DISCIPLINE: TO TAME THE TONGUE Part 2
1/23/00
Ps 94:12-13
12 Blessed is the man you discipline, O LORD, the man
you teach from your law;
13 you grant him relief from days of trouble, till a pit is dug for the wicked.
Prov 5:21-23
21 For a man's ways are in full view of the LORD,
and he examines all his paths.
22 The evil deeds of a wicked man ensnare him;
the cords of his sin hold him fast.
23 He will die for lack of discipline, led astray by his own great folly
Prov 6:23
23 For these commands are a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the corrections of discipline are the way to life,
AS I THOUGHT OVER THIS SERIES ON DISCIPLINE THIS WEEK, I WAS REMINDED OF SEVERAL ILLUSTRATIONS FROM THE SCRIPTURE THAT POINT OUT THE CRITICAL IMPORTANCE OF PRACTICING THE DISCIPLINES WE‘VE BEEN STUDYING.
1. REMEMBER SAMSON? GOD GAVE THAT YOUNG MAN INCREDIBLE GIFTS OF INSIGHT AND STRENGTH SO THAT HE COULD LEAD HIS PEOPLE FROM SLAVERY INTO FREEDOM. BUT SAMSON WOULD NOT GOVERN HIS APPETITE FOR WOMEN. DESPITE HIS GIFTS, HE ENDED HIS LIFE AS A SLAVE, BLINDED AND USED LIKE A COMMON MULE TO GRIND GRAIN.
2. REMEMBER ABSALOM? THIS FIRST BORN SON OF KING DAVID. HE HAD GREAT INTELLIGENCE AND POLITICAL SAVVY. IN ADDITION HE WAS HANDSOME ENOUGH TO MAKE WOMEN CRY! BUT HE WOULD NOT GOVERN HIS AMBITIONS. HIS LACK OF DISCIPLINE LED HIM TO LEAD A REBELLION AGAINST HIS FATHER AND HE DIED BY THE SWORD OF THE CAPTAIN OF KING DAVID'S ARMIES.
3. BY CONTRAST, I REMEMBER JOSEPH. HERE WAS A YOUNG MAN GIFTED WITH SPIRITUAL SENSITIVITY AND MANY ABILITIES. HE COMMITTED HIMSELF TO GOD. HE ENDURED SITUATIONS THAT COULD HAVE DESTROYED HIM INCLUDING BEING BETRAYED BY HIS OWN BROTHERS, BEING SOLD INTO SLAVERY HUNDREDS OF MILES FROM HOME IN AN ALIEN CULTURE, AND BEING IMPRISONED ON FALSE CHARGES OF SEXUAL ASSAULT. HE ROSE TO THE PINNACLE OF POWER AND EVEN THERE WAS NOT TURNED AWAY FROM SERVING GOD. HIS DISCIPLINED SOUL RECEIVED CONSTANT RENEWAL OF THE LIFE-GIVING GRACE OF GOD. HE DIED AN HONORED ELDER AMONG HIS PEOPLE.
EVERYONE OF US WANTS TO KNOW GOD, TO BE EFFECTIVE FOR GOD AND TO ENJOY GOD'S BLESSING AND FAVOR ON OUR LIVES. THE QUESTION IS: WILL WE PRACTICE THE DISCIPLINES THAT ALLOW HIS GRACE TO FLOW INTO AND THROUGH US OR WILL WE LOOK FOR EASY ROADS, SHORTCUTS, AND QUICK FIXES. NOW, WEBSTER DEFINES DISCIPLINE AS TRAINING THAT DEVELOPS SELF-CONTROL AND CHARACTER AND RESULTS IN AN ORDERLY AND EFFICIENT LIFE. IT IMPLIES STRICT CONTROL TO ENFORCE OBEDIENCE AND THEN ACCEPTANCE OF AND SUBMISSION TO AUTHORITY. THE AUTHORITY IN THE BELIEVER’S LIFE MUST BE THE INFLUENCE AND CONTROL GIVEN TO THE HOLY SPIRIT. WE LEARNED FROM JAMES 3:15 THAT NO MAN CAN TAME THE TONGUE BUT GOD CAN BY THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN EACH OF OUR LIVES. ONE OF THE MAJOR CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FRUIT OF
THE SPIRIT IS SELF-CONTROL
Gal 5:22-26
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit,
let us keep in step with the Spirit.
