The Truth About The Tongue
James 3:1-12
December 7, 2014
I know it has been a couple of weeks since we were last in James,
But tonight we pick back up in this extremely direct book of the Bible.
Adrian Rogers called James “The Proverbs of the New Testament”
I think that is certainly because of the practical and direct wisdom
That comes to us in this powerful book.
But James also reminds me of the book of Proverbs
In the way that James can seem to jump from point to point
Without really any warning.
This book can almost read a little ADD
James just finished chapter 2 talking about faith and works and how important it is that your faith be verifiable.
And then in chapter 3, without any warning, James jumps into this passage about teachers and the tongue.
And next chapter he will do it again as he addresses loving the world.
If you aren’t careful James can kind of jump out from under you.
I think this style is absolutely fitting.
It reads to me like a man full of passion who must right and address
The problems he sees around him.
“And I’ll tell you another thing…”
It is a “soap box” type letter in which he is sort of clearing the air
Of all the things that bother him.
And in the text tonight his main concern
Is the interest so many have in becoming teachers.
“Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren…”
James saw a definite interest in those around him
To become teachers in God’s church.
And we certainly wouldn’t say that
Someone desiring to teach the word of God is a bad thing.
In fact, teaching God’s word is a good thing!
Jesus said in the Great Commission:
Matthew 28:19-20 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Paul told Timothy:
1 Timothy 4:13-14 “Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching. Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery.”
Paul reminds there that teaching is a spiritual gift,
And one that God intends for those who have it to exercise it.
In fact, it would be sinful not to.
Timothy had to teach.
1 Timothy 6:2 “Those who have believers as their masters must not be disrespectful to them because they are brethren, but must serve them all the more, because those who partake of the benefit are believers and beloved. Teach and preach these principles.”
2 Timothy 2:2 “The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”
Paul told Titus:
Titus 2:3 “Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good,”
Paul even said of himself:
1 Corinthians 9:16 “For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel.”
So we’re not saying that teaching God’s word is a bad thing.
It isn’t.
For one, that is God’s ordained means of bringing the lost to salvation.
Romans 10:14 “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?”
So obviously teaching is a good thing.
James ISN’T saying that people shouldn’t teach.
James’ concern is the number of people
Who run into a teaching position without first realizing
The struggle, the responsibility, and the dangers involved.
One thing that has been true throughout Scripture
Is that there have always been men and women who pursued teaching positions who were neither called, gifted, prepared, or sincere.
In the O.T. we have prophets who were not true messengers of God,
But that didn’t stop them from running to the office:
Jeremiah 23:21-22 “I did not send these prophets, But they ran. I did not speak to them, But they prophesied. “But if they had stood in My council, Then they would have announced My words to My people, And would have turned them back from their evil way And from the evil of their deeds.”
They were prophets who pursued the office of prophet,
Who sought out the role of teacher, and who claimed to speak for God.
The problem was that
• God didn’t send them
• They didn’t speak God’s message
• And they ended up doing more harm than good.
Which is what God said a few verses later.
Jeremiah 23:32 “Behold, I am against those who have prophesied false dreams,” declares the LORD, “and related them and led My people astray by their falsehoods and reckless boasting; yet I did not send them or command them, nor do they furnish this people the slightest benefit,” declares the LORD.”
They were teachers who jumped into the office,
But did not realize the danger they put others in
And the danger they put themselves in by doing so.
And sadly this even continued into the New Testament.
Remember the Pharisees?
Matthew 23:1-2 “Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses;”
When Paul wrote to Timothy, he wrote about them:
1 Timothy 1:3-7 “As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines, nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith. But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion, wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions.”
They were people who desperately wanted to be in the teacher role.
They pursued it, they went after it,
And they did so because they liked the honor that went with it.
Even in Corinth Paul wrote:
1 Corinthians 14:26 “What is the outcome then, brethren? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.”
Getting to stand up and teach was a sought after role.
And we can certainly even see the reality today.
• We live in a day where anyone who wants to start a church an just find an old building, put up a sign, call themselves a preacher, and start a church.
• They can get a website, a blogspot, a facebook page, and just like that become a self-proclaimed preacher of the word.
It is just that easy and it is just that prevalent.
There are preachers everywhere.
And this reality is one that obviously bothered James
For in our text he addresses this eager crowd of would be teachers.
And his entire goal is to remind these prospective preachers
Of what they are stepping in to.
There are two main points tonight.
#1 A SHOCKING WARNING
James 3:1-2
As I told you already, teaching God’s word is in fact a good thing.
When Joshua spotted a group of men prophesying
He told Moses and wanted Moses to stop them.
Moses responded:
Numbers 11:28-29 “But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the LORD’S people were prophets, that the LORD would put His Spirit upon them!”
It is a good thing for people to proclaim the word of God – everywhere.
So it seems a little shocking that James would say here:
“Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren”
That seems a little strange that James would look at a congregation
And tell them to curve their enthusiasm.
