JAMES- Week 8

La Boca

VS 1

Who hear would want to teach?  Why? What would be a reason to want to teach?  What would be a bad motivation to want to teach?

Everyone likes a little spotlight…and everyone likes to be in charge!  But James has a nice little warning when it comes to teaching spiritual matters:  BE CAREFUL!!!!

Why?

If you teach somebody bad math…oh well, maybe they mess up on SAT’s or maybe become the world’s worst accountant….but THEY WILL ULTIMATELY BE OK!

If you teach someone gibberish and tell them it is Spanish….they might look and feel pretty stupid on their trip to Mexico, but they will survive right?!?!?!?

BUT----- if you teach them the wrong principles about God and salvation…..and they believe you.  What is the danger?

YOU HAVE SCREWED UP THEIR ENTIRE LIFE! 

And…….James says that if you decide to teach…..just know you will be judged more strictly in your own life.

Why would this be?

If you have gone around, supposedly studying and telling folks right from wrong…then you have NO REASON for not doing it in your own life!!!!  You cannot really say to God “Hey, I didn’t know God.  Give me a break!”

TEACHING IS SERIOUS BUSINESS AND AS SUCH IT SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN LIGHTLY!

Does this mean to be scared now to go out there and tell folks about Jesus?  Why or why not?

NO----- all James is saying is let’s make certain that we’re called to be teachers! 

VS 2-6

This section to me is one of the easiest to understand…no punches pulled, and no secret codes!  What does this chapter say to you in one sentence?

Let’s just look at it all:

1-       We all mess up- not only do we mess up, but James says we do so in “many ways”.  How is this encouraging news?

2-     Easy way to sin is with the mouth!- Why?  It is just such a quick way to show what is really in or hearts!

3-     Controlled tongue=Controlled person- How is this?  Its like a horse bit or a ship rudder.  You will steer in the direction you want to go if you control your tongue.

4-     Bragging is trouble- Boasting is not valued by God and ….one of the body’s smallest parts does it all!

5-     Tongues start a forest fire- Think about it.  How do most forest fires start?  Not by much.  Usually a tiny spark gets out of hand…and acres are scorched!  How does your tongue work like this?  It will make you do things you wouldn’t normally do and treat people in ways you would not normally treat them.  When misused…the tongue can set the entire life on fire!!!

Basically, in these verses, James is saying a very simple concept:  THIS TONGUE IS A PRETTY DEADLY WEAPON! 

And Satan loves to get you to use it.  It’s one of his favorite creations of God. 

VS 7-12

Is this a hopeless passage?  Why or why not?  If not, what is the purpose here?

I think James is saying what it sounds like : 

WE CANNOT CONTROL THE MOUTH!  WE CANNOT TAME THE TONGUE!

But…we can fix the problem that causes it!  We CAN go to the root of the problem!!!  What is this?  OUR HEART!

Think about it…if your faucet is putting out nasty brown water….what do you do to fix it?  You have to clean the well!!!!  The faucet is not the problem!

Same with our hearts!  This is where the bad thoughts give birth.  That is the contaminated spring that flows to the mouth! 

How do we “clean our wells”?  Spend time with Jesus!  Allow him to get in their and clean up our junk!  And watch what happens as your thoughts and ultimately your SPEECH begins to change!