Victory through Words
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I. Introduction
I. Introduction
I. Introduction
According to statisticians the average person spends at least one-fifth of his or her life talking. Ordinarily, in a single day enough words are used to fill a 50-page book. In one year’s time the average person’s words would fill 132 books, each containing 400 pages.
Life and death are in the power of the tongue,
and those who love it will eat its fruit.
(HCSB) 21 Life and death are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
The Complete Jewish Bible translates this verse like this
The Complete Jewish Bible translates this verse like this
Life and death are in the power of the tongue,
and those who love it will eat its fruit.
(CJB) 21 the tongue has power over life and death; those who indulge it must eat its fruit.
Proverbs 18:21 (CJB) 21 the tongue has power over life and death; those who indulge it must eat its fruit.
Let’s Pray!
Last week we started on a quest to know God, to fall in love with Him and serve Him with all our hearts, minds and strength. So now that we have our priorities set straight… This week we’ll look at living a victorious life in Christ through our Words.
Today’s message is “Victory through Words: Speaking Your World into Existence.”
Q: Do you realize that what you say determines your future?
Q: Do you realize that what you say determines your future?
Q: Do you understand the great power that is between your nose and chin?
If not, by the end of this message, you will recognize that you have control over your destiny by the power of your words.
Ya see – along with our key text this evening we must also look at
Brood of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart.
(HCSB) …For the mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart.
Let’s put it this way -
Out of the overflow of our hearts our mouth speak life or death!
Let’s put it this way -
Out of the overflow of our hearts our mouth speak life or death!
It’s like this… if our hearts are full of anger, rage, malice, etc that is what’s going to come out of our pie-hole. Death! But if your heart is full of God and full of those things that are good, wholesome and awesome then that’s what is going to come out of your mouth.
See, we can kill a person’s soul by our words… kill their dreams, kill their hope and in some cases this will kill their bodies as well by speaking death. Things like… Oh you’ll never amount to anything, you were a mis-take, you’re an idiot.
But, if we speak life and love we’ll be like the wind underneath their wings. Things like… You’re Awesome! You’re my brother/sister and I’m so proud of you!
II. Say What?
Consider this:
Have you ever listened to yourself talk, like on a video or a cassette recorder? Were you shocked to realize what your voice sounds like? Were you pleased with the sound of your voice?
Have you ever take it a step further and listened to the content of what you say? You know, you tell a joke that nobody laughs at and you wish you never said anything at all. Or, you accidentally spill the beans on something you were supposed to keep a secret? What about the old murmuring thing when your mom tells you take out the trash?
I’m reminded of Israel when God told them it was time to go “take” the Promised Land In .
The Lord spoke to Moses: “Send men to scout out the land of Canaan I am giving to the Israelites. Send one man who is a leader among them from each of their ancestral tribes.” Moses sent them from the Wilderness of Paran at the Lord’s command. All the men were leaders in Israel. These were their names:
Shammua son of Zaccur from the tribe of Reuben;
Shaphat son of Hori from the tribe of Simeon;
Caleb son of Jephunneh from the tribe of Judah;
Igal son of Joseph from the tribe of Issachar;
Hoshea son of Nun from the tribe of Ephraim;
Palti son of Raphu from the tribe of Benjamin;
Gaddiel son of Sodi from the tribe of Zebulun;
Gaddi son of Susi from the tribe of Manasseh (from the tribe of Joseph);
Ammiel son of Gemalli from the tribe of Dan;
Sethur son of Michael from the tribe of Asher;
Nahbi son of Vophsi from the tribe of Naphtali;
Geuel son of Machi from the tribe of Gad.
These were the names of the men Moses sent to scout out the land, and Moses renamed Hoshea son of Nun, Joshua.
When Moses sent them to scout out the land of Canaan, he told them, “Go up this way to the Negev, then go up into the hill country. See what the land is like, and whether the people who live there are strong or weak, few or many. Is the land they live in good or bad? Are the cities they live in encampments or fortifications? Is the land fertile or unproductive? Are there trees in it or not? Be courageous. Bring back some fruit from the land.” It was the season for the first ripe grapes.
So they went up and scouted out the land from the Wilderness of Zin as far as Rehob near the entrance to Hamath. They went up through the Negev and came to Hebron, where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the descendants of Anak, were living. Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt. When they came to the Valley of Eshcol, they cut down a branch with a single cluster of grapes, which was carried on a pole by two men. They also took some pomegranates and figs. That place was called the Valley of Eshcol because of the cluster of grapes the Israelites cut there. At the end of 40 days they returned from scouting out the land.
