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| JAMES LESSON #50 I want to spend just a little bit of time doing some cross reference work �looking at the issues that James deals with in chapter three. This lesson and the next may get a little �tedious� in �question and answer� format � but hang in there with me. I want to make sure I take the time to carefully wade through the text, using cross references (other references outside of the book of James) to support and explain carefully � what James is saying. The question and answer format can be a pain � but every third or fourth lesson I�ve got to walk you through it to make sure you�re getting out of the text what you need to get. So make notes and mark carefully ok � I�ll return to �paragraph� chats once I get you through the detail work. Hang in there! James works with three areas in chapter three: 1) Instruction and warning concerning teachers 2) The need to control the tongue and 3) The contrast between earthly wisdom and wisdom from above. He warns that we are not to �become many teachers.� He indicated that teachers would incur a stricter judgment. Ok � so if �many� are to �not� become teachers, who �does� qualify as a teacher? What�s the basic �requirement?� I want to look at three different references that indicate that teachers must have the spiritual �gift� of teaching. Look at Romans 12:6-7. How is the spiritual gift of teaching to be exercised? It says that if your gift is teaching, teach. If service, in serving. The emphasis here is, if your gift is serving or some other gift, then don�t teach. The requirement is in the spiritual gift. How do I know if I have the �gift?� Usually a �gift� is something you can�t not do � it�s a passion. Look at your life and see where you �thrive.� Do you thrive in �entertaining guests in your home?� -that�s a hospitality gift. Do you thrive in �helping others out� � that�s the �helps� gift. Do you thrive working with sick and shut in people � or people who are deeply hurting? That�s a �mercy� gift. Do you love to study, think and challenge others to do the same? That�s the �Teaching gift.� Do you manage people? That�s the �administration� gift. Do you delegate and lead? That�s the leadership gift. And the gifts go on� Where do you �thrive?� What position do teachers hold in the body of Jesus Christ according to I Corinthians 12:27-29? First, apostles, second prophets�third: teachers. It is a place of responsibility. According to Ephesians 4:11-13 what is the �purpose� of the teacher? To equip the saints for the work of service. Why? So that the saints will no longer be tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine. Since all are not teachers, would this warning apply to anyone else? Can those who know that they do not have the gift of spiritual teaching close their ears and say this does not apply to me? Does every believer have �some� responsibility to teach others, although they will not have the position of �teacher� in the body of Jesus Christ? Does every believer have some responsibility to communicate spiritual truth to others? What is the implication in Hebrews 5:12 and in II Timothy 2:24? These passages don�t deal specifically with teachers, but what�s the implication? That ALL have �some� teaching responsibility. There is the implication that there is responsibility of every believer to communicate truths, but that it�s different from the position of teacher in the body of Jesus Christ. What about Galatians 6:1? This reminds the believer of his responsibility to go to the brother who sins in order to restore him. Take a look at James 5:19-20. Why would the believer need to go to the brother in order to restore him? He�d have the responsibility to save his soul from death and cover a multitude of sins. So every believer must teach as he goes, as a way of life - teach what? The principles of the Word of God. Every believer has the responsibility to pick somebody up that�s fallen into sin � to hold him accountable- and to walk him back into truth and right behavior�Get this: IN LOVE. What�s the teacher supposed to �speak� according to I Peter 4:11? The utterances of God. According to I Timothy 1:3-7, what�s a teacher not to teach? Strange doctrines, myths, and endless genealogies. What should be the goal of their instruction according to I Timothy 1:5? Love from what? 1) a pure heart and 2) a good conscience and 3) a sincere faith. What happens when a teacher doesn�t follow the program? Look at verse 6-7. Their classes turn into fruitless discussions. Ok � you tell me � in how many classes have you found yourself engaged in �fruitless discussion?� In I Corinthians 3 Paul is speaking to students who were saved under his preaching. Paul explains to them that his part in their growth was to lay a strong foundation � that being Jesus Christ. What did he tell them in verse 10? Each man is to be careful how he builds upon it. Exactly WHAT are the building materials? What�s that mean? �Build on a foundation?