Two words that do not belong in the same house are criticism and church #youdon'tknow me James 4:11-12

Dangers of A critical Attitude

Introduction: James 4 is the preparation for Battle as James introduces us to the true acts of evil. James basically provides us a summary or diagnosis of what the children of Isreal were going through. James wants us to know that the“key is that you know who your enemy really is '' Have you ever heard of the war of the oaken bucket, probably not. it really wouldn’t take up too much space in the history books. but in 1325 soldiers from Medina which is now modern-day Italy, stole a wooden bucket from the well of the neighboring city of Bologna. The armies of these two cities marched against each other and 2000 men lost their lives over a wooden bucket. The truth is the battle was never about the bucket. In a battle, it is crucial to understand what you’re fighting for and who you’re fighting against. So in verse one James asks the essential question what causes fights and quarrels among you? What is the real heart of the matter?

At the beginning of exodus, there are two groups, the Egyptians and the Hebrews, with the same problem. Neither of them knew or serve the one true God. Joshua 24 At the beginning of exodus, there are two groups, the Egyptians and the Hebrews, with the same problem. Neither of them knew or serve the one true God. Joshua 2412 tells us At the beginning of exodus, there are two groups, the Egyptians and the Hebrews, with the same problem. Neither of them knew or serve the one true God. Joshua 2412 At the beginning of exodus, there are two groups, the Egyptians and the Hebrews, with the same problem. Neither of them knew or serve the one true God. Joshua 2412 tells us that the Hebrew people served false gods while living in Egypt. God sans Moses to deliver the people from slavery and bring them to Mount Sinai or he will give them his law and make them his nation. so we gave on this journey egyptuans, hebrews snd the mixed multitude who all had issues. see we can never be healed or transform ourselves if we never talk or recognize what the heart of the matter is. But James goes on to provide an answer that we don’t want to admit. Have you gone around family members or a family reunion and you think things are going to be different but you always end up fighting to the point that things are even worse than before? It’s because we fail to deal with the true heart of the matter. Then James points to what is causing all these issues. He says,

Do they come from the desires that battle from within you? TIf you sit there and say that you don’t have a battle then you make God a liar and the devil falsely accused. This is a question several of us do not want to answer. It keeps us up at night, inside a bottle behind the couch and in the dark. We keep ourselves occupied not knowing the things we use to mask the real issues that are slowly destroying us spiritually. We are constantly finding ourselves in the same situation just a different day or location. At some point we need to examine ourselves just like the apostle Paul asked the Corinthians to do when taking the Lord’s supper. So every Sunday God asks us to examine ourselves, and he is asking “Are you really examining yourself to see what evil (sinful) acts cause you to be separated from my grace and mercy?

So James lays down the Intel of enemy number one. The Bible often calls this the flesh as opposed to the spirit, now the fleshly desire continues to flare up inside the flesh and creates a world of problems. If we continue to give into fleshly desires, then we are not yielding to the spirit, and we lose the fight. When we fight and quarrel with others, or just let these passions control us when we see others getting what we want and we allow ourselves to pick up Greedy and Covetous ways. Well, we may convince ourselves that we’re fighting for the noble cause of equality, but that’s just a wooden bucket. The truth is it’s just envy, and it’s ugly. Now the flesh is a tricky enemy. It can also be invited into our prayer life when we are covetous of things that we don’t need. We get upset with God when He doesn’t give us the coveted desires of our own flesh. ‌ This is what the Children of Israel were dealing with and James is saying let’s even the X-rays I’ve been given discernment so that we can talk bout these elements that can really destroy this church and have us believe we are fighting over a wooden bucket.

This series “Are we ready for promise land living” has been trying to answer those questions before it's too late. So what we have been doing through this series about changing our attitude before it’s too late? Well, it starts with answering these two questions. So far we have exposed complaining, envy, and covetousness and today we are going to add to this list what happens to one of the most dangerous evil acts called criticism. We noted that complaining relates to situations, whereas criticism relates to a specific person. Our negative thinking that relates to people is called criticism. Miriam and Aaron had definitely fallen into it big time in regard to Moses.

We complain about the sky being too dark. It’s too hot can’t stand cold all the time. The person in front of me is driving too slowly. In this case, it’s really us. But criticism is where we begin to blame others.

Here’s the definition of destructive criticism, so we will be clear as we discuss the painful subject. Criticism means dwelling upon the perceived faults of another with no view to their good.

That’s what we are doing when we criticize people and we never take the time to point out the good in them. Everything God made is good.

“Perceived faults” is because my perception of what is wrong with you is not necessarily accurate. There may be circumstances that I don’t understand, or maybe the problem is actually me.

‌When we get to the point where we lock into a person’s fault that we cannot never see the good in them we have the wilderness attitude called criticism.

let's look at the text in James 4 verse 11-12. In this tiny paragraph of two verses, James addresses the matter of speaking evil against a fellow Christian. To speak evil may also be rendered to “slander,” as the NIV has it. Here’s the text: Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and destroy. Who are you to judge another? James 4:11-12

‌Service announcement: The Bible certainly does not teach that Christians are to look the other way when a brother or sister sins. The Bible calls for addressing that sin carefully and lovingly (see Galatians 6:1-2). Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

‌James does not forbid making moral evaluations altogether. He is concerned about our having a judgmental attitude or a judgmental spirit. He is not forbidding a “judgment of truth,” he is forbidding “being judgmental.” It’s an attitude of moral superiority, thinking of ourselves more highly than we ought.

‌Speaking in an unhelpfully critical way about another person makes oneself judge and jury. In speaking evil of others, not only are we placing ourselves in a position of moral superiority over another Christian, but we are also placing ourselves in a position of moral superiority over the Bible.

