Words, Words, Words - Proverbs 6

Words are powerful.

They have weight. Words get inside of us. They affect our emotions. Not only do they affect our emotions, they affect our relations, the way we feel about other people. Hey, psst, did you hear about so and so?

Really? Yeah, I heard da da da da da da. They affect the way you feel about others. Today on Connect with Skip Heitzig, Skip shares his top teaching from the 90s explaining just how powerful your words are and how you can use them for good. Now we want to tell you about a resource that shines light on the rapidly shifting landscape of the Middle East and why this impacts you. The beating heart of Bible prophecy is the land of Israel and the Middle East. Joel Rosenberg has his finger on the pulse of the world shaking changes happening right now, and he unveils them in his new nonfiction book, Enemies and Allies. This is the first book of its kind that takes you inside the Oval Office, inside the palaces of the kings and crown princes, the presidents and the prime ministers, in Israel and in the Arab world. As we ask them, what do you think about religious freedom, about making peace with Israel, about the threat from Iran, about U.S.-Arab relations, U.S.-Israel relations? Enemies and Allies from multiple New York Times bestselling author Joel Rosenberg takes you on an unforgettable journey inside the turbulent Middle East. You'll go behind closed doors to hear from the very kings and crown princes, presidents and prime ministers who are leading the charge. Enemies and Allies includes exclusive, never before published quotes, insights and analysis from the author's conversations with some of the world's most controversial leaders. Your hardcover copy of Enemies and Allies is our thanks for your generous gift of $35 or more today. To give, call 800-922-1888 or visit connectwithskip.com. Okay, let's join Skip Heitzing as he begins today's study. Do you know what it's like to hear words that gladden your heart?

Do others know what it's like to hear words from your mouth that genuinely gladden their hearts? Can you imagine what the disciples must have felt like? Afraid, the Bible says they were.

Alone, locked in the upper room, the doors were locked for fear of the Jews. This is after the crucifixion. They thought if they got Jesus, we're next. We'll be crucified.

They'll kill us. They lacked peace. They had no peace of mind, no peace of heart. Jesus appeared.

He didn't need a lock. He just appeared in the room and what did he say to them? He said, peace to you.

My peace I leave with you. That's exactly what they needed to hear, like sweetness that just raised their countenance. There was a man who went to a restaurant and he overheard a conversation. He was writing a little discourse. He said, when I went into the restaurant, there was a table with a father and a son and the son spilled a glass of milk. The son was probably seven years old.

The milk went all over the table and the father said, he said, and I overheard it, he said, what good are you for anyway? The little boy just hung his head and said, nothing. The man who heard it said, I'll never do that.

I'll never say that. That's the cruelest question you could ever ask a child, what good are you for anyway? Well, a few years went by as his own son was growing up and committed a minor infraction. It really angered the father and his father turned to his own son and said, what good are you for anyway? And his son did the same thing, hung his head and said, nothing. And it struck him, the damage that he was doing to his son. He wished he could take the words and stuff them back in his throat. And then he thought, you know, there's nothing wrong with the question, it's the answer.

A little bit later, the same thing. A minor infraction was committed and he said to his son on purpose, what good are you for anyway? Before he could answer, he grabbed his son, drew him close to his bosom, hugged him, kissed him on the head and said, I'll tell you what you're good for. You're good for loving.

You're good for loving. So words are powerful. They have weight. Words get inside of us. They affect our emotions. Not only do they affect our emotions, they affect our relations, the way we feel about other people. Hey, psst, did you hear about so and so? Really?

Yeah, I heard that. They affect the way you feel about others. Even a slight whisper can change our attitude about another person.

Listen to how Solomon puts it in one of his proverbs. The words of a tale bearer are like tasty trifles. That tastes good. Did you hear about?

Really? What else did you hear? You've given me an appetizer.

Do you have a meal? Proverbs 16, 28 says, a perverse man sows strife and a whisperer separates the best of friends. Have you ever experienced someone that you know suddenly appear cold to you and you don't know why? How come that person acts that way?

They were so warm and friendly. It's like the wind of your relationship has suddenly shifted and gone a different course. Many times it's because a whisperer has separated the closeness of the friends, driven you away from that other person. A Japanese proverb says the tongue is but three inches long and can kill a man six feet tall. Can murder a person, destroy a person. So words have weight. They get inside of us. They affect our emotions, they affect our relations, and more importantly they affect our convictions. The way we believe about truth, about life. They form our convictions and our belief systems. Proverbs 10 declares the lips of the righteous nourish many. Another proverb, chapter 11 in the Living Bible says evil words destroy, godly skill rebuilds. You see when you hear words, those words make impressions on you.

