WEBVTT 00:00:12.880 --> 00:00:18.480 So this week we are continuing in our study of James. 00:00:18.800 --> 00:00:22.079 We're starting chapter three, which is about halfway through the letter. 00:00:23.359 --> 00:00:31.280 I'm going to sort of take a page out of Trevor's book and say, y'all give me some grace on this. 00:00:33.039 --> 00:00:47.920 This is it can be a James is a tough letter, and I don't want it, don't take this the way it could be taken as a reprimand, but just take it as a reminder. 00:00:51.519 --> 00:01:01.439 Sometimes it's worth taking a small step back to try to remember kind of where we're at and in context of the letter and the argument that's being put forth. 00:01:01.920 --> 00:01:07.760 So James started out in chapter one with an overview of themes that he's going to continue throughout the whole letter. 00:01:08.000 --> 00:01:12.879 And these really kind of center on this double-mindedness among a congregation. 00:01:13.280 --> 00:01:18.319 And it boils down really to one question: where does our loyalties really lie? 00:01:19.599 --> 00:01:22.159 Is it with God or at the world? 00:01:22.959 --> 00:01:36.400 And then kind of following up on that, the the the what James is trying to get us to understand with that is how does this affect, how does this double-mindedness affect the church community? 00:01:37.200 --> 00:01:43.200 He reminds us that we have a choice every day: trust in the promises of God or trust in the lie of sin. 00:01:43.519 --> 00:01:56.239 And then he starts showing us how this double-mindedness plays out through a series of contrasts, hearing instead of doing, religion without compassion, favoritism instead of love, and this faith that speaks but never acts. 00:01:56.480 --> 00:02:00.159 Just empty words, not capable of saving anyone. 00:02:00.400 --> 00:02:05.120 So you see, there's a lot happening in these churches that he's writing to. 00:02:05.439 --> 00:02:07.439 These communities are struggling. 00:02:07.679 --> 00:02:12.719 They're largely strangers who have fled from persecution in Jerusalem. 00:02:13.200 --> 00:02:16.960 Fear is pervasive, uncertainty is growing. 00:02:17.200 --> 00:02:24.319 They're looking to secure their own footing and maybe even get a step up in this new culture where they find themselves. 00:02:24.560 --> 00:02:29.520 And that's where we are today, as James is continuing to push back against this impulse. 00:02:29.919 --> 00:02:33.199 Reading through this, I was just struck. 00:02:35.039 --> 00:02:40.800 I mean, I know almost everybody in here is on social media in some form or fashion. 00:02:41.199 --> 00:02:48.479 You've seen people just clamoring to gain a following, to get views, to get clicks. 00:02:48.719 --> 00:02:52.560 And the more outrageous the statement they make, the better. 00:02:52.800 --> 00:02:55.280 The more controversial, the more clicks. 00:02:55.599 --> 00:02:58.319 Truth is irrelevant if we can increase traffic. 00:02:58.479 --> 00:03:02.879 If we can gain more followers, gain more influence, if we can make more money. 00:03:03.199 --> 00:03:05.599 Real-world implications do not matter. 00:03:05.759 --> 00:03:08.560 It's just the way things are done. 00:03:12.080 --> 00:03:16.319 This passage, I was not intending on preaching on this passage. 00:03:16.479 --> 00:03:21.199 Um as Steve mentioned, we um kind of filling in. 00:03:21.759 --> 00:03:23.439 Not Steve, I'm sorry, Trevor. 00:03:24.400 --> 00:03:25.199 Gosh. 00:03:27.120 --> 00:03:31.680 But James 3 is it's it's difficult. 00:03:31.919 --> 00:03:43.840 Um growing up and really into adulthood, uh, before Jesus saved me, I had a uh temper, and I had very little patience. 00:03:44.639 --> 00:03:55.840 Um I know Brandy will probably make an argument that I still uh struggle or don't have patience, but I'm better, I hope, uh better than I was. 00:03:56.319 --> 00:04:07.280 Um but I was very quick to speak, and while I was smart enough not to run my mouth when I could get into real trouble, I did get myself into situations that I shouldn't have been in. 00:04:07.680 --> 00:04:12.479 Um because my heart was never focused where it should have been focused. 00:04:12.560 --> 00:04:16.960 Uh I was the one that was driving the boat, and I wanted what I wanted. 00:04:17.439 --> 00:04:19.759 I had not met Jesus at that point. 