Sermon – “Once You Speak It, You Can’t Take It Back”

3 Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their 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. 5 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 body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. 7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 3 My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. 2 For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a [a]perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. 3 [b]Indeed, we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. 4 Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. 5 Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of [c]iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of [d]nature; and it is set on fire by [e]hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. 8 But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the [f]similitude of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? 12 Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? [g]Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.

16 These are the things you shall do: Speak each man the truth to his neighbor; Give judgment in your gates for truth, justice, and peace; 17 Let none of you think evil in [j]your heart against your neighbor; And do not love a false oath. For all these are things that I hate,’ Says the Lord.”

22 Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, But those who deal truthfully are His delight.

In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips is wise.

9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. 11 Therefore [b]comfort each other and [c]edify one another, just as you also are doing.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my [h]strength and my Redeemer.

The smarting I want to be speaking about the words that we speak you know I think they say that the average person not some are you know quieter than others and don’t speak quite as much but isn’t it like twenty four or five thousand words a day that some people will speak. And we need to be cautious about every single word that we speak. Every word. Because once you speak it you can’t take it back once it comes out of your mouth you can’t take it back that’s the title of my message today once you speak it you can’t take it back and I’m going to continue in James James Chapter three and I know that you know when you preach for. To eleven years to a plus the other years before that even if the method serves you’re going to you know speak about some things a number of times I know that up spoke before about how important it is that we guard the words that we say but I’m going to address it again today James Chapter three verses one through twelve. Hear the word of the Lord. My brother and let not many of you become teachers knowing. It’s going to tell you why not manage to become teachers knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment I’m going to pause you know as I was preparedness and I got to thinking about think about a doctor rather let’s think about those that teach others to be doctors what a tremendous responsibility is on the shoulders of those that teach others to be doctors because people’s lives are going to be in their hands think of that heart surgeon. Man I hope he had a good teacher if he’s going to be operating a mom heart right so what a great responsibility that those that teach doctors have. Because it could be a matter of life and death right. Well what about those that teach the Word of God something that has eternal consequences to that one that would lead want to stray. How important it is that those who teach those who preach those events how important it is that they put the the time and effort into the study to make sure they know that what they’re teaching is true. What a great responsibility one not to be taken lightly one that I do not take lightly and no person is going to teach should take lightly. Verse two for we all stumble in many things if any one does not stumble in words he is a perfect man able also to bridle the whole body indeed we put bits in horses miles that they may obey us and we turn their whole body look also at ships although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things see how great a force a little fire Kindles and the tongue is a fire a world of iniquity the tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body and sets on fire the course of nature and it is set on fire by hell for every kind of beast and bird of reptile and creature the sea is tamed and has been tamed by mankind but no man can tame the tongue it is an unruly evil full of deadly poison with it we bless our God and Father and with it we cursed men who have been made in the sin with toot of God out of the same mouth proceeded blessing and cursings my brother and these things ought not to be so does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter water from the same opening No Can a fig tree my brother and bear olives and a great bind bear figs no dust no spring yields both salt water and fresh May God out his blessings to the hearing in the reading of His Holy Word let us pray gracious lord I just give you did praise and glory and honor that you deserve I thank you Father for your words and father I just I know that your word is true I know that is faithful and father I just pray that you would help us to. Stand it the way you have meant us to understand it father that we would know the truth by that we can know the truth and the truth can set us free and father I just thank you for that I thank you Jesus that you are the way the truth and the life involve just pray your presence here today I pray that you would anoint the message father that it would be what you would have us to hear just help the servant to be faithful to your spirit just touch each of our hearts father and help us to bring glory and honor to you in Jesus’ name amen. I like the illustrations the James uses of the bit and the writer you know the average horse weighs between twelve