Spoken words program your heart either to success or defeat. Words . . . carry faith or fear, and they produce after their kind. - Charles Capps(1)
To get started this morning, I want to talk about the power of words; and a good example of words can be seen in the news media. You hear a lot of talk today about promoting and controlling the narrative. The term “narrative” is defined as “a story that connects and explains a carefully selected set of supposedly true events, experiences, or the like, intended to support a particular viewpoint or thesis.”(2) It’s becoming more and more obvious that whoever controls the narrative controls how people act. So, how is this possible? It’s because words can program the mind in specific behaviors.
Words are very powerful; more powerful than even an atomic bomb! You see, I’ve heard it said that any invading military wouldn’t have to launch a single nuclear warhead at America in order to take over this nation. All they would have to do is influence the media and control the narrative, and then we would just hand it all over willingly. But let me apply this to daily life. You’ve heard the old saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Actually, words can hurt far worse than sticks and stones, because of their powerful and lasting effect. We often allow the words that people say to change how we think, how we act, or how we dress; and even determine what we do with our life. This morning we’re going to look at what the Bible has to say about taking control of our thoughts and speaking words of faith and words of life.
God Created by His Word (Hebrews 11:3)
3 By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.
If we turn back a number of pages, and look at the creation account in the book of Genesis, we learn that God created everything there is. This includes the world and the entire universe! Right here, in Hebrews 11:3, we are shown how God created, or “framed,” everything. He created everything by His spoken Word. In 2 Peter 3:5, we read, “By the Word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water,” and then in Hebrews 1:2-3, we read that “He made the worlds . . . upholding all things by the word of His power.” So, once again, the Bible teaches us that God created everything by His Word. So, what exactly does this mean?
If we go back and look at the creation account, in Genesis 1:3, we read this: “Then God said, ‘Let there be light;’ and there was light.” So, when did the light appear? It appeared after “God said,” or rather, after He spoke the words “let there be light.” So, God created by speaking; and this particular phrase – “then God said” – is mentioned nine times in the very first chapter of Genesis. This tells us that every single time God made something, that He spoke it into existence.
In Genesis 2:19, we read, “Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name.” God created the animals of the earth, but He didn’t name them Himself. He brought them to the man to be named. In Genesis 2:22, we see that He also brought the woman to the man to be named. So, why did God do this? I believe that God brought the animals to Adam in order to give him a small part in the creative process. As we would say in the business world, God was giving the man some ownership in the project.
In Genesis 1:26-28, we read how all human beings are created in the very image and likeness of God, and that we have been given dominion over the earth. Being made in the image and likeness of God, you might say that our words have a spark of creative power in them – but nothing like God’s. The Lord created matter out of nothing. We can’t do anything of the sorts, and I’m not even suggesting something like this. But we do have a certain creative nature and ability within us. That’s the reason why the world is filled with such beautiful works of art and music. So, let me ask, “What power – or how much power – do we have with our words?” Well, turn with me to Matthew 12:34-35, and we’ll find out! We’re going to start with Matthew 34b and stop after verse 35a.
We Can Create Our Success (Matthew 12:34b-35a)
34b For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35a A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things . . .
I want to begin here by saying that spoken words program our heart either to success or defeat. Words are like containers. They carry faith or fear, and they produce after their kind;(3) meaning, that our words lead to some kind of outcome. If we speak words of faith, then we’re going to believe words of faith and act in faith. Our heart will become full of faith and we will continue to speak words of faith, reinforcing that faith every single time we open our mouth. Receiving the good things of God and the will of God – which is an outcome – happens by speaking words of faith. Words of faith are those that are believing, encouraging, positive, uplifting and edifying of others.
Allow me to share an important example of a word of faith leading to a life-changing outcome. We read in Romans 10:8-9, and verse 17, “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation . . . So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” So, according to Paul, the faith needed for salvation is already in our heart. Romans 12:3 tells us, “God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith” (KJV). But that faith – or rather, our belief – must be spoken and confessed before we will receive our salvation. Let me say it again, “Faith that is confessed leads to receiving.”
