Connected through Words

Matthew 16:1-20

Words are more powerful than we ever give them credit.

Who ever said “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me.” must have been living in a fantasy world.

Words have power and have the ability to help, to heal, to hinder, to hurt, to harm, to humiliate and to humble.

This week I visited a Christian school where the pastor is having to be in the classroom everyday because the school is too small to have a larger staff.

The pastor is tired and discouraged and dealing with family hardships on top of everything else.

I purposely tried to be encouraging rather than tearing him down over procedures that were falling through the cracks.

Praise the Lord I got an email letting me know my visit was an encouragement.

What we say, and how we say it can reveal a tremendous amount about what is going on on the inside.

Jesus in Matthew 15 is dealing with scribes and Pharisees from Jerusalem that have come for no other reason but to tear Him and His disciples down.

They began by asking a question about a certain tradition.

Jesus took the opportunity to teach a kingdom truth about the revealing power of words.

He uses their words and question to teach a deeper meaning about purity, worship and relationships.

It all centers around what comes out of our mouths!

Experts tell us they can determine where we’re from based on 122 different words we say. Depending on how we pronounce these 122 different words, they can estimate the geographical parameters ata given location and essentially pinpoint where we’re from.

How do you pronounce “route” (rhymes with how or who?)

What is your generic term for a sweetened, carbonated beverage? (soda, pop, or coke?)

What do you call the thing from which you get a drink of water? (water fountain, drinking fountain, or bubbler?)

Our speech can reveal specific information about us and our past.

Jesus understood this long before regional dialect studies.

What we say reveals more than just where we are from; it reveals what is inside of us.

Our words matter.

It can build up or tear down.

The pharisees in our text were insincere, and hypocritical in their accusations.

They were more concerned about what was going on on the outside (washing of hands) than what was going on on the inside.

I want to look at three things that our words reveal today...

I. Our Priorities in the World

1-6

The religious elite were aware of what Jesus was doing in His ministry.

They were concerned about His following, every where He went.

So this group of Scribes and Pharisees from Jerusalem have come to Gennesaret just to find fault with Him and His disciples.

This is not a small thing!

As the crow flies it would be about 80 miles.

Essentially, their accusation, which they made in a form of a question, revolved around the elders’ tradition of “ceremonial hand washing” before eating.

It’s amazing how people can veil their criticisms in questions or suggestions.

The Pharisees ask about this tradition and why His disciples didn’t keep the tradition of the elders as if they were not honoring the elders.

But Jesus had some questions of His own.

Knowing not just their words, but also the intents of their heart, He knew they were continually breaking a direct command of God, not just a tradition of their elders.

They were valuing their traditions over the direct commands of God.

They were commanded to care for their elderly father and mother, but Jesus knew that some of these Pharisee were using a tradition to break this command.

A person could take some of the wealth that should have been used to take care of their family and declare it dedicated to God, or Korban.

This would be like a tax write off for them, they could then use this money while being able to say that they had no extra money.

These men’s words revealed they were not truly concerned about obeying God.

Matthew 12:34 KJV

34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

When we ask a critical question about what we do at church or why we do it, just understand there is a motive behind it.

Values form priorities and priorities are expressed with actions and words.

We can facilitate unity by asking the right questions with the right motives.

Breaking a church tradition doesn’t make you a bad person, and upholding a church tradition doesn’t make a you a righteous person, and vice versa.

Before we speak, examine your heart because your words will reveal your priorities.

In general conversation people reveal what they love. They talk about what they love, enjoy, or get pleasure from. Often the music you listen to, the movies or TV you watch, the activities you enjoy come out in conversation. That in and of itself may not be bad…it’s just a truth to understand. Your words reveal your priorities.

II. Our Position in Worship

vs 7-9

Jesus’ response is an obvious and stinging rebuke.

Jesus continued this rebuke by quoting a passage from Isaiah, which these Pharisee’s would have been very familiar:

Isaiah 29:13 KJV

13 Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, And with their lips do honour me, But have removed their heart far from me, And their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:

Jesus links their love of tradition over keeping God’s commandments to their personal worship of God.

It is impossible to remain close to God in worship (“hearts are far from me”) if we constantly value anything else over God (even seemingly good things like human traditions).

We can go through our calendar weeks as a church and doing, doing, doing...

Sunday School

Sunday Morning Worship

Singing in the Choir

Giving our offering

Kids for Christ

Sunday Evening Service

Philathea Class

Wednesday Evening Bible study

Choir practice

rinse and repeat

and there is nothing wrong with any of that!

