>> [ Indistinct singing ]

>> 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 men’s questions
and need.

This morning, your area
Churches of Christ

welcome you to a program

committed to that perfect
law of liberty...

>> [ Singing continues ]

>> ...as we present
"The Living Word."

>> [ Singing continues ]

♪♪

>> Now, here is your host,
Ray Sullins.

>> King David once proclaimed,

"Where can I go
from your spirit?

Or where can I flee
from your presence?"

Good morning, and thank you
for joining us today

for "The Living Word" program.

Hope everyone had a great week,

and I hope you’re ready to begin
this new week of service

by giving this time to God.
And as always, what a great day

as we have gathered
on this program

to focus on the things
which pertain to the very truth

which is found in the Bible

concerning our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ.

So I hope you have
your Bibles handy,

and I hope you’re ready
to answer the questions

and to consider the truths

that we will look at
as we study God’s Word

and sing praises
to his perfect name.

As we begin our offering
to God this day,

will you bow with me before
his mighty throne in prayer?

Our God and Father in heaven.
We are so thankful for this,

another day of life
and the great privileges

that we have as children to be
those who not only know you,

but have your word and know
exactly what you want of us,

that we might be found
faithful unto death.

And father, help us to love you
enough to obey your commandments

and to always show
ourselves worthy before you,

because we always want
to give you our very best.

And father,
when this life is over,

give us that promised mansion

for the faithful
that has been made ready.

And father, help us to live
every day with such insight

that we might do our part,

as you certainly
have done yours,

that through your grace, love,
and mercy

we might be found
justified in the end.

We also thank you so much,
father,

for the great gift
of Jesus and the life,

the death and the burial,
as well as his resurrection

that allows us to be found
justified even today.

And in his name we pray.
Amen.

We truly serve a great
and wondrous God,

and he truly does provide
all of our needs

and helps us also to know
that we are able to overcome sin

and be redeemed from sin.

So let’s begin with our
first song of the morning,

as it focuses on
these magnificent truths

concerning such a glorious God.
So why don’t you join in

with the congregation
as we sing together

"Blessed Redeemer?"

>> ♪ Up Calvary's mountain,
one dreadful morn ♪

♪ Walked Christ my Savior,
weary and worn ♪

♪ Facing for sinners
death on the cross ♪

♪ That he might save them
from endless loss ♪

♪ Blessèd Redeemer!
Precious Redeemer! ♪

♪ Seems now I see Him on
Calvary's tree ♪

♪ Wounded and bleeding,
for sinners pleading ♪

♪ Blind and unheeding,
dying for me! ♪

♪ "Father forgive them!"
thus did He pray ♪

♪ E'en while His lifeblood
flowed fas away ♪

♪ Praying for sinners
while in such woe ♪

♪ No one but Jesus
ever loved so ♪

♪ Blessèd Redeemer!
Precious Redeemer! ♪

♪ Seems now I see Him
on Calvary's tree ♪

♪ Wounded and bleeding,
for sinners pleading ♪

♪ Blind and unheeding,
dying for me! ♪

♪ O how I love Him,
Savior and Friend ♪

♪ How can my praises
ever find end! ♪

♪ Through years unnumbered
on Heaven's shore ♪

♪ My tongue shall praise Him
forevermore ♪

♪ Blessèd Redeemer!
Precious Redeemer! ♪

♪ Seems now I see Him
on Calvary's tree ♪

♪ Wounded and bleeding,
for sinners pleading ♪

♪ Blind and unheeding,
dying for me! ♪

>> I love many of the songs
our young people sing today

as they strive to teach
and edify one another

as God commands.

one of the
songs that they often sing,

and that comes to mind
at this time says,

"Heaven is a wonderful place
filled with glory and grace.

I want to see my Savior’s face.
Heaven is a wonderful place."

Then they boldly exclaim,
"I want to go there."

I am so comforted
and -- and encouraged

by thinking of these wondrous
and true words

concerning such
a beautiful place

that God has prepared
for the faithful,

looking to a place
that is an eternal home

at the end of time.

We often read about
a celestial city,

a city with golden streets

and gates of pearl
and precious stones,

and all the glorious
adornment of that city.