00:04:20.080 --> 00:04:20.960 I wish I had. 00:04:21.120 --> 00:04:23.680 I wish I would have known James then, too. 00:04:23.759 --> 00:04:28.639 Um, because James has a lot to say about how destructive words can be. 00:04:29.440 --> 00:04:36.160 Um so if you will bear with me, I'm going to read a relatively long passage and we'll get started. 00:04:36.320 --> 00:04:40.480 Uh James chapter 3, we're looking at verses 1 through 12. 00:04:41.600 --> 00:04:48.720 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 00:04:48.880 --> 00:04:57.520 For we all stumble in many ways, and if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, also able to bridle his own his whole body. 00:04:58.720 --> 00:05:04.320 If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 00:05:04.560 --> 00:05:14.320 Look at the ships also, though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot pilot directs. 00:05:14.640 --> 00:05:20.080 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. 00:05:20.640 --> 00:05:28.240 How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. 00:05:28.480 --> 00:05:38.000 The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. 00:05:38.880 --> 00:05:49.120 For every kind of beast and bird, or reptile and sea creature can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. 00:05:49.840 --> 00:05:53.200 It is a restless evil full of the deadly poison. 00:05:53.440 --> 00:05:59.120 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 00:05:59.440 --> 00:06:02.320 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. 00:06:02.560 --> 00:06:05.200 My brothers, these things ought not be so. 00:06:05.600 --> 00:06:10.000 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 00:06:10.240 --> 00:06:15.200 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives or a grape produce figs? 00:06:16.000 --> 00:06:20.160 Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water. 00:06:20.400 --> 00:06:21.680 Let's pray. 00:06:24.080 --> 00:06:30.560 Heavenly Father, thank you for the truth. 00:06:31.360 --> 00:06:34.240 Thank you for the hard words that you give us. 00:06:34.800 --> 00:06:43.840 Thank you for the opportunity and the grace and the strength in your spirit that you provide. 00:06:44.320 --> 00:06:45.920 Thank you for saving us. 00:06:47.600 --> 00:06:53.760 While we were your enemies, while we were in open rebellion, you reached out in love. 00:06:56.720 --> 00:07:01.040 Thank you, Father, for the many blessings that we enjoy. 00:07:02.640 --> 00:07:10.080 I pray, Father, that we will be a people that honor you and glorify you. 00:07:10.640 --> 00:07:17.040 That we will be steadfast in your spirit through your strength and not our own. 00:07:18.080 --> 00:07:29.840 I pray, Father, that your spirit will fill this room, fill all of our hearts, that he will open our ears, and that he will move us and we will listen. 00:07:30.560 --> 00:07:33.760 I ask all of this in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 00:07:34.000 --> 00:07:34.480 Amen. 00:07:35.520 --> 00:07:40.560 Words have the power to influence the community around us, for good or evil. 00:07:40.960 --> 00:07:45.760 And the words we use reveal who is steering our hearts. 00:07:47.360 --> 00:07:50.560 Alright, so today we're going to look at the following three things. 00:07:50.960 --> 00:07:57.840 Point one, the accountability of influence, the power of influence, and the source of influence. 00:07:58.000 --> 00:08:00.880 So point one, accountability of influence. 00:08:01.040 --> 00:08:04.640 So James starts off with a warning about becoming a teacher. 00:08:08.400 --> 00:08:14.880 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that he, we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 00:08:15.120 --> 00:08:24.080 Now, I mean, it really, when you when you jump from chapter two into chapter three, this verse kind of seems out of place. 00:08:24.640 --> 00:08:35.600 It seems like it doesn't necessarily meet, uh fit with everything else, but it's actually kind of a solid transition when you kind of look at the overarching themes. 00:08:37.120 --> 00:08:44.240 Um he's warning that, hey, many people should not, many of y'all shouldn't be teachers. 00:08:44.480 --> 00:08:53.360 Um this implies that there's a lot of people in these congregations who are wanting to be teachers. 00:08:53.519 --> 00:08:55.920 They're wanting to be in leadership. 00:08:56.080 --> 00:08:58.160 They want to step into this leadership. 