Introduction:
A. Let’s begin by talking about dandelions.
1. How many of you love dandelions in your lawn?
a. How many of you distain dandelions in your lawn?
b. Look at that…we are even a divided nation when it comes to dandelions?
2. When it comes to a dandelion, the key to its survival is its roots.
a. Children love to pick dandelions and blow on them to see their seeds take flight.
b. They love to pick a bouquet of them to give to their moms.
c. Children can pick dandelions all they want, but stay away from the tulips and daffodils, because as long as their roots remain they’ll keep growing back.
3. The problem with dandelions and the problem with our tongues is they have one thing in common – roots!
4. Anyone who tries to solve sinful speech patterns from the neck up will find that the problem with the tongue keeps coming back.
B. Today’s sermon is our last sermon in our SPEAK LIFE sermon series.
1. We have spent the last couple of months learning about the importance of the words we use – that our words have the power of life and death.
2. We have explored the kinds of words that need to be eliminated from our speech because of the ways they destroy our relationships with God and others.
a. During this series some people have joked with me about the fact that now they have nothing to talk about since they have eliminated gossip, complaining and boasting.
3. Two weeks ago, we explored the ways we can use our tongues for good, and last week we discussed cyber-talk – the way we communicate through email, texting and social media.
C. Today, I want us to understand an important principle that Jesus taught – the tongue reveals the heart.
1. How many times have you said something you shouldn’t have said, and then immediately said: “I don’t know where that came from!” or “I don’t know why I said that” or “Wow, that wasn’t me!”
2. The truth of the matter is we do know where that came from and it was you who said it – it came from deep inside of us; it came from the heart.
a. Our speech problems are really heart problems.
b. Our tongues are the servants of our spirits.
c. The roots of our words come from the condition of our hearts.
d. Our speech simply reveals what is happening inside of us.
e. All talk is really heart talk.
3. The fact that our tongues reveal our inner selves can be embarrassing.
a. It’s like our slips are showing, or our shirt has become untucked.
b. We get all polished up, but then we open our mouths and our hearts show.
4. But the consequences of our tongues revealing our hearts is more serious than embarrassment.
D. Let’s spend a minute with Jesus’ words on this subject.
1. Jesus said: “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. You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The 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. But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:33-37)
2. Jesus makes three simple, but significant points in that paragraph.
a. First, Jesus said that our speech identifies us.
1. Just as a tree is recognized by its fruit, so is a person recognized by what they say.
2. What is our speech revealing about who we really are?
b. Second, Jesus said that our speech reveals our heart.
1. Whatever comes out of our mouths came out because it was first in our hearts.
c. Third, Jesus said that we will be judged by our speech.
1. Our words are such an accurate reflection of our spiritual condition that it will be a basis for God’s evaluation of us.
2. We will be held accountable for our words, not because God is hyper-critical, but because our words are the revelation of our true inner condition.
E. So what can we do about the fact that our tongues reveal our hearts?
1. One thing we can do is to just stop talking, then no one will know what is in our hearts.
a. Prov. 17:28 says: “Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue.”
2. Saying less can certainly be helpful, but we can’t keep quiet forever.
3. Holding our tongues is like having our jaws wired shut in order to lose weight.
a. It may be a temporary fix, but as soon as we unwire our jaw, we will be back to the old problem unless something has changed in our hearts and habits.
b. Weight loss needs more than a shut mouth, it needs an inner change.
4. And the same is true with our speech.
a. Even though silence is golden, it is not the key to a transformed tongue.
b. The key to a transformed tongue is a transformed heart.
5. What I would like to do with the rest of our time this morning is to explore what kinds of heart conditions may be showing up in our speech problems.
a. Step #1 in transforming our speech is to focus on the problem from the inside out.
6. Even though there may be some overlap or some additional factors, I want to suggest that most of the sins of the tongue are caused by the heart sins of pride, anger, and fear.
I. The Proud Heart
A. Spiritually speaking, pride is the elevation of self at the expense of God and His glory.
1. It results in a self-serving lifestyle.
2. Pride has no place for God.
3. Pride takes credit for what God has done and what God has given.
4. Psalm 10:4 says: “In his pride the wicked does not seek Him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.”
B. Pride is directly connected with negative speech patterns in a variety of ways.
1. Proverbs 8:13 states that pride and arrogance result in evil behavior and perverse speech.
2. Psalm 10 attributes boasting, reviling the Lord, cursing and lying to pride.
3. Flattery is linked to a boasting spirit in Psalm 12.
4. Psalm 59 indicates that those who are proud slander the righteous.
5. Those who gossip are described as insolent and arrogant (Rom. 1:29-30).
6. Scoffing, malice, and oppressive threats are catalogued with a proud spirit (Ps. 73:6-11).
7. Pride also breeds quarrels (Prov. 13:10).
8. From the foolish heart come slander, promotion of careless opinions, quarreling and angry words (Prov. 10:18; 18:2; 19:1; 20:3; 29:11).
C. So if the proud heart can lead to all kinds of sins of the tongue, how can we begin to move from a proud heart to a humble heart?
