Rick Warren - A Faith That Helps Me Filter What I Say
Hi, everybody, I'm Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church, author of "The Purpose Driven Life," and daily speaker for Daily Hope Broadcast. I wanna thank you, Saddleback, and thank you, Daily Hope, for your prayers the last two weeks when I was recovering from two major surgeries, one on my back and one on my stomach. It's so great to be back out here on the farm and to be with you again. Have I told you lately that I love you? I really do, thank you for your notes and your cards. Today we're gonna continue in our series, A Faith That Works When Life Doesn't. And we're in part 16, we're going through the Book of James. Now, one of the major themes of the Book of James is self deception. Of the way we lie to ourselves. We rationalize, in other words, we tell rational lies to ourselves. We try to convince with our mind what we know in our heart is wrong. And we come back to this theme in James over and over again, because you and I cannot become all that God wants us to be until we start being honest with ourselves.
Now, the most common form of self deception is in the way we talk. We think we are spiritual and we're not self centered, but our words betray us. And the way we talk shows that we're not nearly as mature as we think we are. Now, in James chapter one, verse 26, he says this. If you claim to be religious but you don't control your tongue, you're only fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. Whoa, that's pretty clear. He said, if you don't control your tongue, your religion is worthless. Wow. Now, that's enough right there, we could just stop and go home and think about that. But then James comes back to this same theme again in chapter three. And he goes into graphic detail of what God thinks about our words and about what we say.
Now, in James chapter three, verses one to 15, that's what we're gonna look at today, he starts with a warning to those of us, including me, who make a living by talking. But then he deals with all of us. So let me read to you James chapter three, verses one to 15. Here's what it says. Dear brothers and sisters, don't be in a hurry to become a teacher in the church, because we who teach will be judged by God with greater strictness. Now, that's the verse that scares me. Because I'm gonna be under stricter standards or stricter judgment than those of you who don't teach. He says, oh, be careful about being eager to be a teacher in the church. Then he says, now, we all make many mistakes. That's one of the most truthful verses that everybody knows without even having the Bible. We all make many mistakes. Can we all raise our hand on that one? We all make many mistakes.
In fact, he says, anyone who is able to say the right thing, anyone who would be able to say the right thing, then that person would be perfect. And they would have perfect self control of themselves and their body. James says, we can control very large horses by putting a small bit into their mouths. And by controlling their mouth, we can turn the whole animal whatever direction we want it to go. Or take ships as an example. A tiny rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot wants it to go, even though the winds are strong. And in the same way, your tongue is a small thing, but what enormous damage it can do. Just like a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire, your tongue is also a dangerous fire. Among all the parts in your body, it is the one that causes the most wickedness and spreads evil everywhere. It, talking about the tongue, it can corrupt and ruin your whole life. It can turn the entire course of your life into a blazing fire of destruction, because it's set on fire, he's talking about the tongue, by hell itself.
Now, people can tame all kinds of animals and birds and reptiles and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is an uncontrollable evil, full of deadly poison. We use our tongue to praise the Lord and Father, our Lord and Father, but then we use the same tongue to attack and curse other people who've been made in the same image of God. So, blessings, blessing some people and cursing others come out of the same mouth. Listen, my brothers and sisters. This should never happen. Can fresh water and bitter water come out of the same spring? No. Can a fig tree bear olives or a grapevine produce figs? No. And you can't get fresh water out of a polluted well. How humbly you live, not how you talk, shows your wisdom. If you harbor bitterness or jealousy or self centered bias in your heart, you shouldn't boast that you're wise. You deny the truth to make yourself look better. That's not wisdom, it's earthly, it's unspiritual, and it's inspired by the devil.
Whoa, what a passage. 15 verses. It was just like, boom, boom, boom, boom. God just keeps hitting us with truth after truth. And James doesn't pull any punches in those 15 verses that I just read. And he says this. If you don't watch your tongue, it's gonna dominate you. I started to call this sermon, don't let your tongue lick you. But I thought, no, that's a bad pun. You have to learn how to tame your tongue. You have to learn how to manage your mouth. You have to learn how to watch your words. So today we're gonna look at a faith that helps me filter what I say. A faith that helps me filter what I say. Now, why is that important? Why do I have to learn how to filter everything I say? And why do I need God's help to do that? And people say, well, it's only words. I don't mean anything by it, I'm just kidding anyway. Well, James in chapter three gives us three powerful reasons why we need to ask God to help us filter everything we say. And he illustrates each of these three reasons with very vivid pictures that all of us can understand.
