(Bible Analysis of Man) Man's Lips — Willie Mullan

The Savior's Lips and the Structure of the Sermon

I want to deal with man's lips, and next week I want to deal with man's hands. Somebody said to me, you have missed his ears. I said, just let them hang there for a moment or two. I haven't forgotten about them.

I'll come back to them again. Now tonight I want to deal with man's lips. And in between that, of course, I've got to deal with man's speech, man's tongue. And I want to bring it before you in a very simple way that you'll get the hold of it and be able to grasp the subject.

I want to talk first of all about the Savior's lips. And then I want to go through the book and try to find you what God says about sinners' lips. And then I'll finish with the saint's lips. The Savior's, the sinner's, the saint's.

And I'm commencing the Bible reading tonight in the Song of Solomon, chapter 5. The Song of Solomon, chapter 5. This is one of the great songs of the Bible. There are many songs in this book. You go way back to the book of Exodus, you'll get redemption songs.

When they passed over the Red Sea, then sang the children of Israel. They were on redemption ground then, and they sung redemption songs. If you go away to the book of the Revelation, you'll find the glory songs.

But this is the song of songs, because this is a love song. It's the song about a lover and the one he loves. And sometimes we find the bride here talking about her beloved. And sometimes we find the beloved talking about his bride.

It's a wonderful song, and I'm at chapter 5 just now. And to get the connection, I'm reading from verse 2. And it's the bride that's talking. She said, I sleep. And you know, sometimes some of us would have to confess that too.

While this love song between our beloved and his bride, the beloved, of course, is typical of Christ, and the bride is typical of the believer. And here she's confessing, I sleep. Some of us are like Jonah, we get down into the bottom of the ship, and while people are perishing, we're fast asleep.

We're like Peter in the prison cell. When the enemy is working and planning, we're fast asleep. Wonder would you have to testify like this to make her confess this, brother. I sleep. Then she went on and said, but my heart wakes.

Sometimes even stinty pennies hear the sound of the voice of their beloved. It is a voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled. For my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the month.

And though she was sleeping, she heard the whole lot. She heard the knock, she heard the voice, she heard the pleading, open to me. She heard these notes of affection, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled.

And she heard all the deep dire desperate need of her beloved for communion. She heard the whole lot while she was sleeping. She answered like this, I have put off my coat. How shall I put it on? I have washed my feet.

How shall I defile them? My feet go to dust or something to get out of her sleep. But we're all like that, you know. When the Lord knocks and his voice comes in through the darkness that surrounds us, and he begins to waken us up out of our sleep.

You know, it's going to cost us to get out of that comfortable midst that we're dozing in. How shall I get out? How would that be when you get out to the pyramids and themselves there? Just by getting away from the things that's been holding you from the throne of bliss.

It's going to cost you something, you know, if you're led by the voice of your beloved. I did a bit of this. Look at verse four. My beloved put in his hand by the home of the devil. And my bowels, or as the Martin reads in my Bible, my heart was moved for him.

I think that's a beautiful verse. And you don't see the beauty of it, and you don't get the grandeur of it, until you slip through Eastern eyes. You see, it's an old Eastern custom that's before us here.

You see, in the doors in the even today, there's just a little place there that they can stride to the south. And you know, they open sometimes and look up and see who's there. And sometimes instead of knocking, as we do here in our custom, they just slide it to the side and put their hand in.

And they usually have a distinguishing mark upon them, some particular kind of ring. You remember the prophet who got a ring on his finger? It was to denote that he was a son of a family. And you know, when our beloved put his hand in, he knew who was there.

And sometimes on Sunday morning, as we sit around the temple here, my old beloved shows off his hand. Withhold my hand, he says. Sometimes when by faith you gaze at the kneel, God's hand that was nailed to the trough of woe, your heart is moved.

It's one of the ways the Lord has for waking up those who are sleeping. I honestly believe that the cross doesn't waken you. So this beloved here is being touched by her beloved. Verse 5, I rose up to open to my beloved.

My hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet-smelling myrrh upon the handles of the lock. I opened to my beloved, but my beloved had withdrawn himself, he withdrew. I tell you, friends, you know, sometimes the Lord comes and calls, and you hear the voice, and your heart is moved.

And you do it, darling, and you don't respond. You're all going to be great men tomorrow. You're going to do big things for God tomorrow, aren't you? Well, I want you to start tonight, when you get out of your slumber and sleep, so carelessly and slowly respond, He's come!

Then you've got to do a bit of hunting for Him. You went out into the night to hunt for Him. And in verse 7 we read, The watchmen that went about the city found me. They wounded me. The keepers of the walls took away my veil from me.

She went through a terrible time. And then she said, I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, that you tell him that I am sick of love. And I like that verse most, in this particular passage, because it tells me something like this.

That although she was sleepy, and although she was slow, and although she had lost sight of her beloved, and though she had done many things that were wrong, yet deep down in her heart she loved him. My, she was just like Peter.

Peter had denied. Yet deep down in his heart he loved the Saviour. And we've all failed him, you know. Failed him. And I've done the thing I should never have done. The thing I should never have said.

And yet deep down in my heart I know I love him. Don't you? And then they questioned her, in verse 9, what is thy beloved more than another beloved? O thou fairest among women, what is thy beloved more than another?

To charge her. Now she begins what I'm asked to. She begins one of the greatest songs in the book. Listen to it. Verse 10. O my beloved, his white and ruddy, the cheapest among ten thousand, his head is of the most fine gold, his locks are bushy and black as a raven, his eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of water, washed with milk and sippery sex, his cheeks are as a bed of spices of sweet flour, his lips, how about the bit I'm asked to, his lips like lilies, dropping sweet-smelling myrrh.

What a beautiful thing she said. I think that's one of the beautiful, most beautiful pictures in your Bible. That the lips of our beloved. I wonder why she used that picture. I think she used that picture first of all for this.

This great eastern lily that she had her mind on just then, is the perfect symbol of purity. Purity. And you know that's one thing that we do know about the lips of our beloved. Everything that passed across them, that came from them, was absolutely pure.

Purity was stamped there. You see, he speaks nothing but truth. Truth. So she used a beautiful picture, the symbol of purity, but then she put a bit to it. She said his lips are like lilies, dropping sweet-smelling myrrh.

You know, there was not only pureness there, but at all times, for all who listened, there was freshness. Yes, there was a fragrance that came with the very teaching of Christ. And it's always so. Ah, but there was sweetness there.

Purity, pureness, freshness, are lips of purity. But they're much more than that. You remember when he first preached at Capernaum, and he stood up in the synagogue, this book says he speaks as one having authority, not as a scribe.

You see, those lips were lips of purity, but those, God thank you, are lips of authority. We must never forget that, you know. Yes, those were the very lips that away in the beginning, and it was done, commanded, and it stood fast.

He preached at all times with authority.

You remember that the centurion said to him, I'm not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof, but speak the word only, just speak the word. I know you've got power. My dear friends, thank God for those lips this evening.

Lips that express pureness and sweetness and freshness. But lips that speak, speak with authority.

Yes, he spoke with authority.

But there's much more to it than that. When he was speaking under in John's gospel, he said, the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit unto your life. You see, these words that came forth from the Master, they were words that were deafened and cold, that energized by the Spirit of God.

And they brought life. Why it was with authority? Why the scribes never spoke with authority? Because they were never filled and overflowing with the Spirit of God. But the Spirit of God anointed the blessed Master, that when he spoke it was life-giving words.

And not only spirit-filled and life-giving, but he said on one occasion, heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. My, they were everlasting. I know wonder he spoke with authority.

He had creatorial, healing, spirit-filled, life-giving, everlasting. Let's go to Isaiah chapter 63 just for a moment. The prophecy of Isaiah chapter 63. Now take your time and find the place. These are Bible readings and you've got to see the book.

Isaiah 63, verse 1. There's a question of, Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bodrum? This thus is glorious in his apparel, troubling in the greatness of his strength. And now comes the answer, I, God, speak in righteousness, mighty to saints.

