THE LIVING WORD TRANSCRIPT
PROGRAM AIR DATE: 12-30-18
LESSON TITLE: "WORLDLY SPEECH"
WELCOME
TODAY WE ARE BLESSED WITH A WONDERFUL GIFT FROM GOD, THE BIBLE. THIS BOOK IS GOD'S LIVING WORD. IN ITS PAGES, WE ARE TOLD "FOR THE WORD OF GOD IS LIVING AND POWERFUL AND SHARPER THAN ANY TWO-EDGED SWORD." IT IS IN THIS BOOK OF BOOKS THAT WE FIND THE ANSWERS TO ALL OF MAN'S QUESTIONS AND NEEDS. THIS MORNING YOUR AREA CHURCHES OF CHRIST WELCOME YOU TO A PROGRAM COMMITTED TO THAT PERFECT LAW OF LIBERTY AS WE PRESENT THE LIVING WORD. NOW HERE IS YOUR HOST, RAY SULLINS.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS! I HOPE YOU HAVE HAD A GREAT WEEK AND I HOPE YOU ARE WRAPPING UP THIS YEAR IN A GOOD AND POSITIVE WAY. 2019 IS ONLY A FEW DAYS AWAY. ARE YOU READY TO MAKE THE MOST OF A NEW YEAR?
AS YOU KNOW, WE ARE PRIVILEGED THIS MORNING TO JOIN TOGETHER IN THE STUDY OF GOD'S LIVING WORD. AND WE THANK GOD THAT YOU HAVE CHOSEN TO BE WITH US TODAY. WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY WE HAVE TOGETHER THIS MORNING TO GLORIFY OUR CREATOR. MAY WE EACH DO OUR PART TO MAKE THIS TIME ACCEPTABLE IN HIS SIGHT AND ACCORDING TO HIS WILL. NOW, LET'S APPROACH OUR FATHER'S THRONE IN PRAYER.
PRAYER: OUR GOD AND FATHER IN HEAVEN, WE'RE SO THANKFUL FOR THIS DAY AND EVERY DAY OF LIFE. AND FATHER, WE'RE SO THANKFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY THAT WE HAVE TO BE CALLED YOUR CHILDREN AND TO BE SERVANTS IN YOUR KINGDOM. AND FATHER, WE KNOW THAT YOU GIVE US EVERYTHING WE NEED PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL. AND FATHER WE THANK YOU FOR THAT AND WE ASK THAT YOU WILL HELP US EACH AND EVERY DAY OF LIFE TO GIVE YOU OUR VERY BEST KNOWING THAT IN DOING SO WE MIGHT BE FOUND FAVORABLE IN YOUR SIGHT AND RECEIVE THE BLESSINGS OF THIS LIFE AND THE REWARDS OF THE LIFE TO COME. AND FATHER WE THANK YOU FOR JESUS, THE SACRIFICE HE MADE, AS WELL AS HIS RESURRECTION WHICH ALLOWS US TO BE FOUND JUSTIFIED IN YOUR SIGHT EVEN THIS DAY. IN JESUS NAME WE PRAY, AMEN.
WHAT A WONDERFUL PRIVILEGE WE HAVE AS CHRISTIANS TO LIFT UP OUR VOICES IN PRAISE TO GOD. HOW ENCOURAGING IT IS TO HAVE THIS AVENUE OF WORSHIP TO OUR CREATOR! SO, THIS MORNING WON'T YOU JOIN IN WITH THE CONGREGATION AT THIS TIME AS WE SING TOGETHER OUR FIRST HYMN OF THE MORNING. THE NAME OF THE SONG "I KNOW THAT MY REDEEMER LIVES!"
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS
THINK ABOUT ALL THE NATIONS OVER THE PAST CENTURIES AND ALL OF THE GOVERNMENTS THAT RULED THOSE NATIONS. AT FIRST THOUGHT, WE MIGHT THINK OF THOSE REGIMES WHICH WERE WICKED OR BAD. ON THE OTHER HAND, ALL OF US HAVE PROBABLY HAD OUR FAVORITE LEADERS OR RULERS FROM TIMES PAST.
