Participants: Pr. Jëan Ross
Series Code: SSH
Program Code: SSH021446
|
00:01 (MUSIC)
00:34 >>HELLO FRIENDS. WE'D LIKE TO WELCOME YOU BACK TO 00:36 A FRESH INSTALLMENT OF SABBATH SCHOOL STUDY HOUR. 00:39 IF THIS IS THE FIRST TIME YOU'RE JOINING US, WE'VE BEEN STUDYING 00:42 THROUGH THE BOOK OF JAMES. NOW BEFORE WE GET INTO OUR STUDY 00:46 FOR TODAY, AS USUAL, WE WOULD LIKE TO ASK GOD'S SPECIAL 00:49 BLESSING. WE RECOGNIZE THAT THE BIBLE IS 00:51 GOD'S BOOK AND IN ORDER FOR US TO CORRECTLY UNDERSTAND IT, WE 00:55 NEED THE LEADING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT SO I'D LIKE TO INVITE YOU 00:58 TO JOIN US AS WE OPEN WITH A WORD OF PRAYER. 01:01 DEAR FATHER, ONCE AGAIN WE THANK YOU FOR THE BIBLE. 01:04 WE THANK YOU FOR THIS BOOK AND THE OPPORTUNITY THAT WE HAVE TO 01:06 STUDY TOGETHER SO WE INVITE THE HOLY SPIRIT TO COME AND GUIDE 01:09 OUR HEARTS AND OUR MINDS AND WE ASK THIS IN JESUS' NAME, AMEN. 01:14 NOW WE'VE BEEN STUDYING THROUGH THE BOOK OF JAMES, AS MENTIONED, 01:17 AND TODAY WE FIND OURSELVES ON LESSON #7. 01:20 IF YOU'D LIKE TO FOLLOW ALONG WITH US, YOU CAN DOWNLOAD 01:22 TODAY'S STUDY AT THE GRANITE BAY CHURCH WEBSITE, JUST 01:26 'GRANITEBAYSDA.ORG' OR YOU CAN ALSO DOWNLOAD TODAY'S LESSON AT 01:31 THE AMAZING FACTS WEBSITE, 'AMAZINGFACTS.ORG'. 01:35 WE HAVE A LITTLE BOOK THAT GOES ALONG WITH TODAY'S LESSON. 01:40 IT'S CALLED 'TINY TROUBLEMAKERS.' IF YOU WOULD 01:43 LIKE TO RECEIVE A FREE COPY OF TODAY'S FREE OFFER, GO AHEAD AND 01:47 CALL THIS NUMBER: 866-788-3966 AND YOU CAN ASK FOR OFFER #196. 01:56 AGAIN, THAT NUMBER IS 866-STUDY-MORE - THAT'S 788-3966 02:04 - FREE OFFER #196. NOW, AS MENTIONED, OUR STUDY 02:09 TODAY, LESSON #7 ENTITLED 'TAMING THE TONGUE' AND OUR 02:14 PRINCIPLE PASSAGE OF STUDY IS JAMES CHAPTER 3. 02:17 WE'LL BE LOOKING FROM ABOUT VERSE 1 THROUGH TO VERSE 12. 02:22 SO WITH THAT, A LITTLE BIT OF AN INTRODUCTION AS WE GET INTO OUR 02:24 STUDY, WE HAVE A MEMORY TEXT. OUR MEMORY TEXT IS ACTUALLY THE 02:28 WORDS OF JESUS FOUND IN MATTHEW CHAPTER 12 AND VERSE 37. 02:33 JESUS SAID, "FOR BY YOUR WORDS YOU SHALL BE JUSTIFIED, AND BY 02:38 YOUR WORDS YOU SHALL BE CONDEMNED." 02:41 YOU KNOW, WORDS ARE VERY POWERFUL, BOTH FOR GOOD AND FOR 02:46 BAD. YOU READ IN THE BIBLE HOW THAT 02:49 GOD CREATED EVERYTHING - HOW DID GOD CREATE? BY HIS WORD. 02:54 OF COURSE WE ALSO KNOW, WHEN IT CAME TO THE CREATION OF MAN, GOD 02:57 DIDN'T JUST SPEAK MAN INTO EXISTENCE BUT GOD FORMED MAN 03:00 WITH HIS HANDS AND THEN HE BREATHED INTO MAN THE BREATH OF 03:03 LIFE AND MAN BECAME A LIVING BEING. 03:06 BUT FOR EVERYTHING ELSE, GOD SAID 'LET THERE BE LIGHT' AND 03:09 THERE WAS LIGHT AND GOD SPOKE THE WORLD INTO BEING. 03:12 NOW IN GENESIS WE READ HOW THAT GOD SPOKE 'LET THERE BE LIGHT' 03:16 AND THERE WAS LIGHT AND SO ON, BUT WHEN WE GET TO THE BOOK OF 03:18 JOHN, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BIBLE, BEGINNING OF THE NEW 03:21 TESTAMENT THEREABOUT, WE FIND IN JOHN CHAPTER 1, 'IN THE 03:24 BEGINNING WAS THE WORD AND THE WORD WAS WITH GOD AND THE WORD 03:27 WAS GOD. ALL THINGS WERE MADE BY HIM AND 03:30 WITHOUT HIM WAS NOT ANYTHING MADE THAT WAS MADE.' SO WE FIND 03:33 GOD SPEAKING IN GENESIS AND THEN WHEN WE GET TO THE GOSPELS, WE 03:37 FIND THE WORD OF GOD, AGAIN REFERRING TO JESUS. 03:40 BUT WHEN WE GET TO THE LAST BOOK OF THE BIBLE, THE BOOK OF 03:42 REVELATION, WE FIND JESUS BEING REFERRED TO AS THE ALPHA AND THE 03:47 OMEGA. NOW THAT'S AN INTERESTING NAME. 03:49 BY THE WAY, IN REVELATION WHERE CHRIST IS REFERRED TO AS ALPHA 03:52 AND OMEGA, GOD THE FATHER IS ALSO REFERRED TO AS ALPHA AND 03:56 OMEGA IN REVELATION. BOTH CHRIST AND THE FATHER ARE 04:00 CALLED ALPHA AND OMEGA. NOW THAT'S AN INTERESTING NAME 04:03 FOR JESUS. WHY IS HE REFERRED TO AS ALPHA 04:07 AND OMEGA? WHAT IS ALPHA? 04:09 THAT'S THE BEGINNING OR THE FIRST LETTER - THE FIRST LETTER 04:14 OF THE GREEK ALPHABET. WHAT IS OMEGA? 04:18 THAT WOULD BE THE LAST LETTER OF THE GREEK ALPHABET. 04:22 JESUS IS CALLED THE A AND THE Z OF THE ALPHABET. 04:27 NOW THAT'S A STRANGE NAME. WHY IS CHRIST CALLED THE A AND 04:30 THE Z OF THE ALPHABET? WHAT DO WE DO WITH THE LETTERS 04:33 OF THE ALPHABET? WE ARRANGE THOSE LETTERS IN 04:36 DIFFERENT ORDERS TO MAKE UP WORDS. WHAT ARE OUR WORDS? 04:41 OUR WORDS ARE OUR THOUGHTS EXPRESSED. 04:45 JESUS IS THE THOUGHTS OF THE FATHER REVEALED. IF YOU WANT 04:50 TO KNOW WHAT THE FATHER IS THINKING, LOOK AT JESUS. 04:54 THAT'S WHY JESUS SAID, 'HE WHO HAS SEEN ME HAS' - WHAT? 04:57 'SEEN THE FATHER.' YOU REMEMBER THAT EXPERIENCE WHEN THE 05:00 DISCIPLES SAID, 'FATHER,' - SPEAKING TO CHRIST, SAID - 'SHOW 05:03 US THE FATHER AND IT WILL SUFFICE US.' AND JESUS SAID, 05:06 'HE WHO HAS SEEN ME HAS' - WHAT? - 05:08 'SEEN THE FATHER.' SO WORDS ARE VERY POWERFUL. 05:12 JESUS CAME TO REVEAL TO US WHAT THE FATHER IS LIKE AND JESUS 05:15 CAME TO TELL US - TO SHOW US, BY THE WORDS THAT HE SPOKE, WHAT 05:20 THE FATHER IS THINKING - WHAT THE FATHER IS LIKE. 05:23 SO OUR LESSON FOR THIS WEEK IS ALL ABOUT WORD POWER. IT'S ABOUT 05:28 GOD'S WORD, BUT IT'S ALSO ABOUT OUR WORDS - HOW WE USE OUR WORDS 05:32 - HOW WE CAN USE OUR WORDS FOR THAT WHICH IS GOOD, BUT HOW WE 05:36 SOMETIMES CAN USE OUR WORDS FOR THAT WHICH IS BAD. 05:41 NOW THE KEY PASSAGE, AS MENTIONED EARLIER, IS JAMES 05:43 CHAPTER 3 FROM VERSE 1 ALL THE WAY THROUGH TO VERSE 12 AND SO 05:46 WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME FOLKS HELP READ THESE VARIOUS VERSES 05:49 AND WE'RE GOING TO GET TO THAT IN JUST A MINUTE SO IF YOU WANT 05:52 TO GET SET UP FOR OUR FIRST VERSE, WHICH IS JAMES CHAPTER 3, 05:55 VERSE 1, AND I'LL HAVE YOU READ IT, JEREMY, IN JUST A MINUTE. 05:58 BUT AS WE GET READY FOR THAT, A COUPLE OF BACKGROUND THEMES THAT 06:03 WE SEE SO FAR IN OUR STUDY OF JAMES - FIRSTLY, IN JAMES 06:08 CHAPTER 1, VERSE 19, JAMES SETS THE STAGE FOR THE WHOLE BOOK BY 06:13 EMPHASIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF RECEIVING THE ENGRAFTED WORD - 06:17 THAT'S THE PHRASE JAMES USES. 06:19 HE RECOGNIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF THE WORD OF GOD AND, AS 06:22 CHRISTIANS, WE NEED TO BE FEASTING ON THE WORD. 06:25 JUST LIKE THE BRANCH CANNOT BEAR FRUIT UNLESS IT ABIDE IN THE 06:29 VINE OR IN THE TREE, SO, AS CHRISTIANS, WE CAN'T BEAR THE 06:32 FRUIT THAT THE CHRISTIAN NEEDS TO BEAR UNLESS WE ARE GRAFTED 06:38 INTO THE WORD OF GOD. WE NEED TO BE RECEIVING GOD'S WORD. 06:41 WHEN WE RECEIVE THE WORD, THAT LEADS TO MEEKNESS. 06:45 THAT'S THE NEXT THEME THAT JAMES EMPHASIZES. 06:48 AND THEN THERE IS IMPARTIALITY IN OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHERS 06:52 - WHETHER SOMEBODY IS RICH OR SOMEBODY IS POOR, WE TREAT THEM 06:55 WITH THE SAME DEGREE OF KINDNESS AND RESPECT. 06:58 THAT LEADS TO FAITH AND IT'S THE KIND OF FAITH THAT WORKS BY 07:02 LOVE. THAT RESULTS IN A CHRIST-LIKE CHARACTER. 07:05 NOW, IN CHAPTER 3, JAMES CONTINUES TO DESCRIBE THE 07:10 IMPORTANCE OF HOLY LIVING AND HOW THAT HOLY LIVING IS 07:13 DEMONSTRATED BY THE WORDS WE SPEAK AND THE MANNER IN WHICH WE 07:17 SPEAK THOSE WORDS. 07:19 SO LET'S TAKE A LOOK THEN, JAMES CHAPTER 3, BEGINNING IN VERSE 1 07:23 - AND, JEREMY, I THINK YOU'VE GOT THIS FOR US. 07:25 >>"MY BRETHREN, LET NOT MANY OF YOU BECOME TEACHERS KNOWING THAT 07:30 WE SHALL RECEIVE A STRICTER JUDGMENT." 07:32 >>THANK YOU. SO JAMES BEGINS HERE BY SAYING, 'LET NOT MANY OF 07:36 YOU BECOME TEACHERS.' IN THE CHURCH, IT IS CHRIST WHO CALLS A 07:43 PERSON TO BE A TEACHER. HE'S ALSO THE ONE WHO QUALIFIES 07:47 AN INDIVIDUAL TO BE A TEACHER. IN OTHER WORDS, TO BE A TEACHER 07:51 IN THE CHURCH IS NOT A POSITION THAT AN INDIVIDUAL LOBBIES FOR 07:55 OR CAMPAIGNS FOR, IT IS A POSITION THAT JESUS CALLS 08:00 SOMEBODY TO AND JESUS QUALIFIES THAT PERSON TO BE A TEACHER. 