Ep 50 – Marks of a Mature Christian Pt 10

Hi there. I’m so glad that you have joined us again to study the word of God in the original language. And Vicki and I are just excited to discuss. Chapter three of the epistle to James. Power over the tongue. Come and join us. Hi there, we’re looking at James chapter three And looking at the connection of the tongue, the words, the mouth from chapters 12 and three. And how when you become a perfect man or a mature person, spiritually mature person that they’ll be control of your mouth and your tongue and what comes out of your mouth. So we want to go in now To see the power over the tongue Vicky and especially looking at these verses from Chapter three verse 3 through 12 And we have these six pictures um of the tongue, the bit, the rudder, the fire, the poisonous animals, the fountain and the fig tree. And uh obviously these three categories are not original. Our mentor warren were to be our friend and master teacher has this in his material. The three categories are power to direct, Power to destroy, empowered to delight. So um what do you think about this Vicki? It’s very simple. He explains it so easily that with our tongue we can direct the course of our life, We can destroy our own life and other people’s lives by our words. And then we also have the power to delight and bring life a fountain and a tree. Amen, don’t we all? Yeah, So let’s look at the scriptures. Now if we put the bits into the horse’s mouth so that they will obey uh the phone, which is really the word for faith, obey in the sense that you believe what they say and do it. We direct madavo to turn about the entire body as well. In other words, the believing the the right words and the right way it says, it says bits that’s holly knows that bit directs us and we go a particular way and that’s what it’s talking about. Abu is to go that way their entire body as well. Look at the ships also though they are so great telecom photos, a strength and form of de li Cose so great and are driven with the winds by strong winds are still directed by a very small rudder pavilion. And and then it goes on to talk about wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. So when you have in your heart what you’re gonna say and how you’re gonna say it, it will come out right. But when you allow them out to just spew out things, you will say the wrong things. This is what it’s talking about here. Moving on to verse five. So also the tongue is a small part of the body and yet it boasts of hero. Uh meadows of great things. That’s a hard greek word to pronounce even for a greek. Uh see how great Alekos from fully grown adults. A forest elite is set aflame a nap toe a nap too is how you light something by such a small fire. So a little fire, a great forest is burned down and the tongue is a fire. The very world of inequity at the Kia. The tongue is set among our members as that, which defiles. And that word is to stain it stains the entire bodies below the entire body and sets on fire. The course of is the course, which is the cycle of our life and is set on fire by help. The actual word is now, there are great fires that we can look at. These fires started with with a little fire. This particular file fire that started in the circus maximus Stadium in Rome, Uh, destroyed 70% of the city. Maybe you can read the rest of this Vicki 10 of Rome’s 14 districts had burned and nearer himself blamed the rebellious New Coat. The Christians, the infamous phrase narrow fiddled while Rome was burning came to mean like irresponsibility. Yeah. So that you know, you, you’re not even worried about it and we cannot be irresponsible with the words that come out of our mouth because they will destroy, they will hurt and they will damage people all around us. This is some picture for us to realize that literally that we can set, uh, people around us are the course of our life with our tongue a great fire. And then what about the Chicago fire? A fire can begin with just a small spark, but it can grow to destroy a city. A fire reportedly started the o’leary barn in Chicago at 8:30 p.m. October 8th 18 71. Because that fire spread over 100,000 people were left homeless, 17,500 buildings were destroyed And 300 people died. It costs the city over $400 million. It’s a lot more money today, but just a one barn burning down let the whole city on fire. And that’s the illustration that it gives us concerning the tongue and the destructive power of the tongue. But it doesn’t only have the power to destroy. It also has the power to delight. We also know about the California fires today. I mean 783 square miles, incredible destructive fires. Uh, and it talks also about uh, the animals and how they also can destroy for every species of beasts and birds of reptiles and creatures of the sea is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. But this is an interesting statement, but no one can tame the Mazo the tongue. It is a restless, I gotta stop evil full of deadly poison, notice no one can tame the tongue. So, you know, humanly speaking, every single person has a breaking point. Every single person will let loose at some point. You know, how then can we tame the tongue? How can it happen when we accept christ as our savior and we allow God himself to live inside of us through the power of the Holy Spirit he speaks to us, he reminds us Sometimes God’s spirit would say don’t say that and it’s like I have to bite my tongue you know I being a Christian for so many years now over 50 years I am more sensitive to his voice and I don’t just listen to my own self, I listen to his still small voice and that’s the power of the Holy Spirit christ spirit lives inside of us to transform us into the image of christ he he loved his enemies. He prays for those who despite feli used him, he didn’t use his tongue to curse and you know we need to be so careful we can we can destroy I think you know the thing of parents, we can will our Children love us when they think about how we raise them or will they will will they say my parents didn’t heal me with their tongue, they hurt me, heal me, they were harsh, they didn’t heal me and they had the power to heal me and to encourage me and some parents encourage their kids so much or people in your church or people that you counsel your like you want to encourage them and empower them and we can we can literally yeah breathe life into someone or blow out the life. Exactly yeah. So you know I was just thinking of jesus christ himself when he responded to pilot, kept silent when he responded to the Pharisees that brought the woman who was caught