And we also hear about mansions
that have been made ready

for the faithful
and a wonderful city

that certainly is always filled
with all those

who are the saved of God.
And to top it all off,

it says there will be
no more sickness or sorrow,

no trials of life or problems
or health issues.

Another part of the song
certainly encourages us to know

just how confident
we can be in God.

If we do the things
he has asked,

that we will have this wonderful
place to live eternally.

There are other songs
that we often sing that say

there will be
no tears in heaven.

What a wonderful sounding
Paradise that heaven is.

And who wouldn’t
want to go there?

Another exciting part
about heaven

is that we will be there
for eternity.

In 1 John, chapter 2,
verse 25, we read,

"And this is the promise that
he has promised us --

eternal life."

Imagine a place like heaven
that means

that we will live there
forever without any ending.

Furthermore, imagine
a place of no death.

In the book of Revelation,
John said it in this way,

"And God will wipe away
every tear from their eyes,

and there shall be no more
death, no sorrow, no crying.

There shall be no more pain.

And the former things of life
will have passed away."

So we have seen that heaven

is truly going to be
a magnificent place,

with no more suffering or death.
A place that will be forever,

and where we will be able
to enjoy the presence of God

and those who are faithful,
who have gone on before as well.

But think about it
for just a moment.

To meet God
for the first time

in the idea
of face-to-face.

In heaven,
we will be with God the Father,

God the Son,
and God the Holy Spirit.

And again, this existence
will be forever with God

and a perfect existence.

You see how wonderful
heaven must be?

Do we understand truly
the presence of an all knowing,

all powerful,
all mighty God?

That certainly lets us know
that we should give every day

and make every effort to make
heaven our final dwelling place.

A final song that we would like
to think about says,

"This world is not my home.
I’m just a passing through.

My treasures are laid up
somewhere beyond the blue.

The angels beckon me
from heaven’s open door.

And I can’t feel at home
in this world anymore."

How many of us are really eager
and ready to go with --

with -- with -- with others
who are faithful to be with God?

And how many are ready
to receive

that greatest of all promises,

where we will go and live
with our God in heaven,

and know that we are
true recipients

who are worthy of his
wondrous grace and love.

Brethren and friends,
let’s do all that we can today

and every day

to make sure that Heaven
not only is a wonderful place,

but Heaven will be
our eternal dwelling place.

This morning we are again happy

to have
Brother Brant Green with us.

Brother Brant is an instructor

for the Bible
Institute of Missouri,

and he’s also
one of the ministers

for the Kansas
Expressway Church of Christ,

and we thank him
for joining us this day.

Our specific topic
of study today

will focus on again
our series "A Special People."

But our specific topic that
we will look at this morning

is a special speech.

So let me encourage you to
continue with us this morning.

And after
our next song together,

Brother Brant will be leading us
in this study from God’s Word,

the name of our next hymn --
"He Is My Everything."

>> ♪ He is my everything,
He is my all ♪

♪ He is my everything,
both great and small ♪

♪ He gave His life for me,
made everything new ♪

♪ He is my everything,
now how about you? ♪

♪ Some folks may ask me,
some folks may say ♪

♪ Who is this Jesus
you talk about e'ry day? ♪

♪ He is my Savior,
he set me free ♪

♪ Now listen while I tell you
what He means to me! ♪

♪ He is my everything,
He is my all ♪

♪ He is my everything,
both great and small ♪

♪ He gave his life for me,
made everything new ♪

♪ He is my everything,
now how about you? ♪

>> What a joy it --
it is, as always,

to be able to open the Word
of God and study it together.

We’ll start in
Colossians chapter 3

with a few words
that remind us,

as Christians of the changes
taken place in our lives.

In Colossians chapter 3,
beginning there in verse 1,

it says, "If then you were
raised with Christ,

seek those things
which are above,

where Christ is sitting
at the right hand of God.

Set your mind on things above
and not on things on the earth.

For you died, and your life
is hidden with Christ in God."

Certainly the change
that took place in that process

of becoming a Christian was a
complete transformation of life,

where the old man was put away

and the new man was brought
about through Jesus Christ.

With that in mind, we have to
think about many of the aspects

that make us
who we are as Christians.

One of those is our language.

We as Christians
are a special people,

and the language of the old man,

the language
of the old way of life

was to be done away with,
to be replaced by the new way.

