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James 3:1-2 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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So let me invite you to take out your copy of God's Word and turn to James chapter 3.
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Here at the beginning of chapter 3, James begins his most significant treatment of the great need to bridle or bring under control our tongues.
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This, however, is not the first time he has done so and it will not be the last.
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This picks up thematically in this letter.
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I amused this week about why this particular topic may have been so prominent in James' mind as he penned this letter.
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And while I cannot know with certainty why, perhaps it was because he was keenly aware of his own failure in this matter.
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He writes in verse 2 of chapter 3, our text today,
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For we all stumble in many ways.
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Recall that this James is Jesus' half-brother, the firstborn likely to Mary and Joseph.
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So he's most likely the next eldest brother to Jesus.
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As when Jesus' brother's names are listed, James is always listed first.
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This would have been their tradition.
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So he would have grown up underneath his perfect older half-brother.
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And with the absence of Jesus, he would have given leadership in their family.
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We can read in one occasion in Mark chapter 3, verse 20 and following.
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It says,
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Then he, Jesus, went home, and the crowd gathered again so that they could not even eat.
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And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying,
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He is out of his mind.
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Likely, this type of speech is being led by James, the very James that calls Jesus his Lord.
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What an astounding picture of God's grace in his life.
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Further, he would have grown up under this perfect older brother, Jesus.
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Jesus' language would have always been perfect.
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He would have spoken when he was meant to speak, and his words would have been timely and true.
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He would have been silent when he should have been silent.
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He never erred in this way.
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Their whole household would have been familiar with Proverbs, like Proverbs 13, verse 2 and 3.
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From the fruit of his mouth a man eats what is good, but the desire of the treacherous is for violence.
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Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life.
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He who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.
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Jesus would have been the only one to actually abide by this proverb.
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James must have been painfully aware of this.
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And so he brings a corrective exhortation to the readers of this letter.
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He desires that we would grow up into maturity.
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And for the first part of chapter 3, he places the use of our tongues center stage in this process of growing into maturity in Christ.
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And so we're going to look at the first 12 verses of James chapter 3 over the next two weeks.
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For today, we're just going to look at the first two verses.
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And Lord willing, Zach Skilling is going to preach those last verses next week.
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But I want to read the entirety of verses 1 through 12 for our benefit this morning.
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Before I read, let me remind you, beloved, that this is God's word to us.
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It was written for his glory and our good.
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And so we would all do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises and to obey its commands.
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James chapter 3, beginning in verse 1.
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Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers.
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For you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.
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For we all stumble in many ways.
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And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.
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If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well.
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Look at the ships also.
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Though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs.
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So also the tongue is a small 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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And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness.
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The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life,
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and set on fire by hell.
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For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature can be tamed.
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It has been tamed by mankind.
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But no human being can tame the tongue.
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It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
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With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.
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From the same mouth come blessing and cursing.
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My brothers, these things ought not be so.
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Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water?
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Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs?
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Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.
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I think this is the most concentrated place in the scripture that the tongue is talked about.
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Although it is talked about all throughout the Holy Writ.
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There's much to be said about how we should and shouldn't use our speech.
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The tongue, James tells us, undoubtedly has great power.
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Its power is disproportionate to its size.
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And some people are given more opportunity to wield this disproportionate power.
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To make this point, allow me to highlight for you a great teacher.
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One of my favorites, Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
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Spurgeon is considered by many to be one of the greatest preachers since the days of the apostles.
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He had preached over 600 times before he was 20 years old.
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He has an exceptional mind.
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In those pre-radio, pre-television, pre-internet days,
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his sermons sold about 20,000 copies a week being translated into 20 languages.
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The collected sermons fill 63 volumes,
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equivalent to the 27-volume 9th edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica.
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It takes up a massive amount of space on a shelf
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and stands as the largest set of books by a single author in the history of Christianity.
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On average, Spurgeon preached 13 times a week.
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I have a hard time pulling off one a week.
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The Lord blessed his mind and his ability.
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There were no microphones in his day,
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so at the Metropolitan Tamarackal, where he most regularly preached,
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he projected his voice so that 5,000 people could hear him week in and week out.
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In his work called Preaching and Preachers,
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sorry, not Preaching and Preachers,
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a lecture to my students that was written to students of their pastor school,
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he said,
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we need not thin-chested fops.
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This is why.
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We need to be able to project our voices.