The men went back to Moses, Aaron, and the entire Israelite community in the Wilderness of Paran at Kadesh. They brought back a report for them and the whole community, and they showed them the fruit of the land. They reported to Moses: “We went into the land where you sent us. Indeed it is flowing with milk and honey, and here is some of its fruit. However, the people living in the land are strong, and the cities are large and fortified. We also saw the descendants of Anak there. The Amalekites are living in the land of the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live by the sea and along the Jordan.”
Then Caleb quieted the people in the presence of Moses and said, “We must go up and take possession of the land because we can certainly conquer it!”
But the men who had gone up with him responded, “We can’t go up against the people because they are stronger than we are!” So they gave a negative report to the Israelites about the land they had scouted: “The land we passed through to explore is one that devours its inhabitants, and all the people we saw in it are men of great size. We even saw the Nephilim there—the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim! To ourselves we seemed like grasshoppers, and we must have seemed the same to them.”
Then the whole community broke into loud cries, and the people wept that night. All the Israelites complained about Moses and Aaron, and the whole community told them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had died in this wilderness! Why is the Lord bringing us into this land to die by the sword? Our wives and little children will become plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?” So they said to one another, “Let’s appoint a leader and go back to Egypt.”
Then Moses and Aaron fell down with their faces to the ground in front of the whole assembly of the Israelite community. Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who scouted out the land, tore their clothes and said to the entire Israelite community: “The land we passed through and explored is an extremely good land. If the Lord is pleased with us, He will bring us into this land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and give it to us. Only don’t rebel against the Lord, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land, for we will devour them. Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us. Don’t be afraid of them!”
While the whole community threatened to stone them, the glory of the Lord appeared to all the Israelites at the tent of meeting.
The Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people despise Me? How long will they not trust in Me despite all the signs I have performed among them? I will strike them with a plague and destroy them. Then I will make you into a greater and mightier nation than they are.”
But Moses replied to the Lord, “The Egyptians will hear about it, for by Your strength You brought up this people from them. They will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that You, Lord, are among these people, how You, Lord, are seen face to face, how Your cloud stands over them, and how You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. If You kill this people with a single blow, the nations that have heard of Your fame will declare, ‘Since the Lord wasn’t able to bring this people into the land He swore to give them, He has slaughtered them in the wilderness.’
“So now, may my Lord’s power be magnified just as You have spoken: The Lord is slow to anger and rich in faithful love, forgiving wrongdoing and rebellion. But He will not leave the guilty unpunished, bringing the consequences of the fathers’ wrongdoing on the children to the third and fourth generation. Please pardon the wrongdoing of this people, in keeping with the greatness of Your faithful love, just as You have forgiven them from Egypt until now.”
The Lord responded, “I have pardoned them as you requested. Yet as surely as I live and as the whole earth is filled with the Lord’s glory, none of the men who have seen My glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tested Me these 10 times and did not obey Me, will ever see the land I swore to give their fathers. None of those who have despised Me will see it. But since My servant Caleb has a different spirit and has followed Me completely, I will bring him into the land where he has gone, and his descendants will inherit it. Since the Amalekites and Canaanites are living in the lowlands, turn back tomorrow and head for the wilderness in the direction of the Red Sea.”
Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron: “How long must I endure this evil community that keeps complaining about Me? I have heard the Israelites’ complaints that they make against Me. Tell them: As surely as I live,” this is the Lord’s declaration, “I will do to you exactly as I heard you say. Your corpses will fall in this wilderness—all of you who were registered in the census, the entire number of you 20 years old or more —because you have complained about Me. I swear that none of you will enter the land I promised to settle you in, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. I will bring your children whom you said would become plunder into the land you rejected, and they will enjoy it. But as for you, your corpses will fall in this wilderness. Your children will be shepherds in the wilderness for 40 years and bear the penalty for your acts of unfaithfulness until all your corpses lie scattered in the wilderness. You will bear the consequences of your sins 40 years based on the number of the 40 days that you scouted the land, a year for each day. You will know My displeasure. I, Yahweh, have spoken. I swear that I will do this to the entire evil community that has conspired against Me. They will come to an end in the wilderness, and there they will die.”
