Chronos: James #6 Series

A few weeks ago, we started a year-long journey chronological study of the New Testament today. Hence the reason we are calling this message series Chronos. It's a word that means “time.” We will be journeying through time back to the start of the early church. We will be doing this by walking through the books of James, Thessalonians, Galatians and Corinthians. We will take a few detours along the way for the major Christian holidays. However, we will be opening up our bibles each week to unpack the scriptures as they were present in the early church.

We start with the book of James because it is the earliest writing determined by present day scholarly dating.

It is the first book or letter written to this new ‘church’ or gathering.

It was written by Jesus to his first half brother, James.

It was written to the messianic Jews who had come to believe Jesus was the Messiah and those first followers who weren't Jewish called Gentiles who had become aware of and believed in Jesus.

It was written to the first bad actors and their practices that were stunting the movement’s growth.

Pastor Peter did a good job of challenging us to look within ourselves at our faith and our deeds. It’s never easy to point out spiritual blind spots while being convicted of our own at the same time. This week we will continue the journey by diving back into James.

We live in a day when in many cities Christianity is losing its place of respect and influence. While many church members are quick to say they are people of faith, the world shouts back with a nagging question, “Really? Your words about the world and about each other tell a different story” As a result, Christianity has lost its voice in so many communities, we have soiled the reputation of Jesus by what we say as much as by what we do. Barna research in a 2019 study found:

Non-Christians are predisposed to hold negative ideas about evangelicals, favoring adjectives like “narrow-minded” (34%), “homophobic” (30%), “misogynistic” (21%), “racist” (17%) and “uptight” (20%).

How did the movement created by Jesus be so disparage? The answer can be found in today’s scriptures from James. Let’s dive into James 3 beginning in verse 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.

Let’s stop there. Words are powerful. Self-esteem and self-confidence are often learned or lost in a parent’s words when we are children. Ask almost anyone about their memories of a words spoken by their parents, they will often share the negative ones before the positive. On the flip side, ask any responsible parent if they’ve apologized to their children for a poor choice of words, they will tell you of one of the hardest moments in life. Emotions can get the best of us.

Our Lord himself considered careless speech to be a very serious matter. As Matthew would record Jesus as saying:

36 But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. 37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” - Matthew 12:36-37

Thus, James makes the first of three statements about the tongue.

SLIDE: Controlled speech is directive

Controlled speech is directive. Like a bridle on a horse or a rudder on a ship, it sets us on course and gives us direction in life.

I can remember hearing a while ago the three statements I should ask myself before opening my mouth and unleashing my tongue: is it true? Is it necessary? Is it kind? And only after I have answered those, then I should ask, Does this really need to be said? Does this really need to be said by me? Does it need to be said now?

Let’s continue from the middle of verse five.

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.