All right, we're here in Psalm chapter 39. The name of the sermon is A Contemplation
of Eternity. A Contemplation of Eternity. This is a short chapter. We have three points
here tonight. And point number one is this, control your tongue. Control your tongue.
Notice what it says in verse one. I said, I will take heed to my ways that I sin not
with my tongue. So the context here at the beginning is he's saying, I'm taking heed,
I'm watching after myself to make sure that I don't sin with my tongue. I don't say something
that is going to be sinful with my tongue. Then he says, I will keep my mouth with a
bridle while the wicked is before me. Now we're going to talk about bridle later on,
but you think of like a bit and a bridle used to control a horse's head. Because horses
can be just out of control and they have a bit and a bridle to keep them under range,
right? And he's using this as an expression. He's like, I'm going to be like a horse with
a bit and a bridle on, that way I can't do something foolish. And he said, while the
wicked is before me. Verse two, I was dumb with silence. Dumb stating, he's not saying
anything, right? Like the expression, deaf and dumb. You can't hear, you can't speak.
He's saying, I'm not saying anything. I held my peace even from good. So when he's around
wicked people, he's saying, I'm not saying anything at all. I held my tongue. I held
my peace. I was dumb with silence. Then he says, and my sorrow was stirred. So he's not
saying anything, but he's getting very frustrated. He's getting very upset. Then it says in verse
three, my heart was hot within me while I was musing the fire burns, then spake I with
my tongue. And so what he's saying is he's really frustrated. He's really upset. He's
holding his peace. He's not saying anything. And he said, my heart was hot within me. I
was really mad. I was really upset. I was, while I was musing the fire burn, then spake
I with my tongue. Right? Now, you know, we can kind of relate to this as well when we
get frustrated and mad, right? You know, you're frustrated, you're mad, and you're trying
not to say anything. You're trying not to do something foolish. And then the question
is, what is it coming out of your mouth? Right? And that's a question for all of us when you're
in these moments. You're mad. You're frustrated. Can you control your tongue? Go to Psalm
32. Psalm 32. I mean, there's many ways you can sin with your tongue. A lot of things
that can be said that are foolish, that are wrong, that are hurtful, that are just, you
know, dirty or whatever. And it's very easy when you get frustrated to just let whatever
comes out. Right? Notice what it says in Psalm 32, verse nine. Be not as the horse
or as the mule, which have no understanding, whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle,
lest they come near unto thee. The Bible's saying a horse or a mule, they have no understanding
of a need to control their mouth. And he said, don't be like an animal. Don't be like a horse.
Don't be like a mule. Make sure you're under control. So someone doesn't have to just grab
you and just shut your mouth and make sure that nothing foolish comes out. Right? Go
to James chapter three. James three. I mean, when you think about it, if a person had,
you know, a bit in the bridle, they had basically the outer thing that you'd see on a horse,
they would look very foolish, wouldn't they? But, but here's the thing. I think some people
would probably look less foolish with that around their mouth than they do when they
just let anything fly out of it. Right? Because when people just let whatever fly out of their
mouth, they make themselves look like idiots. They make themselves look like fools. Right?
And even when you're mad, I mean, if somebody's screaming at you and they're getting you really
upset, if you fire back and say something, oftentimes you now look like a fool. So the
Bible says, you know, answer not a fool, according to his folly, lest thou be also
like unto him. Now, of course, there is a time to answer a fool. And I understand that
those verses are right beside each other, but oftentimes it's like, answer not a fool
according to his folly. Right? You know, for example, if somebody was like screaming across
the street, like curse words and, you know, yelling at my children or whatever, they look
like a fool. They look like an idiot. Realistically, it's going to make me mad. But if I fire back
at them, I also look foolish now. It's like, why am I even responding to this idiot that's
just trying to, you know, cause problems? Right? You know, sometimes we go soul winning
and then somebody is just being rude to us. They're just saying whatever. And it's like,
they're acting like a fool, but it's making you mad. And once you fire back, now you're
kind of like unto them. Now you're kind of foolish, just like they are. And that's what
it says in James 3 verse 1. My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall
receive the greater condemnation. For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not
in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. And what he's
saying is if any man offend not in word, never, I mean, you never offend people with your
mouth. It's like, that is a very difficult thing to do. Let me say this. When I stand
up here and preach three times a week and preach three hours of sermons, it's like realistically
I'm going to say things in a certain way or say something you don't like or I say it in
the wrong way and it offends you. Because it's very hard to speak and speak and speak
without ever offending anybody. But that is the goal, to try to speak in a way and live
our lives in a way that what comes out of our mouth is edifying and nothing that is
harmful, right? Verse number 3. And the Bible is saying here in verse 2, if you control
your mouth, you're able to control the whole body. Because the mouth is the thing where
it's very easy to just let something fly out. You don't think anything of it. What the Bible
is saying is the person that can control their tongue is able to control their whole body.
