Among our discussions in the book of James, probably Chapter 3 is one of the most interesting.
Help me complete this statement: Doctors have stethoscope, accountants have calculators, policemen have guns, pastors have ______? Answer: Bible and his tongue. If there is one common trait for pastors – they love to talk.
This afternoon, I am going to have a pastoral staff meeting. One thing very common during pastors meeting --- the meeting is long. Not only that we have a long list of agenda but we talk too much. Try attending a pastors conference and you’ll find a room full of mini-sermons simultaneously going on.
We love to talk... Right? Most people love to talk. I love to talk. My wife thinks I talk too much. In a research presented in a book entitled The Female Brain written by a woman, Dr. Louann Brizendine, a neuropsychiatrist at the University of California San Francisco, women talked almost 3 times more than the average man. The study said women talked an average of 20,000 words per day, while an average man talks 7,000 words per day. Dr. Brizendine said it’s a hormonal thing.
Psychologists, on the other hand, says it’s because men usually don’t listen that is why women had to repeat everything they say. Women will probably make good pastors.
Science continued to advance that we can even perform transplants of almost every part of our body – kidney, eye, even heart transplant.
We can even replace our teeth with dentures... but listen to this... you will always have the same tongue from birth. We don’t usually hear tongue transplant, have you? The tongue is a very complicated part of the body. We use it to taste and most importantly, to talk. It is one of the strongest muscles in our body. An average human has 3,000 taste buds and just like a finger print, each person has a unique tongue print. The tongue is a “one of a kind” part of the body. It’s special. Sometimes, doctors even look at the tongue and they can tell if there is something wrong with your body, like if you are physically sick, doctors will look at your tongue.
Can you show your tongue? If you still have your tongue, you are blessed! The big question is – is our tongue really is a blessing to others or not?
The tongue may be an innocent and tiny looking part of our body – but the Bible tells us that it is the most difficult thing in our life to control. If we control our tongue, we should be able to control almost every other thing in our life. Today we’ll learn that not only that our tongue can tell if there is something wrong with our physical bodies, our tongue can also tell if there is something wrong with our soul… and this is mainly because of the things that we say. Much can be told about the health of our thoughts by our tongue because the tongue speaks the thoughts of the heart. What our tongue says shows who we really are. Jesus said in Matthew 12:34 “out of the overflow of the heart...the mouth speaks.”
We are responsible for the words that we speak. The Bible tells us in Matt. 12:36-37
But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.
James started with a certain group of people in verse 1.
Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly
Who was James referring to in verse 1? Teachers! He said not many of you should be teachers – because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. Ouch!
A preacher’s job is never easy because first and foremost, pastors are teachers and they teach the word of God. If we are careless with our words, if we are not reliable in what we say, if we don’t have credibility in the things that we claim...if we are just pretending...if we don’t practice what we preach, one day, you can hear that coming out from our mouths. We cannot lie. It will just be a matter of time. If we are not reading our Bible, we cannot pretend that we are. You would know from the way we speak if we have deeper knowledge of God’s word...if we are meditating in His words ...people will know. Sometimes you will hear preachers delivering shallow sermons – chances are, the preacher is not well equipped. Remember we cannot give what we do not have.
It reminds me of a surgeon, his most used equipment is a scalpel. With a scalpel, a brilliant surgeon can remove a malignant tumor from a person’s brain and save that person’s life ...but if he is careless and irresponsible, he can cut an artery that may cause a tragic and instant death.
A policeman uses a gun. With a gun, a respectable policeman can maintain peace and order in the community and protect the helpless and the innocent. But if you have an irresponsible and corrupt police officer, the same gun can be used to perpetrate abuse, to scare other people or even to kill an innocent person.
An architect or an engineer has a T-Square...with this measuring stick he can build a skyscraper boasting along the coast of Vancouver but if used poorly, that structure can have incorrect measurements and weak foundations and that building can collapse and cause a terrible tragedy or even death of a lot of people.
