James Week 5

Sermon Transcript:

All right, well, we're in the book of James. And we have been in the book of James in this series. And we've talked about this before we, we can go, verse by verse, paragraph by paragraph. And it really kind of helps us to understand the whole message of a book. And last week, we really got to the heart of a book, like the book of James, where he talks about faith without works is dead. So it's that whole idea that if you feel like man, I got faith in God, I got faith in Jesus. But it doesn't lead to anything. You're only fooling yourself because real faith, real saving faith leads to loving others, it leads to action. This week, we're going to talk about the tongue in the whole idea that we need to control our tongue because even though it's such a small device, on our beings on our body, it has the power for good or for ill. And so one of the things I would just say right from the beginning is faith speaks, Faith speaks. And just that whole idea that the way you and I are here today, and we find ourselves believers or people who are curious about the things of God, we are that way, because someone spoke to us, someone gave the Word of God to us, even if it was through the Bible, it was still spoken to us. And we should not be surprised, because if you go all the way back to the beginning of creation, you look at Genesis, chapters one through three, you'll see a lot of speaking goes on and who speaks the world into being God Himself. God speaks, he says, Let us make man and woman in our own image. And so that's the whole idea of this. This Trinitarian fellowship, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit speaks, people, humans all of creation in to baying, we also can continue on into the book of Genesis when we say that, how did Adam and Eve know who God was, because he walked with him in the garden and spoke the word of God to them? Well, let's get right into it this morning, James chapter three, beginning in verse one says this, dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach you will be judged more strictly, indeed, we all make many mistakes, for if we could control our tongues, we will be perfect, and can also control ourselves in every other way. Right from the get go, it's a warning to those of us who open up the Word of God and we teach, we communicate, we preach that we have to understand that these are words, and that who we are and how we speak and how we embody the things of God or of Christ matter. And so right from the get go, we understand that if we could control our words, everything else, we say we want would fall in line, we understand right from the beginning, that those of us who are communicators, who are teachers, we have a responsibility. One of the things that people have been talking about or thinking about in recent days is just the impact of AI, artificial intelligence. And, you know, it really comes down to even people like me, where you think, Well, you have a job out of communicating. And right now, there are apps that you could speak into your phone, certain ideas, or subjects and AI would speak out a paper or he would type out some sort of talk that you could give, or it would give that talk for you. So we have to ask ourselves, okay, is this where the future is heading where, where artificial intelligence or robots will deliver a message better than any physical human communicator? Well, I don't think so. Because what COVID taught us is that no matter how much someone wants to tell us, all we need is basic needs downloaded to us. We know that's not enough. Because remember what happened during COVID We were taught and told you'll be okay. Just go inside your home. Have someone deliver your food to you, and they'll come with a mask on ring doorbell and run real quick. Don't worry, we will download entertainment or information to you through some sort of screen. Don't worry, you already have direct deposit set up on your bank account will deposit for you the government will will stimulate that with stimulus checks all these good things. And guess what it told us? It told us it wasn't enough that we actually needed human interaction. We actually needed to know one another and be known we should not be surprised. That's what happens when we're created in the image of God. So I think what it does artificial intelligence what it does is it takes people like me and others who are given the task of communicating God's word, that it doesn't just matter that it goes out and maybe sounds good on YouTube, but it matters what kind of human I am. Who am I? When the lights aren't on Who am I how do I speak? How do I interact all sage onstage? Who am I in terms of my home? embodiment. And I think that's a good thing. Because one of the things that we learn in the book of James is that if any of us could just learn to control our tongue, we'd be perfect. You can control ourselves in every other way. That leads to our first point. And what our second point, I guess, this morning, if we could control our words, everything else we say we want would fall into line, this becomes important because if you remember, last week, when we were talking about what God was doing in our hearts, and in our lives as individuals, or maybe as families, we submit, we want deep roots, we want to be a family, we want to change the lineage of our heritage, oftentimes, or continue on maybe that tradition of the Christian faith. And so we want our roots to go deep, we want our branches to be wide, we want what birds come in this just that whole idea that we want to be a cool breeze to others, we want to create shade, and sanctuary and shelter for those under our