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[0:00] ! All right, if you're going to sing like that, we'll do two songs every week, all right?

[0:36] That was awesome, man. I was back there like, man, y'all got three songs into two. That's fantastic. Hey, if you got your Bible, go to Ephesians chapter four. Ephesians chapter four. I got to slow down a little bit.

[0:47] My heart's kind of racing because we're on a somewhat shortened schedule tonight, and yet there's so much I want to say. So you listen fast, okay?

[0:57] And if I go long, it's your fault. So last week, we started a series. We're taking a break from the book of Exodus. We're going to finish that when we get into our new building next month, which is still the plan.

[1:10] We're excited about that. We'll pick back up in that series, and we're taking kind of a little mini series, a little summer break, talking about a very, very important topic in the Bible, which is the power and impact of our words.

[1:23] We're essentially talking about our talking. We're talking about our talking, and this is such an important issue biblically. The Bible says so much about this, and yet we often dismiss it.

[1:36] Last week, if you weren't here, you can go back online and check it out. We talked about Proverbs 18, verse 21, that says, death and life are in the power of the tongue.

[1:48] That is, our words literally carry with it the power of life and death. This is something you see at the very beginning of the Bible. In Genesis chapter 1, everything that was created, all of life came through God's words.

[2:06] God spoke, and there was life in those words. In Genesis 3, Satan comes in and with words brings death to all of mankind.

[2:17] He questions the very words of God. Did God really say? You see, the writer of Proverbs is saying, words have the power of life, and words have the power of death.

[2:30] And we talked about last week that Jesus is introduced to us in the Gospel of John in the very first verse. In the beginning was the Word. Now, you can be louder than that tonight.

[2:42] And the Word was with God, and the Word was God. That Word in the beginning that created life wasn't a pronoun, it was a person.

[2:53] The Lord Jesus Christ is the Word. And that means our words really, really matter. Turn to Ephesians chapter 4 as we see now.

[3:05] The Apostle Paul gives us some instructions on our words, on the importance of our tongue, our mouth. We're going to look at a very famous passage tonight here in Ephesians 4 and verse 29.

[3:19] If you are able to stand, please do so as we stand for the reading of God's Word. Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 29 down through verse 32.

[3:30] The Apostle Paul is writing to a church in Ephesus, and as he does so, he writes under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. And here's what he tells them. Let no, no corrupting talk come out of your mouth.

[3:49] But only, that is, only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

[4:05] And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you along with all malice.

[4:26] And instead be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

[4:43] What beautiful words. Amen? Let's pray. God, help us now. We are on the surgery table, ready to be cut open by your Word. Come and pierce us.

[4:55] Come and strengthen us. Come and do your work in us. Speak to our hearts that it might influence our mouth. To the glory of Jesus, I pray, and in his name I pray, and God's people said.

[5:10] Amen. Amen. You can be seated. I was reminded this week of a story that I actually remember from several, several years ago, but had kind of forgotten. In fact, it's a story I bet almost every single person in this room has heard this story before.

[5:25] It's a story called The Boy and the Fence. You remember that story? The Boy and the Fence. The story goes like this. There's a little boy that had a very, very bad temper.

[5:36] He always was getting angry and saying all kinds of angry words at his brothers and sisters, at his friends, even at his parents. So one day, his dad takes his son and he gives him a bag of nails.

[5:50] And he takes him and he says, here's what I want you to do. Every time you lose your temper, every time you get angry and say angry words, I want you to take one of these nails and hammer it into the fence.

[6:04] The first day, the boy lost his temper so many times he had to drive 37 nails into the fence. That's an anger problem.

[6:15] Amen? But over the next few weeks, he learned how to control his anger. The nails began to dwindle. They became less and less. And he discovered it was far easier to control his temper than to drive all those nails.

[6:31] And so he was finally excited one day when he was able to tell his father that he didn't drive a single nail into that fence. He didn't lose his temper at all that day.

[6:46] His father looked at him and said, that's great, son. I'm really proud of you. Now, here's what I want you to do. For every day that you maintain that, every day that you do not lose your temper, I want you to take one of the nails out of the fence.

