With One Mind and One Mouth

Well, we're here today on the Sabbath, beautiful Sabbath day, beautiful people, beautiful fellowship today. And we're here grateful to our God, our Father, and to His Son Jesus Christ for their plan of salvation, for letting us know and to be a part of it. And we've been learning a lot this past few weeks, a month or so, preparations for the Holy Days, and now we've proceeded through it, and we're moving forward. We're continuing forward, as we've heard in the sermonette today. We're continuing forward in one sense of that Red Sea Road, because God has a plan for us. Part of what we've been learning these past few weeks, this time, is that common theme that what our lives day in and day out now should be about. We're to be endeavoring to put on the mind of Christ and put out sin, put out our carnal human nature, put out all those things that are contrary to God. And we understand that that's going to take a lot of work and effort on our part. We've learned through these last few weeks and messages in our own personal study that this is an action, this is activity, it's not a passive thing. But the whole point of what we're doing in yielding ourselves to God's Word, to His Holy Spirit, and striving to become like Christ, when all of us together are being led by Christ through God's Word and by His Spirit, the whole point is to be building unity with God and with one another as the body of Christ, the Church. Yes, we are individuals doing this, but it's not just about us. It's not just about us as individuals, it's about us as a body of Christ. And so we've heard some been reminded very wonderful scriptures. For example, when it comes to committing ourselves, you don't need to turn there, but we've already heard Ephesians chapter 4 verse 22 through 24.

Putting off and putting on, we put off our former conduct, the old man, if I would say the old lady, but that may come across wrong, but you know the point. We're to put off our old carnal nature.

And of course, I shouldn't have made the line of that because this is no laughing matter in one sense. But we can laugh knowing that we're leaving with God's help. That old part of us we don't like, we're leaving it behind. And we're to be putting on the new man that was created according to God in true righteousness and holiness. And so as individuals and as a body of Christ, the church, we must be following Christ. He is our head. Let's look at Colossians chapter 3. Again, I'm still just an introductory part here. Colossians chapter 3 verse 12 through 15. Here we gain a sense through Paul's words here, Colossians 3, 12 through 15, of the sense of what that means. What does it mean, putting on Christ and putting off our old nature, our old former conduct and selves?

We get a kind of succinct idea of what that means. Colossians 3 verse 12, therefore, as the elect of God, recalled apart from God, her Father, therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies and kindness and humility and meekness, long suffering, bearing with one another. That means sometimes we have to put up with each other as we're all struggling to get better and to leave that old part behind. Bearing with one another and forgiving one another. Absolutely vital. And if anyone has complained against another, even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things, put on love. Why? Put on love, which is the bond of perfection. That is what unites us. God's Spirit in us, that part of God that He has gifted to us, His Spirit, God is love. That is what we're to be building on and using.

Verse 15, and let the patience of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body. And then Paul adds, and be thankful. Be thankful. It's not quite an afterthought.

But it's certainly an important thought. And so we see that we must put on God's love.

We must allow God to rule in our hearts, in our minds, so that as we share His Spirit in us and live His way, we truly become united as one. That's our goal. We're going to become one.

But how can we know it? How can we know if we're making progress and becoming more like Jesus Christ? How can we know if we're making progress and letting God rule in our hearts?

Well, there are many different indicators Scripture tells us about, but there's one indicator in particular we're going to focus on today. And we can find its reference in the words of Christ back in Luke chapter 6. So if you'd turn back through with me, please. We're going to look at Luke chapter 6, verse 43 through 45.

And we're going to be breaking into the thought here a little bit. In what Christ is talking to us about, He's given us an indicator that'll help us know when we are letting more of Christ rule over us and less of the old self. Luke 6, 43, and it's an analogy about Christ's fruit. Verse 43, for a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.

For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings a good fruit to the ground, and the good fruit of the tree is known by its own fruit. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good, and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks.

Or, as Matthew 12, 34, states, for out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.

So what's the indicator? One indicator of how much we're allowing God to become part of us, what's in our hearts and minds, is revealed by our speech. It's revealed by how we use our tongue.

And so we are a work in progress, though. We are a work in progress. We're all striving, as we've been reminding ourselves these past few weeks this holy season, that we're to becoming more like Christ. And God does expect us to be doing our best to guard our words. He expects us to be doing our best to guard our tongues. And again, our goal in doing that, yes, it helps us be better people, but the goal is so that we will have unity with others in God's church.

It's so that we can have better unity by what's in our hearts, what comes out of our mouths. It'll help build that unity. Our goal is to have one mind and one mouth, one tongue, you might say, all speaking the same thing, all have God's spirit and life in us. And so today we will consider God's instruction about the tongue, about its good and evil potential, and how we might control it better. And so the title of the sermon is, With One Mind and One Mouth. With One Mind and One Mouth.

