Words: Walking in Wisdom

Morning. Thanks for your prayers. While Beth and I were on vacation, we had a restful time,

but it's good to be back with you all. Some of you are thinking, he was away on vacation? I

didn't even know. I was, and it was good. It was restful. Thanks for your prayers.

So this morning, as you'll notice from the sermon card in the pew, we are actually launching into

a new section of the book of Proverbs. And let me say just a couple words about that before we get

into our main topic this morning. Why don't you turn with me to Proverbs chapter 10? Proverbs

Proverbs 10 · chapter mention Proverbs 10 · chapter mention

chapter 10. Let me just double check what page number that is in the Bible. That's page 533.

Proverbs chapter 10. This is where this new section of the book of Proverbs begins.

Proverbs 10 · chapter mention

If you've been with us this summer for the past nine weeks, believe it or not, we've really been

dealing with introduction. And you think, oh my goodness, a nine-week introduction to the book of

Proverbs. When will it end? No, but the first nine chapters of the book of Proverbs are mostly,

as we've seen, what? They're poems in praise of wisdom. They are meant to sort of serve as an

introduction to stoke our desire to want to get wisdom and grow in wisdom and obtain wisdom. But now,

starting in chapter 10, we get to the body, we get to the meat of the book. We get to the actual

proverbs themselves, these short, memorable, little, powerful sayings that you have to slow down and

really ponder in order to let them sink in and do their work of making you wise. But if you were to

start reading at chapter 10, one of the things you'd notice is that these proverbs don't seem to be

arranged in any particular order. Chapter 10, verse 1, all the way through chapter 22, verse 16, for

example, is the first collection of these proverbs, which is from Solomon, we're told. But you know, as you

read along through this first collection, one proverb is about hard work and diligence, and then the next one

is about pride and humility, and then the next one is about how to treat the poor, and you jump from one

thing to the next, to the next, to the next, it can feel a bit like walking through a cocktail party

and getting a snippet of 15 conversations all about something different. And you think, what is going on

in this book? And then after you finish the collection from Solomon, you find that there are five more

collections pretty much all arranged in the same way. A grab bag of proverbs that seem to be arranged

almost at random. And again, that makes us ask, why is the book of proverbs put together this way?

Well, actually, I don't think it's a mistake. I don't think the scribes were just lazy and happened to just

sort of jumble them all together as quickly as they could. I don't think the Holy Spirit made a mistake when he

inspired the book of proverbs this way. I think on the one hand, the way that this book is put together is meant to make a

slow down. It's meant, you know, we're not meant to read a proverb the same way that we read a narrative.

You know, if you read a narrative, you can just sort of get caught up in the story and kind of flow along

with it. But you know, a proverb, you're supposed to ponder it. You're supposed to turn it over in your

mind and think it through in the details of your life. And so, the book of proverbs almost

constantly interrupts you. So, you can't just sort of go into cruise control as you read along.

It sort of interrupts

your flow so that you have to stop and be arrested and really think about what's being said.

But on the other hand, the fact that all these different proverbs and all these different topics are kind of

woven together and all jumbled together, I think is really teaching us a lesson about what it means to be truly wise.

In other words, it's showing us that wisdom is a whole life sort of thing.

All of the different virtues, all the different elements of character that make up the life of one who is truly wise,

things like honesty and humility and generosity and diligence and discretion.

Proverbs is saying to us they are all inseparable.

Yes, you might be honest, but if you're not also generous, then you're not really wise.

We can't think that just because we've mastered one theme in Proverbs that we've arrived.

No, they all go together.

We don't have an excuse to not grow in the other areas.

They form a whole life.

So, in reality, Proverbs presents us not with a random assortment, actually.

It's not a grab bag. It's not a jumble.

It's more like a tapestry.

And each of these threads is woven in and through and back and around with all the other threads

so that we never lose sight of the fact that there's a complete picture of wisdom.

There's a complete life of wisdom towards which God wants to take us.

More practically, so that we never forget in our humility to also be truthful, for example.

So that we never forget in our discretion to also be generous.

So that we never forget in our hard work to also be humble.

And you know, the beautiful thing is that in creating a life of wisdom in this way,

it's actually forging us more and more into the image of God.

