Sermon Tone Analysis

“Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.

For we all stumble in many ways.

And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.”[1]

This past week, as the chairman of our deacons and I were caring for some church business, we were approached by a man enquiring about the services of the congregation.

As we talked, he began to give his particular reasons for not attending church, despite professing appreciation for both my preaching and my strong stand on the Word of God.

He mentioned in particular one point of doctrine of which he emphatically declared I was in error.

I pointed him to a portion of the Word, which he abruptly dismissed by saying, “I’ve studied that, and I don’t want to talk about it.”

He continued by pointing to a particular cult that does hold to his peculiar view, but stated that he would not worship with them because they were wrong on almost everything else.

The dismissive view expressed by that man is not as exceptional as one might imagine.

A tendency to dismiss teachers who give their time to study of the Word is noted among the professed people of God.

Presumably, this is because Christians prefer to embrace their biases rather than consider what is written in the Word.

Paul spoke of a time “When people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths” [*2 Timothy 4:3, 4*].

I am quite certain that the days of which the Apostle spoke are fully upon us.

In setting after setting I have been stunned to observe professed Christians who rejoice to receive the words of a teacher, until their own prejudice compels them to dismiss the teaching of the Word.

An attitude of arrogance marks many, if not most, of God’s professed people so that they exalt their own bias over the teaching of the Word.

Consequently, when the teacher does not pander to their own perverted tastes, these self-proclaimed moral and ethical experts search out teachers who will affirm the preconceived notions they as rebellious believers hold.

Because of the lack of reception to the teaching I have endeavoured to deliver to God’s people, I have often felt an empathy with the myth of Cassandra.

You will recall that Apollo blessed Cassandra with the gift of prophecy, but because his love was unrequited, she was cursed so that her gift would not be believed by anyone who heard her speak.

So it often appears that God’s people eagerly hear the preacher speak, but refuse to accept what is taught, preferring instead their own prejudices to what is taught in the Word of the Lord.

Throughout the Word of God are laments concerning the lack of reception of prophetic truth, even as the people embrace errant teaching.

Long years before the Advent of the Saviour, God warned Ezekiel, “You are to [the people] like one who sings lustful songs with a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument, for they hear what you say, but they will not do it” [*Ezekiel 33:32*].

Even the Master charged the religious people of His days in the flesh with such duplicity.

“I have come in My Father’s Name, and you do not receive Me.

If another comes it his own name, you will receive him.

How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the Only God” [*John 5:43*]?

False teachers would not persist among the churches of our Lord if there were no welcome extended by God’s professed people.

However, there are many people receptive to error.

Tragically, there are a plethora of disseminators of error willing to say whatever the people wish to hear.

As Jeremiah observed:

 

“An appalling and horrible thing

has happened in the land:

the prophets prophesy falsely,

and the priests rule at their direction;

my people love to have it so.”

[*Jeremiah 5:30, 31*]

 

Though James’ words confront those who think to teach, they are pertinent to all who name the Name of Christ the Lord.

The people of God are responsible to assess the message of those who teach and to hold them accountable.

Join me, then, in exploring the teacher’s burden.

*The Blessing of Teachers* — Teachers are a divine gift to the churches of our Lord.

God equips gifted men and appoints them to instruct His people in righteousness and godliness.

Throughout the Word of God are statements attesting to the divine nature of the teaching office.

One of the best-known statements must surely be that which is found in the Ephesian encyclical.

“He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes” [*Ephesians 4:11-14*].

Establish one great truth in your mind: James is not speaking primarily of Sunday School teachers or leaders of home Bible studies who guide participants through a quarterly or other such literature.

Perhaps they are included tangentially, but his focus is on those who are divinely appointed to pastoral oversight and who serve as teachers by virtue of their position within the congregation.

Those who are in view in the text are the elders of the congregation.

Christians are to teach one another [*Colossians 3:16*], but God appoints teachers.

Moreover, it would appear that those who teach are not so much taught as they are equipped through divine action.

In the church, God has appointed “first apostles, second prophets, [and] third teachers” [*1 Corinthians 12:28*].

College and seminary cannot make one a teacher, though advanced studies should polish the teachers skills.

The training provided should make those who receive appointment to the teaching office more effective in fulfilling their appointment.

Those who are appointed to the pastoral office are to be “*/able to teach/*” [*1 Timothy 3:1*].

The qualification of teaching ability is sufficiently vital to the pastoral office that Paul emphasises the command again in his second letter to Timothy.

“The Lord’s servant must … be … */able to teach/*” [*2 Timothy 2:24*].

Elders are to be teachers, and the elders must “hold firm to the trustworthy Word as taught, so that he may be */able to give instruction in sound doctrine/* and also to rebuke those who contradict it” [*Titus 1:9*].

To a great degree, the selection process is carried out by those who are themselves teachers through assessment of those who sit under their ministry.

Paul commanded Timothy, “What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be */able to teach others/* also” [*2 Timothy 2:2*].