So let's be turning back to James chapter 3. It just seems a natural place to begin in talking about the tongue when it comes to what the Scripture says. The tongue we understand, even as Christ spoke of here in Luke, the tongue can speak both good and evil. We know that. We acknowledge that. And we know it because we have tongues. And even if you do sign language, you have a tongue. You are expressing yourself quite well, by the way. And so we also know it because we've been hurt by tongues. We have an expression in America of giving people a tongue lashing sometimes. We don't like that. We've been hurt by gossip. We've been hurt by false accusations and lies and threats. And we've probably been cussed at and more. On the other hand, it's also likely that we have done something similar to other people. Chances are with our tongue, we have heard others in similar ways with our own tongue. And of course, we understand and believe and are striving because we know that these things should not be. Let's look at James chapter 3 and verses 2 through 12. And here we find James's warning and instruction about everyone to the brethren, but it's a problem everyone has in guarding and restraining the tongue. Verse 1, James is more directly talking about those to those who want to become teachers in the church.

And he warns them to be careful. You come under stricter judgment. Be careful what you're doing.

And the tongue is very important to be guard in that aspect. But in verse 2 is where I want to begin more specifically because here he is addressing the brethren.

Still in verse 1, but here he's addressing more everyone, all people. And that concerns us for certain. In verse 2, James does explain how everyone stumbles. Another word for stumbles can be fails or offends or sins through the wrong use of the tongue. And so he says, For we all stumble in many things.

If anyone does not stumble in word, he is perfect. He is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole tongue. Now, I'm going to pause right there because when you come to that point, if anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, we might pause right there and say, well, perfect. Nobody could be perfect. And so why try so hard? But that's not quite the right concept of perfect. We might want to read this sentence as James, using hyperbole, as it were, using extreme sentence, which he really doesn't mean, but that would not be quite correct.

This is a statement of something that can be achieved. It can be achieved. He's actually saying that we can control our tongue and our actions through striving for perfection, being perfect, which actually means becoming perfect, becoming more morally, or if you're probably a better word, spiritually mature, becoming more like Christ. It can be done.

And we can do that, not on our own. We can only do that when we allow Jesus Christ and God's power, his life essence, to thrive in us and we yield to it. We yield to God's influence, the influence of his written word and our hearts and minds, and the influence of his spirit in our hearts and minds. So we can achieve this perfection, this moral maturity, the spiritual maturity that we're constantly to be growing in.

We can do it when we allow Christ in us to help us practice that self-control. And if we can control our tongues, as it says here, James says, then we're also able to bridle the whole body. We can control our tongues. We're going to do much better in controlling our actions. And so James is telling us it's possible. And of course, Luke 18, 27, you can jot that down.

It tells us all things are possible through God and Christ. And so we mustn't give up thinking, I'm never going to control my tongue. Yes, we can. All things are possible, but only through God and Christ. Continuing now, verse 3 through 5, and it's going to read this section together, because in these three verses, James illustrates how little things can have a huge, tremendous influence and impact on things much greater in size. And so he gives us some examples here. Verse 3, indeed, we put bits in horses' mouths that they may obey us, and we turned their whole body. I've seen little children get up on these great big horses.

They're just little kids. They got their cute little cowboy boots on, right? But they get on that horse, and they could turn that whole horse with that little bit, and their little arms. Little things can control big things. Look also at ships, although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder, wherever the pilot desires. And even so, the tongue is a little member and boasts great things.

And see how great a forest a little fire kindles. And of course, we hear about that. One careless little spark can send up a forest fire. Instead of a forest, some translations read a pile of wood, like in fuel. It just takes a spark from a flint to create a little fire, and you get a campfire from that little spark. And then this idea that even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. This can also remain, not just be seen as a negative thing, but the tongue can do great and wonderful things.

Acts 2.41. I'm not going to turn there, but jot that down. After his first sermon, Peter, after his first sermon, he converted apparently, I don't convert it, but they were baptized over 3,000 souls, 3,000 people with that very first sermon he gave. Of course, he didn't do that alone. We know that. He did that with God's spirit and God's influence in their lives, too.

But a tongue can do great things, good things. Now, for some younger folk, you may have to talk about steering wheels, right? You could turn a big semi-truck with a steering wheel. Some of you know how to do that. Maybe you're better with cell phones. Touchscreens. Okay. You can make some huge purchases with what? Ask mom and dad first. Okay. But we do. We can make huge purchases with the touch of a little finger if you have a touch screen. This past week, we also learned what can happen when one person takes a few pieces of paper, maybe hundreds, and distributes them in a chat room, classified documents in the chat room, and suddenly the whole course of a war and other secrets of international importance can be overturned. Just little things. The tongue is a little thing, too. It can be doing good things. It can be doing not so good things. And that's what changed his point. And then he continues on. He talks about a tongue. If it's unbridled, however, it can cause great destruction if it's unrestrained. Verse 6, and the tongue is a fire. It causes a spark.

It can cause a fire. It could cause a world of iniquity, great trouble, great grief, great sins.

The tongue is so sent among our members that it defiles the whole body and sets on fire the course of nature.

