The Weight of Words
Notes
Transcript
Welcome & Announcements
Welcome & Announcements
Welcome and thank you for joining us this morning. Take a moment and roll down your windows and greet the folks parked around you.
Business Meeting Packets are in the mail and you should have recieved them. Thank you to all who sent in their Board reports, and a special thanks to Doug and Marty (maybe some additional helpers) who put together the packets for mailing.
If you are a member and have not recieved the packet, please call the church office this week.
Business Meeting Scheduled for May 17th, in person if possible, or via Zoom. If you would like help getting Zoom on your computer or device, please contact me and I’ll do my best to get you set up for the meeting.
Thanks to those who have been doing work projects around the church grounds and buildings.
Scripture Reading
Scripture Reading
1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, 3 though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah 4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. 5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. 6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. 7 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah 8 Come, behold the works of the Lord, how he has brought desolations on the earth. 9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire. 10 “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” 11 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
Opening Prayer
Opening Prayer
Matt Brandes- ask permission first-cellulitis in his arms
Kim Clark- knee surgery on Tuesday & John’s Aunt, who is having heart trouble and has been in and out of the hospital.
Teachers and students as they finish up the school year.
Wisdom for our country, state and local leaders
Businesses that are not yet allowed to work
Becca’s Baby, Mike & Judy Johnson’s grandchild due this Summer, and Beckah & Kenny Connor’s baby due in a couple of months also.
Worship-
Worship-
10 Reasons
10 Reasons
Behold Our God
Behold Our God
Amazing Grace- My Chains are Gone
Amazing Grace- My Chains are Gone
Kid’s Corner-
Kid’s Corner-
God loves a cheerful giver.
7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
I didn’t hear a certain dollar amount, or a certain number of hours worth of work, or a certain age you have to be, before you are able to give, or anything specific, except “each one must give, as he has decided in his heart. . . This means we
Need to think about what we are going to give
Be certain about what we are going to give
Be cheerful about giving.
It is more precious to give than to receive. Remember that, and give it a try this week.
The Weight of Words
The Weight of Words
How important are the words you speak.
I read a quote on Facebook this week that said, “I don’t like to think before I speak. I like to be just as surprised as everyone else about what comes out of my mouth.” This was said, jokingly, but if I’m honest, I could probably be accused of believing that, based on a number of different occasions throughout my lifetime. Maybe you can think of a few times in your lifetime, that you have spoken before thinking and then realized afterward, how wrong you were, or how foolish you had been to say such things, only to regret allowing those words to leave your mouth. Today we are going to be looking at a situation we read about in the book of Esther, that brings to mind the importance of weighing our words, and the care we should demonstrate before speaking.
One writer made the following statement, as an encouragement to think before you speak.
"Words are seeds that do more than blow around. They land in our hearts and not the ground. Be careful what you plant and careful what you say. You might have to eat what you planted one day." -Unknown
If you have been paying attention at all to the news lately, you realize that earlier this week the President of the United States spoke a few words in a press briefing, that some in the press took and twisted and misconstrued. No matter what you think of the President, his policies and his frequent open candor often times, at least seemingly from the the cuff. It seemed to be to be quite evident that they were deliberately seeking to blow out of proportion, what they saw as his carefree and careless suggestions, as to how we might win the war on the coronavirus, using disinfectants and sanitizers. To give equal exposure to both major political parties, the presumed Democratic Party’s Presidential candidate, has also been challenged about some words he spoke back in 2018, in regard to one of Brett Kavanaugh’s accusers, saying, “all women should be believed, but is now facing the reality of being incriminated himself by a women, that says, he assaulted her, when he served as a Senator.
Well this morning, in as we continue our study in the book of Esther, we are going to see, just how important our words are, and how they carry weight with them.
1 On that day King Ahasuerus gave to Queen Esther the house of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had told what he was to her. 2 And the king took off his signet ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman. 3 Then Esther spoke again to the king. She fell at his feet and wept and pleaded with him to avert the evil plan of Haman the Agagite and the plot that he had devised against the Jews. 4 When the king held out the golden scepter to Esther, Esther rose and stood before the king. 5 And she said, “If it please the king, and if I have found favor in his sight, and if the thing seems right before the king, and I am pleasing in his eyes, let an order be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the provinces of the king. 6 For how can I bear to see the calamity that is coming to my people? Or how can I bear to see the destruction of my kindred?” 7 Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, “Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the gallows, because he intended to lay hands on the Jews. 8 But you may write as you please with regard to the Jews, in the name of the king, and seal it with the king’s ring, for an edict written in the name of the king and sealed with the king’s ring cannot be revoked.” 9 The king’s scribes were summoned at that time, in the third month, which is the month of Sivan, on the twenty-third day. And an edict was written, according to all that Mordecai commanded concerning the Jews, to the satraps and the governors and the officials of the provinces from India to Ethiopia, 127 provinces, to each province in its own script and to each people in its own language, and also to the Jews in their script and their language. 10 And he wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed it with the king’s signet ring. Then he sent the letters by mounted couriers riding on swift horses that were used in the king’s service, bred from the royal stud, 11 saying that the king allowed the Jews who were in every city to gather and defend their lives, to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate any armed force of any people or province that might attack them, children and women included, and to plunder their goods, 12 on one day throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar. 13 A copy of what was written was to be issued as a decree in every province, being publicly displayed to all peoples, and the Jews were to be ready on that day to take vengeance on their enemies. 14 So the couriers, mounted on their swift horses that were used in the king’s service, rode out hurriedly, urged by the king’s command. And the decree was issued in Susa the citadel.
