Watch your mouth!

Bottom line

You have been sanctified by Christ, and what you say should reflect that.

Opening Line

Can Christians swear? Maybe a better question is, should Christians swear?

Introduction

I’ve had the privilege of hanging out with the teens at the youth centre the last couple of weeks. For those who don’t know, the youth centre is almost entirely an outreach, filled with youth who have absolutely no ties to church. We get teens from every walk of life, and the one thing that most of them have in common is that their language is foul. Some of them understand that the youth centre is run by the church and so there is an expectation to keep their language clean, while others don’t know or they do and don’t care.

One thing I’ve noticed is that when we try to correct their language, especially those who I think should know better, there is so much pushback, that we’re being unfair holding them to a higher standard. I couldn’t understand why the pushback was so strong and then the Holy Spirit impressed something on me. If I want to see the language of the teens cleaned, it needs to start here with the adults. I’ve noticed a trend lately among believers to become a little lax in this area. When I say lax, I don’t mean an occasional slip; I mean using language that is completely unguarded. There is no attempt to watch the words at all.

Main Point

This may seem like a deviation from where we left off last week, but it actually fits really well. We were talking about the spiritual gifts of speaking in tongues and prophecy, which are speaking gifts. They suggest that when you are saved by the grace of Jesus, there should be a shift in the way you talk.

Why it matters

So this morning, before we get back to Acts 11, I actually want to lay exactly what scripture says about the words you use. What you are going to see this morning is not a small issue. Scripture repeatedly draws a line in the sand, and actually uses language as an indicator of where your faith actually lies.

Now you may be wondering, how does a message about swearing line up with a series about Taking Action? Well I’m glad you asked, and we will get to that at the end of the message.

But first things first, is it OK for Christians, followers of Jesus, to swear?

Scripture

To kick things off, we are actually going to go back to the Old Testament to start this discussion. The reason I like to go back to Old Testament is to show that this isn’t a new idea after Jesus emerged on the scene, but this standard has actually always been there. The expectation to stop using foul language is not a new expectation.

Psalm 10:4–7 NLT

The wicked are too proud to seek God. They seem to think that God is dead. Yet they succeed in everything they do. They do not see your punishment awaiting them. They sneer at all their enemies. They think, “Nothing bad will ever happen to us! We will be free of trouble forever!” Their mouths are full of cursing, lies, and threats. Trouble and evil are on the tips of their tongues.

The mouths of wicked people are full of cursing, lies and threats. A little earlier in Psalms, David actually describes a mouth that uses foul language as having the stench of an open grave.

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Pretty strong language being used by David to describe the kind of person who uses curses and swears. But I want to point out one key point in Psalm 10. For those with their Bibles in front of them, what does verse 4 say? The wicked are too proud to seek God. They seem to think that God is dead. This is a really important descriptor that David is using because Solomon is going to pick up this idea in Proverbs, but he is going to use a different word rather than wicked.

Proverbs 15:28 NLT

The heart of the godly thinks carefully before speaking; the mouth of the wicked overflows with evil words.

Proverbs 18:7 NLT

The mouths of fools are their ruin; they trap themselves with their lips.

Proverbs 29:11 NLT

Fools vent their anger, but the wise quietly hold it back.

Now there is a really important note that needs to be made about fools. When you read that word in English, you think of someone who is foolish, shortsighted and generally a goofball. A fool is typically not the sharpest tool in the shed.

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That is not what Solomon means when he says a fool. Solomon actually has the words of his father in mind from Psalm 14:1

Psalm 14:1 NLT

Only fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good!

Psalm 53:1 NLT

Only fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good!

What is a fool? Someone who believes that there is no God. That is the exact same descriptor that David used of the wicked in Psalm 10.

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So David, and to a certain extent Solomon, are drawing a connection that only the wicked, the fool, aka those who deny the existence of God, will use foul language.

Jesus also reiterates the importance of watching your language in the gospel of Matthew.

Matthew 12:36–37 NLT

And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.”

Matthew 15:11 NLT

It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth.”

