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Speaking OF Tongues             James 3:1-2

 

The apostles wrote not just to individual believers but to bodies of believers urging them to fight for the health of themselves AND their brothers and sisters in Christ. Most of the commands in the letters are in the plural, not the singular.

 

Church leaders must set the right example with their speech                                            V. 1

John 3:10                    Ephesians 4:11

 

The ministry is only for those men that two things are true of:

1. There is a blazing inner compulsion to feed God’s sheep

2. There is outer recognition by the church that this is what God has for you

 

A word of caution: All Christians are imperfect and WILL say wrong things                      V. 2

 

There is an interesting paradox in the body of Christ: the godliest people you ever meet are the MOST aware of their own sinfulness.              I Timothy 1:15

 

A controlled tongue can make vast contributions                                                               V. 3-4

 

An uncontrolled tongue can cause vast devastation                                                           V. 5-8

 

Satan loves gossip and slander and rumors and complaining. He knows a little of it can go a long way toward destroying a church.

 

What’s my job when I hear something that would be sin if it is true:

1. Ask the person if they have gone to the other person about it

2. Urge them not to speak with anyone else about it

3. Turn it into prayer for the person (s) affected

4. Go to the other person and get the facts

5. If they need help, as a spiritual person help them get it (Galatians 6:1)

6. Pray with the person

7. If there truly is a sin involved and there is not repentance, get another redemptive person or two involved (Matthew 18:16ff) and do what you must

8. If the first person had truly bad information, report back to them that it was not what it appeared to be, and urge them to check their facts in the future rather than pass along what may be an untruth

 

Remember what the tongue is for: blessing and building                                                   V. 9-12

 

Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.           -Ephesians 4:29