Sunday, September 2, 2018

The Book of James – Part 7: Taming of the Shrewd


The Book of James – Part 7:
Taming of the Shrewd
Pastor Bruce A. Shields
House of Faith Church | www.PS127.org | www.TruthDigest.org

This Document is a Sermon Outline, you may hear the full audio of the actual sermon by following the link Online Audio Files located above for this, and other Full Sermon Audios.  For a complete list of Sermon Outlines, visit TruthDigest.org, or Truth Digest on facebook; for our Official Church website, visit PS127.org, or find us on facebook at House of Faith Church

SERMON INTRODUCTION

There are warnings we must not overlook in the third chapter of James. 

First is to the teacher of the Word of God, second is of the power of the tongue, and thirdly, is of the only answer to taming what comes from your mouth.

The question James poses for you this week is simple,

Can a salt spring produce fresh water?


LAST WEEKS SERMON
Part 1 - Faith and Wisdom
Part 2 - Poverty and Riches
Part 3 - Endurance
Part 4 - Christian Living
Part 5 - Brotherly Love
Part 6 - Faith and Works


TODAY’S SERMON
Part 7 - Taming of the Shrewd


SCRIPTURE READING

James 3:1-9 Taming the Tongue
1 Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 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.

 3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

 7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

 9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.


       I.            BEWARE TEACHERS OF THE WORD OF GOD

a.      Those who Teach the Word are Judged more Strictly

                                                             i.      Understanding the Word of God is not to be taken lightly
1.      2 Timothy 2:1515 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”

a.      Too many mis-quote, mis-use, and misunderstand the scriptures...and they are setting themselves up for trouble, because God holds those who teach the Word to a higher accountability!

b.     To those who teach, He judges more strictly.

c.      And whom do we want to approve our teachings? God!

                                                                                                                                     i.      We DO NOT write/preach/teach for the approval of men

                                                                                                                                  ii.      Those who do have an agenda other than God’s which is the salvation and freeing of those who are enslaved by sin

                                                                                                                               iii.      Some write/preach/teach for money (prosperity preachers are all over TV preaching about everything but Christ)

1.      For fame or following (religious leaders/cults)

2.      Some because like Satan, they too wish to be like gods (some faith healers who flaunt the healing as some sort of parlor trick or sideshow act, like Simon the sorcerer wanted the Holy Spirit for in the scriptures)

                                                          ii.      To write, preach or teach the Word of God for anything other than what it was intended for will accomplish more than you bargained for, harsh judgment from God.


b.     It is easy to Stumble, Offend and Sin
                                                             i.      James addresses the issue of sin and perfection, and makes it clear that it is easy to stumble, offend and sin...but the scriptures are not referring to sin when we are called to be perfect.

                                                          ii.      Here, perfection is directed at the proper handling of God’s Word, not our stumbling in life which James states is something the scripture here states “we all stumble in many ways

                                                       iii.      So if we all stumble in many ways, how can one be perfect like we are called to be?

1.      As the scripture states, “Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check”

2.      “What they say” is reference to God’s Word

3.      So IF we are never at fault (do not mis-quote, mis-represent, or totally misuse God’s Word) in what we say (Specifically speaking of teaching) we are viewed as perfect (even though we all stumble in many ways)

4.      If we rightly use the Word of God, we will be able to keep our whole body in check!

5.      This also works the other way, when we do not teach God’s word properly, we are not perfect and like a ship steered off course, we will NOT keep our body (flesh) in check and find ourselves in eternal-life dangers with our flesh.


c.      To be Perfect, One must Rightly Handle the Word of God
                                                             i.      James tells us in verse 2, “If any man offend NOT in the word, he is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.”

                                                          ii.      To God, the man who teaches the Word with proper understanding, it is credited to him as perfection!


1.      In the previous chapter, last week James tells us how Abraham was considered RIGHTEOUS, not that he WAS righteous, but his faith was credited to him as righteousness.

2.      A few verses later, we see James telling us that although we all stumble in many ways, and it is easy to offend, by rightly handling and teaching the Word of God, we are considered PERFECT, not that we are perfect, but credited as such!

