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But right now, reach for your Bible.

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And today we're returning to the series Getting a grip on your mouth. And I'm calling today. Jesus said to simply say yes or no. These are powerful, powerful words.

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But I want to go back to

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our scriptures that we've been reviewing every day. Proverbs 6, verse 2 says, Thou art

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snared with the words of thy mouth. Thou art taken with the words of thy mouth. And many times people get in trouble

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because of what they commit to do

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too quickly while they're snared by the words of their mouth, and later they're sorry that they spoke. Or how about Proverbs 18:7? It says, A fool's mouth is his ruin, and his lips are snare to his soul.

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Don't let your lips be your ruin.

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Or how about Proverbs 21:23, which says, Whoso keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps his soul from troubles.

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And it is the truth that when

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you put a lid on your mouth

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and control what you say, you can

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keep yourself out of a lot of trouble. And Proverbs 29:20 says, do you see a man who's hasty in his words, there is more hope of a fool than for him. That means you don't want to be

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hasty in your words.

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Think before you speak. And today we're going to see the power of simply saying yes. But I want us to return to our foundational verse, which is James 1:19. We're going to cover it very quickly because we've got a lot of ground to cover today. But in James 1:19, James, who was the half brother of Jesus, said, wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to wrath. And as I've pointed out already three times in this verse, we are told about three things, and only one of them are to be done quickly. We're to be swift to hear. And that word swift is the Greek word takous, which means to run as fast as you can. It actually pictures a runner who's running as fast as he can so he can reach the finish line first it pictures a runner, and because he wants to finish first, he puts everything out of his mind. He focuses on the finish line and presses forward to obtain the first place prize. And here we find in this verse that James says, for you to really listen, you gotta put all distractions out of your mind and you have to be focused on what is being said to you. Now, I'll be honest, my mind is working all the time. And very often when I'm in a conversation, my mind tends to drift, and as a result, I don't really hear what's being said to me. So over the years, I've had to learn how to remove all distractions, how to really focus on the person that is speaking to me. Which, by the way, it's rude if you don't. They're speaking to you, you ought to be listening to them. But I've had to really learn how to do this so I could really hear what they had to say. And the word hear is from a form of the Greek word akuo. It's where we get the word acoustics. But it doesn't just mean to hear, it means to fully comprehend. If you don't really understand what's being

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said to you, then you need to ask for clarification. Don't just pretend that you get it when you don'. That doesn't help you and that doesn't help the person who is speaking. It's all right to say, can you please restate that and say that to me in a different way? I want to make sure I really get it. But the Bible says when it comes to hearing what others have to say, we need to be swift. We need to remove all distractions. We need to really focus on what is being communicated to us so we'll really get it. And then James says, we need to be slow.

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Slow to speak.

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And the word slow is the word bradus. And here it is again. This word bradus describes something that is

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slow, sluggish, or mentally dull, or a

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person who has either a mental or a physical handicap of some kind. And just like a person with a handicap can't move quickly or speak quickly or respond quickly. James says, when it comes to you quickly responding to something, slow down. You need to be a little sluggish when it comes to responding. Think before you speak. And then he adds, be slow to wrath. And the word slow is again the Greek word bradus. You need to be slow, you need to be sluggish when it comes to you getting all bent out of shape. And that's really what the word wrath means. And if you find yourself getting bent out of shape, maybe you just need to ask for a pause and walk away from that conversation for a few moments. The following verse says, the wrath of God doesn't do anything good. Don't go there. But this word wrath really describes somebody that just gets all twisted and all bent out of shape. This Greek word orge depicts silent resentment that suddenly gives way to an outburst of emotion. Well, that's regretful, or a deeply felt anger suddenly released. Or it pictures a swelling, growing, wrathful emotion that explodes in rage. Rage never helps. It never helps anybody. It's like you dispuing rage on other people. It hurts them and it hurts you. Because now you gotta fix the relationship, my friends. You are to avoid speaking too fast and moving into rage or wrath too quickly. You're to be slow in regard to these things, and you're only to be swift when it comes to hearing. You need to really hear what's being said to you. And the riv of James 1:19 says,

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but understand, my dearly beloved brothers, that every one of you needs to swiftly run to hear, attend to, and comprehend what is being communicated. You need to zip your lips, put a lid on your mouth, and learn to slow down in expressing your opinions. You also need to intentionally put on the brakes to stop blowing your cool so easily. That is such a wonderful interpretation of that verse.

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And it's a good challenge to me, and it's a great challenge to you.

