Following Jesus In Our Relationships V - Luke 6:43-49
Text (Luke 6:43-49)
"43 "No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 45 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. 46 "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? 47 I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. 48 He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. 49 But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete." " (Luke 6:43-49, NIV)
Introduction
In the first three messages in this series, dealing with what it means to follow Jesus in our relationships, we learned five important principles:
· Godly relationships are providential, not accidental. (vs. 12-15)
· Godly relationships prioritize His purposes more than our comfort. (vs. 16-19)
· Godly relationships will always be at odds with an ungodly world. (vs. 20-26)
· Godly relationships require doing right, even in the face of wrong (vs. 27-38)
· Godly relationships are grounded in honesty, respect, and humility.
· Godly relationships are the fruit of godly hearts and godly lives. (vs. 43-44)
Godly relationships are nourished by godly tongues. (vs. 45)
1. Godly tongues are the result of godly hearts…!
The mouth will always speak out of the overflow of the heart…!
Jesus understood "Freudian slips" before Sigmund ever thought about the term…!
"2 We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check. 3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5 Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. 7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, 8 but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water." (James 3:2-12, NIV)
2. Godly tongues speak godly words.
· Love, not hate.
Bucket of gasoline or bucket of water…!
· Blessing, not cursing.
· Faith, not doubt.
· Truth, not lies.
"16 There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: 17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, 18 a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, 19 a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers." (Proverbs 6:16-19, NIV)
There is no such thing as a white lie….!
· Kindness, not harshness.
Soft words turn away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger.
· Forgiveness, not revenge.
Another common way we sin with our tongues is through gossip and slander…
"20 Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down. 21 As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife. 22 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man's inmost parts. 23 Like a coating of glaze over earthenware are fervent lips with an evil heart." (Proverbs 26:20-23, NIV)
"22 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man's inmost parts." (Proverbs 26:22, NIV)
Listening to a gossip (someone who tells you someone else's secrets) is about as foolish as dating a girl behind another guy's back. After all, if she betrayed him to go out with you, she will betray you to go out with someone else…!
Paul lists gossip right up there with other, shocking sins, even listing it a sign of a reprobate mind…!
"28 Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them. " (Romans 1:28-32, NIV)
How should we respond when slandered?
Be sure that it is slander and not simply criticism…! (1 Peter – be sure that you are suffering for righteousness's sake and not as an evil-doer…!)
Jesus was reviled, but reviled not again…! (Did not return slander for slander…!)
When we defend ourselves, God cannot defend us. If we commit ourselves and our reputations to Him, He will defend us ("every tongue that will rise against us in judgment we will condemn…", etc.)
The point is not our reputation when we are slandered, but the impact those things have on other, innocent people (It is not about the man, it is about the plan…!)
· Reconciliation, not separation.
Strive "divorce" from your vocabulary…!
We should not only ask, "What would Jesus do?" but, also, "What would Jesus say?"
"21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 22 "He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth." 23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. " (1 Peter 2:21-25, NIV)
3. Godly tongues leave some things unsaid.
Sometimes who have the greatest verbal skills have the greatest trouble controlling their tongues.
"19 When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise." (Proverbs 10:19, NIV)
"2 Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few. 3 As a dream comes when there are many cares, so the speech of a fool when there are many words." (Ecclesiastes 5:2-3, NIV)
"7 Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore stand in awe of God." (Ecclesiastes 5:7, NIV)
"19 A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid a man who talks too much." (Proverbs 20:19, NIV)
Some things that are true are better left unsaid, cf. Isaiah's recognition of "unclean lips"…!
" In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory." 4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. 5 "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." 6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for." 8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" 9 He said, "Go and tell this people…'" (Isaiah 6:1-9, NIV)
One particularly insidious way we sin with our tongues is through what the Scripture calls, "scorn" or "mockery."
Scorn is a form of disrespect and dishonor, particularly as it is expressed through words. Scripture has much to say about this kind of speech.
"10 Drive out the mocker, and out goes strife; quarrels and insults are ended." (Proverbs 22:10, NIV) (KJV – "scorner")[1]
One of the most infamous examples of scorn in the Scripture is that of Shimei, who cursed David, pelting him with stones and throwing dirt on him as he fled Jerusalem before his rebellious son, Absalom (2 Samuel 16:5-17). Abishai wanted to cut his head off, but David forbade him from doing it. Later, when David was restored to the throne, Abishai came to him before anyone else, begging his forgiveness, and David allowed him to live. (2 Samuel 19:16-23). Before he died, though, David told his son Solomon to keep his eye on Shimei (1 Kings 2:8-10). Why? I think it was because David knew that it is very difficult for someone like Shimei to change their attitude toward an authority toward which they have developed an attitude of scorn…! Solomon told Shimei to build a house in Jerusalem
4. Godly tongues nourish and build godly relationships.
Ungodly tongues destroy relationships; Godly tongues nourish and build godly relationships.
"17 I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. 18 For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people." (Romans 16:17-18, NIV)
- I am amazed, by the way, at how many people fall for false prophets and false prophecies simply because they are flattering in nature…!
- 1 Kings 22 tells the end of Ahab, how he had four hundred false prophets around him who told him what he wanted to hear. There was only one true prophet, Micaiah, who told him what he needed to hear…!
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