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Says 1 to 5. 
James 3, verses 1:00 to 5:00. 

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So let's read the text together.
I'll open this in a word of 

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prayer, and then we'll jump into
the sermon this morning. 

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James three, beginning in verse 
one. 

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Not many of you become teachers,
my brothers, for you know that 

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we who teach will be judged with
greater strictness, for we all 

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stumble in many ways. 
If anyone does not stumble in 

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what he says, he is a perfect 
man, able also to bridle his 

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whole body. 
If we put bits into the mouths 

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of horses so that they obey us, 
we guide their whole bodies as 

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well. 
Look at the ships also. 

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Though they are so large and are
driven by strong winds, they are

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guided by a very small rudder 
wherever the will of the pilot 

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directs. 
So also the tongue is a small 

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member, yet it boasts of great 
things. 

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How great a forest is set ablaze
by such a small fire. 

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If you will pray with me, 
Father, this morning, I pray 

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that you would help us to 
consider our, our tongues, our 

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words. 
Lord, help us to consider this, 

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this instrument, this 
potentially weapon that we have 

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in our in our bodies, Lord, that
as much damage as we can do with

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our, our minds, our hearts, our 
our hands and and our legs. 

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We all know that we can do much 
greater damage with our tongues.

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That you have given tremendous 
power to bless you and to curse 

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your creation. 
So God, would you give us a, a 

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renewed awareness of this, this 
responsibility, the 

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responsibility to bridle our 
tongues, the responsibility to 

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consider our words and, and that
the impact of them as we look at

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the tongue this morning and next
week. 

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So convict us, God, exhort us, 
encourage us, challenge us and 

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help us, Lord, to to to be be 
striving to bridle our tongues. 

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Lord I pray this in Jesus name, 
Amen. 

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A 2000 LB vehicle is controlled 
by a 20 LB steering wheel. 

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A freight train weighs about 
35,000 tons and yet it is 

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controlled by a single lever, 
and an entire computer is run by

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a very tiny chip. 
An avalanche of snow weighing 

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30,000 tons can be caused by a 
very small vibration. 

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An entire building's lights can 
be controlled by one switch, and

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a Christian's entire spiritual 
life can be controlled by this 

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tiny organ in the body known as 
the tongue. 

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There is a tremendous power. 
There is a tremendous, dangerous

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power with the tongue. 
So the sermon is about this 

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morning as we work our way 
through the text typically will 

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give exposition and then 
application. 

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But this morning I wanted to 
change it up and I will be 

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weaving together the exposition 
and the application together. 

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So I won't have these two 
segregated. 

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I'll be weaving these two 
sections together as we go 

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through the text this morning. 
So let's look at it section by 

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section, verse by verse, 
beginning in verse 1, James 

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31-A, the first part where James
writes, Not many of you should 

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become teachers, my brothers, 
not many of you should become 

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teachers. 
James is now going to change 

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subjects. 
We've been talking about the 

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topic of faith and works for the
past few weeks, and now he's 

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going to change from this topic 
of faith to the topic of the 

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tongue. 
But before he gets to the topic 

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of the tongue, James is going to
give the church a warning. 

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Now, it's not clear at first how
verse one fits into the overall 

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context, right? 
It doesn't go with the previous 

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passage, and at first glance it 
doesn't appear to go with the 

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following passage. 
But I think they are connected 

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in this way. 
James is about to warn the 

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church about all of the 
potential dangers of the tongue.

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And one of the most serious 
dangers of the tongue is the 

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tongue used in teaching what I'm
doing right now, James writes. 

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Not many of you should become 
teachers. 

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Now. 
Why does James give this 

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warning? 
Don't we want everyone to be a 

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teacher? 
Don't we want everyone to be to 

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teach the Word of God? 
Well, in one sense, yes. 

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In one sense, The Great 
Commission is contingent on 

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teaching Matthew 2818 to 20 Go 
therefore, and make disciples of

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all nations, baptizing them in 
the name of the Father, the Son,

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and the Holy Spirit. 
And here it is teaching them to 

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observe all that I've commanded 
you. 

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So yes, everyone in Christ 
should be striving to teach the 

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church to obey the commands of 
Christ. 

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Yes, but this is not the sense 
in which James is referring to. 

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Notice James doesn't say not 
many of you should teach. 

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He doesn't say that. 
He says not many of you should 

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become teachers, which clearly 
refers to the office of teaching

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or a specific role of teaching 
in the church. 

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Now, at the minimum, this office
or this role is carried out by 

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the elders in the church. 
At the minimum, one of the 

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qualifications of elders is able
to teach, but it doesn't mean 

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that male deacons in the church 
shouldn't teach or can't teach 

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the congregation. 
They certainly can and should. 

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00:06:52,000 --> 00:06:55,080
Nor does it mean that women 
deacons can't teach or shouldn't

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teach other women in the church.
They certainly should. 

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But to be an officially 
recognized teacher of the 

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00:07:03,200 --> 00:07:06,480
church? 
This is only reserved for those 

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who are called, equipped and 
qualified. 

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00:07:11,880 --> 00:07:16,240
Now I want to be clear here that
while James says not many of you

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should become teachers, let us 
not forget the the Apostle Paul 

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tells us that we can all 
prophecy. 

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Everyone in Christ can prophecy.
Paul writes in First Corinthians

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1426 and 31. 
What then, brothers? 

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When you come together, each one
has a hymn, a lesson, a 

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revelation, a tongue, or an 
interpretation. 

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Let all things be done for the 
building up for you can all 

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prophecy 1 by 1 so that all may 
learn and be encouraged. 

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00:07:51,280 --> 00:07:53,880
And so I pray church family, 
that when we gather for small 

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groups, when we gather for 
Friday nights discipleship, when

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we gather for Bible study on 
Sunday morning, when we gather 

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right now in the sermon and in 
worshipping community, when we 

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gather for men's breakfast, when
we gather for women's gathering,

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we don't show up to these things
and have a mindset. 

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Well, I'm not teaching. 
I'm not teaching. 

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Yes, you may not be teaching, 
but God has called you to 

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prophecy. 
God has called you all to 

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prophecy. 
God has uniquely equipped you 

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through the Holy Spirit who 
dwells inside of you to 

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prophecy. 
The church needs to hear from 

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its teachers, but it also needs 
to hear from you. 

