BiblicalMastery Buddy's bible blog

Lesson 9

Clear Communications

James 5:12-20

July 26, 2015

 

One of my favorite stories about George Washington comes from the period of the Revolutionary War. One day a Tory, a British sympathizer, was walking in the woods around Valley Forge. He happened to come upon General Washington kneeling in the snow praying. I have a copy of that painting hanging in my study. The Tory returned home and declared to his family that the war was lost for the British because the leader of the American army was a praying man.

 

Sadly, all too often that description does not fit me. My prayer life sometimes consists of blessing and a short prayer at mealtime. There have been times in my life when God answered the fervent prayers that I uttered in a ways that sometimes caught me by surprise. I really cannot say whether it was the passion or the consistency that brought the answer. All I can say is that I was thankful that God intervened in the situation. My head tells me that it is true. It is when my heart and mind are lined up with God that I can see where He has been working.

 

I hear all the time of churches that have seen fantastic opportunities open to them because they prayed. In Ephesians Paul asked them to “pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel.” When a church tries to do everything in its own power the results will never be what they desire. If we want God to truly move in the church we are to seek His purpose and not our own agenda. He knows what the church needs to impact those around us better than we could ever do on our own. James speaks of what prayer looks like and what the answer looks like we pray in the way about which he spoke.

 

James 5:12

Much was said about the making of vows in the Old Testament. In a way this could refer back to chapter 4:13 where the men made a vow or plans to do a thing over which they really had no control. Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount that the only answer necessary from men of integrity when agreeing to something was either yes or no. There was nothing more needed to guarantee the carrying out the word of a man.

 

1. In your mind what does “swearing,” add to the words you speak?
2. According to Jesus in Matthew 5:33-37 what are the only words needed to confirm an agreement with someone?
3. How can we make sure that our yeses and noes are accepted by others? (By building a reputation of honesty and integrity.)
4. What is the danger of making vows? (You may find yourself breaking them making you a liar.)

 

James 5:13

It appears that the way a person responds to the circumstances in which he finds himself says a great deal about him. He knows that if he is suffering it is important to carry the situation to the Lord for an answer. On the other hand if he finds something about which to be cheerful, he is to sing praises to the Lord.

 

1. How do you respond to suffering?
2. How do you react when things are going well?
3. What should be our actions in both situations?
4. Why do most people blame God when things are not going well?
5. Why do people take the credit when things are going well?

 

James 5:14-16

The actions of the church when someone is ill are as follows:

• The elders are to be called.
• The elders are first to pray for him or her believing that the person will be healed.
• They are to anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.
• Faithful praying will bring restoration even if the illness had been brought on by sin.
• Prayers of the elders will bring about the forgiveness of sins.

 

Although sickness may not be caused by sin there is the possibility that the guilt or things man has done may bring about an illness or disease. Some examples today might be overeating, alcohol abuse and smoking today. In James’ day there may have been other causes.

 

1. What is the general response by most of us when we hear someone is sick?
2. How do we fall short of what James calls the church to do?
3. What does it take for a person to experience healing?
4. How can sin bring about illnesses?
5. Why do we sometimes need others to help us work through a sin that we have committed.
6. Why do we sometimes not find to find the strength to pray about a situation?
7. Why are the elders to be involved in these types of situations? (They are to be men of faith and integrity)

 

James 5:16-18

To make sure that one’s sins were not the cause of a person’s illness, James admonished the church to confess their sins so that fellow believers could pray for that person’s healing. The prayer of a man with an upright heart could bring about great results. The story of Elijah’s prayer to stop the rain for three years and six months and start it again found in 1 Kings 17-18 is an example of the kind of results prayer could bring about in the body of believers. If one reads further in 1 Kings the writer indicates that when Elijah ran away from Jezebel he received a different answer. Elijah begged God to let him die but was told to get off the mountain and go back to the very place where his enemies were living. It would have been a whole lot easier to say God did not grant Elijah’s request and that is true. What really took place was the fact that his prayer was not in line with God’s purpose for him.

 

Care must be taken in understanding how God answers prayer. Man’s heart and mind must be in tune with the purpose of God for a person’s life. There may be times when the answer may be different that the one that is expected. Even though man may pray for healing to take place, he needs to understand that God may heal in a different way. It could mean that the healing will take place by taking that person home to be with Him.

 

1. In what way is an example of both praying with the right mindset and that is opposition to God?
2. Why is it important to confess your sins to another believer? (Sometimes we are so blinded by what we have done we cannot pray for it.)
3. Who are those with whom you would trust such a confession?
4. Why must a person have a pure and righteous heart before praying?
5. How will God react to the prayers of a person with a heart that is right?
6. What are you doing in your own life to make sure God is willing to hear and answer your prayers?

