Power Of The Tongue

Good morning.

I pray you saw God move in and through you this week.

I pray you had the opportunity to share the gospel this week.

I pray you had the opportunity to pray with someone with this week.

I pray you grew closer to Jesus this week!

That is really what life is all about isn’t it,

we are God’s workmanship created to do good works to bring Him glory.

If that is not your focus in life I pray God changes you and your focus.

There is freedom in brokenness.

There is freedom in surrender.

If God needs to break you to open your eyes and heart to Him and His works He has called you to do than praise God!

I implore you not to wait until you have to be broken to humbly go before the throne to offer yourself as a living sacrifice!

This morning we are going continue on with our Bait of satan sermon series, in fact this week I did look ahead and plan out the rest of the summer and the remainder of this series. Now with that said God may change the plan but here it is as of this moment:

This morning Power of the Tongue

7/16 Pastor Bill Platt will be with us to bring the Word as Melody and I will be at the lake with family for the week

7/23 Pride #1

7/30 Pride #2

8/6 Unforgiveness

8/13 Love of Money/Greed/Materialism

8/20 We will be talking about Jesus and religion

8/27 My past defines me and God doesn’t want me if I am not pure

9/3 Someone else will do it

After that we will see where God leads us.

Lets pray

START OBS

Turn if you would to

James 3:1-12

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Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2 For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. 3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4 Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.

How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.

First

Everyone sins with their tongue vs 2

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Romans 3:23

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“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

Ecclesiastes 7:20

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“Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.”

Proverbs 20:9

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“Who can say, “I have made my heart pure; I am clean from my sin”?”

I have put these in the notes for you.

Please use the note sheets or take notes on a spiral.

Also underline, highlight, write in your Bibles.

I use my phone for a Bible from time to time and you can highlight there as well, but I highly encourage you to bring your actual Bible with you to Sunday school, worship and Bible studies and mark up you Bibles.

The enemy wants nothing more than to kill steal and destroy you including stealing what God says to you during Sunday school, worship or Bible study. WRITE IT DOWN then he can’t steal it.

How many times do you feel God speaking to you through a verse and think I won’t forget it

Then you go home, life happens and you want to tell you spouse or kids about what God said to you and you can’t find the verse

Write it down....mark up your Bibles so you have trails to follow when you return to that scripture!

As you can see we all sin

You

Me Every human who has lived, is living or will live

We all sin or stumble with our tongues

We must realize we all sin with our tongues

We must realize we all sin in general

You can try to deny the fact that you sin

You can try to claim you tongue is under control but God has very strong words about that

I John 1:8

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“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”

You cannot be saved until you realize through revelation of the Holy Spirit that you are a sinner.

You realize that that the price for that sin is death and eternal separation from God in hell

You realize you can do nothing to save yourself

Then you realize Jesus paid your price on the cross and that forgiveness and eternal life are freely offered

If you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus as your Lord and Savior and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead then you are saved

But those who say they have never sinned or never sin do not know the truth and are not saved!

You sin

I sin

Your tongue causes you to sin

My tongue causes me to sin

God through Paul compares the size of the tongue to a bit or rudder....compared to the horse or ship the bit and rudder are very small but all powerful

Same with our tongues, very small in comparison to our bodies but the tongue contains a world of unrighteousness

able to stain the whole body

Able to set the entire course of life on fire

Very powerful

Proverbs 18:21

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“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.”

Death and life are in my tongue

Death and life are in YOUR tongue

You can either point to satan with wordly words

wordly language

fleshly conversation

and therefore speak death

or

You can point to Jesus with the Gospel

loving language

grace and mercy filled language

and therefore speak life

The choice is yours

Surrender to the power of the Holy Spirit and speak life or surrender to the power of satan and speak death....either way you will surrender

The choice is never in your power choose to control your tongue

Since no one here can control our tongues

Since the tongue is so powerful....even life and death powerful

I want to look to God’s Word about the tongue or sins of the tongue

You will never overcome a weakness until you identify it

1. No Cussing

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Ephesians 5:4

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“Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.”

Society today

Even those within the church

Are comfortable with cussing.

