Therefore, Not Many of Them should Pursue Being Teachers

They Need More Time to Grow, Mature, Learn, and Exercise Self-Control

That’s the Lesson I Believe We should Take Away From this:

People Need to Grow and Mature Before Taking the Role of a Teacher

It Seems Many of These Recipients Wanted to have the Role/Authority of a Teacher

James was Trying to Put a Stop to that…

Because They would Endanger Everyone Around Them…

With Their Uncontrolled Speech

They would Lead Siblings Astray After False Teaching

They would Give the Church a Bad Reputation Among Outsiders

They would Cause More Harm than Good

What We Don’t Need to Take From this is:

We Need Less People Teaching in the Church Here at Livingston

What We Need is:

More People Teaching Here

How is that My Takeaway From this Verse?

It Seems to Be Saying the Opposite

Here’s Why I Believe this Verse Communicates that We Need More Teachers:

We are an Elderly Congregation

Most of Our People are Older Christians that have Been Christians for Decades

If You’ve Been a Christian for Decades…

But You’ve Never Taught in Any Capacity…

Why Not?

The Older are Supposed to Teach the Younger, Right?

Why Do We Not have More Elderly Men and Women Teaching?

I’ve Been in Churches Much Smaller than this One…

That have had Many More Teachers than this One

If You’ve Been a Christian for 5 Years or More…

But You Still Don’t Feel Capable of Teaching (Even in a Small Personal Setting)…

That’s Not a Good Thing

All I’m Saying is What the Author of Hebrews was Saying to His Audience

Hebrews 5:12 (NLT)

12 You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food.

I Don’t Mean for this to Hurt Feelings or Step on Toes

But Does it Not Seem a Little Ridiculous…

That So Many Christians Who Ought to Be Mature By Now…

Aren’t Even Able to Lead Their Family in Prayer in the Privacy of Their Own Home…

Much Less Be Able to Lead a Bible Study?

We Need More Teachers in the Church

Not Young, Immature Teachers Who Lack Self-Control

But Older, Mature Teachers Who have Spiritual Knowledge/Wisdom Worth Sharing