Episode Transcript
[00:00:05] Sticks and stones is it ties in with Esther, what Esther brought a few weeks ago about whether we're living in the flesh or whether we're living in the spirit. Remember, we had all of the Oreo biscuits and everything on this side and the spirit on the other side.
[00:00:20] We're diving through proverbs today looking at our tongues and the positive godly impact of our tongues.
[00:00:29] If you are sat here this morning and you don't believe that God can speak to you, we're going to be pausing two or three times today and saying, God, would you speak to me?
[00:00:43] If that's really alien to you, would you give it a go this morning? Because you might just be surprised what you might hear.
[00:00:51] Let's start in.
[00:00:54] Let's start in James. James 1.
[00:01:00] Although we're going to be swimming through the proverbs today, the theme of our tongue is something which permeates the Bible from COVID to cover. It absolutely permeates it.
[00:01:14] But I'd love us to stand to start with this. Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters. You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.
[00:01:28] Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.
[00:01:32] So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.
[00:01:45] If you claim to be religious but don't control your tongue, you are fooling yourself and your religion is worthless.
[00:01:59] Right.
[00:02:01] This is my shepherd's crook.
[00:02:04] The shepherd. The good shepherd, all right.
[00:02:08] As well as leading his sheep, who knows that when we read his word, the good shepherd often has to poke us a little bit and provoke us into thought and interchanging. Some of the things we do and some of the things I say this morning might sting a little bit as the shepherd's crook gives you a little bit of a nudge.
[00:02:29] This is the one I broke on stage. My wife Rachel, her granddad, Sam's great granddad. This was his stick, and he was a shepherd of three generations.
[00:02:42] He died last year.
[00:02:44] And I was demonstrating on stage about the shepherd's crook provoking us, and I whacked Phil, Pastor Phil, on the backside with this. And it snapped.
[00:02:54] Snapped in half.
[00:02:56] But it has been restored and redeemed.
[00:02:59] So I can still kind of spoke this morning.
[00:03:04] If you claim to be religious, but you don't control your tongue, you're fooling yourself and your religion is worthless.
[00:03:14] Oh, that stings a bit, doesn't it?
[00:03:19] Okay, let's go into proverbs.
[00:03:22] Let's go into Proverbs and just read a little bit through proverbs. Let's flick these one at a time.
[00:03:29] A gentle answer turns away wrath.
[00:03:33] What a harsh word.
[00:03:35] Stirs up anger.
[00:03:38] Next.
[00:03:41] The heart of the righteous weighs its answers, but the mouth of the wicked pushes evil.
[00:03:49] Next, those who guard the mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity. I would also add in there, as consistent with Scripture, those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity and also often keep other people from calamity too, because our tongues have an impact on others.
[00:04:12] Next.
[00:04:14] Without wood, a fire goes out.
[00:04:18] Without a gossip, a quarrel dies down.
[00:04:25] Is your tongue a gossiping tongue?
[00:04:30] Shepherd's prods again?
[00:04:33] Is mine Sometimes.
[00:04:36] Yeah, sometimes.
[00:04:38] And by God's grace, I'm working on it.
[00:04:42] Working on it.
[00:04:44] Next.
[00:04:46] Death and life come back to this a lot this morning are in the power of the tongue. And those who love it will eat its fruits. And just one more before we move through one more.
[00:04:58] I love this. The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.
[00:05:09] There's another proverbial and it says, the mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, like my tongue.
[00:05:23] All of our tongues were a fountain of life to all those who encounter us.
[00:05:31] It's quite sobering doing this preach in front of your son and in front of someone you work with, because these guys see my tongue and hear my tongue day in, day out.
[00:05:41] But like I said before, we're all broken biscuits, right? But if these guys see a different version of me stood here, like Paul and I work together, it's important that consistency is there.
[00:05:53] It really, really is. So first thing this morning is I'd love us to consider what we speak over ourselves, How we use our tongue as a fountain of life for ourself.
[00:06:17] Now, some people, kind of the theologians among us, some of them go back to Abraham and Hagar and kind of, if you want to explore that, it's interesting where people think about, can we speak curses over herself? And all that. I'm not going over there. I'm talking this morning about that stuff about not letting the devil get a foothold, just not giving him an inch. No chance. Devil, I'm not giving you anything.
[00:06:41] Right. Not giving him a foothold.
[00:06:45] What are we speaking over ourselves? Well, right on screen.
[00:06:53] There are a few things going to appear on screen that in pastoral settings have been said.
[00:07:00] I am not insensitive enough to tell you who said them. I'm obviously not insensitive enough but these are real themes and I'm going to invite a couple of friends to join me.
