Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction: In this passage we’re going to learn some ways to avoid playing church.

We’re going to consider a plan for our church so that we won’t be a congregation that simply plays church.

At the same time, we’ll consider some indicators to watch for in our own lives that may be indicative of playing church.

\\ \\ James 1:26-27 says, “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.

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.”

\\ \\ In the two verses we’re going to look at this morning, James points out three things we should do to avoid playing church.

*We need to be people who have control of our tongues.*

*We need to be people who willingly care for the less fortunate.*

*And we need to be people who clean up our acts whenever the need arises.*

\\ \\  But before we get into the text, it’s critical that each and every one of us understand that what James teaches us in these verses are both meaningless and worthless unless we first have a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Without that critical, mandatory, unambiguous factor being real in our lives, then there is no way to avoid playing church.

\\ \\ Now, having established the first and foremost condition for avoiding a lack of genuineness in our faith, let’s look at some things we, as believers, should do both individually and corporately as a body, to avoid playing church.

\\ \\ *The Kind of Person James is Talking About* \\ \\ What James says in verse 26 and 27 is well placed, coming on the heels of James’ teaching about hearers of the Word who delude themselves.

Just as James made a contrast between hearers and doers, in verses 19-25, in our verses for today he makes the contrast between people who practice their religion out of habit or tradition and people who practice their religion in such a way that it has an internal, lasting affect on their lives and the lives of the people around them.

\\ \\ The adjective “religious” comes from the Greek word threskos and is found nowhere else in the New Testament.

We see the noun form of the word at the end of verse 26.

Although the word “religious” can refer to internal convictions, more often than not, in other Greek literature, it is used to describe the outward visible practices of one’s religion.

It’s a word that can be used in both a positive and a negative sense.

Again, there is good and bad religion.

\\ \\ James begins verse 26 with what’s known as a first class conditional statement—“If anyone thinks himself to be religious.”

The wording here is such that James is assuming that there are people within the body of Christ who are like this.

The fact that James uses the word “anyone” tells us that he is not pointing out a particular person, congregation, or group within a particular congregation.

We know that he is speaking to Christians.

But beyond that, we can only surmise that there are people who seem religious in every congregation.

\\ \\ James talks about the person thinking himself to be religious.

The Greek word, rightly translated as “thinks” in verse 26, can also be translated as “seems.”

I think the idea James is trying to get across here is that not only does the type of person he is referring to consider himself to be religious, but this type of person is probably perceived to be religious by people in both the Christian and secular communities.

\\ \\ What we’re going to see James do in the remainder of verse 26 is make the argument that the person who thinks themselves to be religious, yet behaves in the way he is about to describe, is fooling himself about his spiritual condition and just playing church.

\\ \\ *Control Your Tongue* \\ \\ The next phrase in verse 26 gives us a good indication that the person whom he is talking about has a religion that is not all it’s cracked up to be.

James tells us that if a person seems to be religious to those around him, and he subjectively considers himself to be a religious person, it may all be a façade if he doesn’t have control of his tongue.

\\ \\ *Who we really are can often be determined by what we say.*

Our speech will do more to make or break our reputations than just about any other character trait.

More types of sin can likely be attributed to the tongue than any other part of the body.

\\ \\ Having control of our tongues is not only critical to our own spiritual health, but it is also critical to the health of our church.

The fact that the apostle Paul, in his instruction to Timothy and Titus regarding the selection of church leaders, made a point of included qualities such as temperate, not quarrelsome, and not double-tongued as being important traits of the men who were to lead the new churches around the world, shows how important the issue is.

\\ \\ In referring to the need for controlling the tongue, James uses the very descriptive word *“bridle.”*

Do we have any horse people here?

Well, when we think of a bridle, we more than likely think of the apparatus used to control a horse, which is comprised of a headstall, bit, and reins.

Since James uses a similar illustration in chapter three, this is likely the kind of bridle he is referring to here.

\\ \\ The fact that James doesn’t give us specific areas in which we should control our tongue, we can conclude that he is telling us that we should control our tongues in every form of speech.

Areas in which we should be controlling out speech include sarcasm, anger, slander, bitterness, and boasting.

