James 3
James: Faith that Works • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 24:39
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· 18 viewsHow we speak matters, and for James the key to speaking in a way that pleases God is to allow God to transform your heart.
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Tongue Facts
Tongue Facts
How much do you know about your tongue? Assuming your not a doctor or you aren't weirdly obsessed with tongues, then like me, you probably don't know that much.
Let me educate you...
Close to fifty percent of the bacteria in the mouth lives on the surface of our tongue.
when kissing, we tend to swap 256 colonies of bacteria with our partner
85% of the population can curl their tongue into a tube.
Every person has a unique tongue print.
Relative to size, the tongue is the strongest muscle in the body
And not only is it the strongest muscle but, as we heard in the reading, the bible tells us that even though the tongue is small, it boasts of great exploits. And tonight we're going to unpack just what it is our tongues are capable of, and hopefully you will feel encouraged to live wisely by asking God to transform you and your tongue.
The Importance of our tongue/speech in Scripture
The Importance of our tongue/speech in Scripture
So the idea that the tongue is a dangerous is not new to James 3. Earlier in James:
19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,
26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.
Elsewhere in the NT we see that our speech is important. In Eph 5:4 Paul says:
4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.
Jesus also has a bit to say about the potential destruction that the tongue can bring.
34 You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.’
In Proverbs in the OT we also see that the bible warns us about the tongue and our speech.
9 With their mouths the godless destroy their neighbours,
but through knowledge the righteous escape.
11 Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted,
but by the mouth of the wicked it is destroyed.
6 The lips of fools bring them strife,
and their mouths invite a beating.
21 The tongue has the power of life and death,
and those who love it will eat its fruit.
Finally, right back at the beginning of human life on this earth, in Gen 3:12, after the fall, one of the first sins humans are guilty of involved our tongue, as Adam tried to weazle his way out of his own responsibility.
So it is clear that as far as the bible is concerned, the tongue is capable of getting us into all sorts of trouble! The way we speak has power, and since the beginning of time, right though to Jesus coming, and then into the early days of the church, our ability to speak, to use our tongue, has been the cause of many problems.
So lets look more closely at what James says about the tongue. James 3:1
1 Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.
James begins this passage, where he talks about the power of the tongue by warning people that they should think twice about becoming teachers, because those of us who teach will be judged with greater strictness by God. Why does James start here? When he is going to talk mainly about the great and dangerous things the small tongue can do, why start with a warning about becoming a teacher?
Because Teachers use their tongue. They use words to educate. They stand up, and with their tongue they teach people what to think, say, feel. They encourage people, and rebuke people. Because the tongue is so vital to the teacher, and because the tongue is so difficult to control, not many of us James says, should want to be teachers.
James continues:
2 We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.
We all make mistakes. We all do things we regret... If you've never done something you regret, you will have certainly said something you regret.
Sometimes our tongues gets the better of us.
High school story - I was part of a group that dished out some very mean and vicious speech towards another guy who was part of our youth group, who we found a bit annoying and frustrating. He was understandably devastated by our childish actions, and I think our speech probably damaged this guys relationship with Jesus as well as essentially destroying his relationship with his Christian brothers and sisters.
A big mistake. I’m sure you can think of some you’ve made with your speech too.
Small tongue… Big impact!
Small tongue… Big impact!
James gives us 3 pictures of the power of the tongue even though its small in verse 3-6.
Bit in the mouth of a horse (v3)
Rudder of a ship (v4)
Spark that lights up a forest fire (v5-6)
Bit in the mouth of a horse
3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal.
“A bit used in equestrian activities is a piece of metal or similar synthetic material that is placed in the mouth of a horse... and allows a rider to control the animal”
Big powerfully horses controlled by a small piece of material.
Rudder of a ship
4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.
Wooden Boat Festival - did you see those big tall ships sail at all? Amazing. And comparatively small is the rudder of those ships but it is the rudder that determines their direction.
Spark that lights a fire
5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
We’ve heard lots over the last few weeks here in Hobart about the damage fire can do. As the fires raged around our state we would hear warnings on the radio and TV that certain towns needed to be ready to either leave or stay and defend their property. Often it wasn’t the fire itself that we were warned about. It was coming under ember attack. Tiny sparks that could light up the whole house.
Bits, rudders, sparks.
Small things with a big impact. Just like our tongues! Just like our speech!
If we use our tongue to say bad things about other people, to slag them off behind their backs, to stir up rumours and gossip, then we are not heading in a direction that is making us more like Jesus. But if we are building up each other, encouraging, not spreading rumours, not gossiping, praising Jesus, speaking up for our faith to our non-Christian friends, then we are heading in a good and Godly direction.
Controlling our Tongues by Changing our Hearts
Controlling our Tongues by Changing our Hearts
In verse 7-12, James then shows us that though the tongue is difficult to control, it ultimately it ought to be something that helps us live for God instead of for cursing others.
7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind,
What does James mean when he says the tongue is untameable? He’s saying, You can practice all you like at saying nice things, you can try really hard to be nice. But you won't be able to tame your tongue. When you get tired, or a bit annoyed at someone, your tongue will slip... you might be tempted to slag someone off behind their back, or swear at the ref when they make a terrible call. Even when you're in a great mood but you stumble and stub your toe out of the mouth will come cursing... you will see that your human efforts to tame your tongue will have been worthless.
But as followers of Jesus, we believe that we are given the Holy Spirit. And it is by the power of the Spirit that we can tame the tongue. The Holy Spirit can start us on a process of transforming the tongue, into a vessel that praises God.
You might remember last week we talked about about how our faith saves us, but that that faith is only genuine if it gives birth to acts of love, that is real faith changes us, and makes us behave in a different way. James says in 2:17:
17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
One of the works that faith will produce in us is changed speech. And this is what James is alluding to in these verses. You say you have faith says James? Well look at your speech. Do you praise God one moment, and then curse other people the next? Can the same spring produce both fresh and salty water?
James wants us to use our speech as a way to check how our faith is going.
A fig must have at it's source a fig tree. A grapevine produces grapes. Loving speech which brings glory to God must have at its source God. A heart that is changed by the Holy Spirit is the source of speech that builds up, that encourages, that praises God. The flip side is that speech which tears down, which is deliberately harmful, full of bitterness, has at its source an unchanged, sinful heart.
What does your tongue say about you?
What does it say about the direction you are heading?
Are you allowing your speech to be changed by the Holy Spirit?
Are you relying on your own strength in your battle against the tongue?
Live the Wise Life
Live the Wise Life
James finishes this chapter in verse 13-18 with a call to living wisely.
What kind of life is wise?
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.
And what are those good deeds?
17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.
When we’ve been transformed by the Holy Spirit, it’s not just our speech that changes. It’s our whole lives!
This is direct contrast to earthly or unspiritual wisdom. That is the unchanged life.
14 But if you harbour bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.
16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
Bitterness, selfishness, envy. These sorts of attitudes lead to disorder and evil practice.
The wise life is the life that has been transformed by the Holy Spirit, that has had our hearts changed so that our speech, our tongues are tamed. When we let God work in us we become wise. We are full of mercy, we are peace loving and considerate. But when we fail to trust God. When we let our tongues and therefore our hearts get away from us. We become bitter, selfish and envious.
All of us can think of people who have become bitter, selfish and envious. It’s a sad and horrible way to live.
But the good news is we don’t need to stay there. Jesus calls us today to turn from earthly or unspiritual living, to Godly wisdom. He’s calling us to turn from cursing with our tongues to praise. On our own it will be impossible. But with God we will be transformed we will live the wise life.