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You can look up what the word fop means later.
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He oversaw the training of 863 pastors
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and aided in the planting of 200 churches in Britain alone,
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and many, many missionaries went to the ends of the earth, right?
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A man who had great influence as a teacher, right?
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Who used the ability to speak,
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to do wonderful things for the glory of God.
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In juxtaposition, the world's had many terrible,
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although influential leaders.
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Men like Jim Jones,
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who in the 70s founded the People's Temple.
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In an effort to start a utopian society,
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the People's Temple purchased land in Jonestown, Guyana.
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But this effort ended in the coerced and forced suicidal deaths
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of 909 members, right?
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He did this with words.
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This is how this came to pass.
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And just as an interesting note,
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this incident is where the phrase,
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don't drink the Kool-Aid, comes from.
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But they bought an off-brand called Flavor Aid.
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It wasn't actually Kool-Aid at all.
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All of this accomplished with the tongue, right?
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Great good in the case of Spurgeon.
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Great evil in the case of Jones.
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And we could spend our day giving examples
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of those who have spoken for the glory of God
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and the good of people,
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and those who have spoken for their glory
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and the degradation of people.
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This goes on to our day.
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So let's consider James 3, verse 1 and 2
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in a simple two-point outline.
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Number one, the caution.
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And number two, the reasons, plural,
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the reasons for the caution.
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So firstly, see a caution.
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Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers.
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You may recall that James is writing
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to Jewish followers of Jesus Christ.
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As Jews, they would have inherited a high view
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of gathered worship and rabbinical teaching.
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This is what would have happened weekly in the synagogue.
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In fact, the title rabbi means my great one.
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Kent Hughes, in his commentary on this text, writes,
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rabbis were accorded the greatest respect.
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One's duty to help a rabbi exceeded even their duty
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to help their parents.
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In fact, should a rabbi and one's father and mother
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be captured by an enemy,
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duty demanded that the rabbi be ransomed first.
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It was considered meritorious to take a rabbi in
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and provide for all of his needs.
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They would have inherited this type of thinking.
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In Matthew 23, verse 5 and following,
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Jesus rebukes the rabbis for seeking this kind of praise.
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He says,
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they do all their deeds to be seen by others.
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For they make their phylacteries broad
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and their fringes long religious garb.
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And they love the place of honor at feasts
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and the best seats in the synagogues
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and greetings in the marketplaces
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and being called rabbi by others.
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And the problem seems to be
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that much of this acclaim granting to teachers
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had made its way into the Christian church.
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Now take a look back at chapter 1 with me
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just briefly, beginning in verse 16.
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Here James writes, beginning in 16,
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Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.
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Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above.
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It's from God coming down from the Father of lights
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with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
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Of his own will, he brought us forth
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by the word of truth.
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That we should be a kind of first fruits
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of his creatures, right?
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So there's this theme being picked up here
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of us being saved by God's word.
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And then he says, verse 19,
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Know this, my beloved brothers,
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let every person be quick to hear,
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slow to speak, slow to anger.
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For the anger of man does not produce
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the righteousness of God.
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Therefore put away all filthiness
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and rampant wickedness
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and receive with meekness the implanted word,
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which is able to save your souls.
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But be doers of the word
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and not hearers only,
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deceiving yourselves, right?
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And he goes on to expound upon that
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faith without works in chapter 2, right?
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So notice in the middle of that,
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this exhortation to be quick to hear,
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slow to speak, slow to anger
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is set between this idea being presented
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that we are saved by the word
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and that we are to continue by the word.
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So it seems that something was happening
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in the life of these churches
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that he's writing to.
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And I would suggest to you
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that they were jockeying for position, right?
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That they were trying to be heard
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and that they weren't listening.
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That they were becoming angry as a result.
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So some of the reason that he continues
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to pick up this theme throughout this letter
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to guard our tongues
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becomes a bit more apparent.
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And this problem has persisted
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in the church to our day.
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Many men seeking platforms
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for their glory,
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not for the glory of God
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and the good of the church.
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An example,
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this is not a thing new to our day.
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Richard Baxter was a Puritan.
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This is on your bulletin.
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He said,
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of all the preaching in the world
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that speaks not stark lies,
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I hate that preaching
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with tended to make the hearers laugh
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or to move their mind
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with tickling levity
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and affect them as stage players used to do
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instead of affecting them
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with a holy reverence
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of the name of God.
