Month: September 2026

Text: Ps 5:9

• Intro:
  • We have been studying the tongue.According to Jas 3:8 it is an unruly evil. Today, we are going to study the flattering, backbiting, piercing .  
  • Notice the unruly evil of a:
• Flattering tongue – Ps 5:9 – “they flatter with their tongue.” 
  • Don’t flatter others. 
  • God despises the use of flattery [Job 32:22; Psa 12:3]. 
  • If you flatter others, your children won’t know how to judge character [Job 17:5].  
  • And don’t believe others when they flatter you. 
  • They are lying to you [Prov 26:28]. 
  • They’re trying to trip you up to get to you [Prov 29:5]. 
  • Be particularly careful of a woman who will flatter you [Prov 2:16; 7:5]. 
  • Look how the strange woman in Prov 7:21 brought the young man down with flattery.
• Backbiting tongue – Rom 1:30 – look at the company backbiters keep in Rom 1. 
  • To backbite is to slander, reproach or speak evil of someone who is absent. 
  • Don’t talk behind other peoples’ backs. 
  • If you can’t tell them straight to their face, then don’t say it. 
  • In the Old Testament, a man’s righteousness was demonstrated, in part, by how he kept his tongue [Psa 15:1-5]. 
  • If someone is backbiting you, Prov 25:23 shows you how to handle them
  • “The north wind driveth away rain: so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue.” 
  • You’re going to see a lot of evolutionists scatter when they come face to face with the Creator after all the lies they’ve told about him.  
• Piercing tongue – Psa 57:4 – David said, “My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.” 
  • You are seeing this kind of tongue on display every single day now. 
  • In Prov 12:18, Solomon said, “There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword.” 
  • In both of these verses, the perpetrators, if they could, would kill others with their tongues. 
  • In fact, they are literally trying to destroy them with their words. 
  • We say about a person with this kind of tongue, “He is always cutting people down.”
• Conclusion:
  • If someone flatters you don’t believe him for a second. 
  • They’re setting a trap for you.  If someone is backbiting you, don’t react. 
  • But when you see them, let them see your angry countenance. 
  • And know for certain that if you are trying to live in a right relationship with God, there will be those who will speak against you with a piercing tongue. 
  • It just goes with the territory. 
  • You, on the other hand, should never resort to any of these three tongues.

Text: Job 15:5

• Intro:
  • The Bible describes all kinds of tongues.  
  • We are studying tongues that are an unruly evil.  
  • Notice the unruly evil of a:
• Crafty tongue – Job 15:5 – “thou choosest the tongue of the crafty.”
  • A crafty tongue is cunning and skillful in devising and pursuing a scheme. 
  • Absalom used a crafty tongue to steal the hearts of the men of Israel [2 Sam 15:1-6]. 
  • The Pharisees and Herodians used a crafty tongue when they tried to catch something in Jesus’ speech that they could use against him to accuse him [Mk 12:13-15]. 
  • Tertullus used a crafty tongue when he addressed Felix in Acts 24:1-4. 
  • Contrast what these men said with what Nicodemus said in John 3:1-2. 
  • Nicodemus was sincere.
• Deceitful tongue – Psa 52:4 – “thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue.”
  • Psa 120:2, also. 
  • This is the wily, subtle tongue just like the devil used against Eve in Gen 3:1. 
  • In Eph 4:14 there are those who lie in wait to deceive young Christians. 
  • Jacob had a very deceitful tongue, although he did not want to be known for it [Gen 27:12; Gen 27:18-24].
• Lying tongue – Psa 109:2 – “they have spoken against me with a lying tongue.” 
  • This tongue must be put off when we get saved [Eph 4:25]. 
  • It is easy to spot; just hold up what it says to the truth. 
  • Jezebel and the false witnesses lied against Naboth [1 Kings 21:8-13]. 
  • False witnesses lied against Stephen [Acts 6:11-14]. 
  • The old prophet lied to the young man of God [1 Kings 13:18]. 
  • These are rulers, religious leaders and prophets; and they are liars.
• Perverse tongue – Prov 17:20 – “he that hath a perverse tongue falleth into mischief.”
  • A perverse tongue deviates from what is right or good. 
  • It is disposed to be contrary. 
  • In Acts 20:30 Paul warned of men speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
  • They take a side that is contrary to the preacher. 
  • In 1 Tim 6:5 (see vs. 1 Tim 6:3-5) they take a side that is contrary to the words of the Lord. 
  • Contrast the tongue of wisdom in Prov 8:8, which is never perverse.
• Conclusion:
  • Be careful when others use these tongues against you. 
  • And never use these tongues against others.

