Just as we can use harsh or thoughtless words to break people down, we can use kind and well-chosen words to build others up. Today, on Turning Point, Dr. David Jeremiah continues his look at the tongue's awesome capacity with a focus on the positive impact our words can have on those we love. with the conclusion of his message. Power up your words, the power of the tongue.
Here's David. You know, every one of us as Christians should have to take a repeated course on this throughout our Christian life because. While we know what we should do, and we know how important it is that we keep our discussion the way God would have it to be and use our tongue in a A way to build people up and not tear them down. We often fail. And we fail because we don't keep it before us.
The Word of God will keep it before us. Proverbs keeps this subject before you. It's one of the prominent subjects in this book. And we bring this to you because we know God wants us to take time to consider what we say and not say things and let things come from our mouth that are hurtful and cause damage to other people. You can say words, but you can't take them back.
You can ask for forgiveness, but it doesn't erase the word.
So we're learning about that from the book of Proverbs. And today is part two of Power Up Your Words, the Power of the Tongue. We'll get to it in a moment. Don't forget that during the month of August, our resource is the book, God's Heart for Israel. We've been telling you about it.
It's a wonderful treasure to have, especially at this time as we face the growing sense of anti-Semitism in our country. Ask for your copy of God's Heart for Israel when you send your gift to Turning Point today. And before we get into our lesson, let me just say to our friends in Canada how blessed we are to have you as a part of this program. And we want you to know that when you give to Turning Point, your gift goes to the office in Canada. It doesn't come to the United States.
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Now, here is today's lesson on powering up your words: the power of the tongue. There are many people who have never set fire to a man burned at the stake, who have never clapped their hands at the shrieks of those who in agony are being torn apart by some lion in a coliseum. There are people who have never beat the drums to drown out the agonizing cry of those who were offered to the fiery god of Molech. But there are people without number who assassinate friends and neighbors and acquaintances by untrue tale bearing. Vicious and evil words, I don't think there's any one of us who has been free of feeling the sting of unkind words.
Winston Churchill was attending an official ceremony in London. And there were two men behind him who recognized him and began to whisper behind his back. One of them said, They say Churchill's quite senile now. Yes, they say he's doing England more harm than good. They say he should step aside and leave the running of this government to younger and more dynamic people.
Churchill turned around and with a loud voice said, They also say he's quite deaf. You just never know who's listening. When you're talking. A gossiping tongue. Let me give you one last one.
A flattering tongue. Listen carefully to the difference between flattering and gossiping. If gossip is saying behind a person's back what you would never say to his face, Flattery is saying to his face what you would never say behind his back. And there is in the book of Proverbs a number of warnings about flattering. When we talked about morality back at the beginning of this series, remember one of the tools that a seductress uses is flattery in chapter 6, verse 24, to keep you from the evil woman, from the flattering tongue of a seductress.
Chapter 7, verse 21, with her enticing speech, she caused him to yield, and with her flattering lips, she seduced him. Chapter 26, verses 24 and 25 says, He who hates disguises it with his lips, and lays up deceit within himself. When he speaks kindly, watch this, do not believe him, for there are seven abominations in his heart. Isn't that interesting? When a person is a flatterer, I talked about this earlier, a stroker.
Who cannot ever be around you that they're not stroking you about something, and after a while, it's like it doesn't mean anything anymore because it's so consistent. I'm not trying to tell you, don't say good things to people. We're gonna talk about that in a moment. But sometimes what you see on the outside is not what's going on on the inside. In this particular situation, this person is speaking sweet words, and there are seven abominations in his heart.
Flattery is a tool that can be used to manipulate people. and it doesn't come from a foundation of reality. This whole business of Passing around information. and slander and gossip. And repeating things that ought not to be repeated can be the destruction of any organization.
And it seems to me that in a church where we want to really have closeness in our groups and all of that, we always need to be on guard. I have a little thing that I use that's very helpful to me when people call me and they tell me something about somebody. I said, you know what, before you tell me that, let me just help you with it. I want you to know that as soon as you get done with this, I'm going to call that person up and tell them exactly what you said.
So, if you want to go ahead and tell me, I'll be happy to pass it on to them, although it might be best if you do it. I have never had a conversation continue after I've made that statement, ever. We have to be careful that we don't become repositories. Of evil speech. We have to be on guard to keep that away from us because once we hear it, we can't unhear it.
May God give us discipline to do that because So often things Can get so twisted once the story gets started. There was a cartoon in Leadership Magazine that showed.
Something being passed verbally from one pew to the next, like a person would turn around and pass it to the next pew. And this is what they did to show how. This can get out of hand. The first pew. The person says, my ear kind of hurts.
