Call to Worship – John 1:1-5; 9-14

The Call to Worship is from the Gospel of John, chapter one where the powerful, creative Word of God created all things and attributed it to Jesus who became flesh and dwelled among us:

The Word Became Flesh

¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ³ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴ In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

⁹ The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. ¹¹ He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. ¹² Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God — ¹³ children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

¹⁴ The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Praise and Worship

Don and Barb Warren will lead us into the presence of God in praise and worship.  Please sing along where lyrics are provided.

#333 - I Sing the Almighty Power of God

Blessed Be the Lord God Almighty

Speak, O Lord

Prayers of Adoration and Confession

Gracious and generous God,

We gather each week in wonder, marvelling at your mysterious presence in the awesome beauty of the world, and in surprising encounters in our lives.

We gather with grateful hearts, amazed by the abundance in your creation, abundance we can share at our tables and in our communities, abundance in food, in friendship and in faithfulness.

We gather with hopeful hearts, seeking another taste of your love for us, hoping that others will share in the wonders of that love.

Your love for us all is mysterious and miraculous, O God, with the power to transform times that overwhelm us and lives that hunger for hope.

We gather, trusting that you will move once again in our worship, and open before us the new possibilities you create for all your people in Christ, the Bread of Life, bread for our journeys.

Gracious and Generous God,

We gather each week to be fed by your love, trusting that you embrace each of our lives.

We confess we are not nearly so generous with our love.  We hold back what we have, fearful we lack enough for our own purposes and desires.

We take advantage of opportunities for ourselves, and forget to see if someone else is in need.

Forgive us, O God, when our fear makes us stingy with your gift of abundant love.

Let us pray the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples and us to pray:

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.  Thy kingdom come.  Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our sins as we forgive sinners.  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.  AMEN.

The Offering

Offering plates have been placed at the entrance into the main auditorium for you to leave your offering as you enter or leave this morning.  Thank you.

The Book of Proverbs

Advice books are no short-lived trend.  They continue to top best-seller lists, and new how-to releases get clicked into Amazon shopping carts hundreds of times each day.  The popularity of such books isn’t likely to wane, even though the “wisdom” of much of what is offered is transient and proves to be shallow in the long run.  How-to books wouldn’t be nearly so popular if people would just embrace the wisdom of God’s ways, but whenever God’s ways – the how-tos of Scripture – are rejected, even shallow alternatives are going to be appealing.

The problem for so many of us is that we want a formula: three easy steps to the good life.  In the midst of overly scheduled and busy lives, it is much easier to cruise through the McDonald’s drive-thru than to prepare a well-balanced dinner.  For the same reason, it is often much easier to digest a quick read on our problem-of-the-day than to take time to dig into God’s word to discover the richness and practicality of its Truth.  We don’t have time to get to know Him.  Maybe tomorrow, we think; today we just want a few pointers on how to minimize stress, balance the budget; and get the kids and grandkids to behave.

A glance through the book of Proverbs shows us just what we seem to need – short, pithy how-tos in Twitter-like blurb.  However, if we approach Proverbs with a quick-fix mentality, we are going to miss the overarching point of the book: getting to know and learning to love the Author of wisdom.  It is only through knowing and loving God – what Proverbs calls “the fear of the LORD” – that we will understand how to apply its practical how-tos.

We need practical advice for life, but even more than that, we need hearts set on the Own who governs all our practicalities.  The book of Proverbs unlocks the key to both.  Its wisdom is timeless.  Although the book of Proverbs was written to a particular people – primarily young men in ancient Israel – its wisdom and the necessity of obtaining it are the same in every age for both men and women.  What changes are the circumstances and culture in which to apply it.

Some may be surprised to learn the Proverbs addresses virtually every issue that we face in our daily life.  In fact, there is no area for which we need wisdom that Proverbs doesn’t address.  That is because all wisdom is summed up in this way: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10; see also 1:7).

Once we get this – and embrace it – we will find ourselves equipped to handle the how-tos.

I probably should have asked the sharing question a long time ago, before I started preparing this summer series, but I would like to ask the question now in order to guide my thinking and study to address issues that you think we need to get answers for.

Sharing Our Thoughts on Life and Faith

What troubling issue(s) of our day would you like the wisdom of the book of Proverbs to address?

Depending on how long to continue this summer series into the months of September or October, I will try to address some of these issues from the wisdom of the book of Proverbs.  Thank you for your input.

Today’s Message

The Power of Words

Before we turn to the Proverbs about the power of words, I want to offer one disclaimer and a brief explanation about process.

