The Tongue and the Heart - Zac Poonen - September 22, 2019

[Music] I'd like to turn to what Jesus said in Matthew chapter 12 you know Jesus spoke about if you want a good tree you must start with the root that's what he said in verse 33 if the tree is good the fruit will be good in other words it's not by concentrating on the fruit it's by concentrating on the tree and the roots from which that tree come and we've all heard this if the tree is bad then the fruit is bad and a tree is known by its fruit we all know that you don't look at a tree and see what it is say what it is you look at an apple hanging there and then say that's an apple tree or you see mangoes hanging there it's a mango tree or coconuts you say coconut tree the fruit tells you what the tree is like Jesus used very simple illustrations and you think of it is really true we look at the fruit and we know the trees like that so what was he trying to teach us if you read the subsequent verses he's saying listen to a man's words what he speaks in normal conversation and you'll find what type of person he is it's not by his by the church it's not by his reading the Bible it's not by his knowledge of the Bible it's not by saying 15 years ago I asked Jesus to come into my heart all that is worth nothing because those can be empty words and a person may have said Lord Jesus come into my heart it is didn't really happen because he did not surrender his heart some evangelist told him say those words and you're safe you're not saved by saying words you're saved by turning away from sin and trusting Jesus completely as your Savior and the fruit of it if it is really a good tree if it's really a tree that God planted there will be fruit and the fruit will not be bad it's not that things bad can not come but if a person is walking with the Lord the Holy Spirit immediately corrects him and it's cut off so it's very important to understand that and so that's what he was speaking about in Matthew 12:33 it's very very important because Jesus gave great importance to the use of the tongue you never find much importance given to that in the Old Testament except in the book of Proverbs the book of Proverbs it was about the only book that speaks a lot about the use of the tongue and speech and in one sense the book of Proverbs has got a lot of New Covenant truths back there but all the other books in the Old Testament it only speaks about your actions and not about the words we speak whereas Jesus give a lot of importance to that in fact he said if your words are not what it should be look at the words it uses in verse 34 it's very strong you brood of vipers what a word to use about human beings to tell a human being you're a Viper you're a snake because we know that what comes out of the mouth of a Viper is poison we know that a snake stings and the snake bites with its tongue and hurts people that's why he used the word Viper when you use your work when you use your language and your tongue to hurt somebody else listen to these words you Viper Jesus saying you're exactly like a snake and yet how many Christians have taken that seriously there are husbands and wives who are wipers at each other stinging stinging back stinging stinging stinging back and they say they're Christians oh we accept the Lord 25 years ago garbage you shall know them by their fruit and the reason is not that they don't believe they have not repented the trouble with a lot of Christians today is they are believed without repenting and repenting means turning from sin they have not turned from sin and they believe that faith is empty they live in their sin and say I believe in Jesus the world is full of such people and all of that is exposed by the fruit you shall know the tree by its fruit a good tree cannot bring forth bad fruit you brood of vipers verse 34 if you're evil how can you speak what is good it's like saying if the tree is rotten it's going to produce rotten fruit so don't be careful just cut off that fruit you take a scissors and cut it off tomorrow another bad fruit will come then you cut that off day after tomorrow another bad fruit will come it'll keep on coming and that's why you see so many Christians who have heard so many messages on holiness and things like that but they never cease to be vipers stinging stinging stinging there needs to be a radical change within that's what Jesus is saying he was very strong in his words a lot of people think of Jesus as the meek and lowly Jesus who loved people but it's because we love people that because Jesus loved people that he spoke like that if a doctor loves a cancer patient he will cut that person open and remove the cancer a doctor who's only interested in making money will tell the patient you're okay you can go home and he that patient goes home and dies a loving father will correct his children so that they learn to speak properly this learn to speak respectfully an irresponsible father or mother will allow that children to grow up any way they like I've noticed this very much here in the United States a lot of our young children grow up without any respect for older people and the fault is not with them the fault is 100% with their parents who have never taught them to speak respectfully to older people there's something about the culture here I see I've lived with 80 years in a Hindu culture 98% of India is non-christian and one of the things even in the villages they teach the young children is to be respectful to parents respectful to older people but that's and I'm sure a hundred years ago it was exactly like that in the United States where even a young a child will always speak respectfully to older person saying mister so-and-so or mrs. so-and-so now they don't do that they just call even a person three times their age they call him by their first name that's a little complete lack of respect because Christianity is gradually disappearing from this country the values that this country had in America had 100 years ago is gone and one mark of it you see it in the children who do not know how to speak respectfully