Enemies Within The Walls: The Terrible Tongue (part 1)

Our Father in heaven Lord, we come before you this morning just delighted to have an opportunity to Look at your word to be reminded of how we ought to live in light of the grace that you have shown us through your son Jesus Christ.

Father we would pray for your blessing on this time Lord, I pray that it would be a time where you would use your word really as a Kind of an x-ray on our spiritual condition that you might reveal those areas in our lives that we need to Work on father.

We pray these things in Jesus name. Amen. Well You know I've been thinking about I don't know if I should even tell you this about spiritual gifts and the one I would like to have us teleportation. I I Was talking with somebody in there just like, you know, hey if scripture doesn't say you can't do it then maybe you can and I'm like Okay, let's go to ax and let's look at Philip where he gets miraculously moved.

That's what I want teleportation. Be awesome. Well, we've been I don't know where that comes from. We've been talking about forgiveness and you know, really the reason I started this whole series in the first place I Think there is a sense, you know in my life.

I think in all of our lives in which we There are areas of our lives that we're not even aware that we that we're really lacking in and This is an area where I just think it's it's really hard. And so we've been studying forgiveness and then bitterness and I want to just kind of wrap that up and then we're going to move on and talk about language how we speak.

Forgiveness, Bitterness, and Ephesians 4

But just by way of reminder I want to read Ephesians 4 verses 31 and 32. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you along with all malice. Be kind to one another tender-hearted.

Forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you. So important, I mean those things are linked there be kind to one another tender-hearted and this really is going to lean into how we speak to one another here in a few moments, but I just wanted to emphasize this one last time.

About our need to forgive one another and I did talk about bitterness. About how it really is actually, the word comes from a. It's about a plant that produces Inedible or poisonous fruit and when we think about that it makes sense it is like a plant how bitterness can just kind of build up inside of us and the opposite of bitterness is tenderness kindness and Being forgiving to one another.

You know the gist of Ephesians 4 is that we're not to act like we used to just as Pastor Mike was just Preaching in the Sermon, we are to be kind as God was to us tender-hearted as God was toward us.

Forgiving as he forgave us in Christ. Listen what Kistemacher says? He says all the injuries that we have ever suffered because of the ill will of our fellow men. Can never be compared with the abuse he the sinless one endured being spit upon maligned crowned with thorns crucified yet he forgave and.

That's how we are to forgive. And I want to if there are any questions or comments about forgiveness. Speak them now or forever hold your peace. Because I wanted to address a if there are any comments or questions and.

And because I'm going to somebody had a question weeks ago, and they probably thought I forgot all about it. I forgive them about imprecatory Psalms. What is an imprecatory Psalm? And why do you suppose this would come up in the midst of a teaching about forgiveness?

What is an imprecatory Psalm? Bruce. Okay, so that that's exactly right. It would be basically God smite mine enemies, right? I mean there could be a lot more language to it, but that would be the gist of it.

Why would such a thing be in Scripture if We are to be a forgiving people. Don't make me smite you. Yes. Okay, I mean the imprecatory Psalms always end with kind of or usually end. I think with some kind of praise to God that kind of thing.

So yes, Amelia. Okay, the sin is primarily against God and he's going to judge it. Yep, Charlie. Okay, I mean certainly we would not we would not think that as a head of state David would Need necessarily to forgive the ones who are trying to put his nation out of existence.

That would that would be true, right? Listen to This quote that I dug up off the internet which I kind of liked. The imprecatory Psalms are not a matter of personal revenge. Rather these harsh statements reflect the psalmist's awareness of God's justice and his intolerance for sin.

The quote goes on. Walt Kaiser has observed these Hard sayings are not statements of personal vendetta. But they are utterances of zeal for the kingdom of God in his glory. To be sure the attacks which provoked these prayers were not from personal enemies rather they were rightfully seen as attacks against God and especially his representatives in the promised line of the Messiah.

So they aren't just you know, I'm really mad at Charlie Lord if you could just Causes guitar strings break and you know what we have examples of similar things in the New Testament. Just a couple here.

