weekly sermon

9-14-08

How To Watch Your Mouth

This past week had been a very difficult week. Yes, even those that are supposed to be the ones spreading the word for Christ slip up and have difficult weeks. Things were said to a loved one that should never have been said on both ends. This made me think about many things, more so things that were said and how these things hurt feelings of both parties.

Once I reflected upon the situation, it reminded me of a few passages of scripture. Hopefully I can relate this situation to others so they will not make the same mistakes and will take heed and do the real work for Christ.

Turn with me first to Matthew 12:34, "O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." Let us catch up on the whole story. It is the Sabbath and Jesus has just cast a devil out of a blind and dumb person. The Pharisees have accused Jesus of doing something good on the Sabbath. They are trying to state that Jesus has done work on the Sabbath and that that is the day of rest. Through the course of the lesson Jesus is teaching them He shows them how evil their thoughts really are toward Him. Here the Pharisees are saying evil things and thinking evil things and Jesus is explaining to them how the Pharisees, being evil, could speak good things. It also states that out of the heart words are spoken.

Next turn with me to Matthew 15:18, "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man." Here in this passage we can see a similarity from the first passage. The things that come out of the mouth are from the heart. Man has to look deep and search their heart and know their thoughts, that all the things they speak will reflect what is in their heart.

Next turn with me to Ephesians 4:29, "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." This passage is more of where my personal situation comes into play. The communication was not good between myself and the person that was involved in the difficult situation. The communication became heated, as communications often do at a difficult time. Once it became heated, things were said that hurt the feelings of both involve. How is it we can say hurtful things toward another man and suppose to love man at the same time. When we open our mouths it should be to give thanks and grace to God. If we open our mouths and vile comments erupt then this is not edification to God. I was very lucky to be in a position that only myself and the other person involved were able to hear the words spoken. If we continue speak to anyone in a vile manor then it could become habit for us to speak in this manor all the time. During one or more of those times, we could possibly be overheard by others. We are here to minister the word of God to others, and this is an impossible task if our mouths are used for vile communication.

Let us look at this different use of communication by searching in James 3:10, "Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be." Just as it states in this passage, we can NOT bless God in one breath and use vile words towards another person in the next breath. If we use vile words that is what is in our heart, if we use praising words, that is what is in our heart. We can not do both. We are either the one and not the other, or we are the other and not the one. Remember what is said in Matthew 6:24, "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." We can either be for God or against God, there is no in between. If we speak evil and wickedness then we are evil and wicked. If we speak praise then our heart is full of praise.

We should step back and say to ourselves in times of anger, God search my heart, test my thoughts, that there should be no evil in me. If we think about how we would feel if a person said things to us, then we could stop our mouths from saying those things to others. It is not fun to have our feelings hurt by things folks say to us, and we should not want to hurt the feelings of others by what comes out of our mouths.

Let us make the words that escape our mouths be those of our heart. If our heart is right with God, then only praising words will be used. If our heart is not right with God, then you will have evil thoughts and your heart will harden and become evil as well. It was once said by Publius Syrus, "An angry man is again angry with himself when he returns to reason." Once anyone has a heated argument and has time to cool down, they will reflect on things that were said and are usually more upset with themselves for things they said than what the argument was about to begin with.

Is your heart right with God? Would you like to know that your heart is right with God? All you have to do is say a simple prayer to really know that your heart is a place that Christ wants to call home.

Say this simple prayer with me, Dear Lord, I want you to be the Lord over my life, forgive me of my sins, and give me the gift of everlasting life. Amen.

If you have said this simple prayer, then we believe that you have received salvation. We would love to rejoice with you, so please drop us a note, in our link, to let us know and confess Jesus before man, so that we may send you a few things that we hope will help you in your new Christian walk.
 

With Love in Christ,

Pastor Stone