Taming the Untameable Tongue: Part 1

Redeeming Grace Church

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June 9, 2019

Taming the Untameable Tongue: Part 2

00:00: Well, this is what I'd like to do We embarking on a new series And I'm gonna call it taming the untameable tongue.
00:08: I think that's a good name for this series Because it is untameable it can be tamed but only by God and through his
00:17: Holy Spirit This is gonna be a very interesting series and I and I say not only wrestling.
00:24: It's gonna be very convicting It's gonna be insightful As I've studied it so far
00:31: I'm pretty much cut up the pieces already. So I need some healing but We'll pass to you what the
00:38: Lord has been speaking to me about in these 12 verses of chapter 3 of James we're moving on to chapter 3 now.
00:47: We've finished chapter 1. We finished chapter 2. That's a quite a Success isn't it?
00:56: And What I'd like to do today is speak to you in a topical sense of selected scriptures
01:02: We're going to start off with what James says and move it to the Psalms and other places in the
01:08: Proverbs And what the Word of God is a not a complete exhaustive List because we can go on and on and on and that's why
01:16: I've broken this up to a six -part series So this would be part one of a six -part series an introduction and an overview
01:26: What we're going to be looking at but what does the Word of God have to say about who contained the tongue who contained the tongue?
01:34: What a question So this is the intro and an overview So let's first start off by reading these 12 verses if you like and please turn with me.
01:42: I invite you to James chapter 3 verse 1 verse 1 through 12
01:50: So hear the word of the Living God I'm reading from the New American Standard Bible if you have another other translations, that's okay
02:02: It's God's Word. You may have the New King James. That's good. You may don't have the old King James authorized version or the
02:09: ESV They're all good translations So here
02:16: God's Word the Apostle James to the Holy Spirit says verse 1
02:23: Let not many of you become teachers my brethren Knowing that such we will incur a stricter judgment for we all stumble in many ways
02:36: If any if anyone does not stumble in what he says He is a perfect man able to bridle the whole body as well now
02:47: If we put the bits into the horse's mouth so that they will obey us
02:52: We direct their entire body as well Look at the ships also though.
02:59: They are so great and are so driven by strong winds are So directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires
03:09: So also the tongue is a small part of the body and yet it boasts of great things
03:18: See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire and the tongue is a fire
03:27: The very world of iniquity the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body and Sets on fire the course of our life and is set on fire by hell
03:42: For every species of beast and birds and reptiles and creatures of the sea is
03:48: Tamed and has been tamed by the human race But no one can tame the tongue
03:55: It is a restless evil and in and full of deadly poison With it we bless our
04:02: Lord and Father and with it we curse men Who have been made in the likeness of God?
04:10: Verse 10 from the same mouth Come both blessing and cursing My brethren these things ought not to be this way
04:20: Does a fountain send out from the same? opening both fresh and bitter water
04:26: Can a fig tree my brethren produce olives or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh
04:37: May God richly bless the reading of his word to our ears to our hearts this morning. Let's pray
04:44: Our Heavenly Father we come to you again seeking your face Through your son the
04:52: Lord Jesus Christ through his precious blood and by the application of the
04:57: Holy Spirit Father we come in faith. We seek your face in faith
05:03: Within this very hour father. Oh God We pray for your help the help of your
05:10: Holy Spirit Father we lean hard on you this morning Help us to worship you with reverence all and Thanksgiving rejoice with tremble
05:21: But father we so desperately need your Holy Spirit We need your
05:26: Holy Spirit the third person of the Trinity here to give us the aid To help and all that we do and say to worship you as we should
05:39: Father we need your Holy Spirit There are so many needs
05:44: But we desperately need your Holy Spirit First and foremost to glorify you as we should the
05:52: Father the Son the Spirit To give us eyes to see ears to hear to love you and love you alone
06:06: Lord we need your spirit to teach us the things of Christ to us all this father
06:15: To give you glory To make us to break us Lord to teach us to use us so father
06:25: Lord help us help us to Love you to love your word
06:31: More and more and to hate sin more and more We cannot do this in our own
06:38: Takes your Holy Spirit to do this in a regenerate heart To be a follower a learner of you
06:46: To give you glory and praise and father. I would pray this morning. Take your word sanctify as holy sanctifies in your truth
06:55: For your word is truth, and we ask this in the name of Jesus Amen and amen Well as you know in the previous passage as we looked in the epistle
07:05: James James has exposed the folly of imagining oneself to be religious While the tongue is uncontrolled
07:14: That's pretty much what he spoke of In the previous verses is natural therefore for him to enlarge to expand upon this thing after setting forth the vanity of a faith a
07:28: Dead faith in which we looked at which expresses itself only in words and not in works
07:34: And that's what James is talking about those most tempted to such self -deception and to such dead
07:44: Orthodoxy or teachers of religious truth, and it is such first of all I would say who are in the mind of the writer here and as James pens this searching passage on the sins of the tongue
08:01: It is hardly necessary to note that by the tongue James means a gift of speech.
08:08: I Don't think he's thinking of that as we have read The tongue is a world of iniquity
08:16: He says and to set on fire from hell James is actually Meaning in this whole paragraph paragraph and verses 1 through 12
08:29: The depravity of the tongue and where it comes from is the heart He abounds in figures and pictures as we've read and illustrations that are very practical.