One of the things that we know is that God's attributes, his characteristics, who God is,

they're never inseparable from one another.

Has anyone here been attending Mike Bell's Sunday School class?

Mike, are you here this morning?

He's here. Hey, Mike.

Mike, did you cover the simplicity of God in your Sunday School class?

He did.

Now that sounds like a strange attribute.

God is simple, but what does that mean?

It means that none of the attributes of God can be separated from any other.

That God is always one in who he is.

That in his holiness, he's always loving.

That in his truthfulness,

he is always jealous for his name.

That God is always perfectly consistent with who he is.

And that's the kind of people that God wants to make us to be so that we reflect his image.

Now, all this raises the question, of course, of how we should teach this section of Proverbs.

How should we go about listening and learning and instructing ourselves in this section of the book?

Now, of course, we could go chapter by chapter and we could hit each thread as it happens to come up every week.

Or we could take one topic and we could go across the chapters and we could gather up as much as we can about what Proverbs has to teach us on that particular theme.

Now, of course, there are pros and cons of each method, right?

Of course, the benefit of going along chapter by chapter, verse by verse,

is that we'd see again and again how the life of wisdom is a whole life sort of thing.

We'd see all the interconnections between all these different virtues.

And that'd be good.

But, you know, I think the reality is,

and as we the pastors have thought about how to teach this book,

I think the reality is, is that we'd end up sacrificing some depth if we took that method.

After all, if we had to talk about honesty and diligence and doing justice all in one sermon,

we'd only have time to scratch the surface, right?

So instead, this summer, we're going to move topically through these last chapters of Proverbs.

Each week, we're going to take up one important theme that Proverbs presents to us,

and we're going to try to go deep.

But we have to remember as we do so,

that all of these topics that we'll hit over the next couple of months aren't standalone topics.

Rather, they all unpack just one interconnected element of what a whole life of wisdom really looks like.

They all go together.

So that's where we're going to go.

That's where we're going from here on out in our Proverbs series.

And this morning, we're going to begin with a topic, with a theme,

about which Proverbs has more to say than almost anything else.

And it might come as a bit of a surprise what that topic is.

Think to yourself, what are the marks of someone who is really wise in your mind?

What are they particularly known for?

Is it how they manage their money?

Is it how they maybe exercise authority and power?

Is it how they make decisions?

Is that what makes them wise in your mind?

Is it how they cultivate their family or their friendships?

Now, Proverbs has a lot to say about all that, and we'll get there.

But more than all of those things, more than money, more than power,

more than decision-making, more than family and friendships,

Proverbs comes back again and again and again to your tongue,

to your words.

In fact, there are over 90 individual Proverbs that have to do with your speech.

Does that strike you as odd?

Of all the things that Proverbs could be so concerned about in making us wise,

why is it so concerned with our words?

Well, the first thing that Proverbs teaches us when it comes to our words is their power.

This is our first big point this morning, the power of our words.

Turn with me to Proverbs 18, 21.

If you turn to only one verse this morning,

and we're going to look at a lot of different verses,

just rest on this one.

Proverbs 18, 21.

Proverbs 18, 21 says this,

Death and life are in the power of the tongue,

and those who love it will eat its fruit.

You know, we can all remember being on the playground, can't we?

Chanting back and forth to one another,

sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.

How many people have said that at one point in your life, right?

To that nasty so-and-so who is always picking on you.

And yet we all know that at a very deep level,

that playground taunt couldn't be further from the truth.

Sticks and stones merely bruise us,

but words have the power to rip us up inside, don't they?

Or in the words of Proverbs,

death and life are in the power of the tongue.

One wise pastor I read recently made the observation that adultery,

although considered by most to be a very serious sin,

and it certainly is,

in his observation,

adultery rarely sends a whole church into meltdown among the members.

But then he goes on to say that gossip, however,

even though gossip is perceived by many to be just a small little sin,

in his experience, gossip has destroyed numerous churches.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue.

Now, why is that?

Why are words so powerful?

Well, on the one hand, words have the power to go deep.

Words don't just hit you, they go in you.

