Topic: Stewardship of our Words
Text: Matthew 12:36-37
Introduction
This month we are in a series on stewardship. God wants us to be good stewards of everything he has entrusted us with. In this series we want to look at some of the big areas of stewardship.
Last week we began our series by looking at being good stewards of our hearts. We saw that we are not to be good stewards of the heart we are born with for the heart we were born with is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Jeremiah 17:9
The heart we were born with needs salvation! Instead we are to be good stewards of our born again hearts.
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 36:26
When we surrender our old hearts to Jesus He gives us a new heart. He takes from us a heart that hates God and gives us a heart that is capable of loving God. We saw last week that God pours out his love and his light into our new hearts by the power of the Holy Spirit in order to help us to love Him. We love him because he first loved us.
This week we want to look at a second big area of stewardship.This week we want to look at being good stewards of our words. Why must we be good stewards of our words?
In Matthew 12:36-37 Jesus tells us
“But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Jesus said our words have eternal consequences! Our careless words will condemn us and our careful words will acquit us.How many times have we been careless with our words and thought “It’s no big deal!” Words are a big deal. Why? Because Jesus said our words have eternal consequences. By your words you will be acquitted, by your words you will be condemned. Jesus did not say “By your church affiliation you will be acquitted or condemned.
Jesus specifically said “By your words you will be acquitted or condemned.” Our careless words will condemn us!
What does Jesus mean by the phrase "condemn us"? Does he mean “Our careless words will get us a slap on the wrist?” Does he mean “Our careless words will get us a detention after school? What does Jesus mean by our careless words will "condemn us"? What will our careless words condemn us to?
Back in Matthew 5:22 Jesus gives us the answer to what our careless words will condemn us too.
“But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.”
Don’t raise your hand but has anyone here ever called someone else a fool? Well if we have Jesus said we are in the danger of the fire of hell.
Some of us here are thinking that this is too personal. I’d rather hear about being a good steward of something else. This is just as personal to me too!
If our words condemn us it doesn’t matter how good of a steward we are in every other area. We can give a million dollars to the church and still be in danger of the fire of hell. We can go on a hundred missions trips and still be in danger of the fire of hell. We can pray and read our bibles every day and still be in danger of the fire of hell.
Others of us are thinking it just can’t be that bad…I only occasionally say careless words so it’s no big deal. Yet James 3:6 tells us
“Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.”
How many sparks does it take to set a great forest on fire? One small spark! How many careless words does it take to set the whole course of our life on fire? One careless word! It only takes one careless word to set the whole course of our life on fire.
Is that true? Can one careless word really set the whole course of our life on fire?
For example can the word “yes” or "no" set the whole course of our life on fire?
Adam and Eve said yes to the Devil and because of that one word sin and death entered the world.
The children of Israel said no to entering the promised Land and because of that one word every male over 20 except for Joshua and Caleb died in the wilderness.
Only one careless word- and now sin and death becomes our master. Only one careless word and now we die in the wilderness never to see the promised land.
It doesn’t seem fair that only one careless word and now I can’t get into heaven.It’s doesn’t seem fair that only one careless word and now I am condemned to hell for ever and ever.
The Bible says without holiness no one can see God and the wages of sin is death or eternal separation from God.
Is there any hope for me? There is hope. Do you see it?
Matthew 12:36-37
“But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Jesus said “For by your words you will be acquitted.”
Even thought I am condemned by my careless words Jesus said that there are other words that can acquit me. Praise God I can be acquitted. I don’t have to go to hell. I can be forgiven for my careless words. Surely a holy God is also a loving God. He has made a way of escape for us.
We can be acquitted by our words. Yet I see a problem!
Jesus said I can be acquitted by my words but he doesn’t tell me what those words are?
Nowhere in Matthew 12:36-37 are we told the words that acquit us. Jesus doesn’t give us a formula by which we are acquitted. It would be great if Jesus told us to just say these certain words and you will be acquitted.So what do we do?
We could make up our own acquitting words. But that does not always work out
Jesus said that at the end of time some people are going to say to him “Lord, Lord…
and Jesus is going to say to them depart from me I never knew you.
Words that really acquit us are always words that express our heartfelt repentance. They are words that express sorrow for our sins. They are words that express our need for God’s forgiveness. They are Words that express our need for God’s mercy and grace. They are words that express our total dependence on God.
“Create in me a pure heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
Or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
And grant a willing spirit to sustain me.”
(Psalm 51:10-11)
Do you need acquittal today?