This is the same passage we looked at back in Acts 10 with the vision. It was at this moment that Jesus declared all food to be clean, while also putting extra emphasis on watching what comes out of your mouth.

The Apostle Paul includes using foul language in a couple of the lists of what not to do as followers of Jesus.

Ephesians 4:29 NLT

Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

Ephesians 5:4 NLT

Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God.

Colossians 3:8 NLT

But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language.

I think it would be safe to assume that the Ephesians maybe had a problem with their langauge, since Paul brings up the matter twice in very quick succession. He is obviously really trying to drive the point home. Don’t use your words to tear one another down but to build one another up.

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For those who are wondering in the back of their heads what would be considered foul language, I think Paul anticipates this question when he starts Ephesians 5 by telling the church to be imitators of God, to follow the example of Christ. Instead of seeking some arbitrary standard of what is acceptable and what is not, just picture Jesus standing in front of you and what kind of language he would use. Would the pure spotless lamb of God say that word or tell that joke? More importantly, if Jesus was standing beside you, could you comfortably say those words? I think you have your answer.

I will close this portion of the message with a couple passages out of James.

James 1:26 NLT

If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless.

James 3:9–10 NLT

Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!

I really like the analogy that James uses to start off chapter 3. He asks if you can pull salt water and fresh water out of the same well? Obviously the answer is no. So then, cursing and blessing shouldn’t come out of the same mouth. You shouldn’t praise God and swear with the same mouth.

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So, to answer the question I started the message with. Should Christians use curse words? I think it is a resounding no! James goes so far to say that if you can’t control your tongue, your religion is worthless. I’m pretty sure I could’ve just started with that.

I lay all this out not to just encourage you to watch what you say. Yes that is obviously a big part of it because as the church, you need to be setting the example for the next generation. It is hard to encourage a teenager to stop using bad language when they go home and their believing parents are swearing up a storm.

But more importantly, I want to set up the separation of your old life and the new life you have in Christ. It is not a coincidence that the vast majority of the spiritual gifts that are listed in the Scriptures are speaking gifts. Teaching, preaching, encouragement, evangelism, speaking in tongues, interpreting tongues, prophecy. All of these are speaking gifts because when Jesus makes you into a new creation, he makes the whole person new, including your tongue. You have been sanctified and made new, and it shouldn’t just be reflected in how you live, but how you speak.

Which brings us back to Acts 11. Last week I suggested a shift in the way you understand the filling of the Holy Spirit and the gift of speaking in tongues. I hope some of you were encouraged by something I said, or at the very least took it home and chewed on it for a while.

I want to pick it up in Acts 11:22. Where we left off, there were certain men went to Antioch of Syria and began preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles. The power of the Lord was with them, and a large number of Gentiles turned to the Lord.

Acts 11:22–26 NLT

When the church at Jerusalem heard what had happened, they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw this evidence of God’s blessing, he was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord. Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith. And many people were brought to the Lord. Then Barnabas went on to Tarsus to look for Saul. When he found him, he brought him back to Antioch. Both of them stayed there with the church for a full year, teaching large crowds of people. (It was at Antioch that the believers were first called Christians.)

Barnabas the Encourager

This is not the first time we have encountered Barnabas. In Acts 4, we discover that his name is actually Joseph, but the apostles gave him the nickname Barnabas, and it means Son of Encouragement. Apparently he was a very encouraging person to be around that it earned him a nickname.

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I said last week that being encouraging is a spiritual gift. That comes from Romans 12:8

Romans 12:8 NLT

If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

This is just one of 3 verses where Paul encourages the church that if God has given you a gift, make sure you use it to the full. Barnabas is an example of that. He even goes and hunts down Saul, who has been hiding out in his home since they tried to kill him in Jerusalem. Barnabas goes, brings him to Antioch, and gets him back on his feet, using his gift, which is sharing the good news about Jesus with everyone around him.

Acts 11:27–30 NLT

During this time some prophets traveled from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them named Agabus stood up in one of the meetings and predicted by the Spirit that a great famine was coming upon the entire Roman world. (This was fulfilled during the reign of Claudius.) So the believers in Antioch decided to send relief to the brothers and sisters in Judea, everyone giving as much as they could. This they did, entrusting their gifts to Barnabas and Saul to take to the elders of the church in Jerusalem.