So the men Moses sent to scout out the land, and who returned and incited the entire community to complain about him by spreading a negative report about the land— those men who spread the negative report about the land were struck down by the Lord. Only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh remained alive of those men who went to scout out the land.
When Moses reported these words to all the Israelites, the people were overcome with grief. They got up early the next morning and went up the ridge of the hill country, saying, “Let’s go to the place the Lord promised, for we were wrong.”
But Moses responded, “Why are you going against the Lord’s command? It won’t succeed. Don’t go, because the Lord is not among you and you will be defeated by your enemies. The Amalekites and Canaanites are right in front of you, and you will fall by the sword. The Lord won’t be with you, since you have turned from following Him.”
But they dared to go up the ridge of the hill country, even though the ark of the Lord’s covenant and Moses did not leave the camp. Then the Amalekites and Canaanites who lived in that part of the hill country came down, attacked them, and routed them as far as Hormah.
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Moses sent 10 spices to explore and spy on the inhabitants of the land, the Promised Land, and when they returned only 2, Joshua and Caleb, spoke life and hope. They took God at his word and believed that God would drive their enemies out before them. But the other 8 went through the entire community of Israel spreading their bad news their bad report.. all the bad stuff they saw. “There are giants in the land” and “we’re as grasshoppers in their eyes” and got the entire community of Israel to turn against God and God’s man Moses. The end result was Joshua and Caleb were only ones allow to live and entre into the Promised Land after everyone in Israel 20 years and older had died in the wilderness. The power of death is in our tongue and it cost all of Israel an additional 40 years in the desert.
Moses sent 10 spices to explore and spy on the inhabitants of the land, the Promised Land, and when they returned only 2, Joshua and Caleb, spoke life and hope. They took God at his word and believed that God would drive their enemies out before them. But the other 8 went through the entire community of Israel spreading their bad news their bad report.. all the bad stuff they saw. “There are giants in the land” and “we’re as grasshoppers in their eyes” and got the entire community of Israel to turn against God and God’s man Moses. The end result was Joshua and Caleb were only ones allow to live and entre into the Promised Land after everyone in Israel 20 years and older had died in the wilderness. The power of death is in our tongue and it cost all of Israel an additional 40 years in the desert.
Have you talked about somebody behind their back only to turn around and see that they were behind your back?
If any of those things have ever happened to you, you may have an understanding of just how powerful your pie-hole is and what kind of trouble it can get you into. Well, it’s no big secret that your mouth is a pretty big tool. In fact, Bible writers found this out thousands of years ago.
Going back to our key scripture: Proverbs 18:21
Life and death are in the power of the tongue,
and those who love it will eat its fruit.
(HCSB) 21 Life and death are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
They wrote that the tongue is so powerful that it can bring life or death. Ya ever wonder why this is? WE’RE CREATED IN GOD’S IMAGE –
They wrote that the tongue is so powerful that it can bring life or death. Ya ever wonder why this is? WE’RE CREATED IN GOD’S IMAGE –
Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, all the earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.”
(HCSB)
God is a creator and He made us to be as well!!
26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, all the earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.”
God is a creator and He made us to be as well!!
What we’re talking about here is your very existence, how successful your life will truly be. It all begins with how you talk. And not just whether you talk like a gangsta, for sheezy, or you got a southern drawl, ya’ll, or you combine the two and whip out your sawed-off shotgun and bust a cap. No, we’re talking about the words that come out of that big mouth of yours. And instead of your words getting you in trouble, we’re gonna learn how to make your words work for you, not against you.
III. Put Your Words to Work
The Bible says that God framed the worlds by His words.
By faith we understand that the universe was created by God’s command, so that what is seen has been made from things that are not visible.
In Genesis, you see this point in fact, God said . . . and it was.
(HCSB) 3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by God’s command, so that what is seen has been made from things that are not visible.
Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and He called the darkness “night.” Evening came and then morning: the first day.
In Genesis, you see this point in fact, God said . . . and it was.
We can keep reading here.. God said – let there be land, let there be vegetation, let there be man. God created everything with His WORDS – WORDS ARE POWERFUL and He created us in His images.
(HCSB) 3 Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and He called the darkness “night.” Evening came and then morning: the first day.
The heavens were made by the word of the Lord,
and all the stars, by the breath of His mouth.
We can keep reading here.. God said – let there be land, let there be vegetation, let there be man. God created everything with His WORDS – WORDS ARE POWERFUL and He created us in His images.