You're always filtering. You're going, yes, yes, no, no, don't want to hear that, want to hear that. They form impressions and convictions on your heart, attitude and perspective. When Peter preached on the day of Pentecost, what a great sermon it was, it was so good that it affected the conviction of the people who listened. It says as Peter preached, they were cut to the heart and they asked men and brethren, what shall we do? And Peter, hoping they would ask that question, said repent and turn to Jesus Christ. But they were cut to the heart, it formed conviction.

Now that's good when they're the right words and it's bad when they're the wrong words. That's why the Bible has a lot to say about false doctrine and false prophets and the irreparable damage that can be done in the lives of people who give false prophets an audience. The more you expose yourself to them without the proper biblical filters, it forms wrong views of life, of God, of truth.

What do you listen to? Do you listen more to spiritual stuff, spiritual words, or do you listen more to non-spiritual words? Now I know what some of you are thinking, you're thinking, look, I live in the secular world, all right? I'm around people who spew their garbage and their value systems all day long. I am around non-spiritual words all the time.

I'm not asking that question. I'm asking deliberately. What do you expose yourself to? Given the choice of information that is spiritual or non-spiritual, which do you gravitate toward the most?

Spiritual or non-spiritual? I found an interesting quote by Søren Kierkegaard, 1800s, he's the Danish philosopher. Now this is long before Letterman, Leno, or the television was even invented. Søren Kierkegaard, the philosopher, said, suppose someone invented an instrument, a convenient little talking tube which, say, could be heard all over the land. I wonder if the police would not forbid it, fearing the whole country would become mentally deranged if it were used. That is prophetic. It wasn't even invented. What a thing to say, though.

I wonder if the police would not forbid it, fearing the whole country would become mentally deranged if it were used. I'm not saying if you have a television you're a sinner. I'm saying do you deliberately expose yourself more to that which is non-spiritual or spiritual, because whatever you put in will grow. Whatever you sow in your heart, you'll have a harvest.

It will make a difference. So words have weight. They affect, they get inside of us and affect our emotions, our relations, as well as our convictions. Secondly, words spread around us.

That's the other quality that adds to that proverb we just mentioned. Death and life are in the power of the tongue. You know, I've found that words seldom die when you say them. They come back. Words, interestingly enough, are a lot like seed sown in soil. It grows.

Something happens to them. They produce a crop. What kind of crops do your words produce? Have you ever had your words come back to you? Hey, I heard somebody told me that you said that... Now, listen, I'm a public speaker. Words always come back to me, because I share them here in public. The words get taped. They find their way all over the place.

They're on the radio. So I am very publicly accountable for what I speak. So they're going to produce something. They're going to spread and produce a crop. What kind of crop does your words produce?

They can produce an evil crop or a good crop. You know, speech can spread like a verbal fungus and erode people's reputations. Proverbs 16 tells us, evil is on the lips of a wicked man. Like a burning fire, a perverse man, here's the picture, sows strife.

Picture that, it's like a field where the weeds grow up. Now look back in chapter 6 where we began, it's the same thought. In chapter 6, verse 19, one who sows discord among the brethren. The thought is that speech spreads in its effect. It might begin as a whisper, it might begin in secret as a gossip, but it has the power to spread like fire. That is power.

That is power. You know, even a prayer request. If the prayer request is done to give information that would damage another person, all you are doing is sowing discord among the brethren in a very spiritual way.

I'll give you an example. You're at a prayer meeting. There's a bunch of significant people around and so out loud you decide to pray this, Oh Lord, help skip, suddenly ears perk up. Help him Lord, you know he's a jerk and a tyrant and he's so dishonest.

Now maybe somebody told you that I am. In that prayer request, John or Pete or Angie or whoever might hear that and say, Oh really? Well, that is a concern.

I'm going to share that prayer request with a few other people when I get home. Now if it's done because it's tasty trifles and it can destroy a reputation and sow discord among the brethren, it can do great damage. There's a flower shop in a place called Campbell's Creek, West Virginia. Small town. Campbell's Creek is not only a small town but because it's a small town, it's a gossiping small town as so many are.

