May God be pleased to bless us
together this evening as we consider his word and let's turn to the
epistle of James chapter 3 and we'll read verse 5. The epistle
of James chapter 3 and reading verse 5. Even so, the tongue is a little
member and boasteth great things. Behold how greater matter a little
fire kindleth. Recently I was watching a fire
and it was a very small little spark as it were and it was smoking
as far as I was and then suddenly It burst in the flames and how
quickly the wood was consumed. As I was just thinking about
that, these words came in to my mind, behold how great a matter
a little fire kindled. And I'm sure we are familiar
with many scenes, naturally, of fires. Think of 1666, that
great fire of London, just started in a very small way, in a shop,
a baker's shop in London, and it spread and destroyed so much
of London. It was just a little fire, but
as it kindled and as it spread, what a great effect it had. Now,
that really is the picture that we have here before us tonight. And it's not an actual fire,
but instead of the fire is the tongue. You might think, well
that's a very strange thing, how can a tongue actually be
similar to this? Well, we only have to think and
only have to remember perhaps some of the words of parliamentarians
that speak and they may sometimes speak words ill-advisedly and
the words are picked up and they're spread and they grow and it has
a vast effect, especially if they were words which they did
not really mean to utter. And we see the tremendous devastation
that can be created by words. And so, the Word of God tells
us a great deal about the tongue. I haven't counted it up, but
there are many, many references to the tongue in the Word of
God. And in particular, the Apostle
James picks this theme up about the tongue. And it's worthy of
our consideration. And in an earlier chapter, the
first chapter, he tells us this in verse 26, If any man among
you seem to be religious, and bridleth on his tongue, but deceiveth
his own heart, this man's religion is vain." And that's a very devastating
statement, isn't it, really? To think that if we do not bridle
our tongue, the verdict is that we do not have a good religion. And so we need to pray earnestly
for God to Always keep our tongue. Indeed, the psalmist prayed that
the words of his mouth and the meditation of his heart might
be acceptable in the eyes of the Lord. And that's a good prayer
for us to pray often. You probably remember that Clement
Wood often used to pray that at the end of his prayer before
he commenced his sermon. Well, it's good, especially for
preachers, but my friends, it's good for all of us. to think
of the relevance of that, that the words of our mouth might
be acceptable in the eyes of God. Now, James here brings before
us the picture, he gives us two pictures of a horse with a bridle
and a ship being driven by a storm in the sea. And in both those
situations we see that there's only a little instrument required
to cause the direction to be changed. In the case of the horse,
we read, we put bits in the horse's mouths, that they may obey us,
and we turn about their whole body. That's the first illustration. Then the second is, behold also
the ships, which though they be so great, and have driven
a fierce wind yet, are they turned about with a very small helm,
or a very small rudder, as we might think of it today, whithersoever
the governor enlisted. However, the shipment desires,
and he just moves the tiller and the boat goes in the direction.
By comparison, it's very small. And then he draws this analogy,
even so, the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things,
behold how great a matter a little fire kindleth." It is a very
small thing, isn't it? Our tongue. But how easily it
speaks words. I'm sure we're all familiar with
perhaps things that we've said, perhaps on the spur of the moment,
perhaps in anger, and yet you see those things, once spoken,
cannot be brought back. They've been said, and sometimes
they have a tremendous effect. Sometimes the effect of simple
words goes on for years. of how we need to be very careful
about how we speak. And James, he goes on then to
give us the picture here, and he tells us, and the tongue is
a fire, a world of iniquity, a world of iniquity. And I'm sure, if we're honest,
we've said things which we greatly regret, especially perhaps in
our younger days. We may have said things which
we regret. We may have sworn and we may have regretted those
times when we have sworn. We may have regretted times when
we spoke evil. We may have regretted times when
we've told lies. You know those things have been
spoken. And the effect will be, if we
know the fear of God, or if we come to know the fear of God,
we will desire that God will forgive those utterances which
have been spoken so inadvisably and so sadly. And let us not
forget, as I mentioned, sometimes we speak things very ill-advisedly,
very quickly. Words which we want to, perhaps
we want to stand and justify ourselves about some inaccurate
statement. And we want to retaliate. and
we speak words. And then on reflection, we wish
we hadn't retaliated, we hadn't spoken like that. The fact is,
the words have been spoken. It's a fire, a world of iniquity. So is the tongue amongst our
members. So it is, that it defies the whole body, and set it on
fire, the course of nature, and it is set on fire of hell. Don't let us forget that. It's
the devil that eggs us on to say things. It's the devil and
his words emanate from hell itself. And how we need to be very careful
then in our lives, that we do, careful how we answer and what
we say, how we might make attacks on people, and it's very dangerous
even when we're recounting a situation. Sometimes we try and embellish
it a little bit, make it sound more important, more attractive,
so people take more notice. Is it true? No, it's not true.