� - Look at I Corinthians 3:12-13 What are the differences in the building materials? Gold, silver and precious stones OR wood, hay and stubble- Test those building materials out. Stick gold, silver or precious stones in a fire � what happens? They endure the heat of the fire. Do the same with wood, hay and stubble. What happens? It�s destroyed. In verse 13-15 what�s being �tested?� Each man�s �work� is being tested. What makes one �building material� valid, and another useless? In earlier lessons we talked about �real faith �vs- fake faith.� Real faith produces �works� � What are they? Love- Obedience-and a faith that trusts and acts on what is not seen. Building materials that are constructed in love, obedience and faith that trust and acts on what is not seen will come from a heart that is pure, a conscience that is good and a faith that�s sincere. THOSE building materials will last. They are not fruits of �self.� How are the building materials tested? With fire. What fire? Your students will begin to �apply� in their own lives, what you�re giving them. If you�re giving them wood, hay and stubble, it will be of no value whatsoever to them when they step into the fire that life offers on a regular basis. How is it judged? By whether or not it burns or remains. What�s the end result of the judgement of the work? Is the teacher destroyed? No. Get that. The �work� either burns or endures, but the person is saved. When is the �believer� held accountable for this according to II Corinthians 5:10? At the judgment seat of Christ we will �all� give an account of the deeds done in the body � whether what? Good OR bad. Your �time� is not your own. Remember that. You will be held accountable for how you use it. What�s the teacher�s responsibility primarily according to I Corinthians 4:1-5 � and yet the responsibility of ALL BELIEVERS secondary, according to these verses? The teacher is accountable as a steward of the mysteries of God. There is an accountability to be �Trustworthy.� Who �examines� the steward according to I Corinthians 4:4? The Lord. What exactly does the Lord �examine� according to verse 5? Get this: The �hidden� things � and the motives of a man�s heart. He examines the �why you�re doing what you�re doing� � as well as the �what you�re doing.� Remember � every where your mind goes..His goes too. Every where your eyes go � His go too. Every where your ears go � His listen. Don�t forget that. There is Nothing� Hidden from Him. Look at Ezekiel 34:1-6 What was God�s word to the priest who had spoken and said �God has spoken� when God hadn�t spoken? God�s word was �Woe to you!� What had they done? They�d fed themselves and not the flock. They let the flock wander and didn�t search for them. They didn�t �care� for the flock. They were busy � had other things to do � someone else would do it. What�s James say? Teachers will be judged with a stricter judgment. James takes a right turn in verse 2 of chapter 3. He says, �We all stumble in many ways.� Is he excusing sin in his life and in the lives of others? Oh � we all blow it � it�s ok - is that what he�s saying? No. He is NOT excusing sin. What does �stumble� mean? It means to �trip.� It�s in the �present tense.� So he�s saying, we all �keep on� stumbling - keep on tripping in many ways. THAT, is a fact. Is James alone in this thought? Look at Ecclesiastes 7:20 and I Kings 8:46. There�s nobody that stands and doesn�t fall. Take a look at I Corinthians 4:4. Who is the person who �examines� the heart? What if you�ve blown it but you�re not aware of it? Who�s job is it to bring it to the table? God�s. It�s God who examines the heart. What�s the warning in I John 1:8 concerning our �attitude� toward sin? If we trot around saying we�re �ok� � we�re without sin � we�re deceiving ourselves. So when James says, we �all� sin in �many� ways, the question is � where�s middle in this? Middle is not � Ok � I fall down all the time � you know me � might as well not try to be one of those holy rollers. Wrong. Middle is understanding that sin is as deadly to you as a fully activated grenade in your living room. Your response to it when discovered should be the same � DEACTIVATE as quickly as possible. How? Confession and repentance. Speak it, ask for forgiveness, and walk away from it. With a �true believer,� sin can NEVER be a �habit� of life. James is pointing out � yes � we do all blow it on a regular basis. However � when God makes you aware of it, TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS. Question: Who has God brought into your life to �instruct� � to �shepherd� � to �guard� � What are you teaching them? Are you giving them gold, silver and precious stones � Or wood, hay and stubble. Is what you�re handing them coming from 1) a pure heart 2) a good conscience 3) and a sincere faith? Why are you doing what you�re doing? More tomorrow- Loving you, Robin �Copyright Jim and Robin Hibschman 2001 |
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