Back to James chapter 3, we will
pick up our study here in James chapter 3. We've been going through
this chapter, and I want to pick up here tonight. I truly want to thank Cecil for
cutting this down, this pulpit. I went home with Stephen. I had
to stop by from work and try it out. And I went home and I
told Vicki I was cooking with grease now. It fits. It fits. All right. The title of the message is The
Power of the Tongue. The Power of the Tongue. We have gathered here and we
have just sang praises unto God. I'd like to sing a special. We've
read the Word of God. He's given us a tongue to do
so. He's given us a heart to do so. The tongue, in time, will actually
reveal the heart. It'll actually reveal the heart.
The Scripture says, out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth
We can say the tongue speaketh. The tongue speaks what's in the
heart. Sooner or later, the tongue will
reveal the character of the person. It will reveal the character
of the person. A man, if born of God, will have his conversation,
his conduct, his life seasoned with grace. It will be seasoned with grace. I want us to look, starting here
in verse one. With this in mind, James says,
my brethren, he's speaking to his brethren. He is identifying
with his brethren in this. He's including himself in this.
I'm not just speaking to you tonight, I'm speaking to us.
I'm speaking to us. I have been reading this chapter
for the last week and a half. Two weeks, and I realized this applies to me
first. This applies to me first. He's speaking here to his brethren,
and I'm speaking to my brethren. And he says, be not many masters.
And everyone that I've read said, that means teachers. Be not many
teachers, or other words, Don't rush into the ministry. Don't
rush or covet to be an instructor like the scribes and the Pharisees.
They just love that. They love standing on the corners
praying and instructing men. He said don't rush into that.
He said that is an awesome, awesome responsibility. It's impossible
to put into words the responsibility of standing in the pulpit and
handling the Word of God, speaking to souls that are going to either
be with the Lord or be cast into hell. Oh, what responsibility
that goes with that. And James said, My brethren,
be not many teachers. Don't rush into the ministry.
I have no doubt that many problems that the church encounters today
has come from men over the years, hundreds of years, if not thousands,
that have not been called to preach but went anyway. They
were not sent, but they went anyway, and it caused problems. Now, God does call men. He calls
men to the ministry. You can see that over in Ephesians
4. And over in Luke 10 and over in Acts 13, God does call men. He uses men. He gives men a desire
to preach the gospel. That's so. I would not want to
hear a man who did not desire to preach the gospel. I wouldn't
want to do that. You know, I wrote Henry back
in 1979 about the ministry and aggravated him. I know I was.
Because I'd write him every week just about watching him on television. And I still have those letters
that he wrote back to me. And in one of them he said, a
desire does not constitute a call to the ministry. He said, certainly
if one is called to the ministry, God will give him a desire. He
that desires the office of a bishop desires good work. He said he'll
give him a desire for it, but he'll also equip him and give
him gifts and abilities and a crowd that wants to hear him. He named
off some things there. So there is a desire, but it's
put in check by the reality of his responsibility of handling
the Word of God. It's an awesome, heavy responsibility. You go back in the Old Testament,
what did those prophets call it? The burden of the word of
the Lord. Spurgeon said this, and I know
you've heard this, but Spurgeon said those who do not find it
to be a burden now will find it to be a burden afterwards.
They call it the burden of the word of the Lord. And then there
must be also this if God calls a man to the ministry. Henry
had mentioned this in that letter. There must be an anointing. God's
hand must be on that, and it must be evident. His hand is
on that person. If not, his preaching will fail,
his ministry will fail. Sooner or later it will fail.
So James says, be careful, be cautious. He's warning his brethren. Be careful and cautious in entering
the ministry, in handling the Word of God. But we shall receive the greater,
he says, condemnation. We shall be judged, he said,
by a higher standard, by a much higher standard. I
thought about this today when I was going over these notes.
I'm sure there are many who are now dead, passed on,
wish they had never stood in a pulpit. I'm sure there are many who wish
they had never stood in a pulpit. The Lord told those Pharisees,
He said, you come from sea and land to make proselytes and you
make them two-folded child of hell. I'm sure now they wish
they hadn't done that. But none who's ever been called
to it ever regrets it. Not if God's hand is on them.