Then comes another question, Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winepot? Now comes the answer, I have trodden the winepress alone, and of the people there was none with me, for I will tread them in mine anger, trample them in my fury, and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my rim, and for the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed has come.

This is a beautiful picture. It goes a way forward. It hasn't been fulfilled yet. That's one of the prophecies that needs to be fulfilled. You know, we who trust in the Savior this evening, and believe this inspired book, we believe that Jesus Christ is coming back again.

When he left this world, he said, If I go, I will come again. And as he went back, and the disciples watched him, two men in white suits, and said, Why stand ye gazing into heaven? This same Jesus Christ will come, in like manner as ye have seen him go.

And when he believes in like manner, he'll come again. One of these blessed moments, he'll come to the earth, and only the believer shall see him. That's how he went. He wasn't a sinner on this globe farm going.

Only as he is his own, in like manner, he'll come back again. One of these days or nights, we'll see him face to face, and we believers will rise to meet him in the air. What a moment that will be, and this world will be left behind for judgment.

And then the Antichrist will have a time down here to himself, the devil will be let loose as it were, and at the end of that terrible period, the Lord will come back again, not to the air, but to the earth.

What for? To trample the wine caps. To tear them apart. And you know, as we see him coming, we'll say, Who is this? And the answer is, I, but speak in righteousness. I will speak in righteousness.

You see, big lips, are lips of purity,.

And lips of authority, but they're lips of equity. My, he'll be the righteous judge. And you know, friends, I don't only believe that he'll speak in righteousness, a sinner, but I believe that he'll speak in righteousness to saints.

You know, all of us, we've got to stand yet at the judgment seat of Christ. And I think that the Lord has some things to say to some saints. I'm perfectly sure he will. You know, there's been a lot of dirty tricks done here, down here, among saints, and there's never been good life, you know.

Somebody thinks they can keep the brother just forever, though they like, and they can destroy his penance, or they can cast all kinds of slander, and cast biting and everything else upon him. Well, the Lord has got to talk to you one day, and he is speaking righteousness.

My, there's a lot of things to project with when we get to the judgment seat of Christ. You know, I can see him standing in the midst of the churches in the book of Revelation, and his eyes upon everything in every church.

Every servant is scrutinized, and every motive is measured. And as he watches the whole crowd, he said to the church at Ephesus, I know your works, and I know your patience, and I know your label, and I know how you try to end the traitor apostles in our lot, and I know you have stood up for me, and you have not sinned, nevertheless I am somewhat against thee, to tell thou hast forsaken us all.

That was speaking in righteousness. You know, when some of us get to the judgment seat of Christ, and we stand yonder, you know, he said you work very hard, and you put a lot of time into it, and a lot of money, but you know you are only working for the Baptist, and you look miserably ashamed, my dear.

You're working for the Baptist, God pity you. And God pity you if you're working for any other church. I think I can say this humbly, I work for him. I didn't come here to work for folk. I came here to work for Christ.

I wonder, do we all? I wonder what way we get about it. If you just think of the role we play, and often we, it's a pity of you. Because I tell you this, the Master will talk to you one day in the words of righteousness.

He'll say, you didn't do it for me at all. And it'll drop and spook then, not do what's happened. Only what's done for Jesus will last. And maybe when he comes back down here to talk to the Ancestors of Rome, it's then that he'll speak in righteousness to the world.

And you know friend, there are some awful things in this book that he's going to say, I wouldn't have time to get them all out tonight, but I'll take time to get one of them off. When that day comes, and the door shuts, and then he stands without saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us, we have eaten and drank in thy name, and in thy name we have done many wonderful works, and listen to this, and in thy name we have cast our taboos.

He shall say, now listen to this, he shall say, I never knew you, he past communicator. Wouldn't he really say that? He'd really say that. You know, this crowd that's blocking outside, they said we have eaten and drunk in thy name, you know, they've been brought into the communion by some of these half-damned old ministers.

They're sinners, into communion. You have no right there if you're not saved, if you don't love the Lord, you have no right at the Lord's table. You're sinful, and you have no right at the Lord's cross.

