Sins of Speech

Words are powerful. Words reveal our heart, show us our lack of self control, and eventually we will give an account of every word we have said at the Day of Judgement.

Notes

Transcript

Sermon Tone Analysis

Emotion

Language

Social

View more →

Introduction

I remember giving a speech years ago in an oral communication class at Arkansas State-Beebe. My message was an argumentative speech for creationism and against the big bang theory. In my conclusion, I stated that words were powerful. Every day we, as humans, speak happiness, joy, strength, anger, worry, confusion into existence in either I lives or the lives of others. I stated that if we can bring these powerful emotions into existence by speech, then who it to say that one greater than ourselves, a deity, God Himself, could not speak something as great as creation into existence from nothing.

My point this morning is on the power of the tongue. The revelation of the tongue. The judgement that is received because of the tongue. It is through the tongue we find ourselves freed or imprisoned, condemned or justified. What does your tongue/speech say about you?

As we have been going through this series of messages, A Return to Holiness, we have addressed the areas of sins of thought and sins of attitude. This morning we addresses the area of sins of speech. If we are to truly find personal and corporate revival, we must learn to tame the tongue.

Opening Passage

Matthew 15:11 KJV

11 Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.

Matthew 15:18–19 KJV

18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:

Outline

1. The tongue reveals the condition of the heart (Matthew 15:11, 18-19)

In Matthew 15, Jesus and his disciples come and begin to eat. The Pharisees are there and they begin to question Jesus about his disciples eating without washing their hands and feet. It was the custom of the Jews, that before one ate, they would need to wash their hands and feet. If you did not do so, you would be breaking custom and it would be considered an insult. Jesus’ response was one that we must take note of. He states, It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man (v.11).

Upon reflection of Jesus, we are told a great truth here. Often we worry too much about what goes in our body and far less about what comes out of our mouth. Less we find misunderstanding of what Jesus was telling the Pharisees, we must look at Jesus’ explanation to His disciples, But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man (v.18).

Too often we find those even among the church not addressing the tongue. Not addressing their speech. We must learn to address our speech. Truly, we must learn to identify what our speech says about us. As Jesus said, what we speak, is coming from our heart. It truly reveals just who we are. How often do you find your self stating profanities? How often do you find yourself making derogatory comments? How often do you find yourself making explicit statements about the opposite sex? How often do you find yourself using the Lord’s name outside of praise and worship? How often do you find yourself giving off color jokes, comments, and/or suggestions?

On the flip side, how often do you find yourself singing praises to God? How often do you find yourself giving thanksgiving? How often do you find yourself discussing the things of God? How often do you find yourself praying? How often do you find yourself expressing and declaring the Gospel to others? How often do you find yourself discussing about things above rather than things below?

As Jesus states, For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders, These are the things which defile the man (v.18-19a). What does my speech say about me? What does your speech say about you? What does our speech say about the heart of our church? For the church is not the building but the people within the building. We must pay attention and identify what the condition of our heart is individually and corporately, which the tongue gives a good picture of, and repent with humility before the Lord and seek His cleansing, redeeming power.

Not only do we need to identify what our tongue says about the condition of our heart, who we truly are, but we must learn to tame that tongue. We must learn to be disciplined, spiritually disciplined. And part of spiritual discipline is taming the tongue.

2. The tongue must be tamed (James 3:2, 5-6)

James 3:2 KJV

2 For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.

James 3:5–6 KJV

5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.

2. The tongue must be tamed (James 3:2, 5-6)

One of the hardest things to tame is the tongue. As find written by James, the tongue is a little amber that has been set on fire of hell. It is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that defileth the whole body. This is why it is so important to tame the tongue. It may be small, but even scientifically it is one of the strongest muscles we have in the body.

With the same tongue one minute we find ourselves worship and praying to God and the next were back biting, murmuring, cursing, and gossiping. As we find written within the Scripture, this ought not be. Knowing that the tongue defiles the whole body, we should make every effort to tame it. To change our vocabulary. To change our habits of tongue and speech. The body the tongue defiles, I would submit to you is not just the physical body but the spiritual body of the church as much so, if not more, than that of our physical bodies. It is through the tongue that we find most struggles and troubles within life and especially within the church. As James writes, and setteth on fire the course of nature.

