“Living in A Bleeped Out World”
James 3:9-10; Ephesians 4:29
Introduction: About 2 months ago I went fishing and put my porta-boat in the garage. The next day something began to stink! I found the culprit a ½ a shrimp that was decomposed. The word Paul uses in Eph. 4:29 NKJ uses the word “corrupt”.
“sapros”
The NIV uses the term “unwholesome”
describes something “ foul, rotten!”—
Vine describes it as --‘corrupt, rotten, primary of vegetable and animal substances, expresses what is of poor quality, putrid,
Would you put the rotten shrimp in your mouth?
1. Our speech is what one of the traits that makes us a unique and wonderful creation!
The gift of language and the ability to express ourselves!
How parents delight when their child can say momma or dada or pappy!
WORDS ARE HUGE!
Jesus said---"For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned."
[Matt. 12:37]
The Bible says a lot about words.
It was with words God spoke creation into existence [Gen. 1:3],
with words God revealed His will to man [Ex. 20:1],
and with words Christ revealed the truths of eternal life making salvation available to mankind [John 6:63, John 6:68].
So much so that the Lord Jesus Christ is referred to as the "Word" [John 1:1].
----------Words can comfort when we're feeling sad, inspire us to take action, acknowledge us for a job well done, humiliate us, make us laugh, stimulate our thoughts, educate us, a high compliment is, "She keeps her word."
-------But words have also created fights, divorces, murders, and wars. To "exchange words" has always expressed aggression and conflict. However, ------Our words are so much more powerful than we realize. We take our words for granted, because we say so many in a day.
------How are you using your words? Are you aware of what you say to others? Or do words just fall out of your mouth?
--WORDS ARE USED TO PRAY! It is with words man can communicate back to God with prayer.
--WORDS ARE USED TO LEAD SOMEONE TO CHRIST!
IS CURSING A BIG DEAL_--DOES GOD HAVE A LOT OF OTHERS TO BE CONCERNED ?
AS a Child of God it is another step away from God! Another bridge crossed away from innocence and purity.
WHAT IS CURSING? MORE THAN PRONOUNCEING A CURSE!
A LIST OF GOOD AND BAD WORDS?
THE WORD STUPID!
“ cursing needs to be expanded to not only include culturally or socially unacceptable words, but any word that is used to demean another individual or express extreme dissatisfaction with a particular situation, especially when that dissatisfaction is directed toward God. Christians are often guilty of substituting more culturally acceptable words in place of unacceptable words to describe their dissatisfaction with a situation, or even in reference to an individual. These are called euphemisms and cannot be considered justified alternatives.”
PROPOSITION: WHY DO SOME CHRISTIANS STILL CURSE, CUSS, USE PROFANITY, WHAT MESSAGE ARE WE SENDING?
What does wholesome language say to the world?
I. TO ADD POWER TO OUR SPEECH!
We do not feel people will take us serious!
We believe that cursing adds power and authority to our thoughts!
Ill: Savannah is working in the rec. center at UTB part time and she laughs about the guys coming to work out! The groan and yell as the try to get one more rep! They believe that shout or yell will give them the little extra to get those weights up. Does it help?
I don’t know, but I know people often curse because they believe it adds power to their speech!
IDENTIFIED WITH THE GOOD OR BAD GUYS: Many believe that if they do not swear it puts them in the good camp! And they do not want to be in the good camp!
They want people to see them as tough, rugged, extreme and rebellious!
Ill: Marine Drill Instructors would insert a bunch of colorful adjectives to describe the noun in order to make sure you knew they meant business.
Ill: Recently my daughter’s professor at UTB was dropping F bombs in class so everyone would know he was the tough exMarine, Vietnam Vet, who was cynical and did not care what society thought of him. CURSING MAKES HIM FEEL POWERFUL AND FREE!
And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Just say a simple, 'Yes, I will,' or 'No, I won't.' Anything beyond this is from the evil one. Matthew 5:36-37
Your character should say enough about who and what you are!
Ill: Watergate ---Richard Nixon’s greatest fear was that his mother would hear his profanity. He knew that when she heard his language it would also thrown his character into question.
It needs to be understood that cursing can also include any verbal expression of a word that may not necessarily be considered a traditional curse word.
Ill: DEANTIN THERE IS POWER IN THE NAME OF JESUS!
II. WE CURSE TO GIVE OUR WORDS POWER, BUT ALSO BECAUSE WE BELIEVE IT ADDS PASSION TO OUR SPEECH!
---Gone with the wind would not be the same if Clark Gable had not used the first curse word in a motion picture.
---Chef Ramsey would not be same if he did not let a constant flow of explicit words on Hell’s Kitchen!
CAN WE HAVE PASSION WITH SELF-CONTROL?
SELF-CONTROL
If we loose control of our tongues when we are angry, afraid, upset it opens to other sins!
ILL: If you are speaking to congress about the evils of Child pornography or human trafficking and you loose your self-control because you are very passionate .
