The Power of Words
James 3:1-12
CHCC: November 7, 2010
INTRODUCTION:
I saw a T-shirt the other day that said, “Lord, make my words sweet as honey because tomorrow I may have to eat them.” If you ever wished you could take back something you said, you can identify with that caption. Of course, if our words were sweet as honey, we probably wouldn’t have to eat them …
Back when I was a teen ager working at Burger Chef I came to work one evening, and the owner of the store took me aside. We workers had left the fire burning in the hamburger machine all night the previous evening, and he warned me never to do that again. In a vain attempt to break the tension in the air, I flippantly said, “Well, at least the place didn’t burn down.”
His already angry face turned suddenly angrier, and he said, “Son, do you want me to fire you right now?”
I quickly humbled myself and apologized for making light of what I soon realized was a serious situation. My casual words didn’t help the situation in the least.
Today we’re looking at James chapter 3 which deals with the Power of Words. It’s interesting to see who James first addresses when he brings up the topic of our words. In vs. 1 of chapter 3, James says, Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.
What do teachers do? They TALK. Professional teachers earn a living by constant use of words. In fact, many school teachers come home the first few weeks of school with their voices hoarse from talking all day.
James warns that teachers in the church will be judged strictly. Why is that? Because they hold a powerful shaping influence over their students. That shaping influence is the POWER of Words.
1. The Power to DIRECT: James 3:1-4
1Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2We 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. 3When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4Or take ships as an 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.
James mentions two items which were common to his first-century audience: the horse’s bit and the ship’s rudder. Both of these items are small but powerful. The horse’s bit is a small bar inserted into the horse’s mouth and attached to a leather bridle. This small bit enables the rider to control the horse’s movement. The rudder is a piece of wood at the back of a boat which is used to turn the boat.
If James wrote to an American audience in the year 2010, he might say the tongue is like the steering wheel of a car … or like a micro-chip in a computer. These items are small, but they exert enormous power. In the same way, the tongue is a small organ in the body, but the words which it creates are full of tremendous POWER.
History records that Hitler was a powerful orator. His words to the German people mesmerized them. They willfully turned over everything to him and the NAZI party. And his powerful words spewed out hatred and a call to racial and religious intolerance that ended up in the Second World War, the ruin of Europe and the death of over 50 million people. His powerful words tore the whole world apart.
In fact, James tells us in vs. 2 that anyone who has the power to control his tongue can control every other part of his body. Considering what James has just said, if you want to master your body and have complete self-control over yourself, start with the hardest part: the tongue. If you can conquer that, you can conquer anything.
(We might treat vs. 2 differently because it says no man can control the tongue – this is another scripture that makes it clear we must allow JESUS to live in us and to speak through us --- only He can control the tongue --- Usually when we say wrong things it is because our independent, egotistical, pride-filled self is doing all the talking. The only way to improve on what is said is to switch over from self talk to letting Christ talk within us. He’ll do it too, if we shut up long enough to let him. His words always edify, but our words often destroy.
2. The Power to DESTROY: James 3:5-8
5Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6The 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.
7All 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
Not only can the tongue control everything around itself, it also has great DESTRUCTIVE power. In vs. 5-6, James says, Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6The 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.
So, what do words and fire have in common? The destructive forces of both can start small and spread quickly. Both can do wide-ranging damage and both quickly become uncontrollable.
Consider the recent natural gas explosion in a residential area in San Bruno, Ca. (a suburb of San Francisco) on September 13, ’10. The San Bruno explosion, which destroyed 37 homes, occurred near a portion of a natural gas pipeline that was targeted for replacement, according to The San Francisco Chronicle. A simple rupture in the line and a spark in the area of the gas fumes destroyed an entire block of houses, killed 4 and sent 12 others to the hospital. Look at all the destruction from a single spark. (get picture for powerpoint)
When a hurtful thing is said, you can’t un-say it. When a lie is told, you can’t transform it into the truth. When a reputation has been destroyed, you can’t mend it. Friendships have been ruined, families have been shattered, churches have been split apart, ministries have been destroyed … in fact, whole nations have gone to war --- all by the power of words.
James warns us not to underestimate the power of Words. He compares the tongue to dangerous wild animals. James points out that many wild animals can be tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. (vs. 8)
James points out one more thing about the POWER of words. He says that, when used right, words have the Power to DELIGHT.
3. The Power to DELIGHT: James 3:9-12
9With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. 10Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 11Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
In these verses, James reminds us that the tongue is inconsistent: it can praise God one minute and curse man, who is made in God’s image, the next. In nature we don’t see this kind of inconsistency. Fountains don’t give sweet water one minute and salt water the next. Fruit trees don’t give figs one year and olives the next. So, if other things in nature are consistent, why is the tongue such a paradox? The truth is that the tongue merely reflects what is in the heart. If the heart contains corruption, then it spews forth with corruption.
The problem with our words originates in our hearts. From there come all the hateful, hurtful, careless, thoughtless, foolish, and destructive words we utter. But the cure for rotten words starts in the heart. Remember our chart from the former time I preached? Let’s view it again and apply it to the tongue.
(We might treat this differently --- referring to the chart from the previous James sermon --- showing that it’s all about who is living through us when we open our mouth. The Holy Spirit will ALWAYS speak sweet words --- Sin always produces bitter words)
Holy Spirit Sin
Resurrection Power=NEW Me Zombie Power
CONCLUSION:
I heard about a Christian man who got angry on the job and let loose a string of profanity. Embarrassed, he turned to his co-worker and said, “I don’t know why I said all that. It really isn’t in me to talk that way.” His co-worker replied, “It had to be in you or it couldn’t have come out of you.” (what are you full of?)
The truth is that our words come from what is deep within our hearts. So what lies deep down in your heart? Are you willing to let Jesus clean it up for you?
