O Be Careful Little Mouth What You Say

Okay. That's it. And I'm gonna move down here. Conveniently, y'all are sitting over on this side. So Proverbs chapter four.

We have a very long passage to read tonight. I'm just kidding. I'm allowed to kid every now and then. Alright. Just a little bit.

Proverbs four and verse 24. Well, just just as a little reminder, we'll read verse 23 and then 24. Keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life. Put away from thee a froward mouth and perverse lips put far from thee. Let's go to the Lord in prayer once more.

Lord, thank you for your word. Please help us to use the tools that you have given us for that which is good and glorifying and pleasing in your sight, for that which is edifying to our brothers and sisters in Christ and to tell the world about Jesus. Lord, thank you for the gift of speech and of language, communication. May we use it, Lord, to honor you, we pray. In Jesus' name, amen.

So we're going to focus in on verse 24. A couple weeks ago, we looked at verse 23, keep thy heart, your thoughts, wills, and emotions. Turn them over to God and protect them from all of the garbage that Satan is trying to pour into our heart and to our mind, particularly in this world today. We read here, as we mentioned a couple weeks ago in Luke six, I think we read the passage from Matthew, but it says, a good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good. An evil man out of the evil out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil.

For of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaketh. A lot of times people, you know, they... Something happens, they hit their thumb with a hammer, you know, it's typical. Illustration, anyway. And things blurred out of their mouth.

Oh, I didn't mean that. Well, only what is inside comes what? Comes out. And so if the inside is what the inside should be, then that's not what will blur out of our mouth when something happens or when we get angry or when we're upset or frustrated. We won't just pour pour filth and corruption out of our mouth.

So, in a way, all of this goes back to the what? It goes back to the heart and that's where Jesus on the Sermon on the Mount talking to his disciples said, if your righteous does not... Righteousness does not exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall in no case enter into what? The kingdom of heaven. Now, the Pharisees and scribes, they spent most of their time in study, in service to the Lord, following the law to the nth degree and more.

And how is it possible to be more righteous than a scribe or a Pharisee? Well, he's talking about the righteousness that's in here. You can put on a good face. You can put on a good show. But God sees the what?

But God sees the heart. And eventually, what is in your heart will what? Will come out. It will reveal itself. And so the place we need to start is always where?

It's always in the heart. And, of course, the first step of that is is trusting Christ as savior and receiving his gift to the Holy Spirit who will therefore change our heart and our desires and begin to work on overcoming those things, those patterns, those habits of life that we had ingrained into ourselves before we knew the Lord. But is that where it ends? No. No.

God is continually working to cleanse us from our sin, to cleanse our our heart, to make it anew, to strengthen us against the flesh that we battle. So that if we walk in the spirit, we'll not what? Fulfill the lust of the the flesh. Okay? And one of the lusts of the flesh is to use this tool that God has given us for evil rather than for good.

And we see that every day in the world in which we live. And sadly, sometimes we see it in who? Ourselves. But we must not surrender. We must not surrender.

We must trust in the Lord. We must seek his power, his guidance, and his help to control this tongue that is ours. Turn, if you would, over to James chapter three, and we'll read a few. Now, this just sounds a little bit familiar. I'm going through James on Wednesdays, and if you've been reading my devotions that I send out via email each week or if you were here for Wednesday prayer meetings over the summer, we read this passage of scripture and had a few things to to say about.

We're going to start in verse three. Verse three of James three. James writes, behold, we put bits in the horse's mouths that they may obey us and we turn about their whole body. Just just from their mouth. Okay.

Behold, we put behold also the ships which though they be so great are driven of fierce winds yet they are turned about with a very small helm whithersoever their the governor listeth or wants to wants it to go. Even so, the tongue is a little member, like a little rudder on a big ship or a little bit in a horse's mouth that is so big but the tongue is also a little member and yet it boasteth what? It 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, setteth 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. Now, James isn't saying to give up, to surrender. Your tongue is uncontrollable. There's nothing you can do about it.