The course of nature could mean the whole of our human existence. We could turn our lives absolutely upside down and miserable if we don't use our tongues correctly. And by using tongue, of course, that can apply nowadays to texting or email or whatever else, too. We could do great harm by our words, our tongue, in that regard. And indeed, he says, the tongue, it is set on fire by hell. That word there is agana. Agana, of course, refers to that valley south of Jerusalem. It was like the giant garbage dump for Jerusalem. Constant fire and smoke can stench, so can the trouble be that we cause when we don't use our words correctly. Continuing on, verse 7, he says, For every kind of beast and bird of reptile and creature of the sea is tamed, and has been tamed by mankind. The word tamed can mean subdued or restrained, but no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Now, you might look at that in verse 8, well, no man contained the tongue, and yet you just said that it says in verse 2 that we can become perfect in tongue. How does that equate? That's a conflict. No. He says, but no man contained the tongue.

If you remember what I said earlier, we can only tame the tongue with the help of Jesus Christ and God's Spirit. Alone, we're going to have a miserable time. We may make some progress on our own, but it will not last. Not like it will when we allow God to help us do that.

Then, as James concludes his critique of the tongue, he alludes to Christ's lesson, echoes of Christ's lesson from Luke 6, 43, and 45. Verse 9, he says, With it the tongue, with the tongue we bless our God and our Father, and with it we curse men who have been made in the similitude of God.

Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing.

My brethren, he's talking to believers, he's talking to us. He goes, My brethren, these things ought not to be so.

Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening?

No, you can't. Can a fig tree, my brethren?

He's almost pleading. Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs?

Well, of course not. And thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.

We are believers, we are followers of Christ. We have God's Holy Spirit in us. He's encouraging us. We must get rid of the bitter. We must let the fresh flow from our hearts through our mouths and do good, as God would have us do with our tongues.

And so James' emphasis on the tongue's power to impact the lives of others for good or evil are instructive and they're also corrective. Instruction is often corrective.

In us, we may feel guilty and ashamed of ourselves.

And at times we should. If we should have said something positive, encouraging others, and we fail to say it. Or when we lash out with intentional anger or sarcasm or mockery, belittling to hurt someone. That doesn't feel good, typically, when we do that.

And we shouldn't do that. The point is, though, James says, the tongue is a dangerous thing, but we can control our tongues when we choose to take, you might say, take the high ground and be like Christ. Allow Christ to help us. Yield to His Spirit. Study God's Word. Let that fill our hearts and minds. Sing hymns, all these things we can do to let God and His Spirit fill our hearts and minds to help us in our words to be helpful and kind.

Now, I'd like for you to turn with me next to look at a powerful example of destructive power of the tongue. And this example, there's many we could turn to in Scripture, but we're going to turn back to 1 Samuel chapter 21. 1 Samuel chapter 21. Here, we find the account of one of a terrible massacre of innocence that is recorded in Scripture. Innocent people.

People that had no fault of their own, but they were massacred. In 1 Samuel 21, we're not going to read this whole account. I'm going to paraphrase it, summarize it, I guess it'd be the better word, summarize it, and encourage you, if you'd like, to read more on your own at home. But here, we find the account of how David, when he was fleeing from Saul, the first time he was fleeing from King Saul, when he finally learned through Jonathan, Saul's son, that his, that Saul, Jonathan's father, really did want to kill David. David fled. David fled for his life. And here, we read how David sought help from a Himmelik, the high priest at the city of priests called Nob, N-O-B. Now, a Himmelik did not know that David was fleeing for his life from Saul. He didn't understand, like most people in Israel that time, apparently did not understand the negativity, we would say, that how Saul wanted David dead was not well known at that time at all. So, the Himmelik had no clue that David was fleeing for his life from Saul. And this chapter will tell us how David convinced the Himmelik to give him that day's old showbread, the holy bread, and so he took some of those loaves.

And so, it was not well advertised. It wasn't well publicized or anything like that. It was a private meeting of sorts. But there was someone there that day. Someone else saw David there having dealings with a Himmelik. Verse 7, 1 Samuel 21 verse 7. And I'm in the wrong chapter.

But you are in the right chapter, right? Of course you are. You're better at this than I am. Okay, 1 Samuel 21 verse 7. Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there, watching David and Himmelik what they're doing. And he was there, one of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the Lord. We're not sure scholars aren't quite sure what that means. He had some sort of business coming before God. And his name was Doag. You don't hear that name much nowadays, do we? Doag. His name was Doag, an Edomite, the chief of the herdsmen who belonged to Saul. Now let's turn to 1 Samuel 22. And so this is going on. Doag saw it in time. He was a servant of Saul in time, 1 Samuel 22 verse 9 through 10. Like I told you, we're going to kind of skim through this and summarize it. In time, Doag told Saul what he saw. And then answered, breaking into the narrative, then answered Doag the Edomite, who has said over the servants of Saul and said, I saw the son of Jesse going to Nop to Hamillik, the son of Ihatup. And he inquired of the Lord for him, gave him provisions, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.

Now that's what the Bible says. Now what the Bible does not do, the Bible does not typically tell us the tone of the words. The Bible does not typically tell us the attitude or how he said it.