The gift of prophecy

Now I want to clear up what is meant by prophecy and these men who were known to be prophets. There is often an assumption that prophecy has to do with the future, and at times that is certainly true, but it is not the primary role. When you read through the Old Testament prophets like Isaiah and Ezekiel, you will often read, “The word of the LORD came to me.” What follows is often times a message for the people of Israel or Judah, usually to stop chasing after idols and seek the one true God. There are times God will tell the people that disaster is coming, but it is often in light of the fact they have turned their backs on the LORD and this is the result.

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So when you read about the gift of prophecy in the New Testament, it is simply the ability to not only hear God’s voice, but to hear God’s voice on behalf of someone else. A prophet will often receive a word and share it with an individual or a group of people. The sign of a good prophet is that they will do it open handedly. What I mean by that is they will say, “If this doesn’t resonate with you or if this doesn’t connect with you, than disregard it.” What happens when this goes wrong is a prophet will try to force a word on someone because they are the prophet and they know better. We are human, and there will be times we get it wrong. That’s ok. What is not OK is when the gift is used as a means to gain power or influence over someone else.

If I can be honest, I would love to see the gift of prophecy at work in our church. I would love for God to speak to his people in such a powerful and meaningful way. I would love for someone to give a message in tongues and another to interpret. I’d love that! How amazing for our church to receive a message from God in such a supernatural way!

I want to bring it back to the story and I will wrap it up. Do you know how I know that this prophecy about the famine is from God? Because of how the church reacts. They just heard that a great famine is about to hit the entire Roman world. What would normal people do with a message like that? Start stock piling food! Lets buy a bunch of grain, stock up canned goods, make sure the basement is full of toilet paper… oh wait wrong era. But you get what I’m saying.

What do the believers in Antioch do? They start putting together a gift to help others. They completely forget about themselves and instantly become concerned about their brothers and sisters in Christ where the persecution is the hardest and send food to help them through the famine. Only a word from the Lord could inspire such a selfless response to the news about an impending famine. It is beautiful.

That what I want for the church! I want God to speak through those with the gift of prophecy or the gift of tongues with an interpreter, and have that message resonate so deeply in the hearts of everyone present that you can’t help but to respond.

Transition to Application

Can we agree that speaking life into one another is a much better use of our words then cussing and swearing?

Main To Do

So what do you do with all of this? How do you take action with what you’ve heard. As we’ve been going through, I’ve encouraged you to reach out to someone or to pray and let God speak to you in some capacity. One of the other ways you take action is you grow in your character. The goal of every believer should be to become more like Christ. Though it is the Holy Spirit that does much of the work, you are also expected to work out your salvation. You are called to be an active participant in the process.

Why it matters

So, in what way do you need to become more like Christ this week? For some, I earnestly believe it is in the area of your words. This week is when you start cutting back more and more on the cuss words. It is time to tame the tongue as James says.

Maybe some of you, it isn’t cussing and swearing that is the problem, but it is building others up. Maybe you still need to put to death the habit of gossiping, which God hates by the way. Maybe you need to be more intentional about spending more time building others up than tearing them down.

If the goal is to be imitators of Christ, then what is one way you can imitate Christ better? I believe that as you imitate Christ more and more, and reflect his character to the world, you won’t even have to say anything. You character will be a witness to the world and that no one can deny. People will want what you have. You just have to show them that you’ve got something worth having.

Closing Line

Discussion Questions

What stood out from the message?

In what ways do the scriptures presented in the sermon challenge your current understanding of language use as a Christian?

What specific incidents in your life have you observed where language reflected a person's faith—or lack thereof?

If a friend were to ask you why Christians shouldn't swear, what would you say based on today's sermon?

Reflect on the importance of being an example to younger believers, particularly concerning our language. How can you be more intentional in this?

How can you actively demonstrate a shift in your language to reflect your faith this week?