All right, let's take our Bibles
and turn to the Book of Ecclesiastes, Chapter 3. Ecclesiastes, Chapter
3. Last Sunday, I spoke out of the
first half of the book, of the verse 7. This morning, I'd like to look
at the second half of the seventh verse of the third chapter. Here's what the scripture says. There's a time to keep silence
and a time to speak. Now, what wisdom is shown when one is made to
know and to act according to those
times. A time to be quiet, silence,
and a time to speak. Are we not immediately struck
with the feeling of our inadequacy? Know when the right time to do
one or the other. You know, the scripture, turn
to Colossians 4. Hold your place there, but turn
to Colossians 4. Now the scripture is instructive. It teaches us on how we're to
speak. Colossians chapter 4, Now this
is the instruction of the Lord. Colossians 4, 6. Let your speech
be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know
how ye ought to answer every man. Let your speech always be
with grace, graciousness, that which affords joy and pleasure
and delight, sweetness and charm and loveliness. Oh, my. Season prepared, arranged to
make savory with salt. That is wisdom and grace exhibited. Look, same page on mine, same
page, Colossians 3, 15, 16. Let the peace of God rule in
your hearts to which also you're called in one body and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell
in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one
another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with
grace in your hearts to the Lord, and whatsoever you do in word
or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks
to God and the Father by Him. I know how we're to speak. We're instructed. Be gracious. I told you what old Maurice Montgomery
told me. He said, you can always be gracious.
Be kind. But the scripture we're dealing
with in Ecclesiastes, though the scriptures do instruct us
on how we're to speak, our scripture today is when we're supposed
to speak or when we're not supposed to speak. I can think of no better example. And let's just go to the scriptures
and just take, there's so many, I had to go where I felt this
would be instructive for me, and I pray for you too. I want
you to turn with me to Matthew 15. Matthew 15. And let's just see what our Lord
did when he was approached by someone, a woman of Canaan, and
let's behold how he dealt with her. Matthew 15, verse 21 to
28. Then Jesus went thence and departed
into the coast of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a woman of Canaan
came out of the same coast and cried unto him, saying, Have
mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David. My daughter is grievously
vexed with the devil. But he answered her, Not a word.
And his disciples came and besought him saying, send her away for
she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I'm
not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then
came she and worshiped him saying, Lord, help me. But he answered
and said, it's not meat to take the children's bread and cast
it to dogs. And she said, truth, Lord, yet the dogs eat the crumbs
which fall from their master's table. and said unto her, O woman,
great is thy faith. Be it unto thee even as thou
wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour. Now,
our Lord taught much in that incident. First thing I noticed is how
he taught the importance of a spirit of importunity. What do you mean? I mean being persistent. Be persistent. Ask, and it shall be given. Seek, and you shall find. Knock,
it shall be opened. For he that asketh, this is out
of Matthew 7, 7 and 8. He that asketh, he that knocketh,
he that seeketh, findeth. If you're in need, you're in
trouble, you need some help. This woman needed some help.
But how did this woman approach him? The scripture says, back
in Matthew, here in Matthew 15, this woman, the scripture says
in verse 22, she came out of the same coast and cried unto
him, cried unto him. It's always important. Remember,
always look the words up. Find out what's been said. She
cried out. She cried aloud. She shouted.
It's from a word that means to clamor. It was a loud, continuous,
vehement cry. Well, her daughter was vexed
with the devil. and she was in trouble, and she
cried out for mercy, and listen to what it says, she came to
the Lord, she cried unto him, saying, have mercy on me, O Lord,
thou son of David, my daughter is grievously vexed with the
devil. The next thing that said was
this, but he answered her not a word. She's crying aloud. She's crying
vehemently. And his disciples came and besought
him, saying, send her away, for she crieth after us. That's a
different word. She cried unto the Lord, and
he didn't say anything to her. He answered her nothing. And
then the disciples said, she crieth after us. That word, crieth, Like I said,
it's different from what she'd just done. It means to croak,
to shriek like a raven. When he didn't say anything to
her, she started shrieking, crying like a bird, like a raven, just
loud. And the Lord said, when those
disciples said, she crieth after us, she's shrieking like a raven.
She's screaming. She said, send her away. He said, I'm not sent, but to
the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And this woman, she kneeling
prostrate to do homage and to make obeisance out of respect,
out of supplication. Lord, help me. Help me. My daughter, my daughter's
in trouble. And this woman received that
which she desired. That same hour, her daughter,
the scripture says, was made whole. Our Lord set forth the beauty
of a time to be silent. He knew that which he would do. And he didn't say anything to
her. He drew her heart. She started screaming, trouble,
I'm in trouble. I'm in trouble. Oh, and when
he spoke, he spoke that which settled her heart. But he brought
her to an end of herself. The disciples said, she's screaming
like a bird. She's screaming like a raven.
