I Don't Believe in the Church: Week 2

Good morning, we are in our 2nd week of our series: I Don’t Believe in the Church. I mentioned last week that I had originally planned to do a series on the Sermon on the Mount, but I felt as though the Lord was prompting me in a different direction. The main idea of this series is that, as the body of Christ, we have the ability to sow life or death into those around us. Unfortunately, many of us have experienced some serious hurt and pain from those associated with the Church. My goal is to address some of the causes of that hurt and present the proper manner in which the Lord would have us live. Last week, we looked at the 7 woe’s, presented in Matthew Ch. 23-where Jesus addresses hypocrisy and self-righteousness.

This week, we are turning our attention to the book of James. Let’s go ahead and pray, then we will get started.

Pray

James Ch. 3 is broken up into 2 or 3 main sections, depending on who you ask. In this chapter, In vs. 1-2 James addresses spiritual leaders, verses 3-12 talk about the power of our tongue, and then vs. 13-18 closes up with the fruit of godly wisdom. Today, we will be spending our time looking at the first 12 verses. The wisdom section could be an entire sermon, all by itself.

The book of James is widely believed to be the first N.T. book written. Most suspect that the author is Jesus’s half-brother…the biological son of Mary and Joseph. Jesus’s brother was not a follower of Christ, until after His death and resurrection. Once James did recognise who Christ was, he became an important part of the early church.

James opens up his letter by writing:

James 1:1

“James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad: Greetings.”

This is a unique greeting, as far as N.T. books are concerned. James is writing to “The twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad.” NASB

the NIV translates this as:

To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations:

Like Jesus, along with all of His siblings, James grew up in a Jewish culture and practiced Judaism. After placing his trust in Christ and converting to Christianity, I’m sure he still had great affection for his Jewish heritage and culture. Some claim that James is writing to Jews, but, taking the full context of the letter into account…it’s clear that James, while referring to the “12 tribes” is talking about Jews that recently converted to Christianity…today we would call them Messianic Jews. All that said, it is important to understand that the book of James was written to Christians, not practicing Jews.

In the book of Galatians, Paul referred to James as a “pillar of the Church.”

Galatians 2: 9

“and recognizing the grace that had been given to me, James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, so that we might go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.”

In Acts Ch. 15, a number of early Christian leaders got together for (what we call) the Jerusalem council. Prior to this council, the message of Christ was being presented mainly to the Jews. In fact, some of the men attending this council were recently converted Pharisees, who wanted non-Jews who converted to Christianity to still follow the requirements of the Law of Moses…including circumcision. No doubt these men meant well, but all they knew was the Law. They didn’t have the Bible, like we have today, so they were operating w/out any way to know what Christianity was supposed to look like. Thankfully, James, Peter, and Paul were there. Starting in vs. 13 of Acts 15, James makes a speech. I won’t read it all, but I do want to share a portion of it with you.

Acts 15: 19-21

““Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood. For Moses from ancient generations has in every city those who preach him, since he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath.””

The early church leaders were trying to find a way to bridge the gap between the vastly different cultures. The leaders settled on sending the churches a letter of instruction, giving advice to the gentiles of things to avoid.

So, that’s a bit about the author of James. He was considered by Paul and the other disciples as an important leader. The book of James is full of really great practical advice and instruction for the followers of Christ. The pages of James are filled with direct commands to pursue a life of holiness. He makes no excuses for those who do not measure up. In the mind of James, Christians evidence their faith by taking the narrow road. For this leader, a faith that does not produce real life change is a faith that is worthless

James 2:17

“Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.”

And that brings us to the overall topic of this series. Those of us who purport to be followers of Christ must live a life that displays a certain amount of evidence. When believers do not live like they ought to, we end up hurting those around us.

My 2 main points today follow the sections I talked about earlier:

Waring to leaders and a warning to those who want to be leaders

The power of our tongue/The Taming of the tongue

Then, after we go through vs. 1-12, then I will wrap up by applying it to our lives and the overall topic for this series.

A warning to leaders or those who aspire to a leadership role.

The reason that many people divide James into two sections is because James’s advice to leaders is only two verses long…so often, the message to leaders is merely lumped into the main idea of James, that of our tongue, or the things we say. That is fine, it’s no big deal to do that, but when I am reading James 3, the opening couple of verses to leaders are distinct enough to make it a separate subject.

James 3: 1-2

Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment. 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 whole body as well.”