James recognises the participation of the congregation in seeking out teachers who are appointed by and pleasing to the Master, and thus he addresses the entire congregation.

Paul, however, in his instructions to Timothy and to Titus, focuses on the equipping process.

Elders are responsible to be aware of God’s work among those within the flock whom He wills to equip for teaching.

Titus was left in Crete so that he could “appoint elders in every town” [*Titus 1:5*].

Though the elders would appoint others to the teaching office, within the congregation would be men who would aspire to the office of overseer, and indeed, such an aspiration was deemed a noble desire [see *1 Timothy 3:1*].

In other words, God, working through the gifted men whom He has appointed, prepares yet other men to continue the ministry of teaching.

The elder must always be alert to see the work of the Master expressed through those whom he teaches.

However, it is not the elder alone who is assessing both the message and the messenger, for the congregation must be aware of God’s work among those who share the work of the assembly with them.

The congregation must assess the character of the one appointed to teach and then the message itself must be constantly assessed in light of the revealed Word of God.

Thus, the membership of the Body, like Bereans, is responsible to examine the Scriptures to insure that the things taught agree with what is written [see *Acts 17:11*].

Those appointed to be teachers—which is the primary labour of pastors or elders—are responsible to adhere to the old message which was given by the Master through His Apostles.

The message is vital to ensure that those attending the preaching of the Word will be made sound in doctrine and so those who are drifting may be rebuked.

The work of the teacher is communication—public reading of Scripture, exhortation and teaching [*1 Timothy 4:13*].

Additionally, through what is taught and through assuming responsibility for all that is taught within the congregation, the teachers will guard the flock from error and from assault by religious frauds, whom Paul identified as “fierce wolves” [*Acts 20:29*].

When teachers have performed their task according to the will of Him who appoints to this service within the churches, their ministry is a blessing to those who receive the ministry.

Thus, the author of the Letter to Hebrew Christians writes, “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the Word of God.

Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith” [*Hebrews 13:7*].

Teachers, appointed by God and faithful to their appointment, will bless the people; the lives of such godly teachers will prove worthy of emulation.

Happy and blessed is the church that has a teacher whom God has appointed.

That congregation enjoys the blessing of Almighty God, for the members receive full knowledge of the will of God as the teacher opens the Book and declares what is written therein.

The shepherd will ensure that the flock receives rich pasturage, clear water and necessary rest as they journey toward spiritual maturity.

The teacher will survey the landscape, guarding against wild beasts that would seek to injure the flock, devouring the weak and running the remainder to the point of exhaustion.

The wise shepherd will seek out the paths that lead to the heavenly Zion, leading the flock through rocky defiles that provide the best and most secure access to the fields of God.

 

*The Peril of False Teachers* — “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.”

The responsibility of teaching within the church is serious—so serious, that those who aspire to that office should give careful consideration before they continue.

Tragically, modern churches have shifted their focus to credentials and connections of teachers rather than examining character and calling; but James urges, as did Paul and Peter, that churches examine the character and calling of teachers.

If the words of the Master mean anything, then those who teach bear an awesome responsibility for the welfare of those who are taught.

You will remember that Jesus warned, “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea” [*Matthew 18:6*].

The word “sin” is a Greek term from which we obtain our English word “scandal.”

The thought is that a believer may be caused to stumble, to deviate from following closely behind the Master.

Whatever else is conveyed, it should be apparent that the Lord takes very seriously the content of the message that is taught among His churches.

Thus, there is an eschatological aspect to James’ words as he warns those who aspire to teach to know that they must ultimately give an accounting to the Master of the church for what is taught.

Teachers expose themselves to greater condemnation from within the congregation and from the Master of the Church, because teachers assume great responsibility within the assembly.

To be certain, James implies that the world watches those who teach, holding them to a strict standard of living up to what they teach.

You know very well the harm that has been done to the cause of Christ through the actions of televangelists and through the absurd statements of those who present themselves as teachers and preachers.

Recently, the racist statements of the preacher of a major presidential candidate in the United States have brought great ridicule to the cause of Christ.

Those racist and political statements were echoed from the same pulpit when a priest was invited to address that same congregation.

Again, the world was aghast at the arrogance of what was said and at the venom which was expressed from this Christian pulpit.

Despite the knowledge that the world holds preachers to a high standard, we must not miss the peril to the flock that comes from harbouring false teachers.

James may well have had in mind another warning that Jesus issued.

In *Matthew 12:36*, Jesus warned, “On the day of judgement people will give account for every careless word they speak.”

Though there is undoubtedly a general aspect in this warning that applies to each Christian and to what is said in every conversation, I must believe that there is a specific application to all who teach, cautioning us that we who teach must bear responsibility for what we have taught the people of God.

The teacher whom God has appointed, and who faithfully delivers the message of the Master from the Word of God, will ensure that the congregation is healthy and growing strong in the Faith.