It's just a mess and it's the way... No. When he says it's an unruly evil and son, it hasn't been tamed, he's not speaking specifically of your tongue because by God's grace, it can be what? Tamed. But in general, humanity doesn't do a very good job of taming his tongue.

And the tongue left go to the devices of the flesh is going to is going to do a lot of harm. And so we as Christians who have the Holy Spirit should be able by God's grace to control and get a hold of the use of our tongue. But again, sometimes we don't strive for that as much as we should. He goes... Let's see.

We're at verse nine. Therewith, blessed we God, even the father, and therewith curse we men which are made after the similitude or in the likeness or in the image of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. Okay?

With you, James says, who have professed faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, who have been redeemed by the blood of Christ, been given the Holy Spirit, this is not the way it should be. We should be able, by God's grace, to get victory over the tongue and use it for that which is good, not just every now and then. Not that, oh, yeah. Well, I cursed all day yesterday but hey, said something nice today. No.

It doesn't work that way. Okay? But all the time by God's grace to get a hold of our tongue and use it for that which is good. Which means sometimes we have to do a little introspection and see where we are, figure out where where it is that our tongue may be slipping up and not bringing glory to our Lord. So, sadly, the list here is not so encouraging but by God's grace, we can have we can have victory.

Our tongue does have the potential for great good but also for great evil. The sticks and stones saying is really not true. And the number of lives destroyed both physically, emotionally, and spiritually by the midst of the use of the tongue is staggering. We give advice. We say things to people.

We encourage them or discourage them. We... Every day, we open our mouth and we use our tongue and it and it does affect it does affect other people around us. The tongue is often used to hurt and jab and tear at others. Sometimes, it's used to mislead, sometimes used to encourage others to do wrong, sometimes to turn against one another as in gossip or envy, sometimes it spews forth vile things simply revealing the refuse which is in the heart of man.

Sometimes it just can't seem to stop when needed and gets us into trouble because we just keep running at the mouth until we say something we shouldn't have. One of the easiest things for us to fail at is the use of our tongue And it is one of the most powerful tools for good or for for ill that God has given to us. One of the hardest to get a short hold of, but nonetheless, one which we must by God's grace and we can and we can. Ephesians four twenty nine says this, let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth but that which is the good, which is good to the use of edifying that it may minister grace unto the hearers, to those that hear. Edify means to build up.

To minister means to serve and to help others to minister grace, the grace of God. That's what our tongue should be used for and not for that which is what? What does it say? Corrupt. So what kind of speech does not please God?

Corrupt speech. So we have to define what is corrupt. Corrupt in just the textbook definition means something that is rotten, spoiled, putrid, disgusting, filthy, corrupt. In biblical terms, that which is corrupt is sinful. That which is corrupt has been stained or corrupted by what?

By sin. And we're not to use our tongue for vile, disgusting, sinful use. That which conveys that which is wrong or evil or that which has an evil effect or that which is displeasing to God and destroys our testimony. We should not have corrupt, stained by sin communication as a child of who? As a child of God.

Now, although God created man and woman in his image to to please him and to serve him and to reflect his holiness and love and these attributes as we are made in his image. Sin has entered into humanity. And when sin takes control, one of the things it takes control of is the what? Is the tongue, the mouth. And God does not expect or we should not expect that the world will seek...

Have the same concern that we do and God does. Until they meet Christ, until they are convicted of their sin by the Holy Spirit, chances are bad, corrupt things are gonna come out of their mouth. And the further we get from God as a society, the the less fear of God that is before their eyes, the more trashy their conversation and their talk gets. And not only do we see that in entertainment, but all you gotta do is walk over to your neighbor and and start up a conversation with them. I had a neighbor.

His name was Derek. Derek and his wife were were good neighbors. I had many conversations with Derek. I got to witness to Derek. He even came one he came to revival with when Mike was here a while back.

