PSALM CHAPTER 39

How does a person use their tongue to please God ?

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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.