James Series | Taming the tongue | James 3:1-18

 We are continuing on our study of James.

What have we learned so far?

1. Trials are at the hand of a loving father
1. This is another way of saving that God is Sovereign in our suffering.
2. We are to know that this means that God has not abandoned us but rather it is he who preserves and strengthens us
3. Like a father training his child, so does trials work together for our good. As in Romans 8:28 -- all things work together for the good ...
4. Trials build us up and strengthens our faith muscles.
2. Doubting
1. In our steps of faith, things are not crystal clear
2. We are not called to take calculated risks but rather risks based on our trust in God
3. Trials are means to shake us and refine and strengthen our faith with better quality sand of word of God like how people do when they construct buildings with sieving sand.,
3. Placing our foot on the right thing
1. Not in our richness
2. Not in our influence
3. But rather on God and on His word
4. Trials separate wolves from sheeps
1. Trials can be like temptation
2. God cannot be tempted
3. There are the tiny worms that big fishes are lured with
4. Sin starts small like a desire and without discipleship it grows and kills us.
5. This is why we are to be listener and not just people who hear
1. The word is living and active
2. It has a purpose
1. 2 Timothy 3:17
2. 1 Thes 2:13
3. Hebrews 4:12
4. 1 John 2:14
5. James 1:21
6. So then start practicing
1. Care for the widows
2. Care for orphans
3. Don't show partiality
4. It matters how we us use the opportunities to show mercy to others
5. Examine our desires (Eph 2:8-10) - god has a plan for us
7. See grace as costly - and faith producing work
1. We looked at cheap grace
2. We looked at antinomianism
3. We saw what active faith is like
4. We saw that faith and fruit of repentance was not empirical
5. We saw the dangers of calculated risks.
6. We saw the umbrella story
7. We saw that faith is not just confession
8. W saw that faith should produce work in us

 how spiritual maturity develops through response to suffering, and 

how spiritual maturity is enhanced by response to the Word. 

 spiritual maturity is evidenced by the use of the tongue.

Presentation:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1aUorQWPEZ1kXCdCJR76KBDRnIqccCFuRYE0pB08MVGk/edit?usp=sharing

James tells us the danger of the tongue in this chapter.

vs1:

James gives a warning to the teachers. He says that teachers are to be careful.

Question: Should we all just take a vow of silence? or not teach? 

Who are teachers? all of us in one way or other. Then should we be silent?

vs2:

We all stumble - brothers we are prone to error.

vs2b:

there is one who is perfect - he does not stumble - he had his tongue under control - He is Jesus.

Jesus was not a softie. He overthrew the tables, he was strict on the way he rebuked the disciples, he was hard on the samaritan, this is not what James is saying. James is saying more than just moral studies.

vs3:

A tiny bit guides a horse - 

vs4.

a tiny rudder guides a ship but here is the key verse.

wherever the pilot desires :: 

Who is the pilot of your life?

vs5:

Small toungue but it speak big words.

Boasting is a sin. (see list below)

a big forest is burned by a tiny match

vs6:

TONGUE is fire, a world of unrighteousness, a strain on our body, setting our life track on fire, a hellish fire.

1. like a fire that hurts, burns and does not heal easily
2. brings us up to a place no one can reach and not mercy is required
1. how we love to say that we are siness people
2. how we boast at our achievement - without acknowledging the sacrifices of others
3. how it just throws us down - we are happy and respected till we open our mouth
4. it burns our walk in christ away without confessions and excuses
5. and it fuels hell for us

vs 7: 

all animals are tamed - even zebra, sloths and snakes YET

vs 8:

TONGUE is restless evil, full of poison

1. plotting and murmuring
2. poising us and those who hear us

vs9:

We are bad brothers- we praise God and we curse people

vs 10:

James knows our afflections - maybe he too was there when the family cursed Jesus

Matthew 13:55 (James, Joses, Simon and Judas brother) - John 7:5- Mark 3:20-35.

James knows the struggle - James says that this is not the way 1 Corinthians 15:7

v11-12:

James gives examples of what are impossible

1. spring with 2 waters
2. fig tree with olives
3. grapevines with figs
4. salt pond with fresh water

So then how does James want us to live?

See how james works word into faith, now he works the spirit into faith

Proverbs 26:18-19 (Proverbs 10:19-21  (Proverbs 16:24)  (Proverbs 18:21) Proverbs 15:4:

(Colossians 1:28–29). (Isaiah 6:5). Matthew 12:34; 15:18–19

The mastery of it is one of the clearest marks of a whole person, a true Christian. Tongue-mastery is the fruit of self-mastery. (Sinclair Ferguson)

James wants us to see that we are living with sinful beings in our own body.  Romans 7:23 

vs 13.

Show with good conduct, 1 Corinthians 9:27 --- and show that we are to be mature not by our wisdom but through the word of God. This is the same implanted word of God.

Those with some scriptural training or higher status in the faith community will be tempted to count themselves qualified as "wise." Those who feel inadequate in spiritual things might hope they won't be noticed. James's answer to his own question, though, comes as a surprise. As human beings, we tend to measure wisdom as having all the right answers to the hard questions. Instead, James suggests, wisdom is as wisdom does. He echoes what he wrote about faith and good works in chapter 2: "I will show you my faith by my good works."

A truly wise person will demonstrate the humility of wisdom by his good works. The true test of God's kind of wisdom is a life well lived, a life spent doing good works for others. As the wisdom book of Proverbs repeatedly makes clear, humility is an essential component of living wisely (Proverbs 1:5–8). Without setting ourselves aside, we cannot hope to become the wise servants God has called us to be

(source)

vs 14:

if you are harbouring jealousy and  hatred and selfish ambitions

• Do not boast or pretend
• Do not be false to the truth

vs 15:

What is true wisdom

it  is heavenly

any other is earthly (learned), unscriptural (against God), demonic

vs 16:

James tells us why we should not be jealous. We want to win so we break down than build up. We puff up and ask questions to confuse others.

vs 17:

heavenly wisdom is

• pure
• peaceable
• gentle
• reasonable
• mercyful
• good fruits
• impartial
• sincere.

vs 18: 

there is a harvest of good and holy things sown in peace, in lives of their and others by the peaceful.

James is leading us on the life in the holy spirit. 

Think about

Who is the pilot of your life?

Why is boasting bad?

1. Jeremiah 9:23 This is what the LORD says: “Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom, or the powerful boast in their power, or the rich boast in their riches.”

2. James 4:16-17 As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.

3. Psalm 10:2-4 In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak, who are caught in the schemes he devises. He boasts about the cravings of his heart; he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD. In his pride the wicked man does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.

4. Psalm 75:4-5 “I warned the proud, ‘Stop your boasting!’ I told the wicked, ‘Don’t raise your fists! Don’t raise your fists in defiance at the heavens or speak with such arrogance.”

Do not boast about tomorrow. You don’t know what will happen.

7. James 4:13-15 Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog–it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.”

8. Proverbs 27:1 Don’t brag about tomorrow, since you don’t know what the day will bring.

We are saved by faith. If we were justified by works people would be saying “well look at all the good stuff I do.” All the glory belongs to God.

9. Ephesians 2:8-9 For by such grace you have been saved through faith. This does not come from you; it is the gift of God and not the result of actions, to put a stop to all boasting.

10. Romans 3:26-28 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.