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So yes, yes, not many of you 
should become teachers, but many

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of you should become prophets, 
should give a word from God that

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He has laid on your heart. 
Now why does James say that not 

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many of you should become 
teachers? 

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Look at verse 1B for you know 
that we who teach will be judged

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with greater strictness. 
A what does this mean and B what

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are the implications here? 
A the Greek is literally. 

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This is how it reads in the 
Greek. 

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We who teach will receive a 
greater judgement. 

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That's how it reads in the 
Greek. 

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We who teach will receive a 
greater judgment. 

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Now what this means is that at 
the judgment, when we die, then 

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we stand before the judgment. 
Throne of Christ, teachers of 

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the church will be held to a 
higher standard. 

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Right? 
I will be held to a higher 

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standard. 
All pastors are all teaching. 

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Elders will be held to a higher 
standard. 

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Why? 
Because teaching effects 

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people's lives. 
There are people who are in hell

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as a result of false teaching, 
and there are people who are in 

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heaven in part as a result of 
true teaching. 

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Let me give a few examples. 
Jesus said to the Pharisees, Woe

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to you scribes and Pharisees, 
hypocrites, for you travel 

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across sea and land to make a 
single proselyte. 

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And when he does become a 
proselyte, you make him twice as

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much a son of hell. 
The Pharisees were blind, 

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hypocritical teachers. 
In Hosea, God rebuked the 

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priest. 
My people are destroyed for lack

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of knowledge. 
In Malachi, God rebuked the 

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priest, for the lips of a priest
should guard knowledge. 

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The people should seek 
instruction from his mouth, for 

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he is the messenger of the Lord 
of hosts. 

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But you have turned aside from 
the way you have caused many to 

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stumble by your instruction. 
How many people are in hell 

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because they believed the 
prosperity gospel that was 

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taught to them? 
How many people are in agony of 

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flames because they believe the 
progressive Christianity that 

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was taught to them? 
This is why Paul charged 

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Timothy. 
Timothy, keep a close watch on 

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yourself and the teaching 
teachers will receive the 

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greater judgment. 
Now, what are the implications 

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of this statement? 
Here's one massive implication. 

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There are varying degrees of 
punishment in hell and there are

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varying degrees of reward in 
heaven. 

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At the judgement is not just a 
filing system where you know 

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you're in one line. 
It's like sheep to the right, 

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goats to the left. 
It's not just a filing system. 

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There's also a judgement of our 
actions. 

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False teachers will receive a 
harsher punishment in hell, and 

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Christian teachers can lose, 
potentially lose rewards in 

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heaven. 
First Corinthians 3 alludes to 

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the fact that you can lose 
rewards in heaven. 

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It can be burned up. 
I think that's perhaps how 

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judgment works for Christians. 
So, in other words, if a 

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Christian teacher fails to teach
the whole council of God's Word,

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if you have a pastor or an elder
or a teacher of the church who 

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fails to teach the whole council
of God's Word, they may lose 

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their reward that they otherwise
would have received. 

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Now let me give two cautions 
here. 

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Caution a The way to solve this 
danger is not to never become a 

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teacher. 
Some may read this verse and 

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think teachers receive greater 
judgement. 

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OK, I'll never become a teacher.
Problem solved. 

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That is not a godly response. 
The church needs teachers. 

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We'd never have pastors if we 
all had that response. 

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We'd never have Sunday school 
teachers. 

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We'd never have teaching elders.
We need people who are willing 

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to take on this responsibility. 
If they are called and equipped 

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and qualified, that's caution A 
Caution, B. 

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Even if you say, well, I'm not 
called, or I'm not equipped, or 

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I'm not qualified, It's not just
teachers who received the 

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greater judgement. 
That's true, but it's not just 

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teachers. 
Jesus says in Luke 1247 to 48. 

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00:14:00,840 --> 00:14:06,280
And that servant who knew his 
master's will but did not get 

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ready or act according to his 
will, will receive a severe 

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beating. 
But the one who did not know and

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00:14:13,760 --> 00:14:17,080
did what deserved a beating will
receive a light beating. 

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00:14:17,920 --> 00:14:23,320
Everyone to whom much was given 
of him, much will be required, 

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00:14:23,800 --> 00:14:28,280
and from him to whom they 
entrusted much they will demand,

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00:14:28,680 --> 00:14:31,600
the more. 
Now, what is that parable 

196
00:14:31,600 --> 00:14:33,680
teaching us? 
I think it's teaching us this. 

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The more you know, the more 
mature you are, the more 

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00:14:37,760 --> 00:14:47,390
sanctified you are, the more God
requires of you parents. 

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00:14:47,470 --> 00:14:51,590
You will be held accountable for
how you teach your children. 

200
00:14:53,950 --> 00:14:55,350
It's not just a parental 
decision. 

201
00:14:55,350 --> 00:14:58,600
It's not like when we've decided
this That's fine. 

202
00:14:59,880 --> 00:15:02,560
You will be held accountable for
how you teach your children. 

203
00:15:05,080 --> 00:15:10,520
Children, ministry workers. 
You will be held accountable for

204
00:15:10,520 --> 00:15:12,920
how you teach the church's 
children. 

205
00:15:15,320 --> 00:15:19,280
Disciple errs. 
You will be held accountable for

206
00:15:19,280 --> 00:15:27,560
how you disciple, how you teach 
your disciple deacons. 

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00:15:27,840 --> 00:15:31,560
You will be held accountable for
the ministry entrusted to you. 

208
00:15:35,160 --> 00:15:41,720
Look at verse 2A. 
For we all stumble in many ways.

209
00:15:43,200 --> 00:15:44,720
Don't you love that? 
That comes right after it? 

210
00:15:44,720 --> 00:15:46,720
Because verse one is kind of a 
shock, isn't it? 

211
00:15:46,920 --> 00:15:48,400
Verse one is kind of a shock 
verse. 

212
00:15:48,400 --> 00:15:51,240
It's kind of meant to shock us. 
Don't presume to be a teacher 

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00:15:51,400 --> 00:15:53,600
because teachers are going to be
held to a higher standard. 

