"The Hardest Resolution"

It's a new year, and we are ready to move forward as children of God. It is a time of rededication and affirming our faith in action. So what resolution should we put at the top of our list? How about "taming the tongue"?

The Hardest Resolution

(James 3:1-12)

Introduction:

A.  General Robert E. Lee was once asked what he thought of a fellow officer in the Confederate Army; an officer who had made some mean-spirited remarks about him. Lee thought for a moment, then rated him as being very satisfactory. The person who asked the question seemed troubled. “But general, I guess you don’t know what he’s been saying about you.” “Oh yes,” answered Lee. “I know. But I was asked my opinion of him, not his opinion of me.”

B.  Over the next couple of weeks I would like to present some ideas from James that would also make very good resolutions.  I encourage people each year to examine their own life and allow the Holy Spirit to reveal to them areas in which they need to grow.  The next few sections in the letter by James will be common areas of growth.  But I would have to say, the hardest resolution to achieve, is the taming of the tongue.

C.  How easy is it for you, when you get upset, to say something mean to someone or about someone?  How easy is for you to share a secret that you were asked to keep?  How easy is it for you to try and convince someone that your way is the best way to do something?  The truth is, our tongue often gets us into trouble.  The old adage “think before you speak” is sound advice.  My mom use to say, “God gave you two ears and one mouth, I think he intended you to listen twice as much as you talk.”  That may or may not be true, but the idea certainly is true.

D.  Just listen to a few passages about speaking or the tongue:

1.  Matt. 12:34-37

2.  Eph. 5:3-7

I.  Word Can Direct Us and Others

A.  James uses three illustrations in this opening:  In the first two he talks about how a horse can be directed by a small bit put into its mouth and how a great ship in the storm can be directed by small rudder under the boat.

B.  But these illustrations start because of the warning in verse 1.  In the early church many wanted to be a teacher.  In the early church, a teacher was looked upon as a position of importance.  In the church people wanted to be important, so the crowed in, or desired to become a teacher.  If they could stand in front of a class or group of people to preach a sermon it made them feel important, but James say not many of you should become teachers, now watch what happens in this verse.  He changes from “you” to “we.”  For WE who teach shall be judged more strictly.  James puts himself in this group of teachers, and warns himself and others that God listens to every word we say as we stand before the kids and adults.  Why?  Because words affect and direct the very lives of people.

C.  You think your words are not important?  Look at child who has lived with a parent or someone of authority that berates them.  They believe it, and see themselves of little importance.  Now look at a child who has lived with parents or people of authority who encourage them, discipline them, but help them to function in life, and those kids also believe what they hear.  That is why James gives us these illustrations, because children and adults both believe what they hear.  It is why propaganda works, why newspapers and TV commentaries affect an entire voting population, and why Bible class teachers, elders and preachers will be judged more strictly, because we affect lives.

D.  James then uses a third, more chilling illustration of how an entire forest can be destroyed by a small spark.  Now look at vs 6.  You can destroy a person by your words, not just direct them, but destroy them.  Our tongues can be a tool of Satan and as damaging as Hell’s fire upon the earth.  The potential for harm caused by our words is huge.  You don’t have to be a teacher in a church to affect people by your words.  Think of how often the Bible tells us to encourage one another, don’t you think that is because there are so many that discourage us?

E.  My life has been affected by the words of people who had influence on me.  I thought about graduate school one time, but was told that I probably did not have what it took to enter into that level of education.  I believed it and for most of life have never thought my intelligence was equal to most others.  I am not looking for pity, I know I can do what I set my mind too, but words affected me.

II.  Double Tongued

A.  Look at verse 9-12.  James gives us the two extremes that happen with the words that come from our lips.  With our words we come together every Sunday and we worship and praise God.  We sing songs of praise, we share prayers of thanksgiving and petitions, we remember the body and blood of Jesus as someone directs our thoughts with words and through words I help to make God’s word more clear or direct our collective thoughts.  What we do personally and collectively with our words every Sunday is of the highest level we can do with our words.  We bless God.

B.  But how many of us are guilty of leaving this first day of the week praise to God and start using words to gossip, lie, manipulate, degrade, or, James says, “curse men” who are made in the very image of this God we have spent the last hour praising?

C.  Memorize verse 10, “my brother, this should not be.”  The Greek language has this phrase emphatic.  It might better be translated, “surely, church family, this is the sort of thing never ought to happen.”  The point that James is making is that we as Christian should never behave in such a non-Christian manner with our speech.  It would be like a spring bring forth both fresh and salt water at the same time.  That obviously can’t happen, so why would we think that our double-tongued speech is okay with God?  It isn’t.

Conclusion:

A.  Welcome to the New Year.  Are you ready to make your resolution to tame the tongue?  Brethren our words direct and destroy.  Our words show the power of praise, and evil of cursing.  Let us resolve to keep the sin of the tongue far away.  Let us resolve to keep angry words from our lips.  This day is a day is a day of praise and we will not turn into a day of cursing.

B.  If you are need of responding to God’s invitation we want to invite you into our arms of love.  We want to pray with you, be a part of God’s forgiveness or encourage you in some spiritual manner.  If you are desiring to come this day and confess Jesus as Lord then we invite you to come as we stand and sing.