James 4: 11-12 Tongue

Watch your Tongue

James 3: 9-12

I remember when I was in high school and I began to feel myself, I was one of the popular boys I had having a friend who was like a brother

What do I want them to know?

A believer's tongue should not be a tool of inconsistency.

James said the same mouth that is used to praise God cannot be the same tongue that is used to curse others.

The same tongue that you come to church to worship God can't be the same tongue that tears down the pastor, tears down the elders, tears down the deacons and other members of the church.

I believe strongly my brother and sister that one of the reasons why some young people give up on the church once they get to a certain age is because of the inconsistencies of the lives

Let's take a look at the problem with inconsistencies.

The definition of inconsistency is the state of not being the same throughout.

So say for example you are traveling to a new place you've never been before and you plug your correct address in the GPS, but instead of taking you to a straight path to your destination, the GPS is being inconsistent with its directions. Imagine it is sending you on opposite sides of the road, down one-way only roads, or telling you to turn right in a forest or turn left off a bridge. As a driver, it will not only be frustrating to receive inaccurate and inconsistent directions, but it would be downright dangerous.

That's the same thing that an inconsistent Christian life does for those who are outside the faith or those who are depending on us for proper guidance. Inconsistent lifestyle frustrates them at best my brothers and sisters, but at worst it gives a bad name to God of heaven. Listen to what Paul says in Romans chapter 2.

17You who call yourselves Jews are relying on God’s law, and you boast about your special relationship with him. 18 You know what he wants; you know what is right because you have been taught his law. 19 You are convinced that you are a guide for the blind and a light for people who are lost in darkness. 20 You think you can instruct the ignorant and teach children the ways of God. For you are certain that God’s law gives you complete knowledge and truth.

21 Well then, if you teach others, why don’t you teach yourself? You tell others not to steal, but do you steal? 22 You say it is wrong to commit adultery, but do you commit adultery? You condemn idolatry, but do you use items stolen from pagan temples?

23 You are so proud of knowing the law, but you dishonor God by breaking it. 24 No wonder the Scriptures say, “The Gentiles blaspheme the name of God because of you.”

My brothers and sisters the best case scenario when we are inconsistent with our mouths, when we praise God in church but slander others outside of the church are that they will simply be frustrated but according to Paul Rom 2: 24 the worst-case scenario is when we cause others to blaspheme the name of God, in other words, to speak in a reproachful, reprehensible manner against the God of Heaven. The worst-case scenario is when we cause others to turn away from a Good, loving, and gracious God because of our foul mouths because we fail to control what we say and how we say it.

James says we cannot, with our mouths, praise God and curse man. A believer's tongue should not be a tool of inconsistency.

And yes I can hear you say “Pastor, how can I keep my mouth shut when others are being a nuisance in my life.”Pastor, you don't know the type of people I’m around every day, if you don't talk a certain way people will make a fool out of you, they'll walk all over you.”

Matt 5:44

But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you

Luke 6: 28

bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

Rom 12:14

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

1 Samuel 24:17

and said to David, "You are more righteous than I, for you have rewarded me with good, though I have rewarded you with evil.

John 13:34

A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another.

You can not serve God and mammon either you will love one and hate the other

Being on the fence is being on the devil’s side

Watch your Tongue Part 3

Bible Text:

James 4: 11-12

11 Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who can save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?

INTRODUCTION

ME WE

If i am going to be honest with you which is kind of a requirement in preaching. We all have not only gossiped but weve all justified why we gossip.

GOD

The actual Greek word that was used for ‘speaks against’ or slander is:

Katalaleo: to speak against one or to criminate but for us to get a better understanding of the actual meaning of speak against we must go to the root word which is:

Katalalos: a defamer: to harm the reputation of someone by communicating false or incorrect statements about them

Also, According to the theologian William Barclay his commentary The Letters of James and Peter, Katalalia is the sin of those who meet in corners and gather in little groups and pass on confidential titbits of information which destroy the good name of those who are not there to defend themselves. The same sin is condemned by Peter (1 Peter 2:1).