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00:15:54,000 --> 00:15:57,240
This kind of verse, though, can 
cause unnecessary fear to creep 

215
00:15:57,240 --> 00:16:00,000
into the hearts of the Saints. 
To think, you know, Oh my gosh, 

216
00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:04,040
like I got to make sure that I, 
I, I, I've dotted every I and 

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00:16:04,040 --> 00:16:08,440
crossed every T and, and, and it
can cause this fear and, and 

218
00:16:08,440 --> 00:16:11,040
teaching and serving. 
But James reminds us, look, we 

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00:16:11,040 --> 00:16:13,920
all stumble in many ways. 
We all do. 

220
00:16:14,600 --> 00:16:17,600
The word for stumble literally 
means to lose 1's footing, to 

221
00:16:17,600 --> 00:16:21,360
trip or to fall, which is 
clearly a metaphor for falling 

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00:16:21,360 --> 00:16:23,800
into sin. 
And I want you to notice, he 

223
00:16:23,800 --> 00:16:26,720
says not just some, not just bad
teachers. 

224
00:16:26,720 --> 00:16:30,080
He says we all stumble in many 
ways. 

225
00:16:30,120 --> 00:16:36,440
All Abraham stumbled, Moses 
stumbled, David stumbled, Peter 

226
00:16:36,440 --> 00:16:42,080
stumbled. 
Pastors stumble, elders stumble,

227
00:16:42,400 --> 00:16:48,400
teachers stumble, deacons 
stumble, missionaries stumble. 

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00:16:49,600 --> 00:16:54,520
We all stumble. 
Not only do we all stumble, we 

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00:16:54,520 --> 00:17:02,480
all stumble in many ways. 
Pride, greed, lust, 

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00:17:03,120 --> 00:17:06,839
covetousness, selfishness, 
idolatry, lying, stealing, 

231
00:17:06,839 --> 00:17:12,040
complaining, anger. 
We all stumble in many ways. 

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00:17:14,119 --> 00:17:17,640
I think this should serve as a 
reminder that we are to hold 

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00:17:17,640 --> 00:17:19,359
certain people to higher 
standards. 

234
00:17:19,359 --> 00:17:20,680
That's true. 
Let's be true on that. 

235
00:17:21,440 --> 00:17:23,760
We are to hold certain people to
higher standards. 

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00:17:23,760 --> 00:17:26,520
Pastors should be held to higher
standards. 

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00:17:26,599 --> 00:17:28,920
So should elders. 
So should teachers. 

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00:17:29,040 --> 00:17:31,800
So should missionaries. 
So should deacons. 

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00:17:33,960 --> 00:17:39,040
But let's not hold them to so 
high a standard that we expect 

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00:17:39,040 --> 00:17:45,000
them to be. 
There is only one teacher who 

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00:17:45,000 --> 00:17:50,320
never stumbled, and that is the 
Lord Jesus Christ. 

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00:17:53,440 --> 00:17:57,280
Look at verse 2B. 
And if anyone does not stumble 

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00:17:57,280 --> 00:18:03,560
in what he says, he is a perfect
man, able also to bridle his 

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00:18:03,560 --> 00:18:07,160
whole body. 
Now what does James mean by this

245
00:18:07,160 --> 00:18:07,880
statement? 
What? 

246
00:18:08,840 --> 00:18:11,440
What does he mean by this? 
Let me put it this way. 

247
00:18:12,240 --> 00:18:14,240
Suppose someone asked me this 
question. 

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00:18:14,240 --> 00:18:17,360
Matt, what sins have you never 
committed? 

249
00:18:18,080 --> 00:18:18,440
Right. 
What? 

250
00:18:18,560 --> 00:18:20,720
What are some sins that you have
never committed? 

251
00:18:21,800 --> 00:18:24,200
OK. 
I've never committed adultery in

252
00:18:24,200 --> 00:18:27,240
the flesh. 
I say flesh because Jesus says 

253
00:18:27,240 --> 00:18:30,280
lust is tantamount to adultery. 
And certainly I'm guilty of 

254
00:18:30,280 --> 00:18:32,120
that. 
But I've never committed 

255
00:18:32,120 --> 00:18:35,960
adultery in the flesh. 
I've never murdered someone. 

256
00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:42,680
I've never kidnapped someone. 
You're like, that's what I've 

257
00:18:42,680 --> 00:18:45,040
done a lot of sin. 
I mean, I thought I was like, 

258
00:18:45,040 --> 00:18:54,120
what have I not done? 
Suppose we were to go around the

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00:18:54,120 --> 00:18:57,480
room and ask everybody in this 
room, I would ask all of you. 

260
00:18:57,480 --> 00:18:58,880
All right, I want you to write 
down. 

261
00:18:58,880 --> 00:19:00,200
I want I'm going to ask the same
question to you. 

262
00:19:00,200 --> 00:19:02,040
What sins have you never 
committed? 

263
00:19:03,360 --> 00:19:06,440
We took everybody's answer 
together, and then we put it on 

264
00:19:06,440 --> 00:19:10,640
a giant spreadsheet. 
So we had all the sins that 

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00:19:10,640 --> 00:19:12,800
everybody in this room had never
committed. 

266
00:19:13,880 --> 00:19:17,960
Do you know what answer would 
not be on the spreadsheet? 

267
00:19:20,320 --> 00:19:29,180
I've never sinned with my 
tongue, and if it is there, you 

268
00:19:29,260 --> 00:19:34,580
best not have. 
I've never lied either because 

269
00:19:34,580 --> 00:19:43,700
you just did it because everyone
has sinned with their tongue. 

270
00:19:44,860 --> 00:19:50,400
Whether it is lying, slander, 
gossip, complaining, cursing, 

271
00:19:50,560 --> 00:19:56,760
flattery, boasting, harshness, 
strife, or criticism, everyone 

272
00:19:56,760 --> 00:20:03,640
has sinned with their tongue. 
Now suppose we met someone who 

273
00:20:03,640 --> 00:20:07,080
said I have never sinned with my
tongue. 

274
00:20:07,680 --> 00:20:11,040
And let's just suppose and the 
hypothetical world it were true.

275
00:20:11,040 --> 00:20:13,160
Let's just let's just assume 
it's true. 

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00:20:14,960 --> 00:20:19,440
What would that mean? 
James says it would mean this. 

277
00:20:19,800 --> 00:20:24,840
You're looking at a perfect man.
Why? 