care. But one of the things that we are learning this morning is that if we could get our words in line, everything else we say we want would fall into line. So that means that we come with all kinds of thoughts and expectations and burdens into this room and online this morning, whether it's concerned about finances or relationship, or something at work, or whatever's going on. And what we're saying is if we can get this right, some of those other issues that will help us to be deep rooted in the things of God will come into line. Verse three, continue on in this chapter says this, we can make a large horse go wherever we want, by means of a small bit in its mouth. So unique day here live church, I don't know if you saw it when you came in, because I don't know what building you came in at. But if you made your way on over to the children's wing, you should have maybe seen a horse that was walking kids around. Now that's just fun for the kids. And that's part of the reason why we maybe have it on a day like today. But more importantly, I want us to see have a visual to be reminded of a passage like this, because think about what this passage is saying. It's saying that that little bit that's in the horse's mouth, that that man is out there cowboys out there controlling with a with a bridle, that that is able to control that horse, keep your children and my children safe when they go on that ride. Or if you were to ride it yourself and you had the reins, that you could control that entire horse by what that bit in the mouth is probably no wider than this. And we understand that that's probably about 1/30 of the size of the entire horse, something very, very small, controlling something very, very huge. So we do something like this on a day like this, because I want us to remember whether it's months from now years from now, I remember the fact that we had a horse on campus, I could have easily just kind of brought a rain up here and had a bit and bridle, I get that. But to just heighten that illustration and sink it into our minds and hearts how important this is to control the tongue or understand the tongue for good or for ill, we brought in a horse and course it's fun for the kids. But it's also to be reminded as adults and people young and old, what our tongue is capable of. Also, though, there's not only an illustration here of a horse and a bit and a bridle, but it says this, and a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go. Even though the winds are strong. In the same way the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. And so you know, we've talked about the illustration, we have a horse here on campus, why not bring a boat in? Okay, so this is, you know, for all the little kids and big kids and you and me, went to my local Cabela's and got myself a Bass Pro Shop boat here, okay, and so I think they're gonna bring a camera out, and maybe kind of zoom in on some of this so that we can see exactly what's going on here. Because again, we see in the passage, what's controlling this boat ship and every other boat and ship that we ever get on or see in the water. And so what we see here is I'm gonna maybe go like this so we can see. And again, you say, Well, I know that there's the propeller, right? So we don't have wind anymore. We don't have a sailboat, we you can sail in certain parts of the country. I get that. But most of the time we have a propeller. That's what's moving that boat forward, but well guess what's causing it to go side to side? It's that little router can help zoom in on that. Where do you only place that so you can zoom in on that? They told me to hang up just like always see it? He says pastor This isn't that neat? I'm I'm not 12 This is fun stuff. This is great, right? You don't get this down the road you get this right here live charts, right? I've

said that before nobody else bringing the boat out. Okay. And so what's going on here is that we are reminded, I want us to have a visual this morning because this passage is that important for us to see that this runner that again, it's just like the bit, probably 1/30 of the size of the whole boat can control the whole thing. And because we have take the illustration to its far this level. We're gonna put it in a little bowl right here. We're gonna run around They say why do you want to do this pastor? I think I got the illustration. Listen, if we can teach squirrels to get ski off of one of these and put it up on YouTube, we can do this in church. Right? And so here we are got a little motorboat going in and around. Of course, he gets stuck on the side, because oh, I go reverse. Oh, this is nice. Give her kids and come here afterwards and play with it young and old. But yes, why do we do this because we want to be reminded, we want to remember that, yes, that small little rudder, that small little thing has the capacity has the capability of turning and guiding something much bigger is these are neutral illustrations. What I mean by that, both the idea of the horse and the boat, those are just true. It's not really saying anything for good or ill at this moment, we're gonna get into that into the next passage. But one of the things we're just seeing is it's a reality. A lot of times in the Bible, what I love is there are principles in God's Word that are in truth and in scriptures, even if we're not believers yet. So this principle of a rudder, steering a ship or a bit and bridle steering a horse is just true, whether you're, you know, in the room, and you're a non believer, or whatever, Buddhists or whatever, anywhere around the world, it's a true principle. It's just like the principle that Jesus gave, when he