Purity of speech sermon

Prudence: The Discipline of Godly Speech by Art Katz

Start from chapter 8 and work backwards of Proverbs.

Proverbs 8:1-13
"Does not wisdom call and does not understanding raise her voice on the heights beside the way on the crossroads she takes her stand byside the gates infront of the town at the entrance of the portal of the town she cries out

To you, oh people, I call, my cry to all that live Oh simple ones learn prudence, learn intelligence. You who lack it
I will speak noble things, from my lips will come things that are right

Maybe we ought to stop there because there are the two key words. Prudence in verse 12 and perverted in verse 13. So we have to see the one as opposed the other.

Maybe I'll give you a dictionary definition of what it means. What Perverted, perverseness, perversity; all of those words mean, from their root, because in chapter 2 of Proverbs, just turn back a few pages. Because we see two words coming up in opposition to one another. Starting from verse 6,

Proverbs 2:6-15

Crooked is actually at the heart of the definition of what is perverse. Perverse is to take something that is initially straight, true and right and give it a twist or a crook that makes it the opposite of what it was intended to be. Its a deviation so that we know a perversity in sex is a deviation. The man who's perverse in sex is no longer functioning as a man. He's a homosexual, he's not longer desiring that which is natural to his gender but what is perverse and crooked to his gender and may well be that begins as perverse speech may end in perverse conduct. And this whole generation of perversion that is enveloping us everywhere in the modern world has started first indiscriminate speaking and an unrighteous thoughts and expression. Allowing a crook to come into things that however right we were in the expressing of them we made them wrong by a wrong spirit that gave it a twist that was a deviant, out of the way, kind of thing. And if you persist in that, what begins in speech will end in conduct. So what's the alternative? The alternative is to be prudent. And in a moment I am going to give you a definition of prudent. This isn't my wisdom, this is Webster's Dictionary and it's available to you all if you'll bestow yourself to use it. It's a remarkable source and I never cease to stagger that the simplest words, when you turn to the dictionary, give such amplification of meaning of what you thought you knew. You realize you knew only in part. So here's what the dictionary says about perverseness - deviant, turned the wrong way.

It could be a truth. but it's turned the wrong way and it becomes perverse. The truth becomes a lie. Simply because it's been turned. A corrupted form - turned into a corrupted form, turned to error and corrupting others, leading astray, misdirecting. So when it says, "wisdom and prudence will save you," by the way, there's no wisdom without prudence because as we have already read, wisdom issues from prudence. So, prudence will watch over you, it says in verse 11 of chapter two, and understanding will guard you, it will save you from the way of evil. That means that we need to be saved. That means that there's no one who is automatically safe. There's no one whose exempt. And that this is a daily keeping of yourself because it says in the same book of Proverbs chapter 4, "keep your heart with all diligence, for out if issue all of the issues of life." This requires a continual watchcare. It's very easy to lapse into something and just give it a slight twist because you enjoy that or you're enjoying someone being inflicted when you're not only speaking the truth but inserting it and turning the handle to make sure they get zinged as I read and I shared at yesterday's prayer time, George Will in his article in this week's NewsWeek, talks about the massacre of the Jews in Poland. When the Germans first came to this particular town, the first thing that the Polish population asked of the German occupying troops, "Can we murder our own Jews?" "By all means, take your liberty." And they had a bash. They killed the entire Jewish population. Women took their babies and dropped them in the common pond and then saw to drown themselves rather than to fall into the hands of these men who were so malicious in their torture. As the Germans said to the Pols, you're killing them too easy, let them suffer longer. Talk about perverse. Talk about twisted.

What's the origin of that? You're not born like that to perform something like that. It has to have a history. Before you can act like that, you have already thought like that. You have already spoken like that. The fact of the matter is that they did not keep their hearts. They did not esteem the Word of The Lord nor His way. These were Christians, Polish Catholics, but they were not in the Word. They did not heed. And so they acted corruptly. And we need to be careful about our own hearts. For it will save you from the way of evil, from those who speak perversely. But more than that, save you yourself from speaking perversely.

So, that's why the word 'cry' comes up so often because if you do indeed cry out for insight and raise your voice for, in verse 3, understanding. If you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you understand the fear of The Lord and find the knowledge of God. For The Lord gives wisdom, from His mouth comes knowledge. He stores of wisdom for the upright. Wisdom and prudence go together because now I'll tell you what prudence means.

