PRACTICAL CHRISTIANITY
JAMES 3
THE SATURDAY TONGUE
If you traveled to England, took a drive in the country side outside of London you would pass old farmhouses, quaint old churches and there on a lonely, windswept hillside you would find a small, un-kept little cemetery. If you take time to get out of the car and walk through this garden of stones you will come upon a small headstone. The words on this stone have almost been erased by the cold, damp English winds. But if you look closely you will come upon the grave of Mary Ellen Young. Mary Ellen lived a long life. While living there among the little farm houses and villages of that area Mary Ellen developed a reputation of an awful gossip. Her words had cut and hurt many a man and woman of her community. So when she died this verse was placed on her head stone.
“Beneath this stone, a lump of clay
Lies Mary Ellen Young
Who on the 21st of May
Begin to hold her tongue”
What a fitting epitaph for a woman who could not control her words. I wonder if people were to write truthful statements on tombstones today, what would be on my stone. Lord, I think it is a good thing that I won’t be around to read what people write on my stone. It might hurt my feelings.
THE TEACHER AND THE TONGUE: VERSE 1: James begins his discourse with a warning to teachers. As a leader, teacher or as James calls it in the KJV, a master, you have a greater goal, a greater task and a greater responsibility. A leader is responsible for being in control of not only what they do and say but the instructions they give to their followers.
Their statements, their instruction, their expressed ideas not only reflect their heart but also serve to Influence the hearts and minds of their students and followers.
John Calvin, the great preacher and the leader of the Calvinistic movement often preached at the Geneva Church. Like most great cathedral like churches of that time there was a long stairway or ladder if you will that led to the pulpit. Calvin once said that it would be better for him to fall from the ladder and break his neck than to preach or teach a truth without first applying that truth to his own life.
We would think it foolishness for a doctor to neglect his health or a banker to not be able to balance his check book or a law enforcement officer to break the law. How much more foolish and harmful for a preacher or teacher of the Word of God to expound what he does not experience.
In the time in history when James was writing this letter, people wanted to be considered educated, learned and wise. They would pride themselves in the fact that men would call them “Rabbi” or teacher. To help a rabbi carry his load, to bring a rabbi water, to do anything for a rabbi was a noble task. Men would go to great lengths in order to marry the daughter of a rabbi. So you can see why at least in that time men wanted to be considered teachers.
But James warns against this. He cautions his readers not to strive to be a teacher because when they assume the position of a teacher or a leader the will be held to a higher standard.
In today’s society, preachers, teachers, certainly parents and all LEADERS must be vigilant in what they teach and how they live their lives. They must live a life under control. They must be controlled in all areas but as we will see in the following verses especially in the area of the “tongue”.
VERSE 2 and following: James continues to say that one of the main areas in which leaders are required to be responsible is in the area of our speech, or as James puts it, “the tongue”.
Now in our modern, educated world we understand that the tongue is nothing more than a simple muscle in our body. It is controlled by the voluntary and involuntary nervous system. In other words, if I asked you to stick out your tongue you could control it and either stick it out or keep it in, which ever you choose.
On the other hand, the tongue does a lot that we don’t realize involuntarily. When we swallow, the tongue directs the food or liquid through the pharynx and down to the esophagus. We don’t really have to think about that or work at it, it just happens. Also when we breathe the tongue remains out of the way and does not fall back into the trachea thus blocking our airway. We don’t have to think about that, it just happens involuntarily.
If we could take the tongue out and look at it we would see that it is attached to the lower jaw. But we would also notice that no where would we be able to find a connection between the tongue and the heart.
James would have drawn a little bit different illustration of the tongue. His might have looked like this. He would have somehow connected the tongue to the heart with a chain, a rope, or some sort of connecting device.
He goes on to explain how small the tongue is and the influence that your tongue can have by giving a few examples.
1. I have here a bit used on a bridle to control a horse. A bit is small in size compared to the large horse but properly placed the bit can cause that large horse to turn around on a dime.
2. I also have here a ships wheel. It is attached to the rudder of the ship and is used to control the ship. The rudder again is very small in comparison to the entire ship and yet by turning the ship’s wheel and thus turning the rudder by just a small amount the entire course of the vessel can be changed.
James tells us the tongue can alter the course of human actions and events. Consider the words of these men and the effect they had on those who followed them.