Often we've embellished the actual story. So what have we done? We've sinned. We've added sins. Where's it emanated from? Hell
itself. The old devil. My friends, he's
always on the lookout for a way to make us sin. Don't forget
that. He's always on the lookout. We
need to be very aware of his His skills. He is very able. He is more skilled than you are
and I am. The devil is very clever. So
we read this, every kind of beast and of birds and of serpents
and of things in the sea is tamed. They can be tamed. and has been
tamed of mankind. But, says the Apostle, the tongue
can no man tame. It is an unruly evil, full of
deadly poison. And again, perhaps, we can think
of some of the things that we've said in our lives. Deadly poison. Poisonous words. have been good
words, poisonous words, full of deadly poison. This is the word of God speaking
to us today, to alert us to the terrible situation that we are
in with regards to our tongue. Because by nature, let us not
forget we are fallen creatures, That means we're sinful creatures.
And that means that we are still sinful. We're not free from it.
We would desire to be free from it. But the devil is always on
the outlook to try and make us sin. So we read, therefore, bless
we God, even the Father. Well, that's good, isn't it?
It's a wonderful thing if we bless God, even the Father. And
therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude
of God. And we read, out of the same
mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things
ought not so to be. Now I'm sure we recognise the
truth of that, but how we need the grace of God to walk it out
continually, and to be so prayerful in our lives about it. Again, the Apostle brings before
us the analogy of that statement. It's a very solemn analogy really,
because don't forget he said that we bless and we curse with
the same mouth. And then he says, doth a fountain
send forth sweet and bitter water? Well, we know that can't happen,
don't we? And then, can a fig tree bear olive berries, or a
vine figs? We know that can't be, can it?
And so we are told, who is a wise man, and endued with knowledge
among you, that he might have a good conversation, his works,
with meekness, of wisdom. You know it's a very good testimony
of our spiritual life if we are meek. Moses was spoken of as
a most meek man and it's a good example for us if we indeed are
meek in this way. Conversation his works with meekness
of wisdom but If ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts,
glory not, and lie not against the truth. You should not pretend
it doesn't exist if it does. Yes, bitter envying and lies. This wisdom descendeth not from
above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish, For where envying and
strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the
wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle,
and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without
partiality, without hypocrisy, and the fruit of righteousness
is sown in peace of them that make peace." Well there we have
in those few verses the statement that James makes and how relevant
it must be in all of our lives and how we need to remember the
importance of these things. Let us not then forget The tongue
is just a little member. Behold how great a matter a little
fire a kingleth. Now I just want to direct us
to a few words confirming what James says, especially in the
Psalms. We read together in those Psalms words which confirmed
these statements and in the 52nd Psalm The first four verses really
confirm that situation. And the psalmist tells us, remember
it was David himself, a man after God's own heart, a man who knew
very well the situation. And he tells us, why boastest
thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? Again we see the effect
of our tongue. He is very fond of exalting self. rather than exalting the Saviour. And therefore the question is,
why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? The goodness
of God endures continually. The tongue devises mischiefs. Well, we could say perhaps our
mind devises a mischief and the tongue speaks it, doesn't it? And we do sometimes devise mischiefs. And it's spoken like this, like
a sharp razor working deceitfully. And let's not forget, as we spoke
this morning, about the heart being deceitful above all things
and desperately wicked. And then he says, Thou lovest
evil more than good. Well, can that be possible? And
lying, rather than to speak righteousness. Well, can that be possible? Well,
left to ourselves, it is possible. In fact, it is truth, if we are
left to ourselves. You see, the word of God doesn't
leave, as it were, any stone unturned, does it? We don't have
anywhere to hide, do we? We cannot say, well, these things
don't apply to me. Thou lovest all devouring words,
O thou deceitful tongue." And really that describes the situation
where people like to produce words which are devouring. That means they consume, as it
were, the opposition. Consume people. No room for any
manoeuvre. They're consuming, they're devouring.
