The Tongue

2010Apr11.Sermon.Builders/Destroyers.The Tongue, Wisdom Comes From Above

By William Akehurst, BA

HSWC

Spring cleaning. Time to get our house in order. So as a child of God, let's start with the dirtiest place.

The tongue.

I hear dogs have clean tongues. I don't believe it.

I saw a woman at the ice cream shop a few years ago, let her dog a lick at the cone then she proceeded to finish it off. Blah!

Money. Don't put that in your mouth, you don't know where that's been.

That brings to mind the time my brother swallowed a nickel and we found it a few days later.

I lied to get out of trouble, only to find myself in deeper… Once…ok twice…alright, every time.

I have a lying, forked, slanderous, vile, deceitful, mischievous, teasing, provoking, backstabbing, hurtful, cursing, destroying, and hateful, torturous, misleading, foolish tongue.

And I can give you an example of every one of them.

I've told a lie to myself and to others.

And so have you.

We are to bridle our tongues. Clean it up.

If faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Do you see where faith ultimately comes from? God’s Word, the word that proceeded out of his mouth, which will never return void, it will do what it was planned to do.

Once the word is out of our mouths, we can not take it back.

And with words, come thoughts.

Know that the spoken word is parent to our thoughts,

that thoughts are governors of our actions

and actions are the producers of results,

We must be ever vigilant over words we speak.

Understand, the development of harmonious relationships is best served when we respect and carefully stand guard over the words we speak,

knowing assuredly of their unlimited creative power, for they can either

Build Up or Tear Down, Strengthen or Weaken, Free or Enslave…

THE CHOICE IS OURS!

Ephesians 4:31-32 PUT ASIDE THE FILTHY TALK AND BE KIND

31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, (along) with all malice: (hatred)

32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

2 Corinthians 10:5 TAKE THOUGHTS CAPTIVE, BEFORE YOU SPEAK

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Take every thought captive…and weigh it out…before we let it out.

Gods Word is forever. Once ours is out we can't take it back. It falls on the ears of our family, friends, neighbors, and those who are listening and watching you.

Amazing what James says. Like a tiny rudder on a ship. Like a spark to set a blaze. It steers our life and sets fire to those around us.

But it can also be of good use. And we must sweep away the dirt and put on the shine.

Let your light so shine. Out of your mouth!

Matthew 5:16 LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE, OUT OF YOUR MOUTH

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

I need a blessing tongue. A truthful, comforting, encouraging, exhorting, exalting, praising, joyful, guiding, leading, God honoring, Christ signed sealed stamped and approved tongue.

1 Corinthians 1:10 SPEAK WITH OUR MINDS ON CHRIST

Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

Put on the mind of Christ. As believers, its already in you, its the Holy Spirit. Listen to his voice.

Use your mouth for praise!

Romans 15:5-7 BE OF ONE MIND, CHRISTS. AND WITH OUR MOUTH GLORIFY HIM

5 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:

6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

7 Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.

Psalm 139:1-4, 23-24 SEARCH ME AND SHOW ME HOW TO GET RIGHT

1 O lord, thou hast searched me, and known me.

2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.

3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.

4 For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:

24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.