INTRO.- Teacher, teacher, who is the real teacher?
ILL.- William A. Ward (America’s most quoted writers of inspirational maxims) has said, "The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.”
I don’t know about teachers but I certainly want to inspire as best I can in my preaching of God’s Word! I want to inspire, teach and motivate people! I have one big advantage over any school teacher. WHAT’S THAT? I use the Word of God as my text and that makes all the difference in the world.
I think it makes all the difference in all the great speeches that have ever been given, political or otherwise. There is nothing like quoting scripture and using scripture in order to speak to people. There is no power on earth like it.
ILL.- Charles Rann Kennedy, English playwrite, wrote: “There is great power in words. All the things that ever get done in the world, good or bad, are done by words.” Words are indeed power tools by which people accomplish much. But there is even greater power in the Word of God!
ILL.- One time an educated Chinese man was given a copy of the scriptures and was urged to read it carefully and thoughtfully. Some time later he came back to his friend, asking, “What is there about this Book that is so different? In all my reading of Chinese literature I have read many good precepts but never, until I read this Book, have I been trouble in my mind when I have done wrong. Now whenever I do wrong I am troubled. Why is this book different from all other books that I have read?”
Well, we know the answer to that question!
Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
ILL.- G. M. Landis wrote: The Bible, like some foods and drinks, creates an appetite for itself. The more we know of its marvelous message, the more we want to know, for the sweeter does it become. (or it becomes sweeter with the passing of time) AMEN! Have you not found this to be true?!
I Peter 2:1-3 “Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.”
Once you taste of the Lord and His Word you can’t help but want more! And, of course, by the power of His Word we are able to rid ourselves of sin and grow up in our salvation or mature in Christ. Scripture matures people like nothing else. This is why we all need to soak up the Word of God.
ILL.- Josh Billings (19th century writer and humorist. Best known next to Mark Twain) said: “ There’s a great power in words, if you don’t hitch too many of them together.” (all preachers and teachers need to learn that lesson). Sometimes less is best.
ILL.- A sense of intellectual excitement reigned in Morris R. Cohen’s classes at the University of Chicago. Professors, students and sometimes alumni turned out to see him perform. A friend objected after one of his public lectures, saying, “That was brilliant, but aren’t you afraid it was over their heads?”
“I aim it,” replied the professor, “where their heads ought to be.”
That could be but I try to aim to where they can understand what I’m saying. I still believe if you can’t relate well to your audience with presentation then you can’t do any good. KISS.
PROP.- Not many people should be teachers. Why? There is danger in speaking.
1- Some will be judged strictly
2- Some will stumble easily
3- Some will speak deceitfully
I. SOME WILL BE JUDGED STRICTLY
1 Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.
Don’t presume to be a preacher/teacher. All preaching contains a certain amount of teaching from God’s Word. And not many men should choose to be a preacher of God’s Word. In the first place, I don’t think many men want to be a preacher. That’s probably the least of what they want to do. Why not? A variety of reasons.
- Not many people like to stand before people to give speeches. It makes most people nervous. I understand this but I don’t get too nervous any more. I believe in what I’m doing in preaching God’s Word. And if I know I have done my best to prepare my message there is nothing to get nervous about.
- Not many men want to preach because they may think they can make more money doing something else.
My older brother Larry has been in the grocery business for 54 years. He makes six figures in salary. I haven’t even come close to that but he said I made the best career decision.
- Not many men want to preach because of having to move. Most preachers don’t stay in a church even 10 years. The average is somewhere just over three years. And most people don’t like to move.
- Not many men want to preach because they recognize how hard it is to please people, a whole congregation of people.
Many churches are hard to please and I’ve seen some of those hard-to-please churches send their preacher down the road to look for another job. And many of these preachers have been good men who did their work. And many times the churches have jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire as far as getting a new preacher.
- Not many men would want to preach for fear of being judged more strictly. This is probably true. I will be judged more strictly because I have been willing to be a spokesman for the Lord.
How much more strictly will a preacher or teacher of God’s Word be judged? I don’t know. I just know this is what scripture says, but I have always been willing to preach anyway. I preach not out of fear of Him but out of devotion to Him!
ILL.- Dr. Howard Hendricks tells of a professor who made an impact on his life. He passed his home many times, early in the morning and late at night, and often saw him pouring over his books. One day, Hendricks asked him, “Doctor, I’d like to know, what is it that keeps you studying? You never cease to learn.”
His answer: “Son, I would rather have my students drink from a running stream than from a stagnant pool.”
I too want to preach and teach from a running stream rather than a stagnant pool. I also want to do my best and give my best in order to please the Lord.
ILL.- A man was talking with Professor Basil L. Gildersleeve of Johns Hopkins University, the greatest Greek scholar our country has produced. He was an old man, (lived to be 92 in 1924) and he had been honored everywhere. The man asked him what compliment received in his long life had pleased him most. He thought a moment, then said, “I believe it was when one of my students said, ‘Professor, you have so much fun with your own mind.”
I have a lot of fun in my own mind which I really want to share with others! Seriously, I delight in the treasures I’ve found in God’s Word and long to share those treasures with others. That’s what keeps me going, not fear of being judged.
