Becoming A Single-Tongued People (James 3:1-12) Series

Let's begin today by reading from James 3:1 (and a part of verse 2):

(1) Not many of you, teachers, should become, my brothers,

knowing that greater/more intense judgment we will receive.

(2) For in many ways, we all stumble.

One of the highest callings, for the building up of God's church, is that of a teacher. Teachers help people understand who God truly is, and what He truly wants. They help us see the blind spots in thinking, and in our life, that keep us from loving God and people the way we should. A great teacher doesn't simply explain all of this to you, but somehow manages to motivate you, and push you, to live from a higher spiritual place. You find that you leave their presence with this burning desire to do more, and be more.

The ministry of teaching is a tremendous honor, and a tremendous responsibility. Good teachers will find themselves speaking for God. They will tell you, "This is what God thinks. This is how God views this or that." Peter says, teach "as those who speak the very words of God" (1 Peter 4:11).

Great teachers will steer the whole church in the right direction. They will do their part in equipping the body, "fixing" what's broken, so that all of us can build up the church (Ephesians 4:12).

Many of us, at one point in our life or another, have sat at the feet of a truly great teacher. They finish teaching, and we feel incredibly recharged, and on fire, and ready to do great things. They teach from a familiar passage in the Bible, that we thought we knew like the back of our hand, and we marvel at how they opened it up for us in new directions. It's not just that we suddenly know the Bible a million times better. It's also that it matters, a million times more.

When you've sat the feet of a truly great teacher, there's a decent chance that you'll find yourself wanting to be a teacher, as well. You'll want to bless people, and do for others, what was done for you. You'll want the privilege, and ministry, of teaching.

If this is you, James here strikes a cautionary note. Most of you shouldn't become teachers. That would be a mistake, for most of you.

Why?

James says it's a mistake, because we all know that teachers receive a greater, or more intense, judgment.

Now, there's quite a bit of discussion about what exactly James means here (put this in the outline).

(1) One way of understanding this verse, is that James is saying that God holds teachers to a higher standard. When a teacher commits adultery, it's far more destructive than when a non-teacher does it. It tends to do far more damage to people's faith, and to the reputation of God's church. And so God expects teachers to live a cleaner, less-stained life.

(2) A second option, is that teachers are judged more harshly because of the responsibility they have for equipping the church. Let's read from 2 Peter 2:1-3 (NIV no reason):

2 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.

The worst kind of teacher is the one who encourages wickedness. They will tell you that depraved conduct-- verse 2-- is not that big of a deal. You can live a sinful life, as a slave to sin, and there will be no consequences.

I know an Awana program where the kids were taught this: once you're saved, you can go around murdering people, and God will still give you eternal life. And at this church, what this teacher said would've been celebrated by the rest of church leadership. At this church, people are taught that all of your sins, past present and future, are already forgiven. So even in the very act of murder, or sexual immorality, or idolatry, God views you as a clean and spotless Christian in Christ.

If the church took the teacher's words to heart, what would be the end result? Terrible evil.

These are the kinds of teachers who will, in Peter's own words, bring swift destruction on themselves.

As a teacher, you can guide people, accidentally or not, to a place of spiritual apathy, or even wickedness.

Do this, and your judgment will be severe. Let's read from 1 Corinthians 3:10-17 (NIV no reason):