WHEN I THINK ABOUT ALL OF THIS, I AM REMINDED OF THOSE TODAY AND OF THOSE FROM YEARS PAST WHO HAVE HATED GOVERNMENTS. SO MANY OFTEN WANT TO BLAME THE WORLD OR EVEN GOD, WHEN THINGS DON'T SEEM TO BE GOING THEIR WAY. WELL, WHAT DO WE FIND ABOUT THIS TOPIC IN GOD'S WORD?
IN ROMANS 13:7, WE ARE TOLD, "RENDER THEREFORE TO ALL THEIR DUE: TAXES TO WHOM TAXES ARE DUE, CUSTOMS TO WHOM CUSTOMS, FEAR TO WHOM FEAR, HONOR TO WHOM HONOR." WOW, THIS IS A HARD LESSON. HERE WE ARE TOLD TO HONOR AND RESPECT OUR GOVERNMENTS, EVEN WHEN IT COMES TO PAYING TAXES. OBVIOUSLY, THIS HONOR AND RESPECT MUST ALSO COINCIDE WITH GOD'S WILL. FOR EXAMPLE, IF THE GOVERNMENT MAKES A LAW OR TELLS US TO DO THINGS AGAINST GOD'S WILL, THEN OBVIOUSLY GOD'S LAWS ARE HIGHER THAN MAN'S. BUT AS LONG AS A GOVERNMENT IS NOT GOING AGAINST WHAT IS ACCEPTABLE OR PROPER AND RIGHT IN THE EYES OF GOD, WE ARE REQUIRED TO OBEY, RESPECT, AND HONOR THEM. BUT WHY?
LOOK BACK UP IN VERSE ONE WITH ME OF THE SAME CHAPTER OF ROMANS 13. THERE PAUL SAID, "LET EVERY SOUL BE SUBJECT TO THE GOVERNING AUTHORITIES. FOR THERE IS NO AUTHORITY EXCEPT FROM GOD, AND THE AUTHORITIES THAT EXIST ARE APPOINTED BY GOD." EVERYTHING THAT IS AROUND US AND EVERYONE IN POWER HAS ONLY BEEN ALLOWED TO BE THERE BECAUSE OF GOD. THIS DOESN'T MEAN THAT GOD PUTS WICKED PEOPLE IN POSITIONS OF POWER TO HURT MAN, BUT IT DOES MEAN THAT EVERYTHING HAS A PURPOSE AND GOD HAS A HAND IN EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS IN THIS WORLD.
THINK BACK TO THE OLD TESTAMENT. HOW MANY TIMES DID GOD USE OTHER NATIONS OR GOVERNMENTS TO ACCOMPLISH A PURPOSE OR TO PROVE A POINT? SOMETIMES IT IS THE HARSH REALITIES IN LIFE THAT DRAW US CLOSER TO GOD OR WHICH CAUSE US TO NEED HIM MORE. SO, WE MUST REALIZE THAT IT IS OUR DUTY TO RESPECT THOSE OF THIS WORLD WHO ARE OVER US.
FURTHERMORE, WHO WOULD WANT TO KNOW ABOUT OUR GOD IF WE WERE ALWAYS DISRESPECTFUL AND DISHONORABLE? WHEN WE SHOW REQUEST AND HONOR TO THOSE OF THIS WORLD, EVEN OUR ENEMIES, WE GLORIFY GOD THROUGH OUR ACTIONS. IN FACT, THAT IS THE WAY THAT THE WORLD SEES CHRIST IN US. ARE YOU SHOWING THE HONOR AND RESPECT WHICH YOU SHOULD TO THOSE WHO ARE OVER YOU?