Not if His hand is on them. I heard this story about John
Knox. John Knox was called to be the pastor of St. Andrew. And his first service, he stepped
into the pulpit, looked out over that large crowd, and wept, fled
the pulpit, went home, locked himself in his bedroom, and didn't
come out for days. It was such a burden to him. Heavy responsibility to Him. Oh, that God would give. I'm
telling you, God would give us that spirit and attitude and
understanding of the responsibility of handling His Word and instructing
people in the way of life. Now, here's another reason, he
says here, in verse 2. In all things we offend. Have you ever offended anybody?
I know we've been offended. I know that. Have we ever offended? Have I
ever offended? Yes. Yes. There's been so many times
I think I wish I'd never said that. Wish I could take that
back. This old tongue just gets loose
from time to time. And James says, in all things,
and notice he says, we. He included himself. He didn't
say, In all things, brethren, you offend. No, we, from the
pulpit to the pew. In all things, we offend. We
still have that old nature. We still have it. And it raises
its ugly head too often. And at one time or another, we're
going to offend. Preacher and people. But it says
here, but if any man offend not in word, We're not talking about the gospel.
The gospel is offensive to the natural man. It's going to offend.
It's an offensive gospel to natural men. But if any man offends not
in word, the same is a perfect or mature man. He's a mature
man. He's grown up in Christ. He's learned some things, especially
about himself. He has learned some things, especially
about himself. He's been taught of God and he
gives thought. This man gives thought to his
words before he sends them out. Oh, if I could do this, if I
could just give more thought to the words, I tell you what,
words mean something. Words are powerful. People are
moved by words. The preacher sought out acceptable
words, is what Solomon said. He said, I sought out acceptable
words. Especially when we preach. Seek
out acceptable words from God. Right words. But he says here,
this man who offends not in word, he's been taught of God, he's
learned something. This man is capable of teaching
others. There's an old rhyme or saying that says, sticks and
stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. That
guy would have to be an old something. I got that guy, he had no idea
what he was talking about. Words do hurt. Words do hurt. They stick. A brother offended
is harder to be won than a walled city. That's what Solomon said. I have to say this. I have been
hurt by words a thousand times more than by a fist. And I have
hurt by words more than I have any other way. I'm sure I have. That's why James is warning us
against this, the power of the tongue, the power of it. But
the man who has been born of God, now he's been born of God,
this man or this woman who's been born of God and learned
is able to teach, to instruct others. Mothers, you're able
to instruct your children, family. The man that God calls to the
ministry, you're able to instruct the church. You're apt to teach. Apt to teach. To be able to do
that. And he said, the man that has
been able to do this has learned to bridle the whole body. He's
able to do it. To bridle the whole body. Control
his own conduct. and teach the body of Christ,
a little folly will ruin a good reputation. You know that? A
little foolish speaking will ruin a good reputation. Look
over in Ecclesiastes chapter 10. Ecclesiastes chapter 10. Dead flies, in the first verse
here, dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth
a stinking saber. So does a little folly, foolishness,
foolish talking, foolish jesting. So does a little folly, hen,
that is in reputation for wisdom and honor. Oh, just an off-the-wall comment can just
bring such a dark spot. I heard this old saying, and
I know you've heard this, but I've heard this said time and
time again, and it's got some good to it. It's better to be
thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubts.
It's better to just be thought one than to actually prove it. Now James is going to deal here
with the power of the tongue, its ability to destroy or to
bless. God has given us this little
member that we're able to speak with, we're able to praise God
with, or men take it and curse God, take God's name in vain. And he gives three illustrations
here, starting now. He says the horse is controlled
by bits. He put bits in the horse's mouth.