[7:00] And the little boy did this. And as the days passed, he was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone. Son, you've done good.

[7:12] I'm proud of you. He takes him over to the fence and he teaches him a lesson. He says, son, even though all the nails are gone, the holes still remain.

[7:31] Because no matter what, son, this fence will never be the same. It's a powerful story.

[7:42] It's a story that talks to us about the impact of our words. Come on. How many of you have ever said something you wish you could take back? Don't look at me like that.

[7:55] Like five minutes ago you did. Right? Today you did. You said something and you immediately, like, oh, whoa, whoa, whoa. I didn't mean to say that. I'm so sorry I used those words. Please disregard what I said.

[8:07] Delete, delete, delete, delete. Delete. We've all said words we wish we could take back. But the problem is, is no matter how hard you try, you can't take them back once they've been said.

[8:19] Words are like nails. And some of you, be honest, you've had words said to you. You've had nails driven into your heart and they have left a hole.

[8:30] Maybe it was a parent that looked at you and said, I wish you'd never been born. A coach that looked at you and said, we lost the game because of you.

[8:42] A spouse that said, I don't love you anymore. A teacher that said, you're not as smart as everybody else. A boss that looked at you and said, you're no longer wanted here.

[8:54] Or maybe it was you looking at yourself in the mirror saying, no one will ever love me. And when the busyness of the day turns into the calm of night, those words replay in your mind.

[9:13] Because once they are said, they cannot be taken back. Amen? You see, in that sense, words are kind of like tattoos. Right? They can't be undone.

[9:23] Once you got one, you're stuck with it. Anybody got a tattoo you regret getting? Don't show it off, okay? You got a tattoo you wish you could take back. Like maybe this one. No regerts.

[9:35] Hey, it's good to have no regerts in life. Live a life of no regerts. Hey, no matter how hard life gets, just know it's get better.

[9:46] It's get better. It's get better. Never. Or, no matter what happens to you in life, never don't give up.

[9:57] Never don't give up. Like those are words to live by. Amen? Amen? And those people are stuck with those tattoos. Now, you know this. You can try to go through the process of getting them removed, and they might fade a little bit.

[10:12] But listen to me. You can't undo it. It's been said. The words are already out. This is why Proverbs 12 says this.

[10:23] Oh, man. Oh, man. There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts. It leaves a wound.

[10:37] It leaves an enormous amount of pain. And once it's done, it can't be taken back. And that is exactly why, Faith Family, the Apostle Paul addresses the importance of words to a church in Ephesus.

[10:53] He writes to these Christians, and he wants them to know just how much their words really matter. Now, zone in here. In the first three chapters of the book of Ephesians, the Apostle Paul has been laying out the gospel of Jesus Christ.

[11:08] It is foundation of what the gospel is, of what salvation is in Jesus Christ. Then, when he gets to chapter 4, he begins to take everything he's talked about in chapters 1 through 3 and applies it to specific areas of life.

[11:22] That is, in light of the gospel, we should be eager to maintain unity, verses 1 through 3. In light of the gospel, we should be eager to want to grow up, to commit to maturity, to not be the kind of people that are tossed to and fro by every wave of unsound doctrine.

[11:44] But to be mature people that have grown up. And then, he says, in light of the gospel, I don't want you to be given to conformity. Look here at verse 17, the earlier. He says, now I say and testify in the Lord that you should no longer walk as the Gentiles.

[12:01] Now, the Gentiles just means a word for unbelievers. Okay? Don't walk as the Gentiles do. That is, the Apostle Paul is saying, you shouldn't act like unbelievers act.

[12:13] You shouldn't talk the way unbelievers talk. Now, let's be honest. We build a culture here at Faith Family that all of us have screwed up. All of us have made mistakes. Notice this here on the screen.

[12:23] Christians are not perfect. Amen? Now, what I mean, so that you don't theologically check me, we are perfect in our righteous standing before God.

[12:33] Amen? When you put your faith in Jesus Christ, his righteousness becomes mine, and I am perfect before God because of Jesus. Amen? But my behavior is trying to catch up with that, and so is yours.