Now love is for devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue." You
see, the advice here is so important for us to take on board and not
to jettison and to think, well, I'm past that, I don't have to
worry about that. We do have to worry about it.
In the 12th Psalm, another Psalm of David, remember David here
is speaking from his heart. How often we are thankful for
the Psalms, which are the expression of David's heart. He says, the
Lord shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh
proud things again. The testimony here is cutting,
isn't it? Because sometimes we say things
to flatter, don't we? We say things to flatter people,
so they'll think well of us. Is it good? No, it's not good,
it's bad. It's evil. And the word tells
us here, the Lord shall cut off all flattering lips and the tongue
that speaketh proud things. Oh, how we need so much grace
to observe these truths and to walk before the Lord in his fear
all the day long We read, the fear of the Lord is the beginning
of wisdom. What a blessing it is if you
and I are given the fear of the Lord so that our concern is to
walk in that right way and to be so careful what we say and
what we speak. Who have said with our tongue,
will we prevail? Our lips are our own. Who is
Lord over us? We think in our minds, We work
out the argument, what we're going to say, and we say, well,
I know what I'm going to say, and my lips are on my own, and
if I argue in that way, I'm going to prevail. Well, is that a godly attitude? Is that a Christ-like attitude?
Or is that a worldly attitude? Well, what the psalmist is speaking
about He's speaking about cutting off all those who do this. Cutting them off. We can't claim
we're doing anything which is right. And we deserve to have
these things cut off and how solemn it is. If you and I find
ourselves then, as it were, cut off, how terrible. Well, we're
thankful for the expression that David's able to give to us In
the 34th psalm, he again speaks, he says this in verse 13, keep
thy tongue from evil and thy lips from speaking guile. Keep thy tongue from evil and
thy lips from speaking guile. Again, left to ourselves, we
are very guileful. in the way we speak. So here's
a statement. Depart from evil and do good.
Seek peace and pursue it. Seek peace and pursue it. That's
the word of God. And not doing things in an egalish
way. Keep thy tongue from evil and
thy lips from speaking guile. Depart from evil and do good.
Seek peace and pursue it. Well, these are wonderful words
of wisdom from God, aren't they? Directing us to come back to
Guile in a moment. Just continuing one further reference
in the Psalms, and that's Psalm 39. Psalm 39, the first two verses. I said, I will take heed to my
ways, that I sin not with my tongue. Well, here's a prayer
of David. Oh, my friends, may that be a
prayer for our hearts. I will take heed to my heart,
my ways, that I sin not with my tongue. I will keep my mouth
with a bridle while the wicked is before me. I was done with
silence. I held my peace, even from good,
and my sorrow was stirred. My heart was hot within me. while
I was musing, the fire burned, then spake I with my tongue. He was now before God. And what
does he say? Lord, make me to know mine end,
and the measure of my days, what it is that I may know how frail
I am. If the Lord has shown us the
evil of our tongue, then if we are moved by the Holy Spirit
of God, to realise how wrong we are in so many ways, and yet
to come and to pray this prayer, Lord make me to know my name,
and the measure of my days, what it is, that I may know how frail
I am. Well, there we are, so much then
for these solemn and important things with regards to the tongue,
but I now want to move on to the Saviour. the Lord Jesus Christ,
and how blessedly different was the Lord Jesus Christ. We have
this statement by the Apostle Peter. He says in the second
chapter, 21st verse, For even hereunto were ye called. Because Christ also suffered
for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps,
who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth, who when
he was reviled, reviled not again, when he suffered, he threatened
not, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously,
who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree,
that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness
by whose stripes ye were healed." Now what a wonderful example
we have then of the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. There
were so many situations in the life of the Saviour which were
so difficult for Him to endure. How people spoke against Him,
how people misjudged him, how he was indeed reviled again and
again, and yet he did not revile again. And we are thankful to
know that there was no sin, and there was no guile found in his
mouth. And so we have before us in the
word of God a wonderful example of the Lord Jesus Christ. Even when he was wrongly condemned. Condemned to die. And as we know he could have
called on his father to send those legions of angels to deliver
him. But it was his father's will
that he should suffer, and that he should bleed, and that he
should die. And therefore he suffered. Yes, he endured. He suffered. He threatened not. He threatened
not. But committed himself to him
that judgeth righteously. See, here's the answer, isn't
it? The example of the Saviour. that we can commit ourselves
unto our God. And there is a wonderful peace
when we can do just that. You see, the Lord knows everything. He knows how words were spoken
perhaps against us, how words were spoken which may have been
very harsh and difficult to bear. What does it produce in our lives?
