1. The Book of James Pt. 9
Self- Examination Pt.2
Pastor.ctj 12/15/2013
James 3:1-12 (HCSB)
1 Not many should become teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive a stricter
judgment, for we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a
mature man who is also able to control his whole body.
3 Now when we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we also guide the
whole animal.
4 And consider ships: Though very large and driven by fierce winds, they are guided by a very
small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs.
5 So too, though the tongue is a small part ⌊of the body⌋, it boasts great things. Consider how
large a forest a small fire ignites.
6 And the tongue is a fire. The tongue, a world of unrighteousness, is placed among the parts of
our ⌊bodies⌋. It pollutes the whole body, sets the course of life on fire, and is set on fire by hell.
7 Every sea creature, reptile, bird, or animal is tamed and has been tamed by man, but no man
can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
9 We praise our Lord and Father with it, and we curse men who are made in God’s likeness with
it. Praising and cursing come out of the same mouth. My brothers, these things should not be this
way.
11 Does a spring pour out sweet and bitter water from the same opening?
12 Can a fig tree produce olives, my brothers, or a grapevine ⌊produce⌋ figs? Neither can a
saltwater spring yield fresh water.
© The Repairer’s Fellowship “Building Community, one house at a time”

2. The tongue was, apparently something
very important to James
He mentions it 4 times directly : 1:26, 3:5,6,8
And 4 times indirectly 1:19, 2:12, 4:11, 5:12
.
© The Repairer’s Fellowship “Building Community, one house at a time”

3. The verses that many in ‘ministry’
today seem to forget
James 3:1-2
Not many should become teachers, my brothers,
knowing that we will receive a stricter judgment,
for we all stumble in many ways.
If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a
mature man who is also able to control his whole
body.
.
© The Repairer’s Fellowship “Building Community, one house at a time”

4. A practical understanding of
the power of words…
James 3:3-5
3 Now when we put bits into the mouths of horses to
make them obey us, we also guide the whole animal.
4 And consider ships: Though very large and driven by
fierce winds, they are guided by a very small rudder
wherever the will of the pilot directs.
5 So too, though the tongue is a small part ⌊of the
body⌋, it boasts great things. Consider how large a
forest a small fire ignites.
.
© The Repairer’s Fellowship “Building Community, one house at a time”

5. A practical understanding of
the power of words…
Proverbs 15
1 A gentle answer turns away anger, but a harsh word stirs up wrath.
2 The tongue of the wise makes knowledge attractive, but the mouth of fools blurts
out foolishness.
4 The tongue that heals is a tree of life, but a devious tongue breaks the spirit.
7 The lips of the wise broadcast knowledge, but not so the heart of fools.
23 A man takes joy in giving an answer; and a timely word—how good that is!
28 The mind of the righteous person thinks before answering, but the mouth of the
wicked blurts out evil things.
29 The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.
.
31 One who listens to life-giving rebukes will be at home among the wise.
© The Repairer’s Fellowship “Building Community, one house at a time”

6. The (Unredeemed) tongue is
Dangerous, and in fact wicked…
And the tongue is a fire. The tongue, a world of unrighteousness, is placed
among the parts of our ⌊bodies⌋. It pollutes the whole body, sets the course of
life on fire, and is set on fire by hell. - James 3:6 (HCSB)
How many times have you :
Tried to take back something you said?
Wished that you could turn back time to just before you said
something?
Regretted something as soon as it left your mouth?
Reopened old hurts by recalling something someone said to
you?
.Responded physically to something verbal that impacted
you?
© The Repairer’s Fellowship “Building Community, one house at a time”

7. Selah, Pause and think about this…
James 3:7-12 Every sea creature, reptile, bird, or animal is tamed and has been tamed by man, but no
man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
9 We praise our Lord and Father with it, and we curse men who are made in God’s likeness with it.
Praising and cursing come out of the same mouth. My brothers, these things should not be this way.
11 Does a spring pour out sweet and bitter water from the same opening? Can a fig tree produce olives,
my brothers, or a grapevine ⌊produce⌋ figs? Neither can a saltwater spring yield fresh water.
Useful (Real Life) Application:
Someone approaches you and says that your words have hurt them. Do You:
a- React defensively ‘I did not say that’ or ‘Maybe that’s what you heard, but
it’s not what I said’
b- Offer a conditional apology: ‘Well, If I hurt you, I am sorry’
c- Own it, and apologize: ‘ I am sorry that my words have hurt you, please
forgive me.’
What is your default setting? In other words, which is your normal response?
.How has it worked for you up to now?
Do you see a need for changing it?
© The Repairer’s Fellowship “Building Community, one house at a time”

8. Though immaterial, words have great
material weight and impact
Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness covered the
surface of the watery depths, and the Spirit of God was hovering
over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light,”
and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and God
separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,”
and He called the darkness “night.” Evening came and then
morning: the first day. - Genesis 1:2-5
In Genesis 1 alone according to the ASV, the phrase ‘and God said’
occurs 9 times, and 7 of those times it is followed by either ‘and
there was’ or ‘and it was so’
.
© The Repairer’s Fellowship “Building Community, one house at a time”

