Life and Death in the Power of the Tongue - Choose Your Words Wisely
VBC Albuquerque · Sep 24, 2023
This sermon emphasizes that speech is a powerful means of communication capable of destroying or healing others' lives. Scripture teaches that we will be judged by our words on the day of judgment, since speech reveals what fills the heart. The pastor calls believers to take responsibility for using words wisely, truthfully, kindly, and courageously to serve healing and restoration in community.
The sermon begins by asserting that discussing the fruit of the Holy Spirit without addressing speech is a major omission. Speech is the primary expression of human thought and reveals one's attitudes and character. From the womb, all people absorb language and communicate through words. The pastor reminds that Matthew 12:34-37 teaches we will be judged by our careless words, as speech determines whether we are seen as righteous or condemned.
The second section explores the power of speech through three aspects: the ability to control like a ship's rudder, the ability to destroy like fire, and the ability to nurture like a water source. Speech can cause irreparable injury, destroy friendships, divide families and churches. The pastor explains that once words are spoken, they no longer belong to the speaker but to those who hear them and cannot be taken back. Through the story of Aesop and the philosopher Xanthus, he illustrates that the tongue is the best organ when used to express love and holiness but the worst when used to criticize, slander, and lie.
The third section presents five qualities of speech: (1) Truthfulness and honesty, since falsehood creates doubt and division; (2) Kindness, compassion and gentleness rather than cruelty and harshness; (3) Wisdom, appropriate timing and context, illustrated through the stories of Abigail and the prophet Nathan; (4) Boldness and courage to defend the wronged; (5) Moderation and restraint, speaking less rather than more. These qualities must be practiced daily so that speech reflects the presence of Christ dwelling in the believer's heart.
The final section focuses on the restoration of speech through the work of the Holy Spirit. The pastor emphasizes that for speech to heal and restore, the speaker's heart must first be healed by Christ. He contrasts the Tower of Babel, where speech caused division because humans wanted to prove themselves, with Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit transformed the disciples' hearts so their speech brought restoration and salvation. Two daily prayers are proposed for believers to recite to make their speech pleasing to God's will and to serve restoration in community.