"SPECIAL BLESSING" REAL FAITH AND CONTROLLING THE TONGUE

Real Faith and Controlling the Tongue
James 3:1-2
August 28, 2011 PM

Tonight we move to a new chapter in the book of James. In this chapter we will talk about the tongue…a little member of your body that the Bible calls an unruly evil which is full of deadly poison.

James begins this passage with a caution about being a teacher, and then he provides a series of illustrations to show the power and danger of the tongue, and how we misuse it.

The Danger of Being A Teacher/Preacher (1-2)

James says that teachers will receive a stricter judgment…even so, anyone who has been called to teach/preach ought to obey that calling, but they ought to take is very seriously.

Three things must be true of a teacher:
They Must Know the Truth - If a person doesn’t have a thorough knowledge of the Word of God, he obviously won’t be able to teach it (2 Tim. 2:15).

They Must Teach the Truth - This simple principle seems obvious, but sadly, it is lacking today. Paul warned young Timothy about false teachers (2 Tim. 4:2-3).

They Must Live the Truth - This has been the emphasis of James thus far (“Doers, pure religion, good works”). Godliness should characterize the life of all believers, but this must be especially true of a teacher (Titus 1:9).

Friends, there is indeed a lack of sound teaching today. And far too many teach about sugar and spice and everything nice…majoring on the minors and minoring on the majors…avoiding the parts that they do not like. They preach to draw a crowd.

Let me be transparent: I hope my preaching draws a crowd, but I hope that the crowd it draws is a group of people who truly desire the Word of God and not a feel good speech.

Sometimes the Word of God can be encouraging…and sometimes convicting. But we are to preach the whole Council of God.

One day every teacher/preacher will give an account of what he taught.

Before you exclude yourself from this warning think about this: are we not all teachers in a way? Every one of us from the youngest to the oldest, teach others. We teach them by what we say; by what we do; by what is important to us. What are you teaching others? Your children; your friends; your coworkers, etc.?

So, there is a danger in being a teacher…for we shall give an account to God for what we teach.

Now, since the primary instrument for teaching is the tongue, James gives us some illustrations about the tongue.

The Danger of the Tongue (3-12)

The Bible says “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Someone else has said “Our tongues show us and others just how short we have come of the glory of God!”

Now, just because this is a very common problem among men, it is certainly not a license for loose lips. For we are still held accountable by God for every word we speak. Therefore, we must learn to control our tongues.

Read James 3:2…Note two things here:
 Controlling the tongue is the way to becoming mature and fully developed as a Christian. Maturity can be measured by the way the tongue is controlled.
 Controlling the tongue is the way by which we can also learn to control the whole body with all its appetites and passions. If a person will learn to control his tongue, he can learn to control any passion or appetite of the body.
The tongue is a little member, but boasts great things (v. 5)
The example of the bit and the rudder: A small bit enables a man to control a powerful horse…and a small rudder enables a man to steer a huge ship.
I am not a horseman, but they say a horse is a self-willed creature…it is wild at heart and will run wild if it is not controlled. Yet just a small bit in his mouth is able to overcome the wild nature of the horse.
A huge ship has no control over itself…if left uncontrolled the ship will be moved about by the wind and water current. However, a small rudder under the captains’ control gives him the ability to fight the winds and waves and keep the ship on course.
Warren Wiersbe says that our tongues also must overcome contrary forces, both internal and external. It is our inward sinfulness and the outward influences that we must guard against.

And the Tongue, though it is but a little member of the body, its power is great.

The tongue can boast great things. Now, a person can boast about anything. He can boast in a quiet and unassuming way or boast by talking big. But no matter how the boasting is done, it is destructive. Boasting is nothing more than vain or empty talk, but its destructive force must never be underestimated.

Psalms 10:3 - For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth.
Proverbs 27:1-2 - Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. 2 Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.

James 4:16 - But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.
The tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity (v. 6)
Notice the word "matter" in verse 5 – it refers to wood or a forest. Therefore, the meaning is that a great forest is set on fire by only a little spark of fire. So it is with the tongue.
The tongue is a fire that can set a whole forest of lives and relationships on fire, consuming and destroying everything in its path. It can cause what seems to be a world of sin and destruction when it is set ablaze.
Think about the great and terrible damage that has been done by the fire of words…rumors, tale bearing, and sharp or cutting remarks.
 marriages are destroyed  children are verbally abused  friendships are damaged  reputations are ruined  fights are aroused  wars are fought
The list could go on an on, but the point is well made. The tongue can start a tiny fire which sets ablaze and consumes a whole forest of people and relationships.

James tells us that the fire of the tongue defiles the whole body and sets on fire the whole course of a man's life.

Just name a sin and you will find that words are involved…either through thoughts of the mind or verbally through the tongue.

Taken from the POSB - Note the source of a fiery tongue: Hell. Satan himself is the igniter of a fiery tongue; therefore, any person who sets his tongue ablaze is following the tongue of Satan, of the fire of hell itself. This person demonstrates a hellish, satanic heart and not the heart of Christ. The fire of hell, is never to be seen in the life of a believer. A believer's tongue is never to speak forth the fiery flames of hell's destructive words.

Ephesians 4:31 - Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 1 Peter 2:1-2 - Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, 2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
The tongue is a restless evil, full of deadly poison (v. 8)
It would seem that the tongue is the only thing that cannot be tamed (7). Men have tamed every kind of creature there is: beasts, birds, serpents, and creatures of the sea.
The tongue cannot be completely tamed by any man (8)—the idea is completely and fully tamed. Note that the verse says that no man can tame the tongue. But God can.

Lehman Strauss says: "While no man can tame the tongue, there is One who can. The Lord is no less able to control a lying, blaspheming, slanderous, gossiping tongue than He is to deliver the drunkard from alcohol, the gambler from the game table, the drug addict from drugs, or the lustful person from adultery"

The point is this: no man is able to tame his own tongue…not fully…not completely…not adequately…not enough to please God. But with the help of the Lord a tongue can be controlled!

The tongue is unruly, restless, unstable, always roaming about and it is full of deadly poison. Note how inconsistent it is: Some days are better than others! With it blesses God and curses men. The very same tongue that blesses is the same tongue that curses.

How many sit in church on Sunday blessing God, and then turn around on Monday and curse or use foul language? It is the same tongue!

James says – “Brethren these things must not be." It is not fitting for a believer's tongue to be untamed.
 It is contrary to the true purpose of a believer's life. A believer is just like a fountain, a fountain for God. Does a fountain that is supposed to bring forth sweet water bring forth bitter water also? (11)
 It is contrary to the true nature of believer’s life. Just as contrary as it would be for a fig tree to bear olives, or a vine to grow figs?

We may think that what we say doesn’t really matter all that much, but it does matter!

Psalms 34:13 - Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.
Proverbs 13:3 - 3 He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.
James 1:26 - If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.

Conclusion

The point is that what is really inside you…will come out! “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” If the well is dirty…so shall the water be dirty; if the heart is not right, then your speech will not be right. Conversely, if your speech is not right, it is an indication that your heart is not right.
Remember, Jesus said that we will give an account for every word that we speak. Are you controlling your tongue?

Senior Pastor John Sweat, Sr
Crossroads Baptist Church
1595 Baxley Road
Middleburg, Florida
904) 376-5049