So let's get right into it. The first reason I need to filter everything I say, and I need to ask God to help me, 'cause I can't do this on my own, is this. Number one, because my tongue directs where I'm headed in life. My tongue directs where I'm headed. My words and your words have tremendous influence and control over our lives. We don't even realize it. If I wanted to know where you're headed in the next five years, all I need to do is listen to what you talk about most. Because we shape our words, and then they shape us. Now, because the tongue is so small, just a small part of your body, we often overlook its power and its great influence. But James points out that small things can exert enormous control. And he gives us two examples. I read it already, from horses and from ships. James chapter three, verse three, he says this. We can control very large horses by putting a small bit into their mouths. And by controlling their mouth, we can turn the whole animal whatever direction we want it to go.
Now, imagine a strong 2000 pound stallion with a 95 pound jockey riding. And with just a small metal bar in that horse's mouth, that 95 pound jockey controls 2000 pounds, something far more powerful than he is. But it's just a tiny bit, but it's in the mouth. The point, just a bit of a sentence or a bit of a phrase or a bit of a word can change the total direction of somebody's life. You can probably think of somebody right now, examples in your own life of where a bit of a word or a phrase changed the direction of your life. You said that's like the horse with a bit. Then he says, imagine a giant ship in the ocean being battered by the waves and the wind. And yet it still heads in the right direction because of a tiny little rudder. That's verse four, James 3:4. Take ships as an example. A tiny rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot wants it to go, even though the winds are strong. Those of you who live in California, if you've ever seen the Queen Mary ocean liner, and they take you through the whole ship, it's amazing how this giant ship, how small the rudder is on that enormous ship. Here's the point. Our words are like a rudder. They either keep us on course or they can drive us way, way off course.
Now, let me pause here and give a word to parents. Because as a parent, I have often been overwhelmed when I realized the awesome influence that my words have on my kids. And kids at every age remain impressionable by the words of their parents. So be careful about that rudder. Now, note it says, the rudder makes the ship turn. Your tongue is the steering wheel of your life. It's the guidance system of your life. If you don't like the direction where you're headed, you need to change the way you talk to yourself. Because your tongue is directing your life. Sometimes I've found it best to say nothing. Particularly if you're getting ready to gripe or complain, just say nothing.
Reminds me of a story of a man who joined a Trappist monastery to become a monk, and he took a vow of silence. And at the end of each year, he was allowed to say two words in this monastery. At the end of the first year, his first two words were, "Bed hard". "Bed hard," that's all he said for the whole year. The next year he had a whole year of silence in the monastery, and he was allowed to say two words, then he said, "Food cold". And the third year he comes and he tells the head monk, "I quit". And the head monk said, "Well, you know, I'm not surprised, 'cause all you've ever done since you got here is complain". We have to choose our words carefully. Proverbs 13, verse three says this. Those who are careful about what they say protect their own lives, but whoever speaks without thinking will be ruined.
So, first I need to filter what I say, because my tongue directs where I'm headed like a bit in a horse's mouth and like a rudder on a big ship. Second, I need to filter my words, and I need to ask God to help me filter my words. Because number two, my tongue can not only direct where I'm going, it can destroy what I have. And that's the next couple of verses. Your tongue can destroy your life quicker than anything else. James three verse five says this. Your tongue is a small thing, but what enormous damage it can do. It's like a tiny spark. It can set a great forest on fire. Your tongue is also a dangerous fire. Now, you could picture this in your mind. Imagine this beautiful green forest. And now picture it all going up in smoke in a forest fire, in a wildfire. It's charred, it's totally destroyed from one little spark.
Those of you who live here in California know that in 2018, we had the worst fire in history. 1.6 million acres burned to the ground in the California fire of 2018. The largest of those fires in the state history was the Mendocino fire that year, 2018. I paid attention to it because I grew up in Mendocino County up by the redwoods in a little village called Redwood Valley. The Mendocino fire destroyed 410,000 acres, one single fire, 4,010 acres. And here's the interesting part. They later traced it back to one tiny spark from a hammer driving a metal stake into the ground, and that spark hit flammable material, you know, dry weeds and stuff. One tiny spark ended up destroying almost a half a million acres.