I have had conversations with Christians inside the church, inside the sanctuary even and have heard them use curse words both here and in other churches

Make no mistake cussing is a sin

No obscenities are to come from your mouth

NONE

Society used to respect God to a point

Using the Lord’s name in vain was never allowed on TV

Then they would allow them to say it but they bleeped it out

Now it is not even bleeped out

God takes this sin very seriously

Exodus 20:7

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““You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.”

Vain comes from a Hebrew noun meaning uselessness, emptiness

The Lord God is the creator of everything

He is God Almighty

He is all powerful,

He is all knowing

He is not bound by time or space

He is Holy

He is the Perfect Father

He is also daddy and friend but make no mistake about it He must be held in true reverence and awe

Christians tend to look at God as that buddy who works for a fast food restaurant and when you go through the drive thru they give you free food

No

God demands your respect

God demands your worship.

While we are here.

Worship is between you and God and worship is not contained only to singing or playing instruments.

It is also not limited to corporate worship here at church but that is part of it

Worship sounds and looks different for each of us but I pray that you truly worship God with all you heart

Worship should sound and look different coming from Christians.

You see when you a Christian worships they should be worshipping from a place where they are so grateful

have so much gratitude

realize without Jesus they were destined for hell and eternal separation from God

They worship because they are saved!

They don’t care who is around them

They don’t care if someone else worships different than they do

They also understand that by them truly worshipping, raising their hands, singing loudly, crying when touched by God that they may open the door, allow someone else to truly worship as well because of their example

God demands to be held higher than anyone or anything in your life

Anytime you uselessly or emptily use God’s name you sin

Anytime you use God’s name in a manner that doesn’t bring Him glory and honor you sin

It goes beyond cussing and using the Lord’s name in vain however

No foolish talk....this comes from a Greek noun meaning silly talk, buffoonery

Websters 1828 defines buffoonery as arts and practices of a buffoon, low jests, ridiculous pranks, vulgar tricks and postures

How man times a day are you and I a buffoon?

Our words matter

I am convicted in how I interact and even joke with some of my brothers here at CCC

Sometimes we joke but it is foolish talk because, even though we are joking the person could take it differently and that could hurt them, drive them to sin, and is then sin on our part.

Crude joking is from a Greek noun meaning jesting, ribaldry

Websters 1828 defines ribaldry as vulgar language, obscene language

Dirty jokes

Jokes or conversations with obscene language....not just vulgar, sexual jokes or conversations but jokes or conversations that put people down

Jokes or conversations that don’t bring God glory

These are out of place

They have no place in your life

The have no place in the life of a child of God!

Ephesians 4:29

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“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”

Corrupting talk comes from a Greek adjective meaning rotten, worthless, bad, corrupt

What falls into this besides cussing

Talking badly about people behind their backs

Gossip

Church gossip is a sin

Websters 1828 defines gossip as

to run about from house to house tattling and telling news

You could replace house to house with social media site to social media site

If it is not your story then it is not your story to tell!

Leave it be. Let them tell it

You can define gossip as whatever you want

Just helping find them help

Looking for advice

Not saying anything I wouldn’t say to their face

You can define it or justify it anyway you want but God defines it as sin

Jesus also took the topic of words very seriously as well

Matthew 12:33-37

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““Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.””

Look at the end....life or death in the tongue....by your words

You are either a good tree with good fruit....

saved

Christian

where the Holy Spirit produces fruit in and through you

or

you are lost

bad tree

bad fruit

worldly

fleshly fruit

Here is the real issues with

cussing,

lying,

gossiping,

corrupt talk........

out of the good treasure or evil treasure you speak

Your words

Your conversations

point to your heart

Jesus even says you will stand in judgement for every careless word you speak

Not stand in punishment as a Christian but judgement

You will answer for every careless word you have ever spoken

That is scary

That motivates me to allow the Holy Spirit to choose my words!

So what now?