And that’s what we continue
to see even here

in Colossians chapter 3,

if you move down just a few
verses there to verse 8.

Here the writer says,
"But now you yourselves

are to put off all these anger,
wrath, malice, blasphemy,

filthy language
out of your mouth,

and do not lie to one another,

since you have put off
the old man with his deeds."

Now there are more things
in that list

than just those things
that come from the mouth.

But as you notice there,
how many of those did indeed

relate to our speech?

That filthy language,
the blasphemy,

the lying,
those misusage of words

that’s many times would be
indicative of a life

lived before being a Christian.

Those things, however,
are part of the old man.

That’s the old lifestyle
that which we did away with

when we became Christians,

when we became
God’s special people.

So there in Colossians 3,
verse 10,

we can continue
and we see these words --

"And have put on the new man
who is renewed in knowledge

according to the image of him
who created him."

We indeed, as Christians
are those who are new creatures.

We are new men and women,

spiritually speaking,
in Christ Jesus.

The old way of life,
the old speech,

the old language
was done away with.

And so now we have
a new language

that we would use as Christians.

One of those
identifying characteristics

of what makes God’s
people special

is the fact that they have
a special language,

meaning they use words
and language

differently than many would,

because not all
are going to use a language

to identify there
in the scriptures.

We can see this even
in the passage

that would identify Christians

as God’s special people there
in 1 Peter, chapter 2,

a verse that no doubt
has been used many times

throughout these lessons.

First Peter chapter 2
and verse 9 says,

"But you are a chosen
generation, a royal priesthood.

His own special people, that you
may proclaim the praises of him

who called you out of darkness
into his marvelous light."

Christians are God’s
special people.

And you notice there
in that same verse

that identifies Christians
as God’s special people,

that the purpose is to proclaim
the praises of him.

The use of the words
of "God’s people" is, again,

one of those things
that they’ve got to consider

to make sure that their speech
indeed is as it should be.

So what would entail the speech
of God’s special people?

Well, let’s consider several
things from the scriptures

that, again,
would identify God’s people

in their usage of words

and set them apart
from those of the world,

set them apart from the old way
in which they used to live.

First, consider that God’s
people use words to praise him.

That’s what we see there
in 1 Peter 2:9,

but we see it elsewhere
in the Scripture as well.

In Hebrews chapter 13, verse 15,

"That we offer the sacrifice
of praise to God,

that is the fruit of our lips,"
that Christians,

God’s special people,
use words to praise God.

Consider with me some words
that we find

even in the Old Testament
in Psalm 145.

Of course, the Psalms
are full of passages

that would identify
the praises of God in some way

and the usage of words
to do that.

And here is one such occasion
in Psalm 145,

beginning there in verse 10.

Here it says, "All your works
shall praise you, O Lord,

and your saints shall bless you.

They shall speak of the glory
of your kingdom,

and talk of your power

to make known to the sons of men
his mighty acts,

and the glorious majesty
of his kingdom."

Of course, God’s creation
sings his praises

and speaks to the fact
that he is the Almighty Creator,

but also his people are to speak
and to sing his praises as well.

And we do that
in our worship many times

as we rightfully should.

We sing songs like
"To God Be the Glory."

We shouldn’t just sing to God’s
glory even in our worship,

but also in our everyday lives,
as we would use our words

once again
to praise the name of God.

Our speech as Christians
should also be identified

as the usage of words
to evangelize.

There. In the Great Commission
of Matthew chapter 28,

Jesus sent out his apostles,
and the application is to --

to us as well today,
that we would take the gospel

into all the world and teach

men what they need to do
to be saved

according to the proclamation
of Jesus Christ Himself.

And after we do that,
Matthew 28:20 says,

"Teaching them to observe
all things

that I have commanded you."
We’re to use our words to teach.

Teach our fellow man
not just the saving message,

but also teach those
who have been converted

what Jesus Christ
has said they need to live by

and the words
they need to follow.

We do that through
the usage of words.

We should be using
the Good News,

God’s Word, to evangelize
as Christians.

Our speech should include
that even on a daily basis.

We should be talking about
what God did to save man.

In Romans chapter 5,
verse 8,

it talks about how God

demonstrated his great love
toward us.

And how did he do that?

He did that by sending his son.
Many know well John 3:16,

"For God so loved the world that
he gave his only begotten son."