Imprecatory Psalms and New Testament Warnings

2nd Timothy 4 14 Paul writes. Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm or did me great harm. The Lord will repay him according to his deeds. Doesn't sound very nice. But again, what's he saying? Alexander the coppersmith did what it wasn't just a personal attack against Paul.

It was an An undermining of the gospel of the ministry and so he says look the Lord's going to deal with him. Galatians 1 a Paul says. But even if we are an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you.

Let him be accursed. Let him be damned. It doesn't say forgive him. Why. Because he's trying to lead people astray. There's one other one, but you get the point I mean that it is. Is it wrong. It's it's just not a lack of forgiveness this is.

Praying that God would avenge himself basically and he will ultimately. Won't he the other? Okay. Well, let's talk about The tongue because I was really looking for an apt Follow-up. What how do you?

What should come after forgiveness. Or really maybe what should come before forgiveness if we understand. There's there's probably few things in life that cause us more grief than what. There are own words the things that we say.

Let's put it this way. When I when I was growing up in high school, there was a kid. He was a couple maybe a year or two behind me. You know, I was in the Mormon Church and this kid Never said a thing.

Not a single word ever. I mean you could walk up and you could sock him. His name was Terry and you could hit him as hard as you wanted. And he wouldn't say a thing and it wasn't because he couldn't although we all wondered about that a little bit.

His family would say that he was a chatterbox at home. I was thinking about Terry this week and I decide, you know, here's the good news. He never had to say what? Please forgive me for what I said to you ever.

You know. Good for him. Our tongues are the source of a lot of problems. Open your Bibles, please to James. I mean, I don't want to say I'm not gonna. I'm not here to preach a dare to be a Terry sermon.

Don't ever speak. But our lives would be a lot simpler if we didn't James 1 26. Who would read James 1 verse 26, please? Yeah, go ahead. That is a strong verse. That's really strong. Lenski says it it refers to or it gives us the mindset or the picture of Letting your tongue go like an unbridled horse.

What happens if you just let her horse run? It'll just run wild. It'll just go crazy. It'll go all over the place and it's really kind of. Well, it's worse than useless. An unrestrained horse can do great damage, right?

I Mean, can you imagine you just let a horse go in your house? That was almost hard to say a horse in your house, I don't know I Wouldn't want to do that. You're gonna wind up with a lot of broken stuff.

But it really is much worse than stuff that we wind up getting Damaged. Lenski goes on to say exactly how his speech offends is not indicated whether it is by cutting criticism of others. By uncleanness by dishonesty or by other ways.

His uncontrolled tongue reveals that his religion is worthless being merely an external sham a fake a fraud. Such a person has been playing the part of one who is religious and Has convinced himself that he really is religious but in so doing he deceives himself now.

If you can think of anything worse than being self-deceived, I don't know what it is. If a tongue is not bridled if it is not restrained if it is not kept in check two conclusions can be drawn. One is that you've deceived your own heart about your religious state and The second thing is your religion your so-called religion is absolutely useless.

Kistemacher says the unruly tongue engages in lying cursing and swearing slander and filthy language from man's point of view the hasty word the shading of truth the subtle innuendo and the questionable joke are shrugged off as Insignificant.

I mean just think how quaint that even sounds. What Kistemacher just said. I mean I stand in line at movies or restaurants or whatever and I listen to teenage girls talk and I'm going you know. You excuse me ladies.

But you're about to make me blush and I was a police officer for 21 years and I was in the army for three years. I worked at a prison with thousands and thousands and thousands of inmates. I Can't even handle that language.

The way people talk today in public is Absolutely amazing now for just a moment. We're going to. Well, I'll just read this. I'm gonna read Ephesians 429 again back in that Context if we if we just keep this kind of paradigm in mind if he's just one two and three are what I'm sorry.

Doctrinal okay at four or five and six our practice so Ephesians four he's telling us how we should put into practice how we should live out what we've Our position in Christ and that we've learned about in Ephesians 1 2 3.

Excuse me 1 2 3 so listen to Ephesians 429 in light of that let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths but only such as is good for building up as. Fits the occasion that it might give grace to those who hear there is a right way to use our tongues.

