Perfect! - Who has control?

Living life as a slave of Christ  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  32:25
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I should not have said that

Have you ever uttered that? I should not have said that? Said something that was not true, or was hurtful or unkind? James comes to a section that deals with teachers and the untamable tongue.
If you have not gotten the gist of it yet James does not hold back anything. He, like Solomon in the Old Testament, gives us great information for application but some of it is not easy to swallow.
(Journey slide) - expand on each of these below (they are not on slides)
Count it a joy when you are in trials (Jm1:2-11)
Temptation to sin, it’s not God’s fault, it is yours (Jm1:12-25)
Make your religion worth something, make it pure and undefiled (Jm1:26-27)
Don’t be partial, which is form of being judgmental (Jm2:1-13)
Faith without works from faith is dead (Jm2:14-26)
`I think we can agree that this is a time where words fly, oftentimes not good words and people are just anesthetized to them. Where soap used to be involved when used now it seems they are applauded. Verbal abuse is acceptable behavior and the words from teachers are oftentimes challenged because they are not always truthful and should be challenged. Theology is now not really theology it theory not based on facts but feelings.
May we learn as simple Christian’s studying God’s Word together learn from God’s Word.
Perfect, in baseball there is a perfect game, no hitter; in bowling it is 10 strikes, what about it marriage? Is there a perfect marriage? Oftentimes it is words, it is the tongue that can get us into trouble in our marriage can’t it? But can it be perfected, is it possible?
Jesus lived a perfect life (Heb5:1-11)
Love is the perfect bond of unity (Col3:14)
God’s will is perfect (Rom12:2)
God’s Word is perfect (1Cor13:10)
We are called to be perfect (Mt5:48)
So how do we do it? Is it possible? I think we can agree it is impossible outside of Christ and we cannot do it under our own power at all under our control, we need God, His power, His direction, His control to do it. our passage before us is very applicable for us to learn from.
May we tonight look at:
The Teachers and their tongue, a warning (Jm3:1-2)
Tongue fire and hell (Jm3:3-6)
The untamable tongue (Jm3:7-12)

The teachers and their tongue, a warning

The tongue is a mighty and powerful thing, there is no denying it. The old saying “sticks and stones can break my bones but words will never hurt me.” well that is not true is it. (Jm1:19; Jm1:26)
Previously James had mentioned about the tongue
James 1:19 NASB95
19 This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger;
That we need to be slow to speak, in other words use the tongue
James 1:26 NASB95
26 If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless.
Not only slow to speak, but to speak with a bridled tongue so our religion is not worthless. Tonight he continues about the tongue
James 3:1–2 NASB95
1 Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment. 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 whole body as well.
Here he is discussing teachers, but addressing the brethren. So his audience here is more than teachers it is the ones written to, the disbursed, my brethren, so it is for more than teachers. May we know, be reminded of these things.
________________________________________________________
Teaching is a gift (1Cor12:28)
Teaching comes with awesome responsibility (2Tim4:1-5)
Teaching comes with instructions and warnings (Mt5:19; Mt18:6)
Teaching comes with accountability too (Mt12:36)
Some more good reminders (Jm2:10; Rom3:23; 1Jn1:8; Gal3:3)
________________________________________________________
Teaching is a gift (1Cor12:28)
1 Corinthians 12:28 NASB95
28 And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues.
Teachers, different from apostles and prophets who speak in the field, in the world, a teacher speaks in the congregation.
Teaching is a gift (1Cor12:28)
Teaching comes with awesome responsibility (2Tim4:1-5)
2 Timothy 4:1–2 NASB95
1 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.
2 Timothy 4:3–4 NASB95
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.
2 Timothy 4:5 NASB95
5 But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
Teachers like apostles, prophets use words and it is an awesome responsibility to do it.
There is a temptation to use words that people want to hear, but could be contrary to what God and His Word has to say, we need to be careful about that.
Sinning with the tongue, it is easy for all can sin with their tongue, but the teacher has more opportunity to sin since the teacher uses more words. They can sin like lying, blasphemy, gossip, cursing (even using alternative words) fighting (verbally), boasting, complaining, slander, mocking, foolish talk, and the like. James is not saying don’t be teachers, but the ones who are thinking about being teachers better think carefully for they are held to a stricter judgment.
Teaching is a gift (1Cor12:28)
Teaching comes with awesome responsibility (2Tim4:1-5)
Teaching comes with instructions and warnings (Mt5:19; Mt18:6)
Look at these passages and consider them regarding teaching and the instructions/warnings given by Jesus Himself.
Matthew 5:19 NASB95
19 “Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
and then look at
Matthew 18:6 NASB95
6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.
Teachers are given awesome responsibility and much is asked of them (you can also look at Lk12:47-48) but know we are liable for our words.
Teaching is a gift (1Cor12:28)
Teaching comes with awesome responsibility (2Tim4:1-5)
Teaching comes with instructions and warnings (Mt5:19; Mt18:6)
Teaching comes with accountability too (Mt12:36)
Matthew 12:36 NASB95
36 “But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment.
Teaching is a gift (1Cor12:28)
Teaching comes with awesome responsibility (2Tim4:1-5)
Teaching comes with instructions and warnings (Mt5:19; Mt18:6)
Teaching comes with accountability too (Mt12:36)
Some more good reminders (Jm2:10; Rom3:23; 1Jn1:8; Gal3:3)
We all stumble at times
James 2:10 NASB95
10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.
We all fall short
Romans 3:23 NASB95
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
We all sin or we are liars about it
1 John 1:8 NASB95
8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.
But we know One who is perfect and is perfecting us
Galatians 3:3 NASB95
3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?
Being perfected in the Spirit to walk in the Spirit, in the Spirit of the Perfect One.

