all of those for whom it applies. Thank God for Father's. Amen. Our scripture is taken again from James chapter three verses one and two. Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle his whole body. May God richly bless both the reading and the hearing of his holy word. Now, verses three through 12 of this chapter of James goes into or is probably the most exhaustive treatment in the New Testament on the corruption of human speech. And so we'll be looking at that next week in greater detail. And the corruption of human speech is a result of the fall. And one of I think it's one of the underestimated aspects of our fall and nature, largely because the gift of speech and the ability to use and to respond to speech is one of the most significant aspects of our being created in the image of God. It's one of the things that is most God like about us. We know that we are not God, but we are created in his image. And part of being created in the image of God is to have access to the ability to speak, to use the gift of language. So when we speak of our fallenness, one of the greatest aspects or one of the greatest tragedy of man, the image bearer in our fallen state is the corruption of human speech. And you would be surprised at how many sins we are capable of with the tongue, everything from lying to speaking blasphemy, to words that are comfort and kindness that should be offered, but are not words slander. In fact, Jesus equates speaking ill against our brothers with murder. So speech is significant because it is part of our being created in the image of God. And part of our corruption is it carries over in our speech. So I know most of us grew up in an era when you're children or when we were children and someone said something about us and we would go home and tell our parents what someone said about us. And we all heard it, right? Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words may never hurt me. There is nothing further from the truth. The very fact that words can hurt us or words can heal us as part of our being created in the image of God. Now I think we can prepare our children for unkind words and other ways, but don't ever tell children that words can never hurt them because you know whose words can hurt them the worst? Unkind words from parents. That's why we have to be careful of what we say. Words matter. And so therefore what James does in verses three through twelve is launch into a diatribe on the corruption of human speech as a result of the fall. However, what I find interesting is that what what launches James into the diatribe in verses three through twelve is a verse of warning, which is or two verses of warning which opens the chapter which is from which our text is drawn. So what he uses to launches into the diatribe against the corruption of human speech is the most important form of human speech or speaking event since the fall. And that is the teaching slash preaching ministry of the word of God. So before he talks about the corruption of speech, he begins by elevating the most important human or speech that we will hear this side of heaven. That is the teaching and the preaching of the word of God. We know that James says that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. But the writer of Hebrew says that without faith it is impossible to please God. So all of the other the most important speaking event that we will experience this side of heaven is to have the word of God opened up for us whether it's in teaching and by teaching it's breaking down those things that God has recorded and revealed to us and through the proclamation of the gospel. So before he gets into his greater discussion on the corruption of human speech, he begins with the warning about the most important speech event this side of heaven. And that is the speech event of the ministry of the word of God. Now there are three main areas that we want to look at in these verses. And the first thing that I want to call attention to is to make note that those who are entrusted with the ministry of the word of God are not exempt from the corruption of human speech. That's one of the points that James makes here that we are not those who are entrusted with the ministry of the word of God are not exempt from stumbling because of our own native corrupt speech. That's the point that he makes again look at verse two for we all stumble in many ways and if anyone does not stumble in what he says then he's a perfect man. What's interesting is here when he speaks of of stumbling the word that's translated the Greek word that's translated as stumble is a variation of another Greek word which literally means to trip. And certainly what James could be referring to is that it's a reminder to those who teach and preach the the word of God that we are all prone to stumble. And so we could say that yes grammatical errors yes yes that those who who preach and teach the word of God we are capable of grammatical errors me you know we we will mess up a verb here or there we will use the wrong part of simple wrong phrase of speech start to say something think we already said it and miss a word so yes we are prone to to to stumble grammatically in our speech but that's not what James is referring to here this is a reminder that those who in God has called to the ministry of the word those who have been entrusted to the ministry of the word those who have been called those who have been set apart those who are the gift of Christ to his church to preach and teach the word of God there are ways in which we do stumble we are capable of error and it's for this reason that Paul admonishes his young protege atimity he says do your best to present yourself to God as approved as a worker one who has no need to be ashamed but notice the phrase one who rightly handles the word of truth so this is a reminder that that the one who preaches the one who teaches the word it's not like we know everything and and this it's a it's a humbling reminder that it's not it's not that we know everything and sometimes preachers and teachers have a tendency to say that God has called them and I wouldn't deny that but they think that because God has called them they have no need to study brothers and sisters let me tell you and those who have been given over to the ministry of the word of God God has what we need to say in his word but he prepares us for his word you know who the the chief is or the biggest writer of the New Testament of course is the Apostle Paul and we know that he he was late in come joining the apostolic ranks but he is the the greatest preacher and theologian in the New Testament yet when the Lord called him he set him down first he taught him and even when you are grounded Peter spent three years in the in the company of Jesus himself teaching Peter was