TODAY WE WILL CONTINUE OUR STUDY ON, "GOD MADE FOOLISH THE WISDOM OF THE WORLD." OUR SPECIFIC TOPIC OF THE DAY WILL DEAL WITH, "WORLDLY SPEECH." SO PLEASE CONTINUE WITH US THIS MORNING AND AFTER OUR NEXT SONG I WILL RETURN WITH THIS LESSON FROM GOD'S WORD. IT'S NOW TIME TO JOIN IN OUR SECOND HYMN OF THE MORNING, THE NAME OF THE SONG, "SEEK YE FIRST."
LESSON
BY RAY SULLINS
WE'RE GLAD THAT YOU'VE CONTINUED WITH US TODAY AS WE RETURN TO ANOTHER STUDY IN RELATIONSHIP TO THE THINGS OF THE WORLD AND REALLY WHAT IT IS THAT THE WORLD DECIDES AS GREAT IN WISDOM OR THINGS THAT ARE PROPER FOR MAN, WHEN REALLY THE BIBLE STATES SOMETHING QUITE THE OPPOSITE. WE'VE LOOKED TOGETHER AT A LOT OF THINGS THAT PERTAIN TO OUR CHRISTIAN CHARACTER AND TODAY NO DOUBT WE CONTINUE TO DO THE SAME AFTER HAVING LOOKED AT THE THOUGHTS LAST WEEK. TODAY WE LOOK AT SPEECH. AND CERTAINLY, ONE OF THE OUTCOMES OF OUR THOUGHTS AND WHO WE ARE AND WHAT THE HEART IS AS WE SAW LAST WEEK IS REALLY THE THINGS THAT WE SAY AS WELL AS THE THINGS THAT WE DO. AND WE KNOW THAT BECAUSE OF THE VERY FAMILIAR ILLUSTRATION THAT JESUS USED IN THE BOOK OF MATTHEW CHAPTER 12. YOU MIGHT RECALL THERE IN RELATIONSHIP TO TALKING ABOUT THE FRUIT THAT WE BEAR AND HOW WE ARE KNOWN BY OUR FRUIT, THAT SPECIFICALLY IN THIS CASE HE WAS ACTUALLY ADDRESSING THEM AS THOSE WHO CLAIMED TO BE GOOD BUT THEY WERE SPEAKING EVIL THINGS. AND HE MADE THIS STATEMENT VERSE 35: "'A GOOD MAN OUT OF THE GOOD TREASURE OF HIS HEART BRINGS FORTH GOOD THINGS, AND AN EVIL MAN OUT OF THE EVIL TREASURES BRINGS FORTH EVIL THINGS.'" NOW I WANT YOU TO NOTICE WHAT HE SAYS IN VERSE 36 AND 37 THAT CERTAINLY SHOWS US THE IMPORTANCE OF OUR DISCUSSION THIS MORNING. BUT JESUS SAID, "'I SAY TO YOU THAT FOR EVERY IDLE WORD MEN MAY SPEAK, THEY WILL GIVE AN ACCOUNT OF IT IN THE DAY OF JUDGMENT. FOR BY YOUR WORDS YOU WILL BE JUSTIFIED, AND BY YOUR WORDS YOU WILL BE CONDEMNED.'" I THINK YOU CAN BEGIN TO SEE HERE WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHAT PROPER WORDS ARE. BECAUSE IT IS BY THE THINGS THAT WE SAY THAT WE WILL BE JUDGED IN RELATIONSHIP TO OUR ETERNAL LIFE AND THE OFFER THAT GOD GIVES OF ETERNAL LIFE.