Proverbs 12, 18 says,

there is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts,

but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

Proverbs says,

words can be like the thrust of a sword striking to the very center of your being.

Or,

they can go down deep like a medicine,

healing you from the inside out.

After all, how many of us replay over and over words

or conversations that we've had with parents or friends

or loved ones that have wounded us

or shaped us in some way and we can't seem to shake it?

I recently saw Cars 3 in the movie theater

with my six-year-old son, Jack.

Spoiler alert, by the way.

I saw Cars 3 in the movie theater

and one of the main storylines is just that.

One of the cars,

Cruz Ramirez,

the yellow, I think it's a Porsche,

I don't know.

I'm not a car guy.

Anyway, she's been told again and again and again

that she isn't cut out to be a racer.

Dream small or not at all

is what her parents told her.

You don't have what it takes.

And that word has gone so deep

that it shapes her whole vision of life.

And of course, you guessed it,

by the end of the movie,

she ends up being a racer.

Hooray!

She overcomes.

But,

it takes the whole movie

for her to realize that.

And it takes a lot of people around her

to reprogram her

to actually think that she can do it.

That's a silly example, I know.

But more seriously,

how many of us are still trying to outlive

the damaging sword thrusts of words

from our past?

But on the flip side,

don't we also know the healing power of words?

The power of encouragement

or the power of truthful affirmation.

Even the healing power of timely correction.

And we'll get into that next week.

Matt's going to pick up that whole theme in Proverbs.

Words have the power to go deep

and heal those places

where nothing else can reach.

So, words are powerful because they go deep.

But words are also powerful,

according to Proverbs,

because they spread wide.

Proverbs 16, 27 says,

A worthless man plots evil

and his speech is like a scorching fire.

His speech is like a scorching fire.

What does fire do naturally?

What is it in the nature of fire to do?

It spreads, right?

It doesn't stay contained.

It goes wide.

And think about that.

Think about how quickly a rumor

can spread through a high school

or a neighborhood or a church.

It's almost effortless

how quickly it can happen.

Like fire consuming the dry grass.

It moves from person to person

without anything to stop it.

But again, the flip side is also true.

Proverbs 10, 11 says,

The mouth of a righteous man

is a fountain of life.

And in 15, 4, we're told,

A gentle tongue is a tree of life.

Like a fountain flowing with water,

rushing out for all to drink.

Like a tree spreading its branches

for all to find shade from the hot sun.

Words have the power to spread wide for good.

And don't we see that in the book of Acts,

for example?

Isn't one of the exciting things

about the book of Acts

that the word of the gospel,

the good news,

the good news about Jesus' life

and death and resurrections

just can't help but spread and grow.

And in its wake,

it leaves joy and peace

like a fountain,

like a tree of life.

Words are powerful

because they go deep

and they spread wide.

But you know,

the biggest reason why words are so powerful

is ultimately theological.

God, we see from the very opening chapter

of the Bible

is a speaking God.

God's words are powerful.

He speaks and what happens?

Worlds jump into existence

out of nothing.

His words are creative words,

but his words are also covenantal words.

They're words that make not just worlds and planets,

but they're words that forge relationships

and make promises.

They're words that project a future, a hope.

They're words that keep and hold.

And as humans,

we're made in the image of this speaking God.

And so our words,

in their own creaturely way,

also have a kind of derivative power.

Of course,

not to literally create worlds from nothing,

but still,

very powerful.

They bear the mark.

Our words bear the mark

of the God

in whose image we are made.

You see, friends,

to speak

is to participate

in the image of the speaking God.

I read this week

that the average American speaks

about 700 times per day.

700 times!

I'm not sure how they managed to count all those,

but there you go.

Maybe they had someone following around

with a clicker.

700!

That's not even counting all your Facebook posts.

700 times a day.

700 small reminders

that we are made

in the image of the God who speaks

and that we have been entrusted

with one of the most powerful realities

in the universe.

One of the things that characterizes God himself,

the power of words.

And if words are so powerful,

if ultimately they are part of what it means

to bear God's image in the world,

then of course,

we should pay very close attention

to how we use our words.

Death and life

are in the power of the tongue.

