THE
BODY OF CHRIST - ANDTHE TONGUE
Pastor
Larry Gatlin, So Oregon
This month I want to deal with a huge
problem in the Body of Christ. I have made mention of it from time to time, but
I’ve never spent a whole article on the subject of, “The Tongue”. The tongue plays such an important role in how we live
our Christian lives. It can lead us in a positive or a negative direction. The
Bible has a lot to say about the tongue and how it affects our lives.
Many times we speak words without truly understanding how they will
touch other people. It is so important that we examine our hearts and our
tongues on a regular basis.
I am going to look at eight types of
tongues that affect our lives every day. We will explore four that are negative
and four that are positive.
Let’s start by reading James 3:1-12.
Not many of you should presume to be
teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more
strictly.
2 We 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.
3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them
obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or 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. 5
Likewise 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. NIV
In the times we are living in it is so important for us to learn to be a
blessing to others and not a pain in the neck. We must learn how to love people
with all our hearts. A great part of it is learning how to control our tongues.
The words that we speak in our lives every day can have a major effect on the
lives of people we come in contact with.
As we begin let’s look at how negative tongues affect our lives and
others.
First is a “Bitter Tongue”. It usually springs forth out of
past hurts and the frustrations of life. A bitter tongue happens when we face
problems and people in our lives that have left a scar and we fail to forgive.
I have said many times that the failure to forgive causes a lot of the hurts
and frustrations that we face in life. I don’t know if I’ve heard or read this
somewhere before but it popped into my mind as I was preparing to preach this
message. It is this, “We must never allow our past to destroy our destiny.” A
bitter tongue speaks about hurts. The hurts don’t have to be actual hurts.
Sometimes they are just perceived hurts. Hurts that we think came from people
who said something about us, but they actually never said anything at all about
us. These hurts usually come when we have had a disagreement with some one and we go away thinking that they are out to get
us. When the truth is, they forgot the whole thing by the time they got home.
It’s usually based on a thought that the enemy has placed in our hearts. I will
never believe that satan can
read our minds. But I do believe that he can and will try to feed our minds
with his filth and all manner of garbage.
A bitter tongue also speaks fear, doubt, and gossip about others. A
bitter tongue does not belong to a Christian and we must never allow it a place
in our lives. Bitter words are like hurtful arrows that pierce the lives of
people as well as our own lives.
The second type of tongue that I want to look at is a, “Cursing, Lying
Tongue”. Cursing isn’t just using the Lords name in vain.
Although that is a part of it, it also includes lying and spreading gossip and
rumors about others. It is when we allow ourselves to fall into the trap of the
enemy that we come into association with a spirit of witchcraft. It happens
when we begin to speak evil over other people’s lives. We must never use these
types of words over people. But we must never allow ourselves to come under the
influence of others who speak these types of words over people.
A lying tongue is so closely associated with a cursing tongue that you
can’t separate them. A lying tongue is a garbage pit and will always lead
people into destruction. This is another trap of the enemy that we must avoid.
Ps 10:2-7: The wicked in his pride
persecutes the poor; Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised. 3
For the wicked boasts of his heart's desire; He blesses the greedy and
renounces the LORD. 4 The wicked in his proud countenance does not
seek God; God is in none of his thoughts. 5 His ways are always
prospering; Your judgments are far above, out of his
sight; As for all his enemies, he sneers at them. 6 He has said in
his heart, "I shall not be moved; I shall never be in adversity." 7
His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and oppression; Under
his tongue is trouble and iniquity. NKJV
The third tongue is a “negative tongue.” It never looks
for the positive but always sees the negative. A negative tongue never sees
anything good about life, other people, or even themselves.
It’s good in the times we are living in to be prepared for whatever may
happen. But we must never jump into using a negative tongue. We can’t afford to
spend our time in expectation of the roof caving in. We must always realize
that God has a better plan and that He will intervene and help us in our time
of need.
We especially must never allow ourselves to speak negatively about other
people.
Ps 12:1-7 Help, LORD, for the godly
man ceases!
For the faithful disappear from among
the sons of men.
2 They speak idly everyone with his neighbor;
With flattering lips and a double
heart they speak.
3 May the LORD cut off all flattering lips,
And the tongue that speaks proud
things,
4 Who have said,
"With our tongue we will prevail;
Our lips are our own;
Who is lord over us?"