Okay? I'm guessing perhaps he said it something like this. Perhaps he said, I saw the son of Jesse going to Nop to Hamillik, the son of Ihatup. And he inquired of the Lord for him, gave him provisions, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistines. What have I done?

I'm saying I'm just reporting what I saw. But with my tongue and my attitude, I've colored the information. I've made it sound sinister. And so all the accounts here of what Doag told Saul, they just say he reported, he reported. But when we read Saul's response, and then later we're going to read from a psalm where this informs that psalm, this episode, we begin to realize that there must have been a little more than Doag just saying these words, just the report.

So let's look at out now verse 13 through 15 how Saul responded. And I guess a lesson for us is, you know, sometimes he said, well, I told him that. I just said that. Yes. Parents know this, don't we? Yes, but how did you say it? How we say things matters. So anyway, verse 13 through 15, Saul confronted a hemelech with these words. He had a hemelech come in and he confronted him. Then Saul said to him, the high priest, Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse?

Here's an early conspiracy theorist, conspiracy theory person. Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, in that you have given him bread and a sword and have quieted of God for him, that he should rise against me to lie and wait as it is this day? And so a hemelech answered the king and said, Well, who among all your servants is as faithful as David? Who is the king's son-in-law? Who goes at your bidding and is honorable in your house?

And so in essence, Samuel was saying, Well, why wouldn't I have helped David?

You love David. He's your son-in-law. And so on. Verse 15, he said, Did I then begin to inquire for God for him? Is that the first time I've done this for David? No. A hemelech's making his explanation. Far be it from me. Let not the king impute anything to his servant. Don't give me false accusations. Or to any in the house of my father. For your servant, speaking of himself, or I, a hemelech, your servant, knew nothing of all this, little or much.

You're accusing me of something.

Now, despite a hemelech's plea of innocence, Saul ordered him, and all the priests, all of the priests, executed. Saul was not in a right mind. Now, Saul's guards were absolutely unwilling to kill the priest. They had respect for God and his priests that Saul did not at that time.

So Saul's guards were unwilling to kill the priest, but not Doag. Doag was willing. Verse 18, And the king said to Doag, You turn and kill the priest. So Doag the eenomite turned and struck the priest, and killed on that day eighty-five men who wore a linen ephod. They were priests.

And also, verse 19, and also, Nob. He struck Nob. The city of the priest, he struck with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and nursing infants, oxen and donkeys, and sheep with the edge of the sword. This massacre was due to what? Doag's tongue. He made this report. However he made it, he made the report. The massacre is due to Doag's tongue, though David felt responsible for their deaths. Look at verse 22, still the same chapter.

And so David said to Abiathar, that's a Hymnalek son who survived, so David said to Abiathar, I knew that day when Doag the eenomite was there that he would surely tell Saul, I have caused the death of all the persons in your father's house.

David didn't have direct responsibility, but because David even then was developing, having whatever part of a heart like unto God's, he was sensitive, he was compassionate, and he recognized a part of his responsibility or part of what he did in causing that disaster.

Now David's condemnation, not just of Doag's tongue, but of all deceitful tongues, becomes very clear in Psalm 52. Let's turn there. And this is where we get a little more information that helps to give some background about Doag, what must have been said, perhaps more than what's just simply reported in a sentence or two. You see, in Psalm 52, the title tells us the connection between this psalm and what we've just read, this narrative, this account we've just read. The title of Psalm 52 is, A Contemplation of David When Doag the Edomite Went and Told Saul and Said to Him, David Has Gone to the House of A Himmelek.

And in the psalm, David does condemn those who practice deceitful speech, those who practice wickedness against God and his righteous ones. The psalm assures God's saints and warns them at the same time. It's a psalm that encourages us, but it also is a warning that the wicked and the deceitful tongue will never prevail. Only those who trust God will prevail, prevail, and endure forever. In this contrast of two ways of life becomes very clear. Let's look at this psalm. Verse 1, David begins as if we might imagine him thinking of Doag and addressing him, but he doesn't make it that direct in the psalm itself, but it informs our understanding.

Verse 1, David says, Why do you boast an evil, O mighty man? The goodness of God endures continually. And David seems here, it seems that he opens the psalm with scorn. He's scouring all, he's scouring it by calling the devious, evil people, a person such as Doag. Doag had thought himself a mighty man. This kind of hero was no hero, David said. You are not a mighty man.

By implication, Doag represents, becomes somewhat a type, a symbol for those who foolishly oppose God. Verse 2 through 5, verses 2 through 5 describes, again, we see the tongue's ability to destroy and ruin, as we saw in James. David writes, verse 2, Your tongue devises destruction, like a sharp razor working deceitfully. You love evil more than good, lying rather than speaking righteousness. You love all devouring words. Another word for devouring is ruining. You love all devouring, ruining words. You deceitful tongue. God shall likewise destroy you forever. He shall take you away and pluck you out of your dwelling place and uproot you from the land of the living. And so those, David says, those who love to destroy others through words will themselves be destroyed. And they are deceitful tongues. It's interesting, people like this, like Doag, they don't even become human. In this psalm they're transformed from a human being to just being this giant, deceitful tongue. That's all you are.