So first then,

we've seen how words are powerful,

but Proverbs is also going to describe

in more detail

what this death and life look like

when it comes to our words.

In other words,

how can our words be used to bring about death

and how can they be used to bring about life?

What do foolish and wise speech

actually look like?

Now let's take the negative first.

What characterizes foolish words

that lead to death?

What do we need to be on our guard against

as this book teaches us how to be wise?

Well, as we look across these chapters,

we see that there are three big areas

that Proverbs highlights.

Three big ways in which our speech

leads to death.

The first is lying.

Proverbs 12, 22 puts it

probably as starkly as you can.

Lying lips, it says,

are an abomination.

To the Lord.

But those who act faithfully

are His delight.

It's easy to think that lying is no big deal.

After all, that's how the world works, right?

Sometimes you have to lie

or bend the truth to get things done.

But that's not how God sees it, friends.

God is a truth-speaking God.

What He says always matches reality.

What God says is reality.

And so to misrepresent reality with our words,

to lie, to bear false witness,

is ultimately kicking against

the very grain of the universe.

Pastor Matt talked about this a couple weeks ago

when we looked at Proverbs chapter 8.

Proverbs 8 · chapter mention

Wisdom is the very groove and grain

of the created order.

That's why we read in Proverbs 12, 19,

truthful lips endure forever,

but a lying tongue is but for a moment.

Lying is ultimately self-defeating.

It destroys relationships

by eroding the trust and sincerity

that real relationships need.

And so it ultimately

undoes the liar themselves.

It undoes any hope that they have

for trust and sincerity and intimacy.

And so Proverbs is saying that lying

puts you at odds with God,

with the world,

even with yourself.

It's foolish in the extreme,

no matter what the short-term payoff might be.

But in addition to lying,

Proverbs also points to gossip

as another prime example of foolish speech.

Proverbs 16, 28 says,

A dishonest man spreads strife

and a whisperer,

that's another word for a gossip.

A whisperer, a gossip,

separates close friends.

What is gossiping?

Gossiping, of course,

is spreading information

behind people's back,

not to help them,

but rather to damage their reputations.

And unlike lying,

the information in gossip

might actually be true.

You might actually be saying something

that's quite in line with reality.

But it's the intention

and the timing of the gossip

that makes it destructive.

And if we're honest,

we love gossip, don't we?

Come on.

A little dirt on somebody else?

Controversy, scandal,

the salacious details?

I mean, come on.

How many magazines at Target

are just full, basically, of gossip?

Some of it might be true.

I guess it's not technically

behind those people's backs

because it's blazing

across the front page of a magazine.

But I'm pretty sure

they weren't in agreement

when those publications

went to press.

Proverbs puts it this way

in chapter 18, verse 8.

The words of a whisperer,

the words of a gossip,

are like delicious morsels.

They go down

into the inner parts of the body.

In other words,

Proverbs is saying

gossip is dangerous

because we love

to just gobble it up.

But it's ultimately saying

that we are what we eat.

Listening to gossip,

gobbling it up,

will go down

into the inner parts

of your body

and turn you

into a gossip yourself.

In fact, Proverbs

time and time again

holds us responsible

not just for speaking

foolish words,

but also for listening

to foolish words.

Proverbs 17, verse 4 says,

Proverbs 17:4

an evildoer listens

to wicked lips.

A liar gives ear

to a mischievous tongue.

I read somewhere

that it takes two people

to destroy a church.

Someone who gossips

and someone who listens.

Rather than listen

to gossip or lies,

the right response

is to say,

you know what,

I don't want to talk

about that person

without them being here.

Why don't we go get them

and continue this conversation

or why don't we just

change the subject?

How easy is that?

You just saved a church.

You just saved a relationship.

You just saved a reputation

by saying those

two simple sentences.

There's a third way

that Proverbs depicts

foolish words.

It's not just lying.

It's not just gossip

that brings death.

Those are kind of easy

to spot, aren't they?

We sort of know

going in that like,

yeah, lying and gossip,

but those are pretty bad.

We just stay away from those.

But Proverbs highlights

another one.

Careless words.

We already looked

at Proverbs 12, 18,

but listen to it again.

There is one

whose rash words

are like sword thrusts.

