Wisdom for Your Speech

Introduction

Robbing and bank and then posting it on youtube - What’s more foolish?

https://www.kearneyhub.com/news/regional_news/self-termed-chick-bank-robber-gets---years/article_330eafbe-d771-11e2-a227-0019bb2963f4.html

English Standard Version Chapter 18

7  A fool’s mouth is his ruin,

and his lips are a snare to his soul.

A fool’s mouth is his ruin, and his lips are a snare to his soul. Proverbs 18:7

You know from experience the tremendous affect words have on your life - whether good or bad.

You know from experience the tremendous affect words have on your life - whether good or bad.

Power in words:

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” (Proverbs 18:21)

God brought everything into existence through His words. “And God said...”

The enemy used his words to deceive Adam and Eve to sin and death entered the world.

BUT, God had the final say through the WORD - Jesus. He has spoken to us once and for all - a word of love, salvation, and redemption through His Son.

You’ve seen the power of words in your own life - the pain of words and the hope of words.

Words are significant, and we use them a lot.

James gives us the longest treatment on words in the Bible. James understood the significance of words. Already, he has addressed how we tend to sinfully use our words. He understood:

Words can be shameful (2:3-4).

Words can be hypocritical (2:16, 18).

A good place for James to take some time in his letter to talk about our tongues and the way we use our words. Three simple truths about our words:

Words can be slanderous (2:11).

Words can be cocky (James 4:15)

Your words have tremendous influence.

James starts with a warning… “Not many of you should become teachers...” James knows the weight of teaching. Warning for those who aspired to teach like James.

Be careful - you’ll be held to stricter judgment. It’s a good thing to want to have influence for the Kingdom - to want to instruct people in the Word. In a sense, we should all aspire to pass on what we’ve learned.

But, weight - As pastor, I feel tremendous weight for what I do because I know God has placed me in a position of influence. - I know I will give an account for how I pastor, preach, etc. I know this is serious business.

If you are in a position of spiritual influence - Dgroup leader, LCG leader, children’s worker - it’s serious business because your words have tremendous influence.

Reality 1: We all influence with our words - and powerful influence.

Reality 2: We all struggle with our words. (vs. 2) If you can control your tongue you must be perfect - And you’re not.

James gives two illustrations to show powerful influence of our words:

Our tongues (words) are like a bit in a horse’s mouth: so small yet controls the horse.

Our tongues are like a rudder on a ship - think about the huge wooden ships in the Roman empire. Rudder so small but controls the ship.

Your tongue is small - about a half percent of your entire body weight - but think about the affect of the words that your tongue produces in proportion to its size.

Reality: It’s not the bit that ultimately controls the horse, nor the rudder that controls the boat. The rider controls the horse, and the captain controls the boat. Ultimately, it’s not your tongue that controls your words - it’s your heart. ( - deceitfully wicked. - Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. When you speak and say, “I didn’t mean it… Be careful.)

Words can heal. "There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” () You’ve experienced the power of a word of encouragement, hope, etc. at just the right time.

Words can heal.

11  A word fitly spoken

Or, words can hurt. Because of sinful nature of our hearts, we often use words to hurt. James knew this:

Because of sinful nature of our hearts, we often use words to hurt. James knew this:

vs. 5 - words are like a spark that set a forest ablaze with fire, stains our entire lives - sets on fire the course of a life - and the fire is from hell itself! WOW! When you use the words to hurt and destroy you are playing right into the hands of Satan.

is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.

vs. 7 - We’ve been able to tame massively huge creatures, but we can’t tame our small tongues. Restless evil - full of deadly poison.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

(heckled on the basketball court, Anonymous letter; “not the smartest tool in the shed” - I remember years later - the words still sting a bit.)

Words are destructive and can ruin a life - You’ve been damaged by words and you have damaged with your words. We can do better!

Your words are terribly inconsistent.

We bless God. That’s what we’re doing this morning. You have sang of God’s greatness. You’ve talked about how good God is, and you’ve talked about how He is at work in your life.

