Live Like You Were Dying Part 2
Speak Sweeter
Last week we started a new teaching based on the song
Live Like You Were Dying.
I hope you had a great home group experience this week discussing
how to Live With A Sense Of Urgency,
how to Live With A Sense Of Priority and
how to Live With A Sense Of Eternity.
During the month of September I am asking you not only to be present on
Sunday morning but also during the week to be in your home group to
put feet to the presentation you’ll hear today.
If you are not in a home group, I will be glad to host one for you.
It is a five week commitment.
I want you to get the maximum spiritual growth out of this series of
messages.
To do that you need to be in a home group.
Tim McGraw has given us the outline for our series,
And he was so kind as to set it to music for us—
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiOcW_YR1G8
Today I’d like to focus on Speak Sweeter.
Words are powerful.
What you say to someone else can build them up and encourage them to be
the best they can be,
And what you say to someone can utterly crush them.
Proverbs 18:21 (MSG)
Words kill, words give life; they're either poison or fruit—you choose.
You choose,
that throws the responsibility for what you say squarely on your shoulders.
You are the responsible party for the words you speak
What you say builds up or tears down.
What you say has the power to create, maintain and strengthen relationships
And power to deter, damage and destroy relationships.
Jesus taught us that He is going to hold us personally accountable for what we say.
Matthew 12:36-37 (MSG)
Let me tell you something: Every one of these careless words is going to come back to haunt you. There will be a time of Reckoning. Words are powerful; take them seriously. Words can be your salvation. Words can also be your damnation."
To live like you were dying, learn to use your words wisely.
To live like you were dying,
Right now is the time to start speaking sweeter.
Right now is the time to have good words for others.
That’s what we are going to concentrate on today,
By the end of the session you are going to know the source of your words,
and how to make that source pure and healthy,
you are going to know three ways to help you start talking
sweeter.
The Bible has a lot to say about what comes out of our mouths.
Jesus taught us that what comes out of us is a reflection of what is in us.
Matthew 12:34-35 (NIV)
For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.
To Live Like You Were Dying is a matter of the heart.
Attitudes, dispositions, propensities,
thoughts, perspectives, assumptions,
all form the words we say.
In scripture the heart always represents the command and control center of the
person.
In our study of sin we know that even after we are living the ABC’s of
the faith.
We have a deep seated sin problem that remains.
Original sin is our estrangement with God.
Because of that estrangement we have placed ourselves as the ruling
authority for our lives,
we call that the sin nature,
or what I refer to as egoism,
the self centered on the self,
being our own God,
being our own arbitrator of morality,
the judge of what is good and evil.
And because of this original sin and sin nature we commit acts of sin.
Deeds that deter, damage and destroy relationships.
When you are living the ABC’s of the faith,
Accepting the fact that you need a mediator to reconcile your estrangement
with God.
Believing that the mediator you need is Jesus
And continually committing your self to living a life style of reconciliation
The Atonement, Jesus’ death, is the source of the grace which
the Holy Spirit forgives you acts of sin and reconciles you
to the Father.
You are a new creation in Christ, the old way of living is gone,
And now there is a new way of living.
Soon after you encounter a civil war within your heart.
The sin nature remains,
Egoism fights the Holy Spirit within you.
The Holy Spirit urges you to obey and live your life to the full.
Egoism, the sin nature urges you to do what ever please you.
Your heart has mixed motivations,
Your attitudes, desires, wishes and wants are at odds with one another.
Sometimes you want what God wants,
But other times you want to disregard God and do what you
want.
Out of a heart
Dominated by mixed devotion,
Confused loyalty,
Of infidelity
The mouth speaks
James 3:9-10 (MSG)
With our tongues we bless God our Father; with the same tongues we curse the very men and women he made in his image. Curses and blessings out of the same mouth!
Haven’t you ever wondered why speak sweet and then in the next breath your
words can be like a chain saw,
like a jack hammer,
like a knife in some one’s back?
Haven’t you ever wondered why you get angry or your will is frustrated and you
say all manner of curses upon the object of your wrath?
It’s because of a divided heart.
It’s because of egoism.
James 3:10-12 (MSG)
My friends, this can't go on. A spring doesn't gush fresh water one day and brackish the next, does it? Apple trees don't bear strawberries, do they? Raspberry bushes don't bear apples, do they? You're not going to dip into a polluted mud hole and get a cup of clear, cool water, are you?
This can’t go on if you are going to live like you were dying.
God had a remedy for your original sin problem and your deeds of sin
problem.
The ABC’s of the faith.
Well God also has a remedy for you sin nature problem,
For your usurping egoism.
Ezekiel 11:19 (NIV)
I will give them an undivided heart …
God has a more grace to give his children,
the grace that makes it possible to have an undivided heart,
no longer torn between living by the Spirit and living by egoism.
Ezekiel 36:25 (NIV)
I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols.
God has a more grace to give his children,
A clean heart, that desire to be your own God,
Attitude of rebellion, the propensity to sin,
Cleansed out from with in.