• Cultural Appropriation

In exploring the book of Proverbs, it is important to understand that these Proverbs were written by Solomon and were addressed primarily to young men.  Therefore, the illustrations are gender biased and somewhat misogynistic by our current standards.  As a result, I will attempt to couch the phrases in non-generic terms, applying the truths equally to both males and females.

• Scripture References

Unlike most Biblical studies, we will not be working our way through whole chapters or extended passages.  In any given chapter of the book of Proverbs, there may be numerous, different, pithy sayings on a variety of subjects.  These issues recur throughout the book and will be studies topically and drawn from a several sources.  I will attempt to post on the power point slides the specific quotations being examined so that you do not have to going hunting about to find each reference.

Today we are going to look at the power of words.

Our words carry tremendous power, and perhaps that is why Proverbs contains so many sayings about how we use our tongues.

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits” (Proverbs 18:21)

And

“A fools’ mouth is his ruin, and his lips are a snare to his soul.” (Proverbs 18:7)

We find the same perspective in the New Testament.  The apostle James wrote,

⁶ The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

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

⁹ With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness.  (James 3:6-9)

It is clear that we can greatly affect our well-being and that of others by what we do with our tongues.

That being said, the power of our words springs not from our actual tongue but from the heart that controls it.  Jesus made clear that our words are a reflection of our hearts, which is why they will be judged so strictly:

³⁵ 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. ³⁶ But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. ³⁷ For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”  Matthew 12:36-37)

1. Helpful Words

While the Proverbs were originally written to instruct young men in God’s ways, the truths we find in them aren’t just applicable to young men.  They are fitting for everyone – male and female, young and old – because they are God’s truth.  There is a lot of power in helpful words because one of the primary ways we influence others is through our tongues.  A wise person uses words to build up, to encourage, and to disseminate God’s Word.

In contrast, our words can do a great deal of harm.

2. Harmful Words

If we look at all the Proverbs that have to do with our words, we will find a number of categories or types of words that are repeatedly addressed as harmful or sinful and should be carefully noted.

1. Lies

From Proverbs we learn a lot about a liar and the consequences of lying.  One thing we learn is that lying is futile because it is almost invariably found out and punished:

“A false witness will not go unpunished, and whoever pours out lies will not go free.” (Proverbs 19:5)

Sometimes we lie because we feel cornered; it’s almost a knee-jerk response to avoid shame or embarrassment.  Other times our lies might be more deliberate; attempts to deceive someone with false information.

Either way, Proverbs indicates that liars will be held accountable for their words.

We also discover that there is a link between lying and hatred:

“Whoever conceals hatred with lying lips and spreads slander is a fool.” (Proverbs 10:18)

“A lying tongue hates those it hurts, and a flattering mouth works ruin.” (Probers 26:28)

Lying expresses contempt for the one being lied to.  It is a move away from relationship.  Recall a time when someone lied to you, and think about why it hurt when you found out.  Chances are it wasn’t just whatever the liar tried to cover up but also the fact that the lie created a barrier in your relationship undermining trust and confidence.

Another thing we learn from Proverbs about lying is how much God hates it:

 “There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him:          haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,” (Proverbs 6:16-17)

“The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy.” (Proverbs 12:22)

Detests is a pretty strong word.  In Scripture it is attached to behaviour for which God has particular disgust and loathing.  For that reason, wise people should also hate lying:

“The righteous hate what is false, but the wicked make themselves a stench and bring shame on themselves.” (Proverbs 13:5)

To hate something is to reject it, to utterly repudiate it, and to cringe when it confronts us.  Wise people take honest speech seriously and do not consider half-truths or white lies as legitimate exceptions.  If we catch ourselves telling a lie, we stop and tell the truth.  Those who are careful to speak only truth are trusted and their words carry weight while those who are3 careless with the truth are dismissed and not taken seriously.

If we want to be taken seriously, and if we really want to love those around us, we won’t be careless with the truth.  Being scrupulous with the truth can be hard sometimes, but the payoff is worth it.

I could probably list many examples that you would all know about of people who denied wrongdoings and went to great length to lie about them only to be disgraced when the truth finally came out.  But that is often the least of the harms that are done to the lives of the people who are most affected:  marriage breakdowns; business failures; political careers in shambles; children emotionally disillusioned and scarred.  In time, it is to be hoped that what was done and covered up won’t prove detrimental to others lives, but the personal, ethical, psychological, and emotional costs will be high.

1. False Witness

A second category or type of words that are addressed as harmful or sinful and should be carefully noted is false witness, of which ling is a subset.

