GIST: Though our mouths can condemn and destroy, they were made to praise.
SCRIPTURE: James 3:1-12
This morning, after spending the last two weeks celebrating Easter, we’re returning to our study in James. And we’re coming back to a passage pretty much guaranteed to provide a nice smack in the face for all of us. As James writes this inspired letter to early Christians spread all across the world and facing persecution, he tells them what they really need to face this hardship is true faith! Not just encouragement or motivation, they need real and active faith that changes the way they live their lives. Then, much in the vein of Old Testament wisdom literature or Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, James spends the rest of the letter explaining what that looks like. In much of that, he keeps making references to our tongues because what comes out of our mouths is a reflection of what’s filling our hearts.
The section we’re coming to this morning is where he spends the most amount of time talking about the dangers of the tongue. Maybe the thought of that isn’t as convicting to most of you as it is for me, but I have a feeling knowing this could be enough to tempt many of you to skip this week’s message and watch something else ☺️.
That being said, I’ll baby step us through this and hit the passages as we come to them. So let me give you the gist. Then, I’ll pray and we’ll dive in! Gist: Though our mouths can condemn and destroy, they were made to praise. Let’s walk through that.
I. OUR MOUTHS CAN CONDEMN US (1-5A)
Or rather, our words can reveal why we deserve to be condemned. We’ve talked about this before. Words are a reflection of what’s going on in our hearts. John MacArthur said our tongues are like tattletales. They tell on us and show what’s really going on inside. Look first at verses 1-5a. “1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2 For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. 3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4 Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things…”
Ok, so there is a lot that could be said here, but let me just draw out a few points. First, you’ll notice that this passage was designed specifically to kick me between the teeth, right? ☺️ It starts with→
A Warning To Those Who Teach. This passage has always hit me hard because I spend nearly all of my time teaching. And James has a serious warning about those who, in particular, are thinking about teaching the Bible. He doesn’t say not to do it, but rather that it should be something that is entered into with serious prayer and reflection. It can’t be taken lightly. Really, he gives two reasons for this. First, those who teach are held to a higher expectation. Teaching the Bible is a wonderful and weighty task. I am responsible to God for what I say to you guys, and, frankly, that can be terrifying. Likewise, people tend to expect more from you when you are someone who teaches the Bible. What’s the problem with that? Well, answering that is actually how James bridges into the rest of this section, as we see that this isn’t just about teachers but is a→
A Warning To All Those Who… Have Mouths. First, he points out that not many should be teachers because of the higher judgment put on them. Then, he adds: “oh, and teachers are still fallen humans.” Though the expectations are higher, they are still amongst the “all” who stumble in many ways. That’s when James brings this around to the mouth. To really hammer home the severity of this warning, he says that if anyone can control their mouths (which is the primary tool of every teacher), he’s perfect and everything else in his life will also be under control. Yet, we know that applies to… no one. None of us is perfect, and none of us control our tongues.
Instead, our tongues often control us. Like the rudder on a ship, or a bit in the mouth of a horse, our words control us. They consume our lives and reveal the true nature of our hearts--thus revealing how desperately we need Jesus.
However, more than just reveal the truth of our sinful hearts, our sinful words can wreak havoc in our lives and the lives of those around us. →
II. OUR MOUTHS CAN DESTROY (5B-9)
Look at the verse 5b-9. “5... How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.” Our tongues are→
Small But Mighty… and often a mighty big problem. Continuing with the illustration of small things having a big impact, James compares our words to a small flame that sets an entire forest on fire. Haven’t we witnessed this? How easy is it for carelessly spoken words, or even deliberately spoken ones, to destroy relationships and reputations, to cause pain that doesn’t just “go away”, or to create confusion that leads to doubt? Because our words echo our hearts, by nature they are→
Sin-Staining & Destructive. A tongue that hasn’t been changed by Jesus is actually being directly contrasted with what true religion does in our lives. Back in chapter two, James told us that true religion is pure and undefiled before God because it’s the result of being transformed by Him! Without that change, our words cause destruction wherever they go because they reflect a heart that is consumed by sin. Actually, James uses stronger words here. He says our words are a flame that gets its spark straight from Hell!
This might sound harsh, unless you’ve ever stopped to think about the kinds of words that come out of your mouth and the mouths of those around you. Then, all of the sudden this makes perfect and painful sense. I admitted a few weeks ago, back before quarantine, that these kinds of challenges in James hit me so hard because I know my weakness here. Words have been my life. From the time I was a kid until now, I have spoken and written and sung and thought in exuberance. Words have been used by God to bring me so much joy, and words have been used by me to cause so much hurt. That’s why this next part hits me so hard. James tells us our tongues are→
Untamable. He literally says, “Listen, people can tame any animal. But they cannot tame the tongue.” It can’t be done! Why? Because you cannot make your heart clean all by yourself. Instead, we so often live in the sad paradox of this last example here. Let me just read verse 9 again, “9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.” Does that hit home with anyone? We use the same mouth to praise God and destroy people? Are you like that? Can you put on the good “church voice” and throw around some “amens” and “praise the Lords” and then spend the rest of your week gossipping, or telling dirty jokes, or tearing down your spouse and children, or spreading lies, do you use your words to grumble and complain, or … do I even have to keep going? Do our lips show how hypocritical we really are? See our mouths can condemn us and our mouths can destroy everything, but that’s not what they were made for→
III. BUT OUR MOUTHS WERE MADE FOR PRAISE (10-12)
Look again at verse 9, and then we’ll read to verse 12. “9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.” As we wrap up this toe stomper, let me just make a couple observations. First→
Praise Is The Implied Purpose. It does not actually say our mouths were made for praise. However, this is implicit because one shouldn’t be there at all, and the other should! He uses the example of fruit growing from a vine that shouldn’t be there. So fig trees won’t grow grapes, but it should be growing some figs! So, if cursing people shouldn’t be coming from our lips, then by contrast the blessing of the Lord should be. That’s what our mouths were made to do! And when that happens, it makes all the difference!
So, do you think about the words coming out of your mouth? Are they uplifting? Do they point others to Jesus? Or not? Actually does it seem like there’s another→
Paradox Here? James just told us our tongues can’t be tamed, but now he’s telling us they shouldn’t be untamed? That this ought not to be. We shouldn’t have both blessing and cursing coming from the same mouth. So, how does that work? If it’s natural and untamable, why is it inexcusable? This is→
Inexcusable Because of Grace! You can’t tame your tongue, but Jesus can!
Let’s me just hit a few quick→
TAKEAWAYS
1. Let your mouth be a gauge of your heart. What’s coming out is a direct reflection of what’s in there. If you don’t like what’s coming out, change what’s going in because→
2. Your words need to be surrendered to Jesus. Every day. I need this as much as you. My words can be used to do so much. Who do I want steering this ship? And→
3. Remember, you were made for praise. Blessings and encouragements should be pouring from your lips.
4. Be intentional about using your mouth for that purpose this week. Try to make an intentional game plan. How will you praise God with your mouth this week? How will you use your words to be a blessing to others as you point them to Jesus?
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