One of the greatest lies of humanity is that words don’t hurt, as kids we were told that when someone would say something hurtful to us we should respond that sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me. This was a lie then and it still is today, words do hurt, words are powerful, so powerful that God Himself used words to speak the world into existence. When we pray to our Father in heaven it is with words.
Words have so much influence, so much force, words can be used to encourage and build up yet words can also be used to destroy and break down, and so this morning we want to look into the power fo words and the importance to watch what you say and think before you speak. Our bible, the very Word of God, the book of life this holy word is the source of life itself that speaks truth and helps to guide and gives us hope and builds our faith and our relationship with God through His only begotten son Jesus Christ.
Thousands of Tasmanian Devils have died from a rare type of cancer Devil Facial Tumor Disease. Scientists discovered that the cancer began in the mouth of a single devil and spread through the bites of that devil. Tasmanian Devils bite each other around the mouth very frequently, and this cancer spread through those bites. Over the course of several years, over forty percent of the Tasmanian Devil population has died because of this cancer.
Christians can tear each other down with unbridled tongues and would be wise to obey the warning of the word of God.
Galatians 5:15-16
“But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles, And they go down into the inmost body.
1st Point “Why speak as a fool”
It is very common today that people use words to speak against and about others without understanding the consequences behind what they say and this could even be good meaning Christians that have never allowed God to deal with them concerning some unresolved issues. Words that were said to you that you probably held onto, those words that might’ve changed your course, might’ve changed your view of people, and so we could easily be the very product of death defying words that crushed our spirit at one time but the very word of God gives life and life more abundantly.
Proverbs 18:6, 7
A fool’s lips enter into contention, And his mouth calls for blows. A fool’s mouth is his destruction, And his lips are the snare of his soul.
a. When we read our scripture we read of a fool’s lips that enter into contention: It is in the nature of the fool to argue. Nearly about every and anything their words often bring them into contention. They so much to say and very little to listen to because their words are of strife and destruction.
b. His mouth calls for blows: The contentious words of the fool invite punishment, and sometimes this punishment will be physical correction, the blows of the rod of correction. We look at the words of the sister of Moses who spoke against her sister in law and her brother and her words of strife cause anger to fall upon God and strike her with leprosy. Beloved words can cause blows to the physical realm.
a. A fool’s mouth is his destruction: The words of the fool show his folly, but they also work towards his destruction. Many a fool has been ruined because of their foolish words. Many people speak death into their own lives, death into their families, into their marriages, into their relationships even with God.
b. His lips are the snare of his soul: As in most places in Proverbs, snare here speaks of the life of being of the fool. It includes the inner spiritual self, but is not restricted to it. The fool’s life is trapped—caught in a snare—by his foolish words. People who are not in the life line of the word of God are trapped in their own prison of hate and deceit and can speak nothing other then what they associate themselves with, the fool only knows the opposite of truth and speaks nothing other than that he has allowed to swallow him up in. Misery loves company.
i. “It is most remarkable that the apostle Paul, when analyzing man’s depravity, focuses on the little member and all that is linked to it—the throat, the tongue, the lips, and the mouth
Romans 3:13-14
“Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit”; “The poison of asps is under their lips”; “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”
2nd Point “Harmful words kill the inner body”
Proverbs 18:8
The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles, And they go down into the inmost body.
a. The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles: The gossip and evil reports brought by the talebearer are almost impossible to resist. People love gossip it is all over media all over Instagram, and Facebook and all these social media enticements. Those who should know better find it difficult to tell the talebearer to stop talking. The nature of the natural man likes to hear stories unless it is about them, yet the one who is in the spirit of God and has the desire to honor God will not give an inch of thought but refuse to listen.
i. Yet the damage the talebearer brings is great. “He that takes away a man’s good name kills him alive, and ruins him and his posterity; being herein worse than Cain, for he, in killing his brother, made him live for ever, and eternalized his name.” People destroy the reputation of another when they do this words can hurt.
ii. “Unlike the fool’s insolent speech that hurts himself in hurting others, gossip destroys the relationship of others, even the closest friends.”
iii. “The words of a gossip [talebearer] in an unguarded moment may inflict irreparable injury. This evil may be welcomed in certain circles that thrive on scandal. But that does not alter the real character of a gossip, who is detested by both God and man.”
b. They go down into the inmost body: When we receive the words of a talebearer, they normally have an effect on us. The words go down into us and often change the way we think and feel about people, even if what the talebearer says isn’t true or isn’t confirmed. God gave a strong word regarding the confirmation of testimony (Deuteronomy 19:15, 2 Corinthians 13:1, 1 Timothy 5:19).