In Mark 11:23, Jesus said, “For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.” Jesus stated that belief, and speaking that belief aloud, leads to a specific outcome – which is, moving the mountain. We can have what we say – if it’s according to God’s will (1 John 5:14; James 4:3) – but too many of us are instead saying what we have.(4) We are only able to see what is right in front of our eyes. We are confessing what is going on in our life right now, instead of confessing what God says we should have.
In order to receive in faith, we have to stop focusing on what we can see – like all the bad things that are going on – and instead, look at what we do not see. If we really desire for good things to be happening, then we have to see those good things in our heart. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” So, we must confess what we do not see. We must speak the things that we hope for; the things that line up with God’s will. Job 22:28 says, “You will also declare a thing, and it will be established for you; so light will shine on your ways.” Now, we’re going to look at Matthew 12:35b.
We Can Create Our Defeat (Matthew 12:35b)
35b . . . And an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.
Keeping in context with verse 34, we know that Jesus was saying, “An evil man out of the evil treasure [of the heart] brings forth evil things.” The words that we speak are seeds that produce after their kind. Just as sure as they are planted, we can be equally sure a harvest will follow.(5) Jesus was saying that if we speak evil from the evil thoughts in our heart, then evil deeds will follow as we act on those thoughts that have been reinforced by our words. So, let’s apply this another way. If we speak words of defeat, we are going to believe words of defeat and act in defeat. Our heart will become weak and fearful, and we will continue to speak words of defeat, reinforcing faithlessness every time we open our mouth. Proverbs 6:2 says, “You are snared by the words of your mouth; you are taken by the words of your mouth.” Speaking evil or faithless words becomes our folly, and can lead us to acting in ways that result in failure, defeat and even harm to others.
Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it [meaning, either death or life] will eat its fruit.” Whatever we dwell on in our heart is what will come forth in our life, and be the fruit that we bear. We read in Proverbs 23:7, “For as [a man] thinks in his heart, so is he.” James 3:4-5 says, “Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things.” Our words can direct our life in quick and forceful ways. Just as a tiny rudder can quickly direct a mighty sailing vessel, so our words can rapidly hurl us in the direction that we speak. You see, many of the problems and difficulties we find ourselves facing in life are the result of simply not guarding our tongue.
God is all about creating good things, not bad things. In Genesis 1:31, we read, “Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good.” Satan, on the other hand, seeks to create bad things, or to destroy the good things of God. He does this by trying to negate God’s Word. For example, in Genesis 2:16-17, the Lord told the man concerning the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, “In the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” When we move on down to Genesis 3:4, we read where Satan told the woman, “You will not surely die.” He inserted one little word there – the word “not.” The devil wants to negate and destroy what God has spoken and created; and I’m not just speaking about the good things that God made in the creation of the world. I’m also referring to the good things that God has created – or wants to create – in our life today.
How many times has Satan deceived us into negating God’s Word; negating God’s will for our life? Let me tell you, God’s “Word is not void of power. [God’s people] are void of speech. They hear the world and speak as the world speaks. By observing circumstances they have lost sight of [God’s] Word. They even speak that which the enemy says, and they destroy their own inheritance by corrupt communication of fear and unbelief . . . As there is creative power in [God’s] spoken Word, so is there evil power present in the words of the enemy to affect and oppress everyone that speaks them.”(6) Proverbs 15:4 tells us, “A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.” How many of us are broken in spirit, and broken in life, because we have not guarded what we say? If you would, please turn with me now to Joshua chapter 1, verse 8.
