Words Can Save - Part 2

Today on the Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ. John said love drives out fear saw five allowing the love of God to control me. I don't speak to make other people afraid I don't pessimistic say it over and over again.

There's no reason for you to not in one is said and began reading in the book when you see what you pessimistic about the worst thing that could have can happen joining us today on this additional Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana when Pastor Bill Gebhardt now is once again he shows us how God's word meets our work with me to second Corinthians chapter 5 Starburst 14. Paul's going to put this together in an interesting way. He says for the love of Christ controls us now. He could've added the love of Christ should control us. And if the love of Christ is controlling us. It controls our behaviors and controls our attitudes and in this case.

It also controls our speech. It controls the way you when I speak the love of Christ controls as having concluded this that one died for all, therefore all died and he died for all, so that they who might live no longer live for themselves but for him who died and rose again on their behalf. He said that's what we do once I am a born-again Christian. Once I put my trust and faith in Christ in his finished work. My job description if you can make it as short as possible as to reflect his glory, and so is yours. You draw your job is to simply reflect the glory of Christ, so that he says in verse 17 therefore, if anyone he said is in Christ is a new creature. The old things passed away behold, new things have come.

You see, I can go back to the default exhibit. You have to understand that just always the way have been. I mean, I've always been pessimistic. I've always been negative. I've always been vulgar unit. I've always been cynical. I've always been sarcastic. That's just the way I want fine with word of God said it's time to stop. You see your new creature in Christ here to reflect someone else. So, notice what he says in the next verse he says now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. You see how how do I get into this relationship with God. How can I now reflect my Lord and my speech my behavior, my attitudes, he says you been reconciled human reconciled to God. God did it in Christ. That's how a sinful creature and a holy God come together. The reconciling work of Jesus Christ. He says, but that's not only what happened was he says he gave us the ministry of reconciliation. That means you want IR to be part of reconciling people to God. If you think about that for a moment. That's the most important thing we do I send this over all the years, but you do realize that every single thing that you experience as a Christian you would do much much better in heaven. Everything I mean worship in heaven will will beat this. I mean, you see everything in heaven fellowship in heaven beats this everything in heaven beats this you know what you can do in heaven. You can't reconcile lost people to God just can't. That's why because of the great commission. He said that's why you have to reflect in your behaviors and in your attitudes and your words, my glory. He said that's our ministry, he repeats it then he says in verse 19, namely the God was in Christ reconciling the world to world to himself, not counting their trespasses against and he has committed to us the word of reconciliation. You see, that's the word of reconciliation. That's not what were committed to Peterson were to give an account for the hope the tennis. Jesus said, go and make disciples. You see, we are to be witnesses for Christ. Luke writes in the book of acts. That's what we do and by the way, you have to speak these words, your behaviors important gratitudes are great all that's important. But somehow you have to speak the ministry of reconciliation you have to talk to people about who Jesus Christ is and what he has done for them, and then he says this. Therefore, his conclusion, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us. We beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. Wow, we are ambassadors, just imagine for a moment that somebody you know give you a call and say let's have wanting to have lunch with them and you find this out. I've just been appointed ambassador to the islands of Fiji for the United States.

What would you think what ambassador wow you be impressed want you know I have nothing against Fiji.

It seems like a nice place. Okay, but it doesn't compare to this. It doesn't compare to who you are, your ambassador of Jesus Christ.

You don't just represent the United States and that some sounds important, but it pales in comparison. You are an ambassador for Jesus Christ not understand what an ambassador should be doing ambassador represents his government his country. He reflects see he reflects their values, their words. For example, imagine that I was an ambassador and I have a meeting with the head of a country nice and the newly appointed ambassador and he said that's good.

There's a lot of important issues between your country and mine and here are my questions.

I want to deal first with the question of political stability.

I want to do with the question of our economy and what what does your government say and I say to him. I don't really care what the government says, to what I think I miss Kenneth and this start telling you what I thought what you would say is you're very poor ambassador. That's not your job. You see, notice what Paul said.