Proverbs wants us to see that self-control is a wisdom issue that reveals your true strength, the real moral fiber of your heart, the ultimate god to which you bow down.
He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty,
And he who rules his spirit better then he who captures a city. 16:32
* It’s true economically 21:17
He who loves pleasure will become a poor man, he who loves wine and oil will not become rich.
* It’s true physically 25:16
Have you found honey? Eat only what you need, lest you have it in excess and vomit it.
* It’s true socially 23:1-2
When you sit down to dine with a ruler, consider carefully what is before you; and put a knife to your throat if you are a man of great appetite.
Most important of all:
* It’s true spiritually 25:28
Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control.
WE were created as emotional passionate people! When we are angry, upset, it is easy to loose control! Self-control is the greatest evidence of the Holy Spirit in our lives!
PASSION SHOULD NOT OVERCOME SELF-CONTROL!
ILL: PETER STRUGGLED WITH PASSION AND SELF CONTROL! After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, "Surely you are one of them, for your accent gives you away." Then he began to call down curses on himself and he swore to them, "I don't know the man!" Immediately a rooster crowed. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: "Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times." And he went outside and wept bitterly.[7]
STEVE HICKEY ---I’ve learned it’s, for me, the first symptom that surfaces revealing I’ve been neglecting to be with Jesus. The Bible says, “out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.” My lame excuse is that I grew up around it. My drill sergeant dad spoke fluent profanity. He could call into question your gender identity, your IQ, your mother’s fidelity, your purpose on planet earth, your value as a person and your potential-in-life all in a rapid-fire ten second seamless string of obscenities. Growing up around that, even today, I’m sorry to say I often don’t even notice swearing in a movie. (Parents have asked me if a movie is okay, I say “it was great” and they come back later mad because I didn’t warn them about the profanity. Me saying, “oops, I didn’t notice” doesn’t cut it, though it’s true.
THE LAUGHED ABOUT the Rev. at the sawmill! He is not much of a preacher! I soon learned that this "preacher, " who had "Rev." written on his hardhat, was a joke to the others. They mocked him as a hypocrite. Once the equipment he ran fouled while I was near and I heard first hand one of his cussing fits. If this fellow was a true believer [there is plenty of room for doubt] he was a disgrace to the cause of Christ. He had absolutely no respect from anyone.
Luke 6:45 says, “The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart
III. WE CURSE TO GIVE OUR SPEECH POWER, PASSION
AND FINALLY in an effort TO CONNECT!
WE ARE CALLED TO BE SEPARATE! ---Called out from the world!
Samson heard from an early age that he was different than the other kids! He was special! And he rebelled against his parents and family. In the Old Testament there were men who were set aside from their youth to be Nazarenes!
WE KNOW THAT OUR WORDS AND SPEECH SHOULD BE DIFFERENT THAN THE WORLD AROUND US!
AN IDENTIFIBLE TRAIT!----clean and wholesome speech and a tame tongue has traditionally been an identifiable trait of a CHRISTIAN! Christians, though, have a new nature that desires to speak "sound words" [2Tim. 1:13] "wholesome words" [1Tim. 6:3], comforting words [1Thes. 4:18]. Although this nature may also use words to "reprove, " "rebuke, " [2Tim. 4:2] or correct, it never uses truly profane or obscene words and never speaks about the Lord in vain.
CLEAN SPEECH IS LINKED TO OTHER DESIRABLE TRADITONAL CHRISTIAN CHARACTER AND TRAITS, SUCH AS HONESTY, INTEGRITY
Chicago, July 25, 2012 – Employees who make frequent contributions to the swear jar may lose more than loose change; they may lose out on a promotion. Sixty-four percent of employers said that they’d think less of an employee who repeatedly uses curse words, and 57 percent said they’d be less likely to promote someone who swears in the office. The nationwide survey, which was conducted by Harris Interactive© from May 14, 2012 to June 4, 2012, included more than 2,000 hiring managers and 3,800 workers across industries and company sizes.
Bad Words Leave Bad Impressions
Employers are inclined to think less of an employee who swears at work for a variety of reasons. Most (81 percent) believe that the use of curse words brings the employee’s professionalism into question. Others are concerned with the lack of control (71 percent) and lack of maturity (68 percent) demonstrated by swearing at work, while 54 percent said swearing at work makes an employee appear less intelligent.
TRADITIONALLY MEN AND WOMAN OF GOD SOUGHT PURITY OVER POPULARITY! THEY DESIRE TO BE DIFFERENT
IN OUR DESIRE TO BE CONNECT WITH THE UNCHURCHED WORLD, TO BLEND IN- To be as cool or non-Churchy as possible.
JOKE: KEEP PULLING ON THE ROPE!
---GOD NOT ONLY WANT HIS MESSAGE TO BE PURE BUT HE ALSO WANTS THE MESSEGER TO BE AS PURE AS POSSIBLE!
Fresh and salt water from the same spring?
