The Power of Words
· I love you, youre important to me, thank you so much, how can I repay you, you look really nice today, I like your new haircut, great job, this place wouldn’t be the same withouit you, im proud of you, you are irreplacable, will you marry, were having a baby
· I hate you, you disgust me, I wish you had never been born, I wish I were dead, you make me sick, I want a divorce, nobody cares about you, ill never speak to you again
· I want to talk about the power of words
· Words shape and define our lives
· Words reveal the faith we have in our life
Mark 11:12-24
12 The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry.
13 Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs.
14 Then he said(he answered in KJV) to the tree, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard him say it.
15 On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves,
16 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts.
17 And as he taught them, he said, "Is it not written: "’My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ’a den of robbers.’"
18 The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.
19 When evening came, they went out of the city.
20 In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots.
21 Peter remembered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!"
22 "Have faith in God," Jesus answered.
23 "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ’Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.
24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
(NIV)
· Jesus did not speak AT the tree, He spoke TO the tree
· Every day we speak TO Different things in our life…what are we saying? Because the principle works BOTH ways
· Here Jesus taught us a valuable lesson not only about words, but about a principle of faith that is associated with our words
· But our words reveal what is in our hearts
· Story of man and woman I met they were trying to sell their land, Ill never sell the land they would say every day for 2 years…they learned this principle and began to speak differently over that land… in 2 days they sold it and retired
· We color our lives with the words we use…
James 3:2-18
2 For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
3 Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.
4 Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.
5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
7 For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:
8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.
10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
11 Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?
12 Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.
13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
(KJV)
1. OUR WORDS CAN DIRECT US AND OTHERS IN LIFE:
· Bit, rudder
Many people think, if the tongue has such influence maybe it’s best to say nothing. Not talk at all, be silent. [A guy joined the Trapist monastery. For three years he was given a probation period where he was not to speak at all, but at the end of each year he could say two words. The first year at the end he said, "Bed hard." At end of the second year he said, "Food cold." At the end of the third year he’s about had it. He comes in and says, "I quit". The head priest says, "That doesn’t surprise me. All you’ve done is complain since you got here."]
2. OUR WORDS CAN DESTROY US AND OTHERS:
· Our words can be devastating to others:
· Once the word is gone forth from your mouth It is to late.
· I believe that is why James say’s That we are to be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger.
· In other words engage your mind before you engage your mouth
· Warning: Watch Your Words. The tongue is in a wet place and it can easily slip.
There is a story of a woman in an Indian village who maliciously gossiped about another lady and her family in the village. One day she found out that she was wrong about this lady and her family and had a change of heart. She went to the village’s wise man and asked how she could take back all the wrong she had done. The wise man told her to go home and kill her chickens and pluck there feathers and put them into a bag. After this she was to go back and see the wise man again, but on her way back she was to scatter all the feathers she had plucked from the chickens.
The lady did as she was told. When she got back to the man, he told her, " now go back and pick up all the feathers that you have scattered. " The woman was astonished at such a command and said, " By now the wind has carried the feathers through out the village and beyond." The wise man then told Her, And so it is with your careless words. They are like the feathers scattered in the wind. You can not retrieve them. " With that the woman with a broken heart because of the words she had spoken went her way, determined from that day forward to Watch her words.
Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue.
Job 19:2 How long will ye vex my soul, and break me in pieces with words. Another translation says How long will you torment me and crush me with words.
Ephesians 4:29-30 Let no corrupt ( unwholesome ) communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying ( building up ) that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
· Paul is saying when we use words that tear people down rather than building them up we are grieving The Holy Spirit of God. God is not pleased with our words because they are not building up the body of Christ.
·
We need to pray the prayer of the Psalmist.
Psalm 19:14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, oh Lord, my Strength, and my Redeemer.
3. OUR WORDS DISPLAY WHO WE ARE AND WHAT’S IN OUR HEARTS
Luke 6:45
45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
(KJV)
· Whats in the well will come out in the water
· Whats in the tree will comeout in the fruit
4. OUR WORDS CAN DELIGHT OTHERS:
Proverbs 25:11 A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver. In other words, a good word spoken at the right time is better than golden apples in a silver basket.
· Our words can can refresh and encourage someone that is discouraged and ready to give up and quit. Words can give new life to a dead relationship.
· the greek definition for encourage is “one who puts courage IN the heart of another”
· Next week THE POWER OF WORDS: SPIRITUAL RELATIVITY