In the New Testament we see warnings against about the dangers of false teachers and false prophets, which is something we must all be on guard against. In a similar vein of thought, here in the opening of James Ch. 3. James warns the people to be careful about wanting the responsibility of spiritual leadership. James is concerned with people recklessly taking up the mantle of spiritual leadership, without being ready to prepared to accept the consequences behind such a role. It’s important to note that James is speaking in the first person…he says “We will incur, for we all stumble” James is including himself in this warning, as he is aware of the consequences for leading others astray or hurting others.

The more responsibility you have, the harsher the consequences are for doing things you shouldn’t do or saying things you shouldn’t say. The consequences of doing or saying something you shouldn’t can be far reaching…no only can you destroy your career and ministry, but more importantly, you can be the cause of hurt and pain in the lives of those you serve. When my son decided that he wanted to pursue vocational ministry, I had a series of talks with him about what that means for his future. You see, everyone has struggles in their life, and he is/was no different. Now that he is getting close to being finished with school and getting his first level of credentials, some of our conversations are becoming reality to him. I told him that the consequences of having certain types of sin grow exponentially when you become a pastor in a church. Any moral failings you may have no longer just affect you…but everyone around you. You run the danger of disillusioning people and turning people away from Christ, even though you would never intend to do so. On top of that, everything you say to people, everything you post online will be viewed through a microscope and analysed in detail.

Thankfully, for the most part, people in the church are pretty forgiving and will understand the occasional “foot in mouth” disease, but those outside the church are not so forgiving. When I got my recieved my first level of credentials…one of my teachers told us to always remember…everything you say can and will be used against you in the court of society…so choose your words carefully.

vs. 2 in the NASB says: If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.”

We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check. NIV

The idea presented here mirrors something James says in the first chapter.

James 1:4

“And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

When we hear the word “perfect” we think to ourselves…only Christ was perfect. Except that is not what Jame is trying to convey. We can think of it as “perfection, as far as humanity is capable.”

In other words, James is saying that any person who has gained the ability to control their tongue will be able to control the other impulses that are common to humanity. James is encouraging those who do lead to learn to control what they say and how they say it. Only one person was perfect, and that was Christ. We are to grow in maturity to live like Him.

2. Taming the Tongue

Moving on, starting in vs. 3, James begins to talk about the main theme of the chapter…the power of our tongue.

I have no respect for justice.

I maim without killing.

I break hearts and ruin lives.

I am cunning and malicious and gather strength with age.

The more I am quoted, the more I am believed.

I flourish at every level of society.

My victims are helpless.

They cannot protect themselves against me because I have no name and no face.

To track me down is impossible.

The harder you try, the more elusive I become.

I am nobody's friend.

Once I tarnish a reputation, it is never the same.

I topple governments and wreck marriages.

I make innocent people cry in their pillows.

My name is Gossip.

James 3: 3-8

“Now if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well. Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell. For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison.

As I mentioned in the beginning, James does not pull punches when he addresses the Body of Christ. Just in your life, think about how much destruction you have seen, because someone couldn’t bridle their tongue. Throughout these few verses, James uses a number of different illustrations to explain what he is trying to teach. The main purpose of this section of James 3 is to appeal to the emotions and imaginations of his readers as he warns them of the destructive power of human speech.

In verse 3, we see the example of how a horse is able to be controlled by a small bit. In verse 4, James uses the imagery of a large ship being controlled by a small rudder. The beginning of verse 5 then draws the logical conclusion of the examples used in vs. 3 and 4.

So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things

I’m sure we can all figure out the point James is trying to make…that a small thing (the tongue) has the ability to control our whole body.

In this specific context, James is talking about how we are prone to boast...

James addressing boasting about things we can not be certain of in Ch. 4…he calls boasting evil.

In the 2nd part of vs. 5, James introduces his third image, which is fire. He begins by using a similar line of argument, that a small spark can start a large forest fire, but then, he adds to the example by mentioning just how destructive fire can be. So, in the case of fire, not only can something small spark something much larger, but once that fire grows, it is uncontrollable and extremely destructive. James not only calls our tongues destructive, but he also calls them “the very world of iniquity,” and is the thing that defiles the entire human race.” Wow, you can’t get much stronger language than that. The NIV translates that passage as:

It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. NIV

Again, James is really bringing it home in these passages.

Starting in vs. 7 and continuing through vs. 8, James switches his imagery to that of animals. He says:

For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison.