08:05 WE READ IN EPHESIANS CHAPTER 4, VERSES 11 AND 12, SPEAKING OF 08:09 CHRIST, "AND HE HIMSELF, THROUGH THE SPIRIT, GAVE SOME TO BE 08:13 APOSTLES AND SOME TO BE PROPHETS, SOME TO BE 08:16 EVANGELISTS, SOME TO BE PASTORS AND TEACHERS." FOR WHAT REASON? 08:20 THEN IT GOES ON, "FOR THE EQUIPPING OF THE SAINTS FOR THE 08:23 WORK OF MINISTRY, FOR THE EDIFYING OF THE BODY OF CHRIST." 08:28 SO THE PURPOSE OF TEACHERS IN THE CHURCH, IT IS TO BUILD UP 08:32 THE CHURCH. IT IS NOT TO MAKE THE TEACHER 08:34 LOOK GOOD OR TO SHOW HOW MUCH THE TEACHER MIGHT KNOW, IT'S 08:38 REALLY TO BUILD UP THE BODY OF CHRIST. 08:40 AND JAMES WARNS THE MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH AND HE SAYS, 08:44 'BE CAREFUL. DON'T STRIVE, OUT OF SELFISH 08:47 AMBITION, TO BE A TEACHER. YOU SEE, TEACHERS ARE IN 08:51 CONSTANT DANGER OF LOSING THAT SPIRIT OF GENUINE HUMILITY. 08:57 WHENEVER PEOPLE START LOOKING TO AN INDIVIDUAL TO PROVIDE THEM 09:01 GUIDANCE AND EXPERTISE IN A PARTICULAR AREA, IT'S QUITE EASY 09:07 FOR THAT PERSON TO START LOOKING TO THEMSELVES AS HAVING THE 09:11 ANSWERS - TRUSTING IN THEIR OWN WISDOM. NOW, IF YOU LOOK BACK 09:14 IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, WHO DO YOU THINK WAS ONE OF THE GREATEST 09:17 TEACHERS - HUMAN TEACHERS - DURING THE OLD TESTAMENT ERA? 09:21 WELL, IF YOU LOOK AT THE OLD TESTAMENT TIME PERIOD OR THE OLD 09:25 TESTAMENT SCRIPTURES, THE SCRIPTURES ARE DIVIDED INTO TWO 09:28 PARTS - THE OLD TESTAMENT - YOU HAVE WHAT'S REFERRED TO AS 'THE 09:31 LAW' AND THEN THE REST OF THE OLD TESTAMENT IS REFERRED TO AS 09:35 'THE PROPHETS' - THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS. THE FIRST FIVE BOOKS 09:38 OF THE BIBLE, WRITTEN BY MOSES, ARE REFERRED TO AS THE LAW AND 09:42 THEN THE REST, SYMBOLIZED BY ELIJAH, IS REFERRED TO AS THE 09:45 PROPHETS. NOW, PROBABLY ONE OF THE GREATEST TEACHERS OF THE OLD 09:48 TESTAMENT PERIOD WAS MOSES. I MEAN, HE BROUGHT THE TEACHINGS 09:52 THAT GOD HAD GIVEN HIM TO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. 09:55 AND HOW EASY IT WOULD HAVE BEEN FOR MOSES TO BECOME 09:57 SELF-CENTERED OR PUFFED UP WITH ALL OF THIS GREAT TRUTH THAT GOD 10:02 HAD REVEALED TO HIM - YET THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT OF ALL OF 10:05 THE PEOPLE IN SCRIPTURE, MOSES IS SAID TO HAVE BEEN ONE OF THE 10:08 MOST HUMBLE - SPOKEN AS BEING A MEEK INDIVIDUAL. THAT'S AN 10:12 IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTIC FOR A TEACHER, ESPECIALLY A GODLY 10:17 TEACHER, TO HAVE A SPIRIT OF HUMILITY - 10:20 TO BE A HUMBLE TEACHER. SO SOMEBODY MIGHT BE VERY 10:22 TALENTED, THEY MIGHT BE KNOWLEDGEABLE, BUT IT DOESN'T 10:26 NECESSARILY MEAN THEY HAVE THE RIGHT SPIRIT TO BE A TEACHER 10:30 IN THE CHURCH. AN IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTIC OF A 10:32 TEACHER IN THE CHURCH IS A SPIRIT OF HUMILITY. 10:36 THEY NEED TO FOLLOW THE EXAMPLE OF MOSES - THEY NEED TO HAVE 10:38 MEEKNESS. NOW, OF COURSE, IN THE CHURCH, 10:42 THERE ARE DEGREES OF RESPONSIBILITY. 10:45 THE MORE WE HAVE LEADERSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES IN THE CHURCH, 10:49 THE MORE WE ARE HELD ACCOUNTABLE BEFORE GOD. 10:53 THOSE WHO TEACH THE TRUTH ARE HELD ACCOUNTABLE, NOT ONLY FOR 10:56 THE THINGS THAT THEY TEACH AND THEIR OWN EXAMPLE, BUT THEY'RE 11:02 ALSO HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE INFLUENCE THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE 11:05 ON OTHERS. DURING THE TIME OF JESUS, JESUS 11:09 SPOKE TO THE JEWISH LEADERS OF HIS TIME AND HE SAID TO THEM, 11:12 'WOE TO YOU SCRIBES AND PHARISEES, YOU HYPOCRITES! 11:16 FOR YOU DEVOUR WIDOWS' HOUSES AND FOR A PRETENSE YOU MAKE LONG 11:20 PRAYERS' - SO THEY CLAIM TO BE VERY RELIGIOUS - 'THEREFORE YOU 11:24 WILL RECEIVE GREATER CONDEMNATION.' IT'S A SOBERING 11:27 FACT, BUT LEADERS IN THE CHURCH DO BEAR AN INFLUENCE ON OTHERS 11:31 AND WE'RE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE INFLUENCE THAT WE BEAR. 11:35 A FRIEND WAS TELLING ME ABOUT AN EXPERIENCE THAT SHE HAD. 11:39 SHE WAS ATTENDING A CHURCH AND - FAIRLY NEW TO THE CHURCH - AND 11:44 ON ONE OCCASION SHE ARRIVED EARLY AT THE CHURCH AND SHE WAS 11:48 HELPING OUT IN THE SABBATH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT AND SHE WENT 11:51 TO CHURCH EARLY SABBATH MORNING TO SET UP THE SABBATH SCHOOL 11:54 CLASSROOM. SHE THOUGHT SHE WAS THE FIRST 11:57 ONE THERE AND SHE OPENED UP THE SIDE DOOR AND SHE WENT INTO THE 11:59 CHURCH AND SHE WAS WALKING DOWN THE HALLWAY AND SHE HEARD JUST 12:02 THIS TERRIBLE YELLING. SOMEBODY WAS JUST SCREAMING AND 12:05 SHOUTING AND - SOMEBODY ELSE AT THE CHURCH AND SHE WAS AMAZED AT 12:08 THIS - THIS COULDN'T BE - AND AS SHE TURNED THE CORNER, WALKING 12:13 INTO THE LOBBY AREA OF THE CHURCH, WHAT DO YOU KNOW? 12:15 IT WAS THE PASTOR'S WIFE JUST SCREAMING AT HER HUSBAND, JUST 12:19 TELLING HER HUSBAND OFF AND IT WAS - SUDDENLY THE PASTOR'S WIFE 12:22 TURNED AND SAW THIS NEW CHURCH MEMBER STANDING THERE AND - A 12:26 TERRIBLE MOMENT OF EMBARRASSMENT - DIDN'T QUITE KNOW WHAT TO SAY 12:28 AND QUICKLY THE PASTOR'S WIFE CHANGED HER ATTITUDE AND SMILED, 12:31 'HAPPY SABBATH! WELCOME TO CHURCH.' WELL, 12:35 NEEDLESS TO SAY, THE INFLUENCE OF THAT PASTOR'S WIFE WAS 12:40 SUDDENLY DIMINISHED IN THE MIND OF THAT NEW CHURCH MEMBER. 12:44 SO THE INFLUENCE WE HAVE ON OTHERS, ESPECIALLY AS LEADERS, 12:48 WE NEED TO BE VERY CAREFUL IN THE THINGS THAT WE SAY. 12:51 IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE. AND THAT'S WHAT JAMES IS 12:53 REMINDING US OF. DON'T STRIVE TO BE A TEACHER 12:57 BECAUSE YOU NEED TO BE CAREFUL. RECOGNIZE THAT YOU ARE GOING TO 12:59 BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE BY THE INFLUENCE THAT YOU HAVE. 13:02 BE CAREFUL WITH THE THINGS THAT YOU SAY. THAT'S THE IMPORTANT 13:05 POINT THAT JAMES IS EMPHASIZING HERE. ALRIGHT, LET'S TAKE A LOOK 13:08 AT OUR NEXT VERSE. THIS IS JAMES CHAPTER 2 SO I THINK WE HAVE OUR 13:12 NEXT READER WHO IS READY TO READ FOR US NOW. 13:14 >>"FOR WE ALL STUMBLE IN MANY THINGS. 13:17 IF ANYONE DOES NOT STUMBLE IN WORD, HE IS A PERFECT MAN, 13:21 ABLE ALSO TO BRIDLE THE WHOLE BODY." 13:24 >>THANK YOU. SO IN VERSE 2, JAMES BEGINS BY 13:27 REMINDING US THAT WE ALL STUMBLE AT THINGS. 13:31 IN ONE SENSE, HE'S BRINGING US TO A REALITY THAT ALL OF US HAVE 13:36 WEAKNESSES IN OUR CHARACTERS AND WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES. 13:39 ON THE OTHER HAND HE'S NOT MAKING AN EXCUSE FOR SIN, BUT 13:42 HE'S HELPING US REALIZE THAT WHEN WORKING WITH INDIVIDUALS, 13:45 ESPECIALLY IN THE CHURCH, LET'S HAVE PATIENCE WITH ONE ANOTHER, 13:49 RECOGNIZING THAT WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES. 13:51 WE ALL STUMBLE AT THINGS BUT THEN HE ENCOURAGES US SAYING 13:55 THAT WE OUGHT TO STRIVE TO CONTROL OUR WORDS. 13:59 HE GOES ON TO SAY IF ANYONE IS ABLE TO CONTROL THEIR TONGUE, HE 14:04 IS ABLE TO CONTROL THE WHOLE BODY, MEANING THAT HIS LIFE - 14:07 HIS CHARACTER - IS ABLE TO BE UNDER CONTROL 14:10 IF HE CAN CONTROL HIS WORDS. 14:13 THIS WARNING, OF COURSE, IS AGAINST BOASTFULNESS OR 14:17 SELF-CONFIDENCE IF WE CAN CONTROL OUR WORDS. 14:21 I'M REMINDED OF PETER THERE IN THE UPPER ROOM WITH THE 14:24 DISCIPLES AND JESUS JUST AS - THIS IS JUST BEFORE CHRIST'S 14:27 BETRAYAL AND CRUCIFIXION - JESUS SAID, 'SOME OF YOU STANDING 14:31 HERE' - SPEAKING TO THE DISCIPLES - MATTER OF FACT HE 14:33 SAID 'ALL OF YOU HERE ARE GOING TO BE OFFENDED BECAUSE OF ME 14:36 TONIGHT AND YOU'RE ALL GOING TO LEAVE ME.' AND PETER SAID, YOU 14:39 KNOW, IN FRONT OF THE OTHER DISCIPLES, 'LORD, IF EVERYONE 14:42 SHALL LEAVE YOU I WILL NOT LEAVE YOU. 14:44 MATTER OF FACT, PETER SAID, 'I AM READY TO GO WITH YOU TO 14:46 PRISON AND TO DEATH.' AND THEN THAT SAME EVENING - THAT SAME 14:51 NIGHT - PETER DENIES KNOWING CHRIST, WHILE KEEPING WARM AT 14:55 THE ENEMY'S FIRE. IT'S EASY FOR US, WHEN OUR 14:59 FRIENDS ARE AROUND US, TO BE CHRISTIANS AND TO SAY THE RIGHT 15:03 THINGS. BUT WHEN WE'RE ALL ALONE, WHEN 15:07 OUR FRIENDS AREN'T AROUND US, WHEN WE'RE NOT AT CHURCH, ARE WE 15:10 STILL STANDING UP FOR WHAT WE KNOW TO BE RIGHT? 