THE POWER OF TONGUE

James 3:1-121 My brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers. As you

know, we teachers will be judged with greater strictness than others. 2 All of us often make mistakes. But if a person never makes a mistake in what

he says, he is perfect and is also able to control his whole being. 3 We put a bit into the mouth of a horse to make it obey us, and we are able

to make it go where we want. 4 Or think of a ship: big as it is and driven by such strong winds, it can be

steered by a very small rudder, and it goes wherever the pilot wants it to go.

5 So it is with the tongue: small as it is, it can boast about great things. Just think how large a forest can be set on fire by a tiny flame!

6 And the tongue is like a fire. It is a world of wrong, occupying its place in our bodies and spreading evil through our whole being. It sets on fire the entire course of our existence with the fire that comes to it from hell itself.

James 3:1-127 Human beings can tame and have tamed all other creatures — wild animals

and birds, reptiles and fish. 8 But no one has ever been able to tame the tongue. It is evil and

uncontrollable, full of deadly poison.

9 We use it to give thanks to our Lord and Father and also to curse other people, who are created in the likeness of God.

10 Words of thanksgiving and cursing pour out from the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, this should not happen!

11 No spring of water pours out sweet water and bitter water from the same opening.

12 A fig tree, my brothers and sisters, cannot bear olives; a grapevine cannot bear figs, nor can a salty spring produce sweet water.

There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the fence. The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily, gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.

Finally the day came when the boy didn’t lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper. The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone.

The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said “you have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one.” You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won’t matter how many times you say I’m sorry, the wound is still there. Make sure you control your temper the next time you are tempted to say something you will regret later.

When you see the doctor the first he is checking is the tongue. He can diagnose the illness only by looking at the tongue. (Mt 12:34). How we speak reveals a lot about us – the country where we live, our job our values our purpose of life…What does your tongue tells about you?

Our tongue has the power to control us Who controls his tongue is a perfect man. Perfect

means mature Proverbs 15:4 Control of tongue represents a controlled life. (Truth - tongue is a manifestation of what's inside) 3:2,

Mat 15:18-19 Example of small things that control & have an effect. 1Bridle - makes a horse obey. 3:3 Rudder - overrides power of something else. 3:4 Spark - destroys huge quantities of resources. 3:5

THE POWER TO CONTROL - V. 3-4

The following simple formula can be used before speaking of any person or subject that can be perhaps controversial.

T - Is it true?H - Is it helpful?I - Is it inspiring?N - Is it necessary?K - Is it kind?

THE POWER TO DESTROY – V. 5-8

“It corrupts the whole person” – such a power has the tongue says James.It is compared with the fire. Fire has an emense power and can be used for good to hit or misused and than it destroys homes, forests cities. It is enough just a small match to produce a big fire. This fire that destroys in our life is sin. James says that the tongue is the very world of iniquity. There are many sins that man co not do simply because has no opportunity. There is no limit of sins that can be committed by tongue like: Malice, greed, anger, lust, hurt, lies wrath, resentment, criticizing, jealousy, bitterness--all these vices somehow find their expression through it. Proverbs 16:17, 26:20James is saying that if you want to deal with the tongue you must start with the heart. The Lord has to control the inner man. Only fresh sources can produce fresh water, and that corresponds to the life of Jesus Christ within us.If we want our tongues to be right, then the inner man must be under the control of Jesus Christ. He has to be Lord. Jesus said, "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." Whatever fills our heart inevitably comes out.

THE POWER TO BLESS (V.9-12) – WAYS HOW FOR PROPER USE OF TONGUE

We use it to give thanks to our Lord and Father and also to curse other people, who are created in the likeness of God. 10Words of thanksgiving and cursing pour out from the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, this should not happen!

No spring of water pours out sweet water and bitter water from the same opening.

A fig tree, my brothers and sisters, cannot bear olives; a grapevine cannot bear figs, nor can a salty spring produce sweet water.

Only God can control our tongues so that we can bless, encourage, built and give blessing to others through our words.

It is our choice – to build or to destroy, to hurt or to heal, make peace or war, to kill or to give a life.

When the resurrected Lord is in control of our life the result is words that are edifying, encouraging, uplifting.

AMEN