This chapter begins with further confirmation and a reminder of the humble, submissive, and generous attitude that Esther exemplified throughout this narrative.
3 Then Esther spoke again to the king. She fell at his feet and wept and pleaded with him to avert the evil plan of Haman the Agagite and the plot that he had devised against the Jews. 4 When the king held out the golden scepter to Esther, Esther rose and stood before the king. 5 And she said, “If it please the king, and if I have found favor in his sight, and if the thing seems right before the king, and I am pleasing in his eyes, let an order be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the provinces of the king. 6 For how can I bear to see the calamity that is coming to my people? Or how can I bear to see the destruction of my kindred?”
She continues to demonstrate humility and concern for the people of God (Jews, descendants of Judah). She does this despite the fact that she is safe from Haman, and there likely remains little chance that she will suffer persecution or death from those who might want to follow through with the edict, that Haman put into play.
Weighing the King’s Words
Weighing the King’s Words
7 Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, “Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the gallows, because he intended to lay hands on the Jews. 8 But you may write as you please with regard to the Jews, in the name of the king, and seal it with the king’s ring, for an edict written in the name of the king and sealed with the king’s ring cannot be revoked.”
Words/Edict written in the name of the king cannot be revoked.
Words/Edict written in the name of the king cannot be revoked.
For good or bad, they carry the incredible weight and authority.
For good or bad, they carry the incredible weight and authority.
The King, understood the necessity of maintaining honor and trustworthiness and therefore it was a law in their land that an edict of the King could not be revoked. They understood the danger of unfaithfulness, inconsistency, and vacillating in the governing of their laws.
The Weight of Words
The Weight of Words
James 3 warns us of the incredible power and potentially destructive nature of the tongue.
5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!
Listen to Christ’s teaching about the importance of weighing your words.
33 “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ 34 But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.
When He stated, “You have heard that it was said to those of old” he is referring to
12 You shall not swear by my name falsely, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord.
and
2 If a man vows a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.
21 “If you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay fulfilling it, for the Lord your God will surely require it of you, and you will be guilty of sin.
What Christ was teaching in His sermon on the mount, was that our word and our reputation ought to be such, that we do not need to, make an oath, or “swear” that we will do something. Our word ought to be our word. If our reputation is such that we have to say things like, “I promise, or I swear, I will do this or do that, or I won’t do this or do that. . . We probably already have broken someone’s trust or proven our words are untrustworthy. Christ is warning against finding ourselves in those circumstances.
The way that we do it, it by Weighing our words and speaking truth. We don’t make false accusations of others, we don’t go back on our word. When we say yes, we mean it and we follow through on the commitment that we have agreed to. When we say no, we commit to that and don’t do what we’ve said we won’t do.
King Ahasuerus, if through nothing more than common grace, understood this principle.
Weigh your Words
Weigh your Words
Be careful little lips what you speak.
Let your “yes=yes” and your “no=no”.
If you say you will do something, you better do it.
If you say you won’t do something, you better not do it.
King Ahasuerus, would not and could not revoke his edict, but He was willing to allow Esther and Mordecai, write some kind of edict that would “counterbalance” or reduce the effects of the first edict, which we should remember was put into place, as a result of Haman’s lies and deception.
Weigh God’s Words
Weigh God’s Words
This aspect of the story of Esther, further illustrates in such a wonderfully expressive way, without mentioning God specifically, how faithful, true, trustworthy He is to keep His promises. He is ever faithful and reliable.
This is observable all throughout Scripture. From His relationship with Adam and Eve, on through to today.
As per O Palmer Robertson “Covenant= A bond in blood sovereignly administered.” The covenants of God, remain to this day. Nothing that He has promised or proclaimed as ever faded or changed.
In comparison to the examples we have of our human leaders and rulers, throughout history and even through to today, we find ourselves in such awe and amazement of God’s Holiness.
7 Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, “Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the gallows, because he intended to lay hands on the Jews. 8 But you may write as you please with regard to the Jews, in the name of the king, and seal it with the king’s ring, for an edict written in the name of the king and sealed with the king’s ring cannot be revoked.”
18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.
35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
8 The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.
The Word of God stands forever-
The Kingdom of God has come and will come. Already/Not yet aspect of His kingdom.
In the time of Esther, Mordecai was given the “final word” to be spoken concerning the Jews, in the name of Ahasuerus. Mordecai was able to overrule the words of Haman, which were decreed in the name of the king, but he was not able to revoke the original words.
We take comfort knowing that God almighty has spoken, and His words will never fade away or be revoked or overruled. His Word stands forever.
That is our example, that is the example we should seek to emulate. Weigh your words
The Cross Has the Final Word- Newsboys
The Cross Has the Final Word- Newsboys
Sing together- Better is One Day
Sing together- Better is One Day
Close in Prayer-
Close in Prayer-