James: Practical Faith
James 3:1-12
Pastor Jefferson M. Williams
Chenoa Baptist Church
10-20–2024
Turtle
When I was in junior high, I made the basketball team. The coach, who was known for verbally berating players, quickly gave me the nickname “turtle.” (I had not developed the puma-like quickness I have now!) He not only called me turtle on the court but, as the health teacher, he called me turtle in class. I can still remember being embarrassed when I would raise my hand and he would say, “Make it quick, turtle!” The class would laugh and I would too, but I was not laughing on the inside.
When I was in high school English class, we were supposed to find an epic poem and write an essay on it. Me and a friend named Melissa decided to write our own epic poem, which ended up being about ten pages long.
We had a student teacher named Ms. Black and when she handed me back the paper leaned down and whispered in my ear, “Your writing is extraordinary. You might just be a professional writer one day.”
Two teachers’ words. One mocked me and scarred me. The other spoke blessing and purpose into my life.
As my mother-in-law alway said, “Words are spirit. Use them wisely.”
Recap
Last week, we studied James’s controversial claim that faith without works is dead. He wrote:
“In the same way, faith by itself, if not accompanied by action, is dead.” (James 2:17)
John Calvin famously said it this way, “We are saved by faith alone, but not by a faith that is alone.”
There is a type of faith that is actually a dead, lifeless, external faith that will not result in salvation. It’s a matter of all talk and no walk. Unfortunately, that kind of faith is very common today, especially in the churches of North America.
Here’s a question that I was asked as a baby Christian that I’ve never forgotten:
If you were put on trial for being a born again Christ-Follower, would there be enough evidence to convict you?
James makes the case that born again believers show their faith by their love and compassion for others.
This morning, James will continue to highlight what pure and faultless religion is in God’s eyes, an ability to control the tongue.
In chapter 1:19, James writes:
“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry…”
At the end of the chapter, James makes this strong statement:
“Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.”
Or as Matt Smethurst has said of our digital age, “If anyone thinks he’s religious without controlling his thumb, his religion is worthless and he deceives himself.
Our words have the power to bless or curse, to hurt or to heal, to give light or to bring darkness.
Sticks and stones may break your bones….but words can break your heart.
What happens when you go to a doctor to get checked out? What’s one of the first things he or she asked you to do?
Stick out your tongue and say, “Ahhhhh.”
That’s what James is going to ask us to do this morning.
Turn with me in your copy of God’s Word to James 3.
Prayer.
A Caution to Teachers
James begins this section with a verse that makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck. In Greek, it is a strong command - “Stop becoming teachers!”
Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.
In that culture, the rabbi, or later, the pastor, was held in high regard and shown great respect.
[By the way, research has shown that the trust of clergy in our culture is at an all time low.]
There were some people drawn to the position of teacher for all the wrong reasons.
A decade later, Paul would write that some preach Christ "out of selfish ambition.” (Phil 1:17)
Paul told Timothy
"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.” (I Tim 1:6-7)
Some people like to be the center of attention, like the Pharisees that Jesus rebuked:
“Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.:” (Matt 23:5-6)
Some people rush into teaching without really weighing the responsibilities. As Elvis sang, “Only fools rush in.”
[Reel of Paul Washer talking about modern-day pastors]
When Max Lucado told his mentor that he wanted to preach, his mentor’s response shook him - “Preach, only if you must.”
Bruce Thielmann said it well:
“There is no special honor in preaching, there is only special pain. The pulpit calls those anointed to it as the sea calls its sailors. And like the sea, it batters and bruises and does not rest. To preach, to really preach is to die naked a little at a time and to know each time you do it that you must do it again.”
Standing behind this pulpit preaching is like handling explosives. Paul wrote that the “Gospel is the power of God” (Rom 1:16). The word power is where we get our word dynamite.
Because it is alive and sharper than a double edged sword, I am responsible to learn it and transmit it accurately to you.
Woe to me if I don’t.
Paul told Timothy that in the last days:
“For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.” (I Tim 4:3)
Charles Spurgeon wrote:
“The sermon which does not lead to Christ, or of which Jesus Christ is not the top and the bottom, is a sort of sermon that will make the devils in hell laugh, but make the angels of God weep.”