[12:46] Amen? That is, who I am is trying to be lived out in what I do. And there's a disconnect there. Christians aren't perfect, but nevertheless, we are to be peculiar.

[12:57] We are to be different. We're to not be like the Gentiles. So Paul is essentially saying this. Notice it on the screen. The gospel, chapters 1 through 3, not only transforms our relationship with God, we've been brought near.

[13:13] The gospel also transforms our relationship with one another. You didn't amen that one as loud, did you, right? We like the first part of that phrase, not so much the other.

[13:25] But the gospel should make a difference. It should make an impact. It should have a transformation in your life. Listen, and one of the ways the gospel should transform you is how you talk.

[13:42] It's how you speak. The words you say and the words you don't say. Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths.

[14:01] Now here's what I want to do. I want to immediately stop and say, what is corrupting talk? What is corrupting talk? Is it cuss words? Is Paul saying a Christian shouldn't cuss? And if that's the case, what about Christian cuss words?

[14:14] It took me two weeks to go through them, and I whittled it down to about 100 or so Christian alternative cuss words that you could use. I haven't memorized it yet, but I'd like to recite it for you right now. So Christians, just take these and cuss up a storm.

[14:27] Listen up. Here we go. Shucks, rats, gadzooks, shizzle. Toot. Toot. What? Toot. Crapola.

[14:41] Crapola. Which I guess is Spanish for crap. I don't know. Crapola. You must have been crapola. Or it's the worst crayon color ever.

[14:59] Hey, who's got the crapola over here? Try to draw a tree trunk. I need to stop taking my crapola. Holy moly.

[15:14] Holy stinking moly. Holy guacamole. Holy mackle. Holy cow. Holy smokes. Holy buckets. Bucket head. Turd. You know what I'm talking about with Christian cuss words. My dad's, fuck, I laugh every time I think of it.

[15:24] My dad, the one my dad would say all the time on the two occasions he got angry with me, was, dat, blame it. That's what my dad would always say. Dat, blame it, Wes.

[15:35] Right? So like, what about Christian cuss words? Do they count? Is that considered corrupting talk? Like, I immediately want to know what word should we use and what word should we not use?

[15:47] Well, the Greek word here for corrupt or uncorrupting is sapros. Sapros. It's interesting. This Greek word is only used one other time in the entire New Testament.

[15:58] It's used when Jesus says this, quote, it is not the good tree that bears sapros, bad fruit.

[16:09] So the idea here, the meaning of it really is rotten words. That's what uncorrupting is. It is, Paul is saying, I don't want there to be any rotten words coming out of your mouth.

[16:21] So what are rotten words? Like, why doesn't the apostle Paul give us a list? Anybody with me? Like, that's what I want. Tell me the words I can say and tell me the words I can't say.

[16:33] That's what I'd like to have here. But the apostle Paul knows that if he gives you a list of what words you can and can't say, here's what you're going to do. You're going to use the words you can say, not use the words you can't say, and miss the point entirely.

[16:50] Oh, somebody say preach, preacher. Because what did we learn last week? Notice it on the screen. Words aren't about your mouth. They're about your heart.

[17:02] Words are not about your mouth. Words are about your heart. Jesus said this, that it's out of the abundance of the everybody heart that the mouth speaks.

[17:14] There's a direct connection between who you are, between the inner man, between the heart, and what comes out of the mouth. The apostle Paul makes this connection as well in Romans chapter 10.

[17:25] If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you'll be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

[17:39] In other words, Paul doesn't give you a list here. Here's why. Come on, come on, come on. Because it isn't about your mouth. It's about your heart. It's not about I can't say this or I can't say that.

[17:53] It's what's going on in here when you speak. So now go back to the verse and see where Paul says this, verse 29. Let no rotten talk come out of your mouth.

[18:08] But here's only, Christian, only what you should say. Such as is good for, everybody? Building. Here's the first question you need to ask before you speak.

[18:22] What's my motivation? What's my motivation for saying the words I'm about to say? And I know this is often hard to discern, but we need to take some time and ask ourselves, before I open my mouth, is what I'm about to say going to build up or is it going to bring down?

[18:38] Is it going to edify or is it going to crucify? In light of Proverbs 18, will these words bring life or will these words bring death? Amen?

