INTRODUCTION, Can you name the muscle in your body that receives the most exercise and less control than any other?
Medically, they say it’s only a 2-ounce slab of muscle, membrane and nerves that allows us to taste, chew, swallow and articulate words.
It is called the tongue. The Bible tells us the tongue is an amazing creation, able to…
¿ Deceive
¿ Devour
¿ Praise
¿ Flatter
¿ Backbite
James calls the tongue a beast – imagine
But I want you to know the tongue is not the real problem – In Matthew 15, Jesus addresses the culprit, which controls the tongue.
Matt 15:10-11, 17-19, [10] Jesus called the crowd to him and said, "Listen and understand. [11] What goes into a man’s mouth does not make him ’unclean,’ but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him ’unclean.’"[17] "Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? [18] But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ’unclean.’ [19] For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.
The tongue is neither friend of foe it is merely a messenger that dictates the state of one’s heart.
This morning as we continue our series on EXTREME MAKEOVER FOR THE SOUL I want us to look at the idea of a pierced tongue.
It is the tongue, which must be tamed in order for us to look good to God. I think I can honestly say today that most of the problems we have in our church is because of a wagging tongue.
¿ Gossip
¿ Negativity
¿ Backbiting
¿ Character Assignation
All are a result of a tongue that is out of control.
John MacArthur shared an illustration, which was very frightening when you think of the power of the tongue.
Scientist maintain that once a word is uttered, a sound wave is set in motion on a continuous never-ending journey, and that, if we had the sophisticated instruments any sound can be captured and reproduced at anytime.
Imagine every word you have ever uttered could be retrieved for all to listen to again! Friend God needs no such instrument and Jesus states plainly, "But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the Day of Judgment. "For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." Matt 12:36-37
This morning I want to challenge you to look at the dangers the tongue brings to your life and then I want us to look at a few ways we can MAKEOVER this so called beast!
READ TEXT JAMES 3:1-12
1. The Dangers of the tongue
A. The tongue has the potential to condemn
¿ Command given – Don’t strive to be a teacher
James is not condemning teachers, but what he is condemning are the people who simply want to talk to be heard.
¿ Explanation – because we all stumble
Since no one is infallible it is important that the teacher learn to control his tongue so he will not be subject to a stricter judgment.
There is a great responsibility that comes from teaching others. The words we speak, the way we interpret scripture is open to scrutiny. James is not discouraging people from teaching rather he is stressing control. Paul encouraged Timothy – Study to show you approved unto God, a workman that need not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Tim 2:15
B. The tongue has the power to control
¿ The tongue has an incredible power to control our lives. James gives us two illustrations of how something small can control something large. FIRST HE POINTS TO A HORSE’S BIT, placed in the horses moth correctly it can force a horse into service. Whether it is for riding, pulling a wagon or a plow – that bit controls the horse. So it is for the Christian if we are going to be used for God we must control our tongue.
¿ The Second Illustration is that of a boat controlled by a rudder. Regardless of the size of the ship – it is controlled not by the wind, nor by the sail nor by the engine but by the small rudder guided by the pilot of the boat. In the same way we can seek out to do and live our best but if we do not control the tongue we are helpless.
¿ Like the bit in a horse and the rudder on the boat, the tongue has the ability to control the rest of us. It is the master control of the entire body.
C. Not only does the tongue have the ability to control and condemn, the tongue also has the potential to corrupt. READ vss. 6-8 again, 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. 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.
James speaks of the corrupting influence of the tongue.
¿ A fire – a world of evil among the parts of the body.
I tell our leaders they carry two buckets one has water and one has Gasoline – and they are able to deal with problems depending on the bucket they use.
¿ Not only is it a fire – it is a corrupting influence.
The old saying birds of a feather flock together is never more true when it comes to negative thinking and talking. When people begin to talk negatively they begin to corrupt the environment.
WORKPLACE
SCHOOL
CHURCH
THERE is no room for negative talk in the church.
More then conquers
Overcomers
Victorious
WHY WOULD YOU COMPLAIN? Your complaining has a corrupting influence
James says the tongue corrupts the whole person the word corrupt literally means to make rotten or spoil. The implication is that your tongue has the ability to make you rotten on the inside.
D. The tongue has the power to compromise one’s faith.
James gives an illustration of a water spring when he says 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? James 3:9-11
James asks a rhetorical question – and the answer is obvious – fresh water and salt water cannot flow from the same spring anymore than you can praise God and curse your brother.
Friends we compromise our faith when we talk about fellow brothers and sisters in Christ in an unflattering way. LOOK WHAT JAMES SAID – THE creation (brothers and sisters in Christ) is in the image of God’s likeness.
LAST WEEK IN BOARD MEETING ONE OF OUR DEACONS ASKED THE QUESTION – WHAT ARE WE KNOWN FOR – SOMEONE SAID WE ARE KNOWN FOR FIGHTING - That cannot be!
OUR TONGUES ARE COMPROMISING OUR FAITH – and the results are devastating!
¿ Evangelism is dead
¿ Witness is ineffective
¿ Fellowship is suffering.
2. How do we tame our Tongue?
A. We need to be come proactive with our speech.
Ps 39:1, I said, "I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin; I will put a muzzle on my mouth as long as the wicked are in my presence."
The Psalmist said I will watch my ways – for the Christian there is no such thing as “a slip of the tongue”
B. We need to T.H.I.N.K before we Speak
T – True
H – Helpful
I – Inspiring
N – Necessary
K – Kind
If we would think before we speak we could avoid many of our problems
C. We need to die to our old ways.
Gal 2:20, I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
I recall a story about three preachers in a boat who one day decided to confess their sins to one another.
First said – my sin is gambling
Second – My sin is drinking
The third – My sin is Gossip and I cannot wait to get back to land
Friend if your sin is a sin of the tongue I urge you to take that sin to the Lord.
I Jn 1:9, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Conclusion Go to the doctor – to see if you’re healthy he simply says stick out your tongue. By examining your tongue he can tell if you are healthy or not – Friend in the same way people know if you are spiritually healthy by the way you use your tongue.
Does Your Tongue Need a Makeover Today?