You deceitful tongue. And God shall pluck it out, pluck them out, and they will cease to exist.

Verse 6 through 7, continuing, and here this is where it's an encouragement, knowing that those who are deceitful and evil, God will deal with, but it also becomes a warning for us not to practice such deceitfulness with our tongues. Verse 6, David wrote, this righteous also shall see in fear, and they shall laugh at him, the deceitful one, saying, Here is the man who did not make God his strength, but trusted in the abundance of his riches, or we could say the abundance of his power, and strengthened himself in his wickedness. And so again, although the deceitful tongue afflicts the righteous, the righteous will be trusting in God. And in time, they will come to laugh scornfully at the sad decision, the terribly bad decision of the mighty man, so-called mighty man, who did not trust God but rejected him. In God's faith, the one's trust in God, for God's righteousness always prevails. And it ends and concludes verses 8 through 9. David, or the righteous person—this could be something we might pray in this tone and this idea—but David says here, But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever. I will praise you forever addressing God because you have done it. See, David, and believers know that there's nothing we can do alone, but God does the righteousness. God does the justice.

The righteous can and will rejoice. Let's see, I didn't finish that. I will praise you forever because you have done it in the presence of your saints. In the presence of your saints, I will wait on your name, for it is good. And so again, David offers this hymn of praise encouraging us that the mighty man, the evil, deceitful people, the wicked will be destroyed, but the righteous will flourish like an olive tree in the house of God, before the house of God, the temple it would could be understood there. The righteous hold true to God in all their ways. The righteous can and will rejoice, for ultimately they do have a green, lasting, everlasting relationship with God.

And even as we see here in verse 9, their mouths praise God. Their mouths praise God.

And as a side note, you might jot down Proverbs 15 verse 4. Proverbs 15 verse 4, there we were told a wholesome tongue is a tree of life. Interesting.

Oftentimes an olive tree is likened to a tree of life. It was essential to that culture and that time the oil produced for light and food and medicinal purposes and other things.

Proverbs 15 verse 4. Okay. Now some scholars note, and this is interesting, so much of the book of Psalms are wonderful songs, but after Jesus Christ came along and he starts drawing information from the Psalms about himself and then the apostles come along in the new church, and suddenly there's thing we came to be seen that there are things in the Psalms which foreshadowed Christ's coming. Things in the Psalms foreshadow Christ's return at the end of times. And it seems there's something of this nature going on in Psalm 52. A number of scholars noticed that there's some parallel with the killing of these innocent priests of God, with the killing of the innocent Jesus Christ. That perhaps there's some sort of foreshadowing going on in Psalm 52. Psalm 52 has the innocent suffering, suffering at the hands of the wicked in their deceitful tongues, the righteous who remain faithful even as Christ remained faithful unto death. And some scholars point out that Jesus Christ is, as it were, a green or flourishing olive tree in the house of God. He is a tree of life of sorts.

And it's through the mercy of the Father and the Son that the saints hope to also have a flourishing relationship with God and Christ in the house of God, the family of God. And so it could well be that Psalm 52 broadly parallels, foreshadows what would happen when Christ would come. And of course, it foreshadows some of the difficulties we're going to have in this world as followers of Christ, having to deal with deceitfulness around us. Christ is our example of how to live in faithful and willing submission to God. And I'd like to turn now and consider His example. His example recorded in Scripture gives us important instruction about the tongue's destructive power and how we must rule over it for doing to do good as well. Now, let's be turning to Matthew chapter 20. Jesus Christ we're very familiar with. We were reading the Gospels, I'm sure, during these last few weeks about Christ's time on earth. And we were looking at how He suffered and how He died as part of the important focus of the Passover, His life in our place for sin. We understand that Jesus Christ experienced terrible physical suffering, how He died in our place. And it's true that He suffered terribly also due to the wicked and deceitful tongues.

We tend to focus on the terrible scourging and all that, but there's also great suffering He did because of deceitful tongues. Let's look at Matthew 20. Matthew 20 verses 18 through 19, it reveals that Jesus knew the suffering He was about to undergo, even as He forewarned His 12 disciples. And yet, notice in these verses the part that the wicked human tongue would play.

Jesus Christ understood how the human tongue would be used very harshly and cruelly against Him.

And so we read Matthew 20 verse 18, Behold, He tells His disciples, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed. That's an act of the tongue. To the chief preached and to the scribes. And they will condemn Him to death, another act of the tongue. And they will deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock the tongue again and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again. Now we're going to look and we're going to see that these things happened as Christ foretold. For example, Matthew 26, the betrayal. Matthew 26 verses 14 through 16, Jesus, excuse me, Judas Iscariot, Judas Iscariot plotted to betray Him. That's what we read. Matthew 26 verses 14 through 16. And then one of the twelve called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you? And they counted out to Him thirty pieces of silver. So from that time, he sought, Judas sought opportunity to betray Him, to betray Jesus. Well then, as we move forward, when that final night came, when Christ would be betrayed, that final night came that Judas betrayed Christ, he betrayed Him deceitfully with the words of a friend. Yes, I know, it was a kiss, but there's words that went along with that kiss. Let's look at now verses 47 through 50. We're still in Matthew 26 verses 47 through 50.

