James: Religion that Works
“Raging Wildfires”
James 3:1-12
March 19, 2006
Introduction: Wildfires in Texas have burned 700,000 acres. The fire has burned over 1,000 square miles. Although the exact cause of the fire is still unknown, it started somewhere with a small spark. The vast majority of all wildfires are accidental. Very rarely does someone purposefully set out to start a destructive fire.
Today we are going to look at the spark our words can be and some ways that we can help control the effect.
I. Your Words Speak Volumes.
Everyone at some point is going to fail. We are going to do or say something we shouldn’t. It is the common problem of all mankind.
“Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, 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.” James 3:1-2 (NIV)
James is giving an instruction about those in leadership, specifically teaching positions in the church. He makes a warning that those who teach the word of God will be judged more harshly than those who don’t.
There are two inescapable aspects of human life: judgment and failure.
The judgment aspect of our lives is that we are accountable for what we teach others. James points out that a Christian teacher is not to say one thing and do another. Apparently that was a common practice of the leaders of that day. Aren’t you glad we are past that in church life?
He also points out that there will be times of failure in our lives.
We must understand that just because we call ourselves Christians and just because we desire to be more and more like Christ doesn’t mean we are perfect. We stumble in many ways.
The term stumble in this passage literally means to “fall or trip.” James points out that as human beings, even human beings devoted to following Christ there are areas of our lives where we will stumble and fall.
The warning is not to become proud in our spirituality.
Now, I know what you are thinking, “John thanks for making me feel like a bigger loser in my Christian walk.”
I want to help you understand that in our Christian lives, we are not gong to always be perfect. Paul, one of the greatest men of God ever knew that there were times in his life where spiritual failure was going to cause him to stumble.
“I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don’t result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time.” Romans 7:19-20 (The Message)
What Paul is saying is that he wants to do good, and he knows what he should do that is good, but there are times in his life when he fails to do good. Sound familiar?
The bottom line: Be honest before God and others about your life.
To be honest with God, we must be honest with ourselves.
It is so easy to make excuses for our failures, or to judge ourselves on our intentions instead of our actions. We must wrestle with the deep things in our own hearts before we try to share those things with others.
Illustration: My goal as a pastor is not to show you how you should live the Christian life. My goal as a pastor is to show you how Jesus shows up in my life. I try to be as honest as I can about the struggles of my life because life is not about me but about God’s grace. If we can’t be honest about the places we mess up and the struggles just to make the right choices, this will never be a community of followers of God that lives in honest relationship with one another.
I have struggled with some major issues in my life that drives so much of the ethos of my messages. It is in facing the fear of abandonment in my life that drives me to help others face their fear of God. It is the struggle with the fear of failure in my life that motivates me to help people understand that our life is not about ourselves but about God.
Application: Are you being honest with yourself and God in your spiritual journey? Are you struggling with the ugly issues of life to help you understand the beautiful aspects of grace? Has your spiritual practice become a source of pride?
II. The Catalyst
James points out that although the tongue is a small part of the body, it carries great significance.
The tongue can be a catalyst for the direction of our lives.
“When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 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. 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 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 3:3-8 (NIV)
Have you ever reacted to what someone has said? Have you ever had your emotions changed by the tone of someone’s voice? That is the power of words.
“Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit—you choose.” Proverbs 18:21 (The Message)
The saying sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me is not true.
Words are powerful. They can impact a person much longer than a broken bone ever could. How many people are trying to live up to or live down the words of their parents?
Because impulses take the shape of words, control of the tongue is an indication of a disciplined life.
“A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered.” Proverbs 17:27 (NIV)
The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man’s inmost parts.” Proverbs 18:8 (NIV)
“The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters, but the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.”
Proverbs 18:4 (NIV)
The principle in all of this is to carefully choose your words and realize the effect they have.
Words are flames that ignite the emotions.
We must understand that we are going to mess up in this area at times. The key is to continually watch over yourself so that you do not fall into sinful behavior as a pattern in your life.
“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.” James 3:9-12 (NIV)
What James is warning against is the pattern of words as ammunition in our lives. It is a discipline and a character issue.
At times we say things we shouldn’t say. At other times we praise God with the same tongue that we curse people. The issue is that we want to be careful to develop Godly patterns as the routine of our life. This is a character issue.
“Your character is essentially the sum of your habits; it is how you habitually act.”
Rick Warren
The Purpose Driven Life
Godly Habits for our words:
1) Honesty with God and ourselves.
“And don’t make rash promises to God, for he is in heaven, and you are only here on earth. So let your words be few.” Ecclesiastes 5:2 (NLT)
“A truthful witness gives honest testimony, but a false witness tells lies.” Proverbs 12:17 (NIV)
2) Encouragement to others.
“Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.” Ephesians 4:29 (NLT)
3) Discipline for yourself.
“He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity.” Proverbs 21:23 (NIV)
“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV)
Conclusion: How are you doing in dealing with the words of your mouth? Are you allowing your life to be honest before God? Are you encouraging others? Are you disciplining yourself to control your words? Today I want to challenge you to make a decision to control your tongue so that God can be glorified in your life and the lives of others.
