A Choice to Make

Big Idea: There is a freedom of choice, through our speeches we can either bring life or hurt that brings a lasting impact. Make the right choice.

[Opening Prayer]

[Introduction]

Hook - Illustration

What are some words that you do not like others to say about you?

Examples: Stupid, Good for nothing, etc.

What are some words that are spoken to you that will make you feel good?

Examples: Helpful, you look beautiful, etc.

Have you ever heard about the story of a growing plant?

A few years ago, I gave a family project to the children in my Sunday School. Each of them were given items such as a mini pot, soil, fertilisers and seeds.

One week later, one family was sharing photos with me of how well the plant had grown. While another family ask me how come their plant did not grow at all?

I asked the silliest question. Did you water the plant? They did but it did not grow at all. So I decided to give them a brand new set and got them to try again. Then I recalled the story of the growing plant which I shared with them and encouraged them to try.

The story: There was a time where a family was doing an experiment. The mum gave a pot of plant to her son and another pot of plant to her daughter to care over. They were given the task to water the plants daily, and as they water the plants, her son was tasked to speak negative words to the plant while her daughter was tasked to speak positive words to the plant. Guess what was the outcome after one week? The plant with negative words spoken to it was dying while the plant with positive words spoken to it grew well and grew healthily.

So I shared this story with the family whose plant that did not grow to try to replant and as they plant to try to speak positive words to the plant as they water the plant daily and observe the outcome.

I strongly believe that this is not a made up story of that experiment. After the family was told to try to replant and intentionally speaking positive words to the plant, the plant grew well and they managed to transplant it into a bigger pot ultimately.

This evening, my sermon is entitled “A Choice to Make”. It is our choice to make to either speak words that will build up the body of Christ or to destroy one another.

And today, we will look at James 3:1-12 where James shares the characteristic of a mature believer, that is having power over his tongue.

The power of speech is one of the greatest powers God has given us. With the tongue, man can praise God, pray, preach the Word, and lead the lost to Christ. What a privilege! But with that same tongue he can tell lies that could ruin a man’s reputation or break a person’s heart. The ability to speak words is the ability to influence others and accomplish tremendous tasks; and yet we take this ability for granted.

Let us look at what kind of power our tongue has together from the book of James. Before I carry on let us look at James 3:1-12.

James 3:1–12 (ESV)

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as 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 it boasts of great things.

How great a forest 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.

[Main Points]

[1] Power to Direct (vv 1-4)

In verses 3 and 4, James gave us a example of the bits and rudder. A bit is used to control horses and a rudder is used by the pilot of the ship to give direction.

Why did James use bits and rudder to give an illustration to the use of our tongue?

Do you know that the tongue is the smallest part of your body? Similarly, a bit and rudder, they are also very small but they have a great impact where they are able to direct.

Both the bit and the rudder must overcome contrary forces. The bit must overcome the wild nature of the horse, and the rudder must fight the winds and currents that would drive the ship off its course.

The human tongue also must overcome contrary forces. We have an old nature that wants to control us and make us sin. There are circumstances around us that would make us say things we ought not to say. Sin on the inside and pressures on the outside are seeking to get control of the tongue.

This means that both the bit and the rudder must be under the control of a strong hand. The expert horseman keeps the mighty power of his steed under control, and the experienced pilot courageously steers the ship through the storm.

When Jesus Christ controls the tongue, then we need not fear saying the wrong things—or even saying the right things in a wrong way!

Proverbs 18:21 (ESV)

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.

Psalm 141:3–4 (ESV)

Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips! Do not let my heart incline to any evil, to busy myself with wicked deeds in company with men who work iniquity, and let me not eat of their delicacies!

David knew that the heart is the key to right speech.

Matthew 12:34 (ESV)

You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

When Jesus Christ is the Lord of the heart, then He is Lord of the lips too.

Never underestimate the guidance you give by the words you speak or do not speak.

Jesus spoke to a woman at a well, and her life and the lives of her neighbors experienced a miraculous change (John 4).

Peter preached at Pentecost and 3,000 souls came to salvation through faith in Christ (Acts 2).

Our tongue have the power to direct. How important it is that our tongues direct people in the right way.

Application:

Who or what controls your tongue? It is never too late to allow Jesus to take control of our tongue and direct it to do the right thing. All we need to do is to ask Jesus to help us.

[2] Power to Destroy (vv 5-8)

In verses 5 and 6, James uses the example of a fire to illustrate how a small fire can destroy the entire forest. In the same way, the tongue being the smallest member of the body can destroy others when we are not careful with our speech.

Even in a Church, if we are not careful, and not allowing God to lead us, the words that we speak can end up bringing destruction.

Fire burns and hurts, our words can burn and hurt as well if we use it wrongly.

Psalm 39:1 (ESV)

I said, “I will guard my ways, that I may not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth with a muzzle, so long as the wicked are in my presence.”

Some of you may ask… Sometimes we see others do something wrong or something that can improved, I made some comments and the person stopped speaking to me. Why?

Personally, I feel that the way a comment spoken is important. I encountered at least two different leaders in the past 1 year. One who spoke without love, the comment came as a judgment and it hurts, instead of listening, I became defensive and never want to speak to that person. On the other hand, another leader spoke to me with love, having the intension to help me grow, the way a comment was spoken was gentle with helpful tips, that cause me to accept the comment better.

Ultimately, we can speak, but we need to speak the truth in love. So that it will help others rather than destroying.

Colossians 4:6 (ESV)

Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

Well, one power tip that I can give to us is that, when we are angry and disappointed. Remember… Cool off first before you speak, so that what comes out of us will not bring destruction.

Application:

Have you been hurt or hurt other with any spoken words? What changes can you make so that your words will not bring destruction?

[3] Power to Delight (vv 9-12)

Remember, my sermon title today is “A Choice to Make”. The use and outcome of our tongue is a choice we need to make. Do we use it to bring destruction or delight?

James 3:9–10 (ESV)

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.

Jesus is the best example of one whose words bring delight. As ambassadors of Christ, we need to be like Jesus, we need to be people who will bring delight in our speech.

How then can we be like Jesus in our speech?

We need to meet the Lord and learn from Him alone. By spending time reading the Bible, to pray and spend time in God’s presence. So that we know what God expect of us in our speech and being humble in His presence to seek His help.

At a start, this might seem difficult, but let us take a step at a time. I am not asking you to read one book of the Bible each day or to spend 3-4 hours praying daily. Maybe start by reading one chapter each day and spend 15 mins praying? Of course when you have that as your daily habit, start to increase.

Application:

What can you do or hope to do to draw closer to God so that you can be a better ambassador of Christ?

[Conclusion]

There were so many things that you have heard today. Even if you had forgotten all of them, remember, one thing. Our tongue is powerful, it either be used to destroy or delight. The choice is ours to make. We can choose to make good use of it to bring life in the words we speak. The best way is always to learn from Jesus by spending time to understand the Bible and to be in the Lord’s presence, seeking His help.

[Closing Prayer]