Nothing else to do but talk. The guy who owns the flower shop is a 41 year old man by the name of Bill Grayolas. Bill Grayolas started losing weight. People started talking about Bill Grayolas losing weight. You know what they said?

He's got AIDS. They just said it. Who knows who said it?

Who came up with it? But it was a rumor. Well, this is what happened. He found one morning graffiti all over his wall. Words, notes that he was a queer. That he had the AIDS virus. Customers that had been his customers for 20 years just didn't show up anymore.

He lost business. One lady had been a customer for years, parked her car out of the curb, ran up to the glass door, opened it slightly, threw the check in and jumped back, got in her car and sped away. Wouldn't even go in.

You don't want to get near anybody. It got so bad that Bill got tested and he posted his blood test results on the window of his establishment. He was clean. He was fine.

The medical establishment said negative. Rumors didn't stop. Kept going. Got worse.

The Attorney General of West Virginia said shame on the people of Campbell's Creek. This guy is clean. It's a rumor. Didn't stop. Now his van has been trashed, vandalized, the windows ripped out of his establishment. He wasn't destroyed by AIDS. He was destroyed by the contagious gossip and rumor of other people. You know what Bill was doing? Dieting.

And he got off his diet because of the pressure. Words spread around us. Now that's for the evil. They can also spread for good. Words implant important ideas in the minds and hearts.

They can ramify for the good. Proverbs 12 says a man will be satisfied with the good by the fruit of his mouth. And again Proverbs 10 verse 11, the mouth of the righteous is a well of life.

Isn't that a great picture? A well in ancient times was a place of public refreshment. It's where the community got together to get their water to be refreshed together. And that well had a great impact on hundreds of people. And so what you say can reach out and benefit others.

Or it can poison others. Proverbs 15, a wholesome tongue is a tree of life. Over in chapter 18 verse 4, the words of a man's mouth are deep waters.

The wellspring of wisdom is a flowering brook. So your words have weight. They get inside of you.

They spread around you. Now since we know that to be a fact from the Bible, that is what the preaching of the gospel is all about. The preaching of the gospel is a bunch of people who get around and say, God told us the greatest secret ever told. That he sent his son to die for sinners and I'm one of them and he saved me and you know what? I'm going to do that to everybody else. Hey, have you heard that God sent his son to die for your sins?

Spread it around. That's what evangelism is. One of the greatest stories is the story of Paul going to the church at Thessalonica in the New Testament. He goes there. He can't shut up. He tells him about Jesus. They receive his words. That's how Paul put it in his letter. You have received my words. See those words are spreading. Then it says, from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth or echoed forth. You couldn't keep it a secret either. You started spreading it around.

That's spreading it around for good. So your words can be powerful in that they can spread. Compare two people. The first Adolf Hitler. The second Billy Graham.

Both powerful speakers. Very persuasive. Both have spread their speech to the populace. Adolf Hitler in the early 1900's sought counsel from a well renowned European astrologer by the name of Erich Jan Hannesen who taught him the art of mass communication, group psychology, how to move people.

It is said that for every word in his book Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler that 125 people lost their lives in Europe. Compare him to Billy Graham. He's spoken to more people in the world about Jesus Christ than anyone else. Last year, a year and a half ago, maybe it was two years by now over in Puerto Rico we were witnessing that incredible event of Billy Graham preaching to an audience of several thousand but it being beamed up reaching 185 countries around the world being able to be watched by 10 million people at the same time. And then next month, we need to be in prayer for this, another massive global satellite outreach where almost every country in the world will downlink it and we figure over two and a half billion people will hear the gospel. That is the word, power of the word spreading around the world.

Now I want to close with a final thought. That is the weight of our words. Let's look at the weakness of our words. You say well that sounds like a contradiction.

No it's not. Because your words can be powerful but they can also fall short. You say how can they fall short? Words can never substitute for deeds. That is how. Proverbs 14, all hard work brings a profit but mere talk leads only to poverty.

Do you get that? I wish that saying were in every counselor's office in America. Mere talk leads only to poverty in more ways than one. A lot of times people will sit there and tell me, tell me, counsel me, tell me but they'll never put into practice what is being shared. Especially from a biblical perspective.

You can quote scriptures all day long but if a person doesn't apply it then it's useless. Turn over with me to Proverbs 26 for just a moment. Verse 23, fervent lips with a wicked heart.

