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Source: https://www.sermonindex.net/speakers/isaiah-frazier/our-speech/
Good morning to everyone. Let's read in the Gospel of John, please, in chapter 7. In John's Gospel, chapter 7, just a verse, just a phrase here I'd like to look at. John chapter 7 and verse 45, we can begin there.
It says, Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees, and they said unto him, Why have ye not brought him? The officers answered, Never man spake like this man. I've been thinking recently, really, of the purposes of God for us as believers in the Lord Jesus.
In Romans chapter 8, we read those words that all things work together for good to those that love God, to those that are called according to his purpose. And the next verse would tell us really what the purpose of God for us is to be conformed to the image of his son.
When we think of our lives and we look at ourselves, I guess we should examine ourselves and ask the question, Is God's purpose being fulfilled in me? Is there in me a Christ likeness? There's many things that we can appreciate about the life and the person of the Lord Jesus.
We can think of his perfect servants and obedience. We can think of his prayer and his dependency upon his father. We can speak this morning of his love of righteousness and hatred of iniquity. His humility, his compassion, his zeal for God, his spirit filled life.
A life that was pleasing to God, a life of self-denial. I think you'll understand from the verse that we have read together this morning, there's one thing I'd like to speak about, and that is his talk.
And how we ought to be imitators of Christ even in our speech. It's interesting that when the Lord Jesus is delivered into the hands of those wicked men led by Judas and he is taken before the Sanhedrin, there is Peter.
And they accuse him of being one of his disciples. And you remember one of them said, you are a Galilean. Thy speech be ready. In other words, his manner of speaking would give him away as a Galilean.
So the question this morning is, is as far as our manner of speech, are we known as Christians even by our manner of speech, the way we speak to each other and other people? You see, the Lord Jesus was marked out by his speech.
These men who were not believers, who were not disciples of the Lord Jesus, they'd actually been sent to arrest him again by the chief priests and Pharisees. When they come back empty handed, this is what they say.
Never man spake like this man. There was something distinct about the person of the Lord Jesus, even in his speech. So I guess as believers in the Lord Jesus, there are many things that we ought to emulate, reflect, mirror in our lives.
One of them is how he spake. You know, the Lord Jesus stood in contrast to those who surrounded him. Even us in our sins. Thinking of Romans chapter three, it says, as Paul and the spirit of God would describe men and women in their sins.
There's a few things that he mentions about our speech. He says their throat is an open supplicant. With their tongues, they have used to see. The poison of ask is under their lips, whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.
Is it any wonder that they said of the Lord Jesus, never man spake like this man? Because those things were not found in his mouth. John chapter 12, the Lord Jesus says, oh, generation of vipers. How can you being evil speak good things?
For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaking. That was us in our sins. But having come to the Lord Jesus, the second Corinthians tells us, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. The old things are passed away and behold, all things are become new.
That would include even our manner of speaking. So this is what I would like to speak about this morning as imitators of the Lord Jesus. Thinking of Luke chapter four. It says in a marvel, they wonder that the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth.
Not cursing. Not bitterness. But gracious words. We ought to be marked as people who speak graciously. I'm thinking of how Paul would instruct Titus. You know, the believers there in Crete, they had they had a reputation of being liars.
But this is what Paul says, Titus chapter three, verse two, it says, speak evil of no man. And that word is blasphemy. I think we all understand that. Speak evil of no man. That is to speak reproachfully.
To rail at, to revile, to calumniate. So often as a result of bitterness towards someone, it is easy for us to speak against them. As you know, according to what the word of God says, we are not to speak evil of anyone.
Maybe there are people that we do not agree with. Maybe there are even people in authority and we do not appreciate the way they conduct themselves or the things that they do. And yet the word of God is very plain in this.
He says, speak evil of no man. Or when people speak evil of us. Is often our reaction to say something worse to them. But first, Peter would tell us again as the Lord Jesus is the one who is to be imitated.
It says when he was reviled. And that word reviled is to use abusive language. To speak angrily against someone. In an insulting manner. It says of the Lord Jesus, when he was reviled, he reviled not again.
You know, it is sad when there are people who profess to be believers in the Lord Jesus. And when all things are well in life, then they would conduct themselves in a fitting way. And yet when things are not so good, how things can change.
And people begin to speak and say things that they ought not to speak. And of course, as I've just mentioned, when people would speak against us, how is our response to that? When people insult us, do we insult them again?
If we are imitators of the Lord Jesus, it says when he was reviled, he reviled not. The people that spoke against him and the awful things that they said against him. Yet the word of God would tell us simply this, that he opened not his mouth.
And when people threatened him. Someone was telling me the other day of how believers were threatening one another. In what it says of the Lord Jesus, when he was threatened, he threatened not. But he commended the whole case, the whole thing into the hands of him that judges righteously.
You think of Paul and his movements in the preaching of the gospel. And even suffering ridicule and being despised by believers and even the people that he worked with. First Corinthians chapter four, Paul says this being reviled.
We blast that is to speak favorably. Even when people would speak against him. The same chapter, verse 13, Paul says being defamed or again that word blasphemed. We entreat. And that is a word for a claim to comfort.
You know, that is what marks out a Christian. When they are reviled, they revile not. And when they're threatened, they threaten not. When they are defamed, they do not speak and even in their own defense.
Paul says we entreat the complete opposite of the reaction of carnal man. And again, thinking of the Lord Jesus, first Peter would tell us again who did no sin. Neither was any guile in his mouth. There was no deceitfulness in the Lord Jesus.
