Well, I invite you this evening to turn in your Bibles to the book of James. We continue with our study in the book of James, picking up at James chapter 3. If you're using the Pew Bibles, that can be found on page 1200, 1-2-0-0, James chapter 3. James, chapter 3, beginning at verse 1. well. Look at the ships also, though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet boasts of great things. How great a force is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird of reptile and sea creature can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. from the same mouth come blessing and cursing my brothers these things ought not to be so does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water can a fig tree my brothers bear olives or a grapevine produce figs neither can a salt pond yield fresh water here ends god's word may he bless it to us this evening I'm sure we're all familiar with the children saying, sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me. I'm not too sure today as a grown man that that saying is completely accurate. In fact, I recently came across a 1994 study by a Japanese scientist by the name of Dr. Marsuru Emoto, who set out to prove that words can change things around us. He had his students speak negative words like, I hate you and you are a failure to water in one set of water bottles. While having his students speak kind words like, I love you and thank you to water in another set of water bottles. Then after freezing the water, he viewed it under a microscope and the results were surprising. The water exposed to negative words formed some chaotic and distorted patterns in its frozen shapes, while the water exposed to the kind words, more harmonious shapes. Dr. Emoto then applied this to humans, reminding people that human beings are made of over 70% of water. So every word, he said, that we speak to each other could be having a rippling effect upon our lives, shaping our health and even our reality. Now, Dr. Emoto's research has been greatly scrutinized as being more pseudoscience than science. But I think one thing stands for sure. Words can have a great effect upon our lives. Well, here in chapter 3, it would seem that James moves from the subject of faith, which we covered last time we were in this book, to the subject of the tongue. Now, although, yes, the specifics do change in chapter 3, James' overall theme, his aim, I assure you, does not. James is still keeping with what he has previously said. James' aim is for genuine and practical religion and faith. He has said so throughout this letter. James 1.1, Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. The perfection and the completeness and the lacking in nothing that James refers to there is a completion and perfection of faith. Then James says in chapter 1, verse 27, religion that is pure and undefiled before God. The Father is this, to visit orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained from the world. And then James in chapter 2, 14 asks that critical question, what good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can such faith save him? Again, James's aim is genuine and practical religion as displayed through genuine and practical faith. Now, in the verses before us, James brings up, yes, the subject of the tongue. Although this subject might seem new and a bit of a shift from what James has said, it really isn't. A careful reading of this letter would lead us to see that James has referenced the tongue as a subject a number of times already in this letter. Verse 19 of chapter 1, Know this, my beloved brothers, let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger. It can be concluded that the slow to speak that James mentioned is really foundational for being slow to anger. How often if we just gave ourselves a little bit more time to respond, if we were just slow to speak, how we could have avoided a moment where our anger got the best of us. James also mentions the tongue in verse 26 of chapter 1. If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. The ability or inability of taming one's tongue is a critical display for James of the kind of religion that one practices. And then James mentions speaking in a way that is seasoned with mercy in chapter 2 verse 12. He says, so speak and act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. So speak and act. Our speech ought to be seasoned with mercy, knowing that we are a people who have received mercy from God. You see, James has really been weaving in and out the subject of speech and the tongue in this letter. And what can so easily be concluded when one reads all of these verses together, is that James sees speech as a pivotal and vital way of expressing the genuineness of one's faith and religion. So again, that's James's aim. He's interested in aiming for genuine and practical religion and faith. And from James's perspective, What is more genuine and practical than the way one uses their tongue? For James, there's nothing more revealing of genuine and practical religion and faith than the words that comes out of one's mouth. And so with faith, genuine faith still as his aim, James here brings up again the issue and subject of the tongue. And I want to consider this section with you tonight by looking at three points. The warning of James, the warning, the reason for the warning, and finally, the lesson. The warning, the reason, and the lesson. James begins this section by saying, Not many should aspire to be teachers. Teaching is a great, great blessing. And I say that as someone who has had the great privilege of being a teacher and preacher for 13 years now. But I'm sure if you were to ask any of the other teachers and preachers, Reverend Gordon, Dr. Godfrey, Dr. Bittner, Dr. Van