It Only Takes a Spark

Depraved. Thirdly, it is the filing part of her six the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the higher body not checked controlled by the spirit of our entire body is involved, the file is in the heart, fulfilled by the flesh, that the idea the rest of the body joins in this conspiracy against all God can probably think of lots of reasons why we should learn to control our time. One reason why it's so especially for Christians who care about their walk with God is because the words we speak have the power to defile us. The apostle James wanted to help us learn to control our tongue in James three is filled with practical insight. This is truth that you can apply to your life today.

This is wisdom for the heart and Stephen returns to James three and a lesson he's calling. It only takes a spark, a tiny spark can ignite a huge fire in your tiny tongue can cause great damage as well. There is an old praise chorus from the 70s that I can never saying as a teenager that began with the lyrics, it only takes a spark to get what fire going and soon all those around you can warm up and it's glowing the fire in the chorus had to do a lot of God. James will use the same idea of fire. Only his theme as our tongue and he will warn us of another kind of spark a different kind of fire, and it is again a warm us up.

Denny got a glowing effect just might instead score charts and towards us and burn our lives to the ground.

In the letter from James chapter 3 we now arrive at his most convicting graphic description of the nature and power of the tongue you knew was coming. Surprised to see so many people here today.

James is already told us the tongue is this powerful to control our body as the bits is able to control a powerful horse you take 550 pounds which is right around the world record for an Olympic heavy weightlifter to hoist overhead and you set 550 pounds on the back of one of those Clydesdales that my father used to use on the farm for hauling in that course will barely snort displeasure same horse can run a mile in under a minute to magnificent half ton specimen of raw power and yet you can take a little girl with a bit in his mouth of the Ranger hand and she can direct that horse wherever she power of that bits is the power of the tongue. James then shifted his analogy to the rudder on about something so small, which can direct something so large.

In other words, there is no other part of our body, even the totality of our body. Nothing about us and the totality of our being is stronger than that little 2 ounce mass of muscle and nerve.

Webster defined the tongue as that movable muscular structure attached to the floor of the mouth. Trouble is, comes loose on his sword. James will do now is he will describe our tongue with at least eight different descriptive phrases and the view of many that I would agree more. More study is letter that this is actually a sermon that was transcribed well. He preached it because now we just sort of unleashes and one analogy after another, one metaphor after another without ever taking a breath.

The changing of tenses and an end verbs. He will describe for us with great passion. What is no doubt the greatest challenge the greatest threat to our spiritual maturity.

It is our tongue.

The first thing of eight James is going to say about the tongue is that it is destructive. James chapter 3 we left off.

The first part of verse five.

Let's pick it up now with the last part of verse 5C how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire. He begins by saying CE literally love that's a that's in! Following that word.

This is another impaired. You don't want anybody sleeping for Bible class James Zhang take careful notes of what I'm about to say. See love how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire.

It all takes us far just a little spark of fire in the forest can be consumed. If you ever thought about the fact that fire has the capacity to effectively reproduce itself is unlimited as long as it is something to burn water you pour it out and and that's all you get. It doesn't create more water after being poured out the fire will burn indefinitely. It will spread as long as there is enough flammable material and oxygen. It's just struck power is credible, fearful I learned a first-in was a kid a poured gasoline in the little cement gutter that sat underneath the downspout on the corner house next that lovely Bush no idea what happened, but I want to find out what happened. Support some gasoline into that gutter through match over toward it in the whole marriage seemed to exploded aflame the flame shot about 4 feet in it it it scorch that cement gutter quickly burned out. But then I looked and there was a wish with every leaf with her and hanging limply. I stood there thinking, what have I done and then the next question and what shall be done to me. The bigger question. My father came home and gave me the answer that question. I learned not to play with fire.

Fortunately was contained within a gutter fire can spread and so were the danger of this analogy of a fire was immediately apparent James audio because uncontrollable fire was more than likely one of the most feared disasters during his day.

People were nearly helpless. It affected my research I came across one letter translator from planing a Roman historian and naturalist who lived during the time of James E. Bennett event in the city where a fire had broken out cities.

It was nickel media. Any any wrote that it consumed one private house after another, and buildings.

It even consumed the Temple of Isis.

He wrote the people were unable to do anything more than stand there and watch even updating 71. Much of the city of Chicago was destroyed by fire again at 830 probably heard the stories true 8:30 PM when a cow kicked overall answering as it was being milked the cow belonged to the O'Leary family. That name became famous as a result, small lantern started the great Chicago fire burned over 3 mi.² of the city. It burned down over 17,000 building left over 100,000 people homeless and took the lives of 300 fire burned for two days to look for the most part burned out with nothing more. Burn took the city of Chicago more than $400 million to rebuild to the reader. James letter uncontrollable fire was the most destructive force he could think of. He's reminding us that we got amazing firepower in her mouth. We all carry around a weapon of mass destruction and arbiter. There's plenty of proof of that. Solomon writes in Proverbs 1627 worthless man's words are a scorching fire gives another model in this one we should pursue your rights. He who restrains his words has knowledge and he was a cool spirit man of understanding we the same analogy today.