15:14 YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD THE SAYING, 'YOU NEED TO PRACTICE 15:17 WHAT YOU PREACH.' HOW TRUE THAT IS. 15:20 I REMEMBER AS A CHILD, MY PARENTS WOULD OFTEN SAY, 'YOU 15:22 HAVE TO PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH.' 15:25 REALLY IT'S NOT SO MUCH WHAT YOU SAY, IT'S HOW YOU LIVE YOUR LIFE 15:29 THAT GIVES THE GREATEST TESTIMONY TO OTHERS. 15:32 SO AS CHRISTIANS, WE WANT TO SHOW THAT WHAT WE BELIEVE IS 15:35 TRUE IN THE WAY THAT WE LIVE OUR LIVES. 15:38 HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TURNED AWAY FROM CHRISTIANITY BY THE 15:41 HYPOCRITICAL BEHAVIOR OF CHRISTIANS? 15:45 PEOPLE LOOK AT WHAT CHRISTIANS DO AND THEY SAY, 'WELL, IF 15:47 THAT'S WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A CHRISTIAN, 15:49 I DON'T WANT ANYTHING TO DO WITH CHRISTIANITY. 15:52 WE DON'T WANT TO BE THOSE KIND OF CHRISTIANS. 15:55 THE LAST PART OF THE VERSE SAYS, 'IF ANYONE DOES NOT STUMBLE IN 15:58 WORD, HE IS A PERFECT MAN, ABLE TO BRIDLE THE WHOLE BODY. 16:04 NOW, CONTROLLING OUR WORDS, ESPECIALLY UNDER DIFFICULT 16:07 CIRCUMSTANCES, IS EVIDENCE OF THE SANCTIFYING WORK OF THE HOLY 16:12 SPIRIT UPON THE HEART AND THE MIND OF THE INDIVIDUAL. 16:16 IN MATTHEW CHAPTER 12, VERSE 35, JESUS SAID, "A GOOD MAN OUT OF 16:20 THE GOOD TREASURE OF HIS HEART BRINGS FORTH GOOD THINGS, AND AN 16:24 EVIL MAN OUT OF THE EVIL TREASURE BRINGS FORTH EVIL 16:29 THINGS." OUR WORDS REVEAL OUR THOUGHTS. 16:33 IF OUR WORDS APPEAR KIND AND GOOD, THAT IS EVIDENCE THAT OUR 16:39 THOUGHTS ARE UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST. 16:44 IN MATTHEW CHAPTER 12, VERSE 34, "FOR OUT OF THE ABUNDANCE OF THE 16:47 HEART THE MOUTH SPEAKS." WE TALK ABOUT THINGS THAT ARE 16:53 CLOSEST TO OUR HEARTS. SO IF OUR HEARTS ARE FILLED WITH 16:57 THE LOVE OF JESUS, WE WILL DEMONSTRATE THAT LOVE IN THE WAY 17:02 THAT WE INTERACT WITH OTHERS. WE TALK ABOUT THE LOVE OF JESUS. 17:05 WE WILL TREAT OTHERS WITH THAT SAME LOVE - WITH THAT KINDNESS - 17:09 WITH THAT RESPECT. IF OUR HEARTS ARE NOT FILLED 17:13 WITH THE LOVE OF JESUS, WE WILL TREAT PEOPLE WITH HARSHNESS - 17:17 WITH A CRITICAL ATTITUDE. WHAT OUR HEARTS ARE FILLED WITH 17:21 WILL COME THROUGH IN THE WAY THAT WE SPEAK. 17:24 YOU KNOW, RECENTLY, OUR YOUTH PASTOR AT THE GRANITE BAY CHURCH 17:27 GOT MARRIED. NOW, I REMEMBER BEFORE HE GOT 17:29 MARRIED, WHEN HE GOT ENGAGED. HE WAS IN LOVE. 17:32 I MEAN, HE COULDN'T HOLD IT BACK. 17:34 EVERY VESPERS, SOMEHOW HE'D HAVE TO TALK ABOUT HIS FIANCE AND, 17:39 YOU KNOW, EVERY PRAYER MEETING HE'D HAVE TO BRING IN AN 17:42 ILLUSTRATION ABOUT HOW WONDERFUL HIS FIANCE IS AND, FINALLY, WHEN 17:46 HE GOT MARRIED WE THOUGHT, 'OKAY, YOU KNOW, THAT'S GOING TO 17:48 COME TO AN END.' IT DIDN'T! IT ONLY INCREASED. 17:50 EVERY SERMON THERE'D HAVE TO BE AN ILLUSTRATION ABOUT HIS 17:53 WONDERFUL WIFE. WHY? 17:55 BECAUSE HIS HEART WAS FILLED WITH LOVE. 17:58 I MEAN, IT JUST SHONE THROUGH IN EVERYTHING HE SAID AND IT'S JUST 18:01 A GLEAM IN HIS EYE. YOU KNOW, WHEN WE LOVE JESUS 18:05 IT'S GOING TO SHINE THROUGH IN EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE GOING 18:08 TO DO. IT'S GOING TO AFFECT OUR SPEECH. 18:10 NOT ONLY DO WE TALK ABOUT JESUS, BUT THE WAY WE TALK ABOUT OTHER 18:14 PEOPLE WILL BE SEASONED WITH THE LOVE THAT WE HAVE FOR JESUS. 18:19 WE WILL TREAT PEOPLE DIFFERENTLY BECAUSE THEY ARE THE CHILDREN OF 18:21 JESUS, RIGHT? THEY'RE THE CHILDREN OF GOD. 18:24 SO THE LOVE - THE LOVE THAT WE HAVE FOR CHRIST SHOULD AFFECT 18:28 THE WAY WE TALK ABOUT OTHERS - THE WAY WE INTERACT WITH OTHERS. 18:31 THAT'S A DEMONSTRATION THAT CHRIST IS LIVING WITHIN OUR 18:34 HEARTS. I THINK WE'RE GETTING READY FOR 18:36 OUR NEXT VERSE. JAMES CHAPTER 3, VERSE 3. 18:40 NOW JAMES IS GOING TO GIVE US SOME ILLUSTRATIONS WITH 18:43 REFERENCE TO THE POWER OF OUR WORDS AND HOW WE OUGHT TO 18:47 CONTROL OUR WORDS AND THEN HE'S GOING TO TELL US HOW WE CAN 18:50 CONTROL OUR WORDS WHICH, OF COURSE, IS THE IMPORTANT PART. 18:53 WE NEED THE HOLY SPIRIT'S HELP FOR THAT. 18:54 SO LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT JAMES CHAPTER 3, VERSE 3. 18:57 >>"BEHOLD, WE PUT BITS IN THE HORSES' MOUTHS, THAT THEY MAY 19:02 OBEY US; AND WE TURN ABOUT THEIR WHOLE BODY." 19:05 >>THANK YOU. NOTICE HE USES THE ILLUSTRATION 19:08 HERE ABOUT A HORSE AND PUTTING A BIT IN THE HORSE'S MOUTH. 19:13 AS AN UNRULY HORSE ENDANGERS ITS RIDER, SO THE UNRULY TONGUE 19:20 ENDANGERS THE CHRISTIAN'S WITNESS. 19:23 HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU SAID SOMETHING ONLY TO THINK, 'OH, I 19:27 WISH I DIDN'T SAY THAT?' I SAW A BANNER THAT SOMEBODY HAD 19:31 - IT WENT SOMETHING LIKE, 'I WISH MY MOUTH HAD A BACKSPACE 19:35 KEY.' HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT THAT? 19:37 I WISH I COULD JUST ERASE THAT BUT IT'S ALREADY BEEN SAID. 19:41 HOW DO YOU GET THAT - YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU REMOVE THAT - BUT 19:43 IT'S BEEN SAID? YOU KNOW, I WISH WE COULD DO 19:46 THAT, BUT WE CAN'T. ONCE IT'S SAID, IT'S SAID. 19:49 IT'S NOT ALWAYS EASY TO CONTROL OUR WORDS, ESPECIALLY - YOU 19:53 KNOW, WHEN SOMEBODY IRRITATES US OR THEY SAY SOMETHING THAT WE 19:56 MIGHT KNOW IS NOT TRUE. IT'S SO EASY FOR THAT SELFISH 20:00 NATURE TO JUST, SORT OF, SPRING INTO ACTION AND SAY SOMETHING 20:04 ONLY TO REGRET IT LATER ON. YOU CAN CONTROL THE HORSE, BUT 20:08 CAN WE CONTROL OUR TONGUE? YOU KNOW, OUR WORDS CAN BRING 20:13 ENCOURAGEMENT, THEY CAN BRING JOY, BUT THEY CAN ALSO BRING 20:17 PAIN, THEY CAN ALSO BRING SORROW. 20:20 WELL LET'S, FOR JUST A MOMENT, BEFORE WE TALK ABOUT THE DANGER 20:23 OF SAYING THE WRONG THING, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE POSITIVE SIDE 20:26 FIRST - ABOUT THE POWER OF SAYING THE RIGHT THING AT THE 20:30 RIGHT TIME - HOW WORDS CAN BRING ENCOURAGEMENT AND HOW THEY CAN 20:33 BRING JOY. THE BIBLE HAS A LOT OF THINGS TO 20:35 SAY ABOUT THE POWER OF THE WORD. FOR EXAMPLE, IN JEREMIAH CHAPTER 20:39 15, VERSE 16 WE READ, "THY WORDS WERE FOUND," - THIS IS SPEAKING 20:43 ABOUT THE WORD OF GOD - "THY WORDS WERE FOUND AND I DID EAT 20:46 THEM;" - THAT MEANS TO RECEIVE THEM - "AND THY WORD WAS UNTO ME 20:49 THE JOY AND REJOICING OF MINE HEART." 20:53 SO THE WORD - THE WORD OF GOD - CAN BRING JOY AND REJOICING AND 20:58 WE CAN BRING JOY AND REJOICING TO ANOTHER. 21:01 WE CAN SPEAK A WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT. 21:03 YOU'VE PROBABLY HAD THAT EXPERIENCE WHERE YOU MIGHT BE 21:05 BURDENED DOWN - YOU MIGHT BE TROUBLED WITH SOMETHING - AND 21:08 YOU MEET A FRIEND AND THEY SMILE AND THEY SPEAK A WORD OF 21:11 ENCOURAGEMENT AND THEY HELP LIFT THAT BURDEN, THEY GIVE YOU THE 21:15 ENCOURAGEMENT TO KEEP PRESSING ON. 21:17 AND MAYBE YOU'RE DISCOURAGED AND YOU GO TO CHURCH AND A FRIENDLY 21:20 CHURCH MEMBER SHAKES YOUR HAND AND THEY ENCOURAGE YOU OR THEY 21:23 HAVE A WORD OF PRAYER WITH YOU AND THEY ENCOURAGE YOU TO KEEP 21:26 PRESSING ON. WE NEED TO DO THAT, ESPECIALLY 21:29 AS WE NEAR THE END OF TIME. WE NEED FELLOW BROTHERS AND 21:31 SISTERS TO BE ENCOURAGING US - TO BE LIFTING ONE ANOTHER UP - 21:35 TO BE PRESSING TOGETHER. SO WORDS HELP TO BRING JOY, TO 21:40 BRING ENCOURAGEMENT AND WE NEED THAT. 21:41 WORDS, OF COURSE, ALSO BRING SPIRITUAL LIFE. 21:45 ON ONE OCCASION, JESUS WAS SURROUNDED BY A LARGE CROWD OF 21:49 PEOPLE AND HE SAID, 'EXCEPT YOU EAT MY FLESH AND DRINK MY BLOOD, 21:53 YOU HAVE NO LIFE IN YOU.' AND THE PEOPLE LOOKED AT ONE ANOTHER 21:56 AND THEY SAID, 'OH, WHAT DOES HE MEAN? EAT MY FLESH?' 