1. First, we can remember who’s in charge—and praise Him!
a. It’s hard keep things in perspective if we don’t remember who is Lord!
b. Psalm 90 is a good place to start.
2. Second, we can pray for a humble heart.
a. We can ask the Holy Spirit to open our eyes to the ways we are being prideful and to ask for help to change those ways.
3. Third, we can pay more attention to our own faults than to the flaws of others.
a. We can confess our failings and sins more honestly with God and that keeps us humble.
4. Fourth, we must not hide behind our dignity—its pride’s favorite hiding place.
a. Our real value lies in God’s eyes, not in the eyes of the world.
b. Remember: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5).
5. Fifth, we can actively submit to authority, both the good and the bad.
a. Respecting all authority and striving to live in submission to it is humbling.
6. Sixth, we can accept a lowly place.
a. If we find ourselves wanting to sit at the head table, wanting others to recognize our contribution or become offended when others are honored or chosen, then pride is present.
b. Let’s purpose to support others being recognized, rather than ourselves.
c. We must accept and look for the lowly place; it is the place of humility.
7. Seventh, we can choose to serve others.
a. The fastest way to humility is the way Christ chose. “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve…” (Mark 10:45).
b. Those we serve should also include those who are marginalized by others.
c. We must resist the temptation of being partial to those with beauty, ability, status or wealth.
8. Finally, we can cultivate a grateful heart.
a. The more we develop an attitude of gratitude for the gift of salvation and the life God has given us, the more true will be our perspective of self.
b. A grateful heart is a humble heart.
D. With God’s help, I pray that each of us can transform our prideful heart to a humble heart and see the difference it makes in our lives and in our speech.
II. The Angry Heart
A. Anger is one of our most powerful emotions.
1. It has the capacity for destruction on both the personal and social levels.
2. Although anger is vented in many ways, it is often expressed through our words.
3. Hatred and bitterness are the bedfellows of unresolved anger – they are the poison fruit of long-term anger.
4. Dissention, lying lips, strife, and threats are all tagged as the tongue’s response to an angry spirit (Prov. 10:12, 18; 15:18; 24:28-29; 29:22; 30:33).
B. Israel became angry with the Lord when the ten spies returned with the fearful and godless report about Canaan.
1. This anger, mixed with fear and disappointment, led to rebellious words.
2. Rebellion, both in spirit and in word, is often the result of anger.
3. Children may let their anger toward their parents lead to a rebellious spirit and rebellious words and actions.
4. That’s exactly why God cautioned parents not to provoke their children to anger (Eph.6:4).
C. The same is true in any authority-submission relationship.
1. Anger toward an authority is quickly turned into rebellion, which is conveniently vented through our speech.
2. Anyone in authority who notices disloyal chatter among his or her subordinates should check to see if they have in some way caused them to be angry.
3. Hebrews 12:15 says: “See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.”
4. This verse makes it clear that a bitter spirit has the great potential of trouble and defilement.
5. Many are defiled through the words of a bitter and angry heart.
D. So if the angry heart can lead to all kinds of sins of the tongue, how can we begin to move from a angry heart to an forgiving heart?
1. First, we can own up to our anger problem, by confessing to God that we have a problem.
a. Can we admit to having a spirit of anger?
b. If we have and angry heart, then we must accept the fact of our anger.
c. Acknowledgment is the first step of overcoming anger.
d. Why? Our pride does not make it easy to say that we were wrong in our actions, words and judgments.
2. Second, we can ask God to uproot any bitterness in our soul.
a. As we ask God to search our hearts for the roots of our bitterness, we can trust that God can reveal the sources, and then help us to root it out.
3. Third, we can sincerely pray for any person we are holding a grudge against.
a. Forgiveness and empathy are going to be keys to overcoming anger about past wrongs that others have committed against us.
b. None of us are perfect. All have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.
c. Some people may have hurt us on purpose because of the evil within them and others have hurt us because of their own struggles and weaknesses.
d. But everyone needs compassion and forgiveness.
e. Withholding forgiveness is not an option if we want to be right with God and if we want to be free from an angry heart.
4. Fourth, we can rely on God to bring healing to our wounded and bitter heart.
a. God is the great physician.
b. Like the old song says” “There is a balm in Gilead, to make the wounded whole, there is a balm in Gilead to heal the sin-sick soul.
5. Fifth, we can think about things that are wholesome, noble and pleasing to the Lord.
a. Our thought life plays a big role when dealing with anger.
b. If we stew over things, we only get worked up and angrier.
c. But if we choose instead to fill our mind with God’s Word and good thoughts, we start to experience God's peace which surpasses human understanding.
6. Finally, we can strive to fully deal with each day’s anger.
a. Ephesians 4:26-27 says: “In your anger do not sin:” Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.
b. Once God has helped us to remove past anger and bitterness, then we need to strive to address anger as it comes up in the present.
c. We need to make sure we don’t go to bed angry.
d. Unresolved anger turns into wrath, so let’s address it in the present, not the future.
E. With God’s help, I pray that each of us can transform our angry heart to a forgiving heart and see the difference it makes in our lives and in our speech.