Text:  Prov 8:10

• Intro:
  • Biblical Instruction is of greater value to you than the accumulation of wealth [Prov 8:10].  
  • Today we are going to look at Biblical instruction to see where it comes from, what it does for you and what happens to you when you refuse it.
• Where instruction comes from.  
  • Instruction comes from
    • the scripture [2 Tim 3:16];
    • the Lord [Job 33:14-17];
    • your parents [Prov 1:8];
    • your teachers [Prov 5:12-13] (but be careful here because not all teachers will instruct you in the truth [Prov 19:27]);
    • reproofs [Prov 6:23];
    • and observation [Prov 24:32].
• What instruction does for you.
  • Instruction is your life [Prov 4:13].  
  • Instruction makes you wise [Prov 8:33].  
  • And instruction makes you prudent (capable of exercising sound judgment in practical matters, circumspect) [Prov 15:5]
• What happens when you refuse instruction.
  • When you refuse instruction you are a fool [Prov 1:7].  
  • You cast God’s words behind you [Ps 50:17].  
  • And you err [Prov 10:17].  
  • You get dishonor, cruelty, bankruptcy (Prov 13:18), disease, sin and great folly [Prov 5:9-11, 5:22-23].  
  • And you despise our own soul [Prov 15:32].
• Conclusion:
  • If you decide to live without instruction, then every bad thing that came upon fools in the Bible can come upon you.  
  • Israel refused the Lord’s instruction [Jer 17:23] and instead of kings continuing on the throne of David [Jer 17:25] their temple and palaces were destroyed and the people were scattered. 
  • Our country has refused the Lord’s instruction and, in time, the same thing will happen here. 
  • If you don’t want your life to be wiped out then start listening to instruction and daily follow what you are instructed to do, in spite of the fact that you don’t like anybody telling you what to do. 
  • You will reap the benefits of instruction and you will be pleased with the results.

Text: Lk 23:33

• We all go through trials and temptations in the valleys of life. 
  • But there are certainly some wonderful mountain top experiences, as well. 
  • Today we are going to look at some of these mountain top experiences in hopes that you will find yourself more often on the mountain with the Lord than down in the dumps.  
  • Notice where we can have mountain top experiences with Jesus.
• On Mt. Calvary –
  • Lk 23:33 where our Lord was crucified.  
  • Calvary is where we are reminded of his sacrifice and the depth of his love. 
  • Calvary is where we have our death in Christ [Rom 6:3-5]. 
  • Calvary is where we die daily [1 Cor 15:31]. 
  • You see, when we are crucified with Christ [Gal 2:20] then Christ lives his life in us. 
  • We really get to know him on Calvary [Phil 3:10].
  • And while we experience fellowship with his sufferings, we also see the power of his resurrection. 
  • Have a mountain top experience with Jesus every day on Mt. Calvary.
• On Mt. Sinai –
  • Ex 3:1-5, 12, Ex 24:13, Deut 5:4 also called Horeb or the mount of God where the Lord talked face to face out of the midst of the fire.  
  • Sinai is where we are reminded of God’s holiness. 
  • In Heb 12:18-21, Moses said I exceedingly fear and quake. 
  • Sinai is where we fear God and serve God [Phil 2:12-13]. 
  • We are here for his pleasure [Rev 4:11]; he’s not here for ours.
• On Mt. Zion –
  • Ps 48:2, Heb 12:22 where the Lord reigns in the heavenly Jerusalem. 
  • And Is 24:23 where the Lord shall reign in Mount Zion on earth when he returns.  
  • Mt. Zion is where we are reminded of the Lord’s authority. 
  • He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords and he will rule forever. 
  • The centurion said, “I am a man under authority.” 
  • That’s exactly where we need to be. 
  • Have regular mountain top experiences with the Lord on Mt. Zion to remind yourself who’s in charge!!
• On Mt. Olivet –
  • Matt 26:30-38 where the Lord prayed in Gethsemane and Lk 19:37 where the disciples rejoiced and praised God during Jesus’ triumphal entry.  
  • Mt. Olivet is where we are reminded of his fellowship. 
  • That’s where the disciples fellowshipped with Jesus, where they prayed with him, where they learned from him [Matt 24], and where they praised him. 
  • We need daily mountain top experiences in fellowship with the Lord on Mt. Olivet in prayer and praise.
• On Mt. Paran –
  • Deut 33:2 where Moses prophesied the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.  
  • On Mt. Paran we are reminded of his return, when he comes with ten thousands of his saints [that’s us, Rev 19:11-15]. 
  • We are to be “looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ,” [Titus 2:13]. 
  • Too many Christians are consumed with thoughts and fears about things down here.  Quit looking down and start looking up. 
  • Get on the mountain top with the Lord!!
• Conclusion:
  • Keep these mountains in mind always and rejoice that you can commune with the Lord on these mountains at all times. 
• Having regular mountain top experiences with the Lord on these mountains will help you when you find yourself in the valleys.