The Gospel According to Matthew - The Power of Words [Jun 7, 2026]

Let me get settled here. My name is Eric. I'm

a member of the House Church here. I want to

thank you guys for coming. Just want to say something

real quick. I want to run. I want to hide. I

want to tear down the walls that hold me inside.

I want to reach out and touch the flame where

the streets have no name. These lyrics come from

a song that was quite popular back in 1987, nearly

40 years ago, that I still remember. There are

many songs I have learned over the years that

I can still recite as my brain has perhaps an

uncanny ability to remember words and rhythms

that have meaning to me, whether it's rap, rock,

alternative, pop, or R &B, a playlist of the

best songs of the 1980s and 90s are on a loop

in my head. I wish I had this ability with other

things over the years, like math and people's

names. But song lyrics, I got them all. I ask

that the two minutes for one question be centered

on music, because music offers a great pathway

towards remembering profound words. If a song

is catchy and has a neat beat, then potentially

it could remain in your head forever. Here's

an example. If you went to high school like me

in the 80s, that means that you might have watched

cartoons in the morning on Saturdays during the

1970s. So if you did that, you might remember

this one. And by all means, join in if you'd

like. We the people in order to form a more perfect

union establish justice and ensure domestic tranquility

boom boom boom Provide for the common defense

promote the general welfare and secure the blessings

of our liberty to ourselves and our posterity

do ordain and establish this Constitution for

the United States of America. Schoolhouse Rock,

thank you very much. The only reason I know that

is because of that song said to me over and over

again on a loop since probably 1973. So yes,

I just dated myself. Beyond the catchiness of

tunes, many songs resonate with us because of

the themes they are based upon that fit with

our general emotions and experiences. In rock

and roll, with traditionally fast -paced and

electric sounds, often the themes are centered

on rebellion and seeking adventure. If you are

interested, and that fits well with the young,

and if you're interested in country music, the

themes are often centered on patriotism, relationships,

and having good times with your friends. If you

like rap music, the themes focus on the hardness

of life, the challenges people of urban areas

face on a daily basis. And if you like pop, that's

just fun all around. Music is not the only pathway,

however, to remembering words. those that many

of us will be able to recall again years later.

Movies have a great ability to etch into our

consciousness phrases and sayings that indelibly

will remain in our memories. Here's another opportunity

for you guys to participate in today's sermon.

I will say the line from the movie and then you

say the movie. Life is like a box of chocolates.

You never know what you're gonna get. You're

gonna need a bigger boat. Thank you. One last

example regarding the significance of words and

another genre in which it hails are the great

speeches made throughout history that have shaped

our society. Abraham Lincoln's Four Score and

Seven Years Ago, Martin Luther King's I Have

a Dream, Neil Armstrong's One Small Step for

Man, One Giant Leap for Mankind, and Alan Iverson's

We Talkin' About Practice? If you don't know

Alan Iverson's rant, about practice, it is epic.

Please look it up. Thank you for joining us today,

and thank you for allowing me to have an opportunity

to speak before you. Today's focus is on the

power of words. For the last two months, we have

heard sermons focusing on the book of Matthew,

which is the first gospel of the New Testament.

Matthew, also known as Levi, was a tax collector

in the city of Carpanum. Task collectors in those

times were often despised because many had garnered

reputations as traitors to their people for collecting

money for the hated Roman Empire But also seen

as hopeless sinners for extorting money for their

own personal gain Matthew and his behaviors are

redeemed by Jesus in chapter 9 verses 9 verse

9 after Jesus and his disciples had just come

from healing a paralyzed man I would like to

read to you the moment when Matthew meets Jesus

and often when we read From the Bible here at

the church, we invite you to stand if you are

able and willing. As Jesus went on from here,

as Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named

Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth.

Follow me, he told him, and Matthew got up and

followed him. While Jesus was having dinner at

Matthew's house, many tax collectors and sinners

came and ate with him and his disciples. When

the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples,

why does your teacher eat with tax collectors

and sinners? On hearing this, Jesus said, it

is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the

sick. But go and learn what this means. I desire

mercy, not sacrifice, for I have not come to

call the righteous, but sinners. You may be seated.