And... But when I went over there to talk to him, if he was at all upset or stirred up about anything, the the words just blew. Well, he wasn't he wasn't a Christian. He didn't have the Holy Spirit and and he didn't have a proper fear of God, and so those things came out of his mouth. But they shouldn't come out of whose mouth?

Our mouth. We should know better. We should do better. We should be better. And so we certainly should not let corrupt communication out of our mouth.

So let's define some things that are included in the the concept of that which is corrupt, that which is rotten, putrid, disgusting before God, okay? In relation to our tongue. So, number one, we read here, thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. So, when you say, let no corrupt communication come out of your mouth when God does that, he means not to take his name in what? In vain.

Okay? First first of all, that means do not swear by his name. Okay? Do not swear by his name. Do not falsely swear by his name.

Do not use his name as a cuss word. I tell the young people when I when I teach the young people, I tell them if you're not talking to God or about God, then God's name should not be coming out of your mouth. Okay? You should not be saying, oh my, and it end with God or Lord or Jesus just as a matter of an expletive or or shock. Okay?

That is taking God's name in what? In vain. I I do believe. And that's not something that should be coming out of the mouth of believer. We should use God...

God's name reverently. You know? I've heard when somebody get upset, particularly, I haven't heard in a while, somebody say John Brown. Ever heard that? Okay.

I've heard that. See, it's like... I got one here. Gary. Gary's heard that.

Okay. So, I guess rest of you are not old enough or, you know, I don't know. Maybe you can grow up in the right part of the country. I don't know what it is but you know, I'm not compelled all that much to give reverence to whoever John Brown... There's several John Browns.

Okay? So I don't know what's John Brown that's a reference to. But it is disrespectful use of whoever John Brown's name is. Certainly, we shouldn't be using God's name that way. But yet, a lot of Christians in particular use God's name that way and just don't think just don't think twice about it.

But I do believe that is corrupt. And if it's corrupt, then we should be what? Then we should submit to the Lord and and not allow that corrupt communication to proceed out of our mouth. Here we read in Ephesians five three and four but fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not be once named among you as becometh or as fitting for saints, for born again believers and children of God. Neither, he adds, he acts on to this, neither filthiness nor what?

Foolish talking nor jesting, which are not convenient but rather giving of thanks. What does Paul write? He says, quit telling dirty jokes. Those should not be coming out of your mouth. You should not be talking about things publicly that are meant to be talked about in private with your spouse.

You shouldn't be making light of these things. They shouldn't be a joke. They are not funny. You are sometimes taking something that's sacred and turning it into a dirty joke. That is vile.

That is corrupt. Don't go to listen to a comedian unless perhaps they'd be a Christian. And I get aggravated with Christian comedians because sometimes I think they go a little too far in making light of that which is sacred. Not always the case, but but the world thinks that what Paul is saying here not to use our tongue for, Today, that's what comedy is and that's what's funny. You know?

It's not the three stooges and slapstick. It is saying vile things that gets a laugh. That is wrong. We shouldn't be doing it. And if we shouldn't be doing it, we probably shouldn't be watching or listening to it either.

David says, I will put no what? Wicked thing before mine eyes. I hate the work of them that turn aside and shall not cleave to me. But certainly should not, certainly should not be coming out of our mouth. Next passage, Leviticus nineteen sixteen.

Thou shalt not go up and down as a tail bearer among thy people. Neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbor. I am the Lord. A verse that is connected to this passage that reiterates that thought and we find in Exodus twenty sixteen, thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. Now, we take that to mean thou shalt not lie and it it does mean that but it's actually a little more narrow and specific than that in the 10 commandments.

It's saying, don't lie about who? About your neighbor so as to get them into trouble or to harm or injure them in some way. Don't bear false witness against your neighbor. They come to you and say, did they do that? Did they say that?

You say, oh, yeah. They did that when you don't know if they did that. Or you go specifically to somebody says, oh, yeah. Did you see what they did? Do you know what they did?

