Talk

give proverbs text early

Proverbs 17:27-28, James 3:8-11, Proverbs 18:21, Psalms 107:17-20

Intro: Doesn’t feel as exciting as a sermon on vision or direction but if we want to talk about revival REVIVAL REALITY…. Not music, a lot of times not even preaching, very frequently confession and repentance, which means transformation and change. So if we want the revival we talk about. What if we started with our words? Before we wrap up today I’ll talk about how examining what we say or don’t say can have a great effect on the reality of revival. But let’s start with the question, how have you experienced pain or hurt in this life? From time to time we experience physical pain, unfortunately as we age, sometimes physical pain constantly hangs out with us all the time, but as I prepared this message I thought about when I feel hurt… I think about when as a pastor, others have said they were hurt. You know it’s almost never been physical, in rare and unfortunate situations it has been but I would say no less than 9 out of 10 times, when someone says they’ve been hurt, they are referring to something someone said to them or about them. Most of the hurt we experience in this life will come from the words of others. So it’s only fair to assume then that most of the pain we cause others comes the same way. save sanctification, my story, and reference revival reality from intro in power point all the things we think, but words… careful if you are developing here or in POWER? Maybe mention here, expound later What do you think the number of times is you've got into trouble for saying nothing?... you can always say it later, but once it’s out there it’s pretty hard to take it back. Save talking less for next week

The Holy Spirit really impressed upon me the timing of this message to be appropriate. We are going to talk about words for the next two weeks, next week we are going to talk about listening, this week we are going to talk about, well… talking. We will have some laughs along the way today, but the power of our words is certainly no laughing matter. I’m going to be in a few places today but we will start in Proverbs 17.

Proverbs 17:27-28

He who restrains his words has knowledge, And he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. 28 Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise; When he closes his lips, he is considered prudent. PRAY Let’s start with the quantity of our words.

Quantity (Toothpaste illustration) Toothpaste. Know it from Sunday school, youth camp, or elsewhere, can’t put it back, but let me take a step further Start from top messiness then bottom for intentionality A little goes a long way, a lot gets messy and wasteful, squeezing from the bottom takes patience and intentionality. Ben used to throw a fit on toothpaste overflow. I talk way too much church. The more I talk the more I tend to regret…someone once said…“I have often regretted things that I have said, but rarely have I ever regretted something that I did not say. (REPEAT) Once it is out there we can’t take it back, as much as I would like to have done so many times, and the more you talk the less they hear. We have to be careful we are not in love with the sound of our own voice.

Transition: Let’s move from quantity to quality, and here’s where we will spend some time today. Let’s look at another passage. Go to James 3 verse 8.

James 3:8-11 8 But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil andfull of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; 10 from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. 11 Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water?

Quality

In the same chapter we just read from in James chapter 3, verse 2 describes the person that doesn’t say anything wrong as “perfect.” As many of us probably know or have heard, there are monks who take vows of silence, and this verse might have something to do with it as they try to avoid sinning with their words.

The Discontent Monk - Thereis a story of a monk who started out at a monastery and was allowed only two words a year. After the first year, he stood before the bishop and chose his two words carefully: “Bed hard!”At the end of the second year, his summary of the year was: “Food bad.” The third year found him again standing before the bishop, and his final comment was: “I quit!”… “Good!” the bishop shot back. “All you’ve done since coming here is complain, complain, complain!”

Did you know the truth is not always the best thing to say? Proverbs 15:23 teaches us that one of things that makes our words good, is getting the timing right. I’m not promoting lying or being deceiving, but do we all understand what that word “tact” means? Quick example, “Does this outfit make me look fat?” Who in their right mind says YES to that question? Some of us feel like it’s our job to speak “our truth” or “the truth” about every matter. Tact means knowing that unsolicited truth or advice may not necessarily be helpful or edifying for the moment we are in. Truth spoken to bring down another’s reputation is still gossip. Just because it’s true doesn’t mean it’s not gossip.

Can I go after gossip here for a minute? A gossip is a gossip. Some of us are deceived into thinking that if someone puts down someone else in front of us that they most think more highly of us. But let me clue you in here, if someone would share gossip about someone else with you, what do you think they are saying about YOU when YOU aren’t there? Don’t spread gossip, but I think more importantly….. develop a reputation as someone who won’t listen to it either. Someone once came to me and started a sentence by saying I probably shouldn’t say what I’m about to tell you about such and such. I said, then don’t,… and I walked away. Let’s also be sure that we don’t limit this passage to just words, but what we write, text, type, and post, because doing it this way is equally if not more dangerous. Please, please, please understand that while there’s a possibility people might forget what you say, when you put it in writing or electronic form could follow you literally to the grave. I hope none of us are deceived into thinking that this is not the case.

