Words and their consequences.
I may be on track to get cancelled today. We need to talk about something that is probably going to rub someone the wrong way. And to that I will say………..Deal with it! Because I dealt with it first and it came down on me first and it was not pretty!!
Did I just offend anyone? Has anyone else “offended” you lately? Are you offended and upset from someone else right now? What offended you? What was said?
How many of you know that our words have consequences?
That what comes out of our mouth has eternal significance?
Boy its awful quiet in here right now! Bet you didn’t expect to get hit with that one right off the bat here today did you?
Want to get some bible into our conversation here today? Lets start at the very beginning.
Not the Genesis 1:1 beginning. Anyone know where the real beginning is in our bible? ………
John 1:1 - 1 In the beginning the Word already existed.
The Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
2 He existed in the beginning with God.
3 God created everything through him,
and nothing was created except through him.
4 The Word gave life to everything that was created,[a]
and his life brought light to everyone.
5 The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness can never extinguish it.
So, what was the REAL beginning? The WORD! Guess what ….. that is the same word that is breathed into us the very moment that life enters our body. God breathed into Adam the breath of life. The breath of God is eternal. So, if that is true, and it is……then every word that comes out of my mouth, your mouth, our mouths, in our breath……. is eternal. That’s how we can still be angry, hurt, upset, and “offended” months, years, decades after an incident.
And that is also why the bible tells us that …. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit. (proverbs 18:21)”
Sit there and let that one sink in for a minute.
So, lets ask another question. Not that it’s a game or a keeping of score, but real quick, how many of us have a net positive for what we speak. Even just this week! Think about it. What actually comes out of our mouth being more positive than negative?
How many of you have spoken negative things lately about someone? I sure have. I’ll admit that at any given moment….. I’m the worlds worst at speaking negative of other drivers on the road with me!
Claire would have even shouted a big amen on that one! I really am trying hard to work on that one though. 😊
How many of you have someone at work that just absolutely drives you nuts and you can’t stand to hardly even be in the same room with them? How do you speak about them when you get the chance to voice your opinion? How do you speak about that boss that just won’t give you a break no matter how hard you try and how far above and beyond you go? Heck, how many of you have said something negative about someone here today in church? PLEASE DON’T RAISE HANDS OR ANSWER THAT!!!!
Well, now those of you who answered yes to any of that, what was the first thing that popped into your head when you realized what was being asked………
That little voice, that whisper, ……… justifying why you did it right??
“Well, they deserved it.”, “Well, its just the truth.”, “Well, I don’t think its wrong to just tell it like it is.”
Just a little hint, ……. that ain’t the Holy Spirit.
The devil has been hard at work developing everyone with the little lie that its “just words”. It cant really hurt anyone.
LIES!
You know the old saying…. “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never harm me!”
WRONG! Words will cut you to the CORE!
I’ll read it again…. Proverbs 18:21 – The power of LIFE and DEATH is in the….what? TONGUE!
Our WORDS have power and they carry with them blessings and consequences for eternity!
Now I know someone here is already offended that I called you out this morning. I remind you that I was the first one called out by this message.
And really only every word from God is truly eternal because all of our evil words, idle words, junk words, those will all be burned up in the end. But they are out there until God finally seals evil away forever.
Matthew 12:36 - And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak.
Ok, so now is everyone cheered up today? …….. what??? …… NO????? ……. Well, that’s ok because I sure wasn’t very cheered up either. But why is that? For me it was actually taking the time to stop and realize all of the idle words that I already have banked to give account for. WOW!!!! Now if that doesn’t humble you, I don’t know what will!
So, there we have it. Every single thing we say is coming back up on judgement day. Now you know why all those monks in the middle ages took a vow of silence and locked themselves away in a monastery??? I’m beginning to think that I need to do that for myself now! Heaven knows that there are plenty of words that I should have never spoken. But that goes with thoughts I shouldn’t have had and things I shouldn’t have seen, and songs I shouldn’t have heard. The list is really endless.
But that list ends at the cross and with the first drop of the blood of Christ. See, there is absolutely nothing I can do to erase all those words I’ve said, to unsee the things I’ve seen, unhear the stuff I’ve heard……..
Nothing but the blood of Jesus!
One single drop of His blood is enough to wash all of my sins away!
One drop of His blood is enough to cover all of those idle words I’ve spoken!
On judgement day when they play that reel with all that terrible stuff, I can turn to the Judge himself and plead the Blood!!!
…….
Now a few of you are betting that I’ve gone off track and chased a full rabbit trail right off the edge of the page and into never never land.
Either that or your sittin there thinking, “Man he really just got to it and this is gonna be super short today!” Shoney’s here I come!!!!
But really that was just some background for the meat today.
When I started today, I began with asking about being offended. Anyone else besides me get a little offended with the lead section today? I was a little offended with myself to be honest!!
But words…… Man! What can offend us quicker than words?
Take just a minute and lets look at just a few headlines from the last few weeks and lets see if we can find a common denominator in them.
WAR DRUMS: Iran readies more than 100 cruise missiles and drones, Seizes ship in Hormuz
Iran was offended by Israel
Hezbollah launches explosive-laden drones and dozens of rockets at northern Israel
Hezbollah was offended by Israel
More than a dozen injured after 18-wheeler intentionally crashes into Texas DPS office
Driver was offended by someone at the dept. of public Safety
An aborted 2022 peace deal between Russia and Ukraine could be the basis for new negotiations
Russia and Ukraine are offended back and forth by each other!
Golden Bachelor’ Couple to Divorce Three Months After Televised ABC Wedding
What??? Surely they didn’t offend each other???
