You Are What You Say

Introduction

Good morning. Please open your Bibles with me to Matthew chapter 12. In Matthew chapter 12, as you turn there, consider the popular phrase, you are what you eat. Scary, I know. You are what you eat. If you want to be healthy, you should drink water. If you want to be healthy, you should eat greens. If you want to be happy, you should eat ice cream. That’s how that goes, right? At least for me, that’s how this wonderful figure is made. Now, as you think about you are what you eat, though, the real concept is much greater than don’t eat food that tastes good. It’s that if you want to be a healthy person, you need to eat in a healthy way. You need to eat foods that help you live a healthy lifestyle, help your body function the way God intended it to.

But this morning, when we recognize in Matthew chapter 12 and verse 33 beginning, that Jesus is focused on what we say, there’s something we have to take care of first. As we guard our speech, as we guard our minds, we have to be mindful first of what goes into our hearts. In Matthew chapter 12, beginning in verse 33, Jesus says, either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you speak good when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil.

I tell you, on the day of judgment, people will give account for every careless word they speak. And for by your words you will be justified. And by your words you will be condemned. Strong warning of Jesus, particularly in verse 36 and 37. But consider this morning the clever phrase you are what you say. The truth is, if we thought about who we wanted to be, we’d say we want to be good people. We want to be God fearing people. We want to just be Christians. That’s a plea we often make. And when it comes to our worship, we make sure we do just as God says. We carefully craft our worship to be pleasing to God, to lead psalms and hymns and spiritual songs that we sing together, addressing one another and all the while singing and making melody in our heart to God, just as it says in Ephesians chapter 5 and verse 19.

We’re careful on an individual and collective level to make sure that we fulfill 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 and verse 17, that we will pray without ceasing. We’re certainly careful with passages like Matthew chapter 26, 1 Corinthians chapter 11, to name two of the many, that we take each Lord’s day. We remember the Lord’s death. We remember his body, which was broken for us, his blood, which was shed not only for the forgiveness of our sins, but as the blood of the required new covenant that God made with all of his creation. It’s a powerful thing. It’s important to do what God says. It’s important to acknowledge that we need to change our lives and shape them in God’s image. That we need to be transformed, as Romans chapter 12 says, by the renewal of our mind.

But one of the hardest things to do, one of the most difficult things to practice is exactly what the Bible says that is in James chapter 3, a passage we’ll get to in just a few moments this morning. That is to control our tongues. If you notice in verse 33, Jesus gives a direct command make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. There can be no two ways about that. If we think we can speak one way and live another or be judged another, we are mistaken. We are either the good tree that submits to God’s will that bears good fruit for the Lord, or our speech rightfully identifies us as the bad tree that we are, marked for complete and utter destruction.

1. Choose to Be a Good Tree

Note with me two main passages this morning, beginning first in Matthew chapter 12, some lessons that Jesus teaches us about our words. How am I going to be what I say? How am I going to be a Christian only? How am I going to be pleasing to God? This takes two forms. First, knocking out the bad and instilling the clean. Beginning with me in verse 33, you see the point we just made that we have to choose to be a good tree. It is that which Jesus says in verse 34, you brood of vipers, how can you speak good when you are evil? Jesus makes it clear we cannot choose but one way. We are a good tree. Think about how you speak this morning. Do you speak like the world around you?

2. Out of the Abundance of the Heart the Mouth Speaks

Do you speak with colloquialisms that are degrading, that are unwholesome, that are anti against God’s establishment and rules and words and law? Or are you for him? Are you preaching righteousness? Do you speak with kindness and gentleness, not quarrelsome, but seeking to help people understand who God is? Are you for or against God? What do your words reveal about you? But we see in verse 34 and 35 as he continues, Jesus says, For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. We speak from our hearts. So the question is not, how do we control our tongues, although having restraint is important.

What’s truly important is what is in our heart. If you notice what he says in verse 34, the strong condemnation, you brood of vipers. How can you speak good when you are evil? The answer is you cannot do such a thing. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. I think one of the things that’s interesting about going around the country is hearing people, and you know what? Sometimes you meet someone, even if it’s here in Orlando, and you hear them speak in a certain way, we call it an accent, and you kind of have a feel for where someone’s from because of how they speak. Can’t really help it. You just kind of grow up with one or you don’t. You can try to take one on, or you can try to reject it, but most of the time your accent shows where you’re coming from.