But first let's talk about the wrong way. Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths. What does that mean? We should not have any unwholesome language of any kind and Paul writes that Those who are in Christ those who have put on the new man as it were Should not utter anything that is harmful nothing that is harmful and That adjective that that was from verse I think 25, but the adjective is used elsewhere in the New Testament.

In the sense of decayed trees which produce rotten fruits means unwholesome. So what is what we're not supposed to do is to use any kind of harmful speech whether it is abusive language vulgar speech or slander or contemptuous talk.

Our Lord has already warned that people who would or will have to give an account for every word that they utter right now again. Ephesians 4 5 6. Practice living out the doctrine that we learned in Ephesians 1 2 3.

Listen to Ephesians 5 1 to 4. In fact, why don't I have somebody else read that so I can get a drink of water. Ephesians 5 Verses 1 to 4. Go ahead Bruce. Okay. Now when he says to be that we are to be imitators of God.

That word imitators really is the word Icon and it gives us a picture of what of being image bearers of being. Representations reflections of our father we are to. And you know like pastor Mike likes to say, you know that he wants his kids to behave like a band.

Ross. Well, we are to behave like our Father in heaven. Can you imagine? God or the Lord Jesus Christ saying some of the things That we hear saying some of the things that we say. But this isn't about simple.

You know, what would Jesus say there's there's no simplistic formula here it's the goal here is to get us to really examine what we say and how we say it and Why we say what we say? Look at verse 2 and walk in love so the opposite of That kind of language would be to walk in love.

We should not we should not want to talk like this now focusing on verse 4. Each of the words used for sinful speech. Appears only in the here in the New Testament and it's best understood. Signifying disgraceful speech.

And especially in light of the preceding mention of sexual sins obscenity. Second term means foolish or silly talk. The third word Has to do with interestingly enough wittiness having a sharp tongue. But all three terms refer to a dirty mind expressing itself in vulgar conversation.

This kind of language must be avoided as utterly inappropriate as we are image bearers but instead. How should we speak instead. Look at verse 4 instead there should be Thanksgiving. We're not to talk in ways that.

It's easy to talk like the world talks. It's easy to say whatever's on our heart. It's easy to say. You know, it's almost like an impulse, isn't it? When someone insults you what do you want to do? In fact, someone posted something on Facebook this week I I won't even repeat exactly what was said to this person.

But I just thought you know when I was his age. If somebody was said that to me one of two things would happen. We either would have gone to the mat or I would have left that person in so much Emotional turmoil that they probably would have had to go cry somewhere.

Because that's just how I was. You know, you didn't want to get into a an insult competition with me because my goal was not just to you know Shut it down. My goal was to destroy you and it wasn't in love.

But look again what it says there that's not how we're to talk instead let there be Thanksgiving if and this is true if we're not to be a bitter people if we're not to hold grudges if we're not to keep track of sins and you know kind of Just sort of build up ill will towards others, but we're instead to be forgiving in that same way when we are cursed or reviled or Insulted how should we think?

Well, we ought to be thankful and you say well thankful. Yes thankful. Because in light of everything that we've ever done or said. So, how do how do we respond when people do this kind of thing to us?

Well, hopefully with restraints and we'll talk more about that, but there There is a way that we should focus on speaking and it really does it takes a mindset it's not enough to just say, you know what I I Cussed today.

I insulted somebody today. I did this or I did that it needs to be. It's really more about what we think because we know. That what we say comes out of what? Out of our hearts. So it really is. It's not even just enough to say.

Oh, I'm glad I caught myself so that I didn't say Whatever it needs to be like why am I even thinking that? Right, we. If we just get to the point where I'm so glad I went a day without cussing. Without addressing our heart issue and our anger and all the things that we want to say.

Then we're there. We're kind of missing the point. We're becoming external externally obedient. It sort of reminds me I would say that Again growing up in the Mormon Church that our family. My stepfather my mom and us.

I mean we must have looked like model People when we went there on Sunday, we all wore, you know Appropriate Sunday clothing and we acted appropriately and we showed up on time. We did all the right things.

