CLA NEWSLETTER AUGUST 21ST 2016 House of Prayer Wednesdays 7.30-8.30 p.m. No Childsplay on Thursday 25th August Scotchman's Creek Seniors Silver & Gold Service Sundays @ 10.45 am Connect Groups Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays,Saturday Youth Service/Group Fridays @ 7.30 p.m. Unity Service Saturdays @ 6.00 p.m. Men’s Fellowship Saturday 27th August @ 8.00 a.m. Sister Mariamma Thampy Unity Service Saturday 3rd Sep @ 6 p.m. Sunday 4th Sep @ 8.30/10.30 a.m. Fantastic Family Weekend @ CLA! Saturday 10th Sep at 11am Couples’ Candle light Dinner Saturday 10th Sep 6pm - 8pm Family Oriented Services Sunday 11th Sep- 8.30am & 10.30 am For more details visit clamelbourne.com We were shown in the earlier chapters how spiritual maturity develops through our response to trials and tests and how spiritual maturity is enhanced by our response to the Word of God. Now James goes on to show that the spiritual maturity is evidenced by the use of the tongue. The mastery of the tongue is one of the clearest marks of a whole person, a true Christian. Tongue-mastery is a fruit of the Spirit, namely self-control. POWER OF THE TONGUE: Both, in the book of Proverbs and in the Sermon on the Mount our Lord Jesus spoke with searching clarity about the nature and use of the tongue. James walks in their footprints. Much of what he says is a powerful exposé of the sin and failure that mar our speech. What comes out of our mouths is usually an accurate index of the health of our hearts. Jesus said: “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Mat: 12:34). The control of the tongue has both negative and positive aspects (Prov. 15:4). It involves the ability to restrain the tongue in silence. But it also means being able to control it in gracious speech when that is required. Speech and silence, appropriately expressed, are together the mark of the mature. Teachers should be conscious of the weight and potential influence of what they say because words lie at the heart of the teaching ministry (v1). Though the tongue is small, its power, both for good and for ill, is out of all proportion to its size. A person who can control his tongue can control his whole self. Just as a bit controls the horse and rudder controls the ship, so the tongue controls the person. Small as it is, the tongue can do great damage when uncontrolled, just as a tiny flame in dry grass can burn down a whole forest (3:3-5). All the wrong within a person's heart shows itself through the uncontrolled tongue (Matt. 5:11, 18-20). The tongue controlled by the evil one, spreads evil through a person's life like a destructive fire that burns out of control. The more he speaks, the more his behaviour becomes evil (vs. 6). Three examples from nature illustrate how inconsistent it is to use the same tongue to bless God and curse people (9 -12). DESTRUCTIVE USE OF TONGUE: A Fire (v 6): A small fire can destroy an entire forest; all it takes is an uncontrolled spark. So it is with the tongue. A sharp word, a loose sentence, a callous aside can cause a conflagration that cannot be extinguished. Words can consume and destroy a life. A Restless Evil (v 8): The unregenerate tongue roams the wilds, quick to defend itself, swift to attack others, anxious to subdue them, always marked by evil. It mimics Satan in this respect, who, having rebelled against the God of peace, can never settle. He goes to and fro throughout the earth (as in Job 1:7; 2:2), like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour (1 Pet 5:8). A Deadly Poison (v 8): James shares the perspective of Paul and, in turn, of the psalmist. The “venom of asps” is under the lips of sinners, “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive” (Rom 3:13; Psalm 5:9). Of course, all this is naturally true of the unregenerate person. The tragedy is that the same destructive powers may be released within the believing community. How easily the failure to master the tongue can destroy the effect of every grace that had taken years to build into our lives! Introduce poison here and we endanger everything. VIRTUES OF THE LETTER OF JAMES-CHAPTER 3
Transcript
CLA NEWSLETTER AUGUST 21ST 2016
House of Prayer Wednesdays 7.30-8.30 p.m. No Childsplay on Thursday
25th August Scotchman's Creek Seniors Silver & Gold Service Sundays @ 10.45 am Connect Groups
Fridays @ 7.30 p.m. Unity Service Saturdays @ 6.00 p.m. Men’s Fellowship Saturday 27th August @ 8.00 a.m. Sister Mariamma Thampy Unity Service Saturday 3rd Sep @ 6 p.m. Sunday 4th Sep @ 8.30/10.30 a.m. Fantastic Family Weekend @
CLA! Saturday 10th Sep at 11am
Couples’ Candle light Dinner Saturday 10th Sep 6pm - 8pm Family Oriented Services Sunday 11th Sep- 8.30am & 10.30 am
For more details visit clamelbourne.com
We were shown in the earlier chapters how spiritual maturity develops through our response to trials and tests and how spiritual maturity is enhanced by our response to the Word of God. Now James goes on to show that the spiritual maturity is evidenced by the use of the tongue. The mastery of the tongue is one of the clearest marks of a whole person, a true Christian. Tongue-mastery is a fruit of the Spirit, namely self-control.
