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The Message for May 14, 2017
Real Faith for Real Life (Part 3) Taming the Tongue, Words Matter
James 3:1-12
Rob Miller, Pastor
Have you ever said something and, the moment the words left your mouth, you knew you shouldn’t have said it? If I had a nickel(five cents)for every time I said something I shouldn’thave - I’d probably have at least $300 or$400. We all say things we shouldn’t say.
It reminds me of this story about three pastors from the same town butserving in different churches. Theywent on a fishing trip together. Having spent the day together on a boat, they started confiding in each other, and confessing their sins to one another.
The first pastor said, “You know what my biggest sin is? Drinking. I know that it is wrong but I still do it.”
The second pastor said, “My biggest sin is gambling. I went to Las Vegas last month and lost over three thousand dollars.”
The third pastor said, “I guess I should have gone first.” The other two pastorslooked puzzled and asked why. “Well,” he said, “My biggest sin is gossiping.”
Every day, you and I speak thousands of words. Studies discoveredthat we speak an average of 16,000 words a day. Some of our words are carefully planned and selected -- others are spoken impulsively. Some of our words are spoken quietly -- others are spoken with more volume. Some of our words are spoken with the desire to help and encourage –others are spoken to hurt, belittle, or retaliate. Most of our words are spoken with little, if any, thought about how they will affect others.
Two weeks ago we started thisfive-week worship series on the book of James, which is all about real faith for real life. James says that - Real faith affect every aspect of our lives – the things we do, the things we feel, the things we think, and especially the things we say.
Listen now to our readingfrom James 3:1-12
Read Text - James 3:1-12
James says - we all stumble in many and various ways.
It’s embarrassing to stumble isn’t it, and yet we all do it. We all make mistakes. We all stumble from time to time in what we say. We let the wrong words come out of our mouths the wrong way.
James suggests that our tongue isa thermometer for our faith. What we say and how we say it reveals the spiritual temperature in our hearts.
When we speak with truth and grace and gratitude and kindness and goodness and gentleness, it reveals the strength of our faith at work in our lives. But when we speak with negativity and gossip and lying and venom, it reveals the weakness of our faith in our lives.
According to James, our words have power. Three kinds of power…
First – The Power to Direct
James says that our words have power to direct. “When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal.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.Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts.” (James 1:3-5)
How truth? I heard it said, “Talk is cheap because the supply always exceeds the demand.”
James is saying that – just like a bit to direct a horse or a rudder to direct a ship – our words have the power to influence the course of our lives and the lives of others. The things wesay can steer someone’s life in the right direction or in the wrong direction.
Mary was a young girl who loved to sing in the children’s choir until one day she overheard a classmate say about her, “Mary can’t even carry a tune in a bucket.” To this day, Mary will not sing out loud in church. That comment affected and directed her life for years.
On the other hand, throughout Bill’s childhood, his mom always told him, “You are going to do great things.” There were times when those words seem to be a burden to Bill. And yet his mom’s words were a constantreassurance of her faith in him-- which to this day continues to influence the direction of his life for good.
The things we say influence the people around us, even when we don’t know it.
A little boy came walking out of worship one Sunday morning when he slipped a dollar bill into the pastor’s hand. The pastor looked at him confused and said, “What’s this for?” The little boy looked up at him and said, “Cuz I felt sorry for you and want to help you out.” That confused the pastor even more, so he asked, “Why do you feel you need to help me out?” The boy said, “Cuz my daddy says – you are the poorest preacher he’s ever heard.”
People are listening to us. So watch what you say. Solomon said, “The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.” (Proverbs 18:21)
The point is – please, please, please never,ever underestimate the power of your words to affect people’s lives. Jesus spoke to the woman at the well and changed her life forever. Peter preached on Pentecost and 3,000 people began to put their faith in Christ. Our words really do have the power to direct people’s lives.
James then says our words have power to destroy.
Second – The Power to Destroy
Jamescompares the tongue to a fire. What a powerful image. He says, “Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.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 3:5-6)
There is a forest fire burning somewhere in the United States right now and many times those fires are the result of carelessness.