But that doesn't matter. It's not about external obedience. If it was all the Mormons would be going straight to heaven. It's about what's in your heart. The conversation of Christians should be wholesome and beneficial.

We should edify one another. We should build one another up in fact. That that's exactly what he says in Ephesians 4. I'm not even gonna look up the verse right now. We're to build one another up. It's not about Expressing ourselves or having our way we are to use our gift of speech to Build one another and we all have the spiritual or unspiritual gift of speech whether we want it or not.

By virtue of evolution, oh, sorry by virtue. It's it's one of the ways in which we are Image bearers and that we communicate with one another. God communicated with man and we communicate with one another.

Listen, what a kiss to marker says he says merely refraining from falsehood stealing and corrupt speech will never do. Christianity is not merely a don't religion and Believers must not be content to be mere zeros.

Instead they should copy the example of their master. Remember be little icons reflections of God whose words were so filled with grace that the multitudes were amazed. As Proverbs 15 23 says a word in due season how good it is a timely word an Edifying word.

Let's talk about some elements of edifying speech. Look at Colossians 4 6. Colossians 4 6. I had a friend in seminary and every time he said something that was somewhat cutting. He would slap himself inside upside the head and say edify stupid.

Think about that for a minute. We're to edify one another. Not tear each other down, you know, it's a it's super easy. Isn't it easy to find fault with one another? It's easy to Say to your husband, you know what you never pick up the socks easier easy to say to your wife I can't believe you burnt the toast again, whatever the issue is.

It's easy to find fault. It's easy to pick on each other. It's harder to say, you know, what? Thank you. It's easier to say I really appreciate or it's hard to say I really appreciate this. Or why because we don't think about that and The focus of this and what I want us to think about is our thinking is so self-centered it's so me centered and That is reflected in how we talk to one another if we really put the needs and dare I say the feelings.

I Said it of other people first if we actually if we just thought about them rightly if we just thought about the other people in this room the other people in this church as brothers and sisters in Christ if we Thought about our spouses as our brothers and sisters in Christ as image bearers.

If we thought about our kids as image bearers, we might not speak to them the way we do. Who has Colossians 4 6? Mark. Now this is in context of speaking with unbelievers. I'm not gonna lie about that.

I don't like to lie. Because then I have to ask your forgiveness. But look at that let your speech always be gracious. Does that apply only to unbelievers? I don't think so. Well, you need to be gracious to unbelievers.

But when you're talking to those in the household of God, you just let them have it and in your own house. That's especially true. You ought to walk around the house with a verbal shotgun as it were, you know, there's a nice class.

I teach a course on a verbal shotgun. Give give your wife that both barrels a speech should be well intended. Should be gracious. That's what Kistemacher says. He says no to always that is both when addressing a group or in talking to the neighbor.

Both when with conversing with an equal or when replying to someone in authority to rich and poor alike. Not only proclaiming the message of salvation, but also in discussing the weather when gracious speech becomes their habit it will.

They will not use improper language when suddenly confronted with a difficult situation. I don't want to pretend like I've mastered this whole deal. Because I haven't. I think the one moment where I actually realized That that the Lord was working Really transforming me.

It was a I mean this won't shock you was the night. I was baptized. The night I was baptized was a little bit unusual. Because I went to bed that night and we had the Northridge earthquake and I got thrown up in the air out of bed.

I I don't know how high I wasn't, you know, you didn't really measure it. I didn't hit the ceiling. I know that and When I landed and I could hear all the things crashing all over the place. And I Thought was well Lord if this is the end just would you make it quick?

But there was no panic the word there was no kind of foul language there was nothing like that even in my head and I thought When it was all done and when everything was done breaking and all that stuff all I just thought was I was kind of happy.

It's kind of a bizarre response, right? Well, the Lord really is working my life, you know, this is exciting this is fun another Example, I I just think you know, there was I've spoken of him before. Dr. Ross kept one of my professors in seminary and Honestly, I don't think I've met a man in my life who was more Christlike.

You could well, I mean in so many ways if you ask dr. Ross cup to pray for you. He would pray for you until you said please dr. Ross cup Stop praying for me or here is the answer to prayer or whatever.