00:08:58.399 --> 00:09:07.200 Now, James has already shown through the first half of this letter that these churches are having problems actually living out the faith they claim they have. 00:09:07.440 --> 00:09:15.200 So he's warning them that teachers are going to be judged much more stringently because of the position they have, because of their authority. 00:09:15.519 --> 00:09:20.320 So, really, in a lot of ways, James is continuing the same argument he had in chapter three. 00:09:23.040 --> 00:09:25.519 Teachers must lead by example. 00:09:25.759 --> 00:09:31.920 Because, as Trevor discussed last week, what you believe is reflected in what you do. 00:09:32.160 --> 00:09:34.240 It is also reflected in what you say. 00:09:34.399 --> 00:09:39.920 And James is about to show the words we speak have an unusually strong power over other people. 00:09:40.879 --> 00:09:46.560 Now, we can stop here and we can just look at this verse and say, I am glad I'm not a teacher. 00:09:46.720 --> 00:09:48.639 I am not volunteering for that. 00:09:48.879 --> 00:09:49.840 So I'm good. 00:09:50.000 --> 00:09:51.040 Doesn't apply to me. 00:09:51.200 --> 00:09:52.480 Let's move on. 00:09:53.519 --> 00:10:00.160 But if we stop here, we're not doing this text and we're not doing the entirety of Scripture justice. 00:10:01.200 --> 00:10:02.560 For a couple of reasons. 00:10:03.040 --> 00:10:09.759 First, like Justin just mentioned a few minutes ago, if nothing else, it's important for us to remember they have a group of children across here. 00:10:10.000 --> 00:10:12.960 Gave them Bibles, said, this is what we expect. 00:10:13.200 --> 00:10:22.960 And we pointed out, you know, raising children, raising and discipling is a community effort in this church. 00:10:24.720 --> 00:10:28.080 We get that from the Shema in Deuteronomy 6. 00:10:28.639 --> 00:10:31.600 We also go to the Great Commission and look in Matthew 28. 00:10:31.759 --> 00:10:35.920 We're all called to disciple and teach others in the words of God. 00:10:38.080 --> 00:10:47.360 So, a second way that it's applicable to us, and I think this is where James is really, I think this is what he's got in mind, and where he's beginning to transition into the next verses. 00:10:47.680 --> 00:10:49.680 Why suddenly mention teachers? 00:10:49.920 --> 00:10:55.200 Because teachers exercise influence over a congregation through their words. 00:10:55.759 --> 00:10:58.080 He isn't changing subjects. 00:10:58.639 --> 00:11:08.080 In the context of this letter, it appears that another way believers are trying to get positions of influence is through a desire to become teachers. 00:11:08.960 --> 00:11:11.759 See, the early church held teachers in very high regard. 00:11:11.920 --> 00:11:15.120 Rabbis were well respected in Jewish communities. 00:11:16.000 --> 00:11:18.800 They held them up, they were esteemed. 00:11:19.040 --> 00:11:22.240 And this is carried over into the Christian paradigm. 00:11:22.560 --> 00:11:26.240 So naturally, people are being held in high esteem. 00:11:26.320 --> 00:11:35.040 If you've got people who are seeking after, trying to shore up their own security, they're trying to get status, they're naturally going to be drawn to this. 00:11:35.120 --> 00:11:36.639 Hey, maybe I could be a teacher. 00:11:36.800 --> 00:11:40.160 Maybe I could gain a little bit of respect in the community. 00:11:43.440 --> 00:11:49.920 So we can assume, based on James' wording here, that there are some people who are trying to get into leadership who should not be. 00:11:50.160 --> 00:11:54.560 They've taken a job for prestige and power that came along with it. 00:11:54.720 --> 00:12:02.320 And the same reason that someone on the outside, this is the same reason that someone on the outside world takes on a position of leadership. 00:12:03.360 --> 00:12:08.960 So they're still thinking in a worldly way, not in a kingdom way. 00:12:10.160 --> 00:12:24.399 The desire for power and influence is hinted at here, and it's going to continue more explicitly pointed out in verses 14, verse 14 next year, where he warned next week, where he warns against combining ambition and its incompatibility with the truth. 00:12:24.639 --> 00:12:30.320 So the idea that James may be speaking to a deeper motivation leaves us with a question for ourselves. 00:12:30.480 --> 00:12:39.360 Now, I may not be seeking to be a teacher in church, but am I seeking power and influence in ways that do not align with truth? 