Taking Care Of The Tongue James 3:1-12 Adapted from a Tim Bond sermon http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/taking-care-of-the-tongue-tim-bond-sermon-on-christian-disciplines-49445.asp

1. Taking Care
Of The Tongue
James 3:1-12
Adapted from a Tim Bond sermon
http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/taking-care-of-the-
tongue-tim-bond-sermon-on-christian-disciplines-49445.asp

2. Maybe you’ve heard the old adage, “What
you do speaks so loudly that I can’t hear
what you’re saying.” In James 2:18, the
passage we looked at last week, the brother
of Jesus writes, “But someone will say, "You
have faith and I have works." Show me your
faith without works and I will show you faith
by my works.” NET

3. It would be fair to sum up James 2:18 and
all the discussion that went along with it by
that good old saying you and I have heard
and said so often, “Actions speak louder
than words.”
Just when you think you have a handle on
what James is saying, he shifts gears and
points to another very real truth.

4. James comes back in the very next
passage and says, “Don’t get me wrong,
what you say is important too. Just because
your actions are central to your faith, don’t
be fooled into thinking that the way you
communicate with others is a little matter.”
You have to take care of tongue too!

5. James 3:1 NET Not many of you should
become teachers, my brothers and sisters,
because you know that we will be judged
more strictly. 2 For we all stumble in many
ways. If someone does not stumble in what
he says, he is a perfect individual, able to
control the entire body as well. 3 And if we
put bits into the mouths of horses to get
them to obey us, then we guide their entire
bodies.

6. 4 Look at ships too: Though they are so
large and driven by harsh winds, they are
steered by a tiny rudder wherever the pilot's
inclination directs. 5 So too the tongue is a
small part of the body, yet it has great
pretensions. Think how small a flame sets a
huge forest ablaze. 6 And the tongue is a
fire! The tongue represents the world of
wrongdoing among the parts of our bodies.

7. It pollutes the entire body and sets fire to
the course of human existence — and is set
on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of animal,
bird, reptile, and sea creature is subdued
and has been subdued by humankind. 8
But no human being can subdue the
tongue; it is a restless evil, full of deadly
poison. 9 With it we bless the Lord and
Father, and with it we curse people made in
God's image.

8. 10 From the same mouth come blessing
and cursing. These things should not be so,
my brothers and sisters. 11 A spring does
not pour out fresh water and bitter water
from the same opening, does it? 12 Can a
fig tree produce olives, my brothers and
sisters, or a vine produce figs? Neither can
a salt water spring produce fresh water.

9. Now if you and I were to think about all the
trouble we get into in the course of our
lifetime, I believe we would find out that it
was often our mouths that got us there. If
we could step back and see all the conflict
that we have faced, all of the pain we have
felt and caused, at the heart of almost every
time we have faced off with other people is
a flapping tongue. Now James addresses
the issue so that we realize what the tongue
is like.

10. The Power of the Tongue
It is impossible to read through this chapter
of James and miss the incredible images
that he uses to portray how powerful the
tongue is. James wants to make sure you
get the picture of the force your language
carries.
A. bits into the mouths of horses…guide
their entire bodies.

11. B. ships…are steered by a tiny rudder
C. small .. flame sets a huge forest ablaze
D. every kind of animal, bird, reptile,
and sea creature…has been
subdued by humankind.
E. spring does not pour out fresh water and
bitter water from the same opening
F. Can a fig tree produce olives or a
vine produce figs

12. James is offering us a slide show, a series
of thumbnail sketches that portray how
powerful a tool the tongue is. It can be used
for either good or destruction, to build up or
to tear down.
Whenever I think of the power of the
tongue, I am reminded of WWII history.
Adolph Hitler had a powerful and poisonous
tongue.

13. With it he laid out his strategy for making
Germany the rulers of the world. By his
powerful rhetoric, he enflamed the German
nation so they could without conscience
slaughter millions of Jews, Russians, Poles,
Slavs, many other minorities, POWs and
put together a ruthless machine that set out
to conquer the world. What a powerful and
deadly tongue Hitler had.