Rash words,

reckless words,

unthinking words,

just saying whatever

comes to mind

in the moment.

That can be just

as damaging,

just as death-dealing

as lying and gossip.

Even if it's not

intentionally meant

to be so.

That's how powerful

our words are.

So friends,

I wonder,

as you think about

these categories

of foolish words,

do you see any of it

in your life?

Are you bending the truth

to cover things up,

to get your own way,

or to get people's approval?

Are you prone to speak

about others

when they're not around,

maybe telling yourself

that you're doing so

because you're really

concerned about the person

and want to help them,

but deep down,

you're just sharing the dirt

that you have about others?

Or do you find

that you're rash?

Do you find yourself

saying things often

without thinking first?

Now, of course,

we all put our foot

in our mouths at times.

Golly, I've done it.

I have to talk a lot

as a pastor,

so, you know,

sometimes my foot

has ended up in my mouth

many times.

And some of us

struggle more than others

with impulsivity.

I get it.

But at the same time,

friends,

being unfiltered

is not a virtue.

Just because you're

slandering someone

on social media

doesn't make it

any less slander.

Again and again,

Proverbs tells us

that these sort of

speech habits,

they corrode relationships,

they fracture communities,

and ultimately,

they bring death.

So what's the alternative?

If those are the kinds

of speech that we need

to confess,

repent of,

avoid,

help one another

to root out of our lives,

what sort of speech

should we pursue

and cultivate?

What characterizes

wise words,

words that lead to life?

And there are

four distinguishing marks

of life-giving words

in Proverbs.

Derek Kidner

actually points these out

in his very excellent

short commentary

on Proverbs.

Here are the four things

that wise,

life-giving words

look like.

First,

they're honest.

Listen,

truthful lips

endure forever,

1219.

The righteous

hates falsehood,

13.5.

A faithful witness

does not lie,

14.5.

A truthful witness

saves lives,

14.25.

You don't have to

write all those down,

but just listen

as they roll over.

Righteous lips,

that is,

words that speak

what's straight,

what's right,

honest,

integrity.

Those kinds of words

are the delight

of the king,

and he loves him

who speaks

what is right.

The wise are those

whose words reflect reality.

They're true and honest.

But,

that doesn't mean

that the wise

will always have to be

saying something.

Have you ever been around

someone like that?

I just need to say this

because it's true.

Well,

the next mark

of wise words,

according to Proverbs,

is that there'll be few.

And this point

is made with irony

in 1728.

Maybe you've heard

this proverb before.

It's a bit of a popular one.

Even a fool

who keeps silent

is considered wise.

When he closes his lips,

he's deemed intelligent.

There you go.

Do you want other people

to think you're wise?

Stop talking.

But what Proverbs

sort of says

with humor and irony there,

it gives a lot

of positive examples too.

When words are many,

transgression is not lacking.

But,

whoever restrains his lips

is prudent.

That's 1019.

Whoever guards his mouth

preserves his life.

He who opens wide his lips

comes to ruin.

That's 133.

Whoever keeps his mouth

and his tongue

keeps himself out of trouble.

21-23.

So, you see,

the wise person

knows when to speak

and when to remain silent.

And the wise person

also knows that

few words

will often have

more power

than lots and lots

of mere talk.

So, they're honest.

They're few.

The third mark

is that wise words

will be calm.

17-27 reads,

whoever restrains

his words

has knowledge

and he who has

a cool spirit

is a man of understanding.

Now, we'll get into this

in more detail

in a few weeks

when we talk about

the theme of anger

in Proverbs.

We're going to spend

a whole chapter

looking at how Proverbs

deals with a really

important issue of anger

because it has a lot

to say about that.

But for now,

this picture that we have

of wise speech,

of someone whose life,

whose words give life,

isn't speech that's ready

to just erupt

at any moment.

It doesn't come

gushing forth

with frustration

or anger.

It's quick to listen.

It's slow to speak.

It's slow to become angry.

as the epistle

of James will say.

It weighs its words.

It speaks directly.

It speaks honestly,

but it speaks gently.

Fourth and last mark

of life-giving words

is that they'll be apt.

