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Appearances and Courtesy

Limits of Apologetics

Voltaire is reported to have said “If a miracle occurred in the market place of Paris and in the presence of two thousand men I would rather disbelieve my own eyes than the two thousand.”

Facts alone irrespective of how well they are presented will never bring a man to Christ. ── Michael P. Green《Illustrations for Biblical Preaching》

Appearances

In the opening scenes of the musical Camelot we see King Arthur standing in a field dressed in the clothes of a common peasant. To look at him you would have no idea he was king. In fact when Guinevere first met Arthur she didn’t have a clue that he was king over all Camelot. Arthur was in fact king but his outward appearance gave no evidence of this fact. ── Michael P. Green《Illustrations for Biblical Preaching》

Apology

Do you know what is the best way to have the last word in an argument?

Apologize! ── Michael P. Green《Illustrations for Biblical Preaching》

"ANGRY WORDS! O LET THEM NEVER"
 
INTRODUCTION
 
1. Many of the songs we sing are designed to teach and admonish - cf. Co
 3:16
 
2. One such song is "Angry Words! O Let Them Never"...
 a. Words written by D. K. P.
 b. Melody arranged by H.R. Palmer
Will W. Slater
 -- In "Hymns For Worship"
it is song #394
entitled "Love One
 Another"
 
3. A favorite of many
it is a song...
 a. With valuable advice in our dealings with one another as members
 of God's family
 b. Warning against disrupting friendship and love through
 unthoughtful use of the tongue
 
[In both verse one and three
the focus is on...]
 
I. THE NEED TO BRIDLE THE TONGUE
 
 A. THE TONGUE IS POWERFUL...
 1. It is difficult to control
 a. It has the power to control the whole body - Ja 3:2-5
 b. For it reflects the true expression of the inward man - cf.
 Mt 12:34-35
 2. It has power to do good and evil
 a. To turn away wrath
or stir up anger - Pro 15:1
 b. To use knowledge wisely
or pour forth foolishness - Pro
 15:2
 c. To be a tree of life
or a breaker of spirits - Pro 15:4
 -- "Angry words! O let them never from the tongue unbridled slip;
 May the heart's best impulse ever check them ere they soil the
 lip."
 
 B. THE ADVANTAGES OF RESTRAINT...
 1. Avoids sin - Pro 10:19
 2. Keeps one out of trouble - Pro 21:23
 3. Makes one to appear wise - Pro 17:27-28
 4. Uncontrolled tongues can destroy friendships
 a. Poorly chosen words
unthoughtful and rashly spoken words
 b. Can make even the closest friends become enemies - e.g.
Psa
 55:12-14
 -- "Angry words are lightly spoken
bitterest thoughts are rashly
 stirred
brightest links of life are broken
by a single angry
 word."
 
 C. HOW THEN SHALL WE USE THE TONGUE...?
 1. If for good
our words can be:
 a. Sweet to the soul - Pro 16:24
 b. A thing of beauty
like apples of gold in settings of silver
 - Pro 25:11
 2. But if for evil
then beware:
 a. We will be judged by our words - Mt 12:36-37
 b. We will defile our bodies (and our friendships!) - Ja 3:6
 
[To encourage the proper use of the tongue
the song in verse two and
the chorus reminds us of...]
 
II. THE IMPORTANCE OF FRIENDSHIP AND LOVE
 
 A. THE BLESSINGS OF FRIENDSHIP...
 1. Some of the most beautiful passages in the Bible were
 expressions between friends
 a. Ruth's love for her mother-in-law
Naomi - Ru 1:16-17
 b. Jonathan's devotion to his friend
David - 1 Sam 18:1
 c. Jesus' love for His disciple
John - Jn 19:25-27
 d. Paul's love for his coworker
Timothy - 2 Ti 1:1-4
 2. Good friends provide wonderful benefits
 a. A true friend is "a man for all seasons" - Pro 17:17
 b. A true friend can be closer than blood relatives - Pro 18:24
 c. The rebuke of a true friend is of more value than the praise
 of an enemy - Pro 27:6
 d. The advice of a true friend can be precious - Pro 27:9
 e. Seek to hang on to good friends - Pro 27:10a
 -- "Love is much too pure and holy
friendship is too sacred far

 for a moment's reckless folly thus to desolate and mar."
 
 B. THE NEED TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER...
 1. Our Savior teaches us to do so
 a. A new commandment
to love as He loved us - Jn 13:34-35
 b. Stressed again and again - Jn 15:12
17
 2. It is a "blest" command
 a. Love will avoid offending another with loose words - 1 Co
 13:4-5a
 1) Love suffers long (patient)
  2) Love is kind
 3) Love does not envy (not jealous of others' good fortune)
 4) Love does not parade itself (does not brag about itself)
 5) Love is not puffed up (not arrogant)
 6) Love does not behave rudely (not inconsiderate of others'
 feelings)
 b. Love will not allow loose words offend it - 1 Co 13:5b-8a
 1) Love does not seek its own (not defensive)
 2) Love is not provoked (not sensitive)
 3) Love thinks no evil (assumes the best intention)
 4) Love does not rejoice in iniquity
but in truth
 (concerned more about truth than winning)
 5) Love bears all things (puts up with snide remarks

 slights)
 6) Love believes all things (gives others the benefit of the
 doubt)
 7) Love hopes all things (looks for the best in others)
 8) Love endures all things (including hurt feelings by
 unkind or unthoughtful words)
 9) Love never fails (to show patience
compassion

 forgiveness)
 -- "'Love one another'
thus says the Savior; Children
obey His
 blest command."
 
CONCLUSION
 
1. Friendship is too holy to let loose words in reckless moments destroy
 it...
 a. Especially between brethren in Christ
 b. Whose love is to be a mark of true discipleship - Jn 13:35
 
2. True love values friendship so highly
that it will resolve...
 a. To say nothing that unnecessarily endangers our friendship
 b. To let nothing that is said
no matter how hurtful
to destroy our
 friendship
 
May this song
"Angry Words! O Let Them Never" serve to remind us of the
blessing and duty we have regarding our love and friendship as disciples
of Christ!
 
Have you become a disciple of Jesus Christ...? - cf. Mt 28:19-20

－－《Executable Outlines》