Most of us will never stand on a podium in front

of 100 ,000 people. or deliver a classic line

in a movie, or write a song to be remembered

by millions. But all of us has had and will have

an opportunity to have our words impact someone

close to us, for the good and for the not so.

The ability to speak, to use words, perhaps is

the greatest of all skills. And why are words

so important, so powerful? Because they remain

forever. Our minds, our bodies, even the memories

of it all will all fade to dust, but perhaps

not our words. Words have created societies.

Words have become mottos to follow. Words have

inspired the people of the world to act in one

way or another for the good and for the not so.

Proof of this is easy to witness. All we have

to do is tell someone we love them and then look

at their face and see the joy we've created,

no matter how minute the expression. And the

opposite of joy, which is pain, can also be witnessed

equally when we say something close to us hating

them. Again, for the good, for the not so. What

matters often when determining the words to use

in any given situation, that is before we open

our mouths, is who we are prior to. What I'm

saying is, what is it that has taken place in

our lives to cause us to believe what we believe

and know what we know that causes us to say?

what we say. In Matthew chapter 12, verses 33

Matthew 12:33–37

through 37, we see Jesus admonishing those who

would use their words to harm others. It goes,

make a tree good and its fruit will be good.

Make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad for

a tree is recognized by its fruit. You brood

of vipers. How can you who are evil say anything

good for the mouth speaks what the heart is full

of. A good man brings good things out of the

good stored up in him, and an evil man brings

evil things out of the evil stored up in him.

But I tell you that everyone will have to give

account on the day of judgment for every empty

word they have spoken, for by your words you

will be acquitted, and by your words you will

be condemned. None of us can help where we were

born or who we were born to. None of us can help

the beauty we are given, the height we are bestowed,

the intellect we are granted, or the skin tone

we are provided. Our first few years are shaped

by the society that surrounds us and is view

of us by our given attributes. Here's an example.

Throughout the history of the world, left -handed

people have had tremendous disadvantages. Any

lefties in the house? Left -handedness was once

considered evil or at least unfortunate. and

those with dominance on their left considered

unintelligent, weak, and malicious. Many over

the millennia have been forced to either use

their right hands in every situation or experience

difficulty with everyday tasks such as writing

on school desks or holding simple household items

like computer mouses, scissors, knives, and power

tools. This society's view of lefties, which

they have not brought upon themselves. And I

say they because I am right handed. The difficulties

we endure or the easiness we experience based

purely on our God given attributes relating to

whatever societal preferences exists can cause

us to believe what we believe that in turn cause

us to say what we say. Some of us are born into

families that are poor or wealthy, Democrat or

Republican, professional or blue collar, educated

or non. black, white, Latino, or Asian, rural

or urban. Be not disheartened with any of those,

however, by any failings or negative emotions

based upon how you started in this world. Your

pain is not your fault. It was given to you.

However, what we fill ourselves with after those

younger years and after those societal bruises

and decorations is by choice. and how we use

our findings might determine what God's view

of our lives will be. So, what is it that we

fill ourselves with? Who is it that we read?

Who is it that we listen to and follow? And what

actions do we exhibit regularly for the known

adage, actions speak louder than words, gives

the best evidence of what we truly believe. Though

we may have begun with challenges, we have all

heard, all of us, enough great words filled with

integrity, compassion, joy, and love to enable

us to be the best versions of ourselves and allow

a great light to shine for all of those around

us to follow. We must have a care with the words

we use because we are listening and we are watching.

When I was in college, I was sitting with a group

of friends. at Augustana College, and we were

down in the basement, and we were just having

a great time talking about whatever college people

talk about. Suddenly, one of the members of my

group started speaking very loudly, and he was

angry with us. And the thing he said is, why

do we curse so much? And I didn't realize it

until he said it that we were all using as much

profanity as we possibly could. His name was

Charles, and he asked us why we did so, and then

he began to repeat the words that we were using.

At that moment, I noticed all the other people

in the room, those who were not a part of our

group watching us and perhaps silently admonishing

us as well. I felt shame creep into my heart

because I also wondered at that moment why I

used so much profanity. Was it because I was

young? Was it because these were the words I

heard and believed to be commonplace? At that

moment, I made a conscious effort to limit harsh

words in my vocabulary, but knowing there would

be other fun or difficult moments coming for

me when my emotions would run high and my words

would be necessary. So I gave myself a little

bit of grace, but I decided to replace some of

the harsh words with things less harsh. So if

you know me pretty well, you might have heard

a diddly squat, Jiminy Christmas, or dag natted.

