Watch Your Mouth! - IEFCL

Good morning, International EFC!

[As X said] My name is Tim Banna, and I am part of the Orchard School of Ministry team, serving as a pastoral resident at the Orchard in Barrington.

I am married to my sweet wife Emily—it will be 2 years on August 14th! God has been so gracious to us.

I am excited to be with you all again and to seek our God together in the Word.

Before I begin, would you pray with me:

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart,

Of all our hearts this morning

Be acceptable and pleasing in your sight,

O LORD, our rock and our redeemer.

“Let your Truth be to us more desirable than GOLD, sweeter also than honey, warning and conforming us to the image of Christ,

In whose name we pray. Amen.”

“Watch your mouth!”

This reprimand might be more familiar to some of your ears than to others,

But most of us have experienced a parent or teacher at some point in our life sternly upbraid us for something we said

Maybe for talking back to an authority

Whining or complaining

Using inappropriate language

Insulting a sibling or a classmate

And as was heard in the book of James,

- ALL of us have stumbled in MANY ways

- And have stumbled in many ways with our tongue.

- All of us have sinned with our speech more times than we can count,

- More than we may be willing to confess.

The Bible uses ALARMING language to diagnose the terminal condition of our talking organ.

“The tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness,

“How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!”

“The tongue STAINS, defiles the WHOLE body”

“Setting on fire the whole course of one’s life!”

“Set on fire by HELL itself!”

The kindling of the tongue comes from the pit of hell itself

- Ignited by the powers of evil

Our tongues can be hellish creatures.

James 3:7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue.

- It’s like a ravenous, rabid beast running wild

We are all, by nature, under a curse—we don’t have to try to speak badly, but BOY is it a battle to speak kindly.

And yet, this morning, as we consider the Proverbs,

- We will see the ETERNAL significance of watching our mouths,

- Of doing the humanly impossible

- Harnessing the tongue.

We will learn 3 Ways the Mouth Kills

and 3 Ways the Mouth Gives Life

leading us to discover the KEY to having a holy, life-giving tongue!

First, some general background:

The book of Proverbs is primarily a collection of wise sayings about how to live life well in God’s world.

- Wisdom, as revealed in this book, is skill in the art of godly living,

- applied knowledge of God

The proverbs themselves that make up much of this book—

- the catchy maxims and apt sayings—

- make observations about the patterns of human life

They record practical lessons and warnings about what leads to flourishing,

and what leads to ruin.

They instruct us how to LIVE a godly and blessed life,

A life lived in the fear of the Lord

That humble, reverent disposition of heart

That loves what God loves and hates what He hates

It is important to remember that proverbs are not promises, but probabilities. (X2)

They are insights about how God’s world tends to work.

There are exceptions to some of these wise words!

King Solomon, the primary author and collector of the Proverbs, offers us counsel concerning many aspects of human life,

- And one theme he returns to again and again,

- is the USE of words!

The wisest man on earth had a lot to share about how to use the 3-inch organ we call our tongue

- If we want to flourish, now and forever

Let’s begin by considering Pr 18:21. Turn with me there in your Bibles.

We will be jumping around in the Proverbs this morning, so please have a Bible on hand and be ready to follow along.

Pr 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue; those who love it will eat its fruits.

The NLT helpfully phrases it: “The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.”

The tongue can KILL.

The tongue can enliven.

The tongue can tear down,

The tongue can build up!

The tongue can ruin one’s reputation,

The tongue can lavish praise and adoration!

Death and life are in the power of your tongue!

Our SPEECH is a life and death issue.

How you communicate verbally is no trivial matter.

- How you address your spouse, your children

- Your coworkers and neighbors

How you exercise your freedom of speech,

Has lasting, even eternal consequences!

In Matt. 12, Jesus said, “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.” (Matt. 12:36-37)

How you choose to speak

Will either demonstrate your righteousness on Judgment Day

Or indict you as guilty before a holy God

We cannot hide ANYTHING that we utter,

Even in the quiet of our home,

And the murmurs under our breath

“Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed,” Jesus said,

“Nothing is hidden that will not be made known.”

“WHATEVER you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.” (Lk. 12:2-3)

God will expose every profanity, cuss word, rash remark, road rage grumble, unveiled secret, harsh word, gossip and blasphemy

- On that Great Day of Recompense.

The track record of your voice and mine

- Will be laid out before God Almighty

- And judged accordingly.

WHY does God take our SPEECH so seriously, so as to hold us accountable for the slightest whisper?

Pr. 18:21 tells us: DEATH is in the power of your tongue.

How does the tongue possess lethal poison?

We’ll just cover 3 ways:

3 Ways the Tongue Kills

3 deadly weapons your tongue may wield

First,

Pr. 21:6 “The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a snare of death.”

1) Lying

Pr. 21:6 “The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a snare of death.”