Ezekiel 36:26 (NIV)
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
God has a more grace to give his children,
A new heart on set on love,
A new heart with the priorities to love God, others, the earth and ones
self righteously.
The stony heart of egoism removed,
A heart of love transplanted in you.
Ezekiel 36:27 (MSG)
I'll put my Spirit in you and make it possible for you to do what I tell you and live by my commands.
God has a more grace to give his children,
The Holy Spirit can empower you to live your life to the full.
To live out authentic Christianity,
A new power source for you heart.
The Old King James translation of the scripture reads
“out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh” (Matt 12:34 (KJV).
Your words reveal the condition of your heart.
Want to speak sweeter?
Recognize you have a heart condition.
A divided heart,
A stony heart,
a dirty heart,
a heart empowered by egoism.
Go to God and plead you case.
Tell Him that you believe that He can give you a new
heart.
That He can rectify the attitudes, dispositions and
propensities of egoism into a heart of love,
controlled and in step with the Holy
Spirit.
Then keep waiting on Him, serving Him, doing what He tells
you, and you will discover that the grace is there to be
everything He created you to be.
You’ll know the work has been done by the words you say.
Others will know the work has been done by what you
say and how it is said.
A sanctified heart is the secret to speaking sweeter.
Now you know the source of your words,
and how to make that source righteous.
There are three ways to start speaking sweeter today
you appreciate others,
you encourage others,
you pray for others.
Proverbs 16:24 (NLT)
Kind words are like honey— sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.
1. YOU’RE SPEAKING SWEETER WHEN YOU APPRECIATE PEOPLE.
Some people thrive on appreciation.
I couldn’t pay a person enough money for them to do the job that my wife
does.
No one could wear so many hates so very well.
What’s the pay day for her?
Appreciation.
When I express my appreciation instead of my expectation I’ve just spoken
sweeter.
Some folks don’t know what they’ve got till its gone.
They have a sense of entitlement, not one of appreciation.
Look at the people in your life—
They are gifts from God to you,
Even the ones that are EGR’s
Extra grace required,
people who rub you the wrong way,
get on your nerves and drive you nuts.
All a gift—express your appreciation to them and
you’ve just spoken sweeter.
Saying thank you is a word of appreciation
Acknowledging a persons work is a word of appreciation
Being kind and thoughtful is a word of appreciation
When should you express your appreciation for the people in your life?
Well when you are living like your dying you know that now is the only
time you’ve got so how about this instant?
Today, start expressing your appreciation to all the people in you life.
2. YOU’RE SPEAKING SWEETER WHEN YOU ENCOURAGE PEOPLE.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV)
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
We live in a world where people are beat up and put down,
The world has a way of using and abusing people.
We all get tired, worn out.
From time to time we don’t get the job done,
We fail to live up to expectation.
We can all use sweet words of encouragement instead of
condemning words of judgment.
Encouragement works wonders.
You can focus on what was bad in someone’s performance.
And let them have it with both barrels.
Or you can use the mess they just created to encourage
them to evaluate and do better next time.
When training my dog I don’t punish wrong behavior,
Encourage good behavior.
A single word of correction for the wrong,
Followed by a whole bunch of encouragement for the good.
It’s just a matter of time before all you get is good performance.
Whatever you concentrate on you’ll get.
When you encourage someone else, you’ve just blessed them.
When should you encourage someone in you life?
Well when you are living like your dying you know that now is the only
time you’ve got so how about this instant?
Today, start encouraging the people in your life.
3. YOU’RE SPEAKING SWEETER WHEN YOU PRAY FOR PEOPLE.
Ephesians 6:18 (MSG)
Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.
I have found that it’s real difficult to stay at odds with people we pray for.
We know that everything rises and falls on relationships.
So prayer has something to do with relationships.
“Prayer is a dependent,
enfolding,
empowering,
friend-in-the-middle,
traveling,
working relationships with God.”
(John F. DeVries, Why Pray? p.61)
When you pray for someone you are including them in that relationship.
When we pray for someone its called intercessory prayer.
We see a person’s need,
We go to God in prayer to see how he will use us to meet that
need.
When we pray for someone we are asking God to
equip us to be the need meeter.
James 2:15-17 (MSG)
For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, "Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!" and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—where does that get you? Isn't it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?
When you pray for someone you are asking God to bless them.
Pray for a blessing for someone and you become a blessing for someone.
If you want to speak sweeter pray for the people in your life
When should you pray for someone in you life?
Well when you are living like your dying you know that now is the only
time you’ve got so how about this instant?
Today, start praying for the people in your life.
Today you’ve learned the secret of speaking sweeter.
It’s a matter of the heart.
Egoism must be dealt with so from a righteous heart,
Words of righteous can come forth.
In you home groups this week you’ll be devising more ways to speak sweeter,
Better ideas on how to express appreciation,
New methods on how to encourage others,
And powerful ways to pray for one another.