Did you see ever under the collar you see that lady I watched her as she she kept cool. This is tongue in its reality and is just getting started is destructive cycling tongue is depraved for six again. The tongue is a fire at this, the very world iniquity thought he had to go to Vegas to get to Cincinnati you got one walking around with you inside your mouth is what he said the original word translated world is Cosmo and you understand James will use it three times in this letter and every time he uses it he uses it in the sense of depraved, fallen, sinful world system might right system and the margin by which the world help you understand what he's talking about the planet is talking about the world's thinking patterns and is negative the world's value. The world's arrangements, the world's plan of the system of operation by which the world operates in its basest and most evil form so enlightened that James is saying the tongue is capable of spewing out that kind of evil plan and thinking and arrangements that kind of sinful system is capable of spewing out everything the violence itself against the plans and the values and the systems of righteous tongue has the potential for any and all kinds of human corruption. It is as corrupt as the values of the world system because it's connected to the heart right heart is desperately wicked. The world system has man as ultimately the idle and the throne of her own plans and thinking is the preeminent from the tongue represents a world of iniquity and it starts early doesn't you bring a child into the world you adopt a baby while his growing up is learning how to talk and he's gonna learn how to talk means of two primary influences.

Mom and dad. So after a few years he got it not only say the words, but as you use the same accident that's on the outside than on the inside there's another tutoring that is his nature is fallen, depraved nature and that nature will teach that child far more than an accent before he can even now the words he he's able to sin with his hands and with his head who taught him how to shake his head no, in defiance unit is a nice sitdown Johnny. Let me teach you how to be defined by doing this, their ego right again.

Now you've got it.

You never did never add where you learn to take his chubby little hands and slammed them down on the plastic top of his highchair because he didn't like his food mother thing and he learned from his father. No no father Adam where you learn how to live.

Mom and dad. You've done nothing but teach them the truth you never lied to remember from our last discussion. The tongue is the tattletale of the heart the tongue constantly tattled on the depraved condition of the heart and when it speaks it quickly reveals its connection to a world system of iniquity so you don't teach you teach them how to tell the truth is interesting and humorous bureaus of the audit is coming from his verse all the funny sort of the little boy got his versus mix but ended up basically revealing the truth of human nature. He was asked in Sunday school to define what all I was. What is a lie.

He said a lie is an abomination to the Lord in a very present help in time of need. Truth is his depraved heart taught him to lie and is tongue joined in the conspiracy is further tongue is also mentally destructive and depraved. Thirdly, it is the filing notice. The middle part of her six the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and hours if not checked controlled by the spirit about our entire body. It's involved defilement is hatched in the heart, fulfilled by the flesh, that the idea the rest of the body joins in this conspiracy against the holiness of God. James is not writing to unconverted pagans is writing to believing Jews and is writing the speech therapy for the same begins in daily requires the understanding we all have a speech impediment and it is it is sin that James uses the present tense for this verse. The files again very realistic theology which we so appreciate this is pie-in-the-sky. This is defilement you battle over and over and over and over again. The reason he is telling us that so that we all get a free pass or an excuse. He's writing to remind ourselves to warn ourselves apart from the surrender of the bench and the writer in the hand of the spirit of God walking around with a spark it's ready to spread the a forest fire. It's waiting to break all eggs aspire the file which will consume us involve us entirely.

James is just ahead because on the tongue is determinative but is the next phrase in verse six it sets on fire the course of our life with the mean using fire again which is the negative description of all that is evil in its power used by the tongue, but he saying that that evil potential sets the course and hours. It influences the direction of our lives.

It could happen with someone else's tongue against you, your father demeaned you cut you down with his tongue that affects you to this day. Her habit you're having a break because that's what you heard in your the power of the tongue, for good or evil can direct a life. Think about it you were interviewed for a job, your resume look like 50 others. They wanted the same job they graduate from college graduated from perhaps the same college and 50 others did to but you said something in that interview they hired you and set the course of your life you think about it is what you propose to your sweetheart and she said yes means that a shocker what she said yes to a little convincing maybe a ring or whatever the matter. She said she said in that one little word yes. Determine the course of your life and it has been sheer rapture ever since I met a man I said the word rapture you are thinking of prophecy and miss the opportunity you're praying now for the rest. James James says the tongue is sets on fire the tongue sets on fire the course of our lives what you say with your tongue can change the rest of your life that your tongue is even now setting the course and evil tongue makes people around you think that you are in your entirety. Evil. If you have a dirty tongue.