Once I got over the silliness of those phrases,

They became easier to repeat and very natural.

After a number of years of effort, most people

that know me believe I have never uttered an

expletive. I've actually had people apologize

to me when they use harsh words. Trust me when

I say from time to time, I've dropped the four

letter one here or there. So I am not perfect

by any stretch of the imagination and I don't

imagine anyone else here trying to be one as

well or be perfect. I'm simply trying to be the

best person I can be in honor of you. and in

honor of my friend Charles. Of course, I am not

simply talking about profanity with the power

of words. Those words are powerful. I'm speaking

about anything we say that will cause others

to consider us and they themselves afterwards.

What words are we using that we lead with, that

are revealing of who we are? Do we speak with

love as an element of our chosen souls? And are

there other elements present when we speak, like

kindness, humility, hopefulness, peace, contentedness?

Saying good things and doing good things, things

that will assist you and those around you to

become greater versions of ourselves takes great

practice, patience, careful thoughts, and more

practice. Saying and doing things that could

harm often only takes an impulse and an instant.

Sometimes it's not the negative words we use

towards others that harm society. Many of us,

when out in public, we say the wonderful phrases

like, thank you, please, yes ma 'am, no sir.

On the outside, we are delightful. But on the

inside, often it is the words we tell ourselves

that do the most damage to the world. When we

loathe ourselves, when we repeat over and over

again our failures and regrets and fears, we

set ourselves up. to be the purveyors of misery

in the world because little comes out of us that

is positive. The same impact can be made when

we think too highly of ourselves and overtly

praise our successes or simple attributes like

beauty or strength because we can erode the learned

proficiencies of empathy and understanding. When

speaking to ourselves, it is important to have

care with our words even more so because this

is how we prepare our souls to engage with humanity.

Forgive yourself, love yourself. and have patience

with yourself. So I want to ask you to consider

a moment, a moment in silence and in thought.

My question is, what are you known for saying?

Is there a catchphrase or two that your kids

can repeat? You know the old standbys like, because

I said so, practice makes perfect or back in

my day. Or what would people who know you say

about you? What words would they use to describe

how you make them feel when you speak to them?

Or lastly, if you had to get on our podium and

talk about yourself in front of 100 ,000 people,

what words would you use to describe yourself?

I want to give you that moment. I hope that was

a good exercise for some of you, if not all of

you. And I hope that what you believe about you,

that what you would say about you is something

you would love for the rest of us to know. Anybody

ever had PES? You knew there was going to be

a Star Wars reference, right? So this, If you

can see, this is Yoda. So of course, many of

you know I'm a big Star Wars fan. And one of

the famous quotes from the series of movies,

TV shows, and books comes from cute and lovable

Yoda. In the second movie, The Empire Strikes

Back, Yoda is training Luke to become a full

-fledged Jedi. Yoda wants him to use the force

to lift his X -wing, one of the ships, out of

the waters of Dagobah, where they're training.

And Luke says half -heartedly, all right, I'll

give it a try. Yoda immediately admonishes him

and responds to Luke's lackluster, presumed lackluster

effort with, no, try not. Do or do not, there

is no try. What Yoda is asking of Luke is to

set forth in accomplishing what is most important

to him. What I ask of ourselves today, is to

set forth in accomplishing what we want to be

known for in the terms of the words that we use

that represent our actions and our beliefs. And

to understand that what we fill ourselves with

on a regular basis will shape how we see ourselves,

how we see society, and how ultimately how God

will respond back to us when our opportunity

comes. For your consideration, I will leave you

with two Bible verses. The first comes from 2nd

Corinthians chapter 10 verse 7. And they said

to him, if you will be good to this people and

please them and speak good words to them, then

they will be your servants forever. Secondly,

Ephesians chapter 4 verse 29. Let no corrupting

Ephesians 4:29

talk come out of your mouths, but only such as

is good for building up as it fits the occasion.

that it may give grace to those who hear. Thank

you for lending your ear to me today and I hope

that my words have given you some thought and

perhaps a bit of resolve to allow your own words

to let your own light shine. Thank you.