Tongue, Fire and Hell

Yes it is responsible to speak about the tongue, fire and hell it is biblical and we are Simply Christians Studying God’s Word Together, so even when it may be uncomfortable we still need to look at it.
James 3:3–4 NASB95
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, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires.
James 3:5–6 NASB95
5 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! 6 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.
Illustrations of the power of the tongue
Bit (v.3)
little thing with big impact
Rudder (v.4)
Little thing that can turn things
Self serving (v.5)
Little thing that can be self-serving, boasting and divisive and can lead to
Fire and hell (v.6)
little thing that can start a little fire that will continue to grow and lead people away from the truth and into the grips of hell. For the little thing can be a tool of Satan.
Now going from these illustrations I want to link back to teachers and why the warning about many not becoming teachers.
Tongue while it is small can control, easily direct the body.
Speak a lie; that can lead to living a lie and leading others to believing a lie and leading them away from the truth.
Speak suggestively in an immoral way, worldly way and it will not be long and accepting immorality will happen and
Speak uplifting and can help build up encourage the people; but just as easy can speak in a discouraging, disheartening way and it can bring things down instead of up.
A loose tongue can ruin a persons reputation
A loose tongue can bring division and can even split a church , a family and friendships too.
So, should not this powerful thing, the tongue that has the power to destroy and to defile both ourselves and others in whom we speak to be a great warning for those who are thinking to become teachers?

The untamable tongue

While we are still speaking to the brethren about teachers or those who are to be teachers and the awesome responsibility James goes no to speak of the untamable tongue.
James 3:7–8 NASB95
7 For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. 8 But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison.
James 3:9–10 NASB95
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 both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way.
James 3:11–12 NASB95
11 Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh.
While everything else can be tamed the tongue cannot (Jm3:7-8)
This is hyperbolic in nature, there is some truth to it, we cannot do it without the power of God in us. (Ps141:3; Eph4:29; Col4:6)
Psalm 141:3 NASB95
3 Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips.
David’s prayer was for God to watch over his mouth, may our prayer be the same!
Ephesians 4:29 NASB95
29 Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.
For our mouth should be used for edification, and for grace so needed at the moment.
Colossians 4:6 NASB95
6 Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.
Grace, seasoned with salt (adding flavor and preservative in nature); grace that is needed, grace that we should be prepared to share.
Blessings and cursing coming from the same place, may it not be so with us.
Don’t be a hypocrite, say one thing and do something or demonstrate something else.
May the words of our mouth be from the fountain of our heart , may it be good words not cursing words. If you struggle with cursing there is One who can deliver you from that, ask Him!
With the illustrations given (Jm3:11-12)
We can see the fruit, indication of fruit or lack of from the inside (Mk7:20-23)
what comes out of our mouth, what our tongue says is an induction of what is inside of our heart and our fruit for the kingdom or against the kingdom
Mark 7:20–21 NASB95
20 And He was saying, “That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. 21 “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries,
Mark 7:22–23 NASB95
22 deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. 23 “All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man.”
These are things that defile the man as James says, as Jesus says. We can sing praises on Sunday but if we are slandering, cursing, etc on Monday then we are not truly worshipping on Sunday.
Some closing thoughts, brief ones at that.
Teachers be careful what you say, what you teach
Tongue cannot be tamed under our power
Pure and undefiled religion starts with taming the tongue followed by deeds of compassion (Jm1:26-27)
The things that come out of our mouth, from our tongue show what is in our heart (Mt15:18)
Matthew 15:18 NASB95
18 “But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man.
May our heart, my our words be spoken words, prayer like David
Psalm 19:14 NASB95
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.
(Invitation slide 1) invitation (Invitation slide 2) song (exit slide)
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