Study Notes

I.      We must value as important what God values as important; to God our words our significant and important

A.    Matthew 7:13-What’s significant to God should be significant to you

1.     A dog doesn’t know what’s important; a pig doesn’t know what’s important

a.      They’ll treat significant things, insignificantly

2.     When we don’t hold has significant what God does it’s irreverent (Malachi 1)

a.      People want to think they can honor God and not value what he values

B.     To God, your words, what you say is significant; so it must be significant to us

1.     This is not about some camp, this is about how significant are our words to God

C.    Four groups of people where this teaching is concerned

1.     Doers (THIS IS THE ONLY ACCEPTABLE GROUP TO BE IN)

2.     Hearers

3.     Hold their noses up at people who believe this

4.     Never heard anything like this before

II.     Every word you speak is working to direct your thoughts, affect your atmosphere, infect your heart, and creating your world.

A.    Matthew 12:37

1.     Your heart is tied to your life and your mouth is tied to your heart (Pr 4, Mt 12:34)

2.     35-If you make a good deposit in your heart, you’ll speak good out your mouth, and bring forth good things (Mark 11:23)

3.     37-If it’s not idle you wont’ have to give an account thereof, if it’s idle you will

a.      Every word you speak will either be idle or it won’t

4.     Idle-Thoughtless, profitless,non-working (NASB-Careless; NIV-Empty; CEB-Useless)

a.      Profitless-God wants your words to yield profit (increase of good for u/me)

1)      You’re words are supposed to work to produce good

2)      Words that don’t profit (Increase good) you’ll give an account of

a)     You spoke something that’s working towards your bad

b.      Thoughtless-U didn’t think how that would effect ur/someone else’s good

B.     The moment a word is released from your mouth it’s working to direct your thoughts, affect your atmosphere, infect your heart, & create your world.

1.     Every time you spoke something happened whether you saw it or not

a.      It directing your thoughts (Matthew 6:31)

b.      It’s affecting the atmosphere (Psalm 23:1, 1 Samuel 30:6)

c.      It’s infecting your heart (Proverbs 4:20)

d.      It’s creating your world (Mark 11:23)

2.     James 5:12-Mean what you say, say what you mean

a.      If you want you meant was the important thing, God would have said that

b.      WWE-My brothers, here is something that matters very much. When you make a promise do not ask heaven to hear it, or the earth, or any other thing. When you mean `Yes,' just say, `Yes.' And when you mean `No,' just say, `No.' If you do that, you will not be judged.

c.      NCV-My brothers and sisters, above all, do not use an oath when you make a promise. Don't use the name of heaven, earth, or anything else to prove what you say. When you mean yes, say only yes, and when you mean no, say only no so you will not be judged guilty.

d.      GW-Above all things, my brothers and sisters, do not take an oath on anything in heaven or on earth. Do not take any oath. If you mean yes, say yes. If you mean no, say no. Do this so that you won’t be condemned.

e.      MSG-And since you know that he cares, let your language show it. Don't add words like "I swear to God" to your own words. Don't show your impatience by concocting oaths to hurry up God. Just say yes or no. Just say what is true. That way, your language can't be used against you.

III.   Do our words matter? How significant of a matter is this?

A.    James 1:26-Wrong words = vain religion

1.     There are people who seem religious & think they’re religious, but aren’t

2.     You have to hold your mouth in check to the standard of the Word (Js 3:14)

3.     Not holding your mouth in check to what the Word says makes your religious worship and discipline useless, without success, and void of power

a.      You’re tithing, praying, reading, coming to church, fasting is useless if you won’t control your mouth (1 Corinthians 13-He talked like this about love)

B.     Proverbs 18:21-According to God it’s a matter of life or death

1.     Some people who say it matters, but not as much as ur making it out to matter

2.     Is living and dying significant? --- Death and life is tied to your tongue

a.      Sickness and health, poverty and prosperity, victory and defeat

C.    Romans 1o:6-8-You got into this thing by believing and speaking

1.     The righteousness of faith doesn’t talk like something else still has to be done; It says: I have the word & I can believe & speak & that’s all that needs 2 happen

2.     When you believed & spoke power was released in response to your words  

a.      You were dead spiritually; your spirit was full of death, sin, and darkness and you were going to hell; But when you believed and spoke the Holy Spirit by the two-edge sword of the word of God, but your spirit open and emptied you of all that death, sin, and darkness and filled you love, life, and light and you were a new species of being created in the image of God and in the family of God.

b.      It was the difference in staying dead spiritually & becoming alive spiritually

1)      You were dead one second, but u said something & now you’re alive

3.     If believing and speaking effected your destiny in eternity, it would stand to reason that believing & speaking will effect your destiny in the physical world

a.      Saved-To save, keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger or destruction, from disease, to make well, heal, restore to health

IV.   If you want to live the good life watch your mouth (Psalm 34:10, 1 Peter 3:10)

A.    Evil means bad, wrong, wicked; God’s word is good, right, and pure

1.     For you say anything that’s in opposition to what the Word says is evil

2.     James 3:14-Lie not against the truth; is it lying  (Romans 4:17)

B.     Not refraining your tongue from evil will keep you from the good life (Num 13,14)

1.     Num 13:1, Ex 33:1-This is what God said; Num 13:27-14:4-This is what they said

a.      32-They are speaking evil

b.      This doesn’t sound all that evil; they’re just telling the truth

2.     Numbers 14:26-34-Was what they said significant?

a.      It was the difference between living in the PL & dying in the wilderness

V.    Your tongue/words/mouth may appear to be a small thing, but it’s a big deal (Jame 3:2)

A.    2-The less you miss it in what you say, the more mature you’ll be

1.     Eph 4:16-Speaking the Word will help you grow up & reveal you’re growing up

B.     People see their words as a small insignificant thing; small things can be a big deal

1.     3-A bit is a small thing through which we control a big animal

2.     4-A rudder is small compared to that big ship, but we can control that ship even in fierce winds if he can get a hold of the rudder

3.     5-A spark is a small thing, that can start a real big fire

C.    6-The tongue sets on fire the sphere of this earthly life & all that is contained in it

1.     Your words affect your world

D.    The steering wheel of your life

1.     Wherever the bit goes the horse goes; wherever the rudder goes the ship goes; wherever your mouth goes you go

2.     EX: If you’re steering wheel was turned away from church all the time you’d never have gotten here; if you’re mouth is turning away from the destination you want to reach you’ll never get there

a.      EX: The lady with cancer who couldn’t hold food down

3.     People want to talk what is, and end up somewhere else but that just leads to them staying where they is

a.      If u want to go somewhere different steer the wheel in a different direction

4.     GOD IS IN CONTROL

a.      He’s only in control if you put His word in your heart and are saying it out your mouth

E.     Who controls the bit, controls the horse; who controls the rudder, controls the ship; who controls your mouth, controls your life (Matthew 12:34)

1.     You can go somewhere different until you say something different; you won’t say something different until you so something different