My goal is that each person that sits under my preaching will understand the good news of the Gospel and I will see in heaven.
Henry Brooks wrote:
“A preacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.”
God will hold me to a higher standard:
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” (2 Cor 5:10)
Pastor Greg Allen lists five ways that I could incur stronger judgement:
I could be guilty for not saying what God wants me to say.
I could be guilty for telling people what they want to hear.
I could be guilty for compromising the truth.
I could be guilty of not living out what I preach.
I could be careless in my preparation and preaching.
God will know whether I was faithful to make Jesus famous among you. That is a sobering thought for preachers. Our constant use of our tongues can lead to sin and leading others astray. That’s why I always say not to put me on a pedestal but on your prayer list.
James then moves on to the explanation.
An Explanation
We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.
Notice that James wrote “we,” including himself.
Circle or underline the word “all” in this verse. We all stumble. Because of our sinful nature, we all have a weakness when it comes to the control of our tongue.
Paul wrote of this condition to the church at Rome:
“There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The poison of vipers is on their lips. “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” (Rom 3:10-14)
“Stumble” doesn’t mean a fatal fall but tripping over an obstacle.
This is true of all of us. It’s in the present tense which means we will struggle with this throughout our lives.
James writes that anyone who could perfectly tame their tongue and use it for good 100% of the time, would reach the pinnacle of spiritual maturity.
Osbourne writes:
“If you can control what you say, you can control the rest of what you do.”
I’m not there. Are you?
Illustrations
James gives us six illustrations to make his point.
Horses and Bits
When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal.
I worked for three years at Salem Children’s Home in Flanagan and we had horses that the boys took care of. If you have ever been around horses, you know they are very large and powerful animals. Sometimes weighing half a ton.
A friend of mine interviewed a horse trainer about the effect of a bit:
“So the bit helps control the horse…horses don’t like the pressure from the bit and will turn to get away from it, going toward the direction you turned them…without a bit and bridle the horse has a lot more control and most will feel like they can just do whatever they want…he will misbehave…because no one is directing him on where to go.”
The bit allows the rider control over where the horse goes.
John Newton writes:
“If the tongue is frequently without a bridle; if it may be observed, that a person often speaks lightly of God and of divine things, proudly of himself, harshly of his fellow creatures; if it can be affirmed with truth , that he is a liar, a talebearer…a flatterer…then whatever other good qualities he may seem to possess, his speech betrays him, he deceives himself, and his religion is worthless.”
Ships and Rudders
Or 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.
On May 21, 1941, the “unsinkable” German battleship, the Bismarck, was sighted in the North Atlantic. Immediately planes and ships from the Royal British Navy sped to the scene.
As the Bismarck headed toward the German-controlled French coast where it would be safe from attack, to the astonishment of all the massive battleship suddenly swung around and reentered the area where the British ships were massed in greatest strength.
At the same time, she began to steer an erratic zigzag course, which made it much easier for the British to overtake her. You see, a torpedo had damaged her rudder and without its control the “unsinkable” Bismarck was sunk. As the rudder controls a ship, so the tongue controls a person.
Fire ?
Likewise, 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.
The tongue is a two ounce piece of flesh in our mouths but seems to have a mind of its own and loves to show off.
In James’s day, Israel had a lot more trees than it does now. And one small spark can set a forest ablaze.
I have two friends that accidentally started forest fires by being careless with campfires.
A California couple used fireworks at their gender reveal party that set the dry grass near their home on fire. This fire destroyed more than 7,000 acres, caused the evacuation of 3,000 people, and caused the death of a firefighter.
Like a fire that is under control, the tongue when controlled has the power of warmth and life. But out of control, they both can bring chaos and destruction.
Solomon taught his sons:
“Without wood a fire goes out; without a gossip a quarrel dies down. As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife.” (Prov 26:20-22)
James’ illustrations show a horse out of control, a ship out of control, a fire out of control, and words out of control.
“The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” (Prov 18:21)
James continues:
The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
Theodore Epp sees four parallels that fire has with our words: it hurts, it spreads, it consumes, but under control, can be very useful.
Our words can have devastating effects and hurt far more than physical pain.
