Words: Five Rules

Sermon preached at North Hill, March 12, 2011
Primary texts: Genesis 1 and John 1. Matthew 5:21-24, 33-37; 12:34-36


Money is powerful. For the cost of 5 cans of potato chips you could pay the cost for providing clean water for one person for a lifetime in the African nation of Cameroon. For the cost of 2 cans of potato chips, you could finance a week's tuition for a single mom in Nigeria, changing her life forever. There is incredible power in some pieces of paper or some numbers in an electronic transaction.

Managing wealth is one way we connect with God. Managing wealth, taking deliberate, intentional action with our money is one way we can act like God. Last week I offered five rules for managing our money. When we follow these rules, we become partners with God. Money becomes a source of happiness for us and for others. When we follow these rules, usually money is no longer source of stress.

Of course, money can be used as a tool for evil. Last month Dr. Michael Mockovak, co-founder of the popular Clearly Lasik eye-surgery centers, was found guilty of hiring someone to kill his former business partner. The failed plot was going to cost him $125,000. Apparently $125,000 is the going price for hiring a hit man here in the Northwest. In March, an attorney who lives in Idaho, named Edgar Steele, was indicted for offering $125,000 to a man named Larry Fairfax to kill Mr. Steele's wife and his mother-in-law. Fortunately that plot didn't work out any better than Dr. Mockovak's scheme.

My point is, you can use money to heal or to harm, you can use money to bless or to curse. Obviously, we are supposed to use our money to bless and heal. Money is a gift God has given us to be used for his glory, our own well-being, and the benefit of others. Money gives us God-like power to bless.

Today I want to talk about another gift. This gift is even more powerful than money. It connects us with God even more powerfully than money. The gift of speech, the gift of words. When we manage wealth wisely we are acting in the image of God. When we manage our speech wisely we come even closer to the identity and heart of God.

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. … Then God said, 'Let there be light.'" The first thing God does is speak. His words become the resource of reality. Throughout the Bible the most salient characteristic of God is his speech. He gives commands, warnings, promises. At Mount Sinai, God "appears" to Israel. There is some thunder and lightning, there are dark clouds. But the most important fact about the appearance is what God says. It's God's words, not his shape that is indelibly imprinted in the awareness of his people.

When we come to the New Testament, to Jesus, we see again this focus on the words. The gospel of John introduces Jesus by saying, "in the beginning was the word. And the word was with God. And the Word was God." The gospel of Matthew announces the beginning of Jesus' ministry with these words, "the people sitting in darkness have seen a great light." Then it announces, "Jesus began to preach." Jesus' words brought light.

The vital heart of the mission of Jesus was words. Words that gave hope, words that gave wisdom, words that connect us with God. People came to Jesus because he was a powerful healer. They stayed and stayed because he was an absolutely riveting speaker. I like the picture given in Luke 5. “One day as Jesus was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, he saw at the water's edge two boats.… He got into one of the boats… Then sat down and taught the people.

Crowds of people, probably thousands people, standing, sitting, hanging out on the shore, captivated by the words of the man in the boat.

What did they hear? Why did thousands of people stand for days on occasion listening to Jesus talk?
There was life in his words. There was hope, there was wisdom, there was divine love. There was light.

This is what God wants to do with our words. Create light. God wants us to talk in such a way that when people listen to us they hear hope, wisdom and goodness. That's what Christians do with words.

In the sermon on the Mount, which is recorded in Matthew 5-7, Jesus lays down the fundamental principles of his kingdom, the basic rules for his disciples.

The first rule: Be light.

Applied to speech, this means: say nice things. Say good things. Say things that will bring encouragement hope and help to others. When you come into a room does it get brighter or darker? When you enter a conversation, does it get lighter or darker?

Rule one for Christians in regards to words: say only those things which will be helpful for building others up, or protecting others.

When you talk to your kids does their world get lighter? When you talk to your husband, your wife, your parents?

Rule number two: Don't say mean things.

Jesus talked about murder (Matthew 5:21ff.). Obviously he was against it. However, he was almost dismissive of murder as a commandment. Here's what he said, "you have heard that it was said do not commit murder." Obviously, the people in his audience knew that murder was wrong. Jesus would have been wasting their time if he spent any energy trying to “persuade” them that murder was wrong. They already knew that. So Jesus applied this commandment in a new way. It was an application that stretched his audience then. It still stretches us today.

"You have heard that it was said long ago, do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment. But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. . . . Anyone who says to his brother, "You idiot!" will be in danger of hellfire."

When we use speech that is dismissive of the character and value of the people around us we are guilty of an evil similar to murder.

Stay with that for a bit.