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Right?
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Baxter is noticing in his day
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that there's a type of preaching
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that brings praise to men
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and not praise to our great God.
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And I think this is what James
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is warning against in chapter one.
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And then we pick that up again
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at the beginning of chapter three.
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So I do believe that James
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is trying to dramatically limit
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how many teachers we have in the church.
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I don't think he's working
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to cut the number way down.
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In fact, I would say
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the church needs more teachers.
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We need men who will faithfully
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handle the word of God
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for the glory of God
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and the good of his people.
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Right?
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We need to contend for the faith
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once for all delivered to the saints
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and we need to do it together.
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Right?
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We need more of this.
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It is a great effort
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of the ministry of any faithful church
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to train up teachers
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both to stay
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and then continue that ministry
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to the very ends of the earth.
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Paul encourages
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in 1 Timothy chapter three
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and verse one,
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the saying is trustworthy.
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If anyone aspires
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to the office of overseer,
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reading their elder or pastor,
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he desires a noble task.
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Many have used this passage
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in James chapter three
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to make a case
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for the solo pastor, right?
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The extremely educated,
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extremely gifted.
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But we believe
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that the faithful church
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will have plurality leadership
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or at very worst
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be striving for
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a group of men
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that can faithfully
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teach the word.
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We believe this
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because we see
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the titles given
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for the teachers
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of the churches
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of the New Testament
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given in plural.
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I would encourage you
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if you're not so sure
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about this plurality leadership thing
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to search the New Testament
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and look for all the places
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that these titles are given.
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They are given in plural.
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One example,
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Titus 1.5,
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Paul writes to Titus,
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this is why I left you in Crete
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so that you might put
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what remained into order
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and appoint elders
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in every town
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as I directed you.
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These churches
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needed elders still
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and Titus is to go about
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this work
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of finding these men
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qualified by God.
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Today,
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we are installing
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a new teacher
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for our congregation,
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T.J. Fisher,
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who, to be clear,
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has been serving you
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as an elder
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for quite some time,
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but we like to do
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these formal things
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where we recognize
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these individuals formally.
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It's an installation.
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Some people might call it
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an ordination.
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The caution for T.J.
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in this text
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is not
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to be a teacher
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for fame.
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That's the caution here.
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T.J. ought not be hearing this
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and going,
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I think I need to
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jump out a window.
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But that he would come
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with the proper attitude
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to the work.
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To not seek a platform
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for the sake of his own name,
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but rather for the sake
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of the name
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of Jesus Christ.
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To recognize
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that we will be judged
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for everything that we say
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and that the teacher
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is given
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more opportunity
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to say things
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that will be heard
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and heeded.
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And this is James
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caution
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that we approach
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the task
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with humility,
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with great care.
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Jesus died
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for the church.
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You are precious
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and need to be cared for
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with the teaching
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that is provided.
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So that's
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the caution,
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right?
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I don't want you
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to hear James saying
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this church needs
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to get massive
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and I'm going to be
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the only person
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who teaches.
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Praise the Lord.
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That is not
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the case.
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What he's saying
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is that there's a way
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in which we ought
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to approach the task
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of teaching,
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but to be clear-minded
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about what it means
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for us to be teachers.
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And so,
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secondly,
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he gives three reasons
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for the caution.
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Three reasons
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for the caution.
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first,
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divine judgment.
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It says in the last part
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of verse one,
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for you know
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that we who teach
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will be judged
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with greater strictness.
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Why might a teacher
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be judged
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with greater strictness?
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Because the teacher
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has been entrusted
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with this role
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of teaching,
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right?
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It's a valuable,
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it's a precious task
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to take up.
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Jesus says in Luke 12,
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48,
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the last part of it,
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everyone to whom
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much was given
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of him,
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much will be
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required.
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And from him
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to whom they entrusted
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much,
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they will demand
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the more.
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So,
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we'll be judged
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with a greater strictness,
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but this judgment
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is not an absolute
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and eternal judgment.
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Praise be to God
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that teachers also find
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their acceptance
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before him
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and the person
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and work
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of Jesus Christ.
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I'm thankful
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that the eternal state
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of my soul
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depends not on
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my success
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or failure
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as a teacher,
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but on the completed,
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perfect,
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sufficient work
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of Jesus Christ.