We must acknowledge and the revelation of our spiritual condition and relationship within the Lord that is exposed by our speech and tongue. As we realize that there is needed change that must take place, we must actively and daily tame the tongue. We find within Scripture six specific areas in which we must tame the tongue.

3. We must repent in six areas of speech (the tongue)

While these six areas are not exhaustive, they do reveal six specific areas of speech that quench the Spirit, cause points of dissension, and prove to be areas in which many Christians give the devil a foot hold. As we find in the Scripture, we are to guard against this. As Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus, Do not give the devil an opportunity (Eph. 4:27 NASB). We must learn to stop giving the devil an opportunity to grab ahold of us and grab ahold of the church through our speech. Six areas in which we must repent and take back from the devil are...

A. We must repent of inappropriate speech (Ephesians 4:29; 5:4; Matthew 5:37)

Ephesians 4:29 KJV

29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

Ephesians 5:4 KJV

4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.

Matthew 5:37 KJV

37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.

A. We must repent of inappropriate speech (Ephesians 4:29; 5:4; Matthew 5:37)

Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus, let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth (Eph. 4:29). The Gk rendering of “corrupt” is actually defined as profane. It is the those little four and three letter words that so many use. They use them in jokes. They use them in common everyday conversations. They use them in anger. They use them. To say that I have never said one of those words would be a lie. I’m guilty.

I would testify that they are not part of my everyday conversation and language. I would states that I fill my mind and life with jokes that carry this type of language in them, but to say that I’ve never stated a profane word in anger, would be a lie. Every times that has happened, I am convicted by this. I am broken over this. I am reminded that I have much to work on in my heart. Anger does not justify profanity. It is not an excuse to sin.

Profane langue does nothing to help the listener have a better understanding of what you are stating. This is why Jesus states to let our yes be yes and our no, no (Matthew 5:37). All profanity does is destroy and show ignorance. This is why Paul declares that we are not to let corrupt communication comes out of our mouth. We are called to build up the church not destroy it. This is why it is so important to watch the tongue. Because every word you say whether in jest, in conversation, in joke, every word not only is a representation of who you are, but it represent your Lord and His bride.

Not only is profanities a problem within the church, slang words are a hinderance to Gospel and the church. As Paul writes, Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks (Ephesians 5:4). He states that speech such such as profanities (filthiness), off handed jokes and comments in jest (nor foolish talking), or slang (nor jesting) are not fit (convenient) for the speech and langue of the church, a child of God.

Not only do we find that we must repent of profanities, off handed jokes and comments in jest, and slang, but we must also stop lying and bearing false testimony, even those little white lies that we do not think are so bad.

B. We must repent of false speech (Exodus 20:16; Colossians 3:9)

Exodus 20:16 KJV

16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

Colossians 3:9 KJV

9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;

B. We must repent of false speech (Exodus 20:16; Colossians 3:9)

Within the 10 Commandments, God’s most potent list of laws, that affect every area of life liberally and more conservatively two specific relationships: our relationship with God and our relationship with others, God declares, do not lie (Exodus 20:16). A little rendering of the Hebrew gives the idea of not listening too or begin speaking (bear), false witnesses (testimonies) against your fellow brothers (thy neighbor). As we read this in this understanding it is not just that we should not be speaking lies, we are not to believe them either. There is much weight and responsibility put on both the one telling the lie and the one hearing the lie to use spiritual discernment to realize it is a lie and not listen to it.

Paul reiterates this truth to the church at Colossae, Lie not one to another. He then tells us that as Christians, we have been made new. Our old man had the habit of lying. However, as born again believer of Christ, we are new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17), therefore, we are called to undress ourselves of the old habit of lying and put on the dress of truth. As he told the church at Ephesus, put on the belt of truth. If you find yourself lying all the time and find no guilt in it and no need to change that habit, it very well maybe a sign that you are lost and/or living in willful habitual sin that is against God and you are declaring to God, I do not care.