Its not necessarily bad to be rich.

But how do you become rich?

Do you pave your path to success with half-truths, shortcuts, other underhanded ways?

Do you withhold what is due to God the Great Giver of every gift?

If your tongue is accustomed to bending the truth,

the path you’re on is a slippery slope,

With traps and snares that strangle their victims.

Lies may promise comfort, ease in the moment,

But they bring ultimate destruction

Bankruptcy of soul

When you’re tempted to lie, BEWARE:

The tongue that lies digs its own grave!

Pr. 17:20 says, “A man of crooked heart does not discover good, and one with a dishonest tongue falls into calamity.”

So the first way the tongue KILLS? Lying/dishonesty.

The second deadly weapon of the tongue?

Prov. 10:31 “The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be cut off.” X2

Perversity

This perversity of which Solomon cautions, includes all speech that deviates from what is good.

Language that is morally crooked, twisted

Words that diverge from the standard of truth and wholesomeness

For which our mouths were created

This may include sexual perversion, crude joking, obscenities, deceitfulness, grumbling, all trivial, foolish yakking.

Such speech is the delight of the wicked in Pr. 2,

- whose fate is described in v.22: “the wicked will by cut off from the land, and the treacherous will be rooted out of it.”

Every perverse mouth that utters unwholesome speech shares in this condemnation.

Pr. 10:31: it will be cut off.

- It will be cut out!

- A image portraying the expiration date of such talk

- and the judgment upon the talkers.

Prov. 15:4 says, “A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.”

Perverseness crushes the spiritual life of the listener—AND that of the speaker!

- It wounds the soul and weakens faith

Perversity, widespread in media, music, and entertainment,

- Even, sadly persisting in many of our lives as Christians

- does not bear good fruit now, nor will it in eternity

It only brings harm, and ultimately death

So if you desire the laughter, joy, and free reign of your tongue in God’s kingdom

- A tongue that will never be cut off

- CUT OFF perversity from your vocabulary!

What is a third way the mouth kills?

Here’s a proverb I’ve heard quoted a bit:

Pr. 15:1 “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”

Harshness.

A “Harsh word” in this proverb literally means “word of pain”.

Some of us have been on the receiving side of a harsh word,

- A piercing word

- An unkind, hurtful remark

- Or a brazen insult

Perhaps there was truth in what they were saying,

But the manner in which they communicated it to you

Was utterly insensitive

- Harsh

What do words like this generally do to us?

They stir up anger!

They tempt us to talk back—to return an insult! “Get em’ back”.

They might tempt you to physical retaliation—violence

To reassert your superiority

Maybe hurtful words shut you down, inwardly consume you…

Its tragic to hear of some of the stories of how some young people are driven to suicidal despair because of some nasty comment on their social media.

Harsh words, generally

do not stir up FAITH, HOPE and LOVE!

Harsh words kill.

Pr. 12:18 says, “There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts!”

Like a searing-sharp knife thrusted into your heart.

But the fatal effects of such speech goes still deeper.

Our Lord Jesus, in His Sermon on the Mount, gave a SHARP warning about using words to cut others.

Matt 5:22 “Whoever insults his brother—literally “Whoever calls someone an IDIOT”

will be liable to the council;

and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire!”

Harsh words don’t just abuse the insulted

They warrant the eternal death and hell of the speaker.

It cannot be emphasized strongly enough — watch your mouth,

It is a life and DEATH issue.

We have seen 3 examples of how the mouth can kill: Lying, Perversity, and Harshness.

But thank God, there is great HOPE for us,

Because LIFE is ALSO in the power of the tongue!

Three Ways the Mouth Gives Life

Let’s consider 3 Ways the Mouth Gives Life.

First,

Pr. 16:24, “Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.”

*Graciousness.*

As a kid, I loved Post’s Honeycomb cereal. [If Kids present: Any kids here a fan of Honeycomb cereal?]

It’s sugary, crunchy, flavorful — yummy.

And super nutritious ;) (not really…)

But little did I know what real honeycomb tasted like.

I remember when my dad bought us some to try for the first time.

I held the edible, waxy container of honey,

And sunk my teeth into the sweet, gooey candy of nature

Triggering an explosion of pleasure and delight

And then the enjoyment of chewying the wax

Nothing quite like it!

For some in America, the experience of fresh honeycomb isn’t so exquisite,

Perhaps because much of our cuisine and drinks are saturated with sugar

We’re almost inoculated to the delight of nature’s delicacy

But to the tastebuds of the ancient Israelites,

There was nothing sweeter than honey.

And so this food provided a perfect metaphor for the effects of gracious words.

Pleasant, kind words

Words full of grace and beauty

Such speech refreshes the soul, delights the discouraged, blesses the broken!

When our Savior came, He came full of GRACE and truth.