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But,
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we will give
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an account
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for everything
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that we do
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and everything
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that we say,
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just like
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everyone
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will.
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But in this case,
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the place
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that's given
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to us
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is to affect
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others,
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to bring about
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change for
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good
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or possibly
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for evil.
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people.
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So,
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we ought to be
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careful
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with our words,
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whether in public
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or in private,
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whether we're
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carrying out
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a teaching task
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or talking
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in between.
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We ought to be
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humble
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and quick
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to repent
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if we err,
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always valuing
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the truth.
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I have said
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many times
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that I desire
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to be true
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and consistent.
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I really want
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to be both.
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I want to be
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true all the time.
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Right?
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But if I ever
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have to choose
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one,
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I will choose
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the truth.
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Right?
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I'm not going to
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double down
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on a falsehood.
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Just admit
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that I'm wrong
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and keep us
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moving together
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in the right
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direction.
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It is a fearful
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thing to open
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up God's word.
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Many of you
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do this
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in various ways,
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week in
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and week out
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and we ought
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to always
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approach it
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with a sense
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of trembling.
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I have said
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that the Sunday
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that I stop
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trembling
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to open up
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God's word
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will be the last
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Sunday I preach
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God's word.
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Right?
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May God always
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work in those
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who teach his word
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a humility,
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a reverence
