Taming the tongue

A "slip of the tongue" by an air traffic controller at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport saw two planes come within 300 feet of crashing into each other in July, 2020.

A United Airlines flight from Newark, NJ was making its approach to land at the same time that an EasyJet was preparing to take off for Malaga, Spain. The Newark flight was supposed to be assigned to land on runway 09L, as the Malaga flight was cleared to take off from runway 09R.

Due to an unfortunate slip of the tongue, however, the controller gave clearance for Newark to land on 09R, instead of 09L. Furthermore, the controller didn’t have direct line-of-sight access to runway 09R because of an equipment malfunction.

Eventually, the Malaga flight asked why the Newark plane was given clearance to land on their runway, and warned of the imminent collision. The Newark plane was instructed to abort the landing and ascend, but by the time it engaged the evasive maneuver, the two planes were only 300 feet apart.

Even in situations that seem routine, our words still have tremendous power to heal or hurt, build or destroy. Being careless with the tongue is akin to flirting with calamity.

We hear this story this morning, and just by a show of hands, who hear has ever been hurt… by something, someone else has said? Let’s try this, who hear, has ever hurt someone by the words they said? (hands…)

The truth is, we’ve probably all been on both ends of it… (Loki story here?)

Proverbs 18:21 tells us: The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit

What’s the issue however, we live in a world, where everyone has freedom of speech… freedom to give you their opinion… Freedom to weigh in on matters that have nothing to do with them… right?We see it all the time, on the news, on facebook, in conversation with others…

What do we do? How do we handle this as Christians this morning? The tongue has the power of life and death. What type of life do you want, What kind of life do you have? The tongue has the power of life and eath..

If you have your bibles, turn with me to James 3… We’re going to talk about the tongue. 2 sermon point this morning on Biting your tongue. 1. The Challenge in taming the tongue. 2. The solution in taming the tongue.

Turn to James 3… Point 1.

The one I’m walking…

1. The challenge in taming the tongue

1 Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.

3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 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. 5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 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.

7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

As we look at the scripture, here’s what we find. We see that James, the brother of Jesus is being used by the Lord to write the book of James. And it’s written somewhere in the year AD 44-AD 49, Which makes it the first NT Book written.

James writes from most likely Jerusalem, which is where he lived and ministered… and his primary focus, is to challenge believers, to examine their faith and see if it was genuine saving faith. He does so, over the course of 5 chapters… which look at a believers life, ranging through perseverance in suffering, discussing temptation, work and faith, prayer and so on… and he comes to this point in James 3, where he discuss the tongue, and the significance.

This topic of the tongue, is an important, topic, covered extensively throughout scripture… even in terms of our salvation we’re told:

Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

So our mouths are important… What we say is important. It sets the course of our lives one way or another.

It’s life our death. It plays a key part in our financial security, and employment… Proverbs 18:20 20 From the fruit of their mouth a person’s stomach is filled; with the harvest of their lips they are satisfied.

So our tongues are crucially important… but whats the problem…

is the tongue, inherently good? Or evil? (verse 6 say?)

6 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.

To take it a step further… it’s not the muscle or the flesh of tongue that’s the problem… when we talk about an evil tongue… the issue is what? Our words… and if we take it a step further, where do our words come from?

Matthew 12:33-37 33 “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. 35 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. 36 But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. 37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Here, Matthew speaks of trees good and evil… and he speaks of the evidence through the fruit.. but the words, that come out… are a reflection of the heart…

The problem is, although we may be saved… we wrestle with the flesh…

Jeremiah 17:9 9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

So our problem is, what we say… comes from our heart… and our heart, is wicked…

That’s why James would challenge us: 1 Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.

Has anyone ever played chess before? 16 pieces on your side… pawns, bishops, rooks, knights, kings and queens… Goal? but the winner is the person who does what? Puts the other person not only in check… but checkmate…

Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect

So then the question becomes, how do we keep ourselves in check? Takes us to point 2…

2. The solution in taming the tongue

I want to go back to verse 1-3 and for a few minutes we’re going to talk about horses… and you’ll see the connection hopefully here in a minute…

1 Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.

So we’ll stop, and for a moment, go back to the word Check…

We’re going to first camp out and look at the word check. According to Websters dictionary.

To Check: 1. To inspect, examine, or look over

2. To compare with a source, original, or authority.

3. To slow or bring to a stop. Again, with chess… your slowing down, your stopping your opponents movement… it’s calculated.

Book look with me if you would at the greek . check: khal-in-ag-ogue-eh'-o means to 1. lead by a bridle, to guide. Or 2. To bridle, hold in check, restrain

What is a bridle? It’s the headgear used to control a horse. It’s the straps to which the bit and reins are attached.

So to check yourself… or bridle yourself… You can’t do so without a bit.

A bit by the way, is arguably the most crucial component of a bridle. It sits inside the horse's mouth and is the primary way a rider communicates with the horse, influencing direction, speed, and overall control. The bit works by applying pressure to the horse's mouth, which the horse is naturally trained to respond to… (Story DR. "Vámonos" let’s go, quick… "Rapido" (fast) (would have been better if name was gordo…)

But I learned this week… a bridle is often used early in a horses life to train the horse… the bit’s not comfortable… im sure the horse, especially when your breaking it in balks at the idea of having the bit in it’s mouth… but here’s the key… this subtle pressure, this slight discomfort, this aggetation, is necessary to train the horse…

3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal.

The word bit here, by the way… it’s a small part… not the biggest part of the bridle… but it’s the part where disciple comes… correction comes… where training comes… a bit, isn’t a large part… a bit is small… but it’s crucial.

3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 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. 5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 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.

7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, (talking about horses…) watch this next part…

8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. (read again)

8 but no human being can tame the tongue.

What does that mean… it means, you in of yourself… cannot tame your tongue? Why mention it? Why does James discuss the need to examine ourselves, and address what we say and do?

Because the key to unlocking the heart of us, is not on us… we show up, but we need God. Let me put it this way, In of yourself, you are not good enough, I am not good enough… to change ourselves…

‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty. Zecheriah 4

Here’s the point…

1. we start with the heart… and examine ourselves… put into check Search me, God, and know my heart test me and know my anxious thoughts.…

2. we put bits into our mouth… Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”. (He spoke it from his mouth)

Psalm 119:11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

3. Finally we live for Christ. Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

So we crucify the flesh… we live as Christ… for some of us, this may come easily… for others of us, we may need to take more extreme measures… you heard me say before, that in bowling… there are bumpers on the sides of the lanes to keep the ball rolling the the right direction… Some of us need to put up bumpers, safeguard in our lives…

But here’s the key… as we live for christ… and live out the principels the bible tells us… again

Proverbs 18:21 told us the result is life… The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit

Friend, speak life over yourself this morning… speak life over your future, speak live over your family, over your marriage… but it starts with Him.

And in the end, the result will be praise to the Father.

9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 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

Friends, would we speak praise. Would we be refreshing to others?…

Would we speak life?

Call the worship team up at this time..

- Call to Response? (Rest of James 3?)

Pray