Well praise God He gives you what to do and how to speak

Ephesians 5:4 tells you to speak with thanksgiving

If you remember from last week thanksgiving comes from a Greek noun that means gratitude, actively grateful language

Everything you talk about should be seasoned with thanksgiving....gratitude....active grateful language

Ephesians 4:29 says to speak only what is good for building up KJV says good for edifying

good for building up or edifying comes from Greek noun meaning architecture, a structure; confirmation:—building, edify

Everything you say should build someone up....should edify them....encourage them....it may convict them but that is also part of building them up…rebuking should be done in love and should build up not tear down

What do your words do?

Are they thankful....full of gratitude and active grateful language

Are they building up or tearing down

Colossians 4:6

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“Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”

Gracious comes from a Greek noun meaning the divine influence upon the heart and its reflection in the life; acceptable, benefit, favour, gift, grace, joy,

seasoned comes from Greek verb meaning prepare, spice, season

with salt comes from Greek noun meaning salt, prudence

Your speech should be reflective of the divine influence upon your heart and its reflection in your life to season with prudence so you know how to answer people

Your words matter

Titus 2:11-12

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“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,”

How do you do that....

How do you renounce ungodliness and worldly passions?

By the Holy Spirit whom you receive at the moment of salvation

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Ephesians 1:13-14

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“In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.”

I want to pause here for a moment because I know many both here in person and watching online struggle with salvation or knowing they are saved

Many ask

Am I saved?

How do I know?

Can I know?

Am I Saved?

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Romans 10:9

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“because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

You are lead to this point by the Holy Spirit who awakens you to your sin problem…to the fact that your sin problem requires your spiritual death and eternal separation from God in hell…awakened to Jesus dying in your place…paying your price…freely offering salvation....

when you get there then you confess and believe and are saved!

If you have confessed with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead then YES you are SAVED!

Can I Know?

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I John 5:13

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“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.”

Acts 16:31

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“And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.””

God wants you to know you are saved.

He wants you to have assurance you are saved

He doesn’t want you going through life hoping you are saved but KNOWING you are saved

How?

The Holy Spirit

God Himself in the person of the Holy Spirit moves into you at the moment of salvation

How do I know I have the Holy Spirit living inside of me?

He begins to change you

He begins to lead and guide you

He speaks to you

He begins to help you apply scripture to your life

You begin to see the fruit of the Spirit in your life: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control

It is through the Holy Spirit and obeying Him that you renounce all ungodliness and unrighteousness

It is also how you control your tongue and speak life not death

Philippians 4:8 gives you some very practical ways to do just that. Turn there now

Philippians 4:8

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“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

Change what you think about

What you think about

What you dwell upon

What you mediate on

Those things become what you do and say

If you think about

dwell upon

Meditate on

God’s Word

God’s Truth

Anything honorable…bringing God glory and honor

Anything commendable

Anything excellent

Anything virtuous

Anything worthy of praise

If you think about these things

If you dwell on these things

If you meditate on these things

If you fill your mind with God

If you fill your mind with God’s Word

If you fill your heart with the love of God through Jesus and the Holy Spirit

That is how you change

That is how the Holy Spirit changes you

The opposite, however is also true

If you think about the world

If you dwell on worldly truths

If you meditate on fleshly, worldly ways

If you fill your heart with evil

If you fill you heart and mind with secular music

If you fill your heart and mind with useless, vulgar TV or movies

If you fill your heart and mind with porn

Then you are full of ungodliness

Then you are full of unrighteousness

Your language and conversations reflect your heart

Where are you this morning?

If you have never accepted Jesus…today…Sunday July 9th is the day. The day you become born again, a new creature, filled with the Holy Spirit…forgiven and free!

All you have to do is accept Jesus’ free gift

If you struggle with your tongue, you can’t fight it on your own

God is calling you to this altar to confess and be forgiven, cleansed of all unrighteousness.

God is calling you to Him

God is calling you to bring this burden

to bring this sin

To lay it at the foot of the cross

Won’t you come?

Won’t you be a doer of the Word not just a hearer?

or you can sit there

leave here in the same spiritual condition you were in when you walked in

leave with all the guilt

all the shame

all the questions

The choice is yours.

STOP OBS

Invitation song