Prudence is the employment of wisdom. It's acting with discretion. I thought I was going to tell you. Prudence means having forethought or foresight. What does that mean? That before you open your mouth, even to be correct or to bring correction, you think in advance, what will be the consequence of this, even if it is true. Is it a truth that is worth inflicting damage to state or is this the time? Is this the prudent time for such a correction? See what I mean? The prudent man does not just blurt out, he sees something that deserves correction that has the Scriptures to back him and boom! The prudent man has forethought and foresight. He takes into consideration what will be the consequence of this speaking now. Is this the right moment? And if it is, how must I express it so that it will not be misconstrued, misunderstood and do harm, though I intend good. Prudence is a remarkable quality of foresight and forethought. Most of us just blurt out. We act in the moment. Something happens, something comes to our thought and BOOM! We say it and we do it. That's not prudent. Prudence requires wisdom. These are God's own qualities and it says that wisdom stands at the gates and at the crossings of the streets and cries out to be heard. So, this is God, wisdom is God. And God is crying out. Evidently, it is more urgent for Him than it is for us or He would not be crying. See what I mean? Why is He crying? Because He sees with a perfect and undiminished eye all of the damage, the harm and the devistation. Not only that come from the unbelieving and the unrighteous but even from the saints because they're not acting, living prudently. So prudence and wisdom is the very requisite of God.

Just as a little interesting side note, how did The Lord bring me to the Lutheran seminary through Gary Kruzee's mouth. I took Gary to the seminary to shoot down the possibility that I would have to go there but was God really calling me to go to a liberal Lutheran seminary? With all of those lesbians and witches and feminists? So, I took Gary. Of course he's anti-intellectual and anti-theological, so I thought he'll surely shoot this down. Sat him in the class, he heard the professor and it couldn't have been worse. It was like right out of Hollywood. With the professor with leather patches on his elbows, a pipe. Just the kind of thing to turn Gary off. We left the room, we didn't say a word, we were walking down the hallway. I was waiting for the bottom to drop. We came to the door, he turned to me and said, "I perceive that God wants you to be here at the seminary to learn prudence." And when he spoke the word 'prudence,' it went into my heart like a shaft, like an arrow and I knew that I knew that God wanted me in that place. Not for theology but for prudence. Why prudence? Because I was, I am a hot headed, or I was intemperate guy on the spot, let them have it, give them what they deserve. The truth, let the chips fall where they may. And God wasn't going to allow a bull in his china shop. Because the issues of the last days are exacting and delicate and the issues of life and death and the bringing something to the Church that has been long neglected and resisted. You can't come as a bull and bring those things, you have come in the prudence of The Lord. You have got to come in the wisdom and prudence are interlocked. And, so, I learned it, and I'm continuing to learn. The pity is, I didn't learn it earlier. Because as I said, and my detractors have jumped on, I have done more harm in the name of truth than most men have done in error.

That's what you can do when you're bumptious, inflated, confident that you have the truth and that you're going to speak and do it no matter what. So, foresight, forethought, self-disciplined caution. Why? Because the ego always wants to be expressed. Always wants to show itself off. Even in what is correct. because we're certainly not going to be bringing honor on our head by speaking lies but by speaking truths and bringing correction? Yes, that could be an ego trip. So what is prudence? Prudence is self discipline. Prudence is holding something and blurting it out immediately without a sense of caution about first examining ones own heart before speaking to that point or to that issue. And that's a discipline because the flesh wants now to receive the gratification of being heard, acknowledged, people patting you on the back. "Boy, that was really something. You really said it, you were fearless." Whatever. It's amazing how we can be ego driven over spiritual things. So, it's a discipline to keep that filthy thing checked and to be cautious and know what is the deceitfulness of our own hearts. And wait until The Lord will give a proper occasion, time and release for that very thing. And when it comes forth in His time and in His way, it will come forth as if He Himself had spoken it and you will not receive any of the credit. You will not be able to boast in the person or church or body to whom those words are addressed will receive it as a life giving Word. There will be no recoiling. What one of the characteristics of righteousness is peace. Whatever is being conducted, even necessary correction, if it is being conducted in the prudence and wisdom of God, the end thereof will be peace. And if it's not, the end thereof will be strife. One of the ways you will know whether you have been prudent or imprudent is what has been the result of your speaking or sharing? Has it brought strife or has it brought peace?