Now, James has given us a parallel, just like we know that a careless camper can destroy an entire national park, we also know that a careless word can destroy an entire life. Gossip and rumors are like fire, they spread quickly and they wreck havoc. You ever met a verbal arsonist, a verbal arsonist? They use their words to set things on fire. The wrong words can inflame the situation. You know this, you've said the wrong words, and you've inflamed situations and made them worse. You can burn people with what you say. And they don't call those celebrity roasts roasts for nothing, when they're burning people with their words. I wonder how many people have let their mouth destroy their career, or let their mouth destroy a marriage, or let their mouth destroy a reputation, or let their mouth destroy a church, or let their mouth destroy a friendship? It's interesting to me that both fire and words under control give warmth and give light. But fire or words outta control are devastating, and you can lose everything.
I want you to write this verse down, Proverbs 18:21. Proverbs 18:21, you wanna memorize this verse, it says this. You'll have to live with the consequences of everything you say. You will have to live with the consequences of everything you say. My words not only determine the direction where I'm going, but they can destroy what I have. Look at the next verse, verse six, James 3:6. Among all the parts in your body, your tongue is the one that causes the most wickedness and spreads evil everywhere. It can corrupt and ruin your whole life. It can turn the entire course of your life into a blazing fire of destruction, because it's set on fire by hell itself.
Now, I want you to notice two things in that verse you just read. First. What's the filthiest part of your body? Think about that. What's the filthiest part of your body? What part of your body creates the most shame? Let me put it another way. What part of your body sins the most? You know, a lot of Christians act like the answer to those three questions are your sexual parts. For a lot of Christians, when it comes to the body, many Christians act like God created your head and your torso and your arms and your legs, and the devil slapped on your genitals. Wrong, wrong. God created those parts. He invented them, it was his idea. And what God says is that your mouth and your tongue cause you to sin more than your sexual organs.
How many Christians are offended by all kinds of sexual sins in the world and think nothing about the sins of their mouth? If you don't believe that, what I just said, then you do a study through the Bible, and you'll find that the Bible talks a whole lot more about the sins of the mouth than sexual sins. Let me just give you a short list. Backbiting, these are sins. Backbiting, lying, threatening, cursing, deceiving, boasting, ridicule, slander, false witness, hypocritical words, complaining, bitter words, flattery. Yeah, flattery's a sin. Fault-finding, mocking, defaming, judging, filthy language, gossiping. These are the sins that we have sanitized. And we're not ashamed of them at all. We're ashamed of the sexual sins, but God talks more about the sins of the mouth. I want you to note the second thing in that verse I just read is that words create a chain reaction. And if you study history, you'll find that most wars were actually started by a few inflammatory statements that set off a chain reaction, and then all hell broke loose.
Here's another verse to write down, Proverbs 21:23. If you want to stay out of trouble, be careful with what you say. Proverbs 21:23. You wanna stay out of trouble, be careful with what you say. Now, next, James uses a zoo to illustrate not only that our words control our direction, but they can destroy what we have. And in James chapter three, verses seven and eight, he says this. People can tame all kinds of animals and birds and reptiles and fish, but nobody can tame the tongue. It is an uncontrollable evil full of deadly poison. Wow. Now, listen very closely. God says, humanly speaking, your tongue is uncontrollable. God says, without my help, it's hopeless. You're never gonna get control of your mouth on simply willpower. He says, it's an uncontrollable evil. It's wild. It's always liable to break out.
Years ago, when we moved to Orange County in 1980, there was a thing called Lion Country Safari. And you could drive through land, catch a safari, you can see all these wild animals. And there's a big sign at the front says, do not leave your car. Why? Because they're always liable to break out and get angry and maul you or whatever. And he says, that's what your tongue is. And then he says, it's full of deadly poison. He says, like snake venom. Just a few drops can kill you. Your tongue can be a deadly weapon. You can assassinate people's reputation with your mouth. People do that every single minute of every day on social media. They assassinate people's reputation. So, he says, I need a filter for my words, because first my tongue directs where I'm headed. And then he says, I need a filter because my tongue can destroy what I have.