278
00:20:24,840 --> 00:20:27,080
Why, why, why? 
Why does he say that if you have

279
00:20:27,080 --> 00:20:29,840
never sinned with your tongue, 
you're a perfect man? 

280
00:20:29,840 --> 00:20:32,480
Here's why He says this because 
it would take someone who is 

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00:20:32,480 --> 00:20:35,120
perfect to never send with their
tongue. 

282
00:20:37,960 --> 00:20:41,720
In fact, this task is so 
impossible that James says if 

283
00:20:41,720 --> 00:20:45,280
you are able to bridle your 
tongue, then you can bridle your

284
00:20:45,280 --> 00:20:50,120
whole body. 
If this man can bridle his 

285
00:20:50,120 --> 00:20:52,560
tongue, then he can bridle his 
eyes from lust. 

286
00:20:54,040 --> 00:20:57,440
If he can bridle his tongue, he 
can bridle his mind from unholy 

287
00:20:57,440 --> 00:21:00,000
thoughts. 
If he can bridle his tongue, 

288
00:21:00,000 --> 00:21:02,680
then he can bridle his ears from
listening to lies. 

289
00:21:02,960 --> 00:21:05,640
If he can bridle his tongue, 
then he can bridle his feet from

290
00:21:05,640 --> 00:21:08,200
walking into sin. 
If he can bridle his tongue, 

291
00:21:08,360 --> 00:21:10,600
then he can bridle his heart 
from idolatry. 

292
00:21:13,480 --> 00:21:17,920
You can bridle this organ, you 
can bridle the whole body, James

293
00:21:17,920 --> 00:21:20,240
says. 
But there is only one who has 

294
00:21:20,240 --> 00:21:25,800
successfully bridled his tongue,
and his name is Jesus. 

295
00:21:27,680 --> 00:21:29,840
Have you ever stopped and 
thought about this for a moment?

296
00:21:32,080 --> 00:21:35,160
There was never a time that 
Jesus complained. 

297
00:21:36,560 --> 00:21:40,800
Not one time. 
Not one time did he ever 

298
00:21:40,800 --> 00:21:44,880
complain. 
There was never a time that 

299
00:21:44,960 --> 00:21:48,000
Jesus cursed. 
Even when he hit his thumb with 

300
00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:54,920
his carpenter's hammer, He never
let it slip or thought it. 

301
00:21:56,400 --> 00:22:00,760
There was never a time he lied, 
not even an emotional lie. 

302
00:22:04,880 --> 00:22:07,560
There was never a time that 
Jesus was sinfully harsh. 

303
00:22:09,840 --> 00:22:12,680
There was never a time he 
gossiped about his disciples. 

304
00:22:14,360 --> 00:22:17,400
There was never a time that he 
flattered the religious leaders.

305
00:22:19,520 --> 00:22:26,960
He went 33 years, never once 
sinning with his tongue. 

306
00:22:28,920 --> 00:22:31,120
Just stop and think about that 
for a moment. 

307
00:22:33,120 --> 00:22:35,920
I don't think I can go one day 
without sinning with my tongue. 

308
00:22:38,080 --> 00:22:46,560
He went 33 years Now at this 
point we might be tempted to 

309
00:22:46,560 --> 00:22:54,320
think, well I'm not Jesus 
brother, I know I'm not perfect,

310
00:22:54,800 --> 00:22:58,760
never claimed to be, that's 
true. 

311
00:23:00,880 --> 00:23:02,920
However, James has given us all 
a challenge. 

312
00:23:04,960 --> 00:23:08,880
This word bridal, it brings us 
back to James 126. 

313
00:23:08,880 --> 00:23:11,080
I skipped over that verse when 
we got there because I said I 

314
00:23:11,080 --> 00:23:12,680
would cover it when I got to 
James 3. 

315
00:23:13,040 --> 00:23:16,760
So look back with me at James 
126. 

316
00:23:16,920 --> 00:23:18,520
We skipped over this when we got
there. 

317
00:23:18,880 --> 00:23:23,920
James writes in James 126. 
If anyone thinks he is religious

318
00:23:24,320 --> 00:23:29,360
and does not bridle his tongue 
but deceives his heart, this 

319
00:23:29,360 --> 00:23:36,600
person's religion is worthless. 
James says if anyone thinks he 

320
00:23:36,600 --> 00:23:38,280
is religious. 
Now that word religious, we 

321
00:23:38,280 --> 00:23:40,280
looked at it before, it means 
devout or pious. 

322
00:23:40,280 --> 00:23:44,600
If anyone thinks he is devout or
pious and does not bridle his 

323
00:23:44,600 --> 00:23:47,640
tongue, what does that mean to 
bridle your tongue? 

324
00:23:48,920 --> 00:23:52,360
The word for bridle has a 
literal meaning and a figurative

325
00:23:52,360 --> 00:23:54,960
meaning. 
The literal meaning is to guide 

326
00:23:54,960 --> 00:23:57,800
with a bit and bridle to hold 
and check. 

327
00:23:58,000 --> 00:24:01,720
What does that mean? 
In other words, if you have ever

328
00:24:01,720 --> 00:24:04,600
ridden a horse, if you or desire
to ride a horse, they put a 

329
00:24:04,600 --> 00:24:06,800
bridle around the horse's head, 
right? 

330
00:24:06,800 --> 00:24:09,440
It's like headgear. 
The source has this headgear. 

331
00:24:09,880 --> 00:24:14,800
That headgear holds that bridle 
holds a bit in the horse's mouth

332
00:24:14,800 --> 00:24:17,760
or sometimes there'll be several
bits, this little metal piece 

333
00:24:17,760 --> 00:24:20,520
inside the horse's mouth. 
There are reins that are 

334
00:24:20,520 --> 00:24:23,680
attached to that bridle that the
rider will hold in his hands. 

335
00:24:24,240 --> 00:24:27,760
And when those reins are pulled 
in a certain way, it puts 

336
00:24:27,840 --> 00:24:33,000
pressure onto sensitive areas of
the horse's mouth and and face. 

337
00:24:33,640 --> 00:24:36,120
All right? 
And So what will happen is that 

338
00:24:36,120 --> 00:24:40,360
as you pull those reins to the 
right or left or back, or as you

339
00:24:40,360 --> 00:24:44,400
do that put that pressure, it 
will cause the horse to turn or 

340
00:24:44,400 --> 00:24:48,040
to slow or to stop to alleviate 
that pressure. 

