The Speech of the New Man, Part 2 B

Avoid experience in evangelism ego centered evangelism and expedience evangelism don't work just for a commitment don't work just to try to pacify people's problems and don't try to get somebody look just because you got intelligent response testimony concerning known as the Dixie fire burned over 900,000 acres and destroyed hundreds of buildings, massive destruction, all sparked by a tiny flame will consider this. The Bible compares the tongue.

The words you say to a fire as one match can set a wildfire on unchecked tongue can cause huge damage more than you may have realized.

So what does it take to restrain your words before they burn out of control.

Find out today on grace to you as John MacArthur shows you principles for taming the tongue and with a lesson. Now here's John Colossians chapter 4 verses two through six. Where I have a pastors conference I warned pastors about how to present the gospel is so very easy to present less than the gospel and then ask people to commit their lives to something they don't even understand in acts chapter 21 Paul talked about how he preached.

He said I testify and use the Greek word DRM Arturo mine which means to give thorough and complete testimony about repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

In other words, I give thorough testimony, not half-baked evangelism and I tell pastors watch out for three things in evangelism.

Watch out for experience centered evangelism. That's where you never really preach the gospel. You just have somebody give the story of how their life was changed.

I never picking up paper the came to the church office.

We get a lot of different papers to come in the mail all time every Christian organization the country about sends us their paper and and their information but one of that we got had a dealer called how to build your Sunday night service and it it said have testimony from strange and different people and suggested one was excellent was a 38 inch tall midget would come and stand your pulpit really give a singer and over here we have the tattooed lady and over here we have the sword swallowing on you got the whole site you well. I'm happy for the 38 inch tall lady but I'll tell you one of the dangers in evangelism is getting people to respond to a testimony rather than to know information about the gospel so they really don't know what they're responding to any get vaccinated and somebody later says I want to say about Christ.

I tried it doesn't work. Second thing is you want to avoid ego centered evangelism.

The idea that I would you like how would you like how would you like how would you like I would like and would you like when yet with this make you happy so you I had occasion to receive a phone call from somebody you said to me in one occasion, I just had the most terrible thing happened to me. I I try to leave this person to Christ all she had all these problems and very conscientious person very dear person and I I told her Christ could solve your problems in Christ can heal your marriage in Christ and bring back your son was in a mental institution in Christ can do all of this for you.

She received Christ would under those conditions.

In a couple of weeks later she came back and she through Jesus in this lady's face and she said your Jesus doesn't work. The well. I mean, that's not really fair to do. I know some people that just got saved in the trouble started.

Don't promise people that that isn't the gospel so avoid experience centered evangelism avoid ego centered evangelism and by all means avoid expedience evangelism were all you want the commitment, no matter what they know. Make sure you don't just run the clicky by them to get him to the commitment always remember the guy in the church.

He brought me a copy. The Hollywood reporter that had an advertisement for that biblical Disneyland. They were trying to build you know that all those crazy things are $26 million biblical Disneyland. One time I was telling Mr. Cooper pastors and the guy who was doing that was there. Never forget what he was really not too thrilled.

He had told the pastors about parent I get into those things down and but anyway but you've got lots in the sky was trying to build a biblical Disneyland.

He had some ads in the Hollywood reporter trade paper for the movie industry.

He was trying to recruit people to get into this thing. It was a very serious thing. He paid money for big data and it had they needed certain people to design a Red Sea departed and they wanted the guy was 7 feet at least. Apply Goliath why the kid was good with a slingshot and you know all those kinds of things they wanted to all kinds of you know various and sundry things they want somebody to build away.

Only when the whale ride and I don't know is crazy stuff, you know. But the key thing that just knock me over flat said wanted mail tall dark handsome over 6 feet to play the part of Jesus must know four spiritual laws nothing wrong. The four spiritual laws. But when the world thinks that that's what Jesus knows. Somehow they've gotten the clicky without getting the whole message avoid experience centered evangelism ego centered evangelism and expedience evangelism don't work just for a commitment don't work just to try to pacify people's problems and don't try to get somebody look just because you got hooked give them the truth in its totality so that they're making it intelligent response to the total testimony concerning Christ and that of course is the way verse four is is really me is really hitting me that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.