08:38: He speaks of the small rudder of a ship He speaks of the bits in the horse's mouth and we're gonna look at that later on when we do the exposition today
08:46: We just gonna do an overview and As a whole and take selected scriptures and look at what the
08:52: Word of God has to say about the tongue There's much to say so I'm gonna go as fast as I possibly can because there's many scriptures to touch on the scriptures that James wrote to were
09:05: Were apparently having serious to the people he wrote to were having serious problems with their tongues
09:11: We can see this in this letter if you notice And I bring this up in this passage is verses 1 through 12
09:18: James used the common Jewish literary device in a sense of attributing blame to a specific bodily member
09:28: James had warned them to be swift to hear Slow to speak slow to wrath in chapter 1 verse 19
09:37: The believer who does not bridle his tongue is not truly religious and in James 1 26 we must speak and act as though we
09:49: Were already facing Christ and judgment as he says Then in James 2 12 so here he says is where James is slapping our face
10:01: To get our attention on discipline so we as believers do not fall further into judgment why?
10:08: Well, obviously our tongue gets us some serious trouble because words can get us into serious trouble so words come from our tongue and what comes from the words comes from heart and Some both for the good of the kingdom and detriment of the church
10:28: So who has control of your words God or man
10:34: Here is another question. Do your words reflect who you are in Jesus Christ, or does the sinful nature have its roots in you?
10:43: Another question a question is wisdom guiding them for the desire for the world's attention another question these are
10:51: James's questions, I would think To the early church and their struggle with gossip with slander with murmuring
11:00: And it's a problem. We all have at times right if we're really honest and We do fall and slip into these sins
11:11: Speaking before thinking so so in this series of the tongue We begin part one is an overview and introduction in these twelve verses very powerful very convicting who contained the tongue
11:23: Who can tame it well scriptures already told us no one can tame the tongue
11:29: Well, we begin our journey in this within this hour looking at what the scriptures have to say about this little member
11:37: That's so small. That's so deadly and full of poison so let's look at Some important points, and I really don't have an outline
11:45: But I'm trying trying to go in this and in this direction and one of the important questions we'll be looking at is and and also applications of the first questions because it will consider of What does the scripture say about the tongue?
12:02: I think that's the most important question. What does God say about the tongue? It's not what
12:07: I have to say What does God say about it? So we're going to look at that It will not be exhaustive list there are many many verses so Because the time
12:19: I'm definitely not going to have time to Touch on all those scriptures, but second we will also look at Who contained the tongue and I've already given that answer the
12:30: Word of God gives that answer no one but by God's help and God and The Holy Spirit can help us discipline ourselves and then as some person and then we look at some personal applications and I everyday living because I think that's where it comes down to we use our tongues every day don't we there's no telling how many words we speak, but On an average there's thousands and thousands of words.
12:56: Just going out there and not returning That's sobering, isn't it?
13:02: First so first what does the scriptures the Word of God say about the tongue? What is the Word of God say much?
13:07: Well, first of all, let me give you a definition before we dig into scripture definition in the tongue Really is you it's me
13:16: It's who we are in a unique way what we say Reveals who we are in Scripture the tongue is variously described as wicked
13:27: It's deceitful. It's perverse It's filthy. It's corrupt.
13:32: It's flattering. It's slanderous It's gossiping. It's murmuring.
13:38: It's blasphemous. It's foolish. It's boasting. It's complaining cursing contentious
13:45: Sensual and vile now, that's not exhaustive list But it kind of gives us an idea that the tongue is pretty bad, isn't it?
13:53: And it's it's a world of iniquity That's what the Word of God says. It's a world of iniquity That's not a exhaustive list
14:02: Got a quote here about Pastor John MacArthur And this is what he says and I got a couple quotes by him is really good and the
14:08: Keats already heard this but For those there were not able to listen to this
14:14: This is for you too, but I think this is a great definition of what he says no wonder he says
14:21: MacArthur God put the tongue in a cage behind the teeth walled in by the mouth
14:27: Using another figure someone has observed that because the tongue is in a wet place it can easily slip
14:38: So true He goes on to say it is a tale a tattletale that tells on the heart and it discloses the real person
14:48: That is so good It's a tattletale that tells on the heart it tells on us
14:57: Not only that but the misuse of the tongue is perhaps the easiest way to sin He goes on to say there are some sins that an individual may not be able to commit
15:08: Simply because he does not have the opportunity But there are no limits to what one can say
15:16: No built -in restraints or boundaries End quote on the tongue.
15:21: Oh my goodness That's so well said Well, so words our words have a crucial role of communicating
15:32: We know this not only our ideas, but how we are connecting with other people and God gave us a tongue for a purpose to communicate
15:44: But I believe mainly for the redeemed was the praise him like Charles Wesley said
15:51: Oh for a thousand tongues to sing my great Redeemer's praise so we need
15:58: Not only in our spoken language as well as our body language it is a utmost importance
16:05: That we do so knowing we have been Ambassador we are in his ambassadors and representatives.