[18:48] Ask yourself this before you speak. When I get done talking, will I feel better or will they feel better? Am I just saying what I'm saying because I want to feel better or because I want to make the other person better?

[19:04] Am I trying to bring down or am I trying to bring up? And this is why this is so insightful. Are you with me tonight? I'm excited for you. Notice this right here. Corrupting words are any words.

[19:20] They're not certain words like cuss words. They're any words that are motivated to bring down rather than build up.

[19:31] Amen? It isn't about the word. It's about the heart, which means, oh man, you could pick the cleanest, most acceptable words in the English language.

[19:45] But if you say them with the wrong motivation, they are rotten to the core. Paul is saying here to these Christians in Ephesus, listen, intent matters as much as content.

[20:04] The intent of your heart, why you're having this conversation, the very words you're choosing to use matter as much as the words themselves.

[20:15] It's the heart. It's the heart. It's what's motivating you to say what you're saying. In fact, if you go back a few verses, Paul addresses this in verse 15. Look at Ephesians 4 and verse 15.

[20:28] He says this. He says, rather, oh, we know this verse, right? A lot of people love to throw this one out. Now, speaking the truth in, everybody? Love.

[20:39] Love. Speaking the truth in love. That is, what is to be the single most important motive in the Christian life? It is love.

[20:49] And that is everywhere in the New Testament. Amen? It is not only the single most defining thing of the gospel, namely God's love for us. It is the single most defining thing that sets Christians apart from everybody else.

[21:03] You know this. Jesus said, the world will know you how? By your love for one another.

[21:14] Listen, my love doesn't just set you apart. Your love for one another sets you apart. It's what makes you unique. The ultimate fundamental motivation of the Christian life is love.

[21:25] Notice this here on the screen. So, if love is what defines the Christian community, then love must direct Christian communication.

[21:37] Are y'all with me tonight? I'm really fired up about it. I think this is really good stuff, right? If love is what defines our whole Christian community, then love must direct our godly Christian communication.

[21:55] Listen, oh, speak the truth in love. We love to speak the truth, right? I'm going to speak the truth. I'm going to tell him how it is. I'm going to tell her how the cow ate the cabbage.

[22:07] That's a southern expression, right? I'm just going to tell them off. Yeah, go ahead and do that. But true words spoken from an unloving heart is this.

[22:21] Rotten to the core. I don't care how much truth you have to say if your heart isn't motivated by love.

[22:32] And then Paul gives the opposite example of what this uncorrupting talk would look like. Words that don't build up. Pick up in verse 31 of chapter 4. Yes, I'm still on the first point.

[22:43] Don't judge me. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you along with all malice.

[22:56] So here's actually examples of uncorrupting talk or rotten words. He mentions slander. This is speaking about the idea of gossip. We tend to think of gossip as just talking about behind someone's back or something like that.

[23:11] Here's what one commentator said about gossip. Quote, The word translated gossip is defined as one who reveals secrets.

[23:33] One who goes about as a tale bearer or a scandal mongerer. I like that word. A scandal mongerer. A gossiper is a person who has privileged information about people and proceeds to reveal that information to those who have no business knowing it.

[23:51] Gossip is distinguished from sharing information in two ways. Number one, intent. Gossippers often have the goal of building themselves up by making others look bad and exalting themselves.

[24:03] The type of information shared. Gossipers speak of the faults and failings of others or reveal embarrassing or shameful details regarding the lives of others without their knowledge or approval.

[24:17] That is a very lengthy and helpful definition of gossip and slander. And we will go out of our way to justify our gossip. We will say things like this. Oh, I haven't said anything I wouldn't say to him.

[24:29] Or I haven't said anything about her that I wouldn't say if she were standing right here. Guess what? She ain't standing right here. So don't say it. This is the awkward part of the sermon.

[24:42] Amen? Paul, listen. That's rottenness. That destroys. That divides. Listen. Notice. And listen. Gossip biblically is not just something that we do with our mouth.

[24:54] Like, if this didn't get you, I promise you this other one will. Gossip is not only about your mouth. Gossip is about your ears. Notice it here on the screen. Gossip is not just what you do with your mouth.