III. The Fearful Heart
A. When Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “We have nothing to fear but fear itself,” he said a mouthful.
1. Fear has the ability to manipulate not only our tongues, but entire nations, races and cultures.
2. Fear appears in many different forms.
a. We can fear for our safety or survival.
b. We can be afraid of losing things like: position and reputation; family and friends; wealth and health, or happiness.
3. These fears can cripple us and lead us into many sins, including sins of the tongue.
B. Because the Israelites feared the Canaanites, they murmured, spread rebellions words, communicated false conclusions, and spoke of murder (Num. 14:9-10).
1. The chief priests brought false witnesses against Jesus because they were fearful of Rome and fearful of losing their positions of authority and prestige (Mt. 26:59-61).
2. The Pharisees lied to protect their position when they were fearful of an acceptance of Jesus as the Messiah by the Jewish nation (John 8:44-45).
3. Peter cursed and swore because he feared being discovered as one of Jesus’ disciples (Mt. 26:73-74).
4. Sometimes people threaten others with abusive speech because they feel fearful and insecure.
5. Fear of getting caught can lead to deceit, if not outright lying.
6. Fear of loss of friendship or attention can lead to flattery and exaggeration.
C. We know that all fear is not bad, because we are commanded to fear God.
1. Other fears and insecurities can be used by God to produce growth and discipline.
2. But for the most part, God’s instruction for us includes the command to “Fear Not.”
3. If we allow fear to take over our lives it will lead to destructive actions and words.
D. So if the fearful heart can lead to all kinds of sins of the tongue, how can we begin to move from a fearful heart to a peaceful heart?
1. First, We can adopt a correct view of God.
a. If we are worried, fearful, or despairing, chances are that we are failing to see just how capable and willing God is to keep all His promises to us.
b. Consider these truths:
1. First, God is faithful; He will always be there for us.
a. The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning. (Lamentations 3:22–23)
2. Second, God is all-powerful, and He uses that power for our good.
a. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. (Isaiah 40:29)
c. We need to make sure our ideas about God match what He says about Himself in the Bible.
d. Why worry about anything when the Creator of the universe is watching over us?
e. Fear loses its power when we actively trust God more than what we fear. –
f. God says: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze” (Isaiah 43:1b-2)
2. Second, We can revise our false beliefs.
a. How do ideas about people or life influence our worry-related habit?
b. Our ideas may have gotten off track in a number of different ways, but think about these possibilities:
1. Do we believe that we must pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps?
a. The Bible says: It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God. (2 Corinthians 3:5)
2. Do we think of ourselves as born losers in the game of life?
a. The Bible says: I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:13)
3. Do we believe that our circumstances are beyond God’s power to help?
a. The Bibles says: Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. (Philippians 4:6)
c. We can scan the Bible for its messages about how unnecessary worry really is.
d. We can make a conscious decision to identify and abandon any concepts about ourselves, others, or life in general that contribute to our worry.
e. In those dark moments when fear stalks its victims and whispers irrational thoughts, God’s Word is a light, speaking peace and unfolding the truth.
f. We have to identify our false beliefs and choose to focus on the truth.
3. Third, We can pray honestly.
a. We can honestly tell God what we’re afraid of and ask Him to help us not live in that fear.
b. We can pray for God’s protection and assurance.
c. God invites us to cast all our anxieties on Him.
1. Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you (Psalm 55:22).
2. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you (1 Pet. 5:7).
d. We can confess our inability and God’s ability to remove our fears.
1. Again, we need to remember who God is, and who we are – we are His child. He is worthy to be trusted.
e. Psalm 34:4: “I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.”
f. Phil. 4:6-7: Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
E. With God’s help, I pray that each of us can transform our fearful heart to a peaceful heart and see the difference it makes in our lives and in our speech.
Conclusion:
A. When Dr. Christiaan Barnard pioneered the first heart transplant surgery, there was great hope for those with heart trouble.
1. Though the technique of physical heart transplants is still being refined, spiritual heart transplants are readily available.
2. The Bible says that for King Saul, “God gave him another heart” (1 Sam. 10:9), that he might have the ability to exercise the duties of a king.
3. King David saw that God could transform us on the inside and he prayed, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Ps. 51:10)
4. Paul expressed the truth about transformed hearts with these words: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.” (2 Cor. 5:17)
B. Getting rid of the verbal villains of pride, anger, and fear will not be easy.
1. They are Satan’s stranglehold on our spiritual potential for growth and effectiveness.
2. But if we cooperate with the Spirit, then God can plant genuine humility in the place of pride, forgiveness in the place of anger, and peace in the place of fear.
3. When humility, forgiveness and peace reign in our hearts, then our tongues will speak words that are pleasing to God and helpful to those around us.
4. Then we will be able to SPEAK LIFE – we will be speaking words that heal, not hurt.
5. Isn’t that what all of us want? With God’s help we can and will SPEAK LIFE!
Resources:
Tongue in Check, Joseph Stowell, Victor Publishing, 1994, Chapter 7.