The second pew said, the pastor has an earache. The third pew said, the pastor got a hearing aid. And the fourth pew heard the pastor's having trouble hearing. And the fifth pew said, the pastor got a double earring. Yeah.
And the sixth pew, an old lady with a cane is walking out and she says, That's it, I'm out of here. The pastor's got a double earring. That was in Leadership Magazine, just to show how things deteriorate once they get out of hand. Oh, how careful we should be that our tongues are not tools to tear down and break down. I wish I had more time, but I've got to move on to the positive part of this.
Let's talk about the tongue that builds up. Once again, from the book of Proverbs. And the first thing you notice when you start looking for it is that there's a number of references to a righteous tongue. Did you know that God can give your tongue? The characteristic that is described as righteous, that means good and holy and helpful.
A righteous tongue is referenced in chapter 10, verse 11. The mouth of the righteous is a well of life. But violence covers the mouth of the wicked. 10, 20 says, The tongue of the righteous is choice silver. 10.21 says, The lips of the righteous feed many.
Chapter 10, verse 31 says, The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom. Chapter 10, verse 32 says, The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable. Isn't that a great thought there?
Somebody says, How do you know what you should say or what you shouldn't say? The Bible says that the lips of the righteous person know what is acceptable. And how many of you know that when you are walking with the Lord and the Holy Spirit's in control of your life, you can almost sometimes feel words get caught in your throat as the Spirit of God says, don't say that. Keep that in your spirit. The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable.
So, the Bible tells us that we should start with righteousness. Let me talk about a restoring tongue. In the book of Proverbs, there are many references to a kind of restoration that can be the result of the use of our tongue. And you know what? I want to have a tongue that heals and restores and builds up and strengthens and edifies.
That's why God ultimately gave us this tongue that it might bless. You want your tongue to be the instrument of righteousness and blessing.
So let's talk about how your tongue can have a restoring and healing ministry. In 15, 4 it says, A wholesome tongue is a tree of life. And the word wholesome there is literally the Hebrew word healing. A healing tongue is the tree of life. You know what it's like?
Have you been around people who have healing words and encouraging words? Chapter 15, verse 1 gives another clue as to how our tongue can restore. Listen to this. A soft answer turns away wrath. But a harsh word stirs up anger.
When you walk into a situation and things have heated up at home between Maybe you and one of the children, or one of your children and your other half. You don't want to jump in at the same decibel level. You want to jump in with a soft answer. And bring it down. That's what the Bible says can happen with the healing use of the tongue.
Chapter 15, verse 23 says, A man has joy by the answer of his mouth.
Now, watch this. and a word spoken in due season, how good it is. And I wrote down in my notes a timely word. You know, we ought to ask God to give us by His Holy Spirit the sensitivity so that We have the ability to give a timely word. Have you illustrations in your own life that someone spoke a timely word to you?
I can think back many times when there was a timely word spoken. in due season in my life. And I'm thankful that God has used me on occasion to speak. A timely word to someone else and help them through a difficult time.
So, your tongue can be used as a healing tongue. By being sensitive to the situation and speaking a word in due season. Chapter 16, verse 24 says, Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul, and health to the bones. Chapter 25, verse 11 says, A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold. in settings of silver.
Everybody, take that picture right now in your mind's eye on a beautiful table in the den. In a bowl. are these beautiful gold apples. surrounded by absolutely pure silver. And that's the picture.
The writer of Proverbs presents for a word that is fitly spoken. Spoken at the right time and the right way to the right person for the right reason, for the right length of time. Oh, when you do that and God uses you to do that, it is a beautiful picture to behold, a healing and positive and couraging picture. Let me give you one last one. Chapter 31, verses 8 and 9.
It says, open your mouth for the speechless in the cause of all who are appointed to die. Open your mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy. This says we can use our mouths to help those who are in trouble. We can plead the cause of the poor and needy. We can use our tongues.
As ministers of hope and help to those who are less fortunate than we are. We can plead their cause and stand up for them and encourage them. These are just some of the things the book of Proverbs says are good ways for us to have restorative tongues. building up one another, edifying one another with our speech. Here's another category of tongues that bless.
And that is a restrained tongue. And this is really important because throughout the Proverbs, in one way or another, we are told of several situations where the best thing for us to say is Nada. Nothing. While it is wonderful to see a word that is fitly spoken, It is also wonderful to see somebody who's got enough sense to keep their mouth shut and not speak at all when that's appropriate. Have you ever been in a situation where you would like to read these Proverbs to somebody?
