Connected With Words
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
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Intro: How important are the words we use and the way we use them?
You’ve heard the old saying, “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me,” that we know is a lie. Words can be an encouraging force for good or they can be a powerful tool of destruction.
[Illus.] A father and his favorite son are having a private meeting. The other family members are not included. They are talking about some things that they are intending to do and some plans they are making between one another.
The mother is eavesdropping on the conversation. What she hears does not please her at all. So she gathers in her favorite son, the other one, and tells him what’s going on between dad and the other boy. They devise a plot so that they can override what the father and that son are doing.
In the course of time, the mother’s favorite son deceives the father’s favorite son and steals his inheritance. The one son finds that his inheritance has been stolen. He is filled with anger and outrage about the matter; and he has made the threat that just as soon as the old man dies, he’s going to kill his brother. The mother realizes they have a serious situation on their hands and so she sends her boy away. She says, “When this thing calms down a little bit, I’ll send for you.” The sad truth of the matter is that she never saw that boy again.
This is a true story of Isaac and Rebekah and their twin sons Esau and Jacob. It’s an illustration of how words used in the wrong way can destroy lives.
Carr, A. (2015). Let’s Talk (Ephesians 4:25–5:2). In The Sermon Notebook: New Testament (p. 2760). Alan Carr.
This morning we’re going to look at being “Connected With Words” and how we need to use them to encourage and not to destroy one another.
Text; Eph.4:25-32
25 Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another.
26 “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath,
27 nor give place to the devil.
28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.
29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.
32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
1. Eliminate Hurtful Words;
1. Eliminate Hurtful Words;
Therefore- conjunction, logical conclusion between [v.17-24 and v.25-32]
Paul is saying that since we are connected in the life of the church, and that we have put on the new man, therefore we need to put off the old man/ways. The first thing Paul says that we need to eliminate is some of our speech. The words we use and the way we use them.
[25] Put away lying; Since our mission as a church is to advance God’s kingdom [Truth], then it seems reasonable that we need to quit lying!
3 The wicked are estranged from the womb; They go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies.
As God’s children we have a new nature and we have no need to lie.
Dishonesty destroys trust and unity within the body of Christ
John 8:44 (NKJV)
44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
When we lie, we are never more like the Devil than at that time. But when we live in the truth and speak truth, we are never more like Christ than at that moment!
[26-27] Be careful with our Anger- Paul tells us that we should not let anger become a trap that will cause us to sin with words that cannot be taken back.
Is there such a thing as righteous anger? Yes, towards things that are against the will of God. Jesus had righteous anger in the temple when it was being used not for prayer but for profiting off the sale of animals to be used as sacrifice/worship.
But how you handle that anger will decide if you fall into the trap of sin set by Satan.
[28] Stealing is a sin, it breaks the 8th commandment, and it makes me angry. [Context] Paul possibly has in mind day laborers and skilled tradesman, whose work was seasonal. When out of work and without assistance, such workers would have been tempted to steal in order to survive. That was no excuse to steal but it was a reality.
30 People do not despise a thief If he steals to satisfy himself when he is starving.
What’s usually the first reaction we have to something that makes us angry? Our words. And today we usually post them on social media and you can’t take them back!
Paul says if your angry, don’t give the devil an opportunity to expose your anger, but settle it in the right manner with words of reconciliation and not revenge. Become a part of the solution and don’t continue to exasperate the problem.
31 Yet when he is found, he must restore sevenfold; He may have to give up all the substance of his house.
[Example] If your child steals something, you discipline him and teach him why stealing is wrong, and make him pay it back where he won’t do it again. In the same manner as we have opportunity with an individual who steals, teach them why it is wrong and help them find a job if you can.
[29, 31] Cut off Corrupt Communication- Corrupt means rotten fruit and rotten fish. Both have a foul odor and they will also make you sick!
Foul language is more than cussing. Paul uses it here as unwholesome language that inflicts harm on someone and causes division within the body- speech that tears down instead of building up.
[31] Bitterness is anger stored up looking for an opportunity to come out.
Wrath is that bitterness in an explosion. Wrath means to erupt.
Anger means to become “red-faced”, boiling point
Clamor is loud speaking, shouting
Evil speaking is a belligerent person who is intentionally using words in an attempt to slander, hurt or demean someone
Paul says we need to eliminate these things from our life
Matthew 12:36–37 (NKJV)
36 But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.
37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
2. Initiate Sound Speech;
2. Initiate Sound Speech;
Initiate- begin a process, to cause something to happen
[25b] Speak truth- Instead of lying we need to speak truth to one another.
Now truth is not always pleasant to hear but its always the best benefit to a person. So we have to “speak the truth in love” [in humility with charity]
15 But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, Longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.
22 Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, But those who deal truthfully are His delight.
John 8:32 (NKJV)
32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
When we lie to our family we destroy relationships, but when we speak truth in love we build up and can even restore broken relationships.
[29b] Necessary Edification- build up, be more positive and less negative
In my jobs I have always been in positions of leadership. I always demand perfection in people because I expect it from myself. There is nothing wrong with that attitude because I know God expects it from us as well.
13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
7 For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness.
16 because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”
Mediocrity will weaken the individual and destroy the society
But getting to holiness without necessary edification [positive encouragement] is impossible. I have to learn to find the good, encourage that, while not beating them down with the negative in their life.
[32] Be kind- kindness is taking the initiative to act in a benevolent way towards others.
John 8:3–11 (NKJV)
3 Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst,
4 they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act.
5 Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?”
6 This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.
7 So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.”
8 And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9 Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”
11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”
Jesus words in this situation is a perfect example of how we are to speak the truth in a positive way, with kindness, not allowing Satan to trap us into anger and corrupt communication that would cause one to sin.
3. Appropriate the Holy Spirit; 30
3. Appropriate the Holy Spirit; 30
Appropriate- take for one’s use, devote
The only way we can effectively eliminate hurtful words and initiate sound speech is through the Holy Spirit. Appropriate the power of the Holy Spirit.
18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,
19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,
Wine- worldly ways
Dissipation- wasteful ways
When we act in worldly ways and wasteful ways with our words, we hurt people and we grieve the Spirit of God. He saved us and sealed us in the power of the Spirit , and for us to use words that tear each other down, it is like cursing God himself.
Let me tell you what a grieved Holy Spirit is like, a grieved Holy Spirit is like corrosion on a battery. When your battery gets corroded, you don’t have access to the power. The Holy Spirit is the power of the Christian life. And if you use corrupt language, unwholesome words, don’t be surprised that you have no power in your spiritual life because it grieves the Holy Spirit. It saddens Him, when there is verbal corrosion in our relationship.
Evans, A. T. (1996). Communication within the Family. In Tony Evans Sermon Archive (Eph 4:25–32). Tony Evans.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.
Close;
Is there a difference in your speech from when you were lost to now being saved in Jesus Christ?
Are you working hard each day to refine your talk that it will match your Christian walk?
Sticks and stones may break our bones, but words will destroy you!