James 3:1-12 Tongue Wagers’ Anonymous
Read Chapter 3:1-12
Pastor James, Bishop of Jerusalem, half brother of Jesus continues addressing issues that are dividing his congregation.
These issues keep the congregation from reaching the potential he sees in them.
God has given James great insight into the reasons the Jerusalem church is now failing to reach the community for Christ
Chapter 1 - James addresses:
• the congregation’s failure to see their own wavering faith, lack of patience & Wisdom
• the congregation’s partiality toward the rich, and their temptation to seek riches rather than God’s will.
• the congregation’s failure to examine one’s own life
Chapter 2 – James addresses:
• the congregation’s judging others without first judging one’s own motives
• the congregation’s misguided belief that if they show up at church and yet are not involved in ministry, they still have the faith it takes to enter Heaven.
In Chapter 3 James addresses one of the most sensitive issues in the church, that being the misuse of the tongue. In verse 3:9 James sums the whole of the problem:
“Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the likeness of God.”
How can we in one moment bless God with our lips and in the next curse our brother sitting beside us and walk away without seeing that our actions are sin?
So James begins with this Proposition
Jam 3:1 My brethren (brothers and sisters in Christ), be not many teachers, knowing that we (Teachers) shall receive the greater condemnation.
• Masters = teachers (äéäάóêáëïò)
• Knowing this is an issue only those truly called of God should take up the responsibility of teaching others Christian doctrine.
• Why should we prayerfully choose the responsibility of teaching?
o “knowing that we (Teachers) shall receive the greater condemnation (êñίìá - judgement).
o Calling and teaching
• Why shall we receive the greater judgment?
o With Responsibility comes accountability
o Verse 2 “For in many things (much) we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same [is] a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.”
o Christ Jesus, James half brother, God in the flesh, clearly stated the accountability we receive in teaching and proclaiming our position as Christians:
Mar 9:42-50 And whosoever shall offend one of [these] little ones that believe in me, it would be better for him that a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were cast into the sea.
Why?
And if your hand offend you (cause you to offend), cut it off: it is better for you to enter into life maimed, than having two hands and go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
Where their worm dies not, and the fire is not quenched.
And if your foot offend you (cause you to offend), cut it off: it is better for you to enter lame into life, than having two feet and be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
Where their worm dies not, and the fire is not quenched.
And if your eye offend you (cause you to offend), pluck it out: it is better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes and be cast into hell fire:
Where their worm dies not, and the fire is not quenched.
For every one shall be salted (purified) with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted (preserved) with salt. Salt [is] good: but if the salt has lost his saltiness, how will you season it? Have salt (purity and preservation) in yourselves, and have peace one with another.
James takes it one step further:
And if your tongue offend you (cause you to offend), cut it out: it is better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with no tongue, than having a forked tongue and be cast into hell fire: Where their worm dies not, and the fire is not quenched.
The man or women who does not offend is a perfect (ôέëåéïò – complete, mature) man, able also to bridle the whole body.
Accountability should precede taking on the responsibility a teacher.
• But who is not a teacher?
• We teach our children,
• We teach others with our actions, good or bad.
• So who is not accountable to God?
• We are all accountable for our tongue and our actions.
Example 1
Jam 3:3 Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.
• Horses are obstinate creatures
• Horses are only controlled if you put a bit in their mouths
• James is warning us not to be like the horse
Example 2
Jam 3:4 Behold also the ships, which though [they be] very great, and [are] driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, any direction the helmsman desires.
• Sailing Ships are massive and driven by the wind
• Once they are under sail and the wind is forcing them along it would be very difficult to turn them except for the small rudder in the water beneath the ship which can maneuver the ship as the helmsman wishes.
• The tongue is small in respect to many parts of the body, yet is can cause major destruction in very short order.
James states 3:5-6 Even so the tongue is a little member (of the body), and boast great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindles! And the tongue [is] a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
Now the time to step on toes in this congregation:
Like Pastor James, I find our congregation has problems with the tongue. The number one reason our congregation is the size it is today is because people’s tongues wag when they should be bitten.
1. People would rather spew their discontent of life, rather than, get in a corner of their house and take it to God. You need a bigger God!
2. You get into a corner and address your discontent of life with God. He can handle it Your brother and sister can’t!
3. I need not go into details about who needs to repent before God. That is between you and He.
4. I will not go into detail about who needs to go people in this congregation and people outside this congregation and repent, but if you refuse, this congregation will remain small and these little ones will remain offended.
5. Some of you know this is a problem and others need to do some introspection, because you know not that you are blind.
Pro 18:19 A brother offended [is harder to be won] than a strong city: and contentions (wall set up) [are] like the beam across the gate of a castle.
James gives an Argument for repentance
Jam 3:7-8 For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and has been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; [it is] an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
• Jam 3:9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the likeness of God.
• Jam 3:10 Out of the same mouth proceeds blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
Example 3 Jam 3:11-12
Does a fountain spew forth, from the same spot, sweet [fresh water] and bitter (brackish)?
• my brethren
• Can the fig tree, bear olive berries?
• Can a vine, bear figs?
• Neither can a fountain yield both salt water and fresh.
James climaxes his argument for repentance with this thought:
If you spew out of your mouth curses, discouragement, discontent to fellow believers (not to mention those outside the church) you are telling the world that you are either:
• in sin and need repentance, or
• you are lost and in need of salvation
Fresh water and salt water do not flow from the same source.
There is no living with this in the church. This is something that must change today.
May God Speak to your heart and drive you to your knees.
Pray.