A-P-T, apt.

They'll be fitting words.

25.11 says,

A word fitly spoken

is like apples of gold

in a setting of silver.

15.23,

To make an apt answer

is a joy to a man

and a word in season

how good it is.

So words that give life

isn't just about

saying something right.

But also in the right way

and at the right time.

Proverbs 27.14

actually gives a funny example

of how not to do this.

There's a lot of humor

in the book of Proverbs

when you start to read it.

This is what Proverbs 27.14 says,

Whoever blesses his neighbor

with a loud voice

rising early in the morning

will be counted as cursing.

Do you see the picture?

In other words,

at 5 a.m.,

don't shout up

at your neighbor's open window,

Hey, good morning!

Have a great day!

Praying for your big meeting today!

That's not going to land well.

Just in case you need to know that.

What's the point being made?

Truly wise words

are spoken in the right way

at the right time.

That same thing said

maybe at 8.30

as you guys are pulling

out of the driveway together

might have been the best thing

that your neighbor

could have heard all day.

The New Testament counterpart

to all of this

is found in Ephesians 4.29.

Let no corrupting talk

come out of your mouths,

but only such as is good

for building up

as fits the occasion

that it may give grace

to those who hear.

And I think that verse

is the Apostle Paul

boiling down a lifetime

of meditation on the Proverbs.

Let no corrupting talk

come out of your mouths,

but only such as is good

for building up

as fits the occasion

that it may give grace

to those who hear.

And that's the promise

of Proverbs as well.

That our words

can actually be instruments

of grace and healing.

Not just death,

but life is in the power

of the tongue.

The tongue of the wise

brings healing,

12.18 says.

And this is a great one.

Proverbs 16.24.

Gracious words

are like a honeycomb.

Sweetness to the soul

and health to the body.

There is power

in our words

to do much good.

Friends, can you imagine

if our church,

if our homes,

if our friendships

were characterized

were characterized

by that sort of speech?

What if we,

our local church,

what if all the local churches

in New Haven,

what if we were all

colonies of wise,

life-giving speech

in the midst of the world?

What if the way we speak here

is very different

than the way speech happens

outside the church?

Would we not be

if our words were honest

and apt

and few

and gentle?

Would we not be

the salt and light

that Jesus said

we would be?

And if the way we spoke

began to change

not just our individual

relationships

and not just our church,

but through

those relationships,

what if it began

to change

our broader culture

as well?

What if instead

of striving

for mere civility

in our public discourse,

there was actually

something greater

that God would bring about

through our presence

of salt and light?

But you and I both know

that as awesome

of a vision as that is

is not easy.

Proverbs admits

as much.

Proverbs 21, 15

says,

there is gold

an abundance

of costly stones,

but the lips

of knowledge

are a precious jewel.

In other words,

wise speech

is precious

and very hard

to come by.

It's more rare

than gold.

It's harder

to find

than costly stones.

But if it's so hard

to come by,

how do we get it?

And again,

this is where

Proverbs is so insightful.

And it's where

Proverbs connects

with the broader

scope of Scripture.

In Proverbs 4, 23,

we read,

keep your heart

with all vigilance,

for from it

flow the springs

of life.

Keep your heart

with all vigilance,

for from it

flow the springs

of life.

And in Proverbs,

that flowing

includes your words.

Listen to 10, 20.

The tongue

of the righteous

is choice silver,

but the heart

of the wicked

is of little worth.

Do you see

what that proverb

puts in parallel?

The tongue

and the heart.

As if to say,

what's in your heart

is what's going

to drive your words.

Jesus himself

put it clearly

in Matthew 12, 34.

Out of the abundance

of the heart,

the mouth speaks.

The ability

to speak wise,

life-giving words

is more than

just trying hard,

practicing,

or working

on new habits.

Of course,

the Bible would have us

make every effort

to do so,

but the solution

has to run deeper

than that

if it's going to work

and if it's going to last

because ultimately

there's a direct line

between your tongue

and your heart.

And what fills your heart

is what's going to come

flowing out of your mouth.

That's why Jesus

can say in the same place

in Matthew,

on the day of judgment,

people will give account

for every careless word

they speak.