so be very careful my dear brothers and sisters when we speak about wanting to be the light of the world it's primarily seen in the way we speak and children learn from their parents where did they learn where do the children learn language for example why is it your children speak a particular language because it's parents are speaking that language you're going to the villages of India nobody speaks English the children don't speak English because that's not the language the cheap parents speak so it's not only language it's also the way we speak is picked up by our children so if your children are rude and disrespectful where do you think they learnt it from they learnt it at home I've seen that also in some of the charities children are families back in my own home regular church some all the children from one family will be very respectful and all the children of the family will be thoroughly disrespectful I mean it's not because the children are different people say our children are different but how is it all the children from one family are very respectful in the way they speak and all the children from another family are disrespectful all the children for one family are very disciplined and well behaved all the others are very unruly a nun behaved it's got nothing to do with the children he's got 100% to do with the parents take that seriously my brothers and sisters otherwise however good you may be and however spiritually you may think you are you'll be raising up another generation to live for the devil it's a very strong word that Gigi I never use words as strong as Jesus I mean some of the things I said no it sounds strong but I never used the word vipers Jesus you vipers and you start for a moment and thought of that you brood of vipers boy I've never heard a preacher use that Jesus was the strongest preacher of all and I'll tell you why because he knew the reality of heaven and hell more than any other person he knew that hell is a real place where people who play the fool with God and play the fool with the religion will go despite what they say they believe and I don't want any of my children to go to hell and that's why I've been very strict with them right from the very young age I didn't care what other people thought about it I can't I try my best to make sure that the children in the churches I preach and will also be like that but it's not entirely up to me because I see those children one one day a week and then they go six days a week to their parents they may learn something else too despite all my effort in one day a week to try and bring them up straight they may not turn up straight and I've seen that because it's all canceled out by the way that parents talk to each other at home and the parents though with what they teach their children at home so I wanted to share this with you my brothers and sisters true Christianity is tested in the way we use our tongue he goes on to say and then whatever you may say people say oh it was accidental what I said no don't ever say that say what Jesus said in the last part of verse 34 the mouth always speaks what was in the heart all along it did not come out accidentally in a moment no it was in your heart you suppressed it suppressed it suppress it and control your speech and control your speech but one day what was in your heart came out and you say that was accidental no I believe the word of Jesus that what I speak comes out of my heart it can not come out of my mouth if it's not first in the heart like that godly Saint said if you take a cup of sweet water however much you shake it only sweet or water will come out but if the water is bitter you can hide it for a long time but when you shake it bitter water comes out so what we need if we want to control our tongue what we need to do is deal with our heart because it's dead so that's the spring from which the words come and further he went on to say in verse 35 a good man has got good treasure in his heart so what comes out of his mouth is good or a good woman but an evil man from the evil treasure in his heart brings out what is evil so it's good to ask ourselves the words that you speak are they good or they evil do they produce good results or evil results can you think what will happen in your home if you decide father and mother that you're gonna cleanse your heart of every wrong attitude bad words will never come out and yet children will learn that over a period of time and whenever they speak something you can correct them but if when you correct them and they turn around you say but Dad you speak like that while you're telling me to speak differently your mom you speak like that I hear the way you speak to your mummy I hear the way you speak to Daddy I'm just being learning from you what were you saying that's why parents really need to humble themselves and judge themselves before God it is out of your heart that the words come don't ever say it was a moment of pressure the pressure only pushed out what was in the heart the pressure did not create words in the heart the pressure just squeezed out you know it's like a toothpaste you you squeeze the tube what comes out whatever is inside you can't say that you created something at that moment it's the pressure of circumstances squeezes and brings out what is in the heart out of the what is the treasure of the heart could be even cool what is good and now these are some very very serious words verse 36 and 37 Jesus folks so much about our language and I fear that it is not spoken about sufficiently in Christendom I tell you now why does a person have to say those words I tell you why didn't he just say straight away what he wants to say it is for emphasis you're talking to somebody and then he you say to him I tell you your underlining listen to what I'm saying I'm underlining it I tell you that every single careless or that means a useless word that people speak they will give an account in the day of judgment I want you to stop for a moment and read that and ask yourself whether you really believe it do you really