James 3:1-12 Power of the Tongue

we get out your copy of God's Word and turn to James chapter 3 James chapter 3 and starting in the first verse there we will continue our our study in the in the book of James James 3 verse 1 it will be on the screen as well as in your bulletins dear brothers and sisters not many of you should become teachers in the church for we who teach will be judged more strictly you get that it's a warning he's saying hey don't rush to become a teacher in the church those of you teach life group small group Sunday school be warned that roll puts you in a position that God is going to hold you accountable in a stronger way and holds all of us accountable but you can hold you accountable in a stronger way do not rush your way into the area of teaching the church that's it seems that that's what so many either new Christians or even Christians have been around they kind of look up to that role as that's what I want but God has given us all different gifts and God each gift is just as important as the others and so we should look at one gift as higher than the others and so it's important that you and your mind that you understand that that God's giftedness for you is how he wants you to minister in the body of Christ it may not be teaching it may not be in fact it's not it's not going to be for all of us and it's in here James even warns us be careful not to rush into teaching too quickly because you're going to be judged more for teaching next for if I keep reading for if we could control oh it says indeed we all make mistakes for if we could control our tongues we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every way you can control your tongue you can control yourself in every way verse 3 we can make a lot you can make a large horse go wherever we want we want by means of a small bit in its mouth a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go even though the winds are strong in the same way your tongue is small but it makes grand speeches but a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire and the tongue is a flame of fire the whole it's a whole world of wickedness corrupting your entire body it can set your whole life on fire and get this for it is set on fire by hell in your mouth it contains something that can be set on fire by hell that's that's powerful for seven people can tame all kinds of animals and birds and reptiles and fish but no one contained the tongue it is restless and evil in full of deadly poison sometimes it praises the Lord and father and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God in so blessings and cursings come pouring out of the same mouth surely my brothers and sisters this is not right does the spring of water bubble out of both the fresh water and bitter water the same spring does a fig tree produce olives is a grapevine produce figs no and you can't draw fresh water from a salty spring our words are extremely powerful if I was to walk up to you and know the right sentence to say I could reduce anyone in this room to tears there's something in your life there's a hurt that someone has said to you or done to you that the mere words or mention of it can crush you you might have experienced that words are powerful you know the saying dicks and stones will break my bones but words will crush my soul I changed the ending I think it makes more sense I would much rather someone punch me in the face and call me fat I can say it about myself it's okay but if somebody else says it oh man it's like a knife in my heart like I got a mirror buddy you don't need to tell me I know what's going on words can crush and we especially as believers you'd be very cautious very careful with our words our words are the outflow of what's in our heart but I believe even a step further I believe as you use words that cut others and cut down yourself and and are hurtful to others I believe it also then poisoned your your heart I think it's to two-way street so first words can direct us and others you can control your tongue you can control your life if you can get down this one issue of your tongue you will be in control of every area in your life that you struggle with so James says that's how powerful the tongue is that's how difficult the tongue is to control if we can get it down we can control the rest of us he compares it to two things first of all he compares it to beating like a bit in a horse's mouth how many you've done in horseback riding before a love I love horses by putting a piece of metal in the mouth of a horse you can control if you know how to control where that horse goes if he's tamed absolutely you can have power you can have control over that horse just with a small piece of metal in its mouth if we can get control of our tongue we can control the direction of our life it's hard it's difficult but we have to conquer our tongue have you or maybe I should say are you like me and that sometimes words come out of your mouth and they never process through your brain first they might and by their I can't tell you how often it's like I'm a video camera above me going what is coming out of your mouth why would you say that to him or her that hurt their feelings while we do that why do we do that foot and mouth disease that's what that's what he says the other way that they use another illustration James uses here is that it's like the rudder of a ship a small rudder can move that ship and decide what direction that ship goes so not only is controlling our tongue of the outflow of where our heart is but I'm saying by that I believe that James is saying your tongue also controls the direction by which your heart is going so as you use words that tear people down your heart becomes one that wants to tear people down if you use your mouth to build others up God will begin to change your heart so you want to build others up your tongue can be used to instruct or to build up others I'll encourage you parents to use your tongue to find teachable moments with your children you can sit now with your children you can just teach them something or as you're doing life as you're you know on your way to the mall as you're on your way just doing your daily life coming back from the soccer game the basketball game have an opportunity to talk to your child about