present on the day of Pentecost and yet he still was in error on certain things so this this is a reminder humbling reminder that those who preach the word are still capable of being in error my wife shared a great article from her favorites table talk writer Keith Matheson a few years ago I preached at the first time I actually preached at at Reformation Bible College and and afterwards you know I was meeting some of the people most of the people are already new and one person comes over and introduces himself Keith Matheson and oh boy sister John I'm sorry I digress but she was all excited about Keith Matheson her favorite yeah yeah yeah her favorite table talk writer but she shared an article with me the other day that Keith Matheson wrote for the online table talk magazine and it's called American nitpicking and it's yes it is a play on American pickers and it was given to him by his son that I did he say somebody should do something with the title American nitpickers and so he goes on to talk about what nitpicking is and and he uses the definition of nitpicking which is calling attention to trivial mistakes and so sometimes when preachers you say well he's got a you know his vocabulary is not that broad sometimes that's nitpicking or when he failed to mention he didn't call my name that's nitpicking and so we do have to guard it ourselves against nitpicking but those who stand to preach the word of God it doesn't mean that our word can't be challenged if it's off because it doesn't mean we are reminded that we are capable of being wrong not not necessarily to the point of being heretical God forbid but that is possible and that's why Paul admonishes the the Thessalonian church because the word of God sounds forth from them and we always speak of those that you know they receive the word and as Paul preached the word they looked into it and they examined the word to see that it was true and surely I hope and pray that every time I or anyone else stand to preach the word you don't just take my word for it but you measure it against truth so that because it is possible for those who stand and minister to be in error don't nitpick but be a careful listener to the word I've often said that what distresses me when I see people whether it's in a political setting or whether it's in a theological setting and you see all of the multitudes listening to nonsense my biggest concern is not the idiot that's speaking but it's the people that listen and don't see anything wrong here's what Paul says to the Galatians he says listen I don't care who it is if anyone comes to you with any other gospel other than the one that I delivered to you then let that person be an anathema and just for emphasis he says I don't care if it's an angel and I don't care if it's the apostle Paul if I come to you with anything other then the gospel that was first delivered to you then I need to be anathema ties here's a reminder as James launches into or prepares to launch into a diatribe about corrupt speech he begins with the warning to those who have been entrusted to the ministry of the word of God to preach and teach you may have 20 years of being solid and sound and you are solid and sound but that doesn't make your word gospel it's the word that comes through you that's gospel so therefore he says you understand please hold in mind that you are capable of being in error you need to be intentional in proclaiming the truth of God as he has intended Paul says in second Corinthians and I always think of being in Nigeria when we were doing a pastor's conference there and before the main speakers we would use one of the local pastors to to give a devotional message and a local pastor gave a devotional message on Paul's words in second Corinthians for where he says this treasure has been placed in earth and vessels and the way he worded it he says this word has been placed in cracked pots now you guys are laughing too hard yes cracked pots what a humbling reminder and the way Paul puts it is God has placed this heavenly treasure in broken pots so that the excellency would be of the treasure and not of the pot here's way James reminds us that even all of us are prone to error we can stumble and what we say and it's for that reason we have to be careful in how we handle the word of God but here's the second thing I want to unpack a statement that James makes here about those who are entrusted with the ministry of the word he says here's the phrase in one unpack it along a couple lines he says those who are entrusted with the ministry of the word will be judged with greater strictness they will be judged with greater strictness now rather than trying to explain what that means because what we know it can't mean it can't mean that they face the possibility of hell because of errors that they've stated because we're talking about we're assuming those who even though he does make mention in Philippians that is possible for a person to preach Christ for the wrong reasons and they don't have to be saved by the way you don't have to be saved to be able to speak truth amen you don't have to be saved to be able to speak truth because God can use false prophets to deliver a right message it doesn't make them right but it also doesn't make them say but here's what he is addressing in this particular instance he's addressing the fact that those who are caught those who have been set apart to the ministry of the word will be judged with a stricter judgment not concerning just their conduct but in how they use that ministry of the word in other words if everyone will be judged for every thoughtless word or deed if we have to give an account for the words that we speak then those who speak on behalf of God will be judged with a stricter judgment so I don't know what he means by stricter judgment I believe that it has it doesn't have it doesn't take away in it your eternal blessings but God holds his word dear so there are a few reasons rather than trying to get into what the judgment is let me just give a reason some reasons for the severity of this warning why does he speak so severely about those who mishandle the word of God first off the ministry of the words of God to the people of God is a critical component in their being equipped to serve and to glorify him the ministry of the word of God to the people of God is a critical component to their being served or equipped to serve and to glorify him to put it another way that it it is the ministry of the word of God to the people of God is a critical part of their nurturing and their well-being we've all seen those pictures those those late night ads and infomercials about malnourished children and it's not that they're not eating it's not it's that they're not eating well well there is a there is a thing called spiritual to be