There are many others.

\\ \\ But since we don’t have the time to look at every form of speech, I want us to focus on what I think is a form of speech that is pertinent to the life and health of our church.

This particular form of speech is one of the most devastating and insidious forms of speech in any environment, especially the church—*gossip.*

\\ \\ Proverbs 20:19 says, “He that goeth about /as/ a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.”

And in Proverbs 13:3 we read, “He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: /but/ he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.”

People gossip for many reasons.

Probably the most common and, at the same time, least often admitted to, is the need to feel important.

Information is a very powerful thing.

The possession of information, especially information that is unknown to others, can be an intoxicating thing.

The only way for anyone to know how powerful or important you are because of the information you possess is to tell someone about it.

\\ \\ Sometimes an insatiable need to gossip can disguise itself as something more positive—like prayer.

Have you ever heard or ever said the following: *“I’m only telling you this so you can pray.”*

When a person shares a personal prayer request with you, you are automatically placed in a position of influence with a significant amount of responsibility.

\\ \\ Sometimes we can get so caught up in the moment, we can be so taken aback by some of the information we receive, that we find ourselves running off at the mouth before we realize we’re doing it.

Anytime we receive information from or about another person, we should take as much time as we need to think about the consequences for repeating the information we’ve received.

\\ \\  *T—Is it true?

H—Is it helpful?

I—Is it inspiring?

N—Is it necessary?

K—Is it kind?”*

\\ \\ “If what I am about to say does not pass those tests, I will keep my mouth shut!

And it worked”

But what if you’re the one on the receiving end of what appears to be gossip?

What should you do?

Well, there are several simple questions you can ask yourself to determine whether or not the conversation you are involved in is healthy or gossip.

*Ask yourself, “Does the third party know we are having this conversation?

Why is this person sharing this information about someone else with me?

Is the third party being built up or torn down?

Who can this conversation hurt?

Is this conversation tempting me to gossip?”* \\ \\ It’s an incredibly uncomfortable feeling to be in the middle of a gossip conversation.

It can be so uncomfortable that we find ourselves smiling nervously and not saying anything, as if our silence means we are not participating in the gossip.

Yet not saying anything, not stopping the conversation before damage is done, is no less detrimental to your spiritual health and the health of the church than if you were the one spreading the gossip.

\\ \\ If you find yourself heading into a gossip conversation, lovingly ask the other person if they have taken up the issue with the person they are talking about.

If they haven’t, then politely tell them that you can’t be involved in the conversation.

It might be helpful to keep Matthew 18:15 in mind if you ever find yourself in this kind of situation.

“If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private (emphasis mine); if he listens to you, you have won your brother.”

\\ \\ The verse doesn’t say, “go and tell the world about your brother’s sin.”

It doesn’t say, “go and tell only your closest friends and ask them to pray.”

No.

If you have an issue with a person, anything that could cause you to speak negatively about that person, then you are obligated to go to that person first and work it out.

\\ \\ I know we’ve spent a lot of time on this, but I think it’s vitally important that we are all very clear about how dangerous gossip can be to friendships and the fellowship of the church.

It’s so important, as some of you will find out in our upcoming membership class that part of our membership covenant is a commitment not to engage in gossip.

\\ \\ Before moving on to describe what pure and authentic religion is, James adds one more powerful caveat to emphasize his point about controlling the tongue.

If a man cannot control his speech then his “religion is worthless.”

\\ \\ The word “worthless” comes from the Greek word mataios.

James doesn’t use the word in the sense that he is speaking about a believer whose faith is shallow or immature.

He is making the assertion that a person who cannot control their tongue is a person whose faith is an exercise in futility.

It is utterly meaningless.

\\ \\ If we want to avoid fooling ourselves about our religion, if we want to avoid playing church, then we must come to the realization that our words, probably more than anything else, reveal our character.

Jesus speaks some very powerful words to the Pharisees regarding this issue.

Remember, the Pharisees were the religious leaders of the day who were fooling themselves about their spiritual condition.

Listen to what the Lord said.

\\ \\ “Matthew 12:33-37 (KJV)

33 Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by /his/ fruit.

34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things?

for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.