00:12:40.160 --> 00:12:44.240 What does that do to our communities and the community around us? 00:12:45.519 --> 00:12:50.480 All of us must be very careful in how we speak, even if we're speaking truth. 00:12:50.720 --> 00:12:52.160 This is throughout Scripture. 00:12:52.320 --> 00:12:53.680 Ephesians 4, 15. 00:12:53.920 --> 00:12:55.600 Speak the truth in love. 00:12:55.920 --> 00:12:56.800 Galatians 6. 00:12:56.960 --> 00:13:02.560 If someone is caught in sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. 00:13:02.960 --> 00:13:03.840 Jesus speaking. 00:13:03.920 --> 00:13:10.480 I tell you, on that day of judgment, people will have to account for every careless word they speak. 00:13:12.480 --> 00:13:19.440 And that's why I think James takes this seemingly awkward jump from teaching into speaking. 00:13:19.759 --> 00:13:28.639 If we're obsessing over influence from wealthy friends or as teachers and leaders, then we're not going to be displaying the works of the Spirit. 00:13:28.800 --> 00:13:36.960 We're not in a place to properly lead anyone in anything because our priorities are still aligned with the world's, not the kingdoms. 00:13:37.519 --> 00:13:46.240 Rather than servant leadership, first will be last mentality, we're looking for ways to get ahead, to climb the ladder. 00:13:46.480 --> 00:13:51.279 And eventually that attitude bleeds over into the way we speak. 00:13:51.680 --> 00:13:53.519 And that reveals the truth. 00:13:53.759 --> 00:14:00.560 That's why James starts with teachers and a warning against any authority we might have. 00:14:01.519 --> 00:14:07.279 If we have that authority and we don't have the right attitude, our words are going to betray us. 00:14:07.360 --> 00:14:09.840 It's going to reveal our hearts. 00:14:10.399 --> 00:14:14.800 So point two the power of influence. 00:14:15.600 --> 00:14:21.600 Now, James concedes in verse 2, right off the bat, we all stumble. 00:14:21.840 --> 00:14:24.560 We all fall short of what God calls us to. 00:14:24.879 --> 00:14:28.800 If a man could truly, fully control his words, he'd be perfect. 00:14:28.960 --> 00:14:30.720 That is, spiritually mature. 00:14:30.960 --> 00:14:34.560 Because it's easier to control our actions than our words. 00:14:34.879 --> 00:14:41.600 You might remember Jesus saying, you know, it's not what goes into our mouths that corrupts us, it's what comes out. 00:14:43.200 --> 00:14:49.519 James has already told us that spiritual maturity is not measured just by hearing the word, but by doing it. 00:14:49.680 --> 00:14:53.200 And now he shows us one of the clearest tests of maturity. 00:14:54.160 --> 00:14:55.759 How are we speaking? 00:14:56.000 --> 00:14:57.600 What are we saying? 00:14:58.800 --> 00:15:06.160 Especially, there's a danger when we rush to speak, which is why he opens a letter telling us about being slow to speak and quick to listen. 00:15:06.399 --> 00:15:08.879 Especially for those who lack spiritual maturity. 00:15:09.200 --> 00:15:12.639 That is, those who are still seeking power and influence. 00:15:13.279 --> 00:15:21.120 When our goal is to build up, this tiny tongue has a great power over very large things. 00:15:22.720 --> 00:15:27.040 Some commentators point out there's a very interesting possibility here. 00:15:27.360 --> 00:15:30.800 See, James may be talking about more than just individual bodies. 00:15:30.960 --> 00:15:35.279 Throughout the letter, he's concerned with the health of the entirety of the church. 00:15:35.840 --> 00:15:43.120 So when he talks about body here, he could be referring to an individual body and also hinting at the church body. 00:15:43.360 --> 00:15:51.279 And if that's his intent, and our speech doesn't just steer our own lives, it can steer the direction of the entire congregation. 00:15:52.560 --> 00:16:02.800 And really, I mean, when you think about it, the things we say, the attitudes we bring in, they're going to influence what this congregation looks like. 00:16:03.120 --> 00:16:08.800 We are what we are because of the humbleness that we've brought into redemption. 00:16:09.040 --> 00:16:19.360 We love, you know, constantly, as people come in, visitors come in, they talk about how how welcoming and how loving we are. 00:16:21.600 --> 00:16:29.519 And that is entirely built upon our hearts and what we bring into it. 00:16:29.680 --> 00:16:31.200 And it can change. 00:16:32.879 --> 00:16:45.440 If our speech, if individuals in this room decide they want to break away from a vision of this church, it's very easy for words to catch fire. 00:16:47.120 --> 00:16:49.519 Words have major consequences. 