We were at the gym playing basketball when my boys were younger. My oldest son could care less about sports and he wasn’t even trying to play and then he got mad at another player.
I lost it and said, “You don’t play well with others.” The minute, the second, those words came out of my mouth, I regretted them and asked Josh for forgiveness. He still remembers those cutting words today as a 28 year old.
Words are like toothpaste. Once toothpaste is squeezed out of the tube, there is no way to put it back in.
Story of Dean
Our words can spread.
I was eating lunch with a new friend I met in my Sunday school class and started the conversation talking about a situation at church.
He interrupted me, saying, “If you plan to gossip during lunch, I would rather eat alone.”
I was shocked and angry…for a minute. Then I was convicted and thankful he did the right thing. I thanked him for his boldness.
Don Henley wrote:
“Dirty little secrets, dirty little lies, we’ve got our dirty little fingers in everyone’s pies. We love to cut you down to size, we love dirty laundry.”
Elenor Roosevelt said, “Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.”
The word slander means to spy things out or spread things around. It can be translated as backbiting. The devil is called a “slanderer.”
I heard of a lady who went to the doctor because she was bitten by a rabid dog a month before. The doctor told her that it was too late to save her. She took out a legal pad and started furiously scribbling. The doctor asked if she was writing her will. She said, “Nope, writing the names of people I’m going to bite!”
Pastor James Montgomery Boice wrote this concerning slander and gossip:
“I think more damage has been done to the church by gossip, criticism, and slander than by any other sin. So I say don’t do it. Bite your tongue before you criticize another Christian.”
In the movie, “Doubt,” Philip Seymour Hoffman’s character preaches a sermon in which he tells a story about a woman who was convicted about her tendency to gossip. She is told to go up on her roof with a pillow and take a knife to slice it open.
She is asked what happened. She replied, “Feathers, feathers went everywhere.” He then told her to go and gather up the feathers. She said, “I can’t. The wind carried them away.”
“And that is gossip!” He forcefully ends his sermon.
“A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends.” (Prov 16:28)
Pastor Scott Sauls writes:
"Gossip in pornography of the mouth. A cheap thrill that offers zero commitment to the person being objectified.”
Our words can consume.
Dana Plato, an actress best known as the older sister on the show “Different Strokes,” struggled with drugs and alcohol most of her life.
On May 7th, 1999, she appeared on the Howard Stern show and he was absolutely savage in his mocking her issues as were the callers.
The day, she was found dead of an apparent suicide. Many people still blame Stern for the verbal assassination of Plato.
Our words can be used for good.
When I was with Bev in the ER and the helicopter was preparing Chuck to be life-flighted to Champaign, one of the flight nurses came over and whispered to us, “I pray for all my patients and there are a lot of people praying every time we transport someone.
These are the exact words that Bev and I needed to hear at that moment.
Jessica Jackley helped start Kiva, a micro-lending website, at the age of 28. When asked why she had the boldness to start Kiva, she answered, “As I grew up, my parents constantly told me that I was going to change the world. At some point, I started believing them!”
A Dangerous Animal
All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
A couple of months ago, The Riggenbach’s joined us for a trip to the St. Louis Zoo. There we got to see the Sea Lion show! These animals weigh hundreds of pounds but, through positive reinforcement, they can do dozens of different tricks.
I’ve seen lions jump through burning hoops, elephants do handstands, and penguins take a bow.
Warren Weirsbe writes:
“Some animals are poisonous, and some tongues spread poison. The deceptive thing about poison is that it works secretly and slowly, and then kills.
How many times has some malicious person injected a bit of poison into the conversation, hoping it would spread and finally get to the person he or she wanted to hurt?
As a pastor, I have seen poisonous tongues do great damage to individuals, families, classes, and entire churches. Would you turn hungry lions or angry snakes loose in your Sunday morning service? Of course not! But unruly tongues accomplish the same results.”
Brian Bill writes:
“Like snake venom, our tongues are just looking to strike unsuspecting people, they’re active, they never rest. There is no sting of a serpent that does as much damage as one wagging tongue.”
With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.
In another church, I walked into the auditorium and saw a very interesting sight. A couple that had divorced and each had remarried decided to sit together to show everyone that they could be together in peace.
