Choose Your Words Wisely
Pastor Tan Thai · Apr 24, 2016
This sermon explores the power of speech in the Christian life, showing that our words are a true reflection of the inner heart. A person bearing the fruit of the Spirit must use words that are truthful, kind, wise, courageous, and restrained in order to bring healing rather than harm.
The sermon opens by arguing that any discussion of the fruit of the Spirit would be seriously incomplete without addressing the topic of speech, since words are the direct expression of a person's inner heart and attitude. The pastor cites Matthew 12:34-37 to emphasize that on the day of judgment every person will be held accountable for their own words — a sobering truth that should transform how believers speak every day.
The first major section presents the power of speech — words can build up or destroy, heal or kill. The pastor uses the story of soccer player Andres Escobar who was murdered following verbal attacks, the story of a young man who took his own life after being verbally humiliated by a girlfriend, and the phenomenon of radicalized youth drawn in by extremist propaganda to illustrate the destructive capacity of words. Proverbs 18:21 is quoted — 'Death and life are in the power of the tongue' — and Proverbs 16:28 warns against the damage caused by gossip.
The second section presents five qualities of speech that a Spirit-filled believer must cultivate: (1) truthfulness and honesty, avoiding deception; (2) kindness and gentleness rather than harshness or sarcasm; (3) wisdom — speaking at the right time and in the right place; (4) straightforwardness and courage, not evasiveness; and (5) restraint and brevity. Biblical stories such as Michal mocking David, Abigail using gentle words to prevent a tragedy, and the prophet Nathan wisely confronting David's sin are used as vivid illustrations.
The third section emphasizes that the restoration of our speech can only happen when the speaker's own heart is renewed by Jesus Christ. Words flow from whatever fills the heart — if the heart is full of bitterness or jealousy, the mouth will reveal it. The pastor contrasts the fragmentation at the Tower of Babel with the restoration at Pentecost in Acts 2, showing that speech is transformed when the motive shifts from self-promotion to glorifying God and loving others.
The sermon closes with a call for every believer to take personal responsibility for their words before God. Two practical anchors are offered: Psalm 19:14, a daily prayer asking that the words of our mouths and the meditation of our hearts be pleasing to God, and Ephesians 4:25, a direct exhortation to put away falsehood and speak only words that are truthful and edifying to those who hear.