Monday, July 28, 2025

Beautiful Tongue Series: Sermon 2 "A Beautiful Tongue is a Silent Tongue!"

 

Introduction:

A.   Which would you rather be?

 

1.   A person who always has a fast answer?

 

2.   A person who has to think for a moment before answering?

 

B.   Which one would be more apt to be left out of the conversation today?

 

C.   Are we really left out if we are listening and the conversation keeps going?

 

D.      In our Society of instant everything, we have been left with the impression that we must have instant words! If we do not, we feel left out or that we do not fit in!

 

Trans:

The Bible has much to say about this!  Let's look this morning at what it has to say!

 

                            Prayer

 

                       Read from the NRSV

                        Proverbs 10:19,

                          Ecc. 3:1&7,

                          Psalm 4:4, &

                         James 1:19-20

 

I.   Let's look at these scriptures:

 

A.   Proverbs 10:19 tells us, when words are many sin is not lacking but when we keep our mouth shut we are wise.

 

B.   Ecc. 3:7 says, there actually is a time to be silent!

 

C.   Psalm 4:4 instructs us, when we are angry don't say a

lot of things that will hurt, but think about it (talk to ourselves in bed) and be silent until we have just the right, Christian thing to say!

 

D.   James 1:19 says we should be, “quick to hear and slow

to speak.”

 

1.   Too many times today, we do just the opposite of  this one!

 

2.   We don't listen to what someone says, but

instead, we are thinking of what we are going to say next!

 

3.   LeRoy Koopman in his book Beauty Care for the

Tongue says of this situation, "If both

individuals are going through the same little

ritual, we have the ludicrous situation of two


people talking to themselves together."  Sounds

funny doesn't it?  But it happens!

 

4.      This must of been what the Bible is speaking of

in Pro. 18:2, "A fool finds no pleasure in

understanding but delights in airing his own

opinions." (NIV)

 

E.   The Bible gets pretty practical doesn't it?

 

II.  There are 4 reasons that, "The Beautiful Tongue is a Silent Tongue."  They are:

 

A.   Silence at the right time eliminates gossip.

 

1.   If we think about what we are about to say and

how it is going to effect other people, much of what we are tempted to say will go unspoken.

 

2.   But what happens too much of the time is we gossip before we know what we are doing because we fail to be silent and think before we speak.

 

3.   Also, if we think before we post something, we might decide it is best not to post it!

 

B.   Silence at the right time promotes harmony with others.

 

1.   When we are angry, if we will be silent, it will promote harmony!

 

a.   We speak most impulsively when we are angry.

 

b.   We speak most rapidly when we are angry.

 

c.   We speak without thinking when we are angry.

 

d.   We post things we shouldn’t when we are

angry!

 

e.   Words fly, and the damage is done.  The hurt that is left is not from the fact we disagreed but what we said when we disagreed!

 

f.   So if we can learn the virtue of being silent until we have cooled down and are thinking rationally, we will be able to avoid hurting other people.

 

2.   Another way this promotes Harmony with others:

 

a.   If we are a good listener, people will want

to be around us.

 

b.   People may grow tired of hearing us talk, but they will love a good listener!

 

C.   Silence at the right time can give us an opportunity

for ministry to others!

 

1.   People "need" someone to listen to them!

 

2.   The books I've read on Counseling say that a large part of counseling is listening.  Many times people will discover the answer to their own problems if they can just find someone to listen to them objectively.

 

3.   Many times Marriage problems can be solved by the couple involved learning to "listen!"

 

4.   The world needs some good listeners!  We as the people of God need to be just that!!

 

 

D.   Silence at the right time is important in our relationship with God.

 


1.   Elijah expected God to be revealed in the great windstorm, in the earthquakes, and in the fire.  Instead, God was revealed with a still, small voice (I Kings 19:9-18).

 

2.   Too many times we don't listen for the still,

small voice!  We expect God to hit us with

something while on the run!

 

3.   We pray God give me this, God give me that, and thank you for this - amen.  We never listen for God to speak to us!

 

4.   Prayer should be two-way!  Let's give God a chance to speak to us!  Let=s give God some Silence when we pray and listen!

 

III. A word about being friendly and speaking!

 

A.   We need to. There is a time for friendly chatter.

 

B.   But there's a time to speak and a time to listen!  We

all need to learn that!

 

Conclusion:

A.   Does this message hit home for us?

 

B.   Remember what we said last Sunday.  The Bible says we

can't control our tongues by ourselves!

 

C.   We need the help of the Holy Spirit to do that!  The

Holy Spirit can help us be silent at the right time if

we ask and then listen to the prodding and guiding of

the Spirit.

 

D.   Do we need to yield to the Holy Spirit today so we

can grow in this virtue?

 

E.      As we encounter Christ at the table today, let’s yield

to Christ’s Spirit!  Ask Christ to help you with a

silent tongue.

 

                      Prayer of Confession

Service of Communion

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