But if our focus is just on valuing religious activity more than valuing and following God we as a church will drift father and farther away from God.

Religious activity does not equal a walk with God!

Insincere worship is fruitless worship!

Church member one moment cussing and criticizing and the next lifting up hands and singing the loudest.

Attendance to church functions cannot replace a true walk with God!

And a outward worship of God cannot replace what is in the heart.

Are we drawing nigh unto God with our mouth, and honoring Him with our lips, but our heart is far from Him?

It is in vain!

Our traditions will not get you closer to God!

Now through our traditions we have tools to help you in your walk with God.

But by themselves, it will not bring you closer to God!

Our words reveal our priorities in this world.

Our words reveal our position in worship.

Thirdly we notice that our words reveal...

III. Our Purity from Within

vs 10-11, 17-20

Our words reveal what is really on the inside.

“I can’t believe I said that!”

What was on the inside just came out.

Jesus said it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a man, or makes him unclean

But what comes out of the man.

Truthfully, what comes out reveals what is in the heart.

Vs. 19

Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies...

These acts started in the heart!

It started with thoughts of murder, “Life would just be some much easier if they were not even around any more.”

It starts with thoughts of adulteries and fornications, “she is just so much more attractive.” “He is just so much more manly.”

It starts with thoughts of thefts, “It would be just so much easier to take that when no one is looking.”

It starts with thought so false witness, “I could just tell them...”

It starts with thoughts of Blasphemies, “Well, I know the Bible says that, but I just believe...”

Did you realize that you will spend 1/5 of your life talking? It is said that if our words were put to print each day we would fill a 50 page book; in a year’s time the average person would fill 132 books that are 200 pages each! That means in a lifetime we speak enough words to fill 1,848 books of 1,000 pages each. What do would our volumes reveal about our hearts?

Our words have a sphere of influence in our church!

Be careful what you say!

As we close today, I want to make a personal plea for you to pray for your pastor.

If we would purposefully and thoughtfully pray for our pastors we would be far less likely to criticize and tear down.

Conclusion

Pray for your Pastor

As a pastor, I realize that there are not very many people in this world that understand the pressures of being a pastor.

I grew up in a pastors home, and although I think I understood it better than most, I did not understand it completely until I became a pastor.

The demands of time, emotional effort, pressure to study, pressure to be what people need can wear on you after a while.

It is vital that pastors have a stellar walk with God in order to withstand these pressures.

Even then the pressure is great!

the Emotional tole is severe!

This is why your pastor…every pastor…needs your prayer!

Your pastor’s day is filled with mountaintops and valleys.

He is praised by some and reprimanded by others.

Pray for His preaching.

I definitely needs prayer for his sermons.

Pray that God would give him wisdom, insight and words to preach.

Pray for Him and His Family

One of the most challenging verses for pastors is 1 Timothy 3:5

1 Timothy 3:5 KJV

5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)

Countless pastors worry and struggle over their families.

They worry they will neglect them because of the demands of hte church

They worry about their families living in glass houses.

They hurt when critics direct barbs at family members.

We need you to pray for me and my family.

Very few families will face the kind of pressures an expectations as the families of a pastor.

Pray for His Protection

1 Timothy 3:2–4 KJV

2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; 3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; 4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;

Just the qualification of blameless (above reproach) is enough to make every pastor want to quit!

While a pastor cannot be expected to be perfect, he is to have a reputation that is positive and encouraging.

Plus he is to maintain self-control

Be sensible, respectable and hospitable.

Be a good teacher

be gentle and not argumentative

not greedy

do you see why you need to pray for your pastor’s protection?

1 Timothy 3:7 KJV

7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

those that are without is speaking about outside the church, the unsaved.

This verse says “snare of the devil.”

The devil is purposely setting traps for your pastor!

Pray for His Physical and Mental Health

Leading a church expends all my energy.

We are on call every day and every hour.

So I need prayer that I don’t neglect my own health.

Pray for my mental health - Wisdom and discernment.

There are dozens of decisions every week that require discernment and wisdom.

what to preach, what to say to an individual, etc.

So this fourth pledge requires discipline, but not a lot of extra time.

I am a church member. I understand that the words that I say reveal what is in my heart. I will strive to keep my words, and therefore my heart, honoring to Christ. I will pray for my pastor every day. I understand that the pastor’s work is never ending. His days are filled with numerous demands that bring emotional highs and lows. He must deal with critics. He must be a good husband and father. Because my pastor cannot do all things in his own power, I will pray for his strength and wisdom daily.