JOSHUA: Can you imagine how you would have felt, standing there with Joshua that day? The Children of Israel had spent 40 years wondering around in the desert. They had experienced hard time and bad times. They had lost Moses their commander and leader. They had crossed the Jordan with Joshua their new leader and watched as Jericho had fallen without firing a shot. They had victories and defeats and Joshua was now challenging them to make a choice. I can see leathery, wrinkled face as he looked out over the mass of people. “Choose you this day who you will serve”, he cries out with a strong voice “but for me and my house we will serve the Lord.” What strength and determination he must have instilled in those weary wonderers. With his words, with his tongue he brought strength and courage to his people.
WILLIAM TRAVIS: His life had not been an easy one or a spotless one. Travis had had his ups and downs too. He had been a military man most of his life. Born in Virginia, moved to Alabama, now given the unglamorous job of commanding a small Mexican mission in the territory called Texas. Things were turning sour. The Mexican army, lead by Santa Anna was upon him. His small group of volunteers was out numbered, out gunned and overwhelmed. Their defeat was immanent. But he stood there in the court yard of that little fort called the Alamo that day and took his sword and drew a line in the sand. “You can go” he said, “and no one will think less of you. But I am going to stay and fight. If you will fight with me, step across the line”. What bravery, what leadership, how his words challenged and invigorated those volunteers. Years later we still remember their courage, their stand and we remember The Alamo.
JOHN F. KENNEDY: John Kennedy is not one of my favorite historical figures. I was raised in the South in a Christian family. John Kennedy was raised in the North in a Catholic family. He stood for a lot of things that I did not like. He did a lot of things I did not approve of. But as a speaker and a motivator, he was one of the best.
The date was Friday January 20th 1961. In Washington D.C. John Kennedy stood to be sworn in as the youngest man to ever serve as President of the United States and the first Catholic to ever serve as President. His inaugural address only lasted 13 minutes and 59 seconds, which included pauses for applause from the crowd. And yet the words that he spoke that day still ring in the ears of old and young alike. They motivated the masses to get to work and make things happen. “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for you country”.
Wise words, inspirational words, positive words, words spoken at the right time and place that influenced the actions of men and women. We simply do not realize the importance of positive, well meant, well directed, and well timed words.
But James understood. Undoubtedly he had read the words of the writer of Proverbs where he wrote in Proverbs 25:11“A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pitchers of silver”.
I don’t think that encourages excessive words. I don’t believe it promotes words for words sake. But says much about words, directed by the wisdom from God, and dispatched with love for the people who hear it.
But James also knew the flip side of this issue. He tells of words that are full of hate and harm that can cause very negative actions by men.
He compared these words to a tiny spark dropped at the proper time and in the proper place, under the right conditions, one little spark that can result in the destruction of mighty forest, homes and entire communities.
Smokey Bear warns that “Only you can prevent forest fires”. He makes the point that a little indiscretion can lead to a lot of UN-CONTROL. Smokey warns you to be in control of what you do concerning fire.
James would have liked to said that concerning the tongue but he couldn’t. James says “You can’t control your tongue”.
You and I didn’t really need James to tell us that did we? We knew it already whether we were willing to admit it or not. Listen to a little of the explanation that James gives:
· With the tongue “we bless God The Father and curse men who are made like The Father”
· Out of the same mouth proceeds blessings and cursing”
The general public sees our Christians tongues like this:
· On Sunday we are clothed in our Sunday cloths and wearing our Sunday faces. We are in our Sunday places using our Sunday phrases. With our Sunday tongues we speak words and phrases like, Hallelujah, Praise The Lord, and Amen.
· But on Monday we are wearing our Monday cloths and our Monday tongue is yelling at little old ladies who pull out in front of us on the street.
· On Tuesday our Tuesday tongue talks to the clerk at the store about our brother or sister at the church. We tell them all the facts and if we are short a few, our Tuesday tongue can make up some to fill the gaps.
· Our Wednesday tongue will try to be a little more in control; after all we are supposed to attend Bible study on this night (if we can’t find some sort of excuse). So with our Wednesday tongue we try to sing a hymn or a nice praise and worship song we heard. But before the day is over we let slip a few bad words we heard on the radio or TV.