After a service in which all four sang their hearts out with hands raised to the sky, chaos ensued. There was cursing, yelling, name calling and the four of them finally had to be physically separated so they wouldn’t come to blows.
This should not be.
Jesus talked about this kind of out of control anger:
“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.” (Matt 5:21-22)
“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” (Prov 15:1)
John Maxwell was speaking in Brazil at a leadership conference and made the point that he loved everyone in the audience. In the question and answer time, a man asked him, “How can you say you love me? You don’t even know me.”
John replied, “My faith teaches me that every single person I encounter is made in the image of God and I am called to love them with His love.”
A Spring
Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?
Nature is consistent. There are still natural springs in the Middle East today but they are either freshwater or saltwater. They can not be both.
Fruit
My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
James thinks back to chapter two when he said that faith without works is dead. Faith is the root of our salvation. Deeds are the fruit of our salvation.
“Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.” (Matt 12:33)
One of the ways we can show our love for Jesus is to speak words of life and blessings.
Action Steps
Talk less. Smile More.
R ad B singer Joe Jones had a 1960 hit entitled, “You Talk Too Much.”
“You talk too much, you worry me to death, you talk too much, you even worry my pet…”
James wrote:
“Be quick to listen, slow to speak…” (James 1:19)
Solomon wrote:
“Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues.” (Prov 10:19)
Abraham Lincoln famously said,
“Better to keep your mouth closed and thought a fool than open your mouth and remove all doubt.”
I have rarely regretted words I didn’t say.
All of us may learn a cultural lesson from the Chinese people. They have the custom of not answering a speaker until he is completely finished speaking. They think that it is discourteous to reply immediately, for a rash reply indicates a lack of thinking and poor judgment. - Simon Kistemaker
“To answer before listening— that is folly and shame.” (Prov 18:13)
2. THINK before you talk.
Using the acronym THINK, ask these 5 questions before you speak.
Is it True?
• Is it Helpful?
• Is it Inspiring?
• Is it Necessary?
• Is it Kind?
Related to this, let’s make sure we watch our words on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, email and in our texting. Once they’re out there, they’re on there for all to see.
An old Quaker proverb says:
“Of your unspoken words you are the master. Of your spoken words you are the servant. Of your written words, you are the slave.”
3. Use our words as flowers and not flames
“A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.” (Prov 25:11)
Paul gave the Ephesian believers a grid that they could look to concerning their words:
“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” (Eph 4:29)
I went to Elijah’s soccer game yesterday morning and watching five year olds try to play soccer is really funny.
But I was so proud of my son Austin who is one of the coaches. He lavished praise on every player and continually high-fived them. You could see their faces light up as he spoke words of encouragement into their lives.
4. Use your words to share the good news of the Gospel.
Francis said, “Preach the Gospel and when necessary use words”. Well I disagree with Frank on this one.
I am born again today because Aaron Teaford used his words to share how awesome Jesus is and I used words to surrender my life to Christ.
I recently heard a pastor share how he was born again. A fellow student took him to Burger King and literally read a “Four Spiritual Laws” tract to him without ever looking up.
But the Spirit opened his eyes and heart to the Gospel and he made Jesus King of his life right there in the Burger King.
He said, “I like the way that friend shared the gospel way better than the way you don’t share the Gospel!” Ouch!
Heart Transplant
Remember that James wrote we all stumble in many ways when it comes to the tongue and our words.
No matter how hard we try, the tongue will continue to get the best of us.
That’s because our words are only a symptom of deeper issues - heart issues.
It’s been said that our speech are just our hearts going public.
For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matt 12:34-37)
How do you get a new heart? By using our tongues:
“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Rom 10:9-13)
Ending Video: The Tongue is a Fire
Ending Song: O Lord, My Rock and My Redeemer
Ending Prayer:
Join me as I pray the words of Psalm 19:14, Psalm 141:3 and portions of our passage in James 3:1-12 back to the Lord:
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer…
Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips… Use my words to build up, not tear down.
Though my tongue is small it’s dangerous if I don’t submit it to your control. Forgive me for ways I’ve poisoned people with what I’ve said.
In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”