People were in awe of the GRACIOUS words that came forth from his lips.

And the Spirit instructs us in Colossians 4 to reflect him,

“Let your speech ALWAYS be gracious… so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. (Col 4:6)

Our lips should drip with grace!

How should you respond in difficult situations with believers and unbelievers alike?

“Let your speech always be gracious” and you will never go wrong.

Words of grace look like encouragement: (Meet people and give real examples…!)

“[Male name - Andrew?], I’m so grateful for how well you serve in our worship ministry. You really prepare well and lead with humility and grace. God is at work in you, brother!”

Words of grace look like kindness to unbelieving neighbors:

“Mary, I’ve noticed you look sad recently. Is everything alright? I’d love to offer an open ear and a non-judgmental presence if you want to talk. Would you be open for tea later this week?”

OR: Mary, I really appreciate how well you tend your garden! It really adds beauty to our neighborhood! You have to teach me the secret to having such a green thumb!

When our speech is drenched with the grace of God

We will INFUSE sweetness into people’s souls

And healing into their bodies.

“Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.”

So Graciousness is one way the Mouth can give LIFE.

Secondly, Truthfulness.

Truthfulness can manifest itself in various ways.

It can look like honesty, even when its personally costly.

- Or confession, acknowledging your own sins and wrongdoing, submitting to the consequences

It can look like fairness in assessing evidence between two parties in a dispute or conflict,

- Or giving impartial evidence for whatever case you are making

It can look like truthful witness in the work of evangelism,

Not compromising the truth of the gospel to please people

Or shrinking in shame from the exclusivity of Christ

We’re commanded to speak the truth in love to one another

Which may sometimes come in the form of warning and rebuke.

- We are not to flatter others

- To be liked and accepted

- Or to avoid uncomfortable conversations

Prov. 28:23 says, “Whoever rebukes a man will afterward find more favor than he who flatters with the lips.”

For people of substance, those who desire godliness

Even the sting of being rebuked by you in the moment

Will over time give way to a greater respect and gratitude for you

And for your loving courage to confront them!

In fact the Proverbs say that a flattering mouth works ruin,

while faithful and true are the wounds of a friend.

So Graciousness and Truthfulness give life to those who hear.

Thirdly,

And perhaps most importantly,

- given the Proverbs’ emphasis on this quality:

RESTRAINT.

Pr. 10:19 “When words are many, transgression is not lacking; but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.”

The NASB translates it: “When there are many words, wrongdoing is UNAVOIDABLE, but one who restrains his lips is wise.”

In this sanctuary there is likely a decent split between introverts and extroverts

Internal processors and external processors, listeners and talkers

Those who err on the side of isolation, timidity, quietness to a fault

And those who are more prone to go on rants—the chatter-boxes in our midst

Personality and temperament play a role in this,

And restraining the lips may come easier to some than to others

But ALL of us are subject to THIS temptation:

To speak when we ought not to, or to say MORE than we need to

The more we speak, the more opportunity to sin in our speech.

The more we verbalize what we think,

The more we are in danger of putting our foot in our mouth.

The point of Proverbs 10:19, and many others,

is to challenge us to THINK before we speak

To discern,

“Is this necessary to vocalize?”

“Is this helpful?”

“Is this the RIGHT word, at the RIGHT time, said in the RIGHT way?”

Pr. 13:3 says, “Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.”

GUARD your mouth!

Keep watch over the door of your lips—

Filter what comes out to see the light of day.

We must be ever vigilant doorkeepers,

Keeping our tongues on a short leash

If we hope to preserve our lives!

Think before you speak, and Pray before you speak

Be constant in prayer,

Shooting up “arrow prayers”, quick bolts up to heaven

For the self-control you need

To measure your words

“He who opens WIDE his lips comes to ruin.”

You may remember this story of Miriam and Aaron, the siblings of Moses,

They were wandering in the wilderness

Under the leadership of Moses, God’s prophet.

Moses’ marries a Cushite, probably Ethiopian, woman,

And they do not approve.

And so Num 12 verse 1 says, “Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses”, saying, (v.2) “Has the LORD indeed spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?” And v. 2 says, “And the LORD heard it.”

God summons the three of them, comes down in a pillar of cloud,

and rebukes Aaron and Miriam,

leaving Miriam covered with leprosy!

She and Aaron opened wide their lips, and now her living body was rotting like a corpse.

Fortunately for Miriam—God was merciful, and let her punishment last only seven days.

But had Miriam and Aaron, guarded their mouths from grumbling,

They would have avoided kindling God’s anger.

Restraint of the tongue brings more blessing and life,

And avoids more trouble and pain

Than any of us can imagine.

We have covered 3 Ways the Tongue Kills,

And 3 Ways the Tongue Gives Life.

Our central proverb, 18:21, teaches that whoever loves to talk will EAT the fruits of their speech,

WILL reap the consequences of their language

Whether for good or for ill.

