HOFC Sermon Archive: July 2024

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SERMON TIMELINE

1. Introduction to the Book of James

2. Trials and Temptation

3. Gaining Wisdom

4. Poverty & Wealth

5. Dealing with Temptation

6. Slow to Anger

7. The Implanted Word

8. Pure & Undefiled Religion

9. Sin of Partiality

10. Three Kinds of Faith

11. A Warning about Teaching

INTRODUCTION

Today is Sunday. July 28^th, 2024

Last week we examined what James said about the three different types of faith.

Dead faith, which was the faith that has knowledge of the Word, but no action and produces no fruit. This “dead faith’ is called such because it cannot save.

Demonic faith, which James says “believes” in God, and even has an emotional response. The demons believed and tremble. Yet, again, demonic faith, though there is belief and trembling, does not save because there is no action, and produce no fruit.

Saving faith, on the other hand, is knowledge and wisdom of God’s Word, belief and response to God, followed by actions that produce fruit. This is the walking in the spirit, living faith that saves.

Be sure to check out last weeks message if you missed it!

JAMES PART 10: DEAD FAITH, DEMONIC FAITH & SAVING FAITH

We are now beginning the third chapter of James. In the first two verses we find a warning against having too many teachers, and a discourse on the tongue.

You may ask, “shouldn’t we want as many teachers as possible to share the message of God?”

Firstly, that’s not the mission of a teacher. A teacher helps Christians Spiritual Growth so that they become closer to God and serve Him better becoming Spiritually Mature in Christ.

Secondly, teacher is a spiritual gift, and not everyone has that ability.

Remember our series in January 2024 looking at the spiritual gifts of the Holy Spirit?

I Corinthians 12 is clear that each Christian is given Spiritual Gifts according to the Lord’s choice, and these gifts are all for the edification of the Body of Christ. (I Corinthians 12:7; I Corinthians 14:12).

I Corinthians 12:29 tells us that not everyone receives the same gifts. We are not all teachers.

Think for a moment about all the “teachers” on the radio, television and internet. We have an epidemic of false teachers! They are “self-proclaimed teachers” who use their so-called knowledge of the text to enlighten the listeners.

In the best case scenario, they are immature Christians who believe they have the Spiritual Gift of teaching, but fall short of godly enlightenment. In worst case, they are charlatans; little more than circus barkers trying to win the confidence of listeners to loosen their wallets.

Anyone who reads their bible knows who these counterfeit teachers, and false prophets are. If you study the Word of God that is. If you do not, then you will be one who is deceived.

Paul warned Timothy of this, recognizing that young Timothy had the Spiritual Gift of teaching.

“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 all patience and teaching.

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 4:1-4

This is the reason false teachers have such a huge and lucrative following. False converts with fat wallets.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE

James 2:14-26

“Do not, many of you, become teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive a greater 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 entire body as well.

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, they are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot wills.

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

Behold how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, the very world of unrighteousness; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our existence, and is set on fire by [Gehenna] hell. 7 For every kind of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. 8 But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison.

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 blessing and cursing.

My brothers, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a fountain pour forth from the same opening fresh and bitter water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can saltwater produce fresh.”

I. THE WARNING (James 3:1-2)

a. Do not, many of you, become teachers

i. Note, James does not say “Do not, many of you, BE teachers.”

1. He says, “become”

ii. This is a warning against those who try to be teachers who do not have the Spiritual Gift

iii. This warning is against those who may not yet be ready but try anyway

iv. This warning is a rebuke that many of those he is addressing should not even become teachers in the future.

b. Not every Christian is a teacher, nor will every Christian become one

i. Paul illustrates in the Word many times that the Body of Christ has many members, and not all have the same job.

1. Written to the Saints in Rome Romans 12:3-8

2. To the Church in Corinth I Corinthians 12:12-31

ii. Peter also taught in 1 Peter 4:10-11 we should exercise our respective abilities accordingly to God’s grace.

iii. In my latest book, Drowning in Milk: A Guide to Spiritual Maturity, I touch on the fact that Hebrews 5:12-14 was a letter to a select audience, and the implication is an admonishing of their immaturity, not a statement that “ALL CHRISTIANS BECOME TEACHERS.”

c. Why most should not become teachers

i. Firstly, because unless you have the Spiritual Gift, you will fail.

ii. Secondly, because of the importance of this serious responsibility of rightly teaching the meaning of scripture in Truth, there is a stricter judgment for those who try and fail.

1. We can lead people to Truth, and just as easily lead them to error!

iii. Just as the Elders in Hebrews 13:14, those who teach WILL be held accountable if they mislead others!

1. A strong warning to all the false teachers lining their pockets with the money of widows, and the TV “evangelist” using offerings of God for mansions, cars and personal jets.

