Watch Your Mouth!

Terry Siverd
08/23/20 - Sun AM

Link to sermon video: Watch Your Mouth! - T Siverd

WATCH YOUR MOUTH!

Sermon By Terry Siverd / August 23, 2020 / Cortland  Church of Christ

From the days of our youth we've all heard the admonition, Watch Your Mouth!, or some variation thereof.  While a typical day brings temptations to our tongue, our ability to manage our mouth faces even greater tests in times of turbulence:  when things don't go well or when life confronts hardships.  Adding to the difficulty of bridling our tongue is the realization that it is not just what we say, but the way we say it.  Sarcasm and verbal jousting repeatedly puts us in hot water.  Furthermore, tongue troubles are judged not only by WHAT we say and/or HOW we say it, but WHY we say what we say.  As Jesus noted, the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart (Mt.15:18).  Stated another way - - the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart (Mt.12:34 & Lk.6:45).  In our studies in Proverbs, we read words from Solomon which seem to prophesy the words of Jesus:  Watch over your heart with all diligence for from it flows the springs of life (Prov.4:23).

We have asked our church family to read one chapter from the book of Proverbs every day.  Since it sometimes takes more than one reading to grasp the message, we're extending this reading assignment - - we'll do this throughout August and then repeat it again in the month of September.  If you've been reading daily from Proverbs you've surely noticed a strong emphasis on the tongue.  There are a slew of references that jump off the pages and ought to be highlighted in our reading.

First there are repeated cautions about TALKING TOO MUCH.

In light of the fact that God has given us two ears and one tongue it would be wise to listen more than talk.  An old Jewish saying warns:  “A fool's tongue is always long enough to cut his own throat.”  Some people talk way too much.  They are what we call “blabber mouths”.  This is especially true in the world of social media, when restraint is often an after-thought.  In the New Testament (Js.1:19), we are exhorted to:  be swift to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger.  Quite a few of us have this inverted or reversed - - we're slow to hear and quick to speak.

Since today is August 23^rd, if you're keeping up in your reading, you should have already confronted these texts.

Prov.10:19 / where there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise.

Prov.15:28 / The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.

Prov.17:27-28 / He who restrains his words has knowledge...  or Experience uses few words... (NEB)

Solomon warns (Prov.18:13), he who gives an answer before he hears, it is folly and shame to him.

He adds (Prov.29:20), Do you see a man who is hasty in his words?  There is more for a fool than him.

There are also numerous exhortations about SPEAKING THE TRUTH.

Prov.6:16-19 / There are six things which the Lord hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him:  Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that run rapidly to evil, a false witness who utters lies, and one who spreads strife among brethren.  Six chapters later, Solomon reiterates this sin calling it once again an abomination (detestable).  Prov.12:22 / Lying Lips are an abomination to the Lord, but these who deal faithfully are His delight.  Prov.15:4 / The tongue that brings forth healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.

One sin that is closely connected to lying is GOSSIPPING - - TALE-BEARING or RUMORMONGERING.  Although gossip often comes cloaked as truth, more often than not it is filled with half-truths & assumptions.  Solomon notes in Prov.17:9b / He who repeats a matter separates intimate friends.   The word of God does not look fondly on those who are slanderers and whisperers (Prov.16:28 & 18:8).

According to James the brother of the Lord, the tongue can be a fire, the very world of iniquity. It can be salty and much worse - - hellish, poisonous and even deadly.  cf. Js.3:5-12

That which we all ought to aim for is to possess BEAUTIFUL LIPS.

Physically speaking, lips come in all shapes and sizes.  Some are full-bodied and luxurious (both upper and lower).  Others may be slight and not much to catch our attention, except maybe to observe their flaws. A few go to great lengths to embellish their lips with the help of make-up, botox or cosmetic surgery.  Occasionally we might encounter a person with really ugly lips, perhaps due to being badly burned.  I saw a person like that at the Cleveland Clinic years ago - - it was hard not to look away.

But the lips that we're addressing this morning are not flesh and blood, but rather instruments of the heart.  Even the most besmirched physical lips can be things of beauty if used in a wise and godly way.

How do we know what qualifies as one having beautiful lips?

  Solomon enumerates: 

Prov.15:23 / a man has joy in an apt answer, and how delightful is a timely word!

Prov.12:25 / Anxiety in the heart of a man weighs it down, but a good word makes it glad.

Prov.16:24 / Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

Prov.25:11 / Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a word spoken in the right circumstances.

PROV.10:11 / The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life...

Tying in with Solomon's sacred words of wisdom from the Old Testament are two texts from the apostle Paul.  Eph.4:29 / Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear.  And Col.4:6 / Let your speech be with grace, seasoned, as it were, with salt, so that you may know how you should respond to each person.

This God-given wisdom from Proverbs is neither estoeric nor theoretical, it is for all of us and is doable.  There is one more passage from Proverbs that I want to leave with us.  Prov.18:21 / Death and life are in the power of the tongue...

Dear Heavenly Father, We praise You and we thank You for Your Word, which continues to shape and mold our lives.  May this be the case as we consider our mouths and lips.  Help us to be doers of the Word.  Bless us Father with beautiful lips that are able to edify others and to extend grace to our family & friends.  Make us keenly aware of the power of tongue and the influence of the words we speak.  Make we guard our lips that we might be careful in what we say and how we say it.  Even more, help us to watch over our hearts, examining why we say what we say.  Through Jesus the Word enfleshed, who spoke always with grace and truth, we pray.  Amen.