And if you think that will get you to heaven, you've got another thought coming, because when you say we have eaten, he'll say you cursed, and I'll say it now for him. Some people don't like that sort of righteous talk, and I'm sure they don't, but you'll have to take it in a day to come.

Righteousness, depth of equity. He doesn't care who you are, or where you served, or what you did. If you don't know him, he doesn't know you. Righteousness. Come and have a look in Mark, Gospel, Chapter 12,.

Mark, Gospel, Chapter 12,. And one of the scribes came, and hadn't heard them reasoning together, unperceived, perceiving that he had answered them well. Sure, the Lord never did anything else. He always answered well.

Asked him, which is the first commandment of all? And Jesus answered him, the first of all, the commandment says, Hear all history, the Lord our God is one Lord. Pleasant love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, with all thy mind, with all thy things.

This is the first commandment. And the second is life, in reality. Pleasant love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth.

He said he never said anything else but the truth. And you know, if you want to learn anything, if you want to answer questions well, you answer them by the truth. That's how you answer well. And you'll never answer better than the book.

That simple. The Lord answered all the time with the book. You'll never answer better. And when he proceeded up to verse 32, and the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth. For there is one God, and there is none other but he.

And to love him with all thy heart, and with all thy understanding, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifice.

And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And if you want to learn another wee thing here, for you, once you know that Jesus always tells the truth, you're not far from the kingdom of God.

If you know tonight that when Jesus said, you must be born again, if you know that, if you know you need a peasant, you're not far from the kingdom. You're beginning to know your need. And if you know that Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no man cometh unto the Father but by me.

If you know that that's truth, you're not far from the kingdom. Because you don't only know your need, but now you know the way. And once you get down where this teller got to, and say, Master, thou hast spoken the truth, you're not far from the kingdom.

Always truth like that, as simple as ABC, you know. That's not what I'm after. Now come on a wee bit closer. Verse 35. Jesus answered and said, why he taught in the temple, I say that Christ is the son of David, for David himself said, but the Holy Ghost, the Lord saith to my Lord, sit thou on my right hand, and I will make thine enemies thy footstool.

David therefore himself called him Lord. Christ is he then his son. And the common people had him bloodied. How sweet is the Master. You see, the common people had them bloodied, isn't that lovely? You know, those lips were lips of purity.

They were lips of authority. They were lips of equity. They were lips of simplicity. Common people just got in round him. You know, they could understand this man. He didn't preach talk over heads. He didn't use language that they couldn't understand.

You know, they could sit at his feet and they knew everything that he said. It was so clear and plain and simple. The common people had them bloodied. Friend, if you're a preacher, get this into your soul.

It's clearness you need, not cleverness. Some of the boys that I know are clever, but they're not clear. I like to get that over so that you can get the hold of it and take it home and you're bound to have got this purity, authority, equity, simplicity.

Those are the lips of the Savior. You know, the great Dr. Ironsides, whom I reckon in my simple estimation, and that doesn't mean very much, I reckon was the greatest preacher in this age. I think he was a great preacher.

And one morning he was standing at the Moody Memorial Church as the congregation was leaving, shaking hands with an odd one here and an odd one there. About 4 ,000 that morning they came. And as a mother and little child came up, the little girl was about 5 years of age, this was the first time she'd ever been to the church.

And as he stepped down and said, hello, how are you? Glad to see you. And then spoke to mummy. As the two of them passed by, he overheard the little girl say, mummy, I thought you said the doctor was the greatest preacher.

I understood everything he said. And, you know, I remember him telling that with tears in his eyes. And he said, as the big tear rolled onto his cheek, he said, that was the greatest compliment that was ever paid to me.

When I can teach that a little girl of five can understand every word, I say that's good preaching. And so it is. And, you know, when our Lord was here, he was like that. My, the common people, boys like me, they came and had them gladly.

They understood me. You see, there was simplicity there. Let's go a little bit further. Let's go back to John. On to John's Gospel, chapter seven. Perhaps one of the greatest statements ever made about the master of lips made in John's Gospel, chapter seven.

