Open Mouth Disease

Open Mouth Disease?

Thesis: People in the church need to avoid getting the open mouth disease. This disease always originates from the heart. If the heart is not guarded and taken care off it will have a heart attack and cause open mouth disease to pour out onto all that are in its path.

Texts:

Proverbs 12:18

Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

Proverbs 16:23

A wise man¡¦s heart guides his mouth.

Matthew 12:33-37:

33¡§Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. 34You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. 35The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. 36But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. 37For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.¡¨

Matthew 12:33-37 ¡V The Message:

¡§If you grow a healthy tree, you¡¦ll pick healthy fruit. If you grow a diseased tree, you¡¦ll pick worm-eaten fruit. The fruit tells you about the tree.

¡§You have minds like a snake pit! How do you suppose what you say is worth anything when you are so foul-minded? It¡¦s your heart, not the dictionary, that gives meaning to your words. A good person produces good deeds and words season after season. An evil person is a blight on the orchard. Let me tell you something: Every one of these careless words is going to come back to haunt you. There will be a time of Reckoning. Words are powerful; take them seriously. Words can be your salvation. Words can also be your damnation.¡¨

Book of Jonah ¡V Have the congregation open to the book!

Introduction:

The open mouth disease is all too common in Christian circles today. We see this disease running unchecked in the church ¡V some people have allowed this disease to pollute every part of their life.

The Bible has a lot to say about this disease ¡V it causes strife, it causes quarrels, it divides people, it tears people down, it looks only at peoples faults and not at what matters most their hearts. It seeks to dominate by putting others down. It is self centered. It is easily angered at others. It is pharisaical and judgmental and lacks mercy or love for others.

Chinese Proverb says, ¡§Man stand for long time with open mouth before roast duck fly in.¡¨

Have you ever been in the place where you ask yourself these kinds of questions?

Why do we so often end up uttering words that make us sorry for letting them fly?

Why do we blow it with words that are hurtful and revengeful?

Why do we find our selves right in the middle of criticizing others in the church?

Why do we grumble and complain over insignificant situations.

Why do we let words of venom roll off our tongues shooting poison at others?

Why are we so willing to pass on information that brings others down?

Why do we exaggerate to make ourselves look good?

Why do we get judgmental about others and rip them apart?

The truth is usually it¡¦s because our heart is infected with open mouth disease. We open our mouths and nothing but infectious hurtful words spill forth. We know they are wrong and we even vow to change our ways but it lasts a short time and we find ourselves infected again and again.

Video Clip Illustration: Planes Trains and Automobiles- Start at 28:20 ¡V The scene ¡V ¡§After a long exhausting day, Neil is at the end of his rope. Not only does he have to share a hotel room with Del, they have to share the same bed! The noises Del makes as he tries to get comfortable are too much for Neil. His anger and frustration boil over, and he unleashes a torrent of words that catch Del completely off guard. Clearly wounded, Del considers what has been said and tells Neil that, although he knows he is far from perfect, he has no intention of changing. Realizing the extent of the damage he has done, Neil feels miserable. Knowing his words can never be taken back and the pain he has inflicted may never completely heal¡¨ (Fields, James page 124)

The problem is not with our words it is really an internal issue of an infected heart. The truth is you cannot get rid of an infection by treating the symptoms you really have to attack the infection at its core and cure it. The same is true with our words we need to find out where those words are coming from and deal with that source. The source is the place that needs surgery. And Proverbs and Jesus tell us clearly that out of the heart the mouth speaks.