Rev. David Holwick ZG James series #12
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey (Similar to sermon of 7/24/94)
October 14, 2007
James 4:11-12
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I. Guilty as sin!
It happened not that long ago.
The banks in New Jersey had been robbed systematically, one after
the other.
What made the robber stand out was his politeness.
He just gave the tellers a note which said,
"Please place your money in this bag. Thank you."
The newspapers called him THE GENTLEMAN BANDIT.
The widespread publicity led to a very unlikely arrest - the suspect
was a Catholic priest.
His church was appalled but stood beside him, saying they knew he
could not be the bandit.
They signed petitions, held protest marches and came up with his
bail.
But the police were certain they had their man.
All of the eyewitnesses positively identified him.
And the news media dug into his past, to find that in a previous
church he had left under a cloud because of financial
irregularities in the parish.
For a priest he had a pretty expensive lifestyle - his own apartment
and a fast car.
His church was probably standing up for him because otherwise they
looked like dupes.
As I watched the story unfold on the news, I was positive this
priest had pulled a fast one.
He probably had a sociopathic personality so he could rob banks and
preach the next Sunday without feeling any guilt.
But you know the old Bible verse:
"Be ye sure, YOUR SIN WILL FIND YE OUT." (Numbers 32:23)
No one outside his congregation was standing up for this guy.
But then a funny thing happened.
The REAL Gentleman Bandit was caught red-handed.
As it turned out, he was the spitting image of the priest.
It's just that he WASN'T the priest.
The priest was released, his church threw him a big party, Broadway
even made a play about him and the news media and I felt a
little sheepish.
#2718
A. All of us form judgments of others.
1) As soon as you meet someone, you form an impression.
2) Often, you'll pass that impression on to someone else.
B. It is a natural tendency - and dangerous.
1) Judging, criticism and gossip are among the worst sins.
a) Paul lumps them with murder and fornication. Rom 1:29f
b) James also thinks the tongue can be a tool of evil.
2) The way you use your tongue gives evidence of your
commitment to Jesus, or your worldliness.
II. Run 'em down.
A. The literal Greek of this verse forbids more than slander.
1) Do not "KATALALEO" one another. 4:11
a) Literally it is, "Do not speak down on one another," or
"Do not speak against one another."
b) Slander is malicious speech that is untrue.
2) James is forbidding ANY SPEECH (whether it is true or false)
which runs down another person.
B. Why do we run people down?
1) Revenge: They hurt us, and deserve to be hurt in return.
a) In the end, it only gets us.
A psychiatrist for the Veteran's Administration, David H. Fink,
did a study of 10,000 people.
He divided them into two groups: those suffering from
nervousness and tension, and those who did not.
As the study progressed, he discovered a crucial trait.
Those who suffered from extreme tension tended to be
habitual faultfinders.
They were constant critics of the people and things around them.
Those who were free from tension were the least fault-finding.
Harsh criticism doesn't just affect your victims - it affects
YOU, and my be a sign that something is wrong in your life.
#2722
2) Self-righteousness.
a) The need to elevate ourselves, at expense of others.
b) Unmasking hypocrisy, as long as it someone else's.
III. The truth is no defense.
A. Most agree that we should not slander people.
1) We can be sued.
a) I can slander, because the church has insurance on me.
b) You probably don't.
2) Is truth an adequate defense?
B. Many think it is okay to tell negative information if it is TRUE.
1) Passing lies about someone is wrong, but passing on
damaging truth seems like a moral duty.
2) Many believers use truth as a license to righteously destroy
the reputation of others.
3) We prefer to do this anonymously.
Do you have a gripe about someone and you wish they would
do something to change it?
Several internet companies will anonymously inform anyone
about anything, for a price.
The put-downs come in plain envelopes with phony return
addresses.
#5235
C. Face to face is no excuse.
1) Fault-finding can be just as bad to the face as behind
the back.
2) Most are painfully aware of their faults.
3) Ripping them up can defeat them spiritually.
D. Truth alone is not good enough. Only LOVE is good enough.
IV. We can, and must, make judgments.
A. The Bible is full of human judgments.
1) The prophets raked people over the coals.
2) James himself rebukes the rich.
B. Matthew 7:1 is often interpreted to forbid all judgments.
1) In context, Jesus condemns those who judge others while
overlooking their own (greater) faults.
2) We must deal with our own sin first.
C. We have a duty to make judgments.
1) To beware of false prophets, we have to assess them. Matt 7:15
2) We are ordered to recognize fruit. Matt 7:16
a) This requires careful judging.
b) Sin should be called sin.
D. Making RIGHT JUDGMENTS is the rub. John 7:24
1) "Judgmentalism" is thoroughly condemned in Bible.