said, wherever your heart is that your treasure will be also Wherever your treasure is there, your heart will be awesome. It's the same concept. It's just true, we can figure it out by looking at your checkbook, what you and I value, it is true like this, that our tongue, again, whatever culture or background you come from, is going to dictate a lot of things or in some ways, everything in you your life and in mind. So the passage continues on though, how does it go? How does it continue to go in James chapter three, it says this right here. It says that, but a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire is a whole world of wickedness corrupting your entire body, it can set your whole life on fire, free to set on fire by Hal itself. Hey, now it's getting serious. It was all fun before you're talking about horses and driving little boats around I got that. Why are we now taking this shift and talking about hell? Well, that's what's going on here in the in the Scriptures. And I think there's a reason why James wants to go there. And I want to help us as we walk through this, because one of the things that I've learned about speech is that you're able to see the destruction, the Havoc the wreckage, that your speech and my speech causes. A lot of times before you know the source, what I mean by that, that you and I can walk into homes, we can walk into families, sometimes individuals, we can walk into organizations, corporations, units that are at work in play here in this city. And we can know something's off, right? We sometimes call those what toxic environments. This is a place where unholy speech goes on, or dysfunctional speech. And what I'm trying to say is a lot of times when we walk into those places, you and I, we see the wreckage, we see the carnage and relationships, we see how people are bickering and fighting and fighting, and we can almost smell it in the air. But we don't necessarily know the origin. Yeah, but what the Scriptures are teaching us as somebody, somebody's got real loose, and even evil and demonic with their tongue. In order to cause this sort of wreckage in an individual, in a home or in an organization. One of the things we have to come to grips with is that the world is not neutral towards the things of God. often say that church a lot of times is us as communicators, having to tell you the bad news and the good news. Here's the bad news. The world is that nature. You and I were born in what Genesis calls the original sin was an idea that we get there's a doctrine that comes out of Genesis, but it's that whole idea that that because of Adam and Eve decision, you and I are now born with a propensity towards self selfishness sin, then what happens? Bad news is that there comes a time when you and I understand what God has for us, what our parents with those in authority have force for our good and we choose self sin. Anyways. So we're doubly condemned is what the Bible says, we have a bent towards wickedness, a bent towards self. The good news is God comes along and he saves us and Christians and Christianity once we are believers, what happens in society is that we act as a preserver and a protector of life. We're the Bringers the bearers of life of light itself. That's why Jesus is very clearly saying that we're to be salt and light in the world, that we find ourselves sometimes in settings where like, I think I'm the at the odd man or the odd woman out it's like, why because because I'm encouraging because I care if this if this report happens at work, I care How my soldier across me feels and how they're processing until it what why is that because you're human and because God's working on your heart and he's teaching you to engage. And he's teaching you that this mouth this will can where it cannot just be for for ill and destruction and toxicity and all that kind of stuff. But it can be for life, it can be for good. But we think our careless words are no big deal. That's a lot of times what ends up happening is that we would say, Well, Pastor, I don't think I'm vindictive, I think I mean, I think I'm doing okay, I think I'm getting along, going along and getting along. And so that's another thing that the scriptures, though, want us to understand, I want to draw my third kind of final visual illustration this morning. And that is that we see in the scriptures is that again, our words are a big deal, has the power for life. And now these things were talks about? Hell, and all these kinds of things. And you can also be very, very, very dark and destructive to those around us. So how does this work? What are you talking about pastor? Well, these little small little statements, they add up. So when you and I, when we're just, you know, spouting off at work, and we feel like okay, well, I'm just, I'm just downgrading my balls, I'm just, just telling, I'm just telling it like, it is just telling others how I feel, and all these kinds of things. Or you're just trying to, you know, let your kids have it. Your mom and dad let you have it. So it's good enough for you, you turned out all right. Why not let them have it, they're, they're annoying you or they're not doing what you say, or, you know, you have a spouse and they're not giving you the respect, you feel like you deserve. And so you start spouting off and and saying things about them to to them or to others. And what we find ourselves with is a house that is not doing very well that's not healthy. It can be this individually, we talk about our own hearts this way we can talk about what our families this way we talk about our organizations this way. And what it says is it says a little spark. Or hold on, we gotta go fine. But what do we see here? That a little spark or a little flame? What ends up happening is so small, it's just like the rudder. It's just like the the bed and the bridle that all of a sudden it's consuming and it consumes our house. It consumes our our individual house, it consumes our family life, it consumes our work life. But what happens though, it doesn't always have to just be destruction and the fires of hell that come over. We have what we have Jesus Himself, who can come and what he can put out the fire he say, no, no, no, this

