Last Week: The Law of Authority
     1.   Authority is delegated to act in behalf of a higher authority within specified bounds.
     2.   As the Body of Christ, we are acting in his behalf, under his authority, in his name, as
     his legal representatives.
     3.   Authority is the right to use power, or the rightful use of power.
               a.   What is the purpose of authority?
               b.   To influence others to produce the intended result
               c.   Authority has a purpose, cannot be used to satisfy your whims
     4.   Simply having authority, the right to use power, is not sufficient; you must use the
     power to do what needs to be done.
               a.   Most often done by speaking.
               b.   That is why following Law of Authority with Law of Speech.
               c.   Authority without speech is impotent; speech without authority is mere
          conversation. Speech with authority releases power.

The Spiritual Power of Speech
     1.   Dramatic examples of power of speech
               a.   Rev 11:5 “If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and
          devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die.”
               b.   Rev 19:15 “Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down
          the nations.”
               c.   What is the significance of these images?
               d.   Are they literal or figurative? Explain.
     2.   Jesus’ use of speech (a few examples)
               a.   Mt 8:5-13 Centurion came to Jesus in behalf of his servant, paralyzed and
          suffering; Centurion asked Jesus to simply say the word and his servant would
          be healed. Jesus said, “Go! It will be done just as you believed it would.”
               b.   Mk 4:39 Jesus calmed the storm by rebuking it, “Quiet! Be still!”
               c.   Jesus drove demons out by commanding them. Ex: Mk 9:25
               d.   Lk 7:14, Jesus brought a dead man back to life by speaking to him, “Young
          man, I say to you, get up!”
               e.   Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead by calling out, “Lazarus, come out!” (Jn
          11:43).
     3.   Authority of our speech
               a.   Mt 21:21 “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can
          you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain,
          ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done.”
               b.   Lk 10:5-6 “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ If a man of
          peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you.”
               c.   What authority do we have to do such things?
               d.   What authority do these verses give us?
               e.   Are there any restrictions?
     4.   Good things our speech brings us
               a.   1 Pet 3:10 “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue
          from evil and his lips from deceitful speech.”
               b.   1 Jn 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our
          sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
               c.   How can saying particular words actually cause us to receive blessing?
               d.   Could unbelievers receive blessing by saying the “right words”? Explain. —
          Yes; universal law.
     5.   Relationship between speech and action
               a.   1 Co 13:1 “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I
          am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.”
               b.   Jas 2:15-16 “Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If
          one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but
          does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?”
               c.   do these verses imply that speech is relatively unimportant? Explain.
               d.   What is the relationship between speech and actions?
     6.   Speech has no power in itself.
               a.   It merely communicates or delivers the power
               b.   the power is derived from authority.

Authority & Speech
     1.   Jesus spoke with authority
               a.   That is why everything he commanded occurred; people healed, demons driven
          out, storm calmed, tree withered, etc.
               b.   Jesus said he spoke only what he heard Father speak
                         i.   Jn 14:10. “The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the
               Father, living in me, who is doing his work.”
                         ii.  Verse 24. “These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the
               Father who sent me.”
     2.   Authority of our speech
               a.   We are body of Christ; not part-time, invoke only at our convenience; we are
          body of Christ
                         i.   You cannot live your life as you please until you see a situation
               requiring godly intervention, then put on your Christian authority like a
               badge and go do your godly thing.
                         ii.  You are not the body of Christ intermittently or occasionally; you are
               not the temple of the Holy Spirit only on occasion, so the Holy Spirit
               only comes to help you when needed.
                         iii. You are the body of Christ, the temple of HS 100% of the time.
               b.   We are no longer our own
                         i.   1 Co 6:19-20. “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy
               Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not
               your own; you were bought at a price.” Also 7:23.
               c.   We must crucify our sinful natures
                         i.   Gal 5:24. “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful
               nature with its passions and desires.”
                         ii.  1 Co 15:31. “I die every day — I mean that, brothers.”
                         iii. Ro 8:36. “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered
               as sheep to be slaughtered.”
                         iv.  You must put your sinful nature to death; reject its demands, refuse to
               cater to it.
                         v.   You cannot appease your sinful nature, then become godly when
               situation requires.
                         vi.  Applies to speech. Your speech is a clear indication of your spiritual
               condition.
                         vii. Mt 12:34. “For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.”
     3.   Scenario
               a.   Legal representative acts carelessly, uses power for personal advantage
               b.   Says things on his own that violate his client’s interest/intent
               c.   What is your opinion of that representative?
               d.   In what ways might we do this as Christians?
     4.   Consider ourselves
               a.   Accustomed to idle chatter, being ignored, people disagreeing with what we
          say; we feel free to “express ourselves,” even make rash statements.
               b.   But God is not indifferent about what we say.
               c.   Mt 10:14-15, “If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake
          the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. I tell you the truth, it
          will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for
          that town.”
                         i.   God holds people accountable for not listening to you, accepting what
               you say
               d.   God does not speak frivolously.
                         i.   We expect his words to have power, produce results.
               e.   But we speak very casually, accustomed to ignoring what others say, being
          ignored; we expect our words not to have power, produce results.
               f.   Our words cover very broad range: from rash to meaningful. Should not be so.
               g.   Eph 6:19-20, “Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may
          be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for
          which I am an ambassador in chains.”
                         i.   speaking words as an ambassador
                         ii.  that is what we do; speak as ambassador, legal representative.
               h.   1 Pet 4:11, “If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words
          of God.”