They're going to live a solid and separated life. They're going to be able to stand against
temptation. If you can withstand the temptation to just curse back at someone or fight back
at someone who's coming at you, the Bible is saying you can probably control your whole
body. Verse 3. Behold, we put bits in the horse's mouth that they may obey us and we
turn about their whole body. Behold also the ships which though they'd be so great and
are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm whithersoever
the governor listeth. And the Bible is saying here in verse 4, you think of a ship. It's
a giant object, but yet a small little thing changes the direction of that entire ship.
And the Bible is comparing our mouth to basically that part, the helm, that controls an entire
ship. And the Bible is saying if we control our mouth and move it in the right direction,
we're going to control the entire body, right? That small little part of a ship controls
the whole ship. With a horse, you can control its direction with just that one object, a
bit and a bridle. With our bodies, we can control our entire bodies if we control our
tongue. It's going to cause our entire body to be under subjection and under control,
the Bible says. Verse 5. Even so, the tongue is a little member and boasteth great things.
Behold how great a matter a little fire kindleth. And the Bible is saying, you know, it's likening
it to a fire where basically a fire can start very small. It doesn't have to start big to
be a big fire. Right? One little match you could throw. You know, I remember a few years
ago at my parents' house, like their whole, you know, they live up toward the woods, and
the entire woods, you know, half of it burned down. And they said it started because somebody
threw a cigarette in the ground. That's what they determined started a massive fire that
burned down all of these trees, something so small. The Bible is saying here in verse
number 5, which says, how great a matter a little fire kindleth. Because a fire can start
small and the wind can spread it and it just tears down so much. Verse number 6. And the
tongue is a fire, a word of iniquity. So is the tongue among our members that it defile
the whole body and seteth on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire of hell.
For every kind of beast and of birds and of serpents and of things in the sea is tamed
and have been tamed of mankind. But the tongue can no man tame. It is an unruly evil full
of deadly poison. And the Bible is saying man has controlled every single animal that
there is. Right? There's basically no animal that humans do not have control over. We have
weapons that can control any animals. I mean, even if you've got, I mean, you've got lions
that are caged up. I mean, it's it's the king of the jungle and it's caged up at a
zoo. Right? You've got bears and they're caged up. Why? Man is taking control of any animal,
but the tongue can no man tame. It's something that is actually a lot harder because it's
so easy to just say something, regret it, just start a big fire, get in a bad mood.
You say whatever your husband, say whatever your wife, say whatever your kids, say whatever
your co-workers or people you know when they make you mad. It's so easy to just lose control
of your tongue. It says, verse nine, therewith bless we God, even the father and therewith
curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing
and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. Doth the fountain send forth
at the same place, sweet water and bitter? Go back to Psalm 39 where we started, Psalm
39.
And you know, there's so many examples that you could think of. You know, you think of,
you know, with social media nowadays, somebody can just say something really rude and hurtful
on your Facebook or in a YouTube comment. I mean, you know, there's plenty of people
that have posted on our YouTube videos saying how stupid I am. And you know, when people
tell you you're stupid, it bothers you a little, doesn't it? I mean, it doesn't make me happy
when someone says, hey, you're an idiot. It's like, but they're intentionally trying to
make you mad. That's their goal. They look like a fool. If you respond to them, then
you might also look exactly like onto them, right? I mean, there's so many ways or, you
know, in marriage, obviously in marriage, there are fights and it's very easy to say
something that you don't really mean. You're in the heat of the moment. You're emotional.