 

James 5:19-20

There is no one perfect and everyone will at times drift away from the truth. Blessed is the man who is able to once again point that person in the right direction. He who turns a man from his sin saves him from death as a result of sin. He will also keep the individual from slipping further and further away from God.

 

1. Why do each of us need an accountability partner?
2. Why is it that sometimes others see in us what we cannot see in ourselves?
3. Who are those who are able to get others back on track in their Christian walk? (More mature believers who have experienced many of the things that they are able to observe and correct in others.)
4. What happens to a person who is left to continue in the path they are taking? (They may drift further and further away from God.)
5. What will God think of the person who leads the person away from that path that leads to death?
6. What is our responsibility to the lost or straying sheep?

 

• Be a person of integrity so that when you speak people will accept what you say without a lot of explanations or vows to back up your words.
• Use the ACTS acrostic in your prayer time. The parts are A= Adoration, C= Confession, T=Thanksgiving and S= Supplication
• Use your daily Bible reading as the point of your prayer time.
• Develop a prayer list and keep praying until God gives you peace about the situation.
• Grow in your faith that you can turn others from going in the wrong direction.

 

We must never forget that prayer is the most important weapon against the devil. Silent prayer is your special communication with God and can only be heard by Him. Praying aloud is for the audience of God of the devil can hear your spoken thoughts. It is in this realm that the power of our heavenly can cause the devil to flee from us. So few of us pray out loud but there are many examples in the Bible where the prayers were shared with all of those around with great results. Many of those prayers are found in the Psalms and can be the foundation of all that we say. Solomon asked God to bless the nation of Israel. The answer came in the power statement in 2 Chronicles 7:14 “(If) My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” If there is ever a time when we need effective and fervent prayer for the church, families and our nation it is now.

Lesson 8

Waiting Behavior

James 5:7-20

July 19, 2015

 

When I was a kid there was a prediction on the radio that the world was going to end on December 24^th. My thoughts were that would be terrible thing for all of this to end right at Christmas. At that time I knew nothing about the return of Christ to take all of His followers to be with them. For almost two thousand years different individuals and groups have predicted the very same thing. One website has stated that in history there has been at least two hundred forty two such claims. In fact two different religious groups were started based on the teachings of their founders. One of those is the Seven Day Adventist. William Miller believed that Christ was going to return in 1843 and when that event failed to take place then he stated that it would take place in 1844. Over the years as the dates have come and gone so have the excuses of why the Day of the Lord did not occur when they said it would. Of course all of the predictions have proven false. Sadly, many have believed and have altered their lifestyles to be ready. Since the early seventies I have put little stock in the so-called prophetic writings that do not adhere to what God’s word has to say about the subject.

 

There was one incident that truly convinced me of how fallible man is in interpreting the Bible when it comes to prophecy. I used to listen to a program on the way to work put out by the Seventh Day Adventist. One particular morning the broadcaster was telling all the things that a particular pope was going to accomplish during his tenure in that position. There was one problem with what he was saying. The pope had already been dead for about six weeks at the time of the broadcast.

 

I have titled this lesson “Waiting Behavior” because I believe that God wants us to do two things while we wait for the return of Christ. One we are to go about our work for the kingdom with a sense of urgency since we do not know when the day of the coming will be. Secondly, we should be conscientious in discipling as many people as He brings into our path.

 

We need to be very careful that we do not get caught up in the ways of the world that distract us from the real job ahead of us. It is so easy to drift away from the one thing Christ called us to do with all kinds of activities that take our attention away from making disciples. The task given to us will take all of our energy to accomplish. He commanded the church to make disciples. That is a process that includes helping people to grow by teaching them the word of God. If we think that just getting people in the door completes the work assigned to us we have missed the whole point of what the Bible says to us. The work will never end until Christ returns. Until then we do not have permission to slack off one moment because each person is precious to God. James ends up by giving us guidance in what our waiting needs to look like.

 

James 5:7-8

A number of the writers of the New Testament, including James, believed in the imminent return of Jesus. With that mindset James encouraged those to whom he was writing to be patient. He gave an example of what that waiting would look like. They were to be like the farmer who had to wait for the timing of the early rains that started the growing process. The late rains helped the crops to mature and ready for the harvest. They could not speed up the return by sitting around. They were to strengthen themselves that they would be ready no matter when it occurred.

 

1. What do you think of all the people who try to predict when Jesus will return?
2. What do you believe we are to be doing until that time?
3. Why do you think James used the farmer as an example of the way to wait for Jesus? (Man is be prepared in the same way that a farmer plants and tends his garden then waits for the time of the rains needed to grow his crop.)
4. What would be the wrong approach to expecting Christ to return?
5. Why should we treat every day as precious and every person as important to God?

 

James 5:9

As they waited they were to treat their fellow brothers and sisters with courtesy. They were not to complain about them. To complain about the activities of others was to set oneself as their judge. Judging others would bring judgment on themselves. If indeed the Day of the Lord was right around the corner then the true Judge was “standing right at the door” of history.