And while He, Jesus, was still speaking, behold Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people. Now His betrayer had given them a sign saying, Whomever I kiss, He is the one, sees Him. And immediately He went up to Jesus and said, Greetings, Rabbi! Sounding like a friend. And kissed Him. He greeted Him as a friend, and then kissed Him. And look what Jesus said to Him. But Jesus said to Him, Friend, why have you come?

And then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him. Of course, Jesus knew why He was there.

Perhaps He called Him friend to help put that sense of responsibility back on Judas, the sense of betrayal He was doing. Now, some hours later, we can speculate how many hours, we're not sure, but some hours later Judas Iscariot hanged himself. He was remorseful for his betrayal. Matthew 27, now, verse 3 through 5. Matthew 27, 3 through 5. Then Judas' betrayer, seeing that Jesus had been condemned—this is after Jesus had gone before the Sanhedrin and had been condemned once He found that out—his betrayer, Judas, seeing that he had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, I have sinned by betraying innocent blood. He knew what he had done. And they said, what is that to us? You see to it. Today we might say something like, that's your problem. You deal with it. And then he, Judas, threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed and went and hanged himself. At this point, my mind, maybe yours, too, goes back to those warning words of Psalm 52 we just read, verses 4 through 5. They came true for Judas rather quickly. Those words condemning the deceitful tongue, verse 5 there in Psalm 52, God shall likewise destroy you forever. He shall take you away, you tongue, and pluck you out of your dwelling place and approach you from the land of the living. It does not go well with deceitful people.

Jesus was condemned also. After his arrest, Jesus was interrogated before the chief priest. We're going to go back to Matthew 26. He was interrogated for the chief priest in the Sanhedrin. Now, the outcome is a kangaroo court, we call it today. The outcome is already predetermined. They were going to kill him, condemn him to death one way or the other, but they needed to maintain the appearance of justice served. So many of the leaders of that time, Jesus called hypocrites, they wanted to look good. They wanted the words to sound justified, that they were doing righteous things, but they were not, especially not in this sense. They needed to maintain the appearance of justice served. So they sought to condemn Christ with lies and false testimony. But it didn't work. They couldn't find false witnesses who would agree, and some of the things they said were really not all that terrible, it seemed. Ironically, and ironically, it's only when the high priest compelled Jesus to answer, and Jesus answered truthfully as only he could, it's only when the high priest compelled Jesus and he answered truthfully that they received the words that they would use to condemn him.

Let's look at Matthew 26, verse 59. Verse 59. Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the council sought false testimony. They were looking for deceit against Jesus to put him to death, but found none. Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none. But at last two false witnesses came forward and said, well, this fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God and build it in three days. And the high priest arose and said to him, said to Jesus, do you answer nothing? And most of the time Jesus said nothing. He had no words. He kept silent. And the priests asked, well, what is it these men testify against you? But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest answered and said to him, and here's where he's going to compel him. And he said to him, I put you under oath by the living God. Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God. And Jesus said to him, it is as you said. Yes, he says. Nevertheless, Jesus adds, I say to you hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the power and coming down on the clouds of heaven.

Well, then the high priest tore his clothes. And he's saying, he has spoken blasphemy. What further need do we have of witnesses? Look now you have heard his blasphemy. What do you think? He asked the Sanhedrin. And the answer and said, he is deserving of death. And he spat in his face and beat him, and others struck him with the palms of their hands, saying, prophesy to us, Christ, who is the one who struck you? With mocking tone. The Sanhedrin, again, sought liars with false testimony. They made false accusations, but it was the truth Jesus spoke that caused them to condemn him and condemn him they did with their words. And they mocked him, and the mocking is going to continue. Let's look at how he was mocked, even as he had foretold these deceitful tongues would do.

Jesus was then taken before the Roman garrison, Matthew 27-28, and the soldiers there cruelly mocked him. Matthew 27, verse 28.

And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him. When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on his head, and he reed in his hand like a scepter. And they bowed the knee before him and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! And they spat on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. And when they had mocked him, they took the robe off him, put his own clothes on him, and led him away to be crucified. And then even while he was dying, having been crucified, people still continued to revile and mock him. They were terrible, terrible tongues.

Verse 39, verses 39-44. So Christ is on the stake.

And those who passed by blasphemed him. I know the word for blasphemed is reviled him, wagging their heads and saying, You who destroyed the temple and built it in three days, save yourself. If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross. And likewise, the chief priest also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, He saved others. He cannot save. He himself he cannot save. If he is the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. Somehow I don't think they would have. And of course, Christ was not going to come down.

