PSALM CHAPTER 39
How does a person use their tongue to please God ?
1. IT BEGINS WITH OUR OWN HEART. V. 1
A. TAKING HEED TO OUR OWN WAYS. I TIM. 4:16, DEUT. 4:23.
B. BEING CONCERNED ABOUT OUR OWN SIN. LUKE 6:42.
C. LOOKING AT WAYS TO STOP OUR SIN. PS. 119:11,
D. BEING AWARE THAT OTHERS ARE WATCHING US. MATT. 5:16,
HEB. 11:4. (WHAT WILL THEY SAY AFTER YOU ARE GONE ?)
2. THE HUMAN MIND USUALLY CAN’T COME UP WITH ANSWERS THAT WORK. V. 2.
FALSE CONCLUSIONS:
A. “STOP TALKING ABOUT THE LORD—THEN, YOU CAN’T BE CALLED A
HYPOCRITE OR PERSECUTE YOU.” AMOS 6:9,10.
B. “WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE IN WHAT YOU SAY, ANYWAY ?”
JER. 20:9.
C. “I’LL JUST MAKE MYSELF MISERABLE, BECAUSE I KNOW WHAT THEY
WILL SAY.” EX. 7:16.
3. REACTIONS TO FAILURES OF THE HEART/TONGUE.
A. SORROW WAS STIRRED UP. V.2. MATT. 26:75,
B. HEART WAS HOT. [KHAW-MAM=“ENFLAMED, HOT WITH PASSION”]
HEB. 12:16, 17.
C. FIRE WAS ‘BURNING’. (CONSUMING) COMES FROM CONVICTION:
Heb. 12:29, DEUT. 4:24.
4. THE IMPORTANCE OF VERBAL COMMUNICATION. PROV. 18:21.
A. IT SHOWS A YIELDEDNESS BY THE PHYSICAL AS WELL AS THE
SPIRITUAL. MATT. 26:41.
B. IT PROVIDES TESTIMONY TO ALL THOSE AROUND. JOHN 11:42.
IT IS A REQUIRED FORM OF TESTIMONY. ROMANS 10:10
C. IT IS NECESSARY TO COMMUNICATE WITH THOSE WHO CANNOT
SEE OUR HEARTS AND READ OUR MINDS. MATT. 8:8, I COR. 14:9.
—NO RECORD OF JESUS EVER CASTING OUT DEMONS BY
‘THOUGHT.’ IT WAS ALWAYS VERBAL. MATT. 8:32.
—PEOPLE NEED TO HEAR WHY THEY SEE A CHANGE IN US.
I PETER 3:15. PROV. 16:1.
5. THEY NEEDED REMINDERS. V.4-7
A. OF HOW FRAIL WE REALLY ARE.
PS. 6:2, 2 COR. 12:10, JOB 7:7, 9, 17.
B. OF HOW LITTLE TIME WE HAVE DOWN HERE. JAMES 4:14,
—NEED TO MAKE THE BEST OF WHAT TIME WE HAVE.
PS. 89:47, I PETER 1:24,
—WE NEED TO BE READY TO LEAVE AT ANY TIME. JOHN 7:6
C. THAT IT IS THE HIGHEST PRIVILEGE TO SERVE GOD.
HEB. 12:28, EPH. 6:7, PHIL. 3:14.
D. THAT OUR ACTIONS WILL REAP REWARDS. V. 6,
HEB. 11:6, PS. 31:23.
E. THE JUDGMENT AHEAD.
—V.7. THE BELIEVER FACES IT IN CONFIDENCE. HEB. 10:35.
—V.8 THE CERTAINTY OF FORGIVENESS FOR THE BELIEVER.
I JOHN 2:12, ROMANS 4:6-8.
—V. 9 THE TESTS TODAY THAT PREPARE US.
—THE PERFECT TEST THAT JESUS PASSED: LUKE 4:2.
—THE ULTIMATE TEST: I COR. 3:13. I PETER 4:12,
—V.10—THE CHASTENING HAND NOW PREPARES US FOR LATER.
HEBREW 12:4-10. PURPOSE: HELPS US DEAL WITH SIN.
6. THE CONCEPT OF A SOJOURNER.
A. THAT LIVING HERE IS JUST A SHORT TIME. JAMES 4:14.
B. THAT WE ARE “PASSING THROUGH,” NOT SETTLING IN.
HEB. 11:13, I PETER 2:11.
C. FIRE WAS ‘BURNING’. (CONSUMING) COMES FROM CONVICTION:
Heb. 12:29, DEUT. 4:24.