THE POWER OF TONGUES! |
The World, the Word & You! Broadcast
Commentary by Dennis L. Finnan
"Do you know what is more deadly than an attack missile,
that can win without killing, that can destroy homes, wound hearts,
wreck lives, and can travel on the wings of the wind? I'm Dennis
Finnan, and in a moment, I'll tell you about this awesome power
that threatens the world in which we live.."
Today I want to talk with you about the POWER OF TONGUES. No not
the spiritual gifting of tongues that controversially is spoken
about in the pulpits of the land, but the power of that little
vessel that resides in our mouths. Yes, the tongue is a wonderful
thing, but we can use it for blessing as well as cursing, and
on that subject note we'll talk about it today.
Recently as the summer months of '96 faded into the warm sunset,
Wildfires across the country broke out again all across the western
states. These fires have been so intense that according to the
National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho - "this
year these wildfires burned more than 5 million acres of prime
timberland, eclipsing the total of 1988, the year Yellowstone
burned." CNN News reported that, "the worst
season on record was 1924, when 28.8 million acres were charred.
More than 20,000 people battled blazes on more than 490,000 acres
across California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington
and Wyoming."
The majority of these fires we've been told, were started by just a spark from a lightening strike. But in one case in California, CNN News further reported that a 15 year old teen-age boy started a wildfire that "burned 18,000 acres in northern Los Angeles County. The boy was walking alone on a highway after his father's car broke down when he set the fire on impulse. Approximately 2,200 firefighters, with 11 airtankers and seven helicopters battled the blaze." Yes, all it takes is but one small flame or spark to get a fire going, but oh how great can be the damage when it's all done. That my friend is precisely the subject of today's message. The Bible says that the tongue, our God-given ability to speak has caused untold damage like wildfire, and needs to be under control. We read in,
James 3:5-6 (NIV) "Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell."
Yes one match, one small flame can ignite a forest that has taken
hundreds of years to grow, and likewise can the power of the tongue.
So after we pause again right now to listen to another joyful
expression of musical praise, I'll return to talk with you about
what God says about the tongue and what you and I can do about
it.
As I scan the radio and television channels of the United States,
one thing comes to mind - we are a nation of talkers. People everywhere
have something to say. With the introduction of the Internet,
communications has increased ten thousand fold, as people engage
in communicating with one another, now around the world. But contrary
to the popular expression "talk is cheap," it is far
from that. Indeed it can be very costly. Every day we hear on
the news of scandals, and accusations against people. In fact,
surveying what most people talk about, researchers concluded that
more than 80% of all speech is negative. And, I guess they are
right for human nature being what it is, seems to delight in talking
about others in negative ways rather than portraying them in a
positive light. However, the tongue we must remember is not a
product of evolutionary origins, that is utter nonsense, no the
Bible tells us it is a gift from God. No other creature on earth
has the power of reason and speech, than the human being God created
in His likeness. As such, this ability to speak is a God-given
tool to be used to honor and glorify Him.
Perhaps the most useful portions of Scripture that speak of the
power of tongues is found in the New Testament in the Book of
James chapter 3:1-12. There, the Spirit of God tells us many things
about our vessel of speech. We would do well to learn from it,
so I'll turn there today and share with you three things that
should help us keep our tongues and use them properly to honor
God. To begin in James chapter three, we read,
James 3:1-4 (NIV) "Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check. 3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go."
Here we find the first and most important thing God wants us to
know about the power of tongues. It has
I. THE POWER TO DIRECT & DEVELOP - (James
3:1-4)
Yes, the tongue is an amazing instrument of power. It can direct
the course of humanity itself and develop it for good and for
God, or, it can tear down and destroy life and corrupt its bearer
for evil and destruction. So, our tongues can either found in
the shape of "a beautiful angel or a hideous demon."
Now, God gives us two illustrations that give us a picture of
the tongue's power. James uses the illustration of a "bit"
in a horses mouth, and a "rudder" that guides ships.
Both of these instruments are rather small, yet they have the
power to guide and direct the huge horse and a large oceangoing
vessel. In like manner the Bible has much more to say about the
power of speech, for we read in,
Proverbs 18:21 (NIV) "The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit."
Proverbs 21:23 (NIV) "He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity."
Psalms 141:3-4 (NIV) "Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips. 4 Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil, to take part in wicked deeds with men who are evildoers; let me not eat of their delicacies."
Yes, God tells us to be careful how we use our power of speech.