 

1. What warning did James give the people?
2. In what ways do we complain about those we are to love as fellow believers?
3. What is the danger of complaining about others? (It could lead to pride and a superior attitude toward them.)
4. Why is Jesus the only one who has the right to Judge?
5. What should we do rather than criticize others? (Help them to grow as disciples.)

 

James 5:10-11

It was understandable that the people were looking for the soon return of Jesus. They were beginning to experience persecution against the early church. To encourage them he wanted them to know they were in the line of individuals like the prophets and Job. They spoke for the Lord and also endured much suffering. They were not only blessed by those who heard about their lives but also received the same from the Lord. He went on to say that the Lord was full of compassion and mercy toward Job who had suffered severely.

 

1. Why were the people anxious for the return of Jesus?
2. How did James encourage the people to wait patiently? (By looking at the Old Testament for examples of those who had suffered and blessed by God and honored by man.)
3. How do these examples help us in facing the events taking place in our society today?
4. What will be the future of those wait patiently for the Lord?
5. How can we help others face difficult times?
6. What does it take to wait? (Faith that God has the future in His hands.)

 

 

• Patiently wait on the Lord for His return and the answers to prayer.
• Learn to live in one accord with fellow believers.
• Do not depend on vows but let your words reflect who you genuinely are.
• Rejoice with those who are rejoicing and pray for those who are suffering.
• Find an accountability partner with whom you can share whatever is going on in your life whether it is a sin or something about which you can rejoice.
• Continue to witness to the lost.

 

James after admonishing the behavior of the people to whom he was writing gave some instructions that; are as current as the day he wrote them. Each one of us looks forward to the time when Christ will return and all of the wrongs of this world will be made right. While we are waiting we are to be actively carrying on the work of the Lord. Discipleship will bring all of us closer together. We are to be caring for all those who make up the body. They may be suffering, sick or caught up in sin. Each of should understand that it is our responsibility to pray for them. When someone has reason to be cheerful we should rejoice with them. No matter is taking place in the church there should be at least one person who will mentor us. In the same way we should be available for others.

 

 

 

 

Lesson 7

What is Guaranteed?

James 4:13-5:6

July 12, 2015

 

I know that the two old sayings are not biblical but they sure fit what James has to say in today’s lesson. They are “A bird in hand is worth two in the bush,” and “Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.” I cannot number the times when my plans never came to fruition. Many times my thoughts were not in line with what God wanted for me. Quite often I have taken classes and have been to conferences thinking that a door might open for me to become this or that. Other than receiving a lot of training I have never become a consultant etc. What I have learned is God knows me better than I know myself. Although, any of those possibilities would have been fantastic, each required something evidently God knew I did not possess. That is okay. because I have been given an opportunity to use all that I have learned to do what I enjoy doing. If someone had asked me ten to fifteen years ago to write any type of study material I would have thought they were joking. Today because God did not allow the other distractions to keep me from doing what was the most important He opened the door to write Bible Lessons. It is unbelievable because I never expected for it to happen. I can see now that I was not SHAPED to get involved in other areas of ministry. One can write without having to deal with the complex situations in church consulting or even being an interim minister somewhere. Writing is taking God’s word and sharing it with others to help them grow as disciples and gain a passion for what God is trying to do in each of their lives. I probably never will do any of those things but hopefully I can use the gifts He has given me for His glory.

 

The life of the church is full of dangers of thinking too big or possibly too small. All we have to do is look at the large churches in Europe that at one point were the centers of much of what took place in the life of a city or small town. These huge cathedrals are now almost empty shrines to a day that no longer exists. Even though they were once packed with people many of them are almost empty on Sunday morning. I am sure the church leaders of the day never thought the day would come when they were serving a fraction of the people who were once part of their congregation. We are not exempt in this country. All of us know of churches who had grandiose plans to grow to the point of reaching thousands of new members only to find themselves bankrupt and even closed because the neighborhood changed or a new pastor came who did not fit or division came into the body because of a decision that was not popular. Plans are good but they must be matched with realistic expectations. Before beginning a new venture it is always good to survey the landscape and find out what the culture looks like, before building a thousand seat auditorium or adding a family life center or additional classrooms. All must be done according to God’s timetable and plans. It must never be based on man’s perspective or agenda. Man is fallible and often his dreams are bigger than any possible reality. James wanted his listeners to succeed but only within the will of God.

 

James 4:13

James begins this section with a word of caution. His opening words were written to give some very good advice. He wanted them to give considerable thought before embarking on the venture that had no guarantee of success. It was their plans to go to a particular city and set up shop. They were going to stay only long enough to make the money they were sure was going to come their way.