I John 4:18 “But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”
II. SOME WILL STUMBLE EASILY
2 We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.
We all stumble in many ways. How true are these words? Have you stumbled lately?
ILL.- One day, Bill and Tom went to a restaurant for dinner. As soon as the waiter took out two steaks, Bill quickly picked out the bigger steak for himself. Tom wasn’t happy about that: "When are you going to learn to be polite?"
Bill: "If you had the chance to pick first, which one would you pick?" Tom: "The smaller piece, of course."
Bill: "What are you whining about then? The smaller piece is what you want, right?"
I’m not sure this is a matter of politeness as much as it is a matter of selfishness. Who gets the biggest steak? Are you ever selfish with anyone, any time? Do you always have to have things YOUR way? If so, you have stumbled in life. You have stumbled into the sin of self-living or selfishness.
ILL.- A tourist is traveling with a guide through one of the thickest jungles in South America, when he comes across an ancient Mayan temple. The tourist is excited about the temple, and asks the guide for details. To this, the guide states that archaeologists are carrying out excavations, and still finding great treasures. The tourist then queries how old the temple is.
"This temple is 1503 years old", replies the guide. Impressed at this accurate dating, he inquires as to how he gave this precise figure. "Easy", replies the guide, "the archaeologists said the temple was 1500 years old, and that was three years ago."
The moral of this story may be: Do you always have to be right about everything? If so, you may have stumbled. You may have stumbled into the sin of pride. None of us is right ALL the time.
Pride, selfish and many things are sinful according to God’s Word. In our text, James is stalking about stumbling in our speaking.
ILL.- A linguistics professor was lecturing to his English class one day. "In English," he said, "A double negative forms a positive. In some languages, though, such as Russian, a double negative is still a negative. However, there is no language wherein a double positive can form a negative." A voice from the back of the room piped up, "Yeah, right."
That sounds a smart alec answer, to me. Did you ever answer anyone in a smart alec manner? Did you make a sarcastic or caustic remark to someone with the idea of perhaps putting them down? If so, then you have stumbled. You have sinned with your speaking and we all are guilty. And this may be the easiest and quickest way that we all sin! WE SIN WITH OUR MOUTHS!
Someone said: Usually the first screw that gets loose in a person’s head is the one that controls the tongue.
If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check. If you can control your mouth or your speaking then you should be able to control everything else in your life.
3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. A bit in the horses mouth generally controls him. If we can control the mouth we may well be able to control the whole body. 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 person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. The tongue is a very small part of body but it can do a great deal of damage in life. And in some cases, the tongue is an evil, meaning it’s an evil tool with some people. Think of all the damage that has been done by gossipy tongues?!
Someone said: “If you don’t say it -- they can’t repeat it.”
Benjamin Franklin wrote: “A slip of the foot you may soon recover, but a slip of the tongue you may never get over.”
7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, 8 but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. What’s the idea? We can’t tame our own tongue. We need divine help.
III. SOME WILL SPEAK DECEITFULLY
9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
ILL.- A busload of politicians were driving down a country road when the bus suddenly ran off the road and crashed into an old farmer’s field. The old farmer heard the tragic crash so he rushed over to investigate. He then began digging a large grave to bury the politicians.
A few hours later, the local sheriff was driving past the farmer’s field and noticed the bus wreck. He approached the old farmer and asked where all the politicians had gone. The old farmer explained that he’d gone ahead and buried all of them. "Were they ALL dead?" asked the puzzled sheriff. "Well, some of them said they weren’t," said the old farmer, "but you know how them politicians lie."
ILL.- A little girl asked her father, "Daddy? Do all Fairy Tales begin with ’Once Upon A Time’?" He replied, "No, there is a whole series of Fairy Tales that begin with ’If elected I promise’."
We all know that politicians make many promises and many that they never make good on. Likewise, when a person says one thing and does another, they are either lying or speaking with a forked tongue. They may say one thing but mean something else.
9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Speaking with a forked tongue may also be praising the Lord in the church but during the week speaking a different tune. We praise the Lord but curse or cuss men. Do we dare even consider this? Have we ever been guilty? We speak praises but we speak ill of men?! What’s the problem?
Matthew 12:33-35 33 “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.
What’s the problem? The person who speaks with a forked tongue has a heart problem. And only the great physician can operate and cure that problem.
CONCLUSION---------------------
ILL.- Pianist Artur Rubenstein, who could speak in eight languages, once told this story on himself: Some years ago he had a stubborn case of hoarseness. The newspapers were full of reports about smoking and cancer; so he decided to consult a throat specialist. "I searched his face for a clue during the 30 minute examination," Rubenstein said, "but it was expressionless. He told me to come back the next day. I went home full of fears, and I didn’t sleep that night."
The next day there was another long examination and again an ominous silence. "Tell me," the pianist exclaimed. "I can stand the truth. I’ve lived a full, rich life. What’s wrong with me?" The physician said, "You talk too much."
There are times, no doubt, when perhaps most of us, if not all of us, talk too much.
President Calvin Coolidge once said, “I have never been hurt by anything I didn’t say.”
Steve Shepherd, Jonesboro Christian Church, AR
jonesborochristianchurch@suddenlink.net