Verse forty-five. Then he and the officers to the chief priests. The officers were men who were sent to arrest Christ. Then he and the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees. And then said unto them, Why have you not brought him?

The officers answered, Never man speak like this man. You know, there's a nobility about that, isn't there? You see, these lips that I'm thinking about now, the lips of the Savior, there's purity about them, minor like the lily.

Then, bless God, there was authority about them. Speak the word only. And then bless God's equity with them. He's a righteousness. He's a God. Yet there was simplicity, for the common people heard him gladly.

And yet, in spite of it all, there was a nobility about them. For never man speak like this man. Never man. You know, I'd love to start preaching now. In this room and around up to now, you know. Then, I could read the scriptures I read for the next hour and enjoy it.

On people who could lift their very same testimony. Never man speak like this man. And I could bring men and women and children in. Let me think quickly of women. I think of the woman taken in adultery.

They threw her into the sand. And they said, Will we stone her? And you remember how he turned on them and said, He that hath no sin written cast the first stone. And he convicted them and they got away out of his presence.

And when he was alone with her he said, Neither do I condemn thee. Go and sin no more. And I think she went out that day and said, Never man speak like this man. I think of the woman, of the woman. You know, when he had her unveiled.

He took her hood. And then he unveiled her half. And then unveiled himself. You know, I think she went away and said, Never man speak like this man. And I think of Mimi standing on that morning in the gloom, at the tomb, with tears in her eyes.

And the sky was dark. She lost the Savior. Everything had gone wrong. She was puzzled and perplexed and disappointed. And through the darkness came one word. And her spirit died. And her sight lived. And her soul was enlightened.

She said, Never man speak like this man. And I think of the woman at the cross, his mother. As she stood in that hour of agony. At his knees on the tree. And as the blossoms came from down his palm. And the grief and heart of God came, came in the gloom.

She looked down and said, John, behold your mother. And mother, behold your son. And John took her home from that hour. And as soon as she went home, she said, Never man speak like this man. I think of the king's wife, Mrs. Goddard.

She was only a little girl. She was only twelve. And she was lying dead, cold dead, gripped by death. And she took her tiny weak, wavering, dead, cold hand, lifeless hand. And she turned her eyes. And she looked around the bed.

And I think of the little girl, Mrs. Goddard. Never man speak like this man. I can see a little boy. And they brought him to the disciple. And the disciple could do nothing for him. And the devil took the lad.

And threw him in the fire. And then threw him in the water. And then Jesus came. And carved that devil free. And I think that we fellows stood up and said, Never man speak like this man. I can see the man in the tomb.

I can see the man by the tomb of Bethesda. I can see the man outside the gate of Jericho. One was in a place of lifelessness. And one was in a place of faithlessness. And the other was at the gate of godlessness, a curse.

And then Jesus came. And barred their darkness. And I think all the men said, Never man speak like this man. There's a nobility about it. One wouldn't want to go on preaching like that all night in a Bible class.

But I could enjoy it. I don't know about you. Now I want to turn you from there. Now that would be for the forgiveness. You can build the rest of it yourself. I think you've got it. Lips of purity. Of authority.

Equity. Lips of simplicity. And lips of nobility. The Savior's lips. And then I want to think about the sinner's lips. You know, if you go through the book of Psalms sometimes, you'll find again and again and again and again and again, it goes right through the Psalms.

There were so many times I couldn't list them for you. That God taught to doubt a flattering tongue. You know, a flattering tongue is a deceptive thing. If people flatter you, you might be perfectly sure they're trying to deceive you.

And you know, a flattering tongue is a terrible thing when it's used to one another. But I'll tell you this, it's ten times worse when men try to flatter God. I flatter God. All right then, come to Psalm 78.

The 78th Psalm. Verse 31. Psalm 78. Verse 31. The light of God came upon them. And slew the fattest of them, smote down the chosen men of Israel. For all this they came to, and believed not on his wondrous works.

Therefore their deeds did he consume in vanity, and their ears in trouble. When he slew them, then they trusted. And they returned and inquired early after God. And they remembered that God was the Rock and the High God, the Redeemer.