believe that every single careless useless angry disrespectful word that you spoke from the time you became born-again one day you have to give an account in the day of judgment I tell you 99.999% of Christians do not believe it I've seen very few Christians who believe I myself did not believe it for so many years in my after being born again that's all I know you can be born again you can be careless and I'll tell you why I did not believe it because in my entire life I never heard a man preach on that verse have you heard somebody preach on that verse you tell me I've lived longer than almost all of you here and I've been born again 60 years ago and I've never till today heard a single preacher preach on that verse saying every word you speak you will give an account in the day of judgment I found out that verse myself and I began to take it seriously and it changed my life I tell you it changed my life and it gave me a greater anointing when I speak the world not only in the pulpit but even when I converse with people that when I converse with people I can say the right word to them to help them or correct them or encourage them because I'm being careful with my words all the other times do you know that the tongue is a tremendous weapon that the devil can use or the God can use and the devil desperately wants to use your tongue to fulfill his purpose to destroy your home to destroy other people to make your children grow up in the wrong way don't be foolish so much of us so many of us have got so much knowledge of the scripture we can teach others and say so many other wonderful things but the important thing is is the devil is still able to use your tongue determine today one thing even if you never become a preacher in your life determine one thing that you are going to yield your tongue over to the Holy Spirit every single day it'll take some practice you won't suddenly become spiritual tomorrow but if you start today it's like telling a person who's very obese you can become a strong muscular man if you start exercise exercising regularly and watch your diet from today you will not suddenly become strong and muscular tomorrow but if you start listening to me watching your diet and exercising regularly you will see a difference in one month and in one year others will notice and four or five years you Regatta rid of all your excessive fat and become strong and muscular and healthy that's exactly what I say when it comes to speech you will not see a difference tomorrow but you work on it from today think of the people who take so much care I don't want to eat junk food it's very good I fully believe that we should not eat junk food because it's bad for our health but you know what Jesus said he said what goes into the mouth is not as bad as what comes out of the mouth do you know that is the junk that comes out of the mouth which is a million times worse than the junk food you eat how is it even Christians are so careful about the junk food they eat and not careful about the junk food that's coming out of the mouth that's okay for the world but what about Christians have understood every careless word that people speak they will give an account in the day of judgment and I believe that very strongly as a preacher I firmly believe that if I don't tell people the truth because I'm afraid somebody will offend it get offended and never come back to the church again God will ask me in that day in the final day why did you not speak about that were you afraid that somebody won't come back to the church I decided I don't care if everybody leaves the church my duty is not to build numbers not at all I'm not interested in increasing the numbers of any church in the world I'm interested in teaching purity showing people the weight of Jesus Christ the way to God and that way is a pure way and if some people get offended with what Jesus said so be it and if they want to walk away I say goodbye I hope you will find it to the kingdom somewhere else so the other thing Jesus said here is in verse 37 which is equally strong how are we justified all of us know we're justified by faith it's not by works it's a favorite teaching in Christendom and I believe it myself I can do a million good works and that will not forgive one of my sins Isaiah 64 verse 6 says all our good deeds our righteousness is like filthy rags in God's eyes so the imagine what our bad deeds are like we've got good deeds and bad deeds all of us in our life and we look back at our past and the good deeds are like filthy rags the bad deeds even worse that's the meaning of I cannot be saved by works that means if I do a million good works that will not blot out one sin of my past no no amount of good works will cleanse my sin in the past the only way to get rid of one sin is through the death of Jesus Christ and let me put it like this if everybody in the world was good and I was the only sinner in the world listen carefully I am the only sinner in the world if I was the only sinner in the world and in all my life I committed only one sin okay I'm the only sinner in the world and I've committed only one sin and all the other people are good Jesus would still have come down from heaven to die for my sin since I am the only sinner I would have been the one who killed him for my sin that is how serious sin is it's not because there were millions of sinners have committed millions of sins that Jesus came and died if there was one sinner who committed only one sin Jesus would still have to die because it's absolutely no way sin can be forgiven except by the death of Christ even one sin and I'll tell you that's what made me when I realized that take my sins seriously and even one sin is so serious and it's because people don't understand that that Christians don't take so many sins seriously they have a dirty thought and they think oh it's okay as long as we live in this world we will have dirty sexual thoughts you have dirty sexual thoughts and you think that's okay it's like eating poison and saying it's okay an illiterate person or a one-month one-year-old