Taming the Tongue - Pastor Kenneth Woolf

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New Life COTR Sunday June 17, 2007
THE POWER OF YOUR WORDS
“Taming the Tongue”

INTRODUCTION: We’ve been in this series for a few weeks on “THE POWER OF YOUR WORDS.”
Our words connect us with God. That’s why it’s important that PRAISE AND PRAYER be in our mouth. It connects us with God.
We’ve learned that in the Kingdom of God there is no such thing as “Freedom of Speech.” We need to control our tongue. Why?
OUR WORDS ARE POWERFUL; THERE IS POWER IN OUR WORDS!
Last week we learned that our words affect the quality of our life, they reveal who we truly are on the inside and our words matter to God. We’re going to be judged concerning our speech.
TRANSITION: Today we’re going to focus on “TAMING THE TONGUE.”

James 3:7, 8- “For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.”
So what’s the point pastor? You’ve been wasting our time. If it’s impossible to tame the tongue why are we doing this series?
It’s humanly impossible to tame the tongue. It’s not within our power to do it. BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT GOD IS NOT HUMAN!
He can tame the tongue, after all He created it and He wrote the owner’s manual. He knows how to get the job done.
Exodus 4:10-12- “Then Moses said to the Lord, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue. So the Lord said to him, Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord? Now therefore, go and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say.”
NOTICE WHAT MOSES SAYS IN THIS SCRIPTURE. “I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to your servant.”
How many of us can relate to this. I had a problem with my tongue before I came to Christ, and I continued to have a problem with my tongue after I met Him!
BUT LOOK AT GOD’S RESPONSE TO MOSES AND THIS ENCOURAGES ME.
“Who made your mouth son? I’m the one who can make the blind see and even the mute speak. So go! I’ll be with your mouth, I’ll teach you what to say.”
What an amazing promise from God: I’ll be with your mouth! I love the fact that God can be with our mouths every moment of every day and teach us what to say.
We cannot tame our tongues, but we can submit our words to the Lord and allow Him to tame them.

Mark 13:11- “But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.”
Here we see that the Holy Spirit can fill our mouths and give us the right words to speak.
No you can’t tame your tongue but God can when you submit to Him and the agent He uses is the Holy Spirit.
If I’ll submit my tongue to God, the Holy Spirit, every day He helps me tame the untamable.
TRANSITION: How do we work with God to put a bridle on our tongue? IT TAKES TIME! Just Like a wild horse you put a bit and bridle on, it takes time! It’s a process.
We must cooperate with God to make it possible. THREE PRACTICAL THINGS WE CAN DO TO BRIDLE OUR TONGUE!

1. HOLD ON THERE JUST A MINUTE
The first essential piece of such a bridle is to cultivate the ability to PAUSE!
I’m referring to the rare ability to wait and say nothing for a moment. To pause means to simply not say anything until we know precisely what we should say.
Think back to the words of Proverbs 18:21- “Life and death are in the power of the tongue.”
IF words truly wield the power of life and death, and they do, shouldn’t you and I pause before we let our words fly toward the hearts of the people with whom we live, work and worship?
James 1:19- “Therefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.”
If you’ve had a problem with your temper here’s the key to controlling it. Be slow to speak and quick to listen.
Most of us have it backwards. We’re slow to hear and quick to speak.
Proverbs 21:23- “He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity.”
That would be an excellent verse to memorize. We should say it every morning. It’s our responsibility to guard our tongue.
Proverbs 10:19- “When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.”
There is wisdom in employing the pause principle!
Proverbs 17:27, 28- “A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered. Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue.”
Pause before you speak.
Mark Twain: “It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.”
TRANSITION: Pause, it is the first key to bridling the tongue.

2. LET’S GIVE THAT SOME THOUGHT
Once we’ve paused before speaking, we’re ready to take the next step in successfully bridling our tongue: PONDER!
There are essentially three types of people in the world: (1) Those who think before they speak; (2) Those who think while they speak; (3) Those who think after they speak.
Well there are those who never think. I’ve met a few like that.
You and I can train ourselves to think before we speak!
Proverbs 29:20- “Do you see a man who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for him.”
Since our words have power it’s important to think before we speak.
TRANSITION: How do I cooperate with God in taming my tongue? Well, when I’m ready to let words (which are powerful) fly out of my mouth, (1) Hold on there just a minute, (2) Let’s give that some thought.
If we choose to be people who first pause and then ponder. Doing these two things will position us to employ the third key to bridling our tongue.

3. APPEAL TO A HIGHER AUTHORITY
After you pause and ponder, it’s time to PRAY!
The sixth chapter of Isaiah provides with some insights as to why this is important!
Isaiah has been taken up into the throne room of heaven and has seen what no human being as ever fully seen before-the glory of the angelic host around the throne of God.
Isaiah 6:1-4(NIV) - Turn and Read
What an experience! But what I want us to really notice is Isaiah’s reaction to this incredible experience.
Isaiah 6:5- (NIV) - “Woe to me I cried. I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”
What was Isaiah’s initial gut reaction to God’s holiness? He became suddenly and painfully aware of his words!
Isaiah 6:6, 7- “Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”
God wants to take a coal from the fire of His presence and touch your lips today. He wants to make them fit to speak of His love to a world that He longs to help and heal.
The Bible tells us that God has given us a new heart-that we are to put off the old self and put on the new.
CONCLUSION: How do I bridle my tongue and cooperate with God to tame my tongue?
Hold on just a minute, let’s give that some thought and appeal to a higher authority.

Pause, Ponder and Pray!