341
00:24:48,040 --> 00:24:50,520
That's how it works. 
So if you're pulling on the 

342
00:24:50,520 --> 00:24:53,240
right, there's pressure. 
Now here, the horse will turn to

343
00:24:53,240 --> 00:24:56,680
alleviate that pressure or it 
will stop to alleviate the 

344
00:24:56,680 --> 00:25:00,600
pressure. 
And so James uses this idea, but

345
00:25:00,600 --> 00:25:04,280
with the figurative meaning. 
The figurative meaning is to 

346
00:25:04,280 --> 00:25:08,960
exercise close control over some
function. 

347
00:25:09,680 --> 00:25:12,360
That word bridle means, in a 
figure of sense, to exercise 

348
00:25:12,360 --> 00:25:15,360
close control over some 
function. 

349
00:25:15,920 --> 00:25:21,400
So in the same way that the 
rider exercises control over the

350
00:25:21,400 --> 00:25:28,200
horse, a person who bridles 
their tongue exercises control 

351
00:25:28,640 --> 00:25:33,440
over their tongue. 
And James says this. 

352
00:25:33,440 --> 00:25:37,800
He says if anyone thinks he is 
pious, if anyone thinks he is 

353
00:25:37,800 --> 00:25:42,240
devout and does not bridle his 
tongue, there are two 

354
00:25:42,240 --> 00:25:46,080
implications. 
A He deceives his heart. 

355
00:25:47,720 --> 00:25:50,120
How so? 
How does he deceive his heart? 

356
00:25:50,680 --> 00:25:53,720
Well, suppose a man said he 
loved his wife. 

357
00:25:53,720 --> 00:25:57,280
Suppose he met a a husband who 
was married and he said he loved

358
00:25:57,280 --> 00:26:00,360
his wife. 
And then suppose you talk to his

359
00:26:00,360 --> 00:26:03,960
wife separately and she said he 
constantly belittles me. 

360
00:26:05,120 --> 00:26:09,760
He calls me names, he puts me 
down, he harshly criticizes me. 

361
00:26:11,120 --> 00:26:14,960
But this man stands by his 
conviction that he loves his 

362
00:26:14,960 --> 00:26:17,840
wife. 
What would we call that man? 

363
00:26:19,720 --> 00:26:29,440
Deceived. 
Deceived in the same way, if a 

364
00:26:29,480 --> 00:26:36,520
person thinks they are a mature 
Christian, but they continuously

365
00:26:36,520 --> 00:26:42,520
sin with their tongue in a way 
that there's no repentance, no 

366
00:26:42,520 --> 00:26:46,960
striving to change, no depending
on the Lord, right, they are 

367
00:26:46,960 --> 00:26:50,440
deceived about their true 
spiritual condition. 

368
00:26:54,960 --> 00:26:57,760
Second thing B. 
Second implication. 

369
00:26:58,120 --> 00:27:01,160
James says this person's 
religion is worthless. 

370
00:27:04,280 --> 00:27:05,160
What does that mean? 
Worthless. 

371
00:27:05,160 --> 00:27:08,600
It means pertaining to being of 
no use, idle, empty, fruitless, 

372
00:27:08,600 --> 00:27:11,200
useless, powerless, lacking 
truth. 

373
00:27:11,360 --> 00:27:17,520
Now why is it worthless? 
Because while it is true that 

374
00:27:17,520 --> 00:27:20,160
actions speak than words, you 
preferred that before. 

375
00:27:21,200 --> 00:27:23,960
While it is true that actions 
speak louder than words, 

376
00:27:23,960 --> 00:27:27,800
friends, sometimes words speak 
louder than actions. 

377
00:27:34,140 --> 00:27:36,740
We were driving home the other 
day and we passed a Papa John's 

378
00:27:36,740 --> 00:27:39,540
and I was, I was, my boys were 
like, oh, Papa John's is the 

379
00:27:39,540 --> 00:27:43,860
goat. 
And I was, and I said, no, it 

380
00:27:43,860 --> 00:27:46,900
used to be, but it's gone 
downhill ever since Papa John 

381
00:27:46,900 --> 00:27:49,820
left, in my opinion, it's gone 
downhill. 

382
00:27:50,820 --> 00:27:52,140
And they asked, well, why did he
leave? 

383
00:27:52,140 --> 00:27:55,480
I said well he was fired and 
they asked why was he fired? 

384
00:27:56,200 --> 00:27:59,200
And I said because some comments
he made during a conference call

385
00:27:59,200 --> 00:28:02,800
that got leaked and they asked 
why would he be fired over some 

386
00:28:02,800 --> 00:28:06,720
words? 
And I said because words matter.

387
00:28:10,080 --> 00:28:15,440
Words matter. 
You see, you can lead a multi 

388
00:28:15,440 --> 00:28:20,320
billion dollar business, but 
your words can negate all of 

389
00:28:20,320 --> 00:28:26,080
that. 
Likewise, a person can be a 

390
00:28:26,120 --> 00:28:31,880
wonderful pastor, a wonderful 
elder or Deacon or missionary or

391
00:28:31,880 --> 00:28:37,000
author or podcaster, but their 
words can negate all of it. 

392
00:28:41,320 --> 00:28:47,880
Now here's why this matters. 
If we put James 126 together 

393
00:28:47,880 --> 00:28:50,720
with James 32, we put these two 
things together. 

394
00:28:52,680 --> 00:28:58,560
Yes, it is true that everybody 
is going to stumble with their 

395
00:28:58,560 --> 00:29:00,520
words. 
That's true. 

396
00:29:00,760 --> 00:29:06,480
Nobody is perfect. 
And yet we must strive for 

397
00:29:06,480 --> 00:29:13,240
perfection. 
We must strive to bridle our 

398
00:29:13,240 --> 00:29:17,920
tongues. 
Friends, it is wrong to expect 

399
00:29:17,920 --> 00:29:20,240
perfection of people with their 
words. 

400
00:29:21,360 --> 00:29:26,680
If you get married, don't expect
perfection of speech from your 

401
00:29:26,680 --> 00:29:30,000
spouse. 
You are in for a rude awakening.