child eating poison because it's ignorant and foolish is okay what about grown a person taking poison that's how it is if you think that dirty thoughts immoral thoughts are okay something is seriously wrong with you you've not honest goodness is not just on the outside it's on the inside Jesus always said it's the inside of the cup that I am interested in not the outside he always went to the root of a problem you know in the Old Testament the law was like a pair of scissors good bad fruit comes out cut it off another bad fruit comes out cut it off cut it off cut it off cut it off John the Baptist was the last of the prophets he said Jesus has come with an axe he didn't come with a pair of scissors he came with an axe to the root he's gonna pluck out this old tree completely and plant a new one and that's what I want to ask every single person sitting here have you allowed Jesus Christ to put an axe to that natural life which you got from Adam through your parents which I also got have you allowed Jesus to pull that out completely and plant another life inside that's the only way it's not by improving the life of Adam it can never be improved that battery can never be improved it has to be cut down by an axe and thrown into the fire john the baptist said and a new tree to be planted that's what the Bible means by being born again and when that really happens and the person's taken it seriously that new tree will begin to produce fruit but it also depends on how much we yield to it because it's not a just a once for all event in that so that's it you know even a tree that you plant you can have the best seed in the world and you plant it and you don't water it and you don't care for it and you don't put any fertilizer for it it won't grow properly even though it's the best seed in the world so it's not just a question that the Lord began a good work in you have you watered it have you fertilized it then it grows up well otherwise over a period of time that tree can dry up and become dead and so a person can lose his salvation Bible says that so by your words you will be justified you say hey I thought I'm gonna be justified by faith and Christ's death on my cross right but the proof of that is your words so there's no contradiction and by your words you'll be condemned in the day of judgment words are going to play a great part in us when God plays on the screen the videotape of my memory visit as I said the other day there's a videotape running into my memory from the day I was born that's recorded every word every thought every attitude every motive and reaction everything has been recorded and one day when God rewinds the tape and plays it for the whole world to see you will see every word that you smoke and the motive with which you spoken I'll tell you this if you're a parent you'll see there that you'll be responsible for your children as well do you take that seriously I do because I believe Jesus said heaven and earth will pass away but these words will not pass away I take the words of Jesus very seriously because I believe those are the only reliable words in this false universe in this world which is full of let me use a very popular expression fake news and fake information thank god there's one book which is not fake which is every word can be relied upon that's the Bible and I approved that in 60 years and I believe with all my heart I believe with all my heart for myself and when I stand before the Lord and the videotape of my memories played back every careless word that I spoke of which I did not repent off I will have to account for the only way to get rid of it is by repentance if you repent and say O Lord I'm sorry that I spoke that word please forgive me and you got to do something else also you have to apologize to the person to whom you spoke it do you apologize to your husband or to your wife I've apologized numerous times to my wife I was not perfect from the day I was born again not at all I had to learn slowly what it is to control my tongue I had to take seriously because I was not taught these things when I was born again all I was taught when I was born again is he all justified you're on your way to heaven because you said Jesus come into my heart when I went into the Bible I found there's a lot more there than just believing that Jesus died for me turn with me to James in Christian history we read that the first book of the New Testament that was written it was James about 15 years after the day of Pentecost James was the first book written long before the other books were written and it's very interesting when I keep that in mind what did the Holy Spirit inspired James to write about 15 years after that day of Pentecost the gospel was being preached for 15 years and the true gospel salvation you are saved by faith you're saved by the grace of God not of works lest any man should boast by grace are you saved through faith that was the message that from the from Peter time onwards the Apostles Paul all preached repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ by grace you can be saved through faith now that was preached for 15 years and the Holy Spirit saw that a lot of people were just taking advantage of that - the false grace they didn't understand grace properly they didn't understand faith properly they thought faith was believing in the head oh I believe and their life did not change and then the Holy Spirit inspired James to write the first book of the New Testament and what was it James says James chapter 2 faith without works is dead the last part of last verse of James - James - verse 26 just like the body without breath in it is dead that's the example he uses James 2:26 when a body can have ten fingers two legs two eyes two years everything is there but the breath is gone the man is dead and the man is dead is no use counting his toes and fingers and when real living faith is gone that means there are no works that come out of it it's no use counting whether the doctrines are all correct do you believe that Jesus Christ is God do you believe that