But James isn’t trying to stop people from teaching God’s word,
James is trying to make sure those who do teach God’s word
Understand the seriousness of the responsibility.
“knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment.”
The simple fact is that those who stand to speak for God
Had better be extra careful that that is exactly what they do.
Woe to the man who becomes like the prophets in Jeremiah’s day
Whom the Lord said, “I am against you…” and “you do not furnish this people the slightest benefit.”
But the reality is that speaking for God is a serious business
And those who do it, will stand “a stricter judgment”
And this is clearly seen in Scripture.
Galatians 1:6-9 “I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!”
Or remember these guys?
1 Timothy 1:18-20 “This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight, keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme.”
That is why Paul told Timothy:
2 Timothy 2:15-18 “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. But avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, men who have gone astray from the truth saying that the resurrection has already taken place, and they upset the faith of some.”
Being wrong and inaccurate or corrupt
About the things of God was not ok.
Nor is it ok to replace the truths of God
With “relevant” and “trendy” topics of the hour.
1 Timothy 6:20-21 “O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge” – which some have professed and thus gone astray from the faith. Grace be with you.”
And you get the point.
Those who stand to speak for God and then fail to do it faithfully or accurately will in fact be judged more severely.
And James wants this group of enthusiastic future preachers
To understand that.
He also wants them to understand
THAT SPEAKING FOR GOD IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT.
(2) “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.”
Do you catch James’ point?
He is warning you about being a teacher
Lest you say something wrong and bring judgment on yourself,
And then he reminds you that controlling the tongue
IS NOT an easy thing to do.
In fact, there is nothing in your body
That is harder to control than the tongue.
So much so that James says that
If you can find a man who can control his tongue,
You’ll find “a perfect man” who has no problem
Controlling any other part of his body.
THE POINT IS THAT THE TONGUE IS NOT EASY TO CONTROL.
So those who are standing to teach are risking a more severe judgment
While using a more dangerous tool.
It’s like using a chainsaw to trim your fingernails.
It’s dangerous and the consequences could be pretty severe.
He’s not saying people shouldn’t teach,
He just wants those who do
To understand the struggle they are up against.
They are called to use their tongue for the glory of God,
And that is easier said than done.
So A Shocking Warning
#2 A SOBERING REALITY
James 3:3-12
After that warning James begins to reveal exactly what he is talking about.
He sets out to show you what he means about the tongue.
And it is important that every believer (not just those who would teach)
Understand these truths about the tongue.
I can safely say, there is not a more dangerous part to your body
Than that part that sets behind your teeth.
Some men have been trained in martial arts and said that
Their hands are lethal weapons.
Well the truth about the tongue is that it is a lethal weapon
And it didn’t even have to be trained.
And for all those teachers who think all you have to do is just stand up,
Open your mouth, and the words of God will fly,
James writes to remind you just exactly what your tongue is all about.
James gives 4 sobering illustrations about the tongue.
1) THE TONGUE IS A POWERFUL RUDDER (3-5)
“Now if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well. Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire!”
James actually gives three analogies there.
• He speaks of a bit that controls a horse
• He speaks of a rudder that controls a ship
• He speaks of a spark that burns a forest
These three things all have two things in common:
Small size
Massive results
It is really quite amazing that you can take a bit, that only weighs a couple of ounces and use it to control a horse that weighs ½ a ton.
It is amazing that you can take a tiny rudder and use it to steer a massive ocean freighter.
It is amazing that you can take a little spark and watch it turn into a massive forest fire.
And to that James says (5) “So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things.”
That is to say it has a powerful resume
It has accomplished a lot
The tongue may be small, but it can accomplish quite a lot.
• The tongue has been responsible for wars and treaties
• The tongue has been responsible for weddings and divorces
• The tongue has been responsible for salvations and blasphemies
• The tongue has been responsible for hope and despair
The tongue can give a person all the confidence they need,
And the tongue can completely beat a person down.
It is a small part of the body, but it can literally steer a life.
It is a powerful rudder
And anyone who is thinking of teaching God’s word,
Should understand that.
It is no insignificant thing you are doing
To stand and speak into people’s lives.
And with many preachers perhaps the greatest fear
Is not that people won’t listen to you, but that they will.
When false prophets or glory seeking preachers
Or even those who just haven’t studied to show themselves approved
Stand and misrepresent God’s truth,
THEY CAN STEER A LIFE RIGHT DOWN THE WRONG PATH.
That is why right after Jesus gave the analogy
Of the wide and narrow gate, He immediately said:
Matthew 7:15-16 “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”
See it’s those false prophets
Who are telling the people on the wide road that everything is ok.
What a tragedy that people are listening to them.
Their tongues are powerful rudders that are literally guiding lives.
And while this is especially true for teachers of God’s word,
It is also true for all people.
Your tongue is a powerful rudder.