5 "For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of
the needy,
Now I will arise," says the LORD;
"I will set him in the safety for
which he yearns."
6 The words of the LORD are pure words,
Like silver tried in a furnace of
earth,
Purified seven times.
7 You shall keep them, O LORD,
You shall preserve them from this
generation forever. NKJV
The fourth type of tongue is a deceitful tongue. It is akin to a lying tongue
but it is even worse. It deliberately plots to destroy individual lives and
groups of people. A deceitful tongue will take partial truth and distort it. It
will also tell out and out lies in order to destroy some one
or something. The enemy has used deceitful tongues to try and destroy church
bodies for years. But when we are alive in Christ and tuned into the Holy
Spirit, a deceitful tongue doesn’t stand a chance.
A deceitful tongue will gossip, back bite, and spread rumors. It will
also speak hateful and evil words. Usually a deceitful tongue will feel like it
is justified in what it is saying and doing. But there is no justification for
such words or actions.
Ps 5:9 For there is no faithfulness in their
mouth;
Their inward part is destruction;
Their throat is an open tomb;
They flatter with their tongue. NKJV
Ps 52:1-3
Why do you boast in evil, O mighty
man?
The goodness of God endures
continually.
2 Your tongue devises destruction,
Like a sharp razor, working
deceitfully.
3 You love evil more than good,
Lying rather than speaking
righteousness. NKJV
Just before we launch into the power of a positive tongue let me say a
few more words about the negative. I have heard a lot “we don’t smoke, and we
don’t chew, and we don’t go with the girls that do, sermons.” But I haven’t
heard a lot of sermons on Prov. 6:16-19.
16 These six things the LORD hates,
Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:
17 A proud look,
A lying tongue,
Hands that shed innocent blood,
18 A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that are
swift in running to evil,
19 A false witness who speaks lies,
And one who sows discord among
brethren. NKJV
In verse 16 the word abomination appears. This word means, loathsome and
detestable. In other words, God can’t stand them. People over the ages have
tried to destroy others and every time they have used on or more of these
methods to accomplish their evil schemes. It is something that Father is so
opposed to that He calls it an “Abomination”. I can’t imagine any Born Again
Christian allowing his or herself to fall into the trap of allowing the enemy
to influence them in such a way.
Pray that the Lord will place a guard over your heart and never allow
the enemy to gain influence that will bring you to a place like this. Every one
of these points in Prov. 6”16-19 has to do with the use of the tongue. They
also have to do with falling into pagan practices and rituals. Stay away from
them. If you see the enemy trying to open a door to your life in these areas,
run as fast as you can away from them.
Now we want to go to the power of a positive tongue. I know that I could
be accused of falling into the “Word of Faith” Camp. Well, I have a thought.
Isn’t Word of Faith better than Word of Doubt? Just a thought!
The fifth tongue that I want to look at is actually a, “Creative
Tongue”. A creative tongue is one that speaks prophetically,
encouragingly, edifyingly, and exhorts others on to works of faith and
righteousness. It is a tongue that sees the positive side of life and always
expects God to intervene not matter what is happening. It is a tongue that
speaks about the goodness of God and how He will provide in every area of life.
It is a tongue that never falls into the trap of speaking in a negative way
towards others.
Ps 51:10-13 Create
in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within
me.
11 Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from
me.
12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your
generous Spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You. NKJV
The sixth tongue I want to look at is a Praising, worshipping
tongue.
It is a tongue that always blesses others. It says things like, “You
sure a great brother or sister in the Lord. I thank God for your friendship.
God has great things in store for you. And never allows criticism to flow out
of their mouth. It is a tongue that strengthens others and wants the best for
their lives. It is a tongue that comes from a heart that desire
for every one to reach their God appointed DESTINY
and fulfill Gods call on their lives.
The reason that they are able to speak good about others is because they
have spent time speaking adoration, praise, and worship unto the Lord. They
have spent so much time with the Lord that garbage just doesn’t flow out of
their mouths. When you spend time praising and worshipping the Lord, you just
don’t have time for anything negative to creep in.
Ps 71:22-24 Also
with the lute I will praise You —
And Your
faithfulness, O my God!
To You I will sing with the harp,
O Holy One of Israel.
23 My lips shall greatly rejoice when I
sing to You,
And my soul, which You
have redeemed.
24 My tongue also shall talk of Your righteousness all the day long;
For they are confounded,
For they are brought to shame
Who seek my hurt.
