Sunday Night Bible Study, Taming The Tongue James 3:1-12

James 3:1-12 and the Weight of Teaching

Good evening and welcome to Sunday night Bible study with Pastor Josiah Shipley, Witten Baptist Church. Today we're in James chapter 3, continuing our study of the book of James. So without further ado, I'm gonna read James chapter 3, verse 1 through 12.

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. We all stumble in many ways, and if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he's a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.

If we put bits in 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. How great a force 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 is set on fire by hell. Verse 7. For every kind of beast, and bird, and reptile, and sea creature can be tamed. It has been tamed by mankind, but no man, or 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 saltwater? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or grapevines produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.

The Judgment of Teachers and Church Teaching Roles

I call the book of James a spiritual kick in the teeth. He does not hold back. So let's let's go through that and see what James is trying to teach us. First off, not many not many should become teachers my brothers Mu Adelphoi, my brothers.

So he's speaking to Christians and saying not many of you of you should become teachers for you know that we who teach, he's throwing himself in there, will be judged with greater strictness with greater strictness.

That's the idea behind it, or with with harsher judgment. Now, we know that teaching is a role of the church. It's a spiritual gift. It comes in a variety of different applications, you know in Titus chapter 2 we have the older men teaching the younger men.

We have the older women teaching the younger women. Of course, we have parents teaching children. But the primary teacher of the church is supposed to be the pastor, Ephesians 4 .11. He's also supposed to teach others how to teach also, see 2 Timothy 2 .2.

But not many of us should become teachers, meaning as a role in the church, not just the different tasks that we all have to teach. So in one sense, we're all teachers, but as far as a role in the church.

Not many should become in that role a teacher of the church because so not many, because those who teach will be judged with greater strictness. Now, of course, greater judgment. This is not talking about the great white throne judgment of Revelation 20.

This is a judgment on what you did with gifts, skills, and talents in time God gave you. The Bible isn't explicitly clear about this, but there does appear to be greater and lesser rewards in heaven, just like there's greater judgments in hell.

Now, whatever exactly that looks like, the Bible only gives us glimpses. Excuse me, I'm a little congested this morning. When we talk about teachers, they're handling the Word of God. And even though this judgment doesn't deal with heaven or hell, it deals with the judgment of it.

A teacher who truly cares about the Word of God, about handling the words that Father wants to give to his children, they will feel holy and adequate. And it be holy of grace that God has commanded them to deliver this to their to his people.

It is an awesome responsibility, and not one that should be taken lightly. You know, I know when I am making progress with my daughters, when they fear disappointing me more than they fear the punishment.

I fear God, and I fear his punishment, but I truly fear disappointing him. So that fear drives me to do my best to present myself as a workman who doesn't need to be ashamed and proved by God. So, our words have great power, and a teacher who truly teaches God's Word can guide the whole ship with just his words.

Great control of the tongue is required to achieve this feat. But for all men, not just teachers, James demonstrates in this section just how powerful the tongue is. So he uses two examples here. He uses a horse and a ship.

Now, you think about the horse. If you think about the horse, and notice, by the way, if anyone was able to actually bridle his whole tongue, which later James says no one can, he would be a perfect man.

He would be a complete man. We'll talk about just how deadly the tongue is in a minute. With just those little bits we put in the mouths of horses, we can make their whole huge strong animal obey. A huge ship is driven by just a small rudder.

In the same way, the tongue, even though it's a small member, boasts of great things. Megala. Megala, like mega, great things. How great a forest, how great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire.

The tongue is a world of fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is a fire, a world, a cosmos of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and is set on fire by hell.

The Tongue, the Heart, and the Need for Spiritual Discipline

Interesting phrase there, but think about it. According to Ephesians 2 verse 1 through 3, we all previously walked according to the ways of this world. Satan did not have us on a leash. We loved our sin.

For the unbeliever, the problem is not anything other than men love darkness rather than light, because their works are evil. Mankind, in accordance with what God said in Genesis, has tamed all beasts and reptile and sea creature and birds, but no human being can tame the tongue.

It is a restless evil full of deadly poison. It takes a constant checking of yourself, a constant accountability to watch the words you say, because they can build up or they can destroy. Your words are powerful.

The whole sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me is not true. Jesus says, from the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. So the answer to the question is, if it's so restless, how do I control it?

Because if you wait until it's already in your heart, it's too late. Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. It will just come out. We all know this. The way, the way that you tame your tongue is by first taming your heart, because your heart is wicked and desperately wicked, deceitful, blah blah.

You must train it. That is a work of God. For your treasures, there will be a heart also. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and then all these things will be added unto you. So what you need to do, Christian, is obey Philippians 4 .8.

Wherever things are pure, just, lovely, of good report, there be any mercy and many praise, think about these things. Dwell on these things. Don't fill your heart with worldly stuff. Fill it with godly stuff, and then out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth will speak godly things.

In our current state, we bless our Lord and Father with our tongue, and we curse people who are made in his image. So we bless our Lord and Father, but curse people who are made in God's image. From the same mouth comes blessing and curse.

My brothers, these things ought not to be. A spring doesn't pour forth fresh and salt water, and fig trees don't bear olives. So, in other words, if you're claiming to be a Christian, and that you love God, but you are cursing, tearing down people who are made in his image, that doesn't fly.

Something's not adding up there, because out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. If you struggle with that tongue, ladies and gentlemen, whether that's gossip, whether that's cursing, whether that's tearing down, train your heart.

I want you to do this. I'm serious, practical, right here. Limit the negative influences, music, TV, worldly people, whatever. Increase the positive influences, scripture, prayer, worship, and see if it doesn't train your heart, train your mind, and control your words.

Do it for one month. Decrease the negative worldly influences, increase the godly influences for one month, and see if it doesn't make a difference. Okay. That's how you control the tongue. That's enough of this one today.

Closing Application and Next Study in James 3

Our next section will be verse 13 through 18. Real amazing passage. I hope you guys like the style. Please like, comment, share, and all that stuff. Love you guys very much. See you next week for chapter 3, verse 13 through 18.

Bye, guys.