He taught her to wait on him. He taught her. Oh, does he not
often make us wait and cry out to him? We're so prone. often and here's a lesson for
me. I'm so prone. I've told you what
my dad used to tell me. He couldn't stand, he couldn't
stand if I was doing nothing or what he considered doing nothing.
He said, we're gonna do something today if it's wrong. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. We're prone to because of our
concern for others, to think that if we don't see something
happening, spiritually speaking, I'm talking about spiritually
speaking, that we know better than the Lord. We think that there's something
else that we can do for our loved ones. I've got members of my
family, you've got members of your family that don't know the
Lord. And there's one thing, there's
one thing, there's one thing that we can do for them. Preach
the gospel to them, invite them to come. Come hear, come hear
the truth. But what if they don't come? What if they don't come? Well,
you invite them, and then if one doesn't have a heart to come, you can't make them come. You
do what you can, you bring up your kids. But then, what if
one begins to show some concern? What if they begin to show, what
if they get in trouble? This woman was in trouble. What if
somebody that we love and respect and want to hear the gospel and
cast themselves upon the mercy of God, what if they're in trouble? Ah, this is what's going to happen.
I know what to do now. I can kind of prod them, kind
of give them a little instruction. What'd the Lord do? This woman
was in trouble. Didn't say anything to her. This
woman set forth that which was her heart, her daughter was in
trouble. And the Lord was silent to her. Whenever we find ourselves desperately
in trouble, someone we love is in trouble, Tell them the truth. Leave them
alone. You think the Lord's able? You
think the Lord is able? Oh, how many times have we prodded
when we should be quiet? Just leave them to the Lord. If the Lord's pleased to save
them, He'll save them. If He's pleased to grant this
woman what she cried for Him, He will. Wait on the Lord, be quiet, be
quiet. Old Jack Shanks, I heard the
other day, old Jack Shanks had this saying. He said, don't ever
miss an opportunity to shut up. I thought, that's good, that's
good. Don't ever miss an opportunity,
shut up. But then what do I do when I,
you know, began to see somebody and I want desperately, I want
to tell you, I want to tell you the truth. I talk about people
in my family. I got them, I got them. They're
my family. And there's no concern. Obviously
no concern. Told them, told them, told them,
wrote them. What about someone that has shown
no interest, no respect for the scriptures? Listen to the Lord's guidance,
Matthew 7, 6. Give not that which is holy unto
dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample
them under their feet and turn again and rend you. You know, while we know the importance
of men hearing the truth, here again, it's time to be quiet. Be quiet. Dogs and swine often
in the scriptures refer to those who are reprobate. There's no
interest, no respect. But here we're admonished to
be wise concerning when to speak to one concerning Christ and
went to be quiet, quiet. Now let me say this, we should
never be reluctant to confess Christ before men, because men
and women must hear the gospel. They must hear the gospel. I
just said a few moments ago, I want somebody to come, I want
them to know, I want them to know. They get in trouble, I'm
thinking maybe that trouble, maybe that, there's the key,
there's the ticket right there. I can help them, I can, you know,
try to put words in their mouth. The Lord didn't say anything.