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for the task
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that we have
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before us
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because we
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will be
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judged.
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James says
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the greater
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strictness
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because it
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has an
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effect
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on God's
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people,
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the people
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that Jesus
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bought
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with his
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blood.
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The second
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reason for
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the caution
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is our
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proclivity
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to sin.
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He says
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in the beginning
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of verse 2,
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for we all
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stumble
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in many
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ways.
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As I mentioned,
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James seems
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to be aware
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of his
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own
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proclivity
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to sin
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and we
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should not
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think
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ourselves
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above this.
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We are
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in our
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flesh
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naturally
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inclined
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towards sin
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and not
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away
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from it.
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If we
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ever do
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anything
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of any
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merit
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whatsoever,
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it is a
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great work
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of the
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grace of
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God
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in our
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hearts.
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If we
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do
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anything
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that will
22:15
be
22:15
acceptable
22:16
before him
22:16
it's
22:17
because
22:17
he has
22:18
worked
22:18
in
22:19
us
22:19
and so
22:20
we
22:20
ought
22:20
not
22:21
arrogantly
22:22
aspire
22:22
to
22:23
position
22:24
of
22:24
teacher.
22:25
You
22:25
ought
22:25
not
22:26
think
22:26
so
22:26
much
22:27
of
22:27
yourself
22:28
that
22:29
you
22:29
think
22:29
you
22:29
ought
22:29
to
22:29
be
22:29
leading
22:30
others.
22:32
It is a
22:33
prerequisite
22:33
to become
22:34
an elder
22:35
in this
22:35
church
22:35
that you're
22:36
humble.
22:38
If I
22:38
were to
22:39
ask
22:39
a man
22:40
in our
22:40
church
22:40
to consider
22:41
the task
22:42
of being
22:43
an elder
22:43
and he
22:44
said
22:44
yeah
22:44
great
22:45
I'd
22:45
love
22:45
to
22:45
do
22:45
that
22:46
I'd
22:46
go
22:46
well
22:47
maybe
22:47
not
22:48
stop
22:49
for a
22:50
moment
22:50
and
22:50
think
22:50
I
22:52
want
22:52
men
22:53
who
22:53
go
22:53
oh
22:54
I
22:54
don't
22:55
know
22:55
because
22:55
I'm
22:55
very
22:56
aware
22:56
of
22:57
the
22:57
fickle
22:57
nature
22:58
of
22:58
my
22:58
heart
22:58
and
23:01
I
23:01
want
23:01
to
23:01
be
23:01
the
23:01
one
23:01
that
23:02
comes
23:02
to
23:02
them
23:02
and
23:02
says
23:03
no
23:03
but
23:03
you
23:03
are
23:03
doing
23:04
this
23:04
you're
23:05
already
23:06
eldering
23:06
you
23:06
lead
23:07
people
23:07
in
23:08
the
23:08
truth
23:09
and
23:09
we
23:09
want
23:09
you
23:13
good
23:13
those
23:15
who
23:16
teach
23:16
God's
23:16
word
23:17
are
23:18
to
23:18
be
23:18
surgeons
23:19
carefully
23:21
employing
23:21
it
23:21
to
23:21
expose
23:22
sin
23:22
and
23:23
to
23:23
bring
23:23
about
23:23
change
23:24
we
23:26
are
23:26
disqualified
23:26
from
23:27
doing
23:27