402
00:29:32,080 --> 00:29:35,680
Every married couple person in 
this church would give you 

403
00:29:35,680 --> 00:29:39,320
example after example of how 
their spouse has sinned against 

404
00:29:39,320 --> 00:29:45,560
them with their tongue. 
If you have roommates, don't 

405
00:29:45,560 --> 00:29:51,600
expect perfection from them. 
If you become a member of a 

406
00:29:51,600 --> 00:29:55,200
church, don't expect perfection 
from the other members. 

407
00:29:59,000 --> 00:30:04,960
But on the flip side, on the 
flip side, let's not get out 

408
00:30:04,960 --> 00:30:11,720
from under the burden of our sin
by claiming, well, nobody's 

409
00:30:11,720 --> 00:30:17,240
perfect, nobody's perfect. 
That's true. 

410
00:30:18,160 --> 00:30:23,000
That's true, but Jesus did say 
you must be perfect as your 

411
00:30:23,000 --> 00:30:28,800
heavenly Father is perfect. 
Hear me when I say this, 

412
00:30:28,800 --> 00:30:33,680
Perfection is not never sinning 
with your tongue. 

413
00:30:35,240 --> 00:30:40,960
Perfection is striving by the 
grace of God to exercise 

414
00:30:40,960 --> 00:30:52,880
self-control over what we say. 
Look at versus 3 to 4 and 5B If 

415
00:30:52,880 --> 00:30:56,560
we put bits into the mouths of 
horses so that they obey us, we 

416
00:30:56,560 --> 00:30:58,080
guide their whole bodies as 
well. 

417
00:30:58,720 --> 00:31:01,440
Look at the ships also that they
are so large and are driven by 

418
00:31:01,440 --> 00:31:03,440
strong winds. 
They are guided by a very small 

419
00:31:03,440 --> 00:31:06,080
rudder wherever the will of the 
pilot directs. 

420
00:31:06,280 --> 00:31:11,120
And then 5B how great a forest 
is set ablaze by such a small 

421
00:31:11,120 --> 00:31:15,680
fire? 
James gives 3 analogies to make 

422
00:31:15,760 --> 00:31:18,400
this point, to make his his 
central point, and I want to 

423
00:31:18,400 --> 00:31:23,520
look at these individually. 3 
analogies, the first one a bit 

424
00:31:23,680 --> 00:31:26,840
and a horse a bit and a horse. 
That's the first one. 

425
00:31:28,360 --> 00:31:31,360
When I was about 10 or 12 years 
old, I remember exactly how old 

426
00:31:31,360 --> 00:31:32,960
I was, but I was around 10 or 12
years old. 

427
00:31:32,960 --> 00:31:36,840
I wrote a bucket list. 
I think I had like 50 things I 

428
00:31:36,840 --> 00:31:41,160
wanted to do before I died. 
Some of them were like strange. 

429
00:31:41,240 --> 00:31:44,160
It was like visit California, 
which I got to do recently a few

430
00:31:44,360 --> 00:31:46,800
years back. 
I've been able to do actually a 

431
00:31:46,800 --> 00:31:50,400
great deal of them. 
One of them was to ride a horse.

432
00:31:51,040 --> 00:31:52,640
I had never ridden a I'm going 
to grow up in the South. 

433
00:31:52,640 --> 00:31:54,720
You're like, yeah, that's like 
blasphemous in the South, like 

434
00:31:54,720 --> 00:31:57,240
you've never ridden a horse. 
I had never ridden a horse. 

435
00:31:57,600 --> 00:32:00,080
I actually did not ride a horse 
until a few years back. 

436
00:32:00,320 --> 00:32:01,720
A few years back, we're going to
Alabama. 

437
00:32:01,920 --> 00:32:04,880
Lawrence family took us to a 
farm and I actually got to ride 

438
00:32:04,880 --> 00:32:09,080
a horse for the very first time.
I remember as I got on this 

439
00:32:09,080 --> 00:32:17,680
beast, having one thought. 
I hope I don't die, because as I

440
00:32:17,680 --> 00:32:21,440
got it, I could immediately tell
how powerful this animal was. 

441
00:32:22,600 --> 00:32:26,560
I mean, I could tell that this, 
I mean the even even though. 

442
00:32:27,080 --> 00:32:29,280
But here's the thing. 
Even though this animal was 

443
00:32:29,280 --> 00:32:33,400
larger than me, faster than me, 
stronger than me, more powerful 

444
00:32:33,400 --> 00:32:39,080
than me, I actually had complete
control over this animal the 

445
00:32:39,120 --> 00:32:41,320
entire time. 
How? 

446
00:32:42,400 --> 00:32:47,120
Because I had control over the 
reins, the owner of the horse 

447
00:32:47,120 --> 00:32:51,080
had put a bit into the mouth of 
the horse and he gave me 

448
00:32:51,080 --> 00:32:53,560
instructions before I got on. 
He said, you pull here if you 

449
00:32:53,560 --> 00:32:56,280
want to turn right, pull here if
you want to turn left, pull up 

450
00:32:56,280 --> 00:32:58,720
on both if you wanted to slow 
down or you wanted to stop. 

451
00:33:00,320 --> 00:33:03,600
And as I got on the horse, I was
nervous because I was like, is 

452
00:33:03,600 --> 00:33:06,280
this actually going to work? 
I mean, what if this thing just 

453
00:33:06,280 --> 00:33:09,200
takes off running? 
Like what if it just, is this 

454
00:33:09,200 --> 00:33:11,720
really going to work? 
And to my surprise, it did. 

455
00:33:13,800 --> 00:33:17,440
As we start going, you know, I'm
like, and all of a sudden I'm 

456
00:33:17,440 --> 00:33:20,040
about to run into a tree and I 
pulled right and it turned. 

457
00:33:20,040 --> 00:33:23,120
I was like, Oh my gosh. 
And then when I wanted to slow 

458
00:33:23,120 --> 00:33:27,760
down, I would pull. 
The horse actually obeyed my 

459
00:33:27,760 --> 00:33:33,760
commands, James writes. 
If we put bits into the mouths 

460
00:33:33,800 --> 00:33:39,560
of horses so that they obey us, 
we guide their whole bodies as 

461
00:33:39,560 --> 00:33:43,520
well. 
This 1000 LB animal actually 

462
00:33:43,520 --> 00:33:49,080
obeyed me because I had control 
over the bit that was in its 

463
00:33:49,080 --> 00:33:54,400
mouth. 
Brothers and sisters, the tongue

464
00:33:55,320 --> 00:34:01,880
has the power to spiritually 
kill you and to spiritually kill

465
00:34:01,880 --> 00:34:08,560
others. 
Proverbs 1821 Death and life are

466
00:34:08,560 --> 00:34:18,080
in the power of the tongue. 
Do you have control over your 

467
00:34:18,080 --> 00:34:22,760
tongue or is it a wild stallion 
that runs free? 