16:15: We need to keep that before us We represent Jesus Christ So what we say
16:22: Says so much about us Our words our deeds that result from them will convey to others who
16:31: Jesus Christ is and us and how They should view him
16:38: So it's critical that we do choose our words Carefully, I believe
16:44: Solomon says as apples of gold and pictures of silver We need to be wise and the way we choose our words and this may sound a little bit overwhelming and weighty and it is
16:56: But it is also an honor and this is a positive and we're gonna look at the negative in the positive like a battery a
17:03: Battery doesn't have two posts a positive and a positive has a negative and a positive isn't it?
17:09: Like the Word of God It rebukes it convicts and reproves, but it also encourages and it heals it cuts, but it heals
17:19: There's always a good to it, but we're going to also get we're gonna get cut up a little bit this morning But there's some healing that's gonna a healing balm and Gilead to help us
17:28: So thank God for that It's also an honor and a blessing. Like I said to convey his precepts and what a privilege it is
17:37: Not just in preaching a sermon. I don't mean just that but in how we live That's what it really matters because you and I are a sermon or should
17:47: I say this? We are the only Bible that the world will ever read And if we think of it like that that's very convicting isn't it and it's very important We are the only
17:59: Bible that people will ever read and so it's important our daily life To God's honor and to God's glory to be demonstrated in connections with other people we come in contact with So, how do we do this?
18:12: Well scriptures always give us the answer, right? We always go to the truth Always go to the
18:18: Word of God because God is an all -wise God and every word of God is pure Every word of God has the wisdom from all my it's has the his word is
18:28: Jesus said My words are spirit and they are life. It is sharper than any two -edged sword.
18:35: There's life It's got lit life -giving power. So we'll go to the truth. We'll go to the Word of the Living God for our answers
18:41: So the tongue is of great concern to the Apostle James So let's begin with the Apostle James And we'll would take this as a home port so to speak and then we'll take it to the scriptures of selected verses
18:55: So in every chapter, I want you to think of this in the book of James every chapter he touches on something about the tongue
19:03: Listen to this James chapter 1 verse 19 this, you know, my beloved brethren
19:09: But everyone must be quick to hear slow to speak and slow to anger Notice in verse 26 if anyone thinks himself to be religious and yet does not bridle that means to control his tongue
19:23: But deceives his own heart this man's religion is worthless useless in vain
19:29: Notice what he says in chapter 2 verse 12 So speak and act as those who are to be judged by the law of Liberty Notice what he says in chapter 3 verse 5 and 6 as twice as we read previously
19:45: So also the tongue is a small part of the body and yet it boasts of great things
19:50: Verse 6 and the tongue is a fire the very world of iniquity the tongue is said among our members as that which defiles the entire body and Sets on fire the course of our life and is set on fire by hell
20:07: Wow strong language there isn't it verse 8 but no one can tame the tongue it is a restless evil restless and full of deadly poison
20:20: Like us like an adder like a serpent notice what he says in chapter 4 verse 11 do not speak against one another
20:27: Brethren and he who speaks against the brethren or judges his brother speaks against the law and judges the law
20:34: But if you judge the law, you're not a doer of the law, but a judge of it And look at chapter 5 in verse 12, but above all my brethren do not swear either by heaven or by earth with with any oath
20:49: But your yes is to be yes, and you're no no so that you may not fall under Judgment notice that that you may not fall under judgment.
20:59: These are warnings so the Apostle James is personifying the tongue and the mouth is the representatives of the depravity and wretchedness of the inner person and That's what he's saying
21:11: So the tongue only produces what is told to produce by the heart the heart is the motive power the motive engine in which
21:21: The tongue gets its motion and it goes to the mind the mind the thought life and then the tongue, right?
21:29: That's where sin originates What did Jesus say in Matthew 15 19? This is what he said
21:35: James I'm sorry, Jesus Matthew 15 19 for out of the heart come evil thoughts murders adulteries fornications thefts false witness slanders
21:52: Yeah, just that list in of itself It's comprehensive, isn't it?
21:58: It's it's so striking. It's so powerful Someone said scientists maintain that once a sound wave is set in motion.
22:05: This is interesting Once a sound wave is set in motion. It continues on a never -ending journey never ending and that if we had
22:15: Sophisticated enough instruments each wave could be captured and produced Reproduced I'm sorry at any time if that is true
22:24: Then every word spoken by any person who has ever lived could be retrieved
22:30: That is mind -boggling But that's incredible and as incredible is that is by the scientists in which they cannot do
22:39: God can It could be done. But God is the one of course
22:45: That needs no such instrument Jesus states in Matthew 12 36 and 37 in which
22:53: Brother Keith and brother Michael and I were conversing earlier this week That's I personally believe is one of the most powerful convicting verses in all of Scripture Jesus said this every careless word that people speak
23:08: Every careless word that people speak they shall not might they shall
23:13: Give an accounting for it in the day of judgment For by your words you will be justified and by your words you will be condemned
23:22: So what is that passage really saying? According to Jesus, he's basically saying that our words tells what is in our heart
23:33: Our words speak what we are From the heart and that's what
23:39: Jesus said from the heart comes the defilement The depravity it is revealed through the tongue
23:47: Our words will justify us or our words will condemn us. That's what he said one of the two
23:54: Justifying or condemns now again pastor John MacArthur in his commentary said this and I could not hold back this
24:01: He says something very good about this passage of Scripture the most seemingly
24:07: Insignificant sin now, isn't this convicting the most seemingly insignificant sin even a slip of the tongue
24:15: Carries the full potential of all hell's evil James 3 6 No infraction against God's holiness is therefore a trifling thing and Each person will ultimately give an account of every such indiscretion
24:35: There is no truer Indication this is so good. There is no truer indication of a bad tree than the bad fruit of speech
24:46: The poisonous snakes were known by their poisonous mouths revealing evil hearts
24:54: And MacArthur goes on to say every person is judged by his words Because they are the state of his heart
25:03: Inquote that is so good, but so convicting we need to hear this Nowhere.