In Jewish culture, animals were typically separated into 4 categories. We see this in Genesis 1, during the creation of the world. James is using similar language to that of the O.T. so his Jewish audience will understand. In essence, James is making the point that although humanity has been given the power and authority to tame or subdue the creatures that God has created, we still do not have the ability to subdue our own tongue. Then, just in case the listener was not fully convinced of what James is trying to convey, he says that our tongues are a restless evil and full of deadly poison. To me, when I read the phrases restless evil and deadly poison, in my mind I see a deadly, snake constantly seeking out its next prey…ready to strike. I don’t know if that is what James is trying to convey, but that is what I think of…especially in light of the previous verse that is talking about animals.

Verses 9-12 finish out the section about our tongue.

James 3: 9-12

“With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh.”

In verse 9, James is saying that our tongue is double-minded…referring back to a statement he made earlier in his letter

James 1: 8

“being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

Most of us are familiar with this verse. There is no doubt that we all are guilty of saying one thing and doing another. James is not talking about the occasional change of mind or having to break a promise every once and a while. James is talking about habitual lying, habitual gossip. After all, for those of us who are believers, how can foul language and gossip share any space with praising the Lord or speaking life into people? James uses the phrase “made in the likeness of God,” this phrase also hearkens back to the creation account and other areas of the O.T., where all humans were created “in the likeness of God.”

Genesis 1: 27

“God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”

Remember, James is writing to recently converted Jews who would have been very familiar with O.T. language and references. Then, in the latter part of vs. 10, James declares that we need to stop such duality.

James then ends this section with 2 rhetorical questions and their subsequent answers.

Does a fountain have both, fresh and bitter water…meaning, water that is not good to drink. and Can a tree produce 2 different kinds of fruit?

Rhetorical questions are questions a person asks wherein the answer is obvious. James is aware that those listening to this letter know that a spring or fountain can only have either fresh or bitter water…and they know that a tree can only produce 1 kind of fruit…I will address the tree example a bit more in just a few moments, as we apply these things to our lives.

One of the most important aspects of our walk with Christ is reading God’s word. When we read God’s word, the very thoughts and ideas of our Heavenly Father are being imparted to us. Many of us fall short when we only focus on one or two themes or one or two ideas in God’s word. For example, I read the verse from the 2nd chapter of James, where the author declares that

“Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.”

We often quote that verse as: Faith without works is dead. This is a bold statement made by James that has caused many debated as to its exact meaning. After all, in the book of Ephesians, Paul says

Ephesians 2: 8-9

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

How can both of these be true at the same time? How can our salvation be a free gift, based only upon our faith…yet, without “works” our faith is declared “dead? Don’t these two passages contradict each other?

While this series is not about hermenutics or, how we properly interpret God’s word, I will quickly explain why James can say what he says, yet what Paul says is still true…they are both true, at the same time.

The main problem is that we take one sentence from the book of James, without any context behind it and apply it universally. In James 2, the author is talking specifically about a hypothetical situation in which a person claims…claims to have faith, yet there is no fruit at all. When James references faith in vs. 17, he is talking about a hypothetical faith that a person claims to have, as opposed to having a real faith, in which fruit is clearly seen. The faith that Paul is referencing is a real faith…one that leads to salvation, not a hypothetical faith that does not lead to salvation. The problem is when we take this one sentence, without the proper context to try and disprove the many declarations that our salvation is not based upon our works.

That said, it is still a warning to those of us who follow Christ, that our lives or faith must bear fruit…that is how James intended his statement to be taken…to compare empty faith vs. real faith. None of that detracts from the stark warning given to James’s listeners.

In the book of Matthew ch. 12, Jesus is speaking with the Pharisees after he delivered a man from demon possession. The Pharisees claimed that Jesus himself was from Satan. Jesus responds by talking about something similar to what we see in the book of James…that something good (driving out a demon) can not come from something evil (Satan himself).

Matthew 12: 33-37

““Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil. But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.””

The conversation between Christ and the Pharisees and what we read in James Ch. 3 are very similar. Both are talking about the words we use and that it is impossible for a diseased tree to produce good fruit.

Thankfully, for those of us who have placed our faith in Christ, our righteousness does not come from our own ability to control our tongue…however, we are called to live like Christ and produce good fruit. What we are talking about today is not a matter of whether or not you are truly saved…rather, we are talking about the destruction that can be caused by reckless words that proceed out of our mouth. The division that we can cause ourselves and others, because we have not yet learned to control our tongue.