I want this gospel to be the word manifest means Claire in the way that will be clear so => God will give us doors of utterance new man is going to have the speech of prayer in the speech proclamation. Thirdly, verse five, new man is going to have the speech of performance. The speech of performance of this departs from the mouth a little bit but really is the most essential speech of all that I can spend a lot of time in it to me just give it to you generally verse five walk in wisdom toward them that are outside redeeming the time no hear you talk about the speech of performance or if you like the speech of behavior want to know something.

The most important thing you say is not what you say what you are that right because it's what you are the gives credibility to what you say the old liner. My dad saying so many times when I was a kid your life speak so loud I can hear what you're saying. That's essentially what it will return you about walk verse five walk walk remember what comes before talk what comes before talk nice is walk in wisdom what is wisdom properly evaluating circumstances and making godly decisions walk with a carefully planned consistent Christian lifestyle.

If you have any question about what that walk is you can just look at the book of Ephesians chapter 4, five, six, and it will tell you all about walk in wisdom, we can walk in wisdom because we have that basic was in Colossians 19 we saw that for this cause. We also since the day we heard it. Do not cease to pray for you and desire that you might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding that you might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, you have been saved. You have been given wisdom you need to be filled with that wisdom that you might walk in it. You know a Christian can walk like a fool. And then when he tries to talk to. Nobody believes it. Nobody hears nobody listens. We been given wisdom. Sometimes we turn our back on single how could a Christian play the fool.

Well, one way to walk like a fool is in first Timothy 69, but they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and hurtful lusts. One way to play the part of the fools look for money that will confuse your testimony to the point where nobody will understand what you say. Another way to play the fool is to try to live the Christian life. Legalistic late in Galatians chapter 3 verse 10 foolish Galatians who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth. Verse three are you so foolish, having begun in the spirit you think you are made perfect by what by the flesh you want to be foolish than work in the flesh function in the flesh operate in your own strength or look for money. There's a couple ways that a Christian could play the part of the fool. Another ways in James three where he says who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you. I'll tell you who the wonder shows out of a good life is works and I can tell a wise man way behaves. But if you have bitter envy, strife. That's not why that's foolish confusion and every evil work, we see another way the Christian to play the fool by envy and strife division confusion.

See, these are just ways. The Christian can play the fool in his lifestyle.

What Paul is saying here don't do that walk in wisdom and what is wisdom right here. Set your priorities. According to the book. Set your priorities, according to God's pattern we just give you for hints will help you four ways to get wisdom number one worship. Worship the fear of the Lord is the beginning of what wisdom. Proverbs 19 when you begin to really worship God is wise. That's where wisdom begins.

Secondly, prayer. James says if any man lack wisdom, let him what ask worship ask Taylor way study, you will gain God's wisdom.

When you study God's truth.

Colossians chapter 2 verse two that their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love and all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. All right it's in Christ all wisdom exists now go to 316. If it's in Christ all wisdom exists in 316, says let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all what was given wisdom by worship, prayer, study, and one other way instruction from godly teachers.

Colossians 1 verse 28 Christ whom we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus Nellis.

There are some sources in the Christian life or gaining was through the act of worshiping God.

God imparts to us his wisdom through prayer to study through instruction from godly teachers that wisdom is available that wisdom is to be maintained and that wisdom is to issue in a wise lifestyle, not the foolishness of living for money, not the foolishness of living legalistic late, not the foolishness of living according to the carnal mind is in James three, but the wisdom of walking according to the truth of God's word and you know what happens when you walk in wisdom toward them on the outside, then what you say is going to mean something and frankly not until this thing about the class how they advertise their faith. First, was there were a minority Aminah little tiny minor. They had no church building that no building, no big cross in the year. No billboards, no radio, no signs, no bumper stickers, no tracks, no books, no musical productions no New Testament. How did they get the message out one that the message out. They got the message in and they lived and that was and still is the only credible method of evangelism in the world walk and talk and you can be on TV, radio, billboards, bumper stickers to your purple. But if Christians don't limit nobody to buy it.

Choices walk in wisdom toward them and on the outside non-Christians.

Believers are on the inside. Nice is redeeming the time what you mean Paul, it time there is not crying us from which we get chronology or Kontron a graph which means time in terms of clock time is Kai Ross, which means time only in terms of its opportunity. It should translate redeeming every opportunity. Psalm 90 so teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom. It's a matter of buying opportunity where I tell you opportunity is here and God. Life is short. People are dying your dying. Jesus is coming Bible talks about the door being shut. The Bible talks about the night coming when no man can work. The Bible talks about Jesus removing the candlestick Romans 13 read it verses 11 to 14. It's a tremendously potent passage, it warns us of this time coming, when it is really possible.

