Right to Remain Silent
Right to remain silent • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Most of us have heard these famous words on television, or perhaps some have heard them in real life.
"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law."
Those are called the Miranda Rights.
The reason they exist is because your own words can provide evidence against you.
The police know something we often forget.
Our mouthes reveal what our hearts are trying to hide.
My father used to joke saying, He could never be a criminal, because if the cops ever questioned him, he knows he would give himself away.
He would end up telling on himself rather than covering for himself. lol
But here's something sobering.
Jesus taught something very similar.
Not about an earthly courtroom...
But about God's courtroom.
You see, one day
—every careless word,
—every hateful word,
—every deceptive word,
—every bitter word,
Will stand as evidence before the Judge of all mankind.
Jesus said in Matthew 12:36-37
36 But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. 37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.
Brothers and Sisters,
Understand something here,
When you are standing at God's judgment, there will be no attorney standing beside you objecting.
Your own tongue will be testifying of you.
Your own mouth will become the witness.
What you say... can and will be used against you.
Because, your mouth reveals your heart
Jesus said in
45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
You spend so much time trying to clean up your language.
But God is trying to clean up your hearts.
Because bitter words come from bitter hearts.
Angry words come from angry hearts.
Prideful words come from prideful hearts.
And Dirty words come from dirty hearts.
Oh sure, we can fool people for a while.
We can smile.
Shake hands.
Say "Praise the Lord."
And even Quote Scripture.
But eventually… Pressure squeezes the heart… and whatever is inside comes pouring out.
Its Kind of like toothpaste.
If your squeezing for toothpaste, you don’t get ketchup!
Whatever is inside is what's coming out.
Some people are sweet until life squeezes them.
Then suddenly… out comes bitterness.
Criticism.
Sarcasm.
Hatred.
Gossip.
And Complaining.
The problem wasn't the pressure.
The pressure simply revealed what was already there.
Bitterness never stays silent.
Bitterness has a voice,
And it always finds a microphone.
Sometimes, however, it disguises itself as sarcasm.
Sometimes it hides behind “the old, I'm just telling the truth,” excuse
And Sometimes it calls itself "just venting."
But make no mistake, bitterness always leaks out.
Hebrews warns us,
15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;
Notice...
Bitterness never poisons just one person.
It spreads!
Do you know,
One bitter person can infect an entire family.
One bitter church member can divide an entire congregation.
One bitter employee can poison an entire workplace.
Because words have a tendency to travel farther than we imagine.
As the saying goes, “A single spark...can burn down an entire forest.”
James says that's exactly what the tongue does.
1 My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. 2 For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. 3 Indeed, we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. 4 Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. 5 Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles!
The tongue is small—but it is dangerous
James compares the tongue to three things here.
A horse's bit.
A ship's rudder.
A forest fire.
Each one is tiny...
but each controls something much larger.
—One little bit controls a thousand-pound horse.
—One little rudder turns an enormous ship.
—One tiny spark destroys thousands of acres.
Likewise...
—One sentence can destroy a marriage.
—One lie can destroy a reputation.
—One angry outburst can scar a child for life.
—And One rumor can destroy a church.
Let me inject this personal thought here briefly.
We in ministry keep our pastoral doors always open,
Or at least we should.
If anyone ever has a question about this ministry, you are encouraged to walk through those doors
To have your questions answered.
Moving on-
How many of us still remember hurtful words spoken decades ago?
You see, Bones heal.
But Words often don't.
Solomon wrote,
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.
Not just death.
But, Life!
Our words can either breathe life into someone...
Or slowly kill their spirit.
And you better believe, the enemy of God knows the power of words.
The very first recorded conversation he ever had with mankind began with spoken words.
1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”
Did God really say...?"
He didn't begin with violence.
He began with doubt.
He questioned God's Word.
He twisted God's truth.
He planted suspicion.
He deceived through conversation.
The enemy is still working that way.
He whispers...
"Your spouse doesn't appreciate you."
"Your parents don't understand you."
"Your pastor doesn't care."
"God is holding out on you."
He's still using words to divide what God wants united.