Nee, Dr. Clark, they would all say the same thing. Being able to teach and preach within the church of Christ is a great honor. It's a great privilege. In fact, Ephesians 4 describes teachers as one of the gifts of Christ to his church for equipping the church and building the church up. And yet, as James says here in the text before us, that great privilege of being a teacher comes with a great responsibility. James lays out a careful warning to those desires of being teachers. not many should desire to be teachers because they will be judged with a strictness, a greater strictness. James warns anyone who desires to be a teacher that they should consider carefully since teachers will be held to a higher standard. James in his straightforward fashion lays out an important warning here. But you see there is something more foundational going on here than simply the warning that James lays against those who are aspiring to be teachers. There's a more critical, more foundational warning upon which this warning towards teachers is laid. James' point here isn't to warn people in regards to teaching. His more foundational point is to warn against the threat of an unruly and uncontrolled tongue. And therefore, James is laying out a warning for all of us, Teachers and laity alike. Teaching is simply a good example or area to highlight and emphasize the need to control our tongues. See, the warning to teachers is laid out because teachers have to speak, don't they? The very nature of teaching requires speaking. And therefore, as those who speak and use their tongue regularly, they're more susceptible to the temptation and threat of the tongue. let me put it to you this way if it wasn't for the problem of the and threat of the tongue then James wouldn't have a need to mention this warning of becoming teachers see the problem isn't with becoming teachers the problem isn't even with uh desiring to be a teacher or being judged by a more strict standard as a teacher the problem is the unruliness of the tongue just as James says in verse 2, for we all stumble in many ways, and if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle his whole body. Interesting. James alludes here that one's control of their tongue is something of a microcosm for control of their entire body, their entire life, so to speak. See, the issue is the tongue. So difficult to bridle, isn't it? And yet it's so powerful. Horses have bits, ships have rudders, both of which control powerful objects. The tongue too, though small, is powerful and must be controlled. And this very point is impressed over and over again in the book of proverbs proverbs 13 3 whoever guards his mouth preserves his life he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin proverbs 21 23 whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble proverbs 18 21 death and life are in the power of the tongue and those who love it will eat its fruit. Listen to that again. Death and life are in the power of the tongue and those who love it will eat its fruit. When you hear what the scriptures have to say about the tongue, we can almost, almost begin to be a little sympathetic to the confusion and the false teaching of the charismatic word of faith movement. But what James is saying here is a warning right in line with the Proverbs. The Proverbs are replete with warnings regarding the tongue. The Proverbs are exactly where James gets his line of reasoning. The reality is the tongue is powerful. It can be a serious threat to a person. And not just to the person who finds themselves the target of one's tongue. Now, it's certainly true when you are the target of one's tongue, you can find yourself in a precarious situation and position. Their tongue can be a real threat to you, right? To your character, to your good name. If you've ever found yourself on the receiving end of one's lies and gossips, you know how vicious and destructive someone's speech can be. But the tongue isn't just a threat to those who are the object of the tongue. One's tongue can be as destructive to the one who is spewing lies and gossip as the one to whom they are trying to spew those lies against. That seems so clearly portrayed in the Proverbs. The tongue is a threat both to the one yielding it as much as to the one who it is yielded against. The tongue, brothers and sisters, can be self-destructive. Self-destructive. And when you combine the Proverbs with what James says here, the sense that you get is that the threat of the tongue is even a threat when one isn't even intentionally using it to harm someone. For example, the teacher. That's why not many should seek to become teachers, James says. Even they are at the mercy of their own tongue, so to speak. The point is, we all understand the kind of threat that the tongue can be. We all understand how unruly a tongue can be. We all understand the tongue is a great responsibility. It's a great responsibility. And yet, how often we take it for granted. Speaking is something we take for granted, is it not? Maybe because we do it so much, so easily. In fact, in our country, we celebrate free speech, and rightly so. God has graciously granted us the right to speak. But just because speech is free doesn't mean that it doesn't come with great responsibility. With our words, we have power. Power to influence. Power to affect. Not like our charismatic friends say, power to name and claim things, but power nevertheless. Our speech has power to lift up, power to build up, power to encourage, power to instruct, or as James says here, power to teach. Well, at the very same time, our words also have the power to undermine, to tear down, to destroy, to deceive, to lead astray. This is what James is warning about, the power of the tongue. The tongue may be