I wonder what our words say about me. How does how do I speak? What does that mean for my life? Do I speak as someone who’s a Christian who puts God first? Do I speak like I am someone who is in middle school? Do I speak as someone who is on a construction site? What does my speech say about me? Am I someone focused on the Lord’s work? Am I talking about Jesus, what he’s done in my life, how he has blessed me? Am I speaking of what repentance truly means? Am I speaking with kindness? Am I speaking with love? The question is not what do our words say. The question is rather, to Jesus’ point, where are the words originating? Where is it coming from?

3. Give Account for Every Careless Word

It’s coming from our heart. So if we’re going to control our words, if we’re going to try to do the almost impossible, as James chapter 3 says, we have to speak from our hearts. We must first purify our hearts. That means guarding against evil filth that is constantly banging against us, trying to come in. And it means pouring in righteousness, pouring in the word of God. The holy and blameless inspired word of God. As we consider that this morning, we see a third point, because if we do not do that, or if we do submit ourselves and our tongues and our minds and our hearts to Jesus. Either way, in verse 36, the scary two words. I tell you, on the day of judgment, people will give account for every careless word.

They speak, for by your words you’ll be justified, and by your words you will be condemned. It’s powerful that in James chapter 3, I hope you’ll turn there with me. In James chapter 3, the verses begin, yes, in verse 1, warning against teaching and recognizing the greater judgment that comes with that. But in verse 2 it says, For we all stumble in many ways, and if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. That’s a powerful phrase. The Bible says, James says, if you can control your tongue, you are a perfect man. And so I don’t have to even ask for a show of hands to say, is there not a time that we would consider a careless word that we’ve spoken?

And we regret it. Have you, or how many times have you spoken careless things, and wished so desperately that you could pull those words back? Recognize not only that they do harm in the physical, but we will be held account by them before God. Careless words in Matthew chapter 12 doesn’t just mean things that we say quickly or flippantly. Careless words is everything that we speak. We are judged by what we say. And that makes me a whole lot more careful with how I speak, how I talk, and how I listen, recognizing that words are vital, that our tongues are powerful. How powerful, in fact, James tells us about how powerful our speech is in James chapter 3. If you’ll continue reading with me in verse 3, if we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well.

Look at the ships also, that they are so large and are driven by strong winds. They are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire, and the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell, for every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.

From the same mouth come blessing and cursing, my brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening, both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water. Again, James makes the point that Jesus does, there can be no mixing. It might be that we speak both good and bad things, but it reveals to us a truth in verse 11. A spring does not pour forth both fresh and salt water. A fig tree cannot produce olives. A grapevine cannot produce figs. We must do what we are intended to. A salt pond cannot yield fresh water. We see the power of the tongue in verse 5.

It’s described as a fire, and yet in verse 8 it actually doubles down and gets worse. In verse 8, notice how it’s described.

It’s not just a restless evil, it is full of deadly poison. Go back to verse 6, though, and see how difficult it is. The tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining what? The whole body. What can it set on fire? The entire course of life. And where is its power? Where is its source? It is set on fire by hell. Perhaps it’s no surprise then when we read James chapter three, beginning in verse 2, recognizing that if someone can control the tongue, they truly can be perfect, because this is the most difficult of things that man is faced with. It’s the most difficult thing to take control of. Because there’s so much opportunity for wickedness. Think about it.

We use our tongue perhaps more than any other part of our body every single day, other than maybe our most basic of senses. We speak, and sometimes we don’t even think about what we’re going to say first, and then we’re surprised to say that this didn’t turn out well. If I ask for a show of hands of not just who has said something they wish they regretted, but who has done that probably over fifty even times, I bet all of the auditorium would raise their hands. Because just like James says, the tongue is a fire. It is a restless evil and is a deadly poison. When you consider the strength of fire, it can consume everything in its path. It can wipe out a field, it can wipe out a forest.

When you think of a restless evil, it does not stop. It continually is pulling down, causing destruction, and it should be no surprise then that what follows is the description of a deadly poison. That which corrupts from within, that which kills and leaves nothing behind. The tongue is a restless evil. It is set on fire by hell. And yet Jesus not only says or suggests, but demands that we take control, that we tame the tongue. Despite verse 8 saying no human being can tame the tongue. We have to realize that verse 9, we were given our tongue for a reason. It was not simply a temptation. In verse 9, you see, what is the purpose of the tongue? What is a good use? How are we to use our tongue wisely?