[25:07] It's what you do with your ears. Look at Proverbs 17.4. This will convict. Whew. An evildoer.

[25:18] That's pretty strong language. An evildoer listens to wicked lips.

[25:30] And a liar gives an ear to a mischievous tongue. You see, gossip isn't just about what you say with your mouth.

[25:43] It's about what you listen to with your ears. If someone comes up to you with gossip or slander or speaks with malice, I hope you're listening, and you don't shut down that conversation immediately, your ears are just as rotten as their mouth.

[26:03] And all God's people said, amen. Ouch is right. It's exactly right. Paul says this should not be a part of the Christian community.

[26:15] If we are anything, we are a building up community, not a tearing down community. And so the very first thing you should ask yourself before you open your big mouth is, what's my motivation?

[26:30] Why am I having this conversation? Why am I even saying these words? Is it to build up or is it to tear down? Paul's not done.

[26:41] We're not done with verse 29. That is just the second phrase. But we'll go get it again. Verse 29. Let no rotten talk come out of your mouth, but only that which is good for building up. Notice this next phrase.

[26:52] As fits the, say it, occasion. So here's the second thing you should ask. The first is, what's my motivation? The second question is, what's the moment? What's the moment? That is, before I speak, not only does my motivation matter, but the moment I'm in matters.

[27:09] Like I think, I literally think I could preach a whole sermon on this phrase alone. As is the occasion. I'm not. I'll just give you a few brief things that should help you stop and think about, is this the right occasion?

[27:22] Is this the right moment? I should even be saying these words. Here's just a few quick questions for you to ask. First, is this the right time? Is this the right time?

[27:33] Proverbs says a lot about a wise man holds his tongue. James, the brother of Jesus, says this. Oh, man, if there's a verse we could apply, it'd be this one.

[27:45] Know this, beloved brothers. Let every person be quick to hear and slow to speak and slow to anger.

[27:55] In other words, one of the wisest, most helpful biblical things you could do is this. You could just shut your big yapper.

[28:07] I mean, that is biblical advice right there. If you could just shut your big yapper, just be slow to speak. Listen, it may not be the right occasion. This may not be the right...

[28:18] I know you really want to say those words, but it may not be the right time. They may not be ready to hear those words. It may be too quick after the loss of their loved one. You may discern that they're just not in the right mindset to have this conversation right now.

[28:33] Or listen, you may still too be angry. You may still be too angry to say the words that you really want to say. You've got to consider the moment.

[28:44] You've got to consider the occasion. Listen, this stuff is so practical and helpful and very convicting, but I hope you'll get this next phrase. Are you with me? If you've zoned out, zone back in.

[28:55] This is really, really important. The most important thing is not what you want to say. The most important thing is what they need to hear. Because how many times do we say this?

[29:09] I've just got to get something off my chest. I've just got something I need to say. I've just got words I need to speak. Go ahead and you'll probably have to apologize later.

[29:21] But the question isn't what do you need to say. The question is what do they need to hear. You ready for this insightful bit of Bible?

[29:32] Well, love isn't about you. Love is about the other. So when I enter into the conversation, the motivation as I think about the moment I'm in is not what are the things that I really need to say so I will feel better.

[29:53] The question is what does this person or these individuals need to hear so that they'll be built up? That's love on full display.

[30:06] So you ask yourself, is it the right time? Another question is, is it the right location? Should we be having this conversation here? Is it too crowded and we're going to misunderstand each other?

[30:17] Maybe we're at church and whatever. That's not the right place to have this conversation or whatever. Is it the right location? Three, are the right people present? Should other people be in attendance? Should this be done one-on-one?

[30:28] Do we need witnesses? Are we saying words to people that can't solve the problem? I mean, there's actually an organization in Nashville that I know of that they define gossip for their employees like this.

[30:43] It's saying something negative to anyone who can't do anything about it. Think about that. It's saying something negative to anyone who can't do anything about it. You can say something negative. Just say it to the right people who are involved, not people who aren't involved.

[30:57] And in that organization, I love this, you get warned once, fired the second time. They do not tolerate gossip in their organization. Say negative things, but say it to the right people.

