I. Interest: A. Our privilege to be here this morning 1. Some word of affirmation

Transcription

1 1 I. Interest: A. Our privilege to be here this morning 1. Some word of affirmation Taming Your Tongue James 3:1-12 Preaching: Dwayne Date: July 28, 2013 Place: West Portal, Saskatoon 2. My role in Provincial & Canadian Conference - Director C2C Saskatchewan Harvest Saskatchewan Church Multiplication (Darlene Klassen, Jeff Siemens, Ross Hardy ) B. Mission statement of SK. Conference Inspire, empower and support the Body Of Christ in making disciples, molding leaders, and multiplying missional churches churches engaged in some form of Multiplying Church conversation related to: either Church planting, multiple sites, Missional communities, 2. Current conversation focused on multiplying church leadership training. 3. Saskatchewan conference is a partner in the Canadian Conference C2C Multiplying Church network across Canada 4. Prayer focus B. STORY: II. Need: A. June 23-Sept 1 we are working through the book Of James B. Our text for today is James 3:1-12 C. Last week Alan Whyte was working through James 2:14-26 Faith in action 1. He emphasized the balance we need between FAITH and ACTION 2. At the end of his teaching time, he made a powerful statement that put those verses in perspective God doesn t need our good works; but OUR NEIGHBORS DO! 3. That is the reality of last weeks and todays text. 4. And it lines up with the most important commandment that Jesus gave Luke 10:25-27 One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking Him this question; Teacher, what must I do to receive eternal life? Jesus replied, What does the la of Moses say? The man answered; You must love the Lord Your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength, AND Love your neighbor as yourself.

2 2 Right, Jesus said. Do this and you will live. The man wanted to justify his actions so he asked Jesus, and WHO IS MY NEIGBOR? 5. James 2:8 calls loving your neighbor as yourself the ROYAL Command! 6. So God wants our total love and devotion, and our neighbors need our loving action. - These two things are the basis of eternal life. The TOP COMMANDMENT. - What James 2:8 calls the ROYAL Command! D. As we come to today s text: James 3:1-12, we come to one of the most powerful ways to either SERVE our neighbor, or to destroy him or her. E. I want to address the question of the Expert Teacher of Luke 10 and ask the same question as he did Who is my neighbor? 1. If it is a ROYAL Command to love our neighbors, and eternal life is connected to this service then it is important to discern who they are! 2. So I d like to suggest a new exercise to you today - Not just to ask others who they are, but to take some time to reflect on whom they are - Pray into this question - Look for that person of Peace that Kelly talked about - keep room in your schedule of whom God is bringing into your life - As we practice this process of looking for people as neighbors, we may well be surprised how many amazing coincidences we ll come across. i.e. Acts 8:26-39 Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch riding his chariot - Also, we might realize how many times we are doing the opposite of loving our neighbor F. My own challenge - story 1. We moved into a new home in Warman in December. - A brand new neighborhood - New homes going up all around our house (close to 40 homes including condos within a one block radius) - We were the 3 rd family to move in 2. This spring, the back ally was full of mud holes from the fresh digging and runoff. - One place behind our house was particularly dangerous (mud hole 3 feet deep) - Pretty soon three boys about five years old came testing all the holes - I told them to stay away from that hole. BUT It was an invitation to go deeper. - So, I started to yell, and then threaten them - Pretty soon the parents of one of these boys (a neighbor) came around the corner to see what all the noise was about. HMMM So much for loving my neighbor! G. Now, what I d like to do is get into our text here in James 3:1-12, and examine what it means for this great commandment of loving our neighbor.

