Week 14

Come join us each Wednesday night at 6:00 at Central Community Church.

Let’s begin with reading these verses.

Do Not Judge a Brother
11 Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. 12 There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?

Do Not Boast About Tomorrow
13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; 14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” 16 But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 17 Therefore, “to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

Father, your word is alive and real as if it were written specifically to me. I pray that this teaching will not fall void to those who hear it and those who read it. Your Word is amazing. Thank you that You are the same, yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

As we begin, let’s look back at verses 7-10. What were the four things that God called us to do during those verses?

Submit, draw near to Him, cleanse (purify) our hearts, and to lament over our sins.

The first question we need to ask ourselves is: Do I have a judgmental attitude? How do I speak about others?

11 Do not speak (slander {tongue 3:1 is untamable..sets forests on fire, is full of deadly poison} or defame…damage their reputation (your tongue does the speaking – is it speaking evil?) evil (causing harm or injury) of one another brethren. (not the world…other brethren…other Christians)

Remember our challenge from last week? Not to say anything about a person that I wouldn’t say if they were listening!

James is saying that we are not to speak critically, derogatory, slanderous accusations against others.

Let’s look up and discuss the following verses:
Prov 10-18, 26:20-28; Eph 4:31; 1 Tim 3:11 {deacons wives not slanders}, 2 Tim 3:3 {these are perilous times, perilous men..dangerous} ; Titus 2:3 {older women not slanderers}

He, who speaks evil (causing harm or injury) of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law.

What is the law? Love one another. God commands it. 1 John 4:21; John 13:34; 15:12; 1 John 3:23

Speaks evil of the law means if you are speaking (criticizing) evil about another person you are taking God’s place as judge. That is disregarding God’s law, which forbids such condemnation.

So in other words while you are criticizing/judge another brethren, you are sinning because that is against God’s law. Exodus 23:1 An amazing verse!

But if you judge (assume the position of) the law, you are not a doer (James 1:22) of the law but a judge. 1. Determining the outcome 2. condemning 3. sentencing.
Judges the law means by refusing to submit to (the act of surrendering to the power of another. God’s Law.

In other words you are placing yourself above the law as putting yourself in the position of judge. You are thinking you are above the law.

Examples (sometimes) politician, lawyers, judges, policeman

12 There is one Lawgiver (not us but God -- Isaiah 33:22 – the Lord is our Judge, The Lord is our Lawgiver; The Lord is our King. He will save us!) who is able to save and to destroy. He alone has the authority to save those who repent {cleanse, purify} from their sins, and destroy {apollumi – perish} those who refuse {deny, reject, renounce, to refuse to acknowledge, disown} to repent. Metanoia – change your mind turning from sin or evil to God.

Matt 7:1 Judge not least you be judged.

John 5:22 For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son. That all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father

Why do we judge? Selfish ambition, sin, critical spirit, makes us feel better about our pitiful self.

Is it ever OK to speak against someone as long as we are sure it is the truth?
How is constructive criticism different from slander?
Are you to judge another? NO ONE

Do not Boast About Tomorrow
13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”;

Hopes, dreams, and plans? Are they Biblical? I don’t think the Bible discourages us from looking to the future but we have to make our plans, with a perspective on who is ultimately in charge of us and that is God. In other words, we need to plan with an attitude of humility that He is in control of our future.

Our tendency is to seek control over our circumstances. We must ultimately submit to the God.

We need to submit every intention we have to God. He may allow us to proceed like we want it, or He may decide to alter our plans according to His own purposes. Whichever way, we need to accept what He decides to bring into our lives, without arguing or complaining (Phil 2:13-13).
What happens when we do? This is when we find the JOY and peace mentioned in James 1.

Do your plans include God?
Do I live my life making plans that don’t include God?
Is that possible if we have a genuine saving faith? Ignoring God can be dangerous!

Remember that we are submit, draw near, cleanse, and lament over the wrong things we are doing.

14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow.

Proverbs 27:1 – Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.
God alone knows the future.
For what is your life?
The length of your life is determined by God.
It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.
Vapor – condensation on the mirror after a shower
Breath on a cold day
Smoke from a chimney

Psalm 39:5, 62:9; 90:5,6 Great verses!

15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.
Or If the Lord wants us to, we shall live and do this or that.

Submit, draw near, cleanse, lament.

The true Christian submits his plans to the Lordship of Christ.
Romans 1:10, 15:32; 1 Cor 4:19
Paul says: in the will of God
By the will of God
If the Lord wills

These should be phrases in your vocabulary.

Place a piece of paper on the opposite side of the door from which you are standing. Makes sure you write “God’s will” on the paper and tape it to the door.

Imagine a door in the path ahead of you. God’s will is on the other side of that door. You really want to know what that is. Will God show us what’s on the other side of that door? Yes and No. First we have to resolve any issues/unresolved sin on this side of the door first.

Secondly we have to ask ourselves, why do we want to know what’s on the other side of the door? Is it because we want to reserve the right to determine (control) whether or not we will go through it?

Are you so used to running your own life, I don’t know if I can trust God to do as good a job as I am!

Are we afraid of what might be on the other side of the door? Something we don’t want to do perhaps. Too scary?

Trust me, if you are not in God’s will, you are living dangerously.

16 But now you boast (talk with excessive pride – haughty speech which stirs up strife or provokes-stirs up feelings) in your arrogance (overly convinced of one’s own superiority and importance)

This is bragging, self-confidence, never pleasing to God.

All such boasting is evil. Morally and ethically objectionable.

From the list: (Pilgrim’s Progress) underline the morally and ethically correct behaviors.

4:17 Therefore, to him who KNOWS to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

Sin – that which is morally bad, ethically bad or objectionable.

There is only one place for healing – that is the Living Word. It is more than just the knowing, it is the doing.