Barclay, W. (2003). The Letters of James and Peter (3rd ed. fully rev. and updated, p. 128). Louisville, KY; London: Westminster John Knox Press.

So then my brothers and sisters I want you to understand that there's a big difference between constructive criticism and slander or defamatory statements.

In constructive criticism, I should be able to have an honest talk about your strengths and weaknesses and try to uplift you with encouragement.

Give examples.

I can call my brother elder Angall and say elder here’s what you do well but this you might need to improve in.

I should be able to call my sis Daydria and here’s what you do well but here’s where you could improve.

Anyone of you should be able to call me as your pastor and say pastor turner I like how you do such and such but here’s an area that you could improve in.

That’s constructive criticism. It can be painful but still, it is done in a gentle manner and the intention is to help us to grow.

Slander or defamation, on the other hand, is not meant to uplift nor is it meant to encourage. The intention of Slander or defamation is meant to tear down and destroy.

Give examples.

The word judge (krinō) means to form an opinion of someone (positive or negative) by examination of scrutiny.

Law (nomos): any representative declaration of God’s legal requirements for His creatures: whether in scripture or the conscience.

The bible says Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it.

Why would the bible say, if you defame the name of your brother or sister, if you slander the reputation of your brother or sister, if you judge them by forming a negative opinion of them then you are also judging the Word God and you are not keeping it…

For us to answer this question we must go to a fundamental text in the bible to Mark 12:

28One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” (a common mistake people make is they think he was referring to the Torah or the 10 commandments. No, he wasn’t… he was making a broader and more general, and more encompassing statement. Basically, he was saying of all the commands ever writing in the bible which is the greatest)

29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.

30Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’

31The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

There is no commandment greater than these.”

According to Jesus the second greatest command in the bible is to love your neighbor as yourself. We are not talking about the second greatest of all the 10 commandments. We are talking about the second greatest commandment in the bible. If that doesn’t cause you to think about next time think carefully about what you say about someone nothing will.

Here’s why this is important brethren… We are all capable of anything. If you can think of the most heinous thing you have ever heard of we are all capable of doing it. We reason why we don’t do certain things is that we restrain ourselves. Or let me put it a different way love has restrained us.

Let me explain

Because we love our families and we don’t want to embarrass our families no matter how hungry we get we will not rob a store.

Because we love our spouses and we don’t want to cause shame to our households. No matter how beautiful the girl looks or how handsome the guy looks we are restrained by love.

Because we love God and we don’t want to let down the name of God no matter how angry someone causes us to be we will not physically hurt antone.

So my brothers and sisters, when we love one another our negative actions should be restrained by our love for one another.

No matter how juicy the gossip is

No matter how exclusive the story is

No matter how tantalizing the secret is

No matter how terrible the person is

If your conversation is not to uplift

If your conversation is not to encourage

If your conversation is not to cheer

If your conversation is not to strengthen

Tell the person that telling the story, I love you but get thee behind me satan.

I refuse to slander my brother behind his back

I refuse to harshly criticize my sister behind her back

I refuse the defame the elders name

I refuse to tarnish the character of the deacon

Because my bible tells me

But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be thrown into the sea. (mark 9:22)

I refuse because I am restrained by love.

11 Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it.

Let me share a few things with you tonight before I end.

The one who listens even in silence is just as guilty as the one who is slandering

For those who are saying pastor you just want to silence us if something happens we have to talk about it. And to that, I say yes but talking about it is never to slander someone. So how should we deal with people who have fallen in the church?

Luke 17:3 If your brother sins, rebuke (to warn or counsel about their behavior) him, and if he repents, forgive him.

So in other words, we talk to the brother or sister never about the brother or sister. It is to uplift never to put down

When we talk to individuals (especially those who have fallen) it is with the lens of forgiveness to restore them back from whence they have fallen… it is never to glorify what has been done.

If you forget everything i say don’t forget this:

When we slander someone we slander God’s Word