Then James gives us a third reason on why we all need a filter for our mouths. And it's this. Because my tongue displays who I really am. My tongue displays who I really am. It reveals my real character. It reveals my true identity. It shows my real heart. Not the fake me, not the reputation me, the real me. Your words show how spiritually healthy or how spiritually sick you are. Have you ever noticed that when you go to the doctor, he wants to evaluate your health, first thing he says is, stick out your tongue? Think about that. By looking at your tongue, he can assess the health of your body. And after he says, stick out your tongue, then he puts a thermometer in your mouth. And he's doing that to reveal what's going on inside of you. Your mouth shows what's going on inside of you. And James points out how inconsistent we are.
Next we come to verse nine and 10. It says this. We use our tongue to praise our Lord and Father, but then we use the same tongue to attack and curse other people who have been made in the same image of God. So, blessing some people and then cursing other people comes out of the same mouth. Listen, my brothers and sisters, this should never happen. Isn't it amazing how quickly we can change in our speech? We can be Dr. Jekyll in one minute and Mr. Hyde in the other. At church, we have the highest privilege of praising God with our mouths. But then you get in the car and you start arguing. One minute you're saying, praise God, and the next minute you're saying, shut up. Your tongue is an incredible contradiction. Mine is too.
Now, I want you to notice. James says, you attack and you curse other people who have been made in the same image of God. Let me ask you some really pointed questions. How do you talk about people who disagree with you politically? Do you treat them as human beings, or are they the scum of the earth? Are you polite? Do you treat them with dignity? Do you treat them with respect? How do you talk to people who disagree with you politically? How do you talk to people who are different from you in your religion? Do you buy into all the name calling and the stereotyping of other religions? How do you talk about people who are immigrants or a different race from you?
Now, I know what some of you thinking. You say, Rick, when are you gonna stop bringing up prejudice and bias? I'll stop bringing it up when the Bible stops talking about it. I'm just teaching through the Book of James. And it has come up four times already in this book. If the Bible bothers you and you don't wanna hear what God says, you really need to find a church that doesn't teach the Bible. Because I'm just teaching what the Bible says. And it says, you can't treat people with disrespect who were made in the same image of God as you. And so just find a place that doesn't teach the Bible, but you will have to explain your attitude to God someday. Not to me, but to God.
Now, let me switch, let me talk to you about my own failings here for a minute. Because you can deal with your own failings, let me just deal with mine. God says, good and bad should not be coming out of the same mouth. Can I just be honest with you? One of the things that bothers me about me is this. How can I sometimes say the most unloving things to the people in my family that I love the most? How can I say the most unloving things to the people that I love the most? Does that ever bother you, or am I the only one in the world with this problem? How is it that we can speak loving and kind words to those we love in one moment, and in another breath, lash out at them? I don't know about you, but that grieves me. It grieves me. It grieves me deeply that I can be impatient and even harsh with those I love the most.
You struggle with that? I mean, what gives? What's causing that? Well, James tells us the answer in the next couple of verses. Verses 11 and 15, James chapter three. Can fresh water and bitter water come out of the same spring? No. Can a fig tree bear olives or a grapevine produce figs? No. And you can't get fresh water out of a polluted well. How humbly you live, not how you talk, shows you real wisdom. And if you harbor bitterness or jealousy or self centered bias in your heart, you shouldn't boast that you're wise. You deny the truth to make yourself look better. That's not wisdom. It's earthly, it's unspiritual, and it's inspired by the devil.
Now, James is saying, whatever is in that well in my heart, whatever's in the well comes out in the water. Whatever's in the well comes out in the water. Whatever's in my heart comes out of my mouth. Whatever's in the tree comes out in the fruit. What's the likelihood of an apple tree producing cherries? Zero. Here's the point, I want you to write this down. Write this down. My deeper problem isn't my tongue. It's my heart. My deeper problem isn't my tongue. It's my heart. My mouth eventually betrays what I'm really like inside. You know, we've all probably used this excuse when you said something that was mean or bad or whatever and you go, I don't know what came over me. It's not like me to say that. Oh, yes it is. It's just like you to say that, you meant it. Quit kidding yourself. Quit rationalizing. Quit pretending. Quit having self deception. Long before Freud pointed out the Freudian slip, Jesus pointed it out that my tongue just displays what's inside of me.