What about Jesus, what did he have to say about this… Well in Matthew 12:34 He said the mouth speaks about that which fills the heart, then He continues in verse 36 of Matthew 12 by saying that everycareless word will be accounted for in the day of judgment. And in verse 37 he says that by our WORDS we will be condemned or justified. Not our tithes, not our church membership, not our volunteer hours, or title at the church. BY OUR WORDS! WOW! So what is a careless word? You know what I was going to give you a few examples of words you shouldn’t say but how about we just go with this… Take the words you say that you think you should use the least and consider the fact that it shows others and Jesus what’s still hanging out in your heart.

We just read from James chapter 3 where it said with our mouths we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; 10 from the same mouth come bothblessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. 11 Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water?

We’ve all heard the phrase do you kiss your mother with that mouth, and here James instead says, Do you praise God with that mouth? James was a tough cookie but he grew up in the same household as Jesus so I’m going to check out what he was saying us. Back in the beginning of James, he wrote the double minded man unstable in all His ways. When we worship and claim the name of Christ and then speak evil of people we totally drain our accountability and effectiveness to share the gospel message. We insult God by speaking to Him with our lips while our hearts are far from Him.

Paul teaches us in Ephesians 5 that we should Be imitators of God, And there must be no filthiness or silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, and goes on to say these have no inheritance in the KOG. Those who speak in such a fashion are grouped in with those who are impure… immoral… and covetous. Why do we take what we say so lightly? Perverted or even questionable comments should not come out of our mouth. Even with those we are “comfortable” around. Ephesians tells us that not only should we not speak about deeds of darkness, but that it is disgraceful to even talk about that which they do in secret. Off-color jokes and dirty stories have no place in the Christian life. Thousands of people are engaging in immorality by the way they talk (REPEAT, and emphasize Immorality) Sarcasm and cynicism are destroying our ability to carry on a serious conversation about anything. If I can say this very lovingly, we as Christians were never intended to be the funny guy. In fact we are told be sober, or in this case in control of ourselves. Remember that we are taught in I Corinthians 13 that if we are to show God’s love, we are not to bring attention to ourselves.

How do we work on the quality piece then?

For starters, We Slow down(TOOTHPASTE) – James 1:19 tells us that we should be slow to speak. Consider each word before we say it, We should say nothing that we would not wish to say in His Presence. Friend who said, man I messed up I need to clean out the filter between my brain and my mouth. Just because it comes to your mind, doesn’t mean it needs to come out of your mouth. We slow down, then…

We speak with purpose - Psalm 17:3 I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress… purpose. When we mess up or do something wrong and we say, “I didn’t mean to” or “it was an accident”, What we are really communicating is we weren’t trying to purposefully avoid whatever it is where we failed. We “accidently” say things because we aren’t speaking each word on purpose and with purpose. This is a discipline. Disciplines in their simplest forms just need to be practiced repeatedly.

Transition: Here’s the good stuff today, as we discipline the quality and quantity of our speech we make way for power, let’s put Proverbs 18:21 on the screen.

Power

Proverbs 18:21 says Death and life are in the power of the tongue

Has someone not made your day with a compliment or word of encouragement, and has someone not destroyed you with a negative word or insult? John Wesley said he used to withdraw himself from conversations after a short time because only sin could occur after so long. In other words, we talk about weather, the news, sports, then all of the sudden we are talking about other people. Unless, like Psalm 17 teaches us, we are speaking with purpose. And what should we be speaking on purpose?… We should be speaking the word!

Speak the word – Ephesians 5:19 speak to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs… these are all found in scripture. The more that we engage in God’s word, and fellowship in discussion of His word with other believers, the more profitable our words will become. Billy Graham said that our daily conversation when we meet each other, whether it be in the office, or on the campus, or in the shop, should be concerned with the things of God. Why? because that’s where the power is, our last reference today we are going to put up for you is found in Psalm 107. (INVITE TEAM)

Psalms 107:17-20 17Fools, because of their rebellious way, And because of their iniquities, were afflicted. 18 Their soul abhorred all kinds of food, And they drew near to the gates of death.19 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble; He saved them out of their distresses. 20 He… sent… His… word… (REPEAT) and healed them, And delivered them from their destructions.

Healing and Hurting – Remember at the beginning we said if we want to talk about revival, we have to get our words right… MY SANCTIFICATION STORY – had to call people that I hurt, wasn’t knives, guns, punches, or any other weapon. It was words. Right? MY ministry was born out of reconciling words I should not have spoken, relationships were restored that had been severed and wounded, mini-revivals began to become evident in multiple areas of my life. What I speak comes from my heart, and what you hear, changes yours. (REPEAT) Revival will blaze as our hearts are changed by what we speak to others and what they receive from us. The word of the Lord healed them and delivered they from destructions. Humble yourself this morning and ask God to change that which comes from your mouth, and He will start with changing your heart.

Post: Refer book, transition to Pastor Joe, Pastor Joe invite to WCD, offering/dismiss