So we need to be cautious about ourselves. Provident, circumspect, conducting itself judiciously. Is that fancy language? To be circumspect. I don't have a synonym for that, if we had ample time, reading from Proverbs from 2 to chapters 8, you'll come to the phrase, "the skill of wisdom." It's in the Scripture, the skill of wisdom?

That implies that there is something that can be perfected. That maybe you start out amateurishly and you're blunt and course and miss it but its a skill that can be perfected through a kind of training in discretion. You're not born discrete. You're not born wise. You're not born prudent. We can grow in these things so much as they are value for us. Here is God crying out in the streets to be heard. And when we will take it to heart because this is the fear of God and the knowledge of God and it is the way of peace and righteousness and blamelessness. He'll give us every grace to grow in this. You don't have to wait until you're 72. You don't have to wait until you've left a trail behind you of broken, and bloodied and eaten people who have suffered the result of your [imprudence] and lack of restraint and lack of caution and lack of discretion. You can learn this early and well because Proverbs is really a book intended for the young. But the old can continue to receive benefit. I can't find the word skill, maybe it was in the Amplified [Version]. I saw this morning two or three times. It struck my interest that there is a skill in this. Verse 4 of chapter says, "To you, oh people, I call and my cry is to all that live."

Isn't that remarkable that this is God's intention for all mankind. It would certainly make the Earth habitable and at peace, even if the unbelieving would submit themselves to the wisdom of God's way. There would be such benefit. but my cry is to all that live, oh simple ones, that doesn't mean simple. It means those who chose not to be instructed.

"Learn prudence. There is a learning here. Acquire intelligence, you who lack it. Here for I speak noble things. From my lips will come things that are right. All the words of my mouth are righteous. Nothing twisted or crooked in them. "

Wisdom is of God, true speaking is of God because they are all straight to one who understands. "Those who find knowledge take my instruction." So, something given from God is both wisdom and prudence. To those who cherish this value and know that He is the source of it and will seek Him first. This is part of the self discipline, instead of blurting out from your own inadequate understanding to wait and be cautious and look to The Lord for what is His thought on that same matter. For He is wisdom and prudence and will give it.

Out of Oswald Chambers, this week, "The Christian life is stamped by moral spontaneous originality consequently the Disciples open to the same charge that of Jesus, that of inconsistency. But Jesus Christ was always consistent to God and the Christian must be to the Life of the Son of God in him. Not consistent to hard and fast creeds." This is an interesting thing. They are not the same. Creeds are true. Creeds are statements about God and about the faith and the way of God but they are not God, in themselves. And we can mindlessly give a first loyalty to the creeds rather than to God Himself and that's when truth can become twisted and perverse. So that the Christian must be consistent to the life of the Son of God in him, not consistent to hard and fast creeds. Men pour themselves into creeds and God has to blast them out of their prejudices because before they can become devoted to Jesus Christ.

Isn't it remarkable that a correct creed can become a prejudice? That you have such an investment in that creed, that doctrine, in that truth that it is not serving the purposes of God but, actually, working against God's purpose. It's your own prejudice. Instead of being faithful to the Life, you're faithful to the creed. That's the Jewish condition, faithful to the creed of monotheist, or what they think to be the truths about God. In fact, so taken up with the creeds of the faith that when they felt those creeds were threatened and challenged by Jesus, they destroyed Him rather than the creed. The creed had taken such a place of pre-eminence that it was more desirable than the God Himself who initially gave it and His death was required in order to preserve their creed. We are susceptible to that same danger of some truth that is especially dear to us can become a prejudice and act against God. And so, Oswald Chambers is warning about it lest we become corrupted and devious in that thing and become perverse though it was begin with, it was in itself a truth. So that we need to come to The Lord, learn of Me, I am wisdom, I am prudence, I will teach you. Don't let it pardon into a body of truths that you subscribe to with such a vehemence, even defending God by them that it becomes a devastating thing rather than a blessing.

Because it says, "I love those who love me," in verse 17 of chapter 8, "and those who seek me diligently. Riches and honors are with me."

