Tongue Waggers Anonymous

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