so
23:27
if
23:28
we
23:28
are
23:29
proud
23:29
Jesus
23:31
in
23:32
the
23:32
Sermon
23:32
on
23:32
the
23:32
Mount
23:33
Matthew
23:33
chapter
23:33
7
23:34
beginning
23:35
in
23:35
verse
23:35
3
23:36
said
23:36
why
23:36
do
23:36
you
23:37
see
23:37
the
23:37
speck
23:37
that
23:38
is
23:38
in
23:38
your
23:38
brother's
23:38
eye
23:39
but
23:39
do
23:39
not
23:40
notice
23:40
the
23:40
log
23:41
that
23:41
is
23:41
in
23:42
your
23:42
own
23:42
eye
23:43
or
23:44
how
23:44
can
23:45
you
23:45
say
23:45
to
23:45
your
23:45
brother
23:45
let
23:46
me
23:46
take
23:46
the
23:46
speck
23:46
out
23:47
of
23:47
your
23:47
own
23:47
eye
23:47
when
23:47
there
23:47
is
23:48
the
23:48
log
23:48
in
23:48
your
23:49
own
23:49
eye
23:50
you
23:51
hypocrite
23:51
first
23:52
take
23:53
the
23:53
log
23:53
out
23:53
of
23:53
your
23:53
own
23:54
eye
23:54
and
23:54
then
23:54
you
23:54
will
23:54
see
23:54
clearly
23:55
to
23:55
take
23:55
the
23:55
speck
23:56
out
23:57
of
23:57
your
23:57
brother's
23:57
eye
23:58
a
23:59
proud
24:01
man
24:01
cannot
24:02
get up
24:03
and teach
24:03
God's
24:04
word
24:04
in a
24:05
way
24:05
that
24:06
removes
24:06
the
24:07
speck
24:07
from
24:07
others
24:08
eyes
24:12
the
24:12
perspective
24:13
that
24:13
Paul
24:13
had
24:13
Jesus
24:14
Christ
24:14
came
24:14
into
24:14
the
24:14
world
24:15
to
24:15
save
24:15
sinners
24:15
of
24:15
whom
24:16
I
24:17
am
24:18
foremost
24:18
somebody
24:20
comes
24:20
to
24:21
open
24:21
the
24:21
word
24:21
of
24:21
God
24:22
to
24:22
you
24:22
their
24:23
teaching
24:23
ought
24:23
to
24:23
be
24:24
characterized
24:24
by
24:26
humility
24:26
if it
24:27
weren't
24:28
for the
24:28
grace
24:28
of
24:28
God
24:29
I
24:30
would
24:30
be
24:30
the
24:30
greatest
24:31
of
24:32
sinners
24:32
it
24:34
is
24:34
God
24:34
who
24:34
has
24:34
graciously
24:35
worked
24:36
in my
24:37
heart
24:37
he
24:38
has
24:38
rescued
24:38
me
24:39
from
24:39
myself
24:40
and
24:42
as
24:42
that
24:42
position
24:43
that
24:44
we
24:44
come
24:45
to
24:45
the
24:45
word
24:45
of
24:45
God
24:45
with
24:46
study
24:47
it
24:47
carefully
24:48
we
24:49
ask
24:49
you
24:49
to
24:49
open
24:49
it
24:49
up
24:50
with
24:50
us
24:50
and
24:51
explain
24:51
it
24:51
to
24:52
you
24:52
that
24:52
it
24:52
might
24:52
have
24:52
the
24:53
same
24:53
humbling
24:54
gracious
24:55
effect
24:56
in
24:56
your
24:57
lives
24:57
so
24:58
we
25:00
ought
25:00
to
25:00
be
25:00
careful
25:01
about
25:01
becoming
25:01
teachers
25:02
because
25:02
we
25:03
all
25:03
have
25:04
a
25:04
proclivity
25:04
to
25:06
sin
25:06
and
25:07
then
25:07
the
25:07
last
25:08
reason
25:08
that
25:09
teaching
25:09
creates
25:10
opportunity
25:11
to
25:12
sin
25:12
he
25:14
says
25:14
in
25:14
the
25:14
last
25:14
part
25:14
of
25:14
verse
25:14
two
25:15
if
25:15
anyone
25:15
does
25:15
not
25:15
stumble
25:16
in
25:16
what
25:16
he
25:16
says
25:16
he
25:17
is
25:17
a
25:17
perfect
25:17
man
25:17
able
25:18
also
25:18
to
25:19
bridle
25:19
his
25:19
whole
25:19
body
25:21
I
25:22
have
25:22
a
25:22
feeling
25:22
that
25:23
that
25:23
idea
25:23
is
25:23
going
25:23
to
25:24
get
25:24
picked
25:24
up
25:24
a
25:24
bit
25:25
more
25:25
next
25:26
week
25:27
hint
25:27
Zach
25:28
throughout
25:30
his
25:31
letter
25:31
James
25:31
is
25:31
aiming
25:32
us
25:32
at
25:32
Christian
25:33
maturity
25:34
and
25:34
he
25:34
makes
25:35
that
25:35
point
25:35
here
25:36
if
25:37
your
25:37
speech
25:37
is
25:37
perfect
25:38
then
25:39
you
25:39
will
25:39
be
25:40
perfect
25:40
we
25:41
are
25:41
to
25:41
be
25:42
careful
25:42
what
25:42
we
25:42
say
25:43
we
25:43
to
25:43
be
25:43
careful
25:44
when
25:44
we
25:45
speak
25:46
we
25:48
are
25:48
not
25:48
doing
25:49
that
25:49
this
25:49
side
25:49
of
25:50
glory
25:50
we
25:51
will
25:51
fail
25:52
in
25:52
what
25:52
we
25:52
speak
25:52
he's
25:52
not
25:53
suggesting
25:53
that
25:53
this
25:54
side
25:54
of
25:54
glory
25:54
we
25:54
are
25:55
going
25:55
to
25:55
be
25:55
perfect
25:56
but
25:56
that
25:57
we
25:57
must
25:57
strive
25:58
in
25:58
that
25:59
direction
26:00
the
26:01
necessity
26:02
of
26:02
teaching
26:02
God's
26:03
people
26:03
lays
26:04
bare
26:04
the
26:04
heart
26:05
of
26:05
the
26:05
one
26:06
who
26:07
teaches
26:07
it
26:08
communicates
26:09
what
26:09
they
26:10
believe
26:10
to
26:11
be
26:11
true
26:11
so
26:13
it
26:13
is
26:13
a
26:13
task
26:13
not
26:14
to
26:14
be
26:14
taken
26:14
up
26:15
lightly
26:16
I
26:17
pray
26:18
this
26:18
prayer
26:18
of
26:18
David
26:18
found
26:19
in
26:19
Psalm
26:19
19
26:20
often
26:21
when
26:21
I
26:21
prepare
26:21
to
26:22
teach
26:23
this
26:23
is
26:23
verse
26:23
14
26:24
but
26:25
the
26:25
words
26:25
of
26:25
my
26:26
mouth
26:26
and
26:27
the
26:27
meditation
26:28
of
26:28
my
26:28
heart
26:28
be
26:29
acceptable
26:29
in
26:30
your
26:30
sight
26:30
O
26:31
Lord
26:31
my
26:32
rock
26:33
and
26:34
my
26:34
redeemer
26:34
you
26:36
see
26:36
I
26:36
need
26:36
to
26:37
be
26:37
reminded
26:37
that
26:37
my
26:38
words
26:38
will
26:38
be
26:39
judged
26:40
but
26:42
more
26:42
than
26:42
that
26:42
I
26:43
need
26:43
to
26:43
be
26:43
reminded
26:43
that
26:44
ultimately
26:44
I
26:45
find
26:45
my
26:45
security
26:46
and
26:47
I
26:47
find
26:48
my
26:48
redemption
26:48
in
26:49
the
26:50
Lord
26:50
Jesus
26:51
Christ
26:51
and
26:53
so
26:53
it
26:53
is
26:53
with
26:54
great
26:55
humility
26:55
the
26:56
task
26:56
is
26:57
taken
26:58
up
26:58
now
27:00
I
27:00
know
27:00
that
27:00
we
27:00
have
27:00
a
27:01
lot
27:01
of
27:01
young
27:02
men
27:03
in
27:03
the
27:03
room
27:03
who
27:04
are
27:04
considering
27:05
becoming
27:06
ministers
27:06
of
27:07
God's
27:07
word
27:07
full
27:08
time
27:08
even
27:08
perhaps
27:09
and
27:09
we
27:09
are
27:10
grateful
27:10
for
27:10
this
27:10
I'm
27:10
so
27:11
glad
27:11
for
27:11
the
27:11
people
27:12
the
27:12
Lord
27:12
has
27:12
brought
27:13
us
27:13
across
27:13
the
27:13
years
27:14
he's
27:14
brought
27:14
us
27:14
many
27:15
gifted
27:16
!