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Thank you.

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So let's take it.

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But now we're gonna go see what Jesus had to say about our words and speaking rashly.

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But we have to begin in Leviticus

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5:4, 5, because Jesus builds on these words. And in Leviticus 5:4 it says, for if anyone utters with his lips a rash oath. So we're talking about a rash oath to do evil or to do good. And you can make a rash oath

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to do good or to do evil.

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You can do either one of those rashly or any other sort of rash oath that people swear. And it's hidden from him when he comes to know it and realizes his guilt in any of these verse 5, and it shall be that when he's guilty in one of these things, he shall confess that he has sinned in that thing. In other words, if you make a rash oath and then it comes time

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for you to fulfill it, and you

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don't want to, you're going to have

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to apologize because you already said you

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would do this thing rather than make A commitment that you do not intend to make. Zip your lips. Don't make that commitment. Don't speak recklessly and hastily, or you're going to end up apologizing when you don't want to do what you promised

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you're going to do.

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You need to get a grip on your mouth. Now let's go to Matthew 5:33 to what Jesus had to say about this. And Jesus said, again, you've heard that it hath been said by them of old time, thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shall perform unto the Lord thine oaths. We've seen that that word not is the Greek word uk, which in Greek is the strongest form of the words no or not. It means categorically, emphatically, you shall not forswear thyself. And the word forswear is the Greek word epi, orcheo. It's a compound of the word EPI and the word orkos. The word EPI here is used as an intensifier. So this is very intense. And the word orchos actually means an oath. But it is where we get the word for offense or a limitation or a boundary. It means to make an oath that fences you in or locks you into a position. And it's just the fact that when you swear something, when you make an oath or you promise to do something, you're locking yourself in. And so here Jesus says it's better not to do it. And he speaks categorically and emphatically, you must not do this, but shall perform unto the Lord thine oaths, which means if you make a commitment, you're gonna have to do it. And the word perform is a form of the Greek word apo, didumi. The word apo means back. The word didumi means I give. But when you compound the two words together, it means to give back, to payback, or to perform what you have said. And here the word oath at the end of the verse is a little different. It's the word, and it describes a rash oath.

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Somebody speaking rashly, recklessly, fencing themself in, putting a boundary around themselves. Now they're bound to do it. And Jesus said, such oaths, such rash statements, are to be avoided completely. And then in verse 34, Jesus adds, but I say unto you, swear not at all. And that word, swear again, the word umno, it means to promise an oath, to make a rash or a threatening oath, or swearing that you're going to take matters into your own hand. And According to Matthew 5, 37, such rash oaths come from the evil one, and they always produce bad things. Just don't do it. In fact, Jesus says, swear not at all. Not at all. In Greek is the word holos. It means altogether at all, entirely holy. And then he says, neither by heaven, for it is God's throne. And the word neither literally means neither either nor, not even, not ever.

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And it means this is something that

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is to be entirely avoided. Just don't do it. Neither by heaven, for it is God's throne. Have you ever heard somebody say, I

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swear to heaven or I swear by God?

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People are swearing all the time. Well, even in the first century, when Jesus was speaking, it was popular among

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Jews to swear by heaven, to swear by the earth, to swear by Jerusalem.

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People felt that when they added, I'll swear by heaven, I'll swear by God's

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throne, swear by the earth, swear by the temple, swear by Jerusalem.

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Somehow it added seriousness to their statement. But my friends, Jesus says, do not do it. Heaven. The Greek word ouranos, it describes heaven, or the eternal abode of God, angels and the saints. That is God's place. You have no business swearing by heaven.

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And then he says, it is God's throne.

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It's God's throne. It's where God sits. It's where God makes decisions, not you. So do not swear by heaven.

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Then he says, neither by the earth. The word earth, the Greek word gaia

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describes the earth and everything that is in it. Because the earth is his father, footstool. It's the place where he sets his feet. It's not yours. You have no right to swear by it. And then in verse 35, Jesus adds, neither by Jerusalem, the word neither Again, the Greek word mete. It means neither either, not, not even, not ever. And it means you need to remove this completely from the realm of possibility. Don't ever do this.

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Don't even swear by Jerusalem, for it

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is the city of the great king.

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The word city is the word polis.

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It describes a city or a municipality or a place of activity that is God's place of activity. And Jesus was saying, how dare you swear by Jerusalem?

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Wow.

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He's removing all of these. He's saying, don't swear by this, don't swear by that. Don't swear by this or that.

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Remove all of it completely. Removed. Remove this from the realm of possibility.