Did you use speech this week that was dismissive of the character or value of another person? When we use words that demean others, when we use words that slice and dice others, we are acting in a way that is morally similar to murderers.

Jesus takes it further. “If you're on your way to worship with an offering for God and on the way remember some wound you have caused your brother or sister, turn around and go home. Go find the person you have offended and be reconciled to them. Then come and offer your gift.”

If we are slicing and dicing with our words, our worship at church is worthless. I am not suggesting that we should stay away from church unless we are flawless in our speech. I am saying if your words at home make those who hear them cringe and ache, before you head out to church, ask their forgiveness.

If it is a common occurrence in your home for words to cause pain, get help to change the pattern. You do not have to continue using words as weapons. There is help available. You can learn to use words to bring hope and happiness. You can learn to avoid using words as instruments of anger and revenge. God does not want us using words to bully, badger, nag, sass, intimidate. Words are to be instruments of righteousness, tools for building relationships, vehicles of hope.

So do not overly congratulate yourself because you did not hire a hit man this week. Rather, congratulate yourself if your spouse and your children heard from you words that were helpful, hopeful, full of affirmation and encouragement. If you wonder what your spouse thinks about your words, ask them.

Jesus first rule for words: Make them instruments of light.

The second rule: don't say mean things.

Rule three: Tell the truth.

Further down in chapter 5, Jesus gives another rule for speech. Tell the truth. Speak in such a way that others who hear your words will know what you mean. And make sure your meaning lines up with reality. Tell the truth.

As I have said before, this means that you will not forward e-mails unless you have verified all of the facts that are in the e-mails. Especially advocacy e-mails. When someone send you an e-mail outlining how stupid or evil or malicious or dangerous some politician is, don't forward it. Do some research. So far I think every single e-mail like this I have ever received turned out to contain substantial factual error. The errors were usually the juiciest part. They were the dramatic statements that made the emails interesting. But they were still errors of fact, errors that were readily ascertained. All you had to do was spend two or three minutes Googling to discover that some of the assertions in the e-mails were factually incorrect. When we forward these e-mails we are violating Jesus' command to tell the truth. (We are also violating rule number two: Don't say mean things.)

So first rule a sure your words fuel hope and happiness. Second rule don't say mean things. Third row tell the truth.

Fourth rule. Don't use ugly words.

I made this one up. Don't use ugly words. Don't use any words that would be bleeped on the radio or have asterisks inserted in standard print media.

Don't use the F word. Don't say to your children, "you're stupid." Don't say, "you're lazy." Don't ever use the word fag in private or in public.

I could go on. But I do not want to use ugly words from the pulpit. And the reality is that I am so culturally out of touch I may not be aware of the latest ugly words. Use good words. Use words that enhance respect for the people. Do not use any titles, labels, or slang that imply disrespect or violence or dismissiveness or contempt. Just don't do it. And if you catch yourself, say excuse me. Then quit doing it.

Fifth rule. Memorize good stuff.

Memorize Bible passages.

David writes in the Psalms, “Your word have I hidden in my heart than I might not sin against you.” Jesus said, in arguing with the devil, “Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Of course in saying that, Jesus was quoting from the Old Testament.

In our Sabbath School classes for the kids, they are assigned a memory verse every week. Parents, make sure they learn it. Go over their memory verse with them every day. EVERY SINGLE DAY. Before the kids go to sleep, go over their memory verse with them.

If you don't have kids to review memory verses with, then get your own verse for week. It's a whole lot easier to memorize when you're young. That's one reason why it's so important for parents to lead their children in memorizing verses of the Bible every week. But even if you're older and your memory is like a sieve, still take some time to put Bible words into your head. Take a verse and live with it for a week.

Put good words into your head.

Authoritative Backup

Just in case you think I'm overstating the importance of our words, notice the teaching of Jesus in Matthew 12:34. “Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the goods stored up in him and the evil man brings evil things out of the stored up in him. So I tell you be aware of this: men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. By your words you will be acquitted. By your words you will be condemned.”

Words matter. They can bring hope and life and healing. They can wound and slice and hurt. Words are not trivial. We must not excuse ourselves when we use words that are sharp and cutting.

Jesus was called the word of God. Throughout the Old Testament the most prominent characteristic of God with speech. In our lives together, if we are Christians, if we are followers of Christ, we will make our speech full of grace. As we do so, we will find ourselves partnering with God. We will experience the joy God experiences in speaking good news. As we share good news with others not only will they be touched by the warmth of God's grace. Our own lives will be warmed, our own souls will be watered. Our hearts will discover fresh hope in the bright words, the good words that flow from God through us to the world.