You say it, but you start a fire, something small and at least a fight after fight and
problem after problem. And when we really look at it, our tongues can cause a lot of
problems. Little gossip destroys so much, right? So many ways we can sin with our tongue.
It's such a hard thing to control. Notice what it says in Psalm 39 verse three. My heart
was hot within me while I was musing the fire burns. Then spake I with my tongue. Did David
lose control? See point number one is to control your tongue. Point number two, cry to God.
Notice, then spake I with my tongue, Lord, make me to know mine end. Look, when you are
at the point that you cannot control your tongue anymore and you're going to lose it
and let anything fly out, cry to God. Go to prayer. Talk to God. I mean, yes, use your
tongue to talk to God and pray to God and ask you to help with the situation, right?
And so if you're at the point where you can't control your tongue anymore, then spake I
with my tongue, Lord, make me to know mine end. Go to 2 Samuel chapter 16. 2 Samuel 16.
Now, obviously, that's not our natural tendency. I mean, generally, we don't go to God when
we're about to lose control. Generally, we lose control, start a fire, and then we go
to God to try to repair the fire. Wouldn't it make more sense to go to God before the
fire starts? Wouldn't it make more sense to go to God before you just completely lose
control and say whatever, right? And you know what? Obviously, all of us can struggle with
this. We can lose our temper. But let me say this. We as Bible-believing Christians ought
to be different than the world. We ought to be peculiar. I mean, the world does some things,
but as Bible-believing Christians, we ought to be opposite, right? I mean, using the Lord's
name in vain, common thing that the world does, just saying G.D. or J.C., you know what
I'm saying? And you know what? Obviously, as a Bible-believing Christian, it's like
that is a massive sin if you use the Lord's name in vain. Go ahead and curse Buddha. Go
ahead and curse Eli Soriano. I don't care who you curse, but don't curse God, right?
Or, you know, here's the thing, you know, or people who use a euphemism for God, right?
It's like, well, I didn't say it. I didn't curse God's name. But you use a euphemism
that means the same thing. And I'll be honest with you. I recommend everybody doing this.
I was surprised some of the things that are euphemisms that I didn't even think about.
I remember looking at it a couple years ago, and you know what? I changed certain things
that I said, because, man, I didn't even realize I'm using a euphemism as an expression
I did as a kid, right? You know, the phrase I used to say all the time that I don't say
anymore is, oh, my goodness, because goodness is a euphemism for God. I just never realized
it. And then all of a sudden I remember, you know, actually, my wife pointed out to me,
I just never realized it. I looked it up online. Yeah, it's a euphemism. It's like, okay, well,
I should stop saying that, because I just grew up like it was no big deal, right? But
here's the thing. Not only should we not use the Lord's name in vain, we shouldn't
use euphemisms, right? We shouldn't even get to the line of what would be sinful. The world,
when they lose their temper, every single four-letter word out under the sun comes out
of their mouths. We're Bible-believing Christians. We ought to be peculiar, right? What my parents
taught me when I was a kid is that when people curse, it's because they're dumb and they
have nothing more important to say. They said people that, and this is what my parents
taught me, they said people that curse, it's because they're dumb, they're uneducated,
and it just shows basically what their manner is. Anyway, that's what I believe. I don't
think that Christians ought to be talking the same way that the world does. We ought
to live at a different level than what the world does. Why? Because we have a testimony.
Because of the fact people want to tear down your testimony. They want a reason to tear
down. Now I'm not going to stand up here and say I'm perfect and I've never said anything
bad. Obviously we lose our temper, we say things that are wrong, we regret things, but
it's something that we should strive to control. That's what James 3 is about. That's what
Psalm 39 is about. Hey, controlling your tongue. Why? Well, because we're going to see later
on in this chapter, we're contemplating eternity, and when you think about it, how are you going
to speak up in heaven? I mean, try to speak in a way that you would speak up in heaven
in an edifying way, in an edifying manner. We only live on this earth for 70 and 80 years,
and if you follow the pattern of the world and the lusts of the flesh and the manner
of the world, you're going to look like a fool like the world looks like. We as Bible
believing Christians ought to hold ourselves to a high standard, and we ought to teach
our kids to have a high standard. Why? Because kids are going to learn what other kids...