14. On the other side of the war were great
speakers leading the Allied nations.
Winston Churchill roused the sleeping
nation of England to battle courageously
against overwhelming odds. FDR with his
fireside chats and speeches encouraged
the United States to fight for the world’s
freedom.

15. It would be impossible to over-estimate how
important the use of the tongue, that little
instrument of communication, was to both
starting the war, and bringing it to an end.
What incredible power to encourage and to
destroy!
But you don’t have to go to world history to
see the power of the tongue. Just think
about the people you know.

16. Do you know someone who lives with the
criticism of a spouse or a critical parent? If
you do, you probably know them to be
someone who struggles with insecurity and
depression. The children’s rhyme says
“Sticks and stones may break my bones,
but words will never hurt me.” I wish that
were true, but the reality of life is that words
are a powerful force for forming our lives.

17. Good, encouraging words can accomplish
great things in a person’s life. Bitter and
critical words can do tremendous damage.
And the scary reality is, you have to have a
license to drive a car, or to carry a
concealed weapon, and some training goes
with that. But everybody gets a tongue, and
there is no mandatory training that goes
with this powerful instrument.

18. On a windswept hill in an English country
churchyard stands a drab, gray slate
tombstone.
The faint etchings read:
BENEATH THIS STONE,
A LUMP OF CLAY,
LIES ARABELLA YOUNG,
WHO, ON
THE TWENTY-FOURTH OF MAY,
BEGAN TO HOLD HER TONGUE.

19. For some it’s worse than a loose cannon.
The tongue is a powerful tool, and it can do
great good or incredible harm. But James is
not only interested in us recognizing the
power of our words. He also tells us of…

20. The Privilege of the Tongue
A couple of times in his discussion of the
tongue, James points out some real
privileges we have with the gift of speech.
Note v. 9 “With it we bless the Lord and
Father.” What a tremendous gift it is to be
able to come together to praise God. It is
the highest privilege we have as human
beings.

21. Nothing we do is a greater honor than being
able to come before the throne of God and
tell Him how wonderful He is. At this may I
have your closest attention. Make sure you
act like you are honored by the privilege of
worship.

22. For worship we shouldn’t shuffle in as quick
as we can get here, mumble out a few
songs and do our best to hold our heads up
without nodding off in the presence of God.
What a gift it is to be able to worship Him.
Take that seriously!

23. Another privilege James talks of is the
ability to teach. Verse 1 warns “Not many of
you should become teachers, my brothers
and sisters, because you know that we will
be judged more strictly.” That is a warning
for those who are in the position of
instructing others in the Word of God such
as I am doing or one of you in a Sunday
School classroom. Take the responsibility of
teaching seriously.

24. In James’ time the teacher had a lot of
prestige, and evidently many people wanted
the prestige of having people hear their
words. But they weren’t too concerned
about what they were teaching. James says
if you have the privilege of teaching, there is
some responsibility. Do it right, because
God is watching the way you do it, and He
will consider your teaching when he judges.

25. Teachers, remember God is in your
classroom. How does He feel listening to
your lessons?
James is not trying to discourage
competent and qualified individuals from
teaching. Paul taught Timothy; And entrust
what you heard me say in the presence of
many others as witnesses to faithful people
who will be competent to teach others as
well.
2 Timothy 2:2 NET

26. The writer of Hebrews declared;
Hebrews 5:12 NET For though you should
in fact be teachers by this time, you need
someone to teach you the beginning
elements of God's utterances. You have
gone back to needing milk, not solid food.
James is warning those who might be
tempted to view teaching as an easy and
effortless task, or those who start teaching
from ulterior motives, prestige, the public
spotlight, etc…

27. James makes it clear that while the teacher
or preacher simply uses words--words are
very powerful! Adam and Eve fell into sin
because they believed the wrong words,
wars have started over words, whole
nations have been destroyed because of a
certain ideology.
While the teacher or preacher simply uses
words in their trade,

28. let us remember that the course of history
and the eternal destiny of individuals has
been altered by "words". (Dunagan)
As you read these verses, you can’t help
but notice that James is doing more than
just teaching us about the power and
privilege of having a tongue. There is a
definite slant to what he tells us in these
verses. It’s an issue he wants us to think
about.