A preacher’s important gadget is his tongue as he speaks of the truth of God’s message. A preacher speaking truthfully and Biblically may continue to inspire the congregation...his words may be used by God to save a person’s soul but a preacher’s careless and thoughtless words can lead people to stumble, believe in his lie, and even end up to eternal destruction in hell. We who teach the word, not only preachers or pastors – but even home group leaders and even Sunday School teachers will be judged more strictly!
We have been studying the book of James and you probably have noticed by now one of his favourite literary style is the use of imagery. In chapter one, he used the waves of the sea, a wild flower, a crown, childbirth, lights and shadows. He used a mirror and once again, here in Chapter 3, he used three important imageries in verses 3-5. James said that ---
In verse 3, he compared the tongue into a horse’s bit. He said “When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal.“ A bit is something you place in the mouth of a horse and then there’s a bridle that holds it against the horse’s head. Horses are very strong animals, hence, the term horsepower. It is said that a thoroughbred can run about 50miles per hour – a very powerful animal --strong and proud and fast --- but it can be controlled by a 5-foot equestrian lady because of that small bit.
In verse 4, James’ compared the tongue to a rudder used on a ship. Her said “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” I remember the story of one of the most powerful battleship during World War II – the great German Bismarck. It was called unsinkable and other battleships cannot catch up with the Bismarck because of its great speed and its huge. The only reason why it was destroyed – a British torpedo hit to the ship’s rudder making it unable to maneuver and the great Bismarck ended up in behind enemy lines and eventually sank.
In verse 5, James compared the tongue to a small spark. He said “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. “
Even during our time today, they say that those great forest wild fires were oftentimes caused by just one tiny spark, sometimes a cigarette butt or a lighted match stick. Massive houses got burned by a simple candle stick. This is why they say why gossip spreads like wildfire and the Bible has a lot to say about gossipers.
Our tongue is a like a bit, a rudder or a spark. It is small but very powerful. The words that we say affect other people much more than we can possibly imagine. A high school teacher can encourage a student to pursue a certain degree that can forever change that student’s life. Simple words from parents can influence their children in terms of whether to respect another person or not. A simple encouraging word can bring back that motivation and hope that depressed person has been longing for. If you are a young person, your tongue can utter words to your friend... to not attend a party or not to drink and drive or to not give in to premarital sex...your words can change your friend’s life. Studies say that those young people who committed suicide, a lot of them either received bad advice from their “so called friends” or have not received any advice at all. Our tongue is small but powerful.
We know that a corrupt tongue creates damage to the people around us. It damages families. It corrupts friendships. It is easy to envision the spreading of evil through a church family because of gossip, slander and negative criticisms. A corrupt tongue disunites even churches that has been there for several years.
But more than the negative effects of an uncontrolled and corrupt tongue to other people surrounding the person, James pointed something out it verse 6. He said:
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.
James is now looking at the effect to the person himself. His focus is more on the destruction of the speaker’s own life.
It’s logical. The first who will be destroyed by a gossiper or a malicious talker or a sarcastic speaker is the person himself.
Verses 7-8 is interesting. James is saying that –
All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
Maybe if James lived during our time today, he would say “men have built the tallest skyscrapers...men have sent people on the moon...have installed satellites in the sky...have made several breakthroughs in medicine and science...and yet no one can control this little part of our body. In verses 8 to 12, he uses not only imageries, he uses contrasts. He uses comparisons.
Listen to this, he said
“With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing
Have you ever realized that? Some of us will attend church on a Sunday, praising GOD with our tongues...but what happens during the rest of the week? Some of us when we are praying, we’re so holy..we’re so diplomatic...some of us even cry when we pray, because we’re asking Lord for something, Lord, I want this job! Lord, I want this house! Lord, please heal my disease! All of a sudden, your child bothers you...your tone changes. Suddenly you're hot headed and angery. Or all of a sudden, the husband arrives home, drunk… then the nagging starts.