Well, let me give you the ammunition you need. Take careful note here because these are really important: the restrained tongue. Chapter 10 and verse 19. In the multitude of words Sin is not lacking. But he who restrains his lips Is wise.
That's great, isn't it? In the matter of speaking, more is not better. Chapter 13, verse 3. He who guards his mouth preserves his life. But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction.
Chapter 17, verse 27, he who has knowledge spares his words. And a man of understanding is of calm spirit. Have you ever noticed when you get around people who are wise, and usually they have some years on them? And you get in a group. It's the young bucks that are doing all the talking, and it's the older guys who are doing all the listening.
But when they finally say something, it's worth more than everything that's been said up to that point. Don't you believe it's good for us to all be on our way toward that place? I mean, we've had enough experience of blurting it all out only to feel foolish that we did and wish later we'd have kept our mouths shut. And then we get in the presence of somebody who has knowledge and he spares his words. He's got a calm spirit, restrained lips.
Here's another one. And this is my favorite one. Chapter 17, verse 28. Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace. When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive.
You might think, well, I'm not wise.
Well, let me give you a leg up on this whole thing. Just keep quiet and people might not know.
So sometimes more is not better.
Sometimes less is better. And as we get older, don't we start to measure our words more? I remember going to meetings and committee meetings when I was a young pastor, and I thought I had answers to questions nobody was even asking. And the longer I've been in the ministry, the more I realize how difficult the questions are. and how very few really simple answers there are.
And how unqualified I am. as a human being to give very many of them. My friends, I only have authority. When it comes to answers, when I stand up here. and hold this book in my hands and teach what it says.
Otherwise, I have no wisdom of my own. That is worthy of being shared from Sunday to Sunday. I would be such a foolish man to do that. But I can be confident in the Word of God because it lives and abides forever, and God uses it to change lives. Here's another restraining verse.
Chapter 18, verse 13 says, He who answers a matter before he hears it. It is a shame and a folly to him.
Now, let me just give you a little information here that will help you with that. How many of you, when you're in a conversation, do this? Maybe it's a little bit of a tense one. They're asking a question, and you're not really listening to them because you've heard just enough and you're trying to think about what you're going to say.
So they're asking a question. You got the first third of it. You've already formulated your answer. They take a right turn after the first third and go in a totally different direction. But you formulated an answer to the first third.
They ask this question. You answer that question. And you never meet. Do you know what? That's exactly what happens in many marital difficulties.
We don't listen to one another. And the Bible says, restrain yourself from talking until you hear the matter. Listen to it. Get all of it. Understand it.
And if you don't understand it completely before you answer it, ask some qualifying questions. Let me see if I can rephrase for you what I think you said so that I can answer it correctly. Oh, how critical that is. The Bible is so full of wisdom when it comes to personal relationships. Chapter 26, verse 4 says, Do not answer a fool according to his folly.
Here's another place where you should restrain your lips. lest he be wise in his own eyes. That's interesting, isn't it?
Somebody comes along and asks a stupid question. You say, are there such things?
Well, we're not supposed to have stupid questions in church. And if my grandson was here, he would say that I just said a bad word because he's not allowed to say the word stupid, and I probably shouldn't be saying it either. He would say, Poppy, that's a bad word. Ignorant questions, how's that? And sometimes you know that the ignorant questions are being asked for the wrong reason, not with a sincere spirit.
The Bible says. Don't even answer such a question because you give credence to the person who has asked it. I want to tell you something. If you take the book of Proverbs. And you study it with the idea of it helping you in your life at home and in the place where you work.
and in the relationships that you have, you will find so much practical truth. You can meditate on these Proverbs from day to day and from week to week, and you can grow in your ability to relate to one another just by studying the wisdom of the Old Testament. the power of the tongue. I want to conclude by telling you where all of this starts and how we deal with it. I want you to look with me at Proverbs 18, 4.
The words of a man's mouth are deep waters. The wellspring of wisdom is a flowing brook. In the New Testament, We read. What this means. In Matthew chapter 12 and verse 34, we read.
That out of the abundance of a man's heart His mouth speaks. Why do we say the things that we say? Are these things that we say from the chin up? No, these things that we say are from the heart up. And the words that come out of our mouths, sometimes surprising even us.
are often The normal natural reactions of what's going on in our heart. And if you get with a person who's under pressure and under stress, Sooner or later, what's in that person's heart will bubble up through the mouth. and the words will be heard. Does that mean that every time somebody says something that they shouldn't have said? That it's a major crime and a major sin, and there's needing to be a major overhaul.