For it has the ability to manipulate and control multitudes of
humanity for good or evil. During World War II, the enemy used
to hang around the British pubs to hear a word about ship movements.
Sailors would talk about their next assignments where they are
going, etc. One word carelessly spoken would give the enemy advantage,
and thousands of lives could be lost as a result. A slogan was
raised, "Loose lips, sink ships!" It may be that the
tongue has slain more than have all the bullets and bombs in battle.
So, the course of life can be changed by the utterance of a few
words.
Now in the area of using the tongue for good, I can ever remember
some words I spoke that changed my lie forever. More than 32 years
ago, I stood before a minister and said in the presence of many,
"I Do." Those two words created a marriage between me
and my wife that has been the most blessing in my life to this
day. Yet, negative words can also change a life, or worse devastate
it forever. Someone has written,
Yes the tongue can be a tool that has the power to direct and
develop those around us and our world at large. But, say friend
how do you use your tongue? If you are like the vast majority,
it is more often used for sinful goals. For you see the second
thing James tells us in his New Testament book is that the tongue
also has,
II. THE POWER TO DEFILE & DESTROY ( James
3:5-8)
James 3:5-8 (NIV) "Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. 7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, 8 but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison."
Yes, the tongue used for evil is "more deadly than a screaming
howitzer shell. It can win without killing, it can tear down homes,
break hearts, wreck lives, and it can travel on the wings of the
wind." If we use it for evil, the Bible goes on to say,
Job 20:12 (NIV) ""Though evil is sweet in his mouth and he [man] hides it under his tongue,"
Psalms 39:1 (NIV) " I said, "I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin; I will put a muzzle on my mouth as long as the wicked are in my presence.""
Psalms 39:3 (NIV) "My heart grew hot within me, and as I meditated, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue:"
Proverbs 15:4 (NIV) "The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit."
Proverbs 26:20-21 (NIV) "Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down. 21 As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife."
Now we all have experienced the uncontrolled violence of the tongue.
All of us somewhere and somehow have been spoken about in negative
ways by others. Some have experienced this in more cutting even
destructive ways. Yet what most people have failed to comprehend
is that the tongue is the "billboard of the heart."
The Lord Jesus Himself revealed this when He said,
Matthew 12:34 (NIV) "You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks."
Matthew 15:11 (NIV) "What goes into a man's mouth does not make him 'unclean,' but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him 'unclean.'""
Jesus was saying that how and what we speak is a direct reflection
of our inner heart and character. If we speak evil, sinful, blasphemous
words, it is because we are evil inside. This evil is not only
in us but fanned into flames by the evil one himself, the wicked
fallen angel Satan. This is precisely what James tells us,
James 3:6 (NIV) "The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell."
Therefore we must ask ourselves and take inventory in the process.
What kind of tongue have we been displaying these days - a critical
tongue, a contentious tongue, a careless
tongue, an unkind tongue, an uncontrolled
tongue, an undisciplined tongue, a venomous
tongue? Yes, all of these are the marks of a man or woman whose
sin nature is out of personal control, and under the wicked control
of Satan himself. Such a tongue delights to tear down others,
and build self up in its place. Such a tongue looks for and sorts
out every kind of dirt or failure they can find in the lives of
others. I say this to our shame because such kinds of tongues
exist in the very presence of God, His body the Church. How many
churches have been ruined, or been put on the shelf by God because
of the evil speaking of its members and even leaders? Reputations
of pastors and church members have been ruined by evil slanderous
gossiping tongues. Churches have been broken up, families separated,
friendships dissolved - all because Christians have been unable
to keep their tongues from spewing out the venom of an evil heart.
Lies, unsubstantiated unverified stories, twisted truth have done
more to quench the Spirit in God's house of worship than any other
sin. This is why God declares,
Proverbs 6:16-19 (NIV) "There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: 17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, 18 a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, 19 a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers."
The tragedy of bad words seems to be a legacy of sinners, but
it need not be. You see God tells us some important things to
know about our tongues. First of all, our tongues are evil because
we are evil. The Bible says in Romans 3:23 and 6:23, that we are
all sinners, and that from birth till death we will stay sinners.
This sin nature, we are born with, displays itself most often
through our speech and thoughts. James tells us,
James 3:8-12 (NIV) "but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water."
Notice what the Bible says. "No man, can tame the tongue."