something that transpired and use that as a teachable moment in their lives oftentimes they're much more receptacle during those times than when you're just talking and just trying to teach them fine teachable moments but not just with your children find teachable moments in your life to pour into others about a month ago I was sitting down with someone and we had just got done eating and and they said you know what I think I've learned more through eating lunch with you than I have in any year sermons now I don't know if that was a compliment or a cut-down I'm taken as a compliment because we in just the time we spend with each other we can build someone up or we can tear them down we have the opportunity to use our words to be a blessing or to use our words to curse them so I want to encourage you you have something that can bless others and that is your mouth you have something that can tear others down and that is your mouth watch it be careful use teachable moments to instruct and build up others let me ask you a question I want you to be honest how many of you like being around someone who's positive and build you up how have you liked being around someone that tears you down yeah it's a no-brainer I want to be around somebody that's positive that that encourages me and says hey good job or Herrick or even and I'm okay with this or even here you need to work on this area but I love you that's using words to build up doesn't have to all be positive sometimes we can use something and bring glory to God and to encourage someone else by correcting them as long as we do it in love next our words can destroy us and even destroy others our words can be devastating to others and about you but there are words that I remember in my childhood that play back into my head every so often words that hurt words it can like I said earlier can literally reduce me to tears today even today be careful be careful with your words once words have escaped your mouth there is no bringing them back you can't get them back think before you speak exactly let your brain get you're stealing a message buddy let your brain engage before your mouth engage James 1:19 we've studied a few months ago it says that we are to be quick to hear slow to speak and slow to become angry now there's a progression there that is what it's saying is if we become quick to hear and slow to speak our anger will also slow down so there's a causal connection but in our words and where our heart goes quick to hear slow to speak and slow to become angry our mouths are oftentimes used for gossip gossip can destroy someone's life gossip can destroy a church it can destroy a family gossip is extremely dangerous and I want to give you five ways to be sure that you're not gossiping five questions you need to ask yourself and if you can't say yes to these five questions you we need to work on closing our mouth so the first question we need to ask ourselves is this is it true do I know beyond a shadow of a doubt is what I'm saying is true is it factual is it a feeling I have or is it knowledge I have is it real is it true next it may be true but is it necessary is this information I'm about to share necessary for this person to get is it something I need to share with them is it necessary for the person I'm sharing about next is it beneficial what good comes out of this conversation I'm having is it going to benefit the one hearing is it going to benefit the one that I'm sharing about what's the benefit next do I have permission to share about it now those of you who are on Facebook before you share something on Facebook do you have permission to share it do you have permission forget sued you're going to face God if you don't make sure I had a friend of ours child stay with us the other day they were working and so we were playing uno and and before I posted a picture of their child online I called him up and I said hey we're playing who know her first game who know she wins do you mind if I share that on Facebook oh no no problem ask permission not a big deal make sure you have permission so someone at work shares with you something and you want to offer that prayer request before the church before you share do you have permission ask hey do you mind if my church prays for you you mind if I post that in our in our prayer group online if not don't share their name don't share the specifics make sure you have permission to share it next is my motivation pure what is my heart behind why I'm sharing what I'm sharing is my heart right I can't tell you how many times I've had people share with me a prayer request and really it was just a means of gossip it is ungodly don't do it you go before God and you just pray if you're not sure you take it to God and I bet God will honor that request far more than sharing something as a prayer request when really it's a means of gossip be careful be careful how dare us take a thing as holy as bringing something before God and turn it in a means of gossip be careful if you cannot answer yes to those five questions close your mouth close your mouth it's hard it's difficult but it's a muscle and as you exercise that muscle in the right way they become more powerful in the right way to be for God's glory proverbs 18:21 says death and life are in the power of the tongue death and life are in the power of the tongue as you speak to someone you have the ability to build them up or to tear them down which are you doing about three or four years ago somewhere like somewhere around there Heather and I began as a family consciously making the choice that when we're around people we're going to be a blessing to them we drive to someone's house so we're meeting someone for lunch or dinner or we're going to see them somewhere we literally will stop and pray god help us to be a blessing to this family how can we bless them and if you enter into your meeting or your opportunity to someone with the mindset if I want to use this opportunity to be a blessing to them guess what guess what you'll do you'll begin to bless them and the more you bless people the more infectious that becomes in one they start blessing you but they begin to bless others because and they want to be around you more because they desire to be blessed it's so important we use our words to bless