 

1. What is your procedure for making major decisions?
2. What has been your experience when you have left God out of the equation?
3. Why do we tend to make decisions without praying about them?
4. What has been an occasion when you knew God was opening a door for you?
5. What are some Scriptures that provide clear direction about making decisions?

 

James 4:14

Before they embarked there was a reality they each needed to understand. There are no guarantees in this life. He wrote that:

• They could not know what tomorrow might bring.
• They were at best temporary like the vapor that rises and then is gone.

 

1. What thing should we all remember about decisions that we make? (There are no guarantees.)
2. What facts did James state that we must take in considerations before making plans?
3. What is the condition of man on this earth? (He is temporarily here.)
4. How do these thoughts make you think about a relationship with God?
5. Where are we to place our trust?

 

James 4:15

The better approach to what they wanted to accomplish was to seek God’s will for their lives. That was to be the first approach they were to take before taking off to carry out their own agenda.

 

1. According to James what is the best approach to making a decision?
2. How do we know that we are doing something according to God’s purpose for our lives? (There should a true peace in our spirit.)
3. How would you describe God’s will?
4. What might be some red flags that we are taking the wrong path? (Are the reasons that we are doing something based on a selfish agenda, big pay raise, higher position, more benefits, and ability to buy more stuff.)

 

James 4:16

According to what James said those men appeared to think they knew better than God how to manage their own lives. They were arrogant men who boasted of all they could accomplish. Such boasting that excludes God was evil according to James.

1. When have been some instances in your life when by your actions you seem to be saying that you know more than God?
2. What is the word that you would use to describe this attitude? (Arrogance which is a byproduct of pride.)
3. What does pride and arrogance mean to you?
4. When do we start replacing God in our lives? (When we begin to substitute the things of this world for commitment to God.)
5. How do we keep from becoming arrogant?

 

James 4:17

The men to whom James wrote were supposed to know what was right. They called themselves Christians and should have known that they were “to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” Matthew 6:33. If they did that then all they needed would be added to their lives. Because they should have known that fact what they were about to do was sin.

 

1. Why were the people to whom James was writing suppose to know what was right?
2. What are we saying to God when we do not want to do what is right? (We desire to rebel against You.)
3. What does it mean to seek God’s kingdom first?
4. Why did James write to “fail to do right” meant that a man was sinning?
5. When have been some times when you knew that what you were doing was not right?
6. What were the consequences?

 

James 5:1-3

Once again James wanted to bring to their attention the results of continuing life with an arrogant attitude. He used the example of those who were possessed by their wealth. Rather than congratulating themselves on their good fortune, he wanted them to focus on the possibility of losing everything they held so dear and the way they had used their wealth for selfish reasons. That realization should have caused them to cry out in great anguish. The three categories that they would eventually lose were what the people saw as examples of prosperity. They included:

• Agricultural products (See Luke 12:13-22)
• Clothing
• Precious metals like silver and gold.

 

James told them that even those like silver and gold would eventually perish. None of the things that man considers as permanent will last forever. See 1 Peter 1:7. God’s eternal life is the only thing that will last.

 

1. What do you consider as valuable?
2. What does James say about those things?
3. What should our thoughts be about earthly wealth?
4. What is the only thing that will last? (God’s treasure that has been stored up in heaven. See Matthew 6:19-20)
5. Why was James so harsh on the wealthy? (Because of the misuse of possessions.)

 

James 5:4

An example of the conduct of the wealthy was found in the way they treated the day laborers who harvested their fields. The rich withheld the wages upon which the poor depended for daily sustenance even though they had the money in their possession. The outcry of the poor reached all the way to God who would eventually judge the landowners who had mistreated them. The description used for God was the God of Hosts. He was the Lord and sovereign of all.

 

1. How can we display the actions of the landowners in our own lives?
2. What view does God take of such people?
3. Why were the workers so dependent on the wages? (They lived from day to day and if they did not get paid for that day they did not eat.)
4. How do we know that God cares for the poor? (He is Lord of all the universe.)

 

James 5:5-6

James ends this section by describing the kind of men who mistreated others. Their lifestyle was in stark contrast to those they mistreated. James wrote that they were identified by their:

• Luxurious living
• Lives lived in fulfilling their own selfish lusts.
• Preparing themselves for the judgment to come
• Condemnation of those who were righteous men who could offer no resistance.

 

1. In what ways do many in our society resemble these individuals?
2. What does it mean to live in luxury?
3. How is our society displaying a lifestyle of lewdness and lasciviousness?
4. How have we become intolerant of others?
5. What will be the result of this kind of behavior? (See James 5:1-3)

 

• Learn to pray before making a major decision and then wait on God.
• Make sure you do not make decisions for selfish reasons but according to what God wants to do you your life.
• Learn to hold material possessions loosely so if some reason they are taken away from you will not be devastated.
• Study God’s word to see what is truly important in life. (Some Scriptures were given in the lesson.)
• Learn to live your life according to God’s purpose for you based on the way He has equipped or shaped you.