Louisville mayor, residents outraged over road expansion project to Smith & Wesson
Self explanatory.
People, its everywhere! This is the devil’s plan. This is what I want to point out. This is what I want us to learn from today. The devil’s secret plan is ……. Division. If he can convince you to be offended by something or someone, then division has already taken hold. What comes next is the offence being given a voice, through our literal voice or through action.
Y’all want to know a secret?????
Being offended led to the beginning of SIN!!!!!!
Before our “time” began, somewhere in the “before us” eternity, …. satan got offended. NOW, hard stop right there. Let me be VERY clear……GOD did NOT offend satan!! All of what I’ve been saying about words and consequences and such does not apply to this specific example. It actually proves my point.
So, GOD did NOT offend satan! satan got Offended with God! And he has been trying to get all of creation to be offended with God too …..ever since!
All of the war, all of the pain, all of the personal conflict and turmoil. All from satan convincing us to be “OFFENDED”.
You know this week, we told the youth the story of Jonah.
And I know I just had ½ of you wonder what any of this has to do with the story of a guy and a big fish!!!!
Can anyone tell me what the rest of that story is? YOUTH YOU ARE EXCLUDED!!
So, The part after the fish???
Not something we talk about very often is it??? I bet some of you have never even heard it. I know its not read very often.
So, ….. after the big fish incident and the back to Ninevah bit…… What happens???
Jonah gets offended!! WHAAAAATTT????
Ya, Jonah got all offended with GOD! Why you ask??? Because God spared Ninevah!
Hehehe! Any of you ever been offended to the point you just want to sit back and watch it all burn? Boy I sure have! And honestly, that’s not a great place to be is it? Is that a Godly response to being offended? NO! ……. Is it a devil’s response to being offended? You bet it is!
So……………. Offended huh?
Well, now that you’re all offended with me for bringing up all of our “offendedness”……… Lets talk about what we can do about it, and the one really good example we have from our bible on how to deal with “offence”.
John 1:14 - And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us,
Hebrews 4:15 - For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
Jesus folks!
The same Jesus, who’s blood I talked about just a few minutes ago. That blood that can blot out all of my silly “idle”, hurtful, offensive, SINFUL words. Ya, that Jesus!
Take just a few more minutes with me and let’s look at how Jesus handled being “offended”.
Lets even start with some old Testament prophecy about HOW Jesus would act! Ya, it was even predicted!
Isaiah 53:3 - He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Isaiah 50:6 - I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting.
Matthew 26:67 - Then they spit in his face and struck him. And some slapped him,
Mark 10:34 - And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.
Luke 18:22 -For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon.
Luke 23:11 - And Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him. Then, arraying him in splendid clothing, he sent him back to Pilate.
Just for the sake of not including every reference of Jesus being mocked or ridiculed, does anyone want to guess just how many times your bible references Jesus being ridiculed??? OVER 100 separate verses!
And what was Jesus’ response to all of this? What was His ultimate reaction here on earth? What was His greatest example for how we should deal with all of the things that should “OFFEND” us? ……….
……………..
Luke 23:34 - And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
He did nothing but have compassion for us, (and yes we were all there to crucify him with our sins!)
He asked the Father to forgive us for what we said, what we did, how we acted.
WHAT AN EXAMPLE!!!
Could you imagine what a testimony that would bring tot the table today? If the next time you get WORDS, or maybe even actions, flying at you that are OFFENSIVE, and you CHOOSE to forgive rather than react like that little voice wants you to react? ……
Wow! Now that would be a POWERFUL testimony!
But you’re just telling me to let people just walk all over me and treat me like garbage and kick me while I’m down, and spit on me and my name, and, and, and …………
And what??? That’s exactly what Jesus did!
But I have to stand up for myself, I’m a Doctor/Supervisor/Person-In-Charge…… I’m the President………..!
One of the greatest lies that the enemy has deceived us with is the lie that we must be “heard” at all times. How often did Jesus demand that He be “heard”.
…………..
DO YOU NOT THINK THAT JESUS HAD EVERY RIGHT TO PLAY THE “I … AM … GOD!” TRUMP CARD!!??
You don’t think that Jesus’ example is more important? You don’t think He let people walk ALL OVER HIM ?!?!?!?!?!?
People, listen to me……….. and listen close!
HE LET US (YES ALL OF US) WALK ALL OVER HIM, …. Right up that dust winding road, carrying that nasty rugged piece of wood called a cross, to the top of a hill named “The Skull”!!! And that people… is where our idle/hurtful/nasty/hateful words became realized and nailed Him to that nasty wooden cross. The WORDS….. “crucify him!” became manifest, and they HAPPENED!
Then we left Him to DIE! …….
…………..
AND HE LET US!
Does anyone think they have the right to be offended now?
Do you really think that the words that someone else has said about you, to you, against you, should have the power to make you repeat this kind of history???
…………..
The simple answer is, …. NO, it doesn’t.
The simple answer is, No we don’t need to be engaging with that little voice that gets us so worked up over what someone has said or done/
The simple answer is, NO we shouldn’t be the ones putting those NEGATIVE words and actions out there into ETERNITY!!!!
People please, we have to get back to the model of Jesus. We have to get back to the blood that ran down the face of that cross.
Because that blood didn’t stay on that cross!
That blood didn’t stay a stain on the cloth!
That blood didn’t stay DEAD!
That blood said, “In 3 days, I’m comin back up and I’m bringing the keys of death and Hell with me!”
The blood of Jesus is the only thing that can cleanse us from what we have said & done. And it’s the only thing that can protect us from the words and actions of others. Its that blood
I’m gonna throw one more verse at you today.
Romans 12:19 - Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.
