16, November 2003
Dakota Community Church
The Seven Pillars of Wisdom
Week Five: Apples of Gold
Proverbs 9:1-6
Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn out its seven pillars.
2 She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine; she has also set her table.
3 She has sent out her maids, and she calls from the highest point of the city.
4 "Let all who are simple come in here!" she says to those who lack judgment.
5 "Come, eat my food and drink the wine I have mixed.
6 Leave your simple ways and you will live; walk in the way of understanding.
- We are not told what the seven pillars are.
- I believe they are themes of truth that will lead to life.
The fourth “pillar” upon which I believe wisdom is built is what I am calling “apples of gold”.
Proverbs 25: 11
11 A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.
Perhaps the most important lesson wisdom has to teach us is the power that we all possess in our mouths.
Think about:
- The effect the words of a parent have on a child.
- The effect of the husbands words on a wife and vice versa.
- The impact of a boss on an employee when words are critical or encouraging.
- The words of a gossip.
- The words of a true friend in confrontation.
What does wisdom want us to know about our words tonight?
1. Our words reveal our hearts.
Matthew 12: 33-35
33"Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. 34You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. 35The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.
If you constantly speak negativity and death but say, well I have a good heart, I mean well – you are deceiving yourself.
Proverbs 16: 23
23 A wise man’s heart guides his mouth, and his lips promote instruction.
Proverbs 4: 23-24
23 Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.
24 Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
Romans 10: 9-10
9That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead; you will be saved. 10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
What you believe in your heart comes out of your mouth!
The key to changing your words is a change of heart! How? – Fill your heart with God’s word instead of your own understanding.
Example:
You have a hard to handle child or teen. The natural thing to do is to constantly talk about how much trouble he or she is. The word of God does not support that kind of talk and it will not help to change the situation, in fact it will strengthen the misbehavior.
Instead find God’s word:
Acts 16: 30-32
30He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
31They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved--you and your household." 32Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house.
Psalms 127: 3-5
3Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward.
4Like arrows in the hand of a warrior so are the children of one’s youth.
5Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; they shall not be ashamed, but shall speak with their enemies in the gate.
Stop saying what you have and start saying what you want because:
2. Our words shape our lives.
Proverbs 6: 12-15
12 A scoundrel and villain, who goes about with a corrupt mouth,
13 who winks with his eye, and motions with his fingers,
14 who plots evil with deceit in his heart- he always stirs up dissension.
15 Therefore disaster will overtake him in an instant; he will suddenly be destroyed-without remedy.
Proverbs 8: 6-8, 22-31
6 Listen, for I have worthy things to say; I open my lips to speak what is right.
7 My mouth speaks what is true, for my lips detest wickedness.
8 All the words of my mouth are just; none of them is crooked or perverse.
22 "The LORD brought me forth as the first of his works, before his deeds of old;
23 I was appointed from eternity, from the beginning, before the world began.
24 When there were no oceans, I was given birth, when there were no springs abounding with water;
25 before the mountains were settled in place, before the hills, I was given birth,
26 before he made the earth or its fields or any of the dust of the world.
27 I was there when he set the heavens in place, when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep,
28 when he established the clouds above and fixed securely the fountains of the deep,
29 when he gave the sea its boundary so the waters would not overstep his command, and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.
30 Then I was the craftsman at his side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence,
31 rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind.
Note the connection between wisdom, words, and the creation of the universe.
What did God do in Genesis 1?
God said –14 times!
Question:
What are your words shaping in your life?
Are you still not convinced?
I challenge you to spend some time and meditate on these three scriptures:
Proverbs 18: 20-21
20 From the fruit of his mouth a man’s stomach is filled; with the harvest from his lips he is satisfied.
21 The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
Proverbs 10: 11
11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked.
Proverbs 21: 23
23 He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity.
Finally, you are not the only one who is affected by that tongue of yours.
3. Our words shape the lives around us.
Recently, I heard a touching story which illustrates the power that words have to change a life -- a power that lies right in the hands of those reading this article. Mary had grown up knowing that she was different from the other kids, and she hated it. She was born with a cleft palate and had to bear the jokes and stares of cruel children who teased her non-stop about her misshaped lip, crooked nose, and garbled speech. With all the teasing, Mary grew up hating the fact that she was "different". She was convinced that no one, outside her family, could ever love her ... until she entered Mrs. Leonard’s class.
Mrs. Leonard had a warm smile, a round face, and shiny brown hair. While everyone in her class liked her, Mary came to love Mrs. Leonard. In the 1950’s, it was common for teachers to give their children an annual hearing test. However, in Mary’s case, in addition to her cleft palate, she was barely able to hear out of one ear. Determined not to let the other children have another "difference" to point out, she would cheat on the test each year. The "whisper test" was given by having a child walk to the classroom door, turn sideways, close one ear with a finger, and then repeat something which the teacher whispered. Mary turned her bad ear towards her teacher and pretended to cover her good ear. She knew that teachers would often say things like, "The sky is blue," or "What color are your shoes?" But not on that day. Surely, God put seven words in Mrs. Leonard’s mouth that changed Mary’s life forever. When the "Whisper test" came, Mary heard the words: "I wish you were my little girl."
Dads, I wish there was some way that I could communicate to you the incredible blessing which affirming words impart to children. I wish, too, that you could sit in my office, when I counsel, and hear the terrible damage that individuals received from not hearing affirming words -- particularly affirming words from a father. While words from a godly teacher can melt a heart, words from a father can powerfully set the course of a life.
If affirming words were something rarely spoken in your home growing up, let me give you some tips on words and phrases that can brighten your own child’s eyes and life. These words are easy to say to any child who comes into your life. I’m proud of you, Way to go, Bingo ... you did it, Magnificent, I knew you could do it, What a good helper, You’re very special to me, I trust you, What a treasure, Hurray for you, Beautiful work, You’re a real trooper, Well done, That’s so creative, You make my day, You’re a joy, Give me a big hug, You’re such a good listener, You figured it out, I love you, You’re so responsible, You remembered, You’re the best, You sure tried hard, I’ve got to hand it to you, I couldn’t be prouder of you, You light up my day, I’m praying for you, You’re wonderful, I’m behind you, You’re so kind to your (brother/sister), You’re God’s special gift, I’m here for you. -John Trent, Ph.D., Vice President of Today’s Family, Men of Action, Winter 1993, p. 5.
Proverbs 11: 9
9 With his mouth the godless destroys his neighbor, but through knowledge the righteous escape
Proverbs 26: 28
28 A lying tongue hates those it hurts, and a flattering mouth works ruin.
Proverbs 7: 21-23
21 With persuasive words she led him astray; she seduced him with her smooth talk.
22 All at once he followed her like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer stepping into a noose
23 till an arrow pierces his liver, like a bird darting into a snare, little knowing it will cost him his life.
Proverbs 12: 18
18 Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
Proverbs 16: 23-24
23 A wise man’s heart guides his mouth, and his lips promote instruction.
24 Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.
Proverbs 18: 7-8
7 A fool’s mouth is his undoing, and his lips are a snare to his soul.
8 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man’s inmost parts.
In 1887 the coffin of Abraham Lincoln was pried open to determine if it contained his body. What makes that act so remarkable is the fact that Lincoln’s body had rested in that coffin for 22 years. Yet, even more amazing is that 14 years later a rumor circulated again that Lincoln’s coffin was actually empty. The furor so gripped the land that the only way to silence it was to dig up the coffin--again. This was done and the rumor silenced when a handful of witnesses viewed the lifeless body of Abraham Lincoln.