Do you know how horrible they are? You know? What do we also call that? Gossip, slander, and the Bible clearly forbids that. Those...

Our tongues should not be used for idle gossip or to injure somebody else through slander in the eyes of another. That is the tongue being used as James three is signifying here, Set on fire of hell and not from the Lord. Ephesians four thirty one, let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice, with all hatred. Our corrupt communication includes that which is unkind, mean, hurtful, hateful, that should not be coming out of our what? Out of our mouth.

Say, but they were unkind to me. It doesn't matter. What did Jesus say in Matthew five? If they slap you on one cheek, turn and let them slap you on the what? Turn the other cheek.

What does that mean? Let them pummel you and beat you to death? No. That's not what he's saying. What he's saying is when they slap you, that's an insult.

When they insult you and slap you on the cheek, don't slap them back. Don't pearl insult for what? For insult. Be kind. Be kind.

How are we going to oppress upon the world the love and mercy and grace of our God by jabbing back all the time with our words? No. By being kind and gracious with our words. Unkind, mean, hurtful, hateful words come out of an unkind, mean, hurtful, hateful what? Heart.

Yeah. And they should not be coming out of our heart and if there is, then there's probably some bitterness or anger there that needs to be won. That needs to be tended to, that needs to be dealt with. Be ye angry, and sin not, let not the sun go down upon your wrath. That's in the same passage here in Ephesians four.

And then Proverbs chapter six verses 16 through 19. Six things doth the Lord hate. Yey, seven are an abomination unto him, a proud look, a what? A lying tongue, a false witness that speaks lies, and he that soweth discord among the brethren. How do you sow discord among the brethren?

By by gossip, by using your tongue, by being divisive. Sometimes it may be gossip, sometime it may just be saying stuff that is divisive that doesn't need to be said. I have a a couple of... Two or three sermons. I'm trying to think of what I gave I gave the title of them.

But basically, the idea is this, you don't always have to have your way. You don't always have to be right. Sometimes, you just need to keep your mouth shut because it's not worth it. You'll cause more trouble by opening it than if you just kept it shut. Okay?

So you say, well, I want pink carpet. Okay? Or I want green carpet or I want gold carpet. Okay? And you're scratching your head going, oh, yuck.

You know, I get, you know, why would you... And so, who knows how many churches have been split over the color of the walls or the carpet or or furniture for a room because people can't just say, it's not that important. I will just let it go and keep my mouth shut. We have to have our way. We don't have to have our way.

We need to encourage people to do things God's way but we don't have to have our way and even when we're right doesn't always mean that we have to open our mouth. Now, when it comes to the gospel, when it comes to doctrine, when it comes to right and wrong, we need to stand firm on that and sometimes, we even need to open our mouth but so many times, we open our mouth and cause division over things that are are unnecessary. And, of course, sometimes we're we're... People are dishonest and they lie. Six things that God hates.

Yea, seven that are abomination to him. These three have to do with the tongue, lying tongue, false witness, sowing discord. Those things are what? Corrupt. They are corrupt communication.

And by God's grace, it's good to identify these things that don't need to be and replace them with the things that need to be put off and put on. Okay? So let's look at the put on. So so what kind of speech does please God? What kind of speech is edifying?

Okay? Well, here's some thoughts. This isn't an exhaustive list. Okay? It's just a few things.

First of all, reverent words of worship. Reverent words of worship and prayer and praise to the Lord are a good use of our what? Of our tongue. Now, it's not the only use. You're not going to spend every minute of the day using your tongue in prayer and in worship.

However, it's something that the Christian tongue should be used for daily, not just when you're sitting in church. Hebrews thirteen fifteen, the writer of Hebrews writes, by him, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually. That is the fruit of our lips giving thanks for his name. We can give thanks to God. We can praise God.