NKJV
Ps 66:16-17 Come and hear, all you who
fear God,
And I will declare what He has done
for my soul.
17 I cried to Him with my mouth,
And He was extolled with my tongue. NKJV
Ps 35:28 And
my tongue shall speak of Your righteousness
And of Your praise all the day long. NKJV
Acts 2:23-28: Whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was
not possible that He should be held by it. 25 For David says
concerning Him: 'I foresaw the LORD always before my face, For He is at my
right hand, that I may not be shaken. 26 Therefore my heart
rejoiced, and my tongue was glad; Moreover my flesh
also will rest in hope. 27 For You will not leave my soul in Hades, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. 28
You have made known to me the ways of life; You will
make me full of joy in Your presence.' NKJV
The seventh tongue is a praying tongue. Saints who cry out to God on a
regular basis, they’re not hit and miss with their prayers, but they pray and
touch heaven. They’re the type of prayer warriors that talk to God and expect
Him to answer. They’re the type that meet with God so that they can See what
the Father is doing, and do it and hear what the Father is saying and speak it.
Since Jesus only did what he saw the Father doing and spoke what He
heard the Father saying we must desire to be like Him in every way. Only wanting to hear, see and do what the Father is
saying and doing. It can only happen when we spend time with Him. When we allow
ourselves to step-out of our comfort zones and step into His.
We must lean that living for the Lord is a
matter of moving into the Supernatural. In fact, the Supernatural must become
the normal realm we live in. It can onle happen when we spend time in communication with the
Father through prayer.
John 5:19-20 Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly,
I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father
do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. NKJV
John 14:24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is
not Mine but the Father's who sent Me. NKJV
Jesus spent hours in prayer in order to touch the throne and the heart
of the Father. We too must learn to spend time in prayer to touch the Fathers
heart.
The Eighth and final tongue I want to look at is a, “Spirit Controlled” tongue.
In our original text in James we discovered that the tongue can not be controlled by natural means. The tongue works
like kindling and can start a major fire much like a forest fire. When people
fail to keep a watch over their tongues they are allowing their tongue to
become a spiritual, WMD, a weapon of mass destruction.
A tongue that is not under control of the Holy Spirit brings hurt, fear,
ill feelings and frustrations towards others.
So how do we control our tongue?
#1. We must make a full surrender to
Jesus
#2. By not associating with anything or
anyone who will influence us to surrender the control of our tongue.
#3. a GREAT WAY
IS TO ALLOW OURSELVES TO BE FILLED WITH THE POWER OF THE holy Spirit. I have
never hidden the fact that I am a Pentecostal/Charismatic Believer. So I
believe when we are filled with the Holy Spirit with speaking in unknown
tongues we are allowing the Holy Spirit to have full control over our every
word.
#4. You can also ask the Lord to place a
guard over your tongue. You still have to remain submitted to His authority for
it to work. But He will do His part if you will do yours.
#5. Make a full commitment to follow the
fullness of Gods Word both Living, (JESUS) and
written.
Let’s finish with a scripture that gives us a good guideline.
Eph 5:15-21 See then that you walk
circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16
redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
17 Therefore
do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18
And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the
Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and
hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,
20 giving thanks always for all things
to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear
of God. NKJV
Col 3:16-17 Let the word of Christ dwell
in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and
hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed,
do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through
Him. NKJV
Let me give you three more things.
#1. THERE IS LIFE AND DEATH IN YOUR
TONGUE. WHICH WILL YOU CHOOSE?
Prov 18:21 Death and life are in the power
of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit. NKJV
#2. YOUR TONGUE CAN MAKE YOU OR BREAK YOU
IN SERVING GOD.
Matt 12:37 For
by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be
condemned." NKJV
#3. WHAT YOU PUT INTO YOUR HEART WILL
COME OUT OF YOUR MOUTH. IF YOU PUT IN GOOD THINGS FROM GODS WORD THAT IS WHAT
WILL COME OUT. IF YOU PUT IN THE GARBAGE OF THE WORLD, THAT IS WHAT WILL
EVENTUALLY COME OUT THROUGH YOUR MOUTH.
Matt 12:34-37 Brood of vipers! How can
you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the
mouth speaks. 35 A good man out of the good treasure
of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure
brings forth evil things. 36 But I say to you that for every idle
word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day
of judgment. 37 For by your words you will be
justified, and by your words you will be condemned." NKJV
