Watching those books, the bargains are going fast
and I think you really have been taking
advantage of the of the good prices in
the bookstore.
The shame of any of Mr. Phillips' books
were left after the conference until a few
days.
You've been getting the ministry in part, you
can get greater segments of it if you
buy those exploring books.
I still have a few brochures left of
the leadership training course out on the west
coast.
If any of you men are interested, please
ask for one.
I'll be glad to see that you get
one.
In our time together, we've been thinking about
the subject of personal holiness.
And we've been taking up various areas of
the Christian life where holiness is so very
important.
And tonight I'd like to take up the
subject of the Christian speech, chapter
three, the third chapter of James' letter.
First part of the chapter, James chapter three.
My brethren, be not many masters or teachers
really, knowing that we shall receive the greater
condemnation.
For in many things we offend all, or
in many things we all stumble.
Many men offend not in word, the same
is a perfect man, and able also to
bridle the whole body.
Behold, we put bits in the horse's mouth
that they may obey us, and we turn
about their whole body.
Behold also the ships, which though they be
so great, and are driven of fierce winds,
yet are they turned about with a very
small helm, with it soever the governor listeth.
Even so the tongue is a little member,
and boasteth great things.
Behold, how great a matter a little fire
kindleth.
And the tongue is a fire, a world
of iniquity, so is the tongue among our
members, that it defileth the whole body, and
set us on fire the course of nature,
and is set on fire of hell.
For every kind of beast, and of birds,
and of serpents, and of things in the
sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of
mankind, but the tongue can no man tame.
It is an unruly evil, full of deadly
poison.
Therewith bless we God, even the Father, and
therewith curse we men, which are made after
the similitude of God.
Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and
cursing.
My brethren, these things ought not so to
be.
Doth a fountain send forth the same place
sweet water and bitter?
Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive
berries, either of vine figs?
So can no fountain both yield salt water
and fresh.
Years ago, when you went to the doctor,
one of the first things he'd say would
be, stick out your tongue.
And you think to yourself, well, it isn't
my tongue, doctor, it's my stomach that's giving
me the trouble.
But they had that way of asking you
to stick out your tongue, and they'd look
at your tongue, and maybe they could tell
something about your general health.
That's what James is saying here.
James is saying, stick out your tongue, and
let me see how your spiritual health is.
And I don't know about you, but I
feel a little reckless when I come to
these passages of script, because I realize that
the discipline of the tongue is one of
the real difficult disciplines of the Christian life.
Now you can all stop listening, and I'll
preach to myself in the first verse, where
it says, don't be many teachers, knowing that
we shall receive the greater condemnation.
That means that we shouldn't be unduly aspiring
to teach, because a teacher is more responsible
than others.
It's one thing to get up and talk
about the tongue, it's another thing to practice
it, isn't it?
To practice the control of the tongue.
And if we get up and talk about
it, and we're not practicing it, God knows
about that, and we will receive the heavier
judgment.
Now James admits that in every area of
life, we all offend, we all stumble.
But he makes the most astounding statement here.
He says, if any man stumbles not in
word, the same is a perfect man and
able to bridle the whole body.
And that's an interesting thing.
That says that if I can discipline my
tongue, that discipline is transferable to any other
area of the Christian life.
And that really surprises me.
But I know it's true.
Just think about that.
If you can discipline your tongue, if you
can guard what you say, you can't
bring under control.
Thinking is special, steel is huge,
and yet he says that in the rain,
and then he gives the illustration, and
yet the man that controls it
is like that rudder.
Control, and you can control, just even so
that we don't often even think about it,
do we?
That means I don't achieve
the sin.
Then he moves on to the sadness.
Think of it.
And then he goes on and trains and
the humans.
We have to avail ourselves.
Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olive
berries, either a vine fig?
Do you agree?
But it's an amazing thing.
James would
say, my brethren, these things with
regard to that
ever righteous table.
My answer is this.
God is truth and shame
the devil.
Even if the card of communication
proceed out of your mouth, if you read
that in the case, don't let any worthless
communication proceed out of your mouth.
Should be saying tonight
is awfully hard, and that has
taken place.
Details that will be of eternity.
And you should have seen, you
and I might call it muddy orange, but
you know Sally, she always says things just
right.
The ochre was to please the groom's mother.
Oh, and their shoes?
Mary, have you ever seen avocado colored lizard
skin shoes?
They rented them for the occasion, you know.
Sally's mother told me that, and I guess
we better not say too much about it.
You know how critical people can be.
The bride's maids were outstanding in their orange
dresses with lavender polka dotted ruffles.
And the bride was pretty too.
It's the first time I've ever seen a
bride carrying hydrangeas.
But Sally certainly has a fowl all of
her own.
Oh, do you really have to leave, Mary?
I wanted to tell you about the recession.
Maybe you and I can pay Sally a
visit someday.
That Hamadop might be able to put together
a tape of men maybe talking about the
latest ball game or something.
They'll say, you didn't play so well tonight
for the fact that you lost the game.
Well, I guess we didn't play so well
tonight.
What plans do you have for the future?
Well, I think we'll try to play better
in the future.
Should be
men will give an...
Well, what an awful thing for men and
women, unsaved men and women.
I remember when tape recorders first came in
that you're going from table and unknown to
the table, and the tape recorder was underneath
at the table.
And then I have an embarrassment when you
just take and you don't know you're...
Well, I have the tape recorder here.
There's a little, there's another story.
Ma'am, the dog's dead.
Sure you hear all the facts before you
form your conclusions.
Our speech should be worthwhile.
Number three, our speech should be edifying says
in that same verse, Ephesians chapter four, verse
29, but no corrupt communication proceed out of
your mouth, but rather that which is good
to the use of edifying.
And that really means, and once again, I
think this takes a tremendous discipline to be
trying to negative
wouldn't be edifying.
Well, he was taking Ephesians chapter four, verse
29, seriously.
That leads me to ask you, what is
gossip?
Anyway, we hear the
scene in an...
And most
of your modern verse to
be able to speak the appropriate thing.
And he leaned over her bed leaning on
in the morning, leaning on her beloved.
I remember I was going and it took
me out of the sluice to
speak at that might be
able to pass on that beautiful.
We speak should be gracious words.
Once again, the gracious words of Christians.
And I think, I think of the apostle
26, a masterpiece of grace.
Acts chapter 26, handcuffed
on his hands.
And he's pleading his case.
Acts 26, 28, and 29.
Said to Paul, greatest me to be a
Christian.
Paul, mania should
be gracious.
But then it says also, and
it led to some years ago, they're in
the car.
He listened until he couldn't take it anymore.
And then he rebuked the student three and
four.
But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let
it not be once named among you.
It's become a thing, neither filthiness, nor foolish
talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient, but
rather giving a thank.
And what the script serious
teaches that
our speech should be so immense.
Oh, that
command has anything to do with old leads
to.