I remember when I was young, I remember we were traveling one time, and I didn't even
know what the word meant, but I heard it as a kid, and I said the F word one time. I was
in the car, and I remember my mom was shocked, and I'm like, what did I say? I didn't even
know I'd said anything bad because I was repeating something like a kid at school had said. My
mom was like shocked, like, what did you say? But see, here's the thing. Kids learn that
from other kids. It's reality. I mean, a lot of the things that we do in life, I mean,
we're going to learn it from other people. A lot of things where we made mistakes and
committed sins, where did we learn that from other people? That's reality. You know, we
got to teach our kids in a wicked and sinful world, the world that we live in, how to serve
God, and how to be right and proper and decent, and how to live at a high standard. Why? Because
otherwise they're going to act just like the world. They're going to dress like the world.
They're going to listen to the music of the world. They're going to watch the things the
world watches. They're going to say the things the world says, but we ought to be peculiar
people. The way we dress, what we watch, what we listen to, what we say, the way we act,
we ought to be peculiar people. Why? Because we're Bible-believing Christians and children
of the Most High God. We're different than the world, and we ought to be different than
the world. So if you're at a point where you can no longer control your tongue, cry unto
God. That's what the Bible is saying here in Psalm 39. Here in 2 Samuel, notice what
it says. 2 Samuel 16, verse 5. 2 Samuel 16, verse 5. And when King David came to Behoram,
behold, thence came not a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei,
the son of Gerah. He came forth and cursed still as he came. And he cast stones at David,
and at all the servants of King David, and all the people and all the mighty men were
on his right hand and on his left. Look, it's one thing if somebody's cursing you. It's
another thing if they're throwing stones at you. I mean, that's going to hurt. Right?
And I remember as a kid, you know, I don't know why, but me and this other kid that I
was friends with, we used to play a game. We'd throw small rocks at each other. It hurt
when he got hit. Right? You'd start to bleed if it hit the right spot. And stones are being
thrown at David, and the reason why this person's doing it is he knows he can get away with
it. He knows David's not going to do anything about it. Right? Verse 7, And thus said Shimei
when he cursed, Come out, come out, thou bloody man, and thou man of Belial. He accuses David
of being a reprobate. He says you're a son of Belial, basically. He's like you're a child
of the devil. Now look, that's a pretty strong curse that he's giving. Because when you're
thinking of cursing the Bible, you're not thinking of specific words that are like curse
words. It's like cursing against someone like, you know, damn you to hell or something like
that. And you know, he's saying you're a man of Belial, you're a child of the devil, and
he's cursing David in that way. That's a pretty big insult. Right? I mean, if somebody says
you're a child of the devil, that is a pretty insulting thing to say. And that's what Shimei
is saying. Now, obviously, they lived in a time period where they understood what a man
of Belial was. The fact that he's saying that is a curse. But that's what he's saying to
David. Verse 8, The Lord hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, and
who stead thouest rain. And the Lord hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom
thy son. And behold, thou art taken in thy mischief, because thou art a bloody man. Then
said Abishah, the son of Zoriah, unto the king, Why should this dead dog curse my lord
the king? Let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head. So Abishah says, you know
what? Let me just kill him for you. Right? Now, obviously, there's a temptation in your
flesh if you're the king and you have all power. Just get rid of this guy. Right? But
notice the reaction. Verse 10, And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons
of Zoriah? So let him curse, because the Lord hath said unto him, Curse David, who shall
then say, Wherefore hast thou done so? And what David's basically saying is, if God is
allowing him to curse me, then God is allowing it. Who am I to question God? And you know,
here's the thing. People curse God, which is a million times worse than cursing a man.
