Sermon Tone Analysis

If it was the one thing that we ought to control it’s our tongue.

I have put my foot in my mouth a thousand times if haven’t done it once.

I have had many friendships that have come and gone over the years from many different jundras and time spans and eras.

I have had many family relationships that have been blessed and /or damaged over the years because of my tongue and/or theirs.

I have had church fall outs with many different people over many different years and seasons of ministries.

I have also had many reconcilable moments as well.

I have had many great relationships on my job as an educator but I have also had some pretty nasty outcomes at a few of the schools I’ve taught at.

And in every case good or bad the tongue had something to do with all of those relationships.

I had many girls( women) that I just lied and lied and lied to, in order to keep up the player’s game.

Don’t hate the player hate the game!!! IAnd if I could go back in time I’d apologize and say I’m sorry for my silky smooth silly lying wit.

And some of us should take out the time to go back in our hearts and just apologize to all of those people we’ve hurt with our mouths.

I’ve lied to people but I don’t intentionally lie on people or put my mouth on people negatively, because I’ve got six months to tend to my business and six more month to leave your business completely alone.

Controlling the Things We Say NCV

James 3:1 My brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.

2 We all make many mistakes.

If people never said anything wrong, they would be perfect and able to control their entire selves, too.

3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can control their whole bodies.

4 Also a ship is very big, and it is pushed by strong winds.

But a very small rudder controls that big ship, making it go wherever the pilot wants.

5 It is the same with the tongue.

It is a small part of the body, but it brags about great things.

James the Just was the first Superintendent of the new Christian churches.

James the brother of Jesus heads the church at Jerusalem and as we have previously taught us in the lessons on James is that every epistle was written to specific churches addressing specific concerns and problems that needed to be solved.

And James in Chapter 3 is addressing the tongue.

Controlling the tongue.

1.

In verse 1 James is making it very clear that everybody ought not be teachers in the church because we’re held to a sticker accountability.

You actually have to have an anointing for being a teacher.

The text says don’t have many masters right?

we Masters in the Greek vernacular is the word kyrios it means teacher superintendent elder captain a voice of authority of whom folk will listen that’s why they oftentimes called Jesus Rabbi meaning teacher with authority.

2. in verse 2 James is saying everybody make mistakes and we all say stuff that we don’t have no business saying.

You’re human you make mistakes and James say don’t try to act like you’ve never said anything wrong or in appropriate because even the best of us have trouble restraining our tongue.

I’m learning less is more.

You don’t always have to have something to say.Sometimes you just need to shut up hush up be quiet close your mouth.

Like I said I’ve put my foot in my mouth too many times in my life and I’m seeking God help to allow me to control my tongue.

3. in verses 3 & 4 James said we need to allow God to put bits in our mouth to help us control what we say, and allow God to control and govern our human ship especially our tongue.

Because this is my analogy in the church we have people saying ugly stuff to people that run them away.

I’ve been pastoring 30 years now and I’ve seen some unpleasant situations And from experience when church folk do that to young people LISTEN GOOD They are not coming back.

Ain’t nothing like Church Hurt.. It’s the worst kind of hurt.

And think about it the Church is not the most popular coolest thing to do in their eyes in the first place and then for us to be judgmental just make it even harder to close the back door.

If we don’t be careful and thoughtful and loving and kind and peaceful and nurturing and non- judgmental the young people will walk away saying grandma church just ain’t for me… I’ll watch it on TV or the internet or some other social media outlet sometimes.

At the National Baptist Convention Congress of Christian Education the professor addressed this issue and He said And I quote “Young people are not coming to hear Oppressive Dogma”.

Meaning out conversations have to be positive.Our rhetoric or our speech have t be reflective of 2022 standards of living.

Don’t nobody want to always hear back in the day we use to.

Too the young people you’re stuck in your yester year culture with no clue of the dominant trending culture that’s at hand today.

5. in verse 5 our tongue boasts and braggs and says great things Let me tell us how powerful our tongue is.

In very recent American history folk stormed the capitol of the US of America.

The seat of our established government.

And because of propaganda and bold faced lies from our own Commander in Chief people were made to believe absurd information.

And they stormed the capitol and people were killed.