We Must Speak God’s Word (Joshua 1:8)
8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
We have creative power in the words we speak. We can create using the words of the enemy and bring about death and destruction, or we can create using the Word of God, which will bring about life and blessing. The very Word that existed in the beginning, which John says was embodied in Jesus (John 1:1, 14), is also the holy Word of God known as the Bible or Scripture. In Colossians 1:5, it’s called “the Word of the truth of the gospel.” Joshua said that we need to keep the words of the Law – or applied to today, keep the words of the Bible – always in our mouth, or upon our lips; and that if we do so, it will lead to “making our way prosperous” and “having good success.” We might cringe at the words “prosperous” and “success,” but they’re right here in the Bible.
Understanding who we are according to the Word of God, and knowing God’s great love for us, and embracing His plan for our life, will certainly bring about blessing; and once we learn who we are and what we have according to the Word, we must speak it. Now, we find out who we are by reading God’s Word, and as we speak aloud what we have learned in the Word, then the Lord will bring to pass the promises found therein in His good timing. But we must also keep in mind that some of the Words of the Bible will encourage us to push ahead in the present moment to overcome great challenges, like the words that say, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).
So, what are some of the things that God says about us? For starters, we read in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” So, the next time we’re feeling condemned and ashamed, or wondering if God loves us, we should speak aloud and declare, “I am the righteousness of God in Christ!” Here’s another example. The Bible says in 1 John 4:4, “Greater is He that is in you, then He that is in the world” (KJV). So, the next time we’re under attack by the devil, or we’re facing a seemingly impossible situation, then we need to speak aloud and declare, “Greater is Christ who is in me, then the devil and all his attacks and schemes.”
The most important revelation about Christians found in God’s Word is that we are forgiven and redeemed of our sins through Jesus Christ. Concerning this revelation, we read in Psalm 107:2, “Let the redeemed of the LORD say so.” We must begin to speak and confess that we are saved and forgiven of our sins. We must “say so,” and say it aloud. This will break any spirit of bondage and defeat upon our lives, and allow us to begin walking in confidence and faith in the Lord.
John 1:12 tells us, “But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name” (KJV). Have we, as believers, ever stopped to consider that we are sons and daughters of God? And as a child of God, we are a child of the King? This means that we possess the power and authority of the kingdom. In Acts 1:8, Jesus said, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.” The Holy Spirit comes upon us at the moment of salvation; so if we’re saved, then we have God’s power within. So, when we speak God’s Word, and agree with God’s Word, we do so with power and authority.
But if we have not yet come to understand that we are a child of the King, and we have failed to realize the power and authority we have from God; and if we have failed to realize how deeply we are loved and cherished by the Lord; then we are probably believing words of defeat and acting in defeat. We’re probably living a defeated life, which is where the devil wants us to be – defeated. But we can change all that by believing what the Bible has to say, and by agreeing with God’s Word and speaking it over our life and circumstances; and even speaking it over the lives and circumstances of others.
Time of Reflection
I want to conclude our message this morning by reminding us that the most basic spoken word of faith is that of confessing Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord of our life. Paul said that the power to confess Christ and receive salvation in faith is already within us. He said, “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart . . . that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:8-10).
If we want to see our life begin to change for the better, it starts by accepting Jesus Christ. I must emphasize, however, that we are to accept Christ solely as an act of obedience in order to please and serve Him, not for our own benefit. But we do have many benefits as a believer, especially when we speak the Word of God in faith. But the Christian walk is not about us. It’s all about Jesus and glorifying Him. That’s why Paul said, “He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again” (1 Corinthians 1:12). In closing, I want to extend an opportunity this morning for you to come and submit to Jesus Christ and confess Him as Savior and Lord. Come and speak the most important words of faith ever that lead to eternal life.
NOTES
(1) Charles Capps, God’s Creative Power (Tulsa, OK: Harrison House, 2004), p. 8.
(2) “Narrative,” Dictionary.com: https://www.dictionary.com/browse/narrative (Accessed April 19, 2021).
(3) Charles Capps, God’s Creative Power (Tulsa, OK: Harrison House, 2004), p. 8.
(4) Ibid., p. 13.
(5) Ibid., p. 15.
(6) Ibid., p. 11.