As big and strong as a horse is, it can be easily controlled
by a small bit put in its mouth. You can put a child on the back
of a horse and put a bit in its mouth and can control that horse. But you take those bits out and you have no control over
them. Then he says here, A ship is controlled by a small
helm or rudder. You look at a ship out on the
ocean, huge, huge ship. And that ship is controlled by
a very small, just a very small rudder. If you could see underneath
that water, you'd be amazed how that little old rudder directs
that ship. And that little rudder can direct
that ship. even in fierce winds to safe
haven, or it can direct it right straight
to the rocks and crush it. It depends on who's at the
helm. It depends on the heart that's
controlling the tongue. A heart full of grace, though
it be driven with fierce winds of trial, is still gracious. I'm telling you, it'll still
be a gracious heart if it's a heart given of God. Then he says here, a little fire. A little fire. Take a match.
Strike a match. Especially now in this dry season.
Drop it in the woods. And you can burn up thousands
and thousands of acres. You look at a lot of those fires
that happened in California, those raging fires that sweep
through and burn up homes, started with a little match, just a little
match. And how much trouble, this is
what James is pointing out, how much trouble can a little fire destroy? How
much trouble can a little member like your tongue destroy? How much can it just destroy
friendships? Friends, people have been friends
for years. It can destroy them. It can drive away family. This
is what James talked about, the power of that tongue. If it's
controlled by grace, it's a blessing. My, what a blessing. If it's
controlled by grace... I heard the gospel by some man
preaching the gospel. Preaching the grace of God. God
sent a man whom he had He saved and gave the gospel, put the
treasure, this treasure is in earthen vessels. He put the gospel
in that man, sent that man to preach, and I heard him preach
with his tongue. And my, what a blessing it was.
What a blessing. But I have also been around others
where that tongue was used like a sword. Solomon said they wet
their tongue like a sword. And they do much damage. A fire
can warm the body. I like fire. A fire can warm
the body. It can give heat. A fire can
cook. Cook your food. But it can also
burn down the house. Burn down the house. Just depends
on whose hand the fire is in. Depends on the heart that is
coming out of it. The tongue can be set on fire
from heaven? That's at Pentecost. Wouldn't you like to have been
there at Pentecost? When Peter preached? Had those cloven tongues
like fire? Or it could be set on fire of
hell like at Calvary when they cried, crucify Him, crucify Him. You know that same crowd earlier
who cried, Hosanna, blessed be He that comes in the name of
the Lord? That same crowd then turned and said, crucify. James
said, that ought not be. He said, there's something wrong
with that. There is a real problem, he said,
with that. We'll see that as we go on here.
One writer said this, an unruly tongue is worse than the fire
of hell, for that only torments the wicked. But this afflicts
all, good and bad. It afflicts all. No man, he says
here in verse 7 through 8, no man can tame the tongue. No man. Because he can't get
to the heart. You see, the root of the problem
is the heart. The root of the problem is sin. And man cannot eradicate that. He cannot reach in and tame the
heart. Remember how they tried to tame
that demonic? They put him in fetters and chains
and he just broke them. And it says here, man has tamed
everything. He's tamed elephants, dogs, fish, dolphins. I mean, he's tamed everything,
but he can't tame the tongue. Boy, try it with education, don't
we? We've tried every way in the
world with education to tame the tongue. But he says it's not possible.
But now there is one who can tame the tongue. There is one
who can do it. The Lord Jesus Christ. By His
grace and power, by His divine work and the new nature, He can
tame the tongue. But He only can do it. He only. No man can tame the tongue. Then
James points out here, He points out something that's very important
in verses 9 through 12. Let me read these. Therewith
bless we God, even the Father, and therewith curse we men which
are made after the likeness of God, the similitude of God. Out
of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren,
these things ought not to be so. Does a fountain send forth
at the same place sweet water and bitter? Can the fig tree,
my brethren, bear olive berries? Either a vine, figs, so can no
fountain both yield salt water and fresh." He's making a very
important point here. Very important. James is saying,
my brethren, there is a real problem when one blesses God
and turns around and curses men who were made in the likeness
of God. He said there's a real problem here. A real, now this
is a real inward problem. This goes to the heart. There
is a real inward problem. He said a fountain cannot send
forth sweet water and salt water in the same place. The same fountain
is not going to do that. In the same place, at the same
time, he said that's not going to happen. He's pointing out
something very important here. I don't know if it was Spurgeon
or not, but I read this some time ago and I've never forgotten
it. The name of a Christian does not give the nature of one. You can wear the name, but it
doesn't mean you have the nature. God has to give that nature.