small, as James says in verse 5, but it boasts of great things. and because of the power of the tongue james warns us be careful be responsible with this power be mindful and he's not saying this in just a general way but he's saying be careful be responsible being mindful as christians as christians and that takes us to our second point this evening, the reason for this warning, the reason. I know this might sound somewhat obvious, but have you ever considered why God gave man a tongue? You ever thought about that? Again, I know this could sound obvious, but think about that for a moment. Like so much in life, it's easy to take something like the tongue for granted. It's really not anything special, comparatively speaking. It's not the brain. It's not the heart. It's not other parts of the body that we would consider to be more critical to life. Again, James says in verse 5, it's a small member of the body. In fact, the tongue can be considered a particularly gross and unattractive, even embarrassing part of the body. It's a part of the mouth. It's in the mouth. Nobody likes to look at their tongue, think about it. We don't like to display it or expose it. In fact, sticking out one's tongue is almost intuitively known as an insult to gesture, is it not? Think of the little kid who sticks their tongue out at somebody. So why did God give us this funny instrument of the body? Well, there's tasting, right? Taste buds are in the tongue. We taste food with our tongue and thank god for that right that food tastes good i know i'm thankful for that but even still there's something more fundamental that's required by the tongue speech speech lord gave man a tongue to speech again speech is so common to us we speak all the time every day some of us a little more easier than others. I heard someone say that a five-year-old girl is the most talkative human being. I had a five-year-old girl not that long ago. I might agree with that. But we all speak, right? Again, it comes so easily. We do so without really, well, most of the time thinking about it. We can all be like that five-year-old girl. And so again, something like speech along with the instrument of speech the tongue can be taken for granted but you see the Lord gave us a tongue to speak and not just to speak but to speak in a particular way the Lord bestowed upon man a tongue so that he might speak praise and thanks to God his creator the tongue was given to man so that man in turn would praise the lord with this in mind i can't help but think of psalm 34 which was used as our call to worship this evening i will bless the lord at all times his praise shall continually be in my mouth what a beautiful thought his praise shall continually be in our mouths that's the reason the lord gave to us tongues to speak but then in that very psalm in psalm 34 it later says what man is there who desires life and loves many days that he may see good keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit turn away from evil and do good seek peace and pursue it you see although the The Lord bestowed upon man the ability and privilege of speech so that he might in turn praise God, love his fellow man. Something happened, didn't it? Something went horribly wrong. Something changed. Man turned from God, his creator. He sinned against him. And with that very tongue that was given for praise, man now uses for vile and sinful purposes. He now curses his Lord, attacks his fellow man. He uses his tongue to praise himself, to boast of himself, to deceive and manipulate his neighbor. Can't help but think of that children's song. Oh, be careful, little tongue, what you say. Oh, be careful, little tongue, what you say. For there's a father above looking down in tender love. Oh, be careful, little tongue, what you say. Psalm 140 says when speaking of sinful man, they make their tongue sharp as a serpent's and under their lips is the venom of ass. Or as Psalm 10 says, for the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul and the one greedy for gain curses and renounces the Lord. His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression under his tongue are mischief and iniquity. Compare that to what was said in Psalm 34. Your praise will always be in my mouth. To now man's mouth is filled with cursing, deceit, oppression, mischief, iniquity. See, the tongue and the speech that flows from it is a direct expression of the heart of man. So where there was once supposed to be praise and exaltation, thanksgiving and glory, There is sadly now boasting and lies, deceit, curses, and iniquity. Just as James says in verse 7, every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and of sea creature can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil full of deadly poison. James tells us that no man can tame the tongue. And then he goes on to say, even Christians who have been redeemed, regenerated, Gifted with the Holy Spirit, still struggle to tame this little, simple, unremarkable, even embarrassing instrument of the body. With it, we bless our Lord and Father, and with it, we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth comes blessing and cursing. This ought not to be brothers. Why, brothers and sisters? Why is it so difficult to tame such a small part of the body? Because it is, just as Jesus said, out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. The reason James warns us about the tongue is because it is a direct expression of the heart. Let me say that again. The reason that James warns us about the tongue is because it directly expresses what is in our hearts. You want to know what's in your heart? Pay attention to what comes out of your mouth. Pay attention to what your tongue expresses. Husbands, do you want to know the kind of heart that you have for your wives? Pay attention to the way you speak to her. Wives, do you want to know the kind of heart you have for your husbands? Pay attention to the way you speak to him. