Words That Lead to Christ
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 4 viewsNotes
Transcript
For awhile there we talked about our Christian faith … and that it is, without a doubt public. We live it out. It’s not just a piece of our lives…Jesus wants our whole life… And we know why. He will be recreating every bit of our being to turn it back into the life He intended…which can only be the best possible life we could ever imagine.
We then discussed how our faith, our public faith isn’t about us…we are blessed in the process of living a public faith, but…its all about Jesus. Its all about the grace that He gives us…even though we don’t deserve it...
…we also, within that discussion, talked about how there’s not one of us that doesn’t need His grace. We’re all sinners. As Paul repeated, no one is righteous, not even one.
Last week we talked about how if it is all about Jesus, everything we are and everything we will ever be, if we choose to follow Him, recognizing our need for Him, then we can trust His worldview of things.
We referenced Putin’s perceived worldview…and we even heard more of that this past week. We saw even more of that this past few days.
In this world we will have trouble, but have courage, I have overcome the world. He has all authority in Heaven and on earth. Therefore…even though there will be wars and rumors of wars and earthquakes and famines, always remember to not be alarmed. He is coming back for us. Amen?
Seems like we have an incredible message just in those things I’ve just mentioned don’t we? Right?
That message is called the … Gospel / Good News
Ok, so we’ve read this a few times....we’ve read this passage in Elders meetings recently, ministry council, and staff meetings…Jesus said, and Matthew has this recorded for us…All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me, therefore, go and make disciples…who will then in turn make other disciples…who will then make more disciples…on and on and on…and we all have disciples who have helped us become disciples haven’t we…and then the hope is....Jesus is hoping, that we will follow Him and help others become disciples as well. A disciple is a learner, follower, one dedicated to truth in Jesus.
If it is true that we have a message to send out…then we will be not only doing that through our lives…but through our words.
Today we’re talking about our words.
Last week we referenced the war going on…and we’ve heard lots of people talking about it. We heard opinions, and theories,and facts, and figures, and assumptions, and words of concern and care, and words of hate and violence. We’ve heard demands and requests. We’ve heard lots of reactions. In all of that I’ve heard a few very good discussions…conversations.
How we talk about things…matters. How we converse…how we discuss things matters.
Now…the question is…well, why does it matter. What’s it matter for?
If we are called by the name of Christ, if He is our identity. If we claim Him publicly as our Lord and Savior…do you think it will be shown in how we talk and discuss and listen?
An author I’ve recently been reading, Sherry Turkle, shes a Clinical Psychologist and professor at MIT…she’s been studying the changes in “conversation” and “discussion”…how people talk to each other…for many many years now. She’s noticed some alarming trends. Many of you will undoubtedly see yourself in these things she’s found.
She’s found that many people, in all sorts of relationships from married couples to families to corporate board rooms, lean toward distraction, comfort, and efficiency when it comes to relaying thoughts and conflicts and underlying tensions…using texts or email instead of face to face discussion. The thought is that they might be helping things along…but in the end…she knows that these moves won’t allow conversation to do the work it can do.
When studying children recently, she found that 12 year olds, when on the playground, are now playing and interacting like 8 year olds. Not that she saw that kids were cruel…they just weren’t emotionally mature for their age.
They have a harder time putting themselves in the place of the other person…they had a hard time reading signals that another person was hurt or hurting in some way.
Empathy wasn’t where it should or could have been for this age.
In some ways she found that people, adults and kids alike, would say things like…technology has helped them have conversations. But what she found was that technology and media was only helping make the relay of information quicker and easier. Not necessarily more helpful or impact-ful or even meaningful.
Conversation, real conversation, is not often easy. It takes hard work, and it takes boundaries, and it takes selflessness.
What she has found is this. People are losing, and this is generally speaking (I’m sure non of us really need to hear this message, because if you’re like me, you’re perfect…we all, in this room and online…we all converse with wisdom and sincerity and patience and calmness…the words of God flow off of our tongues all the time don’t they…)....this is just a sermon for all of those other people.
I kid....we all probably have difficulty here don’t we?
But what she found was that people are losing the skills and boundaries for good conversations. Whether that be when just talking about the news or the weather, or when talking about issues where there’s disagreement, or when there’s conflict between two or more people.
Just this past week we saw people having trouble sitting through a discussion, where an atheist and Christian lawyer were ready to talk about how both of them want to enjoy free speech.
And we see this all over…sometimes in us too. We have trouble listening first, attempting to understand (understanding does not mean necessarily agreeing with), and then responding kindly…with more questions that might lead to a great discussion…friendship…future discipleship relationship.
And I think that tech isn’t really the problem…it is simply the opportunities that tech has provided that we often take hold of.
Bunny SLIDE - Maybe like this....
Paul wrote a letter to the church in Colossae… we call it Colossians...
Paul is writing to believers, to Christ followers in this town…encouraging them to always be living and working and relating in ways that will help other people see Jesus in all they do.
BTW - this would be a great little letter for you to read through this week. Maybe I’ll send out a Bible reading challenge to the whole church to maybe read through this together this week.
Anyways, Paul starts out this short part with this phrase…Act wisely towards outsiders…make the most of your time. Now…what’s the setting? There are people both inside and outside the church that either need to know Jesus for the first time or need to rekindle their relationship to Him again…and here Paul is helping the church as a whole to simply do all they can to help these things happen. Then he says this…and this will be on a slide ...
SLIDE
6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person.
Now this translation says speech…and that’s partly the meaning behind the Greek word used. It more fully means....your word....your message....your conversations. Let the conversations you have be filled with grace…seasoned with salt.
…and then we have a “so that...” Let your conversations be filled with grace, so that...” What is the so that there for? So that you’ll know how to answer each person.
