Tonight we start chapter three of the book of James and discover the power of the tongue. We have titled tonight’s message “Open Mouth, Insert Foot.” Have you ever done that?
Illustration: Children are good at doing this…of course they don’t realize it because they don’t know any better.
1.) When I was six months pregnant with my third child, my three year old came into the room when I was just getting ready to get into the shower. She said, "Mommy, you are getting fat!" I replied, "Yes, honey, remember Mommy has a baby growing in her tummy." "I know," she replied, but what’s growing in your butt?"
2.) One summer evening during a violent thunderstorm a mother was tucking her son into bed. She was about to turn off the light when he asked with a tremor in his voice, "Mommy, will you sleep with me tonight?" The mother smiled and gave him a reassuring hug. "I can’t dear," she said. "I have to sleep in Daddy’s room." A long silence was broken at last by his shaky little voice: "The big sissy."
3.) A kindergarten pupil told his teacher he’d found a cat. She asked him if it was dead or alive. " Dead." She was informed. "How do you know?" she asked her pupil. "Because I pissed in its ear and it didn’t move," answered the child innocently. "You did WHAT?!?" the teacher exclaimed in surprise. "You know," explained the boy, "I leaned over and went ’Pssst!’ and it didn’t move."
James 3:1-12
Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brother, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.
When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships for 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. (A small rudder on a ship in the hands of a skilled captain sets course in the face of the strongest winds). Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. (A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly anything – or destroy it!)
Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. (By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right out from the pit of hell.)
All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
Illustration: Super Heroes
- What superpower would you like to have?
o Invisibility
o Flying
o Super Speed
o Strength
The power of speech is one of the greatest powers that God has given to mankind. With our tongues we can inspire people with an elaborate speech. With our tongues we can sing a love song and woo our sweetheart. With our tongue we can gossip or tell a half-truth and destroy someone’s reputation. With our tongue we can speak veil things and break a person’s heart. With our tongues we can share our story of how Jesus changed our lives and watch the lost come to know Him.
Illustration: Spiderman – His wise Uncle shared with him a principle that changed his life. “With great power comes great responsibility.”
James begins this chapter talking about that responsibility. Although some of you here may be thinking to yourself, “I’m not a teacher so I don’t have to worry about it.” Well, you’re wrong. We are all teachers by how we live. Tonight we are going to look at three powerful elements concerning the power and responsibility of the tongue.
In the Driver’s Seat
As the bit steers the horse and the rudder steers the ship, so a man’s tongue steers the whole body. The obvious question then would be who is in control of the bit, the rudder, and the tongue? Who is in the driver’s seat?
The horse has a bit in its mouth connected to reigns, which are in the hands of the jockey or horseman. It’s the horseman who pulls to the left or right to control direction and speed.
A ship has a small rudder, which are mechanically controlled by the captain at the helm. Regardless of winds and waves, the captain directs the ship wherever he wants to go.
The tongue as well is a small tool that has the power to direct and lead us, and others, down various roads. Unlike the horse and the ship, its direction is not determined by an outside source (not physically anyway). The power of direction is determined by YOU and the condition of your heart.
Remember, James already told us that “If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight reign on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless (1:26).” Now in chapter 3:8, James states that no man can tame the tongue. SO what do we do?
Jesus tells us several times in the gospels, “The things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man unclean.” Matthew 15:18
The question for us then is who is in control of your heart? Who is in the driver seat?
Some of us here tonight may use the excuse,
“I can’t help it. Sometimes I slip.”
“I don’t mean the things I say. I’m just joking.”
“I was angry. That really wasn’t me who said those things.”
Your tongue tells us who is in your driver’s seat.
If you curse, tell dirty jokes, spread rumors, listen and repeat gossip, poke fun at, and speak evil of others then you really don’t have control of your tongue. Your driver’s seat is occupied by personal gain, ambition, bitterness, jealousy, and pride.
Illustration: Have you ever seen those police chase videos on TV?
Hear is the scary truth. If Jesus is not in the driver seat of your life, then it’s as if you’re driving down the highway at 100 miles an hour in the wrong direction.
The only way to tame your tongue is to give someone else control of the reigns. Let Jesus sit in the driver’s seat.
Do You Smell Smoke?
Illustration: A family of firebugs!
One thing I learned as a kid was that it doesn’t take much to set the woods on fire!
A. It only takes a spark!
- Smart mouthing to your parents
- Poking fun at someone
- Speaking a half truth or rumor
- Spreading gossip
Illustration: Hey that’s hot! Burning papers in a metal barrel for my Principle…
B. Fire hurts!
- It will burn you
- It will burn others
- It hurts God as well
Illustration: Getting caught smoking
C. The smell (and scares) gives you away.
- Your reputation will proceed you
- The only way to get rid of it is to clean up and go to the burn unit for treatment.
Get Your Foot Out of Your Mouth!
When is the last time you spoke the following?
1. Please and Thank You – These words show respect and appreciation.
2. I’m Sorry – This phrase indicates a desire to break down walls and to seek forgiveness and restoration.
3. I Love You – This is the powerful statement when sincerely spoken. Love is the tool that directs others to Christ.
4. I’m Praying for You – Do it, don’t just say it. If fact, do it now!
5. God Bless You – Speak blessings over their lives