C. We must repent of murmuring speech (1 Corinthians 10:10; 1 Thessalonians 5:18)

1 Corinthians 10:10 KJV

10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 KJV

18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

C. We must repent of murmuring speech (1 Corinthians 10:10; 1 Thessalonians 5:18)

The Concise Oxford English Dictionary defines murmuring as...

Concise Oxford English Dictionary Murmuring

murmuring

■ noun

1 a low continuous sound.

2 a subdued or private expression of discontent.

The KJV versions translates 1 Corinthians 10:10 as, neither murmur. The NASB defines 1 Corinthians 10:10 as, nor grumble. The NKJV translates 1 Corinthians 10:10 as, nor complain. The Message translates 1 Corinthians 10:10 as, be careful not to stir up discontent. Within the translations of the KJV, the NKJV, and the NASB, we find a fairly similar translation of the word murmur. However, the Message gives a vivid picture of what murmuring actually does, stir up discontent.

When we go around murmuring, complaining, grumbling spirit and mouth, all we do is sow discontent within our own spirit and attitude, but worse, we sow discontent and division within the body of Christ. We must learn to stop grumbling about the little things, the minors within the church.

We find ourselves grumbling about the music. We find ourselves murmuring about the translation the pastor preaches from. We find ourselves complaining about what the deacons have or have not done. We find ourselves sowing discontent over what has been or has not been by the committees of the church, the deacons, the pastor, the song leaders, the Sunday school teacher, this member or that member. In reality all we are doing with our words is sowing division and discontent. We learn to stop murmuring about the minor things and begin to focus on the major things: salvations, discipleship, the Scriptures (not translation, but truthful presentation of), and genuine worship (not the type of song sung, but the heart in which that song is sung).

It is truly time for us to be as Paul declares we ought to be to the church at Thessalonica, in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Let us learn to be thankful. Let us learn to be thankful for the members we have. Let us be thankful of the fact that we have someone (in our case, multiple people) that can play the piano. Let us be thankful about having someone willing to lead music. Let us be thankful that we have a pastor and youth pastor when many churches are look for one if not both. Let us be thankful that we have a pastor and youth pastor that preach the word and do not water it down. They stand on the Word of God and they do their best to live it our even admitting at times when they fall short. Let us be thankful that we have any youth and children when other churches have none. Let us be thankful.

If we do not learn to be thankful, Paul has given us the warning looking back into the past. He writes, and were destroyed by the destroyer. Using the Israelites that were led by Moses out of Egypt as the example of what the end of murmuring, grumbling, complaining, and sowing discontent would be, shows that the devil destroyed them though it. If we continue down a path of murmuring, the only outcome is destruction. However, if we repent of the sin of murmuring, God will bless, heal, reconcile, and revive.

D. We must repent of angry speech (Ephesians 4:31)

Ephesians 4:31 KJV

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

D. We must repent of angry speech (Ephesians 4:31)

Within Ephesians 4:31 Paul reveals what angry speech truly is, poison. He writes, let all bitterness (defined as poison in the Greek)…be put away from you. Along with describing an angry tongue as poison, he then list four characteristics of an angry tongue.

He describes an angry tongue as indignation - ‘…and wrath...’

He describes an angry tongue as an abhorrence - ‘…and anger...’

He describes an angry tongue as a cry of grief - ‘…clamour...’

He describes an angry tongue as vilification and blaspheme - ‘…and evil spanking...’

If God puts such a charge against angry speech, why are we so apt and comfortable using it. We must learn to curve the tongue. We must learn to remove angry speech from our tongue all together just as we must remove evil, malice, from our lives.

E. We must repent of divisive speech (1 Corinthians 1:10)

1 Corinthians 1:10 KJV

10 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.