In our day we are to plan for a different world from the one many of us once knew. Reading an article by Thom Rainer this morning it was pointed out that the day of big worship centers are probably a thing of the past. Our focus now is to be on ways to develop disciples in smaller more personal venues. Although there will probably continue to be mega churches for the forseeable future we must take in consideration the changing culture and the view the secular world has of large congregations. One of the considerations that must be taken into account is the shrinking church membership. This will result in smaller budgets and giving. Plans must be put into place to deal with this changing dynamic. One strategy that has be used by some groups successfully is the idea of expanding small groups to reach more people. Realism is the order of the day so let us be careful that we do not hold on to past dreams or get ourselves into a position that cannot be maintained by our behavior. We need to earnestly pray for God’s guidance so that we can effectively minister to those in need.

 

Lesson 6

Heavenly Wisdom versus Earthly Wisdom

James 3:13-4:12

 

There have been far more times when I have acted according the world’s thought process than I would like to think. Many of my decisions have been made because I wanted to see something happen. Although it finally turned out well, leaving a job at a major manufacturing plant just because I thought the grass was greener in another place almost turned out to be a disaster. It did however open up the opportunity to go to work at the then Foreign Mission Board where I stayed for the next 26 years. That opening led to opportunities to finally travel overseas. I have to give credit to God who gave me a chance to learn a great deal about the world that He had created. Even though I was able to stay until retirement there were times when I made mistakes and probably caused headaches for other people because of stubbornness on my part. Quite often I thought that I knew the direction that the organization should be taking that was in conflict with others. Whether I was right or wrong does not matter at this point. It was the way I sometimes approached the situation. My way of doing things was often like a bull in a china shop. There will never be an opportunity to go back and redo or rethink those efforts. My personality even today rubs people the wrong way. I have strong opinions about my beliefs that turn people off. My attitude has been in the past one of aggressive-patience. It is the philosophy that if you promote something long enough one’s ideas will sell. A better approach is to speak in the way that Jesus did. There will be far greater success when a person shares his ideas in that manner.

 

Sadly there are many churches today that have the same mindset as the one just discussed. They are more interested in promoting their own agenda than impacting the world. The ruling by the Supreme Court this week that mandates that homosexuals can marry will be welcomed by some churches, because to be popular is more important than to follow the truth. Tolerance is the keyword in dealing with the issues at hand. It is amazing that the only group of people of whom society is not   tolerant is those in churches that believe that only God’s word is supreme. To compromise with the world can only lead to the demise of the godly standards set for it by God. To compromise was to ultimately bring God’s judgment as we drift further and further from the truth. James deals with issues facing the church of his day those same ones are still in place today.

 

James 3:13

One writer asserts that James was going back to dealing with teachers in the church. Again James used a rhetorical question to get his point across. Teachers and leaders were to be wise and have understanding of what God wanted for his people. They were to be men who behaved well. The way they acted was shown by being gentle in the way they dealt practically with the people.

 

1. Why is it important for teachers and leaders to be wise in positions in the church?
2. What does having wisdom mean?
3. How does a teacher and leader show that he truly cares for people? (By gently using his wisdom to point people to God’s way of living.)
4. In what ways do you show that are acting wisely in accordance to what God has called you to do?

 

James 3:14

In contrast to the wisdom about which James just spoke, there are those who are looking out for themselves. They are full of:

• Bitter jealously
• Selfish ambition

These men were admonished to keep those feelings under control. They were to not act arrogantly. By doing so they would be in total opposition to everything written in God’s word.

 

1. What does it mean to be bitterly jealous? (Those with this characteristic are totally against the success and well being of every other person. They are self-centered and strive to promote their own agenda.)
2. What are some examples of those who have selfish ambition?
3. How is godly ambition different?
4. Why is arrogance aligned with lying against the truth? (Those who are arrogant place themselves above God and in opposition to all of His teachings.)
5. What is the opposite of arrogance?
6. What examples do we see of this arrogant attitude?
7. How do we as Christians deal with those who act arrogantly?

 

James 3:15-16

Although the church often thinks only about godly wisdom there is a way that is totally of this world. James called it worldly wisdom. The attributes of those with that mindset that is not from God are:

• It is the mindset in opposition to God.
• It is fleshly and materialistic. (Everything that can be understood with the five senses.)

They are the sources of jealously and selfish ambitions that result in disorder and every evil thing.

 

1. What term would you use for the kind of wisdom that is prevalent in the minds of most men and women of the world? (Shrewd might be one. See Matt. 10:16 and Luke 16:1-9)
2. What do you think of when James wrote of the one who has earthly wisdom?
3. What does attributes does the natural man have? (Relativism and the lack of any absolutes. He only believes in what is part of the physical world.)
4. How is this kind of wisdom about which James spoke demonic?
5. What are the consequences of earthly, natural and demonic wisdom? (Strife, injury to others, dissension and all kinds of evil things.)