00:16:49.840 --> 00:16:55.920 James gives us three metaphors: a horse's bit, a ship's rudder, and a tiny spark. 00:16:56.399 --> 00:17:01.360 In each illustration, something very small is controlling something very large. 00:17:01.600 --> 00:17:04.480 The first two are neutral, neither positive nor negative. 00:17:04.559 --> 00:17:05.759 It depends on how they're used. 00:17:05.920 --> 00:17:08.559 The small thing used wisely has a positive influence. 00:17:08.720 --> 00:17:11.920 The horse obeys, the boat goes where the pilot directs. 00:17:12.160 --> 00:17:14.879 The fire metaphor is very different. 00:17:15.680 --> 00:17:20.000 The forest fire is described as completely negative and destructive. 00:17:20.799 --> 00:17:23.360 James is not denying that words can heal. 00:17:23.519 --> 00:17:33.680 His point is that apart from God's wisdom, and he talks a lot about God's wisdom, apart from God's wisdom, our natural tendency is to not build up, but to burn down. 00:17:34.960 --> 00:17:41.600 His argument, Scripture's argument, is that human beings in our own strength cannot tame the tongue. 00:17:41.920 --> 00:17:47.279 The tongue is a world of unrighteousness, he says, that has the power to impact individuals and community. 00:17:47.440 --> 00:17:52.160 It corrupts and starts fires because it has been set on fire by hell. 00:17:52.400 --> 00:17:57.839 In other words, the tongue causes trouble everywhere because it is driven and controlled by sin. 00:17:58.559 --> 00:18:00.799 Look at the world around us right now. 00:18:01.279 --> 00:18:14.400 It's easy to see in a larger world how words, stories online, rumors that get started and spread, conspiracy theories against groups, divisions being drawn, one after another, have ignited firestorms. 00:18:14.640 --> 00:18:17.200 Lives destroyed, communities torn apart. 00:18:17.440 --> 00:18:20.880 Zoom in closer to city, to work, to school. 00:18:21.200 --> 00:18:25.600 What fires are we flaming when we speak careless words? 00:18:26.799 --> 00:18:31.839 And look, let's be, you know, let's get straight about this. 00:18:32.079 --> 00:18:35.839 Don't focus on the specific words being used. 00:18:36.160 --> 00:18:39.279 We have a tendency where we can look at specific words as the problem. 00:18:39.440 --> 00:18:44.240 We've got the wrong vocabulary or maybe an offensive phrase or two. 00:18:45.120 --> 00:18:51.759 Scripture is concerned with less about the specific word and more about what the words reveal or accomplish. 00:18:51.839 --> 00:18:52.799 What is the intent? 00:18:52.960 --> 00:18:54.640 What are we really trying to say? 00:18:54.720 --> 00:19:00.880 Because let's be honest, good words used with the wrong intent can be a spark. 00:19:02.559 --> 00:19:04.160 Bless your heart. 00:19:04.400 --> 00:19:07.519 I mean, we we all know that's not really a good statement. 00:19:07.759 --> 00:19:09.120 We know the heart behind that. 00:19:09.440 --> 00:19:10.079 We know. 00:19:12.079 --> 00:19:30.079 We can use words, gentle and innocuous words, to tear others down, to build ourselves up, to influence others in a way that gains us attention, that puts them down, that gains clicks, social standing, maybe gets us in with the right crowd. 00:19:30.960 --> 00:19:33.920 We sow seeds of discord and distrust. 00:19:34.319 --> 00:19:36.559 Did you see what Kevin was doing? 00:19:36.880 --> 00:19:38.960 Do you know what he's not doing? 00:19:40.880 --> 00:19:48.240 Let me tell you why there are 10, let me tell you why I think there's 10 different things that we should be doing differently around here. 00:19:48.960 --> 00:19:50.559 But they're not listening to me. 00:19:50.880 --> 00:19:52.559 Kevin, he doesn't care. 00:19:52.640 --> 00:19:53.279 He disagrees. 00:19:53.440 --> 00:19:54.079 He's terrible. 00:19:54.240 --> 00:19:55.600 I hate that guy. 00:19:56.400 --> 00:20:02.079 See, this is us acting and listening to the culture around us. 00:20:02.480 --> 00:20:03.759 We're reflecting that. 00:20:03.920 --> 00:20:05.920 We're starting little fires here and there. 00:20:06.079 --> 00:20:08.160 And they're going to blaze out of control. 00:20:09.600 --> 00:20:15.759 We use these little itty-bitty rudders to try to turn the ship where we want to go. 00:20:16.559 --> 00:20:18.720 Because these words have power. 