Sermon Delivered….JAN 26, 2020 POWERFUL WORDS “What is the Tongue?” (Proverbs 18:21) OPENING A. ILLUSTRATION 1. Here’s our clues: it is a small thing but boasts of great things. It’s a small fire but can set the whole forest ablaze. No human can tame it. It directs our entire life. It’s a restless evil full of poison. With it we bless God and with it we curse people. Answer: The tongue. 2. Perhaps you have heard of the fable of the king and the menu? A king once asked his cook to prepare for him the best dish in the world, and he was served a dish of tongue. The king then asked for the worst dish in the world, and again was served the tongue. “Why do you serve the same food as both the best and the worst?” the perplexed monarch asked. “Because, your majesty,” the cook replied, “the tongue is the best of things when used wisely and lovingly, but it is the worst of things when used carelessly and unkindly.” Death and life are in the power of the tongue! B. SERMON IDEA 1. “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me.” Is this true? • Words have more power than sticks and stones. o “I love you” “I hate you” o “I’m so proud of you” “You will never amount to anything” o “I have a dream” “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.” o ‘Semper Fi” “We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men were created equal.” o “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.” o “For whosoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 2. Words have meaning; words are powerful. • How many have been saved and given new life by the words, “If you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord….” • Consider, for every word in Hitler’s book “Mein Kampf” 125 people died in WWII. 3. Our words matter. • In conversations, letters, emails, blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and texts. • We should not underestimate their power o How many church splits have been caused by adultery, or theft? Some, yes. o But how many church splits by comparison have been caused by gossip or backbiting? 4. Our speech matters to God and He has much to teach us about how to use it. C. BACKGROUND 1. If you are new here, we have been studying the book of Proverbs • Proverbs was written mostly by Solomon as a Lessons for Life to his son. • The first nine chapters are about the need for wisdom—the rest of the book contains the Proverbs in several repeated categories. • We are looking at what the book teaches about each of these categories o We begin a new one today on Powerful Words. 2. Proverbs has more to say about our words than it does any other subject. • There are about 90 proverbs that teach us about our speech. • Why so many? Consider how much we use words. • The average American speaks about 700 times a day o Even if it were ¼ of that, how many other things do we do 175 times a day? I. WORDS ARE A POWERFUL GIFT FROM GOD A. ILLUSTRATION 1. Play Youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eat6aBfo2mA • Play entire clip. 2. What is one of the first things we learn as children? To speak, to form words, then to make sentences. B. EXPLANATION/APPLICATION 3. God created us in His image and that image involves the ability to speak words. • God speaks—it’s one of His greatest characteristics and abilities. • God spoke the creation into existence. • God spoke to Adam and gave him instructions in the garden; who in turn shared those instructions with Eve. • God called to Adam and Eve in the garden. • God spoke to the prophets and He gave us His written Word • Jesus was the Word made flesh • God said, call to me and I will answer you • God said, “Call on the name of the Lord and be saved.” 4. The ability to speak is part of our creative design • “Language is not a cultural artifact that we learn the way we learn to tell time or how the federal government works. Instead it is a distinct piece of the biological makeup of our brains.” –Professor Steven Pinker. • We use words to develop trust, create intimacy, and build community—whether they are spoken, written, or signed, they are what we use to form relationships. o Remember, relationships are the primary purpose of our creation. o But unlike God—we use words to destroy trust, unravel intimacy and destroy community. 5. Proverbs teaches us that speech is a powerful gift of God that we should not take for granted. • It is a gift he did not give any other part of creation. • Granted animals communicate—but nothing compared to human speech and animals don’t talk to God—we do Proverbs 10:20 The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; the heart of the wicked is of little worth. ESV Proverbs 25:11-12 A word spoken at the right time is like gold apples on a silver tray. A wise correction to a receptive ear is like a gold ring or an ornament of gold HCSB • Our words should be as crafted in value as fine jewelry. Proverbs 10:11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. ESV Proverbs 18:4 The words of a man's mouth are deep waters; the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook. ESV Proverbs 15:4 The tongue that heals is a tree of life, but a devious tongue breaks the spirit. HCSB o A Christian recognizes the powerful gift of speech and uses it to glorify God and benefit others. II. WORDS CAN BE USED TO BRING LIFE AND HEALING A. ILLUSTRATION 1. On Thursday afternoon November 13, 1863 a massive crowd gathered to dedicate the national soldier’s cemetery in Gettysburg Pennsylvania. The President of the United States was invited to speak. It was a sobering time in American History—the Civil War had been going on for about 2 1/5 years and this battle was the first significant win for the Union. But it was costly—23000 Union Soldiers died. An additionally 28,000 Confederates died. It is the largest battle ever fought on American soil. Abraham Lincoln, who was ill, suffering from the onset of a mild case of smallpox was the second to speak. Edward Everett spoke first, his oration was 13,607 words and lasted two hours. No one reads or remembers what he said. President Lincoln stepped to the platform and delivered 271 words that have been considered one of the most influential and stirring speeches in American history declaring the purpose for the sacrifice and the foundation of American’s national purpose. The tide of the war turned. 2. Here is what he said: Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow— this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom— and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. B. EXPLANATION Proverbs 12:25 Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, But a good word makes it glad. NKJV 1. We can use our words to encourage others. • We were not mean to be alone—when we are isolated we become fearful and depressed. o Sometimes it’s hard to hear God so God intentionally uses us to speak good words into other’s hearts. o How many times have you been encouraged by the words of another? o It might not be that the problem is going to be removed anytime soon but it can be words of hope and truth—“God loves you and God will not leave you. Neither will I” Proverbs 10:21 The lips of the righteous feed many, But fools die for lack of wisdom. NKJV • Jesus is the bread and water of life in us—but He gives us so much that we overflow for others.