2. The Great Day is coming, and you will be held accountable to every soul you mislead with your false teachings, false prophecies, lies and manipulation for personal wealth and gain.

3. You know who you are, and you know you are no servant of Jesus Christ.

iv. We all stumble in many things

1. Everyone has faults, and with most of us, improper use of the tongue is a big problem.

2. It takes Spiritual Maturity (what the scripture means by “perfect man”) not to stumble in the Word.

3. And it takes the Spiritual Gift of teaching to do this properly

So James cautions against most people trying to become teachers. This should not discourage anyone from trying to find out if teaching is a gift that they might have if nurtured along with Spiritual Growth and Maturity, but one should proceed with humility and caution.

Without the Spiritual Gift of teaching, one operates in the FLESH. James warns here that your flesh is controlled by your sinful tongue. He gives many illustrations of how the one without the gift may be led, and lead others into error.

II. THE TONGUE (James 3:3-12)

a. The bit and the rudder

i. Think of the power and might of a great horse or ship

ii. Both can be controlled with the smallest of devices.

1. A bit for the horse

2. A rudder for the ship

iii. In the same way, the tongue controls our body

1. Matthew 12:33-34 “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. 34 You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.”

2. Proverbs 23:7a “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:…”

3. Matthew 23:27-28 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 In this way, you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”

4. Matthew 15:18-20a “But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false witness, slanders. 20 These are the things which defile the man;…”

5. The mouth reveals the heart, and the heart reveals the state of the soul

iv. Remember last week, Dead Faith, Demonic Faith and Saving Faith.

1. Two of these can deceive others, and even yourself, but the true state of your faith will be revealed from your heart, in your words, and in the way you live. What works and fruit is your faith producing, if any?

v. If you speak a lie, it won't be long before you find yourself living a lie

vi. If you speak suggestively in an immoral manner, it won't be long before you begin acting immorally!

vii. The power of the tongue to direct is easily applied to the dangers of teaching...

1. The teacher's speech can easily set the mood of the class or congregation

2. He can easily direct the congregation in an uplifting way, or just as easily direct the congregation in a discouraging way

viii. Should not this power to direct via the tongue humble those who teach, and caution the spiritually immature?

b. The little fire

i. A small fire can cause great destruction

1. Catherine O’Leary started the Great Chicago Fire on October 8^th, 1871 when her cow kicked over a lantern in the barn.

2. 300 dead, 17,450 buildings covering 3-5 square miles and $200 million in damage (that would be equal to $5.2 Billion today.)

3. Fire doubles in size every 30 seconds

4. Fire quickly spreads and is devastating

ii. So it is with the tongue

1. Words can ruin someones reputation

2. Destroy families, churches, friendships

iii. Scripture in James describes the tongue as;

1. A fire

2. A world of iniquity (sin, injustice, wickedness)

3. It defiles the whole body

4. And the destruction it causes comes straight from Gehenna

iv. If you bible says (hell) in this verse (end of James 3:6) make a note that the original word was Gehenna.

1. Why?

2. Gehenna is the second death of James 5 and Revelation

3. Jesus uses Gehenna as an illustration of the final destination of Satan, the Beast, the Antichrist and all sinners who have not called on the name of the Lord.

v. To say that Gehenna is the driving force behind our wicked tongues implies that this will be the “fruit” and destination of those who allow their flesh, and the tongues work/control of their flesh to manifest in this world.

vi. The sinful flesh and the tongue labor to produce wicked fruit, which will result in our being cast into Gehenna by the Lord on Judgment Day.

It is for this very reason, that the tongue can destroy and defile, not just ourselves, but others as well, that there is caution and warning in scripture about us becoming a teacher.

III. THE DIFFICULTY OF TAMING THE TONGUE (James 3:7-12)

a. Man’s limitations (1&2)

i. Despite being able to tame and control wild animals, man is unable to tame the tongue

1. It is an unruly evil

2. Full of deadly poison

ii. No man, by himself, can tame the tongue

1. Through God, however, God tames it!

a. Psalm 141:3-4 “Set a guard, O Yahweh, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips. 4 Do not incline my heart to any evil thing, To practice deeds in wickedness”

b. Ephesians 4:29 “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for building up what is needed, so that it will give grace to those who hear.”

i. Perverse, vulgar, immoral speech

CONCLUSION

Mark 7:18-23 “And He *said to them, “Are you lacking understanding in this way as well? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him, 19 because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and goes to the sewer?” (Thus He declared all foods clean.) 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, sexual immoralities, thefts, murders, adulteries, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, an evil eye, slander, arrogance, and foolishness. 23 All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man.”

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Tuesday, July 30, 2024

Book of James Part 11: A Warning About Teaching