3 III. Solution. Read James 3:1-2 3 A. The influence of our words is powerful: Positive examples #1. Teachers influence with their words. (3:1) i.e. Grade 10 public speaking class (back of the room) i.e Grade 11 shop class (affirming all the time) #2. Control your tongue and you control yourself in every other way (3:2) - Like a bit in a horses mouth (3:3) - Like a rudder on a large ship (3:4) Negative examples: #1. The tongues also, is a small thing, but what enormous damage it can do (3:5) #2. A tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is full of wickedness that can ruin your whole life. It can turn the entire course of your life into a blazing flame of destruction. For it is set on fire by hell itself. (3:5-6) Sometime we have a mix of hypocritical talk: #1. Sometimes it praise the our Lord and father (we are here singing worship songs, teaching great stuff) and sometimes it breaks out in curses against those who have been made in the image of God. (like my neighbor boy). (3:9) #2. Surely brothers and sisters, this is not right. Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? Can you pick olives from a fig tree or figs from grapevine? No, and you can t draw fresh water from a salty pool. (3:10) Other passages that speak to the power of the tongue Proverbs 10:11 The mouth of the righteous is a well of life, but violence covers the mouth of the Wicked Proverbs 12:18: There is one who speaks like the piercing of a sword, but the tongue of the wise promotes health. Proverbs 12:25 Anxiety in the heart of a man causes depression, but a good word makes him Glad Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Proverbs 15:4 A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit. Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat it s fruit.

4 4 B. It takes the power of the Holy Spirit to redirect our tongues: James 3:7-8 People can tame all kinds of animals and birds and reptiles and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is an uncontrollable evil, full of deadly poison. 1. So what can be done about our speech? - This passage says that NO HUMAN can tame the tongue. (3:8) - Only the work of the Holy Spirit within us can bring this destructive force under control. - Listen to how we talk to others (to my neighbor boy) - Surrender our words to the Holy Spirit C. Use your tongue as a positive force among believers: 1. Hebrews10:24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works. not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as is the habit of some. But exhorting one another and so much more as you see the day approaching. - Consider who we can build up D. Use your tongue in The Art of Neighboring : #1. Book by Jay Pathak & Dave Runyan. - In 2009 they sat with their community leaders and asked how they might best serve their communities in Denver - Question to the mayor How can we as churches best work together to serve our city? - The mayor responded The majority of the issues that our community is facing would be eliminated or drastically reduced if we could just figure out a way to become a community of great neighbors. #2. In his book THE ART OF NEIGHBORING he works with several practical ideas to get started in living out the great commandment #1. Be available: - Begin living in a way that makes you available to those around you #2. Be intentional: - Walk around your community and pray for people - Talk to those you meet make a map of your condo or neighborhood - How many of your neighbors can you name? - Take notice of people s pets - Look for ways to encourage, - our street has had 2 babies since we moved there - Watch & listen for trends in your community i.e. Our street - Baby s born - lonely people newly moved in - people with a houses with water problems - Use your words to build life not take it away in your neighborhood #3. Wrestle with fears of neighboring #4. Move to the front yard (BBQ s) (Edmonton BBQ wagon)

5 5 #5. Move through to relationship (p75) Stranger Acquaintance Relationship - Names (some) - Block Party (a few) - block names - build trust #6 Be OK with incremental progress #7. Be ready: When you love God and people and trust is formed, deep and spiritual things start to happen. - Cecil - Know your gospel story V. Conclusion: A. So this morning, what is God inviting us to do? #1. Evaluate what s happening in our speech + or - - Let it register how powerful our speech really is - Surrender it to the Holy Spirit #2. Consider one another, consider our church community but also our neighbors Hebrews 10 - Make room for neighbors in your life - Consider how we can stir each other up with our words - Love people #3. Be proactive in moving from stranger acquaintance Relationship #4. Bring LIFE into the neighborhood where we can.

6 6 Bulletin insert: James 3:1-2 Dwayne Barkman A. The influence of our words is powerful: Positive examples Negative examples Hypocritical talk: Proverbs 10:11 Proverbs 12:18 Proverbs 12:25 Proverbs 15:1 Proverbs 15:4 Proverbs 18:21 B. It takes the power of the Holy Spirit to redirect our tongues James 3:7-8 C. Use your tongue as a positive force among believers Hebrews10:24 D. Use your tongue in The Art of neighboring - (Book by Jay Pathak and Dave Runyan) Denver s Mayor The majority of the issues that our community is facing would be eliminated or drastically reduced if we could just figure out a way to become a community of great neighbors. E. Practical ideas to get started in living out the great commandment #1. Be available #2. Be intentional: #3. Wrestle with fears of neighboring #4. Move to the front yard #5. Move through: Stranger Acquaintance Relationship #6. Be OK with incremental progress #7. Be ready when you love God and people, deep and spiritual things start to happen.