How are we to excel in our speech in verse 9? We need to be blessing our Lord and Father with it. We must not be cursing people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing, my brothers, these things ought not to be so. If there’s one thing the Bible is very clear in its condemnation of, it is hypocrisy.

And unfortunately, being one, being one of many here this morning who have not tamed the tongue in all aspects and at all times. I must be cautious of hypocrisy, of saying one thing and doing another. We say we want to be Christians, we say we want to be pleasing to God. But if we’re honest, we don’t always want to be exactly what we say. Jesus tells us, you are what you say. Your heart is from what your tongue speaks. What is in your heart? We can figure that out by seeing what’s on your lips. Powerful. Warning. Concern. Are we controlling our tongue? Are we submitting to God? Consider with me a few ways to excel in our speech this morning. It’s difficult, it’s hard. It’s very unpleasant to consider all of the harm that it can do.

4. Keep Your Heart With All Vigilance

But in Matthew chapter 15, we recognize there is a way. There is hope. There is a way that we can control our speech that we can excel even. We can be pleasing to God. In Matthew chapter 15, of course, we consider the verse 9 verses where Jesus condemns again the Pharisees for elevating their doctrines to be commandments of God. He calls their worship vain. He says, they vainly worship me, even though their hearts are far from me. In Matthew chapter 15 and verse 17, though, as he’s addressing the Pharisees and their sin and their compulsion of under misunderstanding God’s law, in verse 17, Jesus says, Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person.

For out of the heart comes evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, and slander. These are what defile a person. Can you believe that in verse 19? For out of the heart comes all of these wicked things, evil thoughts. Out of the heart comes murder. Out of the heart comes adultery. Out of the heart comes sexual immorality. Out of the heart comes theft. Out of the heart comes false witness. Out of the heart comes slander. We must guard our hearts. Turn with me to the book of Proverbs in Proverbs chapter 4. In Proverbs chapter 4, consider the wise words of Solomon in Proverbs chapter 4, just to name one, just to pick out one for the sake of time. In verse 23, the proverbial writer says, Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flows the springs of life.

How are we to keep our heart with all vigilance? Constant care. Can I tell you that guarding our heart sounds easy? It sounds really good on a sermon keynote. This is incredibly difficult. You know what why this is difficult? Two reasons. One, we don’t hate sin as we should. And two, it takes vigilance. What does that mean? It means it takes constant attention, constant pruning, continual effort. Maybe you’re like me, one of the things I don’t like doing is having a checklist that never ends. I like getting things done, I like scratching through them. Perhaps that’s why my keynote’s just kind of move on the way they do. I like proceeding, I like going through, I like feeling accomplished. But some of the tasks that Jesus calls us to, to be Christians, to be pleasing in his sight, take a constant guarding, a constant warring against the desires of the flesh.

When Jesus says ever so clearly in Matthew chapter 12 that we will give account for every careless words, that our words will both justify and/or condemn us. I recognize that I better guard my heart and I better start doing so now. When I think about keeping it with vigilance, that means that I have to think about every program that I watch, every person that I speak to, every book that I read, every radio broadcast that I allow my ears to listen to. And perhaps more frighteningly, I better be very careful of what I am communicating. Because whether we want to or not, we are constantly communicating both verbally and nonverbally. And our communication comes from one place and one alone. It comes from the heart. What are we doing to guard our hearts?

What is it that we have done? Do we actually recognize evil for what it is? In Romans chapter 12 and verse 9, Paul says, Let love be without hypocrisy, abhor what is evil, cling to what is good. If we truly hated evil, if we truly recognize what the tongue can do, would we really give in to it so frequently? Perhaps if we guarded our heart first and we stopped arrogantly thinking that this won’t affect me, this won’t bother me, I won’t fall prey to this temptation. That we would be humble enough to obey God the way He has designed. That we would recognize that while we are imperfect, while taming the tongue is a most difficult task, that it can and must be done to be pleasing to our God.