21:59 AND MANY WERE OFFENDED BY THIS AND THEY TURNED AND THEY LEFT. 22:03 THE DISCIPLES, THEY LOOKED AT ONE ANOTHER AND SAID, 'WE DON'T 22:06 UNDERSTAND WHAT HE'S SAYING.' JESUS SAID TO THE DISCIPLES, 22:08 'ARE YOU ALSO GOING TO LEAVE?' THEY SAID, 'LORD, WE HAVE 22:11 NOWHERE TO GO BUT THIS IS A HARD SAYING. 22:13 WHAT DO YOU MEAN EAT YOUR FLESH AND DRINK YOUR BLOOD?' 22:15 JESUS FINALLY EXPLAINED TO THEM, HE SAID, 'THE FLESH PROFITS 22:19 NOTHING BUT THE WORDS THAT I SPEAK UNTO YOU THEY ARE SPIRIT 22:23 AND THEY ARE LIFE.' TO EAT THE FLESH OF CHRIST IS TO RECEIVE 22:26 HIS WORD - TO MAKE IT YOUR OWN. 22:28 THERE IS LIFE-GIVING POWER IN RECEIVING THE WORD OF GOD. 22:33 SO EVERY DAY, AS WE SPEND TIME IN THE WORD OF GOD - AS WE FEAST 22:37 UPON HIS WORD - AS WE READ THE BIBLE, WE ARE RECEIVING THAT 22:41 LIFE-GIVING POWER THAT BRINGS SPIRITUAL STRENGTH AND 22:45 NOURISHMENT TO OUR LIFE. JESUS ILLUSTRATED THIS WITH A STORY. 22:49 HE SAID, 'ONE DAY THERE WERE TWO MEN BUILDING HOUSES.' - 22:51 YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THIS? 22:53 - 'THE ONE MAN,' - JESUS SAID - 'BUILT HIS HOUSE UPON A ROCK AND 22:56 WHEN THE WINDS CAME AND THE RAIN AND THE FLOODS, THE HOUSE STOOD 22:59 FIRM BECAUSE IT WAS FOUNDED UPON A ROCK. 23:02 THE FOOLISH MAN,' - JESUS SAID - 'BUILT HIS HOUSE UPON THE SAND 23:05 AND WHEN THE WINDS CAME AND THE FLOODS AND THE STORMS, THE HOUSE 23:08 FELL AND GREAT WAS ITS FALL.' NOW, ALL OF US, WHETHER WE 23:13 RECOGNIZE IT OR NOT, WE'RE ALL BUSY BUILDING SOMETHING. 23:16 WHAT DO YOU SUPPOSE WE'RE ALL BUILDING? 23:20 WE'RE ALL BUILDING CHARACTER AND ONE DAY OUR CHARACTERS ARE GOING 23:25 TO BE TESTED. THEY'RE GOING TO BE TESTED WITH 23:28 TRIALS AND DIFFICULTIES. OUR FAITH WILL BE TRIED. 23:31 IF WE'RE BUILDING OUR FAITH - IF WE'RE BUILDING OUR CHARACTERS 23:35 UPON THE ROCK JESUS CHRIST - UPON HIS WORD - IF WE'RE 23:38 FEASTING UPON THE LIVING WORD, WHEN THOSE TRIALS COME OUR WAY, 23:43 WHEN OUR FAITH IS TESTED, IT WILL ENDURE IF WE'RE FEASTING ON 23:47 THE WORD OF GOD. IF WE'RE BUILDING OUR CHARACTERS 23:50 SIMPLY UPON THE SHIFTING SANDS OF OUR FEELINGS - OF COURSE OUR 23:54 FEELINGS GO UP AND DOWN - IF WE'RE SIMPLY BUILDING OUR 23:57 CHARACTERS UPON OUR FEELINGS, WHEN THOSE TRIALS AND THOSE 24:01 DIFFICULTIES COME OUR WAY, WHEN OUR FAITH IS TESTED, OUR 24:04 CHARACTERS WILL COLLAPSE - OUR FAITH WILL FAIL. 24:07 BUT IF WE'RE FEASTING UPON THE WORD OF GOD, WE WILL ENDURE. 24:12 SO WE NEED TO BE FEASTING UPON THE LIVING WORD - THAT'LL GIVE 24:15 US SPIRITUAL STRENGTH AND NOURISHMENT - THAT'LL ENABLE US 24:18 TO ENDURE WHEN THESE TRIALS COME OUR WAY. 24:22 NOW, OF COURSE, JAMES IS GOING TO GO ON. 24:23 HE'S SPOKEN ABOUT HOW THAT YOU CAN CONTROL THE TONGUE OF A 24:26 HORSE - OR THAT YOU CAN CONTROL A HORSE BY PUTTING A BIT IN ITS 24:28 MOUTH BUT YOU CAN'T CONTROL THE HUMAN TONGUE. 24:31 NOW HE'S GOING TO GO ON AND GIVE US SOME FURTHER ILLUSTRATIONS. 24:34 SO THE NEXT ONE HERE IS VERSE 4, SO LET'S GET READY TO READ VERSE 24:38 4 AND HE'S GOING TO USE ANOTHER OBJECT THAT WAS FAIRLY FAMILIAR 24:41 TO THE JEWS. LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT VERSE 4. 24:45 >>"LOOK ALSO AT SHIPS, ALTHOUGH THEY ARE SO LARGE AND ARE DRIVEN 24:49 BY FIERCE WINDS, THEY ARE TURNED BY A VERY SMALL RUDDER WHEREVER 24:53 THE PILOT DESIRES." 24:54 >>THANK YOU. NOW, OF COURSE, TO THE JEWS - TO 24:57 THOSE TO WHOM JAMES WAS ORIGINALLY WRITING, PEOPLE WERE 25:01 VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE SHIPS DURING NEW TESTAMENT TIMES. 25:06 THE ROMAN EMPIRE WAS BORDERED BY THE MEDITERRANEAN AND ROMAN 25:10 SHIPPING WAS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF THE ROMAN ECONOMY. 25:14 THE ROMAN SHIPS WERE BIG FOR THEIR TIME, THE SHIPS USED BY 25:19 THE ROMAN EMPIRE FOR TRADE WERE VERY LARGE IN COMPARISON TO THE 25:24 SMALLER FISHING VESSELS, WHICH YOU READ ABOUT DURING THE TIME 25:28 OF THE DISCIPLES IN THE SEA OF GALILEE. SOME OF THESE BIG ROMAN 25:32 SHIPS COULD CARRY AS MUCH AS 270 OR 300 PEOPLE. 25:37 THE SHIP THAT PAUL WAS ON, ON HIS WAY TO MALTA, CARRIED 276 25:42 PEOPLE PLUS GEAR AND WATER AND FOOD. 25:45 SO IT WAS A FAIRLY BIG SHIP, OF COURSE, ALL MADE OUT OF WOOD. 25:49 THAT WOULD BE SMALL IN COMPARISON TO THE SHIPS THAT WE 25:52 HAVE TODAY, BUT IT WAS STILL BIG FOR THAT TIME PERIOD. 25:56 AND SO NOW HE'S USING AN OBJECT THAT PEOPLE WERE FAIRLY FAMILIAR 25:59 WITH AND HE'S ILLUSTRATING HOW THAT THIS BIG SHIP COULD BE 26:01 CONTROLLED BY A SMALL RUDDER, JUST LIKE A BIG HORSE COULD BE 26:06 CONTROLLED BY A SMALL BIT SO NOW THIS BIG SHIP COULD BE 26:09 CONTROLLED BY A SMALL RUDDER. THE LAST PART IT TALKS ABOUT HOW 26:14 THE RUDDER CONTROLS THE SHIP. IT'S INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT 26:17 EVEN THOUGH THE RUDDER GUIDES THE SHIP, IT IS THE CAPTAIN, OR 26:20 THE PILOT, THAT CONTROLS THE RUDDER. SO ALTHOUGH THE TONGUE, 26:27 IN A SENSE, GUIDES THE CHARACTER, IT IS THE WILL OR THE 26:31 MIND THAT HAS TO CONTROL THE TONGUE. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? 26:36 SO WHAT WE SAY IS A REVELATION OF OUR HEART, BUT IT'S STILL 26:43 THE MIND THAT CONTROLS WHAT WE SAY. 26:47 WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE WILL OR THE MIND OF THE 26:50 CHRISTIAN IS UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. 26:54 AND THAT'S WHY WE NEED TO BE SURRENDERING OUR HEARTS AND OUR 26:57 MINDS CONTINUALLY TO THE WORKING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT - 27:01 SURRENDERING OURSELVES TO CHRIST. 27:03 WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE RIGHT ANSWER - THE ANSWER THAT 27:07 GOD WOULD HAVE US GIVE UNDER DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES. 27:11 IN PROVERBS CHAPTER 15, VERSE 1 IT SAYS, "A SOFT ANSWER TURNS 27:15 AWAY WRATH BUT A HARSH WORD STIRS UP ANGER." 27:21 IT'S ALWAYS BETTER TO GIVE A SOFT ANSWER. 27:23 IT TURNS AWAY WRATH. I REMEMBER AN EXPERIENCE WHERE 27:27 THIS VERSE REALLY CAME HOME TO ME. 27:30 I SPENT A YEAR AS A STUDENT MISSIONARY IN TAIWAN AND, WHILE 27:33 THERE, WE HAD A GROUP OF STUDENT MISSIONARIES AND WE WERE 27:36 TRAVELING FROM ONE CITY TO ANOTHER. 27:38 IT WAS LATE AT NIGHT AND WE HAD A LOCAL PERSON WHO WAS DRIVING 27:43 THE CAR, I WAS SITTING IN THE FRONT SEAT, AND WE STOPPED AT A 27:46 LIGHT AND THERE WEREN'T VERY MANY CARS ON THE ROAD AND THE 27:49 LIGHT TURNED GREEN AND HE WAS BUSY FIDDLING WITH SOMETHING - I 27:53 THINK IT WAS THE CD PLAYER OR THE RADIO - WHATEVER IT WAS, 27:56 BUT THERE WAS A CAR BEHIND US AND WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED 27:58 GREEN HE DIDN'T PULL AWAY RIGHT AWAY. 28:00 I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE SITUATION WAS WITH THE DRIVER AT THE BACK, 28:04 BUT HE GOT VERY ANGRY THAT WE DIDN'T PULL AWAY FAST ENOUGH AND 28:08 FINALLY, WHEN HE DID PULL AWAY, THE CAR BEHIND US DROVE UP NEXT 28:11 TO US AND PUSHED US OVER INTO THE CENTER DIVIDE UNTIL WE CAME 28:15 TO A STANDSTILL AND THE MAN JUMPED OUT OF THE CAR AND I 28:22 LOOKED OVER AND WHEN HE CLIMBED OUT OF THE CAR I NOTICED THAT HE 28:25 HAD SOMETHING IN HIS HAND. AND I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, 28:27 'I CAN'T BELIEVE IT.' AND I LOOKED 28:28 OVER AND HE HAD A GUN IN HIS HAND. 28:30 I THOUGHT, 'WHAT?' WELL, FORTUNATELY, I HAD THE 28:33 PRESENCE OF MIND TO LOCK MY DOOR AND I DID LOCK MY DOOR. 28:37 AND THE WINDOWS - IT WAS DARK, IT WAS AT NIGHT AND SO HE 28:39 COULDN'T SEE THROUGH THE SIDE WINDOW BECAUSE IT WAS TINTED - 28:43 AND SO HE TRIED TO OPEN THE DOOR. 28:45 