25:09: Nowhere is the relationship between faith and works more evident as James speaks of in the
25:16: Word of God or in an entirety of the Word are more evident than in a person's speech and That's why he mentions this is if you notice when he says what he says what he says and there's nothing backing it up It's speech.
25:32: It's empty words It's dead faith. And that's what he was saying What you and I are
25:39: Inevitably are will be disclosed by what we say That's what it says it might be said that a person's speech is a reliable measure of his or her spiritual temperature and who we are as we are and a monitor so to speak of the inner human condition the
26:01: Jewish rabbis Even spoke of the tongue as an arrow
26:07: Rather than a dagger or a sword why? because an arrow can wound and kill from a great distance that is some good insight isn't it an
26:21: Arrow takes flight where a dagger you can't throw a dagger or a sword that far
26:27: But an arrow really takes the distance and that's now the Jewish rabbis would speak about the deceitfulness of the tongue
26:35: That is so convicting the tongue can wreck or should I say reek great damage
26:42: Even when far from its victim like an arrow. Oh My beloved after you hear this just an overview.
26:51: I Was I was silenced? I just fell on my face and I said Lord forgive me for The things that I've never should have said and once I've said it
27:00: I could not take it back and even though people forgive you and overlook it and say yeah, it's okay
27:06: Once the word has been spoken you cannot take it back Think of it the very first sin
27:14: What does the scripture said the very first sin in the Word of God in Genesis was committed after the fall?
27:21: That was a sin of the tongue It was when God came to Adam and questioned him about his eating of the forbidden fruit
27:29: What did Adam do Adam literally slandered God's character By suggesting that it was indirectly that God was indirectly responsible for the sin
27:43: Genesis 3 12 the woman you gave me To be with me.
27:49: She gave me from the tree and I ate With the tongue he was sinning
27:54: Coming from his heart sin came into the world and that was one of the very first sins
28:00: It came from the tongue out of the heart, but in describing man's total depravity the
28:07: Apostle Paul in Romans chapter 3 Verses 13 and 14. He's actually quoting from the
28:12: Psalms and from the prophets Their throat is an open grave With their tongues
28:19: They keep deceiving the poison of ass is under their lips
28:24: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness? Oh just hearing that is so striking, isn't it?
28:32: That's the depravity How depraved we are something you never have to teach children
28:38: You see it naturally come out or any of us as he glimpsed
28:43: God's glory and holiness The prophet Isaiah was convicted of his own convicted of his own sinfulness and related to his mouth exclaiming and and put the curse on himself
28:55: Said woe is me for I am undone Now I like the old
29:01: King James there because it says I'm unraveled. I'm disintegrated. There's other translations.
29:07: It says I'm ruined Well ruined says it's a strong, but when he says I'm undone
29:12: I'm unraveled That is more graphic and specific Because I'm a man of what unclean lips now.
29:21: This is the prophet Isaiah. I Don't believe there was a more righteous man in that time period and yet when he saw the king
29:31: God in his glory He saw the holiness of God.
29:38: He said the first thing he speaks of I'm a man of unclean lips unclean lips
29:44: And I live this what he said then I live in among a people of unclean lips For my eyes have seen the
29:51: King the Lord of hosts That's Isaiah 6 5 and we'll be looking to that more later on We read further in Scripture and I was digging around in references
30:03: And I think the Word of God and when when Paul said to Timothy preached a word I said well,
30:08: I won't just lay down the scriptures and and I may comment a little bit But listen what the scriptures has to say about the tongue
30:15: David says in Psalms 34 13 keep your tongue keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit
30:26: Psalm 39 1 I said I will guard my ways that I may not sin with my tongue
30:34: I Will guard my mouth as with a muzzle While the wicked are in my presence
30:40: Wow, what a heart That this man has turned with me to Psalm 52 chapter 52.
30:48: I got five verses Psalm chapter 52
30:56: We're going to jump around here But notice what David says most of these of David a man after God's own heart doesn't that make sense?
31:05: Here's a man after God's own heart. He loves the Lord, but notice what he says in the first five verses Why do you boast in an evil
31:12: Oh Mighty man now, it's interested that he is he's like speaking to someone in reference
31:21: To doeg I believe the chief of Saul's Shepherds who reported to Saul the priest that no had aided
31:28: David when he was a fugitive And he speaks of him as a mighty man, but he's speaking
31:33: Not necessarily directly to God, but the Holy Spirit is is giving him these words But why do you boast in evil?
31:40: Oh mighty man? Very arrogant prideful man the loving kindness of God endures all day long your tongue devises destruction like a sharp razor
31:53: Oh worker of deceit You love evil more than good now.
31:59: Listen to this falsehood more than speaking. What is right? Selah Notice he goes on to say this verse 4 you love all your
32:10: You love all words that devour Oh deceitful tongue
32:16: Wow, that is very clear, isn't it deceitful tongue? Notice what he says in verse 5, but God There it is right there.