We tell the world about what God
did through our words.

Christians, our speech
should be using words every day

to tell the world
the good news of Jesus Christ,

and salvation
is available to them.

The lost are brought to Christ
and they are saved by God.

Acts 2:47, "God is the one
to add to his church.

But are we using the words
from God’s Word

to bring people to Christ,
to tell them what God’s Word

says that they have to do
in order to be saved?"

The words of Christians
are words that evangelize.

The words of Christians
are also different

because they are words
that edify.

It doesn’t take much
in this world

to bring people down with words,

and it could just be
a short phrase,

a snide remark,
something to undercut

and to bring down
those around us.

But those aren’t the words
of Christians.

The words are Christians
are used to build up

and to make stronger,
to encourage and to comfort.

Those are the words that edify.

We can see those words talked
about in Ephesians, chapter 4,

verse 29, a chapter
particularly towards the end,

that gives several challenges
and encouragements

to Christians
in their daily walk.

Ephesians 4:29 says,

"Let no corrupt word
proceed out of your mouth,

but what is good
for necessary edification,

that it may impart grace
to the hearers."

Again, the speech of the old man
is to be done away with.

Let no corrupt word come out
of your mouth.

Filthy language, blasphemy,

cursing,
all those things are put away.

What words are we to use?

Words that are necessary
for edification.

I can remember,
even as a child, being told,

if you don’t have something
nice to say or good to say,

don’t say anything at all.

Sometimes if you have nothing
but negative words to say,

then close your mouth
and don’t say those things.

You would be more edifying
to remain silent

than to cut down
and to use words to destroy.

Use words that are necessary
for edification.

That’s our purpose
as Christians.

There in James, chapter 1,
we’re given a similar reminder

concerning our speech
and how we should use it,

and how we should
be mindful of that.

In James, chapter 1, verse 19 --

"So then, my beloved brethren,
let every man be swift to hear,

slow to speak,
slow to wrath."

We need to make sure that
we’re using our words properly.

You may have heard it said
before that it’s likely

we were given two ears
and one mouth for a reason,

that is, to listen twice
as much as we speak.

Surely there’s wisdom
found in that,

that we make sure that the words
that come out of our mouths

are truly words
that build up and that edify.

It’s not about the individual.
It’s not about exalting self.

It’s about edifying and lifting
up the body of Jesus Christ.

Ephesians chapter 4,
verses 11 and 12.

Are you using your words
to build up God’s people?

Are you using your words
in a positive way

to build up your family
and your coworkers,

and whoever you interact
with in this world?

We as Christians are special
people by the use of our words,

words that are used to edify.

Our speech is also different
as Christians

because we use words
to teach.

There in the Old Testament,
Deuteronomy, Chapter 6,

we learn of that necessity,
even in a general principle,

as it was first given here
in the Old Testament,

to teach another generation.

Deuteronomy 6,
and verse 7 says,

"You shall teach them
diligently to your children,

and shall talk of them
when you sit in your house,

when you walk by the way,
when you lie down,

and when you rise up."
There’s a law of Moses.

Parents were to
teach their children

on a daily basis
God’s Word.

Nothing has changed for us
in the New covenant.

There’s you might consider
Second Timothy

chapter two and verse two.

Paul told Timothy
to commit God’s word

to faithful men who would be
able to teach others

also to take what he had learned
and to pass it on.

And that takes place
through teaching.

Teaching God’s Word ultimately
glorifies God as others.

Another generation learns
what God’s Word is

and what it means
to be a Christian,

and what it means
to live as Christ

would show us in his example
and through his teaching.

There again,
the book of Ephesians.

We can think about
that using of words to teach

and to glorify God from
Ephesians, Chapter 6,

in verse 14.
There it says,

"Stand therefore, having girded
your waist with truth,

having put on the breastplate
of righteousness."

There in that context
of putting on God’s armor,

what is to be around our waist?
The truth of God’s Word.

The very truth that we would use
to teach our children,

to teach our family members
and our neighbors,

the very truth
that we would use

to teach anyone in this world,

a truth that is taught by words.
Once again, Christians use words

to teach the truth
of God’s Word,

and once again it gives
God the glory.

Finally, Christians
and their speech are different

and are set apart
as God’s special people

because they use words
to show kindness.

