James teaches us about the power of our words and our witness – take a look.
James 3: Taming the Tongue
1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.
2 For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.
3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well.
4 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 directs.
5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!
6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. 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.
7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind,
8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.
10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.
11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water?
12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.
Wisdom from Above
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.
14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth.
15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.
16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.
17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.
18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
James 4: Warning Against Worldliness
1 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?
2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.
3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.
4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
5 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, "He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us"?
6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.
10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
11 Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.
12 There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbour?
Boasting About Tomorrow
13 Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit"---
14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.
15 Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that."
16 As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.
17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.
Things to think about…
1. Anybody who wants to be an elder and especially a preaching pastor needs to sit down and have judgement day honesty with the impact and reality of Jam 3:1. Please encourage and pray for anyone who you know who has wrestled with the truth of this verse and proceeded accordingly. The weight and burden of it is very real. The preacher’s flesh and the self will of others are always there to lead the pastor away from their primary calling and commitment. Pray this never becomes the case at CBC.
2. James had a right understanding of the tongue, Jam 3:1-12. He uses three analogies of small things that have a great effect – the bit in a horse’s mouth, the rudder of a ship, the spark of a fire. Though the tongue is small it has life and death in its use. We follow the Way, the Truth and the Life. Let’s use the tongue for life and build each other up with our words. Our words can have an impact for many years, even into eternity, let’s use our tongues wisely. James’ picture here in all likelihood refers back to his brother and Lord Jesus when he spoke of Lazarus and the rich man after they departed this world in Luke 16:19-31. The rich man was in torment and either his tongue was on fire or he had a tongue (a flame) of fire tormenting him. Either way he was not in a pleasant state. James alludes to this reality for those who reject the accountability we have before God with our words and the use of the tongue.
3. Your theology means nothing if your character is not reflecting the Spirit of Christ. True wisdom James says is on display in a believer’s life as witnessed by his character, Jam 3:13-18. Your theology is the same as Satan’s if this is not the case – correct, but worthless.
4. James makes some interesting comments. He says “you desire and do not have, so you murder”, Jam 4:2. One can only hope that he is speaking figuratively and not literally, after all it is Christians he is addressing. But his brother Jesus once said having hatred towards a brother is the same as murder, Mt 5:21, 22 and worthy of judgement. Fleshly desires crush and squeeze out the work of the Spirit on the heart. If these things affect us and we have worldly desires and carnal attitudes James says we are at “enmity with God”, Jam 4:4. The devil wants to take our grace. As this is the case James says humility before the Lord is the only answer –vs 10. God is the Lawgiver and our obedience to Him should be reflected in our love for our brothers in Christ who James calls our neighbours, vs 12.
5. Hey Christian businessman, do you want to know the secret to God’s blessing over your business? It’s pretty simply, before you make any decisions, ask God first and then don’t do anything until you receive an answer from Him, Jam 4:15. This always involves confirmation from His word as well as the Lord orchestrating circumstances that confirm His leading. Anything else you do is based on human strength and pride. James says such boasting is evil, Jam 4:16.
6. The sin of omission is described in Jam 4:17. If you know what you should do before the Lord and the power is within your hand to do it – go and do it. James says doing anything else is sin.
Vision Point for cell groups
CBC’s Vision :- To be a growing biblical church community, significantly influencing our city and beyond, through intentional outreach, fulfilling our mission.
The reading this week was from 1 Timothy 6
Paul had taught in Ephesus to 2 years every day to instruct new believers in Christ, Acts 19:9, 10. That was quite a few years prior to Paul’s letter to Timothy. Paul tells Timothy to wait in Ephesus and instruct certain people in sound doctrine 1 Tim 1:3. Chapter 6 is the conclusion of Paul’s instructions to Timothy.
1. Jay asked what your drivers are in life and what you live for. The opposite question may give a more defined conclusion. I.E What/Who would you die for? If you were to answer as honestly as possible what would your answer be? Explain your answer.
2. An accurate assessment of our answer in question 1 was explained on Sunday as being evident by 1. What you spend your time on and 2. What you spend your money on. Are these 2 things evident in your faith in Christ? Discuss.
3. The third identifier that was mentioned on Sunday with respect to assessing what our true drivers in life are concerns what we say and our character that is on display before others. This is also the toughest one to assess by ourselves. Time and money are easily defined as to whether our faith is our main driver in life, but assessing our character is more elusive. How do you think you are tracking? Discuss
4. Pray for the prayer points and as a cell group.
Prayer Points
1. John (Angelo’s son) who faithfully serves in the café every Sunday and is part of Recharge youth has had a bad accident at school. Both his arms are broken and he suffered head injuries. He is out of hospital but it will take many weeks before he is 100%. Please pray for healing and peace. Pray for Angelo and John’s mother who have had to deal with the stress of it all.
2. Pray for the turmoil presently going on in South Africa. Pray for peace, calm and order to be restored. On top of this Covid has been at 40, 000 cases per day. Pray for healing and wisdom w.r.t this disease.
3. Pray for testimonies that people will be doing every second week. Please consider when you would like to do yours when the pastor asks you to share yours 😉
4. Pray for ministries as they start up this week – especially Sunday School, PlayPatch and Recharge. Pray for Maddison and Melinda as they lead these ministries.
5. Pray for other building projects – café roof, the repair of the house roof and solar.
6. Growth, conversions, joy in the Word and Spirit to remain and increase.
Praise Points.
1. 2 New baby girls and 2 new sets of granparents. Congratulations to the Hornes and the Dennings on the birth of their first grandchildren.
2. Graham’s testimony. Thank God for the grace of Christ evident in his life and the blessing this man is as an elder of CBC.
3. New cell groups.
4. Praise and worship – thanks Rod, Molly, Riley, Tim, Suzy and Fi.
5. The freedom to gather, albeit with masks on Sunday. Next Sunday no masks.
Announcements
1. Masks not needed this Sunday.
2. PlayPatch starting up on Friday 23rd July for toddlers at church. Please get the word out. See Maddison for details.
3. Church bank details bsb:- 704 913 and Acc number:- 4000 4388 1
