The Power of the Tongue
Notes
Transcript
James did not live in our society and culture
His culture and society was different than ours externally.
People are people wherever you go
Circumstances or the external may change, but the flesh each of us battle deals with pride and sin
The culture in which James was familiar with and wrote to:
Synagogues would have “open platform” policy
Custom that made room for visitors or members of the congregation to speak
Jesus took advantage of this feature:
And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered.
And he preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils.
And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.
Paul took advantage of this as well:
And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, Ye men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on. Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said,
Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience.
Others took this as opportunities to preach Jesus Christ
My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.
Masters - didaskalos - teacher
There were some teachers, like James, Paul, Timothy, and others that taught the truth carefully, but there were others that Paul had to warn Timothy about:
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
Self-appointed teachers or those who taught with wrongly
But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
James understood that every word spoken would be held accountable
He warns the brethren, that it is not wise, to have many teachers teach
This was the cultural thing to do, but James understood that this was not wise
James gives us the standard:
For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
Offend - stumble or trip
James grew up in a home where he saw perfect speech. It didn’t come from his mother or father, but rather from his older brother, Jesus
Every word Jesus spoke was perfectly placed:
No moments of vitriolic speech after someone mistreated Him
No angry and vain words spewed out
Every thing Jesus said was good
No cursing or swearing
Never did Jesus tell one lie or speak a cross word
Not a suggestive moment or a vulgar joke
He saw Jesus use His words to teach, encourage, debate, rebuke, and warning in perfect wisdom, love, kindness, and truth
James knew that, His perfect brother, His Saviour Jesus controlled His tongue like no one else
Thus the statement - If you can control your tongue, you can bridle (control) every part of the body
James shows us the standard in which all of us are to aim - Christ Jesus our Lord!
Death and life are in the power of the tongue:
And they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.
The Controlling Power of the Tongue
The Controlling Power of the Tongue
A controlled tongue demonstrates a yielding of self
James 3:3
Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.
ILL - Barnabas Beverley, bought and subdued a fierce and ungovernable horse. The horse had just thrown its owner, Captain Slingsby of the guards. In his rage, the bruised and battered captain decided to auction off the intractable steed to the highest bidder. He described it as an ugly, vicious beast that nobody could hope to ride, a regular terror that had already killed one groom and would doubtless kill another. Barnabas bought him.
While Barnabas was settling his accounts, “the great black horse, tired of comparative inaction, began again to snort and rear, and jerk his proud head viciously,” a proceeding that alarmed the two hostlers who were holding it. Having finished his business, Barnabas proposed to ride the black fiend.
“In that moment the powerful animal reared suddenly, broke from the grip of one hostler, and swinging the other aside, stood free, and all was confusion.” A groom sprang for the horse’s head, but Barnabas was ahead of him. He caught the hanging reins and swung himself into the saddle.
“For a moment the horse stood rigid, then reared again, up and up, his teeth bared, his forefeet lashing.” Barnabas brought down the heavy stick he was holding between the flattened ears, once, twice, and brought the animal back to earth again. The struggle for mastery began.
In the end, Barnabas won. He dropped the stick, leaned over, and patted that proud head. Now his hand was gentle. He spoke to the horse softly and eased his tight grip on the reins. He sat back and waited. The battle was over. The horse gave in. Now all that was needed was for Barnabas to indicate his will by means of the bit and bridle.
If man can control a powerful animal like a horse with a simple bit (bridle) in a horses mouth, why cannot we control our tongue?
If a Christian is willing to bridle the tongue, it demonstrates a yielding to the Holy Spirit in life
A controlled tongue navigates life carefully
James 3:4
Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.
James knew about the sea - He knew the great ships of crossing the Sea of Galilee were controlled by a simple piece called a governor or rudder
ILL - The battle cruiser Bismarck. She was the pride of the German navy, the newest and most powerful ship afloat. She could make short work of convoys. Britain’s two biggest and fastest luxury liners, the Queen Elizabeth and the Queen Mary, were racing back and forth across the Atlantic, relying on their speed to out sail the U-boats. The Bismarck, however, was faster than they. Moreover, no ship in the British navy could face her alone.
When news was received that the Bismarck was at sea, the Admiralty sent the battleship Hood and the carrier Prince of Wales to intercept and sink her. Hood was England’s largest and most powerful battleship, served by two thousand officers and men, but she was twenty years older than the Bismarck. As for the Prince of Wales, she was brand new and was still not completely finished. Civilian workers still were on board when she put to sea to fight.
The first encounter was disastrous. The Hood was blown up and sunk with all hands, and the Prince of Wales was hit and broke off the engagement. All that the Bismarck suffered was a hit by one shell that damaged a fuel tank and caused the ship to slowly lose oil. She was now footloose and fancy-free. The oceans were before her. She could play havoc with British shipping. The situation was desperate. The sea-lanes were Britain’s lifeline for survival. The war would be over if the Bismarck could sink enough ships.
The British admiralty scraped together a small fleet in hopes of catching the Bismarck before she could get back into port. One of the ships was the aircraft carrier Ark Royal, an experienced ship but ill equipped with only antiquated sword-fish aircraft to send against the powerful foe. The aircraft took off. One came in for the attack, swooping at the stern as she swung low. The wake of a torpedo could be seen. On board the Bismarck, the captain tried to swerve out of the way, but it was too late. The torpedo struck, and the Bismarck’s rudder was jammed.
The Bismarck was now almost within sight of France. A few more leagues, and she would be safe. The Luftwaffe would be able to protect her from her foes. But the Bismarck was doomed. With a jammed rudder, all she could do was steam in a big circle. Admiral Lutjens put a brave face on to his crew. He spoke of the two British ships now closing in. “We can sink the King George V,” he boasted. “We can make the Rodney run away, as we did the Prince of Wales. By noon tomorrow, we’ll be surrounded by U-boats, and then no one will dare attack us.”
Darkness descended, and five British destroyers took up their positions and began to torment the foe. Then the King George V arrived, all thirty-five thousand tons of her, with her massive sixteen-inch guns and her speed of twenty-four knots. She began to fire, and still the Bismarck steamed in her doomed circle on the sea. Shells began to explode as hit after hit was registered. Her hull was reduced to a shapeless ruin, and smoke poured out from everywhere. She became a floating wreck; and then, ships with torpedoes were sent in to finish her off.
All because of the rudder! Once the rudder got out of control, the great ship was lost.
Just as a great ship can be lost by lack of control with the rudder, so can a great ship be safely navigated by the rudder!
If a Christian learns to use the tongue wisely; it can bring life!
A tongue can be controlled
James 3:5a
Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
The tongue does not make up a large part of our bodies physically, but it’s power is unmistakable
Boasteth - megalucheo - meg-aw-hhhe-o - Boast - lifting up - literally: to lift up the neck
Boasting
Look what I can do!
Haughty
Don’t you know who I am
Provocative
If you do ____, I will do this to you
Pro 18:21
Death and life are in the power of the tongue:
And they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.
Pride - building up one’s self
Eph 4:29
Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
Humility - gracefully edifies and builds up others