has been going on too long. Too many generations, been too long and feeling this way. And being this way. This is all we know, saying No, Jesus can come along, and he can put out that fire. That toxic environment that that loathing that you and I do that just shut up carelessness was our words, he can come along and he can put out the fire and soothe our very souls. He can come in and put out the fire of just rage and domineering and backbiting and fighting that goes on in our homes and even our organizations, right? So he can do that. And the great thing about Christianity, what we're saying is that God, he makes all things new. He can give us a new house. That's why when Jesus says, Listen, I'm not lying to you, folks. If I go, I go to prepare a place for you. And that's what he means when he talked about the fact that you and I, we can change our generational patterns, we can be set on a new path. And you say, wait a second pastor, you set that whole house on fire? Wasn't that little excessive? Wasn't that a little bit much? Well, no, because what goes on here is that we have to realize that the harshness that's going on when we are devouring one another, it's demonic. That's why the connection is made to hell here and you're gonna see later on the book of James, what's the source of fighting and quarrels among you and me? Because what did we learn all the way back in the garden, the Garden of Eden, that we learned that there was another voice going on in that garden wasn't there, the serpent comes in, and also speaks speaks into the ear of Adam and Eve. And so all that we can do is throw ourselves at the feet of Jesus because he can give us a new house. How, what's going on here? Well, let's continue on in the text. We're kind of done with our sort of visual illustrations, but he's gonna keep pushing some of these things further and further. Because one of the things we're learning is that such a small thing, such a small thing, whether it's a spark, whether it's a rudder, whether it's a bit If it has the power for good or for destruction has the power for go ahead and there's a slide that maybe says that such a small thing has the power for good or destruction so important for us to think about this morning. Alright, last Lopez, we're gonna look at verses seven and falling says this, people can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, fish, but no one containing the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father and sometimes it curses those who have been made white in the image of God. That's why it's so destructive when we talk bad or talk down to anyone, whether they're in our household or at work because their image bearers and so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. It's a dichotomy that literally makes no sense in the heart and the mind of God unless little phrase there. Next passage, Exelon came pouring out of the same mouth. Surely this is not right. My brothers and sisters, does the spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water. Does the fig tree produce olives are great bombardiers figs? No. And you can draw fresh water from a salty spring is that same concept that we saw last week? This spiritual concept and again this feels like weight sometimes like oh eight pastor it this is it. If you struggle with your tongue in your interaction with your own family and your own workplace, what hope is there for any of us. And then when I hear this, it says no one containment that we've attained all the animals or no hope in taming the tongue? Well, James wants us to understand a spiritual concept that Jesus told us about as well. If we look in the book of Mark, that's also repeated a Matthew, Jesus talks to the crowd. And he says All of you come here and listen, this is Mark chapter seven, beginning of verse 14, Jesus has tried to understand what goes into your body would go it's not what goes into your body that defiles you your device, but what comes from your heart. When you see in the scriptures, this whole idea of heart, it's that sort of this that sort of mechanism is the inner being and the interest is the true us. That's what's going to defile us, okay? Because you hear all these sort of outward things. Tongue works, anything, okay? Is that what the point of this Bible in this scripture is? No, because what is Jesus saying here? He's saying, it's about the heart. He goes on. When they get away from the crowd, his disciples ask him, What is this parable mean? He says, Don't you understand it? He says, Jesus says, Can't you say that the food that passes in your body can't defile you. Food doesn't go into your heart. It only passes through your stomach, and then goes into the sewer. By saying this, he declared that every kind of food is acceptable in God's eyes. And then he added, it's what comes from inside that defiles you and me this is the important part. For from within, out of a person's heart come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and utter foolishness for these vile things come from within, and they are what defile us. Now, how does? How do we know? How do we know what the heart is thinking? It's