WELL, WHEN HE COULDN'T OPEN THE DOOR I THINK THAT MADE HIM EVEN 28:47 MORE ANGRY SO HE FLEW AROUND TO THE FRONT OF THE CAR AND HE 28:51 POINTED THE GUN THROUGH THE FRONT WINDOW - 28:53 WINDSHIELD OF THE CAR, AND HE POINTED RIGHT AT ME. 28:56 SO THERE I WAS, STARING UP THE BARREL OF THIS GUN AND THE MAN 28:59 WAS SHAKING TERRIBLY AND JUST IN A TERRIBLE RAGE, AND IT WAS ONE 29:04 OF THOSE MOMENTS WHERE YOU - ALL YOU CAN DO IS PRAY AND THINK, 29:08 'WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT?' WELL, WHEN HE SAW THAT IT WAS A 29:11 FOREIGNER SITTING IN THE CAR, I THINK THAT THREW HIM FOR A 29:14 LITTLE BIT OF A LOOP, BUT THE DRIVER, WHO WAS CHINESE, ROLLED 29:18 DOWN HIS WINDOW A LITTLE BIT AND STARTED SPEAKING IN VERY SOFT, 29:22 GENTLE TONES. I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT HE 29:25 WAS SAYING BUT HE STARTED SPEAKING IN A VERY SOFT, GENTLE 29:28 TONE TO THIS MAN WHO WAS JUST BESIDE HIMSELF WITH RAGE AND I 29:32 WITNESSED HOW THAT THIS VERSE LITERALLY CALMED THE MAN DOWN. 29:36 I DON'T KNOW WHAT HE SAID BUT HE SPOKE VERY CALMLY, VERY GENTLY, 29:40 AND FINALLY HE CONVINCED THE MAN TO COME OVER TO WHERE HE WAS ON 29:43 HIS SIDE OF THE CAR AND HE KEPT TALKING AND TALKING JUST IN 29:46 GENTLE TONES, CALMLY - AND THE MAN WAS ALL ANGRY AND ANGRY 29:50 - HE JUST KEPT TALKING CALMLY, GENTLY, CALMLY - AND FINALLY THE 29:54 MAN CALMED DOWN TO THE POINT WHERE HE PUT DOWN THE GUN AND HE 29:57 WALKED OVER AND HE GOT INTO HIS CAR AND HE DROVE AWAY. 30:00 AND, OF COURSE, THERE WERE SOME OTHER STUDENT MISSIONARIES THAT 30:02 WERE WITH US IN THE BACK OF THE CAR AND AS WE DROVE AWAY THERE 30:05 WAS THIS QUIETNESS IN THE CAR AND EVERYONE WAS REALLY SOBER 30:07 AND GUESS WHAT VERSE POPPED INTO MY MIND? 30:10 'A SOFT ANSWER TURNS AWAY WRATH.' I THOUGHT, 'WELL THANK 30:14 YOU, LORD.' I'M SURE GLAD THAT THIS MAN HAD THE PRESENCE OF 30:17 MIND NOT TO RESPOND IN A HASTY FASHION - NOT TO TRY AND DO 30:22 SOMETHING SILLY, BUT TO RESPOND IN A SOFT, GENTLE MANNER. 30:26 AND I THINK IT SAVED PEOPLE'S LIVES. 30:28 IT'S TRUE, A SOFT ANSWER TURNS AWAY WRATH. 30:33 YOU KNOW, BIBLE COUNSEL WORKS AND IT'S TRUE. 30:37 AS CHRISTIANS IT'S ALWAYS BETTER TO SEEK PEACE, RIGHT? 30:42 DON'T ALLOW THAT SELFISH NATURE TO RISE UP WHEN SOMEONE OFFENDS 30:46 US, RATHER RESPOND IN A SOFT, GENTLE MANNER. 30:50 FOLLOW THE EXAMPLE OF CHRIST. 30:52 JESUS, EVEN WHEN HE WAS BEING ARRESTED AND BEING ACCUSED, HE 30:55 DIDN'T RETALIATE WITH ANGER. HE DIDN'T GET MAD. 30:59 HE RESPONDED IN A SOFT, GENTLE MANNER. 31:01 THAT'S HIS EXAMPLE THAT HE GIVES US. ARE WE READY TO READ 31:05 VERSE 5? WHO'S GOT VERSE 5 FOR US? THANK YOU. 31:09 >>"EVEN SO, THE TONGUE IS A LITTLE MEMBER AND BOASTS GREAT 31:12 THINGS. SEE HOW GREAT A FOREST A LITTLE FIRE KINDLES!" 31:16 >>THANK YOU. A GREAT FOREST CAN BE BROUGHT TO 31:20 ASHES BY JUST A TINY LITTLE FLAME. 31:24 NOW, LIVING HERE IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA WE'VE ACTUALLY 31:26 WITNESSED HERE, OF LATE, JUST SOME TREMENDOUS FOREST FIRES. 31:30 JUST YESTERDAY WE GOT A CALL HERE AT WORK THAT A FIRE HAD 31:34 BROKEN OUT IN THE FOOTHILLS IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. 31:36 I GOT A MESSAGE FROM MY FAMILY THAT THERE WAS AN EVACUATION 31:42 NOTICE POSTED FOR OUR AREA AND THAT WE HAD TO GO HOME AND PACK 31:46 OUR BELONGINGS AND GET READY TO EVACUATE. 31:49 THE FIRE WAS MOVING IN OUR DIRECTION. WE DID - LOST POWER - 31:55 AND WE WAITED FOR THE SHERIFF TO COME AND TELL US TO LEAVE. 31:58 BUT THE WIND CHANGED DIRECTION, WE DIDN'T HAVE TO LEAVE. 32:01 UNFORTUNATELY, SOME HOMES WERE BURNT IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD JUST 32:05 DOWN THE STREET FROM WHERE WE WERE. 32:07 BUT IT'S AMAZING HOW JUST A LITTLE FLAME - AND I GUESS THIS 32:11 FIRE STARTED WITH AN INDIVIDUAL JUST THROWING OUT SOME PAPERS 32:15 THAT WERE ON FIRE AND IT TURNED INTO THIS RAGING FOREST FIRE. 32:18 AND HOW STRANGE IT IS THAT JUST ONE OR TWO CARELESS WORDS SPOKEN 32:23 IN THE CHURCH CAN BRING ABOUT SO MUCH - JUST PAIN AND SORROW AND 32:29 CAN TEAR APART THE HARMONY OF THE CHURCH - JUST CARELESS 32:34 GOSSIP CAN BRING ABOUT SO MUCH PAIN. 32:37 YOU REMEMBER AS CHILDREN WE USED TO PLAY THE GAME 'BROKEN 32:40 TELEPHONE' - YOU ALL REMEMBER THAT? 32:42 WHERE - EVEN IF I DID IT HERE - IF I WENT OVER TO JEREMY AND I 32:45 WHISPERED SOMETHING IN HIS EAR AND THEN HE WENT DOWN AND WE 32:48 JUST MADE OUR WAY ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE VERY END, CAN YOU 32:51 IMAGINE IF I GAVE YOU A LINE HERE - TOLD YOU SOMETHING HERE - 32:54 BY THE TIME IT REACHED ALL THE WAY DOWN THERE TO ALLEN, DO YOU 32:57 THINK WHAT I'VE TOLD JEREMY WOULD REACH ALLEN IN PERFECT 33:00 ORDER AND COMPLETION? PROBABLY NOT, RIGHT? 33:04 IT WILL PROBABLY BE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. 33:07 I TELL JEREMY ONE LINE OVER HERE, IT'LL PROBABLY BE 33:10 COMPLETELY DIFFERENT BY THE TIME IT REACHES ALLEN. ISN'T THAT 33:13 EXACTLY THE WAY IT WORKS IF GOSSIP STARTS IN THE CHURCH? 33:17 I'VE HEARD IT, YOU KNOW, MANY TIMES, WHERE SOMETHING WILL BE 33:21 SAID IN THE CHURCH AND FINALLY IT MAKES ITS WAY BACK TO THE 33:23 PASTOR AND I KNOW THE FACTS AND I'M THINKING TO MYSELF, 'THIS IS 33:26 SO FAR FROM THE FACTS.' IT DOESN'T EVEN HAVE A RESEMBLANCE 33:30 OF TRUTH BECAUSE IT GOES FROM ONE PERSON TO ANOTHER PERSON TO 33:33 ANOTHER PERSON AND BY THE TIME IT WORKS ITS WAY AROUND THE 33:36 CHURCH, IT IS SO FAR AWAY FROM WHAT IT ACTUALLY BEGAN WITH - 33:40 AND THAT'S WHY, WHEN WE FACE GOSSIP, WHAT IS THE BEST THING 33:43 TO SAY? 'YOU KNOW WHAT, I'M NOT EVEN 33:45 GOING TO GO THERE. YOU KNOW, WHY DON'T YOU TALK TO 33:47 THE PERSON INVOLVED?' GO DIRECTLY TO THE PERSON. 33:50 THAT'S FOLLOWING THE BIBLICAL COUNSEL. 33:52 IF SOMEBODY RAISES A CONCERN, GO TALK TO THE PERSON DIRECTLY. 33:55 THAT'S FOLLOWING THE EXAMPLE THAT JESUS HAS GIVEN US. 33:58 IF YOU HAVE A CONCERN, TALK TO THE PERSON DIRECTLY. 34:01 ALRIGHT, WE'RE READY FOR VERSE #6? WHO'S GOT VERSE #6? 34:05 RIGHT UP HERE IN THE FRONT? 34:06 WE'LL JUST WAIT FOR THE CAMERA TO GET TO YOU. 34:07 ALRIGHT, LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT VERSE 6. 34:11 >>"THE TONGUE ALSO IS A FIRE, A WORLD OF EVIL: AMONG THE PARTS 34:16 OF THE BODY IT CORRUPTS THE WHOLE PERSON, AND SETS THE WHOLE 34:20 COURSE OF HIS LIFE ON FIRE AND IT IS ITSELF SET ON FIRE BY 34:25 HELL." >>THANK YOU. 34:26 AGAIN, JAMES IS TALKING ABOUT THE TONGUE AND IT'S CONNECTED 34:29 WITH FIRE. I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A MORE 34:31 DESTRUCTIVE FORCE IN NATURE THAN THAT OF FIRE. 34:34 AND SO, JAMES IS EMPHASIZING HOW THAT WORDS SPOKEN WITHOUT 34:40 THOUGHT OR CARE CAN BE VERY DESTRUCTIVE, 34:43 ESPECIALLY IN THE CHURCH. 34:46 NOW HE REFERS TO THE WORD THERE 'INIQUITY.' HE TALKS ABOUT THE 34:50 TONGUE AND HE DESCRIBES IT AS FIRE, BUT THEN HE ALSO SAYS, 'IT 34:54 IS A WORLD OF INIQUITY.' NOW IN THE BIBLE THERE ARE THREE WORDS 34:58 OFTEN USED ASSOCIATED WITH SIN. YOU HAVE THE WORD 'SIN' WHICH 35:02 LITERALLY MEANS 'TO MISS THE MARK.' GOD HAS SET A STANDARD 35:06 FOR CHRISTIANS. WHEN WE FALL SHORT OF THAT 35:08 STANDARD WE ARE GUILTY OF SIN, THAT IS, TO MISS THE MARK. 35:12 ANOTHER WORD THAT WE FIND IN THE BIBLE WITH REFERENCE TO SIN IS 35:15 'TRANSGRESSION.' THE WORD 'TRANSGRESSION' MEANS 'TO BREAK 35:18 GOD'S LAW.' THE THIRD WORD, 'INIQUITY,' MEANS 'A BENT 35:21 TOWARDS SELF' OR 'SELFISHNESS.' NOW IT SAYS HERE, SPEAKING OF 35:26 THE TONGUE, 'IT IS A WORLD OF INIQUITY.' MEANING, OFTEN, 35:31 GOSSIP IS MOTIVATED BY SELFISHNESS. 35:35 WE'LL OFTEN SAY SOMETHING BAD ABOUT SOMEBODY ELSE BECAUSE, 35:38 ULTIMATELY, WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE OURSELVES LOOK GOOD. 35:41 IT'S MOTIVATED BY SELFISHNESS. 