“ Speak evil of the law and judges the law,” The law said that we are to love one another. It was law, not a choice that we can choose to love our brother and sister in Christ. My Brother use to say I don’t have to like but I do have to love you. and I see now why because it was law. So now we are judging people and the law of God.

a recurring theme in James’ letter is the truth that what is in a Christian’s heart is what comes out. In the words of Solomon: “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he (Proverbs 23:7).” (or/and Matthew 15:18-19) Wrong thinking within leads to wrong living without. Evil thinking within leads to evil speaking without.

I’m not putting words in James' mouth, but this is what I believe he is saying “If you are a Christian, you will allow the Bible to provide the framework for the way you believe, and the way you act.”

So let’s ask some critical questions. Are you the person who walks around saying that’s not right and who thought that would look nice and why in the world did they do that?

Any fool can criticize, complain, and condemn—and most fools do. But it takes character and self-control to be understanding and forgiving.” “Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.” “Often those that criticize others reveal what he himself lacks.” “Anonymous”

Closing

Last week I asked you to write a letter of kind words to our brother in Christ Johnny Brooks. I didn't ask you to send a card or a text but rather write a letter filled with kind words. This assignment should express a random act of kindness and also get us in the habit of slowing down and practicing saying something kind to others. I know you will act nice on Sunday, but God wants your kindness all the time.

It may well be that the substance of the things said about another is true. Slander is not necessarily false. In fact, in this context, James could have used a different word to convey lying, but he does not. He is addressing bad communication that is, in essence, speaking about another brother or sister in an unhelpfully critical way especially when that person is not present.

Many of us are familiar with the legend of the dandelion. According to the legend, if you pick a dandelion and blow upon it and all of its seeds disappear, then your wish will come true. Of course, it is just a legend, but the image is helpful. If you’ve ever blown upon a dandelion, you’ve watched it release a spray of those tiny little seeds which are carried away in a number of different directions. Trying to locate and retrieve those tiny little seeds would be next to impossible.‌Speaking evil of another Christian is like blowing upon a dandelion. Your words spread in a number of directions as various people hear what you have said and then pass it along to someone else. Trying to “take back” your words would prove as difficult as trying to locate tiny dandelion seeds in a field.

‌If someone turns to us and begins engaging in slander of another brother or sister, we must help by telling him not to speak to us if he is going to speak evil of another brother or sister. We must take this person to passages such as this in James 4:11 and lovingly explain that his behavior is wrong. We may also turn to passages such as Matthew 18:15 where Jesus says, “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.” Never give a hearing to those who speak critically of other Christians, especially when those others are not present to defend themselves.

‌And be forewarned: someone has wisely said, “Whoever gossips to you, will gossip about you.”

‌One of the reasons it is wrong to slander a believer is because that believer is an actual brother or sister, a member of our Christian family, the family of God. The word translated “brethren” in verse 11 may be better translated as “brothers and sisters,” all members of the family of God. Just as it is wrong for you to speak evil of a brother or sister in your physical family, so it is wrong to speak evil of a brother or sister in your spiritual family—in fact, it is arguably more wrong as your spiritual family is a family of those united in Christ, children of God, our Father. As God’s children, then, we are co-equal brothers and sisters. None of us is even firstborn! Only Christ is the firstborn (Romans 8:29) so no one has the right to “talk down” another brother or sister. We are all of equal stature. When we properly humble ourselves “we have no ‘altitude’ left from which to ‘talk down’ to anyone!”

‌Your Christian brother or sister is your family. You take care not to speak evil of your physical family—your husband, your wife, your parents, your children—so you don’t speak evil of your church family. You wouldn’t be unfaithful to your physical family, so you won’t be unfaithful to your church family. You don’t get angry and walk out on your physical family, so you shouldn’t get angry and leave your church family.

‌So about this war over the oaken bucket. A common myth surrounding the War of the Bucket is that it was caused by the Modenese stealing a bucket from a Bolognese well. However, that is mostly incorrect, as the bucket was, according to most accurate accounts, taken as a trophy by the Modenese after the war. James began this chapter by making sure we understood the key is that you know who your enemy really is

James argues that when Christians speak evil of other Christians they have become judgmental critics: “He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.”#youdon’tknowme

‌“ A continuously critical attitude toward those around me will consume all that is healthy and joy-producing in my life”

If we can never see the good in people we will never be the people God wants us to be”

Let's look again at the story of Miriam and Aaron and how Miriam criticizes one of the most humble men in the bible. A man who is new testament scripture says Jesus is the new Moses. In Numbers 12 .9-16

Numbers 12:9–16 NKJV

So the anger of the Lord was aroused against them, and He departed. And when the cloud departed from above the tabernacle, suddenly Miriam became leprous, as white as snow. Then Aaron turned toward Miriam, and there she was, a leper. So Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord! Please do not lay this sin on us, in which we have done foolishly and in which we have sinned. Please do not let her be as one dead, whose flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother’s womb!” So Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, “Please heal her, O God, I pray!” Then the Lord said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, would she not be shamed seven days? Let her be shut out of the camp seven days, and afterward she may be received again.” So Miriam was shut out of the camp seven days, and the people did not journey till Miriam was brought in again. And afterward the people moved from Hazeroth and camped in the Wilderness of Paran.

Note: Because of Miriam’s sin of criticism she suffers the consequences of being alienated from God and the people. She must go through a purification act and wait 7 days because unclean people are not able to be in the presence of God and his holiness. But, in the New Testament, Jesus simply touched the unclean personally to cleanse and purify them, illustrating that Jesus holds the power to transform the lives of individuals. Just like his blood continually cleanses us of our sins when we confess and repent. So let us search our hearts as we stand together…)

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