Tongues Untamed

James 3:1–12 (CSB)

1 Not many should become teachers, my brothers, because you know that we will receive a stricter judgment. 2 For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is mature, able also to control the whole body. 3 Now if we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we direct their whole bodies. 4 And consider ships: Though very large and driven by fierce winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So too, though the tongue is a small part of the body, it boasts great things. Consider how a small fire sets ablaze a large forest. 6 And the tongue is a fire. The tongue, a world of unrighteousness, is placed among our members. It stains the whole body, sets the course of life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. 7 Every kind of animal, bird, reptile, and fish is tamed and has been tamed by humankind, 8 but no one can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With the tongue we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in God’s likeness. 10 Blessing and cursing come out of the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, these things should not be this way. 11 Does a spring pour out sweet and bitter water from the same opening? 12 Can a fig tree produce olives, my brothers and sisters, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a saltwater spring yield fresh water.

-You have the right to remain silent, (USA Miranda Rights)

Many of us that have learned this lesson the hard way.

The law of the USA incorporates what is known as the Miranda rights.

Also known as the “The right to remain silent,”

Silent - For “anything” you say can and will be used against you in a court of law”

Because the use of your tongue can provide information about you that they didn’t already know.

Do you know that Jesus said something similar about our judgment at HIS court of judgment?

Matthew 12:34–37 (CSB)

34 Brood of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart. 35 A good person produces good things from his storeroom of good, and an evil person produces evil things from his storeroom of evil. 36 I tell you that on the day of judgment people will have to account for every careless word they speak. 37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

-By our own tongues we’ll be judged

You see it is by your own tongue that you will be judged.

Bitterness stored up in your hearts, speaks for you.

Oooh, you can try all you want to hide it but sooner or later, it will eventually come out.

And the mouth that usually speaks sweet words will spew out fire and bitterness.

For Jesus said, “that which comes out of the mouth is what the heart is full of”

Luke 6:45 (CSB)

45 A good person produces good out of the good stored up in his heart. An evil person produces evil out of the evil stored up in his heart, for his mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart.

-We need the Lord’s help with our bitterness

So we need to ask for the Lord's help in resolving those issues that keep us bound with bitterness in our hearts.

Ask Him to give us that peace that passes all understanding.

-We need to control our tongue

Have you all heard this old saying, “If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say it at all”?

Slide

Anonymous quote

“A smart person knows what to say, a wise person knows whether or not to say it.”

-Our speech should give honor to God

Ephesians 4:29–32 (CSB)

29 No foul language should come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear. 30 And don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit. You were sealed by him for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander be removed from you, along with all malice. 32 And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.

You shouldn’t let anything come out of your mouth that would not give honor and glory to God.

Remember, you are to build up and not bring down.

Don’t use your words to bring any one down.

Think about what you say before you say it.

Ask yourself, if what you are about to say would build up or tear down.

Proverbs 15:2–4 (CSB)

2 The tongue of the wise makes knowledge attractive,

but the mouth of fools blurts out foolishness.

3 The eyes of the Lord are everywhere,

observing the wicked and the good.

4 The tongue that heals is a tree of life,

but a devious tongue breaks the spirit.

-Think twice about how you say things

This is very important, so pay attention all of you in positions of authority.

Anything you have to say can be misunderstood by the tone in which you deliver it.

For example

“Go and do such this or that Vs. harshness”

Ephesians 6:1–3 (CSB)

1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, because this is right. 2 Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise, 3 so that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life in the land.

We read the old famous verse we often quote to our children,

Isn’t it funny that we always stop right there?

We need to continue reading where it says,

Ephesians 6:4 (CSB)

4 Fathers, don’t stir up anger in your children, but bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

-Children need to think before speaking

You too need to think about how you say things.

The way you respond directly affects the treatment you get.

If you want to be treated like grown-ups, then you need to speak and carry yourself like grown-ups.

If you respond with sarcasm, and offenses; Then what you are doing is poking the Bull that can turn on you and dig its horns in you even further.

When you disrespect, you dishonor God, and you show yourself to be immature.

-There is power in the tongue

Yes, words have more power than we realize.

They can build up or tear down.

Yes, there is great power in the tongue.

The tongue of a person is extremely powerful.

It has been used to set up nations, and tear them down.

With a command of the tongue, Adolf Hitler ordered the killing of millions of Jews during the holocaust.

The tongue is so powerful that from the command of a unified tongue, man tried to build the very tall tower of Babel to God, before God ironically, confused the tongue during the time of Nimrod.

And if you’re careful, your tongue can take on a mind of it’s own.

Haven’t you ever said something without thinking, and later thought,

“How could I have ever said that to him or her?”

-Tongues can be deceptive

With a deceptive tongue, our children are being taught to rebel against their parents, and authority by causing them to question the reasons for their obedience

This is the same thing Satan did in the Garden of Eden.

When he caused them to think about the words that were spoken, when he said, “did God really say”?

In Genesis 3

Hopeful tone

-God uses the tongue for His purposes also

However, it was also with the command of the tongue,

that nations have been formed, and slaves were set free.

With a command of the tongue,

societies are built

and laws are made.

With the a word from the tongue, a group of Christian people declared their independence from the rules of their day and braved the new world.

They were looking for religious freedom, and built this country.

With just a word from God, the entire universe was brought into existence.

When God spoke, “Let there be… and there was”

Yes there is great power in the tongue.

This is a great gift God has given us, AMEN

Also this is a great responsibility wouldn’t you say?

For most of us, after becoming Christian’s, the most difficult battle is the taming of our tongues.

We all still battle with it, no one is immune.

Just some of us are a little more experienced at taming it.

To win this battle of with our tongue we first need the Lord’s help

Ask him to bridle our tongues, by removing the bitterness in our hearts that cause us to speak evil.

-Bring your tongue into obedience

Then we need to be obedient to what in

Psalm 34:13–14 (CSB)

13 Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from deceitful speech. 14 Turn away from evil and do what is good; seek peace and pursue it.

In James as we read earlier, it mentioned the dichotomy between sweet and sour,

Listen to this story.

Tell my story about salty corn flakes.

Since that day, I cannot mix salty foods with sweet foods. Ask my wife, I can’t eat anything that is mixed.

It has to be either all sweet, or no sweet at all. There is no middle ground.

Even now, years later it still affects me. For instance my breakfast has to be either salty or sweet but not both.

There is nothing more detestable than something sweet pouring out something bitter.

I got to thinking about this and realized, if I take so much interest about what goes into my mouth, what about what comes out?

And immediately I was convicted.

Jesus said in,

Matthew 15:11 (CSB)

11 It’s not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth—this defiles a person.”

Out of the same mouth in which I glorify God, I have used to spew out nastiness

We have that effect on things you know?

Think about people.

You could be in a great mood, and then someone says something that totally destroys your mood.

This is like pouring our salt when you should be pouring out sweetness.

We should use the gift of speech in a way that always builds up, and doesn't tear down,

You have heard it said after someone said something bad, "do you kiss your momma with that mouth?”

-Mouth wash

Remember what parents used to do to their kids when they spoke bad words?

They washed their mouths out with soap!

Why, because foul, vulgar, inconsiderate speaking is dirty, and the soap was to cleanse the mouth.

Well, I would like you to think about that before you say anything, ever again, even in anger,

Because not only do you eat and drink with your mouth, you worship God with that same mouth, Amen!

And it should be clean, because you speak for him, as a representative of his kingdom

And remember this because it is very important

"What you say, can and will be used against you"