There in Romans, Chapter 12
and verse 10 it says,

"Be kindly affectionate
to one another."

In a world filled with hate
and malice,

and a world where you can
turn on the television

and see all kinds of evil done
by men all around the world,

Christians aren’t
to be like that.

Christians aren’t to use
their words like that.

Rather, they are to use
their words to show kindness,

to show this affection
one to another.

Again, in Ephesians 4,

it seems like we’ve come
to this book several times,

but once again in Ephesians 4,
verse 32,

it says, "Be kind to one
another, tenderhearted,

forgiving one another,

even as God in Christ
forgave you."

The love that we should have,

the kindness
that we should have,

the forgiving spirit that
we should have all based upon

God’s love
and kindness and forgiveness.

To be kind to one another,
just as God was kind to us.

You know, to use our words
as Christians to set us apart

means that we’re going to use
our words to show kindness.

It could be something
as simple

as just saying please
and thank you.

How often those simple words
have been lost in our society.

No longer used just to express
just a general kindness,

a gratitude and appreciation
for something as small

as somebody holding the door
for you to say thank you.

Well, those words
do show kindness.

And those are the words
of Christians.

Something as simple as that,
to make sure that we do show

that kindness once again
to the world around us.

We have a choice to make as
Christians every single day.

And that is what words are going
to come out of our mouths.

Are we going to be
God’s special people,

identified by the fact
that we use our words

to proclaim the praises
of him that is, of God,

who called us out of darkness
into his marvelous light?

Are we going to use
our words in that way?

We need to make sure that
we truly put off the old man.

Get out of our language,
out of our speech,

profanity,
filthy communication, blasphemy,

all those things we read
there in Colossians 3

to begin with that
are part of the old lifestyle,

and rather replace that with a
speech of God’s special people,

that we would use our words
to praise and to evangelize,

that we would use
our words to edify

and to teach
and to show kindness.

And when we do that
with our speech,

we will truly be giving
God the glory every day.

>> ♪ Blue skies and rainbows,
and sunbeams from heaven ♪

♪ Are what I can see when my
Lord is living in me ♪

♪ I know that Jesus is well,
and alive today ♪

♪ He makes His home
in my heart ♪

♪ Never more will I be
all alone, since he ♪

♪ Promised me that
we never would part ♪

♪ Green grass and flowers
all blooming in springtime ♪

♪ Are works of the Master
I live for each day ♪

♪ I know that Jesus is well,
and alive today ♪

♪ He makes his home
in my heart ♪

♪ Never more will I be all
alone, since he ♪

♪ Promised me that
we never would part ♪

♪ Tall mountains, green valleys
the beauty that surrounds me ♪

♪ All make me aware of the One
who make it all ♪

♪ I know that Jesus is well,
and alive today ♪

♪ He makes his home
in my heart ♪

♪ Never more will I be
all alone, since he ♪

♪ Promised me
that we never would part ♪

>> What a wondrous time
that we’ve had together

to participate
in the thanks of God this day.

And I hope you’ve been
encouraged through our time

spent together
on the Lord’s Day,

as we have gathered
and joined together in doing

all those things according
to his perfect command.

Please join us every
Sunday morning at 7:30

as we give this time to our
worship and our service to God.

But for now, let me ask
if you have any questions

or comments
about today’s lesson.

Maybe you'd like
a free transcript

or free CD or DVD
of the program,

or possibly, we could assist you
with free Bible materials

or free Bible
correspondence courses.

No matter what your need is,
please,

feel free to contact us
at the following address...

Many of these items are also
available on our website

that address --
TheLivingWordProgram.com.

Or if you prefer, you may
call us at (417) 869-2284.

How blessed we are to have
a specific speech

which is identified for us
in God’s Word,

so that we might know what is
befitting of a child of God.

May we therefore always have a
speech that is pleasing to God,

and thus acceptable
before all of this world,

that in the end we might
receive the reward of God,

which is eternal life
in heaven with him.

>> Our prayer is to help
the world know more

about God
through this television program.

"The Living Word"
has been brought to you

under the oversight
of the elders

of the Kansas
Expressway Church of Christ

in Springfield, Missouri,
with the assistance

of the following area
Churches of Christ.

>> [ Indistinct singing ]

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