CONTROLING MY MOUTH
James 1:19-27
QUICK TO HEAR
V:19. " This you know, my beloved brethren. But
everyone must be quick to hear,
slow to speak and slow to anger."
slow to speak and slow to anger."
A. Controlling the
tongue is a very important trait of Christian living.
1. One way of
controlling the tongue is to listen first.
2. The problems
with our hearing are our desire to be heard.
a. It is
possible to misinterpret what someone says.
b. If we
don't respect what the person has to say, we will tune them out.
c. We have Pride in what we think we know.
d. Sometimes
it is hard to listen to comments that may be considered by the
receiving
person as a criticism, an attack or a put
down.
e. The
person listening may be intimidated by
the person doing the talking.
f. Sometimes
there is a lack of trust.
g. We
normally prefer our own opinions.
B. There is a
solution to hearing.
1. We must have
a change in our attitude.
2. We must first
consider that we don't know everything.
3. We must
consider that everyone has something important to say.
4. We must seek spiritual maturity.
a. We should
value the person speaking.
b. Consider
that person speaking may have notice something about you
that you
are not aware of.
d. Consider
that the person speaking may have some knowledge or experience
that you
lack.
c. Consider
that the person speaking is looking out for your best interest.
d. Love the person enough to listen.
C. Don't get in a
rush to speak.
1. The person may
have a lot more to say.
2. Take time to
evaluate the other person's conversation.
3. Give the person
time to completely express their opinions and ideas.
4. Make sure you
completely understand what the person is saying.
5. If there is any
anger or hostility built up in you, don't speak if it is not
required. Give
yourself time to calm down.
6. Sometimes a
response is not necessary.
7. You can learn
more by listening.
C. Learn to control
your anger.
1. Anger stems
from a dislike of a persons attitude, position, or actions.
a. Our
dislikes promotes hostility.
b. Our
hostility grows our anger.
2. Anger stems
from a lack of forgiveness and tolerance on our part.
3. The Solution
to our anger is;
a. To forgive
b. To love
c. To value
the person because he was created by God.
V:20. "For the anger of man does not achieve
the righteousness of God."
A. Anger is a normal
human emotion.
1. We must not
allow our anger to control what we think.
2. We must not
allow our anger to control what we say or how we act
or react to
another person.
3. We must not
allow our anger to exist within us any length of time.
a. Don't go
to bed with your anger.
b. Don't
wake up with your anger.
c. Arrest
your anger quickly so you can remain peaceful.
d. Don't allow
your anger to lead you to sin.
4. Anger is a
tool the devil can use to tempt you to hate, disrespect
or abuse
another person.
5. Anger can
cause you to disregard the commands of God.
B. When one acts out
of anger, it is usually to get even with or to bring down the
person the anger is directed at.
person the anger is directed at.
1. An angry person
is irrational and can't be sure he is doing the right thing.
2. An angry person
will sin against man and God to satisfy his pride.
3. Sometimes an
angry person would rather walk away from the problem
than face it.
4. People
sometimes get angry with another person because the truth is told about
them and they don't want to hear it or want the truth exposed to others.
them and they don't want to hear it or want the truth exposed to others.
5. Never make any
decisions or form any opinions while you are angry.
CLEAN LIVING ACCORDING TO THE WORD
V:21. " Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all
that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is
able to save your souls."
A. In order for the
mind to receive the righteousness of God, you have to put away
all unrighteous thinking, talking and
acting.
1. Putting clean
water in a dirty bucket, will make the clean water unclean.
2. Dropping fresh
cooked bread on the ground contaminates the bread.
3. Mixing the
Word of God with the words of man leaves the mind corrupt.
B. In order for there
to be a changed mind, there has to be a change in attitude.
1. You have to put
off the old, to put on the new in Jesus Christ.
2. Put off vile
and abusive language and take on encouraging and uplifting language.
3. Put off
negative thinking and take on hopeful thinking.
4. Put off anger
and put on love.
5. Put off holding grudges and take on
forgiveness.
6. Put off
complaining and put on thankfulness.
C. Study and meditate
on the Word of God.
1. Humbly submit
yourself to the commands of God.
2. Trust God to be
the solution to your problems.
ACT ACCORDING TO THE WORD
V: 22. " But prove yourselves doers of the word, and
not merely hearers who delude themselves."
A. For every worldly
action, there is a guiding word from the Lord.
1. Once we know
the Word, we have an obligation to follow the Word.
2. We cannot
profit from the Word unless we follow the commands given
in the Word.
3. The steps of a
good man are ordered by the Lord.
4. We can not be
as good as we could be unless we let God guide our steps.
B. To be a good
steward, we must allow God to use the gifts and talents He blessed
us with.
1. A tool is useless unless it is put to use.
2. The Word of
God is useless unless we act according to the Word.
3. Knowing the
Word and being able to recite the Word does not make us
righteous.
C. We must recognize
our short comings and weakness before we can receive divine
wisdom and
guidance.
1. A humble
spirit is open to criticisms and instructions from others.
2. Sometimes the
person close to you are more aware of your faults and
shortcomings than you are.
shortcomings than you are.
a. Anger is
often directed at the bearer of truth.
b. A humble
spirit is grateful for the incite of others.