468
00:34:28,090 --> 00:34:31,810
Two second analogy gives is a 
rudder and a ship. 

469
00:34:32,560 --> 00:34:34,719
James writes look at the ships 
also. 

470
00:34:34,719 --> 00:34:38,600
He invites his read his readers 
to look at the ships also. 

471
00:34:38,760 --> 00:34:41,600
He says they are so large. 
I was actually looking. 

472
00:34:41,600 --> 00:34:43,760
I was like how large are the 1st
century ships? 

473
00:34:43,800 --> 00:34:47,480
Actually the largest ships were 
Alexandrian grain ships. 

474
00:34:47,600 --> 00:34:50,159
They could be as long as 400 
feet long. 

475
00:34:50,159 --> 00:34:53,800
That's longer than a football 
field 400 feet long and 100 feet

476
00:34:53,800 --> 00:34:56,639
wide. 
They could carry up to 200 

477
00:34:56,639 --> 00:34:59,280
people. 
James writes they are driven by 

478
00:34:59,280 --> 00:35:02,000
strong winds. 
All ships were powered by the 

479
00:35:02,000 --> 00:35:04,240
wind for the first like 1700 
years. 

480
00:35:05,080 --> 00:35:10,560
James writes that they are 
guided by a very small rudder. 

481
00:35:10,680 --> 00:35:14,280
So here's this enormous ship and
yet it's guided by this very 

482
00:35:14,280 --> 00:35:15,920
small rudder. 
Now actually in the 1st century,

483
00:35:15,920 --> 00:35:17,360
ships would actually have two 
rudders. 

484
00:35:17,880 --> 00:35:19,880
They actually would take like an
oar like structure. 

485
00:35:20,080 --> 00:35:22,120
One would be on the back right 
and one would be on the back 

486
00:35:22,120 --> 00:35:24,200
left. 
And it's like an ore that would 

487
00:35:24,200 --> 00:35:27,480
stick into the water and they 
would move these ores to steer 

488
00:35:27,560 --> 00:35:30,520
the ship. 
And so even though this ship is 

489
00:35:30,520 --> 00:35:35,360
massive, even though the the 
winds are strong, the pilot is 

490
00:35:35,360 --> 00:35:40,560
able to steer this entire ship. 
All 200 people, all 400 feet of 

491
00:35:40,560 --> 00:35:45,360
the ship is able to be steered 
through this little rudder. 

492
00:35:49,000 --> 00:35:52,160
Likewise, the tongue will often 
steer your life. 

493
00:35:56,240 --> 00:35:59,880
It can determine who your 
friends are and who they are 

494
00:35:59,880 --> 00:36:05,360
not. 
It can determine who you marry 

495
00:36:06,960 --> 00:36:12,840
and who you don't marry. 
It can dictate the direction of 

496
00:36:12,840 --> 00:36:20,610
your marriage or the direction 
of your career. 

497
00:36:23,880 --> 00:36:27,760
Your tongue is a powerful and 
effective rudder. 

498
00:36:31,720 --> 00:36:37,000
And three last analogy, He says 
a small fire and a wildfire. 

499
00:36:37,000 --> 00:36:39,680
He gives the analogy of a small 
fire and a wildfire. 

500
00:36:40,720 --> 00:36:44,960
In 2018, California had its 
largest and deadliest wildfire. 

501
00:36:45,040 --> 00:36:48,800
At its largest, the fire covered
153,000 acres. 

502
00:36:48,800 --> 00:36:53,640
That's about 240 square miles. 
That's huge. 85 people died. 

503
00:36:54,960 --> 00:36:57,880
Where did it start from? 
It started from Pacific gas and 

504
00:36:57,880 --> 00:37:01,080
electric equipment. 
A very small point, relatively 

505
00:37:01,080 --> 00:37:04,240
speaking. 
And we've all been watching the 

506
00:37:04,240 --> 00:37:10,480
devastation of the Hong Kong 
apartment complex fire, James 

507
00:37:10,480 --> 00:37:12,360
says. 
Likewise, the tongue is capable 

508
00:37:12,360 --> 00:37:17,600
of great destruction. 
If I were to ask everyone in 

509
00:37:17,600 --> 00:37:20,760
this room, what are some of the 
most painful things in your 

510
00:37:20,760 --> 00:37:23,480
life? 
If I were to ask that question, 

511
00:37:23,480 --> 00:37:26,960
what are some of the most 
painful things in your life? 

512
00:37:27,400 --> 00:37:30,040
Are not many of them things that
people have said to you? 

513
00:37:36,620 --> 00:37:39,220
When I realized that, I I think 
about that in reverse. 

514
00:37:40,260 --> 00:37:44,060
What if some of the most painful
things in other people's lives 

515
00:37:45,260 --> 00:37:46,660
are things that I've said to 
them? 

516
00:37:50,940 --> 00:37:54,300
You see, the danger of a fire is
that once something is burned, 

517
00:37:54,300 --> 00:37:58,800
you can never get it back. 
Same is true with words. 

518
00:38:01,360 --> 00:38:08,960
You can never get it back. 
Now I want you to consider the 

519
00:38:08,960 --> 00:38:11,320
central point of James's three 
analogies. 

520
00:38:11,440 --> 00:38:14,360
The central point the central 
point is in is in verse 5. 

521
00:38:14,360 --> 00:38:19,560
Here it is verse 5 S. 
Also, the tongue is a small 

522
00:38:19,720 --> 00:38:23,960
member, yet it boasts of great 
things. 

523
00:38:24,880 --> 00:38:27,960
Now all three analogies have the
same thing in common. 

524
00:38:28,560 --> 00:38:36,160
The power of something small, 
the dangerous power of something

525
00:38:36,160 --> 00:38:41,120
small. 
A bit is a very small piece 

526
00:38:41,120 --> 00:38:43,000
compared to the size of the 
entire horse. 