That's why we must guard not only what we say… but what and whom we choose to listen to.
But, praise God… words aren't only used for destruction.
God created the universe with words
At creation He said,
”Let there be light."
Jesus calmed storms with three simple words,
“Peace, Be still.”
Demons fled at His command.
The dead were raised.
Sins were forgiven.
Lives were transformed.
And after Jesus, Nations have been built by courageous speeches.
Slavery has been challenged by courageous voices.
The Gospel itself spreads through words.
Romans tells us,
"Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God."
God gave us speech as a gift.
But every gift carries responsibility.
You should think before you speak
There is an old saying.
"If you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all."
I like another one even better.
"A smart person knows what to say.
A wise person knows whether to say it."
Not every thought deserves to become words.
Sometimes silence is spiritual maturity.
Proverbs says,
"Even a fool, when he holds his peace, is counted wise."
You know, some battles would disappear...
If we'd simply remain silent.
Not every criticism deserves an answer.
Not every insult requires a response.
Not every social media comment deserves your attention.
Sometimes the holiest thing you can do… is say nothing.
Now, — To those in authority...
Don’t underestimate the power of your tone.
Sometimes it's not what we say.
Rather, — It's how we say it.
Paul tells fathers, in
No Slide
4 And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord
Parents— please understand, — you can crush a child's spirit with harsh words.
Employers can discourage employees.
Pastors can wound their sheep.
Husbands can damage wives.
Wives can discourage husbands.
The Tone matters.
Likewise...Children...
The way you answer your parents determines a lot about your future.
Your Sarcasm is not maturity.
Disrespect dishonors both parents and God.
If you want to be treated like an adult...
Learn to speak like one.
My Cornflakes Story
Let me tell you something that happened years ago.
I accidentally poured salt all over my bowl of cornflakes.
Ever since that day...
I cannot mix sweet foods with salty foods.
Ask my wife.
Breakfast is either sweet...
or salty.
Never both.
I cannot stand something sweet suddenly becoming bitter.
One day the Lord convicted me.
If I cared that much about what goes into my mouth...
Then I should care as much about what comes out of it?
How can the same mouth sing,
"Amazing Grace"
on Sunday morning...
and tear someone apart Sunday afternoon?"
Yet many Christians bless God...
then curse people.
We sing worship songs...
then gossip in the parking lot.
We praise Jesus… then criticize our spouse all the way home.
Church… It should not be this way!
You cannot tame your tongue...
until God changes your heart.
Self-help won't fix it.
Willpower won't fix it.
Only Jesus can.
David prayed,
3 Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips.
That's a prayer we should pray every morning.
"Lord...
Stand guard at my mouth today.
Don't let me speak in anger.
Don't let me wound someone.
Don't let me dishonor You."
Because every word represents the King whose name we bear.
Conclusion: Spiritual Mouthwash
Conclusion: Spiritual Mouthwash
Some of you remember what parents used to do when children used foul language.
They washed their mouths out with soap.
Why?
Because dirty words came from a dirty mouth.
May I suggest something?
Before we wash our mouths...
Let's ask God to wash our hearts.
Because the mouth is only repeating what the heart has been rehearsing.
Remember this.
You eat with your mouth.
You kiss your family with your mouth.
You tell your children you love them with your mouth.
You sing praises to Jesus with your mouth.
You pray with your mouth.
You proclaim the Gospel with your mouth.
Shouldn't the same mouth be kept clean?
Church...
The Holy Spirit lives inside of you.
You are an ambassador of the Kingdom of God.
Represent Him well.
Before you speak...
Ask yourself:
—Will these words glorify Christ?
—Will they build someone up?
—Will they help or hurt?
—Will I be ashamed to hear these words repeated before the throne of God?
Because one day...
There will be another courtroom.
Another Judge.
And another testimony.
Only this time...
The witness will not be someone else.
It will be your own tongue.
So remember these words every time you're tempted to speak in anger, gossip, bitterness, or pride:
"You have the right to remain silent... because what you say can and will be used against you."
But even better...
Ask God to so fill your heart with His grace...
that when your mouth opens...
Jesus is what comes out.
Amen.