AND SO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT SPEECH, THE THINGS WE SAY OR OUR SPEECH IS MADE UP OF WORDS, SO UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE JUDGED BY OUR WORDS AND WHETHER THOSE WORDS ARE IN ALIGNMENT WITH WHAT GOD WOULD HAVE OF US OR NOT. AND CERTAINLY WE ARE JUDGED AS RIGHTEOUS OR WE WILL BE CONDEMNED BY SUCH CERTAINLY THEN GIVES US A LOT TO THINK ABOUT, A LOT TO PONDER UPON. IN FACT, PERHAPS ONE OF THE BEST TEXT THAT DEALS WITH THIS CONCEPT OF WORDS AND THE POWER OF WORDS IS FOUND OVER IN THE BOOK OF JAMES CHAPTER THREE. IT IS WITHIN THIS CONTEXT THAT JAMES IS TALKING ABOUT THE STRICTER JUDGMENT OF TEACHERS BECAUSE A TEACHER PREPARES AND SPEAKS WORDS TO THE STUDENT THAT THE STUDENT MIGHT LEARN AND DO ACCORDING TO WHAT THE TEACHER HAS TAUGHT THEM. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? WHAT IT MEANS IS THAT THE TEACHER'S WORDS ARE GOOD. IF THEY'RE ENCOURAGING AND IF THEY'RE PROPER IN THE RIGHT DIRECTIVE AND DIRECTION, THEN THEY DO THE THINGS THAT ARE RIGHT. IF THEY TEACH AND ARE SAYING THINGS THAT ARE INCORRECT OR WRONG OR LEAD SOMEONE AWAY FROM WHAT IS RIGHT, THEN IT IS QUITE THE OPPOSITE. THEY WOULD BE LED TO CONDEMNATION. SO THE TEACHER MUST BE WHAT? CAREFUL ABOUT THEIR WORDS BECAUSE THEIR WORDS MIGHT LEAD SOMEONE TO GOD OR UNFORTUNATELY THEIR WORDS COULD LEAD SOMEONE AWAY FROM GOD. BUT THEN WE WANT TO LOOK HERE IN RELATIONSHIP TO OUR WORDS, WHAT IT SAYS ABOUT THE PERFECT MAN OR THE PROPER MAN IN THE SIGHT OF GOD. IN VERSE TWO HE ADDS THIS, "FOR WE ALL STUMBLE IN MANY THINGS. IF ANYONE DOES NOT STUMBLE IN WORD, HE IS A PERFECT MAN." IN FACT, HE SAYS HE'S ABLE TO CONTROL THE WHOLE BODY, TO BRIDLE THE WHOLE BODY. IF WE CAN CONTROL OUR WORDS, IF WE CAN CONTROL OUR SPEECH THEN WE'RE ABLE TO SHOW OURSELVES WISE IN RELATIONSHIP TO GOD BECAUSE OUR WORDS ARE ACCOMPLISHING THE PURPOSE THAT GOD HAS DESIRED OF US. NOT WHAT THE WORLD WANTS OR WHAT MAN SAYS THAT MIGHT LEAD US ASTRAY OR INTO CONDEMNATION BUT THE WORDS THAT LEAD US TO RIGHTEOUSNESS, TO GODLINESS, TO GOOD THINGS, TO ENCOURAGING THINGS. HE THEN GOES ON TO DESCRIBE THE POWER OF WORDS. AND CERTAINLY WE KNOW THE WORDS THAT MEN HAVE SPOKEN OF OLD TO REALLY LEAD PEOPLE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION OR IN THE WRONG DIRECTION. WE KNOW EVEN IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN LED AGAIN IN THE WRONG DIRECTION OR THE RIGHT DIRECTION BY THE WORDS, THE SPEECH OF MEN.
