Gtcotr/ss093007
Key Scriptures: Proverbs 18 NKJV
20 ¶ A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth, From the produce of his lips he shall be filled.
21 ¶ Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.
Approximately 3500 years ago a man named Moses was sent by God to secure the release of Hebrew slaves held captive by the Pharaoh in
In his attempts to convince Pharaoh to let God’s Children go, Moses angered the Egyptians who in turn made life very difficult for the Israelites. With the extra hardships placed on them, the Jews of Moses’ day were not at all happy with their new fight for freedom.
As time went on the Israelites began to murmur and complain about their added difficulties, wishing that God and his servant Moses had just left things the way they were. However, God had a plan for their future and He was determined to succeed.
Eventually Pharaoh released the Hebrew slaves and they left
Both God and Moses were very gracious, merciful and forgiving. For every problem God provided a remedy through Moses and the Children of Israel always ended up getting their way. If they wanted sweet water, more meat, shade in the daytime, warmth for the cool nights, protection from enemies, miracle signs of God’s abiding presence, confirmation of divinely appointed leadership, … whatever they asked for, they received.
Would you go ahead and turn in your bibles to Numbers 14.
According to God’s plan it was time for the Children to
So, in Numbers 12, God tells Moses to choose one from each tribe and send them to spy out the land. Moses did so and when the spies returned they brought back a glowing report of a wonderful land with bountiful fruits filled with fortified cities and strong people. Ten of the spies concluded that the job God wanted done just could not be accomplished by the Children of Israel. Two spies concluded that the Children of Israel were well able to meet these challenges and with God would easily take the land and possess their inheritance.
Unfortunately for everyone, the majority ruled and the loudest voices with the most depressing news were believed and supported. The Children of Israel agreed that once again God and Moses had led them out into this wilderness only to let them be killed by their enemies and have their bones bleached by the desert sun while the birds picked their flesh for food. Needless to say, it was one big complain fest … so much so that the children of Israel began to make plans to choose new leadership and make their way back to Egypt and to the slavery of their former lives.
Apparently, it was about this time that God had had enough.
Numbers 14 NLT
27 "How long will this wicked nation complain about me? I have heard everything the Israelites have been saying.
28 Now tell them this: ‘As surely as I live, I will do to you the very things I heard you say. I, the LORD, have spoken!
29 You will all die here in this wilderness! Because you complained against me, none of you who are twenty years old or older and were counted in the census
30 will enter the land I swore to give you. The only exceptions will be Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.
31 "‘You said your children would be taken captive. Well, I will bring them safely into the land, and they will enjoy what you have despised.
32 But as for you, your dead bodies will fall in this wilderness.
33 And your children will be like shepherds, wandering in the wilderness forty years. In this way, they will pay for your faithlessness, until the last of you lies dead in the wilderness.
34 "‘Because the men who explored the land were there for forty days, you must wander in the wilderness for forty years—a year for each day, suffering the consequences of your sins. You will discover what it is like to have me for an enemy.’
35 I, the LORD, have spoken! I will do these things to every member of the community who has conspired against me. They will all die here in this wilderness!"
36 ¶ Then the ten scouts who had incited the rebellion against the LORD by spreading discouraging reports about the land
37 were struck dead with a plague before the LORD.
All of this because of what was said …
Evidently, death and life are in the power of the tongue!
“Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” Luke 6:45
“We believe therefore we speak.” 2 Corinthians 4:13
God counted it a conspiracy when His Children got together and complained about His plan for their life and future. He grew tired of their continual disagreement with His Word, His Will and His Way.
This same idea is carried throughout the whole bible. God listens to and grants our prayers. What we continually say has power and may just come to pass one day.
You see, it is by our words that we will be justified and by our words that we will be condemned. Matthew 12:37
The Gospel of Mark puts it concisely in New Testament terms when it says:
Mark 11 NKJV
22 So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God.
23 "For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.
24 "Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
So, this morning allow me to make three conclusions:
1. What we say makes a difference in our lives.
2. We cannot control others by our words but we can affect them.
3. Truth is not determined by a show of hands.
Watch what you say, you may just become right!
