TONGUE TALKERS
John 8:11
She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”
Let us pray!
You’re probably wondering what has tongue talkers got to do with the verse he just read. Well hang in there it’s all going to come together.
Turn with me to the Book of James chapter 3
James list four functions of the tongue in this chapter:
Function 1. The tongue is to gauge us:
1. My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. 2. For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.
Anyone who has been called of God to be an Apostle, a Prophet, an Evangelist, a Pastor or a teacher is not only responsible for themselves but also for the ones they will influence because of the position God has placed them in. If you are not sure of God’s calling then do not take the position of a teacher until God has placed you there. You will increase your liability of judgment if you do.
If God has not placed you in position of teaching then quit trying to teach others how to live. Start listening to the teacher God has given you and get your own life in order. Once that is done then God has something to work with. He can then start training you for the position he has planned for you in the Body of Christ.
Even as teachers called of God, we are not perfect; therefore we must depend on God’s help to properly teach His Word.
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. (John 14:26)
Without God’s help we could stumble, loose control of our teaching and loose control of the body of Christ, he has placed in our care.
Function 2. The tongue is to guide us:
3. Indeed we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. 4. Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. 5. Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles.
Just as the horse’s bit allows us to guide the horse and make it obey us so that we can turn their whole body. And the ship’s rudder allows us to turn such a large ship even in a great storm. Our tongues sets and guides the direction in our lives.
Like the spark on the kindling wood it gets things started. Whether good or bad.
When you wake up in the morning and get out of bed, do you jump up and say: Thank you Jesus for this wonderful day that you have given me, I ready to start out with a smile on my face and joy in my heart, because I want people to see you in me today. Or, do you get up and say something like this: Man, I feel like I just went to sleep and it’s time to get up already, I can tell right now this is going to be one of those days. Depending on which way you get up, what kind of day do you think you will have?
What word’s have you spoken that will take you in the direction you want to go in life. Where you go in life will depend on what you, your selves speak into your life.
Ask for God’s direction each and every day.
Bridle your tongue! Monitoring every word we speak may seem cumbersome at first, but it will serve to advance righteousness.
Function 3: the tongue is to gird us:
Gird means to:
Equip or endow
To prepare for action
To summon up our inner resources in preparation for action
6. And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. 7. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. 8. But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
The true source of the unruly evil produced by the tongue is hell. At one end the tongue spits deadly poison; at the other end it is manipulated by wicked spirits. Therefore no man can tame it.
Our tongues speak what is inside us. When someone upsets us, unless we get control of ourselves, it sets off a spark that goes straight to our gut and shoots a flame out of our mouth that will try to devour anyone that is within our range at that moment.
The tongue can become such a flame of fire that left ungired it can destroy families, relationships, friendships, husbands, wives and children. It can destroy your job.
It can destroy your relationship with God. it can cost you everything.
Function 4: The tongue is to guard us:
9. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have beem made in the similitude of God. 10. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. 11. Does a spring send forth-fresh water and bitter from the same opening? 12. Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.
This does not mean the tongue does not also speak good, it is notoriously inconsistent, and its propensity is to speak evil.
Speak well of others. Criticism, slander, backbiting, and gossip are “bitter waters,” which issue out of demonic worldly wisdom. Nothing can cause more damage than the tongue. Keeping our speech under control is a discipline Christians must develop.
13. Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.
A teacher should practice what they teach. This not only goes for Pastor’s and spiritual teachers. Mothers and fathers you are your child’s teachers. You are their example. What are you teaching your children?
14. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts do not boast and lie against the truth
A teacher who is motivated by selfish ambition will always lie against the truth.
15. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. 16. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. 17. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, the peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. 18. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
Your words guard the entrance to your heart
Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
Above all else guard your heart for out of it flow the issues of life.
Is your tongue creating:
Envy and selfish ambition, for there you will find disorder and every evil practice
Or is it creating:
Peace loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.
Let’s get back to the opening verse:
Turn with me to John chapter 8:
But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him, and He sat down and taught them.
Then the Scribes and the Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?”
This they said testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.
So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.”
And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.
Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest event to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”
She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”
We see here a good example of the deceitful tongue in motion. The Scribes and Pharisees were using their flaming tongues here not just to condemn the woman but to also use this incident to condemn Jesus Himself. Verse 6 says they were testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. This was their true intent, the woman was just an object that they were using to try to obtain their real purpose.
But, Jesus, instead of lashing back just simply stooped down and begin to write on the ground with his finger as though he didn’t even hear them.
They kept wagging their tongues and asking Him until he finally looked up and spoke to them I believe in a small voice “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” Then He stooped down again and begin to write on the ground. The bible doesn’t tell us what Jesus wrote on the ground, but I believe it let them know that they had at one time or another committed this same sin.
The Bible says the devil is the accuser of the brethren. Which means he is consistently running his tongue accusing you and I before God.
But just as this woman was brought before Jesus and accused by the Scribe and the Pharisees.
We might be brought before God as a sinner but we leave forgiven..
He says to us neither do I condemn thee, go and sin no more.