To live like you were dying you’ll need to start speaking sweeter
James 3:5 (MSG)
A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly anything—or destroy it!
Let’s pray.
Live Like You Were Dying Part 2 Speak Sweeter
Live With A Sense Of Urgency,
Live With A Sense Of Priority
Live With A Sense Of Eternity.
Tim McGraw video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiOcW_YR1G8
What you say to someone else can build them up and encourage them to be the best they can be, and what you say to someone can utterly crush them.
Proverbs 18:21 (MSG)
Words kill, words give life; they're either poison or fruit—you choose.
Jesus taught us that He is going to hold us personally accountable for what we say.
Matthew 12:36-37 (MSG)
Let me tell you something: Every one of these careless words is going to come back to haunt you. There will be a time of Reckoning. Words are powerful; take them seriously. Words can be your salvation. Words can also be your damnation."
To live like you were dying, learn to use your words wisely.
Jesus taught us that what comes out of us is a reflection of what is in us.
Matthew 12:34-35 (NIV)
For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.
To Live Like You Were Dying is a matter of the heart.
Out of a heart dominated by mixed devotion, confused loyalty, of infidelity, the mouth speaks.
James 3:9-10 (MSG)
With our tongues we bless God our Father; with the same tongues we curse the very men and women he made in his image. Curses and blessings out of the same mouth!
It’s because of a divided heart. It’s because of egoism.
James 3:10-12 (MSG)
My friends, this can't go on. A spring doesn't gush fresh water one day and brackish the next, does it? Apple trees don't bear strawberries, do they? Raspberry bushes don't bear apples, do they? You're not going to dip into a polluted mud hole and get a cup of clear, cool water, are you?
God also has a remedy for you sin nature problem, for your usurping egoism.
Ezekiel 11:19 (NIV)
I will give them an undivided heart …
Ezekiel 36:25 (NIV)
I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols.
Ezekiel 36:26 (NIV)
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
Ezekiel 36:27 (MSG)
I'll put my Spirit in you and make it possible for you to do what I tell you and live by my commands.
Want to speak sweeter?
Recognize you have a heart condition.
Go to God and plead you case.
Keep waiting on Him, serving Him, doing what He tells you, and you will
discover that the grace is there to be everything He created you to
be.
Proverbs 16:24 (NLT)
Kind words are like honey— sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.
1. YOU’RE SPEAKING SWEETER WHEN YOU APPRECIATE PEOPLE.
2. YOU’RE SPEAKING SWEETER WHEN YOU ENCOURAGE PEOPLE.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV)
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
3. YOU’RE SPEAKING SWEETER WHEN YOU PRAY FOR PEOPLE.
Ephesians 6:18 (MSG)
Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.
When we pray for someone we are asking God to equip us to be the need meeter.
James 2:15-17 (MSG)
For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, "Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!" and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—where does that get you? Isn't it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?
To live like you were dying you’ll need to start speaking sweeter
James 3:5 (MSG)
A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly anything—or destroy it!
Live Like You Were Dying Part 2 Speak Sweeter
Live With A Sense Of _____________ ,
Live With A Sense Of _____________
Live With A Sense Of _____________.
Tim McGraw video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiOcW_YR1G8
What you _____________ to someone else can build them up and encourage them to be the best they can be, and what you _____________ to someone can utterly crush them.
Proverbs 18:21 (MSG)
Jesus taught us that He is going to hold us personally _____________ for what we say.
Matthew 12:36-37 (MSG)
To live like you were dying, learn to use your words _____________.
Jesus taught us that what comes out of us is a _____________ of what is in us.
Matthew 12:34-35 (NIV)
To Live Like You Were Dying is a matter of the _____________.
Out of a heart dominated by mixed devotion, confused loyalty, of infidelity, the mouth _______.
James 3:9-10 (MSG)
It’s because of a divided heart. It’s because of _____________.
James 3:10-12 (MSG)
God also has a remedy for you sin nature problem, for your usurping _____________.
Ezekiel 11:19 (NIV)
Ezekiel 36:25 (NIV)
Ezekiel 36:26 (NIV)
Ezekiel 36:27 (MSG)
Want to speak sweeter?
_____________ you have a heart condition.
Go to God and plead you _____________.
Keep _____________ on Him, serving Him, doing what He tells you, and you will
discover that the grace is there to be everything He created you to be.
Proverbs 16:24 (NLT)
Kind words are like honey— sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.
1. YOU’RE SPEAKING SWEETER WHEN YOU _____________ PEOPLE.
2. YOU’RE SPEAKING SWEETER WHEN YOU _____________ PEOPLE.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV)
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
3. YOU’RE SPEAKING SWEETER WHEN YOU _____________ FOR PEOPLE.
Ephesians 6:18 (MSG)
Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.
When we pray for someone we are asking God to equip us to be the need ____________.
James 2:15-17 (MSG)
For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, "Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!" and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—where does that get you? Isn't it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?
To live like you were dying you’ll need to start speaking sweeter
James 3:5 (MSG)
A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly anything—or destroy it!