2) A critical spirit that seeks to run others down, is sin.
V. Why judgmentalism is wrong.
A. We elevate ourselves above the Bible.
1) God's Law is the LAW of LOVE. 2:8
2) When we break the law by running others down, we are
actually judging it to be invalid.
a) We are saying those verses don't apply to us.
b) It is almost as if we think we can improve on God's Word.
B. We elevate ourselves above God.
1) This takes us a step higher.
2) Ultimately, only God has the right to judge.
a) We must judge, but we will always be imperfect.
b) God alone knows the heart.
One of the most famous preachers of the 1800's was
Charles Spurgeon.
He was Queen Victoria's favorite preacher, and he was
a Baptist.
Spurgeon and his wife had a practice of selling, but
refusing to give away, the eggs their chickens laid.
Even close relatives were told, "If you want them, you
have to pay for them."
Since he had a huge church and a salary to match, some
people labeled the Spurgeons as greedy.
Sort of like how television evangelists are labeled
today.
The Spurgeons accepted the criticisms without defending
themselves.
It was only after Mrs. Spurgeon died that the whole
story was revealed:
All the profits from the sale of eggs went to support
two elderly widows.
The critics never knew this; HOW OFTEN DO WE?
There are many times when it is best to leave our doubts
about others to Almighty God.
He is still in charge of the universe - he'll know what
to do with them.
#2723
VI. Use your tongue for good.
A. Learn the lesson of the tongue.
Socrates of Constantinople was a church historian who lived in
the fourth century.
This was a pretty harsh period for Christians, but Socrates was
known for having a very gentle spirit.
Others were attracted to this.
One day an ignorant man named Pambo came to him and asked the
scholar to teach him a Psalm or some part of the Bible.
Socrates began to read the 39th Psalm to him, "I said, I will
watch my ways, and keep my tongue from sin; I will put a
muzzle on my mouth...."
As soon as Socrates had read the first verse, Pambo shut the
book and said he would learn that point first.
Then he left.
Socrates waited and waited for him, but Pambo did not come back.
Finally, one day Socrates met Pambo accidentally and asked
where he had been.
Pambo said he was still learning that first lesson about the
tongue.
Forty-nine years later someone else asked him why he did not
learn anything else from the Scriptures.
His reply was the same.
#23448
B. Build others up.
1) Paul says our words must benefit those who listen.
2) THEIR benefit is more important than OUR benefit.
C. Rebuke carefully.
1) Always do it with perspective and balance.
2) Always do it lovingly.
3) If they cannot gain anything from it, keep it to yourself.
D. Say nothing evil.
1) Avoid gossip, even if it is true.
2) After all, what could people say about YOU?
VII. We all answer to God.
A. Only God can save and destroy.
1) "There is no God besides me. I put to death and
I bring to life." Deut 32:39
a) Jesus tells us not to fear those who can kill
the body, but not the soul.
Instead, fear God, who can cast into hell. Matt 10:28
2) God prefers to save.
a) God doesn't want to condemn anyone.
b) He sent Jesus to take our penalty.
c) Jesus knows what it is to be judged sinfully.
B. God will judge, fairly but eternally.
1) Judge shows are very popular on TV:
Judge Judy
Judge Joe Brown
Judge Matthis
Judge Hatchett
a) Maybe they are popular because we wish WE could be
judges.
b) Like most TV shows, perfect justice is dished out in
about 12 minutes per case.
2) We have all been judged by people.
a) We resent it because so often unfair.
b) In the Old Testament it says, humans look at the outward
appearance, God looks at the heart.
1> What does God see in your heart?
3) We will be judged by God.
a) Are you ready to face him?
b) Are you ready to live for him?
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SOURCES FOR ILLUSTRATIONS USED IN THIS SERMON:
# 2718 "The Gentleman Bandit," by Rev. David Holwick, from old sermon
dated December 27, 1987. One internet source is
http://slimac.lanecc.edu/users/kime/Jan%2026%2001.html
# 2722 "Faultfinding Can Be Hazardous To Your Health," by Rev. David
Holwick, from an old sermon dated December 27, 1987.
# 2723 "Giving In Secret," Leadership magazine, Winter 1985, page 49.
# 5235 "Overt Anonymity Or Covert Animosity!" by John Gillmartin,
Sermon-illustrations-each-week (SIEW), January 24, 2000.
#000124-3
#23448 "The Lesson of the Tongue," Fredericksburg Bible Illustrator
Supplements, 9/2001.201; Gerald Rodgers Collection.
These and 30,000 others are part of the Kerux database that can be
downloaded, absolutely free, at http://www.holwick.com/database.html
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