In ACTS 16--by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future (literally, "a spirit, Python"; see note). She is twice bound, spiritually and economically, for her masters are making quite a profit by exploiting her occult powers. Day after day she follows Paul and his team, shouting (literally, "crying out repeatedly"), "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved" (literally, "a way of salvation"). That a demon-possessed girl is the source of this true but potentially ambiguous statement is another difficulty (compare Lk 4:34, 41; 8:28).
John McAuther WROTE---Worldly preachers seem to go out of their way to put their carnal expertise on display—even in their sermons. In the name of connecting with “the culture” they want their people to know they have seen all the latest programs on MTV; familiarized themselves with all the key themes of “South Park”; learned the lyrics to countless tracks of gangsta rap and heavy metal music; and watched who-knows-how-many R-rated movies. They seem to know every fad top to bottom, back to front, and inside out. They’ve adopted both the style and the language of the world—including lavish use of language that used to be deemed inappropriate in polite society, much less in the pulpit. They want to fit right in with the world, and they seem to be making themselves quite comfortable there.
Another WRITER EXPOUNDS: Perhaps one of the reasons pastors stoop to swearing is because most HATE IT when they are around the unchurched and the unchurched guy suddenly cleans up his speech – “oh, sorry pastor.” So they are the first to swear to sort of break the ice hoping the guy will be taken aback and view him as cool and different than most holy men. (In other words, they cease to be holy so as to not be numbered among the holy men. Holy means set apart, or pure, as in not diluted or tainted by mixture with something foreign.) God help us. Often I don’t mention to the person cutting my hair that I’m a pastor because a noticeable wave of guilt or embarrassment washes over those who are sitting in the seats on each side of me because they suddenly realize they just expounded on the raunchy stuff they did last weekend.
IT SEEMS THAT WE ARE AFRAID OF NOT BEING LIKED:
McKay Hatch is a 15-year-old boy from South Pasadena, Calif., who people clearly hate. He's received over 60,000 negative e-mails , most of them vicious, some including death threats that have spawned police and FBI investigations. What has this boy done that's caused such anger? Was he caught dealing drugs? Did he rage? Did he kill? No. He started a No Cussing Club.
And for that he is vilified. Hatch says some people are going out of their way to curse him at school , on the Internet and on the phone. They send him pornographic magazine subscriptions. Not long ago, someone ordered $2,000 worth of pizza delivered to Hatch's house. Then came the death threats.
Brent Hatch, the teenager's father, told reporters one death threat in particular crossed the line. "I was at the hospital with my wife, and we were visiting family, and some guy had called on my cell phone said, 'I know you you're gone, you're not there. I'm in front of your house, and I'm going to kill your family.'"
If the purveyors of profanity think that cussing is so harmless, why are some of them so unbelievably hostile to anyone suggesting a voluntary ban on the bleeps?
McKay Hatch isn't buckling. "It's really scary, because people are calling us all night," he says. "Sometimes we have to unplug the phone. You know, at first it was really kind of scary, but they're just bullies, and they want you to be scared. And so I'm not gonna let them win." His No Cussing Club now boasts 20,000 members.
Let me repeat something here. This boy is 15 years old. He didn't just stumble into activism. It's a family mission. McKay's parents are authors of a book titled "Raising a G-Rated Family in an X-Rated World." Profanity wasn't allowed at home. Hatch says none of his friends in elementary school ever swore, but when they got to middle school, "everyone started cussing," he says. "The reason it bothered me the most is because it was something they were using every other word, kind of like the word 'the.' They kept using it and using it."
Hatch suggests that instead of cuss words, his school friends could use alternative exclamations when frustrations inevitably occur. He told Jay Leno his favorite was "pickles," but he also suggests "barnacles" and "sassafras." He even has a rap-music video on YouTube where he and some friends walk to the beat down the street in their orange club T-shirts and chant, "Don't Cuss." It's severely at odds with the kind of language that usually permeates rap videos .
STEVE HICKEY ---I’ve learned it’s, for me, the first symptom that surfaces revealing I’ve been neglecting to be with Jesus. The Bible says, “out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.” My lame excuse is that I grew up around it. My drill sergeant dad spoke fluent profanity. He could call into question your gender identity, your IQ, your mother’s fidelity, your purpose on planet earth, your value as a person and your potential-in-life all in a rapid-fire ten second seamless string of obscenities. Growing up around that, even today, I’m sorry to say I often don’t even notice swearing in a movie. (Parents have asked me if a movie is okay, I say “it was great” and they come back later mad because I didn’t warn them about the profanity. Me saying, “oops, I didn’t notice” doesn’t cut it, though it’s true.
CONCLUSION: James 3:1ff. ---The bit or briddle hurts! That is the intention! A painful device to correct her teeth!
My grandfather kept a bull on the farm, but it he always kept a ring in his nose!
It may hurt to tame the tongue! You may not get to be a cool and popular as you want to be!