Now that's a drastic combination. Are like earthenware covered with silver dross. He who hates disguises it with his lips, lays up deceit within himself. When he speaks kindly do not believe him for there are seven abominations in his heart. Though his hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness will be revealed before the assembly. Whoever digs a pit will fall into it. He who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him. A lying tongue hates those who are crushed by it and flattering mouth works ruin. Back to verse 23, that's the key text. Fervent lips with a wicked heart are like earthenware covered with silver dross.

The NIV puts it the best. Like a coating of glaze over earthenware. See words are powerful but they are powerless when not accompanied by deeds. If it's just words it's like a coating of glaze. Oh it looks pretty but there's no substance to it.

It's only weak. If you tell your wife honey I love you but you never demonstrated it's just words. If you say I surrender all but you never do it, it's just words.

And those words are weak when not accompanied by a lifestyle. Listen to Jesus as he gives a preview of coming attractions. He said many will say to me in that day, Lord we prophesied in your name. We did this in your name and we did that in your name.

That's what they'll say. Good words, great speech. Jesus will say depart from me.

I never knew you, you workers of iniquity. Your words didn't match up to a lifestyle. It's just words and therein is the weakness of words. In first John over and over again we read this. If a man says he loves God but he does this he's a liar. If a man says he walks in the light but lives that way he's a liar. Several times if you say if you say if you say but if you don't do the words are weak. I've shared what Irma Baumbach has said and I think it fits here. Never go to a doctor whose house plants have died. It's good counsel isn't it?

I would also say then why bother going to a Christian who seems lost himself. The right words, nothing behind it. A profession without a practice. I was speaking to a friend from Kansas City. Years ago in Kansas City when a network would sign off at night.

I mean late at night like early morning, one two in the morning. They would always close off the evening with a minister getting on the screen, organ music would play. He would give some little nice sermonette, a few words, a few little scriptures were quoted. And then they would show the American flag and then music, Star Spangled Banner and then they would close the broadcasting session.

One night as my friend was watching in Kansas City, Kansas. The organ music came up. The lights came up on a pulpit. The lights came up to the preacher and the camera came into his face.

And he opened his Bible. And he said, words, words, words. Words, words, words, words. Words, words, words, words, words, words, words.

doing this?" Then he turned like he's turning to a reference. Words. Words, words, words, words, words, words, words, words, words. Then he would like give an evangelistic appeal. Words, words, words, words.

He calmed down as if bringing it back to the appeal. Words, words, words, words, words. He'd hold out his hand.

Words, words, words, words. Then he'd bring it down like he was gonna pray but rather than saying in Jesus' name, amen, he would say words, words, words, words, words, words, words. And they ended the broadcast. My friend when he first looked at that said, that angers me. He's making fun of the Bible but more than making fun of the Bible, he understood later what he was doing is that we have relegated this to the end of a broadcast evening at 2 in the morning. This stuff is important but really all it has become to so many people is words, words, words, words, words, words, words, words.

Drone on, shut it off, go to bed. And so often this book has become too many people who proclaim it. Words, words, words. Jesus said something interesting. By a man's words will he be justified and by his words shall he be condemned. I would say words are pretty important wouldn't you? And the most important words you could ever say are the words yes to Jesus Christ. It's where it begins. Yes Jesus I am a sinner.

Yes I admit that I am. Yes you died for my sins. Yes I will surrender my life all of it to you. That's where you begin. If you haven't really begun there and following from your heart it's just a bunch of words.

Let it be more than that. That wraps up Skip Heitzig's message from the series Wise Up. Right now here's Skip with an important message for you. The greatest trials in your life are often your greatest opportunities to reflect the gospel and we want to connect friends like you to God's truth so you're equipped to share your faith with others during those times. That's why we've made these encouraging Bible studies available to you and you can help keep them on the air when you give a gift today. Here's how you can give now. Visit connectwithskip.com slash donate to give your gift today. That's connectwithskip.com slash donate or call 800-922-1888.

Again that's 800-922-1888. Tune in again tomorrow as Skip Heitzig shares his top teaching from the 2000s. Explaining why worship is so meaningful and beneficial to your life. Make a connection, make a connection at the foot of the crossing. Cast all burdens on his word. Make a connection, a connection. Connect with Skip Heitzig is a presentation of Connection Communications. Connecting you to God's never changing truth in ever-changing times.