Tongues, Thumbs, and Hearts

Psalm 1 / James 3-4

The Destructive Power

Tongues and Thumbs

What we say

truth? - verified? - allegations

appropriate venue?

Appropriate crowd / age?

Motive?

How we say

method

tone

Power vv3-5

James 3:3–5 If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4 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. 5 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!”

The Horse - the beast of burden; of war; by which we name our vehicles

A Ship - The conqueror of the sea and her storms; that hope of passage or rescue to a safe landing

Untamable

James 3:7–8 “For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.”

Destruction by tongue or thumb

James 3:6 “6 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.”

James 3:8 “8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.”

James 3:9 “9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.”

James 3:10 “10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.”

The Positive Potential

James 3:3–5 If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4 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. 5 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!”

James 3:9 “9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.”

What if there were a way to tame the untamable, such that this little rudder could achart a new course?

What if we could somehow limit if not eliminate the cursing of our fell man, and fix our tongues and thumbs on the blessing rather than the cursing?

The Source

The Adulterous Cycle (James 4:1-4):

Passions at war within you

You desire and have not (C10) so you murder

You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight

You do not have because you do not ask

You ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly to spend on your passions

This makes us an adulterous people to God

To fix all of this is heart/God work

Psalm 37:4 “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

Necessary Humility (4:5-10)

Is this scripture empty? A throw away line? NO!

God is a jealous God for our obedience and affection

God opposes the prideful / God gives grace to the humble

- This is true in conversion as well as ongoing life

Submit to God

Resist the Devil

Draw near to God

clean your hands - stop doing what you shouldn’t

purify your hearts - by prayer and fasting from unholy things and messages)

be wretched - mourn and weep because you begin to see the depth and affect of your sins

let your laughter be turned to tears

Tell your friends that this is where the party ends Until you're broken for your sins you can't be social

Why?

To be truly (not falsely) exalted by God.

To be able to be truly faithful to God and not adulterous

To then be able to steer that ship in a positive and godly direction

To them be able to purpose you tongue and thumbs to blessing instead of cursing

To stop seeming to self and others as a hypocrite.