He was there. He was there for them, and they didn't know it. Verse 43, he trusted in God, let him deliver him now if he will have him. Of course, the Father would have him. For he said, I am the Son of God. Then even, verse 44, even the robbers who were crucified with him reviled him with the same thing. These deceitful tongues. Part of the reason I'm taking us through this, we don't ever want to talk like this. We don't ever want to talk and use our tongues like this. Now, there's something else I want to point out here. What is striking about their mockery, about their mocking, when they're saying, if you are the Son of God, have you noticed just how very similar it is to other words we've read? Earlier, the beginning of Christ, Christ's mission, the beginning of his ministry. These words are very similar to the word Satan used when he tempted Christ, as described in Matthew 4. I'm not going to have you turn there. I'm going to read those two verses where this is there. These are the same sort of words, mocking tone, it seems, that Satan used when he tempted Christ. Matthew 4 and verse 3, Satan said, if you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread. Verse 6, if you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. Satan used the same ploys, the same, probably, mocking tone.

Now, it's not surprising that the Jews are insulted and denounced. Jesus sounded somewhat like Satan. Let's look at John chapter 8, verse 43 through 45. Let's remember words Jesus spoke to the Pharisees. They're having discussion. They're saying, we are the our father Abraham. We are righteous. They are saying because of Abraham. And Jesus tried to help them understand that there's more to it than that. John 8, verse 43 through 45. They couldn't understand him, the Pharisees. And so Jesus said, why do you not understand my speech, my tongue, my words?

It's because you are not able to hear my word. You are of your father, the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. But because I tell you the truth, you do not believe me.

And so, if you recall, we started out talking about what comes out of the mouth is from the abundance of the heart. Jesus said that. What was in the hearts of the Jews? And all these people heard, really, treating Christ so terribly. It was the heart of Satan. It was the heart of their carnal nature. It was their old ways that it was just their ways and their minds. And it's the same nature that can be in us if we're not careful to guard our tongues and to link sure we are putting on Christ and putting out sin and all that is not godly. And so we are to be striving to become more like Christ. And again, based on what we've considered today, we must remain aware of the terrible things our tongues could do if we don't bridle them, if we don't control them, if we don't restrain them. We can destroy reputations. We can hurt others without ever lifting a hand against them. We could do terrible damage against those who are innocent with false accusations. We can cause blasting divisions. Something Christ and the apostles, and we all know, must not be occurring in the body of Christ. There's to be unity. It's to be one body, one church, that spiritual body of Christ. Now from what we've read today, I'd like to share with you three things, three lessons we can apply in our lives. Something we might learn from what we've covered today that will help us maintain unity with one another and with God's church, of course, ultimately in the church. The first lesson we can draw from these examples is that we must speak and live the truth of God.

We must speak and live the truth of God. Jesus was condemned by men for the truth of God he spoke.

He really was the Son of God, yet they condemned him as a liar.

But he arose from the grave three days and three nights later after his death, after his burial, and his resurrection proved the truth of all that he said and all that he was.

We're here in chapter 8, John 8. Let's read John 8, verse 26 through 32. And again, here we read that Jesus declared that truth he spoke. He declared where it came from and its source.

John 8, 26, and Jesus said to them, When you lift up the Son of man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself, but as my father taught me, I speak these things. I guess we might say his heart was filled with the love of his father. His father was in him, and that's why he spoke what he did. Verse 29, And he who sent me is with me. The father has not left me alone, for I always do those things that please him.

And as he spoke these words, many believed in him, and so have we.

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed in him, If you abide in my word, you are my disciples indeed, and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free, free from sin and death and all the suffering and deceitfulness. And so we have every reason to believe and obey God. Those who believe and obey God, the father will submit to his son and strive to practice God's way, again with the help of Scripture, with the help of God's Spirit with us and in us.

And they, we, will be guarding our tongues, controlling them as God instructs. We do that not just to make our lives more pleasant, but we do it to build unity within God's church. We're doing this not just for ourselves, we're doing it to build unity within God's church.

And that leads to point two, I guess I kind of gave away point two. Point two is we must use our tongues to build unity. We must use our tongues to build unity. In Ephesians chapter 4 verse 29 through 32, Paul gives us direction in how to use our tongue for unity. There are many different places and it makes for an interesting study. If you need a topic in Ephesians 4 chapter 29 through 32, Paul gives us directions, again, how to use our tongue for unity. Verse 29, he says, Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may in part grace benefit, you might say, to the hearers. It'll make their lives, make them better. Verse 30, And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, don't resist it, by which you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, and anger, clamor, evil speaking be put away from you. That's part of that putting it out of our heart. And by the way, don't forget to get the malice out. Get rid of the hatred. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. And though speaking God's truth is vital, and here's something else to know. Just because we have God's truth, we have to be careful of how we wield it. God's truth, Scripture, for example, is sometimes symbolized as a sword.

We need to know how to use our swords. I picked up a sword once, and my puny little arm and wrist had a hard time holding it upright very well. And if I start moving around, guess what I was doing?

I was endangering people with it, and even endangering my own self.

There was a time when I first came in the church, I had a little bit of knowledge, and I told a man that I loved very much. And I told him he was a hog farmer, and I said, hogs are unclean.

You need to stop raising hogs.

My dad, that man, looked at me, and he said, well, those hogs put clothes and shoes on your feet for many years. And I just got quiet. Because I realized I hadn't used God's truth very well. He wasn't ready to hear that, and I surely wasn't ready to be spouting off like that.