00:20:20.480 --> 00:20:22.559 For all that, we have the ability to do. 00:20:22.720 --> 00:20:27.200 We master oceans, we domesticate animals, we send people to space. 00:20:27.680 --> 00:20:29.920 We can do nothing to control our tongues. 00:20:30.079 --> 00:20:35.519 We are powerless to control them because we are letting ourselves be controlled by sinful desires. 00:20:35.759 --> 00:20:39.759 Our words reveal who we're letting steer the ship. 00:20:44.240 --> 00:20:46.880 What is the source of that influence? 00:20:47.200 --> 00:20:53.360 Again, James, I'm just going to read this because it's, I'm going to let James speak for himself for a minute here. 00:20:53.920 --> 00:20:55.600 No human can tame the tongue. 00:20:55.759 --> 00:20:58.640 It is a restless evil full of deadly poison. 00:20:59.120 --> 00:21:04.799 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 00:21:05.120 --> 00:21:07.839 From the same mouth comes blessing and cursing. 00:21:08.000 --> 00:21:11.600 My brothers, these things ought not be so. 00:21:12.319 --> 00:21:16.880 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening, both fresh and salt water? 00:21:17.120 --> 00:21:22.079 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? 00:21:22.960 --> 00:21:26.640 Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water. 00:21:27.440 --> 00:21:36.640 James is painting a very solemn picture about what our worlds, or about what our words reveal about ourselves and our heart posture. 00:21:37.519 --> 00:21:40.799 He gives us an example of blessing and cursing. 00:21:42.240 --> 00:21:44.880 This is not some abstract example. 00:21:45.200 --> 00:21:48.319 He has seen this in the churches and among the people. 00:21:49.600 --> 00:21:57.120 Presumably, the leaders showing favoritism and those being discriminated against in chapter two, we're having words. 00:21:58.160 --> 00:22:00.559 They're returning insult for insult. 00:22:03.519 --> 00:22:05.120 Why is this an issue? 00:22:05.440 --> 00:22:08.079 Because unwholesome speech tears down. 00:22:08.240 --> 00:22:11.360 It demeans what God has created and said was good. 00:22:12.880 --> 00:22:16.319 Demeans what Jesus loves and died for. 00:22:16.640 --> 00:22:18.880 It leads people astray. 00:22:19.839 --> 00:22:23.600 Unrighteousness does not bring about the righteousness of God. 00:22:24.559 --> 00:22:30.720 Going back to the example that James gave above, these uncontrolled words are fires from hell. 00:22:30.960 --> 00:22:34.319 They're not the living water of Christ. 00:22:34.880 --> 00:22:39.200 They are not evidence of a life that has been reborn and renewed. 00:22:40.079 --> 00:22:43.920 James is not, let's be clear, James is not talking about slip-ups and stumbles. 00:22:44.240 --> 00:22:51.759 He's referencing an ongoing issue, a way of life that is characterized by harsh words and the judgment of others. 00:22:52.079 --> 00:23:03.360 James tells us very bluntly, you cannot have a double standard about the way we speak to God and the way you speak about your neighbor who is created in his image. 00:23:06.640 --> 00:23:08.079 It is pervasive. 00:23:08.319 --> 00:23:14.480 It lives on your social media feeds, it lives on your news broadcasts, it lives in our very lives. 00:23:16.160 --> 00:23:18.880 Double-mindedness feeds sin. 00:23:20.000 --> 00:23:22.319 And that's what this all boils down to. 00:23:22.480 --> 00:23:23.920 How do you view God? 00:23:24.160 --> 00:23:27.279 Do you see God in the person next to you? 00:23:28.799 --> 00:23:40.480 In the person in the hallway at school, in the office at work, in the convenience store, on the other side of the screen on social media. 00:23:42.000 --> 00:23:56.400 Because it's when we fail to recognize the image of God in others, it becomes very, very easy to other them, to see them as a hindrance to a goal or as a tool for reaching it, not as a person. 00:23:56.960 --> 00:24:00.000 That then gives us permission to use and abuse. 00:24:00.480 --> 00:24:00.880 C.S. 00:24:00.960 --> 00:24:07.680 Lewis captured this very well in The Weight of Glory, where he says, There are no ordinary people. 00:24:08.240 --> 00:24:10.720 You have never met a mere mortal. 00:24:11.200 --> 00:24:16.079 Everyone is created in the image of God, and everyone is bound for an eternal state. 00:24:16.799 --> 00:24:23.120 All day long, we are in some degree helping each other to one or the other of these destinations. 00:24:23.440 --> 00:24:25.279 And there are only two options. 