35:43 NINETY PERCENT OF GOSSIP IN THE CHURCH IS MOTIVATED BY 35:47 SELFISHNESS - WANTING TO MAKE OURSELVES LOOK GOOD. 35:52 NOW THIS SHOULDN'T SURPRISE US BECAUSE THE FATHER OF LIES IS 35:55 WHO? SATAN, THE DEVIL, AND HE STARTED 35:59 ALL OF THIS REBELLION IN HEAVEN BECAUSE OF SELFISHNESS. 36:03 WE READ IN REVELATION CHAPTER 12, VERSE 4, TALKING ABOUT THIS 36:07 WAR IN HEAVEN, SATAN, THE DRAGON - IT SAYS, "HIS TAIL DREW A 36:12 THIRD OF THE STARS OF HEAVEN AND THREW THEM TO THE EARTH." 36:16 SO HERE WE HAVE THIS DESCRIPTION OF THIS WAR IN HEAVEN - SATAN 36:20 AND HIS ANGELS FOUGHT AGAINST MICHAEL. 36:22 MICHAEL IS THE SYMBOLIC NAME OR THE PROPHETIC NAME OF CHRIST AND 36:26 THE ANGEL - THERE'S THIS WAR IN HEAVEN - IT SAYS THE DRAGON 36:29 WAS ABLE TO DECEIVE A THIRD OF THE ANGELS. 36:32 NOW IT SAYS HE USED HIS TAIL AND HE DREW A THIRD OF THE ANGELS TO 36:37 JOIN HIS REBELLION. HE DIDN'T USE HIS CLAW. 36:40 HE DIDN'T USE HIS TEETH, BUT HE USED HIS TAIL. 36:44 ANY SIGNIFICANCE TO THE DRAGON USING HIS TAIL? 36:47 YES, REVELATION IS A SYMBOLIC BOOK, IT'S SIGNIFICANT THAT THE 36:51 DRAGON USED HIS TAIL. IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, THE TAIL 36:55 IS USED TO DESCRIBE FALSE PROPHETS WHO SPEAK LIES - 37:01 WHO SPEAK DECEIT. THEY'RE REFERRED TO AS THE TAIL. 37:05 SO HERE YOU FIND LUCIFER IN HEAVEN SPEAKING LIES - USING 37:10 DECEIT TO DECEIVE A THIRD OF THE ANGELS TO JOIN HIS REBELLION 37:15 AGAINST GOD. HE'S STILL USING THE SAME TACTIC 37:18 TODAY IN THE CHURCH TO BRING DISUNION TO TRY AND DISRUPT THE 37:23 HARMONY OF THE CHURCH. PEOPLE SPEAKING LIES. AND, AGAIN, 37:28 THE MOTIVATION BEHIND THAT IS SELFISHNESS OR INIQUITY. 37:32 IN THE BOOK 'PATRIARCHS AND PROPHETS,' SPEAKING ABOUT THIS 37:35 WAR IN HEAVEN, WE HAVE THIS STATEMENT - IT SAYS, "LUCIFER 37:38 BEGAN TO INSINUATE DOUBTS CONCERNING THE LAWS THAT GOVERN 37:43 THE HEAVENLY BEINGS." AND SO HE BEGAN TO SPREAD RUMORS 37:48 IN HEAVEN. PSALM 34:13 SAYS, "KEEP YOUR TONGUE FROM EVIL 37:54 AND YOUR LIPS FROM SPEAKING DECEIT." THE LAST PART OF VERSE 37:59 6 SAYS, "AND IT SETS ON FIRE BY HELL," SPEAKING ABOUT THE TONGUE 38:04 AND DECEIT AND LIES AND INIQUITY. THE WORDS WE RECEIVE 38:08 ALWAYS PRODUCE A HARVEST IN OUR HEARTS OR IN OUR LIVES. 38:14 SO IF WE LISTEN TO GOSSIP, AND WE FEED ON GOSSIP, IT'S GOING TO 38:18 PRODUCE SOME KIND OF A HARVEST WITHIN US - 38:21 IT'S JUST A LAW OF NATURE. WE BECOME WHAT WE BEHOLD. 38:26 SO IF WE'RE CONSTANTLY FEEDING UPON THESE THINGS, IT'S GOING TO 38:29 CHANGE US - IT'S GOING TO HAVE AN EFFECT UPON US. 38:32 JESUS TOLD A PARABLE, AND YOU FIND IT IN MATTHEW CHAPTER 13, 38:36 ABOUT A CERTAIN FARMER WHO PLANTED SEED IN HIS FIELD. 38:40 BUT AT NIGHT, WHILE HE SLEPT, AN ENEMY CAME AND PLANTED TARES 38:44 AMONGST THE WHEAT. ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THAT PARABLE? 38:46 AND THEN WHEN THE WHEAT BEGAN TO GROW, THE TARES APPEARED WITH 38:49 THE WHEAT AND THEN THE SERVANTS CAME AND SAID, 'WELL, DO YOU 38:53 WANT US TO GO UP AND PULL OUT THE TARES?' 38:55 AND THE LANDOWNER SAID, 'NO, LET THE TARES GROW TOGETHER WITH THE 38:58 WHEAT AND THEN AT THE TIME OF THE HARVEST WE'LL SEND OUT THE 39:02 REAPERS AND THEY'LL GATHER ALL THE TARES, BIND THEM IN BUNDLES 39:06 TO BURN THEM, AND WE'LL GATHER THE WHEAT INTO THE BARN.' WELL, 39:10 AFTER A WHILE, THE DISCIPLES CAME TO JESUS AND THEY SAID, 39:12 'LORD, EXPLAIN TO US THE PARABLE OF THE WHEAT AND THE TARES.' 39:15 THEN JESUS EXPLAINED TO THEM THAT THE FARMER WAS THE SON OF 39:19 MAN AND THE FIELD WAS THE WORLD AND HE WHO SOWED THE GOOD SEED 39:24 WAS THE SON OF MAN AND THE GOOD SEED WOULD BE THE WORD - THE 39:27 SCRIPTURES - BUT HE WHO SOWS THE TARES WOULD BE THE WICKED ONE. 39:31 AND THE TARES WOULD BE THE CHILDREN OF THE WORLD OR THOSE 39:35 WHO RECEIVE THE LIES OF SATAN. AND THE DESCRIPTION GIVEN HERE 39:40 OF CHRIST IS THAT, IN THE WORLD, OR EVEN IN THE CHURCH, THERE 39:43 WOULD BE BOTH THE WEEDS AND THE WHEAT GROWING TOGETHER. 39:48 THE HARVEST IS THE END OF THE AGE. 39:51 WHAT WE RECEIVE, IF WE RECEIVE THE WORD OF GOD, IT IS RIPENING 39:56 US FOR THE HARVEST FOR HEAVEN. IF WE ARE FEASTING UPON THE LIES 40:02 OF SATAN, IF WE ARE FEASTING UPON THE GOSSIPS, EVEN IN THE 40:06 CHURCH, IT IS HAVING AN IMPACT UPON US. IT IS HARVESTING - 40:10 IT IS RIPENING US FOR THE WRONG HARVEST. 40:13 WHAT WE FEED UPON IS HAVING AN IMPACT UPON OUR CHARACTERS. 40:18 SO IT'S IMPORTANT UPON - IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO THINK ABOUT 40:21 WHAT WE ARE FEEDING OUR MINDS ON - WHAT WE ARE FEEDING OUR HEARTS 40:24 ON. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? IT IS A SERIOUS MATTER, WHAT WE 40:28 THINK ABOUT - WHAT WE RECEIVE - WHAT WE TALK ABOUT. 40:31 IT HAS AN IMPACT UPON OUR CHARACTERS - UPON OUR HEARTS. 40:35 ALRIGHT, LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT VERSE 7. 40:38 >>"FOR EVERY KIND OF BEAST AND BIRD, OF REPTILE AND CREATURE OF 40:43 THE SEA, IS TAMED AND HAS BEEN TAMED BY MANKIND." 40:47 >>ALRIGHT, SO NOW JAMES IS USING ANOTHER ILLUSTRATION, TALKING 40:51 ABOUT HOW THAT A SHIP IS CONTROLLED BY A LITTLE RUDDER, 40:54 HORSES ARE CONTROLLED BY A BIT, AND NOW HE'S USING ANIMALS IN 40:58 GENERAL AND HE SAYS, 'YOU KNOW, MANKIND HAS BEEN ABLE TO TAME 41:02 ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT ANIMALS AND YET MAN CANNOT CONTROL HIS 41:07 WORDS.' THAT'S THE POINT THAT HE'S 41:08 GETTING TO HERE IN JUST A FEW MOMENTS. 41:10 SO THE ANIMAL CREATION HAS BEEN SUBDUED BY MANKIND AND GOD 41:14 ORDAINED IT THAT WAY RIGHT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING. 41:18 GOD ORDAINED THAT MANKIND HAD PRE-EMINENCE OVER ALL CREATION. 41:22 GENESIS CHAPTER 1, VERSE 28, IT SAYS "GOD BLESSED THEM," - 41:26 SPEAKING OF ADAM AND EVE - "AND GOD SAID, 'BE FRUITFUL AND 41:28 MULTIPLY AND FILL THE EARTH AND SUBDUE IT. 41:31 HAVE DOMINION OVER THE FISH OF THE SEA AND OVER THE BIRDS OF 41:34 THE AIR AND OVER EVERY LIVING THING THAT MOVES ON THE EARTH." 41:37 SO THE WILD BEASTS HAVE BEEN TAMED, BUT THE TONGUE HAS NOT 41:43 BEEN TAMED. SO THAT SELFISH, STUBBORN, 41:48 REBELLIOUS NATURE IS A CONSTANT STRUGGLE, EVEN FOR THE 41:53 CHRISTIAN. WHEN YOU GIVE YOURSELF TO GOD IT 41:55 DOESN'T MEAN THAT SUDDENLY THAT SELFISH INCLINATION - THAT BENT 42:02 TOWARDS SELF - IS IMMEDIATELY REMOVED. 42:05 YOU KNOW, OFTEN WE SET OURSELVES UP FOR FAILURE WHEN WE THINK 42:09 THAT THE MOMENT WE GIVE OUR LIVES TO JESUS THAT SUDDENLY ALL 42:12 OF OUR BATTLES ARE OVER, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO 42:15 EVANGELISM, WE THINK THAT SOMEHOW THE BAPTISTERY IS THE 42:17 FINISH LINE, WHEN IN REALITY THE BAPTISTERY IS ACTUALLY THE START 42:20 LINE. THAT'S WHEN THE BATTLE REALLY BEGINS. 42:24 AND, BY THE WAY, HOW DO WE WIN THE BATTLE WITH SELF? 42:27 IT'S ON OUR KNEES EVERY DAY, RIGHT? 42:30 IT IS THE SURRENDER OF SELF - EVERY DAY HUMBLY GIVING 42:32 OURSELVES TO JESUS, ASKING FOR THE SPIRIT OF GOD TO WORK WITHIN 42:35 US, THAT'S WHERE THE BATTLE TAKES PLACE - SURRENDERING 42:38 OURSELVES TO JESUS OVER AND OVER AGAIN. 42:41 IT'S A DAY-BY-DAY EXPERIENCE. IT'S THROUGH REPENTANCE AND 42:46 THROUGH CONFESSION AND THROUGH SURRENDERING OURSELVES TO JESUS 42:48 THAT WE GAIN THE VICTORY. BUT THE IDEA THAT SUDDENLY WE 42:52 GIVE OUR LIVES TO JESUS AND THEN WE NEVER HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT 42:55 SELF, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT TRUE. THAT'S NOT THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. 42:59 PAUL SPEAKS ABOUT ENDURING TO THE END AND PRESSING ON IN FAITH 43:03 AND TRUSTING IN GOD. NOW THE PROMISE IS, AS WE DO 43:07 THAT, WE'RE ASSURED VICTORY. AS WE TRUST IN GOD WE GAIN THE 43:11 VICTORY FOR 'GREATER IS HE THAT IS IN US THAN HE THAT IS IN THE 43:16 WORLD,' BUT WE HAVE TO KEEP OUR EYES FIXED UPON JESUS. 