 

James 3:17

In stark contrast to those characteristics of worldly wisdom, wisdom sent from God into the lives of His followers is:

• Pure: Not affected by the vices of worldly wisdom
• Peaceable: Right relationships between people.
• Gentle: Considerate of others
• Reasonable: Willing to hear what others have to say before making a wise decision
• Full of mercy: For those who find themselves in trouble
• Full of good fruits: Practical help for those in trouble or need
• Unwavering: Does not change one’s beliefs (See Ephesians 4:14 and James 1:6-8)
• Without hypocrisy: Is honest without pretending to be something one is not.

 

1. What is the difference between worldly and heavenly wisdom? (Heavenly wisdom has godlike qualities.)
2. What are the qualities that are found in heavenly wisdom?
3. Which of them do you find active in your own life?
4. Which of them do you find hardest to do?

 

James 3:18

In order for there to be a culture of righteousness it must begin with the desire to be at peace with one’s brother.

 

1. How can we make sure that there is an atmosphere of righteousness in the church?
2. What is your responsibility in the body of Christ?
3. What does true righteousness look like?

 

James 4:1-3

All one has to do is to look at the godless, narcissistic, pleasure seeking society of today to see what James is talking about. He goes about obtaining what he wants in a self-seeking and self-gratifying way. He will not let anything or anyone get in his way of achieving his purpose. These are the very reasons that countries fight against other nations, people destroy each other and others take what does not belong to them. God wants people to have a fruitful life. He is willing to provide to meet one’s needs. The reason that man does get what he needs without resorting to sinful methods is that he is not willing to turn to God and ask for them. Even if he does pray it is from a position of selfishness and not according to the will of God.

 

1. Why does man do so many evil things against his fellowman?
2. What are some of the things you see going wrong in society today?
3. What does it mean to pray without the right motives?
4. What happens when a man acts outside of the will of God?
5. How can we know that God will respond to our prayers and answer them? (It must be according to His will and purpose for our lives.)

 

James 4:4-7

It should be obvious to everyone that he cannot serve two masters. If he is in love with this world system he cannot be in love with God. It is open rebellion to be friends with the world. God wants to have a relationship with man and will not tolerate any competition. The Bible often uses the term jealousy to show how much God wants man to follow Him. Since man has chosen to be arrogant God opposes him. He however gives grace to those who have humbled themselves.

 

1. Why can a person not serve two masters?
2. In this case who are the two masters?
3. What is the one thing that we can be sure about God? (He is jealous for his people and will not tolerate someone trying to take them away from Him.)
4. What is God’s response to the arrogant?
5. In what ways does a person show arrogance?
6. What does it mean to be humble before God?

 

James 4:8-10

James gives a remedy for a life away from God. To have the relationship He desires for mankind, man is to:

• Submit to God
• Resist the devil in the power of God and he will flee from you.
• Draw near to God and God will do the same.
• Cleanse your hands from sin
• Purify your hearts. This is meant for those who are wavering in the faith.
• Be miserable and mourn because of your sinfulness and rebellion against God.
• Humble yourself in His presence and He will raise you up.

 

1. Why would you think of this list as a remedy for those in rebellion? (It returns a person to the right relationship with God.)
2. Why are we not supposed to resist the devil in our own power?
3. What does he have in his arsenal? (The ability to twist God’s word to suit his own purpose.)
4. What are the keys to a new relationship with God? (Cleansing from sin and broken heart because of one’s sin.)
5. Why must a man humble himself before God can help him?

 

James 4:11-12

One last area that needed to be addressed went back to James’ previous discussion about the tongue. To be in true fellowship with God one must be in fellowship with his brother. James wrote that a man must control his tongue and not speak harshly or critically against his fellowman. To do so was to set himself up as a judge violating the law. If one sets himself above the law he is not carrying out the law. God is the only Lawgiver and Judge and man is not to put himself in the place of God. God is the only one who is able to save and destroy, not man. Man is to leave the judgment of man to God.

 

1. What does it mean when you speak harshly or critically of another person? (You are judging him personally.)
2. What is wrong in judging someone else? (You are setting yourself up as superior to them.)
3. Who is the only one who is has the right to determine what a man is truly like?
4. What are some of the ways man seems to set himself above the law?
5. What does God want us to do in relationship with others?

 

• Look at the areas of your life that may put you at odds with God’s plan for your life and pray for strength to eliminate them.
• Seek with your whole heart the wisdom that comes from God.
• Do those things that will build truth relationships with others.
• Learn to rely totally on God in order to resist the devil.
• Discover that the power to resist the evil in this world is to grow in your knowledge of God’s word. It is your sword to ward off the attacks of the devil.