Do we abhor what is evil? Moreover, do we cling to what is good? Every Bible lesson can probably properly be concluded by read more of God’s word. But would we recognize that if we delight in the law of the Lord, if we find ourselves enveloped in constantly reading and listening to the words of life rather than the words of this world which are passing away, how much greater would our life be? Psalms chapter 1 gives a good picture of what how different our life would be. Turn with me to Psalm chapter 1, and you’ll see exactly how different it might be. In Psalm chapter 1, consider the words of the writer in verse 1 beginning. In Psalm chapter 1, beginning and verse 1, blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers.

But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. Where is he not, verse 1? He’s not in the counsel of the wicked. He’s not listening to that wickedness. He’s not standing in the way of sinners. He’s not enticed or following the example of those who are opposed to God’s will. He is not sitting in the seat of scoffers. But where is he? Verse 2, his delight is in the law of the Lord. He doesn’t just claim that. What does he do? What is it? How does his delight manifest on his law? He meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither.

And all that he does, he prospers. This is the good tree that bears good fruit. Yet, verse 4, the wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous, for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. We have got to see that our speech is this important. Even though we speak, I don’t even know how many words a day. We must be in control of our speech. It’s too easy. It’s too tempting. It’s too common. Where we say, it was just one phrase. It was just one conversation. It was just one blow up. Jesus calls sin that which transgresses God’s law.

5. Quick to Hear, Slow to Speak

And Psalm chapter 1 and verse 1. The man who is blessed is the one who is not with the sinners, not with the scoffers, not following the counsel of the wicked. Their end is clear in verse 5. They will stand in the judgment. Their sinners will not be in the congregation of the righteous, because the Lord knows the way of the righteous. Consider that this is important, this is critical, this is crucial. And one way to help get control, we need to guard our hearts first and foremost, but also can we guard the actual gate? In James chapter 1, consider with me, all the way back in James chapter 1. If we would be slow to speak, I bet you we’d get rid of a lot of the heat of the moment, the passion of the moment, sinful things we say.

In James chapter 1, beginning in verse 19, James writes, know this, my beloved brothers. Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger. For the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore, put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word which is able to save your souls. Again, the point is clear in verse 21. Reject the wickedness, choose the righteousness. Choose the meekness that comes with the implanted word. But in verse 19, we see the ever-present wisdom. Be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger. One of those ways that we keep our hearts with vigilance is the constant care and the constant concern. One of the ways that we can control our tongue is with constant vigilance and constant concern.

Have you ever met someone that you’ve been wanting to impress? Whether it was a first date or a job interview. How careful are you with how you speak, with what words you say, with how you construct different sentences, with even what nonverbals you’re communicating. When we want something, when we want to impress someone, we’re very careful. We’re very meticulous. We are very vigilant in how we come across. We don’t want to climb across pushy, we don’t want to interrupt, we don’t want to say bad things, we want to sound like so. We want to sound professional, kind, loving. You name it, we work on it, we craft ourselves to present ourselves that way. But because it’s long and because it’s hard, sometimes I fear we don’t treat Jesus the same way.

We owe him our lives. We owe him a transformed life. That means we take control, we harness every word we speak. And one way to do that is to be careful, not just from the beginning, but as we are speaking, as we are conversing, we should be quick to hear and slow to speak. Think about in your life of all the things you’ve said, all the problems you’ve caused through a blow up, through a momentary indiscretion where you sinned, where you were rude, where you were unkind. Consider if you had been practicing the principles of verse 19, that you were quick to hear, slow to anger, and perhaps more to the point, slow to speak. How much destruction could have been avoided. And that speaks to our final point this morning.

6. Realize the Consequences of Our Speech

We must realize the consequences of our speech. Turn back to James chapter 3 and verse 5. I want to make two points when it comes to the consequences of our speech. The reason this is important, make no mistake, is because of what Matthew 12, verse 36 and 37 say, that we will give account for every careless word that we speak, that by our mouth we are justified, by our words we will be condemned. And we’re going to look at that passage one more time to conclude. But in James chapter 3, consider the consequences even now, if we don’t guard our hearts, if we are quick to speak rather than slow to speak. In James chapter 3 and verse 5, again, so also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.

