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[0:00] The words that you speak can fill a 500 page book every week.! It's important that we learn to speak what is right and true, and use our tongue in ways that bless God and lift up others.

[0:16] I want to talk tonight about one of the most exercised muscles of our body, the tongue. There is power in what we say, and death and life are in the power of the tongue.

[0:28] What words do we use? What words do we say? A good man, out of the good treasure of his heart, bringeth forth that which is good. And an evil man, out of the evil treasure of his heart, bringeth forth that which is evil.

[0:45] For out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaketh. Out of what abounds in your heart, you're going to speak. Things are going to come out of your mouth that show, that reveal what's in your heart.

[0:57] The Bible says a lot about the wrong kind of talking, about the wrong kind of words. Talk like gossip, gossiping, criticizing, cursing, crude talk, swearing, lying, boasting and murmuring.

[1:13] What's your words? What's your language? Let's first look at some wrong ways of talking, then we're going to look at some right ways of talking. It says, do all things without murmuring and disputing.

[1:26] Murmuring means grumbling. They're whinging people. We miss the blessings because we're complaining and worried about all the things that aren't just how we'd like them to be.

[1:38] And we miss out in life. It's like that with people who bad mouth and murmur and complain and stir up trouble and gossip and cause discontent.

[1:49] The Bible talks about them in Proverbs 6 verse 19. It talks about people who sow discord among the brethren. So they complain and complain. It rubs off on people.

[2:00] Other people start seeing all the blue side of life. If you're around whinging negative people long enough, you start to pick up the same kind of talking. Some people spend their lives arguing about things, finding something to disagree with somebody on.

[2:15] Finding hateful words and damaging words to criticise people. How do we handle our differences? Are we gentle and patient and humble with other people when they might differ from us?

[2:27] Or do we stir up trouble and arguments and get in all kinds of fights? Disputing is something to avoid soon. Disputing is something to avoid soon. The word gossip. Gossiping. The words that we say, once they're spoken, they're spoken.

[2:42] You can't recall them no matter how hard you try. When you say a bad story or a gossip about somebody else, when you say something bad, you can't bring it back.

[2:54] Don't gossip about other people. Swearing. Don't let your lips dishonor God. Make an effort. Make a conscious effort with yourself, in yourself, not to swear, not to use bad language.

[3:08] Because it dishonors God. What if someone was to say to you, I'm going to pay you $10, $10 for every kind word that you ever spoke about other people.

[3:23] But I'm also going to collect $5 for every unkind word. Would you be rich or poor? Try to utter kind words instead of unkind words.

[3:35] Doing too much talking. Some people talk too much. I'm told there's a story about a South African tribe and they have a trick that they use for someone who's talking.

[3:48] Maybe like me. They don't like long speeches and they get the person who's talking to lift up one leg. And they've got to stop talking when the leg gets tight and they put it down. You've heard all about talking the wrong kind of way.

[4:02] Now let's look at how to sweeten our tongue, how to control our tongue, how to talk right. How to control your tongue. James 1 verse 26 it says, But if any man among you seem to be religious and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.

[4:20] Bridal your tongue. It's like a bit in the mouth of a horse as James describes it. A small thing, yet the whole body is turned by it. We need to watch our tongue and bridle it so that our life will be kept on the right path.

[4:33] The psalmist cried in Psalm 141 verse 3, Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth. Keep the door of my lips.

[4:44] Proverbs 21 says in verse 23, Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue, keepeth his soul from troubles. Hold your tongue. Control your tongue. Put a bridle on it.

[4:56] A bridle, it restrains, it limits, it guides movement. There's a Jewish proverb that says, Nothing causes more trouble than the tongue. Many people have an unbridled tongue.

[5:09] It's not tamed, it's out of control. It's like as James describes also, a tiny spark that starts a raging fire. A bushfire with great potential to cause damage.

[5:20] It's been said it takes a child two years to learn to talk, and it takes a man all his life to learn how to keep his mouth shut.

[5:32] Also, it's true if you wouldn't write it and sign it, don't say it. Our words can be either bitter or sweet. Bitter words are sour.

[5:43] Bitter comments, snide remarks, sharp words that cut like a knife. Instead, sweeten your words. Sweeten it. In James 3 verses 10 to 11, James says, Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing.

[5:59] My brethren, these things ought not so to be. Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? Let your words be sweet, not bitter.

[6:13] Blessing, not cursing. Keep your words clean. You never know when you may have to eat them. There's a story told of a man who wrote critical words against a king, and the king ordered that he eat his book or be executed.

[6:33] One day we might have to eat those words, literally. Instead of them being bitter words, let them be sweet words. Words that encourage, that comfort. Words that are considerate, that give thanks and praise to God.

[6:47] That speak God's word to others. What about words that build others up? Build others up, not run people down.

[6:59] Ephesians 4.29 it says, Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying or building others up, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

[7:13] Don't say corrupt things, literally rotten things, stinking and foul and corrupt, but speak things which would build others up and serve to bless and benefit other people.

[7:26] Another good thing to do is to bless and praise God. Psalm 71 verses 23 to 24 it says, My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee, and my soul which thou hast redeemed.

[7:41] My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long. A man who entered hospital for an operation in Glasgow, an operation upon his tongue.

[7:52] In reply to his inquiries concerning the future, the surgeon told him that he would probably be able to speak with sufficient plainness to be understood, but that he would never sing again.

[8:05] Whereupon the sufferer said that if that were the case, he must have one more song, one more song before his tongue was touched. In the presence of the doctors and nurses, he burst forth into a well-known hymn.

[8:18] There is a fountain filled with blood, drawn from Immanuel's veins, and sinners plunged beneath that flood, lose all their guilty stains.

[8:29] The man concluded with the verse soon in, a nobler, sweeter song, I'll sing thy power to save, when this poor lisping, stammering tongue lies silent in the grave.

[8:42] The chloroform was administered and the operation was performed, but the man never recovered from the ordeal. His last song proved to be his last utterance upon this earth.

[8:57] Likewise, let's use our tongue to bless and praise God. Another thing to do is to give thanks. To give thanks and to be thankful for your salvation, your life in Christ, his many blessings.

[9:12] Have an attitude of gratitude instead of murmuring, grumbling and complaining. The Lord Jesus healed ten lepers, yet only one returned to say, thank you.

[9:25] Let us give thanks instead of grumbling and negative talk. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord. The very best thing that you can do with your tongue, with your words, is confess Christ with your mouth.

[9:42] Confess Christ as your Lord, your Master, your Saviour. That can be your assurance today as you put your trust in him. May the Lord bless you. Let us give thanks again. Let us give thanks a lot of generosity.

[9:53] Let us give thanks a lot of generosity. Let us give thanks a lot of generosity. Let us give thanks a lot of generosity. Let us give thanks a lot of generosity. Let us give thanks a lot of generosity. Let us give thanks a lot of generosity. Let us give thanks a lot of generosity. Let us give thanks a lot of generosity. Let us give thanks a lot of generosity. Let us give thanks a lot of generosity. Let us give thanks a lot of generosity.