Nevertheless, they did flatter him with their mouths, and they lied unto him with their tongues. That's what you call flattering God. Now let me get into that a little bit. Come to Matthew's Gospel, chapter 15.

The Gospel by Matthew, chapter 15. Now to get the connection we'll read from verse 1. Then came Jesus, then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders?

Now what's the question? They're all worried about tradition. For they washed not their hands when they eat bread. He answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by due of tradition?

Now that was some answer, wasn't it? Some people are worried about tradition, mind you, and it doesn't come out of this book. I know people who would argue all night for April sprinkling, and let me tell you, there's not one phrase in that book about it.

It's about believer's baptism, which is the command of God, their tradition. But they're not worried about the commandment of God. And they're no better than the Pharisees. If you haven't got any scripture for what you're doing, you're doing what people do.

Just the tradition of the church. Scripture. We keep to the gift in here. And if you would like to have a talk with me, man, there's no better man than I am. I'm not a man who summons with the word of God.

I just can't be talking behind my back, mind you. You just come around and have a go with me, can you see? And I look in the book and you have put it there, they're finding it in you. And I'll never do anything about believer's baptism if you just come around and listen to me.

How dare you get worried about the old anti-religious tradition. You're a Pharisee. It's only these verses that are in the book, isn't it? I left it up at anything, you know. Therefore, for God commanded, saying, honour thy father and mother.

And he that trusteth his father and mother let him die the death. But ye say, they've changed it, you know, ye say he's too ambitious, he'll take away his father and his mother. It is a gift by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me.

And honour not his father or his mother, he'll take a prince. Thus have ye made the commandment of God, of none except by your tradition. Ye have forsaken. So if I'd have said that, you'd get all weird, wouldn't you?

If I'd have told you, you'd have said that. Yes, Pharisee, you too have forsaken. Jesus is talking now. I suppose you don't like Jesus when he talks much, do you? Nevertheless, when you talk of it for you, dear, if you're a Pharisee, you're hypocrite, if you're a Pharisee, you're hypocrite.

And I wouldn't ease it up on you for one minute. Ye hypocrites, there's a desired prophecy of you saying, this, that, now, I'm to leave it for a month, and honour it, leave it for a month. But of what?

It's part of me. Yes, that's the prophecy that you're saying, that's what I'm asking. Do you know, Philip, when you look into God's presence after this, and you use that good, heavenly, flowing language that praises the Lord, and determines His presence in all deep and good times and hell years, and then you trample His guilt and His justice, you remember that you're going now to Him, don't you?

Yes. It's part of me. I wouldn't like to try to flutter God. I think it's a minus. Just learn to go to His book. I think sometimes when I preach, believe His justice among you, that some of you think it belongs to the doves.

The great fact is, it belongs to God. It's God's will. It's God's will. If it is all from that sort of thing, then that's what you call fluttering lips. Fluttering lips of false lips. Can't you know God's lips?

False lips. Way back in the book of Proverbs, it says seven things that God did. And the first one is a proud look. Proud look. God did this pride that comes from the devil. And the second thing that God did is a lying tongue.

Lying tongue. And if you try to praise Him while you tear His book up in secret, you're using fluttering lips, and that's falsehood. Then, of course, there are real life things. Sometimes some of the doves just tell lies.

I had the omnispleasant Juppe to go to an elder of a Baptist church not so very long ago and tell him he was a liar. And blindly I made no bones about it. For he was a liar as if it was one. And I just said to him, my dear boy, you are not fit to be an elder in any practice.

For you are a liar. Liars among the Baptist church. Tell me, are you one? I try to have a fair ministry. I don't care where it looks.

So long as I get this word in.

Whether it's Baptist, or German, or Presbyterian, or Methodist, I will come here for your advice. That's what I'm here for. I'm not here to teach you a smile. I'm here to teach you a song. Let me say this, it's a fool who's trying to have a false life.

Because if you can go on and practice to be wise, I'll tell you where you'll land, in hell. The biblical evolutions have got the filth in and the unbelief in and the torture in. If you can practice life, you're on your way to hell.