Taming The Troublesome Tongue
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TAMING THE TROUBLESOME TONGUE
(Charles Swindoll – 2 ounce slab of trouble)
INTRO:
· Are you a mature Christian?
o Perfect – rarely ever conveys the moral sense of sinlessness, rather, it sets forth the idea of a goal which, when reached, renders the individual complete.
o The word occurs 6 times in various forms
And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
§ 1:17
Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.
But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.
§ 1:25
If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.
You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected;
For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.
o One who reaches maturity
· The troublesome tongue was a serious issue James
This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger;
If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless.
So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty.
o
What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members?
Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it.
There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor?
o
· The tongue is powerful
o One of the greatest powers God has given us
§ With the tongue we can praise God
§ With the tongue we can pray
§ Witht the tongu we can sing
§ Witht the tongue we can preach the word
§ Witht the tongue we can lead the lost to Christ
o One of the greatest tools of satan
§ With the tongue we can tell lies
§ Witht the tongue we can tear people down
§ With the tongue we can curse people and curse God
§ With the tongu we can gossip and tell rumors
§ With the tonguw e can ruin a persons reputation
§ With the tongue we can break a persons heart
§ With the tongue we can hurt people
o James gives us six pictures of the tongue to impress upon us the importance and consequences of our words
§ The bit
§ The rudder
§ The fire
§ A poisonous animal
§ A fountain
§ A fig tree
· A note to teachers
o Don’t get so caught up in the authority and prestige of the office. There is great responsibility and accountability
o They face a stricter judgment
§ Some use this as an excuse to not teach
§ Some teachers are not qualified to teach
· Have wrong motives
· Do not understand what they say
· Are simply false and misleading
§ Teachers must practice what they teach
· Think of the damage that can be done by a teacher that is unprepared, or who’s spiritual likfe is not up to par
· We all stumble in many ways
o Someone who trips but doesn’t necessarily fall
o Stumbling can be corrected or it can lead to a fall
o Notice James once again includes himself
· There person who can tmer the tongue gives evidence that he can control the whole body, he proves that he is a mature man
o Is James making a mistake by connecting sins of the tongue with sins of the body? No, because words usually leads to deeds. (ex. W.W. 2 Loose Lips Sink Ships, Loose Lips Wreck Lives
1. Has the power direct
a. By using the bit and the rudder james is showing us that the tongue may be small but it still excercises great power
i. Small bit enables the rider to control the great horse
ii. Small rudder enables the captain to steer a huge ship
b. The bit and the rudde must overcome contrary forces
i. Bit – wild nature of the horse
ii. Rudder – winds and curents of the sea
iii. Tongue – our old nature that wants to control us and make us sin, c
1. Sins on the isnside and pressures on the outside are seeking to control our tongues
c. The bit and the rudder must be under control by a strong hand
i. A mind centered on Christ, focused on Christ, controlled by Christ
ii. The reason:
Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
And those who love it will eat its fruit.
Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;
Keep watch over the door of my lips.
Do not incline my heart to any evil thing,
To practice deeds of wickedness
With men who do iniquity;
And do not let me eat of their delicacies.
2.
“You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.
3.
d. The bit, rudder, and tongue affects the lives of others
i. Could lead to injury or death
1.
Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord,
But those who deal faithfully are His delight.
ii. The words we speak effect the lives of others
1. Ex. Judge guilty or not guilty. Those words effect the destiny of the prisoner, his family, his friends, and mnay others.
iii. Can effect others for good
1. Jihn 4 words to the woman at the well
2. Acts peter sermon
A gentle answer turns away wrath,
But a harsh word stirs up anger.
When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable,
But he who restrains his lips is wise.
2. Has the power to destroy
a. Our words can start fires
For lack of wood the fire goes out,
And where there is no whisperer, contention quiets down.
Like charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire,
So is a contentious man to kindle strife.
I said, “I will guard my ways
That I may not sin with my tongue;
I will guard my mouth as with a muzzle
While the wicked are in my presence.”
I was mute and silent,
I refrained even from good,
And my sorrow grew worse.
My heart was hot within me,
While I was musing the fire burned;
Then I spoke with my tongue:
iii. A hot head and a hot heart can ;ead to burning words that we will later regret
He who restrains his words has knowledge,
And he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.
He who is slow to anger has great understanding,
But he who is quick-tempered exalts folly.
b. Our words can defile
i. Fiery words can defile a home, class, church, friendships, influence
c. Fire burns and hurts
i. So can our words
d. Fire spreads and the more fuel you give the faster and farther it spreads
e. Words can
i. Cause wars, wreck cities, wreck relations ships
ii. Break hearts
iii. Ruin reputations
iv. Destroy souls
Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.
f. Like a dangerous animal
i. Restless and unruly – unstable lack of singlemindedness. Back and forth between good and evil
ii. Spreads poison
1. Works secretly and slowly to kill
2. Injecting poison into conversations
3. Would you turn hungry lions or poisonos snakes loose in your church or home
g. Fire and animals can be tamed
i. Tame an animal you get a worker instead of a destroyer
ii. Control fire you generate power
iii. The heart must be tamed
“You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.
3. Has the power to delight
a. A fountain produces cool water that man needs to stay alive
The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters;
The fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.
The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life,
To turn aside from the snares of death.
b. Water is life giving
i. If water is not controlled it can bring death and destruction
ii. Can’t be healthy without water
There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword,
But the tongue of the wise brings healing.
c. Water cleanses
i. The laver in the O.T. – cleansing of the priests
ii. God’s Wors is the spiritual water that cleanses
so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,
that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.
d. Like a tree – holds down the soil, provides beauty and shade, helps to bear fruit
i. Our words can be helpful
ii. Our words can encourage
iii. Can feed a hungry soul
The lips of the righteous feed many,
But fools die for lack of understanding.
iv. Can bring peace
v. Can heal
e. The roots are what matters
i. We need to be rooted and grounded in the Lord
How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
He will be like a tree firmly 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.
The wicked are not so,
But they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the wicked will perish.
iii. We must get our spiritual roots deep into his word
f. Warning
i. Can not have two types of water or a tree two types of fruit
ii. If the tongue is inconsitnt there is something wrong with the heart
iii. Blessing and cursing this should not be so.
But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth.
“For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.
Watch over your heart with all diligence,
For from it flow the springs of life.
· WHAT CAN WE DO TO TAME THE TROUBLESOME TONGUE
o Fill the heart with the mind of God (
“You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.
“The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.
)
)
o Fill our mouths witht these words (
Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.
)
)
§ Please
§ Thank you
§ Bless you
§ I’m sorry
§ I love you
§ I’m praying for you
§ God’s Word says…
o Before we speak THINK
o T – is it true
o H – is it helpful
o I – is it inspiring
o N – is it necessary
o K – is it kind