The Fountain and the Tree
James • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 4 viewsThe tongue can be the biggest trouble maker but does not have to be. What it is and does is dependent upon the heart of its owner.
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
The tongue is pretty powerful thing. It can and often is the smallest troublemaker in the church. However, it does not have to be. It can be used for something much greater, encouragement and edification of the brothers and sisters around us and genuine worship of the Father.
Not only is the tongue powerful enough to cause trouble, as James writes...
5 So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, the very world of unrighteousness; the tongue is set among our body’s parts as that which defiles the whole body and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell.
Not only is it used to edify and encourage the brother, and worship the Lord, it is a good revealer of the condition of the heart of its owner.
Focus Passage
9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people, who have been made in the likeness of God; 10 from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, these things should not be this way. 11 Does a spring send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers and sisters, bear olives, or a vine bear figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh.
Outline
The Good Fountain and Tree
As we left off last week, no one can tame the tongue. It is is uncontrollable.
8 But no one among mankind can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
Also, as we learned last week, man may not, but God can.
Q: How does one tame the tongue?
A: Man, through time with God and His words, will find that his tongue is tamed.
We must begin our day, continue our day, and end our day by surrendering our tongue to the Lord.
James compares the tongue to a fig tree...
12 Can a fig tree, my brothers and sisters, bear olives, or a vine bear figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh.
Q: What is the most important thing about a tree? Its roots of course. If its roots don’t go deep, what happens? What happens when its roots do go deep?
A: One’s personal time with the Lord is how we deepen our roots. If we spend quality time with the Lord, our roots will deepen and we will see the effect of the promises of Psalm 1.
1 Blessed is the person who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! 2 But his delight is in the Law of the Lord, And on His Law he meditates day and night. 3 He will be like a tree planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season, And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.
Jesus made a practice of spending quality time with the Father every day.
35 And in the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and prayed there for a time.
Are we making this same practice? How many of us have personal, daily quiet time with the Lord? Now how many of have quality time with the Lord not just quantity time?
Isaiah wrote of our Lord...
4 The Lord God has given Me the tongue of disciples, So that I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple.
Not only does James compare the tongue to a tree, he compares it to water.
Q: Why is water so important? How long can man live without water? How is water beneficial to us?
A: James identifies the tongue as a stream of water.
8 But no one among mankind can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
When one things of water, if you are like me, you think of it’s positive qualities. You think of it as refreshing, life giving, life sustaining. You think of when you were a kid and drinking water out of the hose. You think of it in the lakes, ponds, and pools that went you swimming and/or fishing in. Water, for most, is a refreshing thing. It should be. As James writes, With it we bless our Lord and Father (v9a).
The tongue is a powerful thing and if we are truly children of God, what speak should be a well spring of living water to others.
38 The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’ ”
Our tongue should be that which heals and encourages others.
18 There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword, But the tongue of the wise brings healing.
Paul said that he wanted to be refreshing to the church at Rome...
32 so that I may come to you in joy by the will of God and relax in your company.
And that he was refreshed by others...
18 For they have refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore acknowledge such men.
Let us remember the word from Paul to the church at Ephesus...
29 Let no unwholesome word come out of your mouth, but if there is any good word for edification according to the need of the moment, say that, so that it will give grace to those who hear.
The Cursed Fountain and Tree
James not only states that we bless our Lord and Father, but he goes further and states, with it we curse people, who have been made in the likeness of God (v.9a).
Q: Why is this true? How is this true? How do we change this?
A: One does not always think of water being destructive, but it can be. James uses the two metaphors that he used to discuss the blessings of tongue to discuss the cursing of the tongue.
Water, while it can be a blessing to life, can also be a detriment to life.
As Warren Wiersbe wrote...
The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Seven: The World’s Smallest but Largest Troublemaker (James 3:1–12)
Water is life-giving, and our words can give life. However, if water is not controlled, it brings death and destruction. The famous Johnstown, Pennsylvania flood of 1889 took 2,200 lives and destroyed $10 million in property. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Prov. 18:21).
Much of our planet is covered in Ocean water. 71% of our earth is covered in ocean water, salt water. James writes, Nor can salt water produce fresh. Brother and sisters, the tongue is bitter and unless it is brought under the direction and empowerment of the Holy Spirit, it will produce the same thing that the Dead Sea produces, death.
As James writes, these things should not be this way.
The Revealing Fountain and Tree
James writes...
9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people, who have been made in the likeness of God; 10 from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, these things should not be this way.
Q: Is it possible for man to know his heart?
A: Yes and no.
Jeremiah wrote...
9 “The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?
To finish that up he wrote...
10 “I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, To give to each person according to his ways, According to the results of his deeds.
So while man cannot know his heart on his own, God has given him a great revelator to reveal his heart.
As Warren Wiersbe writes in his commentary on James...
The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Seven: The World’s Smallest but Largest Troublemaker (James 3:1–12)
I heard about a professing Christian who got angry on the job and let loose with some oaths. Embarrassed, he turned to his partner and said, “I don’t know why I said that. It really isn’t in me.” His partner wisely replied, “It had to be in you or it couldn’t have come out of you.” When Peter was out of fellowship with Christ, he uttered some oaths; but he went out and wept bitterly and confessed his sins.
What does our heart say of us? If we listen to our words careful enough and long enough, we’ll get a clear picture of our heart. For as Jesus stated...
45 The good person out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil person out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.
Conclusion
I conclude with this challenge and thought.
Our heart should be a fountain of blessing, but far too often is a fountain of cursing. May we truly begin to listen to our heart and let it reveal to us who and what we are.
Q: How do we listen to our heart? How do we afford changes to our heart? What is keeping us from doing these things?