POWER OF THE TONGUE: Both, in the book of Proverbs and in the Sermon on the Mount our Lord Jesus spoke with searching clarity about the nature and use of the tongue. James walks in their footprints. Much of what he says is a powerful exposé of the sin and failure that mar our speech. What comes out of our mouths is usually an accurate index of the health of our hearts. Jesus said: “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Mat: 12:34). The control of the tongue has both negative and positive aspects (Prov. 15:4). It involves the ability to restrain the tongue in silence. But it also means being able to control it in gracious speech when that is required. Speech and silence, appropriately expressed, are together the mark of the mature. Teachers should be conscious of the weight and potential influence of what they say because words lie at the heart of the teaching ministry (v1). Though the tongue is small, its power, both for good and for ill, is out of all proportion to its size.
A person who can control his tongue can control his whole self. Just as a bit controls the horse and rudder controls the ship, so the tongue controls the person.
Small as it is, the tongue can do great damage when uncontrolled, just as a tiny flame in dry grass can burn down a whole forest (3:3-5). All the wrong within a person's heart shows itself through the uncontrolled tongue (Matt. 5:11, 18-20).
The tongue controlled by the evil one, spreads evil through a person's life like a destructive fire that burns out of control. The more he speaks, the more his behaviour becomes evil (vs. 6). Three examples from nature illustrate how inconsistent it is to use the same tongue to bless God and curse people (9-12).
DESTRUCTIVE USE OF TONGUE: A Fire (v 6): A small fire can destroy an entire forest; all it takes is an uncontrolled spark. So it is with the tongue. A sharp word, a loose sentence, a callous aside can cause a conflagration that cannot be extinguished. Words can consume and destroy a life. A Restless Evil (v 8): The unregenerate tongue roams the wilds, quick to defend itself, swift to attack others, anxious to subdue them, always marked by evil. It mimics Satan in this respect, who, having rebelled against the God of peace, can never settle. He goes to and fro throughout the earth (as in Job 1:7; 2:2), like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour (1 Pet 5:8). A Deadly Poison (v 8): James shares the perspective of Paul and, in turn, of the psalmist. The “venom of asps” is under the lips of sinners, “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive” (Rom 3:13; Psalm 5:9).
Of course, all this is naturally true of the unregenerate person. The tragedy is that the same destructive powers may be released within the believing community. How easily the failure to master the tongue can destroy the effect of every grace that had taken years to build into our lives! Introduce poison here and we endanger everything.
