Accentuating The Positive In A Negative World

Accentuating the Positive in a Negative World

June 27, 2007 FBC, Chester Mike Fogerson, Pastor

Introduction

A Last week we learned God made us with needs that are met by others.

1 Made is His image/likeness

a Praise, good & kind words

b What’s inside goes out...positive comes back (boomerang)

2 Soul food

a One of the ways to feed our soul is with words.

b Just like real food, they come in flavors.

aa Good or bad

bb Good builds us up, bad can devastate us

B But He answered and said, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.' " Matt 4:4 (NASB)

1 God’s Word can come to us directly through the Bible, or indirectly through men & women like you.

a God has chosen us to speak on His behalf; we are challenged to minister to others by speaking good words.

aa God will have you speak words of encouragement, edification, building up.

bb God will also give (has given) us words of discipline, instruction, judgement (1 Cor. 5)-the goal is restoration out of love.

cc Side not: if a believer asks for forgiveness, you are obliged/required to give it.

2 Words can build up or tear down.

a “To live a full & meaningful life every person needs to receive good words from other people.”

b Just as our physical body needs to digest food to survive, our souls need to digest positive words.

c Those words can be listed in 7 categories:

aa Appreciation

bb Acceptance

cc Approval

dd Affection

ee Attention

ff Affirmation

gg Admiration

d Words that can let us know we are loved, encouraged, develop good relationships.

C Some Scriptures are reciprocal commands (each person will give & receive what each craves).

1 But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Heb 3:13 (NASB) Give encouragement, get it!

2 Example in Jesus’ life- and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased."Matt 3:17 (NASB)

a The Father was truly significant to the Son

b Think of the admiration, affirmation, affection, & approval Jesus received from the One whose opinion meant the most.

3 When was the last time you deliberately/intentionally blessed another person?

a Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit. Prov 18:21 (NASB)

Gentle words bring life and health; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit. Prov 15:4 (NLT)

Your own soul is nourished when you are kind, but you destroy yourself when you are cruel. Prov 11:17 (NLT)

b If positive feedback is not given, the negative will automatically be assumed.

c We live in a very negative world where we expect the worst-not the best.

I Proof of our negative world is all around us!

A What do teachers mark on kids’ papers at school?

1 Ever been stopped by a police officer for driving courteously, using the proper lane, or for stopping at the last 10,000 stop signs?

a Has the government sent you a thank-you note for paying your taxes?

b When your boss calls you in, do you expect rebuke or commendation?

c Ever notice if you do 100 good things & 1 bad thing, it’s usually the bad thing that is remembered & mentioned?

2 How often do your children thank you for all you’ve done & are doing for them?

a Even when grown up, they recall the occasional mistakes you made rather than the good things you did on a regular basis.

b T.V., political ads, court

B The effect of negative words

1 For some, they carry mean, hateful words that were spoken to them by a mom or dad in their impressionable childhood.

a “My dad told me: ‘not pretty’, ‘mistake’, ‘should have been a boy’, ‘never amount to anything’, ‘loser’.

“My dad NEVER told me: ‘he loved me’, ‘proud of me’.

b 50/60/70 years old & that is the pain

2 At funerals, no negative words (blessing)

a In Texas, a notoriously wicked man died, his brother had to find a minister to do the funeral & say somewhere in the sermon, “This man was a saint.”

aa This man was so ornery that no pastor would agree.

bb Finally, the brother offered $10,000 & one pastor jumped.

cc The funeral home was crowded, wondering...

dd Preached, went to the casket, & softly said, “Compared to his brother, this man was a saint.”

3 How much does it take to offset one negative?

a BUNCH

b 37 positive things to offset 1 negative thing in the heart of a child.