He could he could stop you and I Did this have this. I asked him to pray for me once and then I forgot to give him an update and he asked me about it months later, and I was like Sorry, sorry, dr. Ross cup should have given you the answer on that one such a godly man.

You know just years spent walking with the Lord and this is the work of the Spirit in someone's life in fact his his book reviews. He could take the worst book ever written. I mean it would just be like I can't even think of an example.

They're all theological reviews, but you know just something where I mean let's say it was a Mormon book or whatever it was and he would say something like talk about seasoned and just Kind and gentle and he would say something like, you know.

The publisher did an excellent job of choosing the font. I mean he would always find something good to say about it. You know, I mean there was. The typesetting was exceptional, you know, and then he would go on and say, you know, it could have been stronger in terms of Not being heretical, you know or whatever but he always always super nice, you know.

And then so you knew you were in trouble if you're reading the first paragraph and dr. Ross cups talking about, you know. Something like it was a fine editing job or something like that, you know, it's gonna get bad.

But listen to. So it should be well intended we should have a good intent when we go to talk to somebody. But it's all should be our language should be well chosen. And that's that idea of being seasoned with salt.

O 'Brien says their words must not be dull or insipid but should be interesting and judiciously chosen. Salt used in seasoning seasoning food. Or as it's used in seasoning food and preserving it from corruption.

Now, just think about that. Somebody asked you a question and they make a comment to you. Do you ever think how am I going to respond to this? Comment this question. So that I can edify this person so that I can build them up or so that I can help them see things.

Rightly instead of just you know, giving them a judo chop to the throat. How can I help them? How can I encourage them? I know, you know, there are some people I've read some people make some comments on Facebook and sometimes I read them and I just go you know comments to someone else's status and I just go, you know, there really is a Way that You can Even edify on Facebook build each other up.

Encourage one another you know and and it's it's impressive to me and sometimes I don't. Tell people that and I probably should but it's it's good to see. Even the Saints working through means like that to encourage one another.

It's good. Our words also should be well aimed. Again we should not just think about unbelievers, but also to each Person because look at the text there Colossians 4 6 it says so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

We need to consider the person's situation. Their age all the all the things that come into context. And does this get easier as we get older? Yes, I think the Bible is pretty clear that Younger men should speak less.

Younger women should speak less older women. Older men should speak more. Why? Hopefully as you get older you get wiser. It doesn't always happen. But by virtue just of being alive. Longer we should learn some things along the way.

Sometimes, you know called the school of hard knocks, but it's true. But our our speech should be edifying. We should be attempting to build one another up now. Let's look at James 3. And we're gonna close here today James 3.

And as we hear the trampling of the. Oh, sorry,. James 3 verses 1 to 10. James 3 verses 1 to 10. Not many of you should become teachers my brothers. For you know that he or that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.

We know that's true. If we just look at the qualifications for elders. We would understand that verse 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 own his whole body. Now in light of what he said in James chapter 1, what's he really discussing there? What's he saying if you don't stumble if you don't sin with your tongue, then what?

You pretty much got Yourself under control. You've established some self-control. Verse 3. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also.

Though they are so large and driven by strong winds. They are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. Now listen, 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 and why do I want to talk about the tongue? Because of that truth right there how great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire. The tongue is very small and yet James writes That it can steer a horse it can steer a ship.

Our tongue is very small effect. I was reading one writer Who said look the tongue is small? Therefore you ought to be able to control it. I thought well. Theoretically, that's true, right? I mean nobody ever says watch out for your little finger that thing will get you every single time.

It's small, but what's the problem with the tongue? It's not the size of it. It's its potential when you walk into any conversation. It is as if you are walking into a room filled with kindling. And you've got a you know a gas can and you're just dumping gas all over the place.

Your tongue is the match. It is the spark. You can set it all on fire. And that's what he's saying in James 3. Saying it's that little flame. It's that match that sets the whole forest on fire. Why the tongue after forgiveness?

Again, because if you think about it. Almost every time you've had to say and most of us still say I'm sorry. And I don't. I won't give you another lecture on that. Every time you've had to ask for forgiveness.