We can pray to God. These things, this reverent use of our tongue is a worthy use and maybe should be more used that way than than we do. But it doesn't just end there. Ephesians four thirty two and if you'll notice there's a whole lot out of Ephesians four concerning our attitude and the use of our tongue. Ephesians four thirty two, be ye kind one to another, tender hearted, forgiving one another even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Now kindness is a heart issue, but how do we express kindness? Mainly by the use of our by our words. By the use of our tongue, we express kindness to others. So when it says be ye kind to one another, that means say things that are what? Kind and and gracious and and uplifting.

Be be tenderhearted. Be be sensitive and careful with what we say so that we don't unneedfully aggravate and harm other people because we're not at all sensitive and tender hearted. Be forgiving of one another. Have a merciful spirit. Now, sometimes people will harm you and harm you and they come and they ask for forgiveness and we're told from scripture, you are to do what?

Forgive them. Peter said, should I forgive them seven times? Jesus says, no, 70 times seven. Now sometimes people harm us and do us wrong and they don't get it and they don't see it and they never ask for what? Forgiveness.

And you can't go up to them time after time and say, I forgive you if they don't wanna be forgiven. Forgiveness is given on request. But you can have a forgiving what? A forgiving and merciful spirit and that should be revealed in our what? In our words.

Okay? Not jumping down somebody's throat when they did or said something wrong because you've had it up to... You know, you've used that. I've had it up to here. Okay?

No. Are... We should have a merciful, patient spirit and attitude towards people. And that should be revealed in how we talk to them. That is a good use of our tongue being kind and loving and merciful.

Back to Ephesians four twenty nine, let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth. The verse doesn't end there. But, in contrast, that which is good to the use of edifying, that which is beneficial to the use of building them up rather than tearing them down. So how should our tongue be used? It should use to encourage and build others up in that which is good and right and not to discourage and kick them when they're down.

We need to be careful what we say, that it not only is not corrupt, but that is actually building up, that it is ministering grace to the to the person who is discouraged and depressed and down. We we need to try to help pick them up and we can do that with our what? We can do that with our words. We can say encouraging things. Sometimes we don't know exactly what to say but trust the Lord and God will help you.

But don't don't kick them when they're down. Minister to them. Now sometimes that means admonishing them, but do... What does the Bible say? To do it...

To speak the truth in what? Love. Okay. That's the next verse. Ephesians four fifteen, but speaking the truth in love may grow up into him and all things which is the head, even even Christ.

Speak the truth. Speak the truth. Now speaking a lie in order to supposedly help somebody is not the right thing. And speaking a lie in order to help us is definitely not what? The right thing.

We are to speak the the truth. We're to be honest. What does God hate? He lights a lying tongue. So therefore, we should keep our tongue our tongue honest in what we say.

Honest, gracious, kind, merciful, joyful. Proverb... Philippians four four, rejoice in the Lord alway and again, I say rejoice. Yes, that is an attitude but it's an attitude that is often expressed in our what? In our words, rejoice.

Was it Marine that had a... Somebody had a praise. Was it you that had a praise? You had a praise. Remind me again what was your praise?

Cath... Cathy. Cathy. Yeah. Cathy.

She's been on the prayer list. We've been praying for her particularly on Thursdays. She has been battling cancer and she just got word she's cancer free. Rejoice. Rejoice when people come to know Jesus Christ.

We're saved. Rejoice when you see God at work in your life and in others. Rejoice and let the whole world know. You can you can do that in public. You can rejoice in private.

The world world doesn't have to know for you to be happy about what God's doing. Rejoice. Rejoice. There's a song that I've I've... I don't know if I've sung it in here, but it's a...

It's an old Southern Gospel song. It's in... It's entitled show a little bit of loving kindness. Sing a song, spread some cheer. There are sad and lonely people everywhere.

Be a friend, show some love that will lift them from the dungeons of despair. Show a little bit of love and kindness, never go along with hatreds, blindness. What does that have to do? It has to do with rejoicing. It has to do with with praising the Lord to others that you might encourage and lift them up that, hey, there are good things going on and that's all about the use of our what?