BUT IF YOU'LL NOTICE HERE HE GIVES THESE EXAMPLES. HE SAYS YOUR WORDS AND HE ACTUALLY IS ADDRESSING THERE THE CONCEPT OF THE TOUNGE. CONTINUING ON, HE SAYS THEY ARE LIKE THAT GIANT HORSE THAT MIGHT WEIGH HALF A TON. THE TONGUE IS LIKE THAT HORSE THAT IS CONTROLLED BY A SMALL BIT. ON THE OTHER HAND HE SAYS WHAT ABOUT THAT SHIP THAT IS IN THE OCEAN? COMPARE IT TO THE SIZE OF THAT GREAT SHIP OR OCEAN LINER. ONLY A SMALL RUDDER IS ABLE TO MAKE IT GO TO THE RIGHT OR TO THE LEFT OR TO KEEP IT STRAIGHT, EVEN SOMETIMES AMONG THE FIERCEST OF WINDS. YOU SEE AGAIN THE POWER OF THE TONGUE? HE MENTIONS THE TONGUE IS A FIRE. CONSIDER HOW THAT A SMALL SPARK OR A FIRE CAN TURN EVEN INTO A FOREST FIRE. WE OFTEN SEE HOW MAYBE IN THE WEST, OUT IN CALIFORNIA, AND MANY HUNDREDS AND THOUSANDS OF ACRES THAT BURN SOMETIMES STARTED BY EVEN THE MOST SMALL OR INSIGNIFICANT SPARK. AND THEN HE IS COMPARING ALL OF THESE THINGS, THESE SMALL THINGS THAT TURN INTO SOMETHING GREAT OR BIG OR VAST AND HOW THEY THEN AFFECT EVERYTHING ELSE. HOW THEY AGAIN CAN EVEN BE DESTRUCTIVE TO THE POINT OF DESTROYING GOD'S CREATION OR EVEN DESTROYING LIFE. AND THEN HE SAYS MY BRETHERN, MY FRIENDS, THE TONGUE AND THE WORDS SPOKEN WITH THE TONGUE ARE EQUALLY POWERFUL. HOW ARE THEY EQUALLY POWERFUL IN THAT SENSE? THEY ARE EQUALLY POWERFUL BECAUSE THEY MIGHT EVEN DO GREAT THINGS, THEY MIGHT ENCOURAGE, THEY MIGHT EDIFY. BUT THEY ALSO MIGHT DO BAD THINGS BECAUSE THEY MIGHT DESTROY, TEAR DOWN, AND HARM. IN FACT, IF YOU WERE TO LOOK BETTER WITHIN THE SAME CONTEXT NOTICE WHAT HE SAYS IN VERSE EIGHT, "BUT NO MAN CAN TAME THE TONGUE. IT IS AN UNRULY EVIL, FULL OF DEADLY POISON." YOU SEE HOW POISONOUS THE TONGUE CAN BE? WE'VE ALL PERHAPS KNOWN INDIVIDUALS OR HAVE MAYBE HEARD FROM PEOPLE BEFORE THINGS THAT ARE SAID THAT ACTUALLY REALLY HURT EITHER US OR OTHERS THAT ARE VERY DESTRUCTIVE, THAT REALLY CREATE DIVISION OR THAT ARE DIVISIVE. THEY ARE LIKE POISON. THEY ARE LIKE THAT POISON OF THE SNAKEBITE THAT CREATES NOT ONLY PAIN BUT SOMETIMES COULD EVEN CAUSE SOMEONE TO DIE. YOU SEE THE POWER OF WORDS AND HOW DESTRUCTIVE THEY CAN BE? HOW THEY CAN BE SOMETHING THAT ARE USED IN A POSITIVE OR A NEGATIVE WAY? AND WITHIN ALL OF THESE THINGS HE SAYS YOU KNOW, THE GREATEST ANIMALS OF THE WORLD HAVE BEEN TAMED, VERSE SEVEN, BUT THE TONGUE OFTEN HAS NOT BEEN TAMED. IT OFTEN IS NOT USED IN THE WAY THAT IT SHOULD BE USED AND THEREFORE HE AGAIN DRAWS THE CONTRAST OF VERSE 10. HE SAYS ON ONE HAND SOMEONE MIGHT USE IT AS A BLESSING AND ON THE OTHER HAND SOMEONE MIGHT USE IT AS A CURSE. AND SO WHAT IS THE OUTCOME? HE SAYS THE OUTCOME IS THAT A GOOD TREE DOESN'T BRING FORTH BAD FRUIT. A GOOD SWEET SPRING OF WATER DOESN'T BRING FORTH BAD WATER. AND THEREFORE, IF OUR HEARTS AND WHAT WE ARE FOCUSED ON IN LIFE ARE PROPER, THEY'RE GOING TO BRING FORTH AND PRODUCE WHAT IS RIGHT OR GOOD OR RIGHTEOUS ACCORDING TO THE WILL OF GOD, NOT THAT WHICH IS WICKED. AND THEREFORE HE MAKES THE CLEAR COMPARISON COMPARING AND CONTRASTING TRYING TO HELP US TO UNDERSTAND AS WELL THAT WE CAN DO GREAT THINGS WITH THE TONGUE OR OUR WORDS. BUT WE ALSO CAN DO THINGS THAT WOULD DESTROY OR TEAR DOWN.