Knowing the time. It is high time to awake out of sleep the night is far spent the day is at hand cast off the works of darkness. Put on the armor of light walk honestly, it's time to get your lifestyle connected up with your message. People not in wild parties, drunkenness, immorality, wantonness, strife envying, but put on the Lord Jesus Christ and don't make provision for the flesh, she it's time to get the lifestyle shaped when are you going to begin to live the way God wants how much opportunity to squander when you going to begin to share Christ with that friend when you going to use those abilities and gifts God's given when is God going to receive that money that you promised him long ago your walk talks. I hope it says the right thing to those on the outside. Every time you have an opportunity redeeming or biotic that opportunity purchase it for eternity. Life is so short it's so stupid for the Christian to waste so the new man has a new mouth and that new mouth is a speech or prayer speech a proclamation and then the speech of performance which makes what he says believable that leads us to the fourth speech of perfection, consistency of life is followed by consistency of speech. I love this verse. Wish we had more time. Let your speech be always with grace.

Season with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man.

Now he's not so much talking about preaching the gospel here. He's just talking about general conversation. The mouth of a Christian should utter the speech of perfection never out of the mouth of a Christian should come that stuff that I listed last evil deceit, cursing, oppression, lying, perversity, destruction, vanity, flattery, foolishness, babble, madness, verbosity, idle talk false teaching clotting boasting hatred, swearing, filthy talk or gossip. That's all characteristic of an unregenerate mouth, not a Christian. Let your speech be always with grace make gracious speech I have whether you're being persecuted. Whether it's a stress situation. Whether it's difficulty. Whether your before a worldly judge whether you'd been wrong, whether it's with your wife, whether it's with your child, your neighbor with your teaching a Bible study. Whether you're leading a class, whatever it is, let your speech be gracious say will John what do you mean talk with grace. You mean speak the grace of God nuts. That's not primarily what it means. It means let your mouth speak what is spiritual what is wholesome what is fitting. What is kind. What is sensitive what is purposeful what is complementing what is gentle what is truthful, what is loving what is thoughtful, not bitter, abrasive, vindictive, sarcastic, shady, angry, cutting boastful none of those things. Let it be gracious but just so you don't come off as sort of a dribbling out all the niceties only. He adds this season with salt. Not just gracious but it ought to have some kind of effect what you mean. Season with salt. While Saul does a lot of things.

It stings once in a while when there's a wound right but after it's done. Stinging. What is it do you heal Saul also prevents correction and your speech should be a purifier that prevents corruption.

Your speech should act as a purifying wholesome cleansing influence rescuing conversation from the filth that so often engulfs it.

Ephesians 429 says the very same thing but your speech be gentle, gracious and thoughtful but let it sting when it needs to when there's a wound to be healed, let it go right to the store and let it be that which is pure and beautiful to rescue a conversation from corruption. The Greeks had another thought here. They said the idea of salt was the idea of wit and wit is the ability to say just the right thing at just the right time and is not what he saying that you may know how you ought to answer every man you got just the right answer for just the right time and just the right person Greeks would translate this as Plutarch did, charm and wit the right word at the right time to the right person speech of perfection. Never filthy communication, always answering every man who asks the reason for the hope that is in you. First Peter three but just in conversation.

Being able to say that right thing your mouth is so important. It's got to come that sooner or later will you speak the truth by what you say you either open the opportunity or close so many times was the ungodly claims this soon. Psalm 12 for our lips are our own, who is lord over us, who can rule me.

I can say anything I want but the Christian says this Psalm 141 three set a watch Lord before my mouth and keep the door of my lips. What comes out… Prayer proclamation, speech of perfection just the right thing at the right time for the right person. That's the way the new man talks your new mansion on and along with those other things in your new lifestyle should come a new speech me remind you something as we close the problem with you and I know what it is I don't know really. I know you I know your problem same from Micah problem with us new people, new creatures is not that we have two natures, the good and the bad, the old and the new. The problem is that the new nature. The new high has been so strongly influenced by the flesh just can't shake it. Illustration you might take a whiskey bottle to actually do this. This is an illustration you might take a whiskey bottle and empty it could do that, empty of all that rockets and you know what happens smell it, it stinks the odor remains one of some that's not unlike a Christian you are a new creature the old contents are gone.