hundred and fifteen hundred pounds they’re here and some of the so beautiful the the so Master muscular masculine you know the muscular muscular You know I had a horse once when I was a teenager when I was a. Total of thirteen I got a horse and I enjoyed it but it was a lot of fun having a horse and my horse was a big horse it was a quarter horse and they are huge I mean I was about that broad across the back end and he was a little frisky sometimes he for those that maybe have never heard it before I thank my horse for breaking me of a bad habit when I was a teenager I thought that I wanted to chew tobacco. You know one of those and I did for about a month and I was riding the horse one day and I had a big shoe in and he bucked an OS wallowed and never put it back in my mouth Thank you Sam Sam was my horse’s name so praise the Lord you know what a dirty habit and you know how kids are you think you got to trust off right but ma good horse Sam broke me that have it and I thank him for but we can take he get. Well what do you mean rotten teeth now that you probably wouldn’t marry me right so but we can pull. A bridle with a bit in a horse and guide that massive beast where we want to go for if you pull in the the leather strap to comes back this way and pulls ahead to the right he’s going to go to the right if you pull back on both sides you can back that horse up if you pull to the left to go to the left now a good horse once he gets well trained you just talk a little this way you really only have to pull much but they’ll go where you guide and when you put that bit in their mouths and then the rudder on a ship. The rider on the ship is so kids you’re going to get to do something day I’ll probably never ask you do again stand up for just a moment all you kids turn around people can see and stand up come on participation here term out people to see a bit all right now stick out your tongue. It’s all right OK you can sit down look how little that tongue is they were having fun the day Johnson I hope it’s lively today look how little that tongue is to the rest of the body that tongue compared to the leg images a tiny little part right and still get pushed on back in now. That tongue compared to the arms is so small right but that little rotor I want to shoot ship at the hands of a trained pilot can guide that ship through fierce storms can guide it against the waves can guide it against the wind but James says the tongue is an unruly evil. That tiny little member it’s full of deadly poison and no man can tame and you know would be impossible to know how many people have made rude or crude statements with their tongues that their bodies then had to defend that word that they spoke. So let me put that in layman terms wound up in a fight because of the big mouth right said something crude to someone or about someone spouse next thing you know their their fist is going to have to defend what their mouth to spoke so we should be slow to speak quick listen right I’m not speaking that about the fighting by experience because I really was never much of a fighter. You know and I as Karen asked What do you preach and want to told her she gets old don’t use the Federalist ration like I am. You know. There was a feather illustration with a father and son but this is different because you know I just googled words like a feather and there are numerous illustrations about how words are like a feather so this one is different but it’s so here goes and not truly that just a wonderful wonderful people of God God spoke to them these illustrations you know I’m sure they’re fictitious but it woman one day said something that hurt her best friend she regretted it immediately as soon as the words came out of her mouth. As he would have done anything to take the words back but they were already said impulsively in a moment of thoughtlessness and as close as she and her friend were she did consider didn’t consider the effect that her words would have before hand so in an effort to undo what she had done she went to an older and much wiser woman in the village and explained her situation and asked for advice the older woman listened patiently in an effort to determine just how sincere the young woman was how far she was willing to go to correct the situation the wise woman said there are two things you need to do to make amends the first of the two is extremely difficult tonight you must take your best feather pillow and open a small hole in it and then before the sun rises tomorrow morning you must put a single feather on the doorstep of each house in town and when you are through come back to me and if you’ve done the first thing completely then I will tell you the second thing you must do so the young woman hurried home and prepared for her chore all night long she labored in the cold and she went from door step the door step. The wind was so sharp and it caused her eyes to water and her hands were cold so finally she was done she says she went back to the old woman before the sun rose and she was exhausted but relieved that her efforts would now be rewarded she says my pillow is empty place the feather on the doorstep of each home. Now said the wise woman go back and refill your pillow then everything will be as it was before the young woman was stunned she says you know that is impossible the wind blew away the feathers as fast as I placed them on the doorsteps you didn’t say that I would have to get them back if this is if this is a second requirement then things will never be the same that second amount of things will never be the same that’s true said the older woman and never forget each of your words is like a feather in the wind once spoken no amount of effort regardless of how heartfelt or sincere can ever return them to your mouth choose your words well and guard them most of all in the presence of those you love how true it will never be the same you know we’ve heard that old same when we was kids I don’t know if it’s still a saying or not that sticks and stones will break my bones but