[31:10] So you have to ask yourself, are the right people present? Number four, are you the right person to say this? Do you have the right relationship with the person? Maybe someone else.

[31:21] It would come better from them. Maybe they would hear it better from someone else. What are the relationship dynamics that are going on? There are so many things that we should just stop and not only check our motivation, but just ask, whoa, is this the right occasion?

[31:38] Is this the right moment? Do we really need to have this conversation when our kids are screaming around us? Should we pause this until we actually can sit down and talk and make this meaningful?

[31:53] Because if you don't do that, you're running the risk of saying rotten words. Amen? Are you loving this series? Okay.

[32:04] Okay. We'll see. I think some of you at this point would just be like, now, Pastor, for me to stop and consider my motivation and the moment I'm in before I actually speak would mean I'd have to be very slow to speak.

[32:23] Exactly. That's the point that James says in James 1. So rattling off what feels good in the moment is what the Gentiles do, and it's selfish.

[32:39] Being wise enough to check your heart and the moment you're in for the good of the other person is loving. And that's the very thing Christian community is built on.

[32:51] You with me? One more and I'm done, I promise. Verse 29 again. We ain't done with the verse. Let no rotten words come out of your mouth. What you should only say is what's good for building up.

[33:03] And it should be something that fits the moment, fits the occasion that you're in. Here's why. So that it will give grace to those who hear. Oh, man.

[33:15] It will give grace to those who hear. Here's the last question. What will my words model? If I say what I'm about to say, if I have this conversation, what am I modeling with my mouth?

[33:30] Because I think it's rather obvious in the text, and I'm going to show you it here. But what Paul is actually doing, hang with me. This is just a moment or two, and I'm done. Paul is actually comparing and contrasting two different kingdoms.

[33:42] There's the kingdom of Christ, and there's the kingdom of Satan or the devil or the world. There's the kingdom of gospel, and there's the kingdom of gossip.

[33:56] And what words you use models one of the two. It reflects one of the kingdoms. Let me show you this more in the text. I think this will make more sense.

[34:07] Look at verse 26 of chapter 4. Paul says, Be angry, but do not sin, and do not let the sun go down in your anger, and give no opportunity to the, say it, devil.

[34:19] Diablos. Give no opportunity to the devil. Paul mentions here Satan. And he says, don't give an opportunity for Satan. Now, what does he mean by don't give Satan an opportunity or the devil an opportunity?

[34:30] I think what he means here is don't let your words do, that is, give an opportunity, to do what Satan loves to do. You with me?

[34:41] Like, what does Satan love? Satan, his most enjoyable thing is destruction, death, division. Oh, man, that's what he's been doing from the beginning.

[34:54] And so you need to be very careful that your words don't model him. Because it could be very well that your words will do the very thing that Satan loves to do, and in that sense, give him an opportunity.

[35:07] Further proof for this is that the Greek word for slander in verse 30 is what? Diablos, the very word for Satan.

[35:19] Paul is, and I'm not exaggerating this at all. This is good Bible right here. Paul is essentially saying this. Someone who slanders is satanic.

[35:32] Because you're using your mouth to do what Satan loves to do. You're modeling a kingdom you don't belong to. You're trying to destroy and bring death to people.

[35:43] Do you know who does that? Not Jesus. Satan. So ask yourself, when these words come out, because I can't get them back once they're said, when these words come out, will they model the kingdom of Satan?

[35:59] A kingdom of death and destruction. And by the way, this is exactly why, Christians, that rotten words grieve the Holy Spirit.

[36:10] Verse 30. Because words that destroy are words the Spirit looks at and grieves. That's not the community.

[36:23] We've established on the gospel. Here's the second kingdom. It's so obvious in verse 32. Look at it. And I'm like, according to my manuscript, probably a minute or two.

[36:36] As far as you know. Here it is. Here it is. Come on. So don't give Satan an opportunity. Let bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and all those things that represent his kingdom, let that be put away.

[36:50] And instead this. Christians, be kind. I know they hurt you. I know they vote different than you.

[37:04] I know you disagree. I know you don't like their personality. But be kind to one another.