spiritually malnourished and every time I hear certain little cliches and phrases and all of these little bumper sticker things I just think of those who are spiritually malnourished and sometimes people are malnourished they can be malnourished from one of two reasons is because they are improperly fed or because they have they they have a junk food addiction so that even though they are given good food they are not discerning enough and they still hoard unto themselves junk food so in other words you can be in a place where the word is rightly divided but you can refuse to eat it and then you go back and then you go under the covers and you go and turn to tvN and the worst television program and comes on tvN I think it's are they still on the air and then we have the ethnic versions of it too garbage and it's not that we don't you know so it's it's almost as if we'll we'll push aside a plate of good food so that we can just dive into the junk in which case that's not the fault of those who feed it's the fault of what you eat and therefore what is produced is malnourished Christians look at what Jesus says in his high priestly prayer in John 17 about the importance of the word of God for the people of God and John 17 verses 14 through 17 Jesus says I have given them your word and the world has hated them because they are not of the world just as I am not of the world I do not ask that you take them out of the world but that you keep them from the evil one they are not of the world just as I am not of the world sanctify them in the truth your word is truth in Ephesians 4 verses 11 through 14 this is what Paul says about Jesus gifting the church he says and he gave the apostles and the prophets and the evangelists and the shepherds and teachers to equip the saints for ministry for building up the body of Christ until we attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God to mature manhood to the measure of the stature of Christ so that we may no longer be children tossed to and fro by the ways and carried about by every wind of doctrine by human cunning by craftiness in deceitful schemes a healthy and a robust ministry of the word is the means by which healthy robust Christians are nurtured and developed and so James says that there is a greater judgment on those who mishandle the word of God because what you're handling is so important this is what God does in Ezekiel when he rebukes the sheep or the shepherd because he looks at the condition of the sheep and he says the sheep are malnourished because the shepherds are eating it all for themselves brothers and sisters if I hear anybody else say you know how you know I'm I'm blessed and highly favored and can't give an answer for what the gospel is you are not allowed to say it that's the way it ought to be how you're doing oh I'm blessed and highly favored okay now now give me the doc what is the doctrine of justification and if you can't answer it then please be quiet brothers and sisters too much is at stake when the word of God is open the assumption is God is speaking to his people right here and right now and people are flocking to error because they've not been grounded in truth in many cases now again I've said this for years I'm not responsible for what you eat I'm only responsible for what I feed you now I can put some good food on the table and you might have some junk food in your pocket that's up to you I'm not responsible for what you eat but God makes his undershepherds responsible for what they feed and so why is it important because Jesus prayed that his sheep would not be taken out of the world but that they would be sanctified in it and not overcome by it and the means by which they are sanctified in the world is a healthy ministry of the Word I don't pray that you take them out of the world but I pray that you would keep them from the evil one and how will they be kept from the evil one sanctified them by your truth and your word is truth we should not be suckers for everything that comes down the religious pipe because to be grounded in Christ is not to be deceived by the things of the world but here's a second reason this warning is so severe this warning is so severe because through the teaching slash preaching of the word it is through that process that the holiness and the grace of God is affirmed and reaffirmed to the people of God the holiness and the grace of God is affirmed and reaffirmed through a proper ministry and handling of the Word of God you remember when the sons of Aaron offered up strange fire and the Lord killed them on the spot and you remember the words of of rebuke that he gives to Aaron that I am holy and I will be presented as holy by those who serve in my name and they dab in a by who could be the biggest clowns you ever want to see when they are outside of the temple but when the the moment they stepped in that temple the moment they put on that e-fod in those those items and those those those instruments of of ministry they are no longer representing themselves and so those who represent me who represent me as holy and brothers and sisters one of the reasons people run rough shot over the knowledge of grace is because we have too many clowns that are messing over God's holy character we have those who step in his holy place and they think it's they think it's joke night they think it's all about them they become lounge lizards so call attention to their coolness but God hasn't called men and women to prove that they're cool he's put put us in this sacred space not to show how trendy and well read we are but he's put us in this sacred space so that we can communicate to a broken fallen world that the God who rules and the God who governs is thrice holy and more gracious than you can imagine
brothers and sisters when we fail to open up God's word then we leave we leave those who are in despair we leave them in despair or we deepen that despair and we put out rules and principles that need to be followed in order to get God to do something then we misrepresent him because here's the truth of the matter while we were yet sinners God sent forth his son while we were yet sinners God offered up his only begotten son to pay the penalty that you could not pay and to accomplish the righteousness that you could not accomplish and when we stand before the sheep we are to let them know that the great shepherd he's not waiting on you to come to him but the great shepherd has sent was sent into the world to find us to come and get us and to bring us into his bosom so that while we were enemies he laid down his life and the God who saved us is still holy and he's still gracious and it's our responsibility to tell the world yes he is not just the world but to tell the sheep that your shepherd loves you and the shepherd who loves you is holy and when we