Everybody around you thinks of you in your entirety as dirty. If you have a lying tongue those around you. Think of you as dishonest and that plumber you know you heard him tell a lie is negative. Get the contract on your home because you consider him a liar, and this can affect him a dozen different ways. She is one author said it is what he is considered to be no better or different than his exhibit weight is only vocabulary it's only words no our speech.

James says determines our reputation, which dramatically affects our lives are our speech determines friends and influences and jobs are spirit our service at 20 means James is speaking categorically. It sets the course of the entirety of our lives. The tongue is destructive, depraved, the filing determinative and got the timing you think Jane might like that just had five comes along and will just say this with the tongue is diabolical in the last 50, number six.

It is the tongue is set on fire by hell. You've got to be kidding's pretty graphic and here's something else uses again the present active tense for this verb, and in it, it would've been so blunt and so shocking and so dramatic without any explanation of the tense of the verb for the Greeks were those knowing Greek Jews who would read it.

I need to point out because it's a continual state.

Your tongue is constantly sat on fire by hell and is writing to the church I wanted to come here and be told positive things I can feel better about myself.

James isn't finished yet you wish he was well I'll talk faster. Number six the tongue is disobedient.

James moving out of the world of animals and giver seven are every species of beasts and birds of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. James groups animals and the general categories that to group them into pairs animals that walk and fly and those that crawl and swim and from within these categories.

James is saying animals have been tamed while the smartest bath as strong as animals and have been subjugated for a purpose by the taming hand of mankind. Then James delivers at the end of that verse. The stunning news look there, but no one can tame the tongue. This is a one time creature because of the fall, mankind has lost dominion over himself. No one can tame the tongue.

No one literally of men. There's the first inclination of hope. Man can't, God is no mere man she James is describing the tongue as it is by nature not what it can be by grace every so often as it is subdued for the purposes of the Holy Spirit. The spirit of God can hold the reins control the rudder he can and must do that because none of us can, why can no one tame the tongue. James provides the answer yet another description number seven. The tongue is dangerous.

He writes in verse eight. It is a restless evil little bit different nuance here. It's as if the time is restless is looking for an opportunity to sin. He's telling us the truth. But Tom resists the subjugation of the spirit of God is already use this word resist restless I should say in chapter 1 words translated unstable the double minded man is unstable in all his ways. The word here is translated restless good translation is unreliable. In this context, it's ever thrown at any to break out of its cage where it has been kept behind bars teeth and double gates of lips you go to the zoo and you watch that animal is it paces back and forth is restless back and forth is not doing ever exercise you open the gate is gone, the tongue. One author said is like a caged wild animal ever pacing uneasily up and down its Dan about the time you think it's gonna it. It's lives out and it runs for our our tongues are described as destructive, depraved, the filing determinative, diabolical, disobedient, dangerous to give you one more surprisingly, it starts with the D. The tongue is deadly. Get to the end of it and he writes the tongue is full of deadly poison.

Literally the tongue is death.

Death. Every optimistic as he within the tongue is a death bearing poison is alluding here. At this point to the venom of a poisonous serpent that brings about death. In fact, it's the only time in the Bible the New Testament the word poison shows up. Imagine the cotenancy of this kind of activity is reserved for the tongue James. We would all immediately think the snake. This is the danger we carry around with us. Venom is deadly as a cobra were carrying around in our mouths.

A toxin as lethal as cyanide, no one or Solomon would write death and life are in the power of the tongue Proverbs 1821 to choose life.

The battle is worth it. Stakes are so high, so don't give up and don't give in so daily, sometimes hourly run to him with fresh confession, fresh surrender for fresh control which is exactly what he wants. It is for our good and our progress in this matter of divine speech therapy, which advances us in spiritual maturity. Martin Luther said that I close with this. He said all of life is repent market.

All of life is repentance. Repentance isn't just something you felt or did when he came to faith in Christ isn't just an act that you exercise after sitting or failing the Lord. It is life all life is repentance, which means then that all life is forgiveness. Jesus Christ will continually cleanse us then we can continually confess the gas line might reach down to hell, but the bloodline is going to take us to heaven.

I hope that today.

Your words will reflect God's truth and bring hope and healing to those who hear you speak. Stephen called this lesson. It only takes a spark. We have one more message to go in this series on the tongue, and will bring you that next time. This is wisdom for the hearts, our ministry is committed to bringing you Bible teaching that's true to God's word and relevant to your life if you'd like to know more about us and access the other resources we have available, please visit our website wisdom online.org. That site is filled with teaching and resources that will help you follow God more faithfully again. It's wisdom online.org join us next time.

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