AS MUCH AS WE MAY TRY, WE CAN BITE OUR LIPS AND CLOSE OUR MOUTHS BUT THE IMPULSES OF OUR HEART AND NATURE CAUSES US TO LOOSE CONTROL OF OUR TONGUE AND WE INEVITABLY SAY THINGS THAT WE ONLY REGRET LATER. JAMES TELLS US THAT IF ANYONE DOES NOT OFFEND IN WORD THE SAME IS A PERFECT OR MATURE MAN. LET’S READ THAT PASSAGE IN JAMES ONCE AGAIN THIS MORNING
James 3:1-12
3:1Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check. 3When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, 8 but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
ONE OF THE MAJOR REASONS WHY NO MAN CAN TAME THE TONGUE IS BECAUSE IT IS NOT DIRECTLY A TONGUE OR MOUTH PROBLEM BUT A HEART PROBLEM. JESUS SAID IN MATT.12:34 THAT OUT OF THE ABUNDANCE OF THE HEART THE MOUTH SPEAKS. IN ORDER TO TAME THE TONGUE THE HEART OR NATURE OF MAN MUST BE CHANGED. PAUL TELLS US IN 2COR.5:17 THAT IF ANY MAN BE IN CHRIST HE IS A NEW CREATURE, OLD THINGS HAVE PASSED AWAY AND ALL THINGS HAVE BECOME NEW. THE ONLY WAY TO GET A NEW HEART AND A NEW NATURE IS TO BE BORN AGAIN. THE PHRASE THAT JESUS USED IN JOHN 3:3 "BORN AGAIN" LIT. MEANS TO BE BORN FROM ABOVE WITH THE NATURE OF GOD. NO MAN CAN TAME OR DISCIPLINE THE TONGUE BUT GOD CAN. HE CHANGES US FROM THE INSIDE OUT AND REFINES OUR TONGUE AND USES IT FOR HIS GLORY.
Jas.3:26
26If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.
1 Peter 3:10-11
"Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil
and his lips from deceitful speech.
11He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it.
NOW LET’S LOOK AT A COUPLE OF PASSAGES IN PROVERBS WHICH GIVES US SOME INSTRUCTION AND GUIDANCE FOR THE USE OF OUR TONGUE:
Prov 18:7-8
7A fool's mouth is his destruction, And his lips are the snare
of his soul. 8 The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles,
And they go down into the inmost body.
Prov 18:21
21Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those
who love it will eat its fruit.
SINCE DEATH AND LIFE ARE IN THE POWER OF THE TONGUE IT WOULD BE TO OUR ADVANTAGE TO ALLOW THE HOLY SPIRIT TO TAME OUR TONGUE, OUR SPEECH OR OUR WORDS AND USE THEM TO PROMOTE HEALTH, PROSPERITY AND SUCCESS IN EVERY AREA OF OUR LIVES. JAMES TELLS US IN THIS VERSE THAT OUR TONGUE MUST COME UNDER THE DISCIPLINE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT OR OUR RELIGION OR BEING A CHRISTIAN WILL BE WORTHLESS
LET ME TELL YOU 3 WAYS TO CORRECT YOUR TONGUE:
Rom 6:12-14
12Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
OUR TONGUE IS ONE OF OUR MEMBERS THAT HAS BEEN DELIVERED FROM THE DOMINANCE OF THE SIN NATURE AND WE CAN REFUSE TO USE IT FOR ANYTHING OTHER THAN GLORIFYING GOD. WE HAVE TO LEARN TO YIELD OUR TONGUE TO THE INFLUENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AND NOT JUST TO ANY SPIRIT OR WHIM THAT CROSSES OUR MINDS. WE HAVE TO TEST THE SPIRIT TO SEE WHETHER THEY ARE FROM GOD, FROM SELF OR FROM THE DEVIL. LISTEN, WE DON’T HAVE TO SIN AS A CHRISTIAN, WE CHOOSE TO SIN. WHAT PAUL IS SAYING HERE IN ROMANS IS THAT AS A CHRISTIAN WE DON’T MAKE A PRACTICE OF SIN BUT IF WE OCCASIONALLY TRIP AND STUMBLE WE CAN GET RIGHT WITH GOD AND CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE HIS LOVE, BLESSING AND PROVISION FOR OUR LIVES.
Jas.3:7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, 8but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
WE NEED TO FACE THE TRUTH, WE CAN’T CONTROL OUR OWN TONGUE. WE NEED TO SURRENDER THE CONTROL OF OUR TONGUE TO GOD CAUSE NO MAN CAN TAME THE TONGUE BUT GOD CAN. WHY? CAUSE GOD’S IN THE HEART CHANGING BUSINESS AND OUT OF THE ABUNDANCE OF THE HEART THE MOUTH SPEAKS. WE MUST LEARN HOW TO SUBMIT TO GOD’S DISCIPLINE OF OUR TONGUE BEFORE WE CAN EXPECT TO BE SUCCESSFUL AT WORK AT CHURCH, AT HOME, WITH OUR SPOUSES AND IN OUR OTHER MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPS.
ANOTHER FACTOR IN THE DISCIPLINE OF THE TONGUE IS TO KNOW WHY GOD CREATED US WITH A TONGUE IN THE FIRST PLACE. WE WILL LOOK AT THIS NEXT WEEK.