Right? If somebody calls you a child of the devil, that's nothing compared to cursing
God. And people curse God all the time. And what David's saying is, Yeah, somebody's cursing
me, but God is allowing it. So you know what? It's in God's hands. Basically, vengeance
belongeth unto God. And that is the proper attitude in the situation. The guy is throwing
stones, he's cursing him, calling him a son of Belial, and he's saying, God's letting
him curse, so let him curse. Right? Verse 11, And David said to Abishah and to all servants,
Behold, my son, which came forth my bow, seeketh my life. How much more now may this Benjaminite
do it? Let him alone and let him curse, for the Lord hath bitten him. It may be that the
Lord will look at my deflection, and the Lord will requite me good for his cursing
this day. And what David says is, If I handle this in the right day, maybe I will get God's
blessing because I didn't do anything. That's a great way to look at the situation. Go back
to Psalm 39. Psalm 39. Point number one, control your tongue. Point number two, if you can't
control your tongue and just say nothing, cry to God. If you're at a point where you're
about to lose and say something hurtful, what do you do? Take five minutes to pray to God
and talk to God. Cry to God. Bring your burdens to God. Right? Anyway, I think all of us would
say that when we do that, when we cry out to God in situations, you feel a million times
better right after you're done praying. Isn't that true? You're about to lose it. You're
so mad. And then you go to God. And after a couple minutes of prayer, it's kind of like,
you know what, it's not the end of the world. It's like, you know, prayer has this way of
making you realize that you are nothing compared to Almighty God. And it makes you realize that,
you know, your life is just a mere shadow that's going to pass away. 70, 80 years,
it's going to be gone. And it's like, you know what, it's not the end of the world. It's not
the end of the world that things didn't work out the way I wanted it to. You cry unto God. And
you know what, it puts you in a better mood. And oftentimes your anger is just kind of gone
and the situation is kind of done in your head. It says in verse four, Lord, make me to know
mine ends. Basically saying, make me to know the end of my days and the measure of my days,
what it is that I may know how frail I am. If we realize that we live 70 to 80 years,
we realize how frail we are. We live a short time. And as we get older, our body starts to
break down and we realize that, you know what, I'm only here for a short time. And David's like,
you know, and I don't think David's an old man when he's saying this. He's saying as a young man,
make me to realize I'm not going to be here that long. Make me to know mine ends. Behold,
else made my days as in hand breath and mine ages as nothing before thee. Verily every man
at his best state is altogether vanity, Selah. Surely every man walketh in a vain show. Surely
they're just quiet in vain. He heapeth up riches and knoweth not who shall gather them. Go to
Ecclesiastes chapter two. Ecclesiastes chapter two. And one thing I think David's trying to say
is that, you know, this really bothers me, but in the grand scheme of things, there are a million
things more important in this world than one person cursing me right now. I know there's a
lot of important things going on right now. And it's like this one thing is not the end of the
world. And he's saying, make me to realize I'm nothing. I might be the king, but I'm just a man
like anybody else. It's not that important. Help me just to get over it and realize, you know what,
I'm nothing special. And the reality is no matter who you are in this room or in this world, none
of us is something special. Even King Nebuchadnezzar had to realize, you know what, I'm just a man like
anybody else. And when he got a little too big for his britches and lifted up, God kind of had
to cut them back down to size. Right? And so if we think so highly of ourselves, maybe we ought to
pray to God more and realize, you know what, I am nothing special. Make me to realize, help me to
contemplate eternity and realize I'm only here for a short time with my number one primary focus
to obey God and for God to be pleased with my life. It's not about what I want. It's about what
God wants. And what he said at the end in Psalm 39 is very similar to Ecclesiastes chapter two,
which is why I had you turn there. He said, He heateth up riches and knoweth not who shall gather
them. Ecclesiastes 2 verse 10, And whatsoever mine eyes desired, I kept not from them. I withheld
not my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced in all my labor, and this was my portion of all
my labor. Then I looked at all the works that my hands had wrought, and all the labor that I had
labored to do. And behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no prophet
under the sun. Now, of course, this is the son of David speaking. David was the king. Solomon was
the king. If you're the king, you're going to think very highly of yourself. And David's like,
I might be the king and might accomplish great things on earth. I don't know who's going to take
over after me or where these are going to go. I mean, an invading army could take over. Things
