Words (Part 1 of 2)

The Bible have to say about the words choose the words we use your entry for life were to study the book of Proverbs called wise words with the practical series that applies God's wisdom every day life today. Alister Beck describes the powerful effect of our words CHAPTER 13 and I launching pad verse. If you like to what is yet another topical study unusual for us, but I think profitable at the moment will be the third verse Proverbs chapter 13 and verse three and Solomon writes he who guards his lips guards his life but he who speaks rationally will come to ruin father we pray now that with our Bibles open before us. You will teach us from your word will grant to his correction will train us in the path of righteousness that you will convict us of that which is displeasing to you that you will engender in is a genuine desire to become not only students of your book, but also those who by your divine enabling put into practice what we learn. Save us from being tasters without benefiting from the nutrition of your word for. We pray in Jesus name, amen. It's probably superfluous for me to begin with this question.

Do you remember your children's first words some of the dads may have a little difficulty but most of the moms will be on it immediately. Indeed, every so often in the course of conversation as your children grow something triggers in your mind the first phraseology of their tiny lives and you get very nostalgic about it and you tell them I remember exactly what it was you said as young parents.

We were very eager to hear our children put a phrase together any kind of phrase it would be fine. Just say something were desperate. Having found that they can walk to discover if they're able to talk. We recall even now through the years, the inexpressible joy that was represented in hearing them say, for the very first time daddy or mommy or my daddy, which would be even better.

Or my mom. We can recall still, those of us who are a little older. The evenings when we inquired of them how their day had been, and we listened attentively as they recounted the activities of the day giving is a blow-by-blow account far more information than we were bargaining for and yet still in the infancy of it all enthralled by their words we listen carefully rejoicing in every aspect of the tail then somewhere inexplicably along the journey. Things began to change was probably a car journey for many of us when the moment of distinction appeared, we find ourselves demanding that the lips to which we had begun to listen with great care should be closed indefinitely, and until further notice.

We man out of put it in those terms by the children in the bag were in no doubt and it was for many of us dramatically reveal the distinction when on a road trip to Florida. We found that we were aging dramatically as the my launcher ticked over and we saw in their rearview mirror. A picture of what we thought was our father, but it was actually Ott's and we had coming from our lives. Words that we had sworn we would never ever say we started to see in exasperation. If you let nothing kind to say, or if I hear that word from you again. I want to pull the car over or when we get there. If you say that one more time, I'll wash your mouth out with disgusting so and so it was that from the lips of our children.

We were forcibly reminded of what we as adults knew to our cost into our shame that I Solomon puts it in Proverbs the tongue has the power of both life and death, or is James in chapter 3. As we read it says it so succinctly I would have the same mouth comes praise and cursing and inconsistency which is not impossible, but which nevertheless is incongruous and as our children grew, they began to remind us of the fact that words are seldom neutral.

Indeed, in the week that is past, we have employed words add verbs, adjectives, verbs and nouns. The whole deal putting them together in a way that had the potential for engendering strife, creating confusion, dissension amongst those who until that point were getting along quite happily.

We also have known. I hope in the week that is gone. The ability to put phraseology together in such a way so as to encourage our listeners to nourish them and to heal them. It's already apparent that we have moved from the consideration of friendship and laziness and jealousy to put ourselves under the searching gaze of Scripture as the spotlight turns onto all the nukes and crannies in our life and probes us exposing what we are really like, in the matter of our mouths are lips are words we taught our children to sing will be careful little feet where you go. Be careful little eyes. What you see will be careful little hands when you judge.

Be careful little lips what you say for there's a father up above and these looking down and love shall be careful little lips what you say we were simply inverse affirming the story of Hebrews for that every word that is spoken is hared by God that nothing misses his gaze that our lives are exposed before him, and the Bible has an inevitably uncanny capacity to discriminate and to search and to probe the very recesses of that which we seek even to hide from ourselves, said Brooks, one of the Puritans. We know metals by their tinkling and man by their talking and work on when coins were Ghanaians. You could flip a coin will have your eyes close and you could say that as a nickel or that is a dime or whatever it is. Some of you lived a long time probably still possess that capacity. Certainly there's a big difference between the copper of a halfpenny or a penny in Scotland and a sovereign order half sovereign just a flick it in your hand, you would know by its tinkling what it was. Says Brooks and we know men by their talking on a viewed from three perspectives, using words to harm using words to help using words to hide using words to harm, to help to hide.

First of all, then it is an abuse of language. When we use words to harm this, says the Bible is a sin that is to be avoided. Sin that is not unknown to any of us. Indeed, it is one of the distinctive facts of the fallenness of humanity that we do not need to teach our children how to use words that will be harmful or hurtful. They're just doing what comes naturally to them.

