For by your words...

 

The other day I was around a bunch of guys that I didn’t know and didn’t know me. Their conversation was one that shocked me. The two guys started talking about a conflict they had with a neighbor and dropped F bombs throughout the talk about this violent interaction. For those who don’t know what an F bomb is, it’s the 4 letter profanity people use and is considered, at least I think, one of the dirtiest words.

Now please understand this is not what shocked me. I hear this word often in public settings. What almost made me want to scream, was at one point, one of the guys said “hey wait haven’t I seen you before?” To which the other guy said “yes I go to this church, to which the other guy said “hey that’s the church I go to isn’t it great! “ They then chatted about how great this church is and how long they’ve attended.

Friends this just blows my mind here are a couple “church guys” with potty mouths and yet they see no disconnect*. I certainly hope this will not be the case with us. I hope the way you talk before, during and after our worship experiences is the same as you would talk at home at work or at school. Remember you ARE the church-you don’t go to church-you are the church that is a witness everywhere YOU go!

This justification about “boys being boys” or “locker room banter” is a feeble, hypocritical crutch. Jesus was a boy too but never sinned. All His words were pure and pleasing to God. Jesus is right there in your locker room with you. Is He happy to hear the way you talk?

But it seems to me there has been a hard shift in our culture in that it doesn’t seem to matter how you talk or the words you use. I’m disgusted with some of the people in the highest leadership of government and business who’s mouths are nasty as a hot porta pot!

This all comes from tragic loss of what the Bible says about the impact and importance of our speech. The words we use matter and we will be held accountable for each and every one. Jesus tells us exactly that-just keep reading.

This is downright terrifying to me as a preacher and it should be, but in reality, all of us should be aware and take care of the words we speak. As a wise person once said “you cannot take back any words that you say.“ This is painfully true. I just read James chapter 3 and it provides powerful insights about the words we use just highlighting a few verses:

1Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to control his whole body…

That was the terrifying part for me, here’s some scary stuff for you too!

5In the same way, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it boasts of great things. Consider how small a spark sets a great forest ablaze. 6The tongue also is a fire, a world of wickedness among the parts of the body. It pollutes the whole person, sets the course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.a

7All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, 8but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

9With the tongue we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10Out of the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, this should not be!

 These tell us very clearly -words matter. Jesus also pointedly tells us the same thing in the gospel of Mark chapter 7:

20He continued: “What comes out of a man, that is what defiles him. 21For from within the hearts of men come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,j 22greed, wickedness, deceit, debauchery, envy, slander, arrogance, and foolishness. 23All these evils come from within, and these are what defile a man.”

Verses 21- 22 are a nasty list. And all of those things flow into the words we use. What is inside us will come out-ususally in the form of the words we speak. And one of the most dangerous things about using bad words is they often lead us to bad actions. What we say is often what we end up doing for better or worse.

Friends, Jesus also has stern warnings for those who professed to follow God but then turn in another direction and live their lives. These are people with no integrity. Jesus uses a word that still makes people cringe today but it’s exactly the correct word and that is hypocrite. In Matthew 23 Jesus is actually calling out the preachers of his day:

25Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish,f so that the outside may become clean as well.

27Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of impurity. 28In the same way, on the outside you appear to be righteous, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

What is on the inside must match the outside! This isn’t just a word for preachers but all those who call Jesus their Lord and Savior. Is He the Lord of your lips? The Savior of what you say? If you claim to follow Christ but the words that come out of your mouth are cursing and profane you are not following Christ. It’s time to turn around! Instead of cursing start confessing! Wash your mouth out with the sanctifying soap of the Spirit!

Jesus is crystal clear in Matthew 12:

33Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is known by its fruit. 34You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. 35The good man brings good things out of his good store of treasure, and the evil man brings evil things out of his evil store of treasure. 36But I tell you that men will give an account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. 37For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

The words we use are a clear indicator of what or more to the point WHO is inside of us. Again, the Bible is clear on what kind of speech indicates the presence of God in our lives. What kind of tree are you? Easy to know-what fruit do you bear-to be clear-what words come out of your mouth?

I remember vividly back in junior high, on the bus and everywhere kids seemed to be fascinated with cussing. Everybody was doing it-or so it seemed. We came out of elementary school and encountered this new vocabulary and so all the cool kids were cussing. I wanted to be cool too.

I know I felt I should give it a try so I remember cussing in front of this one girl who was a friend. Her name was Liz and I remember right after the the words came out of my mouth. She looked at me with the saddest expression and said words that still burn in my ears “Todd I thought you were different.” The truth is, I was not. Godly guilt still pricks my heart when I think of that.

Dear friends there are moments that I think our culture has reverted back to junior high. I feel that the Church is starting to believe everybody is talking like this and so we should give it a try. Please know that if we do, I believe Jesus will be standing there with the saddest expression on his face and will speak words that will burn our ears when he says “I thought you were different”

Let’s be different today from the world around us by what we say, in Jesus name I pray AMEN.

 

*To be very clear I don’t know the state of these men’s souls. Maybe they were lost and just started attending this church-I hope so. But the one guy had a huge cross around his neck and the other guy was wearing a “faith over fear” shirt with a big cross on it. The point is, in my opinion, the witness for Christ and the church was complete contradiction. I said nothing but now I think I should have. Thus, this article. Glad to discuss, if you see this differently.