names will never hurt me that’s a lie. That’s a lie because you can break that arms oh you know it’s going to hear one about nine weeks right. Twelve weeks however many but it’s going to heal I mean I had a broken foot and it healed but words spoken harshly. Sometimes will never heal they will leave a scar. They will leave a scar on a person’s heart. You know we have remnants of scars on our bodies where we cut ourselves I cut my thumb back in one thousand nine hundred five thirty three years ago and I can still see that scar there. But words can do the same thing words can ruin a relationship that will never be healed sometimes but words are college scars sometimes there may be a semblance of healing but it will never be the same as it was before that person may never trust they may never have that. Closeness that they once had because of a harsh word that was spoken thoughtlessly just like in the story The tongue has the power to accomplish great things it really does you think about it. Proverbs eighteen twenty one says that death and life are in the power of the Tom. What are you speaking are you speaking death or you’re speaking life James also says that the tongue is a fire a world of iniquity so set among our members that it defiles the whole body and sets on fire the course of nature one little spark can spark a world of fire it only takes a little flame to ignite a raging wildfire you know there’s a modern example that happened just a couple of years ago of how one little spark can ignite a raging wildfire in November of two thousand and sixteen and Gatlinburg Tennessee fourteen lives were lost in two thousand five hundred homes were destroyed. What began as a small fire up on chimney tops trail in the Great Smoky Mountains. Transformed into a massive and for now. They knew that where the fire started it was on that trail it began was just a little one acre fire but they couldn’t get it out before the winds turned it into an inferno and down towards town it went. I found a story of a older couple that were in the Westgate hotel and I believe we stayed at The Whiskey resort when we were there a couple years ago we were there the year before that they were trapped in the elevator they got word that they needed to evacuate but they they didn’t tell them it was a fire because everyone knows when you evacuate first a fire says Do not use the elevators no one said fire they just told him they had to evacuate immediately they grab some bags and they rushed the elevator they’re going down the elevator. And it’s stopped they’re trapped they have a cell phone they call nine one one and report that they’re in the Westgate hotel. In the elevator in the four thousand building the non one one caller calls the fire department they send the fire department there and they call the operator back in said the four thousand build this can’t be right they have to be in a different place because this building is completely engulfed in flames there’s no way they’re in there. Which is a wall that’s what they said. They were in there for eight hours they’d called another time and said we are still trapped in this elevator and we are in the four thousand building they did eventually go back to that building but the people inside the elderly couple said they could hear the building just crashing and falling all around them they said their goodbyes to one another because they knew it was the end they knew that they weren’t going to get out they thought they were going to get out of there they just said their goodbyes and said Well see in heaven but finally they went back again the fire department and and went to what was left was the elevator SAP is showed the remnants of that building and there’s the elevators out they survived it she passed out shortly before they was rescued but survived did they live to tell about it. Trapped in an elevator a raging fire and they found up in that first one acre plot matches matches. One little spark one little flame can destroy twenty five hundred homes fourteen lives change an entire town. That may never be the same. Raging fire that’s what our words can be enough stories right I think we know thoroughly the damage that words can do. How then can we gain control of this unruly thing called a time. When the first thing is to surrender to God. James said no man contained a tom. While not relying on a man detained us Tom but God can Amen when we surrender to him he can he can do it Secondly stop and think. Before we speak a group come up with an acronym for think about words. The tea is our words true. Are the words we’re speaking true. Are they helpful are words going to be helpful to the hearers of our words are they inspiring. Are our words necessary and are they kind. I’m going to break those down beginning with true I’m not going to go in the order the right order Zachariah eight sixteen and seventeen says these are the things you shall do speak each man the truth to his neighbor. Will speak the truth to your neighbor give judgment in your gates for truth justice and peace that none of you think evil in your heart against your neighbor that’s where it begins. Right here then it comes out here. That do not think he won your heart against your neighbor and do not love a false of for all these things I hate says the Lord and in Proverbs twelve twenty two lying lips are an abomination to the Lord but those who deal truthfully truthfully are his delight God hates it when we lie proverbs said is an abomination the Greek meaning of abomination is to wreak with stench. It MIT’s a foul odor is detestable that’s what it means to be an abomination so lying is a disgusting odor to God. We know that whenever we offer in that in the Old Testament when a would offer a fight a faithful sacrifice to God what that is say it described as a sweet smelling aroma to God. Sweet smelling aroma but when we lie God detested it is a foul odor to God So let’s sacrifice let’s surrender our tongues to God so that the words we speak can be a sweet smelling aroma to God Amen we ought not to