43:19 AS WE KEEP OUR EYES FIXED UPON JESUS, HE GIVES US THE VICTORY. 43:23 ALRIGHT, LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT VERSE 8. 43:25 >>"BUT NO MAN CAN TAME THE TONGUE. 43:28 IT IS AN UNRULY EVIL, FULL OF DEADLY POISON." 43:32 >>SO WITHOUT THE INFLUENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE TONGUE, BY 43:36 NATURE - OR OUR WORDS, BY NATURE - IS AN INSTRUMENT OF EVIL. 43:42 WHY? BECAUSE IT IS MOTIVATED BY SELF. 43:45 YOU SEE, ONLY JESUS CAN CHANGE THE HEART. 43:48 IT'S ONLY UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT WE CAN 43:52 SPEAK WORDS OF KINDNESS AND ENCOURAGEMENT VERSUS SPEAKING 43:56 WORDS OF SELFISHNESS. PSALMS 140, VERSE 3, SPEAKING OF 44:02 THE WICKED IT SAYS, "THEY SHARPEN THEIR TONGUES LIKE A 44:06 SERPENT." ROMANS CHAPTER 3, VERSE 13 - IT 44:10 SAYS, "WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY PRACTICE DECEIT." 44:13 AGAIN, SPEAKING OF THE WICKED. JESUS, SPEAKING OF THE DEVIL 44:17 SAYS, "HE IS A LIAR AND THE FATHER OF LIES" IN JOHN CHAPTER 44:21 8, VERSE 44. TELLING A LIE SOMETIMES IS 44:25 CONSIDERED A LITTLE THING. YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD ABOUT A 44:29 WHITE LIE. 'IT'S NOT A BIG DEAL, YOU KNOW, 44:32 TELLING AN UNTRUTH,' BUT WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL OF LITTLE THINGS. 44:37 LITTLE THINGS ADDED UP TURN INTO BIG THINGS. 44:40 AND THESE LITTLE THINGS REALLY SHAPE OUR DESTINY - THEY AFFECT 44:45 OUR CHARACTERS. THEY MAKE US INTO THE KIND OF 44:48 PEOPLE THAT WE, ULTIMATELY, BECOME. 44:51 I HEARD AN INTERESTING STORY ABOUT MARGARET OF AUSTRIA - 44:55 IT'S ONE OF THESE AMAZING FACTS. IN THE 16TH CENTURY, HOLLAND WAS 44:58 RULED BY MARGARET OF AUSTRIA, THE CLEVER DAUGHTER OF THE 45:02 GERMAN EMPEROR, MAXIMILIAN, WHO WAS THE MOST POWERFUL RULER IN 45:06 EUROPE. IN THOSE UNEASY DAYS OF INTRIGUE 45:10 AND MURDER, THE RULERS TOOK EVERY PRECAUTION AGAINST SUDDEN 45:13 DEATH AND MARGARET WAS NO EXCEPTION. 45:16 SHE FEARED DEATH BY POISONING AND BECAUSE IT WAS BELIEVED THAT 45:20 PURE ROCK CRYSTAL WOULD DISCLOSE THE PRESENCE OF POISON, SHE 45:24 DRANK FROM NOTHING BUT A GOBLET MADE OF THIS RARE MINERAL. 45:28 ONE DAY A SERVANT, HANDING MARGARET A DRINK, DROPPED THE 45:32 GOBLET TO A STONE FLOOR, SHATTERING THE CRYSTAL. 45:36 CAREFULLY IT WAS SWEPT UP BUT A TINY FRAGMENT FLEW UNNOTICED 45:41 INTO MARGARET'S SLIPPER. A SPLINTER OF GLASS - JUST A 45:45 TINY SPLINTER, WORKED ITS WAY INTO HER FOOT, WHICH SOON BECAME 45:49 PAINFUL AND GREW RED AND SWOLLEN WITH INFECTION. BY THE TIME THE 45:53 DOCTORS WERE CALLED, GANGRENE WAS FAR ADVANCED. 45:57 IMMEDIATE AMPUTATION WAS NECESSARY, BUT THE GREAT 46:00 MARGARET OF AUSTRIA DID NOT SURVIVE THE TERRIBLE ORDEAL. 46:04 IRONICALLY SHE DIED FROM POISONING CAUSED BY THE VERY 46:07 CRYSTAL SHE BELIEVED WOULD PROTECT HER FROM SUCH A DEATH. 46:11 IT WAS A SMALL THING, BUT IT ENDED UP COSTING HER HER LIFE. 46:17 AND SO, IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS IN LIFE THAT WE NEED TO BE 46:20 CAREFUL OF - THOSE LITTLE WHITE LIES. 46:23 WE MIGHT NOT THINK THAT IT'S THAT IMPORTANT, BUT IT'S THE 46:26 LITTLE THINGS WE SAY THAT HAVE AN IMPACT UPON OUR CHARACTERS 46:31 AND UPON THE DIRECTION OF OUR LIVES, OUR ATTITUDE, AND THESE 46:35 THINGS ALL ADDED UP TOGETHER INFLUENCE OUR WITNESS AND, 46:40 REALLY, OUR DESTINY. ALRIGHT, WELL, I THINK WE'RE 46:43 GETTING READY FOR OUR NEXT VERSE, VERSE 9, SO WE'LL SET UP 46:47 TO READ VERSE 9 WHERE JAMES, NOW, IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO 46:50 TALK ABOUT OUR WORDS AND OUR TONGUE, HOW THAT WE DON'T ONLY 46:56 BLESS GOD, BUT WE TURN AROUND AND CURSE THOSE MADE IN GOD'S 47:00 IMAGE. LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT VERSE 9. 47:02 >>"WITH IT WE BLESS OUR GOD AND FATHER, AND WITH IT WE CURSE 47:09 MEN, WHO HAVE BEEN MADE IN THE SIMILITUDE OF GOD." 47:17 >>SO THE EVIDENCE OF GENUINE CHRISTIANITY IS NOT ONLY 47:22 BLESSING GOD BUT ALSO BLESSING OUR ENEMIES. 47:26 IT'S ONE THING TO BLESS OUR FRIENDS, BUT JESUS SAYS IF YOU 47:30 WANT TO BE SONS OF YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN YOU WANT TO BLESS YOUR 47:33 ENEMIES. MATTHEW CHAPTER 5, VERSE 44 - 47:37 JESUS SAID, "BUT I SAY UNTO YOU, LOVE YOUR ENEMIES." 47:40 - THIS IS TRUE CHRISTIANITY RIGHT HERE - "BLESS THOSE WHO 47:44 CURSE YOU. DO GOOD TO THOSE WHO HATE YOU. 47:47 PRAY FOR THOSE WHO SPITEFULLY USE YOU AND PERSECUTE YOU" - AND 47:51 THEN VERSE 45 - "THAT YOU MIGHT BE SONS OF YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN 47:55 FOR HE MAKES HIS SUN TO RISE ON THE EVIL AND ON THE GOOD AND 48:00 SENDS RAIN ON THE JUST AND THE UNJUST." 48:03 SO IT'S ONE THING FOR US TO BLESS GOD BECAUSE OF HIS 48:06 GOODNESS TO US, BUT WHAT ABOUT BLESSING YOUR ENEMIES? 48:11 WHAT ABOUT PRAYING FOR THEM? THAT'S A TRUE REVELATION THAT 48:14 THE SPIRIT OF GOD IS WORKING WITHIN OUR HEARTS AND OUR LIVES. 48:18 THAT'S NOT NATURAL. YOU SEE A CHRISTIAN IS, OF 48:21 COURSE, A FOLLOWER OF JESUS. WE WANT TO TREAT PEOPLE THE WAY 48:26 JESUS TREATED PEOPLE. HOW DID JESUS TREAT HIS ENEMIES? 48:31 HE LOVED HIS ENEMIES. WE HAVE AN EXAMPLE OF HOW CHRIST 48:35 TREATS EVEN HIS ARCH ENEMY - EVEN THE DEVIL. 48:39 IN JUDE CHAPTER 9 - WELL, THERE'S ONLY ONE CHAPTER - IT'S 48:42 ACTUALLY JUDE, VERSE 9 - WE HAVE MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL - THE 48:46 PROPHETIC NAME OF CHRIST - WHO IS TALKING WITH THE DEVIL AND IT 48:51 SAYS "HE DOES NOT EVEN BRING A RAILING ACCUSATION AGAINST THE 48:55 DEVIL BUT SAYS, 'THE LORD REBUKE THEE.'" NOW IF THERE'S ANYONE - 48:59 IF THERE'S ANYONE DESERVING A RAILING ACCUSATION, IT WOULD BE 49:03 THE DEVIL. BUT GOD DOESN'T EVEN BRING A 49:05 RAILING ACCUSATION AGAINST THE DEVIL, HE JUST SIMPLY SAYS, 'THE 49:09 LORD REBUKE THEE.' NOW SATAN IS THE ONE THAT BRINGS RAILING 49:12 ACCUSATIONS AGAINST THE BRETHREN BECAUSE THE DEVIL IS REFERRED TO 49:16 AS THE ACCUSER OF THE BRETHREN IN REVELATION CHAPTER 12, 49:19 VERSE 10. ISN'T THAT INTERESTING? 49:20 GOD DOESN'T EVEN BRING RAILING ACCUSATIONS AGAINST THE DEVIL. 49:24 GOD SIMPLY SAYS, 'THE DEVIL - THE LORD REBUKES YOU.' AND 49:28 THAT'S THE EXAMPLE THAT WE WANT TO FOLLOW - EVEN OUR ENEMIES - 49:32 IT'S NOT WORTH TRYING TO BRING RAILING ACCUSATIONS AGAINST OUR 49:35 ENEMIES, RATHER FOLLOW THE EXAMPLE OF JESUS, 49:38 PRAY FOR THEM, RIGHT? BE KIND TO THEM. 49:41 YOU PROBABLY HEARD THE ILLUSTRATION BEFORE, WHEN WE 49:43 POINT FINGERS AT OTHERS - YOU POINT ONE FINGER AT SOMEBODY 49:47 ELSE, YOU'RE POINTING THREE FINGERS BACK AT YOURSELF - 49:51 PROBABLY WE'RE THREE TIMES JUST AS GUILTY AS THEY ARE. 49:54 BUT YOU'RE ALSO POINTING ONE FINGER BACK TO GOD, RIGHT? 49:57 BECAUSE WE ARE DOING SOMETHING THAT GOD IS TELLING US NOT TO 50:00 DO, RATHER, HE'S TELLING US TO PRAY FOR OUR ENEMIES. 50:03 REMEMBER THE STORY WHERE THEY BROUGHT THIS WOMAN TO JESUS AND 50:07 THEY WERE ACCUSING HER THERE IN THE TEMPLE? 50:10 AND WHAT DID JESUS SAY? HE SAID, 'THOSE WHO ARE WITHOUT 50:12 SIN' - WHAT ARE THEY TO DO? - 'CAST THE FIRST STONE.' SO 50:16 IT'S A VERY SOBERING THING FOR US AS HUMANS TO THINK THAT WE 50:20 KNOW THE HEARTS OF PEOPLE - THAT WE'RE ABLE TO PICK UP STONES AND 50:24 CAST STONES AT OTHERS. SO LET'S BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN IT 50:27 COMES TO SPREADING GOSSIP OR SPREADING STORIES. 50:31 THAT'S NOT REALLY THE THINGS THAT GOD WOULD WANT US TO DO. 50:34 ALRIGHT, WELL THEN, OUR NEXT VERSE THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT 50:36 HERE IS VERSE 10, SO WHO'S GOING TO BE READING VERSE 10 FOR US? 50:41 ALRIGHT, JEFF IF YOU'LL BE READY, VERSE 10. 50:45 >>"OUT OF THE SAME MOUTH PROCEED BLESSING AND CURSING. 