He spoke, but first he didn't. But then what if for somebody,
and you've talked to them, and there's no, there's no interest. Don't give that which is holy
unto the dogs. Now here's a time, and the Lord
must help us to be knowledgeable. When, when, when? Scripture says, Proverbs 9, 8,
rebuke not a scorner. Rebuke, don't correct him, don't
rebuke him. A scorner, one that makes a mouth
at, one's arrogant toward the gospel. Rebuke, I mean, reprove
not a scorner lest he hate thee. You know, this is ever a question
the believer has within his heart, when should I be quiet? When should I, when's the time
for me to be quiet? Well, listen to what the Lord
has to say. Proverbs 23, nine, speak not, in the ears of a fool. Now here
again, it's an arrogant one, one that is obviously shown himself
to be arrogant toward gospel. For he will despise the wisdom
of thy words. Now I found this to be true with
myself and I pray for wisdom here. If I speak to someone about
the things of God, and they make it clear to me they don't want
to hear. I mean, believe me, I've had
people, I don't want to hear what you're saying. I'm not interested. I had somebody tell me that not
too long ago. Told me, he said, look, I understand
I've read the Bible. I've read the Bible through and
through. I'm not interested. Don't talk
to me about it. Okay. Speak not in the ears of
a fool and arrogant, when he will despise the wisdom of thy
words. Someone wants to debate. Someone wants to argue. According
to the instruction of our Lord. Turn with me to Matthew 15. Matthew
15. Matthew 15, verse 10 to 14. Boy,
I'm telling you how thankful I am that the Lord pleased to
send us the scriptures, give us the scriptures. Matthew 15,
10, he called the multitude and said unto them, hear and understand,
not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man, but that
which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man. Then came
his disciples and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees
were offended after they heard this saying? But he answered
and said, Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted
shall be rooted up. Now look at these next three
words. Let them alone. They be blind leaders of the
blind, and if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into
the ditch. Let them go. Let them alone. Let it be to disregard. Do you know that they were offended
at what you said? He said, leave them alone. Those words Those words are from
the mouth of God. Turn with me to Mark 6.11. Mark 6.11. Mark 6.11. And whosoever shall
not receive you nor hear you You depart thence, shake off
the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily
I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah
in the day of judgment than for that city. Our Lord has instructed us. You go into all the world, you
preach the gospel to every creature. We're gonna preach, I'm gonna
preach the truth. But then when it becomes evident,
you're wanting to witness someone, when it becomes evident, they
don't wanna hear. They make that real clear to you, I don't wanna
hear. Leave them alone, leave them alone. Maybe I can convince
them, maybe I can leave them alone. We behold another example of
our Lord's instruction when we're persecuted for the sake of the
gospel. Turn to Matthew 27. Matthew 27. I'll try to wrap this up. Matthew 27, verse 11 to 14. Now here's being persecuted for
the sake of the gospel. What did our Lord do? This is my point in this message. What did the Lord do? What did
the Lord say? I can give you all kinds of examples,
give you my opinion. I don't wanna give you my opinion.
I need to hear what God has to say. Matthew 27, 11 to 14. And Jesus stood before
the governor, and the governor asked him, saying, art thou the
king of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou
sayest. And when he was accused of the
chief priest and the elders, he answered nothing. Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest
thou not how many things they witness against thee? And he
answered him to never a word, insomuch that the governor marveled
greatly. There was a night in which our
Lord, according to God's eternal will and counsel, to provide
himself a lamb, allowed himself to be taken, falsely accused,
condemned before men, though he had done no violence, neither
was any deceit in his mouth. And when the chief priest, these
religious leaders, These chief priests, these elders, these
know, according to themselves, they know so much. You know,
I think about men that God's taught to preach. You know, this
is the evidence of a man that God's taught, truly taught. He knows that he doesn't know
anything. He knows nothing but what God
has to say. He doesn't know anything. I need
to learn. And a man that thinks he knows everything is a man
that really knows nothing. Knows nothing, if you understand.
These chief priests and elders, when they began to accuse him,
he didn't say anything. Left him alone. Left him alone.
Pilate asked him, he said, how many times do you hear what they're
saying against you? And he answered him, to never
a word. He was there by divine appointment. He must go to the cross. He must
suffer and die to redeem his people from their sins. The scripture says, as a sheep
before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. There's a time to keep silence. Oh, what a glorious instruction
that is. What beauty it is when we're
taught. But in closing, the Lord was
silent before the chief priest and the elders when they accused
him, he didn't say anything. left them to themselves to do
what they wanted to do, accomplishing the will of God, accomplishing
the eternal purpose, counsel of almighty God. It was a time
to be silent and finish the work. Same Lord and Savior who was
silent before his accusers. who allowed them to do just exactly
what they wanted to do with him. And again, all the while fulfilling
the will of God. You'll one day be the very one
before whom all these that don't want to hear, they don't want
to hear, they don't want to bow, they don't want to come, they
don't want to believe, they have no interest whatsoever in the
gospel. There's a day coming when all
men, all women, are gonna stand before God. And in that day,
they're gonna try to justify themselves with their foolish
self-righteousness. Lord, we prophesied in your name. We
did all these mighty works in your name. And then, According
to his word, he's going to speak. I never knew you. Depart from me, you workers of
iniquity, you that work iniquity. Oh, the truth of knowing that
the Lord graciously allows us to go through sufferings, pains,
And when we do, in our hearts, cry unto Him,
casting all our burden. But before men, silent, be silent. There's a wonderful lesson in
faithfulness here, a time to keep silence and a time to speak.
And may the Lord direct us and teach us of these blessed times. for His glory and our good. All
right, let's take a minute.