[00:07:13] Stand at the front and join me. A couple of friends that I've spoken to in advance.
[00:07:19] We're going to start really getting below the surface now and we're going to start looking at some things that we've spoken over ourselves.
[00:07:26] Brilliant.
[00:07:30] So just, just.
[00:07:32] Are you the second one of.
[00:07:34] I think you're Siddhun Brooksey. Sidoon your neck. You're number two.
[00:07:39] You'll be on the next one. Not this one, not this one. With bated breath. Balls on number two. Right, Right.
[00:07:46] Sorry, Paul. Brilliant. Okay. On screen.
[00:07:51] Yeah. If you guys can hold your things up. Brilliant.
[00:07:57] I hope you can see what the guys are holding up.
[00:08:01] I've heard this.
[00:08:07] Just one at a time. So the first one. I wish I was dead.
[00:08:12] Wow.
[00:08:14] Think about all of these things in the context of what we've just read from Scripture about the power of our tongue. Next one.
[00:08:23] Thank you.
[00:08:25] Heard this loads of times.
[00:08:27] I nearly said this over myself this morning when I phoned Gordon and I'd gone to the Courtney Centre this morning rather than come here and I phoned Gordon, I'm like, how did you get there?
[00:08:38] I nearly spoke that over myself this morning.
[00:08:42] Next.
[00:08:50] God understands this stuff, right?
[00:08:54] And, like, he knows the pain of all of our journeys. He knows it, he knows it, he knows it.
[00:09:01] But at the same time, let's not partner with the enemy. Enemy. By saying some of this stuff.
[00:09:07] Let's partner with him by declaring life over this stuff. Next one.
[00:09:18] My mistake. Next one.
[00:09:22] I've heard this quite a few times.
[00:09:26] We say this over ourselves. Oh, yeah.
[00:09:30] I'll never get well.
[00:09:33] Really?
[00:09:35] Really.
[00:09:38] I tell you what.
[00:09:41] I know. By his stripes, I'm healed, right? I've been restored to him. I've got heaven. I know. Andrew and I, we've spoken a few times about heaven. And this fella inspires me because we. Andrew, you've declared so many times that we've got heaven, haven't we?
[00:09:56] And we pray for healing while we're on this earth. We pray for healing while we're on this earth. And we don't know. Sometimes God does and sometimes. Sometimes that's not his timing. But we keep praying, don't we?
[00:10:09] We never declare this.
[00:10:13] Okay, next one.
[00:10:15] I'll never get over it.
[00:10:17] Next one.
[00:10:21] Oh, Anyone ever said this one?
[00:10:29] Who are you partnering with if you say that? Because it isn't Christ.
[00:10:34] The world. See, when we live in the flesh, we say things like this. I'll never Be able to forgive them. When we live in the spirit, we know what the word of God says and we say no, I've been forgiven much, therefore I forgive much.
[00:10:47] I realize what he's done for me, therefore I overflow it to others.
[00:10:57] Getting personal now, right?
[00:11:00] Thanks mate.
[00:11:02] I'm a parents second favourite.
[00:11:05] You're too shy and quiet for people to listen or acknowledge you, says Carla, hiding behind the paper.
[00:11:23] So what does the word of God say?
[00:11:25] Let's just combat this in the flesh.
[00:11:29] The enemy says this to Simon, but the word of God says not. He is chosen and highly favored.
[00:11:36] My friend, that the Lord knew you when you were in your mother's womb. That he has plans for you to give you a future and a hope.
[00:11:45] That's how we combat it in the spirit, You know, the fact you're still hiding me thing, but we're all works in progress, right?
[00:11:59] And I mean this with my tongue as well. Psalm will testify to this. My tongue in purpose effect. But I'm really working hard on it.
[00:12:08] So in a moment we're going to rip these up and you guys are hopefully going to cheer while these guys rip them up.
[00:12:15] Here's mine.
[00:12:23] This is what the enemy would try to have me say over myself. And I've said over myself. I look back to those when was wife Friday and all those kids getting saved.
[00:12:33] My best days in God are behind me.
[00:12:37] That's a lie that I've spoken over myself.
[00:12:45] Yeah.
[00:12:46] As I read his word and he tells me to trust in him with all my heart and not lean on my own understanding, in all my ways I acknowledge him and he will guide my paths.
[00:12:56] That's what he says.
[00:12:59] So as we pause church, would you close your eyes just for a moment? Just for a pause. A little Selah moment. A pause.
