The Tongue (Part 2)

Pastor Rocklyn E. Clarke - Sunday April 30, 2006

© 2006 Life Church Ministries, Inc.

 
V Introduction
* Bible Reading 4/23 - 4/29: Judges 1-10; Luke 21:29 - 24:53; Psalm 90-99; Prov 13:24 - 14:12
> Review - Learning Organization - personal mastery, mental models, shared vision, team learning, systems thinking
V New Material
V Answer some of last week's discussion questions on the tongue.
V Describe a time when you said something that you should not have. What impact did it have?
V What experiences have you had trying to control the things that you say?
V This frequent prayer:
* Lord help me to glorify you with the things that I say
* Help me to speak only wholesome edifying words that build others up according to their needs and benefit those who listen.
* Take away from me the desire to shock people with the things that I say.
V Take away from me the desire to talk about other people's problems, failings, shortcomings, or sings.
* I release person a, person b, person c, etc.
V Make my tongue a source of
* life, nourishment, nurturing, blessing, peace, affirmation, and encouragement.
* and never death, damage, destruction, harm, discord, discouragement, or cursing
* Help me to keep in confidence the things shared with me in confidence.
V Help me to
* walk in love, humility, gentleness, and submission
* and never in pride, arrogance, hatred, anger, or rebellion
V Are there any areas of your thought life that you've successfully brought under control? How did you do it?
V Hatred of a former friend who betrayed me
* I prayed every time the feelings of hatred came
V The Tongue
* Psalm 50
V Misusing the Tongue (continued)
V The tongue can reflect the acts of the flesh or the fruit of the Spirit
V Acts of the flesh - Gal 5:19-21
* sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery, idolatry and witchcraft, hatred, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy, drunkenness, orgies, and the like
V Fruit of the Spirit - Gal 5:22-23
* love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control
V Some attitudes that can underlie our carnal words:
* Jealousy and envy --> enjoying the failures of others --> criticism
* Feelings of powerlessness --> criticism as an empowerment tool
V Feelings of rejection
* They hate me because I'm gifted.
* They hate me because I'm a loser
* We're all losers on our way to hell until we get saved.
* Feelings of worthlessness --> devaluing other people
V Self-respect vs. God-respect
* respect the God who made you.
* If you want respect from others, do something respectable.
V Anger
* In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent - Psalm 4:4
* "In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. - Eph 4:26-27
V There are brief "windows of clarity" when we can see ourselves. If we don't act in a timely manner, we lose the "vision" and revert to ignorance.
* Don't just listen to the word, do what it says - James 1:22-25
* Fading of the glory on Moses' face - Ex 34:28-35; 2Cor 3:6-18
V Kairos
* Signs of the times - Mat 16:3
* The time has come - Mark 1:15
* the time of God's coming to you - Luke 19:44
* the right time for me has not yet come - John 7:6-8
* at just the right time - Rom 5:6
* now is the time of God's favor - 2Cor 6:2
* at the proper time we will reap / opportunity - Gal 6:9-10
* in due time - 1Pet 5:6
* What will you do with your "kairos - window of clarity"?
* Did you learn anything when you discussed this in your life groups?
V Proper Use of the Tongue
V Worship
V Worship requires you to take God seriously
V God is exalted
V The train of his robe filled the temple (Isa 6:1)
* Queen Elizabeth II's coronation robe
* (ref Princess Diana's wedding gown).
V Do we show God enough respect?
* We must re-establish the appropriate reverence during worship.
* We're often like people who keep taking cell phone calls
V Failure scenarios - not taking time to really engage God
* I'm too insignificant for God to care about me so I won't bother to engage him.
* I'm more concerned about my own agenda than I am about God's, so I won't bother to engage him.
V A quality relationship with God takes time
* Quality relationships take time.
* Carve out an hour before your life group meeting.
V Worship is also hindered by
* Misuse of the tongue - Psalm 50:16-23
* Idolatry - Ex 20:1-6
* Unforgiveness - Mat 18:21-35
V Unfaithfulness in giving