50:49 MY BRETHREN, THESE THINGS OUGHT NOT TO BE SO." 50:52 >>YOU KNOW, ON ONE HAND, IT'S ENCOURAGING FOR ME AS A PASTOR 50:54 THAT EVEN IN THE EARLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH - THE CHURCH THAT WAS 50:58 FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT AND HAD GREAT EVANGELISTIC ADVANCES 51:01 THERE IN THE FIRST CENTURY, EVEN IN THE CHURCH OF JAMES THERE WAS 51:05 STILL THE SAME CHALLENGES THAT EXIST IN THE CHURCH TODAY. 51:09 EVEN IN HIS DAY THERE WERE STILL THESE CHALLENGES - 51:12 EVIL SPEAKING EXISTED IN THAT CHURCH. 51:15 OF COURSE, THAT EXISTS EVEN TODAY AND JAMES SAYS THAT OUGHT 51:18 NOT TO BE. THAT SHOULDN'T BE IN THE CHURCH. 51:21 YOU KNOW, BEFORE THE TONGUE CAN BE TAMED, BEFORE OUR WORDS CAN 51:25 BE BROUGHT UNDER CONTROL, OUR THOUGHTS NEED TO BE BROUGHT 51:29 UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD. 51:31 THIS IS A DAY-BY-DAY EXPERIENCE. IT BEGINS WITH THE SURRENDER OF 51:35 SELF. IT'S AN INDIVIDUAL EXPERIENCE. 51:37 THE APOSTLE PAUL SAYS, 'I DIE' - WHAT? 51:40 'DAILY.' IT IS THAT DAY-BY-DAY SURRENDER OF SELF AND I THINK 51:44 THE BEST EXPLANATION OF HOW WE CAN PRACTICALLY DO THIS COMES IN 51:50 THE BOOK 'STEPS TO CHRIST' AND LET ME SHARE THIS WITH YOU, 51:53 IT'S PAGE 47. "YOU CANNOT CHANGE YOUR HEART. 51:56 YOU CANNOT, OF YOURSELF, GIVE GOD ITS AFFECTIONS BUT YOU CAN 51:59 CHOOSE TO SERVE HIM. YOU CAN GIVE HIM YOUR WILL. 52:03 HE WILL THEN WORK IN YOU TO WILL AND TO DO ACCORDING TO HIS GOOD 52:07 PLEASURE, THUS YOUR WHOLE NATURE WILL BE BROUGHT UNDER THE 52:11 CONTROL OF THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST. YOUR AFFECTIONS WILL BE CENTERED 52:15 UPON HIM. YOUR THOUGHTS WILL BE IN HARMONY 52:18 WITH HIS THOUGHTS." SO THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS WE 52:22 CANNOT CHANGE OUR HEARTS, BUT WE CAN CHOOSE TO HAVE OUR HEARTS BE 52:26 CHANGED BY JESUS. WE CAN GIVE HIM OUR HEARTS. WE 52:30 CAN SURRENDER OURSELVES TO HIM. THIS IS A DAY-BY-DAY EXPERIENCE. 52:34 EVERY DAY WE CAN GIVE OURSELVES TO JESUS AND ALLOW JESUS TO WORK 52:38 WITHIN US BOTH TO WILL AND TO DO ACCORDING TO HIS GOOD PLEASURE. 52:43 BY THE WAY, I JUST WANT TO ENCOURAGE US. 52:46 WE CAN BE AN INFLUENCE FOR GOOD IN THE CHURCH, RIGHT? 52:50 WE DON'T HAVE TO JUST STAND THERE AND ALLOW GOSSIP TO GO ON. 52:53 I FOUND THAT, IN MY OWN EXPERIENCE, WHEN WE'RE IN THE 52:55 PRESENCE OF GOSSIP, IT'S QUITE EASY TO CHANGE THE CONVERSATION. 52:59 YOU CAN CHANGE THE DIRECTION OF THE SPEECH BY - IF SOMEBODY IS 53:03 TALKING NEGATIVE ABOUT SOMEBODY ELSE, IT'S QUITE EASY TO MAYBE 53:07 INTRODUCE A POSITIVE THING ABOUT THE PERSON. 53:10 HAVE YOU EVER EXPERIENCED THAT BEFORE? 53:11 THEY'RE TALKING NEGATIVELY ABOUT THE PERSON AND YOU SAY, 'YEAH, 53:14 BUT HAVE YOU NOTICED HOW SO AND SO IS VERY GOOD AT...' - IT KIND 53:17 OF THROWS SOMEBODY OFF GUARD, RIGHT? 53:19 AND THEY DON'T QUITE KNOW HOW TO HANDLE THAT AND THE CONVERSATION 53:22 SOMETIMES CHANGES. WE CAN REDIRECT IT SO LET'S BE 53:25 AN INFLUENCE FOR THE GOOD AS MUCH AS WE CAN. 53:27 MAYBE WE MIGHT WANT TO SAY TO THE PERSON, IF SOMEBODY COMES TO 53:30 YOU AND SAYS, 'DID YOU HEAR WHAT SO AND SO DID?' 53:33 OR 'WHAT SO AND SO SAID?' YOU CAN RESPOND BY SAYING, 53:36 'WELL, HAVE YOU HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO TALK TO SO AND 53:38 SO?' USUALLY THE RESPONSE IS, 'NO, I 53:41 HAVEN'T.' OR 'I HEARD FROM SO AND SO' - 'WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT? 53:44 THIS MIGHT BE THE PERFECT TIME TO GO TALK WITH SO AND SO AND 53:47 CLEAR IT UP. MAYBE FIND OUT WHAT THE REAL 53:49 REASON IS.' SO WE CAN BE A FORCE FOR GOOD - TO BE AN 53:53 ENCOURAGEMENT TO PEOPLE - TO TRY AND BUILD 53:55 THEM UP AND I THINK THAT'S THE LESSON HERE. 53:57 WE WANT TO BE AN INFLUENCE TO TRY AND ENCOURAGE PEOPLE AND 54:00 HELP THEM IN THEIR WALK. JAMES FINISHES UP THIS PASSAGE 54:03 BY EMPHASIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING A POSITIVE INFLUENCE. 54:08 HE SAYS, 'YOU DON'T GET FRESH WATER AND BITTER WATER COMING 54:11 OUT OF THE SAME SPRING.' THAT WAS FAMILIAR TO THE PEOPLE THAT 54:15 HE WAS WRITING TO. DOWN CLOSE TO THE DEAD SEA THERE 54:18 WERE THESE SPRINGS THAT PRODUCED BITTER WATER. 54:20 PEOPLE COULDN'T DRINK IT. 54:21 THOSE WHO DID DRINK THE WATER FROM THE BITTER SPRINGS WOULD 54:24 GET SICK, BUT UP FURTHER NORTH, CLOSER TO THE SEA OF GALILEE, 54:27 THERE WERE THESE FRESH WATER SPRINGS THAT PRODUCED LIFE. 54:29 WE WANT TO BE LIFE-GIVING SPRINGS, BUT IN ORDER TO DO THAT 54:34 WE NEED TO BE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT. 54:36 THE HOLY SPIRIT BRINGS LIFE AND JOY AND PEACE. 54:38 WE WANT TO BE THOSE KIND OF EXAMPLES AND ENCOURAGEMENT TO 54:41 OTHERS. THAT'S THE EMPHASIS OF THE LESSON. 54:44 SO LET'S ALLOW THE HOLY SPIRIT TO FILL OUR HEARTS AND LET OUR 54:47 THOUGHTS BE GUIDED BY THE SPIRIT AND LET'S BE THE BEST EXAMPLE WE 54:51 CAN BE FOR OTHERS. AGAIN, LET ME REMIND YOU OF OUR 54:55 FREE OFFER FOR TODAY, IT'S ENTITLED 'TINY TROUBLEMAKER.' 54:58 FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE JOINING US, IF YOU'D LIKE TO RECEIVE 55:02 THIS FREE OFFER, CALL OUR RESOURCE LINE. 55:04 IT'S 866-788-3966 AND OUR FREE OFFER AGAIN IS #196. 55:12 CALL AND WE'LL BE HAPPY TO SEND THAT TO YOU. 55:14 AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US IN OUR STUDY OF THE BOOK OF 55:17 JAMES. UNTIL NEXT TIME, MAY GOD BLESS. 55:31 >>THROUGHOUT RECORDED HISTORY TALES OF GHOSTS AND SPIRITS 55:35 COULD BE FOUND IN FOLKLORE IN NEARLY EVERY COUNTRY AND 55:39 CULTURE. EGYPTIANS BUILT PYRAMIDS TO HELP 55:43 GUIDE THE SPIRITS OF THEIR LEADERS. 55:46 ROME SANCTIONED HOLIDAYS TO HONOR AND APPEASE THE SPIRITS OF 55:49 THEIR DEAD. EVEN THE BIBLE TELLS OF A KING 55:53 THAT USED A WITCH TO CONTACT THE SPIRIT OF A DECEASED PROPHET. 55:58 TODAY ANCIENT FOLKLORE OF SPIRITS AND APPARITIONS HAVE 56:02 GONE FROM MERE SUPERSTITIONS TO MAINSTREAM ENTERTAINMENT AND 56:06 REALITY. SCIENTIFIC ORGANIZATIONS 56:09 INVESTIGATE STORIES OF HAUNTINGS AND SIGHTINGS, TRYING TO PROVE, 56:13 ONCE AND FOR ALL, THE EXISTENCE OF GHOSTS. 56:19 EVEN WITH ALL THE NEW-FOUND TECHNOLOGY AND CENTURIES OF 56:23 STORIES ALL OVER THE WORLD, THERE IS STILL NO CLEAR-CUT 56:28 ANSWER. SO HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT'S TRUE? 56:34 WHY DO THESE STORIES PERSIST? DOES IT EVEN MATTER? 56:41 WE INVITE YOU TO LOOK INSIDE AND FIND OUT FOR YOURSELF. 56:49 VISIT 'DEATHTRUTH.COM'. 56:57 >>I WAS HAVING SOME PROBLEMS IN MY LIFE I REALLY DIDN'T KNOW HOW 56:59 TO DEAL WITH. I JUST SAID TO MYSELF, I SAID, 57:02 'GOD, IF YOU'RE REAL SHOW YOURSELF TO ME.' AND THEN, I 57:07 THINK, ONE DAY AT MY MOTHER'S HOUSE THEY WERE WATCHING THE 57:09 'FINAL EVENTS IN BIBLE PROPHECY'. 57:11 THERE WAS SOMETHING ABOUT THE WAY THE DOUG PREACHED AND THINGS 57:14 THAT I FELT THAT TOUCHED ME. NO MATTER HOW BAD OF A SINNER 57:18 YOU THINK YOU ARE, THE LORD JESUS 57:20 LOVES YOU NO MATTER WHAT YOU'VE DONE. 57:23 >>I AM SO THANKFUL TO GOD FOR AMAZING FACTS, FOR DOUG 57:28 BATCHELOR AND ESPECIALLY HIS BOOK 'THE RICHEST CAVEMAN'. 57:33 IF IT WASN'T FOR THESE, I WOULD NOT BE HERE TODAY. 57:38 GOD WAS ABLE TO USE THESE TOOLS TO REACH THE UNREACHABLE. 57:46 >>DID YOU KNOW THAT NOAH WAS PRESENT AT THE BIRTH OF ABRAHAM? 57:49 OKAY, MAYBE HE WASN'T IN THE ROOM, BUT HE WAS ALIVE AND 57:53 PROBABLY TELLING STORIES ABOUT HIS FLOATING ZOO. 57:57 FROM THE CREATION OF THE WORLD TO THE LAST DAY EVENTS OF 57:59 REVELATION, 'BIBLEHISTORY.COM' IS A FREE RESOURCE WHERE YOU CAN 58:03 EXPLORE MAJOR BIBLE EVENTS AND CHARACTERS. 58:07 ENHANCE YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE BIBLE AND DRAW CLOSER 58:10 TO GOD'S WORD. GO DEEPER. VISIT 'BIBLEHISTORY.COM'. 58:15 (MUSIC) |
Revised 2014-12-17