00:24:27.600 --> 00:24:29.600 James gives us a big warning. 00:24:29.920 --> 00:24:36.640 If our lives are marked by that behavior, we are living out who we are deep down in our hearts. 00:24:36.880 --> 00:24:46.559 Behind the masks we like to wear in public, we can't actually hide who we are when we look closely. 00:24:46.960 --> 00:24:50.480 Salt water does not flow from a freshwater spring. 00:24:50.799 --> 00:24:53.440 This is an echo of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. 00:24:53.680 --> 00:24:57.600 A good tree produces good fruit consistently. 00:24:57.839 --> 00:25:00.880 A lamp is not hidden under a basket. 00:25:01.120 --> 00:25:05.519 In the same way, God does not save us to leave us where we are. 00:25:06.000 --> 00:25:10.240 Flip over to Ephesians 2, starting in verse 8. 00:25:12.640 --> 00:25:15.039 For by grace you have been saved through faith. 00:25:15.200 --> 00:25:16.799 And this is not of your own doing. 00:25:16.880 --> 00:25:21.200 It is a gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 00:25:21.519 --> 00:25:23.600 For we are his workmanship. 00:25:23.920 --> 00:25:26.960 Very often we forget about verse 10, we leave it off. 00:25:27.279 --> 00:25:34.880 We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. 00:25:34.960 --> 00:25:39.279 We were saved to produce good fruit. 00:25:39.680 --> 00:25:46.480 If we are who we claim to be, if we are citizens saved by grace through faith, we are called to be something different. 00:25:46.640 --> 00:25:52.559 If we are citizens of God's kingdom, our lives should be producing that fruit. 00:25:56.319 --> 00:26:05.360 So in conclusion, in verse 8, James makes some very terrifying statements to me. 00:26:05.759 --> 00:26:13.600 Like I said, when I read these after becoming a Christian, I was like, oh man, if I'd only known. 00:26:14.880 --> 00:26:22.720 When you begin to understand the power that words have, he says, no human being can tame the tongue. 00:26:23.839 --> 00:26:25.600 So what are we supposed to do? 00:26:25.839 --> 00:26:31.440 How is it possible to control this spark and to use such a thing for good? 00:26:32.640 --> 00:26:38.799 Our speech is brought into conformity with the will of God when we walk with the Spirit. 00:26:39.120 --> 00:26:49.600 Our speech, our words, will either be used by the forces of hell to scorch the earth around us, or will be controlled and used by the Holy Spirit of God to build up. 00:26:49.920 --> 00:26:59.120 The problem, as James explains it, is that when we try on our own, under our own power to control our own tongue, all we get is a reflection of our heart. 00:26:59.279 --> 00:27:01.920 And we fail every time. 00:27:02.240 --> 00:27:03.519 We all know that. 00:27:03.920 --> 00:27:05.120 We all see that. 00:27:05.360 --> 00:27:11.680 It may go well for weeks, even months, but eventually we're going to find ourselves up to here with Kevin. 00:27:11.920 --> 00:27:15.440 We can no longer overlook or forgive his annoying behavior. 00:27:15.680 --> 00:27:17.039 He's in our way. 00:27:18.559 --> 00:27:21.680 And in that moment, the issue is no longer Kevin. 00:27:21.920 --> 00:27:28.319 The issue is that something in my heart has become more important to me than my neighbor. 00:27:29.759 --> 00:27:32.240 In comes sin, taking root. 00:27:32.480 --> 00:27:37.200 That seed that grows like kudzu will inevitably wrap around us. 00:27:37.519 --> 00:27:42.799 And we are powerless to stop it because it threatens one of our idols that our sinful desire has built. 00:27:43.839 --> 00:27:46.319 See, we're all worshiping something. 00:27:47.200 --> 00:27:51.920 We're all serving something as our master, either God or some other idol. 00:27:52.720 --> 00:28:03.920 In his book, Counterfeit Gods, Timothy Keller points out that when you respond with excuse worshiping, and yes, Christians can still struggle with these idols. 00:28:04.240 --> 00:28:06.559 I know this firsthand experience. 00:28:06.960 --> 00:28:11.039 It started before I came to faith, but continued for years after. 00:28:11.360 --> 00:28:23.519 For years I'd made a little idol out of this seemingly good thing of a perfect family, making sure our daughter, our firstborn, had every opportunity. 00:28:24.640 --> 00:28:27.519 But without God, that went very badly. 00:28:28.319 --> 00:28:30.240 Nothing was ever good enough. 00:28:30.559 --> 00:28:42.240 Anything less than perfect in school, in sports, or behavior was a statement on how I was how inadequate I was and how I wasn't doing enough to feed my idols. 