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. Let me ask each of us, not just husbands and wives, but each of us. Are the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts, which are expressed through the words of our mouths, are there things that are acceptable in the sight of our Lord? You see, as James says, brothers and sisters, speak and act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. It ought not to be that both cursing and blessing comes out of the same mouth. And that brings us to our last point this evening, the lesson. The lesson. James gives us a warning here about our tongues. And he does so because the tongue directly expresses what is in the heart. And that makes the tongue a great, great responsibility. And the lesson that James is laying out for us is this. If we have been sanctified in Jesus Christ, then the words that proceed from our mouths should give glory to God and be edifying to our brothers and sisters in Christ and, yes, even encouraging to our neighbors. Notice again what James says at the end of this section in verse 9 and following. With the tongue we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? neither can the salt pond yield fresh water james with each of these analogies is posing a really an underlining question to his readers what kind of heart do you have what kind of heart do you have is it the kind of heart that has been regenerated by the spirit of god and therefore bears fruit in keeping with repentance or do you have an unregenerate heart Either way, your speech ought to reflect the kind of heart that it comes from. If good, then that goodness should be reflected in the way that you speak. If bad, then I tonight would call you to repentance for what you say, friend, will be used against you. Listen to what Jesus says in Matthew 12. I tell you, on the day of judgment, people will give account of every careless word they speak. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned. That's why James says here in verse 6, The tongue is a fire, setting on fire the entire course of life, and then set on fire by hell. those are sad sad words but they stand to remind those of us who are sanctified in jesus christ exactly what we have been saved from what we have been redeemed from what we have been sanctified to you see as those who have been sanctified in christ as those who have been set apart into christ and his purposes as those who have been gifted with the spirit of god again the words that come out of our mouths ought to be in line with the grace and mercy that we've received in Jesus Christ. The reality is, apart from Christ, there's little to no hope in taming the tongue. The tongue apart from Christ is, as James says here, untamable. We may have tamed every kind of beast out there. Maybe you've been to the circus or been to SeaWorld or the zoo. You can see that different animals have been tamed but James says no human being can tame the tongue it's a restless evil full of deadly poison now of course James is not speaking of Jesus Christ he knows as we know that the Lord Jesus Christ lived up to every command of his heavenly father he never spoke a single word contrary to the will of his Father. He never spoke a single sinful word. Out of the abundance of the heart of Christ, he spoke. Jesus was righteous. His heart was righteous. The words that came from his heart were righteous all the time. And even when he was faced with the unrighteousness of man who cursed him, hurled all manner of insults against him, even while he was hanging upon the cross, How did Jesus respond? Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do. And in doing so, Jesus fulfilled the words of Isaiah 53. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth. Like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, like a sheep that before its shears is silent, he opened not his mouth. And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death. Although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. Jesus Christ, our Lord, was righteous in every way. He was righteous in every word that came from his mouth. And thank God, because in Christ's righteousness, we graciously receive righteousness. We have righteousness, since we are of the people who cannot tame their own tongues. But now, for those of us who are in Christ, we have one who did on our behalf. So now, Christians, again, as those who have been set apart unto Christ, speak, even teach, in light of what Christ has done, in light of the new life that you've received in Him. For in Christ, we have been given, as we've heard last Sunday evening, the Spirit, the Spirit of God who causes us to speak. Abba, Father. And now with our hearts sanctified in Christ, we do with our tongues and mouths what exactly they were made for. Praise, thanksgiving, adoration, glory. May the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts always, as Psalm 34 says, be pure and honoring before him. Let's pray. Lord, we thank you again tonight for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We acknowledge, Lord, that our words, our thoughts are not always sanctified to Christ. So easily we are dragged down by our sin. Our hearts are polluted by our sin and our words reflect it, Lord. And the way we speak to each other and the way that we speak to our wives and the way that we speak to our husbands and the way that we speak to our children, Lord. And so we thank you again tonight for Christ, for our Lord, for His perfect work. We thank you that in Him, We have righteousness. We pray this all in his name. Amen.