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And then Jesus tells us what we should do. Matthew 5:37.

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But let your communication be yea, yea, nay, nay, for whatever is more than these cometh of evil.

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When Jesus Says your communication.

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The Greek says the word of you, or literally your word. Your word, your word. Your response needs to be yay, yay or nae, nay, yea, ye in Greek says nai, nai. It means yes, indeed. It is clearly affirmative. It's very clear what you're saying. So there's no mixed signals. If there's mixed signals in your answer, you're going to create a mess. Or it needs to be nay. Nay. Nene means no, no. Literally in the Greek, it means no indeed, no, clearly negative. There's no mixed signals here. So when we're speaking to people, we need to be clear. And in fact, if we're not clear, Jesus says, for whatever is more than these comes of evil. More than in Greek is the word perissos. It describes something that is overflowing and it pictures a person that doesn't give a clear answer, but he rambles and rambles and rambles. Just runs loose with his mouth and makes things worse. Makes things worse. In fact, Jesus says whatever is more than a clear, definite yes or definite no comes of evil. And the word evil, mm depicts what is dangerous, destructive, disastrous or harmful. It pictures what is foul, vile, or hostile. It's actions that are damaging to a person's testimony. You see, if you give your word,

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you're going to do something and later you're sorry, it's going to damage your reputation. If you give an answer that's rash and confused, people are going to wonder about you.

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Slow it down, slow it down.

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Think about your answer. Remember, the Book of Proverbs says the righteous study. To answer, you don't have to answer everything so fast. Just slow it down and really think. And then give your answer. And if you don't know how to answer, rather than just come up with something, ask for a pause, say, hey, I need a break. I need to think about how I'm going to answer that question. There is nothing wrong with that. And in fact, the people that you're talking to will appreciate the fact that you put thought into your answer. They're going to know you're serious and you're not just piping off. And then Jesus says in Matthew 5:36, neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. The word neither again, the Greek word meta, it's a conjunction which in the

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Greek means either neither, nor not even, not ever.

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Never ever. And this is something else you're to completely remove from the realm of possibility. It literally means don't ever do this don't even swear. And. And the word swear again, the Greek word imneuo, which pictures a rash or threatening oath, or one who's swearing that he's gonna take matters into his own hand. Jesus says, don't ever do this. Keep this out of the realm of possibility. Don't even swear by your own head.

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Now somebody might say, well, if I

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can't swear by heaven, if I can't

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swear by God's throne, if I can't swear by the earth, if I can't

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swear by Jerusalem, then I'm just gonna swear by myself. Well, Jesus says here, don't even swear by your. And the word head is the Greek word kephale.

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The word kephale describes the head or

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the center of decision making and the intellect. You are not smart enough to figure out everything real quick and don't even swear by yourself. Now, if you're one of those people

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who say, well, I just swear, I

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swear, I swear I'm going to do this. I swear I'm not going to do that. What is going to happen to you when you don't do what you swore you're going to do? You got yourself in trouble. It would be better to get a grip on your mouth and slow down and think before you speak in Greek. And Jesus says, you don't even have the power or canst not make one

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hair white or black.

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Canst not in Greek literally means you do not have the power or you

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are powerless to turn one hair white or black. Now that just brings an end to the conversation. Jesus is very clear.

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We are not to swear at all. And he's talking about speaking reckless, hasty, rash words that get us into trouble.

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My friends, you can avoid trouble by just zipping your lips. And we read in Proverbs again, 29:20. Do you see a man that's hasty in his words? There's more hope of a fool than for him.

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Don't be hasty in your words.

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Or how about Ecclesiastes 5, 6?

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It says, don't let your mouth lead you into sin.

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Has your mouth ever led you into sin?

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Don't do that.

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Stop your mouth. Zip it. Or how about Ecclesiastes 10:12? Words from the mouth of the wise are gracious, but fools are consumed by their own lips, or their own lips

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get them into trouble.

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Proverbs also tells us that a fool, when he's silent, people think that he's wise. And sometimes the smartest thing you can

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do is just be quiet and not respond at all.

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Wow.

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I hope this is helping you.

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I'll be back in just a moment

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and I'm going to pray for you.

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Someone asked me, rick, do you believe the news?

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Well, that's not a Bible question, but I'll give you a Bible answer. When the star appeared that announced the birth of Jesus, people interpreted the star differently. For example, if you lived in the east like the Magi, they believed it was the announcement that the great king had been born. But in the Western world, they also saw the star and they believed it was a divine sign that the Emperor Octavian. So how they interpreted the news depended on where they were. And likewise, today you can hear a single news story, but it's interpreted differently according to who is giving you the news. So when I listen to the news, I listen to the news, but I

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don't just listen to it from one source.