32:25: But God God intervenes will break you for down forever He will snatch you up and tear you away from your tent
32:35: And uproot you from the land of the living Selah. It's interesting Isn't it the way
32:41: God will silence the wicked and he will We go on to see other verses of Scripture.
32:47: That's just a few verses of Psalms, but there's many more It's not exhaustive. So I'm just touching on a few but we also have some from the
32:55: Proverbs of Solomon the wisest man Notice in Proverbs 6 17 you can go there if you like Proverbs 6 17
33:05: These are the six things that God hates Seven is abomination.
33:11: And if you notice pride is the very first but what is second? If I'm not mistaken, the lying tongue is second to pride
33:22: Chapter 6 yes verse 17 notice this right here verse 16 six things which the
33:28: Lord hates Yes, seven are abomination to him haughty eyes pride
33:34: Second a lying tongue a lying tongue and hands that shed innocent blood
33:40: You think of that? All these are things that God hates and the tongue is second in the list interesting
33:52: If you go on Proverbs 17 20 He who has a crooked mind or a heart some translation says the mind or the heart
34:03: Finds no good and he who is perverted in his language falls into evil
34:11: Proverbs 26 28 a lying tongue hates those it crushes
34:18: Notice this and a flattering mouth works ruin Proverbs 28 23
34:26: He who rebukes He who rebukes a man will afterward find favor more favor
34:33: Than he who flatters with the tongue the tongue flatters the tongue lies
34:40: And notice what Isaiah now this I had to write this one down. We're gonna jump to Isaiah now Isaiah 59 3 this is one to really memorize
34:50: The Prophet again says is for your hands are defiled know how graphic and specific he is
34:57: Your hands are defiled with blood and your fingers with iniquity
35:04: And then then he goes to the mouth knows this your lips Have spoken falsehood your tongue mutters wickedness
35:15: Wow Isaiah 59 3 that's a strong verse, isn't it?
35:22: notice what he speaks of the The hands are defiled with blood fingers with iniquity the lips have spoken falsehood in your tongue mutters wickedness
35:31: Very detailed very graphic the language the Prophet gives on total depravity
35:37: Of the Word of God now, that's not exhaustive list Brothers and sisters you can look at many many more
35:44: But we're gonna still look at a few more list of verses. It's just some of the warnings from God's Word Now again,
35:51: I think that's enough on the warnings. We're going to look at it on the other hand We need a little positive don't we there is a positive note
35:59: That there are warnings from the negative side, but there's on the positive side as Tozer said
36:05: I like truth has two wings It is and and truth doesn't fly with one wing.
36:11: It has two wings There is a balance and notice that Jesus brought this out
36:17: Satan comes to him and the and the wilderness tempting him to sin And he says written and Jesus comes back says is written again
36:27: Truth has two wings In other words when someone takes one verse and takes it out of context.
36:33: We put it back into context with another scripture So we always must back scripture up with scripture.
36:41: I love what Matthew Henry says the period and I love Matthew Henry Don't brother Keith Oh Matthew Henry is great.
36:46: He was one of the greatest Puritans on on the Word of God and his day studied the
36:53: Word of God verse by verse precept by precept and One of the if you don't have a my
36:58: Matthew Henry common commentary get one You can get them online to free but Matthew Henry said this one of my favorite sayings from Matthew Henry says let scripture interpret scripture.
37:09: Oh You cannot get any better than that miss Lillian you mentioned that earlier the
37:14: Word of God has to back up the Word of God and that's why scripture speaks of precept by precept verse by verse
37:20: That and letter by letter. That's the way it should be But truth has two wings and we must see the right we should must see the negative and Paul spoke of this
37:31: We must see the positive as well as the exhortation it reproves or abuse but it exhorts and encourages
37:38: So you only take one verse of Scripture if you only build your doctrine on one verse of Scripture you're going to fall into error
37:46: You got it. You got to back it up with Scripture after Scripture after Scripture So the negative side also but there is a positive the righteous the righteous that are regenerated by the
37:58: Word of God has a heart that loves God manifested by righteous speech is nowhere
38:06: Is nowhere more beautifully portrayed than in the Psalms now, I don't have enough time to go through the Psalms But if you jump with me real quickly to Psalm 8, let's go back a little bit
38:15: Look at Psalm 8 and I'm just gonna touch on a few here. I don't have the time to To get all of these but those in Psalm 8 verses 1 & 2
38:26: What what is he doing? He's giving God glory and it speaks of man's dignity
38:32: But mainly God's glory and I love the way he begins this chapter. Oh Lord Our Lord, I love the
38:40: O's because there's worship there. Oh Lord our Lord How majestic is your name in all the earth who have displayed your splendor above the heavens?
38:52: Now notice what he says from the mouth the mouth of infants and Nursing babes you have established strength
39:01: Because your adversaries to make the enemy and the revengeful cease and Then he goes on he says when
39:10: I consider your heavens the work of your fingers the moon and the stars Which you have ordained what is man that you you take thought of him and the son of man that you care for him
39:22: Yet you have made him a little lower than than God you crown him with glory and majesty
39:29: And you make him the rule over the works of your hands and you put all things under his feet all sheep and oxen and All also the beast of the field and the birds of the heavens and the fish in the sea
39:41: Whatever passes through the path of the seas. Oh Lord our Lord How majestic is your name in all the earth?