What are the characteristics of words that harm. While there are many, let me just give you three words to summarize it. First of all reckless words, reckless words, another to give you every reference in Proverbs it will be tedious, but you can search and I think you'll find that they're all there. Every so often I'll give you one just because I will.

Proverbs 12 RCT reckless words appears like a sort reckless words appears like a sort the pictures of somebody on she thing the sword and moving it around in an unceremonious and unguarded fashion or in the picture of the Western on television the fella takes his guns out of his pocket and fired indiscriminately into the the Sandy Street underneath the person who is forced to jump in trying to avoid the indiscriminate use of this firepower. Secondly, and along with reckless words which harm or unguarded word unguarded words, Solomon speaks of he who answers before listening. He says that is to his folly and shame. We know what it is to answer before the question directly. Doctors do it I was.

I wanted to tell you I'm feeling. Let me prescribed for you. I'm sorry I didn't pastors do it to begin preaching before the parsonage shared their story. Husbands begin answering before the wife's of told them what their concern was and it is unguarded talk and begins to volunteer the information before the person is even time to take and to listen and this unguarded reckless unbridled use of the tongue said one of the Puritans is the chariot in which the devil writes thirdly words which are harmful are far too numerous, far too numerous. When words are many, sin is not absent.

It really makes sense doesn't it just in terms of the law of averages that if we speak and we begin to speak to Marge. Inevitably there will be things that are said that wish wish we hadn't said things that we would like to take back and can words that we let slip out that we really never intended to use things that we said about another person that we really should have kept ourselves and the problem is in the volume of it all, words, words, too many words and words are many sin is not absent by these words. We can destroy our neighbor crush the feelings of a friend set fire to relationships between people just without words phenomenal potential for harm. One wrong word may spoil a person's character smeared a person's reputation Marling usefulness of someone's life for a very long time. As a result of the use of words to harm says the point and not very good boy tree, a careless word may Kindle strife accrual word may wreck a life, a bitter word may hate instill a brutal word may smite and kill and James of course develops.

All of this you can read it for your homework.

He says you know the source of all of this is nothing other than Hal.

It is from the pit. The course along which it makes its journey is through the totality of a life. It is wrong for us to think that our words are somehow isolated from our characters that we can speak in a way that is reckless, unguarded, profuse, without somehow or another it in inhabiting and infecting the unfolding of who we are as a person. It affects the whole course of our lives and its forcefulness is such that while we may be able to take shampoo in Sea world and make it do all manner of thing.

No man, he says, has the power to tame the tongue. It is a restless evil fool of deadly poison. Now that language is straightforward. It's clear it's unavoidable it's dreadfully painful because all of us understand and when we use our tongues in a way that is harmful. A number of things will inevitably follow one.

We will divide people who should be friends.

Proverbs 1628 a perverse man stirs up dissension and gossip separates friends in Britain really fair to somebody a man or a woman as being a sister. The individual stirs it up there, not in the room two minutes till they got one person said against another person, did you hear about this. Do you know what she said I was just talking on the phone to so-and-so and she said such and such. I'm only telling you this because it's true. I just have a little prayer request for you in the corner yeah sure a perverse individual stirs up dissension at gossip separates friends said Pascal, the mathematician and philosopher Eileen is a fact that if all men knew what others see them there would not be for friends in the world now that maybe a cynicism attaches to that. But there's also great reality to that's why it's not important to saying everything all the time. Sadly, things are just best left unsaid. Because we all say stupid things. You know the little dog or that we teach our children again is if your lips would keep from slips five things observed with care to you speak all of whom you speak and how and when and where pretty good Junior speaking of whom you're speaking how you're speaking when you're speaking and where you're speaking, if we get realistic about this, then we can cut each other all a lot more slack if were prepared to acknowledge how easily our own tongues or unguarded. How easy it is for us to be reckless by taking out the sword of our tongues and cutting a great swaying through relationship. We know we can do that, therefore, why we surprised if someone else does. That is not to acquiesce to it to tolerated but rather by God's enabling to seek to banish it, but it is not to think too much of the dunking things that have been said, the untrue things that have been said, the malicious things that have been set. What else did you expect for it, it would only be up perfect man who never offended in his words, says James, and only one, mainly Jesus and they marveled at the gracious, tender, kind words that came from his lips. Think about is not difficult to estimate how many friendships are broken. How many reputations or ruin the piece of how many homes destroyed through careless words. Words that harm divide people have two other points. I'm just going to give you the two of them I can expand on harmful words destroyed the praise of God's people.

Ephesians 5 be filled with the spirit Ephesians 4. Do not grieve the Spirit, how would you grieve the Spirit in part by the use of words that harm you cannot. It is impossible to have a vibrant meaningful praise service comprising people who have spent the week with prattling tongues.