he died for your sins do you believe he rose from the dead you believe is coming back do you believe that repentance and faith will save you you believe all that that's like counting the fingers of a dead man works faith without works is dead if there is faith real faith that be works and what works is he thinking of now remember is the first book of the New Testament written and the Holy Spirit was seeing how Crist christened and was drifting away with the wrong understanding of grace and faith like it is today thinking that if I just believe in my head everything is okay it doesn't matter how I live and that's why you see so many even so-called born-again Christians if you go into their homes it's not much better than the homes of many other are non-christians the same mode of fighting and quarreling and yelling and calling each other names and all that type of stuff when children are wild and wayward just like in any other home I see then what's the difference yeah James saw that and he was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write and see how much he writes about the tongue listen to this in James chapter one verse 18 in the exercise of God's will James 1:18 he brought us forth by the word of truth so that we can be a kind of firstfruits among his creatures he brought us to new birth so that will be a demonstration of what the kingdom of God is going to be like among all of his creation so beloved brethren verse 19 since you are to be like that let everyone be quick to hear slow to speak and slow to anger this is what the Holy Spirit inspired James to write after watching Christianity for the first 15 years I find people are not quick to hear they're very slow to hear they don't listen carefully but they're very quick to speak and very quick to get angry that's the bad tree the definition of the battery is quick to speak quick to get angry and very slow to hear God speaking through his word when that is reversed then a godly man he's quick to hear god's word slow to speak and slow to anger is very careful there are things we should be angry with when I see people making money in the name of religion like Jesus went into the temple one day and he saw people making money in the name of religion selling sheep and doves and expensive prices for the poor people who came from Galilee who couldn't bring the sheep and doves all the way from there you can get it in Jerusalem in the temple but you had to pay a much higher price because of the Commission and Jesus saw these merchants making money in the name of religion you know what he did he didn't say really gentlemen please not do this here he took a width and chased them out and saying my father sells in the House of Prayer and I'll tell you he did not lose his temper he had a holy anger and I believe that every true servant of God must have a holy anger when he sees people on television making money out of these poor people who sit in their congregation and a lot of it going on today almost every single Christian television speaker you look at the congregation there I sometimes see it poor people sitting there and these guys swirling their money in the name of Christ Jesus if he comes here today will use a whip again in all these megachurches I'll tell you he there is a righteous anger but anger which is not connected with the glory of God Jesus never had you know the Bible says in [Music] I'll come back to this in Ephesians chapter 4 verse 26 lesions at 4:26 be angry but don't sin see their that's another verse which I never heard anybody explained to me in all my life I had to find out myself what it says be angry that's a command but don't send in your anger in other words there is an anger which is without saying and there's an anger with with with sin so many years ago I discovered Jesus to use an example when I don't when I read a word in English and I don't know the meaning of it I take a dictionary oh that's a new word for me I've never understood it so a dictionary and I get the meaning of the word that's the right thing to do that's how you learn English when I read something in the Bible which I don't understand I go to my spiritual dictionary which is the life of Jesus Christ I look at Jesus life and that's a dictionary and I find out the meaning so here I find a word I can't understand be angry but don't sin I can't understand it Lord I look at the life of Jesus and I find out aha that's what it means when you see people making money in the name of religion get angry at them when you see people not allowing a poor man with a withered hand to be healed get angry at them what about today when you see women being exploited and little children being molested and human trafficking going on get angry if you don't get angry something wrong with you but if they spit on your face don't get angry that's what I see in Jesus when they call you Prince of Devils don't get angry so what do I learn from the gee life of the dictionary what do I learn from the dictionary whenever people do something to hurt me if I get angry it is sinful anger when ever do people something to provoke me to irritate me and make life difficult for me in some way or inconsiderate towards me if I get angry whatever the provocation it is sin but if it concerns the glory of God people not preaching the whole counsel of God people not preaching against sin I must be angry but what do I see among most Christians today I see Christians sitting back and wondering at this wonderful preacher who goes on preaching so many clever things with all his fake healings and they sit with their mouths open thinking this is a great man of God and not at all angry that this guy is swindling poor people of their money where they should be angry they are not angry and then you see these same Christians who don't get angry at this preacher of making money their wife does something wrong at their home they lose their temper like anything they are the exact opposite of Jesus Christ Jesus Christ would be angry at that and he not angry here you see how so many Christians I'm talking about