Our Accountability and God’s use of our speech
     1.   Mt 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.”
               a.   “every careless word”
                         i.   Greek word translated “careless” means inactive, idle, unfruitful, barren
                         ii.  as used here, probably means ineffective or worthless; i.e., every word
               that doesn’t produce a positive result.
                         iii. Eph 4:29, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths,
               but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs,
               that it may benefit those who listen.”
                         iv.  “unwholesome” means destructive, bad or rotten
                         v.   Not any unwholesome talk.
                         vi.  Only what is helpful for building others up.
                         vii. Mt 12:37, every careless word
                              viii.     keep your speech positive and beneficial
               b.   Obvious: can take to extreme
                         i.   Could limit speech to nothing more than blessings & exhortation; I don’t
               think that’s what these verses mean.
                         ii.  Is laughter constructive? Is casual conversation useful? Yes!
                         iii. These things are useful and important; not inactive, idle, unfruitful,
               barren, destructive, unwholesome
               c.   Point: “by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be
          condemned.”
     2.   Ps 106:32-33, “By the waters of Meribah they angered the Lord, and trouble came to
     Moses because of them; for they rebelled against the Spirit of God, and rash words
     came from Moses’ lips.”
               a.   Moses spoke unwisely and had serious problems as a result; one result of his
          rashness was he didn’t enter the Promised Land, his greatest ambition.
               b.   God is serious about what we say.
     3.   Jas 4:13-17. Now listen, you who say, “today or tomorrow we will go to this or that
     city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even
     know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a
     little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we
     will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil.
     Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.
               a.   Talk that doesn’t give God credit or consideration is presumptuous.
               b.   Talk that is primarily self-oriented — “I did this” or “I’m going to do that” —
          is boastful; is evil.
               c.   What good have we done that God didn’t at least enable us to do? Be careful not
          to glorify yourself. God won’t share his glory with anyone (Isa 42:8, 48:11), so
          don’t try to rob God of the glory he deserves.
     4.   James and Paul didn’t say in their writings that an unruly tongue was a weakness to try
     to conquer, or a frailty of the flesh that must be endured. They said an unruly tongue is
     inexcusable under any and all circumstances.
     5.   When we give ourselves to the Spirit, he will cause us to speak only those words
     compatible with God’s will. It takes a yielded heart willing to be disciplined by the
     Spirit. Scriptures that parallel/support this:
               a.   Jn 14:10 “Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in
          me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living
          in me, who is doing his work.” — Father gave Jesus words to say
               b.   Mt 10:19-20, “But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or
          how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you
          speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” — in times of
          crisis, God gives his people the words to speak
               c.   Acts 6:9-10, “These men began to argue with Stephen, but they could not stand
          up against his wisdom or the Spirit by which he spoke.” — as Stephen spoke
          the words the Spirit gave him, no one could argue with him.
               d.   Do you think God will do this only in times of crisis or during great events? Or
          do you think God will do it anytime you yield to him?
               e.   God at times gives us specific words to speak, but most of the time he gives us
          ideas to express.

We’ve emphasized need to speak positively. Why?
     1.   Because we have the ability and natural (sinful) inclination to speak evil.
               a.   Our negative, evil words also release power
               b.   Primarily spiritual being with a psyche/soul, living temporarily in physical body
               c.   God gave Adam authority over the earth and mankind still has authority after
          the Fall.
               d.   We may not have as much authority as Adam; sin has separated us from God
          and greatly decreased our effectiveness.
               e.   But we still have authority.
     2.   That means a person’s words release power, for either good or evil.