WITH THOSE THINGS IN MIND, THEN I WANT YOU TO NOTICE WITH ME A FEW OTHER PASSAGES THAT REALLY HELP US TO SEE HOW WE SHOULD USE OUR WORDS AND HOW A GREAT BLESSING THEY MIGHT BE TO OTHERS. HOW EFFECTIVE THEY MIGHT BE IN THE LIVES OF OTHERS. FOR INSTANCE, IN EPHESIANS CHAPTER FOUR, THE SPEECH THAT WE GET THERE IS MENTIONED AS TO BE THAT WHICH IS PROPER. IN FACT, HE WARNS AGAINST CORRUPT COMMUNICATION AND HE SAYS WHAT WE SPEAK OR WHAT WE COMMUNICATE, OUR WORDS SHOULD BE WHAT? GOOD FOR NECESSARY EDIFICATION. AND THEN HE SAYS THAT THEY MIGHT ACTUALLY IMPART GRACE TO THE HEARER. SO OUR WORDS ARE SO SUPPOSED TO BE PRODUCTIVE, POSITIVE, GOOD, THAT BUILD UP, THAT MAKE ONE BETTER, THAT ACTUALLY IMPART FAVOR TO SOMEONE. AND I THINK YOU AND I KNOW WELL WHAT FAVOR MEANS. IT IS THAT IDEA OF GRACE, SO WHETHER DESERVED OR NOT, THAT WE SAY THINGS THAT BUILD UP AND MAKE SOMEONE BETTER NOT TEAR DOWN. SO THAT'S THE PURPOSE OF OUR WORDS, TO MAKE THINGS BETTER, TO MAKE PEOPLE BETTER, TO MAKE PEOPLE KNOW THE WILL OF GOD BETTER, TO HELP THEM TO BE GUIDED IN RELATIONSHIP TO WHAT THEY DO ACCORDING TO THE WILL OF GOD IN A BETTER WAY.
ANOTHER EXAMPLE IS FOUND IN COLOSSIANS CHAPTER FOUR AND VERSE SIX WHERE THERE OUR WORDS ARE DISCUSSED AS SALT. AND THEY SAY THE WORDS OF A MAN IS LIKE THAT SEASONING OF SALT AND WHAT IS THE PURPOSE? TO AGAIN HAVE GOOD GRACE! TO HAVE GRACE TO THE HEARER. SO THAT SALT ENHANCES FLAVOR. OUR WORDS ENHANCE AND MAKE BETTER THOSE AROUND US. IN FACT, INSTEAD OF USING THE IDEA OF IMPARTING GRACE TO THE HEARER, HE ACTUALLY HERE SAYS IN RESPONSE TO HOW WE ANSWER OTHERS AND HE SAYS THAT YOU MAY KNOW HOW YOU WANT TO ANSWER EACH OTHER. THEY MIGHT KNOW HOW YOU OUGHT TO TELL SOMEONE WHAT IS RIGHT, WHAT IS WRONG, OR WHAT IS ACCORDING TO THE PERFECT WILL OF GOD. YOU SEE AGAIN THEN HOW IMPORTANT IT IS THAT OUR WORDS ARE RIGHT? YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES SOMEBODY MIGHT ASK US A QUESTION AND WE MIGHT BE ANGRY OR GET UPSET OR MAD AND WE LASH OUT WITH OUR WORDS OR WE FIGHT BACK WITH OUR WORDS. WHAT HE IS SAYING HERE IS WE OUGHT TO BE LIKE THAT SALT. WE HAVE SALT TO ENHANCE AND MAKE BETTER AS A SEASONING. THAT'S THE WAY OUR WORDS SHOULD BE WHETHER AGAIN WE ARE JUST SPEAKING OR WHETHER AS WE SEE HERE IN THIS EXAMPLE WE ARE RESPONDING TO WHAT GOD WANTS. BUT ULTIMATELY WATCH WHAT WE USE OUR WORDS FOR.