“An honest witness does not deceive, but a false witness pours out lies.” (Proverbs 14:5)

We find in the Ninth Commandment: ““You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:16)

When we encounter this commandment, a courtroom scene pops into our minds.  We picture a court officer placing a Bible before a witness and asking, “Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth – so help you God?”

But bearing false witness includes more that being truthful in court.  The Westminster Larger Catechism (one of our formal doctrinal positions) says:

The duties required in the ninth commandment are, the preserving and promoting of truth between (man and man) individuals, and the good name of our neighbour, as well as our own; appearing and standing for the truth; and from the heart, sincerely, freely, clearly, and fully, speaking the truth, and only the truth, in matters of judgement and justice, and in all things whatsoever; a charitable esteem of our neighbours; loving, desiring, and rejoicing in their good name; sorrowing for, and covering of their infirmities; freely acknowledging of their gifts and graces, defending their innocency; a ready receiving of a good report, and unwillingness to admit to an evil report, concerning them; discouraging tale-bearers, flatterers, and slanderers; love and care or our own good name, and defending it when need requires; keeping of lawful promises; studying and practicing or whatsoever things are true, honest, lovely, and of good report.

That is quite the list, and one might conclude that almost anything we say could be seen as a violation of the ninth commandment.

Concerning our neighbour, bearing false witness can be as much about what we don’t say as it is about what we do say.  We bear false witness whenever we fail to stand up and defend someone who is being gossiped about in our presence.

We can also bear false witness against our neighbour in our hearts when we presume to pass judgement on their intention of motives.

“Like a club or a sword or a sharp arrow  is one who gives false testimony against a neighbor.” (Proverbs 25:18)

1. Exaggeration

A third category or type of words that are addressed as harmful or sinful and should be carefully noted is when we exaggerate the truth.  I’m not talking about embellishing a story as a literary device when the audience knows the storyteller’s colorful words are meant for effect and for fun.  I’m talking about adding untrue details of real life to garner attention.  It may not seem like such a big deal, but over time all the words of an exaggerator lose credibility.

“The hearts of the wise make their mouths prudent and their lips persuasive.” (Proverbs 6:23)

Think about our natural response to television commercials.  We don’t really believe that serving our children Kraft Dinner mac-and-cheese will enticed them to eat their broccoli, or that switching to the new and improved Tide detergent will get our clothes 35% cleaner. We don’t believe it, because past experience has shown us that products routinely promise more than they deliver.

In precisely the same way, if we embellish the truth, people will begin to take all our words with a grain of salt.

1. Slander

A fourth category or type of words that are addressed as harmful or sinful and should be carefully noted is the destroying of another’s reputation through slander.

“Whoever conceals hatred with lying lips and spreads slander is a fool.” (Proverbs 10:18)

Slander is a kissing cousin of bearing false witness because it’s effects can be precisely the same.  Slander, however, has the added component of deliberate harm t be inflicted upon someone else.

1. Gossip

A fifth category or type of words that are addressed as harmful or sinful and should be carefully noted is gossip.  Proverbs makes clear how much our words affect our relationships.  Gossip is a tremendous impact.

A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret.” (Proverbs 11:13)

Someone who gossips about another is betraying a secret trust.  Additionally:

“A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends.” (Proverbs 16:28)

This proverb tells us that no matter how strong a foundation a relationship might have, gossip can tear it apart.   Think about your shared memories – both good and bad – and the confidences you have entrusted to your closest friend as each of you work through life’s complexities and hard times.  Proverbs tells us that gossip has the power to wipe all that out.

Although we know that gossip is sinful, we tend not to see it in quite the same destructive light that Proverbs does.

Furthermore, those of us who listen to gossip are just as bad as those voicing it.  We are proving ourself to be untrustworthy.

Gossip stirs up relational trouble.  Probably right now you can think of a conflict going on in your life or among people you know.  How can you use your words to respond to those conflict wisely?  You can make a commitment not to involve yourself in any gossip swirling around, whether by speaking it or listening to it.

“Without wood a fire goes out; without a gossip a quarrel dies down.” (Proverbs 26:20)

The problem is that gossip makes us feel good, like eating tasty morsels:

“The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts.” (Proverbs 18:8)

Therefore, we are going to have to make every effort to resist it.  We are going to have to make a commitment not to “vent” our frustrations or disputes with other.

1. Flattery

A sixth category or type of words that are addressed as harmful or sinful and should be carefully noted is flattery”

“A lying tongue hates those it hurts, and a flattering mouth works ruin.” (Proverbs 26:28)

We’ve already seen how lies and hate are so closely connected and hurtful.  Flattery is spoken for personal gain: to get attention; to win trust; to get something in return.