That may be confusing to you. Let me say this another way…maybe using the opposite. If you’re not gracious in how you talk to and with other people, you may not really know where they are coming from or you may not really understand their point or concern. In the end, without grace, the conversation will possibly only be about you.
Please know that this is something I struggle with too. Maybe one of my worst points…ok.
Now sometimes we’re really trying to get a point across…and sometimes we might be emotional about it or sometimes we might be speaking with wisdom and patience…but in the end, we’d like the other person to be gracious towards us right? So we can be heard…Love your neighbor as…?
Paul is simply helping those Christians in this town to become great conversationalists…listeners…so that people might see Christ in them…all the time.
Remember when we talk or read scripture, it’s meant to filter into our hearts and minds so that we have more information…more spirit led information…to navigate our world…for God’s purposes and now just ours. So we use…God’s spirit in us…uses scripture as a filter from which we view all of life…and from which we try to act and live and speak in all of life. Make sense? And please know that this is sometimes hard for me too....
There is so much going on around us right now. Many of you are overwhelmed up to your eyeballs, there’s a war going on that is consuming many of you....reasons for fear, there’s a continuing change in this Ohio weather right now isn’t there, there’s a bunch of basketball games going on right now, there’s new QB information every day for us Browns fans, there’s controversy in politics local, state and federal all the time it seems…and sometimes we go to social media, or the water cooler, or to the people who just happen to be around us when we get a thought and we …well, there’s lots of things to talk about aren’t there? And sometimes we are emotional about things and sometimes we think that the way we’re going to let someone know something is the best and right way to do it. And sometimes we later find out that we were not operating withing the best ways…that we were simply trying to win an argument or …sometimes we just look immature and selfish.
Paul simply encourages us, be careful with how you talk. The way you opine or converse or argue points will give others a clue as to what or who leads your heart.
Peter talks about this too...
15 but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.
16 Yet do this with gentleness and reverence, keeping a clear conscience, so that when you are accused, those who disparage your good conduct in Christ will be put to shame.
2 A fool does not delight in understanding, but only wants to show off his opinions.
29 No foul language should come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear.
11 A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise person holds it in check.
14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.
10 “Stop fighting, and know that I am God, exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth.”
Paul, in the book of Acts, after being arrested and while being tried…a few times…takes every care to speak truth and do it well. He knows that his words may very well darken the light that is in him or help it shine. And its not his light…but his attitude and his intentions will determine how it is seen by others.
At first he has the chance to explain his situation and his actions to the religious leaders....he’s speaking rather simply…just saying that he’s tried his best to live a blameless life and then the high priest orders that a guard near him strike him in the mouth. Paul then....
Later, we find Paul talking to two regional governors…then to the region’s king…then he gets to talk with Caesar himself…we don’t have record of this but we can probably assume how Paul carried himself. Humbly....
Luke wasn't known for his patience, and he had absolutely no use for negative conversation. When he got a call from his wife during a busy day at work, she talked slowly and didn't seem very upbeat. Luke interrupted her and exhorted her to be brief and positive. She paused for a moment and then cheerfully replied, "I discovered the airbags in our new BMW work great!"
6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person.
So what do we do when either we hear unhealthy conversation taking place, or we find that we’re the one with unhealthy skills.
Pray - First things first. Ask God…and God’s spirit that is in you to help you in either situation.
Sometimes its good to walk away…close facebook, twitter, or instagram. Remove yourself from the situation and simply pray. For those who are involved in unhealthy conversation and for yourself…when you really want to join right in.
When someone is speaking to you in an unhealthy way, as though they were your enemy, be as kind to them as you can possibly be, Solomon states that this will heap burning coals on their head (metaphorically speaking)…well, the Bible does say something about this.
What about conflict? Jesus talks about this (Matthew records this)…He says if you have a problem with someone…someone said or done something that you feel you need to address, either because it is personal or because you’re worried that they’re headed down a wrong road…doing something wrong.... Jesus said go to them privately. Not publicly. Try to work things out privately with respect and kindness…knowing the tables could so easily be turned and it might be that person trying to show you that something is wrong in your life…or in how you’re approaching other people.
This is true for all types of relationships. Parents with children…friendships, work relationships, teams, etc…go privately and work things out…or if a parent or such …discipline privately. It shows you care rather than you’re in charge. One method helps the other person…the other method tends to be a selfish move.
Privately allows something to happen…and this is not a popular method right now. Let’s just all agree to that. Today it is popular to throw people under the bus publicly…gathering an army around you because someone else might be doing something wrong or different than you. It might even just be a difference of opinion…but some people think it is a powerful move to do things publicly…without having a civil conversation with someone else. How would you like to be treated? Love each other …love your neighbor as yourself.
Ask someone you trust how you’re doing. Be open to corrective criticism. The goal…be less selfish…be more like Christ.
Be as kind as you can possibly be. Be as gracious as you can possibly be. Paul says
17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Give careful thought to do what is honorable in everyone’s eyes.
18 If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
Why? Because we’re disciples of Jesus. We want to point to Him in all we do and in all we say.
Amen? It’s all about Him. John the Baptist said it well....less of me…more of Him.
Lord we live in a world where power seems to be the thing to acquire. All around us…through war and fights alike we see people living and acting in personal power…selfish power. And Lord sometimes its us who acts like that. Forgive us when we move over a line that we shouldn’t…when we say something we shouldn’t or when our words carry an attitude that is not helpful towards peace and discipleship. Lord we acknowledge that we’re not perfect people…we need your help. We thank you for taking the first step in helping us…in having your son die for us…in your son giving us your spirit to help us. Lord help us this next week to listen close to Him…guide our words, our thoughts, our expressions, our reactions. Help us leave the old “us” behind so people can see only you in us. We pray this all in your son’s name, Amen.