On the day of judgment,

we'll all give an account

for every careless word

we speak.

Why?

That seems harsh.

Because Jesus is teaching us

that our words

reveal our hearts.

In other words,

our words reveal

what's truly important to us,

what we value,

what we really worship.

Think about it.

When you're tempted to lie,

for example,

what's really driving your heart?

I can tell you what it is

for me personally.

Nine times out of ten

when I'm tempted

to bend the truth

or to just straight up lie,

you know why I want to do it?

It's because I'm afraid

of losing someone's approval.

So rather than be honest

and say the hard thing,

the thing that maybe

won't make me look so good

because I actually forgot

that appointment

and now I'm sort of

making an excuse

and lying as to why

I didn't show up,

or rather saying the thing

that will make someone else

upset with me,

rather than do that,

I'm tempted to kind of

bend the truth a little bit.

And you know what's going on

in that moment?

My heart loves

and values

human approval

more than it loves

and values

God's approval.

Out of the abundance

of the heart,

the mouth speaks.

Now maybe it's not

approval for you.

Maybe you could care less

what people think about you.

But maybe for you

it's comfort.

If lying will just

get someone off your back,

if they'll stop annoying you

and you can get back

to the comfortable status quo,

that's the time

when you'll be tempted

to lie.

No, I'm not free tomorrow.

I can't make it.

I got this really big thing

I got to take care of.

Really, you're just going

to stay home and watch TV

and you just don't want

to be annoyed

by the person

that you're talking to.

Friends, we could go

on and on

and think through

all the different examples

of wise and foolish speech

that we've covered this morning

and do the same thing.

Think about it.

Why are we tempted

to talk and talk and talk

rather than just

let our words be few?

Why do we keep rambling on

even after we've made our point?

Is it because we're trying

to prove to others

that we really know

what we're talking about

and we're trying to get

their verdict on our lives?

Or are we really wanting

to teach them a lesson

after all they've done to us?

You see,

it all comes out of our heart.

It all comes down to the heart.

What has taken the place

of God in the center

of your life

in your heart?

Because the truth is,

friends,

if we cared more

about God's approval,

if we cared more

about God's verdict,

if we cared more

about God's glory

than we did

about human approval

or some creaturely verdict

or our own glory

or our own security,

if we cared more

about God,

then more and more

and more our speech

would be full of wisdom

and our words

would be honest

and few

and calm

and apt

and they'd give grace

to those who hear.

But how do we get that?

How does God

become the overriding center,

the thrilling highlight

of our hearts again?

How does God come

and fill our hearts

so that the abundance

of our mouth

is life and not death?

Well, in order to get there,

you have to look

not just to God's spoken word,

but you have to look

to His incarnate word.

Earlier in the service,

Kelly read for us John 1

where we're told

that the word

who was with God

in the beginning

and who was God

and through whom

everything was made,

the eternal word of God

became flesh

and dwelt among us.

And throughout Jesus' ministry,

you know what would happen?

People would marvel

at Jesus' words

for they were honest

and they were fitting.

No one has ever spoke

like this man

and they were free of guile

and they were free of fear

and they gave grace

to all who heard.

But then as His ministry went on,

the rumors began to spread

and then the slander.

He's demon-possessed,

they said.

He's out of His mind.

He's overstepping His authority.

He's a blasphemer.

Such were the words

that started to surround

Jesus' ministry.

And then in the final days

of His earthly life,

Jesus,

the eternal word of God,

stood before the court of man

and was condemned

by their word.

And He was mocked

and He was denied

and He was ridiculed.

And when He was crucified,

they hung a sign over His head

written in three different languages

so that no matter

what tongue you spoke,

you could understand the mockery.

There, on the cross,

hung up to Guy,

the sign said,

here is the King of the Jews.

But here's the surprising things, friends.

That as Jesus descended down

into all of our human words

of mockery and condemnation,

Jesus' own final words

from the cross

were not words of retaliation

or anger or judgment,

though all of those responses

would have been totally just.

No, His last word from the cross,

according to John's gospel,

was,

it's finished.

It's done.

