Words Matter!

Does Words Matter?

Psalms 12

Online Sermon: http://www.mckeesfamily.com/?page_id=3567

Being the primary method of communication words are extremely powerful and can be used to invoke a spectrum of feelings ranging from love, joy, and happiness to anger, disgust, fear, and despair. While speeches from the likes of Martin Luther King, Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela and Abraham Lincoln inspire noble aspirations to seek racial equality, liberty from oppression, justice, and a government for the people; speeches from the likes of Adolf Hitler, Genghis Khan, Pol Pot and Joseph Stalin inspire bigotry, blood thirsty conquest, genocide and the overall degradation of human life. When words no longer reflect our “true inner thoughts” they become “cheap,” leading to much confusion, misunderstanding and quarrels. Often they are used to satisfy the cravings of the “god of self” by deceiving and taking from others what little resources and time they have. Scripture says contained within the tongue is both the power of death and life (Proverbs 18:21) for with it one can either choose to praise God or tear down those made in His image (James 3:9-11). Since we live in what Charles Spurgeon calls “Romanism,” a time when there are many gods the chief of which is “self,” it has become very difficult for a Christians to tame their tongues when the world is persecuting and deceiving them of their livelihoods! The following sermon is going to show that the best way to handle the deceptive words of a fallen world is to seek God’s protection as outlined in His Word!

Lord Deliver me from the Propaganda of this World

“Help, LORD, for no one is faithful anymore; those who are loyal have vanished from the human race. 2 Everyone lies to their neighbor; they flatter with their lips but harbor deception in their hearts. 3 May the LORD silence all flattering lips and every boastful tongue— 4 those who say, “By our tongues we will prevail; our own lips will defend us—who is lord over us?”

Psalms 12:1-4

With hyperbolic language King David cries out that he feels isolated because those who genuinely love and are loyal to God seem to have vanished from the face of the earth! Since it seems like the “finer a thing is the more vulnerable it is to perversion,” many people in his day were using their tongues to lie, flatter and deceive others in order to promote the god of self. With incredible arrogance many people of his day believed they were the lords over not only their own but other people’s destinies. Though their personal power came from their mastery over deceptive languages, which in turn exploited the defenseless, it was acceptable in their sight for such words were merely reflective of their double hearts, lack of love for others and insatiable desire to be “right” in their own sight! Even though God warned them that there “is a way that seems right to a man, but in the ends leads to death” (Proverbs 14:12, 16:25), these “proud sinners” were “impudent, daring and threatened to run down all that is sacred.” As a result of their ferocious attacks and outright deception King David must have felt isolated like Elijah in the desert. They have rejected Your covenant God and now they seek to exploit my love for them and desire to treat them as Your image (Matthew 22:39; James 3:9)! Hoping to hear from the “gentle whisper” of his Creator, David fervently prayed that God would intervene and “silence their flattering lips and boastful tongues” (verse 3)!

Todays Christians often “feel the pressure of taking a minority and unpopular position in society.” Many in today’s society no longer believe in absolute truth but instead believe that truth is propositionally created and destroyed within the confines of one’s own mind. In believing it is not worth retaining the knowledge or bowing to their Creator (Romans 1:28), not only have they sacrificed “loyalty, faithfulness, and truth on the altar of selfishness and ego” they prosecute others who do not emulate their wayward lifestyles (John 15:18-19)! They pressure believers into “watering down” God’s word with the “human use of self-deceiving words” that subtly distort what is a sin, thus justifying their disobedience. For example, how many times have you said or heard a believer say one of the following statements:

“I have not chosen wrongly, but I am a victim forced into this lifestyle by a hurtful society, parent, spouse, and so on.”

“What I am doing is not so bad—especially when you compare it to what others are doing.”

“If you had a spouse (job, problem) like mine, you would drink (smoke dope, act out sexually, etc.) too.”

“God’s word was written by fallible, human beings and for a time period that no longer exists … so much of it is no longer relevant.”