others job's 19 job 19 and verse 2 how long will you took that's an annoying noise I don't know what that is but it's annoying how I heard it again how I don't know what it is it's I hear it how long will you term it and crush me with that annoying sound with the words I mean how long will you torment me how long will you torment me and crush me with your words this is what job's said to his friends job's friends they're destroying him with his words with their words Ephesians 4 verse 29 through 30 or unwholesome communication proceed out of your mouth now that's not just speaking of cussing or cursing that's just saying hey if what you're saying is not building others up don't say it use your words to build others up these hits a recurring theme but do what is good to use to edify or to build up that it may Minister grace to the hearers and grieve not the Holy Spirit of God whereby you are sealed unto the day of redemption what that is saying is this as your words building is up it's a blessing of the Holy Spirit as your words tear others down it is a curse to the Holy Spirit so what you say doesn't just affect you it affects the power of the Holy Spirit within you third point our words display our hearts our words display our hearts Luke 6 verse 45 it says a a good man out of good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good but an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth that which is evil for the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks so the idea there is what is in our heart comes out of our mouth even if I did we didn't especially if we didn't engage our mind under there what's the well what's in the well will come out in the water that is whatever is in your heart comes out in your mouth what is on the tree comes out in the fruit what is in your life will come out of your mouth what's coming out of your mouth or your words building up or your words tearing down are your words edifying others or your words a curse to others our words candlelight or build up others proverbs 25 verse 11 a word fitly spoken is like apples of gold and baskets of silver in are in other words a good word spoken at the right time is better than golden apples in a silver basket Wow how powerful are our words our words can refresh and encourage someone that is discouraged and needs to be lifted up has anyone ever come to you at a time where you desperately needed it and built you up and encourage you maybe called you on the phone when you needed it how encouraging and how much that we can build up others with their words our tongue can be used to praise God our tongue of a year used to pull down man Psalms 19 verse 14 it says let the words of the mount of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strength and my Redeemer application five things I want you to walk away with from today first in other words engage your mind before you engage your mouth think before you speak your words are that powerful second there's a warning watch your words your tongue is in a wet place and it easily slips be careful be careful if you have gossiped in the past you need to put off gossiping but here's the thing I want you to catch this most of us when we're struggling with a sin we spend our entire time focusing on our sin god help me to quit gossip and God help me to quit cussing God help me to quit whatever and we focus on the sin God does not want us focusing on sin yes we confess our sin which means just say the same thing about our sin that God does that yes our sin is is is horrible in His sight we confess that to him we agree with him that our sin need to be removed from us Jesus washes away our sin but then now instead of asking God not to use our mouth to be a curse we need to then say God use my mouth instead of to curse use my mouth to bless use my mouth to build up so put off gossip and put on encouragement or building up if you cuss or use foul language put that off and instead put on praise begin to change your words and it will change your heart and here's the whole idea if you use your mouth or your tongue for good the more difficult it will be to slip with it as you strengthen your mouth for the power to be to be used for the power of God instead of to be used by Satan it will be used for the glory of God it'll grow in its strength to be building others up and not tearing them down your tongue is powerful parents be wise with your words be wise with your words as you teach your children as you can truck instruct and build up your children let's pray father in heaven are our mouths should be used to build up your kingdom to exalt Jesus to be a wellspring of worship to speak life to those that we love and care about God how often we have used our words to tear others down we know your scripture teaches that we've all sinned and fallen short of your glory God whether our sin is using our mouth to curse someone whether our sin has been because we've lied or stolen or God whatever our sin is apart from Jesus we have no means of salvation but God I thank you that you gave us a gift of your son Jesus Christ who came and lived a perfect sinless life using his mouth to build others up and to build up his kingdom died on the cross taking the punishment of sin that I deserved and rose again on the third day god I pray God I ask God if there's those that have struggled with using their mouth to bring praise to you God may they come talk to me or come kneel on the end of the altar God if there's others that have been dealing with other sins Lord God me they may deal with that how many we not sweep our sin under the carpet but God may we bring it out and expose it to your light and repent and turn back to you God if we're believers or unbelievers we need to respond to the truth of the gospel that Jesus was washed our sins away by the power of his blood death on the cross and resurrection on the third day your holy name I pray amen will you stand with me you

Channel: Eric Grenier

Views: 25,613

Rating: 4.8111587 out of 5

Keywords: Sermon, New Life, Auburndale, Church, Baptist, tongue, cussing, talk, words, power, Church (Type Of Place Of Worship), Baptists (Religion), Power of the tongue, wise, power of words, FPC Haines City

Id: t4deK_Gy4vQ

Length: 24min 12sec (1452 seconds)

Published: Wed Mar 05 2014