29. The Problem With The Tongue
Did you notice it throughout his words? You
might not catch it with the bit in the mouth of
horses nor the rudder, but it comes through
loud and clear in the other pictures he
paints. When he compares the tongue to
fire it is not something that you warm
yourself beside on a winter’s evening.

30. It is a raging forest fire, out of control. He
uses words like It pollutes the entire body
and sets fire to the course of human
existence — and is set on fire by hell This is
not a pretty picture here. When he talks
about taming animals, the contrast is the
wildness of the tongue, “full of deadly
poison.” When he mentions “we bless the
Lord and Father,” he contrasts it with “we
curse people made in God's image.”

31. There is the image of an unreliable spring that
one time you get a drink and it is good fresh
water and the next time it is bitter salt water.
This tongue that is so powerful and privileged
is also wild and bitter and deadly. And we all
know what he is talking about. The tongue
with all its great potential for goodness in
praising God, teaching godliness and
encouraging people is more often than not
used to destroy and embitter and tear apart.

32. How many times have you said something
you wish you had not? Oh, the pain! But
after it is said, it is next to impossible to
recall the bumbling rhetoric.
Once a man working in the produce
department was asked by a lady if she
could buy half a head of lettuce. He replied,
"Half a head? Are you serious? God grows
these in whole heads and that's how we sell
them!"

33. "You mean," she persisted, "that after all the
years I've shopped here, you won't sell me
half-a-head of lettuce?"
"Look," he said, "If you like I'll ask the
manager." She indicated that would be
appreciated, so the young man marched to
the front of the store. "You won't believe
this, but there's a lame-braided idiot of a
lady back there who wants to know if she
can buy half-a-head of lettuce."

34. He noticed the manager gesturing, and
turned around to see the lady standing
behind him, obviously having followed him
to the front of the store. "And this nice lady
was wondering if she could buy the other
half" he concluded.
Later in the day the manager cornered the
young man and said, "That was the finest
example of thinking on your feet I've ever
seen! Where did you learn that?"

35. "I grew up in Grand Rapids, and if you know
anything about Grand Rapids, you know
that it's known for its great hockey teams
and its ugly women."
The manager's face flushed, and he
interrupted, "My wife is from Grand Rapids!"
"And which hockey team did she play for?"

36. How can I say that my tongue is devoted to
God, teach and preach His Word, and then
use that same tool to verbally assault
someone? As I considered this, verses 9-11
really struck me. 9 With it we bless the Lord
and Father, and with it we curse people made
in God's image. 10 From the same mouth
come blessing and cursing. These things
should not be so, my brothers and sisters. 11
A spring does not pour out fresh water and
bitter water from the same opening, does it?

37. You see, the type of water that comes from
a spring is determined way below the
surface of the ground. Down deep in the
heart of the earth that water is drawn from a
source that is either sparkling and fresh, or
it is salty and bitter. And the same is true
with wild, deadly and bitter tongues.

38. The problem isn’t in the mouth. The
problem is in the heart. Down in the deeper
recesses of our being, where we don’t like
to let people see what really exists, that is
where the wild, bitter, deadly tongue gets its
power.
Jesus said in Matthew 12:33 NET "Make a
tree good and its fruit will be good, or make
a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree
is known by its fruit.

39. 34 Offspring of vipers! How are you able to
say anything good, since you are evil? For
the mouth speaks from what fills the heart.
35 The good person brings good things out
of his good treasury, and the evil person
brings evil things out of his evil treasury. 36
I tell you that on the day of judgment,
people will give an account for every
worthless word they speak.