so-called born-again Christians they're angry at the wrong thing they have not understood that out of the mouth out of the heart the mouth speaks come back to James he said there now remember this is after 15 years of Christianity the Holy Spirit inspired James to write the first book of the New Testament and he says something he says here in James chapter 1 if anyone thinks himself to be let me paraphrase it anyone thinks himself to be a wonderful Christian and I think many people do but he cannot control his tongue here's a guy a man or a woman who think they're wonderful Christians but they cannot control their tongue at home or in their office or when there's road rage on the streets and the traffic is all piled up and somebody cuts into your lane and all that and you cannot control your tongue you are deceiving your own heart that you're a child of God your Christianity is worth zero that's what it says your Christianity is worth zero if you cannot control your tongue you don't even get one percent you see that's a bit extreme no it's not you never find this verse in the Old Testament and I'll tell you why why don't you find this verse in the Old Testament because they did not have the Holy Spirit dwelling within them in the Old Testament and when you person does not have the Holy Spirit dwelling within em today he'll be just like those Old Testament people with absolute zero control of his tongue even a great man like Moses do you know that story where I must show you that so some of you may not be familiar with it turn to the Book of Numbers in the Book of Numbers I want you to turn to chapter 20 this is at the end of 40 years the two times in the Bible where it says the children of Israel were thirsty in the wilderness and they got water from the rock one is at the beginning of their journey in Exodus chapter 17 where the Lord said Moses smite the rock and the water began to flow rivers because there were two million people there it was not just a trickle many rivers came out of their rock and two million people's thirst was quenched in the desert of Sinai 40 years later we read in numbers chapter 20 this is the end of their wilderness journey again they are crying out for water they are thirsty and this time the Lord says to Moses in numbers chapter 20 and verse 8 take your rod and don't hit the rock this time speak to the rock you hid it 20 years ago it does not have to be hit again what does that teach everything in the Old Testament had a meaning the smitten Rock is a picture of Christ crucified because Christ was crucified the holy spirit came out like rivers of living water from them the day of Pentecost and Christ has to be crucified only once that's why the rock has to be hit only once that was an exodus 17 this time don't hit it now Moses didn't understand the meaning of all that but it doesn't matter when God tells you don't hit it you don't hit it when God tells you speak to the rock you speak to the rock and so Moses took the rod and he gathered the assembly what is he supposed to do he was supposed to speak to the rock water come out but Moses was so upset with these people rebelling and see what he does numbers 20 verse 10 listen now you rebels you can see he's lost his temper the great man of God shall I bring water out of your Rock and Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock not once but twice disobeyed God completely and the water came forth this is the passage which I always ask which I used to explain the answer to this question if somebody disobeys the God's Word and preaches if the man himself is disobedient in his life but he preaches the truth will anybody be saved yes even an unbeliever can preach the gospel people will be saved because the word is correct here is a disobedient servant of God Moses disobeying God why does the water come out because God loves the people why does God use these money loving evangelists on television to convert people do people get converted through that yes because God loves the people but what the money loving evangelist is doing is wrong what Moses did was a hundred percent wrong but God loved the people and gave them water you need to understand this just because God uses a man don't think that God approves of that man he loves the people and so he uses ungodly people to bless his people because he loves them here is the classic example of that the Bible says a woman should not teach there are many women teachers God does God use their teaching yes because even if they are disobedient God loves the people and this is solved the problem for me about how when somebody contradicts the Word of God does God bless of course he does here's example but is that the end of the story no we read here that very next verse verse 12 listen to see how quickly God punish Moses Moses because you did not believe me instead of speaking to the rock you hid it you did not treat me as Holy here is my punishment for 40 years you wanted to enter the land of Canaan you will not enter it's like something your child looked forward to for a whole year to get something and at the end of the year you tell your child sorry you're not gonna get it much greater disappointment Moses forty years he longed to enter the land of Canaan waited waited waited waited waited and the last minute God punished him with I tell you if God had given him leprosy Moses what I said give me leprosy but Lord I want to enter Canaan no you are going to get the most severe punishment I've ever give to you because to whom more is given more is required Moses you did not control your mouths you had no business to speak like that but you'll be punished but you know what I'm trying to say is Moses was still a great servant of God but God had to teach a lesson to the Israelites just because it's Moses I'm not gonna ignore the way he spoke but he did not have the Holy Spirit within him that's why he could speak like that we don't have that excuse today because we have the Holy Spirit within us very important to understand that but let me tell you something about the goodness of God