Sermon Tone Analysis

Have you ever noticed how often, it’s the little things that make a such a huge difference in a situation?

That is, the little nuances in the decor of your home that just make it pop!

Or, maybe it’s the small changes to the way that you do your hair, that make people look and take a second glance and say, “Wow, you look different!”

To the mechanic, it could be the small adjustment to the carburetor that means all of the difference in the world as to how the car runs and performs!

In a marriage, it is sometimes the small acts of love that make the difference, like picking up the dishes and washing them without being asked, or an unexpected date night for your spouse, or an unexpected text message that simply reads, “I love you”!

My point is, the smallest change to something can dramatically alter the outcome and course of things.

Take for instance the changing of one letter in a word and the outcome of it.

Changing one letter is SMALL, and yet it DRAMATICALLY alters the outcome of the meaning!

SHOW SLIDES OF MISSPELLED WORDS!

My point being, just one small change in a word can make all of the difference in the world.

Having said this, there are two words that I wanted to bring to your attention right now.

These two words are like the examples that I just showed you, in that there is a one letter spelling difference between them.

But with this one letter difference, we see a world of difference in their meaning.

The two words are: EXHORT and EXTORT!

(SHOW SLIDE!)

Almost identical words, with just one letter difference between the two: an “H” and a “T”.

The difference between these words and how we apply them to our lives as people, and even more so, to our lives as Christians, has a huge impact upon the world around us!

What is the major difference between EXHORT and EXTORT?

Well, let’s look at the definition of EXTORT first.

EXTORT means - to obtain something such as money or favor in an unfair way, such as through intimidation, threat of force or threat of revealing an unpleasant secret.

Extort comes from the Latin word extortus, meaning obtain by force, wrench out.

EXHORT means - means to forcefully urge a person to do something, to strongly advise someone.

Exhort comes from the Latin word exhortari, which means to encourage, to stimulate.

So, one word basically means to take away something from someone to your advantage and their disadvantage and the other word means to give, or to impart something to someone that is of benefit to that other person, to their advantage.

Now I am paraphrasing these definitions, but this is still an adequate meaning of these two words.

Does everyone semi-agree with this?

Which one would you rather be brought before a grand jury with pending charges against you of: being an EXTORTIONER, or an EXHORTER?

I don’t think that any logical, morally sound person would like the accusation of having EXTORTED from someone, right?

However, I would love to be accused of having EXHORTED someone!

AMEN?!!!!!!

I started off a couple of minutes ago talking about how the little things in life can make such a big difference, like these two small and seemingly similar in appearance words (EXHORT and EXTORT) and the manner in which we use them in interacting with people every day.

Though there is a very small change between them in appearance, the chasm between them in outcomes is huge!

Let me explain what I mean.

The “spoken word” is small in gesture, but powerful in stature.

Your words, though seemingly insignificant, can influence the hearts and feelings of others.

Words can make or break a marriage, they can both start and end world wars, they can conquer fear in a person’s heart or they can also instill fear into someone’s heart.

A simple “yes” or “no” uttered from our mouth, a one syllable utterance, can either devastate a person’s life or deliver a person from misery and shame!

The tongue is small, but oh so powerful!

tells us this, “And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.

Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs.

So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.

For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind,but no human being can tame the tongue.

It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.

From the same mouth come blessing and cursing.

My brothers, these things ought not to be so.

Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water?

Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs?

Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.”

The point here is that, although small, the tongue and its bi-product, “our words”, are either destructive or edifying and blessing.

There cannot “truly” be both types of words coming from the same mouth, and they both be genuine.

“From the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks!”

, tells us, “The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.”

We get to choose whether we want to impart blessings or curses upon others, every single day!

And simply from the words that we spew out upon them!

So, the two words that I just defined, EXTORT and EXHORT, factor in here.

If you are angry at someone and the chance arises for you to speak with them, you can either exhort them and bless them with encouragement and add value to their life, or you can extort their happiness and peace and self-worth, by verbally blasting them.

Much in the same as you would extort money from someone, by force or manipulation, you can extort a person’s peace and self-worth, by what you say to them and the intent behind it.

Now you may think, “Well that’s stupid, if you EXTORT money from someone, you go after that person with the intent of getting their money.

You can’t EXTORT, or go after someone’s self-worth and happiness!”

Look here, when you verbally unleash on someone, what is your intent?

You want to hurt them, to make them pay, to tear them down.

(i.e.

you are going after their self-worth, their happiness, their joy, with the intent of taking it from them.

You are EXTORTING it from them and using your words as the means to manipulate and do so!)

You either EXHORT (build up/ add to) self worth of someone, with your words, or you EXTORT (take away/ tear down) self worth of someone with your words.

Blessings or curses, life or death, are yours to bring, via your words.

Does everyone see what I am saying so far, when talking about these two words?

OK, then I am going to spend the rest of the time, looking at the one word which has Kingdom value and which the Bible commends and commands us to adhere to.

When I defined EXHORT a minute ago, one of the words used, that is synonymous with it, is the word, ENCOURAGE.

So, to EXHORT someone, is to ENCOURAGE someone, capiche?

How many of you know that we live in a world that needs, or maybe I should say, that is screaming for encouragement?

Look around you at all of the places you go shop and eat at.

You see brokenness and despair and anger in people’s faces all of the time.

People are devoid of true spiritual encouragement everywhere that you and I go.

(Sadly enough, even in churches sometimes, we see this emptiness!)

Simply choosing to speak a small, but powerful word of encouragement to another person, can be life changing at times.

People, even if they do not acknowledge it to you at the time, do not forget what you say to them.

Our minds retain words, whether good or bad.

The inspirational writer, William Arthur Ward once said, “Flatter me, and I may not believe you.

Criticize me, and I may not like you.

Ignore me, and I may not forgive you.

Encourage me, and I will not forget you.”

The inspirational writer, William Arthur Ward once said, “Flatter me, and I may not believe you.

Criticize me, and I may not like you.

Ignore me, and I may not forgive you.

Encourage me, and I will not forget you.”

By nature, we invite and appreciate words of encouragement.

God designed us that way.

This is why the Bible tells that we need to come together as a church, as says,

When we come together ,as Christians, we are to build up one another, to ENCOURAGE one another, to EXHORT one another!

And in doing so, the body of Christ grows stronger and the gospel message goes forth with strength and clarity!

By the way, without going into it right now, EXHORTATION (the act of encouraging and building up others), is one of the motivational spiritual gifts that Holy Spirit gives to certain people, as we see in ,

This simply means that the people who operate in this gift, naturally know how to build up and encourage those around them, because Holy Spirit equips them to do so.

But, this does not mean that only these people are to encourage others.

WE ARE ALL TO ENCOURAGE those around us, even if we are not the Spiritually gifted, exhorting person!

God’s Word tells us in ,

Twice in this passage, Paul says to the church, to ENCOURAGE one another.

Note that he doesn’t say, “If you are gifted in exhortation, encourage one another!”

says,