Wisdom is God and with God. And I'm glad that He's kept it to Himself. I'm glad that it's not a book in which we can imbibe and draw from and make it a creed by. That there is ever and continually a necessity to go to Him who is in Himself wisdom and prudence. And this is discretion to always to make room for The Lord and allow Him in on the thing that is in your heart to express. That requires a relationship for which He is jealous because it says in chapter 2, "For The Lord gives wisdom from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. He stores up sound wisdom for the upright. He is a shield to those who walk blamelessly. Guarding the paths, preserving the way of His faithful ones. Then you will understand justice and equity and righteousness," when? When you get it from Him who stores it up. Who saves it for the saints. Who gives it. He. Him. Then you will understand righteousness, equity, every good path, for wisdom will come into your heart. It's not coined out of your brain. It's not the result of your brilliance. It's not your cleverness. It's not your analysis, your critique. it's something that comes from God, who is wisdom. Wisdom will come into your heart. He will give it to you when He sees you are looking toward Him because you recognize that He is the source and not yourself. "It will save you from the way of evil." Unto which, we are everyone of us prone. Even in our best intentions if we are not prudent. From those speak perversely, it will guard you from even more. Not from those who speak perversely but from yourself speaking perversely, taking a correct thing and giving it a twist that makes it corruptive rather than beneficial. We mustn't be content with getting by. Our relationships are too delicate and the Enemy is waiting at any moment for any opportunity to bring corruption by something that is stated, that is clumsy or unwise. We need to walk with great discretion in the Church and in the Body, with our children, in marriage, in relationship. We're talking about souls here that can be bruised, set back, the Church itself disfigured. And what shall we say for those we're inviting to learn to bring to Jews the hard word of Last Days extremity which they will be facing and the alternative which safety in the Messiah. Unless they can bring these thoughts with discretion and with wisdom. What do you do when a Jew blurts out in anger and attacks you. Which they are going to do? What is your response to that? If you react in kind and get insulted or offended or talk back. If you unwise or imprudent, if you're not cautious and discrete, you've lost them. You see what I mean?

One moment can lose the whole investment. So we need to cherish this, seek for it, call for it. And in chapter 3 of Proverbs, by the way, read the Proverbs every day. I read the Psalm for the day and a chapter of the book of Proverbs for today. Today is the eighth so the 8th chapter. I was into it and it's inexhaustible. And in chapter 3 verse 13, that begins with italic title "The True Wealth," "Happy are those who find wisdom." That means its outside of us and we have to look for it. Not in ourselves but in Him. And those who get understanding because there is a God who gives it for if you seek Him for it. "For her income is better than silver and her revenue is better than gold." The consequences of wisdom and understanding and prudence is beyond any natural, physical wealth. And, by it, physical wealth can be obtained. "She's more precious than jewels, nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand, in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness and all her paths are peace." So I repeat, you'll if you're in the path of righteous and prudence and understanding or through being imprudent and incautious by seeing what is the result of what you speak or do because everything that issues in God's wisdom must eventuate in peace. "All her paths are peace." Peace is the crown and the testimony of God's approval because what is spoken and what is done is in keeping with His own character and His own heart. So, "She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her, those who hold her fast are happy." Then it goes on to say, "The Lord by wisdom founded the Earth, by understanding established the Heavens, by knowledge the Deeps broke open and clouds drop down the dew." The very Creation issued out of wisdom, knowledge and understanding of God. If that was required to set in motion the very Creation that we occupy, what then of the things that we are about. If God outside or without understanding, prudence and wisdom, who shall we continue? If He required, how shall we not require it? Gary Krushem (?), I'm quoting him a second time, made the interesting statement that has always remained with me, that in most marital disputes, in arguments between husbands and wives, and maybe we can say children and parents, even in the fellowship, the thing in the last analysis is the lust to get the last word in. He used the word lust, there is a lust to make sure that you have gotten in your last word. So it is a lust and we need to be guarded against it.

Well, we need to treasure this more than any other value. And seek it and find it and walk in it. And learn it. So let's acknowledge before The Lord that we have all been blunderers, unthinking and simple, mindless. We have not given foresight, nor forethought to what we say or do. In the lust of getting our word in right now we speak it forth without what will be the consequence or the damage. Because once it's out it irretrievable. Something has gone out for death or for life.

