Do you notice the difference between the way your breath smells before you go to be and the way it smells when you get up? “Last night my breath smelled pretty righteous!” but in the morning your spouse is saying, “Shut your filthy mouth!”
Your mouth has the amazing power to be either full of good, or full of evil.
Today, the message for all of us is “Shut your filthy mouth, and open your righteous one!”
We’re going to begin today by using our mouths the way they were intended to be used…
The greatest thing you can do with your mouth is to worship God and when you give Him praise from your lips, your lips are fulfilling their greatest design and purpose…
Open sermon with worship song, “I See The Lord” in darkened sanctuary.
(HOLY HOLY HOLY! When the worship fades, read the scripture from Isaiah chapter 6.)
Isa 6:1-13, “I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory."
At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.”
In this vision, Isaiah enters the throne room of God. He sees the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of His robe filling the temple. There are angels all around, flying and crying out with loud voices, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory.”
And at the sound of their voices, the thresholds of the temple of the living God shook.
Isaiah witnessed the power of the spoken word: especially the word of righteousness. The angels declared the Holiness and Righteousness of The Almighty and the Heavens trembled!
For the first time, he witnessed the power the praise of God has in the Kingdom of Heaven.
The voice of praise and the declaration of Christ’s Holiness shake the thresholds of the heavens!
What POWER! What MIGHT we have when we praise GOD, that even the doorposts of the temple of God tremble at His praises!
How much more the kingdom of darkness!!
Isaiah witnessed the power and purpose of our mouths: not just as instruments for stuffing our faces, or communicating our needs, but as vessels of power and praise.
Friends, we have been set apart from all the other creatures and creations of God, in that we speak, and our words have immense power to shake the thresholds of the heavens.
By the praise of our lips, we have the power to shake the heavens and tear down the strongholds of Satan in heavenly places.
Don’t you wish Satan could be the one experiencing the 7.0 earthquake? Wouldn’t you rather him be searching through the rubble than the Indonesians?
YOU have the power to make HIM TREMBLE by the power of praising the Most High God!
Joshua fit the battle at Jericho and the walls came tumbling down! They gave a great SHOUT on the 7th say and the city was SHAKEN to it’s foundations!
PRAISE GOD and make the devils stop in their tracks and RUN FOR COVER by the power of praise in the Name of Jesus Christ!
The most powerful thing you can do when you’re under persecution and calamity is sing praises to God and openly declare His glory!
PAUL COMMANDS AN UNCLEAN SPIRIT OUT OF A SLAVE GIRL: POWER & AUTHORITY IN YOUR LIPS!
Acts 16:16-22, “Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling.
17 This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved."
18 She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, "In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!" At that moment the spirit left her.
THE LORD GAVE HIM AUTHORITY and HE EXPRESSED IT THROUGH HIS LIPS!
PAUL & SILAS PERSECUTED BECAUSE OF WHAT HE SAID…
19 When the owners of the slave girl realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities.
20 They brought them before the magistrates and said, "These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar
21 by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice."
22 The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten.”
PAUL & SILAS IN PRISON!!! Praised the doors open!!! WOW!!!
Acts 16:23-26, “After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully.
24 Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.
26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose.”
YOU HAVE THE POWER to SHAKE THE HEAVENS by the praises that come from your lips.
Back to Isaiah: Standing in the temple, witnessing the power of the sanctified tongue, and he realized his tongue was not sanctified!
His mind flashed back to the inventory of things he’d said.
5 "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."
…So many good things I could be using my mouth for, and I’ve been a man of unclean lips!
(Funny what happens to our vision when we see the Heavenly standard of righteousness, all the sudden our life, which we thought was pretty righteous is embarrassingly unclean!)
When Isaiah saw this, he was dismayed and horrified! Afraid of being separated from God by the things he had said! Here he was in the midst of God’s Glory, surrounded by His angels praising His Name, and he was a man of unclean lips. Isaiah was part of a community of foul talkers: the shipyard workers of his day, and some of it caught on…
You’ll know how he felt if you’ve ever been caught up in the negative or ‘unclean’ conversations that go on at your workplace… You and I are a lot like Isaiah…
We are a people of unclean lips… How is that, pastor? I do pretty good…
SHUTTING YOUR FILTHY MOUTH…
SOME UNCLEAN THINGS WE SAY WITHOUT REALIZING IT:
I: Stop taking The Lord’s Name in vain.
