Sermon Central
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What’s The Big Deal With Cursing?
Contributed by Jim Butcher on Aug 18, 2021 (message contributor)
Summary: An overview of some of the ways we curse and what the core reason is for doing that.
WHAT'S THE HEART OF THE PROBLEM WITH CURSING?
1. WHEN CURSE WORDS ARE PEPPERED THROUGHOUT OUR WORDS:
a. You’re not convincing with your intelligence or genuineness, so you’re trying to convince with shock value.
- Often in using curse words you’re acknowledging that you can’t be convincing with your intelligence or your genuineness, so you’re going to do it by being shocking.
- Types of IQ: mental intelligence, emotional intelligence.
- Wisdom is part of the issue here too, with one type of wisdom being defined as knowing the core issue amid all the distractions.
- George Will said something like, cursing is the attempt of a small mind to make a large point.
b. Your identity is bound up in doing what’s inappropriate.
- James 3:9-10.
- This says, “This is who I am!” It’s a statement of identity.
- What comes out of our mouth tells us the state of our heart.
2. WHEN WE WANT TO CURSE SOMEONE:
a. We want terrible things to happen to them.
- Matthew 5:44; Luke 6:27, 35; Romans 12:19-20; 1 Thessalonians 5:15.
- “God d--- you.” Even if we don’t always think about what we’re saying, we’re cursing that person. We are asking God to bring bad things into that life.
- Compare that to the call to love our enemies and leave judgment to God.
3. WHEN WE INVOKE GOD'S NAME:
a. We’re ok with treating God’s name as a casual nothing.
- Matthew 6:9 – “Hallowed be Your name.”
- Like “Oh my God!” or “Oh God!”
b. Lacking character, we try to use God’s name to manipulate others for our benefit.
c. We are hypocritical enough to praise and curse with the same name.
- James 3:9-10.
- Do we shout praise to Jesus’ name and use “Jesus Christ” as a curse from the same mouth?
- How much do we treasure the name of Jesus?
- I read once of some kids who were asked to describe what it meant to have someone love you. One child’s response has stuck with me: “When someone loves you, your name is safe in their mouth.”
- How valuable? Get Ada’s quilt. Would I use it to cuddle up warmly on the couch or to pick up dog poop? One shows I value it; one shows I don’t.