No, but if there is a continual reflection, Of that kind of spirit from a person's heart. For instance, If a person is always wanting to talk about sordid things, Sexual things outside of the boundaries of the beauty God has given to them. If every time you're with a person, and believe me, this can happen even among Christians and among Christian men. They always want to tell you a story that pushes to the edge of that which is legitimate. And it's just their constant problem.
I want to tell you something: out of the heart comes the words. When we speak, We reveal our hearts. The same thing is true on the other side. When you see a person who just is always speaking kind words and loving words and affirming words, it's because that person has a kind and loving and affirming heart. And therefore, if there's any one admonition that comes to us from the book of Proverbs, it is from the fourth chapter and verse 23, where we read these words: keep your heart with all diligence.
For out of it sprang the issues of life. I don't want you to go away from here saying, Well, I got to go home and make all this list of things I'm not supposed to say and things I'm not supposed to do, things I am supposed to say, and things I am supposed to do. That's not really the issue. The issue is to guard your heart. To feed your heart with God's word, to give your heart every chance to be godly and righteous by bringing to it the witness and testimony of others.
I know it might surprise you to know that during the year I subscribe to pastors that I really respect all over the country. I listen to them all the time in my car, when I'm going up to work out every day and on the way home sometimes. And I'm always trying to feed my heart. My friends, your heart won't be fed the right stuff normally and naturally without you taking a proactive approach to it.
So guard your heart. Because out of your heart are the issues of life, and what's in your heart will ultimately spring out of your mouth and the things that you say. Amen?
So guard your heart. And let me say to you that if your heart is not The home. Of the wonderful Lord Jesus, you may have periodic moments of goodness. But your heart cannot be the source of strength for your lips until Christ is at home there. The historians have told us that your heart is an empty place without God.
And until God is at home in your heart, until Jesus Christ is on the throne of your life. You cannot have the kind of heart that will produce. The righteous kinds of talk that we've been discussing. It all begins with who's in your heart. who's on the throne of your heart.
And Christians, you can have Jesus Christ in your life, but if He's not seated on the throne of your heart, you can have just as wicked a mouth as the next person. The critical issue is, where is Christ in your life? You know, Bill Bright used to draw the little picture of the chair in the middle and said, you know, you can have Christ out here at the circumference of your life, but if He's not seated on the throne, He is not in control. Let me ask you this question: Is Jesus Christ in your heart? Have you made Him your Savior?
Have you asked Him to come into your heart and have you received Him as your Savior? And if you're a Christian, is Jesus Christ in control of your life? Or have you pushed him out to the circumference, and therefore you have this mixed fountain coming from your mouth? of wickedness and godliness and How can any two things coexist like that?
So the writer of Proverbs Has given us the key. And that key is to keep our heart with all diligence, for out of it, are the issues of life.
Now the book of Proverbs is visual, so I want you to be visual. And I want you to view your life. as it were your heart. And I want you to look into your heart and ask yourself today. Is Christ in my heart?
Have I invited him in? And if he is in, have I given him control of my heart? Amen. The old adage is you can have the Holy Spirit as resonant. or you can have the Holy Spirit as present.
I hope you've invited Jesus Christ into your life. If you haven't done that, do that now. It doesn't take being in church for this to happen. You just have to ask Jesus Christ to come and forgive your sin and give you the gift of eternal life, which He's promised to all who will come to Him and ask for it. He will do it.
It's an instantaneous thing. You pass from death to life in a moment when you accept Jesus Christ and then make Him Lord of your life. Not just your Savior, but your Lord. Put Him on the throne of your heart and let Him help you live your life with purpose. That's one of the main objectives of Turning Point.
We don't ever like to move too far away from that. We thank you for the privilege we have of sharing this. A redemptive message every day around the world and here in the United States. God bless you and have a great day. We'll see you tomorrow.
Today's message originated from Shadow Mountain Community Church and senior pastor Dr. David Jeremiah. Drop us a note to let us know how God is using this ministry in your life. Right to Turning Point, PO Box 3838, San Diego, California, 92163. Visiting our website at davidjeremiah.org/slash radio.
That's davidjeremiah.org slash radio or by calling 800-947-1993. Ask for your copy of David's new book, God's Heart for Israel. It's yours for a gift of any amount. You can also stream more than 1200 of Dr. Jeremiah's messages on demand on any screen, on our streaming service Turning Point Plus.
For a monthly gift of any amount, visit TurningPointPlus.org for details. This is David Michael Jeremiah. Join us tomorrow as we continue Powerful Principles from Proverbs on Turning Point with Dr. David Jeremiah. I'm going to use a bottle of the same method.