[00:13:14] And if there is anything, Father, if there's anything that we have spoken over ourselves that we haven't broken partnership with yet, if there's anything we have not broken partnership with yet that the enemy's encouraged us to say over ourselves, Lord, would you bring it to mind now, Holy Spirit, in this moment? And as you reveal these things, Father, in the days and the months ahead, Lord, would you give us the courage and the strength to identify what are the fleshly things, Lord? Those things that we shouldn't speak over ourselves. And what does your word say to combat it?
[00:14:05] We break partnership with those things we have spoken over ourselves which contradict your word.
[00:14:13] In Jesus name, Amen.
[00:14:32] Nearly call it brilliant. Thank you. Thank you.
[00:14:36] Right, in a couple of moments we'll got some more guys who are coming, but there's a little clr moment. Could you bring that onto the screen?
[00:14:46] Could we say this together before we move on to point two?
[00:14:51] Let's say this together.
[00:14:53] Set a guard over my mouth, lord.
[00:14:56] Keep watch over the door of my lips.
[00:15:02] Okay, second thing.
[00:15:07] What are we speaking over others?
[00:15:10] What are we speaking over others?
[00:15:13] Okay. Ephesians 4.
[00:15:16] Ephesians 4 is another shepherd's prod.
[00:15:23] Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to the needs that it may benefit those who listen.
[00:15:40] The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
[00:15:56] The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
[00:16:12] Cool.
[00:16:18] So you're perfect, are you, des? Your mouth's perfect.
[00:16:22] You upset me in the past.
[00:16:24] I know that some people here would be able to say that. I probably have.
[00:16:29] We all do. Like I said, we're broken biscuits. Right? We all are.
[00:16:35] One of the joys of working with Phil is that I've also been able to work with Mr. Paul Brooks.
[00:16:41] He's pretty cool.
[00:16:44] And, you know when you have people in your life who care for you and love you, Even in the last month, the last three weeks to a month, he's challenged me on my mouth. He's challenged me on it correctly.
[00:16:59] Something that I said once in the morning, Paul came back from a journey. You don't mind me saying this, do you?
[00:17:06] And he just said, des, you know what you said this morning? Could you just clarify it a bit? I'm not sure it was right.
[00:17:13] He was right.
[00:17:15] He was absolutely spot on. You were.
[00:17:20] This isn't like a final destination suddenly. Our mouths don't suddenly become complete.
[00:17:26] It's like day after day after day. At some point tomorrow, I know the holy spirit will just nudge me and say, des, remember what you said from the front yesterday? No.
[00:17:43] If there are any words you've said over others that have been reckless, please do repent of them.
[00:17:52] Please do and make it right if you can.
[00:17:56] Maybe there's a little feeling in your tummy now because there's something, you know. Now after church, give them a text.
[00:18:03] Repent of them.
[00:18:06] Could my second lot of friends come and join me?
[00:18:09] My second lot of friends come and join me.
[00:18:21] As well as what Jill and Paul are going to hold up, I've got some more phrases on screen from our pastoral meetings that have happened.
[00:18:37] Oh, there's no way God could use you.
[00:18:44] Anybody had that.
[00:18:52] Next one.
[00:18:58] Some of us have had this spoken over us. I know other people have spoken this over some people.
[00:19:03] It's because of your sin that you're ill.
[00:19:10] Really.
[00:19:15] Next.
[00:19:17] You're not invited.
[00:19:19] Next.
[00:19:28] Yeah. A little giggle in the corner.
[00:19:31] We want to flow in the prophetic. Oh, man, we do, don't we? We want the voice of God. We want to flow in the prophetic.
[00:19:39] I have sat with people on their deathbed still been waiting for some prophetic word which was hastily given. I say prophetic word in inv. To come as.
[00:19:52] Before you give a word to someone, please weigh it up. Weigh it up against scripture and weigh it up against the resonance of the Holy Spirit. Before you put something on someone's life, please.
[00:20:06] A prophetic word.
[00:20:08] An unweighed prophetic word. Okay, brilliant. So that would be sometimes in a meeting, and this might have happened to some of us. Someone might say, do you know what?
[00:20:18] I'll say this to Sam, because I know. I know Sam. I can say, sam, I really believe God's going to send you to. He's going to send you to Afghanistan, and you're going to preach on the streets in Afghanistan.
[00:20:31] God's not saying that, by the way. I'm just using that as an example. Please don't go to Afghanistan unless God really says that. And then go.
[00:20:40] So it's one of those where someone would say, no, I believe I'm hearing the voice of God, and I'm giving that. So what we're encouraged to do in scripture is to weigh that up first of all, against. Is it in line with what God's word says?
[00:20:55] So say, for example, when I was in the band in By Friday, one woman one night had a prophetic word that God wanted her to marry our lead singer, Ken, who was already married.