For He spoke, and it came into being;
He commanded, and it came into existence.
Psalm 3:9
,
Psalm 3:9
God spoke and things came into existence. Out of nothing, came something. Out of darkness, came light. Why? Because God said, “Light, BE.”
6 By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. 9 For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.” (NIV)
(HCSB) 6 The heavens were made by the word of the Lord, and all the stars, by the breath of His mouth. 9 For He spoke, and it came into being; He commanded, and it came into existence.
For He spoke, and it came into being; He commanded, and it came into existence.
God spoke and things came into existence. Out of nothing, came something. Out of darkness, came light. Why? Because God said, “Light, BE.”
Because God spoke things into existence, and created the natural realm with His words, natural things respond to the spoken word.
“If you have faith the size of a mustard seed,” the Lord said, “you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.
(HCSB) 6 “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed,” the Lord said, “you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.
Throughout Jesus’ ministry, we see him speaking to natural things and getting results, and not only that, but he tells us we can do the same thing.
IV. Whatever I Need, BE
in God’s sight. As it is written: I have made you the father of many nations. He believed in God, who gives life to the dead and calls things into existence that do not exist.
in God’s sight. As it is written: I have made you the father of many nations. He believed in God, who gives life to the dead and calls things into existence that do not exist.
God calls those things that do not exist as though they did, therefore, we can call those things that do not exist as though they do. Well, how do I do that?
(HCSB) ...God, who gives life to the dead and calls things into existence that do not exist.
\ (HCSB) ...God, who gives life to the dead and calls things into existence that do not exist.
God calls those things that do not exist as though they did, therefore, we can call those things that do not exist as though they do. Well, how do I do that?
God calls those things that do not exist as though they did, therefore, we can call those things that do not exist as though they do. Well, how do I do that?
The first step is declaring what you want. It’s not about reading this certain script and inserting what you want at the end. It’s not some fancy prayer that you say. You can say, “I call into existence $10,000 to finish the work on this building. I declare that it belongs to us.” You can go into detail about the specifics of what you want, the color, interior, whatever. Or, you can just say, “$10,000, BE.” Or New Parking lot, BE in Jesus Name! And these natural things have to respond to your words. We’re not demanding of God, like a spoiled rotten kid, we’re pulling on what He has already done for us, by faith.
What if you need money? What if you made a pledge to VBC and you haven’t put any money toward it? Call it into existence. Say, “Money, COME” and it has to come to you.
It’s not about getting down on your knees and pleading with God like He’s this cosmic Santa Claus. It’s about speaking words of faith, the command of faith, and believing that what you say will come to pass.
Ya see, God has already given us ALL that we need for life and godliness.
His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.
(HCSB) 3 His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.
When God created this world, you think He sat around with the golly-geez (I hope it works) wondering if the light would ever come on? Do you think he wavered in his confession? (Light, if you’re out there, would you please, please, please, maybe if you’re not too busy, turn on. World, umm, if you’re not too shy, can you show up?) No, he was bold. He knew that His words contained the power to create. And your words do, too. You’re created in His image!!
When God created this world, you think He sat around with the golly-geez (I hope it works) wondering if the light would ever come on? Do you think he wavered in his confession? (Light, if you’re out there, would you please, please, please, maybe if you’re not too busy, turn on. World, umm, if you’re not too shy, can you show up?) No, he was bold. He knew that His words contained the power to create. And your words do, too. You’re created in His image!!
Speak the things that you want. basically tells us “we get what we say!”
So Jesus went with him, and a large crowd was following and pressing against Him. A woman suffering from bleeding for 12 years had endured much under many doctors. She had spent everything she had and was not helped at all. On the contrary, she became worse. Having heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His robe. For she said, “If I can just touch His robes, I’ll be made well!” Instantly her flow of blood ceased, and she sensed in her body that she was cured of her affliction.
(HCSB)
Here’s this woman, who had this pain for twelve years. She’d seen doctor after doctor, but never got any better. She kept saying, ‘If I can just touch Jesus’ clothes, I’ll be healed.” This woman spoke what she wanted, and boom, she got it.
24 So Jesus went with him, and a large crowd was following and pressing against Him. 25 A woman suffering from bleeding for 12 years 26 had endured much under many doctors. She had spent everything she had and was not helped at all. On the contrary, she became worse. 27 Having heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His robe. 28 For she said, “If I can just touch His robes, I’ll be made well!” 29 Instantly her flow of blood ceased, and she sensed in her body that she was cured of her affliction.
