Living Hope Fellowship Church

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. Living Hope Fellowship Church....Sermons by the Pastor

WHAT DID YOU SAY?

by Pastor Kevin Badgley

03/17/99 p.m.

In Matthew 12:34 Jesus says, “. . . out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” Verse 36-37 says, “But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” If we don’t control what we believe and what we stand for, then we can’t control our tongues.

The definition of idle is “useless or unfounded”. There are useless words in our conversation. Philippians 3:20 says, “For our conversation is in heaven. . . .” We are being recorded!

Proverb 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” The power of the tongue is in words.

Jesus said in John 15:7, “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” If we haven’t got control of our conversation, we can’t cast out devils, speak good things, and witness the glory of God! People are wounded worse with the tongue than with the fist. Control of the tongue is one of the most difficult disciplines of a Christian.

Did you ever say a bad word, and your mother asked, What did you say? You were called to give an account of what you said. God is going to do the same thing on judgment day. He will ask, What did you say?

Idle can mean “something that is not in gear”. I know a lot of people who have their mouths going, but their brain is not in gear! Proverb 10:19 says, “In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.” Let’s repent, and get victory over the tongue!

I’m not as witty as I used to be. You have to be careful or you can get into sin. Some people try using their wit in the name of Jesus to win people to Christ, but there is no Bible for that. The Bible says the man’s gift will make room for him. However, a flapping jaw is not a gift! James 3:2 says, “For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.” This verse is one of the guidelines to being like Jesus!

James 3:5 says, “Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! It doesn’t take but just one little spark to burn a whole forest down! Verse 6 says, “And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.”

The tongue will manifest the iniquity of the heart and mind. Gossip, idle words, foolishness, pride, and boasting will defile your body and even the church body! 1 Corinthians 3:17 says, “If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.”

James 3:9-11 says, “Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?”

If a water fountain gave out sewer water, and later someone told you it had been cleaned, would you drink from it? Does God hesitate to use you after the things you have said? We need to repent and have a pure walk with God.

James 1:26 says, “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.” If somebody can’t shut-up, their religion is worthless. However, if we can bridle our tongue, we can bridle our whole body!

Many Christians cannot pray the prayer of faith, because they are defiled by their words. Mark 7:20-21 says, “And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.”

Ecclesiastes 5:2 says, “Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.” What comes out when somebody “punches your button”?

Ecclesiastes 5:3-4 says, “. . . a fool's voice is known by multitude of words. When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.” Do what you say you are going to do, or don’t say it. Verse 5-6 says, “Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay. Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?” You can’t convince God by saying, Well, I was just kidding. I didn’t mean it.

1 Samuel 3:19 says, “And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.” God brought to pass everything Samuel said. Woe be to us if God didn’t let some of our words fall to the ground! Some will continue to “carry on”, but our tongues must get sanctified so we can have revival, cast out devils, and heal the sick. The tongue cannot speak vile things and still speak the Word of life.

To be in the presence of God is the most precious thing we can have! We must get control over the tongue! Put away the fear that you won’t be accepted if you aren’t witty. Don’t go in cahoots with somebody by talking about the same person they don’t like! The operation of sin defiles. The harvest is ready, and we have a great responsibility. We have to walk like Jesus and TALK like Jesus. Then God will honor our words!

livinghope@hughes.net

Phone# 618-634-2541