 Your Speech Equals You
     1.   What you say is not accidental; but predictable. You may think you are full of God’s
     goodness and love. You may think that when you speak ill of someone, it is accidental.
     But God says you spoke it because it was in your heart all along.
     2.   Jas 3:1-8 [READ]. Notice v 6: “The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the
     parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person ....”
     3.   Jas 1:26 “If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his
     tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.”
     4.   We can conclude from these verses that if the tongue is evil, the whole body is defiled.
     The tongue can corrupt the whole body and nullify the “religious” things you do.
     5.   Mt 5:22 “But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to
     judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the
     Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.”
      a.  “Raca” is a term of contempt.
      b.  Verse says contemptuous speech will bring judgment on a person.
     6.   So if the tongue is evil, the whole body is defiled. Which is the cause and which is the
     effect? Does a person’s speech literally bring judgment on him? Does a person’s speech
     simply demonstrate the person’s attitude, and the attitude brings judgment on him?

“Forked tongue” syndrome
     1.   Mt 12:33-37 “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its
     fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. (We can consider our speech to
     be the fruit of our mouths.) You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say
     anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. (Seems to say
     that words are a reflection of the real attitude.) The good man brings good things out of
     the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up
     in him. But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for
     every careless word they have spoke. For by your words  you will be acquitted, and by
     your words you will be condemned.” (Seems to say that we’ll be judged by what we
     say.)
     2.   Since our words are a true reflection of our soul, they will be used as evidence
     against/for us when we are judged.
     3.   Pharisees came to Jesus and challenged him because his disciples didn’t practice the
     elaborate, traditional hand-washing ceremony before meals. Mt 15:10-20. Jesus said
     that the mouth expresses the sin in a person’s life, those things which pollute him (evil
     thoughts, murder, adultery, and so on). It is these things which make a person
     “unclean” or unacceptable; these are the things in a person’s soul which his mouth
     spews out.
     4.   Col 3:8-10 “But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage,
     malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you
     have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is
     being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.”
      a.  anger, malice and rage may be expressed nonverbally, but usually these
     emotions demand some verbal expression.
      b.  Slander, filthy language and lies all require verbal expression.
      c.  These verses says these uses of the mouth are not compatible with your new
     nature.
     5.   Jas 3:9-12 (the “forked tongue” syndrome) “With the tongue we praise our Lord and
     Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in god’s likeness. Out of the
     same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh
     water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear
     olives, or a grapevine bear figs? neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.”
      a.  If your mouth has been purified by God’s Spirit (it has if you’re a believer), it’s
     been set apart for service to God.
      b.  “Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing.”
       1) “cursing” does not refer to profanity or vulgar language or taking the
     Lord’s name in vain.
       2) Greek word refers to curse as in bringing harm on someone:
             a)     speaking a curse on someone (opposite of blessing them)
             b)     Jesus becoming a curse for us
       3) James says the same mouth should not praise God and bring harm on
     others.
      c.  You should not use mouth for unholy things.
     6.   I’m convinced that we are much too liberal, too permissive about our speech. It is
     impossible for a Spirit-directed believer to speak slander, filthy language, lies, curses
     on others. The Bible doesn’t say salt water and fresh water should not flow from the
     same source; it says it’s impossible! James & Paul didn’t say in their writings that an
     unruly tongue was a weakness you should endure; they said it’s inexcusable. We
     cannot walk in the Spirit, be filled with the Spirit, and at the same time speak unholy
     things.
      a.  Every one of us needs to rededicate our mouths to the Lord. One of the ways
     we do this is to allow the spirit to purify our mouths, allow him to speak
     through you.
      b.  Praying in tongues is an excellent purifying practice.
      c.  Activity: Everyone stand. If you have ever prayed in the Spirit, spoken in
     tongues, whatever you wish to call it, I’m asking you to do it now. Allow the
     Holy Spirit to have control of your mouth; he’ll purify it. Now pray in English,
     tell the Lord how good he is, how much you appreciate him, how important he
     is to you.

Positive side of soul/mouth relationship
     1.   Ro 10:8-10 “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, that is, the
     word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is
     Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
     For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth
     that you confess and are saved.”
      a.  Notice close relationship between what you believe and what you say.
      b.  Your mouth expresses your inner condition.
     2.   Heb 13:15 “through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of
     praise — the fruit of lips that confess his name.”
      a.  the fruit of holy lips is praise
      b.  praise is not just compatible with your new nature, it’s a byproduct of it.

Conclusion
     1.   A truly spiritual person cannot speak evil. Be aware that your speech is a direct
     indication of your spiritual condition. Listen to what you say; God does.