produces union with Christ. We sometimes desire, don't we,
and pray that we may be blessed with a greater knowledge of Christ,
that we might know Him, the power of His resurrection, the fellowship
with His sufferings. But often, you see, it comes
in a way that we didn't expect. And our lives are put, our religion,
rather, is put on the line. It's put to the test. when these
things occurred and we're spoken against and harshly and unfairly. The Lord Jesus was spoken against
harshly and unfairly. What did he do? He suffered it. He suffered it. Now, when the
Lord comes and gives us grace to suffer for his sake, suffer
for his sake, as peace. We read, I can endure all things
through Christ that strengthens me. What an example we have then
of the Saviour, enduring. And how in these times of our
need, when it's so easy for us to retaliate, So easy for us
to speak wrong and evil things, perhaps to speak right things
in a wrong way. Yes, and we find the Lord draws alongside, and
we walk with Him, and there's union, and there's communion. And what it is, is fellowship
with the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, we would never know that
fellowship, were it not for these situations developing. And so
we may come and commit ourselves to him that judgeth righteously.
Man, poor sinful man, is often not able to judge righteously.
But our Father judgeth righteously. He knows everything. And that's
a very great comfort to us, I'm sure, to know that we have a
God who knows everything about us. Yes, he knows the bad, he
knows the good, he knows that which he's done for us, he knows
that which is for our instruction, is for our teaching, indeed,
is for our refining. Who did no sin, neither was guile
found in his mouth. Who when he was reviled, reviled
not again. When he suffered, he threatened not. but committed
himself to him that judges righteously. And remember, this was the man
who his own self bare our sins. The sins that our tongue has
spoken. All those sins, mounted up, day
after day. Sins which our tongue has spoken.
They all had to be paid for. It all has to be atoned for,
that one can be left aside, for his own self, this blessed Redeemer,
he bear our sins in his own body on the tree. He took our sins,
the sins of our voice, of our tongue, and he bore them on his body
that we being dead to sin should live unto righteousness by whose
stripes ye were healed. The Lord bore those stripes so
that we might be healed. Now may we always be led to consider
the Saviour. When perhaps we are tempted in
our lives to speak things which are not appropriate, things which
may have a lot of self in them, we may be sharp in our own minds,
to remember the Saviour suffered for those words which were not
in accordance with his will, and not in accordance with the
way that we should speak. You know, we should never address
in anger, we should never address with any animosity, with any
evil thoughts, we should always be in love. Oh my friends, how
does the Lord speak to us? In love, isn't it? You look back
in your life and consider your life. How has the Lord spoken
to you? Love. What do we say? What does the word say? The love
of Christ constrains us. Oh, that's the moving influence. That's the moving force. The
love of Christ constrains us to do His will and to obey His
voice and to follow His example. Yes, the love of Christ constrains
us. That's an easy moment when we
know something of Christ's love. It's easy to follow it out. Yes,
and it's a joyous thing to do, and it's pleasurable, because
we know we're doing the will of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus
Christ, who did so much to redeem our souls. We can never repay
that debt, but we can desire to honour Him in all that we
do and all that we say, remember, by His stripes. we are healed. We read, don't we, of what the
Lord suffered in that judgment hall and how he had to face those
stripes, how painful they must have been. We know they were
exceedingly weakening as those wounds bled and, oh my friends,
how hard it was. All this was done for you. Well, we see here the example
of the Saviour. And then I was thinking about
this, the words of the Saviour. What did He speak with His tongue? What words did He speak? Well,
we have many words, of course, that the Lord Jesus spoke. Do
we not? Think of those words He spoke
on that Sermon on the Mount. Those wonderful words which dropped
from his lips, words which were so glorious and yet so different
really to what you and I would have said or started perhaps
a discourse with and yet they were the words of the Lord Jesus
and they were so full of instruction and so full of grace and he came
and he said this, blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs
is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn,
for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they
shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger
and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. Blessed
are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the
pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are
they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs
is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye when men shall
revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil
against you, for my sake." Well, these are the words of the Saviour.