So what's the solution? I mean, this is a problem we can't solve on our own. God says you can't solve it on your own. What do I need to do? Every day, every single day, you need to do two things for the rest of your life. Number one, write this down. Ask the Holy Spirit to change my heart. I need to do that every day in my life. Ask the Holy Spirit to change not just my words, but my heart. Ezekiel 18:31 says this. Rid yourself of all the offenses you've committed, that's confession, and get a new heart and a new spirit. You start with confession. Say, God, I confess, I need a heart transplant. My heart isn't that good, I need a heart transplant. Matthew 12:34, Jesus said, "Out of the overflow of your heart your mouth speaks".
Your mouth only speaks what's in your heart. My tongue simply displays who I am. And so the truth is, I don't really have a tongue problem, I have a heart problem. You see, somebody with a harsh tongue is revealing an angry heart. Somebody with a negative tongue is revealing a fearful heart. That's what they're revealing. Somebody with a unfriendly tongue is revealing a hard heart. Somebody with a critical tongue is revealing a bitter heart. Somebody with a boasting tongue, they're always bragging, they're revealing an insecure heart. Somebody with a filthy tongue is revealing an impure heart. And somebody with a judgemental tongue is revealing a guilty heart. And somebody with an overactive tongue, always talking all the time, is revealing an unsettled heart. On the other hand, somebody with an encouraging tongue, they got a happy heart. Somebody with a gentle tongue, they got a loving heart. And somebody with a controlled tongue, they've got a peaceful heart.
Now, listen. It doesn't help to paint the pump if there's poison water in the well, all right? All of the things that tend to change on the outside of me doesn't help to paint the pump if there's poison water in the well. But God specializes in heart transplants. That's what Jesus came to do, to give you a new heart. And he can start in your heart today with that transplant. Second Chronicles 5:17. Therefore if any man, any person becoming Christ, they become a new person inside. The old has passed away, the new has come. David, after he'd committed adultery, writes a Psalm 51 and he says, create in me a clean heart, oh God. That's what you need to do. Ask God to forgive your past and give you a fresh start, and to give you a heart transplant. And we need to pray that every day of our lives.
Number two. Not only do you need to ask the Holy Spirit to give you a heart transplant, ask him to help you manage your mouth. I asked the Holy Spirit to help me manage my mouth knowing that I can't do it on my own. You need supernatural power. You can't do it by yourself. Psalm 141, verse three. Lord, help me control my tongue, and help me be careful about what I say. Psalm 141:3. You see, let me just sum it up. The greater proof that you are filled with God's spirit, the greater proof that your spirit filled is not speaking in a tongue you don't know, it's controlling the tongue you do know. That's the proof of being filled with the Spirit. James 1:19, be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. We keep coming back to that verse. Engage your mind before putting your mouth in gear.
So let's wrap this up. What does your tongue say about you? If we were to play back a tape of all your conversations from the past week, what would it tell us about you? What direction is your tongue leading you? What do you talk about the most? Now, the only way to get control of your tongue, to manage your mouth, to tame your tongue, to watch your words, is to let Jesus Christ have control of your heart. Because both the bit and the rudder of your life must be under the control of his strong hand. You're not strong enough, and neither am I.
So as we close, I wanna invite you, if you've never done this, to give your life 100% to Christ. And maybe in the past you've made this commitment, but you've kind of been walking away from it, and he doesn't have 100% of you. And it's showing up in your words. And it's showing up in your attitudes toward other people. And so I wanna invite you to follow me in a prayer of total commitment to Jesus Christ, that he can help you get control of your mouth, which controls the direction of your life. And it controls what damage is done in your life. And it controls what you really are, your identity of your life. So let's bow our heads for prayer.
Father, I thank you for this word. It's so practical, so relevant, so helpful through our lives. And there's not a person listening who doesn't need this message. I need it. And so does everybody else. Lord, you've said that the tongue is uncontrollable by willpower. That we need your spirit in our lives. So today we open ourselves to you.
Now, you pray. Say:
Dear Jesus Christ. Take over 100% of my life, including my heart and my mouth. Just say that. God, I need a new heart and I need a new mouth. Say, God, I need a heart transplant. Jesus Christ, I admit that I need you, that I can't control my mouth by myself. And so I'm asking you to forgive my sin and fill me with yourself, and put your hand on the rudder of my life and on the bit and direct me in the right direction. As much as I know how Jesus Christ, I'm giving you 100% of my life today. Save me in your name, I pray. Amen. Amen.