9. Though immaterial, words have great
material weight and impact
Ephesians 4:25-29 Since you put away lying, Speak the truth, each
one to his neighbor, because we are members of one another.
26 Be angry and do not sin. Don’t let the sun go down on your
anger, and don’t give the Devil an opportunity.
28 The thief must no longer steal. Instead, he must do honest work
with his own hands, so that he has something to share with anyone
in need. (note the point here: the gift remains, it is just repurposed)
29 No foul language is to come from your mouth, but only what is
.good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those
who hear.
© The Repairer’s Fellowship “Building Community, one house at a time”

10. James is emulating
His big Brother, Lord and Master
Matthew 12:33-38 - “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and
its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. Brood of vipers! How can you speak good things
when you are evil? For the mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart. A good man
produces good things from his storeroom of good, and an evil man produces evil things from
his storeroom of evil. I tell you that on the day of judgment people will have to account for
every careless word they speak. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words
you will be condemned.”
Matthew 15:15-20 - Then Peter replied to Him, “Explain this parable to us.”
16 “Are even you still lacking in understanding?” He asked. “Don’t you realize that whatever
goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is eliminated?
18 But what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this defiles a man.
19 For from the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false
testimonies, blasphemies. These are the things that defile a man, but eating with unwashed
hands does not defile a man.”
.
Luke 6:45 - “A good man produces good out of the good storeroom of his heart. An evil man
produces evil out of the evil storeroom, for his mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart.”
© The Repairer’s Fellowship “Building Community, one house at a time”

11. Tests of Faith in James
“Now keep in mind that James, is giving a series of tests for genuine living saving faith. He
has given us several of those tests and this is the next one...the test of wisdom. You'll
remember in chapter 1 he said that saving faith can be seen in how a person responds to
trials. Then he said saving faith can be seen in how a person responds to temptation-solicitation to do evil. And then he said that true faith, genuine faith, living faith can be
seen in how a person responds to the Word of God. And then in chapter 2, how a person
responds to needy people.
And then in the end of chapter 2, James says basically saving faith is manifest in righteous
works. And then in the first half of chapter 3, saving faith, living faith is revealed by the use
of what member of the body? The tongue. So trials, temptation, the word, the needy,
righteous deeds, the tongue, all of these are tests, all of these are tests of living faith.
James is saying that the test of living, saving faith is not just your general conduct, it's not
just your specific acts, but it is your attitude. And if you have living faith, your life will be a
pattern of revealing that wisdom of God, your deeds will reveal that wisdom of God and
your attitude will reveal that wisdom of God. And if that's not there, then you do not have
the wisdom of God no matter what the claim. The test of true faith then again is bound up
.
in behavior. It's bound up in conduct. It's bound up in attitude.” – John MacArthur
© The Repairer’s Fellowship “Building Community, one house at a time”

12. Next Week…A Parenthetical:
Isaiah 52:13-15, 53:1-12 (HCSB)
See, My Servant will act wisely; He will be raised and lifted up and greatly exalted. Just as many were appalled at You— His appearance
was so disfigured that He did not look like a man, and His form did not resemble a human being— so He will sprinkle many nations. Kings
will shut their mouths because of Him, For they will see what had not been told them, and they will understand what they had not heard.
1 Who has believed what we have heard? And who has the arm of the LORD been revealed to?
2 He grew up before Him like a young plant and like a root out of dry ground. He didn’t have an impressive form or majesty that we
should look at Him, no appearance that we should desire Him.
3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of suffering who knew what sickness was. He was like someone people turned away from;
He was despised, and we didn’t value Him.
4 Yet He Himself bore our sicknesses, and He carried our pains; but we in turn regarded Him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted.
5 But He was pierced because of our transgressions, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on Him, and we are
healed by His wounds.
6 We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way; and the LORD has punished Him for the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth. Like a lamb led to the slaughter and like a sheep silent before her
shearers, He did not open His mouth.
8 He was taken away because of oppression and judgment; and who considered His fate? For He was cut off from the land of the living;
He was struck because of my people’s rebellion.
9 They made His grave with the wicked and with a rich man at His death, although He had done no violence and had not spoken
deceitfully.
10 Yet the LORD was pleased to crush Him severely. When You make Him a restitution offering, He will see ⌊His⌋ seed, He will prolong
His days, and by His hand, the LORD’s pleasure will be accomplished.
11 He will see ⌊it⌋ out of His anguish, and He will be satisfied with His knowledge. My righteous Servant will justify many, and He will
carry their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will give Him the many as a portion, and He will receive the mighty as spoil, because He submitted Himself to death, and
was counted among the rebels; yet He bore the sin of many and interceded for the rebels.
© The Repairer’s Fellowship “Building Community, one house at a time”