So if watching our mouth is SO important,

(Resulting in our eternal death or eternal reward)

And James says “No one can tame the tongue”

Then what are we to do?

HOW are we to ENSURE the right exercise of our lips?

How are we to HARNESS our mouths for the everlasting good of our souls

and the souls of our community?

There is only ONE solution.

For there is only ONE person who has ever tamed the tongue,

And has the power to tame our tongues too.

And the way this mighty Being does this,

Is through transforming the wellspring

From which the streams of your speech flow.

This person is the Word of God made flesh,

The Wisdom of God in human form

The Truth of God incarnate

In whom there is no deceit, no sin on his lips

And HE has come to transform your HEART!

Your LOVES,

Your DESIRES,

That which you TREASURE.

His voice speaks through the Proverbs:

“I LOVE those who LOVE me, and those who seek me diligently find me.”

“Let your HEART hold fast my words,” He calls!

Do not forsake wisdom, and she will keep you,

LOVE her and she will guard you.”

TREASURE up my commandments with you,

And WISDOM will come into your HEART,

Discretion will watch over you,

Understanding will guard you,

Delivering from the way of evil.”

When our hearts are full of wisdom,

Full of gospel truth

Full of faith, hope, and love,

Then our mouth will become a fountain of life!

- The rivers of living water

- Bubbling from the Holy Spirit within us

- Will burst forth, without us even trying

Jesus knows how HARD it is for us to restrain our lips

He knows how weak and tired we can get,

How easy it is for us to slip up and be unkind

He sympathizes with our struggle to keep our tongues from evil,

- our struggle to respond with GRACE and gentleness

In fact Jesus lived a perfectly truthful and holy life,

Bled on a cursed tree

And rose again in victory

So that by repentance and faith our guilt might be washed away

AND the FRUIT of His lips credited to our account!

Jesus knows we won’t reach perfection of speech until our mouths are glorified in heaven,

Rewired so as to be IMMUNE from lies, perversity, and harshness

Restored so as to overflow unendingly with PRAISE, and HONOR, and BEAUTY.

But until then, family of God,

We will struggle, we will fail, we will need to daily confess

But by the power of the Holy Spirit, we can do this one thing:

Set our HEART upon Jesus

Look full in His wonderful face

TREASURE up His words within us

And more and more

We will FIND

Hearts filled with His fullness.

And out of the abundance the heart, the mouth speaks.

Would you pray with me?

++++++

Communion:

This morning we have the joy of sharing in the Lord’ Supper.

We will have some time of reflection in a bit, but first let me remind us:

In this meal before us, we remember the death of our Savior, crucified for our redemption.

As Jesus hung there on the tree,

- The crowds—representing you and me—cursed him, mocked him, blasphemed him.

Their lips—our lips—poured forth hatred and evil.

But Jesus opens His lips, loud enough for us to hear:

“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”X2

Have you ever heard more gracious words?

And then the words, “It is finished.”

Words of TRUTH: the full satisfaction of God’s judgment, the full atonement for sin, the powers of Hell defeated

Jesus declared these words of Life,

Jesus gave His very life,

so that you and I,

a people of unclean lips, in a generation of unclean lips

might be FORGIVEN.

All who believe in Jesus Christ will know not only full forgiveness,

- but a renewal of the mouth, the hands, the body, the soul!

They will become a NEW CREATION

ALL as a FREE gift of God’s grace.

Repent and believe!

So take some time now to reflect and rejoice, confess and celebrate.

Bring your sins before God in repentance

Discern if there is any conflict between you and another member of the body of Christ, and seek reconciliation with them; this meal represents our UNITY in Christ.

And give thanks to the Lord for all that He has done for your soul!

In a few minutes we will partake of the elements together—you may come and pick them up and hold them with you at your seat until we eat and drink as one family.

Music….

If you are trusting in Jesus Christ for your salvation, and following Him as your Lord,

then this meal is for you. JOIN in our spiritual feast!

Let us give thanks.

Prayer of thanksgiving:

“King of the universe, creator of the fruit of the vine, Lord Jesus Christ, we thank you for these symbols of your body and blood. We eagerly anticipate participating with you in the Feast at the Marriage Supper, when we will be wed with you forever. As for now, nourish us through your body and blood, that your life may be in us, and that we may be strengthened to walk ever more faithfully in your holy ways.”

Let us take the bread…

“On the night Jesus was betrayed he took bread, and after blessing it, he broke it, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me. Take , eat.”

Eat

In the same way, he likewise took the cup, and after giving thanks, gave it to his disciples saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many, for the forgiveness of sins. Do this as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

AMEN.

Walk off…

Scripture/devotion:

instrumental music/contemplation

conbgregation comes and takes elements, back to seats

Then you pray and lead the church in taking the elements