could be burned down or whatever. And Solomon's going to say something very similar. Verse 12,
And I turned myself to behold wisdom and madness and folly, for what can the man doeth that cometh
after the king, even that which hath been already done? Then I saw the wisdom excel with folly as
far as light excels with darkness. The wise man's eyes are in his head, but the fool walketh in
darkness. And I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all. Then said I in my
heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me. And why was I then more wise? Then I
said in my heart that this also is vanity. You know what? People live different lives than other
people. People that are kings are rich. They have everything the world has to offer. But in reality,
they're not that much different than a normal person. You still eat food with a fork and put
it in your mouth. You still put your clothes on in the morning, take a shower, brush your teeth. I
mean, they're not really that much different. We can get so envious, but this is what Solomon's
saying. He's like, I'm not really different than other people, right? I'm also going to be like,
I mean, as it happened to the fool, so it happened even to me. I'm also going to live 70 to 80 years
like everybody else. My life's not that much different. Verse number 16. For there is no
remembrance of the wise more than of the fool forever, seeing that which now is in the days
to come shall all be forgotten. How diet the wise man as the fool? Therefore I hated life,
because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous out of me, for all is vanity and
vexation of spirit. Yeah, I hated all my labor which I had taken under the sun, because I should
leave it on to the man that shall be after me. And who knoweth whether he should be a wise man
or a fool? Yet shall he have rule over all my labor when I have labored, and wherein I have
showed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity. Imagine building the biggest company in
the world, the most successful company in the world, like Amazon or something like that. It's
just an example. I'm not saying this is true with Amazon, but imagine if you build like the most
successful company in the world, and then you pass away and leave it to somebody else, and in
a couple years, they just destroyed it. That's what Solomon's basically saying. I could build
the greatest thing ever. It doesn't last all of eternity. I mean, it lasts for a short time. And
even in this world, the biggest and best businesses, they all tumble. They all go down.
That's the way it is. I mean, Amazon's not a bad example, because they said that their value is
less than half of what it was a year and a half ago. It's like, Amazon? Every company comes, and
then it goes. All the biggest companies I can think of from the US, they all just ended up
tumbling after 20 years or 30 years. And you know what Solomon's saying is, I could build the
greatest thing ever and be the most successful king ever. The next person after me could just
destroy it. And then he says, I hated life because he was living for this life, and he realized it's
vanity. It's pointless. Right? And here's the thing, if our whole life is about this life,
you're going to end up hating life, because you're going to realize what's really the value of it.
The only thing that really matters are things that last for all eternity. Go back to Psalm 30,
actually go to Psalm 90. And here's the thing, why is it we cannot control our tongue, which was the
original context of this chapter? Well, we can't control our tongue because we're really mad,
we're really angry, we're really emotional. But if we would contemplate eternity, we would realize
it's really not that important. Right? You're driving and then somebody cuts you off, and then
you're like screaming at them, honking the horn, you're really mad. But if you contemplate eternity,
you realize, you know what, it's not the end of the world. Right? And if you're at a point where
you cannot control your tongue, what do you do? You cry to God. Cry to God, and it's going to help
you to contemplate eternity and realize, you know what, it's not the end of the world. Psalm 90,
verse 9, for all our days are passed away in thy wrath. We spend our years as a tale that is told.
Bible says we live our lives, we spend our years, it's like a fairy tale, it's like a story that
somebody is telling about your life. What kind of story do you want someone to tell about your life?
It's like, man, brother so-and-so, when he lost his temper, you always heard him say,
bleepity bleep. Is that what you want people to tell about your life?
Right? When so-and-so lost his temper, man, you should have seen the anger, he lost control,
he was throwing things, it's like, is that what you want people to say about your life?
We live our lives, we spend our years as a tale that is told. That's what the Bible says. And you
know what, most people, their lives are going to be all about work, work, work, and then you grow
old and you pass away. That's most people's lives. Now, as Bible-believing Christians,
I'm not saying the only part of our life is soul-winning, but you know what,
obviously that's a large part of our life. It ought to be a large part of our life.
What kind of tale do you want people to tell about your lives?