in adultery. He kept silent. He was writing, I’m sure he had much to say, but when he responded, even in the temple and he was you know, uh physically kicking out people from selling uh and making merchandise of God’s temple, holy Temple and the disciples said wow the zeal, look at the zeal that is on him. But the way he spoke the power of his words when he was teaching by the power not to speak at times. The power, many times he was silent, he wrote down on the ground and the bible tells us that the eldest to the youngest first left left. So and then he says, you know, we were thinking maybe they had the most sense to think about and they said I better get out of here. But then when it says in Matthew seven as a close it says they noticed that he spoke with authority and power. Not as the scribes, you know, not as the Pharisees, he had this authority, this this anointing when he spoke, that’s what we need. We need that anointing and then of course the power to delight the fountain and the tree with it. We bless our Lord and father and with it we curse men who have been made in the likeness or meo cease the divine image of God from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing my brethren. These things ought not to be this way does a fountain e a spring of water. And by the way it’s not fred which is still uh water, but it’s a p a flowing spring send out from the same opening. Both fresh and bitter water can a fig tree. Now, these are rhetorical questions. Of course not. The answer is of course not. Can a fig tree? My brethren produce olives or a vine produce figs. No uh north can assault water, produce fresh again. All these illustrations to show us that this tongue now that it belongs to God, now that it belongs to jesus christ. My heart belongs to him. My body belonged to him, my hands belonged to him, my eyes belonged to him. My mouth belongs to him. My feet belonged to him. I surrender all that. It’s not just a song, all to jesus, I surrender all to him. I freely give. That’s not just a song. It really is a consecration. A commitment. That’s what romans 12 1 and two is about. I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God present your body as a living sacrifice. So when it comes to the tongue, I think it’s important that we consecrate our tongue as a living sacrifice in order to delight in order to bless and not to destroy or or to direct people in the wrong way. That word likeness. There are a variety of uh words Romeo sis he, those morphy. Nikon and schema. They all refer to it. I won’t go into further discussion on and accept to identify all these words uh similarly. So you know what they are um uses likeness, It does is appearance that may or may not have a basis in physical reality. And then icon denotes the exact representation. That that’s the word used in Romans eight. I had it on in the verses before that that were to be made into the corner of jesus christ. You know, he is the icon. That’s where we get the icon. And then of course morphy is the form as an indie uh is indicative of the interior nature. Another word morphy, like we use the word in english morphed from this person into that person morphed the inner nature changes and then schema is the form as externally regarded. Now, both of these words, the last two are used in Philippians two where he took on uh in in the inside and his inner character, he was God. But he took on the schema of a man. You know the outward appearance of a man. So this is important because it says right before this as we were looking at it that that from that same mouth should not come to different things were to be consistent with uh with uh giving one message. And of course that message is to be, it’s been identified as loving our neighbor as ourself. So I I just leave it right there and uh just dedicate our our lives again, our mouth, our eyes, our feet, our ears, our whole life that we would be consecrated unto him and he would have control of us and jesus. And in this in this book of James, he reminds us that we had the Word of God, The 10 Commandments are the Royal Law, the Law of Liberty and the Perfect Law, which is able to make us mature. Yes, exactly. Thank you Remembering the Royal Law in Chapter two. Really let us into chapter three to love others and the way in which it is expressed. Most importantly is in how we communicate. It tells us about not many of us being teachers and to know that we’re gonna be judged according to a stricter judgment even when we’re studying to prepare for a message. But then as we talk and interact with people, our family, our friends, strangers. The way we talk is gonna really communicate what’s going on on the inside, who we are. Have we been transformed how we do we have the character of christ and I thought a phenomenal passenger scripture that I’ve always been excited about to share with you on how we can really demonstrate the royal law in our in our speech and our communication with our tongue with our mouth is found in the book of Ephesians In Chapter four, in the book of Ephesians. Chapter four gives us insights concerning the Holy Spirit being in control of our life. And he says In Verse 25. Therefore laying aside falsehood Ephesians 4 25 laying aside falsehood. Speak truth. Each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members, one of a number one of another. Be angry and yet do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your anger. Do not give the devil an opportunity. He who steals must steal no longer, but rather he must labor performing with his own hands what is good so that he will have something to share with the one who has a need. Now listen to this. Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for the edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear, do not grieve. The Holy Spirit of God by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all the bitterness and the wrath and the anger and clamor and slander be put away from you along with all malice, be kind to one another, tend to heart it, forgiving each other just as God in christ also has forgiven you. You see the royal law there the royal law that you talked to others, the way you want to be talked to, that you treat others, that the way you want to be treated, that you love others the way you want to be loved. And it comes out most importantly in our speech notice in verse 25. Therefore laying aside falsehood, this is a Ephesians chapter four And verse 25. So we gotta speak truth, Speak the truth. Each one of you with his neighbor. Notice how many times it talks about the mouth for we are members one of another. Be angry. And yet do not sin again, be angry. But don’t let it come out of your demeanor. Your mouth do not let the sun go down on your anger. And if you do get angry, quickly go back and reconcile, humble yourself, confess your faults one to another, pray one for another. So that you may be healed. You can’t go to sleep as a believer knowing you’ve offended people and have not called them to apologize or that you’ve said something to a child or a spouse and you have not dealt with it. God tells us right here to do something about it before the sun goes down or else it festers more and the bitterness will just flood all over the spirit all over the mind, all over the heart, all over the soul and come out in the wrong communication. Even worse the next day. And then it says, do not give place to the devil. The devil can absolutely. That literally means do not give a foot hole metals. Do not give him any, any portion, anyplace little spot where he could break in and divide. And the avalos put something there that that will, that will divide the relationship. The people give him an opportunity. The very word there is talking about uh opus that they don’t give the devil the Avalos any to pose any any place. And then it talks about stealing. He was still who steals must steal no longer. But rather be he must labor performing with his own hands. What is good so that he will have something to share with the one who has a need. You know, you’re a thief, You stop that when you become a believer, you stop that, you’re a drunken, you stop that. God gives you power supernaturally to realize not only the things that you have taken in the past from others, but you also go back and make restitution. You go back and bring things to people and tell people that God has changed your life. Yes, it’s a humbling experience. But it’s an important one to do to communicate how God has changed my life. I’ve done this in my own personal life and gone back to people that I’ve offended and hurt and they couldn’t believe it. Why? Because God changed me from the inside out. Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth. That is suppose something that is that is running writing word words that are rotting. And he says, don’t let any of that come out of your mouth proceed from your mouth. If you’re gonna say something garbage, say something a curse, say something that is gonna tear down. Say something that is going to discourage. Don’t let it come out of your mouth. God’s commandment. It’s not a question. It’s not a suggestion. This is a commandment from God. Let no unwholesome word proceed out of your mouth. It’s in the imperative, you can’t do this negated greek present imperative. And then it says, but only such a word as is good agatha knows that is through you for other people, not got lost just for you, but through you for other people, uh for the edification. For building people up. So the question, mike words, are they cutting people down or are they building people up? That’s the question. I have to ask that question concerning how I speak to Vicky? How I speak to my Stephanie and Alexandra and victoria. Anastasia, My second daughter, Tassos, my son, My grandchildren, 10 grandchildren, now, a little great grandchild. Those are the closest people in my life. And I have to ask myself in my building them up. My son in laws. Christos and walter and Anthony and Erik, how am I talking to them? How do what do I say to them? Do I build them up? Do I tear them down? God help me to only speak such words that build up the people around me, no garbage, no rotten words coming out of my mouth or your mouth. And then it says for the edification according to the need of the moment. Are my words timely. You know, you could say the right thing in the wrong time. So are they timely? Have I asked the question? Are they listening? Uh what are they going through when I when I say something so that it will give Grace my words and your words need to empower people to be strong. Give Grace means hardy’s means that it allows them to have power that they didn’t have before. And that’s what our word should be to those who hear. And then along with this, not only is the devil involved in our speech. You know, he’s looking for an opportunity, but it says do not grieve. The Holy Spirit, the very word lip l which means to make him to be sad. You know, you don’t want to do that leap. E it comes from deep grief to experience this incredible grief of the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. In other words, the idea there is that he’s inside of us. He he feels the Spirit of God God the Father God the Son God. The Holy Spirit represented in the Holy Spirit who is in us and we can make the very Spirit of God sad grieve because of how we speak asked that question. Not only don’t I give the devil an opportunity, but I give the Holy Spirit of God full rein to do whatever he wants. And then my words are to be timely and building people up that I’m speaking to and and I’m not gonna grieve the holy Spirit. The idea the idea here is that yeah, I’ve said things that have made it very sad, you’ve said things that have made him very sad by whom we are sealed for the day of redemption. We have a ceiling. He’s never gonna leave us or forsake us when we speak correctly or we speak incorrectly when we got rotten words or we’ve got fresh and beautiful and fragrant words. Let all bitterness. There it is. Pick ra bitterness and wrath famous and anger or yay and clamor now notice all this could have here. All of these words are talking about how we’re speaking, talking to one another and slander. That means villas femia putting people down, you know, uh very very All these five words are he says, put this away from you along with all malice that I actually want to do harm to someone Qalqilya. Evil bad. But on the other hand, the Royal Law be kind to one another tenderhearted. Forgiving each other even as God for christ’s sake has forgiven us. That’s it. Can you forgive the people around you? Because if you don’t forgive you’re you’re really in trouble because God says, I won’t forgive you if you don’t forgive them and we need to be kind tender hearted forgiving each other even as God for christ’s sake because he died, he was buried he arose again for his sake, he forgave us. And if you need that forgiveness today it’s so simple. Just cry out to him. Oh God I’ve blown it. I’m this guy. I’ve got all this garbage coming out. Please God, please forgive me and clean my heart and clean my life for jesus sake. God bless you until we come together again. For it’s all greek to me with tom and Vicky.