Think about all of the imagery that James uses in Ch. 3 to get his fellow Christians to understand just how powerful our words are and how potentially destructive our words are. James’ image of an uncontrolled fire is the one that speaks to me the most. How a tiny spark…or a tiny word can create something that can wipe out everything in its path. Often times, when reading the news we will see how a person neglected to properly put our a camp fire, while other times, a certain individual will come along and set the fire on purpose…because they like to watch it burn.

Most of you have been to our home, you’ve seen my office. I am a huge fan of superheros. Back, quite a few years ago a series of Batman movies were released, one of them was called “The Dark Knight.” In this movie, Batman just couldn’t understand why the Joker (played by Heath Ledger) was doing the terrible things he was doing. It didn’t make any sense to the Batman…it didn’t seem to be because of greed or any known reason. So, Bruce Wayne is speaking with his wise butler, Alfred. Alfred tells him a story. This is a clip from that movie:

MOVIE CLIP!

Hopefully, those of us who follow Christ are unable to even identify with that. However, sometimes the things we say and the manner in which we say them are almost like that…we are unconcerned with the destruction that our words cause others. But, even when we do not intend to cause damage and are try to be careful with out tongue, we can still hurt others.

Although we didn’t cover the last part of James 3, I do want to read you the last 2 verses, as James describes the form that our speech should take

James 3: 17-18

“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”

Perhaps these passages sound familiar to you, as they are similar to the fruit of the spirit listed in Galatians 5. In essence, these traits stand in direct contrast to that of gossip, jealousy and back-biting. I really like how James ends, by saying that sowing peace results in righteousness....and of course, the inverse is also true, sowing discord results in an unrighteous outcome.

Lastly, I want to present to you an acronym that will help you to think before you speak.

true,

helpful,

inspiring,

necessary, and

kind

Are the words that we say True, Helpful, Inspiring, Necessary, Kind.

True: Are the words you are going to say accurate and true to the best of your knowledge. But, as we all know, just because something is true, doesn’t mean we should say it.

Helpful: Will my words help or hurt this individual or this situation. This can be a tough question to answer sometimes, as we are called on to say helpful things, that aren’t necessarily easy to say. However, if they aren’t helpful and will be for that person’s benefit..it is best to be quiet.

Inspiring: Our words should always be inspiring…causing you to feel confident about yourself or eager to learn or do something. Will what we have to say inspire them to achieve something greater in their life, or are the words designed to do the opposite?

Necessary: This is a tough one, as sometimes it’s hard to tell if the person in the the right frame of mind to receive something from us. Perhaps it’s best to wait for another time. Is what you have to say so important that it can’t wait until a better moment?

Kind: to be kind means that our motive are good…that what we have to say is coming from a good place, rather than bitterness or anger or resentment…or hurt. Being kind does not mean that we are unable to lovingly confront someone…but our reason for doing so must come from a godly source.

So, next time you have something to say, make sure you T.H.I.N.K. about what your words will do once they are out there.

All through scripture, we are warned about the power of our tongue. James does a great job of taking the general ideas presented in the Bible and honing in on them. So, before we pray, I want to read 2 or 3 of some of the many passages I did not put into my sermon.

Proverbs 17:9

“He who conceals a transgression seeks love, But he who repeats a matter separates intimate friends.”

In this instance, concealing something is not referred to as a negative. In essence, if someone sins against you, it’s best to keep it to yourself and forgive, rather than tell other people about it…or inappropriately gossip about it.

Proverbs 21:23

“He who guards his mouth and his tongue, Guards his soul from troubles.”

Lastly, one of my favorite proverbs about our speech is

Proverbs 17: 27-28

“He who restrains his words has knowledge, And he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise; When he closes his lips, he is considered prudent.”

Call up Joe for final song.

At the very beginning of my sermon, I talked about those who talk more…whether it be a preacher, or simply someone who can’t be quiet…the more chances a person has to say something they shouldn’t. Often times, it’s just best that we be quiet, especially when it comes to talking about others…or things we know little about.

If you have ever been hurt by something someone has said, then you know the damage that our tongues can do. Perhaps you were the one who hurt someone…even unintentionally…I think we’ve all done that.

The Church should be a place where a person can grow in the Lord, free from being gossiped about, free from inappropriate or unnecessary judgment and condemnation. We will never be perfect, but we can be aware of our tendency to say hurtful things. James makes it clear that those who live with the Spirit of Christ in them should only be producing righteouss and peace. LET’S PRAY.