[00:21:10] So I'm like, it doesn't really tally up with what God's word's saying.
[00:21:16] Is that helpful? Thank you for putting your hand up, by the way. That's.
[00:21:20] Yeah, brilliant.
[00:21:22] Next one.
[00:21:26] You'll never find anyone who would want to marry you. Had a few of those. Next.
[00:21:34] Maybe that's someone who wants to marry someone on the phone. There we go.
[00:21:39] Oh, I kept away from you because Nate said you were trouble.
[00:21:55] I kept away from you because Gordon said you're not trustworthy.
[00:22:07] These are the things that have been said over us. Oh, man, you're too fussy. You'll never get married if you could just achieve.
[00:22:19] My mother said that.
[00:22:34] Okay.
[00:22:36] Bought a TV instead. What? Instead of a Gordon.
[00:22:39] Hey, Gordons are worth Waiting for, right?
[00:22:42] Amazing.
[00:22:44] I know. I know you guys know a lot of Paul's story. You're not wanted. You're despised. You're alone.
[00:22:53] Okay, here's mine.
[00:22:59] There's you a fake.
[00:23:03] There's you a fake. That's one of the biggest things that makes me challenge whether it's okay to come up and preach sometimes. And I'm like, no, I'm not perfect, but I'm not a fake.
[00:23:16] Lord Jesus, before we symbolically rip these up, what are the things, Lord, that maybe others have spoken over us that we need to break partnership with today?
[00:23:40] Like as Jill. As Jill was waiting in line with your word, she wanted to be married to a Christian Lord. She waited and she believed. On your word, Lord, what are those things that others have spoken over us.
[00:23:58] In this moment, in the days and the weeks ahead?
[00:24:05] Holy Spirit, help us to identify them, to break partnership with them and move on.
[00:24:16] Speaking life, life, life, life, Godly life over ourselves and others.
[00:24:40] See if you can catch this one.
[00:24:43] Oh, never mind. Next time.
[00:24:48] Okay, let's just have that little pause again. Seal our moment.
[00:24:55] Can we say this together?
[00:24:57] Say a God over my mouth, Lord, keep watch over the door of my lips.
[00:25:09] Right before we close and before I wrap this up, got one challenge that I wasn't sure whether I was going to bring, but I am going to bring it, and it is my final producer, the shepherd's crook.
[00:25:28] And it is this my mouth.
[00:25:32] In the context of everything we've been reading, I'll swim through the proverbs today. My mouth to glorify the Lord, a fountain of life.
[00:25:42] Is it okay?
[00:25:45] Like, I've heard lots of Christians recently, like lots to flippantly say, oh, my God, It makes me feel funny even saying it. Is that okay?
[00:26:07] I think I'm hearing it more and more.
[00:26:09] And my challenge to you this morning is this, that you know what, in your own prayer time, if you are someone who says it, I'm not here to condemn you and make you feel terrible, but I'm here to provoke you a little bit righteously. And when you're praying, if you are someone who says that a lot, would you ask Holy Spirit, is it okay, Lord, am I bringing you glory when I say this?
[00:26:43] Because I'm not convinced we are.
[00:26:45] I know that's a bit of a naughty thing to end with, right?
[00:26:50] But I feel quite stirred to say that this morning.
[00:26:55] Okay, here's our final response, and I've brought a bit of poetic license. Number 18, verse 18 from Proverbs. There's a bit of poetic license in there, but you'll see what I've done.
[00:27:16] Church, would you mind reading those first in your mind before we speak them?
[00:27:25] I only want us to speak them if we mean them.
[00:27:28] And we're committed to being doers of what it says. Just read through them first.
[00:27:38] If you don't want to say it, please stay sat. But if this is something you would like to decree, please do stand with me.
[00:27:49] Amazing.
[00:27:50] Amazing.
[00:27:53] Okay, let's speak this out together.
[00:27:57] May my lips overflow with praise for you teach me your decrees.
[00:28:05] May my tongue sing of your word.
[00:28:09] For all your commands are righteous.
[00:28:13] Now in proverbs, the words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongues of rediscover church bring healing.
[00:28:27] Lets say that last one again. The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongues of rediscover church bring healing.
[00:28:38] Father, as we stand and we conclude our morning together, would we go from this place determined to be life?
[00:28:53] Bring us with our tongues.
[00:28:58] Holy Spirit, would you fill us? Would you inspire us with life, bringing words that do not recklessly pierce like swords or bring healing to those we encounter?
[00:29:14] To your glory, our King Jesus.
[00:29:20] Amen.
[00:29:25] Amen. Thanks, everybody. Thank you for listening. Thank you.