527
00:38:43,360 --> 00:38:48,280
I actually asked ChatGPT what 
percent size is a bit compared 

528
00:38:48,280 --> 00:38:54,320
to an entire horse. 
According to it .004% of the 

529
00:38:54,320 --> 00:38:57,400
horse. 
I don't know if that's true. 

530
00:38:59,440 --> 00:39:06,000
It says check mistakes with who 
and yet that tiny little bit 

531
00:39:06,000 --> 00:39:11,040
controls the entire animal. 
The same is true with a rudder. 

532
00:39:11,600 --> 00:39:15,280
A rudder is a very small piece 
compared to the entire ship, 

533
00:39:15,440 --> 00:39:22,640
.007% of the ship, and yet the 
rudder steers the entire ship. 

534
00:39:23,560 --> 00:39:28,200
And a single point of fire is a 
very small fire compared to the 

535
00:39:28,200 --> 00:39:33,280
entire wildfire, .002% of the 
entire fire. 

536
00:39:33,480 --> 00:39:37,240
And yet this small little fire 
is responsible for the entire 

537
00:39:37,240 --> 00:39:41,120
wildfire. 
Likewise, the tongue is a small 

538
00:39:41,360 --> 00:39:46,440
member in the body. 
Your tongue is about .07% of 

539
00:39:46,440 --> 00:39:52,600
your body and yet it boasts of 
great things. 

540
00:39:55,640 --> 00:39:58,280
James here introduces one of the
primary sins of the tongue 

541
00:39:59,040 --> 00:40:03,760
boasting. 
James's point is that even 

542
00:40:03,760 --> 00:40:06,320
though our tongues are very 
small instruments. 

543
00:40:07,560 --> 00:40:17,200
They often play loudly, they can
worship loudly, they can boast 

544
00:40:17,200 --> 00:40:21,160
loudly. 
How many people in Scripture 

545
00:40:21,160 --> 00:40:23,920
were disciplined or judged for 
their boasting? 

546
00:40:25,560 --> 00:40:28,160
Pharaoh boasted that he would 
not yield to God's authority, 

547
00:40:28,160 --> 00:40:30,840
and God humbled him with a wall 
of water. 

548
00:40:32,000 --> 00:40:35,880
Nebuchadnezzar boasted, Is this 
not great Babylon, which I have 

549
00:40:35,880 --> 00:40:39,200
built by my mighty power as a 
royal residence, and for the 

550
00:40:39,200 --> 00:40:42,360
glory of my majesty? 
And God humbled him by turning 

551
00:40:42,360 --> 00:40:46,600
them into a beast. 
Herod Agrippa boasted by 

552
00:40:46,600 --> 00:40:50,560
allowing the people to praise 
him as a God, And God humbled 

553
00:40:50,560 --> 00:40:55,640
him with death and some worms. 
Cora Dathan and a Byron boasted 

554
00:40:55,640 --> 00:40:58,720
they were just as holy as Moses 
and God humbled them by 

555
00:40:58,720 --> 00:41:03,480
swallowing them alive. 
Haman boasted that he was second

556
00:41:03,480 --> 00:41:07,280
in command and all of the 
Kingdom and God humbled him with

557
00:41:07,280 --> 00:41:12,080
some gallows that he had built. 
Uzziah boasted that he could 

558
00:41:12,080 --> 00:41:15,200
burn incense just like all the 
other priests could, and God 

559
00:41:15,200 --> 00:41:19,720
humbled him with some leprosy. 
Peter boasted that he would 

560
00:41:19,720 --> 00:41:23,000
never deny Christ and God 
humbled him with a rooster. 

561
00:41:26,600 --> 00:41:29,520
You see, church family, Satan 
doesn't have to devour us with 

562
00:41:29,520 --> 00:41:31,840
egregious sins. 
Bible says that Satan is a war 

563
00:41:31,840 --> 00:41:33,560
and lion seeking someone to 
devour. 

564
00:41:33,600 --> 00:41:37,520
Satan does not have to devour us
with egregious sense. 

565
00:41:37,640 --> 00:41:40,560
He can simply work through our 
tongues. 

566
00:41:43,760 --> 00:41:45,920
You know, what's interesting is 
that if you look at the history 

567
00:41:45,920 --> 00:41:51,960
of war, more soldiers died from 
sickness than from combat. 

568
00:41:54,640 --> 00:41:59,680
It doesn't take a tank or a 
grenade or a bullet or a mortar 

569
00:41:59,840 --> 00:42:03,960
or a spear or a sword or a 
missile to kill a man. 

570
00:42:04,560 --> 00:42:08,560
What is far more deadly, 
historically, what has been far 

571
00:42:08,560 --> 00:42:14,120
more deadly and war, is typhus, 
dysentery, cholera, smallpox, 

572
00:42:14,240 --> 00:42:19,200
malaria, influenza, measles, 
typhoid and tuberculosis, 

573
00:42:20,520 --> 00:42:25,520
bacteria and viruses that can 
only be seen with a microscope. 

574
00:42:28,000 --> 00:42:29,800
The same is true in the 
spiritual world. 

575
00:42:33,520 --> 00:42:36,240
A person doesn't have to fall 
through means of adultery or 

576
00:42:36,240 --> 00:42:39,680
sexual immorality or drugs or 
murder or theft. 

577
00:42:41,040 --> 00:42:45,560
They can simply fall through 
means of boasting or complaining

578
00:42:46,400 --> 00:42:55,880
or anger or gossip. 
We all need self-control in many

579
00:42:55,880 --> 00:42:57,920
areas. 
I think we all would agree if we

580
00:42:57,920 --> 00:43:00,520
were honest that we need 
self-control in many areas. 

581
00:43:00,720 --> 00:43:06,760
Food and drink, sex and lust, 
how much we work, our thought 

582
00:43:06,760 --> 00:43:10,920
life, entertainment and social 
media, phone usage. 

583
00:43:12,520 --> 00:43:17,000
But one area that we all 
desperately need self-control in

584
00:43:18,600 --> 00:43:24,800
is our tongues. 
Church family, let us strive, by

585
00:43:24,800 --> 00:43:29,200
the grace of God, to bridle our 
tongues. 

586
00:43:30,720 --> 00:43:31,160
Let's pray.