Which is perhaps why Scripture speaks so much about it.
Ephesians 4:29 “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.”
Ephesians 5:3-4 “But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.”
Colossians 4:6 “Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.”
The tongue is a powerful rudder,
You had better understand that before you sign up to use it.
2) THE TONGUE IS A WORLD OF INIQUITY (6)
“And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell.”
Well that is rather harsh.
While the first point can be taken either positive or negative,
There is no doubt in this verse what James thinks of the tongue.
James would definitely be of the opinion
That the tongue has caused far more harm than good.
It is like a fire that spreads and devours and destroys
In fact James called it “the very world of iniquity”
That it is to see everything wicked and sinful is tied up in it.
It “defiles the entire body”
A person can be beautiful on the outside, but they way they talk completely ruin it all.
It “sets on fire the course of our life”
The tongue can literally destroy your life and ruin your dreams.
It “is set on fire by hell”
In other words James reveals that the tongue is a messenger from the pit of hell that will defile your body and destroy your life.
James would tell you that the tongue is a great tool of Satan in this world.
Satan (the father of lies) has had tremendous success
Using people’s tongues.
False doctrine, slander, gossip, lying, bullying, flattery, exaggeration…
Satan loves the tongue and has often used it.
And so James would be saying here.
Before you sign up to use your tongue for the glory of God, maybe you’d do well just to make sure you aren’t using for the purposes of Satan.
A Powerful Rudder, A World of Iniquity
3) THE TONGUE IS A RESTLESS EVIL (7-8)
“For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison.”
When you think of that statement James makes,
It is actually pretty remarkable.
I’ve been watching NatGeo Wild all week because it has been “Big Cat Week”
I like to watch those lions and tigers
In the midst of their hunts and other endeavors.
(It is literally amazing what these big cats can do)
I think it’s safe to say that you wouldn’t want to meet one in the wild,
They are absolutely ferocious.
And yet lions have been tamed
You can go to a circus and watch people get them to do all sorts of things.
And yet James says, “But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison.”
You can’t tame the tongue?
WHY?
“it is a restless evil”
And
“it is full of deadly poison”
That is to say that it is relentless and never gives up,
And all it has is poison.
Sooner or later, with enough work, you can get a lion to submit to you
And actually find “good” things in that lion.
BUT NOT THE TONGUE
It is absolutely “restless”, it will not give in, and even if it did, you wouldn’t find anything in it but poison after you subdued it.
Romans 3:13 “THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE, WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING,” “THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS”;
What you learn about the tongue, is that it won’t ever give in.
Psalms 39:1-3 “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:”
You can try and try and try and fight and fight and fight,
But the tongue will outlast you.
And James wants to make sure you understand that
Before you decide to just jump into a teaching ministry.
You are about to try and use your tongue for the glory of God.
Do you realize it would actually be easier
To train a lion to take up the offering?
You need to understand what you are up against.
A Powerful Rudder, A World of Iniquity, A Restless Evil
4) A LYING FOUNTAIN (9-12)
“With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh.”
And here is probably the worst aspect of the tongue yet.
• It is a trickster
• It is a liar
• It is a hypocrite
It can actually allow you to think that it is being used for the glory of God,
When in reality it is being used to malign Him.
HOW?
“With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God”
You went to church and used your mouth to sing “How Great Thou Art”
And then went to eat lunch and talked about how bad “so and so” was.
And your tongue allowed you to think that you were noble,
When in reality you were a two faced hypocrite.
James says:
“My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh.”
And this is about as sobering as it gets.
Matthew 12:30-37 “He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters. “Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. “Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come. “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. “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 brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil. “But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
See “the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart”
And so if poison is coming out of your mouth,
Then guess what is in your heart.
And here is perhaps the greatest danger of the tongue of all.
Because people can say some good things with their mouth,
They can actually begin to believe they are real
Regardless of the negative things that come out as well.
And this is what James is pointing out.
You are lining up to be a teacher
And you don’t even realize what you’re signing up for.
You are attempting to use the most powerful, dangerous, strong-willed, and deceptive tool on your body for the glory of God.
And the result of using it will be a stricter judgment.
He’s not saying people shouldn’t teach,
But he is saying you’d better learn to get a handle on your tongue.
HOW?
Well, if the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart, I guess the only way to get a sanctified tongue is to get a what? (a sanctified heart)
You have to surrender your heart to Christ
That He can change it and thus change your speech.
And so you can see how even in this James is challenging our faith.
You say you’re a believer
You even say you want to be a teacher
But have you listened to what is coming out of your mouth?
If you’re going to claim to follow Jesus then not only do you need to endure like Jesus endured and love like Jesus loved and work like Jesus worked…you also need to talk like Jesus talked.
But don’t sign up to teach until
The Lord has control of your heart and control of your tongue.
If you do, it will on intensify your judgment
And most likely secure someone else’s.