We need to make a clear distinction between giving a sincere compliment and flattery.  A compliment is offered as a means of building up a person in certain aspects of their character or accomplishment.  It is other-centred.  Flattery, on the other hand, is self-centred and designed to gain some personal benefit.

For instance, the stereotypical, good-looking man with a slick tongue will try to woos a gullible and lonely woman out of her savings or her innocence.  How does he do it?  He flatters her.

Proverbs warns women to be careful and discerning:

 “Those who flatter their neighbors are spreading nets for their prey.” (Proverbs 29:5)

Flattery ensnares us where we are vulnerable.  It appeals to our desire to be loved, admired, and sought after.  Wise people not only guard their hearts from the flattering words of others, they also guard themselves from flattering others.  In the modern parlance of our time, flattery is “sucking up” in hopes of personal gain.

1. Careless Words

A final category or type of words that are addressed as harmful or sinful and should be carefully noted is a multitude of words – in other words, talking too much:

“Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues.: (Proverbs 10:19

How much we talk is one way we are exposed to others as either foolish or wise.  Fools speak before they think, whereas the words of the wise are timely and well thought out.

 “The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint, and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.  Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues.” (Proverbs 17:27-28)

“The heart of the righteous weighs its answers, but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil.” (Proverbs 15:28)

“To answer before listening —  that is folly and shame.” (Proverbs 18:13)

Consider that last verse.  Some of us have a tendency to cut others off mid-sentence, assuming we know what they are going to say.

In addition to when and how often we speak, there is even wisdom in the way we pitch our voice:

“If anyone loudly blesses their neighbor early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse.” (Proverbs 27:14)

When it comes to the voice we use, here’s wisdom:

“Those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity.” (Proverbs 21:23)

And it also brings joy”

“A person finds joy in giving an apt reply — and how good is a timely word!” (Proverbs 15:23)

As we can see, how we use our tongues indicates in no small measure whether we are wise or foolish.  We will be known by what we say and how we say it.

This truth is quite sobering, for who among us doesn’t ever shade the truth or gossip or talk too much or flatter?  We all sin with our words.

3. Wise Words

It is at this point that we need to see another way in which the book of Proverbs points us to Christ.  We want to be wise, but as we discover that so much of what we say is actually foolish, we recognize that our need for wisdom far exceeds our ability to lay hold of it.  A wise tongue comes only from the perfect Wise Man, who never spoke a foolish word.  Jesus never lied, exaggerated, gossiped, or flattered.  Every word he spoke was perfect for the occasion and accomplished God’s purposes – EVERY WORD!

And here’s why this is worth pursuing:

“From the fruit of their lips people are filled with good things, and the work of their hands brings them reward.” (Proverbs 12:14)

And

“The lips of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of sense.” (Proverbs 10:21

Words governed by wisdom bless not only those who hear them but also those who utter them.

Proverbs tells us explicitly how wise words bless and the ways in which wise people use them.

1. Soft words

From Proverbs we learn that a certain tone of voice, a soft one, stops quarrels:

“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” (Proverbs 15:1)

Soft words also bring healing:

“The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.” (Proverbs 15:4)

We see again here that Scripture assigns value to our tone of voice.  It matters more than we typically think, and recognising this is a hallmark of wisdom.

1. Timely Words

A wise person knows what to say and when to say it:

“The tongue of the wise adorns knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.” (Proverbs 15:2)

A wise person knows when a rebuke is the best way to love someone:

“Better is open rebuke than hidden love.” (Proverbs 27:5)

A Wise person also knows when to be quiet:

“Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife.” (Proverbs 17:1)

1. Transformed Tongues

Only as we lean fully on Him and the One who spoke perfectly for us will we find what we need to become people of wise words.  And find it we look there.  If we merely try harder to watch what we say, wise words will prove frustratingly elusive; we’re just too sinful to ever master this on our own.  People of wise word are those whose hearts are being transformed by Christ while recognizing that real and lasting change comes only as we ponder all HIS  words.

How much better all our relationships will be – how much more peace we will have – when we become wise with our tongues!

The apostle Paul wrote:

“Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” (Colossians 4:6)

Who is sufficient for these things?  Only One:

“The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary.  He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed.” (Isaiah 50:4)

The theme of our study of the book of Proverbs is built around this principle of faith and life:

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” (James 1:5)

Let’s do exactly that!

Prayer of Response

Let’s pray:

Closing Hymn – “Ancient Words”

Don and Barb are going to lead us in our closing hymn.  Please sign along.

Benediction

– Colossians 3:16-17

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”