Seismic Shifts
Session 9 “From Burning to Building”
RBW (inspired from “seismic shifts” book)
+ Domino intro
+ Intro Bowlingual video clip
I’m probably barking up the wrong tree today, but what do you communicate?
Today we’re asked to make a shift in how we communicate. From burning to building.
And I figure if an old dog can learn new tricks so can we.
+ Stand for Scripture reading:
Ephesians 4:29, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”
+ Pass out dominoes
The Bible has a lot to say about how we should communicate with one another.
Now, this may be the biggest shift for many of us during this series, because our culture has adopted the unethical standard that it’s ok to cut-down and demean one another.
Just sit for 10 mins through a sitcom, you’ll see what I mean. The most popular comedy style today is making fun of another person.
Well, the Bible is very clear that we either tear-down or build-up with our words.
+Turn to: Proverbs 12:18 (NIV)
18 Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
We build-up or we tear-down!
+Proverbs 18:21 (NIV)
21 The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
There’s fruit in our words, healing in our words, life in our words… or death!
So, we make the choice with what we communicate… death or life.
Remember what your grandma used to say,
+ “if you can’t say something good… don’t say anything at all.”
That’s what Paul meant in Ephesians 4:29 by + “unwholesome talk.” σαπρός [sapros /sap•ros/].
It means “to rot or decay.”
+How many of you remember Smokey the Bear? He used to say, “Only you can prevent forest fires!”
That’s not just true in the forests but also true for communication in relationships,
+James 3:5-6 (NIV)
5 Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
No wonder so many Monks take a vow of silence.
It’s so easy to pattern the way we communicate, by the standards of the world and say things we really shouldn’t say to get whatever results we’re looking for.
Illustration:
+Like the Man in Phoenix who called his son on the phone in New York the day before Thanksgiving and said, “I hate to ruin your day, but I have to tell you that your mother and I are divorcing. Forty five years of misery is enough.”
“Dad, what are you talking about?” the son screamed.
“We can’t stand the sight of each other any longer,” said the father. “We’re sick of each other, and I’m sick of talking about it, so you call your sister in Chicago and tell her.” (hangs up).
Frantic, the son calls his sister who explodes on the phone, “there’s no way they’re getting divorced!” she shouts. “I’ll take care of this.” She calls Phoenix immediately and screams at her father.
“You’re not getting divorced and that’s final! Don’t do a single thing until I get there. I’m calling my brother back, and we’ll both be there tomorrow. Until then, don’t do a thing. DO YOU HEAR ME?” And she hangs up.
The father hangs up his phone and turns to his wife and says, “okay it’s set. They’re both coming for Thanksgiving and paying their own way.”
There’s a natural tendency to use the words that get us the results we want, rather than using the words that get us the results that God wants, or the results that bring edification to someone else.
+For example, we get angry and we strike back with hurtful words.
Proverbs 15:1 (NIV)
A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
Matthew 12:36-37 (NIV)
36 But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. 37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”
The Psalmist declares, Psalm 141:3-4 (NIV)
3 Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips.
4 Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil, to take part in wicked deeds with men who are evildoers; let me not eat of their delicacies. (man-am = charms)
James 1:19-27 (NIV)
Listening and Doing
19 My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. 21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.
26 If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. 27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
Here, James not only highlights the contrast between listening and doing, but he also contrasts two voices, ours and God’s Word.
The term, “to edify” is a construction term. It’s used in the ancient word for the construction of a structure, a home, a building, a temple. The word of God tells us that we are being constructed, each individually, then corporately being built-up into a holy structure, a holy temple for God’s presence. Together we’re being fitly joined to become God’s mansion here on earth. Believers, collectively are being placed in the Church to become a huge demonstration of worship and praise.
And by our words and our deeds we’re either griping, complaining and burning it down, or encouraging, applauding and building it up!
Illustration:
+One day a man spent Thanksgiving in the Bahamas noticed a big crowd gathered at the end of the pier. As he got closer he observed someone preparing for a solo journey around the world in a tiny homemade boat. Without exception everybody was telling him all the things that could go wrong. Suddenly the man felt an IRRESISTABLE URGE to offer some encouragement. So as the little boat drifted toward the horizon he began jumping up and down shouting, ‘Go for it! You can make it! We’re proud of you!’
This man had what we need more of – the gift of encouragement. We need fewer critics and more CHEERLEADERS: those who see over the heads of the negative people and shout to someone launching out in faith ‘Go for it! You can make it! We’re proud of you!’
Thanksgiving is a time for giving thanks. Thanks for life. Thanks for God’s great gift. Thanks for Christian fellowship. Thanks for friends who’ll stick by you through thick and thin. Thanks for your family, and thanks for your health and thanks for His Church.
Jesus Christ lived a perfect life, paid the full price on Calvary, and was resurrected on the 3rd day, so that He could create the Church… A living, breathing organism, unique among all institutions on planet Earth. Unique because there’s nothing else like it, when it’s living up to it’s potential. It stands alone in uniqueness because it’s members are fitly joined together in Christian commitment, Christian fellowship, and Christian love.
And here’s our motivation. We encourage one another because we truly love one another. We want the best for one another. We care for one another. Therefore, we choose to speak only words of encouragement, words of beauty, words of life! There’s no room in Christ’s church for discouragement, cruelty, hatred, gossip or degradation. We can get all that we want of that in the world. No here in the Church… we find encouragement, and hope and love and peace and joy and health. This week make a new commitment to be thankful, hopeful, loving and encouraging to everyone you know… Jesus said, “You are the light of the world!”
Stand with me…
+Ancient prayer from 12th Century
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
when there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
Grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand,
to be loved as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying [to ourselves] that we are born to eternal life.
- Francis of Assisi