And He then says, Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great
is your reward in heaven. We have this testimony here,
the words of the Lord Jesus. What beautiful words they are,
aren't they? Which came from His mouth. And how important
for us today to consider such words which the Lord Jesus spoke. And then my mind went to the
17th of John, that high priestly prayer of the Lord Jesus Christ. What words they were, weren't
they? Yes, remember, no guile, straight
from the blessed Saviour's heart, praying to His Father. He lifted
up His eyes to heaven and said, Father, the hour has come. Glorify
Thy Son. that thy son also may glorify
thee." Here was the great evidence of the life and death of the
Saviour. Glory to the Father, glory to
the Son. And my friends, that should really
be our concern, regardless of the way that we speak, the things
that we say, Will they be? Are they? For the honour and
glory of God. The Lord Jesus sets before us
a wonderful example. As thou hast given him power
over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many
as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that
they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom
thou hast sent. This is life eternal. These are
the blessed words of the Saviour. Oh my friends, do we know the
truth of them? That we know the true God and
Jesus Christ? Have we a personal knowledge
of the Lord Jesus as our Saviour? Now we will be able to confirm
that we do have that personal knowledge if And we have walked
in that way that I've outlined with regards to the path the
Saviour walked. Yes, when He was reviled. And
when we've been reviled, we revile not again. And the Lord has given
us that grace and given us that strength to do His will. It's
the testimony in our hearts. And remember, it is a testimony
between your soul and God, and God in your soul. It's not what
other people think or say. It's what you know of God. And
it's what God knows of you. It's a personal relationship.
It's a very real relationship. It's a very blessed relationship.
It's the most essential relationship. I have glorified thee on the
earth. Yes, and ye had a blessed Saviour. I have finished the work which
thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou
me with thine own self, with the glory which I had with thee
before the world was." Oh, the glory of God. How little we appreciate
it, how little we understand it, and yet how important it
was. And he tells us then, I have manifested thy name unto the
men which thou gavest me out of the world, thine they were,
and thou gavest them me. and they have kept thy word."
Well, my friends, today, can we trace out a blessed manifestation
from the Saviour like this? I have manifested thy name unto
the men which thou gavest me out of the world. A manifestation
to our souls of the Lord Jesus Christ. has died for us, to atone
for our sins. Well, we could go on, and your
leisure you think of this 17th of John, the wonderful prayer
of the Lord Jesus. His words, those words that he
uttered, pure words, holy words, seeking the honour and glory
of his Father. And so may we be influenced by that in our
lives, greatly influenced, as we consider the warnings that
the Apostle James gives to us. And to be blessed with that grace,
to hear his words and to acknowledge the truth of them. Oh, even so
the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold,
how great a matter a little fire kindleth. Let us remember. a
little word, a little wrong word, can kindle a great fire. My friends may be so concerned
not to be found uttering wrong words, but rather to hear the
words of the Lord Jesus Christ, those encouraging words, those
soul-strengthening words, and be found walking in that way
which is life eternal. Amen.