Sermon Tone Analysis

THE TENDER COMMANDMENTS

*PART 9*

*“WORDS THAT WOUND, WORDS THAT HEAL”*

*NOVEMBER 16TH, 2003*

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JUST THIS WEEK I RECEIVED AN EMAIL, AND THEN MET WITH A PASTOR WHO HAS RECENTLY BEEN ACCUSED OF WRONGDOING BY A RECENTLY HIRED AND NOW RESIGNED ASSOC PASTOR AND ELDER.

THIS SITUATION WENT THROUGH HIS CHURCH AND THE COMMUNITY LIKE A PRAIRE FIRE.

/HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT THE PASTOR?/

/CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?/

/HE OUGHTA LEAVE TOWN?/

/YOU’D NEVER THINK SUCH A THING TO LOOK AT HIM, WOULD YOU?/

/GUESS HE HAD A LOT OF US FOOLED?/

/HIS POOR WIFE?/

/ /

AND THE LIST GOES ON!!!

 

 

 

THE ELDERS HAVE BEEN INVESTIGATING HOWEVER, AND HAVE DETERMINED FOR THE MOST PART THERE IS NO MISCONDUCT!!!

 

 

THAT THIS IS TURNING OUT TO BE AN RUMOR…..AND AN UGLY AND EMPTY RUMOR WITHOUT ANY BASIS OF FACT….

BUT THE DAMAGE HAS BEEN DONE.

THE CHURCH IS DIVIDED AND HURT.

HIS FAMILY IS VERY HURT…

THE MAN HIMSELF…..IS A BASKET CASE….

AND THAT LIST GOES ON!!!!

 

 

NOW…..THE PROCESS WILL WORK ITSELF OUT AT THAT CHURCH …..BUT IT WILL BE YEARS BEFORE THINGS ARE BACK ON COURSE!!!

 

 

(ILLUS……

I HEARD OF THIS HAPPENING TO ANOTHER PASTOR…..AND WHEN THE COUPLE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FALSE RUMOR CAME INTO HIS OFFICE TO APOLOGIZE…HE ASKED THEM TO GO BACK HOME…..THEY LIVED ON A FARM……AND PLUCK ONE OF THEIR CHICKENS AND BRING ALL THE FEATHERS TO HIM)….

SCATTER THEM FROM THE TOP OF THE WATER TOWER!!!

>>>>>>AFTER YOU HAVE FINISHED SCATTERING ALL THE FEATHERS……I WOULD ASK THAT YOU GO BACK THROUGH TOWN AND GATHER THEM ALL UP AGAIN!!!

 

 

 

THE TRUTH DAWNED ON THAT COUPLE….

YOU COULD BE FORGIVEN FOR THEIR ACTIONS…..BUT NO ONE CAN UNDO THE DAMAGE THEY HAD DONE BY SCATTERING THEIR FALSE AND SLANDEROUS WORDS!!!

 

 

SO WHY WOULD GOD INCLUDE THIS COMMAND…..”YOU SHALL NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS AGAINST YOUR NEIGHTBOR”…….AS ONE OF THE 10???

 

 

IT AMAZES ME TO REALIZE THAT OUT OF THE 10 COMMANDMENTS……3 CONCERN THE USE OF OUR TONGUE!!!

          TAKING HIS NAME IN VAIN…

          KILLING BY THE WORDS WE SPEAK…

          AND NOW….BY BEARING FALSE WITNESS!!!

 

 

 

 

 

FOR THE LORD TO SAY…”BE VERY…VERY….VERY…..CAREFUL WHAT YOU SAY ABOUT PEOPLE….

ILLUSTRATES HOW WELL OUR GOD KNOWS US!!!

 

HE KNOWS THE DANGER AND POTENTIAL FOR HARM IN AN UNDISCIPLINED TONGUE!!!

 

HE KNOWS THE UNSPEAKABLE DAMAGE IT CAN DO!!!

 

AS SOLOMON NOTED ONE DAY…….”DEATH

AND LIFE ARE IN THE POWER OF THE TONGUE  (PROB 18:21)

 

 

 

 

 

WE DAMAGE …..DAMN….AND DESTROY PEOPLE WHEN WE SPEAK UNTRUE WORDS ABOUT THEM!!!

 

 

JESUS HIMSELF FELT THE STING AND INJUSTICE OF SUCH TREATMENT!!!

 

 

IN MATTHEW 26:59-63…….THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS OF THE DAY LOOKED FOR FALSE EVIDENCE TO USE AGAINST HIM!!!

 

THEY SEARCHED FOR SOMETHING - - ANYTHING- - - THAT COULD UNDERCUT…..HIS REPUTATION!!!

 

 

WHY??

BEC HE HAD THE ESTEEM AND ATTENTION OF THE PUBLIC……..AND THAT WAS SOMETHING THEY FEIRCELY COVETED!!!

 

SO THEY LOOKED TO DESTROY HIM ANY WAY THEY COULD…..KNOWING THAT WORDS WERE EVERY BIT AS DESTRUCTIVE AS SHARP STONES!!!

 

 

 

 

BUT…

I BELIEVE ‘BEARING FALSE WITNESS’ GOES WELL BEYOND BRINGING FAULTY EVIDENCE INTO A JUDICIAL SETTING!!!

 

 

AS WITH THE OTHER COMMANDS…..THE LORD INTENDED THIS TO APPLY TO A WIDE SPECTRUM OF EVERYDAY LIFE SETTINGS!!!

 

 

 

WORDS ARE UNBELIEVABLY POWERFUL IN THEIR IMPACT UPON HUMAN LIFE!!!