VIRTUES OF THE LETTER OF JAMES-CHAPTER 3
SPIRITUAL AND WORLDLY WISDOM (3:13-18): The Christian must distinguish between spiritual and worldly wisdom. Some people are undoubtedly skilled in laying plans and using circumstances to achieve their goals, but their actions are often characterised by jealousy, selfishness and dishonesty. This is worldly wisdom, that comes from the evil one, results in wrong actions. It contrasts sharply with spiritual wisdom, which is characterised by humility and uprightness (v 13-16). The person who acts according to spiritual wisdom will consider wellbeing of others before his own. He will be free of any trace of deceit or dishonesty (v 17). The farmer who sows good seed can expect a good harvest. Similarly the Christian who sows peace in his relations with his fellows can expect to see a harvest of righteousness in their lives (v 18).
“Jealousy" and "selfish ambition" are manifestations of arrogance, and they result in promoting self—rather than "the truth" the believer is responsible to communicate. Lying "against the truth" means teaching untrue things, things that oppose the truth. Those who boast of wisdom are not following God, because humility does not mark their lives. (14). This type of so-called "wisdom," which springs from jealousy and ambition, does not have its source in the fear of the Lord. It comes from the "earthly" spirit of this world (2:1-7). It consists of only what is "natural," excluding the supernatural influence of God's Spirit. Furthermore, it is "demonic": demon-like in its deception, hypocrisy, and evil (v 15). God is not the God of disorder, but of order and peace (1 Cor. 14:33). He opposes "every evil thing" (1 John 1:5). Therefore, ungracious "jealousy" and personal "selfish ambition" are not a part of the wisdom He provides. (v 16) In contrast, "the wisdom from above," that God gives, has several characteristics: It is "pure", meaning free of all defilements. This wisdom is so cleansed of all concealed motives and of self that it has become pure enough to stand before God.
It is "peaceable", namely: peace-loving, peace- practicing, and peace-yielding. It is "gentle" or considerate of others. It is "reasonable", that is, open to reason and willing to yield to reasonable requests. It is "full of mercy" in that it is actively sympathetic to the needy, and it is "full of good fruits" (good works). It is "unwavering": single-minded in its devotion to God, rather than double-minded. It is, finally, "without hypocrisy" namely, true to appearances (v 17). Selfishness makes us inconsiderate of others. But James says that this heavenly wisdom is “considerate.” When we consider others, we are looking outward instead of inward. It is hard to think of others when we are only thinking about ourselves. That is why it is so important that we relinquish selfishness. And surprisingly, one of the most effective ways to do this is to focus on other people -- on their needs and how we can help them. As Christians, we are called to love and care for one another. "To 'raise a harvest of righteousness' demands a certain kind of climate. A crop of righteousness cannot be produced in the climate of bitterness and self-seeking. Righteousness will grow only in a climate of peace." To restate James' thought in this chapter, our words are very important as we seek to carry out the ministry God has called us to fulfil. We need to train our tongue for God's service. We cannot control our tongues easily. Therefore we should not be too quick to take on a teaching ministry. The only One who can control our tongues is God, who alone can give us the wisdom from above. The marks of the wisdom He provides are humility, graciousness, and peace. "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life." (Psalms 139:23-24). May the purity, peace, gentleness and mercy shown in all our actions, and the fruit of righteousness abounding in our lives, prove that God has bestowed upon us this excellent gift. May God richly Bless You Amir & Suren Amirthanathan
Blackburn
Balwyn/Box Hill
Dandenong North
Deer Park
Frankston
Glen Waverley
Mount Waverley
Narre Warren
Pakenham
Wantirna
Wantirna South
For more details visit clamelbourne.com
Snapshot 21st August - 28th August
Sunday 21st August
8.30 / 10.30 a.m.
Sunday Celebration
Wednesday 24th August
7.30– 8.30 p.m.
House of Prayer
Saturday 27th August
8.00 - 9.30 a.m.
6.00 p.m.
Men’s Fellowship
Unity Service
Sunday 28th August
8.30 / 10.30 a.m.
Sunday Celebration
Fantastic Family Weekend @ CLA! Saturday 10th Sep at 11am
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