Even people I know that have not passed away, just people I know from the U.S. that, you know,
I'm not around anymore, I think of certain people and in my mind when I think of that person,
I'm thinking, man, that person loved to go soul-winning. They're just always going soul-winning,
stopping random people, getting people saved, bringing them to church, and it's like, you know
what, it's a positive thing you're saying about that person. What do you want told about your
life? We spend our years as a tale that is told. The days of our years are three-score years and
ten, and if by reason of strength they'd be four-score years, yet as their strength,
labor, and sorrow for it is soon cut off and we fly away. That's where we get our song,
All Fly Away, Oh Glory. Verse 11, Who knoweth the power of thine anger? Even according to
thy fear, so is thy wrath. So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts onto wisdom.
Bible tells us to number our days. You know, all of us I think can be guilty of this, where you
have a lot of things we want to accomplish, but we don't really have like a set goal of when we're
going to do them, or a time frame, and then months go by, months go by, months go by, years go by,
years go by, years go by, and before you know it, this thing that I was planning to do, it's been
15 years, and you never do it. If we would count our days though, we'd realize I don't have all
the time in the world. We feel like we do. I still remember the days when I went soul winning,
and I would say, yeah, you know what, I would say I've only been saved for a short time,
you know, during the conversation sometimes. You know, I've been saved over half my life now.
Hasn't been a short time. It's like man, does the time just fly away, and if we would number
our days, we would realize, and what is it saying? It's saying literally get out of calendar,
and look at, okay, 70 years or 80 years to the day. This is the day I will pass away. How many
days do I have, and start checking them off as time goes by, and you realize, man, there's so
many things that I said I was going to get done. I'm not getting done. It's like I'm just wasting
my life. I'm letting it fly away, because I'm not contemplating eternity, but if we would really
contemplate eternity, we'd realize I have a short time. I better do as much as I can for God while
I'm here, and if we contemplated eternity, it would help us control our tongue, because we'd
realize this is just not that important. My anger, my emotion right now, it's not the end of the
world, and if we can't control our tongue, cry to God to help you to control your tongue, and help
you through the situation. Go back to Psalm 39. Psalm 39.
Anyway, it's often really easy to see other people just lose control and think, how foolish is that?
We often are guilty of the same thing. We can lose our temper. We're in a bad mood. We're
a little bit short on sleep, and then we just immediately lose our temper. We're in a bad mood.
We're emotional. All of us are guilty of it at times. I think if we're honest, all of us would
say, yeah, sometimes I lose control, and the main context of Psalm 39 is controlling the tongue,
and the idea is if you can control the tongue, you can control the rest of your body. The Bible
saying is if you feel like you can't control your tongue, you're so angry, stop, cry to God.
Just go to your closet prayer space or go to your room or whatever. Take five minutes. Pray to God.
Talk to God. It's going to help you control your tongue, because it's going to help you to
contemplate eternity. It's going to help you realize I'm here for a short time, and my personal
problem is not the most important thing in the grand scheme of this world. We tend to think
that we are like the main actor or actress in a movie, and the whole world revolves around us.
It doesn't. The whole world does not revolve around you. All of God's thoughts are not about
you. You are not Jesus Christ. The whole world doesn't revolve around you. You are just a person
in the movie that's going to be in the credits, like the 5,000th person mentioned just in the
side credit where they just barely saw your face or something in the movie.
We're not the most important thing. All we're trying to do is help Jesus Christ. We're the
friend of the bridegroom, as the example John the Baptist gave. Psalm 39 verse 7.
And now, Lord, what wait I for? My hope is in thee. Deliver me from all my transgressions.
Make me not the reproach of the foolish. And he's saying help me not to be mocked and ridiculed by
these foolish people. He's asking God help me because it obviously is bothering him.
I was dumb. I opened up my mouth because thou didst it. Remove thy stroke away from me. I am
consumed by the blow of thine hand. When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity,
thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth. Surely every man is vanity.
Selah, hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear unto my cry. Hold not thy peace in my tears.