 

The church today finds itself at greater odds with society than ever before. We have come to the point that we must truly decide the One we are going to serve. It is easy to compromise with the world, but that is not an option for us. God has called the church to be His bride in that perfect relationship that can only be found when two parties love each other. In 1 Kings Elijah called the people to choose. Joshua called the people to choose whether they were going to love and obey God or worship the gods of this world. In each case the people committed themselves to God. We are being called to make that same choice today. It is not going to be easy but in reality it is the only decision that makes sense for eternity. To do so we must put aside all of the things James talked about in the passage we studied today.

 

The plans we make in the future must take into account the mold that the world is trying to force upon us. There may come a time when we will be called on to be able to give an answer for the hope that lies within us. The world wants us to be like it. God is calling us to a better alternative. We however must be willing to suffer for that faith if needed. Let our fellowship be so strong. Let us all be united in caring for each other in a way that the world will take notice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lesson 5

God is the Tongue Inspector

James 3:1-12

June 28, 2015

 

“Give me liberty or give me death,” Four score and seven years ago,” “I have just begun to fight,” “Remember the Alamo,” “Remember the Maine,” “Ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country.” These are all statements that at some point evoked strong emotions that often led men into conflict with a common enemy. There are also far more instances when the words of men have caused whole countries to succumb to brutality, like Communist Russia and China and Nazi Germany. Words from the likes of Lenin, Mao, Stalin and Hitler have brought death and destruction to large segments of people. Under Stalin there were upwards of seventy million Russians killed while Hitler did everything in his power to annihilate the entire population of Jews. From the time he came into power until his death in 1945 he had caused the extermination of six million Jews.

 

None of us would say that we have that kind of power. I know that from past experience that I have not been able to influence many people to do anything. That, however does not excuse me, because I have done my share of saying some pretty hurtful things to others. This is one area I am trying to address. It is not Christ-like to hurt others by what I say. I have certainly used phrases like “I was just joking,” or “I am telling this to you because I love you.” We even someone use so called prayer as a means to gossip about others.

 

Much of what we see coming from the church today would fit in with using words to promote its own agenda. Some of the most popular and recognizable names in the world of the media church are sharing a message that is distorted. Their teachings related to the prosperity gospel simply cannot be backed up when a person looks at the whole counsel of God. If that kind of good news was valid certainly the writers, especially in the New Testament, would have qualified to be healthy and wealthy.

 

Even in churches that call themselves conservative do not always speak words that are comforting and encouraging. There can be an undercurrent of griping and murmuring by those who go under the name of Christian. Church leaders have been forced to resign because enough people in a congregation become determined that he must leave. Many people have left churches in all different denominations because of the way they have been treated. This is of course not a new thing but goes all the way back to the beginning of time. The question is what are we going to do about it in our own lives and in the life of the church. James wrote about this issue and the damage it causes. Let’s see how he addressed it.

 

James 3:1

It is important to mention that James, like the writings of Paul and others, were letters. I mention this because the idea of faith and works ties in with the idea of his view on who should be a teacher. Although not specifically mentioned one would expect that one who taught should be an example of a person who is mature in his faith and exemplifies in the life of the church. Based on what he had written he did not see the maturity in the recipients of his letter that would qualify them to teach.   The gospel had such eternal consequences that great care needed to take place in the selection of those who taught it. To be a false teacher who by his words mislead the people would eventually be judged on those words and the affect it had on the lives of those who heard them.

 

1. In your mind what qualifies a person to teach?
2. How do you identify those qualities?
3. Who among those whom you have heard in your own experience have been good teachers? Why?
4. How do you believe a person acquires the needed maturity to teach?
5. What did James see taking place in the lives that caused him to issue the warning he did? (They did not understand the basics of the connection between faith and works so how could they effectively teach others.)
6. What is the safeguard for each person against following a false teacher?
7. What are the consequences for those who do not handle the word of God accurately?

 

James 3:2

In the area of sin James would have agreed with Paul’s words, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) Even though a man is a sinner the one way in the mind of James he could show the world that he had matured in his faith was the control he had over the things he said. The bridling of the tongue then affected the behavior that could also be held in check. The words and actions of man are from the heart. In Proverbs is found these words, “He who restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. Even a fool, when he keeps silent is considered wise, when he closes his lips he seems prudent.” (Proverbs 17:27-28)

 

1. What, in the words of James is the condition of all men?
2. How does this compare to what he said in James 2:10?
3. What was James’ description of a perfect (mature) man?
4. Why does man have such difficulty according to James’ view?
5. How are we able to control our speech? (The basis should be our relationship with Christ and then mankind in general)
6. How do Bible reading and prayer help us to overcome a loose tongue?
7. How are speech and behavior related? (Both flow from the heart.)