39:47: He's praising God Giving God praise with his mouth and that's what the regenerate do the righteous does and given praise and glory to God One of my favorites is chapter 19 go with me to chapter 19.
40:02: Oh my goodness I wish I could say I've got this this song this chapter memorized
40:08: But I don't but it's one of my favorites because the first the first half of it speaks of God's general revelation in creation
40:15: And then you got the special revelation In God's Word, but notice what he says here
40:20: He speaks about the law of the Lord in special revelations and general revelation goes from 1 verses 1 to 6
40:28: And then in chapter, I'm sorry not chapter, but verse 7 all the way to the end Verse 14.
40:34: Let's look at that. The law of the Lord is perfect Restoring the soul here.
40:40: This is a great sermon right here. The law of the Lord's perfect the testimony of the Lord sure making wise the simple
40:48: The precepts of the Lord are right Rejoicing the heart the commandment of the Lord is pure enlightening the eyes
40:55: The fear of the Lord is clean enduring forever. The judgments of the Lord are true and they are righteous altogether
41:01: And then he says this they are more desirable than gold. Yes, then much fine gold
41:08: Sweeter than also the hunt than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb moreover
41:14: By them your servant is warned there's warnings there in keeping them.
41:20: There's great reward True that is who can discern his errors
41:26: Acquit me and of hidden faults also keep back your servant from presumptuous sins
41:32: Let them not rule over me. Then I will be blameless and I shall be acquitted and Great of great transgression notice what he says right here.
41:43: This is what I'm getting to let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart notice how they connect the words of my mouth the meditation of my heart
41:56: Be acceptable in your sight. Oh Lord my rock and my
42:02: Redeemer That should be our prayer as well We want the words of our mouth and the meditation of our heart be acceptable in God's eyes
42:12: God's sight That God sees and knows all things Well there you have the righteous as much more
42:19: I can Go to but we got a I got to bring this to a close. Let me get some application very quickly
42:26: Let me conclude with a story by Warren Worsby on controlling the tongue and you'll like this story
42:31: It's kind of a humorous on untameable and untaming the untameable tongue
42:38: Warren Worsby as you well know went home to be with the Lord here a few months back. He's with his reward
42:43: He was a really prolific writer. He was a great man of God had much wisdom
42:49: I've got many of his books. I've got his commentary on the New Testament on it.
42:54: And this is where I got this So he says this a pastor friend of his told me about a member of his church who was a notorious gossip
43:03: I think every church has that somewhere So she would hang on the phone most of all the day
43:11: Sharing tidbits with any and all who would listen She came to her pastor one day and said pastor.
43:18: The Lord has really convicted me of my sin of gossip My tongue is really getting me and others into trouble.
43:26: At least she confessed that right But as Warren Worsby says my friend my pastor friend knew she was not sincere because she had gone through this routine before So she hasn't really given it up and it's just as another routine.
43:40: He says this guardingly he asked well What do you plan to do?
43:46: What do you plan to do? I? Want to put my tongue on the altar She replied with pious fever
43:55: Calmly my pastor friend replied Sister, there isn't a altar big enough
44:03: And he left her to think about it It just walked away.
44:09: I had to chuckle about that. There isn't an altar big enough Put on your tongue
44:19: That is so true Yes, he's very good
44:31: Yes, he's very good he's got the b -series Yeah, yeah
44:40: Warren Worsby's good So the question is this what is God telling me?
44:46: What is God telling me? How are we the tame this untameable member That's full of deadly poison set on fire from hell.
44:54: How can we do it? How can we apply this to our everyday speech and living we struggle with this so often don't we my struggles with this constantly?
45:04: What am I to do about it as that pastor said do we just? Fully do we fully understand the power of our words and that's a good another question
45:14: It has such death and life is in the power of the tongue as Proverbs says our tongues
45:21: Someone said this. I don't know. I don't know where I got this phone who said this but it's from a
45:29: Quote our tongues are two to six ounces of muscle Whether from the biggest body builder to the frailest little child
45:40: They get more the tongue gets more exercise and less control than any other muscle And our little 50 pound to 350 pound body
45:49: That is so true. It gets more exercise and less control than any other muscle
45:56: That is good, isn't it? But it's so true. It's convicting Thus we must be conscious of what comes out of our mouths before we speak it and before it comes out
46:07: Give an illustration you think of squeezing toothpaste It is very easy, isn't it but putting that toothpaste back in that tube is virtually impossible
46:18: That's the way it is with the tongue When our words come out they are out for good
46:24: Like toothpaste can't you put that toothpaste back, but it's easy to squeeze it out in it. We cannot take it back
46:32: And that's what gets us in trouble must we must have it under control
46:37: So I believe what we need to go toward here and I'm applying this my own life The control of the
46:44: Holy Spirit and that's the key How can we do this? How can we do this when the tongue is?
46:51: Impossible to tame. Well, it takes God. I Would first just like to say this and I got this down and I don't have points and stuff
46:59: But I've heard this down by making sure our tongue is under a good henceman And that is
47:04: God It has to be under the control of the Holy Spirit I Really believe that God that that this is possible if if we can't do it within ourselves
47:14: I believe that's what the text is saying But by God's help and his Holy Spirit and being full of the
47:22: Spirit of God We can say what David says let the words of my mouth and the meditation my heart be acceptable in your sight.