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I listen to all sides. And I've got my ears open to hear the Holy Spirit to help me to interpret what is the truth about what I'm hearing. And if we'll open our ears to hear the Holy Spirit will help us to discern the truth.

Program Narrator (22:37)

Have you ever said something that you later regretted? We all need to learn how to control the things that come out of our mouths, and Jesus has a lot to say on the subject. In Rick Renner's series what Jesus Said about getting a grip on your mouth, you will learn how to be slow and thoughtful with your words, really thinking before you speak. You will develop a greater understanding of biblical practices such not having blessings and curses come from the same mouth, submitting to the Holy Spirit when your tongue is untamable, and much more. This practical series is available in digital or physical formats starting at just $11. In addition, we are offering you Joyce Meyer's book Power what yout say Can Change youe Life. This powerful book draws from personal experience and scripture to illustrate how prayer and positive words can be used to overcome every challenge that stands in the way of your fulfillment. Power Words can be yours for just $12. Don't miss this special offer, the series what Jesus Said About Getting a Grip on youn Mouth and the book Power Words by Joyce Meyer. Visit renner.org to order, call the number on your screen or scan the QR code now. Call or go online now.

Rick Renner (24:03)

Hey friends, this is Rick Renner and today I want to say thank you to you partner for everything you do to help us fulfill Heaven's mandate on our ministry. In Proverbs 10:21 it says, the lips of the of the righteous feed many and that is our assignment. In the past year, we have traveled all over Russia. And when we travel to minister, we don't charge for plane tickets or for churches to pay for the cost of our team. You pay that price. You do that with your gifts. You enable us to go to people who could never pay for all of us to come. But we've gone as a team. Lives have been transformed. We've had meetings where we have met thousands and thousands of people who listen to us on TV and then come together to hear us in person as we impart the life transforming truth of the Bible to them. And you're a part of that because you are a partner. You're putting the fuel in the tank that enables us to go. And for this, I say thank you. And all those people say thank you. And if you're not a partner yet, we need you. And today I'm inviting you to become a part of our partner family. We're waiting for you to help us take the trusted teaching of the Bible to the ends of the earth. Hey friends, we just finished today's teaching, which is about saying yes or saying no. In fact, Jesus said if you say any more than that, you're going to

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get yourself into trouble.

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And you already know by experience that Jesus is right.

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It's better to be clear. Say yes or say no.

Rick Renner (25:40)

But this whole series, which is five parts, comes with a wonderful study guide. The series is called what Jesus Said about getting a grip on your Mouth. And I'm just thrilled about my friend Joyce Meyer's book, which is called Power, what yout say can change your Life. And in Joyce's book, she tells you what you should be saying positively. And she tells you what you should not be saying. Because what you say has the power to change your life for the good or for the worse. That's how powerful words are. They sculpt our world. And so I'm just excited to tell you about Joyce's book, Power Words. But these resources are available on our website or you can give us a call right now and when you call us or send us an email, tell us how we can pray for you. We're praying for you anyway. But if you tell us how to pray, we're going to really be effective in our praying for you. And I want you to put your hand on your heart. I'm going to pray for you right now. Father, I thank you in the wonderful name of Jesus that we have the indwelling Holy Spirit and we do not have to let our mouth just spout off and say whatever it wants to say. We can control ourself and teach us Lord, the value of learning simply to

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say yes

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and to not get into conversations that are going to produce trouble in our life. In Jesus name, Amen.

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We're coming back tomorrow.

Rick Renner (27:08)

We're going to wrap it up. But until then, remember Ecclesiastes 8:4 says, where the word of a king is, there's power. If you've never received Jesus as your Savior and Lord, now is the time for you to experience a new life. Jesus has to give you. Pray this prayer with me right now. Lord, I repent of my sin and receive you as my Savior and Lord, wash away my sin and make me completely new. I thank you that my sin is removed and Satan no longer has any right to lay claim on me. I faithfully promise that I will serve you as my Lord for the rest of my life. Amen.

Renner Ministries Announcer (27:59)

If you just prayed the prayer of salvation with us, would you please let us know by going to renner.org salvation we would love to connect with you. Thank you for joining Rick Renner today. For more information about Renner Ministries and product resources, visit renner.org. This program was made possible by the giving of the God called partners of Renner Ministries.