You can make a noise.

You can sing the melody's you can engender all kinds of emotional experiences, but the reality of divine spirit filled praise is hindered by the harmful use my tongue.

That's why James puts his finger on it. He says brethren are you really going to do it this way, are you really going to move from person mentor, praising God and these men were made in the likeness of God. Don't you realize how incongruous that is.

He says, and also the use of words that are harmful not only divides people and destroys praise, but it diminishes the progress of the people of God in Jeremiah chapter 7 reading for homework. Jeremiah speaks to the people there and he says you know you think you folks think you're going forward.

Good news for you. You're going backwards and the reason that you're going backwards.

He says, is because the plain instruction of God to you. Your got your fingers in your ears when it comes to listening and you bow your eyes close when it comes to seeing Andrew moving in the wrong direction and at the heart of it all. In verse 28 he says truth has vanished from their lips. Truth is vanished from their lips. They're not going backwards in the tragedy is they think they're going for us three things never come back.

The spent arrow spoken word, the lost opportunity spent arrow spoken word and the lost opportunity. You know the story of the lady who goes to her pastor confesses to them that she's been guilty of spreading malicious rumor around their town.

She feels badly about it. She asked for his help. He says what I want you to do is get a bag of chicken feathers and take them and place them on every doorstep in the whole community and then come back to me and she returned she said I did it and I said what I want you to do is go back down the same pathways and gather up all the feathers put them back in the bag and bring the bag.

Also, the lady, but wait a minute. The wind has been blowing in my absence there everywhere yes is the pastor there.

So your words and you can be forgiven, but you can get them back. See how quickly we can destroy a friendship decimate a relationship. Crush the spirit of some with just this little 3" x 5" piece of mucous membrane that all of us have stuck in here hidden behind our teeth very uncomfortable is that I find it so. So let's turn to the positive sides to that's a little better if the words that harm our reckless, unguarded, and to numerous. How about employing words to help. What will they be marred by let me tell you without extension number one they need always to be honest words, honest words kings take pleasure in honest lips. They value a man who speaks the truth. Secondly, they need to be thought out words, the heart of the righteous ways its answers, but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil, but a great verb gushes evil.

The difference between the circumspect use of language in a completely unbridled reckless use of terminology is it II had a question about such insight and instead of simply getting a word they get a dictionary. I have a centimeters the author Dick it was it was actually humorous at the time and a little painful. Someone asked me about a tag on my golf bag asked me to pronounce the word I pronounce the word and I told him that it was an Indian word and I told him what Indian word meant and I told him how it related to a pigeon that was now extinct in the Smithsonian Institute and a man had made an and I was well into this and the person would ask the question how you pronounce the word I heard him saying from just off the tea while that's a lot more information than I was looking for sites can like just dribbled to a conclusion in the and and try to hit the ball but is the difference between gushing and having unordered response. The words that help will also be fused rather than many Solomon deals with is quite ironically, in chapter 17 when he says even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent and discerning.

If he holds his tongue. We know this from school.

Many of us don't really sit in a chemistry class. You gotta make sure you send is the right person knows what he's talking about an intelligent group.

Don't sit with the clowns.

Whatever they are. If you are a clown move in with the rest and say absolutely nothing.

Learn the art of nodding and shaking and the pursing of the lips and the deep thinking of the ramifications of these great theories and hopefully volunteer nothing at all because even a foolish thought wise if we stay silent. You may be taken as discerning. If you hold your tongue. Alistair Begged with wisdom from the book of Proverbs or series called wise words on Truth for Life and Alister is here again with a special invitation with thank you Bob and it's me again. Yes, saying, why not come and cruise with us at the end of August as we make our way up the Alaskan coastline. You've probably heard me already identifying the fact that I love making new friends becoming acquainted with the people who have supported our ministry for a long time and also enjoy the opportunity to gather to look into the Bible. My part is to teach the Bible and I'm joined by my friends Laura story and Michael O'Brien who will be encouraging eyes as we give to God the praise which he alone deserves all the things that will see along the way, I'm sure we will enjoy. But probably the lasting benefit that we will take from it is that God has met with us as we have had the privilege of being with one another, so mark your calendar for late August. Come along.

I think it will be an unforgettable journey and the website and the phone number. Bob will give to you. That's right. The website is deeper faith cruise.com or you can call 855-565-5519 and if you been enjoying our series in the book of Proverbs. Let me mention our featured book which is called living well this is a perfect complement to further your study in Proverbs. Find out more about the book on our website Truth for Life.org or by using the mobile app Bob Lapine you'll join us tomorrow for the conclusion of this message, called words, Bible teaching of Alistair Begg is furnished by Truth for Life where the learning is