Isaiah 64:6
All of us have become like one who is unclean,
   and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;

Isaiah 64 addressing the fact that because of dis-obedience to God’s Word, we have no righteousness.

a.      We CANNOT be perfect, less we rightly divide the Word

b.     We CANNOT be saved, less we have faith in the Word
ILLUSTRATION - Horses and Ships

 3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.

         Like the horses bit, or the ships rudder, the tongue is a small part of the body, yet, just as the bit and the rudder, it holds great power, and is responsible for doing grand things, whether good or bad!


ILLUSTRATION - Forest Fires and Sparks

Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

         James refers to the tongue as a FIRE, not just a spark.

         James tells us the tongue itself is set on fire by hell...how?  Because it is part of our sinful unredeemed flesh and can be influenced by the devil.

o   Remember Matthew 16 when Jesus told Peter, “Get behind me Satan”?
o   This was because of what Peter said
o   His words influenced by hell to try and convince Jesus NOT to go to the cross!
o   Peter “mis-understood” Jesus’ teachings, that the cross WAS HIS DESTINY to free mankind!
o   Because of his misunderstanding of God’s Word, he was not perfect, he stumbled, hell set his tongue on fire to work against Jesus, and Peter spoke, not eternal life, but against God’s plan for Salvation, which is eternal death.


   II.            THE POWER LIES IN THE TONGUE

a.      A World of Evil Among the Parts of the Body
                                                             i.      It is not what goes into a man that defiles him...

Matthew 15:10-11
 10 Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. 11 What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”

b.     The Tongue Corrupts the Whole Body
                                                             i.      Leading the body like a bridled horse


c.      The Tongue Sets the Whole Course of One’s Life on Fire
                                                             i.      If the devil can control your tongue, he will control your destiny!
                                                          ii.      And a dome of chaos will develop around you in your life, setting others on fire
                                                       iii.      And the entirety of your life will be consumed if you allow it!


d.     The Tongue Itself is set on Fire by Hell
                                                             i.      What is coming from your mouth?
1.      Faith or dis-belief?
2.      Hope or hopelessness?
3.      Blessings or curses?
4.      are you speaking life or death?

III.            WHO CAN TAME IT?
a.      v7-8 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

                                                             i.      NOT MAN

                                                          ii.      The Holy Spirit is the ONLY way!
1.      From the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks!

2.      What is your heart filled with?
a.      That is what you are speaking...

b.     v9-10  9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing.

                                                             i.      Remember, we are commanded to love our brothers, our neighbors and our enemies!

                                                          ii.      I John 3:1414 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. 15 Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.”

1.      Have a question about your salvation?  Ask yourself...do you love others?  The scripture says THIS is how we can KNOW we have passed from death to life!

                                                       iii.      I John 4:20 “Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.”

1.      Remember, love here is I Corinthians 13 love, how we treat others, not whether or not we have warm fuzzies, emotions or feelings for them, but how we treat them.

2.      God does not command us to “like” everyone, but He does expect us to love everyone.

c.      Life and Death are in the tongue!
                                                             i.      James warns that our tongue is “restless evil, full of poison.”

                                                          ii.      Proverbs 18:20-21 20 From the fruit of their mouth a person’s stomach is filled; with the harvest of their lips they are satisfied.

21 The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

                                                       iii.      BEWARE...you will be FILLED with the harvest of your mouth, which has the power of life and death!  Which fruit are you filling yourself with?  Good or evil?


d.     One moment we praise God, the next we curse man created in His image...this should not be!


JAMES’ GREAT QUESTION

Can a salt spring produce fresh water?


CONCLUSION

To the teacher of the Word of God, STUDY, understand the very Word you are teaching, for God will hold you to a higher accountability.


As far as the power of the tongue, remind yourself that what you speak comes from what is stored in your heart, and you will eat the fruit of that harvest, whether good or bad.


The ONLY way to control, and tame the tongue, is by the Holy Spirit filling you with good things from Study of God’s Word...


Luke 6:44-45
44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 45 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.


The question James poses for you this week is simple,

Are you speaking life or death?




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