He said that we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us. You see it's as though God is speaking right through us, because all that I'm doing is I'm just reflecting see him just reflecting his glory, and this idea of being an ambassador. The question would be, then how we do better than were doing. How I use my words my speech in a way that would be really in a sense, make me an outstanding ambassador for Christ. While I'm sure there are many ways I have three I thought of that I think are important.

First one is found in Psalm 141 Psalm 141 in verse three. This is David speaking and he says this set a guard over Lord, over my mouth keep watch over the door of my lips.

The first thing we need to do, pray about how this is a prayer. The first thing we need to do is to pray about it and me ask you something when the last time you prayed this prayer I think for some of us we've never prayed this prayer ever set a guard over Lord, over my mouth keep watch over the door of my lips. This means a lot to David. It's not just the Lord is Yahweh whole covenant God. The reason I have a relationship with you said a guard over my mouth mightily and here's something I know you all know you should've prayed this prayer. How many times have you thought or said me and my big mouth or someone else said it to you see how many times have you said something and thought can't believe I said I just can't believe I went there that fast. You see pieces start out by praying about it. Lord God my mouth. The reason I have to guard my mouth is. I have a default.

You see I have a default in my flesh and I have a long habit of using that default and so consequently, under certain circumstances.

The words just come out. You see the words really come out see all of us struggle in different particular areas and probably one habit I don't necessarily very often have outbursts of anger to that's probably not who I am. I usually and very rarely what I think maybe have this dummy different. I don't really brag a lot but sarcasms right here it comes out just like that you give me an opportunity to be sarcastic and give you a job with it, I'll do it in a second.

That's my flesh. See, that's my flesh, cynicism, sarcasm, pessimism, judge mental critical words, those are flesh and that's why we pray that way, Lord, my mouth using guarded because I know in my own to say things and ongoing reflect your glory at all.

I will become a very uncooperative mere secondly is found in Proverbs chapter 15 Proverbs 15 this time.

Verse 28. Here Solomon writes this, the heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours I evil things, first step, pray about it. Second step, think before you speak. You see, said a righteous man ponders the answer thinks first how many times do you wish you had done that, how many times did you have a level in it, and 1 to 10, issue a level II conflict with your spouse and then something gets said and immediately you decide to quickly respond with not well conceived words and what happens immediately immediately a conflict begins. Escalate when the conflict escalates. What you think. I wish I would've stopped and thought before I said that. You see, he knows that that's the way humans are our words have tremendous influence in other people of whether they are in a sense enjoying breathing in being comforted by encouraged, whether they feel attacked, put down maligned on the basis of what we speak. The first step is the pray about the second one is the think before we speak.

In the third one is found in Romans chapter 5 Romans in the New Testament, chapter 5, Paul talking to us of the benefits of being saved in the whole idea that why we can endure tribulation and that turns in the perseverance and perseverance. He says will give us proven character improvers character will give us hope even in the most difficult circumstances. But then he says in verse five and hope does not disappoint, and then these words because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit was given to us you know is so often we think that one thing I got when the spirit of God came and went well me when I became a believer in Jesus Christ. I have the power of God. My life now that's true but it's interesting that Paul doesn't allude to the power of God when he talks about how we can move from tribulation to proven character. Do hope he said no, it's not so much the power of God you have in your life that you have the love of God, you have the love of God poured out in your heart. Now remember we said from the first we going to James says that your heart is connected directly to your tongue and that your tongue reveals your spiritual maturity and so if the love of God is been poured out a new hard to the presence of the Holy Spirit. It certainly should be evident in the way you speak. Let's look at the way we should speak go with me now to first Corinthians 13 first Corinthians 13 a very famous chapter.

Almost never. By the way, read in the setting that it should be. It's almost always detach from that setting. This is this is the wedding thing you hear that almost every wedding and it's good for a wedding.

I'm not denying it's not good for a wedding. But Paul's not really thinking of weddings. He's thinking of how paramount love is over everything.

He's thinking that love is so much greater than the spiritual gifts that the Corinthians had decided are more important than anything else.

In fact they evidence their spiritual gifts in a do it in such a way that is unloving there antagonistic to each other and Paul says that nothing you do is important is loving Jesus said this I give you a new commandment, he said in John that you love one another. So that's what he picks this up and he says in verse four he says love is patient and love is kind. It is not jealous. Love does not brag and is not arrogant. Love does not act unbecomingly. Love does not seek its own, it is not provoked, it does not take into account a wrong suffered, it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.