A. The just live by
faith and not by sight.
1. Those who do
not act according to the Word have little faith.
2. It takes
courage to act according to God's Word.
3. Unless we live
by the Word, we can never be like the Word.
B. The Word of God
gives us the nature and character of Jesus Christ.
1. Studying the
Word, we view Jesus living according to the righteousness of the
Father.
2. Once we closed
the Bible and walk into the world, we must put the principles of
God into
action in our daily activities.
a. If the Word
is not put into practice, we will soon lose sight of the Word.
b. We actually
learn the true meaning of the Word when we put it into practice.
c. We
experience the joy of living the Word when it is put into practice.
d. We
experience the trials of living the Word when it is put into practice.
c. Our faith
grows when God delivers us through our troubles.
A. It is the Word put
in practice that facilitates Christian Living.
1. One will not
know what a true Christian is unless the Word is put into practice
in his/her
life.
2. One will not
know that living a Christian life brings trials and tribulations unless
he/she is
living a Christian life.
3. One will not
know that the promises of God are true unless he/she has called on
God to keep
his promises.
B. A Christian not
living according to the Word will think and act according to the
world.
1. A Christian not
living according to the Word will not credit God with the good and
the bad that happens
to him.
2. A Christian not
living according to the Word will not count the bad that happens
to him as God's good.
to him as God's good.
LIVING A BLESSED LIFE
V:25. " But one who looks intently at the perfect law,
the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but
an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does."
A. The ingredients of
a blessed life.
1. Study and
meditate on the Word of God.
2. Studying the
Word gives incite to real liberty.
a. The best
freedom we will ever have is following the commands of the Lord.
b. Christian
start out with true freedom; freedom from the penalty of sin.
c. Because we
are free from the penalty of sin, we are free to ask God to supply
all our
needs.
B. Having a knowledge
of the Word, we have the ability to abide in the Word.
1. We must let the
Word guide our thoughts and actions.
2. The Word must
be the rule by which everything is measured.
3. The Word sets
boundaries on what we can do and want we can't do.
C. We must consider
it our duty to follow the commands of God.
1. When the Word
is stirred up with action it grows in our hearts.
2. When the Word
is stirred up with action it becomes our attitude.
3. The more we
make the Word active in our lives the more God like we become.
V:26. " If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and
yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man's religion
is worthless."
A. As Christians, we
have already settled the big issue of life.
1. The big issue
is Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.
a. The big
issue is our redemption from sin.
b. The big
issue is where we will spend eternity.
c. Heaven is
assured for us.
2. It's the smaller
issues that trips us up in this life.
a. God is still
working on us.
b. We still got
some baggage we are carrying from our former life as sinners.
c. We are still
in this process of presenting ourselves as living sacrifices, holy and
acceptable
to the Lord.
B. One of the main
issues, we are dealing with is how to control the tongue.
1. The tongue is a
small part of the body, but it can cause some major problems in
our lives.
2. The tongue can
hurt folks, defame folks, and undermine folks.
3. The tongue can
be vile and unruly.
a. The tongue
can hurt the very folks that love us the most.
b. The tongue
can drive folks away that are trying to be most helpful to us.
4. Jesus said, it is
not what goes into the mouth that defiles a man, but what comes
out of the mouth that defiles a man.
out of the mouth that defiles a man.
C. The tongue is just
an instrument that verbally expresses what is still in the heart.
1. It is out of
the heart that flows the issues of life.
2. If it is not in
the heart, it will not flow out of the mouth.
3. If it is in the
heart, sooner or later, it will flow out of the heart.
D. As Christians, we
have to be careful what we say, because what we say can be
hurtful.
hurtful.
1. As Christians, we have to be careful what we say, because what
we say can be
taken the
wrong way.
2. Christians
have to choose the right time and right way to say something, even if it
is intended to
be helpful, uplifting and to express corrective incite.
E. One of the key
indicators that we have weaknesses and faults in our Christian walk
is our inability to control our tongues.
is our inability to control our tongues.
1. We say we are
Christians, but sometimes we talk like we have never been in a
church.
2. It is not that
we are not Christians, it just we still learning to be a mature
Christian.
Christian.
3. The key is to
recognize that we have some faults and that we need the help of our
brothers and
sisters in Christ to improve.
a. We need to
humbly go before the Father and express our faults and ask for
his
guidance and strength to control our tongue.
PURE RELIGION
V:27. " Pure and
undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit
orphans and widows
in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world."
A. Our faith in Jesus should inspire us to act
different from the world.
1. Our faith in
Jesus ought to inspire us to develop a life style of unselfishness.
2. Our faith in Jesus ought to inspire us
to develop a life style of helpfulness.
B. The Lord Jesus
recommends that we be big brothers and sisters and family to
orphans.
1.The Lord loves
children.
2. These are
among the least that He expects us to show love and compassion.
C. The Lords recommends that we look after those who He
defines as widows who
have no family
in their distress.
D. The recommends
that we separate ourselves from worldly desires and worldly
people.
1. We have been
called out of the world to serve the Lord.
2. We have a
higher calling that requires us to seek the righteousness of the Lord.
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