“One witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits; by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established.”
??Deuteronomy? ?19:15? ?NKJV??????????????????
i. Once we start eating these tasty trifles, it is hard to stop. “When such tasty bits are taken into the innermost being, they stimulate the desire for more.” Don’t listen to the lies of hell.
ii. Instead of eating the tasty trifles of the talebearer, “Jeremiah sets a better model: he ate God’s word and delighted in it (Jeremiah 15:16; cf. Colossians 3:12-17).”
And beloved that is exactly what we are going to do eat of Gods word, the word of life ad truth and nothing less than that, that will edify the spirit to do the perfect will of God.
“Your words were found, and I ate them, And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts.”
??Jeremiah? ?15:16? ?NKJV??????????????????
“Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, long-suffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were 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 whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
??Colossians? ?3:12-17? ?NKJV??????????????????
3rd Point “God speaks life and we should do the same”
God is a God of life and of good things and wants us to be vessels, clean vessels that He can work through, to those who are with out hope and full of despair and confusion to help them and guide them and direct them through the very word of God and the very the spirit of God.
I'm careful of the words I say to keep them soft and sweet.
I never know from day to day which ones I'll have to eat.
Beloved throughout scripture we see the kindness of Jesus looking upon the situation of man and offers healing through words. He came to heal the sick, heal the lame, heal the leper, heal the blind, heal the broken hearted with His words.
Psalm 147:3 ESV
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
Psalm 34:17-20
When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.
Our bible speaks of those that call out on Him for help, beloved we too are in need of Gods help, we might not say everything we want to say at times of anger and frustration but the Bible tells us that God knows the heart of the man. People that were hurt tend to hurt others, this is one of the enemies tactics of war to get all of those who have not understood the forgiveness of God to mock the church of God and destroy the potential of Gods church who have the potential to touch a fractured humanity.
How do I get healed from this? The same way you used words to destroy you can ask forgiveness and turn those words of destruction into words of live and hope and truth. Jesus began His earthly ministry by say this:
“From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.””
??Matthew? ?4:17? ?NKJV??????????
When we repent of our sin, and ask Jesus Christ to sit on the throne of our hearts we begin a new clean life in Him, see beloved we first need to repent and admit we were wrong for doing what we have been doing, then we need to remove self from the throne and allow Jesus to be the Lord of our lives and in doing so He will forest clean you and then begin to use you.
We now become vessels that He will be able to work through to speak the very word of life to those who have been destroyed by words of death. Beloved life and death are in the tongue, the Bible tells us it is a world of iniquity but covered by the blood f Jesus and filled with His truth it can become the very word that helps deliver and sets the captive free from their current condition.
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.”
??Jeremiah? ?29:11-12? ?NKJV??????????
Beloved with the help of God we can turn any situation around.
Sandra Bullock won the 2010 Best Actress Academy Award for her portrayal of Leigh Ann Tuohy in The Blind Side. The sensational film chronicles a Christian family who took in a homeless young man and gave him the chance to reach his God-given potential. Michael Oher not only dodged the hopelessness of his dysfunctional inner city upbringing, but became the first-round NFL draft pick for the Baltimore Ravens in 2009. At a recent fund-raiser, Sean Tuohy noted that the transformation of his family and Michael all started with two words. When they spotted Michael walking along the road on a cold November morning (the movie depicts it as nighttime) in shorts and a T-shirt, Leigh Ann Tuohy uttered two words that changed their world. She told Sean, “Turn around.” They turned the car around, put Michael in their warm vehicle, and ultimately adopted him into their family. Those same two words can change anyone’s life. When we turn around, we change directions and begin an exciting new journey. Some may need to make an about-face concerning their disbelief in Christ, or it could be a Christian needs to turn around and reconsider the value of fervent prayer. Whatever your situation, a great story of wonderful change could be just two words away. I Repent.