It happens everywhere. Every day, the #3 sin on the top ten list of things that anger God is committed either in front of us or by one of us. It’s the misuse of the name of the Lord.
Exod 20:7, “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.”
Have you ever seen the movie "O God?" George Burns plays God himself, who has come to earth to speak with a grocery manager named Jerry Landers. In one of their conversations, Jerry, without thinking, says to himself, "O God!" And God says, "Yes, Jerry? What is it?"
Jerry says, "Huh?? Oh, it’s nothing, Lord. It’s just an expression. A figure of speech. Nothing more." Then God says, "Jerry, that’s why I’m here. I want people to know that I’m not just a figure of speech. I’m more than just a phrase that people blurt out when they get frustrated.
I want you to tell people to take me seriously. That I am the Lord!"
Have you ever made the mistake Jerry did? Have you ever used the name of God in vain without even thinking about what you were saying?
Usually when we think of misusing the name of God, we think of swearing. And we all know that’s wrong. But I can think of a number of other ways people misuse God’s name. The first way is by using it as an expression of surprise. Like when someone says "I just caught a ten pound fish! O my God!" Or, "Good Lord, I can’t believe Suzy is pregnant again." Or "I just split my pants. My God!"
When you say stuff like that, what you’re really doing is you’re reducing God to a level of a "Wow!" or "Far Out!" You’re disregarding all respect and reverence for His Name.
Lev 22:32-33, “Do not profane my holy name. I must be acknowledged as holy by the Israelites. I am the LORD, who makes you holy and who brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the LORD."
Don’t treat God like some common, ordinary catchphrase, because at the end of the day, he’s not going to let you get away with it…
Lev 24:10-16, “Now the son of an Israelite mother and an Egyptian father went out among the Israelites, and a fight broke out in the camp between him and an Israelite. The son of the Israelite woman blasphemed the Name with a curse; so they brought him to Moses. (His mother’s name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri the Danite.) They put him in custody until the will of the LORD should be made clear to them…
13 Then the LORD said to Moses: "Take the blasphemer outside the camp. All those who heard him are to lay their hands on his head, and the entire assembly is to stone him. Say to the Israelites: ’If anyone curses his God, he will be held responsible; anyone who blasphemes the name of the LORD must be put to death. The entire assembly must stone him. Whether an alien or native-born, when he blasphemes the Name, he must be put to death.”
Two men get into a fight. And one of the guys in his anger takes the Lord’s name in vain. And then the Lord tells Moses, "Put him to death. Make an example out of him. Let the whole community know that anyone who takes my name in vain is going to pay! He’s going to die! Because when you disrespect my name, you’re disrespecting me!"
If we were to enforce this law in today’s society, the malls and parking lots would be filled with bloody, bludgeoned bodies because just about EVERYBODY uses The Lord’s Name in vain!
Illustration: When I was in the 7th grade I lived in Washington state, and the winters were cold. I remember standing outside the band room door with my frozen hands wrapped around the saxophone case, waiting for the band teacher to let us in. There was always this large, kinda dippy kid who’d come up and make fun of my name. It seemed like EVERY morning he’d come up and say, “BRAD FROESE! HE DID???” HA HA HA HA HA… Used to bug me to death.
And do you know how many times I’ve heard people say that in my life? The funny thing is, every one of them thought they were original! Brad Froese. He DID? Ha Ha ha ha ha…
How original! The point is, it’s insulting when someone misuses your name, because everyone wants to be treated with respect.
So then, when the Name of God is misused as some common every day occurrence, why should we expect God to feel any different when people make light of his name?
He’s made Himself approachable through the blood of Jesus Christ, but we need to be awed again by His transcendent character and to reverence His name.