For I am a stranger with thee and a sojourner as all my fathers were. And he's saying I'm a
sojourner as all my fathers were, the previous believers. The idea is, you know what, I am just
a passing through. This world is not my home. I'm just a passing through. My treasures are laid up
somewhere beyond the blue. I'm just a sojourner in this life for 70 or 80 years. Just for a short
time and then I'm out of here. And that's reality for us. Now point number one was control your
tongue. Point two is if he can't control your tongue, cry to God about it. Point three,
contemplate eternity. Now let me give you a conclusion because in these last several verses
we see two answered prayers that David mentions. Verse nine, I was dumb. I opened not my mouth
because thou didst it. Now we're seeing the prayer from David, but here's the thing. This
is a situation he's been in before. He's saying I've prayed about it before and he's saying I
didn't say anything. Why? Because you answered my prayer. Thou didst it. You made me to basically
not be the reproach of the foolish. Well basically these people are mocking me. I can't take it
anymore. I prayed to God and then God delivered me from that situation. And so there's someone
who's mocking you and cursing you and you can't take it anymore. You could pray to God and say,
can you please just help get rid of the approach? I can't take it. An example of this, I think back
to when our church was protested in Sacramento and you've got all these LGBT people outside of
our church cursing us, mocking us, saying the most filthy and wicked things under the sun that they
could possibly say, saying horrendous things about our children to try to make us lose our temper,
trying to make us mad. And it's tough. Someone's cursing your children or giving a perverted sexual
threat of what they're going to do to your child. It's tough to control your anger. I mean,
it's hard. I mean, of course it's week after week after week after week. But you know,
God answered that prayer. Those people are gone. It's not like they were outside forever. Now He
might not answer our prayer in the timing we want. Maybe God allows us to go through some trials.
Maybe He allows us to go through some problems, develop some character and some patience. But
David said, thou didst it. When I dealt with this before, I said, make me not the reproach of the
foolish. And you delivered me from that. So here's the thing. Cry unto God and say, Hey God,
make me not the reproach of the foolish. Yeah. Help me not to be mocked by these people anymore.
And God can actually answer that prayer. So you cry unto God. You know, God does answer prayers.
You have not because you ask not. It's so simple. And yet all of us struggle to do it.
It's like you have not because you ask not. It's like, man, why aren't these things working out
of my life? Because you ask not. I mean, it's really that simple. Right? That's one prayer
request where He's no longer the reproach of the foolish. And God has answered that prayer
from before. Number two, notice what it says in verse 13. Oh, spare me that I may recover strength
before I go hence and be no more. He's saying, don't pour out your wrath upon me. Spare me.
Don't let me be destroyed by these people that are threatening these things. Help me to be spared.
And He says that I may recover strength. And here's the thing. I believe that as this prayer
ends, and I believe whenever you pray unto God, you feel stronger right after the prayer.
He's saying, how many recover strength? And you do feel stronger. It's like, man, I can't take
any more. God, can you help me? And then He gives you strength. Right? And so we see two answered
prayer requests that are here at the end of Psalm 39. And so what we see is that God answers prayers.
All of us are going to be at points, because we should control our tongue.
All of us should control our tongue. We should control our gossip. We should control our filthy
words, filthy communication, filthy jokes. We should control, not use the Lord's name in an
irreverent way, like a non-respectful way about God. We ought to have edifying things coming out
of our mouths. But all of us can be at a point where we can no longer control our tongue,
because we are humans. At that point, get into a pattern of crying to God.
You say, what? Because if you just let whatever fly out of your mouth, you might have started a
massive fire. And who knows the end of that fire? If you can't control your tongue anymore, cry unto
God. And what's going to happen when you cry unto God is going to help you to contemplate eternity.
And when you contemplate eternity, and when I contemplate eternity, you know what we all realize?
I'm nothing special. I'm here for a short time. I'm a sojourner, as David says. I'm merely passing
through. Help me to know the end of my life, and then we can apply our hearts on to wisdom. Let's
close in a word of prayer. Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for allowing us to be here today in just
this wonderful chapter in the Word of God. Help us to all to control our tongues and just get into
a pattern of being able to control them and not losing it, God, not losing our patience and
getting emotional and getting angry all the time, God. But I ask you to help us to get in the
pattern of when we do feel like we're about to lose control, to just cry unto you and pray unto
you and take our burdens to you, God. We know you do answer prayers. And help us to contemplate
eternity to realize that we're just a person here that's meant to serve you. We're merely a friend
of the bridegroom. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.