fail to do that when we when we fail to do our job and we make God the great umpire in the sky three stripes in your out when we pedal false information like God don't like ugly and so therefore no he in fact that's not even strong enough God hates sin but he loves sinners when we give people the idea that you have something to contribute towards your salvation other than your sin then we misrepresent both God's holiness and his grace and so as he tells Aaron I will be portrayed as holy by those who represent me is too much at stake and therefore the warning is as severe as it is what we'll see in verses three through twelve is how serious God takes corrupt human speech but he begins with this particular warning because the most significant speech event among fallen humans is those who stare to stand in the place of God and speak on his behalf but here's the third and final thing we want to look at and that is I want to address why James would have to issue this warning that we see in verse one why in this congregation why does he have to say not many of you should become teachers why does he have to say that why does he have what is it about this people that makes them have to say that so if we just kind of follow the stream of what he says to this congregation throughout this letter you kind of get a portrait here you see look let's look at some of the other things he says in chapter one verse nineteen he says let every person be quick to listen and slow to speak it's possible it's possible that these folks were too quick to chime in writer Ecclesiastes says there's a time for everything under the sun there's a time to speak and there's a time to shut up and they didn't get the notice when it was time to shut up don't you hate it when you're trying to explain something to someone and before you can finish they're already say no no no no this it's okay you've got we know you can speak we you know we get that but it's okay to listen and so so maybe they were too quick on the trigger to speak when it was time to listen maybe that was a characteristic of this particular congregation also look at this in verse chapter two verse one my brothers show no partiality as you hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ in other words don't be partial maybe there there's a connection here maybe maybe them being too quick to speak and not willing to listen to the degree that they should justify the partiality with which they handle others within the fellowship maybe they got half true but it doesn't stop there chapter three verse 13 he asked this question who is wise or understanding among you I'm not saying that he's being sarcastic but let's just say that he's not calling them wise maybe they are wise according to their own standards chapter four verse 11 do not speak evil against one another but I think the best summary of the mindset of the people that James is dealing with here is in chapter four verse one and it seems to capture the whole essence of what the problem is with this congregation he says what causes quarrels and what causes fights among you is it not this that your passions are at war within you and then he goes on to talk about them becoming friends with the world and being friends with the world they are acting as enemies of God let me show you how corrupt their speeches we've said that the most sacred speech event for fallen humans is to hear from God but the greatest privilege of human speech is to speak to God it is the gift of prayer we have James says about this congregation you pray and you ask and you don't receive for this reason because your prayers are corrupt and if God did give you what you asked for you'd only spend it on your lust here's what James is saying your speech is corrupt because you are not willing to listen and so basically what's taken place here is these people are intoxicated with the sense of their own self importance and don't realize they become more like the world in other words to put it another way it seems as if this congregation has an unhealthy and exalted sense of self and a diminished view of the authoritative word of God as minister to them by those who are all so subject to stumble maybe they have so nitpicked and not just nitpicked but maybe they have they've selectively taken what they've heard from the ministers of God that they figure they can just do this themselves we don't need anybody I don't need anybody tell me to do anything and that sounds just like Adam so brothers and sisters here's what James says he says be he says those don't don't be in a hurry to speak on behalf of God you you're better off giving a bad opinion that is just your opinion then to claim that that opinion has emanated from God don't many of you be quick to speak and to teach because those who represent God with speech will be held to a stricter judgment and why is because God has loved his sheep to such a degree that he speaks to them and he feeds them and he nurtures them and this is not the time for human eagles to go back to to Paul's words and second second Corinthians God has placed this great treasure he's done the exact opposite of what he tells us to do he says don't put your treasures on things that can fade but God has taken the treasure of his grace and the treasure of his word and he's put it in cracked pots and he's convinced that not a necessary life giving life sustaining part of it will be dropped because he supersedes the process by which truth receive is received by his people yes they may still sneak some snacks into the bed but he feeds us and he feeds us with with that which is necessary for life and godliness here's the bottom line to this we need the word a word from God and God calls cracked pots to deliver that word and when those cracked pots are aware of there being cracked pots and also understand the treasure that's been entrusted to them they will stand stumbling covered by the gown of another and speak truth with the confidence that through those flawed words or the words that come through that flawed creature that God is rebuking as a loving father and he's healing and he's reaffirming to you even in your messed up mess he is reaffirming to you that he has loved you with an everlasting love don't be too quick to jump up and say what thus says the Lord but when you say what thus says the Lord make sure you handle it with care because this is the food that feeds his children reaffirming his love and his covenant commitments to them we know that we are prone to stumble and as for that reason we give ourselves over to the care and the ministry of the word and the trust of the Holy Spirit God loves us enough to speak to us and we pray that through the ministry of his word that we would hear him clearly and we would stand on what he has said with great confidence let's pray