I wish we could recapture some of the reverence the Hebrews had for God’s name. They would not even pronounce the word “Yahweh,” translated “Jehovah” in some versions. As he copied the scripture, when the scribe came to the word God, he stopped and washed his entire body. If the word that merely stood for God, he washed his pen before he continued.
So be careful: The third Commandment is like the warning signs you see around power plants: ‘Danger—High Voltage!’ For the ancient Hebrews seem to have thought of God almost literally as a live wire.” The holy things of God can-not be taken lightly.
Matthew 12:36 says that someday, you and I will stand before God. And we’ll have to answer to Him for every careless word we have spoken. And if you’re one of those people that’s in the habit of taking the Lord’s name in vain, then you’re going to wish that you were somewhere else because Jesus is going to say, "Wait a minute! I died for your sins! I went through hell on that cross. So that you could have a chance to go to heaven. And this is how you repay me? You think it’s cool to go around flippantly saying "Jesus Christ" every time you feel irritated? I thought you said you were a Christian."
II a: Stop slandering your brother: RACA = judgment by piers! (You worthless, empty headed man!) Making people feel worthless…
Illustration: Kim Holt walking home from school, how I gave in one day and called her fat…
She was hurt, embarrassed, walked home alone looking at the ground.
I played the part of her friend, then when another friend came along and started with the insults, I did nothing to stop it… What did that do to her? How did she cope with that when she made it home and closed the door behind her? What damage had I done to a child of God, just by my unclean lips?
II b: MOROS =Danger of hell fire. Moron: dull, or stupid, blockhead.
The words aren’t much different: they both place a person in low regard. The sin is in treating a child of God with hatred and ill regard, as if they were worth less than you because they are different than you in some way.
Matt 5:22-24, “But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ’Raca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ’You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
23 "Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,
24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.”
Don’t be united together with God until you’re united together with your brother. It’s impossible to love God if you have no love for your brother.
I Jn 4:20, “If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.”
Do you experience road rage when you’re driving? Do you call other drivers names and harbor anger toward them? RACA! MOROS: You’re guilty and in danger of judgment.
You come to church a few days later, and you’re a man or woman of unclean lips…
WOE TO YOU… You could be shaking the heavens. Instead, you’re cursing your brother!
Jam 3:10, “Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.”
III: PURIFY YOUR LIPS: OPEN YOUR RIGHTEOUS MOUTH.
Isaiah 6:6, “Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”
The Lord purifies with fire and power…
ILLUSTRATE WITH CHINESE FIRE PAPER & SOME SOLID ELEMENTS.
1 Cor 3:12-16, “If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?”
PSA 15:1-5
How would you hold up if God judged you today?
? Why wait till judgment day? Let God purify your lips right now!
Once Isaiah was touched by the cleansing fire of the coals from the altar of God, his speak was changed. His lips were transformed into instruments for The Lord…
He says in verse 8, “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"”
The experience changed the way Isaiah used his mouth. His filthy mouth was transformed to righteousness and his natural response was, “Here and I. Send me!”
SEND ME!
Prepared, sanctified and set aside for God’s purposes and pleasures…
ISAIAH WAS GIVEN A NEW SONG: HERE AM I, SEND ME!
CONCLUDE:
Congregation sings, “Here am I, send me to the nations.”
END SVC with soundtrack: “I See The Lord.”
The workplace dilemma: wishing you could just tell someone SHUT YOUR FILTHY MOUTH!
How do you confront filthy mouths?
Righteous Rebuttal: PRAISE GOD! I’ve had sinners start saying it! It just catches on like cuss words do!
Prayer for conviction and personal change / spiritual revelation of God.
Maybe you’re intended to reveal Christ to them and your hardness is keeping you from that.
I can’t wait till we SEE the LORD and HIS GLORY! It will be a moment consumed with worship for The Lord, who we’ll finally behold with our own eyes.
In that Holy place, in the presence of The King, every knee will bow and every TONGUE will CONFESS, “JESUS CHRIST is LORD!” At that moment, our lips will realize their full potential as we sing out worship and praises in the presence of our Lord.
Ps 15:1-5, “LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill?
He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman, who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the LORD, who keeps his oath even when it hurts, who lends his money without usury and does not accept a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.”