[37:20] And would you let your heart be tender towards them? Because this isn't about you.

[37:33] This is about love. Would you forgive? And here's why. God.

[37:44] In Christ. Forgave you. If anybody. Could hold words against you.

[37:56] It would be God. And he has forgiven you. And that's. What the Christian.

[38:07] Community. Should look like. I know you're not perfect. You're perfect in your righteous standing before God. Because of the righteousness of Jesus. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

[38:20] Amen. But your behavior's got some catching up to do. So I know you're not perfect. And I know you don't get this right all the time. But you're to be peculiar.

[38:31] This is what we are to be striving for. And growing into. Amen. Notice this here on the screen. Gossip. Gossip. Models.

[38:42] The kingdom. Of Satan. Grace. Models. The kingdom. Of Christ. Do you see the verse?

[38:55] Do you see the verse? Don't say rotten words. What you should only say. Are things that are asking.

[39:06] Is this motivation to build up. Or break down. And is this even the right moment. Because if it's not the right moment. It might bring destruction. Even if unintentional. Because the fundamental thing I want.

[39:19] Is not to get something off my chest. But to give grace. To those. Who hear. Because if that would happen.

[39:32] It would look like. The kingdom. Of God. Oh man. Words are like tattoos. Brothers and sisters.

[39:43] They can't be taken back. Once they are said. They cannot be undone. And while we as Christians. Are far from perfect. You're talking about. A guy that speaks for a living.

[39:54] I am. Way. Way. Needing growth. In this area. But we are called to be peculiar. Peculiar. And so we should check our motivation. Discern the moment that we're in.

[40:05] And strive by God's strength. To model the gospel of grace. With our words. Are you starting to see. Why words matter?

[40:17] Are you starting to see. Why we should give careful attention. To the impact of our words. And faith family. Listen. To teach you this. I am not going to.

[40:27] Give you a bag of nails. And ask you. That every time. You say a rotten word. To put a nail. Into a piece of wood. Instead. I'll just remind you.

[40:38] Of the nails. Your words. Have already driven. Into a piece of wood. I will remind you. Of the fact. That Jesus died on the cross.

[40:49] For every sinful. Rotten word. You've ever spoken. And do you know what he had the audacity. To say back to you. Do you know what words he said to you.

[40:59] As a result of your rotten words. Towards him. I'll show you. He said this. Father. Forgive them.

[41:12] They don't know what they're doing. They don't know what they're saying. They don't know what they're saying. On the cross.

[41:24] The word. Let no corrupt words. Come from his mouth. Instead what he did. Is he spoke words.

[41:34] That gave grace. To all. Who heard. And that's. How. The gospel. Speaks.

[41:46] And all God's people said. Amen. Let's pray. Lord. Instead of crawling. Under a chair. Right now. I am just going to cling.

[41:58] To the cross. And I am going to rest. In the fact. That my righteous standing. And our righteous standing.

[42:10] Is not based on. Our. Corrupt words. They're based on the one. Who never said. A corrupt word. Who is perfect.

[42:22] In every way. In the way he spoke. And that is the source. Of my salvation. And righteousness. It is not my own. But because of that.

[42:37] It ought to be. My desire. And everyone. In this place. To want to model him. With our mouth. To not let. Rotten words.

[42:48] Come out. But instead. Things that build up. In the right moment. So that grace. Would be heard.

[43:00] So what I pray. That you will take. Last week. And this week. This message. And just begin. To work in us.

[43:10] And conform us. To Jesus. Build. Build not only. In us. But in faith family. This kind of culture. That. That truly. Speaks grace words. Gracious.

[43:21] Words. To one another. And may we be. Forgiving when we don't. Because we won't. Always get this right. Help us now.

[43:31] As we focus our minds. On the cross. Where our words. And our life. Our sinful rebellion. Drove nails. Into that tree. Into the arms.

[43:42] And feet. Of our savior. And he took. Not only our words. But all of our sin. And died. And paid for it. In full. And so may we. Remember him.

[43:55] And rejoice. And rest. In the salvation. That is ours. In Christ. We pray this. In his name. And God's people said. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Thank you.