Momentum – Week 8 – Flaming Words

Passage:

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 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. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 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. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.” (James 3:1-5)

Prayer:

Intro:

Our words can be SO POWERFUL –

Not only do our words have the ability to build up – heal – and bring life – but Our words can tear – rip – detonate – and turn people into rubble.

our tongues our mouths are powerful –

As we enter the third chapter of James – that is exactly he addresses.

He talks about the importance and the power of our words.

James uses word pictures here to illustrate what the tongue is like –
- He says the tongue is like a bit mouth of the horse – while that horse moves on its own legs – where the bit turns – makes the horse follow in its path.

- He says the tongue is like a rudder on a giant ship – while that ship is moved by wind – the rudder decides where it is going to go

He says our tongues may be small but are these powerful things – just like the rudder on a boat or the bit in the horse – So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.”

Our tongues have these really big effects on people and on the direction they go

Whether you recognize it or not – People listening to you – in fact – your words are like a bit in a horses mouth – or a rudder of a ship that is pointing people in different directions

some towards life – and some toward destruction

That’s why he gives the example here that Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.

Everyone’s words are important – but if you are a teacher – and you are leading people astray – you are going to answer for that.

we have to be careful about how we use our mouths –

“How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 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.

The word hell here is so interesting. The word used he is Gehenna. And this is the word that Jesus often used to describe hell.

- - And what’s interesting is that Gehenna is actually a real world place. When Jesus and James are talking about hell using the word Gehenna – they would have known exactly what Jesus and James were talking about.

Gehenna It was a field outside of Jerusalem call the Valley of Hinnom. in the Old Testament it was the place where the people of Israel would sacrifice their children to the god Molech – and by the time Jesus is talking about it – it’s where everyone dumped all of their garbage – all the waste – and it was always on fire – burning up the garbage in the city – it was full of disease and maggots and this horrific smell –

And this has huge consequences – . The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body,

– or in the another translation – “it affects the whole person”

What is he saying here? He is saying that our words have an effect on those around us – but they also have a huge effect on us – where our words go – our bodies / our hearts / our minds / follow.

See I think a lot of us know that when we say bad things about other people – it tears them down and we sin against them –

but I think we often forget that we are additionally actually further hurting ourselves.

That’s the problem – that’s why our speech matters – because it’s revealing something below the surface.

For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been teamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.”

James says mankind can tame every kind of animal on this planet – but nobody can truly tame the tongue.

He says in the end you get what you are.

a bitter heart – produces bitter words – which cause a greater bitter heart
a heart which puffs itself up – gossips about other people – which leads to greater pride
- we have to get to the root

The purpose of the gospel wasn’t for us to clean up our language or to just stop gossiping –

the purpose of the gospel was to shift the direction of our hearts we can stop tearing at one another – so we can lift each other up and love one another
- as Christ has loved, forgiven and cherished us.

In Ephesians – Paul puts it this way –

²² put off your old self,^[f] which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, ²³and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, ²⁴ put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
- meaning – as these temptations come up –
  - the bitterness
  - the anger
  - the gossip
    - we cast off those things – and embrace how God views people

Momentum – Week 8 – Flaming Words

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