Whereas James declares that we are not be divided in our individual thoughts and faith (James 1:6-8), Paul reveals to us that the church, the body of Christ, is not be divided, that there be no divisions among you. Rather than being divided we are called to be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. Whereas divisions within the church do come by actions, most every root of division within the body of Christ begins with the tongue of a brother or sister. It is through constant murmuring, grumbling, complaining of the tongue, that we fine discontent being sown within the body, which eventually leads to division. We must do our best not to be the cause of division.

Jesus even stated that if you know you have offended a brother or sister or know that a brother or sister has something against you, go to that brother or sister and ask forgiveness and then come to the altar and worship the Father (Matthew 5:23-24). How many of us need to eat some humble pie and go and ask forgiveness?

How many of us are guilty of sowing division within the body of Christ by our tongue? How many of us need to go to the Lord and repent and ask forgiveness before we dare come to the altar for worship. As David wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise...Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar (Psalm 51:16-17, 19).

E. We must repent of divisive speech (1 Corinthians 1:10)

F. We must repent of speech against God’s anointed (1 Timothy 5:17)

1 Timothy 5:17 KJV

17 Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.

F. We must repent of speech against God’s anointed (1 Timothy 5:17)

Finally, some within the church must learn to repent of language that is detrimental to the anointed man of God that He called to pastor His church. Many within the church continuously talk down about their pastor. They sow disloyalty and sow a lack of confidence within the body of Christ toward the man that God has called to lead them. This is no different than that which happened by the Jews toward Moses as he lead them through the wilderness under the direction of the Holy Spirit. They griped about how he led them. They griped about how he provided for them. They griped about where he led them. They griped about everything he did. In the end, Moses let them know that their grumbling was not against him at all, but it was against God Himself, …for the LORD hears your grumblings which you grumble against Him. And what are we? Your grumblings are not against us but against the Lord (Exodus 16:8).

As Moses declared, who is the pastor, other than the one that God has called to lead the church. Truly God hears the grumbles of a congregation when they grumble against His anointed. God makes it perfectly clear that your grumbling against God’s anointed. It is not against the preacher but rather against God Himself who called that pastor.

As Paul writes to Timothy as he pastored a church of discontent, murmuring, division, false leaders, and a lack of respect for God’s anointed, he declares through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor; especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. How many of us are guilty of bringing division among the body of Christ by our murmuring and secret conversations about the pastor who Has been called of God to lead His church.

4. We will be judged by our speech (Matthew 12:36)

Matthew 12:36 KJV

36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

4. We will be judged by our speech (Matthew 12:36)

Conclusion

I conclude with the words of our Lord Jesus found within the Gospel of Matthew 12:36, every idle words that men shall, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. Let us first look at what Jesus doesn’t say. He doesn’t say that lost men will give an account of idle words spoken of. He doesn’t say that only Christian men will give an account of idle words spoken of. Jesus doesn’t say some idle words spoken. What Jesus does say is that every idle word spoken by every man, woman, boy, and girl will be addressed and given an account for at His day of judgment.

Where will you stand that day? How many of us will have to give an account for profanities spoken? How many of us will have to give an account of lies we have spoken? of murmuring we have spoken? of words spoken in anger? of divisions caused by our tongue? of gripes that we continuously gave about the pastor, God’s anointed? What a sobering reminder it is that everyone of us shall account of himself before God. What a sobering reminder it is that everyone will stand before the judgment seat of Christ and give an account of all that we have done and yes, as we have found out this morning, spoken, good or bad, within the body or without, to our Great God and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

I praise God that there is forgiveness in and through Christ Jesus. I praise God that He has sent His Holy Spirit to convict us of our sin, our transgressions, our iniquities (John 16:8). Praise God for the truth that if we confess and repent of our sin, that He will forgive us (1 John 1:9), and finally, I praise God that if we will call upon the name of Jesus, He will save us (Romans 10:13). Want you come to the altar this morning and repent of your sinful thoughts, your sinful attitude, your sinful speech? Want you come to the altar this morning and surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ? Want you come to the altar this morning?

Related Media

Related Sermons