 

 

A HUSBAND’S WORDS HAVE THE POWER TO VIRTUALLY SHAPE THE LIFE OF HIS WIFE….

A WIFE’S WORDS HAVE THE POWER TO SHAPE THE LIFE OF HER HUSBAND!!!

 

A PARENT’S WORDS HAVE THE AWESOME CAPACITY TO SHAPE THE LIFE OF HIS OR HER CHILD!!!

 

DO WE TRULY BELIEVE THE WORD OF GOD IN THIS MATTER???

 

SOMETIMES I WANT TO SHOUT IT OUT LOUD ON THE ROOFTOP…..*LIFE AND DEATH ARE IN THE POWER OF THE TONGUE!!!*

* *

* *

!

WHAT YOU SAY……AND WHAT YOU DO NOT SAY……

AND HOW YOU SAY SOMETHING…..AND HOW YOU NEGLECT TO SAY SOMETHING……

WILL EITHER BUILD AN INDIVIDUAL UP…..OR ……BOARD BY BOARD….AND NAIL BY NAIL……TEAR THAT INDIVIDUAL DOWN INTO A PILE OF RUBBLE!!!!

 

 

 

IS THAT BEARING FALSE WITNESS???

 

IT CERTAINLY IS!!!!

 

WHEN WE ARE NOT WALKING IN THE POWER OF GOD’S SPIRIT……FALSE DAMAGING AND CRIPPLING WORDS WILL FLOW RIGHT OUT OF OUR OLD FLESHLY NATURE - - WORDS THAT WE CANNOT CALL BACK….NO MATTER HOW WE LONG TO DO SO!!!

 

 

WHENEVER YOU SAY SOMETHING TO AN INDIVIDUAL OR ABOUT AN INDIVIDUAL….THAT IS LESS THAN WHAT GOD WOULD SAY TO THAT INDIVIDUAL - - - YOU ARE BEARING FALSE WITNESS!!!

 

AND GOD TAKES SUCH MATTERS….VERY…VERY…SERIOUSLY!!!

 

 

 

WHAT *DOES* HE WANT US TO SAY TO OTHERS??

 

HE IS VERY SPECIFIC ABOUT THAT!!!

 

 

TURN WITH ME TO EPH 4:25, 29-30…..AND LET’S READ IT!!!

 

 

 

SO…..WHAT KIND OF WORDS OUGHT WE TO SPEAK???

BUILDING WORDS…..

BENEFITTING WORDS….

HELPFUL WORDS…

UPLIFTING WORDS….

BUT WHEN WE UTTER FALSE….DEMEANING ….BITTER WORDS TO ONE ANOTHER……..IT GRIEVES THE HOLY SPIRIT!!!

 

 

THINK OF IT!!!

 

 

OUR RECKLESS WORDS ACTUALLY BRING A PANG OF PAIN TO THE HEART OF GOD!!!

 

WHY??

BEC OUR CREATOR KNOWS HOW VULNERABLE WE ARE!!

HE KNOWS HOW FRIGHTFULLY WE DAMAGE ONE ANOTHER WITH OUT CARELESS USE OF THE TONGUE!!!

 

 

IF YOU DON’T BELIEVE IT…..

TURN TO JAMES 3:8

 

NO MAN CAN TAME THE TONGUE….IT IS A RESTLESS EVIL….FULL OF DEADLY POISON!!!

 

/ /

/ /

!

WHAT DOES POISON DO???

 

POISON SICKENS AND KILLS.!!!

 

 

AND IT DOESN’T TAKE VERY MUCH!!!

 

NOR DOES IT TAKE MUCH POISON FROM THE TONGUE TO SICKEN A RELATIONSHIP ….

ALIENATE A LOVED ONE…

OR DESTROY A FREINDSHIP OF MANY YEARS!!!

 

 

 

 

AND IF THAT WEREN’T ENOUGH WARNING……JAMES ALSO TELLS US THAT THE TONGUE IS LIKE A FIRE!!!

 

IT HAS SUCH DESTRUCTIVE CAPACITY…..THAT THE LORD WARNS US TO GUARD IT DAY AND NIGHT!!!

 

 

JAMES CONTINUES AND SAYS THIS….

A WHOLE FOREST CAN BE SET ABLAZE BY A TINY SPARK OF FIRE…..AND THE TONGUE IS AS DANGEROUS AS ANY FIRE….WITH VAST POTENTIALITIES FOR EVIL!!!

IT CAN POISON THE WHOLE BODY……IT CAN MAKE THE WHOLE OF LIFE A BLAZING HELL!!!!

 

 

THERE ARE THOSE WHO START TERRIBLE RAGING FIRES WITH THEIR WORDS!!!

 

IT MAY BE ONLY A TINY SPARK HERE OR THERE……SOMETHING NO BIGGER THAN A SINGLE MATCH……

BUT WHAT CAN ONE MATCH DO???

 

IT CAN DESTROY A CITY!!!

IT CAN WIPE AWAY THE WORK OF GENERATIONS!!!

 

IT CAN DEVASTATE TEN THOUSAND LIVES!!!

 

THEN THESE SAME EPOPLE WHO HAVE STARTED RAGING FIRES WITH THEIR WORDS COME HOME AT NIGHT……..WAVE AT THE NEIGHBORS….

THUMB THROUGH THEIR MAIL….AND WALK INTO THEIR HOMES AS THOUGH NOTHING HAS HAPPENED!!!

 

YOU WOULD NEVER BELIEVE THE DAMAGE AND DEVESTATION THEY HAVE JUST PRODUCED!!!!

 

 

GOD INTENDED OUR WORDS TO BRING COUNSEL AND ENCOURAGEMENT AND BLESSING!!!