In other words,

all the penalty for our sins,

every careless word,

every self-promoting lie,

every salacious piece of gossip

and slander,

everything that we had said,

every careless word

that we had spoke

for which God would hold us

accountable on judgment day,

Jesus bore upon His own body

on the cross.

And three days later,

Jesus rose from the grave,

proving that now

there's no longer judgment

for those who praise their trust in Him.

There's no longer judgment,

but acceptance.

You see,

on the cross,

Jesus bore the word of judgment

we deserve

so that in His resurrection,

He might give us

the word of acceptance

and the word of righteousness

that He deserved.

The whole story of the Bible

is a story of words.

From the creative word of God

that spoke everything into existence

to the covenantal word

that took Israel to Himself,

to the incarnate word

that fulfilled all of Israel's hopes,

to now the new creative word

that comes out with the gospel,

causing us to come alive

and place our trust in Him

so that we can know new life.

It's all about words, friends.

Not mere talk,

but powerful,

life-giving,

eternal words.

And if you're here this morning

and you've placed your trust in Christ,

then what we know

is that the Holy Spirit

has come

and given you

a new heart.

Do you remember

what happened at Pentecost

after Jesus rose from the dead,

ascended to the Father?

What happened at Pentecost?

Jesus sends the Spirit down

in power

like tongues of flame,

Luke says.

And what happens?

The disciples begin to speak.

No longer words of fear,

no longer words of self-accusation,

but words of praise

and words of glory to God.

God was healing their hearts,

healing their speech.

You see,

the words that God had confused

at Babel

in the Old Testament

in judgment,

God was now healing

and uniting at Pentecost.

He was bringing our language

back into line

with His new creative purposes.

And even today, friends,

the Holy Spirit will continue

to do His work

in your heart

because of what Christ has done.

And as the Holy Spirit

takes what Christ has done

and makes it a greater

and greater reality

on your heart,

your words will begin

to overflow with it.

Amen.

Amen.

And then you won't need

to bend the truth

to get human approval

because now only the approval

of God is what matters.

The Holy God

who gave His Son

in love for you,

that's all that matters.

So you can speak words

that are honest and true.

And now you don't need

to talk and talk and talk

hoping that someone

will recognize you

and someone will acknowledge you.

You can let your words

be few

because your Father

in heaven

and His Son,

Jesus Christ,

is the only one

who really deserves

recognition

and acknowledgement

anyway.

Let all praise be to Him

and let your words

be few.

And the more you keep

in step with the Spirit,

the more you find

that your words

will be honest

and few

and they will be fitting.

Fitting to the occasion,

the right words

at the right time,

full of grace,

full of healing power.

This is what God

is doing in our midst,

friends.

Is that true

of you this morning?

If not,

this offer

is free

to all

who come

to Christ in faith.

Forgiveness,

a new heart,

the Holy Spirit

living within you.

Lay down

your old way

of doing things,

the way in which

you tried to

cover your reputation

with your speech

and protect yourself

and get ahead

in the world.

Lay it down

and entrust yourself

to the word

of life.

Jesus Christ.

And Christians,

you see how powerful

your words are?

If you do,

how are we using them

for wise,

life-giving purposes?

You see what a privilege

you have

to bring grace

to those who hear.

God has given you

a ministry

of speech

that will bring life

and grace

and healing.

how exciting

is that?

What a privilege

to bring grace

to those who hear.

Death and life

are in the power

of your tongue.

And through the Spirit,

may your words,

may the words

that characterize

our church

and God willing,

may the words

that characterize

our city

be more and more

by God's grace

words that bring life.

And may the word

of life,

Jesus Christ,

be praised.

Friends,

let's pray.

Lord Jesus,

word incarnate,

we pray that you

would come now

by your Spirit.

Lord,

help us to see ways

in which our words

have been foolish.

Grant us your forgiveness,

we pray.

And by your Spirit,

help us

to speak words

that are truly life-giving.

Show us,

Lord,

through the spotlight

of your Spirit,

those things

that are ruling

in our hearts

and help us

to lay them down

at your feet.

Oh Lord,

would you reign supreme,

would you fill our hearts,

we pray,

so that our words

might overflow

with truth

and grace.

In Jesus' name

we pray,

Father.

Amen.