You are new you know some some of the old stink is there some of the old orders.

Some of the old sent your new moon but you got old sent to be removed how's going to be removed.

Look what he said put off some things.

Remember those chapter 3.

Put on some things. Chapter 3, verse 50. But the peace of Christ rule in verse 16 with the word of Christ dwell in verse 17 that the name of Christ rule. Take care how you live in the family, wives, husband, children, father, Servicemaster.

Take care of your mouth. As we saw in our study from verses 2 to 6 of chapter 4, and we take care of all of those things in the energy, the spirit of God and the new man is going to be the man of God created a symbol of Christ to sufficient Disney is sufficient to make you a new creature when you've been made a new creature. He asks that you have the aroma of a new creature that means taking care some of those old by the cleansing agency filling the spirit of God as you John MacArthur showing you some biblical principles for taming the tongue. That's the title of his current series. John is a pastor, author, and the featured teacher here on grace to you. John thinking about the speech of proclamation evangelism you talk about it in today's lesson we talked about yesterday on this program.

What do you think is the biggest hurdle people have to overcome in being a witness for Christ is it lack of skill or lack of interest or lack of information. Yeah, I think the reason people are hesitant is that they don't know exactly what to say. That's the most common issue they they don't feel adequate so to overcome that you need to make sure that you have in your mind clear understanding of the gospel that you can express.

Maybe it's no explain certain critters 521 you know God made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him.

Or maybe it's John 316, or will verses in the book of Romans.

But you need to have an understanding of the gospel so that when you get to the gospel. You can make it clear the second thing is, instead of seeing this as an adversarial confrontation.

You need to find a way to walk together with someone find common ground.

Find common ground. What can we agree on was having a conversation of the day with the Joel Rosenberg who lives in Israel and, obviously, is an evangelical Christian in Israel, writing and ministering in and reaching out to Jewish people with the gospel and he commented to me he said your interview on daily wire with Ben Shapiro was amazing to me and he said tell me more about that interview, we were discussing. Obviously, Isaiah 53 in the gospel. So what was your strategy and I said I knew there were many things on which Ben and I agreed. I knew we agreed politically.

I knew we agreed to morally and ethically.

We agreed about the priority of family and children and that he believed in the Old Testament God, and he even said you know you and I believe so much the same because obviously the same. God wrote the Old Testament of the news and doesn't change his moral standards so I just tried to find that common ground until I got to where you have to make a break and I went right to Isaiah 53 and II think this is what created in that discussion, amiable attitudes, because we had walked together in agreement and then when it came to the disagreement. There was a kind of honest in integrity kind of even a kind of kindness that was expressed because we had walked together so I think in ineffective evangelism. You learn not only to communicate the gospel but the find common ground and walk with the person in that common ground earned a hearing for the truth.

We want to help you to know the truth. You gotta have the gospel in mind so want to mention again as we did yesterday.

The book nothing but the truth, upholding the gospel in a doubting age. This book will teach you about the reliability of Scripture. The nature of God. The reality consequences of sin. The saving work Christ. Much, much more a great training book to help you with the gospel so that you will be ready for opportunities to proclaim Christ to be able to give an account for the hope that is in you, the book nothing but the truth will help you prepare you for effective evangelism, which is your great commission.

As you know, so order a copy today. Yes friend. This book organizes and examines foundational truths about your salvation with an eye toward equipping you to bring others to Jesus Christ to help cement in your mind the essentials of the gospel pick up John's book nothing but the truth when you contact us today. Call our toll-free number 855 grace or go to GT Y.org this book is great to review with a small group or put it in a friend's hands, particularly someone who doesn't know what it means to be a Christian. The title again nothing but the truth to order, call 855 grace or go online to GT Y.while you're online. Make sure you tap into the thousands of Bible related resources we have available free of charge. You can read articles on a wide range of issues at the grace to you blog catch any episodes of this broadcast that you may have missed an download or listen to any of John's 3500 sermons free of charge, including all four messages from this current study taming the tongue are web address again. GT Y.org now for John MacArthur in the entire grace to you. Staff on Phil Johnson encouraging you to watch grace to you television this Sunday on DirecTV channel 378 or check your local listings for channeling times be here tomorrow when John continues his look at biblical strategies for taming the tongue. It's another half hour of unleashing God's truth one verse at a time on grace to you