The use of our tongue. And then, of course, Mark six fifteen, and he said unto them, go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Tell them the good news. You can hand them a track that has words, but the best way is to share. You don't have to share the entire Romans road.

You don't have to tell them every sin they've ever done, but share with them the love of Jesus Christ who came to save them from their sin. And that there is a heaven and there is a hell, and they can escape hell and they can enter heaven because of what Jesus did for them. Preach the gospel to every creature. Those are just a few ways we can use our tongue for good. It's certainly not an exhaustive list.

We can teach others. Teach others from God's word. We can teach them good and right and true things as another way we can use our tongue. So how how can we make strides to fix what is wrong with our tongue? So if there's something that came to mind, we think, you know, I can do better.

I... There's one area I'm using my tongue that's definitely not controlled by the Holy Spirit and not bring glory to God. And maybe I can use my tongue more for some of the good things that I should be using it for. So how do we make strides in fixing that which is wrong? Well, we know first John one nine.

If we, what, confess our sins, he's faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We need to confess it before God and seek his help because we need his help. There's some things that are difficult for us to kick, but God can cleanse us and he can he can help us to get victory. But if we if we deny that we're using our tongue for the wrong things and not using it for the right things, if we justify using it for the wrong things, if we are complacent and we don't care, then we're not gonna see a what? We're not gonna see improvement.

We're not gonna see change. Therefore, we need to confess. What does confess mean? It means admit to your wrong. Admit to your wrong, and God will help you to change.

Make a point to think before you, what? Speak and put more effort into remembering the purpose of our speech. The purpose of our speech is to minister grace unto others, giving them the gospel, teaching them that which is good, showing them the joy of the Lord, speaking the truth in in love, being kind, being merciful, being grace. These are the ways that... The purpose for which God has given us a tongue to help others.

From our children to our parents to our coworkers to our neighbor, God has given us a tongue to help them. So we need to do that. Practice using the right words. Plan, prepare, look for opportunities, and ask God for help and stay close to him in his word. Ultimately, if you wanna get victory over anything of the flesh and the devil, James four seven is a good verse to memorize and keep before you.

Submit yourselves therefore to who? Submit to God. Yield yourself to God. Say, Lord, I want my tongue to be used for that which brings glory to you. Lord, I need help.

I don't know how to use my tongue. Lord, things keep slipping out from that my habit and pattern of life before I came to know Christ. Lord, I want victory over that. Lord, I yield myself to you to walk in the spirit. Lord, give me the grace and strength.

Give me the wisdom. Give me... Help me to to know what I'm saying when I'm saying it. Submit yourselves therefore to God as a tool of the Lord. And if you do, from the heart, then submit yourselves therefore to God, then you can what?

Resist the devil. If we don't submit ourselves to God, is it Lord, you know, I wanna use my tongue this way. I wanna say that. I don't want anybody tell me what to do, including you. Then you're not going to resist the devil because you just bought into the devil's thing.

Do what you want to do. But if you submit yourself to God and you resist the devil, then he will what? Flee from you. If you're submitted to the Lord, you can resist the devil. He will flee from you.

But we need to be... Submit ourselves to God. Submit our our tongue to God. Say, Lord, this is your tongue. May it may it be used to bring glory to you.

May it be used to minister grace others. May it be used to be a testimony and a witness for Christ. I yield my tongue to you. And you may have to say that every morning if you're struggling with it, but keep it up. Let's pray.

Dear God, thank you Lord. Thank you Lord for the tongue, the gift of language and speech that you've given us. Lord, may we use it for your glory. May you help us, Lord, to find opportunities to share with others the gospel, but but also to share with them good things, encouraging things, kind things, and not corrupt things and vile things. Lord, that we might point them to Christ so we may demonstrate the holiness of God in our speech and the love of God in our speech.

In Jesus' name we do pray. Amen.