47:29: Oh Lord My rock my Redeemer What did David say in Psalm 51 10 the prayer of repentance create me a clean heart of God and renew a steadfast spirit within me
47:41: Psalm 141 I think Sister Lillian you mentioned that earlier 141 verses 1 through 4
47:47: Lord. I will call upon you Hasten to me notice. He's desperate hasten to me give ear to my voice when
47:55: I call to you May my prayer be counted as incense before you the lifting up my hands as the evening offering then and says verse 3 is key set a guard
48:07: Set a guard and notice what he says Oh Lord Set a guard. He's speaking to God Lord set a guard over my mouth
48:17: Keep watch over the doors of my lips verse 4 Do not incline my heart to any evil thing to practice deeds of wickedness
48:28: With men who do iniquity and do not let me eat their delicacies.
48:34: Oh How we need that that is so good So David is a man after God's own heart desired prayer.
48:42: He's praying he's stretching forth to God's help to be disciplined and In a regular as an offering as a regular as an offering incense burn offerings and in the tabernacle as he prays that God would
48:56: Protect him and guard him in this kind of evil that characterized his own enemy
49:02: How he won't wish to be different And be pleasing to God.
49:07: That's what I should be our desire. So we need wisdom from God When to be silent and speak even prop.
49:13: I'm not proverbs But Solomon says is in Ecclesiastes 3 7. There's a time to tear apart and there's a time to sew together
49:22: There's a time to be silent and there's a time to speak there's wisdom and When we do speak let let us think very carefully what we about to say and ask
49:35: God to put a guard over our mouth so let us remember that our Lord says in Luke 6 45 the good man out of the treasure a
49:43: Good treasure of this heart brings forth. What is good and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth
49:49: What is evil for his mouth speaks from what? Which fills his heart? There's so many other verses you can write this down.
49:57: I'm not going to go there But 2nd Corinthians chapter 10 3 3 through 6 taking every thought captive To the obedience of Jesus Christ that is so important.
50:08: It's real spiritual warfare there So we are to make sure our spiritual life is growing in Jesus Christ to be like Christ who did not have any
50:19: Guile when he was reviled. He did not revile back. That's what scripture says
50:25: Jesus himself demonstrated this perfectly. He was the perfect man. He never sinned with his lips, right?
50:32: He never did he was without sin The Perfect son of God the perfect lamb of God So when our spiritual life is growing in the grace and the knowledge of Christ, we will be disciplined disciplined those disciplines
50:47: We must like this Paul says beat our body be and subject is subjected as spoken
50:55: As the Word of God So we need to remember as we speak the words our thoughts our motivations our attitudes are aligned up to God's will of what
51:06: God would desire us then spoken words and deeds will show authentic character and maturity that's
51:14: Being mature in Jesus Christ being perfect. That's what it means, but it doesn't mean complete perfection
51:20: Sometimes the word perfect is translated mature So we need to be conscience right and let me go a little bit further go with God conscience we need to live a
51:29: God conscience life and be willing to be able to check our words before they leave our lips and Think of it in pure terms before we speak.
51:38: So let us remember our words reflect who we are. It reflects our true character It's who we are. Our words had the power to change someone else's life for the better for the worst
51:50: Greatest gift we have is the ability to communicate and they're wonderful. God gave us this ability and he gave us a tongue
51:57: But he wants us to speak good things and pure things things that honor him and glorify him and Being silent at times is good.
52:08: But I think at times he would desire us when we do speak just speak wisely and What it glorifies him whatever you do do to the glory of God Scripture says a great responsibility, isn't it?
52:24: We have and using an ability to communicate With character and distinction within the parameters of what
52:31: God calls us to do Well, let me just close. Let me go back to Isaiah chapter 6.
52:38: I think this is a good place to close So remember what he said in verse 5 then
52:43: I said woe is me For I am undone. I am disintegrated
52:51: Now there's a thought and this is not a ritual with me I heard RC scroll classic classic teaching on the holiness of God And I'm taking this by memory when he taught on this text
53:06: Before a small group when he was in his younger days on the holiness of God and he was speaking about Isaiah and the tongue and his lips his lips
53:17: RC said this The lips is the most sensitive part of the lip of the body very sensitive and notice what he says the text says about Isaiah He tells us why?