How great a force is set ablaze by such a small fire. What does the tongue do? How is it a fire? Yes, in verse 6, it is a world of unrighteousness, but what can it do? The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life. Of all the man all the weapons that mankind has ever developed, there is one that has stood the test of time, and it is words that have caused the most destruction. You can argue that our modern day weapons can clear land, but words have cleared God’s people from eating with one another. Not being slow to speak, not guarding our hearts has made Christians who were devoted to the cause of Christ fall away, because they were taking in unrighteousness, and their hearts no longer could put out the good fruit that Jesus demands, his good trees produce.

How many churches have been divided? How many homes have been destroyed? How many friendships have been ruined? How many Christians have fallen away because of the spoken word? Because of ego, pride, lies, gossip, and slander. Perhaps it’s of no surprise in Proverbs chapter six when Jesus speaks, when the Lord speaks of those things which are an abomination to him, that so many are directly tied to the tongue. Perhaps it’s of no surprise that in Matthew chapter five, when Jesus properly sets into context what is the old law of Moses. He describes that it begins in the heart. The sin, the transgression of God’s law began in the heart. We need to count the cost, not just of following Jesus, but of every word that we say.

We’re very careful with words, like I said, in certain particular moments, but one particular moment more than any other, we’re drawn to. We keep the words of someone, and we’re careful with ours in the circumstances of last words. I don’t know how many people here have been in the situation where they face someone who’s on the edge of dying, and you’ve carefully crafted or thought about, or maybe in the emotional passion considered just saying I love you one more time, or wishing that you could have. But if we knew we had one more chance to talk to someone that we love, how would we speak? Probably not with the vile, probably not with slander or gossip, probably not with the rudeness or unkindness, but we would speak with love.

We would convey our mercy towards anyone who is asking of forgiveness. We would convey the mercy of God, the greatness of Jesus, the significance of submitting to Jesus, our King. We would not blow up. We would not slander. We would not put self first. We would be focused on those who are going to soon be out of our lives. We save messages because words are valuable. And yet at the same time we find ourselves just like James warns of in chapter 3 in verses 10, 11, and 12. We both bless God with one side of our mouth. We recognize the power, and then we recognize and we claim that words have no meaning. That is not true. To suggest that because words are so plentiful that they can’t cause an impact is ignorance and perhaps the devil’s greatest tool.

We must recognize, as verse 10 says, that we cannot with the same mouth come both blessings and cursing. Choose today, how will you speak? The physical consequences are severe, but truly, as damaging as they are, as upsetting as it is to lose family members, to see people fall away from a local church, to be a part of a church that divides. In Matthew chapter 12, if you’ll turn with me back to verse 33 in our text again, one more time this morning, consider the greatest cost. Consider the greatest worry. In verse 33 in Matthew chapter 12, Jesus says, either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you speak good when you are evil?

For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment, people will give account for every careless word they speak. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned. If you’re not worried about breaking up a family or a friendship or a church, recognize that we can be broken apart from our God. Sin, which separates us from our righteous and holy heavenly Father, is the only thing that will pull us away from God’s love if we choose to violate his law. We understand how clear God’s law is on so many things.

Conclusion

We study and make sure that we worship like he says, that we avoid certain sins like he says. But how much time and effort do we give to guarding our hearts, being slow to speak, and recognizing that every careless word will come into judgment. If judgment were today, would your words condemn you? Or by your words would you be justified with the grace and forgiveness of Jesus Christ our Lord? Jesus says there’s only those two paths. This morning, consider that you are on one of those two pathways. In Matthew 7, Jesus speaks about the narrow way and the broad way, and yet our tongue reveals them both. If we’re a good tree, we’re going to produce good fruit. How do you speak? If I asked someone who knew you, would they know that you’re a Christian from the words that you speak and the tone with which you say it?

Make things right today. If you’re a Christian and you’ve not spoken the way that you know God has instructed us to, with love, with grace, having our speech seasoned with salt. Realize that you can be forgiven. Take advantage of the brothers and sisters in Christ. Use your tongue for good. Bless the Lord. Confess your sins to Him, recognizing that you can be forgiven. Or maybe you’re not a Christian at all. Recognize that while our speech can justify, it’s only with the saving power and blood of Jesus Christ. Take advantage of his sacrifice this morning. Believe in him. Repent, turning of your wrongdoing, confess Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and be baptized, having your sins washed away and commit to serving God today.

Recognizing the judgment is coming, and our hearts, our minds, and our soul will be laid bare before God. If we can help you in any way, come forward now as we stand and sing the invitation song.