So Lord, we know that we have failed for this. Because it has not been commended to us. The book of Proverbs was just a quaint something, I don't know, for young people. We've passed it by and yet you're crying out at the head of every street and the gate to be heard. Crying out that we should esteem wisdom and knowledge which is to say nothing more nor less than to esteem God. And we acknowledge that as much as we have been blunderers and bulls in the china shop, even in the name of Truth, knocking off whole shelves of things. And failing in the very for which we have hoped because we didn't wait. We were not cautious, we were not cautious about our own propensity for lust to get something done, the ego to be heard. So, my God, forgive for all of that and grant us by your mercy a new esteem and a respect for what issues from You. It can only come from You. Which you're willing to give to those who will learn from you and receive and obtain from you knowledge, understanding, wisdom, prudence. Thank you my God. May it become deep character of your corporate life. May our every relationship be effected and revealed in it. May we so of it that it may be a garland around our necks and a crown upon our heads. And that its peace may pervade our life together. Thank you for this my God that this is not poetry, this is not a play on words. This is the cry of God and we have not heard it and we have not considered it. And, indeed, we have done much damage in the name of Truth. So, give us, my God, a fresh day of new beginnings, new respect. Hear our cry Lord as we desire to learn of you. We desire to be prudent. To walk with restraint. To have discretion. To have that knowledge and understanding which is God's. Not just in the profound Last Days things but in the everyday things. In the simplest issue of conversation, in relationship, in how we speak toward one another. That we would be discrete. Thank you my God. Oh, we bless you that this is your wisdom and your desire that may we be like you in it. Come and birth in us a new esteem, a new respect, a new desire for these things. Convict us where we have been mindless headlong. Give us a long for the peace that is the crowning hallmark of that which is prudent and wise - always.

We thank and give you praise that this was the thought of your heart for us this morning. Surely not a moment too late and we are blessed and receive it. And it is coming by God from your heart. In Jesus name, Amen.

Thank you Lord, that we can learn from the dictionary not only the synonyms but the antonyms. That the antonym for prudence is haste or being rash. That the antonym for prudence is perverseness. So we want to be saved out of being perverse. From having a crook, from being twisted. Communicating a corruption rather than a correction. So, Lord teach us words and give us a love for them because they signify true things and we want to be people pleasing in your sight. Thank you for the great gifts that you're willing to bestow, for those who is cry out and seek them and learn from them in Jesus name.

This rendering in the Amplified could be a real invitation from The Lord for those who are tossing this over in their minds and can't see their way through to this. "My son [or daughter] if you will receive my words." Assuming that this sharing this morning were His words, "And treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive," such an emphasis on our responsibility to hear. "Making your ear attentive to skillful and godly wisdom." Here's where I saw that word in the Amplified, "And inclining and directing your heart and mind to understanding, applying all your powers to the quest of it, as if it is the foremost consideration that deserves our fullest energy before any other consideration." And that's true, because if we have not wisdom, prudence and understanding, how do we proceed on to anything else? This has got to be the first consideration. "Yes, if you cry out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek wisdom as silver and search for skillful and Godly wisdom as for hid treasures, then you will understand reverent and worshipful fear of The Lord and find the knowledge of God. For The Lord gives skillful and Godly wisdom from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. He hides away sound and Godly wisdom and stores it for the righteous. Those who are upright and in right standing with Him, He's the shield to those who walk uprightly and in integrity that He may guard the paths of justice. He preserves the ways of the saints. Then you will understand righteousness." That came up in one of the meetings, I said, "Can you define righteousness?" People with blanked out, they didn't know how to begin. "Then you will understand righteousness." If you don't understand righteousness then there is not moral basis for our life at all. Righteousness is ultimate. Almost beyond defining. It is what God is in Himself, in His own impeccable rectitude. "Then you will understand righteousness, justice and fair dealing in every area and relation. Yes, you will understand every good path, for skillful and Godly wisdom shall enter into your heart. The Lord has put it there and knowledge shall be pleasant to you. Discretion shall watch over, understanding shall keep you to deliver you from the evil man who speak perverse things. Men who forsake the paths of righteousness to walk in the ways of darkness, who are crooked in their ways and devious in their paths."