Last summer we were at the Grand Canyon and as we drove along therewere miles and miles of land way where a forest fire had burned through. It left several miles of blackened earth behind. Millions of dollars of timber and pasture had been wiped out. It is believed that the cause of that fire was somebody’s lit cigarette. They probably never imagined how destructive it could be when they flicked it out the window of their moving vehicle.
Our words can be just as destructive as a forest fire. Sometimes it’s the little things we say that hurt people the most. Calloused insults or careless gossip can break people’s spirits, ruin reputations, and create hate and bitterness.
Growing up we were always taught: “Sticks and stones can break my bones but words will never hurt me.” Remember that saying? I got news for you -- It’s not true. Words can hurt and sting. They can cut to the quick. And sometimes theycan have a lasting effect.
James says,“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.” (James 3:7-8)
From time to time we watch the show Animal Planet – some time ago there was an episodeabout people beingbitten by wild animals. One of the stories was about a man who handled poisonous snakes. He was famous for handling cobras, one of the most venomous snakes on earth.
One day, after a demonstration, he was putting a six-foot cobra back into its holding bin. But before he could close the lid -- the cobra snapped and got him on the stomach. The contact lasted less than a second, but it was long enough for the snake to inject its venom.
Hours went by as he was being transported to the hospital to receive the anti-venom. He survived the attack. But over the course of a few hours the venom from the cobra had eaten away at his flesh, leaving a soft-ball sized hole in the middle of his stomach. In the last scene they showed him lying on the couch at home with his soda can sitting in the hole.
That’s what cruel and critical words doto people – they sting and they eat away! They can burn a hole in somebody’s heart.
Do you ever use words like those? Does your sarcasm bite like a serpent? Does your cynicism sink its fangs into your prey? Do you inject the poison of criticism into your spouse? Into your children? Into your family? Into your friends? Into your coworkers? Into your church?
Do you spout hurtful comments in the car on the way to church and then sing praises to God in worship? James says – it ought not be that way.Instead he says our words have the power to delight…
Third – The Power to Delight
That’s how we ought to use our words– not to direct and not to destroy but to delight…
James says, “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. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs?Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.”(James 3:9-12)
Point is… aspring or fountain ought to be a source of cool, refreshing water. Thirsty people ought to be able to come to the fountain and drink deeply and walk away refreshed and rejuvenated. When a hungry person finds a fig tree or a grapevine, they ought to be able to eat the fruit of its branches and be nourished and strengthened. That’s what our words ought to be like for the people around us.
When a dry and thirsty soul comes to one of us, he or she ought to be able to soak in our words – be refreshed by them – be encouraged by them. Our lips ought to bear the fruit of God’s love so that the people around uscan be spiritually feed and nourished. James says that’s what believers do.
Many of us are concerned about what we eat. We count calories and carbs. We watch our sodium intake. We avoid certain processed foods. It’s good to eat healthy, and we should – and yet we ought to be more concerned with what comes out of our mouths, then what goes into them.
Jesus said, “It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles.”(Matthew 15:11)
He goes on to say, “The things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart.” (Matthew 15:18)
The tongue really is a thermometer for our faith.
Consider this… Whatever is in your heart will eventually come out of your mouth. They are connected. If you are filled with anger, bitterness, hatred, jealousy, or ugliness -- it will show up in your words. But if your heart is filled with the love of God, then the fruit of your lips will be love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
That is what this world needs. That’s what your wife needs, your mother needs, you husband needs, your father needs, your boyfriend needs, your girlfriend needs. It’s what your children need. It’s what your neighbor needs. It’s what your co-workers need. It’s what everybody needs. The love of God…
Our words should build people up not tear them down. The fruit of God’s love should fall from our lips so the people around us will be nourished and encouraged by that fruit. People can experience God’s grace and love and joy and peacethrough our words.
Real faith for real life is revealed in what we say and how we say it. Our words have power. We speak thousands of them every day. Our words have the power to direct, the power to destroy, or the power to delight. So please, please, please, choose your words carefully…
I leave you with this final thought…