| Introduction Have you noticed how communication everywhere is breaking down? It seems that nothing can be said anymore because anything that is said is offensive to someone somewhere. We are living in a time of the absurd. I wonder what the legacy of our days will be. What will the history books say 50 years from now concerning the absurdity of the current rhetoric? One thing, however, that our current struggle affirms correctly is that words are incredibly powerful. God designed them that way. God himself speaks and the greatest revelation of himself is the Word. Jn. 1:1-3, 14 – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made…. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. Language is not a human invention. It existed prior to the creation of the universe. God communicated with himself. Communication is a human necessity that predates the fall. The way we use our words has been marred by sin. Notice that Satan tempted Eve by distorting what God said to her, that is, by distorting what God had communicated to her. Gen. 3:1-5 – Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?" And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.'" Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." When married couples come to me for counseling, the number one presentation problem is communication. It also tends to be right on the top of the list when parents come for counseling. This is true in my own life and relationships. The season that we are going through in our society is marked by the misuse of words. Communication has broken down everywhere. So, our words and the way we use them are very serious business for every institution in society and for every human relationship. Pro. 18:21 – Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit. I. Communication Problems Are not Primarily a Tongue Issue. Mt. 12:34-37 – Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. 36 But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. 37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned. A. It is primarily an issue that flows from what desires rules over our hearts. 1. Therefore, a life of godly communication is rooted in a personal recognition of the sovereignty of God. 2. Only when we submit to the rule of God through faith in Jesus, who has a perfect plan and is in complete control, will we begin to live and speak as he had purposed. a. Only at this level will the idolatry of heart that leads to idolatrous words be broken. b. It is here alone that our words will be freed from being the tools of our agenda, our attempts to control, and our glory-seeking. B. When our hearts are more controlled by desires for the creation than they are by a desire for the Creator, we will seek to control our world to get what we want. 1. But when we understand God's sovereignty and submit to his rule, we can live and speak as God has designed. 2. God's revealed will for us is that all our speaking be done for the praise of his glory. 3. So, a firm understanding and belief in the sovereignty of God will propel us onto godly communication. II. Understanding God's Sovereignty as It Applies to Godly Communication. A. When the Bible says that God is sovereign, it is saying that he rules the universe unchallenged. 1. God is the Lord of lords and the King of kings. a. No one has taught God, no one gives him advice, no one can legitimately question him, and no one can stand in the way of his will. b. This is true of what we can see, but also of what we can't see. Dan. 4:34-35 – And at the end of the time I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me; and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever: for His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation. All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand or say to Him, "What have You done?" c. Application to communication. 1) We will never be in a situation, location, or relationship in which God is not ruling. 2) Knowing that God is in control of our lives allows us to not give in to panic. 3) Knowing that God is in control of our lives allows us to not despair. 4) As we grab hold of this truth by faith, we can pay attention to what God had called us to do – to live and speak for his glory. 2. God rules over all things for the church. a. God rules for the redemptive benefit of his people. b. God has worked and is working all things in history in order to gather for himself to the praise of his own glorious name, Eph. 1:7-12. c. He rules in the Church through Jesus, Eph. 1:20-22. d. Application to communication. 1) Think about how much of our communication involves complaining about our circumstances. a) How much of our speaking expresses irritation toward people who get in our way? i. Family members who rob us of peace and quiet. ii. The rebellious child who robs us of our comfort and ease. iii. The person who refuses to give us the respect and admiration we think we deserve. b) So much of our talk expresses envy toward others who seem to have it easier than we do. 2) So much of our praise to the Lord is limited to the moments when we have determined that what he has done is good. a) Times of physical healing, financial provision, improved circumstances, restored relationships, or solved problems. b) In these situations, we praise God for his faithfulness. 3) All this communication misses the fact that God is active in every moment of our lives and he brings all things into our lives for our redemptive good. 4) When we believe that this is the case, we have hearts that can speak with humility and worship – we realize that God has us just where we need to be so that his purposes for us and his promises to us come to pass. 3. God rules over the specific details of our lives. a. God's rule is not just global or universal, it is individual. b. God rules over the specifics of our lives so that we can reach out and find him. Acts 17:26-28 – And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also His offspring.' c. Application to communication. 