53:33: His lips were in clean because his eyes had seen the king. I don't believe we can really see the depravity and The depth of our depravity until we see
53:43: God in his holiness Once we see his holiness
53:50: That's when it will hit us and it's revealed to us as it did in the vision of God's holiness vividly
53:56: Reminded the prophet of his unworthiness his own unworthiness, which he deserved judgment
54:02: Think of that he put a curse upon himself But the first thing he speaks of is his lips his lips and God did not leave
54:13: Isaiah to stay there in that way. Did he? Now this is what I love about this text and RC brought this out
54:21: He said he did not say prophet you sit there and rot and die
54:28: Which he deserved to But God was gracious So what did
54:33: God do God did something he gave a remedy He Get a he had a healing balm
54:41: After he pronounces the judgment upon himself, and he says woe is me couldn't can't imagine how the
54:47: Prophet felt He probably felt like Lord. I want to die now but in verse 6 is a transition here then one the
54:59: Seraphim the burning ones flew to me with a burning coal in his hand
55:04: Which he had taken from the altar with tongues He touched my mouth with it and said behold this has touched your lips and Your iniquity is taken away and your sin is forgiven
55:26: Beloved I think that's one of the greatest scriptures in the Word of God because there is something
55:31: When we go to the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ There's blood and there's fire
55:38: There's cleansing and notice is there's something painful taking place
55:45: Repentance this you know what this tells me in this text true repentance is painful But it must happen
55:53: Once we see God in his holiness We come under the condemnation and the judgment of God, but God has a remedy and that remedy is the fire burning coal and I still hear
56:10: R .C. Sproul teaching this and he says is is That Seraphim flew over there and touched the mouth of the
56:16: Prophet He said you can almost hear the singeing and The burning as it sizzled on his lips and pain as he screamed out
56:28: I Think of this. This is the Prophet What's God doing?
56:34: He's cleansing him Through that pain comes healing He healed him.
56:40: He cleansed him. He touched his lips and His iniquity was taken away
56:48: And his sin was forgiven in that beautiful. That's a picture what Jesus does does for us on the cross
56:56: He cleanses us He purges us He and and notice after the cleansing notice in verse 7 through 10
57:04: Then I heard the voice of the Lord something has taken place here Whom shall
57:10: I send and who will go for us the Trinity there? Then I said here am I send me and send me and he said go and tell this people keep on listening
57:21: But who do not perceive keep on looking but do not understand you preach it rather They understand it or perceive it or I keep on and he said rendered the hearts of this people and insensitive
57:33: Their ears are dull Their eyes are dim Otherwise, they might see with their eyes and hear with the ears and understand with their hearts and return and be healed
57:41: The Word of God has that kind of effect you keep preaching whether they respond to it in a positive way or not
57:48: But what does he do? He received the cleansing and then he received a commission
57:54: Now this is also given to us in Psalm 51 turn with me real quickly to Psalm 51 and I'll close with this
58:03: This is a prayer repentance of David and he's repenting and crying out to God, but it's right here there is an order in which
58:13: God always gives in the cleansing process and the commissioning process and In the
58:20: Word of God the Holy Spirit directs it perfectly in this order Notice what he says
58:26: Verse 10, let's start there creating me a clean heart. Oh God and renew a steadfast spirit within me
58:32: Cleanse my heart creating me. Give me a regenerate heart Do not cast me away from your presence and do not take your
58:39: Holy Spirit from me Restore to me the joy of your salvation
58:45: Restoration he restores my soul Sustain me with a willing spirit
58:52: Notice this verse 13 then I will teach transgressors your ways then see that and Sinners will be converted to you and then he says deliver me from blood guiltiness.
59:07: Oh God the God of my salvation Then my what does he say my tongue?
59:13: Will joyfully sing of your righteousness. Oh Lord open my lips
59:20: That my mouth may declare your praise And I'll stop right there.
59:25: I believe that's what the Lord would have for us there has to be a cleansing of the lips a purging and Then we could teach transgressors his ways and sinners will be converted to them
59:39: But the cleansing must be on us first. It's me. Oh Lord that stands in the need of prayer
59:48: Well, praise God, I pray that this word is a word of encouragement of conviction as well as encouragement and Encouragement as well as conviction goes both ways, doesn't it?
01:00:04: God doesn't want us to be silent Completely he wants us to be wise
01:00:10: He desires to cleanse us and then use us for his glory So our tongues will be like the tongues of fire right on the day of Pentecost I'm 120 will filled with the
01:00:20: Holy Spirit. I think there was a reason why The Holy Spirit came upon them as a tongue of fire
01:00:28: That's a simple When they spoke the words of God the gospel, that's what the way we should be as As We will be cleansed and then commissioned.
01:00:41: Amen I'm looking forward to this study, aren't you? I am let's pray
01:00:46: Father we do. Thank you Lord for this time to just have an overview an
01:00:53: Introduction of this little member of the tongue. Oh, oh my goodness How much truth it speaks that your word speaks about this little member
01:01:05: That none of us can contain Within ourselves and our power our strength arm of flesh is absolutely incapable of taming this thing
01:01:15: It's full this little member that's Full of such deadly poison the world of iniquity set on fire from hell
01:01:22: But father we would desire to have the the tongues of fire of the
01:01:28: Holy Spirit So we see the symbol of the Holy Spirit there Is fire
01:01:34: God, you're like a consuming fire Your Holy Spirit's fire There's a purging.
01:01:41: There's a cleansing and Lord we desire that and through purification. There's cleansing So father purify our hearts cleanse our hearts through the blood of Jesus Christ through the fire of the
01:01:53: Holy Spirit Holy Spirit and fire Lord is such a cleansing and fire purges washes clean and we thank you for that that we
01:02:06: You have provided this you've provided all of it and as we come to you in faith
01:02:12: Lord help us now as we would as we would come to you and Look to your word study your word and that your
01:02:25: Holy Holy Spirit would teach us and how we can use our tongues for your glory and not for The detriment and the detriment of our souls or to keep us from falling help us
01:02:41: Lord and all that we do to give you praise and glory with our lips and Sing of your praise in Jesus name.