27:16
teachers
27:16
he's
27:18
brought
27:18
us
27:18
many
27:19
who
27:19
have
27:19
been
27:19
trained
27:20
and
27:20
have
27:20
become
27:21
gifted
27:21
!
27:22
Teachers
27:22
!
27:22
It's
27:23
a
27:23
wonderful
27:23
grace
27:23
for
27:24
our
27:24
church
27:24
I
27:25
tell
27:25
other
27:25
pastors
27:25
that
27:26
we
27:26
have
27:26
a
27:26
deep
27:26
preaching
27:27
bench
27:27
I'm
27:29
glad
27:29
for
27:29
that
27:30
but
27:31
I
27:31
just
27:31
want
27:31
to
27:31
say
27:32
to
27:32
you
27:32
carefully
27:34
consider
27:35
whether
27:35
or not
27:35
you
27:35
ought
27:35
to
27:36
become
27:36
a
27:37
teacher
27:37
at
27:38
the
27:38
same
27:38
time
27:38
I
27:38
would
27:38
say
27:38
the
27:39
church
27:39
needs
27:39
teachers
27:40
but
27:41
recognize
27:42
that
27:42
it
27:42
is
27:42
a
27:42
weighty
27:43
task
27:43
that
27:44
you
27:44
take
27:44
up
27:45
if
27:46
you
27:46
find
27:46
yourself
27:47
able
27:48
to
27:48
do
27:48
other
27:49
things
27:49
then
27:50
open
27:51
up
27:51
the
27:51
word
27:53
good
27:54
and
27:54
true
27:55
and
27:56
beautiful
27:56
then
27:56
perhaps
27:57
you
27:57
should
27:57
do
27:57
those
27:58
other
27:58
things
27:59
if
28:00
you
28:00
find
28:00
in
28:01
yourself
28:01
the
28:02
inclination
28:02
to
28:03
want
28:03
to
28:03
teach
28:03
for
28:04
your
28:04
namesake
28:05
and
28:06
not
28:06
the
28:06
sake
28:07
of
28:08
our
28:08
risen
28:08
savior
28:08
and
28:08
lord
28:09
perhaps
28:09
you
28:10
should
28:10
do
28:11
something
28:11
else
28:11
pray
28:13
that
28:13
God
28:13
would
28:13
work
28:13
that
28:14
desire
28:14
out
28:15
of
28:15
you
28:15
let me
28:17
give
28:17
a
28:17
couple
28:18
of
28:18
further
28:18
closing
28:18
applications
28:19
number
28:20
one
28:21
to
28:22
everybody
28:23
consider
28:23
carefully
28:24
what
28:24
you
28:24
say
28:24
and
28:25
why
28:26
you
28:26
say
28:26
it
28:26
and
28:27
I'm
28:27
sure
28:27
again
28:28
next
28:28
week
28:28
we'll
28:29
think
28:29
together
28:29
more
28:30
about
28:31
this
28:31
at
28:33
the
28:33
age
28:33
of
28:33
19
28:33
and
28:33
across
28:34
some
28:34
time
28:34
a
28:34
young
28:35
follower
28:35
of
28:35
Jesus
28:35
Christ
28:35
by the
28:36
name
28:36
of
28:36
Jonathan
28:36
Edwards
28:37
penned
28:38
70
28:38
resolutions
28:39
there
28:40
were
28:40
promises
28:40
aimed
28:41
at
28:41
God's
28:41
glory
28:41
and
28:42
his
28:42
good
28:42
many
28:44
of
28:44
these
28:44
resolutions
28:44
concerned
28:45
Edwards
28:45
use
28:46
of
28:46
his
28:47
tongue
28:48
and
28:48
I
28:48
would
28:48
like
28:48
to
28:48
read
28:49
you
28:49
just
28:49
one
28:50
of
28:50
them
28:50
this
28:50
is
28:50
resolution
28:51
31
28:52
he
28:52
wrote
28:52
resolved
28:53
never
28:54
to say
28:54
anything
28:55
at all
28:55
against
28:56