00:28:42.720 --> 00:28:44.799 And that pressure was too much. 00:28:45.120 --> 00:28:51.839 It inevitably led to angry outbursts, to words that would tear down rather than build up. 00:28:52.799 --> 00:28:54.160 And it would go on. 00:28:54.400 --> 00:28:57.519 I would do better for a while and I would fail. 00:28:57.759 --> 00:28:58.960 Another outburst. 00:28:59.200 --> 00:29:01.519 I would do better and I would fail. 00:29:01.839 --> 00:29:03.519 Another outburst. 00:29:05.600 --> 00:29:10.960 Thankfully in Christ, there is forgiveness, and his spirit will continue to transform us. 00:29:11.519 --> 00:29:15.039 Even today, I feel that the Spirit tug at me. 00:29:15.440 --> 00:29:18.640 Was that really the right reaction? 00:29:19.839 --> 00:29:24.000 I mean, I'll even ask Brandy sometimes. 00:29:25.680 --> 00:29:27.120 Am I wrong? 00:29:27.839 --> 00:29:29.920 Am I just being a jerk about this? 00:29:30.079 --> 00:29:31.920 Um is this the right response? 00:29:32.079 --> 00:29:33.039 Help me. 00:29:35.920 --> 00:29:38.799 It's a blessing to have the Spirit convict you. 00:29:39.680 --> 00:29:44.079 For those who have not put their faith in Christ, they remain slaves to sin. 00:29:44.319 --> 00:29:45.759 They're tied to it. 00:29:46.160 --> 00:29:50.079 They may be able to control things for a time, but they cannot free themselves from sin's power. 00:29:50.160 --> 00:29:51.279 They have no choice. 00:29:51.519 --> 00:29:54.720 So, James says, they cannot tame the tongue. 00:29:54.960 --> 00:29:57.600 Eventually, the heart reveals itself. 00:29:57.920 --> 00:29:59.120 Words betray them. 00:29:59.279 --> 00:30:02.000 They follow the world's path, with the world on its path. 00:30:02.160 --> 00:30:04.079 Words are used and people abused. 00:30:05.279 --> 00:30:07.920 Chained to sin, we can only search after idols. 00:30:08.000 --> 00:30:10.079 We cannot reflect the character of God. 00:30:10.240 --> 00:30:17.600 And if that was the end of it, then this would be a very, very hopeless passage. 00:30:18.079 --> 00:30:22.559 How can we possibly stop chasing power and start chasing the character of God? 00:30:24.960 --> 00:30:29.680 Augustine thought that James was making a very subtle point here. 00:30:30.480 --> 00:30:38.000 James does not say that, quoting Augustine, James does not say that no one can tame the tongue, but no man. 00:30:39.440 --> 00:30:47.200 So that when it is tamed, we confess that it is brought about by the pity, the help, and the grace of God. 00:30:48.240 --> 00:30:56.400 In other words, we can only hope to reflect the character of God when we have been set free from the power of sin over us through Christ. 00:30:57.360 --> 00:31:03.920 Paul writes in 2 Corinthians, therefore, if anyone's in, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. 00:31:04.079 --> 00:31:06.640 The old is gone and the new is here. 00:31:07.440 --> 00:31:14.400 In Romans, if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 00:31:15.039 --> 00:31:24.319 We know that the old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we should no longer be enslaved to sin. 00:31:24.960 --> 00:31:30.400 See, when you are in Christ and a new creation, dead to sin, the Spirit will lead us. 00:31:30.640 --> 00:31:33.200 He will lead you in righteousness. 00:31:33.519 --> 00:31:41.279 Tamed by the Spirit, our words can be a salve for the vitriol and the hate that the world produces. 00:31:41.759 --> 00:31:46.240 We cannot fix our speech by trying harder because our words reveal our heart. 00:31:46.400 --> 00:31:55.200 What we need is not merely better speech, but a renewed spirit that comes through Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit. 00:31:55.440 --> 00:31:56.559 Let's pray. 00:31:58.640 --> 00:32:05.279 Heavenly Father, thank you for your mercy and your forgiveness. 00:32:05.920 --> 00:32:07.920 Thank you for the gift of grace. 00:32:10.880 --> 00:32:18.480 Thank you for reaching out to us and inviting us into your kingdom and inviting us to be your kingdom people. 00:32:20.000 --> 00:32:37.200 I pray, Father, that we take seriously the calling you've laid before us, and that we thank you daily, hour after hour, for the mercy and the grace and the power of your Spirit. 00:32:40.240 --> 00:32:43.039 Ask all this in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 00:32:43.200 --> 00:32:43.519 Amen.