series: Letters of Love
title: #4 Creating Worlds
date: April 29, 2018
teacher: Jacob Bender
scriptures: 1 John 2:7-14, John 13:34-35, Proverbs 29:11, Proverbs 17:9
article used in sermon:
Words matter… they pave paths, they create worlds, and Jesus says that every careless word you say will be held against you. He says that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks… so the mouth is a reflection of what is going on inside of you. (Matthew 12:34-37)
Proverbs (29:11) says that “only a fool speaks whatever comes to his mind, where as a wise man quietly holds back”
the ESV puts it like this: a fool GIVES FULL VENT to his spirit…
and I think that is something we all need to remember. The things that we say…,the way that we react, THE WAY THAT WE VENT… it all creates worlds! And what John says is that it sets traps… it sets people up to SIN. Your words can cause people to hold grudges against OTHER people, and pick up YOUR OFFENSE.
This is why it is so important that you don’t HATE your neighbor. That you don’t hate your brother… this is why it is so important that we forgive every time:
Because what doesn’t get sent away, will eventually come out… and if it comes out to someone else… then what happens? you tell someone “so and so slept with this person… or so and so used me in this way and BE CAREFUL OF SO AND SO” then the moment THEY meet “so and so” or the next time they see them… WHAT IS GOING TO BE THE FIRST THING THAT THEY THINK OF THEM? THEY ARE A CHEATER. THEY ARE A THEIF. THEY LIE ABOUT PEOPLE. THEY USE PEOPLE. THEY ARE FAKE. THEY ARE GOING TO LET YOU DOWN!
whatever it is. Its the first thing they will think of… all critical, sinful thoughts toward forgiven children of God whom He loves with all of his heart.
Proverbs 17:9 says “whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends.” You are setting traps for people when you talk to them about others who you are holding something against. and if you are the HEARER in that conversation: you will have to actually work to create a different image of them than the one that was painted by someone else… and now suddenly people are on proving ground with us and they don’t even know it.
Do you see the problem with that?
when we should look at broken people, and if we are honest with ourselves, realize that what we are seeing is a reflection of ourselves…
A PERSON WHO IS BROKEN… BUT WHO HAS AN ADVOCATE.