40. 37 For by your words you will be justified,
and by your words you will be condemned.“
Did you get it? “For the mouth speaks from
what fills the heart.” You see, after some
real heart searching, I have come to realize
that there is sometimes an evil tendency to
want to knock people down a notch or two
so that it makes me feel like I am a notch
higher.

41. That’s not something I say with any pride,
but it’s a reality that I have recognized by
looking inside. It is a problem I have
struggled with for years, and I always have
to be on my guard. The sad reality is that I
know I’m not alone. Many of us face the
challenge of a tongue that runs out of
control on occasion.
Now, I want you to be painfully honest with
yourself today. What is the struggle you
have with your tongue?

42. Do you relish in the juicy tidbit of gossip?
Do you have a tendency to be a verbal
abuser? Is your tongue careless about what
it says and the way it says it? Is there a
streak in you that can’t stand to be wrong,
and you will fight to the death before you
will admit you made a mistake? If you have
a problem with a wild, bitter or deadly
tongue, realize it is just an overflow valve
for a wild, bitter and deadly heart.

43. Now you know, there are two directions this
sermon could go at this point. One is to give
three helpful hints for taming the tongue.
We could consider some self-help
techniques for covering up the ugliness that
can come out of our mouth. We could talk
about counting to ten when you are angry
before you speak, or some other very
practical method for maintaining
harmonious relationships.

44. Now you know, there are two directions this
sermon could go at this point. One is to give
three helpful hints for taming the tongue.
We could consider some self-help
techniques for covering up the ugliness that
can come out of our mouth. We could talk
about counting to ten when you are angry
before you speak, or some other very
practical method for maintaining
harmonious relationships.

45. But in the end those things are only a
superficial way of treating the real problem.
That would be like using a band-aid to cure
cancer.
You see, you can try the techniques of “How
to win friends and influence people” all you
want, but if you never take care of the root
issue of a sin darkened heart then the bitter
water is going to well up out of that
poisonous spring.

46. James and Jesus are all about telling us
that if you notice that there is a problem
with your tongue running out of control, you
better recognize that down deep there is a
heart that isn’t completely submitted to God.
Don’t think you’re ever going to get your
tongue under control until you give your
heart completely over to God.

47. You see, the problem with the tongue is that
it eventually will show what is going on in
the deepest part of your spirit. You might be
able to cover it up some, but your tongue is
really the showcase of your heart.
The good news is that God offers a cure for
heart problems!
Don’t you love to hear that?

48. In an Old Testament prophecy, God spoke
through Ezekiel about a time when He
would offer a cure for the heart disease that
ravages all human beings.
God said in Ezekiel 36:26 NET I will give
you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit
within you. I will remove the heart of stone
from your body and give you a heart of
flesh.

49. 27 I will put my Spirit within you; I will take
the initiative and you will obey my statutes
and carefully observe my regulations.
The good news of Jesus Christ is that if we
will allow Him to work on us, we are not
destined to live by the evil whims of our
heart. Because of God’s tremendous love
for us, He wanted us to be able to
overcome sin’s control over our lives.

50. Paul, writing to the Saints in Rome said; For
the law of the life-giving Spirit in Christ
Jesus has set you free from the law of sin
and death.
Romans 8:2 NET
Through His Holy Spirit, God wants to
remake you from the inside out. He wants
to take the old heart that is corrupt and give
you a new heart that is fashioned after His.
He wants to remake you into the likeness of
Jesus.

51. But God does not force His Will on us. He
could, but instead He offers us the free
choice to follow or not. We’ve been talking
about taking care of the tongue, but really
the question is, “How’s your heart?” God
wants to perform heart surgery on you, and
give you a new heart that is prepared to last
forever, using your tongue to give Him
praise throughout eternity. He will do the
operation if you will give Him your old heart.