He has to do it. He says a fig tree does not bear
olive berries. Listen, you can take a fig tree,
And you could plant it on the Mount of Olives and it will not,
it will not bear olive berries. It's totally against its nature.
Totally contrary to its nature. The only way for that to happen
is to change the nature of that fig tree. That's the only thing.
It has to happen. and seeing that we are children
of wrath by nature and speak evil with our tongues, then something
has to happen. For us to bear the fruits of
righteousness, which we'll see here in a little bit, for us
to bear them, something has to happen. And that something is
this, a new birth. There has to be a new birth,
a new heart, A new nature. He said, I'll create within you
a new spirit and then I'll put my spirit within you. It all
has to be made new. All of it. It all has to. That's why our Lord said to Nicodemus,
you must be born again. Or your tongue, your language,
your conduct is never going to change. Because it is what it
is. A tree is what it is, and a man
is what he is, either by grace, Paul said, I am what I am by
the grace of God, or by nature. James says you can tell which
one's which. He says you can tell. Now he says here, who is
wise? I know we all like to think that. All men and women like to think
they're wise. They like to think that. But James says here, who
is wise? Then prove it, prove it by a
life of godliness, a life of kindness, a life of gentleness,
a life of love to one another. Who is wise? And verse 3, who
is wise and endued with knowledge among you? Then let him show
it out of a good conversation, conduct, conduct of your life
and my life. James said, let him show it,
let him demonstrate it. throughout his walk through this
world. And listen, let him show it out
of a good conversation. Out of a good conversation he
works with what? Meekness, gentleness, meekness
of wisdom, meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter, and he
said, and envy, and strife, and all that, then don't claim, here's
what he said, don't claim to have this wisdom from above.
Don't claim to be born of God. He said, don't fool yourselves.
That's what he's saying to everyone that reads this. Don't fool yourselves. That kind of wisdom, that kind
of conduct, he says, it's earthly, it's sensual, And it is devilish,
devilish. And it causes confusion and every
evil work, every evil work. But there is a true wisdom. There
is true wisdom. And we know first that true wisdom
is Christ. He is the wisdom of God. And
you know that what he gives here in verse 17, is really a description
of the Lord Jesus Christ. He first gives a description.
This really describes Him. He says here, first is pure. Is that not a description of
the Lord Jesus Christ? Is He not pure and holy? Does this not describe Him as
pure? And when we have Him, we have
Him. And if we have Him, our conduct, our conversation,
I'm talking about the tenor of our life. I'm not talking about
slip-ups, but I'm talking about the tenor of our life will be godly. It will be godly. It will be pure. And then he says here, After
saying it's pure, because I tell you what, if that's not so, you
can forget the rest. You can just forget this. But
secondly, he says, peaceable. Oh, is he not the prince of peace?
Is he not the prince of peace? Did he not say, peace, my peace
I give to you? Is he not the prince of peace?
And those in whom he dwells love peace. Don't you love peace?
I tell you what, I love the peace that we have here. I love the
peace that God's given us here. It's evident that He's among
us. Peaceable. And you know how to
maintain that? You know how to maintain peace
in the home? Peace in the church? Be peaceable. It's not complicated. Be peaceable. That's why He said,
be peaceable. Men who love and seek peace speak
peacefully to one another. And then he says here, it's pure,
it's peaceable, and it's gentle. This is the wisdom of God. You
see, the earthly wisdom is sensual, devilish, contentious, trouble,
but the wisdom that's from God is pure, peaceable, and gentle,
mild. You know, gentle is not weakness. Gentle is not being weak. This world has a warped view
of strength and what it is to be strong. They think if somebody's
Just boisterous and rough and I'll stand on my own two feet.
Gentle. I've learned, I'm learning as
I get older, I do like being around gentle people. Gentle. I've been around some rough characters
out there in the workforce. I've been around some roughness.