Sometimes, here in church – we talk like an angel, we’re very soft spoken. Hello sister… hello brother… God bless you. Then we go home, we turn into a dragon! Or at work – we’re the queen of gossip. Even during prayer meetings…we love to gossip about someone else's problem.
Please remember that James was talking not to atheists or to Muslims or to unbelievers...he was talking to Christians.
The Bible says the Fruit of the Spirit is self-control… gentleness… kindness.. If we claim to be Christians and indwelt by the Spirit, He will surely help us control our tongue so that the words that will come out of our mouths will not stumble others.
James said out of the same mouth come praise and cursing? Are we like that? Like what I said earlier, the Bible says “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks...”
Our words best reflect what’s in our heart. If a man loves sports, he will talk about sports. If a man loves money, he talks about money all the time. If a man loves bicycle, he talks about bicycle. You cannot cover up what’s inside your heart. If there is bitterness...if there is unforgiveness ...if there is resentment...if there is pride...if there is envy... it will show up and it will come out in the way we speak. If you are really good in hiding what’s inside of you...it will just be a matter of time, God will expose it. Our tongue is just a showcase of the heart. James is saying...how in the world can we praise the Father in Heaven at this moment, and then in a little while we are already gossiping about somebody, the next day we are already discouraging our children with our words...after a few days we are already cursing our officemates or that other driver who cut us off during rush hour. It cannot be.
So what does James mean? He’s actually saying “it doesn’t make sense.” That you can praise GOD the Father and profess and claim that you are a Christian and yet, what’s coming out of your mouth are vile words and ungodly words and words that put down other people. You cannot claim you are reading the Scripture and yet the words that you are using in your everyday lives are “worldly” words instead of Godly words.
God commands us to “speak the truth in love” and the Apostle Paul tells us in his letter to the Ephesians
Maybe we can answer these questions -- Where do our words come from? Where do they originate? When you yell to your kids for no reason at all...when you gossip...when you trash talk somebody...when you curse someone...where do these words come from? Is that really you talking? Or nagda-dubsmash ka lang?
James said can a fig tree bear olives? or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water...
The point I’m driving at -- the words that come out of our mouth are simply a reflection of what’s in our heart... so the change must start from within.
I read in an article that character is what a person really is and what GOD sees in that person... Nobody can assassinate our character. Reputation is what men think you are. They might have gossiped, lied, wrecked your reputation but only one who can destroy your character is you. God doesn't listen to gossip but for sure He will judge gossipers. The only one who can lower or higher you in the estimation of God is you by your obedience or disobedience.
To change our tongue, we cannot and we don’t need a tongue transplant but a HEART transplant. We need to change from within. Because whatever is inside of our heart is basically what our tongue will follow.
The Bible tells us how powerful God’s Word’s are. From these words, the universe was created. The Bible tells us that in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. This Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. His name is Jesus.
Jesus died on the cross for all kinds of sins .. including the sins our tongues made. If you put your trust in Jesus, He will give you a new heart and a new mouth. Through the Holy Spirit, He will conquer your anger and bitterness and your hate. Is our tongue a BLESSING or CURSE? It can be a blessing if you let Jesus change your heart.
Let us pray.
Prayer
Wherever you are, whatever you situation you may be -- you need the love of Jesus in your life. Please say this prayer sincerely from your heart:
Father God, I confess all my sins to you today. Please forgive me. Today, I open my heart to your Son Jesus Christ. I accept Him in my life as my Savior and as my Lord. May the Holy Spirit come to my life and make me the kind of person you want me to be. In Jesus Name, I pray.
Amen.
The above article is an excerpt from a sermon delivered at WCCC Richmond during its service on
Sunday, October 4, 2015.
I apologize if there are grammatical and spelling errors. I also apologize if I have missed acknowledging or making proper references to my sources, if any. as it is purely unintentional.
If you are looking for a church in British Columbia, Canada please visit our website at:
www.wordchristiancommunity.com
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