MINISTERING: OLUWATOBILOBA THOMPSON
DATE: 3RD JULY 2023
TOPIC: CONTROLLING YOUR TONGUE
Good evening everyone, how are we all doing today? Hope we are ready to learn tonight.
Father thank You for opening the eyes of our understanding in Jesus’ name.. Amen.
Everything God has given us and made us be is a gift from Him, and they were given to express His person, nature, and ability.
So Paul, while talking about the mortal body says:
Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
[1 Corinthians 6:19 – 20 NLT]
A little further down:
The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything? But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. How strange a body would be if it had only one part! Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.” while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity.
[1 Corinthians 12:12 , 14 – 21 , 24 NLT]
That then means, God doesn’t just want to dwell in your spirit man but also in your soul and physical body.
When I say physical body I mean that your mortal body becomes readily in submission to doing His will and the works of righteousness according to Romans 6.
Tonight, we’ll be focused on the TONGUE. Why did God give us the tongue??? What is it supposed to do? How is it supposed to be used?…
Scientifically one of the purposes of the tongue is that it helps us taste, lick, swallow, and articulate speech. Therefore, the primary purpose of the tongue is for SPEAKING/COMMUNICATING.
Imagine if Adam never had a tongue, how could he have named the animals? How could he have even spoken to Eve? How could he have spoken with God? Just imagine!!!
Thank God for the tongue, thank Him for it.
Usually, when you want to find the purpose of a thing in the Bible, you should always go back to the first 2 chapters of Genesis which speaks about the beginning.
How many of us noticed that neither Adam nor Eve spoke curses or even insulting words?? In fact, they never lied, the truth was in their mouth always UNTIL the fall happened.
After the fall for the first time, Adam lied! What was his lie?
He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.”
[Genesis 3:10 NLT]
Hmm!
Now if we say Adam was naked before Genesis 3, we too also will be lying because the Bible makes it clear LOVE COVERS………
So Adam and Eve were actually clothed with the Love of God and His glory. But alas! As a result, the tongue of truth in the first man and ultimately others that would come in his likeness was polluted.
What was and is God’s purpose for the tongue?
1. The tongue was given for us to CREATE our reality with the words (whether by it’s the word of God or a lie is UP TO YOU)
A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth; From the produce of his lips he shall be filled.
[Proverbs 18:20 NKJV]
2. It was given for us to communicate the fear of God.
Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, And the Lord listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the Lord And who meditate on His name.
[Malachi 3:16 NKJV]Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Who is the man who desires life, And loves many days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil, And your lips from speaking deceit.
[Psalms 34:11 – 13 NKJV]
When Jesus was on earth He just summarised the whole thing in this:
Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
[Matthew 12:34 – 37 NKJV]
What was Jesus saying??
A man cannot speak outside of his heart for it is whatever that is in me that will be spoken..so if your heart is full of filth, you will speak filth.
If your heart is full of cleanliness and truth, you will speak the same.
NO MAN CAN SPEAK OUTSIDE OF HIS HEART! And this is not even a function of whether you are born again or not.
It then means if you are used to complaining and murmuring…..your heart is full of complaints or possibly, anxiety.
If you are used to cursing…..your heart is full of curses and so on……
The tongue is so important in God’s eye. Jesus said, that we will give an account of whatever is said by the tongue…that’s deep!
Elder James makes a case against believers whose utterances are shameful and also buttresses this point by saying:
Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way. We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself. People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring.
[James 3:2 – 12 NLT]
So how do I control my tongue??
Let’s go back to what Jesus said “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks”
There’s a very strong relationship that can never be broken between the tongue and the heart.
See again:
And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed (with your heart) and therefore I spoke (with tongue),” we also believe and therefore speak,
[II Corinthians 4:13 NKJV]
See again:
For with the heart, one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
[Romans 10:10 NKJV]
The answer is as easy as intentionally filling up your heart with the truth and light of God’s word.
How do I do that?
As it is written: So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.
[Romans 10:17 NKJV]
It means you must be given to HEARING the word of God and HEARING BY the word of God. If you give yourself to this, you’ll see how you’ll complain less and give gratitude more. You’ll see how you curse less and bless more and so on..
Practice these things and devote yourself to them, in order that your progress may be seen by all.
[1 Timothy 4:15 GNT]
God has blessed you!! Hallelujah