He says love never fails. I remember you had this love, this is agape you had this love poured out in your heart. The presence of the spirit. In fact if you look at that list. By the way, that list reveals the heart of Jesus. That list and get personified and say that list is the character of Jesus Christ. We read that way. Jesus Christ is patient, Jesus Christ. This kind Jesus Christ is not jealous Jesus Christ. Love does not brag is not arrogant. Jesus Christ is not act unbecomingly.

Jesus Christ is not seek his own Jesus Christ is not provoked.

Jesus Christ is not taken account a wrong suffered, Jesus Christ is not rejoice in unrighteousness, but Jesus Christ rejoices in the truth. Jesus Christ bears all things, Jesus Christ believes all things Jesus Christ hopes all things, Jesus Christ endures all things. Jesus Christ never fail you see that's the son. Remember, this is what we reflect. This is what were the reflectors should come from our heart. We should pray about it. We should think before we speak and we should let our words reflect the Lord. We love that's what you come out of her mouth.

Notice that our tongue is connected to our heart. The kind away. We should speak. We should be patient. I work should have patience and we should be kind.

Paul says in Ephesians, let no one kind word come from your mouth. You should not brag. We should not be arrogant should not seek our own should not be provoked.

We should take into account a wrong suffered, we should not rejoice in unrighteousness. When we see failure and sin around this and rejoice in what other people do that. He said we should rejoice in the truth she that's the way we should be. That's the language that's the way in which we should speak that soon we should be.

You see, it's John said love drives out fear. So if I am allowing the love of God to control me. I don't speak fearful words to make other people afraid I don't speak pessimistic words say it over and over again, but there's no reason for you to be pessimistic not in any way.

One is I've said it again. Read the end of the book to win his see what you pessimistic about the worst thing that could happen to you can happen to you, says right in the book what you pessimistic about you see the whole idea of it is is that we should reflect these kinds of words. This should be the language that we have pray to God to guard your speech actually think before you speak. Let your words reflect your love for Christ and his love for you. You seek GR Tweed wasn't saved by the mayor played a very small part.

He was saved by the sun. You see, you take the son away in the mirrors meaningless. It can't do anything for you.

It can only reflect it doesn't initiate see that's why such a beautiful illustration of you and me is a privilege to be a mere in God's hands never thought of mine at the urine as backpack and I whenever he really made Julie just pulls you out and starts to use you.

You see, just starts.

These he sends the message it might not be… – – –… But it might be. This is how I give an account for the hope is in me. This is why I have joy and peace and hope no matter what is going on out there.

This may explain to you how you with all the frustrations, your life can be reconciled. The holy God is, he may speak right through me and allow me to reflect his glory. GR Tweed's mirror was used, to save him. May God use us as mirrors to save so many who need to know our Savior.

Despite father, I fear that we underestimate the power of our words and yet all of us know that people who have ministered to us deeply, meaningfully life-changing ways did so because of what they said to us in the context in which they said it. We know that when we became a born-again Christian that we put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ and his finished work. It was because somebody spoke the words of the gospel to us and because of their words given to us reflecting your love for us. We were born again into the family of God. Father, may we understand and leave this place.

Realizing how important the words are how important are speeches that we have an opportunity to reflect your love for people. We have an opportunity to offer people hope that cannot be diminished. Father I pray that we take advantage of this in all of our relationships from those closest to us to complete strangers that we understand that through the tongue we have the power to save. We know that we are completely dependent on you that our tongue is not attainable in and of itself without your help.

But we know that through Jesus Christ and his presence in our lives. We like the apostle Paul can do all things, may we be steadfast in deciding to allow you to control our speech in the days ahead for your glory and for our good and for the good of so many years. Christ bathroom number you ever miss one of our broadcast or maybe you just like to listen to the message one more time. Remember the little great website called in one place.com that's one place.com and you can listen the fellowship and the word online that website you will find on with today's broadcast but also many of our previous audio program, had Fellowship in the Word. We are thankful for those who financially support our ministry and make this broadcast possible.

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