Thank God he did not say the tongue can never be tamed or controlled,
but simply none of us, by ourselves, has the power to control
it. But thanks be to God we are told how we can ;for lastly, we
learn that the tongue has the,
III. THE POWER TO DELIGHT & DELIVER ( James
3:9-12)
Isaiah the prophet caught the vision of this when he wrote by
divine guidance,
Isaiah 50:4 (NIV) "The Sovereign LORD has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught."
You see no man can tame the tongue, but God can! He delights for
His children to come to Him confessing the fact that we are sinners
in thought, words and then deeds. Our speech reveals this day
by day, and as such if we come to the Lord God ,day by day, confessing
it, God promises to grant the power to use the tongue for good
to delight and deliver His Word to the world. Jesus said,
John 6:63 (NIV) "The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life."
So we see that if we want a clean tongue and heart, it is through
the Word of God we can find it. The Old Testament psalmist took
hold of this truth and said,
Psalms 71:24 (NIV) "My tongue will tell of your righteous acts all day long, for those who wanted to harm me have been put to shame and confusion."
Psalms 119:172 (NIV) "May my tongue sing of your word, for all your commands are righteous."
Proverbs 10:21 (NIV) "The lips of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of judgment."
Say friend, what are you doing with your tongue? Tearing down
others? Judging them? Complaining, murmuring, maintaining a critical
spirit? Or, is your tongue a delight to God and others? We can
only experience this clean tongue when we have it cleaned daily
by the Lord Jesus Himself. As we confess our sins and our sinful
ways, God gives us the power to speak positively, delightfully
and of course wonderfully for Him. The greatest speech in the
world today is the sharing of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the
"good news" that Christ died for sinners, that Christ
rose from the dead, ascended on high, and now God offers sinners
everywhere pardon and forgiveness of all sins - through Jesus
Christ, who paid the sin penalty for you and me.
Yes, the Gospel of grace is the sweetest words a sinner can hear.
Have you heard? Have you responded? Are you walking in the truth
of this light? If so, your words will always be filled with goodness
and grace, your speech will always be used to build up and never
to tear down, to spread the Gospel, not lies and slander. So friend
it's up to you, with God's power and help we can control the tongue,
but if we do not yield ourselves to Him, it matters not whether
you are a Christian or not, whether you are a leader of men or
not, whether you have walked in previous days with God or not,
your tongue can either be used for blessing or cursing, for good
or evil, for God or Satan - it's your choice.
Today, will you look up into heaven and ask the Lord to examine
your tongue? My grandson Ryan came to our house the other day,
direct from a doctor's checkup. He toddled in, and he ran to me
and gleefully showed me a long thin stick. It was the tongue depressor
the doctor used to look at his tongue. Just as the physician can
by a look at the tongue and detect the health of a patient, so
God can examine the tongue too and detect the spiritual life of
the sinner. Oh may God find our tongues clean and without spiritual
illness - that it is used for good, for God's glory and most of
all to build up, edify, promote, speaking kindly and positively
about others. And, if we have nothing good to say, then we also
simply keep our mouths shut!
The tragedy of bad words can be seen everywhere, but now its up
to you that the importance of good words be your legacy. I for
one will today make that commitment that I will speak only that
which will glorify God and benefit my brethren. This alone will
come forth from my lips, with God's direction and help.
Yes, fire out of control is a terrible thing. The Western states
this year suffered more damage from wildfires than ever before.
But fire under control can warm and comfort us during cold weather.
Unkind, evil, slanderous words can destroy lives, but words for
good can bless them. May God give you the power today and every
day to be His agent of goodness; and, may your tongue, under the
control of Heaven, make our world a better place, till Christ
comes in glory for us all. And, may we like the Psalmist of old
declare,
Psalms 19:14 (NIV) "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer."
So, please join me, right now wherever you are, and make the same
commitment. If so, our world around us will be a better place,
and of course, Heaven will rejoice as another restless evil, a
dangerous vessel, will be under God's control and used for all
good and God's eternal glory.
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GENERAL RESOURCES:
The World, the Word & You! Broadcast is a non-denominational ministry based on the historic fundamental evangelical interpretation of the Scriptures.A copy of our doctrinal statement is available upon request.These weekly radio commentaries can be heard in selected areas around the nation. Dennis Finnan has been the speaker for 16 years, and serves as General Director. These transcripts are available free of charge to all who desire them. Also available are radio cassette tapes and printed booklets of each message. A free listing of all messages is available upon request also.
For further information, reprints, or a listing of all topics, please
write to our speaker, Dennis L.
Finnan(wwyfin@sparc.isl.net), or visit our webpage at [ http://www.isl.net/wwyweb.html
].