1) We may have communication problems over things we think are problems, but God doesn't. 2) We often focus on people and situations, while God's focus is on us. 3) He is using the things in our lives as tools for accomplishing his work in us. 4. God rules over every aspect of our salvation, Eph. 1:4-6. a. That's the only reason we can have assurance of salvation because if we could lose it, we would. b. True worship begins when we grasp the sovereign grace of God. 1) God's sovereign grace undermines all human pride and thoughts of self-sufficiency as we face our complete dependence on him. 2) As we grasp God's sovereign grace, the pride that we would otherwise have in ourselves we give over to praising him. 1 Cor. 1:30-31 – But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption—that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the Lord." c. Application to communication. 1) The highest and first goal of all our communication is that our words would reflect an attitude of worship that recognizes our utter dependency on God for our salvation. 2) He has chosen us to be his children, he called us to himself, he breathed life into us so that we could see and believe the truth, he justified us and adopted us into his family, he daily works to sanctify us, and he will take us to glory. 3) Out of that realization will come a life of communication that benefits others and honors him. 5. God rules over circumstances for our sanctification. a. God is at work in every situation to conform us to the image of his Son. Rom. 8:28-29 – And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. b. If this is the case, then when we complain about the problems and pressures in our lives, we are essentially grumbling in the face of God. 1) We are complaining that we have been chosen by his love and grace, and that he is putting us in situations designed to make us his holy people. 2) Rather than telling us that God has forgotten us, our circumstances shout to us that he has remembered us and will not leave us till his work in complete. Jam. 1:2-4 – My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. c. Application to communication. 1) The though neighbor, demanding boss, touchy relative, controlling friend, unthankful child, and unexpected accident are all tools of sanctification in the hands of our Lord. 2) Does what come out of your mouth in time of trouble reflect this truth? 6. God rules over relationships for my sanctification. a. The people in our lives are not there by accident. b. Through them, God continues the work he has begun in us, Eph. 2:14-16, 19-22, 4:16. c. We often forget that God places people in our lives in order to shape us in the image of Jesus, so we treat them as irritants and obstacles. 1) We lash out in anger because they stand in the way of our plans or our momentary happiness. 2) Embracing the sovereignty of God over our relationships and circumstances will alter our words regarding the people he has placed in our lives. 7. God rules over all things for his glory, Eph. 1:12. a. God is not working for our temporal happiness. b. He is not working so that we would feel satisfied and complete or that we would have a positive self-image or comfortable lifestyle. c. He is working to make us lights that shine in darkness, so that people will see our good works and give him glory. Mt. 5:16 – Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. d. When we speak as if we are in control (or ought to be), when we take glory for ourselves, when we complain about the things God has put on our plate, we are rejecting his ultimate purpose for us – that we would be who live and speak for his glory. e. In light of this, every word we speak must meet two standards: 1) All our words should bring God the glory he deserves. 2) Our words should bring redemptive good into the lives of the people God has placed around us. 3) This is the high calling for all our words – worship and redemption. III. The Only Way to Solve Our Communication Issues in the Long Term Is to Put Things in the Right Order. A. The Bible tells us that if we are going to see lasting change in our communication, we must start from within. 1. The only way not to speak idolatrous words is to remove idolatry from our hearts. 2. God is the Lord and Creator of language – we must speak according to his purposes and for his glory. B. We must then keep things in the right order, or in the right drawers. Mt. 22:37-40 – Jesus said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." 1. Christ says that there are two doors in God's filing cabinet: drawer one is labeled "Love for God" and drawer two is labeled "Love for Neighbor." 2. Everything the Bible teaches can be filed in one of these drawers. 3. A common mistake has been to treat the issue of communication as if it were exclusively a drawer two issue. a. When we deal with communication problems in marriage and family, in parenting, friendship, community, and the church, too often we immediately turn to "how to" passages without looking at the heart principles. b. Words that are spoken up to God's standard and according to his design always begin with a heart that loves God above all else, and therefore desires to speak in a loving way to one's neighbor. Mt. 12:34 – Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 4. Communication is both a drawer one and drawer two issue. A. In what ways is your communication an attempt to take control? B. How would the way you communicate be different if you believed and trusted more fully in God's absolute control of everything for your good and his glory? C. How do you respond when God sends suffering or disappointment your way? D. Do you seek to speak in a way that encourages the work God is doing in others? E. Do you treat certain people as obstacles to your own spiritual growth, or do you see them as God's agents of your sanctification and as potential recipients of God's grace through you? How are these two different attitudes expressed in your words? F. How, specifically, do your words reveal whether you are resting in God's control or wrestling with it?
The Lord Jesus is the sovereign King of the universe, and the universe includes the way we communicate. We want a society where people actually understand each other. That society begins as we, the Church of Jesus Christ, speak in a way consistent with the truth that he is the Lord of everything.
http://olympiabp.blogspot.com/2020/07/god-is-king-over-words-ephesians-17-12.html
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