become participants of the rumor mill or the gossip trail or any other form of line if we claim to be a Son of God Son and Daughter God. If we hear something that we are not absolutely certain is true. Then do not repeat it. Say the buck stops here I’m not going to repeat it as a matter of fact we should try to put an end to it before somebody gets hurt necessary our words necessary sometimes even if it’s true sometimes would be better off not to be said the problem is with some of us are so many people they think the world wants to hear their opinion while the world doesn’t always need our two cents right. Proverbs ten nineteen says in the multitude of words sin is not lacking but he who restrains his lips is wise Gauri how Proverbs is good place for wisdom right now most the younger people are not going to remember but back in the sixties and seventies there was a very popular singing duo named the Carpenters. And it was Richard and Karen Carpenter they were brother and sister not husband and wife sadly Karen Carpenter passed away at the age of thirty two which is very young thirty two years of all years of age from a. Self-induced sickness brought on by anorexia that is where personal We can then go get rid of what they just ate sad that a life cut short they they were you know even when I was young I did not like to listen to any kind of music that you couldn’t understand the words. And tells you I’ve even today if it’s Christian music that it’s while you can’t understand a word I don’t like it because if you can’t understand a word How’s it going to glorify God but I mean they were Christian artists but their music was soft it was understandable with that beautiful melody they had beautiful voices. But they believe the family believes and those that knew or believed that what triggered her to walk this path of anorexia was a reviewer one day referred to her as Richard chubby sister unnecessary words one little word chubby. Was necessary to speak of course that little story also reflects our words kind. I don’t need another story for that are our words kind we’ve probably all been guilty of saying some one kind things. If we would just stop and think before we speak is the words I speak going to cause emotional damage to this person. Is it going to leave a scar here in their hearts. Who cares about these scars on the outside but it’s the ones on the inside. Don’t let the words you speak be like a knife and cut leave a scar on the heart of your family member or your neighbor or your friend or your coworker because I speak on words. Will our words be helpful first US alone eons chapter five verses nine to eleven For God did not appoint us to wrath but to attain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ who died for us that whether we wake or sleep we should live together with him there for comfort each other and edify one another just as you are also are doing comfort each other edify build up don’t tear down but build up. That’s what the Greek word which I’m not even attempt to speak because it’s who it’s a crazy woman but the Greek word for edify means to build up build up don’t tear down. Our our words inspiring. By that I mean are they inspiring to others but also are they pleasing unto God David said in Psalms one nine hundred fourteen he said to the Lord let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight Lord my strength then my redeemer. If we would just stop and think and realize he hears every word we speak. Lord let them be acceptable in your ears Jesus cautions in Matthew twelve. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks when evil resides in the heart it will be exposed in the perverse speech. How true it be evils in here what’s going to come out it’s going to be evil. It will be exposed in the prefer speech language contrary to the truth of God and to love James three eight declares that no man can tame the tongue it is an unruly evil full of deadly poison he also said if anyone does not stumble one word he is a perfect man in verse two. We can only reach separate faction with God’s help with God’s intervention. Which thankfully we have to the Holy Spirit. We have it. The apostle Paul says that the fountain of good works particularly within the Church of God through humility and lowliness are we speaking kind words if Egypt for twenty five to thirty two there for putting away lying let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor for we are members of one another be angry and do not sin do not let the sun go down on your wrath nor give place to the devil let him who stole steal no longer but rather let him labor working with us hands what is good that he may have something to give him who has need let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth. Church that’s the word that’s the word for the church that know not just a few that no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth but what is good for necessary edification that in that it may impart grace to the hearers and do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God by whom you were sealed for the day every Demps and let all bitterness wrath anger clamor and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice and be kind to one another tender hearted forgiving one another even as God in Christ Jesus forgave you verse eleven said though they spring sent forth fresh water and bitter from the same openings and we said no it cannot. So if Jesus Christ is the lord of this heart how could it possibly send forth bitter bitterness How could it send forth evil How could it come out of the same opening. The spring is the heart the opening is the mouth let god happen this heart and let this speak truth let this speak to life let it speak hope. Let it not speak death let it not tear down let it not destroy but may the words we speak build up for his glory. For his honor. May we walk in truth by the power of the Holy Spirit He will enable us if we just surrendered they give us the rendering this that this will not speak what it shouldn’t speak Amen.