I trust as believers that there is no deceitfulness in us or in our mouths. That is, of course, the complete opposite of Satan, who is a liar. But as far as the Lord Jesus Christ is concerned, he could say, I am the truth.
And I trust that we as believers are characterized as people who are truthful. Let's speak the truth. Let's turn over to Ephesians in chapter 4. There's a number of verses here concerning our speech. I know that this is nothing new that we're considering this morning.
But as so often the case, there's things that we need to be reminded of. So in Ephesians chapter 4, read in verse 25. Paul again writing, Ephesians 4 verse 25. Thinking of the one in whom no guile was found.
Paul says this, Ephesians 4, 25. Wherefore, putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor. For we are members one of another. So not only are we not to speak evil against any man. Paul says, speak every man truth with his neighbor.
Verse 29, let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth. In contrast, the Romans chapter 3, their throat is an open supplicant. He says here, let no corrupt or is that which would come out of a supplicant.
Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth. But that which is good to the use of edifying. Instead of the malice, instead of the intent to do evil and harm to other people. Paul says this, that which is for edification.
That it may minister grace unto the hearers. Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Before and after speaking of grieving the Holy Spirit. He is speaking of how we use our mouths in the very things that we say.
Again, verse 31, let all bitterness and wrath. There again, in contrast with Romans chapter 3, cursing and bitterness. It says, let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speakings. Be put away from you with all malice.
Be a kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another. Even as God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven you. And again, he continues in chapter 5, verse 3. But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness.
Let it not be once named among you as become a saint. Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting. Which are not convenient, but rather giving thanks. Giving thanks. Verse 19. Speaking to yourselves in songs and hymns and spiritual songs.
Singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans chapter 6. Paul speaks about how we once yielded our members to unrighteousness or as instruments of unrighteousness.
Whether our hands or our feet or our mouths. That were once used to sin against God and sin against others. Now we are to yield our members as instruments of righteousness. And the throats that were once as an open supplicant.
And the deceitfulness of our tongues in our lips. Now they are to be used as instruments of righteousness in giving thanks. And speaking in songs and hymns and spiritual songs. And giving thanks to God.
Hebrews chapter 13 says. By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually. That is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. Something that ought to characterize believers as this is a thankfulness to God.
And let's turn over to Psalm chapter 40. Not only thankfulness to God but an appreciation for the person of his son. You know it's so easy for us to talk about so many things that really have little importance or value.
But listen to Psalm. Let's read in Psalm 45 first. Psalm 45. I've been appreciating this Psalm lately. I'll just mention a verse here. Psalm 45 and verse 1. The psalmist says my heart is indicting a good matter.
There is something that he is appreciating that he is meditating upon. That his heart is filled with and out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh he says. I speak of the things which I have made touching the king.
My tongue is the pen of a ready writer. Thou art fairer than the children of man. Grace is poured into thy lips. Therefore God hath blessed thee forever. And his meditation was on the person of the Lord Jesus.
And specifically even the beauty of the things that he would speak. So in turn he could say my tongue is a pen of a ready writer. Now chapter 40 or Psalm 40. Psalm 40. Verse 3. The one who was once in the miry clay.
In that horrible pit. Psalm 40 verse 3. Says he hath put a new song in my mouth. Even praise unto our God. So as those of us who once used our mouths to speak wickedness and lies. The psalmist says there is a new song in my mouth.
There is even praise unto God. And I trust that as our hearts are occupied with the person of the Lord Jesus. There will be an abundance of speaking of him. That there will be praise that is produced to God.
And I hardly need to remind you but in our Christian lives is that not what God desires. That we would be those true worshippers of the Father. That there would be no lack of praise to him. Verse 9. Not only is there praising but there is preaching.
Verse 9. I have preached righteousness in the great congregation. Though I have not refrained my lips. O Lord thou knowest. I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart. I have declared thy faithfulness.
And thy salvation. I have not concealed thy loving kindness and thy truth from the great congregation. Praising and preaching. I hope we do not occupy our mouths only for gossiping. But for preaching.
Speaking of God so great salvation especially to those who are still in their sins. That we could be occupied with speaking of the righteousness of God. His righteousness in providing a savior for men and women in their sins.
The psalmist could say he did not hide the righteousness of God within his heart. But he would declare it. The senses as an evangelist. And we ought to be an evangelizing people. Speaking the unsearchable truths.
Finally in Isaiah chapter 50. I was thinking of Isaiah chapter 50 and again taking example from the Lord Jesus. Isaiah chapter 50 and verse 4. I think this is speaking of him prophetically. Isaiah 50 verse 4 says the Lord God has given me the tongue of the learned.
That I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary. He waketh morning by morning. He waketh mine ear to hear as a learned. If we could appreciate that firstly his ear was open to hear.
But we have also read that he was able to speak a word in season. A word of comfort to those that are weary. That God might give us the wisdom and the help to use our mouths in such a way. For praise and for preaching.
And for comforting and for edifying. Instead of cursing and bitterness and lying. And railing. And speaking evil. But to use our mouths for the things that are pleasing to God. And I won't take the time you can read in James chapter 3.
Again there is that which speaks of the tongue. Do you know as it was said of the Lord Jesus never man speak like this man. I trust that our speech as Christians would. Berate us. Would give proof would give evidence to the fact that we are different from this world.
That we think differently. And we speak differently. That we might of a truth be imitators of the Lord Jesus not only in his walk. But also in his talk.