· On Thursday we are already worn down by the busy week. We just want to make it to the weekend. So our Thursday tongue chooses to speak those little “white lies” just to get us by.
· And then there is Friday we are ready to party. The weekend is upon us and we can rest, relax and have a good time. Our minds get loose and our tongue follows. We speak with a Friday tongue.
You see where I’m going don’t you? By the time Saturday night gets here you would have to have a program to tell the Christians from the lions, the Saints from the sinners. There is no telling what the Saturday tongue will say. There is no telling how much harm the Saturday tongue can do. James says “these things ought not to be”.
But after all that caution and all that warning James the half brother of Jesus says “You can’t control your tongue”.
I want to lay out three conditions for you tonight. I want to show you three places where a man or woman can find themselves spiritually. I ask you to look at them PRACTICALLY and see where you are standing. Because it is only when you can see where you are standing will you be able to know the direction that will take you where you want to go.
LOCATION/ CONDITION NUMBER 1:
The unsaved/ sinner:
Paul tells us in Romans 3:23 that “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God”. If you are a human being, if you were born on planet earth, if you have a heart, soul and mind, YOU HAVE SINNED. And you didn’t need Paul or me to tell you that either.
Paul goes on to say that “THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH”. Oh he doesn’t mean physical death which we all will face someday, but instead spiritual death. Understand that this is not a punishment that some big, mean, all powerful God is inflicting on you but it is a Holy, righteous, loving Father paying you the wages for which you have worked. By your actions and attitudes you have earned the death penalty.
For this person, control is non-existent. He/she does whatever feels good. He obeys self and self only.
His tongue is loose cannon spewing fiery cannon balls in whichever direction he turns.
LOCATION/CONDITION NUMBER 2:
Forgiven/ Christian:
When a man or woman realizes by the convicting power of the Holy Spirit that they are in position number one, and takes steps to remove themselves from that position by obeying the Word of God, they become a Christian. It is as simple as “God I realize that I have sinned against you and that you gave your Son Jesus as a sacrifice for my sins. I know it’s my fault and I take full responsibility for my actions but I cry out to you and ask you to forgive me” God has told us through Paul that “if we confess our sins He (God) is faithful and just to forgive our sins”. Our job is to believe that and follow Jesus.
But am I in His control now? I mean completely?
As we discussed a few weeks ago there remains a controller, a ruler, a king on the throne of your heart. Someone is sitting on your throne and someone is controlling what you do and say, someone is pulling the strings of the puppet. That someone is usually YOU. You are experiencing that up and down “roller coaster ride” And until, again by the conviction of the Holy Spirit, you realize that “you” have to come down off that throne and ask God to sit in rule over your soul, you will continue to experience that “up and down”,”back and forth” experience where you are in God’s will one day and 100 miles away the next.
LOCATION/ CONDITION NUMBER 3: Here again is where a simple act of asking and faith will get you where you want to be. “Lord, my Savior, my Forgiver, I want you to be my King. I want you to have complete control of me. I want more than just to recognize you as my God. I want you to be my Controller, my Lord”
And you know what God has already said don’t you? “If you then being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, HOW MUCH MORE will your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him”.
I can’t save myself. I can’t do anything that will cause me to be guiltless. All I can do is ask. Neither can I perform any act that will make my heart clean and in God’s control. All I can do is ask. But in that asking, I have done exactly what God wanted me to do in the first place. I have recognized His Lordship and surrendered myself to Him and HE WILL MAKE ME CHRIST-LIKE.
I have been a Christian longer than most of you have been wearing “big-boy” britches but as I sit behind my desk and type these words I feel the unexplainable grace of God just fill my heart. I hear Him say, “Let me handle it. I know best. Give it all to me and I’ll lead you home”.
Until we come to that place, until we reach that condition James’ statement will be right, we will never be able to control the tongue. But when we reach Condition number 3, listen to this, in verse 1718:
We get…”the wisdom that is from above” it is “first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere”.
Is that the kind of people we need in our church?
Listen again from another translation. “But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere”. (New Living Translation)
That’s where I want to be. That’s where God, “The Controller” can cause my tongue to do whatever He wants it to do and say whatever He wants it to say. He can attach my Saturday tongue to a Sunday heart. So James I might just agree with you, “no man can control the tongue”…but God can and He will when we allow Him to do so. I hope that’s where you want to be.
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