 

James 3:3-4

James gives two examples of those things that can be affected by a small piece of equipment in comparison to the object it is able to control. He wrote:

• A powerful horse can be controlled and directed by a bit in his mouth.
• A ship can be turned by a tiny rudder, even in the worst conditions.

1. What are some modern day examples of large and mighty things that are controlled by a small piece of equipment?
2. Why did James use the two examples he did? (One was alive and powerful and could easily disobey man. The second was an inanimate object that could be driven about by the circumstances of the world without the control that man had over the situation.)
3. What does it feel like to know that you have the ability to affect the situations in which you find yourself?
4. What are some examples that you can share that your actions made a big difference?

 

James 3:5a

Man is different. The tongue cannot generally be controlled by an outside force. A person can be told to shut up but may only do so because he decides to or has no choice in obeying the one issuing the command. Rather than submitting to a greater authority man’s tendency, according to James, is to boast of his accomplishments.

 

1. How different is man than the examples in verses 3-4?
2. Under what conditions will he refrain from talking?
3. What does it show about man that he uses his tongue to boast? (He puts himself at the center of all that is going on)
4. Is there anything about which a man can boast without seeming arrogant? (Boast in Christ alone.)
5. How does God want us to use our speech? (See Ephesians 4:29)

 

James 3:5b-6

It does not take much to start a major forest fire. A fire can be started by one little spark. For a fire forest fire to occur there are three things needed. They are:

• A spark according to James is the tongue
• Oxygen is the climate or conditions that keep the fire growing.
• Combustible material is the listening ear of those who are willing to listen to the boasts of man.

 

As mentioned above the tongue speaks the evil that is in man’s heart. It is the organ that can defile all of man’s behavior. It is important to realize that all evil has one source the devil.

 

1. What is to be learned from the analogy used by James? (It does not take but one word to produce great evil in this world.)
2. Why does a forest fire get quickly out of hand? (It is fire in the trees but also the decaying material on the forest floor that fuels the fire.)
3. Why do we need to take great care with the words we speak?
4. According to Jesus what is the source of evil actions? (The heart)
5. What did James see as the source of evil speech? (Hell the domain of the devil.)

 

James 3:7-10

There was a dichotomy taking place in the world. All animals can be tamed by man but man cannot even control his own tongue. The conditions of man that produce the words are result of restless evil and deadly poison pervasive throughout mankind. Out of his mouth come both blessings and cursings. Man attempts to bless God but at the same time has no problem destroying and tearing down his brother. John wrote that one could not say he loves God and then hate his brother. (1 John 2:9-10)

 

James emphatically admonished the dispersed Christian to change the way they were thinking. He told them clearly that their lifestyle that allowed the tongue to be so hurtful should not continue.

 

1. What dichotomy did James present to the believers scattered in many places?
2. If man can tame animals why cannot he not control his own tongue? (He is a sinner who has not matured in his relationship with Christ.)
3. Why does man think he can both issue blessings and then turn and curse someone?
4. What did John say that refutes the idea that man can love and hate at the same time?
5. What did James admonish the people to do?

 

James 3:11-12

In order to drive his point home James used four examples to show the impossibility of mixing evil actions and words with what is good. To make his hearers think about what he had said he asked rhetorical questions. He wanted them to think whether:

• A fountain could produce good water and also that which was unfit to drink?
• A fig tree could produce olives?
• A vine produce figs?
• Salt water produce fresh water?

 

The obvious answers to all of them would be a resounding no. James did not want to give them any excuse for ungodly living.

 

1. Why did James use questions to get his point across about the tongue? (Questions make a person come up with answers for themselves.)
2. Why did James use the examples he did? (Living in an agrarian society each of them would have meaning to the listeners)
3. What kinds of contrasting ideas would we use to make a point that would have meaning today?
4. What was James trying to say to the people that would resonate with us today?
5. How can we make sure that we are not guilty of the behavior shared in these verses?

 

• Read and meditate on Ephesians 4:29 and Colossians 4:6 that they each may affect your speech.
• Understand that your words can either hurt or heal.
• Listen only to those who have proven to be truthful in the way they present the good news from the Bible.
• Read and medicate on Proverbs 3:5-8.

 

In the opening I spoke of those who have been both positive and negative influences on society based on their words. There is One who has had a greater affect on mankind than any of them. In the face of evil that is so pervasive throughout our society He has words of hope for every man. The Scripture gives us words for life, how to live it and how we are to treat others. I truly believe if we read and meditate on the message of the Bible we will indeed find that our lives take on a different tone. We need to be the kind of church that welcomes everyone but more importantly treat them as Christ would.

 

Finally, there can never be unity in any group of people if the words spoken are not uniting. We need to take great care to make sure that thoughtless words never tear us apart. There is enough division in the world. Our words are to put out fires. James certainly gave good advice, as he wanted to make sure that both good and evil not come from a person but only that which is fruitful.