Sadly, this sermon was not recorded properly and so I do not have the audio for it. Below, however, I have included my sermon notes for those interested.
6/23/13- James 3:1-12- “The Power of the Tongue”
Intro: We’ve all heard the saying, “Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me”, but all of us have at some time or another experienced just the opposite. By show of hands, how many of us can remember something harsh said to us during childhood? Mine was three words uttered by one close to me about something I did… “that was stupid”. Proverbs 12:18 states, “There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” The power of the tongue can be seen in the way one unlikely German won the support of his entire nation to attempt to extinguish a whole race of people. He was not a good public speaker, so he hired a man to help him become one…this man was none other than Adolph Hitler.
Context: James warns these Christians about the power of the tongue and calls them to exercise it with humility and wisdom.
Where We Come In: We have all sinned with our tongues multiple times. We are all guilty of failing to bless God enough with our words and openly cursing God with our words. We have all said very hurtful things to those we love the most and created more problems for ourselves because of words we’ve spoken. The good news is that Jesus hung on the cross to bear the punishment we deserve for our verbal sins. If we are trusting in Christ’s work on the cross to atone for our sins and have been born again by His Spirit, we can now use the important tools of our tongues to build up and not tear down.
Main Point: Our tongue is a very powerful tool that can either hurt or heal, so we must be careful to honor God with it.
In this text, James describes the power of the tongue, giving us three reasons to watch our words.
The tongue is hard to control, so pray long and hard before you jump into the teaching spotlight (1-5).
Teachers will be judged more strictly (1)
In Lk. 12:48b, Jesus said, “Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand all the more”.
Also, in Heb. 13:17, we read that leaders will have to give an account on Judgment Day.
Since those given the authority to teach were greatly admired in James’ day, some people had begun to make it their ambition to become a teacher, without giving much thought to the great responsibility that comes with it.
Illustration: I think at one time in every boy’s life, they dream about being the President, but there is a reason why every President who enters the office with dark hair and a youthful face completes their term with gray hair and a haggard face.
Teachers live in a fishbowl.
Richard Baxter, a pastor in the eighteenth century, warned his other pastor friends, “With one foolish slip of the tongue, you can slit the throat of many a sermon”.
Illustration: If I preached for twenty years and won the trust of everyone, but then you drove past the parsonage one day and heard me cursing out Emily or my children…all my years of ministry would go flying out the window…that’s the power of the tongue.
Application: If the thought of being out front weighs heavier on your mind than the great responsibility involved with it, don’t even think about doing so.
Application: On that note, also don’t put too high expectations on those who are in the limelight. We’re all sinners saved by God’s mercy and grace too and are not yet perfected.
Control the tongue, control the life (2-5)
James gives us the reason not many should be teachers: it’s very hard to control the tongue, a vital aspect to being a leader.
The tongue seems small, but don’t be deceived…it plays a major role in our lives.
Illustration: Our tongues are often like the little Chihuahua dogs that think they are a Great Dane…we often build ourselves up around others to appear bigger and more important.
Here are a few ways the tongue can get us in trouble: gossip, cursing, making promises we can’t keep, lying, slandering others, boasting about ourselves, flattering important people, speaking before thinking.
Illustration: As someone once said, there is a reason we have one mouth that closes and two ears that don’t.
Application: Once Jesus saves a person, He saves not only their heart, but also their tongue. Are your words controlling you or are you controlling your words? Because the gospel is at stake in the way we use our tongues, keep a close watch on your words.
Illustration: Like the forest fire that has devastated many homes across Colorado; our words can wreak havoc if we’re not careful with them.
The tongue is powerful and can destroy others’ lives and your own, so be careful with your words (6-10).
The tongue can stain the whole body (6-8)
In Mk. 7:14-23, Jesus says that it’s our words that spoil our whole bodies.
Illustration: Have you ever seen an important person in the media or news that you somewhat admired looks all your respect in the way you see them speak behind the scenes?
James’ description of the tongue is very strong, speaking of fire and hell, because we can destroy the lives of our loved ones and friends and even bring ourselves under condemnation.
Illustration: In certain pre-dominantly Muslim nations a man can divorce his wife simply by saying, “I divorce you” three times.
Application: Perhaps you don’t have to worry about your words in that way, but your words can destroy lives. How many marriages have been dissolved because of people letting their tongue go before their brain? How many families have been torn apart because of a misplaced word said in the heat of the moment? How many friendships have been forever broken because of one person’s selfish decision to have the last word in an argument? Speak lovingly with your wife and children…let your words be medicine to them and not poison. You never know when they may be your last.
Illustration: James says our tongues are like the strongest wild animal out there, so we are foolish to let them have their way. If you had a pet pit-bull that had viciously bitten children in the past, you would not let it roam around in the front yard or down the street to the neighbor’s house. You’d keep it in a cage or chained in the backyard with a “Beware of dog” sign out front. Don’t let your tongue get you into trouble.
Beware of being double-tongued (9-10)
Just as James warned us earlier about being double-minded (1:8), here he warns us about being double-tongued.
Gen. 1:27 states very clearly that God created man and woman in His image. Essentially, cursing God’s creation is cursing the Creator.
Davids writes, “One cannot pretend to bless the person (God) and logically curse the representation of that person (a human).
Application: We are all tempted to sing the hymns at church and shout amen to the wonderful truths from God’s Word on Sunday, then turn around and be harsh in our words towards our spouse or gossip about the neighbors or tell an inappropriate joke. James says this ought not be in the lives of those who are born again. If what you say behind closed doors cannot be repeated on a loud speaker to the world, it is not pleasing to God.
Paul says to the church at Collosae, “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person” (4:6).
He later says to Timothy, “Set the believers an example in speech” (1 Tim. 4:12).
The tongue is revealing of a person’s heart, so let your speech reflect God’s grace to you in Jesus (11-12).
An unsaved heart is seen in a person’s tongue (11)
James gives us an illustration with an obvious question, highlighting that our faith should affect our speech.
We express ourselves to others and communicate who we are by words…this is why the beloved disciple John called Jesus “the Word made flesh”, because God revealed Himself to us in Jesus.
If you are saved, it is evident in the way you speak and vice versa.
In Mt. 12:33-37 Jesus tells the Pharisees that a person only speaks out of the abundance of their heart and that evil words naturally flow from an evil heart.
A saved heart is seen in a person’s tongue (12)
Someone once said, “The tongue is a slave of the heart, so lets be sure the heart is a good master.” (Toussaint)
It is one thing to be a Christian who stumbles every now and then with your language. It is quite another to claim Christ and yet have no improvement in your speech at all.
So what does a Christian talk like? Paul says to the church at Ephesus, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear” (4:29).
Application: How is your speech? If you’re a Christian, are you expressing that in your words? Do your words build up more than they tear down? You may say, “Well I love Jesus and am saved, but I really struggle with gossip or lying”. Your acknowledging of your sin is the first step in the right direction. If you’re saved and struggling with a sin like this, you’re suffering from an identity crisis. Don’t forget who you were and who Christ has now made you. You’re not the same old self, so don’t talk like it.
Conclusion/Invitation: Lets all be like David who says in Psalm 141:3, “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!”
2 Cor. 4 says God can speak into the darkness of your life and let light shine. If you have never repented of your sins and trusted in the saving work of Christ Jesus on the cross to atone for your sins, do that today while you are under conviction. When a person surrenders their heart to Jesus, God speaks life into their hearts by His Word.
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