their God did not forget Moses faithfulness in 40 years he did not allow him to enter that day 1,400 years later nearly 1500 years later he allowed Moses to enter the land of Canaan and stand with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration and that was even better than going in with the Israel so God is a good God but what I want to point out to you is in the Old Testament there was no come there's no statement it says if you cannot control your tongue your faith is worth zero in the New Testament it is there Moses faith was not worth zero he was in the Old Testament don't ever compare yourself with an Old Testament person I've heard of great preachers who fall into adultery and then get up and say well David also fell into adultery and he still remained as king I say hey preacher are you living in the Old Testament or New Testament tell me tell me that Paul fell into adultery and became continued his ministry then I'll believe it never happened if I ever hear that any elder in any of our 100 churches fell into adultery I will never never never in a million years allow him to become an elder again sorry in your unconverted deeds if you did it that's forgiven blown it out but after becoming an elder in a church you fall into adultery Wow how in the world can you continue there we need to understand to whom more is given more is required dear brothers and sisters take the use of your tongue seriously if a man cannot control his tongue his Christianity is worth zero because from the the condition of your heart is known by your tongue it's like in the old days 150 years ago there's to be doctors going around in the villages in England and all you know how they check a person's physical condition they say show me your tongue even today doctors say let me see your tongue and spiritually it's like that - let me see your tongue let me see how you use your tongue tell me how you use your tongue at all I'll tell you what type of Christian you are very very important in conclusion James chapter 3 it's amazing that James writes one whole chapter on the use of the tongue and he says here the tongue is like a fire the last part of verse 6 James three six the tongue is of fire the last part of verse six set on fire by hell where is the fire of hell to be found on this earth James says in your tongue there's another real fire in the real hell but it's already there on the tongue and verse seven every type of beasts animals lions tigers have all been tamed by man but the tongue verse 8 no man can tame with it we bless the Lord and father verse 9 on Sundays and then we curse our fellow human beings in other days of the week yeah what is the solution Acts of the Apostles chapter 2 here's the solution to this problem Acts of the Apostles chapter two they were waiting on the day of Pentecost for the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit came and as soon as the Holy Spirit came and filled them the first thing that happened of course there was this rushing wind and all but verse 3 a tongue of fire sat on everybody's head that was the mark of being filled with the Holy Spirit a tongue that is going to be controlled by the Holy Spirit a tongue of fire I remember when I sought God for the fullness of the Spirit this is what I prayed I said Lord I can't control my mother tongue I was born again I can't control my mother done for years and years Lord I can't control my anger I can upset so easily give me I don't want to speak in unknown tongues but I first want to control my mother tongue leave alone other languages well let me his first learn to speak in English properly let me control my mother tongue please help me Lord and that's when God filled me with the Holy Spirit and helped me to control my mother tongue after that he gave me the gift of other tongues and it is always better that way today we have a Christian world which is seeking for other tongues other tongues other tongues I say forget it seek for the tongue of fire first and then in verse 4 the other tongues comes after that go by the scriptural order why do you go to verse 4 before verse 3 I don't want verse 4 if I don't have verse 3 I want to tongue a fire first the thing is the tongue unknown tongues is spectacular a lot of unknown types that people speak a lot of garbage it's not the real tough real tongues is a language it's not just babbling a few words but controlling to forget that control the mother turn that so important what was God saying through this God was saying in this new covenant age the main part of your body which I want to use is your tongue does not a hand a fire or a leg of fire or a year of fire it was a tongue of fire verse three saying that there's one part of your body which I want to use more than anything else in the New Covenant and that is your tongue my dear brothers and sisters please take that seriously because if you do I'll tell you something else that'll come out of it when you speak with people on a phone or when you write a note to somebody on an email or you write something or you speak something in conversation to somebody brother or sister the Holy Spirit will communicate the life of Jesus through you to that person that's the advantage of pursuing this tongue of fire and saying Lord I want a holy tongue and I want my teach teach my children to have that as well let's pray Heavenly Father we pray that you will give us grace to take this very important matter seriously I know with all my heart how the devil would like us to forget it before the days over please take care Lord we shall watch the birds of the air from coming and taking away the seed which the Holy Spirit has sown help us each one make this a church which is known for people who have control over their tongues thank you Father in Jesus name on it [Music]

Channel: River of Life Christian Fellowship

Views: 41,879

Rating: 4.8745294 out of 5

Keywords: tongue, heart, growing, spiritually, zac, poonen, sermon, rlcf, river, life, christian, fellowship

Id: 2m1hAW1_HjE

Length: 55min 49sec (3349 seconds)

Published: Mon Sep 23 2019