You know? And I'm guessing some of us have done that sort of thing with people. We mean well, but we're just not using a lot of kindness and other things. You see, though speaking God's truth is vital, we must do so with godly wisdom. Let's also notice the words of Colossians 4, verse 5-6. Colossians 4, verse 5-6. A little bit of advice here. Again, Paul is saying, we could apply this to how we use our tongue, even in building unity, trying to help people understand God's truth. Colossians 4, verse 5, walk in wisdom towards those who are outside, meaning maybe not part of the body of Christ yet, redeeming the time, make good use of the time.

But of course, this works for us in the church, too. Walk in wisdom. Verse 6, let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. And so we must wield God's truth with care and always with love and an understanding.

To help us apply these verses, I can offer you this, too. There's three guiding questions. You may have heard them. These guiding questions are sometimes called gates of the tongue. I've read them called pillars of the tongue. I understood them as something that may have come from Socrates, believe it or not. And there is some wisdom out there beyond what's in Scripture. It's very wise. In any case, there's three questions that can help us speak with grace, seasoned with salt. And here are the three questions we can ask ourselves when we feel like we've got to say something and we're just burning to open our mouths and say it. Run three questions through your head.

And it's helped me. Maybe it'll help you. Three questions. One, is it true? Is what you're about to say true? Second, is it kind? Is it kind? And third, it's very important. Is it necessary?

Do you really need to say it? There are some things, I've learned the hard way, you just don't need to say. And so if any of those answers come back to you as no, then you might do a big hit the pause button on your mouth, bite your tongue, and just say nothing. Don't say anything if that's the case. Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary? And I wonder if doing that sort of thing with help from God's Spirit and His Word that will also help us build unity. In the third lesson, we saw this in Christ's example, do not revile in return. We know from what we've read in Scripture, there are people that hate God's people. They hate the righteous. Satan is stirring them up, and a lot of times these people don't know really what they're doing at all.

Jesus was reviled and mocked by human tongues. We will be too. Well, we may well be.

Only God knows, but we need to be ready. But Jesus did not respond in kind. 1 Peter chapter 2, let's look there, 1 Peter chapter 2, we're reminded that our calling will require suffering for righteousness' sake. Sometimes in the past I imagine, well, they may throw me in jail, they may beat me, but now I'm beginning to realize some of the cruelest things can be what people say.

Christ is our example of how to respond. 1 Peter 2, 21, for to this, Peter writes, for to this you were called because Christ also suffered for us in all sorts of ways, leaving us an example that you should follow his steps, who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in his mouth. That's our model. Verse 23, in who, when he was reviled, we read that, did not revile in return. And when he suffered, he did not threaten, but committed himself to him who judges righteously. It's almost exactly what David was talking about in Psalm 52. In Christ, verse 24, who himself bore our sins in his own body on the tree. There's that tree idea again. That we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness, and by whose stripes Christ stripes his sufferings, his beatings, you are healed. Now, Luke 23, a graphic example of Christ being reviled, but not reviling in return. And I try to remember this, and I'm sure a lot of you do too. Luke 23, verse 34 through 35. And I often have to remind myself of these things. This is when Christ was nailed to the stake. Luke 23, 34. Yeah, 23, 34. Then Jesus said, Father forgive them, for they do not know what they do. They do not know what they do. And then they divided his garments and cast lots for them. Look at verse 35. And the people stood looking on, but even the rulers with them sneered, saying, He saved others. Let him save himself if he is the Christ, the chosen of God.

And here's Jesus on the stake looking down. What a contrast we see between God's nature, what was in Christ's heart, in human nature, what were in these human beings' hearts at that time.

And so our words need to reflect the love of God, which Christ is helping us to develop in our hearts and our minds. And we cannot be cursing someone at one moment and then praising our loving God the next. We know these things should not be, and we know what to do about it.

To turn to God in repentance, ask for forgiveness, and ask that he gives us the strength to control our tongues, to do what is right. And so we do need to be aware of that destructive power of our tongue. It can do great harm, but we also need to be aware of the beautiful, wonderful, powerful things, good things we can do with our tongues, to build unity within God's church, to shed the example of Christ to all people as we have the opportunity.

Our tongues need to edify and comfort and exhort. We need to make sure they do, because, as we are told, out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.

So it's always time to examine our tongues, to help us see what's in our hearts, and when we fall short, we need to turn to God for help. And I want to conclude with Romans 15, verses 4-6. If you turn there and read these verses with me, please.

Because it's from these verses that I drew the title of today's sermon with one mind and one mouth. I don't remember reading those verses before for some reason. I know they've always been there. But that phrase, with one mind and one mouth, that emphasis on unity, unity borne up by how we speak. And so here's the scripture to conclude with, to encourage us in our endeavor as we strive to be at one with God and to be at one as a body of Christ. Romans 15, verse 4-6. For whatever things were written, by the way, this verse 4 was one of the slides in the special music today. This verse, for whatever things were written before, were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded towards one another according to Christ Jesus, that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.