Here’s this woman, who had this pain for twelve years. She’d seen doctor after doctor, but never got any better. She kept saying, ‘If I can just touch Jesus’ clothes, I’ll be healed.” This woman spoke what she wanted, and boom, she got it.
You too, will get what you want, if you keep saying it. But, let me qualify this… our priorities must be set on Christ and not on ourselves.
(HCSB) 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.
V. Watch Your Mouth
V. Watch Your Mouth
(HCSB) 23 The one who guards his mouth and tongue keeps himself out of trouble.
The one who guards his mouth and tongue
keeps himself out of trouble.
One thing you have to do when you’re opening your big mouth is to watch what you say. It’s really easy to slip up and make a bad confession. For instance, when you’ve got a sore back from bending over and washing bikes all day, you might slip up and say something like, “Man, my back is killing me.” Whoa, now. That sounds like calamity to me, destruction, death. So, the trick is to think before speaking.
One thing you have to do when you’re opening your big mouth is to watch what you say. It’s really easy to slip up and make a bad confession. For instance, when you’ve got a sore back from bending over and washing bikes all day, you might slip up and say something like, “Man, my back is killing me.” Whoa, now. That sounds like calamity to me, destruction, death. So, the trick is to think before speaking.
You may have the thought, “Man, my back is killing me,” but you catch yourself before you say it. And instead, you say, “My body is healthy and whole and I feel GOOD!” “I am a child of God, Blood bought, Redeemed from the curse. By Christ’s stripes I am already healed” And before you know it, that back pain is gone.
But you have to make a conscious effort to guard your big mouth, because if you’re not guarding your mouth, there’s no telling what will come out…and what comes out may not be what you want coming out.
Q: Well, how do I guard my mouth? You can do a lot more than just thinking before speaking. Sure, that may catch the bad things before they come out, but if you’re not putting good things in your heart, you’ll have nothing to replace the bad things with.
Brood of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart.
(HCSB) For the mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart.
This Scripture says that whatever is in your heart is going to come out of your mouth.
This Scripture says that whatever is in your heart is going to come out of your mouth.
his Scripture says that whatever is in your heart is going to come out of your mouth.
Q: So, what have you been putting in your heart?
Q: What have you been listening to that has had an impact on your life and how you speak?
Are you listening to your friends? They’re saying, “You can’t raise that much money. You’ll never be able to lose weight. You won’t become a doctor. You can’t, you won’t”
Q: Are you listening to music that influences how you talk? “You’re getting closer, to pushing me off of life’s little edge cause I’m a loser and sooner or later you know I’ll be dead”, “I’m a loser baby, so why don’t you kill me?”
Q: Are you watching TV sitcoms that constantly tell you that you’ll never amount to anything and that you’ll never be happy? Or shows that teach and condone lifestyles that are contrary to God’s word, destructive to family and society and allow them to tell you that you’re the evil misguided one?
Q: Are you reading your Bible and finding out that you can have the desires of your heart, that God will provide for you, that you’re an overcomer, that you can do anything He called you to do, that God loves you and He’s for you? If you’re putting God’s word in your heart, your mouth will overflow with God’s word.
(HCSB) 11 I have treasured Your word in my heart so that I may not sin against You.
I have treasured Your word in my heart
so that I may not sin against You.
When you hide God’s word in your heart and guard your mouth, you WILL keep yourself from calamity, destruction, and death.
When you hide God’s word in your heart and guard your mouth, you WILL keep yourself from calamity, destruction, and death.
Here are some words and phrases to look for when you’re guarding your mouth: I can’t, if, doubt, I don’t think, I don’t have the time, maybe, I’m afraid of, I don’t believe, it’s impossible.
Make these words a part of your vocabulary: I can, I will, expect the best, I know, I will make the time, positively, I am confident, I do believe, God is able. I am more than a conqueror, I am blessed coming in and going out. Highly honored! I am up and coming not down and out.
Praise God! God is soooo God and all glory and honor belong to Him!!!
Make sure you’re eating the fruit of life… speak life, God’s life and love for you and others.
Let’s split the gates of hell wide open, declare what’s our in Christ and raid the junkyard of hell… declaring life and God’s love for bikers everywhere!
Let’s pray.
