Learning to tame my tongue James 3:1-13
Introduction.
There is not many people around that does not struggle with issues of controlling their tonuge from time to time. even though the Bible men struggle with it.
ps.106:32-33 moses spoke rashly with his lips.
Job 40:4 Job said behold I am vile.
Matt 26:33 Peter said he would die for the lord. But in
Matt 26:69:-75 He denyed even knowing him.
Now lets look at what we might can learn about the tonuge.
James 3:1-13 {Read}
James gives attention to the tongue. and in 4 other places in this book as well.
James 1:19 and 26
James 2:12
James 4:11
James 5:12
NOW LETS CONSIDER THESE ELEMENTS!
#1 The Power of the tongue to Influence Many Prov.18:21
James 3:1 gives us a strict warning Why??
A teacher/A Preacher/ A leader/ has a great Influnce on so many.
And sometimes as a brother, a sister, a mom, a dad, a pastor,a boss,a friend, and the list goes on and on, James says we all can have a great influence on people all around us.
Luke:12:48 says where much is given much is required
#2 The potential of the tongue to Indicate Maturity verse 2
James point’s out if we do not stumble in the use of our "Tongue"
We are Perfect
The word "Perfect" there is a word for Maturity
Someone has said that the true "Mark" of christian Maturity is being able to controll his tonuge!!
NOW, LETS LOOK AT 4 EXAMPLE’S THAT COULD GIVES US MEANING THAT COULD HELP US IN CONTROLLING OUR TONGUE.
#1 The horse and the Bridle. verse #3
A horse without direction is useless to a man.
Its only when a bit is put in thier mouth the horse becomes disciplined and directed.
A horse can not bridle itself, but let man bridle it, Then he becomes useful
That paints a picture for us.
If man will let God Bridle him in the way of his tonuge, It will produce Maturity.
#2 The ship and the Rudder. verse #4
Point being A tiny contraption of wood and metal can change the direction of a huge sailing vessel!!
Just as a tiny member of our body{The tongue} can change the direction of our entire life !!!!
#3 The Forest fire and the spark. verse 5 and 6
Every forest and every house fire was started by a "spark"
And one spark is sufficient to set a whole forest ablaze !!!
And that spark usually can be Attributed to human carelessness and neglect.
Thats why James was giving us some advise to be very careful how we use our tonuge that our small little Tonuge can be like a fire in the forest.
#4 The animal and the trainer !!!! verse 7
Today the nature of the animal has been Tamed by the nature of man.
Lets consider some of them.
We have danceing Bears
We have trained seals
We have talking dolphia’s
We have charmed snakes
We have Dogs that does tricks
We have Lions that are Trained to open their mouths and men put there heads in there mouth and not be hurt.
And we have elephants that can March to commaands
Al these creatures have been tamed, But the tounge in our mouth is untamed and untameable without Gods help.. Amen.
NOW LETS CONSIDER THE POISON OF THE TONGUE THAT
INFECTS THE MOUTH.
Lets look at verse 8 of chapter 3
The picture is that of a Poisonous snake whose tounge is never at rest and whose fangs are filled with venom.
The word "poison" is translated in the "Greek" and means "Arrow".
And when the tounge is used to shoot arrows at other’s it most always brings "Deadly" results.
PS.140:3 David said......... They have sharpened their tonuges like a sepert, {viper} poison is under their lips.
PS.52:2-4 David said again............... Thy tonuge devised mischiefs like a sharp razor,working deceitfully
verse 3 Thou lovest evil more than good, and lying rather than to speak righteousness
verse 4 thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceiful tonuge.
Let me stop right here and say I have to confess, I myself in times past have found myself committing Muder, and I done it and did not evn give thought of what I was doing, you see it is so very easy to use our tounge to me a weapon, and it will be as a poison in our mouth if we are not careful..............MAY THE LORD JESUS HELP US ALL THIS MORNING.
NOW THERE IS 2 KINDS OF POISON THAT CAN INFECT THE
MOUTH.
#1........... The poison of Gossip.
Proverbs 17: 9 He that covereth a transgression seekth love, but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.
Proverbs 16:27-28........... An ungodly man diggeth up evil, and in his lips there is as a burning fire, versr 28.........A forward man soweth strife and a whisper separateth cheif friends.
Proverbs 18:8...........The words of a talebearer are as wounds and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.
Story
A young lady had gossip about another woman, only to find out that it was not true, she went to her Pastor seeking help on how to fix it. He told her, Words are like a feather in the wind, he went on to say, Take a basket of feathers out into the wind, and the all go in differ direction in the wind, come back the next day and round them up. And thats like our words, once we put them out there, we can never get them back..................... I must say, we need to be very careful how we use our Tonuge. Amen?
Verse 9, James says we Bless God and curse men with the same mouth. Lord Helps us to bridle our tonuge.
# 2 ...........The posion of Fatttery
If Gossip is what saying behind a persons back what you would never say to their face.
Then Flattery is saying to a person face what you would never say behind thier back.
PS:5:9.......For there is no faithfulness in thier mouth, their inward part is very wickedness, their throat is an open sepulchre, they Flatter with thier tonuge.
PS 12:2-3.........They speak vanity every one with his neighbour, with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.
verse 3............The lord shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tonuge that speakth proud things.
James says in verse #9...............Just as a spring cannot produce both fresh and bitter water, Neither should our tonuge be capable of both Blessing and cursing men. Amen............
This morning I have tryed to give you my heart on this Message, I pray we all take a close look at our Tounge and Let God work in us. as we move though the book of James, let us give our Lord more of our selfs, and allow him to change us, Amen.
Lets Pray,