V Do we appreciate God with our lips, but not with our resources?
* Love with actions - 1John 3:18
* Faith and deeds - James 2:14-17
* paneled houses - Hag 1:1-12
* Bring the whole tithe - Mal 3:6-12
V Patriarchs
* Abram - Gen 14:17-20
* Jacob - Gen 28:10-22
* The best of the first - Ex 23:19
* Excel at giving - 2Cor 8:1-15
* Give cheerfully - 2Cor 9:6-15
V Injustice - Isa 1:10-20; Isa 58:1-14; Amos 5:4-24; Amos 8:1-14
* in your life groups, congregation, spheres of influence, community, city, state, country
V Use your tongue to pray
* Pray for everyone - Eph 6:18-20; 1Tim 2:1-4
* Use your tongue for spiritual warfare.
V Proclaim the Good News of God's Kingdom - Mark 16:14-18
* Invite them to become fellow builders
V Extend community
* Jesus at the well with the Samaritan woman - John 4
V Use your tongue to heal and to care for others. - Eph 4:29-30
* My words, or God's words? Go for the supernatural
V Don't grieve the Holy Spirit!
* Parents are grieved when they discover their children have done something shameful.
* Instruct - Rom 15:14; 1Cor 14:26; Heb 5:11-14
V Confront your brother/sister in love - Mat 5:21-26; Mat 18:15-20
* explain difference between confronting in love and attacking
* whether it feels good or not.
* even if it gets messy
* Establish a relationship that gives you permission to speak into his/her life
V Check your results
* We start with theories, but if we're committed to the truth, we will adjust our theories in light of the facts.
* Don't assume you're saying the right thing - get feedback
* Love means caring about the impact of your words!
* Humility means checking - not assuming.
* Don't forget step two: taking along two or three witnesses.
* Don't forget step three: telling it to the church (life group)
* Don't forget step four: excommunication - 1Cor 5:1-13
* A sacrifice of praise - Heb 13:15
V Discussion Questions
* Please note - some of these questions are repeats from last week.
V Reflect on James 3:1-12; Psalm 50
* Considering Psalm 50:16-23, do you ever use your mouth for evil, or to criticize others? How often, and in what ways do you do this?
* What experiences have you had trying to control the things that you say?
V Reflect on Luke 6:43-45; Prov 4:23; Philip 4:8
* This past week, have you made any changes to what you store in your heart? Has it affected the things that you say yet?
* Have you changed any aspect of your thought life this past week?
* This past week, have you gotten any feedback from other believers about the things you say? What have they told you?
* What are some of the true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy things that you can be thinking about?
V Reflect on Mat 5:21-26; Psalm 4:4; Eph 4:26-27
* Are you angry? Do your brothers and sisters in Christ think of you as angry? With what, with whom, or why are you angry?
* Do you take your anger to bed with you? What are you doing about your anger? Are you dealing with it in a godly, biblical way?
V Reflect on Gal 5:16-26
* Where do you see yourself in this passage?
* Which of the fruit of the Spirit are you most successful in exhibiting?
* Which are you struggling to display?
V Reflect on James 1:22-25; Luke 19:41-44
* Describe a "kairos" moment in your life when God pointed out something that he wanted you to do.
* Did you seize the opportunity and act on it or did you let the moment slip away?
V Reflect on the general subject of worshipping God
* How has your relationship with God changed over the past year? What are you doing to deepen the relationship?
* What do you do to please God in worship during your personal devotions? How about during times of worship together with others?
V Considering the following scriptures, is there anything you need to adjust to keep your worship from being hindered?
* Use of the tongue - Psalm 50:19-20
* Putting him first - Ex 20:1-6
* Forgiving others - Mat 18:21-35
* Giving - 2Cor 8:7-9; 2Cor 9:6-15
* Justice - Isa 1:10-20; Isa 58:1-14; Amos 5:4-24; Amos 8:1-14
V Works Activities For This Week's Life Group Meetings
* List the people in your sphere of influence.
V Go over the people in your list and share with your group the answers to the following questions:
* How badly to you want to see this person saved?
* How much time have you spent praying for him/her? On your own? With a prayer partner?
* What are you willing to do differently to see this person saved?