when it expresses itself with what the tongue that's what James is saying. And so you and I, what we oftentimes think is, okay, I'm gonna figure this out. We almost think of it like, Okay, I'm gonna really grin and bear it and try not to blow up anymore. Try not to burst out in anger, or trying to let them have it in that way, or say those things to my loved one or those people at work. And what will happen is, will fail because what he's saying is, is we must be perfect, you remember the you remember the passage at the very beginning, that you must be perfect. If you can get your tongue perfect, you get your whole body in line in Jesus repeat the same thing. He says, You must be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect. And like, whoa, what's going on here is to show our need for Christ is to show our need that we can't be perfect. And so therefore, we need someone from the outside to come in to save us to redeem us to give us a new heart. And then we transferred from the inside out, because all of us has been there when we tried to grin and bear it to get over something, right. And we try to get over whatever it is, you know, a sexual addiction or an eating addiction or an alcohol or gambling addiction, or whatever it is that we know is vices. And so what happens is, is that we we can never grin and bear it enough to where we get over it because something has to happen to our heart doesn't long for that anymore doesn't want that anymore. Because why? Because we've been given a new heart, and we have new desires. Last and final point, we need a new heart or a renewed heart. In the book of Ezekiel, it says that for God's people that there will come a day and we believe that day is when Christ came and made a way to get back to God. That there will come a day when God takes out our Hearts of Stone. Think about that. Think about that. When when you and I run across a lot of times we just run across the destruction sometimes we actually Not across the words, I get it. But a lot of times we just run across the destruction. When you and I run across the destruction, we need to think hard hearts are in my midst. I'm up against something that is worldly, not of this world. Right? So maybe demonic influences, but just straight up worldliness and sinfulness and the people among us. And so what ends up happening is we understand that we've run up against heart hearts. Sometimes we realize that the hard heart is me. There's a problem here, and it's me, right? you've ever been there before, where you've maybe come to conclusions at work, or somebody helped you come to that conclusion at work, they brought you in for a one on one meeting, and there's a toxic environment. And guess what we found out what the source was, it was you, right? You may ever had those kinds of meetings with HR or your boss or otherwise. And we understand that sometimes somebody's got a hard heart, and it's me. So one of the things that we see from the scriptures is that God to the promise of Ezekiel and that we see realized in the New Testament with the life death and burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, He takes out a hearthstone gives us a heart of flesh. So all of a sudden, they have new desires, new cares, new ones. And God Himself has done it. Now, that's true for some people in this room, who maybe are considering the claims of Christ, but the other is true. So if we look at this last point of application, either the top one's true, or the bottom one's true, we need a renewed heart. Sometimes we talk about, you know, our first love or we understand that man, God, renew my heart, renew my mind, to come back to the things of you are to be drawn to things you to love, what you love, to hate what you hate, to be near, drawn nearer to the Father, and He will draw near to you. And that's what we need. That's what we want. And that's what God holds out for us. All these little things that we did all these little illustrations, whether it's the horse out there, or, or the boat and the rudder, or the fire in the house, it was all pointing to a greater reality that God has come to redeem us body and soul. And that includes the tongue. And I know that this is so hard for many of us to actually believe and understand, because of how much destruction we'd be there cause or how much destruction has been caused to us, or how long we've been in this habit, because of family of origin or generational sin, I get that. But God has come to redeem all of that. He's going to give us a new heart, a new house, whether it's our own individual house, whether it's our household that we are in charge over or whether it's our place of work or environment, he'll do it. That's what we're gonna pray. I'm gonna pray here in a minute band's gonna come up. And we're gonna pray and ask God wherever at God give me to get my hardest, don't give me a heart of flesh or God, renew my heart and my spirit this day. Let's pray. Father, we thank you so much for Your Word.

We thank you that you have worked on our hearts, you are working on our hearts, to bring about the salvation of many people that you choose us, that you indwell us to be representatives to speak, to speak this words of faith and hope. As a father, I speak this out over anyone within the sound of my voice, whether it's digital afterwards, digital right now or in this room, there's hope. There's hope. I don't care how long you've been in this rut or been in the cycle or who did what you are, how long it's been going on, that you offer out hope. I pray that you give many a new heart in this room today, and that you renew many, many hearts this day. And we ask this in Christ's name. Amen.