anybody
28:56
but
28:57
when
28:57
it
28:58
is
28:58
perfectly
28:58
agreeable
28:59
to the
28:59
highest
29:00
degree
29:00
of
29:00
Christian
29:01
honor
29:01
and
29:02
of
29:02
love
29:02
to
29:03
mankind
29:03
agreeable
29:04
to
29:05
the
29:05
lowest
29:05
humility
29:06
and
29:07
sense
29:07
of
29:07
my
29:07
own
29:08
faults
29:08
and
29:09
failings
29:10
and
29:10
agreeable
29:11
to
29:11
the
29:11
golden
29:12
rule
29:12
I
29:16
just
29:16
want
29:16
to
29:16
take
29:16
that
29:16
filter
29:17
of
29:17
Edwards
29:18
resolution
29:18
and
29:18
hold
29:19
it
29:19
up
29:19
to
29:20
the
29:21
pastor
29:21
twitter
29:22
verse
29:22
he
29:26
says
29:26
when
29:27
I
29:27
have
29:27
said
29:27
anything
29:28
against
29:28
anyone
29:28
to
29:29
bring
29:29
it
29:29
to
29:30
and
29:30
try
29:30
it
29:31
strictly
29:31
by
29:32
the
29:32
test
29:32
of
29:33
this
29:33
resolution
29:35
is
29:37
this
29:37
the
29:37
way
29:38
that
29:38
we
29:38
tend
29:39
to
29:39
speak
29:40
seasoned
29:41
with
29:41
salt
29:42
for
29:42
the
29:42
good
29:43
of
29:43
others
29:43
so
29:44
consider
29:44
carefully
29:44
what
29:45
you
29:45
say
29:45
and
29:46
why
29:46
you
29:46
say
29:47
it
29:47
consider
29:49
if
29:49
you
29:49
ought
29:50
to
29:50
speak
29:50
at
29:50
all
29:51
sometimes
29:52
we
29:53
just
29:53
need
29:53
to
29:53
keep
29:53
our
29:53
mouths
29:54
shut
29:54
secondly
29:57
consider
29:58
carefully
29:58
as I
29:59
said
29:59
before
29:59
any
30:00
aspiration
30:00
to
30:01
become
30:02
a
30:02
teacher
30:02
I
30:03
love
30:04
to
30:04
speak
30:04
with
30:04
you
30:04
if
30:05
you
30:05
have
30:05
any
30:06
desire
30:06
to
30:07
do
30:07
so
30:08
and
30:09
thirdly
30:09
pray
30:11
for
30:11
your
30:11
teachers
30:12
it
30:13
is a
30:13
big
30:13
it
30:14
is a
30:14
weighty
30:15
task
30:15
it
30:16
is
30:16
good
30:16
for
30:16
you
30:16
to
30:16
recognize
30:17
church
30:17
that
30:18
some
30:19
men
30:19
step
30:19
into
30:20
this
30:20
fray
30:20
they
30:21
do
30:21
it
30:21
willingly
30:22
recognizing
30:23
that
30:23
they'll
30:23
be
30:24
judged
30:24
with
30:24
a
30:24
greater
30:25
strictness
30:26
go
30:26
to
30:27
the
30:27
word
30:27
of
30:27
God
30:27
trembling
30:28
!
30:28
before
30:29
it
30:29
and
30:30
we
30:30
don't
30:30
do
30:30
it
30:30
with
30:31
perfection
30:31
but
30:33
I
30:33
want
30:33
you
30:33
to
30:33
know
30:33
that
30:34
there
30:34
is
30:34
not
30:34
a
30:34
person
30:34
that
30:35
steps
30:35
on
30:35
this
30:35
stage
30:35
that
30:36
doesn't
30:36
love
30:36
you
30:37
dearly
30:37
that
30:38
doesn't
30:38
honor
30:39
and
30:39
worship
30:39
God
30:39
and
30:40
doesn't
30:40
want
30:40
good
30:41
for
30:42
you
30:43
so
30:44
pray
30:44
for
30:45
your
30:45
teachers
30:45
and
30:46
let's
30:46
pray
30:46
together