I THINK PETER SAYS IT WELL IN FIRST PETER CHAPTER THREE WHEN IN VERSE 15 HE SAYS SANCTIFY THE LORD GOD IN YOUR HEARTS. NOTICE AGAIN THE CORE, THE BASE, THE FOUNDATION IS THE HEART WHERE HOPEFULLY GOD IS. "THE LORD GOD IN YOUR HEARTS, AND ALWAYS BE READY TO GIVE A DEFENSE TO EVERYONE WHO ASKS YOU A REASON FOR THE HOPE THAT IS IN YOU, WITH MEEKNESS AND FEAR." SEE THE IDEA AGAIN? WHEN WE SPEAK PEOPLE OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO KNOW GOD AND HEAR THAT WHICH IS PLEASING TO GOD SO THAT THEY MIGHT DESIRE TO OBEY HIM AND FIND SALVATION, AS WELL THAT THEY MIGHT BE ENCOURAGED AND EDIFIED BY TO SEE WHAT GOOD AND RIGHTEOUS PEOPLE DO WHEN THEY OPEN THEIR MOUTHS AND USE THEIR TONGUES, THAT THEY MIGHT BE SPRINGS THAT BRING FORTH SWEETWATER. THAT THEY MIGHT BE ALL THAT THEY NEED TO BE. FRUIT THAT IS BORNE BY GOOD TREES BECAUSE WE ARE KNOWN BY OUR FRUITS. WE ARE KNOWN ACCORDING TO WHAT WE DO AND WHAT WE SAY AND, THEREFORE, WE WILL BE JUDGED ACCORDINGLY. BUT ULTIMATELY AS WE BEGAN, EVEN THIS MORNING IN THE BOOK OF MATTHEW, WE ALSO KNOW THAT OUR WORDS WILL BE BY WHICH WE ARE JUDGED.
SO LET ME CHALLENGE US ALL TO SPEAK WORDS THAT ARE OF GOD THIS DAY AND EVERY DAY OF LIFE. THAT WE MIGHT RECEIVE THE ETERNAL REWARD AND NOT BE FOUND IN CONDEMNATION! FOR ONLY THE FAITHFUL WILL HAVE ETERNAL LIFE AND THAT PLACE PREPARED FOR THEM IN HEAVEN.
CLOSING COMMENTS
LET ME THANK YOU AGAIN FOR CHOOSING TO BE WITH US TODAY FOR THE LIVING WORD PROGRAM. I HOPE AND TRUST, THAT TOGETHER WE HAVE ALL BENEFITED FROM THIS SERVICE TO OUR LORD. LET ME ALSO INVITE YOU TO JOIN US EVERY LORD'S DAY MORNING AT 7:30 AS WE GIVE THIS TIME TO OUR CREATOR.
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I HOPE THAT WE REALIZE HOW IMPORTANT IT IS THAT OUR SPEECH IS ACCEPTABLE BEFORE GOD. FOR WE KNOW THAT WE WILL ALL BE JUST BY THE THINGS WE DO AND SAY IN THIS LIFE. SO LET ME ASK, "IS YOU SPEECH ACCEPTABLE IN THE SIGHT OF GOD AND FOR EDIFICATION OF THE HEARER?