I think if you were to add up all the times I I don't have a percentage. What what percentage do you think would be from the tongue? From something that you've said. My guess is it would be very high.

Verse 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. Do you think you should focus on?

The tongue. I think so. Verse 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 is a restless evil full of deadly poison.

Verse 9. With it we bless our Lord and Father and with it We curse people who are made in the likeness of God. Again that idea of image bearer. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing my brothers these things ought not be so.

Go home today. Gather your kids your wife. Talk to your friends and say, you know what? I would like to introduce you to some poison namely my tongue. I'm about to assault you. We wouldn't do that. But that's what James is warning us against.

Let's go back to Ephesians 4. I mean it is. We're gonna be talking about the Proverbs and everything. Or I've got some verses in Proverbs to look at in the weeks to come some other things some practical means.

Verse 29. 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 no poison. No corrupting talk. No insults.

No cursing. No double entendres meaning no sexual innuendo. I know when I when I work for the Sheriff's Department. And I was a supervisor and a walk around and Sign people's logbooks do a bunch of stuff, but you know people would always stop me.

Everybody thinks they're a comedian. Why is that? And they say hey, I've got a joke for you and I'd say is it racial or sexual in nature? And of course they always said Oh. Actually, they say nothing.

They just look at me like I was an idiot. Of course, of course. It's racial or sexual in nature and I just go and then no, I don't want to hear it. What? We are not to be people who are engaged in all this stuff.

Why. Because we are to reflect instead God. If we are God's children, we ought to act like we are God's children so many times we don't. When we think about the Lord Jesus Christ, did he ever speak harsh things to people?

Yes, he did. You look at Matthew 23 and you see how he talks to the scribes and Pharisees. He blasts them. But why it's because of what they were doing to other people the religious the false religious Levels that he was setting up or they were setting up for people.

Making them. I think he says, you know twice the son of hell that you yourselves are. But when we think about how he reached out to people who needed Building up who needed forgiveness who needed grace who needed love?

That's how we need to think in. What way can I build somebody up and what way can I edify and what way can I serve somebody else in what way? Can I meet their need? That should be the focus of how we use our tongue.

Let me just in the few seconds we have left here I'm just going to say something and I've said it before but I think this is so practical. If you just establish yourself a two-second rule. Two seconds a thousand one thousand two.

You know how much you can think of in two seconds a lot. Because I can tell you right now that I have drawn my weapon in two seconds. You can get a lot done in two seconds. If you take two seconds before you respond to somebody as soon as you feel that anger that bitterness or that Desire to you know, I've got a really funny come back to that.

I'm really gonna slam you. I'm really gonna put you in your place. If you take two seconds and just think you know what I probably shouldn't say that. No one will ever say you will never let's put it this way.

You will never have to ask anyone's forgiveness. For just saying you know what I'm gonna leave that for another day. I'm not gonna say that I'm ashamed I even thought that. You don't have to ask forgiveness for that.

We wind up having to ask forgiveness because we say what we think. We can change our thoughts. We need to work on that. We need to fill it with the Word of God. We need to fill our minds and our hearts with the Word of God.

But whatever is in our hearts, we have no excuse for speaking it with our mouths. Let's pray Father in heaven. Lord these are very convicting words. When we see things like always let no one wholesome word those are tall orders and James says everybody fails Father we will we will stumble and Lord when we do.

Would you grant us hearts that want to be forgiven and that would seek forgiveness. Hearts that would be quick to forgive one another. But Lord, would you? Work in our lives to just learn to restrain to bridle our tongues to understand that and Implement the idea that the world does not revolve around us that others are more important than we are.

In light of the cross in light of what Jesus did for us. In light of the example he set for us how he did not revile how he considered others more important than himself. Father what sort of people ought we to be?

Imitators of you. Acting as if we are your children because you have called us your children bless each one here strengthen us. Let us be people that Want to speak well of others. Long to share what you're doing.

Long to share the gospel. Long to build one another up to help one another bear one another's burdens. To edify one another we pray in Christ's name and for his sake.