And Senator Rankin said If people are convinced to believe absurdities then they can be made to commit atrocities 3x.

And in relations to the church that’s why James starts off saying we ought not have many masters.In other words we ought to have responsible people declaring the word of God with proper exegesis, proper explanations and a proper expounding of the word of power, because God will hold us accountable.

And just because something feels good to say doesn’t means that it’s right or appropriate to say.

Let’s dig deeper look at 5 In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches.

But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire.

The second part of verse 5 says just a tiny spark can set a whole big old forest on fire.

A few days ago I noticed a little Asian baby boy no more than 2 years old in CVS playing with the little toy cars and being a child.

He was kind and I said that baby doesn’t know the rhetoric of division and hate yet He’s still innocent.

Then yesterday in Wal- Mart I saw a little Latina baby girl crying awh what that baby want and she stop crying and I kept talking to her and her mother was amazed at how she stop crying and was listening to my voice.

And I said to myself that pretty little Latina baby girl didn’t see color she saw love and concern for her tears and she took a liken to me.

Again children are innocent and we the parents teach them the separation the divisions the hate the distrust and every other negative vice concerning other people.

I know it’s true because racism would have died out long ago It would have been gone.

But it’s out tongue… We are constantly teaching the next generation to be worst that the previous one.

It’s got to be true or else our world would be getting better not worst.

The tongue is a flame of fire.

6 And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire.

It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body.

It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.

Our tongue is a hell’s fire.

It’s set on fire by hell itself.

And the nugget to take from this is If you can’t say anything good then don’t say nothing at at.

I try not to speak an ill word on nobody no matter what I know about you.

God wants us to show compassion because the wrong words can pierce your heart and cause you to bleed and sometimes never recover from the hurtful words folk say.

Hurtful word can have us isolated and criticized ostracized and even marginalized so keep that red flag that little pink poison under control because it’s a powerful weapon .

In fact it’s a deadly weapon.

At the convention in Jackson Mississippi The professor said be careful what you say to your children because you don’t want to crush their spirit.

And he said my son did something stupid and he knew I knew it was stupid but I didn’t say a word.

And he said his son came to him later and said thanks daddy for not telling me I did something stupid.

because I could see all over your face that you knew I had done something stupid.So I took that lesson home with me and here’s what I was reminded of… Even if my words doesn’t say that I disapprove of my grown children’s actions, they know the way I raised them speaks when I don’t say a mumbling word.

How many times have I heard my mother and father’s grandma and grandfather’s voices saying don’t do that because you weren’t raised that way.

Deep down inside if you raised them right they’ll say your words “as for me and my house we will serve the Lord”

7 People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, 8 but no one can tame the tongue.

It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison.

Have you ever said Boy I wish I could take those words back!!!

I wish I hadn’t said that!!!

If i would have just left well enough alone things would have turned out differently!!! Watch the words you say make them sweet because you never know which ones you’ll have to eat.

Controlling your Tongue is a critical component of Christian Character.

Lastly Controlling our tongue with Christian witnessing is vital because folk who are out in the world don’t want to hear you say Straighten up You’re going too Hell.

Dr. Jefferey Friend taught us in the seminary I hope you’ll aren’t going out in the streets telling people too repent and be regenerated.

Because an unsaved un-churched person doesn’t know repentance which is a change of mind.

They unsaved doesn’t know regeneration which is a change of heart and to be born again.

They don’t know terms like conversion which is a change in lifestyle.

Our tongue can’t harm folk with the word coming from our mouths.

Unsaved and Unchurched folk don’t kn ow sanctification or sanctified which means a change in behavior.

I know Dr. friend was right about it because a whole lot Christian haven’t been taught these vital theological pillars of truths..

And that’s why James say in chapter 3 verse 1 Don’t have too many Masters.

because everybody don’t know the vital components that are necessary for teaching and reaching the loss generation.

And again if you say the wrong stuff to the young people they’re leaving and not coming back.

So watch your mouth.

Keep your mouth off other people and you’ll be on the right track.Well I’m out of time I love you and say something good to somebody today Alright/ I love you’ll and Ya’ll come back now you hear

Tyndale House Publishers, Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2015), Jas 3:4–8.