1 Samuel 3:19-20

1Samuel 3:19-20

One of the most well-known places in the world is over in the country of France, where each year, millions of people go and make their way up the famous structure called the Eiffel Tower. As beautiful and elegant of a structure that it is, one of the things that takes away from it, is when a person gets to the top and then throws something off it. Over the years, many people have been arrested for spitting, throwing coins, or other perilous objects from its ledge. What many people do not seem to realize, is that some of these objects that are thrown can seriously injure the ones below, but many who toss something over the edge, seem not to care about that.

In similar fashion, another thing gets thrown and its impact is often far more hurtful than those at the Eiffel Tower. It has been known to ruin people’s lives and destroy a person’s integrity. And the sad thing about it, is that people throw it out without any thought of others. What is it that I am talking about? Well, I am talking about our words. The conversation and words that we speak have a profound impact on others, and often we are so careless in what we say.

As Christians, we learn that our tongue can sometimes be an extremely hard thing to control. Especially, when there is something that really stirs us. And throughout the Bible we learn that it is often better to not say anything than to say something at all. Proverbs 17:28 says “Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips are esteemed a man of understanding.”

But we can’t always be quiet, sometimes there is a time to talk; Ecclesiastes 3:7 tells us that there is “a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;”. So, when we speak, where are our words going? Are they words that rise, or are they words that go nowhere? Look with me today at 1 Samuel 3:19-20. [Read Scripture]

If we are to be Godly men and women, we must have a voice that speaks the truth. A voice that is willing to say what needs to be said, but to say it with the grace of God on our lips. Now how can we have a voice that honors our Lord?

(vs 19a) We must Learn to speak the language of the Lord

· Throughout school, I had to take a second language class, I took Spanish, but even today I can’t speak Spanish much better than a toddler.

· Learning to speak takes time, it is not something that happens overnight.

· The best way to learn the language is to hear the language. When it comes to learning to speak the way the Lord wants us to, we need to listen to it being spoken.

· Now as we learn to speak the English language, there are words that we say that our teachers tell us not to use, I remember the word “Ain’t”

· Ephesians 4:22-23 “That ye put off the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;”

· Samuel grew and the Lord was with him. Now I wonder how many of us are growing in our spiritual life.

· If we cannot have a conversation that is honoring to God every time we are speaking, then are we putting forth the effort in our walk with the Lord?

· We need to learn how to speak the truth in love. Ephesians 4:15 “But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:”

· How many are there, that have never learned how to speak like they should. And wonder why no one listens to them.

· Me and my wife wanted our children to learn how to talk, so, we would hold them and say ma-ma and da-da.

· It is important that we learn from our Father how to speak like a believer and child of God.

(vs 19b) We need to understand that our words need to be Lifting rather than falling.

· Now as we come to the second part of this verse, we are reminded that our tongues ought to be lifting and not falling to the ground.

· Samuel spoke the words that the Lord put on his heart; he did not refrain from sharing the truth. Now what we may not understand is, sometimes we must hear the hard things of the Lord to grow in our relationship.

· Over the years, I have found enjoyment in flying kites. Now a kite isn’t much good when it is on the ground. It really becomes fun and something I pay attention too, when it is up in the air.

· Much like the kite, when we speak the words that the Lord has laid on our life, he will establish them and lift them up. When we speak His Word, when we speak the promises of the Bible out loud in faith, He moves through those words spoken, His Words spoken by us, and not one of those words falls to the ground or fails to come to pass.

· Our nature is not to lift but rather tear down, when we see someone do wrong we don’t confront the sin, we confront the person and we tell them how sorry they are, how there is nothing good about them, that they are good for nothing.

· We may not even realize how our conversations are, wouldn’t it be something if our conversations were played back, that how shocked we might be. How we have a nature of tearing down and ridiculing those we claim to love.

· Words that fall to the ground are rotten, just like food that falls on the dirt, it becomes garbage and we let it rot away, many of the things we say and share with others is just as bad.

· We need to become aware of our conversation, that we are sharing the Word of God, and it is a Word that will not waste away.

· Philippians 1:27 “Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ…”

· When we speak the Word of God, it will be words that will never fall and fade away.

(vs 20) When we honor God with what we say, our voice will be heard.

· Now look at verse 20, what does this verse tell us about Samuel? When he was serving the Lord, people began to talk about who he was.

· A person is known by their conversations and their words, more than almost anything else. It amazes me, how quickly work can spread.

· Now think for a moment, if you are a person who carries on ungodly conversation, that your lips are uttering things that are bad, would you be a person that others would want to listen too?

· We should have conversations that represent our heart for Christ, and when we talk with the love of God on our lips, people will begin to take notice.

· In a world of people speaking so badly, so many words become like rocks, and instead of listening to them, we take shelter from them.

· Negativity, complaints, and criticisms all become words that we take shelter from, we don’t want to hear them, but when we speak the truth of God’s Word, those are words that people will hear.

· In fact, some of you hear are hearing the Holy Spirit tell you that your conversations have not been Holy, that your words are being thrown around and instead of lifting they are falling onto the ground. And we wonder why are voice is not being heard.

· Samuel was a young man, who spoke what God put on his heart. He impacted a community and nation because of it. And because he was faithful to God, God established his name in the people’s ears.

· If you are struggling today with your lips, with your tongue, and you feel like your words are falling on deaf ears, maybe its because you’re not speaking the language of Christ. Maybe you think others should listen to you, but they ignore you. Well, perhaps its not them that has the problem, maybe its you in what you are saying. Perhaps its time and we speak the language that God wants to hear, your prayer of forgiveness and repentance.