I've had to stand between two men trying to fight each other.
I mean, I can go on with some things I've seen and witnessed.
And to come to this? Gentle. But our Lord, our Lord
was gentle. Read through the Gospels and
notice how gently He handled sinners. Son, thy sins be forgiven
thee. Woman, where are those thine
accusers? He says, there's not any. He
said, well, neither do I. Gentle, mild, courteous, kind,
and patient. Does that not describe the Lord
Jesus Christ? Why, it describes Him. It describes Him. Not hard or
harsh, but gentle. Paul said this, he said, I was
gentle among you. You don't have to be rough and
tough in your preaching. He said, I was gentle among you
like a nurse cherishes her children. I was gentle among you. Oh, gentle. And listen, this
is a good one. Easy to be entreated. There is no one more easy to
be entreated than the Lord Jesus Christ. He welcomed sinners into
His presence. Why eateth your master with publicans
and sinners? Why does He do this? They felt
comfortable with Him. Sinners, publicans, harlots felt
comfortable in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. It was
the self-righteous that felt uncomfortable. They were the
ones that didn't want Him around. They felt uncomfortable, but
not sinners. Easy to be treated. Ready to
listen. Ready to listen. No one is more
ready to listen to your cries than the Lord Jesus Christ. What does He say? Cast your cares
upon Me. Cast your cares upon Him for
He careth for you. Let all your cares be known to
Him. Ready to listen. And we are to be the same way,
ready to listen, ready to forgive as you have been forgiven by
Him. How many times have you asked
the Lord for forgiveness? How many times? It can't count. And He's done it every time.
You're here, aren't you? He's done it every time. And
ready to come back. Ready to come back. Open arms. You remember the father
who received that prodigal? Didn't even bring up what he
did. Didn't even bring up how he wasted all his living. You
scoundrel, you! I gave you that money, your inheritance
early and you're broke! Dummy. He never brings it up. He never brings up how dumb I
am. Ready to forgive, ready to receive, ready to listen. Never was one so ready to listen
to his children as our Lord to his children. And then listen, full of mercy
and good fruits. Does the Scripture not say he
delights to show mercy? He delights to show mercy. Gracious, generous, and his people
are the same way. I wrote Henry a letter about
this church and buying this building, and I told him what was given,
and he wrote back and said, the Lord's people are generous. Generous. Ready to help others. Regardless of that person's position,
they're ready to help. It's just in them. Because he's
in them. You see why James said, my brethren,
salt water and fresh water can't come from the same fountain because
they're two different fountains here. It just can't happen. If it's
a salty fountain, that's what it is. If it's a clean fountain,
that's what it is. And that's what it produces.
If a man is born of God, his life, his conversation, the tenor
of it is going to be gracious. If it's not, it's going to be,
it'll be everything else but that. Everything. And then it says here, without
partiality. The Scripture says he's no respecter of persons. Without partiality. Our Lord saves the rich and the
poor. He saves men of all races, of
all social standings. Our Lord does that. Without partiality. I'm sure glad he does that. And
then without hypocrisy. It's real. The love of Christ is real. The
mercy of Christ is real. The grace of Christ is real.
Forgiveness is real. His righteousness is real. His
pardon is real. His blood is real. It's real. And everyone whom He saves are
real. Their love to one another is
genuine. Their love to God is genuine. It's real. It can't be anything else but
that. It's real. Without hypocrisy. Where there is a real work of
grace, you will find real kindness, Real gentleness and real love. That's what you'll find. And
the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make
peace. We reap what we sow. Oh, to God, we would learn this
real quick. We reap what we sow. And where
the fruit of righteousness is sown, people are going to enjoy
the fruit of the Spirit. Love, joy, peace. Kindness, they're
going to enjoy these things. We will enjoy these things among
ourselves. I pray, I do, I pray that God
will give us more of this wisdom as from above. More of Christ,
more of Christ. Once I saw more of Jesus would
I know? that you know. Maybe we can sing
it if we can find it. All right.