We curse others. But earlier this week you probably talked about someone behind their back, lied to someone, harshly spoke to your spouse, yelled at your kids. People made in the image of God - created by God and loved by God - you have hurt.

We are so inconsistent. It ought not be so. ()

(Luke listening - inconsistent… BUT, so is mine....)

Staging house - I need to live in a hotel until house sells. It’s not how we really live. No motivation to

Staging our lives - Sometimes we say the right things - lots of time we say the wrong thing -

A spring doesn’t produce fresh and salt water. A fig tree doesn’t produce olives. A grapevine doesn’t produce figs. A salt pond doesn’t produce fresh water. Those things are consistent, but us, the ones who are made in the image of God, loved by God, and saved by God are so inconsistent. It ought not be this way.

Why are we inconsistent? It’s easier. It’s easier to stay the same than to change. It’s easier to criticize, to be negative, to gossip - plays into our sinful nature.

Staging house - not willing to put away the mess until we want something new.

And, James stops. He doesn’t give us resolution to the problem. He doesn’t give us a solution. He just points out our inconsistency and moves on. We’re left with the question: Is there any hope for our mouths?

You words need the Word.

Is there hope for your mouths Absolutely - the hope for your mouth is Jesus. We may never be perfect in how we use our words, but Jesus can help us to mature in the way that we use our words.

- Jesus used His words perfectly. He knew when to speak, how to speak, and He knew when not to speak. There was never any deceit found in His mouth.

Every word of Jesus was purposeful and used to accomplish the will of the Father. The One who spoke perfectly and lived perfectly went to the cross and died for all of us who have filthy mouths. He died so you could be forgiven of all the evil you’ve spoken. So you could be forgiven of your idolatry –of allowing things other than God control your heart. He rose to assure you of eternal life if you repent of your sins and let Him control your heart. He gives new life and empowers you to speak in a way that is purposeful and God honorin

Every word of Jesus was purposeful and used to accomplish the will of the Father. The One who spoke perfectly and lived perfectly went to the cross and died for all of us who have filthy mouths. He died so you could be forgiven of all the evil you’ve spoken. He rose to assure you of eternal life if you repent of your sins and let Him control your heart. He has given you new life and the empowerment of the Spirit to speak in a way that is purposeful and God honoring.

Staging house - not willing to get rid of stuff, clean out garage, etc. until we want something new. You’re not going to change the way you speak until you are convinced there’s something better. Be convinced! Jesus is better!

How do you use your words in a better way? In a way that is motivated by the new life you have in Christ?

How do you

Put yourself through an honest evaluation. What does your speech really say about your faith? Do your words reveal that you do not know Him at all? Turn to Christ. Do your words reveal that you have slipped in your walk with the Lord? Repent. Ask your spouse this afternoon or a friend, “Based on my words, what would you say controls my heart?”

Fill yourself with the Word. “It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Jesus said what’s in our hearts is going to come out of our mouths. If so, put the Word of God in your heart. The more you fill yourself with truth the more you desire to speak truth.

Think before you speak. - Be quick to hear and slow to speak. - “When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.” We all need to quit talking so much and determine to listen more. You are tempted to respond to everything - to give your opinion, etc. Don’t. Instead - before you respond, before you speak, ask four questions:

Does what I want to say reveal my desires or God’s desire? Am I talking to get my way or to prove my point or to honor the Lord?

Is what I want to say going to hurt someone or help someone? If hurt, don’t say anything.

Is what I want to say going to damage someone’s reputation? (Isn’t that the point of gossip? We want people to think ill of others.)

Is what I want to say going to help or hurt my witness for Jesus? (Social media is probably where we hurt our witness for Jesus the most - behind a keyboard we seem to have more audacity to type whatever comes to mind. We need to control our thumbs as much as we control our tongues.)

This morning, for your words to change you need a heart change. For the first time, give your life to Jesus. Let Him make you a new creation.

Believer, are you struggling with your words? Ask forgiveness from God. Repent. And, ask forgiveness of others. It’s time to use your words to heal. That may mean confessing to someone else how you’ve wronged them and beginning to put the relationship back together.